A Different Kind of Deal (Re-done after accidental delete)

It felt like I was out for years, and when I awoke, it was in the middle of a forest, at night. The trees nearby blocked out the light from the moon, and let only small shards of light through the canopy. However, I could still see even with the dim lighting, which surprised me, as I never did have the best sight. Still, I wasn't going to complain, since it meant I wasn't going in blind. Deciding that sitting up and figuring out where I am was more important then marveling at my eye sight, I placed my hands down and pushed myself up. I moved to quickly however, and went back down in a wave of dizziness. Oh fuck me. Is this shit really happening? As if being sent to a random, backwater forest, based on the lack of logging, and the fact that the air smells to sweet isn't bad enough....Wait, the air smells to sweet? How the fuck could I tell what smells to sweet? Oh Baby Jesus, please don't let me have some weird ass snake nose or some shit.

I decided that, on second fact, sitting down and closing my eyes for a few minutes might be better than getting up and trying to find my out of where ever the hell I am. As I sat there, I began to think about what I'd just experienced. I tried to figure out whether it was real, or if I had been shot in the head, and this was all just some sort of coma. Or, if it really had happened, and I ended up in hell after all. Neither of those were very good options. If I was in a coma, who knows how long I could be asleep, and if I woke up, would I be sent to jail for what I had done? I didn't want her to die, but I didn't want to either. How could I have chosen myself? If I had gone to Hell, then that meant if I die again, I was going to Hell. Considering how easy it was to go to Hell the first time, I'd really rather not go again. Guess that just adds something to my to-do list.
TO-DO LIST
• GET UP AND FIND MY WAY OUT OF HERE
• TRY REALLY HARD NOT TO DIE

Well, that seems like a very short, and a really shitty, list. The whole list seemed like a bad set of mission objectives, at least before the harder shit starts happening. I felt like I had laid down long enough, and decided that I should try and figure out a way out of here. Opening my eyes, I slowly put my hands on the ground and began to push up. Even going slowly it was hard, but eventually, I managed to get off the ground. Standing up, I looked around me, noticing that none of the nearby foliage looked like anything he had ever seen before. It seemed as though it was a mix between tropical and regular forest. There were massive Oaks intertwined with what seemed to be oddly colored Eucalyptus Trees. Vines hung between the trees, and flowers of all kinds bloomed underneath the them. Shrubs of all kinds grew, sometimes only a few feet wide, and other times they were massive, like the one directly to my left, which completely covered the path. Deciding that just walking forward would be for the best, as I couldn't see the moon, and climbing the trees seemed like a really, really bad idea, considering that I had no idea what the hell lived in them, or if they could have some weird poison. Which presented another problem: I didn't want to risk touching any plants that I couldn't identify and get sick. Even though I knew that I couldn't do it for long, I had to try and avoid touching them. I also didn't want to risk getting caught by any nearby predators, especially if they were as mixed as the trees Picking my way carefully through the trees and undergrowth, I began to listen for any signs that would lead to a town. A bright light through the trees, a thinning foliage, a running river, signs of mining. Really, at this point any sign would be welcomed with open arms

After what seemed to be years, but was really maybe forty minutes, I began to hear what sounded like rushing water, coming somewhere off to my right. Turning towards the sound, I assumed that it was only a little ways a way. Fun Fact: apparently my vision wasn't the only thing that was improved, as it was about an hour and a half of walking to finally get there. At least the farther to my right I went, the more forest like my surroundings became, making the going easier.

The path that I was on opened up after a short twist, and I was surprised to discover that what seemed to be a clearing had opened up in front of me. And what a clearing it was. The river split into two parts, creating a small island in between itself. There were what appeared to be several different types of fruits and vegetables growing, including what seemed to be an apple tree in the middle of the island, and the water was flowing fast enough that I could safely drink from it. Even the trees seemed to want to help me, creating a protective screen around me, excluding the entrance and a small path that continued in the same direction I came from.

