Second Breath

Second Breath
By: Duelist96
Chapter 1: Family Meetings and Terrible Lessons

Damian made sure to keep his distance from Applejack as he looked around town. He noticed all the other ponies were leaving their homes to do their morning work. As he walked by the ponies stopped in their tracks to stare at him. He could feel their stares on him as he continued to follow, and he was ready to turn around and yell at them. He felt completely humiliated and useless without his magic.

He continued to follow the earth mare, trying his hardest to ignore all the stares. It took quite a bit of walking, but the two finally reached a cobblestone path. He was surrounded by the vast amount of apple trees that were along the path. During the walk, he took the time to look at each individual tree and enjoy its beauty. They continued along the path for a couple of minutes and he could see a barn out in the distance.

Next to the barn was an old style farmhouse that looked like the ones from Requiem. It was a type building that had class to any farmer and provided all the necessities one would need, without any distractions. They were nearing the farmhouse and he could see the mare glance between him and the house. Damian took the time to look closely at the front door and could see a red earth stallion leave the building. The stallion was tall for a pony, guessing that he reached about his height.

The stallion turned around and waved at the mare, but stopped midway when he saw the creature walking behind the mare. He could see the stallion’s eyes narrow, giving him an evil glare. Damian shrugged off the stare, used to seeing it from the nobles before he killed them. The stallion walked up to them and met them halfway. The two stopped as the mare was sweating profusely from the slightly intimidating figure.

The stallion continued to look Damian over, trying to see what he would do. After a few seconds of being looked over, he looked down at the mare and spoke to her.

“Who is this, AJ?” The stallion asked as he pointed a hoof at Damian.

“Well, Big Mac, his name is Damian and he will be staying with us for the next while,” AJ said as she rubbed the back of her neck.

“What is he?” Big Mac asked, never breaking eye contact from Damian.

“From what he has told us, he’s a human, and not very friendly towards others,” Applejack answered as she wiped the sweat forming on her brow.

“Are you going to be a problem for me and my sister?” Big Mac asked as he stared at the human.

“It depends on how you treat me. If you want to avoid anything, I think that I may have a suggestion. Does that barn of yours have a top level that I can stay in?” Damian asked as he kept his demeanor calm.

“It does. We usually use it for family that stops by for only a day,” Big Mac answered.

“Then I will take residence there and we won’t have to deal with each other after that,” Damian said as he turned around and headed for the barn.

He reached the barn and when he was about to open the doors, they were slammed into his face. He grabbed his face in pain as he felt blood trickle out of his nose.

“What was that?” A small girl’s voice called out.

Damian waited a few seconds and was met with his assailant. It was a tiny little filly that had a beige coat with a red mane and tail. Her eyes were a brilliant orange and she wore a red bow on top of her head.

“I’m so sorry, sir. Are you okay?” The little filly asked with worry.

“Does it look like I’m alright?! My fucking nose is bleeding because you can’t open a fucking door correctly!” Damian screamed at the filly.

The filly gathered tears in her eyes and she didn’t hold back her wails. Her crying was loud enough to catch the attention of Big Mac and Applejack. The two ponies ran towards the sound of crying and were quickly at the young filly’s side.

“Are you okay there, Apple Bloom? Did you fall down and hurt yourself?” Applejack asked as she looked over her younger sister.

“I was walking out of the barn and I accidentally hit that guy over there in the face. I asked if he was alright and he just yelled at me,” Apple Bloom said as she continued to cry.

Applejack passed her sister off to Big Mac, who took her inside the house. She quickly turned around and faced the human as she got right in his face. Every fiber in her being told her to yell at him, but she was raised better than that.

“What are you thinking, yelling at a little filly like that?” Applejack asked, her face only few inches from his.

“It’s not my fault that she doesn’t know how to open a door correctly. I’m lucky that I got away with a broken nose. Next time I might end up with a broken bone,” Damian said as he glared at the mare.

“Good, then maybe you might learn some manners,” Applejack shot back.

“I have manners. It’s not my fault that you ponies can’t have a well-mannered family,” Damian retorted.

Applejack had enough of Damian’s sass and she was going to lay down the ground rules for him. She made her point clear when she jabbed a hoof into his chest to get her point across.

“You listen, and you listen well. You will never yell at my family, you will not insult my friends, and you will apologize to my sister later. Now head on up to your room and I will bring you your meal. Don’t forget that the princesses are also watching and you probably lost a few points with them,” Applejack gave one final jab with her hoof before stepping away and heading for the house.

Damian got up from the ground and dusted himself off. He watched as the mare walked into the home and disappeared out of sight. Growling slightly to himself, he walked into the barn and slammed the door shut. Now that he finally had some privacy, he took off his cloak. He ran his hands through his short black-red hair as he climbed the stairs. When he reached the top, he saw that there was a bed made of straw and plopped himself down.

He could see the sun beginning to set out the window, and sighed. He heard the barn door open and could hear the clopping of hooves on the steps. He looked over at the stairs and saw Applejack with a plate on her back coming up. She walked towards the human, but stopped several inches away. She placed the food on the floor and left him alone without saying a word. He scooted over to the plate and picked it up.

He walked towards the window and looked out at the expansive orchard. He was surprised to see how large the apple farm was. Back in Divergence, farmers could only have a set amount of land. If they wanted more, they would have to buy out the other farm or kill the owner and his family if the owner had one. He looked down at his plate and saw that it was filled with different kinds of apple treats.

Kind of expecting an apple dinner since he was on an apple farm, he happily ate the food. He easily ate through the apple slices, apple fritters, and apple sauce that he was given. With his stomach now full of food, he gave one final look out to the orchard. As he stared, he found a favorable tree that he could go train at. Feeling his eyes become heavy, he walked towards his straw bed and laid down.

He looked out the window to see the sun disappear and give way to the moon. He smiled as he felt the comforting light of the moon shine down upon him. Allowing the moon to be his guide, he let sleep take his tired form as he nodded off. He awoke inside a plain white room with nothing inside. Shrugging his shoulders he sat down on what he guessed was the floor and crossed his legs. He balled his hands into fists and placed them together in front of his chest.

He inhaled deeply through his nose and held it for five seconds. He slowly exhaled his held breath and repeated the process. He was deep into his meditation that he didn’t hear the soft fluttering of wings behind him. He was pulled from his zen like state when he felt something touch his shoulder. Letting his training control his body, he grabbed whatever was on his shoulder and pulled it forward.

As he pulled, he spun on the ground and used his free hand to push himself into the air. He fell to the ground and landed on the culprit that had placed their hand on him. He was certain that it was a hand that touched him, until he saw a blue boot clad hoof. He looked a little to his right and saw that it was one of the princesses that he met earlier in the morning. She gave him a stern glare as he held her in place.

“Do you mind getting off of me?” Luna asked irritated.

“I don’t think I want to. You look better on the ground so you can’t sneak up on me,” Damian replied coldly.

Luna’s horn flared to life as she teleported out of the human’s grasp. Damian growled in annoyance as he sat on the floor. Luna appeared a few feet in front of him, her expression one of annoyance as well. The two continued to stare at each other until Luna finally decided to speak.

“You look very different without that cloak on,” Luna commented.

“I was expecting to have peace and quiet, so I took it off. Now you and Applejack have both seen what I look like,” Damian said as he leaned back slightly.

“You look very young compared to the way that you act. How old are you exactly?” Luna asked, hoping to get a little more information on the human.

“I’m nineteen years old,” Damian said as he yawned.

“What did you do back in your old world?” Luna asked as she sat on her haunches.

“None of your business,” Damian answered as he rolled onto his side.

“Are you always this rude to those that talk to you?” Luna asked, not hiding her anger.

“Only to the ones that deserve it,” Damian replied calmly.

“So says that man that yelled at a little filly,” Luna shot back.

“Is there anything else that you want, or can I finally get some quiet?” Damian asked irritated.

“Yes, I came to see what your dreams were like and help you if you needed it. As much as it pains me to help such a rude creature, I can’t let those that sleep under my moon suffer nightmares,” Luna said, taking calming breaths.

“Well you’re wasting your time if you think I will allow you into my dreams. So why don’t you just run along and bother someone else,” Damian said.

Luna let out an annoyed huff as she spread her wings and lifted herself off the ground. Her back was turned to the human, but before she left, she turned around to give him some advice.

“You will only lead yourself to ruin if you continue to act like that,” Luna said as she took to the sky.

Damian watched as she left his dream world and go to one of the other ponies. Sighing heavily, he laid back down on the ground as he envisioned a grassy field and cloudy sky. He took refuge under the only tree in the field and stared at the many clouds. A small smile spread across his face as he tried to name the different clouds and find any that looked like familiar objects. He lifted his hand as he swirled it around, just trying to entertain himself.

As his hands twirled around, the clouds formed into the one man that changed everything for him. He was a withered old man that held a gentle smile. Anyone that ever met him would always feel calm as he treated you like a regular person. Damian felt a few tears fall along the side of his face as he remembered their first encounter. He couldn’t help but chuckle at how fresh it was still in his memory.

He was only five when he was walking around the streets of the Peace Keepers. It was a poor district of Divergence, and he hated every section of it. His district was meant to keep the peace of the city, but they were treated like trash. The nobles and brawlers would always come down to his section for a little sport. The screams of his people still ring inside his head as they were killed slowly.

There was one thing though that haunted him more than anything. The one, true reason for why he joined the underground. After his birth, the nobles sent the brawlers down to his home to collect him and his family. Everyone knew what it meant to ‘collect’ someone and they just allowed it to happen. Brawlers would come down to the city and take the family out of their home. The family would be presented in front of everyone on their knees.

