“It’s so nice to just sit back and not worry about anything today!” Twilight said as she sat down with her friends out in a field.

As they sat down and got the picnic set up they watched a cloaked stallion carrying a pickaxe walk by right against the edge of the Everfree.

“Oooohhhh. He must be an evil enchanter!” Pinkie giggled.

“Pinkie! That’s not a nice thing to say!” Rarity said quickly, “He may be nice!”

Rainbow Dash laughed, “Yeah… nice and creepy.”

Applejack just watched him as he walked towards the other side of the field. “Ah wonder what he could possibly want back there… There ain’t nothin but a rock wall there!”

“Maybe he’s looking for gems!” Pinkie said contemplatingly before saying, “Nah… he’s probably looking for gold and silver!”

All of the others looked at her.

“Why would he want gold or silver? He doesn’t look like a jewelry maker.” Twilight stated.

“Electronics silly! Gold, silver, and copper conduct electricity really well! He’s probably a scientist or a tinkerer or even an engineer!” Pinkie responded while giving Twilight a ‘well duh’ look.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to buy the minerals versus refining them himself?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t know! Maybe when he comes back around we should ask him!” Pinkie responded.

Rarity watched him walk out of field and towards the east. “I’m just going to…”

“Hey! We should invite him to join us!” Pinkie said as she jumped up.

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t.” Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash cocked her brow and looked at Twilight, “Really?”
“Yes. Really. Why shouldn’t we? It’s only nice to try to get to know him!” Twilight snapped.

Rarity shook her head as she slowly got up, “Then I’ll go ask him. You girls can get started I’ll be back shortly.”

“Ah’ll join yah too Rarity…” Applejack said as she got up.

They both walked away from the picnic and towards where the stallion had gone.

After a minute of searching they found him digging at the rock wall. Rarity slowly approached with Applejack right behind her.

“Um… Excuse me sir?” Rarity questioned.

The stallion jumped and hit his head on the rock wall, “Agh! Don’t scare me!”

Applejack laughed a little as the stallion looked back at the rubbing his head.

“Oh I’m sorry for scaring you I just wanted to ask if you’d like to join my friends and I for a picnic…” Rarity said.

“Just… just let me finish up here. I have just found a gold vein I just need to make sure that it’s real.” He responded.

“Real? What gold isn’t real?” Rarity asked as she approached.

“Pyrite is called fool’s gold for a reason. It’s not gold but it looks like it.” He responded.

He swung the pickaxe down with one hand and broke through the rock with that swing.

Rarity got closer and Applejack went back to the picnic knowing Rarity was safe.

“Yes! Finally gold!” The stallion said as he removed the first part of the vein. The gold split in his hands and revealed a small snow white diamond. “Hm… too bad I’m not looking for gems right now…”

Rarity kneeled down beside him and looked wide eyed at the diamond, “I… that’s… it’s so beautiful…”

“No.” He corrected, “It’s perfect. Much like you.”

Rarity looked at the soft smile he had on his face and thought for a few seconds before realizing this was a dual offer, one he was hitting on her, two he had just offered her the diamond.

“Oh… I… I don’t know what to say…” She responded as a blush grew on her face.

He handed her the diamond and encased it in her hands. She felt a cool touch through his gloved hand. The touch wasn’t bad in anyway it was soothing.

“Just call me Slade.” He said as he withdrew his hands. He placed the gold in his bag and stood up. He pulled back his hood and underneath it he was perfectly normal. His eyes were a deep yet cool electric blue. His coat color was a cool grey his hair was a silver tinged grey.

“I’m Rarity…” She said as he helped her up.

“Well it’s nice to meet you Rarity. Most ponies don’t approach me… I guess with how I dress and because I live in the Everfree I’m just too creepy and mysterious for them.” Slade said as he stepped away and shouldered his pickaxe. He stood there with a soft smile and his head cocked.

“Oh! Yes just follow me. I know my friends will want to meet you.” Rarity said as she led him back to the picnic area.

