As I made my way toward the small village, the shadow of an airborne mass engulfs me. My eyes shoot up, the sight of a blimpish thing hovering over the skies. I didn't know Equestria had airships. The calm was what I enjoyed the most out of walking to Ponyville, thinking about how different it was compared to earth. There weren’t any pollutants to make lungs hack and cough, no cars whizzing by to fill my ears with the noise of engines and no towering buildings to cover the radiance of the sun. There were just the birds chirping their melodies, the wind’s breath breezing through the grass and the whooshing sound of something falling through the air making the that funny noise it does in cartoons.

Wait a minute something falling?!?!

In a mad dash for safety, I hurdle myself out of harm’s way. A crashing thump shattered the peace of the area. The discordant noise finished disturbing the calm air. I decided to take a peek at what I was trying to avoid. Big, tough, and unusually familiar in a pony setting, an anvil was what I was trying not to get crushed by. Hmmm, that would have left a mark. A deadpan thought crept into my head. I heard the apologetic tones of a whisper above my head.

“Sorry.”

With an indifferent shrug, I continued my trek to Ponyville with a step as springy as a pony. There was that peace in mind for me. A smile curled at the thought.

No more anvils.

I had reached the outskirts of the small village. The sight of ponies flooded my sight, the modestly sized cottages accompanying the wonders that my eyes were treated to.

Alrighty then, two opinions. Opinion A, walk into town hoping they don't run in fear and try to capture me or opinion 2, sneak around Ponyville, get to the library and talk to Twilight of a way to getting a new arm.

I chose the obvious choice of sneaking around the town like a big furry ninja, every MLP watcher’s dream after Pinkie Pie imagining that ninja scenario in “MMMystery on the Friendship Express”. A few minutes and after overhearing the ramblings of an overly excited Lyra talking about human conspiracies, I stealthily snuck around to have the sight of the tree house appear before me.

Wow. The library was a lot bigger than the show brought on. It was a marvel of nature, the strong bark of the building, the fresh leaves that adorned the top. The branches that arched upwards as if to grasp at the sky and the patio where Twilight would take an outdoor view to studying, sipping her tea. The windows just tipped with the hoof marks of a pony that opened her library to the sound of birds chirping, the sight of the sun glazing her eyes open when she was asleep. That door was the one thing that made me realize that I was in Equestria. That’s the door. That was the door that opened to the sight of the best magician in Ponyville.

A few minutes of silence had to go pass to make sure I wouldn’t be seen by any other ponies. Once I realized the coast was clear, I swaggered towards the door. I didn’t feel a need to be ashamed. I was going to meet Twilight! I honestly couldn’t stop grinning. That was a stupid smile pasted on my face but I could care less. My paw made contact with the door, banging loudly three times. I wasn’t able to control my strength and so the whole tree house shock with a groan. Oops. A slightly high pitched shout was heard beyond the door.

"It's a public library! You don't have to knock!"

That didn’t seem like Twilight’s voice, it was higher in pitch. If it wasn’t Twilight, it was definitely Spike’s. I entered the building, squeezing my body through the door, having to crouch a little to avoid breaking my head against the top frame.

"I swear, sometimes, everypony forgets th..." Spike moaned as he walked down the stairs. His stature stopped as soon as his eyes saw me. I was actually kinda scared how unflinchingly still he had become, it was like what someone seeing something and assuming it to be a hallucination would be. God, this is starting to get awkward, let’s lighten the mood, Um, hello… Out loud you idiot! Out loud! I cleared my voice to speak first.

"Um, hello?" I offered a toothy grin.

Spike just stood there, looking at me with eyes of fear. His eyes were starting to glaze. I honestly didn’t know whether or not he had mistaken my clearing of the throat as the declaration of prey marking or maybe my awkward smile as the smile of a predator looking over his prey. Oh screw it. I decided to simply cut to the chase.

"I came to look for a book on potions and spells, please?”

Spike’s eyes snapped back to attention at that. The overactive imagination of an approximate five year old was probably filling him with more paranoia than rational thought. His lips jerked with the yell of distress.

