"Calm down, Twilight." Spike rolled his eyes at the lavender unicorn frantically running about the library.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! How am I supposed to calm down? Did you even read the letter from the Princess?!" Twilight dropped to the floor and buried her head in her hooves. "My assignment starts today!"

"Oh c'mon Twilight, you have nothing to worry about! You've literally passed every test the Princess has ever given you."

"Nothing like this, Spike!" Twilight pointed a hoof in the direction of her work desk, where an open scroll was laid out. "Everything I've ever learned about friendship is going to be put to the test!"

Spike lowered a brow and walked off towards the desk, snatching up the scroll and holding it open before himself. He scanned the letter for a moment or two, before blankly setting it back down onto the desk.

"That's, uh... Wow..." Spike scratched at the back of his head as he fumbled with the right words as to what to say. "You sure this is a good idea? I mean, a Changeling running around town? Doesn't exactly sound safe to me... Is she serious?"

Twilight grumbled as she got back to her hooves, trotting over to a bookshelf across the library. "Yeah, she's serious. And she needs me to convince a Changeling that their ways are wrong, and teach him the values of friendship."

Spike cringed, "I really don’t think that is a good idea."

"I am not sure I do either, Spike. Nonetheless, I can't let the Princess down." In an aura of violet, Twilight brought down a thick book from a high shelf and spread it open in front of herself, skimming through the pages.

"Where exactly..." Spike began, sounding rather apprehensive, "...is this Changeling going to be staying during this assignment?"

Twilight sighed and closed the book she had open, lowering her head as she turned to Spike. He cringed as the very look on Twilight's face answered his question.

"I was afraid of that..." Spike rubbed his temple with a claw, "When is he going to be here, Twilight?"

*Knock, knock, knock*

Twilight bet her bottom lip, and tried her best to collect herself enough for what stood on the doorstep of the library. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

"M-Morning, Princess!" Twilight tried to hold a optimistic smile on her face, but it came out looking and sounding more forced than anything.

Celestia let out a lighthearted chuckle. "Good morning, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight let out a sharp sigh and offered way into the library, "P-Please, come in."

"Thank you." Celestia smiled as she entered the library.

After a few moments of small-talk to allow Twilight to calm herself, Celestia started getting into her reasons for her visit.

"Twilight Sparkle, I believe that your understanding of the magic of friendship is beyond anything more that I can wish to teach you. You and your friends have overcome any obstacle that has been put in your way, and I truly believe that you are now able of teaching your understanding of friendship to another; one that desperately needs to be shown the right path."

Twilight managed a short smile as the Princess lifted her weary spirits. "T-Thank you, Princess."

Princess Celestia smiled. "You already have everything you could possibly need for teaching the six main tasks I have asked of you for this assignment, Twilight; your knowledge, your determination, and your friends."

"Pardon me, Princess, but..." Twilight thought for a moment, back to the letter describing her assignment. "I thought there were eight tasks?"

"Your student is in charge of the last two tasks." Celestia put extra emphasis on the title . "However, you may need to be there to guide him in the right direction."

"B-But Princess--"

"You can do this, Twilight. I believe in you."

Before Twilight was able to ask anything further, the Princess of the sun spread her wings and disappeared in a flash of golden-white light; leaving a dazed purple unicorn, a more-or-less confused baby dragon, and a gloomy-looking, disoriented dark figure on the very spot the Princess once stood.

Spike shifted his gaze over to the dark figure, who seemed a bit dazed as he stared around the bright room of the library.

Spike scrutinized every move the Changeling made. "...you hurt Twilight or any of my friends, and I'll roast you..." The little dragon hissed under his breath.

Pin Stripe let out a long sigh as he set down his half-empty glass of lager onto the top of the bar.

"Another tough week, huh?" Bronze asked, taking the seat next to the hardware store owner.

"Hey, Bronze." Pin greeted without lifting his head from the glass.

"Hey, what's going on, pal? You never seem this bummed out!"

"It's nothing."

"That's convincing." Bronze sarcastically shook his head, "C'mon pal, tell me what's going on."

Pin Stripe gave up and sighed as he finally looked up from the bar. "Lets see... My hardware store hasn't made any more than just a few bits in the last few weeks, Berry has been extremely busy with lager orders and I haven't been able to spend time with her in a while, and one of my friends is still--"

Bronze cut him off there. "Pin, you need to chill out. Have another glass of that delicious lager and just forget about your problems. Let loose!"

"You know, it's a lot easier said than done, Bronze." Pin shook his head and rubbed his temple with a hoof as he glared at the floor. "I can't just let loose and forget about everything. I have too much on my plate, and not enough time."

