Looming

Whole New World
Chapter 14
Looming

Dano awoke to the same scene as the day before, the ceiling dominating his vision and the warm sun bleeding through the windows. He decided to wait for Fluttershy before he made any attempt to sit up, and after a few minutes the survivor heard the shy woman ascend the stairs, open the door and step into the room. As he waited Dano heard Fluttershy set something on the vanity before she moved into his field of vision.

Like the day before Fluttershy helped Dano sit up before handing him a bowl. As Dano grabbed the dish with his left hand the shy woman sat on the edge of the bed, her own bowl resting in her lap. Dano inspected the contents of the bowl to find a very colorful fruit salad resting in the dish. The survivor returned his gaze back to Fluttershy just as she handed him a fork, and he took it in the same awkward fashion as before.

Right as Dano began to eat he noticed that Fluttershy was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, and guessed that she had slept in those clothes as well.

“Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked up from her food.

“When was the last time you changed your clothes?”

Fluttershy blinked in confusion before looking down at herself.

“Oh um… since we put you in the bed.”

Dano raised an eyebrow.

“And how long ago was that.”

Fluttershy’s gaze returned to Dano.

“Well, you were asleep for a few days before you woke up…”

Dano sighed.

“Fluttershy, you need to change your clothes. Here…” Dano handed his fruit salad back to Fluttershy, and she gave him a confused look. “… I will just get out of your room for a while.”

Dano began to shimmy his way out of the bed using his abs and legs to move. Fluttershy stood and watched the survivor try and get out of the bed without both of his arms, a look of worry stretched across her face.

“Dano you don’t have to get up. I’m fine.”

Dano waved his good hand dismissively as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

“It’s alright. I need to move around a bit anyway.”

Using his left arm Dano forced himself to stand. Fluttershy moved between the survivor and the door.

“The Doctor said you needed to rest.”

Dano tried to take a step past the woman, but she moved to block him.

“Fluttershy I need to move and you need to change.”

Fluttershy’s whole demeanor changed in an instant, and Dano felt the variation in her presence. She locked eyes with the survivor, and his mind went into a strange panic.

“You are going to rest.”

Fluttershy’s words were uncharacteristically forceful as she stared at the survivor.

Dano blinked and tried his best to break the eye contact, but he couldn’t. He felt himself take a step back, and as he did Fluttershy took a step forward. Dano somehow had lost control of his body and mind as he found himself sitting on the bed, pulling his legs under the covers and returning to his spot without breaking eye contact with Fluttershy.

Just as quickly as she changed Fluttershy returned to normal, a small smile appearing on her face.

“Now that’s better.”

Dano blinked as he tried to comprehend what just happened. Before he knew it his bowl of fruit salad, which Fluttershy had been holding, was placed back in his lap. The shy woman offered Dano his fork, and the survivor took it without hesitation. He ate his food silently as his mind continued to process what had taken place.

By then end of the meal Dano had given up trying to figure out what Fluttershy had done to him. He had pushed the thought away using the fact that the entire town was weird as an excuse to explain Fluttershy’s little power. The shy woman had finished eating around the same time Dano did, and as she picked up the dirty bowls he spoke up.

“Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy turned her full attention to Dano.

“I want you to change your clothes and take a shower, bath whatever. I don’t need you to drop everything, including personal hygiene, to take care of me.”

Fluttershy nodded slightly, and Dano smiled.

Dano watched Fluttershy place the bowls down on the vanity before moving across the room to the large wooden wardrobe. She opened the doors of the closet, grabbed a pair of jeans, a yellow tank top and new underwear. With her new clothes selected Fluttershy left the room quickly, grabbing the bowls right before closing the door behind her.

Dano was happy Fluttershy had taken his advice, and it wasn’t long before he heard the sound of water running from the bathroom across the landing. The water cut out after a few minutes, and Dano guessed that the house had a bathtub instead of a shower.

A good while later Fluttershy returned in her new clothes, and Dano noticed that her skin and hair held a glow that had been missing from before.

“You look clean.” Dano said with a chuckle.

Fluttershy acknowledged the praise with a shy smile before she crossed the room and took her spot on the bed.

