Fire and Ash

A New Home

I was walking through tall white halls, shattered and broken statues littered the floor, the windows were no more, just gaping holes in the walls. I wandered the halls taking in the view. Scorch marks littered the walls, it looked like a battle ground. Blood and body’s coated the hallway like a piece of abstract art.

Two large doors appeared in front of me and I pushed them open. The room led into a large white room with a throne in the back, bodies hundreds of them, littered the floor, most had been burned or cut to ribbons, all clothed in golden armour with all manner of weapons resting around them.

But what really got caught my eye was Twilight and her friends, they were coated in blood, head to tail, and most definitely dead. A croaking laughter echoed through out the room. I looked up to see a wisp of shadow then blinding light white light.

I shot up from my bed holding my chest where the shadows would have impacted. I was breathing heavily and covered in a cold sweat. I looked around at the familiar library walls giving of a great sigh, thank fuck that was only a dream, I sat there for a few moments letting my breath come under control.

I looked around the room thinking to my self, yep the same old spare room. After I had been released from hospital I needed a place to stay and Twilight offered me her spare room on two conditions, one that I didn’t try and eat any of the ponies and two she got to ask any and all the questions she wanted, and by god did she. On my first day here I must have been answering questions for around eight hours on topics ranging from politics – I hated that part , to weapons. And I wouldn’t be surprised I have another round of questioning today.

I got up and put on my ruined trousers and top before having a look in the mirror. I looked mostly the same before I had gotten here with the exception of being a lot thinner, my long brown hair had gotten a few grey strands since the last time I checked and my blue eyes also had a little bit of grey in them. Not that I cared much any ways. When I opened the door I was met with the lovely smell of cooking, my mouth watered as I Walked down the stairs with a spring in my step at the thought of a nice breakfast.

When I reached the bottom I was met with a dishevelled looking Twilight sipping on a cup of coffee, she was definitely not a morning pony. Spike was humming away happily in the kitchen wearing his favourite apron, it was white with pink frills and had a love heart in the centre. He walked over to the table with a frying pan placing some pancakes on a plate for twilight before turning to me.

“Sup Jake get a good sleep?”

“Yes I did thank you Spike, would you mind making me some pancakes as well ?”

“Yeah, will do” he turned around and waddled back to the kitchen, probably to make more pancakes. I sat at the table across from Twilight, she looked like shit, she had large bags under her eyes, her main was a complete mess shooting off in random directions.

“You know” I said “If you are like this every morning you really need to get more sleep” and I wast joking, she looked scary like this, a little demented.

“What huh?” she asked groggily as she looked up from the coffee cup. “Oh good morning Jake, and don't worry I'm fine I was just up late studying.” Almost falling back to sleep as she said it.”

“I know you were up late studying, 3 am late, I mean its about 7 o’clock in the morning, you only had about four hours sleep, that can’t be healthy.” She grunted a response

I was rather worried about her, since I got here she has been the only pony to show me any kindness, the yellow one that put me in hospital wont stop saying she's sorry though, no matter how many times I said I was okay. That reminds me I was apparently in hospital for a cracked skull or something stupid, nothing was wrong with me, damn doctors cant to there job on this planet either.

“Twilight, when will the princesses be here? In the hospital you said they would only be two days, it has been four.” The princesses were supposedly coming to speak to me and determine weather or not I was a threat to them, but they were two days late and I was beginning to get anxious, maybe they where getting an execution detail ready? Or maybe they forgot their passports or something, I really hope its the last one.

“They have been delayed, a dog mine was attacked and completely destroyed by some kind of monster, no one survived, they are helping the dogs in any way they can to try and boost the dogs opinion of them.”

Oh shit. They didn’t mean me did they? I mean I killed a lot of guards but I didn’t destroy an entire mine, maybe that’s how I escaped, would the monster that attacked just let me go afterwards ?

“Jake, Jake!!” Twilight shouted “Are you OK, you sort of zoned out for a second” I realised I had been staring into open space. “Do you think it might have been the same dogs that held you captive?” could it have been the same dogs that held me captive?

“I have no idea, the last thing I remember was being hit in the back of the head, I sure as hell didn't see any monster” And that was the truth. I tried to shift the conversation to a new topic “So, do you have any idea when the princesses will show up to cast their judgement upon me ?” I asked hoping the diamond dog topic would be forgotten.

“They will be here within the week, And they are not coming to cast judgement upon you. After all you are the first of your kind we have ever seen so it is no surprise they would want to talk to you.” Maybe they would just send the heads man then, well heads pony.

I sighed I knew I was exaggerating but I still felt extremely nervous. Its not every day you meet royalty after all.

“So what's on the agenda today?” I asked, changing the topic again. Over the past few days I haven’t been allowed out side and my entire day consists of answering Twilights questions, and like I said they are a lot of questions.

“Firstly we need to get you to carousel boutique and get you a fresh set of clothes”  carousel boutique was the shop that Rarity worked at Rarity was one of Twilights friends, twilight says she would always help a friend in need, but then again I wasn’t a friend. “After that I still have a lot more questions I need to be answered” She used her hoof to indicate a stack of papers on a small table to her right. That was a fuckton of questions.

