Where the Angels Fall

    Garrett's feet swiftly glided throughout the small town of Ponyville, the dark bricks and grass under his feet a blur. The thief's face mask hid his features, which were contorted into one of pure determination, laced with rotten confusion.

My long-lost companion just appeared to me in a vision; an interactive vision at that. I'm surprised I'm not a blubbering mess on the curb by now, utterly drowning in my persistent confusion and guilt. In fact, I very well should be. I can barely contain my feelings when I even think of Erin. I just interacted with her... Or rather, interacted with Miss Marshmallow.

Is it because one of my Pony Friends are in trouble I recovered so quickly? Wow. They seriously do have a positive effect on me...

Character Development, yay!

    As the Master Thief neared the location of the initial scream, it became evident it was now abandoned. He cursed under his breath for his slow arrival, but the frustration instantly diminished as another scream, this time further away, pierced the silence. Again, Garrett was dashing throughout Ponyville in the direction of the filly in distress.

    It was at that time he heard the familiar sound that would soon change his life forever. It was a high-pitched wail, the sound which he had learned to avoid throughout his experiences.

    Instinct ruled over morality, and Garrett's legs threw himself into the shadows, crouching stationary—

Wait, what the Hell am I doing? Why did I stop?! That's a filly in trouble...

...Oh. Right.

Freaks.

Eleven months earlier...

    Garrett narrowed his eyes as he regarded the silhouette of the skinny, humanoid figure slowly walking across the dark setting.

Freaks... Why do I always run into these guys?

    As the bipedal in the distance's hollow eyes scanned its surroundings, there was a mellow cyan glow erupting from the irises. They narrowed as they turned faintly yellow. It knew Garrett was there, it just didn't know where. The Freak's blind eyes focused hard on nothing as it stood deathly still, attempting to sense any type of movement or energy from the Primal being given off.

You're trying to see sense me... how cute.

As soon as you can be a gentleman and quit that, I'll just be on my way. I already have what I want.

    The gold medallion was his objective. It had a new home in his pocket.

    The Freak let out a guttural growl as it realized it was getting nowhere. It walked around the corner of the foggy wall, use of Garrett's Focus becoming available again.

    The Master Thief reached into one of the zippers on his suit, brought out a Poppy, and quickly devoured the flower. He could feel the tingly sensation of his Focus ability being refilled, and his right eye glowed with the energy after a quick blink. The gray fog in the room virtually vanished from sight, replaced by the cabin's interior. A cyan haze accompanied the room, although Garrett didn't mind much.

    He moved without trouble through the fog, checking each of his corners before turning them. The thief knew there was only one Freak in the cabin, but it was one who could sense sudden movements and his Focus ability. It was a good idea to be rid of the monster.

    Garrett came across a wooden door, and almost sighed out of relief. He deactivated his Focus, sneaking ahead quietly to the door. After a turn of the knob, he was home free—

"YYYEEEEERRRRRAAAUUGHHHH!!

    Garrett spun away from the door just in time for the Freak to charge into it, shattering it to pieces. Full of rage, it held the wood down as it savagely tore it to bits with its sharp claws. Within five seconds, the metal and wood workmanship was no more.

    Realizing the unfortunate entree way was not its initial target, the Freak's head snapped to the side to stare at Garrett. Its eyes were glowing a crimson red, signaling it was in Bloodlust.

    "...Fils de pute laid.." Garrett remarked snidely.

    The white humanoid's response was somewhere along the lines of a high pitched, "YYYEEEEERRRRRAAAUUGHHHH!!""

    The Freak charged at Garrett, claws extended, reaching to tear apart his skin. The sane human side-stepped the Freak's initial charge, but lost his footing while trying to avoid the outstretched claws. After a quick cyan glow of his eye, however, quick reflexes kicked in and he flipped backwards onto his feet.

