Blueheart's whole body was shaking. Blood covered everything; the walls, the ceiling, even him. He struggled, but to no avail. The restraints on his hooves were too strong. Tears were rolling down his cheeks, so much that his face felt fuzzy, and hot. It was all happening so quick. He knew he was going to die. No question about it.

"Vandal," he muttered, barely a whisper. "I'm sorry.."

"It's too late," said a dark voice.

A searing pain to his neck.

Then blackness.

Andrew jolted awake as the nightmare reached its climax. Sweat drenched his forehead and chest, and he quickly took in a couple panicked gasps of air. Fresh, rain-scented, real air. It took a while for him to realize that it was just a dream, and he was in his dark apartment; the neon lights outside shining through the lone, damp window on the wall illuminating the room. He sighed, then sat up and cupped his face in his palms.

He lost count of how many nightmares he had a long time ago. They were repetitive, happening every other night or so. Andrew didn't know when they began. So much was unknown about these; they weren't scary in the least bit, but he was always scared to death when he woke. Sure, he occasionally saw some blood, or felt some pain, but that was the scariest they got. Plus he used to deal with those things a lot, back in the Army.

Andrew got up, and realized the crude, glowing red numbers from his alarm clock read midnight. The distant cars honking outside and trains passing by made him sure of that. In New York, it was always busy, even at night, although less so. He liked the sound. It was soothing to him, and made him have a sense of safeness.

He made his way to the bathroom, turned on the lights, and looked at himself in the mirror. He was a mess, his jet black hair sticking out in all directions. Sometimes, it sucked having long, thick hair. He turned on the faucet and threw water on his face, waking himself up. He slicked back his hair, then looked back into the mirror, hoping to see an improvement. He could see his cyan eyes twinkling through the black strands, but that was all the improvement he got. His hair and eyes were a strange combination; the darkest hair with the lightest eyes. He thought of it as a gift.

Andrew thought about his most recent nightmare. This one was... different. He felt as if he died, and it made sense. That never happened in the other ones. The other ones were just distant images, along with sounds. None made sense. He recalled back to his most memorable bad dream.

Large, violet eyes, on the verge of crying. They were wild with fear.

Excruciating pain in his stomach. He looked down to see a bullet hole, with dark, red blood squirting out like a miniature drinking fountain with something clogging the faucet. He could hear a distant female voice, calling something, but he couldn't understand what. Then his legs buckled from underneath him, and he fell.

He was closing his eyes, his lips on someone else's. But who's? He's not in a relationship.

This was all normal for a nightmare. Scrambled images that meant nothing. But he could feel emotion in them; strong emotions.

He looked down and scowled. "Confusing" was an understatement. Hopefully he would understand things soon... Andrew then smiled, suddenly remembering vital info about today. He was finally going to see a psychologist about them. Hopefully get rid of them, but most certainly at least understand what they meant. He didn't know anything about these dreams, but he did know one thing: they were more than dreams. And they felt real. Very, very, real.

A train horn in the distance woke him from his mini day-dream. He figured he should go back to sleep; they never occurred twice in one night. Plus, the quicker he went to sleep, the better. Because when he woke up, he could finally take a shower and get rid of that bird nest of a top of a head.

He turned off the lights, crawled into his small bed, and was quickly fast asleep again.

"So, tell me how long you've been having these dreams."

Andrew had been talking about his problem for the last thirty minutes, and this was the first time his psychologist asked him a question.

He looked up at the plain, blue ceiling. He wasn't sure why psychologists always made their patients lie down. Probably some trick. If it was meant to make you focus better, it obviously wasn't working, evident by the big, blinding light shining above him. It kind of reminded him of an interrogation.

"I don't know," Andrew stated bluntly.

He saw his psychologist's (Mr. Brown was his name) brow furrow. That obviously was not the answer he was hoping for. He jotted something down in his note book, then lifted his head up again, facing Andrew. Brown was a stout fellow. Although not the most attractive or strong, he had a very weathered face, and knowledge in his eyes. Andrew wondered what he was before a psychologist. Maybe an adventurer?

"You explained you had.. strong emotions," stated Mr. Brown. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well, just... emotions. Kind of like what I"m feeling right now. There's no other way to explain it.."

Mr. Brown adjusted his glasses and a hint of a smile fell upon his face. Probably happy to hear this appointment could be resolved so quickly. "We all feel emotion in dreams, Mr. Davis. I think--"

"Yes, but these emotions are different," interrupted Andrew. He figured he was being rude, but he had heard the same thing over and over again. Emotions in dreams are for everyone. He knows that. But these were different. "They feel... Real. And not like the Dream-Real, like I'm.. actually feeling them. I can't explain it."

Mr. Brown looked hard at Andrew, considering this. He then chuckled light-heartedly. "Well, then I guess you have a very unique future ahead of you, Mr. Davis."

"What do you mean?"

"These aren't dreams, Andrew. These are visions. And I think it's time you take them seriously."

For a good couple seconds, Andrew stood (well, laid) dumbfounded. Yes, they felt real, but they couldn't be.. real. Unless he was going to be killed by his brother as a horse. No, that couldn't be it. Maybe he explained something wrong, that was probably it. He heard that every little detail told to a psychologist needed to be completely true. Otherwise, the result would be wrong. Like a mathematical equation. Or a psychological equation?

"...Can I check those?" Andrew gestured toward Mr. Brown's notebook in his hand. He figured if he was doing his job correctly, he wrote down everything Andrew said. Maybe he could correct himself when he found the error.

Mr. Brown shrugged and handed his work notebook to Andrew. The latter scanned over the crudely-written-on pages. He found no error. Andrew looked up at Mr. Brown, then back down to the notebook. Another check wouldn't hurt.

"I understand it's hard to comprehend, but I'm sure it'll all make sense in due time." Mr. Brown stood up and offered his hand out to Andrew. He figured that meant the appointment was over. The young New Yorker sighed, and shook it, then stood up. "It was good working with you, Mr. Davis. Good luck," Mr. Brown said with a smile.

After Andrew said his thank you's and good bye's, he walked out of the building and into his small blue Mercedes. He sat in the driver seat for a while, deep in thought.

"Well," he thought. "At least I know they're visions, so I didn't blow off fifty dollars for nothing." Andrew took the keys from his jeans pocket and started the car.

He drove away from the large building, although not to his apartment. He was headed somewhere better.

Andrew almost smiled as the FD-200 sniper rifle's recoil bucked his shoulder. He loved that familiar feeling, along with the ear deafening sound only the Chilean, semi-automtic, 7.62 caliber gun could produce. His shoulder and ear were both used to it. The target, a staggering 200 m. away, suffered a huge impact, and before Andrew could tell where he hit it, dust and dirt puffed up around it rapidly. Slowly, the brown gas around it dissipated, revealing a big, messy bullet hole at the center.

The small crowd behind him clapped steadily, some speaking quietly to the ones around them, a handful cheering. Andrew, although not a fan of attention, liked their reaction.

After the semi-worthless appointment to Mr. Brown, he decided to drive down to the shooting range to use his beloved firearm. As a veteran, he had the right to carry his weapon in his car. Plus, shooting cleared his mind. It made him feel at ease. Even though it was the most violent thing someone could legally do in his free time. Ironic.