I decided that I needed to get something to eat, and that figuring out what kind of growth was around me would go a long ways towards that. Starting from the outside, I found what seemed to be strains of wild tomatoes, grapes, several different types of berries, carrots, and somehow watermelon. Huh, I guess that the forest doesn't really separate as much as I thought it did. I began walking towards the apple tree, and started to cross the river. As icy as it was, it felt good to have the water running over my legs. While it only came up to my calves, it still going pretty fast, and I had to be careful, as I almost lost my footing more than once. Reaching the island, I reached up and took an apple from the tree. Looking at it, I couldn't believe that something like this would grow here. It was large and red, and like all the others on the tree, it was big and juicy. Well, no time like the present I suppose. Bottoms up! Taking a bite of the apple, my taste buds exploded, the flavor rushing over me. I'd never had an apple that good before! I wonder, is it because of the soil here, or would ours taste the same if they were wild? Actually who cares! I want some more!

A little while later, after I had eaten my fair share of apples, and had drank as much water as I could hold, I grew curious to see what I looked like. I knew that there wasn't a giant hole in my head. but other than that, I wondered if dying had had an effect on me.

Walking over to the river, I bent down and looked. I was surprised, to say the least. While the general structure of my face stayed the same, I looked skinnier, like I had replaced my fat with muscle. My hair was still brown, but a little more even, and longer, almost to the middle of my shoulders. My skin had the most change. Instead of the pale white from before, it was an ash gray. I had to wonder, what would it look like tan? The single biggest change was my clothing. Rather than the clothes I wore to school, I was wearing what seemed to be a black, leather outfit. Not a BDSM style, thank God, but more like an evil villain style. There also seemed to be small metal plates on the inside, and chains around the outside. They looked like steel, but considering that they weren't weighing me down, I assumed they weren't. I also had some sort of cape attached, black with some sort of fur I didn't recognize. All-in-all, it was both badass and cliché.

I decided that sleeping would be the best thing for me, so I tried to create a makeshift bed. It ended up being a small pile of leaves, some grass, and my fur coat covering it. Still, when you consider what I had to work with, it wasn't have bad. Laying down to sleep, all I could do was pray that it didn't rain, or snow, or get mauled by an animal, get washed away by the water....Maybe I should stop thinking so much. It didn't take me long to get to sleep, and it didn't take long for the dreams to start either.

It started with me waking up in my bed back home. The alarm clock was blaring, like usual, but instead of the annoying beep that I was used to, instead I heard a faint whisper. "You did it. You did it". Over and over again, a litany that refused to end. I couldn't even seem to get up and take the clock off, instead being forced to hear it over and over again. Eventually, all I could do was close my eyes, and pray that it ended soon. After what felt like years, the noise began to slowly recede. I opened my eyes again, this time finding myself inside the classroom. I tried to move, but I found that again, this time I was strapped into the chair, this time literally, as I found my feet chained to the desk. I knew where this dream was going, and I immediately tried fighting my way out of them.

I heard the door open, and I threw my head up in fear. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. Jenny stood there, a hole in her chest where the bullet hit her. When she found me looking at her, she smiled, her teeth glinting in the light. Her teeth were as sharp as knives, and they seemed to be just as dangerous. She opened her mouth wider, and began to whisper something, so quietly that at first I missed it. "...You did this. You killed me. You killed me. You did this for yourself, to try and survive. You deserve to be punished. You did this..." Over and over she repeated herself, until eventually, blood began to seep from her body. First from the hole in her chest, then her eyes, and then her mouth. Only a few moments after it started, her body broke apart, and she collapsed to the floor, broken and ragged like a pile of sticks. As terrified as I was, I knew that the dream couldn't last much longer. Either I'd wake up, die from fright, or go insane.

However, my mind was quite finished with this dream. The gunman himself walked in, tromping on the corpse of Jenny. His face was hidden by his greasy hair, but I could still feel his gaze on me. He laughed, his laughter making his shoulders shake. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore, and I burst out angrily. " What the fuck is so funny?!", I screamed at him.

His laugher quieted slightly before he spoke. " I'm laughing at you, you silly boy. I find your fear....intoxicating, almost as much as your lack of guilt, or even remorse, for what you've done." It was then that I realized how chilling his voice was, as I could feel it seeping into my bones.

Shivering, I glared at him. " That's because I didn't do anything wrong, you asshole. You shot her, then you shot me! Everything was because of you!"

" Oh really? Is that what you truly think? That all of this was because of me? Did you ever consider where you would be if you hadn't sacrificed her, or where she would be?" I tried to look away, and began to feel guilty. No, I hadn't thought about it, because, well....Because I felt that my life was more important than hers. Oddly, I didn't feel guilty about that at all. It surprised me that I still didn't feel very guilty for causing her death. It was almost a relief not caring. I felt like because I didn't care, I didn't feel like I was being held back by it. And that scared me, realizing that I didn't care that I had caused her deaths, or that I may even cause more, so long as it didn't trouble me.

