Second Breath

Second Breath
By: Duelist96
Chapter 2: Healing Is a Problem

Darkness surrounded Damian as he floated along the empty abyss. He had a content smile on his face as he stared deep into the nothingness. Many people feared death, but he was one to never shy away from it. He understood death was a natural order to his world and accepted any fate that could befall him. His true joy though, came from the thought of reuniting with his most likely dead master in the afterlife. Believing in some mighty overlord was never something he wanted to accept, but he did think there was a place the soul goes to after one dies.

He was enjoying the peaceful quiet of the dark void until a dim light caught his attention. He looked over to his left to see a flashing white light in the distance. Curious to what the light was, he corrected his course as he floated towards the light. It was never really explained how one would reach the afterlife, but he thought the flashing light was a good sign to follow. He floated for a few minutes before the light’s intensity increased. He had to shield his eyes as he neared the light. He was an arm’s length away before he had to shut his eyes and cover them with his hand so he wouldn’t go blind.

His hand grasped some object made of metal. The object was cold to the touch and felt like a door knob. Risking a chance at going blind, he removed his hand and noticed the blinding light was gone. He looked down to see his hand grasping a brass door knob, but it wasn’t attached to any door. His brow raised in confusion as he tried to figure out the mystery of the knob. Looking around, he didn’t see anything else in the void and decided to turn the knob. He wasn’t expecting any noise to come from turning the knob, but he could hear it click from its hold. Against all better judgment, he pushed forward.

As he pushed forward, he felt something press against his body. Something was pressing against his right side and it felt sturdy. He looked to his right to notice nothing was there. He pulled back a little from whatever he was pressing against and reached out with his hand. His hand made contact with whatever was pressed against him and slowly took shape. Black wisps appeared around his hand before slowly covering the object. He watched the wisps for several seconds, before he was able to make the object out to be an actual door.

Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed the doorknob made out of the wisps and gave it a turn. He could hear the mechanisms inside the doorknob work as he slowly pushed the door open. There was a small flash of light, and when it disappeared, he was greeted with nothing again. Looking at the wisp covered door then back into nothingness, he took a tentative step forward. Nothing seemed different from before, and he continued on his walk. He was too distracted in his walk to notice the door close behind him and the black wisps follow him.

He had no idea how long he was walking for and if he was even in the area the door led him to. Growing more frustrated during his walk, he stopped in mid stride as he tried to remain calm. He thought back to what his master had taught him and sat in where he was standing. His palms were placed on his knees as he took deep, even breaths. His senses slowly came back to him and he could make out a quiet noise from behind. His eyes shot open as he jumped to his feet and looked around.

“Who’s there!?” Damian yelled as he tried to pinpoint the noise.

“It’s not nice to yell, Night Angel,” a voice said from the dark abyss.

“Shade, get out here, now,” Damian demanded as he recognized the voice.

“Now, it isn’t nice to demand others to show themselves, Night Angel,” Shade said as he appeared in front.

The human had his arms crossed as he waited for Shade to show himself. There wasn’t much to the creature that he was familiar with, but it did contain a few noticeable features. The black wisps formed a cloak that was frayed at the bottom and moved to a nonexistent breeze. No feet appeared, but he already knew about Shade’s likeness to floating in the abyss. The hood was next to materialize, but to his surprise the dark creature kept it down.

He could see the head starting to form and it still disgusted him when he looked at it. He was looking at his own face, but with its own special touches. His once black hair was white as snow and his blue eyes turned into a crimson red. The arms slowly showed themselves, but were quickly covered up. Shade always preferred to wear long sleeves, so he could leave the impression that he could be hiding something.

The dark creature stood at the same height as the human as they stared at each other. Damian gave him an infuriated look, while Shade gave one of enjoyment. The creature’s happy smile could easily bring the worst out of the human, but there was nothing he could do about the entity. Silence settled between the two before the human finally gave a heavy sigh and tried to figure out what the dark creature wanted.

“What is it that you want?” Damian asked, showing his anger towards the creature.

“Can’t a good friend come and say hello to his old pal, Night Angel?” Shade asked in a cheery tone.

“You know very well how much I hate you.”

“How can you hate me when I saved your life?” Shade asked as he acted dramatic with a hand on his head.

“Should have guessed you wouldn’t let me die in peace,” Damian grunted in annoyance.

“Do you remember the reason why, though?” Shade asked as he floated closer to the human.

“If I die, then you’ll die as well.”

“Exactly, and since I haven’t enjoyed myself as much as I have wanted, I had to keep you alive. I must say though, I’m surprised to see you’re able to handle yourself without my help.”

“Never needed your help in the beginning, and I certainly don’t need it now,”

“Do you honestly believe that?” Shade asked with a slight frown.

“I do. I also would be living a fine life if you never came around to begin with.”

“And I told you that it couldn’t be avoided. Magic essence may be able to live for a really long time, but we don’t have the choice of who we end up with,” Shade explained as he gave a scowl.

“Why me, though? There were millions to choose from and I’m the one that ends up with the shitty life,” Damian shot back with a few tears starting to show.

“Because that’s just how it is. Whether either of us like it, we’re stuck with each other to the end,” Shade said as he gave a sudden flash.

“Everything okay?”

“It’s that damn bitch.”

“What did she do to you?”

“You remember the magic seal she placed on you?”

“Yeah,” Damian answered as he gave a slight nod.

“After your body started to shut down, the seal started to let up. I took that time to start healing your wounds and keeping the venom from reaching your heart. The sun bitch sensed my presence and put a new seal on you. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s more powerful than the first one,” Shade explained.

“She really can’t keep her nose out of my business, can she?” Damian asked as he shook his head.

“She’s the main reason why you’re alive as well. After she sealed me up again, the poison started to move through your system since I hadn’t gotten rid of it at the time,” Shade said as he stared up at nothing.

“So how long am I stuck here?”

“Your body seems to be doing well and all the poison is out of your system. I’d say that you may leave at your leisure,” Shade said as he summoned a door.

“I want you to know that I still hate you, but I’ll see what I can do about that new magic seal,” Damian said as he reached for the door.

“No rush, Damian. If you can, talk to her about dark magic. She kept mentioning it as the reason for sealing me,” Shade asked.

“Sure thing. She probably also thinks that she got rid of you and it’s going to be a great surprise for her to learn who she’s really dealing with,” Damian joked.

“Get out of here, Night Angel. I’ll talk to you later,” Shade said as he disappeared from existence.

The human couldn’t help but shake his head at the way his magic essence acted. Nineteen years they have lived together and he barely understood him. There was a deep hatred for the dark creature, but some respect for what he offered. If it wasn’t for the creature living inside of him, he would have died some time ago. He opened the door and walked into the blinding light as he prepared to greet the world.

Hospital

The sound of beeping along with the smell of a sterile room assaulted the human’s nose. His nose wrinkled as he wanted something better than whatever he was smelling at the moment. He gave a harsh cough that sent a surge of pain along his side. His eyes slowly cracked open to take in his surroundings. His eyes were blurry and crusty, showing he had been out for a while. He lifted his left arm and started rubbing at his eyes so he could see where he was at.

It took a minute, but his vision slowly came back to him. He could make out the white tiles on the floor as they reflected the light back into his eyes. He looked over to his right to see an IV and heart monitor reading his vitals. The ceiling had two lights that were glowing with a fierce intensity that could easily compete with the sun. A lone chair sat to the side of his bed and it was clear that it had seen some use.

He stopped looking around the room when he felt a small breeze. He reached for the sheet that was covering his body and hoped he was wrong. He lifted the sheet and immediately pulled it back down. His face grew slight red from the embarrassment and fury that was building inside of him.

“Fucking damn it,” Damian cursed in a whisper.

The ponies had completely stripped him of all his clothing and didn’t even bother giving him something to cover up in. He wanted to throw the heart monitor out the nearby window to release his building anger, along with getting rid of the annoying beeping sound it made. He decided against it as he felt another surge. He had no idea how they did it or if they even bothered, but he needed to find a bathroom.

The human carefully swung his legs over the side, wincing slightly from a sharp pain in his side. Looking down, he found where the basilisk had stung him. There were a couple stitches left, but it seemed Shade had done a decent job with it before he was sealed away. His feet touched the cold linoleum floor and heard a small clang. He felt the vibration from the clang resonate from his finger and looked down.

There were two rings that were on his middle finger. One was made of silver and had crescent moons running along it and the other was made of gold that had suns running around it. It didn’t take much to figure out who put them there and gave a small growl. He tried to pull the rings off, but with no luck. Giving up for now so he could use the restroom, he pulled off everything that was attached to his body except for the IV.

He knew that being disconnected from the heart monitor would set off an alarm at the front, but he didn’t care. He shuffled along the cold floor until he finally reached his destination. He turned on the light and shuffled in as he closed the door behind him. He walked over to the toilet and started doing his business. Once he was finished, he washed his hands and headed back to bed. He was sitting on the edge when his door was slammed open.

Wincing from the pain in his side, he grabbed the bed sheet and covered his lower half as he glared at whoever entered. He saw who was standing at the door and was already infuriated with her new behavior. Her flowing mane easily told him who it was and he laid back in bed as she walked towards him. The Princess of the Sun was about to say something when he cut her off.

“Ever hear of knocking? It shows politeness because you never know what is beyond the door,” Damian said, not even bothering to look in her direction.

“I asked the nurses to tell me if anything strange appears while you’re in here,” Celestia stated with a serious gaze.

“Sorry for the false alarm, then.”

“So you’re doing well?”

“Yes, but I have a question.”

“Which is?”

“What are these things that you put on my fingers, and why can’t I remove them?” Damian asked with a slight scowl.

“They’re magic inhibitor rings. They lock away a pony’s magic and can only be removed by the ones who placed them,” Celestia explained.

“I’m going to take a shot in the dark, but it was you and your sister that placed these, correct?” Damian told flatly.

“We did because if we didn’t, your dark magic would have endangered my ponies,” Celestia said as she gave the human a harsh glare.

“What do you mean dark magic?”

“I’m talking about the magic that you possess. I don’t know what kind of magic you have, but it’s too dangerous to allow freedom.”