When she got back with him Pinkie was the first to greet him. She appeared right in front of him causing him to jump back in surprise.

“Hiya! I’m Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie greeted.

After a few deep breaths Slade responded, “It’s nice to meet you Pinkie Pie… I’m Slade.”

Pinkie smiled and went back to eating. Slade just stared at her for a little bit before shaking his head. Rarity sat down with her friends and Slade joined them shortly after.

“Well Slade I’m Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight said.

Slade nodded and smiled slightly, “It’s nice to meet you all.”

“Ah’m sorry fer walkin away earlier Ah just wanted ta make sure…” Applejack began.

“That I wasn’t going to hurt Rarity? I understand. I got that a lot in the past…” Slade said.

“Ah’m Applejack.” She said.

Slade nodded.

“I’m Rainbow Dash.” Dash said as she looked at Slade. She looked at his hands and noticed one was gloved and the other wasn’t, “Why aren’t both your hands gloved?”

Slade looked at her and stated clearly, “I’m going to have to ask all of you not to ask questions about my appearance. What happened is private and for only me to know.”

“Shesh…” Dash said as she leaned back against a tree.

Slade lightly looked at Fluttershy before looking back away.

“Oh… I’m…” Fluttershy began quietly.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to introduce yourself… I’m a stranger and more importantly I’ve acted strangely I wouldn’t ask you to do something you don’t feel comfortable doing.” He said calmly. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small notebook the gold and a carefully wrapped sandwich.

“So… Slade what do you do for a living?” Twilight asked.

“Hm?” Slade said as he looked up, “Oh… I’m… a scientist… but I dabble in electronics and machine building along with engineering and a slight bit of tinkering.”

Twilight’s mouth fell open and all of the girls looked at Pinkie who was happily smiling.

“I’m guessing she guessed and was dead on?” Slade asked.

Twilight looked back and nodded.

Slade smiled and laughed, “Well that’s a first… Before I’ve gotten called, an mad scientist, an evil scientist… um… ah yes a Necromancer that one was hilarious when I heard it… an evil enchanter… a evil doctor… a tax collector I never could understand that one… um… that’s about it off the top of my head… I’ve kept a list of all the names I’ve been called. Keeps my mind off of it and gets me to laugh whenever I see it.” He then unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite out of it.

They looked at him weirdly before Pinkie questioned, “Someone called you a tax collector?”

“Yep. I’ve been called that at least twice. Oh yeah! I’ve also been called, ‘That One Creepy Guy That Lives In The Woods’.”

Pinkie started laughing at that one.

“Yeah. It is pretty funny… But… I digress. Don’t mind me I have a few things I need to get down.” Slade said as he picked up a pencil and started writing notes in his book. He started talking quietly to himself.

“Eight ounces… I’ll need another twenty four before I can continue…” He said quietly as he wrote down the measurement.

Rarity realized that she hadn’t unclasped her hands since he had clasped them around the diamond and she opened them up to prove to herself that it was real.

Pinkie looked at it and said, “Wow… that looks amazing Rarity where did ya find it?”

“Oh… I didn’t find it… Slade found it inside the gold vein…” Rarity responded quietly.

She looked up and saw Slade had another soft smile on his face.

“Woah… Slade do ya always find stuff like this when you're mining?” Pinkie asked.

Slade finished up the last detail and slipped both the notebook and the gold back into his bag, “Yeah… some of it’s useful for me other not so much… I have a stockpile of them… I don’t know what to do with any of them either…”

“Well what gems are useful for you?” Rarity questioned.

“Hm… well quartz is useful as a starter for electricity… um lightning crystals are more than valuable for me… so are lightning sapphires but they are exceedingly rare and they lose their charge after a few uses… So I have a lot of decharged ones… Surprisingly they don’t lose their color after they’ve been drained. That’s about it. I mainly use gold, silver, copper, silicon, and when I can find it tungsten.” He responded as he took another bite out of his sandwich.

“Wow… and I thought Twilight was a nerd.” Rainbow Dash said under her breath.