" It took you long enough to figure that one out, didn't it?", he whispered quietly. I shook my head, refusing to look at him. " Enough squirming", he demanded roughly, " And look at me!" I couldn't help but look up, and stare into his eyes. It was then that I realized something. He had my face. I stood there, glaring triumphantly at myself. " You and I, we're not so different. In fact, you could say that we're both one and the same.", he said smiling at me. I tried to look away, but I couldn't. He began to move closer to me, until his face was touching mine. Out of nowhere his skin began to burn off him, revealing something underneath. There stood Grifith, a smile on his face, looking out of place on such a hideous mug. " We are all the same.", he whispered to me, beginning to merge with my face. I couldn't even scream while it was happening, and once it was over I began to scream. At least, it was meant to be a scream. Instead, all I heard was " I'll be waiting...", before I passed out.

I jumped awake, the scream still stuck in my throat. I'd never had a dream that was so real before, or so terrifying. The worst part was the fact that I was told that someone would be waiting for me. I couldn't imagine what that meant, and a part of me was glad for that. As I sat there, trying to get my breathing under control, I heard a cracking sound somewhere behind me, from the direction that I came. I snapped my head toward the sound, and began to stare intently, but I couldn't see anything, and since the noise wasn't coming back, I turned away and closed my eyes, hoping to get some sleep. Crack! I snapped my eyes open again, turning my head towards the sound. This time, instead of the noise disappearing, I heard an even louder snap, followed by what sounded like a growl. I stood up, knowing that I'd probably be running in a minute here. From out of the forest stepped what at first seemed to be a lion. But that wasn't the end of it. The thing had wings, a snake tail, and what seemed to be bear paws? The monsters face had long fangs, and a lion face. As it stepped fully out of the forest, I noticed something else: there was a goat head and neck on it. Well, I'm fucked. The monster growled at me, and I decided that staying around probably wasn't going to do wonders for my life expectancy.

I turned around and bolted for the exit, hoping that I could lose the monster in the forest, or that it may not even chase me at all. Boom! I turned my head just enough to see that the monster had crashed into the apple tree, and was running right for me, and it was picking up speed. I rounded the corner to the exit, and decided that Fate just wasn't with me. It was a straight path, with shrubs so high that I couldn't jump over them, and so tight I couldn't slip through them. I could hear the creature round the corner, and decided that I was finished. Even if I was faster, the creature probably had better endurance then me, so I'd get caught eventually. The only bright spot in this whole situation was the tree branch a few feet in front of me. Grabbing, I decided that I wouldn't go down without a fight. I hope the Devil didn't miss me too much.

The creature came to a halt as it finished the turn, and gave me the strangest look, almost as if to ask me what I was doing with that big stick. " Let's see what you've got, you big fuzz ball!" I shouted. At first, I thought my luck had changed, as the creature just stood there, trying to figure out just what the fuck was going on, and why its food was yelling. However, it decided to ponder the mystery later, and jumped at me.

I swung the tree branch like a club, expecting it to break, and me to die. Instead of all that however, my hand briefly heated up and bright red lines ran up the branch. As the branch struck the monster, it flared, and a hissing sound could be heard, along with the sickly sweet scent of burnt flesh. The monster threw its body to the side mid jump, narrowly avoiding eating the stick. It roared there in pain, giving me a second to catch my breath. My hand hurt like Hell, as I stood there, amazed by the turn of events. " Hm, can't say I saw that coming. I was sure we were through. Not that I'm unhappy though, this has been much more fun than my average day."

" What the fuck? Who the fuck is that? Actually, I don't fucking care! Do you know how the fuck I did that!" I screamed in my head. Jeesh, dying really did a number on my sanity didn't it.

" Of course I know, but I'm not the one who needs to figure it out, am I?" the voice said. I could almost taste the sarcasm in its voice. Fuck you, voice-in-my-head.

" Oh, come on! At least give me a hint!" I pleaded with the voice in my head. It was in that moment that I realized how sad my life was, pleading with a voice in my head.

