Unknown POV...
I felt a rush of power flowing into my being, rejuvenating my essence enough to raise myself off the ground. A very familiar power that was deliciously refreshing after a millennium of cold stone and being stuck in an empty void! Not enough to bring me to my full strength yet, but I was finally freed from a comatose state.
My eyes lit up like fires from the underworld after breathing in the energy that seeped into my skull. My vision revealed the inside of the sanctuary cave walls where I lay in wait for retribution; stalactites and stalagmites lined the edges like pillars in a stadium, salmon-colored crystals lit up the area, and the stone platform under me sat like a podium with skeletal decor scattered around in huge bony columns.
The only sign of life in this otherwise empty cavern was a single creature who seemed to be frozen in shock at my reawakening; he was a short and stout Dragamon called a Grimmwrath with a bony exterior and an inky black mass where his flesh was supposed to be around his body and the webbing between his bat-like wings, his skull had tusks and fangs jutting out from his skinless face!
But that's not what my mind was focused on. Only one thing in the Five Corners was capable of reviving me, and it has finally been used after decades of inactivity.
"The crystal has been found; I sense its power! It gives me new life!!!"
"Master Grimmserver! I knew this day would come." Wormskull uttered whilst bowing low like the suck-up he was. "Now tell me, oh master, where is the crystal?" he asked eagerly.
"I will fetch it, aaand, you can finish what you started; conquering all of Dragamar!"
"You're thinking too small, Worm. When I finally return to my former glory, all the Five Lands will be under my rule!" I corrected the underling who will serve my purpose.
"As for the crystal's location," I stated vaguely, making the minor pawn eager with anticipation. "Will be revealed. And when it is, the Grimmwraths will be ready!"
Magic flowed out of me in a hazy fog that eventually covered the floor of the sanctuary, creating my soon-to-be army of the most feared and powerful of the Dragamonz known in history...
Ace's POV...
As the sun set on another day in Ponyland after that swinging party, things started to look up in this world; the Elements of Harmony had returned, the princesses had been reunited, and Twilight finally realized the value of friendship! All in all, another day's work as a guardian!
I was quite proud of Twilight, for accepting other ponies in her life and creating bonds of friendship with this ragtag band of girls. Now, she can do all the fun things only girls get to do, and give me and Spike a chance for some brotherly bonding ourselves!
Which sadly brought up a distant memory of another student of the Princess whom I'd nearly forgotten about; Sunset Shimmer! An amber-coated mare with a red and yellow mane and tail who was quite brash for a unicorn. We met by accident as I was on my way to find somewhere secluded enough to practice my transformations, I collided with her in the hallways midrun.
After an exchange of heated words, mostly from her, we hit an impasse. Trying to keep things civil while within castle grounds between us, but over time and with more interactions our meetings became less aggressive and more along the lines of neighborly.
After Twilight went home, she and I hung out occasionally. I considered her a friend, as our outings brought us joy during tough times. However, things changed when Sunset became dishonest and started using spellbooks she wasn't supposed to. Concerned for her, I did what I thought was right and reported her to Celestia. She was furious and blamed me for ruining her future. The next day, she disappeared without a trace, and Celestia was hesitant to share any information about her whereabouts.
Right now, with the sun once again sinking into the horizon, the royal sisters have already bid us goodnight and left for the castle, while the town's ponies have dispersed back to their own homes, except for six particular mares and a little dragon who followed me back to the only place secluded enough for the next few hours.
We looked up as Rainbow Dash flew overhead with an exuberant laugh. "Can you believe how awesome we are? The heroes of Equestria! Us!" She then raced off ahead of us in a blur of color, only to reappear behind us. "I mean, sure I was awesome before, but now I'm, like, twenty percent cooler!" she cheered, hooves in the air.
"And the most amazing part is," Pinkie exclaimed, her grin widening as she bounced around with infectious energy. "We get to have new best friends joining us here! Whoohoo! This is going to be so much fun!"
"T'is a shame that we had to part with such beautiful artifacts. I could have come up with a new ensemble to go with those fabulous Elements!" remarked Rarity, stylishly flipping her mane. "They were quite beautiful," Fluttershy whispered next to the fashionista.
"So, Ace, you're going to explain everything to us?" Twilight asked me skeptically, seeming unsure of an answer as she walked beside me with Spike riding on her back. I silently nodded, daring not to look at her.
"Uh, explain what now?" Spike asked. All of the other ponies anxiously looked at one another until a certain hyper gal spoke.
"The strange and unexpected way he changes into strange and unexpected creatures, even though it's strange and unexpected?" Pinkie Pie asked while bouncing around us with her goofy grin, leaving our group a bit perplexed.
