Rush

by Godiswithus3

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Dark, Alternate Universe, Human, Sad
Length: 11180

A human enters Equestria, hoping to be left alone and free to make his own decisions. Will he find freedom in Equestria? Two ponies have developed a bond with him, risking their status and dreams to help a friend in need.

A human has entered Equestria, in search of the freedom he has lost back in his world. He discovers that Equestria is run by a government not to his liking. With a quest to be left alone and to be free to make his own decisions, will he find liberty in Equestria?

A rainbow colored pegasus and an apple farming earth pony both encountered the human, weary and suspicious of his presence. As time goes on, their attitude towards him progresses from distrust to friendship.

The bond between the three of them is put to the test when the human presence becomes known. Will the two ponies risk their status and dreams in order to do what is right and help a friend in need?

A/N:If you could find a proper cover art for this story, I'm all ears.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-04-17 19:58:14 UTC

Prologue

Isolated. Scary. Unnatural. These are the words that describes this place. A place where plants grow by themselves, where animals roam freely and sustain themselves, and where it is considered to be one of the most dangerous spots in this world. So dangerous that only a powerful being or a lunatic would dare venture these dark and gloomy woods, known as the Everfree Forest. The individual who is now traversing these wild parts would not consider himself to be either powerful or crazy, yet he is moving within the wild forest like if it was his own back yard. Of course, he is not foolish enough to enter the Everfree Forest unprepared, not after the unpleasant experiences he has had.

This lone individual is walking on two legs and carries on his back a rucksack made out of brown leather. The bag may be heavy, but it was necessary to carry all of the essential items within. Besides, he was use to the weight. He is holding in his hands an M4 Carbine Assault Rifle with a fore-grip attached to it. The safety was off, so he was ready to fire at anything that might surprise him.  He is walking with black combat boots and black socks within. His outfit is quite simple: black jeans, a black belt with a silver metal at front, a sword in a sheath that is attached to a belt on his left hip, a black jacket with a gray t-shirt within, black metal looking bracers on his fore-arms, and black finger-less gloves. Lean muscles are all over his tan body. On his head can be found a short black hair. He has the appearance of a middle aged man when he is only within his late twenties. His eyes are blocked by the black sunglasses he wears from the Oakleys brand. He sure does have an obsession with the color black.

He's been called a hairless ape that wears black clothes, which is a term he finds very insulting and has actually punched a creature for calling him that. He is in fact a human being. One may ask: "what is a human doing in Equestria?"

"Man, it feels like it was yesterday," the human said to no one in particular, as he continues to walk and recollects how he entered this magical world.

"Please…." whimpered a scientist in his 50's, who is on his knees with his hands up. He was staring at a Glock 17 pointed at his head. "Please don't shoot me."

The scientist looks in horror at his surroundings. He was in a room that housed a machine, which has the appearance of a circular archway, with a podium next to it that had buttons and a lever. The machine was not what disturbed the scientist. There were bodies everywhere of both white-coated scientists and guards dressed in black, spilling blood everywhere. Some looked like they were either stabbed or cut in gruesome ways. The rest were covered in bullet holes. The carnage was caused by the man who is pointing his pistol at the scientist. The gunman's facial expression was neutral; though the scientist could not tell because of the sunglasses he was wearing.

"Please....spare my life," the scientist pleaded, wetting his pants.

The gunman held the same neutral expression and responded with disgust in his voice. "You want me to show you mercy? What about all those poor people you've experimented on and disposed of? Did you show them mercy?"

"Please.....I'll quit this job... an-an-and I'll find something else to do," the scientist begged while breathing heavily. "I promise...I will never hurt anyone again."

"I know you won't."

BOOM

A bullet entered the scientist's head and exited through the back, spraying blood behind him. The scientist fell backwards and laid on the floor with his eyes open.

"Because I'll make sure that never happens," the gunman said, as he put his pistol into his shoulder holster within his black jacket.

He turned from the scientist, picked up his rucksack and M4, and carried them on his back. He went to the podium, typed down some coordinates he memorized, and pulled a lever. The machine started making spark noises. In the middle of the archway, a portal started to open. It was going to take some time before the portal opens completely, but not too long.

While he was waiting, the man in black pulled something out of his right pocket and looked at what he was holding. It was a detonator. He had planted explosives all over the compound base before he entered this room. The whole time he was in the base, he was able to kill silently anyone who got in his way. When he was in the room that housed the portal machine, he made his presence known and killed everyone. Unfortunately, the alarm was raised, so reinforcements will be arriving soon.

As the portal was getting close to finishing, he pondered his decision one last time.

"I hope you are watching this Sheldon," he remarked.

Liberty no longer exists in this world. The governments have made it impossible for the people to live without fear and oppression. Not a day goes by when a person dies for offending the government. Everyone has been forcefully conformed and co-opted to obey the will of the state. The people no longer have the courage to resist anymore. Earth has become a world-wide gulag, where the people are slaves and the government is their master.

The man in black reminiscences the recent events with pain and sorrow. He had to fight back tears as he thought of his recent past. His home had been confiscated, his assets had been seized, he was fired from his job, his family was murdered, and all of his friends have either died or betrayed him. He has lost everyone and everything. He has nothing left in this world. All he has left is his freedom, and he will let no one take that away.

His last friend, Sheldon, was the inventor of the portal machine in the room. Sheldon was a big time nerd who studied quantum physics and was an engineer. He discovered the existence of trans-dimensional travel and dedicated his life to making it possible. When he was successful, he wanted to take his friends with him to escape from this tyrannical world and start over in the next dimension he had in mind. The government, however, found out about the project and wanted to seize the machine for their own agenda. When Sheldon resisted, the soldiers killed him and dumped his body into a landfill.

"Bastards," the man in black commented.

Wanting to escape from this world-wide prison and avenge the death of his friend, the man in black infiltrated the government base for a two-fold purpose: to enter the portal himself and destroy the machine. Some of the explosives  were right next to the computer monitors and hard drives, which contained the blueprints of the portal machine. In order to make sure that nothing in the base will remain, he also planted explosives next to some nuclear warheads.

"Well, some people will be happy about the disappearance of nuclear weapons," he smirked.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by the banging of doors. The guards started coming in and were shocked to see the carnage in the room. Using the guard's hesitation to his advantage, the man in black un-holstered his M4 and started spraying bullets at them. Two guards were killed while the rest dove for cover.

COME ON! OPEN THE PORTAL UP ALREADY! The man in black thought as he continued to fire his weapon. The worst thing happened to him at a time like this. He emptied his magazine.