"Then what are you doing here?" Bronze shrugged.

"Lyra asked me to come with her and a few friends to try and forget about things for a bit, as ironic as that sounds..." Pin pointed off into the crowd of ponies on the dance floor. "Seems like she's having a much easier time letting loose than I am..."

"Lyra? Hey, isn’t she that mare who's dating--"

"Yeah, she is."

Bronze laughed in his throat, "Where is my buddy, anyhow?"

Pin glared at the orange pegasus seated beside him. "You really just have no idea, do you?"

Bronze was a bit taken back, and he reared back on his stool. "No idea about what?"

"Ok look, Bronze." Pin Stripe paused to drink the remainder of the lager in his glass. Setting the empty glass back down on the bar and looking the pegasus in the eye. "You may not like him, but he is one of my best friends. He's been missing for quite a long time."

"Oh really?" The orange pegasus put on a fake tone as if he were actually concerned.

"Yeah, I'm pretty worried about him. So is Lyra."

"Oh please..." Bronze crossed his hooves and rolled his eyes.

"See? Exactly. I knew you would say something like that."

"Hey now, it's not my fault the guy's special talent is being a tool."

"You're so ignorant sometimes, Bronze."

"Hey, I'm not ignorant enough to realize all the easy flank in this place!"

"How-- What!? Is that all you care about?" Pin lowered a brow, scrunching his snout in disapproval. "You really don't have any respect for mares, do you?"

Bronze's expression dropped for a moment, but quickly perked up as he shrugged. "Meh." He wore a sly grin on his face as he let himself off the stool. "See ya around, Pin."

"Blame it on a bad childhood I guess..." Pin said under his breath as he rolled his eyes and turned back to the front of the bar, awaiting another drink.

Bronze left the bar, and continued down into the booming bass and crowd of ponies on the dance floor. He spotted his target, and moved in.

"You may have won that fight, you annoying little colt-cuddler, but I won the war." Bronze pridefully scoffed under his breath as he approached the mint-green unicorn grooving to the beat of the music.

Bronze playfully bumped into her, almost knocking her off-balance. "Hey, what's shakin', babe?"

"Hey, Bronze." Lyra quickly brushed off the pegasus and continued dancing to the music.

Bronze didn’t take to kindly to that. He stepped in closer to the mare, and started dancing with her. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"No, thanks."

"Oh c'mon. At least let me have a word with you?"

Lyra paused her dancing for a moment. "Ok sure, Bronze. Remember that one night when that stallion kicked your flank?"

Bronze deadpanned, "I was drunk, Lyra."

Lyra laughed as she continued to dance, trying to inch herself away in the process.

"Anyway, I really came over here to, uh..." Bronze scratched the back of his head as he came up with a terrible lie, "tell you some bad news actually..."

Lyra stopped dancing and looked the pegasus in the eye. "Look, Bronze, whatever you're trying, it's not going to work. Leave me alone."

Bronze sighed, "Look, sorry, Lyra. Pin Stripe actually told me to come over here and tell you..." Bronze bit his bottom lip and faked a weary face, "...about your coltfriend... Pin just couldn’t do it, and he asked me to tell you for him."

"If Pin Stripe really had something serious to tell me, he would have done so himself. He's not like that. Go away, Bronze." Lyra's frustration was becoming more evident in her voice.

"No, seriously, Lyra. Look at him." Bronze held a hoof over Lyra's neck, pointing another up to the bar where Pin Stripe was seated. "The colt hasn’t moved from that spot since the news was dropped on him."

Lyra let out a long sigh and faced Bronze. "Ok, I'll bite. What news, Bronze."

"Uh, actually, we better talk outside..." Bronze turned towards the exit, encouraging Lyra to follow with a hoof.

Lyra rolled her eyes, but decided to follow after the pegasus leading the way off the dance floor and towards the exit. They left out the doors into the chilling, nearly-winter weather outside. A thin layer of snow already coated all of the rooftops and paths of Ponyville.

Bronze scratched the back of his head and looked the mare in the eye. "Lyra, your coltfriend, I'm afraid... He's..." Bronze paused as if he needed to contain himself. "He's dead, Lyra. T-They found him just outside of Appleloosa a few days ago... I-I'm sorry..."

Lyra was absolutely taken off her hooves. She fell to her flank wide-eyed as the news she had just received sank in. A single tear formed in her eye and ran down her cheek.

"He's... H-He..." Lyra wiped the tear from her cheek, "No, he can’t be..."

"I'm sorry, Lyra." Bronze wrapped a hoof around the mare, patting a hoof on her back.

