1) What Happned? Hunker down kid, this'll be a long one...

Even though a warm spring breeze blew through the trees, Pea Gravel kept wrapped in a ruddy wool blanket. Pea was a mare with grey fur and a short orange mane. Her muzzle was peach colored and the rest of her face had a few freckles. The Equestrian moon glowed  like a silver eye over the quiet forest and the small campfire where two ponies lay under the dull green canopy. The other pony with Pea was a young colt, nearing ten years old now.   She thought back to how he looked the first day she saw him as a newborn. She looked across the low crackling flames to see him snuggled in a blanket similar to her.

"Auntie G?" his chirpy voice called out softly in the night air. Pea was rather surprised to find out he was awake.

"Yes sugar cube, you need something?" Pea asked, only her head could be seen out from her blanket.

The colt stuck his head out from under his. His fur was such a deep red it was almost purple. His blue eyes and hair shown out in the fire light,"I don't know if I need something or not...I'm just having trouble sleeping," He lay his head on the grass,"I...I had that dream again."

"Aww, come here Tuff," The mare said.

Obediently, the colt drug the blanket with his teeth over to Pea. Tuff shimmied around their stocky saddle bags and made sure his blanket didn't get to close to the fire. He sat next to her and put the wool blanket over his slim shoulders. She looked up at him with a sleepy expression,"What, ya not laying down? You know my stories take awhile to finish."

"Actually, I was wondering...Auntie..."The colt seemed to be holding something back.

"Well, spit it out. If you take any longer I'll fall asleep," Pea yawned.

"I-I...don't know how to ask this..." Tuff turned his muzzle to the ground.

Pea sat up. The wool blanket slid off her back and fire light glistened off her one tear shaped hoop ring in her ear. What made Tuff a bit more nervous were the mare's mechanical fore arms. She turned toward him and put one of her metal arms over his shoulder. The ends of her cybernetic arms could be considered hooves, but instead there was three stubby fingers. Tuff kept his eyes on the ground.

"Now you listen here Tuff Boulder, you can ask me anything. It's not like you're gonna ask me where babies come from...right?"

Tuff was quiet for a moment,"What...what happened that made you loose your legs?" He had a worried look on his youthful face.

Pea made a wry grin and pulled him closer to her,"Which ones? The front or the back legs?" The mare asked as she rubbed her steel knuckles in his hair.

"Auntie, I'm being serious!" Tuff complained while in a playful headlock,"What happened to you?"

The mare released her grip and sighed,"It's a terrible secret," she rose her arms slowly in the fire light with a wild look,"I sold them to the Devil! Ha ha ha, now I can kick anypony's ass!" She laughed dramatically.

"Come on, that can't be it," The colt said. Pea's face pouted in response. "Did you lose them in a fight?" Tuff pried. Pea groaned and stuffed her face into her blanket for a moment.

"Do you want me to tell a story or not?" Pea folded her artificial arms and pouted.

"How about a story on how you lost your legs?" Tuff grinned.

"No damn it! Your such a pain when your persistent!" Pea said as she punched Tuff's shoulder.

"Ouch! Why'd you hit me?" The colt complained.

"That was a love tap and you know it," Pea snickered.

"Stop playing with me and tell me already!" The colt nearly shouted.

Pea's smile faded. She began to look into the fire with a vacant, statue-like expression. The mare flexed the finger-like ends of her forearm, each making metallic whirrs as the metal replaced what flesh had done before. Then tears built up on the mare's face, Tuff almost regretted asking. She kept her gaze at the fire and flexed her fingers in and out of a fist.

"You asked if I lost them in a fight? Well, that part is true...sad but true," A few tears rolled down her face but her expression remained neutral," The worst part though...the worst part is that I thought I could've won. I had it in my head that I could've conquered anything," she raised a metallic hand close to her face,"Look how that turned out."

"So...so you lost?" Tuff asked quietly.

"In a way, yes and no. I lost my legs, but...actually no. Nothing good came from it...damn."

Tuff leaned over and hugged Pea. She had been taken completely by surprise and it took her a few moments to pull back into reality. The colt hugged her tight and she patted the top of his head lightly.

"It's late Tuff, you should try and get to bed," Pea sighed.

"I'll sleep here," Tuff smiled. He still held on tight with his childish forearms.

"Fine," The mare stifled a laugh as she wiped the tears from her face,"But loosen your grip eh? Your gonna break my ribs!"

A few minutes passed  and Pea heard the small sound of Tuff snoring. She looked down at the colt and tucked his blanket around him. She lay the sleeping colt next to her and she stood up to get more firewood. The forest was dark and the brush was unforgiving. Eventually she found a dead tree that had jutting branches. One that was especially good fuel seemed to taunt her. She clamped her cybernetic hand onto it and twisted violently. It splintered where she grabbed and the rest landed heavily down onto the leaf covered ground. She bit onto a part of it and carried it back to the fire.

There she broke the branch into several small pieces and placed a few onto the fire. Once done billowing it into a cracking miniature pyre she pulled her blanket back over her and lay next to Tuff. She lay awake with her eyes shut tight for awhile. Her mind swam around faces of her past, some good while others made her skin crawl. Pea couldn't stand how her mind was so active, so she reached into her nearby pack and rummaged through it. She pulled out a glass jar with a cork top and an old yellowed paper label. The words, though worn down, read; JADE CACTUS FRUIT.