"Monster!"

Well that’s new. Before my mind could think of a response, the steps of his clawed feet scurried through the library. I quickly looked back up to where the small dragon running. I saw the upstairs door just slammed shut. I took a few precautious steps up the stairs to realize the faint scratching of ink on parchment. Shit, he’s writing to Twilight! I quickly ascended the stairs and stormed through the door to see him putting the finishing touches on his letter. Quick gotta think of something...

My mind was racing with plans of what my next move was at this point. My body however, seemed to have a different mindset and started to move separately from my thoughts. It was slowly thumping closer towards Spike. The weight of my body was making a reverberating fury in the floor and causing the books and other magical tomes to shake and crash onto the floor. As I closed the distance, the dragon assistant finished, his feather pen dropped with a dull thud. He stood up and cleared his throat. He was about to release his breath of fire onto the parchment. My mind reeled with urgency, sending that parchment would spell the end of my trip here. As fast as he was, the young dragon still fell with a dull thump right after my arm made contact with his skull. A few dazed seconds of consciousness, and he dropped like a puppet with cut strings.

Holy crap, his skull’s hard. I cradled my throbbing paw, the sting of impact still throbbing. I took sight of the fallen before me. I picked him up and placed him where I assumed his bed was. That mess of blankets and pillows next to Twilight’s bed. I placed him gently, like putting a baby in his crib. God, I hope I didn’t cause permanent damage… I was in the hospital long enough to know the mental consequences of blunt trauma to the head.

Not the best start to a new life Craig. Hmmm, new life, new body, maybe I should get a new name. Let's see, bugbears originated from Celtic mythology so... I shall be Celt the bugbear!  I laugh at myself. Really original, Craig. The thoughts about my new name were still lingering as I descended down the stairs and look for what I came for.

Oh, god… Just as Twilight’s tree house looked bigger from the outside, the shelves apparently didn’t want to feel left out in that regard. They were enormous giants of knowledge, all filled to the brim with books, texts and tomes of the mundane, the magical and the strange. The sturdy cradlers of knowledge stood almost as tall as me, being slightly taller by an inch as if to mock my height. I focused on what I came for. I scrounged for any sign of what I’m looking for.

Let’s see, magic or potions… My eyes scan through the bookshelves, skimming the sections with a lax eye. Alchemy, Botany, History, Philosophy… I ignored the great tomes of ancient and mundane lore, being of no immediate interest to me, and stayed on track.

Finally my eye caught the magic words I’ve been looking for. Potions. My fingers glided across the spines of the books until a title caught my attention. The result was me taking the book out and dropping it on the floor for later use, the roaring thud filling the air. This continued with every book that either had to do with growth or healing.

At last, the last book dropped and the section exhausted of over a quarter of its occupants, I start the longest reading session I’ve had since my days in the hospital. I sit cross legged, with the sun cracking through the window as my light. The only thing missing from this perfect reading setting was a nice cup of water. The first book opened, a cracking sound resonating through the empty library, I got in the spirit of reading for the first time in a while.

There were no “How to Get Back your Arm in 5 Easy Steps” books. If only it was THAT easy… With a critical eye, I quickly start reading at the speed of lightning. Words of unknown origin start filling my eyes and confusing the hell out of me. After unsuccessfully reading through the first book, I dropped the book down, my senses focusing above the thumping sound, and went onto the next book. The only words I had my eyes set on were any references to magic or potions that could help me grow fresh limbs.

After the seventh book, with no clues whatsoever, I groaned and decided to simply skim the titles of the rest of the books to save time and my patience. How to Heal Bones… Yea, maybe when I get broken bones, I’ll give you a read. I dumped the book on the mess of other read tomes starting to spread through the floor.

Finally… The Supernaturals. That book from the poison joke episode. A gut feeling took control of my hands and, with the groan of a recently opened book, I take sight of the table of contents. I only saw subtitles that disinterested me until my eyes caught sight of the one subtitle that gave newfound vigor to my search. Lost Potions. I flipped through the pages and slowed down to the beginning to start my careful search. I saw potions that gave form to emotions, turned spirits into demons and gave birth to wonders lost in time. My eye stopped short of one particular potion. My head crept closer to clarify what I was seeing.

