The two small rabbits started to inch forward, out of the brush, towards him. Allowing himself a small, friendly smile, pleased that he wasn't scaring them like some kind of monster, he slowly reached one paw towards them...

“” then his stomach let our a loud rumble, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in days.

Unfortunately for the blue two legs, this caused the rabbits to zip off for their lives, thinking they were going to become his next meal... “Damn” he whispered... “First life I meet that doesn’t want to kill me, and they think I want them for breakfast...” he cursed quietly.

But the hunger made him remember... it was back at the lab the last time he ate food... The human named Naspha, his 'father', had just given him a cupcake with a single candle on it.

“It's your birthday” he'd said with a sad look in his eyes.

'Father always looked sad lately' He had thought. So he ate the cake in 2 bites... then he tasted the drug. It made him dull, and then, he blacked out. He woke up strapped to a cold metal bed... the one used for autopsies...

His memories flooded back like a uncontrollable wave of sadness. He couldn't stop them... but at the moment he also didn't want to. He felt safe enough... and he needed to consider what happened over the last 24? 48? hours.

...

Looking up, scared, he saw his father.

“Father what's going on? Why am I here? What's going on?!” any child would ask that. It was natural. The look of utter defeat, the complete misery on his father's face when he turned to look at him said it all... This was his execution. They were going to terminate him...

'But why hadn't they done so when I was asleep?' he wondered

“How long are you going to make us wait here, old man? We've been more than lenient in allowing you this pet! But no longer. He has become a liability!” a strange, hate-filled man said.

Blue knew he was called Dobsin. He was with the government and was assigned to this facility. He had always hated the blue one. Blue had played tricks on him when he was younger. It was nothing serious, just laxative in place of chocolate... but the man had hated him since then. Dobsin had no sense of humor and only seemed interested in how fast Blue could kill something or do something for him.

“I... Just give me one last moment with my SON, you bastard!” Naspha's words broke into Blue's thoughts.  “Let me say a word to him alone before you make me... make.... JUST GET OUT!!!” he bellowed.

The look of enjoyment on Dobsin's face at the old scientist's misery made Blue sick and filled him with hate. Dobsin left. 'Dobsin had allowed this one moment.' Blue recalled.

"Besides" Dobsin said before the door closed, "it's all on camera. What can the old man do that won't catch up to him later?"... he would soon find out.

Naspha then picked up a scalpel before leaning down to kiss his son's cheek, his tears bathing Blue's face, soaking his fur.

“Son... I am so sorry. You are my greatest creation, and truly my own son. I used my own DNA when I created you. It doesn't matter that you're a furry. That you're half fox-half rabbit in a man's form... You are my SON!” the last word caused him to weep uncontrollably for a moment, and his hand slipped and ran the scalpel against the leather restraint on Blue's right wrist... Blue immediately understood his father's plan.

“But father... why?” he asked. The tears in their eyes were real, as were their emotions. But both were creatures of science and reason. They were planning, and executing those plans.

“Son, know that I love you. I love you more than I've loved anyone or anything else in my long, sad life. They think you are a failure... a RISK” he spat the last word with more venom than he'd ever heard from his father before, and slashed violently at the strap across Blue's lower body.

'I tried to honestly protest, while testing my weakened bonds.' Blue recalled 'They were coming loose... but father silenced me before I could ask him further'

“I know you've heard them talking and whispering son. Those ears aren't for decoration... nor are your teeth and claws.” Naspha said poignantly.

'He wanted me to fight my way out.' Blue realized.

“I know that father” he replied, acknowledging the plan “but... why you? why now?! I thought things were getting better?”

“Because, my son... he hates you. It has nothing to do with your pranks or your personal history, for the most part... it's me.” Naspha confessed.

'I knew there was something between Father and Dobsin but this?' Blue thought.

"It has less to do with the rest of your team being gone, and more to do with me, son...you see long ago, I insulted his honor... and now he wants to take away the only thing I hold dear in this universe... MY SON!” Father paused and wept. Blue could see the mixture of true misery and cold rage in his father's eyes.

"With the new batch... you are seen as... obsolete." Naspha gritted his teeth, unable to hold back his rage at the injustice of being forced to terminate his own son.  "They see you as a bad influence on the new team!" with that, he threw the scalpel at the bonds around Blue's ankles, severing one cleanly.