Just like the day before Dano and Fluttershy made small talk to pass the time and avoid boredom. The two of them lost track of the world around them, and before they knew it the sun was setting. Fluttershy left the bedroom, made a quick dinner of re-heated stew and helped Dano eat it. The sun had completely set when the couple had finished eating, and Fluttershy returned Dano to his back, said goodnight and left with the dirty dishes.

Dano sighed as he looked at the dark ceiling. Like the day before his body was ready to move, to work, to do anything. The survivor closed his eyes, and waited for sleep to claim him. After what seemed like forever slumber finally pulled Dano under, albeit restlessly.

The next couple days came and went in the same fashion as before. Dano would wake up, and wait for Fluttershy to rise, make breakfast and bring it up to him so they could eat. The survivor got progressively stronger as the days came and went, and he soon could move his right arm a bit as well as move his upper body without pain. Dano was also waking up earlier and earlier as his body began to return to the schedule it once held.

After breakfast was eaten Fluttershy would take the dirty dishes away before returning back to the bed room where the shy woman would make conversation with Dano. For hours the two would talk about everything under the sun, and no matter how long they talked the conversation never dried up or slowed.

After spending most of the day conversing Fluttershy would leave to make dinner then bring it up to Dano. The couple would eat the meal, and they usually finished by the time the sun went down. Fluttershy would wish Dano a good night before grabbing new clothes, taking a bath and going to bed herself.

This all changed when Dano awoke in the dead of night. The world was as quiet as a church mouse, and the eerie glow of the moon pierced through the dark room. Dano felt a strange ominous feeling wash over him, and the vibe was unsettling. Something is very wrong.

Dano sat up and pulled himself out of bed. Fluttershy would have killed him if she was there, but the feeling forced him to ignore the woman’s wishes. Dano moved across the room to the door, opened it and moved downstairs quietly. Using his memory to navigate the space the survivor crossed the dark living room without a sound, and cracked the guest room door enough so he could see inside.

Illuminated by the moonlight Dano saw Fluttershy sitting on the bed in her pajamas, the covers haphazardly coving her. The shy woman was locking eyes with a man that the survivor could barely make out, as if he was transparent. The being’s left hand cupped Fluttershy’s face, forcing the shy woman to look at him while his right hand moved as if to accentuate unspoken words.

Dano pushed through the door, and readied himself for a fight. The man turned to look at the intruder, and Dano saw blood red pupils lock onto his own eyes. The survivor was unable to move or break eye contact with the man, and fear began to snake its way through his brain. The man took a step forward with a devilish grin plastered on his face, and Dano noticed that his top right canine was much longer than it was supposed to be making it look much more like a fang than a human tooth.

The man reached out with his left hand to grab Dano’s face much like he did Fluttershy’s, but when he got close there was a small flash of light. The being pulled his hand back as his face contorted into a scowl. He took a defensive step back before disappearing into a dark smoky cloud that appeared out of nowhere around him.

Dano blinked at the strange intrusion, but his mind soon refocused on Fluttershy. She was still sitting in the bed eyes locked on the place where the man once stood. Dano moved across the room quickly and placed his hands on Fluttershy’s shoulders, shaking her a bit. The shy woman blinked before refocusing on Dano, a look of confusion on her face.

“What are you doing out of bed?”

Dano blinked in confusion as his mind jumped through hoops to put things together. She must not remember the man.

“I just had a bad feeling.”

Fluttershy sighed, and her expression changed to one of slight sadness.

“You should be in bed.”

Dano released Fluttershy, and took a seat on the bed next to her.

“You should too.”

Dano chuckled at his attempt to make the shy woman smile, but her face remained unchanged.

Dano quickly re-ran the whole incident with the transparent man through his head. The event had never happened before, and the feeling associated with it had never once been felt. The survivor was convinced it had something to do with his fight against Discord’s avatar, but he couldn’t put together why he would try and take Fluttershy now.

“Hey Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked at Dano.

“Has anything happened tonight, or on this day?”

Fluttershy phased out, her eyes focusing on something far away.

“Yes…”

Dano raised an eyebrow, and waited for Fluttershy to continue.

