‘Tesla’

The name didn’t mean much to me –as not much did- it was just a name, and that’s how it would stay for the remainder of my days

“First question, where am I?” I asked the nine beings ahead of me, three larger than the others with wings and horns, one smaller one with wings and a horn one was lavender, the second was white, the third indigo, and the fourth was pink

“On the outskirts of Ponyville; Equestria; Equis” the white being’s eyes narrowed at the small ferret-like being atop my head

“Like from the kid’s show” the ferret-like being known as blaze, the Quilava, smirked from atop my head

“I don’t understand” she blinked

“Perhaps we’d better go somewhere else for the Q-and-A session” I chuckled

“Indeed” the indigo entity spoke with clarity and grace, with a great flash of light I found myself in a great hall with marble floors, walls and sky-high ceiling

“You look pale, are you going to be sick?” The white quadruped smiled

“Just a little motion sick; right TK?” Blaze laughed, I nodded

“So, who are you?” the pink one spoke with a tone of apparent humour

“Teslakana, or Tesla, for short” I held out a hand, she shook it with a hoof “and this is Blaze, my sister”

“She’s your sister, but you look nothing alike!” the small white what appeared to be a unicorn gasped

“She’s my adoptive sister, her parents were killed by poachers” I bit my lip

“Oh” she blinked “I’m sorry to hear that”

“Don’t be, wasn’t your fault” Blaze mumbled

“So who might you ‘ponies’ be, did I get that right?” I tilted my head the larger white winged unicorn chuckled

“We are ponies yes, I am Princess Celestia, this is my sister, Princess Luna, my niece, Princess Cadance, and my student, Princess Twilight” Celestia smiled

“You don’t have a Prince, or a King or Queen?” Blaze blurted out, quickly covering her mouth with a paw

“We haven’t had a king or queen for a billion years” Luna sighed

“But we’ve a prince, two of them in fact, one of which is Twilight’s brother” Cadance turned a one-eighty on the emotional scale, somewhat

“And who might you be, little one?” I glanced toward the cyan Pegasus who was hovering before me

“I’M Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria!”

“Self-proclaimed or actual?” Blaze yawned

“Actual of course!” Rainbow Dash glared at her “I bet I could beat either of you in ten seconds flat!”

“Blaze and I shared a glance, then burst into laughter

“What’s so funny?” Twilight nickered

“The fact that your air-headed friend seems to think she’s the best at what she does”

“You have wings, don’t you, why don’t you test them?” Rainbow Dash snorted

“Careful there pardner, we don’t know what he’s capable of, so why dontcha think before charging in head first, Ok?” the orange pone with a blonde mane and tail both styled like ponytails with a Stetson atop her head chuckled

“Sorry there Sugarcube, Rainbow Dash dun half get excited when it comes tah competition” she smiled “Name’s Applejack, Ah run the farm down the road from Ponyville, feel free tah visit if ya get the chance”

“We will, don’t worry” Blaze smirked down at me “Wont we, brother?”

“Why not?” I shrugged

“Watch out!” she yelled, I leapt into the air as twin white pegasi armed with swords and clad in golden armour brought their swords down to the ground where I’d been standing

“Gem Dragon Talon!” I growled, bringing a suddenly-ignited foot down to the ground between them, the shockwave of which both sent them flying, and cracked the marble floor

“That was magic,” Twilight gasped “you used magic!”

“Still feel like taking him on Rainbow?” Applejack smirked at her cyan friend

“Maybe I miscalculated a little” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow

“Stand down” Celestia also raised an eyebrow as the guards stood either side of me “How did you do that?”

“I’m a dragon slayer” I grinned

“You’re a murderer?” Twilight gaped

“I may have the title, but I’ve never, and will never, kill dragons, especially if they’re my friends or family” I frowned

“And how did you get such magic, or rather, where?” Cadance giggled

“Classified” I bit my lip “With all-do respect princesses, I can’t let just anyone go there”

“Fair enough” Celestia smiled

“So, what is it that you are; creature?”

“I’m an eon, or in this form, a human” I smiled

“This form,” she eyed me up and down “explain”

“By all means” I bowed, changing to my eon form

“Are you a changeling?” she frowned

“I don’t know what that is, some sort of shape-shifter I assume?” I tilted my head

“They’re a race of sentient, and yet dangerous, bug-like species that feat upon love in order to sustain themselves” Cadance shuddered

“If that’s how they survive, there’s not a lot we can do about it, unless you plan on driving them to extinction” I shrugged

“We may have our dislike for them, but we’d never end them as a species” Celestia blinked “tell me, what is it that you eat?”

“Fish, chips, pizza, salad, gems; the usual” I rolled my eyes

“You eat gems,” Twilight stared at me in apparent surprise “you’re a dragon?”

“In part, yes” I nodded

“But you look nothing like one!” Rainbow Dash rebuked

“I’m from an alternate world, your argument is invalid” I laughed

“You win this one buster” she grinned with a slight leer

“I believe it is time for dinner, sister?” Luna’s stomach grumbled with a slightly comical tune

“Indeed it is Luna” Celestia nodded “I believe we can continue this at the dining table, Tesla”

When we got to the dining hall, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, having introduced themselves to me, I sat at the end opposite Celestia and Luna

“What’s with the animal?” a three-tone dark blue mane and tailed unicorn clad in purple armour eyed me up and down

“He is our honoured guest, Prince Shining Armour” Celestia glanced toward me, I merely smiled

“Just be careful” Shining Armour stared at me in apparent suspicion “I have ways to easily make you disappear”

“Feel free to try” I shrugged

“Fine, you, me, arena, after dinner” he smirked

“Is that how you got your title, by being arrogant?” I tilted my head again

“I’m the captain of the guard!” he snapped

“And I’m a brigadier of the UNSC, congratulations”

“How old are you?” Twilight blinked

“In human years, eighty, in eon years, naught-point-seven” I glimmered

“So, how did you become a dragon slayer?” Celestia sipped her tea rather casually, all eyes were on me

“I got my abilities from eating a certain type of gemstone known as Dragon Lacrima; whilst most second generation dragon slayers get it implanted into their bodies, whereas I’ve got it running through my veins” I explained

“Second gen?” Twilight blinked

“First generation get taught by a dragon, second generation get it by gemstone, and third are by both” I clicked my tongue

“Taught by an actual dragon?” she stared at me in horror

“Precisely” I nodded

“Most of our world is peaceful; yours seems to be an interesting one, Tesla” Celestia smiled as I reverted to human form, still wearing my clockwise goggles and usual regalia, complete with goggles resting between my spiky brown hair and blaze, and my rucksack, which contained a soul dew, my laptop, with charger, a torch, and a few, ‘extra items’

“I must ask where you got that impressive attire Tesla!” Rarity stared at me like a predator does its prey when it gets a fresh kill

“An alternate world” I shrugged

“You have space-travel?” Twilight gazed at me, almost salivating

“I can travel anywhere, and anytime, just by thinking about it,” I laughed “there isn’t a part of reality I can’t journey to”

“That’s incredible!” Cadance whistled

“It has its uses” I smiled

“So, where do thou originally come from?” Luna simpered

“Earth, population of around seven billion” I deadpanned

“Seven billion?” she gasped “Tia, we haven’t even reached two hundred million yet, how long do thou think these humans have lived for?”

“Around three hundred million years” I answered for her

“How old is this ‘Earth’ you speak of?” Celestia

“As far as we know, four and a half billion years old” I raised an eyebrow “why?”

“Just curious” she gave a weak smile

-=-

After dinner, Shining Armour and I stood opposite one another at the arena

“Get ready to lose, human” Shining Armour smirked

“I’m not paid to do such a thing,” I chided

“Neither am I,” he grinned, as the referee, one of the guards, lowered his hoof

“Begin!”

I went in to hit Shining Armour square in the face only for him to teleport away

“You run from battle?” I laughed with glee “how ironic”

“I never run” he hit me from behind, I turned around, he hit me from the side, and again, this time, from the other side

“You say you’re a dragon slayer yet you have no weapons that I can visibly notice, why is that” he grinned

“I use magic, not might” I sighed, igniting my fists in an emerald flame, catching him just on the tip of his mane as he tried to swat at me “gotcha”

“Not so fast” he caught me in the side again

Closing my eyes, I began to sniff the air around me, turning my head, suddenly sensing something from behind me, turning on my heel and bringing my fist down, right down on his skull, cracking his horn as the ground splintered open, rumbling in the process

“There’s no way…!” Rainbow Dash gasped from the crowd

“I believe that’s checkmate, Shiny” I smiled as he rolled onto his side, Twilight and her friends, alongside the princesses, teleporting beside us

“Well played, for a human” he coughed, wearily getting to his feet, only to collapse, I caught him as he fell

“How did you do that?” Twilight stared at me, mouth agape

“Perception” I winked

“That’s a dirty trick” Shining Armour scoffed as he managed to balance himself, standing upright again

“In war nobody’s going to care what’s dirty or not, what matters is survival” I clicked my neck, shoulders and knuckles

“Touché” he slowly nodded

“I believe it’s time for some rest” Celestia smiled

“Noted” I smiled back, falling onto my back, blaze curling up on my chest

“Are you serious?” Cadance nickered

“Here’s as good as any” I sighed

“I refuse to have a well-mannered guest such as you sleep out in the cold” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“Why not, some people count sheep to get to sleep, I count stars” I smirked

“You do?” Twilight blinked

“Stargazing’s an old hobby of mine” I clicked my tongue “it’s therapeutic I guess”

“It is we who raise the moon and stars every night, fair Tesla” Luna stated with a tone of utmost authority

“And I thank you for it” I glanced at her for a moment, staring back up at the stars “Now, where’s Orion?”

“There he is” Blaze pointed to a certain cluster of stars

“So he is” I nodded, “and there’s Aquarius” I pointed to a different constellation

“And Leo “she pointed elsewhere”

“And the phoenix” I gestured to a fourth constellation

“And Draco” she pointed toward a fifth

“Thou truly appreciate the night?” Luna bit her lip

“Why not?” I shrugged “it may be cold and dark, but that doesn’t there’s nothing good to it”

“Goodnight Tesla” Blaze yawned

“Goodnight Blaze” I tutted, quickly falling asleep

-=-=-

When I awoke the next morning, I felt myself lying next to something warm and fuzzy

“What in the fudge?” I blinked; Luna had chosen to sleep by my side, apparently in hopes to keep me warm with a wing draped over my stomach, Blaze was stood on her hind legs beside me, trying not to bust a gut in laughter

“Tesla got himself a quadruped duvet?” Blaze grinned

“Oh shut up” I chuckled, trying to sit upright, only to be pulled back down to the arena floor, Luna wrapping her hooves around me

“Don’t go… my love” Luna mumbled in her sleep

“That just cements it” Blaze cackled with laughter as Luna gave my cheek a long’ hard, lick, nuzzling into me “Pinch her lightly on the ear, see if that works”

“Might as well try” I pinched Luna lightly on the earlobe, which caused her eyes to flutter open, staring at me as they went half-lidded, pecking my cheek

“Good morning, Fair Tesla” Luna smiled

“Hello” I mumbled “Do I make a good pillow?”

