The Newcomer

As Rainbow Dash awoke, groggy and unaware of her surroundings, she bolted up completely aware of the situation. Eyes adjusted to the dark dew to the thick burlap she saw Twilight and trotting over to her tripping on something and landing on her face. Hearing the noise Twilight shuffled over to her nudging the muzzle of the unknown pony on the ground next to her.

“Rainbow Dash, are you all right?” asked Twilight. Continuing her slow shuffle towards Dash this time tripping fully and landing not on the floor but on Rainbow Dash who gave a slight groan before pushing her off.

“Well you landing on me didn't help any, now would you mind telling me where we are?” asked Rainbow Dash as she stood up and brushed herself off.

“We are in a Changeling dungeon, and as far as I can tell the only way out is through the hole in the roof with a bared grate covering it. So how are your wings feeling?” asked Twilight

“Well that's where things get complicated, they feel fine but they won't open,” she said as she looked down to her side, “I think it has something to do with this caller they put on me, so our chances of me flying out of here and getting something to pull us out is a little shot. What about you how is your magic doing?”

“Well seeing as how it's still dark and sense you have woken up I haven't even tried to get light in here what do you think the answer to that question is?” said Twilight with a hint of annoyance in her voice, “And at least you can know what's wrong with you, can't even see one foot in front of me, but my neck does feel heavy.”

“Well if I can see what's wrong with me do you think you could come over here so I could, oh I don't know, SEE WHAT'S WRONG?” Rainbow Dash said with an under lying tone of 'use you brain smart one', “Ya just as I figured, you have a caller too.”

“Is there a key hole?”

“Not that I can see, or feel. Maybe it just slides off?” said Rainbow Dash as she tried to slide the mettle ring off her friends neck.

“Ow ow ow OW OW!!! Rainbow Dash it's not working, look our only hope is that when Big Mack wakes up he can brake the wall down.”

“Um, Twilight, I hate to brake it to you but that's not Big Mack.” said Rainbow Dash. With a look of remorse she looked back a Twilight, unable to look at her face, let alone her eyes. “He's dead Twilight, I was sent to the hospital to check on you and keep you safe, then I found the wreckage of the wagon and Mack with a gash in his head, he told me to run but I didn't listen to him, they used him to get to me. Twilight, I'm sorry, but that's not him.”

Twilight looked back in horror, “What do you mean that's not him? Of course it is, watch, I'll prove it!” she said. Running to his side she started to shake him, “Come on Mack, wake up. Wake up!”

“Twilight, stop shacking me and calling me Big Mack, I'm not my kin.” said Applejack, “Twilight? Twilight what's wrong?”

Unable to comprehend what she had just been told she ran over to the corner and had a little cry into her front fore legs. Turning to Rainbow Dash for answers Applejack took step toward her only to be responded by a step back and Rainbow Dash looking to the ground behind her.

“AJ, you have no idea how sorry I am, but, AJ he's gone, Mack is dead.” said Rainbow Dash tears welling in her eyes, “They left him alive long enough for him to worn me, I would have tried to save him but it was to late.”

“Now see here Rainbow, if this is one of your dang pranks that you like to pull, it ain't funny, I've already lost Apple Bloom right in front of me, and even then I can't give her a proper funeral!” said Apple Jack as she took a few steps toward Rainbow Dash, a look of 'Take it back or I will buck your skull in!' on her face and in her eyes.

“Now, take it easy AJ, you don't want to do anything that you might regret later.” said Rainbow Dash as she stumbled back and tripped over Fluttershy waking her up and landing on her flank. “Wait, Apple Bloom's dead? What about Scootaloo? Please, PLEASE, tell me she's alright!”

“Rainbow I wish I could, but every living thing there except for us was slaughtered beyond recognition.” said Apple Jack. Unaware that Fluttershy was awake she continued on her rant. “Rarity passed out after Sweetie Belle was killed and mutilated, Fluttershy passed out after a black bare was reduced to a pile of meat and fur! If you ask me they where lucky, what I saw after that was just horrific, Scootaloo charged at our attackers and was struck down at the same spot as Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom ran to the remains of her friends and froze over them, next thing I know it looks like my sister and her friends were put into a blender and poured out onto the same spot, after that they preformed some sort of sleeping spell and then I was lifted over the back of one of them, what I saw as I was taken out of the house was every single small animal being killed where the were, with no mercy or remorse.”

