Chapter I: Breakthrough... Literally
Having parents divorced at a young age is heart-breaking. And there’s always a moment in that child’s life, where they learn the importance of having a mother or father, and they don’t have one. They’re supposed to be there to look out for you, but they’re just gone. Usually all that person needs is a friend, but for most people, there are no friends for them, just the small things that make you happy. I guess that’s life though. Some people will say that in life the only way to achieve happiness is through suffering. Now I find that hard to believe. I’m no ‘man of god’ but I know the difference between what’s fact, and what’s just downright stupid.
“Life is a kind of Chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events.” ~Benjamin Franklin.
I've always hated chess.
“Andersen’s Dairy and Baked Goods,” read the sign posted above the gated entrance to my family’s property. I pulled the truck into the garage and took some groceries from the bag. There was a variety of meats and cheeses to use for cooking, and some necessities such as gas for the grill. The first one to greet me was our Border Collie, Rusty. “Hey boy, how’s grandpa been?” I asked as I scratched behind his fur-covered ears. My Grandfather has made very nice work of the farm. He’s been an experienced farmer since he was a child. Although he did grow up on a Texas farm, he said that “It ain’t so different round here.” He’s been trying to fix the ‘issue’ we’ve been having in the crops. The crops have been dying, but we could never figure out what the cause was. Whether it was diseases, drought, pesticides, or the soil, we had no leads. I walked into the house and set the grocery bags onto the crusted wooden table. One thought keeps running through my head nonstop. My grandfather wants me to take over the farm after he passes. I know he asked me over a year ago, but I can’t shake the stress. I’m not ready to run a farm. I’d much rather look into another job. But he just made my heart sink once he said “It’s what your mother would want.” I set the groceries in the fridge and went to tend to the cows out in the barn.
The barn was in pretty good condition, good enough condition to sell anyways. I scanned over it as I entered through the ten foot tall doors. With a fresh coat of paint, this barn could easily be passed off as recently built. We had a total of eight cows. Not really enough to make a big business out of, but they got the job done. Their milk was the only product we could still sell that wouldn’t poison the consumers. The sun was just beginning to set onto the horizon. I let the cows graze for about an hour and locked them in their pens for the night. I’ve been repeating the same god damn process for the past fifteen years. Well, ever since I could carry a pail of milk that is. I glanced at my wristwatch. The time was 7:56 P.M. I had noticed some storm clouds in the distance. I had heard of possible showers this evening. I wasn’t worried about the animals much. They’ve been through tons of storms. “Shouldn’t be much of an issue, right Maddie?” I asked and glanced at the cow to my left. The cows always had the same confused look on their face. Just a subtle “Moo” was all I got in return. Well that’s what you get for talking to the animals. Living your life on a farm can take its toll. Maybe that’s why I haven’t been able to make any friends? I can’t relate to the rest of them? I don’t know. I closed the barn doors and placed the wooden boards to seal it.
Grandpa was in the bedroom, working on the bills. You could feel the tension that surrounded him. He constantly rubbed his forehead and let out an occasional groan. The door was already wide open. I knocked on the wood framing that encased the scratched door. He immediately turned to me and a smile was plastered over his wrinkly face.
“Ah, Scotty, so good to see you. So tell me, how did it go?” He asked, quickly turning back to his work. I wasn’t sure what he was referring to at first, but I assumed he meant my daily chores.
“Well, I emptied the pens, replaced their water, let the cows-,” I was suddenly cut off by his hoarse voice.
“Not the chores, I meant how was your day?” He asked. I was speechless. The question was odd, in the sense that he hasn’t asked that question before. I couldn’t provide an answer, which caused him to sit up from his position at the desk. This got me excited; I wasn’t sure how to react. He approached me and put two comforting arms around my body. He retreated the embrace and looked at me with hands on my shoulders. He was about the same height as I was, but then again I hadn’t exactly finished growing yet. “It’s good to see you Scotty,” He said and smiled as he walked downstairs. I suppose the farm issues had taken its toll on all of us. Life was definitely different around here since mom passed away. I can only imagine what changes there would be around here if she suddenly reappeared. I chuckled. It’s a sight that I would gladly embrace.
Rusty took his usual place on my bed as I stood in the entrance to my bedroom. The only thing to use was a radio on my bedside table and occasionally, if the power managed to reach my bedroom, you could use the laptop. I sighed and slid into the flimsy covers on my mattress. I turned on the radio and listened to whatever music was playing. The radio ran on batteries, so power wasn't much of an issue. I never played an Instrument; or never learned to play one that is. My parents could never afford any lessons. Neither of them had played an instrument either, so they couldn’t teach me themselves. I guess the dream of playing music was lost with my parents. Rain began pelting the glass window in a mesmerizing pattern. I heard grandpa call from downstairs. Uhg, I should really stop calling him grandpa around others. I’m starting to think it makes me sound childish. His full name is Harold Lloyd Andersen, father of my father.
