Differences

Chapters

Is it all a dream?
Not happening...
Saved by a pony?
Baby Steps
A Rare Find
Up and About
Fear that lasts
Rehabilitation
Hide and seek
Fear that disapears
Life as you knew
Everypony Deserves a Chance
Give and Take
Prologue

Is it all a dream?

The door flung open with a considerable amount of force pulling me into what seemed like a vortex. Not knowing what to do or how to react i grabbed for the side of the island, trying to keep myself from being sucked into this, this thing. What seemed like an eternity lasted less than 10 secs as i felt the pull stop and heard footsteps. Trying to pull my self to my feet, I reached for my knife and pointed it at what ever was walking towards me. To my amazement, nothing was there. Dumbfounded, a quick spark and flash alerted me that the power was back on.

Looking left and right, everything seemed to be normal. There was no damage, nothing was moved, the kitchen door was even closed. Then a loud ringing could be heard. " Hmm" i said, as i awake from my slumber. Looking down I turned the alarm on my phone off. "Not another one of those dreams.." I said to myself as I stretched and moved towards the kitchen to get breakfast." I opened the door and sat at the table rubbing my eyes to try and wake up. "What is that, like number one hundred or something?" I thought to myself. I stood up and turned on the television.

Seeming that it was early morning, there wasn't much on but some cartoons and a couple of documentaries. Knowing that I would just fall back asleep if I looked at a documentary, I turned to the cartoon station only to be met with a cartoon about colorful ponies. "What the hell is this?" I thought to myself as i looked on. "Colorful ponies? Is that what the cartoon world milking fans with now? Sickening," I thought as I switched to the weather channel. " It looks like rain tonight. High of 70 Low of 50..." said a male reporter. "Rain again... there goes my jog," I thought to myself as I munched on the cereal in my bowl. "Sigh, better get ready to go to work. Don't want to be late again. Last time my boss almost..." I said quietly to myself.

"Ring ring ring. Pick up the phone bitch," went my phone as I scrambled to shut off the embarrassing ring tone. "Hello?", I answered. "Hello Jon, its Carl." How are you doing?", said the voice. " I'm fine, um how can i help you?", i replied. "well i just wanted to let you know that you don't have to come into work today. Your fired." said the voice on the phone. " Fired?! but but...", as i tried to reason with him but there was no use. He finished his remarks and gave me instructions on what to do next and then hung up. Awe struck, I threw my phone against the wall and started to sob. "That was my only source of income, my only portal out of this house, the only reason I..." I stopped in my tracks noticing that the channel was changed form the weather channel back to the colorful pony show. "Already pissed from losing my job I took my anger out on the television.

"Cause I love to make you smile, smile, smile! It fills my heart with sunshine all the while..." went the lyrics to the song as I proceeded to smash the television with my cereal bowl. "Why won't it stop!" I yelled as i continued to smash the television. "Cause I love to make you grin, grin, grin!Busting out from ear to ear...",the lyrics continued as I finally unplugged the television. Looking at the damage, I scowled myself in being so stupid to destroy my property and began cleaning up the mess I made. Upon finishing, I noticed the dent in the wall and thought to myself "oh great."

I swiftly moved to the phone, which was in one piece thankfully, and inspected it for damage. Sighing to myself that it was only scratched and the protective case, thank god, was cracked. The wall, on the other hand, had seen better days. "Well better get started on fixing this hole in the wall." I thought to my self as I walked towards the garage. I opened the door and took a look at all the items I had accumulated throughout the years of being alive. Reminiscing, I grabbed the bucket of paint, the putty, and a couple of brushes and tools that were needed to fix the wall when I heard thunder. "Well this will keep me busy while it rains I guess" I thought to my self. Moving back into the house, i thought i saw something moving out the corner of my eye but when I turned to look, there was nothing there. "Must be a squirrel," I thought to myself as i walked back into the kitchen and began work on the hole in the wall.

"Well that didn't take too long," I said as I finished the last stroke of paint over the now finished wall. I returned all the materials to the garage then sat on the couch only to find myself a little tired form the repeated motions, and started to doze off. The nap was short lived. A banging on the door awoke me in a hurried motion as I rushed to answer thinking to myself, who would be out in this weather. Upon opening the door, I noticed that no one was there. Thinking it was a prank by the neighborhood kids, I closed the door. Before I could even close the door good and turn around, there was another banging on the door. Being a little more cautious and feeling a little freaked out, I looked out the peep hole only to see no one once more. As I turned around, there was another knock at the door. Starting to get angry and scared at the same time, i flung the door open and looked only to reveal a black mass looking right back at me. I panicked and slammed the door shut just to see the mass standing in front of me.

Pinned against the door, I pleaded with whatever it was to please leave me alone but all I heard was a voice in my mind. It was saying "So, giggle at the ghostly. Guffaw at the grossly. Crack up at the creepy..." Freaking out I screamed, only to wake up with the colorful pony cartoon on the television. Trying to catch my breath, I stood up and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. On my walk, I felt something weird, like i wasn't alone. I shrugged it off as nerves and reached the kitchen. There was a weird smell in the air, but i couldn't put my finger on it. I drunk my water and turned to walk away.

The power started to brown out at that point, and I wanted to see how long the storm was going to last, so I headed back to the couch. The thunder could be heard in the background as i plopped down on the couch to see what was on the weather channel. As I flipped through the channels, all things around me began to feel eerie. The walls seemed darker, yet the lights seemed brighter. The ceiling was higher, yet the floor looked lower. Being a single male, I didn't let it bother me. As I landed on the weather channel I heard two words from the reported and a familiar blackness engulfed me.

Enraged with the fact that the power went out, I scrambled for a flashlight. I found the flashlight but noticed that the strange smell in the air had gotten stronger. I was used to a lot of weird smells living next to a landfill, but this one was different. It wasn't a bad smell, yet, it wasn't a good one either. It was a mix of multiple smells. I could distinctly pick out one of apples, one of fancy perfume, one of cotton candy, one of sweat, one of old books, and one of animals. It was weird in the fact that, I could actually smell anything at all since I've had a slight cold for the past couple of days and smelling was near impossible.

I again shrugged it off as nothing but water and trash mixing then attempted to turn on the flashlight, only to find that the batteries were dead. "I swear I just replaced these," I said as I Scrambled through the drawer. I bumped into my knife on the way. "This knife brings back memories," i said as I looked through the drawer. I pocketed it and continued looking for batteries. With no luck, I moved to the next drawer only to hear a series out loud clashes from the kitchen. Fearing that my wall I fixed caved, I started to motion towards the garage, only to hear more crashes. This time, they were accompanied by a fearful sound. I pulled out my knife and slowly moved towards the kitchen fearing an intruder. Reaching the door an immense flash and a loud crash of thunder could be heard. I grabbed the door handle but it wouldn't budge. I put all my might into it but it still wouldn't budge. I turned to find something to open it with when I heard a knock on the dame door I was trying to open. Ready for anything, I grabbed the door. I wasn't ready for this.

Not happening...

The door flung open with immense power. I hit the ground hard. I looked up and saw a familiar sight. It was Dejah Vu. The dream I've been having for days, weeks, months, years; happening right now. The only difference is that it was much stronger than it was in my dreams. I slid past the door frame, attempting to grab on to something. Past the island, scrambling for the edge. There was no hope. My grip failed and I slid into this thing, this vortex. I looked left and right. Everything was bending around me. Time was distorting. There was no sense of reality. Then, darkness.

I don't know how long I was falling. I don't know how long I was out. I don't even know what happened. I do know that when I opened my eyes, I wasn't in my house anymore. Trying to get my bearings, I attempted to stand up on to get knocked back down form a sharp pain in my leg. "Arg...," I screamed out as i sat up. I looked around. All I could see was thicket under this moonlight. Feeling a little panicked, I managed to crawl over to a tree and sit against it. As i examined my leg, I noticed blood. I knew what had happened. I landed on my knife. "Piece of shit pocket knife...," I said out of anger. I attempted to make a turnakit out of my tattered shirt only to get a half decent one. "This will half to do," I said to myself as I tightened it up around my leg only to get a shock of pain.

