Today is Tuesday, and I actually woke up before the sun rose. It’s been a week since the Diamond Dog incident occurred, and while I still don’t like the memory, I’ve basically gotten over it. I thanked Applejack’s intervention and a couple of sessions with Luna for that. I briefly imagined what I would be like right now if there was no help given to me. I’d probably still be in the corner, just wasting away.

I put those thoughts aside as I changed from my robe to my regular clothes. New thoughts about yesterday’s spa trip filled the space the previous ones were in. I didn’t actually get any of the spa treatments myself, since I was just tagging along with Rarity and Fluttershy, but just the atmosphere alone was plenty relaxing. The air was comfortably humid and warm, the colors were soft pastels, the lighting was perfect, and the whole place had a fragrance that had hints of a multitude of other pleasant scents.

Fortunately, Rarity wasn’t charged any extra for me just tagging along, which was good. If she would have been charged extra, I would have politely seen myself out and asked if I could chill on the roof. That, or Rarity would have paid the extra charge anyways and I’d feel kind of bad about that.

Still, I had nothing to do while I was up, waiting for the sun. At least, not until I got an idea. “I’ll make breakfast” I said more to myself than the room. The room wouldn’t have said anything back anyways.

I made my way downstairs and to the kitchen, encountering nobody. I found the light switch, turned it on, and went over to the fridge as I thought about what I could make.

After a few minutes of deliberation, I chose to make scrambled eggs and a skillet pancake. The scrambled eggs were simple enough, but I had to look back through my memory a bit to remember how to make a skillet pancake. I knew I’d need an appropriate skillet and the oven.

One thing I was thankful for was that Rarity’s kitchen had what she called “futuristic” appliances, but to me, they were low end modern appliances that worked on different means. They were slightly smaller than I would have liked, but it was what I had to work with. Maybe I could make two skillet pancakes? As I thought that over, I started gathering the ingredients I needed.

As I was mixing up the batter, Rarity came downstairs, and she didn’t look 100% awake. I chose to fix that with a friendly greeting. “Good morning, Rarity!”

“Huh-wha?” Rarity so inelegantly asked. “Oh, good morning Yang. Are you making breakfast today?”

“Yep. I woke up early and felt like cooking. I’ve got it all planned out, too. Need coffee?”

“If you’d please. I’ll have some of the Too Early For This blend. It’s over the sink.”

I opened some small cabinet doors over the sink, looking for the blend. It was, of course, behind the last door I checked, since I stopped looking after I found it. The can was red and white, and featured a picture of an earth pony holding a mug with their left forehoof and their face planted on the table. Behind the table was a window showing the sunrise. It definitely looked like a unique marketing idea, sympathizing with those who felt that way.

It took a bit for me to figure out the coffee maker, but I soon had Rarity’s coffee brewing. I resumed my cooking in the meantime.

“So, what’s for breakfast, Yang?” Rarity asked me as I finished the batter and poured it into the skillet I had found.

“Scrambled eggs and a skillet pancake” I answered.

“Skillet pancake?”

“It’s a big pancake in a skillet, baked in the oven, and cut to serve.” I checked the oven, found that it was ready, opened it, and put the pancake in. “Now, we wait.”

While Rarity and I waited on the pancake, I got started on the scrambled eggs. I’ve made them before, so they were easy enough to make. A few eggs, a tiny bit of margarine, and a dash of pepper for extra flavor.

Since the eggs were done fairly quickly, I was able to serve some to Rarity with a cup of her coffee. Sweetie Belle happened to be coming down at that time, so I made a plate of eggs for her too.

“Thanks, Yang” Sweetie said before grabbing a fork with her magic and starting on her portion. “What’s in the oven?”

“One pancake for all of us” I said. “Orange juice?”

“Please, if you don’t mind.”

I went to the fridge, found the orange juice, and poured Sweetie Belle a glass. “Want some, Rarity?”

Rarity was already looking way more awake since she had some of her coffee. “Of course I’ll have a glass” she very politely and formally said. Soon, she had her own glass of orange juice.

