Masks

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 1

Masks Chapter 1

Thomas was a strong boy very muscular in the arms and even more so in the legs yet a little soft in the middle and his skin was a healthy brown. His hair was in long thick dreads that dropped down to his chest. Thomas was a reasonably popular sohpmore at his school he had friends and even a few girls who were interested in him but he never hung out with anyone beyond conversating in class or on the bus. He walked through the halls waving at those who acknogled him and blasting his music through over-the-ear headphones on his way to class. It's not that he was anti-social there was just no one at his school he really cared about to hang out with or at least that was his reasoning. Spring break started tommorow and his friends wondered what he'd be doing. He wished that he wasn't the only Brony in his school.

Thomas:"Probably just gonna stay home."

Student A: "What? Why?"

Thomas: "I'm gonna relax"

Student B: "Well that's boring. What about...

The other kids droned on before class started. The day went by pretty quickly and Thomas boarded the bus home and waited for his stop. When it came got off the bus and walked home, he saw that both his parents were home which was very unusual becuse his mother worked late at the nursing home. When he opened the door to his house he took off his shoes before walking on the carpet. The house was hauntingly quiet given that both parents were home.

Thomas: "I'm home!"

Mom: "Thomas come to the living room."

Thomas walked into the living room to see his father sitting on the green ottoman his elbows on his knees and his fingers interlocked.

Thomas: "What's wrong."

Mom: "Thomas your father and I... are getting a divorce."

Thomas looked to the faces of both his parents

Thomas: Okay, what's for dinner?"

Both of his parents turned and looked at him dumbfounded by his response

Mom: "Did you hear me?"

Thomas: "Yeah but what's for dinner?"

Mom: "Uh...porkchops."

Thomas "Alright."

Thomas turned around and walked into his room. He sat down at his computer and decided to go browse Equestriadaily.com. His father opened the door

Dad: "Hey are you okay?"

Thomas: "Yeah."

Dad: "Are you sure?"

Thomas: "I can't change your guy's minds can I?"

Dad: "Well no but aren't you going to ask us why or cry or something?"

Thomas: "Me freaking out wouldn't help the situation much would it?"

Thomas's dad didn't respond he just backed out of the room. Thomas stood up and made his way to the door. Before he left he decided to change into his favorite yellow and black striped shirt and tattered and loose jeans

Thomas: "I'm going on a walk!"

Thomas began walking down the street then made a left at Bloor street and entered the woods. Before he entered the woods he put on his headphones and turned the volume all the way up. He had a fair amount of music on his Mp3 but he just left Sombody I Used To Know by Gotye

After walking for about 20 minutes he took off his headphones, looked around to make sure no one was around, then started to cry. Thomas prided himself on being composed and only let his emotions run wild when he was alone.

"Fuck..." he whispered to himself over and over again. After a few minutes he heared leaves rustle and small twigs break behind him, he knew he didn't have enough time to compose himself before being seen so he decided to go further into the forest than he'd ever gone before. He walked briskly for another 15 minutes. He stopped and waited to see if he was alone when but by the time he stopped he was done crying. He started to walk back the way he came.

Walking back he relized he didn't recognize any of the trees or flowers that dotted path. After about 5 minutes he came across a large patch of small blue flowers with antenna. He'd seen this type of flower before

Thomas: "Is this...Poison Joke?"

He reached out to touch the flower but someone shouted

"Wait! Don't touch those!"

Thomas heard the voice of a girl no more than 8 or 9 years old, but when he turned around he saw a young filly with a large red bow on her head. She rushed over to his side.

Applebloom : "Woah there big fella now don't go touchin' those flowers they'll play a nasty trick on ya."

She looked up at him

Applebloom: "Whatever ya are."

Thomas: "Oh my god..."

Applebloom: "Oh wow you can talk! so i guess your not a monster then. Well if your headed to Ponyville you're gonna wanna go thata way."

She pointed her hoof west

Applebloom: "Well i'll be off then. Be sure to stop by Sweet Apple Acres for all your apple needs!"