He was, in a way, famous, at the shooting range, known as one of the best snipers out there. He figured he wasn't one of the best, but he wasn't half bad. Maybe it was just his natural modesty talking.

Also, it reminded him about his time in the Army. Most people would think being in the Army was a bad thing, traumatizing people about the inevitable violence. That was true, it was traumatizing, but it also taught him a lot. He learned there were things out there worth fighting for. Plus there was free food, and he took pride in his hard muscles and high stamina.

Andrew readied himself for another shot.

"You may think this is fake. Just a big, horrific, nightmare. You think you'll wake up in a couple minutes, drenched with sweat. But no. You don't wake up. You were never asleep.. Just like when your parents died. When our parents died. Let me let you sleep.. Forever.. Let me kill you, Andrew."

Three knocks at the door woke Andrew, who was (like always) drenched in sweat. He had another nightmare.. Frustration burned in his chest.

"Twice in a row.. A new record," he muttered out loud. Three more knocks on the door, more urgent this time. The New Yorker stood up and rubbed his forehead. "I'm coming!" He quickly put on a shirt (a dark blue t-shirt), some black jeans, then rushed over to the door. When he opened it, Andrew was greeted by his little brother, Vandal.

Although just an inch below Andrew's height, his sibling was a good three years younger. Their features weren't similar at all; Andrew having long, slicked back, jet black hair and cyan eyes, along with a gentle stubble for a beard. He had a face resembling Bradley Cooper (which he was secretly a fan of, and was very pleased to know he looked a lot like his favorite actor). Vandal, having dark brown hair and matching brown eyes, had a face that isn't recognizable as any celebrity, but was still good looking. They had that "brotherly look," which they couldn't really explain.

Andrew looked down at his little brother, which he discovered had an exhausted and sweaty face, and he was panting.

"Can't-talk-right-now, I'll--explain-on-the-way!" Huffed Vandal, exhaling the words at rapid speeds. "Get-your-shoes-on-and-meet-me-in-the-car! ASAP!" The last word left no room for argument as Vandal bolted off, getting even more winded on the way.

His younger sibling's mood caught Andrew off guard. They haven't seen each other for months, and Vandal didn't even say hi. Or better yet, Why hello there, Andrew! It's been quite some time. I understand you're having a rough time financially, so why don't we talk about it over some Burger King? He sighed, knowing this was not the case. He walked over to put on his shoes, then hoped that whatever this was, it was worth his brother's rude greeting.

After walking out of the apartment building and into Vandal's black SUV, the car ride was silent. Andrew didn't like that; he was hoping for Vandal to at least try to talk to him, but his eyes remained glued onto the dark road ahead. Maybe something was really bothering him.

After about ten minutes of driving, they exited the main road, onto pitch black asphalt, the only light coming from the car's headlights. Another five minutes of driving. Another five minutes of Andrew's brother not speaking to him.

Then, the car stopped abruptly, jolting Andrew forward.

"Gee, Vandal," he gave him a stern look. "Warn me next time."

"Listen, I know I said I was going to explain on the way," Vandal said quietly. Why was he whispering? Maybe about to apologize about his short-notice ride? "But the construction workers are back. Let's be quiet." Maybe not.

Vandal slithered his way out of the car, opening and closing the door as quiet as the night itself. Andrew nonchalantly opened and part-way slammed the door shut, about as quiet as a ten-year old throwing a tantrum. Vandal gave him a glare that said 'You idiot!' but said nothing. Maybe it was childish anger or revenge, Andrew didn't know why he did it himself.

As Vandal led the way, Andrew started to hear loud, mechanical sounds in the distance, along with blinding lights over a hill. Its white glare looked like a Dalmatian's white skin in the pitch black sky.

"Okay," Vandal whispered. "You've got to be quiet, and stay low with me. What we're about to do isn't legal. But it's... so beautiful." The last part added a shine to Vandal's hazel eyes, the kind of which a seventh grader had when he looked at his crush. Andrew followed his brother closer to the blinding light and raging sound, now only a few blocks away.

Somewhere, in a distant galaxy, Princess Celestia paced back and forth in her throne room. The huge, majestic room had an eerie silence to it, and all the furniture had been removed, except the glowing ball on the table in front of the Princess. Her usually well-kept glimmering mane now resembled a bird's nest. Her fur was also unkept, but she barely noticed. She had to find a way to introduce this news to Twilight Sparkle, her apprentice. Most letters to the purple unicorn were light-hearted, an invitation to a party, for example. She thought back to that time when Twilight had to choose between her friends to go with her to the Grand Galloping Galla. She made the right choice, assuring Celestia that she was a true friend.

But this was different. These circumstances were different.. These times were different. Everything was going to change, and Twilight must be the first to know. Well, the second.

Luna watched as her white-coated sister walked back and forth with exasperated eyes. She knew the entire ordeal; every little detail, yet she wasn't acting like this. Celestia was overreacting. She could hear her sister mumbling under her breath; most likely about the situation at hand. Luna occasionally heard the most intelligible words spoken by the disgruntled princess, such as "change," "destiny," and "human." The one that caught her ear, though, was "warrior."

"Tia," Luna tried to get her attention. "You're just overreacting. Another being is coming to Equestria. Big deal. A new species is discovered every other day. The ponies will think of it as just another new discovery."

"He is not an it.," snapped Celestia, these being the first words she said after explaining to Luna the fateful ordeal. The white alicorn was getting grumpier by the day, probably because of loss of sleep. "But this is different. He is different. His species is smart, maybe even smarter than us. They speak our language. They could tell everyone.."

Luna already knew this. "They won't hurt us. They're generally peaceful creatures. We just don't need to provoke them. Besides, we have magic as our defense. You're getting paranoid."

Celestia shot a look at her dark blue sister. "Of course I am paranoid! I have every right to!!" Boomed Celestia. After seeing the alarmed expression on Luna's face, and realizing how loud she yelled, she apologetically lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry. It's just... It's so.. unreal. A human is coming to Equestria."

Luna nodded her head understandably, and kept a gentle, yet stern look on her face. "You'll be okay. You've done this before, centuries ago."

The Princess of the Sun nodded, a little comfort coming from her sister's statement. "I know, I know. But never has a human ever been destined to become a hero."

After a turn of her head, Celestia continued to stare at the crystal ball. She was mentally screaming. The bigger one had gone through so much pain in his lifetime, and he was about to receive not only the most recent traumatization, but the biggest. By far.

"Okay, I think we're out of eye-sight," said Vandal, as he stood up. "Andrew, I want you to know that you are the first human being I have ever told this to. I violated the law, but for a good cause. They're hiding this from us. Well, trying to. Anyways, remember when our dad died?" Andrew nodded melancholily, the memory all too well in his brain. "Well, I used to come here a lot back then. This place comforted me, and.. I just want to ask you something. Remember how you spent a couple years in the Army? I know they make you study law and stuff for that, so I want to know if traveling to different galaxies is illegal? Galaxies with life, I mean."

Andrew rolled his eyes; if Vandal was trying to be funny, he was not succeeding. Everyone knew that it'd be hundreds of years until they invented something even close to traveling to another galaxy within a human's life time. "Look, if you're trying to be funny..."

