Chapters I feel nothing but emptiness. Darkness surrounds me. Then I begin to dream, this is a new feeling to me. I started having these dreams of flying, I felt... free... I felt . Then I am blinded by the light of the rising sun. I slowly open my eyes and see through my visor, that I am in some sort of pod. I don't remember anything, all I remember was the screams of the people, and smell of ashes as the cities crumbled to the ground in flames. I place my hands on the glass of the pod and begin to push...
Chapter 1: Awakening
I stood up from my original position and shielded my eyes from the sun. I finally adjusted to the light and glanced around my surroundings. Steam rises from where I have landed, I must've crash landed here. I am surrounded by trees, shrubs, grass and bushes. I don't see any sign of intelligent life around. I step down from my pod and walk forward, searching for an exit from the forest that I am currently in. The noises of a forest seem faint to me, like they're barely there.
In my mind I struggle to remember where I cam from, who I am, and how I got here. The light of the entrance to the forest grows as I near it. I begin to remember... Earth, the Unknown began to attack... chaos and destruction surrounded me as I stood there and watched the blazes flare from the falling skyscrapers. My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden gasp. I turn towards the source of the noise to notice an odd looking creature.
It had the body of a horse, but, more pastel and cartoonish with a bright yellow coat and bright pink mane. It's eyes were a bright blue and there was a symbol on It's flank. I turn my body towards the creature, making it jump back in fear. It began to whimper lightly while backing away slowly. I continued to examine the creature before slowly approaching it, making it move faster.
I finally sped up and sprinted towards it making it squeal and run. I caught up quickly due to my training and grabbed it's leg bringing it to the ground. It wiggled and squirmed, trying to escape my grasp, but I pinned it down.
"RAINBOW DASH! HELP ME!" It shouted. She had a soft, feminine voice.
I clasped my hand over her mouth, muffling her cries for help. Then I felt a sharp pain in my side that sent me flying. I crashed on my back and looked up to see yet another horse-like creature standing in a combat-ready position. Her mane was Striped with the colors of the rainbow and her coat was Cyan. Judging from her looks and what the yellow mare had yelled out, this must be the one she calls, "Rainbow Dash".
"What the hay are you?" She asked.
I slowly and calmly stood up and raised my hands, for I meant no harm to them.
"I, am a Forerunner." I replied.
"What is a Forerunner?"
"We are an intelligent group of human beings that are the guards of all that is good."
"Well you didn't look like you were guarding anything." She said looking over to the cowering mare behind her.
"My apologies. I did not mean to cause any harm, for you see I am new here. And I have yet to adjust."
"Well why don'tcha start by taking off your mask or whatever it is?" The Rainbow demanded.
I grabbed the sides of my helmet and slowly twisted it, making a hissing noise before removing it from my head to show my face. My short black hair blew lightly in the wind as I squinted my grey eyes from the sun.
"Well, you look much more different from what you're wearing right now." Rainbow Dash stated.
"Us Forerunners are required to wear our suits at all time for protection from the Unknown."
"Who's the Unknown?" She asked.
"The Unknown is a dark form of matter that destroys everything it touches, and if it comes in contact with a source of life, it indoctrinates with them, leaving the life force defenseless against the matter as it slowly takes over their mind and uses their body as a host." I explained.
"So how did you end up here?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I..." My mind struggles to remember how I landed on this planet.
"I don't remember... all I remember was the screaming of the men and women desperately trying to escape the Unknown." I replied.
"Um..." The yellow mare began, "can we go somewhere else to talk? Maybe Twilight knows what to do." She said. Her voice was much softer and light than it was when she was screaming.
"Sure thing Fluttershy. Come on... whoever you are. What is your name?" Rainbow asked.
"My name... is..." My name... I begin to remember...
"My name is, Xavier." I replied.
"Well, come on Xavier." She said walking away.
I quickly caught up and followed them to our next destination. The mare, known as Fluttershy, kept her distance from me. I don't think that will change anytime soon. We walked through the small village, all of the horse-like creatures gave me odd looks, glares, and sometimes, even a smile or two. But why? Why must they feel some sort of happiness when an odd creature like me who towers over them in a metal suit has appeared on their planet?
"Hey Xavier." Rainbow said.
I looked forward to see a giant treehouse. We approached it and Rainbow Dash knocked on the door. A purple aura surrounded it and it opened. Yet another mare stuck her head out from the door and glance at Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow Dash what're you-" She noticed me and her eyes widened.
"R-R-Rainbow, what is that?" She asked.
"This is Xavier. He's a Forerunner." Rainbow answered. The purple mare gasped.
"Wow! A Forerunner? I've read about them and studied them so much, but I never thought they'd look like that! I never thought I see one in my life!" She giddily pranced around me eyeing me up and down and sometimes poking at my armor.
"You must be quite interested in us." I said.
"Of course! You are one of the most intelligent source of life there is!" She replied.
"May I ask your name?" I said.
"Oh! Heh, where are my manners? I'm Twilight Sparkle. It's a pleasure to meet you, Xavier."
"Same to you, Twilight Sparkle." I replied.
"So are you two eggheads gonna stand out here all day or are we gonna go inside? He's freaking everypony out." Rainbow Dash stated.
Ponies... so the multiverse does exist. I thought.
"Oh of course! Come on Xavier." Twilight said.
I followed her into her treehouse where she apparently lived. The shelves were stocked with books and other things that could be used for studying. The were a few candles around and a glass casing that had some type of jewelry inside. I examined it closely and reached out to touch it.
"Ah! Hey!" Twilight shouted.
My arm recoiled and I glance over to her.
"My apologies, I'm just curious." I replied.
"Oh, well let me educate you." Twilight said with a smile spread from ear to ear across her face.
"These here, are the Elements of Harmony. They were created by Princess Celestia, ruler of Eqeustria, and Goddess of the Sun. She used these to defeat her evil sister, Nightmare Moon, and banished her to the moon. Me, and my friends now control the Elements of Harmony, to keep the world at peace." Twilight explained.
"Hmm... highly fascinating, I must say." I said.
"I'm glad you think that." Twilight replied.
She trotted over to one of the bookshelves and her horn glew. That familiar purple aura surrounded the books as she searched for the right one. A flow of books passed me by before I heard the mare exclaim.
"Aha!" She set the book down on the table in front of me.
