A Second Chance

by Papa Bear

Rating: mature
Tags: Comedy, Romance, Sex, Suicide / Self Harm, Profanity, Violence, Princess Celestia, Death, Alternate Universe, Human, Narcotics, Anthro, Main 6, Princess Luna, Drama, Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 8265

A human veteran of the Griffon Empire's Legion escapes to Equestria with his sister in the wake of a civil war. Together with his sibling, he strives to make the best of his second chance, all while being haunted by the past that follows him.

Old cover art at https://www.deviantart.com/gogofan/art/A-shower-of-emotions-741588010

A former legionnaire of the Griffon Kingdom, Walter Barnes, along with his older sister, immigrate to Equestria after war breaks out in their homeland. Although he fully intends to make the best of his second chance at life in a new country, Walter can't help but find himself surrounded by mystery after moving into a house shared by six roommates, all of which just so happen to be the Elements of Harmony. While battling his inner demons, Walter desperately tries to move forward and put his haunting past behind him, unaware of the adversity that awaits him.

Published 2015-12-03 01:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2020-09-27 23:34:29 UTC

Prologue: Turn the Page

Prologue

I don't know where to begin, so I'll just begin the story by jumping back in time. I ran away from home around four years ago, and ever since then I'd been bouncing from city to city, town to town, I've even set up camp in the smack dab of the Badlands near the dragon territories. You could say that I was working through a lot of problems, but that's another story all together.

I had moved to Ponyville once I turned eighteen so I could officially settle down without the worry of waking up to red and blue lights outside whatever hotel or inn I would've been staying at during my travels.

About a month later after I settled in Ponyville I had heard from the local librarian that some college was holding an open entrance exam that anybody, or anypony, could take regardless of their background. Considering the closest I came to education was the occasional book or two that I'd read during my past journeys, I was more than curious of the open exams.

Deciding that, since I'm old enough, I might as well get an official education. And so I studied as much as I could before taking the exam. I passed, surprisingly enough. I don't know how, I mean I never had been good with absorbing when it comes to the more important subjects, yet somehow I managed to get the passing grade of seventy-five points.

And so, after I got through some paperwork and other procedures, I was finally enrolled and ready to start. And that's where you find me now, seated on one of many chairs lined against the wall outside of the principal's office, waiting for further instructions on what it is I am to do, watching videos of people hurting themselves on the internet.

There was sudden movement to the right of me where the door to the principal's office was, so I paused what I was watching and turned my phone off, tucking it away and pulling out my earbuds so I was at full attention.

"Mr. Barnes, correct?" Mrs. Windspeak asked, offering me a friendly smile as she looked up from her clipboard, clutching a feather-pen between her fingertips in preparation just in case she must write something on her clipboard.

"Yes, that's me" I replied, standing up, immediately dwarfing her in comparison.

I could sense that she was a bit intimidated by my size, a lot of ponies are. There aren't many humans in Equestria, last time they did a poll in order to determine the human population, the results came to be around two-hundred and fifty thousand, which is quite a small number compared to the millions of other ponies, and the millions of other races.

Humans come in fourth on the list of biggest race; first is Dragon, second is minotaur, and third is griffin. I've seen tall ponies too, don't get me wrong, it's just that there aren't very many tall ponies other than that red stallion I'd see in the Ponyville market every now and then before I was enrolled.

"Mrs. Parchment shall see you now" she responded, as she beckoned me to follow her inside the office.

Mrs. Windspeak and Mrs. Parchment are a married couple from what I've heard, they're both extremely attractive mares, their bodies were perfectly curved and made even their casual office apparel look as if it were some sort of dirty costume one would buy for an intimate night with their significant other. As far as I can determine, since I've hit puberty, I've noticed that pretty much every mare I've encountered looks like they're about to film a porno.

The scariest thing about demihuman females though, is that they have extremely powerful senses, and because of that I've had to develop the ability to obscure my libido so they won't be able to pick up on it. You have no idea how hard it was for me to do this when I was ten, I got as low as spying on my stepmom and sister, but thankfully I've evolved since then.

Moving on...

I followed Mrs. Windspeak into the office, quickly drawing my eyes away from her ass and meeting the gaze of Mrs. Parchment who sat behind her large desk, a small smile on her face. Unlike most human women, mares use magic to make themselves look good rather than makeup, which in comparison makes lipstick and powder appear to be obsolete.

"Walter Barnes, it's with pleasure that I can say to you: Welcome to Sunny Rays Academy, I do hope you'll find your time here worth while. Remember that we work for you, so if there's ever an issue you can come to me and I'll do my best to resolve that issue" Mrs. Parchment said as she handed me my student ID.

"Thank you a lot, Mrs. Parchment, I have to say I didn't expect to actually be accepted..." I responded with a short bow of my head, taking the ID, tucking it into my shirt pocket.

"Oh? Why do you say that Mr. Barnes?" Mrs. Parchment asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Well, I'm... Not smart, not smart at all... I never had an official education, you see..." I replied, lowering my head a bit more in shame.