“Hm?” Slade and Twilight questioned as they both looked at her.

“Why am I a nerd Dash?” Twilight questioned. Her anger flared a little bit. A small spell started to form on her horn.

Slade quickly took out a small powder and blew it into the air.

The spell instantly fizzled out.

“Woah there! Don’t get angry at her she was just stating her opinion.” Slade said as he leaned back.

Rarity caught a quick glimpse of what was under the glove when his sleeve slipped up. He instantly pushed it back down and covered it up.

She could swear that she saw a bronze color under the sleeve.

Twilight attempted to use her magic to lift up her food and it fizzled on her again, “What did that powder do?”

“It disables the ability to channel magic effectively. It only lasts two minutes though so… you should have it back shortly.” He responded.

“I’ve never seen dust that’s been able to do that… I’ve seen spells but…” Twilight began.

Just as Slade was about to answer Rarity picked up, “Darling haven’t you ever used mana crystals? They act as a good catalyst for spells and if used correctly can amplify spell power but when diffused they stop the use of spells! It’s obvious that that’s what he used!”

Slade smiled and clapped a little, “Bravo I couldn’t have explained it better myself!”

Rarity blushed, “Well I do work with crystals and gems everyday…”

“Well…” Slade began. His hand suddenly shot up and landed over his heart. “No… no not now… I’ve got to go! I’m sorry I can’t stay any longer.” He quickly rewrapped his sandwich and shoved it into his bag before shooting straight up to his feet, “I really am sorry! But I can’t stay any longer!”

He ran off into the Everfree.

The girls were all surprised by his sudden outburst and most off all they noticed that his, notebook, gold, and pickaxe had been left behind.

“Come on! We need to get this stuff to him!” Twilight said as she grabbed his notebook.

Rarity grabbed the gold and Applejack picked up the pickaxe.

Pinkie got up and almost instantly packed up the picnic. Both Dash and Fluttershy got up and joined their friends.

They all followed the path he took into the woods.

As they got farther in they noticed a large concrete box with a metal door installed in the front. In front of that was Slade who was struggling to get up. They rushed over and helped him to his feet.

“Th… thank you… the… the code… it’s eight-two…four….six.” He coughed out. Twilight quickly punched the code in and the door opened. Applejack hauled him inside and soon he regained his balance and the ability to walk.

“M… make yourselves at home… I’ll… I’ll be back shortly…” He said shakily as he held onto a wall for balance and made his way to another door, which didn’t close completely behind him.

Twilight set the notebook down on a table and looked around. Applejack set the pickaxe by the entrance and Rarity set the gold down beside the notebook.

“Woah…” Twilight said as she looked at the room they were in. One wall had machines on it that looked like a small refinery, another part of the room held a kitchen and a dining room. There were multiple doors one marked library, another marked bedrooms and bathrooms, one was unmarked, the one Slade had entered, and the final one was marked storage and generator.

The kitchen looked like it was from some sort of science fiction book. It appeared to be automated yet it also looked like someone could use it normally.

“Um… do… do ya think he would…” Pinkie began as she quickly looked at the door marked bedrooms and bathrooms.

“No… he did say make ourselves at home…” Dash responded as she walked into the kitchen.

Pinkie dashed for the bathrooms and was followed quickly by Fluttershy.

Applejack sat down at the table. Rarity quietly walked for the door Slade had entered. She slipped in without her friends noticing and walked down a short hallway. At the end there was another door with a small window on it.

She looked through and saw Slade with his shirt off sitting in a chair. She gasped quietly when she saw the left side of his upper body. It wasn’t fur it was bronze. His arm was fully like that. It looked just like an actual arm except for the visible mechanical parts. There was a small outcropping of bronze over where his heart was. It hit her why his arm had been cool to the touch. It didn’t have any blood flowing into it… it was made of metal. She then noticed the wires running into the metal part of his body.

“He’s recharging… he was going to die out there…” Rarity said quietly. She quickly left the hallway and reentered the main room. She was breathing quickly. She felt like she should be scared but then it came back to her how nice he had been and how friendly he was.