"That's... oddly accurate." Dash said as she hovered overhead.
"Yeah, but I believe it's time that I was more honest with you guys. And now seemed like as good a time as any!" I said with conviction, still limping slightly.
"You doin' alright there, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she winced at my uneven walking style. "Y'all got scuffed up pretty badly back there."
"Did you really fight off Nightmare Moon?!" Spike asked with enthusiasm, making me chuckle a bit. "Sure did, buddy, and let me tell you, that's hopefully the last time I face off against an alicorn." At that, we all nodded in agreement, until I tripped on my hooves again.
"Sure you don't want us to carry you again?" Dash said patronizingly, elbowing me with a smug look. My only reply was to glower at her.
"Oh look, we're here," I grunted as we approached the library, earning a few chuckles from the mares around me. "Haha, yeah. Come on, let's get this over with."
Opening the door, I let the ladies file in first before turning to shut it; I watched Spike scramble off to the kitchen for snacks and tea as the mane six each found somewhere comfortable to sit.
Once everypony was seated upstairs in Twilight's study/bedroom, I stood off to the side to address the elephant in the room. "Um... I guess we should get right to the interrogation then, huh?
"Oh. Pf. Kch. Ts! Parish the thought darling," Rarity scoffed. "This is merely an interview, if you will, nopony's going to harass you for answers! Right girls?" to which she received a nod from the rest of the gang.
"A..although it was a bit scary at first to know you turned into th..those creatures," Fluttershy said quietly, hiding behind her mane. "But I'm glad to know you're our friend, right?"
"Eh, I'm still suspicious of you for keeping something this epic from us, but you're okay, Ace!" Dash said with a side glance my way until she smirked with a mischievous glint in her eye. "But since you can sprout wings now, I expect to see how well you can fly with them, in a race!"
At that, I'm pretty sure my face turned pale just from the mere thought of even competing with the athletic mare.
"Y'all saved our flanks back there from gettin' whooped by that evil witch and her lil' mongrels if it hadn't been for yer fancy magic!" Applejack pointed out with a grateful smile.
"Hehe, that boss battle sure was a level up from those hyenas back there, huh?" Pinkie Pie asked comically while holding an oversized cardboard key in her mouth with a giggle.
We all gave the pink pony a look of confusion until we burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
"I, for one, am glad you decided to stay, big guy," Spike said as he walked back out with a tray of tea and some chocolate cookies. "Can't exactly expect to leave me behind to take care of Twilight by myself, can ya?" he said snarkily with a wink, making the purple pony stutter incoherently.
"Wha, I...But...he's...you've...ugh!" she grunted as we all snorted at her expense. "Okay, let's just get this interview started," she said after a calming breath as she levitated a notepad and feather quill in her magic as she prepared for me to answer some questions. "Don't leave out any details!"
"Well then," I said as I grabbed a cookie. "Who wants to go first?"
Not surprisingly, Pinkie was the first one to start asking. "Ooh, ooh, pick me! Pick me!"
Sheesh, she reminds me of my sister! I thought with a playful eyeroll. "Alright, Pink's, fire away!" I admitted, awaiting the inevitable bombardment of questions.
However, what she said next caught me completely off guard. "What's your sister like?" she asked sweetly while tossing a cookie into the air before swallowing it.
What could I say to a question like that, other than the most intelligible thing that first popped into my mind? "Huh?"
"Hehe, Tanya silly! What's she like? You kept bringing up your sister a lot so I wanna know how great she is!" Pinkie said enthusiastically, the others leaned in with interest.
A sad smile crept its way onto my face as I reminisced about my little sister, but I was also trying to figure out how best to describe my past without revealing the fact that the ponies were nothing more than a work of fiction!
"Well, if anything, she's a lot like you Pinkie," I stated, watching her give a smile from ear to ear. "Always bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, more than willing to cheer others up whenever she gets a chance. Plus, she absolutely loves to sing! More playful and energetic than a puppy on a sugar rush, you couldn't stop her unless she wanted to be stopped! We were like peas in a pod."
"But we weren't always cooperative," I added with a snicker. "Especially when it came to our favorite stories we liked. Sometimes she would pull these ridiculous pranks on me from time to time, leaving me looking like a maniac for a while, like that time she replaced the cinnamon with chili powder when I was fixing some oatmeal!" my audience couldn't hold back the laughter that threatened to burst from their mouths as they undoubtedly envisioned that scenario.
"Haha, she sounds, haha, like a real hoof-full of trouble! My kinda gal!" Rainbow Dash said between bouts of laughter, crashing on her belly from the effort.