"Mr. Barnes, that's what you're here to fix, is it not?" she inquired, crossing one of her legs.

"Y-Yes, you could say that"  I replied, gazing down at my hands, fiddling with my fingers like it was a thing to do.

"Mr. Barnes, if I may explain..." Mrs. Parchment began, clearing her throat as she stood up and walked over beside me, placing her hand gently on my shoulder.

"There are several different programs tied to SRA; you see, not everypony is perfect, and so we develop special programs for each and every individual that attends the entrance exams. Your case is special you see, it requires a whole new program but that shouldn't be an issue. You lack quite a lot of common education, although it seems you self-taught yourself the the important basics in order to survive as far as you have in life. You really are an interesting man Mr. Barnes, and so that's why I've come up with just the right program for you" she explained, leaning down and resting her hand on my head, patting it gently.

"U-Uh... Thank you...?" I replied, unsure of how I was supposed to respond.

She chuckles softly, a blush forming on her cheeks as she began to stroke my hair, which began to throw up a few red flags here and there.

"Dear, must you tease the boy?" Mrs. Windspeak sighed as she stepped up and gently bonked Mrs. Parchment on the head.

"I can't help it love, he's so adorable!" Mrs. Parchment replied, giggling quietly as she straightened herself out.

"Right... Moving on" Mrs. Windspeak cleared her throat, giving her significant other a scolding glare before focusing her attention on me, offering a sheepish smile as I returned the offer with my own awkward grin.

"Mr. Barnes, I've taken the liberty of appropriating a guide compass for you, since you're new here at the academy you can use the compass to navigate to your desired destination simply by speaking the name of the location. I've already programmed it to lead you to your designated dorm" Mrs. Windspeak explained, handing me a rather normal looking compass that had a blue glowing arrow which pointed towards what I'd assume to be the direction of my dorm.

"Thank you" I said with a smile, taking it in my hands delicately, observing it before tucking it onto my shirt pocket along with my ID.

"Oh, one more thing Mr. Barnes..." Mrs. Parchment spoke, clearing her throat as she sat back down behind her desk, browsing through a few files.

"Yes?" I asked, tilting my head at her.

"I'm aware that you have certain mental illnesses, as so it says in your files... I've arranged sessions with certain experts, the schedule of which you meet with them is in this file, I suggest you keep it somewhere safe" Mrs. Parchment says as she hands me the enclosed file.

"I... Understand" I said with a sigh, taking the file, tucking it under my arm.

"I know that mental illnesses are uncomfortable topics of discussion Mr. Barnes... But unlike what most may believe, mental illness is just as serious as physical illness, and is much more harder to deal with... On behalf of me and my wife, Windspeak, we personally want to inform you that you are not alone..." Mrs. Parchment spoke, a look of empathy on her and Mrs. Windspeak's face.

"I know... I know" I sighed, looking over at them.

"Mr. Barnes--" I raised my hand, cutting off Mrs. Windspeak.

"Look, I'm aware of the danger. I already heard what Principal Parchment said before only through different eyes and spoke in different words. I've dealt with this most of my life, and it's nothing that you need to concern yourselves with... If I've survived this long then I can survive longer, can't I?" I said as I crossed my arms.

"Mr. Barnes, it's just not that simple... Nobody is that strong; no pony, no griffin, no minotaur, and certainly no human can withstand such a burden... In the report it says that you deny any medication?" Mrs. Parchment inquired.

"It doesn't help, none of it does. The medicine I was taking might as well been empty capsules" I said as I turned away and headed towards the door.

"Mr. Barnes, whether or not you deny or accept medication is completely out of your control in this situation, as well as mine. This academy was founded as a way of helping individuals such as yourself, you have to put some faith in us. What ever medicine you may have taken in the past may have been the generic brand, however the insurance provided by the school uses natural magic infused medicine. The medication we provide covers your conditions Mr. Barnes, I'm afraid that if you do not accept the medication that you will have to resign from the academy..." Mrs. Parchment explained to me as she walked around her desk and rested her hand on my shoulder.

I let out a deep exhale, and began to weigh my options inside my head. I needed the opportunities this school can provide me. Sure I may not really know what I want to improve, but still if I don't act now I'll just be the same old outcast living off the land without a bed of my own to rest my head on, if I even have the chance to sleep on a bed. I can't let my stubbornness ruin all I've worked for now, I have to compromise.

"Alright, alright... I'll do it" I said in a quiet and calm voice, looking back and down at Mrs. Parchment, who must have been a whole foot shorter than me.

"I'm glad to hear that Mr. Barnes, I can feel that you don't trust medication that much, but I can assure you that the medication provided to you is from a reliable pony" she said, offering a friendly smile.

I looked over at her silently, looking into her eyes, searching for any trace of deception, not like I could see it unless she made it painfully obvious. I gave a low sigh before offering a friendly smile in return, making the air around the two mares noticeably lighter.

"Now then, you have the compass, if you need anymore help don't hesitate to find me, Mrs. Windspeak, or any other staff of the academy. We'll always be glad to help you" Mrs. Parchment said as she walked with me out of her office with Mrs. Windspeak at her side.

