Equestria: The BEN Chronicles

Chapters

Chapter II: Not In Kansas Anymore
Chapter III: Satan's Cellar
Chapter IV: White Boy In The Hood
Chapter V: The Forbidden Meat
Chapter VI: Uber Soldat
Chapter VIII: Pre-Existing Conditions
Chapter IX: Addicts, Death, And Gluttony
Chapter X: Do You Know The Muffin Mare?
Chapter XI: A New Business Model
Chapter XII: A Song For The Heart
Chapter XIV: Childhood Fears And Mushroom Clouds
Chapter XV: Let's Play Majora's Mask
Chapter XVI: Return To Castle Canterlot
Chapter XVII: That One Day In September...
Chapter XVIII: Hoof-Deep In The Dead
Chapter XIX: Back On Square One
Chapter XXI: Rude Awakening
Chapter XXII: The Nick of Time
Chapter XXIII: Welcome To Sunny Town (Halloween Special '15)
Chapter XXIV: Need For Speed: Equestrian Pursuit
Chapter XXV: Equestria: Total War (Final BronyCon Release - Pre-Reg Day)
Epilogue Part I: Nick, Take A Letter (Final Bronycon Release - Day 1)
Epilogue Part II: R&R (Final BronyCon Release - Day 2
Epilogue Part III: Her Whole Heart ( Final Bronycon Release - Day 3)
Epilogue Part IV: One Last Chance (Final Bronycon Release - Day 4)
Chapter I: A Nerd By Any Other Name
Chapter VII: Pony Center: Under The Hoof
Chapter XIII: Where Your Fears And Horrors Come True
Chapter XX: The Happy Mask Salesman (Halloween Special)

Chapter II: Not In Kansas Anymore

What’s it like traveling in a wormhole? Well, to put it bluntly, it hurts like shit. Imagine your body traveling at hundreds of miles an hour in two directions at once. It’s like being torn apart in a high speed stretching rack, if you could imagine that. As quick as time and dimensional travel would seem to be, it actually has quite a perceptual delay in your conscience. Though it does indeed happen in a split-second, it actually feels closer to two minutes of waiting.

“FUUUUUU-AUGH!!!!”

I fell out of the sky, screaming for my life. As I collided with the ground, I heard a loud crack, followed by a sharp pain in my chest. I grimaced in agony, seething through my teeth. As I got up, I felt myself gently; a cracked rib. The perfect way to start off…

“Aw man, this sucks.”

I examined myself carefully. My flesh and clothing, as well as belongings seemed quite cartoonish in color and design, appearing to be a midway compromise between something I might have seen from Wallace and Gromit, and Powerpuff Girls. The land itself looked like something out of a colorful pastel painting. Must be a wacky drug trip, but hey, I liked it; I’ll roll with this till it wears off. I surveyed my surroundings. The area seemed awfully familiar. I was surrounded by several apple trees, and there was a barn and a farmhouse a few meters in the distance.

“Where the fuck am I? I know I’ve seen something like this before...”

I checked for my pistol and spare magazines, and procured my CD, which fell from my inner shirt pocket. I slowly approached the house, gently gripping my side. I knocked on the door, and a few moments later, was greeted by a rather strange sight.

What stood before me was not a human being, but a horse. It was an orange coated one, with a blonde mane and a rancher’s hat. On the horse’s backside appeared to be an arrangement of three apples. It stood about three and a half feet tall, coming just over my knee. I quickly hit myself in the face, an exasperated, jaw-dropped expression overcoming me. I gripped my head and shook it a bit.

“What the shit?”

“Well hey there, Sugarc-” The horse began, but stopped and examined me with a particular interest. She didn’t seem to believe I was even standing here. Then again, I didn’t believe SHE was either. Her jaw dropped as well, then she took a step back and took a better look at me.

“Nah, this isn’t real... just the mushrooms gettin’ to me...”

“Oh mah dear golly… Sugarcube, are you a -- a human?” The horse asked me, her eyes widening with what looked like a combination of excitement and fear.

I gave her an inquisitive look, raising one eyebrow. My bewildered expression faded slightly.

“Holy hell, she’s TALKING!?”

“Yes, what of it? Did somebody slip me a couple dozen hits of acid? Am I tripping out or something?”

“Honey, are ya sick? Wou’d ya like to come in fo’ dinner?” She asked, her initial shock fading away as her eyes began to soften into a welcoming gaze. I thought on it for a second. I shivered for some reason, but shook it off, and smiled brightly. She didn’t seem very happy about inviting me in. I think she was just trying to be kind.

“That would be lovely, ma’am, and thank you very much.” I said, as I gently stepped into the house, clutching my side. I silently groaned in pain.

“Now sugarcube, what in tarnation is wrong wit’ ya?”

“Oh, that’s just a broken rib. There’s nothing you can do, miss, so don’t worry about me.” I said, chuckling weakly.

“Aw, now hon’, don’t be talkin’ all that nonsense. We can get ya fixed up right quick; a nice meal and a place to stay for the night. What do ya say?”

“Oh, thank you so much, ma’am. Yes, that would be amazing.” I replied, beaming in excitement.

“Well, let’s not dilly-dally now. Lemme introduce ya to th’ rest of th’ family!”

As I followed the orange horse around her home, she began to go off on a history lesson. It was rather interesting, but I was more concerned about my injury, and so, didn’t pay all too much attention to the details of it. Could this place possibly be- Nah, fuck that.

“Mah family’s lived on this land for nearly a hun’red years now. Back then, there was barely an apple tree on this property - that is, ‘til Granny Smith found th’ zapapple trees deep in th’ woods one day. An’ hoo-ie! Am ah ever glad she did! We make a fine livin’ offa all th’ apples we sell on this here farm. Finest quality apples in all of Equestria, I tell ya!”

“…In all of Equestria…”

My mind froze. I couldn’t process what I was hearing. I was in denial the whole time upon arriving here, but after hearing those words, my heart began to race.

“Waitwaitwaitasecond. Did you just say EE-QUEST-REE-UH?” I asked, shaking my head around and smacking my ears a bit.

“You’re darn right ah did hon.” Applejack said, smiling gingerly at me as we continued our walk down the hallway. Yep, there was no denying it now. Either I was having the most awesome drug-induced trip in the world, or I suddenly developed dementia. This wasn’t real. My mind was playing tricks. I must have gotten fucked up from the party and went walkabout. Who gives a shit, just go with it, wait till the drugs go away...

“Well, miss Applejack,” I began, “I’d never expected to meet you in perso- er, pony.”

I gave a nervous laugh.

“Wait, How in tarnation do ya know mah name?” she asked, shivering a bit.

“Well, where I’m from, you’re fictional characters in this thing we call television.”

I gave another throat laugh, and my eyes widened, agape in amazement as I stared around the house. How the hell did I get here? I remember seeing the elegy statue from the game appearing on my TV, then having some trippy vision of me traveling through space... Could...? No. It was the party. I. Was. High.

“You’re just having a trip, Nick, don’t stress...”

“Heh, well, ain’t that peculiar. All our old... foal’s tales speak of your kin’, but ya really exist? Hot dog, this is too good to be true!” Applejack cheered, kicking her front hooves into the air with a wild grin plastered to her face. I laughed again, smiling and heading to meet the rest of the family. However, the way she said ‘foal’s tales’ seemed... hesitant. Something was wrong.

“Applebloom? We’ll be having a guest fo’ dinner, so ya best done set th’ table right!”

Applebloom, Applejack, zapapples... No, this was just a crazy shroom trip, or I was so drunk I was seeing shit. As we sat down to the table, I was greeted to a nice salad. Of course, despite being a human, I didn’t bother to ask about meat out of respect. Applebloom was staring at me the entire time dinner was going on, as if something was bothering her, and more likely than not, it was my existence that was doing the job. Granny had a strange look about her: Her eyes were bloodshot red, and she was barely awake, clutching her forehead in pain – I figured she must have been sick. I frowned a bit. Big Mac was a little more reserved, though was just as confused and if not, scared as the rest.

“Miss Smith? Are you feeling okay?”

“Well, mister,” Applebloom began, “She won-“

Applebloom was cut short by an angry scowl from Big Mac. I nervously looked down to my plate and just prodded at the cherry tomatoes in the salad to avoid causing further tension. A few more minutes passed by, and Big Mac cleared his throat, and I looked up, an expression of puzzlement overtaking his face. He wasn’t very sure of what to say to me, it seemed. He must have been still coming to terms with the fact that a human was in Equestria. I was trying to come to terms with the fact that I was even in Equestria.

No I wasn’t. I was having a dream, a drug trip... a... shit, I don’t even know.

He looked away to cough into his hoof, then spoke up. Appleboom shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Applejack looked over to me every now and again over the course of dinner, still surprised that I was even here.

“So,” He began, “Ya got yaself a name?”

“Uh-eh... Uh... Jadusable.” I mumbled quickly in a panic, not expecting the inquiry.

Oh, what the fuck? How did I let my internet name slip out?

I gave him a warm smile, my heart pounding in excitement. The dining room was eerily quiet, with the exception of a grandfather clock ticking down the hallway, and I could have sworn I could hear everybody’s heartbeats; they were all so shocked and scared I was here, and my smile made them, to say the least, sweat in fear. Why were they so scared? Perhaps it’s just the fact that, to them, I was a fairy tale. I shook it off.

“Well, Jadusable, I gotta say, ya picked a mighty good time to show up. Applebuck season is just around the corner and we need all the available hoov- er, hands we can get. Would it be too much to ask if ya could help us out this season?” He asked, his confused look still pervading his face.

“Well sir, your family was kind enough to take me in, I suppose it's the least I owe you, and please, allow me to clean up dinner tonight.” I said, finishing off with a warm grin.

“Eeyup.”

As dinner finished and the rest of the family cleared the dining room, Applebloom stayed to watch me clean, which, to be fair, I didn’t mind. I looked over to her every now and again, and each time, She uncomfortably fidgeted in her chair, as if she wanted to say something, but didn’t. As I washed the dishes, she eventually got up and approached me, tugging gently on the edge of my button-down.

“Mister, I-”

“Hey Applebloom?”

I looked over, and so did she. Big Mac had come back in, and he didn’t look very happy for some reason. Frankly, he seemed pretty pissed.

“Come here, Applebloom.” Mac said blandly, popping a round, purple object into his mouth. I stared, though tried to avoid eye contact. Applebloom did as told, and nervously and sadly walked away from me. Both of them disappeared down the hallway. I didn’t think much of it; she was probably getting a scolding for ‘rudely staring at the guest’. I chuckled to myself at the thought, and as I finished cleaning and left the kitchen, I was instantly met with Applejack at the entrance to the hallway.

“Hey. Did you need something from me?” I asked.

“Yeah. I was won’erin’ if’fin ya seen any of them dark ponies around.” Applejack said, with what appeared to be a look of concern.

“‘Dark’ ponies?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, them damn voodoo ponies. Ya know, the dark coated kind like that Zecora witch. All they want is to get with mah little sis, I’ll tell you what! Last night, a whole damn group’a dark stallions went after her and did all kin’s ah sick stuff to her!” Applejack exclaimed, slamming her front hoof against the wall as she gritted her teeth in anger.

I nervously looked at the ground, growing uncomfortable. Applejack was clearly being closed-minded and prejudice, judging an entire group from some disgusting individuals.. From what I remember from the show, she was never like this. Something was wrong. I just decided to be polite and answer, but somebody attacked Appleboom? Maybe that’s what she was talking about, and needed help. Who was doing it, I couldn’t say. I sighed. Such a poor little filly. I’d have to keep my eye out for her safety; hurting a child was sickening.

“Well Miss Applejack, I sure haven’t, but I’ll be more than happy to let you know if I see any.”

“Thank ya kindly, dear.”

“I’m going to sleep.”

“Alrighty, you have a good night now - Jada-whatwasit?”

“Just call me Nick.”

I walked upstairs, minding the oddly sized platforms which, first and foremost, were designed for hooves, not feet, and made my way up to the second floor guest room. In here was a small, yet comfy looking bed, obviously filled with hay by the sight of several tan straws potrouding out of the side. In the corner sat a desk with various drawers. I emptied my pockets and my belt, setting my CD, weapon, and phone on the desk, and took a seat. It was a small one, mostly made out of wood, the handles on the drawers a weak brass finish. I opened one, to only be greeted with a quill, an ink well, and several pieces of parchment, bound into a small scrapbook with a leather cover and spine, of which looked severely aged.

“I guess I could keep a journal...”

A few hours passed, and the night wore on. I was growing progressively weary. Time to turn in, I guess. As I lied on the spare hay-filled bed and closed my eyes, I was suddenly awoken by a loud crash and what sounded like an excited yell. Some time must have passed, because when I turned to look at the alarm clock, it read 1:30 AM. I quickly sprung up from the bed and ran downstairs to the source, grabbing my pistol. Perhaps a burglar? Something fell down on somebody? As I went to the living room where the sound originated, I noticed the room’s lights were on. I placed my back to the wall and peered around the corner. It was Granny Smith. She was up, wildly dancing with a broom. In one hoof she had her dancing partner, in the other, a giant ceramic bottle. The entire living room smelled strongly of rubbing alcohol. Granny put her lips to the bottle and chugged. I peered around the corner, to keep myself out of view.

“Granny Smith’s... a moonshiner?”

She wasn’t sick at dinner; she was hungover from the previous night of drinking. It was obvious something was wrong here - Something very, VERY wrong. This wasn’t the Equestria I knew from TV. No, this was worse. I just wondered what was going on with all the others in town after seeing this. I snuck away to my bed, but on the way, heard what sounded like a soft squeal in the room across from me. Sounded like... Applebloom?

Naw.

As I laid myself back down and prepared to close my eyes, a forest-green colored figure quickly sped past the door of my room. I couldn’t quite make it out.

“What the fuck was that?”

Nah, no need to worry. as soon as I fell asleep, I would wake up in my own bed. This was nothing more than a dream. Would be an interesting story to tell my buddies on the EQD chat, though.

Chapter III: Satan's Cellar

Awoken to the all-too cliché cry of a rooster, I got up, bathed, dressed in my clothes again, and got some bandages from the bathroom and patched my wound up as best I could, despite the fact that it did nothing; the actual injury was a broken rib. It was at that moment, finally waking up to the warm shower, that I realized...

“I’m. Still. Here. How the fuck is this possible?”

The whole concept that something or someone sent to a place like ‘Equestria’ was flat out ridiculous. Should I attempt to kill myself so my brain would wake up from the dream? Probably. Nah, I was jumping to conclusions. Even if this place were real...

“Man, wake the fuck up!”

Heading outside to help with the work, I went to the trees to meet with Applejack. I wasn’t that big a guy, but I was fairly certain I could knock some apples off trees. As I reached a full one, I placed my good side against the trunk and slammed my body into it, full force. Most of the apples came off, and fell into the buckets surrounding the base. I smacked at the tree again, knocking the rest down. I moved on to the next, and next, and next, my energy degrading quite quickly. After some rather self-destructive work, Applejack approached me. I propped myself against the tree I was standing by, wiping sweat off my forehead as I breathed heavily.

“Shit... I should really start working out.”

“Hon, you don’t look in much shape ta be doin’ this work. Why don’t you go take ya’self a breather?” Applejack asked me, concern spreading over her face again.

“No, thank you, miss Applejack. Big Mac isn’t here right now, so I figured I’d do his half of the work. But before I get back to it, may I have some water?”

“Sure thing, sugarcube. There’s some in the ice chest down in the apple cellar. Feel free to help ya’self.”

“Thanks, miss A-”

“Sugarcube, just call me Applejack.”

“Thank you very much.”

I smiled and walked away. As I went across the field and headed to the back of the barn, where the apple cellar was located, the air became chilly, and the pegasi set up the clouds for an overcast afternoon. The wind blew gently, yet crisply, stinging my ears with the cold. I rubbed my hands against my arms to try and build up heat, but stopped as I reached the cellar. I opened the trap, and not surprisingly, it was rather dark down there. I gently and carefully headed down the stairs, holding my hands against the concrete walls for support.

“god damn it, I can’t see.”

I pulled out my phone, activated the flashlight, and continued down the stairs. The air, as I continued down, seemed to get thinner, and carried with it a very spunky aroma. I heard a muffled whine, and my heart jumped. I aimed my light around the room, and saw the area was gingerly splattered with blood. I got to the bottom of the stairs, and searched around the area slowly. I kept looking around, until I got to a small corner, whereupon I froze. There was Applebloom, and not just her, but her two friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They were covered in blood and sweat (as well as what appeared to be various other bodily fluids), gagged and bound with their legs spread, tied apart with separate ropes, squirming wildly and trying to get free as they cried silently to one another. Each of them were bruised, and their ‘private’ regions had clearly been sexually ravaged. I rushed over to Applebloom, and removed the gag from her mouth. She violently pushed me away in immediate reaction, screaming as she shuffled over to the wall in a panic, but stopped after taking a few seconds to look at me. She sighed in relief, but was clearly still scared out of her mind.

“GET AWA- Mister, it’s you! Thank Celestia. Help us out!”

“What the fuck...”

I nodded and quickly proceeded to untie them. I wiped them off with my shirt and hugged them all tightly. Someone local was attacking the girls; them being in the apple cellar made that abundantly clear. I simply snuggled with the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they cried into my arms, giving them what comfort I could offer, almost like a father of sorts, whose little five year old daughter fell off of her bicycle for the first time, but the heartwarming was cut short at the sound of a cough behind me.

“Oh shit.”

I quickly turned around, and there he was - Big Macintosh. It didn’t take a genius to tell what was going on. I was just disgusted and angry. My heart began to race as I turned my flashlight to max power to get a better look at the demon standing before me. I carefully set the girls down and stood up.

“Big Mac, what the FUCK is this shit!?” I asked, anger growing in my voice, my hand slowly inching towards my pistol. Big Mac began to speak, and frankly, his voice alone made me quiver in fear. It wasn’t entirely his normal voice either. It had somewhat of a serpentine flavoring in its accent. Another thing? His eyes were red - Solid. Blood. Red. Ice flew through my body.

“Ah, Jadusable. You found me. Congratulations.” Mac said, clapping his front hooves together as the CMC huddled around me for protection. “Ya know, ah always thought you humans didn’t exist, but now that ya’re here, I can say Ah’m impressed at your kind’s intelligence – Ya can clearly tell when something isn’t right...”

I swallowed in fear, backing away some.

“There’s just one thing ah don’t like about you, boy. It’s acting. Humans always act on instinct, or so the foal’s tales tell us.”

“T-that’s right... we often do...”

“Well, let’s see what your instinct will do for you now...”

“Oh, god...”

“I’m not gonna be able to let you go though, on account of you discoverin’ my pastime for filly buckin’. Sorry you have to die on such short notice.” Mac said, chuckling as he chewed on a hay straw. I drew my pistol, my arms quivering as I tried to control myself.

“Mac, don’t make me do this, man. I REALLY don’t want to kill you.”

Could I really do it? I’d never killed anything that wasn’t virtual... Could I live with myself?

“Fight or flight? Fight or flight? Fight or flight? Dear god, he’s gonna kill me!”

Big Mac’s eyes narrowed, and glistened in the darkness, and he slowly walked up to me, taking the gun from my hands and examining it. I froze, sweat pouring down my body. I was so scared of Mac from the start that I practically allowed him to take my own weapon from me, but could you blame me? This guy could tear an average human to pieces. I had every reason to be scared.

“What- Watcha gonna do, Mac?” I asked, my heart pulsating at lightning speed. He threw me down to the floor, pinning me there with his free front hoof. He grinned at me wickedly, his eyes growing beady.

“Oh, Jadusable... You have NO idea… Before ah do anything though, I’mma have to off ya first.” He said, planting my gun to my head. I felt the cold plastic and metal touching my temple. It wasn’t a hallucination at all. This was real. Equestria existed, and it was corrupt beyond all conceivable imagination, if Big Mac, the most reserved and hardworking of them all was doing THIS. I closed my eyes, bracing for the worst as a lone tear ran down my face. So this is how it ended? I was forced into Equestria against my will, and only half a day here, I was going to die. This was NOT the fun loving Equestria from Hasbro. This was Hell. I clenched my eyes shut tighter and recited a prayer as I waited for my life to end.

You may ask yourself right now; how do they use a gun if they don’t have fingers? I mean, Jad, what do you have to be afraid of? He can’t shoot you! As a viewer of the show, I’d say that doesn’t need an answer; they use their hooves like hands all the time...

“When I die,”
“Show no pitty,”
“Send my soul to Juggalo City.”
“Dig my grave six feet deep,”
“Put two matches by my feet,”
“Put two hatchets on my chest,”
“And tell my homies I did my best.”

Suddenly, Big Mac screamed as the gun dropped to the floor. I opened my eyes, and saw that Scootaloo had jumped on his head, blinding him with her hooves. Mac thrashed around the room, knocking things off shelves as he frantically tried to regain his sight.

“Get off me, you little shit!”

I took the opportunity to stand up, grab my gun, and aim for Mac’s head. He grabbed Scootaloo off of him, and threw her violently against the wall. Just seeing him do that made me want him dead, so, already flatout enraged about the situation, I dove in for a tackle and threw him to the floor, punching at him in a fit of rage. He managed to land a few blows on me, smashing my glasses into my face. The left lens shattered and flew into my eye. I wrenched back screaming. As the shards dug deeper, I took a shot at Mac’s chest with my gun, but he quickly rolled out of the way, and the round hit the concrete floor, ricocheting and clipping my cheek. I yelled again. I stood up and he swung at me again with his hoof, but I ducked down, and in response, kicked him in his lower sternum. He was sent flying back violently, slamming into the wall. I got up, and approached him, upon which he attempted to punch me in the face. I narrowly avoided missing contact, suffering a smack to the ear as my glasses flew off. I quickly attempted to deliver a roundhouse to him, but my leg got caught on his yoke, and sprained my ankle.

As one could probably guess, I wasn’t much of a fighter, but I would be more than willing to stand up when the situation was dire, and it was; not only was I fighting for my life, but I was fighting for three children as well. Big Mac jumped at me, knocking me to the ground and my pistol out of my hand. I watched it go sliding over to the girls.

“APPLEBLOOM, THROW IT OVER HERE!” I screamed, as I took another hoof to the face.
She did as told, and slid my gun to my hands. I gripped hold of it, but not before being punched again, which knocked out a few of my teeth and heavily blackened both my eyes. Rage clouded my mind, and at this point, there was only one thought swimming around in my head.

Kill this child-fucking lowlife.

“Oh... THAT IS IT, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!”

Gripping Big Mac by the head, and quickly rolling him to the ground underneath me, I put him into a sleeper and I took hold of my gun with what little room there was free, and twisted my wrist, planting the barrel at the side of Big Mac’s head.

“Say goodnight, you sick, pedophilic sack of shit!”

“STOP!”

I turned my head to the sound. It was Applebloom. She was crying and wailing, practically begging me not to shoot her older brother. I nodded, and just hit him upside the head with the grip, knocking him unconscious. I stood up, and through a whistle in my teeth, asked,

“Why shouldn’t I have just offed him right there?”

“He’s never done this before. He jus’ started doing these horrible things to us a week ago. Ah don’t know what’s gotten into him. Granny Smith won’t stop drinkin’, and Applejack’s gotten all hate-filled on other kindsa ponies. Ah dunno what’s been going on, but mister, please trus’ me when ah tell ya it’s not his fault!” She said, emotions pouring out of her. Applebloom broke down, crying on the ground. I sighed, and sat her up, hugging her gently. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle joined in, holding their crying friend close. I took a deep breath, before grabbing some of the glass that was in my eye, and pulled it out, screaming like a banshee, each yell making the girls cringe. After I was done, I threw the remains of my glasses to the floor and looked at the girls. They tried to avoid eye contact, as it was blatantly clear my destroyed one was freaking them out. First thing to do, ask what’s been going on: The CMC know everything that happens in this place.

“Now, girls... It’s obvious something’s not right in town. Have you seen anything suspicious lately? I know you don’t wanna talk about this stuff right now, but it’s super important, okay?”

Sweetie Belle looked down at the ground, then spoke up gently, raising her hoof in the air a bit.

“Well, there’s been this little green imp all over town recently.”

I looked into Sweetie Belle’s eyes with a cold, solid stare, which I could tell bothered her.

“Green imp?”

Sweetie Belle said nothing. She averted my gaze. My sea-green eye softened a bit, and I covered my destroyed one with my hand.

“I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle. What do you mean by a green imp?”

“Well, all over town, when we go crusading, we’ve seen this little green statue show up all over the place.”

“Nopony is acting like themselves.” Scootaloo added.

“What does this statue look like?’ I asked, looking back and forth between the three girls for an answer. Please, girls, for the love of god, don’t be talking about...

“Well, it looks like a little human, with brown boots, an’ green clothes. It has a blonde mane and a green hat, and it has this really creepy grin all the time!” Applebloom said, snuggling close to me for comfort. “Big Mac has been talking to it a lot; it shows up at our house at least twice a day! It tells him to take those purple pills!”

Fuck. It WAS the statue.

“Wait... Those are pills?” I asked, concern spreading over my blood-soaked face as I came back to the memory in the kitchen..

“Yeah, Big Mac takes ‘em, and he does horrible things to me and mah friends! That’s what ah wanted to talk to ya about after dinner; when I left with him, he started doing all kinds of nasty stuff, stickin’ his... thing in me an’ all. Applejack doesn’t even know the truth!” she continued, crying into my arms.

I sighed, and checked the ammo in my gun. I took one last look at Big Mac’s body, then stood up and grabbed a bottle of water from the ice chest. The Crusaders followed me back outside, each of them limping in pain. I wiped some blood from my face, and we went into the farmhouse, where I helped the girls get cleaned and bandaged up. I, myself, reeking of blood, urine, and other bodily fluids, took a quick shower after I was done helping them. The hot water stung my ruined eye, but I manned up and just cleaned it off. As I got out and dressed in my foul-smelling clothes again, I got some more first aid and patched up my eye and cheek, each operation on which stung as badly as the next. Once I finished, I checked for my equipment.

One nine millimeter glock 7 handgun, twelve rounds.
Five nine millimeter glock 7 clips, thirteen rounds each.
One HTC MyTouch 4G Slide smartphone with flashlight and camera, plus charger, ninety-five percent battery life.
One custom mixed, custom labeled CD comprised of Insane Clown Posse in unmarked jewel case.
One small leather bound journal.

“Okay girls, let’s get out of here. I wanna see exactly how bad this town has gotten.”

Applebloom tugged on my shirt gently as we stepped out the front door. I turned my head down to face her.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Ummm, mister, how do you know who we are when you’ve never met us?”

I chuckled a bit, patting Applebloom on the head.

“Well, where I come from, you exist on a thing we call television, and from what I hear, humans are just a foal’s tale to you. And please girls, call me Nick. We’re all friends here.”

I smiled and offered Applebloom my hand. She took it, along with her two friends’ hooves, and we walked into Ponyville together. Scootaloo looked over to me as we continued our stroll.

“Thanks for saving us.”

“No, Scoots, thank YOU for saving ME.”

“You know, that WAS pretty cool, what you did, fighting like that.”

“Fighting is NEVER ‘cool’, Scootaloo. I did what I had to do to survive, and that’s all I plan to do: I want to go home.”

“Um... Can I ask you something?” Sweetie Belle nervously piped up, a bead of sweat running down her forhead.

“Shoot.”

“Uh, how did... your eyes turn red when you were fighting Big Mac?”

“What?”

Chapter IV: White Boy In The Hood

As I walked through town with the CMC, I couldn’t help but notice that Ponyville just wasn’t the Ponyville I knew. The streets felt... lifeless. The air was disturbingly cold for a sunny day (the pegasi had moved the clouds since my battle in the cellar), and a lot of structures were boarded up. The few ponies who were on the streets took notice of me and the multitude of looks I received were ones mostly of bewilderment, and frankly, I wouldn’t blame them, what with me being a ‘mystical creature’ and all. There was one, however, that took notice of me, and drew a LOT of unwanted attention.

“HA! I KNEW THEY WERE REAL! YOU ALL THOUGHT I WAS INSANE!”

“Fuck off, Lyra.”

“Holy- IT KNOWS MY NAME!”

As we walked down the main drag, I took notice of how bad Ponyville actually was: ponies of all types were mugging one another, starting hooffights in the road, breaking into buildings to steal things, robbing street vendors... hell, even a few mares were standing on the corners, covered head to hoof in makeup, and a few sickly individuals hobbled around the littered streets, begging me for change; drug addicts. I pushed them away from myself and the girls.

“Get away, you fuckin’ basehead!”

All in all, the area just gave off the general atmosphere of a slum. I wiped some blood from my mouth, and gritted my remaining teeth as I looked to find a place where I might meet the next of the six. Although, there was one other thing about town I didn’t understand...

There were soldiers EVERYWHERE. Why? And why, for some reason, did the populace... seem to go about their lives in fear?

Suddenly, I heard a galloping noise behind me - a rapid one. I turned around with the CMC at the abrupt sounds, and there, a few meters in the distance, was Applejack, charging toward us with anger spread across her face.
“Nick! There ya are! What in the sam-hay did ya do ta Big Mac!?” she screamed, charging at me and throwing me to the ground. The girls quickly pulled her away. I stood up to confront the earth pony, dodging her punches as I spoke, trying to reason with her.

“Applejack, listen to me. Big Mac was molesting the girls for the past week.” I said, my eye softening to a friendly gaze. Applejack grew even angrier at my statement.

“WHAT!? HOW DARE YA LIE ABOUT MAH BROTHER!?” She screamed, as she threw a hoof at me. I quickly jumped out of the way and backhanded her, where she fell to the street. A small crowd of ponies was gathering along the sidewalks to watch this situation unfold. I helped her up, but she swiped at me again, leaving a red mark on my face, and the strike caused me to let go of her and let her fall back to the ground.

“It’s true, Applejack. He’s been doing awful things to us.” Scootaloo said, searching for sympathy in her friend’s sister’s eyes.

“Why should ah believe a complete stranger!?” Applejack asked, finally standing down from her attacks as she stood up again. I sighed.

“Applejack, you don’t have a reason to believe me, but I swear, I’m speaking the truth. The girls will side with me. You heard what Scoot just said. Something is very wrong in this town. As far as I know, you aren’t being yourselves!” I continued, still trying to calm myself before my anger got the better of me again. The cold air thrashed my semi-elongated hair about in the wind.

“That DOES NOT change the fact that ya kill-”

“HE, is unconscious, Applejack. Don’t worry about him. Besides, bastard attacked me first. What the hell was I supposed to do? Let him fucking kill me and the girls? Look at what he did to me!” I said, spreading my body out in full view so she could get a look at my wounds. I opened my mouth to show her my missing teeth, and gently peeled away the large, white bandage that was on my eye, which made everybody in the vicinity who was watching us, including Applejack and the CMC, jump back in disgust. I smelled rank even in the open air, piss, blood, and semen the many aromas among them. Applebloom stepped in front of me, extending her front hooves out as if to try and protect me while I put my bandage back on my now bleeding socket.

“Big Mac isn’t dead. Nick was jus’ protecting us. Our brother has been hurting me and mah friends like this for the past few days.” She said softly, stepping away from me and moving closer to her big sister. Applejack’s anger began to soften. The crowd was getting bigger, and a few more druggies approached us, begging for change. I shooed them off.

“R-really?”

“Yes, Applejack. I know it’s hard to believe, especially coming from a human you just met, but I KNOW what I saw. Please, believe me when I tell you, something’s wrong, and I think I know the answer as to why. I’m not your enemy, Applejack. I am your friend.” I said, extending my hand out in a welcoming manner as my remaining eye went soft and kind.
Applejack just fell apart crying, trying to comprehend the fact that her brother would do such a nasty thing. I lifted her up gently, hugging her softly, just like I did with Applebloom when she was having her nervous breakdown. The Crusaders joined in, and the young ranch girl tried to force a smile.

“So, it wasn’t dark ponies then?” She asked me, sniffling a bit as she tried to regain her breath from all the sticky mucus blocking her throat. I raised an eyebrow.

“Where the hell did you hear that?”

“Ah... ah told her, Nick.” Applebloom said, placing her hoof on my leg. “Applejack found out I was being hurt, but Big Mac made me lie about who it was, or he said it would only get worse. Then, after that, he started hurtin’ mah friends too! I wish it was just me he was doin’ things to and never them. They didn’t deserve that.”

Tears were welling in Applejack’s eyes again. She looked over to her baby sister and just held her close.

“Ah- ah’m so sorry, Applebloom. Ah should have paid more attention…” she said, falling into her little sibling’s forelegs, crying again. I let her pour her emotions out, and after she calmed down a bit, I started talking to her.

“Granny Smith probably knew, and couldn’t come to terms with it. That’s my guess as to why she started drinking. But listen... Applejack, it’s not your fault. You were misguided. Everyone has that mistake now and again. Let’s all go get something to eat, okay? Take this stuff of your mind.” I said, smiling at my new friend. I gently took her hoof in my hand, and she wiped her tears away, looked up at me, smiled, and we all walked to Sugarcube Corner together. The crowd of ponies that was watching us began to break up. I looked over to the town hall, then straight ahead, at Sugarcube Corner, and without turning my eye to anyone, spoke.
“We’ll get Big Mac some help. I promise.” I said, gently running my fingers through Applejack’s mane carefully. She turned up to smile at me, and I did the same. It was good knowing I had a new friend.

“I’ll hold ya to that promise, Nick.”

Nearing Sugarcube Corner, and placing my hand on the door, I was suddenly offset by violent screaming from inside the shop. There was a crashing noise, and the sound of glass breaking. The girls huddled close to me, unsure of what to do. I jumped at the sudden noise, which, not too much later, was followed by a man (or a stallion) yelling. It was muffled because of the walls, but I could hear pretty much everything.

“HOW DARE YOU, YOU STUPID BITCH! I BUILT THIS SHOP FROM THE GROUND UP JUST FOR US AND OUR FAMILY! HOW DARE YOU CHEAT, YOU FILTHY WHORE!”

More sounds of glass breaking, then a scream of pain.

“I NEVER, HONEY, I SWEAR! JUST PLEASE, PLEASE STOP!”

The sound of babies crying.

“YOU SHUT THOSE DISOWNED BUCKERS UP BEFORE THEY GET ANOTHER WHOOPIN’!”

“CARROT, STOP!”

I drew my pistol, stood in front of the door, and swung at it with a kick. It went flying to the ground, and I placed my pistol at the ready.

“Alright, what the fuck is going on in here!?”

I didn’t even have to ask. I knew what was going on. We all did. Mrs. Cake was brutalized. She had several shards of glass in her face (most likely from the broken cake display) and blood all in her mane and coat. Her left front hoof appeared to be broken and out of place. In comparison, Pound, their pegasus baby had a broken wing, and several bruises and bitemarks. He was crying. Pumpkin was face down in a pool of blood, silent, with her horn broken off and spewing out more red. My own boiled in rage, and the Skull Kid’s laugh could be heard in the room.

“So... BEN really IS here.”

Applejack ran over to Mrs. Cake to help her up. I aimed my gun straight for Carrot’s head, and the girls ran over to the children to try and assist them. There were bottles of alcohol littering the floor, most prominently, Applejack Daniels. Just a bit of deduction, and it was clear that Carrot was an alcoholic that beat his family, the sick waste of life.

“GET ON THE FLOOR!” I screamed, taking finer aim with my weapon.

“A human, huh? I didn’t think you ex-”

“GET ON THE FUCKING FLOOR, YOU SCUMBAG!”

Carrot did as told, throwing an angry scowl in my direction. I approached him, my gun still trained over top of his head while the girls tried to settle things with Cup and the children.

“Why Carrot? Why are you abusing your family?” I asked, my veins beginning to bulge across my body.

“I don’t have to answer a human a damn thing. You probably aren’t even real. I’m just seeing you!” He yelled, still down on the floor, but looking up at me in anger. I sighed. There was only one way to prove it to him.

“Sorry Carrot, but I gotta do this.”

I aimed my pistol at his back leg and took the shot. He screamed and clutched it quickly as blood began to ooze from the side.

“Still believe I’m fake, motherfucker!? HUH!?”

“CARROT!”

“Mrs. Cake, you need ‘ta rest, sugarcube, please.” Applejack said, gently picking her up. The girls were trying to nurse the foals back to health. I collected my bearings and started giving orders; I’d stalled Carrot, now it was time to get his family to safety.

“OKAY! Guys, get Mrs. Cake and the kids to the hospital! I want a thorough DNA test done on those children for legitimacy, and all three of them in intensive care in the next five minutes! Is that understood? I’ll handle Carrot, and you guys get out of here!”
“Are you sure you don’t want some help?” Scootaloo asked, her eyes filling with concern as she looked over to me from Pound, still trying to mend his left wing. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom began to panic, trying to help Pumpkin Cake.

“Nick, we have a problem! Pumpkin’s not breathing!”

“GO! GET OUT OF HERE, NOW!”

“On it!” Scoot said, saluting me before taking off with the others. As they ran off and left, I towered over Carrot. I grabbed him by the neck and pinned him against the wall, pure anger flowing through my veins; if there was one thing I couldn’t stand in the world, it was domestic abuse. This guy was nothing but scum. The Skull Kid’s giggle filled the room.

“Woah! How did your eye turn red, human!?”

“WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING?”

What the hell was he talking about, my eye turning red?

“That wife of mine is a cheating slut!”

“Is that any reason to beat the shit out of her and your CHILDREN?”

“MY children? Heh, that’s a good one.”

“Why would they not be!?”

“Simple. This little statue showed up and gave me all the proof I needed.”

“Wait, statue? What?!”

“Yeah, a little green statue. I was always in denial ever since they were born! There is NO way in Celestia’s name two earth ponies could make a pegasus and a unicorn!”

Carrot’s breath reeked of liquor. The sound of Mask Salesman’s giggle reverberated throughout the room. I began to turn red, shaking in anger at Carrot. I took a deep breath as my eye went cross, staring into the sweating, intoxicated stallion. There was only one thing on my mind.

Kill this wife-beating, child abusing sack of shit.

“I have them going to the hospital to run a legitimacy test. If it comes back negative, I’ll leave you alone, but for now? Let’s see how YOU like getting the shit kicked out of you!”

I threw Carrot to the floor and hit him with a powerbomb. He screamed, and bucked me with his good hind hoof. I went flying into the staircase, and smashed through the banister. I picked up a broken piece, holding it as a spear, and he stood to fight. I got back up and charged at hm. The bout carried on for several minutes, me parrying most of his attacks with the railing. Finding a blind spot was pretty damn hard, but I got one, and jabbed him in his front left leg. The chunk of wood went through the flesh entirely, and as he screamed and fell to the floor, I grabbed him by his neck and kneed him in the face. He fell, and then I jumped upon him and started punching.

“PLEASE STOP! I SURRENDER!”

And punching...

“FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA, LET ME GO!”

...and punching.

Silence.

My heart pulsing wildly and erratically, I expelled the rest of my energy and passed out on the floor with a violent yell. The Skull Kid’s scream filled the air in my black vision.

Chapter V: The Forbidden Meat

I must have been unconscious for several minutes, because when I woke up, I had no recollection of what had happened, was bathed in blood, and was laying next to an unconscious Carrot Cake. I spit up a tarry, black residue, unsure of what it was, and I turned around to the body. I got up and wiped myself down, and tried to get him up, shaking the beaten and red horse.

“Hey... Mr. Cake, are you okay? Wake up! What happened to you?”

No response.

“Oh god... Oh dear god...”

I felt his pulse. Nothing.

“Oh... shit...”

I quickly got up and picked up the body. NOBODY could know I killed Carrot. I could never live that shit out. There wasn’t much of a place to hide it here, so I went down into the basement to find a place to stuff Carrot’s corpse. That was perhaps the worst mistake of my life though; as soon as I got down there and flipped on the lights, what greeted me made me instantly throw up. The walls were lined with pony skin, and from the ceiling hung various entrails. In the center of the room was a table, also covered in pony skin, and the centerpiece was an arrangement of three dismembered heads, their eyes and mouths agape, party hats strapped under their chins. A side of the wall had words written in blood, which barely made out ‘Life’s a party’. The decor of the room was damp and fresh, not dried, and the area held a strong iron scent. I dropped Carrot’s body and just started shivering. I heard a disturbingly familiar giggle, and drew my gun.

“C-c-come out, you sick fuck!”

Another giggle.

“This isn’t funny... What the fuck’s going on down here?”

Suddenly, I lost consciousness with a blow to the back of my head. I awoke several moments later, by a splash of ice water to my face, a wet piece of balloon latex on my cheek. I was tied down to a metal rack by leather straps. I was naked, my equipment and clothes on the table that was covered with grotesque decorations.

“God fucking damn it, SHOW YOURSELF!”

Another giggle echoed throughout the room, and the song of unhealing played in the air. I swallowed in fear and began to sweat. That song. That. Fucking. Song. Out of a blackened, secluded corner of the room appeared Pinkie Pie. Her hair was straight, her eyes beady. That meant one thing, in the brony world.

“Dear god... NO! Not this!”

My heart sank deep into my stomach. I knew what was going on; I had read about this on the internet once. I just couldn’t believe it was actually happening.

“No! This shit ain’t right! This isn’t right! Dear god, save me!”

“Look, Rocky, we have a new party guest! It’s a human too! Oh, goodiegoodiegoodiegoodie! You know, I had no idea you were real!”

“LET. ME. GO!”

“Awww, that’s not fun now, is it? I can’t do that, that’d spoil the surprise!”

Pinkie produced a small tray of sugar. She snorted it from the little glass plate, and looked at me.

“Wanna try some?”

“Fuck no, you stupid bitch. I do-”

She grabbed me by the head and dunked my face into the tray. I spit it out. It wasn’t sugar at all.
It was cocaine.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, LADY!?”

“Nothing. I’m just being me!” Pinkie giddily squealed, happily smiling with her eyes shut in a cute little pose, as she ‘squee’d’ once.

I’m going to ask you again. You let me go. If you don’t, you WILL die, Pinkie. I swear to fucking god, I will kill you, you sick-”

She smacked me across the face. I yelled in pain. Hooves hurt.

“Now, now, this is a party. Parties are all about having fun!” she said, as she wheeled out her cart of blades. The cocaine was starting to kick into my system. My eyes dilated, and my heart rate jumped. The elegy statue from the game, BEN, materialized right in front of me. I stared each of my enemies down with prejudice. Jesus... BEN was REAL.

“You’re both gonna fuckin’ pay for this...”

“Oh, silly, nopony will find out. This is just between you and me.”

Apparently, she didn’t see the statue standing behind her. She grabbed her knife, and slowly moved it towards me. My heart rate spiked up even further. I quickly surveyed my options. For one, I was tied down by my limbs, but not my head. I quickly formulated a ditch effort plan, and proceeded to set it in motion as the blade drew closer. Now was my chance. The coke had kicked in quite a bit. I was much, MUCH more aware now. If perhaps, by freak chance, I could knock the knife out of her hoof at the right angle, it would land on one of my leather straps and cut me loose. Better to try than to die in vain, right?

3...
2...
1!

I quickly gave Pinkie a headbutt to the face. She squealed in pain, wrenching back and grabbing her nose as a trickle of blood ran down her. The knife flew into the air, and time seemed to slow down as I watched it spin. One rotation, two rotations, three, four. It suddenly stopped, and fell downwards...

Right through my left straps. My whole side was free. Pinkie quickly reached for another knife and tried to slash at me, but I bent down, procured the lost instrument, and both blades clashed. I kicked her in the face with my free leg, which sent her reeling backwards. I took the window of time to cut my other restraints loose with the newly procured weapon, and I fell to the floor.

“Kill or be killed. Fight. Survive. You are fighting for your life. Don’t hold back, Nick. Remember what dad taught you about hand-to-hand combat...”

“You wanna go, Pinkie? Let’s do this shit!”

The song of unhealing continued to play as our battle commenced. Our fighting went on for several minutes, and in my head, I was having another battle...

“Kill her! She was gonna make treats out of you!”
“Don’t kill her, she’s just hopped up on drugs!”
“Are you fuckin’ crazy, Nick? She will end you if you don’t fight back!”
“Turn the other cheek...”
“Kill her!”
“Help her!”
“Cut her damn head off!”
“Knock her out, if you have to! Just don’t let your anger make you do what you did to Carrot!”
“Kill this disgusting cannibalistic freak. It would be better for everybody.”

“Woah! Madame McFlour, check this out: the human’s eye changes colors!”

Then, I was broken from my thoughts, still dodging and parrying Pinkie’s slices and jabs, as a voice could be heard from upstairs.

“Nick, We’re back!”

I quickly looked in the direction of the stairs as soon as I heard the words, which was, to put it bluntly, a pretty stupid idea. Pinkie swung at me again.

“OI! MOTHERFUCKER!”

three of my left fingers flew off. I dropped the knife and gripped my hand in pain. Pinkie picked the blade up, then swung at me with both. My left hand flew off entirely.

“OH SHIT!”

With my remaining hand, I grabbed her by the mane, and slammed her into the ground, blood flying every which way from my destroyed arm. I dove on top of her, but I landed on my bad side.

“OW! MY RIBS! DEAR GOD!”

I was in so much pain, I could barely move. Pinkie threw me off of her, and stood up, towering over me with the knives. This was it. I was dead. I gently closed my eyes, and braced for death. I prayed again.

Just then, I heard a scream and a loud crashing noise; the sound of wood falling apart..

“NO!”

I drearily opened my eyes and sat up. Applejack was attacking Pinkie, overtop of the now destroyed party table. They were going at it wildly, throwing hooves left and right. I took the opportunity to head for my gun, grabbing it, and checking the magazine: twelve rounds. I ran over to the two mares duking it out and slapped Pinkie Pie upside the head with my gun. she squealed, and I dropped my weapon, holding her down with Applejack. She pulled out a lasso from her saddlebag and began to hogtie Pinkie.

“Okay. Girls, we gotta get Pinkie some help, and we need to bury Carrot. He’s dead.”

The CMC were frozen in fear at the decor of the room, sick to their stomachs. they got up and ran away, scared and, likely, scarred of the scene. It was left to me, BEN, Pinkie, and Applejack, the latter of whom stared at me, and then to the yellow earth pony’s body. her own heart raced at the gruesome state of the room, still holding a violent Pikamena underneath her, and the song of unhealing finally faded away.

“Wait... he’s dead? What did ya do!?”

I shuffled nervously, averting eye contact slightly.

“Lie about it! She won’t forgive you for killing! Not after all this!”

“It was Pinkie. She was going to eat him.”

“WHAT!? NO I WASN’T, YOU LIAR!”

I walked over and planted the barrel of my gun to Pinkie’s head.

“YOU shut up, you lying cannibal freak!”

“Nick, sugar, stop that right now!”

“Yeah, you’re right Applejack. I should calm down. Did you know she does cocaine?” I asked, taking the gun off of Pinkie, and walking over to Carrot’s corpse and slinging it over my back. Applejack looked over to me, a bit surprised at the statement.

“No, but the hospita’ tol’ us that she done got this illness they call ‘skitzerfrener’ or somethin’.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, they done gave us the record right ‘chere.” Applejack said, exposing a manilla folder that was in her saddlebags. She lifted Pinkie up on her back and we walked up from the demented hole that was Sugarcube’s basement. As we got to ground level, I saw the girls were trying to clean up the blood stains and broken glass that littered the floor. I set Carrot’s body down on the nearby table and approached Applejack, who handed me the records. I opened it and began to read. It was a diagnosis form filled out by nurse Redheart. It gave the specifics of Pinkie’s issues, mentioning her unhealthy tendency of talking to inanimate objects. I remembered that from Party of One. I continued reading, and the file went on to say that Pinkie should never attempt to consume a controlled substance, or her illness may worsen. I folded the papers away, and put them in my pocket. My stubbed arm stung in pain and shot out blood. I fell to the floor and covered it with my other.

“Can anyone get me some bandages!? I lost a fuckin’ hand back there!”

I tore my shirt off, and wrapped it just underneath the wound, and pulled tightly on the knot, forming a homemade tourniquet. That would stop the bleeding for a while. I needed a branding iron next to seal the actual stub.

“I’ll also need a branding iron, and a fire going.”

The girls split, running through town to get me the supplies. I was left to deal with Pinkie Pie. I stood up and walked over to her, a fire in my eyes. I kneeled down beside her, smirking.

“You know, I should kill you, you little batshit loon.”

“Untie me, and we’ll see how tough you are, human!”

“Pinkie Pie, stop being like this. This is NOT you. You’re a fun-loving party animal. Lay off the drugs. That shit’s poisoning your mind.”

“That little green thing told me not to trust anypony but my real friends; Rocky, Sir Lintsalot...”

“What little green thing? The statue?”

“Yes.”

I sighed and chuckled, looking at the ground with a smile. My eye came back up and met with Pinkie’s again, and instead of a thirst for revenge, it was soft and kind.

“Do not, under ANY circumstances, listen to that thing. For your own sanity, and for the safety of your REAL friends, Pinkie, please, for the love of god, do NOT listen to that thing.”

“Why should I trust a human I just met!?” She yelled. She threw an angry glare, trying to bite me, lunging her head forward. I sat down on the floor and wiped the blood off on my pants.

“Look, you don’t have to, but I want to ask you a few questions, Pinkie. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want answers.”
Pinkie just kept her pissed off glare trained on me. She probably wasn’t going to tell me anything. I decided to try anyway. I collected my thoughts, and rested my head in my hand, holding it underneath my chin.

“First of all, Where did you get the cocaine?”

“What, you mean that super sugar?”

“No, I mean cocaine.”

“Derpy told me it was some kind of super sugar.”

“You got it from Derpy?” I asked, looking at Pinkie more intently now. Her tone was changing, and her hair instantly poofed back to its curly state. She was returning to sanity.

“Yep. She’s got this new kind of candy delivery service for the mail. Big Mac is a customer too! He gets these little purple candies. He takes a bunch of them and goes to share them with the girls. He’s so fatherly.” Pinkie said, smiling a bit. She had come back, her carefree self. I figured it was a good a time to talk as any.

“Yeah... fatherly... So... he’s a viagra addict.”

“Did you know you’ve been eating other ponies?”

Pinkie wasn’t sure what to say. She just gave me a dumbstruck look, mixed with a bit of fear and disgust.

“EWW! I’d never do something that gross!”

It was obvious she wasn’t aware of what she was doing in the basement. It left me with only one option: take out the source of the drugs. If she kept away from the coke, this would never happen again, according to the medical records. There was nothing we could do for her schizophrenia, but we could keep her from killing anybody if she stayed off the drugs. At that moment, however, the rest of the gang burst through the door with the supplies I asked for. I stood up and walked over to the basement, looking over at the others. I walked downstairs and collected my equipment, which was scattered all over the floor. I dressed, though doing so in such a maccabe environment is, well, extremely hard to do. BEN was standing there, and as I picked up my gun, my final piece of equipment, I heard a serpentine voice.

“You shouldn’t have done that...”

I turned around in fear, my neck making a ‘crick-crick’ sound in the process, which met the statue.

“Did... did you just talk?”

No response from the statue. My heart jumped again in fear. I kept staring at the little green thing, and, out of nowhere, the skull kid screamed. At the yell, an earthquake suddenly hit, and a support beam from the basement fell apart and pinned me to the floor.

“HELP!”

The quake continued to rock the structure, objects of all kinds falling off shelves and whatnot. The CMC ran outside, carrying a tied up Pinkie Pie with them. Applejack heard a cry from the basement and ran down to acknowledge it, and when she arrived, she saw me struggling to get free. I turned my head to my friend, cracking a bit of a smile, yet sweating in a panic as another piece of ceiling fell down beside me. BEN was trying to bury me alive in Sugarcube Corner.

“Applejack! Help me out! Please!”

She nodded and gripped my good arm, trying to pull me out as yet another beam fell behind her, and then another, and another.

“Hold on, sugarcube! Ah got ya!”

Another yank, and I came flying out from under the debris. I weakly clambered onto Applejack’s back, gripping her gently around the neck as she ran up the crumbling wooden staircase. As we bolted out of the building, at the very last second, the structure collapsed into pieces. I thought about Carrot; we’d left his body in there. So much for a proper burial. I shuddered, growing weak.
The mask salesman giggled, which made my spine shiver. I wish I was back home in my bed. Why in the love of god did I have to play that cartridge? Why didn’t I just stay away? Any brony would love to be able to visit Equestria, but let me tell you, if by some freak chance you come here? Run. Run far the fuck away. I’ve only been here for half a day, and already, I want to leave. The cities are slums. Their world is no better than ours. There are racist biggots, alcoholics, incestual rednecks, child molesters, domestic abusers, and even cannibals. Stay the fuck away. I’m warning you now. I’ve a feeling it’s only gonna get worse, but as for going home, there’s nothing I can do for now. Yet, there is some light - perhaps I can fix this. I brought BEN into our world, and he brought me here, and so far, he’s been the cause of pretty much everything I’ve experienced here. This was my war, and I needed the help of the six. We needed to work together to kill him. So much for love and tolerance. Two questions bobbled around in my head though...

How exactly DO you kill a spirit? How the hell do I get home?

And at that thought, I passed into unconsciousness from blood loss as the skull kid giggled.

A voice, quite obviously a male, yet not serpentine like that of the statue spoke up from the rubble of Sugarcube Corner.

“So, Jadusable... you want to play dirty? We’ll play dirty. We WILL kill you and your friends with our next trick. You may have survived Sugarcube, but trust me... chaos will reign, human.”

The mask salesman giggled throughout Equestria, sending a deathly cold shiver down the spine of everypony in the nation. The serpentine one spoke again.

“BEN is getting lonely...”

Chapter VI: Uber Soldat

I woke up in the CMC’s clubhouse, clutching my head in pain. My wound on my left arm was gone, and in its place was a purple and black stub - obviously a seal done by an intensive burn. It was exactly what I wanted to do, but somebody else had done it for me it seemed. I looked around and noticed I was surrounded by the girls, AJ, and Pinkie. I was alive, Pinkie was well, and the girls were safe. I was content. I fell back against the wall and sighed in relief, VERY weak and extremely lightheaded from all the blood loss. Scootaloo seemed a bit odd though. On her flank was the image of a blue caduceus, a common symbol used to indicate medical facilities. Her cutie mark, obviously. I shook my head a bit, and as I cleared my mind, my eye went to my stub, then to Scoots, then to my stub, and back to Scoots. I also had a proper patch on my eye, which had, upon me lifting the cover and feeling myself, been entirely removed to prevent infection.

“Scootaloo...” I paused, looking at my stub, then feeling my patch. “...did you do this?”

Scootaloo smiled at me and giggled, a proud look on her face. The others gave me warm grins as well. I felt safe, despite all the injuries and the setbacks said damage would cause me in life.

“Yep, but I’m not done. Lie down, please, Nick.” she said as she took some bandages in her mouth and began to wrap them cleanly around my arm. I smiled at her, and as she finished, I gave her a hug.

“Thank you. And congratulations on getting your cutie mark. I’ve been wanting to see that ever since I’ve started watching your show.”

I felt proud, almost like a father, even, seeing his daughter grow up to be a strong, independent woman with a future. Why was I feeling this about a horse though? A fictional horse, no less...
Pinkie tilted her head and stared at me quizzically.

“Show? What show?”

I just laughed at Pinkie Pie (in a friendly way).

“Just like how we’re fairytales to you, you’re a TV show to us. In other words, my people find you entirely fictional, Pinkie. YOU, of all ponies know we exist, you fourth wall breaker.”

“Well, duh, of course humans exist, silly! I just never told anypony the truth because they wouldn’t believe me!” Pinkie continued, beaming in excitement. My stomach gurgled. Some food would be wonderful right about now, despite the fact that I can’t get that sickening image of the basement out of my head. I nearly vomited again at the thought of that hellhole. A pang of guilt about Carrot hit me again. I repressed, and turned my attention to Applejack.

“Thank you for saving my life... I owe you one.”

“Sugarcube, ya saved mah sis and her friends. If anythin’, I owe YOU, darlin’.”

“I didn’t save anyone, I did what I knew was right.

“Nonsense, sweetie.”

Well, at least things had stopped for a while, but BEN was still out there, the son of a bitch. What did I ever DO to that kid that made him do this to me? How did he send me here? What exactly was he doing here in the first place? More importantly...

“Who’s hungry?” I asked, smiling at everyone else, looking around the room for response.

“Ooooo! mememememememe!” Pinkie yelled, quite literally bouncing off the walls. I couldn’t contain myself. I just broke down laughing at the scene, along with the other four as Pinkie Pie rebounded and sprung around the clubhouse like a rampant bouncy ball fired from a cannon. THERE was the Pinkie Pie we all knew. I stood up and brought them all together for a hug. As we left and headed into town, though, the mood got depressing quite quickly. Pinkie nervously looked up to me, as if to say something, but didn’t. She looked down at the ground, a sad look on her face, and then looked back up to me.

“Um, Nick?”

“Yes?”

“So... I really did all those awful things?” Pinkie asked, a sadness overtaking her face. She was about to cry, and so, I really didn’t want to answer. If I told Pinkie the truth, it would emotionally destroy her. If I didn’t, she would resist help. I gently placed my hand on her back, cracking a faint smile at Pinkie Pie, then delivering a slight scowl at everyone else.

“Alright, who the hell told her about the basement while I was out cold?”

“We- we all did.” Sweetie piped up. “If we didn’t tell her about what she’s been doing, who knows what she would have done next!” She finished, shuddering a bit at the returning image of the blood-soaked basement. I sighed and turned my attention to Pinkie as we walked.

“Yes, Pinkie Pie, yes, you did.”

Pinkie began to tear even more. As those words left my mouth, a pang of regret hit me. It was for the best though, that I knew. Pinkie just fell, and let the tears flow. The rest cuddled around their friend to try and comfort her. I just stood there, contemplating what to say. Finally, I drew a breath, and spoke.

“PInkie Pie, listen... I’m not mad at you. None of us are. We just wanna see you get back to normal, okay? We’re your friends. We’re here to take care of you. I’m not gonna judge you for something that obviously wasn’t your fault. You have a sickness, and the drugs were hurting you. We’ll try to get you medicine, okay?”

“I...I... I’m... I’m so sorry! Mr. Cake... I’m sorry!”

Oh... great. They told her that she killed Carrot. This was DEFINATELY gonna bite me in the ass later. I sighed, nearly crying at the fact of her having to live with ‘killing’ her employer. Should I confess now? No. I couldn’t. If I did, they would all leave me here, with no way to get home, and a rampant BEN terrorizing the country. I couldn’t afford to lose their trust now. Every moment I went without a confession tore at my heart though... I just... never knew I could kill. I sighed, kicking up some dust as I looked down to the street and continued to walk.

“I’m sorry about your hand Nick... Are you mad at me?” Pinkie asked, giving her puppy face.

“No... I can’t ever be mad at you... Not when you give me that face.”

“Sugarcube, we could never be mad at ya, specially with what’s been goin’ on in town recently. Everypony’s got some kinda problem nowadays. Ya shoulda heard the awful stuff Big Mac was doin’!” Applejack said, trying to smile at her friend. The CMC nodded in agreement. Pinkie squee’d and hugged us all again. Suddenly, I felt much better, and the thoughts about Carrot’s murder washed away. BEN washed away. That cursed game faded out of my mind, and even the basement and apple cellar faded away as I held my group of friends tightly. Why couldn’t I be close with my friends back home? Why was it all they ever wanted to do was get drunk? Why couldn’t they be like this? Supportive, friendly... instead of mooching off me? I take back everything I said about how corrupt Equestria was, it was just under attack by something attempting to destroy the country from the inside out, namely, BEN (and perhaps, Derpy). HE was the one doing all these awful things. It wasn’t the fault of any of the citizens. It was MY fault. I let him out of that cartridge, and he came here. I was the one that ruined Equestria. Now, it was up to me and whomever I could get to side with me to fix it.

“Hey, let’s go get that new drink that Flim and Flam have been selling!” Sweetie Belle excitedly added.

“Oh, I love that stuff!” Applebloom commented.

I was confused. a new drink from the FlimFlam brothers?

“Wait, they’re at it again?”

“Yeah, but they ain’t doin’ apple cider ana’more, they got their own drink this time.” Applejack interjected.

“Hmmm... Sounds interesting. Let’s get over there.”

I shivered again as the mask man’s laughter filled the air. Something told me this was only going to get worse. MUCH worse. As we approached the stands, Pinkie pulled out some cash. She ran up and returned with drinks for all of us, smiling brightly. The stands were in town square, and the area was absolutely packed. A bunch of ponies stared me down, and I began to sweat at all the attention.

“Woah! It’s a real, live human! Lyra wasn’t joking!”

“Yes, yes, humans exist. Move along, please.” I said, trying to shoo those that approached me off. I REALLY wasn’t in the mood to draw myself out, for the sake of avoiding BEN. There were several guards standing around the streets, which I found extremely odd. There was RARELY a public presence of armed forces in Equestria according to the show, but here, there existed about three squads in this region alone. On top of this, the citizenry seemed... afraid somehow. I couldn’t explain, but they rarely talked, and the happy atmosphere of the town was even less than that of what I saw when I got here. Interaction between citizens was at a VERY minimal level, and many of them avoided eye contact with the troops.

“It’s on the house, Nick. Think of it as only a portion of what I owe you.”

“You owe me nothing. You being safe and off those drugs is all I need from you, Pinkie Pie.”

I examined the drink with interest. It was a bright green and orange mixture, unlike anything I had ever seen. I gave it some final inspection, then smiled at the girls. We clinked our glasses together, and at that, we drank.

“OKTOBERFEST!” I yelled in excitement with a slight German accent. I took a swig of the drink, and my heart started racing a bit, though not nearly as bad as the cocaine. This must have had caffeine in it or something. As the mellow taste, somewhat of a citrus lemon-lime flavor, mixed with Marley’s Mellow Mood (that’s the best description I can give, looking back) rolled around on my tongue, something seemed to take hold of me, not to mention the girls. It was a very pleasurable feeling, and my entire body tingled and tickled at every nerve. I lost some coordination, stumbling around a bit. Was there alcohol in this too? Must be some pretty strong booze. ...but no, if it did, they wouldn’t give it to children... would they? Flim and Flam would do anything for coin, that I knew. Ah well, who gave a damn? I felt awesome right now! I grew a little lightheaded and began to laugh. The others did as well, and their own tones became a bit distorted and garbled to my ears.

“Man... I love you guys... so much.”

“We love you too Nick.”

At that, I blacked out.

"Ow... where the hell am I?"

I awoke on another metal rack, naked again. I looked around the room I was in, my eyes drearily coming to. where I was at was much cleaner and well-organized than the torment that was Sugarcube’s basement. There were a few models of pony skeletons at the far end of the room that looked disturbingly real, two to be exact. One was an alicorn, with a slightly smaller stature and body build than that of either Luna or Celestia, and on its horn rested a golden ring. The second was a unicorn, a standard size pony, and atop its skull sat a purple wizard’s hat with multi colored star designs. There was a small computer tower next to a desk, which had a small chemistry lab on it, and from the tower was being produced several printouts, similar to those found in seismic scans or polygraph tests. I looked around more, and I saw the other five were locked down on racks as well. These trays though, were much more secure, metal, switch-activated locks holding our limbs. The five we were on (and the only ones in the room) were arranged in a star-shaped pattern, connected together by their inner edges. Aside from the desk, skeletal models, and tables, there was a small control panel of some kind, with various buttons and a large lever with a neon orange knob. I began to panic. Where were we!? Everyone I had befriended was struggling wildly, trying to break free of their mechanical restraints, and suddenly, over top of me appeared Twilight Sparkle.

“Hi there!” she said, in a giddy tone. She was NOT normal by any means. She was wearing a lab coat stained with dried blood, her eyes were solid red, very much like those of Big Mac when I fought him, her coat and mane were solid grey instead of purple, and she had that famous look of insanity from Lesson Zero, beady eyes and all. Her voice, like Big Mac’s, was not entirely her own, with somewhat of a serpentine lisp behind it. I screamed at her impromptu appearance and my body jolted backwards (or as far back as it could go), and I immediately started sweating.

“What is this!? Let us out!”

Twilight didn’t answer me. She just turned away to the nearby desk, walked over, and took a sip of a drink from a lab flask. It was the same mixture that we got from the FlimFlam brothers; orange and green. Something about THIS drink was off, though. Twilight set the flask down and walked over to me, staring at my body with a particular interest. Each step she took towards me, her clopping hooves hitting the tile floor, made me quiver in fear. Never before had I been so scared of this horse... What was she going to do to us? Everybody else looked over to me, as if to look for an answer to my own question.

“So... a human, huh? Straight out of the foal’s stories. Un-be-bucking-lievable. This certainly breaks all scientific explanation.”

“No... YOU break scientific explanation, Twilight.”

“Pfft, whatever, human. I noticed you brought some interesting toys with you.” she said, rolling her eyes over in the direction of my gun, phone, charger, ammo, and CD, which, along with my clothes, were on the desk with the chemistry lab.

“Let me go, and I’ll show you how the L shaped one works.” I replied to her, scowling as I tried to viciously tear my way out of my bonds with no success.

“Heh. Nice try. You know, a human would really make a great testing subject. There’s so much to find out, what with you being a brand new species! Would you be willing to help further the cause of science?”

I spat in her face. Twilight gave me a blank stare, then wiped her face off and gave a seductively cute smile.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Fuck. You.”

“You know what, you seem like a competent fighter... perhaps you’d better serve me as a soldier.”

“I’m not doing a goddamn thing for you, Twilight.”

Oh, that’s a shame...” she said, as she cast some magic and crushed my right fingers.

“AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH! GO TO HELL, YOU STUPID BITCH!” I yelled, as I felt my bones crunch into a broken mess.

“Twilight, what in tarnation are ya doin’!? Stop this right now!”

“Well, if you won’t help me, that’s okay. The little green guy has been. He’s quite the assistant. Plus, he refills my drink without me asking!” Twilight said, taking another sip of the flask as she walked over to Applejack and smiled at her wickedly. Pinkie and the CMC were scared out of their minds and on the verge of crying. I spit up some blood, watching as the nearly empty flask magically filled itself.

“Wait... green?”

“Yeah, that little guy over there.” Twilight said, pointing in the corner, as she turned back around and started to approach me again. Her eyes grew an even bloodier shade of red. “Say hello, BEN.”

The statue, it was here, standing in the corner of the room next to the control panel. The song of unhealing was playing in the air, and my head suddenly hurt from the tune. The CMC screamed in unison at the unholy noise, and later, started crying.

“Make it stop!” they all yelled.

My heart sank at his appearance. How far did his reach go? Had he corrupted EVERYONE? And... why was Twilight’s skin grey?

“Oh dear god, no...”

“Well, let’s get started, shall we?” Twilight began, gripping a scalpel in her hoof and approaching me. I cringed, bracing for the worst. She searched for a spot to begin her incision, and fortunately, decided to use my handless arm. The scalpel dug deep into my left limb, forming a clean-cut incision that went down vertically, dangerously close to my vein. She must have been doing this twisted work for years, because the slice was so fast and clean, I barely felt any pain.

“Why? Just... why, Twilight?”

My face flustered red with anger. I began to cry. Equestria was REALLY corrupt... I couldn’t believe this.

“Why?” I asked her again as I held back more tears. “What did I ever do to you!?”

Twilight just laughed at me. She opened the newly formed incision, peering inside my arm. The pain had hit. I screamed, and the skull kid laughed. As blood spurted from the fresh cut, even more tears streamed down my face. How could Twilight be doing this? What exactly WAS BEN doing to her?

“TWILIGHT! STOP IT!” Scootaloo yelled, thrashing her little orange body about. Pinkie was crying, trying to cope with what she was seeing. First herself, now one of her very own friends, practically doing the very same things she had done. She tried to sing a tune of her own amidst her tears as the song of unhealing continued to play through the air.

“G-g-g-giggle at th-th-th-the g-g-g-ggg-g-g-ghosties...”

At that, there WAS a giggle: the giggle of the mask salesman. I wrenched around wildly in pain, my arm spurting out blood, growing weak as my vision began to fade from even more blood loss.

“Twilight, what are you trying to accomplish here?”

“Oh... I’ve got BIG plans for Equestria, human.” she said, laughing as she took a syringe and extracted some of my blood. Applebloom threw up all over herself and started crying along with the other two. Twilight was toying with my open arm, playing with the bone and muscle, making it twitch and spurt even more.

“So that’s how that works...”

“Let’s *cough* cut to the chase lady. Are you going to kill me or not?”

“No, silly. I’m just gonna add you to The Collective.” Twilight said, taking another sip of her drink. Her eyes turned a bright red again.

“It’s that potion, shug! Stop drinkin’ that!” Applejack screamed out, trying to yank herself loose. Even after all the years of apple bucking, she still wasn’t strong enough for these locks, stressing her body for no purpose. Twilight smiled at the blonde pony and slowly walked over to her.

“Twilight, I swear to god, if you fucking hurt her...!”

“Oh Applejack... you simply don’t understand how amazing this drink is. Why, with every sip I take, I expand my mind! I constantly learn new things with this brew! It’s from the FlimFlam brothers. I added a few special ingredients to MY drink though, and let me tell you, it is absolutely grand!”

Twilight stopped for a moment, levitating her drink over to the desk and setting it down, as she drew even closer to AJ.

“You know, Applejack... I always fancied a strong one...”

“Wha-what do ya mean, sugarcube?” AJ asked, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face. Twilight gave a cute little smile, and her voice went soft, almost a direct parallel to those demonic eyes of hers.

“Here... let me show you...”

Twilight began rubbing Applejack’s stomach, slowly at first, methodically, before beginning to nibble on her friend’s ears.

“O... okay, Twi, we’re gettin’ a might personal here... there are fillies in th’ room...”

Twilight wasn’t listening. She continued to caress Applejack, feeling her up, and starting to lick her. I couldn’t watch this sick shit, I knew it was going to get worse. I had seen enough of this vile crap on the internet... Twilight continued her twisted game, taking her mouth off of AJ’s ears, then running her tongue down the length of her front body, down to her vulva. After teasing it with her tongue for a few seconds, Twilight’s horn glowed, and gently slipped inside. Applejack screamed in pain, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo clamped their eyes shut. This went on for about five minutes, then Applebloom screamed at the unicorn.

“What are ya doin to mah sister, Twilight!? Quit it! Quit it now!”

And so she did, removing herself from a shocked Applejack...

...and then approached the little yellow filly. She screamed and tried to bite her attacker, but it was just like the cellar; she was completely powerless, and had no choice but to submit. Her two friends and Pinkie Pie couldn’t bear to watch. Twilight forced her way into the young girl, which nearly made me vomit. I thrashed around some more, screaming.

“God damn it, Twilight, let her go! She’s been through enough!”

Again, she completely ignored me, and as she finished her work inside of Applebloom, Twi conjured another spell, and pressed one of the buttons on the control panel, which released my shackles. I fell to the floor, weak as all get out, but stood and stumbled over to my gun.

“Now’s your chance. Kill the bitch!”

I gripped hold of it and took aim at Twi, but not before being blindsided by... the statue? Yeah, I wish I could make that up, but the statue just LITERALLY attacked me, slamming itself into me. I fell to the floor, dropping the gun, which, my finger still barely in the trigger well, fired, and sent a bullet flying around the room. It came back and hit me in my left shoulder. I screamed again and tried to collect myself, but I was suddenly picked up by a spell from Twilight and thrown, face first, against a blank spot in the wall. As she held me there, with her magic, she picked up a small plastic ziptie from a drawer in the desk, and tied my arms together. She took a rugged burlap sack from a pile of identical ones that were on the floor in the opposite corner, and gagged me with it. Then, she took a second one and placed it over my head, and the mask salesman giggled as the song of unhealing finally subsided. I tried to speak through the muffling cloth.

“I’ll be back. I promise you all.”

Twilight smacked me upside the head with her hoof.

“Shut up, human!”

As I was led down a few flights of stairs, the air became increasingly thinner. How far down did Twilight’s lab go? Would the others be okay?

Pinkie finally came to her senses, and tried to relax, snot running down her face as her hysterical crying slowly trickled to a stop, and then tried to break loose of her bonds.

“We gotta help Nick! He’s gonna die!”

Applejack looked over and rolled her eyes.

“What in tarnation do ya expect us to do, Pinkie? We’re locked down on these here metal racks!” she said, as Sweetie Belle and Applebloom continued to cry in the background. Her inner body still hurt from Twilight’s attack, a burning, stinging sensation from the rape taking her nerves. She screamed at the vicious, searing pain inside of her. Applebloom continued to cry, traumatized by her own assault.

“Everypony just shut the buck up!”

The room fell dead silent at the abrupt order, and all eyes turned to face the source of the noise; Scootaloo.

“Okay... let’s calm down and think. Applejack, do you see that control panel over there?”

“Yup Scoots. Ah... ah do.”

“Try using your head to chuck your hat at that lever. I’m willing to bet that thing will let us free. Maybe, just maybe you can pull off a Daring Do!”

“Aw, now Scoot, there ain’t no way in hay I coul-”

“Shut up and try!”

“Scootaloo, why are ya being so demanding?” Applebloom managed to squeak out, a twinge of fear in her voice.

Scootaloo sighed, closing her eyes, then opening them again. She brought them around the room multiple times, staring deep into each of their own with a sense of determination as she spoke.

“Because Nick wouldn’t want us to give up. When he saved us from Big Mac, was he scared? Yes. Did he lose composure and give up? No! He fought for us! He fought for our lives! Without his injury, I wouldn’t have my cutie mark! We owe him! If there’s anything he’s taught me, it’s to be rational even if you’re scared out of your mind! Nick didn’t come here on complete accident, he came here for a reason, and now, we have to help him! He obviously has some connection to this BEN statue, and it’s pretty obvious that this statue is hurting everypony else in town. If there’s anypony who has the slightest idea on how to stop BEN, it’s Nick. We NEED to work together!”

Sweetie Belle chuckled lightly, sniffling a bit as her tears began to dry, following the little speech.

“Yeah!”

“Yeah! Let’s do this!” Pinkie Pie cheered in reply, looking to Applejack, awaiting her friend’s next move.

“Alright, fine, ah’ll try.” Applejack said, with a groan and a sharp pain in her nether, knocking her hat off her head and onto her chest. Picking it up with her mouth like a frisbee, she took careful aim and threw...

“Alright, Twilight, I’ve had enough of your games. Take this fucking thing off my head!” I ordered, barely audible with the cloth bag stuffed down my throat. Surprisingly, not soon after my request, the bag on my head was removed, and the gag taken from my mouth. I was now clearly deep underground, and in a hallway, a long, thin hallway with many doors. Twilight picked me up with some magic and slung me over her back. She took another ziptie, which was tucked behind her ear, and used another aura to bring the plastic tie to my legs, and bind them together so I couldn’t run. I just laid down, stomach first, on top of Twilight’s back, and I read some of the labels on the doors as we passed by. Each of them had a window nearby, which had clear pictures of what was happening within them. As we went down the hallway, I became increasingly disturbed. In the first room was a collection of various ponies and creatures, all of very muscular builds. Athletes, fighters, you name it. Each of the individuals in the room were inside pressurized glass tubes, each of which was covered with some frost. The label above this first room read: ‘Cryogenics Lab’. The second room down the hallway was a strange one. It had several artificial pits in the room, and each of these contained an abundance of different creatures. Each pit held one specific type of creature, and, passing the window, I saw the room fill with what seemed to be some kind of a noxious green gas. All the beings within the entirety of the room fell over dead as the view of the window moved out of sight. The label for this door was ‘Harvesting Room’.

Further down, we came to a third room, and inside of this, was an even more disturbing activity. There were life support chambers running the lengths of the walls, and inside each was a developing fetus of some kind of a creature - a dragon, a pony, a diamond dog, and on and on. In the middle of the room was a small chemistry lab, lined with vials of white and red. Judging from the fetuses that were in the tanks, I assumed they were collections of sperm and eggs, and my hunch was correct as we walked past the label ‘Breeding Chambers’. The very next room needed little explanation, but further down the line, the next lab contained more life support tanks. The only difference here? they were spread apart, grouped in sets of four, and each cluster contained identical beings. Suffice to say, the label was ‘Cloning Vats’. The fifth room in the line was even more maccabe. Within it were several operation tables, and I was guessing this was where most of the twisted work was done by Twilight herself. On the tables were various beings, all of which were disembodied, beheaded, and sewn together with one another. Ponies with diamond dogs, griffins with parasprites, chimeras with dragons, ursa majors and minors with manticores and on. This door read: ‘Splicing Labs’. This place was a twisted lab of death, and in each window we had passed stood the statue. We weren’t done though. We passed several others, each with their own labels. None of these had windows to see what was occurring inside, but most didn’t need an explanation. From the start of the first door to the end of the hallway, they went:

‘Armory’
‘Medical R&D’
‘Weapons Research’
‘Training Room’
‘Behavioral Rehab’
‘Assault Course’

It didn’t take much to figure out that Twilight and BEN were creating a genetically modified army of mutants. Twilight had the brains and the resources, and BEN... well, what DID he do exactly? Who gave a shit? This needed to be stopped, and stopped now. We came to the end of the hallway, to an unmarked door. What was behind here? God damn, this whole trip couldn’t get any worse.

Oh boy, was I wrong.

It failed. Applejack’s hat didn’t activate anything, but it DID land on the lever, though only for a brief moment before sliding off onto the floor.

“Aw, damn it!” Applejack cried.

“Now what?” Pinkie asked.

Scootaloo looked around the room and noticed the gun on the table, then an idea rushed through her. She grinned.

“Sweetie Belle, can you use some magic to pick up Nick’s weapon and shoot the switch?”

“Are you crazy? I never learned any magic!” Sweetie cried, an exasperated look on her face as she turned to her friend.

Scootaloo sighed, tilting her head back some, then bringing her eyes to Sweetie Belle.

“Come on! after all the time you spend with Rarity, you can’t even learn a simple grip spell?”

Sweetie Belle looked at the gun, then to her friends, then to the gun again. She took a breath.

“Well, I guess I could try...” She said, as she closed her eyes and grunted. A spark flew from her horn.

“Hold on... I’ve got something...”

Another spark.

“Let me try again.”

A spark, then a weak aura surrounded Sweetie Belle’s horn and the gun. It levitated a few inches off the table. Everypony cheered.

“Great, now get it over here!” Applebloom said, trying to wiggle her hoof loose.

“Applebloom, we don’t have fingers! How in tarnation do ya expect us ta work this thing?”

“Wait... let me try something...” Sweetie Belle said, dragging the pistol to her. She put it on top of her, setting it down on her belly and examined the weapon. She ran her eyes along the action, then the grip, then they stopped to the trigger, the hammer, and finally, the barrel.

“Okay... now, let’s see how this works.” she said, looking at the gun in interest. She used her magic to pick the weapon up, took aim, and with a bit of extra effort pulled the trigger with some more magic. The gun sounded, followed by some metallic pings, and a fleshy sound, accompanied with a scream of pure agony.

“SWEETIE BELLE!” Pinkie cried out, trying to break free as she began to cry at the sudden sight of blood. Sweetie had shot herself, trying to figure how to work the gun. The bullet went straight through her stomach, and, hitting the metal table she was tied to, ricocheted throughout her body, tearing her organs to pieces. She dropped the gun, crying in pain. She was a brave one, yes, but she couldn’t handle this. She let the tears flow like the distressed and hurt filly she really was; it was just too much for her to handle .The burning sensations in her organs; her stomach, her heart, her intestines... all of it seared with roaring burns as blood began to flow from the wound. Sweetie’s heart began to beat erratically, and slow down as the ‘clink-clink’ sound of a bullet casing hit the floor. Scootaloo was on the verge of tears. Applebloom and Pinkie were already letting out waterfalls, and Applejack began to panic, looking around wildly to see what she could do.

“Sweetie Belle, you gotta try again! If we get out of this, I can fix you up!” Scoot said, as a lone drop rolled down her face.

Sweetie Belle, in intense pain, took what energy she had left, and conjured another spell to pick up the gun. The stings and burns and slowly dropping body temperature all a challenge that the young filly had to surpass. This time, she slowly and carefully took aim at the lever and took the shot, with the gun now facing proper.

*Boom*
*Ka-ching*

Success. The bullet hit the lever, and opened everypony’s shackles. Sweetie fell off of her rack, her face to the floor, a pool of blood forming on the ground. Scootaloo rushed over, and rapidly tried to revive her, giving her CPR as best she could. She ran over and grabbed a burlap sack from the pile, pressing it to her friend’s wound.

“YOU AREN’T DYING ON ME! DAMN IT, STAY WITH ME SWEETIE BELLE!”

Pinkie was panicking, sweating, and looking around wildly, trying to see what she could give to help Scoots and Sweetie.

“What should we do!?”

“You guys go after Nick! Leave Sweetie Belle to me!” Scootaloo cried. “GO!”

As they left, a serpentine voice filled the room. Scootaloo’s spine shivered and the mask salesman giggled.

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

I simply couldn’t contemplate what I was seeing. What was going on down here was bigger than just a personal evil, this was a deranged army of freaks about to roll over Equestria, and Twilight had been working away feverishly at it. BEN had been helping, but to what extent, and what exactly he did, again, I was not certain. We stopped outside of the unmarked door at the end of the hallway, and Twilight threw me to the floor. I stood up, using the nearby wall for support, a small trail of my blood leading all the way down the hall. I felt so fucking weak. I had barely any blood left, I was tied up, I had only one hand, one eye, half of my teeth (approximately), and a large cut along my handless limb. Still, I was willing to sacrifice myself if necessary. I’d fight to the death here. I had brought BEN to Equestria, more or less, so the weight of this entire war was on my shoulders. I spit in Twilight’s face again.

“You are NOT using this army, you god damn psycho!” I said, my voice trembling in fear, yet confident.

“Yeah... sure... and what are you gonna do? You’re missing one of your hands, you’ve lost a lot of blood, you have wounds everywhere, no weapon, plus, you’re pretty out of shape anyway. You think you can take ME? I use MAGIC, you stupid bucker! Humans can’t even fathom that! You have NO conceivable chance against me! You’re worthless! You’re a pile of trash! And you wanna know what else? As soon as I’m done with you, I’m gonna go have some fun with everypony you brought with you.” She said, as the skull kid laughed yet again. At that, she conjured a spell that took my already ruined arm, and twisted it sideways. it snapped at the shoulder and fell limp, tearing out of the socket at a jarring angle, which protruded through my skin. I screamed and collapsed on the floor in blinding pain. I was going to die. I knew it.

“Now, as I said, YOU are going into The Collective.” she exclaimed, taking another sip of her drink. From the outside, moaning and tortured screams could be heard. As the electronic door lifted up, I was greeted with a room that was, to say the least, organic. The entirety of the walls, including the ceilings and the floor itself, were covered with bodies, sewn together in strange, bizarre patterns. Some of the individuals were still alive, kept that way by the aid of all the others tied into the sheet, while others had been long-since dead, partially decomposed. In the center of the ceiling was some amorphous mass, tanish-grey in hue, that had several tentacle-like appendages protruding from its mouth of many teeth. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what the hell that used to be. The area smelled STRONGLY of rotten meat.

“What the fuck is this thing?”

“Oh, this?” Twilight began. “This, I just call ‘The Collective’. basically, it’s a being made out of practically every creature in Equestria. It survives by living off of its own tissue. It’s about to feed now. Let us watch.”

As she finished those words, the central core of the creature reached out onto a piece of the walls with one of its tenticles, and tore out a mint colored unicorn; Lyra. She was moaning and crying, in a distorted, gurgling sort of tone.

“P----pplease.... Ugh.... T-tw-twilight, stoooooppp- Hu-human? It- it’s you! help me!”

At that, Lyra was gone, thrown into the void that was the beast’s orifice. Bits of flesh and blood dripped down from the ceiling as very loud crunches were heard above us. I fearfully looked over to Twilight, just scared beyond anything I had ever been.

“H-how long have you been doing this?”

“Oh, just a week or so. I’ve always wanted to see if I could build an army with my smarts, and finally, with the help of your BEN friend, I summoned the courage to follow through.” Twilight said, smiling wickedly.

“How!? How in the mother of god could you POSSIBLY build a lab this size, take this many beings, and be THIS far along on your progress in one week with only YOU doing the work? How the hell has nobody found out?” I asked, my voice still trembling in fear.

“Moderation! I didn’t take these creatures en masse. No, I took a few at a time. perhaps the last thing you remember was drinking the stuff Flim and Flam were selling? I have this little deal with them where, for some bits, I’m allowed to mix knockout potions into some of the drinks and take the bodies to my lab. That’s how you got here. Most of them go towards my army, but if they don’t serve much of a purpose, they go into The Collective. Once this thing matures, it’ll be an organic super-weapon that will no longer need to eat itself to survive. Until that time though, I have to constantly replace the wounds it gives itself with fresh tissue. That’s where you come in.” Twilight added, cackling under her breath. “How exactly did I do all this work in a week? My special drink. It infuses me with an energy unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, almost supernatural even. I’ve done nearly five months worth of work in just over a week! It’s amazing, I tell you! But enough talk, let’s get started, shall we?”

“I hope you die, you cunt.”

Twilight picked me up with her magic, and, cutting the zipties with some scissors and stretching my limbs out, carefully put a cut in the other three that hadn’t been. She lifted me up, placing me against the newly formed opening in the wall, where Lyra had been, and made several incisions on the neighboring creatures. They screamed in torment, and I shed some tears at their pain, empathising with them. As she attached the slits in my limbs to the lacerations on the other creatures and began to sew, my life flashed back to when I first arrived. BEN wanted me dead. That kid wasn’t toying with me for fun, no, he was just pure evil. I had so many questions I wanted answered...

