My Little Pony: Humans are Cthulhu

So, in case you are wondering, I am not in a wagon. It's still pretty early, and this whole town looks deserted. There are a few scattered ponies, but we stick to the mostly abandoned areas. I'm sure some of the ponies saw me, but at the moment, I was more concerned on the current situation.

What exactly is ink in this universe. Ink is a mixture of components, at least back home it is. Here though, I'm not so sure. Does ink somehow compose everything up to and including subatomic particles. Is their version of atoms ink, are photons somehow ink, Are quarks ink. Think about that for a second. Everything here is ink, everything. Grass is ink, dirt is ink, the sun is ink, the moon is ink, air is ink, ponies are ink, ink is ink squared. Seriously What The Hell!

This universe is a lot different than I initially thought. Still not sure how I exist at all in this universe. Twilight described it as a river moving around a rock, with reality being the river, and I the rock.

I think I am carrying around my own laws of physics with me, at least that's what I assume allows me to exist at all. After all if I am not being effected by their laws, then their gravity shouldn't effect me either, and I would probably either just float around, or rocket off into space. However, that doesn't happen, and I can still interact with this world as if I were any other character within it.

What exactly am I compared to these ponies?

I really wanted to find out. I like knowing things and how they work. Even if it's only a basic understanding.

Anon was another mystery, why did I perceive him as having that rotoscoped look to him. Did he look like that because of how his own physics interacted with Equestrian Physics or would any individual look like that in his universe. Assuming the latter I have to wonder if they even noticed.

I mean I can't imagine many people, excluding maybe philosophers would contemplate the art style of the universe.

Buying the tickets was an unusual affair, I stayed out of it, keeping out of sight as Twilight bought the Tickets. The made in the booth was obviously a bit confused why Twilight was buying two, but otherwise seemed to not care much. I think she caught a glimpse at me. She seemed very nervous.

Twilight comes back, I tell her to hold my ticket, I don't want it to fade.

Based on my observations, we won't be on the train alone, but thankfully, it looks like there won't be as many ponies as I feared. If we were lucky, one of the cars would be empty. We wait, me hiding in shadows, Twilight standing guard not far from me.

The wall behind he has a few spots of white on it from when my hand brushed across it. I didn't think I was sweating, but perhaps I just didn't notice. I was much more interested in staying out of sight.

Still, I have began to notice my sweat doesn't just bleach the colors. Whenever I feel the white spots, they are always of an irregular texture compared to the unbleached parts, almost like they dissolved more than just the colors.

Ponyville seems to have a slow start to everything, even now with the crowds being a bit larger than when we first left, they were still smaller than I would expect. The sun had only recently completed it's drift over the horizon, barely visible behind the buildings. It looked nice with how the amber and orange lights bounced off the homes and buildings around the small town.

Luckily the train arrives not long after that, we wait and watch who gets on, and see which car will have no, or at least the fewest ponies in it. The first car is half way filled, but the cars after it only have few passengers. The caboose however is bare. This seems to be going rather well.
Twilight gets onto the caboose while I sneak on the other side. Climbing onto the back, I open the door and join Twilight at the very end.

"The ticket collector hasn't come yet."

I nod as Twilight gives me the cover. I wrap myself in it and lay back.

"I'll hand him in the ticket, I'll just say you are tired... You know when we get to Canterlot, you're not going to be able to hide?"

"Probably, but I don't plan on staying there for any extended period of time. It's Ponyville I want to ease into, I saw the reactions to Zecora."

I couldn't be sure, but I think Twilight looked sheepish.

"I see. I think I can understand where you are coming from."

I merely shrugged.

A comfortable silence between us gave me time to actually think, I still wasn't fully sure what I was in relation to this universe, nor how I would get back home. This is not something I'm used to, really if there was something I wanted to know back home, I could always look it up. Here though, I was something new. Something I very much doubted hey had any information on.

So my only option was to make general guesses and theories, which were probably wrong. This was really getting to me, like I said, I like knowing things, and how they work.

The ticket collector came by not long after that, Twilight simply told the collector I was sleeping. It seemed to work at any rate.
I passed the time by looking out the window.

Twisted fleshy tendrils of human nerves flowed upward as bone snapped into being to form the skeletal structures of a human. Soon, a nearly bare skeleton stood tall as the nerves weaved themselves into place. Internal organs grew where the should be, held up not by skin of muscle, but by some eldritch force that knitted flesh and bone into place. Tissues burst forth, growing like cancer to form the muscles. The skin began to creep across the frame as the skeleton moved with purpose. Particles of fabrics and cloth swirled around the not yet fully formed human as they weaved themselves over it's form.

Now fully formed, the being, garbed in a grey hooded coat looked to the world around it, an endless expansive desert. The being made no face as it took the first steps of it's long journey. It knew not where it was headed, but it did not care.

His pale eyes observed the landscape, it felt only crushing apathy to the world around it. This apathy was palpable, and slowly was manifesting itself. A thick grey mist clung to the humans form. This was no ordinary mist, but an innumerable collection of feelings and raw emotion mixed chaotically together.

What scarce life existed in this desert ran from the aura of wrongness the mist did emit. Those unlucky enough to get trapped in the mist froze as their eyes turned grey. They mindlessly followed the human, the one who felt nothing, as he aimlessly wandered. By sheer chance, he happened across a town.

The citizens within that town shuttered at the alien feeling of complete and utter indifference. They watched as something moved into town. It's appearance hidden behind a this mist. In fear, the ponies backed away from this entity, but the aura made them pause, not out of fear, but a growing lethargy.

Then the being stood still, directly in the center of town. The mist fell to the earth, it still existed, but it was low enough to the ground to see the hooded specter. It scanned the town, it's face free of emotion as it looked at each and every pony.

Then it smiled, revealing sharp canines that contrasted sharply against it's grey form. With that smile the mist did change, from an ashen grey to a deep burnt orange. The Ponies watched with an emotion growing within them, their lips twitched involuntary as they slowly stretched into a smile. They felt happy, but they felt it against their will. They wanted to panic, but all they could feel was this false happiness that reached their lips, but not their hearts. The mist grew.