I pulled it closer and read the title.
History of Forerunners.
I nodded slowly. "So this is obviously how you know of us?" I asked.
"Mm, hmm." Twilight replied.
"So, can you do something that could explain how I came here?" I asked.
"Well, I'm sure there is, but we'd have to go somewhere else to do this." She replied.
"Where to?" I asked.
"Princess Celestia." Twilight replied. "I bet she'll be happy to meet you." Twilight said with a grin on her face.
I looked up to see the kingdom known as Canterlot hanging off the side of the mountain. I almost thought that it was impossible to keep so much weight held up like that. Especially so high up. I felt something tap my should and I looked down to see Fluttershy standing there with her hooves crossed.
"Um, we have to board the train." She said softly.
I nodded and she cantered onto the train. I looked back up at Canterlot and wondered, just what awaited me when I got there...
Chapter 2: Nightmares
The train hissed loudly before moving forward. I sat in my seat quietly with my helmet by my side. Twilight, Rainbow and Fluttershy sat on the opposite side of the train. But I cannot blame them, I'm a strange creature in their world. They don't know whether or not I'm a threat, but I'm determined to prove that I'm certainly not here to harm the inhabitants of this world.
I looked out the window to my left, watching as the land went by like a bullet. I started getting a sinking feeling... My eyelids suddenly became heavy and I struggled to keep them open, but my own worry took over, and my eyes slammed shut.
My eyes opened and what I saw horrified me. The land around me was nothing but flames, ashes and dark clouds. I heard the building falling, the flames crackling, the people screaming and fleeing. And then there it was, in it's most horrifying form. It was in the midst of indoctrinating itself with another human.
The black liquid substance slithered over to an unconscious body and into it's mouth. The man's body began to twitch and have spasms. The sound of him gurgling as the black substance oozed from his mouth, eyes, ears and nostrils. It's body began to mutate and deform. Black, insect wings burst from it's back. But indoctrination wasn't over yet, for it is a slow and painful process, for when the wings burst from his back, I could hear his cries of pain. His knuckles shifted and deformed making his scream in utter agony before claws burst from his hands. Slowly the man's cries of pain were stopped, and the indoctrination was complete.
The Unknown creature turned and looked at me. I began to back away before it lunged at me. I quickly dodged it while rolling over the hood of a car and pulling out my plasma cutter. I squeezed the trigger and fired three shots, severing the legs. But it kept coming, I kept trying to claw at me, as if it wanted me as it's host. I felt a sharp pain, pierce my back and I yelped in pain. I turned to see three more Unknown Creatures staring at me.
I fell to my knees and all of them charged at me. They brought me down to the ground and tore through my armor faster than a warm knife through butter. They clawed at my stomach making me scream and shout and cry in unrelenting pain as they ripped my organs out of my body. One rose to my face and snarled before taking a nice big bite out of me.
Reality...
I gasped as I awoke, startling the three ponies staring at me. I don't know what I was doing while I was having my nightmare, but now I have a sense of worry, as if the Unknown will reach this planet.
"Um, are you alright Xavier?" Twilight asked.
I was panting and sweating, but I nodded and looked out the window again.
"What was I doing, while I was asleep."
"You were like, freakin' out and twitching all over the place. What kind of nightmare were you having dude?" Rainbow asked.
"The Unkown..." Before I could finish my sentence, the train came to a sudden stop.
"I'll tell you later." I said quickly standing up.
I followed the three ponies on our way to meet the one they call Celestia. The one who rules Eqeuestria and controls the sun. I find that also impossible for one small life force to be able to control an even greater life force, but I am on a world full of "magic", and magic is just Science that nobody really understands. I shook my head trying to forget about that nightmare, but it was carved into my skull. What was it about that dream? Was it a vision? A memory? Or just a plain nightmare? I feared that I would soon find out, and I also fear for this world if I do...
Chapter 3: Unforgettable
"Hey, Xavier?" Twilight asked, "Are you sure you're alright? I don't think it's natural for a Forerunner to simply, spas out like that, whats going on?"
"I had a nightmare, of the Unknown," I saw the other two ponies listen in, "I awoke on my planet, Earth, and I was surrounded by ashes, flaming buildings and corpses, but the worst part about was the indoctrination... it's a very slow and painful process, for first it mutates the body, then controls the brain. And it can be, a very brutal, mutation. And then there were more Unknown creatures, and they began to feast on my insides... and then I awoke..." I explained. If I had noticed the mares shivering and shuddering in fear, I would have stopped talking, but my own fear took over.
"I sure do hope that the Unknown doesn't reach Equestria, or it will chaos and ruin for this planet." I shuddered.
The three ponies gulped and looked forward, Twilight's ears perked up, signaling something.
"We're almost here." She said.
I looked forward to see a palace in front of me. It was... rather large. But the interior was even better. I marveled at everything my eyes met. The formal walls, the chandeliers the red carpet, the art carvings on the ceiling. I've never seen anything like this before. We were walking until we cam to two giant doors with a golden frame. Twilight's horn lit up and the doors flung open revealing a long and wide hallway leading up to a throne which held it's almighty ruler: Princess Celestia.
I was beginning to change my mind about "one small life force controlling an even greater life force", this mare looked like she could take on an entire army herself. Yet she was different from all of the other ponies I've seen. She had wings, and a horn. I raised a brow slightly at this fact, but then I figured it had to do with her being a princess.
"Xavier," Twilight began, "meet, Princess Celestia."
I slowly took a step forward, before speeding up to my normal pace. I continued walking before I got twenty feet from her throne, I didn't know what this mare could do to me, but I wasn't planning on finding out anytime soon. I looked up at her tall figure and she eyed me cautiously.
"Ma'am," I began, "if you feel as if I will cause any harm or problems, I promise that won't happen." I said. This changed her mood, and she smiled lightly.
"Then welcome, to Equestria." She replied happily.
"It's a pleasure." I said bowing. "My name is Xavier, and I am apart of a highly intelligent group of humans called Forerunners."
"Ah yes, the Forerunners. I have heard of your group. My pupil, Twilight Sparkle, studied them for years. She was fascinated by them." She replied.
"Well, I never knew that we were known by a different species. But that's not what I'm here for, I need to know how I got here. To Equestria." I said.
"That, I cannot tell you." She replied.
"But can't you do some sort of... 'spell', to help me remember?" I asked.