CLICK

"Crap!" He hid behind a cover nearby and began reloading while the guards returned fire.

"HOLD YOUR DAMN FIRE! YOU'LL DAMAGE THE MACHINE!" Yelled one of the guards.

The man in black reloaded and saw that the portal was almost done.

Yes!

"Come out with your hands up and we promise you will have a fair trial!" the leader of the guards demanded.

Bull crap! "No! You may control this world, but you will not spread your tyranny into the next dimension! That I promise you!" The man in black yelled defiantly from cover.

"Are you an idiot?!" What makes you think we are not going to follow you through that portal," the leader inquired.

Instead of answering, the man in black just grinned. The portal just opened completely. He had the machine set up to open the portal for twenty seconds only, giving him plenty of time to leave his parting gift. As soon as he pressed the button on his detonator, the base started to shake violently and the guards were panicking.

"Yippee-Ki-Yay you bastards!" the man in black yelled as he ran from cover and dove into the portal. As soon as he got through, the portal closed, leaving screams and destruction behind.

Back To The Present

"Hehe, I came out of that world with a bang," the human smirked as he walked in the Everfree Forest.

His last action on earth has lead thousands of personnel to their deaths. He had no regrets though. As far as he was concerned, everyone who worked for the authoritarian regime was evil, including the scientists who worked in that base he blew up. He has been criticized for his black and white approach to things, but he doesn't care about anyone's opinions. Only what he believed was right.

It has been three years since he has enter this magical dimension. He was very much surprised to find this world filled with talking animals who can actually reason, something he never saw on earth. He thought he had found a chance to live in peace. Instead he found trouble wherever he went.  Apparently this world has never seen a human being before, so the majority of the creatures he has met have not given him a warm welcome. He encountered individuals who preferred to kill first and ask questions later, and they paid a price for their murder attempts. He has met creatures who tried to hustle him, assuming that he was an idiot. He surprised them with his wits. He had also encountered timid creatures who ran in fright and called for the authorities to arrest him. Thanks to his hellish experience on earth, the human had no patience to let the authorities bring him in, not even for questioning. He would skip town whenever the authorities were after him, and if they attempted to arrest him, he would leave them unconscious. One time, he punched a law enforcement officer in the nose for disrespectfully calling him a hairless ape. That last act the human was not proud of, because it was done out of anger, not self-defense. He made a mental note to control his anger next time. Overall, where ever this man went, he would always be forced to defend himself and get out of dodge.

"*Sigh* I'm sick and tired of all of this. I have to constantly protect my freedom where ever I go. Why can't anyone just leave me be? *Sigh* Hopefully, the next town is different," he said to himself.

He found a smooth stone to sit on and took some time to relax and eat a snack. The meal was small, but it was enough to reduce his hunger to a minimum. After quieting his stomach, he took out his map and examined it, keeping his M4 close to him in case something tries to get a jump at him. He took a good look at his next destination on the map.

"Ponyville," he remarked, chuckling at the unusual name. "I guess I'm going to be expecting to see ponies next. Unless I'm over analyzing the name. Hmmm. I doubt it."

Ponyville, from what he has heard, is as town where peace and tolerance reigns, where friendship is magic. Friendship was not really the human's major priority. After all the harsh experiences he has endured both on Earth and in this magical dimension, he wasn't really sure if he can open himself up to anyone again. The town's term "peace and tolerance" was what drew him. He was hoping to live in a place where he will not be judged by his appearance, and where the inhabitants will leave him be and let him enjoy his freedom peacefully. Of course, he was not under the illusion that he was going to be welcomed with open arms. Whether he likes it or not, they have never seen a human being before and are going to look at him with suspicion and worry. He can certainly understand the feeling. If these magical creatures ever came to earth, the earthlings would have reacted the very same way. The two worlds are not that different after all. He's going to have to earn their trust if he wants them to treat him fairly.

"I'll burn that bridge when I get there," He said.

As he continued to examine the map, he noticed that Ponyville was only a few miles from his location. Satisfied with his observation, he put his map back in his rucksack and got himself ready to move on. Before he took another step, he heard a scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He immediately stopped to hear where the scream was coming from. From what he can tell, the scream sounded like a child's voice. The next group of sounds made his muscles tense in worry.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"

"That doesn't sound good," he said, before he took off running in the direction of the noises.

Ya Hear That?

Thump!

"Nothin' like a hard day's work in this beautiful farm!" said an excited orange-coated pony, who just smacked the trunk of a tree with her hind legs, causing the tree to vibrate and let loose all the apples that fell to the baskets below. This pony has her blonde mane and tail tied up at the end. She has white freckles on her cheeks, green eyes, and three red apple marks that can be found on either side of her flank. What makes this pony even more unique is that she wears a brown stetson hat. She never goes anywhere without it.

Farming in Sweet Apple Acres has always been her passion. Ever since she was a filly, she would always work hard at harvesting the apples and has excelled in her skills, mainly by kicking the trees at the base and sending the apples to the carefully placed baskets below. This technique is called apple bucking. Years of apple bucking have made her incredibly strong, a trait this farm pony is proud of. What mainly drives her to work hard is her love for her family. Her work ethic helps to bring food on the table. While she loves all her friends, none of them come close to having a special place in her heart like her kin do. The farm pony looks at the baskets and was satisfied with her effort.

"Time to collect these baskets and put 'em back in the barn." She starts rounding up the apple-filled baskets and placing them in a cart. "Hmm. Ah wonder where Rainbow Dash is. That pegasus is always late," the orange pony said with a frown.

Rainbow Dash was supposed to be at the farm an hour ago. The farm pony was starting to lose her patience. She finished rounding up the baskets and was getting ready to strap herself to the cart when her ears perked up.

Swoosh

"There she is," she muttered to herself.

She looks ups to the sky and spots a rainbow streak heading in her direction. The creature making the trail of rainbow circles five times around a tree that was just bucked and lands five feet in front of the farm pony.

"S'up Applejack," said the cyan coated pegasus with a smirk, her magenta eyes displaying confidence. The colors of her mane and tail were red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. On both sides of her flank is a mark of a white cloud shooting a lightning bolt that’s colored red, yellow and blue. "How do you like my grand entrance?" she said with her head held high in pride.

"Grand entrance or not, yer late!" Applejack scolded. "Ya were supposed to be here an hour ago! Where ya been? Taking a nap?!"

"Hey! Taking a nap is just as important as work!" Rainbow replied defensively.

"Uh huh. Well that just means more extra time fer ya to work."

"I said I was sorry," Rainbow replied with a frown.