"Yeah, a real scream, she is." I chuckled, waiting for everypony to catch their breath before continuing.
"But she was still my little sister, nonetheless. So whenever she gets scared of certain things like spooky stories or the occasional creepy crawlies, she would then stay up late until I was somehow roped into staying up with her until we'd fall asleep together in the family room. Afterward, she'd call me a hero for keeping the nightmares at bay for her!" I stated with a somber look, remembering that particular time after Dad let us watch a more than scary movie.
"Aww!" chorused the girls at once, causing me to roll my eyes. "That's the darndest, most adorable thing I ever heard," Applejack remarked with a smile.
"Indeed darling," Rarity agreed with a nod until Fluttershy's voice piped up in a near-whisper, "Um, I...I don't mean to... interrupt the tender moment, but where did you vanish to earlier? If you d... don't mind th... that is." she shortly hid her face behind her pink mane from our gazes in embarrassment.
"Yeah," Dash said once the topic changed. "Also, what was that monkey talking about?"
I cleared my throat while debating on what to tell them without slipping the concept of other worlds into my discussion. Until I remembered that my presence alone may have already changed too much, not to mention Janja and his clan! "Let's just say that I was meeting with someone important from my past. He wanted to speak with me about the new power that I fought Nightmare Moon with and... train me to use them properly as this century's newest guardian!"
Confusion passed between the girls like a bee bouncing from flower to flower, only Spike had an interested look on his face as he sat beside me.
"Does this mean you'll be doing other cool stuff, like when you climbed to the top of Canterlot Mountain?" he asked, excitement rising in his voice, catching the mare's attention.
"Wait, wait, wait," Dash said, a shocked look on her muzzle. "That was you on the Equine Press? "Stallion dares the unthinkable!" Climbing to the top of Mount Canterlot without the equipment, magic, or even supervision?"
Now it was my turn to look shocked. "How did you know that?" I couldn't help but ask, drawing back from the sheer thought of being on paper like that. Plus, I distinctly remember doing that stunt in secret until Princess Celestia caught me on the way down as she was lowering the sun.
However, Pinkie chose that moment to pull out a newspaper from a year ago with a picture of me at the top of the mountain capital on the first page. This left me perplexed because I knew that I had gotten up early enough for no one to see me even go up there in the first place! Boy, I could easily see that despite those undoubtedly characteristic markings along my mane and tail cluing me as the climber, the angle at which this was taken hid my cutie mark from view.
"Huh," was all I could say at the moment, staring at my victorious smile in the photo. "I'm not sure whether to feel impressed or perturbed at the fact that somepony has been spying on me while I was trying something out!?"
"Trying something out?" Twilight repeated with a heated glare. "That something made the Princess furious for a week straight! You had me believe that she was angry with me for oversleeping by accident!" she vented, literal puffs of steam blew from her nostrils.
What more could I do than shrug sheepishly with a grin, shrinking back against the sheer forceful glare she shot me with?
"In hindsight, maybe I should have notified her first, but it was worth the risk to attempt such a feat!" I said with growing enthusiasm. "I mean seriously, that was a thrilling experience! The intensity, the ecstasy, the thousand-mile drop! Ha, I'd do that again in a heartbeat." And somehow I had seemed to imitate Rainbow Dash's behavior by throwing my hooves in the air and getting self-confident, earning eye rolls from every mare present. Even Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy!
"Ahem," Twilight huffed, moving to change the subject. "So, about that strange spell of yours, I have never found anything like it in any of the royal archives," she said while motioning me with her hoof, clueing me into explaining myself.
"Well, for starters, you'll never find something like what I can do in any history books. Believe me, I searched." I said as I levitated more cookies towards my mouth. "And as for those powers of mine, you could say that it's loosely based on me being an animagus."
"An Anonymous?" Dash asked in confusion.
For some reason, I felt the urge to cringe at that word. "No, no. Ani-magus! Or, if you will, an animorph, a shapeshifter, a wild shape, a transformer, take your pick!" I clarified. "I can imbue my magic in my body to change myself into epic creatures, each one gifted with special abilities and traits that allow me to face tougher challenges!"
"Like what kind of creatures?" Fluttershy asked, straightening up a bit. If anything, she looked as eager as Pinkie Pie would be to the idea of more cookies.
"And, what's that Five Lands thing you were shouting back there when you used that colorful Element during the fight?" Twilight asked.
"Well, the Five Lands are basically, as far as I can tell, where I draw my power from to change. Each one allows me to use these forms to combat dark forces; the one you see now is from the Realm of Harmony, this world!" I announced, gesturing to my equine self.
