Embracing the Sun

Some people live freely, some people live happily, I, on the other hand, live alone in a two-story house that was left to me in the will of my grandparents that I have not trusted since the day I found out they bought me from my parents. Living in this large house is the only thing I have for sanity while being the sole owner to a hundred and fifty acres of land that is vacant at the moment.

Every time I look out there I see nothing but the woods that surrounded me, mocking me with how trapped I feel because of people wanting to come see me and try to be my best friend ever since I inherited millions.

I am Joshua Duncan, I am twenty-one years and a young retiree thanks to my grandparents leaving everything to me. I am the last of the Duncan Family, I am a kind and gentle person that has let the world roll off his shoulders so that it doesn't pressure me later on. I am very well-built because I am hard worker, I have black hair, green-eyes, I am six feet tall, and I live alone pretty much.

Most people call me spoiled or snobby, but in truth I don't spend a dime for my wants because I have none. My only desire is to continue living without the troubles of so many people visiting me so they could be my friend and mooch off of me. Lately I have been hearing about this show called My Little Pony and decided to see what the big deal is.

There really was not much to it until I really sat down and watched the seasons to fully understand what has guys and girls going crazy about it. I will admit that I do have a big interest in it; one that involves maybe a couple of key chains that I keep locked away in my drawers, but nothing like what I see from others.

Anyway, I am an only child that live quietly and peacefully, I hate my parents because they gave me to my grandparents for a crap load of money. They have been on my bad side for my entire life, knowing I was wanting to leave and never come back to them. However it was wrong to do that since they both had cancer that returned when I was sixteen, which made me rethink my life a little.

I could never trust them because they bought me like some cheap toy from a grocery store, but at least I could give them the time that is left in their lives. Eventually they passed away and I went to dukes with my parents that have a new family name, which made it much easier to inherit the millions and own the estate to myself because they signed away all rights and inheritance after changing names and giving me up. Grandpa was a well-knowledge engineer, but his millions were earned from the oil bust that appeared one night when he was in his early thirties.

So far it has been a quiet life, but that was all going to change today...

I was in the kitchen with fresh fruit blending into a smoothie, drying my hair that was damp and a little too strong smelling of the strawberry shampoo I used a minute ago. My decency in my house was at the level of wearing only a towel, seeing as how I live alone and really don't care if my meat stick hangs out in all its' glory. It was the middle of winter and I was in no mood of leaving the house unless it was to retrieve groceries.

The only fun I have is taking the hummer and putting it in four-wheel drive so I don't get stuck in the blizzard that is sweeping across Wisconsin. It was early in the afternoon and I was trapped in three feet of snow that surrounds my house, making it only optional to get out by opening the garage door and backing out like a madman when needed.

Of course that was not necessary since I retrieved food and drink at the grocery store last night.

"Hurry up" I groaned to myself, waiting impatiently for my smoothie to blend as the news channel ended for this afternoon.

I tapped my fingers for a few more seconds before the machine finished and poured a glass. I snatched the glass and guzzled it down while the channel switched over to the B.E.T channel, playing Madea Goes To Jail as the fireplace burned brightly.

This movie was always my favorite one to watch, but first I had to get some clothes on and make sure no one was trespassing the property. That was rather unfortunate of me since I felt uneasy for no reason, feeling that I was being watched or that something was coming to me.

After a few minutes of getting clothed, bundled up, and armed with my wing shooter replica, I left through the garage and started my drive through the heavy fields of snow that was not letting up at all. The blizzard was only getting worse while driving around the fence line that has not been tampered with or destroyed, which meant things were going good without some punk-ass teenagers vandalizing the place or hunting without permission.

A whole hour went by before my eyes laid up a certain group of kids that were always giving me hell; they were chasing deer through the woods and shooting guns off as I remained blended in the snow, because of the hummer being white, and watched hatefully.

"Fuckers!" I growled through my teeth, hating every moment of these shitheads being on my property as another doe was made their dinner.

The doe was ran over and loaded into their truck while they cheered like idiotic rednecks finding roadkill for dinner, but that was about to change on the account of my tolerance levels being at zero. With my teeth clenched and my eyes narrowed, I floored the hummer through the heavy snow and t-boned their lifted Chevrolet 2500 with the steel grill that came with it.

Not sure if I did much damage, but it felt good to scare the shit out of them.

Once the teenagers saw me, they ran into the piece of junk truck while I unbuckled and put my snow mask on in order to protect my face. Next I put my goggles on and got out with my pistol off its' safety, and aimed at the rear of their truck.

"Oh shit, it's Josh!" one of them screamed through the blistering winds, redundantly warning his buddies as I purposely missed their truck.

