Vacant Niches

Chapters

Farewell to Paradise
School: Day 1
The Next Day
Investigation/New Partners
The Fall Formal
To Swim with Sharks
Serpent Hunt
Tour
Assault Part 1
Assault Part 2
Assault Part 3
In Our Town
City at War
Exploring Estes Park

Farewell to Paradise

While your eyes are closed, you breathe in the warm air as you gently turn to your side. You hope your little adventure in slumberland would never end. But alas it was not to be when you hear a shrilling sound pierce your eardrum. Tossing and turning, you feel your soft covers, then a hard object, than a colder hard object. At last, you feel plastic, shifting your index finger to slay that infernal sound. You lie flat on your back, raising your arms as you let out a satisfied groan.

You open your crusty eyes, seeing a blurry square before you. Rubbing your eyes, your look again to find a ceiling light. You lift your head to see the vibrant walls, reminding you of a tropical life. This is evident as you get off your bed; just outside the window was a sunny beach. Several beachgoers, from kids in swim trunks to women wearing the most revealing of clothes, patrol the beach front. You then turn to your suitcase, taking off your robe and pulling out a pair of shorts and a blue t-shirt.

“Anon!” - You hear while putting on your shirt. When you couldn’t answer soon enough, you hear knocking on your door. - “Are you ready?”

You finally get your head through the hole; problem is, just not the right hole. Your covered ears then pick up your door opening. You turn around; before you was a woman, around her early forties, with black hair (with a few graying hairs), flesh colored skin like yours and wearing a thin silk dress.

“I… am in a bit of a rut.” You notice her mouth drawing away, letting out a muffled snort through her nose. She approaches you, pushes your head back into your shirt, and pulls the shirt down. Your head in its proper place, you turn back to your mother, still having the same smile on her lips.

“What would you be without me?” She pinches your cheeks before leaving the room.

You get your alarm clock packed with your clothes, lifting the handle before you pull the suitcase with you. You lift it step down a flight of stairs. You step outside, breathing the warm, salty air. In front of you is your family car, a loading truck, and a whole stack of boxes. You decide to help the truck driver with loading, but as you do you feel your heart become heavier. Your feeling becomes clear when your eye spies a certain shiny object. You take it out of the box; it a group photo containing a much younger you, your mother, and a much taller man. Your moment ends when your mother takes the photo away from you.

“Mom, do we really have to move?” You mutter.

Your mother stops to turn around.

“You expect me to drive over there and back?” She answers, trying to put a happy face on things. Seeing you unphased, she nudges your shoulder. “C’mon. It’ll be a good experience for the both of us. New home, new places, new school, new friends.”

“Not that I have any friends.” You mutter again. You sit on the passenger's side, giving your old home one last look as you feel the pull of the car beginning to move. Soon, the house is lost to your line of sight. You look around; your favorite hangouts, your favorite restaurants, especially the one you admire most of all for its frozen treats. The gulf coast disappears as your mother leads the truck through the leafy jungle. Just staring out of the window, it doesn’t take you long for your eyes to feel heavy. You shuffle your shoulders and let the sandman claim your life again.

Somehow, you are back in your old school, and half your height. Feeling alone, you look at the clock in the hallway. It’s still school hours, so why is everyone absent? You take your steps cautiously, moving your eyes left and right.

“Hey look, it’s Annie!” You turn around, finding three larger boys. The one in front of your is cracking his knuckles.

“It’s… It’s…” You try to answer in a more youthful voice when the bully grabs you. You curl into a ball, though that doesn’t do you much good as your hated rival punches in the gut several times.

“Oh look, boys. Little Annie got hurt.” You are spun to an empty void in an open locker. “Here, let’s put her to bed.”

As you a brought closer to the locker, you beg, screaming for your life. You keep a strong grip on the rims, arching your back to hold back the force of him pushing. As he laughs, you look into the darkness; noticing the laughter becoming more feminine as a toothy mouth somehow appears before you. When a pair of predatory sapphire eyes glisten, you close your eyes to resist the fearful sight.

You immediately wake up, the fact that it is a bright day relieving you from your fears. But it’s the setting that fills your brain with confusion. Gone is the sandy beach, gone are the jungles on the outskirts of town. Instead, there are vast fields of scrubland with a few acres of more hardy trees as well. It’s nonetheless alien to you when you see a large set of rock formations. You feel like a prune when you begin to stretch.

“Enjoy your nap?” You turn your head to your mother, continuing the drive without rest after turning her head away from you.

“Have you been driving all night?” You rub the sleep from your eyes and flick off the eye boogers. Looking back to your mother, you see her let out a chuckle.

“Actually, sleepy head,” - She shifts her shoulder a little - “We went to a rest stop. I just didn’t want to disturb you.”

You draw a smirk on your face before looking ahead, seeing a small town grow ever larger. Driving closer, you see the sparse growth replaced by fields of green grass and a few trees; around ten minutes after, it gets replaced by concrete buildings and sidewalks. As your mother stops at an intersection, you look around. While you can still see the mountains, the amount of buildings in one area made you feel trapped. Yet seeing the people and their children walking happily, this town might have some hope for you. When you look forward, your eye catches something on your right.

There was a group of older children, around two years older than you. Most of them were women, but there are a few men with them; one such man, yellow in skin color with violet hair and stripey facial hair appeared to lead the band. Shifting your head a little, you find an anomaly with the herd of young adults. A little boy with white hair, ten-eleven years old you might guess, slows himself to give a good look at you. It’s an awkward stare, but it ends soon as you feel the car pull forward. The boy still looks at you before turning his gaze and joining his company.

A little further, and you finally arrive at your destination: a two-floor building nestled on a little hill between another building and a hard place. You grip the door handle, tightening yourself as your mother precariously pulls into the tiny driveway. With the truck pulls its backside into the driveway, you feel the fear build up to you. Wincing a little, you open your just a crack, letting out a sigh of relief when you see the truck park a few feet away.

“Well.” Your mother grips your thigh, a happy look on her face. “Welcome to Estes Park.”

Both of you exiting the vehicle, your lungs take in the fresh air: compared to the tropics your dwelled all your life, it’s colder, and feels a little heavy on your lungs. Likewise, your skin pickles after a few seconds. You curse in your mind that you should have worn a long sleeve shirt. But bygones be bygones; the best way to warm yourself is right before you. You pick up a box, walk as fast as your loaded body could allow. Fortunately for you, your mother leaves the door open.

When you enter the house, you find yourself a little disappointed. The colors aren’t vibrant, but down to earth colors. At least the stairs and floors have soft carpet over them, adding a sensation between your toes as you carry the box. You put it on a leftover chair, almost colliding with the truck driver when you run to get another box. This one, your signature on top, you bring your room. Though having drabby colors, it is much larger than the one in your old house. After you put the box down, you stroke your chin; maybe with her permission, you could paint the walls yourself.

The boxes in their place, your mother pays the truck driver threefold, having spent an entire day and half of gas and needed to do so again when he heads south. You join her in waving him goodbye. He pulls forward; going, going; gone. With that out of the way, you sit down on the couch, hoping to absorb the atmosphere of an alien city. You eyeball your mother opening a box and grab a book then sit down next to you.

“So, what do you think?” She asks, not turning her attention away from the pages.

You look around, reminding yourself of the overall look of the house, especially the colors. You slouch even further when you come up with an answer.

“Well it’s garish, ugly, the paint job reminds me of a suicide film…”

“So…” - You flick your eyes to see your mother turning away from her reading - “you don’t like it?”

“Don’t like it?” You turn your head, facing your mother before drawing a smile. “I love it.”

You two return to lounging on your chairs before feeling a rumbling in your tummy. At first, you ignore it, but it starts again, louder and a little painful. Your mother turns her attention to you.

“Hungry?”

You place your hand on your stomach, scrunching the folds of your skin, muscle, and fat a few times before looking ahead.

“Yep.”

School: Day 1

For reasons you cannot describe, it was a rooster’s call that got you to open your eyes. You groan as you shift your head to your right. It took you a long while before realizing something you forget: you didn’t set up your alarm clock.

“Oh, son of a-!” You jump off your bed, rush to the bathroom, stuff that toothbrush in your mouth and rush downstairs. “Mom! Why didn’t you wake me up?!” Forgetting your pants, you run upstairs and put on some cargo shorts. You hear a sarcastic voice from your mother, but are so busy getting yourself prepped up it didn’t matter. “Sorry, I’d love to talk, but I don’t want to be late!”

“Then I think you don’t want your lunch now?”

You stop, plodding back to the kitchen and gave your mother a blank look.

“Thanks.” You said before grabbing the lunch bag and run out.

You didn’t have time to unhitch your bike, and so you continue running. Not used to the upland region you live now, it doesn’t take you long before starting to tire and your feet hurt.

“Why didn’t I just set up my clock when we got here!?”

You are just about to pass an enclosed parking space when you see a few kids gathered in one place. They tug and push at each other as they appear to fight over something. Hearing a soft whimper, you are placed on alert.

“Hey!” You rush at the group of kids, getting them to run away.

What they left behind is a small dog; violet in fur with a green belly, hair tuft, and ears, you sit down and gently lift the pup. He, as you confirm by accidentally looking under his fat belly, opens his green eyes. As he starts wagging his tail, your brain reminds you on your lateness. You jump to your feet and rush out the parking lot.

Turning a few corners and around a construction site, you find the building your classes are held. It’s a massive building, larger than the one you saw a day ago, and definitely so than your elementary school. You begin to go around the horse statue when you hear a small yelp. You turn around and see the same dog you just rescued.

“No!” You point at the ground. “Stay!” You hear a small jingle as you move to the stairs. “Stay!” But the dog just comes toward you. With a groan, you pick up the dog and carry it to the horse statue. “You stay! I go! No following!”

You walk backward, keeping a close eye on the dog. The mutt not moving an inch, you turn around and enter the building. Fitting for a large building, the lobby you enter is massive. To your left and to the right are trophy cases. You decide to take a look at the gold trinkets; this is one competitive school if the so-called Wondercolts won several first place trophies with occasional second place medals. But your little safari is interrupted when the hall echoes with rapid breathing.

“Oh for God’s sake!” You scream through your teeth, seeing the dog wag his tail as he places a paw on your shoe.

In sync with the bell ringing, a door opens swiftly, knocking you to the smooth floor. You cover your head, praying you won't be trampled by your classmates. You open one blue eye; they are not in any rush as they walk around you. You get up, looking at every classmate big and small.

“Excuse me.”

You look down, finding a boy around Dapplewood's height with a color scheme that reminded you of a cow. You begin to walk forward, colliding with a taller girl with red hair, amber eyes, denim jacket, and a pink bow on her head. Next to her are two other women her age; to your left was one with a skin color like a marshmallow and bicolored hair of two shades of violet, the other had much shorter violet hair than the others and wore more sporty clothes.

“Pardon.”

They walk around you. You look at the one with the bow, how the shade of pink reminded you of the blur that rode by you yesterday. You look forward again before colliding with a much wider classmate. You collapse once more, turning your head to see this fatter student, a blue-skinned boy with orange hair walking with his more slender friend. Baring your teeth, you look forward; the same piebald girl you see yesterday walks towards you with an ever taller male wearing Western-style clothes including a blue-green hat. Unlike the other classmates, the girl lifts her leg to step over you. You dare to look up, but seeing you get an idea, the tall male keeps his eye on you. As they walk to the other side of the hall, you stand up.

“Walking backward, huh?” You look forward again, seeing another girl, this time a stout individual with violet hair, walking around her. “Well let me know if that gets you there any faster.”

As the crowds cease the bell rings again. With the dog always coming to you, you have to come to do the unexpected. You unzip your backpack, pick up the dog, stuff it in your backpack, and rush to your first class: Algebra 1. When you reach for your backpack, the puppy hands you the book. Not that you are ungrateful, but when the teacher, Square Root by name, enters the room, you push the dog by the head and close the backpack. As your teacher goes about with his lecture, you try your best to keep the animal quiet by rubbing the bag with your foot.

A few classes later and you land in the most unlikely class you’ve ever enrolled: dance class. Sure, dancing would help you impress the ladies and get a few friends. But the downside that will make you go through hell is what you wear: a black leotard that left your arm, legs, and neck exposed to the wind. In the gymnasium, you shiver like crazy as you and your partner, a Junior brunette with glasses and dog paw earrings. Your classmates include the redhead you saw earlier today alongside an older boy whose color scheme reminded you of her more sporty friend.

“Okay, class.” You look to your teacher, Hoofer Steps, motioning you all to come to her. “I vant you to practice a three-step dance. Ve’ll start slow then build up tempo, yes.”

Your head follows the dance instructor to a radio; what you expect a loud metal song is instead a slow tempo music that reminds you of a Spanish soap opera you would watch as a kid. Without warning, your dance partner grabs you, holds you close, and begin the dance. At first, the size difference is no problem, but as Hoofer Steps increases the tempo, you find your feet no longer touching the ground. In the time that the other dancers get their partners into a spin, Zipporwhill actually sends you flying headfirst to the folded bleachers. You rub your head as multiple duplicates of your teacher and classmates approach you.

“Oh my goodness, are you okay?” Zipporwhill asks, holding her hands to her mouth.

“Maybe I should transfer to gym class…” You groan.

As you change your clothes and leave for lunch, you hear heavier footsteps from behind. You stop, turn around, and yelp, landing rear end on the hard floor. It’s the redhead you met twice now stretching her hand. She pulls you up before reaching her pockets. Assuming the worse, you begin to curl back.

“Do these belong to you?” What she presents to you are your keys. Whether it was Big Mac or the nice lady who fished it out, it didn’t matter as you collect your collection of shiny objects.

“Thanks.” You notice an emblem on the left side of her jacket, seeing a silhouette of a fruit. “So, you’re Apple Bloom?”

“Yessum.” She stretches her hand again, this time allowing you to hold it. “Enjoying your first day here?”

“Well, I would if it wasn’t for that-” You find your backpack much lighter than usual. It even feels lighter when you bring the sack around you. The dog is gone. “Oh, slag muffins!”

You run towards the lobby, giving out several loud whistles. Rushing corner after corner, you suddenly bump into a larger individual. Compared to the few teachers you encountered in this school, this one appeared to be a middle-aged bald man. He held the purple and green dog as he held a black, furry thing in his mouth.

“You!” Cranky points at you before pointing behind you. “To the Vice Principal’s office!”

You gulp… Twice… and follow the direction pointed for you. Your first day in High School and you're already being sent to the Vice Principal’s office. Why not the just the Principal’s office you do not know, and frankly do not care. You drag your feet, making everyone look at you with confused faces. One such crowd you attract, you follow their casted shadows. Cosgrove, along with four others you’ve met today and yesterday.

“Hey, Anon.” Cosgrove greets as he walks beside you. “Why are you slouching?”

You look up with frustrated yet sad eyes. “I got sent to the Vice Principal’s office because of some stupid dog.”

You and your friends hear the PA system buzz.

“Anon, please report to the Vice Principal’s office. Anon to the Vice Principal’s office.”

You look at Cosgrove once more, who points in your general direction.

“Down the hall and to your left, when you go inside, her office is to your left.”

You go down the hallway, finding the door to the Principal’s office. You enter the L shaped room; there is a desk between the two offices, yet there isn’t a secretary. You look to your left, feeling smaller as you approach the doors to the Vice Principal’s office. As you raise your fist, you notice the letters replace and rearrange themselves.

Abandon all Hope, Ye who Enter Here.

You gulp one more time, collecting what little courage you have to knock.

“Come in.” You open the door, looking inside with your baby blues. Compared to the classrooms, this room was very dark, with only the highlights of window blinds providing illumination. This is indeed a place a student wouldn’t want to enter for even one bad prank. Behind the desk, a tall, black chair rocked back and forth. “Please, sit down.”

Without her asking twice, you sit down at the diminutive desk. The chair spins slowly, revealing a woman with blue skin and hair of two shades of darker blue. And with the clothes to match her biology, she blends very well with her dark chamber.

“Now, may I ask why you brought an animal here?” She asks, intimidating you by sitting upright.

“Well…” You know why the dog is here, but the mood of the room made you nervous. Tapping your fingers, your eyes shift around before focusing on the nameplate. “Mrs. Luna,” - You see the Vice Principal raise an eyebrow - “Ms. Luna?” She lowers her brow. “The dog followed me here; he’s not mine.” The principal narrows her eyes, not that it matters as you look around. “Shouldn’t the Principal be here?”

“That’s out of the question!” you cringe at the outburst while Luna moans, pinching her temple before standing up. “You are new here, so I will let you off with a warning. But if I see you again in this one week, you won’t be that lucky. Now, get out.”

“(Don’t have to ask me twice!)” Your mind screams as you rush out of the office.

A few hours later, and you are released from school. You do have one homework assignment, but it appears to be simple math. Of course, getting home without your bike will take a while. You open the front doors, take a sniff of fresh air and turn to your left.

“Shining Armor will expect a long answer from you.”

You stop, turning your head slightly at the sound of Cosgrove’s voice.

“Look, I’m sorry.”

You hear a rather younger voice, a mixture of a boy and a girl. You hug the wall, getting a good view of Cosgrove in a yellow-green cloak covering much of his body.

“I don’t care if you're just playing innocent,” He reveals his right arm, pointing at someone “never have a new student take the blame for you, is that-”

“Cosgrove?” You reveal yourself to him and, odd enough, the dog that caused you so much trouble. You look around again before asking, “Who are you talking to?”

“No one.” Cosgrove bends over and picks up the dog. “I’m taking Spike over to Shining Armor. He shouldn’t give you any more trouble for the rest of the year.”

As you and Cosgrove part ways, a thought occurs in your head, making you turn around.

“Hey, what happened to the Principal?”

You see that you got Cosgrove to stop, but not get him to turn around.

“I wish I knew.” Is all he says before continuing his walk.

Not the answer you want, you shrug your shoulders and continue your journey home. At you pass a television shop, your eye catches something on the many screens. It’s an evening setting, with several panning shots of a group of heroes, five of whom are beastly, fighting a dark, winged figure. Outnumbered, the dark being flies away, pursued by a six-winged reptile. It cuts to another channel, making you grimace.

“Must be a new tv show coming up.” You assume, continuing your walk home, get your homework done, and sleep for another day.

The Next Day

While you have set up your alarm clock before going to bed, certain disturbances, mainly a dry throat, have you woken up earlier than the hour set up. With sleepy eyes, you trudge to the bathroom, shielding your eyes from the light. While using your sense of touch, your brain recalls a distant memory.

“You’re new here so I will let you off with a warning. But if I see you again this week,” - As you tilt your head back to swallow the life-giving fluid, you slowly open your eyes - “you won’t be so lucky!”

Seeing the pair of predatory blue eyes again, you spurt at the mirror and spin around. No one was there, so you turn back to the mirror, and find the eyes are gone. You rub your eyes, looking at the mirror again to see if your suspicions are true. No peepers there either. Something is very odd indeed.

Taking your bike, you feel confident on your second day at Canterlot High. No dog following you around, you sigh with relief as you enter the building. You turn in your math assignment, go through your classes, which includes getting your head slammed against the bleachers courtesy of an ecstatic Zipporwhill. The big difference today is that it is an advisory day. After your fourth class, you approach a door with the name “Professor D.” labeled on it. When you enter the room, the first thing you step on is a hamburger wrapper. In fact, the entire room is a mess; it’s no wonder the only other student in the room is a girl with billowing hair resting her feet on the desk chair in front of her.

“He should be here any minute.” She says, invitingly tapping the desk to her right.

At first skeptical, you soon sit down. You’re not at all keen being one of the only two in a messy room, but what can you do about it? Make the best of it and introduce yourself to the lady next to you.

“I’m Anon.” You stretch your hand, waiting a while for a response. “Hello, me Anon, you are?”

“Oh,” - She turns her head to you - “I don’t give my name to newbies.”

You furrow your brow when she opens her eyes; instead of the usual colors and blacks, her peepers where swirls without any pupils. Bewildered, you decide to just look forward and play it cool.

“Everything in this room doesn’t make sense.”

“Make sense, make sense? What point is there in making sense?”

When you feel a breath on your black hair, you look up with a shifted face. From your perspective, a tall man, around his fifties at least from the look of his beard, stood behind you. Like his room and the child next to you, the man was also a topsy turvy anomaly. His eyes are yellow with red pupils of various sizes, his right canine so massive it pokes out from his lip, the sleeves of his suit textured in either fuzz or feathers, the same going for his pant leggings; the right legging you swore was made of alligator skin. If not his looks, then his height is what scares you while you raise a shaky hand

“So....” - You gulp - “Your Professor D?”

The man just sputtered before giving a hearty chuckle.

“Oh, Lulu wanted me to be more formal.” The man walks away from you. “You may call me Discord.”

“Discord? What kind of name is-?” Somehow you find Discord, as he is named, missing. You swerve your head before letting out a yelp at the sight of him casually lying on the desks.

“Well, my name is several light years long.” He raises his right hand. “I would spell it out, but explaining cold fusion would be better.”

You scratch your head, deciding to break the silence. “So, why are we here?”

Discord places his disfigured head on his hands. “Oh just to relax. Anything else?”

You rub your chin. “Would it be alright for me to transfer to another class.”

“Can.”

“Do I have to send a request?”

“Will.”

Those one-word answers had you grimace, so you think up with another question.

“Shall.” He answers before you get the chance.

With only fifteen minutes left before the bell dismisses you, you lean forward, pressing your arms, chest, and head on the desk. You shiver a little, but as the smooth surface warms, you feel your muscles relax. A stressful first day gave way to a relaxing second one. At least so far as you close your eyes, sighing in relief.

Sack lunch in hand, you swiftly, yet carefully, veer through the masses to the cafeteria. Even after yesterday, you couldn't help but admire the color scheme: mostly beige with the walls painted blue as with the banners displaying the Wondercolt insignia, sports honors, and past graduates. Not having made friends with those your age, you sit at an empty desk, munching on your homemade BLT. But being alone is bringing your sense of danger forward. You spin around, hands shaped like a knife.

“All right, I know kung fu and I’m not afraid to-!” Your assumed opponent is the same piebald woman you saw yesterday with Cosgrove and the day before. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Why are you sitting alone?” She asks, sitting across from you.

“Oh, I don’t know.” You take a bite of your sandwich, continuing to talk through your teeth. “When I make some friends, this table will be eating out of my hands.”

The girl turns her head left, then looks back to you. “Why don’t you just sit with us?”

You take another bite of your sandwich. “And be a dwarf in a den of giants?”

This didn’t phase her, but it did get her to leave. You chuckle victoriously, taking another larger bite of your sandwich. You savor the salty, juicy mixture of slim pork belly, tomato, and lettuce when you start feeling wonky. You grip the chair for dear life and grip the sandwich with your teeth as your feet leave the ground. Braving your butt being bounced up and down against the blue plastic, your fear peaks before seeing yourself be placed. Still gripped with fear, you shift your eyes to the left, seeing some of Cosgrove’s friends and Apple Bloom’s bicolor hair friend. You turn your eyes to the right, seeing the rest of the group. You look ahead, seeing the cloaked Cosgrove before you.

“Welcome to the fun club.” He mutters, leaning to his charcoal gray friend with yellow and red hair. “If you don’t mind.”

You see the slender man stand up, taking a deep breath while raising his index finger, one of many he possesses.