Vandal didn't talk to interrupt his brother, he just looked at him. His face was dead serious, no comedy in his features. Obviously, Vandal was either right (which is completely crazy), or his claim wasn't the only thing crazy about him.

"I'll show you if you don't believe me," Vandal said with a death stare. "Look to your left."

Andrew applied, and he was shocked to see...

..a...

A...

A rabbit hole. Andrew almost face palmed at the fact that he actually got worked over about this.

Vandal, seeing the expression in his brother's eyes, walked over to the rabbit hole, and pulled back a patch of grass. Andrew quickly discovered it was not a patch of grass, but a tarp, which Vandal placed onto it to cover it up. To cover part of it up.

The hole was enormous, about the size of Andrew himself, who was well over six feet. The tarp could barely even cover more than half of the hole. It was not a rabbit hole. Vandal nonchalantly dropped the tarp and walked in.

After a few seconds of Andrew not moving, Vandal reappeared, grabbed his brother's arm, then walked back inside the gaping, black hole; which Andrew discovered to have a cyan glow to a walls, as if some New York neon-sign was around the corner.

When Andrew rounded the corner, his eyes instantly widened. Vandal smiled.

This was not a neon sign.

Luna was growing concerned for her sister. She was really getting worked up about this. Sure, it was understandable; it was big news, but just not "stay-up-all-night-walking-around-the-room-until-you-meraculously-think-up-of-an-answer" big news. Unfortunately, though, that is exactly what Celestia thought of the ordeal. After their conversation of the human and the glowing ball, Celestia had walked into her quarters, and hasn't come out yet.

Luna's thoughts were abruptly cut off as she heard a thump, coming from her sister's room. Then the sound of something metal hitting the floor.

"Oh, Faust!" She heard from it. Luna almost gasped at her sister's vulgar language. What if Twilight Sparkle were here? She would most certainly not be proud of her mentor.

"Tia," Luna called as she knocked on the white alicorn's door.

"What? Oh! It's you, Luna! Yes, yes, I was just.. uh, doing some more research! On the human ordeal!"

Celestia was many things, but a good liar was certainly not one of them. Luna sighed and, with a quick lighting of her magic, teleported into Tia's room, not even checking if the door was locked.

The Princess of the Sun was lying down, cursing as she rubbed her bruised head. There was a single pole, in her hoof, and nothing else. Luna gave her sister a questioning glare, while Celestia gathered herself and stood up, a cheeky grin on her face.

"Thanks for knocking," the white alicorn said, a little irritated.

Is she trying to make me the bad guy?

"What were you doing with that?" Luna pointed at the metal bar in her sister's hooves.

Celestia almost started to hide the bar behind her, but she realized it was worthless, as her sister already saw it. She sighed. The alicorn decided if she could make her answer quick, her sister wouldn't be angry. "I was trying to do pull-ups."

Instead of anger, confusion took over Luna's facial features.

"It's a method used by humans," Celestia started. Luna instantly went from confused to exasperated. This was the twentieth time she caught her sister doing something human. "But wait! This one is different! It's not the like the hamburgers (which she spent a good two hours in the restroom with her head in the toilet from) or french fries (which she actually liked, but soon discovered it was anything but healthy)! It's very healthy, and builds up muscles! I think I finally found a way to still be in shape without leaving my room!" Celestia made another cheeky grin, followed by a sound that could be identified as a squeaky toy.

Luna facehoofed. Did her sister just squee? This is NOT how a princess should behave. Plus it was completely out of character for Tia. Then again, Celestia was always out of character for the past few days. Without warning, Luna was grabbed around the shoulders, and yanked towards her white sister.

"Here; I can teach you how! I figured out how to do this method when searching through Andrew's memories."

Luna's eye twitched. "Who's Andrew?"

"The human! I forgot to tell you his name. Come on, I'll show you how to do this! It makes your arms feel so fuzzy and hot afterwards."

"Enough!" Luna raised her voice. "You have done nothing but study this individual for the past few days! You must stop this at once. You don't even know him! You don't know his personality--"

"He's a little shy, very intelligent, extremely modest, and overall very nice."

Luna gave Celestia a look. Was she challenging her? The smug grin on her sister's face confirmed that. "You don't know what he looks like in human standards--"

"Very handsome, strong, and quite the mare killer."

"Where he lives!"

"Sleepy Hollow, New York, United States, North America, Earth, in the 8B Wing of the Milky Way Galaxy."

"He could be a carnivore!"

"Omnivore. He does, however, like 'bacon' a lot."

Luna briefly wondered what "bacon" was, but that thought was quickly drowned out by the frustration towards her sister. This was childish! "You don't know where he is right now!"

Celestia's face went blank. Luna smirked, thinking she won, until Celestia tapped her horn then closed her eyes. A moment later, she turned back to Luna with a smile.

"About to come to Equestria, right now."

Vandal peered back as his bother over his shoulder. There was so much he didn't know. Andrew didn't know how much this phenomenon had an inspiration on his life. Vandal was born kind of a depressed child. Andrew was born a happy one. When their parents died, it made both of their personalities escalate. Andrew, maybe because he was trying to hide his grief, to not influence the ones around him with sadness.

Vandal was a different story. He became a hermit. He almost commited suicide a couple times. Well, a lot of times. Andrew's comforting and brotherhood held him up. A little.

However, on one of Vandal's more melonchally days, he trekked to this place. He originally came for the view over the hill, the sunset making the horizon and sillouette of Sleepy Hollow, NY, look amazing. It wasn't long until he discovered the place they were in right now.

Vandal loved this place. It had saved his life more than once, and had saved his poor wrist from more viscous cuts. He couldn't explain the feeling it gave him. Not peace, not happiness, but a... Comforting.

Then Vandal remembered Andrew. His 21 year old brother, who was behind him currently. He figured if he was already a happy person, one could only imagine how much this will aid his life. It had brought Vandal out of the depts of depression and suicide. How much will Andrew be lifted if he was already a couple milestones away from Vandal in happiness?

They came to a turn, the light blue (which Vandal figured out matches Andrew's eye color perfectly) light coming from the other side was very close. His heart rate quickened as he almost hopped. This was Vandal's favorite part.

Andrew watched as Vandal rounded the corner. Andrew was expecting it to be some sort of neon light Vandal found underground. Andrew could sell it on EBay and get a couple hundred to help with his mortgage-- He instantly shoved that idea to the back of his head. His brother was certainly attached to it, whatever it was. He would never cause someone's life to be harder for his own benifit. That was the Marine way.

Andrew rounded the corner, following his little brother.

His jaw almost hit the ground. Andrew found his brother sitting on the dirt floor, looking up at something, kind of in a daze. But it wasn't that which made him so amazed, but what his brother was staring at.

It was a floating, glowing ball, the size of a large beach ball. Bright, cyan light erupted from it profusely. There were black dark spots all over it, littering the thing like a Dalmatian's black dots. The amount of light was enormous.

"Beautiful, huh," Vandal muttered without emotion as he continued to gaze up at the glowing sphere.

It was very beautiful, but no words came from the slack-jawed New Yorker.

Suddenly, a loud boom erupted from outside the mini cave. Then the sound of people yelling and running. Andrew gave Vandal a look.

"That.. wasn't normal," Vandal started. The moment he finished the 'l', the cave shook. The ball glew more violently.