Why was everyone scared of me when I first arrived here?
Why were the eyes of all the ‘evil’ ponies I met red, and (according to Carrot, Pinkie, and Sweetie,) mine gone the same color?
Why was Ponyville in such horrible shape?
Why was there a large military presence on the ground, and the citizenry so afraid?
How exactly did BEN end up here?
I had a feeling somebody OTHER than Twilight was helping BEN. Who?
What was in Twilight’s drink?
Why did BEN bring me here?
How did BEN get the power to send me here, or do anything for that matter?
How did Equestria exist, in the first place?
How the hell do I get home?
And most importantly...
Were the others okay?

I prayed out loud again. The only thing I could do was have faith, now.

“I wonder how The Collective’s digestive system will react to human meat... I- Ouoof!”

“NIck! We’re here!” Applebloom cried out as her sister tackled Twilight to the floor. I turned my head behind me, seeing all the others (with the exception of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle) here, coming to save ME. It made me smile amidst my pain. My faith, my prayers... They were answered yet again. I’m not a very religious man, but here? I had no trouble in believing. While Applejack and Applebloom were busy fighting Twilight, Pinkie Pie ran up to me, trying to tear me off the wall, as I hung from one arm.

“Stop her from drinking that potion!” I yelled, screaming in pain as Pinkie tore at me.

“Twilight, sugarcube, ah really don’t want to do this, but it’s for ya own good!” Applejack said, hitting Twilight in the face with a hoof. In response, Twilight gripped AJ by the neck with her magic and flung her to the side, and kicked Applebloom away, into the nearby wall.

“Oh, no you didn’t, you fucking bitch. You did NOT just hurt Applebloom!”

I shook in anger. NOBODY hurts the CMC. NOBODY hurts MY friends. I was near death, the only thing keeping me alive, my pure anger at Twilight. I brought my feet up against the wall, and placed my good hand against my ruined, sewn-in arm, and pulled with all my remaining strength. I came tearing off the wall, losing a chunk of my flesh in the process, and landed on the floor, on my back, screaming in pain. The others tied to sheet did too, and I struggled weakly to regain my balance. Pinkie Pie bought me some time by going in for Twilight, and the two dueled it out as Applejack was trying to nurse Applebloom back to health.

“How the buck did you all get free!?” Twilight yelled, jumping at Pinkie. Suddenly, the skull kid laughed, and a wave of energy abruptly rushed through me. It was unnatural, in a way; even though I was minutes from death, I felt perfectly alive and well.

“Nick!? How in tarnation did ya eye turn red!?” Applejack asked, amidst the fighting. I just ignored her and dove in for Twilight, pure anger fueling my organs, and in the process, nearly blindsided Pinkie Pie. She backed away and, holding Twilight down by the neck with my knee, I began punching her continuously in the horn. It began reacting violently, a massive wave of magical energy emanating throughout the room. Fire spewed from Twilight’s horn, lighting The Collective ablaze. Screams unlike anything I had heard filled the room, a deafening mashup of tortured yells and moans of all types. I kept punching and punching. Another spark shot from Twilight’s horn and went flying out of the room. The sound of a distant explosion was heard, then an alarm could be heard blaring, but I didn’t care, because there was only one thing in my head.

“Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill! KILL THIS PSYCHOPATHIC BUTCHER!”

The Collective’s room had almost entirely engulfed in flames by the time I was done, and as I finished my relentless assault, the skull kid screamed. At the familiar imp’s yell, my left side of my body went almost completely numb, and I felt faint, losing touch with my senses, particularly my hearing. I clutched my heart quickly from a sudden pain that had hit it. I was having a hear- I passed out on the floor of flesh.

“Come on! Let’s get out of here, Pinkie Pie!” Applejack screamed, as flames began to surround the duo. She quickly picked up her little sister and tucked the unconscious filly under Nick’s good arm, and threw him onto her back. Pinkie grabbed Twilight, slinging her over her own back, and the two friends rushed out of the burning room - which quickly spread throughout the rest of the labs, chasing them down the hallway. As the team got back up onto the ground floor labs, Pinkie quickly threw all of Nick’s equipment; CD, ammo, gun, clothes, phone and all, into her saddlebags and ran out with her orange friend. As they escaped the library, the entirety of the tree burst aflame, glowing brightly in the dead of night as the two ponies rushed as fast as they could to the hospital. They would have to be quick and wary to avoid getting arrested for breaking the new martial curfew. At least this fire would distract the guards. They both disappeared into the darkness, and with only a short window of time, as the mask salesman’s giggle filled the air. The serpentine voice spoke again, deep into the black of the night.

“Run, my little ponies. Run. The human brain can only live eight minutes without support...”

The skull kid, for yet another time, laughed wickedly, trailing off into the distance.

Chapter VIII: Pre-Existing Conditions

As I lie here in bed, still recovering, there’s not much I can do other than write down my memories and recollection of the events up to this point. As I sit here, trying to put my thoughts to this paper, every wicked thing that’s happened since I got here continues to haunt me day and night. I want to go home. I want to see my mother again, and never let go of her. I want to be back in my apartment playing Assassin's Creed. I want to go back. Why can’t I go back? Well, as long as I’m stuck here putting words down on this parchment, let me tell you a bit about myself, as it seems we’ll be stuck together for a while. Anyone who’s followed me and my story of ‘BEN’ knows of my experience with the haunted cartridge. You know how he tortured me for nearly a week, and how I found the game at a suspicious garage sale, run by an old man. You’ve read my notes, you’ve seen the corrupt gameplay footage, but as a person, you know very little of me, I’m sure, so let me tell you a bit about myself and where I come from.

I had a pretty ordinary life, that, aside from the incident with BEN, wasn’t too special. My father was a marine who fought in the gulf, and, following an incident that occured when I was only a year old, preached self-defense as something I would need to keep sharp in. After the incident occurred, my father started teaching me how to survive in the wild, fight with guns, blades, and my own body. He taught me how to be resourceful and create tools and custom weapons with household junk. He taught me all kinds of things the Corps taught him, but, unlike him, I never honed my skills - though he did indeed teach me how to do all these things, I never bothered to practice as much as my father begged me to, if at all, even though he kept saying it was for my own good. I guess he was right; if I was better trained, better prepared, I probably wouldn’t be in this situation. I probably wouldn’t have lost my eye or my arm. Big Mac would have been taken down in one fell swoop, and Sweetie Belle? She would still be alive. Dad? If you can hear me...

I’m sorry for not keeping sharp in my fighting skills. I love you, and I’ll miss you. And mom? I’m GOING to get home someday, somehow. I promise you. Hold in there for me, okay?

I pulled out my phone, which was plugged into the wall, and opened a NES emulator, activated Zelda II, and began to play. At that, Applejack walked into the room.

“Sugarcube?”

“Yeah?” I asked, looking up see my eye meet the orange mare, who had taken a seat at the edge of the bed.

“Ah wanted to thank ya for savin’ mah sis and... her... friends. You’re a good fella in my book, doin’ what you can.”

“I...”

“Now, ah know that ya weren’t able to help, ya know, poor lil’ Sweetie, but ah know there wasn’t a thing ya could do, honey.”

“Applejack, I just try to survive okay? I’ll help where I can, but my primary concern is goin’ home.”

“Maybe, darlin’, but what you said in the ER back there... ah know ya really care for the Crusaders. It’s sweet, really.”

“Well, when you watch a...” I paused, looking at Applejack, then Twilight, who was sleeping in her bed, next to me. “...show or cartoon long enough, you start to grow attachments to the characters, and...”

“Wacha’ doin, sugar?” AJ asked me, leaning in to look at my phone, which I was still playing with the entire time.

“Playing a game. I’m almost done, but I just can’t beat this last boss...”

“Ya seem pretty darn invested in it, dear. How long ya been fightin’ this enemy?”

“Two years. Dark Link is a pain...”

"Well, ah hope ya..." ***VIDEO***

“Damn it!”

“Aw, he beat ya...”

“Yeah, and he has for the past two years. This damn boss is your shadow, I swear; he knows more about you than you do yourself. As far as I know, there isn’t an easy way to beat him, fuckin’ bastard...” I said, setting the phone down in frustration.

“Ah don’t suppose only playin’ with one hand is th’ problem?”

Nah, that ain’t it; I got butchered even back when I had two.

“Well then, ah wish ya the best of luck in... ‘conquerin’ ya shadow’ sugarcube.” Applejack smugly replied, mildly laughing at her own cheesy joke.

“Fuck, I need a shower...”

I got up out of my bed, my CD playing in a small boombox on the nightstand. The song that was playing was ‘Halls of Illusions’, and as I got up to go to the bathroom to get cleaned up, I couldn’t shake the memory of Carrot, what with the song reminding me of it with every line it said.

“~Back to reality and what you’re about: your wife can’t smile cause you knocked her teeth out!~”

I got to the bathroom, placing my hand on the sink. I stopped for a moment to look at myself, and I could hear the song continue to play in the other room.

“~And she can’t see straight from gettin’ hit, ‘cuz you’re a fat, fuckin’ drunk piece of shit!~”

I continued to look at myself some more, until the lights in the bathroom flickered once. I kept staring at my reflection, but jumped back at what I saw once the lights turned back on.

“~But it’s all good here! Come have a beer! I’ll break the top off it, and shove it in your ear!~”

I was looking at myself. However, my face was darker, with a black, shadowy outline about it. Looking into the mirror, and behind me as well, I saw that my shadow, which should have been perfectly visible on the wall behind me...

...was gone. And in the reflection? Its eye was solid blood red. A quick image of Carrot’s corpse flashed through my head...

...and then, my reflection started laughing at me. It carried with it a vile, demented laugh. I smashed the mirror, screaming, as the song in the other room began to transfer into the hook, and tried to catch my breath as the lights flickered again, watching the glass shatter, forming a weblike pattern that slowly branched out from the contact point with my fist.

“~And your death comes wicked, painful, and slow - at the hands of Milenko!~”

“Sugarcube, you okay in there!?”

“Uh... yeah, Applejack. I- I’m fine.”

Yeah. Sure. I was... fine.

“Darlin’, mind if ah change the music track?

“Uh, go ahead. I’ll be out in a minute...”

*click*

"~...He walks among us as a shadow, void of light. Powered by your own darkness. Strengthened by your own wickedry.~"

“Sugarcube, why in thunderation do ya listen to this music? It’s just creepy...”

Chapter IX: Addicts, Death, And Gluttony

So, it’s been a month and some change, and Applebloom, Twilight and I are slated to be discharged from the hospital, which would, for me, be a breath of fresh air; I’m tired of the constant tests they run on me, even if it IS for medical purposes. None of us who were there can get the memory of Sweetie Belle’s gruesome death out of our heads, and I can’t get the image of me murdering Carrot out of mine. As I got up and dressed, I turned to Twilight, who was still sleeping in the bed. Her bruises and other wounds had healed up nicely, and I was fairly certain I had (at least) forty percent foreign blood in my body by now. I went to the room shower and cleaned myself up. It was cold, as expected, for a hospital bath, but at least I could finally get something to wash myself off after all the bullshit that had happened. I felt filthy, in every sense of the word, both physically and emotionally. As the stinging cold water splattered across me and I shampooed my hair, I thought back on the incident with Carrot. I barely remember anything from it. All I remember was him screaming for mercy. I don’t even know what exactly I did, but I remember hearing the skull kid scream and laugh. That had some significance to it, but I wasn’t sure to what extent. I sighed and just let the shampoo run from my hair, flashbacks of the basement, the apple cellar, the ER, Carrot’s death, and Twilight’s labs rushing through my mind. Equestria, a fun-loving world filled with cute, colorful ponies, had left me severely injured, and mentally scarred. Stepping out to dry myself off, and dressing in my recently washed clothes (and the only ones I’ve had for this entire trip), I finally looked like my normal self, aside from a missing left arm, the stitches gone, and a long scar along my right one with scarred fingers, some missing teeth of varying kinds, and a missing left eye, and burnt, uncut hair with what now amounted to a ‘homeless’ beard to complement it.

Okay, so I didn’t look like my normal self: I looked like roadkill. I stepped out of the bathroom, only to be greeted with a standing Twilight in the doorframe. She grabbed a towel off the shelf and smiled at me, but I had no friendliness to give her. I just scoffed, and flipped her the bird, upon which she frowned, and slowly closed the bathroom door in sadness, looking away from me. I grabbed my equipment, including my blood covered phone from the nightstand, and left our room to go downstairs and get something to eat for breakfast. As I stepped into the hallway and walked down to the cafeteria, I was met with Applejack, Pinkie, and Applebloom, the latter of whom was in crutches, with a depressed, sullen gaze as she stared blankly at her daffodil sandwich on the plate in front of her. I moved my eye away from the sight of the upset filly, and I approached the mare at the serving counter, and cleared my throat a bit. I nervously tugged at my shirt collar, then summoned the courage to speak.

“Um... excuse me, miss? Sorry to offend, but... do you... have any meat?”

The entire room fell silent, and all eyes stared at me, even Pinkie, AJ, and Applebloom. I started to sweat at the awkward situation. I knew I shouldn’t have asked. I was about to apologize for any offense, but suddenly, The mare behind the serving counter spoke up.

“Sir, we don’t eat meat around here.”

“I know. That’s why I apologized. It’s just that, well, I’m a human. I don’t NEED meat to survive, but we ARE omnivorous creatures. There are some of us that eat nothing but fruit and veggies, but I’m not one of those people. I’ve been here for a month and a half, living off of what your society has to offer, and I’m grateful for that, but I would very much appreciate some fresh meat in my stomach. I’ll take any meat you got. ANYTHING. I don’t give a damn what it is.” I said, placing my hand against the food sneeze guard in minor frustration. The mare behind the counter wasn’t sure what to say, giving me a dumbstruck look for a few moments before she finally walked over to another pony next to her, and they started whispering to each other, occasionally looking back to me. The rest of the ponies in the room were still staring at me while this was going on, and it made me feel like I’d just said the N word or something, and considering eating another animal is like, a social taboo here, I’d say it was on par with that, in terms of awkwardness. After another minute or so of waiting, the counter mare approached me, and spoke again, albeit with somewhat of a hesitant tone.

“Okay, sir, we think we have found you some... meat. It should be out in about forty-five minutes, if you can let us prepare it.”

“Amazing. Thank you ma’am. I’m very, very sorry for the trouble.”

Soon enough, my food came. It in particular was a plate of well done hamburger mixed with scrambled eggs. I smiled, and got up to take the food from the counter. As I turned around to seat myself next to Applebloom and the others, I saw Twilight was happily talking with Applejack and Pinkie Pie, as if absolutely nothing had happened between them. How could they NOT be mad at her? I set my plate down on the table and sat down next to the others as my mouth began to water. This was the meal I’d been waiting for. I took the fork and and tore into my food viciously. Everyone else in the cafeteria was staring at me as if I’d done something wrong, but I didn’t care, I was too engrossed in my food, and damn, was it good! It was so nice and tender too, which I was extremely surprised at, what with it being ‘hospital’ food and all. I kept eating away, reducing the plate to half its size in just under a minute. If I had to make a comparison, I looked like Dash did, when she ate her hospital food, chewing away with no sense of mannerisms.

“That’s... just... wrong, human.”

“Hey, fuck you. I haven’t had a good steak in like, two months!”

*gulp*

“Oh my god, this is just fucking delici- Ow!”

I quickly spit my food out, and dug through the pile I was chewing on. I grasped something sharp, and, pulling it from the half-chewed mass of flesh, I took a closer look at it. It was a white shell, a very hard white shell. It was broken, but the end I was chewing on was cone-like, which tapered off to a point, like that of a small brine shrimp. Before I continued eating, I stopped to pull out a hair that was in my food. I hated when that happened. I removed the strand from the meat and inspected it for a moment - it was a light pink and light purple shade, which made my stomach suddenly gurgle in pain. I stopped for a minute, then took another bite. Sure wasn’t beef. Venison? Nah, can’t be deer; too sweet to be deer. Wait... cone-shaped shell, pink hair-

Oh.

My.

God.

“WHAT THE FUCK!?”

I jumped up, and ran over to the counter. I dove over the side and tackled the server to the ground, choking her with my hand as tears streamed down my face in droves.

“HOW COULD YOU!? YOU SICK BASTARDS!”

Several ponies ran out of the cafeteria screaming at my sudden outburst, as most of the others in my group stared at me. Applejack lept over the counter and tried to pull me away, but I kicked her out of blind anger and she went flying through the sneeze guard and flipped the table everyone was sitting at over, sending my ‘food’ flying all over the place, and my grip tightened even more around the pony as I began to cry harder, turning hysterical.

“WHY!?”

“Sir... you - you said you wanted meat! It was the only thing we had! We’re ponies, and we never expected a human! Do you really expect us to have meat on hoof? You said you would eat anything!”

I ceased the choking, my hand falling off the serving pony, and I could do nothing but cry; it was my fault for asking in the first place, and all they tried to do was make me happy by giving me what I wanted. I stood up and jumped over the food counter, heading to my plate. I bent down and carefully scooped what was left together on the floor as I held back more tears and sniffed loudly, while the mask salesman laughed at me, sending chills through everyone in the room .

“Somebody.... get me a bag...”

Applebloom and Pinkie could do nothing but cry with me, AB more than ever, and I wouldn’t blame her right now. Applejack stood up in pain, trying to regain her balance, and Twilight? She had a look about her, as if she felt sorry for me, but I didn’t want anything to do with her. If anything, this just me me angrier at her. Applejack wasn’t sure of what to do, but was just as shocked and depressed as the rest of us. A small security team walked in, only to see my crew and a few others there, staring at me as I picked up the pile of meat, and did nothing other than go assist the injured mare behind the counter. A pony I didn’t recognize went behind the counter and came back with a ziplock baggie. I tried to smile at him, and then I quickly shooed him away, to which he complied, and sat back down. Collecting my thoughts, I carefully picked up Sweetie, piece by piece, and placed her inside the bag. After I was done (following a VERY thorough check), I sadly stood up and walked outside of the cafeteria, and down the hallway to find Scoots, the others following with me. As we got to the main door, we saw Scootaloo talking to the receptionist. I gave her a gentle nudge with my leg, and she turned around, but jumped backwards at the sight of the bag.

“What’s... this?” She asked me with an inquisitive look, raising an eyebrow. I didn’t say anything to the orange filly, but she saw the sadness that we carried together, and didn’t need to be told much. I handed Scoots the bag, and picked her up, setting her on my back.

“I’ll explain on the way.”

“Where are we going?”

“The cemetery.”

Scootaloo examined the bag of meat for a while, before looking to Applebloom, who was letting her sadness start to destroy her. But could you blame her though? She was just a child who lost her best friend in the most vile of ways she’d ever seen. As Scootaloo clung to my neck, I put my hand on Applebloom’s head and gently ruffled her mane. As I did this, I looked over to Applejack during this time, and sighed.

“Sorry for kicking you.”

“Don’t worry about it sugarcube, ya had every reason ta be upset.”

“I had no reason to HURT you.”

“I forgive ya, hon.”

We all stepped out of the hospital, and instantly, the most striking thing was that the air was thin, cold, and the sky was dark despite being mid-morning spring. There weren’t any pegasi around, though, so perhaps the weather was changed while we were in the hospital. In any case, we continued our walk through town, and I turned my head to look back at the orange pegasus on my back, watching her look curiously at the bag of meat, still unsure of what exactly she was looking at.

“That’s... Sweetie Belle.”

“H-how?” She asked me, as her voice cracked at the statement. She couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing, and was trying to hold back her own emotions. “No... no...!”

As we approached the cemetery, it began to lightly drizzle, again, without any aid from ponies. The statue was standing at the entrance to the gate, which made us all shudder, as the song of unhealing played, giving us headaches to boot. We tried our best to ignore him, and walked around the sickening freak, to a decent, unoccupied plot of land in one of the back corners of the yard. Applejack grabbed a shovel out of the vacant gravekeeper’s shed, after which, she began to dig. Pinkie, Twilight, and myself went into the storeroom of the nearby church and collected an unmarked headstone, carrying it back out to the yard. Setting it down to wait for Applejack to finish digging, we all stood there. I set Scoots down off my back, and she put the bag on the ground. We all stared at the little container of flesh, memories and thoughts of all types rushing through our heads. Pinkie spoke up as different music began to play in the air, but it suddenly died off as she fell to her back hooves and cried, her hair going straight - not even Pinkie Pie could make us smile at a time like this; there just wasn’t a way. Applejack took Sweetie Belle from the ground around us as she finished the grave, placing her inside. with AJ stepping out, and begining to fill the tomb, Pinkie and I took the headstone and set it into the soil behind the open space. We stood there for a few moments more, unsure of what to say, so I bent down beside the stone, Applejack still filling the grave, and took a clip from my belt loop. I turned it on its side, and began to crudely etch words into the slab. After about five minutes of scratching the slate, the words came out a sloppy, dysgraphic writing, which read:

Herein lies Sweetie Belle, a beautiful, young unicorn that had a bright future. A kind soul, and a friend to many, a daughter and sister to few. Deathly injured while saving her loved ones, putting them before herself with honor, like a true friend. Murdered viciously at the hands of a demon, but left this world knowing her purpose. Her loving smile, tender embrace, and selfless sacrifice shall never be forgotten.

Requiescat In Pace

I stood again, ushering everyone in close for a hug as we all cried together. Some say that crying is a sign of weakness. Me? I call it a sign of having a soul. I didn’t bother to hold Twilight, and I probably wouldn’t; I was still angry. The mask salesman’s laugh echoed throughout the graveyard - BEN was proud to see us suffer in emotional pain. As we finished our time with Sweetie, we all stood to walk away, continuing down the main avenue in town. In the middle of the city square, Flim and Flam were still at it, selling their brew. The sky was still dark, but the rain had stopped.

“Come one, and all! Today and today only, we’re selling our amazing brew at an astounding fifty percent off! One free sample for each new customer!” Flam announced excitedly over a megaphone. Instantly, at that, all of our mouths watered and we rushed to the stands with the rest of the customary, which was an amazingly large group of ponies. Everyone was happy and giddy, and there were no guards around, ponies socializing happily, drinking, cheering... almost like it was in the show, instead of the slummy, crime filled streets that I’d been seeing. You know...

the way Equestria SHOULD be.

Twilight paid this time, and we all got together in a big group, pleased with our drinks. We walked back a ways, away from the crowd to drink alone. We clinked our glasses together, and we started to drink, and I put my lips to the mug, salivating; I NEEDED some more of this delicious drink. I knew that this, if nothing more, would help calm my mind of Sweetie Belle. I tilted it back, but stopped just before taking a sip, as something caught my eye. I paused for a minute and looked at the glass. It reflected me in a distorted mix of green and orange, but then, suddenly, that reflection changed. The image in the stein shifted, turning to a picture of us with our first set of drinks. The image changed again, and, impulsively, I smacked the beverages out of Applejack and Applebloom’s hooves just as they were about to drink.

“What in the hay was that for, Nick!?”

This time, the image was Twilight taking a sip of her lab flask drink, and cutting me apart with the scalpel, and raping the Apples. The image then showed the rest of the labs, and the many tortured souls within. I knocked Twilight, Pinkie, and Scootaloo’s drinks away, again, on impulse.

“Hey!”

The image changed again, and to accompany it, was a severe migraine. As soon as the pain passed, though, I heard a very familiar voice.

“Nick, stop them...”

I looked into the glass as soon as I heard the noise. It was Sweetie Belle, torn open at the stomach, all of her organs pumping; her heart, lungs... and she was crying, looking at me through the glass. The reflection was talking. I might have been going insane from loss.

“Stop them. They can’t keep poisoning everypony!”

I dropped the glass down from my face, and as it left, what I saw in the streets was MUCH different than what I thought I did. There were soldiers EVERYWHERE. The entire crowd consisted of malnourished ponies with deformations, poor teeth, and very sickly appearances, and they were all huddled around the drink stands, fighting each other for a fix. These people weren’t enjoying themselves - they were posioned drug addicts that had been starved of everything they had. And Flim and Flam? They were smiling at it. It wasn’t Twilight’s fault for Sweetie’s death...

It was this drink. THESE fuckers killed Sweetie Belle.

I shook in pure anger, dropping the stein to my feet as the liquid splattered all over my faded brown sneakers, and the glass broke into shards. The skull kid laughed again, and afterwards, I marched up, pushing my way through the crowds violently, until I parted through the mass. The brothers stopped for a minute, and stared at me as I emerged, an outlier amongst the common. One thing was rocketing through my head.

“Kill these mind-poisoning, drug dealing scumbags.”

“Uh-oh... girls, Nick’s eye turned red... did ya hear the laugh?” Applejack asked, watching the blonde human as he approached the mixing machine.

“Do... do you think BEN got hold of him?” Pinkie inquired in reply.

I pulled out my pistol and capped Flim straight in the head, and several ponies screamed and stopped drinking to look at the origin of the sound. Flim’s body went landing on the stands, and Flam looked down to his brother’s corpse, only to be met with the barrel of my pistol once he brought his head back up.

“That answer ya question, sugarcube?”

“YOU. You are going to answer some questions, Flam.”

The crowd of ponies began to surround us to watch the event transpire, and several guards drew their weapons, awaiting orders. I was surrounded by a bunch of hostile soldiers and civilians. One wrong slip, and I could kiss my ass goodbye. Did I care though? Fuck no; I was too pissed to care, and I was gonna get the vengeance Sweetie deserved, one way or another. Flam held his hooves up, taking a few steps back. He gulped, taking his hat off and placing it against his chest as sweat ran down his face.

“Good sir, what is all the hostility for?!”

I got closer to Flam, pressing the gun to his nose. I slammed my elbow down against the counter, gritting my teeth together.

“YOU KNOW GODDAMN WELL WHY! YOU’RE FUCKING DESTROYING THESE PONIES, ROBBING A DRUG-ADDLED POPULATION OF EVERY LAST COIN THEY HAVE, NOT TO MENTION THEIR SOULS!”

“S-sir, there’s no need to be hostile... h-here, have a drink on the house!” Flam said, gently pushing another mug of brew towards me. I scoffed and swiped at the mug with my hand, sending it flying to the ground with a loud smash.

“You aren’t pulling any of that commercialist shit on me, Flam! I want fucking answers, and I want them now!” I said, jumping over the bar and tackling him to the ground. I put my gun away and picked him up by the neck. It seemed like Flam had come to terms with the fact that trying to swoon me into taking another drink wasn’t going to work, because his general cheeriness diminished greatly, and his face ran cold with anger as he spat in mine.

“I”m not telling you jack shit, human.”

Oh, I was waiting for this...

“Wrong. Fucking. Answer, Flam.” I said, before taking him by the head and driving it through the center of the bar. As his body tore a hole through the stand, he held back a scream, his horn bending a bit in the process. I jumped back over the bar, and, gripping Flam by his neck, pulled the rest of his body through the counter. It collapsed in a broken pile. I gripped Flam again, blood oozing from his face. I stared blankly at his eyes, which were, like mine, filled with anger.

“Now... WHAT, exactly, is IN this drink!?” I asked, tightening my grip on Flam’s neck. He spit out some blood from his mouth onto the ground, then looked back up to me.

“If I knew what was in there, I wouldn’t tell you, plothole!” Flam announced in pain as a squad of guards landed on the nearest roof. They were aiming at me with bows, ready to take the shot.

“Funny. Now... tell me what I want to know.”

I threw him down beside his cart of ingredients, kicking his face into the wheel. The cart snapped in half, and he screamed as bits of wood splintered and stabbed his face, and individual bricks of ingredients (white powders wrapped in wax paper) went flying everywhere. The crowd of ponies was backing away slowly. I grabbed Flam again.

“You gonna tell me what’s in those drinks?” I asked, looking to the scattered packages that now littered the street. Flam struggled a bit, pointing a hoof to a small stack of papers that was buried beneath the ruined stand. I threw Flam to the ground, and as he struggled to regain his breath, crawling along the stone road, I pulled out the papers. They gave mixing instructions, as well as an ingredient rundown based on chemical makeup. there were plenty of things in it, but the two most potent were labeled as follows:

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Trimethylxanthine

I dropped the papers and pulled out my phone, and turning it on, activated a chemistry app I kept for reference from high school. I typed the chemical names in, and instantly got results.

“Ecstasy and caffeine, huh?”

So, it all came out. They had a drug-based drink, designed to make its consumers feel good and become addicts at the same time. I KNEW something was wrong with that drink the first time I laid eyes on it. No wonder every pony in the city was coming back for more. However...

It didn’t answer what Twilight was drinking.

There was only one thing left to ask. I marched over to Flam again, picking him up and putting him against the dispensary end of the mixing machine, leaning him partially over top of the conveyor.

“I don’t know anything else, I swear!” Flam screamed, struggling to get free from my grip.

“Stop wasting my time! You know damn well where the drugs came from!”

Flam was having enough of this. His horn glowed a bright green, which levitated the gun out of my belt loop. He turned it around and aimed it at me. Here was my dilemma, with only three possible ways out...

One: attack him and run a risk of getting shot by my own weapon.
Two: run, and likely get shot by the guards that were posted around town.
Three: do nothing and die.

I let him go, and ducked while I swiped my gun away. He tried to punch me, but I blocked it, and broke his concentration, which caused the pistol to fall to the ground. I was about to pick it up, but he produced a combat knife from under his vest, and tried to swing across my neck. I leaned back in a defensive posture, and as it passed, I leaned back in, gripping his entire hoof and twisting it backwards with a snap. I took the blade and, with what little free hand I had, jabbed it into his hoof, right in between the lining of the meat and hoof itself. Flam screamed wildly in torment, hanging off the machine, pinned in place by the knife. No guards had taken the shot yet; they must have been on orders.

“Where are you getting the drugs from, Flam!?”

“W-we, we got them from the grey mailmare! The one with the blonde mane and silly eyes! The little- AUGHHHHH-HAHA!!! green statue told us how to mix the drinks!”

“Heh. You don’t say...”

I walked over to the destroyed stands and stood on the pile of lumber, picking up a drink that was laying on the ground, and putting my gun back into my pants. I lifted the glass into the air.

“Citizens of Ponyville! Hear me now! What you hold in your hooves at this very moment is a poison! You have all succumbed to the fatal illness that is addiction! I urge you, strongly, to discard your beverages! The mind-numbing terror that is the FlimFlam brew is no more!” I yelled, slamming the stein to the ground, watching it shatter to pieces. The citizens were unsure of what was happening, talking amongst themselves for a moment, when all of a sudden, a loud ‘more’ was heard in the crowd. It started off as one voice, then became two, then four, then eight, then sixteen, and on, increasing exponentially.

“MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE!”

The sickly looking crowd began to approach me as the skull kid screamed, after which I nearly lost consciousness, but kept on my feet. I reoriented and I spit up some more black residue, my head throbbing in pain. Where the hell was I? What did I do? I looked around the area to see a bunch of angry drug addicts sorrunding me, and that Flim was dead, next to me, and, looking behind me, his brother, hanging off their mixing machine with a knife in his hoof.

Did I just attack the FlimFlam brothers in public? Did I destroy this pile of wood I’m standing on right now? Did I anger all these ponies?

These questions would have to be answered later, as the drug addicts came closer to me, each with rage spread across their faces. There’s no way to reason with people with that bad a craving.

"Aw, fuck me..."

I took off and ran for the hills. Surprisingly, the guards didn’t attack me like I was expecting. Instead, they quickly set up a baricade to contain the riot and let me pass, though some civvies managed to break through the defense and give chase. We broke through town, and I darted down a side street, losing track of several of my pursuers. Though, as I turned the corner, I was immediately intercepted by Berry Punch and Vinyl Scratch. I made a hasty decision, and dove through a window, barreling into a house and knocking over a coffee table. I got back up again, and tore through the back door, smashing it into pieces. I then took another back alley and ran westward, and cut through the Flower sister’s gardens, and took cover in a small back alley nook as a team of ponies passed by me without a notice. I then stumbled out of my hiding spot, and ran the other direction.

“There he is! Get. That. Human! Get. That. MURDERER!”

I continued to sprint for my life, dodging in and out of streets, eventually coming to a construction zone where Sugarcube Corner used to be, and darted through the half-dried cement.

“Hey, you!”

I hit north, going through Sugarcube Square, but was cut short as Colgate teleported in front of me, blocking my path.

“She’s in your way. Run her ass over!”

Setting my arm as a shield and making a dead-on sprint, I visciously knocked Colgate out of the way and continued on my run, moving up to Library Way. Did I know where I was going? Not a fuckin’ clue - I just needed to get these bloodthirsty drug addicts away from me. I ended up passing the remains of Twilight’s tree, and jumped over a park bench. There was a group of pegasi flying over me now, and I was out in the open. Time to hide. I made a sharp right, cutting across Cutie Pox Parkway (or at least I called it that, in remembrance of the cutie pox incident’s location), and began to head eastwards, back the way I came. Thunderlane and Cloudchaser swooped down in front of me as I hit another back alley, blocking me in. I turned around to go the other way, but was then blocked off by Bon-Bon, Caramel, and Green Grapes. There wasn’t a way out.

Conventionally anyway. On a side of the alley was a window sill, which, with a jump, I knew I could easily reach. Right above that was a semicircular design of bricks, which protruded out a ways, and gave open grip to the roof, if I could reach them.

“Are you nuts? you can’t freerun!”
“It’s do or die!”

Against my better judgement, I decided to go for it. With one arm, this was gonna be a bitch to acheive. I took a jump, and grabbed the ledge, trying to hoist myself up. the earth ponies on one end tried to pelt me with rocks, and the two pegasi flew above me. Fortunately, the stones missed, and I managed to clamber up onto the window. Now, the only issue were those bricks. Could I make it?

“Jump with the knees. Remember what I taught you.”

What the fuck? Where did that voice come from? And why did it sound...

“You can reach that edge!”

...so familiar, with a voice of a fifty-something man? It was a question that would need to wait; I had to get away from here. I had barely caught the ledge, with just three fingers. I tried desperately to bring my arm farther up, flailing about as I took a rock to my ribs, which caused me to lose grips, and fall down into the alley. Though I was in pain, I HAD to keep going. I was being sorrounded by a massive group of sickly looking ponies. Amidst my pain from the fall, I stood up, and kicked the first in the group, Octavia, in the face, who flew backwards, knocking half of them down like bowling pins. It created the perfect escape route. I ran for several miles, still being chased by the crowd. I looked back behind me, and noticed the others - Applebloom and the rest - were chasing after me in anger too. I figured it was just their addiction getting the better of them, though. I sprinted through diamond dog territory, some of the pursuers falling back, other braver ones picking up the pace. I continued to run, but soon lost my balance and fell down a pit, and a few moments later, I landed in a barren cave, crumbled pieces of what I was guessing, were remains of jewels coating the ground. I could hear something deeper in the cave producing lip-smacking noises, followed by several crunching sounds. I stood, collected myself, grabbed my gun, and checked the ammo - seven rounds in the current mag, plus the five additional clips I brought with me. As I walked to the source of the sound, the reversed song of healing played through the air yet again, which made me cringe in pain and try to cover my ears.

There was a stick sitting on the ground, and I didn’t think much of it until I bumped into the cave wall; it WAS pretty dark down here. I felt the wall I hit, examining its texture and quickly recognized it to be flint rock, so I picked up the stick and struck it against the wall, creating a torch for myself. Biting the end of the stick with my mouth, I took my gun out of my belt and loaded another clip, saving the rounds from the last. I would have used my phone to light the way, but the battery wasn’t doing too well, and I had a feeling I would need it later. Regardless, as I continued down the cave, the sounds became louder and clearer. It was blatantly obvious that something was eating, but what eating what, I couldn’t say. My curiosity soon left me as I traveled farther and ended up reaching a rather large chamber with a pile of jewels. The mask salesman laughed, the voice echoing off the cavern walls. I shuddered, then heard a burp soon after. I turned, swinging my torch and gun around, and what I saw? Well, it was pretty damn disgusting. In the corner was a familiar looking purple dragon, but nothing like I had expected. He was morbidly obese, eating away at the pile of gems he was sitting on as his fat trickled down in layers overtop of his throne of stones. He smelt rank, as if he hadn’t bathed in some time, an apparent fungal growth begining to take hold of his body. I wished I could have plugged my nose, but I wasn’t about to let my guard down.

“Sp-spike? I-is that you?”

“E-Eehhh... Huh?” Who’s there?” Spike asked, looking in my general direction, and noticed the barely visable one-eyed face that was lightly illuminated by fire. “Eeeuuuhhh... A - a human? Here? That’s very odd...”

I continued to stare, though I meant no offense. His struggled speech meant that his breathing was irregular, and his health was suffering from all the extra weight; he had a very hard time thinking and completing a thought, it seemed, and throughout, he mindlessly chomped away at the jewels he was sitting on. I was disgusted, and spoke again from the muffling stick.

“Would you stop eating, damn it? Look at you!”

Spike threw a gem at me in anger, which I dodged, and he growled at me and turned away.

“Why? Why exactly should I stop eating? Can’t you see that I have nothing more to my life? Rarity never loved me, and the only comfort I have are these delicious gems.” Spike said, beginning to tear up as the sapphire he was holding reflected his own depressing image right back to him. I gave him a disappointed look and put away my gun, taking the torch out of my mouth. I shouldn’t go off on a baby dragon...

“Who told you Rarity never loved you? That’s a goddamn lie.”

“That... that thing, over there.” Spike said, pointing to the east end of the cave. I looked over and jumped backwards at the sudden materialization of the statue.

“Oh for fuck’s sake! You people are TOO trusting!”

“And why should I care? Why should I trust a human I don’t even know?”

“Oh... I don’t know... why would you TRUST A GOD DAMN STATUE YOU JUST MET!?”

“I... w-well, when you put it that way, I- I really don’t know. Will you just let me eat? I’m doing this to forget, alright?” Spike continued, crying even harder than before. I just stood there, dumbstruck. I walked over and knocked the gem that Spike was about to bite into out of his claw.

“Stop eating! That’s not going to fix your problems!”

“Nick! There you are!”

I turned around to be greeted with Twilight and the others. I stopped for a minute, dropping the torch and drawing my pistol and aiming it for them, all of which had the same angry, blood lustful grimaces on their faces from when they were chasing me. Could I trust them?

“What? Are you gonna kill me like all the others wanted to? Are those drugs making you want me dead? Is that why you were chasing me in anger?” I asked as my gun trembled in my hand. Pinkie Pie approached me, her skull now touching my gun. She didn’t look the least bit scared. How could I trust those that had turned on me so easily? They looked like they wanted to kill me.

“Nick... please, put your weapon away. We aren’t here to look down on you, and we certainly don’t want you dead. We need you more than anything; you’re the only one who knows more about BEN’s weaknesses than anypony here.”

I looked over to Twilight, Scootaloo, Applebloom and AJ, who were still staring at me with mean looks plastered to their faces.

“Then why the hell are you so angry?”

“Angry? Why? Sugarcube, we’re angry cuz ‘a what ya’ve been doing, not ba’cuz we were ‘messed up’ by that drink; ya wouldn’t let us even have a sip! We’re angry cuz of how ya’ve been actin’! Ever since ya got here, all ya ever done is use violence to get ya way! Ya beat up poor Twilight, you done killed Flim and stabbed Flam, knocked out Big Mac... sure ya stopped th’ drinks from poisonin’ anypony else, and ya even got revenge on th’ brothers for Sweetie Belle dyin’, but do ya really feel better about yaself? Ya may be helpin’, but ah’ll tell ya this: th’ methods ya been usin’ ta get stuff done are far less than desirable, darlin’.”

I turned my gun to AJ before looking down to the cave floor a bit, my weapon still trained on Applejack’s head.

“Look at me Nick. Do ya honestly feel like ya accomplished somethin’ by hurtin’ all the ponies you been hurtin’? This ain’t NO way ta act if ya want real friends, an’ even in as dark ah’ times as we’re dealin’ with, it’s still wrong to be doin’. Don’t ever hurt nopony unless you absolutely need ta defend yaself. And ya ain’t gonna pull that trigger on me, Nick. Ah can see it in ya eye.”

Was this really it? They weren’t as ‘angry’ at me as they were disappointed... they didn’t want me dead, they didn’t want to leave me... they cared for me. They had forgiven me. They just wanted to see me be peaceful, and that explained why Applejack was happily talking with Twilight; she had forgiven her for all the harm she’d done. Would they do the same for me if I told them the truth?

“Girls...”

“Yes Nick?” Pinkie asked me as I put my weapon into a safe direction.

“I... I was the one who killed Carrot...”

Everyone gasped in bewilderment and backed away from me slowly. I wasn’t surprised they did.

“You can leave me if you want. I understand if you hate me for lying.”

I cringed, preparing for an assault of smacks and punches, or at the very least, angry words.

...but it never came. I opened my eyes to see the others continuing to stare, then Pinkie offered her hoof.

“So... you were the one who killed Mr. Cake?”

“Yes Pinkie Pie. It’s my fault. I did it... and I’m... I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. I know you guys hate me.”

“Sugarcube, we don’t hate ya; you’re our friend. We want ya to be healthy. If anything, we’re just disappointed.”

“Me, a killer? Your friend?”

“Look at what I did, Nick. Applejack told me everything I was doing back at the library.”

“Twilight, I...”

I searched for my words carefully, before putting my gun away and putting my hand on her back. If her friends could live with what SHE did, the certainly could live with what I had done.

“I’m sorry for being so... mad at you. Friends?”

“Friends!” the purple unicorn loudly exclaimed with a squee before suddenly charging at me with a hug and knocking me to the floor playfully. I laughed, snuggling with Twi, and the others came in to join us, but this soon stopped as I turned over to see Spike.

“You... we need to get YOU on a treadmill.”

“Augh... I hate working out...”

All together, we picked up Spike and carried him out of the caverns. As we did our work, casual conversation continued. I turned to Twilight.

“Hey, Twi? Would you mind telling me what your nation’s economy is based on? I only ask, because you seem to be in a massive depression.”

“Gemstones. Why?”

I looked at Spike, then down to the crumbles of jewels that coated the floor.

“Well... you will be in one for a LONG time then... “

Though their economic situation wasn’t the first thing on my mind.

I wanted Sweetie Belle back.

Chapter X: Do You Know The Muffin Mare?

We’ve spent several months trying to get Spike back to his former self, and now, it’s somewhere around mid September, on a blazingly hot day. Applebloom is out of her crutches, and my existence is well-known now, reports and stories about me running through the local and national news. Some fear me, some adore me. Some find me a criminal, and yet, others revere me as a hero, tales of my time here passing around like an urban legend, becoming more bizarre and perverted with each retelling. What I find most surprising is the fact that in the time I’ve been here, nobody has broken out into song like I expected to have happen at least once, not even Pinkie Pie. Also, Celestia and Luna have not made themselves known after all this time, the former causing a cancellation of the Summer Sun Celebration, and Big Mac has flatout disappeared; I expected him to come back for revenge. Cheerilee has gone missing too, either by coincidence or direct correlation, so the girls haven’t been going to school, because the city can’t find a substitute. We’ve all been living at Sweet Apple Acres since the funeral, Granny Smith finally getting hold of herself and breaking her moonshining habit. Every night I cry myself to sleep about Sweetie Belle, and soon after, am haunted by BEN. Every day that has passed in our efforts to get Spike in shape leaves me angrier and more depressed; I’ve strongly considered offing myself multiple times, but I never have - I know that’s what BEN would want. Every time I return home to the farm, I swear to god, I always see the image of a little white unicorn giggling and running down the hallway with a beach ball. Everytime I try to follow it though, It abruptly disappears as soon as I turn the corner to confront it. Am I going insane? The two remaining Crusaders suffer from Sweetie Belle’s death on a nightly basis; I always wake up to hear them crying for her, and-

Well, look at that... poor feller is just done tuckered out from all th’ chores today. Hey yall, this here’s Applejack. Now, ya may be askin’ why in tarnation ah’m writin’ in Nick’s journal. Well, ah know ah shouldn’t, but ah feel ah should say what ah’ve gotten out of him bein’ here, if’n that makes any sense.

First of all, ah’d like ta say that ah look up ta Nick. Sure, he’s a human, from those nasty foal’s tales (which he don’t know nothin’ about), an’ sure, he’s got a bit of a temper, but granny always tol’ me ta never judge somepony by they cover. Though he sure as sugar can be irrational, and at times, violent, he’s a darn softie at heart, an’ a mighty hard worker ta boot. He don’t ever ask for anythin’ more than a meal an’ a bed, an’ does nearly as much work as Big Mac, all with only one hand. He plays wit’ th’ girls as often as he can, an’ teaches ‘em a lotta life lessons on top’a it all. Scootaloo looks up to him, almost adorin’ him in a way, but that poor filly never knew her parents, so ah suppose it’d be only natural an’ all. Still, he’s quite the ‘father’ and farmhand. Truth be told?

The whole thing, makes him... kinda cute. He’s a father to th’ girls, he saved their lives, and he’s one’a th’ toughest workers ah’ve ever laid eyes on. He’s done so much for mah family and the fillies with barely any reward. Before ah start fillin’ up his journal, ah best end there. Ah’m writin’ this in th’ back pages, well away from th’ rest of his logs. Readin’ back on ‘em, ah’m surprised how much he remembers; it’s disturbin’ly detailed...

That’s all ah wanted to say, though. Nick’s a great guy in mah books. He has a few personal problems, but who in tarnation don’t? At th’ end of th’ day, ah’m glad he came into mah life. Th’ biggest thing has to be him takin’ care’a th’ Crusaders; he treats th’ fillies like his own daughters. While I couldn’t trust him ta begin with, when ah first met him, I know he means us no harm; he jus’ wants ta get home. We talk alone when we get th’ chance, an’ he’s a real sociable fella. Still, if ya ask me, ah think somethin’ happened ta him in his past, an’ it ain’t BEN, cuz he told me all about him. Ah feel... he’s got something else, a dark incident, or some kinda traumatic event an’ whatnot hidin’ away. Ah hope he tells me one day - bottlin’ in ya emotions ain’t healthy; that’s how suicides an’ school rampages start. Nick, if ya read this, please know I’m worried about ya. Ah... nah, that ain’t the word... just... know ah care, alright?

-recently, I’ve been trying to calm them down by singing them a lullaby, much like Fluttershy attempted. In truth, it works, and it calms them down considerably, so I’ve become accustomed to sing it for them every night. On an unrelated note, I’ve become fairly close with Applejack. I think she has feelings for me, which, in all honesty, I wouldn’t mind if I was a pony, but being a human, it just seems... wrong. I mean, everytime I look at that young mare, a wild mix of emotions take me. She openly welcomed me into her home all those months ago, and while I’m thankful for that, plus the diet she’s involuntarily put me on making me MUCH healthier, on top of the farm work putting me in extraordinary shape from my old, flabby self, and the many times she’s saved my life, I still can’t shake the fact that, well, at the end of the day, she’s a horse. Granted, the world still looks cartoony and clean, which makes individuals here attractive to the eye, given the lack of physical imperfection, but at the end of the day, I can’t help but see Applejack in the image of an actual horse every time the thought crosses my mind. Is it wrong because, to me, she an animal, or is it okay because she can talk and use tools and has human qualities? What’s right and wrong? I don’t even fucking know anymore. All my brain can see though...

...is a horse. Beastiality. That shit would get me thrown in a looney bin back home, and banned from practically any petting zoo. Nope, it was wrong, it will always BE wrong. Aside from this little internal mess, nothing terribly awful has happened since the incident with Flim and Flam, the latter of whom has also gone missing. I expected him to come back for me, but he never has. Martial law here has gotten even stricter. I personally have seen several occasions where guards have snatched up civilians and taken them away, never to be heard from again. It’s blatantly clear Celestia’s up to something, but what, I wonder. The martial rule also causes a lot of riots to occur, what with ponies trying to fight back against the system to regain personal freedoms, and that always costs, at the bare minimum, twenty lives per occurrence. I hear Manehattan’s economy is doing better than ever, while Ponyville and Cloudsdale suffer. Heh. Seems a lot like our situation back home, I’d say. The general demeanor of the citizens has gotten better, and the amount of drug addicts in town has died significantly. We haven’t seen Derpy yet, but we know she’s still doing her work, because every time we go out and get something to eat, we’re immediately overrun by baseheads begging for money. There seems to be an even larger number of prostitutes on the streets than when I first arrived as well; someone is running a sex ring through town. Spike is nearly in ideal shape, our final test for him the Running of The Leaves, which all of us are participating in. At the call, all the competitors lined up, and we all took off at our own speeds. If Twilight taught me anything, it’s to pace myself, so I did just that; I stayed behind, jogging with her. Scootaloo decided to fall back and follow us as the others competitively ran ahead, into the crowd.

“Nick?”

“Yes, Scoots?”

“Can... you tell me more about where you came from?”

I mulled the idea around in my head for some time, trying to think of what to say. I tried to delay it though.

“Why would you ever want to know that?”

“I just... wanted to know what your world is like is all.”

I sighed and ruffled the young pegasus on the head as we jogged.

“Well, we live in a world where, since the dawn of time, we’ve always found something to kill each other over. Why we do it, I can’t say, But an important thing to note is, BEN came from my world.

“You kill each other?” Scoots asked, taken aback by my statement.

“Yup.” I said, a nonchalant tone about me.

“Why?”

It actually took me some time to think that out. Why did we kill each other?

“Well, from what I can understand, we have a hard time agreeing on things. Often, we kill each other over political reasons. If its not that, we kill because we’re insane. We kill because we’re hungry or poor. We kill because we’re angry... we kill for all kinds of reasons, right, wrong, moral, immoral, you name it."

“So... humans ARE evil then?” Twilight quickly interjected. “That explains why the foals tales are nightmare stories...”

“Nightmare stories?”

“Yeah. The ‘human stories’ are a method we use to get bad foals to behave. Applejack told me that she was afraid you were going to flat out murder them when you stepped in the house. If my library wasn’t burnt down, I’d give you some to read.”

I was appalled. So THIS is why they were scared when I came here; to them, humans were evil creatures. I was angry at the statement, but if I went off on them, that would only prove those writings. I chose my words carefully as we continued to run.

“Look... we aren’t evil, at least not all of us. There are always evil beings in every world, but most of us... we try to do what’s right. The only problem with that is, in our world, right and wrong are often shades of grey, because you can bend things for say, political or religious purposes. I wouldn’t say we’re evil; I’d say we’re misguided; we don’t know how to peacefully solve most of our problems. Deep inside, every human has the inner instinct to kill, and, truth be told, that comes from the world we live in; I hear everfree forest is a place where the animals kill each other and have to take care of themselves. For the longest time, before we had a society, we had to take care of ourselves, on our own. We had to kill to get food, and we still do. We aren’t evil, per se, but... it’s all we know at the very core. We’ve gotten MUCH better at suppressing it, but we still do it at the end of the day. Killing is such a common part of life, that it’s openly expressed in our media. Some of us try to make the world better though, with people like the Bronies and the Juggalos...

“Who?”

I suddenly grew even angrier at an abrupt thought.

“Then... then you have people like BEN... people who kill and torture for fun.” I said, clenching my fist.

“So... what exactly IS BEN?” Scootaloo inquired, still running alongside me.

“Well, out of the time I’ve spent with him, which has been about two years, I’ve come to gather that he’s the spirit of a child whose father drowned him to death.”

“His own father killed him!? That’s awful!”

“So, anyway... a year into college, one of my buddies gave me an old game console to play, one from childhood. I went around the nearby neighborhoods looking for old, used games that ran on it, and I came across this house with an old man. He gave me a copy of one of my favorite games, although it was a bit beaten up, and the label was missing.”

“So what happened?” they both asked me in unison, their eyes widening as we continued along the trail.

“I brought it home, and not long after, it started acting really weird. It would do things that weren’t even PART of the game, like teleport me to places with strange, unnatural properties. Then, this statue started following me around in the game. I started to record the thing, and, it only got worse - it would chase me, kill my character, alter the text... but the worst part was? When I hooked the footage to my computer, IT started acting weird. Then, the computer literally started talking to me with chat systems for no apparent reason!”

I shivered, flashing back to those dreadful days, some of the most frightening in my life.

“Long story short, he’s the spirit of a child who was drowned by his own father. From what I understand, his soul became trapped in his most prized possession, the game, then he started to haunt me. About four months ago, somehow, he came here and brought me with him. And I’m damn determined to find out why - and why he’s hurting this place. For now though, let’s just focus on the race, then go find Derpy.”

“One last question, Nick?”

“*sigh* Sure.”

What’s the biggest difference between your world and ours, do you think?

“How we live.”

“What do you mean, specifically?”

“What my people lack in magical skills, we make up for in technology and intelligence. For example, we can fly with a giant metal machine called a plane.”

“That’s not scientifically possible.” Twilight butted in.

“Would you believe me, if I told you that a hundred and twenty years ago, back in my world, we said the same thing? Hell, just twenty years ago, we would have called you insane if you said there was a computer that fit in your pocket!” I added, pulling out my phone, and waving it around to solidify the point. “Now let’s focus on the race.”

And focus on the race we did. I caught up with Spike, trying to catch my breath as I nearly collapsed on the finish line, tying with him in 12th.

“Whoo! So... how... you... feeling, Spike?”

“Well, I feel a lot healthier. Just... not happier.” He spoke, panting wildly as he tried to regain energy. I frowned, placing my hand down on his shoulder and crouching next to him.

“Awh. Why, bud?”

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s Rarity! I haven’t seen her in months, and I don’t even know if she loves me or not! You have no idea how much she means to me, and how long I’ve been trying to call her my special somepony.”

“Actually, I DO know.”

I looked at the little dragon for a few moments before turning to see Scootaloo and AJ cross the finish line.

“Heya Nick, good race! What say we-” Applejack began, but paused for a moment to see a crying Spike.

“Aw, what’s got ya in a rut, sugarcube?”

I answered for our crying, spined friend, that was trying to collect himself.

“Poor little guy just misses Rarity is all, and we’ll go see her once we find Derpy, okay, Spike?”

Spike sighed, looking behind him, then to the ground at his feet.

“Well... I guess.”

I smiled at him, picking him up and placing him on my shoulder. We returned to the central region of the park to meet up with the rest of the girls. As I met with the others, we headed down the main street, trying to find Derpy. As far as us bronies knew, she didn’t have a house of her own.

“Hey, stud! Ten bits for a clopjob?”

I nearly gagged at the thought. How did some ‘bronies’ get off to this shit? I wish these prostitutes that flooded town would leave me alone...

“God forbid. No thanks.”

We went into the worse part of town, where there were daily muggings, murders, and break-ins. Given my reputation, though, everybody steered clear once I came around the block, and subsequently, left us alone, which was nice. Looking back into an alleyway we passed, I saw two ponies fighting it out over something in a trashcan.

“So... does Derpy have her own place?”

“Yeah, she’s got her own place a few blocks from here.” Twilight piped up. “Are you sure she can help though?” She asked, to which I turned my head to the team behind me, still continuing to walk.

“It’s not about her helping, it’s about stopping what she’s doing - distributing drugs throughout the city.”

I turned around as I finished those words, continuing down the street, my pistol in my hand. I played with it a bit, having fun chatting my all my new friends. BEN was still out there hurting ponies, but at least for now, he’s leaving us alone, and I’m thankful for that, because we all needed a break. What exactly was he doing now?

Luna was sitting on a chunk of loose moon rock, sulking. How could her sister banish her for no discernible reason? What HAD she done? The last thing she remembered was sleeping peacefully in her quarters, before being drug out to the royal throne by two guards to face her sister. Not too long after being lectured, she was suddenly rocketed off of earth and back to this barren rock with a blast of magic. The dark blue alicorn threw a stone in anger, only to see it float up in her face, no satisfaction of it hitting the ground.

How could this have happened to her?

She continued to cry, digging her face into her hooves and curling up in a fetal position. However, there was a strange sound from behind her, then a laugh. She quickly collected herself and turned around.

“Who-who’s there!?”

Absolutely nothing. She turned back in front of her, and continued to cry, digging her face into her knees. After a few moments of wallowing, Luna carefully looked up, then screamed, jumping back - what stood before her was a small statue of a human with green clothes, and a crooked, ear to ear smile.

“Who... who are you?”

The idol said nothing, but suddenly dematerialized with a laugh into a gaseous black mist. It hovered in open space for a moment, before another laugh echoed through the galaxy, and suddenly charged for Luna. She screamed violently upon its contact, as she felt the black presence seep into her, collapsing on her back with a violent force. Luna took a moment to orient herself from the fall, but gripped her head in pain as a vile, serpentine voice began to talk to her.

“Princess Luna...”

“Who are you!? Get out of my head!”

“Dear, silly, princess Luna... I’m not here to do you any harm, your highness... I just wish to talk... I know all about your sister having banished you...”

Luna’s pulse began to race. How did this foreign being know ANYTHING of her life? Was this Discord in yet another one of his wicked forms? No, this thing was entirely different; the alicorn could feel that.

“What dost thou seeketh!?”

“Using your fancy wording isn’t going to intimidate me, Luna... I’m a spirit; there’s very little you can do. My concern lies within your current dilemma. Let me ask you...”

“Y-yes?”

“Do you feel... as if you’ve been cheated?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“By your sister. Do you feel as if your banishment was fair or just?” The serpentine one asked, a calming tone about its voice.

“I... no. I don’t even know what I did. She just told me I was to be sent here again, with no rhyme or reason...”

“And how does that make you feel? Angry? Spiteful?”

“I’d be lying if I said no.” The blue mare exclaimed, her eyes going cross with anger at nopony in particular.

“Would you take the chance to claim vengeance if you had it?”

“Why... why of course! How dare she do such a thing on no grounds!”

“Well then...” the voice began, as a set of familiar black armor materialized in front of Luna’s face. “What say you bring this moon down on them?”

Luna seriously thought on it for a second, before turning away from her armor.

“But... that would kill all my subjects!”

“True... but sacrifices must be made some days, no?”

“Never!” Luna screamed, grabbing her head in pain at the voice. “NEVER SHALL I PERFORM SUCH AN ATROCITY!”

“You shouldn’t have done that...”

The skull kid screamed as Luna tried to cover her ears at the deafening yell. It hurt. It burnt. It tore at her very soul, but after nearly five minutes of continuous screaming, she caved and collapsed to the ground, reawakening with blood-red irises.

“Bring this moon upon the earth, and together we shall rule. Chrysalis, Discord, Nightmare Moon, the Trinity of death and chaos, all backed by moi and what I can offer.”

“Master... indeed, my humble master...” Luna said, her speech almost hypnotic, as she donned her helmet that sat before her.

“Good horsey...”

At that, the skull kid screamed, and Nightmare Moon passed out on the barren rock. Tomorrow, It would begin. Tomorrow would be...

The Dawn of The First Day.

Applejack knocked on the door.

“Derpy? Sugarcube? Can ya come out please? It’s Pinkie, Twilight an’ I. We wanna talk ‘bout some things, hon.”

No answer. I checked the ammo in my gun, bringing it up in a safe direction.

“Derpy, are ya okay?”

Still no answer. I stacked up against the door, holding my weapon in preparation.

“Derpy, we’re coming in...” Twilight said, forming up behind me, as the others did the same in fear of what was on the other side. From the edge of the doorframe, I swung my leg sideways, throwing the door to the ground with a violent kick, still keeping my cover. As I stepped in, checking my corners, I stopped for a moment, and was greeted with the statue standing in the room. The song of unhealing was playing again, and over in a corner was Derpy, and as expected, something was terribly, terribly wrong: she was collapsed, spasming in a pile of her own bodily waste, a band wrapped around her left foreleg, and a hypodermic needle on the floor. I walked over to Derpy and tucked my weapon away so I could pick her up from her own mess, gently moving her from the wooden floor to her couch. I felt her forehead and gently waved my hand in front of her face, snapping my fingers a few times.

“Derpy, can you hear me?”

The others stepped into the house and began examining everything around. There wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary aside from Derpy having her episode, but I was certain things were much worse. After I was done setting Derpy on her clean couch and wiping her off with my buttondown, I turned to see Scootaloo bent down near the corner of the room, were Derpy originally was, and holding the needle that was lying on the floor.

“Scoots, be extra careful with that, okay?” Twilight said, taking it out of her hooves with some magic and levitating it over to me, the shot resting on the arm of the chair. I turned my attention to the syringe, and picked it up, bringing it to my face. Making a careful examination, I saw inside, remnants of a brown, viscous liquid - heroin. Dear god, Derpy had gone so mad with the drug sales, she’d started using her own product. I looked over to Scootaloo.

"Scoot? I need you to say with Derpy and try and nurse her back to health okay? We’re going to the basement.” I said, nodding to the others. They all followed behind me, and what we saw upon arrival was a quite large, well lit basement. In one corner was what looked like a small meth lab, as evidenced by the piles of iodine and lye, as well as various other ‘household’ ingredients sitting next to a gas stove. Running the length of the center of the room were various garden troughs, lit by sun lamps, which had marijuana, coca, and poppy growing in them. On the other side of the room, opposite the meth lab, was a table that consisted of bottles full of pills, and all of them read ‘PVS/Pharmacy’. I picked up one of the bottles, filled with purple tablets, and examined them - here was the viagra Big Mac was getting. Apparently, Derpy was stealing from the local drugstore to get her product as well. I had a feeling it ran deeper than that though; there was no way that the clumsy mailmare I knew and loved could do this all on her own. I walked over to one of the gardens and picked a small handful of mature cannabis leaves and tucked them under my buttondown, right next to my CD.

“I say we burn it all.”

Everybody stared at me, as they all inquired me in unison.

“What?”

“Burn it all. This stuff has no need to be here. The drugs are going to ruin Equestria. You saw what they did you you, Pinkie, and Mac.. and Twilight... and Derpy. This stuff needs to go. We get rid of the drugs, we make a LOT of progress; we break the spell on the citizens, we can get them to see what BEN is doing and form a resistance movement! After we get this done, we go to find the others. Who’s with me?”

Strangely, Spike was the first to do anything. He stood in front of the rest, a bit hesitant, but otherwise, a determined, solid look on his face.

“I’m in. Let’s get rid of this.”

“Wa-wait... Can I just...”

I turned at the voice; Pinkie Pie. She was slowly walking towards a pile of processed cocaine at the far end of the room, playing with it, dunking her hooves in it. She began to lick her lips.

“PINKIE PIE! STOP!” I yelled, running over to pull her away, but was violently thrown to the ground with a back hoof as she dove into It from all her built-up pressure. Not too long after, Pinkie’s hair deflated, and as she turned around to face us, I noticed she had the same homicidal grin from all the way back at the basement, which made me scramble to my feet in a panic. I swallowed in fear at the demented pink pony with a face covered in white.

“No... not again. Pinkie Pie, come to your senses, please. I don’t want to fight you again.”

Twilight and the rest were becoming increasingly disturbed as Pinkamena approached us. Suddenly, from her saddlebags, she drew a knife and methodically walked over to us. Applebloom began to cry, and screamed in fear, running upstairs, taking Spike with her; this was an adult matter. I drew my pistol, my hand shaking while Twilight and Applejack stood firm at my side. Twilight’s horn began to focus energy, and AJ drew another lasso.

“Pinkie, sugar, we really don’t wanna do this...” Applejack said with a panic-stricken tone. Twilight nodded at her friend’s words, also trying to get the dark-sided party pony back to reality.

“No. We don’t want to. Just, come back to us, okay?”

“Look, if all you guys are gonna do is stand there, I’m taking the fucking shot. I’m not risking this.” I violently butted in as the demonic Pinkamena drew ever closer.

“You are NOT hurting anypony unless you need to!” Twilight scowled, her horn glowing. She picked Pinkamena up with her magic and threw her against the wall, her knife falling out of her hoof. I kept my gun trained, in case anything got bad, but Applejack lassoed her down. I walked over and proceeded to hogtie her down. It went smooth, it was clean, and there was no blood. Nobody died either. I hoped to keep the rest of my time here that way.

Would I be given the luxury of peaceful solutions, though? Something in my mind screamed otherwise.

“Persistent, aren’t you, Pinkie?” I said as I finished, and stood up, putting my gun in my belt loop, and slinging her over my back with the help of the others. I bent down and procured the lost knife, placing it in my belt as well, sighing. “Well... that was nice and easy. I was expecting a fight.”

Pinkamena struggled to get free from the lasso. I looked around the room, first to the meth lab, then to the table with the processed drugs and pills, then to the garden, carefully examining their placement.

“Alright, everyone listen up. I need several bales of hay, and Spike down here. Twilight? stay with me; we need to keep an eye on Pinkie in case she tries anything.”

“Yes sir!”

I heard Applejack talking upstairs, and then a door shutting as Spike came down to the basement with us.

“Scootaloo, can I ask ya somethin’?” Applebloom inquired, looking to her friend who was trying to get Derpy back to consciousness, then back to the basement door, then back to her friend again.

“Sure, anything!” the young pegasus replied, removing the latex band from Derpy’s forehoof and applying a warm towel to hold back the bleeding.

“What do ya think of a human bein’ here an’ all?”

“What, Nick? He’s, well... he saved our lives didn’t he?”

“Yeah, but ah mean... He’s a HUMAN. From the nightmare stories... and... he HAS killed ponies...”

“Applebloom, you worry too much.”

“Too much!? Aren’t ya afraid he’s gonna hurt us?!”

“Look, Applebloom, he told me all about where he’s from. He told me how he came here. What we know about humans is wrong. Sure, there are some evil ones, he says, but they aren’t all bad. You remember that one day, when he showed up in the apple cellar?”

Applebloom shuddered at the recollection of that awful experience.

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember when he prayed ‘cause he thought he was gonna die?”

“Uh-huh...”

“He has faith. And I have faith in him. I trust that he won’t do anything to us; we’re too important to him.”

“I wish ah shared ya optimism...”

“Aw, come on, Applebloom! We’ve all been living at the farm for like, two straight months, and you still can’t trust him? He spends time with us, he teaches us things, he’s never once physically hurt us, he plays with us, and he got me my cutie mark. I trust him. I have to really... he’s...”

Scootaloo stopped to tend Derpy’s injuries further, checking her pulse and temperature.

“He’s what?”

Scoots sighed, looking up at the ceiling, not bothering to make eye contact with her friend.

“He’s kinda like a dad to me...”

Abruptly, the skull kid laughed, and suddenly, both fillies turned around. The statue - it had been standing here the entire time. It dematerialized into a black mist, before hovering up to the ceiling and splitting off, the two pieces floating in the open room for some time more before they finally charged for the two crusaders. Each of them screamed together, a blood-curdling cry that would send chills down anypony’s spine.

And it did just that.

“HOLY SHIT! THE GIRLS!”

At the freakish cry, I immediately bolted up the stairs, completely disregarding Pinkamena. So help me god, if anybody hurt them...

I kicked open the basement door, tearing it clean off its hinges. When I got to the living room floor, I saw a black residue covering the girls. They were unconscious. I rushed over to them, only to be violently thrown away by Applebloom, who suddenly awoke with unnatural levels of strength. I flew back and hit the wall, and stood up a few seconds later. Both her and Scootaloo were up and awake now, and...

No...

Dear god, no...

Their eyes were red.

“Hello Jadusable... Miss me?”

I shivered, pulling out my gun, yet keeping it aimed down as the girls approached me.

“Who said that!?”

“We did...”

The girls. They were slowly walking towards me with a thirst for blood spread across their faces. I tried to aim, but couldn’t keep a straight line of sight. I couldn’t shoot them. I wouldn’t.

“There’s been too much death, Nick. Don’t kill. Don’t. Fucking. Kill. You know better than that.”

The girls kept approaching me, backing me up into a corner as they spoke in unison, their voices not their own.

“Here’s a question for you Jadusable: would you bring yourself to kill children?”

“God damn it, let them go!”

The mask salesman giggled before the girls spoke again, cornering me even further.

“I’m afraid I can’t let that happen. It’s either you or them, Jadusable. Tell me, what’s it gonna be?”

“TWILIGHT!”

“She can’t hear you, Jadusable...” the girls said, dangerously close to me now. “It’s all about you. Will you do it?”

“They are going to KILL you. Off them!”
“You sick fuck, they’re KIDS! How DARE you even consider that!”
“If you don’t do this, you are going to die!”
“Children, Nick. Can you kill CHILDREN!?”
“They never give you anything anyway! What have they done for you other than be a burden!?”
“These girls look up to you, and put their faith and trust in you, a human! You mean something to them!”
“Fuck them up!”
“Do something else!”

I dropped my gun to the floor and my eye went cross with anger.

“No. Fuck you, BEN. Fuck. You.”

At that moment, the girls jumped me with demonic roars, tackling to me to the ground. They started beating me, punching me, and tearing me apart. But what could I do? I couldn’t kill them could I? If I did, ANY friendship I had made here would be over. And... it was the CMC I was dealing with here... I couldn’t kill the ones I cared for... I mulled ideas over in my head as my vision began to fade, and death started to take me into its fold. I took a breath and simply held onto my faith; my only weapon in this situation. First I recited that prayer.

“I can’t let you get rid of the drugs, Jadusable.”

Then I took another leap of faith...

...and began to sing. What did I sing? Their lullaby. I was living in a magical world, wasn’t I? And hadn’t I said, at one point, better to try than to die in vain? I took what hope I had and held onto it, praying that this worked. I inhaled as the darkness closed around me, and with what little strength I had left, brought my arm up and wrapped it snugly around the girls that were on top of me, ignoring their assault. The instrumental half of the song magically filled the room. Despite the vicious attacks and punches, I continued to sing as each hoof fell upon me in fury.

"Girls... it's me, Nick."

“Day to night, dark to light”
“Fall the sands of time.”
“Let the years like the gears”
“Of a clock unwind.”

“In your mind, walk through time “
“Back to better days.”
“Memories, like a dream,”
“Wash tears away.”

“Like a star in the sky,”
“Darkness can’t reach you.”
“Light the night, joy is light,”
“Till the new dawn.”

“Cast away your old face,”
“Let go your spite.”
“With this mask I’ll ask”
“To borrow your light.”

At the very last line, the skull kid let out his vile scream, and, suddenly, a black mist seeped out of the girls’ mouths, both of them yelling in intense pain, then losing consciousness. As they passed out on my chest, their crazed attacks finally subsided, and the black mist flew out of the open window. It was over. My extreme leap of faith - and my lack of violence - saved Applebloom and Scootaloo. Just one song was all it took. A prayer and a song. I sighed in relief, falling asleep with the two little fillies snoring soundly on my stomach.

BEN would NEVER hurt them without killing me first. I made that vow at that very moment.

“I’m here, girls. Nobody will take you away for any reason. Ever.”

I was awoken to a nudge, the CMC still sleeping away on my stomach. Applejack had come back in with a cart full of hay bales waiting outside. I gently pushed the two sleeping fillies off of me, setting them gently on the floor. Twilight and Spike were taking care of Derpy, with Pinkamena tied up in a corner. I stood up, wiping the blood off my face and walked outside, throwing a bale over my shoulder, and walked downstairs, placing it near the meth lab. I left, came back, left, and came back, all with the help of AJ, and we organized our kindling so it would all light in a quick chain reaction. I took one last look at this lab, then walked upstairs.

“Spike, can you come down here, please?”

The little purple dragon came down the wooden flight, cracking his arm joints and popping his spines out.

“You ready, Nick?”

“Yup. Burn this motherfucker to the ground!”

Spike inhaled for a moment, holding his breath in. Not too long after, a bright green flame engulfed the first hay bale, which quickly moved to the second, then the third, then on and on. We had about three minutes to get to a safe distance before the meth lab exploded and took this house with it, and we had to be well gone by then. I rushed back upstairs, Spike trailing behind me. I threw Applebloom and Scootaloo on my back, who screamed at their sudden awakening. Twilight grabbed Derpy, and Applejack took Pinkamena as the smell of gasoline filled the air.

Gas...

Change of plans - we only had a few seconds to get out; there was a gas leak in the meth lab stove.

“LET’S GO!”

We hightailed it out of town as Derpy’s house went up in flames. None of us watched the thing, but we sure as hell heard the explosion. It probably killed a bystander or two, but there wasn’t any time to worry about that. We had taken out the source of the drugs that were being sent throughout Equestria, so it was only a matter of time before the people began to wake up and see what was really going on. Granted, getting rid of the drug addicts would help, but It wouldn't change the fact that, at the end of the day, Ponyville was still a rough neighborhood, with muggings, thefts, murders, and prostitution among other things; there were so many desperate for money that they would do almost anything. Could we blame them though? Absolutely not; they were forced into this situation with the ‘mine cleansing’ incidents that Spike had caused, which, in itself, was caused by BEN’s manipulation. He had brought the harsh realities of OUR world here - economic instability, drugs, child molesters, serial killers, prostitution, and dictatorial rule, just to name a few, and HE shouldn’t have done that. BEN would pay dearly by my remaining hand. Equestria did not deserve this torture. And that fucking kid would regret ever haunting me.

“I’m coming for you, Benjamin. You’ll be crying for your spirit life to end when I’m done with you.”

It was at that moment I noticed I’d been wearing the same unwashed clothes for two straight months. I smelled fucking awful. You may ask why. Given this is largely a society that doesn’t wear clothes, there aren’t many places to get a wash. Well, what better time to plan a trip to Carousel Boutique, then. I wondered what this whole mess had done to Rarity. I’m certain she wouldn’t take it lightly to find that her sister was dead, and that I had eaten some of her, but the former, I was certain she already knew. I held back some vomit at that memory. Derpy was suffering from an intense relapse still. After she got out of it, I was going to question her, but we had other issues to contend with, namely, Pinkamena. She was still pretty hopped up on her drugs, so she was still a threat. Some time had passed since the removal of the drug lab, so we figured it safe to head back into town. As we walked, heading to the boutique as planned, we began casual conversation amongst ourselves. I had a LOT of unanswered questions, so I figured it good a time as any to ask a few, the sun beginning to set behind us.

“Applejack, when you were going home to get the hay, did you see Big Mac anywhere?”

“Nope, ah didn’t see a thing, ‘cept Granny Smith cryin’ on th’ front porch - she’s still pretty torn up ‘bout th’ stuff he did.”

“Yeah... I know. I still can’t believe he did that. Still, it’s not his fault, it’s BEN’s.” I said, wrapping my arm around her back, with a light squeeze as we continued to walk, Twilight carrying Derpy on her back. I turned my attention to her, though, and thought of what to ask her, then it finally hit me.

“So... tell me, Twilight... why is it, I’ve been here for about four months now, and I haven’t even SEEN the other three yet?”

“Honestly?” Twilight began. “I couldn’t say. What with all the death and destruction that’s been going on with BEN, and the depression? Celestia only knows. Worst-case scenario, BEN’s killed them.”

“I sure hope he hasn’t...”

The image of Sweetie Belle flew back into my head, and I nearly cried, but was cut short in thought as I heard a voice.

“He... he made me do things... awful things.”

I turned around quickly to the sound of the voice. Derpy was coming down. She hopped off of Twilight’s back and stumbled a bit, trying to orient herself and gain her balance. She set herself down on the grass, then frowned a bit, looking at all of us with regretful eyes.

“I... I didn’t mean it. The statue just said he had a way for me to make money...”

I crouched down next to the grey pegasus, my eye going soft with compassion. Her voice was sweet and squeaky, very similar to that of the ‘Save Derpy’ video, and not her original canonical voice. I sat close, listening intently. Pinkie had come off her buzz as well; her hair had poofed back to a curly state.

“It’s... it’s just so hard having a civil service job. We do more work than almost anypony, and our wages are terrible. One day, I was getting really desperate for money, and the little statue showed up out of nowhere. He told me that if I were to put those awful things in the mail, I could make the money I needed to live. After the depression hit, everypony went crazy to get what little bits they could find.” Derpy said, starting to tear up as her voice cracked even more. “He taught me how to make the stuff, but It’s not my fault! It isn’t! I needed the money! I needed to live, didn’t I? Everypony needs a way to take care of themselves, right? I was only looking out for me; times are tough enough as it is! I never meant to hurt anypony, but I know I did. I know that drink did awful things, I know the stuff I sold Pinkie made her sick, I even knew those pills would hurt Big Mac, but I NEEDED the money! What do you do when there’s no money left to put muffins on your plate?! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry... I just don’t know what went wrong!”

Derpy couldn’t contain herself any longer. She fell, her face into the grass, wailing in sadness and regret. I stroked her mane, trying to calm her.

“It’s okay Derpy. It’s okay, just let it out.”

Everyone else came around her for a hug, including Pinkie, who was almost back to normal, so I took the knife from my belt and cut the earth pony loose. Derpy just continued to let out a stream of water.

“Derpy, we’ve all done things we aren’t proud of. You aren’t alone. Everyone makes mistakes. The only question is, are you willing to fix those mistakes?” Twilight asked the distraught pony lying before her. Derpy raised her face up out of the grass a bit, looking into my lone eye, then to the others in the posse.

“Yes. Yes I am.”

I smiled and stood, helping Derpy up by taking her hoof. Pinkie was back to her normal self, and suddenly, out of the blue, a guitar riff abruptly filled the air. I recognized the chords, and to put it bluntly, I couldn't help...

...but Smile.

Pinkie jumped up in excitement and began to walk down the street as the guitar solo continued. I happily followed her, but, for some reason, the others were, well, a bit hesitant at first, but soon joined in on the celebration. As the song continued, we all sang together, our actions feeling like a montage thrown together to the rhythm of the music. Over the course of the performance, the citizens in town slowly and hesitantly joined in as well, acting as if as they were afraid of what would happen if they did. Why though, I wondered. My questions were soon answered once everything was abruptly cut short as a platoon of guards flew down to street level and drew their weapons, breaking up the party. A lot of civilians ran back to their homes, some cowered on the ground, and the rest in my crew were frozen partially to the stone road; I was the only one standing. What the hell was going on? Why did everyone stop? Suddenly, two guards drew spears and aimed at me. I froze and got on my knees, my arm up. What the hell was this about? A larger guard, wearing a black helmet (obviously the platoon commander, though not Shining), nodded at the troops holding me up, and they withdrew their weapons, signaling for me to stand up and leave. God damn it, I didn’t hesitate. I got the hell up and bolted with the others. As we got near the edge of town, to the boutique, I turned to face everyone in the group, catching my breath in fear.

“What the FUCK was that all about?”

“Well, Sugarcube, ya know how Celestia’s had martial law in place fo’ the last few months? Truth be tol’, we ain’t allowed ta do much. We can’t sing anymore like that, we can’t talk freely without fear ‘a bein’ snatched up off th’ street. We might as well stop talkin’ ‘fore they come fo’ us again.”

“So... you’re telling me that Celestia won’t let you have fun anymore.”

“That’s exactly what ah’m sayin’, sugar.”

“Look, if any of the soldiers try anything, I’ll just cap ‘em in the head, okay? I - MMMMFFFF!”

Twilight threw her hoof to my mouth.

“Don’t say stuff like that!”

She was right. That wouldn’t get us anywhere. There was no more need for senseless death; we’d lost far too much. The moon began to rise, and I opened the door to the boutique as my blood ran cold. I looked to my feet as the entrance creaked open, seeing a little white unicorn rush through the door.

“Rarity, I’m home!”

I shook my head around, trying to recollect my thoughts. There was only one thing on my mind...

I needed Sweetie Belle back.

Chapter XI: A New Business Model

“Ah, so this is the human! Hello darling, come in! I’ve heard quite a lot about you! Good heavens, you look horrible! What happened to you? And... *Sniff* What are all those awful smells!?”

“LOTS of shit happened to me, lady.”

“Rarity, we need some place to lay low for a bit. The town’s gone to hay, and my house was destroyed.” Twilight said, setting her saddlebags down on the floor. We all nodded in confirmation. I set all my equipment down on the nearby table (except for my gun and phone) and I stood there for a moment to collect my thoughts and finally spoke, choosing my words carefully to accommodate for Rarity’s lifestyle.

“Well, ma’am, about the smell, I apologize. I have been wearing the same ruined clothes for two months.”

“Oh dear Celestia, we MUST get you out of those horrendous rags!”

Rarity rushed over to me with a measuring tape, taking my size, then just like that, walked downstairs into her basement, and disappeared for several minutes. When she returned, she produced a shoddily sewn pair of jeans, and a very thin white tee, also poorly stitched. The time it took her to go downstairs and return was somewhere around ten minutes, indicating that this was a cheaply produced set of clothing - something was wrong; this was NOT her quality of dresswork. I walked into the bathroom and put the new clothes on, and as I walked back into the main atrium, the shoulder seams of the shirt tore. Rarity winced, and her face flustered red. She quickly ran down to the basement. Not too long after she disappeared, her voice, now of mostly screams of anger, were emanating from the bottom floor. There was the sound of what I could barely make out as a whip cracking, then a scream, with somewhat of a cultural flavoring behind it. I shivered and drew my gun, stacking up against the stairwell, when I heard another whip crack and the scream again. The others drew in interest, but I brought my arm up, signaling them to stay where they were.They all did as told, although they didn’t want to, and I slowly made my way down to the basement. As I got to the bottom of the steps, I could hear more whipping noises, screams, and a few mechanical sounds. I turned the corner, and I was greeted with a dimly lit room. The area had rows of sewing machines, each with poorly fed and dirty ponies, all of whom had a light-brown coat. A few stared at me as I came in, begging for help. Their english was poor, and their accents were flavored with a latin-american tone. A little colt, beaten and bruised approached me. He, like all the others, had the same cultural flavor.

“Please, mister, I am soooo thirsty. Will you help me?”

I didn’t say anything, just looked at the colt. On the far side of the room was Rarity, screaming at one of the workers. She didn’t notice me, so I walked over and approached her. One thing I should point out: her skin and mane, like Twilight’s before it, were grey. No sense in being a gentleman to her now.

“The hell is THIS, Rarity!? Fucking slave labor? Really!?”

She turned to face me, and she, to put it bluntly, didn’t seem too bothered by my discovering her operation. Instead, she kept a blank tone as she replied, giving a crack of the whip, followed by a scream of the nearby immigrant pony.

“Well, darling, you see, somepony has been stealing all of the jewels from the mines recently, and so I have nothing to make my dresses fabulous with. I wallowed in my misery for days, wondering what I could possibly do, when suddenly, it hit me; if I can’t make BEAUTIFUL garments, I can make cheap, affordable clothes for everypony! So, I went to the Equestrian border to find some poor down-on-their-luck immigrants. They needed jobs, I needed a business, it’s a win-win situation, honey!”

“You barely feed these people, let alone pay them! How is that a win-win!?”

Rarity hit me with the whip. I jumped back.

“The fuck, Rarity!?”

“Darling, do you honestly think these ponies would be better off left where they are? They came to Equestria seeking work when they had nothing, and I gave it to them.”

“DO YOU REALIZE HOW POORLY YOU’RE TREATING THEM!?”

“It’s a small price to pay, dear. What with the depression and all, I need to make a profit, yes? Since I don’t have any jewels, I decided to use cheap labor. We all need to look out for ourselves, first and foremost nowadays. It’s not perfect, but it’s about survival of the fittest.”

“Stop this shit!”

“Darling, don’t be so aggressive... I could give you a free evening with one of my mares, if that would make you feel any better.”

“What!?”

“One of my mares. They’ll show you a fine evening, sweetheart.”

“YOU'RE the one running the prostitution ring!?”

I slapped Rarity across the face. My anger was coming out again. I quickly jumped backward, shocked at myself, but soon went to her side. I thought I promised myself not to hurt anyone again...

“Oh dear god! I am so sorry, Rarity!”

She threw me off of her, smacking me in retaliation with her whip.

“Good heavens, you cretan! Hasn’t anypony taught you to never strike a lady, you monster!?”

“I’m sorry! I don’t know what came over me!”

“Stay away from me! I bet YOU’RE the demon that killed Sweetie Belle!” she screamed, backing away.

“Wait, WHAT!?”

“Don’t try to hide anything from me, human! I’ve heard how you killed Flim, and my parents told me everything that happened at the hospital; they told me you were there!”

“It wasn’t me, Rarity, I swear!”

“Why should I believe you!?” she yelled, smacking me with the whip again, which left a bloody gash across my face, my head reeling sideways, turning back with an angry glare.

“BECAUSE I HAVE PROOF!” I yelled, kicking her into the wall. I quickly put my gun away, and replaced it with my phone. I jumped on top of Rarity, pinning her into the corner as all the workers watched in fear and anticipation. I turned on my phone, which had been off since we had left the hospital, and opened the video file and set the phone on the ground. I then grabbed Rarity by the head and forced her eyes to watch the screen. The video opened with a somewhat wobbly camera looking at a team of surgeons. You couldn’t see Sweetie Belle very well, but you knew it was her judging by the size of the exposed white leg in the film. to the left of the frame stood the Belle’s parents. A few seconds into the video, the statue materialized, just like it had. The sound quality was shit, but that didn’t matter right now. The nurse looked over to one of the surgeons, then to the statue, jumping backwards a bit.

“Doctor, what is that?!”

“There’s no time to worry about that! Focus on the patient! One, two, three, clear!”

You could see Sweetie’s body jump up into view as the heart monitor started up, then inexplicably went out.

“Clear!”

Again.

“Clear!”

“Celestia. Bucking. Damn it! You are NOT dying on me kid! Clear!”

Sweetie’s body jumped up into the frame again, blood flying out of her body at the jolt. Rarity was beginning to cry. I was too. I did NOT want to watch this again. From the video, you could hear me holding back vomit.

“Okay, beginning the sutures. Starting on the heart.”

“Be gentle, doctor...”

“Heart repaired. Moving on to the stomach. ….Done. Reorganizing the intestinal tract.”

“Sutures complete. Disinfecting.”

