Ex Omnium Sententia

Chapters

Volens Cogitandi (Edited)
Spem Somniis (Edited)
Somnia Testimonii et Trullas (Edited)
Rupta Claustra (Edited)
Tenebrarum Amplexus Intra ...
Sit Tibi Temperare ... Dementiae
Ad Perniciem Unius Hominis Sanitatem
Habitavitque in Sole, in Lunae Amet
Amissa Heros Magnam...
Solum Invenire ei Dominandi Inmortuis Multitudo ...
Partes Sunt Distracta Ducibus Corruptum
Quattuor Equitum Apocalypsis Equitat Adversum Exercitum Unum
Trans cursus siderum, portantes exercitus ad genua
Postquam bello porcum
Finalis Limitaneis
Principio ad Finem {Explicit Warning}
Insidiæ
Die Flucht
Der Beginn Kummer, das Ende des Glücks
Verstümmeln
Erholung, Lernen
Prologue (Edited)
Lunae Sicut Stellae (Edited)

Volens Cogitandi (Edited)

I remember waking up, feeling like I had decided to go swimming in battery acid. My muscles were sore and stiff all over, my skin burned slightly, and every one of my limbs felt felt weak and fragile.

I remember my sense of smell coming to me first, and I could smell the unmistakable smell of a hospital. Then followed my sense of touch. I could feel the bed that I was laying in, though my feet were actually dangling off of the end of the bed. I didn’t think much of it at the time, since I was a bit taller than average.

My sense of taste came back, and all I could taste was that taste of blood, that familiar iron covering each tastebud and collecting at the back of my throat which made me want to go get something to wash my mouth out. Then my sense of hearing crawled through, ever so slowly coming back to me. It felt like I was trying to listen to something with water stuck in my ears.

I could hear people talking, but I wasn’t sure of who. At first, I thought it was simply nurses, but the longer I was awake, the more my hearing cleared up, and the more familiar the voices became as my memory returned to me. I… made it? I thought, before I turned my attention to the voices that came back to those that were arguing.

"Twi, he's been in this hospital for a week, I don't think he's going to get better." The southern girl said, annoyed.

Only a week? I… thought I had been in a coma for years. After that sort of trauma, I’d either be dead or just about there for a long time... He thought, before something stuck out to him. Wait, why would they not have faith after a week? The fact that I’m still kicking means that I’m lucky to even be alive, especially after a week!

"And how do we know that he isn't dangerous? He has all sorts of things in that bag of his that were strange, and then he had that thing in his pocket! I don’t know what it was, but it smelled of burning. For all we know, that thing could spit fire and hurt anypony!" The tomboy girl asked, sounding just about the same as the southern girl was emotionally.

"That’s all why we have taken everything that has caused suspicion to anypony here, but I'm pretty sure that whatever that device of his can't cause harm. It just makes a lot of noise at the same time of day, every day." The educated voice said, and I decided to try and crack my eyes open. I squeezed them shut immediately and regretted my decision as the white light burned.

So they actually managed to save me after being shot three times, and being beaten like a red-headed stepchild, and cut up like a chicken in a fajita…

I felt someone holding one of my hands and I couldn’t help but let my hands curl slightly around the soft hands. I heard the door open as everyone was discussing me and someone stepped in.

“Alright everypony, visiting hours are over.” The nurse said, but I couldn’t help but pick out one of the words in that sentence as everyone else groaned softly. Everypony? What about everyone? Or everybody?I thought for a moment about what the other ones had said and realized that they didn’t use the proper pronouns. I mentally scratched my head at that slip-up, before I thought for a second. …Where the hell am I?

I opened my eyes and groaned in pain at the light, and I could hear my heartrate picking up slightly on the heart monitor sitting next to the bed. I could practically hear everyone in the room turn towards me. I closed my eyes a couple of times to get my sight bearable in the light.

“He’s awake!” Someone new shouted in my left ear, and I winced at the volume as the door opened up again and someone exited the room.

“Oh my Celestia, we thought you’d never wake up! How do you feel? Do you need anything? Water, more blankets, another-” The educated voice was practically gushing at me, and I could barely keep up as my eyes finally cleared up, and I looked around the room slowly.

What in the seven hells am I looking at… I couldn’t help myself when I saw what was in front of me.

They were all quite obviously feminine. Varying degrees of it, for sure, but nonetheless, all females, all staring at me.

However, they weren’t human.

Let me repeat, they were not human at all.

I could tell my eyes were widening as I continued to stare at them silently. They may have been… What was the blasted word I’m looking for... humanoid is the closest to it that I could get.

Starting from the bottom, they were all standing on two legs, but the legs ended in hooves, like the horses that you see in those old medieval movies. Going up, most of them were sitting down, but two of them were standing, and they were showing off tails that came out from directly above their buttocks, right at the base of their spines. I saw one of them sitting with a pair of wings coming out of her back. I saw another one of them that was standing with wings as well. They had arms like humans, ending in fingers.

Now, their heads were freaky.

Like, they were shaped like a humans head, but they had a massive fucking nose sticking out of their skull. What was the word for it… snout! They had snouts sticking out of their faces. They also had ears on the tops of their heads. Two of them also had small horns that were a bit rounded at the top jutting out of their foreheads.

Yes, horns. Like fucking unicorns, because that’s exactly what they were.

I was in a new world where pegasi and unicorns were apparently real, and are humanoid creatures staring at me in a hospital room after I had gotten shot and left for dead by the mafia.

If this wasn't the start to a terrible porn plot, than I'd eat a rusty horseshoe.

I could feel my heartrate picking up as a sense of foreboding and fear washed over me, and I’m sure it showed on my face and as I was fidgeting since they all seemed to stand up and back away from me with their hands raised in a placating manner.

“Woah now pardner, there’s no reason to be afraid, we’re not here ta hurt ya!” One of the girls near the door explained, her voice the familiar southern one that I had been hearing before and after my unconscious state. She was covered in orange fur, didn’t have a horn or a pair of wings, and was wearing a cowboy hat. She was also wearing jean shorts and a plaid shirt that was tied at her stomach, but I wasn’t exactly paying attention to that since I had woken up surrounded by honest to god aliens of some kind.

Despite her words, I wasn’t exactly feeling like they weren’t ready to cut me up to learn biological secrets because science fiction is weird and it’s either the aliens probe or mutilate you in their spaceship or start trying to conquer Earth for some reason.

Of course, that’s probably because I watched too many movies and grew a healthy phobia of space traveling races, since they could deem humans either disgusting creatures that need to be killed before we could mount a proper defense, or too dangerous to their own way of life and that we need to be destroyed completely, again without even being able to defend ourselves. Maybe it's just me and I like being able to go out with a bang, and not the type of bang that has a gun to your head while you're on your knees and not one in your hands.

Take that whatever way you will.

"Yeah, he's fidgeting like he's got a couple'a monsters in his pants! What are you scared of us for?!" The blue female asked, looking and sounding very cocksure of herself, a smug grin on her face. I couldn't help but scowl slightly at her.

'Cause I'm still alive, and they're going to be busting my balls soon. My monsters are real, and they're trained to kill, you arrogant bitch. They'd definitely find me again, and when they do-

A knock on the door broke the tense silence that had befallen the room, and the door opened and another one of the horse people walked through the door, wearing a lab coat.

“We need you all to leave the room for the time being.” He stated firmly as he stepped inside, looking at me and not looking away. I didn’t like that look he had as he was staring at me for a solid five seconds. It made me feel like I was his newest project in his mad scientist's lab to create the perfect abomination to take over the world with.

They all groaned again collectively and started walking out the door slowly, some of them casting furtive glances at me as they walked through the door. The doctor waited for all of the girls to walk through the door before he turned to me, staring at me for a second, as if he was deciding what to do with me.

I wasn’t feeling much better being alone with one than I was being alone with the six of them, but it was an improvement nonetheless.

“Alright, we’re going to be checking on your wounds sir.” He stated, giving a gentle smile as he pulled out a clipboard somewhere from behind him, and a nurse stepped into the room with a surgical tray in her hands.

I immediately felt like I was ready to jump out of the bed and book it as quickly as possible at the sight of that tray, expecting to see scalpels and all sorts of other surgical equipment on it, but the only thing on the tray was an empty syringe, a few small vials, and a stethoscope. “It appears he’s panicking.” The nurse commented, glancing at the heart monitor that was currently spiking, despite my still manner sitting in the bed.

“I honestly would too if I woke up in a strange new world, surrounded by creatures that looked nothing like me.” The doctor murmured before turning to me, giving another small smile. “Can you understand me?” I slowly nodded my head, not trusting my voice to be steady enough to give an answer, silently wondering if I had gone crazy or had passed out in some sort of hallucinogenic mushroom field when I was running.

A small side note that I failed to mention immediately, now that I’m sitting down to think about it: Something about this place felt off, as if gravity was heavier here or something. It wasn’t enough for me to feel strangled or like I was being crushed, but it was noticeable enough for me to want to point it out. After a few seconds, I decided against it, since the people here might not understand what I was talking about and I didn’t want to ostracize myself more than I already would.

I’m probably still in a coma, and this is just a weird dream or something… I rationalized as the doctor walked closer.

“We’re going to be inspecting the wounds that we had treated, to see how they healed up since you arrived in our care.” I just nodded again in response.

“You only have a small scar across your forehead, but your cranial injuries healed up perfectly. Seems like you didn’t suffer much damage there as you did everywhere else.” The doctor commented as the nurse scribbled down notes.

They stepped closer together, and the doctor gently grasped the edge of the sheet covering me and folded the blanket back, and I looked down at myself to look at my body healed up. To say that it wasn’t pretty was an understatement. “They’ve healed completely, but there’s scar tissue left over. I’m not sure how long the scars will remain. The patient is a unique creature here, so only time will tell.” The doctor had switched from his consoling tone to a more professional one, and the nurse picked up the clipboard and started scribbling notes down as they stared at my chest.

I was stunned into disbelief, since in a week, I had gone from bleeding from dozens of holes and cuts across my body, most of which should’ve taken months to heal to the point that I’d even be considered safe or without complications, and they were all completely healed besides scars of where they were.

There was the gunshot scar that sat a few inches above where my belly button is. It was weird to see how the flesh had been stretched across the wound, with points stretching outwards like a star was burnt into my skin. There were clean lines across each one of my ribs, and the memories of that psychopath flashed in my head. I winced slightly as I felt phantom pains of what he had done to me. The doctor and nurse didn’t seem to notice and I looked over to my arms and saw the scars that ran across the top of my biceps, and the scar of where the knife had cut into the inside of my elbow. I couldn’t tell you what his thought process was, or why he decided to cut me in those specific spots, but they were very, very painful from what I had remembered.

They started rolling the sheets down further towards my legs, but I grabbed and held to prevent them from seeing me and the doctor paused.

“We’re just going to be looking at your legs. We’re not going to do anything untoward you.”

That statement didn’t really quell my nervousness, nor did it quell my anxiety of someone seeing myself below the belt.

Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I had the balls to punch the godfather of a fucking mafia in the face, but I don’t like the idea of strangers seeing my junk, even if they might’ve already seen them since I’m nude anyway.

“Couldn’t you… roll the sheet up the other way? I… I’m not comfortable with my...” I trailed off as I looked down to where my stuff was hiding, and the doctor nodded, letting go of the fabric and moving to the end of the bed to roll the sheet up from the foot of the bed.

On my left leg, the shot had gone through right below where my knee, a few inches to the right and about three down from the kneecap. It looks like there were two scars on it when I twisted my leg around, one on the front and one on the back, the bullet having gone straight through. The next one on my right leg was in the middle of my thigh, and only the hole that was made by the bullet itself was there, so the bullet remained lodged in my leg until I got here and had it removed.

After their inspections, the doctor rolled the blanket back down and I pulled it up to cover my stomach to be a little more comfortable with being bare ass naked in front of two strangers. “I don’t think I have to tell you how lucky you are to be alive. We don’t know what caused the three main wounds on your body, but they were severe and it took a lot of magic to fix them. Besides them, the-”

He stopped when he saw my stupefied look. “M-magic? Like, spells and incantations and things like that?”

At his nod, I couldn’t help but lift a hand to the top of my head and run it through my hair.

“I really am dreaming…” I murmured, disbelief plain as the sun outside shining.

“Do they not have magic where you are from?” The nurse had asked, sounding as disbelieved as I was about there being magic here, and I just shook my head.

“We’ve got stuff that people call magic, but it’s just sleight of hand and distractions. Nothing like healing spells to bring someone back from the brink, or anything like that...”

I was still dumbfounded, but I was starting to believe this was a dream more and more the longer I was awake.

Maybe I had really died and this is some sort of purgatory? I tried to rationalize, but I couldn’t help but see several things wrong with that immediately. The first was that it was missing all of the fire and brimstone that was associated with purgatory. I’m not being bathed in purifying flames, nor am I being pulled down into a pit by demons or whatever it was.

Look, I was raised in a Christian household but I never paid attention to what they taught. I spent most of my time, bored out of my mind and trying to find ways to entertain myself. I was able to get away with having headphones in my ears when I got older, as I sat there on one of the pews when I started letting my hair get long so that it covered my ears, and I would just pull the headphones through my shirt so that my parents couldn’t see the wire.

“That’s something that you’re going to have to explain to someone more inclined to hear. It certainly would be something interesting to read about, but I couldn’t possibly think of what to ask an honest to Celestia alien.” The doctor said, and I felt like he was simply lying to hide the disinterest he actually had. He sounded like he was earnest about it, but his words were a little callous for it to be simply that.

Maybe I was looking for an excuse to make myself more comfortable with how things were back home, when everyone was a massive dick or bitch to everyone around them. They let you know how they felt about you and made sure you knew your place. And I’m not even talking about the mafia or my family about that either. Most people were just jackasses.

“I digress. You lost a lot of blood, and we weren’t sure if we would’ve had anything possible for you. Turns out, we were able to circumvent that problem by creating a substitute from a sample of your own blood we had taken.” He explained, and I nodded numbly, not really understanding at all. I mean, if they just created a substitute, wouldn’t they have problems getting the blood type right? Or would they just be able to magic up more of it because magic is broken and overpowered, plz nerf. “Besides external appearances, your body is actually quite similar to a ponies. Some things we’d like to clear up though...”

He grabbed the clipboard that the nurse had been writing on and looked over it for a few seconds. “So, we inspected your mouth and found incisors not unlike a carnivores, but molars akin to a herbivore. Does that make you an omnivore, or were you injured in your… beating, and your teeth were misshapen as well?”

“Omnivore.” I noticed a small grimace from the nurse before she smothered it, but I’m not really surprised. Finding out something can eat you isn’t exactly a great feeling. The doctor nodded and wrote something down on the clipboard before looking up.

“Your eyes, are they meant to be that color?” He asked, referencing my unique eye color. They were red because of the lack of melanin in my body. Sadly, I didn't have the crazy hair color to make myself stand out as a main protagonist in an anime, just plain old brown.

“Yeah, that’s natural. No, it’s not a common eye color in humans.” I said, and he scribbled something down on the clipboard, muttering something under his breath that was probably along the lines of, ‘answered my next question before I asked it’ or something. I definitely didn't hear him, no, not at all, you're crazy.

“And, these things at the end of your leg. What are they called?” He pointed to my feet with the end of the quill he was using to write. It was weird seeing a quill instead of a ballpoint pen, especially since they have modern healthcare machines in the room. Maybe they're just weird about keeping some things traditions instead of moving on to the obviously superior ink pen. Fucking casuals.

“Feet. A single one is a foot, both are feet.” I explained, and he wrote it down with a cocked eyebrow and an apathetic expression. I don't know what he's thinking, but I feel like he's just being a jackass for the sake of it since he's having to learn something new.

“Alright, so these next few questions are a little personal, and I would understand if you don’t feel comfortable answering. Are your genitals meant to be… displayed like they are?” I cocked my head to the side.

“Humans don’t have sheathes that cover their… stuff. They just hang there.” I answered, my face flushing somewhat. I could hear the nurse giggle lasciviously and the doctor looked over at her in disapproval.

The stallion wrote something down and looked back up. “How sexually active have you been in your life?”

I cast my gaze downwards and my face flushed a little more in embarrassment. “Ah… in my country, I wasn’t old enough to be… sexually active.”

Didn’t have any time to myself anyway. Having people constantly watching over you didn’t give me even a moment to rub one out, let alone invite a girl over and get away with anything. I added, but I didn’t feel like voicing that to him.

“How old exactly are you?” The doctor asked.

“Sixteen years old.”

He cocked another eyebrow and scribbled it down. “I’m going to say that many ponies are sexually active when they get their cutie marks, and that’s around the age of thirteen years.”

I grimaced hearing that, and the doctor took notice and stared at me curiously. “Is there a problem with that for you?”

I shook my head. “It’s not a problem. Just another thing I’ll have to get used to...” I grumbled, running another hand through my hair.

Didn't they used to do that back in... like, the medieval periods? Not saying that they couldn't, since they were probably dying before they hit eighteen anyway, but still, it's just... weird, thinking about how they're fine with themselves to start having sex at thirteen. Doesn't mean I'll be participating anyway.

“Well, there’s a group of people that have been visiting you ever since we told them you had been stable after you first arrived. They were the ones that actually brought you in.” I took a second for that to settle in, before I sighed softly.

“I guess you can let them in. I’m just a bit… overwhelmed I guess. All of this is just… insane.” I leaned back against the pillows of the bed, and the doctor turned to look at the nurse. She nodded to him, and stepped outside the room.

“I’ll act as a mediate for you, if you want. Just about everypony knows who they are, since they’re national heroes, but they’re also all very… eccentr-”

He was interrupted by the door slamming open and I felt something hit me in the chest. I wheezed slightly as I had been speared by a very pink -~~pers~~-pony. She had hit me right in the spot that I had been shot, but it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.

Not saying it didn’t, but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. I’m a man and I won’t admit that I’m in pain, even when I’m dying on the ground.

That’s what I keep telling myself, and I’ll believe it one day dammit!

Everyone else walked into the room normally, taking up just about the same spots that they had been when I first awoke, and six heads turned to the pink pony as she had enveloped me in a tight hug. “You’re okay!” She shouted.

“He might not be after that! You just tackled him in the same spot he had been hurt!” The doctor exclaimed, glaring at her. The rest of them gave exasperated sighs and looks towards the -~~gir~~- mare that was still hugging me. I was just staring down at her, confused as all hell. I put my hands on her shoulder and tried to remove her, but she was stuck on me like a fat kid at a buffet.

“How’re ya feelin’ sugarcube?” I heard the southern accented mare ask me. I turned to look at her and scratched at the back of my head, seeing as the person was still attached me and wasn’t letting go.

“Besides the fact that I’m alive? Confused. Worried. Stressed. A few others that’re mixed in there, but I’m sure you get what I’m saying.” I mumbled, and the mare stared at me for a few seconds before nodding her head.

“I see where yer comin’ from. Ya just woke up in a strange world, surrounded by strangers, in a hospital of all things. Can’t get much worse than this.”

“Where’s my manners, my name is Applejack!” She extended a hand, and I took it into mine with a firm grasp.

I could tell she was made of much tougher stuff than everyone else here. She looked like a walking stereotype for a southern woman. I already described her outfit earlier in this entry, but I picked up on the red ribbons that were tied in her tail and hair.

The pink one still attached to my chest looked up and almost headbutted me, but gave me a massive smile that seemed to split her head in half. It was a bit creepy to see, in all honesty. “Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm an employee at Sugarcube Corner, the best bakery in all of Ponyville, even though I’m pretty sure it’s the only one in Ponyville! What's your favorite flavor of cupcake, is it chocolate chip or blueberry?What's your favorite ice cream flavor, mint chocolate chip or moose tracks?What's your favorite type of cake, birthday or Germane? What's your favorite type of-”

The rapid fire questions was interrupted by a purple hand shooting forth to cover her mouth, but she was still speaking through the hand, just unintelligibly.

“I’m very sorry for her behavior!” The familiar nerdy voice came, and I looked over to the mare in question.

She looked like your typical nerdy girl or librarian. Let it be known that I’m not big on fashion... Well, not big on female fashion. I could tell you everything about a three piece lounge suit, and tell you how to tie it in a more sophisticated knot to impress the big guys who look for those small details. With casual fashion, I see a shirt, I decide if it looks good on me, feel the fabric to see if it's comfortable to wear, and I wear it. I don’t know the different types of names for different skirts or shirts besides polos, singlets, and tees, so don’t expect me to give you a name for everything I see.

Even though I’m supposed to be the only one reading this thing. Anyone reading this should suck start a shotgun.

She was wearing a plain beige skirt with a navy blue collared shirt, with black thigh highs. Her hair was purple with a stripe of violet running next to a pink stripe.

Looks better than most dye jobs I see nowadays.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle, I run the local library that’s just down the street. Please do come by soon so that we can get to know each other! Ooh, the idea of meeting an alien species is so exciting!” She practically gushed with excitement, and I couldn’t help but smirk slightly at her enthusiasm.

“My name is Rarity darling, pleased to make your acquaintance. I run the Carousel Boutique here in Ponyville. Be sure to visit me at some point in the near future.” I nodded my head at the ivory white mare, giving her a forced smile, but I remembered her posh English voice and couldn’t help but feel a little irritated at her for the words she said back at the forest, when I was bleeding out and she was talking about how I looked bad.

I inwardly debated whether or not I was going to hold a grudge against her, but decided against it. She probably didn’t mean anything by what she said, and it was probably her mouth running before her mind caught up.

At least, that’s what I thought at the time, so I dropped the beef I was ready to have with her for the sake of politeness.

“Isn't Pinkie crushing you like a foal does to a teddy bear?” The sky blue one with the rainbow hair asked, which to me practically screamed GAY PRIDE, looking at me in amusement with her arms crossed over her chest as she reclined against the wall.

I shook my head. “Besides the fact that she speared me right where I got shot,” I looked down at the pink mare with a hint of irritation, who just had a goofy grin on her face as she looked up at me with as much care in the world as your mother cares for you, “I’m fine. Is she going to be like this the entire time?” I asked, and she just answered with a shrug.

She then puffed her chest out so that she could snap a pose in front of everyone, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her goofy behavior. “My name is Rainbow Dash, and I’m the fastest flier in all of Equestria! I’m currently the captain of the weather team here in Ponyville, but I plan on becoming a Wonderbolt!” I pursed my lips, smirking at her bravado for a second, before I wiped my expression clean and nodded my head.

“Big aspirations, I’m sure.” I commented, bemused, looking towards the last one of the group, who had been doing her best to appear small and unassuming, hiding behind a long strip of blossom pink hair. She was wearing a yellow wool sweater and a grass green skirt that ran down to her knees. Or whatever they called their knees.

She seemed to have noticed me looking at her, because she brought her hands together, tapping her index fingers together as a sort of nervous tick, as she tried to hide more behind her hair.

“Oh, that’s Fluttershy! She takes care of all of the cutesy wutesy animals in all of Ponyville!” Pinkie exclaimed as Twilight removed her hand, wiping it off on the mare since she had spit all over it.

So she’s just as her name implies. Most of them seem like stereotypes, one way or another. Rarity’s the prim and proper girl of this group, Pinkie’s the extrovert who likes to just touch other people, Rainbow is the lesbian… I glanced over at her as she was still posing, acting like she’s God’s gift to the world. Or she’s just too cocksure about everything she does and is probably just very tomboyish. Fluttershy is the shy one of the group that probably got dragged in my one of the others. Twilight’s the nerd of the group. Probably sits at home and reads books all day. Applejack’s the southerner of the group. Probably heaps of southern hospitality.

I turned towards the group, though they were sort of scattered around the room, I took turns looking at each of them as I scratched my chin. “So, uh, my name is Daniel. I used to be a student before I got...” I trailed off because I was about to say that I had died, but that was obviously not true.

“We were the ones who saved you after that group of people, the mafia as you’ve known them, left you to d-die in that forest...” Twilight stated, frowning slightly, before continuing. “This may come as a shock, but you’re no longer on Earth.”

I nodded my head numbly, having already figured that out myself since I was seeing beings from another world in front of me, and I was obviously not asleep and dreaming. I slumped slightly into the bed at the news, and Pinkie took notice and looked up at me with a small smile, squeezing me in a tighter hug to try and comfort me.

I sighed softly and shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant about the entire ordeal. “It’s for the best. Even if I didn’t die in that forest, I’d be hunted down for the rest of my life by that damned mafia." How short that life may be when those assholes start looking for you is only answered by how far you're willing to take it and whether or not you're going to keep living in paranoia for the rest of your life. "At least here, I won’t have to watch my back. It gives me a fresh start and a clean slate to work with.”

I forced a small smile to make myself seem happy about the change, which I really was, but I was still feeling overwhelmed about the news of being alive, and being on a new planet. I received several encouraging smiles back from the mares as well. Pinkie stood up from me finally, and I could feel myself grow a bit more comfortable now that she wasn’t latched onto me like a leech.

After a few seconds of silence, I turned to look at the doctor. “So, not that I’m exactly hating it here or anything, but when can I go? I’m not one for being bedridden for too long.” I asked, and the doctor pursed his lips for a few seconds as he thought about it.

“I’d say tomorrow morning, just so that we can do one last check up on you. After that… well, I’d say ask one of these fine mares what you can do once you’re outside. For now, visiting hours have been over and I’d like to get home soon.” The doctor turned to the mares, and they each collectively nodded and started to head for the door.

Twilight paused and turned back around as she was already one foot out of the door. “We’ll be waiting outside when you leave Daniel.” Twilight said before she walked through the door.

The doctor turned towards me after watching them leave in silence. He let out a soft sigh. “Try to get some sleep. I feel like you’ll have a long day ahead of you.” With that, he left as well, and I was now stuck with my own thoughts.

For a while, I was thinking about everything that led me to this position, and what I might be able to do once I’m outside. A lot of the time, I could feel my eyes drawn to the window, with the night shining through. I was always a fan of looking up at the night sky, but being in a big city meant that a lot of pollution clouded the skies and made it just a gray haze during the days and the nights were barely visible since the smog covered most of the stars made it hard for the moon to shine through. Here, there was no signs of heavy industrialization from what I could see, and those skies were perfectly clean, and you could see everything there is to see. Thousands of stars dotted the skies, each bright and shining, some more than others.

“The night’s here are beautiful.” I murmured to myself as I settled down into the bed for the night, sighing softly as I closed my eyes.

For about thirty minutes, I laid there, staring at the back of my eyelids, trying to fall asleep, but my mind was still racing. Counting sheep did nothing, and trying to focus on my own breathing did little to calm the storm in my head. I huffed in irritation as my eyes cracked open and I looked out the window, where the moon was peaking in the sky.

I noticed there was a small figure that was in front of the moon, and was steadily growing larger. I could see wings on the back of the pony. I simply shrugged it off, thinking it was normal for the ponies to be flying around at night as well as day, and rolled over, trying to get to that sleep I was vouching for.

Five minutes passed, and I rolled back over, glaring out the window. That night sky seemed to calm me, and my glare softened until I was staring blankly at the moon. “I wish that Earth had nights like this...” I murmured to myself, not realizing that I had a guest in my room.

“Thee bethinks…my nights are beautiful?” A female voice softly asked solemnly, and I shot up, looking around until I saw the dark figure. A pair of teal eyes that was surrounded by an eerie, dark figure were narrowed at me as she watched me get startled by her presence.

“Who… are you?” I asked, changing my tone from angered to neutral quickly. There’s a lot of things I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to piss off a spirit or whatever it was and end up dead in my bed anyway. That’s what I was thinking at the moment, not knowing that this was just a lonely mare.

“Do you really think my nights are beautiful?” She insisted in her questioning, dropping the Shakespearean English and sounding desperate, like a girlfriend crooning for her exes attention.

I slowly nodded my head as I considered the mare in front of me, at least what I could see of her. She looked like everyone else, just a head or so taller than the rest, with a larger horn sticking out of her forehead. What got me was the hair. Her hair was billowing softly in a breeze that wasn’t there, with the appearance of the same night sky from outside billowing in her mane. The only thing missing was the moon and she could be disguised as the night itself.

She was wearing a black dress that accented her figure well, with a necklace of sorts hanging off in front of her. A tiara sat on her head, nestled between her ears. Her fur was a darker blue than Rainbow Dash, but not so dark that it didn’t stand out against the shadows she stood in front of, or against the dress she wore.

“Of course… There wasn’t much that I could see. On Earth, the nights were always clouded with pollution and you could barely make out the stars and the moon was barely visible in the sky...” I turned to look out the window, staring at that bright moon and twinkling stars. “Seeing the nights here, with this much clarity, is almost like a blessing in its own right. Only-” I was interrupted as I was pulled upwards and given another hug, this one much tighter than the one Pinkie gave.

I could feel my spine start to compress, and a few cracks came from several joints. I swear I could start seeing the heels of my feet as the stranglehold continued. She released me after a few seconds, and I winced slightly as I stretched to make sure everything was not broken.

“Thank you...” She whispered, her eyes glistening with tears.

“You’re welcome, but why thank me? I didn’t really do anything...” I responded, and she looked down to the floor.

“Nopony likes my nights... That’s why they all sleep through it instead of appreciating the work I put forth to create it.” She seemed to grow bitter at the end, and I decided to placate and compliment rather than trying to dig at the problem and see where it lied, since that could very well end with me pissing this ~~woma~~ mare off.

I scratched my chin. If she controls the night, she must be a powerful deity. Maybe a god or demigod, if those exist here… I thought, before tilting my head slightly as I regarded her.

“Think of it like this, people work all day, and they’re tired after a hard day of work. The night is a perfect follow up to these days, when it’s dark, quiet, and peaceful. It’s cool and comforting, and allows people to get away from the sun, when it's hot and too damn bright for you to fall asleep in. Ponies sleep through the night because of the comfort it brings, rather than it being underappreciated. There’s also people that work during the night, and I’m sure they have an appreciation for the night just as much as you and I would.”

I could see a single tear drop from her cheek that glinted in the moonlight, and she gave me another hug, albeit a much more tamed and softer one, and one that I actually returned, whispering into my ear her thanks.

“You’re welcome.” I responded with a little more sincerity in my tone. She broke it after a few seconds, and backed off, giving me a good look at this new mare.

She was definitely taller than most ponies. I stood about six feet, give or take an inch or two, and most of the ponies stood about five foot two inches, maybe five foot four inches. She about five foot eight inches, maybe five foot ten inches, not including her horn, just a touch shorter than I was. She had her ethereal ~~hai~~ mane, and that horn that was twice as long as other unicorns that he had seen, and sharper at the point than the others. I noticed as she turned towards the window that she had wings, and that confused me.

So, she’s a winged unicorn? I asked myself as she made it to the window. I was also wondering how she was able to get into my room silently when she turned to look at me, gave me a small, almost imperceptible smile and a mischievous gleam in her eyes, and simply walked through the wall, extending her wings to catch her and lift her into the air.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, seeing her just… phase through the wall like that. I’m sure my jaw was on the on its way to the core of the world when I watched her just... melt through the fucking wall and appeared on the other side of the window, taking off into the night with her wings aflappin'.

I watched as she disappeared into the night, and lay back down into my bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. It took me a few minutes to calm down from the excitement of the day, and I drifted off to sleep.

My dream for that night was pleasant, as I was simply sitting at a small cafe, drinking coffee with the six mares that I had met in the hospital room. Everyone was sharing laughs and smiles with one another. A few doubts sprung up here and there, but I cast them aside to just enjoy my time. Before long though, I found myself awake, staring at the ceiling, the moon still shining through the window.

Author's Note

The first chapter back, and I'd say that this is an improvement over how the first version of this chapter had gone, mmyes?
Anyway, I'll take a day to bust some grapes in a few vidya gaems, ~~and I did not spell those incorrectly on purpose~~ before I get to editing the next chapter.

Spem Somniis (Edited)

"Daniel, wake up." I heard a feminine voice say.

I cracked an eye open, shifted slightly in the bed, and groaned as I raised a hand up to my face, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I sat up and looked towards the wall, spotting a clock on it.

“It’s six in the morning.” I deadpanned, looking around the room for the culprit, but realized that nobody was in the room.

The fuck? Am I hearing voices now?

I shook my head and shifted to the edge of the bed, placing my feet on the cold floor. After a few seconds of preparing for a lot of pain, I stood up, and realized I didn’t feel anything. A bit of discomfort from the fact that I was nude, and the fact that the floors are cold as fuck.

I ignored the cold floor as I took a few steps to the window and closed the curtains to give myself some privacy, before stretching. I groaned softly as a few pops and cracks came from various joints in my body, and a satisfied sigh escaped my lips. I peeked from behind the curtains after feeling properly awake, and saw that the town was still in the midst of waking up themselves.

A few ponies were on the streets, walking themselves to work or simply sitting out on chairs that lined the street, eating and drinking. The sun was starting to kiss the horizon, so I nodded to myself as I started to look around the room.

Apparently I still had my iPod and headphones here, which were sitting in a drawer on the nightstand by themselves. Together they were one of the few things that I packed in my bag that wasn’t just clothes. I pressed the power button on it and it flashed on. The battery was still full, which was just odd to me.

Hasn’t it just been sitting here for the past week? Even being on would drain the battery. What the fuck is this world and why does it like fucking with me? I spent some time staring at the battery to see if it would ever go down, but fifteen minutes passed and not a single digit moved.

I sighed, shaking my head at the absurdity of everything, and looked at my lock screen. It was a picture of Tom from Tom and Jerry on the beach staring down into the picnic basket with his eyes covered up as hard-boiled eggs and olives. I always liked the classic cartoons, and that episode of Tom and Jerry was probably the funniest thing to me as a kid.

I decided to play a few games on my iPod to pass the time, seeing as I was awake and that the hospital staff were no doubt going to be arriving soon. Lo and behold, thirty minutes passed by and I was in the middle of a starting a virus in Plague Inc. when I heard the door open.

I glanced up from the game to see that it was the same doctor as before, with a clipboard tucked under his arm and a mug of steaming coffee in his other hand. I popped the last of the bubbles that popped up and cut off the game, setting it on the nightstand nearby.

“Your hours must suck to be coming in at seven in the morning and leaving late into the night.” I commented, and got a snort from the doctor.

“You don’t know the beginning of it buster...” He grumbled softly.

I decided to let that lie and change the subject. “So, a couple’a questions if you don’t mind. Where’s my old clothes, and can I get some of that coffee?” I asked, and received a cruel chuckle from him as he set his cup of Joe on the counter, looking over the clipboard.

“Your old clothes were trashed from what I was told after they were left in tatters and covered in copious amounts of blood. Rarity said that she was going to be coming sometime today to bring you clothes.”

I frowned at that. I know the shirt was fucked up from the cuts and probably couldn’t have been recycled, but the jacket should’ve been fine after a wash and my pants could’ve just been sewn back up over the holes! I’d at least feel better if I wasn’t sitting here without even boxers… I rolled my eyes and looked at the doctor expectantly.

“And no, you’re not getting any of my coffee.” I groaned and went to go flop back onto the pillow I had, but I had forgotten that I was sitting up already and just smashed my head into the wall behind me.

I grimaced and rubbed the back of my head while the doctor stared at me sternly. “You know, beating yourself up won’t get you any closer to my coffee. It just means you’re making more work for me.” He stated, sounding disappointed and irritable.

“I forgot that I wasn’t just laying down. Been awake for an hour or so and would like to get some energy in my body.” I grumbled as I lowered my arms back to my side. “I get a bit grumpy if I didn’t get that boost in the morning, ya know?”

He chuckled as he took a sip from the mug, and I pouted slightly. “Aren’t we all?” He joked after finishing his sip, and I chuckled along with him.

“True that. The world runs on that stuff.” I murmured as he set the mug down.

“Everything should be ready for you to leave as soon as you want to. Just check with the mare at the front desk to fill out a few forms and you can be on your way.” I nodded my head, and heard the door open.

Another nurse, this one not the same as yesterday, poked her head in. “Is he ready and presentable?” The mare asked, and the doctor glanced at me.

“He’s ready. Presentable is stretching it since he’s still without clothing, but that should be remedied soon enough, I’m sure.”

I thought you were going to go somewhere else there at the beginning. Some banter would’ve been fun. I thought as the nurse left and, about a minute later, returned with the same group as before.

Pinkie pulled the same stunt as before, spearing me in the chest as she hugged me. I was starting to get irritated by her greeting because it was starting to get sore there every time her shoulder hits my chest.

“Hi Danny!” She shouted as the doctor glared at her.

Danny? The fuck? Do I look like a phantom?

“What did I say yesterday about injuring our patients, Ms. Pie?” He asked testily, but she just giggled in response.

He just looked at me in exasperation. “Just make sure they don’t do too much damage to you before the end of the week, alright? I’d hate to see you back here because one of them tackled you too hard.”

I grinned weakly at him and gave him a thumbs up. “No promises doc. I can’t stop a girl hellbent trying to spear me every time she sees me.” He just shook his head, still looking agitated by her situation.

“Pinkie, stop crushing the poor dear and give him some space!” Rarity said as she walked in. I recognized my jacket and pants folded up in the pile that she had brought, along with two other sets and an extra shirt.

“Are those for me? I hope it wasn’t too much out of pocket to get those made...” Now I felt like a shithead for not having the money to pay for the clothes.

“Oh nonsense dear, fixing up your previous attire was no trouble at all! Shame I couldn’t save the shirt, but it had become so torn up since you got here that I had no choice but to destroy it. The rest of the clothing was made from scraps that I had planned on reusing for some casual attire for my young sister, but she can just wait a few more weeks.” Rarity answered with an indifferent flip of her hair.

Not like I loved the shirt in the first place... I thought as she placed the clothes onto a nearby chair since my body was currently covered in pink. I gave her a small smile of gratitude as Rainbow walked into the room, a small swagger in her steps.

“Hey Daniel, ready to see the town?” She asked, and I bobbed my head back and forth a few times, thinking about what I was going to see in the town.

“Yeah, sounds great. Need to learn the layout of the town before I can do anything, right?” I commented as Twilight and Fluttershy walked in, the former handling two bags on either side of her that were stuffed with something I couldn’t exactly make out. I figured it was books or something. Fluttershy held a small rabbit in her hands. Its arms were crossed over its chest and it had an angry look on its face. A scowl appeared when it looked at me.

Oh you little bastard. I’m going to make sure a bear wipes his ass on you.

I ignored the mean looking rabbit for the moment to look at the two mares that had walked in. “How’s it going you two?” I gave a small wave to the both of them, Pinkie still attached to me like a damn leech and having pinned one of my arms to my body.

“Hi Daniel. How are you feeling today?” Twilight asked me, and I just shrugged.

“Been better, been worse. Can’t complain really.”

She pulled out a book from one of her bags and handed it to me, beaming brightly. I grabbed the book and looked at the mare curiously for a second, before I glanced at the title of the book.

“History of Equestria, huh? I figured I didn’t have to start school back over again when I woke up.” I said jokingly, and I got a chuckle from Rainbow.

“School is an amazing experience! How can you not like school?!” She asked, sounding insulted.

“School wasn’t good for me. I couldn’t make any friends because of my situation, and I got bullied because I ended up being a social outcast. Got beat up and jumped a couple of times by the other kids.” I would've went on, but I noticed that Twilight’s expression fell and she looked sorrowful for bringing it up, and I could tell that the room felt morose after that little tidbit of information.

I decided to change the subject, looking over at Fluttershy. “So who’s your little friend Fluttershy?” The bunny in question hopped out of her hands and landed on Pinkie’s back, who just giggled softly. It made its way up her back and I was stuck staring at half of him and half of Pinkie’s hair.

“T-that’s Angel Bunny...” She murmured.

I think that’s the first time I’ve heard her speak. Huh. I thought as I offered my hand to the little guy to smell.

“Hey there Angel.” He slapped away my hand, which didn’t really do anything besides him pushing my hand an inch or two away, as I stopped it in front of him and glared at me. He then climbed to the top of Pinkie’s head and he slapped me across the cheek. Didn’t do anything, but I knew that I wasn’t going to be liking this little prick. Should’ve been named Devil, because that’s what you are in disguise you little cunt.

“Well aren’t you just the cutest piece of hasenpfeffer I’ve seen in a while! Can’t wait to get to know you personally.” I flashed him a small smile and a wink and that made it seem like I had scared him. He jumped off of Pinkie’s head and cleared her body in two leaps, before he landed back into Fluttershy’s hands, before he started to make small squeaks and started thumping his legs on her hands before he glared up at Fluttershy, his arms crossed over his chest as he awaited her response.

“Angel Bunny, t-that’s not a very nice thing to say. You need to go apologize to Daniel.” She said firmly, but the bunny seemed to disagree, giving her a scowl as well and shaking its head vehemently. I could see her eyes get hard and she started to glare at the bunny.

“Oh Celestia, avert your eyes.” Rainbow mumbled into my ear as she looked away, turning around fully to avoid the glare, but I didn’t see what the big deal was. She was just glaring at the rabbit.

I would’ve done much worse to that furry little fuck if I wasn’t in the presence of all of these ponies.

I saw Angel shrink down and seemed to cower before the mare, but grew resolute and stood up defiant against her. Fluttershy, in turn, continued to glare at the rabbit, becoming more intense. The rabbit seemed to finally admit defeat with a squeak, and it hopped out of her hands, making its way up Pinkie’s body again, who just continued to giggle.

I shook my head at the absurdness of the situation as the rabbit settled on Pinkie’s back, before it offered its paw to me. I decided to take it in two fingers gingerly and shook it up and down once before pulling him a bit closer.

“Just a small glare from her and you get twisted up like that? Pretty damn weak, all things considered.” I whispered to him, and he seemed to become indignant and hopped away after I released him.

“So, Daniel, it’s important for you to know the basics of Equestria if you plan on staying here and becoming a citizen.” Twilight chimed in, and I looked at her with a deadpan expression.

“I know I’m gonna have to, but what do you consider ‘basics?’” I asked, quoting with my fingers.

“It’ll be easy! It’s only the full history of Equestria, the local economy, social and cultural differences and nuances of Equestria, holidays, and a basic understanding of magic!”

I could feel my face fall with each different topic that she brought forth, especially at the end with the social and cultural side of Equestria, and understanding magic part. I’m pretty sure I look like a prisoner about to go to death row at this point, but decided to lighten the mood up as I could see that Twilight was becoming nervous by my downtrodden look.

“I guess I’ll see everyone in twelve years while Twilight drills this info into me.” I joked, and earned a good-natured chuckle from everyone else in the room and a pout and blush from Twilight as she started to stammer out a response.

“Alright everypony, let him get dressed so that he can get out of here sooner.” The doctor interjected, waving his hands towards the door, and everyone left without much complaint. Pinkie just complained that she was comfortable and enjoying the rhythm of my heartbeat, which is really weird, but I suppose that it’s just normal for her since everyone else just rolled their eyes at her antics. The doctor was the last to leave, and turned to look at me with a nod before he exited the room.

I let the door click before I jumped out of my bed and started to sort through the pile of clothes. “Goddamn, this stuff is soft...” I murmured to myself as I ran a hand down the fabric of the shirts and pants that were made by Rarity.

I pulled on a pair of gray boxers that she seemed to have made as a replica of my original underwear. Everything here was a little fancy for something that a normal person would consider casualwear, but I’ve had it drilled into me that I need to look my best at all times, especially when repping the family.

The pants were the same shade of black as my jacket, fitting snug and comfortable, but breathed in all of the right places so that I didn’t feel like I couldn’t move around in them. I used one of the white shirts as an undershirt for my jacket, which was a black suit jacket that I had grabbed before I had left the house. The socks matched the rest of the attire, and it looked like they had managed to keep my shoes.

They were originally black dress shoes that were shined, but they had become dirty and scratched up in my chase through the forest. Somehow, they had managed to get all of the scratches out of the shoes and clean off the dirt, making them look as new as the day they were bought. A tie had been set on top of the pile, a nice burgundy red to add a little flair to the suit itself.

Is this a fedora? It’s nice… I asked myself as I picked up the piece that had caught my eye originally. It was a fedora, with a creased crown and side dents in it. The front of the brim of the hat was curled downwards while the back of the brim was curled upwards, while a ribbon wrapped around the base of the hat itself. The material of it was soft, but I couldn’t tell what it was by just glancing at it.

I adjusted my tie, donned the fedora, and saw a pair of blue lensed sunglasses sitting on the nightstand next to my iPod.

I don’t remember those being there. Huh.

I picked them up and put them on, smiling as I looked over myself in a mirror. I did a small spin and turned my head every which way I could to get a good look at myself, smirking.

I always felt like it was nice, dressing up even when I didn’t want to. It gave me an appreciation for my looks and made me comfortable with wearing something formal rather than going about with only jeans and a t-shirt, which I only did on lazy days or when I was having to do some labor around the yard, like pulling weeds from the garden or cutting grass.

I decided that I had spent enough time staring at myself in the mirror, grabbed the rest of my stuff from the nightstand, and folded the clothes again before wrapping it around my arm. I turned to the door and started walking, and the door was opening.

“Daniel, are you okay? You’re taking a while to get dressed.” I heard the doctor say, and I rolled my eyes as I pulled the sunglasses off and stuck them into the collar of my shirt, letting them hang there as I walked out.

“I was just making sure that I was presentable and that I had all of my stuff before I walked out. Didn’t want for you to have to come chase me down to give me my wallet or something.” I stated as I pulled the door open and felt all eyes drop onto me. I realized quickly how much taller I was than the rest of them since I towered over the mares by almost a foot and the stallion by a good six inches.

I got a few dropped jaws, a whistle from Pinkie, a snicker from Rainbow, and a smirk from the doctor. Rarity was beaming at me as I came out, giving me a one over.

“Oh darling, you look smashing!” I gave her an appreciative smile.

Pinkie gave a giggle. “You’re looking good Danny! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were about to go on a date with a nice mare!” Pinkie exclaimed, and that got Rainbow to crack up even more and Twilight and Fluttershy blushed furiously as they picked their jaws off of the ground, while Rarity seemed to flush a little at the thought. The doctor was just standing there with his smirk, shaking his head slowly.

“While I appreciate the look, why were you wearing a suit when you were in that dreadful forest?” Rarity asked, and the smile I had fell slightly, one that went noticed by all of the ponies in the conversation.

“It’s something that I’ve always been doing. When I was young, I was forced to wear it when I went out somewhere and even when I went to school. As I got older, I was allowed a little leeway with my outfits, but I continued to wear suits more often than not. The sunglasses are for my eyes, since people get nervous around people with odd eye colors.”

I don’t even want to bring up religion. Don’t know how many Bible thumping nutjobs said that I was possessed by a demon before they started slinging holy water in my direction... If they don’t have it here, it can stay back on Earth for all I fucking care.

“I didn’t have this fedora though, but it’s definitely a well made piece. Same with the suit. So, yeah, thanks Rarity. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

She just shook her head, giving a wide, beaming smile. “Oh, pish posh darling, it’s nothing I wouldn’t do for anypony else if they were down on their luck! Also, I brought along this bag so that you don’t have to carry your extras on your arm like that. I would hate for them to get dirty as we go around Ponyville!”

She handed me a cotton bag with handles sewn onto them and I put the clothes in there. “Thank you for everything. All of you, for helping me out here.” I mumbled, feeling well and truly embarrassed about all of the help that I had been getting, and got smiles and positive responses out of each of the mares in turn. It helped put my mind at ease now that I now I’m walking out into a brand new world.

“So, are you ready to see the town Daniel?” Twilight asked, sounding excited after she had calmed down from her embarrassment of seeing me and probably finding me attractive.

Yeah, I know I look good, no reason to hide it or be ashamed about it. Even if it makes me sound a bit narcissistic, having a little confidence in how you look goes a long way for yourself in life.

“Sounds like a plan. I just gotta fill out a few papers at the front and I’ll be on my way.”

With that, we started for the front desk. The doctor explained why I was filling out papers, which is just that they were keeping records of what had happened in case anyone that has the authority to ask can see, and to set up a certificate so that I wasn’t just waltzing around without any form of identification.

When he mentioned identification, I pulled out my driver’s license and my school ID card, which gave basic information about myself and had a picture so that I could be identified, but he just shook his head and said that I would need something akin to a birth certificate to be able to be officiated as a citizen in the future.

With that out of the way, I filled out the paperwork and was out of the door before long. “So, where’s Applejack at? She busy with work or something?” I asked Twilight as I stepped out of the building for the first time and hopefully the last time, and I donned my new sunglasses.

Twilight nodded her head as she brought a hand up to cover her eyes to protect it from the sudden glare of the sun. “She’s a co-owner of Sweet Apple Acres and there was an accident,” she glared at Rainbow Dash, who just chuckled awkwardly as she looked towards the ground, “that had transpired before you had arrived here. So she and her brother are fixing up their barn before harvesting season starts.”

I nodded my head in understanding. It was nice of her to take some time to come visit me if she’s preparing for harvest and she has to fix something big. I thought, turning my attention to the bustling town of Ponyville.

I looked around slowly, taking in all of the sights of the in front of him. It was the same city he saw from my window, but there was something about the smell of baked goods and the earthy tones of flowers on the wind that made me appreciate the rustic vibe the town had. The road was cobbled stone, and the town was in full swing, with all kinds of ponies of all colors of the rainbow walking or flying to their destinations.

Some of the ponies were sitting at cafes, chatting with friends and family with smiles on their faces. Some ponies were pulling carts that were loaded with goods, anything from fruits and vegetables to trade goods like cloth, what looked like rocks but were probably ores to melt down into their respective metals, and wood. I could see a few smaller ponies running around in yards or grassy fields with one another, doing who knows what kids do on this world.

We spent about three hours wandering the town, with each pony naming off different locations or shops and what they contained inside. I noticed a lot of places were hay-based, especially around food, and towards the start of the third hour, food became a frequent topic that was brought up.

Soon enough, Rainbow Dash’s stomach grumbled loudly, and she smiled sheepishly as she looked at everyone else. “I guess it’s about time for lunch?” The rest of the mares were giving affirmations to being hungry as well, but I had been lost in thought at the time about that voice that I heard early in the morning, as well as the stuff that was appearing out of nowhere, and afterthoughts of what I’ve been pondering the last day or so.

A part of me still believes that this is a dream, but I’m mostly under the impression that the dream has gone on long enough, and that everything here is real. Still, there’s that very small portion of me that still believes this is a dream, and that everything will be swept from under me in a matter of minutes.

Rarity told me after the first hour that she didn’t know where the fedora came from, but that it had appeared alongside the tie on top of the clothes that she spent the entire day working on previously. After being thoroughly questioned if she knew who did it, and how it appeared there, they came to the conclusion that it was simply a memory lapse on Rarity’s part, though that didn’t sound right to me. She seemed-

“Daniel?” Twilight’s voice snapped me back to reality, and I looked down at her. She looked concerned.

“Yes Twilight? Sorry, I was just thinking about some stuff.” I reassured her, slapping myself mentally, and she seemed to accept that as she gave a small smile.

“Would you like to go to the cafe with us?” She blushed slightly as a pair of mares that had been walking by grinned and started to giggle to themselves. “Y-you don’t have to, of course! B-but we-”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her anxious tirade. “It’s fine Twilight. Sure, I’m feeling a bit hungry. Whatever’s best with you girls is fine by me.” I responded.

She seemed to accept that and the mares started walking off, talking among themselves.

I trailed behind them slightly as I became lost in thought once again. What the hell was that voice in the hospital room? Was the hospital haunted? Or was it something else? There was no one there, but the voice still called out to me. I paused for a second as something popped into my head. Has a being of evil noticed me being brought here from somewhere not of this world and is trying to contact me? Am I going insane because I’ve started accepting this as my new reality? Am I truly here, or is this just a hallucination while I’m still comatose? Am I even alive right now? That thought right there made my head spin a little, and I stopped for a moment and brought a hand up to my head.

Maybe this is a joke that I’ve been getting hit with by the denizens of hell, leading me to a false sense of security before they torture me for the rest of time? What if I’m dead and these… memories? Or maybe visions… These visions are fake, and I’m sitting in purgatory, waiting for my chance to be called so that I could be judged? The Bibble and Jerry was never really specific about how it worked in Purgatory. Not from what I remember at least.

I felt a hand on my arm and turned to see that Twilight had dropped back from the rest of the group and was walking alongside me.

“Hey Twilight, I didn’t see you there...” I said weakly, giving an unconvincing smile as she continued to look at him in concern.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been quiet for the majority of the trip. Unless we started talking directly to you, you’d be silent or you’d give small answers to questions. What’s on your mind?” She inquired, leaning against him a bit.

“What do you mean? I’m just… normally this quiet.” I lied through my teeth, but she gave me a glare that said she knew better. Of course, at the time, I didn’t know she had seen my memories.

“I know as much as you do about yourself, seeing as I’ve seen into that head of yours Daniel. You’ve always tried to be outgoing and friendly but you’ve been put into a bad situation from the start...” She murmured, and I looked at her in surprise.

How the fuck did she see into my head? Wait, I’m sure the answer’s probably magic. I thought, growing a bit spiteful about magic having the answer to everything.

“I noticed you didn’t really give any clear answers about certain things as well.” She dug deeper into me, looking at me sternly, almost like a mother would a misbehaving child. I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly.

“Like what?”

She pursed her lips. “Like about your life in general. Or the things you did back home. Or...” She blushed slightly, turning away. “Past crushes and your love life up to this point...” She mumbled.

I could feel my face heating up slightly as I remembered them trying to grill me for that sort of info and I just kept pushing it off since I didn’t want to remember. Love life? More like lack thereof. Haven't had a girlfriend yet, and I've never even kissed a girl because I was getting my shit pushed in. “Well, there’s really not much about me that’s worth mentioning. Besides the fact that I was hounded by the mafia for pretty much my entire life, I spent most of my time outside of school playing video games or practicing... other things.”

I frowned slightly as I went into the next topic. “You said it yourself, you pretty much know everything about me. I didn’t have much in terms of a love life, and the few crushes I did have were either too far out of my league or moved away before I could muster up the courage to say anything to them.” I chewed on my lip, feeling indignant about having to speak about something she knew about out loud.

“Look, I understand that it’s hard to get past what happened, but you shouldn’t bottle yourself up… It’s not healthy. It’ll just lead to pain for everypony down the road.”

I looked back at her and sighed softly. “Fine... So, I was thinking about something that actually happened this morning. I swear I heard someone calling out me, telling me to wake up, but when I woke up, I didn’t see anyone else in the room and it was long before anyone else showed up.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either.

“Daniel, I feel like there’s more to it than just that.” Twilight murmured, giving me another stern look.

I couldn’t help but feel exasperated, and it came out in my voice even as I tried to hide it. “Alright, you wanna know what’s on my mind? I feel like I’m in the middle of a fucking existential crisis right now. How do I know that all of this,” I looked around the town, my gaze finding its way back to the mare,” is even real? How do I know that I’m not dead, and this is just some joke played on me by some demon from Hell? How do I know I’m not actually in a coma and all of this is actually a hallucination made up in my head?!”

My voice was starting to rise slightly, and I could see a few ponies turning to look at me, so I drew back so that I wouldn’t draw attention to what we were saying and looked up at the blue skies above, as if they were going to give me an answer.

“I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not anymore… Everything that I once knew about the world has been turned on its head, and I can’t help but feel like this might just be something that I’m not aware of.” I lifted my sunglasses to rub at my eyes in irritation, before looking back down at her. She had been gawking for some time before her expression changed to a shocked and disbelieving expression, which was starting to become destitute before long, before she seemed to resolve whatever she was thinking of in her head and looked determined as I stared back at her.

“Daniel, I have no idea how you feel. I’ve never found myself in a situation like this before. The closest that I’ve ever gotten was when I first found myself here in Ponyville. I came from Canterlot,” I snorted at the name and she glared at me.

“Sorry, that’s just… very similar to a city back from where I’m from. Please continue.” I responded to her mean look and she sighed softly.

“I came from Canterlot,” she waited for me to interrupt, but I held my tongue even when it was still funny to hear the horse pun in the name, “and had been socially awkward for most of my life. I’m the personal student of Princess Celestia, so when she sent me here to manage a celebration that was going to happen, I found myself in a new place, surrounded by strangers, with only Spike beside me. But looking back, I wouldn’t trade that moment for anything in the world.”

She became silent for a moment, smiling softly to herself before she snapped back to reality. “I can tell you that you’re not d-dead...” She grew tight lipped at that, but continued on with a determined look. “You’re not in a coma on Earth. You’re here with us on Equestria. You don’t have to worry about those people from Earth anymore. From this day forward, everything will be fine. Maybe, in time, you’ll find somepony here to love and live your life with.”

I felt myself snap to her automatically at those final words, and I winced deeply when I remembered what happened the one time that I had actually shown interest in a girl to someone from the mafia. She never spoke to me after that, nor should she have after what had happened.

“Twilight, I couldn’t do that to anyone here. Me falling for someone has cost someone that I had fallen for back then something that can’t be given back." In more ways than one... I added silently before continuing. "Just thinking about the idea of someone here going through that just...” I let out a growl as I balled up my fists, keeping them by my side as I shook my head. “Best thing for me should’ve been that bullet in the chest. Everyone here would be better off if I was just rotting in that damn forest.”

Twilight was stunned by the sudden change in my tone. She was staring at me in absolute shock, like I had just told her that her favorite pet had died.

“Daniel, please… There’s always a possibility that you’ll find love somewhere. Those stallions can’t get to you here, and you’ve only grown to fear those stallions because they were always watching over you, ready to hurt you for anything that they saw as a glimmer of hope for you. Equestria has been in peace for over a thousand years, and most likely will be for another thousand! It’d be the perfect chance for you to find a special somepony, maybe get married and have a few foals...”

She seemed to trail off slightly, and I looked over at her as she seemed to get lost in La-La land. She had a dopey expression on her face, and I couldn’t help but shake my head in amusement at her, despite the dark and morbid conversation we were having in the middle of heading to some cafe.

Despite what she kept saying and trying to reassure me about, I couldn’t help but feel anger and shame for what happened, and I’ll never forgive myself for letting myself appear weak to those fucking bastards for as long as I live.

Twilight seemed to be ready to continue, and was opening her mouth when Rarity interrupted her. “We’re here~!”

She gave me one last glance, and offered a small smile. “Try not to let your past dictate who you are in the future Daniel. Those mean stallions can’t get here, so you shouldn’t have to worry about them ever again.” With that, she started walking towards the cafe, the small smile remaining on her face as she joined her friends.

I felt callous for dismissing her words so vehemently, but I wasn’t in the right mind at the time.

I was angry, I was depressed, and most of all, I was scared. But it had slowly dawned on me that she was right, and it pained me to admit that I was letting myself get beat up by the idea that there was someone back on Earth, looking for me. But this is a new place, a new planet, and even if things are a bit weird right now, this place sure as hell has been much better to me than Earth was for me.

I shouldn’t be living my life in fear of what other people would do to me, especially since they can’t touch me now. Fuck them, they’ll get what’s coming to them before long, and I’ll only hate to miss the moments when they get locked up for good or to watch the news as their bodies are uncovered in a homicide.

“D-Daniel?” Fluttershy’s voice cut through his musings as she looked up at me nervously. “A-are you going to eat…?” She hid behind her hair as I looked down at her, and I gave her a forced smile.

“Yeah, was just thinking about something unimportant.” I responded to her, following her to the table that the other mares had gotten while I had been standing there. I was handed a menu, and I took a few minutes to look over what the options were. Most of them were normal, like sandwiches that were packed with mostly vegetables.

I decided to play it safe, getting some water and a BLT, which was sadly not a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. Instead, it was broccoli, which I wasn’t expecting, but I didn't complain.

I bit into one of the hay fries and it tasted really weird to me. It was like what I’d thought a french fry would taste like if I decided to dip it into a pot of old grease that was mixed with horseradish and onions.

I chewed it with a weird look on my face, which drew the attention of Rainbow Dash, who was eating a salad with fruit in it, which I thought was fucking weird but that was just me, and she started to cough up the food she had been chewing on as she laughed at me.

Rarity admonished her for her poor table-side manner, and turned to look at me to apologize on Rainbow’s behalf when she paused to look at my face, before she raised her hand up to her mouth to cover the smile she had gotten when she was looking at my expression.

Soon enough, I had everyone either giggling or laughing at me as I swallowed the fry, and decided to hand over my fries to Twilight, who completely ravished them in the meantime.

Rainbow seemed a little surprised and perhaps a bit insulted that I had given up my fries like that. “What the hay Daniel! These fries are the best on this side of Equestria!”

I finished off what was left of my sandwich to wash the taste of the fry out of my mouth. “Those fries tasted… off to me. I don’t know what they were, but they didn’t taste right.”

How the fuck do they make fries here, if they come out tasting like they were cooked in the crack of a dead man? Twilight gave me a look as she had been stuffing her face with the fries, and swallowed the handful she had.

“They taste great to me!” She grabbed another handful and stuffed them into her awaiting maw. I rolled my eyes at her eating habits.

“Remind me to get some potatoes and I’ll make some fries from my world. Show you how we do things over there.”

My Dad was weird about his fries. If he didn’t get the potatoes and peel them and blanched them himself, he didn’t like the fries because he claimed they tasted off or didn’t taste good. Didn’t matter if they used the same oil as us to fry them in, or if they baked them in an oven at the same temperature for the same exact time. He taught me how to make fresh fries from scratch, and while I disliked it at first how much time it took for me to have to spend to make them, I’m glad that I did end up learning because I would need that skill in the coming days. I’ll be using that method he taught me over here to make some decent fries.

“I bet they won’t size up to these fries at all.” Rainbow boasted, giving a smug look on her face before she stuffed a handful of them into her face.

You’ll be eating those words. Then probably eating all of the damn fries because I can make a mean set of fries. I thought, but rolled my eyes as I finished off the last of my water.

Everyone chipped in for the meal, but when I pulled out my wallet and fished out a couple of dollars, the waiter got a weird look on his face and said that he didn’t accept whatever my currency was. Twilight ended up having to pay for my meal and that pissed me off, since I still had all of that cash on me and it didn’t mean jack shit if nobody wants it. We had started walking off from the cafe and I was still miffed about the waiter not taking my cash.

“Can’t believe my money isn’t good here...” I grumbled under my breath as all of us were walking down the street.

“He just didn’t realize the intrinsic value of a currency from beyond our world. I’m sure Princess Celestia would be interested in saving what you have in a museum!” Twilight exclaimed, seemingly nonplussed.

I grimaced slightly in anger. “I just don’t like the fact that you had to pay for my shit because my cash wasn’t a solid gold coin.” I pulled the fedora off of my head and ran a hand through my hair, airing it out slightly to try and keep myself from getting hot-headed, or at least more so than what I had become.

“While this has definitely been a fun experience, I must go back to the Carousel to finish my latest orders! Ta-ta for now!” Rarity split off from the group, waving a hand behind her as she disappeared into the herd of ponies that were walking to and fro.

“I have work early in the morning, so I’ll see y’all later!” Rainbow shouted as she spread her wings and took off, dashing away in a rainbow streak.

I swear if she isn’t lesbian, I’ll be surprised. I thought as I watched her disappear.

“I have to finish up work as well! Bye Danny!” Pinkie bounced off into the crowd.

“This has definitely been an eventful day for me, but I’ve gotta catch up on my studies. I’ll see you two later.” Twilight started walking off, but I cut in before she made it too far.

“Wait, what? Where am I going to be staying?” I asked in confusion, turning towards Fluttershy and Twilight.

“We had already discussed this the night before. I don’t have any room in the library for a guest, and the Cakes are cramped already in Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie Pie staying there. Rarity doesn’t have any room, and Applejack’s farm is full of equipment from her extended family at the moment. Fluttershy’s the only one with a spare bedroom at the moment, and Rainbow Dash lives in the clouds and you can’t walk on clouds since you’re not a pegasus.” Twilight answered, giving me a sheepish grin.

I turned to look at Fluttershy, and she shrunk down slightly. “I-I’m sorry if that’s not good enough D-Daniel...” She mumbled, but I waved it off.

“It’s fine, I just thought for a moment that I was going to be left to fend for myself. That would’ve been...” a shitshow. “Bad. I didn’t really go camping back home...” I rubbed my forehead as I thought about how well I would’ve done trying to live out in the woods when I could barely function by myself in the first place.

I started following Fluttershy as she led me towards her cottage, which was on the outside of town. “I live with a lot of animals in my house. I-I hope you don’t mind...” She mumbled suddenly as we were walking down the trail she turned down.

I shook my head in response. “That’s fine with me.” I responded awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head.

“I-I didn’t mean to-” I cut her off before she started apologizing about something else.

“It’s not your fault Fluttershy. I’m just a bit tired right now. I’ve had a lot on my mind since I woke up.”

She simply nodded her head and continued walking down the trail that made its way over a small hill. We crested the hill and noticed immediately all of the animals in the vicinity. All shapes and sizes found themselves nestled in the shade of the trees nearby, or in the shadow of the cottage as the sun shone down. A few of them perked up as we came over the hill, but settled down once we started making our way down the hill, crossing the small bridge.

“I need to feed my little woodland creatures. Do you mind if you help me Daniel? Y-you don’t have to, it’s perfectly fine, I-I just-” I shook my head and placed a hand on her shoulder, and she squeaked and stopped talking before she looked up at me.

“It’s the least I could do since you’re letting me stay here Fluttershy. Just tell me where to get started and what to do and I’ll get it done.” I could see a small smile creep out from behind her hair, but it was gone as quick as it came.

We came around the side of the house and I saw a small shed sitting close by. She walked inside and I followed, and for a second, I had a flash of… something. I’m not sure what it was, but when I stepped through the precipice of that door, all I could see were of the walls being covered in blood gore, with different ponies and skeletons of woodland critters strung up or nailed to the walls, buckets of blood sitting next to the tables, a bunch of brains sitting off in one corner, and much more ghastly sights that shocked and appalled me.

However, I blinked in the second it took for me to take in all of the details of what was going on in the shed, and all I saw was large bags of different types of feed for different types of animals, and a bit of sawdust on the ground. I removed the sunglasses that I had been wearing and looked around again, and seeing everything was normal, I ground the palms of my hands into my eyes.

What the fuck is wrong with me? I’m hearing voices, stuff’s appearing out of nowhere, and now I’m seeing flashes of crazy shit about some shy girl that lives on the edge of town…

She grabbed one bag with a grunt and started hauling it out of the shed with a bit of a wobble in her step. I had donned my sunglasses again and saw that she was having a bit of trouble with the bag and I decided to help. I took it from her arms as she came towards me and she squeaked softly.

“U-um, Daniel…? W-why did you-” I shifted the bag over into one arm, setting my bag of clothes down onto the floor.

“I figured that I could carry this stuff around for you while you feed your pets. I couldn’t help but notice that you were struggling a bit to pick it up.” I answered, and I could see her cheeks grow rosy.

“D-do you mind if you carried two at once? W-we could get done in half the time...”

I nodded my head in response. “Sure thing. Just point out which one you want me to carry.” She pointed to a slightly smaller bag and I bent down, wrapping my arm around the bag to pick it up, before I tossed it up slightly to get it to rest against my arm to be in a more comfortable carrying position.

She started leading me around the yard as animals seemed to line up, and she dug into the bags, pulling out handfuls of pellets, bending down to hand one or two to an animal before she’d encourage them to eat it or murmur some words to the animals. It took us about twenty minutes and three trips back and forth from the shed to grab different bags of feed for different animals.

My arms were a bit sore after the entire ordeal, but I dealt with it in silence as she took some time to pet the last creature she had fed and stood up.

“That’s all of them. Y-you can go put the bags back into my shed, i-if you want to...” I just responded with a nod.

“I thought there were a lot more than there actually were.” I commented as I started carrying the bags back to the shed. I didn’t get a response from her, and for some reason I was expecting one since I had taken a slower pace to see if she would say something. I simply shrugged it off as her being shy and decided to finish the task at hand.

The inside of the shed looked the same as it always had, besides the first second that I had stepped into it, and Fluttershy followed me in. “Usually it takes me an hour or two to feed them all, but with you carrying all of the bags for me, it was a lot easier to do...”

I think that’s the first time I didn’t hear her stutter. I thought offhandedly, ignoring the fact that she had been silent the entire time that she had followed me through, as I set the bags down where they were sitting and went to go pick my spare clothes up.

“So, how often do you feed them, since I’m going to be staying here and helping out?” I asked, knowing that I’m not going to just be sitting on my ass while she does everything.

Even if she said I didn’t have to help out, I’m not a prick that just mooches off of other people without compensation.We started walking towards the front door of her cottage, and she stopped on her porch to think about it for a few moments.

“I-I feed them once when I wake up and once before the end of the day… If they’re still h-hungry between those times, they usually go hunt or forage for something to eat…”

She opened the door and walked inside, and I followed after a few seconds. I noticed immediately that there were birdhouses, cages, and animal beds covering just about everything in the house. A large brown rug sat in the middle of the room, and was covered with different animal hairs. A fireplace sat against one wall to the right, which was surrounded by a few chairs and a sofa and a table. A bookshelf several books sat across the room.

A few pictures sat upon the mantle of the fireplace of different things, like one of Angel, one of Fluttershy with her friends, and one of I’m guessing her parents and a younger Fluttershy. I noticed that her kitchen was a bit dirty with a few stains here and there on the countertops and the floor, but I didn’t blame her since she’s got a lot of stuff she probably has to do in order to keep up with the amount of animals here.

I mean, there’s easily a hundred that I had counted.

There was another door that led somewhere else, I’m assuming a basement, and a stairway right above it that led upstairs. Fluttershy was already on her way upstairs when I walked in, and I figured she was getting her guest room ready for me. I went over to the bookshelf and picked out a book at random, and sat down on the couch.

I had removed my sunglasses and had them nestled in the crack of my shirt, flipped through the first few pages of the story, which apparently was a cheesy romance novel, when I heard a crash from upstairs. I set the book down on the table and started towards the stairs, cautious for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

Did she knock something over and cause it to break? I asked myself as I made my way up. I heard a bit of noise coming from behind one of the doors and realized it was running water after listening for a few seconds. I went to go knock on the door to ask if she was okay inside, but realized that she probably just dropped a bottle of shampoo or something, and that she’d be embarrassed if I interrupted her shower.

I decided to head back downstairs and sit back down on the couch. A brief image of Fluttershy stripping off her clothes popped into my head, but I dismissed the image immediately, my face flushing in embarrassment and shame. I imagined another one of her completely nude, and felt some blood rushing downstairs.

I punched the inside of my thigh to focus on the pain and to draw my attention away from what I was thinking, and to stop myself from embarrassing the both of us. The last thing I need is for this poor girl to think I’m some sort of perv if I’m sitting on her couch, thinking about her naked in the shower... After a few minutes of more water, it turned off, and I had been in the midst of reading the book I had plucked off of the shelf when I heard Fluttershy descending the stairs, with only a towel wrapped around herself for modesty. I froze like a deer in headlights, before looking away and covering my face with my hands, and I could hear her stop on the stairs with a horrified squeak.

“D-D-Daniel?! I-I thought y-you w-went to bed!” Fluttershy squeaked out. I stared down at the page of the book to stop myself from looking in her direction.

“Y-you… uh, didn’t show me the guest room. I-I thought y-you were getting it prepared or something… I didn’t know you were taking a shower until I-I heard the water running...” I mumbled, closing the book and hiding my face in my fedora.

“O-oh, I-I’m so sorry! I f-forgot to show you to where you w-were going to be staying and y-you’ve been waiting on me all this time!” I heard her step over quickly and I felt her grab my wrist, ushering me off of the couch.

Alright, time to grow the fuck up! No staring, no extended looking, no excuses for even a long glance! I told myself as I pulled the fedora off of my face so I wasn’t being led blindly, though I could feel my face become even more heated as the first thing that I was met with was the lip of her towel swaying in front of me as she started up the stairs, and I practically glued my face to the wall to avoid seeing anything she wouldn’t want me to see.

I didn’t see anything, you can’t tell me I saw anything, I saw NOTHING. I thought, doing my best to not envision the way her towel billowed against her thighs and teased her most sacred parts-

I shook my head fiercely, drawing my attention to the wall once again as heat exploded across my face. I felt her release my hand as I reached the top of the stairs and turned to glance at her, and saw that she was blushing as well. I walked past the first door, which was the bathroom that Fluttershy had occupied previously. The next one I assumed was the master bedroom, as she walked right past it and into the next door before she slowly opened the door.

The bedroom was not much larger than the one he had back home. It had a small bed that was tucked away in the corner with a nightstand next to it with a lamp that sat on top of it, two windows against the adjacent wall to the door and the adjacent wall to the bed. Against the wall near to the second window was a wooden desk and a simple chair tucked into it. On the wall closest to the door was a small folding door that I assumed was the closet where I’d keep my clothes.

I turned to look at the mare and smiled softly. “It’s great, t-thanks Fluttershy.” I stepped into the room and set the bag that I had been toting along all day on the bed, yawning softly. I looked out the window and noticed that it was still well into the afternoon.

Can’t go to sleep now, otherwise I’d wake up at midnight… I thought. I opened the door to the closet and noticed that there was a small stand in dresser in there as well where I could put more clothes. I hung up the two spare outfits that I had and put whatever socks and underwear into the dresser. I placed my sunglasses and fedora on top of the dresser before I added my wallet and headphones to it as well before I tossed my iPod onto the bed. I kicked off my shoes and lay down on the bed, looking at my phone briefly before I decided to play some music. I made sure to tone down the sound before I started playing some Camille Saint-Saëns.

For music, I’m not picky. I tended to stick to rock and roll, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic styles of classic music, some swing and jazz from the ‘20s and ‘30s. From time to time, I’ll find something that I'd enjoy enough to add to my collection. Some of it was from the metal genres like Paranoid, Iron Man, and War Pigs by Black Sabbath, Jump and Runnin’ with the Devil by Van Halen, mixed in with Ace of Spades by Motörhead, Fear of the Dark and Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden, Breaking the Law and Painkiller by Judas Priest. I could write a full list of songs that I have on this thing, but it's over six hundred, and all of them are all over the place honestly. Some of them are for dancing, which I do tend to do in my spare time when nobody is around because I like the feeling of moving, and some of them are there to provoke... thoughts.

I started off with Aquarium, listening to the slow melodic tempo of the song that seemed to drive me into a calm as if I was standing on the edge of a lake, the water clean and clear, with fish that swam to and fro in front of me, occasionally darting away for a piece of food before they slowly swim back towards the rest of the school.

It was followed directly by Danse Macabre, how it starts off with its quiet and slow tempo before it starts to grow louder and more intense before washing away like a wave on a beach, before the tempo starts to pick up once again before it climaxes into a strong dynamic of the full orchestra playing until the very end, when it descends down into a single violin sadly playing until the coda stops the piece.

I decided on a sadder tune for some reason, and decided to listen to The Swan from the Carnival of the Animals. The slow cello melody and solo piano was meant to represent the elegance of a swan gliding over the water, however the piece has always seemed sad to me, as if Saint-Saëns was going through harsh times when he wrote this piece, and that was how I had interpreted it for years when I first heard it. Despite knowing better, it still sounds sad and brings a solemn shroud of my heart as I listen to I until it ends with the final keys from the piano softly playing.

I heard the door softly slide open and I cracked an eye open to look towards the door to see Fluttershy standing there, eyes puffy and red. He sat up and looked over her. She had gotten dressed in the time, and looked like she had been crying.

“H-hey Fluttershy, are you okay? I… didn’t say anything too harsh today, have I?” I asked, silently cursing myself already for the mistreatment of my host. She shook her head at me and pushed the door open slowly.

“I-I was in my room when I heard the music coming from in h-here… I-I was going to come in earlier, but that l-last song sounded so… depressing t-that I couldn’t help myself...” She sniffled and wiped the tears out of her eyes, giving me a sad smile.

I couldn’t help but return it. “So, uh, that song wasn’t actually supposed to be sad… I thought the same thing when I first heard it, but it turns out that it was supposed to signify the elegance a swan has when it glides across the water of a lake. The original composer of the piece had created an entire set for all sorts of things, but this is arguably one of his best pieces individually...”

Her smile returned as she twirled a bit of her hair between her fingers as she closed the door behind her. “D-do you mind if we listen to some more of y-your music?”

I nodded my head, pushing myself up until I was against the wall, and Fluttershy climbed onto the bed, sitting much like I had done. “I’ll try to stick to some of the more upbeat songs on this thing.”

I mumbled awkwardly before I started with Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers, followed by Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Strauss II’s Voices of Spring, Rossini’s Barber of Seville Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

By the end of it, the sun was dipping below the horizon and I had nearly fallen asleep with Fluttershy leaning against me, snoring adorably. I stopped the music, which was past the first minute of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and glanced out of the corner of my eye at Fluttershy.

She was resting her head on my shoulders, so I had to carefully make sure she didn’t wake up when I got out from under her. I slowly pulled her down to the bed and then made sure the blanket covered her before I decided to go sleep on the couch in the living room.

No reason to make the morning awkward by sleeping next to her, and I didn’t want to sleep in the chair because, one, it didn’t have arms on it, two, it didn’t look comfortable, and three, I’m pretty sure it’s still creepy if I decide to sleep in the same room as someone you just met just yesterday, even if they were your new roommate/provider/landlord/host. So I went to the living room and removed the jacket of my suit before I plopped down on the couch and fell asleep.

Author's Note

Turning out to be a real /niceguy/ isn't he? What a loser.

Somnia Testimonii et Trullas (Edited)

I was awoken by the sounds of a smooth bass guitar with a steady bass drum-line and the occasional tap of a hi-hat cymbals that was followed by the blare of a trumpet.

Gotta leave that nine to five

Let the music get to you,

And enjoy yourself

You live it off the wall

And just enjoy-

I groaned as I rubbed a hand across my face before I set the alarm to sleep for five minutes as I got my bearings. I could smell something right below my nose that was akin to the forest and some sort of flower and cracked an eye open, looking down to see pink. I was confused for a few seconds, as I don’t remember the covers of my bed being pink, before the pink shifted and I realized that I had something, or rather someone, pressed up against me.

Did Fluttershy…? I trailed off in my thought as I shifted slightly and saw the butter colored pony, her muzzle pushed into my chest. I looked around in slight panic, thinking that I had gone to bed with her, but a quick look around the room let it pop into my head that it was the living room, and we were on the couch.

Why is she sleeping on top of me? Did… she want me to sleep with her?! I could feel my throat hitch and my face flush heavily at the implications. Before I got ahead of myself, I took a deep breath to calm myself as I glanced at her prone sleeping form, her body moving ever so slightly as she and I breathed in unison with one another. I shifted myself again to try and get her to subtly wake up, but all I got was the feeling of her breasts pressed against me, and I trembled slightly as I registered the feeling in my head.

Oh dear lord… I could feel blood rushing downstairs. I squeezed my eyes shut as I thought of bad things, disgusting things, so that I wouldn’t have a boner pressed up against the mare if and when she woke up. I opened my eyes open and realized that I actually had one of my arms wrapped around her neck, as if I was hugging her while I was asleep.

I cringed slightly as I slowly let go of her, before I made a grab for my iPod and looked at the time. It was Monday and it was seven in the morning. My alarm was for when I was supposed to be leaving for school, not when I woke up, but that didn’t matter since I wasn’t going to be going to high school again.

At least, not an official high school. Twilight was still going to drill that information into my head later.

I decided to wait until Fluttershy woke up herself instead of waking her up myself. I didn’t want to disturb her if she needed her rest, and I didn’t want to get up in the first place. Call me lazy, but… well, I shouldn’t really try to lie. I was enjoying it honestly. I just didn’t want to admit it at the time because I was still in that mindset of fearing for my life and not letting anyone get close to me. I closed my eyes and started drifting back to sleep when I felt Fluttershy shift and move to get herself comfortable, and felt her resting her head right below my chin.

I swallowed thickly and looked down into the mess of pink hair that the mare had. Instead of trying to act flabbergasted and make excuses for her being there for some reason that I might’ve been at fault, I got comfortable, her warmth radiating off of her and calming me back to sleep.

Some time later, I could feel Fluttershy shift on top of me, and I cracked an eye open as she sat up, letting loose a cute little yawn as she stretched. She was looking around, and I could see that she was confused for a few moments before she looked down to me and she squeaked, jumping off of me.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned myself, blearily looking at the mare that appeared to be steadily growing red. “Weren’t you sleeping in my bed?” I asked blearily, rubbing the top of my head as I smoothed down some loose strands.

“I-I… I was… I-I had a nightmare l-last night and w-when I woke up, y-you weren’t there… I went t-to go look for you and f-found you down here...” She started messing with her mane, spinning a lock of her hair around her finger nervously. “I-I couldn’t get back t-to sleep after that, s-so I came down here to wake you up, b-but I didn’t want to disturb you and… e-ended up falling asleep on t-top of y-you...” She stuttered, her face disappearing in a see of red. She was practically glowing with her embarrassment.

I decided to not tease her if that was the case. “That’s alright then Fluttershy. If you need anyone to talk to you about it, or if you just want a little bit of comfort, then I can try to help in any way I can.” I heard her mumble something that sounded like, ‘You already did’ but I couldn’t really make it out.

“What was that?” I asked, and she looked up.

“I said, t-thank you Daniel… y-you’re a really good friend...” I gave her a weak smile before I turned my attention to my little alarm clock playing a remixed Michael Jackson song, turning off the alarm.

“Seven thirty? Time to get ready for the day, see what I can do around here...” I sat up on the couch and rubbed my eyes, yawning.

“I-I should have s-some shampoo and body w-wash that’s not too mareish...” She mumbled.

I glanced at her and cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t really care about smelling too feminine. I’m not some sort of insecure macho man that thinks wearing the color pink turns someone into a faggot.” Fluttershy gave me a blank look at that, so I’m assuming that they don’t have homosexuality, or at least widespread homophobia, here. I know I shouldn’t say those things in this day and age but… honestly, who the fuck cares? The snowflakes that'll melt in the heat?

I don’t know why I’m strangely disappointed in the fact that there might not be homosexuality in Equestria. Maybe the idea of two lesbian ponies going at it was getting my gander up. It doesn’t help that they do actually look human, and most of them have curves in all the right locations.

Not that I’m looking…

“W-what does that mean?” She asked.