Vandal glanced around the cave. In his mind, this wasn't normal. At all. But it was okay. He had it. He reached out and stroked the hard surface of the glowing ball he had come so close to.

"Vandal," he heard his brother yell. "Let's get out of here!"

His voice was fuzzy and quiet. He didn't want to leave; not when they just got here. Vandal looked to his brother, a smile on his face. "Come," he said happily.

"No! We're getting out of here! Now! Come on Vandal; this can't be normal!"

The shaking around Vandal increased. But he didn't care. He had it. He had the best thing in his life. Right here. "Touch it," Vandal commanded, still smiling like a child.

The look on Andrew's face told him his brother thought he was crazy. He didn't care. As long a he touched it!

"If I touch it can we leave?!" Andrew was now shouting over the rumble all around him. A couple heavy rocks and dirt fell just a couple feet from Andrew.

Vandal shrugged.

Andrew groaned out loud. "Okay! Fine!" Without thinking, he bolted forward, barely missing a heavy rock. He reached his arm out. And touched it.

And went black.

He didn't feel anything. He didn't know anything. What was his name? What was this language he was thinking in? Wait, what was thinking? Was this thinking? It felt funny.

Andrew jolted awake, his eyes now wide open. This time, though, it wasn't a nightmare. And he wasn't drenched in sweat.

"He certainly knows how to make an entry," said a feminine voice.

Andrew put his hand on his forehead and groaned. There was a stinging sensation all over his body, and his vision was blurred profusely. He shook his head and looked down at the floor. Then he got up on his knees, his hands leaning on what felt like cold tile. He felt like he was going to throw up, the numb feeling in his gums becoming unbearable. As his vision slowly came back into focus, he saw that the floor under him was polished and cleaned. Andrew sat up and put his palm on his forehead. He couldn't remember anything.

Was he having dinner at some friend's fancy house, then passed out? Most likely; Vandal said that memory loss was normal after passing out.

Wait, who's Vandal?

Then it all came rushing back in like a flood. Andrew blinked hardly, and then his vision was perfect again.

"Greetings," said the feminine voice behind him again. "My name is princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria, which is where you currently are. I understand you are Andrew?"

How did they know his name? Andrew turned around, thinking the name 'Celestia' was weird. Turns out what sat a couple yards away was even more so. His heart skipped a beat as his blood ran cold.

Andrew had dealt with many things. Terrorists, hostage situations, vehicle crashes, and his training covered it all. A Marine's training had to be precise, exact, and long. It took months before he actually got to a real battlefield. But it was all worth it in the end. He was trained for every possible situation that he might encounter.

Except this.

Except somehow getting teleported in a tall castle room with two talking, technicolor equines standing right before him.

He had to stay cool. He had to remain calm.

But talking horses? No. How could he be calm?

He was going to scream. Right here, right now.

No! At least give them a chance to explain!

What if they were hostile?

Were those wings? Do they have horns? Are they some kind of pegasus-unicorn mix?

Andrew's wide-eyed expression turned towards the taller, white one as it (or she?) cleared her throat.

Celestia was trembling.

What should she say? The last time she had done this was centuries ago.

She got the 'welcome to Equestria' thing out of the way. He knows where he is.

No, he came from another planet. He doesn't know anything about Equestria. How would she explain?

Better yet, how would she explain to him why she did it? He must hate her right now. He has that right.

The poor thing must be scared to death. Wait, she shouldn't talk like that. He was a warrior from where he came from. She had to treat him with respect, but also had to make him understand her position at the same time.

All of a sudden, this whole 'bring a human to Equestria' thing didn't look so good.

With a deep and uneasy breath, Celestia started.

"Now, I know this may seem sudden or weird, but don't worry. We mean you no harm. We know very well who you are, Andrew Davis. We know what planet you've come from, what your job was, and what your species is like. We've been watching you for quite some time."

Celestia saw Andrew's jaw quiver, and winced. She wasn't coming on the right way. "I mean, we have been watching you for study. And protection. Whenever we saw you in danger or about to wander into an ill-fated situation, we used magic to keep you alive." Celestia instantly regretted saying that. He didn't know anything about magic, for Faust's sake! He must think she was crazy.

She really sucked at this.

She was crazy.

Magic. Magic. Magic didn't exist. It couldn't exist. Andrew refused to believe it did.

And they've been watching him? For study and protection? What did they mean by that? Sure, the protection part explained him occasionally getting a feeling to wander away from dangerous places, or get very lucky in his early childhood, but no magic was involved.

While his confusion flourished, the smaller, darker one cleared her throat, shouldering the one beside her.

"What my sister is trying to say, is that you can relax. No harm will come unto you. You're safe here, and if you will just listen, all will be explained."

The dark one looked over to her sister, as if asking for approval. The white equine nodded and smiled, showing her pride towards her sibling.

Andrew had enough.

After a couple seconds of pure silence, Andrew finally let it all out. He screamed as loud as he can, his eyes wide open. He screamed more than he ever screamed before.

The two Princesses both slammed their hooves over their ears. The human was incredibly loud. She understood completely why he would yell so ear-deafeningly loud, but this was just.. Wow.

Somewhere, miles away from Canterlot, Rainbow Dash rested lazily on a cloud. It had been a long, rough day, and she was enjoying a well-earned slumber. Dash thought back to her most recent near-death experience and grinned while snoozing. Now that is going to make an awesome story for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her aching muscles and pain in her wings was a reminder of the day's previous events. And it felt good.

Rainbow's thoughts were interrupted when a sudden masculine yell swept over her ears.

"Agh!" She reacted quickly and slammed her hooves on her ears, protecting her from the deafening sound. The yell lasted a good nine seconds before it came to a halt. Rainbow rubbed her poor ear lobes. "What the heck was that?" Dashie asked herself, half expecting an answer. She sighed, and after a couple of seconds returned her hooves back onto the soft cloud. "Whoever it was," she figured, "he must of really had a shocker." And with that, she dozed right back off to sleep, like nothing ever happened.

Back in Canterlot, Celestia and Luna both squinted their eyes at the human, agitated. Andrew had a look on his face that said he was holding it in for a long time.

"Done?" Luna asked simply.

Andrew, after a couple glances between the pony sisters, replied, "I dunno, am I?"

"Okay," Celestia said carefully. "We'll explain everything. You ask, we answer. Just please, do not, ever, EVER, do that again."

Andrew gave them a look, then replied with: "Depends on what the answers are."

Andrew sat on a luxurious, tall chair, with his hands clasped together and body leaned forwards. He looked like a real business man. The two alicorns had led him to some sort of a guest room, decorated with loads and loads of royal instruments. He felt extremely out of place.

Luna and Celestia sat in the chairs across from him; Luna was holding her polite, yet authoritative stature, while Celestia was trying to mimic Andrew's sitting position. She looked quite goofy, actually.

"Okay, first question," said Andrew. Just for emphasis, he looked between the two; his cyan eyes narrowed. "How did I get here?"

Luna opened her mouth, but Celestia quickly replied: "You were teleported by a Beacon; one of seventeen on your world. They are remnants of our creation, as we once tried to openly explain to humans that we meant no harm. Beacons were once very well-known to all humans, being known for teleporting them to a much happier and uplifting place. However they were outlawed some hundred years ago, after people got suspicious when an accidental death cut through our truce. Your government erased all signs of Beacons, and nobody currently knows of their existence. Until now."