'I could easily shred the other on my own.' he thought at the time. The plan was in full action now.

Moments later the door broke open. The plan to let his son escape was now obvious from the monitors. But it was too late. Blue had already broken free, kissed his father's cheek goodbye and slashed his way through the door. That was when they realized how well he was trained... too well.

'I took out a dozen guards before I was first wounded.' Blue recalled coldly, 'A hunter slashed at me with a sword... he cut into me, but I killed him, and kept going. As I ran, I gathered clothes and supplies. When I hit the forest surrounding the lab, I was set, or so I thought. I had enough adrenaline in my system to keep me going.' he recalled.

....

He shook his head to clear the memories... they were another place, another life, time ago... and he couldn’t afford to dwell on them anymore...

'Or should I?' he shook his head again. 'No. I must heal first. I'll deal with what happened... later... when the pain of father's death isn't so... painful and recent.' he decided.

Looking towards the rabbits hiding in the bushes, he besieged them again in that chittering voice

“” just then his stomach growled again, this time the hunger hitting him harder. He bent over, holding his stomach reflexively. That pain had been significantly worse than previous. It was like a herd of buffalo running across the plains. He'd prefer to save his rations for when he was in serious trouble... somehow he didn't think this was it.

A moment later, he heard rustling and then several apples rolled through the bushes towards him. He slowly reached down to grab the nearest apple, a granny smith, and took a bite out of it. He couldn’t suppress a “mmmm” sound. It was possibly one of the sweetest, most delicious apples he'd ever had. He finished it a moment later, core and all, and reached for a second, a Macintosh, and a third, a golden delicious. Only now that he was actually eating, taking in nutrition, did the full power of his hunger hit him. He was ravenous. He paused after devouring the 4th, another granny smith, looking to the bushes, unsure if he was still being watched.

“Thank you. They are delicious!” he said in clear english to no one in particular. Then he heard the faintest whisper of a voice

“Y-y-your w-w-welcome.” his ears snapped up; this was clearly not what he expected. The voice, so soft like a morning breeze, sweet and gentle as a mother's, wafted through the bushes. The W almost sounded like a horse made it... impossible.. or was it? Here he was, 4' 5" of human/fox/rabbit hybrid genetic stock. He could speak with animals... very little seemed impossible, especially considering his wounds and where he seemed to be now!

“Wh-who's there?” he asked, fear gripping his throat. 'Could I have been tracked down already?' he thought, the fear sending a shiver down his spine. Suddenly he was gripped with irrational fear.  'Were those apples poisoned? Was this really a particularly evil hunter who was only toying with me??' he thought fearfully, his prey side in near complete control.

His ears were straight up, rigid, listening for any sound she might make... he heard her… yes it was a her, he was sure of it, breathing nervously. She still hadn't responded. He heard what sounded like nervous... hoofs clopping on the ground?! A long tail swishing nervously about... WINGS rustling?!  'This is mad... how can I be hearing this?' he thought again. 'How can I be hearing what I think I'm hearing?' he thought, beginning to doubt his sanity.

Finally he decided she was probably MORE scared of him than he was of her. 'Not a hunter' he thought, his heart beginning to slow down. He wasn't in danger, at least not yet, and he wanted to keep it that way. Raising his pitch, and lowering his volume, making it warm, friendly and soft, he tried to speak to her, for he had no desire to scare off his benefactor. He was truly grateful for the apples, and possibly more.

“H-Hey... it's ok. I don't bite... honest.” Ok that was a flat-out lie... Well he didn't bite friends, at least... “C-can you please tell me... where am I?” he let some desperation creep into his voice on the last question... because... well... he was desperate.

He knew that may have been asking too much. She seemed the really skittish type. He could hear her nervous breathing and... clopping… and wing rustling? increase. He knew asking her name would be pushing his luck. And she'd ask his in return... he wasn't even sure what his name was anymore. Father called him son... that bastard called him “it” or “that thing” and the scientists...

”Equestria” he heard in the softest of voices. This time her voice was softer than a breeze caused by a bee. Even his large ears strained to hear the answer. The E and A definitely sounded as though a horse could have made them.