“The Restit Potion…” A potion that restores any lost limbs and gives new one that the drinker desires. This is the potion I want! This potion can give me what was taken! My mind already made up, I read down to the last letter for any list of ingredients for the concoction. I stopped at the very last printed letter of the potion’s section. The list wasn’t there.

After the near blinding urge to rip the book in half, I started to read for any signs of the list. I found a small hope, in the form of a footnote in handwriting. All known copies of this potion are held in the Royal Archives in Canterlot, it said. I sighed, my paws shutting the book with a satisfied thump and dropping the book along with the others.

With a reaffirming nod, my body gets up and starts for the door. The size of my body threatening the floor as it groaned and moaned in pain with every step. I spied through the window beside the door. I scanned the outside to see no one out. Good. The library door flung open with a flourish and I was out my way as the door closed with a roaring close. Oops…

The cover of alleys became my ally, allowing me to swiftly pass through town to avoid any lingering or curious eyes. After passing through Doctor Whooves and getting a strange look at my direction, I was out of town.

The sight of grassy fields allowed me to drift off while on my way to Canterlot. The sound of a smooth voice singing brought the feel of a tempo and a spring in my step. My feet were jittering and dancing to the sound of a fine melody. The sound of a bulldozer made that feeling crash and burn, the growl and rumble of gears and heavy machinery snapping my mind back to the path before me. My eyebrows twitched with the pang of attention and burrowed in confusion. Do they even have bulldozers here? Past that, the walk was, for the most part, a peaceful respite.

I decided to dabble and experiment with my new crossbow while the peace of the walk was talking hold. I took sight of a plain tree and focused the crossbow on it. As the bolt of flames struck through the tree, I reaffirmed that the crossbow spat out bolts of elements. I decided to experiment with the different kinds of elements this weapon could shoot out. I decided to try the wind element, recollecting my knowledge of Latin, I roared the incantation of wind.

“VENTUS!”

From there, the crossbow formed a bolt of air. The invisible arrow coated in biting winds takes form and renders itself invisible in multiple layers of wind that distorts the refraction of light. It unleashes its blade on the helpless tree, the merciless edge slicing through the bark like a master swordsman’s stroke cut.

A peculiar thing I learned was that I could combine two Latin words to make a command that controlled other aspects of the shot. A rabbit lingered in my sight, its thumpers pounding into the earth. The poor creature was simply walking around. I took hold of the Latin word of ignorant. A calm voice took control of the reality that would be my next arrow.

“Nescius ventus.”

The arrow of unknown sight took form again, no visible difference from the addition of a new word. I took sight of the rabbit. The crossbow focused its target on it. The bolt, unleashed, its path concentrated solely on the rabbit. The slicing of the arrow through air itself was to be expected. The rabbit getting struck at the shoulder by a peerless edge was inevitable. The rabbit falling on the ground like a lifeless doll was new.

I should’ve eaten that rabbit but DAMN… it was so cute. I decided to stop the tinkering of my crossbow and leave the knocked out rabbit to its ‘slightly permanent’ nap. Other than that minor detour, the walk was rather peaceful, only a slight regret over the uneventfulness of it all.

"Well looky here brother, another shmuck to rob!" A nasal voice from behind me spat out.

"Why I do believe so, brother of mine!" An equally as nauseating voice quipped.

Oh god, no please don't be those two, anyone but those two. I turned around. What are you, bored up there or something, God?

Flim and Flam were driving up behind me in their vehicle. The gaudy vehicle filled with various gadgets, switches and knobs that moved only in accordance with unicorn magic made me throb at the misery they almost caused the Apples. Their cocky smirks only made the feeling grow and the throbbing extend to my eyes. The sight of those two made me seriously consider placing them at the top of my ‘most annoying things that could possibly exist’ list.

"Well, would you look at that, Flim. It has a nice shiny new crossbow for us!”