The nobles didn’t like other people having magic, unless it was in their own bloodline. Once the family was collected and presented to the people, they were read their crimes. No one spoke out against them, unless they wished to join them. Once their crimes were read, they were immediately executed and left to rot. He was lucky to get away when a friend of the family took him away before they arrived.

When he was four, she finally told him what happened. He was completely devastated by the news and quickly ran out of her home. He hated her for not saving his family and wished for her death. He soon regretted that wish when a couple days later, she was found killed. The brawlers found out about her housing a magical child and went to deal with the problem. When he found her mangled body, he could do nothing more than blame himself.

With his anger now directed at those that have really caused his pain and suffering, he set out to make a difference. Winter soon rolled around and he was trying his best to survive. It was very tough, but he was able to last day after day as he rationed his food and water. Near the end of winter, he was found by an old man in a robe. He was shivering from the cold as he stared up at the hooded figure. He remembered the exact words he was told as the man offered his hand.

“If you wish to make a difference and avenge your family, then come with me,” the man simply stated.

With nothing really left to lose, he took his hand and accepted his offer. From that day, everything changed as he learned under his master. The training was harsh and his mentor was tough on him, but he knew that he cared. A few tears escaped his eyes as he looked at the smiling cloud face of his mentor. He extended his hand and covered the face as he whispered to himself.

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t stop this from happening,” Damian said to no one in particular as tears slowly fell from his face. Luna noticed everything that happened from her view, and wondered if there was a chance to help the human.

The dreamscape soon gave way, signaling that his body was about to get up. He took a small inhale as he waited for his eyes to crack open. His eyes slowly cracked open as the harsh sunlight hit his face. He would have groaned in discomfort, if he wasn’t already use to waking up early. He got up from his hay bed and looked outside. He scanned the many trees that were around the farm and inhaled deeply.

The air was crisp and clean and had a slight hint of apple to it. He let the calming sense of apple fill his nostrils as he looked over the many trees. He found a decent tree out in the distant and decided to go for a walk. He exited the barn with only his pants on as he let his body soak in the warming rays of light. He grabbed a few apples from the nearby trees as he headed down the path for his destined tree.

The walk to the tree was a good few minutes, but it was a nice warm up before he got started. He reached the tree and looked it over more closely. The tree was slightly taller than the others, showing that it had been here longer. The trunk was a little aged, but looked like it could still take a beating in the harshest weather. Finishing off his third apple, he threw the core to the side and brought his arms up.

Every morning he would wake up to beat on a practice dummy or spar with his mentor or fellow members. His mentor pushed him to make friends with them so he could help them grow stronger, but he saw it as just a hindrance for his plan. Putting the past behind him for now, he went to beating on the tree. It started out as a simple training session, but memories of what happened and what could be happening filled his mind.

His anger slowly boiled over and he pounded against the tree as hard as he could. His face burned red from anger as his knuckles started to bleed. Pain was shooting through his arms, but he ignored it as he let his anger out. Sweat was slowly rolling down his body as his fist became caked in his blood. He kept going at it until his attention was pulled by a hoof pressing against his leg.

He quickly turned around to be met by Applejack, who was looking at him curiously. Her eyes were soon drawn to his knuckles that were dripping blood all over the ground. She looked at the tree and saw where he had been hitting it, thanks to the blood. She wanted to say something, but she just pointed to a nearby rain barrel. He didn’t say anything as he walked over and wiped down his body.

Applejack

The sun slowly rose over the horizon and caused the apple farmer to stir. She blinked her crusty eyes, trying to get her body to respond. It took a few seconds, but she was finally on her hooves and stretching. She wasn’t able to sleep much, thanks to her mind thinking about Damian. After seeing what he looked like without his cloak, her mind grew worried about the young man. She wasn’t entirely happy about taking care of him, but he looked too young for the pain he was in.

She slowly shook her head as she grabbed her signature hat and headed for the kitchen. She joined her family at the table and ate her breakfast in silence. Apple Bloom’s eyes were still puffy and red from all her crying and she didn’t have much of an appetite. Big Mac tried to console her, but the human screaming at her really caused her distress. Applejack thought about contacting the princesses so they could get rid of Damian.

The thought of the human leaving her farm was a comfortable idea, but it was only the first day. She sighed a little as she decided to let him stay a couple more days and if his attitude didn’t change, then he was going to be leaving by force. She finished off her breakfast and left her farmhouse. Once outside, she filled her lungs with the fresh air and relished in the smell of her apples.

She walked towards the barn and opened the doors. She grabbed a few buckets and her rope before going to the stairs. She climbed the wooden stairs with caution, hoping that the human was already awake. She neared the top and slowed her pace as she mentally prepared herself for a shouting contest. She reached the top and slowly opened her tightly clenched eyes. Her head was quickly looking around for any sign of the human.

There was no trace of him, except for the cloak that was hanging on the chair. She walked towards the window and looked out, hoping to find him somewhere. Her eyes wandered over every patch of the orchard, but no sign of the human. She was ready to bolt out of the barn and get Twilight if he actually ran away. Her train of thought was stopped when she could hear a slight thumping sound.

Her ears swiveled as she looked for the source of the sound. For a few seconds, her ears flicked everywhere before settling in one direction. With the noise found, she turned her head in the direction she heard it. She let out a sigh of relief when she spotted the human near one of her apple trees. With the knowledge of his location, she walked down the steps and left the barn. She trotted at a brisk pace so she could catch him in case he decided to walk off.

The thumping sound increased in sound, and she picked up the pace a little more. She was able to see the human and she was about to call out to him, but stopped herself. She never really got to get a look at him before, but without his cloak on, she could only cringe at the sight. On his back were two black wings etched into his skin. His left arm had a dual dragon spiral that went up to his shoulder. His right arm had three sets of flames around his wrist, elbow, and shoulder.

The markings on his body though, weren’t what really made her cringe. What really made her cringe was the scars that were on his back. The most prominent being a giant ‘X’ covering his entire back. Whatever may have caused those scars seemed to really get to him as he hit the tree harder. She noticed the blood dripping from his hands and she had to put a stop to it. She gently walked up behind him and touched his leg with her hoof. She was startled when he turned around to face her.

She cringed internally as she was greeted with a new set of scars. There was a slash across his abdomen and a star near his left shoulder. She could see the fire in his eyes and she actually felt sorry for him. She wanted to say something, anything that might offer him some comfort, but she couldn’t find the words. Her eyes wandered until she was met with his bloody knuckles and decided to show him something.

She extended her hoof and pointed at a nearby rain barrel that they used for really hot summers. He seemed to understand what she wanted and headed over in that direction. She let her breaths slowly leave her body and filled her lungs with more air as she tried to compose herself. Every fiber in her being wanted to ask about those scars, but she decided against it, knowing full well that he would just blow up in front of her.

She looked over and saw that he was finished washing himself. He was now walking off in the direction of the barn and she galloped after him. She was soon at his side and he looked down at her, if only briefly. There was an air of silence as the two of them walked together. She could see that from the way that he walked, he wanted to get away from her. She wondered why he wouldn’t take off, but chalked it up to the fact that the princesses were watching him.

They soon reached the barn and they both entered. He was headed towards the stairs, but was stopped when she gave a loud cough. He turned around and she tossed him one of the buckets. He easily caught it and the hat that were thrown to him. He looked at the items in his hands, before looking back at her and speaking.

“What are these for?” Damian asked with no emotion.

“Those are what you need if you are going to help collect apples,” Applejack replied as she placed her buckets on her back.

“At what point did I agree to help you on your farm?” Damian asked a little annoyed.

“Well, as the princesses said, I’m to watch over you, and if you’re going to be staying here, then you will help around the farm,” she answered as she pushed the doors open.

“I’m also sure that I still had the option of refusing to help if I wanted,” Damian replied as he went to put the items away.

“You could, but do you really want to do that when you’re being watched over by the princesses?” Applejack said as she turned around.

This seemed to get a reaction out of him as he stopped in his tracks. His grip on the hat tightened as he remembered his predicament at the moment. He gave a slight growl as he set the items down and walked up the stairs. The apple farmer was ready to go after him, but he quickly came down by jumping the rail and was now wearing a shirt. She didn’t see the shirt up there, but assumed that it was probably inside the cloak. He grabbed his placed items and walked towards the barn doors as he spoke to her.

“Is there an orchard that I can work at that is private from the rest?” Damian asked as she led him through the rows of apple trees.

“The field out to the west is in a pretty secluded area and should offer what you want. Just make sure to come back at sundown and not overwork yourself,” Applejack said as she pointed to the direction of the field.

He gave a slight nod of his head as he walked where her hoof was pointed. She kept her eyes on him until he was out of eyesight and continued down her path. She sighed heavily as she walked down her path and stopped in front of her first tree. She placed her buckets around the trunk of the tree and turned her back to the tree. She lifted herself on her forehooves and pulled back her hind legs.

Her legs shot out from her backside and struck the tree. The tree shook slightly and the apples fell into the buckets. She would’ve been working at a faster pace, thanks to the late start, but they were able to get a lot done in the past couple of days. Thanks to that, she was able to have a few late starts if she wanted them. To her though, she didn’t really like the idea of starting late. She had a set schedule of when she wanted to do her chores, and she stuck to it.

She easily went down the trees and bucked them, making sure that she got the ripe apples instead of the bad ones. She was stopped from her work when a pink blur ran right in front of her. It took her a few seconds, but she was able to make out her friend Pinkie, who had the happiest smile on her face.

“Hey there, Pinkie. What can I do for you?” Applejack asked as she got back to work.

