I
Jefferson Revere

The sun had rotated to the noon position by the time we reached the place Twilight had been mentioning. The Golden Oak Library was indeed a towering Oak tree gutted out into a live in business, meaning the owner of the library lives just above the work space. Twilight explained this to me when the ornate, red front door came into sight.

"Soo, this is were you live i take it?" I asked after her explanation.

"Well of course, It was a bit of a fixer-upper when I first move in here from Canterlot," She stated cheerfully, "But I've made it home ever since." She opens the door and went in, with me and spike following after. "Girls, We're back." She called out but no response at first.

"Huh, guess they haven't showed up yet."

"Probably still working, it is only noon Twi." Spike noted looking at the grandfather clock located on the main floor just right of the front door.

"Well, I'm sure they'll show up when they can Twiligh-" before I could finish my thought I herd the growing sound of what sounded like a F22 flying close to the library, "The fuck?" I looked round, "what is that?"

"Sounds like one my friends is coming, but um, you might want stay clear of the book shelves." Twilight gestured backing up towards the middle of the room

"What do you mean stay clear of the-" Again, before I could finish, a Cyan blur burst in from one of the upper windows and smashed into a set of book shelves. I could only look up to cover my self from a shower of books, followed by being drilled into the ground by something heavier than those books.

Not sure what hurt worst, my healing injuries or my pride as I herd another voice cough above me just a layer above me, "Jeeze Twilight, learn how to dust your stuff more often!" was the female's only remark before I felt the weight shift.

"Oh my gosh, get up, get up, Jeff is under there!"

"Who?"

"MOVE!" Twilight shoved a pile of books away with her magic and gripped my exposed hand. Helping me out of the pile up, "Are you okay?" she stood me back up as I slowly dusted my self off as pain had indeed shook my body, I am at least glad that I didn't start bleeding from the impact, "Are you hurt, er, um-" she paused at her own dumb question.

"Obviously not anymore than I am, just add my pride to that list..." I grumbled as I looked around, the book shelf behind me had indeed been completely emptied of it's books, beside me, dusting her self off too, stood the perpetrator that had caused the literature avalanche.

She was Cyan color in coat, her matching wings flapped once before folding at her sides; her rainbow colored mane was rocking the tomboyish mullet. One could also tell her build was very athletic, could explain the Jet noise prior to her crash. "Oh hey, I'm fine, thanks for asking." The Pegasus mare teased as she looked at me, "So this is the human you spoke of." she came over to get a closer look at me.

"Hey, thanks for breaking my fall champ." she gave me a "Gentle" punch against an arm before trotting off the pile of books.

We haven't exchanged names yet and I can tell I'm not going to like her at all today.

"No problem." I writhed holding my arm, "Ya going to need help picking this up?" I asked looking at Twilight.

"Nah, This has happened so many times, I've gotten faster at putting it all back." Twilight Boasted as she started picking up chunks of books off the floor before putting them back, organizing them as she did. "That flying wrecking ball is my friend Rainbow Dash." she pointed to the mare as her wings picked her self back off the floor at a hoover.

"How'd ya do? You got the pleasure of meeting one of the most AWESOME flyers to ever come out of ponyville!"

"Awesome?" I cocked a brow at Rainbow, "If so, then you would've used the front door instead of flying into this tree like a blind, speeding bat." she had a split moment of being stunned by my words but recovered just as fast, I only chuckled at her fumble.

"N-Nah, I was, Just trying to make a dynamic entry is all, Yeah."

"Riiight." My eyes rolled at her, "I've Seen Ninjas make a better entry than that."

"WHAT? whatever, Its just an off day and," she paused to think, "I forgot to slow down okay?"

"Guys, please," Twilight interrupted. Apparently, she, staying to her previous statement, had cleaned up the mess before turning towards us to mainly keep her from probably bucking me in two with her, "Awesomeness".

"I didn't ask you to come here to simply pick a fight with him, I just figured you'll want to meet the human in person while he is still able to walk." She glanced at me a little worriedly where I was only just shrugged off the quiet glare Rainbow shot me with before picking a seat on a lounger, she had a book in hoof but discarded it when she laid back, fore hooves tucked behind her head.

"Oh yeah sure, to bad he can't recover as fast as Yoours truly."

"But you didn't have to face the fury of an entire living forest now did you?" Twilight glanced a scolding look before trotting towards the stairs leading towards somewhere, probably the upstairs apartment she lived in, "The library is technically closed for today, so lets head up stairs while we wait for the rest."

"Ugh, but I just got comfortable!" Rainbow groaned with a stretch before hopping off the lounger.

I only shook my head at the Pegasus as she clambered out of the lounger, she fluttered her wings and hovered up the stairs as I limped up the steps as well, Twilight waited half way up to watch me scale the stairs. I didn't bother to tell her not to worry for i guess she doesn't want her living specimen to get anymore hurt than he already is.

Shrugging the odd thoughts away, "Don't mind her," Twilight appeared at my side, "She can be a little-"

"-Blunt? Obnoxious? head strong?" I added glancing at her.

"Yeeeah," her ears dropped slightly, "Just don't let her get to you."

I waved the subject away, "No worries, I have a friend that smell of ego and isn't afraid to speak the first thing on his brain." I caught her off guard, she giggled at my comment.