“Cosgrove,Apple Bloom,Sweetie Belle,Scootaloo,Chelsey,Diver,Tex,andme,Zipper.” He inhales once more, looking at you with eyes only a priest can love. He sits down, casually eating his leftover stew and ignoring your grimace.

“So, Anon.” You turn your head towards the one named Scootaloo. “Ever catch any waves in Florida?”

“Uhm…” You scratch your head. “Not really. I’m more of a beach bum than a surfer.”

“Aw…” - Scoots whined, returning to her meal - “I was hoping for some lessons.”

You see Sweetie Belle roll her eyes; Scootaloo might be one of those like that of an old neighbor of your who was basically a soccer mom. That might change later on, but for now, the bolt is locked. You look around once more; there isn’t anyone who even looks threatening.

“So, are there any… Bullies in this school?”

Some of your table mates shake their heads. You see your hands enveloped in shadow, looking to your left to see Tex looking at you.

“Bullies are cowards,” - He stretches his arms - “look how many of us there are. No one would dare attack a group this many. Remember: they go in groups of two or three. I bet even Chelsey could smash their skulls.”

You suddenly feel squished: looking up, you see Chelsey nudge her equal.

“Do you get bullied where you came from?” Asked Diver, taking another bite from her tuna sandwich. You look down, a guilty sense rising in you as you ball yourself.

“Hey.” You look up, seeing Cosgrove lean towards you. “We can promise that you won’t a bully for ten miles.”

“And if there are,” - You turn to Scootaloo again, raising hand and fist - “we’ll be there.”

After seeing her pound her hand, you look at everyone else giving you the same encouraging expression. You loosen up, ready to eat your BLT. But instead of the gestalt of food, you bite your finger in time with the doors slamming.

“Extra, extra!” While shaking your finger, you look back, seeing another slender man with a similar color as Zipporwhill and buck teeth. He held a large bundle of newspapers in his hand. “Strange figure strikes Estes Park again! Citizens terrified with fear!”

Featherweight, Editor in Chief of Canterlot’s “Foal Free Press,” rushes to you with the last copy in the bundle.

“Take it, friend,” - He gives you the copy - “arm yourself with knowledge.”

At the same time, Shady Daze, a man with a similar stature as Cosgrove, albeit in blue skin tones and hair color without facial hair, rushes to the cafeteria with two more bundles of newspapers. Featherweight aids his staff photographer, shouting his message while he hands the rest of the papers to the other classmates. The first thing you see in the paper is the silhouette of a winged figure.

Strange Figure Gets Away with Attack Again.

“So,” - You look at Cosgrove, flipping the newspaper back and forth - “this is why you said to be careful?”

You see everyone beginning to look uncertain; some looked away, some tapped their fingers, one pulls her lips into her mouth and looked away.

“There are other dangers.” Cosgrove answers, taking another bite of his food.

True, you think to yourself. Back home, you had to deal with alligators, gang wars, and hurricanes. What would this city have to offer when it comes to crime? You bite into your sandwich, thinking about the near future.

You were just finishing your geography homework when you feel a buzz in your pants. You take out your phone and log in.

“Working a little late tonight, can you pick up the rotisserie chicken?

Mom.”

You look at the clock, the small hand bordering Six PM. You think carefully; you and your mother need the chicken for dinner, but it is getting close to dark. No lollygagging or sightseeing; just a trip to the grocery store and back. You put on a light jacket, hop on the bike, and go downtown.

You rush into the grocery store, pick up the roasted bird, and begin your race with the setting sun. Pedal as you could, the astral fireball sank even faster behind the mountains. If not for the moon and city lights, it would be pitch black. In the open, you saw the shadow of a winged creature soaring at you, laughing hysterically. You pedal harder, not even taking the dare to look back.

“I’ve warned you the next time we meet!” She screams; you see the shadow grow larger, even swearing in your brain that you could feel sharp tips near your shoulders.

Then, a strong force sends you flying, slamming and scraping yourself on the asphalt. You groan, using your good arm to stand up. You look to find the winged figure defending itself against three winged beings. Like falcons to a goose, the smaller beings swiftly dodge several beams of light that destroyed large chunks of buildings. They fly away just moments before a rocket explodes on the larger being. No time to get the bike, you grab the chicken and run to the nearest building and hug the wall. You heavily pant, waiting patiently for the conflict to end. You look to your left; the red light in the corner casts the shadow of what you assume to be a large creature. You run down the alley, getting just a passing glance of a large, spiny tail entering the shadows. What creature was that you didn’t care to find out as you took a few shortcuts to home, where your mother’s car is now parked.

“This town’s volatile, don’t you think?” Your mother notices the wounds on your arms. “Anon! What happened?”

You look at the direction of the chaos, how she or the other inhabitants don’t see the damage happening in town, you don’t know. But you still have to answer your mother with,

“I fell.”

Investigation/New Partners

Days pass since your first days in Estes Park. On a bright side, you aren’t bullied; while being with a group of Juniors is weird, it gives you relief to go for days without being crammed to your locker. With that fear aside, you added confidence allows you to study and pass tests with at least a B. On the dark side, these attacks like the one you saw on the eve of your third day are getting worse. The shortcut you take to school gets destroyed one evening, so you take another route before that too is destroyed the next evening. Something’s up, and you demand answers. The sixth of September, you are in your advisory, stirring up quite a conversation with Discord and Screwball.

“It’s pissing me off!” You exclaim, stretching your arms to add your point. “How would Mom like if she’s in my shoes?”

While you’re curled up in a huff, you feel a hand touch your side. Discord knelt next to you; even then, the mismatched man is twice your size.

“You’ve been here for almost a month and you haven’t even got a clue?” He says sarcastically, getting your attention.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Cosgrove telling you not to go out at night, winged beings, destroyed city blocks.” Discord gestures to the hallway. “I’m surprised you didn’t see any blemishes on any one of them.”

“You think,” - You raise an eyebrow - “they’re-?”

You get your mouth pinched by Screwball.

“Hey! Don’t spoil it for them!” She orders, pointing to her left. You squint, wondering what she is referring to as Discord joins in the thousand mile stare.

“Them?” You lean forward, expecting someone to come out. “Who’s them?”

“He isn’t ready.” Discord mutters behind your back.

Coming out of advisory, you make your way towards the Junior hallway. As you do, your ears pick up sweet talk. Mushy love stuff. Shy gibberish. Your determined look becomes shaky as your mind is plagued with gossip. It’s two weeks away from the Fall Formal, one of their many high school dances. You haven’t given it much thought on getting a date; any dances you go in your old school meant a two way trip to the janitor’s closet. You turn your head away one second before colliding with another student. Make that two, as you look up to see Chelsey and Tex.

“Oh, excuse us!” Chelsey apologizes, lifting you up. As she does, you notice one such blemish: a deep cut running along the side of her arm that appeared to be cauterized.

“Where’d you get that scar?”

Chelsey draws her arm back, covering it the wound with the other.

“Cut myself.” She answers, walking with whom you assume to be her boyfriend away from you.

That sudden act raises your eyebrow, so you decide to go to the source: the leader of the pack (or that's what you think at least). You sneak a peek, seeing Cosgrove unloading his belongings while collecting a few others. You hug the wall, coming up with a good plan.

“Okay, just walk up, look at him straight in the eye and tell him what the hell is going on.” You nod, make a sharp turn to see Cosgrove in front of you.

“Hi, Anon.” He greets, walking around you and towards the cafeteria. You follow him, watching for any suspicious movements. This does get his attention while he eyeballs you. “Something on your mind?”

“(Tell him, damn it! Tell him!)” Your brain screams when your eyes catch Featherweight and Indigo Blue talking to each other. “Gonna ask someone to the Fall Formal? (Son of a bitch!)”

“No, why?”

Now you sweat like a racehorse. No way are you able to get him to talk the way you want. You decide to go where the river takes you.

“Why? You let out an embarrassing chuckle before nudging Cosgrove. “Surely someone as burly as you would be a great ladies man. Got a girlfriend?”

You see Cosgrove stop, turning himself to you.

“I don't have one.”

“Not even close?” You see him look ahead, getting you to turn around. Apple Bloom is at her locker, unloading her backpack. Getting the idea, you look back at Cosgrove. “You two were…?”

“Friends. Just... Friends.” He turns around, beginning to walk away when you cut in front of him.

“C’mon, why don’t you ask her? What else could she-?”

You stop talking when you feel Cosgrove’s hand on your mini-mullet and spins you around. Before you is the man that shared Scootaloo’s colors. After a few more painful dance classes with Zipporwhill, you’ve found his name as Tender Taps. In some ways, it does make sense since you do see the two together in dance class. That doesn’t stop you from asking another question.

“Did you break up or she…?” The closest thing to an answer is a head shake. “Did you, or didn’t you?”

“Action is stronger than words, Anon.” Cosgrove walks around you. You stammer, coming up with another question.

“Why don’t you fight for her?” Fight, yeah, that’s what got him to stop. You find his fingers curl, shake a little, then open again.

“The last thing we’d want is a fight.” Is what he answers before continuing his walk. You are about to turn around; Apple Bloom was behind you, giving you a glare. Between her and Cosgrove, both appear able to give your a black eye. Fortunately, she also walks around you to the cafeteria. You walk to a locker and slam your head repeatedly.

“YOU. STUPID. BLOCKHEAD!!” You insult with each slam of your cranium.

“Hey!” You turn around, seeing Cranky Doodle scowling at you. “Show a little self-control.”

After he leaves you alone, you place your damaged cranium on the locker. You screwed up this round, there’s always a round two. But you need an elaborate plan. As you eat lunch, your brain begins to work on the next plan. When you finish your classes for today, you go to the library. You pull up your Facebook account and type Cosgrove’s name in the search bar.

“All right, my friend. What should I know about you?” You scroll down the page. “Cosgrove Thunderfoot, birthday: seventh of November, occupation: part-time farm hand at Sweet Apple Acres, common hangouts: Turtle Park. Ah ha! Now to-” You feel a few taps on your shoulder. The librarian, Ms. Cheerilee, gives you the third scowl today while pointing to a sign next to the laptop.

Academic purposes take priority when using computers.

You chuckle uneasily, log out, close the browser, and log out the computer, all while keeping eye contact with the librarian with the librarian as you leave. Once you leave the school, you take out your phone and open up its web browser. But the interface didn’t pop up, giving you a message

Your connection is not private.

“Damn it, I keep forgetting to get the password.” You look ahead, seeing a few passing faces. “I’ll just have to go with public radio.”

Public radio only goes so far when you haven’t fully explored the city. Even asking for help, you keep looking up at the signs to see where you're going. And even then you get lost. It’s near the evening, and you are nowhere near this Turtle Park. You decide to ask a professional, and so find a traffic officer.

“What you gotta do is go to the plaza, then take the bridge across the river. If you reach the arcade, you’ve gone too far.”

“Thanks, officer.” Ignoring the officer’s scolding, you pedal to the metal through the rush hour traffic to the bridge. Across the river, the common hangout is more forested. Seeing the CRV and a red truck next to it, you hooked the bike to a tree and look around. You're deeper into the haystack, it shouldn’t be long before your find the needle. “Why do they call it Turtle Park if there aren’t any-?”

You yelp at the sight of a large gaping mouth. In a while, you open your eyes and lean left. What is before you is a well-carved stone snapping turtle. You hop on the shell, scraping your belly as you crawl to the top. In the twilight, you couldn’t help but enjoy the sight: the mountains almost blue, the town having streaks of red, and a warm wind blowing in the cold air.

“Wow… do I feel stupid.”

You shift your body around; what you expect just Cosgrove you also see another person sitting next to him on the softshell turtle. You hope to have a man to man conversation, but perhaps you could get something by a pair of loose lips. You make as little noise as possible as you creep to the bushes. You did hear a little more idle chatting, but that’s muffled because of your business sneaking in the foliage. You finally get close to the statue, lying on your side to get a good view of the two.

But there wasn’t any talking from either of them; what you saw was Apple Bloom leaning her head on Cosgrove. While it is a lovely sight that is the exact opposite of what Cosgrove just told you, your patience has gone where the dead crabs go. You hear rustling behind you, forcing you to hide when the two look behind them. They look forward once more before standing up.

“Let’s check up on the others.” Said Apple Bloom as they shuffle down the turtle.

You curl back even further, keeping your hands safe from their shoes and boots. By the time you got up, they were already long gone. Round Two lost. Perhaps, it’s for the better, and so you unhitch your bike and make your way home. You look around; no flying people or monsters in the alley. It’s a delight to come home, get your homework done, and go to bed.

Though there haven't been any new damages after last night, you still rode around the current repair sites to Canterlot High. You are still flustered that you couldn't get an answer, but se la vie. You walk through the crowd to the freshman locker hall on the other side of the school. You take off your backpack and begin spinning the first number in the combination.

“So, enjoy what you saw?” You turn around, finding Tender Taps standing behind you looking frustrated.

“What I saw?” you ask, raising a brow.

“Yeah, last night.” The older teen leans forward, supporting his weight on the locker to his left “In Turtle Park.”

“Uh…” Your memories of bullying are brought forward as you get yourself into a ball. You shift your eyes to Apple Bloom approaching your and Taps.

“What's going on here?” She asks, eyeballing the both of you.

Tender Taps looks at his dance partner when you raise a hand.

“Tender was thinking I saw you and Cosgrove on the stone softshell turtle.” You immediately pull your lips back to your mouth, but the damage is already done.

“Is it true?” Taps scowls at you than to her. “Are you and Cosgrove back together?”

“You think…?” Apple Bloom rubs her temples than stretches her hand. “Taps, I wanted to take dance classes to get some stress off of me. Cosgrove waited for so long, he wanted me to be happy. But I haven't been happy… Because he wasn't happy.”

You see Tender Taps relax, taking his hand away from the locker. He takes a relaxing breath and turns around. Apple Bloom places her hand on his shoulder.

“We can still be dance partners in class, right?”

In your perspective, you see your classmate close his eyes.

“I… need to be a soloist for a while.” He mutters, pulling his shoulder and going towards his class.

You look forward, seeing Apple Bloom giving you a skeptical look.

“What were you doing spying on us?”

One problem down and lassoed into another. Over time you have come across an urban legend that has proven to be true; Apple Bloom’s family is honest bound in such a way they can tell a fibber by just looking at him. And now you’re in her crosshairs, and it’s clear to her that you can’t keep that little secret anymore. Your belly begins to churn, signifying its need for more food.

“Can we discuss this over breakfast?” It doesn't take you long to go into the cafeteria, stack a couple donuts, a cinnamon roll, and a chocolate pancake. You sit at the nearest table, joining by the older farm girl as she held a glass of apple juice.

“Well?” She asks, keeping a firm grip on the cup. The bought time spent, you take a deep breath.

“I was thinking all the time, and all the time thinking.” You bite down on the donut, about to finish your answer with stuffed cheeks. “These attacks that have been going on, I think Cosgrove might be involved. Is he?”

You also found the urban legend to be a double-edged sword, for while Apples can spot a fibber, they themselves can’t fib. You see her tighten her grip before it is her turn to take a deep breath. Your muscles barely contained the excitement, your brain especially screamed as it waiting for the answer you sought for two days.

“There’s a magical portal that leads to a world filled with ponies and somehow that magic is corrupting one of us, we don’t know who, but she’s the one responsible.”

You and Apple Bloom keep your silence, especially with your mouth stuffed to the brim. You begin to chuckle, swallowing a little of your food before going into a full blown laugh.

“A magical land, with horses?” You laugh even more, wiping a tear from your eye. “You really believe in this stuff?” You see her straight face, but you can't tell if she is lying or not. You hear the five-minute bell, instinctively getting you to stand and walk away.

As you get ready for dance class, you kept glancing at the lone Tender Taps. It some way, or maybe not, it was your fault that he’s wanting to go solo. As you leave the gym, Zipporwhill goes into your view, all prepped up and ready to go

“Ready for another lesson?” Zipporwhill stamps her feet rapidly, a habit you noticed after your fifth day. “I promise not to be so rough.”

You see Tender Taps give you a passing glare as he walks to the center of the gym. You grasp her hand and take her to a corner of the gym.

“You think you can be Tender Tap's partner, just for today?” You sneak a peek at the stretching man. “I feel bad for him after this morning.”

The four-eyed classmate looks at Tender Taps, then gives you a look as she raises your fist. Assuming that was an insult, you feel your muscles tense up again. Zipporwhill gives you a quick, gentle bop on the nose and walks towards the center of the gym in time with Hoofer Steps turning on the salsa track.

You attempt to do a few solo moves, stepping the tips of your toes in time to a few beats. As you do, you take a look at your little favor in action. Zipporwhill's fast, erratic dancing is causing some trouble for Tender Taps, but with experience at his side, he fought over the control of the dance. You raise a smile just as you lose your footing. You expect the hard landing when someone catches you. In your perspective, Apple Bloom appeared to stand on the ceiling.

“Soloist doesn't fit you.” She says, propping you up and holding your hands. “Let me lead.”

Comparing her to Zipporwhill, Apple Bloom’s movements were more controlled; a little shaky, but controlled. When she spins you around, it’s in a middle ground that you don’t fly away, let alone get dizzy. When going into the Rumba, you take a glance to Zipporwhill and Tender Taps. The rocky start gave way to an eloquent dance routine; you swore they could make good dance partners. As the music fades, and the session is done, you could feel your muscles ache, your back popping when you bend down.

“Wonderful, students, wonderful!” Hoofer Steps applauds.

You join your classmates in the men’s locker room. While changing into your regular clothes, you feel a tap on your shoulder. You turn around, finding Tender Taps behind you.

“Yes?” You ask, muscles tensed a little.

“I’m sorry about this morning. I thought when I saw you watching Apple Bloom and Cosgrove…” He shakes his hands. “I didn’t mean to snap.”

“You’re… Welcome.” You relax, putting on your shoes. “It’s nice to change partners for once.”

Tender Taps chuckles, “Yeah, Zipporwhill’s a little wild, but she’ll calm down.” You begin to stand up and walk out of the room. “Oh, hey. The next time you see Apple Bloom, tell her she’s always welcome to be my dance partner.”

He taps the ground five times. Knowing what this means, you finish the rhythm with two loud taps. The bell rings once more; you walk out the locker room, heading towards the lunch room when you are suddenly wrapped in a strong grip.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Zipporwhill cheered in a happier tone than usual.

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” You thanked with a forced breath.

Author's Note

Before you get mad, yes I still support an OCXCanon pairing and ship Tender Taps with Zipporwhill instead. To my defense at the time, I thought Taps, like Zipporwhill, would only appear in one episode, gain some popularity (here, even more than the active Pegasus). But then he did have a cameo appearance in "The Fault in Our Cutie Marks," but I still find a way.

If you don't like it, I understand.

The Fall Formal

Author's Note

Guess which character you and your friends dress up as.

The Fall Formal

After a couple rainy weeks, the time has finally arrived. In the gymnasium, everyone is setting up the dioramas and party decorations. You lift up a gigantic cutout of Iron Man, wiping your brow as a few sophomores finished propping it. A fellow freshman approaches you.

“So where does the Iron Man cut out go?” You ask, pointing at the decoration.

“Over by Pom Poms.” He answers. That only gets you to look around, seeing said objects scattered over the ground.

“But there’s Pom Poms everywhere.”

“Yo!” A freshman girl with blue and yellow hair comes to view. “Poms Poms right here!”

“That’s what I was to him about,” you point at the boy in front of you “There are pom poms over there too.”

“That’s for Sparkler.” Pom Pom points at the boy next to her.

“There’s sparklers everywhere!” You exclaim with stretched arms.

“I’m not everywhere,” - the boy points to himself - “I’m right here.”

“Wait, wait,” - You pinch your temples. “If you’re Pom Pom, and you’re Sparkler,” - You spin around, arms stretched - “than what’s all this?”

“Sparkling poms poms!” The two answered; the boy named Sparkler looks around.

“Isn’t there going to be a disco ball here?”

“Disco Ball?” Pom Pom points ahead of her. “He’s right there!”

You look behind you, finding a man whose body shape is just like a disco ball. You face palm yourself; so many names involving objects. Your ears pick up the PA system buzzing, getting everyone to be silent.

“Well, well, well, congratulations, everyone.” It’s a voice you know all too well; recently, Luna hasn’t appeared in school and so Discord takes her place. You know one thing for certain: when she comes back, Lulu’s gonna burst her head when she sees what he’s done to her office. “Though I expected a little chaos without Lulu’s guidance, it’ll have to do. Go home now, get your costumes on; I’m predicting a cloudy evening with a chance of chaos!”

As Discord becomes truly hysterical, you look at your classmates with the same worried look they have. His laughter becomes a forced cough, calming himself.

“See you tonight!”

The rain started to let up while you rode home. Your first high school dance, and a costume one at that. True, it was Student Council Vice President Pipsqueaks idea, and you didn’t regret it one bit. Your costume is a black shirt with a brown jacket, black boots, and above all a red mask over your head. The character you're portraying had a white mask underneath the helmet, but when you put it on, you couldn’t see even one inch.

The helmet a perfect fit, you take it off and sit in the living room chair. Earlier in the week, Cosgrove did offer to give you a lift should it start raining before the dance. You look out the window, finding another tempest pouring down. Your mother is working late again, but you’ve told her that you’ll be out as well. With so many good things going on, how could you not remember the look on face, how proud she is for you. A loud honking noise gets your attention again, finding the green-blue CRV in front of you.

Putting on the hood kept the rain from drenching your hair, though your lips and eyes felt frosty. Entering the car gave you relief, if not for the large figures sitting at the front. On the passenger’s side, a youthful face revealed himself to you. Dapplewood wore a red tunic with black sleeves and green gauntlets and shin guards, over his shoulders is a yellow cape with a tattered up hoodie. Whether he painted it green or another copy, his visor had white lenses, yet you can tell he can see very well.

“How can you see through that?” You ask, getting tapping Dapplewood's lenses.

“It’s a light coat.” You look at the driver; Cosgrove wore clothing that reminds you of an Asgardian god… Until he turns his head. His face is more equine, and his eyes predatory. The way his mask moves with his expressions had you puzzled.

“Where’d you get the money for that?” You pinch his cheeks, getting him to wince before getting the backhand. You hold the door handle as he gets the car in drive. Despite the rain and construction workers, it’s a smooth ride, though you squint when you and your carpooling buddies pass the high school. “Uh, Cosgrove, you're off by, well, a lot.”

“Big Mac needs to use the truck,” - You see him looking at you through the rearview mirror - “don’t ask me, he has his reasons.”

As you three go to Sweet Apple Acres, the rain lets up, giving the fields a spectacular yellow glow. This time Cosgrove parks next to the house. Looking out the window, Big Mac stood by the front door. The ambient silence is making you uneasy, so you decide to speak up.

“Nice… Sunshine, isn’t it?” Your effort is in vain for Mac kept his stoic face as he approaches Cosgrove.

“I want a word with you.” He asks. Cosgrove looks at you and Dapplewood.

“Wait on the porch, okay.” You see your older classmate walk with the even older man around the house.

What should've taken a few minutes felt like hours while you sit on the wet bench; to your confusion, Dapplewood laid perfectly flat on the porch rail. You then hear a loud whinny. Two of the horses kicked a rubber ball; the thicker animal kicks the ball so hard, it topples the speckled horse. While looking at the goofy animals, you decide to pass up the time.