“Well, I was wondering if you would like to help me and the others prepare Damian a party,” she said as she smiled even more.

“I’m not entirely sure about that, Pinkie,” Applejack replied and she noticed her friend get depressed as her mane flattened.

“Why not?” Pinkie asked on the verge of tears.

“Well, it has only been a day, but he doesn’t seem that friendly. I mean he just yelled at my little sis and has no intention of apologizing. Plus, I also think that he would just like to be left alone as much as he can,” Applejack replied.

“Then that just means that I need to make this party extra special for him. I’m going to need more confetti and more cupcakes.”
Pinkie said as she pulled a notepad and pencil from her mane and scribbled down what she needed.

“Are the others somewhere nearby?” Applejack asked.

“Of course. Do you want me to get them?” Pinkie asked as she hopped in place.

“I would, thank you. I have something that I want to say before you even get started on this party,” Applejack explained.

Pinkie gave a mock salute as she ran off as fast as she could. Applejack was ready to buck the tree she was standing in front of when her friends came back as fast as she left. She saw that her pink friend easily retrieved their friends, and were eagerly awaiting what she had to say. Taking in a slow breath, she calmed her nerves to speak what she had been thinking.

“Since you’re all here now, I have something I want to say. I like the idea of throwing him the party, but truthfully, I don’t think he will be staying for long,” Applejack began.

“What do you mean? I know that you can call it quits if you need to, but what has he done exactly to already have you think this?” Twilight asked as she sat on her haunches.

“It’s what he did yesterday, and what I saw this morning,” Applejack said.

“Did he hurt you, darling?” Rarity asked as she gasped a little at the thought.

“No, he didn’t hurt me physically, but emotionally a little. My sister accidentally slammed the door in his face and he just completely blew up in her face. She has been sad since then and now I’m kind of worried. Now you add that he is younger than we initially thought and he is covered in scars. His upper body even has three different markings on him. I’m kind of worried that he may end up harming us,” Applejack said as she looked out to the west orchard.

“So how long are you giving him before you make the decision?” Fluttershy asked in a hushed tone.

“I’m giving him two days. If his attitude hasn’t changed and he hasn’t apologized to my sister, then I must ask the princess to find him a new place to stay,” Applejack said as she gave a buck to her tree.

“Very well, then. I do have one question, though. You said that he was younger than we thought. How old is he exactly?” Twilight asked, curious about what he actually looked like.

“I’m not very sure. I didn’t really ask him yesterday or today when I sent him to the west field,” Applejack replied.

“I know how to find out. Just give me a few seconds,” Pinkie said before throwing down a smoke bomb and disappearing again.

“Sometimes I wonder how she is able to do that,” Rainbow said as she watched the disappearing smoke.

“I’m sure we all do, sugarcube, but it’s just best to leave it be,” Applejack replied.

True to her word, there was a flash as smoke filled their vision. Once the smoke cleared out, they saw their pink friend smiling happily. She continued to smile and her friends got tired of waiting for an answer.

“So were you able to find out his age?” Rarity asked.

“Yuppers. Luna told me that he is nineteen years old,” Pinkie replied happily.

“Only nineteen? The scars on that boy makes it look like he has been to Tartarus and back for many years!” Applejack exclaimed.

“Well, we really don’t know what he did before he came here,” Twilight added.

“I guess we can throw him that party then. Just don’t expect him to be entirely thrilled about it,” Applejack warned.

“Don’t worry, silly filly. Auntie Pinkie will make sure everything goes smoothly,” Pinkie said as she pulled her friend close.

“Pinkie, we’re the same age,” Applejack deadpanned.

It didn’t seem to matter what she said at that point as the bubbly mare hopped towards the barn. Her friends soon followed and she found herself going with them. She gave one last look back to the west orchard before galloping after her friends.

Damian

Damian was busy climbing each tree and throwing the apples in the basket. As he went about his ‘chore’ he tried to use his magic. He could feel as the energy pulsed in his body and flow to his hands. Sadly when it reached the tips of his fingers it would just fizzle out. Every fizzle left a dull pain in his fingertips. He sighed heavily as he continued on with his ‘chore’ and continued to try and summon his magic.

“I believe I already told you that you wouldn’t be able to use your magic,” Damian fell out of the tree when he heard something speak.

He looked around to see who spoke to him, but found nobody. Thinking that it was his mind playing tricks on him, he shook his head and got back to work. He continued to mess with his magic, when the same voice from before spoke to him.

“Stop trying to use your magic. You’re only going to end up hurting yourself,” Damian knew that he wasn’t crazy and was going to confront the voice.

“Who are you and where the fuck are you?” Damian asked angrily.

There was a bright flash and he had to lift his arms to shield his eyes. The flash died down, and he slowly removed his arms from his face. Out of all the ponies that he has met so far, he really didn’t want to talk to this particular pony. In front of him stood Celestia with her wings spread wide and her expression serious.

“You know, I’m pretty sure to others, having your wings flared out might make you look intimidating, but it doesn’t work on me. So what can I help you with?” Damian asked with venom in his voice.

“I’ve only been watching you for a day and I must say that I have been gravely disappointed,” Celestia said with no emotion.

“Well, who the fuck asked your opinion, anyways?” Damian asked, his anger slowly rising.

“I think that you still don’t understand what’s going on here. I’m giving you a chance to show that you aren’t a threat, but you seem to be hard headed about being nice. I mean who actually yells at a little foal for an accident. I can’t believe my sister thinks that there is some hope for you,” Celestia stated coldly.

“Why does your sister think I have some hope?” Damian asked.

“She saw what you were dreaming about and paid attention to the cloud you messed with. Seeing that you still hold some heart, she believes that you could happily live among us,” Celestia said while shaking her head.

Damian was stone stiff at what he just heard. Luna saw what he drew in his dream sky and knows something about him. His breathing became heavy as his anger soon reached its boiling point.

“When I get my hands on her, I’m going to make her pay for not leaving my dream,” Damian whispered to himself.

“If you’re serious about following through with that threat, then maybe I should just lock you away,” Celestia said calmly.

“How?” Damian asked, surprised that he was already found out.

“You forget that I can read your thoughts,” Celestia stated plainly.

“Stay out of my god damned head. I’m already shackled enough, I don’t need you invading the only place that I have left to myself,” Damian said as he got in her face.

“Listen here, Damian. I can be a very just ruler, but if I must, I will do what is necessary to keep my ponies safe. I don’t know what your past is like, but we are sort of similar. We want to keep those that mean something to us safe, no matter the cost. If you want to keep acting like a foal, then go ahead. Just let me know when you want to spend the rest of you time in the dungeon,” Celestia said before she took flight.

He watched as the white alicorn left and he let out a low growl. He turned to the tree that he was working on and punched it as hard as he could. Blood formed on his knuckles as the tree slightly shook from the force. He was too distracted to keep working, so he decided to call it early for now. He picked up the few apples that fell from the tree before heading back to the barn. During his walk back to the barn, he let the conversation run through his head.

As he thought back to it, he really hoped that the alicorn was listening. There was no way that he was like her, and he hoped to never be like her. He reached the barn faster than he thought during his angry walk. He sighed heavily as he opened the door and walked inside. He was hoping to get some simple peace and quiet, but that idea was long gone when he stepped inside.

“SURPRISE!” The six ponies that he met yelled.

He grabbed at his chest as his heart beat against it, trying to break free. His nerves slightly calmed as he looked around the barn. There was cake, cupcakes, and punch on a nearby table. Another table had a few presents and there was a large banner overhead. The banner said ‘Welcome to Ponyville Damian.’ He looked at the six ponies and saw that the pink one was smiling largely.

“What is this?” Damian asked a little annoyed.

“Well, I thought about throwing you a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party to help you adjust. So do you like it?” Pinkie asked with a hopeful smile.

Damian didn’t say anything as he walked towards the sweet treats. He grabbed one of the plates and filled it with the delicious looking confectioneries. When he believed that he had enough sweets, he turned towards the stairs and walked up to his room. He heard a deflating sound, but ignored it, not really wanting to deal with whatever the problem is. Once he was up in his little cove, he took off the hat and hung it off the windowsill.

He sat on the edge of the sill as he heard the ponies shuffling about. Wanting a distraction from the noise, he looked out the window and spotted a flying bird. He scooped a little frosting from his cupcake and stuck his finger out. The bird noticed the frosting on his finger and flew towards him. The bird landed on his finger and began eating the frosting. While the bird was busy eating, he slowly ran his fingers through its feathers. The bird stopped eating for a few seconds to look at him, but seeing that he wasn’t causing any harm went straight back to eating.

Barn Main Floor

“You doing alright there, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash asked, a little concerned.

“I’m not really sure. It didn’t seem like he hated the party, but he also didn’t look like he was enjoying it. I don’t know what to think about that,” Pinkie replied as she continued to stare at the stairs.

Her friends quickly wrapped her in a hug, letting her know that the thought was at least nice. This seemed to help a little, but she didn’t completely return back to her normal self. Not wanting to let the food and drinks go to waste, they stayed a bit to have a social gathering. Applejack made sure that her friends were fine as she headed for the stairs. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t worried about going up the stairs.

With some of her resolve that she still had left, she climbed the stairs and looked over at the human. She watched as he pet a bird that was perched on his finger. He was eating the sweets and seemed to be slightly enjoying himself. The bird finished off the frosting that was on his finger and took off into the sky. The human soon turned around and met her emerald eyes with his own blue eyes. She let out a silent sigh as she got ready to speak to him.

“So what was that about down there?” Applejack asked, trying to be casual about it.