'What's going on here?.. Equestria?' he thought

"Th-thank you... I'm... lost” he conceded. A bit of hopelessness entered his voice involuntarily. He was lost, and scared. “Thank you again so much for the apples... they are the most delicious that I've ever tasted.” he said, fully heartfelt. They were the best he'd ever had... of course, what he had at the lab was usually leftovers or "protein supplements", AKA dog food. They didn't starve him and his team by any stretch... they just weren't well-fed.

"I've never had anything so delicious in my life!” he finished. Maybe he was laying it on thick... but he was truly grateful.

'He is completely sincere', she thought. She had heard his words, and felt his feelings. She knew he was alone and scared. Somehow he talked to the bunnies and squirrels easily.

'How?' she wondered. He had been described so strangely to her by the forest animals... she would not have believed it unless she saw it with her own eyes. 'How in all that is great in the sight of celestia is this... possible?' she wondered in amazement, seeing the two legs. He had the long ears of a rabbit, the bushy tail of a fox, a very strange navy blue coat with white spots lined with light blue... and a white patch around his left eye and muzzle.

Blushing a little, she thought 'He may be a little weird.. but he's also kinda cute' after seeing his muscular form. 'But what is that on his waist and legs?' she wondered, never having seen pants before. A moment later she recognized the bandage for what it was... 'He's wounded, and somepony bandaged up his wound' she realized.

'Oh, if only I was brave' she belied 'Wait I know who is!' she thought, an idea immediately coming to her. She needed help. And she knew the exact pony who could. She unfurled her wings, stretching them, lifting them with a great flap, and she began to lift off the ground.

Hearing, but not completely understanding, Beta rushed forward. He didn't understand how, but he knew she was leaving him. He didn't want the first kind voice he'd heard leave him so soon...

“Wait!” he pleaded in desperation. “Please don't leave me!” Moving towards the flapping he saw the ... yellow?! Pegasus. He stood there, in awe, watching as she flapped her wings and lifted into the air. She was... beautiful, stunningly so. The gusts from her massive wings buffeting him while he could only stare. They made eye contact, and he saw... What? Fear, but not of him... of anything strange. This one was shy on a level unknown to Blue. Somehow... she was more alone than he was.

As the beautiful yellow pegasus continued to flap to raise from the forest floor, she looked down and their eyes made contact. She was almost frightened stiff... but she kept her wings moving, lifting up, up, up. She was afraid of him... of course she was afraid of her own shadow. She saw strength, great strength, and loneliness, and kindness in his eyes and face... What a face! His head was something between a fox and a rabbit, but he had long lapin ears. His tail was[like that of a fox's however and he stood on... two legs?!

'How is he even possible?' she wondered again. Everyone knew that Fluttershy was a kind, but a terribly timid soul. She cared for the small animals in the woods, but rarely socialized with the other ponies. Now that he...'HE?!' A... male!' She could smell his pheromones even up here. He saw her... her instinct to run, even to get help, was too great. It overpowered her new desire to land and talk to him. To ask him where he was from, who was he, why he had that body...

“I... I'm sorry. I... I... I c-c-cant help you” her soft, lilting, quavering voice stuttered. Somehow... Blue understood, and just nodded sadly.

A moment later, she was gone. Now that she had altitude, she was fast, and gone in a blink. Standing where she had been only moments before, Beta closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. It was … amazing. It was sweet, like a perfume made from delicate fruit and honey. “Odd” he said to no one in particular. He looked up again, trying to follow her ever shrinking figure in the sky, until he could follow no more. Like a dream half finished when waking, she was gone.

“So I'm on a land with flying horses... riiiggghhhttt.... I must be dead” he pondered aloud sardonically until “OW!” the pain reminded him forcefully he was still, in fact, alive. His muscles were still mildly sore from his escape despite his stretches, and his mid section still hurt; though lessening, the damage was clearly still there. He was alive, that fact was definitive... but he wasn't anywhere on Earth, of that he was sure. Then an impossible thought struck him

“She heard... moon goddess Luna heard my prayer... and answered!” he gasped. “I owe her my life.” And in that moment, he dropped to one knee. “Oh Luna, goddess of the moon. I pledge my life to thee. Thou art my mistress. All I have is thine” he pledged out loud in prayer.

Luna heard his prayer. She smiled and nodded to herself. 'A grateful one. How rare.'