“Has your brother ridden a horse?” You see Dapplewood stretch his right arm, giving you a thumbs up. You raise a brow. “You're not much of a talker, are you?”

“He can't talk.” You turn your head right and drop your jaw. Apple Bloom wore a beige shirt with blue markings at the ends of the sleeves, a pink violet gown with similar blue markings and a brown apron hanging from her belt, and a golden brown scarf around her neck. She still wore her pink bow in her hair, which she dyed from the natural apple red to a pumpkin orange. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Indeed, you just stared at Apple Bloom so long that it took a good pinch from Dapplewood to get back to reality. He points in the direction Big Mac and Cosgrove walked. You get up, raising a pointer finger.

“I'll go get him.” -You jump out the porch post haste, your mind screaming - “(Cosgrove, you lucky son of a bitch!)”

“Eeyup.” Is the next word you hear when you find the two older men still talking. Big Mac spots you before Cosgrove turns around.

“Yes?” The yellow and violet man asked, his face looking puzzled. You get your mind to calm itself before taking a bow.

“Cosgrove, we're ready to go.”

You see him wave at Big Mac before joining you, Apple Bloom, and Dapplewood to the CRV. In no time at all, they reach the school, where Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Chelsey, Zipper, Diver, and Tex, each dressed in a fashion that reminded you of other superhero or video game characters. Like the three you rode with, they also alternate in differing thematic moods; Sweetie Belle for instance dressed like a princess, while Scootaloo dressed like an armored soldier.

“What happened to the truck?” Chelsey asks while crossing her arms.

“Big Mac has plans.” Apple Bloom walks forward, tapping Chelsey on the arm a few times as she did. “He has plans.”

When you and your posse enter the gym, the first person you see is Discord dressed in green and gold with massive horns of differing species and a large scepter. Beside him is Screwball, wearing a dress made of meat.

“Not so chaotic for fashion.” He chuckles, tapping his staff on Scootaloo’s head.

“Don’t push it, D.” She retorts, batting the staff.

You enter the gymnasium, now illuminated with spotlights, misted with fog, and crowded with students of all ages. As the next song begins, you watch everyone starting their dance moves despite the limited space. Cosgrove, Dapplewood, Chelsey, Zipper, Diver, and Tex made due with dancing you swore you saw on an Irish movie. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle swung their arms around, swirling their lower bodies. Apple Bloom took some motives from your dance class while adding a little country flare. You decide to make the best of it, and start tapping your toes. In rhythm to the beat of the music and everyone clapping, you tap faster. The beat intensifying, you start getting cocky, and cockiness only gets you so far before slipping and falling hard on the wood floor.

In the dark, you hear the beat stop and the murmur of your schoolmates. You open your eyes, seeing your eight friends along with a few others that you’ve come across as Snips, Snails, Rumble, Dinky, and Indigo Blue looking at you.

“Nice, Anon.” Tex chuckles “Maybe you can show us a break dance.”

You are lifted up, rubbing your injured noggin as you go to the sidelines. The music starts again, and so do the students continuing to dance. Your fast breathing slowed your beating heart, but that doesn’t help with your dancing producing heat. You walk to the exit, grabbing a bottle of apple cider for the road. While you open the door, you fill your tired lungs with cool air while your sweaty skin dries up. You take off your helmet, letting out a sigh as your head cools down. You attempt to pry the cap with your teeth but only went so far as cutting your gums. And having trimmed your nails, you couldn’t get a good grip.

Letting out a huff, you stand up when you see a most unusual sight: a woman standing in the moonlight of an otherwise dark soccer field. You know the typical rules: don’t talk to strangers late at night. But the color scheme is awfully familiar, so you decide to investigate. Coming closer, the details become clear as her usual violet button shirt and pants illuminated in the moonlight. You accidentally step on a branch, standing stiff while she turned swiftly.

“Who goes there?!” She exclaims, her eyes looking furious. You merely shirk while she calms down. “It’s you.”

“You know, the party’s inside.” You mutter, pointing at the school.

“I” - She turns around, crossing her arms - “have little need to go.”

While respectable, that made you rub a chin. “Like how you were gone for the past week.”

“I am tired.” You couldn’t blame her; as you walk around her you find that her bags have bags.

“Last I saw you, I imagined you to be a night person.”

“Used to…” Luna looked the other way. “Until I took this stupid position.”

“Luna,” - You reach for her hand - “What happened to Celestia?”

“I… don’t know… I woke up one night… Just like this one… and there was darkness…” - She covers her hands, starting to sniffle - “Oh, God… I hurt her... My own sister.”

You notice her skin becoming dark, and your skin having a shade of blue. You look up, seeing the moon becoming dark as well.

“Luna, I think we need to-” You yelp at the sight of her; her skin is now near pitch black, her hair flowing like a puff of clouds, and her clothes replaced with armor including a helmet covering her neck and nose bridge. Three things that weirded you out are her ears appearing larger, a horn jutting from her forehead, and wings twice her height. But the eyes, those sapphire, predatory eyes you remember all too well.

“I don’t need your help, boy.” She clutches your throat and draws you to her. “I don’t need Celestia; I don’t even need the daylight. For tonight, I will make the night last forever!”

She swings you around, releasing you from her violent grip. The benches fast approaching, you scream while covering your head. Your body collides with the combination of wood and metal; you swore you could feel your spine snap on the next thud. You remain conscious for a few seconds, vision blurring while the last thing you hear is laughter.

Seeing only black and hearing virtually nothing, you can only assume that you joined the beach shack in the sky. But how are you dead if you can even think? Slowly but surely the gears in your head begin to churn. At first muffled, your ears pick up yelling, screaming, and even a loud roar. A roar? Thinking that shot your eyes wide open. The formerly dark soccer field illuminated in flames; somehow you were a good distance away.

“Cosgrove? Apple- Agh!” You look at your poorly bandaged leg. You look everywhere else on your body, finding your costume tattered and some small cuts on your belly. Not enough to kill you, but by God do you not want to know how.

“You have interfered with me for the last time, children!”

Bearing as much pain, you lean forward. Aside from the marine blue streams of light, you couldn’t really make out the shapes “dancing” in the flames. You saw the three winged figures again swooping in and out like what you see in air shows. On the ground, you see the silhouettes of your older friends, along with five that appeared… animalistic. One such aberrant form is surrounded by some blue glow and flung towards you, scraping the grass before stopping a few feet from you.

This being’s skin tone is awfully familiar too, as is his tattered clothes, but the elongated feet, snout, and horned dome had you doubt it’s him. He starts to rise, spitting blood on the green grass. You two look at the flames again just to see a burst of energy that scattered the silhouettes away, parted the flames, leaving the demonized Luna standing before you. Her near black body is laced with bruises and cuts, her left wing frayed and broken. She approaches, looking at the person, animal… thing in front of you. He manages with to stagger to his feet; well, toes actually, letting out a hiss through his bloody teeth. Seeing her horn glow, you curl up, ready for the end truly.

Then you hear a crunching sound, followed by a scream. Parting your fingers, you see that a creature of yellow and purple clamped his jaws on Luna’s shoulder. He spins her around, revealing the rest of his massive body, including the quilled tail you saw a month ago. Luna blasts his shoulder, free from his grip. The beast roars before slapping his tail at her side, keeping her down with a downward slap.

The silhouettes you saw before jump from the flames. You can easily recognize Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Rumble, Dinky, and Indigo Blue, albeit with horns, wings, and large ears. Five others, like the one that fell before you and the one that attacked Luna, have a more bestial form. One was the six-winged reptile you saw on television; the other four you at best recognize as a three-meter tall goose with one-meter claws, a crocodile with hog tusks, a horned snapping turtle and a horned werewolf with blue hair. They restrain the larger being by her wings, hands, and feet.

“Now, Tex!” Scootaloo shouts.

You look ahead, finding the larger man tossing a small container of sorts. It unlatches, beginning to glow. Before you get the chance to shield your eyes, the dome-headed boy grabs you by the collar and drags you faster than a strong wind. You are tossed to another part of the wall, yelping in pain as your feel your back scrape the wall. You look to your left just in time to see the tip of a tail turn at the corner. Hearing a scream, your head turns right just when a flash of light shines. A while after it stops, you see that the flames are beginning to die down.

Then you see a large shadow covering the grass, looking up to see the large yellow animal with violet stripes walking around the corner. He turns his head to you, followed by his body and tail. Your body a wreck, you just stared into his glowing yellow eyes as he let out a long, low growl like an elephant. He closes his eyes, somehow getting his body to glow a yellow aura. A process that looked painful, you wince as you see his tail recede, his limbs and upper body become smaller and less heavily built, and his head become more human. Though appearing human, this… werebeast state made it clear of the question you should have asked one month ago. You look to your right, seeing the gigantic goose approach him.

“She has a steady pulse.” She looks at your bemused face. “What will you do now?”

“I’ll take Anon home.” He looks at the beast next to him. “You're in charge until I return.”

Skeptical, you nonetheless take his hand and walk with him. You look to your right, hearing the crowds of children your age and older murmuring to each other at the sight of a tremendous battle. You look to your left, finding the group of human/anthropes surrounding Luna, somehow cured of her “contamination.” You and Cosgrove enter the car, keeping your silence while you are taken from the burning school yard. How can it be possible for such creatures to exist?

“Anon, we’re here.”

In your deep thought, you didn’t realize Cosgrove parked the car at your house. You exit the car, limping up the stairs to find your mother’s car already parked. You look to the person who drove you home, blinking once to show his bestial eyes, blinking again to show his regular eyes. You turn around, hearing him leave your property as you open the door. You enter the house, feeling the warm tranquility of your home.

“Oh, dear! What happened to your leg?”

“I” - Turning to your mother, you found the TV show she is watching to strike a memory. While you were knocked out, the more nitty gritty fight between the anthropes and Luna is what caused the fire and damaged much of the benches. A worm's eye view showed Scootaloo, Rumble, and the flying reptile stamp Luna from the air. - “tripped on an ice cube.”

“Well…” Your mother smacks her lips, turning to the TV. “I’m glad you had fun, it’s boring at my work.”

“(But at least it’s safe.)” You think to yourself as you walk upstairs and to your room. Your mother left the light for you, a godsend after the rough night. You flip the switch up and down, expecting something to pop out. That out of the way, you take off your clothes, crawling underneath your covers, and closing your eyes.

To Swim with Sharks

Ever since your… escapade, your head bubbled with questions. You drew amateur sketches of your friends in their animal features. Watching cartoons and Sci-Fy movies had you think the possibility that they might be real. Excited as it was, you soon got angry, angry that you didn’t ask Cosgrove, or believe in Apple Bloom’s story from the get go. Now it’s a school day once more, and there is much to ask. Hitching the bike, you storm into your school, not minding the looks your classmates gave you as you reached the Junior section of the school. Cosgrove, in his yellow cloak, stood in the middle of the hallway with his back turned.

“Cosgrove, we need to talk.”

Your host turns his head, giving you a look with an emerald green eye. You expect something to happen, but instead, he just turns around, hands behind his back.

“Yes, let’s.”

Before you could ask, something covers your head and tied around your neck. You are then lifted off the ground, feeling your legs and head bounce against a hard object. Your view suddenly becomes dark before you are dropped on another object. Even when your captor removes the hood, you only saw darkness.

“All right, if this is some Mafia thing going on, remember, I know kung fu!”

A few seconds of letting your voice echo, a spotlight turns on. As your eyes adjust to the blinding light, you hear footsteps. You look around, but could not find the source of the noise.

“When you first came to this school, you acted quite fishy. Too fishy for our liking.” You recognized that voice as Cosgrove’s, yet you cannot see him. “And now, Anon:” - You see a pair of three-fingered hands gripping each other - “what did you see?”

While he waited for his answers, your lips begin to quiver, sputtering, then making a few indistinguishable words before you point at him.

“You were some animal thing, some of the others were also animals, even Apple Bloom had… cat ears! What are you!?” In your panicked state, you look at Cosgrove’s hands, as calm and firm as you are scared.

“Human. Tell me: do you believe in fairy tales, or of magic?”

You shake your head.

“Well, they’re real. All too real.” You see Cosgrove’s middle finger poke the table. “What you saw that was one of the many things we have encountered over the last two years. Worlds were discovered, skills are unlocked, secrets kept… Friendships were strained.”

You give your hidden interrogator a raised brow, “Apple Bloom wasn’t joking wasn’t she?”

“Nope, she spoke just about everything.” You look down, finding the dog that gave you trouble on your first day. You thought that it was another person you have yet seen, but then he waved his paw. “Hi.”

“Whoa!” You almost fall on your back, feeling a pair of large hands hook your armpits. In your perspective, Chelsey appeared upside down. “Did that dog just talk?”

“Uh, huh!” You see the purple and green dog approach you. “And that’s not all, I can breathe fire!”

A talking dog that can breathe fire. Right in front of you. You try to talk but only made squeaky noises. Chelsey puts you on the chair and closes your gaping mouth. You calm yourself, bending and stretching your arms.

“Okay, okay.” You pinch your temples. “So magic does exist, why does it matter?”

“To put it simply,” - Cosgrove leans forward, showing his forehead and cheekbones - “we were at war. You remember the news about the earthquakes the past Summer? Not earthquakes. Before then, we lead our small but valiant forces against our mortal foe. All the while we kept this a little secret. Today, some of our closest friends and siblings have gone to college. We're few, but strong and we're looking to expand our numbers.”

“So why am I here?” You see Cosgrove's hands recede to the shadows, slapping with a metallic clang. As he draws it away, you lean forward. What he placed on the table appeared to be a badge in the shape of a horned dinosaur on top of a tri-colored shield.

“You little scrape with death landed you a little spot in our little group. You don't have to join, we won't force you. Just know that if you do, we aren't a charity case. You be with us, you go by our rules. One, you'll give us all you got. Two, then you give us more. Three, we make the rules. This will test you physically, mentally, and spiritually.”

There's a thing about sharks; they can be quite dangerous to be with. But if you can swim in their company, you'll be hardly touchable. You think long and hard; for most of your life, you've been bullied, punched, kicked, jeered, stuffed into lockers. What you expected from this school is the lack of bullies. But now there are much larger bullies to find. You look at Cosgrove again, who stretches his hand. You also find another hand on his left shoulder pad.

“How painful... would you say this job does to you?” You see Cosgrove places his raised palm, using the other hand to draw away the sleeve. The yellow flesh dotted with rows of tooth marks. You’d think it might be a shark bite, but being this deep in the states, maybe it’s a coyote? Or some other animal with sharp teeth. Either way, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of whatever hell they've gone through. You're still skeptical while he pulls up the sleeve and exposes his palm. For what it’s worth, you've gotten used to this band of sharks and would love to keep swimming with them. You grab his hand and shake it. The lights turn on, revealing not only Cosgrove but Apple Bloom standing behind him. Dapplewood stood behind them raising his sunglasses, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo standing behind him. Joining them are Chelsey, Tex, Zipper, Diver, Snips, Snails, Rumble, Dinky, and Indigo Blue. Cosgrove stands up, towering you as he looked down.

“Welcome to the Titans.”

Author's Note

So, your journey begins. What ghouls would you encounter? Only you find out in the next arcs of

Vacant Niches.

Serpent Hunt

A few days after accepting the offer, you join your band of friends in a laboratory. An honest to God laboratory in your school. Complete with beakers, chemicals, and a supercomputer. Right now, you stand behind a black screen. You see Indigo Blue's silhouette walking to the wall and turn the switch. Feeling it may be a while, you rock on your heels, humming a little tune. The machine stops and the screen pushed aside. You notice Indigo's furrowed brow while she writes her results.

“Is it bad?” You try getting a close look at the clipboard before Indigo pushes you aside. “You know, my dad used to smoke.”

Indigo walks to the other side of a blue screen, joining a male silhouette. You slowly shuffle across the medical chamber close enough that you can barely hear a whisper.

“All these tests prove negative. No special prowess or physical mutations.” You see Indigo place her hand on her head and shake it. “He might just be a regular human.”

“I see.” You see the man's shadow become larger, and retreat to your original place. The man that pulls the curtain is Cosgrove. “But even normal men can do well, magic or not.”

He motions you to follow him. At his side, you walk down every unlit hallway before you reach the spot: the wrestling team's practice arena. Around the stage are the ones known as The Titans. After joining them, you find that they are placed in two “legions.” On one hand, there is Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Dinky Whooves, Rumble and Indigo Blue as a band called the Crusaders.The rest are the Maximals consisted of Cosgrove, Dapplewood, Chelsey, Zipper, Diver, Tex, Snips, and Snails. Zipper, for reasons unknown, is nowhere to be seen. With you in the group, the ratio of the genders is equal. You look forward, seeing your boss lean on a corner of the arena.

“Please,” - Cosgrove raises his hand to the ring - “step up stage.”

You walk to the stage and start jumping. Losing your grip, you dig your nails into the rubber, feeling like they would tear off. Then you feel something push your derriere; that, and what little upper arm strength you have, gets you on stage.

“Now,” - You turn around, finding Cosgrove tall enough to see his head from your perspective - “ before we can get you on the field, we must test your combat skills.”

Dinky tosses you a pair of boxing gloves, a foam helmet, an armor vest, and a mouth guard.

“Uh… is this really necessary?” You ask, putting on a boxing glove.

“Yes. You’d think this will be a cakewalk?” You nod than shake your head. Cosgrove pinches his brow. “Well, you’re the first Freshman here. Dapplewood!”

You hear a thump and turn around. Dapplewood somehow hopped on the arena without any effort and shoes. While he stretches, you start feeling bad; you were pummeled by larger people, and now Cosgrove is pitting you against a boy half your size. You turn to your boss again.

“I’m not so keen on fighting your little brother.”

“Don’t worry,” - You turn around again, seeing a little of Apple Bloom’s head - “he’s as tough as a donkey.”

Dapplewood nods, blinking to reveal a pair of glowing yellow eyes. His snout stretched and horned, his cranium domed, his hands clawed, and his feet stretch, digging his toes in the foam. Rumble places a couple rubber balls on the tips of the horns while you put on the rest of the “battle armor.”

“All right,” - You bop the punching gloves together - “let’s do this.”

You and the boy, now standing up to your chin, keep eye contact while circling the arena. Dapplewood puts on the sunglasses, putting you on edge. He taps his cheek and gives you a grin.

“Okay,” - You wind up for a punch - “here comes the windup!”

You aim your blow at his cheek, missing Dapplewood by a long shot. You look down just in time to get punched in the kisser. You hold your mouth, whining when you see a tan blur hit you in the chest, sending you flying. Groaning, you lift your head and see eye to eye with Scootaloo.

“See?” - She pinches your chin and shakes you a little - “Like a donkey.”

Your furrowed face turns south as you are pulled away from the Crusader. Your opponent spins you around and jumps on you. Between the added pressure to your chest and your injured mouth, you use your gloves to block the blows of DW’s claws. You try to find an opening to return a punch, but the boy exchanged blows so fast it’s to take another blow.

“Enough!”

You uncover your eyes at the same time Dapplewood hops off your chest. His older brother stood in front of you, looking at you with an expression both smug and frustrated. You spit out the mouth guard before sitting up.

“In here, you are still alive.” He points to the wall behind you. “Out there, you’ll be dead. For the time being, Scootaloo will be your supervisor, and Dapplewood your sparring partner.”

Hearing about your sparring partner, you turn an uneasy eye at Dapplewood. His snide grin and curled fists is a telltale sign that he’s ready for round two. You rise on your feet and take off the armor.

“Kid packs a punch.” You mutter while pulling off the glove. You turn to Scootaloo approaching you.

“Little guys can beat big guys if a little smart.” She wraps her arm around you. “Just stick with me and you’ll go far.”

You and your friends turn to a slammed door, finding Zipper folding his leathery wings as he runs towards Cosgrove.

“I’vefoundatrail.”

You feel the embrace be tighter, looking up to see a determined Scootaloo.

“Ready to get your feet wet, kid?” She asks, looking down to see you grimace.

It isn’t long before you ride in the sidecar of Scootaloo’s motorcycle to the outskirts of the city. First time in a two, well three, wheeler, you grip the car firmly, shaking as you step out to take a breather. A few seconds of dry heaving, your stomach settles. You find a few of the others gathered around before you take out your cell phone and set it to video record.

“Hello, this is Anon.” You tilt the cell phone, seeing a three-quarter view of yourself. “Well, this is my first expedition into a creature hunt. So, let’s see… how it turns out.”

You turn the phone to your older companions, keeping your own sight on them. You see Cosgrove kneeling at a mud trail. From the looks of it, you can imagine it being left by a monstrous slug. Trying to get a better view, you do find a gray object in the green grass. Walking away, your investigation finds you a large, pebbly skin.

“Do slugs shed?” You hear a few footsteps, turning to find Chelsey and Tex about to lift the skin. They fondle it, chipping a few scales.

“She couldn’t have gone far.” You see Chelsey look to her left. Then without warning, they all begin to run, following the mud trail. You run as well; not as fast as even Dapplewood or as enduring, you pause for a moment, run, then paused once more before running again. Repeating the process gets you where your friends are. You lay down on your stomach, crawling between Apple Bloom and Chelsey; before you is a large, abandoned building. The silence is killing you as you raise a brow.

“So, what are we hunting?”

“Here's your first mission.” Cosgrove said.

“I don't like where this is going.” You begin to cower, curling a little before seeing Apple Bloom lean towards you while keeping her focus on the building.

“We need you to keep on the dodge and sidle up the loblolly in there, just hootin’ and hollerin’ and score off the Naga. We'll cut dirt and get the bulge on her.”

Her accent still unfamiliar, all you can respond is just one word.

“What?”

“We want you to get in that building and talk.” Chelsey translates, also not turning her gaze. You look at the muddy trail covering the hoof prints.

“Why?” You push with your upper arms. “Who's out there? What's out there?”

“She'll come right at you.” You turn to Cosgrove. “No matter what, don't move.”

“Don't move!?” You show your boss a puzzled look. “What if it has claws and big teeth!?” You are suddenly lifted off the ground and pulled back.

“Don't overthink it.” Tex replies before tossing you a distance away.

You lift your head, seeing the place you would imagine in a Halloween movie. You look at your friends, one of whom gives you a nod. You stand up, wipe the dirt from your shirt and begin your trek towards the building, finding a small trail of blood. A sense of fear tingling your spine, you turn around. Seeing no one this time, you gulp and enter the building.

Whatever creature dwells in this abandoned complex, you didn't care as long as you can get out alive. You follow the blood trail, moving around any loose obstacles that might give your position. Even then, your footsteps echo a little in the cavernous hall. You turn to a metallic clang, looking wildly for the being responsible. Nothing, so you take your next step, feeling something crunch. You lift your foot, finding a large pellet of bone and fur.

That isn't the only morbid thing you see; you find a fawn skin hanging from a pipe, half-eaten goats, and even a bison, a partially cut up bison. You go deeper into the building, finding more animal corpses twisted and mangled in ways you couldn't imagine. And the smell, the god awful smell that even covering your nose doesn't stop the bleeding. Now your eyes begin to water, blinding you before falling down, feeling several objects splinter.

