Cryogen

Chapters

Daring Escape
Into The Woods
Reality Check
Fear
One Of Six
Open Eyes
First Night
Before The Storm
Subject Z-56
Origins
Branching Out -- Part 1
Branching Out -- Part 2
Friendship Is A Rarity
Party Pooper
Drink Up!
Aftermath
Among The Living
On Death Row
Back In Action
Giving In
All Aboard -- Part 1
All Aboard -- Part 2
Dance With The Devil
Frozen Alive
New Guy
Know Thine Enemy

Daring Escape

"I said, who's there?" I ask, anger and fear in my voice as I approach the standing door.

No response. I inch closer to the door, and place my hand on the edge before flinging it open. The door flies off of it's rusty hinges, and it hits the ground with a loud metallic clanking sound. What I see standing there before me, causes me to stumble backwards into the lab, almost tripping over a fallen table.

"Who... What..." I mumble as I fall on my ass, not even noticing the pain from the fall.

"H-Hey there." A weird looking creature says to me. Whatever it is, its wearing a fucking pith hat, as well as a green shirt. It resembles a small horse, but that isn't the only odd thing about it's appearance. It has huge eyes, as well as a pair of wing's on it's side. It's hair looks like it is styled more like a normal girl's hair than some horse's mane. It even have some weird compass tattoo on it's butt.

"What the hell are you!?" I ask, pointing the gun back at the creature. "Why can you talk!?"

"Whoa, chill out man, I don't bite." She says with an obviously feminine voice. "I was just exploring and I found this lab area. What are you even doing down here? I thought I was the first archaeologist to explore this place!"

"Archaeologist? You're a fucking horse, you aren't an archaeologist, you shouldn't even be real! You're just some hallucination, a side effect of being in that godforsaken device for 3500 years!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, what did you just say?" She asks as she slowly approaches me. "You've been here for that long? How are you even alive?"

"I was frozen! Don't you know what this place is!? It's a lab! A science lab! I'm surprised you don't know this considering you were probably made here!"

"Made here? Dude, do you even know how life works? Just how old are you? Two? Ya see, when a mommy pony and a daddy pony love each other ver-"

"I don't want to hear it! I already major in anatomy, I know how this works! What I'm saying is, horses don't talk! They don't have wings, they don't wear clothes, they don't have tattoos, and they don't take the time to style their hair! Admit it, you're an experiment gone wrong!"

"You really gotta chill out, you sound like a crazy pony."

"I'm not a pony! I'm a human, don't you know what that is? A human?"

"Can't say I do. Why? Should I know this?"

"Yes! There's only seven billion of us, not to mention we are the only sentient species on the entire planet!"

"I've never heard about a... human? If there's that many of you, how come I've never heard about you huh?"

"I don't know, because you're living in an abandoned lab that's five hundred feet underground?" I say sarcastically.

"I don't live here dude, I live in an actual house. Seriously, are you okay? You don't look so good."

"I-I'm not okay." I say as I drop the gun, and cover my face with my hands. "Everything is gone! My family, my friends, and if you're telling the truth, the entire human race! I might as well just kill myself right now!"

"Hey hey, don't you dare say that!" She says as she approaches me and places a hoof on my shoulder. "I'm gonna help you whether you like it or not."

"Unless you can tell me what happened to my entire race, then no, I don't want your help." I say through my tears, my face pressed into my knees.

"Well, no, I can't. But I can help you find answers! I'm an archaeologist for Celestia sake! It's what I do!"

"C-Celestia?" I ask through a sniffle. "Who's that?"

"Wow, you really aren't from around here are you? Ah, I'll explain later. C'mon, lets get you out of here."

"And where exactly am I even going to go? Society as I know it is gone, and it is NOT coming back! I don't have anything to go back to!"

"Then find something new! I'm an author, trust me, I know about starting new adventures."

"I-I thought you were an archaeologist." I say with a small smirk.

"Well, yeah, but I also write about all my adventures. Wanna know what I learned?"

"I guess..." I say with a shrug.

"Well stand up and follow me. We'll walk and talk."

"Alright, fine, but let me pack my stuff up first." I go around the room, checking all of the guns in the room for ammo. Whenever I find some that will fit in the pistol, I place it into my back pocket. By the time I finish, I have a decent sized stash, and I head back towards the pony, who's name I still haven't learned.

"What's your name?" I ask as we start walking down the vacant hallways, the only sounds being the humming lights, our foot/hoofsteps, and my backpack smacking against my back with each step.

"I'm A.K. Yerling, but uh, you can call me Daring, I prefer that name when I'm out on expeditions like this."

"Is that a nickname or something?"

"Well, kind of. It is the name I give myself when I write my stories. In real life, I'm A.K. Yerling, but in my stories, I'm Daring Do, fearless archaeologist who goes on this crazy adventures trying to uncover the mysteries of the past!" She says excitedly as she flaps her wings next to me.

"Like Indiana Jones?" I ask with a chuckle. She just gives me a confused look. "No? I guess it's just something from a different time then." I say with a sigh.

"I... guess so. Anyway, what was that you learned Daring?"

"Oh, yeah, that. On my adventures, I learned that life doesn't always stay the same. Each day is different for me, so I really had to get used to the concept of change. You said your family and friends were gone, and that's not something I can just fix with words. However, I can try to comfort you by saying it'll only get better from here. The worst is over I think, and for your own good, I think you should try to move on. Don't get me wrong, I know it'll hurt for a long time knowing about everything that's happened to you, but honestly, if you never try to get past it, it'll only hurt you more." She explains in a somewhat sad tone. We walk in silence after that, just staring at the ground and walls around us.

"Zack." I mumble.

"What?"

"Zack Austin, that's my name." I say as I stare at a splotch of dried blood on the wall in front of us.

"Well Zack, glad to be your friend!" She says as she holds out a hoof towards me.

"I never said we were friends. I'm still not even sure if you're real. Hell, for all I know, you're just a hallucination that my brain made up to keep me somewhat sane.

"Well, I consider you a friend." She says as she nudges my shoulder.

"Whatever makes you comfortable." I say with a shrug.

"You think there might be any files around here? Maybe they'll have some historical records about what happened and why this place looks like... well, this." She says as she waves a hoof around, pointing at all the gore and bones in the hallway. The lights flickering on and off doesn't make it any less eerie.

"Not really. This place has been around for centuries and from what I know about paper, it decays rather quickly. I doubt there are any actualy physical files left here. However, since that C.F.D.'s computer still worked, I'd bet my ass the central mainframe is still up."

"What's a computer?" I sigh and begin my explanation about what computers are for the next fifteen minutes before we reach the end of a hallway where a door is labeled, letting us know we found the main computer.

"So, what's so special about this thing?"

"This is the central computer of the entire facility. It can control every other computer in the entire building. It's essentially the heart of this place, and you can access every file on every computer from here!"

"This is so interesting! I've never seen technology so advanced, let alone working!"

"Wait wait wait, you guys don't have advanced technology?"

"We have projectors, those are pretty neat." She says with a sheepish grin. I just roll my eyes an facepalm.

"Seriously? Let me get this straight. You guys have MAGIC, and yet you can't create basic technology?"

"What can I say? We rely so much on magic that technology isn't really thought about all that much. In fact, technology is still a pretty recent idea. I had no idea that there was an entire other race before us that created something this advanced!"

"Well believe it Daring, because this is real." I say as I browse through the files on the old, dusty computer. "Well well well, what do we have here?" I say to myself as I locate the last file uploaded to the system. It is labeled as being saved in 2145, and isn't labeled with a name. I hit play, and the image of a man in a white lab coat pops up. He's holding his hand over a red stain on his torso, and he grunts every few words.

"I-I'm Professor Burns. This is my final entry. The military just found us, so I don't have much time. They discovered that the PT Virus originated from this very lab, and they're attacking us mercilessly. I can't believe that bastard tricked us into actually helping him create it. HE is the reason that most of the world has already fallen victim to the virus, and it is only getting worse! Our only hope to continue the human legacy is Subject Z-56. He is the only one who has been able to survive living in the C.F.D. for more than fifty years. His body seems to be able to sustain itself far longer than any other test subject. He started out as a test subject, but now, he's our last hope. God help him. God help you Subject Z-56. Whatever you do, don't let HIM find you."

The screen snaps back to a blank black screen, only showing my reflection with Daring standing behind me. She places a hoof on my lap, but I don't even feel it as the professor's words bounce around in my head. Subject Z-56? I-Is that me? And even if it is, what am I supposed to even do? Whatever this PT virus is, it killed off the entire human race except for me. Who is He? Who tricked this company into creating such a virus.

"Zack? Are you okay?" Daring asks. I quickly throw off my backpack, and open it to reveal my laptop. The battery is dead, but when I hook it up to the main computer, it comes to life. Once it has fully loaded up, I transfer every remaining file from the hard drive of the central mainframe, and transfer it to my laptop. I let it sit for a minute, letting the battery charge up.

"I'm fine. I just need to know more about what happened, but I can't stay here. I'm transferring the files over to my laptop through this cable. Please don't ask how that works, because I don't want to explain it right now."

"O-Okay, well we should probably get out of here, this place is starting to give me the creeps."

"I thought you were fearless." I say, a small smirk growing on my face.

"I-I am, but this place... the blood and all is just too much for me."

"I'm just kidding. Yeah, I need to get out of here too. Lets get the fuck out."

The sun nearly blinds me as I look up at it. I look back at the small entrance that leads back into the top floor of the building. All it is now is basically a hole in the ground that leans down to what used to be the roof of the building.

"Haven't seen this for 3500 years." I mumble as we begin to walk through a dense forest. "Where are we going exactly?"

"My home, duh. Then there's this town I wanna bring you to. There's some... interesting ponies I want you to meet there."

"Whatever you say Daring, its not like I have anything else to do." I say with a sigh.

"Trust me, once you make some friends, you'll love it here, I guarantee it."

"I don't think I'll ever love anything again... I had a girlfriend y'know." I say as I pull out my wallet to show her a picture of us.

"She's pretty." Daring says simply as she stares at the picture while somehow still flying.

"You bet she was... She was probably manlier than me to be honest." I say with a light chuckle. "She loved sports and action, not to say that I didn't, but it was her passion. She wanted to join the airforce, a branch of our military, and she wasn't gonna let anything get in her way."

"She sounds amazing. I'd love to meet her..."

"Wish you could, I wish you could... Daring, can you make me a promise?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Promise me I'm going to be okay." I say with a tear forming in my eye and my voice begins to crack as it weakens. "Promise me I'll find a reason to keep living. Promise me that I'll be able to overcome all of this. Promise me... that maybe, somehow, I'll be happy again."

No response. I look over at Daring, who looks back at me with sadness in her eyes which glisten in the sun. She suddenly pressing into my side, wrapping one of her forelegs around me.

"I promise."

Into The Woods

"Daring..." I whisper as I look around nervously, my hand fumbling around in my pocket, ready to grab my gun at moment's notice. We've been walking for hours now, and the sun has already gone down, leaving us in an eerie darkness. Daring said it was only about half an hour back to her house. Of course she had to be talking about while flying! On foot, it could take until morning just to make it back to some kind of shelter.

"Yep?" She replies, sounding cheery as ever.

"Ever get the feeling you're being watched?" I ask as I look left and right, up and down, looking for anything that might be watching us from the eerie darkness that surrounds us like a blanket, suffocating us.

"Well yeah, but I'm not getting that right now. You're just being jumpy Zack, you gotta learn how to chill out and not be so high strung." She says as she rolls her eyes and lightly hits me in the shoulder. "Huh, you got a little more muscle than I thought." She says after hitting my bicep.

"I told you, I played sports, but not nearly as much as my girlfriend, Olivia. Man was she something. Some people called her out on her muscles, and the fact that she was a girl who could take on any football jock at any time. She never liked to admit it, but she was a real softy, she just never showed it. She tried to cover up her girly side with sports, action, and violence. God I loved that girl." I say as I smile and close my eyes, shaking my head lightly side to side.

"You'll find love again Zack, I guarantee it! Trust me, there are a ton of mares out there looking for a guy like you."

"Gees, THAT'S helpful." I say as I roll my eyes. "If you haven't noticed yet Daring, I'm not exactly a pony, much less attracted to you guys, no offense. I'd NEVER date one of you guys much less ever... ugh never mind." I say, shaking the mental image from my head.

"C'mon, do you want to be alone forever? Besides, different species go out all the time here! Gryphons with Ponies, Dragons with Zebras, you name it, it has happened."

"That doesn't mean I see it the same way as all of you. Where I'm from, or more like when I'm from, humans only dated, married, and mated with other humans. If one of us were to, y'know, have a thing for anything else other than a human, it would be frowned upon by society. So, Mrs. Daring, I have to say no to that. I'd rather be alone, thank you very much." I turn, expecting to see Daring giving me an understanding nod, but instead, she gives me an annoyed and angry look.

"You know we aren't animals right?"

"Sure look like one, well, close anyway."

"You don't get it do you Zack?"

"Get what?"

"That we are different on the outside, but the same on the inside. Think about it, we've been holding a conversation for hours now, come some animal do that? No. Saying you won't love one of us ponies, or any other species for that matter, is really biased Zack. I'd understand if you were talking about an actual animal like a dog or a cat, but that's not us. We're just as human as you."

I rub my face with a hand and let out a sigh. I don't respond at all, and we continue walking in silence. I'm still going to stand firm in my beliefs, despite whatever Daring throws at me. Maybe she has a point, maybe they are just like me, but that doesn't change what they are. I'm a human, they aren't, it is simple as that, and that's going to be my viewpoint no matter what.

"We should stop here." She says in a monotone voice. We stand in the middle of a clearing in the middle of a dense forest, the clearing allowing us to actually get some moonlight shining down on us. "Know how to start a fire?" She asks, her perky attitude slowly coming back.

"I've seen it in the movies and stuff, but I've never really done it without a tool or maybe a match. Could you show me? Y'know, for future reference?"

"Heh, yeah, sure. Looks like the human doesn't know something for once, Mr. Know-it-all." She says in a playful tone as she shakes her head and rolls her eyes.

"Hey, I'm the smartest person you'll ever meet." I retort with a smile on my face and a fist curled up. I lightly punch her on the shoulder, remembering that she did the same thing to me earlier. There, now we are even.

"Sure, sure." She says in a sarcastic voice. "Now, watch the master at work." Daring spends the next few minutes looking at different rocks while I gather wood from the surrounding forest. I drop the pile into the center of the clearing, and Daring walks over with a black rock in her mouth.

"Got anything made out of iron or steel?" She asks as she drops the rock.

"Um, I have this, but it is pretty dangerous, I don't think I trust you with it considering you probably don't even know what it is." I say as I hold the gun out in front of her. She eyes the pistol, rubbing her chin with a hoof.

"You're right, I don't know. What does it do?"

"It is a weapon that fire small projectiles at incredibly high speeds, allowing them to pierce through most solid objects, including living things. That's why I don't want you touching it since you aren't exactly trained to use it."

"And you are?"

"Well, kinda. My dad used to take me and my brother to the firing range a lot, just for fun, and I really picked up on the whole thing. I'm a better shot than my brother, but he was probably more... effective with it."

"What do you mean by effective?"

"He wasn't afraid to use it on something other than a paper or wooden target like I am, or was anyway. I'm not sure who I really am anymore due to the fact that everything that molded me into who I am is gone now."

"Well, I like the new, or old, you. You're a cool guy Zack, just wish you'd open up a little more."

"Heh, yeah... Anyway, what're you gonna do with that black rock?"

"This, my tall hairless friend, is flint." She says as she tosses it towards me. Now that I can see it clearly, I can confirm that this is indeed a chunk of flint. Where she found it, I don't know, and probably never will. I put two and two together, and realize she wants to spark a fire using the flint and the steel on my gun.

I hold the two objects close to the pile of wood, and begin scraping them together. It is hard at first, considering the wood is a little bit damp, but eventually, we get a small flame growing, and before long, it has grown into a raging fire lighting up the night and filling us with a comfortable warmth. I take off my backpack and start shuffling through it as Daring sits next to me, watching me curiously.

"What do ya have in there?" She asks as she taps the bag with a hoof. I start listing off the various items while removing them until the bag is completely empty.

"Laptop, some charging cables, history textbook, anatomy textbook, note paper, calculator, pen, jacket, and a baseball. Oh, and I have my phone and wallet in my pockets."

"So, why are you emptying your bag out?"

"Just seeing what's left from my time. All of these objects are technically ancient artifacts, so I want to know what I have with me."

"Oh, gotcha. Its pretty cool though, seeing all this stuff. Mind if I take a closer look at it all when we get back to my house?"

"As long as you don't break anything, I don't see why not. Just promise me you'll be careful, especially with the electronics."

"You like making me promise stuff, don't ya?" She says with a chuckle while elbowing me in the side. "Yeah, I promise." Daring yawns and plops onto her back, gazing up at the stars. I follow her gesture, laying down on the soft grass next to her. The stars are absolutely beautiful out here, nothing like the night sky in the cities.

Images of what recently happened flash through my mind, causing me to wince at each one. The betrayal, waking up, meeting this weird pony thing, wandering through the unknown woods of an unknown world. It is all just so surreal to me.

"How was your first day in Equestria, Zack?"

"Equestria? Is that what you guys call the planet now?" I ask as I turn over to look her in the eyes.

"No no, Equestria is our country. We call the planet Equis."

"Oh, okay then, well to answer your question, it was shitty." Daring gives me a somewhat offended and confused stare. "Well, except for meeting you of course. It is nice to have someone showing me the way instead of trying to figure this all out on my own y'know?"

"Awww, you DO have a soft side." She says as she scrunches up her face, her voice getting higher to mock me.

"Hah, yeah right! I'm not even sure if I consider you a friend yet." I say, half serious, half joking.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I know ya love me. Everypony does." She says with a smile as she rolls her eyes.

"There's your problem." I say as I tap her nose with a single finger. "I'm not a pony." I say with a sly smile as I roll onto my back. We continue to look up at the sky in silence for what seems like hours before my eyes finally start to give out.

"Kinda tired already." I say with my own yawn. "I'm gonna catch some Z's, night Daring." I say as I take in a deep breath and close my eyes. I don't even hear her response before I'm in a deep sleep.

"Zack! ZACK!" I wake up to someone screaming, and I don't know where I am. Once I see the fire still burning in front of me, I remember where I am, and notice the sudden lack of a dark yellow pegasus that was supposed to be next to me.

Then I see her.

"Zack!" She yells as some unseen force drags her across the ground and deeper into the forest. I leap to my feat as she vanishes into a bush, and grab my pistol which I know is still loaded. I flip the safety off, and take off into the forest in a full-on sprint. Sweat beads down my face as small branches make little cuts on my face, yet I don't feel them at all. Adrenaline surges through me, and all I can think about is that fact that the only living thing I've seen since waking up is getting dragged to God knows where. I can't lose her now, not so soon after all this! I let out one last cry, the words not even really processing through my brain as they escape my throat.

"Daring, I'm coming!"

Reality Check

"Daring!?" I yell as I come to a stop, spotting just what was dragging my only living acquaintance away from me. In front of me is a living breathing tiger with Daring's leg in her mouth. She doesn't see me while she tries swatting at the tiger while grunting in obvious pain.

"Daring get down!" I yell as I aim the gun. She doesn't even look up at me as her head ducks down, and I pull the trigger.

*BANG* *BANG* BANG*

Three shots to the head. That's all it took to drop the damned thing, releasing Daring from it's deadly grip. She breathes heavily, refusing to look at her leg by making direct eye contact with me. All I see in her eyes in relief and pain. I rush over to her, and stop on my knees as I lean in to inspect her leg.

"I-I'm fine." She grunts as she tries to stand, only causing blood to gush from the wound as she falls back down with a loud yelp. C'mon, think Zack, think. What can I use as a tourniquet? I pull off my backpack wordlessly, and fish around in it until I find my jacket. I rip a sleeve off and tie it around Daring's back leg as tightly as I can just above the wound, causing the bleeding to slow almost to a hault. She cries out in pain as I uncap the water bottle and begin washing her leg with the remainder of my jacket. I'm no doctor, and this definitely isn't the best care she could receive, but this is all I really have to work with. I finished patching up the wound by tying the jacket tightly over the wound, creating a large makeshift bandage.

"There... that should keep infection out long enough for us to get back to your place." I say as I huff out the air I didn't realize I had been holding in. I lean back on my knees and tilt my head back up towards the sky. If I'm reading the moon right, I'd say it is about two or three in the morning, meaning we still have quite a while till sunrise, but we don't have that kind of time to waste.

"Can you stand?" I ask as I place a hand on her side, actually feeling empathetic for her, a feeling I haven't had for a very long time. I never was much of a people person, especially after losing all of my friends just because of my own achievements. I vowed to never let anyone get close to me like that again, but Olivia was an exception to that rule. We were pretty damn similar when it came down to it, which made us get along perfectly. We'd been dating since highschool, and even into college. She was probably the last person I'd ever consider to be a real friend, the only one I'd ever really trust. Long story short, I have trust issues.

"Does it look like it?" She says sarcastically. Damn, attitude much? "I can fly though, trust me."

"Uh, no you can't" I say as I push her back into the ground. "You'll just strain your leg even more, even if you aren't exactly walking on it."

"Well then how the hay do you expect me to move Zack? Mr. Genius?" I don't respond verbally, but instead scoop her up into my arms, finding that she is surprisingly lighter that I expected, maybe forty of fifty pounds at most. Probably has hollow bones like a bird considering she can fly. I start walking in the same direction that we had been going earlier in the day, completely forgetting about the fire we left behind. It'll probably just put itself out. We had it a safe distance from anything flammable.

"Is this necessary? It is a little demeaning." Daring mumbles as she pulls her hat down over her face.

"Do you have a better idea? No, didn't think so. Trust me, I'm not enjoying it either just to let you know. I wouldn't do this if you weren't hurt... not to mention my guide."

"You're a real hard one aren't ya Zack? I can see the kind, good pon- person in you, but you got this hard exterior shell that won't let that part of you show. What gives?"

"I don't want to talk about it..." I mumble as I continue walking through the dark, cold forest. Damn it is freezing out here, really wish I had that jacket right about now.

"Oh come on, it isn't like we have anything else to talk about other than how awkward this is." She says as she jabs my chest with a hoof.

"Ah... fuck it, whatever. It started when I was like maybe thirteen or fourteen. That was when I started becoming the guy I am now. I started to get recognized not only for my academics, but also my athletic abilities, mainly in a sport called baseball. Anyway, I started getting so many awards for both, that people thought it was going to my head, though I don't think it did. My friends, or at least I thought they were, started leaving my ass in the dirt because they couldn't stand to see me having any kind of success. Jealousy brings out the worst in people I guess. So, by the time I turned seventeen, I'd lost pretty much everybody close to me other than my family and Olivia, my girlfriend. At that point, I just decided it would be better for everyone if I stopped trying to get close to people, and that's how I got to be how I am today. I'm not proud of it, but it is who I am, and I have to embrace it. That experience was a reality check for me, and it opening my eyes to show me just how idiotic humans can be." I explain slowly, stopping every few words to try to think of what to say next.

"Good thing we aren't humans." Daring says with a slight smile.

"We?"

"Ponies, all of us. Well, of course there are a few bad apples out there, but what you described doesn't sound like anypony I've ever met. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, these ponies, strange but friendly folks, somehow found my house and two of them were flipping out over me, especially this one with a rainbow mane, real trippy. Anyway, the way they all seemed to interact with each other suggested that they were all pretty darn close. That's why I'm sending you to the town they came from. Maybe you'll meet them, maybe you won't, but my goal is to get you out there in the world, learn to live again, learn to be happy. That's what you made me promise to you right? That you would be happy?"

"Well yeah, but that doesn't mean I WANT to meet these people. For all I know, they could be real dicks that might turn me off from wanting to meet any other ponies. You gave me a good impression of what you guys are like, but I can't really be for sure off of just your opinion. Sorry, that's just how I am." I say with a shrug.

"You're really stubborn, you know that?" Daring says as she squints at me.

"And you're really heavy, now stop whining and let me walk in peace." I say as I stick my tongue out at her, a small smile forming on my face at her reaction.

"I'm not fat!" She says in defense.

"Didn't say you were. In fact, you're really light, which surprises me, but after a while anything will become heavy if you carry it long enough. Its just that my muscles are tired, that's all." I say as I lightly flick her ear. We continue walking in silence, and while I have no idea what she is thinking about, I know that I'm only thinking about what I just told her. The fact that I wanted to shut everyone out of my life, the fact I wanted to be close to someone again, but was too afraid that they would turn their backs on me, the fact that nobody seemed to be loyal. That's my biggest fear, somebody leaving my side when I thought I could trust them.

I decide now is a better time than any seeing as how all I have to do is walk and carry a probably sleeping pegasus through the dark woods that cover what used to be Washington D.C. I maneuver one hand into my pocket and pull out the earbuds I had placed there earlier. I put them in my ears before plugging them into my phone, then pulling said phone out of my pocket and holding it out in front of me. Gotta do this quickly before my other arm gives out from carrying Daring solo. I pick a random song and quickly put the phone back into my pocket, supporting Daring with both arms once again.

Some good ol' rock music from the 80's plays loudly in my ears, and I get lost in the music, the thing I always did when I was stressed. Music was an escape for me, an escape from the harsh reality of the real world. I'd even go as far as daydreaming that I was the singer rocking out on guitar on stage while I listened to the song. It was my favorite thing to do really, and I never got old, not once. The best part was, I could do it with every and any song that played, meaning I could just hold a never ending concert in my head for God knows how long.

Hours. That's what it feels like before the sun finally starts to peek over the horizon. I've not even come close to playing every song on my phone, as I have well over a thousand downloaded. Technology, what would I do without it?

To make things even better, Daring's rooftop appears over the top of a group of trees just a few hundred feet from us. My arms burn like a thousand suns, but I keep pushing on, rocking Daring back and forth to wake her up. She mumbles something inaudible, and shifts around in my arms, almost throwing me off balance.

"We're here already?" She asks, though I barely hear her over the music in my ears. "What are you wearing? What are those cords?"

"Earbuds!" I yell probably very loudly, though I can't tell because of the music. "They let me listen to music without anyone else hearing it! You wanna hear some when we get inside!?"

"Yeah! I'd love to! Oh, this is the discovery of a lifetime! I meet a creature from 3500 years ago, now I get to use his technology? This is so cool!" She says excitedly like a little kid, causing her to scrunch up into a little ball. Alright, all my bullshit aside for a second, that was kinda cute, I'll admit. Of course, I'd never admit that, but... hey, I call it as I see it.

"Gonna right a book on me?" I ask sarcastically as I roll my eyes and smile.

"You know it! This has to be one of my greatest discoveries ever, how could I not!? You might be the key to unlocking the past Zack, do you know how important that makes you?"

"I hope you aren't being nice to me only because I'm apparently so 'important'." I respond. Daring's expression goes from excitement to one of sadness in less than a second.

"Do you really think I'm like that? I'm being nice to you because I consider you a friend Zack. Oh, also the fact that you probably saved my flank from getting eaten by a tiger."

"Friend huh? I don't know if we're quite there yet Mrs. Yerling."

"It's Daring." She says in a monotone voice.

"Yeah, Daring. You're nice and all, but I'm not looking to make friends right now, I hope you know that."

"Fine, but I still consider you a friend Zacky."

"Never. Call me. Zacky." I say as I shake my head, trying to pretend that she didn't just call me that stupid name.

"Whatever you say... Zacky."

"Oh for the love of-" I cut myself off as the entirety of her house comes into view, causing me to speed up. I gotta admit, I wasn't expecting it to be in the middle of nowhere like this. I expected at least a small village, not just some lonely house in the middle of the woods. "Don't you get lonely out here?" I ask as we approach the door.

"Eh, sometimes." She says with a shrug. "I'm gone so much that I don't really notice it while I'm hear, so I can't really say I really get lonely. In fact, I rather enjoy it out here. Its just so peaceful."

"Yeah, tell that to the tiger." I say as I step up to the door, assuming it is unlocked. Thankfully, it is, which really surprises me considering Daring probably has some pretty valuable stuff in here.

"Why do you keep this thing unlocked?" I ask as I open the door and step inside.

"I-I don't. I locked it when I left to go search the ruins." She says, her voice shaking as I place her down on a couch in the living room.

"Stay here." I say as I pull out my pistol and begin searching the house. I check every corner of every room, checking to see if there were any intruders hiding around. I crack open the bedroom door, and almost gasp, but catch myself just in time. In the bedroom, shuffling through some objects under Daring's bed, is a tan stallion with a brown mane, though he doesn't seem to know I'm here.

I tip toe towards him, gun still locked and loaded, ready to fire at a moments notice. A part of me, the part that is afraid to harm other living creatures seems to be flipped off as I get closer and closer. Boy, I wish I could have seen the look on his face when I placed the barrel of the gun on the back of his head and said,

"Don't move, or there will be one less stallion in this world."

Fear

Alright, so I haven't always had the fastest reflexes, so it shouldn't be all that shocking that I received a buck to the stomach just as I was about to fire. The impact causes me to stumble backwards, firing two shots into the ceiling. The intruder stallion jumps me, holding a knife in his mouth just inches from my neck.

"Oh what the fuck! Where did that even come from!" I yell out as I push back on him. He only grunts in response, the knife's tip getting ever so closer to my throat. About five more inches and I'm dead.

C'mon Zack, you're probably the last human alive, and even if you aren't, you're the last one from your original time period, you can't just give up now, not like this.

I use one arm to hold the knife at bay, the other arm slowly but surely reaching out for the gun. When he sees this, he lets up for a second, just barely long enough for me to take the advantage. Instead of going for the gun, I push him up at hard at I can using my knees and hands, sending him and the knife sailing onto the bed. I tackle him, now being the one on top.

We wrestle violently throwing punches and kicks at each other as we desperately reach for the knife bouncing around on the bed. The stallion once again tackles me to the bed, restraining me from getting up. This time he starts to crush my throat with a hoof, but lucky me can feel the edge of the knife's handle just inches from my fingers. I grunt and gasp as I reach out and eventually grab the blade. I twist it around in my hand before forcing my arm up and towards the stallion, stabbing him in the side. He lets out a cry of agony, and falls off the bed. I quickly jump up and grab the gun, and point both weapons at him.

"Don't fucking mo-" I start to say before something comes hobbling into the room.

"Zack?" Daring says, her eyes growing at the sight of the infiltrator. I take my eyes off of him for just a second, and her begins to charge at me again. Luckily, hooves are loud against wooden floors. You know what else it loud? Bullets leaving the barrels of guns. Bodies hitting the floor aren't quite as loud, but they're still up there.

"Oh sweet Celestia!" Daring yells as she stumbles over to a wall, leaning on it for support.

"Hey, I said not to move." I say as I slowly approach the body. Yep, right through the old noggin. Gotta say, its much different than shooting some tiger. This guy, er stallion, whatever, was sentient like Daring and I, so technically, I just became a murderer. Boy did that sink in quickly.

"Whoa, Zack." Daring says as she tries to stumble over to me as I hold my hand with the gun up to my head. The room starts spinning, and I feel the need to fall over, which is exactly what I do. I fall backwards on the bed, the gun and knife landing on the sheets with a dull thud. I see Daring's blurry face, but can't hear her at all. All I hear is a faint ringing in my ears.

"Zack..." I open my eyes and everything is clear again. "Oh, good, you aren't dead." Daring says with a nervous laugh, maybe from relief.

"Yeah, well I'm not..." I say as I sit up and look at the body still on the floor, blood starting to pool around it. "Sorry about... this." I say as I wave my hand in the general direction of the body.

"I-Its okay... I guess." She says as she too looks at the corpse. "Hey, wait a sec, I know this guy." She says as she rubs a hoof on her chin.

"Oh yeah? Who is he? Why was he rummaging under your bed?" Daring, in response, jumps off the bed and quickly explains to me who he was while trying to find something under the bed.

"He was a henchman for this guy, Dr. Caballeron. Trust me, he had this coming." She says, almost spitting out the words.

"I take it you guys have some history?" I ask as I watch her shuffle around under the bed, though I keep eyeing the body, feeling guilty every time I do.

"Oh yeah we do. You wouldn't believe that guy, sheesh. He never seems to leave me alone... Say, Zack, could you do me a favor?" She asks as she reappears on the top of the bed with a brown sack wrapped around her hoof. She drops it in front of me and backs up a little like she wants me to take it.

"That depends." I say as I raise my eyebrows in confusion.

"I need you to hide this. Apparently it isn't safe here as you can see." She says, gesturing to the body which is already filling the room with a rank odor.

"Okay first of all, why do you trust me of all people? We literally just met yesterday if you don't remember."

"Because, Zack, I can see who you are. You're a good guy, and I do believe that. Also... you're kinda my only friend right now, therefor making you the only one I can really trust." She says with a sheepish grin.

"Uh huh... And, what is this thing exactly?" I ask as I open the bag and pull out a flat, green gem, about the size of my phone, and turn it around in my hand.

"A pretty cool little gem I found recently while exploring this old pyramid in the deserts. Legend has it, that if you hold it and aim it at somepony, you can see their deepest, darkest fear. A little creepy, but pretty cool too! You can imagine how much this could sell for on the black market, which is why I need you to take it from here, as far away as you can. I want you to take it to this town called Ponyville, it is about twenty miles south east of here, so you could be there by tomorrow if you hurry." She says as she takes the gem out of my hand, places it back in the bag, and hurls it at me. I catch it against my chest, giving her a strange look of confusion.

"Well... at least now I have a legitimate reason for going..." I say with a sigh. "So, when do you want to get moving?"

"Um, I never said we, Zack, only you are going. If you haven't noticed, I'm in no condition to travel. Don't worry about me though, I'll just stay here, clean up this mess, and maybe just hide it somewhere for a while till things calm down. I'll meet you in Ponyville as soon as I can, I promise. But Zack, you gotta get out of here, now. The other guys are probably close by, and I'd bet my flank they heard that little fight you just had, so go, get out!" Daring hisses at me as she checks the window, looking around for anyone that might be nearby.

"But... You really just want me to leave you? You could get hurt Daring." I say as I start to stand up.

"What's this? The great and might Zack actually cares about someone?" She says with a smirk. "I'll be fine, just go already! I'll see you soon, that's a promise!" She says as she waves me out of the room. I stare at her for a moment not sure if I should really go. "I SAID GO!" She yells at me. She looks angry, but sounds more worried than anything. I nod and rush down the stairs, out the door, and into the forest, never once looking back as I feel my eyes start to water up, though I don't know why. Maybe because I just left the closest thing I've had to a friend in God knows how long, or maybe because I'm a murderer on the run now. Whatever it is, it is enough to make me sprint nearly a mile before collapsing to my knees near a river, sweat and even a little blood trickling down my face. I let it all out.

"Damn it... Damn it! DAMN IT!" I yell at the sky for no reason, still not even sure what I'm upset about. I want to go back, I really do. I feel guilty for just leaving her there, especially while she's injured, but some unseen force is keeping me from doing so, instead pulling me towards this "Ponyville" town.

"God... I'm pathetic..." I mumble to myself as I start trudging through the fallen leaves left over from autumn. I don't know how long I just shuffled along, the cold winter breeze blowing against my skin, which feels even colder because of my sweat.

My mind starts to shift over from Daring to the gem in my pocket, which only gets me curious about how it actually works. So, of course being the science loving guy I am, I pull it out and start twirling it around in my fingers, watching the sun bounce off it's reflective surface. I stare at it, looking at my own reflection, seeing how messed up my hair is and how dirty I am, which only causes me to cringe inwardly.

"How do you work?" I whisper to the gem, staring at it's flat surface. I point at myself, and continue staring at the surface as it shifts from my reflection to what is practically a video.

"Holy shit..." I gasp out in shock as I stop walking to stare at the gem. Greatest fear huh Daring? Alright, lets see if this thing is legit.

I watch the scene play out, though there is no audio which makes sense. All I see is me standing in the middle of a dark room, a single spotlight shining down on me. More lights flash on around me, revealing the faces of my former friends, the ones that all abandoned me. There is a very noticeable difference though. Their eyes and mouths are replaced with gaping black holes, their heads leaning at different angles like zombies. They all start to surround me, but I don't move. I just fall on my knees and scream. But they don't attack. The closer they get, they start to fade away into nothing. I fall over on my side, wrapping my knees up to my chest and holding them tightly. Then the gen fades back to it's normal green, reflective surface.

I stand in silence looking at the gem in disbelief. My mind just can't make up an rational explanation for what I just saw other than one thing. One thing I don't want to admit just might be real. Magic.

The gem knew somehow that my worst fear was being abandoned, I want to find out how it works, and I can't just do that in the middle of a forest. I need to get to the town, now.

I take off at a fast jogging pace into the unknown, my only guide being the sun in the sky leading me south east.

Whatever this thing is, it was able to read me like an open book, and it had a pretty gruesome way of presenting how I felt about my fear. The closer my friends got, the more they seemed to just... vanish. They probably looked like zombies, because that was how I felt about them. They were dead to me. It made sense, and that's what scares me.

I have to get to that town. I have to get there before I go insane!

