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.