While I was waiting on the skillet pancake, I had some of my scrambled eggs. They tasted a lot better here than what I made back home. Maybe it was because the ingredients were local and fresh?

Once the skillet pancake was done, I turned the oven off and opened it. Since there were still no potholders around here, I tentatively grabbed the skillet. I was quickly reminded by the fact that I wasn’t burned that I couldn’t get burned, even though I could feel the heat. It seemed like an inherent ability of mine since I didn’t feel anything happening with my aura or semblance.

Rarity looked a little uneasy, and kept looking at my hands. “Yes, Rarity?”

“Are you alright?” she asked.

I got a pad to put the skillet down on the table safely and set them down before holding up my hands. “No burns, Rarity. I’m perfectly fine.” I got a knife and started cutting the pancake into six slices, releasing steam and a delicious fragrance into the air. “I do recommend that we wait a bit on this, since it is still hot, I don’t want you to get burned, and I’d hate to eat while you can’t.”

“Hey, Yang?” Sweetie asked. “Is it possible for you to eat hot food and not burn your mouth?”

I hadn’t thought of that, though it did make some sense. “I don’t know. I’ll have to try that later. What’s going on today?”

“Business as usual” Rarity answered. “I’ve got a few things to work on and Sweetie has school to go to. And you’re still on your own.”

“Want to walk to school with me today, Yang?” Sweetie asked.

“Sure” I answered. The steam wasn’t billowing out of the pancake cuts as much, so I started serving it. All of us got one slice, and we all put syrup on our pieces. I took a bite and found it to be delicious. Rarity and Sweetie Belle agreed, and we each had a second slice.

“Yang, before you leave, there’s something I have to say” Rarity said as she dabbed around her mouth with a napkin in her magic.

“What is it?”

“Aside from thanking you for this excellent breakfast, even if the presentation left a bit to be desired, you have food stains on your shirt.”

“Hm?” I looked down and saw some noticeable stains. “I suppose I’ll change to something clean then.” I politely left the table, went upstairs, and into my room. I looked through all my options and found that the only clean thing I had was the outfit I came here with. I think I’ll call it my combat outfit, for lack of a better name.

While I was changing, I couldn’t help but think that something was missing from breakfast, but I couldn’t think of what it could be. I kept thinking about that until I came back downstairs. Sweetie Belle wasn’t in sight, but before I could ask where she was, I heard hooves coming down the stairs behind me. Since I could see Rarity already working on cleaning up breakfast, the hooves could only have belonged to Sweetie Belle.

There was a sudden burst of light in the dining room as Twilight teleported in. “Rarity, Tirek’s escaped again!” She said.

Rarity sighed as she set down the dishes. “Very well. Yang, could you take care of the dishes when you get back? I might be gone for a bit.”

“Sure thing” I said. Before I could wish her good luck in her task with this T. Rex thing, Twilight teleported herself and Rarity away. “Ready to go, Sweetie?”

“Yeah” Sweetie said before looking at the clock. “If we go now, we can make it there at a relaxed pace.”

“Sounds good” I agreed before we left the building. It was shaping up to be yet another beautiful morning in Ponyville. A few clouds here and there dotted the sky, but it was otherwise clear.

We filled the walk with idle talk. It helped me keep my mind off the combat outfit, namely how much of my skin it showed. I actually couldn’t bring myself to focus on that very much for some reason, which I guess I didn’t mind.

After I wished Sweetie Belle a good day at school once we arrived, I walked back to the boutique, perhaps a bit faster than normal. After all, those dishes wouldn’t wash themselves, right?

The atmosphere in town was one of calm, but there was also some tension for some reason. Like something big was going down somewhere nearby. Then again, a T. Rex is pretty big and scary.

Wait.

Were there really dinosaurs here? If so, that would be both awesome and scary. Then again, dragons were apparently a thing, so there could be dinosaurs. Unless the dragons killed lots of them. Fire breath, claws, teeth, and flight does make for a threatening creature.