One Of Six

Running. That's what my life has pretty much become for the last several hours. Oh, that and walking of course. Nobody can run 20 fucking miles without a break, and that includes me. The sun is still pretty high in the sky, the time probably being around five in the afternoon. That means I've been traveling for about... nine hours now. By the looks of it, I'm getting close to some kind of civilization. I'm still not out of this godforsaken forest by a long shot, but I climbed a tree a while back and was able to see the edge of the forest near the horizon, meaning I should be getting fairly close.

I'd kill for a cheeseburger. That's another thing I've been worrying about, food. I've come across countless streams, all with pretty clean water, but man was I starving to death. Maybe a few berries here and there as I passed the occasional bush, but I didn't risk it seeing how I have no knowledge on whether or not they were poison or not. I'm an anatomy and physics major, I know close to nothing about earth science!

I may have forgot to mention that my phone is getting to the point where I start to worry. At fifty percent battery, I completely turned it off, even taking said battery out of the back of the phone. I'm going to savor this for as long as I can, and there is no way in hell I'm gonna just let it die in the middle of some unknown forest.

Then there's Daring, the one I left back at her house because she was trying to protect me, or maybe the gem... whatever, I'd like to at least think she was more worried about me than some creepy fear gem. Thinking back on it, I had weapons, I could have protected her if I'd stayed. Probably wasn't the smartest idea to do that. She was the closest thing I've had to a friend, other than Olivia, since I was in highschool. I kick myself mentally at the thought, but realize I have to put that behind me for now. She's strong, I'm sure she can take care of herself, even if she is injured. But I'll be damned if she gets killed because of me.

I take off again, breaking into a sprint after taking a good ten minute break. If I sprint the rest of the way, I could be there within the hour. I'll be half dead, but I'll be there. And when I get there, I'm gonna... I'm gonna...

Good job Zack, didn't think this through did ya? Damn, I really need to work on that ability. I have absolutely no idea what I even plan to do when I get to this town, much less who I'm supposed to talk to. Daring mention these "six friends" but only described one of them, and didn't even tell me the names of any of them. Thanks Daring, really helpful there. I shake my head and laugh as my legs beg for another break. Its probably my fault anyway. I should have asked for less vague instructions than go this way and take this gem with you.

So yeah, this is my life now! My fucked up, tortuous life. It can't get any worse though...

I take it back! Sweet Mother of Mary I take it back! The unnatural predator chases me at incredible speeds, the only thing keeping it from killing me being my agility, my ability to slide under low objects, as well as jumping over and around larger objects in my way. The creature looks like some kind of wolf, but, well, there's a pretty noticeable difference between this one and the ones I've seen in zoos and on TV. This one has a body made entirely out of wood, and is larger than any wolf I've ever seen. That's not even the worst part though. It has these glowing green eyes that just pierce your soul like a sharpened blade. Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but hey, I'm running for my life here!

Wait, duh, gun. I still have a good four or five shots in this thing, not to mention the stash of ammo I collected from the lab which now sits in the side pouch of my bag. Thank you dead military guys, you will always be remembered as the ones who saved my ass by dying next to my frozen body, providing future me with ammo! So cheers to you, you deserve it!

I reach behind me, firing the gun blindly, hoping to God that it'll do some kind of damage. I hear the cracking of wood, but I can't tell if I actually hit the thing, or if I just so happened to hit an innocent tree, and frankly, I'm too scared to turn around to check.

I think I just ran straight from hell, and into heaven. I break through the edge of the forest, and I spot a small cottage just a few hundred feet away. That right there, is what heaven looks like. Honestly, I would have settled for anything more than a wet cardboard box, so this is definitely a luxury!

The wolf is still a good hundred or so feet behind me, giving me just enough time to make it to the door on the cottage. Without even bothering to knock, I force the door open with my shoulder. I have no idea if it was locked, nor do I necessarily care right now. I find myself in a living room filled with multiple animals, all of which run and hide at the sight of me.

"What was tha-" A yellow pony, pegasus like Daring, walks down the stairs, and freezes as we make eye contact. I slam the door closed behind me, and quickly rush as the pony. She yelps as I grab her and hold her against my chest, my hand covering her mouth. She struggles, but she isn't all that strong, and I'm able to keep her restrained. She mumbles something into my hand, but I only hold her tighter as I stare at the window next to the door.

"Shut up, or we're both dead!" I hiss at her. Poor thing probably thinks I'm going to eat her or something, though in reality, I'm just protecting her. Honestly, you break into someone's home and hold them against their will and can't even get a thank you? Gees, what has this world come to?

She stops struggling after that, though I don't know if it was because she actually listened to me, or the fact the the wolf was now pacing around outside, probably looking for your's truly.

Oh great, now she's crying. And now my hand is getting soaked by pony tears. Never thought I'd say, or, well, think that. Well, to be fair I never thought I'd be doing any of this crazy shit.

I bring up the gun, my hand shaking, and aim it with one hand at the wolf through the window. Maybe it heard it rattling, or maybe it somehow saw me, but as soon as it's head turns towards us, I fire.

Well, it's dead now, but we lost a good man today. Rest in peace window, rest in peace.

"You okay? Sorry about the whole grabbing you thing." I say as I let the pony go, who quickly rushes to the other side of the room, hiding behind a couch. "Hey, c'mon, I'm not trying to hurt you! And hey, I made you some firewood outside. Consider it an apology gift. I'm Zack." I say as I hold out my hand towards the couch, knowing all too well that there is a yellow pegasus hiding behind it.

Slowly but surely, a bit of yellow pops out, along with some pink, and I'm looking into two huge eyes.

"I said I'm not trying to hurt you. Hell, I just saved you... though of course you wouldn't need saving if I hadn't lured that thing here, but that's besides the point." I say with my hand still extended towards the pony.

To my shock, she actually steps out from behind the couch, and looks me up and down. I get down on my knees so I look more like her size, and hopefully less intimidating.

"Y-You're big..." She whispers.

"Heh, no, I'm Zack." I say with an awkward chuckle. Damn, I'm becoming my dad! "Could you uh, shake my hand now? Maybe introduce yourself? Or do introductions not work like that here?"

"O-Oh... sorry." She mumbles under her breath before placing a hoof in my hand. I shake it, and she quickly pulls away, staring at me while trying to hide behind her hair. "I'm... Fluttershy..."

"Well Mrs. Shy, gotta say I'm sorry for the whole intrusion and everything. Oh, and the window of course. If you couldn't tell I was kind of running for my life."

"I-I understand... What are you, exactly? I-If you don't mind me asking."

"I'm a human." I say as I sigh and bury my face into my hands, remembering just what kind of situation I'm currently in. Kinda forgot I was the last human on Earth. That happens when you're distracted by trying to not die. I might be depressed, but I'm not to the point that I want that to happen. Besides, when I go, I don't exactly wanna go by being slowly torn apart and eaten alive.

"Human? I haven't heard about those before. Did you come from the Everfree Forest?"

"I don't think so, if that forest I just came out of is the Everfree. I crossed some huge plain earlier, and entered that forest from the other side. I started out in another one somewhere northwest of here."

"Do you live there?" She asks.

"Well... yeah, kinda." I say as I rub the back of my head. Not sure how I'd be treated if anyone found out I was from the distant past, as well as being the last survivor of my race. I'd either be incredibly famous, or taken by whoever rules this place and studied or something, and quite frankly, I'd rather not have either one.

"Kinda? What do you-"

*CRACK*

The door breaks down, and a wooden figure storms in. God, I thought I killed this thing! I shot it right in the neck! I reach down to grab my gun, only to remember I left it on the stairs. I practically fly across the room, but by the time I have the gun in my hands, I hear a scream, a horrible, blood curdling scream.

I shoot blindly, firing four shots until the gun only clicks as I pull the trigger. The wooden wolf falls, and I rush over to the body. I push it away, revealed a yellow pegasus on the floor, a bloody gash on her side.

"Oh shit, shit shit shit!" I yell as I just stare at her, my hands flailing around looking for some unseen object. I settle for picking her up, and sprinting out the door. What is it with ponies getting hurt when I'm around!? I've met three, and so far one is injured, one is dead, and now one is probably on the verge of death!

I sprint out into the open area outside, my body burning from overuse. I'm running on completely pure adrenaline at this point. If I run out of that, I'm going to drop like a rock.

I follow a dirt path, passing a park and a lake along the way. That town has to be around here somewhere...

"There! Hang in there, I can see the hospital." I say to the pony who may or may not be conscious right now, can't really tell. My arms are already covered in blood, but because of the position in which I'm holding her, my white t-shirt is still relatively clean. Why am I even worrying about this?

"Don't worry, almost there." I whisper as I approach the town, and large white building with a red cross on it near the edge.

"Hey, you!" A voice yells at me from above. I look up to see another pegasus, one who would probably blend into the afternoon sky if it didn't have what looked like a bag of skittles on it's head. I ignore whoever she is, and continue running towards the hospital.

"Put her down you bucking monster!" She yells. That's the last thing I head before I'm knocked off my feet by a blue blur. I maneuver myself in the air so that I don't land on Fluttershy, and end up instead landing on my back, all the air escaping my lungs.

"Trying... save..." I cough out as I slowly get up, only to get punched in the face by a hoof. Pain shoots through my face, and I fall again, this time landing on my side.

"Don't lie to me!" She yells as another hoof hits me in the back. I let out a grunt, and my vision goes black around the edges.

"Rainbow, he's..." Is the last thing I hear before I give up, and pass out.

Author's Note

http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/605652/ask-me

Check this thingy out ^

Also, let me know what you thought of the chapter! I tried a little comedy, which probably sucked, but uh, whatcha think 'bout it?

Open Eyes

"Agh... son of a..." I mumble to myself as I slowly open my eyes. Everything is blurry, not to mention the bright light above me hurts to look at, even with my eyes closed. I rub my eyes, trying to get them to focus. As I do so, I feel a sharp pain on the side of my face, as well as a similar pain on my back, making it uncomfortable to lie directly on my back.

My memories start to rush back to me, and I sit up, looking for the yellow pegasus I had been rushing to the hospital. Speaking of which, I'm apparently in said hospital, considering I'm hooked up to a heart rate monitor and an IV. I rip the cords out of my arm, and quickly stand up, only to realize I'm completely naked. I yank a sheet off the bed, and wrap myself in it before spotting my clothes neatly folded next to my shoes and backpack on a table on the opposite side of the room. What I didn't notice was the doctor staring at me from the doorway, his mouth gaping open, probably because I just ripped a bunch of wires off my body and had a small trail of blood trickling down my arm from where the IV was ripped out.

"A little privacy please?" I say as I squint at the doctor. He blinks and nods before rushing out of the room, probably to find security or something. I close the door behind him, throw the sheet off my body, and quickly gather up my clothes, slipping on my shirt and pants, then my shoes and socks, and finally my backpack which thankfully still has everything in it. I brush them off before slowly opening the door and peek around the corner, rubbing the side of my face as I do so. I swear if I ever see that little blue piece of crap that slugged me again, I'll tear her a new one.

I step out into the hallway, pressing my back against the wall, trying to be stealthy. I blame this on playing too many video games. I slowly sneak around, ducking behind trash bins, carts, anything that will hide me whenever someone passes by. If any of these ponies act like that blue one that attacked me, I certainly don't want them to notice me.

I have one goal right now. Find where that Fluttershy girl is, and make sure she isn't dead. If someone dies because of my stupidity, I probably won't forgive myself. She seemed pretty innocent, reminded me of a frightened young girl. She didn't deserve that to happen to her while I got away with nothing more than a scratch.

At one point, a nurse walks by pushing a cart in front of her. She stops and walks into a room, giving me the perfect opportunity to get what I wanted. I step out from behind the bin I was hiding behind, and approach the cart, shuffling items around on it till I find what I want. A clipboard with a list of patients and what rooms they are in. I scan the list, hoping that this list was made recently. I find Fluttershy's name near the bottom, and see that she's being kept in a room on the second floor. A quick glance out the window at the end of the hallway tells me that I'm on the first floor. Great, how am I supposed to get up there without being seen?

I crumble up the paper, and stuff it into my pocket as I break into a sprint down the hallway towards the elevator. If I can't sneak up there, then I'll just have to try to get there before being stopped.

I turn a corner, and find the stairwell that leads to the second floor, and swing the door open, only to run directly into a nurse, knocking her over.

"I'm so sorry." I say as I hold a hand out towards her, the other one rubbing my face, trying to get rid of the pain shooting through it.

"Hey, you're that patient that was-" She starts, but I cut her off.

"Sorry, can't chat right now." I say as I quickly stand up and rush up the stairs. I take a quick look behind me to see the nurse just sitting there, staring at the spot I once stood. I push the thought aside, and quickly rush up the remaining stairs, forcing the door open at the top. I stumble out into a hallway that looks similar to the one downstairs, and look for room 2B.

I follow multiple signs that show the locations of certain rooms, gaining stares from everyone that I pass. This is SO much easier than trying to sneak around. I stumble around the last corner, as the room comes into view at the end of the hallway. I lightly jog down said hallway, a small smile forming on my face as I made it successfully.

I open the door to Fluttershy's room, and walk inside. I must have been out for a long time, because Fluttershy looks like she's already been patched up, maybe even had some kind of surgery, who knows? It would make sense that I was out for quite a while. Not only was I knocked out cold, but my body was probably half dead from traveling for a major portion of the day. Hell, I'm surprised that I didn't die.

I approach Fluttershy, who appears to either be asleep or unconscious. The heart monitor next to her bed lets me know that she is still alive, thank God. I stop next to her bed, taking off my backpack and getting down a knee so I'm at her level.

"Sorry 'bout this." I say as I rub the back of my head. "It was kinda my fault huh?"

No response, not that I was really expecting one.

"Well, you're alive, so, I guess I did my job." I mumble as I get up, rubbing my face with the palms of my hands. I start slowly walking back towards the door, but I hear voices approaching from outside. Without even thinking, I dive under Fluttershy's bed, which is just barely large enough to cover me. My breaths come heavily, but I try to be as quiet as possible. I lie on my stomach, my face pointed towards the door which opens slowly, revealing multiple sets of legs.

"I'm sure you overreacted." A feminine voice says.

"You didn't see it Twilight! It was carrying Fluttershy, and she was covered in her own blood!" A raspy, familiar voice says. Fuck, that better not be that one po-

"Rainbow, Fluttershy had claw marks down her side, and that "monster", as you described him, didn't have claws. Trust me, I looked at him myself!" The first voice says.

"Maybe we should visit him and throw him a welcome party!" A high pitched, somewhat annoying yet innocent voice says rather loudly.

"No way, I still say that thing hurt Fluttershy." The raspy voice says.

"Did you actually even talk to Fluttershy, Rainbow?"

"Well... no, she passed out right after I defeated that thing. So I-"

"So you don't actually know what she saw, do you?"

"Well, no, but I know what I saw! And unless I get solid proof that it was something else that attacked her, I'm gonna keep my eye on that thing!" Alright, that's fuckin' enough. I roll out from under the bed, literally, I roll on my side. I stand up quickly, gaining the attention of four new ponies, and one that I'd seen before. One I wish I could forget.

"Ah son of a bitch, it was you!" I say as I stare down the blue one who I assume is this, "Rainbow" character that they've been referring to.

"Hey, what did you do to-" She begins to yell, but is suddenly stopped midair by some purple glow. I stare down at a purple pony, this one having not only wings, but a horn on it's head, covered in the same pinkish purple glow.

"Rainbow! Stop that!" She scolds the pegasus who is still frozen in the air. The others in the room still look mortified by me just standing there, which isn't exactly what I was hoping for, yet knew would happen.

"What were ya doin' under her bed?" An orange one wearing, believe it or not, a stetson hat, asks me, giving me a suspicious glare. "Were ya tryin' to hurt her or somethin'?"

"What? No! I saved her ass, thanks for asking! Then this one over here knocked me out before I could get her to the hospital!" I yell as I point to Rainbow, who is STILL in the air.

"Then why were you carrying her, covered in her own blood!?" Rainbow yells.

"Because she was attacked by some wooden wolf thing! I killed it, picked her up, and I was rushing her to the hospital until you knocked me down! If you want proof, I can take back there right now and show you the body!"

"Excuse me for asking, but um, what exactly are you darling? I've never seen anything of the likes of you." The last one to speak, a white pony with a horn, asks me.

"Name's Zack. Nice to see at least some of you have manners." I say as I flash her a quick smile before returning to my serious attitude. She smiles back, seemingly okay with me being here, and hopefully believing my story which is all too true, though I did leave out the reason that the wolf was actually near Fluttershy.

"Well Zack... I can't say I really know what you are, which does kind of bother me... But uh, you seem... nice enough." The purple one says, giving me a sheepish, nervous smile that seems all too forced.

"So uh, you guys going to introduce yourselves or..." I say as I rock on my heels.

"Oh uh, right. Well I'm Twilight Sparkle." The purple one says. "This is Rainbow Dash." She says as she gestures to the blue pegasus who she recently put down, and is now giving me an distrusting look. "Rarity." Pointing now to the white unicorn pony. "Applejack." Now she points to the orange one who gives me a suspicious look, but nods none the less. "And Pin- Where did she go?" Twilight says as she starts spinning in circles.

"Heya!" Suddenly my vision is covered in pink, and I feel something on my back, a part of it pressing into the sore spot where Rainbow slugged me. I WILL get revenge for that, I swear on my life I will. "I'm Pinkie Pie!" A pink, upside-down face appears in my vision, and causes me to stumble back against the wall, causing some of the ponies to giggle at me.

"Um, hi? Could you, y'know, get off my back?" I say as I try to force her off of me, but she's stuck to me like a headcrab. The next thing I know, she is standing among the group of ponies who are a good ten feet away. The scary part is that I didn't even see her travel between where I'm standing, and where the group is standing.

"What the... How the hell?" I say rather quietly, my brain going into overdrive as I try to think of a logical explanation for how she did that. "How did she-"

"Don't ask." Twilight says as she eyes the pink pony.

"But she just-"

"I said don't ask. You'll only hurt yourself." Twilight says as she rolls her eyes.

"Guys." Nobody seemed to hear Applejack who saw something that none of us saw.

"Twilight, I'm a man of science, alright? I wanna know how she-"

"Guys!" Applejack yells. We all look over to her, only to see her standing next to Fluttershy's bed. Speaking of which, looks like there is a sixth member of this "party" now.

"She's awake."

First Night

"Oh thank God." I huff out as I lean against a wall, wiping the thin layer of sweat off my forehead. "I thought she was gonna die or something."

"Well duh, you WERE the one who did this to her!" Rainbow says with an annoyed expression on her face.

"You know what? I'm getting tired of your shit! Daring was wrong about this place, I'm outta here." I begin to walk towards the door, when the room goes quiet. I turn around to see why everyone stopped talking, only to see everyone is now staring at me.

"You know Daring Do!?" Both Rainbow and Twilight yell at the same time. I give them a weird look, wondering how they know her before remembering that she is supposedly a famous author.

"Yeah..." I say with some hesitation. "She kinda saved my life, and I kinda saved her's." I say slowly.

"So are you guys, like, friends?" Rainbow asks, no longer seeming angry, more like excited.

"Guess so. She's the only one I trust around here, but it looks like what she told me was wrong. Said I could find some group of friends or something, that they had found her house a few weeks ago..." I look down at Rainbow who starts to blush, as well as Twilight. Wait, Daring mention rainbow hair...

"Oh hell no, don't tell me she was talking about you!" I say as I press my face against the palms of my hands.

"Why would that be a problem?" Rainbow asks, her annoyed tone slowly coming back.

"Forget it, I'm out of here. If any of you need me, I'll be at Fluttershy's house clearing out the wood." I say as I walk out the door, slamming it behind me. Well, that could have gone better, much better. Whatever these guys did to get Daring to call them "friendly", they obviously weren't doing it to me. All I got from them was anger and a coma. Guess I'll have to move on to the next town or something. Maybe I can become a hobo or something, travel the world with nothing to care about.

I make my way out of the hospital, ignoring anyone who tries to talk to me or stop me. I storm outside, still pretty upset about what just transcended back there. That blue one, Rainbow Dash, she was the absolute worse. I could tolerate the rest of them, but God knows that if I see her again, it won't be good for her.

I make my way through the streets of town, losing my anger as it is replaced with nervousness, and a little bit of fear. See, I've never really been big on crowds, much less being the center of attention in said crowd. As I walk through the streets, most of the ponies stare at me, jaws agape in either fare or awe, not really sure. Some even go as far as to scream and run inside, grabbing their children in the process. Damn, this whole fitting in thing is going to be harder than I though.

Luckily, it only takes a few minutes to make it to the edge of town, the crunch of the dirt path turning into soft thumps as I walk through the grass. I remember coming in this direction, so that means the cottage should be around here somewhere. The least I can do for the poor girl is clean up her house after I trashed it.

Reaching the cottage was probably the best part of my day. Of course, good things don't last forever as I hear something in the sky, akin to a large bird. Then I hear a ruffling of the leaves in the tree above me as I stand a few feet away from the entrance of the cottage. Great, a spy, just what I wanted.

"Rainbow Dash, I'm honestly worried about you. I think you might have a severe case of annoying-as-shit-idus." I say up towards the tree. Slowly, a blue figure descends down, and lands in front of me.

"Did you really think I'd let you just come destroy Fluttershy's house like this?" She says, spreading out her wings, probably trying to look threatening. I get down on my knee, grab her shoulders, pull her up to my face, and look her directly in the eye.

"I didn't hurt her, I didn't mean to trash her house, and I saved her life!" I say quietly into her ear, making sure she knows that I'm pissed off. "If you don't believe me, take a fucking look for yourself." I say as I spin her around, and shove her through the doorway where the wooden door once stood. She starts to protest, but sees the mass of wood in the corner of the room, and stops dead in her tracks.

"Timberwolf?" She manages to get out, though rather quietly.

"So that's what they're called..." I mumble to myself. "Look at this, and look at it good." I say as I walk over to the timerwolf, picking up one of it's paws in my hands. "See, covered in blood. And last I remember, wood doesn't bleed."

"So... you weren't-"

"Lying? No, I wasn't. Thanks for that by the way, really made me want to warm up to you ponies." I say sarcastically as I roll my eyes. I look to my left to see Rainbow staring right back at me, saying nothing. Her eyes seem even bigger than normal, which catches me off guard.

"You okay?" I say as I wave a hand in front of her face. "Earth to bitchy horse..."

"I-I... I'm sorry." She says before disappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a rainbow trail and a gush of wind so strong, it knocks me over.

"Holy shit!" Is my only response as I watch her vanish into the sky like a rocket. That doesn't make any sense! She went from standing still to turning into a living missile in less than a second! Forget being mad at her, which I still kinda am, but that was amazing! I gotta find out how she did that. As a person, I still think I hate her, but I gotta respect that ability of her's.

After letting that quick burst of adrenaline die down, I start picking up the wood from the ground, using my knife to slowly cut the larger pieces into small little chunks of wood. It may sound like that would take forever, but guess what? It did. I spent the next four hours cutting and moving wood, neatly stacking said wood outside in a pile. If this thing wasn't made 100% of wood, I'd be gagging so bad right now. Thankfully, it seems that is exactly what it is made of.

Does Fluttershy really need this wood? I mean, I'm homeless, so shouldn't I be the one who needs it?

So, with that thought in mind, I finish clearing out the house, and start carrying some of the wood a safe distance away from the house. I settled down in an open area a few hundred feet from the cottage, and start stacking up the wood in a specific way. Y'know, this is really twisted and morbid in a way, but I'm gonna try not to think about it.

"Fire... how do I make fire without flint?" I whisper to myself, remembering how Daring started her fire. It wouldn't be so hard if it wasn't for the fact that I currently lack any flint. Maybe there is something in my backpack that could help? I'll be like Dora or something, relying on this thing to hold everything I could ever want.

I go through a bunch of items from textbooks to electronics, but nothing that I could really use to create a fire. I could try the old rubbing two sticks thing together, but I'm not sure how well that actually works. So, that leaves me with two options. One, I could try venturing out, even though it is getting pretty dark, and try looking for a piece of flint. Or, secondly, I could just snoop around Fluttershy's cottage in hopes to find a lantern or something. Option is two is much safer than option one, but it also requires me to steal, which isn't something I necessarily want to do at the moment. However, If I don't have a fire for the night, I'll probably freeze to death in the winter air, not to mention the thin layer of snow covering most of the ground.

So, I decide on option two, breaking and entering, even if the breaking part is kind of already done for me.

I stand up slowly, placing a hand on my back and grunting as I do so. Damn, that Rainbow Dash can punch really hard. I kinda hope I never actually get into a real fight with her, especially if I'm unarmed. Pain aside, I start slowly walking back towards the cottage, rubbing my arms to try to stay warm. I can see my breath in the moonlight, signaling that it might just be colder than I thought. Maybe being in the C.F.D. for so long made me a little more immune to cold? I'd sure hope so. At least something good might come from that whole ordeal.

I slowly enter the cottage, grateful that it is rather warm in here, probably because of all the animals scattered around that have been hiding from me this whole time. This girl must have a weird thing for animals to have all of these in here. Either that, or she has a serious infestation problem.

I make my way up the stairs, each one creaking as I put my weight on them. I doubt they were made to hold this much weight on them, so I really hope they don't give out under me. Once upstairs, I find the bedroom, which thankfully has a lantern on the nightstand. But then I think of something else. Fluttershy is in the hospital, probably for a few days. Would she even notice if I slept here? It's rude enough that I'm stealing her stuff, but to actually sleep in her house without permission?

One gust of cold wind makes it's way inside from the front door, and it helps me to make up my mind. I decide to stay here for the night. To keep my conscience happy, I'll just sleep on the couch downstairs instead of her actual bed. At least that is a little better than actually taking over her entire bed.

I make my way back downstairs, lantern in hand to light up the room around me. The wind blows in harshly from the hole where the door used to be, and I decide it will be necessary for me to cover that with something, the problem is, I don't know what to use. Well, that is until I spot a bookcase pressed up against the wall pretty close to the door, or where the door used to be anyway. I walk over to it, setting down my backpack so it doesn't get in the way. I put all of my weight on the side of it, and it slowly starts to move, creating an obnoxious sound as it scrapes against the floor ever so slowly. I takes a good five minutes of pushing to get it to completely cover the hole. Most of that time was spent making sure the thing wouldn't fall over as I pushed it.

As soon as the last bit of the hole is covered, I feel the room instantly begin to heat up, which causes me to sigh in relief as I realize just how tired I am. I shuffle over to the couch, and sit down it before kicking off my shoes. I pull out my phone, and insert the battery, then wait for it to boot up. I want to spend a little time every now and then looking back at the few memories I still had of the old Earth. With only half a battery left, I'll have to be very conservative of the energy, or it'll run out in just a day or two.

Once it boots up, I close all background apps and turn the brightness completely down to conserve as much power as I possibly can. I open the photo app, and start scrolling through my camera roll, a small smile forming on my face whenever I see a familiar face. Some photos bring back some painful memories, but some only to serve to lighten my mood a bit. Photos of Olivia seem to do that the most. She was really the only friend I had for the past few years, so she was pretty much my other half. I sigh as I shut off the phone after about ten minutes, and lay down on the couch which is almost too small for me to fit on. Damn these ponies and their size.

Random thoughts rush through my mind as I try to think of anything that'll make me have a peaceful sleep. Olivia, my parents, my sister, brother, anything that'll calm my senses enough for me to drift off.

And you know what? It worked.

Before I drift off, I mumble out one last thing. One last statement of gratitude for the shelter I now reside in.

"Thanks Fluttershy."

Before The Storm

*Zack's POV* *10 Hours Ago*

"So, where should I begin?" I ask Twilight as I face her, my arms resting on the back of the chair. She probably thinks I look idiotic due to the fact I'm sitting in it backwards.

"How about just telling me about yourself? I'd like to get to know you more as a friend than some scientific project." She says with a sheepish smile. I'm not sure if I should be offended by that or not.

"Well, you can probably tell by now that I'm not exactly the happiest guy around. I was born in a place called New York." I say as I stare down at my hands, not really wanting to make eye contact with the purple pony in front of me.

"Where's that? I've never heard of New York before."

"It's... far from here to say the least." I say as I rub the back of my head. "I was born in a part of New York called Manhatten. and-"

"Oh, Manehatten?" Twilight asks, her voice rising in pitch and her ears perking up.

"What? No, MANhatten." I say with a confused look. "You've heard of it?"

"Manehatten is a city up north from here. It's know for its large variety of businesses, restaurants, shows, you name it."

"Huh, sounds a lot like Manhatten from back home... Anyway, that isn't where I'm from. I'll get to that part in a minute. So, as a child I was like everyone else. I had friends, played games, went to school, yadda yadda yadda. It wasn't until I turned about thirteen years old that my life started going down the shitter. I was recognized for being 'gifted," I say with air quotes. "in academics and athletics alike. I was okay with it at first, it just meant school would be a lot smoother for me. Then, I guess jealousy kicked in. My friends just kinda... left me. Sometimes it was because I would get moved to honors classes and they'd think I was ditching them. Or maybe I'd one up them in a competition or something and they'd get jealous." I finish with a forced chuckle.

"That soun-" Twilight begins.

"I'm not done." I say as I hold up a finger. "I thought it was all a gift at first. I was so wrong. It was a curse. I hated myself, and I hated what I had become..." I say as I stare at the floor.

"T-That's horrible." Twilight says as her ears droop to the sides of her head.

"You don't know the half of it... God, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but... Gees, I've never told this to anyone... When I was sixteen I tried to..." I sigh as I can't even finish the sentence. I close my eyes and rub them with the palms of my hands. "I'm sorry." I whisper.

I wasn't expecting to feel something warm press up against my side. I open my eyes slightly to see purple and two huge eyes staring back at me.

"W-What are you doing?" I whisper. I barely even know her, why is she so close to me all of a sudden?

"I'm being a good friend."

"Hah, friends, yeah right. Friends don't exist Twilight." I say, letting out a laugh that I didn't even mean to release. She gives me a confused look as I stand up and pick up my bag, slinging it across my back. I storm across the room, my feet pounding against the wooden floor as I make my way towards the exit. I kick the door open, leaving the library behind.

"Zack!" I hear her yell from behind me. I don't turn around. I keep walking forward, not sure where I'm going. I need to clear my head. This was exactly why I never liked to talk about my past with anyone under any circumstances. I have no idea why I'd tell some complete stranger, a pony no less! And then she tried to get all close and shit, saying I was her friend... I learned a long time ago what "friendship" was, and I don't want any part of it.

I walk through the streets, trying to calm myself down by thinking about, well, anything other than my past. Maybe I should visit Fluttershy or something. Maybe Applejack is still working at her stand. Or, and this is a long shot, I could try to go back and find Daring, the only one I could call anything close to an actual friend, not just someone who would ditch me when I couldn't provide something for them anymore. She never once tried to get anything out of me just because of who I was. Sure she wanted to write a book about me, but I understand that, plus I consented to it.

I can't go back though, no matter how much I want to. I made a promise that I would keep this weird fear gem safe, here, in this town...

"Wow, look at her go!" I hear someone shout. I look up, breaking from my thoughts, only to realize I'm standing in the middle of a park. I have no idea how I got here, but I'll blame it on losing my train of thought. I look around me to see dozens of ponies sitting around doing various activities. They all have one thing in common, however. They are all staring up at the sky, watching something. I look up and see a rainbow trail swerving through the sky, making various patterns. Ugh, her? I begin walking again, almost tripping over something as I take my first step. I hadn't even noticed the pony next to me that is now sprawled out on the ground.

"Hey, watch it bub. I was... Whoa, that's trippy." The pony says, it's voice letting me know it was female. And now I realize that I have yet to meet a single male yet. I'll have to think about that later.

"S-Sorry, I was just thinking, and I didn't see you." I say as I help the pony back up, offering her my hand for support, which she takes gladly.

"Eh, no harm done. Though... Can't say I've seen you around here. Who are you?" She asks. I look her up and down, noticing that the sun reflects off of her bright white fur. She has a messy looking blue mane, with various shades of the color running through it. And then there's her eyes, red as all hell, staring right into my soul. It gives me the chills just at the look of them.

"I-I'm Zack..." I say as I stand back up, stretching my legs and back as I do so.

"Well hey there Zack, name's Vinyl."

"Like the disks?" I ask, my father's record collection appearing in my mind for a split second before fading away. He used to love those things, collecting any and all that he found in old shops and garage sales. It was fun, I'll admit, collecting them with him. Those were some of my better memories that I would hang onto forever.

"You could say that. So, what brings ya to the park? Here to check out Dash's amazing moves?"

"You mean the chick that tried to kill me? Ha, like I'd care about what she does. I couldn't care less... Even if they are amazing."

"Tried to kill you? Are you sure we're talking about the same Rainbow Dash here?"

"I know it for a fact. I was trying to help this girl, Fluttershy, get to the hospital after she was attacked by a timberwolf, when out of nowhere, BAM! That bitch up there knocked me out cold, claiming I was trying to kill Fluttershy." I explain as I point to the sky. "I don't trust her."

"You obviously haven't actually MET her yet, have you?"

"Well... I haven't had a full conversation with her, but... I can tell we wouldn't get along."

"I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you. Dash is one of the coolest ponies out there, and you haven't lived till you've talked to her. She's actually really chill."

"Like I'd believe that." I say with a huff and a single laugh as I lean back against a tree. "Why does she have such a big crowd gathered out here? Is she really that popular?"

"Popular doesn't cut it kid." She says as she glances up at me, to which I just raise an eyebrow. "She's practically famous."

"Famous? What for, being the world's most aggressive little-"

"Don't finish that." Vinyl says, holding a hoof up towards me. "She's the Element of Loyalty, how could you not know that!?"

"I'm... new in town." I stutter out, not yet wanting to reveal how I got here to anyone. "And whats an element of loyalty?"

"Not AN element of loyalty, THE Element of Loyalty. Y'know, part of the Elements of Harmony?"

"Can't say I've heard of that. What does it mean? Is it like a title or something? What makes her so special?"

"Because, Zack, she only saved Equestria like, twice! She's a national hero for Celestia's sake!"

"Seriously? Her, a national hero? I don't buy it. She doesn't really seem like the helpful type. Seems more like a villain if you ask me." I retort as I cross my arms. A hoof hits me in the shin, causing me to wince a little from the sudden burst of pain.

"You gotta stop putting her down dude, you haven't even held a conversation with her yet. You're only basing her off of what, one experience? Tell me, in detail, what exactly happened to you when she allegedly attacked you." Vinyl says, squinting at me.

"Fluttershy got this gash down her side, and I picked her up and started running into town. I was almost at the hospital when Rainbow swooped down and took me out." I say with a sigh.

"You said Fluttershy had a gash on her side? So she was bleeding?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"So you were covered in her blood, right?"

"Obviously, but Vin-"

"And I've never seen anything like you. Heck, if you hadn't have apologized for knocking me down, I'd have kicked you to last year because I still have no idea what you even are! So, I'd bet my flank that Rainbow felt the same way, seeing you as some monster that attacked her friend. Now, do you see where I'm going with this? You're only looking at things from your perspective, but fail to see it through her eyes! Have you said anything to her since then?"

"...She said she was sorry... And I kind of brushed it off." I say as reality hits me. I didn't really think about it then, but just before she took off from Fluttershy's house, she did try to say she was sorry. "D-Doesn't matter, I still don't like her..."

"Ugh... Whatever, y'know what, I gotta get back to work Zack, let me know when you're willing to give ponies a chance." Vinyl says as she walks away with a quick wave. Her words really seemed to hit home, but I just wasn't sure about this yet. I'll just have to let time do it's thing I guess.

And with that, I leave the park in a jog, giving one last look back at the rainbow streak in the sky.

*9 Hours Later*

"Thanks again for spending the day with me Applejack, the tour was nice too." I say as I lean against the apple cart. "You're kinda the only pony I really know right now other than Fluttershy."

Earlier in the day, after leaving the park, I had just wandered around town glumly, not really knowing what to do with my life. I ended up running into Applejack while she was on her break, and we started a conversation that lasted until, well, now actually. She'd given me this grand tour of the entire town, which only took about an hour as it isn't all that large. I met that Rarity girl again, and she was pretty darn nice if I do say so myself. She seems to be one of the few that seem to have any manners, as well as being one of the few who didn't freak out when they saw me. However, she DID freak out for another reason. Because of my clothes actually. She said they were "dirty", and "rancid", and while I normally would have been furious at a statement like that, I let it slide because I actually agreed. My pants are fine, but my white t-shirt isn't exactly white anymore. It is more of a whiteish brown color.

Regardless of all of that, I think I've found someone I can almost call a friend, though I wouldn't go that far yet. Applejack, though still weary about me, has been nothing but friendly to me since I met her, which really says a lot about her character. Another thing about her, is that she is honest as hell. She tells it how it is whether I like it or not, and I respect that.

So, here we are, packing up the apple stand for the day before Applejack heads home. I decided to help her as a way for paying her back for what she'd done for me.

"Thanks for helpin' me out today." Applejack says as she wipes the sweat off her face with a hoof.