“Nay, but thou doth make a ‘more than satisfactory’ teddy bear” she giggled, pecking my cheek again

“Good to know” I slowly nodded

“So it is” she nickered, clinging onto me “Don’t make us move from here, Ok?”

“Fair enough” I bit my lip as Celestia, Cadance, Twilight and her friends trotted up to me from the castle

“What’re you doing?” Twilight smirked

“Apparently I make a good teddy bear” I nodded

“So you do” Celestia raised an eyebrow “Luna?”

“Give us five more minutes Tia, one does not simply leave from this comfortable position” Luna sighed

“Why don’t you return the hug?” Blaze glimmered

“Because I don’t want things to turn awkward?” I suggested

“Tesla, you’ve only been here a day, and the co-ruler of practically what could be the whole planet is fondling you like a stuffed animal, what’s more is she’s doing it in front of her sister” she chortled “I fail to see how this could get any more awkward”

“Damn you for being right” I cursed

“I’m lovely aren’t I?” she cooed

“If a little eager” I rolled my eyes as Luna finally released her grip on me, standing upright as I attempted the same, only to me met with a resounding crack “And there goes my back”

“Are thou well?” Luna smiled

“I’ll be fine” I pulled myself upright steadily getting to my feet

“If thou are sure” she winked suggestively

“Anyway, I do believe it’s time the sun was raised” Celestia glanced toward her sister, who nodded, her horn glowing as the moon was lowered, and the sun took its place

“That’s impressive” I smiled

“We thank thee” Luna smiled

“Ain’t a problem” I shrugged, stretching my two sets of wings

“So it isn’t” Celestia gave an expression as if to say ‘are you serious?’ I shrugged “Have you decided where you’ll be staying, Tesla?”

“Not yet” I tilted my head

“Thou can stay with us” Luna purred

“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?” Celestia chuckled toward her lunar sister

“Are kindness and generosity not two of the elements of Harmony, Tia?” Luna raised an eyebrow

“Fine, but if Tesla says that something’s uncomfortable, you stop, Ok?” she simpered

“Perish the thought dear sister!” Luna guffawed

“Then it’s settle then” Celestia sighed “Tesla, you shall be staying with my sister until we can get you other arrangements”

“Thank you, ‘Tia’” I smirked

“Call me that again, and you get sent straight to the moon” she said, her voice sweeter than honey

“Better stargazing for me then” I shrugged

“Touché” she slowly shook her head, both her and her sister disappearing with a great flash of light

“Did that seriously just happen?” Rainbow Dash laughed

“Did what just happen?” I blinked

“You just got hooked with Celestia’s sister” she grinned

“I didn’t get ‘hooked’ with anyone” I frowned “I just so happened to get the arrangements for a decent living space, that’s all”

“Keep telling yourself that” Blaze perched herself on my head as we walked into the castle for breakfast

“I trust you had fun last night?” Shining Armour grinned at me like an idiot

“Yeah I got used as a ‘Human teddy bear’” I laughed

“How’d that work out for you?” he raised an eyebrow

“Besides the concrete floor, not too bad” I smiled

“You actually slept on that thing?” he burst into roars of laughter

“And I suppose having a tattoo on your arse makes you any better>” Blaze smirked

“It’s a cutie mark, everypony gets one when they find their special talent” Celestia ‘observed’

“Fair enough” I shrugged

“Do humans get Cutie marks?” Twilight raised an eyebrow

“Not unless it’s an actual tattoo or guild emblem, like so” I rolled my sleeve up, revealing the bird-like mark of the Fairy Tail Guild

“It’s somewhat beautiful” Rarity hummed “how is it placed there?”

“A magic, stamp-like device” I tiled my head “I’m not sure what the actual mechanics are, and I don’t want to get a headache from asking”

“You had that stamped on?” she raised an eyebrow

“It’s harmless” I chuckled

“You humans really are interesting creatures” Blaze tutted

“If a little odd” I nodded

“Indeed” Luna simpered “So what’re you going to do for work, my little eon?”

“I’ve no idea” I muttered

“Well, how about you live with us?” Celestia smiled, all eyes were either on her or me

“For what reason would you let a complete stranger into your castle?” I chuckled “not that I mind the offer of course”

“Because I do not believe your intentions are that of malevolence” she simply replied “If you were; would you honestly believe that I would let you stay, even for a moment?”

“Most people can be changed, if not reformed, you just need to know which nerve to pull, and how, when, and where to do it” I shrugged

“Oh,” she raised an eyebrow, not looking at all pleased “and what would you know on the subject?”

“Not a lot, just a tad of what I’ve heard on the topic of psychological warfare” I bit my lip

‘Definitely the wrong thing to say!’

“And what have you heard?” her eyes narrowed slightly, I felt as though I had a spear of pure light aimed at my neck

“Nothing important” I gulped

‘Thank Christ!’

“Good,” she smiled “Now, about that offer?”

“Might as well” I sighed “things are only going to get weirder from here on anyways”

“Good, then I assume that you shall happily hold the honorary title of Prince Tesla?” she grinned

“I what!?” I boomed “on what part of what imaginary contract does it say that I’m a prince?” Celestia teleported in a rather thick scroll which unrolled in my lap

“Well I’ll be damned” I whistled “When was this made?”

“Two-thousand years ago” Luna smirked

“And yet you lot don’t look older than thirty at most” I blinked

“Immortality has its perks” Celestia gave a forlorn sigh

“And- here… never mind” I clenched my fists, rolling the scroll up as it popped out of view

“You were about to say that you thought you looked good for your age, weren’t you TK?” Blaze gleamed with a sly smirk

“Damnit” I held my head in my hand

“We are most flattered, Tesla” Luna’s cheeks turned a vibrant pink tint

“Not every day you get to meet such refined people” Blaze rolled a paw in mid-air, as if suggesting me to continue

“Refined doesn’t even begin to- what?” everyone in the room was staring at me

“Aunty, must we keep such a callous being in our midst?” A snow-white unicorn wearing a collar and suit complete with a flower to go with it and a mustard-ish coloured mane and tail raised an eyebrow toward Celestia

“He’s our guest” Luna smiled “And an honoured friend”

“He’s an animal” the unicorn spat

“I’m also sentient” I snapped

“So you can talk, what else, can you do?” he laughed

“You don’t want to know” I growled

“You dare threaten me?” he scowled

“Not yet anyhow” I waved a hand dismissively “maybe if your intentions are ill of heart, then I might consider it”

“So I see” he frowned “I’ll see you later, maybe”

“Amen” I chuckled

-=-

“Tsuki Hoseki Ryu; Metsuryū Ōgi Guren Bakuhoshijin” I roared, releasing twin torrents of silvery-coloured flame toward the far wall of the arena, melting the outermost layer of stone to little more than sludge

“Not bad” Blaze hummed “but why did you name it that?”

“I’ll explain later” I smirked, inhaling sharply, exhaling a torrent of flame “Tsuki Hoseki Ryu Hokou!”

“Star-Gem Dragon roar” Blaze blinked “Really?”

“I thought it’d be fun, all things considered” I shrugged

“Mushy” she laughed

=-=

That night, I failed to get any sleep whatsoever, so, doing what I thought to be natural, I got dressed and headed out into the corridor

“Princess Luna is not to be disturbed” the guard outside Luna’s room deadpanned

“I just want five minutes with her, that’s all, nothing sensual or anything of the sort” I raised my hands

“I’m sorry sir, but I can’t allow that” he sighed

“Look, I just want to talk to her for a few minutes, that’s all” I bit my lip

“Alright, I have to award your perseverance though” he smiled, opening the door slightly, I nodded, walking into the room

“We thought we made it clear that we weren’t to be disturbed!?” Luna bellowed

“Luna, it’s me, it’s Tesla” I gulped, she turned to face me from her position on the bed

“Oh, we did not know, please forgive us Tesla” she mumbled, her eyes were bloodshot with tears streaming down her face

“Are you Ok?” I blinked, her appearance was heart-rending

“We are fine” she sniffled

“Tell me, what happened to you, you go from being the loveliest pony I know, I come to talk to you, and you’re like this, why?” I cooed

“We have trouble socializing after our banishment” she stated coldly, gesturing for me to sit beside her, I did

She explained to me about her transformation into a deity known as Nightmare Moon, her banishment, her return, and her apparent defeat by Twilight and her friends

“I see” I slowly nodded “and this is why you have trouble, because all of your friends of old are… dead?”

“Very much so” she wiped her tears away

“Well, why don’t you start with me?” I smiled

“What do you mean?” she raised an eyebrow toward me

“I’ll be your friend, if no one else will” I draped a wing around her

“Thou would, even after all we have told thee?” she gasped

“A friend is someone who accepts your past and who you are, and learns to live with it, considering your beauty, I don’t think it’s going to be a problem” I smiled

“Thank thee!” she cheered quietly, clinging onto me, eventually letting go “but tell us, what, was thy life like, before meeting us?”

“Troubling, to say the least” I cleared my throat “if it weren’t for my dad taking me away from my mum, and this is before I even turned a year old, I’d be dead, simple as that”

“How?” she frowned

“Negligence” I shrugged “I was a literal human bag of matchsticks, had several nurses at the clinic in tears over the whole ordeal“

“Then how are you alive?” she gaped

“My dad may’ve beaten the hell out of me up to the age of eighteen, but I moved out eventually, got a job down at Wareham forestry commission and everything”

“Is that where thou are from?” she smiled faintly

“Yep, one of the more refined places on earth, I reckon” I nodded

“And you had to put up with that for seventeen years?” she blinked, I nodded again

Her horn glowed a bold, cobalt colour, her eyes narrowing slightly, then widening “Thou are, telling the truth”

“Oh thou poor thing” she draped her wings around me “here why don’t you sleep with me for tonight?”

“Technically I’m supposed to be here anyway” I shrugged, stripping down to my boxers and getting into bed with her

“So thou are” she giggled, draping a wing over me, using me as her personal teddy bear

“Is this right?” I glanced toward her

“What do thou mean?” she frowned

“I mean, we’re to different species, aren’t we?” I flinched

“Thou thinkest that we care?” she laughed, pecking my cheek

“Touché” I nodded, pecking her on the snout, causing her to shudder slightly, I chuckled, my vision fading to black as I fell asleep

-=-=-

When I awoke the following morning, Luna was already awake

“Sleep well Sugarbear?” Luna cooed

“No thanks to you, yes” I smirked

“We see thy cheap remark and raise thou one” she laughed, her horn glowing a deep blue colour as the bed slightly warmed up, its softness escalating exponentially

“Oh Sweet merciful Thor that’s amazing…” I groaned

“Would you like us to continue?” she smirked

“By all means, do what you want” I shrugged she practically squee’d, the door burst open and Celestia appeared

“Believe me it’s not what it seems” I bit my lip

“What’re you doing?” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“Tesla wanted to talk to us, and so he sought us out, we talked, he told us about his earlier life, and we about ours, and he accepts us for who we are” Luna smiled

“Really?” Celestia glanced at me, I nodded

“I won’t do something the two of you don’t want me to do, princesses” I bowed my head in respect

“Then I’ll see the two of you at breakfast” Celestia smiled, walking out of the room

“Luna,” I began, she turned to face me “I’ve a request I’d like to ask of you, if that’s alright”

“Name it” she nickered

“I’d like to be your knight” I blurted out

“Thou want to be thine knight?” she held a hoof to her mouth “By all means, we don’t see why not, Sir Tesla”

“Thank you, Lady Luna” I bowed

“Now, thy princess demands love” she grinned

=-=-=

As I staggered out of Luna’s room, with the dark-coated princess by my side, I was caught short by a small ferret-like being running up the back of my leg and perching itself on my head

“Have fun, Tesla?” Blaze laughed

“I don’t know how to answer that” I blinked, walking with Luna down to the dining hall

=-=

“What was that racket I couldn’t help but hear?” the white unicorn from yesterday snarled toward me, Twilight and her friends sat beside me

“What racket?” I blinked

“The one coming from your room” he frowned I blinked “don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to, human, if necessary, I’ll protect my family from scum such as yourself with my life”

“Three things” I raised a trio of fingers “one, you couldn’t fight your way out of a wet paper bag, let alone find water if you fell out of a damn boat, two, you’re being hypocritical calling me scum, and three, that’s my job now”

“You what?” he alongside Rainbow Dash, Rarity Twilight and Applejack blinked

“Perhaps you’d like to explain yourself?” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“Well, it’s quite simple really” Blaze chortled “when a man and a woman love each other very-!”