"I'm sorry, but that would be impossible. But I know somepony that can help. Go to the Everfree Forest and find Zecora. She might be able to help you." She answered.
"By the way, would you like to rest? My sister has to raise her moon soon. And you look like you could use some rest." She said.
I looked out the window to my left to see the sun slowly sinking under the horizon. I looked back at Celestia and nodded, she returned the nod.
I walked with Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy down the winding corridor until we reach our room. We walked inside and looked around. There were a few beds on the left side of the room with a large window behind it. There were some bookshelves next to another large window and a fireplace, with a couch in front of it. I walked over one of the beds and began to take my armor off. I laid my armor pieces next to the nightstand and stood there in my jumpsuit. I laid down on the bed and pulled the covers over me. I heard the ponies crawl into their own beds. I rolled on my side and closed my eyes for some sleep. And as I did, I prayed that I didn't have another nightmare like that again.
3 Hours Later...
I gasped awake after having what I prayed I didn't. I sighed and rolled out my bed and left the room quietly, trying not to awake the three sleeping mares. I walked down the corridor until I found a garden. I began wandering around the garden in the dead cold night. I've had yet to meet Celestia's sister, who's name I do not know, so maybe I might get the chance while wandering around.
My mind was being tortured, I felt like I was in a maze. These gardens confused me, so I retraced my steps and arrived back where I was before and took another route. I arrived in what looked like the plaza that I went through when I came here. I continued to wander aimlessly before I heard a very feminine voice from behind say,
"Hello strange one."
I turned around to see a beautiful dark blue mare with bright teal eyes and blue flowing hair, like Celestia's. I guessed that this was her sister judging from the moon on her flank and the crown resting upon her head.
"Hello Princess." I replied.
She cantered over to me and smiled.
"My name is Luna, I heard that you've already spoken to my sister, Celestia." She said.
"Yes, I have." I replied.
"Well then, it's a shame I didn't get the chance to meet you first. Even though you are of different species, you are very good looking." She said strolling around me.
"Thank you. But I just want to sleep." I replied.
"Then why don't you?" She asked.
"Because... I have these nightmares, of my world being destroyed. But I can't tell if it's a vision, or a memory." I answered.
"But I can't remember how I got here, or what happened to Earth..."
"I'm guessing that you're trying to find out?" Luna asked.
"Of course! I need to know what happened to Earth." I answered.
"Well, I could help you with that." She said.
"How?" I snapped.
"I can control dreams, so if I can get into your mind. I would be able to find that memory of what happened to your, 'Earth'." She answered.
I sat on my bed surrounded by now four mares. I laid back and closed my eyes shut and braced my self for the horrors and destruction that awaited me as I was thrust back into the dreamworld...
... with hell following close by.
Chapter 4: The Ones We've Lost...
My eyes shot open and I found myself lying on the ground, covered in ashes. I sat up and looked around, everything looks the same, every time I remember something about Earth it's always, fire, ashes and falling buildings and skyscrapers. I looked shockingly at the city before my crumbling to pieces. I used to feel something in my heart that'd I'd never feel again at this sight.
"Xavier, get up!" A light nasal voice shouted from behind me.
I turned to see my college, Anderson, reaching out to me. I took hold of his hand and he pulled me up to my feet. He ran off, leaving me to follow him. I know that this is a memory, because in all of my nightmares, it was only me. I followed him until we reached an extremely tall building, about as tall as the mountain that Canterlot is hanging over. We quickly entered the elevator and began our accent to the top of the tower.
Chapter 4: The Ones We've Lost...
"Alright, we've got to get to the escape pods before the Unknown takes this place to the ground with everything else!" Anderson said.
The elevator door chimed lightly each floor we passed by. I looked out the elevator's window and saw the ground slowly falling. But I also noticed a large horde of the Unknown charging at the tower. Another thing I noticed was something rather large following them, I couldn't quite figure out what it was, then it began to glow. My eyes widened as a giant blue glob of liquid fired at the tower. On impact, I felt the tower tremor.
"The tower isn't going to last long with these things firing at us!" I shouted.
"I know that! Come on, you damned elevator, hurry up!" Anderson screamed upwards at the ceiling.
The last chime of the elevator rang and the doors flung open. Anderson and I sprinted towards the control panel and the tower began to shake again.
"Damn those creatures!" I exclaimed as my fingers bolted across the control panel.
Anderson powered up the escape pods and activated one. I pushed the final button that initiated the launch sequence. At that moment, an Unknown Creature burst through the window and rammed into Anderson at high speeds. I could hear Anderson cry out in pain as I whipped my Plasma Cutter out and fired at the creature.
I ran over to Anderson and saw wounds covering his body. Blood gushed from the openings as he whimpered in pain. I looked up to see the countdown of the launch sequence. It had thirteen seconds left on the clock. I quickly scooped Anderson into my arms and carried him into one of the escape pods. I heard the banging of the Unknown creatures trying to get in and I could feel the tower tremor underneath my feet as the mortars continued to fire.
I laid Anderson down on the seat and ran to the cockpit and began to power up the escape pod. The pod began to whir and I heard the grass break. I turned to see Anderson standing at the door way flashing his teeth with blood all over them.
"I'll see you on the other side." He wheezed.
"Anderson, NO!" I yelled.
Right before I could grab him he slammed the emergency close button and jumped out, leaving himself to the Unknown. I could barely watch as the tore into his flesh in a flash. I could hear him screaming as one of them ripped his intestines out of his stomach and flew off with them. One gnawed his head off before the rest ripped his limbs and organs off. I felt the tower shake one last time before I felt my weight shift. I knew that was the final blow and the tower began to tilt. I rolled back into the cockpit and and crashed into the glass. Just before the tower tilted in the opposite direction, my pod blasted off at hyperspeed to an unknown destination.
I threw my helmet off of my head and began to vomit. I slumped down into one of the seats and sighed. I felt something sliding down my face, something liquidy. I wiped whatever it was off my cheeks and stood up and went into the cryo section. I set the time to when I landed, and then stood in the cryo tube and waited. Then I was frozen, and left to myself before falling into a deep, and very long slumber.
Reality...
I gasped awake and looked around. I felt worried, because I saw Princess Luna backed up against the wall, panting and sweating, she had a puddle of vomit next to her, she looked up at me and lunged at me wrapping her front and back hooves around me giving me a tight hug.