I saw stars in Twilight's eyes as she went into her over-the-top eager mode, pulling me in too close for comfort as she rambled off a million questions per second.
"Other worlds? As in new kinds of magic? Oh, this is so exciting! Have you been to all of them? Tell me everything! Spike, I need more scrolls! Why didn't you tell me this sooner? Why didn't the Princess? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"
"TWILIGHT!!!" After my outburst, she realized that she had held me upside down in front of her. Sheepishly, she released me so I could back away.
"For starters, it's not worlds but lands," I said, slightly embarrassed. "Secondly, I'm not even entirely sure how to get to other lands, and third, you were never told this because they weren't exactly something you would believe. Other lands outside of Equestria with innate magics of their own, you'd've declared it all as nonsense!"
"Huh, that makes sense," Spike said in an agreeing tone. "So, can you show us some of these powers of yours?" he asked with a sudden eagerness.
Looking around at the eagerly anticipant faces of my friends new and old, I couldn't help but lightly grin at the chance to show off a little magic. Well, within reason of course. I just hope my spirit guides don't grill me about this later...
"Sure, just give me a minute!"
Charging my amber light magic, I let the power of the Five Lands course through my body. A quick glance told me that everypony was a bit nervous, so I decided to pick a more pony-friendly creature. Silver fur shimmered along my form as I became leaner and nimble, antlers replaced my unicorn horn, and the bandages slid off my body without any resistance!
Opening my eyes revealed the shock and awe on every pony's face, especially Fluttershy as she was practically vibrating in her seat from sheer excitement.
Until Rainbow Dash ruined the moment. "Ugh, really? A deer? That's probably the lamest type of animal to use. What can it do other than frolic around on those skinny legs?"
While everpony else glared at her rudeness, I smirked a bit as I lit my antlers up for a bit of payback from earlier. "Power of Green: grow power!" I shot forth a beam of green light near Rainbow's hooves, which illuminated all the intricate lines in the tree we were sitting inside. As the ponies were distracted, a root sprung up right under the cyan pegasus, turning into a short sapling that flung her into the bookcase behind her. She yelps in surprise as she comically crashes with several books burying her in knowledge!
After the laughter from the rest of the gang died down, so did the oak sapling. Disheartening me at my low-level power.
"So," Applejack said after getting her breathing back in order. "Y'all can make things grow faster than an earth pony?"
"Well, sort of. This is a Wonder Deer. They can wield the magic of nature; wood, earth, fire, water, and metal."
"I didn't know that deer were magical," remarked Fluttershy as she fluttered her wings in excitement.
"Not Equestrian deer, I'm afraid," I said regretfully. "Just me, as far as I can tell. I've never really seen anypony with my type of power. And I'm still learning how to control them as it is."
"If you want, I'd be more than happy to teach you; we could compare notes!" Twilight said eagerly, getting a little too close again as she went through her little 'moment'! "I might know some elemental spells that'll help!"
"Sorry, Sparkly, but Wonder Deer magic doesn't work like unicorn magic. So your spell books would be null and void to me." I said apologetically, seeing her deflate a bit. "Besides, I need proper help from the Realm of Wonder itself to become a fully powered Wonder Deer!"
With their understanding looks, I relit my magic to transform into my next and most favorite form. Silver melted away to reveal golden fur, my antlers sank back into my skull as my body became more muscular. With a riveting growl in my throat, I had completed my transformation into the lion with a red tuft for a mane!
Gasps surrounded me afterward from my friends, I could see the nervousness on each of their faces, which I could understand since I had become a carnivore in a world dominated by herbivores.
To reassure them, I smiled while lying down comfortably, trying to appear non-threatening. "I'm good, guys. Don't worry. No need to bring out the wooden chairs and bullwhips on this cat's flank!" I joked, earning some chuckles from the audience.
"Isn't that the shape you took to save our hides from those mangy mutts?" Dash asked with interest, hovering over my head a bit.
"Uh-huh, this is obviously a lion from the Realm of Life, and you've all seen what this creature is capable of; it is called the Roar of the Elders!" I explained proudly, my tail flicking back and forth lazily as I closed my eyes. "A powerful force capable of great feats; leveling forests, taming seas, moving mountains, you name it! Entitling me as the Fiercest in the Five Lands!"
Suddenly my explanation was cut off due to feeling a hoof petting my head. Opening up my eyes in confusion, I saw Fluttershy with the happiest look on her face as she patted me like I was some housecat! The rest of the girls looked on in surprise from their positions, and Spike was trying to hold back his laughter.