“I’m just not a party guy. I’m happy for the treats and everything, but I just don’t do well in such a weird setting,” Damian replied calmly.

Applejack had to shake her head slightly when she heard him speak. He would always talk to her and the others in an angry tone. Hearing him be so calm right now was completely throwing her off. She was able to get her mind back on track so she could continue to talk to him.

“So you really didn’t mind the party?” Applejack asked.

“Not really. I understand why to have one, but I need to know two things. The first is why are you throwing me a party, and the second is how long are you giving me?” Damian asked.

Applejack froze in place from his second question. She had no idea how he was able to tell that she was thinking about him and she was starting to panic. She thought about lying to him, hoping that he would buy it. She mentally slapped herself for thinking that since she wasn’t a good liar at all. She sometimes wished that she wasn’t the Element of Honesty at times and that lying would be easier for her. She sighed heavily as she answered his questions.

“I can answer the second one, but the first can easily be answered by my other friends. You have exactly two days starting tomorrow, or I will have the princesses send you somewhere else. I’m not asking you to completely change, but try to be a little nicer and do the work that is asked of you. If you can at least do that, then you can stay here as long as it is needed,” Applejack replied.

“I’ll take that under advisement,” Damian replied back.

She wasn’t entirely sure if he would try, but at least she laid out the simple terms that he could do. The only thing that was left was to see was if he would give it a shot, or just continue to be an exploding firework.

“Let’s head downstairs so I can hear why you all are throwing me a party,” Damian said as he folded his plate.

Applejack headed for the stairs and he started to follow her. He stopped and looked over at the side railing. Stairs never really bothered him, but why take something when you have a faster way of getting there. He noticed the mare had already descended the stairs and decided to go for it. The farm mare reached the bottom of the stairs and she looked behind her to see that the human didn’t follow. She felt a little irritated that he didn’t follow, but that changed when she heard a thump.

Her attention went back to the main floor and she noticed the human. He was slightly kneeling before getting back to his feet. All her friends were staring in confusion at what he did. Fluttershy was the first to say anything.

“Are y-you o-okay?” Fluttershy asked a little timidly.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Damian answered.

“Any reason why you didn’t use the stairs, darling?” Rarity asked.

“Just felt like taking a quicker route to the floor. I can certainly say that I won’t be taking the stairs as often now,” Damian said as he grabbed a nearby chair and sat in it.

“Before we get anymore sidetracked, Damian here, would like to know the reason behind the party,” Applejack said as she joined her friends.

“Well that’s easy. I wanted to throw this party for you so you would feel welcome and that we also want to be your friends,” Pinkie Pie explained.

“Ha!” Damian gave a quick laugh at her explanation.

“What’s so funny?” Twilight asked.

“The welcoming thing I can understand, but the friend thing is really stupid. I don’t need any friends,” Damian answered.

“Well, sure you do. Why else would you be a grumpy pants?” Pinkie stated.

“No, I’m pissed because I’m stuck in a world with talking ponies. Friends really don’t have any meaning to me and I never really wanted any,” Damian answered back.

“But you can’t live your entire life just being angry. You need to smile every once and a while, and what better way to smile than with friends,” Pinkie tried to explain.

“Yeah and then all the friends I would make could easily stab me in the back,” Damian said sarcastically.

“Is that how you got those scars?” Applejack asked a little nervously.

“How I got those isn’t really your business. I have them, and that is all you need to know,” Damian replied.

“So, you don’t want to be our friend?” Pinkie asked as she started to get sad.

“No, I don’t. Sorry if you feel that I need a friend, but I’m better off not having any,” Damian replied.

Nothing else was said between them, but they couldn’t if they wanted to since he already left his seat. He gave a small wave before ascending the stairs. Applejack wanted to get him back down, but she needed to be there for her upset friend. They had all seen their pink friend get upset when she couldn’t make a pony smile, but this was a new low for her. Her mane was deflated and her coat was a darker shade of pink. Her eyes would hold a sad look, but now tears were starting to form.

For the first time that she knew, Pinkie failed to make a pony happy. Her friends wrapped her in a hug as she tried to figure out what to do. With nothing really left to do, the mares went around and started packing everything up. She wanted to go up the stairs and let the human have it, but since she already laid out the rules for him, it was now up to him if he wanted to change. Her friends joined her at the barn, since it was starting to get late.

Damian saw the setting sun and the mares heading for the farm house. He let out a small exhale as he went back to his hay bed and closed his eyes. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep, thanks to the peaceful moon.

Dream Realm

He was back in a lush green field. He sighed again as he had a feeling of a certain pony showing up. He took a seat and filled his lungs with the faux air. The air held a wonderful scent of apples along with the smell of frosting. He was pulled from his peaceful thoughts when he heard the flapping of wings. His eyes opened and he saw Luna coming towards him. He got to his feet as the alicorn landed a few feet in front of him.

“Good night, dear Damian. I was-” she was soon cut off when his fist connected with her muzzle.

Luna was sent back several feet and landed on her back. She grabbed her muzzle, stifling a groan of pain. She used her wings to balance herself on her hooves as she glared daggers at the human. Dark clouds formed overhead and the sound of thunder could be heard all over. She flew in front of his face and used her Royal Canterlot Voice.

“HOW DARE YOU STRIKE ME!” Luna yelled, seething with anger.

“I believe that I told you to stay out of my dreams!” Damian yelled back, not fearing the angry alicorn.

“I was only doing my job!” Luna continued to yell, but not as ear shattering as before.

“I don’t care what you job implies. I told you to leave, and you didn’t. You have no reason to see what I dream about and you especially don’t have the right to tell your sister,” Damian said as he sat under the same tree.

“So my sister has already talked to you?” Luna asked as she lowered herself to the ground.

“She has and I will tell you that I’m perfectly fine with everything,” Damian answered.

“You’re not fine. If you were fine then you wouldn’t be as broken as you are now,” Luna said.

“Do you want to know why I’m so broken?!” Damian asked, his patience wearing thin.

“Yes, and then maybe you can get help from those that want to be your friends,” Luna said as she summoned a table and a chair.

“Since you haven’t heard yet, I will tell you this. I don’t need any friends,” Damian answered.

“But everypony needs-” Luna was cut off when he held a hand up to her face.

“I already had this conversation with those six mares. Now, the reason that I seem so ‘broken’ is because I have nothing now. My master is probably dead, my guild in ruins, and I’m stuck in this fucked up world where everyone thinks that a simple problem can be solved with a smile,” Damian stated coldly.

“Very well, Damian. If that is how you feel, then I won’t push the issue any further. Celestia and I already know about the terms Applejack has set, and we will prepare for your arrival in those two days,” Luna said as she got out of her chair and disappeared in a veil of smoke.

The human rubbed his eyes for a bit before turning to the tree and giving it a hard punch. The tree reverberated and sent an apple tumbling down. He picked up the dream fruit and stared at it intensely. His terms were mainly just doing as he was told on the farm. That was the only thing that she asked for and he could still do what he wanted. He sat under the tree as he let the thought swim around his head. He couldn’t help but laugh as he saw the actual idea start swimming in front of him.

His stance changed as he decided to at least do what was asked of him. He threw the dream apple as he looked up in the blank sky waiting for his body to wake up. It wasn’t long until there was a bright light that filled the entire area. He filled his lungs with the faux air as he got ready for his morning training and his chores.

Damian

His eyes slowly opened as the sun rose over the horizon. He stretched his limbs and let out a big yawn as he jumped to his feet. If the time was the same as it was back in Divergence, then he needed to look at his scars. He found a partially broken mirror on the ground, covered in many scratches and dried mud. He looked at his front and back and saw that his scars were still closed. He remembered when and how he got those scars, but easily pushed it to the side.

He walked back up and grabbed the hat that he placed near the window. He didn’t bother putting it on his head since it was only going to get in the way right now. He looked over at his cloak and let out a heavy sigh, disappointed that he was stuck with the one set of clothing. Deciding to wash his shirt in the rain barrel after training, he set out for the same apple tree. He walked through the many trees and he couldn’t lie that they didn’t look beautiful.

The sun would capture their bright red colors and cast a soft red hue over the dirt path. He grabbed his few apples since he didn’t have any breakfast brought to him, and ate them quickly. He reached his destined tree and took his shirt off, placing it in the rain barrel, his hat sitting right above it. He cracked his neck as he prepared to punch the tree. He took even breaths with each strike that he made, making sure that he stayed calm.

He could feel the light scratches that were forming on his knuckles, but he was glad that he wasn’t bleeding all over the tree. He went at it for a few seconds before switching up his style. He combined different jabs, punches, and kicks as he assaulted the tree. Sweat trickled down his body as he neared the end of his training session. He brought his fist up and put everything thing he had behind the punch. With a solid hit the tree shook and dropped a few apples.

Inhaling deeply and then breathing it out, he walked over to the rain barrel and started washing himself. He decided not to be entirely thorough with his cleaning since he was going to be working. With most of the sweat washed off his body, he pulled his shirt out and put it on. He grabbed the hat and walked towards the west field. He wanted to think to himself, but he chose not to, for fear that the princesses were listening.

He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at the idea of being afraid that they heard his thoughts at this moment. He just assaulted the lunar princess in his dreams and there was no way that she was going to keep it a secret. He could only shrug his shoulder as he reached the rows of trees and sighed heavily. With nothing really left to do, he climbed the tree and went about throwing the apples into the baskets.

He once again tried to use his magic, and it continued to fail. He was able to live without magic and never saw the need for it. After learning how to use his magic, he could never see himself without it. He felt like a small child again, but this time there was no one that could help him. There was a high chance that either Celestia or Luna was listening in on him, but they didn’t seem to want to disturb him.