“Apple Jack, stop, please stop.” whispered Fluttershy

“Oh! Fluttershy, I didn't know you were awake! Um, well, this is awkward.” said Apple Jack as she tried to hold back her tears.

“What! That my little creature friends are dead and look like they have been through a blender!” screamed Fluttershy

“Surge Cube, I'm sorry, but-”

“No!” screamed Fluttershy tackling Apple Jack to the ground, “Stop saying that!”

“Fluttershy, darling, do get off of Apple Jack, it's unbecoming.” said a groggy Rarity as she stood up from the floor, “Now, would somepony be please be kind enough to tell me where in Tartars this dismissal place is?”

“We are in a dungeon in the Changeling Empire.” said Twilight. Whipping the dried tears from her eyes, she joined her friends.

“Well that explains the lack of cleaning.” mumbled Rarity

“Where's Pinkie?” asked Rainbow Dash as she pushed Apple Jack off of her.

“Hopefully with that friend of yours Twi. Who is he any way, and more to the point, what is he?” asked Apple Jack as she helped Rainbow Dash off the ground.

“Ya, Twilight, who is he? He knew things about us that not even Celestia knows.” said Rainbow Dash

“Look, I know about as much about him as you do. The most I know is that if there is any place that Pinkie would be safe, it's with him.” reassured Twilight

“Yes, but the question is, can we trust him? I mean, you say what he did to the changelings that attacked the town.” said Rarity

“Ya, but I'm not worried about him, it's the changelings that I'm worried about.”

“Why's that Rainbow?” asked Apple Jack

“Well, during our little interrogation session with that changeling, it said it knew him and that it had another specimen, and that sort of got to him.” said Rainbow Dash

“Well from what I can gather form him he's the last of his kind and his world is, gone, and that's just from the walk from the schoolhouse to the library.” said Twilight

As they continued their conversation the grate was lifted up from the hole in the ceiling and two objects were dropped through landing with a dull thud on the wet dirt floor followed by a low moan. From above Twilight herd what the guards were saying this time.

“Um, girls, Pinkie's here, but that's not what I'm concerned about, they sound scared, almost terrified of the other thing.” whispered Twilight

“What in all of Equestra could terrify these changelings?” asked Rarity

“I don't know,” said Twilight, “but have you ever herd the saying the enemy of mine enemy 'is mine friend?”

“Wow! Hang on a second, are you saying that we should make an alliance with something that we should be afraid of too?!” questioned Apple Jack, “I think that if the changelings are scared of it, if we kill it they might show us some gratitude and let us go.”

“And then what Apple Jack?! Have them kidnap us again?!” said Twilight, “I say that we use it to our advantage!”

“No Twi, that's not what I'm saying!” argued Apple Jack, “Look, the point is I ain't going anywhere near that thing!”

“Fine, whatever, but ether way Pinkie is over there with it and I can't lift her on my own,” said Twilight, “so you or rainbow Dash is going to have to come and help me with it.”

“I already told you once, I ain't going anywhere  that thing and that's final!” said Apple Jack

“Alright Twilight, lets get this over with.” said Rainbow Dash

“So what do you think it is Rainbow?” asked Twilight as they approached.

“I don't know,” said Rainbow Dash, “but what ever it is, it's not that big.”

“Could be an explosive device,” said Twilight, “or maybe an animal.”

As they grew even closer to the mass that was Pinkie Pie and the unknown object they continued discussing the possibilities as to what it could be. Before long the pair reached their target destination.

“Um, Twilight, you see what I see, right?” asked Rainbow Dash, eyes not moving from what she saw.

“That depends, is what you see an impossible feat according to witness accounts, from someone who can't lie to save he life?” asked Twilight also unable to look away.

“Yup”

“I was afraid you were going to say that.”