But I... didn't care... Whatever kind of dark magic the yellow pegasus was doing was turning me into putty, I practically melted in her hooves (despite them being solid objects) and plopped on the floor with a content purr rumbling in my throat. Earning a small chuckle from the pink-maned flyer.
"Aww, who's a good kitty? You certainly are!" Heh, not even the baby talk could break me from my relaxed state. Or Dash, Pinkie's and Spike's laughter.
"Dude, you're making lions look really bad here!" The baby dragon chortled from somewhere in the room.
"Don't care~!" I purred. If this was making Fluttershy comfortable, who am I to take that away? Besides, this was the closest I'll ever get to having a free massage, and I was going to make the most of it. Belly rubs included!
"Well, well, well," snarked a new but familiar voice, startling everypony and stopping the physical contact. Jolting upright from lying prone, I looked where the voice came from; at the balcony. Sitting on the guardrails with cheeky grins were a blue-furred monkey and a blue-grey honey badger. Both casually watch the ridiculous scene before them. "Are we interrupting anything?" asked the monkey teasingly, waggling his eyebrows!
"B...Bunga, Cobalt? What are you guys doing here?" I asked, quickly getting off the ground and shaking my mane back into place.
"Well, we were supposed to be here yesterday, but with the prolonged darkness, the trains wouldn't leave the stations. That, and somebody thought it would be smart to bring his special lunch of Utamu!" Cobalt the monkey grunted pointedly, glaring at the badger.
"Hey, my uncles went through a lot of trouble to get me that!" Bunga retorted, snatching up the plate of cookies.
"U-ta-moo?" Rarity asked curiously, earning looks of confusion from everypony else.
"Ya don't wanna know!" I whispered to them.
"That, and I lost my baobab ball!" Bunga griped, whilst draping himself over my shoulders in an overly dramatic fashion.
"And who's fault is that? We spent five hours searching for that thing since coming..."
"Oh, look, I found it!" Bunga suddenly shouted, cutting Cobalt off as he pulled out a large baobab fruit from under Twilight's bed.
"What in the Sam Hill is goin' on? Who the hay are these two critters?" Applejack asked, speaking for the majority of ponies plus one dragon.
"Gals, let me introduce you to a couple of my close friends," I said with a warm smile, giving a friendly hug to the blue duo standing beside me. "This is Cobalt," I gestured to the tall, azure figure with striking cobalt hair that seemed to shimmer in the light, "and Bunga," I added, motioning toward the slightly shorter, vibrant blue companion who radiated boundless energy with his infectious grin.
Turning to the pony crew, I continued, "Fellas, meet my amazing pony friends: Twilight Sparkle, the smart and studious unicorn with a penchant for magic; Applejack, the reliable earth pony from Sweet Apple Acres, known for her strength and honesty; Rainbow Dash, the bold pegasus whose speed is unmatched; Rarity, the elegant unicorn with an eye for fashion; Fluttershy, the gentle and kind-hearted caretaker of animals; and last but not least, Pinkie Pie, the bubbly party planner who can make anyone smile."
I paused before introducing my little sidekick, adding with a playful tone, "And here's my little amigo, Spike!" As I mentioned the name of my dragon companion, I playfully noogied his spiky head, eliciting a frustrated growl from him as he attempted to retaliate, swiping at me with his tiny claws, his expression caught between annoyance and amusement.
"Where did you come from? I've never seen creatures like you before." Twilight remarked, squinting her eyes as she observed them.
"I live at Hakuna Matata Falls, and Cobalt here lives at the Temple of Wood!" Bunga stated offhandedly like that was supposed to answer anything. I just face-hooved myself at the blatant reply.
"Uh, B. I believe a more detailed explanation is necessary." Cobalt said, settling comfortably onto the floor with his legs crossed. He cleared his throat, preparing to elaborate. "Ahem! To clarify the situation, Bunga originates from the vibrant and lush Realm of Life, a place teeming with flourishing flora and diverse creatures, where harmony and growth are paramount. In contrast, I come from the enchanting Realm of Wonder, a realm filled with whimsical landscapes and surreal phenomena, where imagination knows no bounds and the unexpected is just a part of everyday life."
"If that's so, how did you get here?" Dash asked suspiciously. "I thought Ace didn't know how to travel between lands?"
"Oh, he can't," Bunga said plainly, slurping his tea. Making Rarity cringe and Twilight flick an ear in annoyance at his lack of manners.