Using the tree to stand up i managed to get to my feet. Looking in all directions, I saw nothing but trees and brush. I attempted to hobble to a stick i was earlier while making the turnakit, but i fell over on my way. Crying out in pain, i managed to get to my feet again and hobble enough to reach it. Using the stick for balance, I looked up into the sky to see if i could see any stars systems i might know from school. Everything looked different. There was no North Star. No Orion's Belt. There wasn't even a little dipper! Feeling hopeless, I hobbled over to the tree I was at and took a seat. "Where am I?", was the thought that kept running through my mind. Feeling drowsy, i tried to stay awake in fear of bleeding out, but fatigue got the best of me and soon I faded off.

I was quickly awoken by a rustling in the bushes. Looking towards the sound, i grabbed the stick I had and prepared to defend myself. From the bushes, came a weird looking creature. It had a scorpion tail, wings, yet it looked like a lion. It was small. The size of modern day lion or tiger. Not knowing what to do, I threw the stick at it hoping to scare it off. It gave me a puzzled look then growled at me. "Thinking to myself, this is the end, I remembered the knife in my leg. Without thinking of the consequences, I yanked the knife out and held it up towards the creature. The creature approached, moving at a steady pace swiping at me with every step. "Go away!" I kept yelling at the creature in hope to deter it. It was no use. It kept getting closer and closer. I lined up the knife, knowing that this might be my last chance. The creature jumped.

It landed right on top of me, pinning me to the tree. I took the knife and jabbed it into the creature's throat. A yelping sound could be heard as i repeatedly stabbed the creature. It backed away and took a few steps towards the direction it came from but went limp shortly after. Smiling in victory, i attempted to sit up to check for total victory when i noticed it. My arm had been deeply wounded. There were multiple claw marks in it. I was loosing blood fast. I didn't have anything to stop the bleeding, nor could i do it with one hand. Feeling weak, I begged and cried out for help. The world around be began to fade from all the blood loss. I started to have flashbacks. Thinking why I did this in the first place. Why did i have to go into the kitchen? Why didn't i fight for my job? Why didn't I try harder to keep myself from letting this happen? Slowly, the world started to halt. Everything around me became reality. There was no going back. It was now or never. Then just like in the vortex. Just like earlier. Everything went black.

"He needs help. Come on", said a voice. I opened my eyes to see the figure of an animal. It had 4 legs and a yellow coat.. My vision was too blurry to make out what it was.I felt my self being picked up. But it wasn't by hands or physical contact. It was a warmth. A peaceful feeling. One that can't be explained. I turned my head to see where it was coming from but all I saw was a purple light. I couldn't really make out what they were saying but I do remember hearing one of them saying the words can't tell and Celestial. The sound of water and a horse galloping was the only sounds I remember hearing before I completely blacked out.

Saved by a pony?

"Ah," I say, moaning in pain. I open my eyes and look up. "A roof over my head," I think as i start to sit up. I look around but see nothing that I recognize. The sounds of birds can be heard tweeting outside. Feeling the pain again I look towards the troubled spot only to see it bandaged up. Then it hit me. I wasn't dreaming. This was real. I sigh and fall back on the bed only to be hit with soreness and pain on the way. "Hi." A female voice says. I sit up to look into the direction of the voice but see nothing but a weird looking animal. As I lay back down the voice says, "You must still be in a lot of pain. I'll leave you to rest." I hear the same galloping noise I heard before only this time it was more of a slow trot. Shrugging it off as some horse outside I fall back asleep.

"Sorry to bother you again mister", the same female voice says, "but i thought you'd might like something to eat... so i made you some soup.. that is if your hungry...." "Thanks", I say lazily. "Just set it somewhere and i'll get to it in a min." "ye- yes. Ill set it right here for you sir. Sorry for bothering you", said the female voice. " Your not bothering me," I said. Then i heard the trotting horse sound again. "I wish whoever is riding that horse out side would give it a rest though!" The sound stopped. It grew quiet. I looked up towards where the voice was coming from. I saw the same creature staring at me holding a bowl of red tomato soup in its hooves. It had a yellow body with a pink mane almost resembling a modern day pony, but much smaller. She had wings like a Pegasus with strange butterfly markings on its rear. I realized i'd been talking to this creature. "Sorry, I didn't know that was you", I said in an apologetic way. She set the soup down and said, " No offense taken sir. I must have startled you seeing that your not from around here. Are you?" I quickly answered "no i'm not..."

The creature smiled and walked back down the stairs. Wondering if I was hallucinating or not, i reached over and tasted the soup. It was real. She was real. This was real. I though it was real earlier, but now i'm certain. I'm not on Earth any longer. I finished the soup and a few minutes late, the creature returned. She smiled in seeing that I ate the soup and asked if I wanted more. I declined as I was interested in where i was exactly. "Do you have a name?" i asked. " Oh how rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Fluttershy. Whats yours?" My name is Jon", I replied. "Um where exactly am I?" She answered " Why your in the village of Ponyville." Confused, I replied "and where is Ponyville at? She laughed a shy giggle and answered " Its in Equestria silly." Smiling she took the bowl back downstairs and said " Now you get some rest. I think that Manticore did more damage to you then you did to it." "No kidding", I said as i lay back down.

I awoke a few hours later to talking. As I sat up, I didn't feel as much pain as i did before. "I think the soup did something to kill the pain", I thought to myself and i heard trotting up the stairs. Through the door way, another creature of the same type only this one purple, had a horn like a Unicorn, with a blueish purple mixed mane and three stars on its rear along with Fluttershy. It looked at me and smiled then said in a female voice,"I see our feeling better. You were pretty- err..beat up when we found you. Your lucky we were looking for one of Fluttershy's animals at that time or you would have been a gonner. My names Twilight Sparkle. Nice to see your awake and healthy J-o-n" She then put on this smile that look like she was embarrassed. " I replied, thanks. I guess you two saved me?" "Well, Fluttershy found you. I carried you back with my magic and she did the rest like keeping you alive. She should be the one you thank." Feeling sort of embarrassed, I said " Well thank you Fluttershy for saving my life. But thank you too Twilight for getting me here." Fluttershy and Twilight both replied " Your welcome J-o-n!" " Its pronounced Ja- on- nah", I said tying to get the pronunciation right. " Ok Jon", they both said.

Fluttershy left the room after getting to know me for a little to tend to her animals but Twilight stayed and chatted with me. " So you used magic?" I said. " Where i come from, we only hear about that in games and books." She replied, "well its real. See." Her horn started to emit a purple light and things in the room around me started to levitate. Looking in awe, she started to set everything back down. Once she finished, I remembered a phrase I heard last night. "So what does don't tell and Celestia mean in the same sentence? Attempting to change the subject, she asked" So where are you from?" Confused as to why she changed the subject, i went along with her. " I'm from a place called Earth." Explaining what Earth was and where I was from, she seemed very attentive into listening to me and asking questions, more than i was used to.

A couple of minutes passed and Fluttershy returned with bandages and dressings. " Time to change your bandages", she said. Twilight stepped back and looked on from a distance as Fluttershy removed each dressing form my wounds and replaced them with fresh ones. " All done" she said as she turned to throw the old ones out. Attempting to figure out what I heard last night I asked" So what does don't tell and Celestia mean in the same sentence." She froze and started to tremble. " Did I say something wrong?" I asked in effort to comfort her. "Celestia is the ruler of Equestria.", Twilight said. "We are afraid that if we tell her of your presence, she might try to send you away." "Why would she want to-" I cut my self off remembering i'm not from this world. "Thats why we brought you here instead of the hospital. In fear that you would be found out. Please don't hate us", said Fluttershy starting to tear up. " I could never hate you. You guys saved my life." I said in a reassuring voice.

Several hours passed as we all chatted and ate dinner before Twilight said goodbye and left for the library. "So that was a Manticore that attacked me in the Ever-Free Forrest its called?" I said. Fluttershy responded, " Uh-Huh." I said in worry, "are you mad at me for hurting it?" Shyly, she responded, " It...tried... to...hurt...you...right...?" I nodded my head. " Then... you... did... what... you... had... to..." It got quiet after that. She finally broke the silence saying that I should get some rest. I agreed and said good night. She blew out the candles, trotted down the stairs, and retired for the night. I stayed up trying to take all of this in.