“Blaze, you are not helping” I quickly covered her mouth with a free hand

“Aren’t I?” she fought her way free “Apparently you are a magnificent beast”

“Luna?” Celestia grumbled

“Is there nothing wrong with love?” Luna stated rather poetically “

“I’m not saying there is, I’m just asking you if you truly believe that this will work” she tilted her head

“That’s what I said” I smiled

“So be it” Celestia sighed

As I stood in the centre of Ponyville, Blaze still perched atop my head, I tilted my head slightly

“So, work” Blaze patted my head

“Back to the crux of the matter” I mumbled

“I’m sure you’ll find work fairly easy” Twilight nickered

“How,” I raised an eyebrow

“Well, I’m sure your anatomy has its advantages in comparison to ours” she smiled

“Like?” I sighed

“Well, you can reach higher objects without needing to fly, so there’s that” she suggested

“Only by three or so feet, not much of an advantage if you ask me” I folded my arms

“Well, ya‘ll could always try down at the farm” Applejack smiled

“Might as well” I shrugged, walking with her and the others down to the farm

“Welcome tah Sweet Apple Acres” Applejack gleamed as we entered the farm

“It’s…” Blaze blinked at the surrounding area

“It’s huge, you really own this?” I stared at the orange mare

“Mah family’s had it fer generations” Applejack shrugged “it’s mah home, and ah’d not trade it fer the world”

“Amen” I smiled

“So what is it you want me to do?” I stood under the shade one of possible millions of trees in the orchard

“Kick it” Applejack smiled

“Or hit it” Blaze winked down at me, I winked back, bringing an arm in front of my chest, clenching my hand into a fist as I tensed my muscles, striking the tree, dead-centre, causing a barrage of apples to fall from the branches, landing in several large/wide buckets around it’s stump

“You did that, in one hit!” Rainbow Dash gasped

“How strong are ya?” Applejack whistled

“Strong enough that he looks as though he’s broken his hand” Blaze tutted “honestly Tesla, you ought to take care of yourself”

“Are you Ok?” Twilight gazed at my now bleeding hand as I let it fall

“It’s nothing” I smirked, walking over to another tree that had buckets circling it’s base, reverse-roundhouse kicking it, causing more apples to fall

“Ah think that’s enough, ya’ll can stop, Ah don’t want a potential employee ta get hurt, ya hear?” Applejack chuckled “Ya‘ll can carry the apples over to the cart, that’d be good enough”

“Fair enough” I shrugged, lifting one of the containers, slinging my arm through the ropes that made up its handles and then did the same for the other, carrying both with relative ease

“How in the hay” she whispered rather loudly “not even Big Mac’s that strong”

“Guess I’m just that good” I muttered, carrying the apples over to a nearby cart, placing them down on said cart

“Are thou sure that thou should be working here?” an ethereal voice giggled from behind me, turning around I saw Luna and Celestia

“I’m used to it, Forestry commission and all” I smiled “Except that was with berries rather than apples”

“We didn’t know that thou were this strong, perhaps we miscalculated?” she giggled

“Hardly” I simpered as we walked back to Applejack and the others, picking up another two containers full to brim with apples

“Howdy there princess” Applejack tipped her hat in respect “what can Ah do fer ya?”

“We are merely here to see if Tesla has found himself a viable form of work” Celestia smiled

“I’m not complaining, so there’s something” I chuckled

“Quite” Luna winked

-=-

The rest of the morning was spent carrying apples from the trees to the carts, and then returning to said trees, in an almost endless cycle

“Soup’s on everypony!” Applejack cheered as she rang a rusty metal triangle hanging from a low branch “Are ya sure you’ll be fine princesses?”

“We are satisfactory, for now” Luna smiled

“I’ll be fine” Celestia glanced toward her sister, then toward me

“I’ll be there in a minute” I nodded

“Suit yerself” Applejack nickered as she galloped toward the farmhouse as I forward flipped, landing on my hands, standing on said hands with ease, blaze climbing up my back and sitting on my feet

“Are thou, trying to impress us?” Luna smirked as I stared doing push-ups (stand-ups?)

“Nay, I’m merely working out, since I don’t think there’s a gym here” I grunted as Blaze used the space between my feet as a hammock, resting her rear on one foot and her neck on the other

“Keep going on, eh Brother?” Blaze laughed

“That I will” I bit my lip

“How long can you usually last?” Celestia raised a smug eyebrow

“And your sister just asked if I’m trying to impress you?” I blinked “Oh, the irony”

“Putting that aside, I asked you a question” she chuckled

“Maybe two hours” I clicked my tongue

After Applejack and the others had finished lunch, they stopped as soon as they saw me

“Well, well, well, look at you, getting tough are ya?” Applejack laughed, I said nothing, only continuing “Why is Blaze using yer feet as a bed?”

“It’s comfortable, sort of” Blaze giggled

“If ya’ll say so” she sighed “feel like doing a little more handiwork, stretch?”

“Using my anatomy as a joke, that’s a new one” I nodded, Blaze clambering down onto the ground as I fell onto my front, stopping myself with my feet, standing upright

“So, how many kicks does it take?” Luna grinned

Kicks?” I backhanded the nearby tree, causing another barrage of apples to fall into the containers “why risk breaking my legs, gonna need them for walking”

“Touché” she nodded as I carried the containers over to an empty cart, walking back with a slightly injured hand

“You’re hurt” she stammered, her horn glowing, a spectacular cobalt colour as my hands were healed

“Thank you, Tsuki” I chuckled again

“Tsuki?” she blinked

“It’s Japanese for moon, which, translated into Latin, means Luna” I explained

“It’s beautiful” she smiled as I carried another duo of containers to the large cart, placing them down on said cart, rolling my shoulders, flexing my arms

“Be careful not to strain thyself, Sir Tesla” she chuckled

“I’ll be fine” I winked, carrying a third pair over to a third cart, placing them down

“Next thing you’ll be pulling the three carts without a hitch” Rainbow Dash laughed

“Flame of rebuke?” Blaze offered

“If you would” I smirked, she nodded, breathing golden flames over me, which I ingested, eating all that she encompassed me with, eventually stopping as sudden, large amounts of power exploded from within me, causing me to burst into flames rather erratically

“‘Dragon Force’” Blaze began as scales appeared on my arms, face and hands “the final, penultimate form of Dragon slayer magic, said to be in equal terms of power to that of an accrual dragon”

“Watch the flames stretch” Applejack chortled

“Sorry” I rubbed the back of my head as the flames died down, grabbing onto the ‘arms’ of the front cart, the other two being already connected and loaded with foodstuffs including cakes, pastries and so on

“No way…!” Rainbow Dash laughed, walking beside me as I, slowly-at-first, began to pull the carts “Holy Buck!”

“Rainbow,” Twilight snapped “all things considered I’ll let that one slide, this time”

“So, are we taking this to Ponyville then?” I gave a smug grin

“Sure are” Applejack giggled, walking with me alongside the others toward Ponyville

“Is he really managing to pull those?” one pony stopped and stared at me as I pulled the carts into the market

“Looks like it” anther one whistled “I’ll bet ten bits he’s hooked already”

“Twenty” the first pony retorted

“Fifty” a third butted in

“Deal” the other two nodded in agreement, all three staring at me in apparent wonder as I stopped the carts at the end of the market stalls

“Ah don’t know how ya’ll just did that, but Ah sure am grateful, thanks Tesla” Applejack glanced toward the three mares who had a laser-like focus aimed at me “Looks like ya’ll have got some unwanted attention pardner”

“Don’t I just?” I clicked my neck, letting go of the ‘handlebars,’ clicking my shoulders,

“Well, we’re not so sure, the moon looks to be a rather interesting vacation spot this year; don‘t thou think so, sister?” Luna chuckled

“It’s Tesla’s choice” Celestia simply shrugged

“My choice for what?” I blinked

“Herding” she smiled, I suddenly felt rather pale “Are you Ok, you look a little unwell”

“I’ll be fine” I shuddered as Applejack handed me a medium-sized bag that clinked when she placed it in my hand

“Here, for your work, Ah suppose ya’ll be coming back tomorrow?” Applejack smiled

“That I will” I grinned

=-=-=

That night, I found myself hovering in the middle of a road, invisible to all but myself in the realm of dreams

“Who are you?” I blinked at the sight of the two unfamiliar humans, the woman, my mum pushing a baby carriage as a car with beaming headlights soared up toward them “Look out!” but it was too late, the man had already run to the other side of the road, where as it was too late for the woman, I looked away as the car hit her, tears on the edge of cascading down my face as my vision faded to black

-=-=-=-

I bolted upright, panting for breath; Luna draped a wing around me

“Bad dream?” Luna cooed

“Not half” I mumbled

“Here, allow me to see what you witnessed” she placed her horn on my head as it shone with a deep blue glow, removing it a moment later

“That’s terrible” she gaped, draping her arms around me

“I don’t know what to do, Lulu” I muttered

“Let us replay it, together, I shall be by your side this time” she chimed

“Thank you” I bit my lip as I found myself on the same road as in the dream

“Hold on” I squinted, staring down at the humans

“They’re familiar, aren’t they?” Luna stated flatly

“Mom…Dad…” I whispered as I watched my dad run to the pavement, whereas my mom= pushed the carriage out of the way of the car, getting hit in the process, she was dead before she hit the ground, my vision fading back to reality

“My mom… saved me…” I gaped

“She did, she saved thy life at the cost of hers” Luna nodded “how doth thou feel?”

“Sick to my stomach” I cringed

“We think Thou had best stay here, we shall get Celestia” and with that, she left, allowing me to get dressed before she returned with her sister

“Luna tells me you’ve had quite the dream,” Celestia began, how, do you feel?”

