Author's Note

Welcome, welcome. Another chapter.

''Making a hundred friends is not a miracle. The miracle is to make a single friend who will stand by your side even when hundreds are against you.''

-John Spence.

Step Two: Loyalty

Duncan's Pov:

''So how was work today, Duncan?'' Spike asked me as we headed back to the library after I worked with Rainbow Dash and Applejack with apple-bucking and demolishing an old shed that she wanted to tear down and build new. At first, I didn't think much of it since it was just a small shed, but Rainbow sure took to making that collapse faster than Wall Street. ''They didn't work you too hard, did they?''

''I guess, well not really,'' I said, rubbing not temples to stave off a small headache. ''I just hope having to pay off Mayor Mare won't take everything out of my money, and even that I still have a long way to go before I can get used to this system of money versus my own.''

In all, I had owed (more like Celestia) just about 425 bits to cover the damages for Town Hall. If only there was a conversion system in place here; that amount seemed to be a lot, but Spike telling me otherwise that the price wasn't all that much failed to reaffirm me either way. Mayor Mare was also willing to do a payment plan over a month with weekly payments of 106 bits.

So I had no room for error.

Spike and I eventually made it back home, being greeted by Twilight who was just beginning to leave the library with her saddlebags and rolls of parchment sticking out of the sides.

''Geez, Twilight. Are you going to write somebody to death?'' I joked, Twilight looking at me and chuckling.

''No, I was just going to head back to The Mirror Pond with Pinkie Pie to investigate something,'' Twilight pursed her lips and looked back at me. ''We don't really know what caused you to just appear here and maybe finding out how can be the key to getting you back home, if you wanted to.''

''Tempting. . .'' I thought.

''Tempting, but I think I'll pass on that for the moment. I'm more concerned about the Equestrian Humans here. And what I mean by that is what kind of fuckery they got themselves into for Celestia to put them in exodus. . .knowing anything about Humans, Equestrian or not,'' Spike and Twilight looked at me with wonder as my tone of voice got deeper. ''I know just how far they will go in the name of false preservation, but I also would hope that it was noting done by you guys to provoke them.''

''What do you mean by that?'' Spike asked me.

''I mean, that if your benevolent 'leader' was the one to throw the first punch, then I can understand what my people did, and even to an extent, support them, even from afar.'' I looked down at the ground in determination.

''Do you really mean that, Duncan? How can you say that without knowing anything? The Equestrian Humans could be wrong.'' Twilight said, frowning.

''Or Celestia could be wrong in whatever garbage she shoved down your throats having you believe that she may not be the one with a few screws loose and maybe we were defending ourselves,'' I snapped back, Spike beginning to look a tad nervous as Twilight and I got closer to one another.

''How dare you say something like-''

''-You saw how quickly she wanted to cave my skull in the second she saw me; don't sit there and tell me you don't think the slightest thing may be wrong with your mentor, Twi. Regardless of whether or not who was at fault matters little to what she almost tried to do to me. And you all-'' I poked her in the chest with a finger, my tone going from loud to minuscule. ''-you all saw how she basically abandoned you without a second thought. . .do you really think a leader is benevolent by doing that?''

Twilight stammered for a moment, looking between me and something imaginary off to her left or right. Her lips began to quiver and she shook her head numerous times before settling and talking once more. ''So you're loyal to your own 'people', not us?''

''Twilight, I barely know any of you to really say that I trust any of you like that right away. What kind of fucked up question is that? You're asking to put my full trust blindly into a whole different species versus my own, which are nowhere near saints, but there are a few select people that I know are good-natured enough to not and try and cave my head in the first time we meet!'' I hissed, not wanting to attract any real attention from the locals just yet, so I pulled the pair back into the library and shut the door.

''But Celestia is a great leader and mentor, I know whatever this little spat is, it-''

''-Is bullshit.'' I cut her off. ''I'm sure you have this same saying, but oftentimes, the first impression of one associated with many can give a bad feeling to the rest of said group, even if they themselves had nothing to do with it.''

''So you mean to say-'' Twilight attempted to speak again, but I raised my hand and she stopped, her eyes narrowing and a look of anger on her face as I wanted to make my point clear.

''I am not saying I do not trust you 6, well 7 cause of Spike. But what I am saying is forgive me if I seem the tiniest bit wary of anyone of you beside you guys who know of Humankind. Where there's one like Celestia, I know there's more somewhere.''

''Uh, guys?'' Spike asked, Twilight stopping him for a moment as she started her offensive.

''Then let me say that you're lucky that we were the ones who found you, otherwise there may be those kinds of ponies you may want to avoid. And before you go off mouthing about stuff you know next to nothing about, attempt some research.'' Twilight said, stomping a hoof on the floor. ''We are a peaceful lot, but we are not pushovers, Duncan. You have to think about how it feels for someone to come into your world and criticize your leadership based on their own evidence; tell me how that feels.''

''Twilight, you have no idea what you're getting into by asking that question,'' I slowly shook my head back and forth. ''You want to accuse us, or rather, the Equestrian Humans when you were probably not even thought about being born. You go off of books and what Celestia is letting you know, not telling you the whole thing. And here you want to lecture me about loyalty just because I don't share the same sentiment that the rest of you are too naive to take a second look at.''