Baby Steps

I awoke the next morning to a familiar smell of pancakes. Attempting to get out of bed, I pulled off the covers. Only then did I realize the extent of my injuries. On both of my legs, I had two large bandages, wrapped the circumference of my legs all the way the the knee with the bandages continuing from one of my shins down to the ankle. One of my arms was wrapped in a similar fashion and the other was in a lighter bandage in a sling. My torso was wrapped with care to allow me plenty of room to breath whilst maintaining their medical properties. and there was a single bandage on my head. Seeing this told me just how lucky I am to be alive and the pain Fluttershy must have went through to keep me alive. I owe my life to her, yet she asks for nothing in return. How can someone be that kind. Where I come form, kindness like that is rare....

Ok. Lets take this one step at a time. I managed to get to a sitting position at the side of the bed. It was a pretty painful experience but I managed to do it. As I attempted to stand I heard Fluttershy trotting up the stairs. When he rounded the corner she rushed over to me scorning me for trying to stand, let alone walk, in my condition. Helping me to get back into a lying position, she then brought up what she calls 'Apple Pancakes.' I took one bite and felt like i was in heaven. She smiled and told me to eat up. I nodded and began to did in. When i finished, she took my plate and went to tend to her animals. Every so often she would come up and check on me to see if i was alright. I told her I was fine every time and she would go back to tending animals.

A couple of hours passed and she slowly started to check on me less. I took it as an opportunity to try and walk. I got myself back to the sitting position. It wasn't as painful as before but it still hurt. speaking softly out loud I said, "Baby steps." Slowly edging myself off of the bed, I started to slide to the floor. Even though i was at the edge of the bed, there was still a gap. I decided to go for it. That was a big mistake.

I touched the floor with both feet in hopes to get my balance, but was caught by a sharp pain. I screamed out in agony as i hit the ground only to reopen most of my wounds. Fluttershy was right. I shouldn't have tried to walk, let alone stand in my condition. Now I tried to do both and worse than I started. Still crying out in pain, I managed to sit up and get a look at the damage. The dressings on my legs were starting to seep blood. Panicking, I called out for Fluttershy only to get no reply. I repeatedly called her name for a good 5 mins. Suddenly I heard quick galloping up the stairs. She was coming. I was so happy when she rounded the corner, but the look on her face made me think otherwise.

"How dare you put yourself in danger like that! I told you not to stand or walk!" she said as she restitched my wounds. " There, thats the last one." as she wrapped my leg with a new dressing. "Next time i tell you not to do something, don't do it!" "But I'm sorry Fluttershy..." I said in an attempt to make the situation a little more diffused. " No buts mister. Your not getting off the hook. I'm so frustrated right now I can just scream. Ahhh" she said sternly letting out a quiet, high pitch version, of a low volume scream. The whole time she was talking to me she was giving me this stare. Im used to being stared at because of my parents when i was little, but this stare was something that struck fear into hearts. Seeing that she was serious, I apologized once more, and she gave me a hug. "Everybody has to learn one way or another" she said hugging me. "This is what I get for learning the hard way..." I said sadly, feeling bad for making her have to restitch me.

She went back downstairs after cleaning the mess I made and continued tending to her animals. Am hour or so passed when there was a knock at the door. I heard Fluttershy talking to what sounded like a fancy royal voice. After a few minutes of talking, the sounds of items being brought in and set down could be heard. A little more talking, more items being brought in, then the door closed. Used to the sound of Fluttershy's trotting, I heard her coming up the stairs. She rounded the corner like usual and smiled at me. I asked what was going on. "Oh that was just one of my friends. Tomorrow we're going to see about getting you some clothes, since we don't want you nude all the time." she said smiling. Confused, I said ok and agreed with the idea. New clothes never hurt anyone right.

Dinner was served that night and I was greeted with another visit from Twilight. We spoke for about an hour or so before she brought up the subject of meeting the rest of her friends. I wasn't certain about this idea because of the whole Celestia thing, but she reassured me that things would be alright. We said our goodbyes and she left. Fluttershy tucked me in and said goodnight. "Thank you Fluttershy" I said sleepily. She smiled and rounded the corner to retire for the night. Tossing and turning ensued most of the night from the pain of newly stitched wounds, but I eventually fell asleep with the hope of getting new clothes tomorrow.

A Rare Find

"Don't open the door. NO NO NO!!!!" I yelled as I looked on in a third person watching and reliving the events that got me here. The door opened and a black mass was standing there smiling at my former self. A voice could be heard. It was saying "Jon, Jon, wake up Jon." A hoof could be felt on my shoulder. "Wake up Jon please." A body could be felt pressing against me.

I awoke to Fluttershy hugging me and nuzzling me with her mane trying to wake me up from the nightmare. "Fluttershy..." I said as I turned to look at her. Smiling with tears down her eyes she hugged me once more. "I'm glad you woke up form your nightmare. I was so scared." I replied with concern. " I'm sorry for scaring you. I have those a lot. Please. I'm fine." Lifting her off of me with slight difficulty, I noticed that it was still dark outside. "Had she heard me from downstairs and come to wake me?" I pondered. Hugging her once more and telling her she should go back to bed, she finally went back to retire.

I awoke to a crow this time. Like usual, Fluttershy was already up making breakfast. I lay there trying to figure out why I still had that night mare. "I know people have nightmares from past events but there was no way for that to happen again unless-" I cut myself off hearing Fluttershy coming up the stairs. I shook my head and awaited to see what she had in store for me today. Smiling, she set down a pie. "I thought maybe today you could use a treat, so a baked you a pie." Smiling i asked, "What flavor is it?" She replied "Pie flavor silly." I looked at her confused. Smiling she then said, "Its apple. Sorry for making a joke about it." "Its fine. I found it funny" i said smiling back. We both ate together this morning, chatting about different animals. Her knowledge of animals is far superior to anything we know on Earth.

Once breakfast was done, she went to tend to her animals. I had completely forgotten about her friend coming over until I heard a knock at the door. The door opened and I heard the same fancy royal voice again. The door closed and they talked for a few minutes. Once the talking was over, Fluttershy and her friend came trotting upstairs. Rounding the corner was Flutter shy and a (safe to call pony now) white pony with a horn like Twilight's, a fancy looking purple mane, and a (safe to call cutie mark now) cutie mark of 3 diamonds, gave me a look that scared me. When her hoof hit her mouth I knew she meant business. "Darling, you have no clue what I have in store for you" she said.

Jon, this is Rarity. Rarity, this is Jon. "Hi nice to-" I was cut off as she rushed over to me and started to examine me. "Oh no no no no this simply will not do." she said as she examined my sizes. Confused as to what was going through her mind I started to ask what she was thinking about design wise when she blurted out "Idea!" She rushed downstairs. The sound of scissoring and a sewing machine could be heard before minutes later she emerged with what looked to be a plethora of shirts, pants, shoes, under garments, the works. Amazed at the speed this was created, I thought about the laws of physics and thought i'd ask Twilight if they exist in this world.

While carefully trying on the clothes that were just made for me, I started to chat with Rairty. "Can you use magic too?" I asked. "Only telekinesis and minor healing spell. A Girls got stay healthy you know" she replied. "If your looking for magic, Twilight is the one to go to. Her skills are just fabulous." "Thanks, i'll keep that in mind" I replied as I tried on all the clothes. Several hours passed before i was finished trying on every single outfit she made. They all seemed to fit perfectly. There were no flaws. I wish we had people like her back on planet Earth. I thanked her and we said our goodbyes. A lot of moving was heard down stairs, but not as much as before. Fluttershy came up the stairs and I asked her about all the moving. "She brought the whole shop with her." she said. Looking stunned, I didn't think twice about it. "The laws of physics don't seem to apply anymore so this must seem normal to them."i thought to my self.

Dinner was served as usual with the exception of Fluttershy's chickens getting loose and it taking her a half hour to get them back. We talked like usual and said good night. The rest of the night was met with ease. There was no tossing and turning. First night in a long time I got sleep. The following week went the same.

Up and About

Finally. It was time for me to start moving again. Fluttershy assured me that I would be ok. She even called over Twilight and Rarity for moral support and to catch me if I fall. I sat on the side of the bed. There was no pain. I edged slowly to the floor, Fluttershy holding me and guiding me the whole way. Twilight and Rarity stood by, horns ready just in case. My feet touched the ground one by one. Success. I took a step. I was sore but I'd manage. I slowly made my way to the stairs when all hell broke loose.