Then his words,’Well it’s nice to meet you Rarity. Most ponies don’t approach me’. She understood the meaning now.

She wasn’t going to tell her friends. That might cause some trouble. She knew how Twilight would react. She’d want to study him and that’d ruin his life… being a guinea pig for testing and research. She didn’t know how Applejack would react to it. Nor did she know how Fluttershy would react. Pinkie would want to befriend him regardless. Rainbow Dash would probably use that as him being dangerous and attempt to get him to leave.

Rarity just walked back to the table and sat down she took a deep breath and relaxed slightly.

“I wonder how all this got down here…” Twilight began to question.

“It’s been with my family forever now… It was just a cave in the beginning.” Slade responded as he walked out. He closed the door behind himself and it locked.

“How did you get here though?” Twilight questioned.

“A series of very unfortunate events that began with the man I thought was my closest friend and my best research partner… He was until the greed of what we were making got a hold of him.” Slade responded as he walked into the kitchen. “Do any of you want anything?”

Both Fluttershy and Pinkie came out of the bathrooms. Fluttershy was bewildered and Pinkie was completely ecstatic.

“That was awesome!” Pinkie shouted.

“Hm? Oh. I’m guessing a sheet of toilet paper got caught and the toilet sucked the entire roll down.” Slade said as he looked up.

“Yeah and that it did it on it’s own!” Pinkie responded.

“Automated… the sinks are as well.” He said casually as he stuck both kettles under the faucet. “My father designed them… I’m still working some kinks out of them. These are just the prototypes.”

Dash had entered the storage room.

Slade looked back at the open door and then back to the kettles, which he pulled out from under the faucets.

“So… Slade what books do you have in your library?” Twilight questioned.

“Hm… it’s not a research library if that’s what you're wondering. I do need something to read other than manuals and blueprints all day. It’s a lot of fiction… I would say the pride of my collection is the complete set of Daring Do books so far but…” Slade began.

Dash shot out from the Storage area and right into the library.

“Oookay…” Slade said a little bewildered, “Anyway… I have the entire set of Twin Cities Chronicles including three signed copies, one addressed to my great great great grandfather, one addressed to my great great great grandmother, and the last to my great great grandfather… a handwritten letter from Starswirl to my great great great great grandmother… and… um… ah! The first eight books original transcripts and unedited versions with the handwritten notes on the margins.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up, “Wha… are… are you…”

Applejack nodded.

In a flash of violet Twilight was gone.

“Hm. The transcripts and the letter are private and secure in a climate-controlled room to preserve them… their incredibly valuable on the market but they hold so much sentimental value I’ll never allow anyone to actually take them. I’ll allow someone to read them if I’m with them for every second.” He said with a laugh.

Applejack snickered.

Rarity walked into the kitchen and stood beside Slade who was boiling the kettles.

“Oh, Rarity would you like something specific?” Slade questioned.

She gently placed her hand on his. “Yes… but first…”

Slade looked over there was a little bit of fear in his eyes, “Is… is something…”

“No… no. Not for me at least… I… I saw what you were doing in there…” She said quietly motioning for the closed door.

He looked away ashamed and didn’t say a word as a tears began to form in his eyes.

“I… I actually… don’t mind. If you hadn’t been so nice and friendly… it may have mattered… but I don’t feel scared or in danger around you… infact I feel the opposite. I feel safe around you… I feel like regardless of what you at least partially are you’re still a living breathing pony. You don’t need to be scared of what I think…” Rarity said as she gently gripped his hand.

When he didn’t respond to it she attempted to pull her hand away but found that now both his hands cupped hers. “Thank you… every… everyone else just shuns me and calls me a monster…”

“Why… would they…” Rarity began to ask.

“Because… I’m not normal… I’m not fully a pony anymore… maybe… maybe some day I’ll tell you the story… but for now. Just go and wait. The water will be ready shortly.” Slade said as he let go of Rarity’s hand.