Thomas was so shocked by the fact that a cartoon pony just talked to him he just sat there on his knees for a minute or two. It was already mid-day so he decided to head west into Ponyville.

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Chapter 2

Masks Chapter 2

Thomas was decently knowledgeable of MLP he knew what most of the buildings were like carousel boutique and sugar cube corner but many he did not recognize but he wrote them off as background ponies homes. Before he left the Everfree forest he thought that maybe walking around the middle of town would be a bad idea but he was wasn't too fond of spending the night in the forest.

Thomas: "Fuck it."

As he walked into Ponyville all the ponies stopped for a moment then ran into their homes or the closest available building. He wasn't to suprised by the reaction it's about what he expected but that didn't stop him from getting annoyed. He just put his headphones on and began walking to Twilights tree home.

Twilight was, as usual, reading in her library when her assistant Spike called out to her.

Spike: "Hey Twilight can you come over here and look at this?"

Twilight rolled her eyes

Twilight: "For the last time Spike that chest hair you drew on with ink doesn't look any more real."

Spike: "I gave up on chest hair like an hour ago and there's a monster heading this way."

Twilight rushed over to the window to see what spike was talking about. Her eyes widened with suprise as she saw a yellow and black striped creature heading towards her home. She opened the door and rushed out of her house horn glowing with magic at the ready

Twilight: "Stop right there!"

Thomas kept walking

Twilight: "I said stop!"

Thomas saw Twilight and took off his headphones and stopped walking but by that time he and the lavendar pony were only 10 feet apart.

Thomas "I'm sorry what?"

Twilight" I said sto-...wait...did you just talk?"

Thomas: "Yes, yes i did."

Twilight: "What exactly are you i've never seen anything like you before."

Thomas: "I'm a human."

Twilight: "What exactly is a human?"

Thomas: "That's a good question."

They stood in silence for a couple seconds

Twilight: "Well could you come into my house we can't have you standing here scaring everypony in town."

Thomas: "Yeah that'd probably be for the best."

As Thomas entered Twilights house everypony nervously came out of their houses, all of her friends included.

Applejack: "Does anypony know what in tarnation that was?

Pinkie Pie: "Know idea at all!"

Rairity: "I'm not sure what that was but stripes are sooooo last season."

Fluttershy: "Oh dear i hope Twilights okay..."

Rainbow Dash: "Should we go check on her?"

The five ponies nodded

They all creeped over to twilights window

Twilight: "Could you just sit over there for a little bit i'm actually quite busy right now."

Thomas: "Oh of course no problem."

Twilight: "Thanks feel free to read while you wait."

Twilight trotted off

Thomas walked over to the massive bookshelf and picked a book at random, but upon opening the book he relized he couldn't read Equestrian so he decided to just put the book back and sit on the floor and listen to music.

The 5 ponies watched on as the creature sat on the floor nodding his head rythmicly

Rainbow Dash: What's he doing?

Applejack: "He just sitting there and...nodding."

Pinkie Pie: "What are those black things on his head?"

Rarity: I don't know but they look fabulous.

Fluttershy: "I can't see..."

Twilight walked back into the room where Thomas was sitting and saw all of her friends peeking in on through the window. She waved them off.

Twilight: "Okay i'm done with my work."

Twilight sat down behind Thomas

Twilight: "So where exactly do you come from?"

Thomas didn't respond

Twilight: "Hey can you hear me?"

Thomas turned around and took off his headphones

Thomas: "Were you saying something?"

Twilight: "What are those?"

She pointed at his headphones

Thomas: "These are headphones."

Twilight: "What do they do?"

Thomas: "They let you hear music if they're plugged into an Mp3."

Twilight: "What's an Mp3?"

Thomas: "I'd just be easier to show you."

Thomas played Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons

Twilight listened intently to the song from every guitar strum to every word she heard and after the song was finished she sat there and thought about the song in her mind

Thomas looked at her

Thomas: "So what'd you think?"

Twilight: "It was...amazing but who's the little lion man?"

Thomas couldn't help but giggle at her question

Twilight: "What?"