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it," Applejack replied and pointed her hoof at the cyan pegasus. "That sonic rainboom of yers has destroyed many of mah trees in the western part of the orchard. Ya should have known better than to perform that stunt right next to mah crops. Now ya gonna pay for damaging my livelihood by workin' fer four weeks straight, six hours per day. That means the more time ya waste, the longer ya'll be here."

"All right all right, I get it. Sheesh," Rainbow replied like filly who doesn't enjoy being on time out. "It will be a lot faster if you will let me gather the apples my way."

"That's not how we do things here, especially on mah farm." Applejack got into Rainbow's face, causing the latter to flinch.  "Ya'll gather these apples the way an earth pony does, got it!"

"Yes mam," Rainbow replied unenthusiastically.

Applejack turned and was heading for the cart.

"Now let's get ta work. Ah need ya ta-" she was interrupted by what sounded like thunder. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had their ears perked up. "Ya hear that?"

Another sound of thunder bursts out. The two ponies turned their heads into the direction of the noise, which was coming from the Everfree forest.

"Everfree weather sure is strange. Never heard thunder sound like that before," Applejack remarked. Another sound came out.

"That's not thunder Applejack," Rainbow replied as one more sound rang out. "That's...That's something else."

The noises kept coming, but this time in rapid succession. Multiple booming sounds were being made one after another. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were getting nervous, because they never heard these sounds before. After around thirty outbursts, silence started to creep in. Echoes were traveling for miles, even reaching the ears of the two alert ponies. It was an eerie moment. Potential danger was out there in the forest, and it made the two mares tense in their muscles. Uncertainty has the effect of creating fear, which is the case right now.

"I'm going to see what that is," Rainbow said as she crouched, ready to take off. Before she went further, she was pulled from the tail back to the ground by Applejack.

Applejack said 'hold on there' with Rainbow's tail in her mouth before she spit it out. "Ya don't know what's out there and it might be too much fer ya to handle. Git back 'n town and retrieve Twilight."

Rainbow glared at her farming friend. "Applejack, I can handle this. I'm the fastest flyer in Equestria, remember?" She pumped her chest with her hoof. "Whatever's out there is not going to be able to catch me or hurt me."

"Ah'm not takin' any chances. Ya can guide Twilight to where she needs to go and ya gonna need her magic in case things head south."

"Applejack I can-"

"Please Rainbow!" Applejack looked at her friend with concern. "Ah've got a bad feelin' about this, and Ah prefer that Twilight be with ya."

When Rainbow noticed her friend's concerned face, she soften her attitude and sighed through her nose.

"Fine," Rainbow got ready to take off in the direction of Ponyville. "I'll be back when Twilight and I are finished." Applejack nodded before the colored pegasus flew and went her way.

"Ah hope mah bad feelin' is wrong," Applejack muttered as she watched her friend's rainbow trail in the far distance.

"APPLEJACK!"

The farm pony turned to see who was calling for her. Two fillies were running towards her, one a white coated unicorn with green eyes and a light purple mane and tail; the other was an orange coated pegasus with purple eyes, mane and tail. The former was Sweetie Belle and the latter was Scootaloo. These two fillies are good friends of Applejack's little sister Applebloom. Something was wrong. Applebloom was not with them and the two fillies had a look of worry in their eyes.

"Girls, Where's mah sister?!" Applejack inquired, fearing the worst.

The two fillies came to a halt in front of Applejack and started speaking with heavy breaths.

"We're sorry....we're sorry....she's....," the two began.

"Girls, calm down. Take deep breaths and then speak," Applejack said, forcing herself to remain cool and collected when she wanted to freak out herself.

The girls took a few seconds to catch their breaths and looked up with terror in their eyes.

"We were playing hide and seek earlier," Scootaloo began. "We were trying to see if we can get our cutie marks by being good hiders from each other."

"Applebloom told us she was going to hide in a place where we won't be able to find her," Sweetie belle continued. "We've spent hours looking for her and we don't know where she is!"

"We called for her all over the farm and she hasn't responded! We're scared she might be in trouble!"

Applejack took a moment to think about what she's been told. Applebloom would have surely responded if her friends called for her, especially if she had won a hide and seek game. There was another fact Applejack needed to consider. Applebloom was the adventurist type, always wanting to explore the unknown. This kind of attitude usually got the little filly into all kinds of trouble. If Applebloom was not responding, she could either be unconscious somewhere in the farm or she might have left altogether. If she's not here, and knowing Applebloom, she might go to the one place that is always filled with adventure but with danger as well.

No. Applebloom Ah hope ya didn't! Applejack thought, a chill coming down her spine. She looked down at the fillies with urgency. "Girls, go find my brother and tell 'im to look for Applebloom in the farm. Afterwards, stay in the house until Ah call for ya. Got it?"

"What are you going to do?" Scootaloo asked.

"Ah'm gonna look for her in the forest. Ah might have an idea of where she is. Now git going!" She commanded.

The two fillies obeyed and ran to look for Applejack's brother while the orange farm pony ran in the direction of the Everfree forest. Earlier she had told Rainbow Dash not to enter the forest without Twilight, because it would be foolish to face an unknown threat unprepared. The situation has changed for the concerned farm pony because now her sister's life is on the line. She doesn't want to take the chance that her sister would be killed by the time back-up arrives. Therefore, she's going in alone to save her sister, even if it meant risking her own life. She would gladly give her life for her family.

As she left her farm and was nearing the Everfree, she caught sight of somepony leaving the forest. When she saw who it was, her spirit was lifted.

"APPLEBLOOM!"

"SIS!" yelled a yellow coated filly who had orange eyes, a red mane and tail, with a big pink bow tying the former.

Applejack stopped running and opened her front limbs to receive her sister. The little filly jumped to her sister's embrace and was sobbing.

"A-Ah'm sorry, s-sis," Applebloom said as she continued to cry. "Ah'm so sorry....." She just kept on crying and hugging her older sister tightly.

Applejack had mixed emotions running through her. She was angry that Applebloom ventured into the Everfree forest. The little filly was told repeatedly to not enter the forest without adult supervision. But at the same time, Applejack was relieved that her sister was safe and sound. Losing a relative is something the orange pony does not want to experience. Right now, Applebloom is weeping her heart out. Whatever the filly saw, it was enough to scare her and make her cry like a foal. She needed comfort at the moment. Applejack hugged her sister gently and wanted her to know that the danger is over.

"We'll talk about yer punishment later," Applejack said softly. "Let's just git ya home now."

"Sis," Applebloom said quickly, still hugging her older sister and was slowly ceasing to sob. "Ah saw a creature in the forest....it walked on two legs....made some loud noises from the front hooves..."