There was a knock at the door. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight ignored it as they were more interested in my safety. The knock got louder and more frequent. Becoming impatient, Twilight said "Just a min." The knocking stopped. Then out of no where, a pink mass flew in from the second story window. Startled, I fell back but I was caught just before i hit the ground. "Pinkie!" yelled Rarity. "How did you get in here?" Standing in front of me looking at me from all different angles was a pink pony with a puffy pink mane and a cutie mark that had 3 party balloons. "Well, first i knocked on the door, but no pony answered. Then I knocked some more and heard Twilight. Then I grabbed my party cannon and you know the rest. Hehehe. Who is this?" said Pinkie with one long breath. "Um my name is Jo-" Twilight cut me off and said " Its not important Pinkie, go wait downstairs" Pinkie, only hearing half of it, " Are you new to Ponyville? Oh my god, a new pony in Ponyville." She jumped into the air and her mouth shot wide open. "Pinkie no!!!" they all said, but before they could stop her a trail of dust was seen where she once stood.

"We got to hide you Jon, come on" said Twilight as she teleported everyone to the library. A quick flash and all the surroundings were changed. "Woah, uh hi Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and who's that?" came a young voice. "Don't worry about it Spike, we gotta hide him from Pinkie. "Ok if you say so." said Spike. Laying me down softly into her bed, Twilight slowly released her telekinesis spell. Still trying to comprehend what happened, I look around to see nothing but books. "Thats Pinkie Pie. We had to get you out of there. She was gonna throw you a party." said Rarity. "I like parties." I said disappointed. "Thats not the point," Twilight replied. "The point is, we didn't get to tell her that she can't invite the whole town. We have to make her believe that your not here until we can break her the news." "What news?" said Pinkie eating a cupcake. "Pinkie?!" said everybody. "How did you... never mind. Look you can't tell anyone about Jon ok?" said Twilight.

"Aw, not even Celestia? I mean she would just love to know that we have a new friend in Ponyville. Hey she might even attend the party too. And if she comes that means Luna might come too. And if Luna comes-" Rarity cut off Pinkie. "You can't tell anyone. Ok? Pinkie pie swear." Frowning, Pinkie went through some motion and chant ending with stick a cupcake in my eye. Smiling she then apologized for startling me at Fluttershy's house and offered to take me back. "That won't be necessary Pinkie. I'll just teleport them back." Twilight stated as her horn started to glow. Still confused by the shock of how fast this is all happening, a quick flash, and we were all back inside Fluttershy's place. "This has been one heck of a day" I said as I staggered back to the bed.

"Who are? Where are you from? Do you like parties? I like parties. Ohhh cake? I love cake! Especially birthday cake. I remember one time I made this cake and I..." went Pinkie bombarding me with questions. Not knowing how to handle this, I looked towards Fluttershy for help. She giggled. "Pinkie, could you please not ask Jon so many questions? That is if its alright." Pinkie frowned. "Well I do ask a lot of questions. I know. How about I make us some cupcakes!" She then scurried off leaving behind a familiar dust trail, only to return minutes later with a basket full of cupcakes. "I made some for every pony." she said smiling.

Everyone or every pony, as they call it, was eating cupcakes and chatting it up. I was again engaged in a conversation with Twilight. "So do the laws of physics apply to anything here?" I asked in a confused manner. "Well..., sometimes. They normally do, but when it comes to Pinkie..." she said looking down. "I haven't been able to figure it out. I think Pinkie has her own laws of physics." Laughingly, i said, "Are they pink also?" She looked up and smiled. "Lets hope not." she said giggling. As our conversation grew deeper, she started explaining their society. I was amazed by the way they governed things. it was much like Earth, only they had rulers. Those rulers were responsible for raising the sun and moon. Still confused, she told me "magic. Its all magic." knowing that I wouldn't understand the concept, being from another world.

Once all the cupcakes were finished, it was starting to get dark out. "You know what would be marvelous? If we could all watch the sunset," said Rarity. "That sounds like a great idea" replied Pinkie. Helping me out of bed and to walk downstairs to the backyard, I actually got a good look at Fluttershy's place. It was a cottage style building. In the main room, there were bird houses and little shelters for animals. It looked as they were all connected by a track. A closer look showed that there were actually animals living in these structures. Amazed at how she was able to tame animals, I then noticed the makeshift bed on the couch. "Had she been keeping me in her room all this time?" I thought to myself. I wanted to speak about what I saw but before I could open my mouth, Fluttershy said, "Its ok. I don't mind sleeping down here. Your still hurt and I don't want you to get caught." Frowning, we continued to the backdoor.

Outside, we all sat down next to a tree facing the sunset. "They don't look this good back home..." I thought to myself. Pinkie stared at the sunset ohhing and ahhing. Head in a book, Twilight periodically glanced up to take a quick look. Rarity, sitting next to Pinkie, was coming up with ideas for new clothing that dealt with the sunset. Noticing the other three busy, I finally managed to ask Fluttershy what I wanted to ask earlier. "Why are you sleeping downstairs and not in your room? I should be the one forced to sleep down there..." Her head dropped and she got a nervous look on her face. "Well... I didn't want-" she stopped mid sentence. "You didn't want what?" I said trying to get her to finish her answer. She blushed and said, "you to think that you didn't matter enough..." Confused by her statement, I motioned to hug her. She returned the gesture.

A few minutes later, everypony moved inside. We all chatted for a bit before everypony went their separate ways. Saying goodbye to her last friend, she closed the door. "Now lets get you upstairs and into bed mister" she said. Then an idea hit me. Why make her sleep down here? I can walk, sort of and she deserves her own bed. Besides, I am a guest. "Why don't you sleep upstairs tonight. I'll lay here on this makeshift bed." I said. "No no no. I'll have no such thing. You a guest and guests should always get a nice comfy bed to sleep in." she said in a refusing manner. It took a few mins, but I finally convinced her to sleep upstairs. "Fine, only for tonight, but tomorrow, your moving right back upstairs." she said as her final words. I nodded and started to lay down in the bed. She came and tucked me in. "Goodnight," she said as she went upstairs. "Goodnight Fluttershy" I said as I yawned. Slowly but surely, I was falling asleep, only to be awaken by a loud crash.

Fear that lasts

My eyes sprung open. Startled by the noise, I scanned the area in front of me. Nothing in sight. Just as I lay my head back down, another crash could be heard. This time i sat up, a little shaken by the sound. "Fluttershy?" I called, but got no answer. Determined to find out what was making all the racket, I stood up carefully and got by balance. "Fluttershy?" I said a little more loudly, but the attempt was in vain. Another loud clash could be heard. Sighing, I slowly walked towards the noise. What should have taken me less than a minute, took what seemed like an eternity. It was like as I got closer to the noise, the farther away the noise seemed. Walking step by step, I finally reached where I thought was the origin of the sound. I should have slept upstairs.

Out the corner of my eye, I saw something moving. It has a strange aura around it, almost evil in appearance. I slowly turned my head towards what was there. All I saw was a smile. The same smile that I've seen hundreds of time. The same smile that was in my dreams. It was that black mass. Scared for my life I screamed. "Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy!" I yelled as I attempted to move away from the mass in front of me. I finally reached a corner and curled up into a ball. The mass started to get closer, chuckling and snickering with every inch. Facing the inevitable, I started to cry in fear. The black mass stopped inches from me. Its head stretched down towards and I opened my eyes. The mouth opened and darkness engulfed me.

I opened my eyes to find myself laying on the ground. I stood up realizing that I was my old self again. I looked around. I was back on Earth. Confused and scared, I started to walk towards what looked like a bus stop. Sitting on the bench to recollect myself, I noticed someone walking down the road. I quickly stood up and motioned for the person to notice me. The person stopped moving exactly in front of me. His eyes opened up and an evil smile ensured. Then the mass extruded from the person's body. Spiraling upwards towards the sky, the mass then proceeded to barrel towards me. I quickly jumped out of the way, watching it smash into where I was once sitting. Panicking, I took off running.