Before she walked away, “Oh yes! What I’d like… Um do you have any mint tea?”

“I can probably scrounge some up in the cabinets if not then you’ll have to wait a little bit longer while I go get some from storage.” Slade responded.

In the library:

Twilight walked through the shelves of books and noticed how they were categorized. Not only was it alphabetical by author but it was also by series and number in the series, along with genre, and popularity. She got to the back and noticed another door. This one was open slightly and it appeared to be different from the rest of the library.

Being curious, Twilight entered the room. Inside there were tapes each labeled with a trial number and a serial number. Twilight gently grabbed the first tape labeled Trial one.

She put it into the small slot in the wall.

The screen above flickered to life.

In a Laboratory Place Unknown:

“Okay Slade. Let’s get this straight. We’re trying to cure what?” The first stallion questioned.

“Not cure. Right now we need to stop its spread. And it’s Hybious corosis Magicus. It’s a deadly disease that spreads via magical lay-lines. Currently it’s isolated and the spread is contained almost right away. Our first step is to find a living infected pony… I refuse by ethological and moral standpoints to infect someone with it.” Slade responded as he ran to the back of the camera, “So far…” The rustle of papers is heard. “Ah ha! Yes. Supposedly there is a filly here that is infected with it. If we can get her here then we can research the disease in a safe habitat.”

“Okay… so should I go out for her or stay here?” The first stallion questioned.

“Test, you should stay here. Don’t worry I’ll locate her and attempt to bring her in. If that fails then we’ve failed and can pack up and leave. Then once we are a safe distance away alert the guards and they’ll contain the village.” Slade responded.

“Okay. Good luck buddy.” Test responded.

“Thanks.” Slade responded.

The video fuzzed up and came back to life this time a young filly was laying on a bed and two stallions in bright yellow hazmat suits stood over her.

“Sweet Celestia… her body… it’s actually fighting it off!” The one said.

“This… this is amazing! We found the perfect specimen!” The other said.

“Yes… but…” The first one began.

“You’re right. She’s not a specimen… After what happened and how easily they handed her over… She’s our child Test. We need to do everything we can for her…” The other one stated.

“Yeah. Slade… I’ll go get the food and water for her.” Test said.

“Okay… You go do that Test. I’ll wait here.” Slade responded as he kneeled down beside the bed.

The little filly stirred and looked at Slade. She eeped and hid underneath her pillow. Slade chuckled and slowly removed the mask revealing a much closer fitting and much less covering mask underneath.

The filly looked at him.

“Don’t worry you're safe here.” Slade said kindly.

“M… mister… wh… where am I?” She asked.

Slade sighed, “You’re in a laboratory… it’s for your safety.”

She hugged him tightly, “Thank… thank you…”

Slade gently hugged her and lifted her out of the bed. He then set her down on the floor and she ran over for the camera.

Slade laughed. The camera’s frame shook and bounced.

She slowly scanned the camera around the room. The filly asked happily, “This is so much stuff! Is it all mine?”

“Of course it is!” Slade responded happily.

The frame scanned over the toys, books, and board games that were scattered around the room. The frame stopped on a single teddy bear. It looked like it was hand made.

The camera cut out again and the tape ejected.

Twilight quickly grabbed the tape and put it back where it belonged. She looked around the room again this time she saw in a display case was the teddy bear but it was singed and blackened.

Twilight quickly left the room and re-entered the library. As she walked out she saw what she had been looking for and just left. This place looked nothing like the laboratory in the tape… and the teddy bear was blackened and carefully protected.

Dash was sitting at the table beside Fluttershy. Dash had a small stack of books on the table.

Twilight joined them just as Slade came over and poured them each a cup of water. He also sat out multiple boxes of tea bags.

“I’ll be right back.” Slade said as he set the kettle back down in the kitchen and walked into the storage area.

Somethings started to click. ‘A series of very unfortunate events that began with the man I thought was my closest friend and my best research partner...’ Twilight then connected the singed bear to the research. A fire… Then where was he before? And what happened?