Pea opened it and popped one of the kiwi looking fruits into her mouth. As she closed the bottle and put it back into her pack, it's effects were already kicking in. Her vision blurred and her senses numbed. Her once overactive mind now slowed comfortingly into an angelic swirl of color behind her eyelids. She lay back onto the ground and passed out happily in moments.

   Pea woke up to Tuff putting dirt over the embers of the campfire, not to mention his blanket already rolled and strapped onto his saddle bag. The morning sun shown through the trees above and the mare rubbed her eyes. She yawned while Tuff took her blanket and began rolling it up. She looked at him with a sleepy but proud smile. While he strapped her blanket to her pack, Pea grabbed a vest from the same pocket her cactus fruit was in. She held it out and looked at it's worn edges, thick stitching from skirmishes passed on, and the mismatched buttons. Only a handful of the original brass buttons were still on the brown vest. She slipped one mechanical arm in then another, the fact that it was authentic leather didn't seem to bother her these days.

"That's my boy. All ready to go before breakfast," The mare yawed again,"Speaking of breakfast, I'm gonna eat one of these granola bars, you want cinnamon or...apple with cinnamon?"

"I already ate Auntie, thanks anyway."

"Huh, more for me I guess," She stuffed one into her mouth,"So you ready for a walk?" Pea said with a mouthful of granola.

"Yep, so where are we headed?" Tuff asked as his aunt munched away.

"Were gonna go...ummm that way. North East."

Tuff hopped on his hooves, ready to go. Pea was still chewing while the carbon tendons in her limbs pulled and pushed as she stood up. She hoisted the larger of the saddle bags onto her back and began walking through the trees. The two earth ponies were walking through the forest for some time until a knobby looking tree with only two windows and horse head masks outside. Tuff had a skeptical look but Pea put on a smug smile and trotted to the door.

"Wait, what if somepony dangerous lives there?" Tuff whispered loudly.

"Pffft, what? You think there's gonna be some Voodoo Magic pony in there that'll curse us? Come on Tuff, your Auntie has seen enough to handle some woodland hermit," She said as she neared the door. She knocked loudly on it several times.

"Who is making that noise?" A feminine vice called from inside the tree,"Are you a soap sales pony or some pesky boys?"

Pea looked back at Tuff with squinting eyes of confusion,"Did...did she just rhyme?"

Suddenly the door opened and a zebra stood in the doorway,"Yes, and I do all the time."

"Ahhh, hey there," Pea said,"Me and my nephew are on our way somewhere and I was wondering if you could give us some directions?"

"Of course! Now where are you trying to get to, horse?" The Zebra smiled.

"Y-you're gonna just keep talking like that...aren't you?" Tuff said. Pea just now noticed how close he had followed her to the stranger's door.

"The only places near by this forest of green, are Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres and Canterlot, the home of the princess so keen."

"Ponyville, you said Ponyville?" Pea asked intently.

"Yes I did, is that where you are trying to get to with this kid?" the zebra asked back.

"That's exactly where I'm trying to get to, can you tell me the way? Please?" Pea leaned toward the zebra, who in turn leaned back.

"It's down the lane," the zebra pointed to a path beaten through the brush,"But first, can I learn this stranger's name?"

"It's Pea Gravel, and this is Tuff Bolder. Thanks so much, but we should get going," Pea said as she went for the path,"Thanks again!"

The zebra waved with a puzzled expression. Her eyes widened when she saw that Pea had no natural legs,"Here legs are made of metal? I hope by Celestia she doesn't work for the Devil..."

Pea trotted at an energetic pace through the overhanging foliage while Tuff had trouble just keeping up behind her. As they sped through the forest path Tuff began slowing down and wheezing. Pea stopped, rolled her eyes and lifted the colt onto her back. Pack and all. She tried to keep branches from smacking into her and Tuff while she advanced. A bright light shown through the trees and Pea's heart lit up. She began sprinting towards the edge of the forest and burst out of the wood's borders with a flutter of leaves following her.

The sight of the valley almost overwhelmed the traveler. Her knees buckled slightly as she walked through the lush green field. The blue sky yawned above and clouds with visible swirls floated in loose patterns. Tuff jumped off the mare and gasped as he touched the ground.

"The grass! It's the softest thing I've ever felt!" He giggled as he rolled around in it.

Pea leaned down and bit some of it. Her senses tingled at how sweet it tasted, she chomped down on more of it while Tuff rolled around giggling. Pea stopped stuffing her face when her nose hit the dark brown dirt. She rose her head up and saw the sloping Equestrian mountains in the distance, and a cluster of rooftops with a very shiny house beyond them. She motioned Tuff to follow and the two advanced for the pony town. Once details of the outlying houses could be seen, Pea lowered onto the grass.

Tuff cocked his head to the side,"Aren't you gonna go in?"

"I can't," Pea sighed,"I'm afraid that they'll be too scared of me."

"Why's that...oh," Tuff's voice trailed off when Pea rested her chin on her metallic forearm. The colt shifted his weight around nervously,"So you want me to go in there...alone?"

"Sugar cube, It's probably the safest places on the planet. I need you find a dry place for us to stay awhile. Ask for a hotel room or something if you have to. Say your getting a room for a few nights and leave the window open," Tuff's lip quivered. Pea smiled reassuringly and rustled his mane,"You'll be fine. Oh, and don't fight anypony okay? Even if some of them may pick on you, don't fight'em."

"Why not? Fighting is how you fix problems."

"Well, not this time okay? Anypony who would be mean around here is just a crabby old geezer, some up-tight brat or a dumb bully. You don't need to fight those kind of ponies."