I just shrugged. “It’s just something from my world that's a bit of a pet peeve. Doesn’t really matter anymore, since I don't have to worry about it.” I waved it off, and she seemed to want to continue but thankfully dropped the subject without trying to prod into it. She walked off to give me my privacy, which was just me following her upstairs to go to my bedroom, taking off my dirty clothes, and grabbing the next set and a towel that was in the bottom drawers of the dresser.

This outfit was a casual gray vest with another white undershirt with matching pants that all felt like polyester to me. I didn’t bother with the tie that I had as it didn’t really fit with the whole outfit. I knew that I was going to have to fill out my wardrobe a bit more, but for now, I had three outfits that looked great and I still needed to pay Rarity back for it.

With that came to my next series of thoughts.

Jobs.

Since I was still technically underage and still in school, the only job I had was a part-time job as an assistant to the local library, which I thought was nice because I was able to read a lot of books in my downtime since the library didn’t really get many visitors. So, I figured that I could offer my services to Twilight in case she needed someone helping her organize the library and the books.

After that, I thought about backup plans, like working at local restaurants as waiters, dish washer, something that wasn’t just sitting around while Fluttershy busts her ass to make her money. I remember hearing Twilight say that Applejack was busy with harvesting, so I figured that I could try my hand as a laborer over on her farm, worst comes to worst. I mean, what farmer would turn down an extra pair of hands if they’re willing and able to work?

I always saw myself as more of a white collar worker, maybe sitting at a computer doing web design or maybe some form of coding, maybe something like cyber security to protect against hackers. I didn’t see myself as a blue collar worker, but I’m not going to turn down a job, especially if it’s someone like Applejack, since she seems like she’s the most grounded of the entire group that I’ve met.

No pun intended of course.

I could still hear the water running after what seemed like forever in my thoughts, so I checked the time and saw that it had been just about thirty minutes since Fluttershy had gotten into the shower.

I’ll go let her know that I’d like a shower some time in the next hour. I can only hope that I get a little bit of hot water I thought as I walked down to the bathroom.

I gently rapped my knuckles on the door. “Hey Fluttershy, it’s been thirty minutes, are you going to be getting out soon?” I asked through the door, and heard her squeak softly.

“I-I’m sorry Daniel! I-I’ll get out n-now if you want!” Before I could answer, the mare turned off the water and the door swung open, the mare wrapped up in two towels. I looked away with no small amount of blushing, and I could practically feel the heat radiating in waves from Fluttershy as she darted down the hall and disappeared with a slammed door into the confines of her own bedroom.

I shook my head vigorously to get the mental image out of my head and stepped inside. I set my clothes down on the edge of the sink and placed the towel on the rack next to the shower.

Stripping down the rest of the way, I pulled myself into the shower and figured out what did what in the shower. Turns out, she used up all of the hot water while she was in here.

Nice, great, fantastic...

I took my shower, used whatever scents that caught my fancy, which was this nice mint body wash in bar soap form and citrus shampoo and conditioner combo that I quite enjoyed. It was a rather quick shower since I didn’t have any warm water to enjoy for myself, and I toweled myself off quickly since the water was becoming icy towards the end, and got dressed in my casual vest combo.

I dropped my towel off in a small bin she had next to the door, went back into my room to drop off my dirty boxers, grabbed my wallet as a habit whenever I was going to go outside, grabbed my iPod, pulled on some socks to go along with my shoes when I got a knock at the door and Fluttershy poked her head into the room.

“D-Daniel? B-breakfast is ready i-if you’re hungry...” She stuttered. I looked up and saw that her eyes were trailing down to my feet and I looked over at her. She squeaked softly as her face grew red, and she slammed the door shut behind her.

I sense a lot of tension in that mare. Though I wonder why she was looking at my feet before she left.I thought as I finished putting socks on and tied my shoes before stepping out the door behind her. I could hear the clinking of silverware on plates below and stepped down the stairs to see Fluttershy was in the middle of feeding one of her animals a morsel, with the form fitting dress she wore riding up slightly.

The longer I stay here, the more perverted I feel for all of these circumstances. I blushed heavily before turning away, but Fluttershy turned her head to gaze at me as I went to walk past her.

“I-I’m sorry that I didn’t give you a tour of m-my house yesterday, i-it’s just that I didn’t w-want to seem overbearing...” I glanced back over to her as she was running a hand through her hair, looking at the floor. I cleared my throat of the lump that had formed and adjusted my tie.

“I-it’s fine Fluttershy, I understand. I appreciate that you aren’t trying to dictate what I do and where I go.” She blushed slightly as she ran a hand through her hair once again.

“I-if you go down the hall, to the left i-is the dining room with b-breakfast...” I nodded my head and followed her instructions, and saw Angel sitting on the table with a bowl of food that he was glaring at, which turned to me as I walked in. I sat down at the table, looking down at my plate to see my meal before me, a stack of pancakes and some scrambled eggs.

I wonder if she knew I liked my eggs scrambled. Maybe she added some cheese, salt, and pepper to it as well. I took a bite out of the eggs. I could definitely taste some form of cheese in it, and some pepper as well. I couldn’t really make out the salt, but then I remembered salt was like a drug to horses back home and she’d probably not eat any since it’d be illegal here. At least, that was my assumption. That might not even be true, and that they probably just enjoy them taken in small doses rather than slathering their food in it, like a few people I knew.

Fluttershy walked down the hall and saw the look on my face and froze, a small smile coming to her face as I was contently chewing away at the eggs before it disappeared into worry.

“A-are you okay Daniel? Are the e-eggs not h-how you like them?” I shook my head as I took another bite.

I chewed and swallowed before giving her a happy smile. “These are amazing Fluttershy. I didn’t know you could cook this well!” I shoveled another scoop of eggs into my awaiting maw, and practically inhaled the rest within the next few minutes.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was fighting with Angel to get him to eat the meal she had prepared for him. “Angel, please eat y-your breakfast...” She mumbled as she held a carrot up to the rabbit’s head, which he responded with a vehement shake of his head and a scowl aimed at Fluttershy.

I frowned slightly as I watched the rabbit continue to try and refuse the food she was offering, and she started to pout adorably as she continued to try and goad him with more treats mixed with his food. I knew that at this point, her own meal was going to get cold by the time he ate everything on that plate of his.

“Hey Fluttershy, you mind if I have a word with Angel Bunny?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I-I don’t mind...” She looked down at the table to her own plate, and I grinned at the little bastard as he looked up at me with unmistakable fear in his eyes, and he tried to jump away as I stood up but I managed to snatch him and grabbed him by his body and carted him off into the living room, giving him a glare as I held him up by his ears.

“Look you little meat sack, don’t give Fluttershy a hard time. She’s giving you a nice home, good food, and lots of love for some damn reason since all you do is throw it back into her face. Either you learn to play ball and treat her with a little bit more respect, or you and I are going to go take a long walk into that nearby forest. You understand me? Be nice to her.” I gave him a bit more of a stink eye as I finished up, and he gave a frantic nod as he beat his paws against my clenched fist around his ears.

I dropped him down into the palm of my hand and gave him a small pat on the head. “There’s no reason for you to act like a dick.” I stated as I carried the two of us back into the dining room, where Angel propels himself towards the bowl that had his food and starts munching on it rather swiftly. Fluttershy looks up from her food in surprise to see the little rabbit eating without complaint.

“What’d you say to him to make him eat his food like that?” Fluttershy asked, sounding like she was in awe as Angel gave her a smile, and I shrugged.

“I just told him that he was lucky that he had someone taking care of him with as much love as you show for all of your animal friends. I told him to be nicer to you, hit him with a small glare, and he straightened up immediately.” I answered dismissively, waving my hand around as I went back to my pancakes, enjoying the hint of vanilla she had in it and the fluffy texture of the pancake.

“I don’t think I had pancakes this good Fluttershy. And those eggs were perfect for me.” I said between bites, and she looked up with a small blush and wide eyes.

“T-thank you Daniel...” She mumbled, retreating back into the shell she had as she twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers. I finished up just as she finished, so when I stood up, I picked up her plate before walking to the kitchen.

“Oh, Daniel, y-you don’t have to wash the dishes… I-I was going to do that myself...” She mumbled, but I shook my head.

“Don’t hit me with that sh- nonsense Fluttershy. You cooked, so I’ll do a little by washing up.”

Notice how I didn’t say anything about just the dishes. That’s because after the dishes, I washed the counters since they needed a good cleaning, then swept and cleaned the floors. She had gone outside and was feeding her animals, but had come back inside just as I was finishing up with one particular stain that seemed to want to not be cleaned, but was breaking apart little by little.

“D-Daniel? D-did you clean everything in h-here?!” I heard her exclaim, and ran a finger across my forehead for any sweat that may have been gathering before nodding, hitting her with a small grin.

“I noticed it was a little dirty, so I figured that I’d clean up a bit more.” I gave her a wink and she turned her attention to the floor, blushing softly.

“T-thank you...” She mumbled, but I waved it off.

“Just trying to do my best. I couldn’t, in right mind, just sit around all day with my thumb up my ass while you worked yourself to the bone to provide for those animals of yours.” I responded, using the old saying that my grandfather used to say whenever him and Grandma had to watch my brother and I.

Papa always talked bad about how we just sat around the house, always watching TV or playing video games instead of going outside and doing something like hunting or fishing when we were younger.

Granted, we weren’t allowed the old man’s rifles, even under his supervision, and we weren’t allowed near sharp objects, so hunting and fishing weren’t allowed, but Papa always griped about how he had to spend his childhood outside and how we’re living with the privilege of not having to go outside.

I think it was more or less just him complaining about how we weren’t doing the same as he did when he grew up because when he was young, they didn’t even have TVs and had to eat dirt for fun.

I’d never say that to his face because, for one, he was a veteran of the Korean War and probably put me on my ass even if I was bigger and stronger than him, and two, I had more respect for him than I did my own parents. Grandma did her best to try and spoil my brother and I, but that mafia got involved and put a stop to it after the first couple of times by threatening her.

Christ, I think that pissed me off the most, that they were willing to threaten a sweet old woman with violence, just because they were trying to mold a couple of kids into their perfect bastards of crime.

I broke the quill that I was writing with because just the thought of them doing what they did made me clench my fists and look for the closest motherfucker to punch.

Deep breaths… Deep breaths…

So I finished cleaning up the kitchen, Fluttershy thanked me and complimented on how I apparently made it shine, but all I did was just wiped down the counters, swept the floors, and clean up the small amount of stains on the floor and counters. I didn’t even mop or polish anything.

After I finished cleaning, I helped her out with feeding by carrying her bags for her as she went around and fed her friends. After about thirty minutes…

I swear these animals are multiplying every day. Yesterday it was a hundred or so, now it looks like about fifty more. Maybe it’s just my imagination…

After those thirty minutes passed, Fluttershy stepped back into her house while I put the bags away, and was walking out onto the porch when I came out. “I-I’m going to be going into town for some things, I d-don’t know how long I’ll be gone...” She murmured as she looked to the ground again.

“Funny, I was looking to go into town myself. I need to get a job so you’re not paying for everything.”

That, and this awkwardness between us is killing me. The last thing I need is for something to go down and to get out of hand, and she goes off to tell her friends that I’m a perv or a sex offender or something…

I went inside and grabbed my sunglasses, donning them to hide those damnable red eyes of mine.

Some people probably think they’re cool, and while they do great for standing out in a group and intimidating some people, I used to get a lot of hate for them growing up, especially when my parents took me to church. With how things are here, the last thing I need is for these ponies to isolate me even more than they probably would just because I have red eyes and they think I’m evil or something.

At least, that’s how it was working in my head. For them, they probably didn’t even need to see my eyes to know that I’m different from them.

I could see that her ears were a bit perked by the time I stepped back outside, and she scraped a hoof down at the floor. “Y-you know you don’t have t-to do that… I-I wouldn’t f-force you to do that...” She stuttered, but I just shook my head.

“I can’t be doing that to you Fluttershy. You’re too good for that.” She blushed slightly and continued to scrape a hoof against the ground, a small, pleasant smile on her face.

However, it led to an awkward silence between the two of us as we walked towards town. I felt like this would become a normal thing between the both of us, this awkward silence.

Not really my ideal trip to the market if we’re just going to keep acting like this.

She gave me a few words of encouragement and hoped that I could find something worthwhile as she disappeared past a few buildings, and I decided to split off in a different direction, trying to remember in my head where all of the places were in Ponyville. I was going to start with Twilight at the library, but if for whatever reason she doesn’t need an assistant to help her, I’d go around and see what I can do…

I just realized I didn’t really have a resume that the ponies could use. Everything I did was back on Earth, and all of my contacts and references were humans that they probably wouldn’t ever talk to. Things just got a bit more complicated than I thought they would…

So, I went to Twilight’s treehouse, and asked her if she needed an assistant for the library, but she had apparently a pet dragon that was filling in that role for her. When I heard about, and then saw said dragon, I practically freaked the fuck out mentally because it’s a goddamn dragon, and one that’s in a highly flammable space.

So, after introductions were in order, and after I asked a few questions about dragons to Spike, Twilight’s assistant, she pulled me to the side and asked me why I was asking about being an assistant to her.

I told her that I was looking for a job and my previous one was as an assistant to the local library, and she looked extremely conflicted for a few minutes until she sighed and told me that, while it was tempting to hire me on, she couldn’t do it because she already had an assistant. She didn’t know how much money she’d have to be able to give away as paychecks to me as she lives off of stipends from the crown, since she’s apparently a princesses student.

That went into a whole other conversation that lasted a few hours about her childhood growing up, with her studies at a prestigious school of magic before she became the student to the ruler of the goddamn country.

I asked her why they, they being Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, were princesses instead of queens, since they were ruling the country instead of being the next in line for the royal bloodline. Twilight just said that they haven’t taken the title for fairness sake for the other sibling, since if either one of them takes a suitor and get married, they’d become a queen and it would seem like they were trying to outdo the other by rushing into a relationship. They didn’t want to hold it over the other’s head if they do get to that point.

I guess it makes sense, in a rather convoluted way.

She told me about her brother, Shining Armor, and how he became a royal guard, which meant that her family had to have been some sort of nobility in the realm at this point. Seeing as she came from the capital city of the country, and she became that much closer to the ruling class by becoming a student, she was and is capable of using that power for her family’s benefit. I doubt she’d do that since she doesn’t seem like the type of person to let that sort of power go to her head, but still…

That conversation about her personal life led into her starting a few lessons with me about local politics, the history of Equestria as a country, and a short walk through its short military history.

Given that I came from America, where we had a major war just about every ten years since our conception as a nation, and coming from Earth, where we’re constantly fighting with one another just because of the word of one man, or a handful of men? I was rather disbelieving.

And that’s not considering all of the other minor wars, conflicts, and uprisings that were sprinkled in between each of those wars America was involved in. Take all of it into account, and you’re looking at a major battle or fight that ended with lots of dead men every six months or so.

Of course, I didn’t mention that to Twilight, but when she told me at the end of the day, right as the sun was starting to dip below the horizon, that she wanted to explain the military history of Equestria, I thought I was going to pull an all-nighter with the mare and told her that Fluttershy was probably going to be worried about me disappearing for the day.

She waved it off and told me it was only going to take about an hour to get through all of the military history, and she regaled me with a few tales and stories of battle that weren’t major in the founding or settlement of Equestria.

Most of them weren’t very substantial, because either the history of it has been mostly hidden by the ruling powers of the land to not paint them as warmongers, or that there just wasn’t much to record after the battles from what I was being told as these battles were more like skirmishes that lasted thirty or forty-five minutes.

I leaned more into the first option, because as peaceful as this land is from what I’ve seen and been told, suddenly finding out that the nation that these ponies lived in your entire life was built upon the blood of its enemies and paved with their bones would honestly not be surprising.

All nations that have ever formed in human history has been forged in the fires of war and tested time and time again against the steel of other nations. Some faded from existence, some rose to become powerful enough to rule half of the planet by itself, but it was through conquest and war that they were ever at that point.

Of course, if I told these ponies that I had uncovered a book about their history that wasn’t censored, and that it was filled with a lot of bloody conflicts that ended in the deaths of thousands of ponies, most of them probably wouldn’t believe a word of it, since most of them are probably pacifists and wouldn’t believe that their precious leaders were so capable of something.

I think that line of thinking may be considered treasonous in this country. I’d very much like to keep my head attached to my shoulders if possible, so I'm not going to say a damn word if I ever did find something of that nature.

So, after spending about ten or twelve hours just sitting there with Twilight, learning about Equestria on a very basic level, I decided that it was time for me to go. Twilight tried getting me to stay so that she could teach me more, but I told her that Fluttershy was going to be worried, and that she needed to wake up early in the morning. Don’t know why I was using Fluttershy as an excuse, but I’m trying to not make her so stressed and aggravated with me that she tosses my ass to the curb.

And no, that’s not just idle paranoia. I’ve known a few people back home that had exactly that happen to them, even while they're still living with their parents, and they gotta go buddy up to one of their friends and try to bunk with them for a few days.

She had me promise that I would come back tomorrow before she let me leave, so that meant that I was going to be with Twilight for the near unforeseeable future.

I made my way back to Fluttershy’s cabin, and managed to get back with the moon peaking over the trees of the nearby forest. I could see lights on inside, so I’m assuming that Fluttershy is waiting for me. I sighed, knowing that I was going to be getting an earful.

I walked up to the door and knocked on it three times, before I tried the door. It was unlocked, so I swung it open. Fluttershy was sitting on the couch, a worried look on her face as she was watching the door. I could see the relief wash over her face as she stood up.

“Where have you been?! I’ve been worried sick about you ever since I came home!” She admonished, but I held my hands up to try and placate the mare.

“I was with Twilight the entire day. I asked her if she needed an assistant at the library, I ended up meeting her assistant, and then she started teaching me about Equestria.” I explained to her calmly, and expected her to get even more riled up, but all of her previous energy disappeared and she gave a sigh of relief, placing a hand on her chest as she sighed.

“O-oh… I thought y-you had been doing something… b-bad...”

I frowned at that. What gave her the idea that I was going to do something bad? The worst thing that I’ve ever done was… well, actually, I killed another person, but he was working for an organization of people that was trying to kill me, so I’d say it was more or less self defense.

I mean, I’ve heard stories of people getting PTSD from that sort of stuff, but I feel fine, for the most part.

Christ, I just realized that I go off on a lot of tangents in this journal of mine. If anyone reads this thing, they’d probably think that I’m scatterbrained or something.

And if someone is reading this, fucking kill yourself.

The worst thing that I’ve ever done that wasn’t unwarranted in my eyes was that I stole a pack of gum from the store because my mother told me she wasn’t going to buy it for me. I ended up chewing that entire pack of gum, but I felt bad for having stole it, so I never really enjoyed it in the first place.

“What gives you that idea?” I asked her, genuinely curious, and she squeaked softly.

“U-um… n-no reason… I-it was something that I h-had been thinking about ever since I-I had come home and saw that you were still o-out… I-I know I shouldn’t have! I-it’s just…”

I shook my head and chuckled softly. “I understand. I thought you were going to say that because of who I was associated with back home...” I trailed off at that, before it really hit me what I had said and I stood there, wincing slightly at the implications that it would have if someone from here would assume that I was just a criminal before they even knew me.

That led to an awkward silence between the two of us, and a tense air surrounding it, wrapped up in a morbid feeling of negativity and anxiety, so I decided that I was just going to go to bed without opening my fat fucking mouth again. I knew I was hungry from earlier, but that entire sequence sort of killed my appetite. Fluttershy didn’t try to stop me as I went upstairs, but I could feel her eyes on my back the entire time. Without much ceremony, I stripped down to my boxers and climbed into bed, closing my eyes.

The next day, I was awake at five AM. I guess that’s what happens when I go to sleep early, but something about that little bump with Fluttershy put me in a bad mood. I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable with her, and dragging it on would’ve definitely done a lot more than that.

So, I climbed out of bed and got ready. I took my shower, put on the last clean set of clothes that I had, which was another vest combo. This time, the pants were a solid navy blue with lighter blue stripes downing vertically across the body, the vest being the same color and design so it all matched together. I pulled my shoes on as if I was going to go somewhere, then decided that I should at least eat something before heading back to town.

I didn’t want to spend the entire day talking with Twilight again, so I was going to hit a few places to see if they’re willing to hire someone before I have my lessons for the day. I wasn’t trying to get out of the lessons per se, especially since I would need to learn them eventually, but spending the next few weeks or even months just learning while Fluttershy struggles to support my ass as well as all of the animals she takes care of ain’t my way of saying thanks to someone.

So if I end up working, say, from seven in the morning to about three or four in the afternoon, that’d give me… I’d say four hours for those lessons. It takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to walk from Fluttershy’s cottage, so at the latest, I’d be getting back about eight or nine at night. That gives me plenty of time for dinner, shower, and finally to sleep enough to get back up in time for work…

Actually, I haven’t thought about how my clothes were going to be washed.

Maybe I’ll see how Fluttershy does it before I ask any questions. Or I’ll just ask Twilight for that info.

And speaking of Twilight, that’s not to mention the time I’ll have after I get done with those lessons with Twilight.

Hurray, more tangents...

Anyway, I cooked breakfast for myself and Fluttershy, seeing as she did it the day before, I washed all of the dishes and cleaned up my mess that I had made, whistling and moving to a little jaunty tune that was stuck in my head, before I collected all of my stuff that I usually grab before going out of the house.

Before I left though, I decided to do a little exploring, since I still didn’t know where all of the rooms to this house went to since Fluttershy still didn’t give me that tour she wanted. There was still two doors that I don’t know where they go or what they contain.

I opened the first one to see that it was a set of stairs that went down into the basement. The second was just a storage closet full of cleaning stuff, like disinfectants and a few odds and ends like extra jackets, pillows, or blankets.

With that, I decided that I should hit the town and see what I could get into before any sort of morning rush hit.

The sun had peaked over the horizon just as I hit the edge of town, and I could see the early morning risers moving about in the streets. Some of them were walking with coffee mugs held in their hands (I refuse to call them hooves even though the ponies still call their hands ‘hooves’) or a few ponies that were out for that early morning run. A few streets down, and I found myself amidst many of the businesses that made up Ponyville, a few of them starting to open.

With a smile, I stepped forward, determined to accomplish… something.

Absolutely nothing. All of the places that I walked into just sent me along the way without even a second thought when I told them I was looking for work. I told them who I was, what my previous job experiences were, and answered a few questions, and most of them just said that I wasn’t what they were looking for.

The only one that was nice enough to give me a chance was the first one that I walked into, which was Bonbon at her candy making shop. I felt like I was doing pretty good as she was giving me instructions on how to make things, and I was following them to a T. I was making a second batch of chocolate Bonbons and had popped them into the freezer she has when Bonbon came back with this younger looking pony.

I’m assuming that the greasy looking teen was a cousin or something, since she was in the middle of admonishing the guy about how his mother was the only reason he had gotten this job. I was telling her about how I had just finished up the second batch of bonbons she had asked me to make, and was ready to move on to the next batch of treats when she told me that she’d contact me in a few days time after she gave the teen an apron and told him to go wash his hands to get ready for the day.

So with that, I cleaned up and she walked me out of the shop, her head held low and an apologetic look on her face. She was a sweet mare, told me that she didn’t expect the boy to last a week in her shop, since he was clumsy and tended to make much larger messes than she was willing to clean up whenever they saw each other for holidays.

The only reason she was giving him this job for now was simply because her sister, a mare by the name of Lemon Drops, had practically begged her to give him the position. She was looking forward to working with me when he inevitably quits or does something that she could justify firing him, since I gave her a good first impression, which made my fucking day at that point.

That made me feel good about it all, but the rest of the day simply dragged on forever, with me being basically kicked out of every restaurant, shop, and establishment that I looked for a job.

It was about midday when I decided to give up, and with a dark cloud hanging over my head, I went off to Twilight’s library to get through the days lessons. She was practically bouncing as she answered the door when I knocked on it, but that smile fell rather quickly when she saw my dark look. She actually flinched when my eyes snapped to her, and I knew that I was going to have to take a step back and calm down a bit, before I ended up biting her head off for something she had no part in doing.

“What seems to be the issue Daniel? I don’t think I’ve seen you this way before!” She asked, sitting down at a random table before looking back up at me as I walked in.

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed softly. “Nothing, just… I had a bad day. Been trying to get a job so I’m not leeching off of Fluttershy, but just about every place that I went into practically pushed me out the door as soon as I walked into the door and asked them about working there.” Not to mention that the stallion from the last shop quite literally pushed me out of his shop. I added silently, taking another deep breath and releasing it in a huff.

“That’s nice of you… I certainly hope to see you get one soon. I’d hate to see you so down after what’s happened today.” She offered me a small smile, and I took another deep breath before I returned hers, albeit not with as much fervor she had.

“It wasn’t so bad. The last guy was a complete jackass, so that got under my skin a bit.” I noticed her blank stare that was turning sour and disgusted, so I waved it off. “Eh, nevermind. Just a few idioms from my world that probably wouldn’t mean anything here...”

She shook her head and gave a sheepish smile. “You’ll have to explain those on a later date. The second part of that was rather… grim.” She rubbed a hand over her arm awkwardly.

“It was just that the guy pushed me out of his shop after his interview, and with the rest of the day practically going the same way, I got a little hot headed.” She brought her hand up to her mouth.

“That’s no way to treat anypony, especially somepony like you Daniel!” She shouted, sounding ashamed for such a thing to have happened.

I gave her a cocked eyebrow and a small smirk, trying to forget my anger that had been smoldering behind that facade. “Don’t you mean, anyone and someone? I’m not exactly a pony here Twilight, and neither is Spike...”

She looked at me oddly, but shook her head with a snort and a giggle. We fell into a bit of a silence for about a minute while she seemed to think about it, before I snapped my fingers at the mare and she looked up at me from her daze.

“Earth to Sparkle, we’ve ran into a communications problem with ground teams. Do we have clearance to activate the main engine burnoff system?”

Yeah, I know that was a bit nerdier than what you'd normally see from that saying, but I feel like she’d appreciate it. That is, if she understood half of the shit that I said. Sue me, I liked watching rocket launches with the NASA livestreams that came out every so often.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about how I could help you out with this. Have you talked with Applejack about working on the farm?” I shook my head, mulling it over in my head.

Since I already knew her, hopefully she wouldn’t just send me off as soon as she saw me. But, seeing as I had no experience on a farm, I… might be shit outta luck on that end. I don’t want to have to rely on the hopes that I get a call back from Bonbon, so I was doing my best to have multiple options ready for me.

Whatever I liked the most, I would’ve went with. I liked Bonbon, so she’d be my first pick out of everyone in the next few days, but I might just find something that I like more than working at the candy shop.

“I’ll go talk to her after these lessons. No reason to put that off.” I answered, and with that, we continued the lessons from yesterday.

Twilight released me a few hours earlier than she did yesterday, gave me directions out to the orchard which wasn’t hard since it practically covered the entirety of the north side of the town, and wished me luck on finding a job.

It took me about an hour to get to the orchard and find the pony I was looking for, since the farm seemed to be split into two separate sets of trees. Each set was split down the middle with a dirt path that seemed to lead to a farmhouse in the distance.

After a bit of searching, I managed to find Applejack in the midst of bending down to pick up a bushel of apples, hauling them over to a cart. She looked over to me and offered a smile as she set the bushel down on the cart, and dusted her hands off.

“Well howdy Daniel! What brings y’all ‘round these parts?” She asked.

“I’ve been looking for some work so that I’m not hurting Fluttershy’s purse. Came here to see if I could give it a shot.”

She cocked an eyebrow at that. “I don’t mean t’gripe on ya, but ya didn’t really come here lookin’ like yer ready to step on a farm.” She teased as she started walking back over to a tree.

“Well, I did go through a lot of businesses in town to see if I could get something that might be a bit more in tune with my current set of skill, but no luck on those parts.”

She gave a small hurt expression. “So Sweet Apple Acres is a last resort to ya?” She asked, her voice dropping slightly as she appeared angry at that. I could tell it was a mocking anger, and that she really didn't mind the fact that I was coming to her last.

I just gave her a grin. “You’ve gotta save the best for last, after all.”

She clapped a hand on my shoulders. “Good save there pardner. Tell ya what, help me load up this here cart and I’ll see ya tomorrow mornin’, bright‘n early. Ya can show me what ya’ve got then.”

I gave her a nod as I crouched down to pick up the barrel of apples. I practically sprang back up and was wobbling slightly when I held the barrel in my hands, and I looked down at the large barrel of apples in surprise. Huh, I thought these would’ve weighed more than they did. I thought as I steadied myself and brought it over to the cart.

“Definitely nice t’have someone helpin’ out ‘round here. Big Mac hurt himself yesterday, so I’ve been doing all of the work today.”

I nodded lethargically, still sort of bummed about how the first part of the day went. “Sounds like a tough gig.” I was a bit skeptical about her saying that only her and one other person runs this entire, massive ass farm, but with magic, I don’t doubt anything is possible.

“Ya got that right...” She grunted as she placed another bushel on the cart and went back to the next set.

“So you don’t have anyone else running these farms besides you and your...” I trailed off because I didn’t know the relationship she had with this Big Mac character and didn’t want to assume.

“Brother.” She filled in, giving me an odd look. Well, with the stereotypes back home, that relationship could've been a lot different...

“I didn't want to assume. So nobody else besides you and your brother to this big farm?”

She nodded in acknowledgment. “We have li’l Applebloom, but she’s too young t’be workin’ on the farm yet. She’s still in school after all. Granny Smith, bless her heart, used t’be the one that kept us in line. She passed on a few years ago. Lived to the ripe ol’ age of a hundred and seventy-three years...”

I was flabbergasted by that. I guess ponies live much, much longer than a regular human does. I thought, before realizing that I’d probably be the first one to go out of the group of mares that had saved me. I decided to swerve around that line of thinking before I got into anymore depressed thinking about everything that’s happened and what if's of the far future, and grabbed another bushel of apples to load into the back of the cart.

“Sorry to hear that.” I offered, but she just waved it off as she picked up her next batch.

“T’ain’t nothin’ I haven’t heard already, so save yer breath.” She grumbled harshly, and I decided to drop the topic.

“Alright, I’m sorry for bringing it up.” I stated, but she shook her head.

“You weren’t the one t’bring it up. Just reminiscin' on good times, I reckon.” She mumbled, becoming somber, with good reason of course.

We worked in silence for a good portion of the rest of the day, which was only an hour and a half, and I was pulling the last cart that she and I had loaded up when she pulled me to the side.

“Look, I didn’t mean for that t’get as sad as it did back there. It’s still a sore subject for me.” She clapped me on the shoulder. “Ya did good Daniel. Ya show up at the crack of dawn, and I’ll get ya situated right quick in how we do things Ponyville style.”

I nodded in acknowledgment and dusted my hands off. “That’s fine by me. That’s how they did it back home, good to see that it’s universal to rise before the sun does.” I answered, giving her an appreciative smile for at least giving me a chance, unlike the other ponies.

Besides Bonbon, she can rock with the best of us.

With that, I started off back to Fluttershy’s cottage, wiping the dust off of my clothes absentmindedly. Sure, I didn’t mind getting dirty when I worked, but these were nice clothes, definitely not something you’d work in on the farm, and they were gifts from Rarity that weren’t intended for laborious work.

Maybe when I get some money together, I’ll see what I can do about getting some casual work clothes.

For now… I’ll have to think about my clothes washed and ready for the next day. I made my way back to Fluttershy’s cabin, and saw that she was in the midst of feeding her animals for the night and wandered over. She could hear me coming over and turned around.

“O-oh, h-hi Daniel...” She mumbled, hiding behind her hair.

“How’s it going Fluttershy? Did you enjoy breakfast?” I asked as I pulled the bag from her arms and she squeaked softly.

“I-it was very good… T-thank you Daniel...” She mumbled, before she noticed my dirty clothes and gasped softly.

“Did you get hurt today?” She asked in a panicked way, and I shook my head in response.

“Nah, I was looking for a job today. After a little bit of time with Twilight, I went over to Applejack’s farm and helped her out. She said she’d be willing to give me a shot tomorrow.”

Fluttershy gave a small smile as she calmed down. “T-that’s good...” She mumbled, before she went back to feeding her animals.

“So, not to seem… rude, or anything, but how do you wash clothes here? Do you use washboards or something like that?” I asked. She looked up at me curiously, before shaking her head slowly as she bent back down to give a ferret a piece of a pellet she had pulled from the bag.

“N-no, I actually h-have these really n-nice machines that do it for me. T-they’re a bit loud, but you don’t h-have to put any effort into washing your clothes anymore...”

So they have washing and drying machines here. Sometimes the technology of this world is so weird and backwards that I can’t help but scratch my head sometimes at how it’s mixed around… I thought as I nodded in acknowledgment to her statement, and she went back to feeding her animals. The rest of it passed on in a comfortable silence.

We finished up rather quickly and went inside. “So, where’s your washer and dryer?” I asked, and she pointed a finger over towards the door leading down into the basement. I nodded my head in corroboration.

“I’m going to need them after today. Thanks.” I went upstairs and started peeling off the clothes. I wasn’t exactly soaked in sweat by the end of the two hours that I had worked, but while those bushels of apples weren’t as heavy as I thought they were, I easily counted two dozen, maybe more, of them and Applejack only loaded up the first four when I showed up.

The next day, I was awake around the same time with my alarm going off on my iPod. I had stayed up a little later so that I could get my clothes cleaned and prepped for today, and set my alarm so that I woke up at a good time to prepare and get to the farm. I still felt bad that I was going to be dirtying Rarity’s gifts for me, especially since they’re very comfortable and well made.

Sadly, I can’t work without clothes, and I wasn’t wearing anything casual when I left, so I was pretty much stuck until the next week, if and when I get paid. I went without one of the vests over my clothes, preferring to just wear the white shirt and gray dress pants that I chose for the day. No reason to get the vests dirty, and if the shirts remain stained after work, I’ll just have to remember to keep them as work shirts.

No reason to waste perfectly good clothes just because of some dirt stains on them.

Anyway, I made breakfast for myself and Fluttershy once again, cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes, and set off for the farm. I could see the sun peaking over the horizon as I hit the edge of the orchard, and I could hear the faint sound of clopping hooves against wood. Making my way over towards the sound, I found Applejack standing next to a tree, raising one of her legs up to kick at the tree.

The way the kick shot out just made me wince slightly at the thought of that kick being against someone.

With the shorts she wore, you could see all of the muscles beneath her fur coil and twist as the leg shot forward, and connected against the tree. A dozen or so apples fell from the tree, and Applejack took a step back and adjusted her cowboy hat before she noticed me walking towards her.

“Well howdy Daniel! Ya arrived here a li’l earlier than I would’ve thought. It’s still just about...” She looked up to the sun in the sky, and I peeked at my device for the time.

“Just about six in the morning.” I answered her, and she looked over at me as I stuffed the iPod back into my pocket.

“That one of yer fancy human devices?” She asked, and I nodded.

“It does a lot of things for me. One of them is to tell the time accurately. Down to the next second and even further beyond if you wanted.”

She cocked an eyebrow and nodded appreciatively. “That’s definitely handy there. Ya think ya could get another one of those things here?”

I contemplated the question for a couple of seconds as she raised her leg up once again and kicked, knocking loose another dozen or so apples.

“That depends on whether or not I go back home. This is an older variant that goes by the same name, but it has upgraded features and improvements across the board for it. There’s also other devices that does different things better than others.” I rubbed a hand across my chin as I stared at the thing in my hand, spinning it around as I stared at the black screen, as if staring into its void would give me the answers I desired.

“Do you guys have phones here?” She looked at me blankly for a second before she shook her head. “So you guys have a lot of things here that are similar to human technology, but lack in certain areas across the board. It’s very odd how all of that is.”

Maybe because most of the inventions we created were made because of war, and these ponies haven’t had a war in over a thousand years? I thought silently as Applejack kicked the tree once again, and a few more apples came from the tree, and she nodded before she picked up one of the barrels. I pocketed the iPod and grabbed the other one she had, and set it down where she pointed it to me.

“From what we all saw from yer world, y’all have a lot of things on us that we haven’t ever thought of creatin’.” She responded, and I turned to her as she kicked the tree once again.

“Did you all stay over on Earth after you saved me?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Twilight went back on over to yer world after we brought ya here and studied from afar, takin’ pictures and notes about what she saw in that little town next t’the forest we found ya in.” Applejack explained, and I glanced over at her as she got into a small stance before she lashed out with another kick.

“I’ll have to ask her about that later. I suppose she’s dying to know everything she can from me and has been patient so far.” I mumbled to myself, but she heard it all the same.

“Ya want t’head over there instead of workin’?”

I shook my head. “Nah, just thinking out loud. She’s definitely curious and asks a lot of questions that I try to answer, but she hasn’t explicitly asked about Earth or anything about it. I’m sure it’s probably chewing her up since she has someone like me here.”

She glanced over at me with a knowing grin. “Well, not like that. Not trying to seem narcissistic or anything...” I gave a small chuckle as I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. “She and I just seem to have a lot of interests in common with one another. While I wasn’t the personal student to royalty, I was a part of a group of kids that were kind of an elite class that was being pushed to learn more than the rest of the students at our school.”

I was about to go on and explain further about a few other things that I picked up from her, but decided that I should probably get to work instead of standing there, yapping Applejack’s ear off about something she couldn't care less for instead of doing what I came here to do.

“Anyway, that’s for another time and place. Where’d you need me to work at?”

She looked around for a few moments before she pointed off towards the southeast. “I’ll have ya workin’ in the fields over yonder once I teach ya how t’buck a tree.”

I held up my hands before she continued. “Hold on now, I don’t think I could buck a tree like you could. I’d probably break my legs trying to do that.” I answered, and she looked over me.

“Then how’d ya get all of the apples outta the trees?” She asked, looking me over. I looked over the tree she had been bucking and grabbed onto a low hanging branch, before I pulled myself up into the midst of the leaves with a bit of practiced ease.

“I can grab them from up here and drop them down then hop to the next tree.” I called down to the mare, and she just shook her head, laughing softly.

“I always thought ya were weird, but I ain’t ever seen somepony climb a tree like that before!”

I shrugged. “Used to do it all of the time when I was younger. We used to live near this big forest where all of the trees were clumped together and I’d go hopping from tree to tree. It was something fun to do when I got kicked out of the house.” I answered.

The truth was that it was actually my grandparents that I used to go to all of the time to climb trees since my mother and father actually lived inside the city and they were gone for a lot of the time, but that’d take a lot of awkward explaining that I’d rather not have to go over. I settled myself on a thick branch as I grabbed a couple of apples in each hand before dropping them down into the barrels she had set up.

Within about thirty seconds, I was able to count and pull all twenty-eight apples out of the tree, and she shook her head as she chuckled some more, watching me swing and jump between each branch as I clutched two or three apples in my arms before dropping them from the tree.

“Ya keep up that pace, ya’d be able to keep up with me buckin’ apples!” She said, and I jumped down from the tree, landing next to her.

“Sounds good. So, the fields over there?” I asked, pointing towards the direction she had pointed.

She nodded. “There’s already a cart and enough barrels t’last ya ‘till lunch.” I raised my hand as if I was going to grab the brim of a hat that I would usually wear, but settled on a two finger salute so I didn’t look too dumb after I realized I didn’t have anything on my head.

She cocked an eyebrow as I started walking towards the direction to she pointed me towards. It didn’t take long for me to find the cart and barrels that were stacked neatly in the middle of the trail between two fields. I grabbed a stack of barrels and placed them throughout the orchard that I was going to be working in, and hopped up to get started.

About five hours passed and the sun was high in the sky as I had finished loading up the cart with all of the apples that I had harvested, with the exception of one barrel that was still half empty. I had my iPod playing some music as I hopped to and fro trees, picking apples, feeling like one of those feral children from books or TV. Sort of like Tarzan or Mowgli.

I could hear Applejack talking with a younger girl, their voices carrying rather easily in the orchard. “AJ, are ya ever gonna tell me who this guest’a yers is? And what’s makin’ all of that noise?” The younger girl’s voice asked, and I looked up to see them crossing over the trail next to the cart that I had been loading up, and finished with the tree, dropping more apples from my hands and hopping out of it, before moving it to the next tree and crawling my way up.

“I already told ya that his name’s Daniel, and he’s been helpin’ out around the orchard while Big Mac’s been hurtin’. With how much he’s been doin’, I’m thinkin’ about hirin’ him on full time. That noise is coming from some special device he has.” I saw them right below me just as I dropped a few apples, and Applejack looked up.

“Daniel, y’all mind comin’ down here?” She asked, and I dropped the two apples that I had already grabbed from the tree before I jumped down, landing next to the two ponies.

“What’s up?” I asked with a bit of humor in my voice, and Applejack seemed to have recovered from the heart attack that I gave her after a few seconds.

“Don’t scare me like that!” She exclaimed as she punched me in the arm as her other arm clutched at her bosom. I just gave her a grin.

“This is the pony?” The young girl asked in disbelief, looking me over. I glanced at her noncommittally.

She was younger than I was, maybe thirteen or fourteen years old. She was wearing some torn jeans and a yellow shirt that blended well with her fur. She had rose red colored hair, with a large bow that was a light crimson color. She was giving me a skeptical look that was practically screaming that she didn’t believe what she was being told.

Applejack cuffed her on the back of the head. “I know I raised y’all better than that Applebloom!” Applejack snapped, giving her a stern glare at the girl.

She rubbed the back of her head and looked up at me apologetically. “I’m sorry...” She mumbled, and I just gave her a small grin as I pulled out my iPod to turn off the music.

“Nothing to be sorry for, Squirt.”

She gave me a one over. “So, why don’t ya look like a pony?”

Applejack looked down at Applebloom with another glare, but I beat her to the answer. “Because I’m not a pony.” Her eyes widened, and she darted to hide behind Applejack as I wiped a bead of sweat on the sleeve of my shirt.

A little xenophobic there, ain’t ya? I thought as Applejack was looking down at Applebloom, admonishing her for the comment.

“Ya should know better than t’act like that around the other races Applebloom! He ain’t a pony, but he won’t hurt a fly!”

Applebloom had the sense to look embarrassed at that. “I didn’t mean it like that… I’m sorry Daniel...” She mumbled, looking like she was about to cry, but I waved it off.

“Water under the bridge. Won’t be the first time that I had that sort of reaction.” I answered, trying to not let it look like it was affecting me.

Truth was, I was a bit pissed off about how xenophobic these ponies were. I feel like those ponies that were looking to hire weren’t expecting anything but a pony to walk through their doors, and to suddenly have something else do so? Probably had them pissing their pants before they shoved me out and went to the next pony.

At least Bonbon wasn’t a bitch...

I should hang out with her sometime, show my appreciation for her being awesome. I wonder if anyone I know is friends with her. Maybe I can get her a present for her birthday or something?

I snapped out of my reverie as Applebloom was asking me about something called a ‘cutie mark.’ I gave her a cocked eyebrow in response. “What’s a cutie mark?”

Applebloom looked like I had just dropped a bomb on her head. “Y’all don’t know what a cutie mark is?!” She squeaked, and I just shook my head as I looked over at Applejack.

She was rolling up the sleeve of her shirt to reveal a trio of apples on both of her arms. “A cutie mark is what represents a pony’s talent and what they tend to do for the rest of their lives.” She answered as she rolled her sleeves down once again.

“Huh. So it’s like a tattoo.” I commented, and the two of them stared at me questioningly. “So, a tattoo is sort of like these marks you guys get, but most humans tend to not get one. Most of the time, people get tattoos to represent something they like, or their occupation, or maybe the name of a loved one.” I explained, and Applejack tilted her head to the side.

“How do y’all get those tattoos then?”

“Someone takes a needle that’s been dipped with different colors of ink and will stab it into the skin to get the ink to stain, and does that for a while until it comes out with whatever design you wanted for it.” The two of them looked a bit green at the thought, and I rubbed the back of my neck and chuckled awkwardly since I forgot that these ponies weren’t exposed to the same things that humans were. To us, getting a tattoo is something like a sign of maturity, or that they themselves were cool. For them, it’d probably be akin to branding someone, which I'm not even sure they'd do something like that around here.

“That don’t sound too pleasant...” Applejack murmured, and I nodded.

“What do you do for a livin’ if you don’t have a cutie mark to tell you?” Applebloom asked.

I simply shrugged my shoulders, not seeing the underlying tones she was trying to hide. “Some people find out something they love to do while they’re still young and then they find or build a career around it. Some people spend their entire lives trying to find out something and never do.”

Applebloom looked scared at that, but I interjected before she went off on a tangent. “But if ponies get these marks magically, I’m sure all you need to do is find something you like doing and work with it.” She didn’t really seem convinced by that, but I didn’t know what to say to her without really knowing the situation. I’m guessing that she’s a bit older than when ponies tend to get their cutie marks, and she’s afraid to be someone that doesn’t have a purpose in life.

A sort of midlife crisis for a pony that’s not even old enough to drive.

“Alright Applebloom.” Applejack gave her a small stare since she was about to ask another question about cutie marks or something, before she turned to me.

“Ya think yer gonna stay here for lunch?” Applejack asked, and I nodded.

“I don’t know the town very well. I’ll learn about it at my own pace.” That, and I’m broke as fuck. Screw them for not taking my paper money. I thought as I loaded the last barrel into the cart before pulling it to the barn, the scent of food making my stomach rumble. I pulled up to the side of it and Applejack looked it over.

“Ya can just leave it here until afterwards. We’ll unload it and grab another set of barrels for the rest of the day.” I just nodded in acknowledgment as the two girls ran towards the farmhouse nearby, practically battering the door down.

“Leave some for me!” I heard Applebloom shout as the door slammed shut. I just shook my head in amusement as I walked to the door and went through like a normal person.

“Hey Big Mac, we got a guest joinin’ us for lunch!” I heard Applejack shout. My mind went immediately to McDonalds at the name.

Mm… a burger sounds good right about now… I shook the thought out of my head as I walked over to the kitchen.

“Daniel, y’all comin’ or what?” I heard the call, and stepped through the doorway to feel all eyes come over me. Applejack and Applebloom were already seated and were dishing out portions to one another, and a new face met mine. It was a stallion, if not for the fact by he was shirtless with some bandages wrapped around his well muscled torso, then the fact that he gave me a greeting with a deep voice.

“Howdy.” He started, moving the stalk of wheat in his mouth.

“How’s it going?” I asked as I sat down at the table.

“S’alright.”

Rather laconic, aren’t you? I asked silently as I looked over to Applejack as she passed me a plate.

“Thanks for inviting me for lunch.” I said appreciatively as she dolled out a portion of apple based treats and foods to everyone.

“So why do ya wear them glasses all of the time?” Applebloom asked, and I felt all eyes fall onto me as I cringed slightly. “Now Applebloom, ya should know better than to ask questions like that… but I sure am curious myself...” Applejack turned back towards me, curiosity dancing in those green eyes of hers.

“They’re sunglasses. They’re to keep the sun from my eyes.”

I could feel Applejack glare at me, and I sighed, knowing that she’d already caught me in the lie. “Well, that, and I use them to… sort of… hide them from others...”

Applejack’s glare faded, and she gave me a look on concern as I was becoming visibly more nervous. “Why’s that Sugarcube?” She asked, and I sighed softly.

“People don’t like my eye color and I get a lot of flak for it.” I answered, rubbing my arm uncomfortably. I remembered a few times that I had gotten beat up by kids because they didn’t like my eye color and they’d kick dirt onto my face afterwards.

“Well ain’t that just a load of horseapples.” Applejack said sternly, and I looked up to the mare in surprise. “That may have been how things were from where you were before, but that ain’t how things are here. Y’all don’t have to hide anything Sugarcube.” She responded, and I got a nod from Big Mac and a smile from Applebloom.

I was conflicted, but I knew that Applejack and her family wasn’t trying to pressure me into this. If I wasn’t comfortable enough with it, I would’ve told them that I still need to work past some stuff. I had been trying to come up with some excuses as to why I couldn’t take them off, but by the end of it, I just sighed heavily and slid them off, and I could feel all eyes on my face.

I could feel my face flush in embarrassment as I folded the sunglasses and tucked them into my shirt. “There ain’t nothin’ wrong with them eyes’a’yers Sugarcube. You’re makin’ a big deal out of nothin’.” Applejack waved a hand at me dismissively before she bit into some apple pie, and I smirked, trying to hide that previous wave of shame that I had before.

“Yeah, I sure am...” I mumbled as I started eating the delicious food, and the siblings were soon laughing and joking with one another.

Lunch was over rather quickly, and Applejack and I went back to work after we cleaned our plates and put away what was left of lunch. We unloaded the two carts full of apples into the barn we had pulled them up to before and loaded them with new, fresh barrels. It didn’t take us long for us to end up back in the orchard, and with that, we went our separate ways. She went to the northwest orchard to finish up her corner, and I went to the southeast to finish my own.

Time seemed to pass rather quickly, and before I knew it, it was sundown and I had filled a second cart. I was hearing the clopping of hooves along with the sound of a cart pulling up closer before it stopped.

“Daniel, time t’pack it up! We’ve made good progress today!” Applejack’s voice called out, and I leaned down. I had been working on a sort of groove that I liked, wrapping my legs around a low branch before leaning up in a sort of sit up to grab more apples, dropping them down to the barrel.

My body was caked in sweat, and I grabbed onto the branch and pulled myself up to grab the last few apples in the tree before I dropped them into the barrel and jumped down, wiping an arm across my forehead to clear it of sweat. I grabbed the barrel and carried it to the cart, which was already full of all of the bushels that I had pulled from the trees, and closed up the back of the cart.

“Who-wee! I say, between the two of us, we’ve got about a quarter of the orchard done!” Applejack clapped me on the back, and I gave her a tired smile.

“Yeah, it’s looking good. We get these back to the barn, unload them, and we’ll start again tomorrow, right?” She nodded her head, and I started pulling the cart back towards the farmhouse. It didn’t take long before we had pulled up to the side, but Applejack went into the house without saying a word.

I shrugged, thinking she needed to use the bathroom or something, so I decided to unload the carts myself and started organizing them in the storage barn. I was halfway done with Applejack’s cart when she came back outside, carrying a rather large bag of bulging… something, clinking together. My guess was coins.

“Sugarcube, ya didn’t have t’unload my cart as well!” I just waved it off as I grabbed the next bushel.

“Figured that I’d get this done and get home to clean up.” I stated as I walked into the quickly darkening barn, placing the barrel next to a bundle of hay, which I thought was weird since the ponies ate hay, so I just assumed it was their way of storing food for the coming winter.

“I got the rest of ‘em Daniel. Ya just make sure ya get home safely, ya hear?” Applejack shoved the bag of coins into my hand, and I looked inside.

“Is this the currency of Equestria?” I asked, pulling out one of the gold coins.

On one side, it had the “1 BIT” in between two quills, with the words, ‘Harmonia Nos Sustinet’ following the edge of the coin, the rest of the coin decorated with a pair of pony heads or laurel branches intertwining between each other. On the other side was two stretched pony figures, both with horns and wings, a sun and crescent moon in between the two ponies that seemed to be chasing one another on the coin, ‘Equestrian Royal Bank’ stretched across the top of the coin.

“That it is Sugarcube.” Applejack answered, and I tossed the coin, watching as it flipped through the air before I caught it in the bag she had given me.

“It sure seems like a lot...” I commented aloud, looking over at the mare.

“I figured that you’d earned about five per bushel of apples ya pulled in, and I counted about forty bushels y’all had bucked from the trees.”

I nodded my head, before I smiled at the mare. “Thanks for giving me a chance Applejack...” I mumbled, but she just waved a hand at me.

“Pshaw! T’ain’t nothin’ Sugarcube! Them other ponies missed out on somepony that’s dedicated and hard workin’!” She said, and I couldn’t help but keep smiling at her encouragement.

“You sure you don’t need help with the last barrels?” I asked, but she pushed me gently away as she grabbed a bushel.

“I can handle it. Ya just make sure ya get home, ya hear?” I just nodded my consent as she turned back towards the barrels, and I started walking.

“Alright, thanks again Applejack!” I called out as I took off for Fluttershy’s cottage.

It didn’t take long to get back home, and Fluttershy seemed to be still feeding her animals. The clinking of coins caught her attention, and the mare looked up to see me arriving.

“How’s it going Fluttershy?” I asked as I set the coin bag down and grabbed the bag that she was trying to drag around.

“I-I’m doing well… How are you Daniel?” She asked, and I simply shrugged.

“Finished working with Applejack for the day. She also paid me.” Still surprised that I got paid the same day for the work… What was that called again? Pay for performance? I shook my thoughts away as Fluttershy moved forward to her next pack of animals awaiting their food.

“T-that’s good… How much was it?” She asked, and I looked back to the bag.

“She said it was… five per bushel, and she counted forty...”

She looked shocked at that. “T-that’s a lot for j-just one day...” She mumbled, staring at the bag that was sitting in the grass.

“I thought so as well, but their farm does very well apparently. They get a lot of money from selling just the apples, and that’s not including everything else.” We fell into a silence as she went to feeding her animals once more. The two of us finished within a few minutes, and I placed the bags of feed back into the shed.

I was still a bit weirded out by that little flash that I had seen, but that feeling was fading slowly the longer I saw that nothing odd was going on in here. I swear the universe was trying to tell me something. Like that Fluttershy was trying to hide some psychopathic tendencies. I’m sure if I pushed a random part of the floor down, she’d have some stairs that’d go down into a dungeon with all of those corpses.

Actually, I don’t know why I’m accusing Fluttershy of something that may not even truly be there. That could’ve just been my own imagination running rampant, and it's trying to get me to do say some fucked up shit about this kind-hearted ~~person~~ pony.

I grabbed the bag of bits and stepped inside to see Fluttershy descending from the stairs. “I’m going to cook dinner, i-if that’s alright with you...” She said meekly, and I paused as I was making my way up.

“Thanks Fluttershy. You’re the best.” She squeaked and started stammering, but I was already on my way up to my room, placing my bag of bits on my bed.

I’ll count that later and write it down on a piece of paper the next chance I get. Keep track of my finances and all of that. I thought as I grabbed clean clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. I was sore, and the warm water was great on the muscles. I finished up the shower a little later than I normally took for one, but that warm water was definitely comforting. I reminded myself that my bed would only be better before I got out and dried off.

I wonder if Applejack will have work after harvesting season. Last thing I need is to get comfortable if I’m not sticking around. I thought, that trickling of doubt worming its way back into my head as I dressed myself and stepped outside, only to just about run over Fluttershy.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry...” She mumbled as she hid behind her hair.

“I didn’t mean to do that Fluttershy.” I said as I had caught her from being pushed back into the wall and was hugging her against me. She practically had her face pushed against my bare chest until I released her, awkwardly looking away.

“I-I came up here t-to tell you t-that dinner was ready...” She stuttered, and I nodded my head.

“Uh, yeah… thanks Fluttershy.” I said awkwardly, and she walked back downstairs. I sort of just awkwardly stood there, staring at the wall as I contemplated my existence at that very moment.

After a minute or two, I just snapped out and walked downstairs to see Fluttershy sitting at her table, looking strangely happy as she munched on her plate, Angel Bunny chomping away at some cucumber slices that had been mixed in with his salad, and another plate of steaming spaghetti with a baked potato on the side.

I don’t think I’ve ever had spaghetti with potatoes before. I thought as I spun the fork around in the noodles and brought it up to my mouth. The tomato paste she used was very rich in flavor, with that perfect balance of thickness. The bits of the tomatoes were soft and melded right with the noodles of the pasta.

The only thing that was missing from this becoming my ‘ideal’ spaghetti dish was the lack of hamburger or pork mixed in, but I’ve slowly grown to accept that I’ll no longer be able to eat the succulence that is a good T-bone steak or bacon anymore.

Not completely there, you stupid bastard. I’m still a red blooded American that loves a good slab of meat. I ain’t no pussy ass vegetarian and if I had my way, I wouldn’t ever get that bad.

Personal gripes aside, the meal was great. The potato was cooked well, but I told Fluttershy that I’d teach her later how I liked to bake my potatoes, which was to wrap them in aluminum foil and smother them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and butter. She smiled at that and said that she’d enjoy learning how to do it.

I finished my dinner and stood up, grabbing her plate and Angel’s bowl since the both of them were finished, and I started washing dishes. I heard Fluttershy stand up and walk into the kitchen and I was fully expecting her to go grab something from the fridge or from one of the cabinets, but nope.

She walks up right behind me and starts hugging me. I practically jumped a foot off of the ground at that, and turned to look back at the mare to see her staring up at me with those pretty teal eyes. I looked away after a few seconds, going back to the dishes, scrubbing the residue off of the plates and bowl before letting them soak in the sink before I twisted around to look at Fluttershy again. She had this dopey looking smile on her face. I couldn’t help but blush slightly at that serene look she had.

“Hi?” I asked, turning back to the dishes. I finished them rather quickly and placed them in the drying rack before I dried my hands and turned around. If she was going to make this awkward for me, I’m going to make this awkward for her. I hugged her back, cradling her head against my shoulder and running a hand through her hair. She didn’t seem to mind at all.

In fact, she seemed to push herself into the hand that was going through her hair, as if I was petting her. We sat like that for about a minute before she pushed away from me and started walking off like nothing happened, and I couldn’t help but feel… oddly satisfied. I mean, I’ve only been here for… about a week, and I’ve been practically walking a thin, awkward, delicate line ever since I walked into this house, how this mare seemed to put us into uncomfortable situations before she just pulled… that.

Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming. I remember thinking as I walked into the living room. She was sitting on the couch, curled up with a book in one of her hands as she reclined on her other arm, and looked up at me as I walked past. I went upstairs before heading to my room. I checked my iPod and saw that it was nine at night, so I decided to call it a day there and climb into bed.

Though, that silence didn’t last long as, within about five minutes, the door was pushed open and Fluttershy walked in, grinning like a bandit with an easy catch. I opened my eyes and looked at her, only to find myself in an unfamiliar room. She was wearing a thin shirt that I had never seen before, one that put all of the info out there for everyone to see.

“Hi Daniel~” She said in an uncharacteristically seductive voice that sent tingles all over my body, especially in a certain organ.

“F-Fluttershy?!” I exclaimed, confused as hell and unsure why she was suddenly acting like this.

She blinked, before pouting softly. “You haven’t called me by my full name in… just about a year now, since we started dating!”

If I was drinking water, that would’ve been the time for a spit take. I ended up sputtering like a damn fool, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “D-dating?” I asked in a quiet, shy voice.

Oh dear lord, I’m not ready for this sort of thing! I don't even know her really! She's a very shy, very kind woman and she- I was interrupted from my thoughts as she grabbed my arm and hauled me out of bed, giggling softly as she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me on the lips.

OOHKAY HOUSTON WE HAVE LIFTOFF! I couldn’t cut back on that excitement that I was feeling, even if it was something rather spontaneous. The kiss lasted only a second, but the way those lips felt on mine was… indescribably pleasurable.

“Danny, are you okay? You’re acting like we used to do the first few weeks we were around one another...” She pursed her lips as I stood there, dumbfounded, before she started dragging me down the hall.

“I-I just… I don’t remember anything right now...” I stated blankly, and the mare turned around, a lascivious smile on her face as she pulled me into the bathroom with her. Without a second thought, she pulled off her shirt, revealing the pink lacy bra she had been wearing, and I’m pretty sure you could’ve cooked an egg on the heat that I was radiating.

She turned around, a grin on her face as she crossed her arms under her chest, pushing her breasts up against her body before she trailed her hands down her body, outlining each curve she had on her. She started unzipping the skirt she was wearing, revealing her panties.

You know those animes where the guy sees something perverted and he gets a nose bleed? I always thought those were fucking stupid, because who gets a nose bleed from seeing a hot girl? Now that I'm seeing a hot girl, practically naked in front of me... Yeah, I’m pretty sure I just had that same sort of reaction. She pulled me into another kiss that left me flabbergasted with how… ready she was taking control of the kiss, before she turned and hopped into the shower. The way the water was cascading down her body and matting her fur to her body, I knew that I was going to probably blow a gasket, and I could practically feel my legs give out under me.

The sound of my alarm was going off, and I shot up, looking around frantically. I was in my bedroom, my bedroom, and Fluttershy wasn’t there in a gimp suit, or wasn’t standing there naked, or wasn’t even in the room. I turned off my alarm and lay down in my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Why did I dream of Fluttershy… like that? Would she even… Would we even be able to date, and for her to turn out the way she was? She seemed like a completely different pony than who she was now! Oh God, am I developing feelings for her? I couldn’t do that to her, she’s too nice of a pony for me to…

I trailed off in my thoughts as I remembered one vital detail that keeps creeping back into my life. Those fuckers can’t get me here. No matter what I do, I won’t have to worry about consequences of someone getting hurt because they were getting close to me, or anything like that… Still, I don’t know if she’d even like me like that… She’d probably go for a stallion like… Big Mac or something. Seeing as he’s on the same page as her, being soft-spoken and of few words. I could definitely see them together. I wonder if they’ve hooked up ever.

I sighed as I got up, grabbing my clothes for the day as I walked down the hallway towards the bathroom, and looked down before I tucked the uncomfortable tent that I was pitching away.

Stupid fucking… dreams and their… stupid sexy ponies…

Author's Note

Editing these chapters are making me want to write a few fight scenes. And I'm ready, oh, so ready, to start editing the fun chapters down the road. Also, the song at the beginning:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfVN3kQkcd4

Also, I'll be working on pacing of the story, seeing as things were rushed along for some indescribable reason that I can't seem to remember right now. So if a few things get switched around in the story or, say, the romance of a character gets pushed off to a later chapter, don't be alarmed. It's just me trying to fix this mess up.

Rupta Claustra (Edited)

Its been two weeks since I've started working at Sweet Apple Acres. The harvest was basically over, Big Mac was on his feet and ready to work once again, and it was coming to the end where I’d be working here, for at least this season.

I asked her the second day after I helped her out originally if I was going to be working year round, and she straight up told me that she wouldn’t be able to keep me going the entire year, since they only harvest during a part of the year, and the rest is spent preparing for the harvest season or helping others around town when they need it.

I didn’t let that get me down though, because she said that she’d always accept me coming back each ‘Applebuck’ (Her words, not mine) season. She did seem remorseful to not be able to keep me on the farm, helping her out with the harvesting and what have you, but it's always a matter of finances.

Good news was that Bonbon was looking forward to me hiring on. I told her that I’d work for her if she didn’t find someone else to fill in the role. Apparently the guy she had brought in when I was there coated the kitchen in about five gallons of caramel when she asked him to make a chocolate bar filled with nougat. Where the caramel came into play, I’ll never know, but she sent him back to his mother after that ordeal, on top of refusing to clean up the entire mess. So after the orchard, I would have a job lined up in a pretty good place that I’ll enjoy.

However, there was a small… hiccup, that delayed everything along.

So, it was just like every other day on the farm. We were all working in the same corner of the orchard as we’d clean out every other part, so Applejack and I were talking with one another. Anything from some small talk about the weather to the differences between our worlds was our topic.

Sometimes it got sad whenever it came close to topics like death, war, and famine, but I tended to steer clear of those topics when they got to them, as to not get Applejack all depressed and sad about how fucked up Earth can be. In turn, I distracted her with some pieces of comedy routines from some of my favorite comedians from Earth, or trying to act out scenes from movies with rocks and sticks that were found around the orchard and failing miserably, but nonetheless entertaining the cowboy pony, or educating Applejack about some of the aspects of farming that I learned about back home.

Some were about how different crops were grown in different climates, because she apparently tried growing carrots and they didn’t turn out so well. From what I was told, it gets warm enough in Ponyville that the carrots came out off-color and almost wilted in appearance.

My guess was that it was merely a lack of water during the summer time.

Don’t know how true that is, but assuming she’s telling the truth, or there wasn’t anything wrong with the soil, it’s best she stuck to apples. She just wasn’t cut out to build upon a skill that she didn’t need.

I also taught her about irrigation canals, because apparently during summer, she and Big Mac have to haul waters for days just to ensure the trees don’t die in the heat. I also taught her about polycultures for farming, seeing as she and the extended Apple family seem to practice monocultures, which is one set of crop that’s grown in large quantities.

Polycultures was just the fancy terms for crop rotations, which is where you grow multiple crops in one plot of land to reduce soil erosion because of nutrients being leeched from the ground by the same crop, if you didn't know. And if you're reading my journal without my express permission to do so, I want you to know that you should take a long walk off of a short pier.

I’m honestly surprised I remembered those small facts from school, but they helped her out because they said that they were going to start digging canals throughout the farm to help with the water problem after the harvest.

Anyway, I’ve gotten off track, back to your regularly scheduled book reading.

So, it was in the middle of the day, Applejack was bucking a tree that was next to the one I had climbed up into. I had gotten there before Applejack and Big Mac were out in the fields, and Applejack and I were joking about me being a workhorse, which led to a bunch of horse and pony related puns on my part.

It was all in good fun and I made sure not to go too far with the jokes. I was actually in the middle of telling a joke to Applejack when the branch that I had been standing on suddenly gave out on me. It was weird because the branch was fine when I tested it before I climbed up, and it held my weight for a solid minute and a half as I plucking apples from the other branches.

However, it gave out under me as I was about to move to the next tree. I start falling, and I let out the manliest noise that I could manage in the form of a strangled, high pitched yelp as I felt my weight give out from under me. I hit another branch on the way down, and that flipped me from landing on my feet and being somewhat okay, to land on my face and busting it up more than Chris Brown busted up Rihanna’s face.

“Daniel!” I heard Applejack shout my name and heard her running over towards me. I let out a pained groan as I lifted my face from the ground, wincing as I brought a hand up to my forehead and pulled away, seeing red liquid coating my hand.

Yep, that’s blood… I thought dumbly.

“Y’all okay pardner?” Applejack asked, and I turned to look at her, giving her a thumbs up.

“Never better...” I let out a groan as I rolled over and sat up, pulling off my sunglasses to rub at my eyes before looking at myself in the reflection of the lens. I had a cut across my forehead that was about two inches long but wasn’t bleeding profusely. I had another cut across my nose, which I didn’t even notice until now, and something was sticking out of my right cheek.

It looked like the arrowhead that you’d see in museums about the Neolithic Era. I ran my tongue across the side and noticed that the rock was actually stabbed into my mouth, and had made its home in the gap between my teeth. Thankfully it didn’t dig deep enough to completely tear apart my mouth.

I grimaced and then winced when my face lit up in pain at the movement.

“Oh Sugarcube, ya don’t look so good.” Applejack said worriedly.

I heard Big Mac stomping over and took one look at my face before he seemed to pale, and he turned around and started off in that direction hurriedly. I started standing up and Applejack grabbed my arm, helping me up as I steadied myself against the tree.

“What’s up with him?” I asked, jabbing my thumb in the direction that Big Mac was taking off.

“He never was good around blood. Always gets squeamish. Anytime he sees his own blood, he passes out.”

I spit out the blood that was collecting in my mouth and she gave a grimace. “Y’all mind not doing that?”

I nodded my head in acknowledgment. “I’m just trying to not swallow it. Bad for the stomach.”

She started walking off without dignifying that with a response. “I’m gonna go get some bandages and then we’re gonna go to the hospital t’get that rock outta yer face, alright?!” She shouted as she picked up her pace, and I just waved a hand before leaning back against the tree.

A few minutes passed and I heard something whistling down towards me. I glanced up to see Rainbow Dash making her way across the sky, and was slowly turning towards the orchard, heading straight for me. She landed, then tumbled and skidded her way across the dirt, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

She picked herself up and dusted herself off and set a glare my way, but that glare melted away as she saw the condition of my face. “Woah, dude, what happened?!”

I spit out another globule of blood. “I was getting up into the tree when the branch gave out from underneath me. Next thing I know, I’m eating dirt.” I prodded the rock stuck in my cheek. “And this thing too.” I added, and she got close.

“Where’s AJ and Big Mac? Don’t tell me they’re in town!” The mare exclaimed, looking irritated for some reason, but I shook my head.

“They were right there when it happened. Big Mac is apparently not too fond of blood and Applejack ran off to get bandages.”

She sighed in relief. “Alright, I’m gonna go tell the girls what happened. Try not to fall down again on your way to the hospital!” She shouted as she took off in the direction of Ponyville.

So, I’m going to be getting an earful from… Rarity, for dirtying her clothes… Fluttershy, because I got myself hurt… And maybe Twilight, for busting up my pretty face and not letting her see it in action. I snorted softly at that last bit, before I shook my head in my own amusement.

A few minutes later, Applejack was back with a bucket, a rag, and a bundle of bandages in her arms. “Alright, let’s see here...” She set down the bucket and handed me the bandages while she grabbed the rag and started cleaning the blood that was starting to get into my eyes and run down my face, dripping onto the ground and forming a small pool there.

The orchard was silent for a few seconds, save for the sound of the cloth rubbing across my skin. “Rainbow popped up while you were gone.” I mentioned, hoping to strike a conversation with the mare so this awkward silence didn’t continue.

“What’d that mare want now?” She sighed, sounding agitated.

“Dunno. She made a crash landing, saw my face, asked what happened, and took off after saying she was going to tell, ‘the girls.’ and that I should avoid falling on my face again.” I quoted using my fingers, and Applejack shook her head.

“Sounds like you’re about t’catch Tartarus.”

I smirked but didn’t say anything for a few minutes while she cleaned up everything, then grabbed the bandages from my hands. They actually kinda looked like band-aids, but she also grabbed gauze and actual bandages as well.

“T’ain’t so bad.” She snarked, as if she was expecting me to disagree with her or something.

I nodded my head in agreement. “I figured it’d look a lot worse than it actually was.” I murmured as she applied the bandage to my nose, then grabbed a bigger one and stuck it to my forehead.

“Alright, time t’get t’the hospital.” She said, and I stood up, donning my glasses once again.

“Let’s get a move on then.” I said, and with that we were off. It was silent between the two of us for several minutes as we quickly made our way towards the town.

“Y’know, yer takin’ this a lot better than I thought ya would.”

I looked up at the blue sky, watching as a few pegasi flew through the air in their daily routine or moving clouds or delivering mail. “No point in freakin’ out. Everything’s under control, and it’s only a few small cuts.” I answered, nonplussed.

“I’d say it’s more than a few cuts...” She muttered, reaching up to flick the rock sticking out of my face.

I sent a glare her way as she caused it to twinge slightly, not to mention that it tapped against one of my wisdom teeth. “Alright, no reason to make it any worse. The only reason I’m not bleeding more is because the thing is still lodged in my face.” I grouched, and she seemed to pale.

“...Why’d ya know somethin’ like that?”

“It’s sort of… inelegant, how some things are taught to people.”

She took that as a means to drop the subject.

“So… the end of harvesting season, huh?” I murmured after a few seconds of silence, looking out over the droves of trees that made up the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres. It had a sort of beauty in its symmetry over the land, how all of the trees grew perfectly straight, all in complete straight lines without anything ever marring that image.

“Eeyup. Today was the last day we finished up all of the apple buckin’.” She answered, and I nodded my head slowly.

“I’ll miss working here. It was nice.”

She turned to look at me with a Cheshire grin on her face. “Ya sure Sugarcube? Seems t’me yer tryin’ t’get outta work.”

I pursed my lips as I looked at her and she chuckled softly. “What makes you think I wanted to get out of work? Sure, it’s not something I’d see myself doing for the rest of my life, but it brings new perspective on how things are. Makes me appreciate the time and work farmers put into creating their crops and selling it on the market.”

We had reached the edge of the orchard and was on the edge of Ponyville. A few ponies were meandering about but seemed to pay us no mind as he made our way inward. I gave a soft huff as I resisted the urge to rub my cheek idly.

“Sounds like ya got somethin’ on yer chest ya want t’get off.” I shook my head with a small, amused grin.

“I’ve always got something on my mind that I want to get off. Just gotta find the right person and the right time to do it.” I responded as I could see the hospital in the distance.

A few ponies had stopped to greet me before they started staring at me, or rather what was wrong with me, but I had promptly ignored them to get inside of the hospital. It took us a minute or so, but we made it inside and we walked over to the front desk.

The mare was in the middle of doing paperwork, so I cleared my throat to get her attention.

“Hello, what brings you h-” The mare looked up and she stopped what she was saying as she looked at my deadpan face. “U-um, I see… We’ll send s-somepony out to see you as soon as possible!” The mare stood up from her chair and rushed into the next room, so I decided to sit down while I waited.

“So, Applejack, quick question.” I turned to look at her as she sat down next to me.

She turned to look at me, making an effort to not stare at the rock in my face. “Well, what is it Sugarcube?”

“I know back home, when people got injured on the job, they’d write it off as a workplace accident and then they’d charge the company the employee worked for the bill for it. Does that work here, or is it more or less just free healthcare that’s brought about from taxes from the government?”

Applejack looked blankly at me for a moment before she unhelpfully shrugged her head. “Ya know I ain’t the one t’ask for that sort of thing. Maybe when Twilight gets here, ya can ask her.”

I frowned at that. “What about Big Mac? Didn’t he get injured on the job and taken to the hospital for it?” She nodded her head in response, so I continued. “Did you have to pay for it, or does the hospital operate on a form of free healthcare?”

She just shrugged again, and I shook my head, slightly peeved for her lack of knowledge on the subject. “I’m just asking in case I have to pay for it with what I’ve made or if I’m-” The front doors opened up and five familiar mares walked in and I stopped.

And here’s the peanut gallery. I couldn’t help but think. Their eyes went straight to me and a collective gasp came from them.

“My word, Daniel, are you alright?” Rarity asked as she rushed over, the rest of the group following suit at their own pace.

“I’ll be fine-” I started to answer, when Fluttershy came over and pressed my face against her chest.

“Oh Daniel, how are you feeling? Do you need anything? Some water? Some-” I pushed against her and made her step away, a surprised look on her face. I was in more than a little pain from her digging the rock deeper into my face, and by proxy was digging the rock into my gums, and I’m sure it showed when she squeaked. “O-oh, I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t m-mean t-to aggravate it! Oh Fluttershy, you can be clumsy sometimes!” She started admonishing herself.

“Look, I’ll be-” I was once again interrupted by Pinkie when she pushed through and started looking it over.

“It looks kinda funny like that!” She started giggling as she started pinching my cheeks, and I felt myself grow more than a little irritated. Honestly, with the way they were treating me, it was starting to reach a boiling point where I was going to snap if they didn’t back the fuck up.

“Can you not-” I was interrupted once again when Twilight pulling the mares back away from me.

“Girls, give him some space!” She exclaimed before the girls started to bicker back and forth about what they were doing to ensure my comfort and safety.

I gave a sigh of exasperation as the mares grew more heated and a bit louder in their arguments, and I was able to slip out of the group rather quickly as they seemed to turn on one another in this argument of how I should be coddled.

I saw the doctor that saw me the first time step into the room, quickly scanning around the room, before his eyes trailed to me and he got a deadpan expression. I just gave him a small grin and a wave of my hands as I stood up, pushing through the crowd of ponies.

“Well, when I got the news that something that looked like a giant hairless pony was injured in the front lobby, I figured it was you.” He stated in a voice just as deadpan as his face as I walked over, leaving the mares to their quiet bickering.

“Hey, I kept my promise from before!” I jested to him, but he just shook his head.

“I was telling you that I didn’t want you to become a frequent patient of mine. It appears I didn’t get through that thick skull of yours.” He muttered, and I just chuckled slightly as we turned down a hallway.

“It’s not like I planned to fall out of a tree.” I responded as we turned into a random room, and he closed the door behind us.

“So, how’d you get yourself hurt this time?” He droned, as if he had asked this question a thousand times with me, and I gave him a bemused look.

“You say that like I get hurt a lot...” I grumbled, but he snorted.

“You’ve been seriously hurt more times than I’ve seen any other pony have been!” He exclaimed.

“Hey, it’s a talent of mine, what can I say?”

The doctor couldn’t appear more deadpan than he was at that very moment.

“Anyways, I was in the middle of work, helping out around Applejack’s farm, when the branch that I was standing on gave out from underneath me. I hit something on the way down and that put me on my face instead of my feet.” I answered, and he sighed, scribbling it down on that damn clipboard he always has.

“Why were you in the trees instead of bucking them like a normal pony?”

“Because I’m not a pony doc. I can’t just kick a tree like a pony and expect it to give me its goods.”

“It sounds like you learned that from experience. Did you hurt yourself the first time you attempted that as well?”

“I didn’t even have to try it. I figured if I did, I would’ve broken a leg and ended up back here within the first couple’a days you guys released me.”

He cocked an eyebrow at that. “So you’ve been working with her for the majority of the season while you’ve been here? I’ve noticed that you look a bit healthier than you have been when I last saw you.”

I took a moment to look at myself in the mirror the room provided. My arms were a bit bigger than they were before, and I looked a bit skinnier around my neck, but other than that, I was the same as I was before. I didn’t have any sort of drastic changes like I thought he was trying to point out. Quite literally a bit healthier. Most of the time, it’s an exaggeration when a doctor says that.

I turned back to the doctor and rubbed the back of my head. “Yeah, her brother got injured and she needed some help, so I decided that it was better for me to do something instead of just sitting around.”

He nodded, writing more info down. “So, instead of bucking trees, you climb up into them and pluck the apples?”

I just nodded, and he continued writing. After a few minutes, he set down the clipboard and came over to the bed.

“Alright, if you’ll hop up on here, we can take a look at that object lodged into your face.” I did what he told me to, hopping up onto the table. His horn lit up, and I felt the thing moving around in my cheek. I winced a few times when he pulled it upwards or downwards too far, and it scraped against my teeth or gums, but he didn’t do anything that would cause extra damage.

“It seems like it’d be rather easy to remove. My only question is, do you want it to be fast and painful, or slow and uncomfortable?”

I just rolled my eyes. “My question is, how are you going to fix it? You going to stitch my cheek shut or has your magic been able to close up wounds like this without much of an issue?”

The doctor gave me another deadpan look. “Magic will fix your cheek up quickly.”

Without waiting for his instruction, I gripped the piece of rock with the tips of my fingers and pried it out of my face rather easily. His eyes shot open in shock as I finished pulling it out of my face, and I looked at it.

“It looks like a...” I frowned as I trailed off, contemplating what I thought it is. Before, I thought it was just a stone arrowhead, but now that I look at it, it looked like… I don’t know, it looked like the tip to a sword, with the tip having broken off by something. The doctor was studying the piece as he pulled it from my hands with his magic and was looking it over.

He took it over to the sink and washed the blood off of it, before bringing it up to the light. “My word, this may be larger than I had originally thought it to be.” The stallion mumbled, before he glanced over at me. I felt something pushing my cheek together briefly, before a burning sensation washed over my face, and I gritted my teeth.

After a few seconds, it was over, and a cool sensation washed over the spot. “Sheesh, if I knew you were going to cauterize the wound, I would’ve-”

The doctor shushed me as he looked over the piece. “This thing… It might be a link to the past that we’ve never thought of before. Do you know what this means?” The doctor asked as I looked it over, a bit curious myself.

“That I may have intentionally found an ancient battleground left over from the times before civilization simply because I busted my face on the ground?” I returned back to him, giving him that deadpan look and tone that he had been using with me since he started talking with me.

He got a sparkle in his eye as he nodded his head enthusiastically. “Indeed, my dear colt! I’ll have to contact an old friend of mine, but this is big, very big! I’m sure you and Mrs. Applejack will be compensated for lost time in the orchard, but this discovery may give us more clues about how ponies were brought about the world!”

I nodded my head. “That’ll have to be something you ask Applejack about. She was still out in the lo-”

Speak of the devil, and he, or she in this case, shall appear.

The door opened and the six mares waltzed through the door, the doctor looking surprised at their sudden intrusion.

“Took you all long enough to get back here!” I said with an amused smirk, and the ponies looked down at the ground in shame.

“We’re sorry. We got into an argument right after you left...” Twilight mumbled, but I waved it off.

“Look, that’s fine. There’s something that you might be interested in though.” The doctor cleared his throat after a nod my way for clearing it up.

“Ah, yes, we were able to remove the foreign object from his cheek and heal him with magic. There’s only a thin scar on the affected tissue that was left over, but that’ll heal within a few weeks by itself after I finished magically repairing the tissue.”

The girls seemed to sigh collectively in relief. “Well, that’s good! For a moment there, I thought it could’ve been something bad!” Rainbow Dash said, but the doctor glared at her for interrupting.

“Now, for the interest that we discovered with this object.” He held it up in his magic for all of the mares to see.

A few of them stared at it confusion. “It’s a rock. So what?” Rainbow Dash got a glare for her words from the doctor once again, and he held it for a few seconds in silence.

“It’s rather… oddly shaped, but I can’t for the life of me think of what it might be.” Rarity murmured.

“It looks sharp and pointy… a-and scary...” Fluttershy mumbled.

“It looks rather… what’s the darn word for it… distinct, in its shape.” A few heads turned to Applejack as she contemplated the object, and she wordlessly looked around at the other mares before blushing in embarrassment.

“Yes, that’s what I was going to say...” Twilight mumbled, before she studied it. “It appears to be the tip to a… spear, or maybe a sword made of stone or some sort of other aggregate of mineraloid matter. The object doesn’t look igneous, but instead sedimentary in nature. You can see small grooves and cuts as if somepony-”

Rainbow groaned, interrupting Twilight. “Seriously Twilight, you need to get out of that library more. That egghead of yours is big enough as it is!”

I decided to step in as Twilight looked disheartened while the other mares giggled and chuckled at her expense. “What Twilight was saying, and what the doctor and I have found out, is that this object may be a part of another thing entirely.” Heads turned to me when I said that, and I decided to indulge slightly in my own studious nature. “It might be just a coincidence, but it might also be something that may be related to the past. It might be a link to something lost to time, a piece of history forgotten by the annexes of time.”

Applejack cocked her head to the side. “So, yer sayin’ that there might be somethin’ under Sweet Apple Acres that came from before Equestria was even a thing?”

The doctor nodded enthusiastically. “It very well may be something that came before the three tribes migrated down from the north! The only way we’d be able to know for sure is to see if there is anything buried beneath your property.”

The mare seemed to be swelling up with indignation at that, and the doctor waved his hands placatingly at the mare. “Of course, we’d only do this investigation with your permission, and you’ll be properly recompensed for your troubles!” The doctor added, and a sliver of doubt wormed its way into her look.

“I… I don’t know… Them land’s been apart of my family from before Ponyville was settled, and I don’t know if everypony else would approve of some folk comin’ ‘round and tearin’ up the orchard just because they think somethin’s below it...” She mumbled, and Twilight put a hand on her shoulder.