"I didn't know Ego had a smell."

"Oh trust me, It does, and let me tell ya, she," I point up stairs at rainbow, leaning closer to speak quieter, "There is no soap in the world to cure that odor." We both tried to stifle our laughter as we got to the top of the stairs.

"Whats so funny?" the Jock mare snapped a suspicious glare at us, She looked between the both of us as we tried to play it cool but the look on our faces that my comment was still plucking at our funny strings.

"Oh nothing, Just something I thought aloud." I covered up my previous comment about Rainbow, she narrowed her eyes at me before turning towards the first door on left on this floor.

"Riight, Just as long it wasn't anything about me, we're fine." she pushed the door open then went inside with out breaking eye contact till the door closed. As the door closed, I looked at Twilight before she started giggling again.

"I"ll have to look into the odor subject later, but if it were true, it would make so much sense!" she then started to regain her composer after another short fit of chuckling/giggling.

Right As I placed a hand on the door knob I herd what sounded like a classic brass bell chiming away near the door, I looked at Twilight a little puzzled, "They heck is that?"

She perked up at the sound of the chime, "That would be my House bell," she explained turning towards the stairs, "You probably didn't see it at first, but there is a pull string beside the library's front door."

"An After hour door bell?" I guessed accurately. Just like the apartments back east (on Earth), some of them have a large panel with buttons that buzz up to the individual apartments, however, sometimes they never really work all that well. That's what happens when they make almost everything electronic.

"That's right!" Twilight confirmed, "Oh, uh go on in and make your self at home." I had the door opened when she told me this.

"You sure about that?" I glanced inside with a smirk, referring to rainbow. She only shook her head with a smile before heading downstairs.

"Just, go in." She said over her shoulder before going downstairs while I went inside.

Pulling the door closed, I looked around the apartment;

It was a quaint little home for being an apartment, the natural coloration of the oak wood complemented the soft, darker color theme of the furniture; half the decorations of this place were han-HOOF carvings of flowery vines stretching across the natural floor board that made the (technical) third floor visible from the living room floor; the other half were thematic plants with the golden curtains rolled open on the sides of the windows. The (visible) bed room had sun and moon bed bedding with matching posters lining the wall in front of it.

Personal bookshelves, carved out of the very wall of the tree, were lined with books of many subjects, further up one could look probably had more personal books stored away from visitors.

As I was wondering about spike's living space, I glanced over to see Rainbow Dash almost tackle the little dragon in a hug, "SPIKE!"

"Hows it hangin' Little guy?" she asks giving the tyke a playful noogie before letting him go. The little dragon dusted himself and corrected his head spines before looking up at the Cyan mare.

"Oh the usual, riding out another one of twilight's crazy science storms," He shrugged before looking over to me, who had found a chair due to the aches building up in their legs, "As well making sure she doesn't do anything over-the-top with him."

"Like what, dissect me like a biology class experiment?" I chimed in from my seat, we all had a short laugh at it but a part of my brain had a back hand poised to smack the teeth out of me with the warning careful with what you say! which also caused me to rethink my humor about myself being a subject of science or whatever, that and/or the knot that briefly twisted up in my gut.

"Oooo Of course! nothing like figuring out what makes you tic." Rainbow teased wiggling a fore hoof at me.

While I was not amused by this, I still thought about it: if Equestria was anything like the U.S. I would've been picked up last night and be ran through interrogations, psychological tests, then probably end the day in a live biopsy operation seeing how my insides function for a few minuets before being snuffed out to cover my existence in this world.

Strangely that kind of thinking made me shutter, where did you go Twilight?!

"Guys, be careful with what you say," I raised an open palm at them both, "One day that might just happened and you'll feel like shit for even thinking about it."

"Naaah, I don't think anypony would do that to you here."

"You sure about that?" I cocked a brow at Rainbow as she lounged in mid air thanks to the fluttering of her wings; before she could say anymore the door opened with chattering voices.

"-and again, darling, How come you did not bring him to me after the hospital?" A rather posh sounding voice came through the door way as Twilight reentered with another unicorn following her in.

She was a pure white coat, with styled violet mane and tail, her soft blue eyes glanced from her friend towards me in which they instantly widened with a matching gasp. "Sweet Celestia, how is he still looking like this?!" She exclaimed (in almost artistic exaggeration) as she rushed over to my side to get a closer look.

"Uhh, because I still got healing stitches?" I answered confused by her equally confusing question, to which her first reply was quick wave of a hoof to dismiss my reply.

"No no no, I mean, look at your clothing dear sir," she gestured towards my ragged remains of my earth clothing, "Why hasn't anypony given you fresh wears to at least hold you over till you came to my shop!?" As she started to lean closer to further examine my torn artificial clothing. I looked over at the others with hands raised with a distinct 'dafuq' look on my face.

Their reply, was of course, stifled snickering as she started to try to tug at my rags, testing their remaining strength. "Um, I think there will be a proper time for that." I gently pulled my arm away from her as she looked at me.

"Pardon me Mr-" she paused, probably hadn't herd my name yet.

"Revere, Jefferson Revere."

"Right, Listen here Mr. Revere, how can a new comer to our beloved town be trotting around in these rags, when one brave pony, such as yours truly, can step forth and at least make you look decent for public viewing?"