"Don't worry sugarcube," Applejack replied while patting her sister on the back. "That critter ain't gonna hurt ya. That Ah promise ya."

"It didn't hurt me," Applebloom replied. She wiped away her tears and looked at her older sister in the eye. "It saved mah life."

What Happened Here?

"How much further Rainbow?!" yelled a lavender coated alicorn (combination of unicorn and pegasus), who had a dark purple mane and tail with a pink stripe in the middle of the hair. She had purple eyes and a pink star can be found on either side of her flank.

"Almost there, Twilight! The sounds came from the other side of the trees up ahead," yelled Rainbow Dash in reply, who was leading the alicorn to the direction of the 'thunder' sounds.

Rainbow Dash found Twilight Sparkle and told her about the noises earlier. Not wasting time, the two flying ponies were on their way to investigate. Rainbow Dash was able to guide her flying companion because when she left Sweet Apple Acres and was in the sky, she viewed the direction of the noises and made a mental note of the general area. Rainbow Dash was really offended at Applejack's suggestion that the pegasus needed help. She hates depending on others. She is an independent mare who prefers to do things her way and solve problems by herself. I could have ignored Applejack's advice and went there by myself. Why didn't I? She mentally asked herself. Partially, because nopony was in immediate danger and there was no need to rush. Even though Rainbow could have handled it herself, it doesn't hurt to have an extra hoof when facing a problem, especially from an alicorn.

There was another reason, one that wouldn't leave her mind. She won't admit it, but she does feel guilty for what she did to Applejack's property. At the time she didn't think that her sonic rainboom (the stunt that breaks the sound barrier) would cause damage to the trees in Sweet Apple Acres. She was more concerned with practicing her stunts for her final test in the Wonderbolts Academy. It was always her dream to become a Wonderbolt and was very ecstatic when she entered the academy. She has worked hard in her training and just needs to pass one final test before she can officially become a Wonderbolt. Rainbow can be a diligent mare if it's the kind of work she's interested in.

Unfortunately, she needs to pay for the damage she caused with her latest sonic rainboom. Applejack was understandably angry with Rainbow Dash and had a talk with the CEO of the weather factory. The two agreed that Rainbow Dash is to work four weeks straight, six hours per day in the afternoon at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack calculated that that's how long it would take for Rainbow Dash to pay off her debts if she consistently worked those hours without slacking. The colored pegasus would still fulfill her weather duties in the morning, but she won't be able to take afternoon naps anymore. Plus, the weather factory will not call Rainbow Dash for special afternoon assignments during the next four weeks, unless there is a big emergency that is. She can't explain it, but maybe that guilty conscious of hers caused her to take Applejack's suggestion to get Twilight for help. Maybe. She mentally thought.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight flew to the other side of the trees, where there was a clearing. The flying ponies were taken aback at what they were seeing. They counted around twenty dead timberwolves, all of them spilling tree sap from their bodies. Whatever was responsible for this carnage is not around, unless it's hiding somewhere nearby.

"I'm going to see if the coast is clear. Hang on a minute," Twilight commanded as she closed her eyes and her horn began to shine, sending sonic waves within a three mile radius. Rainbow Dash scanned the area with her keen pegasus eyes, slowly turning around as she looked. After they both did their sweep of the area, Twilight opened her eyes and said, "It's clear. There's nopony around."

The ponies landed on the ground and began to examine the bodies. Most of the timberwolves had holes on their head, only four of them had one hole in the head. It kind of almost looked like somepony was shooting arrows at them, but these kinds of shots penetrated the wooden skin and exited on the other side of the body.

"What happened here?" Rainbow Dash inquired as she examines the bodies. "It looked like a much more dangerous creature killed these wolves."

"Whatever killed these timberwolves, it got hurt in the process," Twilight replied.

Rainbow looked at her friend with curiosity. "How do you figure?"

"Take a look here," Twilight said, pointing at a timberwolf right next to a tree.

Rainbow came and closely examined the dead creature. She counted five holes in the front and back of the neck, except these were smaller. What was more unusual was that she noticed red liquid on the jaws of the wolf.

"That's blood, isn't it?" Rainbow asked.

"Yes," Twilight replied and observed the red blood on the ground. "There is chunks of it in this spot." She pointed at the small puddle of blood nearby. "The trail ends here though. And judging by the smell of the alcohol here, I can assume that this creature patched itself up and stopped the bleeding."

That made Rainbow Dash worry a little. "So the creature is as smart as us." She looked again at the carnage around her. "I'm not liking this Twilight."

"Your misgivings may be justified Rainbow. Look at this."

Rainbow turned back to see what Twilight was referring to. The latter used her magic to levitate more than two dozen small objects for the former to see. They looked like metal cylinders with a hole on one side. Rainbow cringed at the smell that was coming out of the cylinders, which smelled like if someone was cooking a terrible meal. Most of them were the same size except for five smaller ones.

"What are those?" Rainbow asked as she narrowed her eyes at them.

"Princess Celestia gave me a sample of these in order for me to examine them," the alicorn replied as she levitated the unknown objects into plastic bags and put them into her saddlebag. "They belong to a creature that walks on two legs and looks like an ape that wears black clothes. He's been causing trouble in countries around Equestria."

"What kinds of trouble," Rainbow asked.

"It has destroyed properties, terrorized some of the equines like the zebras, beaten up the local authorities, and has even killed some of the minotaurs, diamond dogs and griffins. You remember Gilda? She's dead now."

Rainbow was shocked to hear this. She used to be friends with Gilda the griffin until they had a fallout a few years ago. Even though she didn't like the griffin anymore, she never once wished for death to come upon her former friend. At least she didn't think so.

"Why would that thing DO such things?!" Rainbow exclaimed, getting upset now.

"Nopony knows," Twilight said, shaking her head and then continued to speak. "The reports I have gotten from the Princess said that every time the authorities approached the creature, it would send them to the hospital. Thank Celestia they are still alive! They would come out of the hospitals with broken bones and concussions."

"My gosh!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed and then made scowl look on her face. "If I see that jerk anywhere in Ponyville, I'm going to put the fear of Rainbow Dash in that son of a nag!" She finished her sentence by punching her hooves together.

"Be careful Rainbow," Twilight said as she leaned forward. "If that thing was able to take out these timberwolves and other more dangerous creatures, then we-"

"Twilight, I got this." Rainbow interrupted with a confident smile. "I'm the toughest and fastest Pegasus in Equestria, remember?" She finished by pumping her chest with her hoof.