"What my rather pungent friend is trying to articulate," Cobalt said, playfully smacking the badger upside the head with a gentle thump, "is that Ace doesn't possess the power to create portals on his own. He stumbled upon our realm quite by accident a few years ago, tumbling into my lush, forested homeland from a swirling portal hidden deep within the enchanted glade. At that time, Bunga and his adventurous uncles were making their way along the storied Five Lands Road, journeying to visit and share tales, and it was during that ridiculous encounter that we forged our unlikely bond of friendship. The wise elders at the Temple of Wood, guardians of our ancient lore and magic, sent a message to your esteemed Princess to inform her of Ace's unusual arrival. She promptly traveled to our realm to ensure his safe return home."
"But if that's the case, why haven't I at least heard of you guys until now? If anything, Ace and I hang out all the time!" Spike asked, his brow furrowed in confusion as he looked my way.
"I'm really sorry, my friend. I should have brought this up earlier. We've been through so much together, and I value our bond." I took a moment, feeling my transformation fade as I became a pony again. "The reason I kept this to myself is that I knew how unfamiliar those places are to ponies, just as ponies can struggle with accepting new lands. I thought it was best to protect both sides by keeping it a secret."
"We still cool?" I asked the purple dragon with a small smile, raising a hoof for a bro-fist.
He hesitated for a few seconds, mulling over my offer. After a while, I grew nervous from his lack of response, my smile fading back a bit.
Spike's paw flew out to accept my hoof, a grin on his face as he said, "Ice cool!" and promptly hugged me for a bit.
"Aww," chorused the mares, watching the interaction between us. Acting quickly, we separated from the hug and tried to put on our 'tough guy' looks, trying to be nonchalant with anything emotional.
"Anywho," Bunga said, breaking the silence. "Rafiki told us that you achieved a new transformation! Can we see?" the eager honey badger asked, garnering the attention of Cobalt and the girls.
"Rafiki?" Dash asked quizically, an eyebrow raised.
"The mandril who you girls told me about." I clarified. "He's kind of a royal adviser if you will, but he behaves like a crazy uncle!" I said before standing back up.
"Well, what other way would you want them?" Pinkie asked,
With a grin in anticipation, but also from Pinkie's comment, I charged more magic into my body. Letting my new power come to light: blue scales overlapped my fur, talons sprouted from my legs, my ears shrank into my head, and a huge pair of wings stretched out in an impressive wingspan. Transformation completed, I now stood in front of friends and allies alike in my Dragamon form.
"Whoa," Spike breathed out in awe. "You're a dragon?!" excitement laced his voice as he inspected me from talon to tail, his eyes wide as saucers (and that's saying something since I'm in a cartoon world!). "You look almost as cool as you described them to be!" he gushed while he looked at my wings with a touch of envy.
"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, Spike, but this isn't a dragon. If anything, you're more of a dragon than I'll ever be." I explained, earning a confused look from the hatchling. "Dragamonz may look like dragons in one way or another, but there are certain differences that separate us from true dragonkind!"
"How so?" he asked.
"For starters, Dragamonz live in the Realm of Unity; they can channel their magic throughout their entire bodies but aren't as resilient as real dragons. I think that Dragamonz are more varied in appearance; some are like reptiles, others like mammals, and even a few look like birds! Dragons and Dragamonz are as different as wolves are from dogs, but between us buddy, think of yourself as the wolf!" I said with a wink his way, making the hatchling puff up a bit in pride.
"So, what other differences are there?" Cobalt asked, speaking for everyone, pony or not.
"Well, there's the fact that I am known in this form as a Stormclaw, they wield the power of water. Other types use different elemental signatures for their respective kinds like pony kind is broken into three tribes; Stonescales wield rock, Wildthorns have nature, Firewings obviously spit out fire, and the Slytoxins use poisons." I said calmly, keeping my distance from the ponies so they'd get used to my appearance on their own time.
"So, have you encountered any of these types of creatures before?" Twilight asked skeptically, tapping her quill against the charts she was writing on.
"Uh, no, not really," I said, lowering my head a bit. "Most of what I know has been bestowed upon me by the previous guardians of old, regaling me with legends of their achievements and giving me pointers on how to fully channel my magic properly." I half lied. Most of the info was from my previous life's knowledge, but I don't think I'm ready to tell them that yet.
"So who exactly were these ancient guardians you keep mentioning?" Twilight then asked, her expression turning serious. "And what's glowing in your saddlebag?"
Looking at the bag in question, I strode toward it; using my clawed hand, I pulled out the crystal that was glowing like a prismatic lantern. All eyes were drawn to the glowing object with various levels of awe.
"Sweet banana sandwiches," Cobalt said under his breath. "What in the Five Lands is that?" he asked, his paws holding against his cheeks.
"Don't know, but it is un-Bunga-lievable!" Bunga stated with wide eyes.