"No problem. I'm so glad I had something to do today, I would have died of from having nothing to do if we hadn't crossed paths." I say with my first legitimate smile in God knows how long.

"Shoot, I'm just glad that ya aren't all glum and down like ya were earlier. Ya didn't look to good. Is everything alright with ya?" She asks. I look down at the cart and sigh, running a hand through my hair.

"Not... exactly. First of all, I'm pretty much stranded here with nowhere to go, I don't know anyone other than you, Fluttershy, and kind of Twilight, and I'm starting to just kinda feel... I don't know, depressed?"

"Ah... Can ah help ya at all?"

"You've done more than you know." I say as I pick up a basket, placing it into the cart. "Here, let me help you get this home."

"Well that's mighty kind of ya Zack. Don't come many stallions like you nowadays." She says with a wink, obviously joking with me.

"Ah, but I'm not a stallion Applejack." I say as I point towards her. "And I'm not into ponies." I add with a laugh as I begin pushing the cart. Applejack glares at me from the corner of her eye, which worries me until she smiles.

"You'll learn ta love us sugarcube." He says with a snicker. I roll my eyes and smile as we continue walking back towards her farm which I have still yet to see. I hear it is beautiful, trees covering the rolling hills for as far as the eye can see. Or, that's what Applejack tells me.

"Keep tellin' yourself that." I return with with chuckle. "Really is a beautiful night huh?" I ask quietly as I stare up at the sky, the only sound being that of the wheels of the cart turning.

"Ya got that right partner. Princess Luna sure did a fantastic job tonight huh?" Wait, what?

"Who's Priness Luna? Your ruler or something? And what does she have to the sky?"

"You really don't know about the princesses? Dag nag it Zack, just where are ya from anyway?"

"Long story, but you didn't answer my question." I respond as I rap my fingers on the handle of the cart. I stare at her, my eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Ah don't think ah'm the one ya aught to be asking sugarcube. I'm sure Twilight could give ya a much better explanation than Ah ever could."

"I hear ya on that. She seems like a real... nerd."

"Hah, ya don't know the half of it. That mare's always got her head in some kinda book." AJ says with a laugh. I start laughing with her, when suddenly I trip over something, causing me to fall and smash my chin on the handle of the cart. Thankfully, it didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would. Turns out my shoelaces were untied. Just my kind of luck.

"Ya alright back there?" AJ asks as she pops out from around the cart, a look of worry plastered on her face. Due to the fact I'm not actually hurt, I begin to laugh at how stupid the situation is.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." I say between breaths. "Go ahead and keep going. I'll be just a minute, then I'll catch up to you. I don't wanna hold you back any longer than I already have."

"Well, if ya say so. Don't take to long now, ya hear?"

"Yes mom..." I say with a smile as I roll my eyes. AJ just shakes her head and smiles, walking away from the cart and I. I get up on a knee, reaching down to tie my shoes. I fumble with the strings, not able to see them too clearly from where I am. The dim light causes me to keep messing up, which may or may not cause me to swear a little bit at my own shoes. Hey, I do crazy shit when I'm tired.

I look around for a source of light, before spotting what is really the only source around. One house on the end of the street still has it's lights on, just bright enough for me to actually see if I get close enough.

I get up and begin jogging towards the light, doing my best to not trip over my laces. The feeling of one shoe being too loose is just annoying enough to make me want to just kick it off and say "screw it".

I kneel down next to one of the window's, and begin to tie my shoes, thankful for the small amount of light. Don't get me wrong, the moon is beautiful and all, but it is NOT very bright tonight. It is almost pitch black out here, minus this one house.

"STOP!"

I look around, startled by the muffled yelling. Instincts kick in, and I pull the knife out of the side pocket of my bag which is still hanging tightly to my back. I've seen horror movies, and screams coming from the darkness are never a good thing, especially for the guy who goes off by himself, which just so happens to be me. Woo fucking hoo.

"HELP!"

This time the voice was definitely more audible, coming from nearby. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was coming from right above me.

I stand up, and run to the front of the house, trying to get the door to open. That last scream didn't sound like one of fear, but more of a plea for, well, help obviously. Alright, maybe there was a little bit of fear mixed in there too, but that is beside the point.

"Ah fuck it." I mumble to myself as I throw my shoulder into the door, causing it to bend inwards. Alright, the thing is flimsy, I can work with this. I back up a few steps, and begin running towards the door, my shoulder positioned to take the full impact.

The wood cracks and pushes inwards as I go sailing through the now broken door. I'm actually more surprised by that fact that I don't have any splinters than the fact that it actually worked. I thought stuff like this only worked in the movies!

I follow the now muffled pleas for help, which are much more quiet than they were the first time. They're coming from upstairs, which means, well, I'm going upstairs. Not really much to it other than that. What, did you think this was some Hollywood shit? No, of course not, this is real life.

I race up the stairs, my knife still in my hand. I'm honestly surprised I didn't stab myself when I fell through the door.

My feet make a loud thumping sound, which really isn't working in my favor. Luckily, whoever lives here, apparently didn't hear me just break through his or her front door.

I reach the top of the stairs, another wooden door blocking my path to the screams. I sigh and back up to the top of the steps, breaking into another sprint in an attempt to break through the door.

Well, it worked better than last time. At least this time the door didn't break into shards, it just broke the lock. A much more expected result.

In front of me is... well, I wasn't expecting THIS. Some big ass brown stallion on top of some blue mare with... rainbow... hair...

Oh... oh, this isn't good. I have to make a split second decision here, run or help. I don't like her, I really don't, but she doesn't deserve what is clearly going on here. My sister... a few years ago this exact same thing happened to her. It was what I didn't want to tell Applejack. It was what I didn't want to think about. I couldn't stop it then, but maybe I can stop it now.

Without even thinking, I jump onto the stallion's back, taking him down to the floor with me. I land on top of him, and he somehow manages to grab my arms with his hooves. The knife flies out of my hand, landing on the floor on the complete opposite side of the room. Alright, this just became a lot more interesting. He flips me over, and begins pressing me into the ground. I lift my head up suddenly, making contact his his nose. This causes him to lose his balance for a second, giving me just enough time to get him off of me, and take back the advantage. I curl my hand into a fist, and bring it down on the stallion's nose, which only seems to make him flinch. This guy is a lot stronger than that stallion back at Daring's house, which means I'll have to change my fighting style.

I look behind me, seeing Rainbow sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. She needs to leave, it isn't safe here for her, not that it was before. In fact, it's probably even worse now.

"Rainbow Dash!" I yell before a hoof meets the side of my face, causing me to grunt in pain. My vision starts to blur around the edges before my senses come to me. "Get out of here!"

All I hear in return is a pitiful whisper, one I almost didn't even hear over the fight I'm currently stuck in.

"Zack?"

Author's Note

Sorry this took forever. Sports and school had me sooo busy. Next one shouldn't take so long.

On a side note, thanks for 100 followers! I know I'm pretty late on this, as of now I have over 120, which is something to be even more thankful for! As a celebration, I created this blog telling more about myself! Check it out if ya feel like it.

http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/608707/100-facts-about-me-100-followers

Thanks again for 100 followers :rainbowwild:

Subject Z-56

"You little fucker." I grunt right after a hoof knocks me off my knees, causing my bag to fly off my shoulders, and pain to rack through my face. I regain my balance, and lunge for the knife on the other side of the room, but fail miserably. The stallion knocks me down and starts dragging me back, my hands reaching out towards the knife which is just inches away. I kick my feet at the stallion who has my pants leg in his mouth, and land a few lucky blows on his chest and neck. It was enough to get him to let go, allowing me to squirm forward, my fingers just barely wrapping around the handle of the knife as he begins dragging me back.

The light from the candles glints off of the knife, causing the stallion to let go once he realizes what I'm holding. Before I can even react, he pushes me back down and sprints out of the room. I give one glance to Rainbow, who is still staring at me with wide eyes, then proceed to follow the stallion outside.

I almost tumble down the stairs, but luckily make it to the bottom floor without breaking my neck. Knowing my luck, I'm surprised it didn't happen. Once I reach the bottom of said stairs, I just barely see the tip of the stallion's tail as he turns around the corner of the opening where the door used to be. I must really have something against doors. I just can't stop knocking them down!

"Whoa! What in tarnation!?" I hear from behind me just after turning the corner of the opening. I spin around, still moving backwards, to see AJ trotting up towards me.

"Applejack, take care of Rainbow!" I yell as I point to the upstairs window. I hope she got the message, because I can't risk the time to turn around and check. I spin my head back towards the stallion, only to see he is now a good fifty feet ahead of me. God these ponies are fast. I just hope they don't have endurance. But, again, knowing my luck, they will.

I try and try to catch up, but these ponies are just too damn fast. He runs into an alley, one that is so dark that I can't see the other side. The last thing I see is him vanishing into the thick darkness.

I come to a halt, placing my hands on my knees as my breaths come in sharp and loud. I'm not used to sprinting for that long, much less chasing someone. My face is drenched in sweat despite the cold air around me. I silently curse to myself as I stand back up, keeping my eyes on the ally.

After catching my breath, I start shuffling back towards the house, my legs burning from overuse. The tiredness of my legs causes me to sway back and forth as I walk back, and the pain wracked through my body doesn't help at all. I reach a hand up to my face, and feel something warm and wet. I pull my hand back to see it is shining a bright red in the faint moonlight.

"Great..." I mumble to myself as I wipe the blood off my hand by waving it through the grass below me. I can't even clean it or bandage it using my shirt, because it is white and the last thing I need is to be walking around covered in blood. I already look weird enough to the ponies, I don't need them thinking I just murdered someone. Which I have... but that's beside the point.

I pass by Applejack's cart, the one I left near the house, as I walk back up the the wooden structure. I step over the broken wood, making sure not to step on anything that could pierce through my shoes. I call upstairs for Rainbow and AJ, but do not receive an answer. I jog up the stairs, my muscles screaming in protest. The door that I had knocked open is just barely cracked open now, not exactly how I left it. I can't hear anything from behind the door, so I open it, only to reveal an empty room.

They're gone.

*Applejack's POV*

"Calm down now Rainbow, tell me everything." I say quietly as I sit down next to Rainbow Dash on my bed. After watching Zack run off, I had gone upstairs to find Rainbow curled up in the sheets of a bed, ballin' her eyes out. Now I ain't one to get all emotional and such, but I could easily tell that somethin' was up. When Rainbow refused to speak, I helped her out of the house, and we made our way back to my farm. On they way there, she kept blubberin' about this and that, but I couldn't understand her at all. Now that she is all settled in and seems to have calmed down, maybe I can get some answers out of her.

"D-Dusk, he tried to r..." Rainbow sobs out, then proceeds to mumble some inaudible words. "Then Zack came in and..." Rainbow leans forward, falling onto my side which causes me to wince a bit before wrapping a hoof around her, pulling her into an embrace.

"There there Rainbow. Everything is fine now. Ya don't have ta worry no more. Zack'll find that stallion and have him pay. He doesn't seem like the type ta give up."

"Why'd he do it AJ?" Rainbow sobs out into my side.

"Some stallions are just messed up in the head. Ah don't think-"

"Not Dusk! Zack! Why did he help me? I attacked him, mocked him, and put him in the hospital, and he still helped me!"

"W-Well... Because, he's one of the nice stallions?" I respond quietly. I actually have no idea why he'd decide to help Rainbow other than the fact that she was apparently callin' for help. She had a point, Zack had no reason to help her, yet he still put himself in the way of harm just to save her.

Rainbow doesn't respond from there on, instead only trying to keep herself from crying. This is going to be a long night for all of us...

*Zack's POV*

"Damn cart..." I mumble to myself as I kick the broken wheel of the cart. Apparently this thing doesn't go over rocks that well. Thanks for the heads up Applejack... Now this thing is missing an entire wheel because it fell off from hitting a fucking pebble. If I could just see at all, I could probably fix it, but no, the moon hates me, and so does every other source of light!

I'm not about to risk my phone battery by turning the brightness all the way up for God knows how long while I fix the wheel, so that idea is straight out the window. My only option now is to half push, half carry the entire cart back to the farm, which from what I can tell, is still a good half mile away. It is a good thing that it isn't heavy, or I might have just set the thing on fire just because. At least then I'd have a decent source of light.

Math time! One cart, minus one wheel, plus one Zack equals what? That's right! One pissed off Zack. Applejack is going to owe me for life for this. I could be at home, wherever that is, sleeping peacefully, but no, that's not how my life goes. My life consists of chasing off pony rapists and carrying wooden carts.

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. The cart isn't THAT heavy, and the half mile goes by a lot faster than I thought it would. I make it to the farm in about twenty minutes, my arms and legs crying for relief. I approach the red barn, and drop the cart in front of it, grunting as I do so. I stretch my muscles, moaning a bit at the relief as several joints snap and pop. I feel so much better after doing that, I feel like I could just fall over and sleep right here, right now.

Eyeing the barn, that idea seems to become more and more plausible. Ah, screw it, why not? I already broke into Fluttershy's house, so why not Applejack's?

Thankfully the barn is unlocked, allowing me to simply slip in unnoticed. Good thing this seems to be just for storage and not for animals, or it would smell like, well, a barn in here.

Thinking about it now, this is so fucking ironic. I'm a human, living inside a barn owned by a horse. Ain't that something? Take that self pride! Nobody gives a shit about you apparently!

I shuffle over to the corner, pushing a few tools such as shovels and hoes to the side, revealing a pile of hay. A glorious pile of soft hay.

"Sweet Jesus." I mumble as I spin around and fall on my back, the hay forming around my body as I make contact. It is pretty itchy, but at this point, it just feels like heaven. I feel like I could sleep for a thousand years.

It wouldn't be the first time...

So, I already know that I'm not a morning person, I've come to accept that. But when the sun peeks through and blinds me at SIX in the morning, I know that it is going to be a shitty morning, if not the entire day.

I'm glad I learned how to tell the time by looking at the sun, because if I didn't, I would be screwed in that sense. I don't have a watch with me, which sucks, and I don't want to use my phone to tell the time for obvious reason. So, I have to rely on the sun to tell me the time, and if that is anything to go off of, I'd say it is about six in the morning. At this angle, it has to be around that time.

I cover my eyes with a hand as I stand up, my muscles still really sore from last night. I'm no tired, that I don't even remember half of what happened. I just remember busting down some doors, chasing down some dude into an alley, and carrying a wooden cart through the darkness. What a night huh?

I stretch my arms up above my head, hearing each muscle pop simultaneously which both hurts and feels amazing at the same time. Time to get going I guess, though once again I have zero plans for today. That's just something that I'll just have to get used to I suppose. I could probably go see Twilight. I should probably apologize to her anyway after storming out on her like that. I also didn't hold up on my end of the deal, which means no manuscripts for me. So, if I can make it up to her, it'll be a double win for me.

I reach down for my backpack, ready to head out. Only there's one problem. No bag.

"Shit shit siht!" I whisper to myself, digging through the hay for my bag, though of course I find nothing. I place my hands on my head, swearing to myself under my breath. I must have left it at that guy's house last night. I gotta get back there and retrieve it. I have the last bits of the human race in there, and I am NOT about to give them up!

I start jogging to the barn doors, my legs starting to loosen up which feels so much better than having them feeling like they're about to snap. I ram into the with my shoulder, causing them to fly open, and for me to almost stumble to the ground. Luckily I'm awake enough to keep my balance, though I did come awful close to completely eating shit.

I start running down the dirt path, taking one last glance at the farm behind me. I gotta say, it looks much more beautiful and less like something from a horror movie during the day. I could see myself living at a place like this.

It's a farm, meaning Applejack and whoever else lives here is probably already up, and I don't need to be found on the property when they come out here. This thought alone causes my speed to increase slightly.

I jog through the cold morning wind, my feet almost freezing solid in the thin layer of snow covering the ground, despite the protection my shoes provide. I really need spring to come around, or I am going to freeze to death. I used my only jacket to bandage up Daring, so there goes my only source of protection from the cold.

I pass a couple of apple trees, which are to no surprise, barren. It is the middle of winter after all. I guess Applejack just keeps a stockpile of apples stored somewhere during the winter. That must be a hell of a lot of work to do during autumn considering how big this orchard is. I wish there we still some on the trees though, because I wouldn't be surprised if I died of hunger before reaching town.

Speaking of town, I make it to the edge of the village in only about ten minutes, much faster than last night when I was freezing and carrying a wooden cart. I should be used to the cold because I lived in New York for most of my life right? Wrong. I never liked the cold, and I was usually more of an indoors person, especially during the winter. I moved to Washington D.C. where it was slightly warmer during the winter, but I never really experienced it until now for obvious reasons. The town is over what used to be the outskirts of D.C. which means this is what winter would have felt like in D.C. But there is just one problem. It is somehow even colder than New York was! What the hell happened!?

The town is rather busy considering the thin layer of snow and the fact that it is still only six in the morning. If all of these ponies start their days around this time, then I am going to be in for one hell of a life. I rarely get up this early, and I'm only up now because I have to make sure my bag is okay.

The house that I left my bag in is near the edge of town, which just so happens to be where I am right now. The only problem is, is that it was so dark last night that I don't exactly know what the house looks like. All I have to go off of is the fact that it should have a broken front door. As long as the guy that I chased out hasn't come back yet, it should be rather easy for me to just slip in, get my stuff, and get the hell out of there. I definitely don't want to be there if that guy were to come back.

After searching around for a few minutes, I stumble across a somewhat rundown wooden house at the very edge of town. Even better, this house is missing a door. A smile creeps onto my face as I slowly approach it, listening for anything that might be moving around inside. Much to my pleasure, I hear nothing other than the slight breeze passing by my ears.

I quietly make my way into the house, making sure to step over any pieces of splintered wood. I'd hate to be the first guy to fall on that. The stairs creak as I make my way upstairs, bringing back memories from last night.

That Rainbow girl is gonna owe me big time for what I did. I could have been killed by that guy. I only helped because I didn't know it was her... Well, that might be a bit over an exaggeration. I would have helped anyone in that situation regardless of who they were. It was just that... I don't know, I just feel like maybe she deserved it? She did try to say sorry, even if I did just brush it off. I guess I'll just leave time to sort all of that out.

My bag is right where I left it, which probably means that nobody has been here since last night. I make sure everything is still in there, placing my gun into my pocket instead of leaving it in the bag. Never know when I might have to quickly pull it out. Would have make last night a hell of a lot easier.

My laptop falls out of my bag when I try to pick it up, making a loud crashing sound on the floor. I hiss in a breath of air, and carefully pick it back up, hoping to God that it isn't broken.

I open the top of the screen, and hit the power button, relieved to see the computer's logo pop up on the screen. My login screen appears, and I type in my password. The desktop fades in, and it looks much different than I remember. Files litter the screen, each labeled something different. I completely forgot that I downloaded a bunch of files from the lab before ditching the place. I transferred as many files as I could hoping at least one of them would help me out. If these contain what I'm looking for, they could be a thousand times more useful than those manuscripts. I'll have to act quickly, because the battery is almost dead from the last time I charged it up in the lab.

One file catches my eye. It is named "PT Virus" I click on it, and a text document opens. It reads,

"We exposed the first three subjects to the PT virus today, but what we expected to happen, and what really happened were two very different things. The subjects couldn't be identified as a human anymore, not in this state. Each subject reacted differently to the airborne virus, and none of them were what we expected. The PT virus was only supposed to induce an advanced version of sleeping sickness, and it was to be used in the military as a biochem weapon. Instead, it seems to mutilate and... change those that it infects. Subject D-11 exploded into nothing more than a pile of blood and gore. Subject G-36's bones shifted and broke, changing him into some kind of creature that resembled a horse, and while he did survive, we put him down. The Subject I-73 went insane upon contact with the gaseous form of the virus, and began screeching and ripping at his flesh. We had to put him down in the most human way possible. Either we made a huge mistake in the creation process of the virus, or He tricked us into creating the most deadly virus of all time. If this gets out into the general public... God help us all."

I read over the note several times before noticing I have the option to scroll down to reveal more of the document.

"Update: The virus escaped the lab just hours ago, and already it has taken down a good portion of Washington D.C. Nobody knows who released the virus, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was Him. At this rate, there is not doubt that the entire population will be infected within the next couple of weeks. A cure has already begun to be developed, but there is doubt that we will be able to create enough to cure an entire nation, let alone the entire planet. The first test subject for the cure will be Subject Z-56, Zack Austin. We didn't want to risk anything happening to him, as he is the key to unlocking the secrets on how to use the C.F.D's to their full potential, but we are out of subjects, and we cannot risk injecting ourselves. He will be injected through the C.F.D. and then we will insert the PT virus in it's gaseous state so we don't have to awaken Subject Z-56. If it works, Subject Z-56 will be the first known human to be immune to the PT Virus. For now, I must continue my research on the cure. P.S. Don't trust Him. Don't trust Hendricks!"

That's the last thing on the note. If what this says is true, then I'm immune to this PT virus, whatever that is. However, this is the least shocking part to me. My heart rate increases, threatening to jump out of my chest. Dr. Hendricks was alive in 2028, and he was about fifty years old. The average human only lives to about a hundred at most, even with modern technology. That note at the end wouldn't surprise me at all, considering I already knew Hendricks was a piece of shit.

What really frightens me is that this document wasn't created in 2028.

It was created in 2145.

Origins

The sound of my feet pounding against the ground is all I can seem to hear as I run down the path that leads to the center of town. I need someone I can talk to about this, someone I know could help me find more information. There is only one person I could think of, and she is one of the last people I want to talk to right now. I stormed out of her house after telling her to basically fuck off, and never looked back. Yeah, I do kind of feel like a dick for doing that, but it was just my natural reaction from something like that. So, if I'm going to get on her good side, my only option is to man up and actually apologize to her. Then, maybe I can get some more answers.

The library comes into view as I start slowing my pace, my lungs burning from the freezing cold air. I really gotta move down south or something, this is just ridiculous.

I knock on the door, and take a step back, anticipating what might happen when she sees who is at her door. Maybe she won't be too mad. Maybe she'll still be willing to continue our little deal that we made. I think I'm more willing to talk now than I was earlier.

"He- Sweet Celestia!" I hear someone yell as the door opens. Thing is, nobody was behind the door when it opens.

"The hell?" I mumble as I look into the library. My eyes just so happen to wander down, and I can actually feel my pupils shrinking at the sight of some weird purple and green lizard staring up at me, who also has a shocked expression.

"T-Twilight!" It yells as it runs back into the library. I stand in the doorway, one hand on the frame to keep my balance, the other hand rubbing the back of my head in confusion. What the hell did I just see? Maybe I hit my head or something last night.

"Spike what is wrong with you?" I hear from upstairs, though the voice is muffled. The sound of hooves clopping against the wooden floor emits from the flight of stairs, and a purple figure becomes visible as it descends said stairs.

"Um... hey." I say nervously, closing the door behind me to block out the cold. I've never been a really emotional guy, so apologizing isn't exactly one of my strongest areas. I wasn't much of a people person I guess. Well, pony person now, but that's besides the point.

"Oh... Zack." She says as she squints her eyes at me. They don't exactly say "anger", more like "disappointment". Or maybe it's sadness? Again I'm not good at this kind of stuff.

"So about what happened earlier... I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have just stormed out like that for no reason. It was just such a heavy subject for me, and I hate talking about it, so... when you said you were trying to be good "friend", I kind of snapped, and... I shouldn't have. You didn't do anything wrong, and I'm sorry about what I did." I explain awkwardly, pausing every now and then to try and think of the right words.

"What? You're sorry? No no no, I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have pushed you to talk about any of that. If I hadn't, none of that would have ever happened. I'm the one that should be saying sorry Zack."

"Whatever... Are we cool now?" I ask as I pull out a chair and sit in it in a similar fashion to how I did last time I was here. I face Twilight, waiting for an answer. In response, her emotion changes from sad to what I guess is happy. She walks over to me, and sits down at the table next to the chair I'm sitting in.

"We're cool."

"Alright, now, how about I hold up my end of the deal? For real this time." I ask as I push a stack of papers in her direction, encouraging her to start writing stuff down.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I wouldn't want you to get too upset again. I don't need my friends being mad at me."

"There's that term again. Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Calling you what?" She asks with a confused look.

"You keep calling me your friend, even though I'm not. You're a nice girl and all Twilight, but I don't think we're exactly on that kind of a level of a relationship. In the future it might be possible, but right now you're just one of the few ponies I actually know here." Twilight's expression drops a little, but she nods in understanding.

"R-Right, sorry. I just assumed because you... Ah, never mind that. Let's get started, okay?"

"Yeah, hit me." I say as I tap my hands against the back of the chair. I spend the next hour or so explaining to Twilight the basics of the world I grew up in. I explained politics, the economy, military, normal social life, technology, and just about everything else that I found might be remotely interesting to the purple unicorn. It wasn't much of a problem though, as she seemed on the edge of her seat for the entire lecture, taking in every word I said like a sponge. I once again left out the part about how I got here, as well as the fact that I'm from the past. I don't exactly need everyone knowing about that quite yet, as it would probably bring me way too much unwanted press. I'm already going to probably recognized as the only human here, I do NOT need the ponies knowing that I'm from the past as well. So, when Twilight did ask where I was from, I lied and told her I was just from an alternate universe. I guess that's the story I'll have to go with for now, even if it means lying to everyone.

"So, how does it work exactly?" Twilight asks as I place the cellphone down in front of her. I wouldn't dare turn it on right now as it would only cause the battery to drain even quicker. Instead, I thought I would just explain the overall gist of how phones worked. Maybe later, if I can find a way to actually charge the phone, I'll show her how it actually works.

"It's kind of like talking to someone over a long distance." I say as I spin the phone around on the table.

"Like, a voice amplifier?"

"Well, no, not exactly. Lets say I was in the library, here, and you were on the other side of town. If I needed to talk to you, I could just put in a certain number, and it would call your phone, if you had one, and I'd be able to talk to you. This is possible because the phone sends a signal to a satellite, and is then sent back down to your phone. This would allow us to talk to each other, no matter how far apart we are."

"This is so cool! Alien technology!"

"Yeah, alien..." I say with a sigh. "Twilight, I need to tell you something." I say as I look up at her, my hands folded on the table. This whole alien from a different dimension thing just isn't going to work for me. So what if they know I'm from the past? It's not like being from a different dimension wouldn't bring me the same amount of press.

"Of course!"

"I'm... not from an alternate universe... I lied about that." Twilight gives me a confused look before scribbling something down on a sheet of paper. "I'm... from the past." This only causes Twilight to snicker, which in turn causes me to give her an annoyed look.

"Hah, from the past, good one Zack."

"I'm serious! I'm from 3500 years in the past, and I AM from this world! Don't be stupid Twilight, I'm not some alien from and alternate universe that just somehow showed up here. I grew up on this planet, I have always lived on this planet, and I plan to die on this planet!"

"That isn't possible though. Time traveling over a period of time that great isn't possible!"

"I didn't time travel though, that's the thing. I was frozen in a device called a C.F.D. This device completely froze my body, and while it caused me to become unconscious for that entire period of time, my body froze, causing it to practically stop aging. Basically I took a 3500 year nap."

"S-So, you're telling me, that there was a completely different race before us? And it was you!?"

"Well yeah, but then my race died out only about a hundred or so years after I was frozen. I guess I was just forgotten about during that time. I woke up a few days ago, and I've been just wandering around since then..."

"So... how old are you then?"

"Technically, I'm 3520 years old." I say with a forced chuckle. "But before I was frozen, I was only twenty years old, and that's what I'd like to be referred to as."

"This is... even more amazing than you being from an alternate universe! Zack, you hold the answers to the past! Just think about how much we could learn from you! Do you know how important this is!?"

"Yeah, I do... Can we not talk about it for now though? I don't really like talking about that whole experience. I think it might have traumatized me."

"Oh, of course!" She says with a nervous smile like she thinks I'm going to snap at her like last time. "So, do you have any questions for me now?"

"Oh, yeah. You seem pretty smart Twilight, do you have any idea what this thing is?" I ask as I pull out the green gem that Daring gave to me. Twilight stares at it, her face scrunching up in concentration.

"I... don't know what it is." She says as she looks back up at me. "It just looks like some old emerald."

"What if I show you what it does?" I say as I pick up the gem, pointing it as Twilight. It starts to glow faintly, which causes her to back up slightly, though she still looks curious as to what it is. "It's supposed to show you what your greatest fear is, and from what I've seen, it really works."

I place the gem down on the table, the flat side facing up. Our reflections start to waver as we stare down at the gem, and they are soon replaced by an images of Twilight standing in a dark room similar to the one I had been standing in, in my fear. Around Twilight are five other ponies which look all too familiar, especially a blue one with rainbow hair.

The ponies all give her angry looks and start yelling at her, causing Twilight to curl up into a ball on the ground, her legs over her head. Then, as quickly as the yelling started, it stops. Of course, we can't hear it because the gem doesn't produce sound, but it's obvious by the fact that the ponies all start walking away from Twilight, leaving her behind in the dust. The gem fades back to it's emerald green color, leaving Twilight's reflection in it's surface. I sit back down, placing the gem in my pocket.

"Abandonment?"

"What?" Twilight asks as she shakes her head, snapping back to her senses.

"That's your greatest fear? That your friends will leave you?"

Twilight only nods in response, her eyes glistening and threatening to release a flood of tears.

"Mine too..."

Branching Out -- Part 1

It was definitely a different start to my day than I'm used to, but it could have been worse. I finished talking with Twilight, and promised I'd be back later to continue our discussion, but for now, I wanted to get out and just kind of explore. The manuscripts could wait until later, they weren't going anywhere.

Turns out Twilight and I have a lot in common, especially when it comes to academics and the such. I'm and anatomy major, or, used to be anyway, so getting the chance to study this never before seen species is something I just couldn't turn town, and neither could Twilight. She wants to study me some more, as I'm apparently the only human these ponies have ever seen. So tomorrow, I'm going to return to the library to conduct our studies together. It won't really benefit me at all, other than to ease my curiosity, but I digress. I should also get to know how different these ponies are from humans. I need to learn what makes them happy, how they behave in society, and what makes them tick.

As I open the door to the library, I take one last look behind me, waving to Twilight as she cleans up her desk from the hundreds of notes she took. She smiles and waves back, and I proceed out the door to start the rest of my day.

The air has warmed up noticeably, though there is still a bit of a chill to the breeze, and it is enough to make me wish I was back inside. I'm really not much of a cold loving guy.

"Heya!" I hear from behind me. I jump forward, clutching my heart because I'm pretty sure it just stopped and I'll probably die any second now.

"Jesus!" I yell as I spin around to reveal a pink pony with a puffed up hairdo bouncing up and down in front of me with the biggest smile I've ever seen.

"Nope! I'm Pinkie Pie! I remember meeting you at the hospital. What was your name? Zack?"

"Y-Yeah, Zack." I say as I try to slow my breathing. "How the hell did you get behind me? I never even saw you approaching, and there's like five feet between me and the door.

"I'm just really sneaky." She says with a sly tone of voice. "So, you're gonna be at the party tonight, right!?" She says in her overly excited tone, which is both annoying yet some amusing at the same time.

"Wait wait wait, party? Sorry lady, I don't do parties." I say as I begin walking away, readjusting my bag as I do so. The pink pony somehow reappears in front of me in the blink of an eye, causing me to stumble backwards, swerving my head around to see just how she did that. "How the hell..." I mumble to myself under my breath.

"C'mon silly, it's YOUR party after all! The whole town is probably gonna be there! Didn't Twilight tell you about it?"

"No, she didn't now that you mention it. She could probably tell I wouldn't be interested." I say with a shrug. I've never really been big on parties unless my friends were there, and well, they never were. You kind of need friends to begin with. So, while everyone else was always off partying, I was in my dorm studying my ass off. I just never really saw how it could be fun to drink yourself to death and wake up with the world's worse headache. I don't think these ponies have alcohol, but I really wouldn't put it past them.

"W-Why wouldn't you be interested? I... threw this party for you, aren't you going to be there?" Pinkie says as she stops bouncing, her ears drooping slightly.

"Why would you go and throw a party for someone you don't even know, then invite the entire damn town to it? Seriously, what is with you ponies? I'm not your damn friend." I say sternly as I begin walking past her, though this time, she doesn't follow.

"Don't turn around Zack, you'll only feel like more of an asshole..." I mumble to myself as my shoes crunch through the snow. I only make it about ten or so steps before a voice pipes up from behind me, stopping me in my tracks.

"But I thought I was your friend..." Pinkie says quietly. I stare down at the ground before closing my eyes and sighing. Who the hell am I kidding? I have literally nothing else to do for the entire day, and here I am completely rejecting something that this girl apparently worked hard on. The least I can do is pretend to enjoy it.

"Look, if I say I'll go to this little party of your's, will you stop crying?" I ask as I turn around, placing my hands in my pockets. Her mood immediately goes from sad and depressed to extremely excited and perky once more. How she can have that much energy, I have no fucking idea. All I know is, I'll have what she's havin'

"So you're gonna go! Oh this is so exciting! I have to set up the decorations, and bake the cake, and OH! I've got so much to do! Be at Sugarcube Corner at eight tonight, and don't be late!" She yells as she grabs me in the tightest hug I've ever received before dashing off into town like a rocket. What the hell is she on? Meth?

I didn't even get to ask what this "Sugarcube Corner" is, much less where it is. And that means that I'll have to ask for directions from someone, and at this point, I'm not too thrilled about talking to these ponies. Nothing against them other than the fact that they're just too... nice, I guess. I'm just not used to that. I'm used to getting pushed and bossed around by everyone, so kindness isn't really something that I see every day.

Maybe Applejack is up and awake by now. If there's anyone I feel somewhat comfortable talking to, it's Applejack. She's the only one who isn't overly nice and energetic towards me, which is something I can tolerate. She seems to be hard worker, putting work over fun, and I respect that. I tried to live like that, but, well, video games, what can I say? I nearly failed many a quizzes and tests because I'd put off studying to play. It's truly a miracle that I maintained straight A's. Once I got to college though, I was able to control myself more, which meant nothing but work for me. Yay, fun.

I start heading towards Sweet Apple Acres, hoping maybe Applejack won't be too busy to simply give me directions. What I'll do until eight tonight, I have no idea. I'll just cross that bridge when I come to it.

"Oh, well hello there Zack." I hear from beside me, and a little bit behind me. I look to my right and see a white pony with a curled purplish mane.

"I have to stop running into you guys." I way with a smile as I slow down so she can walk next to me. If I remember correctly, this is Rarity, the only one of those ponies from the hospital that actually greeted me kindly.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"The five of you at the hospital when I was visiting Fluttershy. I've run into all of you in the past day or so. Just a weird coincidence I think."

"Well it is a fairly small town is it not? Might I ask, how are you liking it here?"

"It's alright I guess." I say with a shrug. "Not exactly my cup of tea, but not exactly bad by any standards. What about you? Doing anything exciting?"

"Just picking up some fabric for my clothing line." She says with a grunt as she adjusts the basket on her back which threatens to topple over with how much crap is packed into it. "Oh!" She yelps as the basket begins to tip over. Out of pure instinct, I jump back and catch the basket, and re-balance it on her back. Damn is that thing heavy, even for fabric. How much shit is in there!?

"There, that was almost bad." I say with a light chuckle.

"Thank you Zack. I wouldn't want to spend my day picking up fabric from the snow, and they would get absolutely wet and soggy!" I eye the basket again, as well as the way she is walking. Her legs seems to bend more than they need to, indicating she is probably being weighed now by all of this.

"Here, let me." I say as I go to pick up the basket. At that moment, her horn begins to glow, causing me to back up.

"No no, I got it." She says as she levitates the basket and starts carrying it beside her. Magic, seriously? This world just loves to mind fuck me doesn't it? C'mon Earth, at least take me to dinner first, sheesh.

"You sure? You look kinda... strained." I say as I observe her face which is scrunched up and starting to sweat. I don't wait for her to respond, and grab the basket out of the air. The glow around it vanishes, and Rarity lets out a sigh of relief.

"Honestly darling, I think I can carry it. I wouldn't want to burden y-"

"C'mon, I'm trying to help, are you seriously going to turn me down?" I ask with a smirk on my face. God this basket is heavy, at least forty or so pounds. Seriously, what is in this thing!?

"Are you sure? I could just use my magic to-"

"I insist. You shouldn't have to be carrying this through the snow anyway. Just point me towards your place, and I'll take it there."

"W-Well, it is just over here." She says as she turns towards a building that looks oddly enough like a carousel. I don't question it, and walk to the door which she opens with her magic. I drop the basket down just inside the door, and lean against the wall with a sigh, rubbing my sore biceps. I really gotta work out some time soon. Some of the fabric bounces out when the basket hits the floor, revealing several gems the size of my fist.

"Holy shit, Rarity, how rich are you!?" I exclaim as I get down on my knees to examine the gems. No wonder this thing was so heavy.

"Rich? I'm not-"

"Well where did you get these?" I ask as I hold up a ruby the size of a baseball. I could sell this thing for so much money, I could go to college for the rest of my life twice over. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but still!

"I dug them up myself. With Spike's help of course." She says as she levitates the fabric that fell out back into the basket. "Thank you darling for helping me with that." She says with a faint blush which shows easily through her white coat. "Would you like a drink? Maybe some lunch?"