    The Freak's adrenaline kicked in at the sense of Primal energy radiating from Garrett's eye, and it viscously screeched as it desperately tried to dive for the human. Before it could tear the eye out of the socket, a Sawtooth arrowhead was implanted into its head. The Freak screamed horribly, its eye burning a crimson red. The monster fell to its knees as Garrett calmly walked in front of it, knowing it wouldn't have a chance now. The Freak slowly reached a clawed hand out to Garrett, desperate to rip his throat out.

    Garrett, only mildly amused, responded with pointing at his blue eye. "Mine," he snapped, before pulling the Sawtooth from the Freak's head and shoving it in its glowing eye socket. "Yours."

    The Freak gurgled before dropping to the floor in a heap. Garrett, after deactivating his Focus, retrieved his arrowhead. He started to screw the sharp object back onto his arrow.

"YYYEEEEERRRRRAAAUUGHHHH!!

    The Thief let out a yelp as something slammed into his back with the force of a charging bull. Before Garrett knew what was happening, the Freak screeched again as it dug its claws into Garrett's stomach, pinning him to the wooden floor as they easily stabbed through his body. The human yelled out as blood spurted from his stomach, the Freak also yelling out as insanity clutched its brain.

    Garrett closed his eyes to activate Focus, and time seemed to slow down again. All in slow motion, the Freak's red-eyed attention shifted from Garrett's stomach to his eye. Driven by a shock of adrenaline, the Freak retracted its claws from Garrett's body, lunging to gouge out the Primal-giving eye. Fast reflexes kicking in, Garrett screamed as he flexed his stomach to bring up his legs, kicking the Freak off of him.

    The thief took short gasps of air as it seemed a cold void opened within his torso, surrounded by white hot pain. He stared up at the Freak, and recognized a stream of black blood oozing from the eye he had just stabbed. "Why won't you guys die?" Garrett muttered, quickly reaching back and retrieving a Blast Arrow.

    The sudden movement sent the Freak into a blind rage as it charged Garrett again. But this time, the Thief was ready. He activated Focus before almost inhumanly quickly sliding to the side to avoid its grasp.

    He strung the Blast Arrow, aimed at the Freak, and the arrow was in the air within the second. Garrett had just enough time to see the Freak turn around to see its oncoming death before the arrow exploded in a "BANG!"

    The man sat in utter silence as the smoke cleared, revealing the Freak with a new hole in its chest. It bled black goo profusely, the blood falling to the floor like a waterfall. After about two seconds of standing, the Freak fell on the ground, this time really into a lifeless heap.

Does it really take an explosion to kill these guys? I stabbed him in the head! Twice!

Ugh.... Guess I should avoid them for now on. They're a lot stronger than last time.

    The Master Thief cringed as his world swam, the wound suddenly taking top priority.

Aaaand, it's Bandage Time...

Back in the Present

    Garrett shook himself out of the fearful memory and furrowed his brow. He once again shot in the direction of the scream, running faster than ever. If a filly got in the path of a Freak, there was virtually no chance of survival. Unless if she had explosives. And he only knew one girl who walked around carrying those.

    Garrett unclipped the bow from his back, a Blast Arrow taking occupancy in its drawstring. He readied himself to shoot as he ran, thinking of a Freak and activating Focus. A trail made out of clawed, inhuman footsteps instantly appeared on the floor, and the Master Thief was on pursuit. That was when, from between the houses, Garrett saw the small white unicorn named Sweetie Belle run from one house to behind the next, still squealing in terror. Right behind her was a Freak with glowing red eyes; a Freak in Bloodlust. It had an unnaturally dark skin tone, almost black.

    Garrett was on pursuit instantly, aiming with his bow as Sweetie once again appeared from between the gaps of the houses, and a second later the Freak appeared. The cottages acted as obstacles for the Blast Arrow, and Garrett's target was running behind them. The only sight he got of the Freak was when it momentarily appeared from behind the houses, only to continue on its trail to behind another.

    Garrett's teeth gridded against each other in frustration as he lowered his bow. Once again, Sweetie Belle appeared, screaming, from behind a house only to proceed to behind the one next to it. The Freak followed. It was gaining on her.