I don't know how long I ran. I do know that ,that thing, was hot on my trail. Every time I stopped to hide, it was already waiting for me. When ever I thought I had eluded it, it was waiting around the corner. There was no getting away. I turned down a dead end alley. Pinned against a wall, the mass slithered its way towards me until it was again, inches from me. I large tongue came out and licked me. Crying in fear, I looked on as the mass backed up, and prepared to pounce. It leaped into the air with a single bound and barreled directly towards me. Determined not to be hit by this mass, I waited until the last second then jumped to the side. The mass barreled straight into the wall creating a large hole. It then hit the ground on the other side and squirmed around. I wasn't going to give it another chance. I crawled through the hole and looked for something to strike it with. Grabbing a brick, I repeatedly struck the mass with sheer force. Black particles and a squealing noise erupted from mass with every strike. Then quiet.

I thought I had won. I thought I had it defeated. I was so wrong. Laughing in some evil chuckle, it stood and smiled at me. An evil voice ensued. "This is my world and I make the rules." Evil laughing could be heard coming from the mass. Panicking, I threw the brick at the mass hoping to score a hit. It bounced off the mass. The smile turned to anger and the mass exploded into a million pieces. It then reformed in to a vortex. The same vortex that took me from Earth. I understood now. This wasn't some ghost. It wasn't some demon. It had to be multidimensional. The way I deformed and reshaped. The way it tried to kill me. It wasn't real. "None of this is real!" I yelled i hopes to wake up from a bad dream. "Oh but it is." said the voice. The vortex grew stronger and with nothing to hold onto, I was slowly sucked in. The same feeling of helplessness. The sight of time bending. All of it happening again. Then the same blackness engulfed me.

When i opened my eyes, I was back at Fluttershy's cottage. Still in the corner, I stood up slowly, but quickly fell over, feeling drained. Thinking to myself and trying to recall what just happened, I looked around and inspected my body. I noticed a tattered piece of clothing on the floor next to me. "A piece of the same clothing I was wearing in that-"I cut off my thoughts as I heard a scream. Rushing towards me was Fluttershy, Eyes wide still in her night gown. I smiled and said hi as she rushed to the corner to see if I was alright. Once she was satisfied with my well being, she helped me to my feet. Once I was finally back in the bed, she scolded me on scaring her. I tried to explain what happened, but she wouldn't listen. Finally, she said to go back to bed, and returned to her room. Sleep went uneasy for the rest of the night as I tried to figure out what just happened.

Rehabilitation

The following morning, I awoke to Fluttershy humming a song. Soothed by the sound, I attempted to get myself out of the bed. Slowly but surely, I was able to stand and hobble over towards the tune. "Well, top of the mornin' to ya'" said a southern, female accent. Turning my head towards the voice, I noticed another pony in the room with me. She had a pale orange body and a blonde mane, tied into a braid at the end. She also had a cutie mark with three apples. Smiling, I approached her. "Mah' names Apple Jack. Pleasure ta' meet you umm Jon. Reaching down, I shook her hoof, yet somehow, she was the one shaking me. After introductions, Fluttershy called us in for breakfast.

Whilst eating, I was told that I would be getting help regaining my strength. I asked how, since everypony was worried about me being caught. "Well, I own alota land ya' see, and its secluded in certain areas. I can set up somthin' for ya' to exercise your muscles." said Apple Jack. Still weary about idea of going out in public, I asked how I would get there and back without being seen. Both ponies laughed and we finished up with breakfast. A few minutes later, I was slowly getting dressed as to avoid injuring myself again. With the help of Fluttershy and Apple Jack, I picked out a green and red top with blue bottoms. They seemed light and manageable for physical exercise although they didn't really match. Smiling, Apple Jack led me to a wagon that was neatly parked outside. She motioned for me to climb inside and I did so at my own pace.

The ride through town was a bumpy one. Since the roads were made out of cobblestone and the wagon of wood, there was no easy way suppress the bumps. "I have to hand it to you. Apple jack is one strong pony", I whispered to Fluttershy as she hovered next to the wagon. "Well, she bucks trees and collects apples all day. She's been doing it since she was a filly," replied Fluttershy. The wagon halted. "Welcome ta' Sweet Apple Acres," said Apple Jack. Peeking out from under the cloth that concealed me, I could see miles and miles of apple trees. The air was filled with the aroma of apple blooms. Enjoying the scenery, I slowly started to climb out of the wagon. Before I could take my first step, a loud boom, followed by a dazzling rainbow ensued overhead. Awed at the sight, I had forgotten I was climbing out of the wagon and fell face first dirt." Brushing myself off, she finally let go and we started walking towards a large, red barn. "I see you like Dash's Sonic RainBoom." said Apple Jack. "Sonic Rain what?" I thought to myself as we approached the entrance of the barn.

Inside were stacks of hay, a rope swing, and various equipment that looks made for use by ponies. There was also a few chairs, a table, and exercise equipment. "This is where we're gonna get ya muscles workin again." said Apple Jack. Looking nervously at the equipment, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I walked to the first machine, which looked like a treadmill of some sort, and stood on it. I grabbed hold of the bars to my sides and began to slowly walk. I only walked for a few seconds before stopping and collapsing from pain. Fluttershy and Apple Jack rushed to my side to make sure I was ok. "I don't expect you to be able to gallop a mile in one day," said Fluttershy. Standing to attempt it again I replied "This is gonna take a while." We all nodded and Apple Jack handed me a glass of homemade cider. I chugged it and it burned going down. Coughing from the sensation, I asked if it was alcoholic. Giggling, Apple Jack assured me that it was plain cider and i was over exaggerating. Still coughing, I took another shot at the treadmill.

A month or so had passed and my bandages had been removed. I wasn't sure if it was from Fluttershy's nurturing or the repeated exercise, but I felt good... no... I felt great. My wounds weren't fully healed. I was still sore. I still needed help with some things. But I felt great. I felt that it just might work. Sleeping in Fluttershy's house, sneaking over to Apple Jacks for exercise, Rarity making me clothes, Twilight answering all my questions, even Pinkie Pie helping me to fell better about myself. It all felt great. All great things have an end though.

Finishing up a small exercise routine that Apple Jack helped me to create, I stepped down from the exercise machine. Sweating profusely, I walked over to the table and poured a glass of cider. Chugging it as usual, I set the glass down. Everything seemed to be going as usual. Light stretch. Lift a few tools. Take a break. And always finish up with a brisk walk on the treadmill. It was all normal. Upon preparing to exit the barn, and return to the waiting wagon that I usually traversed in, I noticed something abnormal. Staring directly at me were multiple ponies. The lot of them looked the same. White coats with golden dressings over their manes and bodies; but one stood out over the others. It had a horn and wings. It was considerably taller than the others. Its mane was flowing without wind. And the mane it self was filled with multiple colors. It had a tiara over its head and golden shoes over its hooves her cutie mark was just as unique, being one of the sun. Her expression was one of anger though.

Hide and seek

Her mouth opened but no words came out. Just an expression of anger. I started to back away looking for a way out but could see none. "Was this it? Is this the princess they didn't want me to get caught by?" I thought to myself. She took a step forward. Knowing my fate at hand, I started to panic again. I hadn't felt this feeling for a while. Not since that dream. Her horn started to flare. Bracing for what was coming, I turned my head. She unleashed her spell onto me. I felt a weakness in my legs. My eyes got heavy. Feeling myself fainting, I fought to stay awake but I was loosing at the battle. Every second, I felt myself going under. She was putting me to sleep. She was making it so I wouldn't be able to fight. Would be able to restrain capture. Dropping to my hands and knees, I felt the power getting stronger. She seemed to be struggling. Finally I gave in.

I awoke in an unfamiliar bed. I looked around to try and get my bearings but all I could see was a basic, blue room. It had pictures of ponies dressed in funny uniforms. Smiling at the sight, I called out for Fluttershy but got no answer. Determined to figure out how I got here, I got out of the bed, and proceeded to the door. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" said a spunky sounding voice. I turned to see a blue pony sitting in a chair. She had a rainbow mane and wings. Her cutie mark had a cloud that struck lightning and rainbow that followed. "Who's stopping me" Is said angrily. I opened the door and took one step. My foot never touched a surface. Plummeting, I screamed only to be grabbed by the pony in the chair. Laughing hysterically at my misfortune, she carried me back up and sat me down on the bed. "I told you so" she said still laughing.