I didn't know how to react. I've never felt someone hug me before ever since my mother sent me off the University when I was only ten. I slowly slid my arms around her and held her tightly before letting her go. Whatever it was she saw, i could definitely tell she was afraid of it...
... And so was I.
The Unknown were meant to be feared. I never wanted the Unknown to reach this place, but time will tell as I go along. And I fear for the worst. Because now, with this new feeling, I never wanted to let Luna get hurt.
Chapter 5: Disaster and Destruction
I pried my eyes open and winced at the brightness of the sun as it stung my eyes. I finally adjusted to the light and sat upright. My back popped and crackled loudly. I let out a deep groan before looking to my right and almost dropped dead. Laying next to me was the dark blue mare, with a flowing mane and a symbol of a moon on her flank. I found Luna, sleeping beside me with a small smile on her face. I pondered the things she could be smiling about. I shook my head and felt a feeling overcome me, my chest felt odd and I couldn't help but, lay back. I face leveled with the mare's and I stared at her. I quickly looked to the ceiling and sighed.
What the hell is wrong with me? I thought.
Chapter 5: Disaster and Destruction
I heard couple of sleepy groans come from beside me and I look back to Luna and saw her sit up and stretch out her hooves and wings. She yawned and looked over at me. She did a quick double take before blushing profusely. I just stared, wide-eyed at the alicorn as she scooted away from me. She eventually fell off the bed, making a loud thudding noise, waking the other three mares. Rainbow Dash shot up out of her bed with a frightened yelp.
"Whoa! What's happening?!" She yelped.
"Nothing," I calmly replied, "don't give yourself a heart attack, that's the last thing I need right now. So what're we going to do today on our wonderful adventures in Equestria?" I asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Well, we were gonna go back to Ponyville, but, unless you wanna stay." Twilight said.
"I'd love to go to Ponyville. It'd be nice to meet other peo- uh, sorry, ponies." I replied.
Luna stood up from the floor and looked at me with a shocked expression.
"You're leaving already?!" She pouted.
All eyes were on her in an instant. She blushed lightly before walking towards the door. She brushed past everyone and walked through the doorway, but before she did, she flashed a smile towards me. I don't know what that meant, but there was no way that Twilight, Rainbow, or Fluttershy could have caught that. I mentally shrugged it off and looked back to the three mares.
"Shall we be going?" I asked.
"Not quite yet." Twilight replied.
"What do we have to do?"
"Well, we must first check in with Celestia as soon as possible. She might require something of us." She answered.
I nodded and turned towards the closet. I quickly put on my armor and looked at my helmet. I picked it up and placed it on the table and followed Twilight to the throne room. We turned the corner and entered the throne room. Clestia was pacing back and forth by the large window with a worried look on her face. She saw us and let out a relieved sigh.
"Thank goodness your awake." She said.
"Whats wrong?" Twilight asked.
"The Changelings, there's something wrong with them, I don't know if it's another invasion, but they've gotten much stronger than before. They've destroyed a small part of the forest and made a nest out of it near Ponyville. Please go and try to negotiate with them." Celestia said.
"Changelings?" I asked.
"They're bug-like ponies that can take on the form of anypony, they get their energy and strength by feed off of the love of other ponies."
Bug-like? I'll have to see how they look before I get any notation of The Unknown coming here. I nodded and turned thowards the door.
"Well, lets get going." I said.
Twilight, Rainbow and Fluttershy quickly caught up with me and followed. On the train ride I observed the forests that were passing by, trying to figure out if it was the Unknown or simply the Changelings that Twilight and Celestia were talking about. The train came to a sudden halt sending my flying forward. I fell flat on my face and slid forward as if the train were being tilted.
"Whoa, whoa!" Rainbow shouted.
She darted towards me and caught me and brought me back up. She placed me on the back of one of the seats. She seemed to be scared out of her mind.
"What's going on?!"
I quickly hushed her by putting a hand over her mouth. I looked out the window on the other side of the train, but couldn't see anything. I jumped from one side to the other to get a better look. The train was a complete wreck, it hung from the other side of the rails crashing into a few trees, smoke rose from the front and all of the train's passengers were in a panic.
Hope nopony got hurt... I thought, but what could have done this?
I crawled back to Rainbow Dash and sighed. I looked over a the cyan mare and felt a bit worried. Her hair and wings were disheveled and her eyes were wide and her pupils were dilated. She stared out the window in utter horror. I couldn't blame her, I don't think she's experienced this much disaster or destruction. I leaned over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Her glance shot towards me in reflex.
"Don't worry. We're gonna be fine. Now let's find everyone else." I said.
Rainbow seemed to calm down a bit. She gave me a light nod and got up from her seat to follow me. We walked down the aisle slowly, just in case the thing that did this was still here. My heart was pounding through my chest, and my worries of the Unknown being here were growing. The further we walked down the aisle I began to hear whimpering, but the whimpering sounded familiar. I quickened my pace down the aisle slightly before I found the source of the whimpering. My stomach fell at the sight I saw.
A small, sweet, kind, and poor yellow mare, laid on the ground... with a piece of metal impaling her stomach. My mind went to panic as I rushed over to Fluttershy. I slid down next to her and tried to examine her wounds further. Blood slowly flooded from the wound, making Fluttershy's cries of pain louder. I scooted next to her face and tried to calm her down.
"D-don't worry Fl-Fluttershy, we're gonna get you out of here. I promise." I said sincerely.
Fluttershy did her best to nod, only to whimper in pain. I couldn't begin to imagine what she's going through. I examined the metal that pierced through Fluttershy. It went deep, but now to deep to harm any of her vital organs, or any organs at all, but she was still in pain, and I wasn't going to let another person die today. I looked over to Rainbow Dash somberly and said,
"Rainbow... hold her down..."
Rainbow's eyes flooded with tears as she witnessed her best friend dying before her. But she obeyed and held Fluttershy down.
"Don't worry Flutters, you're gonna be okay, Xavier's going to help you. I promise." She said shakily.
Rainbow looked up at me and nodded. I nodded in reply and placed my hand on Flutterhy's stomach. My hand wrapped tighter around the metal and I began to pull on it while I pushed on Fluttershy. She winced in pain as tears streamed down her face. About halfway, the metal fragment popped out, squirting blood everywhere. Fluttershy screamed in utter agony as her wound was now opened and blood began gushing from it. I began to panic even more.
