A flame in the darkness

“Do you think they can do it sister? Kill an innocent man, even if it is to save us?” The younger pony spoke with a hushed voice in a dim lit room deep within the castle, away from prying ears.
“I am not sure Luna, but if they cannot then we are doomed. Our fate rests with all of them.”

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As you neared the swamps surrounding forest around seven o clock you can feel the air and ground start to change, the air becoming thick and hot while the ground started to sag under your feet, sloshing with every step. No one had spoken to you yet, but they had resumed conversations amongst themselves shortly after you spoke to them, you weren’t sure if you liked the quiet or not.

The swamp was dull and green reminding you heavily of operations in Africa, Calling back memories of you and Nova tearing across the hellhole in a fan boat, swimming miles wearing re-breathers, that swamp had been hot, even the water was like jumping into the bath house at the castle, this one was not, it felt foreign and dangerous.

Twilight, what can we expect to find in that water? “Nothing really lives in the swamp except alligators and bugs, but even they should be mostly docile.” Yeah non hostile hostiles, I’ve heard that one before you chuckle under your breath, “You don’t expect us to actually get IN that water do you dear?” Rarity cuts in before you could turn away from them. No, Twilight, you can move objects with your magic right? “Sure I can.” Then wait here you say before you saunter away to some nearby trees. You take your knife and sink it to the hilt several times on a nearby large oak type tree, its about five feet around and twenty or so foot tall the top having been broken off, and after several strikes you kick three times leaving footprints each time, with a mighty crack the tree topples over. Cutting a small wedge from the still standing base you strike a hole and hammer it in with more kicks, breaking the tree into two ten foot long round logs. Lashing them together at each end with para-cord you make a really terrible raft of sorts.

“Oh yes this is so much better” Rarity retorts with enough sarcasm to almost make you give a fuck
Almost
Flipping the large hunk of shit(I mean raft) off the bank and into the swamp you turn around to see all the ponies marveling at you.

Whats wrong?,

“Well ah knew yah was strong and all, but goodness alive ah didn’t think you was Magic strong.” Applejack states rather bluntly.

I'm not magic, my strength comes from years of development and training, with a touch of science. I worked to get this way, realizing that might have been rather insulting you try to amend the situation, Not that magic doesn’t take work or anything. Twilight and Rarity don’t look convinced. Shaking the looks off you jump onto the raft and stomp around a bit, you don't sink it and so give it the clear.

After everyone is aboard twilight begins to push you through the thick water and brush. Standing at the front of the ship you begin to relax a little, after a half hour it seems the swamp will be a merciful place, full of nothing but bugs(Not even the biting kind). Dash tell me, you say as you turn to the blue Pegasus, I never got to see the town while I was sneaking around, whats this world like when its not about to end. She stares at you for a few seconds but then starts in.
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You guys are mean as hell you know that? You shout at the twelve foot long creatures as you kill yet another alligator, feeling the final death throws you turn to the last one harassing the raft(Now deemed the S.S. Awesome) swimming towards it. Dash is kicking it in the snout and as you swim closer it gives up on the annoying blue creature in front and turns for you

You land a savage blow to his nose but the water is his domain and he continues towards you, Grabbing your right arm he chomps mercilessly, fire shoots up your arm as all the nerves are flayed at the elbow and your forearm is snapped in half, dragging you under you fight to pull your arm out but can't.

With the threat of drowning coming ever closer you reach over and bite a chunk out of the fuckers nose, bobbing for air and diving back down you meet the great beast, opening its maw you skirt around it and latch onto its back right behind its head. Grabbing its jaw as far forward as you can reach with your one arm you latch on and begin to pull backwards, the thing does everything it can to get away but you just keep pulling, as you reach the edge of how far the gators head will move back you summon all your strength and rip back as hard as you can, feeling the beasts spine snap you let it go and it sinks to the bottom of the swamp

Surfacing a few feet from the raft you see the relieved expressions of your ponies, "Yeah we knew you wouldn't let those big ugly things give you what for" Rainbow dash shouts in triumph buzzing over and helping pull you on the raft

But as you sprawl onto your back they realize how hurt you are “Oh Celestia, Marcus your arm is a wreck!” Fluttershy says as she rushes over too you. Sitting down you survey the damage, Broken bones all in the lower parts along with most of the muscle torn away at the elbow joint, the bleeding is already nearly stopped but you're getting truly hungry as your body repairs itself. Don't worry Fluttershy, I'll be fine soon you tell the yellow pony trying to open her pack and pull out medical supplies, how about you save those for someone that might need them.

I have to eat you announce from the front of the raft, and those bouquets you guys packed aren’t going to cut it. Pulling the smallest gator back onto the raft you turn away from them and begin carving scales off the underbelly, You guys might not wanna watch this you throw back, oh and Twilight? Head that way.

Dash flies over to you a little while later, looking up from your bloody feast you can see the disgust in her eyes, but she tries her best to hide it as she lands beside you,

"Do you really have to..." Her voice trailing off as her eyes scan over the mutilated green creature before you.

Yeah, if I don't eat my body wont fix itself.

"We brought plenty of food though"

I can't eat all the same things you guys can, besides its not enough and you guys would need to forage the rest of the trip, and judging from the map you don't wanna do that. With a look of resignation she lays down beside you and is quit for a while. You know, you never finished telling me about the wonderbolts you say in between bites. Her eyes softening a little she starts into a long winded explanation about them.
Everything about them.

The better part of the day later you have navigated the swamp with no more incident, your body feeling fresh and new and most of the ponies still upset at you, now not only for killing living things but eating them too.

Stepping off the raft you and rolling your para-cord back into a bracelet you check the time and get seven PM, Dark should be setting in soon so lets put a little distance on this swamp and set up close to that rock overhang, you say pointing straight ahead where the land loses all signs of greenery and transitions to barren plains.

Heading for the rocks you start to run, feeling the wind break across your face as you start to really pour it on and a huge grin grows across your face, quickly leaving the ponies behind you start to top out somewhere near fifty miles an hour, streaking across the plains you start jumping across boulders and slam into the rock and climb up it, settling down up top against a large boulder you take your binoculars and watch the others making sure they stay safe.

A small time later the moon and sun suddenly swapped places and night fell, it was strange not to have a rotation like home, but nice at the same time, with a couple of tents set up and dinner eaten all the ponies retire, save for Dash and Applejack who pull up across the fire from you and wait a while before speaking, "Marcus yah done saved our lives a few times and while ah reckon ah don't agree with your methods all the time, Dash here trusts you and that means ah do too.

Thanks Applejack, I was kinda wondering if you guys would come back around after the alligator incident. "It scares the rest of the girls, with good reason, but ahm sure they'll pull around after they see you're one o the good fellas. But enough of that, what was your life back on... uh, whadja call it anyway?"

Laughing and thinking back about it you begin to explain to them about earth and yourself.

A pleasant feeling crept across you, slowly radiating warmth from within, you were happy, and you had made friends.