“Today is the anniversary of my parent’s disappearance.”

Dano saw tears begin to grow in Fluttershy’s eyes, and he wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. A small question formed in his mind, and it nagged at him to find the answer.

“I thought you said your parents died?”

Fluttershy had buried he head in her hands as she tried to hold back her tears. Dano waited for her to regain control of herself before pressing the question. Between chocked sobs Fluttershy continued.

“My mother left one night. She didn’t leave a note or anything, she just left.” Fluttershy stopped crying, but didn’t pull her head from her hands. “My father left the next morning to find her, and he never came back.”

Dano gently squeezed Fluttershy’s shoulders.

“That was three years ago…”

Dano pulled Fluttershy into an embrace, his right arm stiff from its bandaging. Fluttershy returned the hug by wrapping her arms around the survivor’s chest. The couple held the embrace for a few seconds before Dano released Fluttershy.

The survivor stood, walked across the small room and opened the door, but before he passed through the threshold her turned to look at Fluttershy. She was still sitting in bed, her outline accented by the moon’s glow.

“Good night Fluttershy.”

“Good night Dano.”

Dano smiled as he passed through the threshold and closed the door behind him. That smile disappeared once the door closed however, for a range of questions battled through his mind. As he walked through the living room and up the stairs he did his best to try and sort things out.

He realized he had walked in on Discord trying to corrupt Fluttershy, and that he was somehow impervious to the avatar’s touch. This simple thought brought about many more questions than answers. Why was he here now? How am I immune? What does the disappearance of Fluttershy’s parents have to do with his arrival? Dano had no doubt that Discord was responsible for the sudden departure of Fluttershy’s mother, but what of her father?

By the time Dano reached the top of the staircase his mind was too flustered to possibly allow him to go back to sleep. Despite this he walked into the bed room and laid back down on the bed, half out of respect for Fluttershy’s wishes and half out of the hope that Sun and Moon would visit him.

Dano laid in bed with his eyes closed for an excruciatingly long period of time before his body finally called for sleep. Despite the need his mind continued to hold off slumber as it tried to make sense of the new questions that dominated the survivor’s thoughts. Eventually however sleep did come, and Dano was pulled under with a worried frown covering his face.

Dano awoke to the familiar scene of ceiling and sun. No memories of a visit from the two sisters entered his mind, and the survivor concluded that he in fact did not get a visit last night. Dano cursed while he sat up in bed, and waited for Fluttershy to arrive.

A few minutes later the shy woman made her way up the stairs, but Dano heard another set of footsteps with her. They were much heavier, and the survivor guessed they belonged to an adult male. His guess was vindicated when Fluttershy entered the room with the Doctor right behind her.

Fluttershy was in her usual get up for this time of year. A canary yellow sweater covered her abdomen, and blue jeans coved her legs. Flat soled pink shoes covered her feet as they usually did, and Fluttershy seemed to be extra nervous with the Doctor in the room

The Doctor carried a brown leather briefcase in his right hand, and a long brown coat draped over his left forearm as he carried the extra clothing. Covering the physician’s upper body and legs was a blue suit, and maroon Converse sneakers covered his feet. Under the suit jacked was a white dress shirt with a maroon tie, and Dano found the whole ensemble quite fashionable despite his lack of knowledge in that sector.

“Nice to see you up.”

Dano smiled.

“It’s nice to be up.”

The Doctor sat on the edge of the bed, setting his briefcase between his legs.

“Fluttershy here says you are quite healthy.”

The Doctor motioned to the shy woman, and she ducked her face behind her hair at the sudden attention.

“Oh… yes.”

Dano chuckled at Fluttershy’s shyness, for he had not seen it in quite a while. The Doctor ignored the shy woman’s reaction, and returned his full attention to Dano.

“How about we get these bandages off so I can see how you are coming along.”

Dano nodded, and the Doctor moved to his briefcase, picked it up and rested it on the bed. He opened the case by pressing on two locks that rested on the top of the brief case flanking the handle, and they made a satisfying click as they were released. The Doctor lifted the top portion of the case to reveal several different types of medical equipment all snugly strapped to the top half of the brief case. The bottom half was filled with new gauze, a couple bottles of rubbing alcohol and several small pouches of different non-reusable medical tools.