“Like I’m going to puke” I shuddered

“I saw it too, I’d never of guess that-” I cut Blaze off with a glare “Sorry”

“It’s not your fault” I sighed

“I would’ve been honoured to meet her,” Celestia smiled “your mother I mean, sacrificing herself for her child without a second thought” she exhaled sharply “Although I suppose we’re stuck with you for now”

“You hear of a friends’ family member dying and yet you joke about it” I shook my head, Blaze perching herself atop my head as I left the room, storming down the corridor and out of the castle

“Do your arms still ache from yesterday?” Blaze stared down at me in curiosity as I took-off from the entrance of the castle, gliding toward ponyville

“Not much” I tutted

“They really know how to push a guy’s buttons, eh Telsa?” Blaze sighed

“I know right?” I gave a sarcastic laugh as I landed at the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres

“Ya’ll are here early” Applejack chuckled “Eager to start the day early or somethin’?”

“You could say that,” I smiled “So what comes first then?”

“Well, ya could start carrying the containers to the carts, same as yesterday, or you could plough the field that needs doin’” she shrugged, gesturing toward a rusty plough

“That thing, really,” I blinked “you haven’t thought to replace it?”

“Don’t have the funding” she shrugged again

“And yet you somehow have me more than a months-worth of wages yesterday” I tiled my head ever-so slightly

“Is there a problem?” she frowned

“Not at all” I smirked, starting to ‘buck’ the nearby trees, collecting apples from them, and then carrying the containers onto the carts

“Where’d ya get tha strength from anyhow?” she laughed

“Classified” I winked

“Ah’m sure you’ll tell us eventually” she grinned

“I’m sure I will” I nodded, carrying another container over to a fourth cart, followed by another two “How many carts do you have?”

“Quite a few, we need ‘em for all the apple trees we have” she whistled

“I’m sure I spotted an orange tree somewhere” my eyes darted from side to side

“There ain’t no orange trees here pardner,” she chuckled “nice try though”

“I honestly don’t know what I was thinking” I rolled my eyes, placing yet another container down onto yet another cart

“Ya’ll are doin’ great work there, Stretch” she nickered, running up to a nearby tree twisting on her front heels and slamming her rear hooves against it, causing it to shake as a proverbial rain of apples fell from the tree, I stared at her “what?”

“Remind me never to annoy you” I glimmered

“Nah, ya’ll are fine with me Tesla,” she laughed “just apple buckin’ the ol’ fashioned way”

“I don’t suppose there’s another way a pony can do it, is there?” I folded my arms other than magic, or doing it by hand of course”

“Nope” she simpered “So what’s living with Princess Luna like?” I hit another tree, resulting in a small sea of apple falling into the containers resting at its roots

“She’s right behind me isn’t she?” I mumbled, turning around, only to find empty air, facing forward again “It’s interesting to say the least; she’s got well-mannered, beautiful, fun to be with, caring, wise, and a little cute”

“Ah’m sure she’ll be glad to hear ya say that” Applejack smiled “Ya’ll seem to be cut out for this sort of work, where’d ya get the experience from?”

“Wareham forestry commission” I shrugged, continuing the process of shedding trees of their apples into containers and then placing said containers onto the nearby carts Worked with them for a while until I got enough money to live alone, I don’t want to talk about the rest”

“Fair enough pardner” she tipped her hat in apparent respect as an unfamiliar ‘filly’ (I think) with a golden yellow coat with a scarlet mane and tail wearing a pink ribbon appeared on the doorstep, staring at me in what seemed to be a mix of awe and horror

“Hello, little one” I smiled

“What are ya?” the filly eyed me up and down

“A human, an eon, and a dragon slayer” I gleamed

“You can slay dragons, like in the Fairy-tales?” she gasped

“That I can” I nodded

“Ah thought Ah saw somethin strange pullin’ those carts yesterday” she gave me the most adorable smile I’d seen thus far “name’s Applebloom, Applejack’s sister” she rushed up toward me, holding out a hoof, which I shook, crouching down to her level to do so, and then standing back upright

“Did you really buck all them apples,” she glanced at the carts, and then back at me, I nodded “that’s amazin’!”

“It is merely what I can do” I shrugged

“But, how, how can you do such uh thing,” she blinked “it shouldn’t be possible!”

“When you put your mind to it, nothing’s impossible, that’s the magic of life itself I suppose” I grinned

“Ok” she nickered

“You want these over at Ponyville?” I clicked my neck

“There’s no way ya‘ll can pull all o’ them!” Applejack stood beside a large, bright red pony with a short pale brown/ginger mane and tail

“Watch me” I smirked as Blaze breathed her trademark golden flames over me, inhaling and ingesting them, triggering ‘Dragon Force’, waiting until the flames died down, scales appearing on my arms, hands and face in the process

“How did ya’ll just eat fire, mister?” Applebloom gaped

“Magic” I winked as she clambered up my back, perching herself on the back of my head, resting her head upon mine as Blaze sat on my shoulder

“Well alright then” Applejack sighed, placing the carts into double file, bringing out a large selection of foodstuffs, twice as much as last time “good to go Tesla”

“Right-o” I beamed, straining my arm and leg muscles as I began to pull the carts, all six of them

“Making good time TK” Blaze smirked as I picked up slight amounts of speed

“I’d like to see you try this” I laughed, tensing my muscles as I picked up a little more speed

“I’m not that strong ya know” she rolled her eyes

“Fortunately, I am” I chuckled, nearing the town

“It’s him again” the same trio of ponies from yesterday sighed dreamily, leaning over a haystack placed beside a nearby building, staring at me as though I were a knight-in-shining-armour

“Good Morning” I winked at them, the one on the left blushed a deep red colour; the other two fainted

“You can clip my rose anytime…” the creamy-coloured mare with the rose-coloured mane and tail with lilac-ish highlights cooed, waving lightly over to me as I set the carts up at the market

“Flower pun” Blaze chortled

“Ah don’t get it?” Applebloom blinked as the large red stallion folded down the sides of the carts, turning them into a series of stalls

“I’ll tell you when you’re older, maybe” I chuckled, crouching down as she clambered down to the ground

“Looks like ya got yourself a keeper, Stretch” Applejack laughed

“Whoopee” I rolled my eyes as ‘Dragon Force’ wore off

“There might be a few things ya’ll can do down at the farm, just follow Applebloom” she nickered

“Will do” I nodded, following the yellow filly back to the farm

-=-

I can hear your footsteps you know?” I clicked my neck, glancing behind me; I saw the same creamy-coloured pony from before

“Sorry, it’s just that I wanted to get to know you better” she flinched

“Fair enough,” I shrugged, continuing to walk toward the farm “So who are you?”

“I’m Roseluck” she smiled, but most of my friends call me rose”

“And that’s the reason for the pun earlier?” I grinned

“I’m sorry” she flinched again

“I don’t mind, it’s not the worst that’s happened to me” I bit my lip

“That’s both disturbing and somewhat relieving at the same time” she gave me a look of apparent curiosity

“I’d rather not talk about it” I shrugged

“And I wasn’t going to ask” she nickered “you are a strange being..?”

“Tesla” I held out a hand, which she shook, smiling graciously

“That’s a bold name, mind you, considering your strength, I’m not surprised” she eyed me up and down

“I take that as a compliment” I laughed, finally making it to the farm

“They still have that ghastly plough?” she sighed “and after all this time I still ask them to replace it with a new one”

“I can do that for them,” I smiled “all I need is some steel primer and sandpaper”

“I could probably get you those” Rose winked “wait right here buster, I’ll be back” and with that she left, galloping off at full speed down the road to Ponyville

“Tesla got himself a girlfriend?” Blaze smirked

“I don’t know” I hummed

“It sure looks like it, “Cellsy’s gonna kill you for that you know?”

“I can handle it” I shrugged

“Could you now?” a soothing, yet regal voice echoed from behind me, turning on my heel, I saw Celestia and Luna stood there

“Tesla, I apologize for laughing when I shouldn’t have earlier” Celestia bit her lip

“I’ll think about it” I sighed, turning to Applebloom “So what needs doing, Applebloom?”

“Well, we were gonna plough the fields, but since you thought of a solution for us, Ah think we can wait” Applebloom, nodded behind me, I glanced behind me again, Roseluck was galloping back toward me with a pair of what looked like saddlebags

“Here we go” Roseluck smiled, handing me a tub of steel primer, a sheet of sandpaper and a brush

“What are thou doing?”

“Fixing an age-old problem” I smiled with apparent glee, walking over to the plough, scraping the rust away with the sandpaper, and then applying the primer using the brush

“It worked..!” Applebloom stared at the plough as if it were brand new, seeing as that’s how it looked “now what?”

“Now, we wait for a couple of hours” I sighed, placing the tub down by the plough, setting the sheet of paper beside it and resting the brush on the lid

“How did you know about that?” Roseluck blinked

“I worked at the Wareham forestry commission, had to repaint on of the vehicles once” I shrugged

“What are you anyway?” she eyed me up and down

“A human, an eon, and a dragon slayer” I tilted my head

“You can slay dragons?” she blinked

“Not sure on that one, probably” I hummed

“Well I wish you luck either way, I’ll see you later” she winked as she started to jog back toward ponyville

“A friend, we assume?” Luna smiled

“Roseluck” I smiled

“Ah yes, she runs a florists in town with her sisters, fancy a rose?” Celestia smirked

“I’d rather have Crystal” I shrugged

“What?” Luna blinked

“It’s nothing” I mumbled as what appeared to be a rift in the fabric of reality itself tore open between us, and a familiar eon fell through

“Crystal?” I blinked

“Tesla,” the crimson eon gasped, pinching my cheeks, lightly tugging them, eventually letting go “it IS you!”

“Who else?” I grinned

“And blaze!” she whistled “Long time no see girlfriend!”

“You know it!” Blaze smirked as the rift closed

“So, how are things?” I smiled; Crystal clung onto me, almost crushing me to death

“Great now that you’re here” she exclaimed

“Can’t… breathe…!” I gasped for air as she let me go

“Sorry, haven’t seen you in ages and all” she laughed

“It’s been half a week” I raised an eyebrow

“Same difference” she poked her tongue at me “Shall we, my love?”

“When I see your smile

Tears roll down my face I can't replace

And now that I'm strong I have figured out

How this world turns cold and it breaks through my soul

And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one

I will never let you fall (let you fall)

I'll stand up with you forever

I'll be there for you through it all (through it all)

Even if saving you sends me to heaven

It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.

Seasons are changing

And waves are crashing

And stars are falling all for us

Days grow longer and nights grow shorter

I can show you I'll be the one

I will never let you fall (let you fall)

I'll stand up with you forever

I'll be there for you through it all (through it all)

Even if saving you sends me to heaven

Cuz you're my, you're my, my, my true love, my whole heart

Please don't throw that away

Cuz I'm here for you

Please don't walk away and

Please tell me you'll stay woah, stay woah

Use me as you will

Pull my strings just for a thrill

And I know I'll be okay

Though my skies are turning grey

I will never let you fall

I'll stand up with you forever

I'll be there for you through it all

Even if saving you sends me to heaven

to fade” I sang with Crystal as a duet

“To us” I grinned, holding out a fist, which she bumped with her own

“How long have you two been together?” Celestia raised an eyebrow in my direction

“Just over sixty years” Crystal pecked my cheek “And I’m glad we’re back together”

“How’re the others?” I simpered

“Aero’s doing great, Ruby and Blue Bolt have had a daughter named Flora, Angel’s going ballistic that you’re missing, and I’m here” she giggled “although Lyra’s sacrificed most of her energy getting me here, getting any more than one eon here would’ve killed her”

“Damn” I swore

“It’s Ok; Angel will be here soon enough” she winked “Speaking of which, where are we?”