I normally turn down offers like this, as I'm not really one for charity, but after talking to Twilight for so long, my throat is drier than Arizona on a summer day.

"Um, just some water please." I say between breaths as I drop my bag down by the door. No use lugging that thing around if I'm going to be staying her for a minute or two.

"Alright, I'll be right back." She says as she vanishes into what I guess is the kitchen. I look around me as all of the different dresses and articles of clothing laying around the room or one racks. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any ponies wearing any kind of clothing other than Daring, and even then it was just a shirt. I haven't really been looking, but if these ponies are sapient like me, shouldn't they fell kind of awkward of walking around naked? Even if they do have tails to protect their, ahem, nether regions, the slightest breeze could easily reveal stuff that shouldn't be shown in public. My thoughts are cut off when a new voice says something from the stairs next to me.

"Whoa, who... what are you?" A little voice calls out. I look up at the stairs to reveal a small little white pony with a hairdo similar to Rarity's. I almost have the second heart attack of the day from the sheer adorableness of the little pony.

"I'm Zack. Who are you?" I ask as I get down on my knee so I don't look at big. She approaches me slowly and cautiously like she doesn't really trust me. I'm used to it at this point, so I try not to take it personally.

"S-Sweetie Belle..." She says quietly and nervously. "What are you? You're not going to eat me are you!?"

"No no no, nothing like that." I say as I wave my hands in front of me. "I'm just helping out Rarity. I assume you know her?"

"Rarity's my sister... What exactly are you doing with her? You aren't going to eat her are you?" She says with a skeptical look.

"God no!" I say as I press my hand against my face. "I'm not going to eat anyone, why do you think that?"

"Because you're all big and... scary." She says as she backs up a little, probably due to the change in my tone of voice. I calm myself down, and trying to sound as friendly and nice as possible. Children are the best a spreading rumors, and I don't need the entire town thinking I'm going to eat them. It's hard enough as it is already.

"Ah c'mon, I might be big, but I'm not scary." I say as I stand back up. Rarity walks back into the room with two glasses of water, and levitates one over to me. I grab it out of the air, still fascinated about the whole magic thing. There has to be some kind of scientific explanation behind it. I'll have to ask Twilight tomorrow during our anatomy lesson.

"Ah! Sweetie Belle! What are you doing down here?" Rarity says rather nervously as she eyes me then the smaller pony. Seriously? Her too?

"I heard you guys come in and I was gonna say hey, and-"

"It's cool Rarity. She's pretty chill if you ask me. Reminds me of my sister." I say as I interrupt the pony.

"Well... as long as you two get along... Anyway, darling, do tell me more about your stay in our humble little town."

"Um, okay, but... Could we do it somewhere more private?" I whisper down to Rarity. "I don't want to talk about a few things in front of a child."

"Oh, um... of course?" She says with a confused tone. "Follow me then." Rarity leads me up the stairs, leaving Sweetie Belle behind on the bottom floor. When we reach the top of the stairs, Rarity enters a room on the right, and it appears to be a bedroom of sorts. I say of sorts because it wouldn't be distinguishable as a bedroom if there wasn't a giant bed on the other side of the room. Mannequins and fabric are sprawled out over everything in the room, leaving it looking more like a work area than a place to sleep. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt by saying that it is more of an organized chaos, as everything seems to be in it's place where it belongs.

"Nice room." I say as I take my first swig of water. Damn is that good. Never thought water would taste so amazing.

"Thank you darling, I try my best." Rarity says as she sits down on her bed, placing her glass down on the dresser next to it. "Now tell me, how have you been?"

"I've been fine personally for the most part, it's just that... Well, some things have come up that I'd rather never go through again." I say as I swirl the water in my glass around.

"Whatever do you mean by that?"

"You're friends with Rainbow Dash, right? The pony with the rainbow colored hair and scratchy voice."

"A little too well. Is she alright? Did something happen between you two?"

"Well, she did put me in the hospital, but that isn't what I'm talking about. She um... almost... got raped" I mumble into my glass as I try to muffle my voice with the water. I guess it wasn't enough if Rarity's expression is anything to go off of. Her jaw drops, and her pupils shrink to pinpricks.

"W-What? She... what? Who did it? Is she alright?"

"I don't know the guy, but I walked in as he was about to, y'know. I fought him off, but he got away from me. I don't know where he is now, but Rainbow's okay. I think she might be with Applejack, but I'm not entirely sure."

"Wait, you saved her?"

"I guess... I didn't even know it was her until I had already tackled the guy off the bed."

"Zack, you're a hero, do you realize that?" Rarity says as I sit down next to her on the bed, still staring down at my glass.

"I wouldn't really call myself a hero. I didn't really do anything other than punch a guy a few times. I'm sure Rainbow could have handled herself if I hadn't been there."

"Are you kidding? Even if she could, she still could have gotten hurt. I'd say that makes you a hero Zack." Rarity says as she leans her head into my side which catches me by surprise.

"You think she'll be at the party tonight?" I ask as I absentmindedly rub my hand up and down the side of the glass.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that! I have to finish my dress, not to mention the-"

"Whoa, dress? But you don't even wear clothes, why would you need a dress tonight of all nights?"

"Because darling, I have a reputation to uphold as this town's greatest fashionista." She says proudly, her head still on my shoulder.

"Okay, next question. Why don't you guys wear clothes on a regular basis? I mean, aren't you embarrassed that someone might see your... ahem, y'know." I say as I feel my cheeks get a little warmer. Damn, I was never very comfortable talking about stuff like this, even if I am an anatomy nerd.

"Oh, um... No, we have our tails and fur to hide that. Clothes are only for formal events to make ourselves look nicer. That's why I need to finish my dress for tonight. Like I said, I have a reputation to uphold."

"I think you look fine as it is." I say casually as I flop backwards onto the bed, causing Rarity to almost topple over before regaining her balance.

"Excuse me?" She asks, though not with an angry tone, more like confusion.

"Well yeah, you already said you don't NEED clothes to go out in public, right? And you already look nice enough as is, so what's the point of dressing up all fancy? Besides you'd probably stand out too much, not that you don't already."

"W-What does that mean?"

"I mean, you're one of the very few ponies I've seen with an all white coat. I'd say you'd stick out pretty well already. Or maybe you'd blend in with all the snow." I say with a chuckle.

"...Do you really think I don't need a dress for tonight?"

"Hell no. I mean, I'm totally wearing clothes, because there's no way in hell I'm going naked." I say with a snicker. "But if you ponies can just go out naked because you have a natural covering, then I say fuck clothes. It'd probably just weigh you down anyway."

"Alright then, I suppose I could try going with a more natural look then. Thank you Zack for that little bit of insight."

"It's what I do." I say as I raise my glass above my head, and stare at the bottom of it, watching the ceiling shift and waver through the water. "Hey, um... Where is Sugarcube Corner exactly? Pinkie Pie said I'd need to meet her there at eight tonight for the party. I wasn't all too thrilled about it, but I digress."

"I could give you directions, or I could just take you there myself... Zack, would you accompany me to the party tonight?"

"I'm not a pony Rarity. I'm not going to be your date or anything." I respond as I continue to stare at the glass.

"N-No, of course not silly! You misunderstand, I meant would you just, y'know, take me as a friend? I think it's be more fun for both of us than showing up alone, don't you think?"

"I guess so... Ah, fuck it, why not." I say as I take a swig of the water, almost spilling it on my face because of the angle.

Rarity is probably the most tolerable pony I've met, maybe other than Applejack. And... she seems nice enough... Ah, screw it. It was gonna happen eventually, but this is the only time! I'm not going to get too close to these ponies. I sit up and look at Rarity, who is now standing on the floor in front of the bed. I can't believe I'm about to say this.

"So, what do you wanna do until the party, friend?"

Branching Out -- Part 2

"Your clothes are absolutely filthy darling." Rarity says as I stare at the ceiling, playing with the empty glass by spinning it around in my hands.

"Ya don't say?" I say sarcastically.

"Why don't you just take them off? Like you said, no need for them right?" My cheeks warm up a bit as I pull my pants up slightly by instinct.

"Um, I said no need for you to wear clothes, Rarity. I however, wear them 24/7 unless I'm taking a shower. I don't have fur like you to cover myself up, so I need to rely on clothes to keep my junk hidden from the public."

"Oh, I see... How about I make you a new set of clothes?"

"As much as I'd love that, I have no money to pay for it. I guess I'll just wash them in a river or something. Hell, maybe I'll learn how to sew myself."

"Nonsense! I shall make you a new set of attire for your party tonight. Free of charge!"

"Free? Seriously? Sorry Rarity, but I don't take charity. I like earning and/or buying everything I get."

"But you have earned it darling! You not only helped me to carry my materials into my store, but also convinced me that I don't need a dress to look good." She says as she brushes her hair to the side with a hoof. "I'd say you've done more than enough to deserve this."

"I don't know, I wouldn't say carrying a basket and giving a compliment is really worthy of you making something for me that could take hours to finish."

"Oh please dear, just accept it. I'm more than willing to help out a friend in need."

"...Fine, but I'm going to pay you back with actual money when I have some. I'm not taking this for free." I say as I sit up, the blood rushing out of my head, making me dizzy as hell. Rarity sighs and gives me an unreadable look before turning towards a desk and picking up some tools with her magic.

"If you insist. Honestly Zack, there is no need to pay me back for this... Alright, what would you like?"

"I like white shirts, but they get too dirty too easily. I like the color black, but I don't think I look very good in it... How about a shirt just like the one I'm wearing, but red."

"I think you'd love lovely in a nice red! I shall begin immediately. First, I'll need your measurements. Please step on over here." Rarity picks up a tape measure and levitates it in the air in front of her. I stand up and walk over to her, and stand still with my arms out, waiting for her to take her measurements.

"Shirt off please. I cannot measure accurately with that thing on." I sigh and remove my shirt, and as it passes my nose, I realize how bad it smells from the collected sweat and dirt. I really need a shower after this.

"Just get this over with, it's really cold in here." I close my eyes, but don't hear anything. I open one to see Rarity just staring at my chest with wide eyes. "Problem?" I ask as I open my other eye and lower my arms.

"I-I... thought you were a male." She says quietly, a blush growing on her face. I stare down at my chest, but I don't really see what she's getting at. I'm obviously a guy, like, come on.

"Um... I am? I thought I made that pretty clear already." I retort as I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion.

"Then why do you have those?" She asks while pointing a hoof to my chest.

"Oh, those? Yeah, everyone has those. You didn't know that?"

"Only mares have those honey. And why are they so high up?"

"Because that's how I was created? Seriously, I'm not even the same species as you, so you can't compare me to yourself. Human males have these, even if they serve no purpose. I'm not a female, I'm a guy."

"O-Of course, whatever you say. Now, forelegs out again please."

"They're called arms. Again, not a pony."

"Right, arms. Arms out please." She says with a sheepish smile. I place my arms out to the sides and close my eyes as I feel the tape measure moving around my arms and torso. The thing is freezing, which in turn causes me to shiver, which in turn makes it take longer to get my measurements, which means more touching by the tape! It's like an endless cycle of hell! A very cold hell!

"And, done!" Rarity says excitedly. I sigh as I quickly slip my dirty shirt back on and try to warm myself up. "Now for your lower half!"

"No!" I say rather quickly. "My blue jeans are fine! I don't need new ones." I really wouldn't mind a new pair of jeans, but one, it is freezing enough with my shirt off, I don't want to imagine if my pants were off. And second, I don't feel comfortable just pulling down my pants in front of some girl I just met.

"If you say so." She says as she turns around to begin sketching something on a piece of paper. I look around, and notice another door in the room that doesn't lead to the hallway. I assume it is a bathroom.

"Can I use your shower? If you didn't notice, I smell like hell."

"Oh, um, I did notice. I just didn't want to say anything." She says with a sheepish smile as she turns her head to face me. I smile a little and nod as I walk over to the closed door. Much to my luck, it is the bathroom. I let myself in, and lock the door behind me. I immediately throw my shirt off, tired of how dirty it feels.

Rarity's shower is much large than Fluttershy's and is actually tall enough for me to stand comfortably in. Thank God it is, because I don't think I could wash my entire body in a fucking sink.

I run the water at it's hottest setting, and sit down on the toilet while I wait for the water to get hot. I'm gonna regret that decision when I get out because it'll feel like Alaska out there, but for now, heaven on earth is that shower.

I pull my phone and wallet out of my pocket and place them on the sink. I pull off my jeans and underwear, and jump into the shower. Immediately I feel a hundred percent better than I had before getting in. Words can't describe the sensation of finally being clean.

Stepping out of the shower has to be the worse thing I've ever done. The air is still pretty warm in the room, yet I'm still somewhat chilly. Once I slip on my clothes, I feel a little better, though I leave my shirt off because it would just undo the effects of the shower.

Okay, stepping out of the shower was one thing, but stepping back into Rarity's room is another. It feels like I'm standing outside instead of inside of a building.

"Don't you a heater or something?" I ask rather loudly as I rub my hands up and down my arms to try to warm myself up.

"Ah!" Rarity yelps as she spins around to see me rubbing myself like an idiot. "Oh, you startled me darling." She says as she holds a hoof up to what I assume is her heart. Still don't know much about their anatomy.

"Oh, sorry. It's just freezing in here."

"Is it really? It seems fine to me." She says as she turns back to her work.

"Well yeah, you have a coat of fur, I don't... Hey, how's the shirt coming along?"

"Just finishing actually!" She says as she turns around to reveal an almost finished red t-shirt. My jaw drops at the fact she was able to actually complete this so fast. It would take a profession that had been doing this for years at least an hour to get even close to something like this!

"H-How did you-"

"Finish so fast? It's all in the techniques darling. It is also my greatest talent, see." She says as she turns to the side to reveal three diamonds on her side. I'd noticed it earlier, but never really put any thought into it.

"That's incredible! I was in there for like fifteen minutes, and you made an entire shirt, and- Wait a minute, you used magic didn't you?" I ask accusingly.

"Maybe a little." She says with a smile. "So, try it on." She says as she tosses the shirt over to me with her magic. The thing is smooth a silk, yet tough like cotton. How she managed that, I have no idea, but I'm not going to question it. I slip the shirt on and admire it in a mirror. It really matches with the rest of the colors on my body. My brown hair, blue jeans, and red and black sneakers match all too well with the red shirt.

"Why the little diamonds? Is this your trademark or something?" I ask as I notice three diamonds stitched on the top left of the shirt.

"Of course it is! That is my cutie mark after all." I have to hold in my chuckle when she refers to the symbol as a "cutie mark". It still sounds kinda stupid in my opinion.

My stomach takes that very moment to decide to growl, which catches both of us off guard.

"Heh, I haven't really eaten anything in like four days." I say as I smile at her sheepishly.

"Four days!? My, what have you been up to dear? Come with me, we shall get you some lunch." She says as she puts down her tools and trots over to the door.

"Alright, what do you have?" I ask as I follow her downstairs.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm not much of a cook myself anyway. I'm going to take you to this little cafe near by that is just to die for! You'll love it."

"Oh... Yeah, I can't really afford that. Like I said, no money." I say as I place my hands in my pockets and pull them inside out for dramatic effect. Forgot my phone and wallet were in there, and they both hit the floor rather loudly. It causes both of us to laugh, though I laugh more to hide my embarrassment.

"Oh please, I WANT to buy you lunch Zack. And I will not take no for an answer. Now, come along." She says as she trots to the front door.

"But, I-"

"No but's! I'm buying you lunch and that's final." I sigh as I begin walking again, following her outside into the cool air.

I guess I'm going to be spending a good portion of my day with literally my only friend on the entire planet.

Friendship Is A Rarity

Author's Note

This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, because I've been really busy with school and sports. The next chapter will be longer, I promise. I hope you understand :)

Also, I would like to remind you that I have a kik, @bombshelter1 where you can chat with me, or maybe if you'd like to give me ideas. Hit me up and we can talk sometime :)

Friendship Is A Rarity

"So, where is this little cafe you mentioned?" I ask as I stuff my hands into my pockets. Damn snow.

"Just around the corner darling. Oh it is absolutely to die for." She says with her refined accent. I'm not sure whether I really like it, or if it annoys the shit out of me. I have a problem with making up my mind about things.

"I sure hope so. I'm gonna die if I don't get there soon." I joke as I pat my stomach, which only makes me feel worse. Seriously, how did I not notice I was this hungry until just now?

"So, what exactly do you like to eat?" Rarity asks as we turn a corner.

"Uh, hamburgers, pizza, chicken, salads are cool, pasta... I like a lot of stuff really." I say with a shrug as I continue walking. I stop and turn around when I notice that the hoofsteps next to me have stopped.

"...Y-You eat meat?" She asks nervously, giving me a somewhat scared look.

"Yeah? Humans are omnivores and-... Oh, right, herbivores." I mumble as I facepalm. I didn't even bother to think that they'd only eat plants, much less the fact that they'd be scared of the fact I eat meat. "Look, I'm not gonna eat you or anything like that if that's what you're thinking."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Ugh, yes! If I wanted to eat you, which I don't, I would have done it already. Seriously, I saw that you own a damn cat back in your shop, but you dare care about her eating meat."

"Opal isn't twice my size..." She says quietly. She doesn't look quite as nervous anymore, but the expression is still there nevertheless.

"Look, I'm going to lunch with, or without you. You cal follow if you want, but if you're too scared of me just because of what I am, I don't want a part of it." I say as I start walking towards the cafe. My dad told me sometimes the only way to get to someone is to be straightforward and harsh. Hopefully he was right.

Turns out he was actually right, as I hear hoofsteps approaching me from behind. I don't even need to turn around to know who it is. We continue our walk in silence until the cafe comes into view. It appears to be completely outside, well, the tables are anyway. We take our seats, which are just glorified hay bales which are way too short for me, and kinda look around awkwardly until the waiter comes.

"Ah, what can I get for... you... two?" He asks as he makes eye contact with me. He manages not to freak out or ask any questions, and returns to his normal manner. Very professional, I respect that.

"Water and sunflower salad for me." Rarity says before looking at me to see what I order. I sigh as I realize that I'm basically limited to only a few things. Gotta make her happy though. I don't need my only friend to fucking book it because of what I ordered.

"Um, do you have tea and uh... pasta?" I ask, not exactly sure whether or not that stuff still exists. Thankfully, the waiter nods and walks away, though he seems to keep his eye on me as he does.

"I'm sorry about that." Rarity says once he is out of hearing distance. "It was just a bit... shocking, is all." She says with an apologetic look. I look down and sigh, folding my hands on the table.

"It's fine. I shouldn't have lashed out at you because of a natural reaction. I'd be nervous too if I was in your position. Honestly, I'm just glad you didn't totally freak out and run away."

"Well, never judge a book by it's cover, right? I mean, your size does still make me a little nervous, yet you're one of the nicest stallions I've ever met."

"Hah, then you obviously don't know me. I'm an asshole, and I know that. It's just my personality, I don't think I can change it." I say with a shrug.

"Everypony can change Zack."

"I'm not a pony." I say with a chuckle as I look down at my hands.

"Okay, every human can change, and I believe that. You're a good guy Zack, I can see that in you."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Whatever you say Rarity... Say, um, I'm really tired, is it cool if I take a nap back at your place after lunch? I wouldn't ask normally, but I'm kinda homeless right now..."

"You don't have a place to stay? Nowhere at all?"

"Unless I can make a house just magically appear, then no, I don't."

"Then I insist that you stay over at my house until you can afford your own!" She says confidently.

"You're really generous, and I appreciate that, but I would really hate to intrude." I explain. "Though that hasn't stopped me before..." I mumble under my breath, remembering how I pretty much broke into Fluttershy's house. Still need to fix that by the way.

"Zack, what did I tell you earlier?" Rarity says with a stern look.

"Ugh... that you wouldn't take no for an answer?"

"Exactly. You are a friend in need, and I am able to provide. Therefore, I will do so. From hereon out, until you can afford a house, you are hearby my roommate."

"I'll take you up on that offer, under two conditions."

"...Name it."

"First, I'm sleeping on the couch. No way in hell am I going to take your bed from you. Second, once I get a job, I'm paying rent. Deal?"

"Rent? Really?"

"Is it a deal or not?" I ask as I hold out my hand towards her. She gives me an unreadable expression before sighing and placing her hoof in my palm. I shake it firmly before sitting back and relaxing.

"Now, where is that food?"

"Ah, that was great. I didn't even know it was possible to be that hungry." I mumble as we walk back towards Rarity's house.

"I didn't know it was possible to scarf down two plates of pasta in eight minutes. Ugh, stallions." She says as she rolls her eyes, though I do catch a slight smile on her face.

"Hey, you would do the same if you hadn't eaten anything solid in like four days. I've been wandering around out here running off of nothing but adrenaline and determination. I think I deserved that pasta." I say as I point to my chest and let out a chuckle.

"I forgot to ask. Where are you from exactly? As I recall, you're the first human I've ever seen before. Did you come from some faraway country or something?" Rarity asks curiously. I sigh and look up at the sky, running a hand through my hair as I do so. Might as well tell her now if I'm ever gonna do it.

"It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"I have time."

"Fine, but don't blame me if you get bored. It started four or five days ago, for me anyway. I was touring this lab that I had been given an internship at. I was supposed to be helping to develop this machine called a Cryogenic Freezing Deivce, C.F.D. for short. The machine were supposed to let humans freeze themselves, and wake up at a certain period of time in the future. It would essentially stop the body from aging by freezing it, therefor allowing people to basically time travel. It was going to be used to medical purposes, so that patients could be frozen until a cure was found. However, that's not how things turned out, not for me anyway. This guy, Dr. Hendricks, forced me into one of the machines, and froze me in it... That was 3500 years ago..."

"Y-You're from..." Rarity stutters out, obviously shocked.

"The past? Yeah, I am. Back then, ponies didn't exist. Well, not like they do now anyway, and there was no magic at all. The human race was killed off by something called the PT virus. I guess ponies evolved or something to what they are now. I don't really know, nor do I really care anymore." I say in a somewhat sad tone.

"That's... horrible. So you survived this virus?"

"I'm standin' here aren't I? Yeah, I did, and it wouldn't surprise me if the virus was still airborne right now. It may have dissipated by now, but with the advancement of technology by the time it was released, I have no idea."

"Then wouldn't it still be affecting you?"

"Nope, I'm immune. I was injected with the cure for the virus while I was still frozen. I guess it worked because I'm still here, not dead on the floor or some deformed creature, because that's what it does apparently."

"That sounds awful! But to think, there was an entire race before us, and we never knew about it!"

"I wouldn't say you know nothing about us. Twilight has some old manuscripts that mention humans, but I doubt they really go into details. I haven't read them myself yet, so I can't really say."

"That sound inter- Oh, we're here." Rarity says as we approach her door. She opens it and enters. I follow behind, having to duck slightly as the door is about an inch or two shorter than me. Luckily she has a really high ceiling.

"I'll tell you more about my backstory later I guess. But for now, I'm tired as all hell. Sleep is another thing I've been deprived of lately. Well, comfortable sleep anyway."

"Alright then. Are you absolutely sure you wouldn't like to use my bed? It would definitely fit you much better, with your size and all that is. I'll probably working so I-"

"Rarity, I said couch, and that's that. Now, just point me in the general direction, and I'll find it myself."

"Very well... It's over there." Rarity points to a set of double doors across the room which I guess leads to a living room of sorts. I nod with a smile as I walk over to them, ready to get some sleep. "I'll wake you up when it's time to go to the party!" She calls out from behind me. I respond with a simple wave of my hand as I vanish into the living room.

Calling it a living room is an understatement. I'd say it's more akin to a fancy office. Bookshelves line the walls, and at a quick glance, it looks like a lot of them have to do with sewing or clothing in general. I never really would have taken Rarity for a book worm. Learn something new every day.

On the other side of the room, near a window, is a white couch that is just screaming my name for me to jump on it. I obey and kick my shoes off before leaping onto the thing, almost flying back off from the bounce. I rest my head on the arm of the couch, and close my eyes, already feeling sleep taking me over.

"I'll pay you back, I swear." I mumble to myself as I drift off into a peaceful, relaxing slumber.

Party Pooper

"I'm serious Olivia, they actually accepted me for the internship, do you know how big of an honor that is?" I ask as I wave the letter in her face.

"Not really? What's so special about this particular internship? Why is it so different than the other ones you applied for?"

"Because, only one out of every ten thousand applicants actually get accepted! I'd have a better chance of getting hit by a car by walking outside than to get in."

"But D.C. is over two hundred miles away from here, are you really going to go there for the entire semester?"

"Yes, I have to take this Olivia, it could really get me somewhere in life. I know I'll be gone for like eight months, but I promise I'll visit whenever I can."

"Well what about me? What am I supposed to do while I wait?"

Instead of responding, I pull Olivia into a quick kiss before pulling her back and holding her shoulders.

"My flight leaves tonight."

"What!? Why didn't you tell me!?"

"Because I didn't want you to freak out! I love you Olivia, and if I could some how get an internship like this in New York, I'd take it in a heartbeat, trust me. This is really important to me, and I'd hope that you understand that."

I start walking to the door of Olivia's apartment before her voice stops me.

"...You'll come back... right?" I turn around and give her a confident look.

"I always do." With that, I give her a confident smile before walking out the door... Only to begin falling into an endless black pit, my screams being the only thing that I can hear. All my senses fade away as reality starts to come back to me.

"AH! FUCK!" I yell as I shoot up on the couch, sweat pouring down my face. "Ah... son of a bitch." I mumble to myself as I wipe my face off with the sleeve of my shirt.

"Zack? You alright?" Rarity asks as she bursts through the door. "Why are you screaming?"

"Oh, um... nightmares, y'know?"

"What about?" Rarity asks as she jumps onto the couch. I scoot over to make room for here, still wiping my forehead in the process.

"My girlfriend, Olivia." I respond as I dig into my pocket and pull out my wallet. I flip it open to reveal a picture of Olivia and I standing next to each other in Time Square.

"That's a beautiful name. She looks pretty too."

"Yeah... the last thing I ever told her was that I'd be back." I grunt out in anger as I throw the wallet across the room, hitting the door frame. Rarity cringes back a little at my sudden outburst, but quickly regains her composure.

"And, you never told her goodbye?"

"No! I got put in that damn machine, and now I'm here! Dammit, she lived her whole life probably thinking I left her and never came back!" I yell as I punch the couch in realization. This whole time, I'd only been thinking about how all of this affected me, and not other people. Olivia, my parents, anyone who still gave a shit about me.

"I'm... so sorry." She says as her ears droop on the sides of her head.

"It's not fair Rarity, why did it happen to me!? I'm a good guy right? What did I do to deserve having my life ripped away from me? Am I special or something? Because if I am, I don't want to be!"

"Zack, calm down, it's-"

"I'm fine! Just... just let me calm down... Is it time for the party yet?" I ask, trying to change the subject, as well as trying to calm myself down.

"Yes, it starts in twenty minutes."

"Alright, then lets go." I state as I stand up and walk back into the main part of the shop, grabbing my wallet on the way out. It seems a lot cooler out here than in that stuffy little room. Probably all of my body heat had escaped me and was now floating around in there. God this is going to be the longest walk of my life.

"Ready?" Rarity asks as she throws on a scarf with her magic.

"What happened to no clothes?" I ask as I slip my shoes on, deciding to leave my bag here. I doubt I'll need my gun or knife while at a fucking party.

"It is still chilly outside, and I'd prefer to stay warm."

"With just a scarf?" I ask as I open the door for her, letting her exit before I do. The snow crunches under my feet as I exit the building.

"Well yes, it isn't THAT cold now is it?"

"Speak for yourself..." I mumble as I rub my hands up and down my arms for warmth.

"The weather team really outdid themselves tonight, huh?" Rarity asks as she looks up at the sky, the sun fading in the distance causing the sky to turn a bright orange.

"Weather team?"

"Yes, the pegasi that control the weather? Rainbow Dash is their captain y'know."

"Control the weather? Bullshit, the weather can't be controlled, nor does it need to be. That all works on it's own. It's called nature, look it up."

"I'm serious! The pegasi are the only ones who can control what the weather will be. That's how it has been for as long as anypony can remember."

"That ain't how I remember it." I mumble to myself as I pull my shirt up over my nose and mouth so that they don't get frostbite. "Damn magic..."

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. Are we almost there?" I ask, though Rarity stops before I can even finish.

"Right here actually." She says as she points a hoof at a building to my right shaped like, oddly enough, a giant gingerbread house. If I didn't know that was made out of wood, I'd eat the shit out of it.

"The hell kind of a building is this?" The windows inside show a bunch of different ponies walking around, which lets me know that we aren't the first ones here. There better be some good ass music here, or I swear...

"This is Sugarcube Corner, the town's local bakery. Pinkie Pie works and lives here."

"She lives in a bakery? That's fucking awesome." I say with a smile. What can I say, I like baked goods.

"Um, yes... what you said." Rarity says with a nervous chuckle. Ah, these ponies and their lack of usage of foul language. It's gonna drive me insane. I lived in New York for fucks sake, it's basically a second part of me.

"Shall we?" I ask with a heavy sigh, not from not wanting to go in, but from still being pretty tired.

"We shall." Rarity begins walking into the store, and I follow closely behind her.

I think I just walked into heaven. The smells, God the smells. I think I could easily live here and never leave again.

"Hey guys!" A shrill voice yells right in my ear.

"Gah! Son of a b- Oh, hey." I say as I grab my heart, trying not to keel over dead. Third heart attack today, not exactly a good thing.

"So glad you guys made it! You're the last ones to show up!" Pinkie says excitedly, bouncing up and down in front of me.

"Last ones? How many ponies showed up?" Rarity asks with a curious tone.

"Like, half the town! Everypony wants to meet the new human in town!"

"Ah, fuck me." I mumble as I rub my face with my hands. "But I don't like meeting new people." I say like a spoiled child.

"Too bad!" Pinkie says as she pulls me farther inside where everyone is standing around chatting, eating various baked goods and sipping from cups of punch. In the back, I notice a set of DJ tables set up, though it doesn't look like all of the wires are set up yet.

"Hey, um, I'm gonna go check something out real quick." I say to Rarity and Pinkie before running off to check out the turn tables.

"Well hello beautiful." I mumble as I check over the equipment. Who would have thought they'd have technology like this when they don't even have televisions?

"Hey, hooves off pal." A voice calls out from behind me. I turn around to see a white unicorn with a wild electric blue mane staring back at me with the reddest of eyes.

"Oh, um... sorry." I say awkwardly as I rub the back of my head.

"Ah, I'm just messin' with ya dude. I remember you from the park. Zack, right?"

"Yeah, and was it Vinyl?"

"You got it."

"So, you're the DJ for this party? That's pretty cool."

"Yeah it is! I love working Pinkie's parties, they're always a blast! Hey, come check out some of the tunes I'm gonna play." Vinyl says as she walks around to the other side of the table. I follow her, admiring all of the work that must have gone into setting this whole thing up.

"How long have you been here? Setting this up I mean."

"Eh, couple hours. Nothing too big. You should see the setup for some of my concerts! Man, those can really get out of hoof... Anyway, check this out."

I spend the next ten minutes listening to samples of different kinds of music that Vinyl had prepared for the party. They all sound really cool in my book.

"These are awesome! Maybe you ponies aren't so lame after all." I say as I bump my fist against her hoof. I look up over the table to see Rarity waving for me to come over to her. "Hey, I'll be back in a bit, you keep that music going, alright?"

"Gotcha, still need to do some tests before I can actually blast some tunes."

I walk over to Rarity to see what she wanted with me, though what I see wasn't quite what I expected. All of Rarity's friends are here, even Fluttershy, though she isn't exactly the reason I start to sweat a little nervously.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash... Hey..." I say awkwardly as I rub the back of my head, not exactly sure what to say. Man this is awkward as all hell.

"H-Hey." She says simply, though she looks at the ground as she does so, refusing to make eye contact with me.

"...So, Fluttershy, I see you're better!" I say with fake enthusiasm to try to change the subject. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's okay, but that was just way too awkward for me. The tension was so thick, Miley Cyrus couldn't have broken it with her wrecking ball. Yeah, that was one thing that just never left the internet... Damn.

"Oh, um. Yes, thank you for getting me to the hospital and all." She says quietly and somewhat nervously.

"No problem. It was my fault you got hurt anyway." Fluttershy smiles at this, probably taking it as an apology, which is kinda was.

"Hey um, I'm gonna go check on some of that food and stuff..." I say as I point towards the refreshment tables.

"Alright, yall just be back here when my brother arrives with the cider!" Applejack calls out from behind me. Wait, what? Cider?

"Great, drunk ponies, that's all I need." I mumble as I roll my eyes before shuffling over to the table full of different foods, trying my best to ignore ponies either staring at me or trying to start conversation. I can do all that later, but for now, food time. The Zackster is starving!

"A little bit of this... little bit of that..." I start singing to myself. No idea where the words came from, just kind of making them up as I go along. "Put it all together and now ya got a snack. Add a little sugar, add a little spice, now ya put it all together and it's lookin' really ni-"

"HEY!"

"FUCK! Stop doing that!" I yell at Pinkie who somehow popped up from behind the table, though I don't remember seeing her walk over here.

"Were you singing?"

"Maybe... What's it to ya?"

"You should totally sing some songs for us once the music is set up! C'mon, you're really good at it!"

"Um, no I'm not. I've never been able to sing Pinkie, and now isn't going to be the night I become a rock star."

"I better see you on that stage some time tonight, or else." She says. "Enjoy the party!" She yells as she suddenly vanishes back under the table. I bend down expecting to see her under said table, yet, nothing. The hell is this sorcery?

Putting aside the fact that this world just keeps breaking physics, I gather a few more goodies before heading over to an empty table up against a wall at the other side of the room, pretty close to the DJ table. I sit down, sighing as I do so. I rest my hand on my cheek and I slowly pick at the food, but it isn't long before my hunger overtakes me. I think I might have diabetes now.

"Hey Zack." I look up to see Applejack sitting in front of me on the opposite side of the table.

"Hey." I say casually as I go back to picking the crumbs on my place with a fork.

"Ya don't look too happy. Are ya alright?"

"Yeah... I've just been thinking about some things since I left for the party. Nothing you'd really understand. So, what's up with you?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"Well, remember how ya told me to check on Rainbow Dash a couple nights back?"

"Yeah, and when I came back for you, you weren't even there. What gives? I had to carry back that cart through the blistering cold alone by the way."

"Oh, ah'm sorry 'bout that, guess I wasn't really thinkin' about it at the time."

"That's alright... So, whatever happened with her? She seemed kind of shaken up if you asked me."

"Oh she's fine, better than ever actually. A good night's rest later, and she was her old self again."

"Okay? Then why did she seem so nervous and shaken up when I approached you guys a few minutes ago?"

"She's just... Uncomfortable around you right now. She said she's confused about what to think about you."

"Seriously? It's not like I saved her life, but I'd hope she would be at least a little grateful." I say as I squint my eyes slightly.

"Zack!" AJ hisses at me. "She's more than grateful! She's just confused is all."

"Confused about what?"

"She doesn't know why ya saved her after she treated ya like a monster and all."

"I saved her because someone was is trouble, not because of who she was. You really think I'd just leave someone in a situation like that? I don't give a shit who they are, nobody deserves that."

"I-I don't. I know ya saved her because it just the right thing to do, but she doesn't know that. Ya need to talk to her. Ya aren't leaving this party until ya do."

"You're really serious about this aren't you?" I ask as I take a sip of my punch.

"Yes! Ah am! She just needs to hear it from you, or she's just gonna be like that for who knows how long. She feels guilty Zack, and only you can do something about it."

"...Fine, I'll get around to it I guess." I say as I grip my cup in both hands, staring down at my red reflection in it's contents. Applejacks nods and walks away, leaving me to think to myself for a bit.

Fuck it, this was gonna happen eventually, so I just need to man the hell up and face the facts.

It's time the two of us had a talk.

Author's Note

Part 2 coming soon, once I can finish up a bit of work on other things. Hope you enjoyed this one for now :rainbowwild:

http://www.fimfiction.net/group/210402/helping-writers

This is my new group dedicated to helping new/inexperienced writers to reach their full potential. If you feel interested, maybe you could give it a shot!

Drink Up!

"Hey Twilight." I say as I walk up to the purple unicorn currently facing away from me. She turns around and meets me with a smile. Fluttershy and Rarity are next to her, and they also turn. The other three of their group are nowhere to be seen.

"Zack! Are you enjoying the party?" She asks, a hopeful smile plastered on her face. I glance down to Rarity who gives me a threatening look, basically telling me I have to say yes.

"Yeah, it's great. Hey, um, have any of you seen Rainbow around here? I kinda need to talk to her. I've been putting it off for too long I think." I say as I toss my plastic cup into a trash bin.

"I think she's in the restroom right now darling. You may have to wait a bit if you need to speak with her." Rarity says. I huff and rub my forehead in frustration. This whole thing is starting to give me a headache.

"Alright, well... You guys let me know if you see here around. You'd think with hair like that she'd be easy to spot, but no!" I say as I raise my hands while walking away.