“It’ll be fine Applejack. Just think about it like this: what if they discover something below Sweet Apple Acres? Ponies across Equestria would come to see this discovery, and then you’ll have museums trying their best to buy the rights to own that, and all of that money would go straight to you and your family! And, it’s not like they’re going to put you out of business by taking over the whole orchard! It’d only be a small portion that they’d excavate to see if it’s actually holding any valuable information.” Applejack still looked doubtful, but it seemed like Twilight was winning her over.

I decided to throw in my two cents. “You’ll still be able to harvest the rest of the trees before they arrive. It’s not like they’re going to be coming today and start pushing you off of your own property. And they’re not going to be holding onto the property permanently. They’ll be renting it off of you, paying their dues, and then when they finish up and take all of the information from the portion they have, they’ll replace the earth and you’ll be able to have your full orchard again. If they don’t find anything, they’ll be out of your hair within a few months, and if they do, they’ll probably be gone before the next harvest.”

Applejack just sighed. “Alright, I get it… Jus’ who am I supposed to talk to? I don’t know anypony that’s about excavating!”

The doctor cleared his throat. “If you’ll allow me, I know a few ponies myself that would be interested in this. I can ask them to come over and discuss details with you whenever you have some free time.”

That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, because she just nodded her head, hanging her head as if she was being shamed. “I guess I can talk with ‘em. I just don’t want nothin’ bad to happen to the orchard.”

The rest of the mares were giving words of encouragement and reassurances when the doctor cleared his throat.

“Now, while I would love to keep discussing this, this room needs to be cleared so that other patients may be brought in and treated. I am still on the clock, after all.” We were escorted back down the hall and into the main room, and after some time of filling out paperwork, the group and I had left.

The day ended as an impromptu off day, though that was more on the orders of Applejack when we got out of the hospital. She walked off to finish the harvest up, but that left me with the five other mares.

Pinkie soon departed because she had left her shift at Sugarcube Corner to come see if I was okay, but told me that she was planning a big party for me. I didn’t get an opportunity to ask her why when she darted off.

The rest of us ended up sitting down for lunch. It started off with them asking if I was okay, even though I had already been released from the hospital, and that got old quick after fifteen minutes of three different ponies asking me. Rainbow Dash seemed to be amused by them fawning over me.

I mean, I appreciate the fact that they were concerned with my well being, but the way they were doing it made me feel more like a child surrounded by a set of surrogate parents rather than friends. After I convinced them that I was fine with a rather firm assurance that made them look guilty for a few moments, the rest of the lunch had gone great.

Everyone was cracking jokes with one another, a few of them aimed at me for being clumsy and getting myself hurt. Rainbow Dash started it, and was getting admonished by all three other mares for making a joke about it when I started laughing and got them to lay off of her. That led to a few more jokes from Rainbow Dash, and I started slinging a few back at her for making less than ideal landings when she was flying, and her crashing into everything.

I kept track of every time she came to Sweet Apple Acres to talk with Applejack about something, and ended up flying face first into the dirt and digging a trench, or slamming into a tree with enough force to shake all of the apples from it, or one time when she flew into Big Mac the day after he got back into working shape and almost put him back inside the farmhouse, injured and bored out of his mind.

I could’ve kept going, as she also visits Fluttershy on a semi-regular basis for dinner and to help out around the cottage, or to just talk to the mare. Honestly, I’m surprised about how much these two interacted with one another, especially after I found out about their past.

Yeah, turns out Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy used to be childhood friends, which makes zero sense in my mind, with how drastically different the two of them were. Probably two really close families that had the two mares interacting with each other regularly to the point where they became friends themselves. That’s my theory on it, since that was rather common back home, but for all I know, they could’ve just been really good friends in school somehow.

Twilight started making a few jokes herself at Rainbow’s expense as she’s apparently flown into the library a few times, breaking through windows and slamming into the walls with enough force to knock the books from the shelves. Rarity told a story or two of Rainbow crashing into her boutique, though her threats apparently kept her steering clear of it. She doesn’t like being beautified or something, since all Rarity had to do was threaten to make her wear a dress and she clammed up.

After lunch, Rarity had to go back to work, but she thanked me for getting her outside in the fresh air and to take her lunch break. She asked me to come over soon, so I guess that means that I have something on my schedule in the next few days instead of just work, eat, and sleep.

Twilight asked me to come over to the library to ask a few questions about my world, which I knew meant that she was going to take up the rest of the day discussing and teaching me about Equestria. I was about to agree when I heard Fluttershy whine softly like a dog, but when I looked at her, she was just hiding behind her hair. I asked her if she was okay, but she just nodded and pushed me away, before running off rather quickly.

I could only glance questioningly at Twilight as we watched her disappear. I simply shrugged in response to the mare when she asked me what was wrong with her, but I told her that I’d be talking to her later tonight to see what was up.

We went back to the library, and we went over something a little less serious than I thought would’ve been the topic of the day. She wanted to discuss novels and books from my world, which I hadn’t thought of in any capacity. I told her about a few of my favorites to start off, which was a bit more than I was asking for when she practically gushed over each individual title. I told her the plots to The Great Gatsby, Catch-22, All the King’s Men, A Clockwork Orange, and a few snippets from Arthurian tales, like Tales from the Round Table and The Mists of Avalon to name a few.

That cropped up a lot of questions about just about everything under the sun about each and every book, and that went for several hours as I tried my best to either remember the books to explain bits of info, or explaining to her about some human history to make sense of some of the plots behind the stories. I wish I could honestly pull up the books so that she could read them instead of me trying to dredge up what I could remember of the books. She seemed to enjoy learning about magic from the human world, even if it was completely fictional as humans were never capable of magical feats.

The longer that I think about it, the more I’m pissed off about not being able to do any sort of magic. There’s not even a lick of passive magic in me, by what Twilight has told me when she did some sort of scan on me. It’s disconcerting since I’ve always wanted to be able to do magic. Sure, that dream was just something that I wanted as a kid when I read books or watched movies and TV, but it never really went away as I got older.

Just… smothered, I guess.

Anyway, it was nearing the end of the day, and Twilight was irritated that she didn’t get to share any of her favorite tales from her childhood. I dismissed myself before I got dragged into her thirst for knowledge again, and I started my way back to Fluttershy’s cottage. When I arrived, she was grooming one of her animal friends. Her eyes were a bit red and I could only assume that she had been crying, and that, for some reason, made me feel like an asshole, even though I’m pretty sure I had nothing to do with it.

When I asked her about it, she just brushed me off. I spent about twenty or thirty minutes trying to get her to tell me what was up, but she just clammed up after a few minutes of telling me that she didn’t want to talk about it, so I decided that it was time for me to leave it alone and let it lie where it was.

I went up to my room, grabbed fresh clothes, showered, and just laid in bed for the rest of the night. I wasn’t tired, but I didn’t feel like doing anything else. I got a knock on my door from Fluttershy, telling me that dinner was ready, but I didn’t make a noise, just laid there, staring at the back of my eyelids. I heard the door open. I could feel her staring at me, and I wanted to sit up and ask her what her problem was when I went over to Twilight’s library. I heard her sniffle slightly as she closed the door quietly, and I gave a small sigh as I heard her hooves take her back down the hallway. It took me a few hours, but I eventually drifted off to sleep.

I remember that I was dreaming about playing video games in my old bedroom. I think it was either Blacklight: Retribution or RAGE. It was a bit foggy now that I’m writing about it, but I remember that I was in the middle of playing a first person shooter that wasn’t Halo or Call of Duty when everything froze suddenly,before melting away to blackness.

I remember that I had stood up from the nothing that I had been sat upon, looking around in confusion. I heard the clopping of hooves on stone, despite there being no stone in my line of sight, and turned to see that one mare that I had seen my first night in Equestria.

“Hey, it’s… you... You never told me your name, did ya?” I said, looking around in the vast emptiness of the void surrounding us.

“I am Princess Luna. I am the princess of the night, as well as the mistress of dreams.” She informed me, and I scratched at the side of my head as I cringed.

“Ah, shit, sorry for not knowing that sooner.” I started bowing in respect to her but my body didn’t move when I tried to.

“Please, don’t bow. I may be a princess, but the bows are irritating to me, especially in your own dreams.”

I shrugged nonchalantly, taking a liking to the fact that she didn’t care for the status quo that most monarchs would hold. Means she isn't going to cut my head off for a breach in that bullshit. “I can imagine. So, what pleasure do I owe for you showing up in my dream?”

She looked around curiously. “Your dreams are quite…. barren human. Are all dreams like this for humans?”

I shook my head in response. “I remember I was dreaming about... something before everything disappeared and you showed up.” I looked around the void to emphasize the bleak darkness. “I figured it was your doing.”

She just stared at me oddly. “Nay. We do not control dreams, we simply monitor them, to see if they become night terrors, then we intervene to ensure they don’t become nightmares.”

I cocked my head slightly to the side. “So, if this is a dream and I’m aware that it’s a dream, does that mean I can control the dream and do whatever I want?”

She frowned. “What makes you claim such a thing? The dreamer always controls the dream, even when they don’t realize they can.”

I shrugged once again. “It was something from my world when we tried to study lucid dreams.” I conjured up an image of a study that I had seen in a movie that I liked and suddenly heard the crackling of a fire.

I opened my eyes to a Victorian style room. The walls were lined with shelves or pictures of prominent figures from European history, most of the shelves lined with books from history. A few comfortable looking chairs sat in front of the fire, next to a small table that had a few glasses on the table and a bottle of some sort of crystal decanter, filled with scotch. I never had alcohol before, but it was a part of the scene and it always made it seem high class. On the mantle of the fireplace sat a few onyx statues of animals, like lions and rhinos.

An end-table held a gramophone and was playing Maurice Ravel’s Bolero on the piano through it. The music was of my own doing because I loved the song. I don’t remember if that gramophone was actually being used in that scene from the movie.

The Princess of the Night seemed to be surprised by the sudden change in environment. “An interesting place you’ve conjured up. Somewhere from your world?”

I just nodded as I sat down in one of the chairs, a bottle of Dr. Browns Black Cherry appearing in my hands suddenly. “I figured that I’d share a little bit of my world here.” I stated, taking a sip of the soda, letting the flavor and the carbonation of the water wash over my tongue. She sat down in the chair adjacent from me, reclining a bit in the chair.

“Ooh, this is comfortable...” I heard her mutter, before she cleared her throat. “So, I suppose you’re curious as to why I decided to visit you.” She stated in a professional manner, wiping the emotions she held from her face.

I nodded, looking at her expectantly. “I don’t remember having any sort of nightmares tonight. I figured you came here to tell me something important.”

She nodded her head. “Rather astute of you. Yes, I came here for two things. One is to inform you of my sister, Princess Celestia. She wants to meet you soon, as Twilight Sparkle has been keeping her updated on what she learns from you. If ponies come to collect you from your residence within the next two weeks, you should know why.”

I nodded my head in acknowledgment. I stood there, waiting for a few moments for her to continue, but she seemed content in staring at me awkwardly. “Alright, and the second part?”

The princess grew slightly uncomfortable. “Do you know the mare Fluttershy? The Element of Kindness?”

I nodded my head once again in acknowledgment.

“Do you know that you’ve been the subject of many of her dreams in the recent days?” I felt like if I was drinking something, I would’ve done a spit-take. Thankfully, I was not drinking Dr. Brown’s and didn’t coat the mare in black cherry soda.

I managed a look of surprise to compensate for my shortcomings of spewing water from my mouth and nostrils.

“Now I know. Hopefully they’re good things...” I murmured, and she glanced over at me, a critical look in her eye before she waved her hand.

“Maybe it’s best if you see for yourself.”

Everything melted away, and I felt like someone had just pulled me backwards with a rope, and I suddenly found myself standing in a black void that was different than the one that Luna had contacted me in. It was was dotted with many different colored stars, as if I was standing inside of the night sky itself. A pretty cool thought in my head.

To her, it just looked like an average Tuesday.

“You are in the dreamscape. This is my domain when I protect the dreams of every being on this world.” I heard Luna’s voice state behind me, and I turned around and felt an extreme case of vertigo and nausea take over me as I was suddenly pulled forward at what felt like the speed of light. I collapsed onto my hands and knees and retched, but nothing came from my mouth thankfully.

“My apologies. I forget that you are unaccustomed to traveling in this vast plane.” Luna said, not really sounding apologetic.

She bent down and placed a hand on my shoulder, gently rubbing it, and after a few minutes of trying to get my head to stop spinning, I stood up and wiped my mouth and my eyes, even though there was no bile or spit running from my mouth or tears in my eyes.

“No… no problem. It was just a little… jarring.” I brought a palm up to my forehead as I looked around, wincing as a headache wormed its way into my head. We were standing next to a large cloud that seemed to be made of mustard gas, judging by its color.

“Each one of those dots in the sky are the consciousness of every being that sleeps tonight. Their color indicates their emotions and their dream state.” She pulled me close and turned towards the cloud we stood next to. “This color indicates happiness. Now, look closely into it and see if you can recognize who this belongs to.”

I nodded, staring into the billowing forms of the smoke that formed this cloud. I noticed a few details of a familiar looking pony that were dredged up in the clouds, only there for a split second before shifting back into its billowy state of never ending motion. It took me about a minute to figure out who it was, since I wasn’t sure what I was looking for the first half.

“Fluttershy.” I turned to look at the lunar princess, curious.

She nodded her head. “Indeed. This consciousness is the one belonging to the Element of Kindness.”

My brow furrowed as a question popped to the forefront of my mind. “So what’s this about? You’re telling me all of this information and showing me all of this stuff, but what-”

She silenced me with a finger on my lips that I had half a mind to bite just to teach her a lesson about shoving her hands in other people’s faces.

“I was simply giving you context so that you could understand what you were seeing.”

She removed her hand from my face and brought it to the cloud, and with a small swipe of her hands, moved the smoke to the side, revealing the butter colored pony that I had grown to know in the last few weeks. She was sitting on a hill that was near to Ponyville, her back reclined against a tall tree as she stared off into the setting sun.

I was sitting next to her, wearing some casual clothes that I had never seen before, and seemed rather uncomfortable to me since they hugged my body in all of the wrong ways.

I mean, they hugged me just enough to emphasize a muscle mass that looked more akin to Big Mac than it was to my skinny ass, and a distinct bulge in my pants that I most assuredly didn’t have. It was awkward picking those details out, especially since Fluttershy seemed rather content with rubbing my inner thigh with one of her hands, just barely touching that ridiculous sized bulge.

I thought about making a joke about stuffing my pants, but I bit my tongue and kept quiet.

The dream versions of Fluttershy and I weren’t saying anything, just simply staring out into the vast sky as the sun continued to dip below the horizon. Before long, the mare turned to look at me, and I turned to look at her in the same moment, in a sort of Hollywood style romance movie way.

A knowing smile came to her face as we drew closer together, her body scooting closer to mine as she pressed herself into my side. I rested my head atop hers, and for several minutes, they simply stared at the setting sun.

I turned to look at Luna, trying to convey my discomfort at watching this, but she simply had her eyes glued to the scene before her. With a silent sigh, I turned my attention back to the two dream versions, where Fluttershy and I were staring lovingly into each other’s eyes.

I felt my heart beating faster and faster as the two dream versions inched towards one another, until our lips connected. My arms wrapped around Fluttershy, and we sat there, sharing a passionate kiss that continued on for a minute or two.

I was… dumbfounded. Shocked. Surprised. There really wasn’t one word that I had that could describe what I was feeling.

The smoke washed over the scene once again, and I realized that my jaw was on the floor. I picked it up and turned to look at Luna, who was studying my reaction.

“I-uh… hmm.” I eloquently said to the mare, who snorted in amusement.

“I believe that’s the first time I’ve heard a creature refer to being shown that someone has affections for them that way.” She turned back towards the cloud. “I’ve seen them start this way or in a similar manner, and they are all very vivid and become rather intimate before long...” Luna stated, a bit of a blush on her face, but I shook my head to clear my thoughts before I sighed heavily.

“Look, I can’t do that to her. She’s… too good for someone broken like me.”

Luna looked surprised at my statement. “Do tell. Mayhaps I could aid thee.” She responded, and I ran a hand through my hair.

“Things back home were… not the best, from time to time. I never was in a relationship with someone. The one time that I actually did tell someone about a girl I liked...” I trailed off as a pained expression came to my face as I still remembered the pictures of her I had seen in the aftermath.

“There’s more to this than what you’re telling. If you should so trust me, I would like to hear everything.” She stated firmly, and I had half a mind to tell her no and to leave me the hell alone, but a part of me wanted to get it off of my chest, to let her know what happened that made me so… cynical towards having a relationship.

I ran another hand through my hair. I sighed heavily once again, a defeated tone working its way into my voice. “Alright! Alright… Just, can we not do it here?”

She nodded, and we suddenly found ourselves in an empty space once again. “We are back in your dream. Do with it what you will.”

I thought about showing her what had happened through my memories, but they were painful to dredge up, so I decided on the same room as before, and I sunk into the chair, staring at the fire. The bottle I had previously suddenly appeared in my hands once again, and I set it down on the table, not in the mood for a soda as the images churned in my head.

“I guess I should start with the basics. My parents were in with the mafia.” Luna stopped herself as she was sitting down in the chair next to mine, and was staring at me as the shadows from the fire danced off of my face. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking or what emotions she was trying to convey. I wasn’t even paying attention to her at that moment.

“Ah, who the fuck am I kidding… My father was the godfather of the fucking mafia. The big boss, the kingpin, the leader of the bunch of chucklefucks. He wanted my brother and I to follow in his footsteps.”

Luna brought a hand to my arm and I looked over at her. She was searching my eyes, as if looking for something, before she nodded her head, letting me continue. “He wanted my brother to become the next one in line when he was gone. Throughout my life, we were constantly hounded by these guys from the mafia. When I was in school, I was in school under constant supervision, even if I didn't know about it until I was older. I was dropped off before school by the mafia, I was picked up after school by the mafia.”

I stared at the fire, my hands clutching at the arms of the chair tightly as I had flashes back to my childhood. Times when I was dropped off at school, being hounded for my appearance and being groomed long before I was supposed to be at school, and times when I was picked up from school and the guys were asking why I had a stain on my shirt, or why I had crumbs still on my collar, or why my hair was tussled.

“All my life, I was forced to become something I didn’t want to become...” I trailed off as I had become sidetracked, before sighing softly, a frown working its way across my face.

“I remember when I was growing up, I had crushes on some girls from afar. I was too afraid to tell them how I felt, mostly because I thought that I wasn’t good enough for them. They were always popular girls at school, probably fawned over by every boy in school and probably some of the other girls even. I was a social outcast, and I most definitely wouldn't have gotten them to notice me... But there was a small portion of me that was worried for them... Because I was in fear for what would happen to them if they got involved with me, or they were seen with me after school, with the people I was associated with.”

I leaned back into the chair, looking up at the ceiling. “The one time that I had actually told someone what I was feeling, it was a guy that I thought I could trust. He was there from the beginning, and he wasn’t treating me how my father wanted him to treat me. I guess it was some sort of ploy to get him to be someone I could tell secrets to or something like that...”

My face hardened and I gritted my teeth as I remembered his face, how I wanted to punch it until it stopped resembling a face. “I was thirteen at the time. Everyone around that time was starting to grow up, hitting puberty, and I was having a growing interest in girls, moreso than I did when I was younger... I had saw this beautiful girl that I had grown absolutely smitten to. I remember that I would stare at her every time she walked past, how I would pick up on the light scent of perfume she wore, or how I’d catch glimpses of her sitting with her friends, and I’d hear her laughter...” I gave a long suffering sigh.

I knew it was creepy the way that I watched her from afar, but I was a damn coward when I was younger. I couldn’t muster up the courage to do anything myself, let alone talk to someone that I thought was pretty.

“The guy I mentioned earlier noticed that I was staring at her through the window of the car one day when I got picked up and asked me about her. I basically laid it all out there for him, thinking that I could trust him. I told him that I liked the girl, that I wished that I could get to know her, and to be able to hold her hand and smile.”

I looked down to the floor, bringing my hands up to my face as I covered them, as if I was ashamed of what I was going to say next. “That fucking bastard ratted me out as soon as we got home from school that day… A few days later, she turns up missing. I noticed that she wasn’t showing up to school after the second day, but it came up in the news that she was missing. A few more days after that, they find her body.”

The princess gasped at that, but I continued. I knew that if I stopped now, I wouldn’t keep going, and no matter how much she would dig, she wouldn’t find out unless she ripped those memories from me.

“She had been raped and beaten to death by those fucking animals… Taken thirty-five miles north of where she lived, she was found strapped to a bed in a motel with a note pinned to her forehead with a knife...”

I was shaking, I could feel it. It felt like I had become encased in ice as images of her body flashed in my head, and I could feel the tears in my eyes. I couldn’t tell you if it was because of grief or if it was because of rage. They swirled together so much that they’ve started to become one in the same.

“I-it read, ‘We know you’re watching. We know where you live. Learn to play the game D. If you don’t, the next girl is going to get it...’” I felt my heart sink down into my chest as if it was the first time I had seen that note, the first time that I had read it.

That foreboding feeling as despair racked my body, consumed my mind, and that overwhelmed all sense of logic that I had. Something in me at that moment cracked, and I leapt out of the chair that I had been sitting in as the scene shattered around me like glass thrown at a wall. “Daniel, I believe it’s time for you to calm down.” Luna said coolly, staring at me cautiously as I felt that fight or flight instinct kick into my body, that adrenaline pumping into my veins as I got ready for a fight.

I had completely ignored her as everything was focused inward on myself, and I felt myself being swallowed up by that feeling of despair. “I can’t let that happen again… I can’t get close to anyone because of what they’d do to them… They won’t get me here… They can’t get me here. I’m my own man. But they’re coming for me right now. They won’t stop until I’m dead.”

I felt something in my head snap in the other direction, taking with it the despair that I had been feeling, and a snarl erupted from my throat as a burning rage filled my chest. “They want that satisfaction! I won’t give it to them! I’ll kill them for that… I’ll kill them all!”

I felt something grab me. “Daniel, you need to calm yourself. No one is coming after you. They can’t hurt you here.” I heard the voice, it registered in my head as a familiar voice, trying to calm me down, but that deep ingrained fear that I had been hiding from everyone, that despair of knowing that someone that I cared about, that I wanted to see happy, was killed simply because of me, because of being associated with me, was overwhelming my mind, and with the two sides fighting for control.

It drove me to drastic measures at that moment, having to relive that pain in that moment, and I felt the hand tighten around my arm and yank me. I simply reacted. I lashed out, my fist meeting the face of whoever was standing there with me, and suddenly I felt myself ejected back to the waking world, the feeling of water having been dumped over permeating over my body.

I gasped and sputtered as I tried to wipe away whatever I was covered with, but I was completely dry from what I was being told by my hands. The feeling of cold washed away to sudden heat, then a spreading numbness across my body until that feeling of pins and needles covered my entire body, and I winced as I sat there, gasping for breath.

I shot up into a sitting position as a wave of nausea washed over me. I grasp my head in my hands, trying to stop the spinning of the room caused by the sudden movement. It’s about as futile as my attempts to banish the memories, the paranoia that constantly ate away at my psyche, even when I tried to hide it from the others. I’ve tried to forget what happened, to the people I’ve hurt because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut, those who dared to go against the evil in the dark, the monster that prowls the streets, that blends in with the crowds.

The memories just dredged back up, seeing faces of kids, not much younger or older than me, being held against their will, being hurt, being beaten by men much older than them for no reason other than they were trying to what all kids wanted to do. To make some friends.

The same words reverberated in my head in now as I write this. “You can’t rely on these shitstains. You can only rely on yourself, and your family. Don’t let these schmucks fool you into a false sense of security.” That bastard’s voice echoed in my head to this day.

I remember a few of them coming to me at school, in moments when I wasn’t being watched. I remember them saying that it wasn’t my fault that they were like this, bruised and battered. That I’m not to blame. Some of them even pitied me for what I was going through. They tried to stick around, but I just pushed them away.

I knew they feared me.

Perhaps not me exactly, but they feared what would come from me. I could see it in their eyes, the way they acted around me. How they tried to avoid me when they see me walking the halls.

I didn’t deserve what Fluttershy felt for me.

She deserves someone better.

Someone that isn’t a fucking mess.

I remember sitting there in that spot for hours, until the sun rose over the horizon and started shining through my windows. I remember the contempt I felt for myself. The pain I suffered for others. I remember laying back down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, and then sometime later the door opening up. I don’t know what time it was, and I didn’t remember how long I had been laying there, staring at that brown and green ceiling.

“D-Daniel?” Fluttershy’s voice cut through the silence of the room, and I slowly sat up on one arm to look at Fluttershy. I must’ve looked a mess to her. She pushed the door open a little more and poked her head in. She froze as her eyes met mine, and then darting across my shoulders and my partially covered chest.

“Daniel? W-what happened to you?” She asked. I could see her one visible eye darting over me once again, indicating the bruises that had suddenly appeared on my body.

They weren’t there yesterday. Of course they weren't there. I made them when I woke up.

Throughout the night, as I lay there staring back at my past, I had been punching myself. I didn’t hit my face, because I didn’t want to leave a mark that someone could see and ask about. Especially those that were trying to get close to me.

I was planning on hiding my shame, my contempt, away from the ponies. Let them heal over time. I remember lashing out at myself each time a particularly destructive wave of emotions wracked my body, and I had punched myself all over. My chest, my shoulders, my arms, nothing on my upper torso was left untouched.

I must’ve looked like I had been jumped in the middle of the night since she could see the mottled mixture of browns and greens, blues and purples mixed together across what bruises she could see.

I looked down at myself, then back to her. “I… had a bad dream.” I lied through my teeth. My voice had no life in it, emotionless and unfeeling.I didn’t want her to know how I felt about myself. So I’ll do what I’ve done since I woke up in this place.

I’ll hide it behind a mask. That mask that’s been drilled into me from the start.

She seemed to take it at face value. “O-oh… A-are you going t-to be alright?” She asked, and I sat there, staring at her for a few moments. I looked away, turning my attention to the sheets in front of me.

“I’ll be fine… What time is it?” I asked, my voice still sounding as dead as a graveyard. She looked towards the window.

“I’d say it’s about ten or so… Y-you missed breakfast...” She frowned softly, and I closed my eyes before digging my palms into the sockets.

I let out a soft growl. “Sorry Fluttershy. I’ve been...” I trailed off as the mare stood before. I don’t remember hearing her step inside the room or close the door. I don’t remember hearing her walk towards the bed and stand over me. Only when she leaned over the bed and I felt her arms wrap around my neck did I know that she had graced me with her presence.

“F-Fluttershy?” I stared at the mare as she had trapped me in her arms. I could feel the warmth radiating off of her, and shivered slightly as I realized how cold I felt. She pulled back and gave me a small, shy smile.

“Sometimes Daniel, y-you look like you really need a hug... And today is the worst I've seen it...” She mumbled, and I blinked several times at that. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing from this mare.

Part of me wanted to push her away, to tell her to not touch me ever again. I didn’t want her to get hurt by doing this. To be associated with me.

Part of me wanted to simply gawk at her sudden forwardness. She had never done this before, to anyone as far as I know, so her suddenly encapsulating me in her grasp was…

Part of me wanted to wrap my arms around her, return this affection towards her. To show her, at least in hopes to keep her unwitting, about my current state of mind that she managed to see.

Part of me wanted to relish in this touch, to pull her into the bed and simply lay there, holding her in my arms as I whisper sweet nothings into her ear. To show her what I haven’t been able to do to anyone else.

I crushed all of the other dissenting voices in my head together and smiled softly. “You’re too kind for your own good sometimes, Fluttershy…” I responded, and she blushed softly.

She left with a small giggle and some pep in her step, her tail swaying gently side to the side as she closed the door behind her. I had watched her the entire time, my eyes taking in every inch of her, to memorize this happiness she had, that she gave to me.

I sighed softly, frowning a bit as the same pessimistic thoughts came back to me after she left, but I pushed them away as my thoughts went back to that yellow mare. The only thing on my mind, what I wanted to be on my mind was Fluttershy. I had gotten up out of bed and started getting dressed with her on my mind. I even started having this rather intimate daydream about her, and my stomach started to spin and flutter the more I thought about it until it suddenly stuck in my head what was happening. Horror spread itself in my head, and my stomach leapt up into my throat as the realization hammered itself into me.

I had become totally smitten with Fluttershy, and she was the same way with me.

I guess it's another day in this carnival of souls.

Author's Note

And here we have chapter five. Hopefully it's a bit better with the pacing that I've set here, and what I'll expand upon in the next chapter. I'm thinking about crunching the next chapters together in case they don't have enough... substance to them.
Anyway, the romance shall be held off for now. I might turn the next chapter into a filler chapter to make sure that it isn't just, "Timeskip to the good shit that everyone wants, but add in enough time so that it isn't just main character falling in love with another character immediately and make it seem like a Gary Stu" stuff.

Tenebrarum Amplexus Intra ...

Author's Note

Warning: Up to this point, the story is unedited and still has the previous series of event. Currently, there is a gap between the old and new chapters, which will no doubt confuse and irritate those that continue to read from this point. I would recommend either stopping at the last chapter, and then returning to see if and when I manage to edit the story to concisely fit into the newer chapters.

I don't know if and when I'll get around to finishing the editing on these older chapters, but I plan on doing it as soon as I'm capable, as it honestly pains me to leave a project unfinished, even if it's for something as niche and mundane as this.

Tenebrarum Amplexus Intra ...

"Where do you want to go, 'Shy?" I asked, dressed in my normal suit and fedora.

"Can we go to the Trotting Stallion?" Fluttershy asked, holding a coin purse in her hands.

"Isn't that the fancy restaurant over by the library?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. I was hoping we could go there, if that's alright with you..." She said timidly. I wrapped an arm around her, kissing her cheek, then went upstairs and got my wallet and iPod, then came back downstairs.

"I think I have enough for the restaurant..." I said, jiggling the bags of coins in my pockets.

"I think you have enough to buy the restaurant out..." She joked, placing Angel in his cage. She walked to the front door, where I was holding the door, and walked out, a small blush on her cheeks. We walked into Ponyville, the night sky bright and beautiful.

'Not as beautiful as 'Shy' I thought, giving myself a small smile. She was wearing a long green dress that reached down to her ankles, and pink shoes that somehow matched the dress.

'Fashion, something I'll never understand.' I thought, making my way to the library, then to the Trotting Stallion. The restaurant itself was a large structure, indoor and outdoor tables surrounding the restaurant, with stallions and mares in suits and elegant dresses as waiters, and the smell of meat wafted out to draw in customers. I thought since they called themselves ponies that they didn't eat meat, but I learned the first weeks that they still do, except most prefer to eat veggies and fruits.

We walked into the restaurant, a group of ponies in front of us but otherwise the restaurant was sort of... empty. Ponies dotted the room, but most of the tables were empty and awaiting newcomers. A waiter grabbed the assorted amount of menus from the side of the podium, and another took his place, writing down something. We stepped forward, expecting quick service, except the guy ignored us for a minute until I cleared my throat. He looked up, an irritated look on his face, then he saw us and gave a strained smile.

"Hello, and welcome to the Trotting Stallion. We hope you enjoy your stay. How many?" He questioned.

"Only two." I said. He grabbed two menus, then led us to a table. We sat down, and I flipped through the menu, looking for the beverages. I found them on the back of the menu, and chose a soda from the bottom of the page.

"Hello, I'll be your waiter for this evening. What will you like to drink?" A female voice said.

"Water." Fluttershy said, looking at the menu.

"Nilla's Soda." I answered, looking up at the waitress. She wrote down the two drinks, then walked away. I went back to the menu, looking for something I thought was edible, but most of the foods had flowers or hay within the recipes. I took a sandwich that had loads of veggies on it, but no flowers or hay.

"How do you like it so far?" Fluttershy asked, looking at me.

"A few problems with the restaurant so far, but overall it's alright." I answered, cracking my knuckles.

"Really? What problems?" She asked.

"That waiter at the front was a jackass, and ignored us for a full minute until I got his attention. Most of the recipes here have hay or flowers here, thus not edible to me, and the decor here is a bit... bland." I said, giving her a deadpan look. Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't find an argument and kept silent.

"I always thought about this, but what do you do while I'm at the farm?" I asked, giving her a curious look. She looked up and said.

"I watch after the animals, mostly just feeding them and grooming them, and some of the ponies from town with pets come to me incase they get sick or injured. I go to the market once a week, along with to the spa with Rarity."

"Huh, I didn't know you went to the spa with Rarity..." I said.

"Really? I've been going to the spa with Rarity before you came here." She said.

"I've never been to the spa..." I said, looking around for the waiter.

"I could take you to the spa sometime, when you have a chance." She said. The waiter arrived with the drinks, then took our orders and walked away once more. I took a sip of the soda, the grape flavored carbonated water running down my throat.

"I would like to go bowling tomorrow." I said, taking another sip.

"That sounds fun! Let's get the girls into it also." Fluttershy said.

"What day do you normally go to the spa with Rarity?" I asked.

"Thursday. Rarity says that Thursday the most stressful day of the week." She answered, taking a sip of water.

"I would say Monday is, because that's the beginning of the week." I said with a grin. She giggled, and the food arrived. The waiter walked away with a small smile, and we began to eat.

"What do you do normally on the farm?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well, when it's Applebuck season, I pick the apples. I also work the plow with Big Mac, along with woodchopping, planting potatoes, carrots, corn, and I help Applejack carry buckets of water to water the trees when a draught or something passes through. There's loads more to do, but that's the major stuff." I explained, naming off stuff from the top of my head.

"That sounds stressful..." Fluttershy said.

"It's not as bad as I had before I came here." I said, stretching, then continued to eat. We ate in relative silence, finishing up. The waiter came over with the bill and handed it to me. I looked at the total cost, which was only thirty bits, and I left behind said amount and a tip. I wrapped an arm around Fluttershy as we walked back to the cottage, and I looked up at the moon.

"Luna did a good job." I said,continuing to walk.

"She sure did. She tries so hard to make it beautiful at night." Fluttershy said.

"I bet. I wonder what she did while she was on the moon." I said idly.

"Who knows... I wonder how she even survived up there. There shouldn't be any food up there." Fluttershy said, scratching her head.

"Can't she just create food and water?" I asked, looking down at Fluttershy. She looked up at me and shrugged, and we saw the cottage in the distance. The animals were mostly asleep, so we just walked inside and sat onto the couch.

"I've always wondered how my hair has stayed short all this time." I said, brushing a hand over it.

"You certainly have a shadow though." She said wistfully, brushing a soft hand across my chin.

"Normally I have to cut my hair every month to keep it from growing long, but I haven't touched it with scissors since I came here." I said, looking at Fluttershy. I felt her kiss me, and returned it. I felt her pushing me down onto the couch, still kissing me, and I felt my head hit the pillow. We pulled away from each other, catching our breath.

"How did you become a great kisser?" She asked me with a grin.

"How the hell am I supposed to know? Never had a girlfriend before, let alone seen a girl as beautiful as you." I said, brushing a hand across her cheek. She blushed lightly and giggled.

"Plus, I never would've had time for a girl such as you on Earth. Even if I did escape my father and the mafia, they would've continued hunting me down, and anyone that came within contact with me would've been in danger." I continued.

"I'm really glad I came here and met you... It was like a weight was lifted off of me when you brought me here." I said. She kissed me on the lips once more and said.

"I'm glad you came here. I couldn't think of what I would be doing if you didn't come here. I would've probably been the same shy thing that you fell in love with." I looked her in the eyes and said.

"True, but I love you now more than ever. I don't care if you were shy, or assertive, or anything. I would love you no matter how you acted around others." She giggled once more and kissed me. I returned the kiss fully.

'Do you really think she believes that?' A voice said in my head. I ignored it, and continued kissing her.

'I'm coming for you tomorrow, and you won't see that bag of worthless flesh anymore.' The voice continued. I got angry, and nearly spoke out loud at the voice, only to realize I was still kissing Fluttershy.

'She isn't worthless flesh. She's probably worth more than you, fucking creep.' I thought, pulling away.

"I've been thinking... Should I shave this, or should I keep it?" I asked Fluttershy.

"I think you should shave it. It tickles my chin uncomfortably whenever we kiss." She said, scratching the growing beard.

"Alright." I said. She got up and went upstairs. I sat on the couch for a moment, thinking about the mysterious voice, but shrugged it off. I went upstairs, undressed from the suit, grabbed a towel, and stepped into the shower. I turned on the water, only to hear a knock on the door.

"Come in." I called out. The door opened up.

"Mind if I joined you?" She asked, and I saw through the curtain her undressing.

"Don't mind at all..." I said, heating the water a bit. I saw the curtain get pulled back and Fluttershy stepped in, her large breasts and vagina exposed to me. I stared for a moment, then realized I was staring and turned my head away.

"I don't mind if you look, since I'm already doing the same." She said smugly. I looked at her with a grin.

"Do you like what you see?" I asked. She giggled and nodded.

"You got lucky." She said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah... I read that most guys in Equestria are on average five inches. Yours is easily four inches longer." She said.

"It's basically like guys on Earth then..." I said. "I read on a website called Wikipedia that it's normally like five point one or something like that." I continued.

"Interesting. Strange that Earth and Equestria has a little in common." She said.

"Should wash up or we would be wasting hot water." I said, grabbing a bottle of body wash. She started giggling, grabbing her own bottle of body wash and shampoo. I rubbed the body wash into my skin, then washed it off quickly and moved to the side. I got out of the shower, although awkwardly, and grabbed my towel. I dried off, then put on a clean pair of boxers. I walked out and into the bedroom, hearing the water shut off a few minutes later.

The door opened and Fluttershy walked in, laying down on the bed. I wrapped an arm around her, feeling that she doesn't actually have her bra or panties on.

"Trying something new?" I asked.

"I did this when I was alone, and now *yawn* I feel comfortable enough that I can do this with you now." She said.

"You could've done this when we actually slept together the first time. Doesn't matter to me. Your house." I said.

"Yeah, but you make most of the money here. I'm surprised you still earn that much from working as a farmhand. Most jobs only pay like two hundred a week." She said.

"I guess I'm just lucky. Anyway, she's tried pushing raises onto me, but I keep telling her I'm content with making what I am right now. Don't need more money to just stuff into the closet, now do we?" I said, chuckling.

"You just put it into the closet? I put all of my spare into the bank." She said.

"I didn't notice that there was a bank in town." I said, scratching my head.

"You haven't been into the town all that often." She said.

"True, but I've been into town enough times to see all the buildings and remember the streets." I responded.

"It's next to the train station." She deadpanned.

"Well, I've never been to the train station." I said.

"It's between the library and Sugarcube Corner, and the bank is the building next to it." She said. We both fell silent, and I fell asleep a few minutes later.

Fluttershy woke up, as always, except that Daniel's alarm awoke her. She grabbed the device and put in the password quickly, turning off the alarm. She looked in the bed, only to see it empty.

'Strange, he never leaves his iPod at home, nor his wallet.' She thought as she picked up both items. She opened her dresser and pulled out bra, underwear, and a simple green dress and put it on. Once she got dressed, she walked downstairs, seeing that his work boots were next to the door, as always.

"Did he not go to work?" She asked out loud. She walked into the kitchen and saw it empty, so she grabbed a pair of shoes and walked outside. She made her way quickly to Sweet Apple Acres, seeing Applejack bucking apples.

"Hey Applejack, have you seen Daniel?" She asked. Applejack turned to Fluttershy and said.

"I haven't seen him at all today. I was pretty sure he was taking an extra day off and I was okay with it." She said with a shrug.

"That's the thing. He didn't take his iPod, wallet, and he wasn't wearing his shoes when he walked out. It's like he disappeared into the night." She said. Applejack took off her hat and scratched the top of her head.

"That's very strange. It sounds like he got foalnapped." Applejack said.

"I didn't check for signs of struggle." Fluttershy said frantically.

"Let's stay calm. I'll go get the girls, and you go check for signs of if he got foalnapped." She said, walking towards Ponyville. Fluttershy nodded and started back for her home. When she arrived, she started checking for any signs of struggle or damage around her home. Thirty minutes of hard searching around her house and she came up with nothing, until she heard the clopping of hooves on the bridge to her home. She came around the back of the cottage and saw her five best friends.

"Fluttershy, did you find anything?" Applejack asked. "No! I looked inside the house for any broken objects, around the house for tracks or trails, blood, any signs of struggle, but nothing showed up!" She sobbed.

"So, we have no leads on where he was taken, let alone who took him or why they took him." Twilight huffed.

"I won't tell you anything!" Daniel yelled. The crack of a whip.

"You won't get anything from me!" He yelled. Another crack of a whip.

"I've gotten better beatings from my own father! Try your worst!" He yelled in the face of his captors.

"I will break you, you insufferable pig, and I will take all that I want." A voice said from the shadows, followed by the crack of a whip.

"For sixteen years, I've been beaten by my father harder than your grunt can swing that fucking rope, and you think that I'll just break because you said so? You're the biggest dumbass I've seen so far here!" He started laughing.

"Physical damage doesn't affect him, but what about mental and emotional damage?" The voice said, with a horn lighting up in the darkness. Daniel fell into a deep sleep, followed by nightmares of the worst kind.

"Wake him every week and question him! If he isn't responding or he is defiant, put him under the spell once more!" The voice yelled. A black suited unicorn walked up to him.

"I will break you, Daniel, and when I do... I will bring you back to Earth to face your father once more."

Fluttershy was openly crying now, with Applejack and Rarity attempting to calm her.

"He's gone now, and I won't see him again!" Fluttershy sobbed.

"He'll be okay... We just need to find him, and then he'll be perfectly fine." Rarity cooed.

"I'm sure he's been fighting his way through all those ponies that took him, and he'll show up on your doorstep, perfectly fine." Applejack said. Applejack got up and walked away from the group.

"You better be fine Daniel. 'Cause, if you ain't alright, I'll buck your behind into the next week." Applejack mumbled.

Sit Tibi Temperare ... Dementiae

AN: This chapter will have heavy gore in it.

"Twi, don't you have some spell that can detect where he's at?" Applejack asked.

"A scrying spell!" Twilight yelled out, snapping her fingers. She cast the spell, the scrying spell starting from Fluttershy's cottage and reaching out to the edges of it's reach.

"I've found him..." Twilight said grimly.

"Where is he?!" Fluttershy yelled uncharacteristically.

"He's in the middle of the desert, about three miles from Appleloosa, but..." Twilight trailed off, images popping into her head.

"What is it?" Fluttershy asked.

"He won't be happy to see us." Twilight said cryptically.

"Whad'ya mean Twi?" Applejack asked.

"They've been... putting images into his head." She answered.

"What type of images?" Rainbow asked.

"False images into his head, and it's been torturing him." Twilight shook her head.

"That doesn't answer her question..." Fluttershy seethed.

"I can only show you, but they're not pretty." Twilight said.

"Show them to us." Applejack said. Twilight sighed, and cast a spell on all of her friends.

"Where are we Twi?" Applejack called out in the darkness.

"Starting the first false memory." Twilight called out. It illuminated the entire room, revealing all six friends, then set a sort of setting for them. Daniel was standing on a cliff, staring out at the sun. Rainbow's form appeared into the false memory, confusing all of the ponies. They couldn't hear anything, but they could see that Rainbow Dash was yelling at Daniel with tears streaming down her face.

Daniel turned around, a tired and defeated look on his face, staring at the advancing pegasus. She got into his face, yelling, then pulled a small dagger from behind her. The mane six stared in horror as Rainbow Dash drove the dagger into his stomach then pushed him off the cliff, leaving him to free fall to his death.

"We were never your friends!" Rainbow's voice yelled. The memory ended and left the six all in shock.

"Would you actually do that Rainbow?" Twilight asked her indifferently.

"Of course not!" Rainbow yelled angrily.

"Next false memory starting up." Twilight said robotically. The next scene appeared, with Daniel sitting on the beach alone, the same look on his face. Twilight walked into the scene, doing the same as Rainbow Dash. She got into his face, except that he was sitting down, but she picked him up with her magic and started throwing him around like a ragdoll, slamming him into sharp rocks and sand, leaving large craters where he hit.

Twilight dragged him to her face, still yelling, while blood dripped from multiple cuts, lacerations, and scratches. He started screaming for some reason, and after a full minute, his entire body compressed and exploded, leaving nothing but a pile of meat and a red mist. Twilight walked away, and the false memory ended, leaving Fluttershy in a sobbing mess, with the rest in shock and disgust.

"Go back to your damn world!" Twilight's voice yelled at him.

"What's with our voices?" Rainbow asked.

"They've been using our voices to make him feel unwanted." Twilight sighed, then just started up the next image, this one the Carousel Boutique. Rarity was throwing sowing machines at him, which he didn't bother dodging, leaving bruises and cuts where the needles come loose and penetrate the skin. Rarity finally picked him up, slamming him into the ceiling and driving him through the ground, and destroying the floor to her bedroom.

Rarity walked up the stairs, with a knife in hand. He stood up, facing Rarity with indifference, and gave her the same look as she walked up to him and drove the knife straight into the chest. She ripped the knife out, while he bled to death, licked it seductively, then used her magic to rip off his pants, shirt, and boxers, leaving a naked, deceased Daniel on her bed, bleeding profusely through the large stab wound. She then started raping the dead body, and after she finished, she chopped off his head and kicked it out the window.

"You are a disgusting animal!" Rarity's voice yelled at him. The memory ended, with Rarity just staring at what she just saw with a twitching eye.

"What brute would think so lowly of moi that they would even think of me doing such a horrid act?!" She yelled.

"It only gets worse..." Twilight repeated.

"Starting the next one up." She said. The next scene started in a darkened room, with Daniel strapped down on the table, naked. The room lit up, the walls running with streams of blood, pools of blood on the ground, skeletal pony bodies laying on the ground, with some rotten carcasses with their internal organs ripped out. Pinkie walked in with a bloody apron on, a scalpel in her hand.

They could see her talking, yet the only words they could make out was 'helping me make cupcakes!' She walked away, returning with a bloody tray of different surgical tools. She cut into Daniel's skin, who didn't even flinch at the touch, running the scalpel blade painstakingly slow through his skin, then took the two flaps of skin and ripped it apart, revealing the still functioning organs, bones, and muscle.

She broke off each of the ribs, tossing each of them away carelessly, then used the scalpel to cut away the muscle, revealing more organs. All the while, Daniel held the same, tired and defeated look, not even flinching at each crack and snap of his bones. Pinkie made idle comments while she did this, only to be met with silence. She reached for the first thing she could get her hands on, which was his intestines, and ripped them out.

She reached for his lungs next, ripping them out and placing them in a water filled tray, leaving only his heart, still beating in his chest. She literally ripped out his heart, with Daniel still somehow living, then cut his throat.

"You were never loved." Pinkie's voice yelled. The image ended, leaving Pinkie sobbing uncontrollably. The next false memory started with no warning, starting with Daniel tied to a giant wheel in a dusty cellar. The cellar door opened, revealing an almost blinding light, and in walks Big Mac and Applejack. Applejack had a small hammer, with Big Mac holding a large hammer.

Without even talking, Big Mac walked up to him and punched him in the face, knocking out a few teeth. Big Mac walked back, Applejack stepping towards him. She swung the hammer at his hand, breaking all of his fingers with the one swing. She stepped back, and Big Mac stepped forward once more, punching him in the nose, easily breaking it and pushing it against his face. Applejack stepped forward, swinging at his other hand, breaking each of his fingers again, followed up by a punch from Big Mac.

Applejack twisted the hammer around, sharp end up, and drove it into his groin. Each of the girls flinched at the sight, seeing blood leaking his groin. Big Mac took a step back, taking the large hammer in his hands, and drove it towards his arm. The arm broke at the elbow, being bent backwards from the blow. He did the same to the other arm, except the blow literally severed the arm in two. He twisted the hammer around and drove it at his legs, snapping the first one back.

He drove it forward again, hitting his second leg, the leg itself caving in towards the wheel. Applejack stepped forward, then drove her hammer into his chest, leaving a sizable hole in the middle of his chest. She twisted it around once more and drove it into his skull, caving in the entire top part of his head with the blow.

"You never should've came here." Applejack's voice projected.

The false memory ended, with Applejack hiding behind her hat.

"The only one that hasn't had a false memory is Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said, her face turning green.

"Her false memory is the most hurtful to Daniel." Twilight said indifferently. Fluttershy looked up, tears still running down her face. The next started, with Fluttershy immediately slapping Daniel across the face. She was yelling in his face, except that Daniel was giving her a pleading look. She pointed out the door, the ponies finally realizing that they were in her cottage.

Daniel just walked out, a slump in his shoulders. He continued walking until he reached a familiar cliff, where it started with Rainbow Dash, except that instead of Rainbow Dash, it was Fluttershy. Fluttershy walked up to him, still yelling, and just shoved him off the cliff.

"I never loved you!" Fluttershy's voice yelled. They all awoke in the real world, standing exactly where they were before, except that all of them felt sick.

"Those were the false memories that they've put into his head, and they just keep repeating, only raising more doubt inside of him. The voices only added to his doubt." Twilight said.

"We need to get to him immediately!" Fluttershy said, rubbing her eyes of tears.

"We can't just walk into that place, we'll end up killing ourselves by doing it!" Twilight snapped. "We need a plan to get into their base of operations." Twilight continued.

"How in Celestia are we going to get into possibly heavily guarded base in the middle of the desert?!" Fluttershy snapped.

"We sneak in of course!" Pinkie said.

"Pinkie, that's... actually not bad." Rainbow said, scratching her head.

"Really? Sneaking into a base? We don't have any equipment for this kind of stuff!" Twilight yelled. Pinkie pulled out six suits, along with various high tech spy equipment.

"Pinkie... How do you have all of this stuff?" Twilight asked, her eye twitching crazily.

"Twilight, remember, it's Pinkie." Applejack said. They all strapped into the suits, grabbing a pair of night vision goggles, grappling hook, daggers, earpieces for communications, keyloggers, and weird looking watches.

"What are the watches for?" Applejack asked. Pinkie giggled as she took a small pen from the side of it and tapped it with the pen, the entire screen lighting up. She put in a password at an impossible speed, then started tapping the screen.

"It has a built in flashlight, camera, anti-jammers, compass, microphones, and can hold up to three gigabytes of music and movies!" She said excitedly. Twilight looked at the watch on her wrist with sudden interest.

"How can it do all of that, in this small lil thang?" Applejack said skeptically.

"Humans are amazing with what they can do with technology! They don't have any magic, but they can create stuff like this," She said, pointing to the watch and suits. "easily!" She finished. Twilight summoned a piece of parchment and quill and wrote that down.

"I need to remember to question Daniel about humanity." Twilight said.

"No time, need to save him from insanity." Fluttershy said, walking out the door.

"Train tickets?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy walked back in and upstairs, grabbing a eight bags of coin from the closet. She walked back downstairs, tossing each of them a bag.

"There." She said, walking out the door once more. The rest of them shrugged and followed her. They reached the train station and bought their tickets with the given money, and started waiting for the train. "We should've put the suits on after we arrived in Appleloosa..." Rainbow Dash said.

"You guys still have yours on?" Pinkie said, in normal clothes.

"How..." Twilight looked at her confusedly.

"Don't question her. Remember last time..." Applejack said. Twilight just sighed. The train arrived shortly after and they all got onto the train, getting a cart to themselves. They remained silent throughout the entire trip, Twilight mostly just planning a backup plan in case Pinkie's 'sneak in and grab Daniel' plan backfires.

"How long until Appleloosa?" Rainbow asked impatiently.

"Two more hours." Twilight said. Rainbow just groaned and sat against the seat. Fluttershy was mostly silent, just looking out into the desert. The two hours passed quickly, and they stepped off the train. Twilight used the same scrying spell, feeling him closer than he was in Ponyville.

"He's east of Appleloosa, maybe two miles out." Twilight said, walking towards the east. They followed without question, walking in a tight group through the hot desert. They saw some sort of cave entrance in the rolling sand dunes, and slowly made their way to the cave entrance. They arrived at the cave entrance, Pinkie somehow slipped back into the spy suit and all of the equipment while nopony was looking. Twilight cast the spell once more, feeling him almost immediately.

"This is the place, except he's a three hundred feet down." She said. They walked into the cave entrance, the shade from the mouth of the cave cooling down their bodies quickly. She heard some quiet talking, although faint, it echoed in the caverns.

"What should we do about him once he finally confesses?" A male voice asked.

"The boss said that his dad once him for the mafia again, except it's going to be an execution. After he breaks, we take him back and we get payed." Another male voice said. The girls looked to each other, confused about what they were talking about. They continued walking in the dark, thankful for the night vision goggles, until they saw a faint light out of a side hallway.

"It was really easy to get that fucker out of the house. We used a muffle spell on the chick, and we used a sleeping spell on him, then just teleported here. How long do you give for him to break with the false memory bullshit?" One of the voices said.

"I give him a week, at most, until he's begging to go back and he gets executed." The other voice answered. They walked passed the hallway, Twilight using a spell and knocking both of the ponies out. They continued walking through the dark hallways, until they saw another light, this one straight ahead. They picked up their paces and continued down the hallway. They got to the room, to see Daniel, tied up and cut all over. The girls rushed over and untied him, letting him onto the ground slowly.

"Can ya teleport us out of here Twi?" Applejack said.

"I'll try." She said doubtfully. Twilight cast the teleportation spell and they all vanished with a small pop. They all appeared in Fluttershy's cottage, with Applejack and Rainbow carrying Daniel. They set him on the couch, with his glazed over eyes just staring at the seeing. Fluttershy looked at him, seeing his eyes completely glazed over, and frowned.

"I think they've put him in a sleep induced coma or something." Fluttershy said, slapping Daniel across the face lightly. Twilight thought of a spell and cast it on Daniel, waking him from his sleep. His eyes closed and a scowl grew on his face.

"Great... Going to ask me more questions? I told you, I'm not saying shit." He barked.

"Daniel, you're okay!" Fluttershy yelled, wrapping her arms around him. He remained silent, but his eyes went wide. He pushed her off and jumped up.

"Stay away from me! You aren't going to kill me!" He yelled at them. Twilight enveloped him in her magic and picked him up, and he started flailing in her grasp.

"I'm not going to fucking die now! I'll hurt you all if you even try touching me!" He yelled.

"Daniel please, those were false memories. Would you actually believe that we would harm you like that?" Twilight said.

"You don't think I actually believe that do you?! This is just some set up! I know that Fluttershy's going to break up with me, Rainbow's going to stab me in the back with a dagger, Twilight's going to go to town with her magic on me, Rarity's going to rape me, then Applejack and Big Mac are going to break my bones, then Pinkie's going to use what's left to be ground up and put into some sort of pastry dish." He said, pointing at each of them. They each flinched at the call of their names and the reminder of the false memories.

"Daniel, do you really think that I would break up with you? I loved you since the first few weeks you were here, and our love only grew with the time we've been together. What could you do that would make me stop loving you?" She asked.

"How am I supposed to know?! You came home one day, started yelling at me, broke up with me, then pushed me off a cliff! I didn't even know what I did when you pushed me off!" He yelled.

"If you did nothing to receive that kind of treatment from Fluttershy of all ponies, what do you think we all did?" Rarity asked.

"I don't even know!" He yelled, grabbing his head.

"Daniel... It's obviously false memories. You did nothing to even be treated like that, and we know that you would never do anything like that." Twilight sighed. He stopped flailing in the air, looking at each of them, giving them all the dejected look.

"I... I can't tell what's real or not anymore... I don't know what to do... I can't even defend myself from five unicorns, then how am I going to help anypony when real trouble arrives...?" He questioned. Twilight put him onto the ground, and Fluttershy shuffled over once more and wrapped her arms around him. He visibly flinched and tried crawling away.

"Those unicorns did something unforgivable, and I can't forgive them for that. Right now, this is reality. We're the ponies that you've always thought your friends, and we would never do anything to harm you." Twilight said. He sat there in silence, with Fluttershy basically crawled into his lap and hugging and snuggling him.

"I know what I must do..." He said quietly.

"And what might that be mister?" Applejack asked.

"I need to learn to fight. I can't sit here, thinking basic fighting moves and brute strength would get me anywhere in a fight. I need to train with weapons, and if possible, get better at hand to hand." He said.

"That's finally something to use all the bits thats just been piling up." Fluttershy joked.

"I guess so." He said, giving a small smile.

"I'm glad that's settled..." Rainbow said, walking out the door. The rest followed quietly, not bothering to make any small comments as they were all tired from the day. Daniel turned to Fluttershy.

"Is there a blacksmith around here?" He asked.

"There's one in Canterlot." Fluttershy answered.

"I'm going to need to head to Canterlot tomorrow then." He said.

"Now hold on! I just got you back from a terrifying experience, to the point where you wouldn't talk to us logically, and now you want to go to another place when you have no training in whatever arms you have in mind." She said sternly, grabbing my arm and pulling him to her.

"True, but I would need sparring weapons to help me actually train, instead of using sticks or something." He said.

"The trainers come with the sparring equipment, now shut up." She said, pushing her lips upon his. She pulled away after a few seconds, leaving Daniel disappointed.

"I haven't eaten in like two days, let alone slept or showered." He said. He got up and walked into the kitchen, grabbing an apple and munching on it hungrily. He finished the entire thing in maybe ten seconds, straight down to the core, and grabbed another one.

"It's night right now, and I'm tired from traveling everywhere looking for you. I'm going to sleep." Fluttershy said, walking upstairs. He tried talking with his mouth full, but end up spitting out pieces of apple and juice everywhere. He swallowed and said.

"Woops..." He grabbed a rag and cleaned up the mess, then grabbed two more apples and quickly ate it. After he finished eating, he went upstairs and grabbed a towel and a pair of clothing, finally realizing that he was standing in his boxers the entire time. He went into the bathroom and took a nice, long, hot shower, and after he washed up, he dried off and put on his new articles of clothing. He crawled into the bed with Fluttershy, digging his head into her long flowing mane, and fell asleep almost instantaneously.

A dark swirling mass of darkness was staring at the large form just ravaging apples.

"His soul is strong... In time, he will be mine." The dark mass said. It seeped through the window it was staring through, following the unknown beast upstairs. He walked into the bathroom and started a shower.

"A weaker soul is nearby..." The dark mass whispered to itself, floating down the hall and into the bedroom.

"This is the weak soul..." It sneered. It crawled over and was about to ravage it's soul when the shower cut off. It floated under the covers, and the strong souled beast crawled into the bed, snuggling up to the weak souled creature. It could tell he had already fallen asleep by the way it's breathing had slowed, and it seeped up it's nose, causing it to snort.

"It's very strong indeed... Maybe I'll make this my new home... At least... until I'm found..." It said in the beasts head.

Ad Perniciem Unius Hominis Sanitatem

AN: No clop yet, but it close here. Maybe next chapter, you damn pervs!

It's been nearly a year since I've started training with this weapons master named Shield Wall. He practiced with a sword and shield, while I found the perfect weapon for me, a greatsword I've so dumbly named Ragnarok. The blade itself is a reddish hue, almost looking like lava is actually running through it, with an even darker reddish glow that hums a few inches off of the blade itself.

When I found out that my talent was with greatswords, since I found that greatswords were easier for me to swing, since the single handed swords here were like knives to me, and the greatswords were a good length, along with being surprisingly light, I went to Canterlot for a simple greatsword. When I arrived, I got a blacksmith to make me a steel greatsword, when some black knight started attacking the city.

I grabbed a long sword, the blade only twenty four inches long, and proceeded to attack him. Long story short, I defeated him with a longsword, and saw his blade. I picked up his blade, finding it surprisingly light, even though it was sixty inches long... Yeah... and decided to keep the blade. The blacksmith gave me a refund, since he hadn't started shaping the metal yet. Starting a random training battle... NOW!

I swung a horizontal swipe at the shield, putting him on the defensive. I twisted the blade around and swung an upwards vertical strike, causing him to leave his head open. I readjusted my grip on the blade and brought it down on his shield, my strength plus the power of the sword leaving a large dent at the top of the shield. He threw away the shield, throwing a quick swipe at my stomach.

I spun the blade and parried the blow, placing a hand on the blade and pushing it towards him, bashing the blunt end of the blade, plus the hilt of his sword, into his face, staggering him. I pushed off of him, jumping into the air, and brought the blade down in an downwards vertical strike. He had barely any time to bring his sword up to block the blow, and pushed me off, throwing me into the air. I twisted my body around and flipped in the air, landing on my feet.

I looked up, seeing him charge at me, and brought the blade up to block the blow. I felt his sword bounce off of my greatsword, and I swung for his legs. He clumsily jumped into the air, and I smirked at his mistake. I used my free hand and slammed a fist into his stomach while he was still in the air, driving him into the ground. He let out a gasp of pain and his face scrunched up, and I used my sword to knock his blade out of his hands, putting the blade against his neck.

"Looks like you win, once more." He said, chuckling.

"I think you're getting soft on me! I saw a number of openings in your defense Shield, and I took your biggest mistake and finally ended it." I said, offering him a hand. He grabbed my hand and pulled himself up, trying to pull to the ground. I held my ground, smirking at him.

"I'm at the end of my road for training you. You've beaten me ten times in a row, all clean defeats, although this one was my quickest one." He said, picking up his dented shield and sword, sheathing the sword and strapping the shield on his hand.

"I guess I take my leave then..." He said.

"Wait, you still need payment." I said, running inside. I grabbed a sack of gold and pulled out fifty bits.

"Here." I said, handing him the fifty bits. He accepted it without question, since the last time he refused he got beat, badly, and walked away, placing the coins into a coin purse. I walked into the cottage, seeing Fluttershy on the couch reading some sort of novel. She looked up and smiled.

"I'm finally done training." I said, placing the greatsword on my back. She smiled and got up, closing the novel, and wrapped her arms around me. She planted a kiss on my lips, and I returned it fully.

"I'm just glad that we can spend more time together." She said, giving me a seductive look.

"I'm glad too..." I said, taking the greatsword off my back, sheath and all.

"Can do some pretty cool tricks with the blade." I said, glancing at Fluttershy. She looked at me and giggled, giving me another kiss.

"We still got time in the day... How about we go bowling. I remember I said something about it a year ago, but never got around to it." I said. Her eyes lit up at the idea.

"I think we should bring the rest of them with us. What do you think?" She asked.

"Of course." I answered. She got up and headed for the door, with me strapping the greatsword back onto me and following her. We walked into town, seeing Rainbow doing some tricks. She saw us and waved, and we waved back and started to head for her.

"Hey Rainbow." I said, nodding to her. Rainbow looked at the large blade on my back and said.

"When did you get that awesome looking sword?!" I unsheathed it, the red metal with the even darker glow encircling it.

"I got this when I went to Canterlot and defeated the black knight." I said.

"I heard about that! They said it was some mysterious pony the chopped to pieces with a sword at least three times smaller then his blade." Rainbow said.

"Yeah, I got a longsword, maybe twenty inches long, and defeated him, then took this thing since I was there for a greatsword anyway." I said, sheathing the blade.

"So what's up?" She asked.

"We were going bowling tonight, and we're going to see if you guys wanted to come along." Fluttershy said.

"Don't you remember? It's your birthday today! Pinkie's going to want to throw a party!" Rainbow said. I face palmed, remembering that it was my birthday today.

"Oh yeah... I totally forgot. I got finished with my training today, so we decided to go out and relax." I said, scratching the back of my head.

"I have a question for you when we get back Daniel." Fluttershy said with a hint of lust hiding behind it.

"A-alright." I said nervously.

"I know what she's going to ask!" Rainbow said with an all knowing grin.

"At least you do!" I said. Fluttershy just shook her head while I tilted my head to the side.

"The hell are you talking about?" I asked.

"Something that you should've done a year ago." Rainbow said.

"I'm not going to play twenty questions to find out what the hell you're talking about." I said, walking in a random direction. When I finally stopped and looked around, I found myself on the edge of town, heading back to the cottage.

"I need to buy Fluttershy a present..." I walked back to the cottage, grabbing a few sacks of gold, then walked back out. I walked back into the town, looking for some sort of product that Fluttershy would love. I looked around until I found an antique shop, and saw all sorts of things that I found actually pretty amazing. There was an incense burner that was a six headed hydra that blew smoke through the noses and mouths of the dragons, a miniature fountain that had two dragons wrapped around each other, ending with both of them spitting the water back down to the awaiting pool. There was another one, this one was another incense burner, with a minotaur standing there, bellowing a war cry. This one blew smoke through his horns, nose, and mouth.

There were a few pictures of great wars that actually looked like the civil war on Earth, except that instead of north and south, they held symbols of the sun and a crescent moon, and with no guns. I continued looking, finding fish bowls, cages for pets, and other things that I had no interest in, so I went back to the incense burners and fountains. I grabbed the six headed hydra burner and the two intertwined dragons, along with some scented incense. I went to the front counter, seeing an old woman bent over the counter with a large smile on her face.

"Hello deary. How can I help you?" She said. I placed the two items on the counter.

"I would like to buy these. How much for the both of them?" I asked. She looked at both of them with interest, then poured out the water in the fountain and removed the incense from the burner, and placed them on the counter once more.

"That'll be twenty bits in all." I handed over the bits, and she put them in separate bags.

"Do come back now sonny." She said as I walked out the door. I walked out of the store into the blinding sun, and I put a hand over my eyes as they adjusted.

"Sure was dark in there." I said. I walked in the general direction of Bon Bon's shop, so I could buy a box of chocolates. I walked around for an hour before I spotted Sugarcube Corner, and started looking around there, eventually finding Bon Bon's shop. I walked in, holding the two bags in one hand, and the sweet smell of sugar hit my nose like a train. I looked around, seeing nobody in the shop, so I decided to look around.

I found odd things that reminded me of candies from Earth, like Snicker bars, M&Ms, Skittles, Gummi Worms, even Reeses. I heard someone clear their throat and looked up, seeing Bon Bon behind the counter with a smile on her face.

"Sorry, was just browsing. Anyway, I would like to buy a box of chocolates if that's not too much trouble." I said.

"You got lucky, this is the last one for the week." She said, handing over a heart shaped box.

"Lucky indeed. How much?" I said.

"Five bits." She said, holding her hand out. I gave her five bits and walked out. I walked back to the cottage, hearing voices inside.

"You gotta break it to him easy, can't startle him with it, or he might go crazy." I heard Rainbow's voice say.

"What if he gets angry from me hiding something from him?" Fluttershy said.

"That's why we're all dressing the same for the party tonight. He shouldn't be able to keep himself off of you when he sees you like that." Rainbow replied. I opened the door, possibly startling both of them.

"Oh... Hello Daniel." Fluttershy said as she saw my face pop in.

"Got you a few birthday presents." I said, holding out the two bags and box of chocolate.

"What's in the bags?" She asked.

"An incense burner, and a mini fountain." I answered, pulling out both items and placing them on the table.

"I like the fountain, but I'm not sure about the incense burner... It's scary..." She said, looking at the fountain with interest.

"What's funny is that I saw the same exact incense burner in a random shop on Earth." I said, placing it on the table and pulling out the incenses.

"I got vanilla, lavender, cinnamon, and gingerbread." I said, placing the incenses on the table.

"I love all of those smells!" She said, sniffing each one of them.

"Glad ya do." I said, balling up the bags and went into the kitchen. I threw the bags away, then grabbed a glass of water and drank greedily. It was particularly hot today.

"Hey Daniel, you mind if we set the party up here?" Rainbow asked.

"It's not my house, so I don't care." I said, pouring more water.

"You live in it." Rainbow pointed out.

"Thanks Captain Obvious. I may live in it, but I don't own the house, so I don't care." I said, chugging down the next glass then rinsing it off. I went upstairs, ignoring the glare I was getting Rainbow, and went to sleep, taking off the greatsword before I got into the bed.

"I think he went to bed." Fluttershy said.

"Alright, let me go get the rest." Rainbow said, dashing out the door (no pun intended). Fluttershy sat on the couch for about five minutes before the rest of the girls ran in.

"Alright, we need to set up this party pronto!" Pinkie said, pulling out her party cannon.

"Pinkie, theres been a change in plans." Twilight said, whispering in her ear about the plan. Her grin widened and she nodded, pulling out random party items.

"I don't think we need the regular party items Pinkie. We just need to get cups, plates, some snacks, and a few kegs of hard cider." Twilight said, winking to Applejack. Applejack nodded and took off towards the farm.

"I have everything else ready!" Pinkie shouted, pulling out the party cannon. She pulled the string before any of her friends could stop her, and with a loud bang that resonated around the entire cottage, the interior of the cottage was turned from a peaceful place to party central. They heard a bang from upstairs, as well as shouting.

"The fuck are y'all doin' down here?" He yelled, walking downstairs.

"Pinkie used her party cannon, sorry." Twilight said, shooting a glare towards Pinkie.

"Can a man please get some sleep? I would like to stay awake through this party at least, instead of being too tired to do anything by midnight." He stopped for a moment and looked at Fluttershy.

"Hey 'Shy, guess what." He said with a grin.

"What?" She asked.

"Living After Midnight." He said, quoting a song by Disturbed. She looked confused for a second, then she broke out in giggles. The rest were confused by what it meant.

"What does that mean?" Rainbow asked.

"It's nothing, just a song." He said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Also, make sure that I don't think I'm in a goddamn war zone next time." He said, walking back upstairs and going back to bed. They all sighed in relief, then started checking around for everything to be in the right spots.

"Alright, we wait for Applejack to arrive with the kegs of hard cider, then we get ready for the party, and then, we can have our fun." Twilight said darkly, laughing evilly. The rest followed suit, only to be interrupted by Daniel yelling at them.

"Sorry Daniel." Twilight said. They waited around for Applejack to arrive, and she did half an hour later with two kegs of hard cider. They set down the kegs on the table, which had been cleared for the occasion. Then, they took separate rooms and started getting dressed. After five minutes, they all were ready and called Daniel down, turning off the lights.

I got maybe an hour, maybe two hours, of sleep before I heard my name being called from downstairs. I growled in frustration and got up, putting on shorts and shirt once more, leaving the greatsword upstairs, and walked out. I immediately noticed it was dark downstairs and scoffed.

"Great, a surprise party..." I said, walking over to the top of the stairs.

"Alright, surprise me or whatever." I growled. The lights flicked on, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head in surprise. I saw Rainbow Dash first, who was wearing a see through shirt, revealing her C-cup breasts to be exposed to everyone there, along with dark blue panties, which seemed to only cover her nether region and do just that. I next looked to Twilight next, seeing her wearing a skin tight latex suit, and I saw her nipples poking through the suit easily, along with revealing her vagina to everyone.

The next was Rarity, who was wearing what seemed like a bra, but it only covered her nipples, and barely did that! Her nipples poked through the fabric, but her flower was at least covered with bright white panties. The next was Pinkie, who was wearing a small one piece bikini, which barely covered her nipples and nether regions. Her large breasts nearly bulged against the fabric, making it look like that they were about to rip it.

The next was Applejack, who was wearing short jean shorts, which the buttoned was unfastened and the zipper wasn't zipped, nearly revealing the top of her vagina. The last, but not least, was Fluttershy. She wore the least, which was only a pair of socks that reached up to her knees and a sultry look on her face. If I looked at myself in a mirror, I would probably imitating a fish right now. I kept opening and closing my mouth, stunned speechless. I took a step forward and fell down the stairs.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, my head went straight into the wall. I heard muffled squeals and screams, but right now, IT REALLY DIDN'T MATTER! I felt hands on my shoulders and all of them pulling back, dislodging my head from the wall and into the laps of six, beautiful, horny mares.

"Are you okay?!" Twilight yelled at me.

"You're pulling shit like this on me, and you'll give me a concussion and heart attack before I turn twenty." I said, closing my eyes shut.

"We know you like it, so just open your eyes silly!" Pinkie said, prying my eyes open with her fingers.

"Did you really all agree to this?" I asked, sitting up quickly and scooching away.

"Actually, Fluttershy allowed us all to have a night of fun with you, and it just happened to be tonight." Rainbow said with a devious grin. I noticed I didn't see Fluttershy and looked behind me, seeing a mass of yellow. I looked up, seeing her looking down at me with a large grin on her face.

"Oh fuck me." I said.

"We plan to." Rarity said, licking her lips. Right now, this is where the coyote would hold up a sign and fall to his doom, but this is where I hold up a sign that said 'I'm Screwed.'

"I'm really uncomfortable in this attire, so you don't mind that I take this off?" Rarity said, stripping down and revealing herself.

"Me too, this thing is really uncomfortable!" Pinkie said, her arms reaching behind her and pulling a single string, the entire thing came undone, revealing breasts that were larger than Fluttershy's. Twilight teleported out of her latex suit, her breasts sagging slightly and her nether region being welcomed by open air. Applejack slid off the shorts, revealing her own flower. Rainbow spun around quickly, to the point where she became a blur, and her articles of clothing went flying everywhere.

"I can't tell if this is going to be the best or worst birthday ever..." I commented, getting up and stretching, while slowly shuffling towards the stairs. I got about halfway there before tackled by Rainbow and Fluttershy.

"And where do you think you're going?" Rainbow asked, sitting on top of my back.

"Back to sleep, maybe see if this was just an awesome dream." I said, pushing her off of me.

"How about you just pinch yourself." Pinkie said.

"How about instead of pinch, I punch myself?" I asked.

"Anything to get your confirmation." Twilight said shrugging. I punched myself as hard as I could, knocking myself out.

They stared at the now unconscious form of Daniel, laying on the ground.

"We should've seen that coming..." Twilight said. He started shaking and convulsing on the ground. Before the group of mares had time to react, he just stopped, and a black mist escaped his mouth and nose.

"A mistwalker..." Twilight gasped. She teleported everypony into their clothing, the normal clothing, and sent a bolt of lightning at Daniel. He started convulsing on the ground once more, then shot up and looked around.

"Jesus, I probably look like Doc Brown right now..." He said, confusing everypony, even the mistwalker.

"What?" Twilight said. Daniel looked at the mistwalker, and said.

"Twilight, what the fuck is that black mist?" He said in all seriousness.

"A mistwalker, and he just came from you." She answered. Daniel turned tail and ran upstairs, leaving the girls to deal with the mistwalker temporarily.

"Looks like he wasn't strong willed after all..." The mistwalker said, turning on the girls. They heard a blade unsheath and turned back to the stairs, seeing Daniel wielding his greatsword.

"Where in Equestria did he get that?!" Applejack said, staring at the glowing blade.

"Canterlot. Black knight. Defeated him and took his sword." Rainbow said quickly. Daniel swung the blade expertly at the mistwalker, causing it to dodge out of the way quickly, he used the feint and twisted the blade and swung horizontally. The blade cut through the mist, but the scream of pain was all that was needed for confirmation. The mist floated back quickly, the edges of it's form turning into blades.

It swung both blades in a vertical strike, but Daniel blocked both blades easily and knocked them away. He pushed the mistwalker back, sending it into the wall and crushing the mirror that hung on the wall.

"Sorry 'Shy." He said, quickly driving the greatsword into the mist, its dying shrieks the only thing echoing throughout the house.

"It's okay..." She said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Guess I have to clean this up..." He said, sheathing the greatsword. He was about to walk away when he felt something stab into his back, causing him to cough in pain. The girls gasped as they saw the mistwalker stab into his back. Daniel twisted around and slammed his foot into the mistwalker, then took out his blade and cut it straight down the middle.

"Now that that's over..." He said, sheathing the blade once more and watched as the mist evaporated into thin air.

"We should get that cut checked out..." Rainbow said, seeing blood starting to stain his grey t-shirt.

"I'm alright..." He said.

"No, you're not. Lay down and let me dress the wound." Fluttershy said. He just shrugged and laid down on the ground, taking off his shirt. The cut was minor, only an inch in length. Fluttershy ran off into the depths of her home and returned with a medical kit, taking out guaze, alcohol, antiseptic and tissue. She put tissue on the wound to stop the bleeding, then dabbed it with alcohol. She placed it on his wounds, but didn't so much as flinch from the alcohol, then put antiseptic on it. She then wrapped his wound in guaze and threw out his shirt.

"Why'd ya get rid of the shirt? I could've still worn it..." He said, scratching his head.

"I wouldn't be able to get the blood out of the shirt and you won't be wearing a stained shirt while I'm still alive." Rarity said. He just sighed and rubbed his temples.

"You can easily get blood out of clothing, but whatever..." He said.

"Really? How, if you be so informative?" Rarity said doubtfully.

"Dish soap, cold water, ammonia, rinse, and wash." He said simply.

"There's a lot of ways to do it. Using Cornstarch, salt, and cold water to create a paste that gets rid of blood, then you can wash it easily." He added.

"Hydrogen Peroxide, cold water, and ammonia..." He said, tapping his chin.

"Loads of common household items can help actually..." He said. Rarity's eye just twitched.

"Common household items... Right." She said, writing down the ingredients.

"That reminds me, Daniel, you still haven't told me about humans at all!" She yelled at him.

"Is this the best time to ask about that Twilight?" He asked.

"Maybe tomorrow, when I have some free time, but right now, I'm tired, I'm irritated, I've been left alone by six mares in one night, and I've been stabbed in the back. I deserve some rest at least." He said. The girls giggled at hearing he was left high and dry, but also felt bad.

"How about we try this next week?" Rainbow asked.

"If we can cut out me being left high and dry by you girls again, and also me being stabbed in the back by some evil mist that came from my fucking body, that'll be great." He said, waving his hand dismissively and heading back upstairs for the night.

"Alright, so Saturday of next week..." Twilight said, writing it down.

"Guess the hard cider can come home with me and we can use it next week." Applejack said, picking up the kegs.

"Actually, that can stay here with us. I have a cooler downstairs that could probably fit both of them inside it." Fluttershy said. Applejack carried them downstairs to the cooler, which had enough room to fit every keg of hard cider for the next month in there, while the rest mumbled and left the house.

Habitavitque in Sole, in Lunae Amet

AN: Cockblockers... Cockblockers Everywhere. No clop this chapter, but it gets close. Thanks Luna and Celestia for the save.

"We're having the party here!" Twilight announced while me and Fluttershy were spending time at home.

"Great... Rape, inevitable." I said, pushing myself off of the couch.

"It's not rape! It's more of a gangbang with six mares and one stallion." Twilight said.

"Exactly, rape." I said, walking into the kitchen.

"It's not rape!" Twilight shouted.

"What would you call a gangbang with six stallions and one mare?" I asked.

"Rape." Twilight said dumbly.

"What would you call a gangbang with six mares and one stallion?" I asked.

"Rape." Fluttershy answered. "It's not rape!" Twilight repeated.

"You answered your own question, yet you refuse to admit it." I said.

"You're lucky I'm actually allowing this to happen to me. I could refuse." I pointed out.

"Why would you refuse six mare at one time?" Twilight asked.

"I want to escape with my dick still attached to my body somehow, and not have my pelvis broken from so much sex." I answered. She opened her mouth to retort, but I stopped her right there.

"I've heard the stories of mares in heat. I'm surprised Fluttershy hasn't had me tied down in the basement and been having her way with me every week she's been in heat." I said. Fluttershy blushed and sat down on the couch.

"You know she wouldn't do that... You wouldn't.. right Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

"Well..." Fluttershy started.

"Oh great... I gave her an idea for her heat cycle." I said, facepalming.

"I haven't touched you during my heat cycle actually." Fluttershy pointed out.

"Medicine or extreme self control." I answered.

"A little of both." She said.

"Well, I'm eighteen... Maybe..." I started.

"No!" Twilight yelled.

"If I'm correct, the heat cycle starts next week." I said.

"Yeah. Once we do it this week, then maybe, next week..." Fluttershy said.

"If I know any better, someone's going to pop out of nowhere and stop it before it even begins." I said, looking at the ceiling.

"You keep saying that and it'll actually happen." Twilight said.

"Knowing fate, it'll probably happen." I shrugged.

"Anyway, we wanted to start this again here, and hopefully actually get something out of it." Twilight said.

"Alright, set the shit up I guess." I said, heading upstairs. The party was set up the same exact way as before, except without all of the yelling. I came downstairs, seeing all six mares in the same clothing as before, and I didn't fall down the stairs this time.

"Hopefully this time, no interruptions." Twilight said, crossing her fingers.

"So, how is this going to go down?" I asked.

"I call first dibs!" Rainbow yelled.

"I call second!" Fluttershy followed.

"Me next! Me next!" Pinkie yelled, bouncing up and down.

"I would like to go next." Rarity said.

"Ah'm good." Applejack said.

"I guess I could give it a try." Twilight said with a shrug.

"Bedroom, now." Rainbow ordered, pushing me upstairs.

"I really don't get a say in this." I said, getting pushed into the bedroom and tossed unceremoniously onto the bed. She literally jumped onto the bed and pushed her lips onto mine. I felt her hand wrap around my already erect member and felt her tongue slithering between my lips. I opened my mouth, allowing entrance to the invading tongue, and two started twisting and fighting for dominance. We pulled apart, gasping for air, before I pulled off my shirt and tossed it into the corner. I pulled her in for another kiss, when I heard a knock on the door from downstairs. I growled and pushed myself up.

"Someone's at the door." I growled, leaving the panting form of Rainbow on the bed. The girls were busy trying to get underwear and clothing on, so I opened the door wide enough to stick my head out.

"Yes?" I asked angrily.

"Sorry to disturb you this evening, but Your Majesties demand a conference with you and the Elements of Harmony." The guard at the door said in a monotone voice. A round of groans erupted from behind the door.

"I told you Twilight!" I said. I turned back to the guard.

"Alright, just let us get ready and we'll be right out." I said, closing the door before he was able to give an answer.

"Why did you have to be right about that one damn thing?!" Twilight yelled, pulling on her skirt. I remained silent, but went back upstairs to the awaiting mare on the bed.

"Who was it?" She asked.

"Princesses are asking for a meeting with me and the Elements." I said angrily, pulling on a tshirt and throwing my sword onto my back.

"That's complete horse apples! Why did it have to be on the day I was going to get some?" She said, plopping onto the bed.

"I don't know, but get dressed." I said, walking out of the bedroom. I was ready and was waiting for all of them to get ready, with Pinkie trying to pull on a bra that was too small on her, and Rarity was putting up her hair in her normal curls. In five minutes, all of them managed to get presentable to step outside. I opened the door, nearly slamming the damn door into the guards face, and walked out, with the guard staring at the large glowing blade on my back in awe.