He worked the day away, sweating as he suffered a little under the sweltering heat. He didn’t mind the heat sometimes, but he was more of a cold person. He looked towards the sun to see that it was hanging in the middle of the sky. Deciding that it was probably around noon, he went for a little lunch break. He walked down the rows of apple trees, only to be stopped by the farm mare. She was breathing heavily as she tried to speak to him.

“Where… have you been?” Applejack asked as she got some of her breath back.

“I did my regular morning training and then went to the west field to work. Is something wrong?” Damian asked with a raised brow.

“I thought that you may have ran away. I spent the last couple of hours looking all over the fields for you.” Applejack said as she gave a sigh of relief.

“Well, you found me. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to get some lunch,” Damian said as he tried to walk around her.

“Hold on there, sugarcube. Wouldn’t you like to join my family and I for lunch?” Applejack asked.

“As nice as that sounds to get some probably decent food, I have to decline. I would only cause problems for you, your brother, and your little sister.” Damian explained.

“Well, if you come have lunch with us, then you might be able to apologize to Apple Bloom for you outburst,” Applejack said.

He could hear it in the tone of her voice. She was giving him a suggestion and possibly a hint on what he could do to keep his stay at the farm. He really wanted to just stay out of their manes and keep to himself, but anything to possibly irritate the princesses seemed like a good plan. He smiled internally as he imagined the two princesses in a frustrated state because Applejack allowed him to stay. He could easily rub it in their faces and prove to that arrogant Celestia that they weren’t the same.

The option to just completely prove the princesses wrong was too much to pass up. He gave a slight nod that the farm mare easily understood. She walked off towards the farmhouse and he easily followed behind her. They were about several feet from the farmhouse when the mare stopped him with an extended hoof. She had a serious look on her face as she stared into this eyes.

“I will let you know that I have a grandma that lives with us. She knows that you are staying here, but hasn’t met you. She is a hard working mare and if you hurt her in any way like you did my sister, then this will happen to you.” Applejack said before turning her back to a nearby tree.

She lifted her rear legs as she prepared one of her stronger bucks. Her hind legs shot out and impacted the tree with a loud smack. He could only stare, slightly wide-eyed at the indention in the tree. Not only that, but the whole entire tree was shaking, and all the apples fell from it. He gave a small gulp at the strength of the farm mare. He didn’t know why he was surprised when he knew that she worked most of these fields with her brother.

She was staring back at him, asking if he understood the consequences. He gave a slight nod of the head, and she smiled as she continued her walk back to the farm house. He stayed back a few seconds to look at the damage on three. There was a perfect indention of her hooves on the tree without any sign of blood. He shook his head as he jogged toward the farmhouse and caught up to her. She opened the door and allowed him through first.

As soon as he stepped through the door, his nose was assaulted by many different apple scents. He could smell apple pie, apple fritters, caramel apples, and his long-time favorite, apple cobbler. He heard the door shut behind him and the orange mare walked by him. She walked up the stairs and disappeared around the corner. He wasn’t told exactly where he was allowed to go, so he just stood at the door entrance, waiting to be called.

It was a few minutes later until the form of the farm mare could be seen. Her looks were about the same, but it could be slightly made out that she did clean herself up. She walked down the stairs and headed for the dining room. She stopped as she reached the human and looked at him.

“There’s a shower room that you can use at the top of the stairs. It’s the second door on your right and a change of clothes. Rarity dropped them by early in the morning. They might be a little big on you, so after lunch you need to head to Rarity’s shop so she can get your measurements,” Applejack said.

“Heh, you actually trust me to go there by myself and come back?” Damian said as he chuckled slightly.

“No, I don’t. That’s why I’m having Apple Bloom go with you since she will be staying with her friend for the night. That, I believe is enough to make sure that you go there and come back.” Applejack said as she slightly flexed her hind leg.

He had to give it to the country mare. She was smarter than she looked, and made the situation all the more interesting. He saw her flexing her hind leg and he just gave a nod. There was a chance he could have just ran away when he was walking with Apple Bloom, but he didn’t want to be chased for the rest of his life. Granted he probably wouldn’t get far with the princesses listening to his thoughts.

He was glad that he had better morals than most members of his guild. Most of them would either hold the little filly hostage or even kill her. His master taught him that only cowards would do that and not worth his own time to teach. That was one of the top ten bits of advice that he took from his master. Seeing that the mare was now gone, he headed up the stairs to take his shower. The shower room was right where she said it was, and he entered the surprisingly spacious room.

The shower room was an old modern style. Nice oak wood floors, with a cherry wood sink. There was a simple shower in the corner of the room with a curtain that would give him some privacy. He looked over at the sink and saw the aforementioned clothes. He walked up to them and looked them over. His shirt was obsidian black with a blood red tint. His pants were a pair of black cargo shorts that went just below his knees. The shirt surprised him because he thought that the prissy unicorn wouldn’t like such dark colors.

Shrugging slightly, he took off his clothes and went in the shower. He turned the first dial that he saw and was sprayed with ice chilling cold water. His body slightly shivered from the cold, but she soon adjusted. The cold water running over his body felt so good that he let his mind just let go. There was no pattern to his thoughts except that they kept going to the apple fields. It was weird that he was thinking about something so out of place, but it probably could have been worse.

He scrubbed down his hair and body and let the water wash away the suds. Feeling refreshed from having an actual shower, he turned off the dials and exited the shower. He grabbed a nearby towel that was apparently set out just for him. He wiped down the excess water and put on his new clothes. Applejack was right when she said they would be little large on him. Still, the clothes were a nice fit and he was happy to have something to wear that didn’t smell like ass and sweat.

He exited the bathroom and walked down the stairs. He found the doors to the dining room and just stared at them. He could easily just sit out in the living room and be served there, but they probably wouldn’t be happy about that. With nothing really set in his mind, he opened the door and was met with four different eyes. He easily picked out Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom who quickly averted her gaze. He looked at the last mare in the room and gave a good guess that it was Granny Smith.

She was a feeble mare with a lime green coat and amber eyes. Her mane and tail were white as snow, showing that she has aged a lot. The one thing that he couldn’t figure out about the mare was her smile. The farm mare mentioned that the elderly mare was aware of his presence, but why was she smiling?

“Well, don’t just stand there, sunny. Come have a seat and get your grub on,” Granny Smith said.

She was so polite and kind to him that he had no idea what to do. He expected the mare to have some sort of anger or malice toward him, but there was none. Doing as she suggested, he took a seat at the far end of the table, away from the other ponies. Once he was seated, the ponies went about getting their food and eating. He waited for them to get their food first before he grabbed his own. He saw that they had their plates full of the different apple treats that he smelled and went to get his own.

He was stopped by an orange hoof of his hand. He looked up at the country mare and saw her moving her eyes to the side. He followed her eye movement to see that she was pointing out Apple Bloom. He looked back at her and her gaze pretty much said everything. Taking a deep sigh, he did the hardest thing that he could do at the moment.

“Apple Bloom, I’m sorry for yelling at you,” Damian said in the best apologetic tone that he could.

The little filly looked up at him with wide eyes as she tried to figure out what to say. She was looking between her brother and sister, who both had held a stoic expression. She then looked at the human who was waiting for her answer. A silence started to form as she thought about what was right to say, then she decided what was best.

“Thank you, Damian. I hope that we can be friends hopefully,” Apple Bloom said as she smiled.

There was that word again that he hated to hear. He didn’t voice his opinion, but gave a slight nod of his head. She beamed happily as she went back to her food and Applejack gestured that he could eat now. He casually took a few pieces of the food that was offered and ate in his silence. The ponies seemed fine with talking with each other and he was glad not to have any of it directed towards him.

Lunch went over smoothly as he helped clean up some of the dishes. With everything cleaned, he waited by the door as Apple Bloom went to get her saddlebags. He was left alone to his own devices while Big Mac and Applejack went to finish their chores. He waited around for several minutes before finally succumbing to boredom. He looked over into the kitchen and saw a knife set on the counter. Thinking that it would still be a while before the filly came down the stairs, he went to check out the knives.

He looked at the seven knives that were neatly placed in their wooden holder. He pulled them out one by one to see which one he liked. There were three fruit knives, a cleaver, two steak knives weirdly enough, and a bread knife. He put away the bread knife and cleaver since they were unbalanced. He put away two fruit knives because one was too short and the other two long. One steak knife was put away because the blade was dulled beyond repair.

He picked up the two remaining knives and started passing them back and forth. They felt alright as they flew from hand to hand and switched it up. He twirled the blades in his hand, feeling the cold spin around his fingers. They spun in a blur as he started to juggle them. He could feel himself form a small smile as he lost himself in his work. It felt right to hold these knives, even if they were used for food than anything else. He was startled when a high pitched voice came from behind.

“What you doing?” Apple Bloom asked a little loudly.

“Holy shit,” Damian said as he tossed the two knives into the wall.

He could feel his heart pound in his chest as adrenaline coursed through his veins. The knives were stuck firmly in the wall, the little filly looking at them with wide eyes. They were in the left wall of the door that she entered from and was looking back at the human. The adrenaline in his body slowly dissipated and his heart finally slowed down. Apple Bloom seemed to have gotten over her initial shock when she found her lost voice.

“Was I interrupting something?” Apple Bloom asked, her eyes never leaving the embedded knives.

“Sorry, I was just passing the time. You have everything that you need?” Damian asked the startled filly.