“Scott, turn that racket down!” He called from the living room. I rolled my eyes, ignoring his command.
“Sure Harold,” I responded with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. He grunted at my rudeness and returned to his business. I rolled onto my side and focused my vision on the little metal toy soldiers that were positioned very neatly on my nightstand. “Strange,” I said to myself. Those toys weren’t there before. They looked like they were hand-crafted though. I picked one up and rubbed the polished, metal coating around it. I guess grandpa was just looking out for me. The time was about 9:30 and I was wide awake. Grandpa was still downstairs reading the paper from two weeks ago. He was always a slow reader. I sat up and ran my hand through my hair. Rain still pounded the rooftop and drowned the soil of our farm. The radio had been cut off from the pouring rain. My legs began hurting. I got up and walked downstairs to get my raincoat. I checked on grandpa, who had fallen asleep with the newspaper over his chest. I smirked, and headed out the door, with the truck keys in my grasp.
I was angry. Like really angry. I pounded the horn at drivers who didn’t go 70 like I was. Music was blaring in the truck as I raced down the two-lane freeway. At 10:00 in the country-side most people were sleeping. Road rage was never my thing, but that’s what I thought had happened to me at the time. I tried to calm myself down, but thoughts kept racing through my head. “Should I end it here? Make my suffering end? I’ve suffered for eighteen fucking years and haven’t achieved anything!” I kept shouting to myself. The rain had intensified as the windshield-wipers were working as fast as they could. My vision was limited as I passed the red tail-lights of other cars. I can’t take the stress anymore. I still had one decision to make at that moment, to live or die.
The clock was ticking. I could live out my miserable life on this world, or experience the lush fields of heaven. The thoughts escaped me as I watched lightning fiercely strike the asphalt that surrounded my tires. I felt a large bump as I drove over electrified road. Well at this point I was practically sliding over the oil-covered asphalt. I couldn’t stop, my brakes were failing. “This is a nightmare!” I thought as I began to panic. All I could do was steer and pray that I didn’t turn right into a tree or animal. I suddenly feared death, as I had from the moment I was born. I didn’t want to die! The fear of not knowing what happens when you die is scarier than the life I have now! The car continually sped up across the water. But I stopped flailing. I had braced my arms on the steering wheel and tried to control the swerving. I noticed a small light about a yard in front of me. I didn’t know what it was, but I wasn’t about to find out. There was no way to avoid it. The light slowly grew in size as I got closer. There was nothing I could do, so I simply clenched my teeth and braced myself. “I’m sorry mom,” I whispered as I grew inches away from the strange orb of light. I closed my eyes and prayed everything would be okay for me. I heard screeching, and then everything was silent.
I thought for sure I was dead. Probably because of all the peacefulness that surrounded me. Then noises came back to me. The screeching tires suddenly were muffled by the sound of dirt underneath the tires. I opened my eyes and was met with the sun’s glare and hundreds of trees flying past the sides of my truck. The side-view mirrors were smashed as the trees scraped the sides of my vehicle. I heard screams of people that came from a distance. That’s when I realized I was still alive. I was still in a panic as the truck raced out of control towards an unknown destination. Then I noticed a small orange figure that was a few feet in front of the moving vehicle. Once I saw it was an animal it was too late. I had hit the animal head on at an unknown speed. The car was brought to a complete halt as I collided with the animal, which caused it to lift up on its front two tires, and come back down. I jerked forward and cracked my head on the windshield of the car. My vision blurred as more screams came closer to my location. I tried to speak, but I had already passed out in the driver’s seat of my grandpa’s truck.
“Applebloom! Where in the hay have ya been all day?” Applejack asked with a stressed expression. “I told ya we can’t be havin’ ya wonder off like that when you know we need your help!”
“But Applejack, the girls and I have been plannin’ this event for months! Can’t ya let it slide just for today? Please?” Applebloom’s eyes widened with a sad expression that took Applejack completely off guard. She grunted, and then sighed.
“Oh, alright. But ya’ll better hurry back now!” she called as Applebloom took off towards the clubhouse. She rolled her eyes. Nothing could ever stop that pony from missing one of her precious club meetings. Applejack trotted back towards the barn where Macintosh and Granny Smith had already begun construction. The barn has been in desperate need of some repairs, but to fix the repairs individually would cost too much, so they just did a full reconstruction. They had to get an early start if they wanted to get the barn rebuilt before the next Apple family reunion. Applejack scanned the sky constantly while helping Macintosh carry the loads of lumber from the shed. She was looking for Rainbow Dash, who promised to help build the barn. “Now where in the hay is Rainbow?” she whispered to herself. She squinted and saw her moving clouds in the sky a few yards away. Her and a few other pegasi were moving some rain clouds into position.