"Okay. Get a place to sleep, leave the window open and no fighting. Got it," Tuff listed off with glee. He scooted closer and hugged his aunt,"Love you, Auntie G!"

"Aww! love you too, Tuff," Pea said. She kissed his forehead and he trotted off. Every few feet he would look back and wave. She'd wave back with a proud smile, even tough Tuff couldn't see it. After he was out of sight Pea grabbed another Jade Cactus fruit and slept the wait away.

Tuff trotted through the street and looked with wonder at the clean buildings and lovely ponies. Their smiles seemed contagious in the early noon sun. Near a fence, the sight of five fillies caught his attention. Two of them seemed to be picking on the other three. The colt's curiosity took the better of him and he moved over into earshot.

"Looks like the Blank Flanks aren't going to make it to the festival. Even though anypony who's important is going to be there!" said one of the bullies. She flicked her silver braid.

"It ain't our fault!" a yellow filly said to the bullies,"Rarity has got a cold so she can't make us dresses."

"Then why don't you make your own...oh that's right!" The pink bully said,"You cant make your own and you're too poor buy them yourself!" the bully mocked.

Tuff had heard enough, he trotted over to the group of girls and sat in the gap between them. All five stared at him with looks of bewilderment. He turned his body toward the pair of bullies and looked at them with his big blue eyes.

"Why are you making fun of these fillies?" she asked flatly.

"What are you doing?" the bullies cried in unison. The pink one walked toward Tuff with a smug smile,"I've never seen you before...are you Chicken's new colt-friend or something?"

"Nope, I don't know any of you. But I know an asshole when I see one," Tuff folded his forearms. The trio of fillies began snickering.

"H-how dare you?!" The pink filly asked aghast," How can you talk to a lady like that?!"

"I've seen ladies, you seem like a whiny brat," the colt stuck out his tongue.

"Do you know who I am?!" the filly screamed,"Do you know the ponies who answer my beck and call!?"

"Don't know, don't care."

The pink filly fumed. Her face turned a lovely shade of angry red as she stamped around. Tuff smiled at the sight of her tantrum. She stamped off down the road and Tuff stood back up. He looked at the trio of fillies with a warm smile.

"Morning girls, my name is Tuff. Tuff Bolder, if you want to write it down."

"Tough is right," the yellow filly said,"Nopony back talks Diamond Tiara but that was-"

"That was awesome!" the orange filly blurted,"What is a colt like you doing here?"

"I'm looking for a place to sleep," Tuff said as he brushed himself off,"What are you three doing?"

The unicorn filly answered for the group," We're working on our Dragon Repellent Cutie Marks."

Tuff looked around at the sky and the streets with admiration,"You're doing a very good job at it. I haven't seen a single dragon here."

He shifted his saddle bags and waved good bye to the fillies. He only walked a few feet before they caught up to him, he rolled his eyes playfully as they trotted beside him.

"Why are looking for a place to crash?" The orange filly asked,"Are you from out of town or something?"

"Yeah, yeah we are from out of town," Tuff said thoughtfully.

"How far out of town?" The unicorn filly asked.

"Have any of you been to the ocean?" Tuff asked the trio.

"Not me," the yellow one said,"My sister has been to Applewood...that's close to it isn't it?"

"I...guess," Tuff nodded,"Say, what are your names? You know mine."

The fillies lined up with bright eyes. Blocking his path, they looked like they were about to recite something.

"Sweetiebell..." the unicorn announced.

"Scootaloo..." the orange filly spread her tiny wings.

"Apple Bloom..." the yellow filly stood proudly.

"...And we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" they shouted in unison.

"Huh...neat," Tuff said.

The colt began walking again. They looked to each other then followed him again. Apple Bloom offered her barn as a place to stay, but she had to ask her family first. She told him that Sweet Apple Acres wasn't so hard to find and would show him the way if he got lost. Tuff happily agreed and said he would be just outside of  town by the forest if they needed to talk to him. The three fillies scampered off to find the earth pony Applejack. Tuff watched them run down the road and felt odd. He was used to strangers being scornful or at least indifferent to him and Pea, but he felt as if his presence here was noticed...maybe even appreciated?

Meanwhile, Pea lay in the soft grass blissfully unconscious. In the air, a brown pegasus with a black and grey mane flew towards the town. She wouldn't have paid attention to the grey dot of a pony in the grass below but the glint of metal in the sunlight made her curious. She made sure the saddle bags full of books didn't spill out in her decent. The pegasus landed near by the mysterious mare and her reaction was similar to the zebra's at the sight of Pea's cyber legs.

"Uhh...excuse me," She said politely,"I'm here for the Literature Festival and..." Her voice trailed off while the cyber mare snored.

The pegasus blinked her ruby red eyes in thought of how to wake the stranger up. If anything she needed to know why somepony like her would be in Equestria at all. She picked the most expendable book in her bag and tossed it lightly at the mare, it landed oddly heavily on the stranger's head. The pegasus was answered with an annoyed groan.

"Wha...a cook book? Where the hell did that-" The grey mare's eyes met the book carrying mare,"Why in God's name did you throw a book at me, I was taking a nap!"

"I-I'm sorry," the pegasus said as she moved closer to Pea,"I was flying over head and you just...stood out and I had to see what or who you were. My name's A.K Yearling, and you?"

"Me? My names Pea Gravel. Here's your book back," Pea said handing the cookbook back to Yearling,"So what stood out about me, eh?"