The girls filed out of the house, all giving the guard an annoyed or angry look. There were two chariots waiting for us, being pulled by two guards each. I got into one, with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, while the rest filed into the second carriage. We took off, both carriages thrown into complete silence.

"I knew some shit was going to go down before it happened..." I said, looking at the passing sky.

"You had to be right about that one Celestia damned thing. It couldn't be about the mistwalker coming out of your body and the second time to be completely uninterrupted, it had to be both times to get interrupted." Rainbow grumbled.

"Third time's the charm." I said, ignoring the odd looks I got from both of them.

"I was really hoping we could do this before the heat cycle, but it looks like we have to wait until AFTER the cycle ends." Fluttershy said.

"Don't they have some sort of herb or something to keep you from getting pregnant during your heat cycle?" I asked.

"They do, but it's a bit expensive." Rainbow said.

"How expensive?" I asked.

"Ten bits for a single week of herbs." She said.

"That's not bad at all." I chuckled.

"I could give you guys some bits for the expense." I continued.

"You would really do that?" Rainbow said, her face lighting up.

"Sure, I still benefit from it. As long as we can actually plan this again next week and we actually get to do it this time." I said.

"No special favors?" Rainbow asked suspiciously.

"We're doing it, and I don't want kids right as I turn eighteen. That shit would kill me." I said. I felt two pair of arms wrap around me and looked back down, seeing Rainbow's breasts in my face with Fluttershy hugging my stomach.

"Alright, don't start anything." I said, feeling myself getting hard from the sight. Rainbow sat back down, a small blush on her face.

"Not that I wouldn't enjoy it, just..." I trailed off, looking at the guards that were looking back at us.

"Yeah... Too bad." Rainbow said with a grin.

"Are you sure we couldn't do it in the castle?" I said.

"Nah, would be making too much noise." Rainbow said with a wave of her hand. I heard two stifled groans and looked to the guards.

"You two shut the hell up." I said angrily. I heard the mares giggling. The rest of the trip was thrown into silence, and we shortly made it to the castle. The carriages touched down at the castle and we hopped out. The guards surrounded the group and we were escorted to the throne room, where Celestia and Luna were sitting upon their thrones. We walked up to the thrones and bowed.

"Rise my little ponies." Celestia said. I rose, though technically I wasn't a pony, along with the others.

"So what's the problem?" I asked.

"The problem is a group of ponies that are traveling to the deadlands to retrieve The Delomelonicon, a book that could raise armies of undead and attack Equestria." Luna said.

"So, you want us to stop them from going?" I asked.

"Quite the contrary, we would like for you, Daniel, to join them and aid them in retrieving The Delomelonicon." Celestia said with a shit-eating grin.

"Alright." I said, not really surprised.

"You can't send him there! He'll die there!" Twilight said.

"It's alright Twilight." I said. I turned to the two rulers.

"I'll need armor and supplies, and a way to get there quickly." I said.

"We'll have have your armor ready tomorrow, as well as supplies. And, don't worry about getting there quickly, we have a way for you contact us when your job is complete." Celestia said.

"Guards, please escort them to the guests rooms. Dinner will be served in two hours." Celestia said. Two guards stepped in front of us, and we were escorted to the guest rooms. My room was really large, with a table sitting in the middle with a stack of books in the middle, a bed with two nightstands, a couch set up against the wall, a balcony that overlooked the city, with my own large bathroom.

I turned on my iPod, put in my headphones, grabbed a book, and got comfortable on the couch. I started reading the book, and didn't get halfway through when I felt someone tug on my headphones. I looked up from the book, seeing a guard standing over me. I got up, easily standing taller than him, and grabbed my headphones from his hand. I turned off the music and wrapped the device with the headphones.

"I'm here to take you to dinner." He said irritably.

"Lead the way then." I said. 'Bitch.' I added mentally. ~~She~~ He led me to the dining room, pushing open the doors and allowing me inside. I walked in, seeing the rest of them just staring at me, even Celestia and Luna, and took my seat next to Fluttershy. The waiters came out, placing silver platters in front of everyone, and walked away without a word. Another wave of waiters and waitresses came out from the kitchen area, placing glasses and pouring wine, then set the bottles down and lifted the tops of the platters off of the pans, revealing steaks, pork chops, breads, cheeses, fruits and veggies, and loads of other appetizing dishes, along with hay and flowers. I went straight for the steak, bread, cheeses and fruits, and immediately dug in. The rest followed suit, and the sounds of scraping knives, forks and spoons were all that was heard.

"So Daniel. What made you take up training lessons?" Celestia asked, and I felt all eyes fall on me. I patted my mouth with a napkin, wiping off any crumbs and juices from my mouth, and said.

"A year back, I was kidnapped by a group of unicorns that were intending to take me back to Earth, and I basically couldn't do anything to them since I only knew the basics to fighting. So, when I got rescued, I took up training classes to help me learn how to fight, both armed and unarmed, and it really payed off." I said.

"That certainly interesting and all, but there must be more to it than that." Luna said.

"Nothing." I lied, although I had other reasons for the training.

"I'd rather not go back to Earth, only to be killed by my own damn father." I said, before going back to my meal.

"Your father was attempting to kill you?" Celestia asked, surprised.

"My father was the leader of a mafia group and was forcing me to follow his footsteps. By the end of it, he left me for dead in a forest, and would've succeeded if it wasn't for the six that rescued me." I said.

"Your father was the father of the mafia?" Rainbow asked.

"Godfather, and yeah, he was the leader of the mafia. He already recruited my brother, and when my mother found out that he was the Godfather of the local mafia, she threatened to report him to the police, and he killed her." I said.

"I didn't know your father was the leader of the mafia." Fluttershy said.

"Me neither." Pinkie added.

"I didn't either." Rarity said.

"Me neither." Applejack said.

"Your father sounds like a cruel man." Luna commented.

"You have no idea what he's capable of." I said.

"Surely he can't be all that bad." Celestia said.

"He killed a man because he blinked at him. He tried killing his own son because I didn't want to join the mafia." I deadpanned.

"Nopony is really that cruel." Celestia retorted.

"Humans are naturally warmongering barbarians, with a few exceptions in the human race. In the most difficult situations that call for life or death, humans will fight with all their might just to live another day. By themselves, they can't do that much damage and they could always make good decisions. In groups that are influenced by a ruler or politician, they will follow the leaders orders without question, even if it was to kill their own kind. I'm saying that humans really don't have a chance of surviving, especially with the way they pollute the world they live in. Eventually, humans will be destroyed as a whole, whether or not it be natural disasters or because humans just killed each other without pity or remorse." I said, leaving everyone in the room stunned.

"If humans were as bad as you say, then how can we trust you?" Luna asked.

"Like I said, by themselves, humans can't do much damage and normally make good decisions. I never really liked the people that ran the country I lived in, so I mostly just ignored them." I said.

"That doesn't really answer my question." Luna said.

"I don't really care if you don't trust me. You could distrust me as much as you want, just don't falsely accuse me of something I didn't do and we can all be friends." I said.

"And I thought we were already friends." Luna said in mock anger.

"I thought so too, but I guess you don't consider us as such." I said.

"I think we're all friends here." Pinkie said.

"Apparently Princess Luna doesn't think so." I said, waving my fork around before continuing to eat.

"I think of you as a friend." Pinkie said.

"That's nice." I said. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, with the princesses throwing me the occasional glance at me. We all finished, and I was about to go back to my room.

"Daniel, can we please speak to you?" Celestia asked. I shrugged and followed her. They went through some hallways and we arrived at a large room that was emblazoned with a sun on the door. Two guards stood outside the door, saluting as the princesses arrived.

"I will be having a guest, please no disturbances." She said. They saluted once more and we walked into her room. I wasn't all too impressed with her room, since it was basically a larger version of my room with some paintings thrown in.

"I would like to make this clear. The deadlands is a place that the undead walk. It was a place before Luna's banishment that was a constant warzone. Ponies, minotaurs, gryphons, dragons, and other races were all slain here. Raising the dead here would most likely ruin the entire world, and that's why we ask, no beg, you to go and help these ponies bring back The Delomelonicon." Celestia said.

"You don't need to convince me to go to the deadlands and bring back that book. I had it figured out from the beginning and I don't want anything to happen to the world. I mean, what would happen to me if I find that my friends, or worse Fluttershy, was slain by one of these undead bastards? I want to go and fight these undead beings, and bring back this book so that I don't have to worry about my way of life. All I really ask of you is to have supplies for me when I leave. The armor can be heavy or light, and can be used with any type of material. The supplies I ask for would be salted meats and fruits, with canteens of water to keep me hydrated well enough for a week at the most. Do you have a way for me to contact you incase of any complications, or if we succeed?" I asked. Luna looked to her sister, who looked back, and both nodded. Luna turned around and pulled something from a side pocket, revealing a small mirror.

"Normally, we give this to our knights in order for us to contact them immediately. We call it Sanguine Ebon." She said, handing me the mirror. The mirror started distorting, and it started forming into another shape entirely. It started decreasing in size, forming into what looked like a scouter from Dragon Ball Z. The colors started changing, changing into a dark silver color with the visor part turning dark blue.

"That's very interesting... They form into the ponies personality, and yours just... confuses me." Celestia said, scratching her chin. I put the visor on, and it showed a multitude of things. First thing is that there was options on what I could use for sights. There was thermal, millimeter, night vision, and has a constant auto-brightness feature. There was another option on the visor screen, laying the two princesses as friendlies.

"This is very interesting." I said.

"Night vision." I commanded, and the visor switched over to infared night vision, illuminating the entire room.

"MMS." I said, and the screen swtiched to a pulsing screen, outlining every object in the room, even the two princesses standing perfectly still with a confused face.

"Thermal." I ordered, and the entire room changed blue, with the princesses figures being full white.

"Standard." I said, and it switched back to the regular sights.

"This thing is awesome. This is perfect for tactical situations in all environments and conditions." I said.

"Your mirror is a strange one indeed. It formed into the strangest contraption ever, with you immediately giving orders. What is it anyway?" Celestia asked.

"This piece of technology is called a scouter. It scans normal ponies and can tell them apart from friendly, neutral, and enemies." I explained.

"Interesting... Moving on to more important business. We will have our best blacksmiths working on your armor, and we will have your supplies ready for tomorrow morning." Celestia said.

"Also, show them these seals when you arrive." Luna said, giving a sort of necklace with a crescent moon and shining sun emblazoned onto its front.

"Alright... Now, do you need me to do anything else?" I asked.

"Yes, bring as many as the ponies as you can back with you. The deadlands are ruthless and dangerous, and you need to proceed with caution. The ponies, from what I've seen, are reckless and would likely charge straight into combat and end up killing themselves at the first wink of danger. We need you to press them whenever they do this." Celestia said. I took a breath to calm myself, and nodded uncertainly.

"I'll try to bring as many as I can back, but I'm not sure they'll listen to me, especially if they're the way you describe them." I said.

"The seal should give you direct control over them, and those who don't obey, give them a push in the right direction." Celestia said.

"Alright." I said.

"You should get some sleep." Luna said. I nodded and walked out of the room. The guards at the door saluted to me, and I just made my way to my room. I opened the door and walked in, seeing the room completely dark, and reached for the light switch. I felt my hand brush soft skin, and I pulled back with a yelp. The lights were cut on and was surrounded by the six girls I really didn't want to see now. They all wore curious faces, surrounding my sitting body.

"What did they talk to you about?" Rainbow asked.

"They were just asking if I was truly unequivocal in my decision to join the ponies going to the deadlands." I answered.

"Why are you so pale then?" Pinkie asked.

"It's nothing." I said.

"It's obviously something if it's got you like this." Rarity said. I sighed, taking a breath and said.

"They wanted me to take command of the group that was going to the deadlands and asked me to bring back as many ponies as I could. I wouldn't be able to handle the deaths of ponies because I was too stupid to pay attention to them instead of the ponies." I closed my eyes and pressed my head against the wall, and I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist.

"It's alright. These ponies knew what they were getting into when they decided to group together and head into the deadlands. You're helping them by taking control, and will probably be able to bring back more ponies then if you weren't there." Fluttershy assured me.

"Anyway... I wonder what metal they would use for my armor..." I said.

"Iron, steel, tungsten, titanium, something common in this world." Twilight said.

"Tungsten and Titanium is common in this world?" I asked, disbelieving.

"One of the more common metals in our world. Iron and Steel are more rare, and weaker, but makes great tools, weapons, and even armor." Twilight said.

"Tungsten and Titanium are rare as hell on my world. Tungsten's used for jewelry and mining mostly, while Titanium is used for ships, propellers, submarines, planes, helicopter blades, surgical equipments, and even sporting goods." I said.

"Two eggheads sharing their booksmarts. Next thing you know, they'll be dating and trying to name off every book they've read." Rainbow groaned, facepalming.

"I've only gone through eleven years of school, I didn't even complete high school, let alone go to college." I said, glaring at the cyan pony.

"Ponies are only required to go to school for seven years, and it's very expensive to go to college." Twilight said.

"We're required to do twelve years of school and can go to a college for up to another eight years. College is fucking expensive though." I said.

"Twenty years of going to school. Sounds like absolute hell." Rainbow said.

"I've tried skipping once. Never again." I answered, shuddering a little.

"I like how we went from talking about armor materials to what they were used for on Earth to schools and colleges." Pinkie pointed out.

"Most conversations I'm in jump around like that. I don't see a difference in this one." I said, shrugging.

"You'll confuse the readers, and the author will get hate mail because of it!" Pinkie said.

"Again with this Author bullshit. He's probably not even real, let alone controls what the fuck happens in this story." I said.

“Don't say that or he’ll get angry and have something bad happen to you!” Pinkie said, grabbing my head. I gently pushed her away, allowing her hands to fall away from me, and got up.

“I really don’t care about the fucking author, or his readers, or what he does to me. All I need to do, is get this book, return it to the princesses, and we can continue our lives.” I said, patting Pinkie on the head and walking to my bed, not bothering to undress, get under the covers, or even try to get comfortable.

“I’m fucking tired right now, I have a lot to think about from what the princesses told me, and I have to get up in the damn morning to get fitted into armor, get teleported across Equestria, then fight an undead horde to get a damn book that will raise more undead fucks, get teleported across Equestria again, return the book to them, and ride a damn train back to Ponyville.” I said irritably.

“You're not tired! You just want us to leave you alone so that you could think your plan for fighting the undead over, think about what the princesses told you, then listen to music until you fall asleep two hours later.” Pinkie yelled. I got up slowly and turned my gaze to Pinkie, giving me a large grin, and shook my head.

“Damn it Pinkie... You don’t make this shit easy on me...” I grumbled.

“I know next to nothing about basic infantry positioning, let alone what to do against this undead horde. The only undead I've dealt with was in video games, and that only consisted of zombies. I know how to handle any weapon in Equestria, let alone how to handle groups of shambling abominations. I don't know the exact number of ponies I have at my disposal, let alone what their talents are. I don’t know what the fuck to do when I get this damn book, besides call Luna and wait for her to teleport me and the rest of the hellhole. All in all, we’re doomed.” I stated casually.

“I’ll be surprised if one of them makes it out of the deadlands alive when I join them. I have to command their asses, and I have no skills in being a commander. Fuck me...” I said, burying my face into the pillow, pulling off the scouter and placing it on the night table.

The ponies stared at the self deprecating human in concern.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Fluttershy said uncertainly.

“Famous last words. Next thing you know, my ass is going to be walking among them as a general encased in a metal shell carrying the fucking greatsword on my back.” He mumbled into the pillow. That’s when he started laughing. They didn’t recognize it at first, since they never heard his laughter, but after a few minutes, He turned over, and his insane laughter echoed around the room. The laughter sent shivers down all of their spines, and Fluttershy begged him to stop.

“Oh no. This world is fucked because of me! You should've left my ass in the forest, and maybe you wouldn’t be in this shit right now!” He yelled, his insane laughter not stopping. After a few minutes of nonstop laughter, the princesses, with a few guards, walked in, looks of concern on their face.

“What’s wrong?” Celestia asked the ponies.

“He was fine at first, then we started talking about his plans for the group of ponies. He told us he knew nothing about commanding others, basic infantry formations, and that Equestria is doomed because it’s relying on him to bring back that book. He talked about how he has no experience, and then he said that hes just going to become a general for the undead army, and he started laughing.” Twilight explained, looking at Daniel in alarm.

“Hes finally snapped.” Rainbow said, shaking her head. Everypony glared at Rainbow for a moment, then back to the insane human rolling around on the bed with Fluttershy trying her best to make him stop.

“I told you to leave my ass in that damn forest, but no! You just had to save the dying human and take him to Equestria, and now look what’s happening! A fucking undead army is being prepared on an old fucking battlefield, and I have to save the fucking world by fighting said undead army and get a fucking book with a group of damn ponies! We’re all fucking dead! Yippie!” He yelled, unnerving all of the ponies, including the guards and princesses.

“He doesn’t have much confidence, does he?” Luna asked.

“He was nervous about going to a party for himself, and nearly drank himself into a stupor because of it.” Rainbow said, snickering.

“You’re kidding!” Luna said, giggling.

“This is no time for jokes.” Celestia said sternly, throwing a glare at both ponies.

“You have to admit, that’s fucking hilarious!” Daniel said, laughing himself.

“See? Even Daniel finds it funny!” Rainbow said, then realized what she just said.

“I’m not Daniel silly! I’m his counterpart, Mikhail! It’s been nearly five years since I’ve come out of his damn head.” He said, his voice changing slightly.

“Counterpart? Like Pinkie has?” Twilight asked.

“Exactly like Pinkie has! She’s the only one that can truly understand me since we’re on the same level.” He said, giggling insanely.

“You mean the same level of randomness?” Applejack asked.

“That too, but Pinkie knows what I’m talking about, or should I say, Pinkamena?” He said, turning to the ponies, which had a face splitting grin that didn’t look natural on his face at all.

“Oh, I know exactly what you’re talking about.” A cold voice said behind all of the ponies. They turned around, seeing Pinkie, except her hair had gone straight and she had a snarl on her face.

“Perfect! Glad that we’re all on the same level here! Meanwhile, Daniel here,” He said, tapping the side of his head. “is trying his best to get out and clean up the mess he started out here. He’s become quite a nuisance. It’s taking sixty three percent of my self control to just hold him back from taking over.” He finished.

“How long has this been going on?” Luna asked suspiciously.

“Daniel first went insane at the age of thirteen when his mother died, creating me, and I took over for a few months. He took back over and hes been able to hold me back ever since. Lets just say, I caused serious damage to others while I was out and it took nearly two years to fix.” He said.

“Then, lets get Daniel back instead of you, because he’s the one who knows how to fight, unless you can share your memories.” Luna said. “I share his memories, but I don’t share experiences. I guess I can give him the body back.” He said, pouting. He twitched sporadically, and his face-splitting grin disappeared immediately, replaced by a concerned, stressed, and frustrated expression.

“I hate Mikhail... The bastard is so different from me...” He said, rubbing his temples.

“You okay?” Rainbow asked. “Hello no... I still have to figure out what the fuck to do with everything. I wish I had time to study this type of stuff, but I have hardly any time to get my shit together.” He said, rubbing his face with his hands.

“Just get some sleep, and you’ll do fine.” Luna said.

“Famous last words.” I retorted, getting up from the floor and pushing my face into the pillow. I sat there for a minute, before turning on some music. A few minutes later, I fell asleep, ignoring everypony else in the room.

Amissa Heros Magnam...

I woke up, finding a female guard standing over me. I got up, pulling a pair of shorts and t-shirt over myself. I walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower, and walked out to see the guard with a small blush on her face and a dreamy smile on her face.

“Yeah yeah yeah... Alright, lets go.” I said, walking past her and opening the door. She shook her head and looked at me, then blushed more and walked out. I walked after her, an awkward silence following us, until we walked into the throne room. I looked at the thrones, only to find them empty.

“Aren't we supposed to meet the princesses?” I asked. She turned her head and smirked.

“We’re meeting them at the war room, where your armor and weapon is waiting, along with a bag of supplies. The one called Fluttershy is also waiting for you.” She said. We walked to a large pair of doors and met the princesses and Fluttershy, sitting around a large table with a table with a terrain that looked of Equestria with the nearby countries. There was a desert, with a land that looked completely dead directly behind it, with a run down castle in the middle of the Deadlands. There was a flag that was in the middle of a small camp that was a small distance from the Deadlands.

“It’s good to see you Daniel. Now, do you have everything you need?” Celestia asked. I pulled out the seal, my iPod, and looked at the flaming dog tags, which Twilight enchanted to make it look like it’s actually on fire, and the scouter on my face and nodded, placing the items back in my pockets.

“Good, now, we can show you the armor and teleport you to the San Palomino Desert where the group of ponies are waiting for you. The time spent getting to the Deadlands would be about three hours, then getting to the ruins in the middle would be where the Delomelonicon will be located will be two days, and that’s if you don’t run into trouble. You should be able to be back in Equestria in under two weeks.” Celestia said, getting up and walking over to a closet door. She opened the door and levitated out the most awesome armor I've ever seen. The armor was full black, with a crescent moon as the crest, with a white cape with a burning sun on the cape. From top to bottom, there was a hood that would shield most, if not all, of my face from the sun, or any type of light, smooth shoulder pads, chestplate that has the crescent moon over it, leggings that reached all the way down to my ankles, and boots that went up to my knees. The cape itself was a bright white color, with a golden trimming around it that touched the back of my knees. I stared at the armor in amazement, my mouth dropped slightly, and Celestia gave a small smirk.

“This armor is amazing... What’s the material?” I asked.

“Well... We heard your conversation about tungsten and titanium, and we mixed the two metals. We actually hadn't thought about mixing it before, so we tried it and it created a metal that was even stronger then both, and a lot lighter than the Tungsten itself.” Luna said, waving an arm over a dark blue bar.

“Wait... Tungsten is a silvery gray color, and Titanium is a silver color itself, how did it get into that color?” I asked.

“We honestly don't know...” Celestia said, scratching her chin.

“Chalk it up to chemical reactions and save yourselves a headache I guess.” I said, shrugging. I scratched my chin for a moment, then facepalmed.

“What’s wrong?” Luna asked.

“I have no fucking idea on how to put on armor.” I said, facepalming once more.

“It’s just like putting on clothes.” Celestia said, walking up to me and pushing me into the room with the armor. The light flickered on, revealing a small dressing room, my armor standing in the middle of the room and my greatsword on the left wall. I untied the cape from the armor, placing it on one of the many hooks in the room, undressed, then took the fairly heavy chestplate and put it on. The chestplate morphed and formed to my body, becoming tight and snug, leaving enough to room to move around a little and to breath. I put on the leggings, the piece of armor doing the same thing, except not crushing my groin. I put the boots on, but they didn't form to my feet and were a little loose.

“Won’t have to worry about them falling off.” I said, picking up and placing my greatsword across my back, the metal clanking together slightly. I walked around the room, getting a feel of the armor, the armor scraping against itself. I turned off the door and opened the door, ducking slightly to avoid hitting my head. (Couldn't find an image for the armor on how I envisioned it in my head. Deal with it.)

After ten minutes, Daniel walked out of the room, ducking to avoid hitting his head on the door, and looked around the room. Celestia and Luna looked impressed by the sheer intimidation he gave off by just standing there, while Fluttershy was looking a little... south. She was looking at his chest and stomach, seeing the chestplate practically showing off his toned body. A few of the female guards were giving stunned, excited, and dreamy looks toward him, a few of the pegasi guards’ wings becoming erect at the sight.

Some of the male guards were giving stunned and jealous looks towards him. Fluttershy’s wings were becoming erect themselves, but she couldn't look away. Yes, she’s slept with him (not sex perverts), but shes never actually taken the time to actually look at his body. After about a minute of awkward silence from all of the ponies, he coughed into his fist, knocking all of the females from their dirty daydreams and the guys from their whispered death threats.

“Love the armor, but what is with all the damn stares I’m getting from all of you lately?” He asked.

“It’s nothing.” Luna said too quickly.

“Lies! Lies I tell you!” He yelled, chuckling. He coughed into his fist, and although the ponies couldn’t see it, he had a sad look on his face. He sighed, then said.

“Alright, I guess I get the supplies, say my goodbyes, then die a horrible death by fighting an unbeatable undead horde?” Fluttershy hated whenever he did that. He always questions himself, always putting himself down.

“You need to stop doing that.” Fluttershy said.

“You can’t change me, because you know why?” He said.

“Why?” Fluttershy asked.

“‘Cause, I’m Batman!” He yelled, his iPod turning on randomly and starting to play a dopey little song. He took it out of his pocket and started laughing.

“That played perfectly too!” He said, turning the song off.

“What was that supposed to be?” Luna asked, barely holding back her laughter.

“Batman is a superhero from a comic on Earth, who has a theme song to it and everything.” I explained.

“And that was his theme song?” Fluttershy asked, giggling slightly.

“Yep.” I said.

“Anyway, supplies, teleport, and get book.” I said. Celestia snapped her fingers, and a bow and arrow and bag filled to the brim with food, water, and small weapons.

“Throwing axes, daggers, bandages, and bow and arrow...” I said, searching the bag quickly. There were salted meats, jams, fruits, vegetables, breads and cheeses for food, and fifteen canteens of purified water, with medical supplies fitted in at the top of the bag. The small throwing weapons stuffed into smaller pouches on the side of the bag. I stuffed the items back into the bag and slung it over my back, over my greatsword, and turned to Luna and Celestia.

“So, now what?” I asked.

“We teleport you to the San Palomino Desert and you save our world.” Luna said dryly.

“I don’t like the concept of a worlds well being is thrust into the hands of a single man, especially a man that has never seen true combat besides old videos and pictures.” I said, watching as Luna’s horn lit up and her dark purple aura enveloped me. I felt myself being lifted up into the air, a strange sensation followed by a dull throbbing pain to take over my body. The pain was easily bearable, so I didn’t say anything about it.

“Are you feeling any pain?” Celestia asked suddenly.

“Yeah, but it’s bearable.” I said smoothly. Celestia and everypony in the room gasped, but Luna didn’t stop casting the spell.

“Is that bad?” I asked, a tinge of fear on each word.

“That’s very bad. Luna, you must stop the spell!” Celestia yelled.

“I can’t stop the spell, you know what happens if I do!” Luna said fearfully.

“What the hell happens to me?” I asked sternly. I was met with silence for a few moments, then Celestia looked up at me.

“Ponies that have felt pain during these teleportations show up on the destination as a bloody pile. I’m sorry Daniel.” Celestia said, a sad look on her face and tears brimming her eyes. I looked at all of the ponies, each getting the same reaction from all of them, except Fluttershy was already openly sobbing. I sighed tiredly.

“Looks like the end for me... Oh well...” I said, balling my hands into fists.

“This shouldn’t be how it ends!” Fluttershy yelled at me. I looked at her, openly sobbing with Celestia trying to comfort her. I shook my head, going into my pocket as I felt my hand wrap a small and metallic object. I pulled it out and looked at it, seeing the black reflective screen one last time.

“Here Fluttershy. Something to remember me by.” I said, hold my iPod out to her. She looked up, seeing me holding the iPod out to her, and shakily stood up and tooked the object from my hands, taking it in both hands and holding it against her chest. Luna’s horn continued to glow with power, with the pain increasing slightly.

“Look, maybe it’ll be different for me. I’m not exactly a pony, now am I?” I said, hoping to lift their spirits. Celestia just shook her head and hugged Fluttershy.

“DAMN IT! WHY DID I HAVE TO GO LIKE THIS?!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, startling everyone in the room with the power behind it.

“I’m so sorry that this happened Daniel.” Celestia said, a few tears running down her tears.

“This isn’t your fault... Just...” I tried to find words to say anything, but I couldn’t think of anything that would comfort the ponies.

“Fluttershy, can you be a dear and play one last song for me?” I asked her. She nodded, unlocking the device quickly.

“Can you play Fade to Black by Metallica?” I asked. She nodded once more, then started surfing through the device quickly. She pressed the screen one last time, the song starting to play softly. I closed my eyes and listened to the guitar playing softly.

Life it seems, will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters no one else
I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free

I heard sniffles and small sobs from around the room, and felt the pain intensified ten fold. I stiffened up quickly, letting out a choked gasp of pain. The only ponies that heard was Celestia, Fluttershy, and Luna, and it broke their hearts hearing it.

Things are not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly lost, this can't be real
Cannot stand this hell I feel
Emptiness is filling me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking dawn
I was me, but now He's gone

No one but me can save myself, but it's too late
Now I can't think, think why I should even try
Yesterday seems as though it never existed
Death Greets me warm, now I will just say good-bye

The song continued playing itself, while the pain started to get out of hand. I let out a pained cough, and felt blood trickling down my chin.

“Shit... This ain’t easy.” I said, a bit pained. Celestia was a bit surprised by his resilience. Most ponies would’ve already been reduced to screaming wrecks from the pain, but he was only starting to show it from behind the enchanted hood (Celestia and Luna were the only ones that could see behind it.). A small trickle of blood was coming from his mouth, along with his nose starting to bleed as well.

“How long until this spell is done?” I asked.

“We have another ten minutes before the teleportation is complete.” Celestia said.

“Shit... Can we get another song?” I asked. She turned the device on, surfing through the songlist. She turned a song on, and I immediately knew what it was.

Circling your, circling your, circling your head,
Contemplating everything you ever said
Now I see the truth, I got doubt
A different motive in your eyes and now I’m out
See you later
I see your fantasy, you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads (yeah)
Well now that’s over
I see your motives inside, decisions to hide

I started to chuckle, but the pain intensified and it turned into pained coughs and a groan. My hands started to twitch and twist uncontrollably.

(Fuck!)
Back off I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong we’re headstrong
Back off I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong
I can’t give everything away
I won’t give everything away

I opened my eyes, seeing Fluttershy enjoying the music, with Celestia looking at the device curiously. The guards all had mixed reactions of interest, excitement, and enthusiasm.

Conclusions manifest, your first impressions got to be your very best
I see you’re full of shit, and that’s alright
That’s how you play, I guess you’ll get through every night
Well now that’s over
I see your fantasy, you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads (yeah)
Well now that’s over
I see your motives inside, decisions to hide

My arms started to spasm uncontrollably, and the pain only grew quickly. I tried to keep myself calm, but panic and fear only gripped me as I took notice that Luna’s horn continued to glow with intensity.

I know, I know all about
I know, I know all about
I know, I know all about
I know, I know all about your motives inside, and your decision to hide

The song ended, and I was in unbelievable pain. I had no control of my arms, and it felt like I was being torn apart, limb by limb, agonizingly slow. The room was growing darker, while Luna’s horn only grew brighter, until it was the only thing I could see out of the black abyss, until I finally fell unconscious. Celestia watched as Daniel fell unconscious, saying a silent prayer for him to make it out unharmed, and watched as the unconscious man grew brightly until it hurt everypony to look at him.

With a final flash of light, and a scream of pain that sent chills down everypony’s spine, he disappeared. Fluttershy started sobbing, Luna left the room, trying to avoid everypony seeing her crying also, while the guards were at full attention in silent tribute. After an hour, Celestia stood, cradling the still crying Fluttershy, and dismissed the guards, allowing them to take off for the rest of the week, and carried the mare to her guest room. She put her down in her bed and walked out of the room silently. She thought about giving a small stone tribute in the royal garden, but hesitantly decided against it. She knew that Fluttershy, for the rest of her mortal life, Luna, and herself would remember the man known as Daniel, who was not afraid to risk his life for the better of this world.

AN: Is this the end?

Author's Note

NOPE!

Solum Invenire ei Dominandi Inmortuis Multitudo ...

AN: Do you want side chapters for the awakening of Daniel in the middle of the camp, the fight through the Deadlands, and all of the action? Comment below and I will see.

It’s been five days since Daniel’s ‘death’, and Fluttershy had gone back to Ponyville with the help of her friends. Celestia had taken it in stride, silently grieving as she walked around the castle, doing her royal duties. Luna had... taken it a bit harder. The first two days, she refused to come out of her bedroom, only allowing the maids to come into the bedroom to clean up and the staff to bring food to her. The last five days , she says she’s been getting strange readings only unique to Daniel’s armor actually moving and taking damage. Celestia was... confused about the development, and told Luna to keep in check with the strange readings. In the middle of dinner on the sixth day, Luna received a call from her magical mirror item thing... and answered it, only to hear Daniel’s voice.

“I have your damn book, now- BAR THAT DOOR AND DON’T LET THEM IN!” He yelled, catching the attention of everypony at the table, especially Celestia, who came running over.

“Daniel... You’re alive?!” Celestia asked.

“Hello. Yes, I’m alive, pissed, but alive.” He said, looking over at the supposed group, when a whistling could be heard in the background.

“SHIT, GET DOWN!” He yelled, jumping behind a pillar. A few seconds later, a loud crash could be heard, and the sounds of the undead could be heard.

“Yeah, they have catapults, ballistas, and other shit to help them. Luckily, outside of range of this book,” He said, raising the dusty tome to the screen, then turning to the group.

“PHALANX FORMATION! DON’T LET THEM GET PAST THAT DOOR!” He yelled, with the swishing of armor moving heard in the background. Clanking could be heard, along with whistling of blades and arrows flying through the air could also be heard. “Anyway, outside of the range of the book, the undead just fall apart and die, and we just got it. The stallion responsible is dead, had to to get the book.” He said shrugging. Another loud whistle could be heard.

“FUCK, MOVE!” He yelled, although it was too late and screams of pain could be heard from the other ponies.

“Verdammt dummkopfs.” He said, shaking his head.

“REGROUP!” He yelled at them.

“Sorry, but I need to help them get back the ground we’ve lost. The numbers are in the millions here, but they’re slow and shambling, so it’s easy to deal with.” He said, before unceremoniously turning the device off. Luna put the device away, before she started to smile. Celestia let a small breath of relief out before turning back to the rest of the ponies.

“I’m sorry for the interruption, please return to dinner.” She said, before summoning a quill and piece of parchment and writing something down really quick, and sending it to her student. She waited for ten minutes until she received a letter from her student.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It’s great news to hear that Daniel had survived the teleportation! I will gather my friends and we will make our way to Canterlot as soon as possible. Fluttershy will be so happy that Daniel hadn’t actually perished, and would want to see him also.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

Celestia smiled and returned to her dinner. She finished quickly, dismissing the staff and guards, before walking to the throne room with Luna and her guards, taking a seat on the throne as she patiently waited for the Elements. A few hours later, the six mares burst through the doors, Fluttershy wearing a wide grin as she and the rest trotted up to the throne, before bowing, and all looking up to Celestia.

“We had received news from Daniel that not only he had survived the teleportation, but that he and the group of ponies had acquired the Delomelonicon and is now returning to Equestria with it.” Celestia said. The six mares cheered, especially Fluttershy, but fell silent as the magic mirror rang once more. Luna picked up the device and answered it, seeing Daniel’s face, although a bit bloody.

“Shit’s really hit the fan here. We’ve lost over half of the ponies here, due to the catapults and ballistae, and the rest are either injured or are quickly tiring from constantly fighting. Is there anyway you can teleport us here now?” He asked.

“CATAPULTS?! BALLISTAE?!” Twilight yelled.

“Hey Twilight. Yes, they have catapults and ballistae. The stallion responsible somehow taught the undead to use them.” He said, before turning and swinging his blade, decapitating three zombie ponies with the one swing.

“We can try to teleport all of you to the castle, but there is a chance we might bring some of the undead here with you.” Celestia said.

“Hell, I can take the undead if they do get there, but we need to get out of here before we all end up among them.” He said, before turning around and punching a zombie in the chest, ripping out it’s heart and throwing it away and kicking the zombie to the ground.

“Do we have any archers left?” He asked off screen.

“Yes sir, but only thirty left.” A stallion’s voice said.

“Damn... ALRIGHT! ARCHERS, AIM FOR THE HEADS!” He said, before a loud whistling was heard.

“Oh shit...” He said, before ducking down and a ballista flying over his head and cutting through the undead behind him, before the gap was slowly filled back up by the skeletons and zombies. A few screams could be heard, and Daniel groaned in frustration. He strapped the thing to his thigh, although he hadn’t ended the call like he thought he did, and ran into the darkness.

“GET THE HELL OFF OF THEM!” He yelled, the zombies groaning in response and the telltale whistling of a blade. The bodies crumpled to the ground and he picked a mare up.

“You okay?” He asked. She nodded, before running back to the lit area, revealing a large group of bloody and tired ponies, all wielding spears, swords, and shields. He ran further into the darkness, and they heard his grunts as he swung his blade.

“Shit...” He said, before running back to the group.

“Only the mare survived.” He said, before turning around quickly and cleaving a skeleton in two.

“Another lost...” An old stallion’s voice said.

“How many is that, two hundred and fifty three?” He asked. The stallion nodded, before swinging a large mace at a zombie and knocking off its head. He picked the device up again, seeing Luna’s and Celestia’s face looking at the carnage.

“Huh... I thought I turned you off... Anyway, can you start the teleportation now, before we lose more ponies?” He asked quickly.

“Of course.” Luna and Celestia said, before both of their horns lit up and all of the ponies were enveloped in both auras. The quick teleportation worked, as all of the ponies appeared in the throne room, with Daniel at the head of them, holding the book in his hands. He walked up to the throne, handed the book to the princess, before collapsing, revealing five arrows embedded into his back. The ponies gasped, seeing the arrows. Celestia picked him up in her magic and teleported him and her to the medical wing.

“We have an injured stallion here!” She yelled, and a few doctors and nurses came out with a stretcher. They took him to one of the surgery rooms, and she teleported herself back to the throne room.

“He’s going to be okay.” She said, although she wasn’t sure at all. The ponies sighed in relief. Celestia turned to Luna and whispered something, before Luna nodded.

“We have enough guest rooms for you all to stay until you are rested enough to return to your homes.” She said, the ponies bowing to the princess.

“Guards, please escort our guests to their rooms.” She said.

“Yes, your majesties.” The guards said in unison. All of the guests, save for one, followed the guards to the guest rooms.

“Your majesty, if you would be so kind, I wish to speak.” The old stallion said.

“Of course my little pony.” Celestia said.

“Daniel is the toughest stallion I know. I saw him take blows from the undead that would knock a normal pony down and he would just shrug and keep going. Hell, he got hit by one of the catapult boulders and just got right back up. He had taken hits for the ponies that stood before you, as well as ones that didn’t make it here, and he just took them all in stride. But, I worry for him... The stallion is a machine, but even he has limits to what he can do. It’s hard to see him take all of the abuse he has, and just keep going.” He said, huffing loudly. Celestia smiled.

“I see what you mean. Don’t worry, Daniel is in care of the most successful doctors in Equestria. He’ll make a quick recovery and return to Ponyville.” She said. directing the last sentence to the six mares present. They all smiled, and the old stallion walked to the guest room, where the guards were awaiting him. The six mares turned back to Celestia and Luna. Twilight remained silent for a few minutes, until she looked up at Celestia with an inquisitive look.

“No normal stallion should be able to take a hit from a catapult and just brush it off like it was nothing.” She said.

“We added a few enchantments to ensure that he was to return here.” Celestia said with a smile.

“What type of enchantments?” Twilight asked.

“There were over fifty enchantments added to that armor, all to aid him in further predicaments.” Luna said.

“Wouldn’t the armor get more unstable as time passed because of the enchantments?” Twilight asked.

“Normally it would, but we added an enchantment to stop the armor from becoming unstable.” Celestia said.

“I didn’t believe there was such a spell.” Twilight said.

“It took awhile to research, but we found enough spells and enhancements for his armor that he’ll be able to power through most of the damage inflicted on him.” Celestia said with a smirk.

“So, the arrows didn’t affect him?” Twilight asked.

“The arrows affected him of course, but with the armor, he doesn’t feel as much pain as he should. With his natural resistance, plus the aid of the armor and the enchantments, that’s the reason he was able to keep going. They were the reason he bled out and was hospitalized.” Celestia explained.

“That armor looked pretty cool. Not as cool as me, but it was up there.” Rainbow interjected.

“We need to throw him a ‘Thanks for Saving Equestria!’ party! What type of cupcakes does he like? What type of cake does he like? What type of icing does he like? What type of games does he like to play? What ty-” Pinkie said, before being interrupted by Applejack shoving her fist into her mouth.

“You know how Daniel feels about his parties Pinkie.” Applejack said sternly. She removed her hand from Pinkie’s mouth.

“Of course I do, but this is a big thing! He saved Equestria and fought millions of undead, and even saved all of those ponies!” Pinkie yelled.

“On a side note, the Grand Galloping Gala is a month away. I need to start working on everypony’s dresses.” Rarity said.

“All we need to do is fix up his armor and Daniel can wear his armor to the Grand Galloping Gala.” Luna said.

“I thought that it was a formal event?” Applejack said confusedly.

“Yes, but knights wear their armor to formal events as a sign to show their loyalty to the kingdom they represent. Right now, the doctors and nurses are attempting to remove the arrows from him before taking off the armor, and that’s our opportunity to get his armor cleaned up.” Celestia said.

“The problem is, is that the stallions have already left Canterlot for the oncoming heat cycle that is only two days away.” Luna said to her sister. Celestia frowned and sighed.

“That is true. I guess we will have to wait until they get back to repair the armor. I feel bad for Daniel...” Luna said. The rest of the mares giggled.

“He already offered money for us to get the herb so that it’s easier on us next week.” Rainbow said. The five other mares nodded in agreement.

“Yes, but the herb has no effect on alicorns and other immortal beings.” Celestia said. Before the conversation could continue, the doors burst open and a doctor came rushing over.

“Your majesty, the subject has already been healed with the help of that armor. We attempted to remove it, but the armor somehow kept us from doing so, as well as healed the wound. Right now, he’s resting from his recent skirmish.” He said, catching his breath. The mares beamed at the news and started for the medical wing, the doctor in tow. When they reached the medical wing, they made their way to his room, with directions from the doctor, and walked into the room. Daniel was laying on the medical bed, his bloody and battle worn armor on his body.

The hood was pulled down, revealing his uninjured face, and his greatsword leaning against the wall. The equally bloody and beaten cape was folded nicely on the nightstand next to him. The ponies looked at him and watched as he twitched, and slowly stirred. They all smiled at his quick recovery, although he was injured gravelly, and watched as his unfocused red eyes quickly shrank in size before slowly focusing and finally looking at the ponies before him.

“Jesus... And here, I thought I actually died. Oh well. Guess I have to deal with this heavenly place instead.” He said playfully, earning a punch in the arm by Rainbow Dash before everypony piled onto him. He somehow managed to free his arms and wrap them around all of the ponies. They all got up after the group hug, although Pinkie stayed in his lap and continued to hug him. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, then wrapped his arms around Pinkie again and placing his chin on top of her head, although her hair was getting in the way, getting a sigh of content from her, before looking at all of the ponies.

“I guess this means that I get recognized as a hero of Equestria and get some sort of large party to celebrate?” He stated.

“Of course.” Celestia said.

“Although I dislike going to large parties, I’ll attend.” He said. Pinkie, although she was slightly offended that he disliked large parties, smiled into his chest.

“What I do need right now is a shower and a hot meal.” He said, unwrapping Pinkie so that she could get up. She got up, albeit reluctantly, and he got up from the bed.

“Where is the bathroom?” He asked. The doctor, who had been silent this entire time, pointed at a door. Daniel thanked him and pushed through the door, before facepalming and walking back out.

“I have no spare change of clothes.” He said. Twilight thought for a moment, before snapping her fingers. Her horn lit up and in a small flash of light, a pair of pants and a black t-shirt appeared in the air. He caught them before they hit the ground, then walked back into the room. There was a small towel rack with a couple of towels on it, a large shower in the corner of the room, with a sink and toilet next to each other. He took off his armor quickly, stretched for a bit, hearing satisfying pops and cracks.

He sighed, placing his spare clothes on the sink and undressing, the sweat matted and dirt covered clothing hitting the ground. He stepped into the shower, seeing bars of soap that had a neutral scent on it. He washed up quickly, dried off, dressed, then relieved himself before grabbing his dirty clothes and armor and walking out. The ponies were idly chatting when he opened the door, and turned to look at the fresh Daniel.

“Much better.” He said, before placing his armor neatly on the floor and folding the dirty clothes and placing them next to his bloody blade. He took one look at it and sighed.

“I’ll need to wash that.” He commented. He turned to the ponies and raised an eyebrow.

“So, what now?” He asked. The ponies looked at eachother, then turned to him with a shrug.

“Dinner starts in an hour, so we can do something before then.” Luna said.

“If only they had video games here...” He said. The ponies looked to him, before Luna started snickering. He took one look at her and said.

“They have video games here... WHY,” He yelled, startling everypony. “didn’t you say anything before now?” He asked.

“We didn’t know if you knew what they were.” Twilight said. Daniel looked at her and deadpanned, and she just shook her head.

“Right... I forget about that...” She said. They all filed out of the room, leaving Daniel to pick up my armor, sword, cape, and clothes. He caught up with them, and they talked idly as they made their way through the winding hallways. They came upon a rather large door and Luna opened the door with a large grin, revealing a large TV that took up an entire wall, with game systems that look like Xbox 360s, Playstation 3s, and Nintendo Wiis, except on the sides it said Xpony 360, Ponystation 3, but the Wii was the same, just oddly proportioned.

“Holy shit... These things look exactly like gaming systems from my world. And that TV...” He said in awe, nearly dropping all of the things in his arms. There were three couches, along with various recliners and other comfortable seats around the room, along with a large wooden cabinet in one of the corners of the room, filled to the brim with video games that were exactly like games from Earth, except with different names and had the ponies in them.

“I have a theory on why things are so alike in our worlds.” Daniel said, setting his stuff down next to one of the couches and sitting down.

“Have any of you heard of the String Theory, where it explains about different dimensions that are similar to each other, but also have key differences?” He asked, taking a sudden scientific turn that stunned everypony. They all shook their heads, and he continued.

“The theory itself explains about how there are endless amounts of universes and dimensions, all with similarities and differences from out own. There is no original universe from where the other universes and dimensions were copied from, and that’s how they were flawed, they all started out on its own account. This dimension has this world, where most of its inhabitants are only myths and legends in my dimension and world.

"The sun and moon are controlled by two beings, where my world revolved around the sun itself with it’s larger mass and gravity pull. Earth was a larger mass, so the moon revolved around Earth, where the planet revolved around the sun since it was a larger mass itself. In the solar system I came from, there was nine planets that revolved around our sun, and only one that supported life with an atmosphere that was fit on supporting life.” He said, leaving everypony interested, or in Rainbow Dash’s case, bored.

Rainbow Dash walked over to the TV, turning it on and starting up the Xpony 360, which had a beam of light that shot out and touched Daniel’s chest. He was about to start again when it touched him, and the familiar feeling of teleportation enveloped his chest. He had time to look at Rainbow Dash before a flash of light erupted and he was gone. The ponies looked away at the sudden flash, then back at the spot where he was sitting, finding it empty, his equipment gone also. They all gasped and started searching the room. Luna did a scrying spell on him and didn’t find him. She cast a stronger scrying spell, searching the entire planet, only to fail.

“He’s no longer on this planet...” Luna said, her eyes widening.

AN: Where did he go? Hint. What game deals with two teams of nine mercenaries?

Partes Sunt Distracta Ducibus Corruptum

A loud bang awoke me from my slumber. I rolled over, opening my eyes as I saw a desert.

"Great... Back to this damn place." I muttered, getting up and seeing my armor, sword, and spare clothing laying on the ground next to me. I put the armor on, throwing my sword over my back, and tossed the dirty clothing behind a dry bush. I looked around, seeing a small two building base to the left of me. I started walking towards the base when I saw a small form bouncing around, and a gunshot was heard, and the small form just went stiff and fell to the ground.

“Warzone?” I asked. I continued walking towards the base, when another gunshot rang out, along with a loud male scream. I started running, until I heard more and more gunshots. There was the rev of a minigun, explosions, yelling of orders, screams of pain, and hissing of machinery. I saw a few cars around the sides, along with a tall fence with barb wire running along the top.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” A high pitched male voice yelled, before the guy screamed out in pain.

“That’ll slow yer down, ya twitchy hooligan!” An australian male yelled. He cried out in pain, as a french voice said.

“Sorry to ‘pop in’ unannounced.” He said. The sound of a flamethrower and burning flesh, along with another scream of pain.

‘The hell is wrong with this place?’ I thought as I walked around back, seeing an entrance to the facility. I walked into the place, seeing everything coated a dull red color. I continued walking until I heard a steady beeping, and a clank of glass together.

“Cheers.” A southern accented man said.

“Danke, my hard hatted friend.” A german accented man said. I walked down the hallway, the beeping getting steadily louder.

“It’s easy to trick that damn bitch. I just hotwired the cameras and microphones so that she can’t see or hear anything down here.” The southern accented man asked. I turned a corner and heard a loud beeping, as well as a minigun spinning up. I looked ahead and saw some sort of turret, fit with two miniguns and a four podded rocket launcher on top. The turret fired at me, the bullets pinging off of my chest.

“Armor’s bulletproof. Fucking sick.” I said. A loud whistling was heard, and I turned just in time to see four rockets fly past my face.

“What the fuck...” I said. I walked up to the thing, the turret almost as tall as I am, and slashed the wires from the middle of it to the miniguns and rocket launcher. The turret shut down, and the sounds of footsteps was heard. A slight humming was heard as a short man with a hard hat on top of his head, a pair of overalls covering a straight red shirt with a small logo of a wrench in the middle on his arms, a belt fit with various items, knee pads, and a pair of boots. In his hands held a shotgun and a small scowl on his face. He looked at me and his jaw dropped, seeing the large blade and dark armor. Another man rounded the corner, some sort of gun in his hands that had a beam trailing from the tip to the small man. He was wearing a lab coat, some sort of pack on his back, a pair of red gloves on his hands, brownish gray trousers, and boots to top it off. He looked at me and did the same as his small friend.

“That damn turret of yours was annoying me.” I said, snapping both men out of their trances.

“Who are you?” The small man asked.

“My name is Daniel. I got teleported to this world apparently.” I said, with both guys looking at me like I was crazy. I saw their looks and chuckled.

“Look, I know it sounds strange, but for the last two years, I’ve been living in a strange world that actually has magic. At first, I didn’t believe it, then seeing it for myself, I turned around.” I said.

“A world that actually has magic... That must be the most made up thing I’ve ever heard, but for two years, you’ve been living in some world with magic?” The small man said.

“Yeah... I used to be on Earth before I got shot by my father and a few of the residents saved my ass as they teleported to the other world.” I said.

“This is Earth son. Looks like you’re back home.” The small man said.

“Hell, I want to go back. No offense, but Earth is basically hell compared to that world. Literally no crime, no famine, no disease, no wars. Place is a heaven. Plus, I got a girl there that’s waiting for me to return, whenever that should be.” I said. The small man whistled in admiration, lifting his hard hat off of his head.

“Sounds like the perfect little spot. How did you end up here anyway?” He asked.

“Well, let me tell you something. This place isn’t all good though. There are some of them that have bad intentions. After I fought off an undead army of sorts, I was going to relax, when I was hit with some beam of light that teleported me here.” I said.

“An undead army?” The german man asked, intrigued.

“Yeah, some dumbass guy decided to use a book to raise the undead on an old battlefield. Literally millions of undead walking around. He somehow taught them how to use catapults and ballistae.” I said. They sat there stunned as they tried to imagine that many.

“Hell, I was actually hit with one of the catapults, albeit it was a glancing blow.” I said.

“No regular human would be able to survive getting hit with a boulder being flung from a catapult.” The german said.

“I know that, but it’s this armor. This armor is enchanted or something. Literally saved me from being killed by a large ass boulder, along with being shot in the back with five arrows.” I said.

“Sounds like you went through hell.” The southerner said. He grabbed a wrench from his belt and smacked the turret, the wires rebuilding themselves. The thing started beeping again, swinging around to me and the miniguns spinning up again.

“If that damn thing shoots me again, I will destroy it.” I said irritably. The small man pulled out a pad and started pushing buttons, possibly putting in a code of some sort, and the turret just turned around and went back on watch.

“Interesting...” I commented, before following them to the room they came from. In the room was a large office desk, with a leather chair behind it, an old style telephone on the desk, along with a spinning suitcase with papers hanging out of it.

“The hell? How is that thing spinning?” I asked, scratching my head.

“We have no idea. It does that until someone picks it up and we just go along with it.” The small man said. There were wires running from a small room in the corner of the room, with a bulletin board with random papers stapled and tacked to it. Next to it was a fire extinguisher that was covered in dust. Above it was a alarm bell, and a large room with old style terminals facing a large screen with multiple red dots, all different sizes. In the middle of the room was a few chairs leaning against a strange machine. From bottom to top, there was a slot with various clips of ammo, another slot with syringes and pills, a red bulb with an air conditioner or something next to it, some type of screen with a meter like a gas meter, an air tank on one side, a belt of ammo on the other side, and a heart meter on top with a small lock next to it. One side of it was open, revealing a case of beer with two of the pockets empty. The two men unfolded the chairs next to the dispensers and sat in them, grabbing half empty beer bottles and taking large gulps from the bottles. They took notice of me standing up, leaning against the wall and staring at them. The small man stood up and grabbed a small metal chair and set it out for me.

“Here ya go pardner.” He said.

“I could stand, but thanks.” I said, taking the chair.

“What do you guys do around here anyway? I heard the commotion from upstairs, but...” I trailed off, looking at the small man.

“We’ve been hired by a crazy man to fight over land that his father split between the two brothers, Blutarch and Redmond Mann, and we’ve fought all over the world, trying to gain control over some land for two crazy brothers for nearly three years.” He said, shaking his head.

“How have none of you died? From what I’ve heard, some of them killed each other already.” I asked.

“There’s a device that I’ve built, that the rest have called Respawn, and whenever one of us die, a few seconds later, we would be right back into the battle.” The man said.

“So... the Respawn machine is basically creates never ending life, or some sort of immortality...?” I asked.

“A close hypothesis on what it actually is, but no... We still age, but we still die, only to return to our former bodies that the machine has been connected too. We could be as old as we could, then die from old age, before returning to this body.” He said, pointing to his entire figure.

“Hell, I wouldn’t want that... That would drive myself insane...” I said, patting them on the back, only to send the small man to the ground.

“Sorry... I’ve been used to farm work and chopping wood. As well as carrying around this like two hundred pounds of Tungsten and Titanium armor, as well as a ten pound greatsword and a hundred pounds in supplies.” I said, picking him up and setting him in the chair.

“Good lord. How have you been able to carry all of that?” He asked. I just shrugged, since I’m not too sure on how I do it also. Footsteps could be heard, before the turret beeped loudly and the miniguns revved up.

“He’s going to have bonk, so just deal with that kid.” The small man said, getting up and readying his shotgun at the adjacent door.

“Let me handle this.” I said, the small man raising an eyebrow at me before sitting down and taking another beer from the case on top of the machine. A small guy, looking to be in his late teens to young twenties, wearing all blue in contrast to the red these guys had, came down the hallway, a small blur following himself.

“Try harder next time hardhat.” He yelled as he shot past all three of us sitting next to the machine. His voice annoyed me, so I got up as he flew past me, readying my blade, and waited for him to touch the suitcase. As soon as he did that, a female voice said.

“Alert! The enemy has taken our intelligence!” I swung my blade at him as he flew past me, cutting him in half. The briefcase fell off of his body, with the female voice immediately responding.

“The enemy has dropped our intelligence.” I picked up the intelligence and placed it back on the table, where it continued spinning in the air.

“Our intelligence has returned to our base.” The female voice said.

“I don’t like that kid. He annoyed me with his voice.” I said, pulling out an already bloody rag and wiping off the fresh blood from my blade.

“Everyone here hates that kid, but he does have his uses.” The small man said.

“His counterpart is just as annoying.” The german man said. More footsteps was heard, but the sentry didn’t sound off. The same boy from earlier ran around the corner, this one wearing all red, and looked at the small man.

“You got the intel?” He asked.

“Nope.” The small man said.

“Nein.” The german man said.

“Then who did?” He asked.

“Maybe look around and see if there’s anything or anybody new in the room.” The small man said. The young man looked around, seeing me cleaning the blood off.

“Who’s that freak?” He asked. I growled, getting up and throwing my blade at him at blinding speed. The blade nearly cut off his arm as it flew by, embedding itself into the wall.

“That one was a warning. The next time, you won’t be so lucky.” I said, getting up, easily towering over him, and retrieving my blade. The man clutched his wounded arm, bringing out a pistol and firing the clip at me. The bullets pinged off of my chest, and I punched him in the nose. There was a satisfying crunch as it connected, sending him sprawling across the floor clutching his nose. I ran over to him and grabbed him by his neck, slamming him against the wall, knocking the breath from him.

“Hell, this guy rivals Heavy in strength.” He said, before I nearly snapped his neck. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked, seeing the german man with an emotionless face on his face. He shook his head, and I snarled at the small man, slamming him into the wall once more before letting him fall to the ground.

“I’m going to kill that kid if he says one more damn thing.” I growled to the small man.

“Although I would pay to see that, we need him to be alive right now. He’s mostly responsible for getting the enemies intelligence, isn’t that right Scout?” The small man said suggestively.

“I would go get it if my ribs and nose wasn’t broken.” Scout mumbled out.

“I’ll rip you in half if you try that shit again.” I growled at him. The german man pulled out the same gun he used on the small man, and a small red beam trailed from the end of it. The trail ended at the young guy, and he got up like he didn’t just get his ass handed to him.

“Thanks Doc.” He said, before running off.

“So. you’re a doctor, or some field medic?” I asked, sitting back down.

“By name and profession, I am Medic. I heal ze imbeciles upstairs when ze time is needed, but until zen, I sit here and relax.” Medic said.

“And you’re an engineer?” I asked the small man, who nodded.

“Most just call me Engi.” Engineer said. A small clanking sound was heard, before a loud static followed it.

“Spy is sappin’ my sentry!” Engi called out, getting up and pulling out his wrench. He ran off towards his sentry, with Medic and I following. I turned the corner just as I saw Engi knock off a strange looking device with his wrench. I picked up the device, seeing an old style radio or something with a few wires connecting some parts together, as well as the words “Electro Sapper” was etched across the top of the device.

“Strange...” I said, before dropping the device and crushing it below my foot.

“Spy creepin’ around here.” Engi growled, pulling out a shotgun and shooting an otherwise empty space. Two more shots and a loud scream of pain erupted, and a blue body, just appeared out of nowhere.

“How the fuck...?” I said, picking up the body and searching his body. In his pockets were an old style watch, as well as a watch with a blank screen and seven buttons, as well as a small butterfly knife. I threw the butterfly knife towards Engi, who pocketed it, and pocketed old style watch, and put the watch on my wrist. I pressed the largest button and heard a small whishing sound. I looked at the two men standing there.

“That would be a nightmare.” Engi said.

“I agree mein hard hatted friend. A man of zat size and he just pops out of nowhere like the Spy.” Medic agreed. I looked at my body and saw that everything had disappeared.

“So, a cloaking watch... Smart. I’m keeping this. As well as the other watch.” I said, looking at the small blue bar slowly going up.

“Looks like you got yourself a Cloak and Dagger, as well as his Dead Ringer.” Engi laughed.

“What does the Dead Ringer do?” I asked, uncloaking.

“Whenever you take damage, it fakes your death. For example, pull out the Dead Ringer.” He said. I pulled out the ‘Dead Ringer’, flipping the watch open, seeing a ring of light blue light in the middle of the watch. Engi pulled out a pistol and shot me in the chest, and a body, easily replicating my own, fell from my position. The small blue ring slowly went down, and I closed it before it reached half way. A loud noise was heard as I uncloaked.

“That would be useful for later...” I said, before turning to Engi and picking him up.

“Don’t do that.” I said, putting him down.

“Understood.” He coughed.

~At BLUs Base~

Scout had respawned and was standing in the respawn room, mumbling to himself. The door opened quickly and BLU Soldier ran in, carrying his rocket launcher.

“Soldier, why are you not on the battlefield?!” He yelled at Scout.

“I’m not going back over there! They have something over there that easily killed me, even with BONK!” He said, sitting on the bench.

“The REDs have a secret weapon?” Soldier said, tapping his chin.

“It isn’t a weapon, it’s a man. Except, he can’t be hurt by bullets.” Scout said. Soldier snarled at Scout, but was curious about this man that was supposedly impervious to bullets.

“Spy!” He yelled. Spy uncloaked next to Soldier.

“What?” He said.

“The REDs have something over at their base, and I want you to learn about it.” Soldier ordered the French man.

“I heard your conversation, and I’m already curious to learn about this man.” Spy said, cloaking and disappearing, the only indication that he was gone was when the door opened up.

~Two Minutes Later~

Spy respawned, shaking his head.

“What do you have to report soldier?” Soldier asked Spy.

“That man towers over everyone else, wears some sort of armor, and nearly killed the Red Scout because he made a small comment about him.” Spy said. He wasn’t easily shaken up, but seeing the man that easily towered over Heavy, and carried such a dangerous weapon. That man also intimidated Spy, who usually was the intimidating one.

“He’s easily taller than Sniper and Heavy, and could probably lift Heavy with one hand and toss him across the bridge with ease.” Spy said, a tinge of fear on his words. Soldier grumbled something, but looked around for something.

“We need BLU team to take out that man, before he becomes one of the REDs.” Soldier proclaimed. The two men nodded and went to go search for the other BLUs.

~RED Intel Room, Fifteen Minutes Later~

“I don’t hear anything...” Engi said, taking the beer from his lips. Medic also took his beer from his mouth, listening with a primed ear, until he confirmed Engi’s claim.

“That’s strange... From what I’ve heard, this place is a constant war zone.” I said. A lot of footsteps was heard, and about seven other men walked in, including Scout.

“Where is BLU team?” The largest man there asked, a thick Russian accent asked.

“We don’t know Heavy. We figured since you were up there fighting that you would know.” Engi said.

“Who’s this maggot?” A stern military voice asked.

“Shut the hell up before I rip you a new hole.” I growled at him.

“WHAT WAS THAT MAGGOT?!” The man yelled at me. I looked at him, getting up, easily towering over him, which surprised him for a second, and I grabbed him by his throat and lifted him off of the ground with one arm.

“You want to talk shit? How about this. I’ll rip your arms off, before slowly cutting your legs off then ripping off your head and beat you to death with it. Now, get away from me before I turn your spine into your own personal dildo.” I snarled at him, throwing him into the wall, his helmet flying off and a small crack was heard.

“No one touches team with and lives.” Heavy growled at me.

“You want to go, big boy?” I said, throwing my blade to the side.

“Come, we fight like men.” He said, throwing the minigun to the side and raising his fist. He took a step forward, shouting a battle cry, before charging. I stepped to the side as he flew past me, before running up behind him and slamming his head into the floor, immediately drawing blood. I picked him up with one hand and flung him against the wall, causing him to land on the possibly dead man on the ground. He got up and charged once more. I started running at him myself, meeting him halfway, my larger body mass plus heavier weight sending me barreling towards the wall with him in my arms. I jumped on top of him and slammed my fist into his jaw, dislodging it from place, and followed up by slamming my fist into his jaw once more, breaking it with a loud crunch. I got off of him and picked him up with both arms, slamming the large man into the ground, the impact creating cracks in the ground. I walked over to my blade, picking it up and putting it on my back. I looked at the group of men that witnessed the fight, all slack jawed.

“I’ve dealt with stronger undead than him.” I said, sitting back down.

“Lad, Heavy is the strongest on our team and he just got beat like a child, and you say you’ve fought stronger undead then him?” A Scottish accented man said. I nodded in response, watching the large man struggle to get off the ground.

“Hell, I’ve had to fight for a five days straight, and this was a breeze compared to that. Have you ever been hit with a full force boulder launched from a catapult? Damn thing hurts.” I said.

“You’ve been hit with a catapult?!” Scout yelled at me.

“This armor, as I said, is made of Tungsten and Titanium, and I was taught by one of the best weapon masters in my world. The only reason I’m still here is because I need to wait until one of the princesses teleport me back to the damn world.” I said, watching all of their expressions turn from admiration to confusion and pure amazement.

“You’re from another world, yet you look exactly like us.” A French voice said.

“Because I was originally from Earth, before being brought to that world by the means of six females from their world.” I answered. I thought for a moment, before turning to the French voice.

“How did you know that I looked like you guys?” I asked suspiciously.

“I am the Spy, and it’s my job to learn about everything.” Spy said, taking a step back and pulling out another cigarette from the holder he pulled from his suit. I cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. A loud groan was heard, and the large man finally got to his feet with the help of Medic, rubbing his jaw.

“Man has good punch.” He mumbled.

“Don’t start with me again and you won’t die.” I said to him, leaning back in the chair slightly. He walked over and grabbed his minigun, before taking one of the beers from the case on top of the machine.

“Dispenser is credit to team.” He said, popping the top off and chugging the thing down. I raised an eyebrow and shrugged, guessing it was the name of the machine. A sudden clinking was heard and I looked at the dispenser, seeing that it had actually restocked the beers in the case. Everyone cheered and grabbed one, and I watched as it restocked it once more.

“I’d want something like that... Hell, that would be useful for me.” I said.

“Dispensers are very useful building’s I’ve built.” Engi said, grabbing another beer.

“Have you ever thought about selling dispensers?” I asked. He turned to me with a dark look.

“I’m not talking about military or anything, but to the world. Do you know how useful it would be to normal households?” I asked. His dark look turned a little, and he tapped his chin in thought.

“It would help out a lot of families in their everyday life.” He said slowly.

“And also building a smaller version of it, almost like a pocket version of it? That would be useful for you guys right? Having a pocket dispenser that would heal and give you ammo while fighting?” I suggested.

“It would especially help Medic, since he would be a prime target on the battlefield.” I said. The Medic smiled brightly at the thought of not dying as much as he did in battle, although it wouldn’t protect against headshots and backstabs.

“Mmbh mmph mmmph.” A muffled, although slightly feminine voice said.

“Huh?” I said, looking up, seeing a masked being, holding a large flamethrower in their hands and a fire axe on their backs.

“Mph Smph mmbh mmph mmmph.” They said again, although I couldn’t understand one word.

“Can you please take off the mask and say again?” I asked. They hesitated slightly, before flicking a few things on the neck of the mask, and twisting it off. They pulled off the mask and I got a look at... her face. She was quite beautiful actually, with long brown hair that reached her shoulders and bright green eyes. The rest of them turned to the girl, all stunned at the sight, and she repeated, with a slight British accent.

“I said, what about me?” I scratched my chin.

“I guess it would refill your propane and air tank, as well as the shells for your shotgun. Since your suit would most likely shrug off fire, you wouldn’t have to worry about putting yourself out, so you would be healed from bullets and any other damage done to you.” I said, before I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. I looked down and saw that she actually hugged me, and she was quietly giggling. The rest of them looked... jealous? I hesitantly hugged her back and she pulled away, giggling some more. I scratched the back of my head, seeing the rest getting angry, as well as Scout trying to hit on her, before I heard the turret beep loudly and the miniguns revving up. I sighed, before getting up. They were all in the state of shock and panic, trying to get ready.

“Calm down. I’ll handle this.” I said, walking towards the sounds of gunfire.

“Are you nuts?! You’ll get killed out there!” The girl said.

“You can get my story from Medic and Engi, but I’m going to deal with this.” I said, pulling the blade from my back and walking out, just as there was a loud explosion and Engi yelled.

“Sentry down!” I grinned as I stepped around the corner, seeing the nine mercenaries in blue, with their weapons at the ready. I pulled the Dead Ringer from my pocket, holding it in one of my hands.

“There he is!” The stern military voice said. Bullets started flying, some missing while most hit me in the chest or stomach. None of the bullets actually penetrated the armor. I charged forward, ignoring the gunfire aimed my way, before I jumped into the air, avoiding all of the gunfire as I jumped over all of their heads and landed behind all of them. I swung my blade vertically, cutting through the Blu Scout, who cried out in pain before falling to the ground in two. I saw that the rocket toting man had fired at me and I grabbed the rocket from the air, since it was slow enough to do so, and threw it at the Blu Medic. The rocket exploded as it made contact with his chest, except it didn’t kill him, just heavily injure him.

I mentally scratched my head on why he didn’t die from that before I watched as the guy with a sniper rifle shot at me, intending to shoot me in the head, but I pulled one of the most epic things ever. I managed to block the bullet with my blade, but the bullet only went up far enough to where my blade could still cut it, and I cut the bullet in half. The bullet was shot forward, as if it was from a gun, and one half hit him in the throat, killing him, while the other went into the black mans one eye, causing him to blindly fire his grenade launcher at the wall, killing himself and blowing up the military man.

The Blu Pyro was trying to burn me, but since armor can’t burn, I easily cut her in half (at least, I thought it was a she since RED and BLU look so much alike) before continuing. All that was left was the Blu Engineer, who was building a dispenser, Blu Medic, who was healing the Blu Heavy, and the Blu Spy, who was probably behind me. I swung my blade around, hearing the familiar scream of pain that I heard before. I cut the Blu Spy in half, both halves flying away quickly and slamming into the wall. I took one of the pocketed throwing knives and threw it at the engineer, hitting him in the neck with it. He fell to the ground, clutching the knife and quickly bleeding hole in his neck, but he just bled out quickly.

“Doctor, HIT CHARGE!” The Blu Heavy yelled. A loud fizzling sound filled the air, and the two were encased in a blue armor of sorts.

“I AM BULLETPROOF!” Heavy bellowed, firing his minigun at me, unfazed that he just lost most of his team. I started walking forward, slowly at first, before quickly picking up speed and easily reaching Heavy. I readied my weapon at the large mans chest, watching as the aura around the blade flared violently when the armor encased them, and felt the sword hit his chest. I looked at the blade, seeing that it actually stabbed through the armor and had plunged into the Heavy’s chest. He bellowed in pain, before collapsing backwards, sliding off of the blade. The Blu Medic was in a state of shock, and just started backing away from the man standing before him, shaking his head pathetically.

“Nein... Nein! Nein! Nein! NEIN!!! THAT SHOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE!! THE UBERCHARGE FAILED!!” He shouted, before I quickly decapitated the man. His head rolled to the ground as the body dropped to his knees, and falling forward. I sighed heavily, wiping off the bead of sweat I had on my brow, before pulling out the bloody rag that was coated with so much undead blood, and walking back to the RED team. They were all looking around the corner, staring in absolute awe, watching as I walked up and past them all like nothing happened.

“How... did you cut through the ubercharge?” Pyro asked.

“The blade’s enchanted to be able to cut through any type of armor, even those that claim it’s invincible.” I said casually, attempting to clean off the blood, but only smudging it. I looked at the rag and frowned, before tossing it into a trashcan.

“I need another rag...” I said to myself. I felt someone tap me on the shoulder and turned around, seeing Medic holding a clean white rag in front of him.

“Thanks.” I said, taking the rag from his hands and starting to clean the blade. I heard a snort, as well as a groan and some shuffling. I looked up, seeing the military man starting to get up.

“What did I miss?” He asked. He looked at me, seeing me cleaning off blood, and his face twisted into a snarl. “And what is this filthy maggot doing in my base?” He growled.

“Oh wait! I forgot something!” I said, quickly getting up and jogging out, retrieving the throwing knife from the Blu Engi’s neck. I stood there, looking at the blue dispenser, and smiled, taking the machine for myself.

“Now two dispensers.” I said, walking back into the room with the blue dispenser and sat it next to my chair. The dispenser trailed a beam to my chest, healing me and repairing any type of damage done.

“Sweet.” I chuckled, cleaning the blood off of the knife and sword, as well as trying to get the blood off of the armor.

“Ah well, thanks anyway Medic.” I said, being able to clean off the sword and knife easily, but the armor was just getting smudged by the armor.

“How did you do that?” Pyro asked, sitting on top of the dispenser next to me.

“I was taught by one of the best weapon masters in the other world, and the blacksmiths there was able to make me this armor to help me on my quest to ‘save the world’ there.” I said, doing air quotes with my fingers.

“How did you save the world then?” She asked, intrigued.

“Apparently some douchebag of a guy had found a book that was able to raise entire armies of undead, and he so happened to do so on an old battleground, where millions died, and I had to fight my way through that army with a small group of them with me. He also was able to teach the undead to use catapults and ballistae, because when we got close to his castle, I nearly got crushed by one of the boulders from the catapults, as well as nearly getting impaled on a ballista. We had to deal with that, as well as the army of undead that was surrounding us quickly.

"We fought our way through the undead army, eventually reaching the guys castle, and we stormed the place. But this is where it gets good. The man apparently was able to use the book and turn himself into a lich, an undead warlord of immense power, and was able to amplify the books power of raising the undead and control the armies of undead he already created. He had gotten so much power that he was able to create an impenetrable bubble around himself, keeping him from being harmed by normal weapons.” I stopped and caught my breath, hearing her gasp.

“There was something I hadn’t noticed before, and that my swords aura had grown immensely, and it continued growing when I got closer to him. I figured the sword was able to do something to him, so I charged him and was able to cut through the bubble and stab him through the heart.” I chuckled, while Pyro cheered, catching the rest of their attention. They slowly encircled me as I continued the story.

“Didn’t do shit to him. The guy didn’t even feel his own heart get stabbed with the blade. He blasted me away from him, summoning his army to knock down the doors and try to overwhelm us. The problem with an undead army is that they’re slow and shambling, so it took them a few hours to even get to the door. I managed to dodge the balls of magic he was shooting at me, which was killing most of the people from the group and infected them, and get through that damn bubble of his.

"After a few minutes of fighting him, I was able to cut off his head, which immediately dropped the bubble around him and I picked up the book. Well, without the leader they were used to, the undead went crazy, started tearing each other apart. The undead somehow became faster, knocking the door down quickly, and so I had to call in the princesses and see if I could get some help. While I was running around trying to run around and save everyone I could, they were busy trying to teleport us back to the castle. While we were waiting, I got shot in the back with like five arrows, so when they teleported us, the loss of blood plus the feeling of teleporting just caused me to be dizzy and near unconsciousness. I gave them the book and immediately collapsed, only to wake up in some medical wing, arrows gone and armor still on somehow.” I said, finishing the story.

“How did you get here then?” Engi asked.

“That picks up immediately after last time. After I woke up, the two princesses and the six girls from earlier were standing over me, before giving me a large hug.” I said, shaking my head with a small smile.

“Well, fighting five days straight got me smelling like a dumpster, so I got out of the armor, took a shower, got some clean clothes, then went to go relax. They apparently was as technologically advanced as Earth apparently, so we all went to the game room and was about to start playing some games when a beam of light hit me in the chest and teleported me outside of this place. So, after I got my armor on and was presentable, I was hearing you guys shooting each other and I was wondering when I would be able to get inside your base. I just went around back and walked through the door, before heading down here, nearly getting my ass blasted by the turret. I cut the wires on the turret and met these two.” I said, pointing to Medic and Engi.

“Then the Blu Scout came running in and I cut his ass in half, then Blu Spy tried sapping Engi’s turret, but Engi somehow saw him and got him with the shotgun, then I nearly beat Scout’s ass to death before Medic stopped me and healed him and he went to go get the intel or something.” I said, casting a small glare towards Scout.

“The rest is history.” I finished, waving my hand around.

“That’s quite the story.” Spy said, puffing on his cigarette.

“The most we’ve had to deal with is a decapitation happy ghost, the sniper going crazy, a giant eyeball that can fire rockets, and a man that can shrug off minigun fire with his bare chest.” Engi said.

“Sniper went crazy?” I said, looking at the Australian man.

“Let’s just say that Sniper is an atheist and for good reason and leave it at that.” Soldier said, shaking his head.

“Alright...” I said, frowning slightly.

“So, about this man that could shrug off minigun fire with his bare chest.” I said.

“Saxton Hale, President and CEO of Mann Co. The toughest man you will ever find in the world possibly.” Engi said.

“He got angry at both teams when we tried peace with each other, so he came down here and kicked all of our asses, told us to get back to fighting each other, before being attacked by a polar bear and he wrestled it.” Sniper said, gripping his sniper rifle tightly.

“Five minutes left in the mission! Five minutes left in the mission!” The female voice said.

“Is that a pre recorded voice announcing everything?” I asked, pointing at the speaker.

“Some of them are, but the Administrator watches and listens to us through microphones and cameras hidden throughout the bases sometimes., although I hack it during the day so that we can sit here and relax.” Engi said.

“What happens if the intel isn’t captured?” I asked.

“We go into overtime, but we’ve already captured their intel, so we’ve won. At the end of the matches, if one team loses, the other team gets to kill them in anyway we want before going back to our own bases and party till the next day.” Scout said.

“I dislike large parties.” I said in warning.

“We don’t have parties like that. We normally just drink beers and make jokes at each other until we get tired and go to sleep.” Engi said.

“Sounds like something I would enjoy.” I said, scratching my chin.

“Hell, we don’t even know what you look like. That hood of yours blocks from us seeing anything.” Pyro said. I blinked a few times before I smiled and shook my head.

“I’m just used to having the hood on. I forgot that the princesses enchanted it so that it hides my face in shadows until I take it off.” I said, before slowly taking the hood off. Once the shadows disappeared and my face was revealed, they all started guessing my age for some reason.

“I bet you’re twenty.” Scout said, before Spy slapped him up the side of the head.

“Why would you want to know his age? He’s probably older than all of us, even if he doesn’t exactly look it.” Spy said.

“I bet he’s nineteen.” Pyro said. I threw a surprised look at Pyro, and she grinned deviously.

“He’s twenty-five.” Soldier guessed.

“Nein. He’s twenty-seven.” Medic said.

“Nyet. Twenty-eight.” Heavy said.

“Someone’s already guessed my age.” I said, looking at Pyro, who was still grinning.

“Who guessed it?” Demo said.

“Pyro.” I stated, which got ridiculous looks from all of them.

“You’re nineteen?” Scout said. “Hell kid, I’m older than you!” He said, before starting to chuckle.

“Don’t forget that I can still easily kick all of your asses. Single handedly!” I yelled at them.

“Too true.” Medic chuckled.

“There is one that’s younger than him.” Pyro said, blushing slightly.

“Hmm?” I said, turning to her.

“Who’s younger than him? I’m the youngest ‘ere!” Scout said.

“No, you’re not. I’m only eighteen.” Pyro said.

“Eighteen year old girl that loves to burn things? Sounds normal, considering what I’ve seen already.” I said.

“Normal? What’s normal about that?” Engi said.

“Well, when you’ve met a few thousand year old woman that has the power to move the sun, moon, and stars, a lot of things seem normal.” I said, looking at all of them.

“What wrinkly broad has the power to move the sun and moon?” Scout said, before getting smacked by Soldier.

“She doesn’t have a single wrinkle on her body. She actually looks like she’s in her mid twenties. When I learned that she was older than everyone else in that world by a few thousand years, I was surprised.” I said.

“How do you know that she doesn’t have a single wrinkle on her body, hm?” Scout said, before getting smacked in the back of the head by Soldier again.

“If you’re implying that I’ve slept with her, no, I haven’t had sex yet.” I said.

“I’m surprised. Compared to these slacked jawed idiots, you’re quite handsome. I’m sure you have some girls after you.” Pyro said, sending the room into turmoil. Bottles were thrown, threats were issued, shouts ensued, before I got irritated enough to yell at the top of my lungs.

“... so whattaya mean ‘slack jawed idiots’?” Scout yelled.

“ALL OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, which seemed to shake the foundations of the building. Everyone stopped and looked at me. I looked every single one of them in the eyes, which in turn caused them to lower their gazes to the floor.

“Jesus fuck...” I growled, rubbing my temples.

“Got a strong pair of lungs on ya.” Engi said.

“You already know why.” I said, throwing a faint grin towards him. I looked at the rest of them with a glare, before rubbing my face with my hands. During the fighting, the Administrator had announced that RED team won, and that the match had ended and they could go back to their quarters. I got up from the chair, towering over all of them, and said.

“You might want to get back to your main base. The Admin already said that the match is over and I want to get some sleep before I get teleported again.” I growled. Most of them nodded and walked out, Engi staying back to clean up the few bottles and chairs, as well as pick up the dispenser. I followed him out, had helped him clean up a bit, carrying the somewhat light blue dispenser, seeing that the main part of the building was mostly a barn. I followed Engi out through the garage, which was connected to a large kitchen and sleeping quarters. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sniper climb into a campervan, before hearing the telltale sound of the engine starting and he drove off.

“Where does Sniper go?” I asked Engi, adjusting the dispenser on my shoulder.

“He hates staying here, since Soldier and Heavy sound like chainsaws whenever they snore, so he goes to the town a few miles past the mountains over there and stays at one of the cheap motels there.” Engi explained, carrying the toolbox that had the self building dispenser in it. I looked at the mountains and sure enough, where the small dust cloud that followed the campervan was heading, had lights shining behind it, indicating a sort of city.

“Where is this anyway?” I asked, following Engi as he stepped into the kitchen.

“Somewhere in the middle of Nevada I think.” He said. The loud and rambunctious laughter that echoed from the other room grated my nerves, but I put up with it, at least for now. We walked into the room, seeing them at a large circular table with nine chairs, two empty, at various spots on the edge of the table. Heavy had a large plate that was stacked with sandwiches in front of him, Soldier had MRE’s in front of him, with him spreading some sort of paste onto crackers, Scout with hotdogs stacked up in front of him, Spy with French dishes sorted in front of him, Medic with some sort of German food in front of him, Demoman with, for some reason, fish and chips and a large bottle of moonshine or something, indicated by the three large Xs on the front of the bottle, and Pyro with... breakfast in front of her. She had a stack of pancakes and waffles onto one plate, bacon on another, scrambled eggs on another, and a large stack of buttered and jelly toast on a last plate.

“Hell Pyro, you got a lot of food right there.” I commented. She looked up from the stack of pancakes she had been munching on, swallowed, and said.

“I hadn’t eaten today.” In response, my stomach growled in protest, catching everyone’s attention. I tapped my chin, trying to remember the last time I ate.

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten lad?” Demo asked.

“I think six days ago...” I said, my stomach making another growl of protest. Everyone gasped.