“How is this possible Twilight?”

“That's just it, it's not,” Twilight said, “not even the princesses have the capabilities to preform magic of this magnitude, much less the spells if they do exist!”

“So what should we tell AJ?”

“I think we should let her decide for herself if she want's to believe this or not.”

“Okay. So do we tell her, show her, what?”

“I would say that we take Pinkie back with us and tell Apple Jack that she might want to see whats over here before she does anything that she might regret.” Twilight said

“Sounds like a plan to me.” said Rainbow Dash, “I really don't want to be anywhere near her when she finds out!”

“Agreed!”

“So, now what?”

“Well, like I said, we bring Pinkie back with us and send Apple Jack over.”

“Okay, front or back?”

“What?”

“Do you want to take the front or back.”

“You think I'll be caring her?!” said Twilight, “My leg never got properly relocated, I'm not carrying her. As it is I can barely lift her.”

“So, let me guess, I'm doing it myself.”

“More or less, look, the most I can do is lift her onto your back.”

“Hey you two! What's taken so long?” yelled Apple Jack

“Ya, sorry, on... on our way!”yelled Twilight

“So what do we do with her?” Rainbow Dash said looking down at the sleeping body that lie on the floor.

“Well I would say that we let Apple Jack decide on that.” said Twilight as she lifted Pinkie Pie onto Rainbow Dash's back.

“Where am I?” said the body on the floor.

“Don't move, don't even stand up, I'll explain everything while Rainbow Dash gets AJ.” said Twilight, “Rainbow Dash you better hurry back with AJ.”

“Already on the way back!” called Rainbow Dash. With Apple Jack in step behind her they soon sped up when they saw the silhouette on the floor moving.

“No, no it can't be.” said Apple Jack stopping and starting to stumble backwards, “It's not possible! YOU are not possible I saw you die!”

“Sis it's me. It's Apple Bloom.”

“Apple Jack I was just as surprised as you are now.” said Pinkie Pie, “If I wasn't there myself I wouldn't believe it ether.”

“Oh! Pinkie, sorry darling, I didn't see you wake up.” said Rarity, “So what happened?”

“Truth be told, I don't know,” said Pinkie Pie, “but one thing I can tell you is that there was a bright yellow light and then Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom where breathing and alive but Buzz was on the floor unconscious.”

“Okay Twilight is think it's time for some REAL answers.” said Rainbow Dash

“I'll tell you all I know but it's not much.” Twilight said, “But from what Pinkie said it seems that he did something that I have only seen him do once, he called it 'accelerated cellular regeneration', he did it when he first arrived, but he didn't pass out when he did it.”

“And?” asked Rarity

“That's it, he didn't know how he could do it or why he was able to do it, just that he could.” Twilight explained

“Well quite frankly, I don't care how he did it I'm just glad that he did.” Apple Jack said wrapping her front foreleg around her sister and looking her up and down, “Apple Bloom, you sure you're feeling alright? You seem a little, preoccupied.”

“Hmm? Oh! Ya, just a little headache, that's... all...” Said Apple Bloom, voice drifting off as she passed out and collapsed on the ground. When she woke she found herself in a stone ally, as she stood up and got her bearings, she could hear the sounds of steps on the ground with some she had never heard before. As she inhaled her lungs and sinuses where filled with stale and putrid air causing her to cough and hack with every breath she took as she stumbled out of the ally and into a forest of glass and steel building reaching into the sky higher then she thought possible. On the ground around her where creatures like Buzz walking around, oblivious to her. Slightly startled by the sheer numbers of the things like him she stumbled backwards and into one of the creatures, when she turned to apologize to it she was horrified by the sight that she saw, the thing that she had bumped into had no face. With a gasp she stumbled back once again into another one again with no face, this time she fell to the ground on her back and let out a sharp scream at the sight then she was greeted by a sound that she recognized, the sound of hoof beats on the strange ground, when she turned around she saw Princess Luna just as she turned a corner and stopped dead in her tracks. After her was the echoing of steps being taken on the  ground, after a few seconds Buzz shot around the corner and skidded to a halt.

