Boston was bustling as usual. Especially today. A convention was going on at one of the local centers, and a group of friends had especially been waiting for the day to come. Said group were on their way to said convention, when of course, SOMETHING, had to happen, right in the middle of their intersection.

Skreeeeeeeeeee!

CRACK! SNAP!

“DUDE! WHAT THE FUCK RICKY!?” Said a VERY angry cosplayer in the back of a silver SUV along with two others. Said two others were hissing a short intake of breath as they watched their friend’s hard work break from the sudden stop.

“Hey man, it wasn't my fault! That guy cut me off! What the hell was his problem anyways!? Fucking speeding in a mustang or some shit.” Returned the driver, who pulled over to the side of the road to let other cars pass while they all assessed the damage.

The doors opened, revealing three people whom exited, all dressed and ready for a group costume competition. The driver, Ricky, was dressed as Varus in his Arctic Ops skin. His compact bow replica was under the driver’s seat. Out of the passenger seat came a girl dressed as Gothic Annie, Ruth. Like everyone else, she was actually of age, but had a growth problem and as such, classified her as a ‘midget’. She grunted and lit up a cigarette. “Heeeeere we go.” She stated with a bored expression.

The last one to come out, was holding what was once a decent replica of a certain hammer, and dressed up in a coat with hard plastic greaves, and a gauntlet that went up his right arm. A golden LED lit up from the shoulder piece, while the gauntlet was a dull golden color. The left was bare of a gauntlet and had a felt glove made to represent a dark leather. All this was connected to a semi-steampunk styled trench-coat mixed with hard plastic to look like armor, and two coat-tails behind him. This, was Bryce, dressed as a default version of Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow.

His brown eyes glared death at Ricky, with his hair cut to resemble the fictional character’s, and slightly-round face with just a bit of five-o-clock shadow, to complete the look. “Ricky, I don’t even care right now. I spent WEEKS getting the Mercury Hammer replica ready for this. How the fuck am I supposed to do the group contest with you guys when I don’t have the weapon for the costume?”

Ricky, rubbed the back of his covered head gently and sighed, looking around. “I dunno man, how the hell are we-Ya know what?” He started, and then redirected, pointing to a RV that looked ready for the scrap heap, grinning under his mask. “Fuck it, we’ll think of something, for now, all I know is that parked vans or trucks usually means someone selling fruits and vegetables. Let’s grab a bite, and try to figure things out when we’re energized.” He said, walking towards it.

Bryce responded by tossing the broken bits of his work into the suv and slamming the door shut. “FUCK.” He stated, with a minor hint of venom, silently cursing the reckless driver that caused this. Ruth blew out a puff of smoke and shook her head.

“You can’t stay mad at him, B. He didn’t do it on purpose, and NONE of us could control what happened. Shit, if I knew, I wo-””HOLY HELL BRYCE GET OVER HERE!” The duo turned to look at their masked friend, who was bouncing on his feet and cheering loudly like a moron. Bryce couldn’t help but smile with Ruth. Long as one of them was happy, it was a contagious effect.

Bryce and Ruth made their way over to the open door of the RV, and the first thing Bryce noticed, was the strange person sitting on the edge of it. It...Was a moogle. He was staring at a frigging moogle. Ruth smacked his side and nodded to the roof, or, more so, near the roof of the RV. Bryce followed her gaze and gawked. Glistening in the light that was entering the van, was a perfect replica of the Mercury Hammer. There were several other items, but Bryce was gawking at the sheer DETAIL put into the weapon replica. Ricky was still bouncing around like a moron, while Ruth reached into her pocket, and pulled out a few twenties, handing them off to Bryce by stuffing them in his pocket.

“Well! Judging by how that money is changing pockets, I take it you’re the one who wants to buy something, yes?” Said a new voice. Bryce blinked and looked down at the moogle, and smiled sheepishly, a tinge of embarrassment on his cheeks as his mind placed the feminine voice.

“Uh, y-yeah, sorry for ignoring you.” She waved him off from his apology and motioned to her wares. There were actually a tone of items and outfits from popular t.v. shows, animes, and games. But as enticing a ton of the items were, budgets ahoy. “Erm, how much is the Mercury Hammer, up there?”

The moogle looked over her shoulder before humming in thought. “Hm...That took me a good while to get buuuut...I’d say, a hundred twenty?” This got the cosplayer to knit his brow in curiosity. That price was too good to be true.