Thomas: "It's nothing. I think the little lion man is all of us when we try to fix all of our problems on our own."

Twilight was suprised by Thomas's response.

Twilight: "I have a friend who used to be like that."

Thomas: "Yeah Applejack right?"

Twilight: "Yeah that's ri- wait how do you know Applejack?"

Thomas thought that letting her know that they were just cartoons in his world might be a bad idea so he came up with a lie

Thomas:"Applebloom told me about her when we met in the forest."

Twilight: "Oh, okay."

Thomas looked at twilight smiling face and felt a strange surge of pleasure. He knew she couldn't see him blushing do to his complextion but he turned around so she wouldn't see his face anyway.

Twilight: "Is something wrong?"

Thomas: "N-no i'm fine"

Twilight: "Anyway I had some questions about you."

Thomas: "Shoot."

Twilight: "Where are your from?"

Thomas: "Well i'm from earth."

Twilight: "Where is that? I have a globe over there could you show me?"

Thomas thought how to answer the question

Thomas: "No Twilight earth is a planet not a country."

Twilight laughed

Twilight: "Haha no way that'd mean you were an alien and that's not possible."

She looked back at Thomas and saw he was serious

Twilight: "You're not joking are you?"

Thomas: "No i'm not and i'm not sure how i got here either."

Twilight: "Oh i'm sorry i didn't mean to laugh."

Thomas: "Don't worry about it."

Twilight: "Well what were you on your planet?"

Thomas: "You mean job?"

She nodded

Thomas: "Student I guess."

Twilights eyes widened in excitment

Twilight: "Really!? What did you study!? Biology? Math? History?"

Twilight was leaning in and her nose was almost touching his, she relized how close she was to him and began to blush then backed away from him. Thomas was suprised at how much she smelled like lavander.

Thomas: "All of them i guess."

Twilight: "Wow you and me are the only students in all of Ponyville and not everypony here is so... well read."

Twilight frowned

Thomas got up and went to sit by her side. He put his hand on her head.

Thomas: "Well my fellow student how about you fill me in about Equestria."

Thomas and Twlight talked late into the night about Equestria, her friends, and Princess Celestia. He made sure to act suprised although he already knew everything she was going to say.

Thomas: "So you all defeated Discord? Wow!"

Twilight: "I wasn't sure we could at one point."

They both laughed. Twilight looked at the clock.

Twilight: "Oh dear it's so late already? We should go to sleep, I have a spare bed upstairs if you want to stay."

Thomas: "Thanks I don't exactly have alot of options right now."

As they walked to their beds Twilight stopped

Twilight: "I just realized i never asked your name."

Thomas: "Oh yeah I'm Thomas nice to meet you."

He outstreched his hand for a handshake (hoofshake?)

Twilight: "Twilight Sparkle."

She put her hoof out and shook Thomas's hand

Chapter 3

Masks Chapter 3

When Thomas got to the bed he was given to sleep in he realized there was no way he could sleep comfortably in such a small bed. Thomas stood at a good 6'' 2' and most ponies came up to his waist. Twilight walked up next to him.

Twilight: "Oh..."

Thomas: "I don't suppose you have a bigger bed."

Twilight shook her head. Thomas sighed

Thomas: "It's fine I'll sleep on the floor."

Thomas got to sleep reletively fast considering his bedding . He slept dreamlessly that night still in relative shock by his new surroundings he was woken by the conversation of 6 ponies

Twilight: "...and he still asleep upstairs."

Applejack: "So you're tellin' me that a monster from the everfree forest is up sleepin' in your bed right now?"

Twilight: "He's not a monster he's a student and he's not in my bed he's on the floor."

Rainbow Dash: "A Student? Really? Twilight I think you've been hitting the books a little to hard."

Fluttershy: "Do you know where he's from? Is he lost?"

Rainbow Dash: "Yeah i'm sure we could get him back to wherever he's from."

Fluttershy: "Um girls..."

Twilight: "That's just the thing. He's not from Equestria. He's from a planet called earth."

Fluttershy: "Hey..."

Pinkie Pie: "You mean he's an alien! Like a super dooper scary tentecle blob monster!"