"Thanks, sorry about being all... You know" I replied, blushing slightly as I scratched my scruffy chin.

"Don't worry, it's okay" Mrs. Windspeak assured me, smiling warmly along with Mrs. Parchment before I walked away from the office shortly after the door closed shut.

I let out a deep sigh once I exited the office. I knew that it was required in the interview before the entrance exam to report any at all medical issues, whether it be mental or physical, I just hoped that it wouldn't be brought up; I guess it's kind of foolish to think such a thing when you have all sorts of nuts loose in your brain like I do. They probably just think that they should get on my good side or else I'll go bonkers and rampage like a drunk minotaur, but I guess it's also kinda rude to think like that when most ponies, especially mares, are extremely empathetic.

I pulled out the compass guide that Mrs. Windspeak had given me, looking it over before deciding to just walk in the general direction that the arrow on the compass pointed. It reminded me of that guide arrow that you would see in video games, pointing the player in the right direction just in case they get lost.

"Man... I still can't believe it. This place is beautiful... I almost feel like this is just some cruel joke, that me, a human is accepted into a school filled mostly with demihumans like ponies, griffins, and minotaurs!" I mumble to myself as I exit through twin doors leading onto a sidewalk that cuts through the middle of the courtyard.

Stares, lots and lots of stares. Another thing to get used to when there are so few humans in the world in comparison to all the demihumans. I almost felt like an anti-celebrity, the kind of person that gets unwanted popularity. I guess it can't be helped, but still, the least they could do is have some damn decency.

"Excuse me! Sir!" I heard a mare's voice call out.

I stopped in my tracks, blinking as I turned around to see chocolate brown mare with dark brown hair and pink highlights jog up to me. She was around five foot ten, with deep blue-green eyes, thick eyelashes, puffy lips, curvy hips, and more junk in her trunk than she had in her chest. On her hip I could see a cutie-mark of a newspaper peeking out from her denim short shorts.

"Um... Hi?" I spoke, unsure of what to say as she gazed up at me with a look of awe and excitement.

"Oh, yes! My name is Rudy Ruby! I'm a new member of the campus newspaper club! I would love to get an interview with you... You... Mr... Human?" the mare introduced herself, dropping the ball a bit when it came to asking me my name.

"Walter, my name is Walter" I replied, perking my brow as I looked down at her.

"Ah yes! Walter! What's your full name?" she asked, writing every word of our conversation down on her notebook.

"Uh... Walter Jeremy Barnes?" I replied while she jotted it down on her notebook.

"You're a pretty big dude! What's your size?" Rudy asked, craning her neck briefly before looking back down at her notepad to write my answer down while I spoke it.

"Size? Er... Uh. I'm six foot eight, four-hundred pounds, if that's what you're asking?" I responded, making her 'ooh' and 'ah' as she quickly scribbled it down.

"Do you work out? Do you play any sports? What's your major here at SRA?" Rudy asked, eagerness filling her expression.

"Yes, I work out at Buffy's Weight-House in the southern district of Ponyville. It may be a bit of a walk from the academy but still the quality of the gym is pretty nice. I do play a few sports on occasion: football, basketball, wrestling, and boxing, although most of those sports are just hobbies. My major? Well, I was thinking about becoming a musician... Is that good enough?" I responded, answering her to the best I could manage.

"A musician? That's interesting! What instrument do you specialize in?" Rudy asked.

"Well, I mostly do guitar and piano, but I can do vocals" I responded, scratching the back of my head with a shy blush.

"Where did you learn how to play and sing?" she asked, giggling at my coy behavior.

"Well, I was on the road a lot in my younger days, and I was alone for quite some time so I just learned how to play by simply practicing. I can't read music sheets, I just pretty much play based on sound-memory" I explained, causing her eyes to sparkle.

"Truly the way of true artist! Now then, what's your relationship status?" Rudy asked, smirking slightly as she awaited my answer.

"Uh... Single?" I replied, looking at her confused.

"Say... This wont go on the paper but... How big is your package?" Rudy asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"...I beg your pardon?" I asked, my face turning extremely dark red.

"Your package, your dong, your one-eyed monster, Mr. Happy, Anaconda, your third leg!" Rudy rambled on in a hushed tone.

"U-Uh... I'm sorry, perhaps we can finish this interview some other time? I really have to find my dorm and check in with the dorm mother. I had a long day today so I'd also like to try and relax" I said as I began to back away, giving her an apologetic wave.

"Oh! I see, shy guy huh? Don't worry, we can discuss that sort of thing some other time, perhaps get a few cans of cider ale and chillax at my crib?" she offered, staring at me with inviting bedroom-eyes.

"I-I'd love to, perhaps sometime after I'm adjusted... But non-alcoholic beverages are preferred, I'm underage you see" I explained, causing her to blink in confusion.

"Eh? How old are you?" She asked, preparing her pencil and notebook.

"Well, I just recently turned eighteen this year so... Yeah" I said, blushing as I scratched the back of my head.