“Apple Bloom!? What are you doing here!? Better yet, how did you get here!?” Asked Buzz in complete astonishment.

“Hey, wait a minute, I have rights! You can't do this!” Buzz said as he was pushed into a cell.

“Sir, it's just for the time being until we can get an interrogator here.” said the guard as she closed the door.

“Wow hold on a second, is an interrogator really necessary?” asked Buzz

“No but it's the only way we know how to get answers.” said the guard

“Well if it's answers that you wanted why didn't you just ask.”

“Because, how will we know that you're telling the truth.”

“Fine, can I at least get an ETA for the interrogator?” Buzz asked as he turned around and examined the cell. The ceiling was a little low for him, there was a thin plank chained to one of the walls. On the opposite side of the room was a larger plank chained to the wall in a similar manner.

“How about now.” said a female voice from the other side of the cell door.

“Your Highness!” said the guard, “We were not expecting you here.”

Intrigued by the voice and the conversation going on behind him Buzz turned to see Princesses Luna standing in the doorway.

“Well, he is my responsibility, I was one of the first to meet him and your usual interrogator had another engagement to attend to.” said Luna, “Now, where is the interrogation, I would like to get started.”

“Your Highness I'm afraid I can't let you do that, he is just to dangerous.”

“Oh? And why do you say that?” Luna asked looking at the figure hunched in the cell.

“He almost took out an entire platoon of elite solderers on his own in under five minutes without even breaking a sweat.” said the guard pointing to the same figure.

“Hey! Not only did she just give you an order, but it's her choice that if she wants to be the one to interrogate me then let her.” Buzz yelled, “That and I gives me a chance to stand up straight again.”

“Mam, is this an order?” the guard asked nervously.

“If that's what it takes for you to get me into an interrogation room with him, then yes.” said Luna

“Yes mam.” said the guard, he walked over to the cell door keys rattling in his hoof, he unlocked the door, “This way sir, mam if you'll follow me I'll show to interrogation room 1.”

As they walked down the hall there was no sound, not even the sound of them walking down the hall. The further down the hall they walked it started to become dimmer and more dreary, the doors became solid sheets of mettle rivets scattered along the windowless doors. As they grew closer to the end of the hall the doors became a polished stainless steel, the hall was brighter and more utilitarian, the doors where paired one next to another, as they walked passed the first set of doors the sighs on the doors read 'Interrogation 3' and on the door next to it the sign read 'Observation 3', they walked further down the hall, 'Interrogation 2' and 'Observation 2' as they reached the end of the hall they came to a single lone door, 'Interrogation 1'.

“Umm, guard, where's 'Observation 1'?” Buzz asked

“There isn't one for this room, do you honesty think I would trust you alone in a room with Princess Luna?”

“I understand your reasoning and I can't blame you.” Buzz said

“Really? You can't blame him? Do you both think you're really that dangerous?” Luna said, walking into the small room.

Buzz and the guard looked at each other with blank and expressionless faces and back at Luna, “Yes”, they said in unison.

Buzz walked into the small room and sat on the floor across the table from Luna. The table was at eye level for Buzz, he looked up at Luna, then over at the guard, “I know that this is a silly request and that you probably don't have, or even know for that matter, what I am about to ask for but, can I have a chair?”

“A what?” the guard asked

“That's what I thought. Okay, how 'bout a stool?”

“That I can get for you sir.”

“Don't call me sir, too many bad memories from that.”

“Oh good,” said Luna, “You do have memories AND you can remember them, I was afraid that I would have to go digging again.”

“Digging?” Buzz said

“Ya every now and then she has to do some memory excavation from those who clam to not remember anything about what happened and stuff like that.” the guard said, “Here's that stool you asked for.”

“THAT'S PERFECT!” Buzz  shouted as he took the stool from the guard and slammed it on the floor, “That's just what we need!”

Luna look at the figure sitting across from her, a puzzled expression on her face, “How is that what we need?”