“We’re almost done, kid. Hang in there!”

“Sterilization done. Sealing the body. ...done. patching the wound.”

“Vitals are stable. Heart rate is normal. Congratulations doct--”

The video went black as the lights pulsed out, then came back on, revealing the room on the phone. They pulsed again, the skull kid’s laugh a distorted tone with the crappy speaker. The lights were still pulsing, and with the extreme changes, the camera had no time to switch to its automatic night vision mode, so all you could see were occasional shots of the Belle’s looking at the scene in fear, the camera shaking, and the statue rocking back and forth in the flickering darkness. The sound was again distorted, but you could hear a vile, snake-like voice in the video at the five minute mark.

“You shouldn’t have done that...”

The skull kid screamed, and everything in the hospital went out. The audio that accompanied the footage at this time consisted of screams, flatlining heart monitors, and a generator shutting off as my camera’s night vision activated and brought visibility to the scene. Not that was a ‘good’ thing, per se. The camera began to approach the operating table, where it was set down in front of Sweetie Belle’s hooves. From this view, all you could see was Sweetie’s face at the top of the screen, her body running the length. Everyone else, including myself, were on the left side of the frame, minus some doctors on the right; The camera had shot a perfectly cinematic angle, and that last conversation played right in front of my eyes.

“Hey... how you doin, kiddo?”

“I... I’m sorry Nick...”

“Sorry for what?”

“I’m sorry I let you down...”

“You... you didn’t let anyone down. You did what you had to do, honey. You may have gotten hurt, but you did the right thing; you saved us. None of us would be around if it weren’t for you!”

“Nick?”

“Yes, Sweetie?”

“What’s it supposed to feel like, living with all that pain? You’ve been hurt more than anypony I know...”

“I... I’m just lucky I guess... but listen, Sweetie Belle, you WILL make it out of this.”

“No, Nick. No, I won’t. I know it’s time. Is Applebloom okay?”

“I... I don’t know, Sweetie.”

“She’s fine, sir. She’s recovering in her own room.”

“That’s good. I can rest easy now. Applejack?”

“Yeah, sugarcube?”

“Can you tell Rarity I’m sorry about the Sisterhoof Social? I’ll never forgive myself for saying all those things.”

“Sweetie Belle, don’t talk like that! You’ll be okay!”

“That’s nice of you, Pinkie, but... I know I won’t be here much longer. Mom, dad? I love you.”

“We-we love you too, Sweetie Belle.”

“Nick?”

“Yes?”

“Can... you do me a big favor?”

“Absolutely, Sweetie Belle.”

“Promise me you will stop BEN. He can’t be allowed to torture anypony else! Pinkie promise me!”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“Thank you. I’ll hold you to that.”

The camera went solid white at a flash of light, then faded to darkness. As the night vision came back on, a clear image of Sweetie’s cutie mark appeared in the shot.

“Heh... look at that. I got my cutie mark...”

“I’m proud of you Sweetie Belle. We all are. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Nick.”

“You know Sweetie... I’ve only been here for a few days, but... I love you.”

“I love you too Nick. I love all of you. And Nick? Please forgive Twilight.”

The skull kid laughed, and Sweetie was levitated off of the operating table. Ten seconds later, the camera splattered in crimson red and fell to the floor, where the video shut off. Rarity just broke apart as her world came crashing down around her. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Watching your little sister be split open like that must be mind-raping. I felt absolutely awful for showing her, but I needed to prove it to her, it wasn’t my fault.

“That... thing killed her!? Why, he was the one who gave me the idea to reclaim my business! THAT MONSTER!” Rarity screamed with a mixture of wild emotions, her color returning to her mane and skin. I took her vulnerability as an opportunity to try and sway her - MUCH better than using violence.

“Rarity, listen to me... that statue has hurt all of us. His name is BEN, and what he is making you do; run slave labor, is something you need to break away from.

“But... my business... the economy...” Rarity began, tearing up. “I can’t just abandon my life’s work!”

She had a point; the economy was rough. Still, though, it didn’t make her actions right.

“We’ll find a way to fix it, but for now, Rarity, we need your help to take him down if you want to see that happen.”

Rarity stood up and hugged me, turning her head to the immigrant workers, all of whom were staring at us as they waited for something to happen.

“You... you can go. Be free. Get out of here, now!” She said, shooing them away with a hoof as she cried into my chest. The immigrants all stood up in wild excitement, cheering and hugging each other. A few of them approached us and shook Rarity’s hoof, hugging her, and screaming in joy.

“Madre de Celestia! Gracias Seniora!”

“Muchas Gracias!”

“Thank you so much!

They all left and ran up to the ground floor and outside, leaving the purple-maned unicorn and I alone in the dimly lit room. I grabbed my phone, which was on the ground, and noticed I had accidentally turned the flashlight on - which, unfortunately, was pointing to another door... that had a small trail of blood seeping out from underneath it. I drew my gun, and placed my phone in the front pocket of my buttondown (which I had thrown back on), flashlight at the ready, and slowly opened the door.

“Darling, please, don’t go in there...”

I slowly pushed open the door, but immediately vomited. In one corner of the room was a rustic looking bathtub, filled to the brim with blood and organs. There were a few pony mannequins down here, each of which had what looked like shoddily made dresses... of skin. I vomited again, then took a step into the room, the stench of death returning to my nostrils once more. It smelt just as awful, if not worse, than Sugarcube’s basement. But these horrifying dresses weren’t the icing on the cake; oh, hell no. Further, in the back of the room sat an operating table, and on a counter next to it, a vat of blood, accompanied by what looked like fresh organs, limbs, and other body parts of varying kinds. The thing that was on the table was a half-completed hodgepodge of ponies, all spliced and sewn together to make one. Quite literally, a frankenstein. What the FUCK was Rarity doing!? I’d have to get that answer later, as I was stabbed through the back with a pair of scissors. The blades went through, dangerously close to my right kidney. Rarity pulled the device from me, and I spun around and clocked her in the face as life began to drain out of my back. Her eyes? They were red. How’d you guess? She had fallen to her back, but stood to confront me again. I braced myself for combat, drawing my knife in place of my handgun. Rarity charged at me, but I dodged her, and tried to pin her to the floor. She started choking me with her magic, and I began to lose consciousness as my breath fell short. I couldn’t kill her, one of the elements especially. I scanned my options, trying desperately to find what I could do, then it hit me. I took hold of the base of one of the nearby mannequins, and forcibly threw it towards her. She fell, breaking her concentration. I took the mannequin again, and thwacked her upside the head with it, after which, she passed out from the trauma.

“Fuck my life...”

Several moments later, I woke Rarity up with a splash of ice water. She jumped, screaming, but I managed to calm her down. She had a large bruise over her face, and her eyes were their normal azure blue. She nearly fainted upon seeing the state of this sub-basement, but kept on her hooves.

“Rarity, you have a LOT of explaining. Get to it.”

“I-I-I... I don’t know how this happened!”

“Cut the shit. You know damn well what you were doing down here. What’s the monster for? Why make dresses out of pony skin?”

“Darling, I...” Rarity began, but broke apart crying some more, wallowing in self-pity for a few moments before speaking again. “The... thing over there... I... after the horrendous mess that was the Gala, I had nothing to fall back on after my dreams were crushed. Pinkie could still throw parties, Applejack could still sell apples, Twilight could still spend time with the princess, but I? I was looking for my prince charming! That’s not something you can turn around and fix! Finding that somepony that’s right for you... it’s often a once in a lifetime opportunity. Since mine was ruined, I decided to MAKE my own prince charming!”

“You DO know, Rarity, that there is someone waiting for you...”

“*sigh* Spike, I know. He’s just a baby dragon, though - his feelings for me are mixed emotions that don’t know what they want. He’s going through a phase.

“And you’re absolutely certain about this? I can TELL his love for you is genuine. Just look in that kid’s eyes for a minute.”

Aw fuck this, this wasn’t the time to talk about relationships. Back on track.

“The skin dresses. Why?”

“The statue... he said that he had an ‘incredible new fashion line’ for me to create, one that would blow all my competitors out of the water.

“You were actually going to SELL these!?”

“I... the economy is awful! I’m getting desperate here!”

Jesus, BEN, you sick bastard...

“Rarity, you need to free your prostitutes. Where are you keeping them?”

“The... the attic.”

“Thank you for being honest about it. I know it’s hard, Rarity, but please, I promise, we’ll fix the economic situation. I just need your promise that you will fight with us.”

“I don’t need to promise, darling; that beast killed my sister!”

I offered Rarity my arm. She took it, and we walked upstairs. After meeting with the others, Spike immediately hugged Rarity, but all the others were giving me puzzled looks.

“Why where all those ponies down there?” they inquired in unison. “What took you so long?”

“Trust me guys, you REALLY don’t wanna know.”

I ignored the rest, and followed Rarity up to the attic. She went up the ladder stairs, and a few unintelligible lines of dialogue later, a drove of mares, covered in makeup and piercings came out, who completely ignored my existence (which I didn’t care), followed behind them by a sullen and crying Rarity. I went to her side. Worst thing? Some of those prostitutes were kids.

“My... my money... how am I going to live?”

“Look, Rarity, you LIVE better than almost anyone else in town, money or not. Quit it with the drama queen bullshit, because I’m not gonna fall for that.”

“But.. but... I...”

“But nothing. Let’s go to the others. You TELL them what you’ve been doing.”

We went downstairs, to the main atrium where everyone was waiting. They obviously saw the newest group of ponies to leave, because they looked even more dumbstruck than they were when the group of immigrants went rushing out the door.

“Rarity, what have you been doing here?” Pinkie asked, cocking her head sideways.

“Everypony, ever since this mess with the economy, I have been wondering what on earth I could do to keep afloat, and this little statue came to me one day. He said that I should try and get the aid of ponies who were desperate for work.”

“Statue? Rarity, do ya know that thing done killed ya sister?”

Rarity began to tear up at Applejack’s statement.

“I do know that; the human showed me everything.”

“Rarity, call me Nick, please. And that’s not all. What about the sub-basement?”

“We-well... after the horrible mess that was the Grand Galloping Gala, I had my dreams crushed by that pig, Blueblood. It drove me into depression, and after, I took it upon myself to make my own prince charming... I...”

“Go on, sugarcube.”

“...I’ve been stealing bodies from the hospital morgue to make my own special somepony... and, I’ve been using leftover... skin, to make dresses, thanks to the statue.”

Everyone felt sick to their stomachs at the very thought of Rarity making dresses out of others. That... that was horrid. The unicorn trotted over to her couch and collapsed on it, crying into the armrest.

“Of all the worst possible things... this is THE. Worst. Possible. Thing!”

For once, we couldn’t help but agree. Losing family and friends to death; that is one thing nobody wants to see. I would have said something about her overreacting, but no, these tears were the most genuine I have ever seen her produce - tears of honest to god sadness. Tears of pure regret, and not just for her sister, but for all those she had desecrated and forced to work against their will. We all went to her side to try and comfort her. Well, all except Scootaloo, who was missing. So was my CD.

“Anybody seen Scoots?”

“Yeah, she ran off with ya CD to th’ back room.” Applebloom said, looking to me from the couch.

“Awww, damn it.”

I ran to the back room, only to see Scootaloo standing in front of a mid-nineties looking radio with a disc tray. Apparently, she was listening to the album while I was dealing with Rarity. The song that was playing right now? Home Invasion. I stood there, listening to the song, Scootaloo still unaware of my presence, as she hadn’t turned around yet. As the song finished, I cleared my throat with a meek cough.

“Oh, um, hi Nick. Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, Scootaloo?”

“What’s a Juggalo?”

I smacked myself in the face.

“Fuck...”

“YOU FAILED ME AGAIN, DISCORD!”

“Master! Please!”

“Enough! I GAVE you your chance! You openly refused to have Rarity kill Jadusable!”

“Master, listen... I didn’t have enough to work with! I only used her emotions at the current time!”

“There was a perfectly open window for you to kill him; you could have used her anger about Sweetie Belle’s death as a weapon!”

“It- it didn’t come to me!”

“Oh... of fucking course not... ‘Oh, master, I’m so sorry, I’m just a worthless simpleton that can’t see a good opportunity when it comes...’ YOU ARE PATHETIC! WHY DID I EVEN RELEASE YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE!? Luna is doing more work than you! Why can’t you grow a sack and use your powers to kill something!? I had to fucking possess her FOR you!

“Well, master... I... have one idea.”

“And that would be...?”

“In the Everfree forest, they say there’s a community of ponies that don’t have cutie marks.”

“Why should I be concerned?”

“Master, listen: this community of ponies thinks cutie marks are a curse; they kill anypony that has them, and assimilates anypony that doesn’t.”

“What exactly are you getting at?”

“Well, you see, they’re probably going to go through Everfree at some point. If I can summon an apparition, and Applebloom hasn’t gotten her cutie mark before then, I can probably get her lost in the forest, and lead her to the town by bending the paths.”

“So, how will this kill Jadusable?”

“The human has a very ‘fatherly’ connection to the fillies. Applebloom goes missing, the human and a few of the others go to look for her. They get led into the town, and because some of them have cutie marks, but she doesn’t, they turn her against them, and the town kills them all!” Discord continued, as he twitched in pain from the sting of his missing arm.

“Hmm... your plan does seem sound. I just need to create an insurance policy...”

another dark purple aura filled the air, before levitating over to Discord, then up above his head.

“M-master, what are you- AUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!”

Discord fell to his knees, gripping his head in pain as an antler, followed by drips of blood fell to the grass.

“Wh-why?”

“You failed me yet a second time. This is insurance that my generous faith in you won’t be disappointed this time around. I’m going to try to get some down on their luck fools to kill him, in the meantime. Also, know this: I don’t NEED you. I felt as if you would relish in the chance to be freed, proving as a valuable ally, and the only thing I see thus far are excuses and incompetence. You have not killed a single soul, and before you even so much as think of pulling your stupid illusionist tricks by making houses turn into cardboard, just remember that I'm not impressed. I want to see death. I. Want. Jadusable. Dead. Remember that the only reason I freed you is because I needed your persuasion to get Twilight to consume the drink. Now that I’ve spent enough time around you, I HAVE your powers. I don’t need you, so unless you want to die, I suggest you get on my level of chaos, boy.”

And at that, the statue faded away with the mask salesman’s giggle.

It wasn’t too terribly late; the clock only read nine-thirty. We were back in the main atrium, and I hadn’t answered Scoot’s question yet. What exactly was I doing? Crushing some leaves. I put them into a lone piece of parchment that I had collected from Rarity’s back room, and began to roll. Scoots and Pinkie both stared at me with interest as the others talked. Pinkie was jumping up and down excitedly, her little ‘springy’ sound effect playing with every bounce.

“Ooo! Ooo! Watchoo doin’ Nick? Huh!?” She asked, poking my newly formed wound, that I had recently patched up, making me flinch in pain.

“Rolling a blunt.” I said, not taking my eyes off my project.

Applebloom turned at my words, away from her sister.

“What in tarnation’s a blunt?” she asked, approaching me.

“Nothing you should be worried about.”

The others drew in interest as Applebloom came to me. They were wondering what they were looking at. I finished rolling and looked up, only to notice I was being stared at by literally everyone.

“Guys, really? Give me this, please? I need SOMETHING to help me get this mess off my mind.”

I got up and walked outside, followed by the others, but I closed the door on them. I looked back, to see a sullen Derpy, obviously upset that I wasn't spending any time with them. They could manage a few minutes alone, though. I grabbed a lighter that was conveniently sitting on one of the porch railings, and put the stogie to my lips, watching the end begin to burn. I took in a deep breath, letting the smoke caress my lungs, as a memory came to me.

***
It was mid nineteen-ninety one at my home. My father was a marine, out fighting in the gulf. He was a very reserved man, and never talked to us much about what he was doing out in Iraq. Webcams were a relatively new thing, and no civilian homes or barracks had them, to my knowledge, thinking back. As such, we never physically saw him. The only time we ever got a chance to talk with him was a call to the house, which, my mother, going to college, left us rarely at home, limiting our contact even more. Fortunately, during spring break, my mother managed to answer a call from my dad. He said that, come Christmas, he was done with his tour, and would be home to celebrate the holidays. I was only about fourteen months old at the the time, but I truly do remember that moment, and hearing those words made me so happy. So, the holidays came, and we immediately jumped at the ring of the doorbell, in the middle of a blizzard. My mother and I went to answer the door, and, as expected, there was my father, but something was wrong. Being a baby, I didn’t know what had happened at the time, but he was missing his left eye and left arm. As I grew up, I learned that he got blown up by a grenade. But I didn’t care; my father was alive. I loved my family more than anything.

***

I never had very good friends as I grew older. Like I said, most of them were just users and punks. I never spent time with anyone that I would have considered a ‘true’ friend for even a second. At the end of the day, though, I remembered I still had my family; at least they cared whether I lived or died. But my father? My father’s gone, rest his soul. What happened? Well, it was only eight months ago, actually. He was driving home late at night one time, and he got in a nasty accident. My father was a directionally challenged man, who often needed a GPS to get his way around. When I received the call about my father, I had lost almost everything, then and there. His GPS had malfunctioned, and he had driven off a cliff. We lived in the Kansas City metro region, and it was a rainy night, around eleven, I’d say, when the accident occurred. The road was dark, and recently, one of the front lights in his Civic had burnt out, making it that much harder to see. He was on an overpass, and his GPS, apparently, had told him to turn left a bit too early. He ended up turning, but just past the bridge, and straight into the small ravine that wasn’t protected by the concrete wall. The airbag had failed to deploy as well, and he had fallen, jaw-first, into the upper grip of the steering wheel, literally splitting his head in half at the jawline.

God, I still remember the autopsy photos...

I threw the roach to the ground and stomped it out, turning around to head back inside, lost in my thoughts.

“Nick, are you okay?” Derpy asked, placing a hoof to my back as I took a pillow and threw it to the floor. I turned to the wall-eyed pony and gave her a blank, emotionless stare.

“Just got a lot on my mind. It’s late. Can we all get some sleep? Please?”

“Yeah, ah second that! Ah’m all tuckered out!” Applejack exclaimed, and plopped herself on the couch. Rarity sighed.

“Well, yes, I guess I could allow you all to stay for the night, just keep your hooves off of my upholstery, Applejack!”

“Geez Rarity. You’re so high maintenance. Can’t you learn to relax a bit? I retaliated, taking extra pillows off the nearby couch and throwing them to the floor.

“Perhaps for the night.”

We all slept in the main atrium that night, and things weren’t too terrible. I was hit with another nightmare about BEN, but that was common for me. Suddenly, however, I was abruptly awoken by a voice.

“Nick?”

I groggily rubbed my eye, only to see Applejack looking down at me from the couch.

“Yeah?”

“Ah... ah wanted to thank ya.”

“For what?”

“Well, ya know... ya’re one swell guy. Ya may... do some less than desirable things ta solve a problem, but...”

“But what?”

“Ah... ah wanted to thank ya fo’ takin’ care o’ th’ girls.”

She’d already thanked me for this a thousand times before. She wanted something out of me, and knowing how close our relationship had gotten, I could see where this was going.

“What do you want from me, Applejack?”

“Ah don’t want anything from ya, Nick, ah just want to thank ya for all ya’ve done.”

“Well you’re welcome.”

I turned my face into the pillow. She slid off of the couch, and onto the floor, crawling over to me.

“Nick...” she began, taking off her hat. “Ah don’t think ya understand. Ya see, ya take care of mah sis like she was ya own daughter, an’ ah truly admire ya for that... Ah mean, th’ last few months ya’ve been livin’ with us at th’ farm, ya just give. Ya play with th’ girls, you discipline ‘em, ya help around just as much as Big Mac does. When I first met ya, ah didn’t know what ta think; I thought ya were gonna hurt us, given what ah knew of humans.”

“Well, I didn’t.”

“Ah know that. Ya can be irritable, but ya treat us like family. Again, what ya do for the girls, ah really admire.” she said, snuggling her muzzle against my neck, her fur rubbing up against my skin, the action of which made a cold chill run through my body.

“Applejack? What are you doing?”

“Ah want ta thank ya for saving mah friends, takin care of Granny an the girls.”

She began to nuzzle even closer. I started growing even more uncomfortable. Then, she started kissing my cheek. I shivered.

“Applejack, stop.”

“Nick, ah really need ta find some way ta thank ya. Ya have no idea how much ya work on th’ farm means ta-”

“No. Stop. Now. Look... I appreciate this, but... we’re not going to do this. I am a human being, you are a horse. It’s NOT happening.”

“But Nick, ah...”

I sighed and rolled over, wrapping my arm around Applejack, snuggling her close, and looking into her eyes.

“Listen, Applejack. I like you. I care for you. You’re all great to be around, and you’re some of the best friends I’ve had. I love you, yes, but I can’t bring myself to do this, do you understand? We aren’t... going that far, okay?”

I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, but pulled away as soon as I finished. Applejack squirmed out from under my arm, and crawled back up onto the couch, accidentally kicking Derpy in the process. She yelped a bit, but didn’t wake up. The orange earth pony buried her face into the couch and began to softly cry. I picked up the hat that was on the floor, and set it on her back, but that only made her wails become even louder. I didn’t know what to say. Granted, I hurt her feelings, but I just... a human and a horse? No, that was disgusting. I had my views, and I planned to stay firm in them. I tried to get some sleep, but was nudged awake an hour later. I looked over to see a cuddly Scoots staring at me, and so, I smiled.

“Hey Scoots, can’t sleep?”

“Nah, I can...”

“What's wrong, then?”

“You never answered my question. What’s a Juggalo?”

I sighed, closing my eye and looking to the floor. Well, I couldn’t keep avoiding it. I had to say something.

“Scootaloo, a Juggalo is many things. Where I’m from, the most common definition is when a person is a fan of any musical group under a label called Psychopathic Records.

“Oh, you’re a Juggalo if you like that kind of music?”

I laughed a bit, petting Scootaloo on the head and tickling her ears.

“In the most basic sense, yes, but there’s more to it. Do you want to know the true definition of a Juggalo, or at least, what I think it is?”

Scoots smiled and nodded her head.

“Repeat after me.”

“Okay, Nick.”

I cleared my throat, and spoke.

“I am a Juggalo.”
“I am a Juggalo.”
“I am an individual guided by light.”
“I am an individual guided by light.”
“I recognize that the path to Shangri-La requires an open mind.”
“I recognize that the path to Shangri-La requires an open mind.”
“I shall not judge.”
“I shall not judge.”
“I am part of a family.”
“I am part of a family.”
“I shall love my family as I would my blood.”
“I shall love my family as I would my blood.”
“I shall do my family no harm, as I know what is done to others shall surely be done to me.”
“I shall do my family no harm, as I know what is done to others shall surely be done to me.”
“I shall honor my family, and not disgrace their name.”
“I shall honor my family, and not disgrace their name.”
“I am a ninja.”
“I am a ninja.”
“I have no fear; I do not fear the unknown, for I embrace the wonders of the world around me and the differences in others.”
“I have no fear; I do not fear the unknown, for I embrace the wonders of the world around me and the differences in others.”
“I shall meet adversity head on, for I am a survivor.”
“I shall meet adversity head on, for I am a survivor.”
“Nothing can stop my shine.”
“Nothing can stop my shine.”
“I am a human.”
“I am a pony.”
“I recognize my flaws; I shall strive to change the things I can control and seek strength for the things I cannot.”
“I recognize my flaws; I shall strive to change the things I can control and seek strength for the things I cannot.”
“I shall cherish the teachings of my ancestors and the family who have fallen before me.”
“I shall cherish the teachings of my ancestors and the family who have fallen before me.”
“I have love.”
“I have love.”
“With love, there is unity and strength.”
“With love, there is unity and strength.”
“Love does not hurt, nor does it seek to destroy.”
“Love does not hurt, nor does it seek to destroy.”
“I too, shall not hurt or seek to destroy.”
“I too, shall not hurt or seek to destroy.”
“With love in my heart, love for my family, and love for the Carnival.”
“With love in my heart, love for my family, and love for the Carnival.”

I smiled at the purple maned filly, giving her a kiss on the head.

“Now, what is a Juggalo, Scootaloo?”

“A Juggalo is somepony that has faith. Not necessarily in a higher being or others, but faith that, at the end of the day, everything will turn out for the better. They have an open, unjudging mind that embraces daily change, and respects the differences in others, and if, in the event any salvation exists, they must keep that mindset if they hope to reach it. They recognize they are unique individuals, but are still part of a family of like beings. They love their friends and family as they would themselves, and vow to protect them at all costs, and also vow to never hurt them or disgrace them, for violence begets violence, and shame begets shame. They recognize that they are not perfect, but strive to make themselves and the world around them better every day. Conflict is not in their nature by heart, but if pushed, they will do what they must. They do not aim to hurt or kill, and love all those around them. They face challenges head on, and treat each new day as an obstacle they must tackle. They recognize that love for their fellow beings brings unity and friendship, and through that power, nothing will stop them from accomplishing their goals.”

“Now THAT is a juggalo.”

Scootaloo smiled, followed by a squee. She hugged me, and I held the little filly close and slowly fell asleep for another hour or so with her snuggly wrapped under my arm. I was once again awoken, this time to voices that were outside. I carefully pushed Scoots off me, and stood up, walking over to the wall, and placing my ear to it. I heard a combination of four voices, it seemed, paying careful attention to the conversation.

“What the buck are we doin’ here, man? You said we could get a couple’a bits easy!”

“Hey, YOU picked it, plothole.”

“Look, if the Wonderbolts hadn’t disbanded, I would still have a job!”

“If the hospital wasn’t shut down by Celestia, I wouldn’t even need to be here!”

“If the Tardis hadn’t been destroyed by that statue creature, I could find the source of the economic problem...”

“If ponies would buy food instead of drugs, I would have a living for my wife and I!”

“Well, on our situation, we all agree. I heard there was metals and shit we could fence in here.”

“Look, the lady who lives here is hot. maybe we could get something out of her if we don’t find anything.”

“Ah. Take it out in trade...”

“Now I like the sound of that. Brohoof me, man.”

“Alright, let’s do this.”

Oh shit... thieves.

“Guys! Get up! Now!”

Pinkie sat up, rubbing her eyes, followed by the rest.

“Doesn’t anypony know what time it is?!”

A knock on the door. I drew my gun.

“Everyone, down into the basement.”

They knew I was being serious, and that something was up. Scootaloo and AJ were the last to go, about to step through the door. That’s when it happened.

The incident.

***

It was Christmas Eve, around seven-thirty at night. We were watching, out of family tradition, the 1970 musical rendition of Scrooge while my parents snuggled on the couch with some eggnog. My father had just gotten home from his tour, and I was giddily awaiting Santa’s arrival in the morning. Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door. My father paused the movie and went to answer. Without any warning, a team of masked men broke into the house, four in total. Two jumped through the window, and another two kicked down the door. One had an AK-47, another a baseball bat, the third with an uzi, and another with a desert eagle. My father was thrown to the ground by the flying door, slamming into the wall. the man with the rifle aimed at my father, holding him up on the floor while the two men with hand weapons held up my mother and I, the barrels touching our heads. The man with the assault rifle smacked my father in the face while the man with the bat unhooked our TV and other electronics from the living room. Despite the fact that he was missing an arm and an eye, I knew my father was a fighter.

“DADDY!”

***

I was violently thrown backwards as the front door fell on top of me. Two ponies in hoodies came barging through the door, and another two, also cloaked, jumped through the window. Each of them were armed with crossbows. Everyone in the basement stairwell screamed and locked the door...

...but they left Applejack and Scootaloo out here with me.

“EVERYPONY ON THE FLOOR!”

“GET THE BUCK DOWN!”

Two of the ponies held me at gunpoint while the other two went to AJ and Scoots. The ponies planted their bows to their heads.

***

“DADDY! HELP ME!”

***

“NICK! HELP ME!”

I was in the very same situation my father was in, all those years ago. I doubt I was going to live, but it was better to try and save those who had helped me than sit here and watch them die. I swallowed my fear and stood up, drawing my gun, my face covered in blood from the force of the door, the dark crimson red on my face sticking out amongst the blackness of the living room. Applejack’s words from the cave echoed through my head.

“Don’t ever hurt nopony unless ya absolutely need ta defend yaself!”

I didn’t need to defend myself. I needed to defend them. My mind flashed back to the incident back home, but the most bizarre thing, was that I was looking at the incident through the eyes of my father, and I heard my father’s voice...

***

“Get the fuck...

***

...away from my family.”

...leave through my own mouth, as the scene before me changed, though looking eerily similar to my memory, replacing the image of my mother and I, and the hoods, with ponies. I brought my gun upwards into an aiming position, and was instantly held at gunpoint by all four of them, the latter of the two holding Scoots and AJ as pony shields.

“Nick, do something!”

I took a deep breath, and time seemed to slow down as I analyzed my situation. I was backed up against a wall, with two men to my right, each five meters apart, and from me, four feet away. On the other side of the room were the other four ponies, a good ten feet away. I had the ability to run to the left and avoid getting shot by the ponies holding Scoots and Applejack, but I would be shot by the ones next to me; that would never work. I quickly took a look at the weapons they were carrying. The ones that were holding up Applejack and Scootaloo clearly had semi-automatic models that self-loaded. However, the two that were next to me, had no visible loading mechanism; these were manual, single shot weapons. Now I knew what I had to do.

“I shall love my family as I would my blood.”

I took another breath before taking aim and quickly shot the head of the pony that was holding Scootaloo. She fell to the floor as the newly formed corpse did, and at that, I was instantly fired upon by the remaining three. I dove behind Rarity’s couch, narrowly getting shot in the arm. As I dove to the ground, I quickly flipped the couch over, and took cover, another three bolts going halfway through the wood. I popped up and fired five rounds, two of which managed to hit one of of the ponies holding me up earlier. He stumbled back some, but regained his balance and opened fire on me. Scootaloo ran away, coming to my side and hiding behind the couch.

“SCOOTALOO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

“HELPING YOU! GIVE ME YOUR KNIFE!”

I ducked, a bolt flying just over my head.

“No! You’re staying right here!”

I jumped up and emptied another two rounds at one of the ponies, both going square through his head. Two down, two to go. The one was still holding Applejack firmly, and she was scared, unsure of what to do. I ducked down again, but got clipped on the way, a bolt going clean through my right shoulder.

“Nick!”

All anypony could hear on the outside were screams and a few loud booms, somewhat muffled by the door they were hiding behind. Applebloom looked to the others in the group, starting to get increasingly worried.

“Mah sis an’ Scoots are out there! Ah need ta go help!” the yellow filly screamed, and then tried to break through the tightly packed wall of friends, but was held back by a defensive Rarity.

“Darling, there’s nothing you can do! We’re not going to let you get hurt! Nick can handle himself!”

“EAT LEAD, MOTHERFUCKERS!”

“Ah can’t let them get hurt, Rarity! Let me out! Please!”

“Absolutely not!”

“YOU WANT SOME TOO!? I’VE GOT PLENTY FOR EVERYBODY!”

“I dunno. We should go out there and help.” Derpy exclaimed, sadness suddenly over her face. “He’s done a lot for us.”

“HAVE SOME AMERICAN JUSTICE!”

“Seriously!? Do you want to get caught in a crossfire!?” Twilight immediately retorted as she began to sweat, then screamed as a lone crossbow bolt flew through the door, getting caught halfway on its journey.

I fell behind the couch, gripping my shoulder in pain. Scoots lied me down quickly, and snapped the bolt in half. I screamed.

“Nick, you need to work with me here. We have a clean entry and exit through the shoulder; no muscle damage.”

“GET IT OUT!” I yelled, more bolts flying over my head.

Scoots nodded and took my knife, placing the tip against my wound, and wedged it gently underneath the bolt and pulled it clean through the hole. I yelled again, but oriented myself and stood up to fire on my attackers once more.. Another three rounds, right through the lone pony. He fell over lifeless, and I aimed my weapon at the one holding Applejack.

“I’ll bucking shoot her, human!”

“Human shields are very ineffective cover. Sometimes, to save a victim, they have to live with a sacrifice. The only reason an attacker uses a human shield is not for cover, but intimidation.”

Hm... there was the voice of that old man again. I swear I know it from somewhere. I was mulling ideas over in my head, but then I heard the voice yet a second time.

“Even by shooting the shield, you can still injure the assailant. Remember what I taught you.”

Then I did something. I aimed at Applejack.

“Nick!? What in tarnation are ya doing!? No! Don’t!

My heart ran cold in fear, but I knew what I had to do. It was the only way.

“Applejack, have faith in Nick!”

And that she did. AJ closed her eyes and held onto her own prayers. I took the shot. Applejack screamed in pain, a round flying straight through her left shoulder, but felt the grip of the pony behind her loosen, and both bodies fell to the floor. I got up from my cover and rushed over to Applejack, with Scootaloo trying to mend her shot foreleg. I went over to the corpse behind her - which had a bullet hole straight through its left lung. I kicked his face in to make sure he was dead, and went to go help AJ. I sat her up.

“I’m sorry I shot you. Are you okay?”

Applejack hugged me tightly, crying into my shoulder.

“Thank ya! Thank ya so much, Nick!”

“Hey, I’m just looking out for you. NOW tell me I don’t love you.”

I was covered in blood, but at least it was over. A home invasion at three in the morning, now THAT is some scary shit, let me tell you. I’d never wish it on anyone. I opened the basement door, and at first, everyone jumped back at the sight of blood, but hugged me anyway.

“Okay, first thing's first: we identify the bodies, then bury them.”

Everyone else nodded at the suggestion, then filed out of the stairwell. From the amount of blood that was covering the floor, everybody gagged at the sight before them. This was NOTHING compared to what I’ve seen here.

“Oh good heavens! My carpets! My couch!”

I just ignored Rarity’s words, laughing at them somewhat. Pinkie, Twilight, Derpy and I each took a body, lying them in the middle of the floor in a row. The first one on the left had a shot in the head. I lifted the hoodie, but was instantly taken aback. This pony was a pegasus. It had a dark blue, somewhat wavy mane, which complimented its lighter, yet still blue fur. It had a pair of aviator goggles on, and the bullet had gone straight through the right eye and out the back of the skull.

Soarin.

The second pony I had killed, with two shots to the chest and two to the head, was an earth pony. He had a light brown coat with a dark brown mane. His cutie mark was an hourglass. Needless to say, I felt even worse, as a twinge of regret hit my heart. The third pony was a unicorn, which had three wounds; two through the shoulders and one in the heart. His skin was a caramel color, and he had glasses. It was Heart, the very same doctor that was taking care of me at the hospital - and I had just killed him. Each kill got more and more personal as the line went on. I placed my hand on the hoodie of the final horse, awaiting it to be somebody very important. I lifted the cloak.

And then, Applejack screamed.

The final corpse had one shot through his lung, which had exited from his shoulder. His face was caved in from my stomping on him, but I could just make the body out. This stallion was a pale yellow. His eyes were a navy blue, and his mane, a lime green. His cutie mark...

...was an orange.

“UNCLE ORANGE! DEAR CELESTIA, NO!”

Applebloom and AJ went over to tend to the body, Applejack tearing away from Scootaloo’s medical work.

“Applejack, come back! We need to get those lead bits out of your shoulder!”

“YA KILLED HIM! YA BUCKING KILLED HIM, NICK!”

“He was going to kill you!”

“How could you!?”

Applejack stood up and swiped at me in blind fury. I jumped backwards, nearly getting punched in the face.

“Jesus Christ! Relax!”

“No! I don’t wanna see yall around me, mah sis, or mah farm ever again! Get the buck out of here an’ never come back, human!

‘Human’.

Applejack just called me human. My soul was crushed at those words, my heart sinking down into my stomach. I couldn’t believe what I just heard; she didn’t look at me as a friend, not even a human being.

She saw me as a human from the foal’s tales.

I grabbed my things, took a crossbow from one of the corpses, wiped the blood off my face, and stepped out the door, not even bothering to look back as I threw my old clothes on.

“APPLEJACK! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?”

“Nick! Wait!”

“Master!”

“What is it now, Discord?”

“The human has split off from the main group!”

“Excellent! Do you know where he’s headed?”

“No sir, but I’ll follow him!”

“Good! Get to it, and whatever he’s doing, try to use his emotions to twist his action!”

“Right away!”

With that, Discord snapped his talons and disappeared in a flash of light.

“Soon, Jadusable... soon, you shall rue the day you released me from that cartridge.”

The mask salesman laughed once more, before being interrupted by a voice.

“Sir!”

“Ah, Queen Chrysalis. Are the forces prepared?”

“I’ve rallied my men, and we are mobilizing as we speak! We’ll be ready to begin the invasion in two days!”

“Progress. Congratulations.”

Another laugh of the mask salesman.

“Oh yes, Jadusable, you shall rue the day.”

I walked through the darkened town, taking note of how much worse it had gotten. A lot of structures had been razed to the ground, and many more were either condemned or burning. From the looks of things, there must have been a riot earlier, considering the amount of civilian and military corpses that littered the streets. I dodged through the darkness, careful to avoid being spotted by the curfew patrols as I made my way to the graveyard. Upon arrival, chills flew down my body. It was very early morning, and the sun was just over the horizon by the time I had gotten here. It was around five-thirty, I would say. I took a step into the yard, and was greeted by the sound of the church bell. I went over to Sweetie’s grave, which was located between the newly placed Flim and Carrot Cake headstones, couching down by the burial site.

“Hey Sweetie Belle. How you doing?”

“…”

“That’s good. You know I miss you, right?”

“…”

“I know, it’s hard living without you too.

“…”

“”What?”

“…”

“Sweetie Belle, I can’t do that!”

I took a look at myself. My clothing and skin seemed to be darker, more of a grayer shade if you will, but this was probably from the near-absence of sunlight.

“…”

“I, well, I guess I could try. I mean, I really do miss you; you’re like my daughter.

“…”

“In the keeper’s shed? Okay.”

I stood up and went into the open keeper’s hut, returning with a shovel. I wouldn’t deny Sweetie Belle what she wanted me to do. The church bell chimed again, as the clock tower struck six. One strange thing? The moon hasn’t gone down yet; it’s still out here in broad daylight.

Chapter XII: A Song For The Heart

6:00 AM ***VIDEO***

Everypony strolled through Ponyville, becoming increasingly disturbed with what they saw. The grand majority of the city was in ruins, and many structures either condemned or on fire. Applejack kept an angry atmosphere around her, the others trying to avoid conversation until Applebloom spoke up.

“Sis, ya gotta forgive Nick! He was only lookin’ out for you!”

“That human killed our uncle Orange!”

“He didn’t know who it was, Applejack! Besides, if your uncle really loved you, would he have threatened to kill you!?” Pinkie fired back in the defense of the golden filly.

“Yall shut up! That’s not the only reason Ah’m mad at him!”

“Why else?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side in curiosity.

“None yall business!”

“Well, darling, it’s certainly our business, because it’s affecting you!”

“No. It. Ain’t. It ain’t none yall business!”

“Do you love him, Applejack?”

An awkward silence. Everypony froze, and turned to the voice, which came from an upset, anger-stricken, purple-maned pegasus.

“What? Of course not! Ah hate him!”

“You’re lying.”

“How do YOU know what ah feel!?”

“Don’t play stupid with me, Applejack; I was awake the whole time you were talking. I heard everything.”

“A little filly like you should be sleeping at one in the morning. Plus, you shouldn't get involved in adult matters!” Twilight violently butted in.

“Why? Because I’m ‘too young’? I’ve seen friends and family die, and I was RAPED by YOUR brother, Applejack. Whatever ‘innocence’ I have is gone! I’ve seen things no child should EVER see. As such, I’m damn sure I can handle an adult conversation or two, and truth be told, I’m being the adult here, Applejack; you’ve been rash and having a temper tantrum over this whole situation! Who’s the adult now!?”

“Err’ one of ya shut up!”

“You’re only proving my point, Applejack! You need to calm down!”

“Ummm, everypony? Why hasn’t the moon gone down yet?” A somewhat reserved Derpy hesitantly asked, nervous pangs beginning to attack the bubbly mare.

“Alright, ya win! Yes ah love him! He helps take care ‘a th’ farm, does just as much work as Big Mac, takes care ‘a you an’ Appleboom just like yall were his own kids, an’ he never ever asks for nothin’ in return! It’s just that... he killed uncle Orange!”

“He was looking out for YOU. He had no idea that it was him.” Scootaloo retorted, slamming a forehoof into the dirt below her.

“Ah know that, alright?” Applejack aggressively shot back, turning away from the group. “It’s just that... mah family’s lost so much to this whole mess, an’ th’ farm is almost bankrupt ‘cause nopony is spending money on food; they’d rather have those confounded drugs! That on top o’ th’ fact that he told me we can’t git closer is what’s hurtin’ me! Do ya realize how difficult it is ta wake up every day and work ya flank off with hard, manual labor, an’ then go ta bed every night without a special somepony next to ya? It crushes th’ soul!”

“Everypony?” Derpy spoke again, but was immediately ignored.

“Well, what exactly did he say, dear? Doesn’t he know that Equestria is open to the idea of interspecies relationships?” Rarity chimed in. “Look at how long widdle Spikey-wikey here has been trying to call me his special somepony...” She continued, rubbing her muzzle against the young, purple dragon, who immediately blushed.

“He done told me that we couldn’t get closer cause...”

“Why, darling?”

“‘Cause ah’m a horse’, he said! He thinks it’s wrong ta be interested in somethin’ like us!”

“Sis, why do ya love him, exactly?”

“Cause like ah said, he takes care of both yall an’ Granny Smith, just like Mac does. He never asks for nothin’ in return for th’ work he does on th’ farm other than a meal an’ a place ta sleep. He treats us all like family; he’s everything ah’ve wanted in a stallion.”

“So why are ya so angry?”

All the talking down had calmed Applejack considerably. She took a breath, and closed her eyes for a few moments.

“Cuz his killing uncle Orange set me off. If there’s one thing ah can’t stand about Nick, it’s that his solution ta problems are almost always violent. An’ the worst part, he won’t ever love me back th’ way ah’m hopin he does.”

“He saved your life... I’m pretty sure he loves you.” Twilight added, putting away a piece of parchment that she was just recently scribbling away on with a quill. “Can somepony tell me what’s wrong? Celestia hasn’t been replying to ANY of my letters!”

“EVERYPONY!”

The arguments abruptly stopped, and all eyes turned to the wall-eyed pegasus.

“Why hasn’t the moon gone down yet?”

Everyone looked above them and noticed the moon, now a brown, cratered mass in the broad morning sun, looming not to the side, but quite literally above their heads. Twilight gulped. Applebloom felt a warm release, and squealed as a puddle of liquid formed on the grass.

“Something isn’t right.”

“Look, let’s just go find the others, then look for Nick, okay?” Scoots asked, looking away from the giant rock sitting above their heads.

7:00 AM

“Discord, I had no idea you had it in you to bring true chaos to the world! Feeding off of Jadusable’s emotions for Sweetie Belle has driven him into insanity! Thanks to you, he’s defiled the graveyard, and now I have the ability to throw this world into an even deeper hell!”

The mask salesman laughed at the words, leaving a confused Discord staring at the statue in puzzlement.

“Master, if I may... what exactly will you be able to do with this?”

“Fool! Why, raise the dead! Jadusable has blindly desecrated the graveyard, leaving large amounts of negative energy behind! I can use that to bring an outbreak to Equestria!”

Discord took a step back, his eyes widening. His master didn’t want to take over Equestria...

...he wanted to kill EVERYTHING.

“In just a matter of hours, the outbreak will overtake the nation. I’m on my way to set it in motion. Do not fail me while I am away.”

And the statue faded away with another laugh, leaving Discord standing there in disbelief.

“What have I gotten myself into?”

8:00 AM

Fluttershy! We need you! Come out, please!” Twilight said, in a somewhat hushed voice, knocking on her friend’s door. The house opened slowly, but no lights were on. They all stepped inside, a bit cautious of their surroundings.

“Fluttershy?” Spike asked, looking around in the dark house.

“Oh... um, hello, everypony. I’m sorry for not turning on the lights.” Fluttershy’s voice suddenly chimed in, flicking the switch. “I’ve been so scared of all the guards out every day, I haven’t come out in months. I’ve heard all kinds of nasty things are happening out there. It’s been driving me crazy!”

“Darling, that’s quite alright. We’ve been dealing with a lot too. We’re actually trying to see if you could help us.”

“With what, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked, uncertainty in her voice. “What could I possibly do?”

Twilight facehooved herself, then looked to their long lost friend as the others gathered around the purple mare.

“We’ve had all kinds of problems lately. There’s this little statue-looking creature that’s shown up all over town.”

“I... I know the one. I’ve heard it’s doing all sorts of evil things; the animals talk to me.”

“Oh yeah, speaking of, where are your animals, Fluttershy? Where’s Angel at?” Pinkie asked, but didn’t give her friend the pleasure of a response before cartoonishly tearing the house apart in search of the creatures. All the others had the same question in their mind, as the home seemed barren, not another soul living within other than the yellow pegasus.

“Um... well... you see, I...”

“No matter where they are, sugarcube, it doesn't change th’ fact that town has broken apart! There’s riots an’ drug addicts plaugin’ the streets, martial law is in effect, an err’pony here, cept the girls, has been forced ta do somethin’ awful by that statue! Plus, somethin ain’t right with th’ moon!”

“And we lost a friend. Scootaloo threw in, another angry scowl from Applejack following her statement.

“Who... who is this friend of yours?”

“A human that goes by tha name o’ Nick.” Applejack answered quickly. Fluttershy jumped back and hid her face in her mane, letting out a terrified squeak at the mere mention of such a beast.

“A... a human? Here? That’s not possible! They’re only foal’s tales!”

“That’s what we all thought, Fluttershy.” Spike said, wrapping his claw around Rarity’s back. They snuggled together for a brief moment before turning their gaze to the yellow pegasus. “Will you help us?”

Fluttershy looked away from her friends, sitting down on the couch. If anypony had to guess, their being here seemed to be bothering her. Why, though?

“Um... no, I-I can’t.”

“Oh come on, Fluttershy! We need all th’ help we can get!” Applebloom squeaked, a sullen look overtaking her.

“Sorry, girls, but I can’t afford to help you now... I gotta... take care of the animals...”

“Well, can we at least borrow some equipment?” Twilight asked, beginning to walk out the door and around to the side of the house. “What about the supply shed?”

“No! Stay out of there!”

Fluttershy stood up and started to chase after Twi, but it was too late; she had already opened the door of the outer shed. What Twilight saw, however instantly made her freeze in fear. All neatly organized along the walls, in rows, hung the skeletons of various creatures, framed by their own skin, which itself, was turned inside out and stretched to the breaking point, pinned at the corners. The area was splattered in blood, and in the very edges of the room were piles of small organs of varying kinds and sizes.

“So... you’ve seen my work. You shouldn’t have done that...”

Twilight froze, not bothering to turn around at Fluttershy’s words. The yellow pegasus slithered up behind her unicorn friend, her eyes now a visible red, when, just moments ago, they were a vibrant, peaceful shade of turquoise. All the others, who weren’t in the shed backed away, but Fluttershy turned to them, giving her trademark stare, which ran chills through each of them.

“Get. In. Here.”

Everypony hesitantly walked into the maccabe shed, their actions almost controlled if you will, as the yellow mare stared them all down. Well, all except for Scootaloo. The door slammed shut and locked behind them all, but Scootaloo, on the other hoof, was looking around the house, rather than following the rest; Fluttershy’s home having little to no animals in it meant something was terribly wrong. And of course, like everypony else, what better place to hide a dark secret than in your basement? Scootaloo stepped down into the darkened room, flicking the light switch. Within, the floors were littered with cages of all kinds, each filled with varying creatures that were all screaming and hollering at the pegasus, their voices one, almost as if to say, ‘Let us out! Let us out before she kills us!’ Scootaloo was quite disturbed at the scene; the cages were packed full, leaving barely any legroom for the poor creatures stuffed away inside. All of them also looked extremely malnourished, and some still, had been long since dead, rotting away in pestilence. If there was anypony that could help with this, it had to be Nick. Scoots had to go find him.

...No, there was no time for that. These creatures needed help NOW. Scootaloo ran outside and collected a large stone from one of the many gardens surrounding the cottage and quickly headed back inside. She took the stone, bashing the locks apart with what force her small body would allow, but fortunately, it was enough for most of them. Animals of all types - insects, birds, rodents, and other small mammals came pouring out of their prisons. Rejoicing with squeaks and chirps and cries, gathering around the orange filly for a moment, before darting up the stairwell. A little squirrel stopped as his friends barrelled up the stairs, turning to face Scootaloo, moving its arm in a beckoning motion before joining his comrades, as if it wanted the young pony to follow them. Scootaloo wasted no time, and rapidly followed behind them.

“I shall strive to change the things I can control and seek strength for the things I cannot.”

Scootaloo came back outside, stopping just short of the supply shed. Many creatures were surrounding it, a few looking into the window nearby. Scoots carefully snuck up and peered into the room with her new allies. What she saw though, was NOT something she’d ever expect Fluttershy to do, let alone be CAPABLE of doing. Everypony aside from her were tied down into blood-stained wooden chairs, each of the team panicking in their very own way. Fluttershy loomed over Derpy with a meat cleaver, and the silly eyed pony began to whimper and shake in fear.

“I love animals, you know?” Fluttershy began, tossing the blade up in the air and catching it a few times as she spoke. “I love them, because they’re so darn cute and cuddly.”

Fluttershy drew even closer to the grey mare, subsiding her game of catch with the blade.

“But sometimes...”

The skull kid laughed, and the song of unhealing began to play in the air, as Fluttershy swung her weapon towards the pegasus, who screamed.

“They can be SO annoying!”

The meat cleaver had missed Derpy’s face by inches, flying straight through the skull of one of the many skin-framed decorations covering the walls.

“All they want is attention and care. I wouldn’t complain if they gave back to society, but do they? NO! They just take and take and take!”

Fluttershy’s eye twitched as the mask salesman giggled, the demented tune still playing in the in the atmosphere.

“Then... you have the ones that just take and never love you back for all you give.”

At those words, Fluttershy pulled out a white object from her saddlebags. Everypony screamed.

“You know, Applebloom, I bet you would look real pretty with an amulet on. Wanna see how it looks on you?”

Before the young girl had a chance to say anything, Fluttershy tied the pendant around the little filly’s neck, but what was the pendant? The head of a small, white rabbit, both its eyes and teeth missing. Bloody muscle tendons hung down from where the clear conjoinment of the neck used to be. Rarity vomited all over herself.

“When you have little buckers like him who are just mean, no matter what you try, it tears you apart, and each day, makes you angrier! Animals never do anything for us! I knew my talent was taking care of them, but what about when they don’t bother to help you when the time comes? They’re nothing but selfish!”

“Fluttershy, that isn’t true! They helped you train for the water lifting job, didn’t they?” Twilight asked, concern spreading over her face. Following the unicorn’s worrisome voice, Fluttershy’s eyes suddenly went back to their normal color, and she let out a squeal.

“Make it stop!”

Then her eyes went back to their crimson red as a sharp headache hit her. She pulled the meat cleaver out of the wall decoration, and approached Pinkie Pie.

“If everypony had just left me alone, I could have done this without any harm. But you know what they say...”

Fluttershy sliced at Pinkie Pie, chopping off a bit of her mane. The party pony screamed in fear.

“No witnesses.”

Scootaloo was jumping up and down, panicking as she looked through the window, then to the animals for some form of support, then back to the window.

“What do I do? What do I do?”

Scootaloo thought on it as the time dwindled away. She quickly picked up a rock and threw it through the window. Afterwards, her and a handful of animals jumped through the broken pane, catching Fluttershy off guard; as she was about to send her meat cleaver hurling towards Pinkie Pie’s neck, she missed at the abrupt sound of the breaking glass.

“FLUTTERSHY! STOP!”

“Oh hello, Scootaloo. Have you and your little animal buddies come to play?” the wicked pegasus asked, looking at nopony in particular, and then turning to face the orange filly.

9:00 AM

“Stop what you’re doing! This isn’t you!”

No response from Fluttershy. Instead, she just used her stare, which immediately struck fear into Scoots and the animals with her. She felt paralyzed, almost unable to move.

“Come on, I have to do this! Juggalos protect their family!”

As Fluttershy drew closer, blade in hoof, Scoot’s life violently flashed before her eyes, including one particular moment she never remembered seeing. Trapped in her mind, Scootaloo was staring at a rather disturbing image. She was assaulting Nick, her only father figure. She was mercilessly punching him, tearing away at his face as blood flew every which way, and while the action itself was unfamiliar to her, the location certainly was: Derpy’s house, just a day ago.

“Did I do this?” She thought, her brain still fixated on the image unfolding before her. The memory continued to play in her mind’s eye, Fluttershy coming ever closer to her back in reality. In this state, Scoots began to cry. How could she have done this to Nick, the human that had saved her and treated her like a daughter? She kept staring at the memory unfolding before her, and saw Nick... begin to sing. She never knew why, but for some reason, she opened her mouth to speak, Nick’s soothing song accompanying her. It was the song that Nick would sing to her and Applebloom every night before bed. She began to recite the tune as the psychotic yellow pony drew ever closer, and a very soothing melody filled the shed, Nick’s own voice seemingly accompanying her, her vision still seeing the memory. Though his voice was always gruff in normal conversation, his singing voice was a relaxing, almost angelic speech pattern that accompanied the calming melody that floated in the room. Both voices and the song echoed throughout the shed, each note letting the vicious image of the place wash away from the minds of its occupants as they fell into a trance.

“Day to night, dark to light”
“Fall the sands of time.”
“Let the years, like the gears”
“Of a clock unwind.”

“In your mind, walk through time,”
“Back to better days.”
“Memories, like a dream,”
“Wash tears away.”

“Like a star in the sky,”
“Darkness can’t reach you.”
“Light the night, joy is light,”
“Till the new dawn.”

“Cast away your old face,”
“Let go your spite.”
“With this mask I’ll ask”
“To borrow your light.”

A wave of soothing energy filled the room of vile decor, a warm, sweet aroma passing through the nostrils of all the living organisms in the area. Fluttershy dropped the cleaver, and, having a quick headache, passed out on the floor, a wicked, black mist seeping from her mouth. The fog flew out of the window, leaving behind it the rambunctious scream of the skull kid. Though they would have one terrifying mess to clean up, everypony slept like a baby where they were, the mellow aroma drifting out of the broken window and out into the land. Whatever properties this song had...

...Scootaloo knew it was a weapon they needed to use.

10:00 AM

Scootaloo awoke, noting she was still in small wooden structure ravaged with gore. While the scenery was indeed offsetting as well as horrifying, She felt well rested and content. She didn’t remember much, but she did know for certain that Fluttershy was attempting to kill everypony in the room just moments ago. The little orange mare sat up, noticing all the others sleeping soundly. They had been out for who knows how long, but Scootaloo took it upon herself to untie everypony from their restraints. She would love to stay and help clean up, but she had a job of her own to do - go find Nick. And so she did. The unaccompanied filly took the blade from Fluttershy, placing it in her saddlebags and went walkabout.

“Now if I were an upset human, where would I be?”

The question bobbled around in Scootaloo’s head for some time as she wandered around town, before passing by the church and cemetery. Nick might be here, seeing Sweetie Belle. On the other hoof, he might be getting breakfast somewhere, or at a bar, drowning his sorrows in alcohol; it was common for humans to do the latter, according to the foal’s tales. Oh well, it was at least worth a shot. Upon arrival though, there was no sign of anypony living. Well, she might as well stop to see Sweetie Belle herself; it’s been a good couple of months since their last visit, which was the initial burial. Yet, Scootaloo begin to panic after approaching the grave. Not only was there a shovel by it, but it was open. Scoots rushed over to the pit, only to see that the plastic bag of meat was gone. Dear Celestia, somepony had disturbed Sweetie’s grave! Scoots felt queasy at the realization of her friend’s missing remains, yet she knew there was nothing she could do at this point. Might as well go and find Nick, her only true comfort nowadays, and truth be told, it didn’t take long to find him. When she had found him, he was in a very bad way, sitting between a pile of garbage cans in a back alley. His hair was frazzled and torn. His remaining eye had deep bags underneath, and his skin, covered with wrinkles - definitely not healthy for somepony as young as him. His body was nearly colorless, a grey, clammy pigment overtaking his flesh and clothes. He was talking to himself, incoherently mumbling. Every once in a while, his voice became clear, organized speech, though it looked like he was talking to nopony in particular, and he appeared to be sitting in a pile of his own wastes, having not even bothered to move from this spot, apparently; he smelled awful.

“S-sweetie... I-I have a problem. I-I want to know if you can help me. You see, I-I love Applejack, but, but I can’t date a horse. It’s looked down upon where I’m from. It’s not right.”

His little self-talk was unnerving to Scootaloo, who approached him. The human completely ignored the new addition, and kept talking, this time to an object that Scoots recognized.

The bag of meat.

It didn’t take a genius to realize that Nick had dug up Sweetie Belle. What’s worse, he had completely lost all grips on reality, talking to this plastic container of mold and grubs like it were still a living thing, holding it to his ear every time he finished a sentence, as if awaiting a response. Quite frankly, it made Scootaloo sick, scared, and somewhat angry. The man that, through all the drama and death and destruction, always managing to keep his composure in even the grimmest of situations, had finally let everything get to him; all the death, all the possession... everything. And to top it all off, he was hiding his emotions from Sweetie’s death so well, that not even Scoots recognized it, even after all the time they had spent on the farm.

But now, here it was, in plain sight - Nick had gone mad from loss.

“Nick?”

Nick turned to face the new creature before him, just barely recognizing Scoots. He giggled a bit, his laughs short and weak of breath.

“Hey Scootaloo... I’m-I’m just talkin’ to Sweetie Belle. We’re having a fun time. You know, I thought she was gone, but she told me she wanted to come back, and so, I helped her out!” He finished, stroking the bag of meat gently, his crazed giggles leaving a slight echo off the alley walls. Scootaloo gagged, but cautiously nuzzled up to the half-crazed human, trying to bring him back with what words she could use.

“Nick... Sweetie Belle died months ago.”

“NO!” Nick screamed, throwing one of the steel trash cans to the side, Scoots watching it barrel to the pavement and spill its contents everywhere. “She’s still alive! We’re talking right now, don’t you see!?”

Nick held up the moldy and foul-smelling bag, placing it close to his heart.

“She’s here with me. We’ve been talking about a lot of things, like how I love Applejack, but can’t get involved with her, because it’s not right.”

Not only had all the destruction and the loss of Sweetie Belle gotten to him, now he was emotionally torn after the situation with Applejack. Scootaloo had to think of something, and fast. She couldn’t stand to see the one she loved most (aside from Rainbow Dash) fall apart like this; it tore at her heart to see a once well-composed man finally succumb to insanity. Then she remembered something - Nick always held onto faith. What if she took a wild leap? It had worked on Fluttershy’s crazed rampage. Would it work on a psychotically depressed human? No other way to find out other than trying. Scoots took a breath, and began to sing the soothing melody again, and as the gentle lyrics left the young pony’s lips, Nick suddenly became drowsy. He felt lightheaded, but his breathing slowed, claiming itself. His crazed giggling subsided, and he took slow, deep breaths. A sweetly scented aroma ran through his nose, and he took the sugary scent in, letting it waft around him.

“It... it’s... so... relaxing...”

And then, Nick slowly dozed off to sleep, passing out on the cold, cobblestone pavement. Scootaloo became tired as well, yawning as she slowly walked up to Nick and lied down next to him. As she closed her eyes, the sweet smells invading her nostrils, she smiled a bit.

“I love you, dad.”

And an arm gently wrapped itself around her, sending her into a peaceful nap.

“I can’t imagine what I would do... if anything bad happened to you, Scoots.”

11:00 AM

I woke up in some decrepit back alley downtown. Scootaloo was happily sleeping next to me, resting under my arm. I nudged her, and she groggily woke up, but instantly embraced me as tightly as she could upon seeing my face.

“Nick!”

My head hurt. Where the hell was I, and what had happened since I went to go see Sweetie Belle after the fight with Applejack?

“What... what have I been doing this whole time?”

Scoots was crying into my chest, wailing like a scared little child. Whatever had happened between the incident with Applejack and now must have really upset her.

“You haven’t been doing anything. You were just having a really bad nightmare!”

A really bad nightmare was right. I looked at myself, only to notice I was in awful shape, wallowing in my own mess. To the side of me lay a plastic bag of rotten smelling flesh, completely covered in mold and maggots. It didn’t take much to figure out that I had defiled Sweetie Belle’s grave, and judging by Scootaloo’s emotions pouring out of her, she knew it too. What have I done? I felt like a monster.

“It’s not your fault, Nick! You were hurting, you wanted Sweetie back. I understand.”

“I...”

I didn’t know WHAT to say. All I did was hold Scoots close to me, letting her cry. It didn’t take too long for the others to find us, all of which had deathly ill looks on their faces as if they’d seen something flat out awful. Fluttershy was with them, and she looked downright sick. Her eyes were puffy red and her mane tangled and broken in places. She was shaking and sweating, and hyperventilating at that. Judging from experience and my time here, BEN had obviously made her do something, and I didn’t want to know what. All I did was stand up and hug her. Fluttershy, I knew, would need serious counseling after all this was over. I probably would too, if I was to be completely honest, but for now, I had to set things right with the world and return Sweetie Belle to her resting place. I took the bag, and walked downtown with everyone else, on the way back to the graveyard. I stayed ahead, Scootaloo talking to everyone else, who were all tagging behind. Obviously, she was telling them what I did, though, as I turned my head back to look at the rest, met with eyes, they didn’t seem the least bit mad at me, not even Rarity. If anything, their eyes screamed out an entirely different message: ‘we feel your pain’.

12:00 PM

We got to the graveyard to soon find out that all was not well. The yard was torn asunder, headstones and flowers scattered every which way. Worse than that, many of the graves were dug up, and the bodies were missing, which unnerved us all, Fluttershy especially, to nobody’s surprise. I went to bury Sweetie, Ignoring the ruined graveyard, but stopped and looked around. There was no way she could be buried in as unholy a place as this. I personally wouldn’t allow for it.

“Is there another graveyard in town?”

“Y-yes... um... other side of town.” Fluttershy almost inaudibly said.

“Let’s go. Fluttershy, would you mind if I flew?”

“I... I guess... I just don’t wanna get too close to the moon up there...”

“What?”

I looked above to see that, in broad daylight, the moon was still out, and it was only a good twenty something miles above our heads. I never paid much attention, but it must have been out here all morning. Staring up at that moon which, surprisingly, had that same child-crushing face it did in the game, was more than frightening, and it gave a damn clear indication of what BEN was doing now. My mind though, kept telling me that it was from a game. It’s not real. It’s not real. It won't fall. It’s a motherfucking game.

Ah, what the hell was I saying? I couldn’t fool myself. If I hadn’t woken up on my futon by now, this certainly was real. Alright, BEN...

You wanna play one last game of Majora’s Mask? Bring it on, motherfucker.

“Let’s go. We don’t have any time to waste.” I said, hopping onto Fluttershy’s back and taking to the air. Pinkie collected her balloon, seemingly out of nowhere, and piled everyone else in, following behind me.

“Oof... you... humans... are... heavy!”

We flew over town, en route to the other cemetery. Nothing was out of the ordinary, it seemed. Some individuals were panicking over the moon, and security in town had been stepped up, but otherwise, town went about its daily business. We landed outside of the cemetery fence, and I was the first to stroll into the yard. I collected Sweetie’s remains from under my shirt, and Rarity went into the keeper’s shed to grab a shovel. Applejack and Twilight collected a headstone, and we repeated the same process we had done months ago; I even inscribed the same message on the headstone, though using the knife this time. We finished paying our due respects, but I decided to do one thing extra. If Sweetie Belle could hear me from the spirit world, I wanted to send her a message begging forgiveness for my rash behavior when I had come to visit her. So what did I do? I crouched down beside the filly’s newly minted tomb and began to sing her the lullaby I had done for her friends. As I sang, the melody magically filled the air, like it had done so many times before, carrying with it a sweet, sugary scent. It made everyone in my team begin to nod off as I sang, and, after completion, I noticed the others were soundly sleeping behind me. The mellow scent invaded my nose, and all my pain and troubles seemed to drift away as I slowly passed into unconsciousness with the others. While I was sleeping, I had a dream. It was short and sweet, but in it, I saw Sweetie Belle in her normal, full body, looking straight at me in a black void. She said one thing to me in this vision, one thing I will never forget.

“I love you, Nick. Thanks for taking care of my friends.”

1:00 PM

I woke up again from a well-rested nap, along with everyone else. I was content, my last memory being that Sweetie Belle was happy and had no lingering regrets or unfinished deeds in the living world. She wasn’t mad at me for what I did to her remains, and her soul was truly at peace, that I knew. We were sleeping in the graveyard, but that didn’t bother any of us, not even the timid Fluttershy. In fact, we all woke up happy, and seemingly worry free. Why though? Was it the song I sang at Sweetie’s grave? That WAS the last thing I remember doing before falling asleep, so it HAD to be true. I stood up and collected my equipment that was scattered all over the ground, the rest following suit. With a fresh, clear mind, there was only one thing in my head.

I needed a bath.

Since we weren’t too far from the river, I figured it as good a place as any, and, even if it were illegal, there was absolutely nobody around; we were on the outskirts, not too far from the dam, so as we got to the river, I hastily threw my belongings on the grass, and dove into the icy stream, clothing and all; they needed a good wash too. Everyone stared at me as I bathed, beginning to take my clothes off once in the water. I wish I had privacy, but it didn’t bother me too much. I fell backwards, my face going under the river as I began to lazily float down it on my back. Derpy picked up my stuff and threw it all in her saddlebags, as the others slowly followed me downstream. As I continued to wash myself and my linens while lying down on my back, I looked over to Twilight and Scoots, then over to my missing arm.

“Twilight, you’re a smart mare. I’ve seen you do a lot of things with your scientific skills. Do you think you could put those skills to use for me?” I asked, sitting up and throwing my clothes on the bank.

“Um... sure, I could try. What do you need?”

I swam over to the edge of the river, holding my arm there for support, my clothes sitting to the side of it.

“Well, it’s a two pony job. I’d need a scientist and a doctor.” I added, glancing over to Scootaloo.

“I could help with it, too, Nick. I mean, I owe you something after all you’ve done.”

I looked to my left, then to Twi and Scoots, then closed my eye, took a breath, and opened it again.

“Could you build me a replacement arm?”

The others jumped back, a bit freaked out about my request. Scoots and Twilight, however pondered the question, resting their chins on their hooves.

“I guess we could try.”

I smiled at the two, then everyone else.

“Good, get on it when you can, and the rest of of you, go with them; the more of you there are, the more effectively you can fight if something happens. I want NOTHING to happen to Scoots and Applebloom, understood?”

Everyone nodded and took off, including Derpy, who was hobbling behind, after throwing my equipment on the ground.

“Except for you, Applejack.”

The orange earth pony dug her hooves into the ground, kicking up a pile of dirt in front of them as she forcefully slowed down upon hearing my words.

“You and I need to talk.”

AJ approached the river bank, sitting down on the grass. I gently pulled myself up, collapsing on my back, my bare skin being tickled by the green blades, which were being softly pushed about by the light wind.

“You know, Applejack, I never asked to come here. I didn’t want to either. And this certainly isn’t my world, nor is it one I belong in.”

“Awh, sugarcube, why would ya say that?”

I pointed up into the sky, looking at the sun which was just barely visible behind the moon hovering menacingly above us.

“Take a good look at that star. That sun is being raised and lowered at the will of a magical horse in a castle. Where I’m from, my sun, and moon for that matter, definitely don’t do this - they rise and set on a basis of gravity and magnetism. The animals in my world have to kill each other to survive, and the weather patterns change without any physical assistance from humans.”

Applejack stared at me quizzically. She obviously didn’t believe what I was saying.

“So, what was life like for ya back home, then, darlin’?”

“Me as an individual, or our whole species?”

“Just you, sugar.”

I had to think back quite a ways, come to think of it. My life wasn’t too terribly exciting, but it had its moments, and even the darkest of them, I can say that I’m grateful for, for whatever doesn't kill me will only make me stronger.

“Well, my life at home wasn’t bad at all. Starting from birth, not much happened. My father was in the military, and one night, we had an incident at our home, very similar to the boutique, where a bunch of people - people I KNEW, looking back, broke into my house, and held me and my mother at gunpoint while they robbed us.”

Applejack crawled over to me, wrapping one of her hooves across my chest, and looking down at my face.

“What happened, sugarcube?” She asked, an upset, concerned look about her. I could tell she was trying to use this moment to mend any hostility we had back at the boutique.

“My father went insane. He killed every single one of them. Just to protect us. After the incident, my mother divorced my father. Other than that one night, my life was pretty damn normal, aside from BEN.” I blandly replied, not even flinching at the memory.

“Nick, that’s awful!” Applejack said, embracing me tighter, preparing to ask her next question: “Why did ya mom get that divorce?”

Should I really delve into my personal life for her? Could I trust her enough with this information?

“My... one of the the thugs that broke into our place...”

“Uh-huh?”

“Was my mom’s uncle.”

“Sugarcube... ah had no idea...”

To get her off the topic of this, so neither of us would suffer in pain, I quickly interrupted.

“Well, after that, I lived life pretty normally. Because of that incident though, I was always sketchy about trusting people. I’m not gonna be a ‘Gary Stu’ and tell you about how my life sucked and how I was bulli-”

“Gary-whatnow?”

“Ehm, uh, nevermind. My life was always good. I had everything I wanted as a child, and my social life was alright. I told you... about BEN, but...”

“What, sugarcube?”

“I never told you how it started. You see, when I got into college, one of my old buddies gave me a game console that we used to play with as kids.”

“Awh, well wasn’t that nice of him!”

“Well, Applejack, this is where it gets bad. You see, I only had about three games, so I got pretty bored. I went around the local neighborhoods looking for some old games, and I ran across this small house with an old man. He gave me a copy of a game I REALLY liked as a kid, and-”

“So, where’s the bad part, hon?”

“Well, the game was pretty shady looking, so it had to be a bootleg or something, I figured. The man said I could have it for free, so I took it home and started playing it. It was a bit glitchy, and had a few problems, but nothing too bad.”

“So what happened then?” AJ continued to inquire, now massaging my shoulders.

“First, it started mixing the file names up. Then, every day, it got worse. The game would teleport me to places that weren’t even part of a proper sequence. It would randomly kill my character, and eventually, this statue, which, by the way, WAS part of the game, started following me around. I started recording the footage of everything that had happened, and hoped to put it on the internet to tell people about this freaky experience.”

“Why does it bother ya so much? Ghosts an’ spirits exist, don’t ya know that?”

I sighed, leaning my head back off the edge of the bank, my long, untamed hair drooping down into the cold, blue stream.

“Of course they do, there’s no denying that. What’s so bothersome is, in my world, spirits can’t effectively communicate, so they have to do things like manipulate technology to talk to us, and when it’s done so indirectly...” I paused, looking for my words. “Well, it freaks us out because of how unnatural it is. Just... imagine, let’s say, some of your farming equipment acting odd; doing things on its own, and whatnot, with no explanation; not doing what you EXPECT of it. Wouldn’t that be scary to you?”

“Ah, well then, ah can understand, sugar. Yeah, that would be.”

“So, I put everything on my computer, but then IT started acting strange; opening windows, shutting off and turning on for no discernible reason, and then, it started talking to me with an automated chat system. That’s when I found out that there was the spirit of a kid named Ben trapped in the game. He told me he would stop tormenting me with nightmares and freakish gameplay if I ‘set him free’.”

“Did ya, then?”

“No, he was too big a threat. If I ‘set him free’, god only knew what he would have been capable of. I double-crossed him, and locked him away in my computer and destroyed it - or at least I thought I did.”

“Whatcha mean ‘thought’, Nick?”

“Well, I saved all the ‘chat’ conversations on a flash drive, and, gave it to my roommate. I told him to upload everything from there to a website, and got up and left that apartment. But I didn’t know Ben’s spirit had gotten into the file, and so he set HIMSELF free. Now, he’s angry at me, and he’s taking it out on your people.”

“Now, he was th’ one who done sent ya here, right?”

I sighed as Applejack continued to massage me. I could tell she was trying to get me to open up so I would talk to her about the incident at the boutique. Truth be told, I wanted to get to that, but I felt I had more to tell her.

“Yes, he was the one. How he did it, I don’t know. How he even GOT the power to do what he does, I don’t know. He never had the ability to possess or kill, or transport beings through dimensions back in my word. I want to tell you something right now. okay?” I asked, pulling my head out of the water and sitting up, forcing her to take her hooves off of me.

“Sure, Nick, what is it?”

“I’m nobody’s ‘savior’. I’m not your ‘sacred warrior’ that came here from some prophecy, nor do I want to be. All I’m trying to do is survive and find a way back home. I do NOT want to be here, but BEN, somehow, sent me here, and with the newfound power he has, which, I’m guessing the world itself gave him, is trying to kill me. And from what I’ve seen, he’s willing to go through you guys to get to me. He’s done all kinds of vile things to your world, and, from what I understand, from television of course, your world is NOT like this.”

“It never was, sugarcube. We’ve had our share of evil, what with Discord and Nightmare Moon an’ whatnot, but none of us ain’t seen anythin’ like this, all these sick, unspeakable things like cannibalism an’ all. We ain’t never seen this amount of death, neither. Whatever this ‘television’ says about our world, that’s how it normally is, darlin’. Ah mean, it’s so bad, FLUTTERSHY is killin’ animals! That’s somethin’ she’d NEVER do!”

“I know.”

“Can ah ask ya something, sugarcube?”

“Shoot.”

“Why do ya fight to get what ya need? How’d ya learn all those moves?”

This... this was a question I was dreading. There was no denying it or delaying it though. I had to answer.

“First of all, I HATE fighting. I absolutely DESPISE doing it. Where did I learn to fight? My father. He was in the military, and, about six years after that incident at home, you know, with the thugs?”

“Uh-huh?”

“He taught me how to fight in case anything happened again. He trained me in all kinds of things - hand to hand, blades, guns. He even taught me how to properly sneak, and pick locks, and breach a doorway... he taught me everything he knew.”

“If ya have all that training, how didn’t ya stand up against Big Mac? He was th’ one that took ya eye, right?”

“Well, see, you know how I said I hated to fight right? My dad preached self-defense like it was a holy book, and ALWAYS wanted me to practice and stay sharp. I never did, and so, I forgot a LOT of what he taught me. So, when I fought Big Mac, It was like having next to no experience. Same with Pinkie Pie. Though I’ve gotten a handful of skills back in my time here, I’ve been paying dearly for not keeping them sharpened all the time. I don’t like to fight, and I’m not GOING to unless my life, or someone else’s depends on it, and I CERTAINLY don’t want to kill, but... sometimes that’s unavoidable.”

2:00 PM

I stood up and put my partially dry clothes back on, tucking all my equipment away. I twisted my back, allowing my spine to pop, still talking, yet looking away from Applejack.

“I’m going to fight BEN to try and purge him from your world. I am the reason he came here, as he’s the reason I’m here.” I began, checking the ammunition in my gun as I slipped into my shirt. “I’ve seen all kinds of nasty things happen here, and before I go, I’m willing to work with you guys to set things right.”

“So... ya do plan to leave?” Applejack meekly asked me, wiping her eye, as if to hide a tear that she thought I didn’t notice. There was no hiding it now; we HAD to talk about her feelings for me, and truth be told, my thoughts about her. I sat down on the grass, patting an open spot by my side.

“Come on, sit down, AJ.”

The mare, covered in elegant sunburst orange, hesitantly approached me, lying on her stomach, and sprawled her body out along the warm afternoon grass. She set her rancher’s hat to the side, and removed her hair band from the back of her mane, letting it drop and flow out in all its blonde, untamed glory.

“Applejack, I’m gonna be straight with you, okay?”

“Alright, sugarcube.”

I took a breath, looked up at the sky (while attempting to ignore the soul-crushing moon), and then turned my sole attention to the young pony lying beside me.

“Four months ago, when I came to this world, I didn’t know where I was. I fell out of the sky, and landed in your apple orchard, breaking one of my ribs, and the first thing I did was come to a farmhouse hoping to find some hospitality for a man with a broken rib. When I saw YOU open that door, I didn’t know what to think. I thought that someone had slipped me some heavy drugs, because, in my mind, I was telling myself: ‘a talking horse can’t be real, and this particular horse that I know from TV can’t be real’. I thought I was having some kind of happy-go-lucky mushroom trip, until the very next morning, when I went down to get a bottle of water from your apple cellar. I saw that the Crusaders were being sexually abused by YOUR brother. But that’s not what snapped me into believing it was real. What got me to see the truth was Big Macintosh himself. I felt every punch, smack, and scrape he made. I felt my glasses destroy my eye, cutting into my flesh. I felt my very own gun touching my skull. THAT was when I knew it was real. I saw and felt Sweetie Belle’s organs cover me in that operating room. I tasted every chewy bit of flesh the moment I figured out I was eating that poor girl’s remains. I smelled the vile scents of death underneath Sugarcube Corner and Twilight’s library.”

I then put my hand on Applejack’s neck, gently running my fingers down the length of it.

“And I heard all those spiteful words you said back at the boutique.”

Applejack immediately drew tears, her eyes looking down to the grass.

“If you can’t rely on your own senses to tell you the truth, then what can you trust?”

“Ah... ah’m sorry for all those things ah said, Nick.”
‘
“I know you are. And I am sorry for killing your uncle.”

“Ah know ya only wanted to protect me an’ Scootaloo..”

“And I will, Applejack; you’re like my family. And to answer your next question, do I love you? Absolutely. That night I showed up, you took a leap of faith, and invited me into your home, putting your whole family at risk. Just for that, I respect you. Add in that you’ve saved my life on more than one occasion, and I can’t help BUT love you.”

I took my hand off Applejack for a moment, and pulled out my knife, twirling it in my hand a bit.

“But that’s not what you want to know. You want to know why I don’t want to take my love for you to a more personal level.”

“Because ah’m a ‘horse’, ya said.” Applejack replied, even thicker tears beginning to well in the corners of her eyes. I set my knife into the ground and wiped away the salty liquid that invaded the young pony’s leaf-green orbs.

“Applejack, please don’t cry. It kills my heart to see that.”

“Just tell me why ya won’t get closer with me, then! Ah mean, Equestria is open to th’ idea a’ inta’specieces relationships; Mah cousin Braeburn is seein’ a buffalo right now, and nopony, not even Granny Smith objects to it! And ya know how long Spike’s been trying to get with Rarity. If’n it were illegal, ya think we’d let him keep trying to date her? A’ course not!”

I swallowed, trying to pick my words carefully. I knew this was going to hurt, no matter what way I said it.

“Where I come from, romance is EXPECTED by society, to be between two humans, and NOTHING else. Even then, the term ‘humans’ is tossed around; same-sex relationships are often looked down upon as well, so the only true choice for a partner is one man, one woman, and it’s been that way for millennia, so you’ll have to excuse me if I find getting personal with a pony bothers me; it’s just something... naturally ingrained in my mind. I hope I’m not offending you by saying this.”

“Ya... ya ain’t offending me, Nick; ya breakin mah heart!” She yelled, crying into the soft grass beneath her.

Oh god damn it... she’s crying. If APPLEJACK cries, you REALLY hurt her.

“The reason It’s ‘wrong’, is because in my world, the animals - and ponies constitute as animals, can’t talk, or use tools, or have an organized society. Because they can’t talk, they aren’t able to consent.”

“But ah CAN!” Applejack violently screamed, chucking her hat at me and falling back to the grass.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, stop crying. Please, for the love of god, don’t cry...”

“Ah just want somepony that ah can wake up next to before a day of farmin’! Ya a father to mah sis an’ Scootaloo, and ya a mighty hard worker. Ya everything ah want in a stallion, Nick.”

“Stop. Fucking. Crying. You are making me feel awful...”

“After all ah’ve done for ya, sugarcube, ya won’t even be willing ta commit ya love just because ah ain’t a human!”

“Fuck... there’s only one way to get you to stop crying, isn’t there...”

I quickly grabbed Applejack by the neck and gently pulled her in. I forcibly threw my lips to her own, gently wrapping my arm around the pony, lightly scented with crisp, fresh apples. I didn’t let go for a good three minutes, and Applejack fell into a state of bliss, closing her eyes and sighing, her warm breath escaping into my mouth, her own lips a gentle taste of gingerbread, apples, and raw sugar. I broke away from her after another minute or so. Still, as this went on, my mind was screaming at me. I opened my eye for a brief moment, only to see Applejack’s form shift from the cartoon pony, to an actual one from earth, and back again, my eye beginning to play vile tricks on me.

“Jesus Christ, you’re kissing a fucking horse!”

“Stop.”

“KISSING.”

“THE HORSE.”

Though I was yelling all of this in my head, there was only one phrase that actually left my lips, as much as I wanted to break, and run off screaming in terror.

“If Equestria doesn’t have a problem with it, and I’m not in MY dimension...”

Applejack looked up at me with hopeful, teary eyes.

“...I’m willing to take that extra step for you if we get out of this alive.”

“Thank ya, Nick. That means th’ world ta me. Ah... ah love ya.”

“I love you too, Applejack. Thank you for all you’ve done for me.”

“So, Jadusable... I see you found a little bit of a love interest. You shouldn’t have done that...”

3:00 PM

“Nick! Nick! It’s done!” a joyous and exuberant Pinkie Pie yelled, happily bouncing my way.

“What’s done? What’s going on!?”

“Your new arm! Twilight and Scootaloo got it finished!”

I stood up, offering my hand for Applejack. I followed behind the giddy Pinkie Pie, until we came to a ramshackle structure on the western side of town. Upon stepping into the building, a sickening smell of clorox and mothballs attacked my senses. In the back of the main floor sat a medical cot, with an IV, heart monitor, and a cart of medical tools.

“Why is it everywhere I go, somebody wants to chop me up!?”

“Do be quiet, dear. You DID ask for this.”

“You’re not helping me feel better ABOUT my hasty decisions, Rarity.”

I got up on the table, taking my shirt off. Twilight hooked me up to the heart monitor and IV, while Scootaloo went downstairs and produced a small generator. Twilight approached me with a hypodermic needle, and with some magic, strapped me down to the cot with leather restraints.

“Lie back, please.”

“You gonna genetically splice me with Applebloom?”

The little filly started to cry, and ran to Applejack’s side after hearing my wiseass remark.

“NICK!” everybody yelled together, shooting me mean glares.

“Oh. Well, excuse me for not trusting a bitch that tried to turn us into mutants!”

At that, I felt a violent jab in my right (and only) arm, as well as Twilight’s next words.

“For Celestia’s sake, shut up!”

And I slowly fell into unconsciousness as the sedative rushed through my bloodstream.

4:00 PM

-Beep-

“Rarity, keep an eye on his blood pressure.”

“Sure, Twilight.”

-Beep-

“Vitals are stable. Disinfecting operation area and draining blood.”

“Um... everypony? Are... are you sure this will... you know, work?”

-Beep-

“We don’t know, Fluttershy. We’re going out on a limb here - literally.”

“Sis, he’s gonna be okay, right?”

-Beep-

“Ah hope so Applebloom. If’n ah lost him, ah don’t know what ah’d do.”

“Opening the wound, Twilight. Pinkie Pie, flashlight, please.”

-Beep-

“Be careful. I think he deserves a muffin if he pulls through.”

“Well, be sure to give him one then, Derpy. Loosening muscle fibers.”

-Beep-

“Rarity, how’s the blood pressure look?”

“Stable, Twilight, dear.”

-Beep-

“Good. Attaching muscles to the prosthetic.”

“Great work Scootaloo. It’s coming along nicely.”

-Beep-

“Only because you’re assisting me, Twilight.”

“Okay, I think we’re good. Let’s sew it up!”

-Beep-

“Sutures done. Disinfecting and redistributing the blood.”

A familiar laugh.

“Let’s hurry up before he tries anything; we all know what happened to Sweetie.”

5:00 PM

-Beep-

“Nick, can you hear me?”

-Beep-

“Hello?”

-Beep-

“Holy hell, I feel like shit. Is it done?”

“Yep, but please, take it easy, Nick; we want to run a few tests first.” Twilight said, unbuckling me from the cot with her magic, allowing me to sit up. I looked over to my left, and saw a contraption of stainless steel and wires in place of my former arm. It was heavy, but nothing I couldn’t lift. If I had to make a comparison, it looked like one of C3PO’s arms from Episode I.

“Try moving your shoulder for me, okay?”

I did, gently rolling my shoulder around in a circle, working slowly to accommodate for the fresh stitches. The device whirred and chugged with various electrical noises.

“Go go, gadget. kick-fuckin’-ass.”

“Excellent! Try moving your elbow for me, Nick.”

“So this is a cybernetic implant? How the hell did you pull this off?” I asked, gently moving my elbow inwards, outwards, then finally, up and down slowly.

“We just held on to faith that my crazy idea would work.” Twi responded, packing away some materials into her saddlebags. “Can you move your wrist, now?”

I did as told, folding it backwards, forwards, and twisting it gently from side to side.

“Great. Now try your fingers.”

“And you did this with no documentation?”

“Success!”

“No, we had documentation.” Scootaloo said, producing an anatomical chart of the human body. “I took a copy with me before we left the hospital. That’s why they were running all the x-rays and blood tests on you the whole time you were recovering; they were trying to make medical records in the event another human comes here.

“Well then, can’t argue with that. Who’s hungry, cause I’m starving!”

“Who wants to hit up that new milk bar in town?” Pinkie excitedly added, jumping into the air.