Walking through the sea of ponies is both difficult, yet extremely easy, though it is never both at the same time. Either every pony around me tries to talk to me, asking me a million questions, or they all scatter at the sight of me. It's always nice for everyone to be horrified of you at your own party!

"There you are..." I mumble to myself as I spot Rainbow across the room at a vacant booth. I watch from across the room as a pony, I think a female, tries to walk up and talk to her, only for her to wave her away before staring back into her drink. Damn it, I can't just let this keep going on, it's time for me to step up.

I start walking over towards her, having to almost shove ponies out of my way to reach her. After what feels like forever, I reach the booth, though it doesn't look like Rainbow has noticed me yet. I step up to the booth, sliding into the seat across from Rainbow. As soon as she looks up and sees me, her eyes widen and she tries to slip out of the booth. I grab her foreleg before she can, and she stops moving, despite the fact that I'm not pulling back at all, simply holding her leg.

"We need to talk, but I can't do that if you run away. Trust me, I've learned that running from my problems never leads to anything getting better." I say sternly, squinting my eyes. She remains silent, but slowly shifts back into her seat, looking back into her cup again. I sigh and let go of her, rubbing my face with my hands.

"Look, I don't know why you're like this right now. From what little I've seen of you, you're usually pretty outgoing and dare I say happy. What gives?" I ask, folding my hands in front of me. She looks up at me, her ears dropping to the side of her head. She lets out a sigh before mumbling out her explanation.

"I... feel bad about what happened, and I think you already know that. What's bothering me is... why did you do it?" She asks as she looks up at me, her eyes threatening to release God knows how many tears.

"Why did I do what?"

"You saved me when I didn't deserve it!" She yells, catching the attention of a few ponies around us. "Why did you do it? Why did you risk yourself for me? All I've done is cause you to get hurt since coming here, and yet you risked yourself to save me, even after all that." She mumbles out, her voice cracking as she does so.

"You were in trouble, and I was the only one around to help. I don't give a shit who you are, I really don't, but you were in trouble. Leaving someone in a situation like that just wouldn't be right. Now, I'm not perfect, I'm far from it. But I try my best to do what's right, and at that moment, the right thing to do was protect you. That's why I did it. That's why I didn't care about what you'd done before then... And yea, I accept your apology. Someone already helped me with that..." I mumble as I look up at Vinyl who is still setting up on stage. She looks over at us, and gives me a warm smile and a nod like I was actually doing the right thing.

"So... You're not mad at me or anything? Because I put you in the hospital, and I know I'd never be able to-"

"Shut up Rainbow." I say with the smallest of chuckles. "I forgive you, and that's that. Now, are you gonna stop moping around and feeling guilty, or are you gonna move on with your life? If you can do that, I think we could at least tolerate each other."

"...I think I can do that... I'm sorry, I don't even remember your name."

"Zack Austin, but just call me Zack." I say as I hold out my hand. She places her hoof into my palm, and shakes it.

"I'm Rainbow Dash, and I'm sorry."

"Yeah yeah, I know... Hey, I'm gonna go now, but for God's sake, get up and have a little fun."

"I-I will, thanks." She says quietly. I pat the table before standing up and walking away. I take one last look behind me to see Rainbow smiling down into her cup. She still might be one of the most annoying ponies I've met, but it does make me a little happy seeing that I helped her out. That's a feeling I haven't felt in a quite a while.

"Cider is here!" I hear from across the room. I almost choke on my punch from the sudden voice somehow yelling over the music. It's been a good half hour since I talked to Rainbow, and I haven't talked to anyone since. I just haven't had the drive to do so.

Entering the door is a large red stallion with a wagon of barrels behind him. Great, alcohol, just what I was waiting for. Not really. I've never been much of a drinker, mostly because I wasn't one year under the legal age. I've tried it only twice before back at some college parties, but never really got hooked on it like most people do. I just never really saw the thrill in it. I have nothing against it, it's just that I'd rather not be around an entire group of people or ponies drunk off their asses. It just gets real old and real annoying, real fast.

I lean against a wall, slowly sipping my punch from my little plastic cup. I watch as AJ and what I guess is her brother, unload the kegs onto a row of tables. Once they finish, I notice that they left one keg on the wagon. I watch as AJ walks over to it, lifting it onto her back and walking towards a staircase that I hadn't even noticed until now. She carries it up the stairs, vanishing behind the wall that covers them. I toss my half empty cup into a trash bin, and walk over towards the staircase, curious as to where she was going.

I approach the stair, looking up at the top to see it leads to a hallway upstairs. I slowly walk up the steps, making sure nobody sees me doing so. Once I reach the hallway, I sneak around until I hear voices coming from behind a closed door. I place my ear up to it, listening in on what was going on on the other side.

"I said no." I hear Twilight's voice from the other side. Curious, I place my hand on the door handle, and push the door open, stumbling into the room.

"Well hey there Zack." Applejack says, standing in front of a keg on the floor. The room looks like a bedroom, though it is really spacious, looking like an entire other party could be held in here.

"Um, hey?" I respond as I look around the room. AJ, Twilight, and all their friends are in here, as well as a couple other ponies that I don't recognize. Hell, even Rainbow is in here, though she looks a little better than she did earlier.

"Zack, what are you doing up here?" Twilight asks as she approaches me.

"I saw Applejack coming up here with a keg and- Wait, why exactly did you guys have to come up here, alone, to drink? You're not under-aged are you?" I ask, sounding like an overprotective parent.

"What? No, we're all above the legal age. I'm nineteen." Twilight says. I give her a confused look before remembering that society won't necessarily work the way that I'm used to.

"Well what's the legal age?" I ask to the room, not to really anyone in particular.

"Eighteen dear, don't you know that?" Rarity responds.

"Yeah, most of us are nineteen or twenty, but I'm the oldest." Rainbow says, pointing a hoof to her chest as she hovers in place.

"And you are...?"

"Twenty-one." Rainbow says proudly.

"Huh, interesting. I thought you were all older than that, like thirties or something." I say as I lean against the wall. "I never would have guessed you were younger than me."

"Well how old are ya Zack?" Applejack asks.

"Twenty. I turn Twenty-one in a few weeks actually, well, if the C.F.D.'s date was correct." I mumble that last part to myself, though if Twilight's expression is anything to go off of, she probably heard me. "So, why exactly are you guys up here alone again?" I ask, looking around the room to see just who all is in here. Other than Twilight and her friends, there are a few other ponies in the room, though, as I observed when I first walked in, I don't know any of them.

"Eh, just to get away from the crowd." Rainbow says, picking up a mug by wrapping her hoof through the handle on the side. "AJ, hit me up!" Rarity used her magic to lift the keg onto a table, and Applejack stands next to it with her hoof on the tap. All of the ponies in the room grab mugs from a stack next to the keg, and stand in line for a glass. All except for Twilight who remains next to me.

"Not much of a drinker are you?" I ask Twilight, she looks up to me, and gives me a confused look.

"No, never have been. Are you?"

"Nope." I respond simply with a shrug.

"Really? Wow, my friends always make fun of me because I won't drink with them."

"They ALL drink?" I ask, looking back at the line which hasn't moved at all. Looks like the tap is stuck, and Rainbow doesn't look happy about it.

"Well, technically yes, but Rarity and Fluttershy are usually responsible with it, drinking maybe one or two on stressful nights. The others... they just go all out, and it kinda worries me sometimes."

"So, that would make you the responsible one huh?"

"I guess so. I just don't see the joy in losing my ability to think straight."

"I can see why that'd work for you. Your whole life revolves around thinking things through. I respect that."

"What's your reason Zack?"

"I can see why some people drink, and I'm alright with it as long as they do it responsibly. What bothers me is watching them completely lose their shit. I just feel like it isn't me to be like that. I like to keep myself composed y'know? I guess I'm like you in that sense."

"Finally, somepony who gets it!"

Before I can even respond, a mug full of golden cider is shoved into my chest, forcing me to grab it so it doesn't fall. I look up to see a cyan pegasus staring at me with a nervous smile.

"I thought I'd get you one, y'know, to make up for everything."

"Oh, um... thanks Rainbow." I say as I swirl the drink around in the mug, watching it splash against the sides of the mug.

"So, you gonna drink it or not?" She says after chugging down half a glass. I look down at Twilight, and she gives me a look that I can't really read. She looks at Rainbow, then back at me and mouths the words, "Just do it." And I can see why she'd say that. I don't want it, I really don't, but I don't need to make Rainbow upset again, not now. "C'mon, it's really good!" She says happily.

I bring the cup up to my lips, and smell the liquid inside the mug. Gotta say, it smells nothing like alcohol, more like apple juice. Putting that aside, I take a sip. My eyes shoot open, and cider goes everywhere as I spit it out to my side, just barely missing Rainbow's face.

"Ah! What the hell is in this? That's not alcohol!"

"Alcohol? What are you talking about?" Rainbow asks, eyeing the wet floor under her. I wipe my mouth on my sleeve, and give her a confused look as I look back up. I look down at Twilight, but she has the same look on her face as Rainbow.

"That shit was salty as hell! It was like drinking a glass of pure salt!" I say as I place the mug down on a table, looking around for any water.

"Well yeah, it has a high salt level in it. That's the whole point." Twilight says, giving a confused look at Rainbow.

"Salt? That's not cider at all, that's something you'd create as a prank!" I say in an annoyed tone. Please don't tell me this was all some dumb ass prank.

"What's going on over here?" Rarity asks as she walks up with Applejack next to her. Each have a mug in their hooves, somehow managing to walk with only three legs.

"Zack here didn't know there was salt in hard cider!" Rainbow says with a shocked tone.

"What? Have ya never had cider before?" Applejack asks.

"No, I've had like one beer ever and a shot of whiskey, and those sucked and I wasn't even the legal age to drink yet. I've never had cider, but I'd assume it tastes relatively similar to those, but this!? This is just... salty."

"Well yeah, all cider has salt in it, don't ya know that?"

"No, I don't. Isn't the point of a drink like this to get you drunk?"

"Well yeah, obviously." Applejack says, rolling her eyes.

"Then why is there no alcohol in it?"

"Why would we put medical supplies into a drink?" Twilight asks.

"Not that kind of alcohol, I mean ethanol, the psychoactive drug."

"Can't say Ah had head of that sugarcube." Applejack says, looking down into her mug.

"Then how the fuck do you... Wait, don't tell me you guys get drunk off salt!" I say rather loudly, coming close to laughing. How stupid is that?

"Uh, yeah? What else would we use?" Rainbow says in a confused manner.

"Ethanol! I just told you!" I say, trying my best not to laugh. These fucking ponies actually get drunk off of salt!

"Again, never heard of that. Salt is used to lower the brain's function by-" Twilight begins, but is cut off by Rainbow.

"We get it Twilight, you're an egghead. Let's just drink already."

Everyone starts drinking from their mugs, and I give a look to Twilight.

"Don't worry, I sneaked these up here." Out of nowhere, two cups appear in a small flash of light in front of her.

"Fucking magic." I say with a chuckle as I grab the cup of punch. "To being sober." I say as I lift my cup towards her's.

"I hear that." She taps her cup against mine, and we chug them until they're empty. "I'll take fruit over salt any day."

"Salt's pretty good... when you don't put it in a drink." I say with a laugh as I toss my cup away.

"So, does salt just not have an effect on you?"

"Well, yeah, it does, but not like it does on you guys. I can eat salt just fine without feeling drunk or anything, but too much of it could be really bad for my heart."

"Interesting. We'll talk about that more tomorrow during our study."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that! I'll come over around noon, if that's okay."

"Yeah, I should be home around then. Maybe we can grab some lunch."

"Yeah, if I have any money by then. Rarity keeps insisting that she does everything for me, but I'd rather do it myself. So, no lunch tomorrow unless I have my own money."

"Alright, fair enough." She says with a sigh. "But if you change your mind, I'd be more than willing to pay. As a princess, I have way more money than I could ever need."

"Well Mrs. High-and-mighty, we'll just have to see about that tomorrow." I say with a laugh. Before she can even respond, a pink blur rushes over to us.

"Hey, you guys gotta check this out!" She says as she points across the room. All of the other ponies that were in the room are now surrounding Rainbow and Applejack, who are arguing about something next to the keg.

"What's going on over there?" I ask.

"Rainbow and Applejack are having a drink contest! C'mon, check it out!" She says as she rushes back over to the crowd. Twilight and I exchange worried looks before slowly walking towards the crowd.

"This can't be good."

Author's Note

I don't condone to drinking. If you do, drink responsibly.

This is the first thing time I've actually had to do research for a chapter. It made me feel smart :3 Also, I know horses don't get drunk off salt, but hey, this is fimFICTION, notice that fiction part right there.

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Aftermath

"I am... champion of... woo!" Rainbow yells as she topples off her stool, landing on the floor with a thud. After just barely beating Applejack in a drinking contest, she looks like she just my die. No joke.

"Is she okay?" Twilight asks as she pushes her way through the crowd of laughing ponies. They all find this hilarious, I don't know what to think, and Twilight seems straight up concerned for her friend.

"Well... she's been better." Rarity says, nudging the now knocked out Rainbow Dash.

"Well great, what the fuck are we going to do with two unconscious ponies drunk off their balls?" I ask as I cross my arms, eyeing the two with an annoyed look.

"Take them home. It's the right thing to do, right?" Twilight says as she walks over to Applejack. She picks her up in her magic, and trots over to the door. "Zack, can you get Rainbow for me?" She asks over her shoulder. I roll my eyes, and look down at the colorful pony at me feet.

"Do I have to? I don't even know where she lives."

"Yes! You're the only other one here that is completely sober, so I'm trusting you to get her home safe. She lives in a cloud on the edge of town, you can't miss it." She says as she walks out the door, vanishing around the corner.

"Lives in a cloud?" I mumble to myself.

"What's that darling?" Rarity asks, stumbling into me. Great, gotta take HER home too.

"Rainbow lives in a cloud?" I ask again.

"Yes, though I don't think she'll be getting there tonight." She says, poking her unconscious friend with a hoof.

"Ya don't say?" I say sarcastically. "I'm too tired to even fucking question it. C'mon, lets take her back to your place." I say as I get down on my knees. I slowly slide my arms under Rainbow, and lift her up with more force than I needed to. I forgot just how light these ponies are.

"Why my place?" Rarity asks, her words slightly slurred. Not wasted, but definitely getting tipsy. Better keep that in mind just in case.

"Because that's where I live, and is literally the only place I can take shelter right now. So, unless you want me to dump her off at the park, which I would be fine with, you're gonna let her stay at your place." Rarity and I wave to the remaining guests, and make our way out of the room. The music is so loud downstairs, that I'm surprised that Rainbow doesn't shoot up in my arms while we walk towards the exit. Once we're outside, Rarity breaks the awkward silence between us.

"You wouldn't actually leave her in the park, would you?"

"Fuck no, I was being sarcastic... kind of. Look, I know I'm an asshole, but only to a certain degree. Also, I'm tired, so you can't take everything I say right now seriously."

"A-Alright then. As long as you don't just dump her off."

"I promise... for now." I say with a sigh followed by a chuckle.

We walk in silence for a good two or three minutes, my arms starting to feel a little weary from carrying Rainbow. Luckily, we come up on Rarity's place pretty quickly. The door unlocks from the inside, and I assume Rarity did it with her magic.

"Do try to be quiet Zack. Sweetie is probably already asleep, and I'd hate to wake her."

"Got it... Where do I put this thing?" I ask with a silent chuckle as I bounce Rainbow up in my arms.

"That 'thing' can stay with you in my office." Rarity says with a yawn. "Goodnight Zack."

"Wait, what?" I hiss at her as she walks up the stairs. Her only response is a wave as she vanishes to the second floor. "Ah, fuck me..." I mumble as I walk over to the office. I nudge the door open with my shoulder, and close it behind me with my foot. The only light in the room is the moonlight coming in through the window, giving the room a weird blue hue.

"Now, where do I put you?" I mumble to myself, seeing if there is any other furniture in the room. There's a desk with an office chair behind it, but that's about it. "Guess who's sleeping in the chair tonight?" I whisper down to Rainbow. I start walking towards the desk, fully intending to place her in the chair, until she starts stirring in my arms.

She lets out a quick, shrill yawn, and wraps one of her legs around my arm in her sleep. Damn. It. Rainbow.

This is why I can never get what I want, I'm too nice!

I sigh as I shuffle over towards the couch, and place Rainbow down on it. I crack my back and stretch my arms, and let myself fall down onto the office chair. A little small, but comfy none the less. If I wasn't so tired, I'd probably be up all night trying to get comfortable.

"Better than the floor..." I sigh as I slowly drift off to sleep.

Sunlight, great. Gotta love mornings!

I groan as I try to cover my eyes from the sunlight, forgetting where exactly I am. I crack my eyes open to see myself sitting in an office, and let out a sigh. I was hoping maybe all of this had been some weird nightmare, but nope! Life doesn't work like that for me.

I try to stand up, but my neck forces me back down. It feels like I slept on a sheet of rock last night. Every muscle in my back and neck hurts like hell from sleeping upright in a chair. Cracking my back helps just enough to allow me to stand, though very uncomfortably.

I look over to the white couch to see a snoring Rainbow Dash sprawled out over it's surface.

"Well someone slept well..." I say as I walk over to her, my joints popping as I do so. "Wake up Skittles, time to start your day!"

"Wha?" She mumbles, just barely opening her eyes. "Ah... my head." She whispers as she rubs her face with a hoof.

"Welcome to the fabulous world of hangovers!" I say rather loudly. Rainbow places her hoof over the ear that isn't pressed against the couch, and groans as she squeezes her eyes shut. I walk over to the window, fully opening the curtains to let in the sunlight. Let this be a lesson, take my couch, you get a rude awakening.

"Why are you in my house?" She groans into the couch, pressing her face into the fabric.

"More like why are you in my house? This is MY house now little horse thingy, so that means we go by my rules."

"What?" She asks looking up to finally get a glance at the room. "But this is Rarity's hou-"

"No but's! You're my responsibility, and that means we gotta get rid of that hangover, so hop to it!" I say, clapping my hands right next to her ears.

"Agh! Why are you such a jerk this morning?"

"Because you did something really stupid last night, and now I can use it against you. Call us even or whatever, but I'm sure getting a kick out of this. Now c'mon, get up and do whatever you need to do."

"I feel sick..."

"Then off to the bathroom we go." I say as I basically drag Rainbow off the couch.

"Noooooooooooo" She half cries, half moans out, eventually giving up as I fully lift her off the ground.

"I'm guessing you're not much of a morning person huh?" I ask her as I toss her over my shoulder like a rug.

"Not when I'm so... hungover..." She says pitifully, almost enough so to make me stop messing with her. Almost.

"Rarity! Open the damn door!" I yell as I bang my fist against the bedroom door. The handle glows a faint blue, and opens on it's own, allowing me to walk inside.

"Was that really necessary?" Rarity asks, already working on her hair in the mirror.

"Yeah, I need to use the bathroom. Old Crayon Box over here had a few too many drinks last night, and needs to throw up. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd let to get to said bathroom before my only good shirt is covered in pony vomit and cider." I say as I stumble into Rarity's bathroom. She gives me a disgusted look before stating something that just makes me feel like a flat out idiot.

"You could have just used the restroom downstairs darling instead of barging in like you did."

"I didn't barge, you let me in." I say as I use my free arm to flip Rarity off. These ponies have no idea what it means, but it's still fun to do. Call me an asshole, but wouldn't everyone do it if they had the chance?

"Toilet, now!" Rainbow suddenly blurts out. I don't even hesitate to literally throw her towards the toilet. She grabs the sides with her hooves, and releases into it.

"Oh God, that's the most horrifying thing I've ever seen." I whisper to myself as I watch from across the room. "...This would totally go viral on YouTube."

"Shut up Za- BLAH" She cuts herself off by coughing into the toilet. Disgusting? Yes. Funny? Hell yes. Alright, probably time to stop messing with her and actually help out, even if it means being nice to her.

"Fine, here." I say as I shuffle over to her on my knees, and grab the hair hanging down in front of her face.

"W-What are you d-doing?" She asks between heavy breaths.

"My girlfriend got sick once, and she would ask me to hold her hair back whenever she was doing... well, this. Keeps it from collecting anything you wouldn't want to get stuck in it."

"Oh, uh, thanks then." She says as she turns back to the toilet, letting out another round of last night's cider.

"Holy shit, this is the worst thing I've ever done." I say, straining my voice as I try not to look into the toilet. "I didn't think I'd be spending my morning with you of all people." I mumble. This gets me a punch to the gut with a hoof, which makes me lose my breath for a minute.

"Alright, I deserved that." I groan as I grab my stomach with my free hand. I know she'd be laughing her ass off is she wasn't head deep into the toilet.

"I-I think I'm good." She says, wiping her mouth with her foreleg.

"God, you smell like Satan's asshole. Take a shower." I say as I push her over towards the shower, causing her her groan and grab her head again. "Cold water only." I say as I turn it on for her.

I stand up and leave the room, closing the bathroom door behind me.

"So, how did it go in there?" Rarity asks, never looking up from her mirror.

"Could've been better." I huff as I lean against a wall.

"Did something happen in there?"

"No, I just feel weird helping her still."

"And why's that?"

"Because I still don't really know how I feel about her. She seems nice enough, but she's also immature, cocky, and self-centered, three things I don't really like in people or ponies alike."

"I agree with you on some of those things, but honestly darling, you have to give her a chance. She's one of the greatest friends you could have."

"I don't want friends though. I've learned to live without them, and I don't want them back."

"Then what am I?" She asks, spinning around on the stool she is sitting on.

"My friend. My only friend." I say sternly. "I'm not just gonna be completely alone, but that doesn't mean I want to just collect friends like they're some card game." Rarity sighs and spins back around to face her mirror.

"You're impossible Zack. Look, I'll make you a deal."

"Alright, shoot."

"Today is Rainbow's day off. Spend the entire day with her, and I'll stop bugging you to try to make more friends." I stare at Rarity with an eyebrow raised, not saying anything for a solid minute or two.

"Do I have to get along with her?"

"Not at all. Just be with her for the day, and make sure she doesn't hate you by the end of it."

"But I have a meeting with Twilight at noon."

"Then take her with you. Why is this so hard for you to wrap your mind around?"

"Fine, alright, stop pushing my buttons already. I accept your little deal. I'm calling it now, that by the end of the day, I'm not going to be any closer to her than I am now."

With that, I head downstairs to get my shoes and bag.

This is going to be one hell of a day.

Author's Note

Again, sorry for the kinda short chapter, I'm just really busy right now. Trust me, once summer comes along, chapters will get longer.

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Among The Living

Author's Note

This is a very short chapter, as it is only supposed to serve as the setup for the next chapter.

Hope you enjoy it regardless.

Yes, this was heavily inspired by a TV show. Bonus points if you know which one!

Among The Living

An out-of-body experience (OBE or sometimes OOBE) is an experience that typically involves a feeling of floating outside one's body and, in some cases, the feeling of perceiving one's physical body as if from a place outside one's body (autoscopy).

The term out-of-body experience was introduced in 1943 by George N. M. Tyrrell in his book Apparitions, and was adopted by researchers such as Celia Green and Robert Monroe as an alternative to belief-centric labels such as "astral projection", "soul travel", or "spirit walking". OBEs can be induced by brain traumas, sensory deprivation, near-death experiences, dissociative and psychedelic drugs, dehydration, sleep, and electrical stimulation of the brain, among others. It can also be deliberately induced by some. One in ten people have an OBE once, or more commonly, several times in their life.

Neuroscientists and psychologists regard OBEs as dissociative experiences arising from different psychological and neurological factors.

*Daring's P.O.V.*

"Zack? Hey, wake up kid." I say, patting my hoof against the side of his face. I gasp slightly as I notice a pool of red liquid forming under the back of his head. "No no no no, c'mon Zack." I say while shaking his shoulders.

"Ah! Zack!" I look up and see a purple un- um, alicorn running towards me.

"Hey, I remember you." I say, glancing up for a second. "Here, help me get his in the air. He needs to get to the hospital, now." I say sternly, wrapping my forelegs under his legs.

"Alright, I got him up here." She says, grabbing Zack under his arms. I nod and we both start to slowly rise into the air, grunting as we do so. Zack is much heavier than he looks, which isn't exactly a good thing for us right now.

"Whoa, what's going on!?" I look up again, and see my exact copy. Well, almost exact. She has a rainbow colored mane, and her coat is light blue, but other than that she's practically my twin. I remember this one all too well. Rainbow Dash is her name, a real fangirl.

"Grab his middle before we lose our grips!" I grunt as I put all of my strength into keeping Zack in the air. Rainbow nods and quickly dashes down under Zack, lifting up his torso. This relieves a ton of weight, allowing us to move him even quicker towards the hospital.

"Hang in there kid..." I mumble, hoping that somehow he might have heard me.

*Zack's P.O.V.*

"Wha?" I mumble, my eyes still closed. I don't want to open them. I'm afraid of what I might see if I do. I cover my face with my arms, only to realize that I'm no longer laying on the grass.

Going against my own will, I open my eyes slightly and see a white ceiling above me. I'm still on my back, sure, but I'm not outside anymore. Even weirder, I don't feel any pain, almost as if I was either healed by some miracle or I'm dead. I like the sound of option one much more than option two.

I roll over onto my stomach, pushing myself off the ground with my fists. I grunt as I do so, as it feels like I haven't moved in ages. I have to keep myself balanced by holding myself up against the wall, but I manage to stand up fully.

I decide to risk taking a look around me, and open my eyes all the way. At first, everything is a bright white, but eventually my eyes adjust to the room. I gasp as I realize I'm in a hospital room, although that fact isn't what surprises me. The weird part is, I woke up on the fucking floor, not to mention the room is completely empty save for a single bed up against the wall. Either I'm dreaming, or the service in this place is absolute shit.

Another thing I notice is that my clothes have changed. It's not like they're gone, but they have most certainly changed. I look down to see I am wearing a white shirt and white pants, completely free of any kinds of stains unlike my previous clothes.

"What the fuck?" I whisper to myself. I quickly rush out of the room, turning a corner and almost plowing into a nurse. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you and-" I start saying in a rushed, panicked tone only for the nurse to completely ignore me and keep walking past me. I gotta find a doctor or something, maybe they won't be as rude as these nurses.

I run down the hallway before running into a brown stallion wearing a lab coat and a set of glasses on top of his head.

"Excuse me, do you know who I am?" I ask the stallion, hoping he might know how I got here or why I was in an empty room when I woke up.

No response. He doesn't even look at me, but instead just walks away from me as if I said absolutely nothing at all. I lean back against a wall, breathing heavily from the sheer panic running through my body. Why is everyone ignoring me?

"Can any of you fuckers hear me!?" I yell in frustration, my vocal cords straining in my throat.

Nothing, not even a single glance. Alright, something's going on. I just have to find Twilight or something, she'll know what happened. I sprint towards the set of stairs across from the lobby where I'm currently standing. If the stairs are anything to go off of, I must be on the second floor of the building, because they only lead down from here.

I almost trip on the way down, but manage to refrain from breaking my neck, and enter the lobby on the bottom floor. I look around frantically, and just when I'm about to give up, I hear the front door open. I turn around to see Applejack and Rarity full on sprinting through the door, panicked looks on their faces. I watch silently as they run up to the front desk, but neither of them can see to get out a full sentence.

"Whoa whoa, girls, please calm down." The receptionist says to them. "Who are you looking for again?"

"Z-Za... He's a human, real tall fellow, brownish mane." Applejack says between labored breaths.

"O-Oh, he's down that hallway over there." She says, pointing down the hallway directly in front of me. Wait, what the fuck does she mean I'm down that hallway!?

"Thank you." Rarity says as they take off down the hallway. Alright, this is just getting downright freaky town. I decide to follow the two, curious yet frightened at what I might find. I take off in a sprint, just barely keeping up with them. Damn these ponies are fast!

They both turn into a room on the right, which throws me off guard as I go sliding past the door by several feet. I come to a stop, and quickly turn around, grabbing the edge of the door frame. I'm not sure if I want to know what's on the other side, but I'll have to find out eventually.

I peak around the corner of the door, and I swear I can feel my legs turn to jello at what I see.

I see my own body hooked up to God knows how many machines, lying in a bed surrounded by multiple ponies.

"How is he?" Applejack asks, getting everyone's attention.

"Not good." The, who I assume is the doctor, says to her. "He got into a nasty fight, and he's been out since."

"C'mon doc, it can't be that bad, he only took a couple of hits." Rainbow says as she hovers over my body.

"And it wouldn't be very serious if he hadn't hit his head so hard. He lost a lot of blood Mrs. Dash."

"Well, is he going to be okay?" Daring asks, taking her hat off and holding it against her chest.

"To be honest... I don't know. He could wake up now, tonight, next week, or... well, there's a chance he may never wake up." The doctor explains slowly. "We'll do what we can, but we can't promise anything."

"Do what you can!? He's gonna die, you have to fix him!" Rainbow shouts at the doctor, getting right in his face. He goes to respond, but I stop listening as I look back over to my body.

"What in the name of all things holy is that!?" I yell to myself. Hovering above my body is... Ugh, it's hard to describe. I'd say it's like a green, ghostly figure that looks kind of like a beat up old woman. Apparently, nobody in the room sees it. Either that or ghosts are a normal thing around here.

The ghost touches a ghastly fingers right on my chest where my heart is, and all hell breaks lose. The heart rate monitor suddenly goes flatline, and all the ponies in the room start to panic. A sharp pain suddenly pierces my chest, causing me to grip the area with my hand. God, where the hell are Sam and Dean when you need them?

"I ain't dying today." I grunt. I lunge forward at the ghost, tackling it off my body. I land on the floor on the other side, having practically phased through the thing. I look up, and see it staring at me. Not at my body, but actually staring at ME. This thing can see me, even when the others can't. The things leans towards me, and lets out a hellish scream before vanishing into what I'd describe to be a poof of smoke. Between heavy, labored breaths I'm able to mumble out one thing, and one thing only.

"What... the actual... fuck..."

On Death Row

"He's coming back." The doctor says between heavy breaths, quickly checking every monitor around my body. All of the other ponies in the room sigh in relief, Rarity almost fainting onto Twilight. Daring flies out of the room suddenly, vanishing into the hallway.

"Thank Celestia... Why did his heart stop? More importantly, how did it start again?" Twilight asks the doctor. Alright, if Twilight has to ask a question, then something weird really must be going on. She knows everything.

"I... don't know, actually." He says in a confused tone. "I've never heard of a case like this. Please, you four watch him for a minute, I need to go check some results." With that, the doctor walks out of the room, leaving everyone else in silence. I finally stand up, leaning against the wall as I watch the four give each other relieved yet worried looks.

"I'll... be right back." Rainbow mumbles, slowly walking out of the room. I raise an eyebrow, and watch as Twilight begins to follow her.

"I'll go see what she's doing. You two watch Zack, and don't let anything happen to him."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Applejack says with tilting her hat. I push myself off the wall, following Twilight out into the hallway. I spot Rainbow heading towards the cafeteria, the doors closing behind her just as I spot her. Twilight picks up her pace, causing me to have to slightly jog to keep up. One thing about being... whatever I am right now, is that I don't seem to be getting tired at all. In fact, the only time I felt anything really was when that thing tried to kill me.

Twilight pushes the doors to the cafeteria open with her magic, looking around the room for a moment before spotting Rainbow at a small table in the corner of the room. She trots over to her, and I watch from the doors for a second before following her to the table.

"Hey, why'd you walk out like that?" Twilight asks as she sits down next to Rainbow who is resting her head on a hoof. She lets out a sigh, and brushes the hair out of her face.

"It's my fault..." She mumbles.

"What? No it isn't, he was just being reckless, and an accident happened. How is that your fault?"

"I'm not reckless..." I mumble to myself, watching the two from right across the table.

"Twilight, he wouldn't have tried to fight Dusk if it weren't for me."

"Rainbow, you can't seriously think this is your fault. It was his decision to pick a fight with the guy anyway."

"I just... feel bad, y'know? He was standing up for me, so I feel responsible for his getting hurt... I don't know, I just don't need anything happening to him after what I've already done."

"You mean knocking him out?"

"Yes! This is the second time he's been in the hospital in less than a week, and this time he could die!"

"We don't know that Rainbow, he could wake up any minute."

"But what if he doesn't?" Rainbow chokes out, tears starting to form in her eyes. This catches me off guard, causing me to lean in closer over the table. What I don't notice is that my hand accidentally hits the little napkin container, causing it to fall off the table and onto Rainbow's lap.

"Did... huh?" She asks, suddenly changing her tone of voice. "Twilight did you just throw this napkin holder at me?"

"N-No, I didn't." Twilight says with wide eyes. I take a step back, looking down at my hands. I didn't know I could still interact with the world around me. I can use this, I can find a way to communicate!

I take off at a full sprint, looking desperately for anything I could use to communicate with... well, anyone really. I run back into the lobby, and find a sharpie on the receptionist's desk. I reach down to grab for it, but I pull my hand back when I feel a cool wind against my back. I quickly spin around, only to be right in the face of a young woman in white clothing, just like me.

"What... who?" I start to mumble out before something clicks in my head. "You're no woman." I say with an angry tone. "Everyone else is dead. You're that thing that tried to kill me."

"Hm, you're smarter than I thought." She says with a sly smirk. I curl my hand into a fist, purely by instinct, but she seems to notice and takes a step back. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"What, you think you can just walk on in here and kill me? I won't have it. You don't have the right!"

"Oh, but I do Zack, that's why I'm here."

"...You're a reaper, aren't you?" She flashes me a quick, evil looking smile, and her eyes quickly flash a blood red before turning back to their normal color.

"You could say that. Point is, it's your time Zack, just let go, and come with me."

"No, it's not my time, not yet. I still have work to do." I say, my voice shaking with both anger and fear.

"Everyone has to move on at some point Zack. I'm sure you'd rather die than stay here forever, slowly going insane from your own loneliness."

"Fuck you." I spit out.

"Ah, quite the naughty one aren't you?" She says while slowly walking around me in a circle. She stops in front of me, placing a finger on my chin. "How about I make a deal?"

"A deal with the Devil huh? Why should I take that?"

"Oh, him? I'm not him, I'm just... a helper, if you will."

"So what, I'm going to Hell or something? Is that what you're trying to tell me you twisted little-"

"That's not for me to reveal honey. Now, how about that deal?"

"...I'm listening."

"I give you a second chance... but you'll have to do me a little favor."

"And what's that?"

"I need you to kill someone." She whispers into my ear. I jump back, slamming against the receptionist's desk.

"You're fucking death itself, why don't you do it!?"

"Zack, you're smarter than this. I cannot kill someone who isn't close to death."

"Well, let's say I take your deal. Who am I supposed to be going after?"

"I believe you already know him. I think you call him... Dr. Hendricks?"

I spring forward, grabbing the woman by her collar. She makes no effort to break free, only staring into my eyes with that same lifeless, evil smirk.

"What do you know about that bastard?"

"I know that he's still alive, and I'm sure you know that by now too. He's been cheating me for a long time Zack, only because He is keeping him alive. I need him taken care of."

"Who's keeping him alive? Who!?" I yell into her face, anger searing through me.

"Oh, you'll know soon enough... So, do we have a deal?" I think it over longer than I thought I would, but ultimately come to a conclusion.

"Where is Hendricks?"

"I'm not sure right now. That's up to you to find out." I nod and reach out my hand, hovering it right next to her's. This feels so wrong, I'm practically making a deal with the devil, but I have to do it. Hendricks has to pay for everything he did. I grab her hand, and instantly, everything turns into a flash of white.

"Deal."

I take in a large gasp of air, my body going rigid as I do so. Immediately I feel a throbbing pain in the back of my head, and my eyes shoot open, taking in the bright light of the room.

"Sweet Celestia..." I hear someone gasp. I realize the accent as being Applejack's. I start coughing pulling the breathing tube out of my throat.

"What the fuck..." I cough out with a scratchy voice, sitting up in the bed.

"Zack!" Both of the mares in the room run up on either side of me, propping themselves up with their forelegs on the bed on both of my sides.

"Hey..." I cough out. "Where is she?"

"Where's who darling?"

"The woman, the... reaper thingy."

"Are ya alright there Zack? You're speakin' nonsense."

"N-Nevermind. Go... get Twilight and Rainbow. They're in the... cafeteria." I say with a sigh, laying back down on the bed. Son of a bitch my head hurts.

"How do you know where they are darling?" Rarity asks, giving a confused look to Applejack.

"Just fucking get them. I thought you'd have learned not to question me by now."

"A-Alright then. I'll go get 'em." Applejack walks out of the room, leaving Rarity and I alone together.

"I was worried you know. That was a stupid thing to do Zack."

"Rarity... are you really going to lecture me right now? I did it because I wanted to make things right."

"Make things right?"

"The guy I was fighting... was the guy who got with Rainbow and tried to..."

"O-Oh, really?..."

"Yeah, and then Daring... Hey where is Daring?"

"I don't know, she just flew off after you were revived. Thank Celestia that happened too, your heart stopped Zack, can you believe it!?"