"Xavier! D-do something!" Rainbow shouted at me.
My mind was flustered on what to do. I looked up and saw a suitcase. I quickly grabbed it and opened it up. I took the first towel I saw and balled it up before putting it down on Fluttershy's wound, making her scream. Then I remembered something...
"Rainbow, keep pressure on this towel, I'll be right back." I told her.
She nodded in response and held the towel down lightly. I stood up and ran backwards to go find Twilight, because I knew she could help. I looked around everywhere, calling her name, but I couldn't seem to find her. I found one of the train cars closed, and opened it to see if Twilight was in there. And to my luck, she was.
"Twilight!" I shouted.
"Xavier! What's wrong?!" She asked.
"It's Fluttershy, she's hurt, badly. Me and Rainbow need your help!" I replied.
We both ran down the aisle back to Rainbow and Fluttershy. Twilight gasped at the sight of Fluttershy, but stayed calm and began to help. She moved the towel allowing a little blood to flow through. Twilight winced and sighed before standing up. Her horn began to glow as well as Fluttershy's wound. Without warning, Fluttershy began screaming and shouting bloody Mary as her wound began to close slowly. Rainbow Dash and I held her down as best we could. After a few more moments, the wound finally closed. I looked down at Fluttershy to see that she had fainted from the pain.
"We should go back to Canterlot." I said.
"Y-yeah. Come on." Twilight replied.
I nodded and picked up Fluttershy gently. We found the nearest door and exited the train. The sight we saw was devastating to look at. We all saw smoke and flames rising from the train, but there weren't any bodies. Perhaps the rest of the passengers made it out alive... hopefully. I turned and followed Twilight with Fluttershy in my arms as we made our way back to Canterlot and find Fluttershy some help. But as I carried her, I looked down at her and felt an unfamiliar feeling, I felt my eyes growing watery. And I felt pain in my chest... I didn't want to lose this mare, nor did I want to lose anyone else.
I walked slowly along the trail behind Twilight and Rainbow with my eyes locked on Fluttershy. Tears streamed down my face and a surge of fear shot through me. The gravel crunched beneath my feet as I held Fluttershy in my arms. I tried not to move around to much in fear of hurting the poor mare. I looked down to to see a scar replacing where her wound used to be. This made me feel even worse than I did before. But knowing that she's still alive and will continue living on, made me even more determined to keep going.
I was going to help this mare.
And there's nothing on this planet that's going to stop me from accomplishing that.
Chapter 6: Recovering
We weren't very far from the castle at this point. My arms grew tired of carrying Fluttershy, but I pushed on. As I said many times before, I'm not going to lose anyone else, not while I'm here. My eyes still stayed locked on Fluttershy. My tears had stopped about half an hour ago, but I still fear for her. I looked forward and caught up with the two mares ahead of me.
"Xavier, are you alright?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied.
"Xavier?"
I stopped instantly. I looked at Fluttershy and was relieved to see those bright blue eyes staring back into mine. I laid her down on the ground gently. Fluttershy coughed a few times, before fixing her gaze upon me.
"Xavier, where are we?" She asked.
"We're on our way back to Canterlot Fluttershy, we're going to get you some help." I replied.
"O-oh. Okay..." She said.
This reaction from her made me... chuckle... I didn't know why, I guess it was just, unexpected. But, I had never experience humor or laughter before, not even the slightest bit. I mentally shrugged it off and gently picked her up again. She wrapped her fore hooves around my neck and clung to me as we continued down the gravel path to Canterlot.
"Xavier?"
"Yes Fluttershy?"
"Thank you, for helping me. You went through all of this trouble and you still managed to never give up on us. And also I'm sorry. I didn't want you to have to go through seeing me in pain. I know it hurts to see your friends in pain, but you never gave up on them, you kept your faith and you continued on for us. So again, thank you." Fluttershy said, resting her head on my shoulder.
I felt my heart skip a beat as those words left Fluttershy's mouth. She... She considered me, a strange creature from another plain of existence, her friend. And it wasn't just Fluttershy who considered me her friend; Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Celestia and Luna, they all considered me their friend. I thought that I would never experience this kind of feeling before, to be loved, to be cared for, to have friendship... As I walked my eyes stayed glued to the path we currently walked down, nearing Canterlot, the guards noticed us and let us pass.
Our pace quickened slightly as we searched for Celestia or Luna so we could help Fluttershy. We entered the throne room and saw Celestia sitting atop her throne with a worried and saddened expression on her face. When she caught a glimpse of us she galloped towards us at full speed.
"Oh thank goodness you're alright! What happened?!" She asked.
I explained everything that had happened, the train wreck, how Fluttershy got to her current state, and how we traveled from the wreckage to Canterlot. Celestia nodded lightly before turning to one of her guards. She must've done something that I didn't catch because the guard took off running to a different location. Celestia looked back at us, then to Fluttershy.
"I'll see to it that she's taken good care of." She said levitating Fluttershy out of my arms.
I felt a bit saddened as I felt Fluttershy's soft, warm yellow coat slip from my arms. But at least she'll be taken care and hopefully back on her hooves soon. Celestia carried her off to another room, leaving Me, Rainbow and Twilight standing in the throne room. I sighed and went back towards our room. The two mares followed me close by as worriedly walked back to the room for some much needed rest.
I opened the room door to find Luna, sleeping in my bed. All snuggled up closely with her blanket and a faint smile on her face. Knowing that I would not like the consequences of what would happen if I woke her up from her sound sleep, I decided to go and sleep on the couch. I removed my armor and put it in the closet then slumped down in the couch with a content sigh. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't stop thinking about what Fluttershy said to me...
I know it hurts to see your friends in pain, but you never gave up on them, you kept your faith and you continued on for us.
Those words echoed through my mind like a broken record. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the door creak open. I looked over the couch to see one of the Royal Guards looking at me.
"Princess Celestia wishes to speak to you." He said sternly.
"Alright, just give me a minute." I replied.
The guard gave me a nod before leaving and closing the door behind him. I stood up from the couch and looked out the window to see the sky begin to darken as the sun began to fall behind the horizon. I left the room and saw the guard waiting there for me. He saw me and turned around and began to lead me to where I was supposed to go. After a while of walking, we finally reached our destination. The guard nodded once more before leaving me by the door. I walked towards the door and opened it slightly, not wanting to walk in and interrupt something important.