Three hours later, I'm looking at a large city, filled to the brim with ponies. I'm standing before the threshold between the inside of the train, and the city itself. I can see a few guards not to far off in the distance on what is presumably a patrol.

"You ready Sketch?"

"Not even a little bit, lets go."

As soon as I step out the train, I get spotted by a few unicorns. They freeze mid step to just kind of stare at me. They start a chin reaction that slowly caused a lot of ponies to stare blankly at me.

It's kind of funny to see them occasionally look away, presumably because I hurt their eyes. It's like they can't decide if they want to stare at me, or ignore me. So we start our little journey. Some guards are 'covertly' following us, they probably would be really good at it, if their armor wasn't made of gold. They kind of stick out.

"Hey Twilight, the guards, is that armor really gold?"

Twilight blinks as she turns to look at me.

"Yeah... Why do you ask?"

"Well, back home anyway, gold would be terrible as an armor. Gold is really dense but also very soft. Heavy as hell to. Copper would probably be better than gold."

Twilight blinked.

"That's... Unusual. Gold is known for it's light weight and difficulty to break. It's one of the strongest metals in Equestria."

"Strange. Even our elements are different.", I said offhandedly.

Twilight hummed at that.

The walk was relatively long, my mind simply going off to think of whatever random issue pops in my head. The castle ahead was interesting to see up close. The guards not so much. They were looking at me, however I had t give them credit, they didn't stare in fear. So they were professional is anything.

"Princess Sparkle, What is your business here?", said the Guard with a nod.

Twilight spoke.

"The Princesses requested to meet us, specifically Sketch."

Twilight looked very uncomfortable. Probably for the standard Twilight reasons. The guard sounded friendly, if nothing else. When he looked at me, he kept eye contact, but I noticed he blinked a bit more than he probably should have.

"What... Is he?"

Awww, he called me he. He knows I'm a real boy. I decided to speak, mostly since Twilight was getting steadily more uncomfortable.

"Higher Dimensional entity from another universe. My species is human. We're a species of technologically advanced multiversal watchers."

Because why not?

Now the guard is looking at me like I just spoke a whole new language.

"Okay..."

"Sorry, but we're kind of in a hurry. We need to speak with Princess Celestia."

Said Twilight.

"Of course your Majesty, follow me."

Ah to be royalty, even if a monarchy is a relic of an unsustainable form of government. Then again, from what I've seen, Celestia and Luna actually puts her subjects before them, so I guess a coup isn't going to happen any time soon, and neither Celestia or Luna is going to die any time soon either, I think. So unless the princesses decide abdication is a good idea, it's probably here to stay. Actually, how are there mayors.

What kind of system of government is this... Wait, I suddenly don't care.

What? I like science, not politics.

And we're walking... Still walking... Still walking... How big is this castle?

So we pass various stuff and... Okay, so we get to wait in this big ass room. Sweet, gives me time to sit down and relax.

The room is pretty nice, it has chairs and tables and sofas and what not. I take a seat and sigh as I lean back against the soft velvet. Twilight is talking to herself.

"You okay over here?"

Twilight blinks.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud."

"I see. Sounds absolutely crazy. I like it."

Twilight looked at me with a clear look of confusion on her face.

"Did you just call me crazy?"

"What? The best people are."

Twilight doesn't seem convinced by my declaration. Probably because I sound so nonchalant about it.

"Almost all of the greatest scientific minds in human history were crazy in some form or another. Albert Einstein stuck his tongue out for pictures like he was a time traveling KISS fan, Issac Newton invented a new form of mathematics on a dare, Leonardo Da Vinci was probably a super-villain. I could go on, but scientists tended to be eccentric at best and bat shit insane at worst."

I nodded as I thought on that a little bit more.

"Actually, all humans are insane in some form or another, especially our rulers. Caligula made his horse a temple priest and tried to make the same horse a senator. Keep in mind Horses back home are completely non-sapient. I don't even know where to begin with Andrew Jackson. Point is, humans have a history of crazy."

Twilight just kind of stared at me, well, not really stared because she had to look away periodically, but still.

"I... Am not sure what to think about that.", said Twilight as her wings ruffled.

"Good, if you did then you would be even crazier than I thought."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked away.

"So what were you thinking about?"

"Nothing... Well, I was thinking about a lot of things. You, Anonymous, how to get you home, what to do if you can't get home... Just thinking in general really."

"Yeah, I know the feeling."

So we sat, and waited. I think it was just under half an hour before the doors opened again and the rulers came in.

You know, in person, even looking animated, Celestia and Luna look awesome. Like I could see heavy metal barbarians using them as mounts. Kind of made me want to ride one while holding a sword and shouting 'FREEDOM' like I was William Wallace. Not sure if that's normal or not. As soon as their eyes fell on me, they froze and simultaneously their eyes widened before the started blinking rapidly. Then they shook their heads.

I am Sketch, bringer of the headache.

"Apologies for the wait. Also for our reactions, your appearance is... Unique.", said Celestia.

"No apologies needed, believe me that happens a lot.", I got out of my chair and stood next to Twilight as I examined the Princesses. Their manes are really strange to see. I mean the are still cartoon like, but the movements aren't exactly like they are on the show, it's kind of trippy. Made me really want to watch Yellow Submarine for some reason.

"Quite, I am Princess Celestia, this is my sister Princess Luna."

"We have heard very little about you, tell us, is it true you... Watch us?", asked Luna.

Well, I guess it's creep time.

"Yeah, we do, well some people do. Not for very long mind you, only since your own return."

Luna tilted her head at that, either out of apprehension or confusion.

"Our return... So you have seen... The Nightmare?"

"Yeah, we have. Glad it worked out for you in the end."

And now she's smiling, Celestia was to. D'awwwwww.

"So, Sketch, you are unaware of how you came to be here?"

"Fully unaware. One moment I'm at home, next I'm in a forest."

"I see, I imagine this must all seem a bit strange to you, it's strange to us as well... Twilight wrote us again after your... Episode."

Did not know that.

"It was unpleasant. Food was good though, everything else that followed... Not so much."