Twilight frowned at Rainbow's interruptions and said, "Anyway, we gotta warn the girls about this. I'm gonna let Princess Celestia know about what we found here, and then I'm going to have a talk with the mayor tomorrow. It will be best if she can inform the citizens about the potential threat so they can keep a look out."

Rainbow nodded at Twilight's suggestion and then remembered something. "I'll go tell Fluttershy and Applejack. I was supposed to do some work at Sweet Apple Acres today before I was interrupted by...this." Rainbow was pointing at the dead timberwolves.

"What do you mean you were supposed to do work there? Why?" Twilight asked with confusion on her face.

"I'll tell you another time. I have to get going, I'm late as it is." Rainbow readied her wings and then hovered in the air. "See ya tomorrow," she said before flying away.

"Bye!" Twilight yelled before she flew off on her way to Ponyville.

Is This How You Say Hello?

"Damn, this still hurts!" complained the human as he was walking through the Everfree forest at a slow pace.

Earlier when he rushed to the screams, he encountered the timberwolves (wolves made out of wood) cornering a yellow-coated filly with a red hair and tail. The poor pony looked scared and was desperately calling for help. Not wanting to see the filly die, the human shot four of the timberwolves to get their attention. While he kept the timberwolves at bay, he yelled at the filly to run back home, which thankfully she did. He was able to easily kill the timberwolves by shooting at them in their heads. Unfortunately the last one got to him because he ran out of ammo, allowing the timberwolf to pounce on him and bite his left forearm. If it wasn't for the metal bracer, the human would have lost his arm and could have bled to death. Still the sharp wooden animal somehow manage to penetrate the bracer and sink its teeth into the skin. The human reacted quickly by pulling his glock out of his jacket and fired five shots at the wooden predator's neck.

When the battle was over, the human took off the bracer and had to treat his arm with the first-aid, which he always brought with him in his rucksack. The animal's teeth thankfully did not go in deep, but he was still bleeding nonetheless. He cleaned the blood away with water and cloth, put some alcohol on the wound to kill the infection, and then wrapped his forearm with bandages and white wraps. It would have to do for now because he needed to keep moving.

Right now the human was holding his left arm, wanting to keep it elevated. He put his first aid and his broken bracer in his rucksack and holstered his reloaded M4 over his shoulder.

"I need to be careful next time. That encounter could have been worse," the human muttered. "Then again, a life was at stake and I couldn't hesitate."

He knew that the filly was a sentient being and that it was a 'she', on account of its earlier cry for help. While his rescue effort caused damage to his arm and he would have to take it easy for awhile, at least he can sleep well knowing that a family is going to be happy that their child is back home safe. That alone gives him inner peace despite his circumstances. He smiled at the thought.

As he was moving through the trees, he spotted a wooden fence stretching long to his right and left, as far as he can see in either direction. Behind the fence were rows and rows of apple trees. He could smell the fresh scent coming out of those red-looking fruits.

"If there is a wooden fence here, then someone must live here," The human said, as he jumped to the other side of the fence and started looking for the owner. The apples looked tempting to eat and he was very hungry after the hard day he was having, especially those long walks through the woods and his fight with the timberwolves. But he's not a thief. He's a firm believer in private property rights and would never venture to take someone else's possession without asking their permission first. "Jeez, this property is huge!” The human said in admiration of the size of the property. "The owner of this place is very blessed indeed."

While the human was walking through the acres, he contemplated on his plan of action in Ponyville. He is first going to look for someone who would be willing to hire him. While others see 'jobs' as a necessity to survive, which is true if one is honest with themselves, he just enjoys the concept of earning his pay. He despises those people back on earth who wanted to get stuff for free, not caring how much 'free stuff' costs for those who would have to pay for them. When one contrasts between getting money for free and earning it through your labor and skills, the latter leaves you with a sense of accomplishment, which is always a good feeling.

If he's fortunate to have a job in Ponyville, he's hoping he can save up in order to buy his own land, where he could build a house for himself. It may take a long time, but he's hoping Ponyville will offer him an opportunity to develop a place he can call his own. For now, he's content with living in the forest and surviving out there. He's been doing it for a year and he's still walking tall. There's probably more on the list for him to do in Ponyville, but for now having a job and owning a land are his main priorities. Nothing else can be accomplished until he fulfills those two goals.

During his walk, he spotted a red barn with a wooden cart next to it. Finally! I hope someone's nearby. He walked in the barn's direction. As he was getting close, he felt his rucksack getting heavier, probably because of the pint of blood he lost. Wanting to lighten his load and not scare off his potential employer, he took off his rucksack, his sword and his M4 and put it up in a tree within the branches, making a mental note on where he can find it. He continued with his glock pistol still holstered in his jacket.

Just in case.

As he got near the barn door, he saw an orange-coated pony inside, whose head reached up to his chin (he was six feet tall) and was wearing a brown stetson hat. Huh. This is new. A pony with a cowboy hat, he thought as he smirked. I wonder what I'm going to run into next. A pegasus with every color of the rainbow? Now that would be funny. He shook his head from the thought. No time to think such funny moments, now he's gotta make his first impression with the first pony he will meet.

The pony was looking at the apples in the baskets, throwing bad apples in one box and placing good ones in a barrel. "Ya git over here....ya git over there.....another rotten apple," the pony said as it was sorting through the apples.

Huh. It's a 'she' and it sounds like an American southerner. I love southerners! They are my most favorite people in America! The man smiled at the thought.

The human approached the pony's rear, who wasn't able to hear him for some reason.

"Excuse me mam," the human called.

"WHAT IN TARNATION!"

SMACK

The pony kicked her hind legs at the man's chest, sending him out of the barn and in the air. He tumbled on the ground and landed on his back. He lay there all dizzy for a few minutes. When he recovered, he sat up and looked at the orange pony who was standing five feet in front of him. She looked like she was in a fighting stance, waiting for him to make the first move. The human rubbed his chest and groaned at the pain he received, keeping his hand close to his pistol in case he needs to pull it out. He noticed that he was thirty feet away from the barn. Damn! I never thought ponies would be so tough. I won't be underestimating them again.

"What the hay are ya and what are ya doin' in mah property?" the pony demanded.

The human would have laughed at the term 'hay' if he wasn't upset. He was getting agitated and felt tempted to shoot the pony, but he calmed himself before speaking. "Mam, I'm new here. So maybe you can tell me. Is this how you say hello?" He pointed at his chest.

"Is sneaking on somepony in their property normal where where ya from?" she retorted.

The human paused for a moment. He realized his mistake earlier. So much for first impressions. "Point taken. Sorry about that."