“Equestria” Celestia smiled

“Fair enough” Crystal nuzzled into me “what I meant to say was why’re, we at a farm?”

“Different world and I don’t have any legitimate money on me” I smirked

“Seems legit, ironically enough” she chuckled

“I know, right?” I laughed

“So what’re we doing for work exactly?” Crystal giggled; I nodded toward the plough “seriously?”

“The days-worth of goods is already being sold, so I don’t need to do any more on that department” I shrugged

“And there’s no way you could prepare more for the next day?” she gave me a smile that melted my insides

“You are the perfect eon” I deadpanned

“I try” she laughed softly before saying “so, who’re they?”

“I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria, and this is my sister, Princess Luna” Celestia eyed Crystal up and down “I’m intrigued as to how you got here, but I can wait until another time”

“Magic” Crystal winked toward me suggestively

“So I see” she nodded “Tesla, we shall take our leave now, farewell” and with that, they teleported back to Canterlot

“Friends of yours, Tesla,” Crystal gleamed

“Sort of” I smiled

“Tesla…” she groaned

“Look, I didn’t want to end up as Luna’s personal teddy bear alright?” I mumbled

“Aww, that’s nice” she nickered, sort of

“Tesla,” Applebloom smiled up at me with her amber eyes practically shining in the light of the sun

“Yes Bloom, what is it?”

“Blackjack” she glimmered as something whacked me around the back of the head, forcing me to black-out

-=-

When I could stand upright, it was as though someone had shut off the sun, only to have it turned on again

“Surprise!” practically the whole town of Ponyville cheered as Pinkie Pie bounded in circles around me

“What the hell?” I blinked

“I never got to give you your ‘welcome-to-equestria’ party, silly!” Pinkie Pie laughed

“So you didn’t” I rolled my eyes as she passed me a glass filled with a strange orange liquid “What’s this?”

“Zap-apple cider” she giggled

“Fuckin’ awesome” I slowly nodded, downing it, tow which she replaced it with another “How strong is the cider?”

“Strong enough, pardner” Applejack laughed “First timers are usually tha ones who last the shortest in drinking the stuff anyway”

“In comparison to some alcohol from earth, this isn’t actually that bad” I smiled again

“Thanks, it’s one o’ our leading drinks here in Equestria” she smiled

“And I can see why” I nodded, downing the glass  

So what brings you to Equestria…?” Rarity glanced toward Crystal

“Crystal” Crystal held out a claw, which, Rarity shook

“And you two are, well acquainted?” Rarity smiled, crystal and I shared a glance, and then burst into roars of laughter “Did I say something amusing?”

“It’s just that we’d have been well-acquainted sixty years ago” Crystal wiped a stray tear away from her eyes

“Sixty years?” Twilight stared at me “you don’t look any older than thirty!”

“Near-immortality” I smirked “I’ve got another almost billion years left in me yet!” the immediate area fell deathly quiet

“A billion years?” Rainbow Dash whistled “don’t waste it, big guy!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it” I held my hand with Crystal’s, changing to eon form, hovering beside her

“So, are you special somepony’s then?” Twilight stammered

“What’s that mean?” I blinked

“Coltfriend and marefriend?” she rolled a hoof

“We’re married” Crystal held out a golden ring with a diamond-shaped diamond in it

“Congratulations” Applejack held up a glass, followed by everyone else present mimicking her, smiling at the two of us

“Thank you” I smiled

“So, how did ya’ll manage to pull all six carts this morning pardner?” she nickered

“I’m stronger than I look,” I grinned “given who I’m betrothed to I kind of have to be”

“Beg pardon?” she glimmered

“Tesla thinks that I’m dumb enough to go falling for another eon, or that I’ll go missing and never return” Crystal chortled

“It’s called ‘me-giving-a-damn-about-someone-other-than-myself,’ Crystal I frowned “give me a break”

“I think it’s rather poetic, really” Rarity hummed “be sure to keep him Crystal, he’s definitely a refined eon”

“What’d you do this time?” Crystal folded her arms, sighing as she turned to face me

“Other than get used as a princess’s personal Teddy bear, not much”

“Tesla we could here you down the hall” Twilight cleared her throat

“Doing what?” Crystal clicked her knuckles

“Loving Luna” Blaze smirked

“That’s for not telling me,” Crystal punched me lightly on the shoulder, then pecking me on the cheek, and then punching me again

“What’s the last one for?” I blinked

“Not inviting me, dumbass” she laughed

“What?” I blinked

“It’s an open relationship, Tesla, don’t ruin it” she winked

“This is going to take a while to explain then” I shook my head

“Isn’t it just?” a familiar pink winged unicorn cooed, glancing behind me, I saw Cadance alongside Luna and Celestia

“I’m guessing that you sensed the rift in the fabric of reality and were drawn here by that?” I tilted my head

“No, I was drawn here by the sheer amounts of love radiating from the pair of you” Cadance giggled

“Say what now?” I blinked

“Celestia is the princess of the sun, Luna is the princess of the moon, whereas I am the princess of love” she declared rather merrily, eyeing me up and down “you’re actually kind of cute, you know that?”

“You’re going to let her say that?” Crystal raised an eyebrow

“I thought you said it was an ‘open relationship’?” I folded my arms

“It is, I’m just curious to see what you’re going to do” she gave a sly grin

“Tell that to Angel” I chuckled

“She already told me about that” she raised an eyebrow “naughty, aren’t you?”

“Tesla did the nasty?” Blaze laughed

“Yes, apparently so” Crystal sighed “and here I thought you were off spending time with your friend”

“Technically I was” I grinned

“Quite” she giggled “Now, what’re you going to do?”

“What do you want me to do?” I shrugged, she raised the other eyebrow rather sultrily “Best not answer then…”

“If you say, Tsuki no Ryu” Blaze guffawed

“Lunar Dragon..?” Crystal glanced toward Luna, and then back to me, eyebrows still raised “You really went all the way with her didn’t you, speedy Gonzales”

“Just don’t get me smashed out of my brains and I’ll be fine” I chuckled, again

“What’s the date?” Blaze murmured

“Third of January twenty-seventy-five” Crystal grinned “your birthday in just under three weeks”

“The twentieth,” Rainbow Dash beamed

“Twenty-second” I smiled

“How old will you be then?” Twilight smiled, leaping onto my back

“Seventy-nine” I glimmered

“That’s older than most ponies get to live” Rarity sighed, I flinched “What?”

“It’s nothing” I smiled

“Don’t lie; Tesla” Luna stood beside me “remember what you told me, about your earlier life, and that dream you had”

“What dream, is it naughty?” Crystal laughed, I glared at her

“Nay, it is tragic” Luna bit her lip “doth thou, wish to see it?”

“I do” Crystal nodded as Twilight, her friend and a small, purple, bipedal lizard stood on her back

“Hold on then” she held out a hoof, Crystal held onto it as Twilight and her friends connected their hooves with hers, I did the same, holding onto Crystal’s claw

-=-

We were back in my dream, the speeding car rocketing toward my parents as my dad ran to the pavement, leaving my mom to die, crushed under the car, but not before pushing me out of the way, still lying in the carriage, then the dream ended

-=-

“Who were they, and who was in the carriage?” Crystal blinked

“Me” I bit my lip

“Tesla,” Twilight gasped “that was you!?”

“Then those humans were…” Crystal stared at me in awe

“My parents”

“Your mother died saving you, and you’ve grown into quite the… man?” Cadance giggled

“I fail to see how one can leave their wife and child to die like that!” Rarity snapped, an awkward silence echoed over the farm

“Nothing important here folks” I waved, everyone went back to their current ‘happenings’ as it were

“But how,” Rarity gazed at me with intent “how can you live knowing that he-!” I raised a hand

“I don’t really care, I’ve outlived all of his wrongdoings, and he himself, what more could I ask for?”

“Your mother?” she shrugged

“People don’t come back from the dead, Rarity, not ever,” I growled “not ever!”

“Tesla,” Crystal clung onto me “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I only found out about it with the dream I had last night…” I struggled to breathe “and I didn’t want to ruin our reunion”

“You…” she cried “always thinking about others

“That’s me” I grinned like an idiot

“Are we still friends?” Luna bit her lip, I sighed, rolling my eyes, gently lifted her head with a claw, pressing my lips against her, she forced her lips back against mine hard enough to the point where I fell on my back

“Thank thee, Sir Tesla” she nickered, standing beside me as I rolled over, climbing onto my back, hovering beside Crystal

“Not a problem, Lady Luna” I smiled

“Lady Luna?” Crystal gave a smug leer

“Apparently I’m a ‘magnificent beast’” I slowly nodded

“So you are” she glimmered “my little eon”

“My little gem”

“What about us?” Luna gave me her best puppy-dog eyes

“My little Tsuki” I smiled

“Thank thou” she sighed

“So I hear you’ve a somewhat addicted fan-base” Blaze laughed

“That I do” I slowly nodded, noticing the three familiar ponies from earlier “watch this” I smiled “good afternoon, the previous fainters fainted, again, Rose just blushed

“That did not just happen!” Crystal burst into a fit of laughter

“I was not aware that you had fans” Celestia stifled a giggle

“Neither was I until yesterday” I chuckled, again

-=-=-

Ah’m telling ya’ll that we can get our cutie marks on spelunking” Applebloom guided m, a small Pegasus named Scootaloo and a just as minute Unicorn named Sweetie Belle into a cave in the everfree

“Are you sure this isn’t dangerous?” Scootaloo blinked as a low growling could be heard

“That ain’t me” Applebloom glanced toward Sweetie Belle

“Nor me” Sweetie Belle shook her head, Applebloom gazed up toward me, I shook my head, another low growl as six lion-like beings emerged from the darkness, all armed with razor-sharp teeth, scorpion tails, and bat wings

“Girls, run!” the three fillies ran as I blasted a great fireball toward the lead creature, angering the rest, as I let loose a dragon’s roar of fire at a second, the third got me in the side with its tail, the piercing feeling coursing through my body as I ripped its tail out, using it as a whip, knocking the other three unconscious “And that’s game” I felt like vomiting

Changing to eon form, I flew to the edge of the forest, crashing down on the edge of town, collapsing flat on my face, my vision fading to black once again

=-=-=

As my vision blurred I heard voices, alongside a repetitive beeping

“Are you alright?” The pony at the foot of my be dressed in a doctors uniform smiled

“Who are you?” I blinked

“Doctor Wheatley” he chuckled “you’re lucky to be alive, Tesla”

“What happened?” I sat upright, now in my human form, glancing to one side, I saw Twilight and her friends alongside Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Scootaloo and Luna

“You were poisoned with enough Manticore’s venom to kill a pony, that’s what!” he exclaimed “if it weren’t for these fillies you’d be dead, we barely managed to get all of the venom out, but we had to do a blood transfusion, fortunately we had a donor on-hoof”

I glanced toward Twilight “no, sorry” Rainbow Dash “warmer” Applejack “Sorry pardner, yer Gettin’ there” Rarity “I would if I could darling, believe me” Luna..?