"Princess Celestia?" I called. No response.
I entered the room and walked forward trying to find Celestia. There were no signs of her nearby, and I was beginning to wonder of what she wanted from me. I looked to my left to see a set of golden doors with a sun carved into it and rubies all around it. I approached the door and knocked on it lightly.
"Princess?" I called.
"Yes, Xavier. Come in." Celestia replied.
I opened the door and entered her room. She stood at the balcony, looking out to the city of Canterlot. I walked to her side and she looked over at me. Her expression was heart wrenching. Celestia's face was the most saddest expression I've seen on anyone's face before. I cringed at the sight of it.
"Is something wrong Princess?" I asked.
"No, nothing's wrong Xavier." She replied. "I'm just worried, and fearing for the worst. I don't know what to expect, this is unlike anything else we've encountered before. This organism cannot be reasoned with, it cannot be taught the ways of friendship nor magic..." Celestia's voice began to crack, "I just don't know what to do. Look at the state Fluttershy's in, and we've never seen anything that bad before."
I walked over to Celestia's side and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know this must be hard for you. Trust me, I've dealt with not knowing how to solve a problem. And Fluttershy might be incapacitated, but she's a tough little mare. She'll pull through... I promise." I said... but soon regretted it.
I began to take a dislike for the word, "promise". Because every time I would promise someone something, something always goes wrong. Celestia turned and looked at me with a reassuring smile, still with a few tears in her eyes.
"Thank you Xavier. So very much." She said.
What caught me off guard was when Celestia wrapped her fore hooves around me and pulled into her with a tight hug. She rested her chin on the crook of my neck and squeezed me tighter. I simply stood there, with my arms to my side, not knowing what to do. I've never been hugged before in my whole life, so I'm not very experienced with them. I tried my best and wrapped my arms around her and returned the hug. After a few minutes, we finally let go of each other.
"Thank you again Xavier, you can go on back to your room and get some sleep." Celestia sighed.
I nodded and turned around and started walked to my room. As I walked through the massive halls of the castle, I continued thinking about the hug that I was awarded with from Princess Celestia. I don't think she's done that to anyone else but her parents. I pushed the door to my room open slowly and saw the mares sleeping soundly. I sighed with relief and headed for the couch. I grabbed a blanket and lit the fires to the fireplace and laid down on the couch. I rolled onto my side and stared into the flames of the fireplace. As I did I felt my eyelids becoming heavy, so I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Everything was black as I slept. I felt nothing as if the world around me was empty. But I could bear with it, it least it wasn't nightmares. But something must happened, because my eyes shot open. Nothing was wrong, everything was the same, other the the fact that the sun was finally coming up. I sighed and stood up from the couch to find Fluttershy. I opened the door and looked at one of the guards.
"Excuse me." I said. The guard looked over at me.
"Could you take me to Fluttershy? If you know where she is." I asked.
The guard nodded and walked forward. I quickly followed him through the hallways, desperate to see how Fluttershy was doing. We rounded the corner and came across a set of white wooden doors with red pluses on them. I couldn't deny that this was obviously the medical center. I nodded to the guard and entered the room.
I entered the room to see ill ponies everywhere, some wounded, but I only looked for one pony. I checked every aisle, and every bed before I finally found her. She had bandage wraps around her stomach where her wound had been. I guess you can't be to sure of what could happen. She was sleeping soundly, other than a few whimpers. I guess she was having a nightmare, but I didn't want to have to see her reactions, so I lightly nudged her awake. She opened her eyes and looked over at me.
"Xavier? What are you doing here?" She asked.
"I couldn't help not being with you. You're hurt, and I don't want to have you go through that again." I replied.
"Oh, okay." Fluttershy sighed. I pulled up a chair and sat down by her bedside.
"You know, you don't have to stay. I'll be okay Xavier." She insisted. "Plus, you look like you haven't gotten sleep in ages."
"Well, I've been worried about you ever since the-" I didn't want to say the last word since I was already trying to forget about it.
"Well... you know." I said.
Fluttershy nodded and smiled before resting her head back on her pillow.
"Well... I guess I could go, but call me if you need anything. Okay?" I asked.
I received another reassuring nod from the yellow mare as she closed her eyes to doze of to sleep. I stood p from my chair and put it back near the desk and walked out of the medical area. The guard was no longer there, so I decided to guess that he just left back to his post...
...But it wasn't until later when I figured out what really happened to him. I walked down the long empty hallway of the castle, trying to calm myself down.
Ahhhh, I shouldn't have left her there, something could happen. Well, they probably have guards nearby, so I shouldn't worry to much.
I racked my brain trying not to worry about Fluttershy what I heard the most disturbing and horrific sound. It were as if something were biting down into something's flesh. The further down the hall I walked the louder the noise got before I finally reached the corner. I didn't pass it by though, being as cautious as possible, I looked around the corner....
...but immediately regretted doing it.
The guard's chest was ripped wide open and... something was eating out of it, ripping flesh, organs and bones apart and shoving it into it's mouth. I began to sweat bullets as I realized what was eating him...
N-no. No, no, no, no, no, NO! This cannot be happening, I must be dreaming, b-b-but how could they have made it here?
"Xavier what's that?"
My heart sank into the pits of my stomach as soon as I heard that mare's voice. That scratchy, tomboyish voice. The creature instantly stopped feasting on the guard and looked up at Rainbow Dash. It slowly rose to it feet, those insectish wings spreading wide ready to lunge at Rainbow and begin doing what it was doing to the guard it was done feasting on. Rainbow saw it and began to whimper in fear as she backed away. She eventually backed into a wall and I could hear her begin to cry. I could see her tears glowing in the moonlight as they flowed down her cheeks. My heart pounded through my chest and my nervousness was off the charts. My heart fell deeper as Rainbow looked at me with eyes pleading for help.
The Creature began making it's horrific shrieking noises at it flew straight for Rainbow Dash. I heard her scream before I jumped out from behind the corner and tackled it out of the way before it could do any harm to her. I reached for my Plasma Cutter only to realize that it wasn't there.
"Damn!" I grunted.
The creature easily lifted me off my feet and slammed me against the wall. I grunted in pain, but shook it off instantly. I kicked the Creature away from me and turned to Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow, run! NOW!" I shouted.