"Ya better be. Now state yer name and business!" She demanded, still in her fighting stance.

The human wasn't liking her attitude at all. He had to use all of his energy to calm himself down. The pony made a valid point though. He would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed, especially if someone came and announced their presence from behind. In all the troubles he's experienced in this dimension, only a few were his fault. He regretted those decisions and doesn't want to make matters worse with the orange pony because of his anger issues. He stayed seated so that he wouldn't look like he was challenging the pony and took a deep breath before speaking.

"First of all, I'm very sorry for sneaking up on you and for trespassing your property. It was not my intention to scare you. I'm mean you no harm."

The pony took some time to register what the human said. She narrowed her eyes at him, like if she was reading him. She was probably having a hard time doing so because of the sunglasses he was wearing. She looked at his whole body as well, bearing the expression of both tension and curiosity. She looked back at his eyes and then slowly approached him, not changing her tense expression. The human kept his hand close to his pistol, not wanting to shoot the pony but wanting to be prepared just in case. He did not want to ruin his chance at having a peaceful life here and was hoping that the pony would not try to strike him again. When the pony got within two feet, she stopped and looked at his arms and legs. The human couldn't tell what she was thinking and didn't understand why she was interested in his limbs.

"Ah wonder..." she muttered and then looked at him in the face. The human was getting more nervous at the suspension, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. "Next time, don't ya sneak on somepony again. Ya can get hurt ya know." She said with a smirk.

The human relaxed but kept his hand close to his weapon. The pony relaxed and approached him, slowly extending her hoof towards him. "Need a hoof there pardner?" the pony asked with a friendly smile.

The human stared at the pony, a little speechless at the friendly gesture. After a year of harsh encounters, it felt nice receiving goodwill from this pony. He gave a small smile and grasped the hoof, as the pony helped him up. The pony examined his appearance, slowly looking down and up at him. The human was guessing that she was trying to take in as much detail in his appearance as possible.

"So," the pony said as she looked up at him, not looking intimidated at all. "What are ya and what's yer name?"

"I'm a human and my name is Rush."

"Rush, eh? Like ya rushing into trouble?" She smirked.

Rush shook his head and chuckled. "It's been a long time since I heard that joke." The pony laughed a little. Rush looked around and asked, "You the owner of this property?"

The pony's face brightened and she extended her hoof around in pride. "This here is Sweet Apple Acres. The pride and joy of the Apple family." She then turned to me with a warm smile. "Mah name's Applejack."

Wow! That's a lot of apple terminology there.

Rush smiled at a funny thought. "So your name's Applejack, huh? Like that famous drink. All we're missing now is a few glasses and we can drink up until there's no tomorrow." Rush finished by pretending to hold a drink in his hand.

To his surprise, Applejack laughed and then said, "Hehehehehe. Ah haven't heard anypony use mah name as a joke since Ah was a filly. Mah family use ta own that drink until we sold it off many years ago."

"Is that so?" Rush replied, finding it interesting that both dimensions have the same drink with the same name. He also noticed that instead of saying 'anybody' or 'somebody', she would say 'anypony' or 'somepony.' The Ponyville vocabulary is definitely going to take some time to get use to.

"So what brings ya here ta this parts?"

"I was wondering if you can offer me some work. I've been looking for ways to earn money. If you're worried about my lack of experience in farming, I can assure you that I'm a fast learner and will work very hard at the tasks you give me. All I ask is for a chance."

Applejack narrowed her eyes at him while she scratched her chin with her hoof. Then she put her hoof down and smiled. "We can always use some help around here." Then her smile went away. "Unfortunately, Ah won't be able ta pay ya fer the next four weeks."

"Why?" Rush asked while raising his eyebrow.

"Some of mah trees got destroyed, and we need as much bits as possible ta help us pay ta replace 'em."

Bits? Is that what they call the currency here? He was disappointed that he won't be getting money anytime soon, but he's gotta take what he can and build up from there. Plus, Sweet Apple Acres is probably the only avenue he can use to earn the trust of Ponyville.

"Can I still work here anyway? Maybe I can show you what I'm made off," Rush asked.

Applejack nodded and replied, "Absolutely. Ya can..." Her eye caught something on Rush's left hand and she was taken aback. "Hey, what happened ta yer left...er, thingamajig! Yer bleedin'!"

Rush knew exactly what she was talking about and looked at his left arm. Blood was slowly leaking out again. He folded his jacket sleeve to take a better look, wincing at the pain in the process. My bandages must have gotten loose without me noticing. Probably happened when Applejack kicked me and I landed wrong. Applejack gasped at the sight of the arm and looked at the human with concern.

"I got this scratch from the timberwolves I've encountered today. Brutal creatures if you ask me," Rush said while looking at his wound.

"Timberwolves?" Applejack asked while she narrowed her eyes at Rush. Then she gasped like if she just figured something out. "So YA WERE the one who saved Applebloom!"

"Who?" Rush asked in confusion.

"Ah'll tell ya later," Applejack replied and motioned for him to follow her. "We need ta get that...thing fixed. Come with me quick."

"Lead the way," Rush said as he followed the farm pony.

Applejack trotted and was leading Rush to a house the Apple family owns. The place looks like a red barn house with white doors and windows, and has a grayish-purple roof. There's a front porch with a roof on top.

Wow. A true farmer's house. How interesting. Rush thought.

When they were twenty feet away from the house, Applejack suddenly stopped, with Rush doing the same and was wondering what was going on. Applejack's ears perked up the same way a dog does when they pick up a sound. Applejack immediately turned around and looked up at the sky behind the human. Rush did the same and saw a rainbow blur heading towards him and-

SMACK!

He felt a pair of hooves strike him at the chest, making him tumble in reverse until his back and head hit a wall, causing him to black out.

I Want Answers Now!

Rainbow Dash was hovering in front of the unconscious human, with her front hooves at her waist and her head held high in pride. A triumphant smile can be found on the face of the colorful pegasus. Applejack had stood a distance away with her mouth open at what just transpired.

"Pfft, this hairless monkey wasn't so tough after all," Rainbow Dash remarked, happy that she just took down what she believed was a dangerous creature with little effort.

Applejack shook her head from her surprised trance and stomped her way to the proud pegasus.

"WHAT HAVE YA DONE RAINBOW?!" Applejack demanded.

Rainbow turned towards Applejack. Her proud face turned into confusion when she saw the angry farm pony.

"Your welcome, AJ," Rainbow replied, believing that Applejack was being ungrateful to her. "I just saved your life from this thing! I saw from afar that it was gonna attack you!"