"Look, whoever you are, I do appreciate the concern for my...clothes, but When I can at least stand and/or walk I'll make it a priority to replace this crap." I calmly explained, or at least attempted to be calm, "Also, You sound like I'm some pet to be paraded around town, Y-you do know that I'm a human, not an art piece."

The unicorn recoiled as if I had just bitch smacked her with a rubber chicken coated in thousand Islands dressing. She looked away with a preppy scoff, "I would never-at least somepony has to fuss over the newcomer one way or another."

"Rarity, I think I do that enough," Twilight butted in, obviously saving me from the fashion nut. "Jeff, You'll have to excuse her, she can be a little crazy over fashion."

"Gee, I hadn't noticed..." I deadpanned at Twilight as Rarity had taken a chair with a audible 'humph!' as if we had insulted her pride.

"I think Fashion Genius is more fitting if you are going to talk about me like so!" The room rattled with the chime of the beckoning bell down stairs.

"I got it!" Rainbow quipped before vanishing in a blur through the door and down the stairs to answer the door. Twilight had wondered over to continue her conversation with Rarity, or at least calm her down, but the white unicorn's voice sounded a little irked. All the while, I noticed Spike had seated himself next to me; with his head propped up on a knee, he had a half-lid gaze on his face while staring at the white unicorn.

"She is something right?" he sighed, I could almost say if she would to look his way he would swooned, "That's my Rarity for you." I looked down at the tyke. My brain could only compute one thing: HOW? How can a dragon and a unicorn be-no, all the no! oh and nevermind the pictures with all the graphical details that shot across my mind.

I shook my head from that mental mess, then looked back at the little dragon, "You really think she's yours?" I asked looking up at Rarity, she caught my glance then quickly looked back at twilight, as if she snubbed my very gaze. "I mean, do you really have a chance with that?" If your into preppy fashion nuts then go for it little guy, but she isn't my shot of jack ya know?

wait, why are you thinking like that brain?

As I rubbed my face with a hand, Spike simply shrugged, "Beats me, but hey at least I can dream right?" he looked up at me, "I mean, Twilight seems to of taken a liken towards you, at least that's what I've noticed."

really? I highly doubt that kid, "I kinda doubt that spike, I think her fascination towards me is more of scientific curiosity." I dismissed his comment before I could hear noise coming up from the stairs as Rainbow had left the door open. Sounded like more ponies were on their way up.

"Jesus, How many of them did she invite?" I asked aloud watching as Rainbow first came into the room. Behind her were two more ponies, One was another Pegasus like Rainbow but blonde coat with a light pink mane with matching tail. The other looked like a normal horse but had a orange coat with blonde mane tied back in a pony tail (bah-dum-tish) and wore a beat up looking stetson.

"So, where is this Jeff ya kept mentionin'." The orange pony asked as they entered the room, The more timid looking Pegasus looked passed her more toned friend as her turquoise eyes fell on me then almost gasped in shock. Fuck, another one?!

Well, instead of rushing over to my side like Rarity did, the shy Pegasus cautiously came over to me and when she saw that I wasn't going to spring out of my seat with a knife, her entire demeanor changed from being scared to worried. "You poor thing!" she expressed her concern with a matching look, "Are you okay? Does it hurt?!" I was originally prepared to tell her away like I did with Rarity, but since she treated me like a living being instead of a tattered mannequin, I thought against it.

"Well, the stitches are still tender since I had'em changed today," I began explaining with a reassuring smile, "But give a few days I'll be able to walk around with out any kind of escort." or fearing I would keel over from the pain, I would mentally add, speaking of which I think I forgot my pills. I could feel a few twinges of pain as I talked to the blonde pony.

"um, I honestly don't think you should even think about walking right now." she looked at my head bandage, then back at me, "Why are you not at home resting?" Cute, but very concerned about the human here apparently.

"Ask her." I pointed at Twilight who snapped to attention from her conversation.

"Huh-what? about what?" she looked at the both of us, the Pegasus turned then stalked towards the unicorn.

"Twilight, you should know better!" she scolded her with a scowl, "why would you bring him out here when he should be at home bed resting?!"

"Uh, Flutter shy, I invited him here-"

"And she did send me to get him." Spike jumped in, "I didn't think he would even get up today." he shrugged as I glanced at the tyke with brows raised, talk about being doubtful for this guy.

"Sure about that? I knew I was still in bad shape and all," I, again, explained, the mothering demeanor faded seemingly instantly as Flutter shy turned back to look at me curiously, "But it wasn't going to keep me in bed all day, I would get too restless to even want to do that."

"Oh, um." Flutter shy blushed out of embarrassment from her random act of mothering/doctoring, "I-I didn't think that, s-sorry Twilight." her head lowered with ears flat.

"No worries shy," Twilight smiled giving the Pegasus a comforting pat on the shoulder, "Like Apple Jack said, Jeff is more sturdy than he looks." Almost, I would think, I wouldn't consider my self that 'sturdy', taking the fact that I spent two weeks in that hell hole and almost died from it.

"Besides, Doctor Horse mentioned that when-" she paused to look at me, she then drifted for a moment thinking before looking back towards her friends, "-well, Why don't you tell them Jeff." She gestures towards me which brought me out of a moment of absent spacing.