Rainbow sobbed as she ran back towards the room. I looked over to the creature that stared at me, as if it wanted to tie me to a stick and cook me delicately before eating me as his next meal. I pulled out my sword that was luckily on the back of my waist and pushed the button on it. It instantly extended longer as I pointed it the Creature's way.
"This'll be easy." I muttered.
I was being honest really. I was gonna be easy because there are different types of Unknown, these were the easy ones. We call them Pawns, due to the fact that your "pawns" in chess are small, and easy to get rid of. Likewise with these things. The creature lunged at me and I sliced it's leg off, causing it to shriek in pain. I stopped it's shrieking by stabbing my sword through it's neck, instantly killing it. I backed away from it, when I heard Luna's voice.
"X-Xavier...?"
I turned and looked at her to see the most shocked expression I've seen on her face so far. She also looked afraid, she probably just witnessed the whole thing. I realized she wasn't looking at me until I got her attention.
"Luna... it's alright. I'm fine." I replied.
She looked up at me, standing there with my sword in my hand and the Pawn, dead behind me. She seemed to calm down at the sight of me being okay.
She sighed with relief and galloped towards me and latched on to me like a leech. This was now the second hug I've ever gotten in my life. And it was from two princesses, hmph. She let me go and looked back at the Pawn.
"We should probably tell somepony about this..." Luna said.
"Yeah... yeah come on." I replied.
We walked away from the creature to seek out Celestia. But I regret ever forgetting about the most important thing to being exposed to the Unknown...
The indoctrination process...
I watched in worry as Celestia paced back and forth in the throne room. I knew she was worried for all of us once the word got out. But the only thing on my mind was how? How could they be here? Did they just, randomly come across this planet... or did they follow me here? Either way, this planet's not going to last long unless something's done about it. I stopped my thoughts as soon as I saw Celestia look over at me.
"Xavier," She said.
"Ma'am?" I replied.
"I'm sending you to Ponyville. I need you to keep the ponies safe, since you know how to handle these things very well. Plus, we don't have much protection there, and I'm putting a lot of faith into you to keep them safe. Understood?" She asked.
"Understood." I said.
"Good. Make sure to grab all of your things. You'll be leaving in an hour." Celestia stated.
I nodded and turned towards the door before stopping dead in my tracks. There was still something at the back of my mind that wouldn't stop itching at me.
"Celestia," I began, "promise me that nothing will happen to Fluttershy... or Luna?" I asked.
"Of course. I'll be sure to take good care of them." Celestia replied.
I sighed with relief, knowing that Fluttershy and Luna would be in the hands, or hooves, of Celestia. But now I've got an entire town to protect. And that just adds on to my worries and stress. And I have no idea what to expect...
Chapter 8: Moving Out
Luckily, the ponies took no time in repairing the train after the events that happened on that day. I just hoped that the same thing wouldn't happen today. The train whistle blew loudly, startling me awake. I had barely getting any sleep knowing that I had a town to protect, one of my friends are in the hospital, and the Unknown are beginning to return. But us Forerunners are trained to actually keep their sanity, unlike most people.
I grabbed my Armor Case and boarded the train with Twilight and Rainbow Dash. I sat down in the seat that I normally sit in when Rainbow Dash sat next to me. I looked over at her and sighed lightly.
"Something wrong?" I ask.
"No, I just feel safer with you. Because of what happened last night, it still haunts me." Rainbow replied.
I put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I know how you feel."
Rainbow smiled lightly towards me before leaning against me. I didn't know how to react to it, so I just ignored it. I looked out the window to see that we had already started moving. I watched as the trees whisked past the train like a blur. I prepared my self, for when I saw the marks of the train wreck, I went pale. I never want that to happen again, not after what it did to Fluttershy, not after how it scarred Rainbow.
Sometimes I think that's my problem. I try to hard to prevent things from happening. Oh well, anyways, back to the matter at hand...
I was asleep by the time we got to Ponyville. The train came to a quick and screeching halt and I was sent flying forward into the seat in front of me. I gasped awake and Rainbow laughed at me. I didn't care much, I was just glad I got at least a little sleep, but then again, I was asleep for however long it took me to get here in that cryogenic pod. I shuddered at the thought of that pod, such horrible memories stained that wretched thing. Both metaphorically and literally.
"So Twilight, where will I be staying?" I asked.
"You'll be staying with me." Twilight replied.
"Fair enough." I muttered.
We all stood up from our seat and left the train and on to Ponyville. This is where it all started, and for some reason I thought this is where it's gonna end... I quickly shook off that thought and continued following the mares in front of me. I spotted the large tree that I first went to when I arrived in Equestria, such memories have not yet left me, for I did feel the slightest bit of relief...
My thoughts, once again, were interrupted when I bumped into somepony. I staggered back a bit while the other pony's legs were lost from beneath it as she fell to the ground.
"Truly sorry for that. I'll see to it that it doesn't happen again." I apologized.
"Oh don't worry, it's okay." The mare replied.
She had a minty green coat with bright golden eyes. Her hair color was similar to her coat except for the white stripe running through it. The mare looked up at me and grinned.
"Oh don't worry it's nothing and-" She stopped and took a closer look at me.
It wasn't until she started giggling mischievously before running off shouting, "I told you so!!!"
I simply stood there, confused of what had just happened. I shrugged it off and caught up with Twilight and Rainbow. We reached the door of the treehouse and Twilight knocked on the door a couple of times. The door opened a tad bit to reveal a familiar, yet slightly taller and tad bit bulkier dragon. It's scales where purple and green, it's eyes we're green too. He noticed Twilight and smiled with glee.
"Twilight! You're back!" He shouted while hugging Twilight.
"Yeah, yeah I'm back. And I brought our friend with us too." She replied.
"Oh, hey!" Spike said.
"Hello." I replied.
We entered the treehouse and started unpacking. I hoped that Celestia didn't call us back to Canterlot, because I'm not in the mood to go back and forth every five seconds. Unless it had something to do with Fluttershy, I made a promise, and this time I had to keep it. I held my sword in my hands and pressed the button and watched the blade quickly extend. It startled the ponies in the room. I glanced over at them and pushed the button again, making the blade go into the handle. I sheathed it in my leg holster and looked over at Twilight.
"So. What next?" I asked.