"I asked 'how did I get here,' not for the entire definition of a Beacon." Celestia seemed to blush a little as she mouthed oh. "Okay, second question: How do you know so much about me. The short version, I mean."

Luna answered this time. "Every human who is destined to enter a Beacon at some point of his or her life is given a Vision Ball. They are like cameras, implanted in their brains. We can see everything in the person's life that happens from about a year before they encounter a Beacon, up to when he or she is teleported."

Andrew nodded casually, as if he got it. Truth was, though, he didn't get any of it. "So, is it kind of like telling someone's future?"

"No, not at all," answered the dark mare. "You see, a Vision Ball can only tell the present. It is, however, only the year before the person meets the Beacon that we see. We can't tell the future."

Andrew nodded; that part he did get, miraculously. "Wait, my brother encountered the Beacon before me, and he didn't get sucked in."

"Some people do encounter Beacons, but are not affected. I'm afraid he just wasn't destined for it."

"Wait, but it did affect him. He was referring to it like it was some kind of best friend."

"Eight of the seventeen Beacons do that. Sometimes, they're not just 'portals to other, physical worlds,' but they also radiate feelings coming from the majority of ponies that live there. We'll take that as a compliment, considering how happy our citizens are." Luna smiled at the last part.

Andrew nodded. "Whelp, I have more questions.. But they're too many to think up of one. How about you tell me some stuff? Do I have any super-human super powers?" He said that last part with a boyish grin.

Celestia giggled, and Luna smiled as she replied: "Ironically, yes."

Andrew's grin disappeared. "What?"

"Going through a Beacon gives the person the ability to change into a pony, based entirely off of the person's personality, interests, and wishes."

Andrew was pretty sure all his teeth were showing as his grin expanded across his face. "I can turn into a pony?"

Celestia shrugged. "Well basically, yeah. Every human that comes through can."

"How do I do it?!" The question came out sudden and abruptly, although the tall New Yorker couldn't care less. The excitement was literally visible on his face.

Celestia and Luna both looked at each other, then back at the human. "Well," the lighter one said. "We can't really.. teach you how. There's really no way to explain it. Although most of my human subjects explained it as an 'extra limb,' in their mind. Do you feel anything?"

Andrew did feel some sort of "lever," in the back of his head, but he had thought it was just a side effect of the teleportation. Andrew stood up from his seat, and rubbed his heads together. "Okay, okay, uhh.. Just pull the lever." Andrew closed his eyes, and tried to mentally reach out to the red, slender lever. (At least, that's how he thought of it in his mind.) He thought of pulling it...

He opened his eyes.

No change.

Luna and Celestia were looking at him like he was crazy. Andrew held up a finger to them. "I got this," he said. With that, he closed his eyes, and mentally commanded himself to pull the lever.

Come on! Pull the freakin' lever! It's not that hard! Just think of pulling it.

He bent over as he put his hands to his head, as if showing physical exhaust would help. He opened his eyes again, but with no luck. "Wait," he said, nodded his head a couple times. "Don't worry. I'll get this."

Celestia watched, amused as the human tried more and more to contact his pony features. It was funny, really. He looked quite goofy.

"Hang on, I feel something!" Andrew raised his voice as he grunted.

Luna leaned close to her sister, and whispered in her ear, "shouldn't we stop him before he hurts himself?"

Celestia was about to respond with 'No way, this is too much fun!' when she saw Andrew erupt into a circular light. It was about as big as the magical flash produced by any unicorn's teleportation spell, but it was two times as bright. Within a fraction of a second, the ball of light was gone as quickly as it appeared. And instead of Andrew, a medium sized, dark blue earth pony took his place.

Celestia and Luna's eyes both widened as they took in the features of this new stallion. His coat was a dark navy blue, and he had a mane which was styled just like Spitfire's; the pegasus leader of the famous flight group named the Wonderbolts. Instead of orange and yellow, however, it was cyan and black. His tail was also long and adventurous, with the same color pattern as his mane. He had astoundingly pronounced cyan-blue eyes, and was.. extremely good-looking. His muscular build also helped both Celestia and Luna realize how the female humans must of felt.

For a minute, everyone was silent. Andrew continued to look at Celestia and Luna, as they stared back, astonished.

After what seemed like an hour, Andrew's eyes somehow brightened up even more, as he pulled a cheeky grin. "Did it work?"

Luna and Celestia nodded simultaneously, eyes still wide.

"How do I look?"

A dozen words crossed the two princess's minds. Some like: Astonishing. Incredible. Awesome. Stunning. Handsome. Amazing. Toned. Perfect. None of these words came out, though. Instead, Luna cleared her throat and answered, "Like a dark blue earth pony."

Andrew nodded excitedly at the two sisters' response. He certainly felt different.

He felt.. Great!

He did, however, have one more question. This particular question made his blood run cold for a second or two, and the enthusiasm and happiness vanish. "I have one more question." Andrew looked up at the princesses, completely serious, and said:

"Where's my brother?"

Andrew couldn't sleep that night. His mind was racing, but he was not thinking of the hundreds of answers he got. He wasn't thinking of the fact he was in another world, or how he had the power to shape shift at will. He was not thinking about the hundreds of similarities this place had with Earth, or even the thousands of differences it had. He was thinking about one question. One question he did not get an answer to.

"Where is my brother?

After he had asked that, both princesses looked confused. They claimed it had never happened before; there was always one person at a time who was destined to encounter a Beacon. There were never groups, or even doubles that got teleported at the same time. Only singles.

Andrew sighed, and rubbed his forehead, looking up at the patterned ceiling. The two sisters had given him a guest room, but in his point of view, it was like a palace was somehow squished in one door. With two stories, five windows, a king sized-bed, a restroom, and even a kitchen, the tall room greatly impressed the New Yorker. Princess Celestia told him it would be his, until they devised a plan as to where they would keep him.

She had also mentioned Andrew could sign up for a job, but it was optional. All expenses he issued were paid for by the castle. Luna had said that he would be staying in this world for the rest of his days. At first it had surprised Andrew; all he had ever known was back on Earth. He figured he would get used to it, though. He couldn't do anything about it now.

When Andrew asked them why he was here, they would not answer. It's not that they actually didn't know, instead they held back from answering, as if they were hiding something.

He yawned, and turned around in bed, now facing the window. The fantastic view of the city (Canterlot was its name) astonished him. The princesses had mentioned the castle they were in was on a big hill, overlooking the city, but Andrew had never expected anything like this. The number of houses on the great outstretch of land he was overlooking was well over a thousand. The street lights were the only light on the ground, illuminating the many tall houses that stretched across the vast land. The lights in each house were off. The most beautiful thing, though, was the moon. It was huge. Bigger than the moon back at Earth by far. The light reflecting off of it was just right. Bright enough to guide you down the street without any street lights, but dark enough so you could sleep soundly, and peacefully.

It would be Heaven, if only he could fall asleep. But he couldn't; he was too busy worrying about his brother.

He could be anywhere. Even back on Earth.