"Wh-Wait-what?"

"Didn't the Doc tell you how bad it was when you first got there?" Twilight asked, then heads turned toward me as everypony waited for a reply.

"oh, well, um," I paused trying to remember how it went; Of course my head started to sting when I tried to recall on the details. "Sadly, I wasn't really told how bad I looked when I first crawled into that place." I admitted, Gee thanks for putting me on the spot Twilight!

"Honestly, No one really told me, how messed up I was when I finally woke and wasn't going to strangle them."

"What? You wanted to hurt somepony?" Flutter shy almost paled at that last part, she took a few steps back away.

"No no no, what I mean is that When I first got there, I was expecting to see other humans, not," I paused looking at everypony in the room, "Well, ponies." I felt a little guilty for swinging at the staff back there now that I"m thinking about it.

"Being approached by talking animals while have suffered heavy blood lose while walking there can freak a guy out." I felt horrible, not guilty horrible, just nausia horrible. Fuck, why is talking about this starting to make me feel like vomiting?!

"ugh, Honestly, I don't remember much after the braver remember of the hospital staff took me down and dosed me with something to knock me out." of course, the last thing I did remember exactly was the final sting of the syringe to take me out of the world of hurt I was literately in.

"I see," Twilight paused, she took notice of the change in my mood before turning towards her friends, before she could speak I opened my mouth again,

"And you know whats funny?" I asked looking at each of them.

"And that is?" one of them replied.

"I forgot my meds." I cracked a smile with a weak chuckle.

"YOU MEAN THESE?!" as voice erupted seemingly out of no where.

Looking around I noticed that It didn't come from no pony in the room, "uh, who said that?" I asked aloud.

"Pills here!" a pair of pink hooves popped up from nowhere next to me, looking at them, I noticed the pill bottle sitting in the middle of the hooves. Grabbing them, I looked at the prescription label printed on the side:

PATIENT, ANON D.
TAKE TWO TABLETS EVERY
FOUR TO SIX HOURS
AS NEEDED FOR PAIN

Ibuprofen, 800 Mg Tab

QTY ~~30~~ 60

They didn't even bother to ask for my real name, niiice; "well, these are my pil-"

"Your welcome!" A pink blur glompped me in a hug. I could only blink in surprise as this new pony held me in a rather painless, tight, hug.

"Thaaanks?" I looked at the pony puzzled as she let go and hopped over to Apple jack's side. Not sure what was more weird, the fact that this multi-shade pink pony with bushy mane and tail had appeared out of nowhere or the fact that I was the only one surprised by this, they only giggled from their friend's behavior. I glance around my chair to see if there was a trap door of any kind, "The fu-How did you get in here?!"

"My secret!" She smiled broadly with a displaced squee, "SO, you're Thee Jefferson Revere?!" she asked excitedly, "The human whopracticallyalkwedoutoftheeveryfreeforestwithsomeNaaastylifethreateninginjuries?!" Jesus girl, breath!

"Holy crap, b-buut, yeah, uh you're right, that is me," I smiled back awkwardly, "Doubt there is-"

"Of course it is you! YOU ARE the only human in equestria," she blurred up close to me, putting a hoof next to her mouth, "Trust me, I've checked."

"Wha-?"

"SO, what brings you out here aside from being invited over by twilight?" She asked abruptly as she put an arm around me, I think I'm going to need those pills now.

"Well, Not sure, this is my first full day outside the hospital," Was all I could reply with as my brain swam with confusion, "Say, Can ya let me up so I can get some water," I gestured by shaking the bottle slightly, "Gonna need these."

"Don't move, I'll get it," Flutter shy was the first to speak up as she took off for the kitchen.

During the pink pony's outburst, Twilight had brought out some seating for her friends, she had long vanished into mentioned kitchen at this point. She then returned with a tray of refreshments that looked welcoming but my stomach cowered in my intestine out of fear of throwing it self out of my mouth.

"Here you go everypony." she chimed returning. over looking the crazy one, I noted the seating had been arranged around the coffee table in the middle of the living room. I honestly didn't expect to be sitting in on a get-together, then again, I AM the center of attention for today. "I see you've made it Pinkie." She greeted her rather bubbly, energetic friend.

"OF course Twilight! Why would I miss out on this little party to welcome the Crash victim."

"Crash victim?" I looked at her again confused on how she knew that, "how did you-?"

"Jeff, Best not ta think 'bout it, could only make it worse." A.J. gestured to me, trying to put me at ease.

"Anyway, girls, If I may have your attention," Flutter shy had returned, fluttering over to me with a cup in hoof, "oh thanks, forgot about that."

"Here you go." She kindly smiled at me before taking her seat.

Taking a moment to open the bottle to dump out two beefy tablets. Twisting the cap back on I took the tablets and chased them down with the water, "I have to ask," I leaned forward to put the cup down on the table, that took some effort though as the obvious muscles stretched stiffly.

"Why was I brought out here? I mean, I don't mind being invited over to someone's house just after being released but," I paused, "Couldn't of at least wait till I was feeling a little more better?"

"Simple, No pony shouldn't be stuck in a rickety place like that," Twilight was first to reply and of course, she had one of her tomes propped up on a book stand facing her with a quill in her levitation scribbling more crap on those pages, "Well, At least not all day." Feeling sheepish, I had to nod in agreement to that logic.