“My shadow magic is not dark magic!” Damian yelled at the solar princess.

He noticed the princess’ eyes widen after he mentioned his kind of magic. She stood stock still as she looked at him, gauging his body response. She could only recall one pony that used shadow magic, and he hasn’t been seen in the last thousand years. She knew what the powers of dark magic could do to a pony, especially shadow magic, but she was confused as well. The human in front of her admitted to knowing shadow magic, but he showed no signs of corruption like the last pony. She shook her head slightly as she was determined to get some answers.

“Where did you learn your magic?” Celestia asked with a hardened gaze.

“I wasn’t taught it. I was born with it,” Damian said as he offered his own hardened gaze.

“No pony is born with such an evil magic, it’s unheard of.”

“Possibly in your world it is, but in mine, a person can be born with any kind of magic. I just happened to get the bad draw.”

“Then how come you’re not corrupted by it?” Celestia asked, never letting her gaze falter.

“Because Shade isn’t evil,” Damian said as he continued to stare back at her.

“Your magic has a name?” Celestia asked with a raised brow.

“Of course he does. I don’t know how your magic works around here, but in my world, magic is a living creature.”

“Our magic is the same, but most ponies never really get to know the names of the magic entities that reside in them. That you can even speak to such a vile creature and not be corrupted warrants even more protection for my ponies.”

“So I guess asking for these rings to be taken off is out of the question?” Damian asked.

“It most certainly is,” Celestia said as she frowned at the human.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying. So do you have anything more to say, or can I be left alone?” Damian asked as he got comfortable on the bed.

“I’ll let you rest for now, but we will be having more conversations later on, and you will give me answers to my questions,” Celestia said as she turned around.

“I’ll only give answers to the ones that you need to know!” Damian yelled to her as she walked out of the room.

The door closed with a sharp click and he went back to lying on the bed. He stared up at the bright ceiling before giving a heavy sigh and turning to his side. A few tears escaped his eyes as he looked at the rings on his fingers. He understood the reason why people in his world feared his magic, but to know the ponies of this world also had a problem with it really bothered him. He decided not to dwell on that thought for long as he closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.

Dream Realm

The human was sitting in a lush green field, shaded by a giant tree. His chin rested on his pulled up knees as he looked out to a calming lake. He could feel another enter his dreamscape and didn’t even bother looking to see who it was. He knew of only two that ever entered his dreams and since he wasn’t ready to punch a certain night princess in the muzzle, he knew it was the other being.

“Happy to know your answer, now?” Damian asked without looking up.

“You know I can never feel happy when you’re this way. Why do you go through these weird emotional states with me?” Shade asked as he sat next to him.

“I need you to be honest with me. I still hold much hatred towards you, but what am I really angry at? I lost my family because of you and then the other family after I ran away. Am I really mad at you or myself for not really being able to do anything?”

“That isn’t something I can answer entirely. I’ve existed for a long time, but every person I’ve been with has always held some hatred towards me. Their hatred for me isn’t misplaced, and I do deserve some of that. You are free to hate me because I have caused problems for you,” Shade answered as he looked in the lake at his own reflection.

The human joined the shadow entity in looking at his own reflection as he reflected on his words. Everything that he said was true and he didn’t even hesitate to admitting to his own effect he had on others. The hatred he held for the creature would probably never go away, but they were stuck together. They understood how the other felt because of their bond and couldn’t really keep him away.

It was weird to look in the crystal clear blue water, as he couldn’t see Shade’s reflection. He remembered asking the entity why he didn’t have a reflection and the answer he gave was a bit puzzling. The shadow entity explained that since his entire existence was a shadow, he never had a true form. He would only take shape depending who he was bonded with, and he never looked the same. He showed the human his different forms over his years of existence and they truly never matched.

If the human wanted to take a guess at what his true form was, it would be what it was during the first time they actually talked. The shadow entity didn’t look like anything except a dark cloud that waited to be molded into something. It took years for the entity to take form and he was less than pleased to see Shade take his form. After listening to his words, he understood a little more where his magic was coming from.

“I understand what you mean. I can’t change that past, but you did have a hand in everything that happened. I still hate you, but I don’t wish you gone. You’re the only one that I have left from my home world, and I can’t lose you yet,” Damian said.

“I don’t plan on losing you either. You have much to learn from me and I’ll do everything I can to make sure you live,” Shade said as he gave the first smile the human ever see him give.

The two sat together as they continued to stare into the lake. Neither said anything as they had nothing to offer to the other. The sight was serene and even though it was a dream, the smell was comforting to the human. The water was clean and the air fresh. He could smell the wildflowers that were scattered about, offering their own scents to help calm his nerves. The pleasant smells were nice, but his mind soon wandered back to his home.

Everything in his home smelled rancid and gross. Dead bodies were common to come across and the smell of their decaying flesh was always prominent. Most people got used to the smell after living there for several years, but there was sometimes that one smell that was stronger than the others. One smell stuck to the human, and that was the smell of burning flesh when he was with Master. He was pulled from his memories when he felt another presence make itself known.

“Luna, so nice to see you,” Damian said sarcastically.

“So, I take it that this creature is the one that you call Shade?” Luna asked as she ignored his greeting.

“That is him. What can I help you with?” Damian asked, making sure the alicorn could hear his annoyance.

“I came by to say a few things. First, I wanted to say that I’m glad to see you’re healing well and are able to walk around,” Luna started.

“How long have I been in the hospital, anyways?” Damian asked.

“You’ve been in the hospital for the past week. Now if I may, I wish to get to my other points. Thank you for saving Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom. Finally, I also want to talk about making friends,” Luna said as she offered a small smile.

“Are you not going to let that go? I told you that I want nothing to do with the ponies in this world.”

“Why must you be against this idea? I’ve seen your deep conscience and having friends would help alleviate some of your problems,” Shade saw the anger that was beginning to show in the human and decided to step in.

“I’m sorry, but not really. Damian doesn’t need any friends as they are a hindrance to him. Now, would you please kindly leave him alone,” Shade said as he gave a small scowl.

“Very well, but his problems will only get worse until he opens up to others,” Luna said as she gently shook her head.

The alicorn soon spread her wings, taking one last look back at the human before taking off. The shadow entity continued to float where he was before turning around and joining the human again. He could feel the anger and sadness emanate from his body and took this as his queue to leave him alone. He gave the human a reassuring pat on the shoulder before disappearing with the wind.

Seeing he was all alone now, the human crawled up to the tree and started to climb it. He found a large enough branch and laid down. The green leaves gave enough shade, but not too much where the sun was blocked out. He could see some of the dream starting to disappear and prepared for a probably rude awakening. His magic entity showed up for a quick second to wave him goodbye and he was happy to return it.

Hospital

Damian’s eyes clenched tightly as he refused to go back to sleep. He could feel the burning light from the ceiling lights assault him, and there was a faint noise in his room. The clopping of hooves could be heard on the cold tile floor, but it also didn’t help that one of the visitors was speaking very loudly. Whoever was visiting him was trying to whisper, but it was in a vain attempt. The voice sounded familiar to one of the ponies that he met and he was hoping with everything that he had that she wasn’t there.

Seeing that sleep was now only a wish, he carefully opened his eyes. Through the blurriness, he could make out three colors. He saw orange, lavender, and cream in the distance. His heart raced in his chest that Pinkie was hiding somewhere, but couldn’t find a trace of her pink coat anywhere. Thinking that the pink mare had stepped out of the room, he slowly rose out of bed. His eyes slowly adjusted to the bright light again and he could see Rarity and Rainbow Dash talking with their friends. He carefully stretched his arms, avoiding to cause stress to his wound as he waited for them to notice he was awake. It didn’t take long thanks to an overly energetic mare greeting him.

“Good Morning!” Pinkie yelled in his face.

The sudden appearance of the pink pony and her loud yell startled him out of bed. He flailed his arms and legs as he fell out of the bed. He hit the ground on his bad side and groaned loudly in pain. His groan got the attention of the other mares in the room and heard them give a collective gasp. The human gritted his teeth as he fought against the flashes of pain that was running through his side. He felt a magic aura encase his body and gently float him back to the bed. He noticed the lavender hue and knew it to be Twilight’s magic.

His sheets were encased in a blue aura, courtesy of Rarity as she helped her friend settle the human back in bed. He was gently placed on the thin mattress as the seamstress pulled up his covers. The lavender unicorn carefully adjusted his bed so he was sitting up slightly while the white unicorn levitated him some clothes. He quickly took the offered clothes and found a pair of boxers. His face turned slightly red in embarrassment as he slowly pulled up his boxers. With his boxers on, he put on a pair of pants before setting aside his shirt.

“It’s good to see you’re awake, Damian,” Fluttershy said softly.

“Kind of wish I was still asleep so I can avoid being blinded by the lights,” Damian said.

“Would you like the lights dimmed a little?” Twilight offered with a small smile.

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble,” Damian replied as he got comfortable in the bed.

The lavender unicorn’s magic flared to life as she grabbed the switch on the other side of the room and slowly lowered it. She brought it down enough to where the human could see into the light and not feel his retinas burning. He relaxed further into his bed while the ponies continued to give him small smiles. He noticed their small shifts from side to side, clearly showing they had something to tell him.

“Whatever you have to say, just say it,” Damian said a little annoyed.

“We wanted to thank you for saving the foals,” Rarity started.

“You really had us worried when we found you. If it wasn’t for Zecora, I don’t think any of us would have known you were out there,” Twilight said.

“Well, there would have been two certain individuals that would have known about my deceased body,” Damian said with a slight growl

“Maybe, but they said that they were having a hard time finding you when you were slipping to the other side,” Pinkie said as she slightly deflated.

“I don’t know why you didn’t just leave me out there. I was content with dying and possibly joining those that I care about,” Damian said in slight irritation.

“But we couldn’t just leave you out there. You’re our friend, and as such, we should look out for you,” Fluttershy said while slightly coming out of her mane.

“Is everyone here deaf? I’ve told Luna twice and I’m sure this is my third time telling you that I don’t need friends. So drop the topic for fuck’s sake!” Damian yelled at the ponies, causing them to shrink back.