You open your eyes and gasp. Bones as far as your eye can see. Most of them were of small mammals and reptiles, but there are some of larger animals. Above you were several human skeletons; one is covered in animal fur. You hear a soft crunch and look to your left. Nothing there, you start to shiver.

“Hello, little one.” A feminine voice echoes around you. “Are you alone? Come closer, I won’t hurt you.”

You look forward, seeing a pair of glowing eyes in the shadows beyond the bone yard.

“I’m… not…” - You gulp - “not supposed to talk to strangers.”

Strangers, indeed. The being moves towards you. Looks like a woman, sounds like a woman… Certainly smells like an unbathed woman. It’s her lower body that tells you that isn’t a woman. Her torso is supported on a long muscular tail, crushing the skeletons as she slithers around you.

“Poor, sweet, little thing.” She flicks her tongue out. “What brings you here all alone?”

“Uhm.” You try to regain your courage as you feel part of her lower body touch you leg. “Scrap. Just looking for scrap. Scrap for a school pro…”

While looking at her face to face, you feel your head pounding. A few seconds after, your vision becomes a blue, followed by a red ellipse, then a green. This blurring of colors and head pounding dulls your senses. In time, you feel floaty.

“There’s no need to fear.” The serpent lady leans forward. “I’ll keep you close. Trust in me.”

In your dulled state, you see her opening her mouth much wider than usual. You feel her breath on your skin and a few needle-like teeth brushing your hair. Suddenly, you're are sent flying, hitting your head hard. You are free from your drugged state, but now you see your vision blacken, seeing a few silhouettes attacking the serpent lady before closing your eyes.

You immediately open your eyes to a blinding light, shielding yourself with your hands.

“Cosgrove, he’s coming to.” The light is drawn away from you, giving you relief and revealing that it’s Indigo Blue holding a flashlight. “Follow the light.”

You turn your head right, finding that you and your friends in your little venture in a medical room. You try to get up but to no avail.

“Is this what heaven looks like?” You ask, getting your friends to look at each other.

“Uh, this is a hospital.” Sweetie Belle walks towards you. “You don't remember do you?”

You shake your head, seeing Scootaloo shuffle off the counter.

“We saved your skin from the coils of death.” Scootaloo wraps her arm around you. “That's what we do every day.”

“What happened to the snake thing?” You ask, turning to Cosgrove, who stands up and walks to you.

“I'll show you.”

Tour

Your question leads you to the zoo, stepping out of Cosgrove's car and walk to the entrance.

“Paying for two.” Says Cosgrove, slapping a twenty dollar bill on the counter.

“Whoa, whoa.” You reach for your wallet and open it, finding only a five. You see a three-fingered hand lower yours.

“No need to pay for me.” He says before grabbing a couple wristbands.

You wrap your wristband and follow your boss. You look around, watching the animals in their enclosures. Some, like the polar bears, otters, and meerkats make you giggle. Others such as the elephants and lions give you willies. But one enclosure containing the zebras gives your mind something to talk about in light of Cosgrove paying for you.

“So, how much does your job pay?” You see Cosgrove turn his head.

“Ask that in a job interview and you won't get a job.”

You draw your head back a little, ashamed that you asked. But you see his face turn into a pitiful one

“But, it does pay if you're a capable horse rider.” His eyes turn to his left, turning his head forward. “We're here.”

Ahead of you is a large enclosure, no windows aside from the air ducts and covered in child-friendly illustrations. The only means of entry for the two of you is a small door with the label, “Employees only beyond this point.” But despite the chubby fingers, you can see that Cosgrove has the key to the building, entering the passcode and holds the door for you.

You feel a strong contrast with the interior. To your left and your right are glass windows into darkness. You stop and look into one such window, trying to find out what’s inside. Then you jump back at the open, toothy maw launching at you. The fact that it’s the snake woman made you think how long you were knocked out. She slithers away from you while keeping her glare.

“This is where we have them reside.” You turn to Cosgrove looking at another kennel and decide to join him. The one across from the serpent was a creature that reminded you of the Loch Ness Monster, but with more horns than you imagine.

“Why don’t you just release them back to…” - You try to find the name for the location while looking to the right and seeing a winged creature that reminded you of Dracula’s monster form in Van Helsing - “Equestria, was it?”

“We can, but the process is a bit risky.”

While your ears pick up your boss’ little talk, you walk away from the winged demon, giving it a grimace before looking forward.

“Sometimes, we have to keep them here for a long while.”

The next exhibit got your eyes wide open while hugging the glass. A living, breathing, sleeping, dinosaur, and a T. rex no less, right before you. Gray in color with a cream colored belly and a long scar running from its left eye to the tip of its claw. Your mouth remains agape while you hear a humorous chuckle.

“Red Claw wouldn’t survive in the wild for another few years, it’s best to let the old soldier spend the rest of his days in peace.”

You see Cosgrove walk further down the hall before looking at the dinosaur again. Assuming this glass to be the one-sided glass you see in crime movies, you make a couple taps. Tapping louder and you see his bloodied eye open felt the floor shake when the beast roars. Startled, you run to Cosgrove. You keep looking, finding more captured creatures; most appear to be mammals, but there are a few that you can see as bird-like or reptilian.

“No!”

You see Cosgrove running, and so run as well. Your rush gets you to a sunlit area, at the center of which is a large bird cage. Only, there are no birds, in fact, there isn’t anything you can see.

“So, are there any creatures that can become invisible?” From the concerned look of your boss, this wasn’t an enclosure for invisible beasts. You then see him turn and run to another door, running with him to a room with several televisions displaying the freaks of nature in their enclosure and one unconscious person.

“Is he…?” You see Cosgrove inspect the body, shaking his head.

“No, but that doesn’t stop the fact that someone broke into the place.”

You see him squint at the television displaying the empty cage, only now having darkened beasts with shiny wings. Looking closely, you find the screen flicker; said intruder must have set the footage on repeat.

“We’re gonna have to get them back, do we?”

“That, or we kill them.” You see him take out a small, black box. “What, you didn’t think that we put them in here without having them microchipped?”

Your next destination takes you much further from home, thirty-two miles southeast to be exact. You lean forward in awe at the large mansion with a construction that would make the White House jealous. The fact that the gate is open raises your eyebrow by the time Cosgrove parks his vehicle.

“That was easy to get in.” The thought gets you on edge. If the media is something, getting in places too easily means bad things follow. And you are correct when the gates close themselves. “It's a trap!”

Hearing hissing and chirping, you turn around. Before you and the boss is a large pack of black creatures. From the texture of their skin and wings, you think they might be insects, but their ape like snouts, bipedal stance, and skeletal limbs might have you think otherwise. They begin to surround you, baring their sharp teeth. Then, from your left, you are given a large weapon: a sword as big as your arm. You look to said direction just in time to see Cosgrove starting to glow and gain some beastly features; not the same beast mode you saw in the Fall Formal, but they’re present.

“Anon,” - He says in a more gruff voice - “meet the Changelings.”

On cue, one of them jumps at you and lets out a horrid scream. You stand up, doing your best to lift the long object of steel. It’s already been nearly a day and you’re all ready going to get your feet deep in mud. Time for the big test.

Assault Part 1

For God knows how long, you clumsily swung the sword at the so aptly named Changelings. It does creep you out when beheading a drone that dons your very looks right down to your clothing. It doesn’t take long for you to get back in the action as one drone grabs your sword and tosses it aside.

“Cosgrove, I’m disarmed, I’m disarmed!” You yell at your boss, who appears to be faring much better than you are as he tosses a Changeling or two over him.

“Then call for help!” He yells back, punching a drone in the eye.

You reach for an earpiece and press a button.

“Scootaloo, we need backup!” All you could hear is static. “Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? Dinky?” You narrowly dodge a claw swipe before looking at your boss. “I’m getting nothing!”

You hear an irritated groan, then several loud footsteps. You are suddenly lifted from the ground, spun around, then flung towards far enough to land on the front door. You yelp before dodging the sword you lost a while ago.

“Find the jammer!” Cosgrove yells, grabbing a drone and swung it at the crowd.

“No, I’m not going to-

“That’s an order!” You see the Maximal drop another drone before crushing it’s skull. “Go!”

To your dismay, you enter the mansion. The architecture is more lovely in here than out there. The ceiling supported by fat pillars, you notice that some of the statues resemble aquatic horses, and all the artwork involve three women of various skin tones and hairstyles. But now is not the time to gawk, and so you run to your left. The buzzing of wings, Changeling screeches, and Cosgrove’s loud roaring are what gets you to panic.

“Jammer... Jammer.” You pull out dressers, flip over tables, empty vases of their contents, but there is no sign of the doohickey. You turn to your right and stop. A lone Changeling was ransacking the fridge. You immediately hug the wall, breathing rapidly while you figure out what to do. In your panic, you hear a vase break next to you, adding to your fear by gripping the wall. You hear a few creaking footsteps and rapid sniffing, holding your breath until the sounds subside.

You exhale, feeling the fear subside before you emerge from your corner before you are pounced. The Changeling didn’t move at all while you hid, and now has you in its grasp. You draw an uneasy smile as the beast inches its snout at you.

“Please… No hickeys?” The Changeling pins your head to the right. You shift your eyes to the left, using what strength your neck can muster to see the beast opening its mouth. “Damn it, I said no hickeys!”

You try to break free, but the skinny limbs have the strength of a wrestler. All you can do is cringe and wait for the inevitable. While your eyes are closed, your chest feels a lightness and your head it free from the terrible grip. You look forward and find Chelsey in her powered form, or “Pony-Up” as they call it, holding the beast with one arm.

“Anon, you might want to look away.” Chelsey asks, brandishing her meters long claws.

“I just sliced off a few heads, how is this-” You see the tall woman stab all five fingers straight into the Changeling, pull them down and cut it in half. Your eyes became wide open, holding your last meal while you see the blood and entrails fall to the floor.

“Their only bugs.” She assures, tossing the oozing carcass aside and moving away from you.

Swallowing the vomit you held back, you stand and follow Chelsey to the lobby. The battle is now in the inside of the mansion. As you run upstairs, you look to your left; Diver and Tex grappled with a few drones, the first holding the beast's head between her teeth and rolling around. You look up then duck at Zipper swooping down, Changeling between his claws. You look behind you, seeing the leather winged human toss the drone at Rumble, who stamps it. When you look forward, you see Apple Bloom grappling another drone before tossing it aside. Climbing the last set of stairs and you find Scootaloo in fisticuffs with another drone. She deals a set of swift blows, causing the drone to be limp. It lets out one final hiss before your “supervisor” kicks its head clean off at you. Instinctively you catch the head, then toss the body part aside and letting out a disgusted noise.

“Tell me you’ve found a jamming device?” You ask, still a bit shaken.

Scootaloo shows you a black object, keeping her smug face while she drops it and crushes it under her shoe. You tap your ear piece.

“Jammer is destroyed.” You still hear static, but you can tell it’s fading. “Any listening to this?”

“Crystal, sir!” You cringe at Snips and Snails yelling.

You and Scootaloo walk out; to your surprise, the drones are leaving the wrecked mansion. All except one Dapplewood beat to a pulp. One of them turns around, gives your posse a loud hiss before flying away. You follow your supervisor to your boss, who pops his knuckles and cracks his neck. He turns to you and Scootaloo.

“Well, mission accomplished?” You ask.

“Not until we find any civilians.” Cosgrove shakes the dirt.

Your nostrils pick up a strange smell. Spicy with the right qualities to make your mouth water, you scrunch your sniffer before turning to your companions.

“Anyone smell tacos?”

You see Dapplewood sniff the air, turning his horned snout to a closed door. You join them in approaching the door, letting Sweetie Belle open the door. Getting more of the spices in your nostrils, you walk with your posse, paying attention at their cautious steps. In the dark, cavernous tunnel, you use your iPhone, finding a switch that you flick up. The light reveals a large metal door. Chelsey and Tex give the door a good pounding, giving the gave a loud echo.

“Solid steel.” Tex places his ear against the door. “Sound proof too.”

“Whelp.” You turn to Apple Bloom cracking her knuckles. “Anybody up for some heavy pulling?”

You join Cosgrove, Apple Bloom, Chelsey, Diver, Dapplewood, Snips, and Snails grabbing the right edge of the lid. At the count of three, you pull with all your might, feeling your face heat up and your joints pop, groaning in frustration and pain. Your shoes old and worn, you shuffles your feet quickly to get a good grip. You open your eye a little, taking notice of the door opening a smidge. You let go and run to the other side; both feet against the wall, you grit your teeth while giving it all you got. Without warning, you belly flop, seeing the door open fully. You hear a clicking noise, looking up to a fuschia skinned woman with deep violet and teal stripes on each pigtail pointing a gun barrel at you.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” You beg for your life, covering your head.

“How do I know you’re not a Changeling?” She asks of you in a scratchy, gruff voice.

“Who else would save your carcasses?” You uncover your face to see the rest of your posse, giving her a displeasing look. You see Diver look around before squinting at the gunbearer. “Where are your sisters?”

“Present!” You yelp at a sky blue woman with aquamarine hair of two shades jump from the shadows with a grin on her face. She notices you shuffling away and grabs you in a big hug. “I’m glad you saved us!”

“Yes.” Still held in the blue woman’s grip, you look ahead to find a yellow-skinned woman with a hairstyle that reminds you of a Cheeto. Her expression calm yet suspicious, she raises her hand “If you never showed, Aria and I would suffocate from all those belches.”

You are pulled back, seeing the blue woman before she belches at your faces. You gag, pushing her mouth away and shuffling towards your posse.

“Are there any others in the vault?” You hear Chelsey ask, seeing the one with the cheeto attached to her head turn side to side.

“They have the day off.” You and your posse join the three women to the mess upstairs. The one with the cheeto hair groans before walking towards the master staircase. “I’ll order a cleanup crew.”

“Why were you attacked?” You hear Cosgrove ask.

“The more money you have, the more enemies you get. You should know that by now.” You notice the yellow woman raise a brow; it was sarcasm. “I’ll be sure to send the security footage of this little invasion.”

“Invasion?” You hear Cosgrove chuckle. “You’re a private citizen, Adagio. Not a country.”

The lady stops her ascent, and gives your group a look.

“Cosgrove, was it? I’m the head of a multinational corporation; larger than any county your walnut sized brain can understand.”

You hear your boss growl, turning to see him raise a little of his lip.

“Now, if you don’t mind.” You turn to this Adagio flipping her hand a few times. “There’s the door.”

You turn to your boss letting out a snort before he turns around. You look at Adagio, who gives you a puzzled look. Feeling uneasy, you give her an uneasy grin and join your posse, crushing several broken tiles along the way. Side by side with Scootaloo, you look up to her.

“What’s up between you and them? You ask, pointing your thumb to the mansion. You see Scootaloo narrow her eyes.

“We…” - She tightens her fist - “Had trouble.”

If fighting Principal Luna, almost eaten by a snake woman, seeing an honest to God dinosaur, and fighting Changelings means anything, then there should be something up with those three. Vampires? Maybe. But now another question pops in your mind; where are the other cars?

“How” - You look both ways - “are all of you here?”

You see Cosgrove leaning on his car before he taps his earpiece.

“Dinky, we need a Ground Bridge.”

You hear a woosh and feel your hair moving. Your front half becoming darker, you turn around and shield your eyes. Your eyes adjust to the bright light of a large, green void twice your height. Another thing seen in science fiction turned real, you just stand there and gawk while most of your pals enter the void.

“If you want, you can go with me, but it’s much faster to go through their.” You approach the portal and stretch your hand. You don’t feel a burn, rather a texture like that of sawdust. You look to your boss again. “It’s fine if you don’t have a full stomach.”

Since you haven’t eaten in awhile, why not? You enter the portal, blinding yourself a little. You find yourself in a green tunnel; streaks of light pass over you while you stand in awe.

“Hey!” You hear Dinky’s voice from the other side. “It’s in or out from here!”

Focused, you run towards the light and shut your eyes. Going through the “sawdust,” you open your eyes and find yourself back at school. You start to raise a smile. But your stomach goes X Ambassadors on you. Your last meal goes up your esophagus faster than you can react and so vomit yellow and clear mucus. You feel someone pat your back and say something, but you just keep vomiting.

Assault Part 2

Having recovered from your vomit-fest, you meet with the others at a van simply labeled the HUB. Though puzzled as to why this reminds you of a closed TV block, you decide to accept it. Like a runt pig, you try getting a good view; jump up and down, move between your older classmates, but to no avail. Flustered, you lower your head, rush at the crowd, and manage to poke between Chelsey and Tex. Your head fiddles around before focusing on Dinky cranking a handle.

“Wait, I got something.” You see fuzz streak across footage displaying a shattered glass case. A trophy room perhaps? The footage goes back in time, appearing like it’s capturing a red gem. Then there was the culprit: another Changeling, but this one appeared more human, feminine, and was purple. Just as she swipes at the glass case, the footage stops. “There!”

“Blackarachnia?” You turn to Sweetie Belle, her face as surprised as her classmates. “Why would she steal the gem after all we’ve done?”

“I don’t know,” - You turn to Cosgrove turn his head to the left - “but it’s something we're not finding out the hard way.”

"What's so important about some stupid gem?" You ask, getting a look from everyone else.

"That stupid gem is an ancient relic called The Eye of Fashoom." Diver answers in a stern voice. "Before you came here, it was used by a gang we fought. And now the have it again."

"Who's they?"

"Predacons." Answers Cosgrove, getting your attention with a raised brow.

Hopping into the sidecar, Scootaloo takes you to the depths of Estes Park, stopping next to an old, bricklayer building. With her sprouted wings, the Crusader lowers fire escape ladder. Trying to match her tall jumps with your climbing speed, you reach the ceiling. You see the smug look on your supervisor’s face before she runs away and jumps across to another rooftop. You walk to the ledge and look down at the very floor you ascended from.

“It’s not that far.” She says, crossing her arms.

“Maybe with you and those wings!” You yell loud enough that your voice echoes the streets. You step away before seeing Scootaloo stretch her arms forward.

“C’mon, I’ll catch you.” She notices you look down again and your grimace.

“How will I know you won’t let me fall?” You see Scootaloo facepalm herself; her lips are moving, but you can’t hear what’s coming out.

“Just. Trust me.” She asks again before stretching her arms.

If your supervisor says so, then you have no other choice. You take a few giant steps, then run as fast as you can. Your shoes touch the edge before you make the leap of faith. The floor starts to rise when your chest slams against the ledge. Gravity pulling you down like a dog, you start clawing the ledge for dear life as Scootaloo grabs your shirt.

“Use your legs!” She groans.

You feel a gust on your shoulder while you scrape your shoes like mad. Feeling the stone roof scraping your skin and clothing, you go into a crouching position, breathing like mad. You can’t believe you risked death, and it’s not the only time you will. After catching your breath, you make another leap, this time slamming your crotch against the ledge. You stagger to the ledge and rest on your knees. As your tenders heal, you look forward to another school surrounded by a thick wall by the name Crystal Prep. A Fitting name as the series of blues in the architecture gave it a crystalline appearance. In your exploration before the Fall Formal, you found that Canterlot High is a rival school to Crystal Prep; in fact, they just had one of their so-called “Friendship Games.” Maybe you’ll have yours when you’re a Senior, or maybe not.

You see Zipper soar around the building on leather wings, landing on the water tower in a manner that reminds you of Batman. He presses the earpiece.

“It’sahellhouseinthere.” He mutters in a grave tone. “Idon’tseemuch, butIdoseeseveralShadowboltsseverelyinjuredbyPredaconsIdon’tevenrecognize.”

“What did he say?” You ask, turning to Scootaloo.

“It’s war.” She says, scratching the concrete before tapping into the earpiece. “Should we help, or go elsewhere?”

After a long silence, you hear your earpiece buzz.

“Even if we pound them, it’ll be a war of attrition. We just need to hold the battle off until we get answers.” Another long silence, then you hear the buzzing again. “Scootaloo, you and Anon will scout out the school, once you find everything, give us the signal. And Scootaloo. Watch his tail.”

Without warning, you feel Scootaloo grab you and get you off the building; a brief burst of wind at your face, followed by a soft descent. The process is the same when you reach the wall surrounding the school. You clutch the fire escape ladder and climb to the air duct. You grunt while you pull through the metallic tunnel. Sometimes you stop to the sound of people screaming and roaring, animalistic roaring.

“Move it!” You hear from Scootaloo, feeling a little push on your shoe.

“So, what are we fighting now?” You ask, pulling yourself forward.

“Well, since Cinch… Stepped down, the school’s been divided in two groups: Shadowbolts and Predacons. And let me tell you, you’re better off as a Predacon.”

“Okay,” - You stop and flip to your back - “are you guys actually trying?”

“What do you mean?” You see Scootaloo’s brow raised.

“Crusaders, Maximals, Shadowbolts, Predacons?” You raised your hands in a questionable gesture. “I mean, do you guys have any original names for your groups? It just gets old after-”

You hear the air duct creak before the bolts start to bend.

“Oh, shi-!” Without warning your section of the air duct separates from the rest, hitting the floor with a loud clang. Lousy way to start a mission. Before you even get up, three blades puncture the metal above you and pulling away. Another triad of blades puncture your metal cage and tear it half like a tuna can. The culprit is a robotic beast you can only best describe as a bear with the head and wings of an eagle. It’s soon joined by another that you can clearly identify as a dragon.

“Uh, hello…” Your attempt at making friends this time got them to open their glowing mouths of red and blue. You chuckle nervously. “Anytime now!”

You see Scootaloo drop kick the robot dragon and narrowly pulls you away from the bird bear's dragon fire. She gets you on your feet; the situation is grim than you thought. Students bearing a wasp head for an insignia pounded students bearing a shield with a black thunderbolt against the lockers. You are surrounded by others in the form of a cat, a pig, a squid, and a chameleon. Their faces meant business, as are their claws.

“You have no business here.” Said the cat with a small purr.

“Hey,” - You see Scootaloo stretch her wings - “we're here to find Blackarachnia. We don't want trouble.”

You see the bird-bear screech at you. In a miracle of science, the beasts body parts twist and shift until it becomes humanoid. He chuckles while the robotic dragon does the same.

“Blackarachnia. Never heard anything about Blackarachnia. But Cogsworth does have an order.” The snide jokester strokes his “beard.” “He wants no outside help. Outside help should be eliminated.”

Your face turns grim as the techno-organic person brandishes his claws. His partner, keeping his stoic expression, looked at you.

“Your visit is most illogical.”

You are suddenly pulled to Scootaloo’s side. What good would that help you against the seven beasts? You close your eyes and wait for your doom.

“We're not asking.”

Hearing the retaliated screams, you open your eyes. Cosgrove and Dapplewood take on the bird-bear, delivering a series of blows to his stomach. You then see Chelsey swipe her large claws at the robot dragon before Scootaloo joins the fight with a karate kick, followed by Apple Bloom against the pig, Sweetie Belle against the cat woman, Zipper against the chameleon, and Diver against the squid. You feel something hold your shoulder, turning around and seeing Tex with Snips and Snails.

“C'mon! We need to find Cadance!”

Better go with them than risk injury again. You run as your legs can take you. Some of the mooks bearing the purple wasp head are pushed aside by Tex and Snips, while you have to jump over them. It’s fortunate that there are no Predacons or Shadowbolts at the staircase; there’s nothing worse than fighting enemies on the high ground. You reach a large, circular hall when a swarm of the opposing students surrounds you and your older acquaintances.