The Doctor pulled a pair of reflective metallic scissors from their place in the case, and began to cut away at the bandages on Dano’s right arm. The scissors were sharp and cut through the synthetic bandage quickly. The Doctor examined the wound after the bandage had been removed, and to Dano’s dismay the Doctor had a small look of confusion on his face.

“Let me see your hand please.”

Dano offered his hand to the Doctor, and he repeated the process of cutting off the bandages with the medical scissors. Again the Doctor looked a tad confused after examining the wounded hand.

“This is odd indeed.”

Dano was having a small heart attack out of worry as the Doctor moved on to cut his bandages around the chest. His mind raced with the possibilities of infection as he watched the physician do his job. After the Doctor pealed the last of the gauze off of the survivor he sat back and inspected the wound, the same look on his face. Dano looked down at his chest to see what had become of the obscured injury, and to his surprise he saw several dozen very intricately placed stiches holding him together over relatively healed pink flesh.

“Nice work Doc.” Dano said as he inspected himself.

“It wasn’t me, Fluttershy did the stitching. She is very good with a needle.”

The Doctor absent mindedly motioned to where Fluttershy was as he looked at Dano, but she had left.

“Huh, must have snuck off.” Dano said as he shrugged.

Dano wondered how Fluttershy had left without him noticing, but the thought was a blip in his mind. The majority of his concentration was placed on the confused looks he had received from the Doctor.

“Hey Doctor? Is there something wrong?”

The Doctor seemed to be deep in thought when Dano asked his question. The physician’s right hand was on his chin and his left hand on the bottom of his elbow as he stared at nothing. Dano’s question jarred him from his thought process, and he looked at him with a smile.

“No, nothing is wrong. You just have healed quite quickly, almost unnaturally.”

Dano blinked in confusion. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head with his left hand.

“I guess I’m just magical like that.”

The Doctor looked at Dano with a blank expression and it unnerved the survivor a bit.

“I was just kidding Doctor.”

“I have seen some strange things in my travels Dano, and magic is something that only appears in special places.”

Dano blinked.

“You’re telling me you believe in magic?”

“Well, I believe in things that you might call magic, so yes.”

The Doctor gave Dano a cheeky smile.

“One of the prime examples was these two women that used to come into town every other day. They said their names were Celestia and Luna, but I never believed those were their real names. When I came to Ponyville I wasn’t in the best of places in my life, and they somehow knew this. I don’t know how, but they did. This may not sound too magical to you, but I keep my secrets close. Their knowledge of me and my past was enough to convince me they were something more than human.”

The Doctor chuckled at the memory, and Dano’s curiosity peaked.

“Where did they live?”

The Doctor rubbed his chin in thought.

“In a small cottage on the other side of town, but I haven’t seen them in years.”

Dano nodded as he processed the new information.

“Well, let’s get those stiches off. You are probably overdue, so it’s going to hurt.”

The Doctor and Dano went about removing the stiches one at a time, and true to the Doctor’s word they were painful. After removing the stiches in Dano’s chest, arm and fingers the Doctor picked up the bloody synthetic string and placed them in a small plastic bag with the old gauze. The bag was placed in the brief case along with the scissors and tweezers used to cut and pull the stiches out, and the Doctor closed the now complete briefcase.

Dano flexed and twisted his right arm around. With the bandage gone the arm moved more naturally, and the survivor only felt a small twinge of pain from the healing wound. Satisfied that he had retained all of the range of motion in his arm Dano moved on to his left hand. He balled his fingers into a fist several times, and just like his arm his fingers moved like it used to with a minute amount of pain. Dano felt a relieved smile stretch across his face with the return of his arm and hand.

The Doctor stood and grabbed his briefcase, a smile dancing across his own face. Dano followed the physician’s lead, and moved off the bed so he could stand. Once standing the survivor twisted his upper body back and forth, and was treated to the sound of popping vertebra. Dano let out a soft moan at the release, and the Doctor chuckled a bit. The survivor offered his hand to the physician, and the Doctor took it.