Rainbow Dash was quickly in his face as she gave him a hard glare. Her wings were beating furiously behind her as she tried to keep from throttling the human. He could hear her heavy breathing before she finally spoke.

“If none of us are your friends, then why did you save the foals?” Rainbow asked with a raised brow.

“I saved them because they were in trouble. Anyone would have done the same thing,” Damian defended as he pressed his forehead against her forehead.

“True, but let me ask you another question. Why did they end up in that situation?” Rainbow pressed further.

“They asked for my help in rebuilding their treehouse. I ended up doing most of the work since they were making a mess and they decided to go treasure hunting. Next thing I know, I hear screaming from one of them and did what I had to,” Damian explained as he pushed against her more.

The two were ready to pummel each other when the door opened again. Everyone looked towards the door to see three fillies walk in. The fillies noticed the human awake and quickly ran towards him. They jumped into the air and landed on him harshly, but thankfully avoided his wound. All three fillies looked at him with hurt filled eyes as they hugged him.

“We’re so sorry that you got hurt,” Sweetie Belle said as she held his arm.

“We didn’t mean for any of that to happen. Can you ever forgive us?” Apple Bloom asked as she looked up to him with her big, tear filled eyes.

“It’s not your fault. Some of the blame is on me for not keeping a better eye on you and allowing this to happen,” Damian said as he gently stroked their manes.

“Yeah, but we’re the ones that went out into the forest and attracted the creature with our arguing. If we just headed back to the farm instead of trying to argue where treasure might be, you would still be fine,” Scootaloo cried.

“Things happen and I can easily prove that. This isn’t the first time I’ve ended up in this situation and it probably won’t be the last. Also, I’m only hurt along my side. As long as my feet still work, then there really isn’t any damage done to me,” Damian assured the fillies.

The three foals were ready to utter more apologies, when a nurse came into the room. The mare had a light gray coat that easily contrasted her light amaranthish gray mane and tail. Her mane was done up in a bun and she had a nurse’s cap on her head. Her cutie mark was a red cross with four hearts near where they crossed. The mare walked up the human and grabbed the clipboard that was hanging on the end.

“Hello, Damian. I’m Nurse Redheart, and I’m here to see how you’re doing today,” Redheart said as she gave a warm smile.

“I’m doing better. Quick question, though. Why was I naked?” Damian asked with a small frown.

“Well, we needed to remove your clothing so we could attend to your wound. You’re a very lucky stallion to have survived your encounter with a basilisk,” Redheart praised as she looked through the many sheets of paper.

“Any reason why you didn’t put my pants back on when you were done?”

“I wasn’t aware that you would want them back. I assumed that you wore clothing for the same reason we do. Though after inspecting your bottom half, I can understand why you were wearing them,” Redheart said as she gave him a sly grin as his face burned red.

“Can I just sign myself out and head back to the farm so I can pack my things for when I get to Canterlot?” Damian asked as he sunk into his bed.

“Why do you need to pack up for Canterlot?” Applejack asked with a raised brow.

“Because I probably failed your little test.”

“Well, you’re wrong about that. You can be really hard to be around at points, but you’ve done as I’ve asked. You also saved my sister and her friends, so that allowed for a little more leeway. You’ve also helped increase our harvesting, so I’ll allow you to stay. You just need to keep up the good work,” Applejack answered as she gave a smile.

“That’s all good news, but you can’t leave yet. You still have a couple of days left before you can even be considered healthy enough to leave,” Redheart stepped with in with a serious look.

“I’m still able to walk, right?” Damian asked.

“Yes, but I don’t see what-” Redheart started, but was interrupted by the human.

“Then I can leave. As long as my legs aren’t injured, I’m fully healed.”

“It doesn’t matter if you can walk or not. You just survived the venom from a basilisk and sustained a serious wound. Until that wound is completely healed and we’re sure that we removed all the toxins from your body, you can’t leave,” Redheart explained as she got face to face with the human.

“Listen, I’m trying to make this easy on you. You can either let me sign myself out or I escape during the night.”

“You wouldn’t even dare,” Redheart challenged.

“This isn’t my first time in a hospital, and probably won’t be my last. Either way, I’m getting out at some point today,” Damian said as he refused to back down.

“Are you insane? Just what makes you think that I’ll allow such a thing?” Redheart asked as she slowly became frustrated.

“Because you know very well that I’m fine, especially since I was visited by your two bitch ass princesses,” Damian answered as he showed the inhibitor rings.

“Now that was uncalled for. The princesses are the most caring and kind-hearted rulers you could ever meet,” Twilight defended.

“Yeah, they’re real caring individuals when they constantly give you death threats,” Damian shot back with a hard glare.

“They’re only looking out for their subjects. They’re the ones that have to make the hard decisions and suffer whatever any consequence that happens,” Twilight stated as she walked towards the human.

“Well good for them. They get to know the consequences of their actions and then easily sweep it under the rug. They’re the same like everyone else from my world. They have you blinded to the good that they do so you won’t accept the bad that is happening around you,” Damian said as he swung his feet over the side of the bed and started walking towards the unicorn.

The lavender mare was ready to retort what he was saying when a loud stomp could be heard. Everyone looked over at Redheart, who was trying her hardest to keep her anger in check. She noticed that everyone was looking at her now and cleared her throat before she addressed the human.

“Very well, then. You can just follow me and I will get everything sorted for your release.”

Redheart didn’t even stay in the room as she turned around and walked out. Silence now filled the vacant room as everyone looked at each other in confusion. The human and lavender mare were about to start up their argument again when they heard the nurse scream down the hall.

“Take it outside if you’re going to continuing arguing, we have patients that are trying to sleep!”

The human gave one final stare at the lavender unicorn before grabbing his shirt and putting it on. He noticed the ponies looking at his scars, especially his more prominent ones. He assumed that Applejack had told her friends after she first saw them, but it was easy to see their slight discomfort. He didn’t say anything as he walked past them and headed for the front desk. The sound of hooves clopping followed him and he looked over his shoulder to see the mares following him from a distance.

He ignored the mares following him and joined Redheart at the front desk. The mare started placing papers in front of him and pointed to where he needed to sign. He easily signed through all the papers the mare had given him and she filed them away for a later time. She faced the human again and gave a small nod as she went back to work. The human easily returned the nod as he turned around and left the hospital. The mares looked at each other hesitantly before waving goodbye to Redheart and catching up to the human.

It didn’t take the mares long to reach the human as his pace slowed. They noticed that he was looking around at his surroundings, trying to see where he was at. They could see him purse his lips slightly as he scratched his chin in confusion. His foot raised as he was about to take a step forward, but turned on his heel to walk towards the mares. He reached them in a few large strides as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“Which direction is the farm in?” Damian asked as he fought against his embarrassment.

“Just follow me, sugarcube. We’re quite a good distance from Sweet Apple Acres and I don’t need you getting lost on me,” Applejack joked.

The human just nodded his head slightly as he followed the orange mare. The other mares soon joined their friend as they started their walk towards town. Twilight looked back at the human and was about to speak when he cut her off.

“I know that Redheart said we could continue this outside, but do you really want to? Does it look like I will take in any consideration about what you have to say about the princesses?” Damian asked with a flat stare.

“I guess you’re right. I just wish that you wouldn’t be so harsh with them. They only want to keep us safe, and you haven’t been the nicest of ponies,” Twilight stated as she looked at the ground.

“I kind of have a reason to not be nice. I haven’t done anything wrong since day one except for maybe yelling at Apple Bloom,” Damian quickly added the last part as he saw the farm mare look in his direction.

“You were going to attack my friend if I didn’t stop you,” Rainbow shot back as she flew in front of the human’s face.

“I wasn’t even going to attack her,” Damian defended.

“Then what exactly were you doing in her fields?” Rarity asked.

“He was sleeping in one of my trees,” Applejack answered.

“Then what happened?” Pinkie asked as she bounced next to her friend.

“I kicked him out of it thinking it was Dash sleeping up there. He falls down and then we stare at each other silently. I was ready to call for help or buck him straight in the face until he pulled out an apple. I was hesitant at first, because I didn’t know what he was or what he had planned, but I didn’t see any real malice. He places the apple on the ground and I collect it to place with the others. After that is pretty much what you’re all aware of,” Applejack explained.

“So he never threatened to harm you or even move in your general direction?” Twilight asked as she noticed the small grin the human had.

“Not a bit. I was still nervous as heck as he kept staring at me, but he didn’t do anything that would be considered harmful,” Applejack said as she looked back at her friends.

“Maybe next time you and your princesses should get the full story before you start judging someone,” Damian said as he made sure the guilt washed over the mares.

“Sorry. I’ll make sure to write a letter to the princesses and explain the misunderstanding,” Twilight apologized as she held back a few tears.

“Your apology is accepted, but don’t bother writing to the princesses. They failed to even try and get the full story and made it so I can’t really trust them. Also, I’m still very upset with all of you for letting this happen as well,” Damian said as he stared forward again.

“Do you think that we could start over at some point?” Twilight asked with a little hope.

“I don’t think we can start from scratch, but I might be able to let up on all of you if you don’t jump to conclusions again,” Damian offered.

The lavender mare nodded her head as she gave a small smile to him. He remembered another thing his master had taught him and it always proved useful. His master would always tell him to never blame people for another person’s incompetence. He found those words to be very true as he walked with the mares. The ponies in front of him were only doing as they were instructed by their ruler and couldn’t be entirely held responsible. He could still give them slight blame though, since they never even bothered to ask him about the events prior to everything now. He could just only sigh as he continued to follow them in the town.

Silence settled into the group again and he couldn’t help but notice that it was a recurring theme between them. He was actually thankful for the silence because conversation with the mares would only lead to him strangling them. The only one that would possibly avoid such a fate would be Fluttershy, since she seemed to be occupied with being scared of everything. He noticed her slight shakes that she gave when she would casually look back at him. He wasn’t even going to bother calming her down since it seemed like she would take off the first chance she could get.