“Oh fiddlesticks!” shouted Granny Smith.
“Gosh Darnit!” Applejack yelled, “Well, I guess it’s too late to do anything about it right now. C’mon fellas, let’s start packin’ up.”
“Eyup,” Macintosh chimed in. Well the Apple Family reunion wasn’t until a few more days, so they still had time. The three of them began rolling up the blueprints and covering the plywood. The rain clouds were beginning to form overhead as they finished packing everything. The rain slowly began to intensify with each minute as they trotted back towards the house. There wasn’t a call for a storm, just some mild rain. Guess there’s been a change of schedule. She saw Applebloom racing home from her clubhouse meeting. Her mane was soaking wet and her bow was drooping.
“Hey Applejack, what’d I miss?” she asked with a smile. Applejack rolled her eyes and grabbed a towel to dry her little sis off with. “Thanks Applejack!” she said with a yawn.
“I think its bout time you hit the hay there sugarcube,” Applejack suggested with a slight grin.
“Okay Applejack, goodnight,” she responded and trotted off to bed. There were small lightning strikes outside the house. The storm only seemed to be getting worse. In the trees Applejack could see a small light. She squinted as the light grew larger. Her eyes widened with horror.
“What in the…” she was cut off by a sharp flash and was forced to cover her eyes and turn away. She looked back to the window and lowered her hoof. She didn’t see anything and let out a sigh of relief. But then Rainbow Dash began pounding on the window she was looking out of. Her eyes were wide with fear. Applejack became startled and jumped back. She opened the door and let Rainbow in. “Rainbow what the heck ya gotta scare me like that for?” She asked with a serious look. Ranbow giggled for a second but still had the same worried expression.
“I was watching from the clouds and saw that flash of light! But there’s something moving through your apple trees Applejack!” she exclaimed. Applejack’s first impression was that there was somepony stealing her apples. She took off into her apple orchard and noticed a large figure moving fast between the trees, too big to be a pony. Rainbow followed at a safe distance as they pursued the darting figure.
“I’m gonna try and cut it off, you keep a bird’s eye view on the thing, make sure nopony is in the way of that thing,” she commanded. Rainbow saluted and flew up into the clouds. Applejack stopped and looked around. She had lost sight of the figure, but could hear it clear as day. She raced towards the sound as it grew louder and louder. She suddenly stopped and looked to her left. To her horror she was met with a bright pair of lights that looked like eyes to her. They approached her at a speed only Rainbow could match. Applejack instinctively faced the opposite direction and placed her rear legs out to brace herself from the impact. She closed her eyes and felt nothing but numbness as she flew into the air. She could feel somepony catch her and prevent her from hitting the ground, but everything after that was a blur.
Author's Note
So... what did you think? Constructive criticism is what I'm all about, so don't hold back or be shy to tell me what your opinion is.
Chapter II: Accidents Happen. . .?
"I have lost the dead weight of the fear I had then. Fear doesn't travel well; just as it can warp judgment, its absence can diminish memory's truth. What terrifies one generation is likely to bring only a puzzled smile to the next."
~Arthur Miller
"Ow. . . my head," I whispered to myself as I slowly regained consciousness in the driver's seat of my grandpa's truck. The bright sun that shone through the windshield forced my eyes shut again out of irritation. "Ah, no I don't want to go to school. . .," I mumbled under my breath. I think I became more aware of my situation once the smell of burning fuel penetrated my nose. I jolted up from my sleepy position and rubbed my head in confusion. I was dazed and everything was blurry for me. I'd probably have a concussion eventually, but right now I needed to clear up my eyesight. I sat and waited for a few minutes, hoping that my crazed incident would somehow fade away before my eyes. It didn't work, and I did the next best thing I could think of. I opened the door and forced my legs to awake from their motionless position. I could still feel them, but I couldn't move them. I became frustrated. I crossed my arms and pouted.
I let out a deep sigh and laid my head against the chair. "Okay Scott. Just focus," I told myself. I rubbed my head and scanned my surroundings with the limited visibility I had. Bright blue sky, sounds of birds, a very peaceful setting. Well, other than the smoking truck that nearly flattened me like a pancake while I was inside. I laughed at my stupid luck. I scared away some birds and couldn't help but smile. I sat there for the next few minutes thinking my situation over very carefully. I stroked my invisible beard. What was there for me to do? Sit and wait for help? Find help for myself? I suddenly noticed something very odd. Something that hadn't caught my attention until just now. I heard them as I woke, but dismissed them as simply large birds. But the thing is, birds aren't that large. Not on earth they aren't anyways. My first thought was dinosaurs. You know, the like evolving ones and stuff. They all evolved into birds right?