“Anon, go to the office!” You turn to Tex just as Snips and Snails transform into their beastly forms. “We’ll handle them.”

“But what about you guys?” You are grabbed by the collar and pulled to Tex’ face.

“I ain’t asking.”

With great force, you are sent flying to the next set of stairs. Your hands hit the fourth step; cushions your fall while spraining your wrists. With pain, you snap them into shape before looking back. Tex delivered several fast ones while Snips and Snails fought in a manner like a bear. You do as you’re told and run the staircase to the large wooden doors.

“Mrs. Cadance?” In the dimly lit forest green room, there isn’t a Mrs. Cadance anywhere if you know her. Sitting in the tall desk chair is another bug, a mechanical one with the head of an anteater. He, or at least that’s what you assume is a he, taps a sharp claw on the desk, supporting his head with a clenched fist.

“No, not Cadance.” The bug changes his position and holds his hands. “She has a scheduled appointment at the hospital.”

When he stands up, you find him to be much taller. He approaches you, swinging his curled tail. You walk away, intimidated by his appearance.

“You're new, allow me to introduce myself.” You see him reach behind his head, retracting the insect head reveals a red flesh head with green hair. His violet eyes still have a fierce glare. “I'm Cogsworth, and I am the leader of the Predacons. So, who are you? And what are you doing here?”

Back against the wall, you stammer while Cogsworth comes closer.

“Nothing,” - You answer in a squeaky voice - “just little old A-a-a-Anon here doing nothing.”

“Well, A-a-a-Anon.” Cogsworth leans to you. “You don’t look like you’re doing nothing. Looks more like a ploy from the Shadowbolts to take my place!”

“What? No!” You exclaim. “We’re looking for someone who-!”

You are grasped by your throat, feeling your back slam at the wall. You aim a punch at your interrogator’s face. Cogsworth catches your fist and twists it the other way. You howl, mustering a teary eye to see your upturned palm facing left. You see the next terrible thing: a stinger at the end of the mechanical tail aimed at your skull.

“Now, I’m asking you one last time: what are you doing here?”

You see the stinger inch towards your cranium. It’s life or death for you if you don’t suck up your pain. You try to talk, but at best could only stutter before the pain reaches you.

“That’s enough!”

You turn your head right and find Cosgrove at the door looking furious. You fall to the floor, feeling more pain on the impact. You hold your hand, crying a little as you turn to the two.

“I see you have a new student.” You see Cogsworth close his fist.

“He isn’t a student. He’s a Freshman.” Cosgrove growls a little. “We’re just here for Blackarachnia.”

“Blacharachnia’s no longer a Predacon.” You see a long blade draw out above his hand then raised. “If she would show her purple face, I’m certain you’d love her jowls.”

“Then,” - You stand up, keeping your arm level. It’s still painful, even by twitching a finger - “where’d did she go?”

“Predictably, you’d come to us to find a person gone rogue.” You look at the door, finding the dragon-turned-human with his arms crossed. “But I can say the most likely place for her to go is Camp Friendship.”

“You talk too much.” You look at Cogsworth as he grabs you by the shirt and throws you at Cosgrove. “You really shouldn’t bring inexperienced kids to these fights. Now get out.”

Shielded by the others, you are escorted to the front gate of the school. You can tell by the looks on their faces that this isn’t their first waste of time. You notice Dapplewood’s face especially grim. Something must’ve happened before you arrived.

“So,” - you look at your twisted limb - “anyone going to explain to Mom.”

You notice Scootaloo look at you, inspecting your unfortunate wound before looking forward.

“We have something just for that. But it will be a bit… Painful.”

Assault Part 3

“AGGGHHH!!!” Strapped to a lab chair kept you from writhing while Apple Bloom holds your twisted limb. “Can’t you just administer some numbing medicine?”

“Not if you keep struggling.” She passes you a wooden object. “Bite on this.”

“Why-” Before your finish, Apple Bloom places the wood in your mouth and quickly snaps your arm in place. You bite hard, yelling with clenched teeth and teary eyes. The operation’s over, but you feel the pain reaching over you. You then Diver holding a bottle of fizzy apple cider; unlike the other bottles you drank, this one has a rainbow apple. Holding a wooden object made your mouth dry, why not drink to your suffering? You not only quench your thirst but feel a soothing burn in your turned limb. After a short while, you feel your muscles stretch and stitch themselves, and the pain subsides. When your arm is released, you lift your arm, twist it, move it around, but feel no pain.

“What drugs are in that bottle.” You ask.

“No drugs, that’s the power of the Zap Apple.” Diver answers, putting the bottle away.

“Zap Apple?” You look at the label again. “Why not Technicolored Apple or Rainbow Apple?”

“Well, one we’d get sued.” Sweetie Belle answers. “And two, one of us learned the hard way.”

Seeing her look ahead, you turn around, seeing the young boy getting bandaged. Another fact that you missed before you and your mother moved here. You look ahead, seeing many of your classmates gathered around a TV monitor. You stand up and walk to the crowd. This time you’re able to weave through the taller individuals. You squint at the bright screen, getting your eyes adjusted to the grid map of Colorado. A few boxes to the right, you see a pink dot. Dinky clicks a few buttons, magnifying the view to a forest with a small wooden settlement. You can see one of the buildings already demolished, replaced by a metallic object.

“There.” Cosgrove pokes the monitor. “The drones are rebuilding another ground bridge.”

“That’s not all.” You look at Dinky pressing another command, illuminating her face with green light and text. “Take a gander at these coordinates.”

You look at the screen. In one section there are three numbers in parenthesis. The first and third numbers keep changing while the second number remains massive.

“What’s she trying to raid, an airplane?”

“Nuh uh.” Scootaloo disagrees. “That’s too high for an airplane.”

Remembering that they’ve went on adventures for relics, you think up another question.

“Sacred treasure in Mount Everest?”

You see them look at the sky.

“Higher than that.” Said Tex. You look up, seeing a small sliver of a perforated space rock that’s always been orbiting the planet.

“Whoa, whoa!” You move your arms several times. “There’s a relic on the moon?”

“Something, or someone.” said Chelsey. After looking at her for a moment, you look to the moon once more.

“You think she’s alive?” You ask once more in a sympathetic tone.

“If there’s any chance, we’ll take it.” You see Cosgrove turn around. “We’ll start a siege mission in Camp Friendship, keep the Changelings occupied before we can use the bridge.”

“Do we bring any of them back?” Asks Sweetie Belle.

Cosgrove closes his eyes, pinching his chin. “Not this time, except for Blackarachnia.”

You join everyone outside, watching them stretch and pop their bodies. Scootaloo notices you not stretching as she sits down and reaches for her toes.

“You really should exercise.” She says. “Missions like these can be the death of you. Seriously.”

Having survived Luna’s rampage, a snake woman, a first assault against the Changelings, and getting your arm snapped by Cogsworth (Both of which happening on the same day), you take her word to heart. You find that you’re more out of shape than you realized; you bend forward to touch your toes, snapping your back from top to bottom, then pop your hips when you reach for your toes by bending sideways. Surely a little more practice and you’ll be right as rain.

“Ready, everyone?” Asks Cosgrove.

“Ready.” Everyone answers except you.

You turn to Dinky flipping a few switches before pulling a lever, opening up another Ground Bridge. Already your friends older and one younger charge at the portal, getting you on your toes before screaming like a madman. You make a long jump Super Mario Sixty-Four style across the sea-green tunnel to a forested area with a few ornery wooden huts for civilization.

“All right, bring it!” Your yelling while assuming a fisticuffs stance is in vain; none of those black-shelled bugs are there. The only evidence that they are there is a machine made of rusty parts with a jewel attached on top of the ring. “They vanished?”

“Oh no, They’re here.” You turn to Diver looking up, sniffing the air. “I can smell them.”

“Hello.” You see everyone turn to their left. Looking through the gaps, you find the a woman with black hair. “Welcome to Camp, uh, Friendship. How may I help you?”

You see Apple Bloom squint her eyes before casually walking over to the manager.

“Nothing much…” You see her close her fist before punching the manager in the face. In a veil of green fire, the human became the enemy. “Bug.”

The beast screeching is joined by other screeching in the trees. Dozens of the beasts drop to the gravel, baring their teeth and buzzing their wings. You join the others in a defensive ring, looking precariously for the next move. Seeing no one making such a move, you do the same, but you feel the adrenaline rush inside you once more.

“Long time, no see.”

You dare not turn your back, but you turn your head around, getting a brief glance of the Changeling from the security footage landing on a fence post. You look ahead just in time to see a Changeling lunge at you before getting a good licking from Snails.

“Blackarachnia.” You hear Cosgrove growl. “What brings you to make another Ground Bridge, after all we’ve gone through? Money? Power?”

“Actually, Nightmare Moon forced me.” You hear Blackarachnia answer in a gruff, yet seductive tone. “Something about, ‘If I’m unable to kill Celestia, you will have to take my place.’”

“Nightmare Moon… is cured.” Said Scootaloo.

“Well.” She makes a few chittering sounds. “Might as well not make it vain. Let’s play a game, if you can beat me to Celestia, than you win.”

“And you have a chance at winning?” While hearing Chelsey talk, you feel the ground vibrate. “Don’t make us-!”

You hear an explosion inside your protective ring, then you are grabbed by the shirt and flung a great distance to your right. After slamming on the wooden stairs of the cabin, you lift your battered body with groan. Now among the Changeling drones are three larger robotic insects resembling a stag beetle, a mantis, and a pillbug. Without a moment to lose, your pals begin their fight with the Changelings big and small. Chelsey grapples with the stag beetle drone, but the latter proved to be the better of her as she is tossed like a ragdoll at the totem pole.

“Well look at that.” You turn to the purple Changeling cackling. “Ransack’s big and tough as you!”

As you stand up, you hear muffing behind the door. You jiggle the handle, unable to get it to turn. Time to put watching every action movie you’ve seen to the test. You lift your right leg and kick at the door; it only sprained your ankle. A moment of whining and ankle rubbing, you look behind and yelp before dodging the large ball. You crawl to the hole and sneak a peek at the damage that now reached the other side of the house. You look inside and find three camp managers bound in fossilized goo. Unable to break it with your bare hands, you look around to find a hammer or crowbar. Alas, none are available, and with your stronger friends dishing out the Changelings, you’ll have to find another solution.

Your eyes spy Blackarachnia reaching for her Stargate-esque machine and decide give a little interrogation a chance. With the loud noises at your side, your footsteps are muffled as you approach the working Changeling. You switch to a run, getting closer to her before noticing her right ear shift a little. She grabs your throat with surprising strength and brings you to your knees.

“Did you really think that you can sneak up on me so easily?” You see her press a button, opening another, red-pink, portal. “Time for you to enter the final stretch.”

You are flung into the portal; this one is more, so to speak, forceful. Before long, you are pulled across the void and into the barren blue-white surface that is the Moon. You immediately clutch your throat, hoping to preserve whatever oxygen you have left. After a good thirty seconds, you collapse, waiting for the sweet hand of death to take you to heavens ethereal.

“It’s okay, you’re safe here.” Says a feminine voice. You open your eyes; true to her word, there is air, breathable air. You sit up and look up at the eternal night sky; the Earth, the planet of blue and green, appears like that of a larger moon. It’s astonishing; you, in outer space, without any protective wear. You look to your left, seeing the person who talked to you: an individual who resembled Principal Luna, but her skin is of a white rose and her hair is four colors: grass green, Easter blue and pink, and sky blue. From her dusty clothes, you can tell she's been here for a long while.

“You.” You lift a finger at her. “You’re Celestia?”

“Yes. It was getting lonesome.”

“Okay, question.” You stand up, keeping eye contact with the principal. “How did you get from Earth to here?”

“I… don’t know.” She looks at the planet. “When Luna was… Consumed by magic, she attacked me, then sent me here. How is she?”

“She’s back to normal,” You point at the Earth with both arms. “Cosgrove made sure of that. Now let’s get you out of here before-”

“Before what?” You look ahead, seeing the purple Changeling emerge from the tainted Ground Bridge. She looks at Celestia. “So she was right, and now I’ll make keep my end of the bargain.”

Seeing her shift her leg, you figured a battle is coming up. You get yourself between your enemy and your “host.”

“We had a deal!” You remind her, spreading your legs and clench your fists.

“Yes, her deal!” She immediately jumps at a height greater than you could ever accomplish. When she tilts forward, you grab Celestia and jump away from the attack. It doesn’t take you long to notice that you and Celestia aren’t slowing down.

“Why aren’t we stopping?” You look around wildly for an opportunity to slow down. You grab the chalky surface, slowing you and Celestia a little, but not fast enough as you find the hill approacheth. “Stop, stop!”

You collide with the hill, getting moondust in your nose, face and clothes. You cough like mad as you roll around. You rub your eyes and find the most unlikely of objects: a NASA surveillance drone.

“Well,” You chuckle in embarrassment. “this is awkward.”

You hear another hum and look back to a Ground Bridge opening up. The first object that goes through is the pill bug, followed by Snips and the stag beetle rolling to the side, and finally the mantis in a grip with Chelsey. She grabs the bug by the waist, slaps its thorax a few times, then tosses it aside. You look down, seeing Blackarachnia rushing at you with bare teeth. She jumps at you when a tan blur ram her side. Dapplewood “hovered” a little before you grab his soft, leather boot and pull him down. You see Blackarachnia in a comatose state, floating aimlessly before she is held in Zipper’s arms.

Soon you find everyone else entering the moon, and subduing the mechanical beasts. You find Cosgrove approaching approaching you and Celestia.

“Are you alright?” He asks to the both of you.

“We are.” You look at the drone. “But I think Wall-E here recorded everything.”

Cosgrove looks at the drone, then back to you. “Not exactly when it’s night time on the moon.”

You see a little ray of light pierce your eyes. The sun appears to rise over the Earth. It’s a spectacle that made Sweetie Belle coo in astonishment. You find the Bridge is still open.

“Let’s get you home before we all get a solar sunburn.”

The following dusk, you lean on the tree planted in front of a large house. Way bigger, and to say fancier, than your little family shack, you let out a little whistle. Then you hear sobbing from Luna, screaming at the top of her lungs. You hear the front door creak, seeing Cosgrove come out and gently close the door. When he walks past you, you join him.

“So, does that mean Discord is going to be Principal?” You ask.

“It’ll be a while before both of them come back to school.” He speeds up, and stands in front of you. “I’m sorry for getting you through this mess, but I’m glad you stuck around.”

You rub your arm. “Thanks,” - You see him walk away before you decide to add - “boss.”

You see him stop for a moment, breathe a little, then continue on. Now it’s time for you to come home as well. Upon opening the door, you find your mother standing there, arms crossed, looking angry.

"Where have you been?" She asks, tapping her forearm. Having gone through a snake hunt, went through a special section of the zoo, fought Changelings in a mansion, got your arm broken by Cogsworth, and fought Changelings again before being sent on the moon, you try to come up with a good answer.

"I... Went places."

In Our Town

Author's Note

As I've said before in a blog post, there are a couple things you should know.

1) Everton is in place of Missouri Western (Write what you know :derpytongue2: )

2) While Equestrian villains get reformed, their human counterparts aren't in the loop. So hint, hint...

In Our Town

A week has passed since your shenanigan with your friends, and you have since come to accept that magic and fantastic beasts are real. Blackarachnia and her cohorts locked up, the Eye of Fashoom returned to the Dazzlings (hopefully under better security), and the two sisters in Canterlot High. What else can you do to celebrate?

By honing your fighting skills. You have your fists up, circling the arena as you face your small sparring partner. His poise suspicious, you know what to do.

“Ready, little guy?” You circle your fists a little. “I think I can land a blow this time.”

You see Dapplewood curl his lips, giving a soft hiss. Bopping your gloves together, you accept the challenge by charging at the boy. The boy shifts to the left, dodging your right jab. Dapplewood rams you in the chest, giving you a few punches at the ribs. You give Dapplewood a high knee, freeing yourself from his fiery grip. Before he could retaliate, you slap his ears, then wind up for the big punch. When he looks at you, you land a left hook. He spins around before flopping on the floor. As excited as you are, you have an uneasy feeling in your stomach and run at the fainted child.

“You okay, Dapple-?” In a blink of an eye, Dapplewood clutches you, spun around, and find yourself on the floor. The boy’s face is clenched, his teeth bare, and his fist aimed at you. Perhaps he was biding his time until you land the blow? From such a child, you felt fear get the best of you, remaining perfectly motionless. But Dapplewood stops, lowering his fist and standing up. You watch him jump off the ring, grab his sleeveless jacket and leave.

“Wow, talk about being a sore loser.” You mutter while standing up.

“Don’t blame him.” You look up, seeing Scootaoo leaning on the guard ropes. “The last one-on-one fight DW went through almost killed him.”

“Killed him?” You look again at Dapplewood’s general direction. No wonder he looked a little sour when you and your pals left Crystal Prep. “Damn. Did he at least win?”

You see Scootaloo’s face become somber, looking ahead once more.

“Almost.” She answers. “Almost.”

Taking a shower and putting on new clothes, you and Scootaloo venture out, finding the rest of your posse in a huddle.

“Buy why just did Spike get the letter and not the rest of us?” asks Sweetie Belle, her voice both worried and frustrated.

“I don’t know.” You see Cosgrove lift a letter. “But if they want us to come, then we’ll take it.”

Wanting to know what’s going on, you force a cough, getting their attention.

“Mind filling me in?” You ask.

“Well,” Diver starts off “Spike got an invite from Everton University.”

You look down; Spike, a dog, got the invite, but none of the others did. The puppy sits down; seeing him pant like crazy tells you the distance he ran to get here.

“I would love to see Twilight again.” He chirps while wagging his tail.

“So,” You look at the HUB. “how about we Ground Bridge ourselves over and give them a little visit?”

“And scare an entire Missouri school?” Chelsey shakes her head. “No thank you.”

“Then, how are we-?”

“Road trip!” You see Snips and Snails smack each other’s hands.

You move your head back at the sudden burst of chattering; Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom talk about meeting the ones named Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack. Spike and Dapplewood, though not a dog, jump up and down like they would before their masters. Cosgrove held a little smile, but you understood that he’s just as happy as the others. Then again, you do feel a bit of sadness welling within you. With no relatives in this Everton University, you figure you wouldn’t have business there.

“Well, guess I won’t be needed this time.” You say before turning around and heading towards home.

“Now, hold on.” You look to your right to Apple Bloom jogging around you. “We aren’t saying you’re not invited.”

“Oh.” You look behind, seeing everyone else walk to you. “You… Don’t mind?”

“Sure.” Zipper places a six-fingered hand on your shoulder. “Bosswouldn’tmindseeingyou.”

You give the charcoal black teenager a smile. Seeing as you slept the entire way from Florida, it would be great to see a change of scenery east from Colorado. You look up to Tex.

“Though, we don’t have the final word in this.”

You know what he meant. Powerful as they are, they aren’t dictators. The one person who would give you the word to join your companions on a crusade to an eastern region. And she was in your kitchen, cooking your next meal. You sit on a chair, tapping your fingers as you come up with a good request.

“Whatcha thinking, Anon?” She asks while skinning a potato.

“Uh, well.” You tap all your fingers in rhythm. As Apple Bloom told you awhile back, let the truth out and let things go from there. “My friends are planning to go on a road trip this Friday after school and I was wondering… If I could… you know… Go with them?”

Your mother stops, puts down the knife and potato, turns off the burner and turns to you.

“Where would you be going?” She asks, raising an eyebrow. You feel sweat drip down your brow, and try calming yourself.

“In Saint Joseph…” You notice your mother raise her other eyebrow. You look away, feeling ashamed. “Okay, stupid-”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Your eyes widen before looking at your mother. “It’ll be a good experience since you slept the whole way here. But, just tell them to not do anything foolish and come back safely.”

“I will.” You answer while drawing a smirk. As she returns to cooking your next meal, you let out a quiet sigh, and your shoulder relax.

The very Friday arrives faster than you think, and you feel excited as the final hours reach their end. And even more so as your last hour is spent in your advisory. You tap your desktop in rhythm while looking at the clock.

“I envy you.” You turn to Screwball, who had the opposite expression as she held her head with both hands. “Daddy never lets me go on road trips.”

“Because, my little Screwy,” You see Discord walking towards the both of you with a civilized poise in an otherwise chaotic man. “This is his story, and they want to see that story unfold.”

Seeing him point behind him made you squint. Already two months and you still have nary a clue between the snaggle-toothed elder and his swirly-eyed daughter. Discord spins around, getting his face too close for your comfort.

“By the way, there is one little, tiny, witty favor I want from you.” He asks with his eyes childish. “Can you tell Fluttershy I said hi. It hasn’t been the same with her gone.”

Fluttershy? Who names their kid like that? You want to ask him that, but with the mismatched man fluttering his eyelashes, you forsake the question and decide to answer him.

“Sure, I’ll keep a look out for her.” If you can, seeing that you never met her. The end of the school day bell rings. “See you guys later!”

You walk to your locker, unpacking any books you don’t need and grabbing the one book you do: math. You grab your suitcase, using all your might pull it from the narrow locker. It has a few scrapes, but not too bad. You extend the handle and begin for the front yard, dragging the suitcase along.

When you push the doors, you see around half of your buddies all packed up. After you told them that your mom found it okay, it’s agreed that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Cosgrove, Dapplewood, Chelsey, Dinky, Snips, and Snails would go to Everton. The rest, lead by Diver, would keep the city safe while they’re away.

“Ready, Anon?” Asks Scootaloo.

“Ready.” You answer with your brow lowered. Stuffing your suitcase in the trunk, you sit down and buckle up. With a turn of the key, you feel the purr of the engine with your toes. You look behind you, seeing Cosgrove’s CRV and Sweetie Belle’s Portia drive by, then you feel the force of the car pull your buckled body forward, then back when the car moves forward. You look around each window, taking the sight of the buildings zooming forward. When the car goes up a highway ramp, the buildings gave way to sparse suburbia. Soon, Estes Park appeared to be an ever shrinking speck in the tailgate.

When you finish your homework, you look up. The mountain scrub you lived on for three months gave way to grassland. You stretch as much as your buckled body can allow, feeling a small pop on your elbows, knees, ankles, and toes. You look at Scootaloo, her face appearing exhausted, but still kept her vigil.

“Where are we?” You ask, putting your book in the backseat. You see her eyes turn to you, then look forward once more.

“Somewhere in Kansas.” She answers, lifting her fingers, popping them then holds the steering wheel.

You look forward, seeing a few pheasants fly across the street, and a few family farms pass by. Your eyes pick up something; pinned on the rear view mirror was a small photo of a younger Scootaloo standing next to a cyan-skinned woman with rainbow hair.

“Excited to see your sister?” You ask, looking at her again.

“Sister?” You find Scootaloo’s brow furrow. “I don’t have a sister.”

“Then what about…?” You point at the photo.

“Oh, you’re talking about Rainbow Dash.” Scootaloo huffs. “She’s my best friend. Well, one of my best friends.”

“You know, I’ve never heard much about your family.” You see Scootaloo’s face become somber, giving you a heavy feeling in your heart. “You’re a… Orphan?”