“We need ta get some food in ya boy.” Engi said, setting the dispenser down and running into the kitchen. I pulled off my pack, which had been on me the entire time, and pulled out some meats and fruits, as well as a canteen of water. I immediately took a swig of water, quenching the fire burning in my throat, only to make my stomach clench up at the sudden sustenance. I took a bite of an apple, the shiny texture and juicy interior making me nearly moan as I quickly chewed and swallowed, taking another quick bite.

“I forgot how good these apples are.” I commented. I looked back into the pack, seeing one of the Zap Apples that Applejack gave me before I left, as well as a container of the rainbow jelly. I took out the apple, catching everyone’s attention at the rainbow texture.

“No tears Scout, just dreams.” Spy said, patting Scout on the back. Scout shot him a glare and slapped his hand away. Everyone started laughing before quickly quieting down. I finished the other apple off, taking a napkin and wiping the juice from my face, before looking at the Zap Apple.

“Why is that apple rainbow colored?” Scout asked.

“One of the girls that saved me was one of the best damn farmers in the world, and was able to create these,” I said, lifting the apple into everyone’s view.

“These apples are called Zap Apples, and are the tastiest fucking things I’ve had ever. Basically, take the tastiness of all fruits you’ve ever eaten, then combine them together and multiply the taste by ten.” I said.

“Woah...” Scout said, looking at the apple in interest. I sliced a piece off and tossed it to Scout, who caught it in mid air and took a bite from the piece. His eyes widened and he took the entire thing into his mouth. He quickly chewed it and swallowed.

“Holy...” He said, his eyes still wide. “He wasn’t jokin’ about that thing.” He continued. I sliced another piece off and gave it to Pyro, who followed Scout’s actions. She took a small bite from it, her eyes widened and a whimper of pleasure escaped her lips. She took another bite from the thing, closing her eyes and savoring the taste, before finishing off the rest slowly.

“That... was amazing...” She said.

“I also have this,” I said, pulling out a full jar of the rainbow colored jelly.

“Is that jelly... of the Zap Apples?” Pyro asked in excitement.

“It is. Takes about three full Zap Apples to create just one jar of the jelly.” I said, taking a bite from the apple. The taste flooded my senses and I closed my eyes and slowly chewed. I swallowed and opened my eyes.

“How would you know about the Zap Apple jelly?” Soldier asked accusingly.

“I work for her. I know how to make the best damn apple cider, how to create these tasty little buggers, as well as a few other things that would help me in the world.” I answered.

“You worked for the girl that can make these things and you know how to?!” Scout yelled.

“Shh, No tears, only dreams now.” I said, causing everyone to laugh and Scout to pout. The rest of the night, we ate as I told my random adventures, days of work, and other things. About eleven at night, they all went to bed as I packed the jar of slightly used Zap Apple jelly and empty canteen, picked up the dispenser, and stepped outside, seeing the cloudy night sky. I started walking around, seeing a spot that was in the moonlight but was protected from two sides. I set the dispenser down and slowly took off my armor. I closed the two slots that had the clips of ammo and medicine before I sat against the the dispenser, looking up at the night sky. I set the pieces of armor against the side of the armor, out of the way, and watched as the moon slowly made its way through the sky. The slow humming of the dispenser was all that filled my ears, the sounds of the night absent from this place, and I felt a simple feeling of loneliness. Being away from Equestria has been taxing, being away from the ones I love. The only time I stepped back into Equestria was when I gave them that book and when I woke up in the hospital. Now I’m in some other universe, possibly forever, and I can’t do anything about it. Luna and Celestia have probably given up on me, not caring that I’ve been placed in this different world.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” I heard the only female voice that wasn’t behind a speaker and looked up at the girl, except that she wasn’t in her suit. She was in some sort of pajama pants and tight top, barely revealing her breasts to everyone.

“No...” I said, leaning against the dispenser.

“Why so glum?” She asked me, sitting next to me. I scooted over so that she could prop her back against the dispenser.

“I’ve been having these strange feelings of abandonment and hopelessness, and I can’t help but feel that they’ve given up on me, abandoning me on Earth.” I said with a hint of sadness, with my shoulders slouched over. I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders, or at least attempted to.

“I bet they’re trying to get you back right now, it probably takes a long time for these teleportations to work. I mean, from what I heard, you would be considered a hero to them and that they would need you for whenever another thing pops up in that world. Although I would want to see this world, I couldn’t leave here. The reason being is that my team needs me, and that Saxton Hale would probably try hunting me down through other worlds. He’s done that before.” Pyro said.

“Hell, I’m not worried about this Saxton Hale guy. I’ve dealt with skeletal dragons and minotaurs before, a man that can ‘shrug off minigun fire with his bare chest’ wouldn’t be able to deal with the intense flames that could melt the skin from bone in mere seconds. The only reason I still live is because of this.” I said, lifting one of the pieces of the armor.

“I thought you looked thinner when I saw you.” Pyro giggled.

“And I thought you were someone completely different when I saw you in those pajamas.” I retorted.

“I always go to sleep first, avoiding all of them, and I’m also the first one up in the mornings. The reason they don’t know anything about me is because of that suit and mask. They had gotten used to that mask to understand what I say under it, but I decided to finally reveal it when you asked me to take off the mask.” She said, leaning against me.

“Well, I haven’t been here for three years to start understanding what you say under that thing. I would understand that they thought you were a guy, since you sounded slightly masculine under that mask, and most firebugs I’ve seen are guys, but that would be profiling.” I said, feeling her head set on my shoulders. I looked at her, seeing her looking up at me with those bright green eyes and a small smile. When I see her like that, I see Fluttershy looking at me with those teal eyes. My brain knew it was Pyro, but my heart saw her as Fluttershy, and my heart ached for her. She got off of my shoulder and was looking straight at me, the shy smile convincing my heart further that it was Fluttershy.

I leaned in and laid a kiss on her lips. Her eyes shot open in surprise before closing, and she moaned in pleasure. She sort of sounded like Fluttershy, the only real difference was that she had a small British accent on her words. We pulled away, both looking into each others eyes, with Pyro blushing intensely. This time she leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine. Warnings in my head were going off, but I didn’t stop. I returned her kiss, feeling her tongue pushing against my lips. I opened my mouth and pushed my own tongue out to meet hers, both members fighting for dominance over the other.

Her tongue retreated into her mouth and I followed, pushing my tongue into her mouth and allowing them to fight once more. The taste of maple syrup, bacon, and the Zap Apple was on her breath, and was absolutely intoxicating. After a few moments of making out, we finally pulled away, a string of saliva trailing between both of us, while we huffed for breath. She swung her leg over me and sat right on my crotch, placing her hands on my shoulders.

“Even when I’m like this, you’re still taller then me!” Pyro pouted.

“It’s alright, because you’re still beautiful.” I whispered to her, making her blush. I brushed a strand of her hair out of her eyes and planted another kiss on her lips. She pulled away a few seconds later and laid her head on my shoulder.

“I’ve never experienced this before...” She whispered in my ear.

“Yeah...” I said absent mindedly, looking up at the moon.

“Are you even trying Luna? Have you been searching for me, or have you given up on me? And what of your sister? Did she even care for me in the first place, or am I just another piece of the puzzle that she’s created for herself?” I mumbled, looking up at the full moon.

“Hmm?” Pyro hummed, looking at me.

“Sorry, just wondering out loud.” I dismissed, shaking my head. Eight hours of small talk later, Pyro had gotten up out of my lap and went back to the kitchen. I sat there on the ground, still looking at the sky, seeing the moon disappear behind the horizon and sun appearing behind the other horizon. I heard the humming of the engine, and looked up when I saw the campervan just roll up. The engine cut off and a few seconds later, the door on the side of the van opened and Sniper stepped out, stretching and spreading his arms into the air. He looked at me.

“G’day mate.” He said with a wave of his hand, before walking into the kitchen. I got up and brushed off the dust from my clothes and put on my armor casually. I lifted the dispenser onto my shoulder and walked back into the kitchen, hearing the shuffling, groans, and shifting of clothes and guns. I set the dispenser down on the floor next to me and sits down on one of the chairs, before watching as the nine mercenaries slowly shuffled around the kitchen and sleeping area. Sniper was sitting at the table, sipping on coffee, sniper rifle hooked around the arm of the chair.

I pull off the pack again, pulling out apples, pears, and a canteen of water. I took a bite into one of the apples, before uncapping the canteen and taking a swig of water. I began to chew the apple, before swallowing it and taking another bite. He saw Pyro in the suit she was formally in, her mask hiding her face. I finished up the breakfast I pulled out, capping and replacing the half empty canteen into the pack. I got up and picked up the dispenser, walking into the main part of the base, looking at the Blu Sniper with his sniper rifle in hand, spotting me as I took my spot on the balcony. He walked over to the RED base, eventually taking his spot next to me.

“G’day mate.” He said.

“Hey... I guess you and Red Sniper are good friends?” I said, looking at him.

“Yeah. We mostly just put an act for Administrator, kill each other a few times, capture the intel three times, then party until we go to sleep.” He answered.

“The Administrator wants you to just kill each other for a single match then do whatever you want?” I asked.

“Nah, she just wants to keep us busy for an hour or two. RED and BLU team are actually good friends with each other, and we can’t just let the other team capture the intel because we don’t get paid for the day. We have to actually put up a fight against each other.” He explained, adjusting his glasses.

“So Engi has to build his sentries and you have to shoot people just so that this bitch can be entertained, or are these your talents before you were brought here?” I asked, staring as Red Sniper took his spot on a small chair behind the metal construct that both bases had.

“The latter.” Red Sniper said.

“Aren’t you freaked out that you look exactly alike, down to sniper rifle and outfit?” I asked both of them.

“A few months ago, we figured out what happened to us.” Red Sniper said.

“Apparently, our soul was split in two by some wizard, who was supplied by the two crazy brothers. After we were split, the two brothers had us sign a contract that basically took over our lives. We were only allowed to leave this place a month out of the year, two days a month, and we all just go to some town and drink before we have to be herded back here.” Blu Sniper said.

“Mission begins in sixty seconds!” The Administrator’s voice said.

“Well, time to go...” Blu Sniper said. He got up and ran back to his base, and I followed Red Sniper into the respawn room, which had the nine mercenaries waiting for the round to begin.

“Mission begins in thirty seconds!” She said into the speaker, with the RED team making small talk. I sat on one of the benches in the respawn room, the team readying for the round.

“Five, four, three, two, one!” She said, a hint of excitement on her normally monotone voice. An alarm sounded and the team rushed out. I watched the door as Engi ran in and out of the room while he built his sentry and dispenser, and the random team members just running in, riddled in bullets, a few of their limbs blown off, on fire, and whenever they touched the supply closet and were instantly healed and resupplied by the closet. I watched as they would just run back out like nothing ever happened.

A few minutes of watching them just pop out of nowhere in that room, or run into the room to resupply. I saw Pyro respawn a few times and followed her out with my gaze, imagining a few ways on how they die. I shook my head a few times to clear my head. Last night events replayed in my head, building an impending feeling of dread in my chest. Nearly thirty minutes later, Administrator said that BLU team had captured the intel three times and has won, and I saw as some of the REDs run back into the respawn with the BLUs following directly behind. The Blu Pyro went straight for me and swung her axe right at me. I caught the axe in mid air and ripped it from her hands.

“Don’t try anything...” I said, looking her in the eyes. She backed up and stuck her hand out. I put the axe back into her hand and whispered.

“Hopefully the BLU guys never figure out who you are...” She looked at me, tilting her head to the side in confusion, before walking out quickly. I gave an all knowing smile as she walked out, turning to the newly respawned RED team standing behind me.

“What happens now?” Heavy asked.

“Lets go practice medicine...” Medic mumbled, grabbing Heavy’s arm and dragging him off somewhere. I watched them disappear past the door before turning back to the rest of the team. Before anyone said anything, a loud thunderclap was heard.

“Was there any clouds outside?” I asked, walking outside the door.

“We never have any storms here...” Engi said, running out onto the battlements. I followed him, as well as the rest of the RED team, with Medic and Heavy a few feet behind us. I looked up and saw that a large dark storm was circling ominously over the middle of the two forts, when lightning bolts started striking everywhere. First, it struck a few miles away, blowing and burning the dirt up into the air. The dirt that was thrown into the air was picked up by the winds, causing a large tornado that circled just outside of the perimeter that started picking up more dust and even dead branches. Scout got knocked in the head by a flying stick, sending him flying off of the battlements. The rest of RED team hopped down and checked on Scout, who shook his head and got back up. On the other side of the bridge, BLU team emerged, looking equally confused and possibly fearful of the storm.

A few lightning bolts clashed overhead, sending sparks raining down on both teams. A rather large lightning bolt struck in the middle of the bridge, electrocuting it and sending scrap metal flying through the air as it got picked up by the storm. Another, stronger and larger lightning bolt struck the bridge, destroying the entire bridge and sending the wood and metal flying in random directions. I had to dodge a piece of metal that threatened to decapitate me, before seeing another lightning bolt strike right in front of RED team and I, causing all of us to go flying haphazardly. I slammed into the wooden and metal tower before me, sending me crashing through the building. I breathed in slightly, feeling my lungs on fire, before getting up, receiving a small shock from the electricity in the air, and stepped out of the rubble.

The last lightning bolt struck outside of the base and the storm dissipated, leaving everyone stunned and minorly injured. Pieces of metal and wood fell from the sky as the storm disappeared, most just hitting the ground and losing its life, while a few stray pieces of dirt and destroyed wood struck my armor.

“Who’s the new guy?” Scout asked. I turned my attention to the spot where the lightning bolt struck and saw a man, kneeling over, in plain white armor, white hood, and in contrast with the abundance of white, a dark purple cape with black trimming. On his back was a greatsword, the bluish hue in contrast with my blade, with what looked like water running through it, and an ice blue aura surrounding it. The pack, instead of army green, was navy blue. When he finally stood up, he stood at equal height with me, except that I saw his eyes, an icey blue that matched his blades aura.

“Dude...” Scout said, backing up and pulling out his scattergun.

“That just ain’t right.” Engi growled, setting up a dispenser and sentry quickly.

“That’s... me...” I said, pulling my blade from my back and getting a defensive stance. He looks up, sees me, and pulls his blade from his back.

“Another monster to slay.” He said to himself, an accent that makes him sound like he’s from royalty or something.

“Oi! I’m not a monster, and neither are any of these guys!” I yelled at him, startling him.

“No matter. You wear the armor of the traitorous princess, and for that, you must be slain post haste.” He said, charging. I met blades with him, steel clashing against steel, sparks sent flying everywhere.

“This isn’t the armor of a traitor, this is the armor provided for me by Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, and is a chemical reaction from the combination of Tungsten and Titanium.” I explained, using brute force to toss him away.

“Princess Luna betrayed her kingdom, siding with that scum, King Sombra! Her dark army slayed everyone in Ponyville, down to the Elements of Harmony!” He yelled at me, swinging blade in a downwards vertical strike.

“Princess Luna hasn’t done shit with that bastard King Sombra! The only ‘army’ she has is the Dark Royal Guards, and they only protect the night! Ponyville still stands and the Elements of Harmony are still alive you bastard!” I shouted at him, blocking the blade and quickly thrusting for his stomach. He jumped backwards and swung for my head. I ducked and swung an upwards vertical strike, making him back off.

“That swine slaughtered all of the Elements of Harmony, slicing all of their throats while they slept! She did the worst to the Element of Kindness, ripping her innards from her stomach just to send a message.” His words sent me into an unbridled rage, causing me to hack at him mercilessly, putting him on the defensive.

“I wouldn’t let anyone touch Fluttershy! I’ll protect her with my life, even against those damn alicorns!” I screamed at him, swiping at his legs, setting him off balance. I slammed my fist into his face, picked him up, before tossing him back into the ground and was about to cut his head off when a burst of energy sent me flying backwards. I hit the ground hard, only to get back up quickly and unslinging the supply bag off of my back and charging at him quickly. His hand glowed with a bright gold aura, and he sent another bolt of energy at me. I blocked it with my blade, hardly slowing, and pile drived him into the ground, roaring in rage, before hopping backwards as his hand lit back up and he shot another burst at me. He picked himself up quickly and fired another bolt of energy at me, but I just knocked it to the side.

The bolt hit the Blu Sniper, causing him to explode violently, and I felt one of his limbs hit me on the back. He fired another bolt at me, and I slid under the bolt, tripping him. I shot my blade forward and felt my blade knick his armor and hit flesh. The blade started glowing violently, as well as his blade, and when the two auras hit each other, it sent us flying from each other. We hit opposite ends of the dirt area and quickly caught our footing, although I saw a trail of blood coming from him where I cut his stomach. He took a slower time to get up and I was already running towards him when he steadied himself. He managed to bring up his blades in time, only to have it knocked from his weak grip, and I watched as it fell to the ground in front of us while I cut down, leaving a long gash along his chest. I picked him up and slammed him into the ground once more, knocking the wind from him.

“Don’t ever talk about Fluttershy again, or so help me god, I’ll decapitate you quicker than Sniper can pop off heads.” I said. His eyes widened and he smirked.

“I see. You’re with the possibly weakest mare in Equestria, while I, being the smooth man I am, managed to pick up Celestia, the goddess of the sun.” He said smugly. I looked at him, fire burning in my eyes, and quickly raised my blade.

“You can tell Celestia that she chose poorly, because you’re just a doppelganger, not even worth her time with how poor you’re performance was.” I said, before quickly decapitating him, his blood spraying over me and my armor. I huffed, picking up his blade and pushing it to my back, crossing on my back with the original blade. The two blades hummed together, before their auras quickly died down. I picked up my bag, as well as his bag, since it was full of the same items as mine was, before turning to all of the mercenaries. The two teams stood in awe, as well as fear, at my merciless killing of my opposite self.

“So... You were going easy on us?” Blu Scout asked. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Yeah... Can’t let you believe I was just some master swordsman. Used some simple tactics.” I said.

“And to believe that we were the best in the world...” Red Medic huffed.

“Hell, I could go for something to drink right now...” The demoman’s said together. They clinked bottles together and took long drinks from their bottles.

“I’m going to modest here, that was mostly rage, not even skill...” I said, which seemed to lower their self esteem.

“So, you could’ve been better than that, but it was because of a comment he made about an element or something that sent you into a worse rage than Heavy when he lost Sasha?” Engi said, removing his goggles before rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah, but I can control my anger...” I said.

“That’s good, because when Heavy lost Sasha, they had to send in Saxton Hale, and even then, Saxton nearly died from Heavy’s punching and shotgunning everything in sight.” Scout said.

“If I couldn’t control my anger, then this Saxton Hale guy, as well as everyone here, would be in tatters below my feet.” I said.

“Well, I could relax for the rest of the day, how about you?” Engi said, before running off. The rest of them followed him. I followed behind, looking back at the guys body, and followed them to the respawn room. They were all sitting on the benches, chatting amongst each other. I walked over to the commandeered dispenser I took from the Blu Engi and sat on top of it. As soon as I did that though, I heard another crash of lightning, and a purple swirling mist appeared above my head. I looked up at it, as well as everyone else, and it started sucking everyone in. I grabbed onto the dispenser, and all of the mercenaries grabbed the benches. The dispenser lifted into the air, and I took off, as well as Sniper’s hat (The Anger). I grabbed at anything that wasn’t the dispenser that I was holding with one hand, and felt something leathery hit my hand. I looked at it and saw that it was RED Sniper’s hat, colored a color similar to slate, and saw that the swirling mist had closed when I entered it. I felt something hit the back of my head and I fell unconscious.

Quattuor Equitum Apocalypsis Equitat Adversum Exercitum Unum

Darkness. Pure, unfaltering, darkness. I looked around, trying to find any source of light, but it was in vain. I lifted my arms to my back, feeling the two blade handles on my back, and quickly took them off, seeing the faintly glowing auras as my only light source, only illuminating a few feet in front of me. A few things lay around me, the dispenser, sitting upright, a faint blue trail touching my chest and swirling, the Red Sniper’s hat that came flying off at the end, but another thing of the Sniper. His sniper rifle lay next to the hat. I picked up the hat and dusted it off, seeing the bandana with what looked like teeth tied to it, as well as the large stitches that held the thing together. The color was similar to the BLUs color, except a darker color, like it was faded.

I folded the hat the best I could and put it in my pack, then slung the sniper rifle onto my shoulder, picked up the dispenser and started walking in a random direction. I stuck my hand out and took a few steps forward, feeling my hand roughly brush against the rough rocks. My eyes were slowly adjusting, and I could make out what looked like a tomb. On the stone beds that lined the walls was rotting bodies, most around six feet tall, some with old looking weapons on their backs or sitting uncomfortably against their hips, others with no weapon at all, and some barren of their skin, leaving a skeletal carcass behind. Despite the amount of things I carried, I pulled one of the blades from my back and took another step forward.

One of the bodies made a scoffing noise or something, and the body to my left slowly shifted. It’s eyes opened, revealing glowing blue orbs, and it pulled the weapon from it’s back and charged. I raised my blade in defense and felt the blade connect. I swung at him, hitting the rusted and tarnished armor and cutting through. It coughed in pain and swung once more. The diagonal strike wasn’t enough to even touch me, and I drove my greatsword into his chest. It choked out some sort of word, then the blue glow from its eyes disappeared. I slid the body off of my blade and looked behind me. My heart sunk as I saw that the cave had actually collapsed onto itself, leaving me to find another way out, through the undead zombies.

“Great, dealing with more fucking undead...” I muttered, walking towards the now resting bodies. Once I past one of the bodies with no weapons, a few of the others shuffled and got out of the stone beds. I readied my blade, counting four undead. The first one to attack had a sort of one handed sword, similar to the greatsword that one of the other undead were carrying. I quickly blocked the blade and chopped off it’s arm. It coughed in pain, picking up the weapon with the other hand and attacking again. I blocked the slow strike and swung a quick strike at his chest. The blade cut through his armor and he dropped, a small jewel dropping from it’s pocket. I turned my attention to the rest, before I felt something hit my chest. I looked down and saw that there was an arrow lodged into the chestplate.

I pulled it, feeling a small knick of pain, and felt some blood leak from my chest as I pulled the arrow away from my chest. I swung my blade at one of the undead, decapitating one of them and the other stepping out of the way just in time. I quickly followed up the strike with a quick vertical strike, cutting through him and sending him flying. I quickly pulled out a throwing knife and through it at the undead man with the bow, hitting him in the neck and dropping him quickly. The dispenser healed my wound quickly, repairing the armor, and I looked at the corpses.

I put the dispenser down and looked at the bodies, seeing a few with gold coins, one side with the face of a man, with the words “The Empire is Law, The Law is Sacred” etched into the coin around the mans face, and on the other side had a strange symbol with the words “Praise be Akatosh and All the Divines” surrounding it. I pocketed the coins, as well as three garnets, as well as pulling the knife from the undead mans neck.

I continued into the tomb, meeting the undead and quickly slaying them, coming across chests that are full of the gold coins, different types of jewels such as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, amethyst, but the garnets were the most common and would probably have little value to any type of merchant, strange bottles that were indicated as potions of different abilities, such as healing, stamina, curing diseases, and something called magicka, as well as poisons and bars of different metals, some I haven’t even seen before. I was slightly slowed down by the amount of coins, gems, bars of metal, potions, and poisons I had collected, so I started smashing the poison bottles, since I would never actually use the poisons. The only thing that worried me is that the tomb just kept going further and further into the ground.

I heard some sort of mumbling, some man that sounded like he’s gone insane or something, and slowly made my way down to the mumbling man. I noticed that there were a lot of cobwebs forming along the walls and floors, among the roots and rocks.

“Spiders...” I said irritably.

“Whos there?” The mumbling man called out. I continued walking, until I saw the roots and rocks covering up a large hole with spiderwebs sprayed over them. I saw a small man, dark ebony skin and red eyes, some sort of leather armor on him. He was stuck in the midst of the cobwebs, struggling every so often only for it to be in vain. I walked over to the doorway to get in, only to find it absolutely covered in cobwebs, blocking entrance to the room and moonlight. I lifted my blade and cut through the cobwebs, leaving a gaping hole in the midst of the doorway. I set the dispenser down and drew the sniper rifle, walking out slowly. The man looked to me then to the hole in the ceiling.

“Ah! Kill it! KILL IT!” He yelled. I looked up and saw the biggest fucking spider in the world.

‘No wonder there’s so many fucking cobwebs.' I thought, before taking aim. I had his small head in the sights and fired, the gun cracking to life and sending the large caliber bullet into the its head. I pulled the bolt back, seeing the spent cartridge fly out, and fired again, hitting the thing in the head again. It hissed and chattered in pain, backing away before lunging forward. I rolled out of the way and fired once more, this time hitting it in the main part of its body. The large spider chattered in agony and fell to the ground, trying to get back up. I pulled one of the blades from my back and cut its head off, the large body starting to spasm and kick, before dieing. I replaced the blade and sniper rifle on my back before leaving the room.

“Where are you going?!” The man yelled. I didn’t answer, walking over to the dispenser and picking it up, before walking back into the room. The man looked at the machine in confusion, seeing the faint blue trail hitting me.

“Can you cut me down?” He asked impatiently.

“You know, I could’ve let that spider make a meal of you.” I threatened. I set the dispenser down and pulled off one of the blades, hacking at the spiderwebs.

“I can feel it coming loose!” He said excitedly. I continued cutting and slashing at the cobwebs, until the man fell from the webs and the way behind him was open. He got up, with a stupid smile on his face.

“You fool! Now I’m going to find the secret to Bleak Falls Barrow and no one can stop me!” He said, turning around and running off. I pulled the sniper from my back and took aim, putting his head into sights, and fired. The bullet flew true and struck the man in the back of the head, blowing his head clean off, letting the leather helmet fly off and down the stairs. I pulled the bolt back and put it on my back, before making my way to the body carefully. Once I reached the still bleeding body, I dug into his pockets, feeling a small book and some sort of claw in his pocket.

I pulled both out, seeing that it was a leather bound journal, and tossed it away. The claw was solid gold, with three small engravings on the palm of the claw. I shrugged and put into my bag, before going back into the room and searching it of any treasures. Sure enough, I found a potion of healing and a diamond, pocketing the diamond and putting the potion of healing in my bag, which was quickly filling up. I stopped and decided to sort all of my stuff. I put all of the food and water I had into the navy blue bag while the army green bag was filled with the bars of unknown metal, gold, and potions. I had small pouches tied to my side that had assorted gems in them, as well as my throwing knives.

After assorting all of the items, making note to properly sort my bags, I swung them all onto my back or shoulders, before pushing through a small layer of spiderwebs. I continued down the musty hallway, meeting more of these undead creatures, until I heard faint whishing sounds. I turned the corner, and saw swinging axes in a narrow hallway.

“Cliche much?” I said, before charging through. The first one swung harmlessly behind me, the second swinging in front of me. I was about to pass through the hallway when I felt something catch the hood on my back. A loud ripping sound was heard as the third axe swung by, barely missing me and all of my stuff, and I nearly tripped over my own feet to get out of the way of the deadly axe. I rubbed the back of my neck, which was now barren of a hood, and felt where the fabric was brutally ripped from the armor.

“Nothing to cover my face...” I said, stopping as I thought of something. Digging in my bags once more, I pulled out Snipers Hat. I looked at it, seeing it was simple enough to put on, as well as it protects me from the sun pretty well. I put the thing on, immediately smelling something like coffee and toast, but dismissed it. The brown bandana covered most of my face, and the hood itself drooped slightly. I shrugged and put everything else onto my shoulders again, before continuing through the barrow. Passing through a few rooms filled with urns, I came across a room. Well, it was more like a hallway, but the walls were adorned with pictures of past prophets and leaders, as well as great knights and other things.

Walking slowly through the hall, I saw a large, strange looking door at the end of the hall. I walked to the end of the hallway quickly, seeing the familiar symbols from that claw on the door also. I pulled out the claw, and touched the first symbol to the outer ring. When I touched it, it sunk into the wall, and started moving, the sound of stone scraping stone filled the air. I touched the middle ring and it did the same thing, as well as the outer ring. The symbols on the claw wasn’t matched with the door and I touched them all once more.

The symbols, a bear, moth, and owl, was put in the correct way and I put the claw into the door. I twisted it right, but it stopped after I twisted slightly, before I twisted back to the left, then to the right again, then pulled the claw out. The rings all shifted to the owl at a blazing speed, leaving me dizzy, and started slowly sinking into the ground. After my vision cleared and I wasn’t stumbling around, I walked forward into the room, seeing more worn pictures before it opens up to a cave. I walked slowly, seeing lush plants covering the floor. The light shining through a hole in the ceiling revealed a wall with strange runes in them.

Except... I heard voices... calling me to the wall. One of the runes on the wall was glowing, as well as a chest set in front of the stairs leading up to it. I saw the tomb and warily circled it, expecting one of those undead to pop out and try and cut me down. I walked up to the wall, to the glowing room, and saw a... swirling energy reaching for me. Curiosity got the better of me and I got right next to the wall and touched runes. A word was echoed throughout my head.

“Fus.” The voices said. The power behind the mans voice caused me to nearly black out, but I somehow managed to stay awake. I set the dispenser down and sat against the rock, catching my breath and letting my vision clear of the hazy darkness. Once my vision cleared and my breath returned to me, I picked the dispenser up and was heading to the chest when the tomb popped open and an undead crawled out. He looked different then all of the others, the helmet and sword pulsating energy just like the wall did. I set the dispenser and packs down, as well as the sniper rifle, and pulled the two greatswords out, both humming with energy.

The undead pulled his blade from his hip, ice blue runes glowing along its surface. I charged the undead man, but he pulled the blade up and blocked the two blades. I hopped backwards and used one blade to swipe at him. He blocked that, but I used the other blade to quickly cut his stomach. If he had any organs inside of his stomach anymore, they would be all over the ground. I swiped at him once more with the blade, only for it to get blocked. Using the other blade, I striked at his throat, cutting it open. He hissed in pain and pushed me away with surprising strength, then readied himself.

“FUS RO DAH!” He yelled at me. The first word was the one I got off of the wall, while the last two were unknown to me. A clearish blue wall of energy shot towards me, and I readied myself as it slammed into me, nearly launching me from my feet. I saw the undead charge at me and raised the blades, crossing them as I caught his blade in between. I crossed the blades and disarmed him, before driving the two blades into his chest. His eyes glowed brightly for a second, before diminishing quickly. I put the two swords onto my back once more and went over to the chest.

I opened the chest and pulled out a sack of the gold coins, a sack full of diamonds, which excited me, and another sack full of assorted gems. I also pulled out a stone tablet with some sort of map on it. I shrugged and put in my bag, before walking to the stairs that wasn’t illuminated by the moonlight. I made my way up the stairs to a small room with another chest, which had two sacks of gold and a sack of garnets. I walked down a hallway, but it ended in a dead end. I felt my heart sink as I came to the end of the hallway, until I noticed something about the wall.

The rock at the end of the hallway wasn’t normal. I looked around for a switch, lever, something to activate the wall. I saw a handle sticking out of the wall and pulled it. The rock shifted and settled, before raising into the ceiling. After the rock stopped moving, I walked through the hallway, before coming across a room with another chest and a pedestal with a skull on it, surrounded by flowers. I opened the chest and found four more sacks of gold, a helmet which I left in there, and I composite bow with some steel arrows. I took the bow and arrows, taking everything off of my back, strapping the quiver to my back, before putting the swords, sniper rifle, and two packs onto my pack. After adjusting some things so that it all sat comfortably onto my back, I walked out of the cave, finally seeing the night sky, and that I was on the side of the mountain, and it was snowing.

“I remember it being spring...” I said, looking for a way down the mountain safely, seeing a few drops that wouldn’t break my bones on impact. I saw a strange looking bottle on the side of the mountain, only to toss it off the side of the mountain and watch it shatter against one of the trees before making my way down the mountain. The dispenser on my shoulder clanked and hummed as I dropped, making me stop a moment. After the dispenser went back to its normal humming, I made my way through the forest quickly. After a minute or two of walking, I came across a river, and saw a small town a mile or so away. I made my way to the town, hearing cracks and cranks coming from it.

Seeing a sawmill, my suspicions were put to rest, and I made my way into the town. Some of the townspeople were giving me strange looks, but I ignored them and made my way to a shop, called “Riverwood Trader” I opened the door and stepped in, seeing various pieces of armor, weapons, foods, and a few pieces of the gold coins which I had already guessed was currency. Two of the townspeople were arguing with each other.

“Well one of us has to do something!" The female yelled.

"We are done talking about this." The guy said with finality.

"Well what are you going to do then, huh? Let's hear it!" She said to him.

"I said no! No adventures, no theatrics, no thief-chasing!” He yelled at her, before finally noticing me and the amount of things I’ve collected in my ‘travels’. “Oh, a customer. Sorry you had to hear that.” He said with a smile.

“It’s alright?” I said, before shaking my head. “So what were you talking about? I asked, setting the dispenser on the ground.

“We had... sort of a... break in.. but we still have plenty to sell! Bandits were only after one thing. An ornament, solid gold. In the shape of a dragon's claw.” He was about to continue.

“Hold on, I found a golden claw when I woke up in some ruins.” I said, pulling the claw out of my bag.

“You found it?! Heh, strange. It seems smaller than what I remember.” He said. I gave him the claw and he pulled out a large sack of gold, handing me the sack.

“How much is this?” I asked, lifting the hefty bag into one arm.

“Eight hundred septims.” He said.

“Alright... Anyway, do you have any steel arrows?” I asked, pulling out one of the steel arrows from the quiver. “Like this?” I continued, showing him the arrow.

“Ah yes! We got some steel arrows from a recent shipment!” He said, pulling out a large quiver full of the arrows.

“How many is that and how much?” I asked.

“A hundred and fifty steel arrows, and all of it together would be three hundred septims.” He said. I dug into the bag, counting and pulling out three hundred septims. He counted behind me then handed me the arrows. I picked up the quiver and slung it over my back, as well as picking up the dispenser.

“Thanks.” I said as I walked out of the room. I walked to the blacksmith, seeing the man pulling a rope that was raising the heat of the smith itself. I walked to him, waited for him to finish with the piece of metal he was shaping, until I noticed he finally stopped.

“Uh, hey. I wanted to run some metal ingots I found while I was in some ruins.” I said, pulling out the assorted metal ingots.

“Aye... That’s corundum, used to make steel plate and banded iron armor. That’s dwarven metal, rare stuff, used to create dwarven armor and weapons. That there is ebony, create ebony armor and weapon and is rumored to be able to create daedric armor. That there is gold. That is Orichalcum, used to make orcish armor and weapon. That’s quicksilver, used to make Elven armor. Fancy stuff. That’s refined malachite, used to make glass armor and weapons. There’s refined moonstone, also used for elven armor.” He said, pointing out the less obvious ones. I already knew the iron, steel, silver, and gold, but the rest is unique.

“Thanks.” I said, packing up the ingots. I walked out of the blacksmith, only to hear some crazy old woman rambling.

“I saw a dragon!” She kept repeating. I shrugged and walked towards the bridge heading out of town. I read one of the signs, “Whiterun” with the arrow pointing off down the street. I followed the street towards the town, eventually seeing farms circling a fortified city. I saw a farm that had a giant man running around, swinging his club and attacking some brave and stupid people, and decided to not interfere. Eventually the giant fell, and as I was walking by, some girl stopped me.

“A true warrior would’ve joined the battle.” She said to me as I was walking by.

“I’m not looking for trouble. I’m just trying to get home.” I said, trying to walk away.

“You should come join The Companions. You would probably be able to see your home as we travel all over Skyrim.” She said.

“Unless The Companions have a way to get off this planet and cross dimensions, then I don’t see much use in me joining them when I ultimately do end up leaving forever.” I said, walking away again. The girl looked confused, a bit offended, and angry. I walked through the arcs and over the drawbridge, eventually reaching the gate. The guard drew his sword and walked up to me.

“Halt! the city is closed with the talk of dragons about.” He said.

“Riverwood needs help, or otherwise they’re all going to die.” I said, shifting the dispenser on my shoulder. He sheathed the sword and unlocked the gate.

“You better get to Dragonsreach and tell the Jarl about this.” He told me. I opened gates with one hand and walked through, the guard closing them behind me. I started forward, intending to get to the building at the top of the mountain, and made it to the market before people started shouting at me.

“Fresh meat for sale! Cut this morning!” A man said.

“Jewelry for loved ones!” An old woman's voice called out.

“You should come to Belethor’s shop if you need anything.” Another man said.

“Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll.” A guard said to me.

“You should go to the Bannered Mare. Hulda will keep you swimming in mead!”

“No lollygagging.”

“I used to be an adventurer like you, but then I took an arrow in the knee.”

I shook my head and quickly walked up the stairs leading to the next district. This one fit with a screaming man yelling about Altos or something like that. I continued to the palace on top of the mountain, walking into the building, ignoring the guards. Once inside, I shifted the dispenser onto my shoulder, before walking towards the large throne. I saw a small bonfire of sorts, and three people. One was a girl, who immediately turned to me and drew her sword before stalking to me. The other two were men, one sitting on the throne, indicating his place of power, and the other looking like an advisor or something. The girl looked at me and said.

“Halt! The Jarl isn’t supposed to be receiving visitors.” I rolled my eyes.

“Riverwood is in danger of the dragon attacking, since it has no guards.” I said to her. She walked over to the Jarl and whispered in his ear while eyeing me distrustfully. I rolled my eyes again and stood there, waiting for a response. She walked back over and sheathed her sword.

“The Jarl wishes to see you.” She ordered. I walked forward until I was at the steps in front of him, the bonfire directly behind me.

“Irileth told me that you came from Riverwood?” He said.

“Yes. Riverwood is in the most immediate danger from the dragon attack. Without guards, the people there would just be a quick meal for it.” I said. He turned to his advisor, and said.

“What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?” Irileth stepped forward and said.

“My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It’s in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is lurking in the mountains...” She was about to continue before being interrupted by the advisor.

“The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He’ll assume we’re preparing to join Ulfric’s side and attack him. We should not...” The Jarl interrupted him.

“I’ll not sit idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!” He looked at Irileth.

“Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once.” She saluted and said.

”Yes, my Jarl.” Proventus looked irritated, and said.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to my duties.”

“That would be best.” The Jarl said, watching as the mumbling man walked away from the throne. He looked at me and said.

“Well done. You sought me out, on your own initiative. You’ve done Whiterun a great service, and I won’t forget this.” One of the guards walked forward and the Jarl said.

“Here, take this as a small token of my esteem.” The guard handed me a necklace, which glowed an eerie red with runes glowing on it.

“It’s enchanted to protect the wearer from fire.” He explained. I put the necklace into my bags.

“There is another thing you could do for me. Suitable for someone of your particular talents, perhaps.” He got out of his chair. “Come, let’s go find my Farengar, my court wizard. He’s been looking into a matter related to these dragons and... rumors of dragons.” He said slowly. He walked off into one of the side rooms, with me following him a few feet behind.

“Farengar, I think I found someone that could help you with your... dragon project. Go ahead and fill him in with all the details.” He said, before walking back to his throne. I stepped forward, seeing the court wizard, robes covering his entire body.

“So, the Jarl thinks that you could be of use to me? Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me.” He sounded bored and irritated. “Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not be there.” He said as if he was joking.

“Hold on, you don’t mean this thing?” I said, pulling out the stone tablet in question.

“Ah! It seems you’ve already retrieved the stone tablet from Bleak Falls Barrow! This will certainly speed up my research into the dragons.” He said.

“Alright.” I said, shrugging.I was about to go see the Jarl when Irileth came running by.

“Farengar, you need to come at once. A dragon has been sighted nearby.” She looked at me still distrustfully.

“You should come, too.” I seemed to roll my eyes a lot today.

“A dragon! How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?” Farengar said, running up to Irileth.

“I’d take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun I don’t know if we could stop it.” She said, before turning around and walking towards some stairs leading up to another room. We made it up the stairs, where the Jarl was standing with some breathless guard.

“So, Irileth tells me you came from the Western Watchtower?” The Jarl said.

“Yes, my lord.” The guard said breathlessly.

“Tell him what you told me. About the dragon.” Irileth said.

“Uh, that’s right. We saw it coming from the south. It was fast... faster than anything I’ve ever seen.” The guard said, his accent making him sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“What did it do? Is it attacking the watchtower?” The Jarl asked.

“No, my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life... I thought it would come after me for sure.” The guard said.

“Good work, son. We’ll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You’ve earned it.” The Jarl said, before turning to Irileth.

“Irileth, you’d better gather some guardsmen and get down there.” He ordered.

“I’ve already ordered my men to muster near the main gate.” She informed.

“Good. Don’t fail me.” He told her. He turned to me and said.

“There’s no time to stand on ceremony, my friend. I need your help again.” Friend? I never thought I would be friends with this guy.

“I want you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon.” What. Well, I’m fucked...

“I haven’t forgotten the service you did for me in retrieving the dragonstone for Farengar. As a token of my esteem, I have instructed Avenicci that you are now permitted to purchase property in the city. And please accept this gift from my personal armoury.” He said, pulling out a ring and pushing it into my hands.

“The ring is enchanted so that it increases resistances to poisons and diseases.” He informed me. I put that into my pack as well, next to the necklace. I turned to Irileth, who was already running down the stairs, and rolled my eyes once more. I picked up my things and followed her, easily outrunning her even with all of my gear. We reached the main gate, where a small group of guards were positioned. “Here’s the situation.” Irileth started. She walked in front of all of the guards and started her speech.

“A dragon is attacking the Western Watchtower.” She paused as the group of guards shouted out random phrases.

“A dragon?”

“Now we’re in for it...”

“Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll...” Wait what?

“You heard right! I said a dragon! I don’t much care where it came from or who sent it. What I do know is that it’s made the mistake of attacking Whiterun.” She said.

“But housecarl, how can we fight a dragon?” A guard asked.

“That’s a fair question. None of you have ever seen a dragon before, or expected to face one in combat.” I coughed, catching her attention.

“Sorry, but I’ve fought seen and fought dragons before.” I said.

“Then how do you suppose we take down this dragon?” She asked. I pulled the rifle from my back.

“This weapon here has enough firepower to take down a mammoth, and I’ve managed to kill one of the dragons with just a blade. All I need is to get this dragon within my sights and I can take him down quickly. After disabling him from flying around and blasting us with fire or ice, I can get him with my blades or continue to shoot him with this.” I said, lifting the rifle into view.

“What is something that small going to be able to take down a mammoth, let alone a dragon?” One of the guards asked. I pulled one of the bullets out of the rifle.

“Imagine one of these,” I put the bullet back into the gun. “coming at you at the speed that outmatches arrows, and without fall off. You don’t have to worry about the angle you shoot it or pulling it back. All you have to do is use this scope, aim for key spots on the target, and pull this trigger. The bullet comes out and could blow your head clean off.” I said.

“And this thing,” I said, pointing to the dispenser on my shoulder. “can keep me supplied, even with my arrows.” I said, showing the full quiver that had around three hundred arrows inside of it.

“And my blades are enchanted so that I can cut through even the toughest of skins, armor, and walls like butter.” I said, pointing to the two glowing blades on my back.

“The armor I wear is essentially invincibility. Arrows can’t penetrate the armor, flames don’t catch me on fire, and blades just bounce off when swung at me.” I said, tapping the armor with my fist. I replaced the rifle on my back and waited for Irileth to continue her speech. I saw her roll her eyes and shook my head.

“But we are honor bound to fight it, even if we fail. This dragon is threatening our homes... our families. Could you call yourselves nords if you ran from this monster? Are you going to let me face this thing alone? So what do you say? Shall we go kill us a dragon?” She finished.

“Yeah!”

“Damn right!”

“Let’s move out.” She said, running towards the door and pushing it open. I jogged after her and followed her down to the stables, where the horses were going insane, the caretakers trying to calm them. We ran past the stables and down a dirt path, eventually we saw smoke rising above the hills. We reached the watchtower and saw that it was burning watchtower.

“No signs of any dragons right now, but it sure looks like he’s been here.” Irileth said. No shit Sherlock.

“I know it looks bad, but we’ve got to figure out what happened. And if that dragon is still skulking around somewhere. Spread out and look for survivors. We need to know what we’re up against.” She said, and all the guards pulled their weapons out and ran towards the tower. I set the dispenser down and took aim for the sky, the laser sight creating a thin red beam that cut through the sky. A guard came running out of the burning watchtower, his helmet gone and revealing his face.

“No! Get back! It’s still here somewhere! Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!” the guard rambled.

“Guardsman! What happened here? Where’s this dragon? Quickly now!” Irileth said to the guard.

“I don’t know!” He said, before a large shadow passed over the watchtower. I looked to the sky and saw that the dragon was circling overhead. I took aim at the dragon, hearing the guard say. “Kynareth save us, here he comes again...” The rifle was fully charged as he finished talking and I fired at the dragon, hitting it under it’s chin. The dragon roared out in pain, blood leaking from it’s head. The dragon opened his mouth and breathed out fire, burning one of the guards alive. His screams of pain echoed around the Western Watchtower. I had already pulled the bolt back and took aim again by the time the guard was lit ablaze, the rifle fully charged as the man's screams of pain finally ended.

I took aim at one of it’s wings and fired, hitting it right now the joint and blowing it’s wing clean off. The dragon fell from the sky and crashed into the ground, leaving a large trail of upturned dirt as it plunged itself into the ground. I pulled back the bolt once more and took aim, but had to take cover as the dragon wildly shot flames in front of it, lighting the ground and foliage on fire. I took aim at the beast, in three seconds the rifle fully charged, and fired, hitting it right in the neck. It choked out a cry of pain and blasted more fire, hitting two guards that were charging forward at it, before the dragon started coughing blood up. I pulled the bolt back and fired again, hitting it in the side of the head.

The creature roared in pain once more and started swinging his tail around, hitting Irileth and sending her flying, as well as snapping a guard in half as it closed it’s jaws around the guard. I took aim and fired once more, this one hitting it right in the eye, blinding it. It roared out in pain once more and tried breathing fire once more, only to breath out a large amount of blood, coating the ground in the crimson water. I pulled the bolt back once more and took aim, waiting three seconds. The dragon turned to me and looked me straight in the eyes, before I took the shot, the bullet hitting him right between the eyes. It let out a choked cry of pain and death as it crumpled to the ground, ultimately dead. The body stayed prone for a while, and I finally came out of my cover and walked up to it, kicking it to make sure it was dead. All of the sudden, the dragons skin started burning, and a large torrent of energy blasted into me. It continued to blast into me, nearly lifting me off of my feet, until I felt myself black out from the amount of power it had. I felt myself crumple to the ground, and the rifle fall from my hands. The last thing I heard consciously was that one of the guards said “Dragonborn” and that Irileth said “Pick him and his stuff up, and get him to the castle.” before my brain shut down and I fell into unconsciousness.

I heard the crackling of fire, the unmistakable voice of the Jarl, Irileth, and Farengar. I opened my eyes and found myself in a bed. I shot out of the bed, seeing that I still had my armor on, but my weapons, packs, and dispenser was sitting next to the bed. I kicked the blanket off of me and got out of the bed.

“Ah, you’re awake. Irileth told me everything.” The Jarl’s voice said. I looked up and saw that he was standing in the doorway of the room.

“Where am I?” I asked him.

“After you absorbed the dragons soul and knowledge, you blacked out from the power given to you by this dragon. The rest of the guards and Irileth carried you into the castle and I gave you a room to stay in until you awoke.” He explained. I grabbed all of my stuff and followed him out.

“I didn’t know what happened. I defeated the dragon and was checking to make sure it was dead when it’s skin started burning and I was hit with some sort of energy. After I absorbed it, I just blacked out.” I said, scratching my head.

“You defeated the dragon and absorbed his soul.” He said simply, before I noticed that we were in the throne room again.

“You’re... Dragonborn...” One of the guards said.

“Dragonborn? What’s that?” I asked.

“The Dragonborn is said to be the ultimate dragon slayer. It is said that the Dragonborn can defeat a dragon and steal it’s soul.” The guard said.

“ Interesting.” I said, scratching my chin.

“You should be able to channel your essence into a Thu’um, or Shout.” The Jarl informed me. I searched my head for a Thu’um and thought of the word I heard in Bleak Falls Barrow. I readied myself and yelled

“FUS!” A wall of clearish blue energy erupted from me, striking the wall and cracking it. I staggered slightly, and saw that everyone was staring at me.

“That’s awesome.” I said. The Jarl sat on his throne, looking at the now cracked wall from my power of the Shout.

“You’ve done a great service for me and my city, Dragonborn. By my right as Jarl, I name you Thane of Whiterun. It’s the greatest honor that’s within my power to grant. I give you this from my armory to serve as a badge of office.” He said. A guard stepped forward and gave me a ring.

“This ring will allow you to absorb an opponents health, stamina, and magicka, as well as deal fire, ice, and shock damage to them.” (It has two enchantments. One for absorbing health, stamina, and magicka, and one for chaos damage. Very useful.) The Jarl said. As I touched the ring, a swirling purple vortex appeared above the throne, just like in the RED spawn room. The portal started sucking everything in, causing people to grab onto tables, pillars, and chairs. I sighed and felt myself get sucked into the vortex, the portal closing immediately behind me and sending me to another universe or something.

I felt my feet touch ground and looked around, seeing me in the middle of some city street that’s abandoned. Well, mostly abandoned. I saw two guys fighting in the middle of the street, wearing ridiculous costumes. Both looked very buff, one wearing yellow and black, while the other wore blue and black. Masks covered both of their faces, revealing their eyes. They both were staring at each other, both in ninja like poses, before the yellow and black one threw something at the blue one. It was some sort of rope with a spearhead on the end of it.

“GET OVER HERE!” He yelled as he pulled the blue guy towards him. As he pulled the rope from the blue guys chest, he punched him three times then roundhouse kicked him. The guy went flying across the street before getting up. The blue guy started running at the yellow guy, before uppercutting him into the air, sending him flying back ten feet and slamming into the ground. The blue guy growled as he charged, before punching the yellow guy three times then kicking him four times, sending him flying away down the street. The yellow guy landed about five feet in front of me, and I just moved to the side as the blue guy shot a bolt of ice out of his hands and freezing the yellow guy. He then ran up to the yellow guy and punched him six times in the face and kicked him four times, sending the yellow guy flying past me.

“Danger!” A deep voice said. The yellow guy got up and saw the blue guy running towards him again, and somehow summoned a black void and jumped through it, only to appear behind the blue guy and kicking him in the back, flipping in the air five times then landing on his feet. He shot the rope from his hands again, catching the blue guy once more, before punching him ten times in the face and roundhouse kicking the blue guy. The blue guy got up and started running towards the yellow guy, but the yellow guy did a sweeping kick and caught the blue guy off guard. He got up quickly and uppercutted the blue guy, sending him flying up. He then started sprinting and roundhouse kicked the blue guy as he came back down, sending him flying.

“Danger!” The deep voice said again. The yellow guy ignored the voice and used the harpoon again, catching the guy and pulling him towards him. He uppercutted him once more.

“Scorpion wins!” The deep voice said, before the yellow guy, presumably Scorpion, clapped his hands together and bowed.

“Bunch of fucking nutjobs. There’s nobody there.” I muttered. The blue guy got up and the two men stared at each other once more.

“Round two. Fight!” The deep voice said. The blue guy started running immediately, punching Scorpion four times before kicking him away. He shot another bolt of ice towards Scorpion, freezing him. He started running towards him and did the same combo, sending him flying down to the end of the street. He shot a block of ice into the air, before the ice came down immediately on Scorpion, freezing him again. The man started running again before jumping over the frozen man, which somehow is staying in mid air, and uppercutting him, sending him back down the street. Scorpion got up and used his harpoon rope thing, but the blue man jumped over it, before charging into him and roundhouse kicking him down the street.

“Danger!” The deep voiced man said. Scorpion got up quickly and started charging at the blue guy, and the blue guy jumped backwards, only to freeze in mid air.

“The fuck?” I said. The yellow guy continued running and tried uppercutting the frozen man, only to freeze himself, the blue man appearing right in front of Scorpion. He roundhouse kicked Scorpion, sending him to the ground quickly.

“Flawless victory! Sub-Zero wins!” The voice said. Sub-Zero raised an arm into the air, before turning back to Scorpion, who jumped up like nothing happened to him.

“Round three. Fight!” The voice said. They both started running at each other, and Scorpion lashed out at Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero jumped over the punch and uppercut him from behind, sending him into the air. He shot a ball of ice forward again, catching Scorpion as he was falling, freezing him in mid air once more. He ran forward and punched the ice, freeing Scorpion, before punching him ten times in the face and sweeping his legs from under him. He then uppercutted Scorpion, sending him flying away once more. Scorpion summoned the black void once more, before jumping through and kicking Sub-Zero in the back, flipping four times in the air, landing on his feet, then roundhouse kicking Sub-Zero, sending him flying. Sub-Zero got up once more and shot a ball of ice at Scorpion, but Scorpion jumped over it and did a flying kick to Sub-Zero, hitting him in the chest and sending him sprawling across the ground. Scorpion lashed out with the harpoon rope thing, catching Sub-Zero as he got up, pulling him towards him, before uppercutting him.

“Danger!” The voice said. Sub-Zero got up and shot a block of ice into the sky, and Scorpion took that opportunity to run forward and end Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero looked at Scorpion then froze, and Scorpion realized that too late as he ran into the ice doppelganger, freezing him. Sub-Zero then punched him five times then kicked him three times, sending him flying away.

“Danger!” the voice called out again. The two looked at eachother, then charged, except it ended just as it began. Scorpion lashed out too early and Sub-Zero leaped over it, then uppercutted him. Scorpion hit the ground and got up, only to become dizzy and start hobbling. Sub-Zero walked towards him, before grabbing his head... and ripping it clean from his body, his spine still attached to the skull, then held it up for everyone to see.

“Fatality! Sub-Zero wins!” The voice said, then started cackling. Sub-Zero dropped the head and looked to the sky, then the ground beneath him disappeared, revealing a cobbled bottomless pit with bloody spikes at the end. Sub-Zero started spinning in mid air, trying to stop his descent, but was in vain as he finally slammed into the spikes, ultimately ending his life because of the spike protruding from the middle of his chest.

“This is fucking weird...” I said, before the swirling vortex appeared, sucking me up and spitting me out somewhere else. I felt my feet touch the ground once more and looked around, finding myself in a dirty back alley. I heard something that sounded like a zombie and sighed.

“Great... More fucking zombies...” I said, walking out of the alley. That is, until I heard a loud crash behind me. I turned around and saw a man kneeling down in the middle of a crater. He got up and I got a look at him. He was wearing a black jacket over a white shirt, a hood covering his head, a pair of jeans and a pair of gray tennis shoes. His skin was pale and his eyes had a sickly gray tinting around them and he had light blue eyes.

“I see your potential...” He said, before quickly running up to me. To me, it looked like he almost teleported, and he picked me up, using only one hand. I dropped the dispenser and tried prying the guys hand from my throat, but his grip was iron and I couldn’t pull him off. I quickly unsheathed one of my blades and cut his arm off. He dropped me and I lay on the ground, coughing as I swallowed precious air. I picked up the dispenser once more before setting it down and pulling off the second blade, both glowing brightly. I looked at the guy, expecting to see him recoiling from me or something, but he had a smirk on his face, and his arm was completely fine. I looked at the arm on the ground, only to see it disappear in a mass of black and red tendrils.

“What the fuck is this?” I asked aloud, backing up. The man walked forward, and I lashed out with my blades, cutting his arm down the middle, splitting his arm in two. The arm just rebuilt itself, and he reached out again. I ran towards him and stabbed him with both of the blades, expecting him to die from the two blades plunged into his stomach, only for him to grab both blades and rip him out of his own stomach, with me still attached to both blades.

“Yes... You’ll do nicely...” He said, before his left arm was encircled in the red and black tendrils. When they disappeared, his arm was turned into a giant clawed hand, the claws being literal blades. He grabbed me once more and stabbed me through the stomach. I coughed in pain as the claw tore into my torso, thankfully not hitting anything vital, and felt him pull out of my stomach. Blood quickly dripped from my stomach, but I lashed out once more, catching him in the side of the face. I dropped to my knees and started crawling towards the dispenser, seeing the faint blue trail hit me and start trying to repair the damage done.

“Interesting machine you have there...” He said in mild surprise. I tried saying something, only to start coughing up blood.

“The fuck did you do to me?” I coughed out, leaning against the dispenser.

“Oh, you’ll see when you wake up. I don’t like spoiling surprises.” He said smugly.

“How about I cut that stupid grin off of your face once I’m up?” I growled at him, finally able to stand and look him in the face.

“That’s not very nice...” He said in a mocking shocked tone.

“Neither is stabbing a man in his stomach and leaving him to die.” I spat at him. I pulled out a throwing knife and threw it at him with as much strength as I could muster at the moment. I watched as the knife plunged into his chest.

“How many weapons do you have?” He asked, pulling the blade from his chest and tossing it at me. The blade bounced off of the ground and slid to my knees. I picked up the blade and just pocketed it, seeing how it wouldn’t do much good. I could feel myself blacking out.

“MERCER! WHERE ARE YOU?!” A loud voice called out angrily.

“Well, I have to go. It’s been fun...” The man said, before I heard his footsteps trailing away. The swirling vortex opened up underneath me and I heard his footsteps stop.

“Strange... What’s happening?” He asked.

“I’m leaving. I’m... leaving...” I said, gripping the two blades tightly as me and the dispenser as I sunk into the ground. I felt myself slowly drifting to unconsciousness, and I felt my knees hit the floor. I looked around, seeing myself in the Canterlot throne room, with Celestia, Luna, and someone that looked similar to Luna, all looking at me. I chuckled, before sliding off of the dispenser and hitting the ground, the blades and armor clattering onto the ground as I fell.

“Well sister. It seems that we have some...” Celestia’s voice said, except it was a higher pitch than what I remembered. The rest of the words were garbled as my breathing slowed. The hum of the dispenser was all I heard as I drifted into unconsciousness.

AN: Four teleportations in this chapter, as well as him getting home? NOPE! Stay tuned for the next chapter to see what universe he’s been dragged into, and yes, next chapter he will be returning to the Equestria that knows him.

Trans cursus siderum, portantes exercitus ad genua

Giggling. The infernal giggling would give little children nightmares if they heard that waking up. My eyes opened slowly, and I found myself in a hospital bed. I looked around the room and saw all of my weapons and armor pieces, as well as the dispenser. I looked under the covers and found myself in the clothes I wore under the armor, most matted with sweat, torn from where that man stabbed me in the stomach. I lifted the shirt and saw that I had five stab wound in a half circle in my stomach. I got up from the bed and got into my armor, strapped the small pouches with the throwing knives inside to my hip, put the Snipers hat onto my head, then put the quiver onto my back, slung the bow onto my back, then holstered the two greatswords, then slung the rifle over my shoulder.

I put the two packs onto his back and walked out of the room, before I felt something building in my chest. I thought that it was the Thu’um building in my chest and tried sucking it down, but then felt my arm starting to change. I looked at my arm and saw that my arm was emerged in the red and black tendrils. I cried out in surprise and started swinging my arm around in panic. The red and black tendrils disappeared at my panic, revealing my normal arm. I envisioned a warhammer and felt the tendrils surround my arm. A few seconds later, I opened my eyes and saw that I had a really big warhammer, easily able to crush targets, and envisioned my normal arm. I envisioned a large sword and felt my other arm get engulfed in the red and black tendrils. A few seconds later, I looked and a large serrated sword glowing a yellowish orangish hue, and envisioned the warhammer again. The same thing happened to my other arm and I opened my arms to see that both of my arms were weapons.

“Fucking amazing.” I said. I heard a clicking from down the hall and quickly dismissed the weapons. I adjusted all of my weapons and the dispenser on my shoulder before walking down the hall. A few seconds later, a nurse came walking down the hall with a clipboard in her hands. She looked up at the clicking of my boots on the marble.

“Ah good! You’re awake. Princess Celestia and Luna wish to see you.” The mare said, shaking her head in an almost apologetic way.

“To the throne room I guess.” I said, making my way to the throne room.

“Poor guy... Molestia and Nightmare Moan will tear him apart.” She whispered, although I heard it perfectly.

“Molestia? Nightmare Moan? I don’t like the sounds of their names...” I said, before I made my way to the throne room slowly. What’s strange is that all of my stuff wasn’t weighing me down like it does normally. The doors to the throne room was already opened, but no guards stood at the door. I scratched my head and walked through the door, seeing the three mares sitting on their thrones. Luna was playing some sort of game on what looked like a PSP, Celestia, which looked different than before, and the mare that looked similar to Luna, who had an evil grin on her face when she saw me. I set the dispenser onto the ground and looked up at the princesses. Celestia looked at me with a small grin that left me slightly uneasy, and with the evil grin that I was getting from this Luna doppelganger, it left me tense and untrusting.

“Well strange creature. It seems you’re up and about.” Celestia started off, her high pitched voice slightly irritating.

“Strange creature? Am I in another Equestria? God damn it...” I said, looking up at her.

“Another Equestria?” She asked in confusion.

“Yeah... I was originally in another Equestria before I was hit with a beam of light and teleported to another universe altogether. For the last week, I’ve been jumping from different universes, before I finally ended up in this one. I was hoping that I would be in the correct Equestria, only to find myself here.” I explained, catching Luna’s attention and intriguing the other two princesses.

“So inter-dimensional teleportation is possible...” Celestia whispered to herself, although I still heard her clearly.

“What is the other Equestria like? Is there video games there?” Luna asked.

“SImilar to this one, although a few key things are different, and yes, there is video games there.” I answered, rolling my eyes.

“You must be tired.” Celestia said with a wider grin.

“Actually no. I’ve managed to build up my endurance and stamina, so that I could carry all of this stuff around and not be tired at the end of the day.” I answered, still wary of the smiles I was getting from the two princesses. The Luna doppelganger was almost smiling like a madman, while Celestia still had the wide grin.

“You have to tell us your story of these teleportations, and rest up from your travels.” Luna said, smiling widely, except it wasn’t a creepy smile, more of a welcoming smile. I gave a small smile in return, only to remember I was still wearing the hat. “Gladly.” I said, before recounting my story with the eighteen mercenaries, my travels in Skyrim, the fight in the street with Scorpion and Sub-Zero, and the back alley ambush by the strange man.

“That’s quite the story, but if the strange man you named as Mercer stabbed you through the stomach and left you a ‘surprise’, how have you not perished?” Celestia asked.

“The use of the dispenser healed my wounds, and the ‘surprise’ he left me turned out to be some amazing powers. He kept saying that I was perfect for his plans before stabbing me and I teleporting here.” I answered.

“What sort of amazing powers has he given you?” Luna asked in excitement.

“From what I’ve learned so far, I have super hearing and can carry all of my stuff without feeling a single pound of it, as well as this.” I said, before envisioning the blade and feeling the red and black tendrils encircle my arm. I heard gasps, two of fear and one in glee. I looked at them and saw that Luna was practically shaking in excitement and the other two were a bit fearful.

“I’m not sure on what the extent of my powers are, but I don’t intend to find out. I’d rather go back to my normal life, instead of carrying all of this stuff constantly. Very uncomfortable.” I said, shifting the weight around on my back. Celestia looked at her hoof, before clapping them together.

“It has gotten late. Please allow us to escort you to your room for the night.” Celestia said, getting up as well as the other two princesses. They walked down the familiar hallway to the guest rooms, and within two minutes, we arrived at the guest rooms. They opened one of the doors and walked inside, with me following behind them. There was one thing I noticed.

“Where’s all the Royal Guard?” I asked. Celestia and the Luna doppelganger turned around with creepy smiles.

“They’re all on break right now.” Celestia answered.

“All of them...?” I asked, a raised eyebrow at the statement.

“They were all faced with a... predicament that had them all bed riddened.” Celestia answered, lying horribly.

‘I’m starting to like this less and less...’ I thought, narrowing my eyes at the two princesses, while Luna was shaking her head knowingly. I walked past the three princesses and set the dispenser onto the ground next to the bed. I heard the door click behind me and looked, seeing that all three princesses have left. I removed the sniper rifle and placed it next to the bed, barreling facing skyward. I took the two blades off of my back and placed them on the table a few feet from the bed. I took the bow and quiver off of my back and placed it with the swords, before I started removing the armor.

After five minutes of pulling off the armor, I finally was stripped down to the dirty clothes that I wore. I started looking around the room and found a washer and dryer next to the bathroom. I locked the door to the room before stripping down naked and tossing them into the washer, adding a generous amount of clothes detergent to the washer before starting it. I went into the bathroom and took a long shower, relishing in the hot water. I took my time washing, and thirty minutes later, I finally got out of the shower and quickly dried off, wrapping the towel around my waist. I heard a beep and walked out of the bathroom, seeing that the washer was done. I tossed my wet clothes into the dryer, as well as some fabric softener, before laying down on my bed.

As I lay on the bed, I started hearing strange noises. Sounds of breathing, small moans, whimpers, and small whispers. I got up and started looking around the room, only to find nothing to the strange sounds. I opened every door in my room, including the one for the balcony, except the door to the castle. I was about to do so before the dryer beeped and I remembered that I was in just a towel. I went over to the dryer and checked the clothes, finding them dried perfectly and still warm enough to make me feel like I was wrapped in a blanket. I put the clothes on and unlocked the door, seeing nothing as I looked down the hallway, and closed the door once more, locking it again and then going to sleep. I woke up, seeing it was still dark, and felt something twitch in my arms.

I looked down and saw that Fluttershy was in my arms. I pulled her closer and placed my head on hers, taking a deep breath before closing my eyes once again and trying to go to sleep. After thirty minutes of sitting there with my eyes closed, I opened them once more, a strange feeling of apprehension of the mare laying in my arms building in my chest. I shook my head and closed my eyes once more, only to hear a door open. I opened my eyes once again, seeing the door to the castle open once again, and seeing another Fluttershy. I jumped out of the bed, the lights flickering to life as I looked between the Fluttershy standing in the door and the one that was slowly waking up in the bed.

“What the fuck...? Can’t I catch a break from this bullshit...” I said, irritated that I was tricked into thinking that I was with the original Fluttershy.

“It seems that our plans clashed with each other Moan.” The Fluttershy in the bed said to the other. The other Fluttershy walked over to me and stood beside me, which made me scoot away quickly.

“It seems so Molestia...” Moan said.

“I told you he’s mine Moan.” Molestia said, reverting back to her original form.

“I always get seconds Molestia. Not anymore. He’s mine, and you’ll wait as I have with every other stallion we’ve had.” Moan said, reverting to her original form. Molestia took the other side and looked over me.

“The reason I get the stallions first is because you’re too slow.” She quipped.

“I don’t think anyone can be slower than you with you eating all of this cake.” Moan shot back. I tried to step from in between the two fighting mares, only to find my arms trapped with magic. I tried to pull away, and managed to do so with my left arm, but my right arm was trapped in an iron grip. My left arm was grabbed by magic again and I stopped pulling and looked to the two mares.

“Let me go.” I said sternly. They looked at me and laughed.

“You’re basically property to us.” Moan said.

“That’s the reason why you don’t get stallions Moan, is because you don’t treat them nicely.” Molestia said smugly. I envisioned small spikes protruding from my body and felt the tentacles wrapping around my entire body, until I felt the spikes starting to slowly grow out. I opened my eyes and looked at the two mares, seeing them backing away from me slowly.

“I’m no ones property. Now, both of you leave now before it gets ugly.” I said, my arms turning to giant blades.

“You can’t fight two alicorns mortal.” Moan laughed.

“I’ll fight, even if I lose. I’m not afraid.” I said, turning to her.

“I’ll at least cut one of you down to size before I die!” I said, charging towards the mare. I jumped in the air and was about to bring both blades on top of her when I was grabbed in mid air.

“Although I hate competition, I will not allow somepony to be killed in my castle.” Molestia said.

“You’re trying to make me property when I already have a life in another universe, yet you’re trying to keep me here just to have your ways with me. What do you expect me to do? Roll over on my back and take it like a domesticated pup?” I asked, looking at her. She looked taken aback and hopeful.

“...Yes?” She said hesitantly.

“Wrong answer.” I said, struggling in her magical grip. I felt the grip on her magic loosen and looked around seeing myself being encased in a small bubble. I stopped flailing around and felt my feet touch the bottom of the bubble. I slammed one of my blades into the bubble, only for a large cut to appear across my chest, staining the shirt. I looked down and saw that my chest was cut open wide, with the red tendrils repairing the damage instantaneously. I started hacking at the bubble, feeling cuts and lacerations starting to cover my entire body. After ten minutes of me hammering on the bubble, I dropped to my knees, the pain and blood loss making me weak. The bottom of the bubble had a small pool of my blood.

“I was wondering when you’ll stop. Normally they stop after the first time. A few stubborn ones stop after a minute. But you... Ten minutes of constant slashing and hacking at the bubble. Either you’re really resilient or very stupid.” Molestia said in admiration. I huffed and got to my feet again, the wounds have already healed.

“I’m not giving up. Not until I get out of this damn thing.” I said, before I felt a small pressure in my chest. It felt different then when my powers acted in the medical wing. I switched my weapons over to the warhammers and started slamming them into the bubble once more. The pressure in my chest started building even more as the magical bubble started cracking, unless that was my bones, or both. I saw a few small cracks in where my hammers were slamming into the bubble and quickened my pace, slamming the hammers into the bubble faster and stronger. The pressure in my chest was getting so constricting that I had to stop for breath, until I noticed that my breath had caught in my throat. My hands started glowing, a small gradual glow that slowly built up.

“He can use magic too?!” Moan yelled in disbelief.

“I can’t... use magic...” I said, before a large burst of energy erupted from my entire body, filling the entire bubble in a bright teal color. The pressure in my chest expanded and erupted, empowering the bright teal aura in the bubble until I started feeling the ground shaking beneath me. The magical power felt like it was tearing my skin off my bone, until I heard a loud shattering sound and the whole world went dark.

Luna was resting in her bedchambers, silently watching over the ponies in Equestria as she has since she had returned from her banishment. She rolled in her bed, having her facing the balcony with the soft moonlight shining through the colored glass. She felt a tingling sensation run through her horn and opened an eye. She looked out of the balcony windows and saw a small star flying by.

“I don’t remember doing that...” She said tiredly. She trailed the small star and watched as it disappeared behind the horizon, before shrugging and crawling back into her bed. Another tingling sensation erupted from her horn, except familiar and stronger than before. She got up and stepped outside, the tingling sensation slowly fading away in the direction of the shooting star.

“Something is wrong with that star...” She said, narrowing her eyes as she used her magic to cast a strong intergalactic scrying spell and followed where the star was going. After ten minutes of following it, a large swirling vortex appeared in front of it and sucked it in. Using her magic, she followed the star into the swirling vortex. A few seconds later, a loud pop sounded around the small star, and it disappeared from sight, with Luna following behind it. She watched as she emerged into space once more,except that the magic here was almost barren.

It was still there, but it felt... strange, to say the least. She watched as the comet was pulled into a planet’s gravitational pull and slammed into the ground, leaving a large crater in the dirt. It blended in with the rest of the environment, since most of it was quite large holes that looked to be made from meteorites and comets. The dead ground left little to question whether or not it can sustain life. The rock skidded across the ground, eventually coming to a stop next to a gorge.What looked like the remains of a bridge was a few yards away from the stopped meteorite. A loud cracking sound was heard and the rock cracked open, revealing something she almost didn’t recognize.

In the middle of the rubble lay Daniel, a dark blue hoodie that was dotted with blood, as well as blood coating his armor and clothes, strange devices surrounding him, as well as a machine that had a faint grayish blue trail emerging from it and touching his chest. Two blades lay next to him, the familiar red blade crossed with a blue blade that looked completely opposite to it in every way. Next to it was what looked like a large tube with a rather oddly shaped telescope on top of it. She inspected the machine that lay next to the unconscious man and was greatly confused. The only thing she could actually name was the syringes and bottles of medicine in one of the bottom trays, one side closed. She saw a bow with a large quiver laying next to the dispenser, a faint trail of magic on the bow.

Two packs lay next to Daniel, one of them stocked completely full of food and the other stocked full of potions, pouches, and two trinkets that had large reserves of magic placed on them. She felt a stronger reserve of magic coming from Daniel and inspected his body. That’s when she realized how badly damaged he was. One of his arms was completely torn off, red and black tendrils slowly surrounding it, and the other was burnt quite badly. His shirt had been completely burnt off, leaving a small tattered mess next to him. She used her magic and flipped him over, seeing part of his face, the other part covered by a bandana that made him slightly frightening. She lifted his hand and saw a ring on it, a small reserve of magic coming from it. The stronger feeling of the magic was coming from Daniel himself.

She continued inspecting him, only to find nothing else on his body. She did a scan on him and what she found shocked her. A virus was running through his body that increased his senses, which seemed kind of helpful, while the rather large reserve of magic was coming from him. She did another scan and found that his body had finally accepted the magical energy being sucked into his body. She looked at the armor that lay next to him and teleported it on him, leaving him with his back to the ground. She took the strange object in her magic, but it fell apart as soon as it was touched. She panicked slightly and threw the rifle over the side of the gorge, before pushing all of his stuff closer to him and finally releasing the spell. Luna took a large gasp and caught her breath, the magical drain from the spell finally catching up to her, before going back to sleep quickly.

A loud roaring awoke me from my unconscious state. The tendrils immediately started repairing damages done to my body, and within ten seconds, all of my wounds were healed. I saw that I had my armor on, and started picking my stuff up. The roar of an engine was heard faintly on the horizon and I stopped and looked up, seeing some sort of black jet or something. I saw the back open up and six men dropped from the hull, most of them in blue while what I thought was the leader was in complete black. I looked around, trying to find the sniper rifle, only to find it gone. I cursed my luck and started picking up my things. I managed to pull the quiver, bow, swords, and packs on before I felt the barrel of a gun placed against the back of my head. I slowly turned around and saw that one of the blue soldiers had the rifle placed against my head and was eager to pull the trigger.

“Hold!” A voice said. The barrel of the gun was pulled away from my head and I turned around slowly, seeing all of them pointing the rifles at my chest.

“Who’re you?” One of them asked, the black soldier pulling his visor up.

“Nobody.” I said, taking a step back slowly.

“What’re you doing out here alone?” He asked.

“Nothing. I was going to find out where I was and see if I could get back to my planet.” I said. He held a fist up and they all pulled their rifles away.

“Good luck doing that. The Dominion have the sector locked down so that only their ships get in and out.” He said.

“What’re y’all doing?” I asked, slowly picking up the dispenser.

“We’re here to save the locals from the Dominion.” He said, walking back to the street with the rest of the squad following. I followed him also, seeing as I have nothing better to do.

“Why is this Dominion taking the locals?” I asked him. He looked at me.

“I don’t know.” He said, continuing to walk forward. The soldiers and I jogged forward silently. A dog appeared around a corner of the road and started running down the street barking. He stopped every so often and looked back, before taking off again when we get close. A few buildings and weird looking cars were ablaze. A woman was standing next to the street, looking miserable, and she saw us.

“Don’t go up that road...” She whispered as we walked past, none of the soldiers even shooting her a glance. As we ran past, the dog started howling, while we jogged around a loop. Sandbags were piled next to the street, three guys that were wearing the same suits as the others, but only colored red. One of the marines spotted us and they all aimed their guns at us.

“Jim Raynor... Kill him!” One of the marines said, opening fire. The group returned fire, eventually winning the firefight. The piles of bloody bones and flesh were all that was left of the marines. I picked up one of the rifles, picking up a few of the spare clips that were blown away from the marines. I aimed down the sights, the iron sights smooth and thin, allowing easy sight of the targets. I holstered the rifle and continued jogging down the street, easily catching up with the marines.

“I’m getting tired of Mengsk’s face... Blast it!” He said, firing his assault rifle at a holographic pod or something. I pulled the rifle from my back and clutched it tightly, before firing off a three burst round. The recoil of the gun wasn’t that bad and the kick from it popped a few of my bones. I continued firing at the holograph until it exploded, before taking my time to reload. I continued jogging after finishing the reload. The group made their way to an abandoned town.

“Where is everyone?” Jim asked. We spotted two marines that were standing idly by in the street. The six marines just fired randomly from the hip, while I took the time to aim down the sights. I pulled the trigger as I set my sights on one of their heads, and blew his head completely off, helmet and all. The six marines were still firing at the one marine, spraying from the hip, and I took aim again. I pulled the trigger once more, two bullets hitting him in the chest and one in the head. The body dropped to the floor and we all jogged past. I grabbed the spare clips of ammo and even a few grenades and a few dollars and coins from the bodies. The paper dollars were actually worth a hundred a piece, and I counted twenty in all, while the coins counted up to six hundred and fifty. I continued with the group down the street. A guy was standing on the corner of a turn.

“My neighbors... My family...” He said sadly.

“This is starting to look ugly...” Jim said. We continued down the street, seeing more sandbags. A squad of marines and three fifteen feet tall mechs all stepped in behind the squad of marines.

“It’s time to call in that special delivery we talked about...” He said, most likely into a mic, and three drop pods landed among the squad and mechs. Four marines jumped out from the pods and started firing upon the squads and mechs, both firing wildly to hit anything and everything.I took aim and shot at one of the mech drivers, his head exploding inside of the suit. The suit fell to the ground, disabled but still usable. I took aim at one of the marines and fired, hitting him in the neck and leaving a large hole where his neck used to be. I swung around and fired at the remaining mech driver, who was firing his two miniguns into the crowd of marines that were cleaning up. The first three bullets hit him in the chest, another hit him in the right shoulder, and the last one hit him right between the eyes. The mech fell to the ground, disabled but still usable. By the time I finished with the mech driver, the marines had already cleaned up the rest of the forces. I walked over to Jim and tapped him on the shoulder.

“You might want to get the mechs here. I managed to take out the drivers without doing significant damage to the thing itself.” I informed him, getting a nod from the man. I picked up the money and spare ammo from the marines bodies and we continued.

“This is bad...” Jim said as we rounded a corner, seeing four marines and an armed transport vehicle. The civilians were all standing in a line leading to the transport vehicle.

“You’ll all be given a meal when you reach the dig site.” One of the marines ordered. I saw one of the civilians backing away from the line.

“My brother went off to the mines last week. He disappeared.” He said as he backed away slowly. As he turned around, one of the marines noticed and lifted his gun up at the civvie.

“We got a runner!” One of the other marines said. They all opened fire on the poor man, ending his life before he even hit the ground.

“They’re shooting civilians! Let’s move in!” Jim said, charging forward and firing randomly at the crowd of marines. I took aim and fired, hitting one of the marines in the head. The power from the gun was enough to pick him off of his feet and slam him against the transport vehicle. The turret on top of the vehicle turned around and started firing at random marines, mostly killing them in one or two shots. I fired three shots at one of the other marines, one hitting him in the eye and the other two hitting him in the chest. He crumpled to the ground, dropping his gun. One of the civilians picked up the rifle and fired it once. The force of the gun was able to lift him off of his feet and slam him against the rocky mountain. I picked a grenade out of my pocket and chucked it under the vehicle, exploding spectacularly and leaving the burning hull of the vehicle in the way. The civilians started commenting to Raynor about his past or thinking him for saving them. Anyway, after getting through the town, we ran to the mines.

“This is a restricted area! You insurgents are under arrest!” One of the marines yelled at us. We all took aim and fired, while the civvies threw molotov cocktails at buildings and enemies alike We destroyed all of the buildings except for the last one, the headquarters. We all took aim and fired, burning the place to the ground in a matter of seconds.

“I didn’t think we could fight them, but we can.” One of the civvies said in the midst of the cheering crowd.

“Now you have the weapons and resources to do it. Remember, Mengsk can only control you... if you let him.” Raynor said. I slipped away from the group to grab more clips of ammo and what I found out to be something called credits, although it uses the dollar sign and pennies still. I counted up all of the credits I got and counted nearly one hundred and fifty thousand credits. That was from the fallen marines, which carried around five to six thousand credits, the Viking drivers, which had twenty thousand each, the transport vehicle, which for some reason had thirty thousand credits, and the buildings including the headquarters, which all added up to around one hundred fifty thousand credits and some change. I pocketed all of the money and was looking around, seeing the crowd surrounding Raynor and his marines.

I waited patiently for the crowd to eventually die down and walked over to him. He was walking towards the town, his rifle slung over his back. I followed him and the rest of his squad to a bar, which they all started ordering drinks immediately. Jim and I sat at the bar, the bartender setting a bottle of whiskey and a glass in front of Raynor. Raynor pulled out some credits and gave them to the bartender, who walked to the cash register and dropped the money in. Raynor poured himself a glass and took a large swig from it. The doors opened and a large marine walked in slowly. As he walked toward us, his large boots clicked against the metal floor, and I felt the ground shake slightly with each step. I saw Raynor’s hand reaching for his revolver, which was on the table, as the large man continued walking forward.

“You know, for the most wanted man in the sector, you ain’t that hard to find.” The large man said.

“I had to see it for myself.” He continued. A hissing was heard and his visor raised into the helmet, revealing a large scar over his right eye.

“Little Jimmy Raynor. The peoples hero.” He said. I saw Raynor’s facial expression change completely, to one of relief.

“Tychus Findlay.” He started, before finishing off his whiskey. “Nice suit.” Raynor said. Tychus slammed his entire arm into the counter, knocking over several glasses and bottles.

“Pays to be prepared.” He said.

“I heard they put you on ice.” Raynor said, pouring himself another glass. “Life sentence. What, they give you time off for good behavior?” Raynor joked, swishing the whiskey around before drinking it.

“That’s right old buddy. I’m a model citizen now.” He said, finishing off his cigar and stabbing it into a fly that was unfortunately on the table.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Raynor said, turning to Tychus. Tychus looked at him and grinned.

“Just a friendly business proposition.” He said, looking a the now burnt fly that stuck onto the cigar. Raynor smiled and grabbed the bottle of whiskey, shaking the bottle, before setting it on the bar.

“Do you even know what the Dominion are doing out here?” Tychus questioned.

“I guess you’re about to tell me.” Raynor said. Tychus got a glint in his eye as he said.

“Digging up alien artifacts, old buddy. Your boy Mengsk has gone crazy for ‘em, but I got a contact that will pay top dollar for every artifact we... ‘liberate’ from the Dominion.” Raynor finished off his whiskey and was about to grab a blue bottle that was sitting on the table when Tychus grabbed it.