Suddenly, Twilight's hoof shot out to point at the shiny object with a shocked look on her face. "Ah ha! That's it!" she shouted. "That's the strange Element you were using against Nightmare Moon, isn't it?!"
With a sigh, I answered. "Yes, Twi. But it's not an Element of Harmony; it's called the crystal of the five corners, a very potent and valuable artifact that should not be used lightly."
"My, my, my, what an exquisite jewel!" Rarity exclaimed, her voice tinged with awe as stars sparkled in her bright blue eyes, captivated by the radiant crystal that caught the light. Its surface shimmered with an array of colors, shifting beautifully from deep emerald green to a dazzling sapphire blue as she reached for it with her delicate hooves. The intricate facets of the gem refracted the moonlight, casting colorful rainbows on the walls around her. "Such a breathtaking treasure certainly is beyond compare!" she declared, her heart racing with excitement at the thought of creating something magnificent with it.
Spike was just as fixated on it as well, but for obviously different reasons; his mouth was salivating as he reached for the crystal, like it was a glass of clear water, and he was dying of thirst!
Acting quickly, I shoved the object of interest back into my saddlebag, right next to my important book. The glazed-over looks in everybody's eyes immediately vanished after losing sight of the rainbow gem.
"Sorry, but this thing is way too dangerous for just anypony to handle!" I said firmly, sliding my belongings behind me to keep them from getting any fresh ideas. "This isn't for eating," I pointed out knowingly to Spike who had the decency to look ashamed. "Or for ponies with a thing for jewelry," I said with a glance at Rarity who tried to appear innocent. "So until I figure out the best route to deal with this, it's staying in my custody for the time being!"
"But daaarling," Rarity started with a pout, putting on the infamous begging look only girls in cartoons can pull off. However, I held my ground for this instance, remembering how dangerous this crystal could be in the wrong hands, hooves, paws, etc! When I refused to give in, Rarity turned away with a harrumph with her dainty muzzle pointed skyward.
"And as for your earlier question Twi, the guardians of old are creatures from each realm who've safeguarded the balance between the Five Lands! Protecting the residents from darker forces with their unity, strength, and respect, until they somehow vanished nearly a thousand years ago just after the rise of Nightmare Moon!"
"Everything I've learned over the years has been imparted to me by them, shaping my thoughts and guiding my actions during the quiet moments I spent away from escorting you from the castle to your classes," I explained, my expression turning serious. "However, don't hold your breath waiting to meet them anytime soon; they value discretion and maintain a firm commitment to their responsibilities, offering wisdom only as needed while ensuring that I adhere to the rigorous regimen they've set for my training."
At Twilight's pout, I draped a wing over her back to gently pat it reassuringly. Earning a small smile from her.
"Okay," I said, straightening up as my form turned back into my pony mode. "This time, I have a question for each of you!"
"Lay it on us Ace!" Dash exclaimed confidently, lying back with her hooves behind her head while hovering in midair. A feat in itself for something with a body shaped like hers, although I think I should blame the cartoon physics since even I can move my own hooves like how I can my own arms in my past life.
With a flutter of anxiety in my chest, I hesitated before breaking the silence, allowing my eyes to wander thoughtfully over each of my pony friends. I could see the mixture of concern and curiosity reflected in their faces as I finally spoke up. "How are you all coping with everything that's unfolded? I mean, for the past ten years, I've kept this secret buried deep within me since the day I was chosen. Each day felt like an act of deception, lying to you all about the burden I carry. But now, with everything that's happened, I realize that drastic times really do call for drastic measures."
That question gave the mares pause as they gathered their thoughts; the library became so quiet that I could hear their heartbeats; only Pinkie seemed unfazed as she held a meaningful smile. Bunga a Cobalt sat nearby with curious glances between me and the assembled mares, the badger absent-mindedly stuffing his face with cookies.
"Well," Fluttershy said gently, her voice breaking through the silence with a warmth that seemed to fill the space. "Even with all those facts weighing against you, Ace, I want you to know that I don't blame you at all."
"But...but I lied!" I sputtered, my face scrunched up in confusion.
"Sugarcube, just 'cause you chose to keep your special talent hidden, it don't mean you're any less of a good pony," Applejack declared with unwavering conviction, her green eyes shining warmly as she approached. With a gentle motion, she draped her foreleg over my shoulders in a comforting embrace. "After all, the way you've wielded those fancy magics to save us from trouble more than once shows me you're somepony I can really trust. Take it from the recently dubbed 'Element of Honesty,' sugar; I'm truly grateful to call you my friend!"
"Most definitely!" Rarity said appraisingly with a nod.