What if he's back on Earth, wondering how his brother just vanished? Or maybe the teleportation had killed him, leaving his corpse under tons of debris. Or maybe his dead body was also teleported, and is now rotting in the Everfree Forest? Or on the bottom of a lake? I would do anything to at least see him right now.

I need to find him. One way or another, I will find him. Celestia and Luna can help me! They have magic on their side.

As Andrew's mind kept racing at top speeds, his eyelids began to close, the events of today finally catching up to him. He kept on telling himself to stay awake; he may think of something. But the overwhelming sleepiness was clouding his brain. After a few minutes of trying to stay awake, he finally gave in, letting sleep take over him.

Luna paced back and forth in Celestia's throne room. She was infuriated towards her sister; she had risked this young stallion's life for a prophecy that is most likely not true.

The Princess of the Night gave her sister a death glare. "How in the Faust could you have ever brought yourself to do this to Andrew?! This 'prophecy,' as you call it, is near crazy!"

Celestia merely rolled her eyes at her sister's rage. "Please tell me one time in the history of Equestria when a prophecy did not come true? This is his destiny; I know it."

Luna slammed her hoof on the ground. "The pony who told you this is crazy! He could never be a hero!"

The Princess of the Sun gave her sister a glare. "He risked his life for his country. He's already a hero. Listen to yourself, Luna. The prophecy clearly stated the hero who saves Equestria is a human, with eyes light as the sky, and mane as dark as night. He had already risked his life for the ones he loves, even though his parents are no longer with him. How does Andrew not fit that description?"

Luna took a deep breath, her rage dying down a bit. Her big sister had a point. "...But his brother is not a murderer. He's a good man."

Celestia nodded, and looked down. "The prophecy says that his brother was changed ever since the teleportation. Do you need me to say the entire thing again?"

Luna was about to bark a reply, stating her memory was fine, but her sister interrupted her before she said anything.

"There is an ancient prophecy," Celestia started. Luna groaned, already having heard it a couple minutes ago. "Which states that one day, a human would save Equestria from the 'Brown Eyed Devil.' After hearing this, the old rulers decided to create the first Beacon. After this was achieved, they sent a fleet of Beacons to the only planets in the galaxy having humans on them: Baräk, Po, Mærinsh, and Earth. On Po and Baräk, however, humans were extinct. For an unknown reason, no humans from Mærinsh were Destined. However, the humans on Earth were. And hundreds of them were Destined." Celestia stood up from her throne and trotted over to her sister. "They came in flocks; four of them were teleported a day. Things went smoothly, and the old rulers believed The Brown Eyed Devil didn't stand a chance." Celestia looked her sister in the eye. "But he never came. No Brown Eyed Devil ever came to Equestria.

"After a thousand years of questioning humans about if they knew anything about the prophecy, and getting no satisfactory answers, the old rulers became tired of the population growing so much. They figured the prophecy was a fluke." Celestia's eye twitched. "Since humans were considered worthless, they were brought into slavery. Dozens of laws regarding humans arose, stating their enslavement to the pony race. The humans only obeyed for two hundred years. Then they revolted." She looked down, sadly. "They didn't stand a chance, and were slaughtered. Soon, all Beacons were shut down. Except one, located on Earth." Celestia smiled. "Right where Andrew lived; New York.

"The prophecy faded from everypony's memory. Soon, nopony even knew what a human was. Until it was discovered that the prophecy was read wrong; there was more to it." Celestia started to circle her sister. "It said that not just any human could defeat The Brown Eyed Devil. Only its brother could. And its brother had eyes as light as the sky, along with a mane as dark as night.

"The very day this missing part was discovered, Andrew was born. And that Beacon had survived this long, just to be there for Andrew, the Hero of Equestria. And Vandal, the Brown Eyed Devil. And that..." Celestia stopped circling around her sister, now standing in front of her, staring into her eye. "...is why Andrew is here right now."

Luna looked steadily into her sister's eyes, her face without emotion. Her mouth was a cruel, straight line. After a few seconds of silence, she finally spoke.

"Tia," she said quietly. "It's not him. I don't know why you think that way, but it's just not possible."

"And why is that?!" Celestia almost shouted, infuriated by her sister's incompetence of believing.

"Because it just isn't. Please, just believe me." Luna looked steadily at her sister, but after a couple seconds of silence, Celestia pushed herself past her dark blue sister, and out the door.

Andrew slept well that night. No nightmares haunted his mind, proving to be a great relief to the New Yorker. He yawned himself awake, his cyan eyes slightly open. A good night's rest turned out to be a great experience. Andrew sat up and leaned over the side of his bed, his white tank top and shorts (courtesy of the princess' magic) the only clothes he had on. As he stroked back his hair blissfully, he smiled. He didn't have a reason for the action, but it felt good.

The Veteran knew that today would be far different than the others. New world, new beginning, and new job, which he was going to seek out momentarily. It didn't matter to him all expenses were payed by the castle; he wasn't a fan of being dead weight for the kind princesses to drag around. He'd had enough war and fighting back on Earth, so definitely not a guard. He'd choose something a little more calm. Maybe a French Teacher (he loved and spoke the French language and culture.), or something like that.

Andrew kicked himself off the luxurious bed, and headed downstairs, onto the first floor of his royal room. He entered the bathroom, looking over himself in the mirror. Other than a mysterious, blue thunder bolt tattoo on his neck (which the princesses had mentioned being a "cutie mark"[which was also located on his rump as a pony]), he looked the same as yesterday.

Until he looked down.

He almost jumped back as he gawked at what was presumably his body. He was... ripped. Sure, the Army had really whipped him into shape, but this was.. Different.

He gazed into the mirror, moving his upper arms and flexing them as they went. The shoulders on his body were very well defined and broad; they almost looked like the humps on a camel. His biceps and triceps were huge; even his lower arm was rock hard.

"How.." He started, but couldn't finish. His tongue was dry from surprise and shock. He traced his stomach with his fingers. He felt not only six, but eight rock hard abdominals. His large muscular chest jutted from his hard stomach.

To experiment, he turned into his pony form (the clothes were transformed with him for the next time he turned) and blinked at his figure in the mirror. The earth pony staring back at him was very muscular. Although the pony muscles were slightly different from the human's (the bicep was more inwards on his upper legs, and the abdominals weren't visible unless being flexed), they were still noticeably hard.

After the shock wore off, Andrew couldn't help but chuckle. "Hello, ladies," he muttered, even though he never says that.

His thoughts were cut off when a couple knocks erupted from the other side of the door. Andrew, still in his pony form, trotted over to the wide, majestic door. He was still having trouble with the hooves as he fumbled around with the strange door knob. When he finally opened it, he was greeted by Princess Celestia. She smiled down at him.

"Hello, Andrew," she gazed down at his smaller frame. "I have some news for you. May I?" She gestured to the inside of the room.

Andrew nodded, and made way for her to enter. When she did so, Andrew discovered her eyes had bags under them, as if she didn't have enough sleep last night. "Excuse me for asking," Andrew said politely. "But I didn't keep you up at night, did I?"

Celestia shook her head. "Oh, no, that was none of your doing. Me and Luna were just having a little talk." Celestia closed the door behind her. "Okay, as for the news, please don't take this the wrong way. This is all out of care." Andrew leaned forward a little, attentive. "May we sit down for this?"