Twilight: "No Pinkie. He's not scary, he's really nice."

Fluttershy: "Twilight..."

Twilight: "Yeah Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy pointed to the second floor at Thomas. All the ponies looked at him.

Thomas: "Hey."

Twilight: "Oh Thomas perfect timing."

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity watched in silence as the large yellow and black striped creature descended the stairs. Fluttershy seemed to shrink into her self.

Twilight: "Everypony i'd like you to meet Thomas the human."

Everypony was tentitive to talk to Thomas. Applejack was the first to approach him.

Applejack: "Howdy, Partner i'm Applejack." she outstreached a hoof

Thomas grabbed her hoof and began shaking

Thomas: "Nice to meet you Applejack i'm Thomas."

The other ponies gradually walked up to him and introduced themselves.

Thomas: "I'm sure you all have questions about me so please feel free to just ask away."

Pinkie Pie: "Oh! Oh! I have a question pick me!"

Thomas: "Ok Pinkie what's your question?"

Pinkie Pie: "What's your planet like? Is it a huge swamp? Or is the land made of gas? How do you get around, you seem a little big to be floating on gas?

Thomas: "No, no it's nothing like that it's a lot like Equestria, except for the talking ponies."

Rainbow Dash: "You mean the ponies on Earth don't talk?"

All the ponies looked at Thomas

Thomas: "Well no. On Earth humans are the dominate life."

Rainbow Dash: "Weird..."

Fluttershy: "I, um, have a question."

Thomas: "What is it?"

Fluttershy: "What kind of animals are there on Earth?"

Thomas: "Well there's thousands of species it'd take a while to list them all."

Fluttershy: "Oh okay then..."

Fluttershy looked disheartened

Thomas: "Ill tell you later alright?"

Fluttershy perked up and smiled

Fluttershy: "Okay."

They all talked for about an hour before Applejack stood up

Applejack: "Alright y'all i'd best be on my way."

Rainbow Dash: "Where you goin' AJ?"

Applejack: "I've still gotta do some work around the farm."

Thomas: "Want some help?"

Applejack: "Thank ya kindly but it's fine i wouldn't wanna impose."

Thomas: "It'd be no trouble plus i'd like to repay Applebloom for her help, she helped me get to Ponyville."

Applejack: "Alright well then we'll be off. See y'all later."

Thomas and Applejack walked side by side out of Twilights house

They walked silenty most of the way before Thomas pulled out his MP3 and began scrolling through his music. He noticed he'd downloaded the Good the Bad and the Ugly theme song. He thought it'd be fitting music if he was going to help out on the farm. He turned the volume all the way up and hung the headphones around his neck so both he and Applejack could easily hear it. After the song ended Applejack spoke up

Applejack: "What in tarnation was that?"

Thomas: "It was just a song."

Applejack: "I've never heard anything like that before."

Thomas: "Do you like it?"

Applejack: "Like it? I love it, but what's it from?"

Thomas: "It's from an old movie called the Good the Bad and the Ugly."

Applejack: "What's a movie?"

Thomas: "It's basically a play."

Applejack: "Why didn't ya just say that? What's it about anyway?"

Thomas: "It's been a while since i saw it but basically Blondie (The Good) is a professional gunslinger who is out trying to earn a few bits. Angel Eyes (The Bad) is a hit man who always commits to a task and sees it through, as long as he is paid to do so. And Tuco (The Ugly) is a wanted outlaw trying to take care of his own hide. Tuco and Blondie share a partnership together making money off Tuco's bounty, but when Blondie unties the partnership, Tuco tries to hunt down Blondie. When Blondie and Tuco comes across a horse carriage loaded with dead bodies, they soon learn from the only survivor that he and a few other men have buried a stash of gold--er--bits in a cemetery. Unfortunately the survivor dies and Tuco only finds out the name of the cemetery, while Blondie finds out the name on the grave. Now the two must keep each other alive in order to find the gold. Angel Eyes ,who had been looking for the survivor, discovers that Tuco and Blondie meet with him and knows they know the location of the gold. All he needs is for the two to lead him to it. Now The Good, The Bad and The Ugly must all battle it out to get their hands on 200,000 bits."