Taking his gaze off the timid pegasus, he looked forward to see he was somewhere near the center of town. He took a few seconds to look around and see the many ponies that were out, looking at him. Many of them were stock still as they watched him walk by, confusion etched in their faces as they tried to figure out what he was. Giving a heavy sigh, he picked his pace up a little so he could reach the farm faster. A small scowl started to form, but that soon changed when he felt something tackle him to the ground. Everything happened too quickly for him to process properly.

He was standing upright, following the farm mare back to her home. He let his gaze focus on the ground so he wouldn’t make eye contact with the residents and now he was staring very closely at the dirt. It wasn’t even his choice as he felt something sitting on his back, nearly causing his wound to open again. He didn’t know what had taken him down, but it seemed to acknowledge his presence when he let out a low groan. He heard someone give a sharp gasp as they quickly jumped off his back.

He rolled onto his back, making sure to go opposite of where his wound was. He was staring up at the blue sky, but that was soon blocked by two brilliant gamboge irises. They looked down at him with general curiosity, but he could see a hint of excitement. What that excitement was, he didn’t know, and didn’t want to find out. He continued to stare into the bright orbs for a few seconds before finally speaking up.

“You mind backing up so I can get up?” Damian asked.

He heard the creature above him gasp again as they stepped back. Taking a deep breath, he rolled back a little so his legs were in the air, then quickly rolled forward. He landed on his feet and used his momentum to stand straight up again. Brushing off some of the dirt on his front, he turned around to see who had tackled him. He was given a slight startle when the creature quickly got near him and started poking him. He could hear her mumbling to herself and took this time to take in her appearance.

The creature that had tackled him to the ground was a unicorn and could clearly see that she was a mare. The unicorn had a very light aquamarine coat and on her flanks was a golden lyre. Her mane and tail were a light grayish cyan with white streaks running through them. Her entire color combination reminded him of a mint he used to enjoy. He was able to see her magic aura was gold as her horn flared to life and lifted his hand to her face. The mare grabbed hold of his hand in her hooves and it was surprising to see her do it.

The mare continued to mumble to herself as she moved each of his digits separately. He looked around to see the other six mares talking with another resident. The mare had no other features on her body, so that left her to being an earth mare. Her coat was a light greenish apple gray and he barely saw three wrapped candies in a wrapper that as a swirl of light blue and light yellow on her flank. Her mane and tail were a moderate cobalt blue with a very light fuchsia stripe in each. Her eyes were a moderate arctic blue that quickly met his gaze.

He noticed the mare shake her head as she walked around the six friends and towards the unicorn that was still messing with his arm. He watched as the earth mare grabbed the unicorn’s tail in her mouth and pulled her away. The unicorn gave a small yelp as she felt her tail being tugged and her hooves dragging along the ground. The earth mare gave a small glare to the unicorn who sat on her haunches while giving a small blush. The earth mare turned around and addressed the human.

“I’m very sorry about that. My marefriend can get a little out of hoof at times,” the earth mare apologized.

“Who are you, and why did she tackle me to the ground?” Damian asked.

“My name is Bon-Bon and I run a local candy shop here in town,” Bon-Bon said as she extended a hoof and he shook it.

“My name is Lyra Heartstring,” the unicorn said as she offered her hoof in greeting and he took it as well.

“So why did you tackle me to the ground?” Damian asked as he let go of their hooves.

“My marefriend has an interest in new species. It’s one of her hobbies to learn of the different cultures that exist and know about their lifestyle. I must admit though, I haven’t really heard anything about you. What are you, exactly, and where do you come from?” Bon-Bon asked as she looked at the human closely.

“How can you not know what he is, sweetie? This is one of those humans that I told you that existed long ago,” Lyra said and this easily got the human’s attention.

“You’ve heard about my kind?” Damian asked with a raised brow.

“Of course, though much of your existence is more of a fantasy,” Lyra explained as she gave a nervous chuckle.

“Why am I not surprised? I lived in a world where talking ponies didn’t exist, so I end up in a world where humans never existed. That’s just perfect,” Damian said sarcastically.

“Can you teach me a few things about your world?” Lyra asked with hopeful eyes.

“Don’t even try, Lyra. He hasn’t even told any of us about his world or what he did for a living. Though I can make a few assumptions to what it might have been after speaking with the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Twilight said.

“Going off topic, Bon-Bon said that you were her marefriend. Are you two together?” Damian asked.

“We are a couple, yes,” Bon-Bon answered as she stood next to the mint unicorn.

“You’re both mares, correct?”

“We are. Do you have a problem with our relationship?” Bon-Bon asked as she became slightly aggressive.

“I couldn’t really care less about who you’re dating. Just be with whoever makes you happy in the end and everything will work out.”

“That’s very surprising to hear from you,” Rainbow said as she flew closer to the human with a slight glare.

“Why’s that? You think that I have a negative opinion on everyone that I meet?” Damian asked as he took a few steps towards the pegasus.

“Granted, though we have a few things sorted since our first meeting, you’re still not the most approachable person,” Rarity said as she looked around nervously.

“That’s because you deserve it. Besides being tackled to the ground, they’ve been very courteous. Bon-Bon also made sure that I was okay and apologized for Lyra’s actions. I also don’t blame Lyra because I did the same when I met someone new,” Damian explained.

“Well, if you do change your mind, stop by this address and we can talk,” Lyra said as she scribbled something on a piece of parchment.

The human took the paper as the two mares walked off. He looked over to see their tails intertwine and their heads leaning against each other. He gave a slight shrug as he pocketed the directions and gestured for the mares to continue. The rest of the walk was easier as they were able to wave to some of the ponies and continue on their path. They finally reached the apple farm and the human headed for the barn. He opened the door and walked up the stairs while the mares followed him up. They watched as he looked around his tiny sleeping quarters to see there were a few new items.

“What’s with the bed, nightstand, and dresser?” Damian asked as he looked through the new furnishings.

“Like I said, you’re staying here and I thought you would like something a little more comfortable,” Applejack said with a smile.

“Where did you get them?”

“They were spares we had stored away in case we needed them for anything. Your clothes are in the top drawer of the dresser and your hat is in the nightstand.”

“The girls and I also made you a little something after everything that happened,” Apple Bloom said as she gave a nervous smile.

“Where is it?” Damian as he looked through the drawers.

“Lift the sheets to your bed,” Apple Bloom gesture with her hoof.

The human walked over to the bed and gripped the sheets. He hesitated for a second from how soft the sheets felt. He could only remember the few times he ever felt something so soft and now he realized how alone he was. Shaking his head slightly so the mares wouldn’t see his break in composure, he pulled the sheet back to see a patch on the bed. The patch was a shield in shape and was red with a gold outline. In the center was a foal that reminded him of Scootaloo. The foal was standing in the center of the patch with its leg held in a salute and two daggers crossed over each other.

“What is it?” Damian asked as he looked over the patch.

“It’s a patch to show that you’re a guard for the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Sweetie Belle happily chimed.

“Thank you.”

“I think we’ll leave you be for now. Lunch will be ready in a couple of hours and you can rest up after,” Applejack said as she grabbed her little sister and walked down the stairs.

The other mares gave their own goodbyes as they started to leave one by one. The human was left alone in his room, or he would be, if a certain lavender mare didn’t linger around. He looked over to see the unicorn pawing at the ground nervously. Heaving a heavy sigh, he placed the patch on top of his dresser and addressed his one other occupant.

“What do you want?” Damian asked as he sat on the edge of his bed.

“I just wanted to say to not overdo it and avoid getting hurt if possible. You may not care much, but we want to help you out as best we can. You may not consider us friends yet, but we do want to help you,” Twilight said as she offered a small smile.

“You really don’t know when to give up, do you?”

“And you can’t stop being stubborn, so I guess we all have our faults. Take care of yourself and make sure to get plenty of bed rest. Also, Redheart gave me these pills to help with your pain,” Twilight said as she levitated a bottle over to him.

“Thanks,” Damian replied as he read the instructions on the bottle.

The lavender unicorn gave a small nod as she turned around and headed down the stairs. Looking at the small clock on his nightstand, he still had a good chunk of time to himself. Popping the lid to the bottle, he grabbed one of the pills and threw it down his throat. Placing the bottle on the nightstand, he stood on his two legs as he went about doing some stretches. He could feel the slight tingle his wound gave off, but it wasn’t much like before, thanks to the pain pills. Popping his neck and shoulders, he placed his hands on the floor and brought his legs up. He moved his hands a bit so he could find a comfortable position.

Finding his balance that didn’t irritate his wound, he slowly moved down. Once his elbows almost reached a ninety degree angle, he pushed back up. Not finding any problems with the first push, he went about his second one. He started off slow as he built into his regular rhythm. He counted every push that he made, trying to reach his goal of fifty. His breathing became labored as sweat started to form. His arms gave a dull burn as he reached his half way point. Being in the hospital for a week and not having a proper meal since his release, he found it very hard to continue.

Grunting at his weakness, he pushed himself even further. He could feel his wound throb as he continued to push against the ground. He felt something wet travel along his side and could hear a faint dripping sound. He cracked his eyes to see a few specks of crimson collecting on the floor. Taking a careful breath, he slowly brought down his right leg until it touched the floor. He did the same with his other leg and slowly rolled onto his back. Giving a few deep breaths, he brought himself up and leaned against his bed.

Looking at his side, he saw his bandage slowly turn crimson. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he pulled the bandage off to see a few stitches came loose. Placing his bandage back on, he slowly got to his feet and traveled down the stairs. Opening the barn doors and squinting from the harsh sunlight, he walked towards the farm house. As he neared the building he saw Apple Bloom sitting near one of the steps. She noticed the human coming towards the house and quickly trotted to him. She had a warm smile that turned into a concerned frowned as she noticed her darkening bandage.

“Are you okay, Damian?” Apple Bloom asked as she gestured to the reddening bandage.

“I’m fine. Do you have a needle and thick thread I could use?” Damian asked as he applied pressure to his wound.

“Yeah, it’s up in the sewing room. Follow me and I can get you what you need,” Apple Bloom offered as she led the human.

The human followed the filly into the house and he noticed Applejack in the kitchen helping Granny Smith. Not wanting to get her riled up with his small wound, he quietly followed the little farm filly up the stairs. The filly took a right at the top step and entered the first door to her left. He followed her into the room and noticed the old style sewing machine that was in the room. He noticed the filly go to a closet and started to dig through it. He grabbed the chair from the desk the sewing machine was on, and sat down.

