New voice - Chapter 5

(New voice!! - Chapter 5)

(The Morning)

The morning started like any other—well, as normal as my mornings could be now.

I sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes before glancing around my room, my first instinct being to check if all my questionable items were still where I left them.

Cloak? Still draped over the chair by my desk, its fabric shimmering faintly in the morning light. Gun? Hidden in the top shelf of my closet, undisturbed. Truncheons? Resting by my bed, right where I left them.

So far, so good.

{"Good morning, protagonist! Ready to face another thrilling day of middle school life?"}

I froze mid-stretch, my entire body tensing.

Oh, right. The narrator.

I groaned, flopping back onto my pillow. "I was really hoping you were just a bad dream."

{"Oh, you wound me! But alas, I am very real, and here to provide insightful, witty, and sometimes unhelpful commentary on your every move!"}

Fantastic. Just fantastic.

Sighing, I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled toward my bathroom. The narrator thankfully stayed quiet as I brushed my teeth, but the second I finished rinsing my mouth—

{"And so, our hero, freshly groomed, prepares to embark on the first great quest of the day: Breakfast!"}

I clenched my fist around my toothbrush, willing myself to not throw it at the mirror.

After dressing in my usual school uniform—a simple blazer, a button-up, and slacks—I made my way downstairs to the dining room. As expected, my parents weren't there. No surprise. They were busy people, after all.

A maid had already prepared breakfast: buttered toast, eggs, and a side of fresh fruit. Simple, but good enough.

I sat down, grabbed my fork, and took my first bite—

{"And thus, he dines! With the elegance of a noble and the efficiency of a man who has exactly fifteen minutes before he has to leave!"}

I exhaled sharply through my nose. "Do you have to narrate everything?"

{"Of course! How else will the audience know what's happening?"}

"There is no audience!"

{"That's what you think."}

Wait what? I narrowed my eyes but decided arguing was pointless. Instead, I focused on finishing my meal, tuning out the occasional quip from my unwanted companion. Once done, I grabbed my school bag and stepped outside, where my usual ride was already waiting.

A sleek black car sat parked at the entrance, and beside it stood Star Fall, my family's trusted chauffeur. A tall, well-dressed man with silver-streaked hair, Star Fall was always composed, always professional.

He opened the door as I approached. "Good morning, young master. Ready for school?"

"Morning, Star. As ready as I'll ever be."

I climbed into the car, settling into the leather seats as the door shut behind me. The ride to school was quiet—well, aside from the constant background narration running in my head.

{"And so, our young hero departs, venturing forth into the battlefield known as Canterlot Middle School. What trials await him? What foes shall he encounter? Only time will tell!"}

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "It's middle school. Not a battlefield."

{"For some, they are one and the same."}

I had no response to that.

The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the school gates. With a sigh, I grabbed my bag and stepped out, adjusting my blazer.

"Have a good day, young master," Star Fall said with a small nod.

I gave him a lazy wave as I walked toward the entrance. "Yeah, you too."

{"And so, the next chapter of his school life begins!"}

I really needed to figure out a way to shut this guy up.

(First period: English)

English class was… easy. I mean, I already knew how to write pretty well. Years of drawing, storytelling, and reading made this a joke compared to subjects like math or science. I could practically do these assignments in my sleep.

The classroom itself had a traditional look—rows of wooden desks, a large chalkboard at the front, and bookshelves lining the walls, stacked with classic literature and grammar workbooks. Sunlight streamed in through the wide windows, casting a warm glow over the students lazily flipping through their notebooks, one of them being me.

Our teacher, Mr. Quillstroke, was an older man with sharp glasses and a no-nonsense attitude. The type of teacher who demanded proper grammar and would lose his mind over a misplaced comma. He wore a brown suit that looked older than some of the students here, and his gray mustache twitched whenever someone made a mistake.

{"And so, our young scholar finds himself in a lesson far beneath his skill level, forced to endure the agony of reviewing material he has long since mastered."}

I sighed, tapping my pencil against the desk. I hate that you're right.

Mr. Quillstroke adjusted his glasses, scanning the room. "Class, today we will continue analyzing the structure of persuasive essays. Can anyone tell me the three main components of a strong argument?"