"Oh, yeah, sure!" Andrew hurriedly rushed over to the royal couch and sat, ears perked. Celestia followed, and sat down by him.

"Now, I'm not sure if you're up for it, but I have a job for you." Andrew perked up. Celestia smiled at his early enthusiasm. "I have a student, who resides in Ponyville. She is a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle, and is my star pupil. I have invited her over to dinner tonight, via letter. I also included that a new, highly intelligent species called a human has arrived, and is waiting for her arrival. That would be you." Andrew nodded, showing no sign of defiance. Celestia eased a little at this. "She wishes to study and run tests on you; don't worry, though! None are dangerous." The Princess of the Sun had honesty in her voice. Andrew figured she had been friends, or apprentice and mentor, with this 'Twilight Sparkle' for a very long time. "Now, I am completely willing to cancel the appointment if you don't approve!"

Andrew quickly shook his head. "No, it's alright! I kind of like the sound of 'Ponyville.' Plus I don't want to just be dead weight around here."

"You are not dead weight." Andrew almost flinched at Celestia's sudden anger. Before he could comprehend it, though, Celestia instantly became the kind princess again. She looked at him, surprised, as if she didn't even mean to say it, and then her eyes filled with sorrow. "I'm sorry, Andrew," she said, her voice back to normal. "I just don't like it when my subjects think like that."

Andrew nodded. "It's alright," he said with a smile.

Celestia nodded her thanks, then sat up. "So it's official, then? You're leaving for Ponyville tomorrow morning." She smiled. "This is all optional, Andrew."

Andrew nodded, a half smile on his face. Although he wasn't a fan of being some unicorn's lab rat, the opportunity was unique. Plus, it provided him with work. "I do, however, I have one more question," he started.

The Princess of the Sun looked down at him quizzically.

"Why am I so buff?"

Celestia's cheeks flushed red. It was true; his extremely well-toned muscles along his body showing it. She answered: "When you gain another body, you gain its strength. You have the strength of both a human and a pony now."

Andrew nodded, looking down at his muscular physique. "Sweet."

Celestia stood up. "Well, now that we have discussed it, it is settled. My apprentice will be here at precisely 8:00. Dress handsomely." As if he could get any more handsome. The temperature rised in the Princess's cheeks in response to that thought. She was about to turn and leave, embarrassed, when she remembered vital information. Celestia gave the stallion's body one more look of approval before she said: "Oh, and one more thing. When you arrive at Ponyville, your name is 'Blueheart.' Trust me; Andrew Davis isn't exactly a name that won't attract attention." Blueheart? That was an unoriginal and not thought-out name. But it was the first one to pop up in her mind. And, as she looked him over, she discovered the name fit him. His dark blue coat, adventurous black and cyan mane and tail, and cyan eyes all went together.

Blueheart. Now it kind of had a ring to it. She liked it. By the look on the young stallion's face, he liked it too.

Celestia started to walk out of the room, when the newly-named Blueheart stood up. "Wait," he called out. Celestia turned. "Thank you. For everything." Celestia smiled.

"You're welcome," the Princess of the Sun responded. She then exited the room, shutting the door behind her.

Blueheart.. Blueheart, Hero of Equestria.

Now that certainly had a ring to it.

Blueheart looked at himself in the mirror at all angles. His adventurous mane was slicked back handsomely, and his dark blue coat was covered by a black tuxedo. It felt snug against him, and made him look every part the gentleman. Or, in this case, the gentlecolt. The two light blue orbs in his eyes were really the only things that were out of place, but it gave his features a unique look.

He sighed; the plan for him was simple: have dinner with Celestia's star pupil (Twilight Sparkle), introduce himself, wait for Celestia to explain the plan to her, then travel home with her the next day. However, the situation which would unfold in a couple minutes was at the back of his mind. He was really thinking about Vandal. Every possible misfortune that could have happened to his younger brother was flashing in his mind, and for him to just see Vandal ok would make him feel easier.

A knock on his door inturrupted his thoughts. He took one more look at the equine in the mirror, then turned away. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Celestia," came the familiar feminine voice from the other side of the door. "Five more minutes until the dinner starts. All the plates and seats are set up, and we are waiting for Twilight's arrival."

Blue nodded, even though he was sure nobody could see him. "Thanks," he replied.

"Oh, and Andrew?" Celestia called. "Thank you for doing this. You're doing us a huge favor." Blueheart blushed lightly at the praise by such an authority.

"No problem," he responded, as the gentle hoof steps leading away from the door told him she was leaving. When he was sure the Princess of the Sun was away, he drifted away into his thoughts.

My first priority is to find out where Vandal is. I'll cooperate with the ponies, but I won't take any serious steps of friendship until I find him. I need to know if I can at least contact him. Maybe by a cell phone?

No, I'm pretty sure they don't have cell phones here. I need to find him myself. When I get to Ponyville, I'll search for him in my free time. But what if he's somewhere here in Canterlot?

With a sigh of exasperated confusion, Blueheart trotted to the door, and slipped out. As he walked down the majestic, tall corridors to the dining room, he felt out of place. He was, after all, a New Yorker. Even though he wasn't on Earth anymore (and may never be there again), his New Yorker attitude and accent were both still with him. And if his heritage had a hate list, castles and royalty would definitely be on the top ten.

When he rounded the corner into the dining room, his eyes went wide.

Celestia watched in amusement as the handsomely dressed stallion at the other end of the long table marveled at the big room. It was true; the dining room was truly one of her favorites in the castle. It was the epitome of royalty, complete with long, detailed designs on the walls around them. The huge windows on each wall showed a spectacular view of Canterlot in all its glory. A long dinner table was in the center of the room, dominating the floor. It was purple in color, and had designs of the moon and sun on it. Along with furniture and artifacts littering the walls, that completed the majestic dining room.

Celestia was sitting on one end of the spacious table, and Luna sat on the opposite. There were two other chairs on the sides, awaiting Blueheart and Twilight Sparkle.

She watched as her human (now in pony form) friend examined the room further. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and his mane was slicked back to reveal his handsome facial features. After a few seconds of silent bewilderment, the blue earth pony finally asked, "...This entire room is just for dining?"

Celestia nodded, pride filling her chest as Blue marveled at the ceiling once more, then came over to sit down. "Made from the finest workponies in Equestria. Stunning, isn't it?" The earth pony's answer was a nod as he sat down. "Oh, and don't worry about the whole 'omnivore' thing. We've got you covered." The big fruit salad which was going to be on the stallion's plate was actually a steak, an illusion spell changing its features. Celestia detested the fact her friend ate meat. Sure, his body needed protein, but couldn't he get that from eggs or milk? Celestia noticed Blueheart's canines were sharper than most ponies. She thought of the fact those fangs' very purpose was to rip the flesh..

Oh, Faust. I'm gonna throw up.

Celestia quickly got up from her seat, and pardoned herself. She then trotted out of the room, the nauseation and numb feeling in the gums making themselves noticed as her breakfast earlier today started to make its second appearance.

Blueheart briefly looked in the direction Celestia left, puzzled by her abrupt departure. In the Army they taught him to read faces and what they meant. However, it didn't take a professional to tell she was nauseated, evident by the green flush on her face. He turned back to his empty plate, confusion and slight guilt setting in.