“Hey, if they serve food, I don’t care WHERE we eat.” I said, licking my lips.

At that, we all got up and headed back into town. Getting into the bar, we all took a place, and ordered our food, along with two bottles of milk each. Though I had fifty-six dollars, and another two hundred on my Visa, I knew that wouldn’t do shit. I dug into my right back jeans pocket, slamming down a pile of bits on the counter, and everyone stared at me.

“Where’d you get all that money?” Pinkie asked, staring at the bits that littered the marble countertop.

“Stole it from the guys at the boutique.”

Everybody gasped.

“Oh for Christ’s sake, don’t look at me like that! You KNEW they were gonna kill us!”

“Still, Nick... you robbed the dead?” Spike asked, his eyes a wide, nearly lid-free stare.

“Money’s tight! You saw what Rarity had to do to keep her business going!”

“Don’t you DARE mention that! I have no intentions of going back!”

“I... I think we should just relax and drink...” Fluttershy almost inaudibly announced.

“She’s right. Look, let’s just enjoy the night while we can, okay?”

Everyone nodded, and soon after, our food came. I picked up my first bottle of milk and held it up.

“Cheers!”

6:00 PM: Night of The First Day - 60 Hours Remain

The sound of a wolf howling, accompanied by the church bell could be heard as we stepped out of the restaurant. We all left the bar laughing, chatting, and with warm food and some mildly spiked milk in our bellies, were having a good evening, despite all the events that had happened earlier that morning. We decided to make our way back to the farm for the night and collect ourselves before heading out to find Rainbow Dash, the last of the crew. Casual conversation was struck along the way, and all was well - the curfew wasn’t for another two hours. We got through the main gates of the Apple farm, and out of the blue, a small team of about twelve large stallions, all pegasi, landed around us. They were wearing solid black uniforms, and masks that looked similar to a World-War II era gas mask. I brought my hand back, gripping the crossbow that was slung over my shoulder.

“Could I help you gentlemen?”

I didn’t have a chance to do anything before they all attacked us, knocking my posse and I to the ground. I quickly collected myself and stood back up, pulling out my knife. I slashed at one of the pegasi, but he dodged my swing and I was hit in the back of the head by another. The rest of my team each stood and attempted to confront a pony, but these guys were way too strong. Two of them grabbed Scootaloo.

“Nick! Help!”

“Scoots!”

I tried to stand again and rush to her aid, but was pinned down by one of the stallions.

“I’ll fucking kill you! Let her go!”

Twilight and Rarity tried to fight back with magical shots. Applebloom, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Spike, and Derpy were cast aside like playthings to the towering ponies, being thrown about. Applejack tried to fight back with what strength she could offer, but it wasn’t enough. Still, we fought, and we fought hard. Then the two ponies holding Scootaloo flew off. She screamed.

“SCOOTALOO!”

I got up in anger, throwing one of the stallions off of me, and started chasing after the two that had taken to the air, yet I didn’t get very far, as I was struck with a stone to the back of the head. The others were viciously overpowered by the team of pegasi, and after a few more moments of unsuccessful self-defense, my team caved in, and our attackers flew away, in the direction of Cloudsdale, towards a menacing looking structure high above the clouds. From this distance, it was a tall, perhaps twenty-five story structure, with many lights. I began to cry, watching the orange Crusader get drug off to the building, screaming into the night.

“Sc-scootaloo...”

My eye twitched, and my sadness abruptly turned to rage. I let out a few short, spastic laughs, which, thinking back, probably sounded like borderline insanity.

“Nobody.”

I began to shake and sweat, painfully standing up.

“MESSES.”

Veins bulged out across my skin, my jittery shakes getting worse.

“WITH MY KID!”

I threw myself up, running over to the others and trying to forcibly pull them from the ground.

“GOD DAMN IT! GET UP! EVERYONE GET UP! NOW!”

“Face it, Nick, she’s gone! There’s nothing you can do!” Twilight yelled at my outburst, painfully standing up with all the rest. That response - giving up, from Twilight, no less, made my anger come out even more. I grabbed Twilight by the neck with my human arm, slamming my robotic one down on the nearby fence, which caused the struck portion of the wood to splinter into pieces.

“Bull. Fucking. Shit. We're going to Cloudsdale! Grab all the equipment you can!” I seethed, growling under my breath as I spoke, and threw Twilight to the ground, who gagged and spat, trying to regain her breath. “Fluttershy, what is that building up there?” I asked, pointing up to the ominous structure that sat in the clouds many miles in the distance.

“That... that’s the Cloudsdale rainbow factory.” The timid pegasus managed to say, backing away from me slowly.

“Well, that’s where we’re going.”

“We’re not prepared to go up there! That place has gotten a heavy boost in security ever since the statue showed up in town!” Derpy said.

“Well then, looks like we're taking a stealthy approach. Let me tell you all something right now: When you hurt a man’s family...

I drew my crossbow, putting it in my mechanical hand, my pistol in my normal one.

“...he will do everything in his power to protect them...”

I walked over to the apple cellar and opened the trapdoor.

“...but take away a man’s DAUGHTER...”

I began to close the trap behind me, but took one last look at my group of friends standing on the lawn.

“...and he’s capable of anything.”

*SLAM*

“He’s right, everypony. We NEED to get Scootaloo back.” Twilight said, offering her hoof. The others brought their own limbs together, forming a ring. They then brought them up into the air for a cheer.

“For Scootaloo!”

At that, all the girls and Spike split to collect the things they would need.

“Twilight, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Spike. What?”

“Why does Cloudsdale need a ‘rainbow factory’ when the weather factory already makes rainbows?”

“I- well, I dunno. It’s a new place they built around five months ago.”

Chapter XIV: Childhood Fears And Mushroom Clouds

I awoke on a floor, in a small lab of some kind, with a few small machines and shelves here and there, as well as a large device, which had glass tanks attached to it, filled to the brim with liquid rainbow. In a small corner was a desk with a personal desktop computer. The model itself didn’t look all too modern. It was a beige, bulky looking box, but ran what appeared to be a knockoff of Windows 7. I regained my composure, and looked around the room. Lying around me were the others, with of course, the exception of Scootaloo and Dinky. I got up and rushed over to Applejack, noting they were all breathing.

“Guy- AUGH!”

I fell down at a sudden electrical shock that was entwined around my neck, blue sparks surrounding my throat. The charges stung my torn flesh, the currents traveling through my body and causing my already weak heart to violently jump. I gasped in pain trying to regain my breath, and felt a device wrapped around my neck; a shock collar. Not only that, but I was shackled by my feet and arms with wrought iron chains, and so were the others, attached to me in a line. The others, except Spike, were shackled together in their standard standing position, with all fours on the ground. I on the other hand, had slightly more movement than my counterparts, able to stand, and so, I did. As I got up, two ponies came through a nearby door. One was Dash, without her mask. The other pony was a deep red pegasus, a male. He had a white lab coat on, and saftey goggles on his head. His eyes were nearly the same color as his coat. He approached me and the rest of my team, who were lying unconscious on the floor (I could tell, because I could see them breathing. Thank god they weren’t dead).

“So, you’re the one who broke into my factory? I’m impressed. I don’t understand how you managed to elude my guards for so long and break into this place, but I commend you for that.” the pony said to me with a booming, authoritative voice as he suddenly walked over to his computer and rolled the chair beside it towards me, sitting down on it backwards, coming about three feet away. I would have punched him if my arms weren’t shackled together by the wrists.

“Go ahead, ask away, human; Rainbow told me you wanted answers.”

I looked around the room, hoping for my crew to wake up soon. The pegasus seemed sincere enough in his wording, and seeing as I couldn’t do much right now, I might as well try to get answers from him.

“First of all, who are you?”

The red pegasus chuckled a bit.

“I? I am Doctor Atmosphere. I specialize in electrical engineering. I have been working at this place since Rainbow Dash, Gilda, and myself established it nearly four and a half months ago.”

“Where did the idea for this place come from?”

“When I first met Rainbow Dash, she was perhaps the finest weather manager I had ever seen. She knew how to get her jobs done, and how to get them done well, on top of quickly. She had quite a high set of standards for work, and as time went on, they only got tougher. Still, having the best of the best doing work never hurt anypony.”

“So, what got you to found this place? you didn’t answer my question.”

“About five months ago, the statue that’s been showing up all over the country approached Rainbow and Gilda. Around the time he showed up, which was only a few weeks before the founding, Dash and Gilda had such a hatred against failure and laziness, that they contacted me, and said that he had given them the idea to create a place dedicated for the removal of failure. So, we bought an old apartment complex before the depression hit, and converted it into what you see here.”

“Isn’t the primary reason this place was built to make rainbows?”

Atmosphere gave another laugh, much more wicked than the first, and deeper as well.

“That’s rich. You think we’re here make rainbows? Rainbows are made out of pegasus feathers and water. That’s not what this place is for.”

I scowled, spitting in atmosphere’s face.

“Don't give me that bullshit. You throw creatures into the grinding machine, and rainbows come out!”

“Human, you don’t know the first thing of what we do here. The statue told me that your kind was one that often jumped to conclusions before actually listening to anything anypony had to say. You're intelligent creatures, he says, but you lack common patience and are prone to conflict between each other. In fact, the statue told me the only things your race excels at are war and porn.”

“Fuck you!”

“You’re only proving my point, human; you’re getting violent. I suggest you watch your tongue if you want answers, AND, if you want to keep it.”

Atmosphere got up off the chair and walked over to a window overlooking the grinding machine just a few floors below. As he continued to speak, he didn’t bother to look at me.

“True, when we throw a creature into the grinder, rainbows come out, but that’s only because, at the bottom, there’s already a mixture of fresh rainbow. We just throw them into the mix, and nopony gets suspicious, the red is just a bit more robust when we deploy it.”

“You’re a sick fuck, you know that?”

“Thank you.”

“Where’d you get all the technology? The lasers, the cameras, the turrets and radios... Where did all this shit come from? Your military isn’t nearly this advanced.”

“We have a supplier. A unicorn from Ponyville.”

“Very funny, ha-ha. No, seriously, where did you get it?”

Dash approached me, pushing me to the ground.

“Like he said, we have a supplier in Ponyville. She died a few months back, though, so we’ve been hard-pressed to find new equipment for the facility.” Dash explained, kicking me in the stomach a few times.

“OW! Fucking bitch!”

“You still haven’t taken the official tour of the factory!” Atmosphere giddily piped up, turning away from the window and approaching me with a sadistic smile.

“I’ve seen enough of this place!”

“Oh come now, it’s customary! You come here but haven’t taken the OFFICIAL tour that all our visitors do?”

“You telling me there’s MORE to this sick hellhole!?”

“Human, you have no idea...” The crimson pegasus scoffed, pulling me up off the ground as Dash put her mask back on. Quite a shame too, as the others started to wake up. I wish they could see the sick stuff their friend was doing. Though she spared me by pulling me from the grinder, Dash, I could not trust, and this I knew, so long as she was working here and was, for certain, possessed by BEN - it didn’t matter HOW ‘loyal’ she was, I wouldn’t buy a damn thing she said or did. The others slowly got up, wondering where they were, but we were immediately drug by Dash and two guards, armed with SMGs, over to a rustic looking elevator, a model you might see in the late nineteenth, early twentieth century. It alone was quite a change of scenery from the pristine and modern architecture that was the rest of the factory. What was down here, and where were we going? There must have been more of this structure beneath the cloud it rested on.

Man, I had NO idea what I was missing.

5:00 AM

We were all shoved into the cramped elevator, even the guards, Dash, and Atmosphere. As the decrepit looking lift went downwards, the scenery soon changed. The walls got darker, and were made of much more primitive materials, such as unrefined, unshaped chunks limestone; pure, uncut rocks, like something you’d see in a garden. The structural supports here were very aged and underused. The walls were aged, and clearly unkempt, growing mold and moss, and the entire trip down smelt absolutely rank. Applejack had come to, and with the others, was standing now. I wrapped my arms, though they were tied together, over her back for a hug, and Atmosphere began to speak.

“Everything we do is down HERE. The grinder, though it does prove useful in eliminating some individuals, is just a front; we actually like to get creative with the way we handle our unfit.

“What exactly constitues as ‘unfit’ to you two?”

Atmosphere giggled a bit, before speaking again.

“Imperfections, failure, whatever really. For example, you may wonder why we took Dinky. Well, that’s simple really. Her mother, who I see, you have fortunately brought with you, has a genetic imperfection that makes her eyes act oddly. Plus, her sense of direction is poor. Likely, this is a genetic trait, and so, to avoid spreading inferior genes, we had no CHOICE but to eliminate her. We handle all kinds of creatures, whether they’re injured, had mental or physical disability, are too old...”

“So, you’re fuckin’ Nazis.”

“No, not by any means; we very loosely base our work off that foal’s tale, but we’re definitely our own breed of visionaries.”

“Wait... so... the foal’s tales are based off history?”

“I don’t know, you’re the human, you tell me.” Dash interrupted.

“You’re all monsters!” Derpy exploded. “GIVE ME BACK MY DINKY!”

Derpy was hit upside the head with the butt of one of the guard’s weapons.

“Shut up, you whore!”

“Are you sure they went this way, Scootaloo?”

“I’m not, but we don’t have a choice but to follow the blood. It’s our only lead.”

“I hope you’re right. I want mom...”

“And I want Nick. But if we stand here and talk about it, we aren’t going to get anywhere, Dinky.”

“You're right, let’s go...”

Both fillies were now back up at the top floor, where Nick had fought with Gilda. There was blood here, going in a trail to another room on the opposite side of the catwalk. There were guards on the lower floor beneath them, searching, and Scootaloo knew that they would be coming up this way soon.

“Come on, through here. They went this way.”

Both of the girls came to a small lab that had a computer in the corner, as well as a large machine with glass tubing that was completely filled with rainbow. What caught the little pegasus’ eye however, was a collection of items on the desk.

A gun, a CD, a crossbow, and a cellphone, including a strange piece of paper encased in a cracked and nearly broken wooden frame with a glass panel, along with three CB radios and variously designed saddlebags, including her own, full of her own equipment. Scootaloo grabbed her things. She then looked over to an aged lift in the back of the room.

“Let’s go, Dinky. They have to be down here...”

After the ride down, Atmosphere and Dash stepped in front of us, and we all stepped out, the two guards following behind us. This place, from the get-go, was flat out disturbing. The walls and floors were lined with bones and blood, and the stones they were made of were dark and moldy, leaving the smell of a raw sewer system. The place was extremely dark. Atmosphere, Dash, and the guards picked us up, flying over what looked like a pit of some kind. It looked practically bottomless from the view. Spikes lined the inside, bones, mostly skulls impaled on them. This was only the beginning, I realized. We continued, coming to a rusty iron door. Through here was an even worse looking room, stained with blood, and the floors were made of nothing other than dirt. The walls were decoratively lined with torches, spaced three feet apart, and in between them sat pony skulls on small mantles. Applebloom and Spike clenched their eyes shut.

“Down this hallway is our favorite pet. He’s gotten quite lonely, and is DYING to have some new playmates. How about you, sweetheart?” Atmosphere asked, setting a hoof on Applejack as we neared a handleless, studded iron door that slowly began to lift automatically. “Why don’t you play with him?”

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Pinkie Pie screamed, growling at Atmosphere and Dash like a dog.

“Oooh, we have us a feisty one here. Would you two like to play with him?”

Before the others could give a reply, Dash gave a sharp whistle. The armed guards unhooked Applejack and Pinkie from the chain, and forcibly pushed them inside of the now open door. It slammed shut behind them, and all I could do was scream as gigantic steel bars closed over the doorway.

“APPLEJACK! PINKIE!”

“Now now, on with the tour...”

“You motherfucker! Let them out of there!”

I fell down in pain at another shock to my neck as I tried to lunge at Atmosphere. both he and Dash laughed at me, each of them kicking me in the stomach, and I tried to pull myself back up, in intense pain.

“Dead hoof will have tons of fun with those two...”

“D-dead hoof? Wh-what’s that?” Rarity stammered, trying to mask her fear and disgust of the abhorrently macabre decor.

“A nice little present your dear friend Twilight built for us a few months back.” Atmosphere said, looking to nobody in particular.

So... Twilight also made money by selling some creations to other people. Mother of god...

“I don’t remember any of it...” Twilight retorted back silently, a twinge of regret in her voice.

“Of course you don’t, you stupid foal.”

We came to a different part of the basement. Here sat a statue of two ponies, back to back in hooded cloaks. The statues each held a large, scythe-like blade, and a machine underneath them slowly spun them around. The floors in this area were stained with dried blood as well, and I could hear screams. Screams of the dead of course; this place had no sign of life for miles.These yells were from tortured souls of all races, genders, and, unfortunately, ages. Whatever they did on the working floor of the factory, it was child’s play compared to the shit that must have gone on down here, and the architecture was eerily reminiscent of a place I had seen back home...

...a certain 'temple'.

Dear god. BEN sure was a sick fuck...

“Imagine if you will, a world free of imperfection and failure; we would have a glorious society with absolutely no setbacks, constant innovation, continuous advancement and growth... and never have to waste resources on the helpless.There’d be nowhere to go but up!” Atmosphere giddily said, as the two guards unclasped Derpy from her restraints and began to tie her down to the floor, just beneath the blades, but still in their path, as Dash flipped a lever that turned the spinner off for a moment. The bubbly pegasus screamed, trying to claw the other two ponies tying her down. Atmosphere came to me and kicked me to the floor, pinning me down on it with his hoof, so all I could do was watch. The skull kid laughed as the song of unhealing continued to play in the air, and Fluttershy started to cry. Applebloom and Spike were repressing this as best they could.

“Have her tied down, sirs.” one guard said, as he and his companion stepped away from the struggling mailmare. Dash flipped the lever, and the blades began to spin again.

“And that’s why we need to ensure a healthy and masterful race of creatures, that can’t impede societal progress. That’s why we made this place, and it's all thanks to your friend here...” Atmosphere began, but cut himself off as the statue spawned in front of us. “...that we were able to have such a marvelous creation.”

“Fuck you. Fuck you and the Rainbow Factory!”

“Aw, how cute. The human is angry again!” Dash scoffed, smacking me upside the face. I wiped the fresh blood off my mouth, and spat at the dark-suited pegasus.

“Take that mask off, and show them the sick fuck you really are, Rainbow!”

“R-rainbow!?” The others in my team asked with various loud gasps, taken aback as Derpy continued to struggle.

“Who else, you idiots?” Dash rhetorically asked, removing her gas mask, and revealing her face, along with her unnaturally blood red eyes, and rainbow mane, splattered with extra red here and there.

“R-Rain... Dash, how could you!?” Fluttershy meekly asked, backing away as far as her restraints would allow, the others staring in disbelief.

“Simple. The statue opened my eyes...”

“Oh dear Celestia...” Twilight muttered under her breath as sweat began to run across her lavender colored cheeks.

“On with the tour, now!” Atmosphere happily interrupted, picking me up by my shoulders and, along with Dash and the two guards, continued to drag us farther into the basement as the song of unhealing continued to play.

6:00 AM ***VIDEO***

Scoots and Dinky had entered the basement level, both of whom could feel nothing other than uneasiness and disturbance in their stomachs. The first trial was this freakish chasm below. Scoots couldn’t fly, Dinky couldn’t use magic, so how to get across?

“Maybe if I throw you...”

“Yeah, but what about you, Dinky? You’d be stuck here.”

“I’ll be fine. YOU need to go save the human.”

“What... what about Derpy, your mom?”

Dinky stopped to put a hoof on Scoot’s shoulder.

“You have a cutie mark. You’ve been through more than I, that I can see. Whatever’s down here, you’re much better prepared for it than I could ever hope to be. And I have a feeling that you’ll get them both out of this place. I have a feelling we’ll all get out if this place, even the other prisoners.”

“Dinky, I can’t do this without you!”

“Scootaloo, sometimes, you have to brave a challenge on your own. Help may or may not come...”

“I... I know that, Dinky.”

“Then let me throw you across. If- WHEN you get them out, mom and Fluttershy can fly you all back.”

“I’m ready.”

Dinky slowly walked over to the edge of the pit and turned to face her friend, and knelt down, extending her forehooves out in a cup.

“Come at me.”

Scootaloo drew a breath, closed her eyes, and then opened them again and sprinted for Dinky.

…And found herself being hoisted into the air, flying over the gap, and landing face first on the floor, skidding through a pile of bones. Scoots got up, pulling a peice of shoulder blade from her mane and dusting herself off.

“Ow...”

“Great! We did it. Now be careful, Scootaloo. I’m gonna go see what I can do for the rest of the prisoners. Good luck.”

“You too, Dinky. Stay safe, and consider yourself a member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders once we get out of this.”

“I must say, Discord, you have really changed. That whole shpiel with the zombies has done wonders. I commend you, Discord, truly, I commend you, for learning to create true chaos. Now, don’t get me wrong, I truly understand your concern, boy; you would rather have fun with your victims, rather than kill them. Well then, I have a proposition for you...”

Discord gulped, his wings falling flat by his sides in nervous anticipation.

“Please, don’t take another part of my body...”

“When I said I don’t need you, I found I was wrong. Ever since the incident with the Crusaders at Derpy’s house, I’ve been unable to posess Jadusable directly; he’s learned to better control his anger, thus barring me from taking direct control of his mind - his will has gotten far too strong, and I can only feed off emotions So, I will ask one thing of you. Do you remember how you took control of Jad to make him dig up the graveyard?”

“Y-yes, master.”

“And you remember how I needed you to persuade Twilight to drink the ‘special’ FlimFlam drink that had my soul in it so I could possess her?”

“Yes sir...”

“Well, I’ll need that talent again... IF you persuade Jadusable to kill one of the children that are with him right now...”

“Y-yes?”

“...I will personally give you access to the human world - and let you off the leash. So long as they don’t have the instrument, I have no need to fear, but, I’d perfer you had one of them die, lessening the chances of them finding it.”

Discord’s eyes widened in pure amazement. “You... you’re letting me wreak my own chaos in the human world!?”

“So long as you do this. Otherwise, I’ll kill you. Now, work the magic of that silver tongue you have.”

Discord immediately fell to his knees, crossing his only arm over his chest line, and bowing his head.

“Thank you, master. I shall not fail you. But what of my plans to lead them into the forbidden town in the Everfree?”

“I’ll handle that, Discord. Get to work on making Jad side with you.”

And with that, Discord snapped his talons together, disappearing in a flash of light.

“Maybe I can’t control you, Jadusable... but I can still kill you. What say, if you make it out of this, I take you all for a nice swim?”

Applejack stood, trying her best to orient herself. Pinkie did the same as well, propping herself up against the wall of the room they were thrown into, but instantly jumped away as her back touched.

“Woah, Geez!”

The room... this room... it was built out of nothing more than bone. The walls, the ceilings, even the floor.

“What in the sam-hey is goin’ on in here!? Why in tarnation is this room made out of-”

Applejack was cut short as a sudden tremor shook the floor, and out of it slowly arose what appeared to be a hoof. Then another, then another, and another, continuing to form a small ring of hooves. They appeared to be bloody, and decomposing, flesh falling off the bones in strips, the hooves at the ends cracked and chipped. The entire legs themselves were malnourished looking, and carried with them a clammy, pasty-white coloration and appearance, which only stuck out with the blood splatters that covered them. Applejack held a hoof up in front of Pinkie.

“Sugarcube, stay back... Imma see what this here’s about...”

Applejack slowly approached one of the protruding hooves, gently touching it.

“AUGH! PINKIE PIE, HELP!”

The freakish appendage lunged at Applejack, grabbing her by the head, and lifting her a few feet off the ground. A few seconds later, another tremor from underneath the floor came, and out slowly came a creature, crawling its way from underneath the piles of bones. This thing was a gelatinous mass, though hard to see with the singular torchlight hanging above the room. It had no visible legs, its lower body like that of a slug. Across its entire body were red stains. The probability that this thing had hurt itself, however, was unlikely; these were more likely to be wounds where other ponies must have unsuccessfully attempted to retaliate against the creature. Pinkie Pie screamed at the top of her lungs.

“What do I do!?”

“Ah don’t know, get this thing away from me! What about ya party cannon!?”

“The guards took it!”

“Aw... shit.”

The creature, looking at it, had the face of a pony. It lacked eyes, black, soulless pits replacing them. Where the creature’s forehooves should have been sat stubbed and jaggedly broken bones, only mild remnants of what remained of the creature’s former hooves. The jaw was outstretched, and the teeth were rotted, much like the necrotic flesh that sickeningly peeled off of the beast, and it slowly waddled its way over to AJ, who was struggling against the hoof holding snuggly to her as Pinkie Pie panicked in the corner.

“Dear Celestia, help! This thing’s gonna eat me!”

Derpy on the other hoof, had her own problems. Above her spun two slowly rotating scythe blades from the statue she was tied to. With every three passes the blades made, the statue slowly dropped down, bringing the rotating slicers down by about half an inch. Another approximate fifty passes, and it would start touching her mane. another twenty after that, and, well...

“Oh, Celestia, oh Celestia... what do I do!? HELP!”

We continued through this hellish place, coming to a hallway with a guillotine, also soaked in blood. We had actually gone down DEEPER into the basement, having gone down a ramp some time before. As such, the place was much darker and creepier. The screams and moans here were much more demonic and twisted, sending chills down all of our spines. Applebloom was trying desperately to block everything out, crying, screaming, clamping her eyes shut, and trying to sing a happy tune.

“Now, THIS here, is a classic.” Atmosphere said, pointing a hoof up to the guillotine as he unlatched Twilight from her restraints and laid her down on the floor, just under the blade, it hovering not over her head, but her stomach. Fluttershy began to cry.

“Rainbow Dash, stop this, right now!”

One of the guards smacked Fluttershy in the face, knocking her against a wall. The other then violently grabbed her by her mane, and kicked her in the chest. She fell down to the floor covered in blood.

“FLUTTERSHY!” Rarity screamed, trying to lunge out for her friend, but was hit in the back of the head by Dash, and fell to the floor.

“Rarity!” Spike burst in, trying to worm his way free. While this was going on, I tried to see what I could do. I felt my pants for a moment - dumb sons of bitches forgot to take my knife away. I tried to weasel my hands down to my pants and draw my concealed kitchen knife. However, a guard noticed what I was attempting, gripped the knife, and drove it through my other flesh hand, the blade exiting through the back, and cutting up some of my tendons. I lost feeling in my first three fingers. Atmosphere tied Twilight down to the floor with some utility rope, just under the guillotine.

“OOOOWWWW! FUCK!”

“Don’t bother to try teleporting your way to safety, sweetheart; we had a unicorn team come down here and put a disarming spell around the area two hours ago, so you won’t get anywhere with your magic.” Atmosphere said, as Twilight struggled under her ropes, and then stood up as he pulled the end of the rope taunt. “Now, let’s move along! There’s so much to see! Rainbow, be a dear and hit the switch for this thing, will you?”

“Dear Celestia, I’m gonna die...” Twilight squealed under her breath. I tried to stand amidst my pain, and turned my attention to the panicked mare.

“Nobody‘s gonna... die, Twilight... We’ll... get... *huff* out of this.”

“That’s just wishful thinking, human. Let us move on, now.”

“Fuck you, Dash. And fuck you too, BEN! I know you’re in here! Come out and face me!”

No response other than the bone-chilling laugh of the skull kid, as we were drug away from the screaming Twilight Sparkle.

7:00 AM

“Oh. My. Celestia. This place is just...”

Scootaloo was carefully treading through this lower basement, her young mind being polluted with the moans, screams, and begging cries of the dead that, no surprise to even her, resided down here. Just being here was one of the most horrifying experience in itself, but she HAD to trudge on. Everypony’s lives were depending on her. The little pegasus came to a steel door, and putting her hoof to it, instantly jumped back at the sounds of feminine screams on the other side, and further down the hallway that must have lied behind this doorway.

“Applejack! Pinkie Pie!”

Scootaloo bashed the metallic door open, knocking one of the hinges loose, and running down the dirt chamber dimly lit with small torches. As she sprinted down the twisting and turning hallways, trying to track the scream, voices began to speak in the air.

“What is hidden in the darkness? Tricks full of ill will. You can’t see the way forward...”

Scootaloo was flat out lost, but was drawn to the same pair of screams, much closer now. But where were they coming from?

The screams, one final time.

“Inside this wall? What?”

Scootaloo cautiously approached the wall in which the sound originated, putting her hoof to it, but instantly pulled it away as her own limb slowly slid through it, with no visible or physical resistance.

“Woah!”

Scootaloo put her hoof back through the wall, and then gently stepped the rest of her body through, coming face to face with a rustic looking door, clasped shut with massive steel bars that ran down the length of the iron slab. A few seconds later, Scootaloo heard a scream on the other side, then a few words.

“Hey meanie! Over here!”

“Applejack! Pinkie!”

Pinkie Pie threw a few skulls at the creature, attempting to draw its attention. Lo and behold, the beast slowly changed course, moving away from Applejack, who was about to be bitten across the neck as the (likely) undead creature slowly opened its mouth and lunged its head forward before being pegged by Pinkie’s stray projectiles.

“Pick on somepony your own size!”

As the creature turned around, Applejack managed to wiggle herself loose from the undead hoof that was gripping her firmly, and jumped up to buck the beast in the back of the head. It screamed, then retreated back into the bone floor, burying itself.

“Is it dead?”

“Ah don’t think so, sugarcube...”

“Pinkie! Applejack! You two in there!?”

Applejack ran over to the locked door on the other side of the room and slammed her hooves against it.

“Scootaloo!? Thank Celestia you’re okay! Where in thunderation ya been!?”

“That doesn’t matter! We need to get you out of there! I’m gonna try and find something to pry the door open!”

Pinkie Pie screamed as the creature emerged from the ground again. She picked up another piece of bone, this one a femur, and broke it at an angle, forming a shiv.

“Sugarcube, we have this under control! Go git the others!”

“But...”

“NOW!’

“Okay, meanie face, you wanna hurt my friend!? I’ll show you!”

Pinkie Pie blindly charged in towards the rotting figure, holding the bone in her hoof, and running it through the creature’s neck. It screamed again, then retreated into the skeletal pile beneath.

“Come back out, party pooper!”

“Sugarcube, why in tarnation are ya being so violent!?”

“I’m fighting to survive, Applejack! Are you just gonna stand there, or help me stop this thing!?”

Survival... the same excuse Nick has for his actions.

“Pinkie Pie, be careful! That thing is gonna eat’cha if ya don’t watch yaself!”

“Stop being such a scaredy-pony, Applejack! This is about survival!”

AJ couldn’t fathom such harsh words coming out of one of her friend’s mouths, Pinkie Pie, the most laid back and fun-loving of them all, especially. The pink party mare that always lived a relaxed a joy filled life had finally buckled down and learned to take some things in the world a bit more seriously. It was quite the shock.

“Alright, sugar, let’s do this...” Applejack said, tilting her seston hat downwards and charging at one of the hooves.

“Ah’ll play bait, an’ when it grabs me, stab it!”

“Anypony in here?”

Dinky was back on the factory floor, trying her best to avoid the guards. She peered her head into a room, which she believed was the prisoner room she was recently held in. Unfortunately, like her mother, who frequently mixed up the town’s mail, Dinky never did have a grand sense of direction. There was nothing in this room other than few computers and...

"Woah!"

...a gun turret. Dinky dove back behind the wall, a small cluster of bullets flying over her head. The little unicorn’s heart pounding, Dinky took a breath and sprinted across the hallway, followed by another burst of ammunition.

“We’ve got a situation upstairs, shots fired!”

"Let me go, you cretans! This is NO way to treat a lady!”

Rarity was being unhooked from her chains now, being placed underneath a spiked device that Atmosphere liked to call ‘the rain of pain’. It was a large, five foot by five foot metal plate, with spikes running the underside. The two guards began to tie her down to the floor, and Dash flipped the nearby lever on the wall, which made the platform began to slowly drop down. I could hear the mask salesman laugh, and BEN’s voice...

“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”

Rarity screamed as the hanging device slowly began to lower to her. Just a few minutes, and she would be gone. What could I do? Nothing. Both of the guards dragged the rest of us, which consisted of Applebloom, Fluttershy, Spike, and myself, further down the nearby hallway. Some time later, we came to a door, and Dash kicked it open. It revealed long, narrow room, about ten feet wide by fifty feet long. Atmosphere and a guard unhooked Fluttershy, who began to kick and scream violently, her blood-soaked face running cold with fear. The room was rather plain, though the floor was covered in blood. On each end of the room sat a wooden wall, carved and designed in such a way that all across it sat spikes, made of, and attached to the former wall. On a handful of these sat punctured skulls, each of which had varying degrees of flesh rot: some were barren, others were fresh, and more, somewhere in between. Fluttershy clasped her eyes shut as she was forcibly thrown into the room.

“Happy place... think of the happy place...”

At that, the door slammed behind Fluttershy, and Dash pulled a switch that was on the wall, outside of the room. A few minutes later, we could hear the timid pegasus scream. The kids and I were drug to a room on the opposite side of the hallway. Here, there was nothing more than a small crucifix, veiled in crimson. No twisted torture devices, no traps, no spikes, no blades...

...hooves basked in the blood of others, here.

And then? I was unhooked from my shackles, as well as the two remaining kids. Atmosphere took hold of a loose coil of rope that was sitting in the corner of the room, and began to tie the children down to the crucifix. I was free to move about, but there was no notable escape. Going up against Dash in its own right was suicide, and I had two guards with guns, plus Atmosphere, who I was pretty certain could handle himself. I pulled the knife from my hand, screaming in pain.

“Ah, I think he gets what we want of him! Good human!”

What do they want of me? What did they want? I- hold on...

I looked to the knife in my robotic arm, then to the two kids who were now strapped taunt to the cross.

No...

“Get to it, human.”

“Fuck off. the only person I’m killing is you.”

“I’d love to see you try. My guards and Dash will be sure to accommodate any action.”

Well shit... what am I supposed to do? If I didn’t, they’d not only kill me, but the kids themselves. After I did, if I did, I would die as well. Either way, we were all going to die...

“We’re waiting...”

“Ah, so THIS is the human!”

Wait a second, where did that second voice come from? I swear I heard it before...

“You don’t know who I am, do you?” the voice asked me again, before a bright flash of light filled the room, and from it, appeared...

“Discord!? What the fuck!?”

“Normally, we’d all run in fear of Discord, but the statue is cool with him, so, we made an exception...” Atmosphere added, as the song of unhealing started to play in the room, and Discord opened his mouth to speak.

“Who else? Didn’t you catch on with Twilight and Rarity losing their color? I’m surprised, as much as you say you know about us. In fa-”

“The hell happened to your paw and antler?”

No response, though I could see it was a personal hit to Discord. He came back angry, lashing out at me, then quickly changing the subject.

“None of your business, human. Tell me... how far would you be willing to go for these children?” he asked me, snapping his talons together, and disappearing for a moment, then reappearing behind me. I turned around to stab him, but he simply brought his talon out, holding my blade in place by one claw. Remember Girahim from Skyward Sword? Yeah, kinda like that - he was taunting me. “Now, tell me, do you miss your home?”

“Of course.”

“What would you give... to go back?”

“Nick, don’t listen to him!”

“Scootaloo! Thank Celestia! untie me!”

Scoots had just walked into a main atrium containing two rotating statues with blades, and a packing Derpy Hooves underneath, the scythes coming ever closer. The spinning machine kept dropping with every turn, leaving little room for mistakes; it had already started to cut up Derpy’s mane.

“Don’t worry, I got ya!”

Scoots rushed over and viscously bit at the tangled, decrepit looking rope, giving the wall-eyed pegasus some wiggle room, though she still wasn’t free.

*Ching*

“Oh Celestia, one more turn, get me out!”

Scootaloo, with what strength she could muster, tore at the ropes with her mouth again, spitting them in half with a violent tear. Derpy instinctively rolled away, and breathed a sigh of relief as the blades dropped down yet again.

“Th-thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it, you okay?” Scoots asked, feeling Derpy’s pulse, temperature, and thoroughly examining her for any wounds.

“I- I’m fine, Scootaloo, thank you. Have you seen my Dinky?"

“Dinky’s perfectly fine. She went to go help the other prisoners.”

Derpy gave an ear to ear grin, hugging the young pegasus, barely audible cries passing from the mare as she dug her muzzle into the filly’s purple mane.

“I knew my little Dinky was a fighter...”

“Look, Derpy, we need to go get the others. Applejack and Pinkie Pie are handling something, but they’ll...”

“Scootaloo! Derpy!”

Both ponies immediately turned at the shout, only to see the aforementioned others approach. Scootaloo lovingly clamped onto the two earth ponies before her, crying out their names in joy. However, that joy was soon brought to gut-stricken panic as she took a closer look at Applejack. The farm mare that everypony had known and loved was in a very bad way. She was bitten across the neck, bleeding profusely, and one ear was missing, also gushing out red. She was torn open an the stomach, and one eye was swollen shut. Also, her left forehoof was twisted, and Pinkie Pie was hysterical, in tears.

“Sugarcube... it’s... it’s fine, ah’m alright.”

“No you are NOT!” Scootaloo cried, lying Applejack down on the musty stone floor, and examining her wounds carefully, taking her medical supplies out of her saddlebags. “You need to know when to get help from others! Derpy, Pinkie, get out of here and go after the rest!”

“On it!”

“HELP!”

Twilight was doing her best to wiggle loose, and of course, she had attempted magic first; perhaps Atmosphere had been lying about the spell-dampening field, but no, he was right. Every attempt at magic the purple unicorn had made was met with failure thus far. What could she do? Time was running out, as the guillotine slowly lowered, coming just five inches short of her stomach.

“Twilight!”

“Wa-what!? Thank Celestia! Pinkie Pie! Derpy!”

Both friends nodded and rushed over to assist their companion, who, as soon as her bonds were broken, rolled out of the way just as the blade came slamming down, cutting a small portion of her tail off.

“Woah... That was close...”

Suddenly, a very high-pitched, effeminate scream.

“RARITY!”

“I’m not gonna lie, there’s not much I wouldn’t do to go home, Discord, but you can go fuck yourself.”

“Aw, come, now. You wouldn’t be willing to sacrifice one, maybe two lives, just to go home? You’ve already killed a good six or so. What’s two more?”

“Kiss my pasty kraut ass! They’re kids, Discord! Kids! Fuck yourself!

“Kids, indeed, human, but cartoons, nonetheless. We are nothing more than figments of your imagination. Killing any of us won’t cause harm; we aren’t even real!”

“How have I been stuck here for five months then? How the hell did I lose my arm!? You say that’s not real!?”

I can give you your arm and eye back. I can give you your teeth, and fix all your injuries. I can put you back in your apartment, human. All you have to do, is kill both of them.”

“I just wanna go home, and forget about all of this...”

“And you will... once you kill these two.”

“Nick, No!”

“Will I go home? Truly, Discord? WILL I go home!?”

“You have my word.” He said to me, his soothing voice encasing me, rattling around in my ears. I was right. This place was just a cartoon... If the people here died, what did I have to lose? I just wanted to wake up...

“NICK!”

“Wouldn’t you like to go back to Overland Park?”

Holy shit, Discord was being serious. He knew where I lived, down to the city. Perhaps... perhaps I could go home. And all I had to do was just kill... two more... cartoon characters...

“Nick, stop!”

“Dude, don’t kill us, you out of your mind?!”

“Gracious! Twilight, thank you so much!”

“No problem, Rarity. We still have to go get Fluttershy. Let’s get to it!”

Fluttershy was pounding on the giant steel door that held her into the elongated room of spikes, that began to slowly close in on her.

“Help! Somepony!”

The spined walls continued to work their way towards the pegasus. In a few moments, they would be on her, and the timid caretaker? She’d be nothing more than a squishy pile of red mush. Why not try to fly? Well, that wouldn't work, the entire hallway, from the floor to the ceiling, were occupied by the walls.

“Girls! Girls, if you can hear me, get me out of here! Please!” Fluttershy cried, pawing viscously at the steel door for a few minutes before hearing a loud bang on the other side.

“Fluttershy! You in there!?”

“Girls! Thank Celestia! Knock this door down!”

A violent slam on the door, though nothing else, then a voice.

“Fluttershy, fly up! We don’t wanna knock you down!”

Another slam on the door, then another, then another, crude and vicious dents being made on the steel with every hit, and the walls kept closing in. Ten inches, five, three... two...

One final slam. Fluttershy let out a high-pitched scream as the door flew at her, before she had a chance to fly up. If she wasn’t going to be impaled to death by the spikes, she was going to be spattered all over the room by this doo-

No pain, no blunt force slamming into the pegasus...

Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes, only to breathe an exhaustive sigh of relief; the door had indeed broken down, and flown towards her, but had gotten wedged between the spiked walls, stopping the torture device dead in its tracks. The yellow equine let out another sigh, nearly passing out on the ground, but was then lent a hoof by a smiling Rarity.

“Girls... thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it, Fluttershy, let’s go! We need to help Nick!”

“Applejack, you need to stop squirming! How do you expect me to fix you up if you keep fighting it- Applejack? APPLEJACK! STAY WITH ME! MOTHERBUCK, YOU AREN’T DYING ON ME!”

All I had to do... was kill two cartoon characters. Two things that didn’t even exist. What did I have to lose? Nothing. I brought my knife up to Applebloom’s neck, and she screamed.

“NICK! STOP!”

At that moment, the others barged into the room, with the exception of Applejack and Scootaloo. Twilight and Rarity picked up the two guards with their magic, and threw them against the wall, grabbing their weapons in the process, and turning them against Atmosphere and-

“Discord! What are you doing here!?”

I lowered my weapon, and turned to face the others, Discord standing behind me.

“I’m going home, girls.”

“Ah, ladies, I see you have been freed! Congratulations everypony!” Discord said, with his smarmy tone. “I’m just trying to let the human here go home. All he has to do for me is kill these two.” He continued to say, stepping in front of me.

The girls looked over to Nick, noting he had next to no color in his skin, hair, or clothing, that trademark gray overtaking his body; Discord had gotten to him, and had obviously promised him a way home.”

“LET HIM GO!”

Discord only laughed, walking over to Twilight, and putting his face to hers, their noses touching.

“You know, the major difference between BEN and I, is that he likes to kill. If I wanted, I could easily obliterate Ponyville AND the surrounding areas. He doesn’t like the fact that I’d rather have fun with my victims, playing with their world, rather than killing them off.” he said, slinking back to Nick and wrapping his talons over the human’s right shoulder.

“Discord, you BETTER send me home, or so help me god, I WILL fucking kill you.”

“And I will, human, just kill-”

“Enough of this! How did you all get free!?” Dash asked, tacking Twilight and Rarity to the floor. “I’ll kill all of you if you so much as STOP this human from ending them!”

Fluttershy drew backwards, and Derpy and Pinkie Pie pulled Dash away from the others, before Atmosphere decided to jump into the fray. Discord on the other hoof, snapped his talons, and disappeared in a flash of light.

“It’s been fun, everypony, but I’m afraid I can’t stay much longer; I’ve a brand new world to torment!”

“DISCORD! YOU SON OF A BITCH! TAKE ME BACK HOME!”

“Nick... don’t let anybody sway you. Don’t let those ‘silver-tounged devils’ try to sway your actions. You KNOW killing children isn’t justifiable.”

That... that voice. I keep hearing it.

“Okay, enough games, who the fuck are you?” I asked the air around me, as my friends battled it out in a hooffight with Dash, Atmosphere, and the guards.

“Oh, come on, Nick, you don’t recognize your own father?”

My mouth ran bone dry, and I lost my words. I shook my head a bit, holding my knife on the two children tied to the bloody crucifix.

“My father’s dead, BEN; stop fucking with my brain!”

“If I were BEN, would I know what I taught you as a child, what you refused to practice, despite my begging you because you were such a peace-lover? Not that there’s anything wrong with that; I just wish you took the training more seriously."

“If you’re my father, give me your name. Give me your name!”

“Michael Scott Brownford, retired G15 Warrant Officer of the United States Marine Corps. Born on March 3rd, 1963 in Baltimore, Maryland. Married to Carolyn Sue Miller as of December 21st, 1985, who gave birth to Nicholas Matthew Brownford on May 25th, 1990 on Camp Pendelton Naval Base in San Diego, California. Received the purple heart and bronze star for service in August of 1991, and deceased as of November 11th, 2011, following the driving off of a cliff at 1:37 AM due to a GPS failure. Need any more poof, son?”

“I-I-I-I...”

“NICK, STOP TALKING TO YOURSELF AND HELP US!” Twilight yelled, as Atmosphere brought a powerful hoof down upon her face.

“Don’t let Discord tell you what to do. You KNOW killing children is an unforgivable thing. You know what you have to do. Stop Dash, stop Atmosphere, and free the other prisoners here! I can’t believe you would nearly sell your soul to Discord like that!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My father was here? How? Wasn’t he dead? How was he talking to me, and how did he get here in the first place?

“D-dad... I... how did you get here? What’s letting you talk to me? I have so many questions!”

“And in time, Nick, you’ll get your answers. Know you’re not alone - I’ve been guiding you every step of the way. Just do me one favor when you face BEN, will you?”

“W-what?”

“Get him back for what he did to me.”

“What did he do to you!? Dad! Wait!”

No response.

“Dad!”

There was no use, he was gone, and so was Discord. The song of unhealing was playing in the air, and in the corner of the room, my friends were duking it out with Atmosphere, Dash, and the guards. My dad was right. What the fuck was I doing, listening to Discord, of all people? Didn’t the show teach me anything? I was about to kill innocent lives again! I took the knife and threw it at one of the guards attacking the others, and the blade stuck him clean in the temple. If any killing needed to be done, it was these guards that posed a threat. I ran to the other and grabbed him by the head, pile-driving his face into the floor. Pinkie Pie threw Atmosphere off of her, and he went flying into me, sending me against the back wall with the force of a mortar. I threw Atmosphere away from me, but he turned around, and decked me across the face, my nose breaking, and covering myself in blood once more. I got up and rushed over to the body with the blade in it, and turned around, stabbing at Atmosphere once I collected it. The others were dealing with Dash, Spike and Applebloom still tied up and panicking. I grabbed Atmosphere by the neck with my robotic arm, and tried to choke him out. At that moment, Scootaloo rushed in, barely holding an unconscious, and severely injured Applejack. Atmosphere started pummeling me, hitting me multiple times in the face again. Scootaloo let go of Applejack, and rushed to my aid, trying to fight against the red-coated, white-suited pony. He hit me again and I bled some more, and grabbed me by the head, throwing me to the side like a ragdoll.

“Dad! Sing the song! It’s the only way to stop Dash!”

“Fuck! My nose! Scootaloo, untie Spike and Applebloom!

I tackled Atmosphere to the ground, ripping out a portion of his mane. He screamed and hit me again, tearing my eyepatch off, and breaking two of my right fingers. I grabbed my knife, which was on the ground, and stabbed him in the flank, as Pinkie Pie fell down next to me, getting punched in the stomach by Dash. Rainbow was a tough fighter, that I knew, but Jesus, she could take on almost all her friends and win...

“I’m gonna fucking kill you, Atmosphere!”

The stallion threw me off of him, and I went barreling through the crucifix, slamming into Spike, Scootaloo, and Applebloom. I stood to fight, pushing the kids out of the way, and jumped at Atmosphere with the knife. He blocked me, and then, I was blindsided by Dash, getting kicked in the face. My head flew backwards with a snap, my jaw breaking, and I landed on my back, with Atmosphere and Dash towering over me, the others, in intense pain, scattered around the floor. Now it was up to me. So what to do? Kill Atmosphere and save Dash. I took the two ponies by the heads with my arms, and slammed their skulls together. Dash still had her mask on, and, with the hefty canister on the muzzle, it knocked Atmosphere clean out. One down, one to go.

“NICK! SING THE SONG!”

And at that, I did, rolling Dash underneath me, and pinning her in place. She was struggling, trying to break free, but, let’s face it, I was twice as big as her, and, thanks to Applejack, a now well-built farmhand to boot. Plus, I had an arm made of steel. She wasn’t going anywhere.

"Dash, listen to me. You aren't being yourself."

As I sang, the others’ eyes grew heavy, slowly starting to fall asleep. Not too long after, I joined them, passing out for a small amount of time. When we woke up, it was time to get any other prisoners this place was holding out of here.

8:00 AM

“Human? Get up! Hey! Com’on!”

I woke up to find myself staring into the wine-colored eyes of a cyan pegasus, who turned away to spit up a black, tarry residue. The others were surrounding me, including Applejack, who was in poor shape, but patched up and alive. Atmosphere was on the ground next to me, unconscious, next to a set of black armor. I sat up, and gently embraced Applejack, noting her wounds. I carefully picked AJ up, letting her rest off the front of my body, her front hooves and head dangling over my shoulder.

“Come on, guys, let’s get the hell out of here.”

We made our way back to Atmosphere’s lab, and collected our things, which were sitting on a nearby table.

“Scootaloo, do you know where the other prisoners were being held?”

“Uh-huh. Top floor, eastern side of the building.”

“Alright, let’s roll out, people! Time to bust out some captives!”

We slowly worked our way back up to the upper floors, surprisingly, meeting no resistance. After about thirty minutes of traversing the structure, still sneaking around,.we came to the aforementioned prisoner room, but...

"HOLY SHIT!"

...there was a gun turret in the middle of the room. How the hell were we gonna get through here? There had to be a way to shut down the security system...

“Dash, you know your way around this place, where are the security measures controlled from?”

“Human, I don’t even know what I’ve been doing the past four and a half months!”

“Fuck...”

I stopped for a second and took a quick peek around the doorframe, only to be greeted with a hailstorm of bullets, which I quickly avoided by pulling away. From what I could gather in the short glimpse I had of the weapon, the turret itself looked like a small, multi-barreled chaingun that rotated around the room a full three-sixty degrees. Its rotation was a bit slow though, and it appeared to have what looked like a small camera hanging on the side. Perhaps...

...perhaps if I shot that, it wouldn’t be able to ‘see’ us. I drew my crossbow, and loaded a few bolts, and peered around the corner. This time, the turret was facing away from us. I brought the bow up to my face, and opened on the camera like device, which drove a bolt straight through it. The turret turned around, and the barrels came straight at me.

“Shit, I’m gonna die...”

No bullets tearing me to shreds - it really worked.

“Alright! Anyone in there!?”

An eruption of screams and cries for help. I stepped into the doorway, followed by the others. Here, I was greeted with a room full of caged individuals, which consisted of all manner of pony, regardless of race, color, gender, age, what have you. The ponies that were here, consisted of all kinds of ponies with some kind of injury or disability.

“Team, hop to it, let’s break them out!”

We got to work, breaking open cages and freeing as many as we could, Rarity with her hoof file, I with my knife, and the others with what they had on them. The cameras in the room spotted us, which set off an alarm, but we had a force that went upwards of a hundred and twenty ponies, plus a heavily armed human.

“LETS GET THE FUCK OUT!”

Our platoon barreled through the place, ponies looking out for eachother, some of the more able, taking care of the nearly incapable ones. Still, Every body meant one extra fighter, no matter how disadvantaged they were, and men are exactly what we needed. We made it to a large, dark atrium. As soon as we stepped in, the doors closed behind us, and the lights switched on.

“You... you think you can stop the work we do here, human? Freeing all these ponies?”

Atmosphere’s voice could be heard, apparently over a loudspeaker system, as he was nowhere to be found. He had woken up and made his way back to the floor.

“I know I can’t stop it, Atmosphere, but I know a good hundred could.”

The room we were in was a twenty by eighteen foot area, I’d say, that was made out of pure white tiles. There was a fire exit on the east side of the room, and sitting ten feet above us was a thin, red catwalk, which formed the second floor. Next to the causeway, on the north side of the room, was a large glass pane that formed one of the walls on the second floor. From the other side of the glass approached Atmosphere. He had something wrapped under his hoof.

“DINKY!”

“MOM! HELP ME!”

“Our intention was to create a society free of failure and setbacks. By eliminating those that are unfit, be it by disability or a need to take medicine, or slow child development, we could achieve a utopia. The statue showed us this through a certain foal’s tale about humans called ‘Eins Volk, Eins Reich, Eins Fuhrer’.” Atmosphere said, lifting up a leather covered book in his free hoof, then throwing it to the floor. “For you AND your companions’ insolence...”

The red and ruined stallion threw the book to the floor, from behind the safety of his glass chamber, and produced a small remote, with a few buttons on it. he pressed one, followed by a voice.

“Attention, all employees, please evacuate the facility immediately: primary reactor meltdown imminent; self-destruct defensive measure has been activated.”

“...you can all kiss your plots goodbye.

"Oh, shit..."

“Attention, primary reactor unstable, complete system meltdown in four minutes. Please evacuate the facility immediately.”

LET’S GO! PEOPLE, HOP TO IT! MOVE OUT, MOVE OUT!”

Derpy grabbed hold of me, shaking me hysterically, screaming at my face.

“WE ARE NOT LEAVING MY DINKY!”

“No, we aren’t. Derpy, take Applejack and the kids and get out of here with the rest. I’ll go after Atmosphere.”

“Dad, I’m coming with you.”

“No, you are not. Get out of here with all the others!” I ordered, as the various prisoners and the six made their way down the fire exit.

“NO! I AM COMING WITH YOU, AND THAT’S FINAL!”

I sighed, throwing Scootaloo onto my back, and flying up to the upper floor. Though I had been shot through the wing, I had regained some sense of movement in it since then, and I clambered onto the catwalk. Here, I had a clear view of Atmosphere, who was on the opposite side of the glass, holding a panicking Dinky Hooves in his right arm. I brought my robotic limb up, and smashed at the window, tearing a hole through the transparent wall. I stepped through it, smashing the rest around me to pieces as the skull kid laughed continuously.

“Give me Dinky, you bastard.”

Atmosphere threw the grey unicorn to the ground, beckoning me with a hoof. He grabbed a knife that was sitting on the nearby desk, and held it in a defensive position.

“Bring it, human.”

The deranged scientist jumped at me and Scootaloo, the filly screaming in horror. I brought my mechanical arm up to block the slice of the blade, which caused him to lose balance and drop the knife. I grabbed mine, and stabbed him in the gut, but he kicked me in my stomach, sending me reeling backwards onto the pile of shattered glass. Scootaloo jumped onto Atmosphere, biting, and tearing off a small chunk of his left wing. The stallion yelled in anguish, and threw Scoots off of him, sending her reeling into a PC, knocking the machine off the desk. She came back and picked up the CPU tower, chucking it at Atmosphere, who fell to the floor as the computer case slammed into his ribcage. I got up and drew my handgun, putting two rounds into his stomach. He wasn’t dead, but he would be buried in the rubble.

“Attention, primary reactor temperature at nine-hundred degrees fahrenheit. reactor meltdown in three minutes. Please evacuate the facility immediately."

I quickly grabbed Dinky and Scootaloo, leaving the doctor for the flames. I jumped out of the window as an explosion went off behind me, but...

...Scootaloo was gone.

“JESUS CHRIST!”

I immediately flew back up to see Scootaloo trying to medicate Atmosphere to the best of her abilities, explosions and chemical reactions rattling the structure.

“SCOOTALOO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? WE HAVE TO GO!”

“YOU’RE JUST GONNA LEAVE HIM FOR DEAD!?”

“FUCK THAT GUY, LET’S GO!”

“WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET! LEARN TO FORGIVE HIM FOR WHAT HE DID! DIDN’T SWEETIE TELL YOU TO FORGIVE TWILIGHT FOR HER EVIL!?”

“THAT’S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!”

“HOW!? JUST TAKE HIM WITH US!”

I grabbed Atmosphere’s unconscious body, slinging him over my back. Scootaloo jumped onto my head, Dinky still hanging on my waist, and I dove out the broken window, down to the floor, and through the fire escape. The farthest this one went was to the third floor, which was in awful shape. Explosions here had rocked the building, filling the hallways with nearly insurmountable debris. I pulled out my radio, and frantically tried to check for the others.

"RARITY, TWILIGHT, ANY-FUCKIN'-BODY HEAR ME!?"

“We’re fine, dear! We’ve nearly made it out, we can see the exit! Have a hoofful of guards that are trying to get out for dear life; we’re helping them where we can!”

“How’re Applejack and Dash doing!?”

“Applejack is unconscious, Dash is carrying her!” Twilight suddenly interrupted over the radio. “Where are you!?”

“Two floors above! I’ve got Scootaloo, Dinky, and Atmosphere with me!” I screamed, as the hallway began to crumble behind us. I tore through a small vent shaft that had broken apart, obviously from an explosion. We had no idea where it lead, but the rest of the hallway was blocked by debris. I jumped in, with the others held onto me, the third floor crumbling behind us as we went zooming down the vent shaft. I caught my fall by opening my wings at the last minute, then pushed off the grate to the bottom of the vent, noting a large, yellow sign, painted onto a concrete wall: First Floor Maintenance.

“Attention, all personnel, please evacuate the facility immediately. Two minutes till primary reactor meltdown."

We were almost there, just had to make another few turns...

“Attention, primary reactor temperature at two-thousand degrees fahrenheit. All personnel, please evacuate the facility immediately; self-destructive meltdown imminent."

Sprinting like a madman, I bounded over a desk, the others on my back, and made a break down the hallway. I ran through some metal detectors, setting off their alarms, and came to the main lobby, where we first started.

“Ten.”

“God damn it, Nick, haul ass like it’s Metroid!”

“Nine.”

“Nick, are you still in there!? Get out! Get out now!”

“Eight.”

“Come on, son, get out of there! For Equestria. For OUR world.”

“Seven.”

“Sugarcube, ya better not die in there!”

“Six.”

There were the front doors. If I could smash those down...

“Five.”

...we’d be home free.

“Four.”

“GET THE BUCK OUT OF THERE!”

“Three.”

“DINKY!”

I smashed the doors open, putting the weight of all four of our bodies into the attack. The wood splintered into pieces, and I took a dive through the clouds, the piercing, burning light of the morning sun greeting us.

“Two.”

“SQUADALA, MOTHERFUCKERS! WE’RE OFF!”

“One.”

“HOLY HELL!”

As I fell through the cloud layer and spread my wings, the Rainbow Factory, as well as the surrounding areas in Cloudsdale went up in a violently explosive mushroom cloud. The others were alive, a good two hundred meters below the explosion, the land ponies being carried by the pegasi. Others, escapees from the factory, were flying and teleporting themselves and others to safety during the freefall. Time to get back to Ponyvi...

*Ssssssst....*

“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!! HELP ME!”

Just like Rarity, the sun scorched my wings clean off, into a pile of ashes. Dinky, Scoots, Atmosphere and I were now falling at a good hundred-x miles an hour, going straight down.

“DASH! FLUTTERSHY! DERPY! HELP!”

“Oh no! I forgot to tell him the wings were only temporary! They only last twelve hours!”

"There's no way I can go after him, we're carrying too many ponies as is!" I could hear Dash yell, as she watched us fall. Others from the factory, guards or otherwise, tried to come to my aid, but the two fillies holding onto me, plus Atmosphere, were weighing me down considerably, speeding my velocity to unprecedented levels.

“SCOOTALOO, YOU HAVE TO TRY TO FLY!”

The orange filly shot me a panicked glare, fear coursing through her veins.

“ARE YOU BUCKING KIDDING ME!? I NEVER LEARNED!”

I grabbed Scootaloo by her forehoof, bringing her close to my face.

“Where I come from, it’s a long running gag that you’re a ‘chicken’. I’ve spent four months with you, and I personally know you’re not; you’re worth so much more. You CAN fly, and you damn well know that.”

“But I never learned how!”

I sighed, as our freefall continued, some pegasi chasing us in vain.

“To fly, Scootaloo, first, get a feel for your wing muscles. Can you do that for me?” I asked, a calming tone about my voice, despite the fact that we were about to face death in a few mere minutes.

Scootaloo, though pure fear running through her body, calmed herself with a deep breath, and opened her wings, trying a few times to flap them together. A few failures, but eventually, success.

“That’s good. Now, let’s try gliding. Shift your weight to the left a bit. I have hold of you.”

Scoots nodded, gently pushing her body to the side some, and a small gust of wind pushed her tiny frame away from me.

“Now, I’m gonna let go, okay?”

“But dad, I...”

“You’ll be fine.”

“But what about you?” Scoots asked me, tearing up.

“Your life is all that matters to me. I’m twenty-one, and I’ve seen enough to say I’ve lived quite the life. If I die, I can say I’ve lived a life worth living, for better or worse. You get Dinky to safety, do you understand me?”

“But... how do I hover? How do I change altitude?”

“Close your wings if you want to drop. If you want to go higher, catch a hot air current. If you wanna hover? Keep your weight at the top of your body as you work your wings slowly.”

I let go, and Scootaloo fell a few feet, screaming, but she managed to catch a burst of air, which sent her skyward. She swung back around, grabbing Dinky off of my back, and flying back to Derpy. The others couldn’t catch me in time, I knew, not even Rainbow Dash. Atmosphere was still falling beside me, barely conscious. Why the hell did I spare this murderous prick? No sense in even asking; we were both going to die in a matter of seconds. I closed my eyes, and lied on my back as I waited for my life to end.

Chapter XV: Let's Play Majora's Mask

9:00 AM

I awoke on a stone patio, in front of a small house. The house had a cast iron gate, and was situated on a cloud. Was I dead? Were THESE the alleged ‘pearly gates’? Where was Peter, or my seventy virgins, or my ‘64 Rinekeys, with my name engraved on the car keys? Certainly didn’t seem lavish enough to be heaven. I got up, feeling extremely sore. The last thing I remember was falling through the clouds after my wings vaporized. Where the hell was I?

“So, you’re... awake, human.”

I turned to the voice, which came from a male. I immediately jumped back at what I saw, however: another pony, beaten, cut, obviously shot, and scarred and bruised. He was in pretty sickly shape, covered head to hoof in bandages. He was a pegasus, a little larger than your average sized one. His mane was torn in a spot, and his coat red. His eyes were golden. Aside from the eye color, which I expected to be naturally red, I recognized the man immediately.

“D-doctor Atmosphere?”

“Who else? I was barely alive when I was stuck in freefall, but I saw your merciful side show itself back in the factory. Because you saved me from death, I took what power I had left to keep you from turning into a pancake, despite the fact that you shot me twice."

“You... you saved my life...?”

“Yes sir. That’s correct.”

“Did Scootaloo patch you up, then?”

“Yep.”

“W-where am I? Where are the others?” I asked, standing up in a frenzied panic.

“This is Rainbow’s house, and the others are inside. Dash said she needed to stop by her house to get some equipment before you all went out again. As for me, I’m going to Canterlot - it’s the only safe place, what with its force field.” he said, pointing a hoof out in the distance, showing the city of Canterlot with its pink energy field, much like the one from the wedding, surrounding it. “Most of Cloudsdale has been completely destroyed in the factory meltdown, and Ponyville has zombies running rampant. Celestia only knows what’s going on with all the other cities and towns.”

“Well... I... thank you, Atmosphere, I owe you one.”

“You spared my life, human. We’re even. Now, I can’t waste any more time. Go help your friends.”

“Thank you, brother.”

“Here’s to hoping our paths cross again. That statue... he made me do things I never want to experience again... all those murders I performed in cold blood...”

“So... he was possessing you. Looks like we share a common enemy, then, Atmosphere. You stay safe; I could always use another ally. By the way, the name’s Nick. Nicholas Brownford.”

“Good luck, Nick.”

“Watch yourself out there.”

Atmosphere flew off, and I walked into the house. From the main entrance, Dash’s home went into a small living room, with a small shronk and a bookshelf on the far end. There was a fan hanging on the ceiling, and not much else other than a loveseat and recliner, both of which were made out of cloth instead of skin, but that was to be expected. The living room branched out into four doorways, one to a small bathroom, another larger one, to a kitchen. One lead to a door which went down into the basement, and finally, a fourth, to Dash’s bedroom. Very basic structure, nothing too special. I heard some voices from the kitchen, and as I walked in, there was everyone else, trying their best to prepare for our return into town.

“NICK!” everyone except Dash and AJ screamed together, jumping at me for a hug. Applejack was back on her hooves as well, properly patched up. She was missing an ear, and had long, thick bandages covering her stomach and neck. Her eye was swollen, and her mane frazzled and torn. I rushed over to her and gently wrapped my arms around the orange pony, bringing my lips to her own for a brief moment.

“Nick, ah’m so glad ya’re alive, sugarcube.”

“Applejack, it’s fine. Scootaloo is safe, you’re alive, and the entire gang’s here.” I finished, nodding to the new addition of Dinky, who smiled at me cutely with wide, soul-crushing eyes of adorable fashion.

“Regardless, human, we-”

“Dash, my name is Nick.”

“Regardless, Nick, we’ve got hundreds of living dead roamin’ the streets - your suspicions were right.”

“Dear god...”

“Well, that’s why we’re stopping here and collecting supplies.” Dash continued to say, stuffing away some tupperware containers with food into her saddlebags, and zipping them up. “If we-”

The lights to the house then went out for a moment, flickering, and a very familiar laugh, the laugh of the skull kid, echoed throughout the house. I drew my gun. There was a bright, white flash that came from the living room, before it went back to pitch darkness.

“Stay here.”

I took a step out into the living room. The lights were off here, and I could barely see. I walked over to the wall, and flipped the switch, but instantly jumped back in fear as the lights came on. Never again. Never again in a thousand years.

“NO! FUCK THAT SHIT! FUCK THAT!”

“Sugarcube, ya okay in there?”

The others came sprinting into the room, only to stop and stare with me. They were unsure, it seemed, of what they were looking at.

“What... is that?” Spike and Pinkie asked together, staring at the newly formed object sitting on the dresser.

“Jesus Christ, no...”

What sat before us was my hand-me-down Panasonic flatscreen. On the opposite side of the dresser sat a black - MY black Nintendo 64, complete with the yellow controller my friend gave me, and the missing expansion pack cover. And in the cartridge tray? The ‘Majora’ cartridge with the missing label, written in black Sharpie.

The very same one I burnt two years ago.

“Nick, is this by any chance... the ‘game’ you were talking about?” Twilight asked, examining the gaming setup.

“Y-y-yes...” I managed to let out, fear and cold chills rushing through my body. “B-B-BEN... wants to play.”

The giggle of the mask salesman.

“He’ll kill us if we don’t.”

I sat down on the loveseat, Twilight conjuring some magic and flipping the switch on the 64, and levetating the controller over to me. Neither the console or TV appeared to be plugged into anything, meaning BEN HIMSELF was controlling the game. I swallowed in fear as the little red light below the N64 logo brightened.

“I’m gonna die... I’m gonna fucking die.”

The mask slowly came spinning in my direction, with that horrifying ‘woosh’ tearing at my soul. All the others jumped back at the noise, and as the spinning mask came back into frame, I hit start. The game opened with one file - PAST. It appeared to be a fresh file, with no masks, and only three hearts.

“O-okay... l-let’s do this...”

I activated the file, and instantly spawned in Clock Town, on the fourth day. Nobody was around, as expected, and the song of unhealing was playing in the background. I gently walked forward, the horrific nightmares returning. I ran westward, taking note of the missing textrues in west town, just like before, and just like last time, I went into the dojo. This was gonna be a repeat of dayfour.wmv.

But I was wrong. This was gonna be so, so much worse.

When I went into the dojo, I was spawned in the first room of the game (where you turn into a deku), except here, there was a model of the skull kid, wearing Majora’s Mask, and running an idle animation on a constant loop. I walked up to him, and went into first-person, taking a good look at the character model. Just ten seconds later, the camera instantly zoomed outwards as Link exploded in a display of flames and electrical sparks. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie screamed in terror. As the body fell to the ground, the game over music played, and there stood the statue. The game faded to black, as was normal after death, however, I was greeted with text as the song of unhealing played.

“You thought you could run, Jadusable? Foolish kid.”

The game opened up with the intro sequence, with Link in the Lost Woods. The cutscene played as per usual, but there was one thing wrong.

The Epona model.

The Epona model Link was riding was white, and its mane, purple mixed with pink. its muzzle was white as well, and its eyes, a faint hint of green. The game went on as normal, the skull kid stealing the horse, and I chased after it. The cutscene played in standard fasion, the skull kid taunting Link about Epona, with the ‘I got rid of your horse’ line. The game then went through the rest of the cutscene, until Link got sucked into the deku in his trippy vision. Before the cutscene continued, the game kicked me back to the title screen. I pressed start again. There was a new file, right below PAST, which read...

HUMANS.

As I sat there, controller in hand, my friends huddled around me, bracing for the worst. Upon selecting this second file, I was spawned in the goron city up at Snowhead. The standard music wasn’t there, and instead, was replaced with the song of unhealing. There were no gorons in the area, but I could hear the screaming cries of the goron elder’s son (the annoying one that cried until you played the song for it) filling the room. I ran up the ramp to the upper chamber, and, after entering the black void to load the next room, I was greeted with an even more disturbing sight than the first file had shown me. Here sat three models of Epona. Two of these were downsized, shrunken to about half their standard height. They were standing upright, and were recolored; their skin textures were tanish yellow, and they had different manes, one being a dark brown, another being a soft orange. As the constantly looping song and crying began to tear at us even more, my heart sank as I laid eyes on the final Epona model. It was about twice as big as its standard size, and was also recolored, its skin being yellow, and its mane a bright orange. It was lying on its side in a mangled looking posture...

As if it were dead.

“Carrot... I...”

“Sugarcube, it’s alright. We’re here to play this with you. He ain’t gonna hurt you.”

I walked over to the two models that were standing there, and attempted to ride them, but Link took a step back, as if he were about to converse with somone. A text box opened, and both of the ponies said the same thing, the goron child’s constant crying in the background.

“D-daddy...”

‘A’

“Why mister? Why did you take daddy away?”

I turned and ran away from the scene, and out of the room. As I did, and the black void loaded into the main atrium, I was greeted with the statue. The game then froze, the ‘unusable item’ buzz sounding off once, followed by a text box.

“Running away, Jadusable? Stand up and take responsibility for your actions. You killed that stallion in cold blood. Now, you must face the music: that family will never be the same because of you.”

I hit the A button.

“You’ve got a darkness, in you, Jad. You’ve got something evil hiding away. Just like Link, there’s a shadowy side of you...”

“Fuck you, BEN.”

I hit the button again - BEN wasn’t done talking.

“You’re a killer. Man up to your actions.”

‘A’

“Now, let’s see what else you did while you were here...”

At those words, Link immediately died in an explosion of fire and electricity, and the game faded to black. When the screen came to, I was standing in south Clock Town, with two tan Epona models, rather tall in their size, and manes of red and white. One was in the same mangled ‘dead’ pose as the last one, another standing next to the body. I walked up to it, and tried to interact with the pony. It opened a text box.

“You. You sick bastard! You killed my brother! How could you, you heartless demon!?”

Upon closing the text box, Link burnt to death again. I respawned in Termina Field, but this time, not even the skull kid and mask man were there. Instead, scattered around the field were ponies of various colors and sizes. Some resembled guards from the Rainbow Factory, and a small handful were the ones from the boutique. As I walked in the game, examining things, a text box appeared.

“You call yourself a ‘brony’, Jadusable, but you certainly don’t live up to the lifestyle. Whatever happened to ‘love and tolerance’? You’ve been using nothing but violence since you came here, like a human being.”

The box closed. I screamed at the TV.

“FUCK YOU, BEN!”

...then another text box opened.

“Don’t you dare get lippy with me.”

“S’cuse me, BEN? Are you fucking threatening me?”

‘A’

“You’re damn right I am.”

My heart sank like a goddamn rock.

‘A’

“Now, I want to keep playing...”

Link exploded in a display of flames yet again, and the screen faded to black, then kicked me to the title screen. Applejack held me tightly, and Fluttershy was hiding behind the couch, quivering in fear.

“I’m in my cottage... I’m in my happy place...”

The file select screen came up, and now, we were sitting in front of one file.

DEATH.

“Oh dear god, we are SO fucked...”

The game opened on the Gorman Brothers’ racetrack, on the night of the final day. It was midnight, and the last six hours, including the depressing, child-crushing tune that accompanied it made themselves known. We spawned INSIDE the racetrack, something that, by normal standards, wasn’t even possible. Why WE? Well, not only was Link there, but there were ten Eponas, all appropriately recolored and resized to represent the others with me. They were running a constant loop around the racetrack. There wasn’t a way out, and all we could do was keep running, while the moon came closer. The mask salesman laughed, and sweat poured over my face in droves. We were all gonna die.

“Nick, calm down. We’ll be okay... right?” Twilight hesitantly asked, but was cut short as the timer on the in-game clock...

...sped up.

“Oh dear baby Jesus. THAT’S not supposed to happen...”

The moon came crashing down in its standard cutscene, but as the screen faded to white, the game opened up...

...on the moon.

I slowly titled the control stick foward, walking up to the lone tree, taking note of a new object sitting against it. From the starting distance, I couldn’t tell what it was, but the song of unhealing kicked in, and as I got closer, I saw yet another pony.

This particular model was about half a size bigger than the ‘Carrot’ Epona. It was dark blue. A dark blue pony...

...on the moon. I don’t think much else needed to be said.

“Well, now we know what Luna’s up to...”

And then Link exploded again, making Fluttershy scream. Every instance of it scarred her. The game opened again, spawning us in southern Clock Town.

But I wasn't alive.

Link was lying in his ‘dead’ pose, the one from previous experience with BEN. The Epona models that represented my allies were in their ‘dead’ postures as well, and the skull kid laughed continuously, as the shooting gallery theme played in the background. Scootaloo clung to my neck.

"Dad, I'm scared..."

The image of the elegy statue flashed onto the screen as the skull kid screamed, and I was kicked back to the spinning N64 logo, then the machine shut off.

“Dear god. That... was fucking terrifying. We need to g-”

That noise...

...my phone. Someone was calling my phone, which I haven’t had a lick of service on since I got here. I fumbled through my pockets, trying desperately to make the call. My heart raced as I took a look at the active screen..

‘Calling - Mom’

I frantically unlocked the screen, and started mashing away at it, trying to answer the call.

“He-hello!? Hello?”

“Ni-Nick, is that you? Sweetheart, is that you!? Thank god you’re alive! Where are you!?”

“M-mom? Is that really you!? Where are you? are you okay!?”

“I’m at the house, honey! All your friends have been looking for you for four straight months! We all thought you were dead! Where are you!?”

“Mom, don’t worry... I”m... I’m perfectly fine. It’s great to hear from you. How are you doing? Is everything okay back home?

“Nick, can you stop talking to yourself? You’re creeping us out here...”

“I’m fine baby, what about you? All your neighbors said they heard a scream coming from your apartment, and when they got there, the door was locked, and when they broke it down, you weren’t anywhere to be found! Where did you go!?”

“It... it’s impossible to explain, mom. I love you. Are you okay?” I kept asking in vain, under constant fear that the human world was in danger.

“It’s raining right now, and the sky is a little pink bu-”

“Wait, mom, PINK? as in, the clouds are pink?” I asked, my heart sinking down as fear continued to take hold.

“Ye-yes, why? Is something wrong?”

“Nick, come back to reality, dude.” Spike chimed in, placing a claw on my leg, as Fluttershy panicked in fear behind the couch, staring at the TV in nervous anticipation, as the song of unhealing played in the house.

“Mom, I want you to go outside and drink some rain. Don’t ask why, just do it, okay?”

Scilence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, and then my mother said something I REALLY didn’t want to hear.

“Tastes... like... milk chocolate, but... how?”

“Mom, listen to me: get out of the house. Pack up all your important crap, and ditch the house. Drive FAR away, and don’t stop for ANYTHING but gas.”

“But Nick, I - Augh!”

“Mom!?”

No answer.

“ MOM! ANSWER ME! ARE YOU STILL THERE!?”

‘Call ended - 2:36’

“Mom...”

“Nick, you feeling okay? Derpy asked, placing a hoof on my shoulder.

“My... my mother. My home... Discord is attacking my home. We need to go. Now.”

I grabbed the TV, and threw it to the floor , watching the box split in half. I then tore the cartridge out of the system and smashed it with my foot, and threw the 64 against the wall, after which, it broke into pieces. I grabbed my supplies, taking one last look at the recent call logs.

“Mom... I’ll be home one day. I promise.”

The others grabbed their things, and I opened the door, only to be met with a squad of heavily armed royal guards.

“Awwww, crap...”

“You’re all under arrest, you especially human; six known counts of murder, disturbing the peace, breaking curfew, destruction of property, arson, breaking and entering just to name a fraction... need we go on?”

“Celestia’s gonna looooooove you, scumbag.”

“There’s a fucking mess of living dead out there, and the only thing on your mind is arresting me!?”

“We can handle this. You underestimate the power of the Equestrian armed forces, human.”

I was smacked across the face, and picked up with some magic. The other guards went for the rest in my team, taking hold of them and placing them into magical bonds before they had a chance to do anything.

“I wanna see a lawyer! Where’s my fucking trial!?”

“Not how it works here, human.”

And then the guards took us away, as I started mouthing off at them in every language I possibly knew.

“INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY, FUCKERS! JURY OF MY PEERS! I HAVE RIGHTS, COCKSUCKER!"

Chapter XVI: Return To Castle Canterlot

10:00 AM

My companions and I were thrown into a musty cell in the Canterlot castle dungeon. There were a small handful of ponies in the cell with us, of whom were in sick shape. Some I recognized from the show, others, I had never seen before. I noticed that my supplies were gone again, but at least they had the courtesy to let me keep my clothes. The others, with the exclusion of Applejack (fortunately; she wouldn’t have survived much more), had been severely beaten. Our equipment was taken, and the area was damp and moldy. Most of the walls were made out of cobblestone, and the hallway outside of our cell went out only one direction. On each side of the walls here were other cells, each filled with other ponies. On the hallway ceiling hung iron cages, which had full-bodied pony skeletons within them. A rat ran across my shoe.

“You guys okay?”

The rest, other than Applejack, were awake, and simply nodded. AJ didn’t say anything, and her breathing was struggled. I rushed over to her, propping her up against the wall, as the others in the cell watched my work, Scootaloo coming to my side to offer her medical skills. Applejack managed to speak, though very, very weak.

“Nick, ah’m okay, ah... ah’ll be fine.” She said to me, still determinate in not relying on her friends for support. I sighed and gave her a soft hug, checking her breathing, to make sure she was well.

“Applejack, listen, we need to get this under con-”

“S-sis? Is that you? Thank Celestia ya’re alive...”

I stopped to turn to the familiar voice, of which made me shudder in fear. The man’s voice came from the cell across from us. There was next to no lighting down here other than a lone torch out in the hallway, so I could barely see anything until the stallion stuck his head between the bars that held him and various others.

“M-mac? Jesus Christ, what are you doing here!?”

“Oh, hello again, Jadusable. What in the hay happened to-”

“You broke my glasses and destroyed my eye, asshole. I’ve got half a mind to stab you right here, but I know that’s not gonna get us anywhere.”

“Look, Jad-”

“Nick. My real name is Nick.” I said, a soft hint of anger trailing from my voice.

“As ah was sayin’ b’fore ya so rudely inn’erupted, ah don’t remember nothin’. Last thing ah kin’ remember was bein’ drug away from th’ schoolhouse by two soldiers.” Mac continued, a somewhat regretful expression overcoming his face.

“Wait... the schoolhouse? What the hell? How long you been here?”

“Four months, three days, and countin’.”

“So... what the hell happened, dude?”

Mac walked to the back of his cell, the others within clearing room for him. He slumped against the wall, sliding down, a sense of shame if you will, overtaking his entire body. He looked at the others in his cell, then to me, then to the others in mine.

“Ya honestly wanna know?”

I shied back some. Obviously, this REALLY bothered him. I sat against the back wall of my team’s cell.

“Not if it bothers ya, man.”

“Well, a’course it does, Jad.” Mac said, playing with his forehooves. I knew Mac was a ‘man of few words’; the only time he talked was when something really got under his skin, and he was talking more than I had ever seen him do in one sitting before. In short?

This. Was. Bad. He did something awful.

“Ah... well...” he began with a sigh. “After ah met ya, ah blacked out that night, rememberin’ nothin’ of it. Next mornin’, ah woke up in mah bed with no recollection, an’ went out to help Applejack a few hours ‘fore ya were even awake. Sweetie Bell an’ Scootaloo came by lookin’ for Applebloom, an’ after talkin’ to them for a few minutes, ah blacked out again. Ah woke up in th’ apple cellar with a wicked headache, an’ a bunch of cuts an’ bruises. There was a bunch’a blood all over the floor, ya glasses, which seemed to be broken, an’ a strange looking thing made out of brass.”

“That was a bullet case. It’s a weapon - I tried to defend myself after you attacked me.”

“Well, if ah did, ah’m sorry, for what it’s worth.”

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to your sisters and Scootaloo. You raped the poor girls!”

“Ah... ah raped them? Applebloom an’ Scoots? Ah don’t remember nothin’...” Mac said, slumping against the wall, a tear running across his face. “Well, ain’t that a muthabuckin’ coincidence... Why ain’t Sweetie Belle with you?”

“I don’t want to talk about that.”

“M-m-mac, you... you hurt the Crusaders?” Fluttershy asked, tearing up.

“Fluttershy, you aren’t helping the situation...” Twilight threw in with a stern look.

“Why a ‘coincidence’ man? You hurt anybody else?”

“Eeyup...”

“What happened brother? You’re in like company here, alright?” I gently asked, trying to bring a friendly atmosphere to this otherwise depressing scene. Mac sat up against the wall like a person, in a fetal position, digging his face down into his knees. I could hear soft cries coming from him, and Mac NEVER cries, except for that one instance in Last Roundup. I hoped it wasn’t what I thought...

“Ah woke up, an’ went into town. Now, ah knew, a week b’fore ya showed up, Ponyville was... in less than desirable shape. So, naturally, ah went to go make sure Cheerilee wasn’t in any danger.”

Yep. This was going in THAT direction.

“Ah showed up in the middle of Cheerilee’s math class, some time round one-ish. Mah sis an’ her friends weren’t there - somepony said they saw ‘em ditchin’ class to go to Sugarcube Corner, and they were travlin’ with some ‘alien’...”

Dear god, Sugarcube Corner. Fuck that place. Fuck it six ways from Sunday...

"Ah talked to her, gave her a hug, made sure she was safe, and then, last thing ah remember, was hearin’ a laugh, a really creepy laugh. Ah blacked out, an when ah came to, first thing ah saw was Cheerilee, bloody an’ beaten. But that wad’nt th’ worst of it, naw...”

“God damn...”

“I’d beat AN’ raped her right in th’ middle ‘o’ class. A buncha the kids were hurt too; apparently ah had thrown a buncha them against th’ wall when they ‘tried to stop me from attackin’ miss Cheerilee’. When ah saw what ah did, ah immediately tried to help her, but the only thing that happened...”

Mac stopped, starting to bawl his eyes out like an upset child. AJ and Applebloom came to the cell door, looking at their brother in sadness.

“...was, she looked up at me, and asked me one thing: ‘Mac, what got into ya head?’ Then... she died on th’ spot, then an’ there. Ah just sat there, waitin’ for th’ guards to come take me away...”

Mac fell to the floor and started crying a storm. I stood there for a moment, looking to the others in the various cells.

“So... what’d all YOU people get thrown in for?”

Some of them gave names and reasons. Most of them got thrown away for breaking curfew, while others, honest thievery. Some got thrown in for bizarre, bullshit reasons, such as the Flower sisters, were jailed for ‘disrupting commerce’, when I’m pretty damn sure there’s no such law - Celestia is abusing her powers. I looked over to Mac, who was still crying his face off, and I slid down against the wall by the door, turning my head to look out at him.

“We... we did quite a number on each other, Mac. For what it’s worth, man, I’m sorry.”

“An’... ah’m sorry too. Ah’m sorry ‘bout err’thing. Sis, Scootaloo, ah’m sorry... Cheerilee... ah’m so sorry!”

“It wasn’t your fault, dude...” Spike said, trying to comfort the candy apple coated stallion.

“Yes it was! Ah’m a bucking monster!” he screamed, slamming his head on the wall multiple times. The others in his cell tried to pull him away, to prevent him from hurting himself further.

“Mac... would you take a chance at vengeance if you had it? Would the rest of you?”

“J-Jadusable, ya have NO idea how much ah’d love to. If only ah could, if only there was a way ah could set things right.

“There IS a way, and, by the same token, there’s a way to get out of here.” I said, looking at the ceiling in my cell. If you really want to make sure Cheerilee didn’t die in vain, you will work with me. Are you ready to cast all that shit we did back in the cellar aside?”

“Ah... ah will, Jad.”

“Please Big Mac, call me Nick.”

“Alrighty. So... what do we do?”

“When does the guard come to give us food, Mac?”

“Next two hours.”

“Well, shit... we don’t have a lot of time to waste; the moon is gonna come down on the world if we don’t get out of here...”

“The moon!?” various others asked, starting to panic and shake, others holding onto each other for dear life.

11:00 AM

“Go three-point-seven miles, and turn left to: Highway K-7 North.”

“Nick, I hope you’re okay like you say, because things certainly aren’t good here, honey. I can’t see anything through this rain...”

“Turn left.”

“I hope this is the turn... I can’t see...”

More rain, followed by speeding flicks of the wipers.

“HOLY...!”

"Rest in peace, Mrs. Brownford..."

As I sit here, with a pencil and my journal (fortunately, the guards let me keep it, they don’t see it as a threat), I can’t do much else other than write while I wait for the guard to come and give us food. While I’m here, let me share something with you, to whomever may read this in the future.

I”m not normal. I’m not a normal human in the slightest.

You’re probably wondering, ‘what makes you abnormal?’. Well, I’ll tell you.