Grinning, I looked away. " Aww don't be like that. I was only kidding. I'm Rainbow Dash. Fastest Pegasus and best flier in all of Equestria. You must be Jon." Glaring at her once more, I nodded and laid back down, sighing in relief for being back on something solid. "So are you the one that Celestia sent to watch me and make sure I don't run away?" I asked smugly. "You can think of it like that. I more so think of it as me saving your butt from being thrown in a dungeon." She said. Astonished, I listened on. " You should have seen the look on your face. You were so scared. I couldn't help but laugh. What took the cake though is when she put that spell on you. You both looked so dramatic." she burst out in to laughter even harder than before. "Your lucky Twilight told me that she was on her way there to capture you or you would have been a gonner. You finally gave into the spell and when she sent her guards to collect you, I swooped down like lightning, snatched you up, and took off into the sky. Her guards tried to keep up, but no one ever caught me." Grinning I said, "they still saw you though. That makes you in as much trouble as me..." With an embarrassed look she said,"Well, i guess your right. Where's Twi? Her and Fluttershy should have been here by now..." Impatiently, she trotted around the room. Finally there was a series of knocks at the door followed by the emergence of a familiar purple and yellow pony.

"Thank goodness your ok", said Fluttershy as she hovered over to me, giving me a tight hug. "Its only a matter of time before Celestia sends her guards to look for us. We have to move." said a worried Twilight. "But where can I go", I said as I attempted to release Fluttershy's death grip. " We'll think of something. Ponies, lets move." said Twilight. Everyone nodded bt before we could motion to the door, we heard a mega phone. "Come out with your hooves up. Your surrounded." "EEEP!" went Fluttershy as she flew behind me and started to cower. "There already here. I didn't want to do this. Hang on everypony" said Twilight as her horn started to flare. A quick flash, and we were in Fluttershy's backyard.

"Rainbow Dash, go get Pinkie, Rarity, Apple Jack. Fluttershy, take Jon into the woods and hide him. I'll lead them the other way." said a timid Twilight. "B- b- but the forest is dark and creepy and-" said Fluttershy fearfully. "Would you rather him get caught. Along with the rest of us?" said Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy sighed and everyone started to go their separate ways. " Don't worry, we'll all meet up again." said Twilight as reassurance. Nodding, Fluttershy and I entered the tree line just as the sun set.

Fear that disapears

I don't know how long we walked. I don't how far we went. I don't even remember what direction we were going. It was dark. The only source of light we had was from the moon and a torch I helped Fluttershy make. "We should stop here and wait for the others." said Fluttershy. Wanting to press on, I reluctantly sat down in front of a tree. Fluttershy joined my side. We both sat looking blissfully through the dark forest. Listening to the sounds. We could hear trotting in the distance. Startled, Fluttershy jumped but I held her down and we moved to a near by bush. The trotting got closer and closer. As it got closer, we could finally make out a figure.

The body was the size of your average pony. Its was all black though. It had wings like a Pegasus, only they were bug wings. It had a horn like a unicorn, only the horn was jagged and shaped like a barb. Its eyes were like that of an insect. It came really close to us. Within feet and stopped. It sniffed around then whipped its head directly at us. Its horn flared a greenish color and the bush we were in disappeared out of existence. Snarling at us and showing its fangs, Fluttershy blurted out loudly in fear, "Changling!" She slipped from my grip and flew away into the woods. Attempting to follow, the changling leaped in front of me blocking my path. Backing away from the creature, I looked for a way to defend myself. Seeing nothing particularly useful, I grabbed a small branch.

Swinging at the changling was a big mistake. Its horn flared and grabbed the branch right out of my hand. The branch was hurled at me but I ducked to avoid it. "You missed!" I said excitedly before feeling a sharp pain in my back. I dropped to my knees. "Ahh!" I yelled as the spike of pain again resurfaced. The sound of the branch dropping told me that i was hit in the back. Attempting to stand again, I was knocked back down by a thrust of the creatures body. Attempting to put my arms out again to stand, a sharp pain over took my arm. In a ripping and tearing motion, my flesh was ripped from its skin. I Grabbed for my arm but felt nothing there. Hopelessly laying there, I turned my head. I wanted to see this creature. I wanted to see my killer.

I watched as the changling inched closer, drooling from its mouth. Panic again consumed me as I tried to get up and move with my one good arm but i couldn't. My body was frozen in place. The thought of never seeing anypony again raced though my mind. There was a scream and then a whimper. The changling then dropped limp to the ground. It took all my strength to turn my head. There was a mix of blood and brain matter strung out along the forest floor. Heavy panting could be heard and the drop of something metallic came next. Feeling light headed from the blood loss I started to hallucinate, inching closer and closer to death each second.

I wasn't afraid of death any longer. As many times as I had cheated it. As many times as I had escaped it, there was nothing to be afraid of. Feeling my self slipping in and out of consciousness, I finally let go. I couldn't hold on any longer. I took my last breath only to realize I was still alive. I was better than alive. I was home. I looked around. Confused as to how these changes of scenery were taking place, I was able to acknowledge the fact that I was home. I got out of the bed. I checked my surroundings. "Its real." I checked my body. "No scars." Puzzled, I ran downstairs. "All the same. Just as I had left it befo-" my thoughts were quickly ended. Standing before me was the same black mass. The one in my dreams. The one that started it all. Smiling at me. I felt a rush of anger go over me.

I lunged for the mass, hitting it with all my might. It staggered, then motioned for more. In a rage, I hit it with everything I had. Every feeling I felt. It all went into my punches. Every hit it shrugged off. I grabbed for a figurine on my night stand, smashing it into the mass. It squealed, then absorbed the figurine. "What do you want with me?!" I yelled as I backed away from the mass. Sticking out a large tongue, it proceeded to lick me. I wasn't gonna let that happen again. I grabbed its tongue and slammed the door shut on it. That did the trick. It squealed loudly, and vanished. Sighing, I looked out the door only to hear rustling behind me.

Spinning around, the mass was reforming behind me. I turned to the door and proceeded down the hall. Every step seemed to lengthen the hall way immensely. A door at the end of the hall opened and light appeared. I heard Fluttershy's voice saying, "Come on Jon. Please." over and over. I start to run at a full sprint, the mass quickly catching up behind me. As I returned my attention to the door, the floor started to crack and fall away from me. Not giving up, I continued sprinting towards the door. After what seemed like an eternity, the door grew near. I leaped for the opening only to feel a burning on my leg. As I turned to look, the mass had caught me. Determined to get away, I kicked at the grip on my leg. The mass let go and squealed in pain as I scurried into the light. The door shut behind me and a locking sound assumed. I had a feeling of relief. A feeling that I was safe. A feeling of no more fear.

Life as you knew

AUTHOR COMMENT: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A MINOR CLOP SCENE TOWARDS THE END. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

My eyes flew open. "I can't breathe." I panted as Fluttershy to stabilize me. "Fluttershy, he's going into shock" yelled Twilight. I felt cold. All I wanted to do was go home. I missed everything that I had left behind. Knowing that wasn't possible right now, I attempted to observe my surroundings. I was in a makeshift room. It wasn't too small, but it wasn't too large. There was a fire in the middle with a mesh hole in the roof to vent the smoke. I could make out the voices of Fluttershy's friends, each of them sounding in a panic. "Rarity, how is that stitch coming?" asked Twilight. "Almost... done" said Rarity dropping what sounded like small handheld tools into a metal plate. "I hope Dashie and Apple Jack get back with those herbs soon." said a worried Pinkie. "He's fading again Fluttershy." said Twilight as she readied her magic.

All kinds of noises could be heard. There were beeps from and unknown source that seemed to fluctuate with the tones of their voices. There was the sound of bandages being torn in a rapid motion. There was the sound of tools being dropped into a metallic pan. The was the sound of "crying..." I thought to myself. It was Fluttershy. She was crying. But why would be be crying at a time like this? The sound of a door opening two sets of hooves trotting in and a door closing could be heard. "We grabbed what we could." said Apple Jack. "The town is crawling with guards. Their on a pony hunt." said Rainbow Dash. Pinkie grabbed the herbs from the two and began mixing them to the instructions Fluttershy told her. Within minutes, a concoction was created and the paste was mixed with water. "Bring it here" said Twilight. She took the concoction, and absorbed it into a syringe. "I hope this works." she said as she injected me with it.