“Because it will be easier to show you who I am and where I'm from then explain it to you.” Buzz said

“Okay but we'll have to put you under, and I'm normally the one in control. You do understand that, correct?” Luna said as she leaned forward and looked him in the eye.

“Then you can't put me under then.” Buzz said, “The only way for this to truly work is for me to be in total control of what goes on in my mind.”

“Alright then.” said Luna, “You'll feel a slight jolt as I enter your thoughts.”

“To be honest, I don't care if this turns me into a vegetable, just as long as you know the situation at the moment.” Buzz said

“Alright if you insist.” said Luna as a midnight blue glow surrounded her horn and wrapped itself around Buzz's head, “Ready?”

“Ready when you are your highness.” said Buzz

“Going in in 3... 2...1... and jolt.” said Luna as a bolt of electricity the same color as the glow wrapped around Buzz's head shot from her horn and into his head causing his body to go stiff and rigged then his body went completely still and they both looked around the room, the guard was gone and there was no one but them selves in the small room.

“Did it work?” asked Luna as she looked around the room.

“Well, theoretically if it did then I should be able to treat this as if I were lucid dreaming.” said Buzz, his voice echoing off the walls.

“Okay, and what does that mean?”

“It means that I should be able to control this world and shape it to whatever I want. Basically I should be able to do... this.” he said as he looked down at the table and waved his hand over it, before Luna's eyes the table had vanished and all that was left was a steaming brown thing on a plate with a fork and knife next to it.

“What is that?” Luna asked looking down.

“That Luna, is lunch, to be precise...” said Buzz picking up the fork and knife and slicing into it, “steak cooked rare unfortunately since this is a dream it's not real.”

“Oh, what's a 'stake'?” Luna asked looking up as a pink fluid started to leak from it.

“Beef, also known as cow.”

“YOU EAT COWS!” Luna shrieked in horror.

“Ya, it's our main source of protein, and relax we only ate cows that died of natural causes.”

“AND THAT MAKES IT BETTER?!”

“Well what were we supposed to do with the bodies, let them rot in the middle of a field and spread illnesses?” said Buzz as he stood up from the stake.

“Fine, it's your morals not mine.” said Luna as she started to calm down.

“And don't judge my species off of one, a fair portion of us have sworn off meat, and in some cases the byproducts of all animals.”

“Understood.”

“Now, didn't you have some questions for me?”

“Yes,” said Luna, “let's start with the basics, who are you.”

“As you know my first name is Buzz, my full name is Buzz Brown.”

“Very well, next question Mr. Brown, WHAT are you.”

“There are many names for us, but the one that we use the most is human.”

“Where do you come from.”

“Earth, the solar system, the milky way galaxy.”

“Are there more of you.”

“There used to be, but they are ether dead or can't be called human any more.”

“What does that mean?”

“That is why we are in my mind, I can't explain it to you but I can show you.” said Buzz, raising his hand toward the wall. With a snap of his fingers the wall before him liquified reveling a burning red sky, the ground was a lush green grass with ribbons of gray walkways snaking through trees and over rivers. Stretching above the trees and touching the the sky were the gray and black outlines of buildings. There air was now dank and fowl smelling compared to the clean crisp smelling air of Equestria.

“Where are we!?” asked Luna as she tried to stifle a cough.

“Home.” said Buzz looking at a scrap of paper he pulled out of his back pocket quickly replacing it when he saw that Luna was looking at him with concern. “To be precise, New York City. This is where I am from per-” interrupted by a scream Buzz shot toward the place where it came from, Luna in full gallop behind him as he turned a corner.

“Apple Bloom? What are you doing here? Better yet how did you get here?!” asked Buzz in astonishment.

“Mr. Brown, what are these things?” asked Luna gesturing to the faceless figures surrounding them, “And where are their faces?”

“Oh, they're memories of people long forgotten, you know the feeling you get when you meet someone and they seem really familiar but you don't remember who they are?” explained Buzz

“Yes” said Luna and Apple Bloom in unison.

“Well that's what these are, memories or echos of the people that walked these streets, but my question still stands Apple Bloom,” said Buzz raising his hand and snapping his fingers, slowly the faceless figures began to vanish into wisps of smoke, “how did you get here? I mean, you're not a psychic construct of a memory, so how did you get here?”