    The thief needed to lure the Freak using Focus. Usually, the Primal energy released from his eye would need to be within a few feet of the Freak, and with no obstacles. But he was willing to take his chances, as his Focus was possibly the only Primal energy on the entire planet. Even a small dose would send a Freak shambling his direction.

    Garrett blinked. The moment before, his right iris was a non-glowing, milky cyan orb. The next, it was radiating in light blue brilliance.

    Once again time seemed to slow as Garrett dashed after the Freak, gaining on him quickly. Blast Arrow strung and ready, he kept running until the Freak slowly turned towards him, eyes shining a deep purple—

Wait... Purple?

    Time returned to normal the instant those eyes landed on him. The blue haze which was the world returned to normal, night taking over. For a second, Garrett stood dumbfounded and confused as no light came from his eye.

    The purple-eyed Freak screeched at the thief, already charging at him with claws extended. Garrett tried yet again to activate Focus, which only resulted in failure.

    Something was wrong.

    His attention snapped back to reality as the Freak barreled into him, knocking his bow away from grasping distance. Garrett tumbled with the screaming Freak as the latter tried its best at an attempt to dissect the human alive. Before it could cause any mortal wounds, the Master Thief kicked the Freak off him.

    He scrambled for his bow, but only got about a foot away when his leg was grabbed, and he was swung away from the slick weapon. Garrett's world became nothing but mixed colors and wind for about a second until he rolled to a stop into a hard wall.

    Pain once again exploded on his skull, and Garrett cringed as he rubbed the offending spot. He glared up at the Freak before him.

He's something different... I can't activate my Focus when he's looking at me. Does it have something to do with those purple eyes?

He's a lot smarter, too. Most Freaks just charge in for the kill, claws extended, minds no longer of use. This one knows how to disorientate its targets strategically.

    The Freak screeched and charged.

Still has a creepy as Hell scream, though.

    Garrett was quickly up, crouching in a defensive pose. When the Freak was within touching distance, he whipped to the side and heard a splintering crash beside him. A quick glance told him the Freak had barged through the wall of the building which stopped his barreling.

    Garrett leaned into the hole to see the Freak, dazed but alert, growling as it regained its senses. Apparently it had crashed straight into a bar, evident by the scattered stools and tables, alcoholic beverages spilling all over the monster. Garrett's eye twitched as an idea came to mind. He returned to his position out of the Freak's view, and activated Focus. This time, the world around him erupted into a cyan haze as his eye followed suit.

    Knowing he was acting quicker than usual, Garrett dashed to the location of his bow. However, when he was half-way the Focus drained from his system. A shiver ran down his spine; the Freak was looking at him from behind. The Master Thief ran as fast as he could to his bow, and dived for it as he heard a screech from behind. Hurriedly, Garrett whipped around with a Blast Arrow and shot it.

    The sleek, black arrow with a fiery globe at the end whizzed forward, barely missing the Freak as it charged to Garrett...

    ...and promptly flew into the open hole of the bar, explosive alcohol ready for it.

...Oh, Putain de mer--

BOOOOOOOOMMM!!!!

    Garrett's body was flung back as the building exploded in a fiery haze, the Freak following suit. The variously-used arrows were launched out of his quiver, scattering across the grassy floor. Garrett landed on his back as his head bonked on the grass, pain exploding in his skull. The Master Thief groaned as he tried to recover, putting his hands on his ringing ears as his world swam. The crack in his skull sung with pain while the numb feeling in his gums surfaced, most likely being followed by Garrett upchucking. He's done a lot of that lately.

    The Freak was a lot quicker to recover than Garrett. It snarled as it almost immediately staggered to its feet, and was above the Master Thief in a matter of seconds. Without the senses to react, Garrett was suspended uselessly as the Freak grabbed him by the neck, pulling him up.

    But, before it was too late, Garrett grabbed a Fire Arrow from the ground beside him. He hid it behind his back.

    The black Freak pulled Garrett close to its face, and gave a high pitched roar, filled with animal-like rage.