Spike wandered back through with another plate of pancakes and set them out in front of me. “Thanks spike, your cooking is awesome ” And It was, his cooking was outstanding even if it was just vegetarian crap.

“Think nothing of it” he said before walking back into the kitchen to do the washing up.

“When are we heading to carousel boutique?” I asked twilight, before starting to eat my pancakes, Best pancakes ever!

“In about thirty minutes” she replied “ I still have some cleaning up to.”

I nodded a reply as a chewed on my pancakes, maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“aaahhhh!!!!, its going to eat us, every pony run for your lives?” A pony shouted before bolting down the street. Followed by every other pony that was staring at me. This was going well I thought as me and twilight walked towards carousel boutique. Twilight wasn’t being phased at all by the ponies reactions she just kept her head straight and marched on.

We were walking for about ten minutes before we came to carousel boutique. It was a tall building that would easily be described as girly. The walls were painted a light blue, the roofs were  pink with purple diamonds, it even had a flag attached at the top of the shop.

We walked up to the purple door and twilight lightly knocked.

“Come on in” A regal voice shouted from inside, we stepped in side and I had a look around. The room was filled with mannequins, and lots of them. Rarity stood by a mannequin, humming over a dress she was making.

“I'll  be with you in just a second” she said in a rather posh accent “There all done!” she turned to us and flinched when she saw me, I wasn't that ugly was I? “Oh hello dears, what can I do for you today” she asked in a forced cheery voice.

“We need to get Jake some new clothes, His current ones are ruined and he refuses not to wear them, because of some silly human nudity taboo.”

“Of course darling. Go stand on the podium please” she motioned for me to go stand on a little podium, no more than one foot high. I walked over and stood there, she took out a measuring tape and got to work. “What kind of clothes are you looking for?” she asked continuing to take  measurements then writing them down on a small note pad.

“Something similar to what I'm wearing” I looked down at my self  “Just not as, damaged.” my current clothes were ruined, it was amazing that they didn’t fall apart the and there.

“OK I'm all done, now if you will excuse me I need to get on with my work, comeback tomorrow to pick them up” she ushered us out the door and closed it behind us.

“Well that was quick” I said turning to Twilight who had a bemused loom on her face.

“That was unlike rarity, she must be very busy today.” Or she just hates me, and I'm rather sure on what one it was.

“Yeah maybe” I said rather unconvinced.

“OK we best get back to the library before you cause a scene.” I  stared at her, she didn’t seem to notice “Besides I have more questions for you.” Oh fun.

We walked back to library without any incidents, all the ponies must be hiding in their houses, I felt a small bit of pride from that. When we got back and settled, twilight took out a note book and sat down, I was dreading the next part, Hours upon hours of questions. She must have noticed the look on my face. “Don't worry, I don't have that many questions for today.” Thank fuck. “only around seventy today.” What have I done to deserve this.

I sighed “OK fire away.”

And so she did we rattled through dozens on questions on all different topics until she asked one in particular.

“OK question fifty seven, can humans use any form of magic?” Well, it was bound to be asked eventually. Well here it goes.

“No we cant use magic, Magic doesn’t even exist were I come from.” she gasped hopefully buying my lie.

“Really? No magic at all ?” she asked in disbelief.

“None, unless there is and I’m unaware of it but that extremely unlikely with the technology we have, especially the internet.” I tried explaining the internet to here earlier but I gave up when she continued stating that it was impossible.

I think it would be best to hide my ability to do magic, for the moment anyway, maybe they would warm up to me faster thinking I was a bit safer, even though I could kill most of them with a flick of my wrist.

She scribbled what I said down onto the note pad before moving onto the next question, then the next, then the next, then... well you get the idea.

I had a lot of questions of my own, like how I had gotten into the colourful world in the first place, but what was really bugging me were the tattoos they all had on their flanks, like I mean all of them except some of the children, was it some kind of coming of age thing?

“Twilight” I butted in before she could ask another question “ Why ponies have tattoos on their flanks?” She looked surprised, very surprised.

“Wait do humans get cutie marks?”

“Cutie what?” it couldn’t really be called a “cutie” mark could it, that was unbelievably gay.

She instantly went into lecture mode “A pony gets a cutie mark when he or she finds her special talent, as you can see my cutie mark is a six pointed star, the star symbolises that my special talent is magic. And Rarity's cutie mark is three diamonds meaning her special talent is making clothes” yeah because that made perfect sense, how could three diamonds mean your special talent is making clothes.

“So all ponies get them eventually?”

“Yeah. Wait, if humans don't have a cutie mark how do they know what their special talent is?” she added quickly.

“I guess we just sort of know, I guess my special talent would be sleeping, I like sleeping”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “That's not a real talent.”

“How do you know its not a talent from were I come from ?”

“Is it a talent from where you come from?” she asked  curiously.

“Nah I'm just fucking with ya” I smiled as she rolled her eyes for a second time.

She was about to respond as someone knocked at the door.

“Are you expecting anyone?” I asked

“No I'm not, hold on I'll go check who it.” she got up and waddled to the door. As she opened it her eyes went wide.

“Hello my faithful student, may I come in?”

The princesses had arrived.