A few hands shot up, but I was barely paying attention. My mind was drifting, doodling random characters in the margins of my notebook—

Wait. Hold up. Danger.

{"Oh no! A great threat approaches!"}

My spine stiffened. I turned my head slightly—

Rarity. Approaching. Fast.

Oh hell no.

Ever since middle school started, I—along with Blueblood—had become one of Rarity's primary targets. Why? Money. Apparently, in every universe, Rarity had expensive tastes, and she had already set her sights on two people: Blueblood, the rich snob, and me, the unfortunate second option.

I scrambled to look busy, flipping pages and pretending to be deeply invested in whatever the hell we were studying.

Too late.

"Berry, darling~"

Damn it.

I slowly turned to face her, already bracing myself. Rarity, even at this age, had perfectly styled curls, a confident smirk, and an aura of someone who knew exactly what she wanted.

{"And so, the hero is ensnared, caught in the dazzling yet perilous web of a future fashion mogul!"}

Shut. Up.

I forced a polite smile. "Uh… hey, Rarity."

She leaned on my desk, batting her lashes. "I was just thinking… it's so wonderful that we have such successful families, don't you agree?"

I could feel the gold-digging energy radiating off her.

"Sure," I said flatly, already regretting everything.

Rarity giggled, flipping her hair. "We should chat sometime—maybe over tea! You know, about business, fashion, and—"

"Berry Specter," Mr. Quillstroke called, saving my life. "Would you care to share your thoughts on today's lesson?"

I immediately sat up. "Uh, yes, sir. The three main components of a strong argument are ethos, pathos, and logos—credibility, emotion, and logic."

Mr. Quillstroke nodded in approval. "Correct. Next time, do try to stay focused instead of socializing."

Rarity huffed in mild annoyance and returned to her seat.

{"And thus, the protagonist escapes—for now."}

I exhaled slowly, shaking my head. This was going to be a long school year.

(Second Period:Math)

Can we just talk about how I got this system? I just woke up one day, and boom—it was there. No dramatic quest, no cryptic message, no glowing artifact bestowing divine power. Just… poof, congratulations, enjoy your gacha addiction.

And another thing—where the hell are these items coming from?

I sighed, tapping my pencil against my desk. "Narrator, got any input on this?"

{"Nope, buddy! Just got here. One second, I was narrating WordGirl fighting her villain of the week, and the next—bam! I'm stuck with you!"}

I buried my face in my hands. So even the narrator doesn't know.

Well, shit.

Leaning back in my chair, I let my mind drift—until an intrusive thought hit me like a truck.

You know, if Rarity were older, dating her wouldn't be that bad—

{"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, BUDDY!"}

"I AM NOT!" I whisper-yelled, glaring at the air like it personally offended me.

A couple of students glanced my way. I coughed, pretending I didn't just argue with a disembodied voice in my head.

Once I regained my sanity, I flipped open my notebook and started sketching. Listening to math was optional at this point—I already knew this stuff.

Back in my original world, people would've called me a genius for knowing advanced concepts at my age.

Here?

Nobody cared.

Damn.

(Third period: History)

Welp, this is boring.

{"Welp, this is boring."}

Even he agrees.

I glanced around the classroom. Half the students were struggling to stay awake, heads propped up on their hands, eyes drooping. One guy near the back was already out cold, drooling on his textbook.

History had the potential to be cool—I mean, I'm literally living in an alternate universe—but somehow, they still managed to make it dull.

At first, I was fascinated when I arrived here. Did you know that Princess Amore actually existed in this world? She was in the comics back home, but here? She was one of the founders of Canterlot City, alongside Princess Celestia.

And the Storm King? Yeah, he existed too, though he was apparently nothing more than a historical footnote—some failed conqueror whose army got wiped out before he could become a serious threat. Lame.

You'd think with lore like that, history class would be awesome, but nope. Instead, we were stuck listening to Mr. Dusty Scroll, an elderly man who spoke in a monotone so dry it could put a hyperactive kid into a coma. His suit was two sizes too big, his glasses kept slipping down his nose, and I was 99% sure he hadn't blinked once since class started.