"Oh...n-nothing, it's just that I'm not used to seeing mares just laying out in the field..."

"Uh huh," Pea snorted while folding her arms,"Let me guess, by all those books ya got there you either really like reading or you really, really like writing." The pegasus seemed a bit nervous of Pea's critical glare.

"Yes, I'm a writer," Yearling said, now happy the subject changed,"The books series of mine, Daring Do, is quite popular in this part of Equestria. Perhaps you heard of them?"

"You know, I'd love to be able to just sit and read for hours at a time. But books take up space and I'm never in one place for long. You understand don't you?" Pea said twiddling her metal fingers.

"I understand," The tanned mare nodded,"I'm here for a Literature Festival in town, is that what you're here for?"

"I could...is there gonna be free food?" Pea grinned as she stood up.

"I'm pretty sure there's going to be a buffet. I take it your hungry?"

"Damn right," the grey mare said with vigor.

"Well, there's a certain pegasus in town whom I'm planning on staying with. She's a big fan of my books you see."

"Oh, 'she' huh?" Pea made a wry smile,"So you swing more to left field, if ya catch my drift?"

"No, no," The writer blushed slightly,"I'm not interested in mares, she's just a friend!"

Pea shrugged,"That's what they all say. So will I see you later or what?"

Yearling was taken back by this,"Who, me? Where, I'll be at the party later if that's what your asking."

"Alright, that'll help me when I walk in town,"Pea waved her hand like a fan,"With such a popular mare to talk to, nopony will think I'm dangerous."

The pegasus became quiet for a moment. Her ruby eyes now seeing Pea in a different light,"Should anypony think your dangerous, Pea Gravel? If that is your real name."

The cyber mare examined her metal fingers very intently,"Only if they give me a reason. Besides, there's a festival soon. We should be in a happy mood, right?" Pea said with a sweet smile to Yearling.

"You're a piece of work Ms. Gravel," Yearling smiled nervously.

"Eh, that's one among many things I've been called. You put it rather sweet," Pea crinkled her nose.

The pegasus nodded and said good bye rather quickly. She took off into the air and flew into town. Pea wondered if the writer would cause a racket over Pea's presence. She shrugged it off and lay back in the grass.

As noon sun Pea had fallen asleep to was now beginning to set, she woke to a more recognizable pony. Tuff poked Pea's side and she tried to block it but he kept moving around. She threw her self into a sitting position and scowled at the colt.

"Alright, alright! I'm awake," She softened her expression,"So, what did ya get?"

The colt held out a shiny green apple,"Here, they're really tasty!"

Pea eyed Tuff with a maternal glare. She grabbed the apple and examined it,"Don't tell me you stole it, did you?"

"Go on eat it, I already ate one," Tuff smiled.

Pea munched on the green apple and tried to hide how much she liked it,"Damn it Tuff, you can't keep stealing food when we go into towns. It's gonna get you into trouble sooner then later."

"Sorry Auntie-" Tuff sighed and was smacked upside the head.

"You admitted it too? Tuff, tell me you at least found a dry place for us to sleep." Pea stuffed the remainder of the apple in her mouth.

"I did, a little filly named Apple Bloom said she was gonna ask her sister Applejack if we could stay in the barn."

" 'Jack'? Why is 'Jack' in a girl's name?" Pea scratched the back of her head,"Oh well, a barn you say? It's probably old and leaky...with my luck the straw would be full of nails."

"Aw come on," Tuff groaned,"You're one of the luckiest ponies I know."

"I'm one of the only ponies you know," Pea corrected with a huff.

"She said she'd be here later," Tuff said as he scanned the town and the field," She had a unicorn and a pegasus with her...they seemed to be real good friends."

"I saw a pegasus too," Pea recalled,"I guess they are in bunches around here, eh?"

"Ehhh...I guess so," the colt said flatly.

"You're a bit young to be full of teen angst," Pea scowled.

Suddenly Tuff's eyes lit up. He jumped and pointed to a hill near the town,"I see them! Look, look Auntie!"

The mare strained her eyes to see the three fillies. Sure enough, there they were, and a mare with a wide hat. Pea stood up and followed Tuff who was already trotting over. She didn't have to wait long to meet the natives. Tuff already ran ahead and joined up with the fillies, who bounced around like they did. Pea saw the orange mare with a cowpony hat and wanted to be as friendly as possible.

"Kids, I don't know where they get all that energy," Pea said. She extended a mechanical hand to shake,"Hi, my name's Pea Gravel."

"Howdy," Applejack said slowly. She didn't raise a hoof but kept standing,"Ah've never seen you or your boy here before."

"Oh, no he's not mine. He's my...sister's kid," Pea grinned while Applejack scowled,"So my nephew told me that you were considering us staying at your barn?"

"Him maybe...but I dunno 'bout you," The cowpony eyed Pea's legs,"Ah've never seen a mare like you before."

"I'm not a threat, if that's what your wondering."

"Mmhm, sure ya are. Ah'll let yall sleep in the barn...for now. You don't seem like too much trouble."

"Thank you!" Pea sighed happily,"Applejack is it?"

"That's me, Miss Gravel. Ah don't know how Big Mac is gonna act when he sees ya though."

Pea waited for Applejack to turn around before sticking out her tongue. She followed the mare and Tuff ran in random direction with the Crusaders as the walked to Sweet Apple Acres. As the town grew further away, the barn and a farmhouse ahead grew closer. It was the nicest farm the outsider ponies had ever seen. They were used to rundown wood barns with stone walls to rebuild on when they burned down, this one though. It was painted bright red like the apples in the orchard next to it. The cowpony lead them toward the barn's door but stopped in front of it.