I leaned forward and looked up over the clouds in the sky. Nothing caught my immediate attention. That is, until one of the clouds began to jerk wildly in an uncontrolled manner. My eyes widened, there was obviously something moving that cloud. Or it was moving itself? Are clouds alive? No, impossible. My legs felt numb. There were no visible injuries on them, but I couldn't move them around without a strong feeling of discomfort. I was becoming anxious and desperate to get out and stretch. I folded my hands behind my head and watched the motionless apple trees that lined the sides of the truck. Those apples looked really good. Nicely fertilized, and very nicely grown. I looked down the long line of trees. They were all planted in a very precise row and order. An apple orchard? Then I'm near a farm? I became a little relieved at the discovery. But my thirst quickly removed any hint of glee. I was desperate. And desperate times call for desperate measures. "I'm sure they won't mind if I just take one. . ." I was stopped very suddenly by a mass of pink that landed onto my outstretched hand. I jumped back, a little startled. I immediately tried to remove the pink mass from my hand, but it was sticky. Very sticky. Like cotton candy sticky. My hand also felt very wet. I looked and saw a small waterfall of brown liquid streaming down my arm. My mouth was agape and I stared at the object.
I could smell. . . an aroma emanating from it and I swear I was about to take a huge bite out of what I was sure was cotton candy. I resisted the urge in my stomach and looked back to the sky. There were more pink blobs of this stuff all over. Flying around, and spewing the chocolate colored liquid all over the forest. I lightly licked the substance on my arm. "Chocolate milk. . .?"
The sound of P.A.'s and heartbeat monitors were scattered all across the hospital. The lobby had the unfortunate design to be built right near the E.R. and small groans or emergency sirens could be heard close by. This place gave Twilight a great feeling of discomfort. She shivered a little and hovered the newspaper in front of her. She saw Rainbow Dash, staring outside the glass doors of the hospital entrance.
"I don't like it at all," Rainbow finally broke the silence. They were the only two ponies in the waiting room. "I swear to Celestia Twilight, once I find him, he's so going to get a lesson of friendship. But he'll learn it my way. . ." Twilight glanced from her paper and sighed.
"I know you don't like it Rainbow, and neither do I, but you knew as well as I did that this day was coming. . ." She was cut off by Rainbow's death stare. Twilight stopped and continued reading her paper.
"You know what I mean. . ." Rainbow mumbled to herself, expecting a more comforting answer from her close friend. She had to deal with almost losing a friend, and watch this chaos unfold on the same day. It just wasn't fair. The doctor pushed the door to the E.R. open and entered the quiet waiting room. Rainbow bolted at lightning speed right up to him, speaking in a way PinkiePie would. "How is she doc!? Oh Celestia she's dead isn't she? No! I messed up this time, I wasn't fast enough. . ." She sunk down onto her flank and sulked. The doctor just gave her a blank stare.
"Your friend will be just fine Miss Dash." He said with a slight grin. Rainbow nearly fainted from the news and looked like she was about to praise the doctor for his graceful actions.
"Oh thankyou doc! You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that!" She cheered with a smile. Twilight had set the newspaper down and walked over to the two of them.
"So, what is her overall condition?" she asked. The doctor shifted his glasses and proceeded.
"She's been in and out of a coma for the past couple of hours. She has a minor concussion and needs to rest. That's only her minor condition. Her more severe condition is two severed hind legs." Twilight and Dash both went wide-eyed at the news. "We used all the magic we could to repair her legs to their normal condition, but only made it half way. She will need plenty of rest and I would highly recommend a wheel. . ." He was cut off by Rainbow.
"Nuh uh! No wheelchair! Applejack is the strongest mare in all of ponyville! She deserves better than to be confined to some chair with wheels!"Rainbow protested. The doctor lightly pushed Rainbow away and adjusted his glasses again. He turned to Twilight and finished his explanation.
"As I was saying. . . We were really short on staff. Today especially." He glanced out the glass doors. He shook his head in disapproval and sighed. "As you can imagine," He finished. Twilight nodded her head.
"When will she be able to come home?" She asked.
"I'd say about a week," The doctor answered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go attend to my duties, good day," He said and swiftly walked back into the E.R.
"Come on Rainbow, lets go back and start work on AJ's farm. She'll be very grateful when she wakes." Rainbow was trying to hold back a laugh. "What's so funny?" She asked confused.