“How much to I owe you Doctor?”

The Doctor laughed.

“Absolutely nothing.”

Dano released the Doctor’s hand.

“What do you mean nothing?”

The Doctor gave Dano a toothy smile.

“I mean you don’t have to pay a dime. Did I not make that apparent?”

Dano gave the Doctor an un-amused look, and the physician laughed at the annoyed stare.

“Dano, you did a good deed protecting the girls. One good turn deserves another and all that jazz.”

Dano chuckled.

“Sounds good to me.”

The Doctor smiled before picking up his trench coat and moving to the door with Dano in tow. The two moved out of the bed room and down the stairs to see Fluttershy waiting for them, a small pile of clothes in her arms. The Doctor moved passed Fluttershy towards the door where he stopped only to put on his coat. After wishing Dano and Fluttershy a farewell the physician opened the door and left, closing the door behind him.

After watching the Doctor leave Fluttershy turned her attention to Dano, and she looked over his scars with a bit of worry. Dano also saw a flash of fear move through the shy woman’s eyes, and he wondered if he really looked that intimidating. Fluttershy extended her arms after her evaluation and handed Dano the stack of clothes.

“Rarity got you some more clothing, since you um… ruined the other ones.”

Dano chuckled.

“I’ll thank her next time I see her.”

Dano tried to move toward the guest room, but Fluttershy stopped him with a question.

“Don’t you want to take a bath?”

Dano looked at Fluttershy, and noticed a small blush spread across her cheeks at the mention of the survivor’s personal hygiene. Dano didn’t see a problem with it, and shrugged.

“Why not.”

Dano turned around and began to walk up the stairs, the clothes tucked under his arm.

“Do you need any help?”

Dano looked over his shoulder with an eyebrow raised. Fluttershy’s brain caught up to her mouth, and her blush deepened. Dano laughed.

“I think I can handle it myself.”

“O-okay.”

Fluttershy’s response was quiet, and Dano chalked it up to the massive embarrassment she must have felt from the prior statement.

Dano moved up the rest of the stairs, and walked into the bathroom. The survivor closed the door behind him, and began to scan the room.

The bathroom was small, around the same size as the guest room. A white porcelain bathtub rested parallel to the far wall, and rested under the only very small window in the room. On the right wall was a pair of thin wooden doors that Dano guessed contained extra towels and other bathroom essentials. The left wall was dominated by a large sink with a mirror behind it. The basin rested in a pale pink countertop that rested on top of a couple cupboards painted an earthy brown. The walls retained the same color scheme as the rest of the house, dark stained wood with light stain highlights.

The white tile was cool to the touch, and the feeling invigorated Dano as he walked through the room. He set his clothes on counter, and the image in the mirror caught his eye. Dano squared himself in front of the reflective surface, and took in his own body.

The survivor’s chest was covered in claw marks from the top of his abs to just below his collar bone. There were several dozen different pink scars that moved in groups of four in various directions all over his chest. Dano realized why Fluttershy had reacted the way she did, for his chest looked more like a beat up piece of meat than a human body part. The survivor sighed before moving away from the mirror and to the bathtub.

Dano easily figured out how to turn on the water to the tub, and using trial and error with some knob turning he made the water warm enough that it was slightly uncomfortable. The survivor knew that his body would acclimate to the water quicker than the water would cool, effectively making the warm water last longer. Once Dano had found the perfect combination of hot and cold water he plugged the drain, and waited for the tub to fill.

After a few minutes of waiting the water level inside of the tub reached the point where Dano believed he could get in without causing an overflow. The survivor killed the water, removed his underwear and climbed into the tub. Dano settled in the water with his head and arms resting on the edges. The hot water soothed his body, and Dano could feel his mind begin to slow and wander.

Dano’s mind moved through his memories until it fell on the intruder from last night. Despite the survivor’s wishes the thought remained. With the images came questions, and with the questions came the lack of answers that bugged Dano so much. He tried to force the thoughts away with what the Doctor had told him. Dano resolved to seek out Sun and Moon today, and try to put answers to the questions swirling in his head.