Celestia hummed and nodded.

"As I understand it, you wish to return home. You are aware that with your apparent magical immunity, that will be very difficult?"

"The thought crossed my mind, yes."

"I thought it would, however... Your presence in Equestria is an alarming one. Your effect on the world around you is one we have never seen before, and you must understand there is not much we haven't seen. While I trust Twilight to find some way for you to return, but so long as you are here, you will have grave effects on Equestria."

I nodded, I'm not sure where this is going.

"My priority, first and foremost is to my little ponies, and while I trust you to be civil... This Anonymous being shows that your kind are dangerous. To be entirely honest, we're not sure what to do with you until we find a way to return you home. Nothing so drastic as imprisonment, but some form of isolation would be preferable."

Well, it's a good thing I'm antisocial, bad thing that I had no internet to distract me from that fact.

"Isolation?"

"Yes, Luna and I discussed it amongst our selves, we think a place of your own, one that should your own being destroy it, nopony would lose their home."

"You're giving me a house?"

Celestia nodded.

"Across all of Equestria, there is are many homes owned by us, they are there for the convenience of any agent of the crown during their travels. Within Ponyville, there is one as well. Nopony lives there, it is a temporary dwelling, however during your stay, I think you could have use for it."

"Okay... Wait, do I have to pay for it?"

Celestia shook her head.

"That will not be necessary. You do not eat or drink, from what we were able to discern, all you require is sleep. Or at the very least, you are capable of sleep. In addition, should we discover anything new abut how you effect the world around you, it is most likely to happen in that home, and nopony would be hurt in the process."

"Well... I'm sold. Where is it?"

Before Celestia could say anything the doors opened and a frantic guard walked in.

"Your majesty, a citizen from Dodge Junction comes with grave news. Something happened to the town. The citizen is... Unsettling."
Celestia rose a brow as she nodded for the guard to allow the pony in. What came in made me feel... Unsettled.

It was a green Earth Pony, but what was truly unsettling was the unbreakable smile on it's face, it looked almost painful. It skipped happily, but it's movements were jerky and it's eyes unblinking and bloodshot.

"Hiya Princess, I'm Grove Gardener! It is super swell to meetcha! We got a little problem in Dodge Junction that would be great if you could help us with!"

Unsettled, Celestia nodded at the very creepy pony who started chuckling.

"What seems to be the trouble my little pony?"

"I'm happy... Just happy, I can't stop being happy! Please make it stop.", said the smiling pony as tears leaked freely from his eyes.
Celestia took a step back. Luna and Twilight just kind of stared at Grove.

"I'm sorry... What?"

"Well, some thing that kind of looks like that guy here...", said Grove as he pointed at me.

"He made all us really happy, but we can't stop being happy... My face hurts from the constant smiling!", he said before he started to laugh like he just heard the best joke in the world.

This is really creepy. He was just standing there, smiling that creepy smile that did not seem the slightest bit genuine. The tears kept flowing though.

As What he said registered in my mind, I turned to Twilight, who had wide eyes herself. There was another human here, and he made ponies... Happy. Seriously, what.

Celestia looked from Grove, to Luna, before she looked to me.

"Do you know anything about this?"

"Nothing at all."

Celestia looked back to Grove who just. Kept. Smiling.

"Grove Gardener, what can you tell us about this... Being?"

"Oh well he's tall, and has this color changing mist that follows him everywhere! Anything caught in the mist feels what he feels! At first, we felt nothing, literally the worst emotionless experience I ever felt, it was bad... Now we feel happy! Happy happy happy! I'm so Happy! I don't want to be happy all the time, it makes me want to feel sad, but I can't get sad so I stay happy! Just happy! I enjoy it! I can't help but enjoy it! I don't have a choice!", he said cheerfully.

Grove stared to merrily whistle a tune that came out strange since he didn't seem to be able to stop smiling. Celestia and Luna started to speak quietly among themselves. Twilight just watched as Grove stayed unsettlingly cheerful. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes, which displayed full blown terror.

Celestia looked to me. I didn't like that look.

"Sketch, I have a favor to ask of you?"

Well... Shit!

HOLY SHIT HIS LIPS ARE BLEEDING!

I'm not kidding, Groves lips and gums were bleeding. Still smiling that vapid smile of false happiness. Maybe I should back up. I'm back on the train, with Grove and Twilight. And I can't look away from Grove as the drool and blood leak from his mouth. Seriously, this is beyond disturbing.

"Grove..."

His head jerkily turned to me.

"Yeah!"

"Are you alright, you look... not well."

"Oh I'm horrible! My face is in great pain right now! Thanks for asking!", said Grove before he started to giggle.

"I'm not sure how much more I can take! I'm so happy! I'm screaming inside!"

"Is there something we can do?"

"Oh no, nothing at all! Thanks Though! You're a lot nicer than the other one that kind of looks like you! He...", Twilight's Horn flashed with light as Grove fell into his seat asleep. He snored somewhat peacefully, but that damn smile was still on his face.

Twilight sighed in relief.

"I think he needed that... That was... Horrifying.", said Twilight as she looked to the still smiling pony.

"No kidding."

This was some disturbing stuff right here, scared the living hell out of me to imagine a whole town of perpetually smiling ponies. I'm fairly certain that something like this is very bad, I mean according to Serenity a situation like this is what caused the birth of the Reavers from Firefly. Pony Reavers... The thought alone made me shiver.

It would be the most horrifyingly adorable apocalypse ever.

"So, what are we going to do about this new human."

"You're asking me?"

"Well, you are human, I figure you might know something."

"Yeah, I don't know if you noticed, but the last human looked a lot different from me."

Twilight binked, almost like she only just now realized something.

"You're right, I didn't really think about it at the time, but Anonymous didn't hurt my eyes to look at. He looked... Kind of normal, but with an undertone of... Something."

"He looked Rotoscoped."

"Roto-what?"

"Rotoscoping is... Do you know what film is?"

"Yeah."

"Well Rotoscoping is the technique of drawing animation over live-action film. I perceive the world in some strange psudo-two dimensional way, anonymous looked like he was in three dimensions, but had the color and saturation of this world. It's difficult to explain, but that is the best I can do."