"He said duty!" She said, breaking into a hysterical laugh and rolling on the floor. Twilight rolled her eyes and waited for her friend to stop. Rainbow popped right back up with a smile and glnced bck through the doors to the E.R. Applejack's family was sitting in the chairs outside Applejack's hospital room. They looked like they could use some comfort. "Eh, sorry Twilight. I think it's be better If I stayed here, ya know, and look after AJ," She turned and began to fly into the E.R, "Catch ya later Twi!" She entered the E.R. before Twilight could protest. Twilight put her hoof against her face and sighed. She would now have to do all of Applejack's chores by herself. She shook the thought off her shoulders and began walking towards the big glass doors that led to the chaos that protruded from the natural environment.
Twilight opened her saddlebag and pulled out a small purple umbrella to shield her from the pouring chocolate milk. She needed to stop by the farm and take care of Winona before she visited the Princess. She gently knocked on the door of Fluttershy's cottage. The typical sound of frogs or birds inside could tell you that she was definitely home. The door opened and revealed a very shy Pegasus, peeking around the corner to see who it was.
She let out a small sigh of relief. "Oh, hi Twilight, what brings you here?" She asked hesitantly.
"I'm here to pick up some food for Winona,"
"Oh! How's Applejack, is she ok?" She asked suddenly. She felt bad, realizing that she should have asked about her first. But something else was still keep her preoccupied.
"The doctor said she would stay at the hospital another week until she could check out,"
"Oh that's a relief. Uh, please wait here, and uh I'll go grab your uh, dog food! Right, dog food," She smiled very sheepishly. She shut the door, not even bothering to let Twilight in. Twilight raised a brow, as it was unlike Fluttershy to not be so welcoming. She couldn't help herself, and pushed the door open slightly with her hoof. The first reaction she got was an "eep!" from Fluttershy, and three very loud barks. Twilight, herself, became startled and jumped back at the loud noises the dog made. Fluttershy went over to calm him down, but failed.
"Oh, please don't be scared, she's just a friend! Oh please stop barking. It'll be ok. I'm sure your master will come find you eventually!" She stopped and looked at Twilight. The dog whimpered and sat down. "Oh, I'm so sorry Twilight, I gave all the food I had to this poor creature. He was so hungry and I just couldn't bring him back to his owner starved," She explained, stroking his head with her hoof. The only readable expression on Twilight's face was confusion. This dog was much bigger than any dog she'd seen in her lifetime. "I promise I'll have more for you later today, and he'll only be here for a little while, I promise," She said pleadingly. Twilight walked up and squinted into the dog's eyes.
"Fluttershy, where did you find this dog?" She asked. Fluttershy looked at Twilight in pure confusion. She looked at the dog, and then back to Twilight. She repeated the motion about four times and finally let out a sigh.
"I actually don't know, he just. . . appeared at my door," She responded with a look of guilt on her face. "I hope the owner doesn't think I stole him from them," She said worriedly.
"It's okay Fluttershy, I'm sure that whoever's dog it is, they will be most grateful for keeping an eye on him," She said, using her new wing to wrap around her. "Tell me, how long ago was it when he appeared at your door?"
"About three hours ago. He had a bloody leg and I tended to it immediately. He's still got the bandage on him," She said, pointing to the carefully placed bandage on the dog's leg, that wasn't too tight or too loose.
"I need to head over to Sweet Apple Acres, and manage the Apple's property while they stay with AJ. Would you like to tag along?" She asked.
"Oh, sorry Twilight, I would but this little fella here needs my watchful eye," She said, scratching the dog behind his ears. The dog licked Fluttershy's face in gratitude. "Aw, you're very welcome."
"Also, Fluttershy, did you ever ask him about AJ?" She turned back and asked.
"Why of course I did,"
"And?"
"He said he had no idea why AppleJack had been injured. But once I finished explaining the situation to him, all he did was. . ." Twilight had shut the door, bolting down the path towards the apple farm. ". . .laughing. . . eep!" She hid behind a chair as Twilight shut the door. "I guess we'd better go look for your owner," She said, giving the dog a smile. She opened the door and flew out to follow Twilight from the sky. "Go ahead boy, you lead the way. Sniff them out." She urged.
After numerous failed attempts at removing the cloud of pink that rained chocolate milk from my arm, I just left it there and hoped it would fall off on its own. About fifteen minutes had passed and I had gotten myself out of the car and onto the grass. My first try landed my face in the dirt. But I managed to stable myself on the trees. I didn't know where to begin. Should I look for help? Maybe find a phone and call my grandpa to let him know I'm not dead? I put my hands on my face and thought. I leaned against the bed of the truck and decided it was best to go find help. Because if help was coming for me, it would have gotten here already. I reached into the bed of the truck and found a hiking backpack. Not a huge one. It wasn't meant to fit a tent.