“Foster child. Not Orphan.” She rebukes in a stern tone, shifting her eyes . “But I find my friends to be close enough.”

“What do you mean?” You ask, cocking your head to the right.

“Well. It’s… Well, it’s more like….” She scratches the steering wheel. “Well, you ever loved something deeper than you thought?”

You curl up a smile for a short then frown, shaking your head.

“Well. Dapplewood shows this better with Sunset Shimmer.”

A good four hours later and the sun has since fallen in the west, leaving the world around you and Scootaloo enveloped in blackened sky. At this point, you’re certain you must be in Missouri by now. You take out your phone and prepare a group text.

So, where are we sleeping?

After waiting a while, you hear a ping sound. You flip your phone, seeing Dapplewood’s ID picture.

“Take the next exit. We’re resting at a hotel.”

Scootaloo does steer the car to the next exit, then takes a turn to the left. The hotel is a rather typical large hotel in beige and green. You see that everyone else have got out of their cars, stretching and yawning like crazy. When Scootaloo parks the car, you unbuckle, open the door, flop on the floor, stretch every joint in your body, stand up and let out a loud yawn.

“Are we in St. Joseph yet?” You hear Scootaloo ask. You turn around, seeing your supervisor stretch like crazy.

“Well,” Cosgrove wraps his right arm around his left, leaning to the right and stretching his body with a loud snap. “we’re much closer now. After breakfast, it should be a short drive to Everton.”

You enter the hotel, finding that it’s just as dull inside as it is outside; it’s uncomfortably silent, including the swimming pool being too calm. You look forward, and yelp. The front desk clerk just stared at you and your friends with a grin that would even give The Joker chills.

“Welcome.” She says in a happy tone. Perhaps it’s hotel courtesy to look happy, even though it’s creepy to you.

“Yes,” Sweetie Belle leans on the desk. “we booked a few rooms for this weekend. It should be under Titan.”

Her face remained happy as she opened a book. You wonder: don’t hotels use computers?

“Yes. We have you down.” She looks at you and your friends, closing the book with a loud clap. You see her reach beneath her and shows you three hotel keys. “Welcome to our town.”

Still feeling uncomfortable, you join your pals down the hallway. You are given the key to room 501, parting ways with Scootaloo, Snips, and Snails. The inside of the room wasn’t pleasant either. There’s no HD TV, no refrigerator, just a wooden floor, an ordinary bathroom, and a couple beds with thin covers and one pillow. Better than nothing you suppose. You hop on the bed nearest you; not the best move as is almost broke a rib.

“The hell?” You knock on the mattress; it’s as hard as stale bread. You see Snails lay down, getting the exact feeling you have. “Well, at least we can sleep.”

Or so you think. Your eyes are wide open while your ears keep ringing at Snips and Snails’ constant snoring. You turn your head, still surprised that Scootaloo is sleeping through this. And with her having the only pillow, you cover your ears as best you could. On and off, you close your eyes in rhythm to their snoring. It is later in the evening when the snoring finally ceased. You sigh with relief and slowly close your eyes.

“We have hearts as strong as horses!”

Your eyes shoot open at an alarm tone coming from Scootaloo’s phone. You then hear her groan.

“Wow, morning already?” You feel the bed become level as she rises. “I call dibs on the shower first.”

Your start squinting, quivering your lip as you let out a raspy whine. All you wanted was sleep, and you are denied it so painfully.

A while after your turn at a lukewarm shower session, you walk to the cafeteria while you rub your back. You find the rest of your “suite mates” sitting on a chair of metal and marble, rubbing their backs as well. One thing you do notice is that they aren’t eating anything.

“You already ate?” You ask.

“Not really…” Dinky waves her arm. “appetizing.”

You approach the pitifully small buffet and it is more than just unappetizing. It’s just a few dull colored muffins and undercooked meats.

“I say we just wait until lunch?” Chelsey asks.

You look at the inedible food. As much as you want to eat, there’s no way you find it palpable to try it. You look at your pals again.

“Agreed.” You answer, walking away from the meal.

It turns out that Saint Joseph is just across the river. While you presume this is a shorter drive this time, there are several sights to see. Left and right, you see factories, mill houses, even a couple scrapyards. But the workers, like the front desk clerk, bore a creepy smile all while working to death. When Scootaloo takes another turn to Belt Highway, you see that everyone walks in a straight line, holding unmarked paper bags, and drive gray colored Isuzu Rodeos. Such car drivers have their windows down; you look to your right, seeing the driver of the car give you that very creepy, toothy smiley face.

“Welcome.” He says in a happy tone. Scared again, you look forward, rolling up the window to shield you from his visage.

A few city blocks down and a left turn, you see the school at last: Everton University. And it is what you imagined for a college. It’s expansive, with several buildings dotting the landscape. There a couple lakes, one at the bottom of a rolling hill being a residence for flocks of geese. With another turn, you and Scootaloo enter the driveway, parking next to the blue-green CRV and red-violet Portia among the gray colored Rodeos. While you stretch your body, you take a look around; it’s a wide open space and a glorious sight to see on foot.

“Not bad.” You complement, swinging your arm around. “But I don’t get it. Where’s the welcome wagon?”

“Well, we’re here on a weekend.” Said Apple Bloom. You follow your posse to the building labeled “Plum Union.” Strange enough, for having so many tables and chairs next to a cafe and supply store, no one was inside.

“Maybe we’re too early?” You hear from Dinky.

“I texted Rarity before we left.” You turn to Sweetie Belle holding her cell phone. “Then again, she does work on a special dress overnight.”

“Perhaps.” You turn to Cosgrove reaching his pocket before walking to a table. “Maybe Su-”

“Gah!” You yelp before a woman with gray skin underneath a gray sweater, and blonde hair wrapped in a pigtail. She too had that creepy grin, but what made it worse is how her right eye is the one focusing on you while the other one appears affixed in the opposite direction.

“Derpy!” You hear from Dinky when you see her run up to the taller adult and hug her.

“Derpy?” You place a hand on your hip. “That’s a rude name to call your sister.”

“What’s to be rude about?” You turn your head to Scootaloo. “Her name really is Derpy.”

You then see Derpy let go of her sister and hugs everyone of your friends.

“How are you?” Asks Cosgrove.

“Pretty good. Just good.” She answers, keeping her creepy grin. This doesn’t creep them out at all. Perhaps it’s natural for them, especially for Dinky. “What brings you here on this nice day?”

“It’s visiting day.” You see Snips snatch the letter from Dapplewood before turning to Snails.

“So where are they, eh?” He asks.

Derpy doesn’t say a word, instead, she walks away to the glass doors before turning around and waving at you and your friends.

“Stay sharp, everyone.” Cosgrove orders. You go to the outside world once more, taking a look at the buildings lined up around your posse. Spratt Hall, Popplewell, Murphy, Eder, strange names for a college establishment. One building, the Agenstein-Remington Complex is where Derpy is walking to. It appears to be for the science division of the school. In the left hall, there are remains of animals from a mounted Cape buffalo head, a stuffed loggerhead sea turtle, and even a whale vertebrae. You lean on a guardrail in the main hall and look down at the massive hallway dotted with tables and chairs. There you finally see the other students, looking at each other with, again, a creepy smile. You wonder: how are their cheeks not hurting?

“Applejack! Rainbow Dash! Rarity!”

You see Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo run down the flight of stairs and embrace three older individuals, without a doubt their sisters. Like Derpy, they also wore hoodies. You see everyone else go down the stairs before going down as well. They aren’t the only ones; there is also one who is a pink skin and hair. Beside her is a woman in shades of purple wearing glasses.

“Howdy y’all!” Applejack greets while hugging her sister.

“Hey, Scootaloo!” Rainbow Dash rubs Scootaloo’s hair. “How’ve you been, kid?”

“Oh, same old.” Scootaloo shrugs. “School, Changelings, Predacons. Nothing different.”

“Oh, Sweetie Belle!” Rarity hugged her sister in such a tight embrace, you swore that she couldn’t breathe. “You must have been scared that I am away! But I promise I will write every opportunity I get!”

“That’s…” Sweetie Belle pushes her sister away. “Great!”

You see the one with glasses look around.

“Are the others coming?” She asks.

“I have them guarding home while we’re here.” Answered Cosgrove while you walk down the stairs. The adults look at you with the same creepy expression.

“Oooo!” The pink one awes at you. “Who’s this?”

Cosgrove turns to you. “This is Anon. Anon, you know Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. This is Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle.”

You try to come up with an introduction, but their creepy smiles left you at a blank. Suddenly, your backpack shuffles, and you bring it forward and unzip it and suddenly get licked. Rubbing the saliva off your nose, lips, and chin, you look down; Spike jumps out of the backpack and embraces Twilight.

“Spike!” Twilight hugs the green and purple puppy.

“Spike?!” You exclaim, sticking your nose in your bag. Fortunately, there aren’t any conspicuous smells.

“Uh, Applejack.” You look at Apple Bloom, her right brow lowered. “What happened to your hat?”

“It’s against the rules.” She answers, keeping her creepy grin.

“Private schools.” You hear from Chelsey with a groan before looking around. “Where are Sunset and Fluttershy.”

You see Rainbow Dash reach out, grab her shirt and pull her to her face.

“They’re. Watching. Us.”

That gets everyone worried. You see them look around.

“By whom?” You ask. “I don’t see anything.”

“May I be so generous by showing you the rule book?” Rarity opens a book and turns it around, holding her thumb between the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth pages. You see a sticky note on the twenty-fifth, which read:

HELP ME

Now you raise an eyebrow while your eyes get a fleeting glance of a lady around your host’s age. Her color scheme reminded you of the lady from the mansion who aimed a rifle at your head, but her skin is a faded violet. Her hands behind her, she looks at Rarity.

“Is there something wrong?”

Rarity immediately slaps the book on the table. Sweat drips from their faces.

“Oh, nothing at all, Starlight!” Pinkie Pie answers in haste.

“Starlight?” You raise a brow. Twilight, Starlight? Applejack, Apple Bloom. You swear they have such similar sounding names it might make your head spin.

“Yes. I’m Starlight Glimmer, head of the Everton Student Council.” She shakes your hand then looks at everyone else. “So! What brings you here to our lovely Missouri Town?”

“We, er,” Sweetie Belle points at Spike. “he got a letter for a family visit.”

“Really?” Starlight turns at Twilight; seeing the four-eyed individual bring her head back only adds more to the suspicion. “Well, we’re happy to have you! In fact, we’re happy to have anybody who wants to experience true companionship!”

True companionship? You look at your friends, each one of them sharing the same baffled looks as you.

“Say what?” Asked Snips.

“Oh, indeed.” Starlight raises her hand. “That’s what’s so unique about our town, you see. Around here, we don’t flaunt about ourselves because we have nothing to flaunt about.”

“Does that explain the creepy smiles, gray uniforms, cars, and ponytails?” Asks Snails. Starlight keeps her smile, though her silence tells another story. She walks to the stairs.

“Perhaps it would be easier to understand if I gave you a tour of the school!” As she ascends the staircase, you turn to your friends giving each other a fishy look, then you look at the five people giving your posse a weird smile. When you see everyone start moving, so too do you. Starlight Glimmer stood outside with a few rows of fellow students and, from the looks of it, alumni behind her.

“Heads high, people! Marching proud!” Starlight blows a whistle, signaling a drummer to begin a beat. “All together now! Every one of you! Nobody left behind!”
Life is so grand in Our Town
We’re always filled with cheer
We never have to look around
To know that we’re all here

You see the people behind her march in twos.

[Citizens]
In Our Town, in Our Town
We don’t have to wait
To find out that our destiny
Is just to emulate

You see one student relaxing her massive smile when Starlight swings over and holds her cheeks.

“Let’s see those big, happy smiles!”
Life is a smile in Our Town
Our cutie mark’s the same
Because we do not separate
Ourselves by more than name

[Citizens]
In Our Town, in Our Town
We dare not compete
Winning only breeds the worst
Ego-filled conceit

The tune ringing in your head, you bob to the beat when you feel a nudge on your leg. You look down, seeing Dapplewood shake his head disapprovingly. You look forward and jump back at Starlight jumping at you.

“You see? Now everybody wins!”
Life is a joy in Our Town
We’re all equal here
No one is superior
And no one shakes in fear

[Citizens]
In Our Town, in Our Town
We work as a team
You can’t have a nightmare
If you never dream

You notice them marching in two single lines of equal length in front and behind your posse.

[Starlight Glimmer]
Other guys argue
Do you ever wonder why?
When you think your talent’s special
You don’t see eye-to-eye
There’s just too many differences
That lead to disarray
But when you learn to act as one
It’s like a holiday

[Citizens]
In Our Town, in Our Town
We don’t complicate
When you learn to simplify
Life is oh, so great
Join in our utopia
Come out of the dark
Banded by equality
By our very mark!

After the music stops and the sound left to the wind, you get pulled away, getting your head shoved into a group huddle.

“Something’s wrong.” Scootaloo whispers.

“Yeah, the song’s good but the choreography was terrible.” You answer.

“No, not the song.” She reprimands. “It’s how the society works here.”

“Yeah, it’s like the entire town’s been… Brainwashed!” Shouted Sweetie Belle.

“So what,” You look at Sweetie Belle, then to Chelsey. “you guys never handled brainwashing?”

“We did.” Chelsey answers. “But never on a city-wide scale.”

“So what do we do?” Dinky asks. “If we don’t want to Pony Up, we’ll be outnumbered ten to one.”

“We play along until we get to the bottom of this.” Cosgrove answers. After he breaks the huddle, you look back, seeing Starlight and her classmates and alumni looking at your posse. “That was a lovely presentation. Truly, it is.”

“Thank you.” Starlight closes her eyes, giving a generous smile. “I hope you and your friends enjoy your visit. So, who’s hungry?”

A short walk back to Plum Union and you sit next to a table. Snips and Snails pulled out a couple chairs, sitting in between Dinky and Sweetie Belle. After a few minutes of waiting and hearing Snips’ belly rumble, you are given a platter. From the size of the lid, you brain presents you with several vivid pictures: a giant pizza, a pork roast, a turkey. The chef lifts the lid, getting your hopes high. A little… Too high.

Muffins. Gray. Muffins. Not even a blueberry or a raisin poking out their crusty hide. Your mouth stops salivating, feeling hopeless at the bland feast prepared for you. Everyone else, at least that’s what you think, grabs each muffin, using their necks to pull out chunks of the pastry and swallowing them whole. You take a muffin and bite down hard. A soft food with the durability of an apple, you resort to gnawing around the bite mark. Even freeing the piece seemed easier than trying to chew it to a pulp. You follow everyone’s advice and just swallow the piece. The piece gives you a little chest pain, but with a little water, you wash it away.

“So,” the chef asks, her hands clasped together. “how are they?”

“They taste like-!” Dinky elbows Snips, getting him to stammer. “Like the tears of angels!”

“Yeah!” Snails adds. “Like angels.”

“Great!” The chef grabs the meal. “What are your plans for today?”

You see your posse look at each other, eyeing Scootaloo place her elbows on the table.

“Well, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and I plan to take a look at Popplewell.” She gives Cosgrove a wink.

“Dapplewood would love taking a look at Potter Hall.” Cosgrove turns to Chelsey. “Want to come, Chelsey?”

“Sure.” Chelsey answers in a cheerful voice before looking at you. “Anon, Snips, Snails, Dinky. Why don’t you see the sights, maybe the Halter Wonkite Memorial?”

After letting out a hum, two-thirds of your posse stand and leave the cafeteria. You tap your fingers on the table top, looking at the two doofuses and scientific genius. Dinky looks at the chef.

“Where’s the Memorial?”

“Go through the front doors and walk right down the hill. It’s not hard to miss.”

Walking at a brisk pace, you finally get away from one smiling face, but see several others walking around you and your older “colleagues.”

“Welcome.” Says one.

“Welcome.” Says another.

“(Keep it cool. Keep it cool.)” You think to yourself. Soon enough, you see the banners draping over the windows. They’re monochromatic photos of the famous reporter Halter Wonkite. The artifacts and exhibits inside are undisturbed.

“Well, so much for ’nothing to flaunt.’” Dinkey mutters, pressing a few buttons on the virtual exhibits to no avail.

You walk past the bronze bust of Wonkite, approaching a pair of doors.

“So what are we looking for, eh?” You hear from Snails when you open the doors.

Your eyes widen and your jaw drops. Displayed in the in the massive auditorium is what appears to be a magical cabinet. Each section held an insignia; one is a trio of apples, an easy answer for who that belongs to. You reach the mark, but when you touch the surface, you feel a shock travel through your fingers, down your arm, around your ribs, up your spine, and escape through your hair. In your dazed position, you hear footsteps behind you before you see Dinky approach the field, taking a look at a cabinet holding a set of bubbles.

“Snips, Snails, you wouldn’t mind…” Dinky pounds her hand.

“That’s what we’re hired for!” You hear from Snips.

You turn around, seeing Snips and Snails in media res transformation to their respective beast modes. Snails lets out a howl before Snips grabs him by the head and charges at you. Jumping to the right, you see them barreling at the barrier. Their effort is in vain; the wall of energy gave them a bigger shock than it did to you. They land on a couple chairs, deprived of their beast modes.

“Ow! That stings!” Snails groans.

“Can’t feel my legs.” Snips adds.

“Twisted my melon, eh.” Snails finishes, flopping his head on the rest with a loud thud.

You see Dinky press her communicator.

“Cosgrove. We have found the problem.” A moment of silence. “Cosgrove? …Scootaloo? I can’t get a read.”

You press on the communicator, hearing nothing but static. “I’m getting-”

Suddenly, the lights go off, leaving the barrier as the only source of light before the curtains close. You hear whooshing sounds; someone else is in here.

“Anon, run! Get out of-!”

Dinky’s words are silenced. With the only bit of light coming from a small crack from the auditorium doors, you run as fast as you can. You open the doors just in time to see someone throw some purple powder at you. The perpetrator pushes you then closes the doors. In the darkness, your eyes become heavy, and you lose control of your body. You collapse; not having enough sleep last night your exhausted body succumbs to the drug, putting you into a deep sleep.

After a good night sleep, well since you are drugged, you slowly open your eyes. Somehow, you wound up in a dorm room. Like everything else on campus, it’s a series of beige’ and blacks with a gray rug and a window. Everyone else is with you as well, though their skin color’s faded. There are a few elephants in the room; Cosgrove, Dapplewood, and Chelsey chained to the floor with cattle yokes around their necks.

“Don’t ask.” Mutters Chelsey.

You turn to the door opening, seeing Starlight approach you.

“I find that you are comfortable?” Starlight walks around you.

“Hardly.” Cosgrove’s restraints kept him from standing up, so he had to make due with a slouched body.

“Oh, pity.” Starlight strokes the Maximal’s chin. “I hoped we would get along so well, unlike your friends.”

“Apples don’t fall far from the tree.” Apple Bloom grumbles.

“Is that so?” Starlight grabs Apple Bloom’s bow; with a tug, she unravels it. “Well, a few changes of clothes, and a few…” She turns to Cosgrove again, making a few cutting motions between her fingers. “Bodily adjustments, and you’ll be just as home as all of us.”

“How did you learn magic, eh?” Asks Snails. Starlight turns her head slightly.

“I had a little help.” The door opens once more, revealing a woman with a similar skin color as Rainbow Dash, her head hidden by her large star and moon adorned witch hat.

“Hello. Children.” She lifts her head, showing her cold grin.

“TRIXIE?!” You hear most of your pals exclaim.

“But…” Sweetie Belle stammers. “We never taught you magic!”

“Yes.” Trixie leans forward, looking smug. “But Trixie is a visual learner. Since she returned from Camp Everfree, Trixie took a few trinkets, learned a few tricks.” She turns to Snips and Snails. “But being betrayed, the great and powerful Trixie had to pass it to another. Took a while, but way worth it. Now, Trixie’s top of the food chain. She hardly has trouble and…” She looks around. “Men dig a strong lady character.”

“You’re forgetting about Sunset and Fluttershy.” Scootaloo walks up to Trixie, poking at her shoulder. “They’ll come and save the day!”

“Yes.” Starlight holds Dapplewood’s cheeks. “And they’ll be part of our community, now that we have bargaining chips.”

You see Cosgrove shake his restraints.

“You take away everything that makes a person special so you can be the only one!”

You see a hint of anger seething out of Starlight’s smiling face.

“Trixie told me everything about you and your precious Sunset Shimmer. What was it she said: that she would make things right for you and your baby brother? Where is she now? While she hides like a sewer rat, I did the one thing that she could never achieve.”

She leans to Cosgrove, lifting his chin.

“I made you all human.” Starlight turns around. “Make sure our guests are comfy.”

“Heh, heh, heh.” As soon you see Starlight leave, you turn to Trixie giving your posse a grin that gave you chills. “Trixie will give you all a warm welcome.”

When you hear the door click, Trixie approaches Snips and Snails and grabs them by the ears.

“Trixie have been meaning to pay you back with the greatest of honor.” She looks at Snails. “But you have lost faith in her, so she’s lost faith in you.”

Trixie tosses them aside, then grabs Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, while looking at Apple Bloom.

“You three have tarnished her reputation by posting such heinous information!” Trixie tosses them at Apple Bloom.

“Stop it!” You rush at Trixie, aiming a fist at her. You land a punch at her cheek, but it felt like a nudge rather than a what you’re intending.

“You shouldn’t be bringing more kids to these fights, Cosgrove.” She tosses you at the table. You groan while you slide to the floor, holding your stomach. You lift your head, seeing Trixie approach Cosgrove himself. “You. Oh, Trixie has a little something special for-!”

You hear an uproar from outside and stand up to the back window. The students and alumni of Everton are arguing with Starlight. You see Twilight approach her from behind, talking about something while you find Starlight becoming agitated.

“QUIET!!!” She roared, scaring several birds.

“I think” You turn to Trixie. “your plan is about to backfire.”

You look outside again, this time finding Starlight gone; from the look of the mobbing crowds, you assume that the “liar revealed” scenario really kicked in. Your ears pick up a poofing sound and turn around. Trixie is nowhere in sight, just a large cloud of smoke.

“She’s gone!” You hear from Sweetie Belle before turning her head. “No, wait. There she is.”

You look again; Trixie scraps to her feet and out of your sight.

“Anon, go after her, we”ll catch up.“ You look at Cosgrove trying to stand up, using whatever strength to pull his restraints.

”What if she has any special powers?“ You ask with a stammer.

”She talks big, but doesn’t back it up.“ Cosgrove kneels, then stands up again. ”Go!“

You run out the door, looking to your left and seeing another door just about to close. You rush out of the dorm, looking to your left this time. Trixie is already halfway up the rolling hill, running to the left. You run down along the side of the lake, using your stamina to run the rolling hills. Now you are back inside Spratt Hall.

”Trixie?“ You call out, looking in all directions. Looking down, you find shoe prints leading once again to the auditorium. You open the doors and enter the dark room.

”Well, well. Only one audience member?“ You look around, hoping to find the source of the voice. ”Very well, Trixie will have to make due.“

You see your shadow cast in front of you before turning around. Trixie stood on the stage, her head tilted down, and her cape wrapped around her body. You put up your fists; if what Cosgrove said is true, then you only have to land a few punches to win.