"Yeah... weird." I stare up at the ceiling, wondering just where Daring flew off to. It isn't like her to just rush off when someone's in trouble.

"Zack!" I look towards the door to see a teary-eyes Twilight rush into the room.

"Hey. Why are you cry-"

"We were worried about you! Don't ever do that again!"

"Alright mom, sheesh." I say while rolling my eyes. "Hey, have you see Daring?"

"No, she flew out a while ago... I don't know where she went."

"Rainbow... where is she?" I ask, my voice cracking as I lift my head to look out into the hallway.

"She's... hold on." Twilight walks back out into the hallway, stopping shortly after turning the corner. I can still see the end of her tail in the doorway. "Rainbow Dash you are the Element of Loyalty. Get your flank in here before I drag you in!" I hear her hiss out in a whispering voice. Element of Loyalty? The hell did she mean by that.

Rainbow slowly shuffles into the room, stopping in the doorway.

"Hey, um. Can you guys give us a little alone time. I think I need to talk to her." I say quietly to the rest of the girls. They all nod and make their way out of the room, Twilight shoving Rainbow further into the room before closing the door behind her. I look down at Rainbow, giving her a stern, yet concerned look.

"Now, we need to talk."

Back In Action

"I said we need to talk. Are you even listening to me?" I ask, looking down at the cyan mare still standing nervously by the closed door. "Get over here before I come over there and pick you up myself."

She slowly walks over to my bed, and I shuffle over to the side, causing my head to throb slightly. I pat the empty spot on the bed next to me, hoping she'd jump up so I can actually see her. To my surprise, she hops onto the bed, though she looks directly ahead of her as though I'm not even there.

"Why?" I ask quietly.

"Why what?" She mumbles under her breath.

"Why are you blaming yourself for this? I fucked up, that's all there is to it."

"How did you-"

"You told Twilight that you felt responsible for me getting hurt, right? Well it isn't your fault, so stop blaming yourself. If anything you may have saved me by getting me here when you did."

"Wait, but we were in the cafeteria. How did you know-"

"I have my ways. Now, there's something else I want to tell you. I'm... sorry for being an asshole. I see now that you actually do care for others and not just yourself. I'm... I want to just say, that I don't hate you, and I think we could be... ah fuck I'm not good at this... I think we could be friends?"

"Seriously? After all I've done, after all the insults we've thrown at each other, and you want to be friends, with me?" She says with a confused look.

"I mean, if you don't want to, then-"

"Of course I want to, idiot. It's the least I can do after, well, that whole incident when we first met."

"Alright then. At least that's out of the way. You understand what I'm saying though, right? About this being my fault, not your's?"

"I guess so..." We sit in silence both looking at the wall in front of us in an awkward silence. "So... why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Attack Dusk like that. Why'd you do it?"

"Dusk, that's his name? Well for two reasons. One, I did it for myself. I felt like our fight never really ended, so I had to finish what I started. Two, I did it because of what he did to you. That was... beyond uncool, as you would say." I say with a slight smile, gently punching Rainbow's leg.

"Yeah, totally. Thanks for that by the way. Nopony's really ever stood up for me like that."

"Yeah, and why's that? Because you insist that you can take care of yourself, that you don't need to rely on others?" I say with a smirk.

"Well... maybe." She says with a light chuckle. "Do you? I mean, do you rely on others at all?"

"Ah, ya got me there. I've always been pretty independent. Well, other than my girlfriend, Olivia, but that's a whole different story... Hey, where's my bag at?"

"Oh, right. Twilight went back for it a while ago, it's over there." Rainbow points to the corner of the room where my bag is sitting under a small table.

"Oh, good. I have way too much valuable shit in there to lose it." I say with a laugh.

"What's in there? Cool, human stuff?" She jumps down off the bed and starts trotting over to my bag.

"Hey, don't touch. There's expensive, fragile stuff in there, not to mention two deadly weapons." Rainbow stops in her tracks, giving me a wide-eyed stare.

"Weapons? W-Why do you have weapons? And what are they?"

"Self protection really. I have a knife and a gun in there, both of which could kill you if you aren't careful with them."

"What's a gun? some kind of club or something?"

"No, it's... It's this piece of metal that shoots out smaller pieces of metal made of brass. The smaller pieces of metal are called bullets, and they create these little explosions when they're fired, causing them to fly at incredible speeds, and, well, you can imagine they would do if they hit you."

"Uh... yeah, I think I'll pass on that for now."

"Mrs. Dash." We both look over to the door to see the doctor standing in the doorway. "I think Zack here needs some rest, so if you could please just follow me out..."

"I'll see you later. We still have some making up to do."

"Yeah, whatever you want. Go, I'm tired." My eyes close, and I'm asleep before she can even leave the room.

*3 Days Later*

"Looks like you've made a nearly full recovery Zack. I'm impressed, really. It's a miracle that you're even wake, much more that your practically in full health."

"Yeah, well... I had some help." I say, images of the lady that had been haunting my dreams for the past three days flashing through my mind.

"I just need you to sign here, and we can let you go."

"Thanks." I say while taking the clipboard. I sign my name at the bottom, and hop off the side of my bed, stretching my arms high above my head.

"My, you're much taller than you look while lying in bed."

"Hah, yeah. It feels nice to finally be getting out of here. No offense, but it's kinda cramped."

"Oh I agree. It's always nice to leave at the end of a long day. Now, let's get you out of here. Do you have anything you need to take with you?"

"Uh, yeah, just this." I say while bending down to get my bag out from under the table. I place it on top of said table, and quickly go through it, making sure nothing is gone or broken. Thankfully, everything is there from my phone to my laptop to my surplus of ammo that fills up an entire pocket of the bag.

I walk out of the room, the doctor trailing behind me. I finally reach the lobby, and give him and a couple of the nurses a wave before walking out the door. My head is still turned around while walking forward, only to trip over something in front of me. Luckily I don't fall, but I do tumble forward a bit before coming to a stop.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" A voice calls out from behind me. I turn around to face whoever I tripped over, still trying to catch my balance.

"Really Twilight? I don't need to be back in there a third time. You should know by now that I'm prone to injury."

"S-Sorry." She says with a sheepish smile. "I was just going to help you get home. I heard you were getting out today."

"Um, thanks? I don't exactly have a home though."

"What? You live with Rarity though. She told me that you do herself!"

"I don't live with her, I'm staying in her shop until I can get my own place. I wouldn't really call sleeping in her office 'living' with her."

"Still, she's gonna want you back to rest. C'mon, she's expecting you."

"Why are you getting me instead of her?"

"She's... busy. I volunteered to come get you."

"Well gees, why the sudden niceness after not visiting me for three days? Literally none of you came to visit me except for Applejack, and that was just because she was already there for a checkup!"

"We've all been busy Zack... But trust me, we're still your friends."

"You keep using that word." I have two friends, Rarity and Rainbow, and that's it."

"I'm you're friend though, right?"

"I... Son of a bitch Twilight, I don't know! You're all nice, really, but I'm just not big on friends. I'm only friends with Rarity because she's been nice to me since day one, and I'm friends with Rainbow because I can't stand watching her sulk around all day."

"That's it? You base your friendships off of what other ponies can do for you?"

"N-No, I worded that wrong. I like Rarity and Rainbow, I do, but those were just the reasons that I first accepted them as friends."

"Well, I'm you're friend whether you like it or not. You can't deny it."

"Whatever you say Twilight. Maybe eventually I'll get over the fact that I can't shut everyone out of my life..." I mumble to myself.

"What was that? Did you just-"

"Nothing, don't worry about it. I just... I know that I can't shut everyone out of my life, I know that. But it's so routine to do it that I can't help but just close myself out from society."

"Well maybe something will come around to change your mind."

We walk through town, and I get quite a few stares from everyone that we pass. I'm not sure if it's because I'm walking next to Twilight, who is apparently a big deal around here, or the fact that I'm wearing what is practically a white bandanna around my head. I look like a fucking ninja, and frankly, I'm fine with that.

"Hey, who's that?" I ask, pointing to the stand that Applejack usually occupies. In here place is a tiny pony with a yellowish coat, and a big ass red pony standing behind said stand.

"Those are Applejack's siblings, Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh."

"How much RAM does he have?" I say under my breath, laughing to myself like an idiot.

"What?"

"Nothing. So, where's Applejack?"

"Oh, she's... probably just out right now. C'mon, we're almost back to Rarity's place." Twilight says, engulfing my hand in magic and nearly dragging me along.

"Alright, gees, I'm coming. You're so pushy today."

"I'm not pushy."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Why are you in such a rush anyway? It's not like I have anywhere to be."

"Because! Rarity wants you back so you can rest."

"That doesn't sound like her if you ask me. Besides, I'm fine."

"So you're holdin' up? I thought you'd still be in pain and stumbling around."

"Well you obviously don't know me, I'm not a little bi-"

"We're here!" Twilight says excitedly, running up to Rarity's door. She knocks on it rapidly, causing me to back up a little bit. I think she finally snapped if that smile is anything to go off of.

I see Rarity's head pop out from around the door, giving me a smile before whispering something to Twilight. What the hell are they up to?

"Zack, come on in!" Rarity says after letting Twilight in. I give her a confused look before slowly approaching the door. She vanishes back inside before I can even get to the door, which confuses me even more. She only leaves it cracked open, so as I approach the door, I peek inside, only to see that it is pitch black.

"The fu-"

"SURPRISE!" A bunch of voices yell as the lights suddenly turn on. I stumble back a few steps, grasping my heart. I look inside to see the six mares that I've come to know, as well as Spike, Rarity's sister, and surprisingly Vinyl.

"Welcome to your 'Glad You're Better' party!" Pinkie yells, appearing out of nowhere in front of me. She drags me inside, causing me to start mumbling various things to myself.

"What has my life come to?"

Giving In

"So, Zack, guess who we found!?" Twilight says excitedly as I stand in the doorway, still trying not to have a heart attack.

"W-Who?" I ask between heavy breaths.

"You can come out now!" Twilight says happily. From behind a cabinet, out steps Daring with a sheepish grin on her face. She approaches me with some bag across her back, though I give her a blank stare and a slightly annoyed smirk.

"Ah, look who came back." I say somewhat angrily.

"What?" She asks, stopping in her tracks.

"You totally ditched me when I almost died! Thanks for showing that you care."

"I left to try to find something to help you." She says, closing in on me with each step. "I went all the way back to that lab, the one I found you in, just to try to find something that might help you. Maybe there was something that would help you, and I was hoping there would be. I didn't find anything like that, but I did find this." Daring undoes the strap on the bag with a wing, and looks at me like she wants me to look inside. I roll my eyes and look down inside, putting my hand into the bag to fish out whatever is inside of it. My hand brushes against something metallic, and it catches my attention, peeking my curiosity.

"What... How did you find this!?" I pull out a small cube-like device with blue panels around it's surface.

"It was just sitting on some table and it looked pretty important. Still in good shape too! So I decided why not bring it back? I thought you might know what it is." Daring explains to me. As she does so, everyone else seems to start going about their own business in the background, music playing over our discussion. I lead Daring over to a couch, and throw my bag down. I sit in the middle, Daring on my left, and start rotating the device around in my hands.

"This is a solar charger. It was created in 2026, two years before I got frozen. You just plug a device into this little slot here," I point to a USB port on the side. "and then let it sit in the sun for a while, and it'll charge the device. Daring do you know how useful this is?"

"I thought you might like it. I know how you are about all that weird human tech stuff. So, can you put it to use?"

"Duh I can!" I say as I pull out my phone and a charger from my bag. I plug it into the box and place both objects on a windowsill next to the couch. A moment passes before the phone comes to life, collecting energy from the device. Thank God for science, where would we be without it?

"So you like it?"

"Hell yeah I do. Daring this has to be the single greatest gift ever. Thank you." Without even thinking, I lean over and wrap my arms around Daring. It only takes a couple seconds for my brain to register what I'm doing, and I pull back to see Daring blushing. I can't help but feel my own face heating up at the same time. "Sorry, I just get excited easily."

"Understood. I knew you were soft somewhere in there." She says with a chuckle, pointing a hoof at my chest.

"Who're you calling soft?" I say with a smirk.

"Well, you're the one who's made a bunch of friends." She says as she points a hoof to the other ponies still chatting and wandering around the room.

"Yeah, friends." I say, making little quoting signs with my figners. "I only consider two of them to be friends, three if I count you I guess."

"What? They sure seem like they'd be your friends. The way they worried about you in the hospital, heck, they threw you two parties in like four days. That's gotta count for something right?"

"Well, maybe, but... I'm pathetic aren't I?" I say with a laugh as I lean back against the couch.

"So, you don't consider them friends?"

"They're nice I guess..."

"So you don't. Why not?"

"Because, I... I... Um, I don't know actually. I only really see them as acquaintances."

"Zack, what's you're biggest fear?"

"Abandonment, why?"

"Have any of them left your side for even a second since you met them? Have any of them tried to hurt you in any way at all?"

"No, why do you-"

"Then they're you're friends, simple as that. Do you like them?"

"Yeah, they're all pretty nice."

"Then will you consider them to be actual friends? Not just some ponies that you happen to know and don't completely hate. You said I was your friend after knowing me for like a day, so why not them?"

"...Daring... Y-You have a point."

"No, I- Wait what?"

"I... actually agree with you. I've just been a whiny little baby this whole time, worrying about whether or not any of them will just ditch me. I think I've considered them friends for a while now, but denied it because I was afraid of what would happen if I did."

"Okay, well, which two have you already considered friends?"

"Rainbow Dash and Rarity." I say, pointing to both of the mares.

"So why them and none of the others?"

"Because... They were nice to me... and generous... and loyal. Dammit, I've been such an idiot."

"Looks like I've made a breakthrough. Good to know I've still got it." Daring says with a laugh, poking me in the stomach. "So, you going to stop moping around because some jerks left you years ago? Or are you going to move on with your life and allow others into it?"

"...Thanks Daring." I say with a smile.

"I'll take that as a yes." She says, smiling back. "Hey, do you still have that gem by any chance?" She asks, changing the subject.

"Yeah, right here." I pull the gem out of my bag and show it to her. She sighs in relief, giving it a quick once over. I try to hand it back to her, but she pushes my hand back towards me. "I think you should keep it. It's only brought me trouble so far."

"Oh, so you want that trouble to be placed on me?" I reply with a smirk.

"Hah, you wish. No, because nopony knows that you have it."

"Speaking of which, what ever happened to those guys that were chasing you for this thing? Did you beat their asses, make them eat shit?" I say, making punching motions in the air in front of me.

"Nope, I lost em waaay far away from here. I doubt they'll be able to find me for weeks."

"Not what I would have done, but alright. So, what are you up to now? Gonna go explore some other temple or ruins?"

"I think I'm going to take a break, just relax for a while from exploring and writing together. It gets exhausting."

"I could see that. So where are you staying?"

"Well before I jumped in and saved your sorry flank in that fight, I checked in to this little hotel on the edge of town. I think I'll stick around here for a while, maybe meet some of the locals. Who knows, maybe they'll have some leads to my next big discovery."

"I think you're only staying here because I'm here." I say with an evil smirk.

"What? No, I-"

"I'm just messin' with ya Daring Doo Doo." I say, pushing her hat down over her face in the process.

"Daring... Doo Doo? Zack that's low, even for you." She says with a chuckle. I'm about to respond when I hear the music stop. I look around the room to see everyone looking at Spike like he's about to throw up. Out of instinct, I quickly stand up and walk over to guy to make sure he isn't about to destroy Rarity's floor.

"Hey, dude, you alright?" I ask, kneeling down next to him. He hold up a hand, signaling me to not get any closer.

"Zack, I'd back up if I were you." Twilight says, dragging my shirt back with her magic.

"Why? I-" Out of nowhere, and searing heat passes by my face, just narrowly missing. "SON OF A BITCH!" I yell as I fall backwards, patting my hair to make sure it didn't catch on fire. "What the fuck just happened!?"

"Um, I'm a dragon? Fire, y'know?" Spike says. I ignore him, instead looking down at what he's holding.

"What are those?" I ask, pointing at the gold pieces of paper in his hand.

"Oh, yes yes yes!" Twilight says happily, snatching the papers away with her magic. "They're here!"

"Oh no, are those-" Rainbow starts, but gets cut off by Twilight.

"Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!" She says happily, squealing like a little girl. I would never admit it out loud, but it's almost cute, in a weird sort of way.

"The Grand what the fuck?" I ask, staring at the floating pieces of paper.

"The Grand Galloping Gala..." Rainbow says with a sigh, pressing a hoof into her face. "It's this fancy event in Canterlot where all the high class snobs meet with each other. It's totally lame."

"You just don't like it because you have to wear a dress." Rarity says, rolling her eyes.

"Yea Rainbow, it ain't that bad." Applejack says.

"I think it's pretty fun actually." Fluttershy says quietly.

"Whatever you guys say. Hey, what's that one Twilight?" I ask, pointing to the one piece of paper that stands out from the golden tickets.

"It's a letter from the princesses. Hold on, let me read it." Twilight scans over the paper, letting out various sounds as she reads, making it impossible to tell how she feels about whatever she's reading.

"Okay, so the princesses want all of us to be there in two days for the event."

"Now when you say all of us..." I ask worriedly. Twilight spreads out the tickets with her magic, allowing me to count them. My heart sinks as I count eight.

"The letter says that the element bearers, Spike, and the human are to attend the event. Eight tickets for eight guests." She says with a smile.

"Element bearers?" I mumble under my breath, nobody hearing me. "Wait, how do these princesses know about me?"

"Well..." Twilight says nervously.

"Well what?"

"I... might have told them about you..." She says with a sheepish grin.

"You mean to tell me you told your leaders about a creature that's been extinct for thousands of years!? Twilight are you insane!?"

"What's so bad about it darling? I'm sure the princesses would simply adore you." Rarity says.

"Yeah, they'd simply adore to dissect me and shit." I say, crossing my arms. "Look, I'll go, but only because they'd only send guards to kill me or something if I didn't."

"They wouldn't do that at all!" Twilight says, apparently on the other team's side. The fuck Twilight, I thought we were cool.

"Yeah, the princesses are totally chill." Vinyl pipes up, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "You're really bad at judging ponies, Zack. Just give it a rest would ya?" She asks, poking my leg with a hoof. "You judged Rainbow and now you're friends, so why not give the princesses a chance?" She whispers up to me, making sure only I can hear her.

"Fine, I'll give em a shot." I say, casting a quick glance over to Daring who is giving me an approving smile.

"Great! We'll all get pack tomorrow, then we'll leave the next day. Oh this is going to be so much fun!" Twilight squeals out. Everyone rolls their eyes at her enthusiasm before going back to whatever the hell they were doing before this started. Vinyl starts the music back up, and everything goes back to normal in a matter of seconds.

"We're going to have so much fun at the Gala, don't you agree Zack?" Rarity asks as she and Applejack walk up to me. I give them fake smiles, and stare out the window, wondering what the hell the damn princesses wanted to see me for. Instincts tell me it can't be anything good, but I can't help but lets everyone's words sink in. I guess I can't distrust everyone forever. I sigh and face the two, trying my best to smile.

"Yeah, can't wait."

All Aboard -- Part 1

"So, guess you're some kind of a big shot now, huh?" Daring asks as we walk down the dirt path. Ever since the party yesterday she's been hounding me about getting invited to whatever the hell this "event" is supposed to be.

"I wouldn't quite use those words, but apparently so. I guess being the last of your race kinda gets you a little publicity here and there. Hey you're all famous and stuff right? Why weren't you invited?"

"Because not many ponies know that I'm even real. Besides, those who do know me know me as an author, not an archaeologist. Writers aren't exactly going to be invited to a royal party now will they?"

"I guess? Hey, I've been meaning to ask, and I forgot to ask Twilight, but what are the Elements of Harmony? I keep hearing it brought up, yet I have no idea what they are."

"They? More like who. I think you're already acquainted with all six of them actually. Yeah, they are physical objects as well, but your six little friends represent them, at least, that's what I've heard. News travels fast."

"Well what does that mean? Are they special or something?"

"Special doesn't even begin to describe who they are and what they represent. They saved this place more times than many really remember from what I hear, not to mention saving the entire country like three times."

"Really? Them? They aren't even soldiers or anything, and the best they've got is probably Twilight with her freaky magic."

"Well she is a princess after all." Daring say casually, rolling her eyes. I stop in my tracks, causing her to spin around and give me a confused look.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Princess!? The hell are you talking about, I thought there were only two princesses here."

"Well, four technically, but two of them don't actually rule over Equestria, they're just more of a title. Though I hear Cadance is doing well in the Crystal Em-"

"Getting off track here Doo Doo."

"Stop calling me that."

"Answer my question and maybe I won't." I say with a sly smile, flicking her hat as I walk past her.

"Well, Twilight apparently became a princess a while back, didn't even recognize her when I first saw her. Don't know how she got the position, but she did."

"Well that's just fucking fantastic isn't it?" I say sarcastically.

"What?"

"I've been cussin' out a princess for the past week." I say with a nervous chuckle, holding a hand to my forehead. "I'm surprised I'm not dead yet."

"Twilight's pretty chilled out, doesn't surprise me that she doesn't really care."

"Say, speaking of which, I swear around you guys all the time, but you guys never do, yet you don't care when I do. What gives?"

"Just tolerant I guess. I've seen the looks on some of your friend's faces when you do, though it doesn't really bother me. I've heard and seen much worse things than you could ever do or say."

"Well you're pretty cool in my book if that's how you feel."

"Aw, Zacky thinks I'm cool." Daring says in a high pitched voice, nudging up next to my leg.

"Shut up." I say with a chuckle, pushing her to the side, which in turn causes her to laugh.

"Hey guys, ready to leave in a bit?" A voice calls out from ahead of us. I look up to see Twilight with Spike on her back walking towards us.

"Speak of the Devil..." I mumble to myself. "Wait, I thought we left tomorrow?"

"We're supposed to be there by tomorrow, but we're leaving today. It's a long ride, and I don't want to be late."

"Well ain't that swell? What time are we leaving?" I ask in annoyed tone. "I so don't wanna go to this." I mumble down to Daring.

"At about six tonight. You better not be late Zack."

"Yes ma'm whatever you say." I salute to Twilight, causing Daring to snicker into her hoof. I even catch a glimpse of Spike laughing to himself.

"No need for formalities Zack." Twilight says with a smile as she starts trotting away.

"Oh of course your majesty! Wouldn't dream of it!" I call out. She turns around, but Daring and I have already run off before she could see us laughing like two idiots.

"Seriously? You're majesty?" Daring says between breaths.

"It's what I do. I'm good at annoying people." I pull my phone out of my pocket to check the time, which thankfully was easy to set since Rarity has a huge ass clock in her office. The year still says 2028 because I doubt 5528 is an option in the settings. "Thanks for getting that solar charger for me." I say with a smile, getting one in return.

"Thank Celestia." Daring says as a slightly warm breeze passes by us.

"Yeah, I can't believe how quickly it's started to warm up over the past couple of days. It's still the middle of January."

"Guess the winter wasn't scheduled to be very long this year."

"Oh right, your weird pegasus magic controls that now. I wonder what happened to make it not work on it's own..."

"Beats me. I've never even heard of weather controlling itself."

"Why don't you go on up there and help?" I ask, nudging her with my foot.

"Eh, weather's never been my thing. It's more for pegasi like-"

"Hey guys!" A voice yells from right above us. I end up tripping over myself, and land on top of Daring who lets out a yelp as I basically crush her. We both groan as we roll onto our backs to see a pegasus hovering above us, and I know her voice all to well.

"Rainbow, what the hell are you doing?" I ask, helping Daring back up.

"I'm off duty for the day, and I'm bored, and- Oh my gosh, Daring Do I'm so sorry!" Rainbow says, pushing me aside to help Daring up herself. I scoff and fold my arms, giving Rainbow an annoyed look.

"I'm fine too, thanks for asking." I say with an annoyed expression, brushing a few flakes of snow off my jeans. I really hope they clear this stuff off soon. It might be ever so slightly warmer, but the snow is still cold as ever.

"Daring, I never got to talk to you yesterday, how have you been?" Rainbow says extremely quickly, the biggest smile on her face.

"I'm... fine?" Daring responds, looking up to me for help, Rainbow obviously making her uncomfortable. It's actually really funny to me, so I simply shrug and laugh to myself.

"Rainbow, leave the poor thing alone. She's fragile y'know." I say, basically dragging Rainbow backwards through the snow. Daring gives me a look that just screams, "Really dude?"

"Besides, we have to get ready to go soon. We've got like two hours before Twilight has our asses on a silver platter for being late."

"Oh, that's right, I forgot we were leaving today. Sorry Daring, I gotta steal him for a bit."

"No problem. I don't want him anyway." Daring says with a smirk. "You guys have fun in Canterlot, I'll be here relaxing."

"Yeah yeah, rub it in. C'mon Skittles, lets get going."

"Skittles? Why do you keep calling me that?" Rainbow asks as we start walking away.

"We had this candy back in my time, and each piece was a different color of the rainbow, like your hair. They were called Skittles, and their slogan was 'Taste the Rainbow'" I say with a laugh.

"Taste the Rainbow?"

"Yeah, though I don't remember Skittles tasting like a pegasus. Wanna find out? Maybe you taste like fruit instead of-"

"I'd rather you not." Rainbow says, pushing me aside a few feet. I catch a little smile though, but she tries her best to hide it.

"So, where have you been all day?"

"I've been working, duh. I'm the head of the weather team."

"Wow, you're actually good for something after all."

"Hey!"

"I'm just messin' with ya." I say, shoving Rainbow to the side. "Learn to take a hit... So, do you work with Fluttershy then?"

"No, she... doesn't really like being in the air all that much." Rainbow says sheepishly.

"Seriously? You're born with wings, and you don't like flying? How can that even be possible?"

"Hey, don't ask me, I'm not the one with a fear of heights."

"Well Mrs. Weather Pony, how about getting your team to melt all this snow? It's still freezing out here and I hate it."

"Winter will end in no time, trust me. And you'll even get to help out a bit."

"What?"

"Yeah, Winter Wrap Up! Everypony in town helps to clean up all the snow so we can get ready for spring. You don't have to be a pegasus to use a plow now do ya Zack?"

"No? But isn't it your job to do it?"

"The help is nice every once in a while." She says with a smirk. "Look, we're already at the train station." Rainbow says, pointing at the tracks ahead of us.

"I guess time really does... fly." I say with laugh as I nudge Rainbow's side, pointing to her wing.

"Wow..." She says in a monotone voice.

"Howdy yall." I look up to see Applejack sitting on a bench near the ticket booth.

"Guess we weren't the first one's here huh?"

"Nope, Ah'm always early whenever Twilight needs us. You'd hate to see her when she's mad at ya."

"I can imagine. There's still like an hour and a half until the others are even supposed to be here. You sure you need to be here this early Applejack?"

"Ah could ask ya the same question Zack."

"Touche." I say as I sit on the bench next to her. Rainbow jumps up, and tries to wiggle her way into the small space between me and the edge of the bench, which only causes me to be squished between the two. I start to protest, only to realize it isn't nearly as cold anymore like this. Can't really complain, even if it isn't all that uncomfortable.

"I'll see you guys in a bit." I say as I lean back against the bench, stretching my legs out in front of me.

"Goin' somewhere?" Applejack asks, tilting her hat down over her face.

"Yeah, to sleep. Wake me up when the others get here." I say as I close my eyes and dry to drift off to sleep. Rainbow's wing jabbing into my side isn't really helping, but eventually I feel sleep starting to overtake me.

It isn't long before I feel and hear the other two shifting, using my shoulders like pillows. I hear Applejack snoring, and Rainbow's heavy breathing just minutes after they began to use me as a human pillow.

"Just great... These damn ponies..." I mumble to myself. It isn't long before I too drift off into a dreamless nap.

All Aboard -- Part 2

"Should we wake them up?" I hear someone whisper just as I'm starting to wake up.

"I don't know, they look so peaceful... and kind of adorable." A voice which obviously belongs to a certain white unicorn says. I swear if they try to wake me up, so help me-

"WAKE UP!" A high pitched voice yells right into my ear. Despite already being awake, I almost fully jump off the bench, taking Rainbow and Applejack with me who let our their own yelps as they hit the ground.

"Alright, listen here to little pink piece of-"

"Zack!" Twilight says with an annoyed tone. "That's not necessary."

"Don't wake me up and I don't call you a little b-"

"How long have we been out?" Rainbow cuts me off, rubbing the side of her head. I look up at the sky in response, having the shut my eyes to protect them from the burning sunlight.

"Long enough apparently. The train is about to leave, c'mon." Twilight leads the others onto the train, while Rainbow, AJ, and I slowly pull ourselves together. My knees pop as I stand up, causing me to let out a small cry from almost falling over.

"Did she really call us... adorable?" Applejack asks as she readjusts her hat.

"You heard that too?" I ask while stretching my other limbs, trying to get all the kinks out. Benches aren't comfortable no matter how many pony pillows you have.

"Yeah, so did I." Rainbow pipes up. I glance over to her to see her stretching her wings out, bending them at odd angles that just look straight up painful.

"I'm not adorable, and I refused to be called so." I say as I start walking towards the train.

"Same here." Both mares behind me say in unison, causing us all to laugh.

"We never talk about that again, alright?" I say with a smile still on my face as we board the train. They both nod, and we make our way to where the others are sitting. The train is pretty empty aside from us, so I don't have to worry about anyone freaking out over me or anything. The seats hold four ponies each, which means one can hold two ponies and one Zack. I sit down at a seat behind everyone else, drop my bag by my feet, and lean back against the window as I feel the train moving forward, the whistle blowing loud enough to rattle my ears. I close my eyes, hoping to resume my nap when something, or someone plops down on the seat across from me. I open one eye and sigh before closing my eyes again.

"Go away." I mumble at her, curling up against myself to try to warm up.

"Why?"

"Because I'm tired, and I like sleeping alone."

"But the other seats are full thanks to Rarity taking up an entire booth with her weird cushion."

"And why can't you sit alone? Or maybe you could fly alongside the train."

"Because I paid for a ticket, and I'm not going to waste it. Besides, this is a long ride."

"Wait, how long we talkin' here?" I ask, cracking an eye open.

"Like four hours at least. Canterlot might look like it isn't that far, which it isn't really, but the tracks have to wind through a bunch of hills and stuff... Point is, it takes forever to get there."

"Well maybe you should get some sleep then. Y'know, in your own booth."

"What, you don't want me to sit with you or something?" She says with a smirk. I realize that I'm not going to be getting rid of her any time soon, so I sit up and rub my eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them.

"I don't want anyone to sit with me to be honest." I say with a tired chuckle. "I guess I'd take you over some people I know, or uh, knew."

"I'm flattered, really." She says with laugh.

"So, guess I'm not going to be sleeping. What do you want to do for four hours exactly?"

"You could tell me more stories and stuff. Only if they're cool though, I don't like all that boring egghead stuff that you talk about with Twilight over there."

"I could do that, but I want something in return."

"Shoot."

"Tell me more about yourself. I don't really know much about you, and I feel kinda left out when I'm with all of the others because I know almost nothing about you guys."

"Well, what do you wanna know?" She asks, perking up a bit at the thought that I might be slightly interested in what she has to say.

"Do you... like any sports teams? Basketball, football maybe?"

"What and whatball?"

"Nevermind, guess they're lost to time... sadly." I say with a huff.

"I'm a huge fan of the WonderBolts actually. I've seen like almost all of they're shows when I had the chance."

"Who are the WonderBolts?"

"You don't know who they are!?" Rainbow says in a shocked tone, matching Twilight's when I didn't know who this Celestia character was.

"No, I've been here for a little over a week, why do you think I know everything?"

"Right, sorry. They're this flying, stunt team that does all of these amazing tricks and stuff, and they're just so... awesome! I want to join they're team some day, but only the best fliers can make it."

"Sounds like the Blue Angels if you ask me."

"What are Blue Angels?"

"They were this flying team, similar to what you described, only they didn't use wings, as human obviously don't have them. Instead, they used jets which are basically these big machines that you can sit in that can fly. They were part of our military, but they also did shows for civilians, usually over the ocean or at an air base. I think they were cooler than any old pegasus." I say with a smirk.

"I bet I could fly faster than those lame jets." She says, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah right. Those jets could break the sound barrier. Do you even know how fast you need to go to do that?"

"Eh, been there done that. Only pegasus to ever do it actually." She says in a prideful tone.

"Bullshit. You're lying through your little pony teeth. There's no way a living creature could break the sound barrier with wings alone."

"Well tell that to everypony that saw me do it... twice!"

"Yeah, sure. So, what do you want to know about me? I won't lie like you did." I say while smiling at her. She rolls her eyes again, but looks back at me to ask her question.

"What was that thingy that Daring gave you?" She asks. "Y'know, at the party."

"Well, that was a solar charger for my phone and laptop. It uses the sun's energy and changes it into electricity to power my devices. Thanks to her I have at least a couple of luxuries from back in the day." I say while reaching my hand into my pocket. I pull out my phone which is almost fully charged, showing her the lock screen.

"What is that called again? You were talking about it to Twilight but didn't say much about it."

"It's called a cellphone, and it can do so many things, it would blow your little pony mind." I say, making an explosion with my hands, accompanied with a little sound effect from my mouth.

"What does it do?"

"It can do this." I respond, opening the camera app. I point it at Rainbow who only looks at it with a confused look. I snap a picture, the sound of which causing her to jump back a bit.

"What did it do?" She asks, somewhat nervously.

"Look how ugly you are." I show her the picture, trying to hold in my laughter.

"Hey, whoa, watch the insults." Say says with a half smile. "So it's a camera? Why is the picture on the thingy and not printed out."

"It's saved onto the device, it doesn't need to be printed." I say quickly. "Are you self-conscious Rainbow?" I ask while cracking a smile.

"M-me? Of course not, I'm awesome." She says while flipping her hair with a hoof.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. So, this thing can also take videos and play them back instantly."

"Really? Show me!"

I turn the phone towards her and press a button, and a little Rainbow on the screen yells, "Really? Show me!"

"That's so cool! How does it do that?"

"I'd explain, but you probably wouldn't understand. It's also kinda eggheady."

" Y'know, you aren't as lame as I thought you were." Rainbow says with a smirk.

"You aren't as annoying as I thought you were."

"Aw, I'm not annoying to you anymore?" She says mockingly.

"I said not AS annoying. You're still up there Skittles." I reach over the table to flick her ear, only to get thrown over the table by the train suddenly slamming to a halt. All I hear is the train's wheels screeching, and Rainbow yelling as I practically land on top of her. The lights in the train flicker, and everyone starts yelling incoherent statements throughout the train.

Everything comes to a stop, tossing me onto the floor, and leaving a crushed Rainbow in her seat. I shake my head, groaning as I do so. Most of the windows had been closed so it is now dark in the train, making it hard to see much of anything.

"Rainbow, you okay?" I ask, coughing to try to clear my throat after choking on my own spit.

"Y-Yeah, I think so." She says weakly, pulling her self off the seat. "You're pretty heavy."

"What's going on!?" I hear Rarity yell. I help Rainbow up before running up front to see the rest of the girls and a few other passengers trying to get the windows open.

"Somebody must have pulled the emergency brake up front." I say as I head back for my bag. I walk past Rainbow and pick up the bag, slinging it over my back. Just in case, and also out of instinct, I pull my gun out and hold it at my side.

"Why do you need that?" She asks a little nervously.

"Just in case... There was no reason the train should have stopped, so I'm just being careful in case something's wrong. I grew up in New York, so I always like being prepared for anything."

I walk past the group of ponies, making my way to the front of the train. I knock against the door that leads to the head car with my gun, hoping the conductor might know what happened.

"Sir, what happened?" I ask through the door, holding the side of my head to the door. No answer. "Sir?" Still no answer. I try to open the door, but it's locked from the inside. I look back at everyone, and motion for them to move back a bit. I take a step back and raise my foot in front of me. "I really hope this works like it does in the movies..."

My leg flies forward, making contact with the wood just under the knob. It makes a crack, but it doesn't break open. I take another shot at it, this time breaking the wood around the lock. The door flies open, and I slowly walk inside, alone.

"Holy shit..." I mumble out loud.

"What? What is it?" Twilight asks from behind me. I look back into the cabin where the conductor is slouched over on the emergency break which has obviously been pulled back. I walk up and tap the conductor, only for him to fall limply out of his seat.

"Zack? What's going on in there?"

"The conductor! He's dead!"

Dance With The Devil

"What do you mean he's dead?" A stallion asks in a stern tone, seeming somewhat upset.

"Kicked the bucket? What the hell do you think dead means? He died from something and fell on the emergency brake it looks like."

"How did he die? Nopony was up there with him." Rainbow says as she slowly trots up behind me. I push her back with my foot, closing the door to the locomotive as I do so to cover up the gruesome scene.

"I don't know, maybe a heart attack or something. Whatever it was, it's keeping us from moving forward."

"Seriously? Somepony just died and all you care about is getting the train moving again?" Twilight states in an angry tone.

"N-No, that's not what I meant. I'm just trying to figure out what happened, alright? I need to think about this."

"Could it have been a heart attack? Possibly a stroke?" Rarity asks curiously.