"I do brother! Well beast, here’s our offer, you give us the crossbow and we might consider not hurt you."

And now it’s official. I take the crossbow in my paw and instead of pointing it at the two, a tree laid in the line of fire of the crossbow. A confused look struck their faces as I took command of the magic words. An evil grin becomes my face.

"Explosivae ignis." The fiery bolt that engulfed all resistance and melted any surface with its scorching flames took shape. The crossbow poised to target the tree, released the arrow of destruction.

The tree was struck by the arrow. The difference between my first bolt and this one was that the result of the impact. The impact that this arrow caused became an explosion of reckless flames. The flames ate through the flesh of the tree, the fresh flames eating through the bark. The shock of the impact caved the bark of the tree further out, the groan of pain coming from the tree. The wild inferno devoured more than what was aimed at. Its uncontained fury tore through the ground and the grass surrounding the tree. In the end, only a smothering crater of crushed wood and decaying life remained, the only evidence that such destructive magic exists.

Now these two are proof as well that this magic exists. I flashed an easy smile.

"New offer, why don’t you two give me a ride to Canterlot? If you do, I might consider not shoving a bolt down your throats.” I derisively sneered at them with a wicked grin.

"Well, how can we refuse such a generous offer?" Flim’s chattering teeth muttered to his brother.

"Indeed brother, well, come aboard." Flam said, his eyes expanded as his irises shrunk.

“We’re going to be goooooddddd friends,” I happily chortled as I made myself comfortable in the outlandish vehicle. The vehicle moaned with the breath of motion and off we went.

The ride to Canterlot was peaceful enough. The blue jays sang and the robins chirped as we went along the road. The grass joined in on the melody with the whistling granted by the breath of wind. I scrunched my eyes to see a familiar sight. The towers of Canterlot soon allowed me to marvel at the magnitude of their presence as we grew closer to approaching the city.

"How far are we?" I asked.

"We're here," Flim responded with a tense tone.

"So you guys are robbers?" I mused briefly, a thought slowly creeping to my head.

"Yes, we are," Flam answered under distress.

"Stop the vehicle here and get out," I commanded with an authoritative force.  

The vehicle squeaked with the resistance of wheels against earth, gradually slowing to a creaking stop. I waited for the two to get out first, I wasn’t going to get out first and let them drive off. They shook with the presence of fear. They finally managed to get out of the car to be sentenced. That was my cue to get out next. I got out the respectful way, opening the door, ‘accidently’ tearing it off. With a slight irritation, I threw the door clean through the air, the sight of the door eventually blending with the afternoon sky. They both approached me nervously. I took a quick step towards them and, with a swift grab on both sides, got their heads and smashed them together. Both of their bodies fell limp onto the ground with only the ground to cushion their fall.

"That was for trying to rob me, earlier," I said as I picked both of their bodies up. Geez, you’d think scam artists would be smart enough to NOT pick a fight with a towering bugbear.

The walk to Canterlot wasn’t as bad, I mean sure, I’d like to think that I had better things to do then drag two idiots with my paws to Canterlot but to hell with it, this was fun. As I finally saw the visage of the pearly white gates of Canterlot, two guards took notice of me, one of them a unicorn with fewer wrinkles than the other.

"Halt beast!" The younger unicorn yelled with a slight nervous edge.

"Here," I started, placing both Flim and Flam's bodies on the ground next to them, "Take these two in for robbing. I don't want the bounty if they have one. I just want to enter the city."

The guard looked at me with nervous eyes and walked to his superior. A few seconds later, he returned.

"My superior says that we can take their bounty as your fee to enter the city."

"Fine with me," I said as I shrugged.

The guards stood aside, obviously with reserves and qualms about letting a giant 7 foot monster with a crossbow enter the city. Ignoring the sights of Canterlot, I walked over to the nearest alley and began to plan how I would break into the royal archives and steal the book I wanted. I cracked my knuckles, a cockiness rising in me.

Let's get started.

A/N I'd Like to thank my editor Proud-Dust, please check out some of his stories. Thank you Next Chapter: Making a few Connections (4) Revised Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 40 Minutes