Twilight, I could see from a mile away was not going to take this standing up or down. She was still stuck on stupid when it came to brownnosing Celestia. Being her student, I can understand to a degree, but if the person you look up to the most to starts trying to kill someone defenseless like it's nobody's business, you may want to ask them a few questions about where their moral compass sits.

This would not sit with me.

''Look,'' I leveled with her, kneeling down to her level. ''I appreciate you guys wanting to help, and even trying to find me a way back home, but I also need to know more about this world that I got sucked into. And I doubt Celestia is the pony I want to be talking to, and regardless of who shot first or whatever, the best thing would probably be for me to find out where they were sent to, and get their side of the story.''

''So that's what you're doing? I thought you looked at being here in Ponyville as a way to get away from your old world.'' Twilight calmed down a tad, but I chuckled a bit and put a hand on her shoulder. ''Is that not what you want?''

''Yes, but since I now know that Humankind is here, that just made that even more difficult. I'd rather not go back home if it can be helped, but I also can't ignore their presence here. . .it's complicated. I doubt you'd understand.''

Twilight did the same to me but ended up putting a hoof on my knee. ''Help me understand, then. We're your friends; friends help each other when they need it.''

''It won't be that simple.''

"Being friends never is, but it's never not worth it.'' Twilight gave a small smile then sighed as I patted her shoulder. ''I apologize for getting emotional. I know it may seem like I'm doing this out of selfish research, but that's not it. I just want to understand this phenomenon just as much as you do.''

I gave her a small hug and pulled back, the glint of a mistake made in her eyes. ''No big deal, Twi. I just ask you to understand where I'm coming from. I'm the stranger, you're the native. My people are exiled, yours aren't. And I can't believe one side of an argument, especially when it involves two different sentient species. When I have true evidence from both sides, then I can make a judgment call.''

''Ok,'' Twilight relented. ''I guess I can see that side of your counter-argument. We should do everything we can to make sure the facts are true and relevant. It's just a shock to think that Princess Celestia may not be as. . .I thought she was,'' Twilight slowly lowered her head and contemplated some internal issue within her.

''Oftentimes, the people in power we trust the most end up being the ones to put that knife in our backs because we were looking in the wrong place,'' I said with a solemn tone as I remembered the lengths I went to to get to the point I was at before getting shot and thrown off a bridge.

My biggest lesson to not mess with the mafia, at least if not actually prepared.

''Go ahead and investigate The Mirror Pond if you want, just know getting home is not the most important thing to me. Getting answers is,'' I venture further into the library as Twilight looked at me go. ''No hard feelings?''

''No hard feelings,'' Twilight responded, though a bit less vigor than before we started butting heads. ''I guess the first order of business is to gather all the information that we have on Equestria Humans and figure out where they were sent.'' Twilight turned around and began to walk to meet up with Pinkie.

''Duncan, what are you going to do?'' Spike walked alongside me as I went to my room.

''Nothing much to do now, buddy. Not to say that the whole interaction between me and Twi wasn't. . .something, but I do want both sides to be uncovered.'' Spike looked at me as I sat on my bed. ''I just hope that this won't be as hard as my mind is telling me. But what did you have to say before Twilight cut you off?''

Spike shook his head and only looked a tad worried. ''I only wanted to tell you that I know how you feel a little bit. Not with the exile thing, but being the only dragon can kinda be a little strange from time to time.''

''Appreciate it, little buddy.'' I said, giving him a small fist bump. ''Things tend to suck before they get better, so there's that.''

I only hoped that nothing would end up coming out of left field with this supposed death threat that Celestia unofficially put on my head.

Ponyville Outskirts.

The wind blew from the south, carrying small leaves and bringing bitter cold along with it. The small group of squirrels were hopping about when they stopped and suddenly began to convulse. Squealing and weakly trying to run away proved futile as their necks crinkled like parchment. Blood slowly began to leak out from their bodies as a figure from the distance came to a stop upon a small hill with a pretty sizable view of Ponyville.

It was quiet.

''This is where my prey is, eh? Hmmm. . .I can smell his fear. And anger,'' the figure sniffed the air and chuckled. ''If only you didn't need him alive. But dealing with his kind should be easy enough. And I doubt he has one of those.''

''Just make sure the job is done as we discussed, and we both will have what we want.''

''And you're 100% sure about Sparkle and her friends? Won't The Elements Of Harmony be useless with one of all of them dead?''

''. . .No. The Elements will seek out the next suitable bearer before long, so we will not be without for long.''

''Even she's your star pupil? And the rest of them your subjects?'' the figure cackled manically before settling down and looking in interest.

''There serves no purpose in having subjects if they are not loyal to their own kind; especially to an outsider, as well as the enemy who they only just befriended. For them, I hold no sympathy.''

The figure only shrugged before venturing into town, the flapping of wings and the shadow flying overhead and heading for Canterlot catching their attention before focusing on heading into town.

''Have it your way, just don't regret the deed when it gets carried out.''