{"And thus, our hero struggles to stay awake, trapped in an endless droning lecture about historical figures he already knows about."}

I slumped forward, staring at my notebook.

To make things even more confusing, it turns out our Principal Celestia actually comes from royalty. Yeah, apparently, she's descended from a long line of heirs. Not that it matters, since monarchy doesn't exist anymore in this world, but still—it's weird knowing the lady who hands out detention slips in high school comes from a long line of actual nobility.

I sighed, idly spinning my pencil. This period was going to drag…

(Fourth period:French)

God damn it.

I completely forgot Rarity was in this class.

My eyes darted across the room, searching for her, but to my relief, she was busy flirting with Blueblood instead. Thank everything.

Blueblood, despite being every bit the rich snob you'd expect, actually attended Canterlot Middle School—not because he wanted to, but because Celestia forced him to. Even then, he refused to mingle with commoners, instead surrounding himself with a group of self-absorbed yes-men who praised his every move.

Seriously, this guy could sneeze and they'd clap.

{"Ah yes, the classic tale of an arrogant noble, basking in the admiration of his equally pretentious followers."}

I resisted the urge to snort. For once, Narrator, you and I agree.

Still, it was weird to think about—his family having ties to actual nobility. I mean, sure, it made sense. They donate a ridiculous amount to the school whenever it's struggling, which is probably the only reason Canterlot Middle doesn't look like a run-down prison.

And now that I thought about it, there really wasn't a ton of info on them in the movies. Outside of being rich and snobbish, Blueblood's lineage was never really explored. Not that I particularly cared, but it was interesting.

{"Perhaps a mystery worth investigating?"}

"Or," I muttered under my breath, "I could just focus on not failing French."

Our teacher, Madame Fleur, was a strict but fair woman with an elegant accent and piercing gaze. She expected absolute perfection in pronunciation, and I swear she had some sixth sense for detecting students who weren't paying attention.

Case in point—

"Monsieur Specter, pouvez-vous répéter la phrase au tableau?"

I blinked and looked up at the board, my brain scrambling to process the sentence I had definitely not been reading.

{"Oh no! Our hero is caught off guard! Will he prevail, or will he crumble under the pressure of foreign language education?"}

I shot a glare at the ceiling, because where else am I supposed to direct my frustration?

Taking a quick breath, I focused on the sentence and carefully repeated, "La bibliothèque est près de la boulangerie."

Madame Fleur gave a small nod of approval before moving on to her next victim. Crisis averted.

The rest of class dragged on, a mix of pronunciation drills and conjugation exercises, until finally—the bell rang.

Finally Lunchtime.

{"And so, our protagonist sets off on his next adventure—the grand feast of midday!"}

"Shut. Up."

Grabbing my bag, I made my way toward the cafeteria, hoping I could get through lunch without incident.

(Lunch Time!)

School lunch here? Absolute garbage.

I mean, come on—pizza that tastes like cardboard, cheeseburgers with questionable meat, and cheese sticks? Okay, fine, the cheese sticks are decent, but still. No thanks.

That's why I always bring my own lunch.

{"Wow, look at me! I'm rich and fancy."}

I rolled my eyes. "Were you always this annoying in the TV show?"

{"No, but you swear too much and aren't exactly a wholesome protagonist."}

"…Fair enough."

With a sigh, I set my backpack down and pulled out my bento box. Yep, bento—because my maids prepare my meals. A little depressing when you think about it, but hey, it has its perks.

Alongside it, I took out my thermos, still warm to the touch. The soup inside had probably cooled down a bit over the past few hours, but it would still be good.

As I was about to eat, I spotted Wallflower Blush sitting alone at our usual spot—tucked away at the farthest lunch table, away from the usual noise and chaos. I made my way over and plopped down across from her.

She glanced up and smiled softly. "Hey, Berry."

"Hey, Wall." I opened my bento, revealing steamed rice, grilled salmon, and some vegetables. She peeked at my food and raised an eyebrow.

"Fancy as always."

I shrugged. "I mean, if you had access to good food, you wouldn't eat the garbage they serve here either."

She chuckled. "True."

We ate in comfortable silence for a bit, the cafeteria buzzing with background noise. After finishing a few bites, I suddenly remembered something.