"Eighteen!? Damn boy you are pretty damn well stocked for an eighteen year-old boy! Seriously, look at those arms! Those legs, those pecs! You're built like a tank!" she exclaimed, feeling all over my body with her nimble hands.

"Y-Yeah, anyways, I gotta go! See you around Rudy!" I yelped, quickly taking off in a fast-paced jog, following the arrow in the general direction of my dorm's location.

"Oh, okay then! See you later hubby!" Rudy called out, waving as I quickly disappeared from her sight.

I stopped running as soon as I left the campus grounds and approached the dormitory sector of the SRA estate. The dormitory sector is basically like a community, a suburb neighborhood where students and staff alike can live while attending the academy. From what I've seen on the brochure there's four of these communities on the northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast ends of the estate. Each community holds around twenty-thousand people, and each dorm house has up to ten roommates.

"Man... Now I really feel like I don't belong... These dorm houses are more like mansions! I'm just an idiot, what the hell am I doing here?" I mumble to myself as I walk through the neighborhoods, once again being stared at by most of the residents.

I believe this is Dorm Sector C on the Southwest part of the estate if I remember correctly, plus the big 'C' painted on the central road that I happen to be walking down. The people in these communities, mainly demihumans of course, often ride bikes if they don't have wings or magic to help them get from place to place. There aren't very many vehicles other than a motorcycle, moped, or motorized bike.

"Hey! Big fella!" I heard rather gruff sounding mare call out from behind me.

I paused in my footsteps, turning around to see a short five foot four inch light-gray mare jogging up from behind me. She was a pegasus, which I found odd considering how she was wearing the usual skin-tight black jogging outfit that hugged her curvy body quite well, although I could tell she had a bit of extra weight on her but damn she still looked smoking hot. As a guy with love-handles, extra weight never hurt anything... Unless you're me and you weigh four-hundred pounds.

"See something you like?" the winged mare asked, noticing how I was just foolishly ogling at her appearance.

"E-Eh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare... Um, did you need something from me?" I asked, blushing coyly.

"Yeah, you're that new kid Barnes right? I'm the director of sector C, you can call me Ms. Blue" the mare said, offering a friendly smile as she extended her hand.

"A-Ah yes, I'm the new guy, you can call me Walter" I said with an awkward smile, taking her small delicate hand with my much larger bear-like paw.

"My my, such big hands for a young boy! Let me see, you're looking for your house right?"  Ms. Blue asked, as she took my hand into hers, examining it like some shiny artifact.

"U-Uh, right. This place is so big and intimidating... I feel so small and obsolete" I said with a coy smile, rubbing the back of my head with my free hand.

"Aw, that's so cute. So hey, where's all your luggage?" Ms. Blue asked, looking up at me.

"Right here" I said, gesturing to my back where my old Great War backpack used by human infantry.

"Oh! How vintage! But wait... Is that all?" she asked, tilting her head at me.

"Yeah... All of my life belongings are in here. I was a nomad in my youth, I never stayed in one place for too long" I said with a small blush.

"Youth? You talk like my grandpa, and I'm nearing my forties!" Ms. Blue chuckled, before looking up at me with a bit of an empathetic expression.

"By nomad, you mean... You were on your own as a child?" she asked, tilting her head.

"It's... A long story" I explained, scratching my scruffy chin.

"Ah, I see. Well then Walter, how about I lead you to your new home and I'll head back to my office and finish your settlement papers?" Ms. Blue offered, hugging my arm close to her chest, her breasts pressing against my arm.

"A-Ah, sure, thanks" I replied, looking away to hide a dark blush rousing on my features. I swear to god that ninety percent of the female population make it their goal in life to tease innocent young men!

"So Walter, you're single, correct?" Ms. Blue asked as she twirled her finger in her curly silver mane.

"U-Uh, yeah, why do you ask?" I say, a sense of deja vu washing over me.

"Ah, that's too bad" Ms. Blue said with a small sigh.

"Eh? What do you mean by that?" I asked, looking down at the winged mare.

"Well, you see. Mares are often looking for mates, and since the female to male ration is rather... Troubling, females are often aggressive when it comes to romantic relationships, that's why herds are formed to compromise and satisfy more than one female. To cut a long story short, big manly guys like you that are single are hard to come by... Be on your guard, even though sexual relationships are forbidden on the academy estate, that doesn't mean females wont try to drag you off academy grounds to make you their hubby, understand?" Ms. Blue explained as she drew circles on my chest with her index finger.

"That's... Scary to hear. How come I never noticed this back in Ponyville? I lived there for quite some time before I moved to the academy"  I responded, looking at her with a befuddled expression.

"Well that's because there are far more matured mares in Ponyville with husbands, wives, or other means to satisfy themselves. Ever since the whole blending of cultures with those of separate races falling in love and coupling together the search for a lover crises isn't as bad as it has been, however you're dealing with a bunch of young females that aren't that much older than you Walter, they basically want to be as crazy as possible before they have to become some classy matured lady such as myself" Ms. Blue explained with a small chuckle.