“Mind if I see it real quick? Just a few seconds.” The moogle grinned. “You can see it from there, can’t you?” Bryce rolled his eyes as she chuckled, and turned, grabbing the hammer with one hand and handing it off to the cosplayer. Bryce hefted the hammer with a raised brow. “Super light…” He knocking on the handle. “It isn't hollow…” He spun the hammer a few times before handing it back. “That...Is worth a lot more than one-twenty….” Ruth and Ricky, who were right behind him now, rolled their eyes at him.

The moogle chuckled and shrugged. “To some people, sure! To me? Nah. That’s a fair price in my mind.” She replied after his examination was complete. He replied with a shake of his head and pulling the twenties Ruth gave him out of his pocket and counting them. Sixty. He dug out his wallet and pulled out another sixty dollars and handed them off to the moogle. She set the hammer on the floor of the van and opened a lock-box, swiftly putting the money in before Bryce could get a look inside.

Then, the bottom of the handle of the hammer was in his face. He blinked in surprise, before chuckling and taking the handle, only to find it wouldn’t budge. The moogle looked him dead in the eye. “Hey, a quick question, hun. Are you happy with your life? Be dead serious now.”

The question sent a new jolt of surprise down his spine. He frowned and reflected on his life. He was a factory worker. He just barely made more than minimum wage. The whole cosplay group thing was to hopefully raise some money to make their lives a little better. He looked to the moogle, and shook his head. “No. I don’t. I wish I was.”

She raised a brow. It then struck Bryce how odd...and realistic this woman’s costume was.. “Well, knowing that, if you could live another life. A better life, would you?” His immediate response was a nod. His ears immediately perked up. It wasn’t what he heard. No, that was the problem. He wasn’t hearing a thing. Not even the wind making the grass way. The moogle smirked, and suddenly, Bryce felt like he just made a deal with the devil himself.

“Then enjoy, cause your life changes….NOW.” She said, letting the hammer go. He stumbled back before he fixed his grip on the hammer, holding it at the base of the handle, right under the head, and frowned at the moogle. “....Ooooookaaaaaay? Rick, Ruth, you guys ready to go?” He waited for the response...Only, there was none. He looked behind him, only to do a full body turn and gawk. His friends were gone. So was the sky, the street...It was all, black. He looked back to the moogle, only to see the same darkness. He looked down at himself. He was still able to see himself perfectly, as if he was still in the light, yet he was surrounded by darkness.

“What. In. The. Holy. FUCK!?” He slowly called out in shock, gripping the hammer tighter. Bryce took a step back, starting to panic, when he heard it. His foot hitting gravel, and the shifting of metal and chain. He spun around, and suddenly found himself looking out to the exit to an alleyway, leading out into a street with light red bricks for a road. He spun around again and found himself backing away from a pale orange brick wall.

His brain honestly stopped working for a few minutes there. Just standing, holding a big ass hammer, and staring at a brick wall. That ended when he dropped the hammer, which hit the ground with a rather loud THUD and Clang! And then, he slapped himself. Once. Twice. Three times even. Two thing were accomplished. His cheek stung, and he knew he wasn't dreaming. He promptly sat down, and struggled to reboot his brain.

“This is so not happening to me right now man…” He said, after what felt like hours. It was to himself if anything. He slowly stood up and, looked at the hammer. It was so odd, that one thing broke, now he was with a new one, in a new place with no idea of where….

Bryce put a palm to his face as he stood up. Removing it, he sighed, and reached for the hammer, only to stop and stare at his right arm. The led light was gone. Now, there was a literal spark glowing on his right shoulder. A living spark of electricity. And the gauntlet, was now a polished, dull gold. Testing it, he bent his arm. It let out a few noises to further shock him. His plastic gauntlet was now real.

He tested his boots, and the chest pieces. Armor. All armor. The only thought that lightened his spirits was how badass he must’ve looked. He chuckled sadly, and picked the hammer up from the ground, only to gawk at what had happened. His drop of the hammer, the simple, three foot drop, had DENTED THE GROUND. Now, this could be done with a hammer its size. But for that to happen it would have to be…

“Metal…” Bryce shook his head, and looked at the hammer, silently demanding answers by, whatever the hell sent him here. He got none.