“Truth be told I don't know, one minute I was in a dungeon with my sister and her friends and the next I'm here.” said Apple Bloom as she got up off the ground.

“Her friends? What, as Twilight there?!” asked Buzz in a frantic voice.

“Ya, they were discussing 'bout how they wanted answers and that they didn't know much of ya.”

“Well then I think I know what happened to you as to how you got here, and I was just about to give Luna the full rundown as to my past and present.” said Buzz

“Ah yes you were saying about this place.” said Luna

“Right, New York City, population before the blast 2 million or there about, this is my home city.” said Buzz

“Blast? What blast?” asked Luna

“Look over there,” said Buzz pointing to the sky down the road, “this blast.”

With a snap of his fingers the faceless figures returned and a black dot appeared in the distance moving towards them. As the object grew closer the air was filled with the sound of sirens blaring, in seconds the faceless figures rushed out of buildings and into holes in the ground labeled 'Subway'. As the black dot grew closer and closer the sound of jet engines could be herd mixed in with the sirens and the black dot became a flat line, the flat line then separated into two shapes, the rapidly approaching black line and a slow moving egg shaped object just falling. With a snap of his fingers everything froze, the black egg, the screams of the faceless figures that filled the streets, they scanned the skies looking for the black line with no avail.

“What was that?!” screamed Apple Bloom

“WHAT was that?! I'm more concerned with WHERE it went!” Luna screamed turning to face Buzz, “WELL!!”

Without a word Buzz stood there smiling calmly. With a quick glance up he pointed straight up to the sky and there, frozen in the sky, was a big black wedge. To the back edge of the wedge were three smaller edges with the points facing the rear, jutting outward and to the rear were two long black stripes.

“Oh” said Luna looking up, “well that answers that question, now for the other question, what is that?”

“B-2 Flying Wing, stealth bomber.” Buzz said proudly, “Capable of flying undetected by radar and dropping atomic, nuclear, and thermonuclear war heads as well as your standard war head, one of our most advanced bombers.”

“Terms we could understand if you don't mind.” Apple Bloom said mystified by the aircraft above her head.

“Think of it like this: take one of the Wonderbolts and give it a device that could do more damage then Discord could ever hope to do in an entire lifetime,” said Buzz, “now take that image and exponentially increase it by a factor of ten, there is the maximum destructive property of the most devastating bomb it is capable of dropping.”

A dawning of realization appeared on Luna's face. “That would be cataclysmic, just the idea of such a device is unimaginable!”

“Exactly, now take that Wonderbolt and make both them and the bomb invisible.” said Buzz, “Endless destructive power without any warning and no survivors, that is the potential of this device!”

“That's horrible!” yelled Luna “That's monstrous, that's-”

“That's war Luna, it's not pretty, it's not nice, it's not wanted!” screamed Buzz advancing with every word until all that Luna saw was two cold emotionless eyes looking into hers.

With a straight face she stood her ground and with a calm demeanor spoke two words as clear as day, “Then why?”

“Because we have to.” Buzz said through gritted teeth turning his back and walking away.

“There is always, ALWAYS, another option besides war!” argued Luna

“What, the diplomatic approach?” said Buzz sarcastically, “For two thousand years we tried that!”

“And did it work?” asked Luna

“Only on OTHER nations!” said Buzz, “This was an attack on an innocent city by their own government!”

“What?” whispered Luna in shock.

“That's right!” Buzz yelled face turning red, “Only reason that the government bombed this city is for one reason!”

“Why, why would they destroy a city for one reason, what here was so dangerous that an entire city had to pay with their lives?” asked Luna

“The answer is a person,” said Buzz as he lifted his hand, “the only human that survived the blast its self, all because he was outside of the blast radius.”