"Holy shit!" Garrett yelled. "My ears are already ringing, thank you very much!"

    The Freak's only response was to roar louder.

    "PUTAIN DE MERDE JE NE PEUX PAS ÉCOUTER RIEN!" Garrett covered his ears, eyes squinting. After about a few seconds of ears ringing even more, he opened his eyes. "I think I'm okay now. Continue."

    The Freak's purple eyes narrowed, but soon a smile was plastered on its face. "You act as if everything is good."

    Garrett's eyes snapped wide open as his hands retracted from his ears. He nearly dropped the Fire Arrow in hand. The sound of the surrounding chaos died down to nothing as the Master Thief's entire attention was on the Freak before him.

...Did... did that *Freak** just talk?*

    Garrett stared wordlessly at the supposedly-mindless being holding him by his neck, the fiery remains of the bar behind him. "I can sense your confusion, Master Thief," the Freak smiled wickedly, inhumanly sharp teeth glistening. "I can sense how you are thinking... Just wondering how a 'Freak,' like me could ever speak to you." Its voice sounded like its throat was just released from years of being tortured by a lawn mower. "...There is so much you do not know, Master Thief. So much is at stake. Things bigger and better than you... Unfortunately, I cannot be there to see your face when everything is revealed." The Freak's grip tightened.

    Garrett's eyes narrowed as he gurgled, still unbelieving of this Freak's mere intelligence. His grip also tightened, only his hand was holding a much thinner, much more metal object than a neck.

    "Any last words, Master Thief?" The Freak loosened the true human's neck just enough for Garrett to speak.

    "...Yeah, actually," Garrett wheezed, cringing as he felt his windpipe weaken.. "You actually did a pretty good job not explaining your 'devious plan' to me right before you killed me. That method is really overrated... But still, you spoke long enough for me to recover from shock." Garrett's hand whipped up, Fire Arrow in hand. The Freak's eyes widened in realization as it examined its own alcohol-soaked body. "So, just like every super villain ever, you talk too much. Bye-bye!" Garrett thrusted the arrow down, the glass globe on the tip shattering, fire igniting from within. The Freak's body instantly went up in flames as it screamed its horrible scream, purple eyes shining brightly. To Garrett's disgust, the Freak started to melt into a black mush onto the grass below as it shriveled almost immediately. It was as if the fire instantly incinerated the Freak. This specimen was definitely different than the ones he encountered before.

"THE NIGHTMARE WILL RISE AGAIN!" the Freak shrieked as it continued on its way to Eternal Rest. Or rather, the black puddle of goo on the ground. "YOU WILL DIE, MASTER THIEF! EVERYONE HERE WILL DIE..." By now, the Freak's torso and head were the only part of its body that wasn't liquid yet. "It doesn't matter if you kill me, or the next one!... but the Night will consume you, Master Thief...!" Its head was the only part showing, now. "For we are not Freaks anymore... We are the Vandalites... and our cause is just! *HE** is just...!"*

    "Yeah, yeah, foreshadow more plot in Hell." Garrett stomped on the Vandilite's head, and the violet eyes were crushed under his foot. There were a few seconds of peacefulness for Garrett after that, and he spent them glaring down at the goop which was just recently an evolved version of a Freak. It was interrupted by Sweetie Belle running into view, sobbing happily.

    Garrett, knowing better, knelt down for the filly as she rushed into his waiting arms. She tried her best to crush him by hugging as the Master Thief squeezed back, his face being tickled by her curly mane. Sweetie Belle spoke between sobs. "I thought... sob... you were lost..! choke"

    Garrett pulled his face mask down, giving away to his fully affectionate features. "I'm not lost anymore."

    Sweetie smiled as she cried. Garrett stood up, carrying the filly close to his chest as he did. "C'mon. Let's go find Sleeping Marshmallo--"

    The words evaporated out of Garrett's mouth as he turned his attention to the dozens of ponies staring at him from the windows and doorways of the surrounding houses. Sweetie Belle stopped her crying momentarily to gaze at the countless onlookers, and snuggled close to Garrett's chest as a sign of trust.