She gave a quick nod as he gestured for her to lead the way. She took off in a small gallop that he easily kept pace with by taking longer strides. He looked over to his left to see Applejack and Big Mac waving. He waved back and alerted the younger apple sibling to her relatives. The filly gave her own wave and they continued on their walk. He watched as the filly gave a huge smile and happily hopped in her walk. It was so weird to see her in such a pleasant mood that it made him wonder what was really going on.

He was told that he was going to get measurements for clothes, but now experience was telling him something entirely different. His mind raced with the thoughts that it was some elaborate ruse to get him cornered. The ponies were trying to put him in a corner so they could kill him or dissect him. He could feel his adrenaline pumping in his body again, ready to put up a fight if he needed. He was pulled from his train of thought when the filly spoke to him.

“So what was that you were doing?” Apple Bloom asked as she gave him a curious look.

“I was just messing with some of your knives. It’s a way for me to determine if they are any good, and a great pass time,” Damian answered as he kept his eyes forward.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Apple Bloom asked, her eyes showing interest in what he can do.

“One of the perks of my job and something that I taught myself,” Damian answered as he tried to gauge the filly’s questions.

“So what is it that you did for a living? The cutie marks on your arms are hard to understand,” Apple Bloom said as she stared intently at the human’s arms.

“Let’s get a general understanding about me. First off, you don’t need to know what I did. Second, I have no idea what a cutie mark is. Finally, these are rites of passage that I took to get these,” Damian explained as he waved his arms.

“Would you like to know what a cutie mark is?” Apple Bloom asked as she smiled at her chance to explain something.

“Please, enlighten me.”

“Have you noticed the three apples that are on my sister’s flank?”

“No, and I choose not to look in that general direction,” Damian said with a serious expression.

“Well, a cutie mark is a way for a pony to figure out their special talent. My sister and brother are good with apple farming. Rarity has an eye for design, and Fluttershy can talk with animals.”

“Rarity is the white unicorn and Fluttershy is the butterscotch pegasus, correct?”

“Yes, have you met them already?”

“I have, but it could have been a better greeting. I don’t exactly know how to gauge Fluttershy since she really didn’t say much.”

“Yeah, she can be a little shy at times. It usually takes her a while to open up to ponies, but even then she will still be shy.”

Damian just gave a slight shrug of his shoulders after the filly was finished. He really didn’t expect to talk to many of the ponies, save the princesses and Applejack. Their walk finally ended when they reached a very intricate building. He had to stop and stare at the building because of its ridiculousness. It was a two story house made out of a carousel. He could only rub his temples at the thought of this favor lasting longer than it should.

Knowing that it would be best to get it done as quickly as possible, he gave a hefty knock. There was a few moments of silence before some scrambling could be heard. He made sure to smooth out the clothes so the white unicorn could get a better look at how they fit him. The door opened as he expected to be greeted by the unicorn, but instead it was another filly. The filly was pure white with a small horn protruding from her head. The horn was buried underneath her mulberry mane that had light rose streaks. Her tail was the same color and she looked at him with curiosity filled harlequin eyes.

“Hey there, Sweetie Belle, is Scootaloo here yet?” Apple Bloom asked as she walked in.

“Yeah, she’s already in my room planning out our next attempts at getting out cutie marks. May I ask who your friend is, though?” Sweetie Belle said as she stepped aside and allowed the human through.

“This is Damian, and he is a human. He’s staying on the farm while my sister tries to figure out what to do with him. He’s here to see your sister and get fitted for more clothing,” Apple Bloom explained.

“Cool. Wait here while I get Scootaloo. She’ll be so interested to meet our new friend,” Sweetie Belle said excitedly.

“Wait, but I’m-” was all Damian could say before the two fillies disappeared up the stairs.

He let out a heavy sigh as he looked around the living room. It was overly designed for his tastes, but he wasn’t surprised to see the amount of fancy furniture the unicorn owned. Even remembering the way she talked brought a slight irritation to him. He knew that she didn’t grow up with any high class people, but she acted like she did and that was the worst thing he had ever seen. Seeing as the prissy unicorn was nowhere in sight yet, he decided to take a seat on the couch. Once he was seated, it wasn’t long before the two fillies from before came running down the stairs with a third in tow.

The new filly was gamboge and had tiny wings on her side. Her mane and tail were a scraggly mess like the cyan pegasus, but thankfully was only the color cerise. Her eyes were a light purple and she looked at him with curiosity. She slowly walked around him as he kept his attention on the little filly. She did one walk around before settling in front of him and smiling wide. She held out her hoof as she introduced herself.

“Hey there. The name’s Scootaloo. What’s your name?” Scootaloo greeted happily.

“The name’s Damian, and it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Damian greeted as he took the filly’s hoof.

The two of them gave a couple of shakes before pulling back their appendages. Scootaloo looked back at her friends and gave a sharp nod. The friends returned the gesture and they headed back up the stairs. Damian watched as they disappeared around a corner and sat himself down again. He was expecting something more from the filly, since she seemed like the cyan pegasus, but nothing really happened. All she did was introduce herself and then left with the others to do who knows what. Feeling a little uncomfortable with the setting, he stood up and cupped his hands as he called out to the unicorn.

“Rarity!” Damian yelled loud enough so he could be heard around the house.

“I’ll just be a moment, darling,” Rarity called out.

Happy that he was able to get the attention of the white unicorn, he brushed himself off as he waited. It didn’t take long before he could hear the clopping of hooves against the wooden floor above. Rarity came from around the corner, smiling brightly as she greeted a potential customer.

“Good day, and welcome to Carousel Boutique. My name is Rarity and-” Rarity started only to stop when she saw the human at the bottom of the steps.

Her bright smile turned into a scowl as she calmly walked down the stairs. When she reached the final step, she was quickly in his face. Her sapphire eyes were cold as she stared straight into his soul. A tense silence settled into the room as the two of them stared at each other. The unicorn was the first to break the eerie silence before tensions increased.

“What can I help you with?” Rarity asked in a slightly irritated tone.

“Applejack sent me so you could get my measurements,” Damian replied.

“I see. At least the clothes that I made were able to hold up until you got here. So let’s head to the stage in the back and I can get you all fitted,” Rarity said as she turned in place and walked away.

He could only shake his head slightly as he followed the mare. Every fiber in his being was screaming at him to just yell at the mare and stop acting so fake. The only thing that stayed his tongue was being able to stay at the farm. Staying at the farm or with the princesses wasn’t all that much fun since he was being watched 24/7, but at least on the farm he at least had some type of freedom. He wouldn’t even last an hour with the princesses since as soon he would arrive, he would try and start something with them.

They reached the staging area and he saw a blue aura envelop the door. He heard as it clicked in place and heard the locks being turned. The unicorn didn’t turn around as she grabbed her red glasses and a measuring tape. She then grabbed a notepad and quill before turning around to address the human.

“Please remove all your clothing so we can get started,” Rarity said in a slightly commanding tone.

“I’d rather not,” Damian said.

“Why not?” Rarity asked unamused.

“Well, it’s because I don’t want to be naked in front of you,” Damian easily replied.

“Why does it matter? You can see clearly that all the ponies here are naked and it’s perfectly normal,” Rarity explained.

“Maybe if you’re a pony it is. If you’re human like me then you don’t have the luxury of fur to hide your private areas,” Damian said as he gestured to his lower half.

The unicorn stared at him with a confused expression for a few seconds before it finally clicked. Her face grew a slight blush that she quickly shook away as she took even breaths to calm down. Once she was collected, she looked back at the human.

“I think I understand. If that’s the case, then you can remove everything and keep your boxers on,” Rarity said.

He would still prefer to not get naked in front of the unicorn, but he just wanted to get this over with. He took off his clothing, except his boxers, and stood on the stage. He held his arms out while the unicorn got work. He had never been fitted for clothes before and he was glad that he never did. The process was long and very boring. He listened to the little scratches that the quill made as the mare took down his measurements. He grew slightly irritated when she went along his inner thigh and near something that he didn’t want her near.

Thankfully she made the measurement quickly so she could get away from that part of him. A few hours later, and she had everything that she needed. She took her glasses off and placed her notepad next to them. The human got off the stage and walked towards the clothes before they were wrapped in her blue aura. He looked back at the unicorn as she levitated the clothes to her and placed them on her workstation.

“Can I ask what you’re doing?” Damian asked as he took a seat in a nearby chair.

“I’ll need the rest of the day to get you an appropriate wardrobe made. I’m just going to trim these up so that you have something to wear until you pick up your clothes tomorrow. Also, what kind of clothing would you like to be made first, and what are your preferred colors?” Rarity said as she started her work on the clothes.

“Anything that I can work in would be a nice starter. Shorts and t-shirts would really be appreciated so I have something to wear under my cloak. Colors that I would prefer would be black, red, or blue. If it isn’t too much trouble as well, can you also put a wing on the left shoulder in the back?” Damian described.

“Very well. I will have those to you some time tomorrow afternoon. You can pick them up when you come to get Apple Bloom,” Rarity said as she handed him back his clothes.

Damian just gave a nod of his head as he got dressed. He was surprised to see how well the clothes fit him after the unicorn messed with them. Even more interesting was that there was no sign of any alterations that were made to his clothes. Happy with how the clothes were no longer baggy, he waved goodbye to the unicorn and headed out of her house. He saw the slowly setting sun and began his trek back to the farm. The walk went fairly quickly since he wasn’t distracted by anything and headed into the barn. He opened the door to see the orange mare waiting for him.

“So how did everything go?” Applejack asked.

“It went decently. Met your younger sister’s friends, and I had a strange feeling that they’re going to cause a lot of trouble here soon,” Damian said and not long after, there was a huge explosion.