"Hmm, I don't know." She replied.
A loud burp erupted from behind me. I turned around to see Spike with a note in his hand. Twilight levitated it out of his hand opened it.
"It's from Celestia..."
Please don't call us back...
"She says to resume our search for the Changeling Nest located in the forest." She finished.
Wow, I'd completely forgot about that after all that happened yesterday. I sighed and looked over to my Armor Case. I picked it up and looked at Twilight and Rainbow.
"Let's get to work, shall we?"
After searching for nearly three days in a row for the damned Changeling nest, we finally decided to take five and head back to Ponyville. I needed to look after the ponies anyways. Twilight and I went to the treehouse to get some much needed rest. I removed my armor and placed it in it's case. I then sat down in a nearby chair with a heavy sigh. If the Changelings were goo at something, it'd be hiding their nests. Twilight came from behind me and draped her fore hooves over my shoulders.
"Jeez, those Changelings amazing at hiding their nests." She said.
"And I was just now thinking about that." I snorted.
Twilight chuckled and slid her hooves off of my shoulders and walked in front of me before laying down. I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees.
"So, is there anything that someone like me could do that's productive around here?" I asked.
Twilight tapped her chin while humming. "I don't think so." She replied. "Don'tcha think you should go out and meet other ponies?" She asked.
"I guess..." I muttered.
I stood up from the chair and made my way for the door. I walked around town for a bit trying to find somepony to meet when I spotted that odd minty green pony again. I guess she's as good as any. I walked towards her and she noticed me and smiled. She sat on a bench with a drink in her hoof. I took a seat next to her and introduced myself.
"Hello." I said.
"Hey!" The mare responded. "You're a human, right?" She asked.
"Uh, yes. I am." I replied.
"Ah ha! I knew humans existed, but nopony ever believed me! They just thought that I was ranting about anthropology. But I knew humans were real!" She exclaimed.
"Hmm... Got a name?" I asked.
"What? Oh yeah, it's Lyra. Lyra Heartsrings." Lyra replied.
"Well it's nice to meet you Lyra. My name is Xavier."
"Very nice to meet you Xavier... uhm... do you mind if I...?" She asked reaching out to me.
Her hoof touched my chest and slowly slid down my body. Lyra let out a shaky sigh, as if she just made the greatest discovery. Well, she kinda did. She was practically obsessed with humans, and nopony believed her. Well, now they should, because I'm sitting right here. Plain as day. Lyra removed her hoof from my chest and giggled.
"Humans feel weird." She giggled.
"How so?" I asked.
"I honestly don't know. You're just, a little bit squishy." She answered.
Great... now I'm fat according to Lyra...
"But hey! At least I've proved that humans are real!" She exclaimed.
"Yep. We're real alright." I said.
"So, what do you humans do for fun?" Lyra asked.
"Fun... I've never experienced 'fun' before." I replied.
"WHAT?!" Another voice shouted randomly.
I felt like I was about to jump out of my jumpsuit at the sudden scream in my ear. I looked forward to see a bright pink mare with a dark pink mane staring at me in awe.
"YOU'VE NEVER HAD FUN BEFORE?!" She asked rather loudly.
"Uh, no. I haven't. Can you stop screaming now?" I replied.
The pink mare jumped into the air and gasped loudly before disappearing from sight. I looked around in utter confusion. Apparently that mare can break the fourth wall. That could be useful... I guess if you think about it correctly. I looked at Lyra who was staring at me.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Oh, don't worry about it. It's just Pinkie. She's the Odd-One-Out in Ponyville, just ignore the things that she does." Lyra replied.
I nodded while looking around. Lyra and I talked for a little while longer about what the ponies did and what I did as a Forerunner. After a while, one of Lyra's friends came over and took her away. I said goodbye and left the bench to go find something else to do. I wandered the marketing area, examining the foods and other things that they sold. I eventually came across what looked to be a boutique. I knew that I had no business here. What would I need from a boutique? A new jumpsuit? I walked past the boutique, continuing my search for something to do.
Once I ran out of options, I decided to head back to the treehouse. Besides, Lyra was the only pony (other than Twilight who was busy, Rainbow Dash who is in the sky and I haven't fixed my jet-pack module, and Fluttershy who's hurt still... I hope she gets better soon) I could talk to. Speaking of the jet-pack module, I should get back to that. I don't really need anything except a few scrap metal and some fuel, or something that could be used for fuel.
I walked inside of the treehouse and found my jet-pack module sitting on the nearby table. And from the looks of it, someone had been tinkering with it. I examined it closely and that certain somepony's tinkering fixed it. Saves me the search for scrap and fuel. I picked it up and threw it over my shoulders before walking outside. I adjusted the jet-pack and looked up at the sky. Let's see if I could still use this thing. I bent my knees before leaping into the air while activating the jet-pack. I went a good sixteen feet off the ground before the jet-pack sputtered out of fuel. Close, but no cigar.
I fell back to the ground with a hard impact. I grunted as I stood up and looked around. Nopony really payed attention to what I just did. I shrugged and walked inside again. I saw Twilight walking downstairs. She saw me and sighed.
"Oh, there you are." She sighed.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"No, just noticed that you took... whatever that is." She replied.
"Hmm? Oh yeah. Thanks for fixing it, but there's no fuel in it." I said while banging on the fuel tank.
"Oh. Right..." Twilight muttered with a sheepish smile along with a light blush on her cheeks.
"So this day has been a bit relaxing... surprisingly." I groaned.
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.
"Well, for starters, Forerunners rarely get any breaks at all. We're constantly moving around, moving things, fixing things, lifting things, and building things. So there's practically no time on our hands. Which is pretty bad, knowing me, I've only got twenty-three hours of sleep in my life. So I feel like I've earned this."
"Wow." Twilight sighed.
"Yeah. Welp, I'm going to add some time onto that sleeping-streak. So if you don't mind, I'm going upstairs." I said.
I walked up the stairs, struggling to stand tall and not lose my posture. Which was hard after what I just said about the twenty-three hours of sleep. I opened the door and closed it behind me. I turned to see Spike laying in his own little bed, with his arms, legs and tail hanging off of it. He snored lightly as drool slowly dripped from his open mouth. I limped over to the bed and collapsed onto it's welcoming softness. I pulled the blankets close to me and groaned as I slowly fell asleep.