"Don't mind her," he heard Luna say behind him. Blue jumped and his heart rate quickened as she appeared right behind him. Luna gave him a slightly apologetic look, but that was all the sorry he was getting. "Andrew Davis, we must talk."

Blue put a hoof over his beating chest, trying to calm himself. "Could you warn me next time you do that?" She shrugged. Blueheart shook the jump scare off as he quickly composed himself. "We're the only ones in here, Princess. We can talk."

Luna blinked and levitated a chair over to her, then sat by the blue pony. She sighed, knowing her sister would be enraged by the fact she told him of this. But if he was going to be here for the rest of his life, he ought to know his purpose. "I understand you must be confused by the fact we haven't answered those two questions yet." The New Yorker's ears perked up as he instantly turned attentive towards her. The Princess of the Night took a deep break, then started. "There is a prophecy.."

Twilight Sparkle was being escorted to the dining room, the armored guard in front of her proving that this was going to be very important.

Excitement was flourishing in her chest. She would finally get to meet another species as capable as them! According to the letter, Celestia wrote that the subject was a male, 21, and is very kind. He comes from a different planet, so she may be the first Ponyvillian to meet an alien! She also wrote he is a former warrior, so she should respect him as much as any other high authority.

The guard stopped abruptly by the dining room doors and turned back towards Twilight. He said with an emotionless, deep voice, "Here is where the princess is meeting you. Good luck." He opened the door, revealing the majestic dining room in all its glory. Luna was seated at the table with a handsome dark blue earth pony, but there was no sign of Celestia. Twilight trotted in the tall room as she heard the doors behind her shut. The loud noise attracted the attention of the two occupants, and she blushed, knowing the attention was now fully on her.

"Welcome, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said with her familiar voice. "Celestia will be here in a couple minutes. Come, sit."

Twilight nodded and smiled as she neared the table. "Hello, Princess Luna. Good to see you on this special night!" Luna nodded and smiled as her reply.

As Twilight pulled out a chair and sat down, she got a good look at the stallion sitting by Luna. He was.. very handsome. He had a dark blue coat, a slicked back cyan and black mane and tail, along with cyan eyes to go with it. She momentarily lost herself in his dazzling, light blue irises. He had an extremely athletic form; toned muscles showing all over his body.

The stallion smiled, dazzling white teeth gleaming. "So I understand you're Twilight Sparkle?" he asked. Twilight recognized his Manehatten accent immediately.

She nodded, still admiring his physique. Heck, his muscles put Rainbow Dash's to shame.

"I'm Blueheart, uh, the 'new species.'"

Twilight nodded, seeing how perfectly the name fit him. She was wondering how he was a new species when she saw something.

Her eyes squinted as she caught a glimpse of his sharp canines; the ones of a carnivore. That was weird.. When she was about to mention them, Celestia entered the room from behind her.

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle!" the Princess of the Sun smiled. "I thank you for coming tonight on such circumstances."

Twilight smiled and started to bow, but Celestia gave her a look. "There's no need bowing," she said as she gave her apprentice a quick hug. "You have already proven yourself countless times." Twilight blushed profusely at the compliment, and nodded.

Celestia trotted over to her seat on the table, and sat down. "Now, I am sure you all know why I have called you to this most important meeting."

The Everfree Forest. Full of violent predators and angry animals. Filled with grotesque plants that blocked out the sun. Dark, unpredictable, dangerous.. Beautiful. So many characteristics to this complicated place, and yet the inhabitants around came up with one: Scary.

Scary.

What a plain, un meaningful word. What does it mean, scary? Scary as in jump scares? As in a sense of foreboding? As in the fear and dread growing stronger every second?

"They need to be more clear," Vandal thought as he looked up at the sage-colored, leafy ceiling above, covering the starry night. The dark green night was noisy; bugs and animals of all types were chirping, howling, cooing, and hissing. It smelt of heavy forest, and also felt like it on his back.

"'Scary' isn't even a word in my books. One that is in them is 'judgmental.' The forest isn't so bad after you've lived in it for a day."

Vandal sighed as he shifted a little in his spot on the warm foliage floor. He was used to this kind of thing; he went camping with his father all the time. This was basically that. Only without a tent. Or a fire. Or anything.

Vandal's chocolate irises shifted from the foliage above to his side as he heard the unmistakeable crack of leaves being stepped on. His heart rate quickened as he stayed completely still, waiting for any other sign of an approacher. There was nothing else, the only noises coming from all the nature around him. Not convinced, however, he slowly and cautiously got up, eyes never leaving the spot that was no doubt concealing an intruder. As his fists raised up in a defensive stance, he narrowed his eyes, trying to make out any form.

He kept his stance, towering his full six feet and two inches. His crazy mop of brown hair sticking out gave him an extra two. A couple more seconds of nothing eased his nerves a little. Just to be sure, though, he lifted his hand up to the forest ahead, and shot a quick bolt of kinetic energy towards it. The lack of effort put into it didn't make it lethal, but it did hurt the victim a lot.

A quick, familiar yelp told him all he needed to know. He rolled his eyes. "Come out, Silver Blossom."

The mentioned mare came out of the forest-darkness with a cheeky grin on her black-furred face. Her red irises twinkled a little as she said: "Apologies, Vandal. I was worried."

Vandal, although irked, chuckled a little. "You? Worried about me? After what you've given me?" He looked down at his gloved right hand and summoned a little dark cloud to circle around it for emphasis.

"Well, yes. It is my job." Silver Blossom looked up and discovered her white mane was disheveled and full of twigs, showing evidence of her most recent endeavors in trying to track the human in the thick brush. With a quick whip of her head, her hair returned to normal. "And don't think you're a master of magicks or anything! You've just started training."

"Did I ever say such thing?" Vandal said, with a playful attempt to imitate her proper speech.

Silver sighed. "Sometimes you can be a bother."

"Correction. All the time."

The black unicorn dismissed the last [believable] comment as she started a new topic. "Why were you out here, lying down, anyways? It's more comfortable inside." She gestured towards the direction of her little cot, a couple blocks away.

Vandal smiled as he sat down on the warm, damp ground. He looked took in a deep breath, enjoying the many smells the forest offered. "I like the forest. It reminds me of my dad. We used to camp a lot together."

Silver Blossom nodded, the mood changing swiftly. "Mine, too." She said as she lied down beside him. They both looked up at the forest top, enjoying the many fragments and sounds that crossed their senses. After a couple seconds of silence, Vandal spoke up.

"Thank you," he said softly. He lifted up his hand and twirled his fingers around as small, dark clouds of magic revolved around them. "And not just for this." The mare beside him looked over to him, smiling a little. "For everything; I had nothing left for me back on Earth besides my brother. Now he's here, and you let me follow him.." He scooted over a little to Silver Blossom's side and planted a light kiss on her cheek, which turned crimson shortly after.

With that, he stood up and left the scene, walking towards the little cottage that belonged to the black mare. The latter stayed where she was, blushing profusely. She briefly thought of how abruptly the human had entered her life, and how he had affected it. But that was a story for another time.

Right now, she had to get back to her house and sleep. It was going to be a long day tomorrow, full of spells, training, and Vandal near her. She looked forward to the last part the most.