"Oh yeah, check this out." I reached into my bag and pulled out my new Yo-Yo from the system—a sleek, red and black design inspired by Ladybug's weapon from Miraculous Ladybug.

Wallflower's eyes widened. "Whoa, that looks cool. Where'd you get it?"

"Uh—" Crap. Think fast.

"Bought it online," I lied smoothly. "Limited edition."

She nodded, seemingly buying the excuse. "Can you do any tricks?"

I smirked. "Watch and learn."

I flicked my wrist, sending the Yo-Yo spinning downward before smoothly pulling it back up. Then, I transitioned into 'Around the World,' the string making a wide arc before snapping back to my hand.

Wallflower clapped lightly. "Nice!"

Grinning, I decided to push it further. I tried to pull off 'Walk the Dog', letting the Yo-Yo roll across the table before yanking it back. It worked flawlessly.

"Okay, that was actually pretty cool," she admitted.

{"And so, our hero impresses his companion with his mastery of ancient toy techniques!"}

I groaned. "Ignore that."

Wallflower tilted her head. "Ignore what?"

Right. She can't hear him.

"Nothing," I muttered, stuffing a piece of salmon into my mouth. "Anyway, I'm thinking of learning more tricks. Gotta make use of it, right?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I'd like to see that."

We continued eating, chatting about random things while I occasionally messed around with the Yo-Yo. Always carry this shit from now on like my strap..

{That sound weir-}

..I Know…

Anyways for once, lunch was actually pretty nice.

(Skipping until Seventh Period:gym class)

Another round of dodgeball. Hell yes.

Out of all the boring classes I had to sit through today, this was the one period where I could actually cut loose. I wasn't exactly an athlete, but thanks to my newly acquired Shinobi Reflexes from Naruto, I had a distinct advantage.

As we filed into the gym, the familiar scent of sweat and old rubber greeted me. The place was massive, with high ceilings, polished wooden floors, and faded red and blue boundary lines marking the battlefield.

Our gym teacher, Coach Bulky Biceps, stood in the center of the court, his bulging muscles barely contained by his tracksuit. He clapped his hands together, his voice booming across the gym.

"All right, listen up! We're playin' dodgeball today! You know the rules—no headshots, no crying, and if you get hit, take it like a champ!"

{"And so, the young warrior steps onto the battlefield, his honed instincts ready for the chaos to come!"}

I cracked my knuckles. Time to test this skill out.

The teams were set, and luck wasn't exactly on my side—Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were both on the opposing team. Dash being there? Bad news. The girl was ridiculously fast, and she played dodgeball like she had something to prove. Fluttershy, on the other hand… well, she was Fluttershy.

The whistle blew, and chaos erupted.

A blur of movement—everyone rushed for the balls at the center of the court. I held back, letting my team grab what they could while I analyzed the battlefield.

The first eliminations came fast. One kid got hit straight in the face because he wasn't paying attention. Another tried to catch a throw but fumbled it, getting knocked out instantly.

{"And down they go! The weak fall first, leaving only the strongest to remain!"}

Ignoring that, I saw it happen—Fluttershy froze.

She barely had time to react before a ball came her way. She let out a tiny "eep!" before getting hit square in the stomach. Out in less than ten seconds. Ouch looks like it hurts.

{"A tragic fate! But truly, an expected one."}

With her gone, the match continued, players dropping left and right. Rainbow Dash's team had more people, and it showed—my side was getting picked off one by one. Soon, it was me and just two teammates left against Rainbow's five.

{"Oh, this is looking bad, folks! Our hero is outnumbered! But wait—what's this? A spark of defiance? A refusal to surrender? Could he possibly turn this around? Only time will tell!"}

And then, he started singing.

{"🎶 Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods? 🎶"}

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

I barely dodged a ball as the narrator broke into song, belting out Holding Out for a Hero at full force. My body moved instinctively, my Shinobi Reflexes kicking in, heightening my awareness, making the world feel just a little slower.

{"🎶 Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? 🎶"}

I twisted to the side, dodging another ball by mere inches, then countered—hurling one straight at the guy who threw it. Direct hit.

Another opponent went for a high shot. My enhanced senses saw it coming, and I ducked before launching another ball. Boom. Gone.