" Hmm, I suppose I could. Just focus on the branch, and imagine a fire, travelling from your heart, to your arm, through your hand, and into the branch. Incidentally, you should really do that quickly, as the monster seems to be getting back up."

Turning to look, I saw that the cat was indeed getting back on its feet, deciding that not being able to taste its meal wouldn't be as bad as not having one. Lifting the tree branch into a ready position, or the best that I could manage, I tried to do what the voice in my head said. I saw a fire running from my heart, to my arm, and through my hand. My palm began to burn, and red lines began to appear on the branch, just as the cat jumped at me. I swung like a madman, hoping that I would hit something. I managed to hit the monster square in the chest, causing it to roar in pain. As it landed, it launched its tail at me, stabbing me in the chest. I screamed as I felt the stinger pierce my skin. Ripping it out, I realized that the tail had barbs, causing even more pain.

I got knocked off my feet, by both the pain of the hit, and the raw force that the monster had carrying it. I knew that I either needed to kill it, or slow it down and run, neither of which would be easy. As it began to rise, I decided to switch my tactics. Dropping the branch, I closed my hand, and imagined fire spreading into it. In addition to the pain, which I had grown used to, I could feel a source of heat in my hand. Looking at my fist, I saw flames leaking out, along with an oily black smoke. I took a deep breath, and as the cat turned to face me, I threw the fire. It struck the monster in the mouth, and it immediately began to burn, the fire spreading over the beast's mouth. After the flames had covered the monster's face, they began to seep inside. It began trying to scream, but quickly lost its voice, the fire burning the inside of the monsters body. Dark red lines began to form over the body, and it began to turn bright red. Trying to get the final hit, it launched its tail, narrowly missing my heart, and stabbing me threw the shoulder. The creature fell back, pulling its tail out, the dark red color fading away from it, and smoke beginning to disappear. Staring at the creature, I felt bile rising in my throat. I knew that I needed to kill it, but that...that was brutal. I felt dirty after what I had done.

" Oh, having second thoughts are we? Well ,that's just too bad. After all, I'm sure there was another way to get out of here. " I could hear the voice in my head mock me, and I began to get defensive.

" Considering what I was up against, I doubt that there was. The thing was a massive, and strong as hell! There wasn't any way I was going to beat it without using that power. Besides, it shouldn't have bitten off more than it could chew." I told the voice in my head, feeling better as I rationalized it. After all, the creature popped up, attacked me, and paid the price for it. Why should I have gone another way? It would have killed me, so all I did was beat it to the punch.

" I can see why you didn't have a problem killing a classmate! You don't seem to have a very hard time coming up with reasons for your actions!"

" Fuck you!" I screamed inside my head. " It was a choice between her and I, and I choice me! There isn't anything wrong with that, it was self-preservation!"

" You certainly don't need to explain yourself to me. After all, I'm just a voice inside us." the voice said quietly. I realized that I had just spent the last two minutes yelling inside my head, at myself. I closed my eyes and shuddered. Yep, my sanity definitely took a hit. Despite all of this, I knew I couldn't stay here. Other animals would come, and despite my new source of power, I didn't feel up to facing them. My head hurt, and it stung where the snake had bitten me. I also had begun to feel weird during the end of the fight, which led me to believe that the snake head had poison in its fangs.

Stumbling away, I decided that going the opposite direction from the camp ground was for the best as well. Who's to say that the camp ground wasn't a trap for travelers, and that other predators weren't there? Walking down the path, I soon realized just how fucked I was. The monster had poisoned me, and the poison was spreading fast, my body heating up like a kettle, my balance mostly gone, and I felt like I had to vomit. I knew I wouldn't make it far.

" There is another way, you know.", the voice in my head said quietly. I almost missed hearing it, with how focused I was on walking, and surviving.

" What?," I asked the voice. Even in my head, I sounded weak. I knew that I didn't have long left, and that either the voice in my head would be right, again, or I'd be found by somebody, otherwise I'm dead.

" Focus your mind on clearing your body of the toxins. Imagine a fire sweeping through you. Instead of leaving your body however, imagine it passing all through you, burning away the infection."