    Soon, ponies of all different sizes, species, and colors surrounded the fiery bar, pool of black ooze, and the human. Garrett looked at each of them in turn, unsure of how to react. He spotted Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity in the group of starers. With a flash, Princess Twilight Sparkle appeared at the scene, only to gawk at the events before her.

    For a few seconds, utter silence gripped the ponies. Until a solitary voice spoke from the crowd.

"...He saved that kid!"

    Garrett, with a dumbfounded expression, had his attention shift to the speaker of the voice; a yellow earth pony mare with an orange coat and tail. Before anyone could react, she started to pound her hooves on the ground. Her clopping was soon joined by a few more, then a dozen more, then even more. Before anyone knew it, the entire crowd was yelling and stomping their hooves on the ground.

    The crowd was cheering. For him.

    Garrett felt something weird; something he had never felt before in his entire life. It was a warm feeling in his heart, which spread throughout his body. Slowly, a smile formed on his face. The very first smile he has ever commited, via helping someone else. He could feel Sweetie Belle reach up and give him a peck on the cheek, which resulted in a flourish of color in it.

    Garrett looked into the crowd and saw the looks of the ponies' faces. They didn't see him as a monster. As an abomination. As a Criminal.

    No. They saw him as something more than that. More than just a man who was trying to do the right thing.

     He saw Pinkie Pie jump a full six feet in the air, cheering, "I know that guy! I know that guy!" Again and again.

    He saw Rainbow Dash give an approving grin while Applejack did the same. Fluttershy was smiling too as she hovered with the pegasi, while Twilight Sparkle was cheering also. His eyes drifted to Rarity, who was looking at him with such strong emotion he didn't know which one she was feeling.

    ...No, they saw him more than all of that negativity. They saw him as a—

"He's a Hero!" a voice called out.

    —friend.

Wait, what?

    Garrett felt a cold rock drop in his stomach. All the joy felt just moments ago vanished completely.

Wait a... did she just call me a...

"He saved her!" another voice called out. "He's *is** a hero!"*

No! No, no, please don't think that! *No!!** I'm not the Hero! Please...!*

    "Garrett, what's wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked, concerned. "You don't seem good..."

    Garrett put Sweetie Belle down shakily, backing off from the crowd of ponies with horrified eyes. The group noticed this, and was shushed.

    "I'm not a Hero..." Garrett muttered, holding his hands out defensively. "Please don't think that-- ...I'm just a Thief..."

    "PPPFT! What are you talking about, Garrett?!" Pinkie Pie jumped in the air again before appearing at the front of the crowd with a huge grin. "You saved the day! Oh wait--! You're right, you're not just a 'hero!'" Pinkie bounded up in the air as an explosion effect happened behind her. "YOU'RE A SUPER-HERO!"

"NO!" Garrett yelled, drawing his bow at the crowd. The ponies all gasped at the Blast Arrow which was pointed directly at them. "I am NOT a hero! I lie, I cheat, I steal— You don't want me to help you! I'm pathetic at doing good! The last time I tried to save someone's life, they started a plague which killed thousands of people and I just had to lose them again..!" Garrett stopped talking suddenly, tears coming to his eyes as they widened. The ponies around him were all staring in utter shock.

    Suddenly angry they wouldn't get the hint, Garrett's eye shown with the same cyan glow as it did before so many times. The ponies in the crowd gawked at the glowing cyan. Garrett shifted his view to each of his friends, then back to the first mare to speak up. "This is not the look of a Hero," he said sternly.

    The yellow mare gulped before replying. "You're right," she remarked. "...It's the look of something beautiful."

"GRRAGHHH!!" Garrett yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. After putting his face mask up, he quickly replaced his Blast Arrow with a Choke Arrow, and shot the ground in front of the crowd with it. It instantly exploded into a green gas, which spread out among the group. They coughed and sputtered for what seemed like a few seconds before it evaporated, revealing the Master Thief had vanished.