I can see and communicate with spirits. Think I’m crazy? Good, that’s normal. But let me prove to you, that I’m not. Here we go.

Perhaps you’ve already seen it in the words I write - I hear voices, I see flashing images of ponies that have been long dead, such as Sweetie Belle. I’ve openly recorded the conversation I had with my father, who you already know, died in a car crash eight months ago. So what other explanation is there other than I’m talking to his ghost? None, I see. It’s either that, or I’m going insane.

Then, there’s BEN.

None of my friends noticed a change in the temperature or air in my dorm room back then, nor any sense of a vile presence - I was the only one. I was the only one that could talk with him. I still have no answers about him, or anything in between. There’s a bunch of questions I have, but only a few I have an answer for, which are just guesses.

How does Equestria exist?
Not a clue.

How did BEN get here?
No idea.

What does he want?
To kill me, of course.

Why couldn’t he do that in the human world?
Beats me.

Why did he choose Equestria over any other ‘world’ out there?
Have no answer for that.

HOW did he get all the deadly powers he has?
My guess, Equestria is a more ‘spirit friendly’ world, thanks to its magical properties, allowing him to get away with more physical action than he would in the human world..

How are ghosts formed?
Couldn’t answer that for you. Again, these are just theories, and I”m taking a wild guess here. I’m just making up answers at this point, simply because I have none, and it sucks. I just wanna leave.

So, back on track. How do I see spirits? It probably started with BEN. My roommate Tyler simply passed the whole thing off as the game being broken or hacked. People said my video evidence was done with an emulator. The conversations with Cleverbot were nothing more than that - conversations with a bot.

Bullshit. When you feel a vile presence start to enclose around your dorm room two days after making contact with a ‘spirit’, I can openly say, with a straight face, that it’s some serious shit. When you truly feel that whatever is fucking with you is a threat to your life, it’s real, no questions asked. At first, I thought this was all my mind playing sick games with me, but as time went on, I began to see more. Sweetie Belle, Carrot, Flim, Lyra, and all the ponies at the boutique I killed. I see them walk the streets in their ‘final’ forms, how they appeared before they died. I hide this though, so as not to get drug off to an Equestrian looney bin. It started back in the hospital, when I would have night terrors about my ruthless murdering of Carrot Cake. I’d come out of the bathroom, or go down to the cafeteria to get something to eat, and see the faint, sky-blue outline of Mr. Cake, beaten and bloody, walking with me, or towards me, hearing his cries and screams for mercy. I’d see Soarin and Applejack’s uncle fall backwards as a barrage of nine millimeter bullets go flying through their bodies, screaming in anguish. Let me level with you here.

Basically, what I see on a daily basis is comparable to the ‘spirit walk’ from Metal Gear Solid 3, when you face The Sorrow.

It’s a fucking curse, having to watch vile deaths again and again, play out in front of my face. And I can’t tell anybody without sounding like a nutjob. The worst part of it all, is I’m forced to see my sick acts again and again. I regret it all, and if I could take it back, I most certainly would. I just fight to survive, nothing more. I’m sorry, to every person I’ve killed. I know you can hear me, I know you can see me. Please... find it in your hearts to forgive what I’ve done. If I could do things over again... if I could go back in time... I would.

“Sugarcube, ya okay?”

“Nope. Not at all, Applejack.”

12:00 PM

I looked back up to the top of my cell, noting the half-rotted wooden support beams that ran along the ceiling. The walls here were made of aged cobblestone, cracked and chipped in various places. Some were poorly placed, or were shifting position from the years of stress, allowing a handful to protrude outwards and create a viable surface for climbing. If I could get up there...

“Dash, give me a boost.”

The cyan pegasus walked up to the wall, and bent down some. I climbed onto her back, then brought my second foot up onto a loose stone. I then gripped a second chunk of wall with my hand, pulling myself up further. With both of my shoes on sure footing, I turned myself around, my back now against the wall. Rarity looked at me, panicked.

“Do be careful, darling.”

“Rarity, I’ll be fine. Climbing is a human specialty. It’s a bonus that comes with hands.”

I jumped off the wall, grabbing hold of the rafter. I then swung my legs forwards, pulling the lower half of my body up and wrapping my legs around the beam. Now to wait.

“Nick, what are you doing, dude?”

“Dad, that’s not safe...”

“Hey scumbags! Time for lunch!”

I heard a few hoofsteps and a voice from farther down the hallway. Considering what he said, this must have been the guard. A few more steps, then a few bowls of swill were thrown into our cage, followed by the voice again.

“W-what? Where did the human go!?”

The guard, though I couldn’t see him from where I was, sounded like he was fumbling with a set of keys. A few seconds later, the gate unlocked, and in stepped the soldier, who drew a broadsword. All the others backed away into the corners of the room, and I took a look down below me - the guard was right underneath me.

“HA!”

“What the- UGH!”

I let go and jumped down onto the soldier that had walked in, my knee connecting with his skull. He passed out immediately, and I stood, taking the weapon off the body. Rarity picked up the keys, and a bunch of the prisoners gasped and swooned over me in awe.

“What? It’s nothing special, it’s just millions of years of evolution.”

“Ponies could never imagine flexibility like that.” Twilight added, her mouth agape in shock.

“Really, it’s not that hard for us.”

I sheathed the blade, and slung it over my back. Rarity unlocked the cell, allowing the eleven of us, plus a good twenty more (seriously, it was fucking cramped in there) to come piling out. She went over to Mac’s cell, and opened it, allowing him and the rest confined with him to come loose.

“Alright: the team I arrived with, which includes the Elements, Derpy, Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Dinky, you’re with me. The rest of you, we need you to occupy the guards while my team and I go after the princess.”

I looked over to Mac, who gave a solemn nod. I walked over to him, and put his hoof into my hand, looking into his eyes.

“Mac, you may not remember, but we didn’t get off on the right foot; we kicked the living shit out of each other. But if you are willing to look past that moment, as am I, you WILL get the vengeance you need to ensure Cheerilee's death was not in vain. I just need your word that you’ll be willing to fight with us, brother. Will you give me that?”

“Eeyup.”

“Good. Let’s get all of the wrongfully accused out of here - Equestria is going to war, and we need an army. Let’s roll out, people!”

Our squad, which came to around fifty individuals, myself included, began our trek through the lower levels of Canterlot castle. The area was aged and poorly maintained, falling apart at the very foundation. It was truly amazing how the castle even managed to stay up, considering the piss-poor infrastructure down here. I just chalked it up to magic, and left it at that. We left the holding cells, and came to a five-way fork. One led to what appeared to be a guard break room, and the others forked off into other structures. If there was any way we would survive, we had to hit the break room. More likely than not, it was where our equipment was being held, and it probably had spare weapons to boot, so the others could properly arm themselves. It was worth a shot.

“Everyone, hold your positions. Mac, come with me.”

Sneaking down the corridor, I drew my newly procured blade, hugging the wall. Mac followed behind me, and we came to the archway which led into the break room. I crouched down, and took a quick peek around the corner, to only catch a short glimpse of what was in there - I only looked for a split second. Looked like two guards, talking. On the left side of the room sat a weapon rack, with about twenty blades, and ten bows. The two conversing soldiers were sitting at a table, which had my friends’ saddlebags, as well as my weapons and other belongings sprawled out among the face of the table. I ducked back behind the wall and looked over to Macintosh.

“Do you think, if I kill one with the sword, you could take the other down?”

“K-kill? Can’t ya just, ah dunno, knock him out?”

“Oh... shit. Good idea...”

“Eeyup.”

I came around the corner, jumping the first guard, and pile-drove him into the floor. He fell face first on the cobblestone, then the other guard stood to confront me, pulling out a short blade. He swiped at me, but I jumped back, and at that moment, Mac rushed through the archway and tackled him to the ground, knocking the man unconscious. I stood, dropping the body I had hold of, and collected my weapons, then walked out into the main corridor to meet with all the other prisoners.

“Men, women, time to stock up for war. Get in here and grab a weapon, because we’re busting out.”

My friends grabbed their saddlebags full of equipment, and each took a weapon from the racks. The others armed themselves as well, and we stepped back into the main hallway. Time to face Celestia.

“Big Macintosh, you’re with my team - we’re going to confront the Princess to get her out of her crazy power spree. The rest of you, look out for eachother and get the hell out of here. You have weapons, and there’s a good thirty-x of you, so you should be able to handle yourself. Take care, and I hope to see you on the other side.”

Carrot Top, a member of the group, approached me, putting her crossbow into a safe direction, as did Aloe and Lotus, and Vinyl, who were just SOME of the recognizable individuals that were held with us.

“Thanks for getting us out, human. This whole mess with the statue has done a number on Equestria. For what it’s worth, I’d like to apologize about that day when we tried to chase you out of town.” Top said, extending a hoof. I took her with my arm, giving her a quick and firm shake.

“Welcome to the resistance.”

“Stay safe, human.”

“You do the same. Nightmare Moon is gonna bring the moon down on earth soon, and we need all the help we can get.”

Octavia gulped as she unsheathed her sword. “N-nightmare Moon? But... isn’t she...”

“I wish I could be making that up. She’s back with a vengeance. Discord is attacking my world as we speak, and BEN, I have no idea what he’s up to.”

“We have your back, buddy. I always thought humans were evil, but here... I can’t help but ignore such a notion when I see what you’ve done for us.” Green Grapes exclaimed, drawing two knives.

“Look out for eachother, alright?”

“Will do. Watch yourself out there, human.”

“Please, call me Nick.”

“Best of luck to you.” The spa sisters said in unison as they drew their bows. I watched as the others ran off, and the twelve of us, Mac included, prepped for our journey to the throne room. The trip itself wasn’t too terrible - a lot of guards were absent from duty, meaning most of the task forces were out in the city, fighting with the dead. I still couldn't believe that, but I had seen it with my own eye that very night. BEN obviously caused it, but what allowed him to? That’s what I wanna know. I still had so many questions.

Why is Celestia being the way she is?
What allowed BEN to come here?
Is Discord really attacking earth, or was it BEN fucking with my head?
Is my mother okay?
How do I get home?
How did BEN TRULY get his power?
Where did the zombies come from?
What was in Twilight’s drink way back when?
How were we going to stop BEN? How were we going to stop Nightmare Moon in time?

The all important one, though...

When will this nightmare end? When will I escape from this hell? Why can’t I wake up?

And one last one...

Why did I touch that game? Why on any god’s green earth did I ever touch that motherfucking game?

“Nick, are you feeling okay?” Pinkie Pie asked, moving and shifting position instantaneously in her classic physics-defying fashion as we continued to trek through Canterlot.

“Just got a lot on my mind. I wish this was over...” I said, heaving a sigh as I readied my weapon to head up a flight of stairs.

“W-we uh... we all do, Nick.”

“Eeyup.”

We came out into a gaudy looking hallway, the ceilings lined with gold and crystal chandeliers, and the floor covered in a long and fine persian carpet. This must have led to the throne room. Guards patrolled the hallway here, keeping a vigilant eye. Now, with my equipment, I could easily pick guards off. I still had the water bottle silencer attached to my pistol, so we could have a stealthy approach. I snuck out into the hallway, and hid behind a pillar as two troops passed by. I gave a nod to the others, who joined me when the path was clear. Peering out of our cover, I drew a bead on one of the - oh shit.

I pulled everyone back into the small enclosure as the princess herself came out into the hallway. She was saluted by two guards in front of the doorway she had just left, and walked past us without a second glance. If there was anything off about her, it would have to have been her eyes. Red. Blood red. And that meant one thing.

BEN was controlling Celestia. BEN instituted the martial law. BEN let Equestrian society fall apart. Like all the others, he was using Celestia like a puppet.

“Prin-”

Rainbow Dash put a hoof to Twilight’s mouth, narrowly averting Twi blowing our cover. The princess went to the end of the hallway, only to stop in front of two other guards, who saluted her.

“Your highness!”

“At ease, sargeant. I assume the civil defense is going well?”

“Not at all, ma’am! We don’t have the weapons necessary to take on the living dead! We’ve lost ten squads since last night!”

“What of Ponyville?”

“Absolutely BUBAR, ma’am. Whoever’s left down there is going to die unless we evacuate the town!”

The princess stood there for a moment, then opened her mouth to speak.

“I declare the area forsaken. Nopony is to know of the events that transpired there. We shall not send anymore units, nor shall we pull out the ones currently in the region. I want the area quarantined within the hour.”

The soldier opened his eyes wide in shock.

“M-ma’am, you can’t possibly be serious... we have hundreds of good men trapped in the town, including captain Armor! Not only that, but there’s upwards of three-hundred confirmed survivors, and you’re just going to abandon them!? The troops down there don’t have the equipment necessary to hold off-”

“That’s an order!”

“Y-yes ma’am.”

“Now, I hear the soldiers have captured the human?”

“Yes ma’am, him, and his friends.”

“Good.”

“Ma’am... if I may... what of your sister? The moon is getting awfully close to the planet. Is that her doing? Maybe, with all due respect, your highness, banishing her again wasn’t the best decision...”

Celestia stood there for a moment, then her eyes changed color. She gripped her head in pain, then her eyes went back to a red tone. I stared in interest. So, BEN really had hold of her.

“Leave her be.”

“But ma-”

“That’ll be all, sargeant. Dismissed.”

Yes ma’am!”

Celestia turned around and walked back through the gigantic double doors, back to her throne room. Twilight grabbed hold of me, borderlining hysterics.

“My brother is down there!? My brother is trapped in Ponyville, and Celestia won’t do anything to save them!?”

I nearly hit Twilight across the face, but Rarity held me back with some magic. This bitch spazzes out way too much...

“Twilight, shut up, you’re gonna blow our cover. If you just relax...”

“How can I relax!?”

“Who’s there!?”

The two guards patrolling the hallway heard us, shooting a glance in our direction. We were well hidden, but we had nowhere to run to - everywhere else was open and lit. It came down to one option: take them out. Thanks, Twilight, you made me have to do this again...

“Just like the factory. You guys ready?”

“Ready.”

As both guards came around the pillar, boxing us in from both angles, Rarity and Twilight drug them into the crevice with some magic. Applejack, Mac, and Dash punched one in the face, knocking him out cold. I grabbed the other by the neck and choked him out, covering his mouth with one spare hand as he attempted to scream.

“Shhh... go to sleep...”

I dropped the limp body to the ground, and stepped out of our hiding spot. We needed to stop Celestia. She was going to leave Ponyville to rot in the flames of the apocalypse, and I wanted to know why. I was GOING to get those answers. I'd like to share something with you first, though. A guide of what NOT to do.

Stupid idea #1: Kick down the door and draw attention to yourself

Looking back on the moment, perhaps I was thinking a bit too rashly, as I kicked the door open with all my might, tearing one of them halfway off its hinges. As soon as I did that though, I knew I was in for it. Celestia turned to the crashing noise, coming face to face with my team and I, and immediately focused energy in her horn. This was a really dumb decision, and I was gonna pay for it.

“HOLY FU-”

“Sugarcube!”

I was immediately shot with a white blast of magical energy, which sent me barreling through the second door that was still standing, knocking my companions over in the process. I blew through the gigantic door, and landed on my side as I felt my right shoulder fracture. I groggily stood up as my handgun came flying out of my hand.

“So, I see you’ve managed to escape the dungeon.” The princess said, a serpentine lisp accompanying her voice.

“Princess, what in tarnation are ya doin, leaving Ponyville to die!?” Applejack asked, standing up weakly and trying to reason with the goddess, which I knew at this point, there was no sense in doing.

“Why haven’t you been replying to any of my letters? How could you possibly let the world get into such horrible shape!? Why do you have the martial law in place!?” Twilight asked, anger overtaking her, before Celestia shot some magic at the lavender mare, sending her flying at me, knocking me to the floor just as I had stood up. Spike and Fluttershy rushed to our aid, and Mac tried to attack her directly, but was only thrown aside like a toy. I grabbed my weapon, and kept the device aimed at her, but I knew going up against Celestia was suicide. We needed the Elements if we were going to stop her, so hopefully Discord hadn’t taken them this time around. Celestia summoned some more magic, erecting a personal shield around her body, then began to speak.

“Why, Twilight? Why?” Look around you - I AM PRINCESS CELESTIA!” The regal equine boomed in her Canterlot voice, something I would never expect HER to do. I fell to my knees, dropping my gun and covering my ears, the others doing the same. “Don’t you see? Living as a ruler is hard work. Yet, at the same time, it’s amazing - having all the power in the world at your disposal... having the ability to control the lives of millions - it’s such a rush!”

“Why haven’t you arrested me? Why did you let me roam free? Why would you let me get away with all the stuff I’ve done until now?” I asked the alicorn, gripping my right arm in pain, crouched by the door. The princess turned away, looking at one of the stained glass windows. Without turning her gaze to any of us, she spoke as AJ and Applebloom helped get Mac on his hooves.

“I’ve ruled this kingdom for a thousand years, as you probably already know, human. I’ve always been a kind monarch, attempting to put my subjects’ well being before myself. However...”

I swallowed in fear as Celestia turned to face me, her energy field still encasing her.

“...I’ve been in power for one thousand years. I decided it was time to have some fun - get loose, be a tad selfish. I’ve been letting them take care of themselves for a while...”

Stupid idea #2: Mouth off to a royal being with magical powers and immortality

“A TAD!? Look at all the lives that have been lost simply from your refusal to fund social services! Add in the bullshit martial la-”

“SCILENCE!” Celestia roared, forcing me to cover my ears again in blinding pain. “Do you have ANY idea how wonderful it is to be in control of millions of lives, which you could squish like ants at any second!? No! You’re likely nothing more than plebeian scum where you hail!”

“Yeah, I’m just a college kid, so... not too far off mark.” I repled in a wiseass manner. She didn’t talke kindly to the insult, and broke one of my robotic fingers off with some magic, sparks and oil flying every which way. I should really learn to shut my mouth sometimes. “Why? Why do this, Celestia?”

“Nothing more than the power trip.” She said, approaching us slowly. I banished my sister to the moon a second time around simply because I FELT like it! Same with the martial rule!”

“This is not how a leader should- JESUS!”

Celestia picked me up with magic, throwing me against the wall. My ribs broke again, and I fell to the floor, clutching my side.

“I DID IT BECAUSE I COULD!” Celestia bellowed. “I get more money by lowering the taxes for the wealther income cities, and swamping the middle class in debt!”

“So you’re a Democrat?”

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!”

Celestia shot yet another blast of magic at me. This time around, though, I was prepared, and jumped out of the way. Scootaloo took to the air, and quickly swooped behind the goddess, grabbing the chest sitting beside her throne, which any brony would recognize as the element case.

“Dash! Catch!”

The orange filly tossed the case into the air, which was the intercepted by Dash. Unfortunately, Celestia summoned some spare magic, which successfully made contact with the airborne pegasus, and disabled Rainbow’s wings, causing her to fall to the ground. I stood up and tried to run to her aid, but was pinned to the floor by Celestia’s hoof (which I couldn’t see coming due to my missing eye).

“GUARDS!”

Stupid idea #3: Try and shoot at a creature covered with a shield

My team scattered, some going for the element case, others trying to attack Celestia. I looked around wildly, trying to find something that could help us. I tried shooting a round at the princess, but the bullet simply deflected off her energy shield, and went flying through the back of my leg.

“FUCK ME!”

Celstia herself, was only a foot taller than I, and perhaps fifty pounds larger. If she were just stripped of her power, or were she not magical to begin with, Mac and I would have already bested her in a test of strength. Fluttershy rushed over to tend to my wound, and Rarity thrust open the element case as Dash, Mac and everyone else went after princess to try and quell her psychotic rage. The only problem...

“THEY’RE GONE AGAIN!”

Oh... you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me...

“Enough of this!” Celestia boomed, summoning yet a final burst of magical energy, picking us all up, as she took her hoof off me. She held us all there for a moment, suspended in midair, then threw us all against the wall, still gripping us with her magic. The crazed godess drew closer, focusing more energy in her horn. We were SO gonna die, and we had just confronted her not two minutes ago... shit. What do we do? Scootaloo looked over to me, the others cowering in fear.

“Sugarcube, if’n we don’t make it out of this, know ah love ya, alright?”

“Dad, you can’t give up now, there has to be something we can do!”

I looked to the others, who gave me sorrow-filled glances.

“Say goodnight, you worthless pesants!”

“Dad, do you think we could...”

“No way... do you think that would work?”

“It... it’s worth a shot. At least we can all die saying we tried.”

“Mom, I don’t wanna die!” Dinky began, starting to tear up and looking over to Derpy.”

“Don’t ya dare hurt mah family, princess.” Mac blurted, rage crossing his face, spitting at the alicorn.

“You ready, Scoots?”

“Ready!”

I drew a breath, taking one last look around the room. A small team of guards had come in, ready to assist Celestia, but I don’t see why - she’s more than capable of taking care of herself. As Celestia was about to ice us all in cold blood, the soothing melody of the song of healing filled the Canterlot throne room. Scootaloo and I began the melody, and a few of the others in my posse who knew the song by now, slowly joined in.

“Day to night, dark to light”
“Fall the sands of time.”
“Let the years like the gears”
“Of a clock unwind.”

“In your mind, walk through time “
“Back to better days.”
“Memories, like a dream,”
“Wash tears away.”

“Like a star in the sky,”
“Darkness can’t reach you.”
“Light the night, joy is light,”
“Till the new dawn.”

“Cast away your old face,”
“Let go your spite.”
“With this mask I’ll ask”
“To borrow your light.”

The soothing melody and our voices worked its way around the throne room, a sweet, sugary aroma filling the area. As we sang, the princess’s eyes grew heavy, as did those of the guards who came in to assist her. I started to become sleepy again, and as the last words left our lips, I slowly fell to the floor, as did this others, and carefully dozed off.

1:00 PM

I groggily woke, noting that the others were up, along with the princess. They were talking, staring at the empty element case. The guards were gone, and it was just down to the twelve of us. I stood, limping in pain from the bullet that had hit me in the leg, and came out the top of my foot. Hobbling over to the princess and the others, I crouched down, inspecting the element case. Celestia was back to her normal self it seemed - her eyes were their normal violet. All I know is, that damn song saved us all from death yet again. What I wanted to know was, what made it work? Magic?

“So... somepony stole the elements again?” Applebloom asked, holding tightly to her big sister, fear spreading across the filly’s face. I turned my attention to the regal alicorn to my left.

“Look, princess, with all due respect, we have a really deadly situation on our hands. Do you realize what you’ve been doing for the past four months?” I asked the alicorn, picking up my handgun and other equipment that was scattered all over the floor. “We’ve got the living dead to contend with, Discord is attacking the human world, and BEN, the statue? He could be up to anything. I’m sorry to barge in, but it looks like we’re gonna need something other than the fucking Elements of Harmony to help us this time around.”

“And with all due respect to you, human, I don’t think we need your species’ darkness to keep corrupting my kingdom!” Celestia yelled in retaliation. “While you were unconscious, Twilight and her friends told me of your ‘adventures’ together. While you may have helped my little ponies since you came here, the methods you have employed thus far have been far less than desirable. The foal’s tales were right: you are nothing more than a violent race.”

“…”

Foal’s tales, foal’s tales, foal’s tales. It’s all I’ve been fucking hearing about since I came here. I wanted answers, and I wanted them now. I reloaded my gun, and holstered the weapon. There was something I needed to confront her about, and now. How DARE you insult the race that gave birth to me, Celestia. We’re not perfect, but shit, you act like we’re a plague on the universe.

“What ARE the foal’s tales? I’ve been hearing about them all the motherfucking time. I’m sick of not getting answers. I want to know what this is about. Why are humans evil to you? What did we do!?” I blurted at the princess. Derpy covered her daugher’s ears at my foul vocabulary, and Twilight shot me a stern look.

“Nick! This is the princess of Equ-”

“I FUCKING KNOW THAT! I. WANT. ANSWERS!”

“Nick darling... honestly, calm down.”

“FUCK YOU! I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS HELL!” I screamed, drawing my weapons in anger. I REALLY wanted to cap someone. Why couldn’t I just go home?

“Nick, put the weapon away, NOW!” came a young voice, the ‘now’ leaving with a high pitched crack. I froze in shock, and turned around to the source. Nothing was there, but that soon changed. In front of me, slowly faded the light-blue image of a pony. it was a filly, a unicorn filly, torn open at the stomach.

“Nick, put the weapon away. Don’t let your anger make you do something you’ll regret.” The image gently spoke, looking at me with sad, soul-crushing eyes, before fading away again.

“I... I mean... look, your highness, I said, kneeling at her hooves and bowing my head. “I’ve been stuck here for four months thanks to BEN. I’ve been through a living nightmare, nearly dying at every turn. All I want is to go home, and every day I spend here, I get no answers as to why any of this is happening - from Equestria’s existence, to the evil corruption that plagues your citizens. I don’t know what BEN wants, other than to kill me, and this kid has been torturing me for two years straight. As we speak, Discord is attacking my world, and zombies run rampant through Ponyville, thanks to the statue. I’ve lost an eye, an arm, nearly two quarts of blood, been stabbed, cut, beaten up, shot, chased through town by angry mobs, nearly turned into a demented science experiment, almost cut up and turned into baked goods, been possessed, watched a child die in front of my face, AND unknowingly ate her remains! I’ve been captured and held against my will on various occasions, suffered a heart attack, broken tens of bones in my body, and all I have to show for it is not a single answer as to why! I want to go home, and forget all of this, do you understand!? I don’t want to be here anymore!”

“Well, at least you apologized for your outburst, human. Please, follow me, and I shall show you... the... foal’s tales.” The regal pony said, opening the throne room doors with some magic, and leading us down the hallway. Multiple guards lined it, each we passed by saluting Celestia. We came to the Canterlot archives. Celestia pointed a hoof to the back of the room, showing what seemed like a labyrinth of bookcases.

“Against the back wall, two meters behind this first shelf, under the section ‘myths’.” Twilight said, almost as if she were here yesterday, even though she hadn’t touched the Canterlot library in months to my knowledge. We made our way through the twisting and winding bookcases, the area growing dark. Rarity summoned a spell, illuminating the way. A few minutes later, we came to the ‘M’ section. Magic, Monsters... Myths. There we go, just around the corner here.

“Nick, I could tell you what they say... they’re practically...” unforgettable. Fluttershy said, shying back in her standard fashion.

“No thanks, Fluttershy, I need to check this out for myself.” I said, a bit hesitant. This whole thing with humans was a very frightening concept to Equestria, but why? What did these things say? We came to a small cubby, a bit decrepit looking. The books here were aged beyond all recognition. They must have been as old as Celestia herself. The area was chillingly cold, not a single light source, aside from Rarity’s horn in this part of the library. It must have been an abandoned religion that nobody visited anymore, and according to the widespread fear of these stories, I guess I couldn’t blame them. Were they really that bad?

“I don’t wanna read these again. I always had to force myself to read one to Pound and Pumpkin when they were bad...” Pinkie said, shivering. Spike hid behind Twilight, and Applebloom, behind her siblings. Dinky clung to her mother’s hooves, an intense sense of dread overtaking the filly. Even Dash was on edge, flying a few feet behind us - odd for the bravest of the group. It must have really bothered her. If something like a fairy tale bothered Dash... these were bad.

“Okay... so where are... Oof!”

I walked into a bookcase, falling flat on my ass. As I looked up, I noticed the shelf here was lined with books of all ages. From the top left started the most ruined and used titles. As they went downwards, the condition of the writings became cleaner and much more well-maintained. I looked at the bookcase from my untimely procured seat, and noticed a giant label, made of balsa wood, just hanging by one hinge. The banner was quite dusty and aged, starting to fall apart from wood rot, hanging loosely by one bolt, tilted to the side. I read the label, then gulped.

'Humans'.

A flash of light appeared on a blank spot of the bookshelf, and as it subsided, a fresh book replaced it. I reached out to touch the hardcover-bound writing, noting it was fresh and warm, as if it had just come off a printing press. I let go of the book, and instead, started with the top one, standing up to reach it. I blew some dust off the cover, and took a seat at the small desk that sat to the left side of the small hovel that was formed from other shelves. Slowly opening the collection of papers, I carefully began to read. Seemed simple and basic, starting with the first known civilization, the Sumerians. It told of of their slightly darker side, about their sacrificial rituals and the like, and it seemed that this was all the title focused on. It was short and sweet, and a wee bit chilling. I set the book down, and moved onto the next.

2:00 PM

I continued through each collection of writings, and with each, my eyes widened in fear. Each title went on and on, focusing on the darker side of man, like I expected. What was so chilling? The actual writing. It covered everything from the rise of the Roman empire, to the crusades in the Holy Land, all the way to the Salem witch trials of New England, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Native American massacres, the Manhattan Project and the following nuclear attacks on Japan, the Jewish holocaust of WWII, the genocide in 1990 Rwanda, and on, as well as next to everything in between. It’s not like I didn’t know of this stuff, but... seeing it from the eyes of a culture that knew nothing of humans made it doubly haunting. It covered events in disturbing detail, giving names, locations, and descriptions (though they were slightly off) of what the incidents were like. I was about to vomit. I set the second to last book down, noting the freshly printed-looking one that had appeared about fifty minutes ago. I hesitantly opened the book, and my heart sank back into my stomach.

Kony. The Syrian conflict that just happened a few months ago, coupled with the global economic collapse, which was blamed on large business, according to the book. How did this get here so quickly? Firstly, how did they get access to our history? Though it was a bit off in places, it was pretty spot-on. Each of these books, made short and condensed to the size of a children’s storybook, always ended with a similar message, such as ‘behave, or the humans will come for you’. You never know what a culture is truly like until you see it through the eyes of another - each writing, that covered wars especially, didn’t take sides like human history books do. It painted all parties that were involved as sick and cruel.

“I think I’m gonna be sick...”

3:00 PM

“Princess, I think I’ve seen enough...”

“I take it you now understand our fear of the human race? Do you now see why I am not so quick to trust you?” The princess asked me, examining my body with concern. I looked at myself as I took note of the fact that she was eyeballing me - my skin had gone from a golden tan, to pale, and I mean PALE white. That shit was some creepy reading, let me tell you.

“Yeah... I think... I understand. But would you be willing to let me redeem my species?” I questioned, drawing my pistol and checking that the weapon was clean, as I set it to safety and tore off the water bottle. “For starters, what about the infestation of living dead everyone seems to be talking about? Apparently, your military is falling apart at the seams because they can’t handle it. But... if I, a human came in...”

“What exactly do you expect to do, human?” Celestia interrupted, raising an eyebrow in intrigue.

“Zombies, in my world, even though they don’t exist, are a large part of popular culture. I can use my knowledge of them to help you. From what I saw of the place last night, it looks like you need all the support you can get.”

Celestia thought on the proposal for a moment, before speaking again.

“Do I have your word you shall not harm any more of my little ponies in the process? My citizens have lost so much...”

“You have my word, your highness. The only deaths that will be occurring tonight are those of the zombies.” I said, kneeling before her.

“Well then, I give you leave to go. I must search for the Elements of Harmony while you -”

The mask salesman suddenly laughed as the room fell bone-chillingly cold. The song of unhealing picked up, playing in the air. The room went unnaturally dark, and the guards that were with us drew their weapons. I prepared mine, and as I did, the statue materialized right in front of us. Scootaloo hid behind me.

“Do you mean these?” that vile, serpentine voice I recognized began, as next to the statue appeared a white flash, and once the brightness cleared, sat the six elements in suspended animation.

“Aw, god no...”

The statue did nothing more than stand there, but the purple-colored magic mist slowly spun the elements around playfully, as if they were a set of keys on my finger.

“These worthless things? Interesting power they have, I can’t deny, but nothing threatening...”

“Guards!”

“Princess! No! You don’t know what you’re up agai-”

The guards blindly charged in at the statue, giving violent war cries. The statue stood there, while on the other side of it appeared another dark-purple mist, which then split into several, and came firing at the various soldiers with the force of a torpedo.

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT!”

As the magical bolts hit the troops, their bodies instantaneously exploded, sending chunks of gore in random directions, and doused us all in gallons upon gallons of fresh, warm blood. We all screamed.

“And these little things?” BEN asked, throwing the elements into the air with the magical mist on his right side, performing a juggling act with them. “Nothing more than children’s toys!”

Dash, with all of her raw confidence, tried to attack the statue, flying straight at him. As the blue pegasus closed the gap, however, a dark purple energy barrier erected around the grinning idol, and as Dash connected with it, she was immediately sent flying into the wall.

“If you think the Elements of Harmony are going to save you, Jadusable...”

A piece of the magical mist slowly folded around the golden relics, followed by loud crunching sounds. The mist dissipated, and out fell small crumbles of gold and various gemstones.

“...you better have a backup plan, kid.”

“Oh. My. God.”

“NO! THE ELEMENTS!”

“As for now...”

BEN summoned another magical mist, which quickly grabbed Applejack. The farming pony screamed, struggling to break free of the magical aura. All that came next though was a bright flash of light, and all that remained once it faded away was the echo of her final scream for ‘help’.

“...how about I take this cute little piece of ass off your hands?”

“SIS!”

“APPLEJACK!”

“YOU SICK MOTHERFUCKER!”

I fell to my knees, dropping my weapons to the ground and collapsing to the floor. Twilight and Scootaloo approached me, putting a hoof to my one hand that was outstretched along the tile.

“Nick... there wasn’t anything you could do.

Tears began to flood my eyes. I slammed my robotic arm on the floor, cracking the porcelain beneath me.

“Bullshit. Bullshit, bullshit, BULLSHIT! I COULD HAVE STOPPED HIM!”

“With all respect, hum- um, Nick...” Celestia began, correcting herself, which practically forced me to draw attention to her, turning around and weakly sitting up. Applejack... the first guiding force... and friend I had here... was gone. “...I think we should be focusing on this infestation? If you hope to even get Applejack back...” The princess continued, as Applebloom and Mac helped me stand, sadness beginning to take hold of their faces. “...Then you need to help my citizens.”

“R-right. So, you’ll be teleporting us to Ponyville, right in the middle of it all?” I asked, wiping away some remaining tears.

“That’s correct. Are you ready to go?”

"Princess, what about your sister and the moon?" Twilight asked, the thought sending the studious mare into a frenzied panic.

"I'll confront her while you're away. Nicholas, are you ready to go with the rest?"

“What other fucking choice do I have?” I asked, rolling my eye as I strapped myself up for combat.

And at that, Celestia summoned some magic from her horn, and I felt myself traversing through a small wormhole, which only lasted about five seconds. Applejack? I’ll get you back, I promise. I’m gonna set things right. Mom? I’m coming home. And damn it, what I wouldn’t give for a big ass cup of coffee.

Or Absolut vodka.

Chapter XVII: That One Day In September...

4:00 PM

We spontaneously appeared in what remained of Ponyville. Corpses littered the streets, and various dead shuffled about, the town nearly burnt to the ground in flames. A freakish carrion lunged at me. I immediately punched it in the face and drew my sword, tearing its head off at the neck with a simple swipe. The headless body spasmed a bit, before falling silent. This drew the attention of a few others, who turned and began to slowly drag their way towards us. At least we were dealing with the classically ‘low functioning’ zombie, so that was a bonus. Unfortunately, to make up for it, there were a lot, and I do mean a LOT of them. A group of around twenty started following us, but we kept ahead of them, trying to make our way through town, deciding where to start. After a few minutes of walking around (due to the ‘slow’ zombies, it pretty much came down to simply avoiding them), We were all immediately startled by a scream, which came from a house just a few streets up. Rushing our way down the road, we came around a bend, only to be met with more dead. As soon as they spotted us though...

“OH MY CELESTIA!”

...they started sprinting after us. Shit... so we had the fast dead to contend with too... I hated these fuckers. I drew my knife and threw it at one. Derpy took another muffin from her saddlebag and chucked it at a second, causing the beast to lose orientation, and fall down to the road. The creature roared as a third bounded over his companion and knocked Rarity to the ground. Fluttershy fell backwards, crying in fear, but Dash jumped in at the last minute, and kicked the freak off of the unicorn. Spike and Scootaloo hid behind me, and Applebloom took shelter next to her brother. Pinkie and Twilight stared at the creatures, unsure of what to do, until the lavender mare drew her scalpel from her saddlebags, and jabbed it in the last creature’s neck. It let out a blood-curdling cry, and I drew my pistol, ending the creature by shooting it square in the crown of the skull. I could hear the demonic shrieks of other zombies some distance away - they were coming...

“Let’s get out of here and go after that scream.”

We continued to traverse the remains of the decrepit town, until hearing the scream a second time, this one, coming from inside the house to our left. I turned on my cellphone, activated the flashlight, drew my gun, and put everyone behind me.

“Clearing!”

The door came flying down with a crash, falling to the floor, both parts falling off in separate directions. The house was completely dark, so I turned my flashlight to maximum power, and looked around the house, checking my corners. There was a trail of blood that led from this room to the kitchen, then back out, and up the stairs. I heard the scream for a third time, and immediately, rushed up to the top floor - a survivor, no doubt. We came around the corner of the hallway, meeting with more blood. The scream belonged to a woman. We ran down the hallway, checking that nothing was going to jump out in front of us. We continued to follow the trail, till we came to one of the rooms at the end of the hallway. Here, there were two rotting figures looming overtop of a small, tan pony. The pony had a knife in her hoof, but appeared far too scared to do anything. I took aim with my pistol, and fired off two rounds, stopping the demons in their tracks, and watched them slowly fall to the floor. I, along with the others, rushed over to assist -

“Bon Bon?”

“P-pinkie Pie? Is that you?”

The tan pony, beaten and scarred, and bleeding from the neck, slowly pushed the bodies off of her. I walked over to them, and smashed their heads in with my feet, ensuring their death. Scootaloo and Fluttershy rushed over to the injured baker and carefully examined her wounds. I handed Spike my kitchen knife, and gave the two caretakers some light by shining it on Bon Bon. The others kept watch on the doorway, to ensure nothing came after us.

“Scootaloo, check for bites. Ma’am, have you been bitten?”

Bon Bon was shaken, it seemed, unsure of what had happened to her. She was surely traumatized by this whole thing.

“N-no... I... they came through the window... in the living room. I ran to the kitchen to defend myself, b-b-but they cornered me. I grabbed a knife, and as I swung at one, he-it... it grabbed me, and I cut myself...” Bon Bon barely managed to say, the scarring experience racking her nerves. “I... thank you, sir. Thank you so much...”

“I’m just here to help where I can, miss. Scootaloo, let’s get Bon-Bon here patched up. Rest of you, keep watch.”

“Got it chief.” Dash replied with a salute as I kept the light on the earth pony’s wounds while Scootaloo worked away, cleaning and disinfecting the area. I took Scootaloo’s roll of bandages, and carefully wrapped Bon Bon’s injuries after the blood was cleared and the cuts cleaned. We sat there for a moment, and I slowly sat the mare up, checking her for anything else that might pose a threat to her health or our lives.

“Are you able to walk?”

“I-I think so. Yes... I should be fine. So, after all her crazy obsessions... I still can’t believe Lyra was right about you. Humans... they’re looked down upon for a very good reason. Her... interest with your kind... it really bothered everypony else. Often, I would try to pull her away from her silly research, but... rest her soul. She’s been missing for four months now. I honestly have no choice but to assume she’s...”

“Yes. She’s dead, Bon Bon. She died about the time she went missing. I saw it with my own eye.” I said, to which the pale mare simply fell into my arms and cried, letting a stream of tears flow across my red shirt, mixing with the blood that had already ruined my clothes. “Look, we need to get you to some kind of a safe house. Does Ponyville have some kind of a disaster shelter, as often as this place gets attacked?”

Bon Bon let got of me, then took a look at the others in my gang. She swallowed, and caught a few breaths, before speaking again.

“Y-yes. The town hall has a disaster safe house built into the basement, but we wouldn’t be able to survive the streets, there are too many of those... things out there.” Bon Bon replied, pausing for a moment. “Unless...”

“What? Unless what?” The others asked her in unison.

“Unless... we used her research.” The confectionist said, with a sudden smile. “Follow me.” Bon Bon finished, standing up and leaving the room, to which we all complied. We went up a second flight of stairs, coming to the attic of the home, and here, appeared to be a studio of some kind or another. On one side of the room sat a drafting table which had a lamp attached to it, and a few pieces of paper that looked to be blueprints. In the back of the room was a workbench with tools and varying pieces of metal and plastics, the centerpiece of which appeared to be a half-completed project. There was a VERY large cabinet in the corner of the room, next to the workbench, and on the opposite side of the drafting canvas sat a desk, with plenty of stationery, including what appeared to be a scrapbook and a journal. Sitting against the side of the desk were small metallic tubes, used for holding other blueprints. One thing I noticed about Bon Bon, was that her voice hasn’t changed at all. I’d also like to point out that, despite what you may think, there are no ‘errors’ or ‘clones’ in this world. After all, this is the real Equestria we’re dealing with here. I wish I could still call it a cartoon.

“What the hell did she do here?”

“I think it’s best if you find out for yourself.” Bon Bon simply said, pointing a hoof to the desk. “I sold the last shipment of her... work to the Rainbow Factory last night.”

“Are you saying that she...”

“See for yourself.”

I walked over to the desk, sitting down in the small wooden chair, and slowly picked up the journal-like book and opened it, flipping to a relevant date. I was searching somewhere close to my arrival.

"You know, you remind me so much of Lyra, the way you sit."

May 4th, 2012

A lot of the jewelry mines have been mysteriously emptying recently. The government and press are all over it. I just hope this doesn’t escalate into a big problem, and they stop the thief - gemstones are the backbone of our nation’s economy. Bon Bon has been getting worried about my research again. I don’t see what her deal is. Oh well, back to my fifteenth attempt on trying to make hands.

May 7th, 2012

There have been reports of a strange looking statue showing up all around the nation. I’m reading the latest issue of Foal Free Press now, and the picture here shows it to look a lot like a human. Still, it isn’t a living, breathing human, only a statue, so no living specimen. Regardless, this might be my only lead to finding a real one. That thing’s facial expression is creepy as all get out, though.

May 10th, 2012

What in her own name has gotten into Celestia? Just last night, hundreds of guards came into town, and declared martial law under her name. The country hasn’t been attacked since the wedding, so I don't see what’s got them all worked up. Why would Celestia do this to us?

May 12th, 2012

Okay, this whole mess with the gems has only gotten worse. The town seems to be falling apart at the seams as our bits only become more worthless with each passing day. Bon Bon is going crazy, and our savings are dwindling away. I hope I can manage to find some steady income soon.

May 15th, 2012

Sweet bucking Celestia, this town has turned into a slum! A strange mess of drug addicts and prostitutes, yes, PROSTITUTES, roam our streets, and crime has become extremely common. It... it scares me. I feel like our little town is slowly turning into a nightmare. The FlimFlam brothers have come back, and are selling a new drink. Bon Bon buys the stuff by the case like a crackhead. I keep telling her to stop tearing into our savings to get her fix; we can’t afford that right now. She tells me I should at least try it. Dear Celestia, have mercy. I... I’m afraid Ponyville is going insane. I hate going out into town, what with all the guards out every day. They’ve taken away all kinds of personal rights from us. I... I feel sick. I need a job.

May 17th, 2012

Strangest thing to ever happen. The statue that’s been showing up everywhere magically teleported into my attic study. The thing actually talks, and its voice is, to say the least, hypnotizing. He came saying that he had a business proposal for me. In honesty, we are DAMN desperate for money. I accepted, and he told me that my work would entail making human devices! Human technology! Finally, I have a steady job, AND one that focuses on what I love to research, all without the social backlash! It seems... things are finally starting to turn around. The statue says he will supply me with instructions on how to build the devices. All I need is to get the supplies. Off to the hardware store! Bon Bon will be so happy to hear that we have a steady income! Hopefully I can get everything from town today before the curfew hits.

May 20th, 2012

A pegasus pony named Dazzler came to pick up the first shipment of supplies. I’ve built over two hundred devices in three days! The majority of what I make are these strange looking things that fire pieces of metal, like a crossbow. They make a really loud noise when you pull the trigger. The statue has given me some blueprints with the design schematics, and I find the tools to be quite interesting. There are also strange camera like devices, and these weird things that emit a laser, and sense when somepony walks through them. There are also things that you can throw, and they explode. To think humans have such amazing technology - it’s absolutely breathtaking. Going to bed, my eyes hurt.

May 23rd, 2012

I don’t know where the energy comes from, but I’ve been working feverishly like a madmare - I’ve completed another four batches of human equipment in three days! It’s one hay of a strain on me, but we’re rolling in cash, despite the depression. I just wish Bon Bon would stop spending all her money on that FlimFlam drink and pay some bucking rent. She keeps begging me to at least give it a try. She also says my eyes are... red, and that I should see a doctor. I just chalk that up to a lack of sleep. I keep hearing this strange song in my head when I try to get some shuteye. Dazzler is coming to pick up another two shipments of supplies tomorrow. I’m more than ready for him. Thank you for saving my livelihood, mister statue man, whatever your name is.

May 25th, 2012

Was out a little late, thirty minutes til curfew. I was heading back home from the brand new milk bar they built in town, when out of bucking knowhere, I saw a strange flash of light in the sky out by Sweet Apple Acres. I normally trust my gut on this sort of thing, and I’d jump at the chance to go check it out, but I’d probably be home late if I did, and I sure as hay didn’t wanna risk getting thrown in jail - the guards are scary, and the town, doubly so at night, what with all the crime.

May 26th, 2012

HOLY BUCKING CELESTIA! A REAL. LIVING. HUMAN! I knew I wasn’t crazy! Earlier today, I was out getting food, and actually SAW a living, breathing human. He looked like a young man, in his twenties or so. The infamous Cutie Mark Crusaders were with him, and all four of them looked like they’d just come out of a brutal fight. I immediately called him out, to which he told me to ‘fuck’ off, sticking out one of his fingers. I can only assume that’s something along the lines of ‘buck’. The odd thing is, he actually called me by my name when he said it. I immediately ran home to tell Bon Bon, and she just brushed it off with mere skepticism. I KNOW what I saw. I’ve still got to go back out and get some more supplies for work, though. I’m getting thirsty. Okay, Bon Bon, you win, I’ll go try the drink on the way to the hardware store.

I opened to another page, only to see it blank - It ended there. I set the journal down, pulling out and looking at my phone, which gave the date - September 24th. Have I really been here that long? It's been going by fast...

Twilight levitated a stack of blueprints over to me. What I saw on those papers... was some wicked shit.

Designs for guns, security cameras, grenades, and laser trips. Sketches of artillery pieces, and modernized combat knives. My heart went racing, as I continued to look at the work. From Desert Eagles to SAW’s, M67 frags to C4 and bulletproof cameras. All kinds of shit. Landmines, laser defenses, gun turrets, body armor... and BEN gave her instructions for this? How? Lyra’s work was what we were up against in the Rainbow Factory? Poor unicorn took her obsessions about man to an unhealthy level. I continued shuffling through the work, then Bon Bon stood up and went over to the large cabinet in the corner of the room. She opened it up, and a wicked smile beamed across my face, its overstuffed contents spilling out among the floor.

Guns. Lots and god, do I mean LOTS of guns.

These particular weapons were oddly designed though, about a size smaller than what I would have considered a sizable firearm. The trigger wells were extremely large, set to accommodate a hoof instead of a few fingers. The stocks were a bit broader, to comfortably rest on a pony’s shoulder. The ammunition chambers were much wider, and the magazines had a lip on the upper side of them, to allow for a hoof to hold and load the weapons. The foregrips were not completely rounded, and instead, had smooth flat bottoms with a small, thin line of metal running along them, almost as if to allow the weapon to comfortably rest into the cleft of a hoof. Clearly, human war tools converted and remodeled for pony use.

“Thank you, miss Heartstrings...”

“If Lyra were still alive, I would be thanking her endlessly for saving our flanks with all this, but for now, we need to get to the safehouse.” Bon Bon exclaimed, taking hold of a small rifle, which looked remotely similar to an M1 Garand. I dove into the pile of weaponry, emerging with what I could only describe as a Remington 870 shotgun, and one extra box of ammunition. Hell. Yes. The others in the group grabbed weapons, throwing as many extra as they could into their saddlebags. If we made it to the safehouse, we would need to supply the survivors with armaments. Mac took a rifle in his mouth, and after loading a magazine, took the weapon in his hooves - and THIS one... he could shoot. Where he failed in blowing my brains out before, he most certainly could now. I shivered as the barrel passed by me, Mac swinging the gun waywardly - he was completely untrained in firearms, and lacked any common sense with them. Of course, so did the others, and I had to do a lot of basic training right there, pointing things out like: ‘that’s not how you load the magazine’, or ‘keep your weapon pointed down’, and ‘never look down the barrel to make sure its empty’, as well as ‘don’t point that at anyone you AREN’T planning to kill’, as I watched each of them screw up, and, had any of them pulled the trigger, would have killed themselves or their friends then and there. It was like teaching five year old children about weapons. Guess it was to be expected, though. After some rather... frustrating firearms tutorials, we each left with one in our possession, as well as many more in our surplus of equipment. I gave the kids pistols, which may not have been the safest decision, but when you’re caught in what ammounts to an apocalyptic situation, what more can you do?

We left Bon Bon’s apartment, armed to the teeth. Taking our first steps out into the scorching, unforgiving sun, the heat brought out the foul-smelling scents of rotting flesh and blood that loomed in the atmosphere. That moon, that... satan-born moon that every moment that I saw of it in my remaining vision, ran a freakishly huge veil of fear over my entire being, was staring down at us. We began our romp across town, but the peacefulness (for as peaceful as it gets in an apocalyptic hellhole) was soon cut short by several demonic shrieks. I brought my mechanical arm up, holding it as a fist.

“Hold here...”

Bringing my pistol at the ready, and crossing my other hand (armed with my knife) overtop of my projectile-wielding limb, I took a step around a corner, to see a zombie feasting upon a corpse in a small alley. The others, just a few feet to the side of me, around the corner. The rotting figure turned to face me, standing up from its meal, and started to slowly shuffle over to me. A few seconds later, its snack rose off the cobblestone road, and along with its predator, started to move towards me. I put my small arms away, drew and pumped the shotgun, and opened up.

“How’s that feel, you flesh-eating freaks!?”

One shot turned the first into a sticky mess of organs, and the remaining BBs that went astray tore half of the second demon’s head off. I emptied another round into each for good measure, upon which, I heard more garbled cries - this time, closer, and more of them. I came to my team, and turned around to see...

“Oh for the love of Christ...”

...a wall of living dead, running straight for us. Reminder to self - guns are loud, and draw attention.

“Rule number one: CARDIO!”

Scootaloo, Dash, Fluttershy, and Derpy, her daughter in her hooves, took to the air. The rest of us? We hightailed it the fuck out of there. I jumped onto Mac’s upper body, wrapping Applebloom under my human arm, and drew my pistol with my cybernetic one. Spike jumped on as well, and dug his claws into my belt loop, the two children I was accopanying dropping their weapons in the process. Mac kicked it into high gear, the sprinting carcasses slowly starting to gain on us despite the massive stallion’s power. I turned around, barking orders as Applebloom shrieked, and Bon Bon ran up beside us. Pinkie and Twilight were lagging behind somewhat, and Rarity had already made it to the front of the pack in fear as her scream echoed through town.

“SPIKE! GET YOUR HEAD DOWN!”

“Wha- WOAH!”

I emptied half a clip at our pursuers, though, with the constant jittery movement of bouncing up and down on Macintosh’s spine, it sure as hell made it hard to hit anything. In the end, I only dropped about three bodies, but it was better than none. Still, the zombies were gaining, and they were gaining FAST.

“Jesus Christ, step on it!”

“Ah’m goin as fast as ah can! Havin’ ya on mah back ain’t helpin’!”

Running for our lives, our target was a few meters ahead - Ponyville town hall. The structure didn’t look all too well off, but it was still standing. The windows were boarded, and the main door, more likely than not, locked. The Pegasi landed at the doorway first, and we all caught up a few seconds later. Bon Bon, however, with her injuries, was lagging behind severely, as the corpses started to close in on her. I hopped off of Mac and went for the door, slamming like mad on the burnt oak finish.

“Open the fucking door! I have a group of survivors! It’s the human!”

I turned to see the rotting abominations. There were getting closer by the second.

“OPEN THE COCKSUCKING DOOR! NOW!”

“Human! help me, please! Dear Celestia, get away from me!”

I looked back behind me to see Bon Bon struggling with a zombie. She was a good three metres away, and others started to close in on her. A stallion came to the door, thrusting it open. Save her, leave her. Save her, leave her.

“Leave her! She’s fucking dead already!”
“You heartless asshole, kill those things!"
“What did she ever do for you? She’s nothing more than a burden! Leave her!"
“No. I’m not letting more civilians die. There’s been too many losses.”

I rushed back into the crowd of demons, just as the safe house door flung open, and the others stepped inside. A stallion peeked his head out of the archway, and yelled at me.

“Get the buck in here!”

“I’ll be fine! Get the others to safety!”

Bon Bon tried what she could against the creatures, first, trying to fire her weapon. She managed to drop five, but with her wounds, the earth pony’s energy was degrading quite quickly. It didn’t take long before she was completely overrun, surrounded by the grotesque beings. Trying to punch one in the face, Bon Bon dropped her weapon, and was then jumped on by another from behind. She rolled over, trying to force the hellspawn off of her, but the undead pony simply held her in place, drooling over her body. Time for a snack...

"HEY! OVER HERE! YOU WANT SOME DINNER!?"

Bon Bon felt the demon that had hold of her suddenly go flying off of her body with the force of an out of control train. Others dropped around her, and the terrified pony, awaiting her death, slowly opened her eyes.

“Oh, Sweet Celestia, thank you...”

Bon Bon then turned her gaze to the left, to see the human standing above her. In the afternoon sunlight, she got a fine look at him, and in the name of all that was holy, he looked terrible. He was walking with a limp, an apparent injury through the back of one leg. His clothes were torn and stained in blood, his left pants leg torn off jaggedly, cut off just below his knee. The other was its standard length, stopping just short of a brown shoe, both of which were also covered in various fluids, and had burn marks all across them. The human’s inner shirt was torn open at the stomach, simply being held on him by the neckline. His outer shirt, a thin button-down of some kind, was charred and burnt, nearly black. The man himself, aside from his clothing, looked absolutely horrendous, his outward appearance far more than frightening - it would definitely make any young filly or colt run off screaming in terror, and certainly, even some adults. All over the man’s exposed flesh sat wounds, scars, bruises, and bandages, all over his leg, chest, and clearly matching arm, the latter of which had thick bandages running along the hand, as if there was a recent cut there, confirmed to be true by blood flow to the area, which soaked the white strips. His other arm appeared to be made of some kind of machine, of alien origin that she did not recognize. A finger upon it was missing, also apparently torn off by something. The man’s face was the most frightening thing though, by far: the teeth cracked, chipped and broken, and many more missing. The nose twisted and bent, as if it had been struck multiple times. A black patch covered one eye, which was the only thing about his outward appearance that brought comfort to the mare, as it reminded her vaguely of Pipsqueak’s adorable pirate costume last Nightmare Night. His hair, long and unkempt, was burnt, torn, and broken. Within the torn shirt revealed the human’s physique, the man sporting a small, lightly toned chest. His skin was a golden tan, though this ‘body building’ that the human must have undergone was clearly due to his work at Sweet Apple Acres the past month. This, Bon Bon knew for certain, for the confectionist vivildy reccolected the day she and the many other denizens had chased him through town over the viscious murder of one of the FlimFlam brothers; during said time, he looked nothg like he did, and certainly was not in nearly as grand physical condition as he was now. Bon Bon closed her eyes shut, scared of the human, expecting death, but opened one to only see the tall man smiling at her, offering his hand.

“Come on, you wanna die out here or what?”

Despite what the foal’s tales may have said...

...some humans had golden hearts. Bon Bon let out a heavy sigh of relief and felt herself hoisted onto the human’s back, walking towards town hall, where many others awaited at the doorway.

5:00 PM

"Holy... mother... of god."

I slammed the metallic door shut behind me, stepping into the lower basement. Here, there were approximately three hundred ponies, some I recognized, but most, unnamed ‘background’ ponies, of all ages and sizes. Some were crying, others talking in desperation to their friends and family, or otherwise, praying FOR them, if they weren’t around. Lastly, some were even scarred and ruined beyond all recognition, cowering in corners and sucking on their hooves like scared children, and mumbling incoherently.

“I... family... dead... all... dead... don’t... eat me...”

“I... she was looking right at me, and went down without a sound... and I-I-I couldn’t do anything! I just... ran.”

A few stray lights dangled on the ceiling, some of the many lone bulbs, flickering. It was nice to know that Equestra had electrical power, though it didn’t appear to be a very widespread technology. At least the country had indoor plumbing, that I’m thankful of. The others I was with had come in long before, receiving questions from people about the new weapons they were carrying. Some of the ponies drew notice of me, and almost started a panic, screaming out my my presence in fear, though the others managed to quell the unrest. A few guards were here as well, whom I decided to approach and inquire. If anything, they were the people I needed to talk to about solving this mess.

“You! Halt!”

I immediately drew the shotgun that was strapped to my back, as the soldiers in the room armed themselves with their swords.

“Dad, put the gun down, now!”

“Really? You think you can take me? I’m not your fucking enemy! Put the weapons away, and we can talk about this like sensible, grown adults, okay?” I asked, slowly setting my weapons down on the floor. “I’m putting the weapons down, see? Now, will you gentlemen kindly tell me where I can find captain Armor?”

The fifty-something guards I was having a Mexican standoff with sheathed their weapons, then stared back and forth between each other for a moment. They whispered to each other for a moment, a few of them seemingly arguing with their colleagues. I was able to catch bits and pieces of the conversation, such as ‘isn’t he the one they jailed a few hours ago’, and ‘if he really posed a threat, he would have tried to kill us already’. A few minutes later, one of them cleared his throat, and spoke.”

“Captain Armor is in a meeting with the mayor, human. He’s upstairs on the ground floor of the building.”

“Thank you.” I said, taking hold of my shotgun, and slinging it over my shoulder. I made my way up the stairs, closing the safe house door behind me. The cavernous bunker under this place was pretty damn sturdy, almost like that of a fallout shelter. It looked as if it truly could survive a nuke, or something along the lines of one. Ponyville must have gotten right sick of all the various ‘assaults’ made on their town, and finally taken action. I made my way up to the main floor, and came to a small, windowless door, with a brass engraving on the face of the wood, which simply read:

Mayor Mare

I put my hand to the door, and tried turning it, only to notice it locked. Of course, The mayor and Armor WERE having a meeting. I could hear their voices on the other side, but I also heard two more that I recognized, coming from the room. It started with a male’s voice, then went to Shining Armor, then a woman spoke up, then Armor again, and continued to repeat said pattern.

“Are you out of your motherbucking mind!? If we evacuate the town, we all run a risk of getting eaten! We’ve lost hundreds to the virus, and we’re bound to lose whatever’s left if we so much as try to leave! We need to stay in the shelter, where it’s safe!”

“Seriously!? Have you seen the size of that moon!? It keeps getting larger by the hour! If we STAY here, we’re going to die!”

“I’d much rather run a risk of getting crushed by the moon, because at this point in time, that still sounds like a crazy myth! What we face out there is the REAL threat! Besides, captain, I don’t want to be a civilian mouthing off to a decorated officer, but it sure as shit doesn’t seem like you have the equipment necessary to handle this! Word coming down from the grapevine says that the princess is refusing to send reinforcements! Isn’t that true!?”

“Arguing about how we’re gonna die isn’t gonna keep us from dying! As captain of the Equestrian armed forces, I swore an oath to protect the citizens, and that’s damn well what I plan to do! The martial law that the princess has had us put in place for the last five months sure as buck hasn’t been helping the situation, and now she decides to abandon us!? I’m more than willing to throw protocol to the wind if she’s going to pull a stunt like that! I’ve lost my wife, and you both have lost family, that much can be said. Hundreds more have died since that bucking statue showed up, and I have every intent to minimize casualties!”

“And to minimize casualties, we need to stay in shelter!”

“Evacuation is the only way! They’ll come here eventually, and supplies are GOING to run out down there! We can’t camp out and expect to survive - the citizens will HAVE to leave to gain more food! “

“So, let us say that the moon actually DOES fall. If it hits, there’s a better than none chance that we’ll survive, and it’ll kill off off the dead out there!”

“Are you not thinking about the rest of the planet!?”

“It’s the moon! We’re doomed anyway! How can a uniformed stallion like yourself be so naive!?”

I kicked the door open, screaming at the top of my lungs.

“Shut the fuck up!”

“How dare you barge into my office!”

“OH DEAR CELESTIA, IT’S THE HUMAN AGAIN!”

“Please don’t kill my children!

“You!? Didn’t my men throw you in the dungeon this morning!?”

The first thing I noticed was the room itself. It was small, housing a desk with a lamp, where the mayor was sitting at, and behind her, a glass window that wasn’t boarded up. On the left side of the room was Shining Armor, who looked like he was ready to pounce me at any given second. He had an armed guard at his side. On the other end of the room stood-

“Cup Cake? Flam? Jesus Christ, I thought you two were dead!”

“Please, don’t hurt my babies!”

“I... please, sir, don’t hurt me again, please, no!”

I stopped and stood there for a moment, examining the two ponies I had met in the past. They were severely injured and covered in bandages. Cup had her children with them, who began to cry upon my entering the room. I certainly didn’t expect them here, but it was fortunate they were alive. I continued to look at the ponies in the room, before approaching the mayor’s desk, slamming my hands into the polished wood.

“Listen, ma’am, I’m not your enemy. I may be a human being, but right now, we face a lot, and I mean a LOT of threats. Not only are we dealing with the moon and zombies, we’ve got three immortal creatures to deal with!”

“And you expect us to trust you, you criminal!?” Everyone asked together. I sighed and tried to speak again.

"Alright... listen. We need to-"

“SWEET CELESTIA!”

“OH MY GOD!”

Two zombies had broken through the window, shattering the pane into little fragments. Both of them jumped the mayor, the first, biting into the back of her neck as the chair she was sitting in fell over. She attempted to turn herself around and attack the beast, but as she did so, the second approached her from the side and began to chew into her left flank. I drew my shotgun, prepared to send the hellspawn back from whence they came. The mayor was gone for ceartain, that I knew, so there was nothing we could do for her. I brought up my weapon, prepared to fire, but as the carrions emerged from the floor and turned to face us, I instantlly grew cold feet. These zombies... these zombies we knew...

Both of the walking corpses had very pasty, grey skin, their fur falling off in strips. Neither were much bigger than the other, but one was an earth pony, the second, a unicorn. The unicorn had a moustache, waistcoat, and loosely dangling eye, and was otherwise, physically unscathed, save for what looked like a bullet in the head. The second... he was even worse. This man had a red and white bowtie, a small hat to match, and a tan apron on, both of which were torn (or perhaps chewed on), and was absolutely covered in wounds.

Carrot Cake and Flim.

“You’re the reason they’re like this, human!”

“H-honeybun... don’t, please! Remember us, your family! Carrot, baby, if you can hear me in there, we miss you!”

The zombies did nothing other than shuffle over to the two traumatized civilians, gripping hold of them. Armor and his right-hand-man attempted to pull them away, the spare guard drawing a knife, and stabbing Flim in the neck. The soulless freak turned around with a gargling roar, and smacked the solder across the face, who went flying into the wall. Carrot on the other hand, lunged at his daughter, Pumpkin, and attempted to bite her. Cup pushed him down, and I immediately stood in front of the two unarmed citizens, waiting for the walking corpses to attack again.

“EAT THIS!”

One round though the gut sent both of the abominations flying to the ground. They stood again, but I pumped the gun one more time, taking their heads clean off, as blood splashed everywhere. Then the mayor stood up. Of course, she had turned, so I simply spun around and emptied two shots into her skull. The body went flying out of the window, headless. Every living person in the room stared at me in awe, their expressions a finite combination of excitement and pure, unadulterated fear.

“Did... holy mother of Celestia... you... saved us. Flam said, his jaw practically dropped to the blood-soaked floor. Shining Armor was staring in pure, horrified shock at the weapon in my hands. He was probably going to ask me what the thing was, so I went ahead and answered for the man before he had a chance to inquire.

“This here is a Remington 870 pump-action shotgun. This son of a bitch fires massive, powerful rounds, twelve gauges in diameter. Most commonly, the two ammunition types associated with a shotgun are slug, which are hollow-point style rounds that shoot directly at the target. The other, more popular type is buckshot, which, upon firing, sends out hundreds of metal BB pellets in a thick blanket of lead. This motherfucker, if I shoot any of you from here-”

“P-please tell us you won’t, sir...”

“I will not, would turn you into a messy pile of brains and blood, splattered all over that wall back there, and put a hole in that wall the size of this desk chair. I, Derpy Hooves, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Big Macintosh, and the Elements of Harmony have been sent into town, under the orders of Princess Celestia herself, to aid in evacuation operations and parasitic cleanup. I understand you are undermanned and undersupplied, captain Armor, sir?”

“Y-yes sir. We need to evacuate the town, otherwise-”

“We need to stay here, and hold our positions!”

“Both of you shut the fuck up!”

The room fell dead silent again. There was no time for simple bickering.

“Thank you. Now, will you all listen to me? We NEED to evacuate the town. Those who have come with me have brought the PROPER weapons you need to handle the outbreak. If we stay here, the moon WILL kill us. How do I know? Let’s say... I have experience. No matter where we hide, it’s going to crush us. BUT, if we get out of here, we have a chance to stop the moon. After all, Nightmare Moon is behind it, and she has been stopped before. Sitting here and waiting to be smashed to death isn’t gonna get us anywhere.” I continued, as Cup and Flam stared at me in disbelief. I slung the shotgun over my back again, this time, slowly walking over to the two ponies I had scarred for life.

“Cup... I can never apologize enough for the wicked thing I did. When I came here, All I saw was him abusing you and the children. I hate domestic abuse over anything else in this world, ma’am, and... when I... saw what he did to you, I just... lost it to anger. I went off on him, tearing him apart like some kind of rag. My unjustified murder of your husband will haunt me til my dying day. I’ve done wrong, and I know nothing I can do will replace the heartache and personal turmoil you must be living with now after his death. I understand your children’s lives will never be the same again...” I continued, gently running my arms down the sides of the two children, attempting to calm them down with a gentle touch. “...but please, let me redeem myself in the eyes of your family. I’m a human being, but let me speak on behalf of my entire race, we aren’t all terrible creatures...”

“I... human, I just don’t know if I can find it to forgive you. Pound and Pumpkin are traumatized...”

I sighed and walked over to Flam.

“I did one hell of a number on you. While I did what I did in the name of getting information, that can’t justify how I killed your brother and beat the shit out of you. I don’t expect forgiveness, Flim, but I do expect you to take a leap of faith, that I won’t let my darkness out again. I aim to help Equestria, not harm it. While what I do may not be the most desierable option, it’s what I know how to do. Now, if you want to live, Flam, and you want to see your children grow up, Cup, you both have to put your faith in me here. Captain Amor, sir? I would like to see you and the others down in the safehouse in the next five minutes. We’re gonna get the survivors out of town.”

6:00 PM: Night of The Second Day - 36 Hours Remain

“Okay people! Listen up!”

I stepped down into the basement, followed behind by Shining Armor, Cup, and Flam.

“Mrs. Cake! Pound! Pumpkin!” Pinkie Pie screamed in joy, hugging the distraught mare and the young foals, who playfully giggled and smiled upon the view of Pinkie Pie. Many citizens came around me, watching as I grabbed my things and threw them on a table in the center of the room. The rest in my group of allies put their things on the table after I motioned them to. Pretty much everyone who wasn’t dead was there, from Granny Smith to Diamond and Silver, all the way to the infamous Snowflake, otherwise known and the steroid pony. Unless I’ve clearly mentioned the deaths of a named pony, as far as I knew, the community figureheads we knew and loved back on earth were still alive. I slammed my robotic fist into the table.

“Everybody listen up! I refuse to sugar coat a damn thing I’m about to say here! What I have here is a collection of weapons, courtesy of the late Lyra Heartstrings. Right outside of these bunker walls exists Ponyville, but not the one you all know and love. The Ponyville out there is roaming with the walking dead, former shells of your loved ones. At the same time, we have, thanks to a returning Nightmare Moon, and yes, she had returned, do not be fooled, the threat of the moon, plotting to crush the earth in a mere day and a half! Have you not seen how it has gotten closer since it failed to set days before!?”

Many citizens kept silent, simply nodding in agreement.. My allies gathered around me, staring down the others within the bunker. Troops went to Shining Armor’s side, awaiting for me to lay out a plan of some kind.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to present to you, the gun.” I said, hoisting my pistol into the air. “Guns have been, for nearly six-hundred years, a mainstay tool for self-defense throughout the human world. I will not lie, humans kill each other with these devices, and humans kill animals with them as well. A gun is a very dangerous device that fires small pieces of metal, designed to puncture living tissue and break bones. However, what the Equestrian military has - blades and bows, simply will not cut it for what we face if we plan to evacuate to a safer locality. Range is what we need, when facing the living dead, as well as the ability to tear them to pieces. These particular weapons I and my friends...” I said, spanning my robotic arm out to the the Elements around me and ever growing team, the open faced appendage slowly passing by them to confirm their presence. ”...have procured are designed for pony operation. As you can see, the loading and firing mechanisms are larger and have specially designed lips, attachments, and moldings to allow for hooves to maintain and control the devices. Some basic rules of a gun include that you always make sure the gun is not aimed at anyone, nor loaded, and is in a safety position when you are not in combat. Guns generally work by...”

After about a quick five minute lecture on weapon usage, many people stepped forth and took hold of one. Some children took smaller weapons, and carefully examined them like I instructed them to. Things were going off smoothly, and without a hitch.

That was, at least, until HE showed up.

“Oh hi there, Jadusable. Building up a cute little ‘resistance’ movement, I see.”

The lights began to pulse, as the room fell down to a chillingly cold temperature. Civilians backed away, into the corners, but prepped their weapons. my original team, discluding Bon Bon, huddled around me.as the wicked song of unhealing played in the room. The mask salesman laughed at us, and BEN spoke up again.

“Planning on using an army to stop me and my creations? You shouldn’t have done that, kid. Whatever force you can even hope to assemble by now, Jad, It’s nothing compared to the one I have ready...”

I immediately cocked my pistol, looking around in vain to find the source of BEN’s voice.

“Looking for me?” the voice asked, as the statue materialized on the table in the middle of the room. “Tell me, Jad, how have you been since you busted out of Canterlot? Has not having sexy little Applejack there by your side to save your pathetic skin been hard on you?”

“What the fuck have you done with her!?”

“What? That there varmint has mah granddaughter!? Give her back!”

“Ah, if it isn’t old lady Smith. Tell me, ma’am, have you enjoyed the improvements I had made to your family before Jadusable intervened?”

“Give me mah granddaughter!”

If you want her back, you’ll have to come best the army Chrysalis and and I have assembled, you AND the human. Listen and listen well, my little ponies, for I want to play a game with you. A game of Majora’s Mask. But this time...”

The statue slowly faded away, the laugh of the skull kid trailing behind.

“I get to make the rules. Sadly though, it’s a damn shame you won’t be around for this game, Jadusable. It’s been fun, buddy, I’ll tell you that. Before you go...”

I swallowed in fear, putting a death grip on my pistol.

“...would you like to see home again, for old-time’s sake? I’m sure Discord has made many improvements to the place already.”

“You son of a bitch! I’ll fucking murder you, you sorry sack of-”

“Really now?” BEN asked, the vile and soul-crushing song of unhealing still filling the room. “What about little Applejack? I’m certain that she’d not approve of your violent methods in the slightest.”

At that, a purple line of some kind formed in mid air. The line then started to spread outwards, opening what I could only describe as a portal. The portal showed a white void, and a few seconds later, Applejack came to the opening. She looked alive and well, but was still patched up from the Rainbow Factory basement. She put her hooves to the supernatural gate, slamming on it.

“Sugarcube! Applebloom! Big Mac! Granny! Thank Celestia ya’ll are alright!”

I immediately ran over to the rift, trying to pull myself through it, but fell onto my back as my face connected with the opening. I stood up and placed my hand to it, trying to bash away. It felt like extremely thick glass, almost like I was watching a TV. Only difference here, I couldn’t break it if I was pissed.

“Applejack, he’s not hurting you, is he!? So help me god, if I find he’s-”

“I smell the fear on you, Jadusable. Fear is the ultimate weakness in man. Your fear nearly cost you your life when fighting Macintosh and Pinkie Pie. It clouded your judgment in Twilight’s labs, and with Mr Cake. I’m sure Cup over there doesn't take too kindly to your actions...”

My blood began to boil at his insults. Sure, I had fear, but it was all for the better.

“Lemme tell you something, BEN.” I began, gritting my teeth, and slamming my mechanical arm into the table. “Fear is a sense that humans need in order to survive. Fear is what keeps man alive; it allows us to grow stronger, for every day that passes, we overcome our fears. Even our long-running fear of becoming extinct. I know it won’t happen, and you know why, BEN? Because mankind is stubborn. Mankind is a fighting race. We’ve survived countless wars, two of which, on global proportions. We’ve survived an ice age, millions of years of natural selection, hundreds of plagues and illnesses. So what if we go to war with nukes and whatnot like everyone on earth fears? Society may crumble, but I’ll say this, humanity will still live, because we can, and, mark my words, BEN...”

“We. Fucking. Will.”

“You have an awful lot of faith, kid... A lot of faith in a bunch of smelly primates living on some dirtball. Speaking of... would you like to see how that dirtball is doing?”

Before I had a chance to say anything, the image in the rift changed. What was I looking at? Home. The real, human world, all in its grimy, hyper-realistic glory. I could smell the burning fumes on the cars that passed by from here. The real life trees, the gritty, comforting smells of the city air. The smell of earth...

Home.

Home was in horrible shape.

Mom was not lying. The sky was a sickly shade of pistachio green, and the clouds pink, raining chocolate. Cars drove every which way, upside down, sideways, along buildings and trees. One minute, a person walking by would be wearing a tanktop and jeans, then a golden zoot suit the next. Houses were being lifted off of their very foundations, precariously stacked on top of eachother, and floating hundreds of feet off the ground. Street lights transmogrified into candy canes. The roads and interstates, soap. The people, barking and meowing while the pets they were with greeting eacother with hellos and ‘how ya doin’’s. A tree, out of fucking nowhere, grew a set of legs and waltzed into a Starbucks and asked for coffee. I felt absoloutely sick.

“I decided to let Discord off the leash, give him access to the human world. But it’s not all bad, Jadusable, look! Discord brought you back a souvenir from earth!” BEN playfully said, taunting me as, out of the blue, came a white flash of light as the portal closed, and in its place sat a suitcase on the table. “Discord was thinking long and hard of a present to bring you back from earth, so I gave him a suggestion I had. Think of it, Jadusable, as a gift from me, to you.”

I stared at the suitcase for a moment, wondering what was sitting inside. Somewhere, I heard a steady, constant beeping noise.

“Just remember, Jadusable, that you shouldn’t have done that...”

“Dad... what... is that?” Scootaloo asked me, slowly approaching the suitcase. I pushed the pegasus back, carefully approaching the box. I unhooked the latches, and slowly opened the container to find...

“Holy. Motherfucking. Shit.”

5:00
4:59
4:58
4:57

I began to sweat and panic in fear, my heart sinking into my stomach. A bomb. A goddamn bomb.

“Nick, what is that!?”

“A bomb!”

“Ooo! Ooo! You mean like a party bomb? because party bombs are fun and ifyouhaveapartybombyoucan-”

“NO, IT’S NOT A FUCKING PARTY BOMB!”

4:00
3:59
3:58
3:57

Okay... the first thing to do with a bomb... calm down, make sure all occupants are evacuated to a safe location. My father never taught me this, it was just common sense. Relax, and evacuate people...

“Alright, I want all civilians and children especially, to go to the top floor, immediately. The adults that came here with me, and military men, stay with me.” I ordered, carefully examining the bomb, and watching its clock, which was dwindling, and dwindling fast. There was a wire that ran through the back of the clock, down into a small black box, sealed with screws.

“Oh dear Ishvara, Jesus, Buddha, Yahweh, Allah and Zeus, WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO!?”

“Nick...”

“D-dad!? What the fuck are you doing here!?

“Nick, are you talking to yourself again!? This is no time to-”

“Now... listen, Nick. I never taught you how to defuse a bomb, simply because-”

“Human, the door’s locked, and we can’t break it down!”

“Of course you never did, you don’t have any experience in bomb defusal, god damn it!”

“Is that what you think? Remember the gulf?”

“They-”

“Never found any bombs there? That’s bullshit. We found weapons, and lots of them. It’s never been declassified. If the government had told the American public that we had found bombs, we would have gone into a third world war! I know how to defuse bombs, but I never thought you would need such training. Now if you-”

“WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO!?”

“Don’t you dare mouth off to me, or I WON’T help you. You have a knife, yes?"

“MACINTOSH, HELP US BREAK THIS DOOR DOWN!”

3:00
2:59
2:58
2:57

“Why is Nick talking to himself?”

“Ah dunno, but it’s creepin’ me out...”

“Now, take your knife, and unscrew the case. ...Good. Now what you’re dealing with here is a SODAM, also known as a nuclear suitcase bomb."

"A-a nuke!? THIS IS A FUCKING NUKE!?!?"

1:33
1:32
1:31
1:30

“Yes it’s a nuke, don’t fool yourself. Now. Take your knife and..."

“N-Nick better be able to stop this. This um... ‘nuke’ sounds bad.”

“According to that one foal’s tale.... they are.”

“Now, cut out this microchip, and THEN, the grey wire...”

“Nick, what are you doing!? That thing looks unstable!”

“We’re almost done here, Nick. Mom and I are here to help-”

“Wait, MOM!?”

“Captain Armor, what do do we do!? It’s almost as if... something’s blocking the door!”

“Hi, sweetie.”

“Mom, how did you... You know what, fuck it, nevermind, I need to stop this thing!”

“I died in a nasty car wreck a few hours ago, just like your father here. Those chocolate rain clouds got in my way, and I think my GPS told me to turn a bit too early, because I drove straight into a tree.”

My heart went lifelessly cold. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me again, but I’d recognize my mother’s voice anywhere. My mother... my one reason to get home... was dead.

“Alright, BEN, you wanna play dirty, we’ll play dirty, you cocksucker...”

“Ya know, everypony, I never thought I’d say this, but, I think we should leave.”

“Dash, are you going to abandon him!?”

“I hardly know the guy, Twilight!”

“Well we do, and we owe him, and so do you. We need to support him through this.”

“Now... if I just break this open, it looks like we have... Fuck! Dad, what do I do here?”

There’s only thirty seconds on the clock... this doesn’t look good...”

“Spike, calm down, you aren’t helping him.”

“But Twi, I don’t wanna die, I’m just a baby dragon!”

“Come here, Spikey-wikey...”

“Rarity, if we don’t make it out of this, I want you to know...”

“I know, dear. I know you love me.”

“Here we go... the heart of this thing. Dad, how do I disable the core?

“Daddy, I don’t wanna go boom!”

“Would you all shut up!? A nuke is not only going to kill US but all, and I DO mean all of Equestria! Now I need to fucking focus here! Dad, what chip do I want to avoid?”

0:10
0:09
0:08
0:07
0:06
0:05

“SWEET CELESTIA!”

0:04
0:03
0:02
0:01

“Awww, shit.”

Chapter XVIII: Hoof-Deep In The Dead

My family has a very long and grueling history. As far as I knew, all the way back to the formation of our family as a clan in Northern Germany back in 300 something AD, we’ve always been in the military.

Always.

My father, my grandfather, my great grandfather, all the way back to our very roots, which I now know, thanks to Ancestry.com. My father expected me to go into the armed forces, but I was always a fan of video games. I hated violence and death, unless it was virtual. I always found life as something to be cherished, and full of fun, which is where I picked up my talent and hobby of video games - life was meant to be enjoyed through your simple pleasures. I guess you could say I was like Pinkie Pie in that regard. Still, I knew that war was an unavoidable part of human life. I knew that it happened.

But I never expected it to be necessary.

I never expected fighting to be a daily occurrence in my life.

I never expected the solder in my blood to have to come out. Nor that murderous demon I had hiding away, something I never knew I had in the first place.

Especially in a world full of technicolor pastel ponies.

I for certain, never thought I’d be expected to disarm a nuclear weapon.

And I didn’t want to be a hero.

I didn’t ask for this.

I didn’t want to be here.

I wanted to go home.

Those were the last thoughts in my head, before I faced complete vaporization; before death came and took me away. As the clock ticked down to the final second, I closed my eye and waited to be turned to carbon, along with the rest of Equestria.

Then I opened my eyes.

There, right in front of me, sat a suitcase with a digital clock built into it, flashing a constant red 0:00. I stared around the room, wondering if It was a hallucination. I turned behind me, only to see ponies again. Fifty-something soldiers, and the five Elements that were with me, along with Big Macintosh, Derpy Hooves, and Shining Armor and the fillies, as well as Spike, and hundreds of other ponies covering their faces in nervous anticipation. Slowly, they uncovered their eyes, letting out large heaves of relief as they caught a glimpse of the dead machine before them. I fell onto my back, hitting the concrete floor without a care in the world.

“Fuck my life.”

7:00 PM

So, I may have saved our asses, but it certainly didn’t make me feel any better: my mother was dead. My mother, the woman who had given me life, killed by Discord. I had friends back home, sure, but my family was dead, and, without them, I had very little else to live for. I slumped against the wall as the civilians began to walk around the room, some examing the dead bomb. I tried my best to hide my tears from all the people, but I just couldn’t. Five minutes of holding back such emotion only tore at me, and the world-on-your-shoulders feeling the bomb had hit me with sure as fuck didn’t help. Scootaloo, Dinky, and Applebloom, as well as several other children came around me to help me feel better, while a bunch of the adults simply stared at me.

I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up in my apartment.

“H-human, sir? My sister Twilight says that you... might be able to help with the zombie problem we’re dealing with here, and...”

“Go away before I blow your brains out. Can’t you see I want to be left the fuck alone?”

“I’m sorry, sir, it’s just that-”

At that moment, something in the back of my head snapped. I immediately jumped at Shining Armor, throwing him to the ground as I screamed into his face, my mechanized arm starting to choke him, and the skull kid’s wicked laugh filled the room.

“Listen, you stupid motherfucker, I’ve had enough of this shit! I want to go home! I don’t want to fight anymore! I don’t want to deal with ponies, or statues, or bombs, or zombies, or anything, ever again! If you so much as-”

“Nick! let him go!”

I threw Armor to the side as I let got of him, standing up, and breathing heavily.

“I WANT TO GO HOME!”

“Nick... we all know you do, but there’s nothing we can do about that right now, not even the princess. We don’t ask anything of you, and we don’t want to see you in these situations, but you have some kind of connection to BEN, and in order TO go home, it looks like you’re gonna have to stop him.”

“I. Don’t. Want. To. I wanna go home!”

“Does it look like you have a choice?” Dash asked, facehoofing herself. “You can be so stubborn sometimes, you-”

“What the fuck did you just call me, bitch?”

“Sir, watch your language! There are fillies and c-”

“I’LL SAY WHATEVER I GOD DAMN WELL PLEASE!”

“Oh no... not again...”

"Ah, Jadusable... Been a good couple of months since I've taken control of your brain. That's right... let that anger out..."

Nick’s eye, it was red again, and this time, he was armed better than ever. The man drew his recently-procured shotgun, pumping the weapon once, and backing into the wall. Nick didn’t deserve all the torment he had been put through, sure, but he didn’t have the right to take his anger out on others that had nothing to do with his predicament.

“Captain, the human’s got his weapon aimed at civilians! Orders!?”

“Take that bucker o-”

“STOP!”

“Twili, I’m not gonna let him hurt anypony if I can help it!”

“He’s just upset! Try talking to him!”

“Men, stand by.”

Nick’s eye bounced back and forth between the hundreds of others staring at him, changing the position of his weapon, aiming it at Flam, Cup, Fluttershy, Spitfire, and many others, in a rather confused state, sporadically bouncing between targets.

“Captain, I’m going to grab the weap-”

One shot echoed through the room, slamming the lone guard against the wall with an unrelenting force. Many ponies screamed in horror, and backed the farthest they could from the human, running to other portions of the shelter.

“Nobody’s touching me!”

“Oh Celestia, corporal Lamplight is dead! HE’S BUCKING DEAD!”

“Okay, that’s it, take him out!”

“NO!”

Out of the blue, Scootaloo jumped in front of the guards converging on Nick, and the man himself.

“Kid, get out of the way!”

Scootaloo didn’t bother to abide by the trooper’s request. Instead, she turned around to face Nick, swallowing in fear. She didn’t know if she was going to be turned into a broken mess of flesh; the orange filly simply held onto faith that the human wouldn’t hurt her, that her own father figure, the one she had looked up to as a guide since this whole mess, wouldn’t hurt her.

“Dad... please, put the weapon away. We don’t want any more casualties, okay?” Scootaloo asked, trying to reason with the distraught and enraged humain, staring at the muzzle of the loaded weapon. “I love you. You know that, don’t you? don’t let your bad side come out again. Don’t let the thing that made you kill all those ponies break you. that’s not how a Juggalo lives.”

“What, by chance, is a ‘Juggalo’, dear?”

Scootaloo kept staring down the barrel of the gun, Nick’s finger literally poised upon the trigger.

“Dad... will you tell me why you’re so upset?”

The human said nothing for a moment, his tongue running along the edge of his lips, a cold bead of sweat falling from his brow, the weapon lowering only a few, barely noticeable centimeters.