It burned going in. "Its not working..." said Fluttershy, in a sobbing voice. I felt my body tense up. I started to convulse. "Quick, he's having a seizure. Everypony hold him down." yelled Twilight. They all rushed to me and grabbed on to me. "Jon look at me. Please." said Fluttershy, attempting to hold back her tears. Putting everything I had into it, I managed to look up at her. The shaking stopped. The beeping sound slowed. Everypony slowly let go of me. As I lay there looking at Fluttershy, she couldn't help but let loose. "I'm sorry Jon. Its all my fault." she said over and over. I wanted to talk. I wanted to tell her its ok, but I couldn't speak. I couldn't move my mouth. I closed my eyes. Not knowing how serious everything actually was, I drifted off to sleep.

I awoke the next morning to chatter. "Fluttershy, you've been up all night. Get some rest. The medicine is taking effect. He'll be fine. Don't worry" said Pinkie. Yawning, Fluttershy agreed and slowly walked off to a different part of the structure. "You know, you always seem to get hurt." She said to me, then walked in the same direction as Fluttershy. Without opening my eyes, I went to scratch an itch on my nose. There was one problem with that. The hand I was going to use wan't there. Springing up to get a look, my fears were confirmed. Wide eyed, I started to gasp for air. Not knowing what happened, I tried to stand up off of the cot, but got tangled up in tubes on my was down; pulling and grabbing frantically at what ever I could get my hand on. "Jon, ya gotta stay still an rest." said Apple Jack, rushing over to settle me. "Twilight, a little help over here."

Feeling a warm sensation fall over my body, I felt my panic dissipating. Slowly being lifted off my feet Twilight set me back down on the cot. A new emotion surfaced. Sadness. Feeling for my other arm, a tear rolled down my eye. "My arm..." I cried. "We did what we had to. No hard feelings right?" said Rainbow Dash. Turning my head, I pulled the blanket over me. "Let me give you a hand with that." Feeling a sense of anger now, I glared at her. "Dashie, why would you say such a thing?" said Rarity with a stern voice. "So what? I had to stitch his arm with the same thread I use for making dresses and clothing." Looking down at the stitch, I noticed pink thread. Being the last straw, I rolled off the cot and slid to the door. I had to get away. I couldn't take the dialog. Even if no one meant harm, I was gonna get away.

I managed to get to my knees but before I could inch away, I was stopped by Fluttershy. Looking down with tears of remorse, she said, "I'm sorry we took your arm. It was so badly mangled and twisted that if it were kept on you could have gotten a bad infection. If anything you should be mad at me. Please don't hate them. They did as I told them too..." Balling tight fist, I had thoughts of punching. Thoughts of taking from her what she took from me. Just as the thoughts were going to become action, Pinkie Pie yelled, "STOP!!!" Looking in her direction she happily said, "I'm hungry. How about some cupcakes." Already disgusted and torn apart emotionally, I maneuvered myself back to the cot. "I'm not talking to anypony ever again." I mumbled before laying back down. Sleep came quick. A little too quick.

There was a shuffling. A quick blast of coolness. Then the warmth of another body. I opened my eyes to see Fluttershy laying next to me with a nervous smile. Sticking to my words before, I turned my head and closed my eyes. "I was scared to do it." she said nervously. "I don't like the thought of hurting another living creature." Lying there motionless, I tried to ignore her. "When it found us, I got spooked and ran... I didn't know it was going to attack you." Unable to ignore her, I silently listened. "I didn't run far though. I watched from a near by bush. I wanted to help but... I... I... I'm not strong enough." Sighing, I turned my head to see her faced buried into the cot. "It was going to hurt you though, and I went into auto pilot. I had your knife on me. I was going to give it to you when you got better..." now in a full lament. "I'm sorry." That broke me. I turned towards her and grabbed hold of her with my one hand. Looking at me in the eyes with a confused look, I kissed her.

Her eyes widened. Not knowing how to react or what to do, she embraced me. What was minutes, felt like hours. Our lips, locked together like someone threw away the key. We continued to kiss and embrace each other. Rolling on her back, I slid on top of her. We stopped. I looked deep into her blue eyes. I could see sincerity. I could feel her heartbeat. I felt-

AUTHOR COMMENT: THE CHAPTER WAS MEANT TO END THIS WAY. IT WILL CONTINUE TO THE NEXT CHAPTER.

Everypony Deserves a Chance

"Hmmghh" came throat clearing a voice. "Oh shit." I thought as I quickly rolled off of her. "I'm not gonna ask.." said Twilight. Blushing bright red Fluttershy said, "I.. I.. gotta go." rushing out of the structure. "Wait!" I yelled, but she was already gone. Feeling like this was all my fault, I got off of the cot and started to follow her, in hopes of trying to explain the mixed emotions, but was blocked by Apple Jack. " Ya' already caused us enough trouble Jon. Why don' cha' just leave Fluttershy alone. She already has her hands tied up with takin care of ya', let alone being on the run. Besides, you ain't no pony last time I checked." She was right. I wasn't a pony. I was far from one. I was so messed up from all of this, that I was loosing touch with reality. It was all getting to me. "Well, at least let me apologize.." I started to say when my statement was cut short.

Fluttershy's screams could be heard in the distance. "There coming, their coming." "Quick Twilight, drop the protection spell. We gotta move." yelled Rarity. The surrounding walls started to sink into the ground. The ceiling folded into a very compact fold and was placed into a saddle bag. "Can you run?" Twilight asked me. "Yes, but not fast." I said, heading towards a stream. "I'll distract them." said Rainbow Dash. She then flew off into the opposite direction. We crossed the stream and headed towards the mountains. "If we make it past those mountains, well be out of reach and it will take them longer to find us, buying us more time to rethink where to hide at." Rainbow Dash flew by over head. "A few of them went that way, but the majority are still marching this way." she said as she landed a few feet ahead of us. Looking down, I couldn't help but harbor the feeling that I had unwillingly gotten them into this mess.

We reached the base of the mountain ridge. The cliffs were jagged and steep but somehow, we managed to navigate them. There were almost a couple of mishaps, like Pinkie Pie slipping on a stone, and Rainbow Dash flying too far ahead. The biggest endeavor, however, was the awkwardness Fluttershy and I felt as we walked. Trying to break the silence, I started to speak to Fluttershy. "Hey, how you holdin up?" I asked. She looked down and away and I took that as a note to be quiet. It was starting to get quite dark. We stopped to wait out the night in a cave.

Sitting in random spots against the cave walls, there was a deafening silence. No one spoke besides the occasional "Okay, your turn to watch." I looked around. The cave had extravagant formations hanging from the ceiling. The ground, was pretty amazing too, being made of a type of crystallized stone. The weirdest feature of the cave was that it went on for miles. As far as one could look. Curious, I stood up and started to venture in further. No one was paying attention to my movements. It was starting to get quite dark, the farther away I went. I walked for close to five minutes before I couldn't see two feet in front of me. Knowing I've seen enough, I started to head back. Everything looked different as I traversed my way in the opposite direction. "I know i'm going the right way.." I thought to myself as I came to a fork. Not knowing which way to go, I started feeling depressed. I was lost. Meanwhile, the girls had noticed my disappearance.

"Ok everypony, lets spread out and find him." said Twilight as she gave out commands. Everypony nodded and started to enter the cave, everypony but Fluttershy. "Aren't you comin' sugar cube?" said Apple Jack. "No, I think i'll stay here." said Fluttershy in a depressed tone. Confused, Apple Jack slowly backed away into the depths of the cave. Fluttershy looked on, trying to collect her thoughts from earlier. She couldn't understand what she was feeling. It was new and foreign to her. She felt it before while watching the sunset, but now it was stronger. "I can't get him out of my mind." she thought to herself. Sighing, she looked around. Not wanting to be alone, but scared to follow her friends, she snatched up every ounce of courage and ventured into the cave.

"Hmm.." I thought to my self. "I'll go this way." Deciding which way to go through the darkness, I started down the path that I thought was right. I had walked for around the same amount of time and started to see a light. "I'm getting close." I thought to myself. The light got brighter the closer I got. Reaching the end, I entered an amazing scene. There were jewels everywhere. It was mind boggling. I took a step forward but didn't feel the ground underneath me. I fell a short distance to the ground but it was enough to make a good thump. "Owww." I thought to myself as I stood to my feet. I turned to look where I fell from. The ledge wasn't that high up. "I could reach it if i grab it with both-" I stopped my thoughts, remembering I only had one arm. Feeling frustrated again, I started to walk into the ocean of jewels.