"Get off of my property you little shits!" I screamed angrily and unloaded my clip on them, missing intentionally until one of them gave me the bird and threw a beer can out as they took off through the same opening they keep making on a monthly basis.

That pissed me off enough to where I aimed at the tires and watched one of them pop, startling the punks before they drove up the hill that is part of the driveway. They finally left my sight and I felt aware of their troubles being a little more than just over a doe. I was not at all relieved to put my gun away and approach the blood that was from the doe.

When I looked down I saw that a fawn was crushed in the process, stripped of its' young life before it lost its' spots and grew antlers. It broke my heart a little to see the young deer robbed of its' life, but I could do nothing to make things easier for myself or the fawn.

I sighed in sorrow and turned away to head back to the house, but first I grabbed the beer can and tossed it into the back of the hummer before resuming my patrol of the fields that have been good to me since the day I was born. Animals are abundant here, crops grow nicely in the summer, the moisture is perfect for many fruits and vegetables to be grown after turning the soil over to lift and spread the minerals.

For those punks to be on my property was a kick in the gut, but for them to kill two deer like this was a kick in the balls. That fawn was barely old enough to stand up and walk around with its' mother; just what kind of society do we live in where punk kids kill deer for fun by using their truck?

Anyway, I made it past the jackknife that is around the pond and possibly the worst thing about this drive, but as long as I keep the Hummer moving I will be just fine. Of course I kept the pedal down a little more than usual while plowing through the hellish mounds of snow to amuse myself like any kid would. Sure I am grown up, but that doesn't mean I can't destroy snow mounds like a little kid would.

"Hell yeah!" I screamed, gaining a little air from the last mound that was actually an old dirt bump I use to ramp off with my ATV.

Funny thing was I had the country channel playing, and it played that song I like so much...I think its' something called 'Let's Ride'.

It doesn't matter, I was just enjoying the tunes while having a hay-day with the hummer in four-wheel high. Usually I don't act like this, but being alone for the last three years kind of sets you in the need to break or mow over something. After my grandparents passed away I became an eighteen year old with vast wealth left in my name thanks to them, which is more than enough for me to be grateful for instead of being a selfish asshole.

I didn't like that they bought me from my greedy parents, but they took care of me like I was their own son, so it is only best that I take care of the place.

Well as the minutes went by I became intrigued with a rather unusual set of tracks that were close together and very fresh; there was a large amount of them trailing what appeared to be hooves of sizes large and small. I only saw this because of a strange regalia laying on the ground, barely shining through the snow as I drove past a hard brush of leaves and twigs that probably act as an insulator for some hibernating snakes.

"What the hell?" I asked myself, wondering why such jewelry would be out here.

Suddenly I came to a hard stop for there were wolves surrounding a small group of...ponies?

I wasn't sure how such colorful ponies exist, but the large one was on the ground with a colt and filly that were scared out of their wits. The larger one was barely conscious and somehow exhausted from the looks of things; although it was odd that the pony has wings and a horn. The filly was black with a jagged horn and bug wings, and the colt was black with a curved horn that is the color of orange.

My mind was on overdrive as of this moment, my everything was shot with the raging power of adrenaline as I stopped and grabbed the wing shooter in the glove compartment.

By the way, I got it as a gift from grandpa for he knew I was a fan of Resident Evil.

...

Okay maybe I need to be more grateful for their love and care.

"Hey!" I screamed at the top of lungs, drawing complete attention of the ravenous wolves that were ready to pounce.

Once they locked their eyes onto me, I switched off the safety and pulled the trigger on their pack leader to stop this immediately. It wasn't in my nature to kill animals, but this was a matter of life and death for three oddly shaped ponies that look very familiar.

My ears rang from the gunshots, feeling as though two gongs rumbled in my inner eardrum as the pack leader fell to his own death. He whimpered as the pack turned tail and ran back into the woods for safety, but I continued emptying the magazine until the empty clicking came. Once the wolves were in the woods, and I reloaded with another magazine, I put the pack leader out of his misery and approached the downed ponies with caution.

The colt and filly scurried behind the larger pony, but there really was no need for them to be afraid once I saw the face of the barely conscious mare.

"Holy shit!" I yelled through my snow mask, seeing and hardly believing that an alicorn was laying in the snow with none of her jewelry on.

My mind went from rushing to blank and paused at the impossibilities lying on the ground, I wanted to freak out and let my mind go haywire, but the instinct of safety was still crashing with my conscience as the two foals cowered. I didn't know whether to turn away and pretend I saw nothing or help them out before the blizzard took their lives; there was a sense of mental crashing while pondering in the snow, but the sound of those wolves howling brought me to a decision.

Hearing their howls so close was a very bad sign for all of us; there was only a certain amount of time before they returned with backup and took all of us as their dinner. I had no choice but to open the back of the hummer and fold the seats down so I could get the alicorn to fit. It wasn't easy, but I got the mare in after I picked her up and laid her in the back with emergency blankets over her body.