He could hear the young apple filly mumble to herself as she searched for what he needed. It didn’t take her long as she came out of the closet and presented the needle and thread with a triumphant look. Nodding to the filly, he grabbed the two items and started his painstaking task for threading a needle. It took him a few tries, with some cursing in between, before he finally got the thread through the eye. Taking his bandage off, he started towards his wound when he noticed the filly was still in the room.

“Can you leave, please?” Damian asked.

“What are you going to do?” Apple Bloom asked with a raised brow.

“I’m just going to close up my wound that I opened again. You can go out and play since I have it from here.”

“Will you be okay?” Apple Bloom asked with general worry.

“This isn’t the first time I had to do this. Just do me a favor and don’t tell your sister. She would probably give me a lecture about not resting like she told me to.”

“If you say so,” Apple Bloom said with her gaze on the floor.

The filly looked up at the human with a bit of worry before giving a small smile and exiting the room. He waited a few seconds before the sound of clopping hooves were far away. With no hoofsteps within range, he started closing his wound. His teeth were clenched tightly as he felt the needle push through his flesh. Once the needle was pushed through his skin, he tied the end of the string and started closing his wound. He could feel the blood collect on his hands as he slowly closed his opening. It took a few minutes of fighting against the pain before he finally closed off his wound.

There wasn’t much blood, but enough to cover his hands. He breathed deeply as he relaxed into the chair. His eyes lazily wandered about to make sure there was no blood on the floor. Seeing there was no mess to clean up, he put the chair back in its place as he headed for the bathroom. He easily found the room as it was to the left of where he was at. He entered the bathroom and turned on the sink. He grabbed a cloth and soaked it with hot water. Once the cloth was soaked, he took away the rest of the bandage and cleaned around his wound.

The wet cloth grew red from the dried blood that it cleaned off and had a nice bloody handprint from his hand. Finished with washing off his wound, he looked around the linen closet for any more bandages. He found a nice bandage in the back and grabbed it. Placing the package near the sink, he cleaned off his hands and cloth to hide his evidence. With the cloth thoroughly washed and his used bandaged properly disposed of, he opened the package and applied his new bandage. Turing on the hot water after the bandage was secured, he gave a few splashes to his face to help him relax.

He heard the distant clopping of hooves on the wooden floors, and they were nearing his location. The sound lasted for a few seconds before coming to a dead stop. Not really thinking anything about it, he grabbed a dry cloth and dried his face off. As he dried his face off there was a knock on the door and a pony calling out to him.

“You in there, Damian?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, what do you need?”

“I just came by to let you know lunch was ready and to see if you’re doing well.”

“Thanks, I’ll be done in a few seconds. I’m also doing fine. Took one of those pills that Twilight gave me and I’m doing fine.”

“Okay, just don’t strain yourself too much. Nurse Redheart has enough to deal with when Rainbow is out practicing her stunts,” Applejack gave a small chuckle.

“Stunts for what?” Damian asked as he exited the bathroom.

“Training for the Wonderbolts,” Applejack answered like he should have known.

“Who or what are the Wonderbolts?”

“They’re a special aerobatics group made entirely of pegasi. They perform many airshows and are our air force in times of need,” Applejack explained as they walked into the kitchen.

“I didn’t think you would need some sort of guard force, since everything here looks so peaceful,” Damian stated.

“We usually don’t, especially because of my friends and myself being the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”

“The what?” Damian asked with a raised brow.

The farm mare didn’t answer him instantly as she took a seat at the table. The human took his own seat as he started to fill his plate with the many offerings of food. He was sure that he was overfilling his plate, but he wanted to make sure he had something filling in his belly. The other farm ponies that were present were watching him with slight amusement. Their small chuckling could be heard thanks to the filly, who couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“What’s so funny?”

“I think your eyes might be bigger than you stomach there, sugarcube,” Applejack answered as she tried to control her laughter.

“Maybe, but I haven’t had a real meal since I’ve been in the hospital. I also didn’t eat anything before coming here, so I would like to be safe than sorry.”

“I’m just messing with you. You’re free to get as much as you want and whatever you don’t finish, we can just wrap it up for later,” Applejack said with a warm smile.

The human could only sigh internally at the mare’s actions. He easily saw that she was trying to get close to him, even after everything had been said. The only thing that made sense that the six mares were trying to befriend him was because of their world. Maybe if he was born in a more friendly environment, he would be open to the idea. Sadly, this wasn’t true and he had to make sure that his survival came first. Weird way for him to think after he saved three fillies from a basilisk.

The thought of the basilisk brought something else to his mind. It wasn’t something that was entirely important, but it was there to help pass the time. He didn’t even think about it until he thought about the interest it would bring to have something like that. Knowing there was no way the farm ponies would let him back in the forest, he had to wait till nightfall. Gathering his thoughts back in one place, he wondered if the princesses would stop him. He mulled over the thought for a few seconds before deciding he was still going to go for it.

With everything settled for now, he went back to eating his food. The Apple family enjoyed lengthy conversations with each other and tried to get the human to join in. He offered a few opinions himself, but remained relatively quiet. He was able to finish off his first plate, surprising everyone at the table with how clean it was. He looked back at the food that was still around and decided against having seconds.

“Can you pack me something for later today?” Damian asked as he stretched.

“I can do that for you, sugarcube. Would you like some for lunch tomorrow as well?” Applejack asked as she went about cleaning the table.

“Sure.”

The human went about cleaning his plate and putting away while the ponies cleaned everything on the table. He took a quick glance around his shoulder to see that they weren’t looking in his direction. Seeing that the ponies weren’t looking, he reached over and grabbed a knife that wouldn’t be missed. He looked back to see the ponies still busy, and quickly concealed the weapon in his pants. With the knife secured, he went about cleaning up some of the mess that Applejack would allow him to help with.

With everything cleaned and put away for the afternoon, Applejack and Big Mac left to finish up a few trees. With nothing really left for him to do, Damian walked out of the house and headed for the barn. Knowing that he had his lunch and dinner stored away for later, he went over to his bed to lay down. Since he didn’t have anything until the sun went down, he closed his eyes to get a quick nap.

Night

Damian woke up to see small amounts of moonlight filtering through the roof and window. He rubbed the small sleep from his eyes and took in his surroundings. Nothing had really changed except for a pair of clothes that were next to him. He figured Rarity must have made him new ones after his last pair got destroyed. Getting out of bed, he grabbed the new set to see what they looked like. There wasn’t much to them, but what he saw caused him to give a small frown.

On the front of the shirt were three red apples that resembled Applejack’s cutie mark. He didn’t know if this was some kind of joke for the mare, or if she was being serious, but either way, he really didn’t like it. Exhaling a large breath to avoid blowing up, he folded the shirt and put it away with the few others that he had. With his clothes put away, he looked out the window to see the lights in the farmhouse were out. Giving a slight nod to no one, he jumped over the railing, grunting a little from a small throb of pain in his side.

Shaking his head slightly, he started off for the forest. The cool night air felt nice against his bare skin, helping to alleviate some of the pain in his side. Looking around, he found the direction he went before with the CMC and started walking. The walk to the clubhouse didn’t take long since he didn’t have the three fillies slowing him down. He found the treehouse nestled up in a sturdy tree and looked around.

He couldn’t remember much about what happened during a week ago, but had a pretty good guess where to go. Taking one look around the many trees, he picked a direction and started walking. He wasn’t sure how much time he had before the princesses came in and decided to move fast. He pulled his thoughts from the princesses as he tried to recollect any memories of where he fought the basilisk. The location proved difficult to be found since everything looked the same, but he soon came to a familiar opening. The clearing was the same as it was before when he found the fillies, and he brought his guard up.

Carefully walking forward, he reached the spot the fillies were lying at before and felt the grass. Replaying the events that happened, he recreated his actions to find where he was sent. Several minutes of walking around and looking at some broken limbs, he found where he killed the vile creature. He found the fallen tree and the monster was still trapped underneath. He gave a smirk, glad that the creature was dead. Walking over to the basilisk, he grabbed the knife he had hidden and ran it along the creature’s body.

Reaching the head, he grabbed its mouth and pulled it open. He looked at the razor sharp teeth that lined the creature’s mouth and gently bounced his knife on each tooth. The human hummed to himself, a slight sway to his head as he tried to pick which tooth he wanted. It took several seconds before he found one of a decent size. Not wasting any time, he plunged the knife into the creature’s gum. He made sure to keep close to the tooth so he could find where it was rooted at.

Blood started to drip from the creature’s tooth as he pushed in deeper. Not finding any root, he slid his knife around the tooth, slowly separating the flesh from the tooth. After running the blade through the entire front of its gum, he made tiny slits so he could get a better view of the tooth. He gave an interested hum as he found the root of the tooth. Concentrating even more, he carefully pushed the tip of the blade near the root. He made sure to be careful to avoid the poison sac that was next to it.

The last thing he wanted was to have venom running out of the tooth and getting killed by it because he cuts himself somehow. The roots were tough as he had to apply a great deal of pressure to get them cut. His efforts were rewarded when he cut through all the roots and pulled the tooth free. More blood dripped from the hole that was in the creature’s mouth, slowly gathering around his feet. He lifted the tooth in the air as he let the moonlight bounce off of it. He smiled as the tooth shined brightly from the moonlight and grinned that he was able to start another trophy collection.

Wiping the blade on the basilisk’s body, he pocketed the tooth and knife away as he started walking. He decided to take a slow walk back to the barn, as he wanted to enjoy more of the forest. He remembered the cold feeling the forest gave off when he inspected it with his magic, but it seemed pretty docile. The forest had a feeling to it that gave him an impression that it lived off its own resources instead of what others used outside of it. The Everfree gave an eerie feeling so no one would bother it and leave it in peace.