As painful as that sounded, I knew that I had to try. I focused again, this time imagining the fire sweeping through me, burning away all the poison. I expected that it would hurt, I didn't expect how badly it would however. It felt like my whole body was being burnt away, and if I could have, I would have screamed. It only lasted a minute, but by the end. I could barely stand. The nausea was gone, but the heat and dizziness hadn't gone away. I felt myself passing out, hoping that no random predators would come waltzing by, and decide that I'm a nice snack.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬______________________________________________________________________________

Walking through the forest for most ponies was usually dangerous, but for Zecora, it was just an average day. What wasn't an average day however, was the smell currently assaulting her noise, or the screams that had echoed through the forest only moments ago. She had decided to follow the noise, cutting through the underbrush. Coming upon a scene of destruction, she felt vomit rising up. She had lived in the forest for a long time, but she had never before seen such a scene of carnage. A burnt manticore laid in its death roes, steam still lightly rising from its body. Further down the path she saw some sort of lump on the ground. Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, she began walking towards the lump. Laying there was some sort of bipedal creature, in some sort of strange clothes. Bright red lines were traced all along its body, and as she watched, they disappeared. She couldn't believe that this creature had managed to defeat the manticore. Staring at it, she realized it was bleeding, and badly. Two deep puncture marks adorned its body, clearly from the manticore , and it was bleeding deeply. She quickly dropped to the ground ,and reached into one of the several pouches she carried around her body. Pulling out a small bag, she poured the contents onto the creatures body, filling the deep puncture marks. The creature moaned as the contents hit his chest. She knew that she needed to move the creature before any other monsters came, but she was afraid that if she moved him, he would die. Taking a look around, she knew the smell of blood and burnt flesh would call other predators to the area. Deciding that moving the body would be for the best. Grabbing him by the foot with her mouth, she began pulling him to her hut.
______________________________________________________________________________

Twilight sat on her throne, listening to the pony in front of her deliver their petition. As was the usual, the ponies always seemed to be facing either a land dispute, to high of taxes, or someone else had slighted their family name. That complaint was especially common with nobles families, she had noticed. The pony in front of her was no different.

" They must apologize, Princess Twilight! The slight that they have given my family must be corrected! They must be punished!" said the obnoxious unicorn in front of her. The light blue unicorn had been sitting here for nearly half-an-hour telling her what " she must do" in order for things to be set right.

Twilight had quickly learned that dealing with royal ponies usually turned into a pain, and as must as she hated to say it, dealing with commoner ponies wasn't much easier. Both groups always felt that they had it the hardest, that they were right about every issue, and looked down on one another. The worst issues, however, revolved around racial differences. Living under Celestia, and then living in Ponyville, Twilight never had to face these kind of issues before. But the longer she stayed in Canterlot, the more she was forced to listen to the mindless gabbling of racist ponies. More often than not, the racism came from either the Unicorns or Earth Ponies, oddly enough. Both sides looked down on the other, Unicorns saying that Earth Ponies were nothing more than glorified gardeners, and Earth Ponies saying that Unicorns are a bunch of pansy whiners.

Twilight would never have believed ponies could have thoughts like those until after she left Ponyville, but thankfully, she was able to see past these ideas and see as the other Princesses, and her mentor, thought. They knew that all the ponies were equal, and deserved to be treated as such. Twilight hadn't ever thought about it before, but after being forced to hear argument after argument after which race was better, Twilight realized that the only reason that they hadn't gone to war was because the princess's influence.

Forcing her attention back to the matter at hand, she quickly found herself bored with the pony's problem. He wanted her to publically denounce the other families action, but either didn't realize, or perhaps knew and that was the real goal, that by doing that, the royal family would appear to be favoring them, changing their station. Furthermore, the family that had insulted his honor had already appeared, declaring that the family was full of nothing but swine, and they deserved it.

Twilight suddenly came back into focus, realizing that the pony was waiting for her to respond. Clearing her throat, she turned her gaze on the Unicorn. " While I can understand how it must have felt being treated so poorly, I must say that asking the royal family to denounce them would be taking it a step too far. Instead, I shall contact them myself, and arrange for a meeting you and them. There, we shall discuss, in detail, the real issues between your families. The Throne has spoken." Twilight said, before the Unicorn could open his mouth to argue. " Next petitioner."

The Unicorn glared at Twilight before bowing and turning away. As soon as he exited the room, Twilight breathed out a sigh of relief. Looking towards her guard, she titled her hear and asked, " Who's left to speak to?" Her guard smiled and gave a small laugh. " There aren't any left. I just didn't want to listen to that windbag talk anymore, and I didn't think you did either."