“We’d do anything to save thine beloved” Luna gleamed

“So, when can I leave?” I smirked

“Any time you want, your blood levels are all normal and all of the venom’s gone, so I see no reason to keep you here any longer” and with that, we left

“So what do you reckons gonna happen now?” Crystal glided down beside me, Blaze perched herself on my head as she leapt from eon to human

“If I were a normal human, the magic infused blood in me would cause me to absorb more magic until I go into an aneurysm, killing me” I deadpanned, and then grinned “fortunately I’ve a few ways of getting my magic from one person to the next”

“About that” Applejack lightly prodded my knee “can ya’ll really breathe fire like an actual dragon?”

“To defeat a dragon a dragon slayer needs to take the power of a dragon upon themselves” I riddled

“That doesn’t explain anything” she blinked

“I refuse to use any form of offensive magic in a civilised area” I folded my arms

“That’s rather noble” Celestia smiled “perhaps you’d like to demonstrate your abilities at the arena

“This should be fun” Blaze chortled

-=-

Once at the arena, I called upon my dragon slayer magic, bursting into flames

“Shall we begin?” Shining Armour nodded, I smiled

“Eigo Hoseki Ryu” I inhaled sharply, Twilight, her friends and the princesses in the stands alongside Crystal “Hokou!” I let out a sudden torrent of pitch-black flames toward the armoured unicorn

“He breathed fire!?” Twilight gasped as Shining Armour appeared unscathed, stood behind an almost broken shield

“Not bad, Human, but you’re going to have to do better than that!” Shining Armour laughed

“And do better, I will” I grinned, charging toward him, both fists ignited in flames, striking the shield, gleaming as it shattered like glass “Eigo Hoseki Ryu Tai No Tekken!” the second blazing fist hit his helmet, sending him sprawling “Told you so”

“So you did” he grumbled as he wearily got to his hooves, staggering toward me, his horn glowing for a moment as he flashed a brilliant golden colour for an instant “Care to try again?”

“He’s asking for more than he can chew” Crystal laughed

“What do you mean?” Celestia blinked

“Just watch” she smirked

‘Mom, this one’s for you, I’ll never forget you’

“Time to end this,” I spat, charging at Shining Armour, bringing forward a leg, kicking him high into the air “Metsuryū Ogi, Shiranui Gata; Guren Kuro Hōō Ken!” I burst into pitch-black flames, launching myself via said flames toward Shining Armour, hitting him dead-centre in the stomach, then doing a forward flip and bringing my heel down onto his back, sending him crashing into the ground, landing back on the now-cracked arena floor

“Ah don’t believe it!” Applejack gasped “there ain’t a pony alive who could match yer brother Twi”

“Tesla’s no pony” Crystal scoffed, gliding down to me, pecking my cheek “well done, my love”

“Why black flames?” Cadance blinked

“You can have it in whatever colour you want, so long as it’s black” I laughed “Probably from Luna’s blood transfusion though”

“You had a blood transfusion?” Crystal stared at me “I would’ve done it, had I been there Hun”

“I know you would’ve dear, I love you too” I glimmered

“You crazy bastard” she scuffed up my hair; I returned it to normal as she started laughing “why aren’t I surprised?”

“Cause it’s me” I grinned

“Too right” Blaze perched herself on my head

“So, what’re you going to do now?”  Twilight glanced up at me

“I trust that the market job’s already been done?” I clicked my neck

“We’re waitin’ on ya for that” Applejack chuckled

“Then that’s what I’ll do” I smiled, walking to the farm

“Are ya sure ya’ll are Ok with this?” Applejack raised an eyebrow as I kicked a nearby tree, sighing as a small wave of apple from said tree

“How do you mean?” I beamed

“Ya’ll got enough venom in ya ta kill a pony” she stammered

“I’m no pony” I smirked

“So Ah see” she laughed as I carried a pair of full containers over to a nearby cart

“Still wearing the clockwise gear then?” Crystal smiled with apparent interest

“Why wouldn’t I?” I gleamed, continuing with my work

“Just asking” she slowly nodded

“So you are” I sighed

Around an hour or two later, and I was starting to sweat

“That’s starting to get uncomfortable” I shuddered

“What do ya mean-?” Applejack stopper herself as I hung my jacket and shirt on a nearby branch

“I can’t work wearing that whilst I sweat” I raised an eyebrow as she eyed me up and down “You alright AJ?”

“Ah’m just peachy” she shuddered, her face turned a light scarlet colour “You surprised me there Pardner”

“I’m full of surprises, stops life from being dull and boring” I chortled

“Ah suppose so” she bit her lip

“Are you Ok?” I tilted my head, carrying another container over to the final cart

“Ah’ll be fine, ya’ll don’t need tah worry about me Sugarcube” she chuckled as Blaze breathed her trademark flames over me, which I ingested, triggering ‘Dragon force,’ pulling the series of carts to Ponyville

“There he- Oh my..!” Rose gasped as she and the two other mares eyed me up like a piece of candy

“Mornin’” I nodded, they fainted, rose’s face turned, well, rose-coloured, almost blood-red crimson, I chuckled, pulling the carts into the market, letting go of the handlebars as Twilight and her friends trotted/glided toward me

“What on Equis?” Twilight eyed me up and down

“You try sweating whilst wearing that clockwise gear” I folded my arms “it’s not exactly comfortable”

“Your muscles structure’s rather unique” Twilight smiled, prodded my stomach with a gentle hoof

“I wonder if I could make a new set of attire for you to wear as well as that other clothing that you wear, what was it, ‘Clockwise’?” Rarity nickered

“Basically” I nodded as

“Why do you have scales now?” Twilight nickered

“Just a part of dragon slayer magic” I shrugged

“What else can you do?” Rainbow Dash smirked

-=-=-=-

When I awoke, I smelt burning

Steadily getting to my feet, I looked around, ponyville was burning, and Twilight and her friends were circled around me, surrounding by an army of greyish-purple bat-winged ponies with fans and lavender armour

“Give us the human” one of the armoured ponies snarled

“Why should we, you’ve already taken the princesses, what else does nightmare moon want?” Twilight snapped

“Nightmare moon?” I blinked, remembering what Luna had told me “I think not!” I launched myself into the air, creating two large fireballs in either hand, slamming the combined inferno down on them, reducing them to ash “Eigo Hoseki Ryu No Koen!”

“Tesla, you’re awake!” Twilight simpered

“What the hell is going on?” I growled

“Ponyville’s been under siege, Nightmare Moon’s back, the princesses have been captured and there’s an army of shadow ponies after our hides” Rainbow Dash frowned

“An army versus me, what I like” I grinned “Where is she?”

“Are you crazy, there’s no way you could beat Nightmare Moon by yourself! Twilight shrieked

“Watch me” I raised an eyebrow “now, where is she?”

“She’s in the everfree forest, in the princess’s old castle” Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves together

“The let’s go” I deadpanned, sprinting toward the castle in the forest

“Well what do we have here?” a pitch-black winged unicorn the size of Celestia stood before clad in teal armour, Celestia and Luna lying at the entrance to the main hall

“Luna…” I crouched down, placing a gentle hand on her chest; she was breathing “thank Thor…”

“Yes, that’s right” Nightmare Moon smirked with sly grin “she’s defeated, as is her sister, now, will you rule by my side, Tesla, I can give you anything you want, just say the word, and it shall be done”

“Luna told me about how she wasn’t loved one-thousand years ago,” I began “but look at you, you’re beautiful, scary, but in your own way, stunning” I went on “I think they were fools not to love you, you are and always will be a part of Luna, and seeing as how I love her like family, if even more, I love you also” I bowed

“You, you actually love me…?” she gasped “I’d never have thought such a thing were possible!”

“But yet somehow it is” I beamed “it’s true that there are animals and plants in the world that grow, feed and live during the night, but the day is just as important, ponies thrive under it, as do the many species of fauna and flora that co-exist across this planet, they deserve just as much happiness on this planet as you do, and vice-versa, don’t let your gears get the best of you, without heart your love for your subjects will never progress , so please, stop this madness”

“I…” she stammered, bowing before me “I surrender”

“How on Equis did thou manage to do that?” Luna had somehow found a way to stand upright, as had her sister

“I can’t say” I winked

“You’ve a silver tongue” Nightmare Moon chuckled, pecking my cheek “I will gladly serve you to the end of our days…?”

“Tesla” I held out a hand “can I call you Nyx?”

“Why?” she blinked, shaking my hand with a timid hoof

“Nightmare moon makes you sound like a vile beast, and something that belongs in the darkest of ponies’ dreams, whereas Nyx is actually kind of, well, cute”

“You may call me that, if it’s any easier” she nickered

“Well Ah’ll be” someone from the entrance let out a giggle, turning around I saw Twilight and her friends stood there with finely crafted jewellery hung around their necks, and a tiara resting on Twilight’s head “How’d ya manage to do it?”

“I only fight when I have to, or when I’m really annoyed” I clicked my neck “and I think we can let Nyx go for now”

“You’re going to allow her to roam free?” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“I will do as instructed, per Tesla’s command” Nyx bowed quickly

“Then it’s settled then” Luna faintly smiled

-=-=-

As we stood in the main square of ponyville, the citizens of said town crowded before us, muttering to one-another, staring at Nyx in curiosity

“Can we have your attention please?” Blaze yelled, everyone present in the crowd turned to face us, now silent

“Nightmare Moon is no longer our enemy, rather, she’s now an invaluable ally, and a friend, and I hope to see her treated as such, and I’d like for her to help restoring the town back it its original state

“That I shall” Nyx nodded

“Are there any questions?” I smiled, no hooves were raised “then I’ll let Celestia take it from here” and with that, I walked back to Sweet Apple acres

-=-

“Great work out there brother” Blaze sat atop my head as I carried a container full of fruit over to the first cart

“Thanks Blaze” I sighed “where’s my coat?”

“Here” she climbed onto and perched herself on a nearby branch, where my shirt and jacket were still hanging

“That’s good” I went about my work, shedding trees of their fruit and then carrying containers of said fruit over to the carts (technically, they’re wagons, and shall be called as such from now on)

“Wouldn’t want such a priceless gem to be broken, would we?” she laughed

“Perish the thought dear sister!” I chortled

“Now you’re sounding like Luna” she giggled

“I did not mean to cause offense” I winked

“Of course you didn’t” she smirked “Why would such a roguish being such as yourself want such a thing?”

“I don’t know” I chuckled “maybe the universe is breaking at the seams and we’re all going mad as a result”

“Wouldn’t surprise me” Blaze tutted

“What’s goin’ on?” Applebloom appeared at the doorstep to the farmhouse

“We gained a new ally” Blaze laughed

“Who,” Applebloom blinked

“Nightmare Moon, AKA Nyx” I smiled

“Nightmare Moon’s back!?” she screamed

“She’s our friend now” I cooed “you don’t need to fear her anymore”

“But what about the night?” she bit her lip

“That’s still Lady Luna’s job, so don’t worry, she, and the others will protect you, me included” I saluted

“Ya will?” she ran up to me, perching herself on the back of my head after clambering up my leg

“I’ll defend my friends with my life, if need be” I nodded “any friend or family of Applejack’s is a friend of mine”

“That ya’ll” she yawned

“Tired?” I simpered

“More than!” she laughed with a tired look in her eyes as I placed the final container on the last wagon, crouching down as she climbed down to the ground

“Now, run along, get some shut-eye” I winked, she nodded, skipping back into the house, closing the door behind her

“Didn’t know ya’ll were good with foals” I turned around, Twilight and her friends were stood beside me alongside the princesses and Nyx, eyebrows raised

“And you’re not wearing your upper clothing because why?” Celestia smirked

“You try sweating in it, it’s not exactly comfortable” Luna grinned “don’t get any ideas”

“Perish the thought, my love!” she laughed

“Do you require assistance?” Nyx smiled

“Just do what you do and look pretty whilst you’re at it” I shrugged “not that that should cause any problems, right?”