The forest was its own living space and refused to accept anything else that could change it. He shook his head at the thought as he continued walking. The wind blew past him, shaking branches on the trees and giving it a calming vibe. Stopping in the clearing he found the fillies in before, he decided to try something. He looked at his hand that held the magic inhibitors and wondered exactly how they worked. Barring any consequences to the back of his mind, he focused on a simple spell. He could feel his magic gathering, but something was telling him to stop before he went any further.

It was a familiar feeling he had before as a child and knew that it was Shade telling him to stop. He would always listen to the magic entity, but he ignored him this once to see what would happen. He also didn’t want to bother him since the magic entity was weak the last time the human saw him. Focusing even further, his magic flowed up to his arm and he could feel it starting to form. He felt a sense of pride that the princesses probably messed up with sealing his magic. Taking a chance, he pushed forth his spell, a simple flash it was supposed to be, but didn’t turn out that way.

As soon as his magic reached the tips of his fingers, a tremendous pain shot through his arm. His entire arm felt as though it was shocked and burned at the same time. His teeth were clenched tightly as he held back his blood curdling scream. He brought his arm to his chest, holding tightly as a few tears escaped his eyes. He breathed heavily through his nose as he tried to fight against the pain. He fell to his side, his arm still clutched to his chest as he waited for the pain to die out.

The human rolled along the ground for a few minutes before the dual pain sensation finally dulled. He could still feel the slight burn and shock, but he was able to get his breathing under control. He took deep, slow breaths as his mind finally processed what happened. His access to his magic was easier, but the rings prevented him from casting it. He knew Shade had felt the pain and he wasn’t really looking forward to that conversation at the moment. Gathering his thoughts as his heart rate finally slowed, he sat up.

His eyes never left the ground as he flexed his arm. Everything worked like it should and it didn’t feel like there was any real damage done. Looking at his arm, he noticed that it was the same as before and assumed the rings caused that awful sensation. Not really sure how the rings could cause something like that, he made sure to know what he was dealing with. If the princesses had magic inhibitors like he was wearing, then there was probably worse things as well to seal away magic. His breathing became heavy as his anger finally hit a boiling point. He balled his hand into a fist and went about punching the ground.

He could feel the dirt, grass, limbs, and even pebbles scrape against his flesh. He could see blood collecting where he was punching, but he didn’t care. He continued to assault the ground as he released his anger. It was Divergence all over again, and this sparked an even deeper hatred for the alicorns. Breathing heavily as he ceased his assault on the ground, he pushed himself to his feet and dusted himself off. He closed his eyes to get his anger under control and as he was about to leave, he heard something behind him.

He turned quickly on his heel in the direction of the noise. He noticed a plant swaying more than it should have and carefully looked around. The chirping of bugs filled the air as he tried to find what was hiding in the thicket. Continuing to scan the surroundings with his eyes, he slowly reached for his knife. He was about a couple inches from the handle when something ran out of the bush. Reacting quickly, he grabbed the knife and pulled it up to defend himself. He stared at a cloaked figure that watched him with glowing golden eyes.

The cloaked figure was about the same height as the ponies, if possibly a couple inches taller. The figure didn’t move or speak as it continued to stare at him. The chirping of the bugs stopped as the human and figure continued to stare at each other, neither moving from their spot. Taking calming breaths, Damian addressed his newest arrival.

“Who are you?”

“Do you not remember the one that saved you?” The figure asked in a deep tone.

“Not really. I don’t remember much after going unconscious,” Damian replied as he kept his eyes on the figure.

“Then allow me to introduce myself, Damian,” the figure replied.

The human was about to ask how the figure knew his name, but stopped as he watched the figure throw away their cloak. The figure’s coat was striped with light heliotropeish gray and dark bluish gray. Her mane was styled in a mohawk and along with her tail was striped colored with light gray and dark persian bluish gray. Her eyes were a strong cyan now and her jewelry that was around her neck, left foreleg, and both her ears was a brilliant amber. Her hooves were an indigoish black. On her flank was her cutie mark, but it seemed more like a tribal tattoo and it was shaped in a spiral with small triangles circling half of it and pointing his direction.

“A zebra?” Damian asked with a raised brow.

“A very accurate observation. My name’s Zecora and I was the one that found you dying after your run-in with the basilisk,” Zecora stated.

“I remember Twilight mentioning a person named Zecora found me. So what do you want?”

“Nothing more than a few moments of your time. It’s getting late out here and I don’t need you getting attacked again.”

“What makes you so sure that I’ll be attacked again?” Damian asked with a raised brow.

“I have lived in this forest for many years after I left my homeland. I have learned about the creatures that stalk this eerie place, and the most dangerous come out during the night,” Zecora explained.

The human was about to retort what she was saying when he heard an ear piercing howl. The howl came from far away, but it was enough to cause him to pause. He wasn’t certain what that howl meant, but looking at the zebra gave away she knew something about it. She also noticed his pause and smirked as he gave her a small glare. The zebra put on her cloak again as she gestured with her hoof for him to follow. Looking around for a few seconds, he sighed heavily as he followed the female zebra.

Zecora’s movements were fast and fluid, showing her knowledge of the forest as she led the human. Damian fought to keep pace with her as he found himself tripping over a few roots every now and again. The duo walked for only a couple of minutes before they came upon a hut. The entire building was made of wood and leaves, idols placed around the hut to give it a shaman feeling. The human looked at the idols and assumed that they were related to her homeland since he saw nothing like them around Ponyville.

The zebra opened the door and he walked in. She closed the door behind her and started taking off her cloak. She threw the brown garb on a bed as she walked over to a cauldron. The human looked around at the many trinkets he assumed was from her home before walking over to the cauldron. Inside the black pot was a green liquid that was starting to bubble. He looked at the zebra as she walked around her home, grabbing various plants and herbs as she hummed to herself. He grew curious as to who this mare was.

“What exactly do you do?” Damian asked as he took a nearby chair.

“Potion making, herbalist, and shaman are my top skills, but I do dabble in a few other things. May I have a piece of your hair?” Zecora asked as she started throwing ingredients into the cauldron.

“What do you need it for?” Damian asked defensively.

“So I can make you a potion to heal your wound. I assumed that you were growing tired of the constant pain and wanted me to offer my services,” Zecora explained as she extended her hoof.

“What do you want for it?” Damian asked, knowing there was some sort of catch.

“I would like to know a few things about your skills as an assassin,” Zecora said as she continued to hold out her hoof.

The human stared wide eyed at the mare as he processed what she said. No one in Equestria knew what he did for a living, but the zebra was able to figure it within the week, maybe even less. The potion maker noticed his stare and smiled at him in a friendly manner. Shaking his head a bit, he looked straight in the shaman’s eyes, determined to get some answers.

“How do you know about that?” Damian asked as he leaned forward.

“You skills are not uncommon from where I was born,” Zecora started.

“Where were you raised?”

“I was raised in Zebrica for several years before I moved to the Everfree forest,” Zecora explained, her hoof still held out for his hair.

“Are you going to tell the others about what I did?” Damian asked with a slight growl.

“I have no reason to tell them such things. Your skills are meant to protect those that are innocent and destroy those that seek to do harm.” Zecora said in a serious tone.

“Why should I believe that you’ll never tell them?”

“I haven’t said anything to them for the entire week you were in the hospital. Your skills are lost on them, but to me are as clear as day. I could have told them after I found you, but I didn’t. You have potential, but it’s up to you to decide what to do with it,” Zecora said with a hardened stare.

The human and shaman continued to stare at each other for a while longer. Shaking his head, he reached up to his hair and pulled out a few strands. He gave the strands to the zebra, who threw them in her cauldron. There was a flash of green smoke and the once green liquid turned to an ocean blue. The zebra grabbed a cup and filled it with the liquid before presenting it to the human. He hesitantly took the cup and looked down at it as he gave it a few swirls. He held the cup in his hand as he looked up at the zebra again.

“How exactly is this going to work?” Damian asked as he gave a quick glance to the concoction again.

“The potion is meant to only work for you since it knows your essence. If anypony else were to drink from it, they would only get a sour taste. If you drink it, then the effects of the potion will take place and your wound fully healed.”

Looking at the cup for a few more seconds, he found there wasn’t really much to lose. He grasped the cup firmly as he threw back the entire concoction into his mouth. He quickly swallowed everything that entered his mouth and gave a sharp cough as a little bit went down the wrong pipe. He expected a bad taste from the drink, but was surprised that it actually tasted like a sugar muffin. He could feel a warmth radiate in his gut that slowly moved through his entire body. The warmth soon reached his wound and he let out a calming sigh as he felt the potion do its job.

The potion continued throughout his body, healing a few scrapes and bruises that were still around before finally dispersing. Letting out a comforting sigh, he pulled away his bandage to see the wound fully healed. He ran his fingers across where it used to be and found no discomfort or pain from the touch. Zecora walked over to him and took his cup over to the sink. The mare threw the dirty dish into the sink before turning around and joining the human again. She sat in a chair across from him as she waited for him to keep up his end of the bargain.

“So what do you want to know exactly?” Damian asked as he leaned back in his own chair.

“How long have you been an assassin?” Zecora started off easy.

“I was four when I was found and I trained a couple years after that. I would say at least seven years I’ve been a full-fledged assassin.

“What is your main weapon that you use to dispatch your foes?”

“I have training in everything that I would need to use, but my most favored weapon to use was my knives.”

“What was your main reason for becoming an assassin?” Zecora asked and this hit a nerve in the human.

“To get revenge for my family and their friends that looked after me,” Damian answered with slight anger.

“What’s the other reason?” Damian looked up at the mare in confusion.

“What are you talking about? That’s the only reason I became an assassin,” Damian defended.

“As I said before, you have potential to do good things, but that only depends on you. Only you can decide how to live your life, and are hopefully ready to suffer the consequences,” Zecora stated as she rose from her seat and walked towards her bed.

“Oh no you don’t. You don’t get to walk away after saying something so vague and cryptic like that. What aren’t you telling me?!” Damian yelled furiously.

“The same thing I tell Twilight and her friends. I’m not your enemy, Damian, but a very potential friend. Whether you see that or not isn’t for me to decide. Now, you should head back to Applejack’s place before she wakes and sees that you are gone,” Zecora said as she crossed her hind legs and prepared for a meditation session.