“I guess I can hardly pass that up now, can I Tychus?” Raynor said sarcastically. Tychus poured himself a glass of alcohol from the blue bottle.

“Partners it is.” He said, before passing the glass to Raynor and taking the blue bottle myself.

“Sixty forty.” Tychus bargained.

“Seventy thirty, my way.” Raynor said with a smug grin. They both chuckled.

“It feels like old times.” Raynor said.

“Old times.” Tychus said. They clinked the glass and bottle together and downed it all in one go. Raynor pulled out what looked like a suitcase, setting it on the bar next him and me, and clicking around on it. He pulled out some wires from the side and put them into the outlet, powering the weird object on.

“Thanks to your actions Mar Sara is in a state of open revolt against Arcturus Mengsk. Ex-convict Tychus Findlay has revealed the Dominion cams to Mar Sara to excavate an alien artifact. Seizing the artifact will strike another blow against the Dominion and generate funds from selling it to Findlay’s mysterious contact.” A mechanical female voice said from the laptop suitcase thing. Raynor clicked a few buttons on it and revealed a base of sorts to everyone, buzzing with activity. A large drill was steadily making its way through the dirt. The image disappeared and Raynor closed the device. He grabbed it and made his way outside. The black drop ship from earlier was sitting on the ground, the marines loading into its hull. After everyone was loaded, including Tychus, Raynor, and I, the ship took off, making its way away from the town. After thirty minutes or so, the ship stopped.

Everyone got up, with the marines jumping out first. The jump was only ten feet up, so it didn’t hurt all that much. I found myself in the middle of a base. Marines and what looked like medics were running around, patrolling, while something Raynor called SCVs were drilling some sort of crystal. I saw one fly away on the jetpacks and started constructing a building. After a few minutes, the building turned into a depot of some sort. Raynor and Tychus were making their way through the base, Tychus holding some sort of chaingun in his hands. The way he ran around reminded me of Heavy. After a few minutes, Raynor finally spoke.

“We have enough units to get into that base.” He said, the platoon of marines and medics making their way down the street. We all made our way down the streets, coming across a squad or two of marines, before coming across another base. The base was under attack by the Dominion and we helped them fight off the oncoming forces. Their forces followed us into the outpost and we took over the outpost in less than ten minutes. After we secured the artifact onto a truck, we went to a small station outside of the town and went back to the bar.

“I’ve got transport coming to pick us up, all we gotta do is sit tight.” Raynor said.

“Don’t sound too hard. I figure we earned ourselves a little R&R -” Tychus said.

“Commander, I’m detecting a massive concentration of zerg bio-signatures at the abandoned dig site.” Adjutant said. I looked at both of them.

“What the hell is this zerg?” I asked.

“I should’ve known it! Damn you Tychus!” Raynor said, looking up at him.

“I swear, man- I didn’t know nothin’ about no zerg!” Tychus said defensively.

“Given their current course, the zerg will overrun this location within the hour.” Adjutant said.

“Hell... We gotta hold out long enough for extraction. If we man the bunkers and hold those two bridges as long as we can we just might stand a chance.” Raynor said.

“I’ve been in plenty of hold outs before...” Tychus said.

“Not against the zerg, you ain’t.” Raynor said.

“What is the zerg exactly?” I asked them once more. They looked at me and smiled.

“I think we should give our friend here a first hand experience with the zerg.” Tychus said. I looked at both of them as they walked out, seeing marines running around. Two SCVs were salvaging bunkers near the bridges and backing them up to the hill leading up to the command center. The SCVs were building the two bunkers while another two were building barracks, the two barracks that were already there creating marines. I saw a holes in the ground, with some plumes of dust and dirt being thrown up as something was digging into the ground.

“Here they come! Lock and load!” A marine called out. I looked at the bridges and saw a swarm of large bug like creatures attacking random buildings. There were a few that were different. Three of them looked like a turtle with spikes and pincers, and five of them looked half snake, half... something. Its hands were that of scythe like claws, large fangs coming from its mouth. After they destroyed the buildings, the zerg started swarming across the bridges. The marines took fire upon the small bugs, while I turned my attention to the larger ones. I took aim at one of the snake creatures and fired, the first two bullets sinking into its chest and the last one into its head. It turned its attention to me and fired what looked like spines, and I barely had time to dodge it as it flew by. I continued firing on the creature, dodging whenever it shot the spines at me. I took aim and fired one last time, all of the bullets hitting it in its maw. It had a hissing noise and slowly sunk to the ground, the tail flailing slightly. I took aim at one of the large six legged creatures and fired.

The bullets pinged off of its armor, but didn’t pay attention as it continued to attack the bunkers. I looked for a weak spot on its armor and saw that its joints weren’t very protected and fired. The bullets all sunk and shredded into the things legs, causing it to fall to one side. As it rolled on its back, I fired at its belly, the unprotected part of its armor. The bullets quickly tore into its stomach, killing it quickly. I heard a loud explosion as one of the bunkers next to me exploded, sending me flying into a stack of boxes. I got up, before realizing I still had the dispenser on my shoulders. I set the thing down and held up an empty clip to it. It sat there for a second. I wondered if it actually could use different types of ammo, before I heard a loud clattering sound. I looked at the clip and saw it completely full. I replaced the clip into one of my pockets and started firing, hitting a lot of the small bugs and killing them. I saw another swarm of the bugs coming and looked at the current status of the marines. Only one of the bunkers were gone, two were being repaired of damage, and half of the marines that were in the bunker that exploded were dead. Everyone reloaded and readied for the next wave.

“To anyone hearing this message, we’re pinned down near Backwater Station! Please assist!” I heard through someone elses mic. I saw Raynor yelling out orders to a squad of marines, who all took off towards the radio’s signal. The second and third wave struck together, leaving the rest of us to scramble around shooting at the zerg. I focused my fire into the swarm of bugs and fired, killing a few in a row. The dispenser, which finally started working, was refilling my ammo, so I had nothing to worry about. I continued firing, killing a few more before I had to avoid a ball of acid flying towards me. I looked over the small wall and saw that a few had taken notice of me and started focusing on me. I focus fired one of the weaker ones, scoring a few hits before having to duck down as a spine the size of my arm came flying past my head.

I turned my attention on the ones that were focusing on me and saw that two of the six legged ones and one of the snake like one were waiting for me. I pushed my gun over the wall and blind fired at the snake one, watching as it got a mouthful of lead. It roared in pain and shot at the wall, the spine digging into it like it was paper. The spine itself was almost an inch from actually hitting me. I fired once more, seeing the bullets open his chest. Another explosion shook the ground and cries and screams of pain filled the air as the marines were torn into by the zerg. I saw one of the six legged ones walk up the ramp, ignoring all the fire it was receiving, and cut one of the marines in half with its pincers.

“Multiple air bogeys in bound. ETA, right the hell now.” Tychus yelled, and I looked up to see a large swarm of flying zerg heading straight for the station. One of the towers started firing at the creatures, the rockets that struck the flying zergs ended up knocking them from the sky. I aimed at the zerg flyers and fired, striking a few and knocking them from the air. With the air zerg down, I focused the small bug ones that were slowly making their way past the marines. A few would get a strike or bite in before being blown to bits by the marines. The ranged zerg would fire one or two spines or globs of acid before being focused on and forced to retreat or die. The barracks were constantly creating marines, the SCVs desperately trying to repair or build bunkers.

“Thought we were goners there!” The marine said. I saw the group making their way to the station, the beams of green from the medics and flashes from the marines as they desperately try and fight their way back. They made it back, helping the rest of us fight off the attack that was threatening to break through the line. The zerg forces were slowly dying away, being hammered from two sides. The marines were still coming from the barrack and adding to the attack when I heard a whistling. I looked up and saw some sort of zerg drop pod and started firing at it. Something popped inside of it and the bottom of the drop pod ended up dissolving as green acid splashed against the ground hissing and sizzling.

“Keep at it boys. Our rides on its way.” Raynor said, sending the rest of the marines into a frenzy. Some of the marines threw caution to the wind, standing up from the protection of the wall they were hiding against and fired randomly into the crowd of zerg. One of the marines was able to kill about five of the small zerg before being hit directly by a glob of acid, causing him to roll around on the ground, kicking and screaming until he was reduced to nothing but a pile of neon green goop. I popped out of the cover and fired a few rounds at the snake like zerg, hitting it in its jaw and blowing it off. It made an angered squelching noise as it fired another spine at me. I dodged the spine and fired a few more rounds at it. Most of the rounds hit it in its large forehead, completely blowing off its head. I turned my attention to one of the six legged ones, only to barely avoid a glob of acid flying past my head. I looked at the thing, before aiming my rifle at it and shooting off its legs. It tried using what remained of its legs to stand up, only to manage to flip itself over, revealing the unprotected stomach. I took aim and fired once more, hitting it and ripping it apart.

“We need immediate support! Hostiles all around us! Is anyone out there?!” A panicked voice was heard through the mic. Another squad of marines left the station to save the latest group of survivors. That’s when the latest group of zerg attacked. The same small bug zerg ran in front of the ranged zerg, except now there were these green balls rolling their way to the marines.

“Banelings!” A marine yelled, sending the entire station into chaos. Marines started focusing on the banelings, causing them to explode and kill some of the small zerg. One or two got close enough to a marine that when it exploded, it dissolved that marine.

“Thanks for the assist. We’re with you Raynor!” The marine said through the mic. I saw the group retreating to the station, desperately trying to fight off the next wave that was quickly catching up to them. We managed to kill the wave that struck behind them, and they quickly ran in. The wave struck just as the last marine ran through the gap, most of the zerg not even making it up the ramp as we focused our attention to take them out. For a few minutes, it was all silent. I looked around anxiously, inspecting every corner and crook for signs of the zerg. A sudden burst of motion sent the entire base into a tense defense. Suddenly, we were surrounded by four waves of zerg. Air zerg were quickly focusing the missile turrets down, destroying them swiftly. Drop pods rained from the sky as it struck the ground and several small zerg made their way to join the main army. Most of the marines focused on the ramp, not letting them get a single foot up it. Some of the marines started focusing the flying zerg, slowly clearing the skies. Marines were dying left and right as the zerg managed to find their way up the ramp and started cutting into them. I watched as one of the flying zerg shot some sort of glaive from its tail, the glaive cleaving its way through three marines. I continued focusing on the ocean of zerg that were already surrounding the marines.

“Hold out a little longer! We’ll be getting out of here soon!” Raynor said. The barracks were desperately trying to produce units, but we were losing too many to protect the ramp completely. An explosion rocked the area as another bunker fell to the onslaught. SCVs were desperately repairing the remaining bunkers but we were slowly losing the battle. A constant stream of zerg were bolstering the army that was already destroying the defense. The marines were swiftly making their way from the barracks, joining the defense as we slowly overtook the zerg army. I continued firing at the small zerg, the only indication of how many I’ve killed by the small meter on the side of the gun that showed the kills. I briefly looked at the meter and saw that I had already killed hundreds of zerg, the number already slowly rising while I kept a constant stream of bullets that were fueled by the dispenser. The marines were slowly pushing their way back, the one bunker that managed to survive being repaired by three SCVs at once.

“Commander, this is Matt Horner. Just hold on! Calvary’s on its way!” A voice said over the gunfire and cries of death.

“Take your time Matt. No rush!” Raynor said sarcastically. The constant stream of zerg was just bearable, only a few making it to the ramp and fewer even making it up the ramp. One or two of the small zerg managed to slip into the defense, only to get gunned down quickly. Zerg drop pods were quickly descending from the sky, some of them falling behind the main defense only to catch a second wave of marines that were stationed just for them. The ground started shaking, and a large explosion of dirt and concrete sent marines flying as large worm like zerg slowly settled. It opened its mouth and its tongue started squirting out zerg. I focused on the large worm and eventually killed it. A large torrent of blood spilled from its mouth as I fired a last burst of bullets into its tongue, the worm spinning around haphazardly before hitting the ground with a loud thud. Some of the marines had died from the zerg that was spat out by the worm. A loud roaring snapped my attention towards the sky. A large black and gray spaceship descended from the sky, flames licking the underside as it slowly leveled out. Orange laser batteries started raining from its belly, killing and burning the large zerg wave that was on the move to the station. It slowly hovered to the station, firing away at the zerg forces that just suddenly sprung to life. Almost ten of those worm zerg popped out of the ground in front of the ramp and was quickly leaking small squads of zerg out. I saw that a huge wave of the small zerg was building up on the top of the ramp, only a few attacking the marines that blocked the way in. Medics were healing the marines that stood in the way as more and more built up, before the large ship hovered overhead and started firing the laser batteries at the crowd. Almost immediately, the entire swarm of small zerg were burning alive.

“Calvary's arrived! Anyone still alive down there?” The same voice asked from earlier.

“Good to see ya, Matt! Welcome to the party!” Raynor said. “Glad we made it in time sir. Now let’s get you boys outta there.” Matt said. The oncoming zerg slowly dropped to a small constant stream that could be managed by a few marines as the ship slowly touched down, a large ramp opening up in the back. The dump truck with the artifact still on it went up the ramp first, surrounded by marines. The SCVs went next, carrying crates of the minerals and barrels of the green liquid they were collecting also. Next were the marines and medics, who all had to slowly back up and fire. I picked up the dispenser and placed it on my shoulder, one handing the rifle as I slowly backed up and fired wildly into the crowd of zerg. The last marine and medic stepped on and the ship took off, the marines cleaning up any zerg that managed to get onto the ship itself. The back closed, sealing everyone in, and I felt the ship kick into motion. I followed Raynor and Tychus as we made our way to the bridge. We stepped onto the bridge, holographic boards and controls on consoles and terminals on the side of the room as the captain of the ship, presumably Matt, was giving orders to everyone.

“Damn Jimmy, you’ve been holding out on me...” Tychus commented.

“Cutting it pretty close there Matt.” Raynor said to Matt, ignoring Tychus. Matt turned to look at Raynor.

“Never left you hanging before, sir.” He said.

“Fair enough. Just get us the hell out of here!” Raynor said.

“All batteries, concentrate forward firepower. Spin up drives two and six. All hands brace for warp jump on my mark!” Matt ordered. Tychus grabbed onto a pipe, while I grabbed one of the railings and steadied myself. I felt something like being sucked into an airtight tube and held my breath. I looked around, seeing nothing but white, until the sucking feeling finally stopped and I let my breath go. I looked out the window and saw that we were in space.

“What the hell happened? We ain’t seen the zerg in years - why attack Mar Sara now?” Raynor asked.

“It’s not just Mar Sara. You need to see this.” Matt said. He pressed a button and a small screen sparked to life.

“Zerg swarm launched a full scale attack-”

“-Devastation spread throughout all outer rim planets-”

“-Sustained heavy losses-”

“-Casualties in the billions-”

“-Minutes ago the zerg attacked a Dominion military research facility-” An explosion knocked the marines walking in the scene towards the camera and the screen went to static.

“Sweet mother of mercy.” Tychus said.

“-New, exclusive footage confirms the Queen of Blades is in fact leading the swarm!” The screen cut a feminine form walking across rubble before looking at the screen and the camera turning off. Raynor sat in the chair behind him, his hand curling into a fist before he rested his head on in his hand, closing his eyes.

“We always knew she would be back. But what’s she after?” Matt asked.

“She’s come to finish the job.” Raynor said cryptically. Raynor got up and looked at the map, apparently plotting some sort of plan.

“There’s no telling what the zerg will throw at us this time. Sir, we need to make sure our hardware and munitions are up to the challenge.” Matt said.

“Yeah, I’ll check in with Swann down in the armory. Knowin’ him, he’s already got upgrades for us.” Raynor said.

“I need to ask, sir- but is there a reason that convict and the other is on my bridge?” Matt asked, looking at Tychus and I.

“Easy Matt. Tychus is one of my oldest friends. He helped me out a real bind a few years back. I owe him. The kid here is a killing machine. He’s pretty strange, but he makes up for it with talent. Kids probably killed hundreds of zerg on that last part.” Raynor said.

“Well your friend has a criminal record as long as...” Matt said.

“Mine? Believe me, if Tychus Findlay wanted me dead, I’d be dead already.” Raynor interrupted.

“Understood, sir.” Matt said. Raynor walked off, most likely to the armory, and I followed him. He eyed me as I stepped into the elevator with him. He pressed a button labeled ‘Armory’ and the elevator shifted into motion. A few minutes passed of nothing but silence, until the doors opened, revealing a hangar full of crates, vehicles, and combat suits. I walked over to the combat suits, seeing six different models of armor. The first was the CMC-300, which I’ve seen all the marines use, then the next one, which was the CMC-400 Combat Powered Suit. I took one look at it and immediately loved it. I took one look at the rest, seeing the bulky and otherwise too big armor. I walked over to Raynor and who I assumed was Swann, seeing Raynor starting to walk away. I walked up to the man, getting his attention.

“What could I do for ya kid?” He asked.

“I want to buy the CMC-400 armor.” I answered, pointing to the designated armor. He whistled and looked at me.

“Armor’s pretty expensive. Usually used for mercenary units.” He said.

“How much for the armor?” I asked.

“Two hundred thousand credits.” He said. I pulled out all of my credits and counted off two hundred thousand.

“Alright, just need to get your measurements and we’ll have your armor ready in a day.” He said. I pulled off the armor and equipment, revealing the slightly burnt and tattered pants.

“I thought it was just the armor. Heh…” He said, pulling out a remote device. He aimed device at me and a green beam started scanning up and down, before a small ding was heard. Swann looked at the device and whistled.

“6’6. You got lucky kid.” He said, walking off and yelling some orders. I pulled on the armor and equipment once more before walking to the elevator and going up to the bridge again. Raynor, Tychus, and Matt were all standing next to a screen, examining the next mission.

“What’s our general status, Matt?” Raynor asked.

“We’ve picked up a distress call from the planet Agria. There’s a colony there under attack by the zerg. Your convict buddy Tychus lined up a mission retrieving another artifact. It’s on a protoss shrine-world called Monolyth.” Matt said.

“...Any ships receiving this transmission, the zerg are invading Agria… The Dominion abandoned us here… We’re just a small farming colony. We’ve got to evacuate before we’re overrun… If you can hear this message, please help us!” A static filled voice said.

“We have to save that colony. Monolyth and that artifact can wait until then.” Raynor said. Tychus just shrugged and walked off the bridge, while Matt started giving orders and coordinates for the crew. Raynor stepped into the elevator and disappeared while I stayed on the bridge, staring out into the stars.

~Two days later~

My new armor, the CMC-400 Powered Combat Suit, was ready and waiting in the armory. Raynor had volunteered that I go on this mission, seeing as I was excited to try out the new armor. I walked into the elevator and clicked the button for the armory, feeling the thing kick into motion. A few minutes later, the elevator stopped and the doors opened, revealing Swann at the console. I walked up to him, the clicking of my boots catching his attention. He turned around and saw me.

“We’re finished with your armor. Follow me.” He said, stepping away from the console and walking towards the armor displays. After passing a few rows of boxes, we came across an armor station.

“Step onto the pad and don’t move much.” He said. I took off my armor and stepped onto the pad, the machine kicking to life.

“Can’t you take this on and off manually, without the machine?” I asked him. He nodded.

“The machine here is only for building the armor onto the person. After you have the armor built on, you can take it on and off as you please.” He answered. The boots strapped themselves onto my feet, the machine lifting me three feet into the air. Two robotic arms grabbed my wrists and lifted my arms into the air. A dozen other arms slowly crept towards my body, some with pieces of armor, some with frames for the armor, the rest with welders or screwdrivers or other types of tools (If you want to know what its like, look up StarCraft 2 cinematic intro). After a few minutes of the armor being put together, I saw the arms retract and the platform lower to the ground. The shield was mounted on my upper arm and shoulder guard, leaving both of my hands free for the C-14 gauss rifle.

I stepped off of the platform, towering over Swann by a good three feet, compared to the other armor, which only allowed me to stand two feet over him. He handed me a device and I raised an eyebrow at him, although he couldn’t see it.

“What’s this do?” I asked, my voice changed to sound deeper due to the helmet.

“That little device allows you to activate the integrated Stimpack system in your suit.” He said, handing me another device.

“And this?” I asked.

“This is a black hole simulator. It allows troops to carry any item with them, no problem with the weight or fear of damaging an item.” He said. I pressed a button on the black hole simulator, a large portal opening up in front of me. I picked up all of my things, including the dispenser, and tossed them into it. I closed the portal and opened it up again, reaching my hand into it. I felt all of the objects in the portal, slowly floating around, and closed the device again.

“Let me tell you all about your armor.” Swann said with a smirk. After a few minutes of discussing the suits perks, my jaw dropped.

“I fucking love this armor.” I said.

“Most do. The only problem is that it’s too expensive for the average marine to purchase so they have to go with the CMC-300 armor. The 300 is almost the same thing, except that the 400 has NBC shields surrounding the marine, an advanced Stimpack system, so that it doesn’t hurt the marine as much and lasts twice as long, and better life support than the 300 model. That shield of yours is 30 millimeters of bonded carbide and easily stop an armor piercing round from tearing through. The C-14 rifle is fitted to hold drum magazines that have five hundred rounds in each of them, allowing you tear easily cut through any zerg swarm. On the end is a psionic blade, what the protoss normally use, and can easily cut through a siege tank.” He said. On the end of the blade was a glowing dark red blade.

“How do you turn this thing off?” I asked, looking for a switch of some kind.

“There’s a switch right here.” He said, flipping a switch next to the blade. Immediately, the dark red blade disappeared. I placed my hand on the grip.

“Better get up to the bridge. We’ve arrived at Agria.” He said. I nodded and made my way up to the bridge, where Matt, Tychus, and Raynor was waiting for me. I had to duck slightly to get through the elevator, then walked over to the starmap.

“Thank you so much for responding to our distress call, Commander. I’m Dr. Ariel Hanson and I represent the people of the Agria colony.” Hanson said.

“Pleasure to meet ya, Doc. You can call me Jim. What’s the situation?” Raynor asked.

“The zerg have overwhelmed our planetary defenses. The colony is lost. For the past twelve hours we’ve been evacuating people to the nearest starport. But the zerg attacks have become so intense, we can’t get more through. If you can guard the highway, we can start sending the remaining groups every few minutes.” She explained.

“Don’t worry Doc. We’ll get your folks to that starport safe and sound.” Raynor said.

“I pray you’re right, Commander. The zerg are more terrible than I ever imagined.” She said, before the screen cut and Raynor turned to me.

“Get down to the armory and prep for the mission. I want these colonists safe and sound at that starport.” Raynor ordered. I walked to the elevator, taking it down to the armory quickly and grabbing drum magazines for the gauss rifle The black hole simulator and Stimpack activator at my side, I stepped into the black medivac, seeing two firebats and two medics already stationed. I took a seat next to one of the firebats, hearing him talking softly to the other firebat. The ramp closed and the medivac took off, speeding down to the planet. A few minutes of sailing through the stars and I felt the ship hit the atmosphere, the interior of the ship starting to rise in heat. The air conditioner on my back kicked on and started venting the hot air out. A few minutes of constant heat and cool temperatures before it finally leveled out and the air conditioner vented out any remaining hot air in the suit.

The ship stopped and the ramp opened up, revealing the street. I got up from the seat and stepped down the ramp, before finally jumping, hitting the ground. I looked around, rifle at the ready, seeing that it was all clear. The rest of the squad landed and spread out, the firebats in front of the medics, and we started jogging down the street. Almost immediately, zerglings jumped from the bushes from all around, the firebats taking point and the medics backing them. I took a few steps back before readying the rifle and firing, the first few rounds striking the first zergling in the pack. The rest charged forward, running directly at the firebats, and just burnt to a crisp.

“Mmm… Scorched earth…” One of the firebats said. We continued forward as a second squad of zerglings saw us and charged. I readied myself and fired, the rounds cutting through the air and blowing the first few zerglings to hell. The rest were burned alive by the firebats, the zerglings not even getting close enough to claw at them. We continued down the road once more, the sounds of gunfire growing louder, before we saw a large group of the zerglings running around, clawing and biting anything. I fired, hitting a few zerglings. The rest turned to us and charged, the group meeting a hail of bullets and an inferno. I had four hundred and fifty rounds left in the mag, as well as ten drum mags left, as we continued forward, a small ramp leading up to a base of sorts. We all stepped forward, some of the marines breathing in relief.

“Thank goodness you’re here. I’ll give you control of the main buildings so you can help us evacuate the colony.” Hanson said, the command center and barracks already being pushed into action.

“We’ll need to escort the convoys all the way to the main starport for them to have a chance of escaping this planet.” Raynor said. Another firebat popped out of the barracks, stepping next to the other two. One SCV popped out of the command center and built a supply depot, before moving to the minerals.

“The first convoy from Larks’ Crossing will be moving out soon.” Hanson said. I checked my ammo and supplies, before realizing I hadn’t ate in the last two days. I grabbed the black hole simulator and pushed the button, the hole opening up and I reached inside, grabbing my bags. I opened the bags and took out a small piece of jerky and canteen of water. I saw the colonists slowly loading into the transport truck and quickly ate, the hunger dying away slowly and my thirst being quenched. I put the things back into the black hole and closed the portal, the convoy starting to move. The firebats took point while I stayed to the side, the medics taking the rear to cover everyone. We made our way along the street, no signs of zerg anywhere, and we made it to a small ridge with a ramp leading down to it. A bunker was already built at the top of the ramp, a good spot in case some sort of zerg tries to attack.

“Someone had the right idea building bunkers to defend the roads… but why are they empty?” Raynor asked through the channel.

“The Dominion military abandoned them when the zerg attacked. They didn’t give a damn about the colony.” Hanson said.

“Sorry to hear that, Doc. At least these bunkers are in a good spot. I’ll see if we can get them manned.” Raynor said. We made our way down the street, rounding a few corners. Before long, the sounds of the zerg reached my ears and I readied my rifle, slowly scanning the area. Ten zerglings jumped out of the bushes and I opened fire, hitting the first few before they managed to reach the firebats and do harm. I felt something clawing at my leg and swung around, seeing a zergling trying to bite his way through my armor. I flipped the switch on the end of the rifle and the psionic blade flickered to life, the dark red blade shimmering in the darkness. I cut through the zergling with ease before catching up with the convoy. I felt the tendrils wrap around my leg to repair any damage done to me, thankfully catching no ones attention as my armor was repaired. I swung my rifle around just as I heard a zerglings screech, impaling a flying zergling on the end of it and burning it. I flicked the zergling off and shot it a few times, making sure it was dead, before looking to the sky and seeing an overlord. It stopped a little bit away from the convoy and started spreading creep. I kept moving with the convoy, the chirping of birds and crickets barren as the zerg swarmed around the tree line. I swung my rifle around and shot at the zerglings, catching the first ten zerglings quickly. I saw a second bunker that was at the top of another ramp, the convoy quickly making it to the starport. We started our way back to the colony, meeting a few zerglings and a hydralisk on the way back.

“It’s a long haul to the starport, partner. How can we be expected to guard the whole thing?” Tychus asked.

“I reckon we can use a mobile force to keep it clear or build more bunkers to block the approach - either way should work.” Raynor answered. We made it back to the colony just as another transport truck rolled up to the colony huts.

“The next convoy is almost ready to go, Commander. Please alert your men.” Hanson said. A few more barracks had been built as well as supply depots while we were gone. A few marines, medics, and firebats were waiting at the entrance of the colony, the two squads meeting up. An SCV took off down the street, most likely to go build another bunker or something. The next transport truck was full and moving by another minute and we surrounded the convoy. Before the convoy made it to the first bunker, twenty zerglings were emerging from the darkness. The marines focused on the zerglings as the firebats took point, soaking up the damage and burning any zerglings that got too close. The convoy continued, two firebats stepping away and getting into the bunker, the SCV from earlier finishing up a bunker that stood next to the original. The SCV repaired any damage on the first bunker before speeding off ahead of us, barely avoiding the second wave of zerglings. What we didn’t notice was the third wave sneaking up on us. We focused our attention on the second wave of zerglings, the firebats burning most of them alive.

The third wave hit as we were all reloading, most of the marines dying horribly. I felt something slam into my shield and I pushed it away, readying my rifle and firing. I managed to fight off the zerg alone, the firebats and medics being ambushed by another wave of zerglings. After killing the ten zerglings that were left, I turned my attention to the rest of the last wave, seeing a few roaches and hydralisks here. I fired, hitting a few of the roaches and killing them. I heard the clicking of the gun and pulled out a second mag, replacing the empty one in place of the full mag. I raised my shield up just in time as a spine heading for my head was stopped, barely a few inches in between both spots. I fired at the hydralisk, managing to kill it before it fired again, and pulled out the spine from the shield. The tendrils repaired the damage to the shield before anyone noticed and I caught up to the convoy. The transport truck was in bad shape and only two marines remained. I took point, keeping an eye out for anything.

The next wave of zerglings hit and I charged towards them. I slammed the shield into the first few, sending them flying away. I swung the blade around, cutting two in half, before firing at the rest of the wave. One zergling managed to bypass my gun, only to get crushed beneath my boots. I wiped the wave out completely before turning to the convoy. The transport truck was still moving, albeit barely, and the marines were on the lookout for anything. Luckily, the truck managed to reach the ramp and make it to the starport, the marines taking their spot at the top of the ramp to protect. I made my way back to the colony. I was met with two waves of zerglings. The first wave struck from the front while the second struck from behind.

They didn’t stand a chance. I managed to cut, shoot, and slam my way through the two swarms, the virus managing to rejuvenate and repair my armor and wounds. I made it back to the colony, a large group of marines, medics, and firebats waiting at the entrance of the colony. I sighed in relief as I sat down next to one of the supply depots, watching as the next transport truck rolled up and started loading more civilians.

“Commander, another convoy will be heading out soon.” Hanson said. I got off of the ground and checked my ammo count, seeing only fifty two rounds left. I pulled off the black hole simulator and pulled out the dispenser, the ammo being restocked quickly. I pushed the dispenser back into the black hole and closed the portal, the two clips of ammo full now. I saw the last civilians get into the transport vehicle and the truck start moving. I took my position near the back, watching every corner as we made our way out of the colony. A wave of zerglings struck the two bunkers, the zerglings being burned easily. The second wave struck from the front, pushing us back a little, before we managed to kill them all. We lost a few marines and a firebat, otherwise we were all uninjured. I heard some shuffling from behind and turned around, seeing a horde of zerglings hitting from behind. I started firing my gun, before I felt something slam into my back, knocking me to the ground. I twisted around, swinging the shield and slamming into everything that touched it, and quickly picked myself up. I continued firing all around me, killing zerglings as quickly as I could, seeing the convoy disappearing around the corner. I continued firing the gun, before I actually looked at how many zerglings there was. From the second I looked, I could already count a hundred or more zerglings surrounding me.

“Shit!” I yelled, jumping over a few zerglings and onto open ground, before I turned around and started running backwards, firing my rifle into the crowd. I somehow ran off the road and before I knew it, I was standing at the top of a hill, firing at zerglings that were barreling in from all sides. I felt something slam into my back again and felt about five zerglings jump onto my back, and I knew it was all over. Then… something strange happened. I felt the zerglings get off of my back. I jumped up and was about to start firing again, before I noticed that they were all backing away from me slowly. I lowered the rifle and looked around, before I saw her. Raynor had told me about her. Sarah Kerrigan. The Queen of Blades. The zerglings split apart as she walked through the crowd, Kerrigan making her way to me with a small smile on her face.

“I can see the virus within you. The first strand of zerg, but also the strongest of them all.” She whispered. I looked at her, seeing her starting to circle me. She dragged a finger across my shoulders, over my head, and down my arm.

“I’ve seen your memories. What you’ve done, what you’ve become, where you come from, and how you’ve arrived here. I’ve also seen the signs from the others in your life. How much they want you. But then these little accidents happen and you’re whisked away to another universe. I know how you have to get home. The little objectives you’ve had to accomplish. I can tell you how to get back, but all you have to do for me… is tell me who bought the artifact that you stole from the Dominion.” She said, stopping in front of me.

“The Moebius Foundation.” I said, and judging her reaction, she was surprised by my quick answer.

“So how do I get out of here?” I asked.

“You must fight the Protoss when you arrive on Monolyth. Once you’ve touched the artifact, you will be sucked into the vortexes that you’ve seen.” She explained, before pointing towards the gunfire.

“The last convoy is being loaded onto the starship. Using the virus will get you there fast enough to catch the last plane out.” She finished, the zerglings parting towards the starport. I nodded and took off, the virus increasing my run speed to twice of what any man can do. After a minute of constantly running, I met up with the final convoy, just outside the starport. Hordes of zerglings, hydralisks, roaches, mutalisks, and nydus worms were surrounding the starport. Medics healed firebats as they quickly soaked up damage, while marines were trying to take out everything. I charged in from behind, firing the rifle and clearing a path through the zerg. I ran up the ramp quickly, joining the rest of the marines in fighting the zerg.

“Where were you?” One of the marines asked me.

“I had to deal with my own zerg problem.” I said.

“How many?” Another asked, gunfire breaking through his mic.

“A few hundred, no big deal.” I said, taking out a few mutas and hydras.

“Most marines can’t handle two zerglings, yet you handled a few hundred?” A marine asked, disbelief coating each word.

“I’m not an average marine, now am I?” I said with finality, shutting up the rest of them. We managed to clear the rest with ease, and the last civilians were placed on the last transport ship and flown out. The Hyperion came from the sky, laser batteries scanning for any sort of zerg biomass. Finding none, the ship landed, the marines and firebats at the ready. The ramp opened up and Raynor and Tychus stepped out, rifle and chaingun at the ready. Seeing no zerg, the troops quickly piled onto the ship and the ship took off. I went to the bridge, Raynor and Tychus talking to each other while Matt and who I presumed as the Doctor from Agria were doing the same. I shook my head and went to the cantina.

~Two days later~

I was standing on the bridge, awaiting the briefing for the mission. I was decked out in my CMC-400 armor, the gauss rifle in my hands and shield on my shoulder guard. I was idly checking the gauss rifle for any sort of damage or malfunctions, finding none. I looked around, seeing Matt staring at the starmap intently with Dr. Hanson talking to Stetmann idly. I heard the elevator doors open up and looked, seeing Raynor and Tychus walk through the doors. They walked over to the starmap and pulled up an image of an artifact, this one surrounded by what I presume is the protoss.

“There it is Jimmy, just like Moebius said. Easy money.” Tychus said.

“I don’t know. There’s a lot of protoss down there. We’re gonna have to - what the?” Raynor said, seeing a large group of zerg pop up from the ground.

“Warning! Multiple bio-signatures detected!” Adjutant said.

“Them critters were just hiding underground, waitn’?” Tychus said.

“No idea, but you can bet that they’re heading straight for our shrine!” Raynor said.

“Well, that sure complicates things. We can’t fight two armies at once, partner…” Tychus said. Raynor looked at him with a sly smile.

“With any luck, we won’t have to.” Raynor said.

“We only need to hold the area at the top of the shrine long enough to extract the artifact.” He explained. The screen cut to an empty spot on the map, in between the two armies.

“So we’ll land here and cut our way through the protoss lines while they’re busy with the zerg. It’s only a matter of time before the zerg overwhelm the protoss. We’d best grab the artifact and be long gone by then.” Raynor said. Tychus smiled evilly.

“Smart thinkin’ Jimmy.” He said. I went down to the armory and hopped into the ship, five SCVs all sitting casually in its hull. The ship took off and made its way down to the surface. We landed and the SCVs went to work, building a Command Center immediately. Once the Command Center was up, the started mining minerals, while I guarded the entrance in case of any wanderers. I saw that the SCVs were already at work building a refinery, merc compound, and barracks. After completing all three buildings, a tech lab was built on the barracks. A few more SCVs came out of the command center and they all started mining. Three marines and a medic popped out of the barracks quickly. Three stalkers walked up to a pylon, leaving us to back away to avoid being hit.

The ship came again, this time carrying three marauders. The marauders joined our forces and we pushed on the stalkers. They spotted us and fired, shooting out dual laser beams and hitting a marine. The marine went down quickly, the marauders, the rest of the marines, and I started firing. I aimed for one of their faces, only to hit an energy shield. I continued firing at the shield until it fell, then continued firing at the stalker. The stalker went down in an explosion of sparks, what I could easily tell was the shield generator flying towards me. I caught the piece in my hand and inspected it, the other two stalkers taken down already. The slightly damaged but still operable shield generators lay in my hands. I looked for a place to put the small device and saw that I had a small socket in the back of my helmet. I placed the generator in the socket and it fit perfectly, the energy shield already regenerating around me.

Once the shield was fully rejuvenated, I met up with the rest of the group, fighting a small band of zealots and stalkers. I fired at one of the zealots and his shield flared up. I continued firing until the shield went down and I aimed for his head. He turned to me and was met with a face full of lead. I turned my attention to the stalkers, who were quickly taking down the marines and marauders, and fired at one of them. His shields went down and I aimed the rifle for his legs. I fired, hitting his legs and knocking him to the ground. I swung my rifle around and fired at his brother, his shield flaring up as well. All that was left were one marine, one medic, and two marauders. I took out the stalker quickly and the squad retreated. “Warning! Zerg attack wave detected!” Adjutant said, just before a small band of zerglings and hydras ran up the ramp. I fired on the zerglings, quickly killing them before turning my attention to the hydras. I saw one of them fire at me and the spine quickly flew through the air. The spine struck the shield, the spine disintegrating as the shield destroyed it. I fired at the hydra and quickly killed it.

A second wave struck just as the last hydralisk died, the zerglings quickly dying and the roaches were quickly taken out by the marauders. We built up our forces and sent another attack out. The marauders quickly took out the pylon that powered the photon cannons and we quickly wiped out the forces. The next area was locked down with two sentries setting up force fields. We waited for the force fields to go down and charged, taking out the cannons and forces quickly. We crossed the bridge and took out the next area with ease, two void rays going down slowly. The next area was a bit tricky. We headed up the ramp and was met with three archons, four stalkers, and six zealots. I quickly dealt with two of the zealots before turning my attention to one of the archons. I fired at the archon, catching his attention and sending him towards me. He fired the lightning from his hands, my shield flaring up and absorbing the blow. I managed to take down his shield and took him out, before turning my attention to the rest of them. They managed to wipe out the attack force and looked at me. I quickly retreated back to the base, the next attack force built up and ready to go.

They all walked out as I took up the rear. We made it to the previous point and the fight started again, this time we pushed through and destroyed everything. We reached the artifact, although it was surrounded by barriers. The statues next to the artifact came to life and shot laser beams onto everyone. I shot at the statue but the bullets just bounced off. I mentally scratched my head before aiming the rifle at its eyes and fired. The statue quickly crumbled to the ground. “That easy to take them down…” I muttered, swinging my rifle around and firing at the next statue, hitting its eyes just as it powered up a laser, causing the head to explode in an orange inferno. The attack force was all dead and it was up to me to take out the last statue. I fired my rifle at the statue, only to miss by a few inches. I rolled out of the way as it fired its laser at me, barely missing me. I got to my feet and fired again, hitting it in its face but not getting it again. It slammed its fist into the ground, sending me tumbling away from the statue. I got up and readied the rifle, taking aim and firing it. The statue fired its laser one last time, only for the bullets to meet the laser halfway.

The laser exploded spectacularly, the shockwave of the explosion destroying the statue. I got up slowly, picking my rifle up in my left hand. I looked at my right arm and saw that it was gone, the explosion causing sending it to oblivion. I sighed and walked up to the artifact, touching it. After I touched it, the purple vortex that I’ve seen time and time again opened up and sucked me in. Everything at that moment caught up to me and I felt my body seize up. I still had control of my eyes and watched as the portal opened up once more and spat me out somewhere. The feeling of falling through the air pushed a sense of dread into my chest. I regained control of my body and tried stopping myself from spinning in the air. I managed to stop the spinning and saw what I felt was familiar. I crashed through the ceiling of the castle of sorts and found myself in some sort of throne room, which seemed familiar also. The dust cleared and I looked around, seeing the shocked faces of eight mares which I immediately recognized.

“Hell, it’s about damn time.”

AN: Any ideas on what happens next chapter? I'm taking suggestions, please comment below. I will take the random ones and the lucky winner will be featured in the next chapter!

Postquam bello porcum

The ponies stared in stunned silence as the dust cleared, revealing a seven foot suit of armor kneeling from the impact. It slowly shifted to its feet, standing over Luna and Celestia easily.

“Hell, it’s about damn time.” It said, its voice distinctly male. They all cocked their heads to the side in confusion.

“What do you think it is?” Twilight asked.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t want to anger it.” Celestia said, stepping forward.

“Hello. My name is Princess Celestia, co-ruler of this land, godd-” She started.

“Goddess of the sun, and your sister is Princess Luna, the other ruler of Equestria and the goddess of the moon. These are the Elements of Harmony. Yes, I already know about you. You gave me this speech when I got here the first time.” It interrupted, startling everyone and raising more questions with the last statement.

“I don’t recall a seven foot tall suit of armor in my kingdom before.” Celestia said.

“I figured you would’ve recognized me by just voice, but I guess inter universal teleportations can make time fly in other places in the multiverse.” He said, the ponies becoming fearful of his knowledge.

“I don’t know who you think you are, buddy, but if you don’t stop talking to the princess like that, you’re going to get a real beatdown.” Rainbow Dash said, flying up to his face. He chuckled, something that one of the ponies barely recognized. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes in concentration on his helmet, needing to be absolutely sure about.

“I guess if you knew who I am, you wouldn’t be so aggressive Dash.” He said. Rainbow huffed, before flying back to her friends.

“If you’re so sure that we would know who you are, then show us your face. Take off the helmet.” Applejack said. He slung the rifle over his back, before grabbing the sides of the helmet. The armor hissed, steam shooting out of joints near his neck, before he slowly took off the helmet. Once the helmet was off, they could see his face, a face that all but three had forgotten. Luna gasped, Celestia’s eyes grew in surprise, and Fluttershy nearly burst into tears at the sight of his face.

“Still don’t know who you are.” Rainbow said. The smile he put on his face fell, his expression turning serious.

“I guess this isn’t the right universe then…” He said glumly, placing the helmet back onto his head, a sucking sound was heard as the air was sealed out of the armor. He took the rifle from its place, his shoulders rising as he heaved a great sigh.

“I was sure this was the right one… Ah well…” He said, pulling off a device from his hip. He pressed a button and a large portal opened up. The two alicorns and pegasus froze in fear that they were about to lose him, seeing the first part of his body disappear into the portal. When Fluttershy was about to start for him, they saw him pull back, pulling out two objects. He slung them over his back, and they saw two packs. One was recognized as the one he was given for his trip to the Deadlands, while the other was a navy blue color, small clinks were heard from inside the bag.

“I guess since this isn’t the right one, I have to wait until the vortex opens up again.” He said, a note of depression taking hold of his words. Fluttershy felt her heart break at the tone, wanting nothing more than to run over and give him a large hug.

“What’s inside the bags?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” He snapped, making the ponies reel back at the sudden change in attitude.

“What's made him so aggressive all of the sudden?” Rarity whispered.

“Just the fact that I was wrong about coming home after fighting nonstop for two weeks. I was certain that this universe was the right one only for reality to rear its ugly head and show me the truth that I might not ever make it home, forever lost in a damned pit of hell that allows no solitude and no rest for the weary, lost in battlefields until Death takes me.” He said, making everypony feel pity for their forgotten friend.

“Certainly you haven’t been fighting for two weeks nonstop?” Celestia said.

“I had to fight a doppelganger of myself that spat on Luna’s name because she betrayed Celestia and brutally murdered the Elements of Harmony, then escape a ruined tomb where I had to fight undead until I made it out, afterwards fighting a fucking dragon, then almost had my guts ripped out because of a single man, then had to keep a rapist version of Celestia and Luna away from me, then had to fight two alien races in an effort to survive then ended up in this motherfucking place.” He said, everypony staring at him. He didn’t stop in his angry rant.

“What do I have to do in order to move on to the next universe and save the fucking world there? Fight Discord? Hold off the changeling army while everypony panics? Save Ponyville from being destroyed by Ursa Minors? Hunt down an Ursa Major? Go to the Deadlands and search for a book that raises the undead before they start taking over Equestria? Find an artifact long lost in the depths of Tartarus? Fight off an alien armada as they glass the planet using superheated plasma? Sacrifice my life so that the world is saved from King Sombra?” He said, the situations described running through everypony’s head.

“Daniel, you don’t have to do any of those things…” Celestia said. Before he continued, he took a moment to search her words. He turned to her, a smile growing behind that helmet.

“I really am home, aren’t I?” He said. Celestia, Luna, and Fluttershy nodded at the same time. The rest of the ponies grew confused at the sudden change of emotion.

“I didn’t mean to say all of that, it’s just that I thought I was never going to come back here.” He said, a relieved laugh escaping his lips.

“Sorry, but did ah just miss something?” Applejack said.

“I guess you guys just forgot about me. Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Daniel, I am the human you saved three years ago from Earth and brought me here, then I worked for Applejack for all those years, and its been who knows how long since I’ve returned here from being teleported, after going to the Deadlands and saving Equestria from being destroyed by the undead.” He said, while the rest of the Elements finally remembered Daniel. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity grew flushed with embarrassment, Pinkie squealing with delight and trying to tackle Daniel with a hug.

“I’m so happy that you’re alright Daniel! I thought you had died because you were gone for so long! I have to go and get a party ready and I have to -” Pinkie said, before Daniel covered her mouth with a large hand.

“Pinkie, you don’t have to do any of that, I’m just glad I’m back.” He said, uncovering her mouth. She looked up with a blush on her face, attempting to wrap her arms around his massive torso, only managing to get them halfway around him.

“This armor is too big!” She pouted, pressing her face against the breastplate and trying to wrap her arms around his back.

“I have to get out of the armor first. What I do need is some damn clothes though…” He said.

“What happened to the other armor you had?” Luna asked.

“I still have it.” He said, pulling the device from his hip and pressing the button, the portal from earlier opening up. Pinkie looked inside, her mouth open in excitement. He reached in and pulled out the pieces of armor, setting them on the ground. Before he closed it, he pulled out everything else, including the bow and arrows, dispenser, two greatswords, and Red Sniper’s hat. The ponies stared curiously at the objects, only a few they recognize, while most of the things he pulled out were unknown to them. He moved to one of the closets lining the walls and moved from his armor, switching to the lighter, and less bulky, armor, wearing the hat, the two greatswords, bow, and arrows on his back. He placed the pieces of armor, gauss rifle, and packs of items into the portal and closed it. He stepped out of the closet, the ponies turning to see him.

“That’s quite a lot of weapons you’ve managed to pick up.” Twilight said.

“Pays to be prepared.” He said with a shrug.

“You seem shorter without that other armor.” Rainbow said.