Applejack was stunned by the story

Applejack: "That was...the best story i've ever heard."

Thomas: "I thought you'd like it."

Applejack: "Darn tootin! I doubt anypony in Ponyville or maybe even Equestria knows a story that good! Do ya know anymore?"

Thomas: "I still remember a few westerns."

Applejack: "Don't suppose you'd stick around and share 'em i'm sure Applebloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith would love to hear 'em."

Thomas: "Sounds like fun."

Applejack spat on her hoof and extended it to Thomas

Applejack: "Put 'er there!"

Thomas looked at the saliva covered hoof for a moment shrugged then spat on his hand and shook her hoof.

They smiled then continued on their way.

Chapter 4

Masks Chapter 4

When Applejack and Thomas got to the farm she immediately brought him to the nearest apple tree

Applejack: "Alright what we're gonna be doin' is applebuckin' now what you wanna do is..."

Applejack thrust her hind legs backward shaking the tree furiously causing most of the apples to fall into a nearby bucket

Applejack: "Think you can handle it?"

Thomas: "Shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Applejack: "Okay partner when you fill your bucket bring it over to the barn door."

Thomas: "Sure thing."

Thomas walked over to the apple tree next to him. Now apples don't usually fall perfectly into a bucket but then again ponies don't usually talk so he decided to suspend his disbelief. He raised his leg and slammed his foot as hard as he could into the side of the tree causing all of the apples to drop into the bucket.

Applejack: "Mighty fine buckin' but maybe not so hard next time."

Confused, Thomas looked back at the tree to see an indent of his shoe an inch deep into the tree bark.

Thomas: "Oh, sorry."

After a few hours of applebucking Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle came running up to Applejack

Applebloom: "Hey sis is it true? Is that thing from the Everfree Forest here?"

Scootaloo: "Is it? What's he like?"

Sweetie Belle: "Rarity said you left with him earlier."

Applejack: "Woah nelly! Slow down, he's right over there."

The three fillies ran side by side over to Thomas who had a bucket full of apples in tow

Applebloom: "Hey!"

Thomas looked over to the three wide eyed fillies

Thomas: "Hey Applebloom."

Applebloom: "Good to see you made it to Ponyville but why're you here helpin' my sis?"

Thomas: "Well you helped me get to Ponyville so I thought this was the least I could do."

Scootaloo leaned next to Sweetie Belle and whispered

Sweetie Belle: "No way! That's not true."

Thomas and Applebloom looked at Sweetie Belle

Applebloom: "What's not true?"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other.

Sweetie Belle: "Oh nothing!"

Scootaloo: "Yep nothing!"

Thomas: "You know lying isn't a good habit. Now what was is? "

Sweetie Belle: "Scootaloo said Applejack has a crush on you."

Applebloom: "What!? Why do you say that?"

Scootaloo: "Well she's been staring at him for the whole time we've been talking."

They all looked over at Applejack who ,with a red face, turned abrutly to look a different direction.

Scootaloo: "See!"

Thomas waved her off

Thomas: "That's a little silly don't you think? After all i'm not really her type."

Applebloom: "Yeah!"

Thomas picked the bucket of apples up

Thomas: "Alright girls i've got to store these apples."

The three fillies watched Thomas haul the apples over to the barn door then ran off. As he set the bucket down he thought

Thomas: "There's no way she likes me...is there?"

When the sun was close to setting Applejack called out to Thomas

Applejack: "Alright that's enough for today, it's getting late you wanna sleep here tonight?"

Thomas: "I do, thanks."

They walked towards the house

Thomas: "Hey Applejack i've been meaning to ask, where's Big Macintosh?

Applejack: "He and Granny Smith are down in Appleloosa. One of their workers is out sick and Granny Smith wanted to go sight seein'."

Thomas: "They just left you and Applebloom here to do all the work?"

Applejack: "I can handle Big Macs load while he's gone and Granny Smith hasn't taken a vaction since I was a fillie."