Twilight gave a small, appreciative laugh. She loved her guards, they reminded her so much of her Ponyville friends. Her new duties took up most of her time, between researching new magic that was only recently open to her after her transformation, or between ruling in when Luna or Celestia needed a break, she didn't have much free time. Still, it just meant that she treasured her free time with her friends.

Out of nowhere the door to the audience chamber opened, and a light gray Earth pony with a dark yellow mane cantered into the room, bowing low before Twilight, and declaring " Princess Twilight, Princess Celestia asked me to bring you to her. If you would please follow me." The pony turned and began to trot out of the room, not waiting for Twilight to respond.

Quickly jumping from the throne, Twilight walked faster then she normally would, catching the pony quickly. " Did she say what she wanted to me for?" Twilight asked, a thousand scenarios going through her mind, everything from her mentor simply wanting a cup of tea, to having her crown removed from her, and being sent back to Ponyville in shame.

" No, she didn't," the Earth pony said, keeping up its pace, " but I wouldn't be too worried about it. She didn't seem particularly distressed."

Still, Twilight's mind kept coming up with daydreams of being branded a failure and sent back to magic kindergarten. She quickly had a freak out, and turned to the pony beside her. Her eyes twitching, Twilight asked in a flat voice, " Where exactly is she?"

The Earth pony looked towards her, and seeing her condition summarized that maybe just letting the mare go off on her own might not be the best idea. " She, well that is to say, that she well..."

Twilight jumped in front of the other pony, and with a determined glare once again asked " Where is she?"

The Earth pony had never been so afraid of an answer to a question before, and decided that the best answer for his health was to give the crazy mare the answer. " She is in her sitting the chamber, the one closest to her bedroom!"

Twilight teleported directly after hearing the answer. As she popped into the room, she her mentor staring with an odd look on her face. As she opened her mouth to speak, Twilight cut her off. " Princess Celestia, please don't send me away! I'm sorry if I did something wrong, I'll fix it, and never make it again! Please, don't send me away, or back to magic kindergarten!"

Celestia smiled at Twilight, and had a small laugh. " Twilight, please calm down." Celestia said, her smile growing larger. " I wanted to ask you if you would be willingly to take on what could be a rather long project."

Twilight's curiosity was piqued, and she quickly calmed down. " Project, princess? What kind of project?"

Celestia set down her tea, and sighed ,the smiling leaving her face. " Yesterday, I felt a magical energy begin to form in the atmosphere, until some sort of portal opened, and an object fell to the ground. I scanned for it, but not long after it landed, the magical aura went away. From what I could, the object is living, and appears to have some sort of strange magic. I only had around thirty minutes to scan it, and the magic seemed to fight me, as I couldn't get an accurate reading, but it dropped somewhere in the EverFree, released a relatively, compared to earlier, small amount of magic, then disappeared. I'd like you to go take a look, along with the other element holders, just in case the situation needs to be handled."

Twilight beamed, and smiled broadly at her mentor. " I'd be delighted to go, Princess! When should I go?"

Celestia nodded at the door. " A chariot has been made ready for you, and anything that you need shall be forwarded when you ask for it. Seeing as the library holds a majority of the books I believe you need, along with any clothes and food you might want, at least for a while, I am sure that you are more than ready to go."

Twilight began to panic for a moment, wondering if she had everything she would need, until she managed to focus on the task at hand. Calming herself, she began to mutter what her current mantra was lately: " I don't need to worry so much, everything will take care of itself as long as I work with it. Everything will be fine, I'm sure. Everything will be fine." Closing her eyes and breathing in deeply, she reopened them, and smiled at the Princess. " I'm ready now."

Celestia smiled, and said " Go on then, it's not polite to keep them waiting. Good-bye, my favorite student."

" Good-bye Princess." Twilight said. Her horn glowed, and she disappeared from the room, reappearing inside the docking station.
______________________________________________________________________________

I slowly began to open my eyes, oddly enough feeling almost no pain, and being rather comfortable. As my eyes began to focus, I noticed that I was no longer on a forest floor, but that I was inside some kind of house, or maybe a hut. As my other senses began to wake up, I smelt something cooking nearby-by. Out of nowhere, the fear that I was the one being cooked came into being, and I tried to turn over on my side, in order to see if there was a fire beneath me. However, I couldn't move my hands or arms. I tried to sit, and found that my chest was bound with ropes, and I assumed that my arms were as well. I tried to kick out with my feet, and felt that they were bound as well. I began to panic, wondering where I am, and why the hell I was bound and trussed like a Thanksgiving Turkey.