Back there, that house would probably be more like a green house than anything and cook me into a puddle of sweat while I lay in bed writhing in pain, alone and- well she does have a point there! As I felt the water had curbed my need to dry heave I helped my self to one of those glasses of lemonade that was made for everypony in the room.

"Of course, I guess you have a point there and the rest of you?" I looked to each of them.

"Because Darling," Rarity, seemingly forgetting my words from before, was next to speak, "We herd the story of a creature had been admitted to the hospital about a week ago. So when Twilight had said she was bringing you out here, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet someone so, unique, (but very open mouth)." she mumbled something else into her cup before taking a sip of her tea.

"She's riaht though,' Apple Jack nodded, "We've seen and met all sorts of critters in these parts but never had we seen anypony like you." My brain was still grasping their terminology as I tried to stop my self from correcting the Pony on using 'someone' instead of 'somepony'. I simply stayed quiet as I listened.

"I guess, I should be honored to be considered 'unique' then," I noticed Pinkie had reached into her mane and pulled out a perfect looking cupcake before nibbling on it, listening with great interest. Gotta remember to just accept her randomness I guess, "Not often I also get invited to anywhere by complete strangers, if you don't mind me saying that."

"Oh no worries," Shy smiled, "That is one thing we are good at is to make others feel welcome to ponyville."

"Well that is sweet of you guys, however, I think the hospital staff would think otherwise."

"Oh don't sweat it Jeffy," Rainbow finally spoke up, "They tend to be uptight when they have somepony as head strong as me of course."

"You mean me?"

"Right, did I say that, I mean head strong as you,"

"Like your last stay there Rainbow dash?" Twilight asked with a smirk, "Couldn't tell the last time someone broke into a hospital to steal a book."

"HEY, that book was awesome, I just-"

"-Didn't know how to get another copy else where?" I asked as I took a drink of the lemonade, couldn't help but note the perfect blended flavor of the homemade brew, Guess somepony had taken time to prefect it. With a shrug I turned back to listening to Rainbow Dash who currently was caught dead in her words.

"you can it human! I just-just didn't know how to admit something so embarrassing like reading."

"There is nothing wrong or embarrassing about reading, remember that," Twilight pointed to her before returning her attention to me. That quill writing away only periodically dipping into the neighboring ink well before continuing with out a drop or mistake.

"Anyways," I politely interrupted after a moment of silence, "I guess what comes up next is the five W's." I actually dreaded at the thought of telling them what I did before ending up here. Be kinda hilariously mean to mention that I was hunting with several others before-

"-Of right, of course!" The page on the tome of notes flipped to a plank space while the quill dipped it's tip. As it hovered at the ready, those light magenta eyes locked onto me. "If it is okay, we can start with you?" she asked kindly. The others sat casually while they too showed interest in what will spill out of my mouth. Though of course couldn't help but wonder if they day will be spent learning about me more than me learning about them more.

Before I could shift my lips to form a word, "Where did you come from?" was the first thing brought up.

"Now hold on," I didn't want to be rude but honestly, enough about me for the time being; "Let's not just jump onto the subject about me right away, um," I looked at each of the girls sitting around me, Twilight was the only one who cocked a brow out of slight confusion. "I've only met you girls and of course, only know your names, that is about it."

Again Twilight was about to say something, probably what I was thinking, gesturing her for 'one moment', "So, as exchange of knowing more about my hosts, I'll disclose what led up to me being here."

"Well, I'll start," Twilight quietly huffed, she must of had to pull the breaks on her curiosity train. "As you know Jeff, I'm the owner of this library, um, before that I used to live in Canterlot; the Capital city of Equestria." She explained before levitating a glass of that perfect ratio mixed, lemonade towards her for a sip before setting it down on a corner table next to her. "About a year ago, I was originally only sent here to Ponyville to oversee the progress of the Summer Sun Celebration and-" she paused to look over her friends, "-make friends." she smiled warmly before looking back to me.

"Of course, but back then," Rarity chimed in, "You were more focused on getting the inspection done instead of befriending any of us darling."

"Riight, I was more focused on not only that but getting back to my studies with Princess Celestia."

"I guess something obviously changed that?" Was my only penny for the conversation.

"But of course, after Nightmare Moon's return, gaining the elements and Luna's reformation, I ended up staying here." Twilight nodded as she drifted with her thoughts, I could tell that she was reminiscing about something.

"Of course much more happened between then an now," Apple Jack crushed the budding awkward moment almost on que, "Tha rest of us all live and work 'round this little town of ours so-"

"-well, unlike book worm over there," Rainbow Dash butted in, "Flutter Shy and I moved over here from Cloudsdale, Mainly because there is no pony else that can manage the weather like I can."

"Nor do I in taking care of-"

"Yeah, if ya ain't loungin' on them most of tha day." Apple Jack spoke up, over speaking Flutter shy i noticed; Rainbow Dash snapped a glare at the orange mare.

"Buck you! You know as well that this town would match the Everfree's weather if It isn't me keeping those wild clouds out."

"True, but ya have to also realize that is somethin' ta stay on top of otherwise-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Rainbow finally waved the subject away, "I'm still best flyer here." she folded her arms looking away from Apple Jack with a snob nose to the air.