The human looked out the window to see nothing but darkness. He banged his head slightly for thinking he would see some sort of sunlight in the forest. Taking the zebra’s advice, he left the hut, slamming the door on his way out. Looking around, he started sprinting for the barn so he could make there in time. He soon remember why he hated forests and it was because of the many branches that smacked him in the face. He ran for a couple minutes before the edge of the farm could be seen. He didn’t hear any noise coming from the trees and didn’t see any of the farm ponies. Assuming they were still asleep, he put on extra speed so he could make it to the barn.

He reached the large red double doors and quickly opened one of them. He closed the door behind him and started panting heavily from overexerting his body. He slumped down against the door as he started to laugh to himself. He found the entire situation hilarious since he ran through a deadly forest to avoid becoming scolded at by a mare. Shaking his head as his laughing fit started to calm down, he slowly got to his feet and walked towards the stairs. He slowly ascended the staircase, a few chuckles still escaping him as his thoughts wandered.

He reached the top step and stopped when he saw a familiar orange hoof near the edge. His entire body was frozen as his eyes slowly moved up to meet the mare’s emerald glare. Clearing his throat, he brought back some of his control and continued to climb the stairs. The mare didn’t say anything as she stepped aside and allowed him to walk to his bed. Thinking that she was going to leave after he reached the bed, he laid down. He was dead wrong when he heard the clopping of hooves on the wood and could feel the mare’s stare on him.

“What’s up, AJ?” Damian asked.

“Where were you this morning?” Applejack asked with a serious tone.

“I was in bed sleeping,” Damian answered as he feigned ignorance.

“Don’t lie to me, sugarcube. I came in here to get you for breakfast and you were nowhere to be seen. Now, where were you?” Applejack continued to press.

“Like I said, I’ve been here all day. I was probably out cleaning myself when you came in,” Damian defended.

“Then care to tell me why you smell like sweat and dead trees?” Applejack asked with a bemused look.

The human didn’t say anything as he couldn’t find a way out of his capture. The mare moved closer to him when he didn’t say anything and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Her angered look soon calmed as she nudged the human a little.

“Just tell me where you were, Damian. You made it back safely, and that’s what matters at this point,” Applejack said in a calm tone.

“I was in the Everfree forest.”

“Why were you in there?” Applejack asked with a raised brow.

“Just grabbing a little something.”

“What was so important to grab that you had to go back in such a dangerous place?” Applejack asked as she waved her hoof around.

“Just continuing a hobby that I had back from my home.”

“Like what exactly?”

Instead of trying to explain it to the pony, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the tooth. The mare’s eyes went big as she stared at the large tooth. She looked between the human and the tooth a few times before shaking her head. Taking one last look at the tooth, she faced the human with a slight frown.

“You went back into that forest for a tooth from the basilisk that killed you?” Applejack said as her frown hardened.

“What can I say? I have weird hobbies, but this is one of my favorite. I collect trophies or things that interest me,” Damian explained.

“But why did you take so long getting back here?” Applejack asked with slight annoyance.

“I was about to return, until I ran into Zecora.”

“What did Zecora want with you?”

“She took me to her hut so I wouldn’t get hurt again.”

“Thank Celestia that she did. That forest is very dangerous during the night and you were lucky that she was around. If she wasn’t, you probably could have been attacked by a manticore, a pack of timberwolves, or even a hydra!” Applejack exclaimed, acting a little hysterical.

“Well, that didn’t happen. She also made me a potion that could help heal my wound,” Damian rolled to his side and showed her his healed side.

“At least she was kind enough to do that as well. So is this going to be a regular thing where you leave during the middle of the night to gather your trophies?” Applejack asked with a raised brow, her small panic attack receding.

“Only if I can’t grab it before leaving. I also doubt that there is anything in there for me to go hunting for when I don’t even know the layout of the forest.”

“Well, at least you came back unharmed and didn’t cause any trouble for Zecora. Now get up, we’re going to Twilight’s,” Applejack said as she headed for the stairs.

“What are we going to see her for?” Damian asked as he grabbed a shirt.

“She’s going to take you around town so you know where everyone lives.”

The human screamed internally at having to deal with the lavender mare. He knew that she would still try and befriend him. and he was getting sick with it. He was able to get the princesses to leave him alone about it, but it seemed these mares were determined to win the battle. Not bothering to even complain, he jumped the railing and stormed outside. He heard the farm mare trot next to him and he looked down at her. The mare was ready to say something when he gestured for her to lead.

Shutting her mouth quickly, she started walking, the human following behind her. She was surprised how quickly silence settled between the two, but she could understand where it was coming from. She wasn’t entirely thrilled about the idea too, after the lavender unicorn came over late at night asking she bring the human over. She wanted to give him his own space for a while until he had finished healing, which didn’t need to be worried about thanks to Zecora. She also wanted him to grow accustom to his life before throwing him in front of everything.

Shaking her head slightly, she looked back to see the human was still following her and his gaze was far off. She turned her head back around as they neared the familiar oak tree library. She didn’t bother knocking as she opened the door and walked inside. She looked back to see the human hesitate, and it was understandable. The last time he was in the library, he was tied to a chair in the basement and at the mercy of the princesses. That thought still panged her with guilt since she thought there was a better way of dealing with his presence.

She didn’t have long to think about it as the human walked in and closed the door behind him, slightly harsh so the lavender unicorn could hear. He took a seat on the couch as he waited for the mare to show up. Applejack took a seat across from him as she stared intently at the floor. Damian saw her lost look, but didn’t bother addressing whatever issue she was having. His wait didn’t last long as he looked towards the stairs and saw the unicorn come walking down. The mare had a huge smile on her face and it made him sick.

“So, can we get going and get this over with?” Damian asked as he got out of the chair.

“Sure, just let me get my checklist and we can get going,” Twilight answered as she walked to a nightstand.

The mare pulled out a scroll and unfurled it to make sure it was the one that she wanted. He felt that she was purposefully taking her time because she was taking too long to decide if it was her list. His right eye started to twitch as he neared his breaking point, but thankfully the lavender unicorn gave a small nod as she placed her scroll in her saddlebag. She turned back to the human, a smile still plastered on her face as she walked to the door. Her lavender aura encased the door as she held it open for him and the farm mare.

He quickly walked out the door and waited as the farm mare and librarian soon joined him. The unicorn pulled out her scroll and quickly looked through it. After a few seconds of looking, she placed it back in her saddlebag and looked towards the towering human. Her smile faltered as she saw the annoyed look he gave, but she gave a deep breath to bring back her smile. With her nerves steeled again, she looked back at the human, hoping her smile would help ease his slowly growing temper.

“You already know where Rarity, Applejack, and I live, so that leaves Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said while she smiled.

“Don’t you think that heading for Rainbow’s place is kind of a waste of time? He wouldn’t have much of a way to get up there or even walk there,” Applejack asked.

“Where does she live?” Damian asked.

“She lives in her cloud home up there,” Twilight answered as she pointed up with her hoof.

“I’m with Applejack on this. Going to see where she lives is kind of a waste of time if I can’t really reach her,” Damian said as he looked back at the unicorn.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I have a cloud walking spell that I can cast on you so you can walk around her home,” Twilight explained.

“Like hell you will cast a spell on me. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m kind of tired dealing with the magic of your world,” Damian growled angrily.

The sudden anger from the human caused the unicorn to jump a little. Her smile was lost as her ears drooped back. She was aware of that he probably wouldn’t like the idea of having magic casted on him, but hoped that he would take a chance to think about it. Applejack saw her friend sadden and quickly went to her side. She stroked the unicorn’s back as she tried to help cheer her up. While the farm mare was busy consoling her friend, she looked back at the human with a slight glare. He gave one back as he stayed determined about what he said.

The orange mare turned back to her friend when she heard a few sniffles. She was about to see if the lavender mare was fine, but was cut off by a hoof from her friend. The unicorn gave a small nod and the farm mare backed off. The unicorn shook harshly for a few seconds before looking back at the human, hurt evident in her eyes.

“Very well. I won’t cast the spell on you, but you are going to see where she lives,” Twilight stated and made her point by stamping her hoof. He noticed her resolve and not wanting to deal with an argument, he agreed.

“That’s fair enough,” Damian replied in a monotone voice.

The unicorn gave a small nod as she turned around and started walking. Applejack and Damian followed behind her, but the farm mare gave a firm kick to the human’s leg. She noticed the human wince from the kick and when she looked up, she could see his glare. She easily gave one back before he looked forward again. The three of them walked through the town before coming up to a building that truly didn’t belong. They stopped out front and the human took the time to look over the building.

The entire building looked exactly like a gingerbread house. Frosting ran along the sides of the building and the support beams were candy canes. The windows had gumdrops surrounding them and a pleasant scent wafted from the building. He looked over at Twilight as she cleared her throat.

“This here, is Sugarcube Corner. This building makes many of the delicious treats that we eat every now and again. This is also where Pinkie lives and works,” Twilight said as she pointed to the building.

As if on cue, Pinkie came bursting through the door. Her legs were spread wide as she tried to give the human a surprise hug. She was about to reach him, but felt her flight stopped before reaching her target. She wiggled her body a little to feel something grasp her firmly. Looking at her sides, she noticed a set of hands holding onto her. She looked forward to see the same human looking at her with a blank expression.

The human slowly set her to the ground and when her hooves made contact he let her go, she bounced over to Twilight. She looked at the unicorn for a quick second before giving her a huge hug. He heard the unicorn give a slight giggle before being let go by her pink friend. The pink mare looked over at the farm mare and gave her the same hug. The orange mare gave a giggle of her own before being let go. The energetic mare looked back at the human and beckoned him over with open hooves.

“No thanks. I just want to get through this and head back to the farm,” Damian said sternly.

“But you look like you need a hug. I saw Twilight and Applejack needed one and now they’re feeling better. You need one as well and when I give it to you, you’ll feel happy,” Pinkie said happily.

“Why are you so insistent with making me happy?” Damian asked.

“That’s why she’s the Element of Laughter. It’s her job to make sure that all the ponies around her are happy,” Twilight explained.

“The what?” Damian asked with a raised brow.