One of my teammates took out another enemy before getting eliminated himself. Three left.

{"🎶 Late at night, I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need… 🎶"}

Rainbow Dash was annoyed now. I could see it in her eyes as she tried to pick up the pace, throwing balls even faster. But it didn't matter—my reflexes let me see everything just a second before it happened. My body reacted without hesitation, moving me out of danger each time.

One more opponent down. Then another.

And suddenly, it was just me and Rainbow Dash.

The gym fell silent.

Rainbow spun a dodgeball in her hands, her signature smirk plastered on her face. "Not bad, Specter. But you're not gonna win."

I adjusted my stance, rolling my shoulders. "You sure about that?"

{"The final duel begins! Two competitors, one victor—who shall emerge victorious?"}

Dash made the first move. She launched a ball straight at me—fast, almost too fast for a normal person to react to.

But I wasn't normal.

Time felt slower for just a fraction of a second. My body moved before my brain fully registered the danger—I twisted to the side, the ball barely grazing my shoulder.

Her eyes widened. "What the—?"

I didn't let her recover. I grabbed a ball and hurled it low, aiming for her legs. She jumped over it effortlessly.

But I wasn't done.

With my enhanced speed, I grabbed another ball mid-motion and launched it the moment she landed.

She tried to dodge—

Smack!

The ball hit her clean in the stomach. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to knock her off balance.

She blinked, stunned. "No way…"

Coach Iron Grip blew the whistle. "OUT! Game over!"

A wave of cheers and groans erupted as I exhaled, lowering my hands.

{"And the underdog claims victory! A battle well fought!"}

Rainbow Dash walked up to me, shaking her head but grinning. "Alright, that was cool. Rematch next time?"

I smirked. "Anytime."

With that, the game ended, and the bell rang soon after. Gym class has never been more fun.

(Skipping to After School)

{"Nothing important happened, don't worry!"}

Wait, what?

{"Nothing."}

I narrowed my eyes but ultimately decided to let it go. At least nothing happened with Rarity again. Thank Celest—I mean, thank god for small miracles.

{"Ah, young love! Wait, aren't you like 16? No—17?"}

"Seventeen, and I'm not dating a kid!"

{"Okay, good, buddy."}

Damn narrator.

After chatting with Wallflower for a bit and saying goodbye, I made my way home. The moment I stepped through the door, I knew what I had to do.

If I wanted to get better, I needed to train.

The Triple Eclipse truncheons from Moon Knight weren't just for show. I hadn't been carrying them around with me—yet—but that was about to change. If I was serious about surviving in other worlds, I had to learn how to actually fight with them.

So, after dropping off my school stuff and changing into workout clothes, I headed outside to train.

(Hours Later)

Okay. Shit. This was way harder than it looked.

Self-learning was a pain. I had watched a bunch of videos online, studied different martial arts stances, even looked up how escrima sticks worked since they were similar to my truncheons. But watching and doing were two very different things.

Still, I kept going. I practiced basic swings, blocks, and movement drills, occasionally switching into the staff mode to test its reach and weight balance. The transition between forms was tricky, but with enough trial and error, I started to get a better feel for it.

{"Ah, the journey of a warrior begins! Alone, determined, slightly sweaty."}

"Shut. Up."

{"Hey, I'm just here for moral support!"}

Eventually, my arms ached, my legs burned, and I knew I had hit my limit for the day.

That'll have to do for now.

Breathing heavily, I wiped sweat from my forehead and made my way back inside. I had a long way to go before I could use these weapons properly, but progress was progress.

And with that, it was time to sleep.

Collapsing onto my bed, I barely had time to pull the covers over myself before exhaustion took over.

Tomorrow, I will train again.

______________________________________________________________________________

Writer here

This chapter is long to show that every item he gets is useful and to build the world a bit.

 Next chapter there will be a time skip around a few months and pinkie will be introduced and the next few chapters the girls will meet and become friends in the background of the story which I will hint at. Yes so they get broken up when they are in high school by sunset. 

Just did the math and I want to skip for 6 months which will make him have 168 bronze and 24 silvers so I am thinking to making it 

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote of the chapter: 

"The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world." – Half Life 2