" Hello!? Is anyone there?!" I shouted, the terror clear in my voice. I heard a noise in the corner, and I tried to turn my head.

" Hey, I heard you! Who are you, and where the fuck am I?" I screamed, quickly losing control.

" Do not be afraid tall one; for if you keep moving, then my work shall be undone!" a voice from the shadows said.

I tried to turn my head, and gained maybe an inch in that direction, but I still couldn't see anyone. " Who the fuck is there? Why the hell are you hiding in the shadows?"

Ah, I do not hide in the dark; I merely cannot create a spark." the voice said, seemingly closer than before. " And furthermore, I do need feel the tone is right; for it is your death that I have postponed."

" As happy as I am to be alive", I said, trying to keep the tone out of my voice, " but I'd like to be able to see my benefactor. Just to be on the safe side."

" On the side of caution, it is always wise to err; but if I can have a moment more, then we shall be square."

I closed my eyes for a moment, sighing, and wishing that this would all be over. " Is that why you have me tied up, because of my wounds? Or were you afraid that I might hurt you? Oh, and be honest, I don't mind if you hurt my feelings." I said with a smile on my face.

I heard a small laugh, a click, and then a whoosh, followed by the smell of something burning. " I did not mean to make you tense; but from your aura I had some sort of sense."

I turned my head, and began my response, but stopped once I realized who I was speaking to. Standing in front of me was an honest to god zebra, only smaller than an average size, closer to a large dog. My mouth twitched, and I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing...until I realized that I had died, been to Hell, and been bound to a demon. So in reality, this wasn't anything. Still, it wasn't the easiest sight.

" So, you're a zebra I'm guessing?" I said lamely, trying to get some sort of control back.

She, or at least I assumed it was a she based on the voice, smiled at me. " Yes, in this land that is what I'm called; though I think I should be the one enthralled. After all, it was I who found you, in the forest mauled; pray tell, what was it that you are called?"

" My name is Connor, Connor Sheffield." I said smiling. " Can you tell me your name, along with where I am?"

" Certainly, my newest friend; first my name is Zecora, and in Equestria, near the tail end."

I hadn't ever heard of it before. However, based on the name, it sounded kind of...horsey. And if Zecora is anything to go by, there were probably more than one type of them. Still, I suppose that I should ask. " Zecora, what in the hell lives here? Because no offense, but I've never seen anything like you."

She gave me a look, and said " I am also greatly confused; and that your lack of knowledge can be excused. I am a Zebra.

" Zebra, huh? Well, that answers that question. Are there any other creatures like you here?

" Indeed, there are several races that reside here; mostly Unicorns, Pegasi, Earth Ponies, and finally the Alicorn, of which the other three revere."

Hm, I can recognize all but one of those races. But, based on what the other three are, I can guess that its some sort of magical creature, pulled straight out of legends.

" Wait, you say that the other three races revere them?" Zecora nodded, and I decided to continue with this line of questioning. " Why?"

" Alicorns are different then the other three; they are the reason that Equestria came to be. Back in the old days there were only two; one ruled the sun, the other the moon. Together they reined in harmony; keeping the nation running normally. However, there are now four, as a short while ago another Princess rose; and it is love that she bestows. And finally came the one I know; from Twilight Sparkle does harmony overflow."

Well, that was...interesting. Though, I could have skipped the history lesson, though I suppose that knowing is " half the battle". Still, I wish she had skipped some of the details. At least my question was answered.

" Thank for the answer, Zecora. I have a feeling a basic knowledge would come in handy. By the way, how bad are my injuries?"

" Not as bad as I thought them to be; but it was still a gruesome sight to see. Several cuts and puncture wounds nearly spelt your doom."

" I see." I said quietly, just now realizing how stupid I was to stand against that monster. Sure, I didn't really have much to lose, but still, it was dumb. I should have been more careful, and a lot more clever when fighting that thing. Not to mention taking such a huge chance hoping I could kill it.

Zecora looked at me, noticing my expression. " Do not worry, my newest friend; I will not let you meet your end."

I closed my eyes, and smiled. " Is there any chance I could have my bonds removed? I would like to get up and move."