"No, he can't be!" Lyra broke down, her tears falling to the thin layer of snow coating the ground. A moment passed of Bronze just holding her, until she actually returned the embrace. After a minute or two, Lyra finally broke herself from the embrace, and wiped her teary eyes.

"C'mon, Lyra. I'll walk you home..." Bronze tried to comfort the mare, and put on a tone as if he were sincere.

Lyra sniffled and nodded her head.

A sly grin grew across Bronze's face as the two headed off into Ponyville's streets under the low ambient light of the streetlamps.

I let myself collapse onto the cold rock of the cavern floor, and let the chilling wind from just outside the mouth of the cave brush calmly through my mane and fur; it was cold, but comforting. For once, the weather was actually fairly nice; the nicest I've seen it since I've been stuck here. The late-afternoon sun glistened over the thickly snow-covered valley. It would have been a peaceful sight, if my mind wasn't constantly buzzing with random questions and regrets.

I really wish I had a way to show my family and friends that I was, technically, alive and well. I mean, they're probably still mourning... God, I wish I could take away that pain. I can't even fathom how bad they all must feel...

And what the hell was with my sudden feelings for mares? Is that just instinctual with this new form? Did my feelings for females just like... convert as I became a pony? Or what? I'll probably never know. I guess I can only credit that to one of the several things about this place that I'll never understand. Speaking of which, I wonder how Lyra is holding up? I can't even say how long I've been away now. She can't be too thrilled about that... I really hope she hasn't found somepony better or something. Jeez, I miss her...

I can't help but wonder how far from Equestria I really am. I mean, I don't even know what direction to head once I'm prepared to leave this place. Alloy isn't even sure how to get back to Equestria, and he walked the whole distance here! I guess time would do that, though...

I still can't believe he's been here alone here for 20 years; he must have to keep himself pretty occupied to stop himself from going insane... Come to think of it, what exactly is he trying to do with all these strangely-shaped metal pieces?

I looked over towards a piece of metal which was formed into a mushroom-shape, which somehow managed to collect on the opposite side of the cave from where Alloy usually worked on most of his metal-forming.

...

"I think too much. I need something to distract me..."

I lifted my head off the cool rock and sat on my haunches. I took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air from outside in attempt to clear my head; a futile gesture.

Aside from normally going out into the blizzard to gather food or water, there really wasn't much I was useful for around here. I'd try and help Alloy out any way I could, but there really wasn't much I could hope to do to equal him saving my life.

God, I feel so guilty because of that fact. I feel so God damn useless. It's almost as if Alloy refuses to let me help...

I could see the old stallion across the cave, again engulfed into whatever it is he works on. Whenever I'd try and ask what he does, he just kind of blows me off or changes the subject. I'm not even going to begin to explain how defensive he became when I tried to get a closer look.

Ah well, not much I can do; this is his home, after all. I'm not about to just go against his wishes just cause, and he did sort of save me after all... I do kind of owe him, at least, his privacy. Still, I'm pretty curious-

The sound of a small explosion and a flash of heat, followed by the sound of the old stallion stumbling to the cavern floor completely broke me out of thought. Before I even realized it, I galloped over to his side of the cave, and tried to help him to his hooves.

"Alloy, are you alright!?" I offered the old stallion a hoof up without even realizing what I had just done.

He swatted my hoof away. "I-I'm fine. I-I can do this." He groaned and shakily tried to pull himself up off the rocky cave floor. He stumbled, but I caught him with a hoof.

"You sure?"

"Back off." Alloy pushed me back, bracing himself from the top of one of his make-shift workbenches, knocking several metal parts and a small brown book to the floor in the process. He sighed as found himself back on all fours, brushing the black ash and soot from the explosion off his graying red fur with a shaky hoof.

The book fell to the floor and opened right in front of me. Before I could even stop myself, I read over the first few words as I reached down to pick it up. I froze in my attempt of a helpful gesture.

Alloy's Journal; April 5th, Year of Sol 998.

I still can't believe how beautiful she looks in the morning with the sun gleaming across her face. If this is just that one thing that makes me feel important in my life, it's this. I don't even care if my father doesn't approve of her; she means everyth-

"Hey!" Alloy snatched the book in a fire-red aura and held it against his side. "Don’t read that!"

Oh man... I REALLY should have stopped myself from reading that that! What the hell is wrong with me today? I NEVER peer into anyone's personal business like that!

A quick realization came over me as I took into account of what had just transpired in the last few moments.

And, I completely invaded his space! SHIT! What the fuck am I doing?!