"I wonder... Maybe if we could figure out how he appeared like that, we could get magic to work on you to send you back home."
It was a nice thought... But.

"Maybe, but have you considered the possibility he wasn't from the same universe as me?"

Twilight's ears fell.

"Oh... That does make sense. Your universe and his might be just as different as yours and ours. So it makes sense that he would be effected differently."

"Exactly, however, I hope I'm wrong. That said, this new guy, he is doing this weird happy thing, he might be from a different universe himself. Not mine or Anons."

I thought on that for a second, something seemed off about that based on what little I know about this new guy.

"Hey Twilight, What could cause the mood changing effects? Does something like that exist with magic as you know it?"

Twilight hummed in contemplation.

"Emotions are part of magic."

"How exactly are emotions apart of magic?"

"Your universes physics has electromagnetism correct?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well... magic is a fundamental force of nature, like Electromagnetism. Each branch of magic is less a branch, and more of a frequency within the magical spectrum. Emotions could be comparable to the visual spectrum. It's the easiest to understand in the same way that light of the visual spectrum is easier to see. it's not quite that simple, in fact that is a gross oversimplification, but I can't think of any way to explain it without mathematics, and... Well after what happened last time I tried using math..."

Twilight trailed off as I nodded.

"I think I get it, in the most basic sense. I think that maybe, this guys existence effects emotional magic, similar to how my being effects matter, and Anon effected... I don't know... probability."

"That's an interesting thought. I can't really study you due to the magical immunity, and I didn't have a chance to study how Anon did what he did, but maybe I can get an idea with this new human."

I lean back in my seat as I think on that. Might be an avenue to get me back home. Damn magical immunity, if I didn't have it I could be home right now.

Still it always could have been worse.

I could have ended up in the Cthulhu Mythos or Warhammer 40K where my life expectancy could probably be measured in fractions of seconds. Well, maybe not in Warhammer, I probably would have destroyed all non Blank life simply by existing so detached from the warp. Might even have torn apart the warp itself. My god I am a nerd.

I lift my hand and start cracking my fingers one by one. Twilight shudders. Right, she hates that.

"Sorry."

"No, it's alright. It's just the cracking is strange coming from... Well, no offense, but coming from what looks like a half a spider."

Spider hand, Spider hand, Does whatever Thing Addams can. Unlike Thing, I have two, so there's a lot that I can do. Look out, here comes the spider hand.

I do not know where that came from.

"I'll try and avoid doing it with you around, I like that sound too much to give it up though."

I really do.

I looked back to Grove, who was sleeping not so peacefully. He was twitching and shaking, his drool tinted red with blood. A light giggling emanated from his mouth from time to time. It was kind of hard to watch.

"So, seeing as we are going to wing it with however we handle this new guy, any ideas on what to do before then?"

"Not really, I suppose we could try and observe him, but I'm not so sure how dangerous he really is. I know I don't want to get caught in that mist though. You however should be immune, assuming it s magical in nature."

I really hoped we could talk him out of this, hopefully this guy wasn't like Anon.

They were gone, the horrid cancer was gone. He no longer had to shy away from the world, he could smile for the first time.

Shut Up!

None of that error of existence was around me, only the smiling perfect ponies.

Shut UP!

No humans, that blight on creation.

SHUT UP!

And yet, it still felt hollow, it felt inherently wrong. Why did it feel wrong.

Because it is!

Perhaps it was due to my own partial humanity, I will be rid of it, like I had always intended.

NO I DON'T LEAVE MY HEAD ALONE!

I watch as my new smiling happy friends, the ones who could help me rid of the affliction of humanity. They could end this torment of my existence. End this curse of my humanity. I only have to ask.

WRONG. WRONG. THIS IS WRONG. STOP IT! STOP IT! PLEASE STOP IT!

I command the Unicorns surround me, and I watch their smiling their rictus grin, as their horns glow and their magic bends to my will.

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

Dodge Junction looked rather quaint. I could see Clint Eastwood stroll through here being his usual bad-ass self. The only problem was that it was very hard to see. A burnt orange mist covered the whole damn thing. Right now, the train had stopped and Twilight and I were standing not too far away from the town in sight.

I took out my pen and started to draw as Twilight's horn glowed.

"It's defiantly magic, emotional magic too... but it's off."

I examined Twilight as I continued my sketching, this time using a light shading to get this thing just right.

"Off how?"

Twilight's horn stopped glowing as she paced back and forth.

"It's physical, tangible almost. Magic is supposed to be ethereal, this mist... It flows around the buildings rather than just pass through it. I have never seen anything like this... I don't know how to describe it, it should be impossible for magic itself to function like this."

I hummed as I continued my sketch.

"Think this will work?", I ask as I keep drawing.

Twilight looks at my slowly forming sketch. It's basically a biohazard suit, one made specifically for Twilight. Unlike the gun that as almost useless at this point, this thing was adopting an actual form rather than just being outlines. Everywhere I shaded would slowly change it's color to appear as the color I had in mind for the suit as I visualized it in my minds eye. How I don't know.

"I think so. The mist can't pass through solid objects, even if it could the material should be magically immune like yourself, but that would make it difficult to do magic, or fly."

"Well, I'm going to expose the horn just a bit, keep in mind that the suit is going to be very tight around the horn... Is that going to be a problem"

"No, it shouldn't be."

"Good, then you can do magic. I can't do much about the wings though, not enough time to cover them in such a way that you could still fly."

"Well, I'm better at magic anyway."

I put the finishing details on the suit and as soon as I do, it falls to the ground limp. Twilight examines it as she tries to see if she can move it with magic. She could not.

With a sigh she uses her hooves to try and put it on, but is having a bit of trouble. Good, gives me time to touch up the .44 Magnum. The trigger, hammer, and handle need to be redrawn in their entirety. Takes a while, but it's getting there. I shade it a bit more so my hand won't pass through it like it did before. Works like I suspected. It starts to gain that beautiful nickle finish with a black handle. It's hot, so I'm sweating a bit, but I think I can limit how long I hold the damn thing.