"...So I basically walking into one big ass estrogen Molotov cocktail?" I asked, a cold shiver running up my spine.

"Yeah, sucks to be you" Ms. Blue giggled before she stopped our walking outside one large house at the end of a cul-de-sac, where music could be heard being played as well as the sound of several female voices arguing.

"Thanks for the encouragement Ms. Blue" I said in a sarcastic tone as we approached the house at the end of the bay.

"This is it!" she said with a grin, patting me on the back, pushing me forward. For a short mare like herself, she has quite the strength.

"What? This place!?" I exclaimed, looking back at her with shock.

"Yup, have fun! I got work to do!" She said before turning around and quickly sprinting off at high speed, using her wings to drive herself forward even faster.

"I WILL GET YOU FOR THIS!" I shouted, growling lowly before letting out a sigh.

There was no going back now, this is the life I was going to have. Although it would be the dream of any normal guy to be surrounded by horny women, no matter what race they are, but this was just ridiculous. For fucks sake I'm still a kid! I just recently turned eighteen this year! I'm not ready for the wild college life! I thought this place would be more... Serious, but no, it's much scarier than that.

I took a deep breath in, swallowing what fear or hesitation I had and just forced my body to walk up the stepping stones leading to the large mansion-esque house, finding it quite humorous how I was a few inches taller than the frame of the front door. I took a few moments to listen in and see what the commotion inside was all about, however the music playing inside was a bit too loud for me to comprehend any of the voices.

After about a full three minutes of standing there in silence, my heart beating like I just ran a marathon, sweat beading down my face like a waterfall, I decided to man up and weakly knock on the door. Nobody seemed to hear my knock, of course, so I then reached for the doorbell, ringing it twice. That seemed to catch their attention, because the voices stopped and the music quickly silenced.

Before I could register anything, I was suddenly met with the sudden blunt force of a door striking me in the face, followed by a loud and soft pink blob that tackled me to the ground in what I assumed to be a welcoming hug, however I couldn't make out much what the pink blob was saying since I had blacked out seconds after the door struck me in the cranium.

Everything was pretty much darkness and pain after that.

Chapter 1: Empathy

Chapter 1

A flash of pink, that's all I could think about before everything went dark. I remember everything before hand: I remember arriving at the academy, talking with the director and assistant director of the academy, and lastly being guided through the neighborhood by Ms. Blue to this conspicuous looking house... Well it was more like a small mansion, but I digress.

By the time I awoke, I found myself laid out on a couch with a soft weight on my chest. I took a moment to stretch and pluck the crust of sleep from my eyes before glancing down to see what was resting on my torso, only to find that there was a small tortoise sleeping peacefully with what appeared to be a content expression on its face.

"Um...?" I groaned quietly, rubbing my aching head-- which by the way, did I mention it hurt like hell? I must've hit my head on the concrete sidewalk after I was tackled to the ground.

The shelled animal remained undisturbed despite my movements, slept like a rock, and was heavy like one too. I carefully lifted the small tortoise from my chest so I could sit up without disturbing its slumber. I then carefully placed him on the couch pillow I'd been resting my head on before I woke up. Once I was sure the shelled animal wasn't about to wake up anytime soon, I stood up and stretched once more, looking around to orientate myself.

I was in quite the fancy living room, too fancy for my taste in all honesty-- I prefer a humble decor with simple furnishings and necessities, but I guess I'm not really in a position to complain about it; I just feel like whoever scheduled me to live here is being way too generous for a guy who hasn't had legit education since middle school, and I didn't even finish middle school I ran away before I could. I'm not even sure how to describe the looks of the living room, let alone the rest of the house, because half the crap I see I don't even know the name of it.

"Oh, I see somebody's awake?"  came a gruff female voice from the kitchen.

I turned my head to see a rather fit-looking mare standing in the kitchen, only her top-half being visible considering she was peeking out at me through the opening of the kitchen's bar. She's a cyan mare, light blue fur, and same colored wings protruding from her back. She had a bright rainbow-colored mane that was tied up in a bun, she probably did that so she could exercise considering that she was clad in what would best be described as 'yoga apparel'. She gazed at me with a small smirk, sipping from a glass of some sort of health juice, staring at me with her bright rose-hued eyes.

"Um, yeah, I'm awake. What happened?" I responded after a moment of gazing at her blankly, a bit astonished by her beauty-- and the fact that a beautiful mare like herself would allow me anywhere within a hundred feet of her, after all I'm a human, not even a good looking one at that.

She chuckled, her smile growing larger after she finished chugging down her health drink, which from my guess looked like liquidized wheat-grass or some other health food.

"You were attacked by Pinkie Pie, or rather, 'properly greeted' as she would put it. Pinky is one of our roommates, you'll have to get used to her-- it took me a while to do so but I managed" the rainbow-maned pegasus explained before beckoning me into the kitchen.

I gave a small shrug and made my way into the large kitchen, deciding to pour myself a glass of water as I conversated with the mare.

"Pinkie Pie? Attacked? Wait, isn't Pinkie Pie that children's entertainer that works at that bakery?" I spoke, taking a drink from my water glass.