"The guy looked pretty young, so I doubt anything like that happened. There weren't any physical injuries as far as I could see, so murder is probably out of the question."

"This is just horrible." Applejack says, holding her hat against her chest. "We can't just leave the fellow up there, can we?"

"No... Applejack's right, we need to get the body out of here." I say as I toss my backpack onto an empty booth. I re-enter the locomotive, and grab a shovel probably meant for feeding coal into the train. I toss it behind me, hoping someone would catch it. Apparently ponies have shitty reflexes as I hear the shovel clang against the floor behind me. "Someone pick that shit up." I say in an annoyed tone.

I lean forward and lift the conductor up, slinging him over my shoulder. I turn around to see all of the ponies looking at me with sad, mournful eyes, especially the softer ones like Pinkie and Fluttershy. Seeing that nobody is going to help me, I reach down with my empty hand, and pick up the shovel, holding it at my side. Everyone watches my movements carefully as if I'm going to lash out at them at any second.

"What?" I ask sternly.

"It's just... he died Zack, and you barely seem to care at all." Twilight says quietly. Everyone else nods in agreement, causing me to huff as I start making my way for the exit. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Gonna bury him, duh. I'm not just going to let him rot in here."

"He has family, he should have a proper burial."

"Yeah? And where do you want to do that Twilight? Because all I can see for miles are plains and forests."

"I could teleport him to Ponyville, maybe Canterlot. We have to let his family know what happened."

"We will, just not now. He needs to buried here, where he died." I say as I head for the exit. I slide the door open, and slowly step out onto the tracks. I start walking in a random direction, wanting to get away from the train.

I walk for a good ten minutes, covering a lot of ground before hearing the light padding of hooves against grass. I turn my head back slightly to catch a glimpse of something, or someone, with a cyan coat and multicolored hair.

"Need something?" I ask in a flat tone.

"Yeah, I want you to explain."

"Explain what?"

"How you're so calm about this! It took you less than three minutes to decide to bury somepony that just died! What is wrong with you?"

"I'm just doing what I feel is best."

"How is this the best? Twilight could have taken him back to Ponyville where his family could have seen him! This is wrong Zack, you can't do this, it's sick. You're carrying a dead body for Celestia's sake."

"If I had a coffin I'd use it, I swear. Do you think this is fun for me Rainbow? Because it isn't." I say, my voice cracking a bit as I feel a burning in my eyes.

"No, this isn't fun for any of us, not by a long shot. But what you're doing is wrong Zack." I stop in my tracks, looking down at my feet and letting out a sigh. I drop the shovel and gently place the conductor on the ground.

"I'm sorry this happened..." I whisper mostly to myself. I stand back up and look Rainbow in the eyes, noticing a couple of tears in them. "Take him back... let Twilight deal with it." I say quietly in a defeated tone. Rainbow nods silently, hoisting the body up in her forelegs. He looks at him mournfully for a second before flying back towards the train in the distance. I watch as she starts to fade into the sunlight peaking over the train, when all of a sudden a voice scares the absolute shit out of me.

"Zack." A female voice says sternly. I spin around, hearing it come from behind me, only to see nothing. I shake my head, and turn back towards the train. But when I turn back, I come face to face with a woman with dark black hair, giving me the most evil little smirk I've ever seen.

"What... Oh God... you?"

"Oh, I'm not God, not exactly. You should know this by now Zack." The woman says to me as she starts to slowly walk around me in a circle.

"It was you wasn't it?" I ask angrily, not daring to look her in the eyes.

"What was me?"

"You killed the conductor didn't you? Squeezed the life out of him like it was nothing!?"

"Zack, I don't kill, I only help souls to... move on, if you will. Now, that doesn't mean I don't have friends in high places that do..."

"You bitch." I hiss through my teeth, grabbing the woman's collar. "What the hell did he do to deserve being killed by the likes of you, you worthless piece of sh-"

"He was a warning." She says quickly, cutting me off. "A warning of what is to come to you should you not follow our little deal."

"What the hell do you want from me."

"You already know all too well Zachary. I told you to kill Hendricks, and you haven't even attempted to do so. You were a dead man Zack, and I brought you back. You owe your life to me."

"If you have your little demon friends out and about doing your killing for you, why the hell do you need me!?" I whisper angrily.

"Because... dumbass... Only you and your little pony friends could do it."

"Why? Why can't you do it yourself? Why do you need me?"

"First of all... You're driven, Zack. You're filled with hate, anger, a hunger for revenge so great that there's no room left for anything else. You want Hendricks dead more than I do. There's also the fact that you're close to those ponies, those stupid, useful ponies."

"What does that have anything to do with it?"

"Hendricks is being kept alive by a very powerful spell, a spell that could only be cast by a god himself. Me? I can't interfere with that kind of power, but they can."

"You're trying to tell me God has something to do with this?"

"No no no, I said a god, as it a deity, a kind of a spirit."

"Well who's keepin' Hendricks here, huh? Who's his life support?"

"I believe they call him... Discord, if I recall correctly. He is the god of chaos itself, a very powerful being, I envy him."

"And remind me again, how I stand a chance against him when you don't?"

"You have them, the Elements."

"Right, that. Whatever that means..."

"It means that those six in that train are able to stop Discord, break the spell, and kill Hendricks."

"So what about me? Where do I come into all of this?"

"You can track him down, Hendricks that is. He's hiding somewhere out there, and you know him best, you'll figure out how to track him down."

"You really want this guy dead huh?"

"You can't cheat death Zack, not easily anyway. Hendricks should have died thousands of years ago, and all the blame is on me that he's still kickin'."

"What about me? I'm still here, you gonna kill me?"

"You? You're... different Zack. You haven't been living all these years, you've been in a frozen state. I'd hardly call that living. Hell, you're still twenty years old in my books."

"So I'm not supposed to be dead?"

"Well you are, just not because of your age. Head trauma's a real bitch isn't it?" She says with a smirk. "Now, are you going to stick with your deal this time, or will I have to come back for you?"

"I'll need time, you have to promise me that."

"You've got a year. If Hendricks isn't dead by this time next year... Well, it won't be all that fun for you, will it?"

"Deal."

"Alright... I'll be seeing you Zack. Try not to get yourself killed, that's my job." She says with a smirk. I blink my eyes, and suddenly she's gone, vanished into thing air. I place my hand behind my head and let out a breath I'd been holding in for who knows how long.

"Son of a bitch..." I break into a full sprint back towards the train, taking only a few minutes to get there. Once I finally arrive, my lungs are on fire, as well as my legs. I really need to start working out some time soon, sheesh.

"Zack, where the hay did ya go?" Applejack asks as I walk back into the train.

"Nowhere... Where's Twilight?"

"She took the conductor to Ponyville with her magic... What a tragedy." Rarity says as she hangs her head. I give her my best sympathetic look, but notice Rainbow giving me a stare from behind the group. I push my way back to her, and she leads me to a booth without saying a word. When we sit down, she only continues to stare at me with a slightly annoyed, yet wondering look.

"What?" I ask in a monotone voice.

"Do humans usually not care when somepony dies?"

"What? Of course I care! What makes you think that I don't?"

"Well you seemed more worried about getting the guy out of the train and starting it back up than actually doing what was right. How could you just carry him out there and expect to bury him and be done with it?"

"Because I know what it's like, okay?"

"Know... what?"

"I watched my grandpa die in front of me as a kid, and it still haunts me to this day. I wish that I had never seen it, or even his body after he died. Maybe I'm different from other people, but when somebody that I love dies, I don't want to see them again, especially in... a state like that. It would just be too painful I guess."

"You... I'm so sorry." She says as her ears drop to the sides of her head. "I didn't know... but still, it's the right thing to do to bring him back to his family. It should be there decision about how to deal with it."

"I know... I reacted off of instinct I guess, and I shouldn't have. What I did was wrong, and blah blah blah. I just hope the family will be okay. Heh, I almost feel responsible for it all..." I whisper under my breath.

"How is it your fault?" She responds, much to my surprise. She wasn't exactly supposed to hear that.

"Oh, it... never mind, I just feel bad about it is all." I say with the most fake smile I've ever conjured up.

"Well, I'm glad I know your side of the story now. C'mon, wanna help me and AJ fix the train? Someponies gotta get this thing rolling again." She says, though there's still a hint of sadness in her voice. I'm upset about it myself, mostly because I know why it happened, but these ponies... I could learn a thing or two from them about empathy.

"Yeah... Let's go."

Author's Note

I'm back from my break, so I'm really out of practice, so sorry if this chapter sucked.

Anyway, thanks for sticking around, and stay tuned for more updates!

Frozen Alive

*January 1, 2028*

"Glad to have you finally on board with us Zack." Dr. Hendricks says with a friendly smile as he pats me on the back once.

"Of course sir! I can't believe I got the internship! This is really going to help in college. I really can't thank you enough for this opportunity." I respond as I shake his hand.

"You're the smartest twenty year old kind we've ever seen Zack, there was just no way we could turn down your application! I mean, straight A's your entire life? That's absolutely incredible!"

"T-Thanks sir." I say as I awkwardly rub the back of my head. I've never really liked taking credit for what I do. I've always been a pretty big introvert, and any attention, even the positive kind, makes me kinda nervous. It isn't that I'm necessarily shy, it's that... well, I don't like to show others up. I lost way too many friends because they would get jealous about my achievements, whether they be for academics or athletics.

"No, thank you Zack." There's that overly-friendly smile again that just seems to look into me like he can see my thoughts.

"It's a real honor to be working here at Cryo Labs with you, and I can't wait to start on these projects with you!"

"Actually, you're in luck! If you'll follow me downstairs to the main lab, we're running some tests right now! We're hoping that by the time we're done, we'll be able to use the cryogenic freezing devices, C.F.D's for short, for medical use. Just imagine the possibilities! Freezing patients with terminal illnesses until a cure if found, then waking them up when the appropriate treatment is discovered. We'd save millions of lives Zachary!"

"That sounds amazing! It's actually one of the reasons that I wanted the internship here." I reply, now noticing just how heavy my backpack is, as well as how out of place I look. I'm just wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans with my backpack on. Everyone that we pass is wearing all white, and it really makes me stand out.

"Remind me again, what are you studying in college?"

"I'm majoring in anatomy, though I switched over to that just recently. My original studies belonged to computer science, and I also had a thing for physics back in highschool. So, I guess, I'm just an all around science nerd."

"You remind me of me Zack. Ah, to be young again! How time seems to fly hm? Did you play any sports?"

"Soccer and baseball sir, though I only played soccer when I was a kid. I played baseball in highschool, but sadly I had to drop it when I reached college, as it would have gotten in the way of my studies."

"Again, I'd give anything to be young again." Dr. Hendricks says with a light chuckle as he runs a hand through his hair as we enter the main lab. I let out a loud, long gasp as I glance around the room. Dozens of C.F.D's line the walls, some already containing human subjects in them. Each one has a timer on the top, signifying the date that it is suppose to turn off an open once again. When that date comes, the person inside will wake up, and they will be able to be treated for whatever illnesses they may have. Most of the timers aren't set at all, as it is unknown when exactly a cure for their illness will be found.

"T-This is... whoa..." I mumble as I walk down the steps into the main part of the lab. "How far down are we anyway?"

"This lab? Oh it is about... five hundred feet below the surface. Directly above us is the Washington Monument y'know. Not many people know about this place, you should consider yourself lucky."

"Oh trust me, I do sir." I say with a smile as I start walking around the lab. I start out by asking some of the scientists about their jobs, how they got to be here, and even how the machines work.

"Why is this one empty Dr. Hendricks? It is between two other people, so why isn't anyone in here? It would only make sense that you'd fill the gap."

"Oh, because it is reserved for a... special, individual."

"Oh? What's their illness?"

"They don't have one."

"Then who is this for?" I ask as I turn back to look at the open pod. I barely even get anytime before a strong force is applied to my back, and I feel myself lunging forward into said pod. I turn around in time to see the door closing, Hendricks just standing their with a grin on his face.

"You." Is all he replies before typing away at the keyboard attached to the outside of the capsule. I begin banging on the glass, nervousness and fear spreading through my body. Why is this happening? I didn't do anything, and I'm not sick. I'm the intern for crying out loud.

"Hendricks! Open the damn door!" I yell as anger overtakes my fear. Suddenly the temperature drops drastically, and the glass in front of me starts to fog up.

"See ya later Zachary!" He yells through the glass, though I can barely even hear him over the hissing of cold air entering the pod. I can already feel my system shutting down, and while I feel the need to panic, I just can't bring my body to really move.

Then, it feels like going to sleep, only more intense. It feels like the deepest sleep I've ever been in, the kind you usually don't wake up from.

*January 1, ????* *?'s POV*

Word had it that there would be some ruins around here, but that they'd be underground. Never would have thought that they would be underground.

As I slowly lower myself down the long, empty shaft, I keep an eye out for anything that might snag onto me. I can never be too careful when exploring these places.

Maybe I'll find some ancient artifact or something down here, or maybe some kind of, I don't know, magic thingy! Hey, ya never know what you'll find, especially when you have my job. I mean, c'mon, I'm an archaeologist for crying out loud, not to mention an amazing author! This is definitely going to be in one of my books. I've only made it inside the very entrance to the ruins, and I already know I've found something big!

"C'mon girl, you got this." I whisper to myself when I reach the bottom. At the bottom is some kind of crushed metal container. A closer look shows me some buttons of some sort, though they seem like they've been smashed for years, never to be used again. However, none of this shocked me.

What really got to me was the eeriness settling around me. The while hallway I find myself in is covered in splotches of blood, both on the walls and floor. I almost forgot where I even was because of the nausea in my stomach.

Nothing else was there other than some weird metal objects on the floor, some tattered, rotten clothes, and even some bones left behind by a creature I'd never laid eyes on. Just what in Tartarus did I find?

I walk down the hallway slowly, making sure not to set off any traps that might be waiting to be set off. The lights above me flicker on and off like the power leading to them is unstable, or maybe there just wasn't enough to keep them all going at once. Wait, light means either sun or electricity seeing as how these lights obviously aren't coming from candles or a lantern, and considering I'm deep below the surface, I can confirm that this is not the sun. I chuckle to myself a bit at that part before regaining my composure.

Whatever is keeping these lights running must have a ton of power considering it doesn't look like anything has been down here for centuries, maybe even millenniums!

"Main Lab ->" A sign reads on a wall. The arrow points to a set of double doors that are way too tall to be used efficiently. Whatever built this place must have been pretty tall to use them. I jump up and push the doors open, and they creak open with a squeaking sound from the rust on the hinges. One door even falls over completely. If this place was exposed to the elements above, this whole facility would be nothing but dust at this point.

"Intruder, system protocol 56 activated." A metallic sounding voice screams out from above me. I cringe backwards as a hissing sound emits from across the room. I hide behind the remaining door, and peek my head around the side to see a strange creatures stumbling forward into the lab.

*January 1, ????* *Zack's POV*

The air rushes around me as my eyes slowly open. It feels like its... getting warmer. Oh warmth how I missed you! I was afraid I'd freeze to death in there. That was the longest minute of my li-

I cut my thoughts off as the glass panel in front of me pops open, and all I see is destroyed lab. My mouth opens, but no words come from my throat. I hop out of the chamber, my legs wobbling as I hit the ground, causing me to stumble around a bit. Once I catch my balance, I look back at the lab around me, and almost let out a scream when I see guns, blood, and old bones, human bones, littered on the floor around me. There are what looks like burn marks everywhere around me, spider webs occupy every corner of the room, and a good majority of the other C.F.D.'s are destroyed. The ones that remain have nobody in them, meaning I'm the only one who hasn't woken up yet.

"Hendricks..." I say as I clench a fist. I pull my phone out of my pocket which of course is dead, and let out a sigh. Good thing I keep an extra battery in my bag. I reach back and pull a battery out of the side pocket of my backpack.

"Please please please still work." I whisper as I insert the new battery and turn the phone on. I'm met with the familiar starting up logo, and let out a sigh of relief. I wait for it to fully turn on before opening the voice recognizance app.

"What is the date?" I ask. The phone takes a second to process my words before it responds.

"Unable to access internet. Try again later." It says in it's mechanical voice. I grunt in frustration as I shove the phone back into my pocket.

"Oh, duh, C.F.D." I mumble to myself as I turn around a move back towards the C.F.D.

"Alright, it should be around here..." I look up to where the date should be on the top of the machine, only to find the panel smashed. Deciding that I need to find another way, my eyes make their way over to the keyboard. Hopefully the computer in this thing still works. Speaking of which, how the hell am I getting power down here? I'm no idiot, I know I'm in the future, probably ten or twenty years at most. Damn Hendricks, I'm going to kill that guy if I ever see him again.

My fingers fly across the keyboard as I search for anything that will tell me the date. I skip over some news articles that are saved on the hard drive, deciding to read them later. I open the operating system for the C.F.D. and scan the program for the date that my particular device was set to.

"Regeneration Date, alright I found it." I whisper to myself as I open the file. A bunch of code pops up, but thanks to my knowledge in computer science, I'm able to find what I'm looking for, today's date.

"January 1..." I mumble to myself. Then I freak out when I see the year. It hadn't been ten years, or twenty, or even a hundred for that matter.

"J-January 1... 5528!?" I scream out, my throat hurting slightly from the strain. "Oh, oh fuck me!" I yell as I start pacing around the room. I notice that when I start moving towards the main doors that one is knocked over. It wouldn't be suspicious if I didn't see the edge of a hat peeking out from around the edge of the standing door. I bend down and pick up one of the military grade pistols, not sure if it is even loaded, and point it at the door. And in an angry, yet fearful tone, I let the words escape my throat, trying to sound threatening.

"Who the hell are you?"

New Guy

I wake up with the loudest yawn I have ever produced, which seems to have scared every animal that had come out from their hiding place during the night. Well, that is, except for one little guy who refuses to break eye contact with me, despite the fact that I only have one eye open, and even then it is just barely cracked.

I'm not much of a morning person, never was, never will be, so days where I could sleep in were like a gift sent directly from God himself. So you can imagine how pissed off I would be if somebody were to try to take that gift away from me.

A white foot, maybe a paw, slaps me repeatedly on my forehead as I continue trying to go back to sleep, but fail miserably. I grunt and open my eyes fully to reveal a small white rabbit with a very annoyed expression on it's face.

"What?" I ask bluntly, my voice lower than usual, possibly due to anger or just being flat out tired as all hell. The rabbit then proceeds to kick me in the nose, and while it didn't hurt at all, man was it enough to piss me off. "Oh you little fuck." I say quietly as I'm about to get up and punt the thing across the room. Before I can do said punting, I remember that this is probably Fluttershy's pet, and I kind of want to stay on her good side right now. She's the only pers- er, pony, that I know around here, and I really don't need her to be pissed off at me. I settled instead for simply picking the rabbit up, putting him on the floor, and pushing him across said floor on his back. Damn, Fluttershy must really be good a waxing, cause man did that little sucker fly! He almost hit the bookcase covering the front door!

That action alone, along with my laughing fit, was enough to get me to sit up straight, stretching all of my limbs in unison. I could already feel that my hair was an absolute mess just by how it felt sitting on my head. While I felt uncomfortable just kind of claiming this place for myself, I hated the feeling of being filthy even more. Pushing aside the whole breaking and entering thing I had going on, I stand up and head for the stairs, leaving my shoes and backpack downstairs by the couch. Hopefully that little rabbit doesn't find my gun in the bag and try to shoot me. What a way to go, death by rabbit hitman.

I make my way up the creaking stares, thankful for the multitude of windows around the cottage, as they were lighting up the entirety of the interior. Without electricity, it was nearly impossible to maneuver around the house at night, and the windows were the only source of light during the day.

I search around for the bathroom, finding pretty much ever other room before finding the one place I was looking for. I open the door, and reveal a decent looking bathroom with a shower that was far too small for me to use. It wasn't the height that was a problem, but instead the size of the tub I would have to stand in. There just simply wasn't enough room for me to move around and be comfortable. So, instead, I settle for washing up in the sink little by little. I turn the knob labeled hot water, and let it begin to flow as I wait for the heat to kick in.

"Wait... how is there running water?" I mumble to myself as I stare at the flowing water coming from the faucet. There isn't any electricity, so I wouldn't expect there to be actual running water in the house. I open the cabinet under the sink, and begin searching for the pipes, wanting to make sure that I wasn't going insane.

I think I'm going insane.

"Are these... clouds?" I whisper in shock as I get down on my knees to get a better look. Under the sink is a bunch of clouds running through the floor and up into the sink, looking almost identical to normal metal pipes, except, y'know, they were clouds. I want to question it more, I really do, but that warm water is calling my name, and I don't want to live with this filthy hair any longer. I close the cabinet and stand back up to see that the mirror is already starting to fog up. Oh shit, mirror!

I haven't seen myself since waking up from the C.F.D. so I had no idea how I looked. I wish I hadn't looked in the mirror. My face was slightly sunken in, the bones in my face more prominent. I could probably mark this up to being caused by the lack of food over the past few days. My hair was mangled together, covered in oil and grease from running for two days. The sight alone makes me feel all that much dirtier. I had nothing against being dirty, in fact, I enjoyed it while playing sports and such. But there were two things I couldn't stand, smelling bad, and having greasy hair. They were two of my biggest pet peeves, and they drove me crazy.

I peek into the shower, revealing multiple shampoos and soaps. I have no idea what this stuff will do to human hair and skin, but I don't exactly care at the moment. I grab a random shampoo bottle, as well as a bar of soap. I throw my shirt off, hanging it over the towel rack behind me. I rinse the soap off in water, getting a good lather going. I begin cleaning myself up with the soap, scraping away all of the dirt and grime I'd collect over the past couple of days. It feels amazing, more amazing than any shower I'd taken in my lifetime. Then again, I've never been this dirty before for such a long period of time.

Once I've cleaned myself up enough, I grab a towel and use it to dry myself off. Once I'm no longer soaking wet, I throw the towel down and pick up the bottle of shampoo, reading the front label first. Apparently this will make my hair smell like roses... Not exactly what I'd pick, but it is definitely better than sweat and mud. I wet my hair first before squeezing a bit of shampoo into my hand. I begin rubbing it in, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I may have moaned a little bit at how amazing it felt.

I duck my head down and let the hot water flow over my hair as I rinse the shampoo out. I close my eyes as the water flows over my head, and almost drift off to sleep again. I shake my head, chuckling a little that I almost dozed off. I lift my head out of the sink, and grab a dry towel as water dripped down in torrents from my bangs. I run the towel over my head at rapid speeds, trying to dry it off as quickly as possible. My mother always told me it was bad for my hair to dry it like this, but I never listened because it was efficient, convenient, and left me hair softer than if it air dried. I had pretty short hair, maybe medium, so it wasn't all that hard to dry off, maybe taking only about thirty seconds.

I reach over and grab my shirt, sliding it over my head. I look at the mirror, and smile a little to see that I look much cleaner, and my face looks a little more filled out than it did before, probably because I can actually see it now. I smooth my hair down, spiking it up slightly in the front. I knew it wouldn't last all day, but it would look nice while it lasted. I rubbed my chin, feeling the short stubble starting to grow in. I doubt Fluttershy has a razor, so I'll have to shave later.

I bend down and pick up the towels, folding them on the sink and leaving them there. I have no idea if Fluttershy has a washing machine or anything like that, so I just decide I'll leave them here for her. A little selfish, maybe a little lazy, but hey, this is me I'm talking about. I'm not exactly Mr. Goody-two-shoes, though that's what everyone makes me out to be. I guess I kind of have two personalities.

I leave the bathroom, and enter the hallway which feels like Antarctica compared to the warmth of the bathroom. I almost want to go back in, but realize that I'll have to leave the house soon before Fluttershy comes back. I have no idea when that will be, but I really don't want to be here when she does. It'll look bad enough that I was here, I don't want to be actually caught in the act.

My stomach begins to interrupt my thoughts, causing me to stop walking. I was about to leave, but... Would Fluttershy miss some food? It is kinda my only option to be fair, as I have no currency, nor do I know where I could find any food just growing out in the wilderness. I could always hunt, I do have a gun and a knife, but I'm not really feeling too keen on heading back into that hell hole of a forest.

I slip into what I assume is the kitchen, and spot a small fridge in the middle of the room, next to a counter and a sink. I smile to myself, ready to calm my hunger by any means necessary. I open the fridge, having to bend down slightly to be able to the entirety of the interior. I spot a bunch of different fruits and vegetables, and even some fish, which I assume isn't for Fluttershy, but one of her "pets" instead, if you could call them that. I decide on a couple of apples, and pull them out before shutting the fridge. I hold one in each hand, taking bites from each as I walk around the living room and kitchen, just kind of wandering around aimlessly until I finish eating. I gotta say, these apple are to die for, though I'm not sure if that's how they normally taste, or if they are just like this because of the fact I was starving. Either way, I was grateful for them, though I did feel bad about stealing them from some innocent girl. I'd have to find a way to pay her back for all of this.

Once I get down to the cores, I toss them into the trash bin before heading towards the front door, or where it used to be anyway. I eye the bookshelf in anticipation while letting out a sigh. Maybe I can pay her back by fixing her door for her. My dad was pretty handy with wood, and I did learn a thing or two from him that could be useful... I would just need the tools.

I place my hands on the side of the bookshelf, and begin pushing. I'm still fairly tired, so it is much harder than when I moved it last night. It takes a solid three minutes to get the bookshelf back to where it orginally was, and I'm already about to pass out by the time I'm done. I really need to get back into shape. I've been going to college for too long with little to no physical activity. The C.F.D. may have had something to do with it as well. I'm surprised that I was able to keep running yesterday. I guess old habits die hard.

The morning air blows in through the opening in front of me, revealing the path that leads into town. I have only one problem as of now.

I have no idea what to do.

I guess the logical thing would be to find a place to stay, maybe meet some new people. There is a problem with that however. I'm not sure how everyone will react to me. Daring acted like I was just another pony, and quickly warmed up to me without giving it a second though. Fluttershy was kind of scared at first, but I think she too was starting to fell okay around me, up until the timberwolf attack. Then there was Rainbow Dash, the only pony I've met that made me want to just live in the woods, all isolated and alone. If the rest of the town acts like her, I may as well just leave and never come back. I hope to God I won't have to do that. I don't think I could travel for a long time. I just don't have it in me anymore.

I take my first step outside, the dirt crunching beneath the soles of my shoes. I take in a deep breath which fills me with new-found confidence. I start walking down the path, my backpack slapping against my back with each step.

There is one thing I will say about this place, this new world. It is absolutely beautiful. Everything just seems so... vibrant. The human race, my race, died out thousands of years ago according to the video I found on the central computer of the lab. With all of us gone, it looks like the Earth returned to it's former glory that we'd destroyed so long ago. All of the buildings, cars, factories, everything has probably either been buried, decayed, or just flat out destroyed, leaving behind the beauty of nature. It hurts a little, knowing that everything I once knew is gone now, but it does lift my spirits to observe the world around me.

As I continue to walk down the dirt path, I notice the edge of town coming into view, which fills me with both dread and anxiety. I'd have to do this eventually, so why not today? It isn't like I have anything else to do.

I quietly make my way across a bridge that leads into town, trying my best to just kind of blend in, though it probably won't do me much good considering I'm six feet tall, and these ponies are about half that height. There aren't that many ponies out right now, probably because it is still fairly early in the morning, maybe around seven or eight.

Once I actually start to see some ponies going about their morning routines, I feel even more nervous than I did before. What if they try to attack me like Rainbow Dash did? Or worse!?

I gulp as I walk to the side of everyone, trying my best to stay out of their way. I just want to see a familiar face, anyone that I already knew would do. Hell, I'd even settle for Rainbow at this particular moment. The stares and whispers as I passed by didn't make me feel any better about myself. I felt like the new kid on his first day at a new school. Nobody knew me, and I didn't know anyone.

That was a lie. I did know a few people here. I knew six actually, and they had to be somewhere around here. Well, Fluttershy may still be in the hospital, but that's beside the point.

I enter the market district where there are even more ponies marching around which, of course, draws me more stares.

"Fucking A'..." I mumble to myself as I try to hide myself by looking down at my feet. A hat would be really nice right about now. Why oh why did I not carry one around the campus with me?

"Howdy there." I hear a southern voice to my left shout out. I didn't see who it was, as I was too busy staring at my feet to notice. I have very nice shoelaces by the way. I never really knew that!

I look up to see an orange mare standing behind a wooden cart filled to the brim with apples. I notice the Stetson hat on her head, and walk over to her, a small smile forming on my face. She still looks at me with a subtle, cautious look, which is to be expected, but she looks friendly enough.

"Hey... Applejack right?" I ask as I lean on the side of the cart.

"Yep! Surprised ya remembered me. We only met once before ya stormed out of the room. Zack, right?"

"You got it... Yeah, that wasn't exactly a good day for me, especially with that rainbow haired chick accusing me for hurting Fluttershy. I was just trying to help ya know?" I respond as I pick up an apple, tossing it up and down in my hand absentmindedly.

"Rainbow Dash? Nah, ya don't gotta worry about her. She just jumps to conclusions and has a problem about changing her mind about certain things. She's a real sweetheart really, she was just... scared of you... that's all." Applejack explains, her smile faltering a bit at the end.

"Are you scared of me Applejack?"

"Wha- I-I... Well, not exactly scared as much as... weary. I just don't know much about ya yet, that's all. Ya don't look all THAT threatening, and ya seem like a nice enough stallion. I'm sure Rainbow will see that soon enough." AJ says, her smile starting to return. I decide to change the subject.

"So, what's with the apples... Applejack?" Wow, what a weird coincidence.

"Oh, this here is mah apple stand! I sell the apples that I collect everyday from mah family's farm up north of town. We have an entire orchard of apple tress, ya can't miss it if ya head out that way."

"Oh yeah? I'd love to see it some time. I had some apples this morning, and they were amazing. I take it they came from you?"

"Most likely." AJ says as she turns around and bends down to reach for an apple that fell of the cart. When she does so, I notice something on her side. Three apples. I remember seeing something like this on Daring, a compass I think, but forgot to ask what it was. Maybe tattoos were just a common thing around here.

"You must really like apples to get that tattoo." I say as I observe the markings on her side. She looks up at me with a confused look, then looks back to the apples, then back to me.

"Ya mean mah cutie mark? Shucks, that ain't no tattoo." She says, her confused look still somewhat present on her face.

"C-Cutie mark?" I crack out, almost laughing at the name, but hold it in regardless. Though I could probably burst at any moment. What a dumb name for a tattoo!

"Yeah? You never heard o' these before sugarcube?"

"Can't say I have... well, nothing like that anyway. Why do you have it?"

"All ponies have em! Well, most of us do anyway. See, a cutie mark is a little marking that ya get when ya discover your true talent. Ah got mine when ah realized that I loved workin' on mah farm, and it's been my passion ever since."

"Huh, y'know that makes more sense than I thought it would." Honestly, it still seems a little far fetched to me, but it is more logical than some of the shit I've seen in the past couple of days. Daring had one of a compass, and she was an archaeologist. This crazy world was starting to piece itself together like one giant unsolvable puzzle.

"It makes perfect sense actually!" At that moment, a whooshing sound makes it's way through the sky, and I look up to see a rainbow forming in the sky behind something moving at incredible speeds.

"Is that..."

"Rainbow Dash." Applejack finishes for me as she tips her hat down and lets out a chuckle. "I hear she's got some big date tonight."

"No kiddin'?" I mutter as I watch Rainbow vanish into the sky.

"Yeah, she's been seein' this stallion for a few weeks now. Ah've never met him, but he sounds like an alright guy from what I've heard."

"Yeah... alright guy." I whisper to myself, but leave it to these ponies to have exceptional hearing.

"What? Do you not like the idea of Rainbow with a stallion?" She asks slyly.

"What? No, I couldn't give less of a shit... It's just that, well, I've had some... problems with "alright guys" in the past."

"Oh, Zack, I didn't know you were into that." Applejack says with a blush.

"Wha- No! Not me! I meant my sister!" I retort, her statement catching me off guard.

"Oh, okay then. What happened with her?" I sigh as I think back to the event that happened only a couple of years ago. Well, in my time that is.

"It's a long story really. I don't want to bore you to death. Maybe I'm just paranoid is all. Anyway, I should probably get going now. Don't want you to lose business because of me." I say as I walk away, waving as I do so. I don't turn around, but I can feel Applejack's smile as I walk away. Score one for Zack! That makes two ponies that I know now, and I've only wrecked one of their houses! This has to be a record or something.

I walk along the side of the street, a bounce now present in my step. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as I thought. Applejack seemed nice enough, so maybe the rest of the town will be more like her than Rainbow.

As I make my way through town, I notice that I'm getting a few less stares than I did earlier. Not enough to keep me from feeling like an out of place freak, but enough to be noticed. Maybe some of them saw me talking to Applejack, and assumed that I was safe. If only the entire town felt like that, I'd be set.

"Hey!" I hear from behind me. I don't turn around, assuming that the call was for someone else. Besides, who would want to talk to me?

"Hey, you!" I hear again, this time much closer. I sigh and turn around, making sure that whoever was yelling wasn't trying to get my attention. Much to my surprise, I see a purple pony trotting towards me, a stack of books on her back. She had a horn and wings, which is something I haven't seen yet, except for...

"Hey, you're... uh, Twilight, right?" I say as I rub my chin and point a finger towards her.

"Yes! I was hoping you would remember me! I sure remember you!" She says rather excitedly. Good God, how many cups of coffee did this girl drink this morning? Or maybe she's just psychotic.

"Kinda hard to forget someone when you only know like seven peo- ponies in the entire world." I say as I raise my hands towards the sky in exaggeration for dramatic effect, as well as to get my point across. I begin walking again, and I'm not surprised to see that Twilight starts following me by my side. "Need something?" I ask as I readjust my shirt.

"Oh, uh, right! W-Would you mind coming over to my place? I... kinda want to ask you some questions." She says with a sheepish smile. She must have noticed my raised eyebrow, because she begins to panic by saying, "Uh, I mean, you don't have to come NOW of course, just whenever you're free... If you want to at all that is!" She says in stuttered, fast statements. I roll my eyes and smile at her awkward personality. She kind of reminds me of my sister, which is probably the only reason she isn't annoying the hell out of me. I'm just used to it I guess.

"Why exactly do you need me to go to your house? I kinda don't know you, and uh, stranger danger y'know?" I retort as I shrug my shoulders. Her smile drops, and her ears droop in an adorable way.

"I just... Well, I've never seen anything like you before! Ever since I saw you in the hospital, I've been doing research as to what you might be. I couldn't find anything on humans other than a couple of entries here and there in some old manuscripts, though they were pretty vague and had little to no useful information on the subject. Also-"

"God, Twilight, you love to ramble on don't ya?" I say as I roll my eyes once more. This is starting to become a habit with these ponies. Those manuscripts she mentioned however... Maybe they'll have some kind of information on what happened to my race.

"I do not ramble." She says with a huff.

"Yeah, yeah." I say as I ruffle her hair with a hand. "So, you're curious about who and what I am, you want to study me, and I'm assuming you won't take no for an answer. How about we make a little deal?"

"Okay, shoot."

"I let you study me, ask any questions you want, and I'll comply. All I want in return, is for you to answer my questions, and to let me read those manuscripts about my race. They might have the answers I'm looking for."

"Sounds fair enough! Your name is Zack, right?"

"Yep, Zack Austin, but just Zack is fine."

I follow Twilight through town, which really seems to make the ponies look at me in a positive light. I guess walking alongside one of them while holding a conversation does a lot to make me look better.

We approach the center of town, and a giant tree appears before us. I'm about to ask what the thing was, but then I spotted a door on the front of the thing, as well as several windows, a balcony, and a sign hanging by the door with a picture of a book on it. Talk about amazing architecture.

"Is this your house?" I ask in astonishment as we approach the front door. I run my hand up and down the wood of the tree, making sure it was actually real. From what I can tell, the thing is not only real, but alive and well. I'm just gonna chalk this one up to magic, and hope for an actual explanation to how it was made later. Magic, that's something I'll have to ask Twilight about later, maybe not today, but eventually. It's still a little early, and I don't feel like getting mind-fucked yet.

Twilight pushes the door open, and walks inside, her hooves making a clip clop sound on the wooden floor. I follow in behind her, having to duck down slightly to avoid smashing my forehead on the door frame. I look up once I enter, and take in a long breath as I take in the surroundings. From the looks of it, this place is some sort of library if the hundreds of books are something to go by. The shelves are carved into the walls, which saves a ton of space that would otherwise be taken up by bookshelves.

"Spike should be out right now, so he shouldn't be bothering us for a while." Twilight says as she sets her books down on a table on the other side of the room. The books float off her back, being surrounded in a pinkish aura that matches the aura around her horn. Again, not ready for a mind-fuck yet. Still too early for that.

"Who's Spike?"

"My assistant, he's a dragon." She says so calmly like dragons were an everyday thing around here.

"W-Wait, hold the fuck up. A dragon?" I say as I stutter, my hands making their way in front of my face as I wave them to the side for emphasis. "No way."

"Yes way. You've never seen a dragon before?"