"First of all, it's a 'he,' not an 'it!'" Applejack responded and got into Rainbow's face. "Second of all, he was not gonna attack me! Ah was leading 'im into the house so Ah can help 'im!"

"Why would you help it?!" Rainbow asked, getting into Applejack face as well. "Do you realize what it has done?! Twilight said that this monkey has been causing a lot of trouble!"

"He has saved mah sister!"

"He...what?!" Rainbow asked, not sure what she just heard.

"He saved Applebloom! She told me that a creature that walks on two legs saved her from them timberwolves," Applejack clarified and then pointed at the human. "And he just told me that he got hurt by those varmints. Ah put two and two together and reckoned that it was 'im."

"What was your sister doing in the forest by the way?" Rainbow asked with her eye brow raised.

Applejack had an annoyed face as she replied, "Playin' hide 'n seek. That silly lil' filly is always gettin' herself in trouble."

Rainbow Dash looked at the unconscious human, digesting this new info from the farm pony. While the revelation slightly changes her perception about him, she can't ignore what Twilight told her about his past actions. One good act doesn't drown out the list of bad he's done.

"C'mon!" Applejack commanded, interrupting the pegasus's thoughts. "We gotta git 'im inside and fix 'im up."

"AJ, there's something you need to-"

"Ya can tell me later! He needs help right now!" Applejack said as she trotted to the unconscious human.

"Fine," Rainbow muttered as she reluctantly followed.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack carefully lifted the human and carried him into the house. Applejack's older brother was still working in the fields while Applebloom was in her room, being comforted by an old mare name Granny Smith. The little filly was told earlier to stay in her room as punishment for her reckless behavior, while her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were sent to their respective homes. Applebloom, however, was still traumatized by her earlier experience in the forest, which was why Granny Smith decided to stay with her until she relaxes.

The human was carried up the stairs and into the guest room. A bed is on the right side facing the door, and a window is behind the bed on the far side of the room. The two ponies gently placed the human on the bed facing up, extended his arms a little bit, took off his boots and place them on the floor.

"Ah'm gonna git the first-aid kit and some ice fer his head," Applejack said. "Start takin' his jacket off, but do it carefully. Be right back." Applejack left the room to go fetch the medical supplies.

Rainbow Dash turned to the human and shook her head with a frown face. She wasn't particularly happy at the prospect of helping the human. She doesn't trust him, no matter what Applejack says. There are too many unknowns about him and she doesn't want to take the chance that her friends will be hurt because of their poor judgment. At least the human is unconscious and won't cause harm anytime soon. She sighs in frustration.

"Let's get this over with," she muttered, moving to the human's right side in order to remove his jacket. Before she starts, she caught sight of something within the jacket on the human's left side of the torso. Its color was black and was made out of metal, and it was strapped into a light-brown leather holder. "What is that?" she asked, never seeing the strange object before in her life. She was reaching for the object when she felt something grab her right hoof. She yelped in surprise and looked at the human's face. He was staring at her with a neutral face, but she couldn't see his eyes because of the shades. The look of his face was giving the pegasus an unsettling feeling, like if he was about to kill her.

"Don't. Touch. That," the human commanded, who then threw Rainbow's hoof away.

Rainbow Dash stumbled and took a several steps back. Her apprehensions was replaced with anger and determination, as she hovered in the air and was getting ready to fight.

"You wanna go for round two punk?! I'm ready!" challenged the colorful pegasus, as she hovered in the air and waited for the human to make the first strike.

The human didn't move though. Instead he just stared at her. As the two were locking eyes with each other, tension can be felt in the atmosphere, like a volcano that was ready to explode. Then, the human made his first move.

"BRAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He held his right (talon?) on his belly and was laughing like crazy.

This was not what the pegasus expected. Not one bit. A minute passes by and she was getting annoyed by his laugh.

"What are you laughing at?!" she demanded as she looked at him with a big frown.

"You...." the human began, having a hard time recovering from his laughter. "You dyed...you dyed your hair rainbow.....It's just weird and funny…cuz you look like a clown!" Remnants of laughter still remained with him.

Rainbow got really upset, not finding any humor in his comments. "This is my natural color you apple-bucking idiot!" Rainbow stated.

"That's even more weird and funny!" the human said and continued laughing hard.

"WHY YOU....." Rainbow yelled and was about to pounce on him when she felt something pull her by the tail and she was yanked to the ground. She looked back and saw that it was Applejack, who had just returned and held the pegasus's tail with her front hoof.

"Simmer down there sally. No need ta start another fight." Applejack then turned to the human. "And Rush, stop yer laughin'! That's not funny at all!"

Rush? What a weird name! Rainbow thought.

Rush stopped laughing and winced at the pain behind his back.

"Damn!" he said as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "It feels like someone swung my head with a baseball bat."

“‘Someone'?" asked Rainbow, confused at why he didn't say 'somepony.'

"'Baseball bat?" asked Applejack. "Is that some kind of animal Ah haven't heard of before?"

"No it's.....never mind," Rush said while he continued to rub his head and was feeling dizzy.

Rainbow manage to break free from Applejack's grip and flew to the human's face.

"All right you! I got questions for you and I want answers now!" the pegasus demanded with an emphasis on the word 'now.' Rush didn't respond. Instead he just put his head back on the pillow and rubbed his head.

"Rainbow!" Applejack said as she got next to the pegasus. "We can ask 'im all the questions we want, AFTER we fix 'im up!"

"I think that's a good idea," Rush groaned.

"Fine," Rainbow muttered as she sat on the ground and crossed her front hooves.

That's two wounds I have to contend with now. What a bummer. Rush thought.

Applejack spent some time patching up Rush's wounds on both the back of his head and on his left fore-arm. Rainbow Dash was impatiently waiting, tapping her hoof on the ground and never letting the human out of her sight.  At the farm pony's insistence, Rush reluctantly took his jacket off, revealing his gray t-shirt and the shoulder holster that was carrying his glock. When Applejack asked what was that he was carrying, the human said he will tell her later. The wound on his left arm was cleaned, had some disinfect on it, and was properly wrapped this time. The bleeding finally stopped, much to Rush's relief. Applejack took a look at his back-head and said that he's got a bump for when he hit the wall earlier.

Good, no scratches back there.

Rush was given a bag of ice and he gently applied it to his head. It was very inconvenient to constantly hold the bag in place, so he leaned his back against the wall for better leverage, keeping the ice bag between his head and wall as he sat on the bed. He looked out the window and saw that sunset will come within the hour or so.

"Feelin' better?" Applejack asked with a smile as she sat on her haunches and looked at him.