"Yes, that'd be her. She's quite energetic and sometimes she forgets the definition of personal space" the rainbow-maned mare said with a chuckle, sitting up on the counter so she'd be somewhat around my height, if I were to take a guess I'd say she's about five foot seven, which was tiny compared to me.

"So what, she decided to tackle me to the ground as a way of greeting me?" I asked with a small laugh.

"Oh that was a small greeting compared to her usual standards" the mare laughed, smiling up at me.

"I'm kinda surprised she managed to tackle me down, I'm quite the heavy-set fellow" I said while drinking more of my water.

"Oh I'm not too surprised, Pinky has no limits-- and I'm pretty sure logic doesn't apply with her either" she said while swinging her feet absentmindedly.

"Oh, I see. So, is she around right now?" I asked, glancing into the living room briefly before looking back at the mare.

"Oh no, she left a few hours ago for work. The others are also out doing their own thing, it's just me and you here" she said with a smirk.

"A few hours ago? How long was I out?" I asked, blinking a bit in surprise.

"Well she left for work around three, and it's eight now-- so I'd say you've been out for around five hours maybe? You're quite the heavy sleeper" the mare replied, chuckling.

My eyes widened upon hearing her answer. Five hours?! I've been out for that long?! I quickly felt around my pockets before shoving my hand into my cargo shorts back pocket, pulling out a familiar orange bottle. I quickly opened the container and popped two pills into my mouth at once, swallowing them with a gulp of water.

The mare arched a brow, looking at me quizzically as I took my pills. I couldn't tell her what they actually were for, and so I tucked the bottle back in my pocket and gave her a small awkward grin.

"I have an imbalanced thyroid, throws my hormones out of whack" I lied, using the best poker-face I could manage.

"Uh-huh, and is that why you're so freakishly huge?" she replied, arching a brow.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. It makes me look a lot older than I really am" I replied with a small chuckle.

"How old are you?" she inquired, tilting her head.

"I'm eighteen, turning nineteen in April" I responded, making her arch a brow at me in surprise.

"Damn, you're a big boy! Young too, interesting combo" the mare said with a laugh before extending her hand out to me.

"The name's Rainbow Dash, but you can call me Dash or RD for short if you'd like" she spoke as I took her hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet ya Dash, my name's Walter Barnes-- I don't have any nicknames really" I replied, chuckling softly as I offered a friendly smile.

"Ah, don't worry, me or one of the other girls will find one for you soon" she replied, grinning.

"Girls? Aren't there any other boys in this house?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Nope, just us six mares-- you're the only man of the house" she responded with a snicker.

"Why, does being around a lot of beautiful mares make you nervous?" she inquired, causing me to blush.

"What do you think?" I retorted, perking a brow.

"I think that you'll have more than one chances at peeking at our beautiful sexy bodies while we shower, after all, we have quite the big bathroom-- all seven of us could fit inside" she replied, poking my chest.

"Seven? Damn, that must be a big ass tub" I replied, causing her to chortle.

"Yup, you could do a lot of things in that tub" she replied, wiggling her eyebrows, making me blush even darker.

"I'll just have to shower before any of you girls wake up then, either that or wait until all of you are done bathing" I say as I cross my arms, huffing with a dark blush on my cheeks.

"Aw, you're so cute when you blush" she said with a giggle before hopping down from the kitchen counter.

"Anyways, Walter, right? Your stuff is already in your room, all you gotta do is unpack it how you see fit. It's the weekend so classes don't start until Monday. How about me and you get some grub in town? It'll be my treat~" she said, smiling up at me.

"U-Um, sure? But I have to warn you, I'm a major carnivore. I know that meat eaters are pretty rare in these parts, so I'm not really sure if there's a restaurant that sells meat-based products" I explained.

"Ah, no worries then! I have a friend, Gilda, she's a griffin; she's a major meat-eater so we can just go to the restaurant she goes too" Dash said as she took my glass of water and finished it down in one gulp, licking her lips.

"Oh, uh... Sure then! I uh, wouldn't mind I guess" I replied, I felt a bit apprehensive about going with this mare that I'd only just met into the city, but I guess since she's going to be my roommate I better try to get along with her.

"Sweet! Let me go get changed into some clean clothes, I'll meet you in the living room!" she said with a smile as she took off towards the stairs, but stopped and grinned back at me.

"No peaking~" she cooed playfully, making me blush as she then jogged up the stairs, her tail swaying side to side in an excited manner.

"U-Uh, I uh... Didn't plan on it?" I called back up awkwardly, scratching my scruffy beard as I walked over to the couch and sat down, waiting for her to come down.

"She has to be messing with me..." I sighed, looking over at the tortoise that was now awake and looking up at me curiously.

"I mean, I am a bit awkward around people. I'm not really sure how to take certain gestures, I guess she was just being playful and I'm taking this way too seriously" I said, giving a weak laugh at the end of my sentence.

The tortoise just blinked, craning its neck to stare up at me in silence.