“It adds a foot in height and weighs several hundred pounds.” He answered.

~~~Eight hours later~~~

After an hour of talking to the ponies, we came to the train station and returned to Ponyville. A nice small party that Pinkie set up in under five minutes, that includes hard cider, hardcore spin the bottle, dirty truth and dare, and what they called ‘sexy wrestling’.

“So, which game do you want to play first?” Pinkie asked.

“Dirty truth and dare!" Twilight and Rainbow yelled together.

"Spin the bottle!" Applejack yelled.

Pinkie turned to the rest of the ponies, and human, and cocked an eyebrow.

"So what will it be?" She asked. Rarity sighed in apprehension.

"I don't wish to participate in such games." She huffed.

"You got to!" Pinkie pleaded. I opened my arms open as I stretched, while Pinkie took this as an opportunity to speed into my lap, getting a surprised grunt as she slammed herself down on my crotch. I looked at her with an almost pained look, while she giggled and kissed my cheek. I looked at her suspiciously, seeing Fluttershy fuming in the corner.

"I guess I can take truth and dare...." I said, getting smiles from Pinkie, Twilight, and Rainbow.

"Four votes for truth and dare, majority vote has concluded and we shall start the game is just a few minutes." Pinkie said in an uncharacteristically professional tone. Everypony turned to her in confusion, but quickly placed it under the 'Pinkie being Pinkie' category.

"I'm going to grab a drink." I said, pushing myself up and grabbing a red solo cup, which surprised me the first time, and poured some ice cold hard cider into the cup, immediately pressing my lips to the cup and draining half of it within five seconds. I refilled it quickly, taking the drink back to the spot I was sitting. Pinkie was scratching her chin, her eyes narrowed as she looked between the ponies and human. Her eyes locked with Twilight's and she smiled evilly.

"Twilight! Truth or dare?" She asked. Twilight remained silent for a few seconds, her eyes darting around the room.

"Truth." She answered.

"Is it true..." Pinkie started, getting to her feet and pacing back in forth. "That you played with yourself in college?" Pinkie finished, smiling evilly. Twilight's entire face grew red hot with embarrassment as she nodded once and dug her face into her hands. Everypony erupted into laughter while I sympathized the mare. Twilight grew flustered as she looked between the mares and human, locking her eyes on Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow, truth or dare?" She asked. Rainbow puffed out her chest and immediately said.

"Dare!" Twilight smiled evilly as she thought of her dare.

"Why don't you strip for everypony and give them a small dance?" Twilight said, causing Rainbow to sputter. Her arguments fell on deaf ears as she was forced to strip down to her underwear and dance like a stripper for a minute. The second Twilight said she was okay to put her clothes on, she practically teleported into them. Rainbow Dash locked eyes with me and smiled cruelly.

"Daniel. Truth or dare?" She asked, causing me to think.

"Truth." I said, deciding to play safe for the moment.

"Is it true that you're still a virgin?" She asked. I turned my attention towards Fluttershy, who smiled sheepishly.

"Yes, I have not had sex with anyone." I said, causing Rainbow Dash and Applejack to sputter into laughter. I gritted my teeth, taking the drink in hand and downing the entire drink within a few seconds, crushing the cup in my hand easily.

I turned my attention to the rest of the ponies, each making eye contact with me. I looked at Fluttershy and smirked slightly.

"Fluttershy. Truth or dare?" I asked. "Dare." She answered immediately.

"I dare you to take off a single article of clothing for the rest of the night," I said, the mare immediately taking off her shirt shamelessly.

"Applejack, truth or dare?" Fluttershy asked without looking at AJ. "Dare."

~Morning~

I woke up, feeling warm all over my body. I opened my eyes and growled, the sun conveniently placed to be burning into my eyes as I open them. I let my eyes grow accustomed to the light, and saw a... strange sight. The mares were all sitting among themselves, drinking coffee or tea. I picked myself off of the floor, catching their attention.

"You're finally awake!" Pinkie yelled, handing me a cup of hot coffee. I looked at the mares before taking a sip of the coffee. It was lightly sugared and fairly creamed, and was absolutely perfect. I continued to sip on the coffee, seeing the mares giving me surprised looks.

"Uh Daniel... Are ya okay?" Applejack asked.

"I'm perfectly fine." I answered truthfully. They gave astonished looks and I shook my head.

"What's the matter? Is it something in my coffee?" I asked, looking at Pinkie.

"It's nothing really, but Pinkie just gave you coffee." Rainbow said sarcastically. "And it's freaking perfect." I said, taking another large gulp.

"Whenever Pinkie gives somepony coffee, it's always way too strong." Fluttershy said. "I guess since I'm a different species, I'm not affected by this as much as you guys are." I said, giving a shrug as I drank more of it.

"It also means that she wants to be in a relationship with that pony." Twilight said. I choked on the coffee, nearly spitting it out. I cleared my throat a few times, getting the coffee out of my trachea. I looked over at Fluttershy, and she nodded.

"I'd be honored." I said, hearing a loud squeal behind me. Next thing I knew, I was on my back, coffee on the table, with a pair of sugary lips pressed against mine, a loud moan filling the air. I cleared my vision and saw that Pinkie was on top of me, her eyes closed, her lips pressed to mine. Her lips were soft, with a faint hint of... cotton candy and sugar coating her lips. I returned her kiss, the rest of the mares staring in surprise and awe. "Pinkie, how did ya bring him down so quickly?" Applejack asked. Pinkie giggled but didn't pull away.

"It's a good thing it's Daniel then. Most stallions that she has gotten with are only for a quick rut." Fluttershy said, clearly unfazed. The rest of the mares agreed and Pinkie finally pulled away.

"Wow! Fluttershy was right! He is a great kisser!" Pinkie said. I chuckled and got up, rubbing the back of my head. A frantic knocking caught everypony's attention and I answered the door. A royal guard stood at it, out of breath.

"Princess Celestia requests you immediately. She also said bring your armor and weapons." He said. I noticed that I already had my armor on and went to go grab the black hole simulator. I grabbed it, opening it up to check for the CMC armor and Gauss Rifle and found them just floating there. I closed it and walked out with the guard, the elements following behind quickly. Suddenly a bright flash caught us all off guard and we were teleported to Canterlot. We stood in the throne room, both princesses sitting on their thrones.

"My apologize, but the reason I summoned you here on such short notice is that we have rumor of an attack that will take place here tomorrow. I have roused the guards and have set up defenses all over the city, but with Daniel and the Elements of Harmony on our side, we will successfully repel the attack." Celestia said, writing a message as she talked. She sent the message off.

"So we need to stay here until the battle has commenced or if this rumor has blown over?" I asked.

"Exactly. Surely you understand." Celestia said.

"Of course Princess!" Twilight said.

"You are allowed to stay in the guest rooms until this rumor blows over, which it hopefully stays a rumor..." Celestia said.

"Time for me to get into my armor then.." I said, walking towards the guest rooms. The mares followed and we quickly arrived at the guest rooms. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and I walked into one room, while the other mares took different rooms for themselves. I closed the door and walked into the bathroom, getting into the CMC armor. I finished putting on the armor ad stepped out, ducking to avoid hitting my head. I saw Pinkie and Fluttershy talking to each other, laying on the bed with each other. They stopped as the door opened, watching me step out. I walked out of the door, heading back to the throne room. I took some wrong turns and ended up in the dining hall, where Celestia and Luna were seated and waiting. They looked up at me.

"I see you're in your armor Daniel." Celestia said simply.

"Yep. Need to tell me anything else Sherlock?" I quipped. They gave me confused glances.

"Sherlock? What?" Luna said.

"I do in fact. I will allow you to use your weapon when the gryphons attack. Otherwise, you must always have it holstered or do something to secure the weapon from misfires." Celestia said. I flipped a switch that was labeled 'Safety'.

"Safety's on, should not fire unless I turn it off." I said, getting more looks from the princesses.

"Excuse my lack of knowledge, but what does the safety do?" She asked.

"It keeps the gun from firing. If I try to pull the trigger, then it'll stop the trigger and you won't be able to fire. All it takes is a simple flip of the switch and you'll be able to fire once more." I said, demonstrating it. I of course did not fire.

"How powerful is the weapon?" Luna asked.

"Imagine five ponies standing in a straight line. Now firing one of these shots and all five ponies have a massive hole in their chest and the bullet keeps going. This rifle also has a alternate firing mode. It fires a single round and would punch through stone like a knife through scrib jelly." I explained.

"Why would you have something like that?!" Celestia's voice cracked and shrilled.

"Where this came from, it's actually a weak weapon. It wouldn't be able to punch through this armor," I tapped the armor. "and wouldn't be able to punch through the toughest zerg carapace. And the energy shield I have..." I said.

"Energy shield? I don't feel it." Celestia said.

"It's artificial, not made with magic. It's created with a chip that I have in the back of my helmet." I said. I took the chip out of the back of the helm and showed it to them. They looked at the small chip and I put it back into my helmet, the energy shield lighting up as it recharged. The princesses looked in surprise at the light silver shield. It fully recharged in thirty seconds and the glow disappeared.

"We'll be fully prepared for an attack tomo-" Before Celestia finished her sentence, the doors burst open and a bloody stallion stumbled into the chambers. The princesses stood up in shock.

"The... gryphons..." He muttered, before he started to choke on his own blood. A blood covered gryphon flew in through the open doors and let out a battle cry, locking it's eyes on Celestia. Before he moved, he exploded in a mess of gore and meat. The ponies stared at the scene then turned to me, looking at the smoking barrel of the gun.

"Damn shame."

The pony/gryphon war has begun.

Finalis Limitaneis

Trudging through the destroyed and burning streets of Canterlot was a giant, mobile death machine, armed with a C-141 AC Rifle and a battle suit called the CMC-400 Powered Combat Suit.

The combat shield mounted on his shoulder was covered with scratches and dents, as well as the majority of his arms while few littered his chestplate and helmet.

He was on a routine search through the city, looking for survivors and gryphons when a scream filled the air and, responding instinctively, he spun around and began charging towards where he estimated the source of the sound was.

Hundreds of gryphons also showed up where the scream resonated from. He placed his shield in front of him and charged in, knocking gryphons to the side and crushing some of them with his boots. At the dead end of the alleyway sat two mares, one white with electric blue hair and another gray with an expertly made black mane. The last gryphons were knocked back into the crowd and he turned around. The mares gave another scream and looked up at him.

“Get down and stay out of my way! Tell me when gryphons are diving!” He yelled. He turned around and fired. The bullets tore into the gryphons and they all scattered. The suit of armor fired at the oncoming gryphons, managing to lock down the dead end. Most didn’t think to fly above the gunfire and flew into the torrent of bullets, being torn apart. The mares looked in awe at their savior, watching him fight the murderous gryphons. He fired his last bullet and reloaded quickly, kicking a gryphon back as it got too close. He continued firing, the new rounds shredding the basic leather armor and feathers that the gryphons wore. The last of the gryphons scattered and took off, some being taken out as he fired at them. He turned back to the alley and saw that the two mares were staring at him in astonishment.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here before more come.” He said. He reloaded and holstered the guns.

“Look out!” One of the mares called out. He turned around and something bounced off of a wide light silver energy shield surrounding him. He looked at the gryphon, sitting on the ground stunned. He grabbed it by the neck.

“You can’t sneak up on me.” He said before taking the small knife that it held.

“A stone knife eh?” He stated. He took the flimsy knife and crushed it in his hands. He turned back to the gryphon.

“Tell your leader that they need to rethink attacking ponies.” He said, letting the gryphon go. It landed in a pile and got up, taking off. He turned back to the mares.

“Survivors are to report to the castle.” He said.

“Aren’t you going to escort us there?” One of the mares asked.

“Of course.” He said. One of the mares tried to get up but fell over due to one of her legs being scratched.

“Ow ow ow!” She yelled. He walked over and knelt over her.

“Are you okay?” He asked. She shook her head and he scooped her up in his arms. The other, the white mare, looked jealous, but got up.

“I think it might be better if I carry both of you.” He said.

“Carry both of us?” The white mare asked.

“Yeah.” He said simply. The mare blushed but climbed onto his back. He bent down and allowed her to climb onto his back, then took off at a quick pace towards the castle.

“Jeez! How are ya so fast?!” The white mare asked.

“No reason.” He answered simply, managing to reach the castle in five minutes. He dropped the mares off at the medical tents that were set up and started his trek again. The mares looked sad for him to leave but they understood his duty. He continued searching the city, some gryphons scavenging the town for food and bits. After five hours of slaying gryphons and saving ponies, he counted the amount of survivors that made it through the attack and the amount of gryphons he killed. He reported to Celestia, who was sitting on her throne with a grim expression on her face. The doors burst open as he walked into the hall, a battalion of pony royal guard standing in front of her. She gave a small smile and waved him over. He jogged over to the throne and took off his helmet, revealing his tired and sweaty face.

“How many?” She asked.

“Fifty thousand survivors and eighty thousand gryphons slain.” He answered. Both princesses gave sighs of relief.

“Only ten thousand ponies killed. How many have you slain?” She asked. He frowned.

“I already gave you my number.” He said. The princesses gave him surprised looks.

“You’ve managed to save fifty thousand survivors and slay eighty thousand gryphons…?” She said disbelievingly.

“It’s been nearly two weeks since this battle started…” He said, wiping some sweat off of his forehead.

“We’ve not set or risen the sun or moon at all!” Luna and Celestia gasped together. They stepped off of the thrones and took off towards their chambers. Celestia stopped at the last second and said.

“Wait here.” She then took off. He put his helmet back on and sighed, yawning behind the helmet. He was surprised by how tired he actually felt. A few minutes passed and the princesses returned, a surprisingly large bag of bits following behind them.

“You’ve managed to save Canterlot single handedly, and you have our thanks Daniel.Please accept this sum of bits as a beginning to say our thanks to you.” Celestia said, levitating the bag to him.

“I can’t accept this. Use the bits in this bag to help rebuild Canterlot.” He stated, pushing the bag of bits back to them. They looked distraught, but nodded and levitated the bits away.

“I must thank you again for saving Canterlot.” Celestia said.

“If you really want to repay me, can you get me and try to find Fluttershy and Pinkie?” He asked. She nodded and he went off to the guest rooms. He reached the rooms and stepped into a random one, taking off his armor and flopping onto the bed. He fell asleep quickly, his first sleep for two weeks.He woke up when the doors closed and he sat up, seeing Fluttershy and Pinkie.

“WE HAVEN’T SEEN YOU FOR TWO WEEKS!” Pinkie yelled, flopping on the bed and giving him a large hug. Daniel returned the hug and smiled at Fluttershy. She walked over to the bed and sat on the other side, getting in on the hug.

“I’ve been running around Canterlot for the last two weeks trying to find survivors or any gryphons that stayed behind to plunder.” He explained.

“You could’ve been killed out there!” Fluttershy said.

“Just like the fifty thousand survivors that I managed to get out of the city.” He shot back.

“F-fifty thousand ponies?”

“Yep.”

“But it’s only been one day!”

“Actually, it’s been two weeks. Celestia and Luna had forgotten to raise and lower the sun and moon.” He said.

“How could they forget to lower the sun and raise the moon?” Pinkie asked with a snicker.

“Hell I don’t know… All I know is that I managed to save a lot of ponies during the last two weeks, I’ve helped fight off the gryphons, and I’m tired.” He said, letting his head hit the pillow.

“When’s the last time you’ve eaten?” Fluttershy asked.

“Um… A week ago…” He said sheepishly, as if on cue his stomach growled in protest. The two mares gasped and they both tugged on his arms to get him out of bed.

“You need food!” Pinkie whined.

“I need sleep.” He grumbled.

“How long has it been since you’ve slept?” Fluttershy said.

“I wasn’t able to sleep until today, so about two weeks. I’ve been drinking water daily.” He protested.

“How long have you slept?” Pinkie asked.

“Well, I finished going through the entire city, making sure of getting all gryphons and survivors, and reported to Celestia, then I requested that you two were sent to the guest rooms so I could talk to you, and fell asleep.” He said.

“It took Celestia and Luna almost three hours to find us.” Fluttershy said.

“Oh well. I’m still tired though.” He said, falling back onto the pillow. They both groaned and pulled him back up.

“Let’s go eat dinner together.” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah!” Pinkie added. He got up, pulling some clothes from the dresser and going to the bathroom. He hopped into the shower and washed up. He got out and dried off, putting the clean clothes on, and walking out to the two mares.

“What have you guys been doing?” He asked.

“I’ve been working with the medical ponies.” Fluttershy said.

“I’ve been distributing rations to the survivors!” Pinkie giggled. She bounced around the room with vigor. Daniel chuckled and walked to the door, opening it. Pinkie bounced out of the room and Fluttershy followed, shaking her head with a small smile. He followed behind the mares and closed the door, then went towards the dining hall. Most of the survivors were sitting at the table with the princesses sitting at the end of the tables. A space on the table in between two individuals caught his eye. Three chairs were empty on the table and they made a beeline towards it. They reached the chairs and took their seats, and Daniel sat next to a pair of mares that he had saved earlier that day. The white and gray one. They both spoke in hushed tones as they threw glances at him, before one of them tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hello?” The white one said. He turned to them, looking at both of them.

“Hi.” He said simply.

“Are you the one that was in the weird armor?” She asked.

“Yes it was. Might I ask your name?” He asked.

“Vinyl.” She said, holding out one of her hands. He took the hand and shook it gently.

“This is Octavia.” She said, pointing to the gray mare. She held out a hand as well and he took it, shaking it gently as well.

“My name is Daniel.” He said.

“Strange name.” Vinyl said.

“Now Vinyl..” Octavia warned.

“It’s alright. Not the worst reaction I’ve gotten…” He chuckled.

“Hey Daniel, what are you doing?” Fluttershy asked behind him. He turned to her.

“Just talking to other ponies.” He said, turning his body so that Vinyl and Octavia could be seen.

“Oh hey Vinyl!” Pinkie said, waving.

“Hey Pinks. You know Daniel?” Vinyl said.

“Know him? Of course I know Danny!” She said, nuzzling Daniel.

“Oh my god… I thought she forgot about that nickname…” He said.

“I could never forget your name Danny!” Pinkie laughed.

“Danny?” Vinyl said, smirking and her lip quivering with an attempt to hold in a laugh.

“Oh don’t make fun of him Vinyl!” Octavia said, lightly slapping Vinyl’s back.

“I’m not making fun of him!” Vinyl turned to Octavia. They started bickering with each other and Pinkie and Daniel turned away from them.

“Are they always like this..?” Daniel asked Pinkie.

“They’re trying to get into a harem, but either the group is already full or the stallions are not good enough by Octavia’s standards… I wanted to talk to Fluttershy about them actually.” She whispered in his ear. He nodded and looked at Fluttershy, who was staring off into space.

“Hey Fluttershy.” He said. He got her attention and she looked up, smiling. She got up and looked at both of them.

“What is it?” She asked.

“I wanted to ask you something. I heard that Vinyl and Octavia were looking for a harem, and I was wondering how large a harem can get.” He looked at her. She scratched her chin.

“The average male to female ratio is around one to thirteen.” She scratched her chin.

“Are you okay with more mares in the harem?” Fluttershy asked suddenly. He looked up at her in surprise.

“Um.. I guess we can have more mares in the harem…” He whispered.

“I’m sorry if I made you awkward, but it doesn’t feel right keeping a stallion between one or two mares…” Fluttershy said.

”I… understand.” He said, scratching his chin. His face was free of any sort of hair. He had shaved when he arrived back to the right Equestria. His head had some hair but it made him look like he was in the army.

“So when did you hear that Vinyl and Octavia were looking for a harem?” Fluttershy asked.

“Heard it from Pinkie. I kinda feel bad for them, being alone all of this time.” He said. Fluttershy grew a grin on her face.

“Do you want them in the harem Daniel? Is that why you were asking all of that?” She asked. He stopped and looked at both of them, noticing that both of them were looking at him.

“Maybe…” He looked away from the mares as they all giggled.

“That’s sweet Daniel.” Fluttershy said.

“I try my best.” He said, his cheeks puffing slightly. They all giggled again.

“Well, I’m not hungry anymore.” Daniel said.

“But you haven’t eaten anything!” Fluttershy said.

“I’m more tired than I am hungry.” He insisted.

“But you haven’t eaten anything in a week!” Fluttershy said loudly, catching the attention of most of the ponies.

“Daniel, why aren’t you eating?” Octavia asked, a hint of worry on her voice.

“I haven’t had a chance to. I’ve been running around, trying to save everyone!” He said.

“And how long has it been since you’ve slept?” Vinyl asked.

“Two weeks, but I took a three hour nap. Still tired as hell though.” He blinked as he finished the sentence, rubbing his eyes.

“Just eat some food and go to sleep. Not that difficult.” Vinyl said.

“I think I’m becoming anorexic…” He said.

“What’s that?” Fluttershy asked.

“It’s where I don’t eat food. Some people do that because they were afraid of gaining weight from eating a lot of food and would refuse to eat.” He explained. Before anyone said anything else, food was brought out, some sort of soup, sandwiches, and crackers. Bottled water was given out as well, and the ponies dug in. The soup was… somewhat good, the sandwiches were the same and the crackers weren’t stale, so all in all, the meal was good. Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Daniel went back to their room. They reached the room and he opened the door for the mares. They giggled and walked inside, and Daniel closed the door behind them.

“Now that my stomach feels like bursting, I’m going to go lay down.” He said, jumping onto the bed and bouncing slightly. Pinkie giggled and followed him, landing on his back.

“Wee!” She yelled. Fluttershy giggled and walked to the bed like a normal pony would.

“You two…” She mumbled.

“What about us?” Daniel said. Fluttershy just shook her head and sat on the bed. She started taking off her clothes.

“Let me help!” Pinkie yelled, pulling off Fluttershy’s bra and grabbing her breasts. Fluttershy blushed and gave a loud moan. Daniel burst into laughter.

“Oh my…” Daniel said, impersonating Fluttershy. Pinkie giggled and Fluttershy blushed further. She threw a pillow at Daniel and he knocked it out of the way. He smirked and picked Fluttershy up gently. She squealed in delight and he dropped her on the bed. She pulled him closer and kissed him. He returned it and a small whine was heard. Daniel looked towards the whine and saw Pinkie was staring at them, a hungry look on her face. He wrapped her in a hug and kissed her gently, but she pulled him closer and kissed him passionately. His eyes widened but he returned it, his manhood growing at the passionate kiss. Pinkie felt his manhood poke her and she smiled, pulling off his pants.

AN: The next chapter will pick up on the sex scene, so get ready for a clop heavy chapter!

Principio ad Finem {Explicit Warning}

Daniel stared in surprise as Pinkie pulled his pants to his knees, revealing his underwear where his genitals appeared to have pitched a large tent. Pinkie giggled and pulled his underwear down, revealing his penis to everyone in the room.

“Looks like someones party stick is ready!” Pinkie exclaimed, giggling. Daniel looked away and blushed slightly, before his attention was pulled back to Pinkie as she tackle hugged him, subsequently kissing him passionately. He returned it, feeling the pink mare rub against him.

Fluttershy giggled and pulled off Pinkie’s shirt, her large breasts bouncing all over the place. Daniel grabbed a handful of it and squeezed, gaining a moan from Pinkie. She pulled away and hopped off, pulling off her pants and panties, her marehood red and slick with anticipation.

She gave Daniel a look of hunger, and tackled him to the bed. He tried kissing her but she pulled away and giggled.

“Not yet Danny! You gotta do something for me before I return the favor~!” She giggled. He cocked an eyebrow.

“I think I have an idea…” He said, grabbing Pinkie and rolling over. As he rolled over, he slid down and his knees hit the floor, positioning him perfectly with his head near Pinkie’s marehood. Her eyes widened and her grin grew larger. Daniel looked at her pussy and gave it a lick, the salty but sweet juices coating his tongue.
He swallowed it and looked up at Pinkie.

“Mmm~... Continue doing that Danny…” Pinkie moaned out. He gave her another lick, which was followed by a loud moan. Pinkie was snapped out of her pleasure induced stupor momentarily when she noticed a moan that didn’t come from her, but sounded familiar all the same. Once she recognized the voice, she turned towards Fluttershy, who was, as she suspected, playing with herself.

Feeling another jolt of pleasure calling her back to Daniel, Pinkie groaned in pleasure as he spread her marehood open and gave his tongue into her. She grabbed his head and pushed it further into her folds, moaning loudly. His tongue dug into her marehood, brushing against a spot that made her squeeze his head with her legs in pleasure. He smirked and continued licking and brushing against that spot, causing her to buck wildly against him.

“Oh my Celestia!” Pinkie screamed, bucking wildly as she came close to exploding. She grabbed his head and shoved it as far as she could as she came, spraying her cum over his face. He pulled away, licking the juice from his face and smiling at her.

She huffed and pulled him closer, which surprised him, and kissed him passionately. He returned it, her tongue sneaking into his mouth and tasting her juices. Another loud moan was heard as Fluttershy came as well, coating her hand and thighs in her juices.

She looked over to Pinkie and Daniel, blushing furiously as she saw them watching her. Pinkie giggled and Daniel got up, laying on the bed. Pinkie crawled on top of him, her marehood brushing against his penis. He bit his lip to hold back the moan that threatened to release from the simple touch.

Pinkie saw this and giggled, kissing him. Daniel suddenly felt something warm, tight, and wet envelop his member. The stimulation it gave caused him to moan in Pinkie’s mouth and grip the sheets on the bed. Another form sat on the bed and they pulled away to find Fluttershy staring at the both of them.

Daniel gave a glance down and took notice that Pinkie has slid herself down onto him and that was the sensation he felt. Two hands gripped his head and a pair of lips was pushed onto his, and his attention was snapped back to the two mares. Fluttershy was making out with him and he used a hand to brush a lock of hair out of her face.

He pushed himself further into her, using his hand to hold her in place as he continued kissing her affectionately. A large blush grew on her face as he did. Pinkie rose off of him, only the head of his penis inside of her before she slammed back down on him quickly.

He groaned into Fluttershy’s mouth and placed one hand on Pinkie’s ass and pushed her further down, his manhood pushing against her womb as his crotch slapped against hers.

Pinkie’s eyes widened and she gave a loud moan, nearing a scream of pleasure.

“Rut me Daniel!” Pinkie yelled, raising her waist up and slamming it back down, a loud slap following. The two others were stunned by the vulgar words coming from what seemed like such an innocent mare. Daniel gave a smirk and pulled away from Fluttershy briefly, and placed both of his hands on Pinkie’s hips.

He used his strength to lift Pinkie and slam her back down easily, both moaning loudly in pleasure. He continued to repeat the process, the loud and wet slap echoing in the room. Daniel closed his eyes and continued rutting Pinkie, before he felt a weight push down on his head.

He opened his eyes and found Fluttershy’s marehood looking down at him. He didn’t need any instructions and started licking her. She gave a startled yelp and moaned loudly. His tongue brushed her clit and her entire body froze. He stopped and gave her a curious glance, and she grabbed his head.

“Lick there.” She ordered him. He responded by licking her clit again, and she pushed his head farther into her crotch. He heard a whine and took notice that he had stopped using his hands to rut Pinkie. He gave Fluttershy’s clit another lick as he started pushing into Pinkie once more. She gave a moan of pleasure as her answer.

Suddenly, a hot and salty liquid sprayed onto Daniel’s face. He gave a strangled gasp as most of it shot into his mouth, some getting stuck in his air tunnel. He coughed up the liquid and they gave him looks of concern.

“Some just went down the wrong way.” He cleared his throat and felt more liquid spray his crotch. He looked down and saw that Pinkie had came once more, the thick and clear substance dripping onto the covers. Fluttershy and Pinkie looked at each other and they nodded, both getting up.

Fluttershy sat on Daniel’s crotch, her marehood just hovering over his manhood. Without saying a word, she slid herself onto him, her hymen breaking. She slid all the way down and stopped, a few tears running her cheeks.

“You okay ‘Shy?” Daniel asked, grabbing one of her hands and squeezing it gently. She nodded gently and softly started. At first, she only moved slightly, raising herself an inch or so to get a feeling of it, but she quickly repeated the actions Pinkie made, and with Pinkie’s help, she managed to make her tight marehood work harmoniously with her movements.
Daniel felt a large pressure building at the base of his penis and he stopped her. She looked at him and he shook his head.

“I don’t know what this is… I feel like… pressure at the base of my dick.” He said. Pinkie smiled.

“That means you’re going to let your hot lead out!” She giggled. Her wording confused Daniel but he got the meaning of it.

He was about to cum.

Fluttershy smiled hungrily.

“I want you to cum inside me.” She said, slamming herself back down onto him. He was going to ask her if it was safe but only a moan of pleasure was released. Fluttershy slammed herself down and her pussy clenched together, trying to milk his penis for the oncoming semen.

He took over and started thrusting inside of her, the pressure increasing from the tightened marehood. It only took three minutes for the pressure to reach the top of his cock and he hesitated slightly.

“Wouldn’t you get pregnant if I cum inside?” He asked.

“Only if we were in heat, and our next heat cycles are in three months.” Pinkie said. Fluttershy pushed herself down, his entire penis being swallowed into her vagina.

He stopped holding back and thrusted into her once more and came. The first shot of his hot jizz went straight to her womb, filling her up. His visioned blurred and stars swam in his vision as he came. He felt her pull off and he continued his powerful orgasm, spraying his seed everywhere. A startled gasp was heard from the door, followed by two more from Fluttershy and Pinkie.

Daniel gasped and his vision returned to him as his orgasm ended, and he saw a mare, a night guard by the looks of it, standing in the doorway with one of her eyes closed due to it being covered by his white jizz. She wiped it off with a single finger, glaring at Daniel. She looked at it, her cheeks becoming flushed, and she placed the finger on her tongue and tasted his semen.

She pulled her finger out and she hummed in thought.

“I like it…” She said, walking into the room and shutting the door. She pulled off her armor, her bra and panties the same dark purple color. She smiled as she walked past Fluttershy and Pinkie, the former sitting in a chair holding her stomach and the latter trying to chat with the former.

“I don’t even know you.” Daniel said, a slight hint of desperation on his voice as he stared at the hungry mare.

“My name is Violet Galaxy. There, you know me now.” She bypassed his concerns so easily. Before Daniel could say anything else, she pounced on him, kissing him passionately. He couldn’t do anything but return it, his eyes darting to Fluttershy and Pinkie, who shrugged. She stopped and slid down, her breasts rubbing against his crotch. He groaned and looked down at her.

“I’ve always wanted to have a stallion of my own.” She said, before her mouth found its way to his new found boner. He bit back his groan at her warm mouth and looked at Fluttershy and Pinkie again. They smiled at him and he let his groan out, except it had a hint of defeat.

Luckily, the mare didn’t catch the defeat and looked up at him. Her bright purple eyes stared into his eyes and he grabbed her head and pushed inside, his penis going down her throat. Her eyes widened but she smiled and she swallowed. The feeling of her swallowing the head of his penis made him moan in pleasure and he pushed further. She gagged and he let go and she pulled herself away.

“I didn’t realize it was so long.” She said, coughing. The other two mares giggled and Violet shot them a glance. Daniel shrugged and she went back to work, bringing him to his breaking point in under twenty minutes.
She knew he was ready to explode and used her hands to jerk him off while licking his head, her mouth open for when he came. The moment of truth came and Daniel exploded, spraying his seed into Violet’s open mouth and down her throat.
He came too much and she wasn’t able to swallow it all and some drizzled onto her neck and chest. Daniel huffed and laid onto the bed, tired and spent from cumming twice. Violet laughed.

“It’s a good thing I’m off duty.” She said, going to the bathroom and cleaning up, Fluttershy and Pinkie following her. They all came out as one, towels wrapped around their chests to hide their breasts. Daniel got up and showered.
Once he was done he came out and found the mares on the bed, a spot in between them just for him. He smiled and crawled in between them, giving each an affectionate kiss and wrapping his large arms around them. They cuddled up to him and they each fell asleep. Daniel stared out the window to the smoldering city before him. He had forgotten all about the destruction during his first sexual encounter. He fell asleep as the sun slowly grew over the horizon.

Insidiæ

Daniel woke up, feeling warm and content. He opened his eyes, finding it to be late afternoon. Rubbing his eyes and looking around, he found three mares sleeping around him.

Remembering what happened last night, he smiled, got up, kissed each on the forehead while being careful not to disturb them, and began preparation for what he was sure would be a long and eventful day, if his recent ones were any indication.
He went to the bathroom, stretched, and took a shower. He used the basic shampoo provided from the castle to wash his body down and dirty hair out.

Washing off the suds after a job well done, he climbed out of the shower, dried off, then went to go pull on fresh clothes when he noticed that he had no clean clothes. He stepped outside in nothing but a towel and saw that all three mares were awake and stared at him. He gave an awkward smile as he grabbed clothes from his dresser and went back into the bathroom to pull them on.

He stepped outside and noticed that Fluttershy and Pinkie were gone and he went into the closet, revealing the clawed and scratch covered armor he used to save Canterlot. He turned around and saw that Violet was standing behind him, staring at the armor in awe.

“So you were the one to save Canterlot…” She asked, awe dripping from her tone.

“Uh… Yeah.” He said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand awkwardly. He was surprised when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

“Thank you.” She said, before she pulled on her clothes and armor. She gave him another hug and kiss then left. Not two minutes later, a knock on the door was heard. Daniel answered it, another guard standing at the door.

“Princess Celestia wishes to see you. Bring your armor.” He said, walking away without another word. He looked around and found a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote a quick message to both Fluttershy and Pinkie on the bed before pulling on his armor and grabbing the Gauss rifle. He stepped out, looking back at them, then made his way to the throne room. Random ponies walked the halls, guards marching in patrols as well as stationed on every hallway. As they saw Daniel make his way through, ponies and guards alike cheered, patting him on the back and doing other stuff to show their appreciation. He reached the throne room and found Celestia sitting on her throne, four guards by her side instead of her normal two. He walked up and bowed, albeit awkwardly, and watched her face.

“I see you received my message. I know this is asking a lot of you Daniel, but I want you to go on an attacking party to the Gryphon kingdom to strike back at them for attacking Canterlot. Gather any information as to why they attacked Canterlot with no provocation.” She said. Daniel took a step back as he swallowed this information. He gave a sigh.

“Tell Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Violet Galaxy that I am leaving with this party. How long will I be gone?” He said. She hesitated, surprise breaking her poker face for a brief second.

“Violet Galaxy? She is on the night guard, is she not?” She asked. He nodded, and she gave a hum. “I will send a guard to inform her. The party will strike at the heart of the kingdom. It will take two weeks to arrive there undetected. You must fight your way through the city, to the castle and take the king by force.” She said. He did a double take as he looked at her.

“You wish to end this war as soon as possible.” Daniel pointed out.

“I want to capture the king and question him on why he attacks Equestria, unless you can gather enough information to prove he is innocent or guilty.” She pushed.

“Do I have to worry about anything else besides Gryphons?” He said. “Watch for civilians.” She said. He shook his head and chuckled.

“When do we leave?” He asked. “In one hour, so you can gather your supplies.” She said. He was already carrying everything he needed, in the black hole simulator that held everything he had.

“Mind if I go look for Violet?” He asked. She nodded and he took a corridor and started searching. He asked a few of the guards and they pointed down a single hallway. He walked down the hallway, occasionally glancing behind him. After five minutes of walking, he came across her standing alone in the hallway. She noticed him and gave a small wave. He made his way to her. “Hey Violet.” He started.

“Hey Daniel.” She responded. He was surprised she knew his name but didn’t question it.

“Are you on the attack party for the Gryphon kingdom?” He asked.

She nodded enthusiastically. “I wanted to get back at them for what they did!” She said. She stopped and looked at him. “How do you know about that?” She questioned.

“Because Princess Celestia asked me to join the party.” He said. She squealed with delight and jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and hugging him.

“That’s great!” She exclaimed, and she gripped the side of his helmet. He felt her trying to pull it off and chuckled.

“Hold on.” He muttered, pressing a button on the side. A stream of steam hissed out of six points on the neck where it connected with the helmet and he twisted it off. She immediately pulled him into a long kiss. She pulled away and grinned. “Much more where that came from.” She said lustfully.

“Let’s save it for when we actually get on the road instead of doing it in the hallway.” He said, looking around. “Maybe I want to do it now.” She said, kissing him again.

“We have to leave in twenty minutes, we don’t have enough time.” He commented. “Damn… I will get you the first chance I get.” She argued.

“I’ll be waiting for you.” He shot back, kissing her back. She let go of him, but he didn’t let go of her. She stared at him and he smiled. “You’re so damn beautiful.” He complimented.

She blushed and giggled. “You keep sweet talking me and I might have to take you down now.” She said hotly. The sound of armor rubbing against each other was heard and a guard turned the corner. He looked at the both of them.

“You leave in ten minutes.” The guard said awkwardly. He turned around and walked away. “I already have my stuff, you need anything?” Daniel asked. “I need a load of stuff!” She said. “Where’s your room?” He questioned.

“On this hall, come on!” She said, taking off. Daniel was able to keep pace with her easily which stunned her.

“How are you able to move so damn quick in that armor?” She asked in between breaths.

“No reason.” He said, not breaking a sweat. She rounded the corner and pulled out a key, then ran to a random door. On the hall was multiple doors for different ponies, stretching for as far as Daniel could see before the hall dipped into darkness. Violet opened the door and walked in, Daniel ducking to avoid hitting his head and walking inside. Her room was nicely kept, a few bottles of lipstick, perfume, and other makeup sitting on a table. She grabbed a bag and started stuffing necessities into it. It took her two minutes to gather all of her stuff and close the bag.

“I have a place to put your stuff.” Daniel said, pulling out the black hole simulator. She eyed it curiously and he activated it, pushing the bag inside. She looked in and saw all of his stuff floating around.

“So that’s where all of your stuff is…” She commented.

“Yeah, I know. Lets get going.” He said quickly, closing the black hole and putting his helmet on. They took off, reaching the meetup spot in seven minutes. Princess Celestia stood with the guards while they chatted. She raised a hand and everyone quieted. She lowered her hand and smiled.

“You chose to go on this very dangerous mission in order to bring the king of the Gryphons to justice for attacking Canterlot, and for that, you have reinforcements. Meet Daniel, or as you know him, the savior of Canterlot.” She waved a hand to him, where the guards cheered. He raised the barrel of his gun into the air and they cheered again.

“Now you make your march towards the Gryphon kingdom, and I wish you all good luck.” She said, as the guards returned to normal and started marching. They stepped onto the streets and a loud roar of a crowd met their ears as the ponies cheered at the guards as they marched. Pegasi flew overhead as they cheered, unicorns sending up fireworks from their horns, and everypony clapping as the guards made it through the streets. Daniel was the most obvious of them all, standing at almost eight feet tall, covered in blood and scratches, and even walking differently from the guards. They made it to the train station and stepped onto a train. It was different from the normal one, looking more intimidating and armored. The attack party stepped onto the train and it took off towards Baltimare, where they will take a stealth ship to the Gryphon kingdom and made their way to the capital undetected. What they didn’t know is that the gryphons were waiting for them at every turn…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How far are we from the shore?!” Daniel asked the shipmaster as the ship was sinking from the recent ambush.

“At least two hundred fifty yards!” The shipmaster yelled back.

“Damn it!” Daniel swore loudly, the ship lurching dangerously. Daniel grabbed the railing to keep him from falling and heard someone screaming above him. He looked up and saw Violet flying down towards him, her arms flailing. He reached out and grabbed her arm, tightening his grip on the rail.

“Oh my Celestia!” She screamed, hyperventilating. The ship started sinking, and Daniel made a decision. He curled up around Violet and jumped from the railing, hitting the water on his back. He let out a pained gasp as the pressure of the fall hit against his armor. He grabbed Violet and, with a powerful thrust of his legs, shot himself towards the surface. They resurfaced as the rest of the ship sunk into the water, disappearing. Some of the crew members and the rest of the royal guards swam to the shore. He inspected Violet and found her staring at him like he was crazy.

“Are you well enough to swim to shore?” He asked.

“Yeah.” She said, still staring at him. He turned around and swam to the shore, but the long swim in, while lightweight compared to him due to his superhuman strength, still tired him out. He pulled himself to the shore and lay on the sound, listening to the sputtering wrecks of the crew and what’s left of the attack party. He tossed his gun aside, then pulled off his helmet, drinking in the fresh tropical air. He pushed himself up, stumbling slightly, and looked around, counting twelve royal guards and twenty one crew members that made it to shore. The first day, they were ambushed on the train, killing two guards and injuring three. The second day, on the docks, they were attacked again, they lost five guards and injured four more. For the last week and a half, the gryphons have been relentless and attacking at every corner, chipping away at their numbers slowly. The most recent attack cost them dearly, resulting in their ship, most of their supplies, and over half of their attack party and losing most of the crew. He sighed, finding Violet amongst the guards. He sat next to her as she recovered from her near death experience.

“Thanks… for saving me…” She whispered to him.

“No problem…” He answered awkwardly. He considered their chances, finding all odds against them. They had no food, water, or shelter, no way of getting home, no way of capturing the king, not enough numbers to successfully sneak into the capital, and they were on enemy territory. Everything was stacked against them, and the only way for them to get back to Equestria is if the rest of the attack party could get a boat and crew to sail home. Daniel shook his head.

“Our chance of making it out of here is slim…” He muttered to himself. Violet looked at him in shock.

“Don’t say that Daniel… We can make it out of here. We’re going to be okay.” She whispered to him, hugging him tightly, as if in fear. He reassured her with one of his arms, while the rest of the crew found their bearings and started to figure out what’s going to happen. The bushes rustled behind Daniel, but the ponies were muttering among themselves and didn’t hear it. Daniel got up and grabbed his weapon slowly, eyeing the jungle in front of them suspiciously.

“What is it Daniel?” Violet asked, getting up.

“Get away from there. I fear that we may have company soon…” He told her, pushing her gently away from the bushes while backing up himself. Suddenly, a group of heavily armed gryphons burst from the shadows, yelling at the ponies and surrounding them. Daniel knocked one of them to the side only to have Violet pulled from his grasp. He reached out for her and the gryphons attempted to take him down. He kicked, punched, and threw the gryphons away as he clawed towards the rest of the ponies. Taking point, Daniel counted how many enemies there was and saw at least forty.

“Stand down, or we kill the ponies!” One of the gryphons said. He hesitated, aiming his gun at the gryphons, but one of the royal guards stepped towards him.

“You can’t win this fight alone without you losing some of the guards. Stand down.” The guard ordered. Daniel looked back at the ponies, seeing the fear in their eyes, and put his gun down, walking towards the ponies as the gryphons growled at him.

“Smart machine you have there.” The gryphons sneered at the guards.

“He’s not a machine. It’s only armor.” The guard said. The gryphons took their weapons and put them into chains, except they didn’t have large enough wrist cuffs for Daniel’s wrist and just tied them together with large chains. They didn’t take the black hole simulator, but they left the large chains on his wrist and he didn’t want them to think he can easily break them, so he left them on.

“What do you think they’re going to do to us?” One of the guards asked fearfully.

“They’re going to interrogate and torture us, then most likely execute us in front of the local population.” One of the other guards said. The rest of the guards and crew looked at him in shock and horror, some muttering only to be silenced by the gryphons. They prodded the ponies to continue walking, and they eventually reached a small town. The civilians of the town sneered and yelled at the ponies, calling them names and throwing objects at them.

The ponies were loaded onto a large carriage, but they didn’t have enough room for Daniel and he was forced to walk. He shrugged and started marching in time with the carriage, which was a light jog by how quick they were pulling it.

It soon got dark and they stopped and set up camp. The gryphons inspected the gun that Daniel carried, some looking down the barrel. A gryphon held it all wrong and fired it. He flew backwards while the bullet tore into the chest of two gryphons, the first one caught off guard and the second standing behind the first, equally surprised. They let out a gurgle as blood filled their mouths and dropped to the ground, dead. The gryphons stared in shock while Daniel was busy holding back his laughter. The ponies glared at the gryphons, but jumped back as the gryphon came flying by, the gun disappearing behind them. After the confusion had settled, the gryphons noticed that the gun was gone.

“Find that weapon and bring it to me! I want to give this machine a taste of its own medicine!” The leader ordered. The gryphons found the gun almost immediately and the leader held the gun at Daniel and fired. The bullet bounced off of the energy shield, which shimmered silver blue, slightly orange in the roar of the fire. Every single gryphon and pony stared in surprise at the shimmering shield.

“An energy shield…” The leader mused, before putting the gun down next to him. The next day, Daniel marched again while the ponies stared at him. The next day, they reached a large city and the ponies were brought to a dungeon. The gryphons ordered Daniel out of the armor, and deciding not to force them to harm the armor, he took it off, before realizing he had no shirt on but continued. The guards stared at the quite buff and tall human in surprise. They walked away without taking the armor and the human put the armor in the shadows so that they wouldn’t see it.

A few minutes later, the gryphons returned and put cuffs on his wrists and ankles and led him out, bringing him to a room with a table and chair. They hooked the chains to the floor and left, leaving him to his thoughts.

“Interrogation number one.” A voice said, and the door opened. A gryphon walked in, holding his gun, and more gryphons stepped inside carrying more objects. After dropping a dozen different objects, another gryphon walked in. She looked at the human, and walked to the opposite side of the table, slamming her hands on the table.

“So.. you’re the thing that came from the armor?” She asked, turning Daniel’s head to the side. “Quite the handsome piece of meat. Built better than most ponies I’ve seen. Better than some gryphons as well.” She slapped him, raking her claws across his face. Immediately, his skin rebuilt and she jumped back, startled.

“What in Tartarus was that?!” She screeched. She made a long cut on his chest and watched the red and black tentacles work to heal the wound immediately. “Never seen anything like this…” She said. Daniel remained silent as she looked at him. “I want to know how you’re able to do this.” She ordered.

Daniel remained silent, and she picked up a metal rod, then jammed it into his stomach, the hook on the end of it just barely poking him, and she twisted it while smiling cruelly. Daniel groaned in pain as the rod was pulled out, some of his blood pouring out of the wound before it was closed up. She poked his blood and inspected it, before wiping it on him.

“Want to talk now?” She asked. He remained silent and she grabbed the next object, a simple knife to the naked eye, and stabbed it into his arm. He was electrocuted as the volts shot down his arm, reaching the rest of his body in a matter of milliseconds. He spasmed in the chair and the gryphon pulled it out of his arm. He stopped, huffing, and lifted his head.

“A strange device, this is. A simple knife put with an energy crystal that stores electrical charges inside of it.” She said, before stabbing him in the arm again, sending him into another spasming spree. While he was uncontrollably spasming in the chair, she pulled out a whip with razor sharp blades sticking out of the length of it. She pulled the knife out of his arm and he hung his head. “Oh you baby.” She punched him in the stomach. He let out another grunt of pain and looked up at her, an expressionless mask covering his face.

“Not fearful, pleading, or pained. I’m impressed.” She kissed his cheek. He looked her in the eyes. “Aw, he actually has some balls. More than I can say for the rest of them…” She chuckled and tickled his chin, smiling at him. She moved away from him and swung the bladed whip at him. It dug into his shoulder and cut into his chest, the teeth curling around his back. She pulled back and the teeth tore through his skin, the final, large blade catching a tendon. She pulled and it tore through the tendon easily. He gritted his teeth and growled in pain, the wound healing immediately. She pulled out a bottle and some of his blood leaked into the bottle. It filled about halfway before she put a cork in it and placed it on the table. She licked his shoulder, tasting his blood.

“Strangely sweet.” She mused, nibbling his neck. She looked down but seemed almost disappointed. “Don’t have one yet? I can solve that…” He trailed a finger down his chest and rested on his crotch. He growled at her and used his free hand to push it away. “Not interested in mares?” She asked, as if she was almost shocked.

“I already have a mare.” He snarled at her.

“And he speaks finally!” She yelled, throwing the whip away. She looked at him in the eyes. Her eyes narrowed and looked away. “Bring in the mares!” She yelled. A few minutes passed and all of the female guards arrived in the room, looking at Daniel in horror. They were in dirty rags that covered their bodies. He could see Violet at the back of the line and hoped she wouldn’t react badly. She stared at him in horror, looking at the blood covering him. “So, which one is yours?” She asked him, grabbing his head. He twisted it away and she grabbed him again. “I will find out, one way or the other. And I don’t think these lovely mares would want to find out what I've found.” She smirked down at him and he knew what she was talking about.

“Don’t you dare…” He threatened.

“Or what?” She sneered at him. He made a grab at her with his free hand but she dodged out of the way.

“I knew about that the whole time.” She smirked at him. “I guess we have to do this the hard way…” She pulled the simple dagger out again, covered in his blood, and stabbed it into his arm. The volts shot through his body and he started to spasm, and the gryphon explained what was happening to the mares while he shook uncontrollably. After a few minutes, she took the knife out and he hung his head, exhausted. His arm healed and all of the mares gasped.

“What happened to his arm?!” One mare yelled.

“Where did the wound go?!” Another asked. The next voice, unmistakably Violet’s, yelled at the gryphon.

“You just killed him! You’re fucking crazy!” The gryphon smirked at the mare and tickled her chin.

“I think I found his mare…” She said. Violet looked away and she smirked.

“Unchain this one from the rest and tie her in the corner. I want her to watch.” The two other gryphons pulled the mare from the chain attached to the rest of them and tied her up with rope then tossed her into the corner roughly. The rest of them were led from the room and the gryphon smirked. “Well, you have your mare here. Say something.” Daniel looked up finally at Violet, who was crying.

“Whatever happens Violet, I want you to know that I love you.” He said in a tired voice. She struggled in her bonds as she looked at him. “I love you too!” She sobbed, screaming as she pulled on the bonds.

“I want you to watch while I fuck your stallionfriend here.” The gryphon said, kissing Daniel on the lips. Her tongue slipped into his mouth. He struggled, trying to force it out, but her longer tongue slipped into his throat and he gagged, the smell of death on her breath. A hand slipped into his pants and stroked his manhood. He struggled more but she clawed his back and pulled her tongue out of his throat. “You keep struggling, I’ll make her the guards.” She said to him. Violet gasped and sobbed louder.

“Just do it Daniel!” She said.

“Daniel eh? Strange name for a strange stallion.” The gryphon said, continuing to rub his manhood. It eventually rose and she pulled his pants off of him. “Quite the large one. Just how I like it…” She mused, before she climbed into his lap and slid down his pole. She shuddered and groaned as his member slid into her hole.

“We’re going to have fun…” She said with an evil smile.

Die Flucht

Author's Note

Hey guess what fuckers?! This is only a rough draft. I plan on making it much more detailed. I also plan on making many more chapters, and I would like some active proofreaders. No problem with you Darian, but the time differences, plus jobs make it almost impossible for you to be online, and able to just proofread my shit stack I call a fanfiction. I got my hands on a computer and finished this rough draft, and will spend more time creating more rough drafts while adding onto them. But I also need my own entertainment! Like TF2, SC2, HL2, and... (tries to think of other games that can end in 2) Damn... Ah well, I need my entertainment, in the form of gaming non-stop for twelve hours, before doing meager yard work and chores for a good two hours, leaving only... if my math is correct... two hours to write and proofread. That's if I want sleep as well, which I do, and for eating as well. I need food and other nourishment to continue creating this horse shit pile you call a story, and a good one at that! I mean seriously guys? You're supposed to be hating this story, compared to the rest of them!

Edit: Also, you will see a small portion of WHY DANIEL DOESN'T USE HIS POWERS. Also, I has plans for the future, which will rock your damn worlds! No seriously. The world will implode, take you to the same universe, so that you can watch the scene happen yourself, then suck you back in to another universe where this ~~fanfiction was actually good~~ where Earth didn't implode.

Die Flucht

He’s never felt so angry in his life. The gryphon before him was cocky, self confident, and above all, a bitch. He trembled in place. The gryphon cooed as she hilted his pole inside of her. Using her moment of pleasure as his distraction, his head shot forward and crashed into the gryphons, the female giving a squawk of surprise and pain. His free hand came out and slammed into her beak, a loud crack filling the air as the female was lifted up and off of him, and slammed into the wall. He looked at his other arm and pulled it free easily. The guards charged forward, brandishing their weapons, but he chuckled darkly.

“You seriously think that I’m afraid of a few tools created by such a weak race?” He felt his mouth move, but his voice was not his own. He could feel something tug his conscious back, and put him in the passenger’s seat as he was forced to give up control to this mysterious being.

“You honestly think that I care about what you can do to anyone? Even if you lay a talon on her,” He said, indicating Violet, “you’re going to be dead before you can do anything to her.” He chuckled darkly again. His conscious tried to force his way into control, but whatever is controlling him only forced him back. Daniel could feel his arms changing, and gasps of shock, and terror. He looked down. A red and black blade took place of what was originally his left arm. All the way from his elbow down, was nothing but... it was shaped like his greatsword, and he held it up to the light.

“This blade will work nicely…” Daniel’s eyes shot to the gryphon’s, trembling where they stood. “Now…” He slashed the blade through the air. “Where were we?” He growled, sounding psychotic. The two gryphons dropped their weapons and ran/flew away. A groan was heard behind him. He turned around slowly. His eyes fell upon the gryphon. She was stirring, her eyes fluttering open. He stepped towards her, and placed his foot against her windpipe. A comical display of the gryphon’s eyes popping out was seen, as she gazed at her new captor. Her eyes went over to his left arm, and she felt like fainting.

“So… You’re the bitch that tried to rape my body… Eh? Well, it’s time to teach you a lesson.” He chuckled, as his right arm changed to something. It felt like a spear, and a look towards it confirmed that it was a large, demonic looking spear. Spikes and barbs hung off of the blade from the top and bottom of it. The shaft itself was long, but looked to be made of bone.

“Hmm. My previous master’s weren’t able to create this. Probably because they were weak. No imagination.” He chuckled. “Ah well, time to stop showing off…” He said, as he stabbed the spear through the gryphon’s stomach, lifting her off of the ground, and decapitated her. The head flew off, but the body started to form into the red and black tentacles. It started to combine with his own body. He could feel something sprouting from his back. The sound of ripping filled the air.

“Hmm. Interesting. Wings.” He murmured, as he gave them a single flap. Daniel’s conscious stopped. He could feel control leaking through to him, and he seized it. He looked. A pair of gryphon wings sprouted from his back. He flexed his shoulder blades, and they gave a gust of wind as he flapped his wings. He was lifted off of the ground slightly.

“...Huh.” He hummed, his voice back to normal. He frowned as he looked at his arms. “Now how do I get rid of… this?” He whispered, gazing and taking in the weapons design and detail. He heard a voice at the back of his head.

‘Imagine your body normal once more.’ He looked around, but saw no one else in the room. He shook his head and decided to give it a try, imagining his body normal once more. He could feel his arms returning back, and the wings disappearing. He gave a deep breath as he felt the transformation finish, and looked at the door.

“What else can I do now?” He whispered.

‘Oh so many things… But first, we need to get out of here.’ The voice said. He took a step towards the door, before remembering he was naked. He looked down, and blushed slightly. “Woops, I need clothes first!” He said, as he found his pants, and pulled them on.

“D-Daniel?” He heard from the dark corner of his room. He turned his attention towards the voice, and he saw Violet. She was trembling visibly, her eyes wide with her pupils like pinpricks. All of what happened crashed against his mind, and he could tell she
was terrified of him.

“...” He looked towards the ground, as if trying to find the words to say to her. “...I’m sorry Violet… This is something that happened to me… before this whole situation…” He murmured, standing in place. He hung his head low, the shadows blocking out his features. “I didn’t want anyone to know… Hell, I was afraid of what I was capable of when I first received these…” He trailed off, his voice failing. He heard a sniff.

“I-it’s okay Daniel… It’s just another part of you that I have to come to accept…” She assured. Daniel could hear her shifting on the ground, before her hooves clopped against the stone ground. Her face popped into his view, looking up at his eyes.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you left me because of this… I’ve become a freak… I have to keep this hidden though… I don’t want anyone else knowing about this…” He turned away, towards the door. “Let’s just get moving. Our objectives is to gather all POW’s, escape this encampment, and get everypony home.” He took a step towards the door, before looking up at it. It looked to be made of silver, or some other shiny metal. He shook his head as he raised his leg and pushed it forward, kicking the door from its hinges. No gryphons outside of the door, waiting for them. He cautiously peered down both ways before taking the right. He heard voices, as well as wails and screams. He stuck to the shadows, but no patrols passed by. He took a left, and a few seconds of walking produced a large, wooden and iron door. It was where the prisoners were being held, from any indications of the volume of the voices. He positioned himself right outside of the door and kicked it down.

It splintered down the middle, the slightly rusted metal caving in and breaking. A single gryphon was watching the POW’s, and was not ready for Daniel. A quick charge and punch left the gryphon unconscious or dead. The ponies stared at the large man as if he was a gift from the heavens. He started breaking open bars and doors, getting most of the prisoners. He knew there were more, in interrogation rooms. He frowned and looked into his own cell ,where his armor sat. He thought long and hard about whether or not to take it right now, but in the end decided to gather all of the POW’s before making an attempt.

“Everyone, wait here. I will collect the rest of the ponies and we will meet here.” He could tell his voice sounded dull, possibly tense to the ponies. They looked at each other and nodded to him. He started going up and down the halls, breaking down doors, knocking gryphons unconscious or killing them. Within the half hour, he managed to collect the rest of ponies.

“Alright everypony! Spread out into groups of six and search for the exit. If you come across the armory, collect your armor and weapons. If not, it can be replaced.” He said as he started to pull on his armor. It was certainly going to take a lot of time before he could get fully into it. He was ready to start moving when he started hearing commotion, followed by the screams of gryphons and ponies. He pulled his gun up to bear, pulled the hammer back, and started to follow the voices. Within the minute, he found a single pony body, with six gryphons, their armor battered, weapons missing, and blood covering them. Another large wooden and iron door was hanging off of its hinges, and the sound of cluttering was heard from within. He stepped in front of the doorway and peered inside. It was the armory, with the armor of the guards lying in a large pile, and their weapons lying next to them. He shook his head.

‘No organization...’ He thought sourly as he looked at the piles. Within the hour, the rest of the pony groups arrived at the armory. Within two hours, all of the ponies were ready to roll. He took the lead.

“Anypony find the exit?” He asked. Nopony nodded, and he sighed slightly. “Perfect…” He grumbled, as he started to wander through the halls. A few gryphon patrols found them, but was met with a hail of bullets. That must’ve alerted the rest of the gryphons, because they heard an air alarm going off. He heard armor moving quickly, metal shuffling against itself. He started to follow it, meeting squads of gryphons along the way, and eventually found a large set of stone stairs leading up to what looked like a castle or some sort of fortress. Gryphons were positioned at the top of the stairs, a lot with bows, others with swords and spears. “Stand back. I’ll take out the archers, unicorns can take out spearmen.” He murmured to the group, as he took aim.

*BRRRRRT*

He let out a large burst of bullets, quick reflexes pulling the rifle all the way to the right. Each bullet found a target, and gryphon bodies dropped. Almost half of the gryphons were shredded with the bullets. He grimaced. He let out another burst.

*BRRT*

A moderate burst of bullets slammed into the ranks of the gryphons, taking another quarter of gryphons, this time nailing a few of the spearmen gryphons. Blood showered their comrades. The gryphons reacted as he expected to, by retreating away from his line of sight. He raised a hand and indicated that the ponies should move forward, as he did so as well. A pair of large doors closing met his ears. As he reached the top of the stairs, he could see two very large stone doors, closed. It must’ve been at least twenty feet tall. Some gryphons stood outside, forming a rough phalanx formation. Their shields were wooden, and he chuckled darkly. He raised the rifle, and let a burst of nine bullets out. The rounds slammed into their shields, the wood shields cracking and splintering in their hands, before tearing into their feathers and flesh. Most dropped immediately, dead. Some stood for a few seconds, before they fell. One last gryphon stood, his stunned face looking up at him. He made the same gesture to the ponies and they charged the doors. The gryphon took off in terror. The unicorns attempted to force the doors open, but their magic fizzled out. Some of the ponies tried to force the doors open, but it was most likely barred on the other side. The ponies started to look at him. He gave a soundless chuckle, before stepping to the door, and swung his fist at it. He punched a hole into the stone, and he pulled his arm out of the hole, peering inside. The gryphon defenders were stunned, the expressions on their faces priceless. Daniel took a step back, before he Spartan-kicked the door, busting them open. The ponies charged forward, breaking through the feeble defense of the gryphons. He didn’t fire a single bullet as the ponies managed to handle the gryphons, with only a few casualties, and no fatalities. Daniel looked out the window of the fortress, spotting a zeppelin.

“There. We need that to get everypony out of here,” He said, “It’s currently docked right now. If we can get the crew to surrender the ship, great. If we are met with resistance, knock unconscious and take prisoners.” He looked for a door, and found it on the other side of the room. He cocked an eyebrow at the oddly built fortress, but did not question it as he started to make his way out. Breaking the door down, he was met with more gryphon defenders, and the fresh blue sky. The sun indicated it was somewhere around midday. There were very few clouds dotting the sky.

He sighed. “More gryphons…” He growled, as he raised his rifle. Surprisingly, the gryphons started to place their weapons down. He lowered the rifle, and motioned the ponies forward, the ponies shooting glares at the gryphons, as they made it to the air docks. Since it was not too far away from the castle, the gryphons couldn’t muster a good enough defense against the ponies, and the ponies were able to break through easily. Pegasi flew up to the zeppelin, brandishing weapons to the gryphons. They surrendered as well, and were let off of the air balloon before the ponies started to make way to take off. Some smiled in relief as they thought they were home free.

“Daniel! We’re going to make it out!” He heard Violet say.

He turned to look at her. “We’re not out of the woods yet.” Daniel started climbing up to the Crow’s Nest, saw a large force of archers mustering, each with flaming arrows. His blood ran cold.

‘If those arrows hit the zeppelin, the ponies would never make it out of the city.’ He climbed down from his perch quickly, peering over the edge of the boat. The boat lurched and the zeppelin started moving. The archers pulled back the arrows, ready to take them down. He bit his lip as he tried to think of a plan.

“What are you doing Daniel?” Violet yelled at him. A really stupid plan came to mind.

“Well, I’m going to stay a while to entertain our hosts here.” He said, as he took a step over the edge.

“You said it yourself, everypony is going to get out of here!” Violet said.

“Thing is,” He looked at her, “I’m not a pony.” He said, as he jumped off of the boat. A few gasps were heard, as well as
shouting, while he fell a good hundred feet. He steadied his heartbeat as the gryphons gawked at the large suit of armor falling from the sky. Then, with bone-crunching force, he hit the ground, landing on his feet.

A large plume of dust raised around him, but he just smirked as he brought his rifle up to bear and fired through the dirt cloud, cutting through the ranks. Some gryphons panicked and released their arrows into the dust, one managing to nail him in the shoulder. The oil seeped over his armor, and uselessly burned on his metal armor. He could feel it starting to heat up, but the suit regulated it.

He continued to fire, as he heard one of the gryphons yell, “FIRE!” Just as that happened, the dust cleared, and he could see clearly that they were firing at the immediate threat. Dull thunks of cloth hitting metal was heard, as he could feel his armor starting to heat up all over. Alerts were going off all over his armor, before he felt something hit a weak spot in his armor, somewhere near his left thigh. The armor indicated a breach in the armor. He turned around, seeing the zeppelin just reaching the walls of the city, with ponies looking over the edge of the boat. More thunks hit his back, and he spun around, leveling his rifle upon the ranks and firing. To him, the situation he was in felt like he was in an action movie where one of the main characters would fight off enemy soldiers so that his allies could escape. Except here, he wasn’t going to die from being overwhelmed by enemy soldiers. He looked around, looking for some sort of entrance, but couldn’t find one. He stopped firing and started to run, his entire body on fire. The gryphons thought they had scared him and started to cheer, thankfully not giving chase. He started to pull off the arrows and tried to wipe at least some of the oil off of him. The fire still there, but not a roaring inferno as it was before, and eventually went out as he started to make his way through the forest surrounding the gryphons capital city. Every so often, he looked up at the sky, and could see the zeppelin in the distance, quickly gaining more between him, and the city. He made it to the beach, and the sea. The zeppelin was merely a dot over the horizon now.

~Some Time Later…~

Daniel was still stuck in the Gryphon Kingdom. It had been nearly a month since the ponies had made it out on the stolen zeppelin. He had a temporary camp set up deep in the forest of the gryphons, where he had yet to meet any of the gryphon soldiers. He was making preparations on improving the camp slightly when he heard what he thought was a helicopter. Knowing where he was, that was nearly impossible, so he looked up. A large zeppelin, made of mahogany wood, was currently making circles around his general area. Pony heads poked over the edge, trying to spot the large hunk of metal. He decided to give them a scare, climbing up to one of the tallest trees he could find. The zeppelin came close to him, and he pushed with all of his might, launching himself at the deck of the air ship. He overshot it, actually putting too much force behind his jump, and he jumped over the railing, and onto the deck itself, landing in front of what he suspected to be the ships captain. Everything stopped. The ponies stared at him. He looked around, a smirk hidden behind the helmet.

“Well ain’t this a surprise…” He said, breaking the silence.

“T-the princesses sent us here to retrieve you sir! They had used a scrying spell to locate your general location.” The captain said, stuttering slightly from his sudden appearance.

“And if I was dead?” He asked teasingly.

“Retrieve your corpse for a proper burial.” He murmured.

“Aww… It looks like they do care about me…” He commented harshly, though he didn’t think the ponies appreciated it. “All silliness aside, I’m glad you did manage to locate me. I was a few weeks away from making an attempt to just swim home.” Daniel said.

“You would not have made it sir!” The captain said.

“That’s why I said I would make an attempt to swim home. And you would be surprised on what humans are capable.” He leveled a stare at the pony, who could feel it through the blue helmet/visor. He took a step back. “Well, what can I do to earn my keep on the ship?” Daniel asked. The captain looked confused.

~Two weeks later~

The ride was uneventful back home. The gryphons didn’t attempt to attack the airship as it made it’s way home. He had spent most of his time in the masts, doing what he can to repair ropes, masts, and generally anything that could keep his mind occupied.

“LAND HO!” The pony in the Crow’s Nest yelled down, and he looked up from his task of tying a rope down. He could see Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and in the distance, Canterlot. He sighed slightly, and finished tying the rope. He had shed his armor for mobility, and managed to complete a lot during the day and night. The human did not feel the need to sleep, instead staying up throughout the weeks doing meager things, like scrubbing the decks, cooking, cleaning, and other tasks. It took them a few hours to reach land, another hour to dock, and another two hours before the train arrived to take Daniel and some of the deckhands to various cities. The first stop was a small town, where two of the sailors stepped off. The next was Canterlot, where Daniel, and three deckhands stepped off. He gave a wave to them, before he started to make his way to the castle. After backtracking, he found the entrance of the castle. Instead of a mere two guards at the doors of the castle, it was a near battalion of soldiers, fully armed.

‘...They really upped security...’ He thought with a hint of amusement as they stared at him like they were staring at a ghost with two heads.

“Sir! We need confirmation that it’s you, instead of a gryphon spy attempting to sneak in!” One of the ponies yelled at him. Daniel stopped. He slowly looked towards the pony who said it. He sighed slightly and the visor opened, revealing his face to the rest of the world.

“O-oh…” The guard said, acting like a new recruit.

“Do you need anymore confirmation? Need a blood sample? Need to search through my memories so that you can make sure I’m not a shapeshifting creature or something? Need me to piss into a jar so that you can sample that? Or can I go ahead and talk to the damn princesses so that I can go home and go to sleep, and maybe fucking eat something?” Daniel growled in irritation. The guard looked like he was ready to piss himself. He took that as a yes and walked forward, pushing the doors open. He walked the memorized path to the throne room, and looked at the squad of ponies standing at the door, who let him inside. Both princesses were sitting on their thrones, and both smiled when he walked in. The look he gave them made sure to wipe their smiles off of their faces.

“Is there something wrong Daniel?” Luna asked him. He wanted to facepalm, his hand twitching.

“Nope. I’m perfectly fine right now. I just spent, oh I don’t know, almost two months out there, where I was almost raped by a gryphon, I was stabbed, electrocuted, shot, and burned, and we weren’t even able to complete our mission! We have no idea if the gryphons are looking for war, or if the king is innocent and it was some power-crazy noble trying to destroy both of the nations for some fucked up reason, or some individual military force that is twisted into trying to destroy Equestria!” He yelled, his anger obvious. The alicorns looked nervous for a moment, looking at each other. He trembled in place. If his anger was a fire, the entire castle would be immersed in the flames. He took a breath. “We were blind out there. We lost too many ponies for my likings, and I don’t want to see it happen again. We need information. We need a spy network. Do background checks on the spies itself, so that they don’t backstab you. I found things out about my body I didn’t want to find out. I don’t want to use my newfound powers. I don’t want to become a…” He stopped, closing his eyes. “Call me when you get a new job. I’m heading home… I have… plans…” He murmured, turning around and walking out. He boarded the first train he could to Ponyville. A few hours passed as his mind was sluggish with thoughts about his new body, and what happened in the Gryphon Kingdom. He looked outside. It was raining, the water pattering against the glass window and the metal roof above his head. The darkness extended across the valleys and grasslands, the new moon coming in as well. It was pitch black, and the only light for miles was the trains, and the upcoming Ponyville lights. He suspected it was around ten o’clock. He checked the time on his visor.

Eleven thirty post meridiem.

‘Nearly midnight...’ He thought. Then, he started to check on things he hadn’t in a long time. What day it was, the month, the season, etc. He looked out the window, and the town lights seem to be getting brighter. He realized that the train was getting closer to Ponyville. He readied himself to get off, getting out of his seat. There were only two other ponies on the train. One looked like a cowboy, and another looked like a businessman. They both looked up for a second, but didn’t exactly acknowledge the human. The train started to come to a halt, the human shifting his stance so that he didn’t stumble or fall. The train stopped fully and the doors opened. Daniel made his way to the door, sighing slightly, and started to walk through the raging storm, down the path to Fluttershy’s cottage.

A half hours walk ended with him stepping across the bridge, up to the porch of the home, and gently opening the door. The door creaked slightly, and he ducked down, closing the door behind him. Two voices were heard from upstairs. He stared at the stairs itself, and sighed once more, starting his descent up to the waiting couple. Each step brought a loud clunk of metal against wood, and the voices stopped. He made it to the top of the stairs, and walked slowly to the bedroom door. The home was deadly silent, besides the occasional howl of the wind, the patter of rain, and the human’s footsteps. Taking a deep breath, he gently gripped the doorknob, and twisted it gently, opening the door. Immediately, he was granted sight of two mares. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Both stared at him in shock. He stared back at them, his mind and expression blank, both hidden behind his helmet.

“D-Daniel?” Fluttershy stuttered out. He lifted the visor up.

“Yes?” He asked.
~Change of POV~

“Yes?” Fluttershy inwardly flinched as she heard his voice. It sounded bland and emotionless.

“A-are you okay?” She asked.

“Well, I’m home. I guess I am.” He said, sounding sarcastic and angry at the same time.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“It’s nothing Fluttershy. I just have a lot of pressure on me…” He sighed heavily.

“Then maybe you should take that armor off, silly filly!” Pinkie said, smiling widely. He gave an empty chuckle. She then took in his appearance. What looked like tar or some sort of oil covered his armor, as well as scorch marks covering the armor, making it appear a soot black color. A few specks of brown dotted his armor, but that was always on him. She could see bags under his eyes. A new pair of scars marred his face, a trio of claw marks going across his face. She shuddered when she thought about how he had acquired the scars, and possibly numerous others.

“Fluttershy?” She heard him say. She snapped out of her stupor, shaking her head, as she looked at the two present.

“Yes? I’m sorry, I was lost in my own train of thought…” She murmured.

“Pinkie asked if you wanted to help her bake cupcakes tomorrow.” He said.

“Of course Pinkie!” She exclaimed, smiling sheepishly at Pinkie. Pinkie smiled back.

“Great! It’s going to be the best!” She shouted. Fluttershy smiled again, before looking at Daniel, but she couldn’t see his face. It was covered in shadow, as if he was trying to hide in the shadows from them.

“Daniel…? Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yeah…” He said, his voice sounding empty. She could tell he was lying, but didn’t pressure him.
~Change of POV~

‘I don’t want them to find out about… this…’ He thought, replaying the memories of his arms changing into weapons, and his body absorbing the gryphon’s own body. He could see everything from her memories, but they were foggy, murky. As if he didn’t receive everything from her body.

‘They would think I’m a damn monster. Violet probably wants to avoid me after that display...’ He mentally sighed heavily. He gave a large yawn. The two mares watched him. He ended his yawn with clenching his hands into fists.

“I’m tired…” He muttered. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Fluttershy’s expression change into nervousness, or maybe even fear. Pinkie just giggled.

“Are you just going to sleep in that armor, or are you going to leave that hunk o’ junk in the closet and get to bed?” Pinkie teased.

“If I took this armor off, I would probably smell like a farm mixed with a public bathroom.” He said, laying on the ground.

“Goodnight…” He said, closing his eyes.

Der Beginn Kummer, das Ende des Glücks

Author's Note

Sorry about this chapter. For me, it was awkward and confusing for me to write, but I wanted to get another rough draft out. I do have an announcement though. I have decided that I will do rough drafts of each chapter, until I've completed the story altogether. After that, I will put all of my effort into make each chapter into my final image. You can reread the chapters after that to see how much the story has changed, because it will, but I'm not going back until I am finished with the story. Everything that happens, will be staying there until I get back to revising it. So yeah... This chapter will be a bit awkward to read, and it might jump around a LOT.

Der Beginn Kummer, das Ende des Glücks

Daniel’s eyes shot open. He was covered in a cold sweat, his heart trying to escape it’s prison called his chest cavity. He blinked, rubbing his face. He knew he just had a nightmare, but he can’t remember what it was. His mind draws a blank. The dream was slipping away from him as seconds tick away, until he was just laying there, trying to remember anything about the night terror. He had a hunch. He could feel it was about certain mares, marriage or some form of engagement, and wasted time. He sat up, cumbersome as it may be in the armor he wore, and he slowly shuffled himself to his feet.

The top of his helmet hit the ceiling, and he remembered he had to duck down to avoid brain damage. He looked at the bed, and found it barren of anything. The bed was made, sheets straightened. He pulled the visor down to look at the time. It was almost two in the afternoon. Daniel sighed, and started to take apart the large armor. After a good ten minutes spent on that, the human made his way to the bathroom. Doing his morning business, he finished up and went back to the bedroom, and grabbed new clothes. Feeling comfortable in his new clothes, the human walked downstairs. No sign of anybody in the home. He cocked an eyebrow, before remembering the previous night. Stepping outside, he watched the pegasi moving around the clouds. Each was dark and heavy-looking, and he predicted a large storm to come on later today or in the evening. Daniel started to think back to earlier, about his nightmare.

‘Maybe something about me waiting for so long to propose to Flutters?’ He thought. He hummed and walked towards Ponyville. He bit his lip as he tried to think about how he would do everything, and decided that it would also be nice to propose to Pinkie. He then backtracked on how he would do everything.

‘Maybe… A night spent among friends and I just do it?’ He thought warily. He had no experience about how couples proposed to each other, and he wasn't back on Earth, so he can’t just look up the information. He decided to wing it and go along with his premature plan. He could see the edges of the town popping into view and wiped his face of any evidence. Tomorrow, he would try to keep it secret, and go to Canterlot, to a smith, or a jewelers. He would go to the smith in Ponyville, but anypony sees him walking out of that and they will start to ask questions, and rumors will spread. His plan was too fragile for any rumors to be tossed into the mix. He sighed as he reached the first few buildings.

‘Damn it… I don’t know what to do...’ He said, almost despairingly. Pushing everything aside, he started to walk to Sugarcube Corner. The large building stuck out in the middle of the town, and he made a beeline to it, through all of the side streets and alleys. Sugarcube Corner didn’t look too busy, so he decided to take a peek inside. A few ponies were standing around, with Mr. Cake standing at the counter, talking to another stallion. Daniel stepped inside, ducking down so that he didn’t his head. Without the armor, he was still tall enough to hit his head on the buildings in Ponyville.

“Hey Daniel! Pinkie and Fluttershy’s in the back if you were here for them.” Mr. Cake said. Giving him a nod of appreciation, Daniel stepped behind the counter as the two stallions conversed with each other. He opened the door to the kitchen and looked inside, and saw an interesting sight. Pinkie and Fluttershy were kneading dough, but were steadily kissing each other, both with a blush on their faces. He could obviously see the both of them using tongue. Both of them looked ready to take it to the next level.

‘Oh wow… that is hot...’ He thought heatedly. He cleared his throat as his cheeks flared up, and two gasps met his ears.

“Oh hi Danny!” Pinkie said, as she made her way to him, pulling him inside. The doors closed behind him, and he looked at the both of them. Fluttershy entire face was red, and Pinkie still had a red tinge on her cheek.

“Hello to the both of you…” He murmured, shaking his head as he could feel his cheeks flaring up even more.

“H-hi Daniel…” Fluttershy said, her face steadily turning back to its butter yellow color. He gave an awkward cough.

“Um… Well, I was just checking in, seeing how you two were getting along… I guess I can get going and let you two get back to your… baking.” He said, slowly backing out the door. He turned around, and he could tell everyone was staring at him. He could also feel his blush coming back, his face turning red. The two stallions that were not Mr. Cake smirked.

“So how was it?” One of them asked. Daniel could tell his face was going to be entirely red, so he stepped out from behind the counter and made his way out the door. He took a deep breath and started to walk towards the library. A few ponies shot him glances, but most just ignored him, used to the behemoth of a human. He made it to the library and knocked on the door.

“Just a minute!” He heard from behind the door. He took a step back, as he started to think of lyrics for a few songs he hadn’t heard in forever.

“Oh hi Daniel!” Twilight’s voice cut through his train of thought.

“Hi Twilight. Can I come inside?” He asked.

“Sure! Just… ignore the mess.” She said. He shrugged.

“I’m used to a large mess.” He said as he stepped inside. He took a look around. All of the books were in the same order, everything in the same spot as it was when he last visited the bookworm. His earlier plans came back to him and he bit his lip as he browsed the selection of books.

“Um… Twilight? Do you have any books on… proposals, or marriages?” He asked. She looked up, her eyes wide.

“A-are you… thinking of proposing to Fluttershy and Pinkie?” She asked in a hushed voice. He gave a silent nod.

“I just want to keep it under wraps. I didn’t want to ask around town… because you know how bad the rumors get here.” He said, grimacing slightly. She mimicked his actions.

“I know exactly how you feel. Sorry Daniel, but there’s not one book about marriage or proposals in the library.”

“Well, I figured I could just wing it. Do it over a small get together with friends. I need to go to Canterlot though…” He murmured.

“For what?”

“I need rings for proposing, and I don’t want to go to the smith here for obvious reasons.” He whispered. She nodded. “Well, I’ll get out of you hair now.” Daniel walked towards the door, opening it.

“You be careful, and take care!” She called after him as he closed the door. He tried to think about anywhere he could go to today, and sighed.

“I guess I can make a trip up to Canterlot.” He said to himself, as he made his way to the train station. He bought a ticket and waited for the train. It arrived ten minutes late, but he wasn’t a stickler for time tables, so he just boarded the train and waited for it to start moving. He pulled out what bits he had.

‘Thirty bits. I would need more to complete the transaction.’ He said to himself, as the train pulled out of the station and started to pick up speed. The trip took three hours. He stepped off of the train and into the station, looking around. He couldn’t see any obvious blacksmiths of jeweler stores, so he moved towards the nearest guard. After asking a few questions, the guard gave him directions to the nearest jewelry store. He looked at the exterior of the store before stepping inside. A couple was looking at necklaces, and he stepped towards rings. He looked for rings that complimented any part of the mares, but he was no expert in gems, or jewelry. Then, he saw a canary yellow diamond and platinum ring. Right beside it was a silver necklace with a pink topaz in the shape of a heart. The ring was one thousand and two hundred bits, the necklace was eight hundred bits. He bit his lip, as the jeweler took one look at him and smiled. It was an older mare, probably in her late fifties or sixties, with a slender build, graying blue hair.

“Hello young dear.” She said. Her voice was sweet and smooth, like honey.

“Hello ma’am. I am interested in these two pieces,” He said tensely, “Can you hold them for me for today so that I can return and purchase these?” He finished. The older mare smiled and nodded, putting each in a small blue case.

“Proposing to two special mares I see?” She commented. He nodded silently, impressed by the mare’s intuition. “I’m sure they’re lucky to have such a handsome stallion propose to them.” She smiled lightly.

‘I doubt you can consider me a stallion. I’m not even a pony. I’m not human. I’m my own species.’ He thought sourly.

“I’m not so sure…” He murmured as he turned away and out of the door. He bought another ticket and waited once more for the train. Another train running late, this time by a whole two hours. It was somewhere around seven o’clock when he finally boarded the train, and ten o’clock when he reached Ponyville for the final time that day. He made his way home, with both mares sitting in the living room, waiting for him. They were laying on the couch, leaning against each other, when he walked into the door. He sighed. While it was a short day for him, he was emotionally taxed.

“Hello Danny!” Pinkie said, jumping up. Fluttershy let out a squeak and fell onto the couch. He looked up.

“Hi.” He said, his voice lacking any sort of emotion at the moment. Both mares frowned.

“What’s the matter Danny?” Pinkie asked.

“Nothing really, just getting over… everything that’s happened… I just feel numb right now… Everything I’ve done, I’ve seen…” He murmured.

“Oh, it’s going to be alright Danny! The numbness will subside after a few days and you’ll be back to your normal self!” Pinkie said, jumping onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I guess… Ah well… I’m going to go to bed…” He murmured, hugging both of them. They smiled, but he could tell Fluttershy’s smile was sad. He went upstairs and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling for an undetermined amount of time. He could hear both of them talking and laughing together. He closed his eyes.

His memories of how he used to be and how he is now popped into his head. He could see himself happy, joyful, and full of emotion, then himself emotionless. He could see himself smile, then himself with a frown. He sees himself sad, depressed. Everything he said that was positive seemed forced. Every chuckle was empty. Anything he showed that would be happy never reached his eyes. They became grey pools of endless voids. The bright red eyes he had previously were stolen away. He could see his eyes slowly turning electric blue. His skin becoming gray, his skin mottled with his own color. He covered himself in alien armor, with alien abilities, his body twisted into a monster of steel and bone.

The powers he displayed in the gryphon kingdom came back to him. His arms turning into razor sharp blades. Everything he’s done since the interdimensional teleportations has been like out of a video game. His strength is not his own. His reflexes were too quick for his mind to keep up with. His intelligence was far superior to what he had previously. He could feel his arms turning as he slept, but payed no mind to them as he continued to compare himself to his previous… happiness. It seemed like he was always ready to keep moving forward, and not look at what his actions did to the rest of the world.

‘Ignore everything… You are still normal… Just keep moving forward...’ A voice whispered into his ears.

‘Getting married is one of the most rewarding things to do...’ His addled mind said to itself.

‘Just get the money from the next room, go back to Canterlot, and propose to the mares. There’s nothing that will go wrong with this...’ The voice whispered. It seemed like his mind was screaming at itself, as if something was trying to force itself in, and his mind was fighting back, but it was uncoordinat-

“DANIEL!” He heard screamed at him. His eyes shot open, and he sat up. Both Fluttershy and Pinkie were standing on the opposite side of the room, staring at him with teary eyes. He looked confused for a moment, then looked over his body. His arms were…

“No…” He whispered. His arms were the blade and spear from the gryphon kingdom. Both mares were staring at the weapons, and at him like he was a freak. He could feel his mind picking at itself, telling him to do the obvious thing. He wanted to fight back, to tell them that this a part of him for a long time, but he stood up on its own.

The mare’s gave a scream and ran out of the room, like he was some sort of monster...

Verstümmeln

It had been a week since Daniel had been discovered with his powers. He was in the middle of some unknown forest, have been teleported by some unknown being. He remembered what led up to his situation like it happened not two minutes before. When the two mares ran from the home, screaming like banshees, he donned his armor, grabbed as much of the bits he had worked hard to acquire and stuffed them into the pocket dimension he was given long ago… the rest of the mares arrived at the home. While Fluttershy and Pinkie kept their distance, sobbing, the rest stepped into the home.

He stopped moving, the heavy footfalls of the armor he wore would surely attract attention. He heard their voices, as well as the voices whispering to him. Telling him to run. Telling him to maim the ponies close to him. He sighed heavily, ignoring the voices. He stood up from the bed, sagging under the armor’s weight, and made his way to the door. All noise stopped besides the heavy footfalls. He opened the door, and one of the mares stood before him. Rarity stood before him, staring up at the visor.

“D-Daniel…?” Her voice rang through the speakers of the helmet. He didn’t say a word, instead turning down the hall, marching down the stairs, where Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood at random spots in the room, looking at random things and pictures, and Twilight in the kitchen, for some odd reason. “Daniel!” Rarity called out. He stopped at the base of the stairs. He gave a deep sigh, lifting his visor up.

“Oh no… He’s…” Rainbow whispered, her eyes going to pinpricks.

“Stay away from me. Don’t look for me. If you do… I have no idea what my body would do. I have little control over it now.” He said, each word slow, sluggish, as he fought to speak them.

“We can help you Daniel!” Twilight said, walking up next to him, giving a small smile.

“There’s no helping me… I’m no longer Daniel, no longer human…” He murmured, wiping the smile from her face. “I’m just a monster. I hold powers that I don’t comprehend. My body is not itself anymore. Leave me be.” He said, taking a step towards the door. As soon as his foot touched the floor, the door was immersed in a violet aura, and a click sounded.

“We’re not going to give up our friend Discord!” She said. “I doubt you can help him now, my little ponies!” He said, his voice joyous and light.

“He’s already made up his mind on what he’s going to do to stop himself from killing everyone! I’ve seen his powers at work! He can kill everyone in your capital city within a blink of an eye!” They each gasped at his words.

“What he said is sadly true… That’s why I’m going to Canterlot so that the princesses can banish me to Tartarus, to keep me from destroying this world.” Another gasp, this one out of pure shock.

“But… Daniel! You are no monster! You may be different from ponies, but you’ve done nothing but help us since you’ve arrived here!” Twilight said.

“Why do you think Pinkie and Fluttershy,” He could feel them flinch at their words, but he continued. “is so eager to rid their lives of me? I saw their reaction. I lay at rest, and my powers find their way to emerge. I become an animal. A fiend. A monster of immense power. I’m going to where I belong. To hell.” He took another step to the door.

“I doubt yer makin’ it out to be as bad as you are Danny Boy. I mean, what could make you that powerful?” Applejack asked.

“Remember my absence, when I was teleported across the dimensions?” He asked. They each nodded slowly. “During one of the trips, I was attacked by what looked like a normal human… But he gave me an immense power, at the cost of my humanity. I’m able to accomplish feats that nobody normal would be able to do, and create weapons that could cut through and maim anything I touch like a hot knife through butter. I can absorb others bodies through my own and gain their powers and anomalies. I can sprout wings and fly. I can grow a horn and use magic. I can breath fire and grow dragon scales over my skin. My power is endless, but at a great cost. I’m an outcast. I’m a freak of nature. I am not natural. I am not a human anymore.” He was right next to the door now, and grabbed the knob. Twilight’s horn shined brightly, but he only scoffed.

“You think magic can affect me?” He said, his voice turning dark. The mares backed away from him, their eyes wide. Twilight had a victorious grin, and she tried to pick his body up with magic. Before she could react, he merely punched the door. The door broke down the middle vertically, the pieces flying off into the forest, barely avoiding Pinkie and Fluttershy, who both screamed in fear. Twilight looked dumbly at the door, his fist, and then to his face her eyes wide. “I wasn’t able to do that before. Now, I can barely flick my wrist and I break things. And I grow more powerful with the things I absorb. So please, for your sake… Inform the princesses that I’m visiting, and prepare a one way ticket to Hell.” He said, before stepping outside. He looked around, his eyes lingering on the two mares he loved, and he could feel his heart breaking a little as they quivered beneath him, before pulling the visor over his face and marching towards the mountain where Canterlot was held.

~Change of POV~

Twilight had never seen anything like what she saw previously. Her eyes watched the back of his helmet. She could tell he was staring at her two friends. Then, he lifted his hand up to his face and pulled something down, before walking through the grassy field in front of him. She could barely see the two piece of door in the forest, one embedded into a large tree, the other stuck in the ground, a large hole through a tree that stood in its way. Her mind processed how much power it would take to perform such a feat, and she could feel a headache growing as she continued her mental arithmetics.

“What.” She heard next to her, and she stopped her task to look at the voice. Rainbow was looking dumbfounded, her jaw unhinged from itself, Applejack sharing a similar face, although not as ridiculous looking. Rarity had a small blush on her face for some odd reason. Pinkie and Fluttershy sat together outside, holding each other, visibly shaking. Her muscles decided to not lock up anymore, and she quickly walked over to her friends. “It’ll be okay…” She murmured, hugging both of them. The rest of her friends soon joined her, and she stepped away, pulling out a quill, inkwell, and parchment. She wrote down a quick message, recording the interaction and words said, leaving the part out about a ticket to Tartarus, and started to jog towards the town. She reached the library, panting heavily, as she opened the door.

“Spike? Spike!” She called out. She could hear something clattering from upstairs. Then, a door opened.

“What is it Twilight?” Spike asked.

“I need you to send a letter of dire importance! Daniel is Discorded!” That woke Spike up.

“Doesn’t that mean… Discord is loose?” He asked, his eyes wide in fear.

“That’s very much a possibility. That’s why I need you to send this letter.” She said. Spike grabbed the letter, and Twilight turned away as she started walking towards one of the bookshelves, pulling out a few books to reveal a box. She placed the box on a nearby table as she looked for a book on ancient anomalies and diseases. Halfway through her search, she heard her response in the form of Spike belching. He grabbed it out of the air, only for it to be intercepted by Twilight, whom quickly skimmed it.

“It’ll take him five days to get up the mountain.” She muttered quietly. “Where are my bits Spike? I need tickets to Canterlot!” She yelled.

“Where they always are. On your desk, next to the pile of books that you plan on reading and take notes from.” He grumbled. She gave him a glare and went upstairs, grabbing her bits. She ran out the door, bits and books in saddlebags, making her way across the deserted town to the train station.

The rest of the mares were waiting there for her, each with their own bag of bits. She could feel the waves of fear coming from the party mare and Fluttershy. Rainbow sat next to her long time friend, hugging and whispering to her, while Applejack and Rarity tried to make Pinkie happy and joyful once more. She bought a ticket and waited with her friends, trying to cheer up both mares, without success.

~Change of POV~

The human had reached the base of the mountain that the proud city of Canterlot sat upon, ready to make his trek up, when a loud screeching noise was heard. He whipped around, leveling his rifle at the direction of the noise, when he was hit with the full force of a bus, sending him onto his back. He could feel a heavy weight set onto his eyes, but he forced them open, only to find himself staring up at the thick canopy of a forest, instead of the stars above him. He shifted himself onto his rump, looking around. He was in the middle of a clearing, vines hanging from the trees.

“Swamp? Jungle?” He murmured, looking at the ground. He found himself slowly sinking into mud, and quickly forced himself up and out of the murky depths. He heard an explosion of dirt and rocks, and looked up. A large plant like creature was standing before him. What looked like pink leaves acted as feet for the plant, its body consisting of some form of green plant life, in the shape of a jungle skirt. Four vines, with minds of their own, waved dangerously in the air, each ending in what looked like hooks. He could see some form of clear liquid dripping from each one. The final thing he observed was the way its ‘head’ was shaped. It looked like its head was caved in, large, orange and burgundy leaves acting as some sort of crown on top of its head, with large, sharp looking teeth waiting inside of the ‘head’ of the creature.

It looked heavy-weight and wasn’t able to move around a lot. He used the information to his advantage, as two of the vine arms shot out at him. He rolled to the right, which was hard to do in the armor, before activating the psi blade acting as a bayonet, and fired a quick three rounds into the beast. It gave some sort of squeal and lashed out again, using three of its arms. He shifted his stance on his feet, holding the rifle in front of him. At the last second, he pulled the rifle to the side and sliced through the vine, before unloading as much as he could into the creature, making it squeal once again. The next thing it did confused him. It went to sleep. He cocked an eyebrow but he could see its wounds starting to heal itself.

“Oh hell no…” He growled, firing more rounds into the beast, charging forward and plunging the psi blade into its plant-like flesh. A sound of sizzling reached his ears, and he gave a victorious grin. A grin too soon, as a vine batted him away easily, before shifting itself on its feet, and jumped into the air towards him. He rolled backwards, landing clumsily on his feet. The ground shook beneath him, the large, heavy plant slamming into the ground in front of him. The force and shock of the landing, plus his clumsy stance, pushed him back onto his ass. The sound of a whip met his ears, and he could feel something flesh-like hit his armor. He looked down, and could see one of the vines buried deep into his abdomen. He grunted slightly, feeling an ounce of pain from it, as he grabbed a knife and cut the vine off, and pulled it out of his abdomen. Bringing his rifle back up, he unloaded the rest of the clip of ammo into the plant being, the squeals coming to a close as all that was left of the creature was a mess of green sap, bits of leaves, vines, and bark, and a bit of the clear liquid. Then he could feel his insides convulse. His hand immediately went to his stomach. His wound was healed, but he could almost feel the amount of clear liquid on his armor and skin.

Poison… He thought, as he could feel the poison coursing through him. His insides convulsed again, and he started to cough. Each cough brought out a spray of blood, across his visor, and when he lifted the visor, onto the clean dirt beneath him.

Get moving. The longer you stay in here, the longer the poison will have an effect on you. He heard whispered to him. He looked around, before realizing it was one of the voices in his head.

Which way do I go though? He asked himself.

North. You’re far below Equestria. Somewhere in the Badlands. When you reach the desert, you will be reaching the Macintosh Hills. He heard in response. He pulled the visor down, and looked at the on-screen compass. He turned slowly to North, and started to jog. He could feel his stomach convulse again.

Having to rebuild your insides will be difficult without food. Daniel blinked.

Well, what foods do you need for me to get? Stuff with lots of protein? He asked.

Biomass. You know what happened to the gryphon? She was absorbed into biomass. You need more of that in order for me to rebuild your stomach properly, unless you want a mishmash of internal organs that have no purpose other than for you to look good under X-Rays. The human grimaced.

You know I don’t like that… but if it helps me right now…

There’s an animal feeding not ten yards from you. Do whatever you want to it. Shoot it, chase it down with a knife, just kill it and allow your body to absorb the body. He grimaced again and looked around, seeing some form of deer grazing in the grass. He raised his arms and put a quick burst of three rounds into its barrel. He stepped towards it, and the body started to break down into the red and black tentacles once more. He felt better and worse when he did that. Better, because he could feel the poison being forced out, worse that he was forced to resort to that. He turned north again, and started to trek through the jungle.

This was basically how the entire week went, him walking, little to no rest. Soon enough, the human could see the canopy starting to thin, and trees starting to become scarce. Grass and dirt was replaced by sand. Far in the distance, mountains sat, as if to torture him with the distance.

How did I end up out here in the first place? He asked himself.

Discord… He heard whispered in his voice, before a bright light blinded him through the visor. He brought a hand up to block out the light as the other arm brought up the rifle, ready to fire on whoever was doing this. The light started to die away, and he found himself in the castle of Canterlot. Namely, in the throne room, where both sisters sat upon their thrones, the Elements of Harmony standing before them in an attacking stance, guards surrounding them, each armed with a weapon. He took a step back, placing his other hand on the rifle, gripping it gently. He took a deep breath.

“I see… Well, now that you found me, you can send me to Hell, where I belong.” He spoke, for what seemed like the first time in three months, even though it was a week.

“We’re here to banish Discord from your body!” Luna yelled, her voice echoing in the large chamber.

“I don’t need help! I need isolation! Confinement! A cell with no way of escaping! Lock me up and toss the key!” He yelled back.

“You have no control over your situation! Give up now!” Celestia said. He pulled the sights up to his eye, the rifle aimed at Celestia.

“Oh yeah?! You think I can be helped?! You think that the ‘magic of friendship’ will help me?! News flash, friendship doesn’t do SHIT. I know what I am, and I know where I belong!” He shouted back. The guards had pushed themselves forward, leveling spears at his chest. The mares behind them looked shocked and terrified, while the two sisters looked morbid.

“You’re wrong… Everypony needs friendship.” Celestia said.

“Everypony, not everyone! I’m not a pony, and you should’ve figured that out when you first saw me! I don’t need friends! I’m better off without them!” He shouted. Six gasps met his ears.

He grinned. “Enough talk! Let’s make this something that won’t be forgotten for decades. Crimson Day.” His grin grew as he started to press on the trigger. That’s when he saw a rainbow. Not out of the corner of his eyes, nor in a reflection, a pure, undiluted rainbow heading straight for him. He looked at it for a split second, before the rainbow slammed into his body. The ponies watched as the Elements of Harmony made short work of the human, some of the guards sighing in relief. Then, it was over, the Elements of Harmony stopping their power. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional shift of armor and… chuckling? Every pair of eyes shot towards the place where the human once stood. He stood proud and tall. And the rumbling laughter was coming from him. He lifted the visor covering his face, to reveal his face was still greyed out, his eyes the electric teal blue color.

“What was that supposed to be? The magic of friendship?” He said, chuckling more. Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she stared at his face, then at the armor. She gave a small smile and leaned over to her sister.

“Remove his armor. That’s what stopped him from being cleansed.” She whispered. Luna smiled and her magic lit up. A beam shot out and struck the center of his mass, and the armor started to fall into each individual plate, clattering to the ground beneath him. All he wore was a pair of well-worn pants, the bottom of them torn up slightly. Scars ran over his body and face. He looked down, and dropped the rifle with the armor, which surprised the ponies.

“Using that thing would break the right side of my body from the kick of it. No matter.” He said, as he clenched his hands into fists.

“We will not engage in combat with you. We know you can be saved Daniel.” He snorted at that.

“I was hoping for a little challenge when I ripped ya limb from limb.” He said, as his arms started to change. Each guard, princess, and Element of Harmony watched curiously as black and red tentacles started to form and twist over his arms. Pinkie and Fluttershy’s eyes both widened.

“Oh no… His arms are becoming…” Pinkie whispered, letting off a small whimper. Everyone watched as his arms changed, and formed into the blade. The other arm formed into what looked like a normal war axe. A chuckle escaped from him, but it was nothing like his normal voice.

“I like your imagination kid!” He said, his voice dark and echoing slightly.

“What a peculiar power…” Luna said, looking at his arms in curiosity.

“Now, how about we blow this joint and get back home? You need to kill that son of a bitch father of yours after all.” The voice said again. A dark chuckle erupted from him again. The guards became unnerved, the mares were nearly trembling, but the Princesses only smiled more.

“What’s with those smiles?” He asked.

“Oh, nothing… Just that you removed your one way of defending yourself from the Elements of Harmony, and you will be removed from Daniel as soon as it merely touches you?” His eyes widened.

“Let’s blow this joi-” He said, before the Elements of Harmony slammed into him. Only this time, it was met with a scream.

Not a scream of mere pain, or a battle cry.

The scream was of pure, unfiltered agony.

It sent shudders down each guards spines, the Princesses covered their ears to block out the noise, and the Element holders broke down in tears at the sound. His armor was blown off to the side, his weapon thrown into a pillar. The rainbow disappeared, and all that was left was a smoldering crater. Each pair of eyes widened in shock and fear.

“Oh no…” Luna whispered. Each guard started to slowly edge towards the crater, when a blackened stump met their eyes. Everypony stopped. They stared at the stump. A mangled hand landed next to it. Then, a head. A face not recognized. Each of them stared at the face, but the face was covered in smoke, making it hard to see. Next was what remained of shoulders. The smoke started to clear, and each guard recoiled. The princesses gasped. The mares were not even paying attention, each too busy crying.

His face was gone. Literally, cast into the void. All that was left was his head, and almost a quarter of that was missing. His left arm was missing completely. His right arm was almost nothing but bone. Every agonizing second spent staring at him was a moment closer for him to death. Even in his mutated and altered body could not handle this amount of damage, despite its best efforts to rebuild it. Legs were gone from the waist. Stomach, little left but a hole. Chest, burnt almost completely through. Nothing was left untouched. A skeletal hand met the stone, and pulled the rest of himself into view. Guards stared at the princesses, unsure of what to do, their eyes wide and their pupils pinpricks. The princesses were in too much shock to do anything besides stare. Twilight made the mistake of looking up at him, and her eyes widened to the point where they were ready to pop out of her head, her pupils almost nonexistent.

“D-Daniel?” She whimpered out. The faceless head looked up, as if it could hear her voice. She recoiled. “W-what h-h-happened?” She whispered, looking up at the princesses. They looked down at her, before standing, and running towards what was left of his body. The guards broke into action, yelling orders to each other, and helping the princesses.

They found his legs in the crater, surprisingly almost unscathed. His left arm was next to it, most of the muscle burnt from the inside out. His entrails were somewhere near the bottom of the crater, almost completely crispy. Guards vomited as they saw the sight before them. Celestia lifted what was left of Daniel into the air and rushed him to the medical ward. Luna was left to pick what was left of his body up. The guards started to pick up his armor and weapon, leaving only the six mares, Twilight staring at the crater. Fluttershy and Pinkie were sobbing uncontrollably, Rainbow and Applejack both trying to hold it in. Rarity had mascara running down her face, holding a handkerchief. The same question ran each of their heads.

How had Daniel suffered such a fate when the Elements of Harmony were used?

Erholung, Lernen

It had been almost a year since the human had been mutilated by the Elements of Harmony, the news and rumors spreading about ‘The Knights of the Crown being killed off by the Princesses and Elements of Harmony.’ The initial news about said rumors were met with immediate attempts at dispelling the rumors, and anger about such rumors being spread so carelessly. Reporters and activists swarmed the gates of the castle, attempting to break through the guards line to speak to the Princesses about such rumors. The situation had gotten so out of hand that the princesses held a public speech about what transpired, leaving out parts about his newfound powers, words said, and explicit details.

Twilight had forgone her duties at the library (like anybody goes there anyway) to stay in Canterlot to watch after Daniel, while the rest of the mares quickly removed themselves from the city. Twilight sat next to Daniel’s hospital bed, watching the red and black tentacles slowly moving around his newly rebuilt body, repairing the still damaged organs and rebuilding muscles, tendons, and ligaments. His head and face were immediately healed, the first few hours spent trying to stabilize, and hydrate the crumbling human, thought to be dead because of the grievous wounds.

They replaced his spine so that his legs were reattached, his entrails restored and replaced in his stomach, his left arm set back into place, the muscles and flesh being rebuilt by his newfound… powers. All in all, his healing process was going slowly, but he was going to live, against all odds. His hair over the entirety of his body had started to grow. His arms and legs were already grown to their normal denseness. The hair on his head was a dull gray color, instead of his previous color, and he looked like a stallion from the Equestrian Navy, despite his human differences. The skin, muscle, nerves, and tendons of his right arm had been rebuilt and replicated by healing magic.

The real work was done by the Mercer virus inside of him, rebuilding his strength to its appropriate proportions before everything had gone wrong. A quick scan over what was left of his brain had shown that he was clear of any corruption from external sources, but couldn't pinpoint where the mental takeover was being forced from. Discord was expelled from his mind. The voice that had taken over previously was burned out. But the human had yet to wake after nearly eleven months. His body was almost rebuilt to its previous state, but he had little movement, sound, or interaction in those months. Twilight sat in the hospital room he was held in. She watched his unmoving body, her eyes trailing over his darkened skin. While he had a decent tan before, his skin took a darker shade of brown. His heart beat at a steady pace, only increasing slightly every moment or so, only to return to its previous state before.

Twilight had yet to see any of her friends visit the comatose human ever since what had happened, and that fact annoyed, frustrated, and worried her. They were perfectly fine with Daniel, and only until the human had openly displayed his powers were they fearful of him. It didn't make sense to the mare. They were treating him like an outcast. An animal. A monster. Out of both of the princesses, Luna visited the most, during nights where she was not needed. Celestia visited when she could, and at random times, with no set schedule at doing so. Two guards were stationed at the door of the room, both bored out of their minds. A familiar clicking on the ground met their ears. They stood at attention, immediately knowing who it was. Princess Luna didn’t pay the guards any mind as she opened the door to the room, where the dozing Twilight had jumped in surprise. Her hair was frazzled, her clothes wrinkled slightly. She looked towards the door. “Hello Princess Luna.” She murmured, standing up to curtsy. “There is no need for formality here young Twilight.” Luna replied. She took one look around the room. Gifts lined the tables around the room, from guards, Twilight, and random ponies that had heard of his plight to pay their condolences. Most were just cards. A few baskets were thrown in as well. A few unmarked envelopes sat next to each other. His armor and weapon sat upon a separate table, each plate and piece laid out.

She looked back to the slumbering human, her face unreadable. “I never found out… How did the Elements of Harmony cause this much pain, this much damage?” Twilight asked.

The Lunar Princess looked up in surprise. “There are many variables as to why he was maimed like this. It could’ve been because he is a different species that had fallen to Discord’s power, one that the Elements did not recognize. It could’ve been a very small chance that any Discorded victims were to end up like this, or not survive. It could be because of his powers, or his memories, or his emotions, or his possessions. There are too many reasons as to why the Elements caused his comatose and mutilation.” Luna murmured.

“...When will he wake up?” Twilight asked.

Luna shook her head. “I do not know. It could be any day now. It could be in the next day, week, month, or even year before he can awaken.” Luna said. They both heard a spike in heartbeats of the monitor. They both shared a glance towards it. His heart rate was starting to pick up slowly. They looked at each other, then back to the monitor. The heartbeats were slowly rising, from a dormant fifty-two, to a rising sixty, sixty-six, seventy. The human twitched, the first movement from him in several months. They both looked at each other again, eyes wide, Luna’s in surprise, Twilight’s in excitement. The two mares turned their attention to the human, whom twitched again. His eyes opened for a split half-second, before slamming closed and a barely audible groan escaped his lips. Luna saw flashes of purple in the time he opened his eyes, and stepped closer to him, wondering about the strange tint of his normal ruby red eyes. He muttered something they both didn’t hear. Then, his eyes shot open and he shot into a sitting position. He looked around in surprise. The mares both smiled at him. The human looked both of them in the eyes, his bright, purple eyes shining in the light of the hospital.

“Where the hell am I?” His voice croaked out. He blinked and moved his jaw slightly, then swallowed. “And who are you two?” He asked.

Their eyes bulged out of their sockets. “Uhm… Daniel, it’s us… Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna.” Twilight said, sounding almost pleading.

“Doesn’t ring a bell… And who is Daniel?” He asked, looking curiously at the two of them.

“You’re Daniel!” Twilight yelled.

“So I’m Daniel… I don’t really like that name. How about Bill? Or Steven? Hmm… I like Bill more…” He murmured.

“Do you not remember anything that has transpired over the years you have been in Equestria?” Luna asked.

“Hell, I don’t remember who I am, where I’m supposed to be. I know that humans aren’t supposed to have horns, and definitely not wings and a horn!” He looked over himself. “Aww… I don’t get a special power?” He pouted.

“This is not a game Daniel!” Luna said, grabbing his shoulders.

“I know it’s not a game Princess.” He said, looking into her eyes. She could see something dancing around in his eyes, and a small smirk growing on his face. “I just like spending time with my friends in any way I can.” He whispered in her ears. She looked at him with a blush, but still slapped him across the face. He let out a chuckle. “Alright, all I remember is going to the Gryphon Kingdom and having to live out in the jungle for almost two weeks. Everything after that is… a black... wall...” He murmured.

“So you do not remember returning home?” Twilight asked.

“Nope. I just remember building a little shack out of wood, then I heard a voice in my head, and I blacked out.” He looked over himself. “I don’t remember being this… dark.” He commented. The two mares looked at each other once more, then to him. He looked at the both of them, a frown growing on his face. “What happened.” He stated, his voice immediately turning serious and stone cold, his words sounding more of a request, a statement, then a question.

Twilight flinched slightly. “Well… What happened was…” She retold the entire tale to him, his face falling further and further as she retold it.

When she finished, he closed his eyes. He counted to ten, then to twenty. “Okay… So I…” He stopped, rolling his jaw, taking a deep breath. They could tell his hands were clenching into fists beneath the sheets covering most of his body. “I don’t think it’s smart for me to return to Ponyville. I need to go… somewhere else…” He said. He placed his arm on the bar, his index finger pressed against his temple.

“Why not?! I’m sure they will forg-” She was stopped by him raising his arm.

“I won’t be able to return there, for anything. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie will grow to forget me and can find someone else to have a relationship with. Applejack and Big Mac did well enough without me. Rarity and I never had that much of a friendly relationship, per se. Same goes for Rainbow Dash. We only talked in passing. The rest of the residences there hardly knew me,” That statement wasn’t the complete truth, as he was somewhat popular with some of the locals. Especially the local musicians. “And you Twilight. We barely got to talk to each other either. The only times I ever got to speak to you was when I was on a day off, or if you came to pick Applejack up for one of your world-saving adventures. I’m… I’m just another face in the crowd at this point, despite how much I stand out as of now. If I return to Ponyville, then the first time I meet one of your friends will just end in pain, misery, and tears.” She could see him visibly trembling, and she could hear the heartbreak in his voice. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, but nodded all the same. “I bet I can make a life… somewhere. Maybe some border town in Equestria. Or maybe another country…” He looked at Luna, her face remorseful. She looked up at him.

“You could stay here…” She murmured. He blinked and looked over the white sheets covering him.

“What could I do here? I doubt I would be accepted as a Knight of the Crown if I attempted to attack the princesses!” He exclaimed. “I would understand if I’m not longer needed for my duty. I’m merely a pawn anyway. That’s how the old days worked, right? Knights were merely pawns of the vassals that owned their lives anyway. They were to be thrown away at their leisure.”

He was about to continue when a hand covered his lips. He looked up to see Luna glaring down at him. “Knights are not just pawns of the Crown, to be thrown away with woeful abandon. They are respected by even the highest noble, and are given accommodations in any city or town they please. Although you are respected, revered even, by the nobles of Canterlot, the pessimism and negativity will have to end here and now.” She ordered. He nodded slowly, and she removed her hand away from him. “And there are only a handful of knights remaining in Equestria. Most have either perished in their line of duty, have resigned, due to certain circumstances, or have retired. So the remaining knights are praised even more now than they were previously.” She gave him a smile.

He blinked. “...I think that’s the first time you have ever smiled while I am around.” He said teasingly. She pouted. “I have smiled before!” She said.

Twilight broke in. “You do smile very little Princess.” Twilight said. She glared at the unicorn, while Twilight and Daniel laughed.

“Lighten up Luna!” Daniel said. She flashed him an evil smile. The color drained from his face. “Oh really Daniel? I need to lighten up?” She asked him, getting close to his face. He tried to back away from her face as far as he could, but it did little.

Leveling a neutral stare at her, he spoke. “Yep.” He said simply. She smiled again, and pressed her body against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He blinked and his eyes crossed, before he looked at Twilight. She was suppressing giggles. He glared at her, before a pair of soft lips pressed against his cheek. He blinked and looked at Luna. His face started to flush red.

Two can play this game Luna… He thought.

He smirked and pressed his lips gently against her own cheek. Almost immediately, her cheeks started to red as they continued their game. He decided to take this to the next step as he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her closer, holding her gently against him. He looked at the corner of his eye at her, and she was staring at him with a strange face. He flashed a devious smile at her. She met him with one of her own, before pressing her lips against his own. His eyes crossed again, and his entire face turned red. Twilight couldn’t suppress her giggles anymore and burst out laughing. Luna looked up at him, as his arms released her, and she started to giggle.

“I think I broke my new toy.” She said, poking his cheek.

They didn’t hear the door open and Celestia smirked. “You need to stop breaking all of your toys Lulu, or you won’t be able to have any fun until you get more!” Celestia teased. Luna’s face grew entirely red, and in a quarter of a second was up and off of the human. The human blinked and looked up, his face also lighting up like a Christmas tree. There, standing in the doorway, was Celestia in all of her might, a teasing grin on her face.

“Well, that was certainly… different.” Daniel said, his eyes crossing as he looked back the last minute or so.

“I seem to always forget to ask, but do humans get this close to each other?” Celestia asked.

“Not especially… Normally those types of things were left for those in relationships. But I’ve lived with… touchy ponies, so I’ve gotten used to sudden events like that.” He answered, rubbing the back of his head.

Luna’s face turned a darker red as he jaw drop. “We are sorry, Sir Daniel! We did not know of your customs!” Luna said, her accent going to one of old English.

“LuLu, you’re doing it again.” Celestia reminded, a bit firmness hidden behind amusement in her voice. Luna looked like she was going to die from embarrassment at that moment. He waved his right arm, and took notice of how skinny it seemed. He remembered the reason why, and his face fell again.

“But as I said before… the entire ordeal, it’s probably better that I stay at one of the border towns, or in another country. I doubt I can be respected after news got out about me attacking the princesses of Equestria like a rabid animal.” He murmured.

Luna snapped out of her embarrassment to glare angrily at him. “You were controlled by another being to create chaos in the best way that you could! You cannot be held accountable for what has happened!” She yelled.

“Yet I have to be! Who else can you blame besides me for no control over my own damn body?!” He shouted back.

“It has happened to the best and worst of ponies! If we were all accountable for what has happened when we were discorded, then some ponies would be in jail for crimes that they committed while discorded!” Twilight yelled at him.

“So if I murdered all of you before you can fire that rainbow, I can continue to walk freely, with no consequences?!” He shouted back at her.

“There would obviously be consequences!” Twilight argued.

“Then what’s the difference here? I threatened to murder two princesses, the Royal Guards, and the Elements of Harmony, and was about to do so when I was hit!” He countered.

“Because you are not in control of your own mind! You had no control of your body! You were saying, and acting not like the Daniel we know! The one who is always there to cheer us up!” She yelled.

“BECAUSE I WAS ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT I AM A MONSTER!” His voice boomed at them. The room fell silent as they stared at him. “I do things that normal humans aren’t supposed to be. I can contort and change my body to make weapons of war. That is not normal for human, nor will it ever be! And when I was a prisoner, I first used my powers. But it’s not normal. I scare ponies when I use my powers. This is the reason why I’m alone now! Why I can never be happy again! Why I should just be locked up like an animal and left to die like one!” He sobbed into his hands, covering his face.

“Daniel… Remove your hands from your face.” Celestia’s voice said. He did so, and a loud smack filled the air, followed by two gasps. His head was cocked to the side from the power behind the hit, but a fire was born in his eyes. His right arm immediately transformed into the large, blade arm he had shown previously and he made a quick jab at her neck. An arm parried his admittedly weak swing and she threw his arm away, making his swing go far left, leaving him exposed. Her arms shot out and gripped both of his arms, with her angered face staring at him, an eyebrow cocked. His eyes were wide, and his blade arm disappeared as he was left to stare at her in shock. The two other mares stared with open jaws.

“W-what?” Twilight inquired, in shock at how quickly her teacher had responded. Daniel tried to bury his face into his chest, but one hand removed one arm from her grasp and she used her free hand to force him to look up at her face. He stared at the middle of her face, avoiding eye contact, but he couldn’t help it and his eyes met hers. She was giving him a comforting smile, her eyes comforting to stare into. He swallowed audibly, and forced his arms away from Celestia.

“I still believe I should not be left to walk freely. What if I become… Discorded again?” He questioned, looking between the both of them.

“After a pony has survived the discording process, they normally show no signs of relapses into the state.” Luna started. “We believe it’s almost like a disease, and after surviving the plague…”

“They develop an immunity to it, in a sense.” Celestia finished, looking towards her sister.

“Have other mammals survived becoming discorded, and have had similar results?” Daniel asked, his eyes on the two princesses.

“Ponies have been the only ones to have become discorded in our records.” Luna commented.

“So how would you know that I won’t just go ballistics again and try to cut you in half?” He grunted, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“We… only assumed that you wouldn’t do so because you’re so similar to a pony.” Celestia said. Daniel rolled his eyes.

“Assumptions will get you nowhere. It has to be complete, solid information that says that I will no longer become discorded before I accept my freedom.” He sat up in his bed.

“I doubt that this would be necessary Daniel…” Twilight chimed in, hoping to talk him out of his decisions.

“I don’t want anyone to be harmed by myself unless they deserve it. How could I know that I won’t become discorded again? My similarity to ponies doesn’t mean anything genetically.” He grumbled.

“What do you mean, “genetically?”” Twilight asked.

“I may look like a pony, but I might not have the same cells as you do. Or, I won’t have the same amount of chromosomes in my body as you would. Or, I won’t have the same brain capacity as you would. Or, I wouldn’t be able to use the same amount of my brain as you would.” He said, confusing the mare even more.

“And what would that mean? You don’t use all of your brain?” Celestia asked.

“It’s really a myth from my world, but it is said that Humans only use ten percent of their brains. That humans could actually use more of their brain, and that they could unlock certain powers. Control of matter. Control of cells. Control of time, space, and other beings. That is, of course, a myth…” He said, trailing off as he saw their expressions. “I doubt it’s true though. I mean, if we only used ten percent of our brain, why do we have the extremely large brains? Why not use only that ten percent? If we could unlock these potentials, why not unlock them at birth, or at certain milestones in their lives?” He shook his head.

“But… that is a myth that is potentially dangerous. Why would you humans create something so devious?” Luna questioned.

“Because humans are great and horrible people. They can use their brains, however much of it we use, to cure diseases as soon as they emerge. For a way to stop parasites from eating farms away. To create things that bring smiles to the faces of many in the world. But there are humans who thrive on darkness, who live to be the bane of other humans. Those humans create theories that seem to intend that almost all humans die in the end, or that the human race is wiped out entirely.” He stared at each of them.

“Such as?” Twilight asked.

He held up a finger. “The most popular was because of Religion. The dead walk the earth, and humans are judged by gods on how well they do in the situation. Those who survive the longest are given a place next to their gods.” He held up another finger. “An asteroid large enough to shatter the planet and destroy all life as we know it.” Another finger shot up. “The death of our sun causing the galaxy that we inhabit to implode on itself as it turns into a super black hole that sucks in everything and destroys it.”

He continued to name off more ways for the end of the world to happen, each with one finger to inhabit a place, until he named ten off. He finished with a sigh. “This still doesn’t change a thing.” He said, giving each a small glare. “I’m not to be trusted just because of a simple similarity to ponies and assumption made by a single being. Run tests, I don’t care. Lock me up, it may be better for you in the long run.” He rubbed the bottom of his jaw.

“I see no reason for this to happen. Discord is unlikely to strike at the heart of one such as yourself.” Celestia said, sounding pleading. Daniel just shook his head.

“You can have your beliefs, and your doubts, and your assumptions…” He murmured, folding the sheet covering him down. He looked over his body as he continued to unveil himself. Scars of what had transpired were easily visible. It looked like he was attacked by a pack of wolves, with most of his torso looking like it was missing chunks of meat. His left shoulder looked non-existent, while all of his right arm seemed too skinny for someone like him. A perfect semi-circle cut into his waist, and he only assumed that his back was equally scarred as his front. He looked for a mirror, and saw one that gave a glaring man that looked like he had spent too much time out in the sun staring back at him. He realized it to be him and lightened up his glare, noticing his eyes’ change.

“So, what’s up with the new color?” He asked, indicating his eyes. They each took a glance at them, before giving them a double take.

“That’s new…” Celestia commented.

“No shit. Now, I’m going to take a wild swing at this and say that those Elements of Harmony things changed my eye color before they mutilated me.” He felt restless, giving that he had been laying in the bed for the last year. “So, when can I leave? I feel like walking.” He said, stretching his arms.

The princesses shared a look. “Wouldn’t you need to exercise your muscles? To be able to walk properly after all of this time?” Twilight asked.

“I’m sure whatever is in my body was busy building me up again. It was probably done with that months ago and is just buffing out my… scarred areas.” He said, watching as the red and black tentacles continued to move over his arm, his arm growing slowly over the time he had been awake.

“Just to be safe, I’d say you should take baby steps. Try standing.” Celestia said. He tossed the covers off of him, ignoring his current naked form, before trying to stand. He swung his legs out underneath him, putting weight on his legs. He started to stand up...

Prologue (Edited)

I suppose I should introduce myself, even if this is my… journal, I guess. I suppose it’s simply a collection of events that have happened throughout my life. I don’t exactly know how to explain that I don’t think that something like this is a journal, but I’ll be putting my what my thoughts were along with what had happened with each event, so I suppose it’s a journal.

My name is Daniel. My surname isn’t very important. I wasn’t very fond of it, and those that I called a family away from my real family were all too eager to do something heinous… I suppose I should start from the beginning.

Before I ended up here, in this very odd, very dangerous, and very beautiful place. My parents, my biological parents, had gotten into some business that left them in a bad place, with bad men after them… I’m tired of trying to use softer languages for my own sake, so I’ll be blunt with what happens in here.

My parents had got a hit on them by the mafia.

I don’t know which one exactly, but I know that those bastards aren’t going to be bothering me anymore, so I couldn’t give two shits. Instead of leaving my older brother and I orphans, they decided to give us to the mafia when we grew up. We were only babies at the time, so of course we didn’t know what was going on. We grew up every day surrounded by strange men that always wore these suits and fedoras, and carried weapons on them at all times.

Every day, before school, they’d pick us up in some sort of fancy car, drive us to school, and then would be back as school ended, stuffing us into the back of the car and driving us home. We were constantly hounded by these men. They were constantly telling us small things, little tidbits of information that never really meshed together. I guess they were trying to groom us into being like them. To know how to live in their criminal world.

My brother was two years older than I was, and when he came of age, he was taken by the mafia, and was beaten to death while being ‘initiated’ into their group. I couldn’t believe hearing the words being spoken by the police officer when they said that they found his body lying in an alley in downtown Boston, ten miles away from where we were living, his body beaten black and blue with several new holes in him.

My parents knew exactly what happened, but they had their hands tied. They couldn’t rat the mafia out or else they’d end up dead, and I’d be stuck with them anyway since I was already promised to them.

So, I started planning, and plotting, and conniving.

I wasn’t just going to take this just sitting down. I could hear them mocking my brother, how he died, saying that I was going to be receiving the same treatment. They were throwing it around like I was supposed to accept it, like I was supposed to be EAGER to being beaten like a child.

I spent years, doing my best to work up as much cash as I could scrounge together and hide away from them in different areas of my house where they wouldn’t think to look. Weeks before I was supposed to be taken away, I started pocketing anything I could hide away from them when they weren’t looking. I swiped a stiletto switchblade from one of the guys when I brushed shoulders with him walking through a door, and hid it in my shoe. Idiot didn’t suspect a fucking thing when I told them I needed to tie my shoes. I knew I wouldn’t have long before I would become like an animal being hunted in the woods, so I did what I could to practice running throughout the house, but when they started sending men over to the house to watch me so I couldn’t run off, I was stuck for the time being.

The day before I was supposed to be ferried off by the mafia off to who knows where, I struck. I pulled that stiletto from where I had been hiding it and stabbed the bastard watching me in the back. I grabbed his gun and car keys, grabbed my bag full of stuff that I had to ‘earn’ (I had to fight a guy that was twice my size and three times as heavy, and if I didn’t get knocked out in the first fifteen seconds, I had done good enough to get what I wanted) that I had already prepared to leave, grabbed as much of my cash as I could, and ran for the bastard’s car.

I drove west, as far as I could get on that tank of gas, but they had caught up with me. They had been watching the house or something, and I couldn’t just stop running from them after taking them halfway across the United States, so I ran for a nearby forest. I did that stuff that you would see in movies, where I would hide in bushes and wait until I couldn’t see their feet or hear their shouting anymore before I ran away in a different direction.

I honestly thought I had shaken them off of me when I hit the edge of the forest, but that hope was drowned out in the sound of a gun firing.

The bullet cracked past me and whistled into the forest, and I knew that I was going to be in a fight for my life. I ducked behind a rotting log and did my best to try and fight back, but I wasn’t going to have much of a chance by blindly firing a pistol at a dozen guys, all armed with automatic rifles.

I don’t even remember how I got away, just that I did. I had shaken them off and disappeared to the middle of the forest, where I knew that there was waves of men circling around me, slowly trying to choke me out by closing in around me. I ducked behind a big rock and crawled between it and an old tree and managed to escape the sight of two guys that walked right over me.

I had been hounded by them for hours. The time seemed to drag on for days as I either sat in complete silence, or I was running through the forest, trying to get away from the men taking me back to the godfather. I thought I was home free. I thought I had given them all the slip and was about to make it out.

I guess my luck finally gave out on me.

I was ducking between clumps of trees, doing my best to make as little noise as possible by avoiding the detritus on the ground or shifting my feet the wrong way when I heard a crack in the silence of the forest. It took a few seconds to register in my tired mind that I had been shot, and I found myself on the ground, clutching at the new hole in my leg and screaming bloody murder.

That was true pain. It started out as a dull fiery burning that quickly spread out through the area that I had been shot, before it started to increase until it felt like my entire leg was engulfed in that steadily increasing burning sensation. What stuck in my mind to this day was the horrifying feeling of my own blood running down my leg, leaving rivers through the hairs on my leg and across my skin, over and around my ankle, and pooling down into my shoes. That pain was more than enough for me to want to die, and I was ready to when I heard them marching closer.

I was too busy rolling around on the ground, clutching at the hole, moaning and whimpering at the pain, but I felt something rise up inside of me. It felt like a whole new person was trying to claw its way through my chest, and I found myself standing up, favoring my left leg over my right while I held the gun that I had swiped. I fired until the gun went click. I don’t know if I ever hit anyone, but I know that I saw just about all of them hit the dirt or duck to avoid being hit, and I took my opportunity to hobble away.

I managed to get away again, and it was now night time. I had taken my belt and wrapped it around my leg to help with the bleeding, but I was feeling cold all over and it was the middle of summer.

Three days of cat and mouse, doing my best to escape them across half of the USA. I wasn’t allowed to lay down and rest. Every time I found something good to lay against or a hole to crawl into, I would hear yelling and they would start getting closer, so I had to keep going.

Only a few moments of respite before dashing between trees or hiding inside of tall bushes. I could hear them all around me, yelling obscenities at the top of their lungs to either anger me and draw me out, or to demoralize me, and I saw the random flashes of light. I could only assume it was from flashlights they were holding. I could hear them all around me.

I limped into a random thicket, waiting for them to pass, when I caught the top dog from hell himself. The godfather was surrounded by three groups of men, all armed with rifles or shotguns, and I knew I was completely screwed if I stuck around. I did my best to hobble away from them without making noise.

My luck seemed to take another turn because I tripped on something and landed in a pile of crisp, dead leaves, making enough noise that I may as well have had a flare gun and had fired it up into the sky to show them where I was. I got up and started trying to hobble away, knowing that it wasn’t going to be long before I had them breathing down my neck, but another bullet, entering my other leg and stopping anymore of my feeble attempts to escape them.

I heard several dozen footsteps coming closer, several of them chuckling or laughing, some of them jeering or slinging insults at me.

“Nice try kid, but you’re going to be dog food when we get through with ya here.” One of them stated as he stood over me, a cocksure grin on his face. I heard another pair of footsteps walking closer and stopped right before me.

I felt something press into my left leg and my breath hitched as I let out a small yelp and groan, shaking as I bit back a scream.

“Son, do you think we enjoy chasing sixteen year old kids through forests?” The godfather’s voice asked, and Daniel gritted his teeth.

“Yes...” Daniel responded quietly in a smarmy voice, and the pressure on his leg increased.

“Huh?!” The godfather asked loudly, and he shook his head. After what seemed like an eternity to me, but was in reality only two seconds, he let off and I couldn’t help but take a deep breath out of relief. I was picked up off of the ground by two men scooping me up by my arms and another holding my head straight as the godfather stared at him.

“Answer me...” He snarled at Daniel, the wrinkles of his face contorting in fury.

“You could’ve just… let me go, you know…? I mean, I’m sure… you’ve got better things to do with your time, like stuffing your head-” The godfather reeled back and smacked me across the face, stopping the insult before it got to the punch line, and the godfather took a step back and pulled at the cuff of his jacket down to cover his wrists again.

He leaned back down to Daniel, a cold expression on his face. “Your parents were cowards and sold you to us to be a part of this family. Your brother was a pussy and couldn’t take being roughed up a little. We ain’t here to be friends with ya, we’re here to collect that ugly head a’yers.”

He stood back up and rubbed his forehead for a moment, looking around. “Looks like I’m gonna have t’blackmail the docs so we don’t have to pay the bill-”

I don’t know what was possessing me at the time, but seeing him in front of me, after all he had done to me and my family, and hearing him talking about what he was going to do some poor doctors just so he didn’t have to pay, I had gotten loose from the guy holding my left arm and punched him in the face.

I could hear the crunch of his nose as he reeled away and fell onto the ground, cradling his now broken nose.

He wasn’t down for long, and was back onto his feet in a matter of seconds as the guards wrestled me to the ground and were currently stomping the lights out of me, before locking eyes with me with a fury on his face. I saw his nose was turned askew, and blood was running from his nose like he had been hit with a hammer.

I saw him flick his wrist out of the corner of my eye, and he turned away as he pulled a handkerchief from his suit and put it to his nose as I was grabbed by the guards and pushed against a tree. I felt them pulling at my arms as someone came forward with a bundle of rope, and I was tied to the tree.

“Take your time with him.” I heard the godfather say as the guys that had been following him seemed to line up in front of me. The first guy drove his fist into my sternum in a downward punch. I think he meant to punch me in the chin but missed. Still hurt like hell and I slumped over, gasping for breath.

The next guy was a psychopath, through and through. He took a scalpel from his pocket, removing a plastic cover over the blade, before he started to make slow, agonizing cuts. He made a single cut across each bicep on my arm, before he started to idly feel for my ribs with one hand as he started to twirl the scalpel between his fingers as he stared into my eyes, before he drew a line across the skin and meat on each of my ribs, cutting through the shirt I had been wearing. Then he cut the skin on the inside of the elbow, the part that’s between your forearm and upper arm.

I don’t know what it’s called, I just know where my bones are inside of my body.

He stood up, wiping the scalpel off on me, before returning the plastic cover on it. He took a second to admire his handiwork, before he stepped away and the next guy came forward.

He punched me directly in the ear, and that made my head spin and my ears to start ringing.

Another guy stepped up and he started to stretch a little. I knew it was going to be back when he got a running start and pulled his leg back, kicking me right in the ribs.

I couldn’t help but scream at this point.

The cuts on the ribs, and this grunt wearing steel toes, I could feel two of my ribs break upon impact.

Some of them starting chuckling like it was a good joke while he seemed to take it like it was a trophy, and he bowed in front of everyone before walking off.

The next guy pulled out a pair of brass knuckles from his jacket and grabbed a bundle of my hair, then proceeded to beat my face in. The first one cut the skin on my forehead, and probably broke the skull. He continued to pound my face in until the godfather walked forward and put a hand on his shoulder, and he walked off.

I couldn’t feel anything besides the world of pain that had decided to encompass me. “Gotta helluva punch there kid.” I felt two guys grab the rope that had been tied to my hands and another two grab my arms before I hit the dirt, and they put me on my back so that I was staring up at them.

“Too bad you’re a damn idiot… and you’re going to be an unmarked grave out here.” He sneered as he pulled out the stylized magnum revolver he kept on him at all times, a staple for his position as the leader, and pulled back the hammer with his thumb.

“Any last words, kid?” He sounded sincere, but I knew he was just mocking me at this point.

“The auditions… for Free Willy are… that way.” I pointed back towards the town I had passed before the car ran out of gas, and he turned around for a second, before a mirthless chuckle broke through his lips and he turned back around to look at me. I knew I had pissed him off at this point, but there wasn’t going to be much that I could do at this point. I was bleeding all over, and I had been bleeding from a gunshot wound for hours now.

I’m only surprised that I was still conscious at this point. “Figured it out?… You are smart than… you look… Though your face… looks like it just went ten rounds… with a shotgun.” A kick stopped me before I could get to the next one. I coughed out a groan.

I could taste blood in my mouth, but that was more or less from the blood dribbling in from the multiple cuts on my face. My legs were shot, and I wasn’t just talking about the bullets in my leg, so I couldn’t walk even if I tried, and I’m bleeding from a metric boatload of cuts.

“You could’ve been a good example kid. Now you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.” The godfather stated as he raised the pistol up and fired. I heard the gunshot, but it felt like a cold wind had brushed along and through my body, holding my heart and caressing my spine.

I could see them walking away from me, leaving me for dead, and at that point, I was sure that it was going to happen. There was no way that I was going to live through that. At this point, I was making due with saying prayers and readying myself to meet my makers.

This is after the fact that I found it out. I asked what happened to lead up to me ending up here in Equestria. I sort of pieced together what was going on after asking the people were there, and I collectively added them to my experience here. There's only a few points where this'll happen since I'm either asleep, away doing something else, unconscious, or somewhere I can't witness what's happened. Not exactly all in that order, but they've all happened, and I won't say that they've all happened multiple times, fuck you.

It was a gloomy Wednesday afternoon. Clouds were blocking out Celestia’s sun. Few ponies strolled through the streets, with many deciding to stay home to avoid being caught outside when it rained.

Six ponies were gathered in the basement of a library, in a small village by the name of Ponyville. Tables lined the walls, but many of them had been pushed up against the wall as chalk lined the floors, with many different symbols and intricate runes dancing across the many different layers to the ritualistic circle in the middle of the room. Different colors of chalk were used for different runes and symbols.

All six of the girls were standing in the middle of the circle, five of them looking nervously at the six, who was studying intently through a book.

“Twi, are you sure that we’re gonna be okay during this trip of yers?” Applejack asked, arms crossed over her chest as she warily glanced at all of the symbols that danced around the ground. Anxiety had buried itself deep inside of her, but were curious as to what they were supposed to be doing exactly.

“It’ll be fine Applejack! We’ll be there for a couple of days, then we’ll come back and everything will be fine! Nothing will go wrong.” Twilight assured Applejack for the umpteenth time as she placed the book down on the nearest table to her, levitating it over to the table to avoid disturbing the drawn lines and symbols. "If we get lucky, we could even get somepony to come along with us to study!" Twilight exclaimed, practically bouncing in place, giddy over the possible knowledge that this somepony would hold, and how they would exchange scientific theories their worlds held.

She was the only one that knew exactly what they were going to be doing. She had been searching through old books in her library when she came across one that seemed older than the rest. She had read through the book and found it to be a collection of short stories about bipedal creatures, like the ponies themselves, but had no fur covering their bodies.

From the description in the stories, they were tall, taller than many ponies at the time, with flat faces and odd looking hooves that jutted outward and formed smaller things on the end of it. However, despite their rough descriptions, they held technology that had gone far beyond what ponies have even today. The author had given very bare descriptions about each of the objects he had seen.

In the book, they were called ‘hoo-mans’ but Twilight assumed that the author never found out whether or not it was spelled properly or not. He described them all as peaceloving warmongerers, which tickled her for its contradiction. He gave a few accounts of humans that were forced to fight others in a manner of self-defense, but had perfected fighting and was able to take down foes in even the most harrowing of odds, such as full grown dragons with only a shout and a regular sword or hunting down packs of wolves with only a knife. She believed them to be folly stories, simply told for exaggeration, but at the end of the book, there was a brief explanation of what had happened to the humans, claiming that they had been banished by Discord for causing more chaos than he could.

"What if that pony is dangerous?" Applejack asked, wrecking the train of thought that was in Twilight's head. Twilight bit her lip, drumming her fingers along the spine of the book as she continued to pretend to study the tome.

"I'll make sure that this pony is not dangerous." Rainbow Dash said, puffing out her chest with her hands on her hips. It would be a heroic pose if she wasn’t dressed as she was, in a pair of jogger pants and a half cut tank top and a pair of sneakers.

"Ah don't know, Twi. But I'll come along with ya'll." AJ said. Everypony else added their own agreements and small comments to assure the spellcaster, and she gave a weak smile to the rest of them.

Twilight looked over the circle one final time before her horn colored, and magic started to flood the area around them. Some of the symbols seemed to fade from existence, before emerging once again and pulling themselves from the floor with small flashes of light. Several runes became unique colors that none of them had seen before, and several of the mares cooed in amazement at the display they were given. More runes joined the others as they came from the ground as the circles started to spin around them, and the runes started to spin around the mares, quickly picking up speed until they started to blur around the ponies.

The colors joined together into a rainbow hue, and slowly rose up to the ceiling, before it started to fold in on itself and make a dome around the ponies, still spinning in its brilliant colors. Each of the mares gave a sound of surprise as they felt something grab them, and they were each pulled backwards into a small ball of incandescent light. The dome disappeared with a sound akin to an explosion, leaving only a few scorch marks on the ground as the ball whisked its way across space and time.

Seconds crawled along like hours to me, and clouds slowly rolled across the night sky. I had closed my eyes, having made my peace, and was ready for death to have taken me when I heard a crash of thunder right over me as a bolt of lightning came down from beyond the clouds. I opened my eyes up as much as I could, shuddering softly as I could feel my blood pooling around my body more and more. Rain started to fall, and I knew that I wouldn’t be making it.

If I was still in town when I got shot, I might’ve had a chance to get to a hospital and possibly live, but I had decided to run out into the middle of a forest to escape a godfather hellbent on killing me, and there’s no chance for me to get out of here. I thought, before reflecting on my own decisions.

I was dumb enough to run out into a forest, near a small town of probably only five thousand people. I basically did all of the work for getting rid of the body for the mafia, I just didn’t need to deliver the killing blow myself. It would’ve been like putting a noose around my neck and stand up on a chair before balancing on one leg, and then that one guy who doesn’t like you comes by and kicks it from underneath you. And now there’s a thunderstorm, I figured that it would’ve been my luck to have gotten struck by lightning and that would’ve been wiped all of the evidence off of the slate.

Just a crispy body in the middle of the forest. Police would’ve probably thought I was just some idiot who had walked out into the forest during the storm and got struck by lightning. Of course, I’m still alive, so that who analogy doesn’t make any sense, but it’s the principle of it getting off of my chest for my poor decisions that led me to that point.

"Twi, you sure that we can just do this without causing harm to space and time and what not?" A southern female voice asked, and I lifted my head up in total shock.I set my head back onto the ground a second later, my body feeling like someone had filled me with cold lead, but relief washed over me as I heard another voice among the rain.

Someone’s out here in this storm… I couldn’t help but think. I was shivering as rain continued to pelt me, and something was telling me to get up. A voice in the back of my head was telling me to move. I tried to sit up. I tried to roll over. I tried to push my arms under me. I tried to even move my legs. Nothing was responding to me. I didn’t have the strength to do anything besides move my limbs slightly. They felt like concrete blocks had been attached to each of my digits, then another concrete block encompassed those block on each limb.

I heard footsteps coming closer to me, as well as some sort of electric humming that grew steadily louder as it came closer. I heard the footsteps stop, and I cracked an eye open and saw a dim purple light standing over me. I closed my eyes and lay my head back, wincing slightly as another wave of pain wracked itself over me as I wished for them to call an ambulance.

“I-is this what a human looks like?” Another female’s voice asked, sounding exactly as a nerdy girl would sound, her voice apprehensive. My mind was becoming muddled as I continued to lay there and bleed.

I know my thoughts would’ve been something along the lines of, ‘What kind of question is that?’ but it was getting hard to think, so I guess I’ll fill in for my past self.

I let out a soft groan, and several, about three or four (it was getting hard to remember how to count at this point), gasped in shock and surprise.

“Was that… the hoo-man? It looks positively dreadful!” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her poor choice of words here, but I had a feeling that if I was going to make it out of here, I’d probably slap her a couple of times for commenting on my near death person.

“Are you okay?” A contralto, tomboyish feminine voice asked, and I felt something poke me. I jerked slightly and coughed, the blood that had been forming in the back of my throat dribbling out as I could start breathing again.

“He’s still alive! We need to get him to a hospital!” The educated voice came back, and I could practically feel the warmth of relief wash over me at those words.

“How do you know it's a he?" The tomboyish voice said, and I felt myself die a little on the inside.

"Look at your body, then look at his. It’s like a stallions. Broad shoulders, very muscular, and-" I let loose another cough and the girl with the southern accent cut in.

“Is now really the time to argue over whether or not it’s a he or not? He’s injured and probably gonna die if we don’t help him!” The southern accented voice said.

Thank you for being the voice of reason in all of this, southern girl… I had thought at the moment.

“How do we know he’s not dangerous if we bring him back? I was hoping to ask him a couple of questions to gauge-” She was cut off as I felt a foot stomp on the spot where I had just been shot and I couldn’t help but cry in pain. I couldn’t tell if I had tears in my eyes or if it was the rain.

“I’ll make sure he won’t do anything!” The tomboy said, but the pressure was released off of my leg and I couldn’t help but grit my teeth.

“Why’d y’all do that Rainbow?! Don’t ya see his injuries right there?!” The southern girl yelled, before the girls started to argue, and I started feeling a little bit colder as the time went on.

“What could’ve caused this?” A new voice asked, almost too quiet to hear over the two arguing. I coughed slightly and felt a pair of soft hands cradle the back of my head and turned it over, and I spit out the blood that had started collecting in my throat once again. I could barely hear myself whisper the word as I said it. I think I said ‘mafia’ but I can’t be too sure. Everything that happened was a bit muddled. But she seemed to understand and lay my head back down onto the dirt gently.

“Stop arguing!” The soft voice that had spoken to him earlier shouted, and the others stopped. “We have somepony hurt here and you are doing nothing but arguing about it while he’s bleeding!” The rest of the people seemed to balk and I felt them collectively standing over me once again.

I felt something warming me up, and my lungs, which had been getting progressively slower and harder to use, started to pull in oxygen again.

I felt a hand touch my head and something started to… worm its way around in my head. I couldn’t really explain the feeling. The closest that I could give would be like someone taking their finger and running it across my brain, as if scouring for something. The hand removed itself a few moments later, and with it was the feeling of warmth, but I still feel like someone was massaging my lungs, getting them to breathe from inside of me. I couldn’t really understand what was going on, nor what had been doing it, but I’m glad it was because I wasn’t sure if I could still breathe by myself or not.

“...I just… I’ve seen into his memories...” The educated girl said, sounding like she was in shock. “His own parents… sold him and his brother to a mafia so that they wouldn’t be killed themselves...”

A collective gasp erupted from the group. “What in Tartarus’ name...” The tomboy murmured. “He’s barely older than Big Mac...” The southern girl chimed in. The rest of them gave a few words, but I couldn’t hear much over the rain.

“They-” The educated voice choked up slightly. “They killed his brother and were going to do the same with him… so he ran away and they hunted him down…” Another collective gasp erupted from the group, but I myself was at the point where I was on the brink of unconsciousness.

Everything sounded distant, I felt so cold. so very cold… I couldn’t even feel the hands on my limbs as I felt myself getting picked up. I knew that, even with them not arguing and doing their best to keep me awake and alive, I’d be dead before I reached the edge of the forest. The nearest hospital was too far for me to have made it.

But, you know, I’m writing out this journal, so you and I know that I made it, but it was a bit melodramatic for the moment, yeah?

Author's Note

And that's the prologue finished for its rewrite. After this, I don't think I'll be coming back to change things around again. Unless there's something wrong where I missed some words in a sentence because, I tend to write these on breaks or in the middle of the night and that leads to me either forgetting to fill in some sentences, or there's a missing space between words. That, or sentences run on for too long.

I blame my body for growing too tired to keep up with my demands. Damn you human capabilities!

Lunae Sicut Stellae (Edited)

It’s been about three weeks since I made my last entry, marking my first month in Equestria gone and past, and the second week of my second month being here on an alien planet has arrived. I feel like I should record these entries daily, but I feel it’s more of a hassle to do it like that when I could just give updates about what’s changed over a greater period of time.

For example, I could mark out every minute of every day of my life, but it would be boring to write the same thing hundreds of times in a row, with only a few scant exclusions happening per day.

The basic layout is this: I wake up, I help Fluttershy with her animals, I go off to work at Bonbon’s shop, I cook and prepare treats and candies all day long, clean dishes after finishing a batch of whatever I’m told to make, service customers when I’m told to go to the front counter, and then after eight or ten hours of work, depending on how many orders we get before closing time, I’m home and I’m either lazing around at Fluttershy’s cottage, helping her out with whatever she needs me to do, or I go for walks around the village or the nearby forest.

The only difference between each day is whether or not someone I know shows up to the shop to talk to me, ask me questions about how I’m fitting into the whole, ‘living in another world’ thing, or to get something sweet to start the day out.

It’s weird to think that candy is a valid breakfast decision for these ponies, but then again, the only ones that I see in here to get candy at the crack of dawn is either Rainbow Dash if she has to wake up early for her shift as weather manager (don’t even get me started on the fact that the pegasi handle the weather) or Pinkie Pie.

Seeing that mare take an entire batch of milk chocolate squares and stuff it into her mouth really disturbs me. She unhinges her jaw like a snake, and then she chews on the chocolate like a chipmunk that stuffs its cheeks with nuts, wax paper and all. Doesn’t even swallow the entire thing in small portions. Just all at once.

I honestly expected her to start choking when I saw the two pound ball of chewed chocolate visibly sliding down her neck. It baffles me how that mare manages to stay as slim as she does. I think I remember seeing her eat like ten pounds of food throughout the entire day. You’d think that she’d become a butterball or something.

Anyway, I digress about my update schedule in this journal of mine...

I suppose if things start changing drastically, then it might become a weekly, maybe even a daily thing.

I actually bought my journal last week, and spent the nights up to this point writing out what’s happened so far. I’ve gotten the most important events down, such as what happened before I came here, what got me here in the first place, and my thoughts on certain things up until now.

I suppose I should fill in a few details that I’ve missed in my original entries, reading back through these now. The day after I got hurt at Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie threw a big party for me that was this childish party that she had thrown, pony equivalent to kid games and all. It served as a sort of ‘welcome to Equestria/Ponyville’ party for myself that jointed as an introductory to a lot of the residents of the town that may have only seen me in passing.

A lot of the ponies in the town had assumed that I was just this odd looking pony that had been saved by the ‘Elements of Harmony’ (The name some mare I didn’t recognize told me when I was introduced) and that I was going to be staying in Ponyville until I get back on my feet. A few of them, when I introduced myself and told them that I was a human, straight up ran away screaming, leaving me standing there awkwardly while everyone else stared at me like I was the devil himself.

Makes a guy really feel welcome around here when these people, who didn’t know that I was a human and just thought that I was some weird pony, finds out that I’m different from them and freak the fuck out on me.

It really gets under my skin when I’ve talked with a few of them myself before they found out, and they were perfectly fine with me before!

Ugh…

Lastly, it also served as an introduction party for humans as a recognized species in Equestria.

I’ll tell you, I’m pretty sure I gave myself whiplash when Pinkie told me about humans being a recognized species in Equestria now, and then she dragged me over to Twilight when I started asking every question that was on my mind and she would just give me roundabout answers about how Twilight told her this and that.

That led into a conversation with Twilight about how she’s been reporting on me since I had arrived, and that the princesses of Equestria now recognized humans as a species on their planet.

At first, I thought it was odd to do that simply because of me being a single human, technically I’m an invasive species, and the fact that humans were also extinct on this planet, but seeing as they technically could pull more humans over to this world, or they could theoretically open up a portal that could allow humanity free access to their lands, I gave it a pass. I guess me being a good person meant that I did well enough to represent humanity to be given a chance at a new life on this planet.

That put a lot of things into perspective that sort of put me into a shock that quickly spiraled into panic, such as me being an ambassador for humanity and that even the smallest things that I did would have a ton of negative consequences if the wrong people saw it and reported it to the authorities. That started a downward spiral of wondering whether or not I was going to be a good enough person to represent the wants and needs of humanity as a whole, and then how there could be drastically different cultural things here that I haven’t ran into that could be incredible taboo to them, but is an average thing that I do in my day to day life.

Then I realized that I was here by myself, and until there’s more humans and I’m personally delegated to being an ambassador to humanity, I should only really care about my own needs. Fuck the political atmosphere back on Earth, that shit was complicated enough when I left that you don’t need to add this bullshit to it as well.

Anyway, after my little freakout about becoming what is essentially a protected species in the eyes of Equestria, as well as an impromptu ambassador for humanity, and realizing the headache that brings, I was brought back from my panic to the living world by a cupcake being smeared all over my face by Pinkie.

Damn her for making me look a fool because of all of the icing that spattered my jacket, but it made me forget about those troubles and laugh away those worries for now.

As an afterthought, I realized that it was rather odd for Twilight to be reporting on me without saying anything about it. Then I thought about it, and realized that I’d probably do the same thing if I was in that situation, probably with more of some alphabet organization paying a visit to me in the middle of the night.

Afterwards, Twilight pulled me to the side and assured me that I shouldn’t have to worry about anything that might deal with the political ramifications of a new species being introduced to the world, and that I should just keep living as I normally would. She gave me a scroll and it basically said the same thing she said, just a little bit more roundabout and sugarcoated in the way it said what Twilight already told me, complete with a small silver coin stuck to the paper. Twilight explained the coin was supposed to signify that I was a citizen of Equestria until I get official papers drafted up for my person.

The day after the party was actually the weekend, and Bonbon didn’t have me come in on the weekends for some reason. Which when I asked her on the start of the next week, she just shrugged and said that she didn’t think I would be up to working on the weekends.So I visited Rarity, and she was trying to gift me more clothes.

I straight up told her no and that I was going to pay for them.

That led to an escalating argument between the two of us where she refused to take my money because she said that I should be saving it for something important, while I was telling her that I was going to pay for it because I had money and is one of the main reasons why I had pushed myself to make said money.

It eventually got to the point where I had to walk out of the store before I blew my lid about her being stubborn in her generosity. I wanted to make sure she didn’t have her business tank because of me, nor was I too keen on continuing that relationship of me taking her stuff constantly.

I guess the way that I viewed it at the time was that there was only so much kindness one person was willing to give out before they have no more, and I didn’t want to push them to that point simply because of my own needs.

Sure, I wanted the clothes, and for them to be given to me for free was great, but I didn’t want it to become a habit, nor do I want to fall into that habit of just taking without trying to recompense for it. I’ve seen what happens to people when they do that.

So I walked off, and found myself in the Ponyville Park. ~~Kids~~ Foals were playing with one another, ponies were strolling through the park or enjoying picnics, and a few animals were running around. Some were dogs that barked and panted as they ran around, some were cats that sat in the laps of their owners, enjoying the petting they received, and a few other animals were sprinkled in, creating a more open, wilder feeling to the park.

Still, I used the time to calm down, enjoyed another walk through the park, then found a nice hill that overlooked Ponyville to sit on. I remembered something was familiar about that hill, but didn’t realize what it was until I started writing this down.

It was the hill that I saw in Fluttershy’s dream.

I was interrupted from my interesting sit atop a hill by none other than Rainbow Dash, who confronted me about Rarity. I guess she happened across the mare after I had stormed out and she told her side of the story.

She came to me and tried getting aggressive, and thankfully I had calmed down before she came at me like that. If she came at me immediately after Rarity pissed me off, I’d have probably put a couple of knots in her skull in my anger, especially since she was giving me an outlet for my own aggression.

In the end, I pushed it off and informed Dash about my side of the story. She understood what I was getting at, so she went off to tell Rarity about it, and even apologized for confronting me about it in the way she did. I waved it off since she was just trying to protect one of her friends, and went back to relaxing. I think I spent the entire day on that hill. I watched the sunset on that hill.

It was rather scenic there.

The next day I went back to Rarity’s shop, and she apologized for her behavior, telling me that she disliked it when she argued over something that was already set in stone in her head, but I simply waved it off like I did with Rainbow Dash. Despite everything, I still got a bit peeved when she said that she was giving me a discount, but at that point, I knew that I wasn’t going to get away with what I wanted from her, so I took what I could compromise with her.

I got some nice casual clothes to fit into my wardrobe, which I liked since it meant I didn’t have to worry about the clothes she’s already made for me getting dirty, in case I helped out on the farm again, or if I got them messed up with sugar or flour at Bonbon’s shop.

I spent some time with Twilight, helping her out with this experiment consisting of me standing somewhere in her basement and what felt like she was trying to tickle me from the inside with a feather, and spent some time with Bonbon, since I saw her sitting at the park by herself, looking really glum.

Apparently she was supposed to be meeting someone there at the park, but that someone didn’t show up until like two hours later, which I spent hanging out with her because I didn’t want to see her sad. Finally, I spent some time helping Fluttershy around her house and with feeding or washing her animals.

I suppose that I should point out that I’ve noticed that Fluttershy’s become a bit more… bold in her actions and words ever since I first met her. Nothing too drastic as of yet, but she doesn’t stutter as much as she used to when I first saw her, and she does tend to get… touchy-feely towards the end of the day, especially after dinner.

Which was at a more appropriate time now since I wasn’t getting home long into the night from working on the orchard. It's nice to be able to see the sunset while I'm not climbed up on top of a tree or hauling bushels of apples around.

I’d normally either sit on the couch and enjoy one of the many books Twilight let me borrow, or I retreated to my room to listen to music and drift off in my own thoughts. When I read on the couch, she’d rest her head on my shoulders, reading over the book I had, or she’d lay her head in my lap as she stared up at the ceiling or at the fireplace.

I’d sit there until I felt tired (or uncomfortable) and I’d go up to my room to sleep, or to pass the time until I was actually tired. When I went up to my room to listen to music, I would feel her watching me every step I took, and I caught her a few times looking like someone had decided to destroy her favorite childhood toy in front of her. It was genuinely making me feel bad, knowing that I was causing her to be unhappy in her own home.

However, there’s some days where I feel more… exhausted would be a good word. I think it’s more of... that I feel like I don’t want to interact with anyone when I get home from work.

I suppose that makes me seem like a bit of an introvert, and that with my prior lack of social experiences that I should probably feel glad that I get some alone time, but I just feel… empty.

Like I’m yearning for something… something else, or maybe something more.

Don’t get me wrong, I love it here, and without that constant worry of being caught in the middle of everything without having any involvement in it means I’ll be able to focus on other things that I’d need to focus on. Things like the fact that I’m currently alive in another planet with alien inhabitants all around me, and I’ve basically integrated to their society. Honestly, they’re not that different from us, save for a few smaller things that I’ve noticed.

But there’s just a constant pit that’s been sitting in my stomach since I’ve been here, and it’s getting bigger every day, little by little.

Maybe it’s homesickness.

The next week was much of the same, but without visits to Rarity for clothes. More or less talking with Twilight, hanging out with several ponies around town that were comfortable enough around me after finding out that I wasn’t a pony, and spending time helping out with Fluttershy.

Last Saturday, I got my journal, and after spending time with everyone else, I spent about an hour or two writing in this journal before I went to bed. Of course, these quills and inkwells took a bit to get used to, since I was used to ballpoint pens and graphite pencils. Still, after a little practice of making sure my hand doesn’t drag on the page I’m writing on, I don’t have to worry about ink stains on my hands or ruining the paper that I was using to detail my existence.

I forgot to mention that Luna tends to visit me in my dreams often. Every time she comes to visit, the same thing as the first time happens. The world freezes, everything melts away, and I’m left standing in a massive dark void while she appears behind me. Doesn’t matter how much I twist and turn when I realize the world’s gone, she always appears behind me.

After she arrives, I tend to default to that sitting room that I showed her the first time and we talk with one another until she either needs to leave to stop a nightmare or I wake up.

Then, sometime during the last week, I introduced her to video games.

I remember that I having a dream/memory of playing video games, specifically God of War 3. I was pissed off because I was in the middle of a boss fight in God of War 3 with Hercules on the hardest difficulty, and was on the verge of winning while near death, when the world did its familiar freeze, and shattered. I remember crying out in frustration and throwing the controller that I had been holding, which disappeared as soon as it left my hand. The familiar clopping of hooves on stone met my ears as I glared at where the screen was, huffing in my anger.

“What ails you Daniel? You appear irritable.” Luna asked, and I spun to level my glare at her.

She flinched and recoiled slightly, and I let out a sigh to try and ease my stress at losing while I was so close to winning, pinching my brow before dragging my hand down my face in my exasperation. “It’s… nothing. I was just in the middle of doing something and was about to complete it when I got interrupted.”

I don’t even think she’d understand a word I’d say if I told her what I was actually doing.

She nodded her head in slight understanding, though she still did look lost. “If I may ask what you were doing to cause you such strife?”

I froze, looking off into the void as I was split down the middle of showing her what I was playing, and what she would think about such a violent game. I could see out of the corner of my eye, Luna was growing increasingly impatient at my indecision.

“You know what? I think I’ll introduce you to a large part of modern human culture.” I stated as I snapped my finger, and started to recreate my human bedroom.

It was small, large enough for me to fit a bed, dresser, desk, and a chair in it and for the two of us to stand in it without touching, but that was about it. On my desk was my gaming consoles, all of which I’ve had to fight for, and my computer and TV monitors, connected together with a bundle of intertwined wires running to and fro one another. The room was clean, with only my bookbag sitting on the floor next to my bed marring the floor.

Luna looked around with a blank stare on her face. “What is this place, and these contraptions?” She asked, staring at the monitors on my desk.

“This was my bedroom back home. Those contraptions are display monitors for the computer and gaming consoles I have.” I answered, pointing to the monitors on the desk in the corner.

Her expression showed her ignorance, and I scratched my head to try and explain it to her concisely.

“Alright, so take a picture, right?” She nodded her head. “These displays are basically moving pictures for whatever the computer, which is a machine that allows it to connect to what we called the internet, which enables it to do a lot of different things, such as looking at these moving pictures, communicating with other people across the world, research and studies for students and teachers, books, so on and so forth.”

She nodded her head, but she still had that blank look on her face. “Look, here, I’ll show you.” I sat down in my computer chair and turned on my computer, which started humming softly.

“What’s with all of these… things, down here?” She asked, pointing towards the wires.

“They’re so that all of these machines can connect to one another. Humans don’t have magic, so we can’t just connect things into a leyline and hope it works.” I did a small twirl of my finger as the monitor flashed on, showing a bar for what it’s loading in the background.

“We run everything with electricity. To the light shining through the bulb above your head to the power that makes this thing,” I tapped the computer with my finger, “that allows it to do everything I said it did. To do that, we have these things called wires that connects a device to one another that allows it to read its inputs and outputs data that may be readable to our brains.”

The monitor flashed with color and onto the login screen, and I logged into my computer, typing in my password with practiced ease like I had done it a thousand times before.

Though, knowing me, I probably had done it at least ten thousand times. I enjoyed video games, even as little as I could get away with playing them.

“I’ll show you a few pictures and videos.”

I scrolled through my documents and pulled up pictures that I had taken on certain holidays, like Christmas day with the family, or of the Fourth of July, or a few that were taken of football games since my brother was on the football team. I showed her pictures of fireworks going off, with sound coming through my speakers.

She looked surprised at the sound coming from the devices in front of her. “They also play sound?”

I nodded my head as I went to the next video. It was weird, I could remember just about every image, video, and game on my computer and gaming consoles, but sometimes I’ll just blank out and forget something that may have been obvious. A name to a face, an important date, even sometimes forgetting about holidays and other events.

It was odd how my brain was wired like this.

“Now that I know the concept to this… computer, you called it?” I nodded in acknowledgment. “What was it that you were doing that caused you to become hostile?”

I scratched my head awkwardly. “Alright, so there are these things called video games. They’re like regular games that you’d play with cards or on a board or whatever, but it’s on the computer. I was in the middle of dreaming about playing one of these games, which is supposed to be a difficult game to test your coordination and abilities to adapt in combat, and I was about to finish the battle I was having when you came here.” I said, picking up the controller that was once thrown at the void but was completely untouched, and started up God of War 3.

“...God of… War?” She asked, sounding disturbed.

“Yes. It’s a game that follows a human that goes against old Greek gods because they tricked him into killing his family. It’s a long and bloody series that ends with him killing all of the gods.”

She looked morbidly fascinated by the idea. “To kill a god… It’s unheard of on our world.”

I turned in the chair to look at her in surprise, where she had bent down to stare over my shoulder at the screen.

“There’s gods on Equus?”

She nodded. “There have always been gods. At least one to represent each race on Equus. However, many have become weaker than they once were. They gained power through prayers, and in exchange, they’d offer their services to those that called for their aid.”

This sounds more and more like I just stepped out of a Greek Mythology story, just with less gore and death, and more friendship and happiness… I couldn’t help but think while I stared at her.

“...Huh.” Was my response instead of anything that I was thinking.

She snorted in amusement at my brilliant response, and I shook my head to clear my mind of the bomb she just dropped on me.

“So, you wanna try to play God of War?” I asked, a small grin on my face for the inevitable as I loaded up the first God of War game.

I won’t lie, I had some low expectations for the pony princess when she picked up the controller and started the game, but I never expected this.

I took about ten minutes to explain the bare minimum for her to understand how things were going to work. What the context of the game was, where it took place, how to use the controller to move the character.

She took the controller from my hands when I told her just about everything I could off of the top of my head, and allowed her to get used to the feeling of the game’s main menu.

It took her thirty minutes to get through the first pack of monsters. She couldn’t really figure out how the joysticks worked for the first few minutes and kept dying after rolling around in the middle of the group. Then she found out how to attack after about five minutes, but she was somehow missing a majority of the time.

How that happened, I don’t know, since the attacks basically homed in on the nearest enemy that you’re facing. It took her thirty minutes and a lot of frustration on both of our parts before she managed to finish off all of the enemies without dying.

Frustration from me, because it was almost physically painful to see this sort of struggle with basic enemies on the easiest difficulty.

Frustration from her, because I was biting my knuckle and groaning every time she died, and would grow increasingly agitated after each hit that had managed to get past her attempted rolls. She grew almost ecstatic after she realized that was the last enemy, and then took five minutes to figure out how to progress.

She kept trying to jump over the side of the boat, then spent time jumping up the walls, before I gave her a hint to look for shining objects.

I didn’t want to backseat game for her, but Luna’s obviously struggling with the most basic of tasks in a video game.

So, she took a minute to look around, and finally found the obvious trapdoor had run over several times and ignored. After that was the first Hydra head, and she was having issues with that because she clicked the prompt off that showed her how to block, and she kept trying to strongarm her way through it.

After I told her the button, she managed to get through that portion of the game.

She did fall a few times on the rafters, which I thought was funny. Her first idea was to simply fly over it, which I guess is a natural idea for a flying pony to do when they see an obstacle like that.

All she did manage was to just jump to her death a few times until she realized that Kratos didn’t have wings like she did.

Dunno how she missed that detail, since she had been staring at his back the entire time anyway… Probably staring at his ass or something.

After about an hour after starting the game, she managed to get to the main part of the first boat, which was usually cleared after the first five or ten minutes of someone’s playthrough.

I knew I was in it for the long haul, but seeing Luna’s increasingly vibrant language and strings of curses after each death was hilarious to me. She managed to get through this part of the tutorial with only one death, which just showed her improvements.

And then she got to the second Hydra head, and flipped her shit after ten minutes of dying. She didn’t know what that prompt was on the screen when she saw the button being depressed rapidly, until I told her that it was her queue to press the button as fast as she could. It seemed like that was the straw that broke the camel’s back for her, since she took one look at me, and the controller broke in half in her hands.

She then magicked another one into her hands and pushed it into my hands, and told me she wanted me to see how I played.

I shrugged and restarted the campaign, and took less time to work my way through to the part she had given up at than it did for her to quit at that point. I knew how to mix the combos together with lights and heavies, and I knew how to grab and swing the enemies around to cause as much damage as I could. I also showed her some of the secrets that I had learned from playing the game through a couple of times. Things like breaking barrels and other environmental things for that red stuff.

Then I got to the second hydra head and beat it in one try.

She snorted like an actual horse and disappeared in a flash of light, and I simply shrugged it off.

I figured that I’d see her again tomorrow, and continued playing the game until I woke up. I started the day with writing in my journal about my dreams so that I don’t forget them, since the first few times Luna had visited me, I had forgotten to write them down immediately and forgot most of the details of our talks by the time I came home from work. Then I got ready for work, and headed out.

Turns out, Luna was extremely pissed about being shown up at something, since she didn’t visit me for a few days. I didn’t think of it after the first two days, since I figured she was busy with work or nightmares, but then after the third, I had a hunch that she was pissed off at me when she didn’t show up again, and I was looking forward to talking to her.

The fourth night, I actually had a nightmare which I seem to vaguely remember, even while I’m writing this.

It starts off as a normal day on Earth, where I was coming home from school, but then I somehow end up in the middle of the forest and everything’s on fire. I’m tied to a tree that was on fire, and I’m surrounded by ink black, swirling shadows.

No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t break the bonds that held me to the tree. I couldn’t make out any details in those shadows besides grins filled with yellowed teeth, each ending in a razor sharp point, and blood red eyes that seemed to stare into my soul. I could make out whispers and murmurs, each of them saying something vaguely negative about me.

Each of them were recognizable, things that were said to me from random people that I met in my life that had just been buried away for years or even decades. Kids my age that thought I was some egoistical rich brat that thought he was better than everyone else because I wore suits all of the time, things that those bastards in the mafia said to me while growing up, stuff like that.

At first, they were just petty insults that were aimed at me, disconcerting whispers that I caught as I walked down a hallway, or a scathing look that I got from someone.

The voices slowly grew louder until they were yelling and screaming at me, eventually melding together into a wailing cacophony of barely understood noise. I could only pick out a few words at a time before the next insult was hurled at me in this swirling hurricane of negativity and ungodly wailing.

I didn’t know what to do.

I just simply sat there, tied up to the tree, staring at the ground as those voices continued to echo in my ears.

After what felt like hours, the familiar return of the void assaulted my senses, and that sound of clopping hooves on stone was the only thing filling my ears.

“Daniel, art thou well?” Luna’s voice was concerned, and I finally looked up from my downward gaze at the burning forest floor, now turned to void. She visibly recoiled when she looked at my face, and her eyes were piercing into mine as I stared at her before turning my attention back to the ground.

“I… I’ll be fine.” My voice sounded dead to me, and I’m sure it may have sounded worse to her than myself.

I’m not really one for letting insults get under my skin, and I typically brush them off without a second thought, but after that, after having every insult that you’ve ever heard in your life being hurled at you in a nonstop barrage for what seemed like hours, from people you once trusted or loved as family before being subjugated and forced away…

I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone else in that situation would feel worthless and unloved.

“I apologize Daniel. I had been avoiding you for these past days simply because of my own hubris. I came only when I saw that there was a nightmare in this area, and when I realized it was your nightmare, I was hesitant to see you again…”

She seemed like she wanted to say more, but I shook my head, sighing softly. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine...” I reiterated, running a hand through my hair.

“Even as that may be, from what I saw, that nightmare of yours would haunt any pony for a long time. Is there some sort of past trauma that stems from that location?” She asked, and I nodded.

“It was… where I was found by Twilight and her friends. Those voices were all voices I’ve heard before. Things people have said to me because...” I shook my head. “I don’t know why they did it. All I know is that everything that was said was things I had heard from others before.”

Luna looked downtrodden by that revelation, so I decided to deflect and returned to that familiar sitting room, taking my usual seat. I reclined into the chair more than I usually did, staring into the fire.

“If there’s anything I could-”

I just shook my head as I interrupted her. “Look, I know what you’re trying to do, and for right now, I just…” I took a slow breath, looking at the floor before releasing the breath in a deep, heaving sigh, “...want to forget about it.”

She looked surprised for a second, before growing sympathetic and nodding her head to my request.

“Then how about you show me that… game you showed me before? The God of… War, was it?”

I glanced over at her, slightly surprised that she wanted to try the game again. “Really? After last time, I figured you were done with video games. Starting you off with that game probably wasn’t the best choice, but-”

I felt her hand on my mouth, stopping me from speaking, and I looked over at her with a deadpan expression.

“I admit, it tested my patience, but it was obvious you were patient with me and showed great skill in these games of yours. Simply discarding them because I had a hard time with them does not mean I will not give it another shot.”

I finally cracked a smirk at that. “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now, I’ll let you know that I’ve been playing video games for a long time, and that’s the only reason that my hand-eye coordination is much better than yours. All I can say is for you to keep going, no matter how frustrating things may be, and maybe, you’ll be as good as me.”

We both laughed at the good-natured jab, and we sat down once again to start up the games.

Nothing much changed over the next few weeks, except that I noticed it was getting colder very quickly. It was the end of August when I arrived in Equestria, and now it’s the middle of October, or whatever the months are here.

I’ve never actually heard anyone talking about what month it was or what the day is. I just assumed since I woke up that it was the same as ours. So until I find otherwise, I’ll just keep using this system.

I’ve noticed that people were starting to get excited about something. I keep hearing the word, “Nightmare” within whatever conversations I pick out at work. Maybe it’s a plague of nightmares going around the town. It would explain why I haven’t seen Luna for several nights at a time, and when I do see her, she seems exhausted.

I now chop firewood when I get home. Fluttershy seemed irritable about having to buy more firewood for her evening fires one day, and when I asked about it, she regressed back into her former shy self, saying that it was nothing and that I shouldn’t worry about it.

Of course, I took it upon myself to sort this out, since I knew back home that people buying firewood by the cords would get very expensive around this time of year.

I wouldn’t say I’m an expert at wood chopping, but I had done it before. There were times when my father seemed to not want to deal with me when I was becoming rebellious around my teenage years, and instead of having someone try to beat it out of me like normal, he sent me to my grandfather.

My grandfather…

He was a simple man.

A man of few words, and very soft spoken. He lived off of the land after coming home from his war, and made his money from helping other people with their problems or selling whatever he didn’t need to others. He had a garden that he grew himself, and he always seemed to be prepared for what the seasons threw at him. If there was a drought, he had enough pickled food and stored clean water to last him until it ended. He hunted for his meats and always had extra stuff since he only was feeding himself. He would cut down a tree and make firewood for the winter, and would sell the excess.

It was here where I was sent over to my grandfather to work for him.

He had me working alongside him, and we would spend hours upon hours using axes and saws to cut a tree that he had cut down into sections, and then we would cut the sections into smaller sections, and then those sections in half, and then we would start splitting those sections up until you get the logs of firewood you needed.

It was a long and tedious process that had put more blisters on my hands and aches in my muscles than I cared to remember. The times that I complained was met with either punishments in the forms of more tedious or strenuous chores that were just picked up on the fly by my grandfather, or having something chucked at me to get me to quiet down.

I learned quickly that, even when he was past seventy years old, he was a man that had worked all of his life, and had a better body than most people a third his age would have.

And did he have an arm.

I still have a scar on my arm from where the log had hit me when he showed me that he was purposely missing before. And he verbally warned me that the next time that I said that he couldn’t aim, he’d clock me upside the head.

I digressed about my grandfather, but I felt like I should write down what I remember before it slips me. Memories of my grandfather, while hard and boring to me at that time, were probably some of the best times I had.

It was that… bond that we had while working.

I never found out what happened between my bastard of a father and him, but whenever I asked about it, he would get this stare. It was like he was staring through me when I stood there, like he was a thousand miles away, and would start muttering to himself under his breath after a while. I guess it was bad enough that he wanted to block it out, and me bringing it up made him remember.

Another digression…

So, after work, I went out to do my business, a nice sizable pouch of money that I would carry on my belt now.

It was weird getting used to it at first, having a heavy bag of coins hanging from my hip now, but it was the way they did it when they used coins for trading before, why couldn’t we do it now, right?

I had intended to first buy the axe that I was going to use, but while I was browsing for tools at this cart that was lined with different gardening or outdoor tools, Applebloom was passing by and decided to make herself known. She pulled me away from the cart, much to the chagrin of the guy that was trying to sell me this axe that he claimed was enchanted, and brought me over to Applejack and Big Mac with their stall.

They were packing up for the day it looked like, and I offered to help them out, ~~since I was unwillingly forced to converse by the youngest Apple of their family~~, which they took gratefully. We got to talking about what had been happening since I had last seen them.

I let it slip that I was looking for an axe to use for firewood, and they offered me one of their old axes that they haven’t used in a while, along with a grindstone.

Now, when I thought of the word ‘Grindstone’, I thought first of a store back home.

Kind of dumb of me to think about, but it was what came to my mind. Then I remembered that we’re not on Earth and I shouldn’t be thinking of a store that just sells oils and teas. I tried to tell them that they didn’t need to give me the axe or grindstone, but lo and behold, they were perfectly fine with giving me a grindstone and an axe.

So after helping them drop off their stuff and their carts, I was given this grindstone and an axe that was obviously well worn. The wood used for the haft of the axe was aged and looked to be blackened with soot, which made me wanted to question what happened to it, but I just thanked them instead when I saw their expressions. I carried the grindstone and axe back home, and set up the grindstone outside of Fluttershy’s shed. I cleaned up the axe by removing the rust and sharpening its edge, and got to work.

Fluttershy was gone, and I figured it was on one of her many spa trips that she has with Rarity, once every weekend if I’m recalling correctly. I took one of the random trees from the forest near the house. I cut the tree down, removed the limbs from the tree, and dragged the tree back towards the house.

I know that in some states in America, you needed a permit to cut a tree down, but I figured that it’d take too long for me to find the right people to talk to, then to pay for the permit, wait for it to get approved, and all of that shenanigans. By the time that was done, we’d be out of firewood and the firewood I’d cut would be too wet to burn properly.

I figured that, if push came to shove, I’ll play the fool. Make up a story about how it was fine for humans to cut a tree if it came to the need for firewood.

So, about an hour into cutting the tree into sections, which was just one part from the rest of the tree, Fluttershy arrives home with Rainbow Dash. She starts freaking the hell out about me cutting a tree up in her yard. Rainbow Dash asked what her problem was, and I just stood there, waiting for the answer, wiping my brow of the sweat that was gathering there.

Apparently she thought I had cut down one of the trees that her birds lived in. I told her that I wasn’t that stupid, and that I went into the forest and cut a tree down for firewood, and then the two of them freaked out about me going into the forest. Supposedly, from what they were saying, the forest was evil or something.

Looked like a normal forest to me.

I told them that they shouldn’t worry about it, and went back to chopping the wood. Rainbow Dash shrugged, but Fluttershy seemed extremely exasperated by my nonchalance about the evil forest, so she ran inside and locked both Rainbow Dash and myself out of the house. Rainbow Dash was carrying a few bags for her, and when she went to go drop them off, she found out that she was locked out by the buttery colored mare.

Rainbow Dash tried coaxing her out of the house, and had no luck. She asked me to do something about it, and I stopped after hacking my way through another section of wood, and tried to talk with Fluttershy. She wasn’t having any of my shit, because she didn’t make a sound when I knocked on the door and tried to talk to her. I asked Rainbow Dash what was her problem, but she only responded with another shrug.

“That forest is evil and all, but you made it out just fine!” Was her response. I couldn't help but shrug before going back to cutting the firewood, and asked Rainbow Dash about her day after a bit of silence.

Apparently her and Fluttershy went to a place called Cloudsdale to meet up with Fluttershy’s parents. Fluttershy had some personal questions to ask and spent most of the day with them, but she seemed happier that she came to talk with them.

Up until she came home, she seemed much better than she had been for a while. That kinda struck a nerve with me, and I stopped mid swing.

I always worried whether or not I was making Fluttershy feel bad. Despite what Luna said, I feel like she might’ve misread the situation.

Sure, it might seem obvious that she might like me because she had a dream like that about me, but everyone has a dream like that about anyone they might find appealing. A famous actor, a runway model, a highschool crush, hell, maybe even the girl that worked the counter at McDonalds if she looked good enough.

Now that she’s spent some time around me, she’s probably miserable that I’m stuck here with her because she found out that I had some heavy packaging to go along with me. I try to do what I can, but it might not be enough for her.

The more I thought about it, the darker my mood got and the more depressing the thoughts got. I was spiraling down further and further into that pit that I always work myself into. I think about something, and I just self deprecate until I feel like I wasn’t worth anything.

Rainbow Dash finally noticed my souring mood, and asked me about it. I looked back at the house and scratched the back of my neck awkwardly, taking a deep breath to calm myself down. I then told her my fears of what was going on, but she just burst out laughing at that. She said that Fluttershy seems to do nothing but talk about me when she was hanging out with her friends without me, and it was rather obvious she had a crush on me.

I was skeptical, especially since she had now locked me out of the house, but Rainbow Dash just continued laughing when I voiced my skepticism and took off, flying away back towards town. I simply rolled my eyes, letting off a bothered sigh at her dismissal of my worries, and went back to work.

I remember that I was starting to get unbearably hot in my clothes, so I decided that the cool Autumn air would cool me off quickly and took my shirt off. I tossed it over towards the grindstone and got back to work for a few minutes, then I decided to start playing some music in the background. It was a drastic change in what I’ve been listening to up until now, but it seemed to fit my mood at the moment.