"In mythology, yeah! I've seen them in books, TV, movies, on the internet, but they don't actually exist!" I realize how dumb my statement sounds considering the fact I'm talking to a talking unicorn, pegasus hybrid thing. Anything is possible apparently.

"What's an internet?"

"I'll explain later." I say with a sigh as I pull up a chair, facing it backwards so I can rest my arms on the back. "You're supposed to be asking about me, not the internet." I say as I rest my chin on my arms. I let my backpack slide off, hitting the floor with a thud behind me.

"Oh, right!" Twilight pulls a piece of parchment and a quill out of seemingly nowhere, and levitates them in front of her like it's nothing as she takes a seat in front of me. "This is so exciting! Okay, first off, where did you come from?" She asks, her smile never leaving her face. This whole thing just seems rushed to me, like we're taking this too fast. I barely know this girl for Christ's sake. But I had to do this if I wanted to get my hands on those manuscripts. Here we go... Time to reveal my story...

*Rainbow Dash's POV* *10 Hours Later*

I trot next to him, my heart pumping at such an incredible speed, that I swear it is about to jump out of my chest. I can't remember how long it has been since I've been on a date, so I forgot how fun it could be. The way he made me felt, how he only cared about what I said. He made me feel special.

"Thanks again for everything Dusk." I say to the stallion next to me who is much taller than I am. He is a brown earth pony with a dark brown mane. I usually wouldn't think twice about any stallion that wasn't a pegasus, but there was just something special about this guy, and I couldn't quite put my hoof on it.

"No problem honey, I'd love to do it again." He says in his deep voice. "Say... It is pretty late, you should come inside and stay the night." He says as we approach his house on the edge of town.

"Oh, um... I don't know Dusk, I-"

"Oh come on Dashie." He says as he nuzzles the top of my head. My ears perk up at the nickname, and I feel a blush spreading across my face.

"M-Maybe just for a bit..." I say awkwardly as he unlocks his front door. He pushes it open with one of his large hooves, and motions for me to enter before him. I do so slowly, taking in the room around me as I enter. I've been in here several times, but never stayed the night. "Thanks for the offer Dusk, I'll just stay here on the couch." I say quietly as I trot over to the couch in the corner of the room. I look up before I hop onto it, and see him with a confused look on his face.

"No no no Dash, that won't do for you! I'd never make you sleep on the couch like that! C'mon, let's go upstairs." He says, and I spot a glint in his eyes, but pay it no attention. A bed would be nicer than a couch... Ah, buck it.

"A-Alright I say as I get up, my legs wobbling as I follow Dusk up the stairs. I can only feel my blush deepen even more. I'm about to sleep next to a stallion in his own bed. I've never done this before, what am I supposed to do?

Dusk opens the door to his bedroom upstairs to reveal a bed surrounded by multiple candles.

"What's all this?" I ask quietly as I wave a hoof towards the candles. "Were you planning something for me?"

"Yeah, I was." He says as he squints ever so slightly at me. My heart skips a beat as he walks behind me, and I hear the door's lock close with a click. The sound causes my fur to stand on end as I watch Dusk go around the room, lighting all of the candles.

"Get on up little Dashie." He says with a seductive look on his face. He waits for me to get on the bed, but I only give him a shocked look as I start to back up.

"U-Uh, y'know, I just remembered that I haven't fed Tank today, I s-should probably go do that." I say as I quickly turn around and try to unlock the door, only for Dusk to bite down on the back of my neck and drag me towards the bed.

"Tank can wait Dashie. Right now, it's just you and me." He grunts through his teeth before dropping me onto the bed. I try to get up, but am instead pressed down onto the mattress my his giant hooves. I've never met somepony that was strong enough to hold me down, not even a stallion! I start to sweat nervously as he hovers above me, licking his lips. "Why not have a little fun?"

I open my eyes to see him just inches from my face, my hooves still being held down by his. I feel something warm press up against my stomach, and while I already know what it is, I don't want to look.

"Dusk..." I grunt as I struggle against him. "Please... stop..." I say rather pathetically.

"Why Dashie? I'm just having a little... fun with you." He says before nipping down on my ear. Alright, that's it.

I let out the loudest scream I can manage, and try to muster all of my strength as I push back against him. He budges slightly, but not enough to escape. Why did I ever trust this creep?

"HELP!" I scream out, tears starting to pour from my eyes. I shut them closed as hard as I can, anticipating the inevitable. But it never comes.

The sound of wood cracking fills the room, and Dusk's entire weight is lifted off of me. I quickly sit up, my vision still blurred from tears. I see two figures on the floor, wrestling with each other violently. I rub my eyes with a hoof, and while I do so, I hear a new voice.

"Rainbow Dash!" The voice grunts out, sounding like it was in some kind of pain. "Get out of here!" I remove my hoof from my eyes, and everything becomes so much clearer, and I can make out the two figures on the floor. I gasp as I shuffle back against the sheets of the bed, my voice coming out as nothing more than a pathetic whisper.

"Zack?"

Author's Note

Cliffhanger? I think yes!

Oh, and don't worry, the next chapter will go back to what Zack and Twilight talked about. Trust me, I didn't just cut out that scene. It was actually important that I cut out the rest of Zack's day for this chapter, and I'll show why next chapter.

Know Thine Enemy

"Holy shit she takes long showers." I moan into my hands as I slip down the fall, falling in front of the front door. I can feel the cold tile through my pants, though that's nowhere near enough to make me want to get up. I've been waiting for that girl for maybe half an hour at this point, and I can still hear the damn shower upstairs running.

"Did you say something?" I hear a small voice call out from the stairs. I look up to see what is basically a smaller version of Rarity, but with a slightly different hair color.

"Oh, hey." I say, the little filly's name slipping from my mind. "Just waiting for Rainbow Dash."

"Then, why are you in here? She's probably outside taking a nap or something." She says innocently.

"What? No, Rainbow is in your sister's bathroom right now taking a shower. She stayed the night in the office with me and woke up with a hang- feeling sick." I correct myself, not really sure if the kid actually knows about alcohol, or salt, or... whatever the fuck it is, I don't know anymore.

"Ah, that's too bad. Is she okay now?"

"A little headache maybe, but she'll live. Say, you sleep in awful late, don't you have school or something?"

"Yeah, but we're on break until next week. The only good thing about winter if you ask me, I can't stand the cold."

"You too huh? Looks like we have more in common than I thought."

"Really? My friends usually laugh at me because I hate going out in the cold. Guess we are kinda the same huh?"

"Yeah... hey you just said you have some friends, let me give you some advice."

"About what?"

"About those friends... D-Don't take them for granted kid... they're the best thing you'll ever have, and if you lose them, you'll never be the same again. Just... cherish what you have, and don't treat it like it's no big deal."

"Okay? Yeah, I couldn't imagine what I'd do without them. Do you have any friends Mr. Zack?"

"Well... had would be a better word to use. I guess your sister is really my only friend in the entire world. I lost all of my other friends whether I like it or not."

"That's awful! Don't worry Mr. Zack, I'll be your friend." She says confidently, trotting up next to me and nudging her head into my side. I swear if I didn't have a soft spot for kids...

"Oh, um... thanks kid, I appreciate it." I say with a small yet genuine smile. "Say, you better go get some breakfast, most important meal of the day right?" I say as I pick her up under her forelegs and hold her out in front of me.

"Right! I'm starving!" She says excitedly. I put her down, and she scampers off into the kitchen.

I look down at my feet for a second before I hear something at the top of the stairs. I look up to see a flash of something blue vanish behind the wall at the top. I squint in confusion before my face contorts into one that shows annoyance. I hadn't even heard the shower go off until just now.

"I know you two are there." I say sternly. A couple seconds later, Rainbow and Rarity slowly make their way down the stares, giving me apologetic looks as they do so.

"S-Sorry darling, but we couldn't help but listen, and-"

"Wait, listen? Oh God, you didn't hear any of that did you!?" I ask, groaning into my hands as I slap them against my face.

"Yeah... we heard it all." Rainbow says with a sheepish smile. "Don't worry, it's cool. I just didn't think you were that sappy." She says with a little chuckle.

"I'm not sappy." I retort. "I just don't want the kid to go through what I did for half of my life. You have no idea what kind of shit I've been through, so don't you dare try to tell me otherwise." I say sternly, pointing a finger at the both of them. They both exchange looks before looking back up at me as I now rise to my feet.

"It was just a joke, chill out." Rainbow says, hovering over to me. "Anyway, I hear Rarity made a little deal with ya. So, you get to spend an entire day with me, huh? You must feel so privileged." She says in a cocky tone of voice.

"Oh I've never been happier." I say sarcastically as I roll my eyes. "C'mon already, I tried of waiting around here." I readjust my bag on my back before nudging the door open, letting in the cool morning breeze. Normally, I'd hate it, but after being cramped up in here for what felt like forever, it feels like heaven to me. "I'll be back tonight Rarity, so don't come looking for me."

"Alright then, you two have fun." She says with a wave as Rainbow closes the door behind us.

"So, what's first on our list?" Rainbow asks. "Flying practice, or we could go for a run, or I could try to-"

"Rainbow, holy shit we just left the house and I already want to punch you."

"Well sorry, somepony woke up on the wrong side of the bed..." She mumbles, crossing her forelegs across her chest.

"Hey, I slept in a chair because of you." I say, pointing a finger at her.

"Ugh! Why do you still hate me Zack, I don't get it!"

"Look, Rainbow, I wanna like you, I really do, but some people or ponies just don't click! You're immature, you don't think before you speak, and you're just so full of yourself."

"I'm... what?" I sigh and rub my face, trying to calm down.

"Look, you want me to like you? Try showing me a different side of you. If you can show me that you can be genuinely kind and caring, maybe I'll consider liking you. Until then, just try not to get on my nerves, for both of our sake."

"Fine, whatever you say." She says, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, now that we're on the same page, I know what I want to do until my meeting with Twilight."

"Yeah? What's that?" Rainbow asks as I start walking in a random direction. She follows me, hovering in the air to my left.

"I wanna just chill, y'know, get some rest. These past few days have been pretty stressful to put it mildly, so I think a day off would be pretty nice. Do you know any good parks or lakes or something?"

"There's a park down this path. Hey, I'll race ya there."

"Challenge not excepted. Don't think I know how fast you are, I've seen you before, remember?"

"Oh, right... Well, I guess we could just get there slowly or whatever."

"Now you're thinking my way. I love speed, don't get me wrong, but you just have to slow down sometimes, y'know?"

"Ugh, but what's so fun about going slow?"

"Have you ever just walked through a park or forest or something just to take in the sights? If you haven't then you're really missing out."

"I can see all of the sights perfectly fine from the sky." She says while crossing her forelegs across her chest, somehow staying airborne while in a verticle position. Good thing she's coming to my meeting with Twilight which just so happens to be about anatomy. Annoying? Yeah, she is, but she interests me beyond belief. Just one look at her, and my mind tells me that she shouldn't be able to fly with the shape of her body, as well as the size of her wings. For now, I just have to chalk that all up to magic. Fuckin' magic...

"Alright, I'll give ya that, but the ground is pretty cool too. Of course, I'd give anything to be able to fly like you, but that's not gonna happen is it?" I ask with a chuckle. Flight has always been very interesting to me, and I even spent a semester in physics learning mainly about the subject. Here's to you Wright brothers.

"Yeah, speaking of that, what are you good at? No offense, but like, you can't fly or do magic. Are you really strong or something?"

"What? No, not really. I mean, I wouldn't say I'm weak, but I'm no Arnold Schwarzenegger." I respond, rubbing my bicep with my right hand. Maybe working out wouldn't be such a bad idea. I'm starting to kinda lose what athletics gave me.

"Who?"

"Never mind, you wouldn't know him. Point is, I'm not like you ponies. I don't need flight or magic to survive."

"Then what do you need?"

"This." I say with a smile, pointing to my head. "Knowledge is the greatest thing you can have. I dedicated my life to it... but look where that got me." I say with a chuckle. Point is, I like books 'n shit. I'm a nerd, I know."

"Agh, you sound just like Twilight now." Rainbow responds while rolling her eyes.

"Hah, really? Is she like this all the time too?"

"Oh yeah, you don't know the half of it. All she ever does is go on and on about this book or that book."

"Do you like books Rainbow? You don't really seem like the type."

"Hey, what does that mean?" She asks, turning her head to squint at me.

"Well... you're kind of a stereotypical jock. I thought you'd probably only care about physical activities and the such."

"I can like books if I want to." She says defensively.

"Oh yeah, what's your favorite book ever?" I ask with a sly grin.

"Daring Do, hooves down." She responds, swiping her forelegs out to the sides.

"Daring Do huh? Sounds interesting, what's it about?" I ask, trying not to crack a smile or laugh. I really hope she forgot the fact that I've mentioned that I know Daring. Speaking of which, I hope she's okay...

"This awesome archaeologist goes on these wild adventures, fighting off bad guys and all sorts of monsters and stuff. In her last book, she ended it with a cliffhanger where she was getting ready to explore some underground facility that she stumbled across. I can't wait to see what's in it!" She squeals like a little fangirl.

"Maybe the answers are closer than you think." I mumble with a sigh. "Hey, um... did these books even mention a Caballeron?"

"Heck yeah, they do! He's this evil stallion that always tries to foil Daring's plans, but she always wins in the end."

"Always wins huh? I hope that's true..."

"Yeah, oh! I forgot to mention that I actually got to meet Daring Do like a few weeks ago, and it was the greatest thing ever."

"No kidding?" That confirms it, Rainbow was one of the six friends that Daring told me about.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. I knew she was awesome, but I didn't know she was real! I thought all of the stories were fiction, but get this, everything in the books is real!"

"Sounds cool... Hey, is this the park?" I ask, pointing towards what is obviously a park. Just making sure this is the right one.

"Yep, this is the place."

"Alright, I'm gonna take a nap over by that tree." I say while pointing towards a large oak tree near a small river. "I don't give a shit what you do, but you better be here when I wake up. If you don't Rarity is gonna have my ass on a silver platter."

"You really have a... way with words." Rainbow says, rolling her hoof around for expression.

"I'm from Manhattan, deal with it." I say with a shrug as I set my bag down by the tree.

"You mean Manehattan? Is that where you're from?"

"The fuck is Manehatten?" I ask with a confused look.

"Y'know, one of the biggest cities in Equestria?"

"What the hell, you guys ripped off our names! I'm from Manhattan in New York."

"I don't know what New York is."

"Of course you don't, there's no way you could. I'm from a big city, and that's all that matters."

"Do you miss it? I mean the city life."

"You could say that. I like the simple country life that you can find here, don't get me wrong, but I do kinda miss the big cities."

"Hm, makes sense. Well, you take a nap or whatever, I'm going to practice my tricks." With that, Rainbow takes to the skies like a bullet fired out of a gun.

"Damn..." I whisper under my breath as I watch her start maneuvering around above the clouds. This girl... she's something else. Not sure if that's good or not, but I digress.

I lie down on my back, resting my head against my bag. I fold my arms back behind my head, and close my eyes, letting the sun pour down on me. I slowly drift off to sleep, hoping that maybe I'll wake up back in my dorm, this whole thing being a weird dream.

"This is 911, what is your emergency?"

"Hello, I'd like to place a missing persons report."

"Name please."

"Um, Zack Austin, twenty years old, male. He um, nobody has heard from him in months."

"Any idea where he went?"

"Well he left New York back in December, and now it's May an nobody has heard from him since then. He won't pick up his cell or answer any messages. I'm worried about him."

"Where was he heading to mam?"

"Washington D.C. for an internship at some stupid lab. God, I told him not to go!"

"Thank you for the information Mrs..."

"Durham, Olivia Durham."

"Well thank you for the information Mrs. Durham, we'll let you know if anything turns up."

"T-Thanks..."

Olivia drops to her knees, dropping her cellphone by her feet.

"Zack... Zack, where are you!? Zack!"

"Zack!... ZACK!"

"Agh! Fuck!" I yell as I swing my fist forward, knocking whatever was on top of me to the ground.

"Ow! What was that for!?" I open my eyes to see Rainbow rubbing her side with a hoof."

"Oh... sorry..." I say with a sigh, rubbing my forehead, which is covered in sweat, with the back of my hand.

"What was that all about?" Rainbow asks, a curious yet worried look on her face.

"What was what about?" I ask, still trying to catch my breath. It isn't even hot outside, why am I sweating like this?

"I don't know, you were screaming and kicking in your sleep like you were being attacked or something. I was calling your name over and over, then you just suddenly hit me. Thanks for that by the way." She says sarcastically.

"It was my pleasure." I respond while rolling my eyes.

"What were you dreaming about?" She asks. I look up past her, and see that the sun is directly over us.

"Shit, it's noon, I'm late." I mumble to myself, picking myself up from the ground. I sling my bag over my shoulder and begin power walking back into town towards Twilight's place.

"Hey, I asked you a question." Rainbow says in an annoyed tone. She catches up to me in a split second, seeming to appear at my side out of nowhere.

"Hm? Oh, I wasn't listening. Ask again."

"Ugh, I asked what you were dreaming about, stupid. You gotta learn to listen to ponies more carefully."

"I... it was nothing, don't worry about it. You wouldn't understand even if I told you, and frankly, I don't really think you would care all that much either." I say with a shrug. This gets me a hoof to the shoulder, which causes me to wince backwards a bit. This girl is stronger than she looks, I'll give her that.

"Why wouldn't I care? Look, we might not be the best of friends, but that doesn't mean I don't care at all. C'mon, tell me."

"We're not friends Rainbow... And you just wouldn't understand, alright?"

"Ugh, you're impossible." She says while crossing her forelegs. "I'll get it out of you eventually."

"Hah, yeah, sure..."

We walk in silence, or hover in Rainbow's case, for the next ten or fifteen minutes before we stumble across the library. I jog up to it, knocking several times before taking a step back to wait.

"Think she'll be mad that I'm late?" I ask Rainbow, glancing at her from the corner of my eye.

"She does have a thing about tardiness..." She responds, rubbing her chin with a hoof. "I'd be careful though if I were you."

"That's very encouraging, thanks." I say sarcastically.

"It's what I'm here for."

"You're only here because of a bet."

"And I'm only staying with you because of a bet, so the feeling is mutual." Believe it or not, this cracks a little smile out of me, which in turn cracks a little smile out of her.

"Are you two done taunting each other?" A new voice calls out. I look back to the door to see Twilight standing there with an annoyed look on her face.

"Oh, Twilight, hey." I say awkwardly.

"You're late y'know."

"Yeah I know, Rainbow let me oversleep, so you should blame her." I say as I walk past Twilight, pointing a thumb over my shoulder at Rainbow Dash.

"Hey! This isn't my fault!" She yells out as she dashes into the library.

"You two fight like an old married couple." Twilight says as she closes the door behind us.

"Shut it Twilight!" We both yell in unison. This causes us to look at each other, and despite the previous tension between us, causes us to laugh ever so slightly. Maybe fighting is just how we're going to get along for now.

"Sheesh, alright, alright." Twilight says as she trots over to her little desk. "Now, who's ready to learn?" She asks in a cheerful attitude, the biggest smile I've ever seen plastered on her face.

"Oh no no no, you never said anything about learning." Rainbow says accusingly, pressing a hoof into my chest.

"I said we were going to a study with Twilight." I retort, grabbing her hoof and pushing it to the side. "Besides, I need you here, because you're part of the study."

"What? Me?"

"Yes you. I wanna know how you're able to fly like you do. There's gotta be something to it, something that makes you different."

"Why can't you just do tests on Twilight or something!? She can fly!"

"Well yeah, but I'm going to be helping Zack. It would be sooo much easier to do if I wasn't the test subject. So, for now Rainbow, you're our pony control, and Zack is our human control." Twilight says, her smile still ever so present on her face.

"But I don't wanna be studied. I already know how my body works."

"But I don't, so that's what I wanna learn. I learn best by observing a physical object. It's just not the same reading about it in books."

"I better get paid for this." Rainbow says as she squints in annoyance at Twilight.

"I'll buy you lunch." Twilight says in a monotone voice.

"Good, now get this thing started so I don't have to be here longer than I need to." Rainbow says, hopping up onto a little stand that Twilight set up. It's about two feet tall, which brings Rainbow up to a little bit under my height, making it easy to observe her. Twilight levitates a clipboard over to me, as well as a feather and some ink.

"No thanks, I have this." I take the paper, but pull a pen out of my pocket. Good thing I kept like ten of these in my bag at all times. Hope the thing has thawed out by now.

"What's that?" She asks, taking back the quill and ink.

"Ballpoint pen. See this little ball on the bottom spins around, picking up ink from inside the pen as it does so. We humans invented it to take place of quills like that. They last for a pretty damn good amount of time, and you don't have to worry about them dripping ink everywhere."

"Wow, that's less lame than I thought it would be." Rainbow says from her stand. "What other human contraptions do you have?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe me if I just told you. I've explained the simple basics to Twilight, and that was enough to set her off."

"Wait, phone calls are just the basics!?" Twilight asks excitedly. "What else can it do?"

"My phone? Well shoot, it can play music, play games, read books, watch-"

"There are books on it!?"

"Holy shit, back off Barney the unicorn. I'm not going to actually show you until I find a way to charge the phone. But yeah, you can read books on it. I actually have a few on mine, but I don't know if they'd really be interesting to you."

"Are you kidding? That'd be the best thing ever!"

"Ugh, this is getting really... eggheady. Can we get back to me please?" Rainbow blurts out. We both give her annoyed looks, but I walk over to her regardless, clipboard and pen in hand.

"Alright first, I want to study your bone structure. Now, I have a hypothesis that your bones are probably hollow, therefor allowing you to fly. Twilight, what would you say Applejack weighs?"

"About seventy pounds."

"Okay, well..." I place the clipboard under my arm, holding against my body. I pick Rainbow up off the stand, which causes her to squirm around a bit before giving up. "I'd say you're maybe thirty pounds, forty at most. Even if your bones aren't hollow, you're definitely much much lighter than other ponies."

"They also have an innate magic flowing through them. All pegasi have it, and it's what allows them to manipulate the weather, as well as aiding in flight." Twilight adds in.

"Interesting... I don't really understand magic, but if those are the facts, then I can't really argue with them can I? Alright, you're turn Twilight."

"Actually, I'd like to just get a map of the human body. I can't really do that with those clothes on though. Could you please remove them?"

"Um, what?" I ask, gripping my shirt in my hand. "Oh, right, you guys don't normally do clothes do you?"

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asks, hopping off of her stand.

"Well humans, for as long as we can remember, have always covered ourselves with some kind of clothing because we don't have that much hair or fur to cover up our... more private areas. See?" I explain as I roll up one of my pant legs to reveal my bare leg.

"It's just skin." Twilight observes as she leans in for a closer look.

"Good job Sherlock, you cracked the case." I say while rolling my eyes. "But really, I kinda need to keep my pants on."

"What about your shirt?"

"I mean, I could, but it's kinda chilly in here and-"

"Please? This whole study is so I can learn more about you and humans in general. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and I'm not going to miss it because of some piece of clothing."

"Fine, whatever you want." I roll my shirt up over my head, my arm getting caught in one of the sleeves. "Damn... thing!" I grunt as I pull it off of me, my arm popping free. Somehow I had managed to do a ninety degree turn, and was now facing the wall. I turn back around, laughing at myself for getting stuck in a fucking shirt. Well, I laugh until I notice the looks of shock on the two mare's faces.

"Y-You're a..." Rainbow mumbles out.

"Uh Z-Zack, I'm sorry, I thought you were a male this whole time. I'm so sorr-"

"Holy shit, you guys two? Y'know, Rarity did the same thing when I did this." I say while crossing my arms and leaning against the wall.

"You never told us you were a mare!" Rainbow yells accusingly.

"I'm not! I'm not a female, and I'm not a pony, so don't ever fucking call me that again. I'm a guy, always have been, always will be."

"Then why do you have... those?" Twilight asks, pointing to my chest. "And why are they so high up?"

"Wow, are you sure you and Rarity don't have some mind link? You're asking the exact same questions, with the exact same wording. Look, I don't have a clue why guys have them, nor do I give a shit. Can we just get on with this already?"

"R-Right." Twilight says with a blush. "Please stand still while I make a sketch..." Twilight starts scraping her quill across her paper while Rainbow stares at me with a curious look on her face.

"See something you like?" I ask in a taunting manner.

"What? Ew, no. I'm just trying to figure out why you have those. It doesn't make any sense."

"Ew?" I mumble to myself. That one hurt Rainbow, even coming from you. Don't worry, I'll get you back.

It takes a while, but Twilight finally gets my sketch down almost perfectly. After showing it to me, I noticed that she had really messed up on my feet. My legs look fine, probably just a lucky guess, but my feet are just little nubs that look kind of like a pony's hoof. I have to correct her by slipping off my shoes and socks. She apologizes, which wasn't really necessary, and quickly makes some changes to her sketch.

"I'm totally sending a copy of this to Princess Celestia!" She squeals in delight.

"Princess who now?" I ask, slipping my shirt on. Before I know it, Twilight is right in my face, standing only on her back hooves, making her close to my standing height, though not quite.

"You don't know the princess!?" She yells out, her voice making my ears rattle.

"Ow, no I don't. Who the fuck is Celestia?"

"Only the ruler of all of Equestria!"

"See, you keep bringing up this Equestria bullshit, but I have no idea what that is."

"Equestria is the country you're in right now doofus." Rainbow says while rolling her eyes. "I knew you weren't all that smart, but this is ridiculous."

"Hey, I had straight grades in college, AND highschool. Plus, this is the United States. Don't tell me you went and fucked that up to."

"What's the United States?" Twilight asks.

"You're standing in it. This is my home, my country and you all changed it." I say with a shake of my head. "Why did this happen to me?" I whisper pitifully. Now, I'm not one to cry over much, in fact there's almost nothing that can bring a tear to my eye, but some things can get through to anyone. This is one of those things.

Reality finally catches up to me in the moment, and I just completely break down. I slide down the fall, Twilight still hovering over me. My face is basically sliding down her chest and stomach at this point she's so close. She pushes off the wall, landing on all fours in front of me, and her face, as well as Rainbow's changes to ones of compassion, something I rarely see.

"I just... I lost everything man. Everything I ever worked for, everything I ever loved, it's all gone!" I scream into my arms as I wrap them around my knees. The sobs come in rhythmic beats, causing my shoulders to rise and fall along with my heartbeat.

Something warm presses into my side, something I've felt before because she did the same thing the last time I almost broke down. This time, I'm more open to her, more willing to accept the truth.

"I-I'm sorry, this isn't like me." I say between heavy breaths. I look up into Twilight's eyes, and all I see is my reflection, and compassion, empathy.

"It's okay Zack... we're here." Twilight says, wrapping herself around my chest. My arms go limp at my sides as I stare up at the ceiling. Another mass presses into my legs, and I look down to see Rainbow with her hoof gently pressed against my shin, giving me sad stare.

"You too?" I say, trying to force a grin, but failing miserably. She just nods in response, gently moving her hoof up and down my shin. She doesn't look like much of a crier, but I can tell she's trying to fight at least a couple of tears back. She doesn't go in for the full hug like Twilight, but it seems she at least cares a little bit. That might be the first nice thing she's done for me.

"I'm fine, really." I say, trying to push Twilight off of me, which takes a lot of force since she doesn't seem to want to let go. Eventually I get her off, and she apologizes for gripping on so tight.

"I just got kinda lost in the moment." She says with a sheepish smile. "But really, I'm so sorry that you lost everything."

"How did you 'lose' everything exactly? Can't you just, y'know, go back home?" Rainbow asks. Oh shit, that's right, I never told her where I came from. Only Twilight and Rarity know. I spend the next few minutes explaining in depth how I ended up where I am now. Of course, this brings back some painful memories, but I have to do it if I'm gonna get Rainbow caught up on all the details.

"Wow, that's... something." Rainbow says, kicking the ground with a hoof.

"Look, Twilight, is it okay if we reschedule? I'm just not feeling it anymore." I say as I stand back up, using the wall for balance.

"Of course, I totally understand. Hey, I don't know about you guys, but I could really use some lunch."

"Sounds good to me." Rainbow says, taking to the air like she's ready to head out already. "Zack?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'd love lunch, but I can't pay. I'll go with you guys, but I'm not getting anything."

"I can pay Zack, you don't have to-" Twilight starts to say.

"No no, I said I'd pay or nothing at all. This is my decision, let me make it."

"Alright, whatever makes you happy."

"Thanks. Trust me, I've gotten used to being hungry, so it's practically second nature."

"That doesn't sound all that healthy." Rainbow says as I open the door. Both of them walk out, and I close the door behind us.

"It's not, but it's how I roll. So, where are we heading?"

"There's this nice little cafe down the road. They have some of the best food in town." Twilight says with a smile.

"If you're talking about the place that I'm thinking about, Rarity already took me there. Somehow convinced me that she should pay for it..."

"Really? Somepony actually got through to YOU?" Rainbow says sarcastically, flying around me in little circles.

"Ya know, you're like a little gnat, Rainbow. Always buzzing around, small, and annoying."

"I am not small, and I am not annoying, right Twilight?" We both look down at Twilight, who suddenly begins whistling like she never even heard us. Nice move Twilight.

"You're small to me, and as for the annoying part... looks like I'm not the only one who thinks that was about you." I say, pointing down to Twilight who is now blushing pretty hard.

"Whatever... I'm not annoying..." Rainbow mumbles under her breath. I heard her, yeah, but I'll let it slide for now. No need wasting all of my energy in one argument when I could use it later to annoy the absolute shit out of her. I think that might just be my life goal at this point.

"So, Zack, what do you like to do in your free time?" Twilight asks, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Considering I have nothing but free time, I'd say surviving has become a regular thing for me. But when I was back in my own time, I'd usually go to the movies or play games or something. It was rare that I got any kind of free time once I reached college, but now it's all I seem to have. Honestly, I'm getting bored around here. There's like, nothing to do."

"There's plenty to do around here!" Twilight says happily. "What's some other stuff you like to do?"

"Um, I like playing sports, running is pretty cool, but tiring... I like to read, and-"

"You like reading too!?"

"Here we go..." Rainbow mumbles, hitting herself in the head with a hoof.

"I've always liked reading, haven't I told you this before?" I glance up at Rainbow who is giving me a signal to stop talking. Knowing Twilight, that probably isn't a bad idea. "Y'know, on second though, why don't we talk about something different." I say, much to Twilight's dismay.

"Well we can do it over lunch, because we're here." I look ahead of us and see the same cafe that Rarity had taken me to. In a town this size, the coincidence doesn't exactly surprise me.

"So, what do you guys like? To eat, that is." I say as we sit down. I'm practically squatting on the little hay piles that are the perfect height for the other two. I give up after only a few seconds of discomfort. I spot a crate against the wall of the cafe, and drag it over to the table. The crate is a much more comfortable height for me, though I'm screwed if someone comes looking for it.

"I like the daisy sandwich." Twilight says as she hovers a menu in front of her.

"The hell?" I mumble to myself. Guess Rainbow heard me, because she gives me a weird look.

"What? I think it's good too. Have you never tried it?" Rainbow asks.

"No, and I don't plan to. I can't eat half of the shit on this menu to be honest." I respond as I browse the menu which I don't plan to order from.

"Well what can you eat?" Twilight asks, peeking over her menu. I've already gone over this with Rarity, and it almost scared her off. Maybe these two won't mind as much?

"Um, well... I don't know if I should tell you guys. I already told Rarity and she wasn't all that thrilled..."

"Do you eat ponies?" Rainbow asks, backing away ever so slightly.

"God no, that's disgusting. I do... eat meat though. All humans do, well, most do anyway. I don't plan on eating you guys though. Besides, I don't think pony would taste all that good." I say with a smirk.

"Oh, that's... interesting." Twilight says, making a mental note.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. At least you guys didn't flip out like Rarity did. I know it might sound weird to you guys, but meat is just a normal part of the human diet."

"Still sounds sick to me." Rainbow says. She doesn't sound scared as much as she does disgusted. The same could be said for Twilight. Still a better reaction in my opinion.

"Well you're herbivores, so of course it will." The waiter walks up, and I notice it is the same guy from last time. This time he doesn't stare at me, but instead gives me a very quick and curious glance before returning to his professional manner. He takes their orders, and seems confused when I say I'm not getting anything. Twilight offers again to buy my lunch, but I turn her down. The only way I'll accept that is if I'm forced to, or if I'll literally die if I don't.

"And you say what I eat is disgusting." I say as I lean forward on the table. Both of them have flowers in their food, Twilight with a sandwich and Rainbow with a salad. Twilight has her magic to pick up her sandwich, but Rainbow has to shove her face into the bowl, which, to be honest, has to be the funniest thing I've seen all day.

"What's wrong with a salad?" Rainbow asks with her mouthful.

"Nothing other than the fact that there are fucking flowers in it. I don't know much about plants, but I do recognize some of these as being poisonous." I say as I reach over, picking out a red flower.

"Really? We eat these all the time." Twilight says.

"Yeah, that's what I'm confused about. I guess we have different digestive systems too. Learning more and more about you weirdos every day." I say while spinning the flower around between my fingers. I get a hoof to the shoulder from Rainbow, causing me to choke on the air I was breathing in.

"You're the weirdo Zack. We're perfectly normal." She says before stuffing her face back into her salad.

"Yeah... I'm the weirdo." I say slowly, watching her closely, trying not to burst out laughing. Twilight doesn't seem phased by it, so I guess this is how non-unicorns usually eat.

Twilight and I start chatting a bit while Rainbow eats. That is, until I notice that she's being awful silent. I glance over to her to see that she has stopped eating, and is now staring off into the distance.

"Oh Celestia..." Rainbow barely whispers. I'm lucky I heard it, or I wouldn't have know that she was staring at something behind me and Twilight that only she can see.

"Rainbow? You good?" I ask as I lean over the table, waving a hand in front of her face. She doesn't respond at all, which causes Twilight and I to turn around to see what she is staring at.

"What is she looking at?" Twilight whispers to me as we both try to search for anything out of the ordinary. Twilight doesn't it see it when I do, of course she wouldn't because she's never seen the guy before.

"Oh son of a bitch..." I mumble to myself, anger already starting to overtake me. "That little fuck almost gave me a black eye. Twilight, hold my bag, I'm gonna go finish something." I stand up, throwing my bag at Twilight. I don't hear it hit the ground so I guess she caught it.

A million thoughts rush through my mind as I approach the guy. Mostly "What the hell was this guy's name?".

"Hey, dickhead." I say as I tap on his shoulder once I reach him. He turns around, and his eyes turn to pinpricks in less than a millisecond. "You let something at your house." My brain doesn't even register my fist flying through the air, much less it making contact with the stallion's face.

He stumbles back a bit, rubbing the side of his face with a hoof. He opens his eyes, but now those pinpricks have been replace by a raging fire. At the initial punch, everyone around us starting backing up, but very few actually fan. It was like this was some sporting event and I was the main attraction. Can't worry about that right now, this guy has to pay up, not only for me, but for what he did to Rainbow.

He lunges at me unexpectedly, catching me off guard. His hoof makes contact with my gut, knocking all of the air out of me way faster than physically possible. I fall back, landing on my ass before cracking my head against the ground. My vision turns black and white for a split second before becoming blurry and fuzzy, the color slowly coming back.

The stallion leans over me, pinning my arms to the ground. I lift my head up as hard as I can, my forehead crushing the front of his nose. We both fall over in pain, and when I rub my forehead, I feel a little blood. I don't know if it's his or mine, but the fact that is there means I'm probably going off adrenaline right now if I actually hit that hard.

I slowly stand up, using a light pole for support. I look up, squinting my eyes to shield them from the sun. I see a figure hovering above the crowd. I can't see any color due to it being right in front of the sun, but I can see the hairstyle, and I already know who it is.

"Don't you fucking-" Before I can even finish my sentence, the figure vanishes in the blink of an eye, reappearing in front of the stallion. If I blinked, I probably would have missed him receiving a hoof to the face.

"Zack!" I spin around, hearing Twilight's voice. It takes me a second, but I spot her standing on the edge of the crowd next to... Rainbow? Wait then who... Rainbow has such a distinct hair style, I didn't think anyone else had it.

"You alright kid?" I spin back around to see a figure trotting towards me. I was right, they do have Rainbow's hair style, almost exactly the same. Only difference is, it's not rainbow colored, it's black and white.

"Daring?"

"In the flesh. We can chat in a minute."

"I... don't really feel so... good." I mumble as the back of my head starts throbbing again. I start losing my balance, and my vision starts to turn black around the edges.

"Hey, hand in there- Hold on." From what I can see the stallion was trying to sneak up on us, but Daring saw him just in time to give him another blow to the face. I think that might have done it, because he doesn't get up. From the looks of it, I won't either.

"I'm..." I whisper before falling onto my side. My head feels like it's on fire, and I place my hand on the back of my head. My hand sticks to my hair, and it feels warm and wet. I don't even need to look to know what it is.

"Zack, c'mon stay with me." I open my eyes slightly, but all I see is a blurry purple... something."

"S-Sorry..." I cough out with a smile. I close my eyes, and everything goes black. And it stays that way.

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long, but you can probably see why. :twilightsheepish:

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