Some of my sweat drips off and hits the ground, slowly bleaching the sand white. I sigh as Twilight finishes putting on the suit. I myself am nearly done with the hammer of the pistol. I draw myself a few bullets and load the thing, and draw a few more that I put in my pocket.
Sure this thing is basically a glorified paintball gun, but this guy doesn't need to know that.

Looking at the unnaturally still mist, I can't help but wonder what is it about Equestria that seemingly causes humans to shift beyond humanity. Also, including myself, three humans have entered Equestria in a very short period of time. It is only my second day here after all.

"Ready?", asks Twilight.

I give a small nod as we make out way into the town proper.

The mist isn't billowing like it should, almost as if it refuses to leave the town itself. Why, I could only guess. As we reach closer to the mist, Twilight becomes nervous.

Her suit is restrictive. While there is space in it to fit her wings, they are useless to her, incapable of granting her flight. The visor shows concern in her eye as she slowly walks towards the mist, but does not enter.

I myself feel a twinge of fright at this mist. I'm immune to magic, but this isn't normal magic. At least I don't think it is.

I take a deep breath, and step into the mist.

It clouds my vision, but I feel no different than before, save a growing calm at not being transitioned into a smiling zombie. Twilight on the other hand, is a bit more cautious. Placing a single hoof into the miasma before puling back quickly.

She observes her hoof to see if anything has changed, but nothing appears any different. No vacant smile, which I take as a very good sign.
I'm confidant in my drawing abilities, but we're not sure if that suit would work as we wanted even if it was made seamless.

It is with a great sense of nervousness that Twilight takes her first steps into the mist. Eyes closed tight as if she were about to be struck.
Now surrounded by the mist, she begins to hyperventilate, but slowly she calms as her eyes open. She observes herself once more before sighing in relief.

"Looks like it works."

I give her a smile and a nod.

I look to the town itself as we begin our venture.

Despite the mist, it wasn't difficult to see around the town. I had about fifty feet of vision before anything became indistinguishable. There are ponies here, many with tired bloodshot eyes, bleeding from the gums with that false smile.

Many of them looked at me, and I could tell that they were afraid, somewhere deep deep down in their very souls. They just couldn't show it, or even feel it like they know they should.

They didn't run, just stared at me. Many of them were standing around, I imagine if they could feel as they should, they would be shaking. As I observe the ponies, I begin to notice something.

"Where are the unicorns?"

Twilight looks around, her eyes narrowed in quiet contemplation as she tries to solve a puzzle I know she doesn't have all the pieces to.

"I don't know. They have to be somewhere around here..."

She trailed off as she looks around the buildings before one flashes with a bright light. It's instinct that causes me to grab the pistols handle, but I do not draw it, not yet anyway. I do not like this town. It has this Silent Hill feel to it. I'm waiting to see if the other world shows up with Pony Pyramid Head.

"What was that?"

Twilight says nothing, even covered, I can still see a faint glow around her mostly exposed horn as she presumably scans that building, or whatever she is doing. After a moment her eyes widen and she takes a step back.

"There is something very powerful in that building."

Sounds like we found our guy.

I swallow the lump in my throat as I slowly step to peer into the window. Before I even get there, I notice something. They orange mist is turning a different color. The mist is still orange, but no longer that burnt color, but a bright orange.

The color contrast hurts my eyes a bit s they adjust to the new level of light. For some reason I can see just a bit further, and I finally make it to the window. Twilight follows next to me, albeit a bit more nervous than I am.

Well, I found the unicorns. They are all laying on the ground, breathing heavy. It's what else I see that causes me pause.

It's an alicorn. One unlike anything I have ever seen.

It has stone for skin with a mane of flames. Veins of water run across it's surface and smoke billows in an unseen wind.

It's large, probably a bit larger than Celestia herself. It has a cutie mark, a circle that looked with four comma-shaped symbols, each one a different color. One was red, one was grey, one was blue, the final was white. Didn't take a genius to figure out this was somehow based around the four classical elements of fire, water, air, and earth.

It was also smiling, but unlike the ponies, this smile seemed genuine as it observed it's new form.

"It worked!", It said before it started to laugh.

It stretched out it's wings, which were bat like with molten lava instead of a membrane of skin.

It's horn looked less like a spiral, and more like a curved dagger made of stone with more veins of water flowing through it.

I'm guessing this Alicorn was our human. How he became an alicorn was beyond me, but I can tell the unicorns has something to do with it.
He gave a few experimental flaps of his wings, causing sparks of fire to occasionally fly off and a fey wind to blow from seemingly nowhere. He looked at his wings for but a moment before his gaze fell onto the downed ponies.

"I think... I need a new name... From this day forward, I shall be known as Terra."

I watched as he hovered above the ground around the very tired unicorns.

I quietly move back from the window. Twilight looks to me with wide eyes.

"This isn't good, I'm not even trying, but I can feel the power coming from that thing. I need to focus just to feel Princess Celestia's power... but this thing."

"That means either Celestia is better at hiding her power, or this thing is more powerful. Lets hope it's the former."

Twilight glances back to the window, even though from this vantage point we couldn't see the alicorn, but she could still feel it.

"I hoped we could talk him out of this or something, but this I did not expect? Any ideas."

She shakes her head.

"I was prepared for a human, not an alicorn."

"Point taken."

"We could still try talking to him."

I shrugged.

"Can't you do that magic scan thing... That was the plan."

"I could... But as an alicorn, he's defiantly going to notice."

"Well, he was going to find out eventually."

Twilight looked back to the building before creeping closer to the window her horn started to glow.

I am perfection.

You are a monster!

No, I was once, now I am no more. You are a fading remnant of a species who shouldn't exist within the multiverse.

Why are you doing this?

Because I can. Because you deserve it.

I've done nothing to you.

You were born, that is crime enough... We seem to have a visitor.

Twilight's horn faded as she took a step back.

"Two minds, there are two minds in that thing. One is being subjugated.", said Twilight in fearful awe.

Then the wall exploded into shards of glass and wood as the large golem like alicorn stepped through. Seeing it up close, I saw a few more details I missed before. Like the fact it had fangs, really long fangs. They however were made of stone and matched the rock-like texture almost perfectly.