“Of course not” her cheeks went a deep shade of maroon

“Good” I chuckled, again

“So ya’ll are interested in herding?” Applejack gave a sultry look

“I might be,” I shrugged “Why?”

“No reason” she chuckled “Just curious”

“Sure” I slowly nodded,

“Element of Honesty” she winked

“Element of what now,” I blinked

“Honesty, oh, that’s right, you haven’t been told yet” Twilight nickered “We’re the elements of harmony; magic, Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness and honesty” she gestured to herself then each of her friends, Blaze perched herself atop my head

“Cool beans” I shrugged, blaze once again breathing her trademark lames over me, which I ingested, as per the usual, beginning to once again pull the six wagons into town

“He’s back again!” Roseluck waved over to me as we entered the main square of Ponyville, the sun gradually rising above the horizon

“You didn’t raise the sun, dear sister” Luna blinked

“I don’t always need to do so, merely because I can, Lulu” Celestia raised an eyebrow as I stopped the wagons into the centre-most area of Ponyville as the citizens that were busy helping repair the damage stopped and stared

“I see you’re doing what you can, Tesla,” Crystal glided down to me, eyebrows now raised “why’re you... Y’know?”

“You try sweating in that clockwise gear, it’s not exactly doable” I frowned

“Fair do’s” she giggled “So, what do we do next, Sir Tesla?”

“We do what we can” I sighed “and here I was, never thinking that this could happen”

“Anything’s possible, my love” she pecked my cheek

“Supposedly” I nodded

-=-=-=-

It took a couple of weeks, but eventually, the damage to ponyville was repaired

“Greetings fellow subjects,” Celestia stood before the countless mares, stallions, cots and fillies that made up the population of ponyville “it is with great pleasure that I welcome four new citizens to Equestria,” she lifted a wing, pointing it toward me, Crystal and Nyx, Blaze sat atop my head “please, step forward

“Hello Equestria,” I began, smiling, all were silent “I’d like to introduce myself, as some of you may know already, I’ Tesla, or Teslakana, this is my sister Blaze, and my wife, Crystal” a hoof was raised that of which belonged to Roseluck “yes?”

“You look nothing alike” Rose giggled

“My parents were killed by poachers” Blaze deadpanned

“What about Crystal?” Rose stammered, I changed to my eon form, and the reverted back again “Fair enough” she cooed

“So, what are you exactly, one of the ponies eyed me up and down

“A human, an eon, and a dragon slayer” I smiled

“You can slay dragons?” another one gasped

“I can, but I refuse to do so unless provoked” I frowned

“So, you’re a good guy then” Sweetie Belle stood beside me after climbing onto the stage alongside Scootaloo and Applebloom

“That’s a matter of perspective” I chuckled

“What’s that mean?” Applebloom blinked

“It means a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something; a point of view, basically” Sweetie Belle batted her eyelids at me

“Correct” I nodded “Are all ponies like you, wise beyond their years, or is it some kind of rare gift?”

“I don’t know…” she stared at me dreamily, gazing at me as Applebloom dragged her away alongside Scootaloo

“Just another fan to the list, eh Tesla” Blaze laughed

“Looks like it” I smiled again

-=-

As I went about my usual work, filling and carrying containers of apples to the wagons and then repeating the process, I noticed a certain trio of fillies stood at the entrance to the barn, staring at me as I worked

“You three Ok?” I smiled as Sweetie Belle Scootaloo and Applebloom smiled

“We’re fine Tesla, just thinking about how we’re gonna get our cutie marks” Scootaloo nickered

“What about dragon slayers?” Sweetie Belle winked at me

“One, that’s borderline suicidal, two the process of even becoming such is painful beyond anything you’ll probably ever experience and three, you’re too young to learn such magicka” I sighed “Look, I can see in your eyes how badly you want it, just don’t be reckless, Ok?”

“Ok” the trio chimed

“Huh, odd” I blinked, turning back and getting on with my work

“Tell me about it”, I glanced toward a nearby tree, Applejack was stood there, grinning “they’ve been tryin’ tah get their cutie marks for ages now”

“And your advice on the matter..?” I raised an eyebrow

“Let time do its thing, let nature run its course” she smiled

“Ya’ll really are something, aren’t ya?”

“Why’d you say that?” I tilted my head slightly

“Well fer one, yer a human, now Ah can respect that, but a dragon slayer? That just doesn’t happen on Equis, hasn’t happened so far anyways, and then ya’ll reveal that yer also an eon, whatever that is, then ya’ll have been coming here for the past two tah three days and helping us with tha farm without a second thought, why?”

“Cause, I’m trying to be nice” I shrugged

“Ok, but why Nyx?” she raised an eyebrow

“Not all that is dark is evil, merely misunderstood” I cracked my knuckles

“That bein’ the case, why do ya‘ll have those things on yer arms?” she nickered

“They hold my physical strength back, but not that of my magic”

“Try taking them off” she smirked

“If you say so” I sighed, removing the metal bracers around my lower arms, each one create a sight rumble as it hit the earth

“So why do ya’ll need ‘Dragon Force’ to pull them wagons?” she giggled

“’Dragon Force’ increases both physical and magical prowess” I explained

“How heavy are these anyway,” she picked up one of the bracers, weighing it in her hoof “Sweet Celestia, now that’s heavy” she whistled and you’ve been carrying them around for how long?”

“Around forty years” I shrugged “they’ve been enchanted so the stronger I get, the heavier they get”

“You’ve had what on for forty years?” I turned around again, Twilight and her friends were stood there beside Nyx

“These” I passed her one of the bracers

“How heavy are these meant to be?”

“The stronger I get, as I said before, the heavier they get” I glimmered

“But that would mean…” she gasped as I backhanded a nearby tree, making a large indent that went through from one side to the other

“That’s coming of yer pay ya know?” Applejack laughed

“Fair enough” I shrugged “And since the human leg is anything up to five times stronger than the arm, you can imagine what that’d do”

“Five times stronger,” Twilight stared at me, eying me up and down “how strong are you?”

“Strong as I need to be” I hummed, carrying on with my work, whistling a familiar tune as I did so

“Ya‘ll are that strong?” Applebloom blinked

“That I am, Applebloom” I smiled

“So, I heard that it’s a rather special day tomorrow” Twilight simpered

“What’s the date?”

“Twenty-first of January” she gleamed

“So it is” I sighed

“Congratulations, Aniki” Blaze chuckled “Are you gonna celebrate it?”

“Not really?”

“What?” Pinkie Pie gasped “you have to celebrate your birthday; otherwise it’ll just be another boring day!”

“I’m not going to bother explaining it” I face-palmed

“So, no party?” she pouted, giving me a look that, by the laws of physics, should’ve given me a heart attack

“Do what you want, I won’t stop you” I shrugged again, pulling the wagons toward Ponyville, Sweetie belle Scootaloo and Applebloom jumping into the one at the front

“Mush” Blaze laughed as I stopped the carts at the market, same as always, the same three ponies leaning over the same haystack by the same building, on the same part of town

“Ah expect ya’ll are expecting a reward for yer work?” Applejack raised an eyebrow

“Not really” I clicked my tongue

“Well, here ya are anyway” she winked, handing me a large bag of coins “The extra’s fer yer absence fer the time ya’ll were poisoned saving mah sister”

“No argument here” Blaze smirked

“Blaze, manners” I warned her, walking back toward the farm with the bag of coins, Applebloom Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo following me there

“So, what do you plan to do with it?” Blaze grinned down at me “I know that look, brother; you plan on doing something you probably shouldn’t”

“Charity Blaze, charity” I corrected her, walking into the barn, placing the bag down under a large pile of hay, turning to Applebloom “Alright, little one, in a few days, maybe even tomorrow, when I give the signal you to try and get into the house with the bag I’ve just hidden, go nuts with it, if you manage to get any passed your sister, Ok?”

“Ya’ll mean that?” Applebloom gasped

“Blaze doesn’t need it and I don’t want it” I shrugged “go bonkers little one, take it now if you want, I don’t mind” “thanks Telsa!” Sweetie Belle pecked me on the cheek, the three of them rushing back toward town with the bits split between them in their saddlebags

“What was that about?” Applejack blinked as I continued with my work

“What was what about?” I tilted my head, pulling the now renewed plough along the edges of a nearby field

“Mah sister and her friends just galloped passed me like they’ve jus’ seen a ghost, what’s more is they’re praising you like Celestia” she raised an eyebrow “Ya‘ll wouldn’t happen to know about that, would ya?”

“Is it important?” I shrugged

“If it involves mah family, Ah’ll say it’s got higher priority than the rest of Equestria” she frowned

“Amen” I nodded

“And where’s that bag o’ bits Ah gave ya?” her eyes narrowed “Did you give them away?”

“Tesla’s now giving charity” Blaze grinned

“Is that so?” Applejack hissed “Well in that case there’s one thing Ah’m gonna have tah do” before I could react she had stood on her hind legs, pinned me on the ground and planted her lips onto mine, eventually parting

“What..?” I blinked

“Ah reckon Princess Luna’s a might lucky to get somepony as considerate as you for a coltfriend” she giggled “Ah’m honestly jealous”

“Right…” I stammered, getting back to my feet, now pulling the plough a little faster, nor working in the inner parts of the field

“Did Ah say somethin’?” she smirked

“Not at all” I finished the field as fast as I could, stretching and clicking my back vertebrae afterward, followed by my shoulders and ankles

“Ah also see that ya‘ll fixed our plough, thank ya there pardner” she smiled

“There ain’t any type of rust that steel primer and sandpaper can’t fix” I grinned

“So Ah see” she nickered, I sat under a nearby tree after placing my shirt and jacket back on, picking them up from the low branch

“Might as well remove those too” I rolled up my trouser legs, removing the hidden leg bracers on my lower legs

“How many o’ those things do ya have?” she laughed

“Just the set of four” I chuckled, standing up and walking back toward Ponyville

“Tesla” Applejack called out, I glanced behind me “Ah love ya”

“Fair enough” I grinned, continuing the trek toward the town

“It’s the hero!” A pony from the entrance to a nearby house pointed toward me, to which the many citizens of ponyville crowded around me

“Three cheers for Tesla!” he whistled

“I didn’t sign up for this…” I mumbled

-=-

After the somewhat different hilarity was over with, I sat on the bench by the fountain

“Are you Tesla?” a silvery/light grey mare with a long dark grey mane and tail with a pink bowtie and mulberry eyes sat beside me on the bench

“That’d be me” I nodded

“My name is Octavia and I’ve, got something I like to confess…” Octavia’s cheeks turned a slight pink tinge

“Go on ahead, say what you need to” I smiled

“I’m in love with you” she bit her lip, flinching

“How so,” I hummed

“I hot a glance at you when you arrived here with the princesses in canterlot, and then I saw you using your strength to haul those wagons in, and now I’ve heard that you saved the princesses, and now that I’ve gotten up close and personal, I do find you rather attractive” she giggled “do you accept my love?”