I thought about that as I went in the boutique and started on the dishes that were in the sink. Rarity had already gotten the dishes mostly clean, some of them just soaking. All I did was add a bit more soap, scrub away at the foodstuff, rinse, inspect, and put the dishes on the drying rack. I was done in under 30 minutes.

With the dishes done, I had nothing to do. At least until Opal reminded me of her presence by rubbing against my leg. “Hey, Opal” I said before picking her up. “Meow are you doing?” Opal gave me a look that told me she was not amused and jumped out of my arms. “Oh come on! That was a decent pun, if nothing else.”

I decided to leave Opal be and let her do what she wanted. She’s a cat, and that’s what cats do. Still, I had to find something to do.

I could cook, but I couldn’t use everything and had no idea what to make.

I could try sewing, but I did not want to mess up Rarity’s supply or workspace.

I could take a nap, but I had too much energy for that.

I guess it was time to just read some more. On the bright side, I was able to read all the Equestrian characters easily now, so my reading speed was picking up.

I went up to my room and was about to go for a book when the metal case that had come with me (and hit my head) caught my eye. I picked it up and took it to the desk. After taking a seat in the slightly undersized chair, I opened the case.

Back when it was shown to me and my friends, the inside was simple black foam around the six pairs of shell bands. Not so anymore. Now it unfolded and stood up on its own to make a little pine tree shaped display with the six shell types along the bottom of it. The whole thing stood in the case, which seemed a bit small to hold such a thing by the looks of it.

As I finished admiring the little tree (which I could use as a little Christmas decoration), I remembered something else: there were twelve bands of ten shells, two of each color. With how much space each shell took up at the bottom edge of the tree, I had a hard time envisioning twelve bands of shells in the whole thing. Then again, I got turned into Yang Xiao Long and literally dropped into a world full of ponies of all kinds of colors and types, so I suppose it’s not too farfetched that this little tree could be holding all the ammo.

I noticed a piece of paper in the case and picked it up. It was a letter, and I was able to read it, but it fluctuated between English and Equestrian at random. It wasn’t written in the two different fonts, the letters would literally change while I was reading them.

Dear Yang Xiao Long,

I hope you’re doing alright in your Equestria, despite any troubles you may have.

I would like to issue a small apology, since it was not you I intended to bring to Equestria. I had planned for Sandra to be the one sent through, since she’s friendly and already had a fiery personality to begin with, which would let her adapt more quickly than you, despite losing her friends like you have.

Oh great, now I’m feeling kind of sad. That’s kind of depressing.

In addition to my apology, I also reworked your ammo case from afar, as I’m sure you’ve seen. It will store all your shells, both the ones you have now, and any you may get in the future. Just pull on the shell and both bands of that type will come out.

You can also pull the bands from the pouch on your right hip. Whichever shell type you want will come out. The bases of the shells are magnetized, so they will practically place themselves once one of them is set.

There’s also no need to worry about ammo consumption. You can put a band of shells in and fire all day without running out of ammo.

Well, that’s nice. Not that I really like the idea of firing anything like a gun, but still, an unlimited supply of something is an unlimited supply.

I can’t help you much, due to dimensional rules beyond your comprehension, but I wish you luck.

Sincerely, The Merchant.

. . .

That wasn’t helpful at all! I mean, yeah, unlimited ammo and the ability to pull it out of the pouch on demand is nice to know, and the little tree looks nice too, but that wasn’t what I wanted. If I was guaranteed an opportunity at a 100% peaceful life, that would have been amazing, even if I was stuck with Yang’s body. Now that I think about it, I kind of don’t want to give up this body. I’m more durable than anyone on earth, I’m faster, stronger, and plenty agile to boot. And the more I get hit, the stronger I become. Then there’s my inability to get burned as well.

I’m sure Sandra would go stand in a fire if she was here in these boots. I don’t know if the clothes would survive, though. Fire tends to burn fabric, after all.