I felt the bonds around my arms loosened, along with the ones on my chest. As I opened my eyes I saw Zecora moving away, and nodding towards my legs. I sat up slowly, trying not to injure myself more. Still, it was painful, causing me to flinch several times during the removal of my bonds. Zecora watched with a careful eye, seeing me flinch, and watching how careful I was. As I turned to get off the table, she spoke. " Try to be careful as you move around; else you may find yourself laying on the ground. "

I nodded, and turned towards the exit of the hut. It was then that I noticed my clothing was spread on a chair. I looked at my chest, considering leaving the clothes. As cool as they are, seeing as they didn't seem to help that much, I'd rather not have them. As I looked outside however, I realized that I was in a jungle. Jungles have bugs. And I hate bugs. I decided that putting the clothes on would be for the best. Lifting it over my head took my effort, but I managed to get it on. I nodded to Zecora on my way out, deciding that it might be best to let her know I'd be back. " I'll be back in awhile, and don't worry, I'll be safe."

I opened the door, and left the hut, not really sure where to go, but I knew that I needed to go somewhere. The events of the fight replayed in my head, and I found myself looking over my hands. Seeing as how the energy seemed to flow through my hands, I thought that there had to be a physical mark. And sure enough, my palms had some sort of marks on them. The marks looked like they were burnt into my hands, in the shape of the demon that the Devil had placed inside me. Interestingly enough, the eyes were bright red, like flames. It was a little disturbing, even to me, and I knew that if anyone else saw the mark, they would ask him where he got it, or what it meant. Or, even worse, someone might be able to recognize it for what it was, which would cause huge problems. Unless of course they were devil-worshippers, but seeing Zecora's reaction to his injuries, and the work she put in to fixing him, it would have to be a very elaborate act on her part. Still, I decided to check and see if there was a way to hide the mark.

Hey, are you there?

".....Where else would I be? At this point, I exist only in your mind. Where in the Hell could I go where you couldn't find me?"

Well....That's a good question. Still, I need your help. Is there any way to hide these marks on my hand? I'd rather not have to explain them.

" Indeed there is. Focus on your aura, and suppress it. Imagine it melting into you, the obvious marks of your power should disappear."

Obvious marks? What does that mean? Hello? Well....This just got awkward. Let's give this a try.

I focused on my power, using my hands as a focal point. I didn't really know how to go about it, but I decided that my hands would be the best place. As I focused, I felt the power slide down my arms, and into my hands, and my marks. I traced them backwards. until they came to an end. Instead of ending in my brain, like I thought they would, they ended near my heart, but closer to the middle of chest. Continuing my work, I imagined the power slowly receding inside me, the aura fading away. As I closed the power up, I left a small hole, just in case I needed to use some, or if I needed to get access to it all. Hopefully if anyone managed to find my aura, they wouldn't trace it back and open the hole. Huh, that seemed a little advanced for how little I understood these powers, or if anyone else would be able to. Then again, if my first assumptions were correct, and Unicorns were magical as well, then they might be able to.

I sat outside for a while longer, just listening to the sounds of the jungle. It was odd to hear how similar they sounded to the forests he used to live in. The odd roars from animals, birds chirping, insects making their various noises. A little odd, but a little wonderful as well. I didn't realize until I started listening to the noises. It struck me that I was nervous and scared, that I'd never find anything like home. But here, in the first place I fell, I found a little slice of home. Even if this 'home' had some very nasty animals.

I decided to go in, starting to feel hungry. Actually, really hungry. Good thing that the food had been ready for awhile, judging by the bowl on the table. Zecora seemed to have disappeared, as she wasn't in the hut. As I sat down to eat, I had a small laugh. Maybe I should pray before I have a bite to eat?

As I was eating, I realized that my skin color seemed to have changed. Instead of ash gray, it was a light tan. I stood there for a moment, wondering if the demon magic inside me was actually some sort of radiation, and that my skin was slowly becoming cancerous from all the increase and decrease in radiation levels. An even better question: what is Zecora going to do when she sees me like this? Ah well, F.I.S.H. I decided to look at my gear, wanting to see what damage was done to it. As I looked however, I realized that any damage it might have incurred was fixed, like it had never happened. Weird, but I wasn't going to complain.

I got up to go to bed, deciding that I was tired. As I laid down, I wondered idly if Zecora would strap me down again.