”You don’t scare me.“ You tighten your fists. ”I helped my friends with Changelings, got my arm broken by a Predacon, and got sent to the Moon. You’ll be a pushover.“

”Well,“ Trixie responds, turning her head a little. ”That is impressive. But, there is one oversight.“

You see her unfurl her cape, grab her hat and lift it. You gasp; Trixie has pony ears and a horn. She did do her ”homework.“ And now all alone with no help from a Ponied Up Crusader or a brutish Maximal, your mind starts writing up a will.

”And now, a little trick for the little naysayer.“ Trixie shifts her left leg behind the right stretching her right hand. ”Watch in awe at the power of The Great and Powerful Trixie!“

You see her horn light up, surrounding herself in a light purple glow. Two more copies of her phase in from her left and from her right. They approach you, adding a sense of dread for you. You look around, swirling your fisticuffs. You take your chances and punch the one on your left. It phases out, and you are given a hard kick to your right ribs. You punch to the right, it phases out and you are kicked to the floor. When you open your eyes, you see seven Trixies standing, laughing. But with all the duplicates before you, it’s only a matter of time before one of them reveals herself.

Or you would if someone not turned out the lights. The door opens and closes quickly, leaving the world around you in eternal darkness, and the confused mumbling. You see a small sea-green glow and roll over; the source is coming from another aura surrounding a yellow-orange horn atop a red and yellow hairpiece. You the person’s hands glow, showing a little bit of forearm and a sleeve. The person’s hand rises; getting the idea, you duck and cover your head. Your ears pick up grunted shouts, poofs, and blasting sounds and splintered wood while your nose picks up a burning smell. Then the noises cease for a while before you hear a loud click. The lights turn on, and you roll to your back. Cosgrove held the sorceress by the throat, his skin and hair now back in their natural color tones.

”Now what was it you said?“ You see him purse his lips and eyeball his left, humming a long note. ”Oh, yes. That you’ve got something special for me? Well, I’ve got something for you.“

Cosgrove shuffles his pocket and tosses out the locket that they used to drain Luna’s magic. When it lands on your lap, you look up at your boss. He looks at you, swerving his head to Trixie. Knowing what you must do, you stand, aim the locket at her and open it.

An hour passes since then, and you notice the immediate changes that are happening. The cars are being washed away of their gray color, the students and alumni have ditched the uniforms, and returned the school to a brighter hue. You sit on a bench and watch everyone talk to each other one last time before leaving. From what you’ve gathered, Starlight managed to escape and won’t be a threat for awhile, at least with Trixie not talking. You notice someone missing and decide to look for him.

”Dapplewood?“ You exclaim, whipping your head wildly. Walking down the triple decker hilltop, you look ahead and find him, but he isn’t alone. He was hugging a woman around the same age as the other ladies you’ve met in the school. Her hair a color that reminded your of bacon and a long coat with orange chevrons over her blue dress, you wonder what’s so important about her. A very important life-long friend? Maybe even a sister? You hide behind a car, getting a closer look of the embrace. Soon, Dapplewood releases her and slowly walks up the hills. He stops, looks at you for a while, then walks away. You take a peek from the car, finding the woman gone. Your head is filled with questions. Who was she? And why was she so significant to your friends? You stand up and walk away.

You and your friends return to the hotel, this time looking more alive, the food exquisite, and the beds softer than the stone slabs you slept on. For now, you join the others in the equally lovely swimming pool. But for the fun your friends have over this victory, you still feel puzzled while you sit on the edge, stroking the water with your legs.

”You’ve been quiet since we’ve got back.“ You look to your left; Scootaloo is waist deep in water when she approaches you and leans on the edge. ”What’s up?“

”Scootaloo. There’s something more to your friends, isn’t it?“ You ask. The Crusader looks at the water, staring at her reflection then looks forward. You do the same, finding Dapplewood play monkey in the middle with Chelsey and Apple Bloom. As good a fighter as he is on land, he is a poor one when it comes to jumping very little in the water.

”Family.“ She whispers. ”That’s how I, we, see each other as.“

You continue to see the little boy and two Junior teenagers continue to play. You look to your left; Snips, Snails, Sweetie Belle and Dinky are playing Marco Polo, the first being Polo just nearing Sweetie Belle. You look to your right, finding Cosgrove in his bathrobe looking out the window. It becomes clear now: how else have they fought through Hell and back. Families always encounter hardships, but their support helps them. When you first arrived, you thought that they would be the same as the bullies from your old home, but you are wrong.

Suddenly, you see the rubber ball come at you and grab it instinctively. You rest it on your lap, looking at those who are playing with it.

”Wanna play, Anon?“ Asks Chelsey.

You look at the ball, then look at the three with a smile. You then enter the water, shiver a little, then hold the ball above your head.

”Heads up!“ You bop the ball at Apple Bloom, who then bop it to Chelsey, barely missing Dapplewood’s lunge. You rush to the falling ball, balling up your fist and giving it a bop to Apple Bloom. You see Dapplewood become more proactive and swipes the ball to your left. Fortunately, Scootaloo joins the game, bopping the ball to you then you bop it to Chelsey. It’s the fun before the next carnage. For now, just have fun.

City at War

Author's Note

After more than a year, I finally got this story done. I wish I got it done sooner, but school work and discouragement from bullies held me back. But for what it's worth, it taught me a lesson; it's still canon to the Jongojiverse, but still a bit of a low point.

City at War

When you lived in Florida, the only thing to worry are tropical storms. Well, that and alligators in your kitchen. You could just make it through the day with just shorts and a sleeveless shirt, even catch a few waves if you made good time with your homework. But now you’re away from The Sunshine State, much further north one would add. Just when you thought you got used to living in Colorado, even with the monster hunting and all, nothing got you prepared for your first legit winter.

It’s another school day; much as it pains yourself, you could no longer ignore the alarm. After stretching your still aching joints, you take a quick shower, get dressed and eat a quick breakfast. Sadly, those are the only easy parts for your first legit December. With your mother’s help, you don what Diver calls the “fat suit;” two layers of sweaters, three layers of hoodies, two zip-up jackets, two pairs of gloves, a pair of mitts, two pairs of sweatpants, six layers of socks, all topped off with a thick coat, jeans, and snow boots.

“There,” your mother huffs, “ready for action!”

Just when you want to protest from the building heat, but she moves you to the front door. For your hardship, and the spent money, it feels like a breath of fresh air to be outside. Of course, you can’t enjoy it for long, being on the clock before school. And unable to move your arms and legs to use your bike. You have to go to school the old fashioned way:

“Put one foot in front of the other…” You spoke before your mother wraps a scarf around your mouth. With stiff legs, you waddle clumsily as a penguin. You wish you can take the bus, but on icy roads, they are hard to come by. And this has become quite a conundrum. Everywhere you go, construction crews work tirelessly, but it’s not due to some executive order. Since the middle of November, gang activity is sweeping across town. It came first as simple store raids, but by December, it’s gotten worse, thus the construction companies. And yet it’s been frustrating that all of your older friends, even the younger Dapplewood, living, breathing superheroes, aren’t doing anything about it.

You finally arrive, among the last to arrive for the parking lot is already brimming full. But the journey isn’t over; you still have the stairs to climb up… if you can. Fortunately, the street salt has done its job, and you finally reach the foyer. Stiff as a dog toy, you turn to the side and shuffle left before gripping the handle. Suddenly, the door swings at your chubby clothing. You lose your balance and bounce down the stairs like a knucklebone before skidding to a halt on your back, motionless like an upturned turtle.

Speaking of whom, it isn’t long before Snips is the next person you see.

“Sorry, Anon.” He apologizes before he and Snails pick you up and carry you up the stairs, through the foyer, down the hall to your locker. The heat building in your body, the two numbskulls of the band work like clockwork undressing you.

“It’s like Christmas is coming early, eh?” Snails giggled after pulling your third jacket.

Free from your fat suit, you swore you felt the heat seep from your body like coming out of a sauna. Down to only a sweater, a baggy pair of sweatpants and a grown appetite, you grab your books, cram your clothes into your locker, and make your way to the cafeteria. As expected, your band of friends is there. Only a few students here are eating the last minute meal before the day begins. You quickly get in line and get two plates of several pancakes, smoked sausage, and eggs piled on high. And the first thing you sit at your table, you wolf down both plates in just five minutes. Satisfied once more, you lean back and let a deep, relaxing sigh.

“I tell you,” you shift your gaze at Apple Bloom, “your grandma makes the best breakfast.”

“You should see her in the holidays.” She chuckles twirling her cup of orange juice.

You hear a jingle and turn your head to one of the TV monitors. After a cheaply done graphics intro, it fades to the anchorman shuffling his papers, a headline scrolls to the left,

Bloodstone Industries CEO Retires

“President of Bloodstone Industries, Torch, announces his retirement today. When our reporters asked him, he had this to say:”

The tv switches to the headman himself. From the stories you were told about Equestria, including a philosophy lesson, Torch was a massive, fire-breathing dragon, the lord of them all… until the time came for him to step down and put any potential heirs through a rigorous trial. This incarnation of him is best described as “travel sized” in the loosest sense; twice as tall as the podium he stood behind, a greater amount of scars than the last time you saw officer Clamp Jaw, and a jawline that would make Bruce Campbell jealous, and a voice that can rock the heavens.

“It gives me great displeasure that I must retire. Do not cry for me…” a moment of silence before he roars, “Cry for me!!!”

After the reporters sobbed on cue, the CEO adds, “Do not worry, business will continue to be prosperous.”

The TV returns to the anchorman.

“It’s still being decided who will take over. In other news, violent activity from the Diamond Dog gang continues. Local law enforcement has been able to-” The anchor motions the audience to pause with one hand while pressing his earpiece with the other, “I’ve just received grave news, the Diamond Dogs have just robbed the strip mall at Fillydelphia Street.”

“No!!!!” You turn to Button Mash yelling in anguish, “I just preordered a Wii-U!”

As he sobs, the news gets everyone to mutter and justifies your concern when the PA buzzes.

“Attention students,” Announces Principal Celestia, “In light of recent events, classes will be done at noon for the rest of the semester. You are strongly advised to come straight home and limit outdoor activities.”

After the PA buzzes again, the school bell rings; it’s time for students to come to call. With a heavy stomach, you try to get up. As you do, you hear from Cosgrove,

“Meeting in music hall after school.”

The first half day you had in a short while went by swiftly; as you venture to the music hall, you hear your classmates muttering about the severity of these gang attacks and how their “defenders,” including you, would deal with it. You enter the room and find not only your team but a few Predacons. Oddly, their leader Cogsworth doesn’t have his armor and sat in a wheelchair. You wish to speak out, but at the same time, you believe a few of the others would have the same thought.

“For now, though it pains me” Cosgrove turns his head slowly from looking at you and Dinky to the people at his left, “we keep to our rules. I am advising that you watch over your families until we get to the bottom of this. Now, are there any questions?”

“Yes.” Your interjection gets everyone turning their heads to you, “If we… Well, you... all are so strong, why aren’t we taking the fight to them? Every day, people are getting hurt out there and all we’re doing is-?”

“It’s just dousing a fire with gasoline.” You turn to Cogsworth, “I wasn’t in the right all the time and I know for a fact that we’d agree only to deal with the supernatural or anything the police wouldn’t handle.”

“So, we just wait until they shine some Bat Signal?”

“I’m afraid so.” Answers Chelsey.

“And what happens between then…?”

A long moment of silence, and seeing some uneasy looks, each of your team stand up and walk out the door. Before you do, a shadow looms over you, Cosgrove’s shadow.

“You ask a very important question, and it always pains me that we must do this.” He places his hand on your shoulder, “All we ask from you is to keep your mom safe and keep low for now.”

As you watch your boss leave, you feel something nudge your leg. You look forward, then down at Cogsworth.

“If it matters to you that much, I’ll have patrols throughout the evening.” Before you ask another question, the Predacon leader answers, “We hardly slept last Spring, we can do it again.”

With a push with his arms, Cogsworth rolls out of the music hall, Darksteel and Skystalker behind him. A moment to silent venting, you go to your locker. While your classmates make haste, you continue your quiet seething. Maybe they’re right; until you get to the bottom of this, best to keep your guns holstered. After sighing, you pound your locker; luck isn’t on your side again, for the door pushes you to the ground and your fat suit collapses on top of you.

As you worked on your homework, time seems to fly faster than usual. True, you have learned about the whole “Earth’s tilting its axis,” but see it in action in this mountain town intrigues you. By five in the afternoon, you already have your desk lamp turned on. Ten minutes later, you close your math book and walk to the living room. There, your mother sat on the couch watching the news; nothing bad… yet. You grab some dinner and sit next to her just when she changes the channel to an episode of “Lost.” But word isn’t kept to the news channel; a line of text warning of these recent events is too much not to ignore.

“My, gang violence is on every channel….” You look at the screen with a furrowed brow, “Anon? Anon!”

“Hm?” You see your mother looking as puzzled as you are concerned.

“Are you okay?” Your mother motions to your dinner plate, “You haven’t touched your food.”

You look down; indeed, not even the blade of your dinner knife touched the leftover mashed potatoes. With a sigh, you place the fork where the knife is, and lift the tray with the other. You walk to the kitchen, grab some plastic wrap, and wrap your dinner for the evening.

“Anon?” You hear from your mom, getting you to stop before going any further.

“I’m sorry…” You shrug her off again, “I have too much... on my mind?”

You go to your bedroom once again and sit at your desk. Your mind feels stuffed as your memory serves you no better as voices A-Z keep reminding to stay home while the police take care of the gang violence. But what if the gang violence reaches home? You never did tell Mom the real truth behind what’s going on over the past four months. It’s such a brain teaser, one that you can’t afford.

Suddenly, your ears pick up the window tapping. You pull apart the curtain then jump away. Scootaloo, all bundled up to the teeth, sat ahead of you. You open the windows and step aside to let her in.

“Scootaloo,” You whisper, “What are you doing here?!”

“Anon?” You now hear the door jingling. You turn to where Scootaloo is, or was; she’s nowhere to be seen. The door opens, and you turn to your mother, now confused as you are.

“Yes?” You mutter to your mother. A few moments of silence gets her shaking her head.

“Nevermind.” She looks to her left. “But close the window.”

As she leaves the room, you do just that and turn around before jumping back yet again. Scootaloo hung upside down using some kind of grappling hook.

“I was patrolling and just wanted to check up on you.” The winged Crusader twists herself like a gymnast and retracts the grappling coils that leave a couple holes in the wall, “Still a little upset?”

“Yeah,” You turn around, grab a stress toy, and start squeezing it, “and exams aren’t making it better.”

You look back at Scootaloo sitting on your bed and looking around your room.

“Cozy,” She looks around, pursing her lips, “but a little cramped. Anyway, when I get stressed, I just go out. Want to come?”

You look out the window; it’s snowing again. “Out there? I don’t want Mom to-”

“Don’t worry,” Scootaloo pushes one of your toy cars with her shoe, “we’ll be back before she even knows it.”

“But” You stammer, “didn’t Cosg-?”

“They didn’t say anything about recon.” She notices your puzzled. “What? You think that your words ever fall on deaf ears?”

“Okay…” You grab a few layers of your “fat suit,” just so you can still move your arms and neck, “But just to take my mind off things.”

After the short time it takes you and Scootaloo to reach downtown, the both of you stick to the rooftops. As you do, your worries get replaced with adrenaline as you leap from rooftop even with half of your winter clothes. And even with the dangers that abound the city, Christmas music still plays; you haven’t asked anyone yet, but you know for certain you’re not alone that too much Christmas music in one day gets on your nerves. Two rooftops forward, and a jump to the left, and you stop and stare at the sparkling plaza. There’s beauty on the other side of danger after all.

In this bliss, you look down then quickly shuffle back for cover. You peek from your hiding spot; below you in a dingy alleyway, two groups of people stood before each other. To your left is a group of elaborate trench coats and hats. To your right is a rugged band of creatures, the Diamond Dogs as they are called. One of the trench coats walks forward.

“You got the money?” You hear the person, a feminine voice as you could tell.

“You got the goods?” Asks the burly Diamond Dog.

After hearing a snap, one of her manservants tosses a briefcase, which is collected by one of the Diamond Dogs before he tosses a case half the size of the one now in their possession. One of the trench coats grabs the case, opens it, and shows it to his boss.

“This is half of what we agreed on.”

You shift your gaze, seeing a stout Diamond Dog step forward.

“Half as proof, other half when business is concluded.” He barks.

“I think not.” With another snap from her fingers, the other trench coats step forward and pull out their guns. When you see the Diamond Dogs pull out some heavy artillery, you immediately retreat. It isn’t long before you hear guns and rockets blazing below you.

“Still thinking about being the hero?” You look to your right and see Scootaloo huddled next to you.

You keep yourself curled up in a ball; you fought monsters, and one instance at the Moon, but none of them had a gun. All it takes is one bullet to end even the most powerful of beasts. You hear a thundering roar approaching, and a harsh light in your eyes like the summer sun. Said sun looms over you; it’s a helicopter.

“Attention!” The pilot announces, “We have you surrounded!”

Indeed, police cars and armored SWAT vehicles are already around the premises, but the two gangs are already three steps ahead, with only one Diamond Dog being caught. You feel a hand on your shoulder.

“See, it’s like that scientist said,” Scootaloo motions her hand at the alley, “‘life finds a way.’”

“Yeah,” You get up and start jogging away from the chaos, “and I would like to be away before life finds another way.”

A half hour of leaping buildings and you're close to your neighborhood. After a good exercise to clear your mind, you now want a good night’s sleep. Jumping the last building, you shuffle your winter clothes before something occurs in your mind: you don’t feel cold. Perhaps you could afford just a little exercise in a weekend. But in your deep thought, you bump into Scootaloo.

“Hey, what’s up?” You ask while walking around her. Her expression is horrifying

“Anon,” She lifts her hand, “tell me that’s not your house.”

You immediately look ahead and start running. Your house has been broken into, your neighbors surround it as you reach the front door.

“Mom!?” You yell when you come inside, where the damage is much worse. Books are everywhere, food is spilled over the kitchen. You rush upstairs to your mother’s room; no one there either. You fall on your knees, shocked and appalled. As you stare into the unknown, Scootaloo enters from the window, still as shocked as you are before she presses on her earpiece.

“Cosgrove, we have an emergency situation!”

As she continues, you stand up and walk to the window. Your mind returns to its heavy pondering. Would it have been better to stay at home? Maybe, but at the same time, you could have been beaten to a pulp trying to protect her. You grip the window sill as your sorrow turns to anger. Then, something passes your eye. You look further ahead; a few unknown figures are sneaking between houses. Much as you’ve been told to not go at it alone, the stakes feel too high to wait for help and so… You jump out from your window and take your pursuit by following their tracks. Though a faint cry wisps in your ear, you ignore it and continue your pursuit.

Again the flurries and icy roads, your pursuit brings you to a large warehouse. You hide in a corner and take a peek. It’s not long before a few people in trench coats step out the front door.

“Is that all of them?” One of them ask.

“Yep,” Another answers, barring the door, “that'll send a message.”

As soon as they are out of sight, you rush at the door, pull away the bar and storm the building filled with crates as big as bison.

“Mom?” Your voice echoes the room, no response. “Mom!”

After jogging like mad, your ears pick up a faint moan. You pick up the pace, jump a few crates and find, not your mother or any other hostages, but more trench coats, unconscious and bound up. Not even close to what you’re looking for, you groan and grip your hair when your eyes pick a blinking, red light. You approach it; every second that passes, the number grows smaller. It makes you say,

“Oh no.”

With all your strength, you take the unconscious trench coats through the emergency exit; the alarm should draw in some law officer or Maximal to take them in for questioning. Once that’s over, you grab the bomb and take it to the center of the warehouse.

“Okay, Anon, just cut open the red-” After removing the case, you find no wires, only turn dials “okay… this is a problem.”

The clock is ticking, your mind is telling you to run, but this warehouse might have some necessary supplies, food especially. You take a deep breath and look at the bomb again.

“Okay,” you examine the structure closely, “maybe something here can give me some kind of clue.”

You keep examining the device, but the constant beeping keeps aggravating you. Taking another deep breath, the answer becomes clear: only one of the four dial is turned slightly to the right.

“Well,” You pinch the dial “modus ponendo tollens.”

You close your eyes and turn your wrist counter clockwise. No beeping… No explosion. You sigh with relief; now all that’s left is to find your mother… and perhaps get some joshing from the boss. You run for the emergency exit and enter the arctic with a bunch of police officers.

“Down on the ground, now!” One of them shouts, in which you immediately comply, hands behind your head. With Cosgrove and Dapplewood’s parents being cops, you imagine it’d wouldn’t take long to get out.

Just as you are taken into one of the cars, a strange energy wave pulses out of the warehouse swiftly reaches the cars and shuts them down with a bit of circuit static from the driver panel. While handcuffed in a locked vehicle, you look around as best as your space allows before being dragged out from the vehicle. In a short moment, your hands are free.

“Go home, kid.” You hear from a cop, one with a navy blue hair of two colors.

But where is home? The entire city is pitch black. No Christmas music; all that is heard is the wind, the muttering of civilians and the cries of babies and dogs. Instead of coming home, you use the moonlight to follow the street signs to Canterlot High… A dark and gloomy Canterlot High. Entering via the gymnasium doors, you see several oil lamps lined up throughout the great room, almost like Midnight Mass comes early.

You hear the doors close behind you before hearing footsteps, some heavy like boots and some with a mechanical clang.

“Glad you’re still in one piece.” You turn around and see Scootaloo looking at you sternly.

“Scootaloo, I-”

“Forget about it,” You turn around and see Cosgrove stepping out of the shadows, “we have pressing business to finish.”

“Does it have anything to do with…?” You swirl your finger at the light fixtures.

“Yep,” You hear from Chesley, in her anthro-mode, hands held together beneath silken fur sleeves, “and it’s gonna be that way for a while.”

“That was an electromagnetic pulse.” Dinky adds, “No ground bridge, no cell phones, no transforming Predacons.”

You look to your left; Darksteel and Skystalker are still in their beast modes. The Ursagryph tried to transform, but only part of the beak retracts before returning to its original length. Even Cogsworth is affected by this, he had to tear off his helmet and he still has the sword from his right forearm and a now useless plasma gun barrel on the other.

“So, what’s the plan?” You walk over to Cosgrove, “How are we going to get my Mom back?”

“Getting your mom back,” You turn around again; a newcomer is in the picture: a sky blue woman older than your pears with even darker blue hair and clad in a yellow business suit, “is how Plan A will turn out.”

“Who’s this broad?” You ask.

“Ember,” Cogsworth answers, “daughter of former president of Bloodstone Industries and crime boss Torch.”

“Whoa, whoa, ‘crime boss’?” Your mind is now filled with questions, “Your town had an organized crime lord this whole time!?”

“That’s why we’re asked not to deal with police business.” Cosgrove justifies.

“So how does she fit with our business?”

“Your business is crowd control. Should this plan work,” Two men step beside Ember, “I take Stucco’s gang and the business from this town, leaving you with the just the Diamond Dogs. I told your boss where we will meet.”

A short while after Ember and her cohorts leave the gym, you, your posse, and the Predacons stand on a roof next to the destination. You kneel on the ledge, waiting for any signal to jump in, save your mom, and get out of there. Squinting a few dark corners, you spot a few officers and SWAT personnel armed to the tooth. You look to your left and ask Diver,

“What does that lady mean by ‘crowd control?’”