"Anyways girls," I lifted a hand to them, "What were you going to say Flutter shy?" I gestured towards her who almost shrank from my gaze as if she didn't expect me to turn her attention on to her.

"Oh, um," she paused, gaining some courage in her demeanor, "Like Rainbow said, I moved into a cottage outside of Ponyville to take care of-"

"-She takes care of any hurt animals like some anima-"

"Rainbow!!" Rarity and Twilight interrupted the jock.

"Sorry!" she shot her arms to the air.

"Please continue," I nodded to Shy who briefly looked towards the floor bashfully grinding a hind hoof into the floor boards before her wide eyes looked up at me.

"Um, I take care of any stray or Injured wild life that come to me, as well ask for their help when we want to, well uh, organize special occasions."

"So, kinda like a local veterinarian."

"Uh-huh."

"That's Awesome, not everybody can have a hand, or hoof, in taking care of animals." then again, never would I really think that a hors-I mean pony would take care of lesser sentient animals. Kinda kicks "das Uber race" Idea in the face with this fact.

"Thanks." the blonde Pegasus blushed.

"Now how about-" The pink blur appared next to me again.

"I'm in charge of that adorable little place called the sugar cube corner here in ponyville." Pinkie Pie began as she wrapped an arm around me, "gesturing" with the other fore hoof; "I mean sure Mr. and Mrs. Cake are the true owners but I'm the head baker, best stuff around if you ask me (Tee Hee)!"

"Aaand I can guess that you sample your work-"

"Oh every time I just can't help my self ya know? Noteveryponywouldknowgoodhoofworkunlesstheytrytheirmasterpiecesthemselves!"

That's when I believe part of her brain is part flesh and part sugar.

"Hmm, Nah, but at least three fourths sugar."

"Wait what?"

"Oh nothing." She grinned with a shrug, a glint of mischief twinkled in her eyes.

Shaking the confusion away, I looked at the rest, "Never mind her randomness Jeffy." Apple Jack joined in, "We tend to naught to pay attention tah some of her jibber jab from time to time."

"Of course," I gave my self a mental message as I tried to not let it crash from failing to understand any of this, thankfully the eight mils helped numb the confusion, or headache, trying to take hold.

"Now, if anypony would mind I would like to say my part as well." She gave the others a glance before clearing her throat before continuing, "So, if anypony had told ya yet, but I live outside of town on an orchard farm, SweetApple acres," At first, I thaught her accent was faked but naow I'm convinced that she is genuine; great, even my thoughts are starting to catch that accent too.

"Tha finest apples you'll fine anywhere in Equestria." She boasted, "When ya'll walkin' fine again, feel free ta come by and I'll intraduce ya to tha rest of the Apple family; hardest workers ya will evar meet, naught ta mention the long line of apple recipes to cook it up with such as-" she was interrupted with the sound of Rarity clearing her throat.

"I believe that will take till sun down to list everything."

"Well, what ya'll heard bafore was just what I can memorized."

"Right, anyways darling, I think we should move on before we get to caught up in family secrets." Apple Jack gave the fashionista a glaring frown but shrugged it off shaking her head with a slight smile since that maybe she too was interested in what I have to say.

I paused for a second then shrugged, well, got no choice now do I? "Aside from being released from the hospital here in, ponyville was it? I was originally from a no-namer town called Merlin. Located in the Rouge Valley of Southern Oregon." I nodded trying to answer as best as I could, "But I moved up the I-5 into a nightmare of a city called Medford for better work but even then, It was difficult since the Economy had to kick us all in the nuts when they pulled the stamps program."

"Wait, What?" Twilight had been obviously copying everything down since I started, "Hold on, where is this Oregon you mention, and these towns-"

"What's a stamps program?" Pinkie tilted her head to think at first then melded into a look of a concentrated researcher as she stroked her chin as if she had a beard.

"Such words to describe something like the economy." Rarity quipped rolling her eyes at the choice of language.

"Well, Twilight and friends," I raised a hand to them, call for silence and their attention again, "Oregon is one of the West Coastal states of a Country called the United States of America." I explained with a hint of sarcasm when the name of my country came up, "As for the stamps program, I was mainly refuring to a governmental control SN-"

"Kinda like a food-for-all kind of gig right?" The pink mare interrupted cheerfully, "I mean, no real long would let their fellow ponies starve no matter the walk of life they trot."

"Uhhh, yeah, thanks." I then forced my brain to pull it self back together, "Riight, so, like she said, the stamps comes from that and as of late, by some ungodly decision to save money, it was pulled." Thinking about it, politics shouldn't stick it's nastiness into this conversation, "Anyways, long story short, I live in a world decaying into chaos, a shadow of it's former shelf. What I was doing during this was, well after riding out of the storm of the December food riots, me and a few neighbors decide to take matters into our own hands and try to provide food for our selves."

"Oh, you're going to answer one of my questions!" Flutter shy perked up.

"Riots," Twilight pondered, "Sounded like everything just fell apart during those dark times."

"That they did, so," I continued, "what we did was go out into the mountains, set up camp somewhere and just hunt for whatever we can find."

"Whaaat? H-Hunt?" Flutter shy suddenly looked like she was regretting her excitement, "You mean-"

"Yes, We hunted down animals for food, not just for the few us but for whoever needed it."