“Because... BEN. He won’t leave me alone.”

“Does that make it right to go off on somepony?”

“N-no, but...”

“But nothing, dad. Remember the creed of the Juggalos? The thing you taught me? ‘Love does not hurt, nor does it seek to destroy. I too, shall not hurt or seek to destroy.’ Let’s calm down, okay?”

“I could smoke all three hundred of you right here...”

“Dude, everypony here has a weapon. Is that really smart?”

“But you won’t, I know that. BEN, the bomb, Applejack... it’s all a big stress on you, I know dad, but we aren’t out to hurt you. I know you want to go home, and we’ll try what we can to send you back, but we NEED your help.”

“I...”

“I promise. We’ll do our best to find you a way home, but you have to put your faith in us, okay?”

"DAMN THAT STUPID, ORANGE PEGASUS! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT!"

I heard the rambunctious scream of the skull kid fill the room as I felt consciousness slowly returning to me. After I had attempted to choke Shining Armor, I blacked out, and noticed I was aiming a loaded shotgun straight at Scootaloo’s head, my finger on the trigger. I immediately fell backwards, gawking at myself in fear, and dropped the weapon to the floor. I vaguely remember Scootaloo saying something about a promise these people would make to send me home, but that wasn’t what set me off in the first place. It was the death of my mother.

“It’s... it’s not about going home, it’s not about the bomb...”

“Then... what is it?” Applebloom asked, walking up to me to join her friend. I did nothing but slump against the wall again, trying to avoid eye contact with the hundreds of eyes piercing into my soul, as a handful of soldiers carefully scooped up the brains and skull fragments of their lost comrade.

“My mother. I just found out that Discord. Killed. My mother.”

The room fell dead silent, and the grand majority of gazes were now ones mostly comprised of sympathy, but I didn’t want that. I wanted to hold my mother again, and that was never going to happen.

“How do you know she’s dead?” Pinkie asked, walking up to me and putting a hoof on my knee, wiping my tears away with another.

“Because... I talked to her. I saw her...”

“You... saw your mother?” Rarity asked, a gaze of immense confusion running along her face.

“Yeah... she’s dead. She told me how Discord killed her in a car wreck...”

“So wait... are you saying... you see dead people? *snicker*”

“Spike!”

“Sorry, Twilight...”

“I... I see them, all of them. My parents, Sweetie Belle, Lyra, Soarin, Carrot, Flim... I see them every night, sometimes during the day. And they talk to me. You can’t hear them, but I certainly can. That’s what happens when YOU think I’m talking to myself - I’m talking with them.”

“So... you have a talent... an ability to see spirits? How does that work?”

“Twilight, can we just chalk it up to magic and leave it at that?”

“But... it’s nothing like magic - magic has a science behind it. I mean... we know ghosts exist, but... we can’t talk to them. It’s impossible.”

“We can’t either, and we’d classify it as magic or call it a ‘god given gift’ until we had an explanation.”

“So... um... how did it start?” Fluttershy tried to ask, looking to the others for some kind of answer to her own question. “I mean... when did you... you know, find out you could talk to spirits?”

I sighed, looking down to the floor, then back up to the many others around the room. The only difference here, I didn’t just see the living. My mother was standing there, her hair, bunned in the back, wearing a KU tee and jeans, and my father, a fourty-nine year old man, with a quickly receeding hairline. His face had a long, thick scar on the left that dug half an inch inwards, and many more small scars around that. His left eye, like mine, was covered with a standard black patch, and his left arm, a plastic prostetic, and dressed in his ceremonial Marine Corps attire. My father took my mother by the shoulder, leaning his head onto her, right in front of the others, who simply stared at me, not even acknowliging their existence. Then, another figure stared to fade into my vision. Like my parents, this figure was a solid shade of sky blue, its features nothing more than pencil-thin black outlines. This third figure was a pony, a small filly. A unicorn that was torn apart at the somach, her entrails dangling loosely out of her body. From inside of her body, I could see her heart and lungs operating, which ran a deathly cold chill down my spine. She didn’t seem the least bit bothered by her injuries, though (and why would she? She was dead.), gently running the side of her face on my father’s pant leg like a small kitten. Sweetie Belle’s ghost was back. My mother extended her arm out, as if to let me touch her, and I hesitantly brought my own outwards, only to see her fade away as my fingers reached the blue outline.

“It... it started with BEN, I think. You see...” I began, standing up and putting my shotgun on the table in the center of the room, as I picked up the dead body I had created, trying to help clean up the mess as I lectured. “...for those who don’t know, I came here, thanks to this statue that’s been torturing your world. This statue, is, in honest truth, the spirit of a child whose father drowned him to death. Now, I know that alone, is a horrible thing to experience, or even fathom, but that kind of thing is an unfortunate reality for humans. When I got into college, my friend gave me an old game system I used to play with as a kid. Going around town, looking for old games, I ran across one of my favorites. It was a bit messed up, and had a lot of glitches and whatnot, but then I started getting harassed by this statue, which for all of you, was part of the game. Eventually, the game, and other machines, started talking to me. None of my friends beleived me, or noticed what was going on, so I was left all alone to deal with the problem. Two years later, he sends me here, and I have no idea how he did it. All I get is, he’s angry at me, and is taking it out on all of you. Later...”

I continued into my lecture, giving the town the history of my family and what had happened with my father in the war, then covered his death, slowly moving into the events that had happened since I got here.

“...So, I got out of the hospital, and had constant nightmares about killing Mrs. Cake’s husband in cold blood. An image, and the voice of Sweetie Belle told me to stop your drink mixing operation, Flam, and soon after, every day I would catch glimpses of her, or hear her. I would hear the voice of my own father, which I didn’t know it was him until I tried speaking to the voice. You can’t see any of the dead here, but trust me, they’re with us now, everyone, and they want to see this world return to peace.”

“How do we know you’re not just a crazy loon making this up?” a pony in the back of the bunker yelled over the crowd.

Great. I was gonna get thrown in a nuthouse.

“Look, can we just say... I like, have a cutie mark in ghost hunting or something? I don’t know how it works, it’s a fucking curse. Do you think I want this? Does it look like I want to be here and have to put up with this shit? I just wanna leave, man.

“Well then, do we have a plan, sir?” Armor abruptly asked, throwing away the rest of the skull fragments. I wiped my tears and collected myself, drawing a handful of deep breaths. Shining Armor was right. Now was a time for action, not words. We needed to get this problem solved, and I needed to get myself together.

"Right. The zombies."

8:00 PM

Slamming down a map of Ponyville on the table, I took a look at things from a bird’s eye view, trying to formulate the best tactical plan I could. The only experience in troop leadership I had was Command & Conquer, so I wasn’t expecting to do well at all - people WERE going to die. Right now, it was about minimizing casualties.

“Okay people, listen up! Right now, we are located under Ponyville town hall. A government quarintine for the town was supposedly set up a few hours ago to prevent the spread of infection, but it’s unknown if that barrier was ever erected, breached, or if it’s still standing. There is a known sewer system that runs through Ponyville that we COULD use to evacuate civilians to saftey, although it’s likely roaming with dead. Cloudsdale was recently destroyed in a massive explosion, so we’ll have next to no aerial support, unless Spitfire here can spare a few extra troops. I hear your Wonderbolts force has disbanded due to economic reasons, captain, but it looks llike we’ll need the skills of any surviving member in this operation. Dash, you’re on point.

“Yes sir! Wow, a chance to fly with the Wonderbolts! Finally!”

“Pull yourself together, Rainbow! This isn’t a time for your fantasy daydreams!

“Oh- uh, sorry.”

“Scootaloo, I hate to put you in the line of fire here, but we need your medical skills. Any other doctors or nurses, step forward now. ...Good; we’ll certainly need you. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Twilight, I need you to all to get to keeping tabs on civilians. Everyone who has no military or medical background, line up against this wall back here, children five or older, the wall to the left. Fluttershy and Pinkie, take roster for the children, Rarity and Twi, the adults. I want names and occupations, so we may best utilize your skills. Ponies with live children under five years of age, form a group at the table here. All ponies with military or Wonderbolt background, line up on the wall by the door!”

After organizing as many people into teams as possible, I turned my attention to Shining Armor, who was standing at the table with the map. He looked at me, and I looked at him, examining the red marks around his neck. I’m thankful he didn’t vaporize me with a spell.

“Captain, I would very much appreciate if you could spare a few extra men on our behalf, about ten.” I said, looking to the map, and sitting on the table, next to my shotgun. “Listen, people, this is what we’re going to do: I, ten to fifteen good soldiers, three medical personnel, and two individuals to serve as scouting units will confront the dead right outside of the building. Once the exit is clear, I want Rainbow Dash and all available Wonderbolts to form an armed evacuation convoy. Each Wonderbolt shall carry whom they can. As soon as we clear the area, My newly formed team shall head outwards into town, with these newly procured weapons, and search for any remaining survivors. I want all remaining troops to stay here and protect the convoy as they make their rounds back and forth between this evac point and Canterlot. Understood? Any civilians willing to volunteer in rescue operations or defense, step forward with these soldiers now!”

The various soldiers and a few citizens lined up, stomping one hoof down together, and brought their right forehooves up to their heads, all sounding off at once.

“Sir, yes sir!”

Shining Armor couldn’t do anything other than stare in disbelief and anger at the ravaged human standing before him. He knew not the speed of the human aging process, but if he had to guess, the man had to be at least fifteen years younger than he, and, despite having many weapons, and clearly, sufficent training in what he was encumbered with, it was uncertain if this human had any former military leadership background. Still, the human seemed compitent in himself, and clearly felt like he knew what to do, almost as if some kind of force was guiding him. Though the kid had said he could ‘see spirits’, captain Armor could do nothing but scoff at such a thought, and for certain, he didn’t like the concept of a civilian giving orders to his own men, bringing a hoof up to massage the sore, red marks the human’s false arm had left around his neck.

“Twili, I really don’t like him micromanaging MY troops.”

“Look, he says he can help, let him. I’m... pretty sure he knows what he’s doing.

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it. If he gets my men killed, he’s going to die, end of story.”

I looked around the room, checking to see everyone was understanding my intent. I wasn’t going to lose men if at all possible, and-

*BURP*

I turned to the abrupt noise, only to see Spike standing in front of a letter on the ground, rolled up in its traditional parchment. Though one thing was off - a small note hanging from the seal, which had ‘Nicholas’ scrawled over it. I opened the letter and began to read.

Nicholas,

Before I go to confront my sister, I would like to request something of you. As you know, I have appointed you to aid the citizens of Ponyville in their hour of need. As I will not be able to assist you while handling my sister, I formally request that, upon completion of your mission, you file with me a report of the events there, including evacuation numbers, cost of any damages the town may or may not sustain, and any losses. In short, I would appreciate a formal military report of the events here. Once completed, I shall give you and Twilight’s friends further instructions. Good luck, and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

I stared at the parchment for a few moments more, before simply nodding at it and handing the paper to Twilight, who organized it away in her saddlebags. Back to the plan.

“...So, after we finish our second sweep of the town, and ensure all ciivies and military personnel have been safely evacuated to the city of Canterlot, my original team and I shall break from the town, and head into Everfree Forest. From there-”

Murmurs of discontent filled the room. Ponies were scared of Everfree, that I knew, but I would have called Everfree home - the open wild. The world of the Everfree was, at least remotely, similar to the human world, what with its self-sufficent wildlife and self-maintained weather patterns. The only difference, the wildlife was far more dangerous than anything that our world had to offer. I tried to bring the morale back up, getting all the bad shit out of the way first.

“Look, people, we're going to have to kill. Yes, kill. The living dead are not your friends or family. There are three basic rules to know when dealing with the dead! One, they will stop at nothing to kill you. Aim for the head, shoot twice. Two, always keep your distance. Three...”

I stopped, and took a deep breath, sweat running along my head. Here came the big one.

“...the zombie coming for you MAY be somebody you knew. This thing is NOT your friend. It is not your brother, sister, husband, wife, aunt, uncle, grandparent, cousin, or work colleague. That thing is going to try and kill you. Do NOT give it the chance. DO NOT GET COLD HOOVES! Are we clear!?”

Though some were hesitant, many simply nodded. I gathered my team together, and went upstairs. Drawing my shotgun, and making sure the chamber was full by loading a few spare shells, as well as reloading my pistol and crossbow, I carefully set my hand on the door, and swung it open, only to be attacked by a zombie. One shot to the head, and the creature fell backwards, its brains flying in every direction. I took a step outwards, crouching down and giving orders for soldiers to set up and fortify the exit. One fireteam went outwards into the town, grabbing some fallen debris, and dragging it back. It was a sizable chunk of concrete, which which stood three feet tall, and arched around in a slight curve, extending outwards around thirty feet. I got up to assist those carrying it, forming a small blockade that covered the front end of the structure. Three men went back inside and returned with furniture to reinforce the barricade, and another flew up to the balcony to keep watch. After reinforcing our position and readying for combat, I climbed to the top floor, Twilight’s binoculars in my hand, and scoped the area out. Dead were everywhere, but some distance away. It was time to move out, and start searching for survivors while we loaded the ones here up for escape. After preparing my squadron to move out, the remaining troops came to reinforce our abandoned position, and our escape convoy prepared for takeoff, loading up the first batch of survivors, which began with lone children and elderly. As they prepared and readied the civilian evac point, our group set out. Another zombie came at us, and I took aim at the beast. Time to show BEN who he’s fucking with.

"Kill all sons of bitches."

9:00 PM-5:00 AM

Operation: Bloody Hooves

Mission Objectives

1: Fortify position and create a viable evac point
2: Send rescue parties into town in search of any remaining survivors
3: Minimize collateral damage
4: Evacuate safehouse survivors to Canterlot
5: Escort remaining Elements and company to and through Everfree Forest

Total survivors in Ponyville safehouse: 361

Rescue sweep #1: southwestern town

This area, looking back, was probably the easiest to clear. Dead here were few and far between, and this part of town was home to most of the population’s housing. Clearing bulding by building, block by block, we racked up somewhere close to a good hundred and fourty x zombie kills, and rescued twenty one survivors. Not a bad start for our rescue mission, though we did lose one soldier to a bite, to which he immediately requested he be shot in the head. Rest your soul, soldier, you did well.

Survivor drop-off: stop #1

The town hall had been hit pretty hard. While we were out, Spitfire was bit in the hoof, and we lost five men in defense of the evac point, two of which were untrained civilians, Caramel and Hugh Jelly. So far so good. Rest in peace, all of you.

Operation phase #1 tally

Survivors brought to evac: 20
Survivors lost: 7
Survivors evacuated to Canterlot: 55
Total survivors in Ponyville safehouse: 319
Confirmed kills: 140+
Town damages: 400 bits

Rescue sweep #2: business district

This place was torture. With few houses and large cover sparse, we were left wide open for zombie attack. Much collateral damage had been done to the area, destroying crucial economical facilities for Ponyville, namely, its food market. Nurse Redheart, our leading field medic was killed in a crossfire when zombies ambushed us, causing our team to scatter. Lots of good men were lost in this part of the operation, which consisted of nearly all royal guards that had accompanied us. Survivors here were few, but we managed to save a handful. I wish it had gone better. At least we managed to stop by Bon Bon and Lyra’s house down this way, and resupply ourselves, though the losses were horrible.

Survivor drop-off: stop #2

Out for two hours this time, we came back to find that we had been smashed in. Our defensive wall had been breached, and zombies had run rampant through the safe house. Though we managed to clear the dead from the area, we lost many, MANY people. Stopped by to pick up spare combat-ready civilians for another rescue mission.

Operation phase #2 tally

Survivors brought to evac: 35
Survivors lost: 73
Survivors evacuated to Canterlot: 104
Total survivors in Ponyville safe house: 177
Confirmed kills: 400+
Town damages: 3250 bits

Rescue sweep #3: plaza and entertainment district, quarantine zone, and outlying structures

Not nearly as bad as the shopping district, but still, no walk in the park. I almost bit it when we stepped into the bowling alley, but Scootaloo saved my life by taking the beast out before it had a chance. Yes, she insisted she come with me on the rescue sweeps, even though I keep telling her to stay in the safehouse, and frankly, without her, I probably would have died in the first sweep. Picked up a bunch of survivors here, but as a result, had a lot of dead to contend with. No casualties either, though we’re starting to run low on ammunition. Good thing I have a sword and knife. Saved ten children and six teachers from the schoolhouse, fifty people trapped in the hospital, and four at the train station. Was a very successful run.

Survivor drop-off: stop #3

Had to hold the line for a good thirty minutes once we got back. Got assaulted by another wave of living dead. No casualties, which made everything all the better. Looks like we wiped most of the dead out.

Operation phase #3 tally

Survivors brought to evac: 116
Survivors lost: 0
Survivors evacuated to Canterlot: 97
Total survivors in Ponyville safe house: 196
Confirmed kills: 430+
Town damages: 1700 bits

Finishing evacuations, we prepared to leave the town, taking one final tally once everyone was sent off to Canterlot. I finished writing up the report, still sitting in the safehouse, its errie emptiness, and rotting corpses (from the break-in) racking my nerves, my crew standing around me. I grabbed my things, and took an equipment check. A lot of weapons were empty or broken, so there was no hope of salvaging parts or ammunition - what I had with me was what I had with me, which included the following:

One broadsword, carbon-fiber stainless steel, razor-sharp edge
One dull iron chef’s knife, with wooden grip
HTC MyTouch 4G Slide smartphone, with flashlight and camera, fifteen percent battery life
Crossbow with eight bolts, five in the chamber
Music CD
Journal
Encased Associate's degree, with cracked glass, and torn edge
Remington 870 shotgun with five shells
Glock 17 semi-automatic handgun with twenty four bullets; one spare clip, plus ten rounds loaded
wallet with student ID, driver’s license, carry license, credit card, fifty six dollars, and twenty bits

I sat there, looking at my friends who were in the bunker with me. Rarity had fainted not too long after the battle started, and Fluttershy was traumatized, hugging herself in a corner and rocking back and forth, under the supervision of Dash and Scootaloo. Big Mac was hugging his baby sister, and Dinky, her mother. Twilight and Spike were talking, looking at the few bodies that littered the concrete floor, and Pinkie was torn apart at the seams, looking at the scene with a blank stare, her brain unable to process what had happened in the past eight hours. I wouldn’t blame any of them. This battle was pure hell, and left me feeling even worse. It wasn’t about all the ponies we saved...

It was about the thousands we couldn’t that bothered me. The worst part of it was, this war was far from over. More deaths were on the way. But that was something I was willing to go through to get Applejack back. Not for me, but for her friends and family. I took one last look at the faded parchment on the table below me, and one thought ran through my head.

"Celestia is NOT going to like this report..."

Dear Princess Celestia,

As per your request, I hereby send you a military report of the events that have transpired in Ponyville over the past few hours. I see the moon is still getting closer to the planet’s surface - with all due respect, hurry up and deal with your sister, please!

Operation: Bloody Hooves

Objectives

1: Fortify position and create a viable evac point - COMPLETED
2: Send rescue parties into town in search of any remaining survivors - COMPLETED
3: Minimize collateral damage - COMPLETED
4: Evacuate safehouse survivors to Canterlot - COMPLETED
5: Escort remaining Elements and company to and through Everfree Forest - COMPLETED

Mission Stats

Survivor total: 533
Casualties: 80
Survivors MIA: 1
Survivors evacuated: 440
Survivors remaining in town: 12
Zombie kills: 970+
City damages: 5350 bits

Mission status: SUCCESSFUL

“Spike, send this off, will you?”

Chapter XIX: Back On Square One

6:00 AM ***VIDEO***

“Human... sir... I...”

I smiled, extending my biological hand out towards Shining Armor, my shotgun firmly gripped in my robotics, pointed down to a safe position. The stallion before me looked to his hoof awkwardly, then to the festering corpses, weapons, and bullet cases that littered the stone roads of Ponyville, then back to me and the others, who were all standing out here with us. Rainbow was still trying to comfort Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie was attempting to wake Rarity up. The others were taking care of the children. Armor stood there for a moment, the cold September air running through his mane. He brought his appendage outward, which I took with a firm, reassuring touch, giving him a shake and looking deeply into his eyes. I knew my appearance scared him half to death.

“Please, Captain, call me Nick.”

“I... I am so sorry for doubting you. I... you just... didn’t look like somepony fit to lead an army. Where did you learn your skills, if it’s not too much to ask?” He continued to inquire, pulling his hoof away from my arm gently, and taking one last look at the vicious carnage that littered the town around us.

“I learned at a very young age. Let’s just say I had... a voice telling me what to do today.”

“Your... father, correct? I’m still very skeptical about your claim of talking to the dead. Still... is- I mean, was your father a military man?”

“Yes sir.”

“Well, you have my condolences for the loss of your father, Nick. Still... thank you for saving my sister and her friends.” The uniformed unicorn said to me, as Twilight came up next to him, and let his right forehoof wrap around her back. “I just wish my wife Cadence were here to help us. Poor sweetheart got taken by that fire at the library. At least my baby sis managed to get to safety, and having at least one loved one by your side is better than none.”

“I...” I paused, contemplating what to say, my mind flashing back to the horror that I had experienced under the Ponyville library. The skeletal models: the alicorn with the golden ring on its horn. Twilight remembered nothing of it, and Pinkie and the girls probably didn’t notice the skeleton in the first place. If Applejack did, she wasn’t here to say anything, and if I did...

“Nick, are you okay?” Twilight asked, giving me a worried look, before hugging her brother with a smile.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry for your loss too, captain.” I simply said, avoiding the truth. “So... BEN said something about the changeling queen? I thought she was defeated.”

“Yes, defeated, but not killed. You see Nick, Equestria believes in second chances. I don’t know how things work in your world, but that basically means we don’t kill any of our criminals; the whole thing with the martial law? I didn’t approve of the forceful methods that Celestia suddenly started enforcing, but I had to follow orders, right?”

“I suppose, Captain. Still, if Chrysalis is back, and she has BEN’s support, we’re going to be facing a LOT of problems, very, very soon. I’d love to have the support of a military officer like you. Would you be willing to come with us to the Everfree Forest?”

Armor looked to his little sister wrapped under his hoof, then to me and all the others, before taking a look up to Canterlot, the prestigious capital city looming high in the mountain range, on level height with the demonic moon above us, moving ever so slightly. The latter now sat a good five miles away, violent, blood red streaks randomly splattered across the canvas of the early morning, light lavender sky as a vicious earthquake suddenly rocked our footing.

“As much as I’d love to assist you, I’ve got citizens to protect in Canterlot. Besides, I can see now that my sister and her friends are in good hoov-hands.”

“Do whatever you need to do, Captain. I understand. Thank you for the support in this fight, and good luck.” I simply said, bringing my arm up to my head, flashing the American salute. I held it there for a few moments, the burly stallion standing there and then saluting me with his own. A few moments later, he brought his hoof down. After he did, I dropped mine, as per the chain of command, and the white officer disappeared in a flash of pink energy.

7:00 AM

After getting whom we could out of the town, the eleven of us hightailed it to the Everfree Forest, like we planned. Taking our first steps into the forsaken wood, we came here with two things in mind - find some way to get Applejack back, find some way to stop BEN. At least, that’s what we wanted done, but we weren’t going to get it without more help.

“So... why do you wanna go in here?” Dash asked me, flying just over my head, an air of uncertainty about her as her voice seemed laced with a bit of cautiousness.

“Zecora - we need to get Zecora.” I managed to say, as Scootaloo flew beside the cyan mare, the others walking behind me. “She’s a witch doctor right? If there’s anyone who has even a remote knowledge of spirits and how to handle them, it has to be her, with all the ‘voodoo’ style magic she does. Right now, it’s our only lead. Besides, hasn’t going into Everfree given you some kind of ‘advantage’ on your enemies before?”

“Yeah, but...”

“I’m gonna say this right now: I don’t see how this place is so scary to you people - the Everfree is exactly like our wild back home. It’s not a big deal.”

“Yeah you say that, but what about, you know, manticores and chimeras and all that? Do you have those kinds of creatures in your world?” Dash smugly asked me, obvious discontent about her. I knew Dash didn’t like me as much as the others, but I couldn’t figure out why.

“In mythology, yes, but they don’t actually exist.”

“Which means you don’t really know what you’re gonna be up against.” She nastily snapped back at me, irritation clearly expressed in her eyes. “I’d never thought I would ever say this, but you can be cocky.”

“I’m not cocky, Dash. I never have been - I’ve been through a living hell, and I just see it as another challenge nowadays. If you dropped me off here four months ago, I would have pissed myself in fear. Speaking of, I’ll be right back.”

“Look, kid, I gotta talk with you.”

“Yeah, Dash?” Scootaloo quickly replied to the statement, with a happy tone about her. She took note of her elder’s slight tone (that could only be described as ‘worrisome’) in her voice. Rainbow flew backward a ways, the young filly falling back from the group, the rest of which stood to watch the human disappear into some reasonably thick and vibrant foliage.

“Why... do you call that... thing... ‘dad’?”

Scootaloo stopped flying at the question, and slowly hovered down to the grass below her. She stopped, closed her eyes, took a breath, and with a piercing, cold stare, like a fine blade through silk, spoke in a simplistic, flat tone. The smile had faded from her, and Scootaloo knew where this was going. Nick and Dash hadn’t been on the best terms for the past few hours. She needed to know.

“Because he’s such a father figure to me, just like you were like a mom.”

“I... was?”

“Yes. Keyword, WERE.” The filly blurted, an emotionless tone about her, all whilst keeping a rock solid glare on the cerulean pegasus, who simply took a step back from the orange child as she set herself on the ground.

“Scootaloo... I...”

“You were always somepony I looked up to. I wanted to be like you. I wanted to do what you do. I always looked up to you like the mom that wasn’t there. I didn’t see you like a fan. I saw you like a daughter sees her mother.”

“...”

“But all that changed four months ago. You never saw me as anything other than a ‘number one fan’. And then, Nick came here, and he saved my life. Sure, he’s got his issues, namely a really big anger problem, but he’s been there for me through everything that’s happened recently. I know he’s a human, and our foal’s tales tell us how dangerous they are, but trust me when I say he’s just trying to go home. He doesn’t want to fight anymore, he doesn’t want to hurt anypony, he just wants BEN to leave him alone."

“I still don’t buy into it, Scootaloo. He’s a human. Remember back at my house when the others sat down with me and brought me up to speed? If he’s done all that already, killing Carrot, and the cider brothers, and all those ponies at Rarity’s place, what’s to say he won’t do the same to us?! He’s too unstable to trust, and on top of that-”

“He taught me how to fly. He got me my cutie mark, and on two separate occasions, saved my life. He treats me like his own daughter. You, Dash, never saw me as anything more than a crazed fan, but all the hints were there. If you had paid more attention, maybe you would have noticed I wanted to be closer to you than that. He gave me what you failed to see I wanted from you. Humans are not evil, at least not all of them. This whole concept that ‘humans are bastards’ is wrong, Dash. Nick is a good man, and don’t you DARE talk bad about him.” The filly added, pointing an accusing hoof at the mare’s cyan muzzle. “What our world knows about humans is wrong. I know it bothers you that I look up to him like a parent, but you need to understand that he means well.”

“I still don’t buy it.”

“God damn, I needed that.”

I zipped up my pants, stuffing my gun back into them once I finished buttoning the top, then slipped the brass buckle through the third opening in my tanned leather belt, my mechanical arm getting stuck on the edge of my button-down. After struggling a bit to get my shirt out of the contraption with a violent rip, ruining the linens even further, I looked up to see nothing more than a thick mass of foliage in my way. Turning around to return to the others, I noticed that my tracks were gone, and there was no clean-cut path anymore. In fact, the area I had come from looked exactly like the rest of the forest. However, I quickly reminded myself that I hadn’t slept in two days, so my eye was probably screwing with me. I also reminded myself to be skeptical, and wary. After all, this was the Everfree, and some pretty wicked things had happened here before.
Unsure of where exactly to go, I decided to head back the direction I knew I came. Drawing my sword and cutting a swath through the plant life that was in my way, I began to make my way to the others. Certainty soon turned to panic and worry however, once I reached what I thought was where I came from. Was that log on the ground there before? Was the tree to my left a fir, or an oak? I could barely tell if I was even back where my friends were, or I had gone somewhere else entirely. After about five minutes of mindless wandering, and not coming in contact with a single living creature, save for a few animals, I came to the conclusion that I was starting to get lost, fast. From there, things only got worse. A few more minutes of trying to find a way out of the woods, the air suddenly grew thin, and the sky, despite being early in the morning, was a dark, almost pitch black shade.

A few more minutes of unsuccessful searching passed by, and slowly, to my ears came the demented and twisted Song of Unhealing. A shiver ran down my spine, and that foreboding sense of loneliness that had accompanied me back when I had started the game had returned to haunt me with a vengeance. The Song of Unhealing would continue to play, and every three minutes of so, the tune would progressively get louder, and then crescendo, as if something was going to jump out at me at any given moment. Nothing ever did, however, and the melody would immediately become much softer, only to loop this routine again and again. Every now and again, I would hear the laugh of the Happy Mask Salesman, but just like the game at home, was just quiet enough that I wasn’t sure if I was hearing things.

“T-twilight? Big Mac? Is that you?”

No response, though I could certainly tell something was here with me. Being alone in a forest, no food, no water, no sleep for two days, and musty, itchy clothes that desperately begged me for a wash put me on edge. Being a night blind individual, I could barely see, save for the blood red light the moon’s soul-eating eyes had to offer. I drew my shotgun, keeping the assault weapon at the ready, but nothing came to me save for a few shadows darting around the trees. My heart felt like it was jumping in my ribcage, pounding rapidly in my chest as fear began to quickly overtake me. After all I had been through, as weak as my vital organs must have become after all the irreparable damage to my being, I honestly expected to keel over from a heart attack at any given moment again, but it never happened. Instead, I heard a voice, and not one I recognized. It was a very young voice; belonging to what I suppose was a seven to ten year old child, and a boy at that.

“Nick, it’s been quite a long time since you and I have gotten a chance to spend some quality time together...” The childish voice playfully said with a giggle. “You’re really good at this game; I’m surprised you made it this far, even after all the harm that’s been done to you.”

I swung around in fear at the sound of the voice, which came from behind me. However, as I turned, I found nothing there, and instead, saw another shadow dart through the trees.

“You know, Nick, I’ve always liked you. You really make me laugh with how hard you try. But you know what?” The childlike voice asked, as the twisted song continued to play in the air around me. “I think that I’ve been a bit too generous. The learning curve is far too gradual for you; you’ve become so powerful... all those lovely weapons and that clunky steel arm...”

I immediately stepped back as the statue materialized in front of me in the darkness that encapsulated us both. I kept my shotgun aimed, and was about to open fire, but the blood-colored illuminations that barely showed the statue suddenly flickered like a broken light bulb, and with it, the statue had disappeared from my line of sight as the red view brought vision back to me. Oh dear god, where did he go!?

“Over here, Nick...”

I turned to the voice, which came from my left, only to see another dark-green shadow dart through the trees some distance away while the Song of Unhealing continued to play. Right then and there, I lost it. I felt absolutely disturbed, and worried for my own life. Just like the incidents with the game before, I was alone, and being watched, waiting at any moment to be viciously murdered. Still, with this fear, I knew I had to keep going. I had to find the others. They were somewhere in this forest, and I had to face my fear if I was going to get in contact with them. I swallowed a lump in my throat as more shadows started to dance around the dark outlines of the trees.
Every now and then, I could swear I could see BEN’s statue in a bush, or behind a tree, but the moment I stopped to take a look at it, it would disappear as soon as I blinked - was it really there?

“I’m going to say this once, Nick: getting rid of you was much harder than I thought it would be. I expected my killing you to be nice and clean, but you... have quite the lucky streak. And, with every passing moment, you only get more and more powerful. I can’t have that now, can I? Not if I want to keep playing with Equestria. And, don’t you worry; don’t think I forgot about our world. Once I’m done here, I’ll return, and show them all, with my new power, how it feels to be killed by one of your own.”

I gulped, trying to contain my anxiety. Trudging on through the forest and watching my back, the tension only rose as BEN continued to speak with that innocent, childish voice.

“Let’s play a game, Nick: try not to blink.” The statue said, suddenly appearing in front of me, without forming from its energy funnel, to which I did nothing more than comply and back away slowly, keeping my only eye wide open. A freezing cold chill ran down my body, because I knew, having only one eye, I would HAVE to blink. I couldn’t let him win. I could NOT let BEN win, but I was beginning to doubt if I could stop him. Walking backwards, keeping my shotgun at the ready, I carefully moved away from the statue. My eye was becoming irritated and scratchy. It wouldn’t be long until I blink, my watery eye burning with each passing second and then… it happened: I blinked. The viscous scream of the Skull Kid echoed through the forest, and as my eye opened, the statue suddenly appeared six inches in front of me.

“Aaah!”

I emptied a shell at the statue, snapped myself in the direction behind me, and sprinted off. The Song of Unhealing got progressively louder, and my heart began to race as I tore through the thick foliage, running in vain through the darkness. Tearing apart trees, thickets, bushes, and other plants, I continued to sprint, until about thirty seconds later, blinking again, the statue appeared in front of me.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Stay the hell away from me!

I kicked the statue in the face, and knocked the thing over, only to see it disappear as I blinked again, and turned to notice it had moved right behind me. I yelled and accidentally dropped my shotgun. Making no effort to pick it back up, I made a break for it. Unsure of where to go, and running (quite literally) blind, I chose a direction and started hauling it for dear life. Not paying attention to where I was going out of pure horror and fear, it didn’t take long before I screwed up, and was blindsided by a thick tree branch, hitting it face first at top speed. I fell to the ground as I felt my skull shake.
A few moments later, I opened my eye, feeling mildly concussed, with no sign of the statue, and no Song of Unhealing. I got up and felt the giant branch that I had run into, noting it was a two and a half foot thick log of solid, aged oak. This thing should have knocked me clean out... so, why wasn’t I unconscious? I slowly ducked under the giant mass of wood, and continued along the path. Taking note that I had hastily dropped my shotgun back some distance away, I immediately drew my pistol, and tried to turn on the flashlight app for my phone. However, every time I attempted to, the screen would only say: ‘Error - Droid OS V.3.36 was unable to find the application. Perform file search?’, and every time I tried to, the phone would simply give me another error message. BEN was toying with my phone. A few more minutes of walking, and I heard the childish voice again.

8:00 AM

“Welcome to my part of the woods, Nick.” BEN began, as I slowly trudged through the thick overgrowth that blocked what looked like a once trodden path. “Here, I’m going to give you a chance to start over... if you survive that is...” The voice continued, with the playful giggle of the skull kid. “You know, I’ve been taking real good care of Applejack for you. And here, is a chance for you to get her back.” The boy said with an innocent chuckle following his words, which made my stomach turn and my head start to spin, as he continued to speak. “Both you and I love Majora’s Mask... but to give you a fresh start would be like sending you back in time. And there’s one thing about time travel that the designers got wrong...”

“A-and... th-th-that is...?”

Suddenly, a dark purple mist, a heavily contrasting shade from the blood red light of the moon, slowly formed and began making its way towards me. I backed away, aiming my gun at it, and as I did, the mist violently attacked me, wrapping itself around my weapon. The mist began to stretch and contort, gently engulfing my knife and sword as well.

“When you really go back in time... you would lose all your equipment...”

As soon as the dark mist had come, it was gone. So were all of my supplies, save for my CD, journal, degree, and wallet. My handgun, sword, knife and phone, however, were nowhere to be found.

"Ooooh, crap..."

And as I came to this haunting realization of the intense fear I began to accumulate, simply from such heavy reliance on my supplies; I heard Skull Kid laugh at me, and the Song of Unhealing began to play as the dark and twisted forest gave way to a voice - a young girl; a young, energetic voice, with somewhat of a tomboyish flavoring behind it.

“Nick, is that you? Help me!”

Scootaloo! My God, BEN had hold of Scootaloo!

“Scoots! Scootaloo, if you can hear me, yell again!”

No response. Instead, I followed the only sense I had - my hearing. The voice had come from my left, and I immediately turned to chase after it. Tearing through more plant life, the statue following behind me like a weeping angel, I came to a clearing, not too far from the river where I remember the Elements met the sea serpent Steven Magnet. However, things were NOT good when I got there. What I saw there, was perhaps the most horrific thing I had ever seen. Lying on the river bank were Big Macintosh, Applebloom, and Scootaloo, barely illuminated by the faint red light shining down from the darkness above. As I approached them, I soon came to witness one of the most disturbing images I had laid my eyes on. And I had seen a LOT here.

Macintosh was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, and missing an eye. The corpse held, in its mouth, its own genitalia, which seemed like it had been crudely removed with a blade. Opposite him lied the two girls, who looked as if they had been beaten. The bodies were tied down with thick cattle rope, and Scootaloo’s neck was twisted, contorted in a position as if it were broken, as well as her friend’s. I immediately rushed over and checked the two girls, who had no pulse, to see that they were not breathing, and were mangled and beaten to a pulp.
“What would have happened, Nick, if you DIDN’T save those girls?” BEN suddenly asked me with a chuckle trailing behind his statement. Things got even more disturbing as I heard a second voice from behind me.

“Ah always did like ‘em young... eeyup.”

I turned, and in front of me, stood Big Mac, his freakishly deformed figure towering over me in the darkness of the forest. I immediately jumped and tried to reach for a weapon, only to realize I had nothing. Then, he spoke again.

“Ah’m thankful ya didn’t kill me then and there, Nick... just so ah can keep doin’ what ah do.”

As soon as Macintosh said this, he jumped at me with a bestial roar. Having no weapons, and having seen the horrific image here, watching Scootaloo die, I did nothing but panic in fear and put my arms up against my face.

“NO! DON’T K-”

I opened my eye to see Macintosh disappear as my entire vision was engulfed in a split-second white flash. After it faded away, I saw the image with which I was originally presented: the three dead bodies. I shuddered, staring at the corpses, and a tear ran across my eye. A few moments later, the foliage that surrounded me and the carrions slowly began to move, a section of them parting magically to give way to a path. With nowhere else to go, I reluctantly stood, taking one last sorrowful glance behind me, and continued along my journey. Not too long after, I heard something that sounded like a creature eating. It was then, the plant life in front of me opened up to reveal another clearing. As soon as I passed into it though, I heard another voice as the most demonic set of laughs I’d heard began to ring in my ears.

“Oh yeah, that’s the stuff...”

Trying to follow the words, I came to another barely visible image as the plants gave way to my arrival, revealing a small clearing. This one was a pink colored pony, with straight hair. It was missing a hoof. Well, not quite - the left forehoof was removed, and it was holding the freed limb in its right. The pony brought its mouth down upon its dismembered leg, and emerged from it, tearing a strip of flesh off the thing and revealing some bone. The pony began to slowly chew its morsel, blood gently seeping from its mouth. With a full face, the red eyed Pinkamena simply added:

“Can you blame me? It’s just so delicious...”

I’d seen this side of Pinkie before, but the darkness and chilling cold air, plus the moon and its soul-crushing glare made it nearly fifteen times more disturbing than Sugarcube Corner. Things got even worse once I blinked again. BEN had appeared in front of me as my eye opened, and I immediately screamed in a panic, pushing the thing to the ground. I tried to step on the green clothed idol, but it simply disappeared as I blinked again, and not even a second later, a knife slowly worked its way against my throat. I froze, then and there, and my pulse began to race at lightning speed as the soft voice spoke again, this time, right next to my ear. The warm breath of the pony gently wrapped around it, which sent another shiver down my already frozen-in-place spine, preventing movement.

“I always was one for exotic tastes...”

I kicked Pinkie Pie away, screaming in fear. My mind a jumbled mess of pure panic and uncertainty, I darted through the trees for my life, not wanting to die. I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up at home. And as I ran, the Song of Unhealing continued to play, as BEN spoke again.

“What if I told you, Nick, that everything you’ve gone through is real? What if I told you, that these things you think I’ve been doing, such as making Pinkie Pie a cannibal, were birthed from YOUR world?” Would you believe me if I told you that mankind was responsible for the way Equestria has become? I did nothing more than bring you to this world. And what if I were to tell you that it’s YOUR fault that you’re even in this situation? Do you realize what you did to me that made me angry at you? Why, if you hadn’t done that, nobod- excuse me... noPONY would be in this situation right now...”

I shivered as my heart continued to race, my weak, slowly dying heart (did I tell you they installed a pacemaker at the Ponyville hospital?) pulsing in fear and shock. With no weapons or real way to defend myself, and nothing but darkness surrounding me as the moon forced the earth into another rocking quake, I continued to run away from the statue and Pinkamena, only to hear another voice a few minutes later.

“If I attach this here, we have a cyborg...”

The voice wasn’t very loud, and wasn’t a scream for assistance. Rather, the speech was slow, soft, and so quiet, it border lined a whisper. After spending a second or so to deduct the location of the tone, I began to head in a southern direction, from where the voice originated. I came to yet another small clearing, which was a breather from all the labyrinthine arbors that surrounded me. There was no light; again, save for the blood-colored illumination the moon gave. Still, a few feet in front of me, I recognized what looked like a purple pony, lying down on a table. After approaching it, a smile of joy went across my face.

“Twiligh-”

Joy turned to panic as I came closer to the unicorn on the table. She was not well by any means. In fact, she wasn’t even alive; Twilight Sparkle was locked down on a steel table, exactly like the ones back in her laboratory. One of her eyes was popped out of her skull, loosely dangling out of her head, and off the table, by a lone muscle fiber. Her other eye was solid white and lacked a pupil or iris. Her left forehoof was cut open, a straight line down the middle of her limb, and much like the incision she had given me way back when. The entire appendage was also bent backwards and dislocated, having been removed from its shoulder socket. The bone of the hoof was also protruding out of the skin at a very jarring angle. It looked like she had also been beaten; with bruises and scars abound on her body. Her horn was bent and twisted, but was glowing, and slowly levitated a scalpel over us and began to cut up her body. The lifeless, intact eye rolled around for a moment, then the unicorn’s head slowly turned on its side, and the grotesque image opened its mouth to speak, still cutting away at itself with the scalpel.

“This... is what I get for trying to play with life… doing genetic experimentation...”

I nearly vomited at the image playing out before me. I immediately came to the consensus that BEN was fucking with my brain, putting visions into my head. But I could smell the blood, hear the cuts and, the worst part, FEEL Twilight when I reached out to touch the undead body, which ran even more shivers down my back, and racked my nerves. As soon as I collected myself from the scarring moment, the path I had come from slowly folded shut as the branches and leaves that formed it began to wrap around each other. Opposite this, the foliage began to open, forming a linear pathway. I slowly made my way through the maze of a forest, waiting for the worst.

“Do you remember this place, Nick?” The statue’s voice asked me, as the forest around me began to change in its appearance. Grass morphed into tile. Bushes and shrubs transformed to desks and control panels. Fallen trees transmogrified into other research tables, and the linear pathway slowly turned itself into a hallway; the hallway from Twilight’s labs. That wasn’t all that happened, though. I suddenly grew extremely weak, as if I had lost a lot of blood. My clothes faded off of my body, and my robotic arm engulfed itself in a black mist, which as the darkness faded, yielded my old arm, as it was back in the labs: burnt, broken, twisted, cut up, bleeding, and missing its hand.

I was back to the way I was before I had the heart attack. And I was back in the hallway that showcased Twilight’s sick experiments way back when. Fear completely swallowed me by this point. I was about to break down crying right then and there as tears started to fill my eye. I was so damn scared. The whole fact that BEN was watching me, and playing with my head, torturing me mentally, and scaring me half to death with his little game of weeping angel put me at the very edge, leaving an intense notion of paranoia in my mind.

“M-mom? Are you there? Fluttershy? Zecora? Anything? So-somebody?”

The scariest part was the loneliness. The empty, cold, foreboding sense of loneliness in the middle of nowhere, and the realization that you could die any second, with not a damn thing you can do about it. I continued to trek down the hallway, only to be stopped by the same stainless steel door I remembered from months past. I stood there, eyeballing the cold, lifeless portcullis for a second or two, before I began to hear the chilling sound of hooves on the other side of the hallway.

“Who’s there!?” I managed to ask, my (hopefully) artificial weakness causing my breathing to begin staggering. I wanted to call this fake. I wanted to call this a crazy vision, but I just couldn’t tell. It felt, smelt, and looked so real... but they seemed as if they were nothing more than visions. And that in itself put me on edge far more than any trial I had faced thus far; not being able to tell reality from fantasy, especially in a dire situation like this where it felt and looked like I was slowly dying. BEN had me on the ropes now, and held death’s touch to boot. I bet if he really wanted to, he could kill me right now. The hoofsteps were getting closer, and down the flight of stairs at the far end appeared a very familiar set of purple hooves - and that was all that was familiar. As the rest of the body made its way into the hallway, things only got worse. There was Twilight, but half her face was missing, revealing a hearty chunk of skull, which was still covered in stray muscle here and there. In her mouth was a scalpel, and she was holding something in the air, suspended by magic. The eye that sat on the skull side was a solid blood red, and the other was missing. I began to slowly back away, and as the zombified mare drew closer, I noticed what she was holding in the air: a syringe. As she continued to approach me, words on the side of the needle slowly became clear to my vision.

‘Cyanide - 1.5 Mg’

Right then and there, I completely flipped my shit. I was sent into a crazed panic, and, with what little strength I had, turned away from the pony slowly approaching me and ran for the door at the end of the hallway.

But it wasn’t opening.

I slapped on the door viciously, screaming at the top of my lungs for help. Any sense of courage or determination I’d had at this point was almost completely gone. BEN was exposing me to all kinds of cruel mental tests, and they were eating away at my psyche by the minute. The worst part was, at the end, he was probably going to kill me, if Twilight didn’t do it in a few minutes. I tried to wrench my hand under the door and pull it up, but that wasn’t working either.

“Open! For the love of any god out there, please open!”

I turned around, and there she was. Twilight was standing right in front of me, the needle just inches away from my face. I swallowed in fear, and tried to back off even farther, though in vain.

“Please, don’t kill me...”

Twilight’s horrifying form jumped at me with a demonic, bone-chilling shriek, her red eye suddenly growing extremely bright. I felt the stabbing, stinging pain of the needle going into my stomach, and the fast, burning cut of the scalpel running across my neck and slicing it open. Death had finally bested me. And fortunately, he was merciful, letting it end quickly. Still though, despite the fact that my neck was wide open, gushing out pints of blood in a colorful, multi-directional fountain, I managed to scream.

And scream.

And scream, only to notice a bright white flash veil my single ocular, though it was only for a split second, and once again, I was met with a dark, lifeless expanse of forest. There was nothing in front of me, behind me, or to my sides, and the entire image of the laboratory hallway had disappeared, the only memory of it the trailing tone of my blood-curdling scream echoing throughout the forest as the white flash subsided, and noticed I was back in my clothes, with my robotic arm at my side.

“I... I’m... alive... dear Jesus, thank you...”

Not even three seconds later, there was the laugh of the mask salesman, and the pathway I had come from closed. After that, yet an entirely different road had opened in the thick forest body, and some distance away, I heard the sound of what seemed like a violent car crash, coming from the newly formed exit. Curious and worried, I carried on, taking one final gaze at this clearing as the branches closed behind me, leaving that scarring experience to die in the forest, yet live on in my head.

“What if I were to tell you, Nick, that all those ponies hate you? What if I told you they’re afraid of you, and would rather you died?” BEN cheerfully asked me. “What if I told you that, if you HADN’T controlled your anger...”

Another white flash of light blinded me, only to reveal the dead corpses I had seen before. I stood there, and then finally caved, collapsing to the ground.

“...that this is what you would have done? What if I told you it’s YOUR fault? Did you know they think everything that’s happened here is because of YOU, not me? That they blame YOU for all the backwards corruption? What if I told you that they can’t stand to even be around you, you scare them so much?”

Amidst my fear, sadness, and anger, I managed to speak, though my throat was filled with mucus, and my eye full of tears, I was crying so much. BEN was starting to tear me apart mentally, and I couldn’t take much more. What if he was right? What if they really did hate me? And it WAS my fault. BEN did everything, sure...

...but I was the one who freed BEN.

“No... they... they care for me. They look at me like a friend. They know I mean well, and they’d never turn their backs on me!” I mentally broke down, snot and garbled cries making my speech nearly unintelligible.

“Oh, really? Derpy fears for her daughter’s safety whenever she’s around you. Rarity is flat-out disgusted with the way you carry yourself, and your violent tendencies. Fluttershy, because she has one, KNOWS you’ve got a demon in you, and can’t even feel remotely safe around you. Macintosh and Applebloom are scared to death that you’ll turn on them and hurt them both, and what of bouncy little Pinkie Pie? She’s more scared of you than she is her own schizophrenia!
They’ve all seen the violence you’ve brought since you’ve been here. Ever notice how they ALWAYS walk behind you whenever you travel together? They’re simply that afraid.” BEN continued, the statue morphing in front of me. “Rainbow Dash is the only one who clearly shows her discontent; see how slow she is to trust? She doesn’t care much for you.”

“She doesn’t have to - she just has to have faith that I mean well, you prick.”

“Ha! YOU mean well? You? You who have done more damage than me? It’s YOUR fault that I was able to raise the dead. It’s YOUR fault Sweetie Belle died. It’s YOUR fault that Carrot and countless others have died. YOU were the one who freed me, you fool. You are the source of all of this, and every single one of those horses knows it. There’s no one to blame but yourself.”

With that, the statue faded away, following the laugh of the mask salesman, and with another white flash, spawned my handgun next to me. Shivering and scared, I reluctantly grabbed the weapon, and pulled back the chamber.

One bullet. No magazine.

“There’s your ticket home. You can pull that trigger, or you can man up to your actions, and continue to play my game. What’s it gonna be, Nick? Don’t you want to see Applejack again?”

“You leave her out of this! Give her back, you bastard!”

“I’ll take that as you want to keep playing…”

“NO! For Christ’s sake, no! Leave me alone, you freak! What did I ever do-“

At that moment, I felt myself going through yet another wormhole, following a white flash. I hoped I was going home, but I knew better than to think that. Still, it left me wondering…

Where WAS I going?

AUTHORS NOTE (For people that don't watch my blog)

Sorry everyone, for my lack of updating as of late. With midterms around the corner and getting thrown an essay every ten seconds in college (seriously, all my classes are writing-based, and all the final exams are 7-10 page research essays, so excuse me if I'm gonna be burnt the hell out from writing), I've had little room to write. Also, I'm all caught up with my work. So why is THAT of all things, being 'caught up', giving me trouble? Simple.
Drafting for the project started around my birthday, back in March. I had plenty of free time on my hands back then, only a part time student, so I worked on the thing religiously, and my mind was bursting with ideas. I made it up to the eleventh chapter (Rarity's house) with clear goals in mind for all except everything from that point up to the final battle and ending, so everything that was being produced after, up to the most recent chapter, I had to take a handful of days planning out and coming up with ideas, and I was at this point, experiencing creative burnout, which is why the quality of the writing seems to be slipping to some of you. After seeing I had plenty of work done, I brought it on myself to start publishing in June after doing some general cleanup. I caught myself up to Rarity's chapter, added one (the small chapter involving AJ and Jadusable in the hospital), and at that point, because I had nothing ahead of me to build off of, I started hitting writer's block, and things came to me on a whim. I indeed wanted the zombies to be part of the story, but things changed a bit, and the Rainbow Factory chapter went through various adaptations before release.
So now, here I sit, all caught up and have a ton of school work barreling down on me. This, on top of the fact that I have no work done months in advance, I've had little wiggle room to squeeze between updates. as I've had in the past, and therefore I haven't been pumping out chapters (I had so much work done which allowed for an influx of updates). Lastly, I've changed hands in my pre-reading staff, and fortunately, have one that criticizes me harshly (the other dude, my roomie, was a laid back pothead that okayed pretty much everything) So I've been spending a lot of time working and re-working the chapter that's slated to be released here in a few days (Again, D, thank you for saving this fic and getting my creative mindset back on track).
So there you have it - being caught up with work, having a load of college work on my back, and new pre-readers that have me second-guessing myself are all cause for the month and a half delay. Don't lose hope, I will get this done. I've got the rest of the story drafted up and planned out, though not written.
Stay safe, and watch where you swim.

Also, I'm looking for new cover art. Anyone up to the task, I'll pay you proper.

Chapter XXI: Rude Awakening

1:00 PM

A set of cloven hooves carefully danced their way along the forest floor, the sound of fresh September leaves falling to the ground and crunching into fine dust. The hooded, four legged creature stopped momentarily to get a look at its surroundings, before hearing what sounded like a blood curdling scream, followed by the high pitched sound of a chicken’s unmistakable screech a few moments later. The cloaked animal took notice and slowly turned to head in the direction of the wicked noises, only to be knocked over by a rapidly sprinting pony - orange in color and small in shape.

“GET OUT OF THE WAY! DAD!”

Scootaloo had been wandering around the forest for a few minutes now, holding steady to the faint tracks left behind by Nick’s feet. As she continued her walk about, the young filly thought back on how everyone had turned upon Nick, and subsequently, her. She had been reflecting back on the time she had spent with the man while living at Sweet Apple Acres, and a memory flew through her head.

***

July 10th, 2012

Nick had lightly tossed the ball over Scootaloo’s way, the soft, elastic sphere gently falling upon the young pegasus’ head with a bounce as she pushed it back towards the human before her. Then, she sat down, not bothering to respond to the sudden return Nick had made, the ball flying right past her and rolling itself into a tree. A slight look of concern overtook the human’s face, and he picked the ball up, beginning to slowly move towards the young pony, finally kneeling down beside her, his only arm bent across his leg with the orb still in its grasp.

“Something wrong, Scootaloo?” The graduate asked, worry still overtaking him.

“No. Nothing’s wrong,” the young girl replied, throwing a small chunk of dirt to the side out of boredom. “I just... wanted to talk, if that’s okay...”

With a smile, and heave of exhaustion from a long day’s work, the red-clad biped plopped against the tree, turning his head to the orange Crusader and tossing the ball a few feet away.

“Sure, what’s on your mind?”

“I... did you ever have family when you were growing up?” Scootaloo timidly asked, fidgeting uncomfortably as if she was afraid she had insulted the man.

“Yeah, I did. Mom, dad... grandfather lived with us, till cancer took him at 90 - kindest man alive, he was.” Nick flatly replied, looking at the pony next to him before staring back down to the ground.

“So... um...” The filly paused, gazing into the sunset sprawled out before them in a blanket of orange. “What was your family like?”

“Whelp...” Nick began, stretching his arm out back over his head and slumping farther against the base of the tree. “Gramps was a great man. Had a great career, a soft heart, always took care of me and played with me. And he had some of the craziest stories about the World War. Always enjoyed listening to them.”

Scoots sat in utter silence, smiling and listening intently.

“Mom had me when she was still in college. Ended up getting her degree when I turned four, and was one of the most devout parents ever. She’s a bit weak, and gets sick a lot as a type 1 diabetic, but she always pulls through. She’s the reason I’m still fighting to go home. I can’t lose the only family I have left. I can only imagine how crazy she must have become since I disappeared. It’s why I need to go back. We depend on eachother so much...”

Scootaloo suddenly became wide eyed.

“But, you have a dad.... don’t y-”

“Dead. Died in a car wreck eight months ago.”

Scootaloo cringed. Nick had told her all about cars, and they sounded frightening. She couldn’t even fathom the idea of having one hit another...

“Dad was on the frontlines during the Gulf War. Got blown up, lost an eye and an arm, just like me.”

Scootaloo gawked, not only at the mention of two wars in such a short time, but also at the physical turmoil that his father had gone through.

“So much conflict… Equestria hasn’t even seen war in a thousand years! How was he able to keep going through all of that?!” Her expression showed it all, the shock and confusion, unable to understand the sheer willpower that a human could muster up in times of need.

Nick smirked, gently ruffling the filly’s mane with his only hand. His speech was friendly, almost uncaring about the morbid topic at hand - like it was natural.

“Well, Dad had only been in one war, actually. There were plenty of wars in our world that happened within a century alone, let alone involving my nation. The amount of casualties numbered into the millions.”

“M-millions? How can you manage to-”

“It’s the only thing we truly excel at. Those skills - those kill-or be-killed instincts are what saved your life, mine, and several others so far. I never said I enjoy it. I can’t sleep at night half the time. Killing things is NOT normal for the average person, believe it or not.” A moment of silence overtook her as she seemed to process that. She thought back to his dad and how much conflict he’d been through.

“But… You didn’t answer me about your Dad… How did everything he’d been through not stop him? All the… Death?” She looked shocked at the mere thought of a being going through so much turmoil, and still having the will to go on.

Nick chuckled a bit under his breath, and turned to the filly again, ruffling her mane.

“Because some people, no matter how much you beat them and shoot them... some of us refuse to die.”

Scootaloo immediately turned away, and a few moments later, brought a hoof to her face for a brief second. She didn’t turn back around.

“Dad was a warrant officer, when he retired. Was about to get boosted straight into Colonel for distinguishment, but he turned it down, said he wasn’t fit to lead troops, and that it’d cut away from his family life.”

Then a sniffle.

“Scootaloo?”

The filly turned back to Nick, this time, tears and snot running down her face in droves.

“Awww... honey, what’s wrong?”

“Ju-j-just li-like m-m-m-my da-a-ad-d-d...” The pegasus could almost unintelligibly speak amidst her sobs.

“Your dad?” The young collegiate asked, his voice now soft, and sweet, a stark contrast to the gruff, seemingly uncaring tone he was carrying earlier.

“Mmmhmm.. most everypony I know thinks I was born an orphan... but... it’s not true.” The pegasus continued, her cries becoming louder.

“Come here, sweetie... it’s okay...” Nick gently offered, crossing his legs and patting his lap, to which the orange pony gently clambered onto and curled herself into a ball almost immediately, only bringing her head up to look at the man smiling down on her.

“I only knew my parents till I was... about three, in your years. My mom was a student at the same school Twilight went to, and she ended up coming back sick one day... It started out as a cough and sniffles... then she started throwing up... then a rash kicked in... she’d start having hot flashes and fevers... Then the seizures and pain started... She’d get sores all over her body, and slowly went crazy... Then the rash turned into flesh rot... I…”

Scootaloo broke down crying.

“I was only that little... and I had to watch my mother die in front of my face...”

Nick couldn't say anything, just sitting there stunned at the vivid, gorey details. He wrapped his single arm around the filly and gently rubbed her back, his torn and scarred fingers gingerly dancing along her left wing.

Scoots once again calmed herself, and looked back up to the human.

“My dad was the commander of the military here before Twilight’s brother took over. They sent him out one day around the time I first started school. He never came back, they declared him dead, and I lived in an orphanage for almost two years... Then I met Applebloom, and her family took me in eventually... I’ve been living in the clubhouse ever since Applebloom fixed it up...”

Nick held tightly to the young girl, letter her cry some more.

“You’re the first I’ve ever told this to, Nick. When you saved my life... you reminded me of my dad... how he was struggling day after day to protect me and take care of me... I’ve had a good relationship with Applebloom’s family. AJ is practically my mother now, Granny Smith is one to me, but... Big Mac, even before he did all that... was always distant. He wasn’t able to give me the dad I’ve been chasing for years now.

Scootaloo then sat up and gently hugged the human, visions of her past family flashing through her head. A young, orange-coated mare with violet mane and a warm, welcoming smile...

...and a violet-eyed, white stallion with a black mane, adorned in scars, with a gruff exterior, but a warm grin to come home to.

“But then you came along... and you’ve been nothing but kind and loving... even if you... can get a bit mean and crazy. You’ve never hurt me... and have always put me ahead of you... I...”

Scoots squeezed as tightly as she could.

“I love you, dad. Please don’t leave me.”

Nick only sighed, staring at the burning star out over the horizon.

“I love you too. I promise.”

***

The sound of a bone chilling cry, much like Nick’s voice snapped the filly out of her trance. Shaken and thrust into a panic, Scootaloo did the only thing she knew how to - follow it. The pegasus tore through thicket after thicket and branch after branch, barreling through the vast greenery of the forest at what speed she could muster. She came to a small clearing and tore past a cloaked pony, screaming at the top of her lungs and knocking the stranger aside.

“GET OUT OF THE WAY! DAD!”

Romping through the forest at breakneck speed, the young tomboy tore her way through the lush plantlife, showing not a care in the world for anything more than the owner of that scream. Ripping her way through a large bush, Scootaloo lost her sense of direction, orientation, and balance - and collided face first into a sizable, thick portion of rock. The pegasus fell backwards on to her flank, clutching her head in pure pain. WIth her skull shaking and her vision blurry, Scootaloo carefully stood up with her senses coming to. She slowly looked up, her vision clearing. There the young filly stood, frozen, and broken as her young eyes came face to face with the object she collided with.

It didn’t even take her more than a second for her to recognize what happened. As she brought her head up, she came face to face with the stone statue, looking into the eyes of a dead man.

Nick.

The filly let out a hellacious wail, breaking down into a fit of sobs, and collapsing at the feet of the idol.

“...Dad… No…!”

With the crushing realization of Nick’s demise barreling down upon her, Scootaloo continued to cry, her vocal sobs echoing throughout the dark, lifeless forest surrounding her. The filly had finally known loss in its purest form, depression at its most extreme, and of course, death, once more. Once again, she had lost one of the few around her that she held dear.

Her world was over, staring, in disbelief at the lifeless statue before her.

And all the little filly could do was cry. Cry, like the little scared child she really was - The little child she hid from everyone else.

All had been lost to her, with no clear future in sight. Yet, a sudden wave of calm washed over her with the gentle touch of a hoof on her shoulder, and a soft, rhythmic voice swirling around her eardrums.

“Fur of orange, emotions, blue? Why are you out here, Scootaloo?” The rhyming voice spoke, the filly not bothering to turn around at the response.

“Hi… Ze...Zecora…” The filly barely managed to babble, her throat congested with snot and tears. “I…. I’m sorry I ran into you…”

The hooded Zebra gently removed her cloak, revealing her less-intimidating figure.

“What is it thank makes you cry, with tears pouring out of your eyes? You seem destroyed, distraught, in pain, let’s wipe that mess out of your mane.” The zebra continued, gently brushing the messy foliage that tainted the filly’s purple hairs.

“I… have you ever… lost something so profoundly impactful on your life, Zecora, that, when it goes away, you have no idea what to do? Have you ever lost someone so near and dear to your heart, that killing yourself just so you can be with them sounds like a better option than waiting for it?”

Zecora stood there, rather shocked at the dark words that left the young one’s mouth. Never in her life had she seen one of the Crusaders so wrought with pain and anguish.

“No child, I have not felt this, but to end your life seems quite selfish. Who exactly have you lost, and all your hope, you’ve gone and tossed?”

Scootaloo sat there for a moment, then, with her face dug into the pit of her hoof, she pointed at the bust in front of her.

“I… lost him. He’s a human, but… trust me, Zecora, he’s a dad to me. I… I can’t believe he’s dead…”

Zecora looked up at the statue before her, gulping. A human, here in the Everfree. She had heard the stories before, but never believed that one actually existed. His features were frightening, as if he had been beaten, cut, and generally torn apart - a fake arm, one missing eye, no nose… ripped, torn clothes…

Zecora stared blankly for a moment, trying to process all the information that had been thrown at her. She looked at the statue, an angry glare pervading its face as she stared at the strange object in its appendages, swallowing in fear. If she had to guess, it was a weapon of some kind, and she certainly didn’t want to be near it. A human in Equestria? The hermit had heard of the stories before - they were also common in her native land, and she had heard rumors of one actually appearing in Ponyville a few months before. This was the one that everypony was talking about?

This thing… a real human… Now that was a terrifying thought. Regardless, Zecora danced around the stone idol, examining the weird device in its hands. The child behind her continued to cry. Considering where they were… perhaps, this one may have been real. The stone casing was a common symptom, but there was just one thing to check to make sure it wasn’t just a statue and/or if it wasn’t, if it was still alive. The Zebra then put her ear to the statue’s chest.

...and, to her surprise, and fear, she heard a soft beating.

Thump thump.

Swallowing her fear again, the goodness in the mare’s heart pervaded her - he clearly needed medical attention, and as a medicine mare, it was her duty.

“Child, do not be distraught, for a cocitrace, he simply fought. His heart and mind are healthy, see, yet to save his life, we must hurry. While the beast’s curse is curable, slow action makes it irreversible.”

Scootaloo immediately shot up, hugging the zebra.

“He… HE’S ALIVE!? Th… thank you, Zecora. Thank you so much! You think we can carry something his heavy?”

Without thinking about it, they just did.

I stood there, in a void of white emptiness. I was terrified that I had died, noting that the place was DEAD silent - no echoes, no vibrations, no shadows, no anything: it was just a deathly hollow void. I began to panic and sweat. Complete sensory deprivation other than sight… when it’s so quiet you can hear the blood flowing in your body? I don’t care who you are, that’s not natural, or healthy.

And then, there was a bright flash in front of me. I brought my robotic arm upwards to shield my eye from the blinding rays, which slowly faded away. As vision came back to me, I was instantly taken aback with what I saw.

“Hello, Nicholas.”

I wiped the tears from my eye, and readied my gun, pointing the weapon square at the creature’s head.

“Discord? Wh-what are you doing here?” I asked, my mind starting to lose touch with reality as the day trudged on, and my body shivering with nervous anticipation. I was expecting that BEN had sent Discord as an agent to kill me here and now; talk me into suicide or something. Judging the look in his eyes, which seemed full of sorrow and anger, however, It must had been something more. Still, I had to be wary, for I knew Discord was a master of manipulation and had quite a silver tongue. I remember he tried to get me to kill Applebloom and Spike yesterday.

“Nicholas, hear me out. I am here to aid you.” The draconequus said, his voice sounding unlike anything I had heard before. His speech carried a sympathetic tone to it, and his eyes seem to be filled with nothing but sadness. Still I had no reason to trust the thing standing before me.

“You killed my mother you son of a bitch!” I violently exploded, tears and snot running across my face as I charged and and attempted to violently swipe at the draconequus, in nothing but a fit of pure rage. “You killed the last of my family! Thanks to you, I have nothing to live for, you son of a bi-”

“Woah woah woah, I did so no such thing!” Discord flatly replied pushing me away. “Sure, I threw your world into chaos, but only in good fun. You see, I like to play with the people I torment. I just want to have some chaotic fun is all. I’m not into the whole ‘kill everything’ mentality that your friend BEN has.”

“You DID kill my mother! You were in my world, so you HAD to have done it! Don’t you dare lie to-”

“Would you let me finish?” Discord cut me off again, summoning a bottle of water out of thin air and offering it out to me, which I slowly took, and felt its cold, slowly condensing plastic shape in my hand, and slowly untwisted the cap. “BEN knows not that I’m here. He wanted me to take control of your friends, and turn them against you, but I refuse to do it anymore. As much as I despise the Elements for their stopping my chaotic reign, I’ve come to realize that working with BEN isn’t going to get me what I want.”

“And what IS it you want?” I snapped at him, drowning my sorrows in the cold water he offered me.

“To rule. Chrysalis and I want to rule, but BEN wants to drive everything into extinction. I thought I was evil, but this kid just takes the cake. What on earth did you do to him that made him so angry?”

I simply shrugged and crushed the water bottle in my robotic arm, watching the remaining liquid collect and topple out of the container’s mouth.

“I don’t know. I want to go home, damn it. Can you please, for the love of any god out there, just send me home?”

“If I could, I would. I followed him around like some dog after he freed me from my prison, hoping I would get something out of assisting him, and he abuses me for the fact that I’d rather play with my victims instead of flat out kill them!”

“I can tell he does.” I added, giving a nod of reassurance as my eye passed over his missing limb and horn. “He’s nothing but a spoiled, angry kid. Why do you follow him around?” I continued to ask, starting to regain some of my composure, and standing up to eye level with the draconequus.

“Again, he promised Chrysalis and I positions of power. He has Luna under some kind of hypnotic spell that I can’t break, and she’s the one bringing the moon down. There’s not one other ‘villain’ out there quite like your BEN. Trust me, being a god, I’ve been to many other worlds. Pretty much everypony that had some kind of evil goal in mind does it for their own gain. This guy, on the other hoof, well...”

“Wait, you’ve been to other worlds? Like where? Are all those worlds that BEN told me about on the list? How does-”

“Yes, Nicholas. BEN is not lying. There are other dimensions out there, and he wants to drive them into extinction. Now, If I am to help you, I must hurry, so this is what I do know: BEN told me of some kind of ‘instrument’ that he said, so long as you and your friends don’t find, he has nothing to fear. I don’t know what this thing is, or where it comes from, or what it does, but if there’s any faint amount of hope that you can stop him, it starts with this instrument.

“Instrument... instrument... what the hell is he talking about?” I looked down, cursing under my breath. I racked my memories around, trying to think of things that happened to correlate with the word. Regardless, I just ended up drawing a blank. I sighed, and then looked back up to the God of Chaos.

“Fair enough, but Discord?”

“Yes?”

“Why are you helping me?”

Discord stopped for a moment, and his eyes locked with my only optic. He turned away from me, and turned his head to the side, now glaring at me with only one.

“I feel your pain.”

Without having to say anything, I simply took a look at the missing pieces of his body, and gave a solemn nod.

“I was a fool to follow him around. I just thought I could benefit from it. If there’s nopony to rule over, what point is there in being evil?”

“Not much. So… I’m not dead?”

The draconequus chuckled, giving me a reassuring smile.

“No. You have a short frame of time before you do, and you will if you don’t get out of here, but… for now, you’re experiencing a pure sensory representation of the unconscious.”

“Well if I'm on a timer, then let me the fuck out of here!”

“No. It’s too risky for you, or I. Trust me, you’ll get out of here in due time. In the meantime, eat. You look like you’re starving.”

At that, another flash. This time, when my vision cleared, I was met with a smorgasbord of Chinese dishes, and another ten bottles of water. High calorie, high-carb goodness.

“Holy sweet god, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Discord.” I uttered in repetition, virtually praying to the draconequus before me, yet stopped as I came to a realization. “W… wait… how is this going to work? I’m not in my physical body. How is this going to nourish me?

“Quite simply, thanks to the magical properties of Equestria, any effects your unconscious experiences when in visual representation will affect your living body as well. Scootaloo is coming for you. Good luck, Nick. I’ll be there to back you up when you need me. I promise you.”

While it put my mind at ease, I was still doubtful, given the unknown time limit, but I was relaxed just enough to reply in the first peaceful manner in a while.

“Stay safe... brother.”

He had a pained look on his visage after hearing that, as if he wanted to say something important in response. “I’m afraid I can’t make it easy on you from here on out, my friend. I have to keep my disguise… Just know that anything you experience in the near future is my fault, and I’m deeply sorry for that.”

And with a flash of light and snap of his talons, discord faded away in a pinch.

I stared at where the God of Chaos once stood, now feeling infinitely more uneasy about what lay ahead.

But, with him gone, I could stuff my face like no tomorrow. And you bet your ass I did.

At least… until I felt myself- getting picked up off the ground?

“HEY, I”M EATING HERE! Party foul!”

“Okay, so… we don’t have any leads. What should we be doing, Twilight?” Dash asked in concern, stepping back through the massive, hollowed log they had entered, the world around them returning to the tones, designs, and color they knew.

“Well, honestly, I don’t know. We might as well go for Zecora. She’s the only hope we have left, what with Nick gone. Where is he, anyway?” The unicorn asked her friend, a look of puzzlement overtaking her.

“Who cares? That guy is nothing more than a problem for us. Do you really think it’s a good idea to run around aimlessly with an armed, mentally disturbed psychopath?”

“I never said that. I just think that, maybe, he’s… more normal than you want to believe.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. You saw how he mercilessly beat the life out of Flim way back when, right, Pinkie? Do you really think that’s a good thing?”

“Hey, again, I never said it was, but don’t you think… you know, maybe he used to be… peaceful once? That he was put here against his will and has been FORCED to make poor decisions?”

“I’ll believe it when I see him show some genuine remorse.”

2:00 P.M.

I felt a cold splash of liquid slowly wash over me. I wasn’t sure as to where I was, but whatever the hell happened, I felt like I had been buried in a pile of stones - sore as hell, tired, bruised, cut, and almost no energy. I fell down to a cold dirt floor, exhaustion overtaking me. My gun fell out of my hands, and I struggled to stand, heaving in pain. I had felt like I had been crushed to death by an eighteen wheeler. As I attempted to regain movement, I turned my head to see Scootaloo rush over to me and jump on me, the young filly nuzzling her face against mine with a warm, loving grin.

“Dad! Oh thank Celestia you’re alive!”

After my vision slowly became clearer, I weakly sat up to see a zebra staring at me., I took a look at where I was - bamboo and grass structure, lots of tribal, African influenced furniture and architecture...

“What the hell am I doing in Zecora’s hut?” What time is it!?” I asked, sitting up and trying to look around for an hourglass, clock, or sundial, before hearing a smooth, rhythmic, and thickly accented voice.

“Young human, Scootaloo had brought you here, for stoned you were, and death, quite near.”

“Stoned? Weed doesn’t kill-”

“No, dad, you were TURNED to stone! By a cocitrace!” Scoots explained to me, hopping off me trying to set me up. I stopped, trying to think back. I was taking a piss, saw a wild chicken, got really hungry...

“Oh. Alright then. Um, thank you, ma’am. I, uh, you wouldn’t happen to have anything remotely like coffee, would you? I feel so goddamn tired right now.”

Zecora just stared at me blankly.

“He means caffeine, Zecora. Do you have something to wake him up?”

“It just so happens that I do, wait a spell, I’ll concoct a brew.”

I weakly tried to stand, only to feel the warmth of a fleece blanket touch my leg, as Scootaloo nudged me. I turned around, and took the lenins in the filly’s mouth, wrapping myself with them and patting her head as I sat down against the warmth of the hot cauldron in the middle of the room that Zecora threw some ingredients into.

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

A few moments more, Zecora dipped a small wooden cup into the cauldron, and handed it to me as her hoof emerged from the hot liquid. She carefully passed it down to me, and I took a sip - a nice, refreshing hot tea… I felt so much better as the warm drink stung my aching, polyp-filled, and torn throat. I managed to prop myself up better, extending my flesh arm outwards. Time to get down to business.

“Ma’am, I am Nicholas Brownford, and you are Zecora, yes? We had original intentions to-”

“Find a way to safely end the one you brought here with you, BEN?”

“Well... yeah, how the hell did you know?”

“I told her everything, dad.” Scootaloo chimed in, giving me a cheerful smile, amidst the fear that clearly rocked her entire body. I stood sat and looked between the Zebra and the pegasus,, picking up my gun that was at my feet, and tucking it away.

“Yes. BEN is the spirit of a drowned child, angry at the world for his death. I don’t know what you can do, but I figured it best to come to a witchdoctor. You do work with spirits, or at least, KNOW about them, right?” I asked, praying that she did. My fear that she’d have nothing to offer was soon calmed as she began to speak.

“Indeed, I practice magic with spirits and ghosts, though working with them is not time I spend most. You did say the child was angry and spiteful? A troubled ghost with a heart of coal? There echoes a legend of a tool that heals, souls of those past, with regrets that they feel. The tool works for anger and rage all the same; it sends spirits back to whence they came.”

Standing there for a moment and trying to process the Zebra’s cryptic speech pattern, I carefully chose my next words, hoping they were a proper response. As I spoke, I began gently rubbing the back of my head, which hurt like a motherfucker.

“A legend? From where? What the hell is this tool, and where do we find it?” I asked, looking at the medicine mare in intrigue, placing my robotic hand on the edge of her cauldron. “Where did it come from, what is it, and how is it going to help us?” I continued, to which the striped equine simply replied, while giving me a book she took off a shelf.

“A legend of the Everfree speaks of an instrument with magical properties. This book here tells of the device, but where it comes from, a guess must suffice. For nopony knows of its origin, though some say a world that was long forgotten. Hidden deep within in a wood, this object will save you, that it should. To stop BEN, one must play a song, for a healing touch, his soul does long.”

Honestly, I don’t give a shit what he WANTS, I don’t have a goddamn lick of kindness to give that fucker. How do we KILL him?”

“Well then child, it seems you are doomed, for it’s the only way for him to be exhumed.”

“Okay, Gruntilda, listen. We need to know WHERE it is. I know it's a legend and all, but legends always start out with something true, and get more bizarre with each retelling.”

“Dear human, you ask the wrong mare, for I do not know exactly where. I can only start you out on this hope-filled walk about. I can’t help you find that what you seek, and who’s this Gruntilda of whom you speak?”

“Well, thank you for all your help ma’am. And as far as Gruntilda goes, it was just a stupid joke, I’m sorry.”

Before I could get a response, I heard a sudden knock on the door. I picked up my gun and made sure it was loaded, pushing Scootaloo behind me as Zecora went to answer. The others in the party emerged as the door opened. I, too overjoyed to see them at the time, failed to notice a slightly greyish hue about their skin and fur.

“Hi, Zecora! We were just in the neighborhood, and wanted to stop by to see if you could help-”

“Oh, thank God, THERE you fools are!” I happily exclaimed, heading to the door, but not before being stopped in my tracks by Dash, blocking the archway.

“Aw, Nononono… You’re not getting near them.”

“Dash, what the shit gives? Come on! I nearly died these past few hours, and I can’t even see my friends?” I asked, throwing my arms up in frustration, about to push the horse out of the way.

“I don’t think so. I’m not letting you even touch them. Not with bloody hands like yours, you filthy freak. What were you doing while you were gone anyway? Murdering small animals or something?”

Great, now we’re reducing the conversation to cheap insults.

“WHAT!? Do you think I get my goddamn jollies by killing shit!?”

“Well you certainly seem like it! All you’ve ever done here is kill, kill, kill, or at the very least, hurt stuff till it can’t even freakin’ move!”

Zecora stepped in, looking somewhat perplexed at what Dash was saying. “Surely you jest? He has been rather harmless here, at best.”

Scootaloo came to my side, about to speak in an attempt to defend me. Before that, though, Dash just scooped her up and swooshed out of the doorway, slamming it in my face.

“DASH, STOP!”

“LADY, WHAT THE HELL!?”

I immediately kicked the door down, knocking Dash (and sadly, Scoots) to the grass.

“Dash! I’m not trying to start a fight with you! We have shit we have to do, okay!? Look, I got abducted by BEN for four hours and turned into a damn cocitrace statue! Will you let me speak!? Zecora and I found a possible lead on him, alright!? We have to…”

“We ain’t goin’ nowhere, till you get mah sister, back!” Big Mac suddenly lashed out, allying himself with the athlete.”

“Mac, what the hell do you expect me do with her!? She’s-”

“Lemme guess, boy - dead, and you did it because of your goddess-damn anger?”

At that, I froze. I slowly turned to face the farmer, deadness in my eyes.

"You. Take. That. Statement. Back. You. Fucking. Hick."

Determination soaked over the fool as he dug his position into the ground, a burning rage in his vision.

"No."

The next moment, Macintosh found my mechanical arm around his neck, and his back slammed against the side of Zecora’s hut. He struggled to breathe as I stared into his eyes.

Immediately I was knocked back, feeling my breath leave me as I stumbled slightly. Big Mac slumped down, trying to catch his breath. He had a defeated, but angry glare in his eyes as he stared back at me.

“Calm yourself, bipedal one! There is no need for anger to be so wonton!”

I coughed violently, spitting out some congealed blood from my damaged body. I stood, looking between her and Macintosh.

“God damn it… Both of you! Do you… HONESTLY THINK FOR ONE GODDAMN SECOND THAT I WOULD MURDER APPLEJACK!? Applejack, the woman who saved my life several times, the woman I love but can’t show it to… do you REALLY think I would kill her!?”

“You know… you aren’t really giving us a reason…. to… um… believe you…” Fluttershy timidly added.

Angry still, I snapped at the butter-yellow pony.

“Like you’re any fucking better! You murdered and tortured half of your goddamn animals!” Immediately she jumped back, tears already coming to her eyes as she hid within her mane, whimpering lightly. Rarity, being the closest, gasped at the words and went to her aid and pulled her into an embrace as she looked back towards me with spite.

“You leave Fluttershy out of this, you ruffian! She’s done nothing to deserve such hostility!”

I growled as more shit kept getting thrown at me from my own friends. “Oh hi, Rarity, I didn’t notice that you OWE ME YOUR FUCKING LIFE FOR SAVING YOU AT YOUR HOUSE! You can shut your mouth, miss ‘dissects ponies to build a frankenstein because she’s desperate for cock’! Well here’s an idea: suck mine!”

“YOU KNOW WHAT!? WE’RE NOT PERFECT EITHER, BUT WE DON’T NEED TO BE VERBALLY ABUSED!” Pinkie snapped, plugging her ears with giant corks she pulled out of nowhere.

I looked all around me as I saw the expressions on everyone’s faces, ranging from pure hatred and frustration to blatant sadness and fear. Dash, in particular, looked as though she was ready to kill. I didn’t know what to think or feel besides just hatred and anger at how they were treating me. I’m going to burn in Hell, I know that. I’ve done terrible things, but I’ve had next to no choice. I’m trying to stop the goddamn apocalypse, and all these idiots can think about is how awful I am. After everything I’ve risked and thrown away just to keep them alive...

I’m not a saint, and I don’t want recognition for my deeds. I just…

I want some help. I can’t do this alone. I want this to end just as much as they do, but I seem to be the only one to realize that we HAVE to fight our way out now. It’s not fun, it’s not pretty. People are going to die, and we’re gonna do terrible things.

“All I asked for was help! Someone to fucking stand by me when facing impossible fucking odds! If none of you want to fucking help save the god damned world from slavery, or WORSE, then you can all get the fuck out of here, and live out the lives I fought arm and eye for to just keep you out of! If all you give a shit about is what I’ve fucking done, then by all means, you can all go fix the world by yourselves!” I was beyond livid by this point, noticeably shaking.

“If you think for one GOD DAMNED SECOND, that I’m the bad guy here… Then fucking DO IT!” I fished out my pistol shakily, breathing heavily as I shoved it into Dash’s hooves. “FIX THE PROBLEM. END IT!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Applebloom piped up, visibly shaken, looking at Big Mac as she spoke as if looking for some sort of guidance. “I-Is he really the problem?” The older brother seemed conflicted, as if something was telling him he was wrong, when he wanted to believe that he was right.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They were genuinely starting to believe I was it. The de facto answer to their problems.

“I’d very much rather be fucking dead, than put up with this any longer! Do you honestly think I want to be here!? Do you truly believe I like killing shit? Do you honestly think I would even remotely be in cahoots with something that wants my head on a stake!? I’VE LIVED WITH HIM PEERING OVER MY GOD DAMNED SHOULDER LONGER THAN ANY OF YOU HAVE!” I screamed. I was beyond past the point of caring now. “Do you REALLY think that I’m out to drink your blood in a sacrificial ritual to Satan!? Do you really think I’m the evil one here!?”

I pointed to the gun, then the middle of my face.

“THEN DO IT!”

Dash raised the gun.

“SERIOUSLY, YOU’D DO ME A FAVOR! I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!”

She checked to see if it was loaded, then pulled the action.

“END IT! SAVE ME FROM THIS FUCKING NIGHTMARE!”

She pointed the barrel straight at my eyes.

“KILL ME! GO ON, KILL ME!”

I could see her curl her wing into the trigger well.

“KILL! ME!”

At that, both Big Mac and Twilight rushed in the middle from both sides, screaming in unison.

“Stop!”
-“Sweet Celestia, can’t ya shut your trap, boy!?”

“This is not the way it must end, for all of you must live to defeat BEN!”

Scootaloo tore the gun from Dash, throwing it to the ground. As I was about to beat the blue pegasus’ face in, Zecora rushed up, barring my movement with her forehooves.

“You’re all acting like immature brats!” the girl fired, staring at both of us as she spoke. “You both need to calm the hell down, right now, and take a step back! We are the only ones who can stop this, and we’ve devolved to petty arguments and insults!”

“Everypony…” Twilight began, a calm air about her. “...We’re all frazzled and scared, we want it to stop, we don’t want to put up with this anymore. We’re all exhausted, hungry, and scarred for life but right now, we need to stick together if we’re going to have ANY hope for the future, alright?”

I calmed myself, lowering my fists, yet still fuming with rage like a bull.

“We aren’t going to make any progress like this…” Scoots began, looking at me, and slowly handing me back my now unloaded weapon. “Nick, I know you don’t want to be here. I know you don’t want to fight. I know that you’re scared shitless and feel like you’re a broken shell of who you used to be.” Scoots spoke, gently nuzzling her face on my leg in a lovable fashion. “We don’t have a choice but to go down this dark path, and until BEN is stopped, it’s not going to change.”

“See, Dash?” Twilight asked, putting a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “It’s not that Nick wants to see mindless death and gore, it’s that…”

The pony gulped, looking up at the moon.

“We aren’t being given a choice. None of us want this. Even if you hate each other after this is all over, you both need to understand that we have forces beyond our control at work here. If we’re going to stop this threat, we have no choice but to accept the way we’ve been thrust into this ordeal.”

“There’s a method to his madness, Dash, I promise you.” Scootaloo assured, giving a nod.

At that, Dash walked forward, a fire in her eyes still, yet offering her hoof.

“I’m giving you one more shot.” she said, her fur seeming to change to a brighter color at that moment (as well as the others’).

“I’ll still throttle your neck when this is all over, woman.” I scowled deeply, slowly taking note that their bodies were gently starting to ‘recolor’ themselves. I turned back to the hut, leaving the crazy bitch hanging. So… That’s what Discord meant.

“Ponies are quite hard to read, how is it that you all still breathe?” Zecora piped in, looking quite irate from the ordeal.