Thomas and Applejack walked into her house.

Applejack: "I'm about to get supper started do y'all wanna help?"

Thomas: "Sorry but I don't think you'd eat anything i'd make."

Applejack: "What do you mean by that?"

Thomas: "I only know how to make human food."

Applejack: "What do humans eat anyways?"

Thomas: "Meat and veg--"

Thomas turned to look at Applejack to see her with a shocked expression

Thomas: "What's wrong?"

Applejack: "Did y-yall say m-meat..."

Thomas realized how that must've sounded to an herbivore

Thomas: "Well yeah I'm an omnivore."

Applejack: "Omniwhatsit?"

Thomas: "It means I can eat both meat and plants."

Applejack: "Alright..."

Thomas: "don't worry i wouldn't eat pony meat."

Applejack: "Oh okay. Well i'll go get supper started."

After a few minutes Applebloom came through the door covered in blood and splinters. Thomas rushed over in horror. She collapsed in his arms.

Thomas: "APPLEJACK! HELP!"

Applejack rushed into the room to see Thomas holding the bloodied filly. She rushed over to her sister

Applejack: "Applebloom! Applebloom what happened!?"

Applebloom: "T...timber...Wolves...

Applebloom fell unconscious

Applejack: "APPLEBLOOM!"

Thomas grabbed Applejack

Thomas: "Take her to the hospital fast."

Applejack: "What about the Timber Wolves?"

Thomas: "I'll take care of them just get her to the hospital as fast as you can."

Applejack picked up her unconscious sister and ran faster than she knew she could in the direction of the Ponyville Hospital. Thomas went into the kitchen and grabbed a cast iron pan and a spatula. He remembered that Timber Wolves hated the sound of metal clanking together.

When he got to Ponyville he saw blood streaks in the streets and Timber Wolves scratching and gnawing at the doors of pony homes. Through the windows he saw ponies huddled in fear some bleeding but not fatally. He slammed the spatula into the center of the pan catching the attention of all the Timber Wolves however they did not flee like he'd expected, instead the crept closer to him. He slammed the spatula harder into the pan, he realized that the Timber Wolves weren't afraid of the sound anymore. As they inched closer to him he gripped the pan harder.

One of the wolves lunged at Thomas's neck. He slammed the cast iron pan into the crown of the wooden wolves head. The pan broke the bark with ease killing the wolf immediately. The other wolves all rushed Thomas tearing at his arms and legs. He swung wildly at the wolves but he missed every time, they were too fast and the pan was too heavy. He dropped the pan and grabbed the closest Timber Wolf by the neck, picked it up, and broke it's back over his knee. He was suprised how easily he was able to lift the Timber Wolf was but he chalked his newfound strength up to adrenaline. He took the dead timber wolf's tail and used it's body as a flail to crush two of the nearby Timber Wolves. He looked around at the rest of the wolves. They didn't back away they stood their ground snarling louder than before.He felt his vison fading as he became more and more aware of the punishment his body had taken. By this time he was bleeding heavily from the many slashes that littered his body. Thomas thought he should run. He wanted to turn around and try to escape. He knew how this would play out. He knew he was going to die if he kept fighting but he saw the eyes of frightned ponies looking at him hoping he'd drive off their attackers. He smiled and charge forward.

Thomas: "AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Suddenly a magnificent ball of light erupted between Thomas and the wolves. Princess Celestia looked at the Timber Wolves who began whining and backing away. She raised her horn and all the Timber Wolves shattered. She looked at Thomas now stopped, head hanging and said

Princess Celestia: "I do not know who you are or where you came from but I must thank you for risking your life to prot--"

Before she could finish Thomas fell to his forward onto the ground. A small pool of blood began to accumulate where he fell. Princess Celestia quickly lifted him into the air with her magic and teleported to Ponyville Hospital.

Applejack ran into Ponyville to see a pile of shattered bark, injured ponies shuffling out of their homes, and Thomas's black and yellow stripped sleeve covered in blood laying on the ground before her. Tears rose to her eyes.