"Those, poor little things." she paled as she sank in and slowly out of her seat.

"Come on Shy," Both rainbow and AJ gave her a hoof back into her seat, "We know that anypony would do anything to survive if there was a famine."

"But hurting animals-" She quietly whined.

"Settle, Settle, we did our best to not waste anything when we gu-" Twilight cleared her throat nosily,

"Jeff, shall we?" she butted in giving me that move along look.

"Right, Right, Sorry; anyways, when we all had our share and determined that we did find enough to bring back, we loaded up and headed home." I continued, dropping the detail that every animal we hunted was cleaned and smoked at the camp site. "We stayed close for a ways but after we ventured down off the mountains, that's when, well-" I drifted off, "-we got separated." I felt a cold knot in my chest as I tried to remember the events following after that.

The Crash

"And," I paused, I felt my nerves starting to act up, "An-" I couldn't speak, something was wrong, really wrong.

"Jeff? are you okay?" one of the girls asked, couldn't tell who it was as their voices started to swirl into a muffled hum.

"And, that's, well-" My chest felt heavy; I tried to take another sip of the drink but as the glass touched my lips- I was twitching, no, shaking. Why where my hands shaking? Then my mind started to replay fragments of the whole ordeal that occurred while out there in the forest. "The rest is history." I forced out of my mouth as breathing was getting heavy, "Excuse me-" the glass fell from my hands as I shot out of the chair.

The Journey

"Jeff?!"

"Oh buck-"

"Whats wrong?!"

"Are you ok-"

The bathroom was easy to locate and their voices were silenced with the door slamming behind me. I found the sink first, I forced my hands to cooperate as I turned the water then started splashing my face with cold water to maybe snap my self out of it. Boy that didn't work, every time the water connected with my face, I felt the rain. I quickly turned the water off; looking up- oh god, my face was pale, my eyes dilated and were wide.

Widen with fear.

The Wolves

I looked back into the bowl of the sink, adverting my gaze from looking at my petrified self. My mind was racing with a mash of thoughts, my heart pounded, my lungs heaved. Every time I tried to blink, close my eyes or even rub my face, images of muzzle flashes, glowing eyes and large beasts blurred by with each blink.

The Monsters

I felt weak, I felt everything as if I did before, in that fucking forest: racked with starvation, wrecked with pain from barely recovered injuries.
Those, those beasts, the hybrid that almost broke my back. The hydra that almost saw me, then that fucking river snake thing that tried to pull me under.

Surviving, Last Stand

I felt only one familiar sensation in my stomach that caused me to bend over the toilet. As I spilled my gut's contents into the ivory's bowl water, I herd what sounded like thunder to my left before I saw something move in my peripheral. As I looked I saw the world change in an eye blink.

The badly made barricades I threw together where almost destroyed aside by the half of one that stood standing after those dogs attacked me again.

I was back in the Everfree Forest, it was dark, cold and I was with out a single round to fend them off, I had ran hard and they just kept chasing me. Those glowing red eyes peering into me.

The Black Smoke Horses

Thier Smokey exteriors encasing skeletons that I could see under the pulse of lightning.
I simply forced all will into my weak legs and ran for it.

But here, some how they found me. " stay back!" I shouted at them. I grabbed and leveled the high power at them, however when I tried to fire, the pistol clicked on empty. "Stay back you fuckin' monsters!"

"..ff!" I thought I heard something under the crackling snap of thunder, those skeletons blinked through their translucent bodies.
"Nononono. D-Don't!" instead of surrounding me, they remained in a loose single file formation as one of them swapped places with another. This one looked different as it had the body of a unicorn.

"J.ff!" muffled off in the disance, "Ca.......d..wn.....y.....re.....seeing-" my ears pinpointed the source of the noise from the smoke horse that now stood before me.

"Calm d....yo....jus...."

"D-Don't, stay back...."

"Jeff, c..m......Dow......wha...."

"GOD DAMN IT LEAVE ME ALONE!!" I threw the pistol at the horse with a wild burst of strength. The object glanced off the horse's horn. As it backed up, I thought I saw the horse's image flicker before it raised it's head, some sort of magic emanated from it's horn.

"Oh shit, don't you dare!" I scooted back untill my back bumped into something. Now, it seemed that I'm stuck, trapped. Got to get out of here! I forced my self to my feet, I grabbed for the nearest branch off from one of my barricades and snapped it free.

"I, I will not die here!" I seethed before taking a swing at my adversary.
The horse dodged back the flicked it's head towards me. A burst of energy shot towards me.

"No-" was all I could manage seconds before the magic struck me in the face.

********************

II
Twilight Sparkle

I watched as my spell connected with Jeff square in the face. I had little idea on how much ommph was put into the stun spell as the impact alone knocked the poor human off his feet and into the guest bath tub behind him.

He mumbled inaudibly as his eyes rolled gently as they closed; my chest heaved slowly as my breathing regulated back to normal.

As I slumped on my haunches holding my horn as it stung tenderly from the spray bottle he threw at me. For somepony that seemed to of snapped, he had one mean toss. Aside from that, what the hay just happend to this human?

"What in tarterus was that all about?!" Rarity was the first to speak after the dust had settled. I refused to reply at first for I focussed on Jeff even though He was now unconscious (regrettably) thanks to me.