"Now I'm gonna let you two in on the rules. Ah don't want yall messin' with things that don't belong to you, inside or outside the barn. Dinner's at seven if yer interested and lights out at nine. If ya need anythin' just ask an Apple that lives here."

Tuff eyed the orchard,"Does fruit talk here?"

"Naw, kid," Applejack groaned,"Ah meant one of the ponies livin' here. There's Granny Smith, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and I. If ya'll didn't notice we're very enthusiastic about apples," The orange mare said as she opened the barn door.

Tuff went inside and examined the hay within the pristine barn while Pea stayed outside to chat with Applejack.

"So tell me, Applejack,"Pea said as she leaned against the wall,"Are you the landlord of this place? It's such a beautiful plantation," The orange mare gave her an annoyed glare. Pea continued,"You're not a slave here are you?"

"Ah don't know what you're yammerin' about. 'Landlord'? 'Plantation'? 'Slave'? This here is a farm. A normal, everyday, pony owned farm," She started walking to the bright red farm house,"Plantation my flank! What the hay is wrong with that mare?"

Pea took a deep breath and went into the barn. The dieing light from the sun left a warm glow to the inside of the barn. Inside there were crates, barrels, and stacks of fresh hay. Next to a stack of crates with apples painted on them she found Tuff laying his blanket out in a little cave he dug into a straw pile. He hopped over to his aunt.

"I checked Auntie G, no nails!" the colt smiled.

"Thanks sugar cube! Say, did you hear what the mare in the cowpony hat said?" Pea asked the colt. She moved over to the hay and slipped her pack off her shoulders.

"Applejack? No, what did she say," the colt asked.

"She said this wasn't a plantation or anything. This is a farm, an every day normal farm. Can you believe it?" The mare awed as she lay in the straw.

"Really? It's so clean and...and nice," Tuff said looking up at the apple labeled crates,"How can a pony put so much effort into her farm? Aren't they afraid that something may come by and break it or steal all those apples?"

Pea sighed happily,"You know, I don't think ponies have to worry about that here...I hope to god it's like that. It'd be a shame if someone raided a place like this."

Tuff lay in his cave near Pea,"I hope so too, everypony is so nice here. I even met some bullies in town but they weren't after money or trying to beat somepony else up, they were just being mean to some fillies. Calling them poor or something like that..."

Pea sat up,"You met bullies in town? Tuff tell me you didn't fight em."

Tuff nestled a little deeper in the straw cave,"No...one was just being mean and...I..."

"Tuff, tell me. Now," The gray mare commanded in a maternal tone.

"I called her an asshole okay, I'm sorry!" Tuff had a moment before he saw his aunt's reaction.

Pea reached over and grabbed Tuff's ear and drug him out his little nest. He squirmed as she pulled him closer to her face. Pea kept her grip on his ear as she interrogated him.

"You called a girl what? I thought I told you not to get into trouble!"

"I didn't! Nopony came after me at all!" Tuff pleaded.

"Yet. What do you think her daddy's going to think about your little smart ass comment or her brother? She's bound to tell somepony what you said and they sure as hell not gonna like it!" Pea fumed.

"She's just some rich brat, Auntie! Rich ponies don't fight!"

"Doesn't matter. Rich or poor you should treat your kind with respect!" Pea finished. She let go of Tuff's ear and the colt promptly began rubbing it.

Part of the open barn doorway's light was blocked by the shadow of a large red stallion. Pea and Tuff looked up to see him, both assuming he was Big Mac due to his size. He leaned on the door frame with a piece of straw in his squared off mouth.

"Ya sure know how to talk to kids," he chuckled," Mah names Big Macintosh. But most just call me Big Mac. So Ah hear that yall are...new in town?"

"Yes sir," Pea said. She brushed her mane to the side.

"Ah really didn't have much to say, just wanted to get acquainted. Somepony else wanted yall's attention," He said and the Crusaders slid into view. Sweetie Bell was holding something aloft with her magic.

"Howdy!" Apple Bloom said,"Me an' mah friends brought a little something for ya!" the yellow filly motioned the little unicorn over.

"We baked you a pie!" Scootaloo declared,"I...er...we hope you two will like it!"

Big Mac chuckled to himself as he walked out of view with his heavy set hooves. The pie floated over to Pea and Tuff while the three fillies trotted toward the two guests.  They sat in a semi circle in front of the grey mare and the red colt while the pie landed in between. Pea eyed the pie suspiciously while her nephew eyed it hungrily. Pea brushed a hand on her vest before taking a slice. She bit it cautiously while the young ponies watched her intently. She chewed then swallowed the morsel.

"Very good! Did you three make this your self?" Pea asked. Tuff took no time to stick his face in the pie pan.

"We had a little help from Granny Smith," Sweetiebelle admitted. The other two squinted at Tuff with puzzled squints.

"So Miss Gravel," Scootaloo looked up at the grey mare with bright eyes,"Where did you and Tuff come from? He said something about being across the ocean...but that's just not possible."

"Why not," Pea asked,"I've seen a lot of impossible things."

"Well...it's just not," Sweetie rubbed the back of her neck,"There isn't any land out there...at least nopony ever told us there was."

"That's silly!" Pea laughed,"Yous didn't think Equestria was the whole world...did you?" Her smile faded when she saw the almost hurt looks from the fillies.