Twilight looked at the boxes of tea and grabbed a lemon tea packet. She shook off the feeling that he was hiding something.

Slade returned after another minute with a box of mint tea, “Here we go.” He said as he placed it on the table. “And if I didn’t thank you before. Thanks you saved me back there…”

“No problem! I’m sure you’d do it for us.” Twilight responded quickly.

“I would. But… let’s hope that I don’t get that chance.” Slade said.

“Oh and why not?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

“I’m hoping you don’t find out what I meant.” Slade responded casually as he sipped his cup of tea, “It’s not something I enjoy talking about so… I won’t.”

Dash glared at him before placing her cup down, “I have things to do.” She walked back for the entrance.

“Fine… It was still nice meeting you Rainbow Dash.” Slade called as she left the facility.

Pinkie came back from where ever she had gone and was carrying a picture. “This is a great picture! Who drew it?”

Slade snatched it out of her hand, “Don’t ever enter my room without my permission. Everything in there is private.”

Pinkie looked at him and then went to the table, “Well okie dokie Victor!”

Slade coughed out some of his tea, “Wha… what did you just call me?”

“Um isn’t Victor your real name?” Pinkie questioned.

“Only my closest friends are allowed to call me that. And I prefer Slade.” He responded, “I feel that…”

Pinkie looked at the clock on the wall, “Oh! I gotta go! I have to watch the store! I’ll see all of you later then! Oh! And I also have to plan for a party! You’ll have lots of friends then!”

Pinkie dashed out of the facility leaving Slade to look on puzzled.

“Oh… I… I have to go too…” Fluttershy said quietly as she left.

“I’ll be back later if that’s alright…” Twilight said as she finished her tea and teleported out.

“Oh… I see.” Slade said quietly.

“Ah’m sorry fer havin to leave so soon. Yah’ve been great though! Ah hope ta see ya again!” Applejack said as she left.

“So… are…” Slade began as he looked at Rarity.

Rarity stood up and walked over to him and sat down beside him, “No. Not yet… I have a while before I have to leave.”

She grabbed his hand and held it.

He set his cup down and did something that surprised the both of them. He wrapped both his arms around Rarity’s back and pulled her into a hug.

“Oh… Slade… I didn’t know you were so strong…” Rarity said as she felt his real arm’s muscles. She blushed when it hit her that she said that.

Their eyes met and they kissed almost instantly. After a few seconds Rarity teleported out of his arms and ran out of the facility.

“I…” Slade began before he looked away, “Thank you…”

He walked back towards the storage area one last time closing the door to the entryway and then the storage room door.

He fell back against the wall and slid into a fetal position. Fresh tears formed, “I… I guess it is out of reach for me…”

After shaking the tears off he walked back to his bedroom picture in hand.

He looked down at the picture. Two figures were standing in it. One with a slate colored body the other with a beautiful dark green. The dark green one was much shorter than the other and they were holding hands. Underneath it said, ‘Family forever’.

When Slade made it back to his room he set the picture down beside his bed. He didn’t even bother to strip before he laid down and got under the blanket. He fell asleep soon afterwards.

Rarity stopped dead in her tracks and was breathing heavily. What had she just done? She just did something so unlady like that it was unforgivable! She had kissed a stallion whom she barely knew and enjoyed it! That was only to be enjoyed with her lover no one else could make her enjoy it!

But some how thinking of the kindness he had show. The strangeness of his body and past, and the love in his hold and kiss. It drove her wild to think about it.

“Rarity you need to get a hold of yourself! You need to do what is right!” Rarity said to herself. She first went straight home and found Sweetie Bell and her friends had just come back.

“Rarity can I please stay over at…” Sweetie Bell began.

“Why yes! Go ahead and have fun you three!” Rarity answered quickly as she went inside.

Rarity gathered up some things that she’d need for the night. “I’m sure I can more than make up for intruding for the night…” She finished packing and walked back to the edge of the Everfree before walking back down the path.

Author's Note

This is going to be a side project while working on The Pack.