A good half an hour went by before Dano decided it was time to get out of the tub. He lifted himself from the water, and climbed out of the tub. The survivor moved quickly across the room to the tall cabinet, and opened the doors to reveal several shelves. One was covered in stacks of pink towels while the rest contained soaps, shampoos and various other bathroom essentials. A hamper rested on the floor below the shelves, and the wicker basket rose up to the middle of the survivor’s thigh. Dano grabbed a towel and dried himself off quickly, and then used the moist towel to clean up the trail of water from the tub to him.

Once the survivor and the floor were dry the towel was placed in the hamper, and Dano began to get dressed. He pulled on a brand new pair of boxer briefs then a pair of blue jeans. Next came a plain white t-shirt, and then finally a pair of black socks. Dano checked himself in the mirror before leaving the bathroom, and found out that the scar on his bicep showed a bit from under the sleeve. The survivor was happy that most of his scars were covered, for he didn’t want to intimidate or scare people away.

Dano left the bathroom and moved downstairs. There was no sign of Fluttershy, and without knowing where she went the survivor moved toward the guest room in search of his watch and knife. Dano moved through the secondary bed room door to find it looking much like he had seen it when he had first arrived. The sheets, comforter and pillow cases had been replaced, and the bed had been made.

Dano moved into the guest room, and began his search for his equipment. It didn’t take long, for the first place Dano looked was where Fluttershy had put his things. The watch and knife were found on top of the dresser, and the survivor immediately put the watch on. One the digital device was secure Dano picked up his knife and unsheathed it. To his dismay the blade still had blood stains on it. The survivor decided he needed to clean the knife before the encrusted blood dulled it any further.

Dano left the guest room after he sheathed his blade. He carried the protected knife in his hand as he crossed the living room to the front door. Once there he opened the portal, steps outside and closed it behind him.

The world around the survivor was deep in the throes of autumn, and every tree held leaves colored in hues of oranges, reds and yellows. A slight and constant breeze moved across the area, and it chilled Dano a bit. The survivor noticed that the animals that usually moved around the clearing that surrounded Fluttershy’s house were either working on their homes or simply not there. Dano chalked it up to the coming winter.

Once reacquainted with the area Dano moved away from the front door to the bridge, but instead of crossing it he moved to the left and kneeled by the small stream that ran underneath it. The survivor unsheathed his blade and dipped it into the slow moving water. He let the meandering current remove as much of the dried blood as it could before Dano dipped his hand into the water to scrub the rest of it off. The survivor made sure to keep away from the sharp part of the blade, and before he knew it the iron knife was as good as new. Dano dried off the knife with his shirt, and made sure the blade was a dry as possible before returning it to its sheath.

Dano stood and placed the blade into his pocket. Once standing he scanned his surroundings once again in the hopes of finding Fluttershy or Echo. Dano had turned a full 180 degrees before he spotted pink hair to the left side of the house. The survivor moved toward the hair, and soon found Fluttershy sitting in between Jenna and Echo.

The two K9s heard Dano approach, and looked up at the disturbance. Jenna eyed Dano cautiously, and the survivor expected half as much from the non-sentient animal. Echo on the other hand leapt to his paws and rushed the survivor. The wolf jumped into the air when he moved close enough, and landed right into Dano’s arms. Echo tried his best to embrace Dano, and the survivor reciprocated with a warm hug. After a few seconds Dano placed Echo back on the ground, and the wolf barked excitedly.

“I have missed you too buddy.”

Dano smiled at his friend as he barked a second time.

“I bet it was so lonely without me, huh.”

Dano motioned to where Fluttershy and Jenna were sitting.

Echo made the wolf equivalent to a pouty face before laughing. Dano joined in with his friend before shifting his gaze to the two girls. Fluttershy had a larger than normal smile on her face, and it made Dano grin.

“How do I look?”

Dano held his arms out to show off his clothing.

“You look clean.”

Dano chuckled as he heard Fluttershy echo his own words.

The survivor walked across the small open area next to Fluttershy’s house and took a seat to the right of the shy woman. Echo followed behind his friend, and laid down to Dano’s right. Dano was content where he was with his friends surrounding him. As Dano sat he noticed that Fluttershy was holding something in her hands.