"S-sorry Alloy! I-I don't know what came over me! Normally I-I'm extremely accepting of somepony's privacy! You fell, and I just figured you might need a-"

The old stallion rolled his eyes and grunted with a bit of annoyance. He set the book onto the top of one of his workbenches with his magic.

"S-Sorry!" Before I could let myself pry into anything more, I turned around to head to the opposite side of the fire-lit cave.

God damn it, I'm an idiot!

Alloy sighed again and looked at the open book he placed onto the bench. He read over the words on the open page, and a tear formed in the corner of his eye. He snapped his eyes shut and exhaled sharply, wiping his eye with a hoof. In an aura of fiery-red, he gently closed the journal. With a deep breath, he turned away from the book and limped towards the fire. He took a seat, trying to hide the pain.

"Hey, Davin?" The old stallion's voice was shaky.

"Yeah?"

"W-Would you mind going out to gather some food?"

He didn't even need to ask me twice. I left the cave into the snowy valley outside in search for shrubs or anything really edible. The least I could do would be to bring back more than usual.

You know, it kind of sucks not having a desire for meat anymore, but at the same time, I'm pretty thankful; I can't fathom how hard hunting would be in this place. I don't even know the first thing about hunting! Ah well, no sense troubling myself over it; it’s not like it's a skill I'll need to develop anytime soon.

I trotted out of the mouth of the cave, needing to cover my eyes with a hoof from the bright sunlight reflecting off the snow. My first real view of the world outside the cave in daylight didn't come to me until after a few moments passed in order for my eyes to adjust. Once I was able to take in the sight before me, I was in a state of awe. Snow coated mountaintops reached high into the clouds, and spread in nearly every direction across the horizon. The valley was nearly barren aside from a few alpine trees buried with snow, and a small stream gently flowing towards lesser mountains and rolling hills off in the distance. Equestria was nowhere in sight as far as I could tell.

By the time I managed to scavenge up just enough food to last Alloy and myself for a few days, my coat of fur was clumped with snow, and soaking wet. I was for a lack of a better term, fucking freezing. Gathering any more than I already had would honestly be a risk to my life, and I could hardly feel my hooves or my legs; a clear indication that it was time to head back.

I turned my head around in the direction of which I had came, only to find that my way back had been overcome by a quickly incoming snowstorm consuming the valley. At the very last moment I had of clear visibility, beyond the rolling hills in the distance, I swear I could see a very faint silhouette of a mountain range and a castle. I had no time now. I needed to get back to the cave. Anything more than 5 feet in front of me nearly immediately disappeared as the wall of grayish-white engulfed the entire valley. I had no choice. I ran as fast as I could, no matter how much the freezing wind and blowing snow stung my face.

The trek back seemed to last forever, and my hoof prints in the snow were quickly disappearing as the wind continued to howl and cover up the path. I had no choice but to try and pick up my pace. I ran as fast and as hard as I could. My hooves were burning and splitting in pain, and I couldn't tell if I was even making contact with the ground anymore.

Until I tripped.

I came to a skidding halt, face first in the snow.

For a moment, I wondered if I should just lie there and die, but I figured I`d just about tried that enough times. Fate too had other plans for me at that moment. A foul smell and a low growl from behind me was enough to startle me back to my hooves. I shook the snow off myself and tried to regain the path which I had just lost. Frantically, I searched for my hoof prints to show me the way back.

I could hear the crunching of the snow underneath the feet of whatever it was that was approaching me, and the growl was becoming louder. I was beginning to panic. The path was gone, and I had completely lost my bearings. I wasn't even sure which direction I had came from, or where I was heading.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!"

Suddenly, the growling ceased and the only thing I could hear was the howling wind. This could mean only one thing. I was as good as dead.

"Ahh shit..."

I didn't even have time to let myself collapse helplessly into the snow. I was thrown onto my back, and the creature pinned me down into the snow. It let out a deafening roar right into my face, and all I could hear from then on was a sharp ringing in my ear. It took me a second to really comprehend anything beyond my complete and utter terror, let alone what in Equestria this creature was.

It was enormous; its green eyes glowed with a horrible hunger, and I was its dinner. The next thing I noticed was it was pinning me down with an enormous wooden claw; in fact, the whole creature was comprised of various sticks and large branches of trees.

They say never let an animal know you're afraid. Well, that was pretty much completely impossible at this point. I was terrified, and the beast could smell it on me.

Author's Note

About time, eh? Sorry guys. I've had quite a bit on my plate these past couple months, as I'm sure some of you can understand. Finding the time to sit down and write has been extremely difficult, and I apologize I can't update more frequently.
That aside, I must say it feels pretty nice to be able to finally update this story.
I'm not quitting on you guys!