The unseen wind continued to blow as the mist around the town started to take on a red tint. I noticed the ponies stopped smiling their blank smile, now they looked angry.

"And yet another human invades the majesty that is Equestria. What cesspool did you crawl out of?"

I chose to remain silent, mostly because this thing looks very fucking angry. Twilight on the other hand.

"Release the mind you control. What even are you?"

Terra turned from me to Twilight, and the mist returned to it's orange hue. The ponies were smiling again.

"My my, Twilight sparkle, fancy seeing you here. If you must know. Once... I was an abomination, until I met Him, the great one who allowed me to become apart of that powerful yet cancerous race calling themselves human, now... Now I am complete."

Who the hell is Him? About the only thing I got from that was this guy was something he did not like, before becoming or rather from what Twilight said, possessing a human, which he apparently liked even less... Now he's a pony. Which he considers perfection.

As I was trying to sort this crap out, I took a glance at Twilight, holy hell she looked pissed.

"You're killing the mind that body belongs to. You're nothing but a parasite."

Ok really pissed.

"If only you knew the truth. That still doesn't answer my question of where the human came from... I suppose, there is always one way to find out."

The mist turned red once more, and a torrent of flames headed in my direction as the now scowling ponies started to fight among themselves. I had absolutely no time to get out of the way from the flames, but as they hit my skin, I felt no burning. In fact, the blazing inferno was bending around me, all but ignoring me.

I however felt the heat, but it defiantly was not as hot as fire should be.

The flames died down as a group of enthralled ponied came towards me. Terra on the other hand, was staring at me with wide eyes. Probably expecting me to have burnt to a crisp. I took the logical path f someone of my build, and ran as I pulled out the pistol to aim at the now charging ponies.

Their bloodshot eyes now glowed like burning hot coals. I took aim, not caring about my stance at the moment, and pulled the trigger. I tried to aim low, I still wasn't fully aware of the effects of this things ammunition. The bullet missed, splattering against the ground, but it did have the effect of momentarily stopping the ponies enough to get away even quicker.

I am not the most athletic of individuals, but I knew that I had a ranged weapon, they did not.

My vision was covered in a bit of purple as I saw Twilight shoot really large balls of some kind of magic at Terra, who without moving, raised a wall of rock to stop the blast. However, he seriously underestimated Twilight as the blast tore through the rock like tissue paper and hit him square in the chest. He held his ground, but was pushed back quite a good distance.

Before the remnants of that energy ball even had time to fade, Twilight was preparing another spell.

Terra was preparing one of his own.

I start taking potshots at the ponies, always doing my best to aim for anything not too important. Even if it were an accident, I really did not like the thought of me ending life.

About the only luck I had was downing a very large Earth Pony, he had a large splatter of ink across his face, and was bleeding a bit, but I think he's still breathing.

More and more enraged ponies come for me, about the only good thing is they are just as concerned with fighting among themselves as they are fighting against me. This was chaos, complete directionless rage. Anything within arms length was a potential target.

It's very disturbing watching normal ponies (Glowing eyes not withstanding) engaging an an all out brawl. It really did look wrong. More so than it probably should have, but I'm not quite sure why.

So in between each shot take, I find time to reach for my pen and start to draw. Occasionally I look back at Twilight, who seems to use the suit to great effect. Looks like it provides a magical immunity to whatever this guy is throwing around, at least for the most part. She just tanked a typhoon no problems.

Terra seemed to be getting angry as time went on, and as he did the mists deepen into a bright, hellish red that almost glows. I continue my sketching. It's beyond crude, and little more than an outline, but it will hopefully work. I label the can Tear Gas.

I grab the can of tear gas, pull the pin and throw before getting behind cover. I hear a loud bang as the white fog flows over the battlefield. and I can see many of the angry ponies are shaking their heads and clenching their tear filled eyes shut.

It buys me just enough time to draw another one, this one labeled Knockout Gas, I pull the pin and throw at another group. One loud bang latter and ponies start to pass out. I have to admit, I didn't know if that would work, but it gives me a better idea of how this pen actually works.

Terra notices this during his fight, and summons a great wind to blow the gasses out of the town, strangely enough, his own crimson mists seem completely unaffected. Once the gas is gone, he concentrates back on Twilight, who is creating a lot of orbs of what I can only assume if condensed magic. They shoot off at Terra who tries to dodge them, but apparently these orbs are capable of tracking him as a target.

They pelt him, and each time I can see earth and water flying off of Terra's body, revealing cloth underneath. When one hits his hoof, I can see a hand before it regrows. Apparently that alicorn form is only skin deep, the human body is still under there. Good to know.

A lot of the enraged ponies are out of it right now, giving me time to reload the .44 and aim at Terra. Each shot causes the alicorn shell to crack and break. Ink covers a large portion around the shell, and I notice that wherever I shoot, it doesn't grow back quite as fast. Presumably due to the inherent magical resistance of the ink.

Terra doesn't waste time as he flies off to higher ground, where the mists keep him obscured far too much to shoot. Twilight on the other hand, is doing rather well. While the suit makes it impossible for her to fly, she seems to have found a way around that. She's standing on a glowing platform that moves to her will, giving her some ability to go after Terra.

She still looks pissed, really angry. I can't be sure if she is angry herself, or if the mist somehow got through, but at the moment, she's focused on Terra, so I suppose it doesn't really matter.

More ponies show up, I prepare to shoot... When I see one of them stomp on one of the downed ponies... Hard.

I do not have a strong disposition. I have a high tolerance for violence... Not murder. I freeze up, and watch as the casual murderer moves on to fight another pony who slams his own head against him.

My eyes are drawn to the now lifeless corpse of the dead pony, and I can't look away. An intense feeling of dread falls over me, and I find myself incapable of breathing properly. I'm breathing rapidly and sporadically, and my heart is beating fast. My hands shake as the dead ponies blood pools around it. I noticed the pony started to move.