    Sweetie Belle looked into the darkness, on the verge of tears. "...Garrett..?" she said softly. Whereas the crowd muttered amongst themselves concerning the mysterious bipedal, the yellow mare who spoke first, named Carrot Top, called out into the shadows.

    "Well it is true!" she yelled.

Thwip! sss...

    "MPH MPPHH MMMM?!" ["Is this moss?!"]

——————————

    "Garrett?"

    Rarity continued to trot around the unpopulated spot of Ponyville, looking around for any sign of the tall human. She called his name again, hoping for any sign of the him. The nothingness of the night was her only reply. The unicorn sighed angrily, her eyes narrowed by worried.

"It had been an hour since the recent.... turn of events, and we haven't heard from him since! He's not back at the library... Where is that bafoon?"

    Rarity looked around as she called out for him, hoping to find a glimpse of his form.

"Well, I'm certain he couldn't have gone far; the poor fool doesn't know anything about Ponyville. He's still around here. I'm sure he's not *that** good at hiding..."*

Thirty minutes later

    "Ugh! Fine, then. Be that way!" Rarity chided, turning around to trot back to the library. "I will never understand human stubbornness! Especially over something as silly as this! I just wanted to talk-- Oof!"

    Rarity reeled back, irritated that she should bump into something. The annoyance quickly washed away, however, as she saw it was Garrett who stood in front of her, glaring at her with a blank expression. "I'm, like, six feet tall, and you still don't see me in time to stop yourself?" the Master Thief snorted. "There is no way that wasn't intentional."

    Rarity was about to return with a snappy remark, but when she looked up at him emotion flooded her being. This was the man who had just saved her sister, and the man she (briefly and unintentionally) knew was in so much pain.

    ...Although, he's also the idiot who ran away twice in the same night.

    Rarity glared up at him, tried to say something angry, and utterly failed.

    "Don't you dare struggle," the unicorn grunted, before wrapping her arms around him, squeezing. Rarity did not see the human's reaction, as her face was looking to the left, her cheek rubbing against his stomach. She was slightly relieved as he didn't push her away, but only slightly. Her glare held as she looked up at him. "That's for saving my sister," she declared, angry eyes gazing at Garrett's face.

    "Well, she is adorable as Hell--" SMACK! "AUGH! You know, that hurts when you have a hoof--"

    "And THAT is for running away twice in the same night!"

    Garrett barely had time to explain himself as Rarity once again hugged him.

    "And THIS is for the pain I know you've experienced, although only briefly. And I'm sorry."

    The human crossed his arms, angled so they lied above Rarity's horn.

One second she's hugging me, the next she's slapping me, then she's hugging me again.

Women...

    Garrett sighed. "I suppose I'm gonna have to let you escort me back to the library?"

    "Well, the original plan was for me to whack you with a wooden board from the bar you just destroyed, but that sounds more peaceful." Rarity led the way back to the tree house as Garrett followed, cringing at the fact he just destroyed a building.

Did I really just *destroy** that bar...?*

Well, it's most likely being planned to be rebuilt by now, just after the smoking stops. But still...

Huh. Pinkie Pie would be disappointed. First building destroyed and I'm already having a Guilt Trip.

Good thing I'm no Super Hero. I don't think I'm ready to destroy an entire city to get one bad guy...

    "So, uh... who owned that bar?" Garrett asked sheepishly.

    "A mare named Berry Punch. She's been gone for a few days, though. She's on a 'Wine Tasting Adventure,' as she puts it."

    "Ah... I'll have to remember that name when I put it on my Apology List."

    "I imagine her name will have company?"

    "Nope. She's the only one."

    As the duo walked, an awkward silence fell upon them. Garrett would glance up at her occasionally, wondering if he should talk first. Rarity would do the same, glancing back at him from time to time. But, both would think better of it and keep on their way.

    It wasn't until they were at the very doorstep of the library Rarity spoke up.