"Right, I'm talking to a tortoise... I think, it could be a turtle-- Nah, the shell is too cumbersome and large, a turtle is more flat and disc-shaped" I mumbled to myself, staring up at the ceiling in boredom.

About five minutes later Dash came walking down the stairs dressed in a rather punk-esque type of apparel. She was wearing a black tank top with detached black and white striped sleeves, a denim miniskirt with black thigh-high shorts and pink stockings. Her mane was down and combed rather neatly, hanging down over her shoulder while her bangs hung over her left eye.

"Sorry if I took a while, I was still a bit sweaty" she said with a chuckle.

"No problem, it's fine... Say, do you mind if I ask you something Dash?" I asked, causing her to tilt her head.

"Shoot" she replied, smiling up at me.

"I don't mean to sound rude but, we barely know one another and yet you're being awfully nice to me. Any reason as to why?" I asked, giving an awkward smile once I saw a look of surprise and confusion reach her expression.

"Why am I being so nice to you? Now there's a first, I guess what Twi said about you humans are right" she said with a small chuckle, reaching up and patting me on the shoulder before heading to the door to grab her coat.

"Twi? You mean Twilight Sparkle the librarian lady? She goes to SRA too? What did she say about me?" I asked, growing rather curious.

"She said that the majority of you humans can be quite... How did she say, apprehensive?" Dash replied.

"Ah, if that's the case then I'm a professional when it comes to being apprehensive" I retorted, causing her to giggle a small bit.

"No need to worry too much big guy, I'm always friendly to fresh meat" she said, grinning up at me.

"Fresh meat?" I blinked, arching a brow.

"Oh it's just a term used around here to describe freshmen, I wouldn't worry too much about being picked on considering your size and... Physique" she said, wiggling her eyebrows slightly upon mentioning my build.

"Oh, um.. Right" I replied, scratching my head.

"Anyways, lets get going shall we? It gets quite packed during the evening so if we get there during the afternoon we should be able to find some good seats" Dash said as she beckoned me to follow her out the door, to which I complied.

Me and Dash talked back and forth all the way off campus and into town, discussing simple topics like: music, TV, movies, sports, video games, and so on. She said that she had one of the next-gen consoles developed with a mixture of human and equine technology. It's basically like an XBOX One mixed with virtual reality helmets that're supposed to stimulate your conscious to make you believe you're in an actual video game, although the rest of your body's motor functions are disabled so you don't go wondering around the house randomly running into stuff or punching holes in the walls. It's kinda like like that anime Sword Art Online, only you know, without all that Nightmare on Elm Street-esque nonsense; "If you die in the game, you die in real life".

After convincing me that the console wasn't going to steal my soul, Dash and I agreed to play a few games every now and then. I think she was more eager than I was to show off her toy, especially since I've never seen a game console like hers before.

It took us about a half hour to reach the restaurant. It was called 'The Hunter's Den', quite fitting considering the cunning and thrill-seeking nature of griffins. Upon entering the restaurant, I wasn't surprised to find mostly griffins populating the large room. One thing I noticed was that the griffins were noticeably taller than most ponies I've seen, the average height for a stallion being around five feet eight or so, while the griffins around here ranged in from six foot to six foot four. I was still taller than all of them, don't get me wrong, but they were closer to my range than Dash was.

"Hello and welcome to the Hunter's Den, my name is Arvid how may I help you?" the hostess greeted, offering a friendly smile to me and Dash as she lifted up her clip board.

"Hi, we'd like a table for two, preferably a booth" Dash responded, returning the smile

"Ah yes, you two love birds are lucky, we got one last booth open!" Arvid replied, making me blush a bit darkly.

"U-Uh, we're not a couple, she's a friend, my roommate back at SRA" I quickly spoke up, making Dash giggle, a small blush of her own flushed onto her cheeks.

"Oh, my apologies-- Right this way" Arvid responded after giving an awkward smile, leading us through the restaurant and towards an empty booth, handing us both a menu.

"We also have a vegetarian menu if you'd like?" Arvid said to Dash, holding out a small green menu to her.

"Oh yes, thank you" Dash replied, smiling up at Arvid before taking the small green menu.

"Alright then, a waiter or waitress should be with you two shortly" the hostess said before heading back to the front of the restaurant.

On cue, about five minutes later a waitress arrived with a notepad and a quill.

"Hi I'm Oda, I'll be your guys' waitress for this afternoon. Have you both decided on what you'd like to eat?" the griffin said, smiling as she looked between me and Dash.

"I'll have a cabbage steak burger with a side of hay fries and a wheat-grass shake" Dash said, glancing down at the menu then back up at the waitress.

"Alright-y, and you sir?" Oda said, glancing over at me.

"Hmm, so many good choices... Alright, I'd like to have a garlic-glazed fifteen ounce steak, cooked medium rare, with caramelized unions and a side of fried chicken livers and ranch dip" I answered, glancing up at her with a smile.

"Ah, good choice!" Oda said with a nod, writing down our orders before smiling back up at us.

"Drinks?" Oda said, looking up from her clipboard briefly.