It's muzzle was shattered, handing loosely with small bits of teeth hanging loose from the swinging maw. It gurgled, a pathetic attempt at a growl as it foamed at the mouth and charged as fast as it could at the nearest pony.

This was not a riot, not a brawl. This was brutality and sadism at work. Sick to look at as these ponies, angry against their will fought one another in whatever way caused the most pain.

This had to stop.

I stand up, pistol drawn as I shoot at anything close enough to see.

Beyond the red mists I can see flashes of purple light and burning flames just out of my view. I make my way there, full speed. Every pony that I see is shot. I really wished I drew something with a higher ammo count.

Still, I was making Progress.

The two alicorns were still fighting in the sky. So I made my way to the nearest building and climbed the ladder to the roof. Once up top, I started to draw.

It was simple, but it would do the trick. A crude cannon and a single cannon ball. I rolled the ball into the barrel, and went back to prepare to fire.

I could see Terra a bit better. Most of him was broken away, revealing the human body beneath. I aimed as he seemingly hovered to catch his breath, and pulled the string.

With a loud boom the ball flew out, and hit Terra. A whole torrent of ink splashed over him as he fell to the ground. The mists turned color, from that hellish red, to a cool blue, before it actually started to become less dense. I could now see the various ponies stop their brawl, before all I could hear was screaming and bawling.

I felt sick as I looked over to Twilight, who was standing over the mostly broken shell of Terra. He wasn't repairing his pony shell, and most of the human beneath could be seen covered in wounds. I thought she could handle it from here. I had ponies to help.

They all were frightened, beyond frightened. I looked to the one with the handing muzzle to see he was on the grown, convulsing uncontrollably. I stood over him, holding his muzzle as straight as I could as he screamed in pain. I swallowed hard before I placed him into an unconscious state using a drawn syringe I labeled sedative.

I worked as fast as I could. Not even sure if what I was about to do would work, but I knew that if I didn't try, he would die.
I got his bones into what I hoped was their proper place and held them with my left hand, as my right one used the pen to draw him back in one piece.

Drawing bone that was mended was difficult, especially since I'm drawing in the third dimension, making this a lot more complicated than it normally would be. I use the ink to connect the shards together, and I can tell that even if I do this perfectly, he won't be the same.

I draw the skin, using light strokes to represent fur and watch as it took on color. I draw him a new set of teeth.

The possibility that I am making this situation worse does come to me, but... What other chance does this guy have.
It's only as I draw that I notice this pony was a unicorn, meaning he was probably weak before this insanity started after doing whatever it was to make Terra an Alicorn.

I continue to draw him back together, and silently hope that I am not making this worse.

Twilight moved towards Terra, whose Alicorn shell is falling away to reveal the human beneath. He's breathing hard and looking around in a daze. Covered in ink. She noticed that the mist is fading, but ignores that as she limps to the downed Alicorn.

The thing that did this, the one that is killing the true owners of that bodies mind causes her to remember a lot of things. It reminds her of the situation with Luna and Nightmare Moon, it reminds her of Anonymous, and how he had killed his own sister, because he had wanted to meet her. Now this thing was killing the real mind within that body because of what... It hated humans.

What even was it.

She intended to find out.

Stepping up to the thing, she notes that it's looking at her, and doesn't seem to care. It causes her to pause.

"Please... Just do it."

Her eyes widen as she hears the human, not the parasite talking to her. He's still in there. Immediately her horn glows and Terra is embraced in a glow of light.

Already she can feel the alien nature of humans. Only this time, her magic actually works on this one. She feels around his being, and feels angles and dimensions that she understands very poorly.

She feels things, billions of things squirming within and on it, only to realize that wasn't true. These squirming things weren't within the human, no they were the human. Her eyes widened.

Humans were not something singular, no they were composed of billions upon billions of various microscopic animals, that work together to form the various parts of human anatomy. Each one working in harmony to allow the human to... Well be human.

These squirming things, so small yet so great, were unlike anything Twilight ever felt before. It made her skin crawl.

However she could not focus on that, despite the biological nature of humanity, she had work to do. She felt around his mind, and tried to locate the parasite. And there it was. It was clawing at the seems, trying to regain control of the human body, but... Couldn't. No, Twilight wouldn't let it. Whatever it was.

As she was containing it, he felt that this thing was... Uncannily familiar. It felt pony, only... At the same time not. s she condensed it into a singular thing, Twilight could start to hear whispers in her head.

'You can feel me, can't you. You can feel the otherness of the human form... I can scratch the surface of your mind, you want to know what those microscopic entities that make them up are... You do not know of cells? No... No you don't even have cells... Interesting.'

Twilight didn't listen, only concentrated.

'The humans however are dangerous to many an Equestria, and it was that danger I needed to harness to become what I always meant to be... Do you know what I am... I must feel so familiar to you, yet so very distant.'

Twilight could feel the thing try and retake the humans mind, but she was able to contain it, and hopefully, burn it out of the mind and into reality.

'Not all versions of Equestria are created equal, some are just as strange to you as we are to eachother. I was born in one of these universes. You may know my Mother, she knew you... well the other you. Her name was Fluttershy.'

Twilight lost concentration, and felt as more of the thing was able to escape her attempt to draw it out and separate it. She however was able to get it back contained, but it was further along than it was before.

'My father...' It spat the word with hate unlike any Twilight had ever known.

'... He was human, from beyond a magic mirror. They called the abominations of that unholy union Satyrs. I was the only one in my whole universe. Imagine it, to be the only one of your kind within the vastness of a universe. That was my reality. The taunts, the hate, the looks, the judgement. I was despised. All because a pony fell in love with a monster... I hate my mother, but I despise my father more than you can possibly conceive in your narrow mind.'

Twilight felt sick. She began to lose her concentration.

'I was quite prolific as I traveled, always judged. I silenced the judgement, not because their judgement was wrong, just because I could, and I relished in their screams... Would you like to hear them.'

Twilight clenched her teeth tight as the screaming of hundreds, if not thousands entered her mind.

'I should have been a pony, not a twisted monster... Then I met him, the one who promised me EVERYTHING.'