With a snap of his fingers time unfroze, the jet swooped, off the sirens began to wail again, the screams could be herd again, and the black egg began to drop. The black egg soon disappeared behind the towering structures. A few seconds later there was a flash, a flash brighter then the sun, and then, rising over the structures, was a black cloud lit with the orange glow of fire and the faceless figures turned and froze at the cloud now taking the shape of a mushroom. Seconds after that a thunderous boom louder then any storm causing the windows to shatter sending shards clattering onto the street. The boom was followed shortly after by a gray and orange cloud of dust and ash, just the site of this caused the faceless figures o turn and run faster the Luna and Apple Bloom both thought possible, all but Buzz, he stood behind them and just watched as the cloud moved closer and closer and as it did the air got hotter and hotter, hot enough that the shards of glass still in the window frame began to warp and sag. The figures that couldn't run fast enough were caught in the cloud.

As Apple Bloom turned to run Buzz grabbed her, “Don't run, it's just a dream, remember.” he said

When the cloud passed over them they could see what was on the other side and why the figures were so scared of it. The buildings that once were tall and glistening now lay crumbled and burning on the side of the road but the worst site for them was not what was on the side of the road but strewn down the center of it.

“Are those...”

“Yes Apple Bloom they are, the bones of my race.” said Buzz with remorse in his eyes, “And here comes who they were trying to kill.”

Pointing to an ally down the road Luna and Apple Bloom were both shocked at who they saw stumbling out, it was the man who was standing right between them, it was Buzz. His face had cuts across his cheeks, his shirt was torn and his arm hung limp at his side but the most shocking difference between the two were their eyes, the younger ones eyes were young and untroubled but filled with fear and sorrow, the one next to them, the real one, his eyes were as cold as ice and emotionless yet there was a spark of hatred and vengeance.

“Is that?” Apple Bloom asked Luna

“It can't be,” she responded, “can it?”

“Let me clear a few things up for both of you.” Buzz said, “Yes that is me, I was on my way out of town so that they wouldn't do this but on the outskirts of the city they had a full military checkpoint, so I abandoned my mode of transportation and ran for the northern border into Canada, halfway into the woods the bomb dropped and detonated, I came back hoping to find some survivors but by the time I got there the military had cleared any survivors and were executing them or just leaving them trapped to die of suffocation or radiation poisoning. I went further into the city hoping to find someone, anyone that could be saved, what I found instead was the bodies of military personnel, maimed and ripped to shreds and their in the middle of it all was this big hulking tan mass that stood at least ten feet tall, it was half the width of one of these buildings, its head was a mangled pile of eyes and teeth, it had one arm that was huge and as thick as I am wide that drug on the ground, its other arm was a scrawny limp twig that just hung there, shriveled and decrepit.”

“Did you kill it?” asked a wide eyed Apple Bloom.

“No, back then I was a coward and a chicken.” Buzz said, “So I did what all cowards do, I ran, broke a few bones, got a few cuts and scrapes.”

“So if you didn't kill it, then what happened to it?” asked Luna

But before he could answer his younger self hobbled past. Looking over his shoulder he slowed to a limp, he then stopped and turned around fully taking a moment to catch his breath.

“Good, finally lost it.” the younger Buzz said to himself, “One of these days I should stop talking to myself, starting to give myself an ear ache.” he continued

“OH SHUT UP YOU!” he snapped to himself.

“MAKE ME!” he said

“Was this a usual thing for you?” asked Luna

“Yes, and still is if I don't have anyone to talk to.” the older version said.

“This is good to know and all but what happened to what were you running from?” asked Apple Bloom

Before he could even start to reply there was a loud roar from the other side of one of the collapsed buildings causing the younger version to stiffen up straight as a board. With loud thuds the buildings shook and the ground quaked, soon it got faster and faster, louder and louder then the building exploded in a cloud of cement, and steel and there was the monster that Buzz described to them lumbering behind its oversized arm, then with know warning it just collapsed and died and where it stood now stood three cloaked figures one with an outstretched a pale hand, another removed a ring and gave it to the younger version, then they spoke, “You are the one, the one that will avenge our brother and bring his ring back to us, and you are never to remove this ring.” then time stood still again.