'I think we can use him.' Nightmare Moon considered. He could never know that he was what[she/they needed to escape. Soon.. they would be free. Their thousand year prison sentence was ending, and this dear soul was their key to escape. Nightmare Moon pondered about this. This one being Luna had had pity for, was about to be their savior. He had just pledged himself to Luna. Ironically it should be Luna and Nightmare Moon who should owe HIM soon much... This one...

'Perhaps not all beings are evil,' Luna mused 'meant to be lorded over. Maybe... Maybe I was wrong all those centuries ago. Maybe my sister was right. Still... I'm going to have some fun when I get out. Celestia deserves at least a little chaos in her perfect little world.' Luna and Nightmare Moon mused.

Nightmare Moon was biding her time. Once Luna was free, she would reassert control... a few weeks, two months at the most and she would be free. Strange how time moved differently when you were anticipating something. She had been dormant for decades at a time in her lunar prison. Now... a few weeks seemed like an eternity. Chronos, father of time, certainly had a ironic sense of humor.

Looking around, Blue decided to bury the few apple cores that survived his hunger. 'No point in messing up my new ... home?... what is that?' he wondered, as he dug holes with one of his fore paws, then buried the cores at rough distances. “Perhaps these will grow into beautiful trees, that will feed others like they fed me” he said wistfully.

Having heard moving water earlier, Blue began walking towards the sound. His paws needed cleaning after digging those holes, and he was still very thirsty. As juicy as those apples were, he needed water. As he walked, he stretched his arms and paws, stopping once to stretch his legs and arms. He used what he learned at the lab's dojo to stretch and find his inner calm. He didn't understand why they taught him martial arts. The scientists insisted on actually teaching him. He was clumsy at first; knowing a thing, and doing a thing are two different... things.

Later, he was given speed courses with all he needed to know. But the training made applying that knowledge easier. He knew many of those kind scientists well... especially father; he wouldn't have been able to act against them if they'd captured him, and he knew it. If one of the 'others' came for him, however... He also, somehow, knew he would never see them again. It wasn't the fact that he was on another… planet? Plane of existence? It was just a sure knowledge. As sure as he knew he hated Dobsin and the hunters, and the others! He also knew his father and the kind scientists were probably all dead, or they would be shortly.

He paused for a moment, realizing that he was growling, his teeth bared, and his brow in a vicious frown, his paws clenched into fists, his steps pounding into the soft soil. The thought of those 'others' raised his hackles and enraged him almost instantly.

“Those humans were cruel and indifferent. They only saw me as a test subject. An experiment. A TOOL! They never even gave me a name... only a designation.” he huffed. "What kind of name is Beta anyway!?" he growled angrily

He had to calm down. Clear his mind, body and soul of this anger...and fear. Closing his eyes and inhaling deep, he reached down to his center for calm. They were gone. He was safe now. 'Or are you?' a tiny voice asked in his mind. He released the breath, forcing it out along with the uncertainty and anger. He then drew in another, holding it. He brought his legs together while he inhaled, as well his arms and elbows close to his body. As he exhaled, he pushed his paws forward, extending his fingers up, hands, wrists, forearms, and shoulder, forcing the evil and pain out of his body. When his arms were straight in front of him, his breath spent, he inhaled, and softly returned his arms to his sides, palms up, hovering just below his pectoral muscles.

He continued the exercise several more times, pushing his arms out the side, up, and back and down. When he finished, his soul was clean and refreshed. His muscles ached significantly less, and his mind was clear and relaxed. Tiger breathing always relaxed and centered his thoughts and emotions. That knowledge wasn’t in the accelerated learning. That, he learned in the dojo.

He stood there for a few minutes, simply listening to the brook and the water, the beating of a butterfly's wings, his eyes still closed. He felt at peace with the universe for the first time in weeks. Unfortunately the universe is rarely as accommodating.

“What'cha doin'?” asked a gruff, strong, fearless, female voice. Surprised, his ears went at weird angles, his tail straight back, his fur sticking straight out and a look of complete surprise replaced the one of tranquility on his face. Looking wildly at her, his eyes almost bulged out, and he yelped as if slapped. Pointing at her, his voice quavered...

"WhaAAAAAACKK!!! WHA, where, W-WHO are you!?”

In response she fell over, laughing... neighing?, pounding the ground with her roof

“AH HAHAHAHAHAHA” she then inhaled loudly, before continuing “OH MY GAWD HAHAHA The look on your face... you should see yourself! I have never seen such a comical sight in all my life!” at which point, she rolled onto her back, her hind hooves clopping loudly on the ground as she continued to laugh.