Ignoring her apparent jab at their behavior, she turned her attention to the book. “Look, can we just get to it? What does the book say?” Twilight asked, looking at the faded cover in my hands, to which I complied and opened as we stepped back into the hut. Unfortunately, there was something wrong with the book - it wasn’t in English. Rather, it was in a cryptic, ancient-looking language. The words were symbolic, so reading it was absolutely no use.

It was so damn bizarre...

It wasn’t human based language I was aware of, but the shapes and formations of the symbols, I SWEAR I recognized from somewhere. It was like... a language I had seen, but knew didn’t exist in the human world. What the hell kind of writing was this?

“Damn it! How are we supposed to know what to do now!?” Dash exploded, as another earthquake rocked Zecora’s home.

“Wait... let’s look for pictures in here, so we know what to look for.” I suggested, flipping the pages frantically.

Sure enough, there were two consecutive pages, each with an image. But something was wrong. It was extremely faded, and we could barely tell what was there at one point. One was a long stick of some kind, with a pointed tip, the other was an oblong device; blue, with black holes dotted across it. I couldn’t tell what was there - the pages felt like they had been soaked in something, then dried out, the leaves thin and wrinkled.

“The damaged book, you must blame me, for I had spilled a potion, you see.”

“Son of a bitch. Well everyone,” I began, setting the book down and pulling out my pistol. “who wants to go on a scavenger hunt?”

At that, we left the structure, tome in tow, thanking the zebra for all her support.

“Sorry for the trouble, Ma’am. I highly suggest you get to Canterlot as soon as possible.”

Chapter XXII: The Nick of Time

3:00 PM

With only fifteen hours remaining, things were getting bad. This whole trip was nothing but a traumatic stress on me. Everything I had gone through was either soul-crushing, flatout disturbingly horrific, or a terrifying mixture of both. From Twilight’s labs to Sugarcube Corner, from the apple cellar all the way to the Rainbow Factory, the break-in, at the boutique, and all the wicked happenings there. The battle in Ponyville with the living dead, and the scarring experience of Sweetie Belle.

Everything about this trip was nothing more than hellacious pain that ate at my being and psyche. I felt as if I was slowly going crazy. BEN just wanted to see me suffer. He didn’t want me dead, he wanted to toy with me until I gave up. And god damn it, I was about to. I’m willing to bet that he knew I would disarm the bomb, and only had Discord send it here to rack my nerves. I’m willing to bet anything that whatever he puts me through, he’s done it just to play with me. He was keeping me alive as an abused plaything. I...

“Dad, are you okay?”

I’m not one to bitch, and I don’t expect people to feel sorry for me. That’s not what I want...

...I just want to go home. I was in so much pain. I’m scarred with memories, walk with a limp, have two gaping wounds on my back, where my wings used to be. My robotic arm hurts like a motherfucker and weighs me down to the point of exhaustion. Everytime I touch my empty gum line or broken teeth, I get a ripple of pain equivalent to a thousand toothaches. With my broken and twisted nose, I can barely smell. The constant loss of blood leaves me weaker every passing day, and my ruined clothes smell of blood, piss, shit, and death. I smell awful. I’m in horrible shape. I’m sick beyond all repair. Why, all of this, for touching a video game?

“No, Scootaloo, I’m not okay.”

4:00 PM

We continued our trek through Everfree, where the air began to chill, and the sky went dark, the soul-crushing moon staring down at us. An earthquake rocked the world again, the crazed tectonic tremors a calling; a calling that we were running out of time. We needed to hurry. But what was the point? To fucking get this far and die? Really now, let’s face it. This whole thing was futile. I, like the many others, were tired and angry. I was sick, (still) hungry, and in intense pain. We had no lead as to where the ‘instrument’ lied, so we were just walking around like a bumbling pack of idiots. I...

...I just want to go home.

5:00 PM

Two hours wasted, walking around like idiots.

I couldn’t stand this anymore. This entire adventure was getting to me on a personal level.

I want to go home. I want to go home. That’s all I’ve ever wanted since I showed up here. I thought it was all a twisted dream. Every night I lay down to sleep, I always begged to any god out there, to awaken in my apartment. As a brony, I love the TV show, but at the end of the day, that’s all it SHOULD be. I wanted to go home...

“I wanna go home...”

Everyone turned to look at me, and I was instantly met with looks of disbelief and disappointment.

“Nick, you’re giving up now!? After all of that talk about finishing this?” Dash exploded at me, swooping down in front of my face as we made our way through the forest.

“You heard me. I-want. To-go. Home. Go home. H-O-M-E.” I flatly replied, pushing the pegasus away from my face with frustration.

“Darling, you can’t possibly give up now! If we ever hope to stop this moon, we need your help!”

My eye twitched, and I was certain I could feel something snap within my head. I don’t want to do this anymore. I let out a vicious growl towards Rarity, causing the majority of the party to take a few generous steps back. Finally, I let it rip again.

“What can I do, Rarity!? What can I POSSIBLY do? Do I use magic? No! Do I fly naturally? No! Do I have a fucking chainsaw for an arm!? No! I have no special powers; I’m just a dull, ordinary human being! I never asked to come here! I never wanted to come here! Ever since I showed up here, and realized that this place wasn’t a dream, I’ve been holding onto hope that Celestia or hell, SOMEBODY would find me a way back home!” I exploded, standing up and pushing my face against the white unicorn’s muzzle. She looked utterly terrified, her eyes now pinpricks. I could’ve sworn I heard a whimper, but I was beyond giving much of a shit by this point.

“Look at me! Every part of my former life is dead! Do you have ANY idea how much physical pain I’m in!? I PHYSICALLY CANNOT FIGHT ANYMORE! I will probably die of another heart attack just because I’m screaming! That’s how bad my health is, lady!”

Rarity cringed backwards, tucking her head into her shoulders.

“And this BEN guy? He’s some punk-ass kid that died, and is taking his anger out on me! I don’t know how he got his power, but I can’t get this kid away from me! This fucker’s ghost has been haunting me for two years, and I still don’t know what he wants! All I get, is he’s trying to kill me, but nooooooo, he couldn’t do that in my world, so he brought me to a more ‘spirit-friendly’ one so he could get away with murdering me!”

Anger clouded my vision. Pain and suffering was the only thing I’d seen since I got here. It had broken down to pure, psychological torture. Watching the ‘My Little Pony’ universe succumb to such vile things really tore at me. I didn’t want to do this any more. I continued on my rant, screaming in anger and slamming my fist on the nearby tree.

“I don’t want this! I’m not a sacred warrior that came here to fulfill a prophecy or some bullshit like that; I’m just a standard college kid that’s been tortured by this fucking demon for two years straight, and I-”

I stopped for a moment, and sat down on a rock, which was overlooking a gentle stream. I carefully put my flesh fingers into the water, trying to calm myself as tears began to fill my only eye.

“I want to go home, is that too much to ask?”

“Of... of course not, Nick.” Fluttershy timidly squeaked.

At this point, I sighed, trying to stand again, but failing.

“When you guys look at me like I’m a sociopath, a deranged freak that gets off by killing… I’m… I don’t kill on purpose. I’m only reacting how my father taught me. I’m only emulating what two decades of human culture has thrown in my face… I’m only acting out of human survival instinct, responding to a dangerous situation… You guys just don’t seem to get that it’s necessary. If I hadn’t killed the guys at the boutique, for example, what do you think they WOULD have done?”

“We could’ve done something else! Not everything has to end in murder!” Twilight spoke up, her voice cracking from the frustration she was feeling.

I sighed. They still don’t get it.

“If any of you had moved an inch, let’s face it: Would. They. Have. Shot. You?”

“O-Of course not!” She shouted in return, only to immediately second guess her own response. She looked down in momentary contemplation. “They wouldn’t… W-Why would they… They knew who we were, we’d all seen each other at one point in our lives…” Twilight seemed to grow more upset as the self-doubt only led her to questioning just how wrong she could be.

“...well, here’s a fun statistical fact about the human world, Twilight - nine out of ten murders, the victim knew them.”

That shut Twilight up, leaving her with a face of sudden disbelief and sadness that drove tears into her eyes. Rarity went up to her, leaning into her side giving as much moral support as she could whilst giving me one of the meanest glares I had ever seen.

“Now you understand the gravity of the situation. I wish I could’ve let you all stay innocent, but that changed the moment that monster of a child showed up in your world.”

I shivered, realizing the true nature of what just sunk into her mind - what she was up against; something that didn’t lie down without death. I looked down, then back up to see Rarity’s angry glare.

“You know that’s what would have happened, Rarity.” I stated matter-of-factly, my anger gone, and a bland tone in my voice. “We would have died. You should have heard what they were planning for YOU.” That seemed to surprise her somewhat as she stared back at me with confusion.

“M-me? Whatever could they want with me specifically?”

“Let’s just say it would be far from that gentlemanly night on the town you dream about.”

It seemed as though it had taken a second or two for her to process that statement, but her appalled reaction spoke volumes, green-tinted cheeks and all.

“O-oh dear…”

Tears came back to me, and I looked away, speaking up.

“Now, do you see why, I HAVE to put some people down? If-if you think that… If you think I enjoy this…”

Dash, unfortunately, wanted to put her own two bits in, especially when she’d seen how Twilight and Rarity were fairing just now. “So, is that just it then? That’s the solution? Murder ever-”

She was cut off by a yellow hoof. A soft, but stern look being given to her by the usually shy pegasus. The stubborn mare finally grunted in response, and rolled her eyes. Fluttershy turned back to me, and seemed to be contemplating something serious within her head. Specifically, she was looking back and forth between the two sides of my body, one broken, the other largely unscathed. It probably was, for a moment, as if she was staring at two different people. Finally, after some more gentle observation, she walked forward, wrapping her forehooves around me.

I froze at the contact, feeling the soft hooves that were now wrapped around me. My breath hitched, and I couldn’t help but choke back a sob. I immediately clasped my hands to her, tightly, the warm, welcoming memories of my mother - my family - coming back to me.

“When I came here, I had no idea what to think of this place. I thought I was trippin’ balls on mushrooms; I didn’t think this place was real. And you know the first thing I saw when I came here? Death and destruction. The first thing I saw was a grown man raping kids, in a world where that DOES NOT happen.”

My eyes were becoming more wet by the second.

“I didn’t see the Equestria I knew from television. I saw a corrupt, twisted, and perverted land, ravaged by horrors that plague my world on a daily basis. I was forced here against my will, and put into deadly, soul-crushing situations day in and day out. I’ve seen a fictional world that I cherish and happily call a hobby of mine, tear apart at the very seams…”

Tears were now flowing freely down my cheek as I lowered my head, trying to mask the pain to no avail.

“And all for what? So this stupid kid can toy with my emotions? Does he get his jollies off of my pain? Why won’t he leave me alone!?”

“Nick, yah got us. We care. We look out for yah; ah mean, ya’ve helped us fix all the darn evil BEN’s been doin’ here, and, you’re like a dad to me an Scootaloo...”

The others nodded at me, giving me some reassuring smiles, even Dash, who was clearly still angry at me.

“And... and I can’t help but say the same, how I feel about all of you, even for you three, Rarity, Flutters…” I closed my eyes and let a strained breath out. “...and Dash; even though I don’t spend as much time with you as I’ve had Applejack, or Pinkie, and despite all the wicked shit that BEN has done to you, and all the stuff you guys have done to me, you all hold a place in my heart, and... I’ve been living here for a good four months, so, you know, growing emotional attachment to you guys is only natural. But you know what? I miss my world.” I continued to say, my eyes burning from the freely flowing tears.

Dash seemed to still be taking it all in, looking just as confused as Rarity had earlier. “But… You said that all of the crap we’re going through came from your world… So, why in the hay would you want to go back to such a shitty world?”

For a second, I looked to her, then to a tree in the distance.

“Because that world gave me life. Because that ‘bad shit’ is part of the human experience. Because it’s normal there.”

I nearly vomited, holding back my gag reflex.

“It’s not that I’m bothered by what I’m seeing - I see the death and destruction happen all around me.back home… No… what bothers me is it’s happening in a place where it’s NOT supposed to be.”

Mucous gathered in my throat, seemingly by the gallon. I struggled to speak, my esopagous caked with sadness.

“As dark and depressing as my world may be, it’s still MY home. Equestria is NOT my home. Equestria is NOT where my normal life is. And throughout all the darkness of my world, it’s those little things that make the whole experience worthwhile. ”

Fluttershy kept hold of me, and the calming scent of flowers brought peaceful memories again.

“Like... I miss going down the street to the nice German restaurant and getting a giant veal schnitzel to snack on. I miss skipping a class with my buddies to go get high. I miss plopping down on my futon, and enjoying a night locked inside, playing video games. I miss my raggedy old Sebring with the broken muffler and the missing hubcap. I miss my minimum wage job at the Tyson meat plant and my boss yelling at me that I’m late. I just want to fall asleep, wake up, and forget this all happened!”

I broke down crying again, my mind wracked with all kinds of thoughts.

“I…”

As I tried to explain just how life was on my world compared to theirs, my mind was swimming with old and seemingly minor memories alongside major ones until it became a jumbled mess of both happiness and sadness that had begun bottling up in my mind and in my emotions. It felt like a rollercoaster gone horribly wrong. I was practically shouting by now, Fluttershy’s hooves tightening around me in an attempt to comfort the raging storms that made up my rising emotions.

“I just want to get up at seven in the morning on a Saturday, turn on my TV, and see you all living your daily lives like you’re SUPPOSED to. I want to go home and get yelled at by my landlord for an underpaid rent. I want to be in MY world! I want to forget and unsee and unhear all the... fucked up shit that I’ve witnessed here! I want to see my parents again, hold my mother, and tell her how much she means to me. I want to go back, but I can’t! The only way out now, I see, is in a motherfucking body bag! I just want to leave! Why can’t I leave!? Why won’t BEN leave me alone!? Why won’t this nightmare end!?”

My body was shaking uncontrollably, and I could even hear Fluttershy crying beside me, unable to take the chaotic feelings that I had anymore.

This was it. I couldn’t stand the pain and torture any longer. I pulled out my gun, twiddling it in my mechanical hand. Everyone gasped but Fluttershy, who still seemed to be crying too much to even take notice.

Fine by me - she doesn’t need to see this.

“I just... want to go back to a time where there wasn’t any BEN. Why should I be punished and cursed for a stupid mistake I made at a garage sale two years ago? I can’t stand this anymore! What did I do to deserve this!? All I ever wanted was a nice, quaint life as a game designer, but now I don’t even know if that’s possible unless I get home... and I’m afraid there’s only one way home...”

I put the pistol in my mouth, tears streaming down my face. The cold, familiar steel of my own weapon felt more welcoming than anything I’d seen in the past week.

“Goodbye, every... pony. I’ll see all of you on the other side.”

As I was about to pull the trigger, Fluttershy had torn the weapon out of my hands, and away from my mouth. The immediate reaction forced me to fire a shot, which went clean into the air. Fluttershy jumped back and hid in her mane. I stared at the open space in my hand where there had once been my trusty pistol. I looked back to Fluttershy, and noticed that half of the party had lunged forward, and were fairly close to me now. It took me a moment to process what had just transpired. When it did, it felt as though another choice had been ripped away from me. Something else that I couldn’t keep control of. Finally, my body reacted, proceeding to fall to the ground as I screamed bloody murder into the grass.

“I…”

I threw myself up at them, screaming in their faces, before collapsing to the ground again.

“I haven’t had a choice in anything here… and you take away the only free decision… that I’ve been able to make for months!"

I slammed my fist into the ground.

“I wanna go home.”

“Uh, Nick?” Dash asked.

“I wanna go home!”

“Seriously, dude, you okay?”

“I WANNA GO HOME!”

The crew just stood there, dumbstruck at the sight before them - they had never seen Nick truly lose his composure like he had just now, wailing like a scared little child.

“I want to see my mom again!”

“I want to toke up with my buddies!”

“I want to waste my life away eating ramen and playing 3DS!”

“I WANT TO GO THE FUCK HOME!”

“I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT!”

“I DON’T WANT TO KILL!”

“I WANT TO GO BACK IN TIME AND FORGET ALL OF THIS!”

And all the kid could do was cry. Cry, like the little scared child he really was - The little child he hid from everyone else, behind the visage of an angry little man.

The others slowly gathered around the broken human, finally realizing that…

This guy wasn’t a killer.

He wasn’t a soulless monster…

He truly was just a broken, scared child on the inside, forced into this nightmare.

The overflowing wave of emotions that surrounded the team was abruptly stopped with a sharp beep. A moment later, Nick’s hand reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.

...and with the laugh of the Skull Kid, he finally saw, before his very eye…

The last of his former life erased, one by one.

As did the others.

-Contact Deleted - Home -

“No…”

-Contact Deleted - Gramps -

“BEN, please…”

-Contact Deleted - Dad -

“Please… let me keep their memory…”

-Contact Deleted - Mom -

“W...why, you asshole?”

With a final laugh of the statue, he collapsed on the grass, smashing his robotic arm into the earth, and throwing the phone away.

Dash stood there, for a moment, finally understanding why Nick became the way he did, with his soul completely obliterated then and there.

Then, they all helped him stand.

“I don’t want to go any further… kill me, please…”

“No, Nick, you have to keep going.” Rarity said, gently touching the man’s back.

“We’re behind you every step of the way.” Mac added.

“As family.” Fluttershy’s voice barely spoke.”

“And friends…” Dash said, giving the human a hug.

Nick barely managed to stand, but only walked over to a nearby stump, sitting down on it in defeat.

“If… if I hadn’t touched that game…

“N-Nick…”

“If I didn’t take that cartridge from the old man…”

“Darling?”

Immediately, the robotic arm violently tore through the trunk of a tree.

“I SHOULDN’T HAVE TOUCHED THAT COCKSUCKING GAME!”

Immediately, he began slamming his head into the tree, screaming violently. Dash immediately pulled him away, placing her hooves gently on the man’s shoulders, and turning him around to face her. A flustered, wrinkled, and beet-red face soaked with tears (and some blood) was all she could see of the often cold, unfeeling man.

So… this was how he was truly feeling on the inside… The broken, PTSD-riddled mess that the cold, emotionless rage-machine hid so well.

“Listen… Nick…” Dash began, nervously looking down to the grass below her, before looking back up to the human’s face a few seconds later “...I… I’m sorry. I get that… you just want to be normal, and I’m sorry for thinking you were the root of the issue here, I can… clearly see that I was wrong.”

Dash swallowed a bit, taking note of the ever-so-subtle change in the man’s face.

“I can see that… you’ve had almost no choice… in the things you’ve done.”

Another heavy breath left the pegasus, and she clasped her hooves tightly to his shoulders.

“...but you taking that cartridge… taking that game WAS a free decison you made, and it was probably the best decision you could have ever made. You‘ve made it this far in… and if you hadn’t played that game, some other poor schmuck would have, eventually. Choosing not to make that decision could have made things infinitely worse.”

“You… you tell me exactly how there’s ANYTHING WORSE than COMPLETE UNIVERSAL ANNIHILATION!?”

She flinched back, trying to choose her next words carefully. “It isn’t… But if it had been anyone else, we’d all probably be dead right about now. Do ya see what I’m getting at? You’re the only one who knows how to deal with this mess!”

He stared at her for a moment, and then cast his look to the ground. There, he saw the pistol lying in the grass.

“It wasn’t supposed to be on me… I… I just want him… gone, you know?”

And, like clockwork, Equestria had its way with the world, the tone of a piano filling the air, as well as the broken man’s voice. Nobody was safe from this world’s emotional magic.

“... We all do, Nick. We all do.” Dash muttered beside him, looking uncharacteristically sullen herself.

Well here I am again...
Must say, it's quite traumatic.
Last time you drowned me down in the Great Bay.
And though I've played and played,
You don't get any clearer!
Why can't you be less cryptic if you've something to say?

You want your freedom? Take it.
This has gone on too long;
I used to want some answers,
Now I only want you gone!

Pinkie shot in, cutting through the song’s break.

“You Pinkie promised Sweetie Belle! You ARE NOT backing down on that!”

Questioning thoughts entered his mind as he sang, making him wonder if he could truly make it through all of this. All this shit… it all added up to something, right?

You want to talk to me?
Stop being so invasive!
It's not good manners to invade my dreams!
Though you apologised,
You don't seem very sorry-
As you proceed to tear my life apart at the seams!

‘Was I truly so broken…?’

I'm sick of all your secrets-
What am I doing wrong!?
I tried my best to help, but
Now I only want you gone!

“You know what, kid, you have to stop this yourself. We’ll die by your side, but this is your job!” Dash and Mac exclaimed together.

There it was again, ringing through his head. ‘Friends’.

I've been so nice to you;
I even took your cartridge,
That time I ran away from the old man!
But now I'm done with you!
And your persistent taunting!
It's time to burn everything and forget if I can!

Just stop with the fear tactics!
I know I wasn't strong...
I want this to be over;
Now I only want you gone!

Suddenly, a rush of calm doused the human, and soon, his vision became…

...confident. He stood there for a moment, twiddling his robotic hand for a second. Some more time passed, and he clenched the fist tightly, the machine whirring to life like his newfound, refreshed sense of perseverance.

..And this is not the end
Oh, did you think I gave up!?
Don't think I've set you free to act unchecked!
I've left a legacy
Of people out for justice!
They'll get the truth from you, so don't get complacent yet!

The man flipped a finger out to the sky.

You've got to face the masses;
That's what I'm counting on!
They'll finish what I started,
And they'll only want you gone,
And they'll only want you gone,

And there, Nick took his scattered equipment, walking deep into the forest with his friends, as he reseated the magazine.

And they'll only want you gone!

6:00 PM

We continued into the forest, eventually coming to a clearing. I kept my weapon at the ready in the event anything attacked, but, it seemed to be clear.

“So... Zecora says there’s an ‘instrument’ here? What the hell are we looking for exactly?” I asked, keeping one foot in front of the other, as the rest of my team kept their eyes out for anything suspicious. The Everfree, renowned to be extremely dangerous, lived up to its reputation, that I knew. We had to stay vigilant, even if we were gonna continue on with idle conversation. I still felt terrible, shaking with sadness and fear.

“Well, she doesn’t even know. She just says that legends speak of an old instrument from an age past, and it apparently has the ability to ‘heal troubled spirits’.” Twilight added, reading the book intently, Scootaloo hovering over my head. Big Mac was holding onto Applebloom, trying to do what he could as a brother to protect her from the natural dangers that were locked away in here. This place... I had a VERY bad feeling about this place. Even with all the new additions to my party, we could all easily die. This far into our mission... we HAD to look out for eachother.

“We found a sword not too far from here, it’s…” Derpy began, pointing at a large, fallen and hollowed tree. “...right through there. Maybe it has something to do with all this.”

Passing through a large, hollowed log, we continued further south, going over a log bridge, then coming to another clearing. Here sat an abundance of exotic flora, and through the forest canopy trickled parted rays of sunlight, which seemed, at the angle I was standing, to be pointing in the direction of a large marble altar at the end of the clearing. Making sure my weapon was full again, my team and I carefully approached the altar, taking note of a sword set in it.

I recognized it immediately.

Then I remembered what BEN had told me about dimensional gates.

“You can’t be fucking serious. No. Just no. This is goddamn ridiculous.”

“Wait, what’s wrong?” Flutters asked, looking forward in confusion.”

“It’s… a sword, Fluttershy. One I know.”

I approached the stand, about to place my human hand to the handle of the blade, then stopped, turning around.

“Did any of you try to pull this thing when you found it?”

“Ah did. Broke a tooth, couldn’t pull it with mah hooves.” Mac answered, raising one stray hoof in the air for a second.

I pocketed my pistol, taking a look at the book again; now I recognized the text - Hylian. This book fell through the log behind us, a dimensional gate, and ended up in Equestria.

It was all starting to come together - how it worked, where everything, including BEN’s powers came from…

I rubbed my hands together, spitting (blood) on them.

Here we go… the moment of truth.

As I touched the handle of the blade, a searing glow emanated from my right hand - a bright golden aura shot forth from the back of it, revealing a glowing collection of triangles stacked upon each other to form one - with the rightmost glowing far more intensely.

And with barely any effort, the sword lifted, a raw wave of pure power coursing through my veins.

I had hold of it-

The.

Mother.

Fucking.

Master Sword.

Holy-hot-damn on a stick.

And as soon as I took hold of the blade, raising it to the air,…

I passed out.

AGAIN.

My vision returned not three seconds more, this time, to a serene field, a crisp autumn air whistling through my ears and stinging against my skin. I was still standing there, sword in hand, again, wondering where the hell I was, when a gentle glow began to fill my sight. It wasn’t anything blindingly bright. For once, this was a relief from the blinding, searing flashes that often accompanied such an event. The golden light slowly took a humanoid form that of a fair maiden draped in a silk dress, her face, body and hair, nearly pure gold. The light emanating from her form made it impossible to view the woman’s face, but, I could only describe her as…

...godly.

“You know, you fools really need to stop knocking me out if you want to talk to me - I’m gonna get serious brain damage if you keep cutting the air to it.

The woman, with her heavenly, soothing voice, replied.

“I am sorry, my child, but only in the unconscious state can you communicate with spirits at the present. I shall provide you with better means of communication, if you seek it.”

So… this voice, was the one who saved me from BEN back in Termina.

“Who, or what are you, exactly?” I asked, sizing the maiden up, examining every inch of her being. “Did I just die? Are you God?”

The woman gave a playful laugh, before speaking again.

“To some, child, yes I am. Not to your land, but this one I, and my sisters rule over. You are aware of where your body stands now, are you not?”

I looked to the Master Sword in my hand, then back to the woman.

“If I had to guess, I’d say Hyrule? And you’re one of the three?”

Again, the gentle woman laughed.

“Very observant of you. Yes, indeed I am one of the three golden goddesses that control this realm. In your world, most call me God, Allah, Zeus, or what have you. Some in my realm call me the Goddess of Wisdom, the Goddess of Time…. others call me Nayr-”

“No. Stop Fucking stop, right there.”

“...is, something wrong?”

“Yes, actually - everything about this. This sounds ridiculous.”

I dug my gaze deep into the woman’s face, making sure she saw my clear exhaustion and annoyance.

“Just… why? Why Hyrule? What the hell purpose does this place serve to me? Let’s entertain for a second, the notion that Discord and BEN are right about all ‘fictional’ universes actually existing.”

I took a step forward, anger starting to grow again slightly as I leaned in towards her.

“What makes it so much more fuckin’ important than, say,the Plastic World from the Army Men games, or Tatooine?” I asked and sighed, looking to the blade in my hand, then back to the glowing orb of purity, the gentle golden outline of a maiden before me. Why is Equestria, or Hyrule for that matter, any more necessary than Gotham, or City 17, assuming I’m REALLY not having a prolonged nightmare?” I continued to ask, crossing my vacant, robotic arm to my right shoulder.

“With all due respect, the more I get pushed against my will into this psychotic adventure, the more it sounds like I’m trapped in some craptastic fanfiction made by a moron who suffered two years of writer’s block, and got hopelessly addicted to whatever new GTA, Smash Bros, or Metal Gear got released.”

At the mention of the last phrase, a strange tingling sensation emanated from… my left arm. I looked to the prosthesis, then back to Nayru.

That sense of phantom pain… I’ll never forget it.

I spit up another wad of congealed blood, before speaking again.

"...and let me guess: Those worlds are real too, right? And in "Just as much grave danger" from BEN too, right?" I asked snidely, rolling my eye."

Nayru stared at me for a moment with a perplexed expression as if she were processing what I had just said, before speaking again.

“I’m sure, child, that this all indeed sounds like a ridiculous fairy tale, and my explanation may sound childish. I promise you, however, it is just and logical.” I swung the blade upwards, resting it against my shoulder. I guess I didn’t have a choice. Sighing, I relented.

“Lay it on me.”

“Put simply, my child, you and the one known as BEN hail from the same world. He first began gathering his powers from mine, and now, resides in this one, Equestria. Likewise, to be defeated, he must be struck down by a member of his realm with powers matching those of his, or, more accurately, powers born of my realm, and of course, the deed must be done swiftly in the same residence.”

What the hell.

“So any fool from Earth could have done this. Why the hell me, then?” I asked, still questioning the point.

“Once more, simple: You are within the same realm at this moment, and you of all people have a greater knowledge of your adversary, and much more of a drive to persevere against the odds. In short, you are the most convenient and properly prepared hero for the task - your… psychotic bouts will certainly prove useful in the inevitable conflict. Nothing makes this place any more important than any other - the simple fact is that you will find the tools you need to stop him here, of all places. ”

I was taken aback. It was all starting to make sense, as bare-bones as the explainations were. I was somewhat relieved to know it at least didn’t involve some convoluted higher force.

Regardless, I didn’t want that.

I. Want. To. Go. Home.

And the stress of it was still taking its toll.

“Oh, thank you - It’s so good to know I’m ‘convenient’. Could I get the universe anything else, while it still has use for its dog? Perhaps you’d like it if I sear you up some filet mignon, or treat you a wonderful night in Paris, at the expense of my bankruptcy? Is there anything else every Koopa or Zerg, from here to Wonderland, would like me to get for them? I’m more than willing to lose another limb so the homeless jack weasels in the Capital Wasteland can sleep soundly at night without worrying about a second apocalypse. Don’t you worry your pretty little head, I’m on it, sister!” I smiled with an exaggerated grin, planting my hands to my sides in a pseudo-heroic pose.

Immediately, my face went cold. I planted the sword in the ground firmly, then turned, walking away.

“Send me the fuck home, now. I’m going to the nearest liquor shop, getting ten bottles of Nelson, and drinking my ass into a coma.” I spoke, flicking my wrist behind me, in Nayru’s direction. “Seriously. This just went from plausible to batshit retarded.”

I heard a barely audible ‘humph’ noise, almost as if Nayru was expressing some form of annoyance in my word choice. Don’t care.

“What would that little girl want?” I suddenly heard her ask behind my back, to which I abruptly stopped, not turning around.

“Fuck is that supposed to mean?” I asked, feeling slighted.

“Exactly what you think it does, my child…” Nayru responded in her peaceful, angelic tone, gently extending a hand out in my direction, with an open palm.

Immediately, as her hand opened to full reveal its face, a searing burn hit my head. My skull throbbed in pain, and brain lit on fire. I screamed out in anguish…

As sudden vision… after vision… after vision… Oh god…

In clear, vivid color and sound…

My parents’ deaths… Sweetie Belle… a blanket of fire engulfing virtually every world I’ve ever seen, from Aether to Twilight Town…

The screaming, the faces…

Like some kind of twisted IMAX experience one would never forget, this demented movie continued to play in my mind, in tandem with the polarizingly calm, gentle voice of the Hyrulean goddess.

“You made a promise to that little unicorn, that nothing more would see harm at his hands. If you’re going to throw her wishes to the wind, you have nobody to blame but yourself when hellfire rains down upon the known multiverse.

I continued to writhe in pain, psychotic images rushing through my synapses.

“...YOU...MANIPULATIVE BITCH…!”

“You promised that girl, these ponies… you promised yourself you would see him to the end. It doesn’t matter now if you came here by choice or accident, and it does not matter if you think you have the skills or not. As stated before, you may be a poor soul who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time…”

For a moment, all well calm in my head, the hellish images ceasing, only to be replaced with a moving portrait of the three Crusaders, happy, smiling, and playing.

“...but now that you are here, you do understand that failing to stop him means the death of every man, woman, child...

Then I remembered, much like the others reminded me during my previous breakdown, the one promise I made. Nayru’s voice began to drown out as happy memories of the farm, with Applejack and the family, crossed my mind.

“...soldier, civilian, and animal.”

Finally, it hit me like a freight train again - that Pinkie promise I made to Sweetie Belle, just seconds before her vile, gory death. BEN cannot hurt anybody else. I can’t let that happen- he has to be stopped here, and now.

I may not be a messiah, but I have the opportunity - and a thousand damn good reasons - to stop him.

He WILL NOT take my family.

Damn it all…

..I’ll be your dog…

...One last time.

Standing in pain, I walked back to the sword. Reluctantly, I sheathed the blade, staring at the golden Goddess of Time before me.

“Does that mean I have to wear the goddamn tunic?”

“No.”

“Thank Christ. I think you’d see much better results if you strapped your ‘chosen ones’ out with an M60 or Dragunov now and again.”

“We’ll have to consider that next time a powerful being threatens our homeland.”

Before I had a chance to catch my breath and seal my fate, the image of Nayru slowly faded from my vision. I was bid farewell with one final piece of advice from the idol, though it was fairly confusing.

“The weapon you hold in your hands now is merely a key to your true answer to defeating the Drowned One. When the time is right, when the final wind has passed, child, and we meet again, only then shall it be provided to you when the hour of doom is at hand.”

“What the hell does that even mean!?” I asked, her image starting to fade away.

“As I said, my child, when the final wind has passed, we shall meet again. To give you what you seek now creates undue risk. In the meantime, child, I bestow upon you two gifts. The first…” She began, snapping her fingers and creating another light flash around my vacant arm. “Is a shield of my subjects, to better accommodate your combat skills.”

“And the second?” I asked, staring at the Hylian shield in my left hand.

“The second, child…” Nayru replied, bringing her one fading hand out to touch my shoulder. “...is the ability to better control and communicate with your gift of talking to the dead. With this skill, you can now freely see any and all spirits around you, by choice, and better communicate, without the need of a medium.”

As she finished her words, a familiar line of spirits - Sweetie, Lyra, Carrot, my parents… all suddenly came to my vision, standing at attention, then faded away.

As did the rest of Hyrule field.

“Good luck, my child. I will be watching over you and your friends.”

My vision came back to my team hovering over me like vultures, staring down at me in a large circle. Painfully, I stood up, sheathing my new weapons and taking a look back at the pedestal behind me. Without saying anything, I took my gun in my hands, and began to walk towards the log portal we came from. A shiver ran down my spine as the Master Sword, strapped on my back, shook with raw energy. Immediately, whatever sadness and despair I felt was seemingly replaced with a strong sense of determination and anger, leaving a stoic expression on me as I walked past everyone. Time to kill us a little undead punk.

I grabbed my nearly dead phone, checking the clock - 6:37.

“Let’s get going. We don’t have much more time.”

“No, boy, you don’t have ANY more time…” The unmistakable voice and subsequent laugh of BEN spoke through the air as we stepped from Hyrule to Equestria, our appearance returning to two dimensions. In most situations, I would freeze up in fear, but getting this far, going through this much, and finally having a possible chance to end it all?

He didn’t scare me in the slightest.

“The fuck do you want now, kid?” I asked, staring up to the sky in anger, looking around for the bane of my existence.

“I just wanted to say congratulations.” BEN started, a smarmy, condescending tone about him. :Truly, I commend you for actually getting this far. I really didn’t expect you to get out of the cocitrace statue you got locked up in, and I certainly didn’t expect you to get that weapon. Fortunately, it’s not what you need to stop me, so I have nothing to fear.” The playful laugh of the demonic boy echoed throughout the forest, reflecting down off the canopy, and invading our ears.

“What the hell do you want, dude?”

“Me? Why, that’s simple!” BEN cried aloud, joy overtaking his voice.

A sudden clap of thunder as a fast wave of clouds rolled into the area. I pulled out my phone to get a better view in the now much darker forest.

-however, I was cut short as I laid eyes upon the screen, specifically the ‘zelda heart’ themed battery meter, housing a measly quarter heart left. Two seconds later, the phone shut off with the iconic T-Mobile jingle.

“You’ve done such a great job, I think it only fair that I invite you all out for a nice swim, especially on such a hot day like today!” The demon giddily shouted, the laugh of the Skull Kid trailing off behind.

I didn’t think much of it, and we just kept walking for a few minutes. So what? A little rain never hurt anyone.

Well, it was a little rain for a while, then it started to downpour. Torrentially. Still, it didn’t seem that bad.

And then it covered my ankles… As we picked up the kids to keep them out of it…

It soon wrapped around my knees.

“Aww, shit.... Climb! Climb the trees! GO!”

At that, we huddled together, heading for the nearest one we could find. I jumped upward to grab a branch, and the pegasi began to pick up the others. Dinky, Applebloom, and Spike were on my back, panicking, and Rarity was holding onto my leg for dear life, screaming, and trying to scale me.

“KEEP CLIMBING! GO, GO, GO!”

three or so minutes had passed now, and by this point, the rain had created a lake nearly three feet off the ground, in every direction. I didn’t really know what to do in this situation, but I had barely any time to react before a sharp gust of wind sent Twilight out of Fluttershy’s grasp, and straight into the newly-formed river, carrying the unicorn away. Immediately I placed the children into the cleft of the tree above me, and grabbed Rarity, passing her to Dash, who had hold of Pinkie, and Derpy, who had Mac. Scoots took hold of Spike as the other two fillies rested in the top of the tree, and I dove into the rushing stream, after the lavender mare.

“NICK, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?”

“SAVING YOUR FRIEND! GO! KEEP CLIMBING! THERE’S A HILL FARTHER INTO THE WOODS!” I shouted over the deafening thunder.

Twilight screamed bloody murder, reaching out for a nearby tree branch that was half submerged in the water. As I tore through the relentless stream to get to her in time, the growing mass of liquid covered the branch, sending her head under the waves. I dove under, grabbing hold of the mare with one hand, the tree with the other, and hoisting her up onto my shoulder as we were swept away. Macintosh was too heavy for Derpy to carry, and the stallion went splashing into the water. Panicking, he grabbed hold of his sister, pulling her out of the tree. Flutters swooped in grab Dinky, and the three pegasi, with Rarity, Pinkie and Spike in tow, chased after us.

“Aw... SWEET CELESTIA, HELP!”

“MAC, WE’RE COMING! HOLD ON!”

I held Twilight up on my shoulder as the panicked mare splashed about and pushed me down into the water. I was thankful my father taught me how to rescue swim - always keep a victim’s head up, even if that means staying under yourself.

“Twilight, you gotta give me wings again! It’s the only way we’re all getting out of here!”

“I don’t… *bulb* think you realize how much *aaack!* magic that takes! It takes me *peth!* - a week to recover from that!”

“HEADS UP!””

At my words, we smacked headfirst into another tree, the ocean beneath us growing tenfold. I managed to wrap one arm around the trunk, clasping ourselves to the tree. Not five seconds later, Mac came speeding by us, his screaming baby sister clinging to his neck for dear life.

“MACINTOSH! TAKE MY HAND!”

The red farmer extended his hoof outwards, my mechanical arm just barely able to catch him. He and Applebloom swung back around with the force of the water, and like us, held to the tree, but the water still kept climbing.

“GO HIGHER! LET'S MOVE!”

All of us that were grounded, began to scale this new tree like mad This endeavor was going well, but would soon find itself ruined by pure bad luck.

A quick and deadly jolt of thunder struck the tree like the vengeful wrath of Zeus, lighting the tree ablaze and tearing most of the log away and into the water. Being at the front of the pack, and the highest up, my robotic arm took most of the electric blast.

If I hadn’t had this arm… That electrical ground saved my life by freak circumstance, like everything else.

Still, the jolt was more than enough for me to lose my grip and fall. I flailed wildly in free fall as I descended towards the raging waters below.

*Crack!*

The back of my head hit something hard on my way down, throwing my head forward. Darkness overtook my vision quickly, and the sounds around me became muffled as I violently entered the water. Somehow, I still heard a muffled, psychotic laugh in my head. BEN’s last words rang through my mind as I lost consciousness.

“I already drowned once! Now it’s your turn, Jadusable!”

***********************

In the depths of my mind, I floated aimlessly. As I looked around the vast expanse of nothing surrounding me, the Song of Unhealing began to invade my ears once again. Bringing my hands to my ears, I did my best to shut it out, my eye shut tightly. Even with my eye closed and my ears covered, I still saw flashes of the statue within my sight, its face burned into my vision. I heard the Skull Kid’s scream permeate the darkness around me. It was filled with nothing but pain and agony.

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled downwards forcefully. I tried to fight it, but I had nothing to grab onto. Whatever it was, it was unrelenting. BEN’s trademark laughter taunted me as my feeling of hopelessness grew, and as my panic grew alongside that fear, I realized that I couldn’t breathe. I clawed at my throat, trying in vain to force the oxygen back into me.

Just as I was on the verge of giving up, something else pulled me upwards, and fought the force of whatever was pulling me down. Instead of going back up, however, I was being yanked back and forth, neither force unwilling to release their grip. It felt like some sick and twisted game of ‘Tug of War’.

I felt a surge of force from above me, and suddenly, whatever had been pulling me down had let go. As I practically flew upwards, an overpowering sense of anger and rage attacked my mind, feeling as though it was being crushed under a ton of weight.

Unable to think clearly and register the sheer amount of pain I was in, I barely heard muffled voices around me. They sounded familiar, but I just couldn’t bring myself to remember who they belonged to. They sounded so… Distraught, and scared. Like me. I have to help them. I don’t know how, though. I don’t even know where I am.

And without warning, I spat out a shit ton of water, opening my eyes to see a crying filly in front of me.

***********************

“EVERYPONY! GRAB THE LOG!” Twilight barked, clambering to the run away debris.

Dash placed her passengers on the log, the others starting to dogpile the rampant chunk of water. Dash, on the other hand, immediately dove into the cold, unforgiving water, taking note of Nick having fallen from the tree. The pegasus found the man after some time, unconscious and sporting a nasty head wound. Pulling him up, she expected no resistance. Instead, she felt something immensely powerful fighting back. She looked back to him underwater, expecting to see him stuck on something.

Instead, she saw that same statue, the one that had fucked with her and her friends for so damn long. And it was showing it’s crooked smile, seemingly unwilling to let go. She yanked back with all of her might, beginning to struggle with her own breathing. The whole time, all she could hear through her head was the muffled laughter of the Skull Kid. She wanted to rise up to the surface, and get the fuck away from this demented thing. If she let go now, however, she was sure that he was going to be done for. Instead, she looked back at the statue with a scowl and pulled on him again, allowing herself to be swung forward into the statue. Knocking into it with as much force as she could, the statue released its iron grip, and sunk down to the depths below, fading into obscurity.

Feeling another hitch in her throat from the lack of oxygen and grabbed hold of Nick again, swimming up to the surface. Once they broke the surface of the rapids, she coughed and hacked, struggling to both expel the excess water and retrieve lost oxygen. Heaving his body onto the log, she finally took her much needed reprieve and recover herself. This left Scootaloo to fly to the man’s side and check for a pulse.

There was nothing, as the crew sped down the watery abyss.

“Oh, Celestia…” Her breath hitched in her throat, unwilling to imagine enduring Nick nearly dying another time. “He’s not breathing…” She began applying pressure to his chest, stopping every few tries to check for breathing. “Come on, Dad, not now! GET UP! ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE...!”

The team continued to float aimlessly for several minutes, Nick eventually spitting up a mass of water as life sprinted back into his being. As he came to, however, another violent crash rocked the party, their flotation device slamming into another tree. This time, with the little filly Applebloom holding onto the end, the yellow pony found herself split away, being carried off into the darkness of the storm. The older brother noticed this too late, his hoof stretched outwards where Applebloom had been just a second before.

“BIG MAC!” Her scream rang out through the air, bringing a chill to everyone else who managed to stay on the makeshift raft.

“SIS!” His baritone shout replied in vain, all of us knowing that she was out of our care for now, exposed to the dangers without any aid.

The filly had sped away, too fast for anyone to keep track of. The remainder of the team kept a tight hold to the log, some of which also keeping a tight grip on Nick as he kept spitting up bloody water for several minutes. In due time, the rapids began to slow and the rain finally started to die off. With the water levels beginning to greatly recede, BEN realized that his nemesis had not died.

“I”LL END YOU YET, KID! DON’T THINK THIS IS OVER!”

Chapter XXIII: Welcome To Sunny Town (Halloween Special '15)

7:00 PM

In due time, we all floated back down to the surface of the ground, as the water began to die away, almost magically. I grasped hold of the ground tightly, struggling to stand as my lungs burned to death, spitting up more bloody water.

I could tell… if anything more happened to me, I would die.

If I wanted to survive, it needed to stop now.

I regained my awareness, only to see Scootaloo, Fluttershy, and Twilight standing over me, and in short order, helping me stand. We had been sent deeper into the forest, lost and stranded, as the dark shadow of an early night began to cover us in unnatural blindness. Some distance away, I could hear the distressed and broken cry of Macintosh.

“APPLEBLOOM! APPLEBLOOM, WHERE ARE YOU!?”

Without question, I stood, painfully limping to the source of the noise, still spitting up water and clutching my heart in pain. We were so close…. this war was almost done. Just a few more trials, and we could end this monster; I could feel we were making progress, because now, BEN was, for once, trying to actively kill us.

That meant the Master Sword WAS a threat to him, or whatever secondary tool came with it, was within our grasp.

We were getting under his skin.

He was scared of us, because we were winning. He KNEW we were. We were a REAL threat to him now.

And knowing that brought one of the first genuine smiles to my face in five grueling months.

I walked to the source of the farmer’s cry, weakly slicing down some bushes, where the four of us regrouped with the others in the clearing ahead.

“APPLEBLOOM!”

I set my metallic arm to the Farmer’s back, the others still trying to recover from the trauma of the flood.

“We’ll find her. I know she hasn’t gone far.”

“Ah… ah hope, Nick. Applejack’s already dead. Ah’m not losing my baby sister to ‘im either. Ah ain’t gonna let that happen.”

“Neither will I." I added, tightening my grip on the sword, which was glowing brightly and shaking with a raw, before unseen sense of energy. "Come on guys, let’s go! We need to keep pushing! We have this in the bag!”

As much as the others wanted to give up like I, we simply couldn’t now. We continued to trudge deeper into the forest, a darkness over top our heads and a misty fog in our eyes, remains from the flood. We at first had nowhere to go, but the voice of a sudden, whispering woman caught the attention of my ears.

“Come. This way…”

These words were cold, almost lifeless, and as they danced along my eardrums, I turned to the source to see what looked like a white, golden maned pony, with a magnifying glass for a cutie mark approach us from behind. I held up my arm, holding the others back, and drawing my sword. Her eyes were a lifeless, solid white, though the expression on her face proved docile enough. Still, more creepy shit. Great.

“Woah, anyone else seeing this?”

“See what? Spike asked, confused.

“Nick, there’s nothing. Your eye playing with you again?” Pinkie wondered, staring intently at the forest before her, nothing of remarkable note in her vision.

I took a step forward, the mare stepping back. This continued for some time, a careful game of chicken dragging on for about three minutes. Suddenly, the mare lifted a few inches off the ground, flying sideways through some trees and disappearing, her gaze still unbreaking with mine. I shook my head for a second, then without thought… naturally gave chase.

“Woah… Hey, wait! Lady!”

“Nick, where are you going!?” Twilight yelled, the others starting to follow behind me, as I struggled to run in my critical condition. I tore through the trees the woman went through, coming to another, much darker clearing. I stopped and turned to my left, taking note of the woman staring at me again. In the distance, I could hear my friends.

“How did he do that!? Holy hay, he disappeared!”

I turned back to the foliage that I came from, trying to go back through, but was stopped, a seemingly invisible barrier holding me back from taking a step further.

“Guys, it’s okay! I’m here!”

Nobody responded, they just kept quarreling among st themselves, wondering where I ran off to, wondering if anyone saw the woman I had, who was still standing behind me.

I was locked from them.

“Okay, look… what do you want?” I asked the white pony, slowly coming closer, my weapons still drawn. She said nothing, only backing away some more, down the darkened path. I did nothing but flow, intrigue and worry entwining my mind and body. Eventually, the darkened path gave way to a lit parting in the trees, and before them was standing and staring…

“Appleboom! Oh thank Jesus, there you are!”

The young yellow filly turned to my voice, ecstatic and happy, bounding to me and jumping on me with a playful hug.

“Nick, yer alive!”

“We’ve been looking for you for nearly fifteen minutes! Where’d you run off to!?”

“Ah got swept away by th’ storm, remember? That big log we were all usin’ broke, and ah’ got sent off!"

I set the filly down, standing up and peering through the opening of the trees. Before us sat a strange little town, with paper lamps hanging in an archway over a fence, pink tables full of sweet food and drink standing at the entrance of the town, a single opening in the fence. Before I manged to take a step forward, the white mare appeared in front of me again, floating down the main path of the town before disappearing before our eyes.

Something isn’t right here. Something’s not right at all…

As I began to step through the open path, I could hear Discord’s voice invade my head, a regretful tone about him.

“I’m sorry, Nick. I told him about this place… This is one more of BEN’s trials. You need to find a way out of here. Trust no one in this town.”

Without replying, so as not to Scare Applebloom, I nodded and stepped forward, the filly holding tightly to my jeans with one hoof. Before us was a quint little village of about seven oak houses, and standing near the tables was a grey stallion, a fully-grown man, with a black mane, and…

No cutie mark?

Something really isn’t right. I don’t like this.

“Well hello there, sir! Welcome to Sunny Town! My, I’ve never seen a human here before!” The man joyously spoke, an exuberant tone akin to Pinkie Pie.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” I asked, a defensive tone about my voice, my hands tightening around my sword and shield.

Why, I’m Grey Hoof, celebration planner extraordinaire at your service! In fact, the party just started! Please, help yourself to some cake and-” The man stopped, looking past me and down to my leg.

“Well hello there, little filly! What are you doing with a human? That’s a big no-no in Equestria!” Grey Hoof spoke, walking forth to reach his hoof out to Applebloom. I simply held a stoic expression, speaking flat, and without anger.

“You touch the girl, and I’ll eat your kidneys.”

Immediately, Grey Hoof backed away, staring at us as we walked past him. He left with some very… disturbing words. Though they weren’t violent, I still couldn’t shake the bad feelings I had about this place.

“It’s not very often we get visitors. Enjoy your stay, sir!”

Say what you want, dude, but I am NOT staying here.

There was a mare here now, standing a few feet away from us, looking down and sulking. A red maned, white-furred woman, again, no cutie mark.

This place is hella creepy, for some reason. I swear I recognize it to some degree, but I just can’t put my finger on it.

“Ma’am, you okay? I asked, still keeping hold of my weapons and not touching the mare.

“Oh…” She began, looking up to me and sighing as she looked away to another stallion, a yellow one, a few feet away. “I’m fine… He just… hasn’t said a word to me all night…

Immediately, I began to trek forward, towards the new villager. He also looked distraught, a look of sadness and concern on his face. The mare behind us was staring, like Grey Hoof, as we walked away.

“Um… hello, human…”

“Something wrong, dude?”

The man stood there in the doorway of (supposedly) his house, only uttering out a simple:

“Oh… nothing.”

I stared into the guy intently, making him shift uncomfortably.

“Fine, I’ll tell you: You see that pony over there? he asked, pointing to the mare we had just passed, and who was STILL staring. “That’s Starlet. I was going to give her a gift after the party, but I lost it! Nowhere to be found!” He said, his hooves thrown up in defeat. I stood there for a moment, giving a (somewhat) reassuring smile to the man.

“If I run across it during my travels, I’ll give it back to you. What did it look like?”

“Oh, it’s… a big, shiny ruby. If you find it, I’d be ever so grateful.”

“I’ll see what I can do, man.” I finished, Applebloom and I walking deeper into the village, again, as he stared at us. Yeah, something just isn’t right here.

It wasn’t more than a few moments later when we were confronted with yet another pony, a brown, golden-maned stallion.

“Hello! We don’t get a lot of travelers around these parts! Pleasure to meet you! I’m Gladstone!” the middle-aged man spoke, still upbeat, much like Grey Hoof.

“Hey, how come ya’ll don’t have any cutie marks?” Applebloom finally commented, staring intently at the pony’s flank. He stood there for a minute, trying to process the words, before returning to his smile, and replying.

“Cutie whats? Sorry little filly. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He happily replied, oblivious to anything else around him. I backed away, pulling the filly with me as a shiver rolled down my spine. Something really, really unnatural is in this town…

Once more, this Gladstone guy… kept staring at us as we left. I wanted to scream, the fear coming back. As I backed away from the piercing eyes of the man, I found myself tripping to the ground over a clod of dirt, and into a small alcove of bushes.

"Wo-augh!"

“Woah, Nick, you okay?”

I immediately sat up, rolling off of my stomach and regaining my feet. Applebloom looked to where I tripped, and her interest piqued.

“Huh? Somethin’s stickin’ up in th’ dirt!”

Immediately, I grabbed the thing, brushing it off. Well I’ll be…

Applebloom once again taking hold of my intact pant leg, I pushed myself off the ground.

“Ey, yo! Yellow guy!”

We found our way back to the man with the lost ruby, taking not that he, (nor Gladstone) ever stopped…. just fucking staring in our direction. Without taking it any more thought, wanting to break my gaze with this dude as soon as possible, I handed the gem to the guy.

“You found it! Thank you! Thank you so much!”

As my hand touched his hoof, my heart skipped five beats, sinking into my stomach. In a split second as I touched the stallion, I could have sworn I saw him shape shift before my eyes. A black, red-eyed mass of darkness, emaciated and dead-looking, like a half-rotted corpse. The finishing touch was a deathly wicked and crooked, ear to ear grin. I nearly drew my sword to slice the guy in half, but before I had a chance to make a double take, all I saw was the yellow stallion again, who pushed me out of the way in excitement, running over to Starlet.

“Holy fuck… Applebloom, did you just see that!?”

“Yeah… creepy.”

For once, they weren’t staring at us, preoccupied with each other. In this opening, I stepped into the unsecured house, only to hear a crying mare inside. The woman was wailing like a Left4Dead witch, and against my better judgement, I hopped over a few crates with the filly in tow, now standing before this new pony.

“Ma’am?”

“It’s not right!” She screamed, crying into her hoof. “This isn’t right! It’s the same thing, again and again and again!”

“Um… ma’a-”

“Just go away!”

I didn’t waste any time, turning to leave, but tripping once more, and nearly falling to the ground. I turned to pick up what I had stepped on- a crank. Something isn’t clicking… I know I’ve seen this place before. I tried to think back to what BEN had done to me in the past, as we stepped out of the door, trying to think of anything remotely creepy and pony-related he might have used. It wasn’t a Mystery that BEN had tailored the events to personal level - the encounter with Pinkie was based around the Cupcakes classic, Twilight’s labs were based around The Experiments of Twilight Sparkle, Rarity was based off of DRESS.MOV and Prince Charming, Mac was Sweet Apple Massacre…

I knew BEN had nearly custom-designed each and every event, just to play with my emotions as best he could.

...but what the hell was THIS one? I still couldn’t figure it out.

Regardless, we continued forward, both Starlet and her boyfriend now soullessly staring at us, as well as Gladstone. None of them said anything past the conversations we had, they just….

They just kept fucking staring.

I shivered and continued to walk the path, coming to a new pony, completely green. Again, she said nothing at first, just stared, before Applebloom spoke.

“Ah didn’t know there lived any ponies in th’ Everfree Forest.”

“You’re not the first visitor to say that, sweetie.” The gentle, motherly voice of the markless pony said. She took a step closer to the filly, but I simply raised my blade upward, growling. She backed away, but never broke her smile or upbeat voice. “We’ve got everything we need right here, so we rarely, if ever leave. I’m Three Leaf.”

The woman took another step forward, attempting to grab Applebloom again. I don't believe I made myself clear enough. I pointed the blade at the mare's face, fear striking into her immediately. Again, I just kept a dry, emotionless tone.

“Touch her. I fucking dare you."

At that, I picked Applebloom up, handing her the crank and strapping the shield to my back as we walked deeper into town, the light of the paper lamps fading back into darkness. With my phone pretty much destroyed, I couldn’t turn on the light, so I was literally running blind. We continued along what path was visible, until the image of the mare with the cutie mark came back to my vision, looking at the both of us.

“Look, Nick, there she is!”

“Well, you saw her too, huh?”

“Yup. She's the one who led me out here. Let’s see what she wants.”

"I don’t think we have a choice, really…”

Taking gentle step after gentle step, we soon found ourselves a good distance away from the town, thrust further into the hellish darkness of the Everfree. The woman was still staring at us, floating away, and soon, following her trail, she faded once more, this time, in front of a house, secluded in the darkness. The blinds to the house were cracked, revealing some light inside. I set Applebloom down and peered in, noting a small table with a chair, and a lit fireplace the only features this house could speak of. Applebloom squealed in fear, looking back behind us, to see the others standing there, staring There they all were, all five of them, at the border of light and dark, on the edge of the town, the inhabitants staring us down like an unsettling gothic portrait. She shook me violently, and I spun around to greet them, soon to be in the form of a 9mm muzzle.

“N-nick? Ah’m scared!” The yellow filly cried, clutching me tightly. I set Applebloom down, drawing my weapons.

“I am too, sweetheart. Go. Get in the house. I’ll keep an eye on the freaks.”

Appleboom did as told, attempting to open the door, only noticing it locked. Under most circumstances, I would've kicked the door open, but that would only leave a solid invitation for our new stalkers, and besides, at this point I simply felt too weak to fight.

“It’s… it’s locked…”

“Try to find something. Key under the welcome mat, anything. Shit, what’s in that well over there?” I asked, my angered gaze still staring down the ghastly ponies that stood several meters away.

Applebloom paused for a moment, taking note of a glimmering sheen of light bouncing off the wall of the nearby well. The girl peered down inside, and noticed a shiny object sitting at the bottom of a bucket that was tied to the well’s rope. The young girl put two and two together, putting the crank into the broken piece of metal on the side of the well, and began to turn. Within seconds, Applebloom dug her hoof into the newly-appeared bucket, emerging with a rusty, iron key.

“Nick, Ah’ got somethin’...” The filly exclaimed, opening the door with a click a few moments later.

“Good… good, let’s get inside.” I said, walking backwards, shield in one hand, pistol in the other. As we got into the lifeless structure, I immediately slammed and locked the door, snatching the key from the filly’s hooves. I flipped the table inside over, pushing it towards the door in an instant.

“You won’t have her over my corpse, you freaks.”

As I was peering out of the window blinds, Applebloom approached an overturned book that had been sent flying when I had stolen the table. She picked the thing up on its open page, and after some reading, decided to hand it to me, giving me a gentle nudge. I looked to the roaring fireplace, then back outside to the unloving, unblinking ponies populating the hellish landscape. Then, to the book.

~~~

Diary of Grey Hoof, Entry 1

I don’t suppose all the warnings the adults kept giving us mean much of anything, now. The cutie pox has ravaged Ponyville, and a few friends and I are some of the only few survivors we can think of. I’m sure plenty lived to tell the tale, but with the disease still rampant, I deemed it best, in the interest of my friends and family, to just run as far away as is possible. I know we’re only children, but Gladstone, Mitta, Roneo, Ruby, Starlet, Three Leaf and I have decided to escape into the Everfree Forest. We’ve been traveling for several days now, with plenty of food and water to keep us going for about a month. We even took some veggie seeds and irrigation tools to help us start a small farm, if worst comes to worst.

Here’s to hoping we survive.

~~~

I took another peek to the window, noting the group of five ponies had stepped closer, closing the gap to the house. I began to sweat in a panic, keeping my gun at the ready, and reading. Where was this Ruby chick at? What about Mitta? Where those the two ponies, one a ghost, the other crying?

Wait....

I think I know where I am.

~~~

Diary of Grey Hoof, Entry 2

It’s been a long time, but we’ve managed to set up a nice little hamlet out here in the Everfree. It’s a peaceful clearing, and we’ve managed to build full-fledged houses in the recent years. We have a nice farm with a generous annual yield. I feel that this place is… home to us now. Mitta wants to leave, try and reconnect with the rest of the world, and see if the disease hasn’t brought about the Apocalypse. I can’t take any chances - literally all but about ten ponies in Ponyville were sick. There’s no way in Equestria anyone’s still alive. That place has to be a ghost town, and I’m determined to make sure that this place doesn’t become one too. I shall name thee, Sunny Town. It shall be a symbol of brighter days, looking to the future in optimism. Mitta, please don’t go out any more. Stay here, with us, where it’s safe. You can’t go out there, you could bring the disease back.

~~~

Again, I took another look, only noting the five unblinking ponies had gotten closer, still not moving when I laid my eyes on them. I jammed the chair up against the door, backing Applebloom and I up into the back corner of the house.

~~~

Diary of Grey Hoof, Entry 3

I couldn’t take a chance. I had to.

We had a few ponies come to the town, saying they were lost. As much as I wanted to help, I couldn’t help but take notice that they were cursed with the mark - these ponies had markings on their flanks, and as far as I’m aware, that meant that they could be harboring the disease, in its nascent stages. I had no choice but to take them out to a secluded part of the forest and dispose of them in the nearby river, along with the help of Gladstone and Roneo. They, Starlet, and Three Leaf understood when I called a town meeting about the issue, yet Ruby and Mitta looked at us with disgust after that.

I’m just trying to protect my friends and family.

~~~

I stopped, again noting they were getting closer every time I read a journal entry.

Diary of Grey Hoof, Entry 4

It’s been several decades since that freakish disease ravaged my home, and still, we find more ponies claiming to hail from it. That Celestia forsaken town was wiped out nearly twenty years ago, and obviously the disease still exists there, thriving on the environment as evidenced by our ‘tourists’. With the exception of Mitta and Ruby, we’ve all made the vow to eliminate any traces of the disease should they come our way, and have had several instances where we’ve had to put it in motion. I got in an argument with Mitta last week about the issue, her saying they just had ‘cutie marks’, and that I’d clearly forgotten what one was. I’m sorry, but it’s been so many years, Mitta. I’m afraid I have no recollection of what a cutie mark actually is, and I”m pretty sure they don’t exist naturally, outside of the disease. Gladstone can back me up on that. I”m sorry that it’s come down to killing anyone with the mark, but it’s clear. Like my mother said, right before she died:

Those ponies are cursed.

As we all approach middle age, I have no choice but to dedicate the rest of my life to making sure we survive as long as we can.

Maybe my mind has changed. Maybe they’re normal. Maybe being secluded from society for so long has driven me and the others mad, but keeping everyone safe is better than taking a chance. I’ve seen what cutie pox can do to a stallion.

~~~

This time, I looked back out to the window to notice all of them there, and again, staring through it, unloving. As they crowded around the porch, I took note of the creepiest set of smiles I’d ever laid eyes on.

“Aw, shit, we’re gonna die…”

Now I finally understood where we were.

Blank territory.

“Applebloom, I don’t say this as often as I should, but I love you.”

~~~

Diary of Grey Hoof, Entry 5

Oh what a glorious day this is! Roneo found the courage to propose to Starlet some weeks ago, and there’s rumor they have a foal on the way! I’m going to have to set up a party for them right away! Even Mitta, who’s been nothing but depressed these past few weeks, will surely put a smile on her face!

~~~

I had noticed the fire had started to die, dimming the lights in the boarded-up cabin we had taken shelter in. Taking another look to the window, and it looked as if the siege had stopped, nothing but pitch blackness staring back at us.

Diary of Grey Hoof, Entry 6

~~~

Roneo came to us, asking if we’d seen the wedding gift that he got for Starlet anywhere in town. We searched high and low, but can’t seem to find any trace of it. We’ll keep looking, so hopefully we find it before the party tomorrow.

~~~

The fire had completely died, a handful of stray embers struggling to stay alive in the cold, unforgiving structure. With no other light source to see the book, I unfortunately walked closer to the window at the front of the house. As I did, I was met with a bright, red light, and making the poor decision of looking over, took notice that they were back, this time, the deathly, corpse-like grins of glowing red taking place of the normal ponies. Reluctantly, I read the last journal entry, the most disturbing of all.

~~~

Diary of Grey Hoof, Entry 7

I had no choice. She had the mark. She had to go. She would have spoiled the party, otherwise, and threatened all our lives.

Ruby had found Roneo’s gift, a gem, earlier today. Unfortunately, the virus must have been dormant inside her for some time, as she returned to us with a mark on her flank - a magnifying glass. I didn’t want to upset anyone else in town over the fact that we had to kill one of our own, so I decided to make it simple and quiet. I took Ruby into my house, bashed her upside the head with the chair until she stopped breathing, and disposed of the body by burning it in the fireplace. May have been a bit extreme in hindsight, but killing a vector of the disease is a necessity to our survival. I’ll love that woman and miss her, but I had no choice.

I’ll never forget her last words as I kept striking her brains out onto the floor, cursing me and the town for having gone insane. Maybe I am insane, Ruby, but I’m not taking any chances.

Mitta found out eventually, locking herself in the town supply hut and crying the remainder of the night. She won’t stop blaming us for something I did because it needed to be. Even if it kills me, even if I burn in Tartarus for the dozens of murders I’ve committed since my teens...

I’ll make sure that Sunny Town is safe.