Interrupting her meditation, the obese Junior gives you a stink eye and answers, “We’re Plan B.”

You gulp; every one of you, ready to go in and risk it all just to save your mother and a few others from people who have weapons that can kill you with a pull of a trigger. A shadow swoops over you and lands next to Cosgrove. Zipper whispers; information perhaps on how they’ll storm the gate.

“Okay, everyone,” You stand up just as Cosgrove turns around, “gather around. Though Ember has given us her plan, we’re going down with ours. Zippers scouted out the perimeter, and found seven hostages, your Mom included too Anon.”

Hearing that, you let out a sigh.

“We’ll send out a three-pronged infiltration. Cogsworth and I will have many of us deal with any extra’s. Sweetie Belle, Indigo, Dinky, Tex, I need you to cause a few… light shows. Scootaloo, Rumble, Anon: you will follow Zipper through the air ducts and get the hostages. After Shining Armor gets the word out to storm the building, I want everyone out and back at Canterlot High ASAP.” you notice Cosgrove’s eyebrows rise a little, “Remember, no electronics, no Ground Bridge, no guns. I’m not expecting many of us coming out of this without a scar, but try to come back in one piece.”

As you watch Cosgrove walk across from you, you clasp your hands together and silently pray. Pray that you’ll get your mother, pray that everyone will get out safely. This is your big test; if you fail, you will be seriously injured at least.

“All right,” You look up, Cosgrove is now walking to where your sitting, “show time.”

Despite being with a few individuals as big a bear, everyone is still stealthy like a ninja as you join your group and climb down the chilled metal of the air duct. Having to risk air duct on your hands and knees persuaded you to crawl faster if only Rumble wasn’t in the way. Fortunately, it isn’t long before the three people in front of you take a space in four-way intersection with a vent in the center. With extreme finesse, the vent is pried away. Zipper pulls himself forward and looks down the man-made hole for a moment, then looks up and points downward while nodding.

After quietly dropping to the floor you find that “hostage” in the plural is no joke. True to Cosgrove’s word, there are indeed seven bound and blindfolded hostages and it takes you just a few seconds to find your mom and release her.

“Anon? What are you-?” She questions before noticing your friends, “Aren’t those your- Anon, what’s going on?”

“Not now, Mom.” You replied as you untie the next hostage, “we gotta get you outta here before-”

Suddenly, you feel the sharp breeze brush your back with a little heat and rubble. You look behind you and find a few Diamond Dogs packing heat.

“That happens.” You answer with a flick of your hand before grabbing your mother’s wrist and run towards the hole before yelping and taking a few steps back from a few barrages. Sneaking a peek reveals trouble gave Cosgrove’s plan a hitch. Shining Armor, Clamp Jaw, and Claire have their hands full against a few other Diamond Dogs. A few Predacons join the fight as well, their thick, metallic hides offering some protection.

“Come on, Anon!” You hear from Scootaloo

“We’ll try the back door.” Going through said back door got your hearing and feeling the fight throughout the building.

“Anon,” You hear from your mother in a panicked, angry voice, “will you explain just what the hell is going on!?”

“I’ve been wanting to tell you, but I didn’t think you’d believe me!” You look at your mother giving you the look as you continue pulling her, “Look, what I’m trying to say is-”

Both of you stop when something smashes through the right wall. It was Apple Bloom, all Ponied Up with her clothes a bit torn and her bow partly charred. She turns looks to the both of you; the left side of her face is a bit red.

“Anon, Misses.” She greets before staggering to her feet and going back to the fight at hand. You turn to your mother pointing a shaky index finger

“Did that girl have cat ears?”

“Pony ears. Thing is for three years now, my friends and a little boy have been fighting-” You pull your mother to the right to avoid a Diamond Dog tossing Chelsey, “fighting magical creatures, and believe me, it took me to the moon and back! I’ve been on the moon!”

“You’ve been to the moon!?” You mom explains.

You soon reach the exit; no heat of the battle so far. You pull your mother one last time, but you keep yourself at the door. Your mom is speechless; she wants you to be with her, get out of here.

“I have a job to do, Mom. I’m sorry.”

You close the door and return to the hole where Apple Bloom came crashing in. You look around; Diver, Rumble, Dapplewood, and Chelsey were breaking the Diamond Dogs’ guns.

“Guess the fight’s just about even.” You mutter before looking around again; Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Zipper were dealing with a few trench coats. You dodge a few magic blasts from above. You look around again; Cosgrove, Cogsworth, and Ember give it them all against the lead trench coat, holding her own quite well using an empty rifle for a weapon against brute strength, an empty plasma cannon and arm blade, and Ember’s katanas. “Guess four against one can help, but I gotta play this smart.”

After grabbing a piece of wood, you hug the walls while approaching the three against one match. When you are within striking distance, and when Cogsworth pushes her back, you smack her on the leg, then jump away from Ember slicing the empty rifle and Cosgrove grabs her by the head and pins her against the wall long enough for Rumble to tie her down. As she is tossed aside, your ears pick up the doors slamming open; the cavalry has arrived.

“Tangy Stucco,” You see Shining Armor present his badge, “you are under arrest.”

As you gasp, you look at Cosgrove turning over to Ember; in better detail, whether it was from the explosion or not, his right side was covered in black, sharp bits. And his expression is one to match.

“Leave.” He raises his left hand, closing his “claws,” “Now.”

With a deep breath, Ember collects her weapons and herself and walks out the door. You look around; while you were lucky enough to avoid injury, that same luck isn’t so much as Cosgrove warned. Diver held her massive belly, stopping on occasion to rotate a bloody hand. Chelsey’s right arm hung loosely as if broken. Scootaloo, Zipper, and Rumble have their wings frayed, the Maximal and Crusader having a few large bruises. And there’s Dapplewood, bruised, his prized sunglasses damaged, and a few cuts on his cheek. A female officer, his mother you presume, leads him out the building. However little you participated, one way or another, the job’s done.

But it’s not exactly over for you. This was too much for your mother to handle and so, hard as it was, it was decided to leave home. A few days later, the both of you pack your boxes, but the last you heard, it’ll be a long while before the power goes back on and your mom can call a rental truck.

“So, where are we going?” You ask after putting a snowglobe in a box.

“San Antonio.” She answers, “No monsters or freaks of nature! Just warm air and beaches just like the good old days.”

But at what cost? You were just warming up to being in Colorado, and now after four months, you are leaving everything behind once again. A ridiculous cause, but there is the saying, “Mother knows best.”

But then… an engine rumbles. A car engine working after an EMP? You and your mother rush to the front porch; the car is indeed working and a trailer is hooked up behind it. The both of you walk over, your mother hopping in the car and turning it off, while you grab a letter pinned under the windshield wiper. It was a farewell card; fourteen little statements, signatures, and two one-hundred dollar bills. The center of the card reads

“Travel at night time, there are stupid people after all in power outages. - C.”

While wondering the reason for the hundred dollar bills, your ears pick up a clopping sound echoing the streets. There is only one place in this town you know who has horses. You walk around the car just in time to see a wagon being pulled, Scootaloo just rushing to hop in after delivering a blanket. Sitting at the back was Dapplewood looking at you long enough to wave you goodbye.

Dusk soon follows after you pack everything in the trailer, your mom starts up the car, and you take yet another long journey to your new home. In pure darkness, and a large trailer blocking the rearview, all you can do is sit there and just wait for the town to disappear. You didn’t sleep this time… You couldn’t go to sleep, you didn’t want to sleep. You take one look at the side view mirror when a few lights pierce the fog. Though it’s too late for you to convince your mom to turn back, you smile and lean back on the car seat.

“Hope shines eternal.”

Exploring Estes Park

Thanks to binge eating pizza, you slept like a log in your new home. You open your eyes, let out a yawn and stretch out your toes, feeling a little pop in each. Feeling the cool breeze rushing under your PJ's, you start to shiver, shuffling to your dresser and take out a long sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans. Feeling warm, you relax your body and walk with confidence to the kitchen. What was left of the pizza was left to the elements. Fortunately, no mice have scurried into the box, so you decide to help yourself to breakfast. As you chew the half stale piece, you see a white paper. Holding the crust in your mouth, you pick up the note.

“Anon,

Went to work for training day. Make yourself comfortable, stay out of trouble, and get used to the town. Visit a few places, you shouldn’t be cooped up in this house.

Have a nice day, Sweetums.

Mom.”

Reading the word “sweetums” in reference to you made you shiver. The reason is pretty clear; being an only child, you are your mother’s greatest treasure. It’s just that her calling you that every school day doesn’t bring the best mood in you. You finish your meal, grab your house keys and head out. Hooked on an old flagpole is your ten speed; you didn’t have much of a use for it in southern swamps, but on firm ground, it’s a useful tool now.

Riding downhill, you easily gather speed as you feel the wind brush against your cheeks. Seeing the sidewalk angle upwards you pinch the brakes, using your legs to get back to speed. The buildings, it seems, are different; they’re not made smooth and retain their red brick texture. There are some exceptions, buildings like the one labeled “Barnyard Bargains” are of glass and steel, and those like the one labeled “Carousel Boutique” have window drapes.

“Watch out!” You look forward, seeing a young woman with orange skin and violet hair coming towards you on a scooter.

With the dilemma before you, you immediately turn to your left. Narrowly dodging an SUV, you get back on the sidewalk, getting a warning honk from the driver. In your haste, you pinch the brakes. You look around a little, calming yourself after the near death experience. But your tummy says otherwise, the pizza wasn’t enough to satisfy your biological cauldron. You follow the corner to your right, finding before you a small restaurant with a cupcake on top. “Sugarcube Corner” the sign reads, your belly screams its desire for food. Treats aren’t the best food, but if it’s anything to get your stomach to shut up, you take your chances. You hitch your bike at the stand, making sure the lock is snug. With a nod, you go to the doors, grab the handles, and pull with all your might, yet they do not open. You catch a white card hanging behind the glass.

“Owners on vacation. Will return in one week.”

You look inside; the lights are turned off and the tables and booths covered in plastic. Your tummy growls at you once more.

“Damn.” You mutter as you release your bike.

Your stomach protests like mad as you continue your crusade for food. You could have returned home, but it’s too soon to have groceries in the fridge. There are restaurants in your direction: the burger shop Phil’s Grills, the Oriental buffet Genghis Khan, and the Italian restaurant Pezzettino to name a few. While good for your tummy, you feel it might be heavy to your wallet. What you need is fast food; your bike for a Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

Your quest takes you to a less civilized part of town. There are still buildings, just smaller than those downtown. Surrounding them are thin trees standing so tall you couldn’t see the mountain range. You look forward just in time to see a tree slam on the asphalt you rode on. Your head follows the tree trunk, finding a girl, a very, tall, girl peach in skin color with lighter patches all over her body.

“Sorry!” She says, lifting the fallen plant with surprising strength before dragging it away from you.

You pedal further down the neighborhood, turning your attention to an elementary school known as “Great Valley Elementary.” From the kids in the playground, you imagine this as the school you should have gone to. But outside appearances can be deceiving; good thing you're out of middle school. High school, that’s another story.

Your stomach began taking control of your body; it’s desire for just one decent meal gave it dominance to your legs. You moan in pain as your pedaling is reduced to a crawl. So slow in fact that another older boy, charcoal black in skin color with a red and yellow mullet ran circles around you. Hearing your stomach growl he says,

“Notgoodtoeatonanemptystomach.” So fast that you had no idea what he just said.

“Uh… Thanks?” You assume that was a compliment while seeing him jog. Your stomach gets yourself moving, reminding you again of its desire by burning your gut. One little gust of wind offers you a glimmer of hope; when you inhale, your nose hairs pick up an odor. A sweet odor, a warm odor, an odor that makes your mouth water. Your stomach kicks your legs into overdrive.

What your efforts have done is lead you to an even more forested area. When you make a left turn, the asphalt road gave way to a trail of bedrock. The seat of your bike continuously bumps against your crotch, yet your legs churn faster than your brain can fight your stomach. As you maintain your balance, your shaky vision finds a clear area at the end of the broken forest. As you get closer, the road becomes soft dirt, relieving your family jewels from being juggled. The scent getting stronger, your legs relieves command of your legs, and so you stop with a sharp tilt from your bike before looking at the signage above you.

“Sweet Apple Acres?” You read out loud, looking ahead and seeing a red dot in the distance. You pedal on your own free will, a slow and more relaxed pace.

You look to your right and find a blue-green compact car at the entrance when your head collides with a hard object. It’s a sign that reads, “No taking property from land.” You move forward again, bumping into another hard object. It’s another sign that read, “After hours, trespassers will be shot.”

“Should be a sign that says, ‘beware of signs.’” You mutter, moving again when you stop. You look forward; no signs to jinx you this time. You sigh with relief and continue your journey.

The trailer is skinnier thanks to a couple fences on both of your sides.When you hear a bleating sound, you turn your head right and find a flock of fifteen sheep. The herd of wooly mammals travel in unison as they find better pastures, not that the land around you isn't bad. When you look ahead, you notice a brown object in your peripherals. To your left was a yellow horse with a black mane just following you from its side of the fence. Whether it was curious or not didn’t worry you; as long as it doesn’t jump over the fence, you continue to pedal. Out of the sake of fun, you pedal faster, making your four-legged foe get into a gallop. Seeing the fence corner getting larger, you pedal like crazy. As you pass the post, you turn your head; the animal had to stop to avoid injury.

You see the enlarged version of the red dot: a barn and a red house. From the apple trees around it, you could say that this color scheme justifies your view of a picturesque farm. The house you find is where the scent is strongest. Of course, you couldn’t just bust through the door and demand the food. Besides, your mom wanted you to make friends. You pedal around the house, going off road to find any such people. The grove you ride through had buckets placed at the trunks of each tree. It didn’t make sense to you, as you find the fruit unripe. You continuously look left and right, but you couldn’t find the owner. Your best chance of finding them is going to higher ground. You pedal harder, climbing up a steep hill. Panting and groaning, your effort is worth the sight presented at the top. In the distance are the mountains, closer to you and as far your eyes can see, the land was covered in apple trees: each bearing a different colored fruit. One patch of trees had green apples, another patch bore yellow apples, between them having red apples. The sight you see, the scent you smell, the birds and wind you hear, this could just as well be a second paradise.

“Okay, Dapplewood, just ease in on the reins.”

Hearing that sound, you lean forward, seeing more of a small lake. Suddenly, you lose your balance and fall straight into the blue abyss. The force of the dunk fills your nostrils with water, causing you to choke. You try to kick your legs, but in your blind state, you feel your legs bound with your bike. You use your scrawny arms as a last resort. The strain on your muscles and lack of air proved too much. Just one day away from your first day in High School and your life is about to end. The last object you see is a bright light in an otherwise dark pool.

Then you feel a sudden pull your shirt, flailing your arms and legs. Your body breaks the surface, the influx of air causing your cough water and snot while you feel your feet drag along the sand.

“Hand me the blanket.” You hear before feeling something hairy wrap around you. Wheezing one last time, you open your eyes to strange company. Before you was the yellow skinned male with violet head and facial hair you met on your drive here, and the boy who stared at you sitting on the back of a heavily built horse compared to the one you raced. The new face between them was much taller than the two of them, reaching to the height of the horse’ withers. He had pink-red skin, orange hair, and green eyes (though they do have a shade like grass when looking at the younger, yellow and violet man next to him). Seeing the yellow one lean down, you try to keep calm at any question he might throw at you.

“You all right, kid?”

That question, you should be able to answer easily. You take in some fresh air and answer,

“Uh, yes?” Rather nervously. The older teen stretches his arm; while he is offering you his assistance, you couldn’t help but notice he has three fingers. You take his hand, allowing him to pull you up. It’s a long silence before you see the youngest among you make a series of motions with his hands.

“So you're the one Dapplewood was talking about?” He asks, putting you on edge. He understands those little hand movements? You wonder as he shuffles left and right, weirding you a little as he sniffed the air. “You must be new here.”

“Y-yes, I am.” You answer again with the same nervousness. That makes them raise an eyebrow when your stomach reminds you of why you are here.

“You’re hungry?” asked the older man with a deep voice. Reminded of your quest, you shake your head rapidly.

“Well, it’ll be a while before we get to the house.” The yellow man and his companions begin to move. Your stomach begins to rumble again.

“How long is ‘a while’?” You ask before your stomach rumbles again.

The small boy gives the horse a gentle kick with his heels, moving forward while the yellow man stood in place.

“You ever see a horse sit on a porcupine?” When the draft horse passes the both of you, you find that the beasts right flank is covered in spiny projections. “Not a pretty sight.”

The largest man in your “posse” gives you your soaked bicycle. It isn’t damaged, giving you a reason to thank the Lord under your breath. You follow them back to the house, sitting on a porch swing. You occasionally cringe when you hear a painful neigh in the barn, giving the implication that they are slowly but surely getting the quills out.

“Those three better finish what they’re doin’!” You look forward, seeing an elderly woman, with yellow-green skin and white hair, wearing clothing that brings back memories of your nagging lunch lady. The elderly matriarch (you presume) turns her attention to the sight of your soaked self in a blanket. “Why, hello there, sonny. You look new.”

“Yes, my mom and I just moved yesterday.” You reach out and grab her hand; for an aged individual, you can feel a strong grip. “I’m Anon.”

“Well now, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres.” The lady chuckles before sitting next to you. “The name’s Granny Smith.”

“Granny Smith?” Finding her name humorous, you raise a brow. Granny looks up, placing a hand on her chin.

“Well, it was Lady Smith before I became a grandmother of three.” She looks back to you. “So what brings you and your Ma here?”

“Job opportunity.” Hearing grass crunch, you and Granny turn around and find the three boys approaching the house, the largest of whom held a few blood stained quills. Your stomach rumbles again, getting their attention.

“Your tummy’s a callin’, Anon.” Granny Smith begins to stand up, slumping down on the hanging bench. The two older boys help her up. “Thank you. Soup’s on, everybody!”

You join the elder and the three boys. You look around the interior, the walls are painted in colors that remind you of the various apples you saw before falling into the lake. The furniture is carved in shapes of apples both full and sliced. Just as you enter the kitchen, you feel something sniffing your legs. Looking down, it was a border collie with eye large eyelashes. You stretch your hand, reluctantly getting covered in dog kisses. The dog lets out a bark and runs around.

The meal your belly screamed for ages is very delectable; a double-decker turkey and cheese sandwich, potato chips, a few slices of apple with caramel dip, and a burnt treat sprinkled in cinnamon. You sit down and began wolfing down the food in not the exact same order. Your cheeks stuffed, you chewed very little as your hosts gave you a baffled look.

“You must be really hungry.” Said the yellow man.

“Eeyup.” Added the older man, eating a smaller portion of the meal.

You try to speak, but with so much food in your mouth, you only moved your lips. Granny Smith laughs as you swallow your food, feeling a pain as it traveled through your throat. Breathing like a wild man, you look at how the people older and younger ate smaller meals. You decide to address that.

“For hard-working men, your grandsons eat very little.” Your speech had them baffled, especially the yellow man and younger boy. “You three are related, are you?”

“Eenope.” The older man ate another bite.

“Dapplewood and I come from a different family.” The yellow man addresses before looking at his older friend. “Big Mac is a good friend, anyhow.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac adds while chewing his food.

Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Dapplewood. That's three names you know. All you need now is the man in front of you to say his name. Fortunately, he offers you just that as he stretches his hand.

“My name's Cosgrove.”

“Cosgrove?” “ You cock your head. “Like Miranda Cosgrove?”

Cosgrove, as he is named, lowers his shoulders, furrowing his brow. “Yes.” He mutters in a monotone voice, looking away from you before chuckling.

You look at Big Mac, happily enjoying his meal, before turning to Granny Smith. “So is Big Mac an only child.”

“Nope.” Big Mac answers in a rather insulted tone.

“Apple Bloom should be back from dance practice with” - Granny begins to stammer - “Tapper, Tend Taps, er someone with that name.”

“Oh, dance lessons,” - You shake your head as you look at Big Mac, Cosgrove, and Dapplewood - “that’s nice.” You see Cosgrove in a silent state of mind, an expression that has even Big Mac look worried. “Hey, you okay?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, yeah.” Cosgrove gets himself back together. “So, Anon, where do you come from?”

“Sarasota, Florida.” You take a much smaller bite this time. “I’m going to Canterlot High.”

“Oh, you’ll love it in Canterlot High. But,” - He lifts himself up, getting his head towards you - “you might want to bundle yourself for winter.”

You draw your lips back, showing your two hosts and other two guests an uncertain look. As you do, your eye spies their well crafted, possibly handmade, grandfather clock reaching four in the afternoon.

“Oh my God, it’s getting late!” - You begin to rush towards the door, stop, turn around, grab an apple fritter, stuff it in your mouth, and turn around again - “Mom will be home soon!”

“You know the way back to town?”

Granny Smith’s sentence seeping to your brain had you stop. You look to the others, showing them the cooked good jutting from your mouth. You want to talk, but don’t want to drop the food. You simply shake your head. Cosgrove and Dapplewood stand up.

“Here, we'll take you home.” Cosgrove looks out the window. “It gets crowded every late afternoon.”

Waving goodbye to Big Mac and Granny, you carry your bike to the green-blue car outside the farmland. At the same time, a red truck drives by; you couldn't get a full view of the driver, though you could see a pink blur. You lift the bike on top and chain it. You sit in the back seat, grabbing the door handle as Cosgrove drives away from the farm and through the forested regions of Estes Park.

“So, you like it here?” He asks, taking a look at you with the rear view mirror.

“It’s okay so far.” When arriving downtown, you look at the closed Sugarcube Corner. “I was hoping to eat earlier.”

“Yeah, I get you,” - Cosgrove adds while looking at the road - “With Pinkie Pie gone, Mr. and Mrs. Cake have been looking for an applicant. But…” - you hear Dapplewood make a hiss - “they stopped after a while. So where do you live?”

You look around, paying close attention at the houses similarly tight knitted to each other. It is only by the sight of your mother’s car did you stretch forward as the seat belt could allow you.

“There!” You are drawn forward to the point of choking when the older driver slammed the brakes. Your back slams against the seat, almost giving your spine something to ache about.

“All going ashore.” Cosgrove turns on the emergency lights as you exit the car. You stretch yourself while reaching the stairs. “So, when you come to school tomorrow, feel free to find me and my pals.” You nod before continuing you trek to your house. “Oh, hey. If anytime you and your mom decide to go out one evening, be very careful.

You raise an eyebrow as the two brothers drive away to home. You reach the door, but when you shuffle your pockets, you find it much less cluttered. Unfortunately, that isn’t the feeling you're expecting.

“Shit! I forgot my keys!” You growl.

Fortunately, your mother arrived soon enough. Though she is happy that you met a few people, she is flustered that you lost your keys on the first day. Ashamed, you go to your room without dinner; not that it matters since you have satisfied your stomach’s hunger until lunchtime at school.

What started as a nap became a deep slumber. When you open your eyes, it is near pitch black in your room. With heavy eyes, you lay your head back on the pillow when you hear a strange sound. A laugh you might say. Assuming it’s just the nightlife of Estes Park, you lay you head on the pillow. Ready for your first day in high school.