“Yeah, I forgot to explain that part to him, Twi. I think we’ll save that lesson for a later time, though,” Applejack said as she laughed nervously.

“Okay, we’ll talk about it later, but I’ll still tell him about what we are so he can come up with questions later,” Twilight said.

“Not like I’m going to be tested on it,” Damian mumbled to himself and none of the mares heard him.

“Applejack is the Element of Honesty. Rainbow Dash is the Element of Loyalty. Pinkie Pie is the Element of Laughter. Rarity is the Element of Generosity. Fluttershy is the Element of Kindness. I am the Element of Magic. All six of us together make up the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight summed up.

“I may not know what that means, but I know I’m going to be bored from that history lesson,” Damian grumbled.

The group was about to leave, but Pinkie bounced into her house to grab something. As they waited, Rarity showed up and decided to join their group. He watched the mares talk with each other and noticed the white unicorn give a slight glare every now and again. Pinkie finally showed up with a few bags in her saddlebags. Not even wanting to know what was in them, he started walking when Twilight took the lead again.

The human kept quiet as the mares chatted up a storm with each other. He was glad that they were distracted with each other so he could let his mind wander. There wasn’t anything he really wanted to think about, but just wanted to let it roam free. He was lost in his own thoughts that he almost didn’t notice the group stop. He looked around to see they were near nothing. He was about to say something when he saw the lavender mare pointing up. He looked up and saw an impressive cloud home.

The entire house was made of cloud, and the architecture was amazing. He had only seen the use of the columns on the building in front of him in ruins. There was even a rainbow waterfall near the edge that really surprised him. Rainbows were very rare in Divergence and it was amazing to see one up close. He was too distracted by the cloud home that he didn’t notice the cyan pegasus come flying down. He was pulled from his looking when the pegasus gave a sharp cough. He looked over to see the mare floating a few feet away from him, giving him a hard glare. Not liking her look, he addressed her.

“What’s your problem?” Damian asked.

“Nothing, just looking at you,” Rainbow replied.

“Then get rid of that glare,” Damian shot back.

The pegasus was about to retort when an orange hoof was placed on her shoulder. The two mares gave a quick glance before the pegasus relaxed her aggressive behavior. Nothing else was said as the mare continued to glide along with the group, leaving for their last stop. The group was silent except for the occasional beat of the prismatic mare’s wings. He noticed that they were now walking out of town and nearing the forest. The human grew a little tense as they neared the forest, unsure where they were going.

His nervousness died slightly as they neared a cottage. The building was decorated with hummingbird feeders and bird houses. The entire area was a lush green, and a small river ran in front of it. There was a small bridge that crossed over to where the cottage was. The group walked forward while Damian looked around at some the animals that ran around. He continued to look around while one of the mares knocked against the wooden door. He heard the hinges creak a little and turned around to see Fluttershy hiding behind the door and her mane.

She noticed the human standing in the back and lowered herself even more. Rolling his eyes, he backed away from the group and took a seat near the river. He watched the slow moving water as the mares tried to coax the timid pegasus to leave her house. He wasn’t sure how long he was sitting at near the river, but the cream colored pegasus finally joined her friends. He looked back to see her carrying a picnic basket on her back. The mare’s friends smiled at her as they joined the human.

He sighed internally as he followed the six mares out to somewhere. Chatter started back up after they were all together and the human was left with his thoughts again. They walked through the town again, ponies only giving him a quick look before going back to their own thing. He noticed the mares walking towards the park and gave a low groan with how long this was going to last. He kept his cool as he continued to follow the mares to the park. He was staying relatively close to the mares. He stopped following when he noticed Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo backed against a wall by two fillies.

The filly on the left had a pale magenta coat and her cutie mark was a tiara. Her mane and tail were a light grayish violet with white streaks going through them. On her head sat a tiara that looked the same as her cutie mark. He also noticed her eyes were a brilliant cornflower blue. The filly on the right had a cornflower bluish gray coat and her cutie mark was a fancy spoon. Her mane and tail were ceruleanish gray with cornflower blush gray streaks running through it. She had a pearl necklace that was a pale cyan. He also noticed her grayish violet eyes. He neared the five fillies and caught the tail end of the conversation.

“Leave us alone, Diamond Tiara,” Apple Bloom said.

“Why should I, blank flank. You’re the only ones in class that haven’t received their cutie mark, and probably won’t ever receive them,” the pink filly said.

He saw the three fillies were fighting back their tears and had enough of whatever was going on. He quickened his pace until he was standing over the two bullying fillies. The other three noticed his presence, but kept silent as they waited for him to do something. Taking in a deep breath, he yelled at the two fillies.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Damian yelled, startling the two fillies.

The fillies turned around and their expressions turned from startled to disgust. They made their displeasure known as they insulted him.

“What are you, some kind of hairless diamond dog?” The silver one asked.

“Who are you anyways?” The pink one asked.

“The name’s Damian. Who are you?” Damian asked with an aggressive tone.

“I’m Diamond Tiara and my father is Filthy Rich. He’s one of the five richest ponies and very influential,” Diamond boasted.

“I’m Silver Spoon,” Silver Spoon added in.

“So you’re a little bitch,” Damian said.

“Excuse me?” Diamond asked with a raised brow.

“You said your father was a rich person and that he was influential. That makes him a low life who has a daughter for a bitch,” Damian replied.

“How dare you. Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into? My daddy can easily get the princesses to arrest you if you continue to insult me,” Diamond threatened.

“Please, I met your princesses and I’m already under some punishment. If you want to get your daddy killed though, then go ahead and tell him,” Damian said as he gave an evil grin.

“You wouldn’t even try it,” Silver Spoon said as she tried to call him in his bluff.

“I very much would try it. I have no attachment to her father and seeing as how he’s some stuck up prick, I won’t mind ridding the world of his presence,” Damian said as he gave a dark chuckle.

“You would never get to him. He has the best security team around,” Diamond said as she smirked in victory.

“He might, but I would never know until I tried. I don’t mind killing off a bunch of idiots that didn’t know what they were up against. Maybe before I even kill him, I might have you watch so it haunts your every dream as a reminder that you caused it. Now get out of here,” Damian said as he lowered himself to the filly.

The fillies were shaking harshly before they took off galloping. He watched them gallop until they were out of sight and turned to the three fillies. They seemed shaken up, but had small smiles as well.

“Is everything okay now?” Damian asked as he rose to his feet.

“Yes, thank you, Damian,” Apple Bloom said as she hugged his leg.

“I knew you weren’t such a bad pony,” Sweetie Belle said as she hugged his other leg.

“Thanks for that,” Scootaloo said as she gave his leg a quick hug.

He patted each filly's head as they walked away. He watched them leave until they were out of sight. Once they were gone, he started walking the direction the mares went. He knew there was a long conversation waiting for him when he got to them, but it wasn’t important. During his walk he wondered what kind of trouble he would get in after scaring two fillies and probably scarring them for a long time. Shrugging his shoulders, he reached the park and saw the mares looking at him.

“Where have you been?” Rainbow asked.

“Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were being picked on and I stepped in,” Damian answered as he took a seat.

“Who was giving them trouble?” Fluttershy asked from behind her mane.

“Some fillies named Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Those two probably won’t be picking on them after my little talk with them,” Damian answered as he pulled out an apple.

“What did you do them?” Applejack asked with a raised brow.

“Just warned them of the consequences if they didn’t stop,” Damian answered calmly.

The mare looked at the human for a few more seconds before going about their picnic. He was right when he believed that the mares were going to take a long time in their meal. They all went about playing games and talking. They tried to get him to join them, but he just shook his head. Night soon came along and they started to pack their things. They all said their goodbyes as they walked back to their homes. The farm mare and human didn’t say anything as they reached the farm and went their separate ways. The human fell onto his bed as he let sleep take over his body.

Dream Realm

Damian found himself in an empty void. He knew this conversation was coming and waited for the one that was going to chew him out. It didn’t take long for Shade to appear and he looked very pissed. The human stretched as he got ready for the verbal lashing that was about to take place.

“Any reason why you didn’t stop when I told you to?” Shade asked.

“I needed to know what would happen, okay. I wasn’t expecting that pain filled sensation when everything was going along smoothly,” Damian replied.

“Yeah, well because of that, I’ve had to use some of my power to make sure I didn’t take any serious damage. Look at me, I’m smaller than I was before,” Shade said as he gestured to his body.

“Yeah, but there isn’t much we can do about that. Until I can get these inhibitors off, your power is going to be really cut back,” Damian said.

“You plan on getting even with them at some point, right?” Shade asked.

“You have no idea the payback that I’m going to bring,” Damian said as he smirked.

“Very well. You probably won’t be hearing or seeing me very much until we get this settled. Will you be okay till then?” Shade asked with slight worry.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You worry about taking care of yourself until I’m free,” Damian assured the magic entity.

The magic entity nodded as he disappeared into the shadows. With Shade gone, Damian went about through his memories until he felt a familiar presence. He turned around as he saw a familiar alicorn glide towards him. The alicorn stopped when she was several feet away from the human. Her expression showed her displeasure as she stared at the human. Silence settled between the two before the mare finally spoke.

“Why must you make everything difficult?” Luna asked.

“I don’t make anything difficult. You just happen to put me in situations that cause these things to happen,” Damian replied casually.

“You just threatened to mentally scar a young filly and even publicly threatened to kill her father. That’s enough reason to haul you up to Canterlot and throw you in the dungeons,” Luna said with a slight scowl.

“I only threatened them because I don’t make false threats. If they want to threaten me and my life, then they better be ready to face the consequences,” Damian shot back.

“I hope you’re ready to face those consequences when my sister and I show up tomorrow morning,” Luna said as she lifted herself to the air.

“We’ll see what happens. Just remember that I won that bet to stay here at Applejack’s farm. I also defended three fillies from two bullies that needed to be taught a lesson. Make sure to remember that because if you don’t, good luck trying to get me thrown in the dungeon,” Damian said as he started to laugh.

The alicorn gave a loud snort before finally taking off. As he watched her fly away, he flipped her off as he spat on the invisible ground. Turning in the opposite direction, he started walking with no real set area to go to, but to walk.