Unfortunately the strangeness grew because of a small tingling in my right hand after getting her in the hummer. At first it was a small itch that didn't annoy me because I ignored it, but it was worsening with each second of getting all three ponies inside the car until there was too much to handle. I was flinching now, feeling multiple jolts that locked my hand up with fiery burns and muscle clenching.

"Dammit!" I growled, then screamed at the top of my lungs for my hand was surging with orange electricity.

I ripped my glove off and watched the back of it scorch with a strange tattoo that etched into my skin, making itself very permanent as the two foals freaked out from being tossed into a car by a two legged stranger. My ears still rang from the gunshots, but I could still hear enough to realize that the wolves were back and approaching with a much larger pack that was eyeing me and snarling.

Seeing that I was about to be mauled to death, I fought the agony and hopped into the truck before they could get any closer. The colt and filly darted into the back and hid under the emergency blankets, acting very adorable while the wolves became visible to them from how they tried to break in the windows. Once the pain became nothing, I saw that the burn was of a bright orange sun tattoo that spun without stretching or tearing my skin.

How it was doing this brought some fear in my heart, but it was not at all close to the terror in my soul.

"Hang on!" I yelled, then slammed the pedal to the floor.

With all pistons running, and the combustion roaring, I took off through the snow and left a rooster tail for the wolves to eat and wallow in. My mind was still wrapped around the fact that these ponies exist, but right now I had to focus on getting them inside the house and warmed up or they would freeze to death. Right now the wolves were trying to catch up, but I had the hummer going as fast as it could while weaving around the mounds that would slow me down.

Next I looked in the back to make sure they were still in back safe and sound, then I stayed focus on the path I took to retrace my steps before the blizzard covered it.

The colt and filly reminded me of Sombra and Chrysalis, but those two are villains that hate the mare I had in the back of my truck. It is already impossible to have those two in the back, but to have Princess Celestia now passed out in my car was the mind blower of this whole fiasco. Whether I am dreaming or having a hallucination does not really matter since I know my life will end if I don't get away from the wolves.

I could run them over, but that would risk getting stuck since I am in the deepest part of the snow that is in the field. To my dismay I had no choice but to keep driving to my house while hearing the colt and filly cry together over the sound of the engine, knowing what they are in is something that sounds like a monster to them.

"Please don't eat us" the filly cried, making my heart ache over her being so cute and frightened at the moment.

Of course I clarified my intentions while looking at them through the mirror.

"I'm not going to eat you or hurt you, I'm here to help" I said as calmly as I could while taking off my snow mask and goggles.

After getting those off, I wiped the sweat off my brow and used the garage remote to get inside before the wolves could catch up and get inside. I parked and closed the door just in time, believing that none of those ravenous bastards got inside while the colt was brave enough to hop up to the front seat and try getting a good look at me.

Unfortunately for us both there was no way of having a moment to stop and stare at eachother, not when I was dumb to open the door without thinking that I should wait a moment to see if anything snuck inside.

"Okay, time to-"

I was so very wrong on the wolves being outside, I was now face to face with one after I opened the door and hopped out. Once the bastard grabbed my pant leg and pulled me down, I was on the ground with my hands around his throat while kicking the door in so he could not get to the ponies. He was an extremely large wolf that obviously thrives around the woods, but he still messed with the wrong guy when it comes to surviving.

"Shit!" I growled, knowing I barely dodged his snapping jaws while feeling my clothes getting shredded by his paws.

With all of my strength now in my legs, I folded them and kicked upward as hard as I could into the wolf's stomach, sending him over me and into the trash cans. With no time to waste, I scurried under the hummer before he could snap at any part of my body and infect me with rabies. Luckily I was quick enough and able to get my gun out before he started crawling under to get me.

Again I pulled my wing shooter replica out and turned the safety off, I howled to the top of my lungs and unloaded every bullet that was in the clip, not just killing but shredding the wolf to where there was no possible way for him to have survived.

It was frightening, but that survival mode in me was active and going strong in my mind while putting holes in the ravenous wolf. After emptying another clip, I reloaded my last one and surveyed from under the car to see if another had gotten through. I was scared and ready to kill another animal that dared to try and bite me, but with great luck I was able to drop the gun and take a breather so that my mind slowed down.

I was panting, sweating, thinking how lucky I was to not have been bitten while protecting those ponies. In my heart I knew I did a good deed, but in my rushing mind there was a small conscience yelling at me for sticking my neck out so those ponies would live.

Still I protected them, so there was no reason to complain.

"Come on Josh, move" I said to myself, motivating my mind and spirit to finish what has been going on.