"I haven't the slightest idea sugacube," AJ replied probably as dumbfounded as the rest of us, "but he was wild mad like a bull in a red paint shop!"

I looked back at my friends, each of them, aside from Flutter Shy, who's wide eyes peeked out from under one of the chairs; were shocked from the sparatic change in the human.

"I-I wouldn't nor couldn't explain what happened." I then shook the after shock off and stood up, "But, come on girls, we can't leave him like this." I grabbed him by the shoulders of his shirt with levitation and slowly lifted him out of the tub. By Celestia's mane he is heavy when unconscious!

Trying not to drop him, I eased him up and over the tub before my grip slipped and he thunder face first onto the rug.

"Sorry!" I cringed as I gripped the collar and tried to at least get his already hurt face off the floor. As I struggled with the body, I saw Rarity's light blue magic grip the shirt.

"Let me help you with that darling."

"Thanks." we the hoisted the human off the floor and inched him out of the bath room. As we came further out, Rainbow and Apple Jack helped us carry him over to the lounging sofa; all the while we could hear inaudible mumbling and he would twitch in his forced sleep.

When we got him laid down, "Please tell me he isn't anymore hurt than he is." Flutter Shy's worried voice came from behind us as the little pegasus nudged her way up to the sofa.

Aside from me and shy, everybody else had backed up. I took this chance to examin the extent of his condition:

His breathing was shallow but rapid, he would twitch and flinch with weak groans. It was like he was having a terrible nightmare. The black mark on his face from were my spell had connected with the right side of his entire face emited the faint scent of cinged hair.

"Poor guy, he looks like He is having a rather had dream." Flutter Shy placed a hoof on his forehead to only retract it quickly, "and he is burning up!" she exclaimed worriedly.

"The doctor hadn't mentioned any poisions in his body," I mused partly aloud, "you said he is hot to the touch?" I watched Shy not only checked his head but his arms and wherever his coatless skin was exposed.

"Very," she looked at him then to me, "D-Do you have any idea what could be causing this?"

"No." I stared at him while I mulled over who can help us with this problem. He seemed to writhe in pain as he sqruimed on the sofa, "But we need to start somewhere, starting with Doctor Horse, who orignally took care of him when he first emerged from the forest."

"But didn't ya mentioned that he had a sour additude towards the human?" Apple Jack recited our previous conversation about my first encounter with the hum-I mean Jeff.

"Yes, but at least it'll be a start, Pinkie, do you have-" As I turned to Pinkie Pie, I noticed something off, "-Wait, Where did she go?" Everypony else noticed that she wasn't in the room anymore, usueally typical Pinkie pulling the vanishing mare act but instead of reappearing to cheer us up, she seemed to of just left. In her place, in the chair, was a note or more like one of her trademark envelopes.

"Pinkie," I sighed as I went over to the chair, "What got into you this time?" I picked up the envelope and, with all caution, opened it then braced for it; however, when I opened it completly, it didn't explode like I would expect in a hidden conffety bomb letter, instead a simple letter was inside.

"What? Where's the kaboom?" Rainbow Dash hovered over to me, "Normally there would be a Kaboom of some sort when it comes to Pinkie Pie's trick letters." I removed the letter as I listened, even though it was random to be concerned of a prank not going off when expected, but it can't be the pinkie we knew to just leave a normal letter like this.

"Odd, she wouldn't leave something so generic if she did left to do something else." Way to sum up my thoughts Rairty.

"But she can't just disappeare like this," Rainbow gestured towards the door, "if she did leave, we would of noticed it."

"Girls, shouldn' we remember that its Pinkie we're talkin' 'bout here." Apple Jack pointed out, "I recekon she can be the most quiet when she needs ta be."

"True, but lets not get overworked about her vanishing on us like this." I spoke up after finally speed reading the letter for the third time, "For now, we need to keep track on getting Jeff some help."

"Very true Twilight," Apple Jack nodded, "We should get the doc, like you said it'll be a start to figure out this crazy canumdrum."

"I'll stay with Shy incase he comes to." Rarity volunteered with a raised hoof before turning to Flutter Shy "No offence darling, but you'll need somepony that can handle the human encase he tries to get out."

"None taken Rarity." Flutter Shy peeped in reply.

"Right, and as for you Rainbow?"

"I ain't goin' no where, I'm not passing up the chance to buck the human in the face if he tries to fight any of us."

"Okay, looks like it's just you and me, lets go Jack." I let the letter fall from my magic as we hurried out the door down stairs. As we hurried down the stairs my mind mulled over the words of the letter:

Rain of brass falls upon the darkened land, a lost soul must find its way to not become consumed by the evil within.
fight not the black, run not from the black, but

I couldn't figure out why the rest of the letter was smuged in an illiegable smeer of ink...

Author's Note

Soooo, I think I owe you guys an applogy for the long absence....life kinda drop kicked a double ton brick into my writing efforts.... But I will not give up!! The story must go on!

After scaling writer's block mountain, I managed to write on this with out problem

also, aside from that this chapter was difficult because channeling Cannon Characters (no mater the show/game/etc.) takes a lot of brain power, well, at least to me. The other issue was every time I did write this, the order of the girl's appearance always changed so I had to restart constantly @_@