"It's not out fault," Apple Bloom said,"Nopony ever told us there was," she pursed her lips,"Could you?"

"Do what?" Tuff asked from the pie pan.

"Tell us where your from, your home town?" Scootaloo asked excitedly.

Pea rested her chin on her steel knuckles. She looked at different things in the barn as she thought. She then pulled her legs under her torso on the straw,"My home town? Well, to be honest...I lived out in the middle of nowhere with my parents. We all lived in a mud brick house in a scrub desert. We loved that house," Her eyes began to water," Oh, I'm sorry girls. It's just been such a long time since I thought about that..."

"Then why did you leave?" Applejack's voice could be heard from outside the barn,"If it was so nice, why are you here?"

Pea sighed,"Oh...we were run out of it. A big dragon drove us out and wrecked it."

"You have dragon problems out there?" Applejack asked with angst," Why don't you just yell at em? It works here."

Tuff happened to look up from the pie pan when this was going on. He shrunk down when he saw the dark look in his aunt's eyes. She lifted her self up and her metal feet thudded against the ground as she walked outside the barn. The young ponies thought it was best to leave the mares to themselves.

Applejack was leaning on the barn wall with a less than impressed look as Pea moved into the open. The orange mare flinched slightly when she saw the same look that Tuff saw.

"What's the matter? Did Ah strike a cord that Ah shouldn't?"

"Look lady. I'm appreciative that you let me and my nephew stay in your barn but if you want to fight me just ask."

"Beg your pardon?"

"You and these...Equestrians. You all live so sheltered. 'Yell at a dragon"? Are you trying to piss me off? Where I come from, dragons would rip you apart as much as look at you," Pea snarled. Applejack's once stone like face now had hints of fear on it.

"Me sheltered?" Applejack stood straight up. She looked Pea straight in the eyes,"Ah'll have you know, Ah've had my share of hardships. Ah've helped reform Discord, defeat Nightmare Moon, and dethrone King Sombra to name a few," Apple jack smiled confidently.

"Heh, that's sweet,"Pea made a predatory grin,"Helping the kingdom, eh? Well Applejack, have you ever heard another pony scream in agony? Do you even know what the word 'famine' is?"

The orange mare's face went pale. Pea stamped a metal hoof into the dirt,"I doubt you ever had to watch another of your kind get eaten alive before you eyes. Has a 'farmer' like you had to kill another equine for food?" Applejack shrunk back from the stranger's words.

"Get out!" Applejack cried frantically,"Get out of my farm!"

Applejack stood breathing heavily after shouting at Pea. The stranger stared back at Applejack with eyes that made the hair on the back of Applejack's neck stand on edge.

Pea drew her chin up and snorted,"Tuff, come on. We're leaving," The colt walked slowly out with their saddlebags in tow. They strapped their bags on and walked away from the barn. The three fillies looked out from it with shocked looks.

Before leaving ear shot Pea turned her head back,"Thanks for the pie, girls!" And then she and Tuff were gone.

Apple Bloom was the first to look at her sister who was slumped against the wall shaking. The stranger's words still burned painfully in her mind. The yellow filly rushed over and untied the bow in her mane. She wiped the sweat from her sister's face and called for Big Mac. In moments the burly red stallion rushed over from the orchard.

"What's wrong?" Big Mac panted,"Where did those two go?"

Applejack threw her weight on her brother's forearm. She looked up Mac with wide eyes,"That...that mare...she scares me!"

Mac huffed,"Her? Scare you? Ah know she's got freaky legs but that ain't no reason to be scared of-"

"Those eyes! She looked at me with the same green eyes as a...a timber wolf!" Applejack cried.

Mac sat down and hugged his trembling sister,"There, there. She didn't hurt you did she?"

"No..."the orange mare sniffled,"What she said though...it can't be true can it? Ponies...killing each other...over food?"

Big Mac smiled comfortingly as Applejack rested her troubled head on his shoulder,"And...and dealing with famine! She must've thought we were some sort of rich family...she said herself that she mistook it for a plantation. She thought I was a slave for Celestia's sake!"

"Shhh....she was probably just trying to scare ya. You just need to calm yerself down," Big Mac said as he helped her to her hooves.

"T-thank ya, Mac. Ah need you to stay here, Ah'm gonna go tell Twilight about this Pea Gravel...she'll know what to do!"

Before Big Mac could even say good luck his sister was already racing down the road to Ponyville. He stood up slowly and watched his sister run off, praying that the things the stranger spoke of were just lies.

Applejack ran through the streets of Ponyville in the light of a sunset. Only a few ponies were out in the warm evening air and watched the orange mare run like a freight train. Applejack panted as her hooves pounded the ground on her way to Twilight's castle. Her head swam as she tried to keep her sprint up until she reached the door. Eventually she made it to the crystal structure and skid to a stop at the doorway. She stood out of breath and her knees shaking.

Twilight opened the ornate door and gasped when she saw the cowpony," Applejack!? Come inside, tell me what happened."

Twilight led her tired friend inside to the parlor and to the cowpony's surprise, Zecora and A.K Yearling were inside too. The two mares sat at a table in the princess' parlor and had a mug of coffee between them. Twilight had Applejack sit down with the others while the princess sat at the head of the table.

"So tell me," Twilight said with concern,"What is the matter?"

Applejack shook her head and smiled meekly,"Ah...Ah don't really know. Apple Bloom met some colt taday and asked if he and his aunt could stay at the barn. I wasn't too keen on teh idea...then I saw her, she had...metal legs. Ah've never seen anything like it..."