Rolling his eyes as he started to try to come to terms with the fact that the gold-ish hammer wasn't giving him answers anytime soon, he turned to the way out of the dead-end alley, and started towards it, only to stop and gasp almost silently. A woman walked by, elegantly dressed and with a sun hat...But what stopped him was the fact of what her face was. Large eyes, ears poking through the hat, a muzzle….

‘What the fuck? Was that a horse mask?’ Rationality started bleeding through the cosplayer’s panic, but right before she exited his sight, she blinked, he knew he saw it. Considering he was sent here by a moogle...Yeah this wasn't surprising him as much. Slowly, he edged himself forward, out of the dark of the alley. As he did, he saw more of these horse people all walking out, mingling, all that. Then he did the one thing he didn't do before. He looked up. There was the sky, sure as day, and yet, a pinkish barrier was filtering it, oddly enough. Why the streets weren't tinged pink, he didn't know nor care. He gripped the hammer with his right hand tightly, facing the head down to the ground. This put the handle up against his right arm and peaking over his shoulder.

Bulky, made of metal even, and yet he couldn't feel the weight. He shrugged it off, and wait for the next passerby to go, before homing in on where he was gonna go. Another alley, and from what he could tell, it went to the next street over. Keeping his right arm straight, he dashed across the street, gathering the stares of those who managed to notice or cared enough to stare. At the rate he went, with his head down, they did not get to see his face.

Soon as he stopped in the alley, he stopped to gather his breath. He wasn't the most athletic, but in short, he was indeed ready to go again. Peeking from his spot at the new street, he took time to look at the buildings. ‘God DAMN but do these buildings vary in color. Like a fucking rainbow in this bitch.’ Looking to the right, he saw a donut shop. ‘Landmark, right there. Why is it named Pony Joe's though? Meh. Fuck it. Oh, shit. Another alley right next to it!’

He smiled softly. He was freaking the fuck out right now, so staying out of sight was his main priority. Looking around some more, he noticed most were talking ecstatically. With a gulp, he took a step back, then dashed out of the alleyway, causing a few cries of surprise as he suddenly dashed away and in between the doughnut shop and a dress shop, skidding to a halt and taking a breather again.

And that is when he heard it. The sound of yelling, and suddenly silence. Curious. With a shrug and a grunt, he stood up and made his way to the other end of the alley, and then poked his head around the corner. It was a back alleyway, the kind seen between a set of buildings that are back to back with each other. Idly, he scratched his head. "Ooooookaaaaay? This is getting weird as hell..." He said to no one in particular. With a shake of his head, he went to turn about.

Until he saw a shimmer at the end he was looking at before-hand. Stopping dead, he squinted at the spot. Waiting. Eventually, he groaned. "I must be hal-" Before he could finish the sentence, a black blur flew out of nowhere and bounced off the back of the building to his right. He stopped to stare. It was a creature, JUST like the other horse-anthros he saw. The only difference was that is was pure black, TKO'd, and had holes in its arms and legs. Also, it had bug wings and a curved horn.

Now, normally someone would be flipping their shit. Bryce properly, just, stared. Looking back to the spot where the creature appeared, he frowned. "....Ok. So, I am either tripping BALLS right now....Or that happened." He slapped himself with her free hand for good measure. "OW. OK. Not smoking weed right now." Rubbing his cheek, he glared at the end of the alleyway, just in time for another one of the creatures to be sent into the sky and then land right in front of him. "...."

With a sigh, he walked forward. One step at a time...And then his leg vanished up to his knee before his eyes. His brow shot up in wonder as he pulled his leg back. It returned to his vision. His brows remained perked. HE took three step forward. His eyesight shimmered before he could see what was REALLY happening.

Two of the horse anthros, female by the looks of it, were surrounded by four more of the creatures, and one who stayed off to the side. They hadn't seen him yet, so he took stock of the two females. Now, how did he KNOW they were female? Chest baby. That made shit OBVIOUS. First one was white as snow, with a two tone mane and tail, with a white horn poking through her hair. She wore purple shades with black rims, a white jacket, blue jeans. The other, while having a slightly bigger bust, was more proper, wearing a black tuxedo with a white undershirt and a pink bow tie. Coolness points. RIGHT THERE. Her eyes were a lovely purple, her color a nice shade of grey, with a raven black mane and tail.

Now WOULD have been the appropriate time to make a joke about weird boners or whatever, but two of the creatures charged the grey one. She didn't seem bothered by it, just up and grabbed the fist of one, and threw him into his friend. The white one threw out two light blue bolts, a similar colored aura about her horn, knocking those two flat on their ass while the other two got back up.