"I'll have a normal cider, thank you" Dash said.

The waitress nodded and wrote it down on her clipboard before looking at me.

"Um, I'll have... Cream soda" I say, and with that the waitress left with our orders.

After the waitress left, Dash leaned her elbows on the table, smiling over at me, a look of deep thought in her eyes. There was a moment of brief silence before Dash cleared her throat, speaking up.

"So, Walt, tell me a little about yourself" Dash says, resting her chin on her palm.

"Hmm? Uh... What would you like to know?" I asked, tilting my head.

"I dunno, surprise me" Dash replied, shrugging.

"Well... Um, before I moved onto the SRA campus I lived alone, I don't really have any family, been an orphan most my life. I ran away from the orphanage when I was fourteen and jumped across the map for quite a while. Once I turned eighteen I moved here to settle down and stuff" I lied, I didn't really feel like telling her the truth.

"Oh? So you were a ward of the state eh? I know the feeling, my folks dropped me off at a house one day when I was just a small filly, telling me that the people inside were relatives and they were gonna keep me for the weekend while they went job hunting. Turns out it was really an orphanage and I'd just been dumped off" Dash said, immediately causing me to regret my choice of lie.

"That sucks..." I said, giving out a small sigh, clearing my throat.

"Yeah, for them-- because they never got to know how awesome I am" Dash replied, grinning.

"I've only known you for about an hour or two and I do have to say you do give me the 'awesomeness' vibe" I chuckled, figuring I'd roll with her attempt to lighten the mood.

"So, any hobbies growing up?" she asked, tilting her head.

"I was a bit of a backwoods brawler growing up-- I'd always fight the older kids at school, I'd pretty much fight anybody who looked at me wrong. The only other time I rose my fists again was to last five minutes with this local powerhouse boxer in Dodge Junction just so I could get reward money" I lied, again.

I never did like fighting when I was little, but I did need the money.

"Oh? So are you a professional fighter or something? I wouldn't be surprised" she said, smirking.

"Nah, fighting really isn't my thing. I prefer music, really. I want to try and become a musician, I've always had an interest with pianos, guitars, and drums" I replied, that part had some truth to it.

"Oh really? That's nice" she said, smiling.

Five minutes later, our drinks came; fifteen minutes later, our meals came. We talked as we ate, we even talked for an hour or so after we finished eating. She talked about bits and pieces of her life story, and I just gave her blanks to draw her further away from my own-- I felt bad, yes, but running away from a perfect family isn't exactly the best story to tell to an orphan now is it? By the time we were done talking, it was night time outside. And so, I split the bill with Dash and then made our way out of the restaurant.

Halfway out of the restaurant, we're approached by a female griffin that seemed to take kindly to Dash, ignoring me and diving straight into a hug with Dash.

"Gilda! So nice to see you!" Dash said with a smile.

"Same here! I never expected to see you here? What's the occasion?" Gilda asked Dash, who simply glanced up and over at me.

"...Him?" Gilda asked, looking up at me as well.

Gilda had to be around six feet two inches at least, she was tall, but not really near my range-- she's about seven and a half inches shorter.

"Yes, him" Dash replied, grinning as Gilda just gazed up at me through narrowed and studios eyes.

"I have a name, ya know" I said, crossing my arms.

"Oh? Spit it out then" Gilda replied, crossing her arms as well.

"Walter" I replied, and very quickly a flash of recognition washes over Gilda's face.

"Walter Barnes?!" she gasped, causing my eyes to widen slightly, a bad feeling sinking into my gut.

"Yes...?" I replied hesitantly.

"You're Helga and Bill's kid, right?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Dash perked a brow, glancing over at me with an accusing stare.

"You must have the wrong guy, I don't know anybody named Bill or Helga" I replied, and quickly began to walk around the griffin and across the street, making my way to a sidewalk where I followed the route we took to get to the restaurant all the way back towards the academy.

"What was that all about?" Gilda asked, only to receive a shrug from Dash.

"I don't know... Say, how do you know Walter?" Dash asked, crossing her arms.

"Well I don't necessarily know him all that well, I mean, my aunt married his dad around six years back. I only met him a few times when he was younger, but it seems like he didn't recognize me" Gilda explained as Dash perked a brow.

"What happened to his parents? Bill and Helga?" Dash inquired, walking alongside Gilda towards SRA.

"Well, nothing really. Last time I checked in they were doing fine, not too sure though since they've been spending the past four years on that search" Gilda explained, only rousing Dash's curiosity further.

"Search? What search?" Dash asked.

Chapter 2: Good News Everyone!

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Chapter 3: Pink Fury

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Chapter 4: Welcome to the Jungle

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Chapter 5: Rigmarole

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Chapter 6: Preparations

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Chapter 7: Enter the Gala

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Chapter 8: Reunion

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Chapter 9: Being Assertive

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Chapter 10: Walter's Plight

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Chapter 11: Jinxed

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Chapter 12: The Start of Something New

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Chapter 13: A Social Call

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Chapter 14: Dirty Little Secrets

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Chapter 15: Something In The Air

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