I pulled it out and found a huge hole at the bottom of the main pouch. I groaned and felt the other pockets; they were good. I grabbed a few apples and carried them by hand. I proceeded to drop the bag in the truck, but found it was stuck to the pink goo on my arm. "No! Come on! Get off!" I began to yell, trying to forcefully remove it by jabbing it against the truck. My stomach growled. I was extremely hungry. So hungry, that anything tastes good. I took my chances and licked the pink cloud. "Cotton candy. . ." I said very confused. The chocolate milk was one thing, but cotton candy? What the fuck? So I must be hallucinating. Or having some really vivid nightmare. I shrugged and decided to enjoy myself, even if I was hallucinating. I ate the pink cloud that was pretty much glued to my arm. The rich sugary taste almost made my mouth water. "So good," I said to myself.
After I devoured the cotton candy chocolate raincloud, I began my long walk down the tunnel of apple trees. I scanned the brush and munched on the apples that I took with me. These apples were by far the best apples I've ever tasted. granny smith, golden delicious, even the McIntosh apples hit the spot. I stopped suddenly and came to a conclusion. I haven't heard a single car since I got here. But I didn't go that far off the road. Hell, I didn't even go off the road! "Then where is it dammit!" I shouted. I was lost. . . really lost. . . I thought about grandpa. How would he manage the farm without me? Has he been looking for me? Does everyone think I'm dead? Oh god I don't want to be a ghost. I couldn't even say I was in Michigan still. But how does that make sense? Someone must have brought me here. I slowly fell at the base of a tree and sat. I suddenly lost my vicious appetite. Just looking at the apples made me want to upheave my brunch. I didn't know what time it was either. All of my clocks or watches were broken. "Just my lucky day I guess," I said sarcastically.
I could hear someone talking. . . "Oh joy!" I shouted. The voices came closer and I sat up from my spot. I looked through the trees but saw no one. I could hear their footsteps though. Very clearly they came closer and closer through the grass. A small smile came across my face as I scavenged for anyone. The voices suddenly ceased and I became confused. I scratched the back of my head and was suddenly tackled by an animal. My first reaction was fear but then the familiar licks on my face gave me an idea of who it was. "Rusty!" I shouted, sitting up and giving him a hug. "Oh my god I can't believe it's really you! Unless you're just part of my hallucination. Oh to hell with it, I'm still happy either way!" I patted him on the back and he sat in front of me, giving me a blank stare. He let out small whimpers as if he were trying to tell me something. "What is it boy? You want to show me something?" I asked and he began to run off into the trees. "Hey wait up!" I shouted, trying to keep up with him. I lost him in the trees and looked around, breathing heavily with my hands on my knees. "Where. . . Are. . . You. . . Rusty. . .?" I said in between breaths. I heard a twig snap and quickly turned my head and saw something that I knew would haunt me for the rest of my years. I gulped. My mind was racing as I tried to process if what I was seeing was real.
It was yellow, with pink hair and it wasn't human. That's all I could make out of it before I started running into the trees. "Fuck, where's help when you need it?" I said aloud. I didn't know if the thing was following me, but I didn't care. I was ready for this hallucination to end. I just wanted to wake up in my bed at home. Forget this whole thing happened. I came across a path. A small, winding dirt path that lead to an oddly shaped cottage. It reminded me a lot of those mushroom houses in northern Michigan. I ran down the path and knocked on the door. "Hello? is anybody home? Please I-I just need to use a phone! Could you at least call the police?" I started yelling through the door. My head began to hurt. As if some big metal object had just knocked me upside the head. I tilted my head in confusion. "Ow. . ." I said before collapsing onto the dirt, unconscious.
Twilight had found some leftover apple rations on the kitchen table of Applejack's house. Winona barked in appreciation and chowed on the apples. Twilight pulled out a map from her saddlebag. It showed the topography of Sweet Apple Acres. More specifically, it gave Twilight an Idea of where Applejack was injured. Rainbow Dash's description of the scene didn't help Twilight understand what happened to her at all. Rainbow said she was punched and came flying into the sky, but the injuries just don't add up to her being punched. No, it takes a lot more than a punch to nearly break both of Applejack's applebucking legs. She searched through the trees and found nothing that could have caused such an accident. She even tried using her wings like Rainbow had suggested to get a bird's eye view, but to no avail. She came to one of the edges of the property and saw what looked like smoke over the horizon. "That's gotta be it," She said, rolling up the paper and stuffing back into the bag. She charged at full speed into the trees, hoping to find out what happened. She was suddenly welcomed with a horrific sight. She pushed all four hooves into the dirt and came to a screeching halt.