Now. Bryce was never one for violence. But judging from what he just saw, this was one of those situations. The one hanging back had a light green aura about his horn. Bryce had now taken the time to slip to the side. The white one seemed to not notice him. Fine with him. He looked to the one with the lit horn and gripped the hammer tighter. Logic was, from what he saw the white one do. Blame it on magic. Which means this shit, with the barrier or whatever? Magic. Ergo, that guy's fault. With a sigh, he charged from the side, gaining the attention. For a moment, things slowed down. Like time nearly stopping. Before him, Bryce watched something shocking. He saw the real Jayce, suddenly punt the guy with his hammer.

For some reason, Bryce found himself drawn to watching how it was done. And suddenly, he got it. Jayce was performing Thundering Blow! Time slowly sped back up, and Bryce shifted his hold on the Mercury Hammer to both hands, roaring as he stepped up like a batter to the plate, and re-enacted the attack, as if his body was on overdrive. The blow connected with the creature's mid section, and sent him flying out of his own barrier. As it fell, Bryce saw he actually punted him INTO THE STREET. Cries of fear and shock were heard. Looking to the females and the other four, who stared, he grinned, suddenly feeling VERY powerful. "Anyone else? C'mon! I got more for ya!" he taunted. The four looked at him, then each other, and then bolted down the other end of the alleyway.

Bryce grinned and looked to the two. "You two alright?" He asked softly, not wanting to scare them off. The white one looked at him, up and down, before slowly walking over under the watchful eye of the grey one, ignoring the panic outside the alleyway. And then raised a still fist towards Bryce.

"Dude. Nice punt. Think ya broke enough of his ribs?" Bryce blinked for a moment, then chuckled, raising one of his fist and meeting hers mid-air for a fist bump.

"Maybe, but hey, if I didn't I can just hit him again." She grinned at Bryce happily. The grey one, however, rolled her eyes, and picked up a large black case before making her way over, extending a hand.

"Well, I do believe thanks, are indeed in order, ser. You did gives us aide after all." Bryce smiled and shook her hand firmly, getting a smile out of her as well. Just in time for a group of three anthros with white coats, wings and golden armor, armed with spears, to land and all point said spears at Bryce, who was still shaking the female's hand.

"....Is THIS the point in time where I find this was all an elaborate ruse to draw me here or something?" He asks somewhat jokingly, somewhat nervously. The guards move the spear heads closer to his neck in response. The two females, however, proved Bryce wrong, judging by their expressions of shock.

"Hey! What the fuck gives!? He's a good guy you pricks!" The white one yelled at the guards. The grey one was also vocal in her anger of the predicament. A shrill whistle got everyone's attention. At the end of the alley in which Bryce punted the illusionist, was another guard, with a horn, and a shield and sword. Two more were behind him, cuffing the knocked out creature. He walked over and waved to the guards, signalling them down, to which Bryce breathed a sigh of relief.

The guard walked over and eyes Bryce up and down, before looking to the two females. "Madams, you say he is a good guy. Is he the one who knocked the changeling into the street, or was it one of you?" He asked in a firm voice. The grey one responded faster.

"Yes, captain he is the one. There were originally seven of them. Four ran off, and he knocked the one casting a soundproofing spell and illusion away, dispelling it. The other two are back in the alley. Myself and Vinyl are responsible for them." She explained. The captain, who had looked back to Bryce, and was eyeing his hammer, frowned. "I expect nothing less from you and Miss Scratch, Lady Octavia. If you don't mind, I'd like you two and your..Friend here, to come to the castle. Frankly, I've never seen or heard of somepony who looks like he does, and I am sure the Princesses would like to speak with him. And if anything, you two should be there to relay the full story of this incident."

Bryce was with both brows raised. 'Ooook! So now I'm meeting royalty? Lovely.' He thought to himself. Vinyl and Octavia nodded, and the Captain made a few gestures. The guards saluted and followed his lead. The captain then looked to Bryce and nodded to the street. "Mind coming with us? If everything checks out, you'll be in and out of this situation in no time." Bryce hummed for a few moments, before nodding and slinging his hammer onto resting on his right shoulder.

"Lead on, Captain."

Author's Notes:

I am putting this here. Right now.

NO. THIS IS NOT DURING THE SECOND SEASON WEDDING. Not doing that Cliche, sorry.