“What is that?”

Fluttershy looked at Dano, and he motioned to whatever she was holding. Fluttershy shifted her gaze to he hands, and she opened them to reveal a necklace.

The piece of jewelry looked unassuming at first glance, a simple gold chain with a quarter sized pendant attached to it, but upon closer inspection the pendant took the shape of half of a butterfly with pink wings and a cyan body.

“This belonged to my mother. She would wear it all of the time, and my father would wear the other half. When she disappeared it was still here.”

Dano wrapped his arm around Fluttershy’s shoulders. The action seemed to comfort the shy woman, and she let her head rest on Dano’s shoulder. The couple sat like this for several minutes before Dano pulled his arm back and stood. Fluttershy watched him rise, a small amount of confusion dancing across her face.

“Where are you going?”

Dano looked back at Fluttershy.

“Into town. There are some things I need to take care off.”

Fluttershy’s expression became even more confused, but she didn’t press onward. Dano saw Echo stand in his peripheral, and turned to the wolf.

“Sorry buddy, but I have to do this alone.”

It was Echo’s turn to look confused. Dano knelt down and patted the wolf on the head.

“I will be back soon.”

Echo gave Dano a slight nod.

Dano turned to leave, said his goodbyes then walked away from the group. As the survivor left Echo took his old spot next to Fluttershy, and the shy woman began to pet the wolf slowly. The two of them shared the same worry as the questions of what Dano was up to snaked their way through their brains.

The walk back to Ponyville didn’t take Dano long, but the entire way the survivor cursed not having his coat on him. The weather was to chilly for just a t-shirt, and a slight breeze only made Dano feel colder.

When Dano reached the outskirts of town he noticed that the place had not changed in the slightest. People still moved up and down the streets, chatted with each other and all the other things small town people did during the day. The only difference was that everybody had abandoned the shorts and t-shirts in favor of warmer clothing.

Dano moved through town with a purpose, but when he reached the town center he was stopped by the sight of Vinyl Scratch sitting on one of the benches strumming aimlessly on an acoustic guitar. Dano moved toward the DJ, and took a sat on the bench.

Vinyl Scratch wore her usual from the waist down, a pair of black and white Converse shoes with black tight jeans. Her top half was encased in a grey hoodie that carried the bared eight notes that normally rested on her tops. The purple sunglasses that typically adorned her eyes were pushed up, and sat on top of her bright blue hair. Dano didn’t know if Vinyl had noticed him, for her eyes were closed as she strummed away. To the survivors surprise the DJ actually began to speak to him.

“How are you doing Dano?”

Dano blinked in confusion.

“How did you know it was me?”

Vinyl chuckled as she continued to play random notes on her guitar.

“I’m just awesome like that.”

Dano chuckled.

“I didn’t know you played guitar Vinyl.”

The DJ smiled.

“I play a lot of things.”

Vinyl opened her eyes and looked at Dano. The survivor looked back into strikingly bright red eyes.

“Your eyes are really… red.”

Vinyl laughed loudly.

“I know, right?”

Dano joined in with the DJ, and the two chuckled for a bit before Dano’s brain reminded him about the whole reason he was in town. Once the laughter stopped the survivor stood.

“Well, it was nice talking to you, but I have to get going.”

Vinyl nodded then closed her eyes again.

“Sounds good, talk to you later man.”

Dano noticed the Vinyl had zoned out, so he left without saying more.

As Dano walked through Ponyville he waved at everybody he knew, and they would reciprocate. Before long Dano had made his way to the opposite side of town, but couldn’t locate the cottage where Sun and Moon supposedly lived. As the survivor scanned the rolling field that dominated this side of Ponyville his eye caught the faintest of trails that lead off away from town. Dano didn’t have any other leads, so with a shrug he left the town limits and followed the trail.

Guided by the path Dano walked thought the rolling field to the edge of a forest that resembled the one his cabin was surrounded by. The survivor continued along the path into the forest, and after a few minutes in the wooded area he happened upon a small clearing with a single story building in the center of it. The building was painted in a faded and chipped white paint with navy blue trim and shudders. The windows were covered in grim and dust, and the whole place looked run down.