"Aliens AH!" She screamed and hid behind the nearest tree. She began breathing heavily and peeked around the corner. She began taking very small steps towards the object. It suddenly made a loud POP and sounded like a balloon losing air. One of the tires had blown out. The smell of burning rubber forced Twilight to cover her snout. She approached the strange object from a cautious perspective. She began to take notes on the vehicle, and compared them to come up with a conclusion. Her results came back with “metal carriage.” "I must send a letter to the Princess immediately!" She said and pulled out a paper, ink, and quill from her saddlebag.
"-Dear Princess Celestia. I am pleased to announce my most recent discovery of the first physical evidence of al. . ." She stopped writing to the sound of hoofsteps coming towards her, and fast. She took a few cautious steps back and braced herself. Her horn lit up and she stood in a defensive stance. Out of the trees a very familiar dog came running at her. The dog bolted past her and ran towards the barn.
Twilight followed the dog. The barn doors quickly shut behind her as she entered the dark structure. She couldn't see a thing and her eyes wouldn't adjust. She walked for a while and ran into some big object, causing her to fall.
"Shhhh! Twilight you'll give away the surprise!" Whispered Pinkie. Twilight rolled her eyes and knew she shouldn't ask the obvious.
"Pinkie, what are you doing?"
"My Pinkie sense is telling me that there's a new pony! So I threw this party just for them! Look I've got all my friends here to celebrate!" She pulled out a string from above her and clicked it. The lights came on, revealing almost every pony in Ponyville. The dog was also in there, lying across the hay-covered floor. Twilight had a feeling it might be the alien. She had to find it, wherever it was, before it hurt somepony else. Because of right now, it nearly killed the strongest mare in Ponyville. celestia knows what it could do to others.
"Pinkie, could you do me a huge favor?" Twilight asked with a smile.
"Absolutely!"
"Could your Pinkie sense lead you to the new pony?" Before Pinkie could give a response, her Pinkie sense was already leading her out the door and down the path that lead to Fluttershy's cottage.
"Oh no!" Twilight shouted and quickly teleported to the cottage. Pinkie just kept bouncing down the path.
My eyes were locked shut. I thought I might fall back to sleep if the pain on my head hadn't caught up to me. I slowly sat up in what seemed like a lounge chair. I heard a small "eep!" come from somewhere near me. Shortly after, there was a "plop" on the ground below me. I inched one of my eyes open and noticed some sort of ice bag on the floor. I also saw a yellow figure, much like the one I saw in my dream, hiding behind a potted plant. I coughed violently. My eyes stayed shut and I stumbled for an area to brace my body against. The pain in my lungs increased with every cough I let out. I jabbed my chest with my fist and forced it to stop. I took a deep breath and fell back onto the headrest. I opened my eyes and found the yellow alien standing about five feet from me. She looked at me in worry. Once she noticed I was watching she quickly ducked back to her hiding spot.
There was a knock on the door. Then another. The knocks turned into loud bangs as whoever was on the other side desperately wanted to come in. The door flew open, and in came a Lavender alien, just like the yellow one, with a glowing horn. "This is so trippy," I said to myself. The Lavender one obviously heard me and approached me very cautiously. Then it shouted something at me. I couldn't quite make it out.
"How dare you hurt my friends! You monster!" She yelled.
"What?" I asked, confused. Just then, a small bolt shot out of her horn and straight at me. I fell off the couch and managed to dodge the shot. I covered my head with my hands and prayed to god that this was just some very vivid nightmare. I heard voices.
"No! Stop! Don't hurt him Twilight! He doesn't mean any harm!"
"Too bad! I'm not about to let this monster hurt you, or any other ponies!" Another bolt was shot and went just above my head. This was my queue to get the fuck out of there, or die. I jumped up and ran to the nearest window. I braced myself with my shoulder and rammed the window. It didn't break, or open. Instead I stood there and sat down against the wall, holding my arm in siring pain. It's the kind of pain that's so bad you can't speak. My mouth was open, but no words were coming out. I clenched my teeth and I think a teardrop managed to escape my eye at some point. My vision became blurry. I saw the lavender one approach me, with a glowing horn. The yellow one, however, stood in between me and the violent one.
"I. Said. No!" She stated.
"But Fluttershy!"
"No Buts! Now stop scaring him!" She said with a look of disapproval on her face. The lavender one quietly backed away and her horn returned to its normal color. The yellow one grabbed the ice bag and placed it on my forehead. I was hesitant at first, but the relief was amazing.
"Oh my god yes, I needed that," I said quietly. My vision was still blurry. Like I needed glasses from the beginning. I blinked many times to try and clear it, but nothing seemed to work. I hadn't realized the violent one was speaking to me, because she had said
"Well?" I had completely blanked out.