"Very," he replied in a somewhat low monotone.

GRRRRRROOOOOOOOWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked around in perplexity, trying to figure out where that noise was coming from.

GRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

The ponies looked at Rush, who was holding his tummy with his right hand and had a sheepish smile on his face.

"Why didn't ya tell me ya was hungry?" Applejack asked.

"You never asked?" he replied.

Applejack shook her hood and sniggered at his remark. She stood up and said, "Ah'm gonna fetch ya a few apples before we continue our conversation. Ya'll wait right-"

Before the farm pony finished her sentence, the pegasus flew out of the guest room and left a rainbow trail behind. Both Rush and Applejack were taken aback and heard a door open downstairs, indicating that the flying pony went outside.

A rainbow haired pegasus that leaves a rainbow trail. Now that's interesting.

Ten seconds after Rainbow Dash flew out, she came back with a pair of red apples on her front hooves and put them on the bed next to Rush.

"What in the hay was that about?" Applejack asked with a frown.

"The sooner he eats, the sooner we get answers," Rainbow stated with an impatient tone.

How very nice of you. Rush thought sarcastically.

"Did ya at least close the door?" Applejack inquired.

"Augh!" Rainbow groaned at her own shortcoming before she flew down the stairs, closed the door, and came back within a matter of seconds. She sat back down, resumed her tapping and kept giving the human a stink eye.

Rush was having a hard time liking the pegasus, but kept his anger in check. He grabbed an apple with his right hand and held it up. "Thank you both," he said as he tried to smile. Applejack nodded with a friendly smile and sat back down. Rainbow Dash didn't change her expression. She still looked at him with suspicion. Rush brought the apple close to his face and moved his lips as if he was speaking, but he didn't say anything. This caused Applejack to look with confusion. She chose not to say anything though. He finally took a big bite of the red apple.

Crunch

Rush slowly chewed and savored the apple. It tasted very sweet and juicy, a whole lot better than what he had on earth. A minute later, he swallowed and sat still for a few seconds. Then he devoured the rest of the apple, leaving the seeds and the middle part untouched. He did the same for the second apple

Applejack was quite amused and chuckled at Rush's silly behavior. "Ho there pardner. Ya must have been as hungry as an empty barrel of cider!"

"Well besides the fact that I haven't eaten anything since noon, that was the BEST apple I have ever tasted, and I've had plenty in my lifetime!" Rush exclaimed while holding up the leftovers.

Applejack smiled and nodded at the compliment. "Well thank ya kindly there." She then stood up and got between the human and pegasus. "Now Ah do believe introductions are in order," Applejack said and pointed at the pegasus. "This here is Rainbow Dash." Then she turned to the pegasus and pointed at the human. "This critter here is called a hue-man, and his name is Rush."

"A hue-man, huh," Rainbow said, still bearing a suspicious tone in her voice.

Rush chuckled. "First of all, it's pronounced 'human.' H-U-M-A-N is how you spell it. Got it?" Applejack nodded while Rainbow just stared at him with her front hooves crossed. Rush turned to face the latter and asked, "So your name is Rainbow Dash, right?"

"That's what she said," Rainbow stated. "You deaf or something?" Applejack glared at the pegasus.

Rush was getting upset with Rainbow Dash. He just calmly replied, "I just thought that your name is appropriate considering that your hair and tail is rainbow-colored." He then smirked. "Which I still think is funny and weird by the way."

Rainbow looked she was boiling now. She stood on four legs and said, "And your name suits you as well, seeing as you like to rush into trouble. One more insult about my mane and tail, and I'm gonna buck that ugly face of yours," she threatened.

Rush leaned forward, dropping the ice bag from his head and held a serious face. "I would like to see you try."

"ENOUGH! BOTH OF YA!" Applejack commanded, stomping the floor for emphasis on the word 'enough.' "Ya'll in my property, which means ya hafta abide by the rules of the apple family. Ah will not have my guests bickerin' r fightin' on mah watch, especially over such silly nonsense like names or hairs. Now let's carry on the conversation without the insults. Do Ah make myself clear?"

Rush and Rainbow Dash continued to stare at each other, but the tension was reducing to a minimum. Both of the sentient beings relaxed and got back to their former positions.

Applejack sighed in relief. "Thank ya both." She turned to the human and sat down. "Now Rush. While ya are my guest, we still don't know a thing about ya. Ah mean this in no offense, but Rainbow is right. We have questions and we want answers."

Rush did not feel comfortable revealing everything about himself, especially where he's from, why he left, how he got here, and what kinds of trouble he has experienced since he entered into this magical dimension. He also did not want them to know about the weapons he brought with him, because he's not sure how they will react to that kind of revelation. "You can ask all the questions you want, but I will not answer them all," he said.

"And why won't you?" Rainbow asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Every individual has secrets they do not wish to share with others," Rush argued and leaned forward. "I'm sure you both have something personal in your lives you do not want to be made known, right?"

There was silence in the room. Rainbow Dash wavered her eyes as she contemplated on what the human said. Then she looked at him with a determined face.

"But if your secrets endanger us and the lives of our friends, then we must know them," the pegasus argued.

Rush was speechless. The cyan pegasus has him cornered in this debate. He hung his head low, contemplating on what to say next.

"Rush," Applejack began. "All we're askin' is fer ya to be honest with us. Honesty is a policy mah family and Ah take very seriously. It is part of who Ah am and it is somethin' Ah expect from others." She leaned forward so that Rush can see her serious face. "And if ya lie ta us, Ah'll know. Ah can sniff lies easily."

That revelation made the human raise his eyebrows in surprise. While he's used to the concept of living in a magical world, he still gets surprised whenever he sees magic. He never thought that a 'magical lie detector' would exist. Either that or she can read people like a book, which is a disadvantage to him because he was never good at hiding his feelings, and wearing sunglasses can only help so much. Lying was not one of his character flaws, being brutally honest and blunt was. Having anger issues and an unrestrained mouth was what usually got him in trouble, like he almost did with Rainbow Dash.

If I'm ever gonna hope to live peacefully in Ponyville, I'm gonna have to earn their trust. And that means I'll have to give them the honest truth. Rush thought, contemplating on what he should and should not tell the two ponies in front of him. And then he remembered something important. At least Applejack is giving me a chance to explain myself rather than jump to conclusions, which is what almost everyone else has done in this damn world.

"Are we gonna do this or what?" asked an impatient Rainbow Dash.

Rush leaned back against the wall, put the ice back on the back of his head and sighed.

"So, what do you wanna know?" he asked.