Dano moved up to the building and pushed the door open quietly. After slipping into the small house the survivor closed the door behind him then began to scan the interior. Dano had found himself in a small waiting area. To his left was an archway that lead to a combination kitchen/dining room with a small table accompanied by two chairs sitting in the middle of the room, and to his right was another matching archway that revealed a small living room with two recliners facing the front window Dano had noticed when he first saw the building. In front of Dano was a short hallway that ended in a dead end, but at the end of the two walls that made up the hallway was a pair of doors facing each other.

Dano noticed that the entire place was covered in a thick layer of dust, and that there was a lack of light despite the windows that took up exterior wall space. The survivor ignored the dining and living room as he moved into the house. He had the sneaking suspicion that his quarry was in the two rooms at the end of the hallway in front of him.

Dano moved silently through the small house. He kicked up a little dust with each step, but other than that the building was still and quiet. When the survivor reached the door to his right he took in a silent breath before opening the portal quickly.

Behind the door was a bed room that was even smaller than Dano’s own. A single bed jutted out of the far wall with a single window above it. Two matching wooden night stands flanked the bed, and took up the rest of the wall space. Dano noticed that there wasn’t any other furniture in the room, not even a dresser or wardrobe.

Dano silently moved into the room, and noticed that there was actually a being on the bed. The survivor drew close to the bed and found the familiar figure of Moon laying in her cloak, her hands placed on her abdomen. Dano scanned the woman’s body, and found that her face was uncovered as she lay dormant.

The avatar’s eyes were closed, so Dano couldn’t tell what color they were. He probably wouldn’t have cared since all his attention was drawn to her hair. The people of Ponyville had some weird coiffure colors, but Moon’s took the cake. Her hair was navy blue, like her cloak, and dotted with white specks that looked like stars to the survivor. Moon’s hair seemed to move and shift to an non-existent wind, and when Dano reached out and touched it her coiffure stopped moving and became normal strands.

Dano felt a sudden presence behind him, and he turned quickly to see Sun and Moon standing in front of him. Their faces were obscured by their hoods, and they were slightly transparent.

“What are you doing here Daniel?” Asked Moon, a bit of annoyance in her voice.

Dano blinked.

“I came here to ask a few more questions.”

“Then ask them.”

Sun’s voice also carried a tad of annoyance to it, and Dano guessed he had crossed some line.

“What are your real names, because I have heard from a reliable source that you’re really called Celestia and Luna.”

Sun sighed.

“Yes, my name is actually Celestia, and my sister’s is Luna.”

Dano nodded with the new information, and then launched his next question.

“Can Discord do what you two are doing now?”

Celestia and Luna looked at each other with a worried expression before Luna spoke.

“Yes, but his body needs to be close to cast a spell such as this.”

Dano’s mind when into overdrive.

“You mean he needs to be close to make himself appear like a ghost.”

The two sisters nodded.

“Daniel, if you have seen him he must be closing in on Ponyville in person. You must go prepare yourself.”

Celestia’s tone was full of urgency, and it only made Dano feel even more on edge.

Taking Celestia’s advice Dano took off toward the exit. He passed through the two sisters before making a sharp turn down the hallway toward the front door. The survivor only stopped to open the portal before taking off at a dead sprint toward Ponyville.

Dread began to find its place in Dano’s mind as he raced down the path back to town. Apprehension of the coming fight also moved into his skull, and the survivor only had one thought on his mind as he sprinted. Must protect Ponyville.

How about this one Twi?
not bad, you aren't the worst writer i have ever met
Thanks?
that title goes to Pinkie Pie
hey!
you know its true. Remember that time you tried to write fan fiction for Halo? You had the Chief bouncing around making friends with Brutes.
and?
I dont think brutes and Master Chief get along.
not unless the Chief sings a song!
kill me now, please.
take me with you....

Wow, we are getting pretty deep in the mystery wrapped in an enigma arent we
dont forget to comment if you havent
and give me your thumb if you would be so kind
that is all
kthanxbai