"Neither have I," Yearling said,"Yet I saw her today, like you did. She's frightening if you provoke her, isn't she?"

"From what I've heard, dangerous would be a better word," Zecora said as she sipped calmly on her coffee.

Twilight looked over to Applejack with a comforting smile,"Come on Applejack, I'll talk to this...Pea Gravel alright. I'm the princess of friendship after all, aren't I? I'll see what's going on and sort it all out by tomorrow okay? Now, before I go looking for her, make sure you three don't tell anypony about her alright? I don't want the situation to get out of hoof."

The three mares nodded and the alicorn smiled weakly. She bid goodnight and made her way to the doorway. The mares were leaving the castle as Twilight lifted herself into the evening sky in search of the stranger. She circled the town several times until she found two ponies she didn't recognize in the town park. They were laying next to a tree well out of view from anypony on the ground but not from Twilight. She descended to the ground with little sound from her wings, and landed a few feet from the strangers silently. The colt was leaning against the mare in question, both dozing off in the coming night.

"You, outsider,"Twilight said in a commanding voice. Pea's eyes snapped open and gawked at the lavender alicorn,"What are you doing in Equestria without permission?"

The mare lowered her face to the ground,"Your grace...I am but a humble earth pony looking for a place to keep my nephew safe. Is this task not in your liking?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow,"From what I heard, you didn't speak like that to the other ponies you met today. You scared my friend Applejack half to death!"

Being the mare she was, Pea tied to keep the 'humble subject' act going as long as possible. She had talked her way out of trouble many times and planned on it again. She didn't expect to hear that a farmer was friends with an alicorn, she sat up and looked with wonder.

"You're friends with a farmer? Isn't that...uncouth?"

"Not here it isn't," Twilight said with a smile,"Now, are you and your nephew going to sleep out here in the cold?"

Pea wasn't sure if she was being scolded or invited to something,"Is that alright with you?" she asked.

"Absolutely not," Twilight said promptly. Pea sunk down a bit,"You and your nephew can stay with me."

"Y-you mean it? Even after I scared your friend?" Pea asked in awe.

"She's a tough mare,"Twilight reached out a hoof to Pea,"Now, pick up your bags. We're going to my castle."

"Are you sure...I can't repay you in money," Pea said meekly,"I can work. Do you need any labor?"

Twilight sighed,"Perhaps, but you know what I'd rather be paid in?"

Pea kept her eyes on the princess as she put a sleeping Tuff and her saddle bags on her back. The grey mare made sure Tuff wouldn't fall off her back before she followed Twilight,"What would you rather be paid in...if I'm so bold as to ask."

Twilight began walking to the edge of the park,"You can tell me of your adventures from the outside world. No matter how happy or tragic, a mare like yourself is bound to have done some interesting things," Twilight said as Pea followed her.

"I suppose...but doesn't somepony like you know the events of the outside world?" Pea pried.

"Me? No, I don't. Discord or Celestia maybe, but not me," Twilight smiled sheepishly,"Oh, Pea? Have you ever teleported before?"

Pea grinned,"By my own will, no. I haven't had much experience with that kind of magic."

Twilight stopped her while her horn began to glow,"You can trust me. Besides, it doesn't hurt."

Before the grey mare knew it, she was in a glossy throne room with the lavender princess. A chandelier was overhead in the high ceiling and six chairs were set in a circle with a table at the center. Twilight began walking down a nearby hallway and Pea took a moment to follow her.

"Some place you got here,"Pea gawked at the gem-like walls,"You live here alone?"

"Yes, my friends come to visit alot though. Now, I have a few guest rooms down this hall, you can take your pick."

Pea was bewildered that a princess invited her to a castle and was giving her a room. She followed the princess to a group of doors and opened the first to the left. Inside she found a dresser and a soft single bed. To the right was a door leading to a small bathroom. A window was at the far end with the moon's light showing through. She turned to thank the Princess but she was already half way down the hall.

"Once your done setting up, I'll be waiting in my room. It's in the hall past the throne room," Her voice echoed off the reflecting walls,"We have much to discuss."

Pea felt like she was in a dream as she entered the simple room. She was used to sleeping under the stars or under bridges, not under sheets. She lay Tuff on the bed and placed the blanket around him gently. She smiled as he subconsciously snuggled deeper in the covers. Pea placed their bags next to the dresser and went to the small bathroom.

She looked into the mirror and saw her face was a bit grubbier then it should in the company of royalty. She fiddled with the faucet trying to figure out which knob was hot or cold but eventually just splashed water in her face. She saw the clear liquid fall back into the sink brown and looked over to the shower. She closed the door and opened the shower curtain. She fiddled with the shower knobs like the sink's, mostly due to the fact that she was more accustomed to bathing in rivers, not bathrooms.

After learning the mystic ways of modern plumbing, she took off her vest and lay it on the sink. She stepped in the shower on her hind legs and the hard rubber tips of her back legs kept her from slipping. Pea turned the water on and flinched as the warm water hit her bare torso. If anyone was with her in the room they would see the array of scars on the mare's back, and one that looked more like a brand of a compass rose on her chest.

She found a soap bar and washed her mane in the relaxing shower of warm water. She looked to her feet and saw how brown the water was and smirked,"I was talking to all those ponies with this much dirt on me? No wonder none of those encounters ended well..."