Twilight watched as a heavily cloaked human approached a frightened thing, a bipedal pony, but it was off. It had hands, it's eyes were too small, it was too tall, it's muzzle too short.

'Imagine my surprise, another human. I felt fear. He had an aura, one of power. Magics I could feel within my bones. He looked to me, and told me the greatest thing I could ever hear.'

Twilight watched as the goatish human with elderly features looked down and held pulled apart the side of his long coat, to reveal a black void, one that seemingly clung to the inside of his coat. He smiled.

"Greetings young one, they call me the Merchant... What if I told you I could give you everything you ever wanted. Everything you ever desired. All you have to do, is make a deal."

Twilight shivered at the alien tone of this things voice.

'That mirror, the one I shattered when I first saw it, it was not the only realm of humanity, there were more... So many more. An infinite amount, with endless humans of different capabilities. He told me of just the one I could use, I could become human, the thought made me sick. But he told me of a way for me to become what always was meant to be, a world, one he had an interest in, the very world you inhabit. He told me I could use the powers of this human to do as I desired. To become what I should be. A pony... You ruined that, and I will ruin you.'

This thing, this Satyr, who sacrificed it's body, the body it hated to become what it hated even more, all because it desired to be pony. This thing was beyond Twilight's understanding of what was evil. This thing, killed, out of site and self loathing that Twilight found she could feel coming off this thing.

She doubled her efforts, and ripped the satyr from the mind. Tearing it's spirit from it's host, whose alicorn shell crumbled to dust, before the human passed out unconscious.

She looked at the ethereal being, as it's soul began to fade. It had no real shape, just a parody of what a shape could be. It lashed out, trying to find something to possess. Instead, Twilight used the last of her magics to send the thing into the void, just as she did with anon. This time she felt nothing as it screamed.

Once it vanished into the void, she looked at the human. It was asleep.

Unconscious, and breathing easy. She took a deep breath herself, and looked to the town. Her magic was drained, dangerously so.

However she had much to do. There were ponies that needed her help, and she intended to give it.

I'm not sure how well I did. He's still alive, whoever he is. His muzzle is a bit off, but defiantly not as bad as it could be. He has white spots on his fur, where my sweat fell. Even a large white palm print on his leg. The fur, now matted and fused to his skin looked strange, and I couldn't think of a way to remove the spot without removing skin as well.

The spots were irregular and warped as well, looking like they had been smudged. However he was still breathing. I don't know if I saved him or merely prevented the inevitable, but he would live long enough to find actual help.

I sighed as I fell on my back and stared up at the sky.

The ponies were still in a panic, but the mist was gone and they were getting back to normal. However, from the few I can see, they were defiantly fully aware of what they did while under the influence of the mists. Many have this far off look in their eyes, even as they try to do what they can to help.

With the mists gone, I can see that some were dead, those who I couldn't see before. Many looked much worse than the pony I just saved, at least I hoped I saved.

It wasn't long until Twilight came to me, limping. Her suit was however still in one piece. She however had seemed to remove the part that once covered her head. She looked around town, before looking to me. Then she saw the pony next to me, and her horn glowed.

"What happened?"

I was too tired to give her many details, I just said what I could.

"He got hurt bad. I used my pen to try and save him."

She nodded, but was concentrating on the pony. I could hear a few bones snap in his jaw.

"There are still bone fragments... Some of this is... Some of his bones and skin are magically immune, but I can move the parts that aren't. I think he'll be fine. I'm just going to see if I can do something about the smaller fragments."

I watched as his face warped just a bit. He looked a bit better, but it still seemed just a bit misshapen. Not in any way I could name, I couldn't put my finger on it, but the shape was off just a bit, enough to be noticeable, but not enough to tell exactly why.

Twilights horn dimmed at this point.

"Thats the best I can do right now. I'm straining with what magic I do have left, but I think I have enough to help the... the..."
her eyes fell onto the ponies that had died, those beaten to death during the rampage. Many so torn that it was difficult to tell what it was that killed them.

The dead were being carried away, by many ponies that looked very depressed. I imagine in a town this small, everyone knew everyone else.
"This is... This is..."Twilight couldn't find the words as the broken ponies moved around to do what they could. Most of the remaining unicorns were much to weak from giving Terra that Alicorn shell.

That reminds me.

"Terra, what happened to him?"

Twilight did not answer, she only looked over at the town. Her stance was one of hopelessness and pain. Emotionally drained and not fully prepared to process what was happening right now. I imagine nothing quite this brutal has ever happened here. This is like a civilian watching the aftermath of a war.

"Twilight."

She glanced in my direction. Still with that same face of hopelessness.

"Terra, what happened?"

"I separated the other mind, and sent it away. I think the human part... I think he is going to be okay... I... I need to help out, I'll tell you the rest later."

And with that, she walked off to do what she could.

To be honest, I'm not sure how to take that. Yes, logically I know that this wasn't the fault of whoever Terra was controlling, but unlike Twilight, I did not feel the difference. Still, I was willing to trust her, I'd know more when he awoke.

I couldn't help but wonder, what would Celestia and Luna think when they learned everything that happened here. I don't think she would expect this, I know I didn't. Grove's behavior made it seem that those affected by the mist would feel emotions against their will, but were still in control of their actions. I'm not sure if that is true, but it's how I thought it worked.

Evidently, it was more complicated than that.

I got to my feet, barely anyway. I looked back down at the Pegasus, who I now could see a bit better. He looked much better than when I tried to help, but those white spots were worrying. I could see that his front right hoof has warped a bit, not much but there were white spots that looked like drips of paint that had frozen. Small bubbles seemed to have frozen in the hoof, giving it an odd appearance, but for the most part, it looked usable.

Still, I really did not like the effect my biology had on the world around me. This is the first time I seen that effect on anything alive... Not counting trees, but it was disturbing. I can only hope that when he awoke, it wouldn't be in pain.

I look back to the town and took out my pen. This was an empty victory, and for the first time in my life, I felt a mix of negative emotions. I've always been a laid back individual, content with my place in life. I'm not used to feeling like absolute shit, but I could think on that latter. Right now I could to help clean this mess up. It was the least I could do for those who had just lost way more than I ever did.