    "I'd really like it if you could explain a thing or two to us," the unicorn stated. The human didn't answer. "Please, Garrett? Sometime in the future?"

    "...Sometime in the future," Garrett confirmed. Rarity, only half-satisfied with her answer sighed as she opened the door for him. However, as the orange glow of the interior hit his face, Garrett staggered back as his eyes went wide. His right eye glowed cyan as he quickly turned into the shadows, his freakishly good hiding skills showing themselves. Rarity, confused, also glanced into the room. Her expression mirrored Garrett's.

    "P-...Princess Celestia?" Rarity stuttered, taken aback.

    The white alicorn turned her head at the mention of her name, which was just recently facing the Elements of Harmony and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her celestial features turned into a smile as she saw Rarity's familiar figure.

    "Hello, My Little Pony," Princess Celestia smiled warmly. "You came just in time. I was about to send somepony out to fetch you. Please, come in and sit."

    Rarity glanced behind her. "...Um.."

    "Please, tell your friend Garrett that he is welcome in, too. I would love to talk to him."

    Rarity nodded thankfully and turned outside. "Garrett! It's okay; she just wants to talk. She's our Princess."

    Garrett appeared almost out of nowhere, blinking away Focus. Rarity whispered, "Be good," to him before leading him inside. Princess Celestia, much to the room's surprise, stood up at the arrival of Garrett. She extended a hoof.

    "Hello, Garrett," she declared. "I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria."

    Garrett looked at her hoof quizzically, briefly wondering how much that gold-crested hoof plate would cost. Celestia's clothing was not the only thing lost on the human, however. The color of her fur also made him blink. "Uh... Yeah. Hi, Princess Marshmallow."

    The entire room of nine ponies all gasped at once, the atmosphere transforming into one of shock.

    Princess Celestia only chuckled. "My, what a Jokester. And brave, too. Please, come in. Sit with us."

    Garrett was led to sit in a solitary chair in the middle of the room, but he instead chose to sit by Pinkie Pie on a purple sofa. The two shared a quick hoof-fist bump. Princess Celestia regarded this as an act of independence from authority. She liked that in a pony; as long as it wasn't disruptive. "Well, Garrett, I must say you have surprised me hugely from what these mares have told me. Not even twenty-four hours since your arrival and you manage to achieve two remarkable fleets.

    "Although, there is one endeavor I must question you about. One that..." she looked at each of the Elements of Harmony and Cutie Mark Crusaders in turn. "...you have committed back on your planet. My sister informed me of how you came here." The last part was said in a way that suggested it was a signal.

    Which it was.

    It was at that time two mares and one filly entered the room. The first was a female unicorn, sporting a light blue coat along with a dark blue mane and tail, accompanied with an ice blue streak on both. Her horn was currently glowing in a blue haze, holding an ice bag on her head to numb an injury. She had an hourglass as a Cutie Mark and ocean blue eyes. Garrett could tell their color because:

    Number One: they were ridiculously huge, just like every other one of these ponies.

    Number Two: they were glaring at him with a death sentence.

Well, excuse me, Toothpaste Pony. It's not like *I** caused that bruise on your head.*

    The second mare was a light grayish-purple earth pony with a darker purple mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a vine of berries, and she sported purple-pink eyes which sometimes blinked at different times than the other. Most likely recovering from a hangover.

    The last one was the filly...

WOW SHE'S ANGRY.

    ...who was currently inches away from Garrett's face. She had an extremely light gray-purple coat with a light pink and white mane and tail. She was an earth pony, and bore noticeable resemblance to the bigger, purple mare behind her. Her cyan eyes pierced Garrett's irises as she mentally dared him to look away.

    Princess Celestia chuckled. "Please, Piña Colada. Sit down and hear him out."

    Her horn glowed, and the small filly was levitated away from Garrett. As she was in mid-air, she motioned an "I'm watching you" gesture with her hoof.

    "Garrett," the Princess said, smiling. "I would like you to meet Piña Colada, Colgate, and Berry Punch. We have lots to discuss."