Pea didn't realize how long she was in the artificial rain until it began to run cold. She squealed and threw the curtain open to escape the now icy water. She reached her metallic arm behind the curtain and shut the water off. One of the few times she was glad her arms couldn't feel anything. She shook her body like a dog out of a storm to dry off, she laughed sheepishly when she saw a towel hung on the door. She dried what was still wet on her body and slipped her vest back on, not bothering to button it. She checked on Tuff before heading off to Twilight.

She entered the throne room and found another hallway she didn't notice before. She went down it and found a door with a crack of light shining out beneath it. She pushed it open gently and found Twilight sitting in one of three cushy chairs next to a fire place with her muzzle in a big book, a sizable bed was at the other end of the room and the walls were covered in stuffed bookshelves. Pea expected that this was Twilight's private library and the fireplace was a magic one that didn't require a chimney. Twilight looked up from her book and giggled.

"So that's what took you so long, you washed up. You know, your mane is quite lovely when it isn't dirty."

"Thank you princess-"

"Please, call me Twilight," the alicorn interrupted. She gestured to another cushioned chair,"Come and sit. I want to talk to you."

Pea moved to the chair furthest from Twilight and sat up with her hands in her lap. She looked at Twilight's friendly smile,"So...what do you want to talk about?"

"You said you wanted your nephew to be safe, correct?' Pea nodded. "Well, I'll let him stay here and educate him if you like. From what Applejack told me, you two have it pretty rough out there. Famine and ponies killing ponies you said?"

Pea was taken aback at the generosity of the princess. She leaned into the chair,"I can't thank you enough...what can I do to repay the offer?"

Twilight's smile faded. Her gaze went to Pea's torso,"Tell me what happened that made you loose your legs."

Pea sat quiet for a moment,"I can't say anything but the truth to you, Twilight. I owe you too much for a lie," Pea looked into the fire,"His...no...it's name is Volm."

"Volm? I've never heard of him,"Twilight said cautiously.

"No one did, he just swung in out of the blue. Teriek's Crusade stopped short and Belial just-"

Twilight stopped the mare,"Wait, wait...Teriek? My friends and I put him back into Tartarus! There's no way he can be fighting."

"He's not, in fact when news of his short time on the surface reached the rest of the centaurs like him, The Torrent as they call themselves, the profit Belial rallied an army and searched for the gates of Tartarus-"

"Wait, wait...there's more like him? Do they all consume magic like he does?"

"Yes, but Teriek is worshiped like a god by them. Somehow he obtained a higher level of power then the rest did, and Belial is looking for it-"

"How did you get mixed up in a holy war, Pea?" Twilight asked bewildered.

"Well...that 'higher level of power' is what I was looking for. If I found it, I could keep it from the grip of evil like Belial or others. It's not just him though, there's a dragon named Borox who's in league with him."

"And how does this...Volm fit in?" Twilight asked timidly.

"It found the power before everyone else. That thing...took everything from me," Pea said with a pale face.

"You still have your nephew, don't you?" Twilight said comfortingly.

"Yes...but the worst thing is...Volm separated me from my friends," Pea wiped a tear from her face,"I'm not sure if they are still alive or not."

"So what brings you here, is the 'Higher Power' you mentioned in Equestria?" Twilight was now sitting on the edge of her seat.

"A part of it maybe...but I really came here to speak with the Sun Goddess, or Celestia as you call her."

"Why?" Twilight asked wide eyed.

"Our kind is cannon fodder out there, food or slaves and what is she doing?" Pea gritted her teeth,"Sitting here playing princess."

"Pea, calm down. I'm sure she's doing something about the war-"

"No, I've only seen the sun out there. Never her. If she wanted to protect her kind like she does here, why not everywhere else?"

"I'm not sure....but this story is getting confusing," Twilight groaned,"How did you learn about the 'Higher Power'?"

Pea's face softened up,"Oh, I was still back in Peron. My crew and I went to a harbor to get a boat after escaping a bunch of dragons and we got mixed up in a situation with pirates...that's where I met Rochi," Her face warmed up when she said his name.

"I take it you liked him?" Twilight giggled. She was glad the mood became brighter then talk of war and monsters.

"Like him? I love Rochi...he was a slave for the pirate captain Gumbo then, but when we came around his thirst for adventure came back and he left them. Turns out they were after 'The most beautiful' thing in the world', which is what Rochi went to sea to find."

Twilight rubbed her eyes sleepily. Her horn glowed and a stack of paper and pen poofed next to Pea. The grey mare blinked in surprise but Twilight yawned. She placed the paper and pen onto Pea's lap.

"That's some story, but I need to know the whole thing. You should just write it all down while you stay here."

Pea smiled sheepishly,"I'd love to, Twilight. But I'm...I can't write."

Twilight looked at her for a moment,"You see," Pea continued,"A nomad like me doesn't have space in her pack for books, I just keep the stories in my head."

Twilight got off her chair and headed for the bed,"I'm tired. I suppose I can teach you to write tomorrow and Tuff if he needs it. I'm off to bed, Pea Gravel. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, princess,"Pea said quietly as she got off the chair and headed for the door.

Twilight slipped into her bed and Pea walked over to the guest rooms. Her heart was fluttering, I'm safe and so is Tuff, she thought,but what about them? I need to find them...

Pea tread over to the room Tuff was in and moved to the center of the moonlit room. She lowered to the floor and sprawled comfortingly on the it. She felt tired mentally and physically, she welcomed sleep but was prepared for the big day tomorrow.