"Girls? Girls?" said Fluttershy as she traversed the cave. Everything looked scary to her. The rock formations, the sound of water dripping; it all gave her the creeps. On top of that, it was dark. Believing she had went too far, she turned around and started to walk the other way. "Maybe they found him already and they took another way back." she thought. Looking ahead of her, there was a fork. Her mouth dropped. She didn't know which way to go. "CRASH!" went the sound of a rock falling. It spooked an already spooked Fluttershy and she barreled down the first path she could see. Noticing a light she slowed her movements and started to follow it.

"This is hopeless.." I thought as I took a seat on a pile of gems. Looking for anything I could stand on, I noticed something shiny in the distance. Inching closer to it, it was higher up than I first expected. I jumped for it, getting closer with every hop until I got too close and knocked over the pile of jewels. Falling backwards from the small avalanche, I regained mu balance and started to did through the pile to reclaim my prize. It was beautiful. I looked to be an orb, only it was shiny, made out of gold. It had encrusted jewels around what appeared to be its center seam. I marveled at it. I had never seen anything like it.

"Hello?" went Fluttershy's voice. I turned to see her standing on the ledge I cane from. "Over here!" I yelled as I waded closer to her. Smiling, I said, "Well guess you found-" I was cut off by a quick hug. "Why'd you run off like that with out telling anypony? I was so worried. We all are." she said with concern. "I was curious" I replied. "And everypony is mad at me so I thought removing myself from situation would help." Fluttershy looked at me then looked down. "I'm sorry for running out on you again." she said blushing. Not knowing how to respond, I pulled her close. "I forgive you Fluttershy..." She smiled and are eyes met.

She looked at me, I looked at her. The same feelings that had arisen earlier were starting to surface. I once again gazed into her blue eyes, this time with confidence. As I began to lean down, she put a hoof over my mouth and and giggled. She proceeded to kiss me on the cheek. "Lets take this a little slower, if thats ok with you." she said nervously. I nodded. For that moment in time, I felt it again. Love. Even though we were different. It was there. We both knew it.

Give and Take

"So. How are we supposed to get out of here?" I asked. We both looked around. Knowing that we could just go back through the way we came, we decided to look for a different route. It took us a while but we finally found a tunnel. As usual, Fluttershy was afraid to enter but because I was there, she felt a little safer. "Hey!" came a voice. It was Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy sprinted to her and hugged her. The rest of the gang was soon to follow. "Oh, I was so scared!" said Fluttershy. "Did you sing the song?" said Pinkie Pie. "Wha- What song?" replied Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie then pulled out a random stereo from her tail, (defying all laws of physics still), and a song started to play. "Giggle at the ghosties...." the song went. "I remember hearing that somewhere..." I thought to myself.

We continued on after the song was over. I couldn't help but fell responsible for making everyone find me. Twilight must have been reading my thoughts or something because before I was able to speak, she said "Don't speak. Just walk." Hearing that opened a pit in my stomach. After all this time being told not to hate them, they were hating me. I grinned and kept moving. "Ahh light." said Rarity. She rushed out and took a big breath. We had reached the outside. Stretching my legs, I walked over to a rock and took a seat. Turning my head, I looked out. There was a vast wasteland. Here and there were a few trees and pockets of water, but the majority was barren. "Thats where we'll go." I said. Everyone looked at me. "Bu- bu- but thats where the dragons live." said Fluttershy. "And its the most awesome idea ever!" said Rainbow Dash. "Ya. Ain't no pony gonna think ta' look o'er there." said Apple Jack. "Well what are we waiting for? Letssssssss go!" said Pinkie. "I'm going alone..." I said.

All of their jaws dropped. All but Twilight. She had a look on her face. A look that could stare down a mirror. "I guess its time now. Her horn flared. A stream of magic blinded everypony. I felt myself being thrown. I managed to open my eyes for a split second and saw a shadowy figure in her place. I felt a thump as I hit the ground. I rolled over to stand up and heard screaming. It was Twilight. But why was she screaming? She just tried to kill everypony. "Unless..." I looked up. Hurtling towards me was a black mass. "Oh shi-" I couldn't finish my sentence. The force of the impact was so great that my back broke the tree behind me.

I awoke hours later in a cell. I was covered in some type of garb. It had marking on it that I couldn't understand. I tried to stand, but felt a sharp pain in my back. I turned to look and saw blood. It had seeped through the clothing onto the stone ground. I had to see the damage. I pulled my arm through the hole in the garb and lifted. What I saw made me sick to my stomach. The flesh was torn and hanging. There were claw mark like i'd been mauled. My heartbeat sped up. I looked at my stomach. There were stitch marks. What the hell happened to me? What the hell was this? Confused and in pain, I let go. I couldn't take it any longer. Id been through hell and back again. Why fight it? "Mmmmm..." I heard a voice. I turned my head to Twilight laying in the cell next to me. "WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!" I yelled to the top of my lungs. I was cut short from the pain. What had they done to me? What did they take? What does this clothing mean? "WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKKK!!!!!" I yelled again, this time coughing up blood.

"They left me here to die." I thought to myself. "They left me here to die!!" I said loudly. "I'm sorry." said Twilight in a disgruntled state. "Celestia told me that she just wanted to observe your behaviors. To see if it was safe to let you live here. I didn't know-" "You didn't know what!? That they would cut me open? Almost kill me? Your the one who warned me!" I said furiously, coughing up more blood. "I.. never.. meant.. for.. this.. to.. happen..." said Twilight, sobbing. I could tell she was sincere. She wouldn't knowingly put anypony in danger. She made that clear a while back when she carried me to Fluttershy's cottage. I coughed up more blood. Looking around me I started to laugh. It looked like a scene in a movie. There were skeletons of dead ponies connected to balls and chains. The cells had big keyholes in them. It was hilarious. "Slowing down to a grin, I looked back at Twilight. Something was different. Something was missing.

"What happened to your horn?" I said, staring her down. "They cut it off" she whispered. "Celestia thought my magic would pose as a threat to her in case we tried to escape, so she had her goons cut it off." She stood to her feet. "They forgot one thing though. I'm skilled in non horn spells." She closed her eyes. Her body started to smoke. I could feel the heat coming off of her. Sounds of crackling could be heard. Then she burst into flames. I winced from the brightness and heat of the fire. The bars started to turn hot and melt. Looking back at me, she said "Don't worry about the others, they are safe. Celestia hired changlings to play their roles. They are all back home with their memories wiped." The fire grew hotter. Twilight smiled. "I know that smile." I said. Everything around me faded.

Prologue

It was raining. The thunder could be heard in the background as I plopped down on the couch to see what was on the television. Flipping through the channels, all things around me began to feel eerie. I didn't let it bother me. I was used to being alone. It was great and all, but I've never really had someone to talk to. Stopping on the weather channel to get a quick glance of how much longer this storm was going to last, strange sounds started coming from the kitchen area. I stood up to check it out, then a familiar blackness engulfed me.

Mad with the fact that the power went out from a minor rainstorm, I scrambled for a flashlight. In searching for it, I noticed a strange smell in the air. I was used to a lot of weird smells living next to a landfill, but this one was different. It wasn't a bad smell, yet, it wasn't a good one either. It was a mix of multiple smells. I could distinctly pick them out to being one of apples, one of fancy perfume, one of cotton candy, one of sweat, one of old books, and one of animals. It was weird in the fact that, I could actually smell anything at all, since I've had a cold for the past couple of days and smelling was near impossible.

I again shrugged it off as nothing then attempted to turn on the flashlight, only to find that the batteries were dead. Scrambling to now find batteries, I bumped into my knife. "This knife is gonna bite me in the ass one day" I say to myself, pocketing it and then continuing to look for batteries. Finally giving up with no luck, I motioned to the couch, only to hear a series of loud clashes from the kitchen. Startled and fearing for the worst, I slowly moved towards the kitchen.

Reaching the door, a loud crash of thunder could be heard above. It wouldn't open. I tried to lay on it. Wouldn't budge. As I gave up, I heard an unlocking sound. Then, the alarm went off.