After pulling that train of thought into its terminal, I turned the letter over. In more of that fluctuating writing was a list of the shells, listing their color and type.

Red - Explosive. Very damaging, use with care.
Orange - Buckshot. Moderate spread, moderate damage.
Yellow - Incendiary. 100 foot maximum effective range.
Green - Birdshot. Lots of tiny little pellets that don’t do much damage.
Blue - Flechettes. 7 little darts per shell. Each dart is pointed and bladed.
Violet - Slug. The shotgun equivalent of a bullet.

That was one deadly rainbow. And I was the only one able to use it. Didn’t mean I had or wanted to, though. The knowledge that it was available to me was uncomfortably comforting.

I gave the list of shells another read before putting the paper back in the case and turning to my original plan of reading something. There’s one dark green book called Masked Trotter that I’ve been meaning to read, but haven’t gotten around to. Today seems like a good day to read it.

I grabbed Masked Trotter and was about to head up to the roof to read it, but decided otherwise, instead just opening the curtains, putting a pillow on the floor, and laying down in the sunbeam. It had a comfortable warmth to it that put me in a peaceful state. It was hitting more of my skin than usual as well, which felt pretty good.

I put aside the growing mental conflict of liking the more exposing clothes for the sunlight vs the more modest clothing that I was more comfortable with and started reading.

While I was in the middle of Masked Trotter fighting a tiger monster that could breathe explosive darts, I heard the front door open. It drew my attention away from the book, not because it had opened, but because it sounded like it was slammed open. I stood up from the sunbeam, found something to use as a bookmark, set Masked Trotter down, and went downstairs.

I was prepared to greet Rarity, or tell someone that was looking for her that she wasn’t available, or even the clumsy grey pegasus that delivered the mail. I was not ready to see Sweetie Belle there, crawling inside and looking like she gained a few shades of gray everywhere.

“Sweetie? What happened?” I asked as I ran to her side to make sure she was alright.

“Rarity and her friends. . .” She started, apparently weak and short of breath. “Couldn’t stop Tirek’s attack.” She made another labored breath. “He took everyone’s magic.”

That. . . That sounded bad. And not like a dinosaur. I picked Sweetie up and carried her to her room. I set her in her bed and pulled the covers over her. “Can you tell me more in a bit?”

“Yeah” she said. I pat her head before going downstairs to the kitchen. I filled a glass with water and cut an apple up. I was in such a rush that I accidentally hit my fingers with the knife blade while cutting the apple, but my aura prevented the blade from doing any damage.

Aura is awesome.

Before I went back up, I decided to cut another apple (taking a couple of delicious slices for myself). With the apple slices on a plate in one hand and a glass of water in the other, I went upstairs to Sweetie’s room. “Here you go” I said as I set the food and water on her nightstand. “So, what happened?”

“Tirek broke out of Tartarus and is stealing everyone’s magic” Sweetie began. “Last time he broke out, Rarity and her friends sent him back there and returned everyone’s magic that was stolen.”

“I’m guessing the same trick didn’t work this time?”

“I guess not.”

I felt a fire starting in my mind. No, in my soul. A drive to take action. A drive to defeat this Tirek guy and return Sweetie’s magic. And everyone else’s. That would be good too.

I did not like this new drive. My last fight, also my first, scared me enough. “Can you describe Tirek?”

“He’s a red and black centaur, probably 200 feet tall.” Well, that certainly put a dampener on my fire and drive to fight him. “He also has everypony from town trapped in bubbles around him. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo saved me, at least.”

And now the fire went from hot embers to an inferno. I absolutely could not stand by while Tirek had everyone from Ponyville trapped and helpless. After making sure Sweetie Belle was comfortable, I found myself leaving the boutique, Ember Celica expanded to their gauntlet forms. I was ready to fight, but I also didn’t want to.

What was going on with me?

Author's Notes:

And thus begins the process of Yang obtaining her first upgrade/power up. It will be a very basic, but very important one. Imaginary points to whoever can guess what it is.