After getting my head on straight, checking the walls for bullet holes, and bagging up the wolf before dumping his carcass into an air tight trash can, I unlocked the door and went inside to check myself while the ponies remained in the hummer. God was with me today, seeing as how the only thing damaged was my old jacket, and that I have a little bit of wolf saliva on my head.

"Thank you god" I said up to the ceiling, knowing he was the one that got me out of this mess unscathed.

Once that was done, I carried the alabaster alicorn into my living room and grabbed a few dry comforters that I keep in the cupboard above the clothes dryer. She groaned and twitched as I laid them over her and stuck a pillow under her head, but now I had to get the other two before they hit something or accidently hit a switch that could let the other wolves inside.

Once the alicorn was covered and near the fireplace, I ran back out and discovered the two foals sitting in the front seat with my emergency gun in their grasp. It was a good thing that I turned the safety back on, but I still had to take it and remove the bullets before someone got hurt or killed because of their curiosity.

"I'll take that" I quipped, then removed the bullets while they tilted their heads adorably.

With the wing shooter empty, I put it in my holster and reached for them so we could get inside and warm up. Sadly they whimpered and tried to bite my hands as we heard the wolves scratching the garage door so they could get in. It angered me that they tried to snap at my fingers, but it would be wrong to scold or yell since I am a stranger that threw them into a car.

I am the adult, so I had to be cool about this and show that I am not a bad person.

"Listen okay, I am not going to eat you or hurt you at all. Let me take you in my house and get you warmed up okay" I said softly, drawing them in with how gentle I am as the scratching changed to howling.

It took them a moment to come out from under the seats, but once they did I was calm enough to see they were indeed the villains of Equestria that were defeated. I was staring in shock at a filly of Chrysalis and a colt of King Sombra, watching them crawl towards me as the heat in the hummer was defeated by the cold snap in the garage.

Both foals were terrified out of their wits, unsure whether to trust me or hide in the car some more while the ravenous bastards outside continued their howling. It was a real heartbreaker to see them so scared, but also so adorable to see them so cute and tiny that I could hold them.

"Are you my daddy?" Chrysalis asked, piercing my heart with her cuteness as I scooped up Sombra and tucked him into my coat to share my body heat.

I stared at the changeling with no idea as to how I should answer that, I certainly am no father of any child. Although there is that one time I babysat for the Crew Family and got paid double because their kids love me so much. I guess I am somewhat of a kid person, but this was a case of two foals being in my garage right now.

It really isn't right to fool this little changeling so that we could get inside, but there was no time to fool around or argue since we have an alicorn in my house. I knew I was going to regret this later or possibly enjoy it, but I lied to her so we could end this crazy day.

"Yes I am sweetheart; now come on before you catch a cold"

With that said, I scooped up the changeling filly and entered my humble abode that was warm and still with power. After getting Sombra and Chrysalis inside the house, I took my extra clothing off and took a couple more blankets out while they surveyed my house from the couch. I wrapped Chrysalis up first, then took Sombra's tiny crown and cape off before wrapping him up next, then I changed into something warmer and not torn by the dead wolf.

Once those two settled down in the blankets, allowing the warmth to engulf their bodies, I walked into the kitchen and took some vegetables out of the fridge to make soup from scratch. I was expecting them to watch me cook and get an early dinner going, but the flatscreen was on the encore channel with the new Godzilla movie playing. Everything went quiet from then on, and I was left alone to figure out what exactly is going on while Princess Celestia remained asleep in front of my fireplace.

Sombra and Chrysalis were mesmerized by the television, practically lost in the common technology that is state of the art to them. My usual attitude of being antisocial was washed away with a few chuckles at their cuteness, watching them awe over it as advertisements showed up on the channel.

Even though I was having a hard time comprehending this, I still smiled while chopping up potatoes and tossing them into the pot for vegetable stew. However something caught my eye as this happened, something that startled me because I saw a flash of light and heard a loud thump that changed over to crying.

My first assumption was that someone just got hurt or scared, but after looking over the counter I looked into the living room and saw that a third foal sat on my couch with tears pouring.

My eyes bulged at the sight of her, but things only got freakier with one word passing through her mouth with much love and need for my attention.

"Daddy" Nightmare Moon yelled, then resumed to her crying as my mind stopped all its' processing.

At that moment I picked up the knife and threw it onto the cutting board to express my anger of this day, then stomped towards the outer room while screaming at the top of my lungs with my hand holding the keys to the wine cellar grandma made in her free time.

Of course I could have been subtle about this, but I was really stressed out and needing a few drinks to help calm me down.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME; AN ALICORN AND THREE ADORABLE VILLAINS IN MY HOUSE. FUCK BEING CALM AND COLLECTED, WHERE'S MY WHISKEY!?"

To Be Continued...