~~~~

Fluttershy was watching Daniel through her bedroom window. She felt bad for ignoring him and Rainbow Dash, but she was so caught up in her exasperation and incredulity towards his nonchalant nature towards that damned forest that she had to get away before she said anything that she may have regretted. She had spent about ten minutes hiding her head under pillow and trying her best to exclaim her frustrations in a manner where she wouldn’t be hurting him, and now was just watching Daniel through the blinds.

She didn’t notice the shadows that were dancing in the forest as she saw that Daniel had stopped chopping at the tree, and decided to remove his sweaty shirt. Her face flushed with embarrassment as her eyes widened, taking in the scene before her.

It seemed like in slow motion as she watched him grab the lip of his shirt and pull it up and over his body. She watched as he peeled away the wet garment to reveal the toned musculature of his torso. Her eyes slowly drank in the details of each muscle, where sweat collected into a droplet that raced its way downwards until it fell onto the ground or disappeared into the seam of his pants.

The longer she stared, the hotter she began feeling herself, a pit of fire being alight in her stomach as she continued to drink in the details, where Daniel would run a hand through his hair and shake it, trying to let the cool air run through it, and only managing to give him a more wild look that brought a deeper desire she tried to bury to the forefront.

She pulled her eyes away from him and closed the blinds on her window, digging her palms into her eyes. “You’re a perv, Fluttershy! Such a dirty girl for spying on your roommate while he’s working for you!” She harshly whispered at herself, but that did nothing to quench the fire that was starting to work its way through her body.

She could smell something that made her redder than she already was, and noticed a slight dampness in her panties. “O-oh… my Celestia...” She cursed under her breath as she breathed heavily, trying to get control of herself.

She noticed that she wasn’t hearing the rhythmic chopping of wood from outside after a few minutes, and peeked outside to see Daniel fiddling with his phone, before an unfamiliar sound emerged from the device.

It was like the music she had been hearing from his device before, and quite enjoyed to hear when he decided to listen to the music, but instead of grand performances that cascaded into a cacophony of pleasant sounds that told a story, it seemed soft and dour, still telling a story, but one that may not be happy by the end of it. There was no eruption of violins and cellos from an ensemble or orchestra, but instead seemed to be one or two instruments she wasn’t familiar with, playing with a deeper tone than she normally heard from the small, hand-held device.

A full minute passed of this slow, saddening tempo that was set by these instruments before there was an addition of soft drums in the background. What surprised her was the addition of vocals that came in shortly after the drums.

Weee chase misprinted lies

She was surprised by the melancholy she heard in this human’s voice, matching the gloominess of the song that she was hearing. The song was interrupted by the occasional chop that came from Daniel, who’s expression became bleak and despondent, as his pace seemed to match this slower paced piece of music.

Weee face the path of time…

The finality in those words brought a chill down her spine, mixed in with the anguish from his voice and the backing track of the rest of this group, it created a rather despairing piece that made her feel ultimately sorry for him. It made her start thinking bad things, and she had to shake her head to clear her head.

And yet I fight,

And yet I fight this battle all alone…

No one to cry tooo,

no place to call home…

Those words struck hard against the mare, and her eyes widened in shock at her interpretation of the lyrics.

Was that what Daniel was feeling at this moment? That he had no one to help him? To support him in this time? She fought back the tears that sprung up in her eyes as the song continued. Had she not been doing enough for him? She tried her best in making him feel welcome in her home.

Then, as the song seemed to be reaching a crescendo, the longer she went on listening with these thoughts swirling around in her head, it finally struck her that he might feel alienated. He was doing his best to acclimate to this new world he’s found himself in, but he was the only human on this planet. He was isolated from his people, and that has led to a concoction of emotions that may make him feel overwhelmed in this world.

And yet I find, and yet I find…

repeating in my head...

...If I can’t be my own,

I’d feel better dead…

A pit formed in Fluttershy’s stomach at those words, and she stared at Daniel. She could see that a dark cloud had formed over his head, and that he seemed to be muttering alongside to the song as he swung downwards with the axe, the expression filling her heart with fear and trepidation.

That pit seemed to grow deeper as she watched him pause in his next swing and stare at the edge of the axe, a recently sharpened point that she started shaking her head at as she feared the worst. She watched as he grabbed the wooden shaft of the axe, his blank, despondent eyes staring forever at that edge, and brought it forward onto his chest without hesitation.

She let out a scream as she sat up swiftly, looking around in panic. She noticed that it was dark outside and pulled the curtains open to see if there was anything outside. Seeing nothing but the axe buried into the wooden block he had been using for cutting the firewood, she scrambled out of bed frantically and shot out into the hallway.

Her ears swiveled around to home in on the sounds throughout the house, and homed in on the sound of movement downstairs. She practically threw herself down the stairs before dashing towards the kitchen, where Daniel was cooking dinner. She just about tackled him into the counter as he started to turn around to look at her.

“What’s-” was all he managed before he grunted as he got pinned to the countertop and Fluttershy, who was starting to cry uncontrollably.

He took a second to study the crying pegasus, wondering what had happened to get her like this, before he stopped the stove as to not burn his food, moving it over to one of the other burners so that he could comfort the timid mare.

He wrapped an arm around the mare and corralled her over to the living, sitting down on the couch. “Shh, shh, what’s the matter Fluttershy? What’s got you like this?” He asked, but she continued to just cry into his shoulder and he simply sighed softly before he wrapped his arms around her, rocking her back and forth slowly.

They sat like that for an hour, with Daniel simply consoling her by hugging her protectively and rocking back and forth, occasionally speaking up to see if she’ll be willing to talk about it, only to be met with her gentle sobbing, or a shake of her head, and he would recline back into his silence, staring at the fire.

Afterwards, she sat up, rubbing her bloodshot eyes from the remaining tears still collecting in the corners of her eyes, and stared up at Daniel, who was lost in thought staring at the fireplace, which he started when the sun started going down.

He noticed her absence after a moment and turned to look at her, a small frown on his face as he stared down at her.

“Are you okay Fluttershy?” He asked her quietly, and she nodded her head shakily, sniffling slightly before leaning in on his shoulder once again.

“Y-yeah… I… I had a bad dream… a-about you...” She mumbled, and Daniel turned to look at her, before nodding his head.

“Wanna tell me about it?”

She shook her head. “N-no… i-it was a dumb dream a-anyway...” She whispered, and he bobbed his head back and forth slowly.

“Alright, that’s fine… You hungry?”

She started to shake her head, but her stomach growled at the mention of food and he chuckled softly, her face heating up in embarrassment. He stood up, rubbing her on the knee comfortingly, before moving back towards the kitchen.

Her face started to feel like it was boiling at the rather intimate interaction she just shared with Daniel, but couldn’t stop the smile that was working its way onto her face.

~~~~

Besides that isolated event of Fluttershy tackling me into the counter as she sobbed her eyes out, everything has been normal, or at least normal enough. I still wonder what that dream was about that it made her so distressed, but I won’t press her for the information. After all, I don’t want to push her too hard since it seems like I’m on thin ice. Last thing I need is for her to lock me out of the house another time and for her to keep me locked out.

She didn’t even question how I got back inside that night, and I don’t think I would’ve had the heart to tell her that I knew how to pick locks, and had used it to get back inside after cutting up that tree and starting on splitting it into quarters for firewood.

The next day, I had made great headway into cutting the firewood, stacking a lot of it where she had kept her other cord of firewood, and then the day after that, I was practically finished with that tree.

I remember asking Fluttershy afterwards about the forest that she freaked out about before, and she told me that there were dangerous animals that stalk the woods, and that she just scared for me after I told her that I went into the forest.

I guess it makes sense now, but it just seems like a massive overreaction by her.

I’ve seen a few large creatures stalking the edge of the cabin though, so I’m a bit worried about them wandering over to the cottage and eating one of Fluttershy’s critters.

She’d probably be really heartbroken over that.

I’m more worried, however, that they’ll smell food on the inside of the house and break down the door and something, so I started thinking about stuff for self defense.

I thought of a gun, then threw that idea out of the window because for one, they didn’t have guns here from what I’ve seen, and two, the one gun that I do know about in the world is fuck-knows-where with the princesses or rulers of the kingdom, and the small pistol caliber isn’t going to stop a bear that’s rampaging through the house.

So yeah, that idea is tossed out.

Then I thought about a knife or something, and realized that a knife isn’t going to really stop a six hundred pound ball of fur and muscle from tearing me a structurally superfluous new behind.

Then I remembered bows were a thing, and asked around about them from a couple of people I knew.

I asked Bonbon first, since I figured I’d start with her. It didn’t help that I was already at work when the idea popped into my head, and she was the first pony that I saw, but she said that she’s never heard of a bow before.

I couldn’t help but look incredulous about that. What the hell did they use in wars outside of sword and spears? Did they fling rocks at one another in hopes that they can occasionally crack a head open?

Then I remembered, after all was said and done in this little adventure of mine that I had, that they hadn’t had a war in over a thousand years, and that bows were created for hunting at first and got adapted for war, and that ponies were primarily herbivores.

I have a fucking talent for forgetfulness of some very important details. It also doesn’t help that I’m just thinking of the ponies as humans, and it’s only moments like this where our cultures clash that cause me to remember that I’m dealing with a different species of sentient creatures.

So, I figured that Bonbon wasn’t really one for bothering with international politics around the world, and I decided to take a trip to Twilight’s after work.

Of course, she wasn’t home. My luck seemed to be on a downward spiral in this entire ordeal of mine.

Spike told me that she was out doing something with her friends, talking about a gryphon of all things.

I mean, it’s not all that far fetched, seeing as there’s dragons, talking cows, and literal human/pony hybrids in this world, but it just stacked on the craziness of this world that I was living in now, and that I really need to more educational books here instead of just focusing on the dry, boring novels that they have here for entertainment to read at the end of each day.

So, I decided to look up a book about military equipment of the modern army of Equestria, and it turns out that there’s not really any documentation on it.

Like, what do they do in case there’s some sort of war that breaks out on their borders by some warmongering assholes that have some sort of deep seated hatred for ponies? Bombard them with friendship and rainbows and hope that stops the slaughter?

After being disappointed with the lack of information that I sought after, I decided to go home and ask Luna about it the next time I saw her. Speaking about her, haven’t seen her for like four days. She had probably been busy trying to make sure all of the citizens of the nation sleep soundly.

I don’t envy her for her job. I can’t imagine some of the shit that she’d probably see in people’s dreams. I’m sure with how peaceful ponies are, they’d probably dream about gumdrops and lollipops or something like that.

I went home and finished up what was left of that firewood, and then Fluttershy came home, a little offput. She told me that there was some mean gryphon that Rainbow Dash was apparently friends with that came here to catch up with her flight school friend. She ended up blowing a gasket on everyone, and then got run out of town by none other than her previous friend.

I thought about asking Fluttershy about the military in Equestria, but then decided against it. She probably didn’t have much knowledge in the first place, on the basis that she seemed to be scared of an aggressive butterfly fluttering by.

Of course, that led to me thinking about her parents or siblings, and that she probably had a parent that was in the military and taught her about it. I started imagining Fluttershy’s parents being two extremes, with her father being a giant among the ponies, and was a complete badass, and her mother being completely timid. Probably runs at the sight of her own shadow.

It’d be even funnier if it was the opposite.

So, the next day, I went to work, and after work, I went to Twilight’s again. She was there this time, but she had no idea what I was talking about when I was describing a bow. She told me about her brother in the military again, and that he never spoke of practicing with a piece of wood with a string attached to it. That brought up ancient military history with her, and she asked me for as much information as I could remember from school.

I was never really interested in history, so there’s quite a few gaps in my brain about all of the wars and conflicts of medieval times and afterwards, and that didn’t seem to please Twilight, since she wanted to know as much as she could about human history.

I told her as much as I could remember in that time frame, but sitting here now, I’m now remembering little tidbits of information about random historical wars that I didn’t remember at the time of visiting, and I made a note to myself with a random slip of paper to tell Twilight about them the next time I visited her.

She asked me about the origin of bows, and I wasn’t exactly too sure myself. I told her, “I think it came from a period before we started recording history, when we were all nomadic tribes of humans wandering the continents. We needed a way to hunt for food and not have three people die by being gored by a boar, or trampled to death by packs of wildebeests or a mammoth.”

That brought a sour look on her face, since she most likely forgot that I was an omnivore.

That left Luna as a final lead into my search for a bow, since I had no clue how to make one, and that’d be my way of defending the homestead in the case of an attack.

Of course, speaking to her outside of dreams is next to fucking impossible, since I don’t know where I’d write a letter to, and I’m sure she probably gets swamped by paperwork outside of doing her dreamscape stuff, so she probably wouldn’t see it for a couple of weeks or something.

And waiting for her in a dream is not always going to work, since she puts her work before play and sometimes is so exhausted afterwards that she doesn’t even think to visit me. Either that, or she’s just too busy to keep up with me.

I can’t help but feel like that’s a bit self-centered of me to think of it like that, but she was actually quite fun to speak with in my dreams, once you got past that initial scare of her always showing up behind you in the dream after sucking away all of the light and shattering your dreamscape.

And she really was getting hooked into video games. Ever since the second time she’s played them, she tends to want to keep playing them. It’s amazing seeing her practically begging to coming to me to get her fix of playing video games. Honestly, it makes me glad that I can at least talk to her about some of those things, rather than them being wastes of space in my head.

Of course, I don’t really remember many games as vividly as I did with God of War, since I spent a lot of time playing those games, so there’s not much I can do when I blank on something in a video game and the whole thing ends up crashing.

So yeah, that was a bust. Luna showed up in my dreams last night, but she, like Twilight, had never heard of a bow.

When I described it to her, and then materialized one in front of me to show one to her, she got this really interested look on her face as she studied it. She then disappeared afterwards and I was left standing in that void until I woke up.

Hell, I might’ve just revolutionized war here in Equestria, and that idea doesn’t sit well with me.

I don’t want to be remembered as that. Hell, you could see how Oppenheimer felt in those interviews he had, that vacant look of disgust and despair at the thought of what his creation did to Japan.

Anyway, with that as a dead end, I figured that the next best thing for me to do would’ve been trying to create one. I don’t know how well that shit would work, since I’ve never made one, and I’ve never seen one do it, so I wouldn’t know what to look for besides that you’d need a tree that was like ash, elm, or yew to make a good quality bow. I’d probably need a dozen tries to do it properly, since my first couple of ones will probably snap from being shaven down too far or having a notch cut too far into the wood.

My first attempt was just as I expected. I took a thin tree and tried to shave it down to a basic bow shape as much as I could, but when I checked the tensile strength of the wood after shaving it, it snapped. I can start on another one the next day, but I don’t want to cut down every tree in the forest to try and get a bow. Makes me feel bad to do that, and I don’t want to fuck up everything here like the British did with their isles.

It’s nearing that time of the year again when Halloween rolls around back on Earth, but it seems like there’s no such holiday celebrations for it. If there was, you’d have people stocking up on candy and putting up decorations everywhere to celebrate it.

I’ll have to ask someone about the holidays on this world. It’d be weird if they didn’t have a holiday or celebration for things in this world.

Maybe I can introduce them to the concept if they don’t have that yet.

So, I found out later that holidays were a thing, and that their version of Halloween was something they called Nightmare Night. Twilight went about explaining it to me, but my first thought went to that history book that I had been forced to read by Twilight when I first arrived.

The conversation went a little something like this:

“It’s called Nightmare Night!”

“It’s called what?”

“Nightmare Night! It’ s a holiday about traditions and blah blah blah!”

Saving myself having to listen, or read, her ten minute tirade about the holiday while also slinging passive aggressive comments about me not knowing about it from the books I was forced to read, even though I skimmed through the holidays because it seemed to me when I was reading it that nobody really knows what specific date that they celebrated the holiday, they just did it whenever they felt like it was time.

Didn't really make sense to me reading through the books, and it still doesn't make sense to me now, even as I'm staring at the pages of the book that is specifically made to tell people about the holidays of the country.

The most important bit to me was that Nightmare Moon, the evil alternate persona of Princess Luna, was a part of a traditional holiday, where the kids would dress up to avoid being eaten by Nightmare Moon, and then a portion of their candy would be sacrificed to a fucking statue that they have sitting outside of town.

Of course, anyone with half a brain stem would realize that there’s a problem here. There’s a holiday that’s teaching kids to be afraid of one of their princesses, one of their immortal rulers over this kingdom, and that fear that was taught early by this holiday will coalesce into a deep-seated fear or prejudice towards her. Possibly even hatred or outright hostilities against her.

“Don’t you see a problem with there being a holiday that breeds fear into ponies at an early age about one of their princesses?”

“What do you mean? Princess Celestia isn’t the main focus of the holiday. That’s reserved for the Summer Sun Celebration!”

I skipped over the question I wanted to ask about this new holiday that she just talked about to bring it back to the issue at hand, and the fact that I was a bit miffed that she just completely forgot about Luna there.

“You remember that there’s Princess Luna as well, right? And you have a holiday that is to instill fear of her into young children, and that you need to sacrifice objects to her in order for you to sate her supposed bloodlust, right?”

“She’s not Nightmare Moon anymore, Daniel.” I couldn’t help but facepalm at that.

Bless her soul, she’s got book smarts, but she has as much common sense as a plastic bag fluttering in the wind sometimes.

“Yeah, but younger ponies won’t be able to tell a difference, and when they grow up to see the princess, they’ll immediately make a connection between her and the statue that they were throwing candy at and taught to fear in case she comes to eat them, am I not wrong?”

Twilight got a thoughtful look on her face at that, and nodded slowly. “I suppose I can see that. But I honestly doubt that it’d come to that. Hey, here’s an idea! Why don’t you try to invite her out to celebrate with us?”

I swear you could’ve heard my facepalm on the other side of the universe at that suggestion.

“I don’t think she’ll appreciate being invited to a holiday that is designed to teach fear about her to her citizens.” I stated, my voice as flat and deadpan as a box of cardboard.

“You never know until you try~!”

“Fine, I’ll speak to her and see if she wants to come to Ponyville to celebrate the holidays with us. I will warn you that I don’t see her every night when I dream, so it might be some time to run that by her.”

“How about we all try to contact her through our dreams about it?” Spike suggested while he was biting down on a big ass gem, which I still couldn’t help myself cringing about when I see it or hear it. Just the idea of a big gem like that, something that’d be worth millions of dollars back home at that size, would be casual chow for a group of dragons.

“That sounds like a great idea! Good thinking Spike!” Twilight exclaimed, and I had to roll my eyes at that.

I figured it was implied that everyone here would try to flag her down about this if they really wanted her here. I couldn’t help but think condescendingly.

After I left that trainwreck of an idea behind me, I couldn’t help but think, “It’d be cool to finally meet her in person. After all, we’ve only seen each other through the dreamscape since she first introduced herself to me.”

Then I remembered that she visited me while I was bedridden in the hospital and cursed my shoddy memory once again.

That quickly left me to realize that my birthday would arrive soon afterwards.

See, I never really liked my birthday. Mostly because I had the shit beat out of my every year by a bunch of older men, but also because it was the anniversary for when I learned about… that poor girl.

So, yeah, not exactly happy to celebrate it. I might just spend the day like normal. I might just go isolate myself away for the day. I might not do any of that and actually celebrate it, since this is a new world after all. They can’t get me here, right? So I can let that past fade away to time, and I can learn to love the day again.

Hell, I might even tell Pinkie about it. She keeps popping up from time to time to ask me the most random questions, like what I was doing on a specific day two weeks from now, or if I was busy three months from now.

How the fuck am I supposed to know whether or not I’m busy three months in advance? I’m only assuming that I’m going to be at work, unless something drastic comes up.

During work the next day, Bonbon asked me if I had plans for the next two weeks, and I told her that I didn’t have anything planned out for the foreseeable future. That led her to telling me that I was going to be working overtime to meet the demand of candy for the upcoming holiday. I asked her about Nightmare Moon, acting like I was ignorant of it, and she gave me a brief explanation of the holiday. When I asked about the correlation between Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon like I did with the bookworm, that seem to give her more pause than it did Twilight.

She ended up dismissing it in the end, saying that I was looking too far into it, but I couldn’t help but feel like shewas seeing the issue there and didn’t want to draw attention to it. Either that, or she just really couldn’t be bothered. Bonbon has that attitude sometimes, and I can’t tell sometimes whether or not it’s because she’s trying to keep up a facade, or that she genuinely doesn’t care.

So yeah, most of my days for the coming two weeks will be making candy for the upcoming holiday. Can’t really say that I’m disappointed about it, I knew something like this would happen eventually.

I saw Luna in the dream world about two days after Twilight’s little proposition, and I asked her about the coming holiday. She had no idea that there was a holiday that was coming up, but that she was seeing the citizens (though she called them subjects) in Canterlot (still can’t believe they named it that) were setting up decorations to inspire fear into young foals.

I told her what I knew about it, and she got this dejected look on her face about it. I tried cheering Luna up, and invited her to spend the holiday with us down in Ponyville, but she said that she was busy during the holiday.

Before she left, I told her, “You should show everyone around that you’re not what they think you are. Don’t let them believe you’re still Nightmare Moon. You’re Princess Luna, and you’re better now because of the experience.”

That got a sad little smile from her, but she still disappeared without a word, and I couldn’t help but sigh in frustration at that.

Bonbon gave me the holiday off, but she was running the shop by herself that day. I asked her if she was sure about it, since she looked like she needed help, but she was being adamant about it. I could tell that the last two weeks had taken a toll on her, with dark bags having formed under her eyes and with her unsteady gait, and she almost dropped a batch of salt water taffies onto the floor if I hadn’t been there to catch it.

I couldn’t help but give her a cocked eyebrow and a grin, and she caved in about giving me the time off.

Honestly, afterwards, she surely would’ve been overwhelmed with the amount of orders that were coming in. With the two of us, we still had to rush a lot of what we made to keep up with the demands. It was one of our busiest days in the shop, and I was exhausted beyond belief afterwards. I set my feet for home, and I was ready to sleep. However, that was not what happened at all.

This is a story about how I celebrated my first holiday in Equestria, Nightmare Night.

Author's Note

So, about two months after my last edit on this story, I finally got to uploading this next chapter. Lots of distractions caused by everything happening in the world, as well as some personal things springing up and having me getting distracted. However, I finally managed to squeeze this one out and now I'll be working on the next chapter.

I realize after about five chapters and in the middle of rewriting this chapter specifically, that my editing of the story and the original story is now having a gap in the story telling that's grown progressively bigger now that I'm rewriting it basically. I'll catch up to fixing these issues, either by just slamming it all into one massive chapter and hopefully not getting bogged down too hard by shit happening, or releasing new chapters that re-releases the same story afterwards. Honestly, not too sure on how I'm going to deal with this problem I've created.

For those that happen across this story before I'm finished with this editing of the story, just... stick with the edited chapters until I release the next ones, I guess. You could try to read ahead, but there's going to be a gap between what's happening to my new writing and my old writing, and you'll lose out on a big portion of the story I feel.

That, and my old style is cringe-inducing to read through. Lots of angst from my teenage years, mixed with trying to reference my favorite things at the time as much as possible, to create a circlejerk for people that have common interests. Not really good for your reading experience, if you're looking for a serious story to read through, which is what I wanted to do with this story originally, before turning it into a comedy by throwing in slapstick, 'lol so randum' humor into it.