"Yuperoony!" Pinkie said while glomping me from behind.
"We all have your back, big guy!" Rainbow Dash said as she hovered overhead to tousle my hair.
Wow, I mused with a growing warmth in my heart as my smile grew by the inches. I guess when an honest pony like Applejack speaks up, others know it's true!
Twilight Sparkle, however, was silent for a moment. Mulling over her thoughts while hardly sparing me a glance, her face sporting a deep frown.
Finally, after a tense few minutes of silence filled with unspoken emotions, I heard her voice breakthrough. "I always thought that you were holding yourself back all these years at Canterlot's school on my account," Twilight said, her eyes downcast, fixating on her hooves as if they held the weight of her regrets. "You tried not to make me feel inferior; now I truly understand why."
Her voice trembled slightly, and I could see how deeply this revelation affected her. "With all the incredible powers you possess, you could have easily surpassed me and become Princess Celestia's personal student, or even the Captain of the Royal Guard!"
She sighed, frustration lacing her tone. "But instead, you chose to risk your life and betray our trust to protect us from the chaos that erupted last night. Er, well, yesterday—ugh!" Her frustration was palpable, mingling with a sense of admiration and guilt that hung in the air between us.
Being the longtime friend of hers that I was, I made my way over to Twilight with purpose in my steps, pulling the purple unicorn into my arms to embrace her gently, even nuzzling the top of her head to further comfort the mare. I read up on pony mannerisms way back when I lived in the castle, and I knew for certain it was the way to make another pony feel secure.
She froze for a bit in my arms, her breath hitching in her throat briefly from the contact. We both knew that I never really embraced her in the past before, so this was quite a strange feeling for the two of us. Until she let out a sigh, pressing into the hug while nuzzling me under my chin.
"Listen to me, Twilight," I said, loud enough for the others to hear but softly so she could stay calm. "While I may be powerful after I change, it is you who trumps me on Equestrian magic. It would feel wrong to me if I used underhanded tricks like using outside power, to achieve selfish goals."
Pulling away slightly, despite her slight whimper, I smiled down at my longtime friend with genuine care. "Besides, it wasn't my destiny to replace you, Sparkly. I didn't even want the position! Being Princess Celestia's personal student was where you were meant to be, just like mine was to be the keeper to the circle of life, balance, and magic itself!" I booped Twilight's muzzle with my hoof playfully, earning a more relaxed chuckle to escape her lips.
"I have already forgiven you, Twilight," I said, my voice steady and resolute, echoing with the weight of hard-earned understanding. "I would gladly confront Nightmare Moon once more if it meant keeping my friends safe." Her eyes widened in surprise, and she opened her mouth, likely crafting another defense, but I gently silenced her by placing my hoof softly over her muzzle.
"Over the years, I've learned the importance of trusting others, Twi," I continued, my gaze unwavering. "Whether it's you, the Princesses, or our newfound friends, each of them holds a piece of my heart. Can you extend that same level of trust to me as we forge our bond? After all, what is friendship without the essential elements of Unity, Wonder, Life, Harmony, and Change? These ideals aren't just words; they're the foundation of what we share and what we can achieve together."
Violet eyes held brown for what felt like an eternity as Twilight looked at me with a deeply intent expression, tears threatened to burst as she broke our gaze to look at the rest of her friends, each one offering a smile of support to the once introverted mare. Even Bunga and Cobalt graced her with smiles of their own, although they kept sneaking teasing smirks my way.
Twilight gave a little sigh before addressing me again; this time, she had a sincere grin on her face as she said, "Yes, I'd like that, Ace Pentagon!"
The other mares sprang up to embrace the purple pony, Spike beat them all as he raced over to hug her first before the girls, and all seven of them shared a supporting embrace.
Me and the two blue dudes hung back so they could have their moment between themselves, although Bunga looked like he desperately wanted to join in the pony pile. With a small snort of amusement, I thought about giving them some space for a bit, you know, until I felt the telltale sign of magic lifting me up as I was dragged into the group hug!
"You ain't escaping us that easily, Silly!" Pinkie said as she squeezed us all, making a smile as I heard a 'squee' coming from her.
We all shared a laugh, enjoying the company of friends, until Rainbow Dash asked, "Say, Ace?"
"Yeah?"
"Since you'll be staying in Ponyville, where are you going to live?"
That question hung in the air for a moment, our eyes widening at that important detail, until we all burst out laughing, I rolled my eyes at the concept of not thinking this through!
My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro...
The Lion Guard belongs to Disney...
Valt the Wonder Deer belongs to Dream East Productions...
Dragamonz belongs to Spinmaster...
I own nothing but my oc!