He looked over at the country mare, who only shook her head. She got up to her hooves and headed for the door. She stopped at the doors with a hoof placed on one of them before turning to meet the human.

“You have no idea how much trouble they cause, though I can never stay mad at them since they have great determination. I’ll let you turn in for the night and get you when it’s time to get Apple Bloom,” Applejack said as she walked out the door.

He only nodded his head slightly as he started climbing up the stairs. He found his cloak and pants neatly hung on a hanger and placed on one of the rafters. He ran his hand over the soft material as he gave a small smile. Even with his magic and knives taken away from him, he was glad that at least something was left of his semblance. Bowing his head slightly as he whispered to himself, he let the memories of his master fill his find. After his prayer was finished, he grabbed the blanket and threw it over his body. His eyes closed quickly as he went straight to sleep.

Day 2

The sun slowly crawled over the horizon as a certain human was already up and moving around the orchard. His morning training was out of the way and he was now collecting the apples. He figured that if he started early enough, then he would be able to get to relax earlier when his chores were finished. None of the other ponies ever expected him to finish his side since it was so large. He only had to collect for a few hours, so at least there was something that could be sold in the streets.

He finished hauling in his fourth bucket when he saw the farm mare approaching. He set the bucket down next to the other three and wiped his forehead with a cloth. He leaned against the wall as he waited for the approaching mare. Applejack soon reached him and smiled as she greeted the human.

“Good morning there. I see that you’ve gotten a head start again,” Applejack stated as she looked at the four apple filled buckets.

“I just thought that if I got finished earlier then I could have some time to myself,” Damian replied.

“As long as you don’t work yourself into the ground, I won’t have a problem. Which reminds me, I have something for you,” Applejack said as she started digging through her saddlebags.

She pulled out a black stetson from her saddlebags and presented it to the human. She held it gently in her teeth as she offered it to him. He hesitantly reached for the hat before gripping it and pulling it towards him. He looked it over before looking at the farm mare curiously.

“What’s this for?” Damian asked as he went back to inspecting the hat.

“I just thought that you would like something to keep you from roasting out here in the sun. I know that you work in the early mornings, but I thought just in case if you ever needed it, it would be there,” Applejack said with a slight smile.

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” Damian said as he hung the hat on a side wall.

He had no idea what had gotten into the mare. It was only his fourth day in Equestria and only the third day that he had been on the farm. The mare was treating him more kindly than he really liked. As he thought about it though, it was seen that most of the ponies tried to solve everything by being friendly. There was also a chance that she was trying to be his friend, but he quickly dismissed that idea since he told her and her friends that he didn’t want any friends. Whatever the reason may be, he just had to suck it up so he could stay on the farm.

“Come on. Let’s head to Rarity’s place so we can pick up Apple Bloom,” Applejack said as she walked off.

He gave her a nod before wiping down the rest of his body the best he could. He threw the cloth into a nearby trash barrel and chased after the mare. He still kept his distance as he followed the mare since he still didn’t quite trust what she was planning. He would see her look over her shoulder and in his general direction to see if he was still following. Her small smile never faltered during their walk, but she did slow down so she could walk next to him. He noticed as she came near his side and prepared himself for anything that the mare would throw at him.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m proud of you so far,” Applejack said as she still smiled at him.

“Anything that keeps me from being around those princesses of yours,” Damian said as he refused to meet her gaze.

“Still, you could have done anything that you wanted, but you didn’t. You stuck to the rules that were laid out before you and followed them all the way,” Applejack continued to compliment.

“Yeah and there was the fact that I don’t know this land at all, so there is really no place for me to go,” Damian replied.

“True, but that you didn’t attempt anything shows that you’re at least trying.”

“If that is how you want to see it, then fine by me. I’ll continue to just stay out of everyone’s way and do what was asked of me.”

The rest of the walk was spent in silence as the two neared the boutique. The farm mare didn’t even knock as she opened the door and walked right in. Seeing as the mare just walked in, he did the same and closed the door behind him. Once inside, he could hear the clopping of multiple hooves as they neared the stairs. Apple Bloom was the first to show up as she jumped from the top step and fell for the bottom. Not really thinking about his action, he moved quickly as he caught the filly before hitting the ground.

“Woah, that was so cool. Where did you learn to do that?” Scootaloo asked as she walked down the steps.

“Just a natural reaction that I have. I’m more surprised that I jumped to save her. I was sure that she would be fine jumping from the top stair and even if she wouldn’t, her sister would be able to save her,” Damian said as he gently put Apple Bloom down.

“Well, whatever the reason was I’m glad that you did that,” Applejack said as she lightly patted his leg.

He just shook his head as he noticed the other two ponies show up. Sweetie Belle walked down the stairs and led the other two fillies outside. Rarity slowly walked down her steps as she gently combed her mane. He wanted to give the white unicorn utter crap with the way that she looked. He decided against it, since Applejack was still with him and he really didn’t want to get his leg or ribs shattered by one of her kicks. He also didn’t want to test the unicorn’s magical abilities when he didn’t have a way to defend himself from such attacks. He was about to get the unicorn’s attention before he heard someone calling from the kitchen.

“Rarity, I have your tea ready, and I cleaned up your studio,” The voice said from the kitchen.

“Thank you, Spikey-Wikey. You’ve been such a great help around the shop today that I believe you deserve a special treat,” Rarity said as she levitated a gemstone from a nearby chest.

“Who the hell is Spikey-Wikey?” Damian whispered to the farm mare.

“His name’s Spike and Rarity is the one that calls him that pet name. He’s also Twilight’s dragon assistant,” Applejack explained and he could feel his heart skip a beat.

“How old is the dragon?” Damian asked in slight fear. After his last encounter with a dragon, he was ready to run if it was an adult dragon.

“He’s only a baby dragon,” Applejack said and this helped to calm his nerves.

He turned back to the kitchen when he heard a loud crunch and he finally met the dragon. He was about as tall as the fillies and seemed relatively harmless. He had mulberry scales with lime green ones near his ears. His underbelly had his soft yellow scales that were still developing. His eyes were pistachio and his spikes on his head all the way down to his tail were harlequin. He was eating the gem that Rarity gave him before he stopped to look at the human in front of him.

“So you’re the human that Rarity and Twilight have been talking about,” Spike said as he looked him up and down.

“I guess I am, since I’m the only one of my kind here,” Damian said sarcastically.

“Well I’m Spike and Twilight’s number one assistant,” Spike said proudly.

“Damian and I kind of just want to get my clothes and get out of here,” Applejack said as she looked at the unicorn.

“Of course, darling. I have them finished and done the way that you want them, much to my distaste,” Rarity said slightly disgusted.

Again he could feel his anger reach a peak before he had to let it slide. If he didn’t find a way to let his anger out soon, he would end up destroying something. Taking the clothes that the unicorn levitate to him, he looked them over before deciding that they were satisfactory. He put them in an offered bag and flung it over his shoulder. He started walking for the door until he was stopped by a loud cough. He looked over at Applejack to see her giving him a cold glare. He looked at her with confusion before he realized what she wanted. Sighing heavily, he faced the unicorn and said something that almost made him lose his lunch.

“Thank you, Rarity,” Damian said through clenched teeth.

“You’re welcome, darling,” Rarity said before walking into the kitchen.

Once the mare was gone he didn’t even wait for Applejack as he left the boutique. He sat on one of the benches outside her home as he rubbed his temples. It seemed like either option of staying at the farm or being stuck with the princesses was going to bring its own set of headaches. He was lost in his own world that he didn’t even notice a certain cream colored pegasus stop in front of him.

“Um… e-excuse me, Damian, is e-everything alright?” Fluttershy asked as she looked at him with concern.

“I will be once I get back to the farm and get some time to myself,” He replied without looking up.

“Do you w-want to talk about it?” Fluttershy asked as she took a seat next to him.

“Not really,” Damian replied as he leaned back.

“It’s not a good idea to keep your emotions bottled up,” Fluttershy said as she looked at him.

“True, but I don’t really have anyone to talk to it about and even if I did, I still wouldn’t say anything. I also appreciate the kind gesture of offering to listen, but I’m going to have to respectfully decline,” Damian said as he made eye contact with the timid pegasus.

“If that’s what you would like, then I won’t push any further.” Fluttershy said as she jumped off the bench and headed inside.

Applejack walked out before the door closed and tapped the human on the leg. He looked down to see her gesturing with her head for him to follow. He grabbed his bag and popped his bones into place before following the country mare. She didn’t say anything on her their way back to the farm. He took the peace and quiet as he let his mind wander to some better times of his life. His thoughts were soon cut short when he reached the barn and walked inside. He was about to close the door, before the orange mare stopped it with her hoof.

“Can I speak to you for a few minutes?” Applejack asked in a somber tone.

“I guess, I mean I can’t really keep you locked out of your own barn to avoid talking to you,” Damian said as he opened the door.

The mare walked in and took a seat at the nearby table. He closed the door and grabbed his hat before walking up the stairs. He placed the bag and hat near his hanging cloak before walking back down. He saw that the mare was still upset about something and sat next to her at the table, against his better judgment. A heavy silence filled the room as the two of them just sat there, neither one looking at the other. Several seconds of silence lingered before the mare finally spoke up.

“I can see why you were so nervous around Spike,” Applejack said as she looked at the floor.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Damian said as he feigned ignorance.

“Don’t bother trying to lie to me. I can see right through it, so it’s better if we just talk about this."

“Then enlighten me about what you learned about me,” Damian said in a challenging tone.