Falling back to rote, Beta jumped back, his paws in front of him, the fear of being caught on his face, but still determined not to ever be captured again; His presence for battle emanating from him. Feeling the change in the atmosphere, she stopped, and got back to her hooves.

“H-hey... I'm not gonna hurt ya or anything!” she began “I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you, but..” she started, but sniggered a little at the memory of his face before feeling contrite and looking her hoof. “I'm sorry I scared you. I'm...”

“BLUE!” he finished, just noticing the sky blue of her fur. “You're a blue … what? Horse? Pegasus?

“PONY!” she said angrily, pounding both her fore hooves on the ground. “I'm a pegasus pony!” she said indignantly. “I am the fastest pegasus pony in Ponyville, and one of the fastest in all of Equestria!” she added proudly, maybe a little boastfully. “And besides, who are YOU to comment on fur color? You're bluer than berry jam!” she countered, angry at being called a horse. “Just what the hell kind of freak are you! You have rabbit ears, a fox tail, and... how do you stand on two legs?!” she asked, slowly running out of steam, realizing she may have crossed a line... calling him a freak. Flutteryshy did say he seemed a little... bothered.

“I...I... “  he started but was unable to finish. Her comments stung him deep. He wasn't ready to deal with his… existence yet, and here this stranger just threw the entirety of it in his face. His ears fell behind his head, his shoulders dropped, his tail now flat. Misery crossed his face. He was a genetic anomaly. Even among the others at the lab, he was different. He didn't accept programming well. He didn't stay in his tank well. He was called a mistake, a fluke, a random anomaly that should be put down.

He was the only one of his 'kind' that he knew of. Only the prototypes were being made. They were supposed to be the first of an army, but only five were made. Alpha the doctor, Beta the assassin, Gamma the scout and sniper, Delta, and Omega, in a twist, the burly leader. Each one was different. Alpha was a purple vixen. Gamma was a weasel, Delta was a German shepherd, and leader until Omega was finished. And Omega was... big... he was still in his tank when Beta had left.

Sensing his misery, she paused. The blue pegasus pony walked closer, nudging his down-turned maw with her own.

“H-hey... Look i'm really sorry... honest. I didn’t mean to...” she wasn't sure what she'd done... but it hurt him badly. Somewhere in his mind he realized that her bravery, or her inability to hurt someone who was in pain, must have been great. By any measure of ration, she was crazy for coming so close to a stranger. He felt she deserved to know this wasn't really her fault...

“I... “ he started weakly. The misery so plain on his face, even his whiskers were drooping. Tears only just being held back by bravado. “B-back at the lab... they said I was an anomaly... a mistake. My consciousness, everything about me, was wrong...” she didn't understand what he was saying. “I can't learn from rapid programming, I think independently... “ the reality of his situation, everything that had been said to him, was hitting him like a torrential rain filled with bricks.

As if this were his magnum opus, he looked miserably at her, seeing her for the first time since entering his near-fugue state, and cried, tears streaming from his large lapin eyes. “I'm a mistake! A FREAK!!!”

She stepped back, shaking her head “N-no...” she whispered at first, knowing, unsure, what set him off, and feeling horrible for it “NO! You ar...” she started to yell at him, trying to stop his line of thought, but he cut her off

“I'm an ACCIDENT!” he said, his self hatred dripping like venom from the words.

Then he collapsed in a heap on the ground before the beautiful blue pony before him, weeping for his lost comrades. His lost family.... his dead father, for he had no doubt that his father was gone, after he let him escape. Worst yet... he knew father's death was his fault. If father had let them terminate him, he would be alive.

Lifting his head to the heavens, he roared in utter grief, misery and self hatred “I SHOULD BE DEAD!” bellowing the words to the heavens, hoping a god would hear him and perhaps make it so.

“But what kind of father would let his son die” a very tiny, very quiet voice said in his mind.

Luna heard him and her heart almost broke, her compassion returning to her soul as the lost waters return to the savannah. Luna pushed Nightmare Moon away from her mind, as she looked upon Beta as a lost child finally home, realizing he DID belong here in Equestria. She had to return! She had to look after this new son of hers!