“This is the part that I have never stopped thinking about since it happened, it never made sense to me.” Buzz said, “Next thing I know I wake up in a military base with the ring on, all my wounds healed, and what I'm about to tell you never leaves this dream. Understand?”

“Understood” they both said.

“Truth be told, I'm no major, I could barely pass as a privet.” Buzz said, “The reason that I ware this uniform is because it was the only thing I could find that would fit.”

“So you were never trained! Then how did you take on the guards at the hospital?” questioned Luna

“I don't know.”

“And the Changelings that first attacked the town?” Apple Bloom chimed in.

“I DON'T KNOW! SO STOP ASKING ME!” Buzz yelled, “Look, I'm sorry I yelled and I'm sorry I lied to you but I don't have the answers you're looking for. All I know now that you don't is that the Changelings have some of my technology, that I was sent here and that I will get you and your sister and her friends back, do I know why: no, do I know how I got here: no, do I know what I'm up against: sort of.”

“So what happened to you, what made you change?” asked Apple Bloom looking back at the younger Buzz.

“Don't know, spent three weeks with the ring on and every day I was getting stronger and stronger, went down for the night, woke up with something trying to get in the door, just as it broke down big flash of light as the door sends shards of wood into me then I find myself here standing in the door of your schoolhouse.”

“What about the bright yellow glowing bring us back to life energy?” said Apple Bloom

“Ya, how does that tie into all of this?” asked Luna

“Again, I don't know but my best guess is that it has something to do with those three and the ring.” Buzz said pointing to the three cloaked figures.

“So it circles back to them. Who are they?” asked Apple Bloom

“I don't know, if I knew that I would understand a lot more.” Buzz said with a scoff.

“It does sound familiar to me, question is, why.” said Luna

“Well that at least gives us some form of age for them.” said Buzz, “Where's Twilight when you kneed her.”

“Okay, I can find two reasons that I can find that insulting, one, you just called me old and two, you just call me dumb because of somepony that read through practically every single book in the Canterlot Royal Library?! I am-” but before Luna had time to finish Buzz through his arms around her neck, “What was that for!?”

“Well, we now have a place to start looking!” said Buzz

“Looking for what?” asked Luna shoving him off of her.

“Answers, who they are, what's going on, all that kind of stuff, the stuff we can't answer!” said Buzz

“Wow wow wow, we don't even know where to start!” said Apple Bloom, “And can you NOT do that in front of me.”

“Right, sorry.” said Buzz, “But there's one thing I still don't understand.”

“Oh, and what's that?” asked Apple Bloom

“How did you get into my dream?” asked Buzz, “Where did she go?”

“What do you mean she's right- never mind,” said Luna, “what happened to her?”

“She probably woke up.” Buzz concluded, “But if that's the case then what woke her up because with how deep into this dream we are then there is only two possibilities, one she fell.”

“Fell? How do you fall if you're asleep?” Luna inquired

“You fall out of bed, you hit a big bump in the road, many possibilities.” said Buzz “And upon her departure from this dream I do believe that it is time to follow suit and because if I awaken first you will be trapped in my subconscious, I'm going to have to kill you now.”

“WHOA, WAIT! Let's not do anything drastic now!” said Luna as she backed herself into a corner.

“Now, there's no need to make this any harder then it need to be, but just remember, you need to knock the chair out from under me after you wake up.” Buzz said with a relaxed demeanor as he walked up to her and turned her around, “Now relax, this won't hurt at all.” He took his right arm around the front of her neck and brought it to her lower left jaw. Starting to panic Luna began to writhe to find an escape but with no avail. Buzz put his remaining arm around her head in the opposite direction then with a sharp twist Luna woke to find herself in the interrogation room with the guard and across the table was a the slumbering human that had just killed her.

Panting and trying to catch her breath she quickly jumped up and kicked the stool he was sitting on out from under him sending him to the floor with a gasp and a loud thud quizzing him to wake.

“YOU JUST KILLED ME! WITH OUT ANY HESITATION!” Luna shrieked into his ear.

“Okay, first don't yell at me for YOU not letting me finish what I was saying, and second DO NOT interrupt me when I am explaining what was about to happen!”