“What would you say if I was herding” I whispered, leaning in closer

“I’d be honoured” she bowed quickly, skipping off into the distance

“Sounds interesting” Blaze cackled with laughter

“Can it, torch” I snapped

“Ooh, alright then, who pissed in your porridge?” she laughed

“I skipped breakfast” I muttered

“So you did” she smirked

“Ruby and Angel are gonna kill me” I moped

“I’m sure they’ll understand” she stifled laughter

“Easy for you to say” I sighed

“Yes, I suppose it is” she giggled as my stomach let out a rumble

“Someone’s hungry” she chortled

“And I gave my cash to Bloom and her friends” I sighed again “That’s karma right there”

“No, Karma would be walking into that confectionery over there and finding a few muffins left out for you by those friends of hers” Blaze pointed toward a large gingerbread house “Let’s test it shall we?”

“Might as well” I shrugged, walking with blaze to the shop, walking through the front door

“Well if it isn’t the local hero?” a cyan blue pony with a pink mane and tail smiled “I trust that you’re the one Sweetie Belle left these out for?” she pointed to a card box, looking in aid box I found a set of triple chocolate muffins

“Looks like I owe you and Applebloom now” I laughed “thanks for these”

“Take care now” she smiled as I left

“You owe who now?” Blaze grinned with a sly smirk as I sat back on the bench

“Alright, I was wrong and you were right, again” I mumbled

“Aren’t I brilliant?” she laughed

“You’re my sister, so there’s something” I chuckled

“And you’re a human, so there’s that” she retorted

“Ferret” I simpered

“Stretch” she tutted

“At least I’m not a midget" i grinned

“At least my arms are proportionate to the rest of me” she snorted

“At least my backside doesn’t light up every time I get excited” I folded my arms

“You gonna eat those?” she grinned

“Obviously” I rolled my eyes, quickly finishing the muffins, Blaze burned the box, and I hid the ashes under the bench

“That’s better” I walked toward the town hall, which had a notice pinned to it

“A dragon problem?” I hummed “this should be fun”

As I trekked up the mountain, heading toward what I’d hoped to be the dragon’s lair, I heard footsteps

“I can hear you, you know?” I frowned; glancing behind me I saw Twilight and her friends

“You heard about the problem too then?” Twilight pointed toward the thick trail of smoke

“It’s on the noticeboard in town” I shrugged, continuing the walk up the mountain path

“You don’t really think you’ll be able to beat it, do you?” Rainbow Dash flew alongside me

“Never question our skill” Blaze gleamed

“Tough guy eh?” she laughed as we arrived at the entrance to the lair, which was about twenty feet tall

“What size do you reckon it is, sister?” I smirked, cracking my knuckles

“Thirty to forty feet, probably bigger”

“Just might make it to lunch then” I grinned

“Who’s going to do what now?” a low, husky voice echoed from the cave as a large blood-red dragon with golden spines, wings and tail-spike walked to the entrance

“You’re causing a problem for the towns below as your smoke is blocking out the sun” I frowned

“Not my problem” he shrugged

“How about I make it your problem?” I snarled

“You think you can take me?” he laughed

“I can kill you” I beamed

“Try me” he gestured for me to attack, I did, letting loose a dragon’s roar followed by a brilliant flame

“Flame of rebuke, let’s go”

“Aye, sir..!” Blaze cheered, engulfing me in her trademark flames, which I ingested, letting loose another roar as scales appeared on my face, arms, and hands

“Is that it?” the dragon growled, bringing a scaly fist down toward me, I backpedalled faster than he bought his arm down,  lunging forward, igniting both fists in a whitish-golden flame, striking both down across his chest, forming an ‘x’ shaped scar

“Eon Gem Dragon wing attack,” I spat, bringing a blazing heel down upon his crown “and talon!” I heard the resounding crack of his skull splitting open,

“That’s your first dragon, well done Tesla” Blaze clapped her paws, applauding me as large amounts of blood poured from the dragons skull

“No pulse?” I kicked one of the dragon’s spines, resulting in no movement from the dragon whatsoever “no pulse”

“I reckon that head would go well mounted on your wall” Blaze laughed

“You killed it…” Twilight gasped

“Dragon slayer” I rolled my hand “besides, I was hungry, and annoyed, and I needed something to do”

“You’re going to eat it!?” she shrieked

“I’m an omnivore, and yes, yes I am” I clapped my hands together “Itadakimasu”

“Chow” Blaze clapped her paws together, Twilight and her friends galloped at full speed as I tore out one of the dragons’ fangs, using said fangs as a crowbar to remove the scales, piercing a slab of the meat, using my dragon-flame breath to heat the flesh, eating it, one bite at a time “Give us a piece then” I handed her the fang, she nibbled a bit of the meat, quickly swallowing it “Spicy”

“And savory, with a slight amount of mint” I nodded, munching away at the delicacy “if there a gryphons on Equis, we could probably hand this recipe to them”

“Dragon-flame-grilled-dragon,” she laughed “hah, the irony!”

“Ahem?” I turned around; Celestia, Luna and Cadance were stood there

“Oh, hi” I waved, licking my lips

“You said you wouldn’t kill a dragon” Celestia frowned

“Unless I was annoyed, which I was, no thanks to tall green and gruesome here, but that’s over now” I smirked

“We do not allow murder in Equestria” her eyes narrowed

“And yet the creatures of the everfree do it all the time” I tilted my head

“That’s beyond our control” she scoffed

“And so am I apparently” I sat cross-legged before the large pile of gold, gems and jewellery that the dragon had left behind “besides, I was hungry”

“How does that justify killing?” she scowled

“When something gets hungry it hunts, it kills, and it eats; that’s nature” I shrugged. Handing Blaze another bite, which she all-but devoured “Go back a hundred million or so years and humans did it all the time, we still do it now, it’s called hunting, and it’s also a sport, only now we do it with semi-automatic weaponry”

“You’re sick” she spat

“I’m a human, what did you expect?” I sighed, taking another bite of meat, ingesting it with glee

“So it’s nature that condemned this dragon to die?” she raised an eyebrow

“It’s one of the laws of the universe” I tutted “it’s life, kill or be kill, hunt or be hunted, welcome to the proverbial jungle, Cellsy”

“Noted” she sighed “very well, if you wish to do this so-called ‘sport,’ this ‘hunting’ I won’t stop you, just keep it within reason”

“I’m not an animal, I know my limits” I huffed as they teleported away

-=-=-

“That was appetizing” Blaze and I let out a synchronized yawn as I carried the dragon down the mountain, leaving it on the edge of the forest as I walked back into town

“So I heard you stopped the dragon at the mountain” a white unicorn with a spiky two-tone, blue mane and tail wearing magenta shades grinned

“You could say that” Blaze laughed, the both of us having at least a third of the dragon

“How’d ya do it?” she laughed

“We ate him” I deadpanned, the three of us burst into sudden laughter “no really, I ate him”

“You killed a dragon?” she gasped “What’s he taste like?”

“Spicy, savory, and with a touch of mint” Blaze licked her lips rather fervently

“Where is it?” she chortled

“Can you even eat meat?” I blinked

“I’m used to it” she waved a hoof dismissively “I still order those meatballs from Gryphus that Octavia still doesn’t know about”

“Bitching” I smirked, leading her to the dragon carcass

“Holy buck this is big!” she whistled “and you carried it here, by yourself?”

“That I did” I nodded as I breathed a light dragon flame over the dragon, using the fang to cut a small slice off, handing it to her, fang included

“This is amazing,” the alabaster unicorn cheered “it’s just as you said. Spicy, savory with a tad bit of mint!”

“Should we be concerned that she can eat meat?” Blaze laughed

“Vinyl!” someone screeched, glancing behind me I saw Octavia stood there, rigid, and livid, glaring at ‘Vinyl’ with pure hatred “you told me you stopped eating meat?”

“I did” Vinyl gulped audibly

“And I suppose that means that it’s Tesla’s fault?” Octavia hissed

“Not entirely” I bit my lip as Vinyl finished the slice of meat, licking her lips as it went down her digestive system

“And why’s that?” Octavia blinked

“I got a rid of the local dragon problem, what happens to it then is anyone’s game” I shrugged

“You’re eating it?” she gasped

“Humans are omnivores” I flinched

“Well I suppose I can let it slide just this once” she sighed “but you better clean yourself afterwards Vinyl Scratch, you hear?” with that she trotted away

“Vinyl Scratch,” I smirked

“Tesla,” she grinned, bumping her hoof against my fist “Nice to meet ya”

“Likewise” I nodded, giving her another slice of dragon-flame-grilled-dragon-meat

“This is absolutely delicious, it’s like when you work for your food, and you really work for it” blaze was gorging herself on her own Blaze-grilled slices

“I know, it’s actually kind of awesome” I broke another fang off, carving out a steak, heating the scales with fire and then grilling the steak

“That’s almost god-like” Vinyl gasped as I sliced it in half, giving her half, and blaze the other half, carving out a smaller steak, grilling it also, devouring it

“How are we still managing to eat any more?” Blaze laughed

“Magic” I chuckled, carving out three more steaks “good thing this isn’t on one of those TV cooking shows”

“Just as well, dragonscale souffle  

“Scales aren’t edible, it’s be too much like eating glass” I shook my head “Let’s just eat”

-=-=-

“That was rather filling” Vinyl let out a yawn

“I know, let’s just hope we don’t get any problems tomorrow” I laughed “you gonna clean yourself up then?”

“Are you?” she purred

“No” I chuckled

“Neither am I,” Vinyl leapt at me

-=-

“That was fun” Blaze chortled as I rested myself against a tree down at the farm, staring up at the sky

“What constellations can you see this time brother?” she smiled

“There’s Leo, there’s Virgo, there’s Draco, and there’s the Phoenix” I pointed to each one in turn

“And there’s Sagittarius” Blaze pointed toward the archer in question

“Oh yeah, nice catch” I smiled

“Tesla, this spot taken?” a rather dead voice sniffled, glancing beside me, I saw Vinyl stood there, her magenta shades on her horn, revealing a pair of lavender eyes, which were bloodshot

“By all means” I patted the ground beside me, she lay down, tears in her eyes “What happened?”

“She kicked me out, and now I’ll have to find somewhere else to live” Vinyl let her emotions out as she clung onto me

“Easy, Vinyl, let your emotions out, it’ll be Ok” I cooed, draping my wings around her

“How?” she wept “I’m at a loss at what to do here Tesla, I don’t know what I’m gonna do”

“I’ll talk with her in the morning, Ok?” I smiled rather faintly

“Ok” she sobbed, curling up on my chest “Goodnight Tesla”

“Goodnight, Vinyl” I sighed

Next Chapter: chapter II continuity Estimated time remaining: 22 Hours, 16 Minutes