"Sorry, could you repeat the question?" I asked. The small creature's whites got bigger. Their eyes appeared huge. Maybe it was just a side-effect of the blurriness. It's like she was surprised I was talking. She didn't say anything after that. "Look, I'm sure this is just some weird dream I'm in, so if you don't mind, I'm just gonna leave," I said, standing up. This made the two of them step back in intimidation. The lavender creature stepped in front of me, waving what looked like a hoof in front of her. Horses? What the hell? Again, everything was very blurry, but jesus horses?
"Na ah ah!" She said, pointing to the couch. "Sit. I need to ask you a few questions."
"Wow, rude much?" I said out loud. She gave me a glare and pulled out some paper and a quill from her bag. I decided now wasn't the best time to pick a fight with a small horse-like creature, so I cooperated. "Very well, but first uh, do you think you could maybe fix my vision for me? Maybe with your horn?" I suggested. She gave me a grin and her horn lit up.
"Sure," A pair of red reading glasses appeared in front of my eyes almost a split-second later. I jumped back in shock. I felt them to make sure they were indeed real. My vision didn't improve, and by the look on the horse's face I could tell it was some kind of joke. I rolled my eyes and dropped them on the couch. "So, what do you want to know?" I asked.
"Everything," She responded, readying her quill and paper.
"Why do I get the feeling there is no such thing as too much information to you?" A big smile was immediately plastered across her face. I sighed and answered the questions she had. My origin, what I am, my history, stuff like that. She had just finished after about five minutes of note-taking. She put an over-dramatic dab on her paper, marking the end of the first page of notes. And believe me, I didn't slow down for nothing. I tried to get it all over with. And somehow I can see that my plan succeeded. Her forehead was sweating and her quill looked as if it would burst into flames at any given moment. I chuckled. Over the course of those few minutes my vision had regained its norm and I could fully see the two creatures that stood before me. They were indeed horses. Almost like the size of baby horses. One thing I couldn't help notice about them was how cute they were. Even just thinking the word made me feel girly. But that's the first word that comes to mind when you see these things.
Now it was my turn to ask the questions. "So, now that I have your attention, I'd like to ask you. . ." I stopped suddenly. There were three loud knocks on the door and the yellow one went to answer it. I was dead silent. The lavender one gasped and looked at me. She suddenly lifted my arms up with her horn, magic, thing and scanned them. She shook her head.
"No, she'll definitely snap you like a twig," She said disappointed. I was confused. Did she mean another horse could kill me? They're just under half my size. I'm sure I would have been able to handle myself in the event I would have to fight one of them. The yellow one moved a hoof out to open the door. "NO! Don't answer it Fluttershy! It could be Rainbow!" She kind of whisper-yelled. Fluttershy took a few steps away from the door. There were three more knocks on the door. The horse turned to me. "Okay, look Mr. Human. . ."
"Scott," I corrected her. She seemed to become fond of me after she took those notes. They’re just going to accept the fact that there’s an alien on their world? But then again, so have I. But wouldn’t the government come take me away for experimentation? Is there an FBI agent who believes aliens are real and thinks the government is trying to cover it up? Using the logo “The truth is out there?” Ha, now that’s just my imagination getting the best of me.
“Scott. . . right,” She fumbled on her words and continued. “One of my friends may or may not try and kill you for nearly killing Applejack,” She finished with a worried smile.
"Come again?" I asked, even more confused than I was before. I didn’t even know who the hell that was! How the fuck am I to blame? Instead, she simply sighed and motioned for me to go hide. I looked at her, confused at her motions, but then I caught on. "Oh. Right, sorry!" I said quietly and looked for someplace I could squeeze myself into. Everything was too small! I started to panic. "Where do I go!?" I whispered. They both pointed to the open dark hole of the fireplace. I groaned and forced myself in. Even this area was cramp. Luckily it hasn't been used in a while. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled in.
"Oh! I almost forgot, watch out for some of angel's. . ."
"Oh sick!" I shouted after putting my hand in something that smelled worse than rotten cheese.
"Uh, nevermind" The two horse-like creatures just stood at the door nervously. I huddled inside the dark area and couldn’t manage to turn around.
“Ah shit. . .” I said to myself. It was very dirty. All the soot and ash littered the walls. I could barely breathe. I must have been a bit too loud, cause whoever I was hiding from could hear me clear as day through the slim wooden door.
“Twilight? Fluttershy? Is there somepony in there with you?”
Author's Note
Finally, my moment of rest. . . Just kidding, I've already got my uh. . . what was it. . . nearly 7 weeks of rest? Something like that. Nope, time to get my ass into gear and start working and working until I can't work no more. (Heh, We'll see how that goes. . .) 