“I couldn’t figure it out until I spoke to Apple Bloom. She mentioned something about ‘rites of passage’ that you took and how it was related to the tattoos that you have. Then I take in the fact that you were slightly nervous about there being a dragon, and then looking at your dragon tattoo, it made sense. I’m not going to ask what led up to the decisions that you made, but I need to know if you will be able to handle living here with the fact that there is a dragon,” Applejack said as she fixed him with a hard glare.

“I really don’t give you enough credit. You may be a simple farm mare, but you’re very perceptive. Since he is a baby dragon as you said and since dragons also have a long lifespan, I will be able to handle living with a dragon,” Damian said as he stared back at Applejack.

The mare nodded at his response before getting up from her seat. She shook herself a bit so she could get feeling back in her hooves before walking out. He opened the door for the mare that gave him a slight nod and walked out. He closed the door and headed upstairs. He looked out the window and scanned the many apple trees. He couldn’t help the slight chuckle that escaped his lips as he thought about what Applejack said. She told him that she could easily see through his lies, but there were some that she hadn’t called him out on.

There was still much more the ponies needed to learn about the human if they thought they could read him like a book. He was pulled from his musings by a series of loud knocks against the door. He walked down the stairs and opened the door to be greeted by the three fillies. Apple Bloom looked at him with slight hope as she spoke.

“Hey, Damian, do you think that you can help us fix our treehouse?” Apple Bloom asked as she looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

“Sure. Do I need to grab anything, or is everything already there?” Damian answered as he looked back inside the barn.

“We have the tools that we need so you can just follow us.” Scootaloo said.

He nodded his head as he walked out of the barn. He closed the door behind him and started following the fillies. The three friends were smiling as they ran around and laughed. He stayed back as he kept his eyes on them to make sure that there wasn’t something planned. They walked for a couple hours before finally reaching a huge tree. He could see the treehouse hanging in the branches, some of the wood looking very old. The fillies ran up the ramp so they could get started early on the repairs.

He reached the top of the step and was handed a hammer and nails from Sweetie Belle. He didn’t need to be told what needed fixing as he scanned the entirety of the structure. He looked down at the tools and could only shake his head in slight disappointment. They were only doing slight repairs that would require more repairs later on as time went by. Not entirely up for having to repair the building so often, he made a note to try and make it look brand new. He saw the fillies getting started on their repairs, and he joined them.

Several minutes in and he was the only one left working on their clubhouse as he was told. Apparently, it was the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse where the three of them came together to plan the series of trials to get their cutie marks. Since he had the fillies not working on anything at the moment, more for his safety than theirs, they went about planning their next crusade.

“So you want to try this before we have to head home?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yeah, since it should be pretty quick to see if we get our cutie marks,” Scootaloo replied.

“Then it’s settled,” Apple Bloom agreed.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS TREASURE HUNTERS!” The fillies yelled at the top of their lungs.

Damian looked over his shoulder to see the three fillies running outside. Letting out a sigh of relief, he set his tools down and laid on the floor. He never thought that he would get a few minutes of rest while they were around. He stared up that the cracked ceiling before he looked through the rotting sunroof. He stared at the open sky as he let his body relax from the extensive repairs that were made. Seeing as he would have some time before the fillies came back, he closed his eyes and tried to take a short nap.

“AHHHHHHH!” Damian shot straight up as he heard the screams of the fillies.

The screams the fillies made was something he had heard many times before. Fear. Whatever was out there was scaring the three fillies and it was close. There was a good chance that Applejack or even Big Mac didn’t hear it since they were so deep in the forest. He jumped to his feet as he quickly looked through the toolbox. He had no idea what he was going to find when he stepped out of the clubhouse, but he needed something in case it got ugly. Much to his disappointment, he walked out with two hammers in hand.

He really wished he had his knives or a least some pair of knives that he could use. With no time to really go and get any, he set off in the direction of the scream. The sun was already starting to set and give way to the moon. He picked up his pace as he needed to find the fillies fast before night came. They weren’t inside the Everfree, but they were close enough that he could feel the darkness that came off of it. He shivered as he remembered that first touch of darkness and swore that he would reach them.

The moon was steadily rising and the land was blanketed in darkness. His heart pounded in his chest as he heard crickets chirp in the night and the wind softly blowing against the leaves. He was worried that he was headed in the wrong direction, or worse, he was already too late to help the three fillies. He shook his head as he refused to think that something bad happened to them. He lowered his body and increased his speed as he continued in the one direction he knew that was correct. A few minutes went by in utter silence before he could hear some faint whimpering.

He looked over a bush to see the three fillies lying in the ground. He looked to his left and right before running through the bush. He looked around again before walking to the limp bodies of the crusaders and kneeling over them. He leaned close so that his voice wouldn’t attract anything as he nudged them.

“Girls, is everything alright?” He asked in a calm whisper.

“Damian, it’s a trap,” Apple Bloom groaned in pain

He looked at the filly with a raised brow before he heard rustling from behind. He turned around quickly to be greeted by nothing. He stood stock still as he listened for anything else that might mean something was with them. With no other sounds being made, he turned around gently before having all of the air knocked out of him. He caught a glimpse of a tail that struck him in the gut before he was sent flying into a tree. He groaned at the hard impact as he panted for breath.

He placed his hand on the tree to help stabilize his posture as he looked around. He couldn’t see anything, but he knew that it was nearby. He slowed his breathing as he waited for some sort of sound to where the creature might be. He heard a slight rustle from the bush and threw one of his hammers at it. He heard a soft ‘thunk,’ but nothing more was heard. He looked at the last hammer that was in his hand and threw it to the side. He started walking towards the fillies who were slowly regaining consciousness. He was halfway to them when something wrapped around his leg and jerked him back.

He was pulled through the bushes and lost all sight of the fillies. He could feel something still wrapped around his leg and rolled onto his back. He looked down to see the same tail that had struck him was now dragging him away. The dragging stopped as he was released in an open field, trees encircling him. He saw the bushes in front of him rustle as a creature came into view. It slithered slowly as it looked him up and down, gauging his possible threat.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Damian said to no one particular.

The creature that slowly slithered towards him was something that he only knew from textbooks. The creature was long since extinct in his world, but now he was facing it first hand, and knew why the books said that death was imminent when you ran into one. A basilisk was a creature that hunted during the night. Many people lost their lives to the creature’s potent venom as it hunted them. He had to take step back and to the side as the creature neared him. Every fiber told him to run and try to escape the creature, but he remembered the three fillies.

The basilisk was probably the reason for their fright and he was the only one in its way. The creature saw him as competition for its food and wanted to end him. Seeing as there was no way to get away from the creature without getting the crusaders involved, he planted his feet into the ground. The basilisk stopped in its tracks as it watched the human lift his arms up and prepared for a fight. He watched as the serpent’s tongue flicked at the air, sensing the heat that came off his body. Its eyes grew to slits as it prepared to strike.

The strike came fast and precise as it tried to go for his neck. He barely had anytime to jump to the side and avoid a slow, painful death. The creature coiled its body to strike again and he used this as his chance. He ran towards the creature and gave a sharp punch to the side of its head. He felt his fist make contact with the creature, but it didn’t even faze it. He felt pain shoot through his arm as he pulled back. He looked to see that his knuckles were already bleeding from the impact.

The basilisk looked annoyed from his attack, and bared his fangs. He could see the venom shimmer in the moonlight as it dripped from the points. He had no idea what to do at this moment. He couldn’t hurt the creature because of its tough scales and dodging would only be futile since he would run out of stamina and become easy prey for the creature. He needed something, anything that could possibly help him drive back the creature. He scanned his surroundings, never staying off the creature for a long period of time.

He couldn’t find anything that could help him until he saw a large, old tree. It was leaning a bit to its side and looked ready to fall over. He wasn’t sure if it would kill the creature, but if it could hurt it enough to get it to leave, then that was fine by him. The creature never let him out of his sight and he was hoping for that. The creature kept low and slithered towards him as he backed up. He was slowly nearing the tree and took a quick look back to see if he had his back to it still. The creature used this to strike at him with its tail.

He didn’t have any time to react as he was struck in the side by the tail. He could see barbs sticking from the tail and cursed himself for forgetting about them. The basilisk only needed one barb in its prey to get the venom flowing in its blood. The strike flung him right into the tree and lost all his breath. He panted heavily as he watched the creature slither towards him. He planted his hands firmly on the ground as he had only one shot at this. The creature eyed him with a deadly gaze that he gladly returned.

He watched as it bared its fangs again and reared its head back. Time slowed as the creature lunged forward, fangs ready to finish him off. Using all his strength, he threw himself to the side and heard the crack of breaking wood. He watched as the tree fell on top of the basilisk and pinned it to the ground. He could hear the loud hissing sounds that it gave off as it writhed underneath the tree. He watched for several minutes before the body became limp and the hissing stopped. He tried to get to his feet, but he couldn’t find the strength.

The venom was coursing through his body now and he knew that he was a goner. He looked up at the night sky as he chuckled to himself. If he had to say anything about what happened to him, he would only say that he had died twice for his own stupidity. He could hear rustling from nearby bushes and when he looked over all he could see was a blur. His vision was getting cloudy and his breathing was getting harder to control. His eyelids felt heavy as they slowly closed. All he could hear was frantic voices from someone that was right next to him. It was starting to get faint, but he could make out a two words.

“Don’t die,” the only two words that he was able to understand before his vision was lost and he could no longer hear anything.

His face grew a slight smile as he thought about joining his family that he had lost. His master would be there and greet him with open arms. Everything was looking good for him, and he couldn’t be happier.