Forever.

~~~

I dropped the book to the ground, Applebloom and I walking closer to the fireplace. Sure enough, there was the charred, broken, and skeletal remains of a pony, lying about the ashes.

“Ah… poor Ruby. I’m sorry.” I couldn’t help but utter, gently touching the skull, then standing to collect my bearings. As I did, though, the cabin fell pitch black, and a viscous, heavy breathing began to fill the air. I drew the Master Sword, the blade cutting a swath of light through the darkness, and shaking furiously in my hand. The breathing noise got heavier and heavier, the lifeless, dead smiles staring at us through the windows. Putting two and two together, I knew they were after the little filly, Applebloom. I pushed her back behind me, standing strong and defiant against the odds.

Come and get me, you fucking monstrosities. You touch Applebloom, and you die.

The breathing became heavier, and heavier, caving in on us like a car’s overloaded bass, about to crush our lungs. When…

Suddenly, it stopped, and fell deathly quiet. The smiles outside the window had vanished into thin air.

“What, what? What’s going on?”

“HEY! GET OFF ME! LET ME GO!”

That… voice…. Holy God, DASH!

Immediately, I kicked the door down, Picking up Applebloom with my free hand and sprinting to the source of the cry. As we rushed out of the condemned home, I took note that… this place wasn’t what it looked like, when we got here. The buildings had collapsed and broken apart, age taking its toll on the small village. Now I finally understood what happened here.

This place, Sunny Town, and its inhabitants, had died decades ago. What once was, was just a shell of the past, forced to be relived, again, and again, and again…

Once a town of cutie pox survivors that went insane from extended isolation, the Everfree’s dark magic damned them to Hell for the despicable things this once peaceful town unleashed upon itself and its visitors, in the name of curbing the disease. The forest’s otherworldly forces dealt swift justice to Grey Hoof and his companions. And now...

Sunny Town was now a gateway to the ninth circle of Hell itself, luring so many innocent souls to a grisly fate.

And if we didn’t fight our way out, we were going to be lost to the darkness that was in here.

As I made my back to the center of town with Applebloom, I soon found my other companions had been surrounded by the crew of blanks, backed into the small alcove where I had found the gem.. While my friends weren’t outnumbered, only facing two of them, I couldn’t blame them for not attacking out of uncertainty regarding the situation. I, on the other hand, had kicked into fight mode instantly.

“HEY! OVER HERE! YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME!?”

Without thinking, the two blanks turned to face Applebloom and me, their dead, decaying ghosts shambling over to us. I was too weak to fight - one wrong move, and I could die, leaving everyone and everything with no hope of survival.

But I wasn’t going to just let my friends get taken by these things.

I brought the sword down on the nearest blank, slicing the beast in half, as it died with a guttural roar. With Applebloom in my human hand and the sword in my prosthetic, I weakly slammed through the second. As I brought my blade down into the ground to pierce it’s skull, three other blanks jumped from the bushes behind my crew, latching onto Fluttershy and Rarity, the third getting a crushing blow from Big Mac’s hoof, which sent it flying. Immediately afterwards, I charged towards the two latched onto Fluttershy and Rarity, who only happened to be showing meek resistance against them as they flailed about, screaming bloody murder. The others were trying to pull them off, barely succeeding. One was torn down to the ground by Dash, struggling to rip the demon off of her friend. I barreled past the others, and delivered a hard kick to the skull of the one grabbing Rarity, knocking it off of her and sending it to the ground with an audible thud. Slicing through the blank to ensure its death, I came to the one previously latched onto Fluttershy, and stabbed it through its throat, promptly letting the damned thing fall to the ground, twitching slightly every second or so. Dash collapsed the beat’s skull in with a quick and sharp hoof. As soon as the assailants were disposed of, I took up a defensive position in front of the group,

“EVERYONE BEHIND ME! NOW!”

Applebloom still sat in my human hand, huddling close to my side, shaking with pure, and unadulterated fear. The rest of the group didn’t seem to be faring much better, as half of them seemed to be shaking in fear themselves. Dash and Big Mac took positions beside me, looking just as ready to fight as I was. Even so, I could tell they were both looking nervous, unsure of how this was about to go down. I had to take control of the situation, and I had to do it now. I wasn’t sure if I could though, being just as scared as them, and half dead, to boot. Hell, as weak as I was, I could barely stand with the sword and shield weighing me down, still choking on leftover water.

But god damn it, I was gonna do something to make sure they were safe, even if it killed me.

As I barely stumbled, forward, I motioned for the others to follow me. We were all getting out of here alive, one way or another, and at least the assailants were all dead. The lifeless air of the town carried a depressing, soul-crushing weight with it, but we pushed onward. We managed to make our way to the supply warehouse, where I had found the crank, but…

“OH DEAR CELESTIA!”

One by one, black, lifeless appendages began to tunnel out of the ground, their owners hoisting themselves out of the dead soil. The freaks came in an almost hive-mind swarm, dozens upon dozens rising from the ground, appearing out of bushes, emerging from the broken houses… Just… hundreds. As more and more of them began to enclose themselves around us, one in particular rose from the ground, facing me, and spoke. I recognized the voice as belonging to that ‘Gladstone’ guy.

“Please, stay with us, children. We’ll protect you.” a vile, otherworldly voice spoke, roaring form the creature before us, its eyes rested on the four children behind me. I stuck my blade outward towards the thing’s throat.

“We are NOT staying here, and neither are the kids. Call off your little village, or we’ll do this the hard way.” I glared at him with the face of a determined man, my one eye expressing how tired I was more than ever.

I myself was too broken to fight any more, and with the obvious overwhelming numbers barreling down on us, this wouldn’t end well. The others might manage to take out a few, but it quickly became clear we were surrounded. Gladstone simply laughed.

“If you insist, human…” The blank simply said with a smirk, before sinking back into the ground.

“Kill the adults. Spare the children.”

Yep, he just picked the hard option. Likewise, that left me with only one decision.

“RUN!

The four kids we had immediately jumped to my back, gripping me by the shoulders for dear life as I brought the shield up, and began a charge through the wall of beasts. A seemingly endless wall of resistance met and clashed with the buckler, testing the very remains of my energy and stamina. The others began to follow behind me, blank after blank assaulting them from all sides. Alas I continued to push forward, cutting a swath for my comrades, as they held their attackers at bay. Bashing, smashing, and crashing my way through countless blanks, the fillies and dragon gripping onto my back weren’t faring much better. Without even seeing them, I could tell they were terrified, me being nothing more than a simple life line in a swarm of everlasting demons. The adults held their ground for as well as they could, but we couldn’t survive much more without making a clearing.

Determining that best path, however, was nearly impossible, though - it’s pitch black, I have one eye, I’m night blind, and--- “Augh!”

I don’t know what I tripped over, but I found myself getting flung to the ground, a group of high-pitched screams - children, invading my ears. Instantly, the blanks surrounding me began to jump towards me and the kids on my back, starting to dogpile the crew. Big Mac, hearing the terrified screams of his younger sister and her friends, immediately charged through the dogpile, sending countless blanks flying away from him.

“GET THE BUCK OFF OF HER! YOU WANT TO KILL KIDS, GO THROUGH ME, YOU FREAKS!”

I stood, an immense weight of bodies lifted off of my back. Big Mac had thrown most of the monsters away in his rage, leaving an opening for us all to recuperate and account for our bodies. More began to slowly close around us, as we backed ourselves towards one another, again, slowly being surrounded.

Elements, Mac, Derpy, Scoots, Spike, Applebloom… Good. We were all here-

“DINKY!? DINKY, WHERE DID YOU GO!?”

Oh… good god…

“M-MOMMY! HELP!”

My heart sank at what I’d laid my one eye upon. Some distance away, I could see Dinky, surrounded and being suffocated by another group of blanks, the only thing visible, her protruding hoof, waiting salvation.

She must have been sent flying when I tripped.

Dinky was sinking into the ground slowly, three other blanks fading down with her, grabbing her by her tail and hooves. She was flailing about madly, crying hysterically. Before I even took a step, Derpy sped towards her, the window of already closing in front of us as a wall of blanks formed before our very eyes. Fatherly instinct kicking in, I made a breakneck dash, alongside the grey mare, sprinting towards the filly. I cut the blanks surrounding the girl away, my robotic arm gripping hold of her hoof tightly. The others, backed away against some dead trees, continued to fight the onslaught.

"MR. BROWNFORD! HELP!”

“YOU’RE NOT FUCKING TAKING HER, YOU MONSTERS!”

I pulled with what strength I could muster, Derpy coming to my aid. Yet, not five seconds more, an overwhelming group of blanks jumped from a nearby window, knocking me to the ground, and the girl out of my hand. I landed on Derpy, sending her to the soil. A bash of the shield to the creatures atop me sent them reeling away, but…

Turning back to Dinky, I noticed nothing there, the anguished, tortured scream of a child, the only thing lingering in my brain.

I will never forget that sound, so long as I live.

Derpy immediately started digging the ground like mad, shrieking and screaming in denial.

At this point, I did the only thing I could do and grabbed Derpy by her tail, yanking me forward a few good feet. The mare screamed in abject horror.

“DINKY!”

Dinky was gone, and the group and I knew it. Derpy didn’t register it, though. How could a mother just accept something like that so quickly?

Perhaps worse still, was, a few moments more, a little filly - one characteristic of the hellspawn before us, began to rise out of the ground in her place. Derpy immediately ran for her. All I did was pull the mare back, coming to a knee and screaming in her face as she tried to tear away my grip.

“She’s dead! She’s fucking dead, alright!? Get yourself together, woman! Worry about the other children now!” What else was I supposed to say to a mother in shock? I didn't know.

“NO! I HAVE TO SAVE DINKY!”

“GET A GRIP, IDIOT, SHE IS FUCKING DEAD!” I screamed, bashing another blank upside the head with the Hylian shield, and pulling the pegasus with me. The others had taken care of the blanks surrounding them, and with the way somewhat clear, I began barking orders again, Derpy being drug behind me as she screamed into the night. I slung the shield over my back and picked the grey pegasus up in my robotic hand, screaming at the others.

“KEEP MOVING! ENTRANCE! NOW!”

We wasted no time, sprinting ahead of the dozens upon dozens of blanks chasing after us. I glanced behind me for a mere second to address my group,

“STAY CLOSE. IF YOU FALL, YOU’RE NOT GETTING BACK UP!"

As I faced forward again, immediately I was met with a heavy impact as two blanks latched onto my shield, their voices rather familiar - the couple, Roneo and Starlet. I shook wildly, attempting to knock them off, but continuing to run. If we stopped, the others would gain, so stopping to throw them off was a non-option.

“We only want to be your friends.” They rasped together in a grotesque sort of harmony. I glanced back again, only to see them actually talking to the children behind Big Mac.I took another glance back to notice Big Mac behind me, the children in a small group behind him, and the other adults in a group behind them, Derpy under my arm. Doing a double-take, I came to notice the two blanks clinging to my shield had their heads quite literally turned completely around from their bodies, staring down Mac and the children, in some demented Exorcist cut.

“Please don’t leave, the others won’t like it…”

I’d finally had enough of this shit.

Throwing all common sense to the wind, I stopped, ripping the shield off my back and throwing it to the ground, along with the blanks holding onto it. Derpy came flying out from under my arm, landing on the ground. The abrupt stop caught Mac and the rest of the group off guard, sending everyone into a pile as they ran into one another and fell. As we scrambled to get up, the swarm behind us was quickly gaining. I picked up my shield, and placed it upon my back again, only to notice more blanks spawn at the exit of the town, the lone fence.

Trapped.

Furiously looking for some way out, we were stopped short of a voice, which brought me to spin around, staring at the blank at the town exit.

“Fools. Even in death, they do not understand.” The voice of a mare bellowed from the creature, matching the one of the crying Mitta I’d heard not long ago.

“You. You and your friends need to live. Run for your life, and leave this place. We’ll do what we can, for now.” Mitta exclaimed, nodding to the others behind her, and moving out of the way.

“GO! RUN! MOVE, GOD DAMN IT, MOVE!”

Everyone but Derpy and me kicked back into action, bolting for the entrance. She was still beating relentlessly on the two blanks that had been thrown off of the shield when I’d tossed it down. Their corpses looked mangled, bits and pieces melting into the ground below. I wrapped my free arm around her waist again, pulling her away. She writhed in my arms, a fury in her eyes that I knew all too well.

“THEY KILLED HER! THEY KILLED MY DINKY!” She shouted in my arms in vain. I had no response, as there was nothing more to give to a mourning mother who’d just witnessed her daughter die in one of the worst ways possible. With that, I ran, soon catching up with the rest of the group.

As we continued to flee for our lives, noticing movement in the trees on either side of us, I briefly thought of the blanks who’d apparently helped us in escaping the town. To say that shocked me was an understatement, but I’d accept any sort of help that could be given in this sort of situation. Glancing around me, I noticed the figures were getting closer. A voice rang out among us again, much different than the others. A blood-red sky filled the air, more and more blanks began appearing out of every crater, shrub, and tree in the forest. Running further lead us into a dead-ended clearing, with one pony standing there, grey, with a golden mane.

“I’m sorry. I did not mean to drag you into this. I was just curious as to why you were here...” She looked morose, as if guilt had been racking her for years. On a normal day, I would be more sympathetic. After all of this, however, sorry had meant nothing to me.

“Sorry?! You were curious?! We lost a child out there, and you’re fucking sorry? And not only that, but you dragged us here? You sick fu---” A tug at my pants interrupted me, causing me to jump, and look down.

Little Applebloom, looking sternly at me, almost scolding me for my outburst.

“It’s alright.” The young farmer said to combat my ever-growing rage. “Ah don’t blame ya…”

“Well I do. Fuck this woman.” I unwillingly kept to myself.

The filly then looked to the mare’s flank, the crystal clear image of a magnifying glass seated there.

“Hey, yer cutie mark!” She pointed her hoof at it, grinning ear to ear. The mare turned to look at the cutie mark, smiling sadly at what her life could have been. She looked back at Applebloom, looking oddly resolute with herself.

“Yes, when I’d obtained it, I’d figured out that I was really good at finding things! Unfortunately… It was too late, and it took my life to understand what it had actually meant...” Even in her sad tones, she sported a smile on her face.

“How can you be smilin’ after what they’ve done to ya…?” The filly asked, both curious and confused.

“Because, I pity them, little one.” She circled the group slowly, glancing at the forest periodically, as if looking for something. Big Mac threw suspicious stares at her, obviously not trusting her at all. I kept my sword ready, keeping close to Applebloom. She turned back to Applebloom, “They knew exactly what they were doing, and they have paid the price for their actions.”

The filly still had a little flare of her own, “But how could you forgive them so easily for murdering you?!” The mare walked up to me while she looked at the filly, not showing any anger or hostility herself, replying in an almost motherly tone. “It does no good to dwell on the mistakes of others, young one. The ponies I once knew so well acted only out of fear, and felt no true remorse for what they have done.” She looked up to the group beside Applebloom, “The curse that has befallen them can only be broken through atonement…”

“Then why don’t ya just make ‘em feel sorry for what they’ve done?” She shot back, trying to reason out why the mare was so easily forgiving the monsters that had killed her.

“Forcing somepony to feel sorry for their mistakes does not work as well as you might think. Unless they can find a true reason to feel sorry, then there is no real restitution.” A moan pierced the forest air as the mare and the group turned back from where they’d come, seeing the horde of blanks having finally caught up. The lead blank carried a marred corpse of a barely breathing, but familiar creature that had helped them by buying time. Mitta let out short and quick breaths, pieces of her already fading into the ground.

“Shit… Get behind me everyone!” The group did as they were told as my sword dragged on the ground. Suddenly, the mare appeared in front of me.

“You all must trust me… I’m going to find a way out of this for all of you, I promise.”

And with a glowing orb forming a resting above our heads, a blinding flash was all we could see.

Chapter XXIV: Need For Speed: Equestrian Pursuit

September 23rd, 2012 12:00 A.M.

With a flash, we found ourselves at the edge of forest, away from the blanks. Some distance away, I could see Fluttershy’s cottage in the distance.

“Go! We’re almost there!”

We finally got out of Everfree with the skin still on our backs. Now I understand exactly why nobody goes in there; the ‘blanks’ will straight up murder anybody.

I caught my breath, nearly collapsing on the field as everyone behind me caught up. I had never run so fast in my life. As everyone came together, I took a look at the sky, the moon just a few miles above our heads, followed by another earthquake. We needed to get back to town. We had so little time left, but no time to rest. I turned around and examined my group, and to nobody's surprise, they were battered, beaten, scared and tired, and I’m sure I looked like hell myself. One look went back towards Ponyville, it still being in its run-down and damaged state. Still, it was home to them, and we still needed a place to recuperate.

“We’re almost there, everyone… Just a bit further. Ohh, Christ my leg is burning...” I tried to reassure them mostly, but some of it was for myself, too.

I felt so weak, but I trudged on towards the town, dragging my feet as the sword held me up like a walking stick. I must’ve looked like a zombie, I swear. A short walk in, and the earth shook again, nearly bringing me to my knees. I righted myself and continued, just coming up to the first buildings of Ponyville. It wasn’t a pretty sight, seeing all of the damage still unrepaired. As we moved slowly, we spotted some ponies milling about, looking downtrodden and hopeless from their situation. Several were just staring at the moon in anguish, all looking tear-ridden. Still, some seemed to notice us, and I began to hear gasps and mutterings of our names, their eyes widening at the sight of us. As we rounded the corner, we were stopped in our tracks as we laid our eyes upon a rather large group of creatures in the distance, slowly approaching us.

I drew my weapon, ready for a fight. If we had to kill…

So be it.

I approached the shadowy figures in the distance, only to be taken aback and immediately relieved at what I saw: Cup and the children. Granny Smith. Flam. The immigrants and prostitutes from Carousel Boutique. The children we had saved from the Rainbow Factory and their parents. The Belles. The animals we had freed from Fluttershy’s shed, and all the wrongfully accused Big Mac and I had saved from the dungeon. I couldn’t count exactly how many were there, but... It had to be at least a good two hundred.

“What the hell are you all doing here?” I asked, feeling both shocked and wary of them.

“We all have our reasons.” Flam spoke up amongst the crowd. “The first and foremost being? You saved a lot of the creatures here; be it from a life of servitude or death. The rest of us? We have a vendetta against the one you’re after. Cup lost her husband. I lost... my brother. Granny Smith had lost her grandson to a vile life. The Belle family lost their daughter. If it’s not a debt we owe you, human, it’s revenge on that demon.”

It took me a moment to process what had been said. They’re willing to look past my actions and help me fight BEN… It didn’t make any sense to me. I guess I had no reason to complain if they were going to help, because I’m going to need all of the help I can get to defeat that fucking demon of a bastard.

“Well, let’s not waste any more time. We only have a few hours before this moon falls. We may have the tools to stop him, but he’s to bring Equestria spiraling into war this very night; he has the support of the Changelings, and God knows what else. We need to rally the citizens together. Would you all be willing to stand by me and bring as many as you can to the cause?”

“Yes, sir!” I could hear most of them say aloud, ready to fight the demon that stood between us and ending this nightmare. Despite the comfort that brought me, something tugged at the back of my skull…

“Wait… how the hell did you guys GET here?”

“Took a train from Canterlot, why?” Bon Bon piped up.

“Was that a coal train? Electric? Gas?” I began to run the numbers through my head as I started to think of a way to get back with enough time to spare.

“Coal. We don’t have anything else at the moment, if there is better technology.” Flam put in, looking at me as if I should know this as fact.

“And you guys came from Canterlot. That thing is going to get, at max, fifty in speed. We’re going to need something that can break ninety, and perhaps, a lot of them.” What the hell could accomplish that in this world?

“What do you mean, ‘ninety’?” Cup Cake asked, cocking her head to the side quizzically.

“Miles per hour. It’s eight-ish right now, and if we want to get back to Canterlot at a reasonable time, about midnight, we’ll need a faster vehicle."

“Perhaps I could help with your dilemma?” A familiar voice echoed throughout the woodland border. Not five seconds later, a bright flash overwhelmed our vision, followed by the appearance of Discord. His arrival somewhat calmed my nerves, but it made everyone else panic and scream as they began to scatter.

I drew my pistol, wasting a round as I fired it off to the side.

“EVERYBODY, CALM THE FUCK DOWN! NOW!” I shouted, unable to deal with the sudden mass levels of panic and noise. I need order, right now.

Immediately, the army before me fell silent at my booming voice - the world understood my authority when it came to the dire situations we were put in - when the human speaks, you shut your mouth.

“Listen! I may not like Discord either, but he, like us, holds a grudge against BEN. I have been through Hell and back, and right now, we don’t have much choice other than to trust the powers of an otherworldly beast if we hope to pull some miracle transportation out of our asses.”

I looked over to Discord, uttering a quick ‘no offense’.

“None, taken. I assume you’re talking about those ‘car’ things you have back home?” the Draconequus asked me, looking square into my eye. I simply nodded.

“Yes sir. Do you have any?” A glimmer of hope sparkled in my only eye.

“Do I have any? Of course not. However, they’re more than easy to obtain when you’re the God of Chaos.” He flashed a grin and a wink. I rolled my one eye in annoyance. “Be back in a jiffy!”

In another flash of light, Discord disappeared. And about ten minutes more, came back with an even brighter flash, appearing with what we asked for. “Tadaaaah!” He shouted in triumph.

I saw rows upon rows of cars. Lots and lots of…

Wait…

“BEETLES!?” I shot, slamming my robotic fist in the side of the nearest one’s gas tank, denting the vehicle.

As the coupe’s alarm blared into the night, Discord flinched back at the outburst, unsure of what he did wrong. “Out of every single possible vehicle on planet Earth, you chose Volkswagen. Fucking. Beetles!? These things aren’t racers! What the hell is wrong with you!?” I was almost livid, how could we rely on these things for our fucking survival? For once, instead of having a rather playful innocent expression, he actually looked confused and slightly hurt.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know the difference between X and Y car! I’m not from you-”

“JADUSABLE!” A demonic voice ripped through the skies, nearly destroying our eardrums in the process.

Immediately, a black mist with red, glowing orbs quickly sped out of the forest. Discord turned to the voice a second too late, only to be struck through his own torso, splitting the God of Chaos in half. His face was one I would never forget in that very moment. The mist overwhelmed his body in seconds as the others screamed and began to scatter. The fucker was going to be on us in mere seconds.

“FUCK! GO! GET IN THE GODDAMN CARS! GO, GO, GO!”

I couldn’t spare any more time to mourn over the loss of another ally. He did his part, now it’s time for ours.

WIthout question, I grabbed the kids in my party and threw them into the nearest one, breaking open the window. I tore the door off the driver’s seat of it, the grown ponies in my personal team dogpiling into the back. I turned the key, already in the ignition, and popped the E-brake. slamming the automatic transmission into overdrive. BEN began zipping through the armada of cars, each one left behind him an explosive, charred pile. Needless to say, some didn’t make it.

Taking a second to glance in the sideview mirror, I saw something that just about blew my mind right then and there. Something stopped the mist dead in its tracks for a few seconds. As I stared, I saw the mist writhe and twist. Finally, I caught a glimpse of what was stopping him. It was Discord, or rather, his upper half’s claws dug in tight somehow to the mist. How he was holding onto pure mist was beyond me, but he was Discord. The crazy bastard still had some fight left in him it seemed, as a shit ton of pink clouds swarmed the mist, encasing it all in literal pink. I almost wanted to laugh at the amount of bullshit that Discord wanted to pull even in his dying breath. BEN’s screams of frustration was music to my ears by this point.

I felt soft hooves latch onto my shoulders. “PUNCH IT, NICK, PUNCH IT!” Pinkie screamed.

Her voice caused me to refocus on the road ahead.

“I’M ON IT, SISTER!”

I slammed my foot on the pedal, and we took off, causing Pinkie to let out a yelp as she fell back into her seat. Like it or not, Discord was likely done, and I wasn’t going to waste the few extra seconds that he was giving us by barely hanging in there. Soon enough, two voices erupted in the skies behind us, one of pure agony, and one of pure anger. Suddenly, the first voice was cut short.

“AND YOU CALLED YOURSELF A GOD! FUCKING WORTHLESS!” BEN’s voice boomed. I didn’t bother to look back as I sped away. I began to feel the air chill once again as the Skull Kid’s laugh filled the air again.

That laugh can burn in the hottest pits of Hell. I never want to hear it again if we get out of this.

“OH JADUSABLE!” A demented sing-song voice was heard from behind me. “YOU AND YOUR LITTLE PONIES WOULDN’T BE TRYING TO RUN NOW, WOULD YOU?”

My heart beat against my chest rapidly as my car fired out of the emptiness of the town, leaving most everyone behind. A few others had crammed into the cars in a panic, chasing off after me. Fortunately, it wasn’t that hard for the ponies to grasp a concept of a car. That, I was thankful for.

But out of the two hundred or so that Discord gave us, I could only see about forty or so chasing after me, their engines screaming into the night. And BEN? Well, he was still chasing them, this time, firing massive, dark orbs of energy towards the vehicles. I kept my eyes in the rearview, only to see two cars get completely obliterated, a deafening roar of screams (and burning flesh) overtaking the sound of the engine.

“NICK, LOOK OUT!”

As I turned my gaze back to the windshield, I saw we we were headed straight for a house in the middle of town. Immediately, I slammed the wheel to the right, fishtailing the vehicle and sending the others flying.

“PUT YOUR GODDAMN SEAT BELTS ON!” I bellowed, unwilling to watch another friend die to sheer foul luck.

A few more minutes of panicked driving, and it became clear that BEN was trying to target one specific car, as his form - the black mist, blew through the side of the house I narrowly avoided.

Mine.

I pushed harder on the gas, the car taking a jump over a sizable park hill, and landing on (and crushing) a bench.

“Nick, darling, he’s gaining!” Rarity shouted.

“I KNOW THAT, LET ME DRIVE!” I really did not want to listen to her voice right now.

Immediately, I looked back behind me to notice a ball of energy headed straight for the back of my car, and I swung to the left, headed for the Ponyville train station.

“Nick, what’s this!?” Pinkie asked, looking to the center of the car near the radio, and passing me something that was dangling from it by a loose wire.

Well I’ll be. A CB radio. Perhaps Discord thought of more than I first took him for. Rest your soul, brother.

With my spare hand, I flipped on the radio, hoping the others still following behind me had one as well. I took an immediate turn at the train station, this time, driving ON the tracks.

“This is Nick Brownford! Can anyone back there hear me!? Vinyl? Granny Smith? Someone!?”

I was surprised to hear a response some moments later, the name and voice of a pony I recognized.

“This is Octavia. Are you doing okay up there?” How in the hell was she so calm right now?!

“Lady, what’s it look like to you!? I asked, swerving to dodge another energy blast. “Can any of you guys do me a solid and get this guy off me!? Who’s your driver!?”

“Um… Bulk Biceps, why... “

“GIVE HIM THE RADIO! NOW!” I was not in the mood for civilized talk.

A much more gruff voice answered, “Biceps here, what do you need?”

“Get up next to me and have any unicorns in your car fire at him with magic! I don’t care if they think they’re capable or not, make sure they do!” Anything to slow that fucker down.

“YEEAAH! I’m on it!”

As the distant rumbling of an accelerating car brewed up behind us, I looked to Twilight. “You and Rarity unroll the back windows and lay down suppressing fire! Now!”

“We’re on it!” Through my rearview mirror, I saw the two unicorns lean out just enough for their head to poke out, and begin their volley of magic.

Remembering that there were several other cars who were more than likely just driving blindly behind us, I gave them a little guidance. “Calling all vehicles, we are driving down the railway system, and climbing the mountain to Canterlot! I repeat, we are driving down the railway system and climbing the mountain! Lose him in the train tunnels!”

A plethora of replies came over the airwaves as I sped down the bumbling tracks, BEN still chasing after us and firing at my car with no success.

“Spike, what’s the situation in Canterlot!?” Another set of screams were silenced by an explosion behind us. Damn it all. “Send a letter to the Princess, telling her we’re on our way and in combat!”

“There was a message for you we got some time after you disappeared! She said that the ponies that met up with us are the only support you’re going to get unless you reach Canterlot!”

“What about the rest of Equestria? Has it been evacuated!?” I asked, the car kicking into its highest gear again.

“Brownford!? Brownford, do you hear me? It’s Biceps!”

“Yes sir, loud and clear!”

“We’re coming up on your left! Fall back and pull over to his right side, so we can sandwich him in!” As good a plan as any.

“On it! Spike, what about Canterlot?”

“Everything from the Griffon Empire to Yakyakistan has been evacuated to the capital city.” Wait, the fuck?

“The fuck is Yakyakistan?!”

“I don’t have time to give you an elementary school history lesson, okay!? Just drive. I’ll write up a letter to Celestia on the way!”

I slipped the car into a lower gear, hitting the brakes and pulling up on BEN’s side. His glowing, deathly red eyes locked with mine as I took a look out the window.

“I’m going to kill you, boy! Just you wait! You’ve caused me too much trouble! I WAS tempted to leave you alive, but you simply are too much of a threat to let go of now!” The demon responded, looking somewhat past me, as if to stare at my sword.

“Shoot him, damn it! Shoot him, Rarity!”

Before the unicorns in my car could get off a shot, Ben immediately flew upwards, only to reappear to the right side of my car. Immediately, he flew towards me.

“SURPRIIISE!” Oh he-

BEN slammed into me with unrelenting force, causing the door to crumple and the locks to break. It made me lose control of the vehicle, and I ended up slamming into Bicep’s car. This wouldn’t have been so bad, if we weren’t en route for a tunnel. I ended up going through it, but Bicep’s car hit the side, full speed. They were obliterated on the spot.

I stared ahead for a few seconds, the explosion seared in my mind. “YOU CHEAP FUCK!” I pounded the dashboard, feeling enraged. More deaths that were on me. “Spike, get me a car count!”

Immediately the dragon grabbed the radio, screaming panicked messages. “Who all’s there!? Anypony else behind us!?”

“We’re here.” I could hear the voice of Vinyl Scratch come up over the radio. “I’m right behind you. My car has about ten ponies crammed into it, and a few animals! We’re on our way!”

I was about to question how they managed to pack a Beetle so tightly, then I remembered that everyone here was nearly three feet shorter than me.

“How many cars are with you!?”

“Bon-Bon! Take a vehicle check!” Her voice faded back slightly as if facing someone else.

Silence fell over the radios for a while, before Vinyl’s voice kicked back on.

“Got about thirty-two, rough guess, behind me. I’ll call them up and get a body count!”

As we sped deeper and deeper down into the depths of the approaching mountain, BEN disappeared for a moment, deciding not to chase us.

I took a deep breath and released, the adrenaline still kicking. We had a moment of reprieve, if nothing else. It had dawned on me earlier that the deeper we go into this proverbial fatal rabbit hole, the higher the risks become. My friends and the remaining ponies behind me are literally in the middle of it. I was scared, not just for my own life, but more for them. I’d just watched Biceps and his crew die in a split second, and all they were trying to do was to distract BEN for me. I then remembered who else was with Biceps. Octavia.

“Fuck!” I slammed the wheel with my fist, breathing heavily. It only hurt more as I heard Vinyl’s voice over the radio, talking to the others behind us. She didn’t see it. She didn’t know.

I glanced up at the rearview mirror to see the faces of ponies who are not only tired and beaten, but concerned. Twilight spoke up.

“Nick?” Her voice sounded strained, likely from the shouting.

I glared hard at the road ahead of me, trying my hardest to not lock eyes with any of the ponies I took the liberty to call ‘friend’ in here. I felt like utter shit. “If... we don’t make it out of this, I want you guys to know that I’m legitimately sorry for all the deaths I’ve caused. I know I’ve got a very nasty, violent side to me, and I’m sorry if that’s brought about unnecessary death. I understand that I can be a monster, but I truly didn’t want any of this when I came here.” I was shaking.

“Nick... “ Twilight began as she ducked back into the car, after making sure BEN was truly gone for the time being. She looked conflicted as she leaned forward and placed her hoof on my shoulder.

I removed the hoof softly, “No. Twilight, I mean this. I wish I could go back so none of this ever happened. I wish I could do things over again. I wish I could make a peaceful solution to this whole thing, but the farther we go into the madness, the more impossible that becomes.” My grip on the steering wheel tightened.

“I don’t blame you. None of us do. We know you aren’t the man that we thought you were. At least… now we do. After that moment you had, we understood that this is all you CAN do.” Hearing those words helped, if only a tiny bit.

“Yeah, dude. I know we haven’t seen eye-to-eye much at all during all of this, but even I can see that this shit is way outta anypony’s hooves right now.” Dash spoke up, offering her own two bits. The others, the foals, dragons and grown ponies, all nodded in unison. Have to admit, wasn’t expecting that.

I exhaled softly, closing my eyes for a second as I ran my human hand through my greasy, unkempt hair. “Maybe you don’t blame me…” I stopped, punching the gas again. My teeth clenched.

“...but I blame me, and I will until I die.” I felt more hooves on my shoulders as they all seemed to at least somewhat understand the weight I carried. I heard a few sniffles before my neck had been surrounded by small orange hooves. “I believe in you, Dad. We all do.” I wrapped my human hand around of one her hooves and squeezed gently. Even with all of the support, it only seemed to slightly dull the pain. Still, it was enough.

As we neared the end of the tunnel, the shadowy mass met us at the end, two massive hands forming on its sides. It extended them outward like it was about to clap, ready to crush our vehicle the moment we came through. As Pinkie sat back in her seat, I flipped on the radio quickly. “Shit! Everyone who’s still behind me, head’s up, he’s cutting us off!”

“NICK, DO SOMETHING!” Fluttershy cried, covering her eyes.

For a moment, I took a breath, remembering the most fun lesson my father taught me.

Combat driving.

“HEADS DOWN! NOW!”

We all ducked to the floor, the kids screaming in horror as the darkened masses closed in on the car, taking the roof clean off and turning the Volkswagen into an impromptu convertible.

“Holy shit! Did you see that!?” Dash shouted, practically in shock.

“Wanna play some Beetle Adventure Racing, Nick!?” the demon screamed at me, picking back up in its chase.

“Damn it, this thing isn’t going fast enough! It’s clocking out at a hundred-two!”

I looked to the front of the car, then the engine. The windshield was mostly intact, the side mirrors still in place, and unscathed. I had an idea.

“Twilight! Tear the hood off the engine! The metal plate at the front! Now!”

The unicorn summoned some magic, only to be stopped, as she screamed in a panic - and a blue Beetle got sent hurtling towards us. It missed us barely as it scraped by, taking our left mirror with them. Time seemed to slow down as I stared in shock at the ponies in the car thrashing about. In the blink of an eye, they were gone as the car was already lit in flames. I looked back to see the haunted creature holding a second car above it in a demonic, oversized hand. The ponies inside screamed, bailing out of the car.

“Buck this, man, this isn’t what I signed up for!” Spike cried, trying to shove his small frame into the center console.

Twilight summoned another spell, ripping the hood off the car after a few unsuccessful attempts. For a moment, she held it there, obscuring my vision for a moment, then threw it at BEN. Fat lotta good that did.

“Alright! Twilight. I know you can’t see it very well, but do you see the top of the ENGINE, nothing else?”

“Yeah, I can see it, why?” The mare asked, panicking as the second car went flying overtop of us. I swerved to dodge the debris in front of us, sending Fluttershy face first into the back of the driver’s seat.

“Do you see that box at the top, with screws in it? Rip it off. Inside there is the governor chip. It’s a green circuit board. Tear it out!”

Twilight groaned in frustration, “I can’t see it!”

“I’ve got this!” Dash reassured me, grabbing the unicorn and flying upwards, overtop of the orange beetle below her, and gently losing some altitude.

“Alright, guys! Rip it out, NOW! Once you’re done, go do the same for the cars behind us!”

Soon, the little computer chip that held me at a hundred-two found itself flying behind us, and instantly, my car smashing into high gear - topping at one-sixty.

“EAT MY DUST, BITCH!”

Chapter XXV: Equestria: Total War (Final BronyCon Release - Pre-Reg Day)

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Epilogue Part I: Nick, Take A Letter (Final Bronycon Release - Day 1)

It all became blatantly clear what BEN had done to Equestria - and how it all tied together, as I sat down at the table with some paper and a quill.

BEN had told Spike that Rarity never loved him. Being a baby dragon, he was easily manipulable, and resorted to eating his comfort food - gems, which also happened to be the basis of the entire Equestrian economy. After some time of gorging, and many of the mines becoming barren, an economic depression took the nation, largely affecting the less fortunate towns and middle-class cities, such as Ponyville, Appleoosa, and Baltimare, while large, prestigious cities such as Manehattan remained wealthy.

BEN had taken control of Celestia with possession, and drove her down a path of power hunger. She instituted martial law, greatly diminishing the citizens’ rights. Because of her sudden change, she also, once again, banished Luna to the moon, and refused to fund many social facilities, such as schools, hospitals, and the mail.

As such, Derpy, a suffering civil servant with a dire need for money, turned to slinging drugs through the postal system, turning many citizens into drug addicts. Some prime examples were Pinkie Pie, who, much earlier before the entire fiasco, was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the hospital. Derpy tried to gain more money by claiming cocaine to be some kind of ‘super sugar’, and after consumption, Pinkie’s illness worsened and turned her cannibalistic, and Big Macintosh, who, for whatever reason, became a customer of Derpy’s operations, and was turned into a viagra addict. The pills soon got the better of him, and strengthened his sexual cravings to an unhealthy level, driving him into a life of child molestation, even going so far as to attack his own baby sister and her friends.

Granny Smith discovered this wretched act, and resorted to heavy drinking. Likewise, after Applejack discovered what was occurring, Applebloom was forced to lie about her attackers, forming Applejack’s racial prejudice, which nearly cost us the information we needed from Zecora. In the end, Big Mac’s actions turned his entire family into the stereotype of a backwoods redneck community.

Flim and Flam saw Derpy’s work as a business opportunity, and created their own drink, which, in a partnership with Derpy, contained high doses of ecstasy and caffeine, which gave the consumers a massive addiction. This made it the major thing everyone was spending their money on, even above food, which starved them of their nourishment and remaining money. In direct correlation, Sugarcube Corner began to collapse economically due to a lack of food sales, and, to add insult to injury, BEN had convinced an already somewhat paranoid Carrot that his children were not his, and that Cup had cheated on him. This, coupled with tanking sales, caused him to turn to drinking, and eventually, physical abuse to his family.

Twilight, with some ‘persuasion’ from Discord, consumed one of the drinks, which had a concentrated version of BEN’s spirit inside. After she took her first sip, BEN possessed her to strike a deal between the brothers, where she would mix some knockout potions into select drinks, and for some money, she was allowed to take the bodies to a lab that she had built under her library. Here, she would perform cruel genetic experiments on them to build a mutant army that BEN planned to use to overthrow Equestria. After the destruction of the labs and the utter failure of said plan, BEN began to tackle things much more directly.

In order to rebuild his lost army, BEN approached Queen Chrysalis, and requested her support; a changeling army in exchange for a second-handed seat of power. He had also come to Luna, who, bitter over her second, unnecessary banishment, was convinced by him to take vengeance by literally smashing the moon into the earth.

The remaining three of the six were corrupted a bit more directly. Rarity, panicking over a tanking economy and a severe shortage of gems, was persuaded by BEN and Discord to change her business strategy; instead of making magnificent clothes of high caliber quality, she was convinced to turn to cheap, immigrant labor, which produced a large amount of clothing that could be sold at dirt-cheap prices. Still not satisfied with her new business model, Rarity soon turned to selling her workers, and began to run a prostitution ring through Equestria for extra profit.

Fluttershy, following the new martial law, became even more of a social shut-in due to her fear of the guards. Spending day after day cooped up in her house with the animals, she slowly began to lose her mind without contact from her friends. BEN finished the job by possessing her when she became weak enough, and led her down a path of creature killing.

Lastly, Rainbow Dash, being extremely competitive, began to build even more ridiculously high standards for other pegasus ponies. After some convincing from BEN and Gilda directly, she began looking down on many pegasi, considering them worthless, unable to achieve anything in their lives. Not too long after, she created and oversaw the operation of the infamous Rainbow Factory, dedicated to the elimination of those she deemed ‘unfit’. Her operation was more or less a Nazi setup.

To top it off, Lyra’s obsessions with humanity lead her (under the influence of BEN) down a path of black market arms dealing; she, with guidance from BEN, built many human weapons, and sold them to the rainbow factory.

And I? even I fell victim. In order to stop the awful things that had been happening, some ponies had been hurt by me. I’d shot some, killed some, emotionally crippled them, beat them up... I was my own demon, and never noticed it until BEN was destroyed. He had corrupted us all to some degree or another.
All of it… all of it brought about by that hellish child…

...and the darker minds of the Internet for his inspiration.

I set the quill down for a brief moment and leaned back in the chair.

“You know, girls, this has been one hell of a ride. We’ve lost some ponies, a lot of us have lost our sanity. and in the end, we all did SOMETHING horrible while BEN was here.”

I quickly picked up the quill.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Hello, this is Nick, the human that’s been here for a good six months. My deepest condolences for everything you have lost, be it citizens, soldiers, money, or entire cities, please know that I am willing to stay here and help your society rebuild. It was my fault for the release of this spirit into your world, and for that, I’m willing to pay any price, be from a fine, to jail time to a simple apology to execution. Whatever you see fit, I am perfectly fine with, because, frankly, I just want this to be over as much as you.

HOWEVER, this can NOT be ignored - it must become a recorded historical event. Why? In my world, there was a man that once said: If you do not learn from the past, you will be damned to repeat its mistakes.

With that out of the way, please let me say this: I know I am not perfect. In the time I have been here, I have, like many others, done my own horrible things, from murder to theft, to breaking and entering and even simple white lies. Thus, I am no saint, and neither is the rest of the human race, I can promise you that. I will even go so far to confirm that yes, the stories about humans that your people uses to keep misbehaving children under control are based off of actual, horrific events that have occurred in my world. But right now, I wish to speak on behalf of all my people, and say that we are not evil. We are merely misguided individuals that have more ‘grey’ senses of right and wrong.

For example, the foal’s tale, ‘the wrath of the sun’ is something the American’s did, because we found it the only way to end the war with the Japanese. The man who dropped the device said it would haunt him till the day he died, and then some. We KNOW it’s not right, but sometimes, violent solutions are unavoidable. We as a species understand this, and this is why I’ve sadly, been put into situations where I’ve had to kill. Though a lot of deaths I had caused, such as Carrot Cake’s were avoidable, I allowed BEN to use me as a vehicle of destruction, just like he has done to almost all of you, which leads me into the first thing I’ve learned...

Everyone, human or otherwise, is prone to corruption.

Whenever a dire situation arises, such as a broken economy, people are often forced into situations, as well as doing things they’d rather not do, or usually NEVER do. For example, one night, I was staying at Carousel Boutique, and we had a break in. I killed the four stallions that had threatened our lives, though, before that, I had heard them talking to each other, saying things like ‘if the economy wasn’t so bad, I wouldn’t have to do this’. Corruption spreads quickly, through EVERYONE, even up to political leaders, who turn to abusing their powers by tormenting their people. Some are affected indirectly, but harmed all the same; Pinkie Pie, an already mentally unstable individual, started using drugs, which made her do pretty wicked things. Where did she get them? Derpy, who was simply desperate for money. Hence, the corruption of one can quickly spread to another, and create even more instability. Some people may change personalities and living habits completely during such times, even though you may have known them for years. Others may try to take advantage of certain situations, just as Flim and Flam did during the mess, which leads me into the second thing I learned,

Coping with bad situations is different for everyone.

Some, like Carrot, Granny Smith, or the general population, turn to alcohol and drugs to help them ‘forget’ the bigger picture at large. Some, such as Applejack, blame it on others. Others give up completely and fall into depression. Some even go so far as to end their lives, and others, well...

I stopped to think of Sweetie Belle.

Others block it out, and slowly go insane.

There’s also one other thing I learned...

Sometimes, violence is unavoidable. It never is a good solution, but it is one that must, sadly, be employed sometimes.

One last thing? Everyone has a darker side that they keep in their shadows, one that does the unspeakable and horrific. Everybody has a demon in them somewhere...

So, how exactly do you fix all this? This is where friendship comes into play.

When I first arrived here, I had no friends in this world. The first thing I found was a stallion abusing children. While I fought him, I dedicated the rest of my time here to ensuring those children were safe. While I did indeed fail one, I held onto the promise that the other two would never face any harm. I held onto faith that all the corrupted individuals I met would turn and see what they had done, which, fortunately, they did; Pinkie Pie and Twilight came to their senses after the drugs wore off. Applejack discarded her prejudice after some convincing. Rarity let go of her slave labor operation with proof of what really happened to her sister.

At the end of the day, your friends just care about your well being. For example, I was bitter and angry about Twilight’s actions, and blamed her for the death of sweetie Belle, However, Applejack and Pinkie Pie? They talked to her in the hospital like nothing happened; they were just happy to see she was safe and sound, and that’s all they needed to forgive her. It goes to show how powerful a force friendship truly can be, and it certainly helped us last night: I’m extremely grateful, looking back, that I was able to convince the citizens to cast aside all the small evils in order to stand together and fight the source. That, right there, is the TRUE power of friendship; it brings unity and strength to a divided world. and Friendship has one other interesting quality...

It’s a universal medicine for the tortured mind.

I would also like to tell you one thing that your people might not know about mine… As you know, I come from an evil, twisted world with a few elements of happiness and goodwill sprinkled between. With that said, I grew up seeeing and learning about evil from a very comfortable, safe perspective. I’m not trying to justify the actions that I did, and I’m probably going to burn for all eternity for what I’ve done.

My father, while a good man, was a very aggressive-response kind of person. - he though the only way to stop things ISIS was by enacting the same force - the same methods, upon them. For the longest time, I thought he was just as crazy as them - and he was; openly admitting that he was no better. I never agreed with him, but my time here has taught me that, perhaps, he was right.

Getting pulled into an evil world ravaged by horrors, however, forced me to fight back in ways I never wanted to - but without certain deaths - without fighting to survive Sugarcube Corner, the zombies, saving innocents from the Rainbow Factory…

We would have failed were it not for my violence.

Just know one little fact, that you learn when you are thrust from the comfort of a safe world to the Apocalypse: To truly defeat evil…

You must become evil.

...but by that same token… you must find the line between your demon and and your goodness, lest you let the worst part of your mind consume you entirely.

I regret everything, but it was necessary.

Your otherworldly guest,

-Nicholas Mathew ‘Jadusable’ Brownford

YO, SPIKE! Get down here! Got a letter for you!”

“We just went through a war! Can’t I sleep!?” I could hear the dragon call from the upper floor of the boutique.

“You’re younger than me, and I haven’t had four days of it. I don’t want to hear your excuses!”

As Spike made his way down to the ground floor, I, and the ponies around me, for the first time in weeks, managed to laugh. Then, I looked at the words on the page… noting… how often I mentioned her…

Applejack.

“A...applejack…”

That moment, as the crushing reality hit me again, my many friends gently placed their hooves around me. I simply cried, as a few drops landed beside the farmer's name.

“I… I still can’t believe she’s dead…”

“Nick, it wasn’t your fault…” Scootaloo said, looking up at me with a concerned, puppy-like face.

“Maybe… but I wasn’t able to save her from becoming a… statue.”

I let the tears rush out, ignoring a knock on the door of the boutique. I sat there, my face buried in my arms as Fluttershy flew over to answer it. A moment later, a warm hug embraced my stomach as hooves wrapped around me. I could smell a sweet scent in the air - brown sugar, cinnamon, apples… It reminded me of her. I felt a muzzle gently reach toward my ear and I-

“Ah’m glad you’re alive, sugarcube.”

Without thinking, I immediately spun around in childish glee.

“H-h-h-ho-how!? How the hell!? OH MY GOD! APPLEJACK!”

I couldn’t help myself, bringing my lips to her own.

“Ah dunno. After ya beat him… I guess… that statue thing, was a curse, and it wore off…”

“I thought you were de-”

“Naw… don’t talk, Nick… just hold me.”

And that I did. Finally… my mind was at peace.

Epilogue Part II: R&R (Final BronyCon Release - Day 2

---Six months later---

I stood there, on stage, a microphone in hand. Equestria had been hard at work in its rebuilding process, and for most part, things had been going well - minds, hearts, and souls had healed, and the scars, though they would always be there, had slowly faded away from visibility.

Celestia had put the nation on hold for this week in particular, calling for an ‘emergency’ national meeting. Where we stood had been perhaps the largest atrium I had ever taken view of, its wall stretching for almost miles on end, covering a sizable portion of the citiy of Manehattan. This place looked like could hold millions at a time, and that’s of course what it was doing - I had no doubt in my mind that virtually all the nation’s citizens were attending this event, and all of the eyes gazing upon me proved it.

I cleared my throat, remembering that little graduation speech.

Keep it short and sweet.

“We have dived into the mouth of Hell! We went into the Apocalypse kicking, screaming, and fighting! We triumped over our advesaries as one, and came together as brothers and sisters in our darkest hour of need! As allies, as friends and family, Equestria has driven back its demons, and stood firm in the face of death!

I then walked backstage, still talking into the speaker system. There, I met with a familar white unicorn, who quickly set on her pair of neon glasses. I tossed my phone over to her, and she nodded, plugging the device in with a cable.

"Some may say that despite our grand accomplishments, today is a time of mourning! I defiantly disagree, for this acheivement, this desire to stand up to the most threatening forces in existence, and scream to them: ‘You shall not take me’, is a crowning time to celebrate! We have rebuilt, and reclaimed our lives and land!"

Music slowly emerged from the walls as I continued speaking.

“We have done the impossible, people. We have pushed, and pushed, and all came out on top! As we suffered and warred our way to freedom, to the end of BEN, we stand here today as a message - that should anyone or anything stand in our way and threaten our lives, we, as a united people will stand and take every ounce of energy to push it back!"

The crowd began cheering

"I know we are tired! I know we are exhausted! But in the end, this is our victory! And I’ll be damned if we can’t celebrate this fine accomplishment!”

Then, the drop kicked onto to speakers, and I lifted the curtain, revealing not only the famed DJ, but endless tables full of food, and drink. That surplus of farming the last few months wasn’t for nothing.

“LET’S PARTY!”

I threw the mic into the air, walking offstage as the nation exploded in excitement around me, and immediately grabbed a tankard of mead from the table, along with my long-standing family.

“I love all you crazy bastards. Juggalos for life, all of you.”

I walked about, drinking and laughing, watching as the world danced the night away without a care. It ate, it drank, it smiled and laughed, and you know what?

That’s what life should be - a fun experience alongside the people you love.

....Or… not.

As I passed a glass door that lead out onto a stone deck overlooking the city, II took notice of a small group of people huddled in its corner, crying. I stopped for a moment, opening the door to be welcomed by the chilly March air, and immediately recognized the crew of distraught peoples.

Bon Bon.

Shining Armor.

Flim.

Cup Cake.

The Belle family.

I stepped forward, the six not yet noting my presence. I set my beer down on the balcony railing, placing a gentle hand to the blue baker’s shoulder.

“C-cup cake? Guys?”

“Oh- uh… hi… Nick…” Bon Bon added, the others barely turning their heads to acknowledge me.

“Guys… why so… gloomy? We fucking won! We did this shit! We beat this fool! It’s a time to be happy, people!” I cajoled, smiling and lifting the beer up again. “Drinks on me, alright? Huh? Huh? come on, let’s go get some munchies, split a bong!” I couldn’t help but reply in an upbeat, almost Pinkie Pie like tone.

“We… We’d love to say we’re happy, Nick, but…”

“...How can we be if the ones we held dear weren’t able to be saved?” Armor and Flim said, back-to-back.

“When you know the one you care about is dead, what matter of difference does getting revenge make for you?” Cup asked me, swallowing the mucous building in her throat.

“Absolutely bucking nothing.” Magnum said, letting his hat drop stories to the ground below as he planted his face into the railing.

“Exactly. They’re not coming back, and do I feel better with that monster dead? Barely!” His wife replied, suppressing a scream into her shoulder, and breaking down in tears.

“Guys… I…”

I stood there for a moment, taking another sip of my drink. As I took the glass from my eye, I was greeted with a flare of light above. I took a look upwards, only to see a set of colorful orbs of energy gently fly overhead and past the stadium.

Five to be exact.

Green and white,
white and purple,
yellow and orange,
pink and purple,
and yellow and red.

“Just because they’re dead, does not mean they aren’t looking out for you. It doesn’t mean they’re gone.” I finished, pointing upward, and giving everyone a gentle nudge.

I…” Flim began, his mouth open in shock as he took his gaze upward towards the spectacle.

I looked back to the sky, noting two more orbs of light, pale blue, float by.

And followed by another, brown and white.

Thank you mom. Thank you dad. And thank you, Discord.

“Everything’s going to be fine. Let’s go get some food, on me, okay?”

Epilogue Part III: Her Whole Heart ( Final Bronycon Release - Day 3)

Seven years.

Seven long years, I've lived here. It is now approximately early 2019, and I'm pushing 30.

I’ve done what I can here, mostly managing construction projects and of course attending a LOT of funerals… The world has rebuilt itself nicely despite that, but it’s far from perfect. Personally, I’d say the world is finally getting back to its former shape.

Regardless, There’s one thing that will forever bother me...

Life will NEVER be the same here again; we’d lost so many community figureheads, and... well, this entire thing simply wouldn’t go forgotten. I do what I can for the people here. For example, I frequently help Cup with running Sugarcube corner and taking care of the children whenever possible. They’ve grown nicely, but... their lives will never be what it was meant to.

Even in Equestria it seems that perfectly happy endings aren’t always possible... I guess that’s a harsh reality of life, no matter what ‘dimension’ you’re from.

I’ll have PTSD for the rest of my life thanks to this...

“NICK!” I could hear a garbled, crying voice of a filly scream from downstairs, with the slam of a door.

Speaking of unhappy endings...

As I got out of my chair and flung open the door in concern, I was met face to face with a red-eyed, bawling Applebloom. I immediately crouched down and hugged the young girl.

“Aw… honey, what’s wrong? What’s going on!? You should be at recess right now! It’s not even noon!” I asked, drying the filly’s tears with a small handful of tissues on the nightstand next to me.

“D-diamond and… S-s-sil-silver! They was makin’ fun of me about me not havin’ a cutie mark, still, like Scootaloo!”

“Honey, remember, you’re better than they are. You have to be strong and-"

“And they was sayin’ how Sweetie Belle was better off bein’ dead stead of livin with a blank-flank frie-”

Before the filly finished her sentence, I was already out of the house.

I immediately proceeded to the school. I stopped by the marketplace on the way to pick up some lunch, and decided to hang around the shops while I waited for class to get out later that afternoon. With some hours having passed, I carefully ducked behind some bushes, and watched several children happily pile out of the schoolhouse. Fron the back came the two... Diamond and Silver. I ducked down under the bushes. The two girls broke off from the main crowd. They lived not too far from eachother, and spent a grand majority of their time together, so it was likely they’d be walking home together for some time. They went the same route they always did, down the centeral square of town, and then down Hoofington Avenue. Unfortuantely for them...

The town was running construction, for obvious reasons.

The two girls hit a side street, walking between two houses and down a ways. I jumped out of the bushes and took a seperate alley, taking cover behind some trash cans. As I waited for them to pass and go to another street, I clambered my way up to the roof of the building next to me, and jumped across to another upon reaching the top. Looking down, I could see the two fillies walking down another back road, just below me. I jumped down, landing on my feet from the short four meter drop.

*Thud*

“Hello, Diamond, Silver. What are you two up to today?”

Both of the girls turned to face me, jumping back when they took notice of me.

“Oh, uh, Nick! Hi! We were just walking home and talking. How have you been?” Diamond nervously asked, swallowing what, I was guessing, her pride.

“I’m good. You two staying out of trouble?” I politely and calmly asked, weakly smiling at them.

“Um, yeah!" Silver Spoon replied, taking a few steps back.

“Really now? That’s good... How are Applebloom and Scootaloo doing in school?” I continued, making fake small talk.

“Uh, they’re doing great! All A’s and B’s!”

“Heh... I know that; I see it on their report cards. How are they doing... Socially?”

“Great! They’re doing just fine!”

“Is that so? I hear there’s a a bit of bullying going on down at the schoolhouse...”

“Bullying? Never!” Diamond Tiara butted in, stuttering somewhat in her speech.

“Come on now, don’t lie to me...”

“Why... Why would we ever lie to you? You saved us all from BEN!”

I took a few steps foward before visciously gripping both of the fillies by their necks and hoisting them up in the air.

“You know, you two, I can NEVER understand for the life of me. You have everything you could possibly want, you’re heirs to some of the wealthiest fortunes in Equestria... And yet, you feel the need to assert your ‘superiority’ on other kids that just try to live a peaceful life. You want something, your parents get it for you. You want to go get a facial and hooficure at the spa, you have the money to do that... You two have the most comfortable lives I’ve ever seen. Yet...”

I pinned them against one of the walls that formed the alley.

“...you have to be absoloute cunts to Applebloom and Scootaloo, day in and day out. You know, I can’t understand it. After all the violence, death, and wickedrey that’s happened here, you STILL can’t be nice! Those two lost the life of one of their very good friends, and you still have the nerve to be cruel to them!”

“P-please, let us go!”

“I can’t fathom the fact that you would go out of your way just to make the lives of others miserable. Did you learn NOTHING from this war? You have no respect for life, Or, for that matter, the dead, if you’re making fun of those two girls after Sweetie Belle died! I’ve been through hell and back since I came here, and I’ve done things I REALLY regret. But I’ll tell you this...”

I tightened my grip on the two ponies gently, yet with a noticable change in force.

“If you EVER harass those girls, or anyone else for that matter, again...”

I gently drug the duo down the wall, forcing their heads to look up at me.

“...I’ll know. And next time, It’s NOT going to be peaceful. And by all means, go, run home and tell daddy that scary mister Brownford threatened you about this; I’m sure your parents will be absoloutely fucking thrilled to hear that their daughters are nothing more than ungreatful, brutish snobs that can’t get the fact that everyone eventually gets a cutie mark through their thick, bit-clouded skulls!”

I dropped both the girls to the ground.

“Now get out of here before I do something else I’m gonna regret and have haunt me for life.”

“Y..yes sir...” Both girls said, struggling to stand.

“And one last thing...”

“Y-yes?” they asked in unison, fear spread across their faces.

“I did not save anybody from BEN, I, like YOU, merely survived. And before you go about harassing more children, remember that you too, are lucky to be alive.”

With that, both of the girls darted away in a puff of smoke in classic cartoon fashion.

I simply walked away, back to the house, with the sun setting behind me. For once, I used my anger as a weapon for good.

And that felt awesome.

A few hours later, I found myself propped up against a tree, with the two fillies, Scoots and Applebloom, sitting around me in a circle. I had the ocarina in my hands, Applejack sitting beside me with a guitar. Together, we played a soothing melody as the sun set in the distance, the girl listening intently as they lay on their stomachs, nodding their heads side to side with the tempo. This kept on for some time, until the sun began to disappear - the girls had school tomorrow.

“We should all call it a night, girls. You can play in the clubhouse a while longer, but don’t stay up past nine, alright? You all have school.” I told my 'kids", painfully standing up, the warm April air whipping my hair around, as I offered my robtic to Applejack.

“Alright, dad.

With that, I took Applejack’s hoof in my hand, walking with her to the house. We went our own separate ways for a wee bit, I ran upstairs while she went downstairs to finish the rest of the dishes from dinner. Granny was asleep in her rocker, and Mac was already asleep, exhausted from the day’s work.

I thought back on all the issues here, and slowly came to realize one thing - if I hadn’t touched that goddamn cartridge in the first place… so many lives would have been saved. I opened a window to help me get through that realization, the cool air resting my heart rate. Still, understanding that all of this - all of it, was my fault, made me realize that I’m the freak here.

I’m the monster.

“Why… why did I go to that garage sale!?”

“Sugarcube, honey, you okay?” I could hear Applejack ask, her forehoof gently opening the door, adn the sound of her legs gently dancing alon the floor.

“No… no, Applejack. I’m not okay. I… I’ve been thinking, and I’ve come to notice that everything that’s happened here is my fault.” I managed to speak amid a sob, slamming my face down on the desk where I sat.

“Nick… it’s not. BEN done gone and did everything... “ The farm said, approaching me and gently stroking my back.

“No. If I hadn’t had gone to that fucking garage sale… if I hadn’t have picked up that game…”

I swiped everything off of the desk in rage, the glass of water next to me shattering with a loud crash.

“IF I HADN’T PLAYED THAT FUCKING GAME, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!”

I couldn’t help but cry, forever blaming myself for every last atrocity. Soon, I found myself gently lifted out of the chair, with Applejack standing on her hind legs and supporting my side, walking me towards the bed.

“Sugarcube, please, get some sleep… All this yammerin and blamin’ yerself for stuff ya didn’t do ain’t healthy. Please, babe, relax…”

I.. but I did. Sweetie Belle is dead because I let that hellspawn out of that cartridge… I’m a fucking demon… I killed people that didn’t need to die… I’m not just gonna ‘get over it’ just like that, AJ.”

“Ah don’t expect you to - healin’ big ol’ wounds like that’s gonna take some time and effort.”

“Two years ago, I wouldn’t fathom the thought of killing another living thing. Maybe an animal for food, but… people… I didn’t want this. I just wanted to have a simple life as a game programmer…”

“But you make games for this world sug-”

“No, Applejack… I wanted that back home. I just… I want to go back to a time where nobody got hurt… Not you, not Carrot, not the thousands around Equestria., not Luna, Lyra, or Twilight. I… I didn’t want this to happen.”

“You couldn’t help…”

“BUT I LET IT! I LET THAT VILE SHITHEAD OUT OF THAT GAME!”

I couldn’t help but cry into the pillow on the bed, burying my face into the mattress and screamed.

“Sugarcube… don’t cry… it’s not your fault.

I couldn’t say anything, slamming my fist into the wall, and leaving a sizable hole in the side of the house.

“Nick, baby? Please don’t cry…”

I reached into the nightstand, pulling out my pistol. Applejack tore it away, throwing the gun out the open window nearby.

“No… Nick, please… you mean so much to mah family… you can start fresh…”

“St….start fresh?” I asked, digging my face out of the bed.

“Yes, honey. You can start over - a new life, here on the farm - in Equestria.

I sniffed, smiling a bit.

“But first…”

I found my overshirt violently ripped with a loud tear.

“...You fulfilled your promise to Sweetie Belle…”

Before I could say anything more, Applejack turned me to my back, gently hovering over my stomach. With a warm, starry-eyed smile, the orange farmer gently brought her lips down to my face, and a mere moment later, I let all of the sorrow wash away in bliss. We held there for a few moments more and I wrapped my arms around her back, her left forehoof slowly venturing below my chest, with a gentle tug on my jeans, the sharp sound of a zipper ringing in my ears.

As I kissed her again, a gentle breeze flew in through the open window, slowly closing the door.

“Now… ah believe ya have to fulfil a promise ya made to me…”

Maybe this is where I do belong. With a wonderful woman sharing her whole darn heart with me.

“Welcome to th’ Apple family, Nick…”

Epilogue Part IV: One Last Chance (Final Bronycon Release - Day 4)

I woke up to the soft glimmer of light licking at my eyes through the cracks of the window blinds. Feeling weak, yet, surprisingly refreshed, I sat up quickly and took in my surroundings. My clothes lay in a pile at the side of the bed, its sheets drenched in sweat, and to my side, a content, cozy, and peacefully smiling Applejack, who carefully wrapped her hooves around my right arm as her grin widened. I smiled as well, but freakish terrors and memories assaulted me, and I gripped my head in pain, holding back a scream.

I will never be the same man again.

I slowly rolled my way out of bed, and took hold of my phone to gaze upon the clock – 6:33 AM, August 4th, 2019.

As I sat up, I thought about the time I’d spent here, and how it had rubbed off on me – I liked it here. Virtually no crime, almost everyone is happy, I’ve started living out my dreams by making games for the population here, with my own company in Manehattan…

I looked to the sleeping orange mare in the bed next to me as I dressed, and smiled. My mind may be ruined and tortured…

…but I have a beautiful wife…

I held back a giggle and gently planted a kiss on the farm gal, only to watch her curl up in a smile again, and doze away happily. I stepped out into the hallway and made my way to the guest room, which we had, for about a year, had repurposed into Scootaloo’s own room, and I gently creaked open the door.

…and a loving daughter.

I slowly stepped in to give the orange Pegasus a ruffle on the mane, and look out the nearby window at the rolling expanse of hills and the crowning jewel of town hall, a beacon, some miles in the distance.

I have a safe home…

Fluttershy and Dash suddenly flew past my window, both carrying a cloud together.

…and wonderful, caring friends.

I may be ruined and tortured on the inside – I may be mentally scarred for life, but despite that…

I’m happy.

But the real question is, is the rest of Equestria?

Sure it’s been seven years, but that doesn’t change the fact yhat this world is not what it should be. I truly wonder – is there a way to really set things right with the world?

Can I have one last chance? One last time to truly apologize to everyone I wronged? To say goodbye to the dead?

To… maybe, start fresh and stop this before it even begins?

I stepped out of and gently closed the door to Scootaloo’s room, making my way down the hall as more demented memories rushed over my brain in droves like a blanket of total darkness and evil. I made my way to what was now the spare guest room, with the old furniture I had been accompanied with my first day here placed idly about. I sat down on the chair behind the desk, opened a nearby drawer, and produced two objects – a big ass bottle of whiskey and the one ocarina.

I stared at the woodwind on the table for some time, letting the comforting burn of the alcohol run through my throat. After nearly gagging to death on the fermented gases and firey taste, I set the bottle down, staring blankly at the old disc jewel case and degree that sat gently beside a boombox radio atop the table. My hands gently danced along the CD case, examining its cracked frame, torn makeshift cover art, and scratched medium.

“Please work…"

I placed the CD into the player and immediately turned it to the last and final track on the list- an ABK song. Maybe not the ICP I knew, but still part of the same record label, regardless. The CD sputtered a bit, but managed to open the final song. I turned it down softly to avoid waking anyone, then immediately reset the song and paused the player, turning it back up some, taking another drink from the bottle of heavy booze. As I did, and set the drink down, I took notice of the glowing golden mark of the Triforce on my right hand.

I may be happy…

But I don’t want to be a hero. I don’t want to see people suffer. I have been wanting to go home for years…. And I can’t help but feel I need to make things right.

I stared at the glowing mark on my hand, then to the ocarina on the table. I set the alcohol down then took hold of the blue instrument, examining it. As I ran my eyes along the magical device, the marking on my right hand glowered with an ever intensifying light.

It’s time to make the ultimate sacrifice. Trade my happiness for the betterment of others.

I then opened the lower drawer, drawing out a few pieces of loose parchment, some ink, a quill pen, and string. I closed the door, tying one end of the string to the knob, and the other side to the radio’s ‘Play button. I then sat down and began to write.

As I finished, I stared at the ocarina a few moments more, then sighed, looking out the window at the rising sun, putting the mouthpiece of the instrument to my lips.

"Goodbye, Equestria."

Applejack awoke a soft, melodic tone dancing along her ears, and as the pony sat up, she rolled over to greet her lover.

“Good mornin’ swee- Nick!?”

The farmer shot up in a panic, tearing her covers off of her and running down the hallway to the source of the still echoing tune thumping in her ears – which lead to the end of the hallway, to the guest room. But swinging it open, she was met with an entirely new song, and all the farmer could see was a lone bottle of half-consumed alcohol, a baby blue woodwind instrument, and one piece of paper, with messy words scrawled across it. Slowly, the orange Applejack made her way to the desk, picking up the parchment and running her eyes across it.

To my beautiful Applejack,

This is Nick, but I’m sure you already know that. Words can not describe how thankful I am for all you’ve done for me. Working on your farm and the diet you have put me on has made me so much healthier. You have personally saved my life on two separate occasions, and thus, I owe you dearly. I owe your entire family for taking me in that day, all those years ago. I know it’s been seven years, Equestria is now returning to a state of normalcy, but I can see in your heart, you’re still hurting and wounded. Sweetie Belle’s murder and the loss of the millions around the world are killing you, I know that. Now, I know that we are close, and I want you to know that you make me happier than I ever can be. I know having me hold you and kiss your gentle lips make you grin, and brings light into your day. To see me taking care of Scootaloo like my own daughter and helping Mac around the farm as best I can, I know, all helps you, and pulls you back together, but I have an honest question for you.
Are you truly happy with me as a husband, and knowing your world has fallen apart at its seams, the battle scars still fresh in the public mind? Are you happy with this new life?

Don’t answer that. I know you’re happy with me. I know you would give anything to keep our love together; you deserve it after all we’ve been through, and I’d happily give what I can to you, if I were still here. Yes, Applejack, I have left this world, and in a few moments more, Equestria will fade away, long forgotten by the sands of time. Do not be scared, baby. The decision I made is for the best.

I’m giving you your old life back.

You see, the ocarina used during my hour of need against BEN? It has magical powers. I know my leaving you is going to break your heart, but know that I’ll always be thinking of you, and our wonderful night together. You are the love of my life. I’ve considered staying in Equestria for some time now; I have a degree with expertise in making video games. I considered starting a career here, making consoles and games for the masses of your world, bringing them quality entertainment. I considered buckling down, relaxing, and starting a new life, with a wife, a daughter, and land of my own, selling the source of life – food, to those in need. It makes me smile thinking about it.

In the end, I decided, though, I would sacrifice my happiness for your own. In a few months, Equestria, you, and your family shall be born anew, while I’ll be forced to start over from scratch, losing my education and happiness with you. That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make just so you can be happy. No, don’t start crying, Applejack. I want you to wipe those tears away. I only have a few seconds to tell you everything I need to.

I have gone back in time. I am serious.
The Ocarina of Time, that beautiful azure woodwind that I’ve been carrying with me for seven years, has the power to let its owner time travel. By doing this, I hope to avert all the pain your world and I have gone through. However, by the same coin, everything will go back to the way it was. EVERYTHING. This is what I meant by sacrifice. I’ll go back to a time with BEN, and try to set things right. You’ll get your family back, and I’ll get mine. Nothing evil will have happened here, and everyone that has died will never have died. That’s the good part.

The bad part is the sacrifice: By going back in time, you will have never met me. We would not be where we are today. Scootaloo will still wander, without her family by her side. I would lose my education, and my degree, forcing me to go through school again for another six years, and in the human world, I may not even GET the job I work so hard to get, even though it would probably be garunteed, had I stayed in Equestria. I won’t be as happy as I would be, if I had stayed with you and Scootaloo. Your world will go back to thinking humans are evil, despicable creatures.

But then I remembered what true sacrifice meant – acceptance of your deed.

When I was a boy, my favorite thing to do was play Majora’s Mask, a game from childhood that brought me joy. There’s one thing about this game, and our predicament, that are chillingly similar.
The fact that Link helps all these people in the game, just to go back through time, and to know that they didn’t remember what he did for them. That alone taught me one big lesson, and by going back in time, I’ve taken that lesson to heart.

All of what you do is forgotten in the sands of time – be selfless and help people when they need you. You do not need recognition for your deeds, for as long as your actions have made them happier, you will become immortal, because through your selfless, unrecognized charity, you will go on living.

And I’m happy with that.

With sincere, deep regret in my heart, I want you to know that I love you. And to show you that love, I’m giving us all one last chance to make things right.

Farewell, Applejack. I love you. -xoxoxo

Nicholas Mathew ‘Jadusable’ Brownford

Applejack stopped for a moment, staring at the letter as small droplets of water began to splash onto the yellowed parchment, the grip of her hooves tightening on the paper.

“I love ya too, Nick.”

And Applejack stood there, continuing to cry, as her body, along with her quaint home, and the rest of Equestria began to slowly fade out of existence.

As a blinding white flash singed my retina, I grew extremely light-headed and fell to the ground, putting my hands before me. But there was no ground beneath me as I continued to fall. All that was in my way was a searing, blinding white light and a high pitched squeal, as if I’d been exposed to a flash grenade. In due time everything subsided, and I slowly regained my vision - more vision that I remember, as if I had... two eyes? And... where was I? As the rest of the blur of light faded away, I came to what looked to be a calm, modern neighborhood. With... granite roofs rather than thatched straw. And cars, - recognizable brands, like Volkswagen, Ford, and Chevy plated upon them. And concrete, and...

No cartoony shades. A grimy, rough, realistic look about everything. Perfectly real.

Home. I made it home. It was over! YES! IT WAS FINALLY OVER!

I threw my arms up in celebration without a care in the world and... arms? I brought my limbs to my face, staring at them intently. Smooth, unscarred, uncut flesh. No missing fingers, no broken bones, no...

I then brought my hands up to my left eye, feeling the jellied orb in perfect health, and ran my tongue along my teeth, as it danced around the pearlescent blades like fingers upon a piano. I dug into my pocket immediately. Nothing but a wallet and cellphone, and... the jingle of car keys around my neck on a lanyard. I immediately grabbed my phone, with no water damage, cracks, or exposed wires visible - and immediately turned on the screen.

My heart sank.

Monday, September 6th, 2010, 2:10 PM.

It really worked.

“Can I help you sonny?”

I immediately jumped as I heard the voice from behind me, dropping my phone to the concrete. The voice was aged, familiar, and vile at that, which meant- I turned around to lock my view with the two hazel eyes once more, the left glazed over and blinded.

The one thing that started this: the old man.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, boy. Can I help ya?”

So here it all began. Oh, what I would give to beat this geezer to a pulp. Make him pay for what he did to me. Throw his table at him and smash his brain out on the concr-

“Nick, control yourself. Don’t get angry. You know... you remember what that did for you.”

I pocketed my phone and let out a barely audible sigh. I looked to the table before me, with the Freudian blot tests, then to an aged, cardboard box that sat alone in the back of the open, exposed garage behind us.

I knew what I had to do. I had to use this last chance... to make things right.

“Yes sir. Do you happen to have any old video games? ‘Bout ten, fifteen years old?”

In surefire fashion, the man replied swiftly.

“Just so happens I got a few in an old box. I’ll be back in a jiffy, alright?”

As I stood there, scarring trauma after scarring trauma flashed through my mind’s eye. Equestria, the first nights with BEN... all of it came rushing back to me as the older man in front of me slowly made his way towards me with the legendary cartridge, and the rorschach test on the nearby table were littered with projections of Equestria, instead of the mask.

The old man stopped, placing the game into my open hand. I looked at the shoddy chunk of plastic, the sharpied ‘Majora’ glaring back at me with disdain and evil like text out of the Necronomicon.

“I- um- thank you, sir. How much would you like for this?”

“You can have it for free, no charge at all. Ya see, boy, this belonged to kid about yer age that don’t live here anymore. Please, it’s on the house. Have fun now, ya hear?” the man finished with a cold, wicked, crooked smile that would leave any sane man running in fear. Unfortunately, I was far from sane. Especially after what MY mind had gone through. I was gonna be spending some SERIOUS cash on a shrink in the coming weeks.

“Thank you sir.” I replied with a smile and a wave, turning to walk away as I took notice of my car that sat on the curb outside the house.

When…. I stopped and turned back.

“Sir… I hope It’s not to much to ask, but… what happened to your left eye?”

He stood there for a moment, as if to recollect a memory, then he looked away, and down, with a sad expression on his face.

“Grenade… Normandy… *sniff* Worst damn day of my life. I lost five childhood friends that day. Two of ‘em didn’t even get their rafts to the shore…”

I stood there, a sullen gaze overtaking me.

“So… you served. My father lost his to a grenade too… And I lost a lot of my… friends to war.” I could barely squeak, the raw emotion taking me and memories of Equestria hitting me like a freight train.

The man looked up to me, wiping away some tears.

“You… you look like you’re military material, boy. You remind me of poor Ben.

Here, I had to ask as if I didn’t already know.

“Ben?”

“Ben was my grandson. My son… he came back from Vietnam with all kinds of brain problems… ended up going crazy and drowning poor Ben in the tub one day… You remind me of Ben…”

I simply frowned, bringing one hand out to touch the man’s shoulder.

“Thank you for your service.”

“I’m glad to see there’s still kids that care about the old vets. You’re alright, boy. That game belonged to my grandson. He loved it… I just feel terrible that he never got to finish it before he went; he loved it so much…”

I smiled, bringing my hand out to shake the man’s, which he complied to with a grin of his own.

“Thank you for the game, sir.”

At that, I began to walk to the car again, and amidst the man’s tears, there came those infamous, misinterpreted words.

“Goodbye, Ben!”

At that, I set the cartridge down on the roof of the car, and turned to face the old man, who was still staring at me. I gave a calm, peaceful smile, and replied promptly.

“Ben is in good hands, sir. Don’t worry.”

I waved and promptly hopped in the car as I took the game in my hand, the engine roaring to life with a click.

In the thirty minutes of driving I had to cover between the highway and my old (or in reality, current) apartment, I had plenty of time to think about how I was going to handle everything. But what really bothered me to no end was the fact that I would never be able to see those ponies again. I would never be able to visit Equestria and make sure it was safe from harm. If the technology for dimensional travel ever came out, I would likely be long dead. There was no way back. I was going to have to accept the fact that I belonged here. The many other worlds and dimensions brought about by mankind were best left untampered, in the pure forms they were given. Equestria was better off without me. That also went for everything else. I heard a buzz from my phone as I rolled up into the parking lot and turned off the engine. I picked up the black box and stared at it as the white text sat on the locked monitor.

1 New Message -

With reluctance, I opened the screen and a grin of relief, happiness, and satisfaction grew over my face as I made my way up the stairs.

Hi sweetie I was wondering if you’re coming home for the weekend dad is on his way back from Topeka ily

I held the phone there and began tapping out a reply message immediately.

Love you too. Tell dad I might drop the game design track and go into the Marines. I think I understand my calling.
Pocketing my phone again, I brought my key to the door and at that moment, while I was still dwelling upon having to abandon fictional universes, I thought back on what BEN had told me back in Termina. Everything he’d taught me about dimensions, life after death, spirits…

“Maybe...”

I slowly let the door shut and dug through my backpack as I set it to the floor. I took the two controllers, and three games out, setting all but one of them on the nightstand. I held the shoddy Majora cartridge in my palms, the flesh encasing this plastic rhombus starting to sweat and perspire. I slowly began to walk over to the empty 64, and opened my mouth to speak.

“Ben? I do not know if you can hear me. I do not know if you can see me. But if you can, please know that a year and a half from now, if things do not change right this moment, bad, bad things are going to happen, for both of us.”

I continued to speak, closing the distance to the game console.

“I am sorry that your father drowned you. I am sorry that I may be seen as your enemy. I am sorry, that you were not able to live your life out, Ben, and I’m especially sorry your prized possession was taken from you before you could finish it. I will properly set you free from that game you’ve been stuck in...”

My hand began to tremble and shake as the cartridge slowly found its way into the console tray, and my fingers slowly, fearfully dancing along the black machine and landing upon the power switch.

“...but please, I speak for everything and everyone that has wronged you: we are sorry. And as that speaker... I want to ask you...”

The power clicked on, and the spinning N64 logo came to the TV.

“...If we can start fresh. What say that first you and I...”

Here came the mask, spinning to the screen with a terrifying woosh.

“…finish what you were never able to? Let’s beat your file...”

As the cutscene continued to play, I my yellow controller became sticky and saturated in my sweat. I could make things worse this time around if I didn’t play it right.

“Together, as friends. Not enemies.”

-START-

As I selected the file, I didn’t know what to expect. The game simply went to a black screen, and instead of loading, Text came up, and a smile went across my face. Ben was a deceiver, but… something about these white words… I knew they were sincere.

“I would like that very much. Thank you, Jad.

“Please, Ben – call me Nick.”

“Let’s do it, Nick.”

“Together.”

“As friends.”

As we made our way through the final moments of Majora’s Mask in one final hurrah of childhood, I took a look around my apartment. I looked to the wall which held my replica Hylian weapons, the dresser which had a pokeball, and around the remains of the living space which was crawling with various pop-culture memorabilia. As we finished up the moon dungeons and made our way to the lonely Majora child sitting against the tree, I stopped for a moment and paused the in-game conversation with the moon child to see if there was even the remote possibility…

“Hey Ben?”

The game cycled through the conversation until where the child would normally begin with ‘Well...’, and sparked up a new text box.

“Yes?”

Do you think you could do me a favor? I have a long list of vacation destinations I want to hit this Christmas...” I finished, taking a last look at all of my decorations.

And at that, the moon child said his final line in the game...

“I’ll see what I can do, Nick.”

The game spawned us in the final battle arena, and my pulse jumped with anticipation. But that anticipation was not out of fear this time – it was good knowing I had given Equestria a second chance. The whole time here, I felt a twinge of regret hit my heart. I really didn’t want to leave, thinking back. I had left Applejack, a dear friend, just like Navi had left Link. Even if through the dimensions, she longed for me, I still cared for her.

Without her, I would have died long ago. To leave Equestria saddened me. To leave my friends, ones better than those I kept here, hurt.

And then of course, there was Scootaloo. That adorable little Pegasus who, just like Link, grew from a child, to an adult in such a short frame of time. I thought of how I ended up abandoning her, and how I saw the little pony like my own child; a child who transformed into a loyal and tough woman under my wing (quite literally under my wing, when you think about it).

I really didn’t want to leave.

But it was for the best. I had to let go of something I held dear… if I wanted to see IT flourish. And at that thought, the words of the mask man rolled around in my head, solidifying an important fact of life.

“Wherever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow.

However, that parting need not last forever.

Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time,

That is up to you.”

It was time to move on. And if I played my cards right with my new friend, I could see the ones I loved once more.

Plus, I’d get to go on vacations other geeks could only dream of. Not a bad way to live.

“Let’s beat this mask down, Ben.”

Life wasn’t bad for me when I was a kid. I had pretty much anything I could ever ask for.

Now, it's only gotten better.

Author's Note

Dedicated to my lost family

Michael Meisenhelter - 3/3/63-11/4/15

Charles Meisenhelter - 10/8/22-6/18/18

Special thanks to:
My mother
Gyrofest96
TragicCallugula
AmyJoSkyblazer
Derpin4Life
Lucario

All of my loyal readers who stuck along for the ride.

When I first set out to make this story, my original intention was purely to be an edgy fuck. I want to be the next shockfic, like Cupcakes, and never expected to take this seriously.

When I realized I was building a cohesive story that people enjoyed, I wanted to buck the tropes of the self insert. I did this by limiting it to appearance only, and realistically asked myself one question:

What would I ACTUALLY do in such a situation? What - honestly- do I have a problem with, personally?

I want to deeply apologize to the fans who had felt abandoned by my sudden hiatus - the age certainty shows in the writing in some spots - much can change in the better half of a decade.

I was fortunate enough for this project to bring me a great, perhaps best friend in a reader of mine, Gyrofest96. Seven years on, this culminated in us finally meeting in person, to share the final BronyCon together.

It was through him I persevered through the remains of this story, and I thought it only appropriate to spend this vacation making a final sendoff to this fanbase, and at least finish what I started.

Thank you all. It's been one hell of a ride.

Chapter I: A Nerd By Any Other Name

Life wasn’t bad for me when I was a kid. I had pretty much everything I could ever ask for. My most fond of memories was playing with my Nintendo 64. I would always play with it when I got home from school, usually shirking my homework. Recently though, in college, I’ve been rather afraid to go near that machine that once brought me joy. Why? Perhaps you know the story of BEN. If you haven’t, feel free to Google ‘Ben Drowned’. If you have, guess what? I was the one who lived it.

My real life name is Nicholas Brownford, though you may better know me, however, by my online alias, Jadusable. I’m currently a junior in college, and have been trying to approach a game development degree. Perhaps my downfall though, which takes a lot of my time away that could be spent studying, is focused on ponies. Yes, you heard that right. I’m a brony, do we have a problem? Before you start bashing me, let me first explain what got me into this bizarre craze. Not too long after the incident with the cartridge, the first season of the show aired a few months after the event. For about a year, I bashed the show, and its fanbase, wondering why the hell anyone would watch such a thing. I was quick to discover the many sides of the fandom, from the reserved and friendly fans that did nothing more than watch the show, to the piles of musicians that dedicated original pieces to the show, to the ‘hardcore’ bronies that breathed, ate, and slept pony, creating their own original characters and making fan animations, all the way to the more ‘saucy’ and disturbing fannon. However, soon after that time passed, I kept hearing reasons to watch: It gives good life lessons! It cures depression! It-

Right there. You had me at depression. You see, the incident with that cursed cartridge, has only worsened over time. Despite my attempts to remove BEN from the world, I’ve heard that he’s spread all over the internet. I don’t care if you believe me or not, because, hey, fuck you, I KNOW what happened. That kid’s ghost won’t leave me the hell alone. I get nightmares every once in awhile, and oftentimes, I’m left without hours of precious sleep. BEN still torments me personally every once in great while; he left me in extreme clinical depression (until I started watching Friendship is Magic after the constant therapy visits did nothing), and I failed a year of school because of him, but, I digress, for this was a time for celebration, because today is the day I’m to finally receive my Associates degree. So, even though I looked like hell with only three or so hours of sleep, following another BEN-induced nightmare, I cleaned myself up, dressed well in my best of formal attire, had a nice breakfast of toast, eggs, coffee, and sausage, and went to the main campus auditorium to attend the ceremony. As I was called to give the graduation speech, my heart sank. I began to sweat. I wasn’t much of a public speaker, but I was more than willing to give it a shot. As I approached the podium, I stumbled a bit, but kept on my feet. I could feel my lungs expand and constrict the slowest they may have ever done. I breathed in deeply.

“Just keep it short and sweet...”

“Well everybody, we’re here. I know it’s been quite the journey for some of us - hell, most of us. We’ve crammed, we’ve studied, we’ve lost hours on hours of sleep, we’ve partied with friends, we’ve had a wild ride - or at least I know I have. But you know what? We made it; we are associates in our dream fields. We have most of the education we’ve always dreamed of, and now, it’s time to finish it off. Some of you may be satisfied with just an Associate’s, but I’m not. I’m ready for more, and for whatever life throws at us, I’m sure you’re ready too. Now is our chance to make our mark on the world, so let me ask you all... ARE YOU READY, FOR UNIVERSITY!?”

An explosion of roars and cheers ruptured through the auditorium. I smiled, waved, and walked off the stage to await my degree with everyone else. As the ceremony ended, I was instantly greeted with high fives, hugs, a few kisses from some of the ladies, and fist bumps. But they weren’t cheering because of my speech, no, they were cheering because it was my twenty-first birthday - and I was too. As all my friends and I piled into a convoy of vans and headed to the local nightclub, I fidgeted uneasily in my seat. Not because I wasn’t a drinker, no. I’m a big German guy, I like my booze. I felt uneasy because I was worried things might get bad at the party. I shrugged it off and kept on, however, Insane Clown Posse, my favorite artists (yes, I’m a Juggalo too - a lot of things can happen in two years), blaring out of the speakers. As we piled out, I grabbed my CD from the player, and the beer bong out of the back, and strolled into the structure of multicolored lights and musical wubs that violently rattled the walls. We ordered practically everything on the shelves and commenced our wild night. There were fights, a few blowjobs in the bathroom, a few got kicked out, and about three puddles of vomit were created that night. Some dumb bastard tried to light the place on fire, too. In layman's terms, it was your typical college grad party. I wasn’t very drunk despite the fact that I crushed a bottle of Bacardi and a 24 pack’s worth of Heineken bottles (like I said, I like and can handle my booze). All I could do was relax and enjoy the night as another song came to the speakers, and trying to speak over it, several voices.

"Let's get fucked up!"

“Oi, Nick, great party man!”

“I’m WASTED! Who wanna go at it!?”

“Ha! Bill, stop trying to hump the vending machine, you drunkard!”

“WOOP WOOP!”

“Ma’am, we’re gonna have to ask you to leav-- Aw, god, all over my suit!”

Me? I sat in the back and chilled, slugging down beers. I never really trusted people. In fact, most of these people, some of whom I called friends, were mostly users and punks I knew from classes. More than half of them had next to no money on them, so I had to pay to get them in.

On MY fucking birthday. Bastards.

Before you start pointing fingers, I’d like to point out that It’s not like I don’t like people, I just don’t trust people, and for my own personal reasons. A lot of people, first and foremost, are looking out for themselves in this world before their friends, and rightfully so; the world we live in can often be a tough, unforgiving place. Still, I wish people could be just... I dunno, a bit more loyal. Perhaps they really are my friends, but I can’t really tell; you see, if you can’t already tell, ever since the incident with BEN, I’ve become paranoid about a LOT of things. It's gotten so bad that I even went as far as to stop by the gun store and buy a pistol early in the morning before the graduation ceremony. I have every reason to be paranoid, if you ask me - that kid’s ghost is fucking frightening. It’s a shame that I’m probably the only one (aside from a few people that followed my account of the incident) who actually believes in him. I don’t trust people, and I'm always on alert, that they might stab me in the back at any moment. I slipped two mushrooms into my mouth.

Were they people I could trust, is what it boiled down to. The only people that I knew I could for certain? My family.

“Hey *hic* stud! What’s say you and I go back to the van?”

“Fred, you are REALLY drunk if you’re trying to get with me."

“I... *hic* I know that, Jake.”

*thud*

I sighed. “Fuckin’ dumbasses...”

And none of these people knew I was a brony. If they found out... dear god, I doubt they’d hang with me anymore. Again though, I wouldn’t say they were bad people, this is just how humans are. I’m not saying I'm not guilty of the same shit, I most certainly am. I’ve used people for gain before, and hey, we were just college kids, right? Regardless of what they were like or what they truly thought about me, I would stand by them. They were MY friends, if I wasn’t theirs - it’s important to keep your worldly connections strong and look out for your fellow man, regardless of how they are. So, even if they were users, I’d take care of them as if they were my family. So yes, I’ll admit, I’m quite the softy.

“Fuck it, Imma dance.” I relented, setting my Blue Moon down on the table and hitting the luminescent floor as the current song finished up and kicked into another.

~”I hate college, but love all the parties...”~

As the party ended, I (being the most sober) carefully ushered everybody that was able to move back outside, and called the city for multiple cabs. As everybody piled into the city cars and left, I took a breath and walked back home. I was going to move out of my apartment next week, but for now, I was still living here. I got home and dressed in a casual pair of jeans and a nice red and white button-down shirt with a red tee underneath. I fixed the bend on my glasses with some pliers, and then plopped on my futon, tucking my ICP disc under my shirt. The air in the room was a little constricted, it seemed, but I didn’t think much of it. It was cold too, despite the thermostat being around seventy degrees. I figured the heater must have been busted. I reached for the pistol on my nightstand and slipped it into my belt loop, setting it on safety, and covering it with my shirt. I took the spare magazines that were in my drawer and put them into my belt as well.

“Augh... dear god, my head hurts. I drank too much.”

I grabbed my makeshift wireless N64 controller (thanks to a handy internet tutorial. What CAN’T you find on there nowadays?) and got up to flip the console’s switch. It was Gauntlet Legends tonight, another classic from my childhood that brought fond memories. I continued, playing through vigorously, blasting away hordes and hordes of demons. The mushrooms from the party were starting to wear off, the trippy colors fading away from my vision. Suddenly, my game froze. It was quite typical, especially for a 64 this day in age. I got up, my head still throbbing, and reached for the reset button.
Nothing; the screen was still frozen. Oh well. I turned the switch off.
Still frozen.

“What the fuck?”

Suddenly, without warning, my ceiling lights burnt out. I scowled. First I have to pay for MY party, my game breaks, and now my lights go?

“Oh, God damn it!”

I grabbed my keys. I knew I shouldn’t be driving, but I’m night blind, and can’t see a damn thing in a dark room with no windows, so I absolutely needed to get a replacement light. I went to the door and opened it - or at least tried to; the thing was locked... somehow, from the inside.
“SON OF A BITCH!”

I kept turning the knob, to no avail, so I tried kicking the door down. As weak as it was, it wouldn’t falter.

“Open! Damn it!”

Then, suddenly, my TV began to deliver static. The abrupt noise made me jump, and I let go of the door to remedy the situation. I went around behind it and proceeded to pull the cable, but as I put my hands to the wire, a very familiar song filled the air: the song of healing - in reverse. The TV continued to flicker, and suddenly, out of the blue, I was greeted with the statue’s face on the screen as the static subsided. My heart sank like a stone.

“BEN, I told you. I’m done. Leave me the fuck alone.”

My voice trembled in fear. It was quivering and panicky now.

“What the fuck do you want from me, BEN? Leave me be! Please!”

BEN didn’t say anything, the image just stared. I was growing progressively uneasy. Suddenly, there was the noise of an electrical spark, then, an abrupt whooshing sound, very similar to an industrial-strength vacuum filled my room. The TV delivered a quick white flash, and as soon as it came, it and the sound were gone. So was I.

Chapter VII: Pony Center: Under The Hoof

-Beep-

“Doctor, is he gonna be okay?! Is he alive!?”

-Beep-

“Don’t worry, miss Pie, he’s perfectly fine. He had a heart attack and lost a lot of blood. When you brought him here, we weren’t sure if we COULD fix him, but he seemed to pull through the surgery well. He’s extremely weak, though. He needs at the bare minimum, a month to recuperate. He had something lead-based stuck in his shoulder, so we had to take his left arm to prevent infection, and, by all accounts, It was too ruined to be repaired anyway. I hope he can handle the fact that he lost it. The blood transfusion was the toughest part; the only acceptable type we had for a human was swine blood, what with him being the only human to come here. I didn’t even know they existed.”

-Beep-

“We didn’t either. He showed up at mah farm the other day with a broken rib, I offa’ed him some food, he stayed the night, and offa’ed ta help us with th’ apple buckin’ this season. We think he has some kinda connection ta that weird lil’ statue that showed up a week ago.”

-Beep-

“Oh. That one. Ya know, there’s all kinds of folklore popping up about that thing ever since it showed up.”

-Beep-

“Like what, doc?”

-Beep-

The doctor turned away, staring at a few medical posters and a wall-mounted case of latex hoof gloves, looking down at the the floor for a moment, then back up to the wall.

“Well, they say it’s a demon, a demon that can possess anypony at will, make them do unspeakable things. When it gets hold of you, you never know, but they say when he does, your eyes turn red, and you get really, really strong... and you use that strength in a foul way. They say, every time it laughs, somepony dies. And that song it plays? It can drive even the most strong-minded ponies to insanity. The mental ward has gotten a large influx of patients since it showed up. Barking Mad was just the first of many that he destroyed. They even say he can revive the dead, and kill on command.”

The doctor sighed, taking a breath, then turned back to the two mares standing before him.

“The worst part? They say... when he takes hold of you... he brings out your darkness. He brings out the antithesis of what you stand for... your... shadow, if you will.

The doctor then went back to the posters, grabbing a small orange bottle from the nearby cabinet, still talking to AJ and Pinkie.

“Even moreso than Queen Chrysalis, he may just be the biggest threat Equestria’s ever faced; at least SHE doesn’t kill. Add in the fact that Celestia’s gone on a power-hungry spree, and refused to fund the city’s facilities on top of the depression and her martial law, and the riots that happen every day to get it overturned? I’d say Ponyville may be facing the darkest of times it may have ever seen... I should probably shut up though, her ‘police’ could be listening...”

Pinkie and Applejack gulped nervously, holding each other by the hooves, staring at the unconscious human in the bed next to them. The heart monitor sped up a bit, and Nick began to twitch some.

“Ah, he’s waking. Give him some air, ladies.”

Once again, I woke up in pain. I was in the Ponyville hospital. I felt extremely weak. A caramel colored unicorn in a white coat and glasses approached me. He had a heart monitor cutie mark on his flank; this must have been Heart, the doctor from Read It And Weep.
“So... you’re awake. I’ll be honest, I was surprised when they brought a human in here. We didn’t have any medical records for your kind prior to your arrival, so we had to go off of a wild guess to figure out your anatomy, sir.” the doctor exclaimed, smiling at me a bit. I coughed some. My blood felt like ice.

“Wait... what the hell happened?”

“Oh, you? Well, when the others brought you he-”

“Wait, what others?”

“Oh, those two ponies over there!” the doctor said, smiling in the direction of AJ and Pinkie. I looked over at them, and they both gave me wide, happy grins. I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.

“So... what happened to me?”

“As I was saying, when they brought you here, you had suffered massive cardiac arrest. You were bleeding internally, and you’d lost a lot blood beforehand. Frankly, it’s a miracle you’re alive. Add in the fact that you had lead poisoning and some weird object in your left shoulder, plus the damage you already did to that entire arm, and nopony can help but say your survival is an absolute miracle. I hope it’s not too much of an inconvenience, but we had to take your left arm. It was broken beyond repair.” Heart said, pushing his glasses up his face some. I looked to my side, and noticed the blank space on my shoulder; a red patch of skin, tightly sewn together with stitches. God damn it, this was REALLY gonna set me back. So much for driving when I got home - IF I got home. But these thoughts were soon overtaken by an even more threatening one. The girls. Where were the girls?!

“Where are the girls at!?” I asked, sitting up in a panic.

“Sir, don’t move around too much, you aren’t fit to start stressing yourself for a long while. The three fillies that came here, you mean?”

“Yes sir! Where are they!? Are they alive? What happened!?”

“Well, one works as an intern for us here. The other two are having intensive surgery. We’re afraid the unicorn has taken a turn for the worst. Her organs are pretty badly scrambled, and she’s got a foreign lead object lodged one of her arteries.”

I swallowed, fear spreading across my face.

“What happened exactly?”

“Sweetie shot herself with your weapon when she was trying to free us.” Pinkie exclaimed, tearing up and clutching hold of Applejack. My fear worsened. I weakly tried to stand, my body frail and tired. I nearly collapsed to the floor, but the doctor rushed to my side and caught me, setting me back into the bed.

“Sir! Lie down! And while you’re at it, take two of these for the pain.” Heart ordered, dumping a few pills into my hand. I just sighed and hung my head, but then looked over to see... Twilight in the bed right next to me. My heart grew cold. I stared at her, looking deeply into her bruised and bloody face. She stared back at me, a sullen look, as if begging for redemption, and for her, I had none to give; I was far too angry right now. Her purple color was back, and her eyes were a regular color as well, but that didn’t change anything; I was pissed, and for good reason. I popped the medicine into my mouth, and then spoke.

“Ah... Twilight Sparkle...” I began, my voice trailing off in anger. “You regret what you’ve been doing? You killed HUNDREDS of innocent creatures, you sick psychopath!”

“Look, human. I don’t even-”

“Call me Nick.”

“Look, Nick, I don’t even know what the hay I’ve been doing the past week. The last thing I remember was taking a sip of the brothers’ new drink. Let me tell you, that stuff is ADDICTING. I don’t know what’s in there, but after I took the first drink, I pretty much blacked out, and kept craving more.” She said, turning to the side and spitting up a familiar black residue on the floor.

“Oh yes. Sir? We heard you were the one that requested the DNA tests on the Cake’s children?” Heart asked, butting into my conversation. He handed me some papers. I viewed them carefully. They were indeed the tests I asked for, and I was pretty surprised at what I saw. The tests confirmed that, yes, Pound and Pumpkin were the Cake’s genetic children. Back home, many of us bronies believed that Cup may have cheated on Carrot, but, this just sealed it. There was no denying Carrot was the birth father. My heart sank. I set the papers down on the bed and the doctor took them away. I rolled over on my face and tried to sleep, crying into the pillow. I couldn’t come to terms with fact I killed Carrot now. I’d left Pound and Pumpkin without a father, and Mrs. Cake a widow. No matter how abusive he was, it didn’t change the fact that I killed the only father figure those children would ever have. I screamed into the soft, white cushion. Pinkie approached me, lightly pressing a hoof to my back.

“Nick? What’s wrong? I was the one who killed Carrot, remember? It’s not your fault.” She said, with a barely audible squee, trying to cheer me up. She didn’t know the truth... nobody did. I couldn’t fathom telling them, let alone Mrs. - or MISS Cake. I continued to wallow in regret as the heart monitor I was tied to maintained its beep. I stopped for a moment and dried my tears, sitting up.

“Doctor?”

“Yes sir?”

“Are the children and the misses safe?”

“Yes sir. They have been recovering since they were brought here yesterday. The little unicorn foal was in pretty bad shape; she was missing her entire horn.”

“I... will she ever recover?”

“She herself will be fine, but she will never be able to use magic. Horns don’t grow back, sir.”

I was about to cry at the statement. The lives of that family were ruined, thanks to BEN and I. That sick bastard needed to be stopped. I was about to cry again, but at that exact moment the doctor finished his words, there was the sound of a metallic door bashing open, some distance away, followed by a stallion yelling.

“WHERE’S SWEETIE BELLE!?”

Heart quickly turned out of the room and rushed down the hallway to answer the cry, but I couldn’t just sit here and wonder what happened to Sweetie Belle. No, I needed to see this, first hand. It was my fault she was even IN this position. Had I not come here, she wouldn’t have shot herself. And so, I got up off the bed, and tore out my IV cables, my heart monitor going flat. I weakly limped, trying to be extra careful not to burst my new stitches, three of which ran down the length of my remaining limbs. Applejack ran over to me, grabbing me gently by my remaining arm, and trying to hold me up.

“Nick, sugar, you’re too darn weak ta’ be movin’ around. For the love of Celestia, lie down! Get some rest!” She said, trying to keep me bedridden. I did nothing but just gently push her out of the way, and I stumbled over to the nightstand and grabbed my cell phone, which was off. I don’t know why I grabbed it; it was almost as if something told me to, and after turning it on and checking the battery (seventy-five percent), I stumbled through the door. As I did, though, I was nearly blindsided by Rarity’s parents, who were rushing in the direction of the ER. I decided to follow them, but as I turned the corner, I was immediately jumped in front of by nurse Redheart.

“Sir, go back to your room, please.”

“Ma’am, please let me pass. I need to see the unicorn in the ER. Her injuries were my fault. I replied gruffly, maintaining a steady eye contact.

“Sir, I’m not going to ask you again. Return to your room.”

“Look miss, I’ll be fine! I was the one who hurt that filly! Now please, let me pass!”

Redheart was growing impatient, stomping her hoof down on the green tile.

“Sir, I don’t care. Both you and her are not in ANY condition to be moving around. This is the last time I’m telling you, return to your room!”

My anger was getting the better of me. The mask salesman laughed again, and in impatience, I threw her, quite forcefully, against the wall, and ran as fast as my injuries would allow.

“God damn it, let me through, lady!”

Applejack, Pinkie, and several doctors gave chase. I continued to run away, nearly getting tackled, but narrowly dodging an orderly. I burst through the doors to the ER, and, well, what I saw was the most gut-wrenching thing I’d ever laid eyes on. Sweetie Belle’s parents were there, holding each other, her mother crying into her husband's arms. There was a small team of about six ponies looming over Sweetie with scrubs and medical tools of various kinds. Sweetie Belle herself was cut open at the stomach, and covered in blood, though I couldn’t get a much better view than that, what with all the surgeons towering over her, and it’s not like I wanted to in the first place. The heart monitor was sounding off a flat. Applejack, Pinkie, and the orderlies who were chasing me stopped in the door frame, though, frozen at the sight, and didn’t even bother to subdue me; all they could do was watch the scene, just like me.

"I'm not getting any vitals! Somepony get the defibrillators!"

“Doctor, we need to get that thing out of her heart first!”

“Forceps! Forceps! Celestia damn it, kid, stay with me!”

“Forceps doctor.”

“Alright, I’m going in. I can see the object. And... I got it!”

“Doctor, still no lifeline! Get the paddles!”

“Okay kid, work with me... one, two, three, clear!”

The sound of a violent shock filled the room as Sweetie Belle’s body jolted and convulsed at the overcharge, and at the vile, cracking electrocution, I held back some vomit. Sweetie’s mother just wailed, holding tighter to her husband as her tears poured in streams.

“One, two, three, clear!”

The heart monitor started up again.

“We’ve got a pulse! A pulse! Nurse, get me some adrenaline over here, stat!”

“Vitals are critical! Blood pressure is one-twenty over forty and falling fast! We need to stabilize her!”

“Where’s that damn adrenaline shot?!”

“Keep fighting kid, come on!”

“Adrenaline, doctor.”

“Okay, we’ve got her stabilized. Suture kit.”

“Suture kit.”

“She’s coming to! More anesthesia!”

The skull kid’s laugh filled the room, and at the sound, the heart monitor inexplicably stopped.

“What the buck?! She’s going into cardiac arrest again! Defibrillators on the double!”

I looked at my phone for a moment, then opened the screen. I stared at it for a second, then opened the video camera. I didn’t want to record this at all, but... something was calling me to. As I hit record, the elegy statue materialized right next to the operating table. I swallowed nervously, and hoped for the best, but with BEN? The ‘best’ was the worst, as far as I’d seen.

“Doctor, what is that?!” a nurse asked, jumping away from the green statue that materialized right next to her.

“There’s no time to worry about that! Focus on the patient! One, two, three, clear!”

The monitor started again, then went out.

“Clear!”

Again.

“Celestia. Bucking. Damn it! You are NOT dying on me, kid! Clear!”

Sweetie’s heart started back up again, blood flying out of her body at the jolt, and accompanied by more of Mrs. Belle’s crying.

“Okay, beginning the sutures. Starting on the heart.”

“Be gentle, doctor...”

“Heart repaired. Moving on to the stomach. ...Done. Reorganizing the intestinal tract.”

As the operation continued, I became increasingly worried.They were almost done, but something didn’t quite add up. BEN being here didn’t help either. I knew the sick fuck was making her suffer through this whole thing. I crossed my taped up fingers together, still holding the camera.

“Sutures complete. Disinfecting.”

“We’re almost done, kid. Hang in there!”

“Sterilization done. Sealing the body. ...Done. patching the wound.”

“Vitals are stable. Heart rate is normal. Congratulations doct--”

At that moment, things got bad. Really, really, bad. The lights pulsed a few times as the skull kid laughed again, and the room grew extremely cold. The air became thin, and a vile presence filled the room. The statue was rocking back and forth gently, and we were all staring at it. A familiar serpentine voice reverberated through the ER.

“You shouldn’t have done that...”

Just then, the skull kid’s scream blasted through the hospital, and the entirety of the building’s power went out. Doctors and nurses alike went scrambling in random directions as heart monitors flatlined, lights cut, testing machines failed, computers bluescreened, and instantly, the place fell into chaos. I rushed over to Sweetie Belle, as she was coming to. The surgeons were wanting to push me out of the way, as evidenced by the looks I was getting, but they let me stay. I set the camera at her hooves, still recording.

“QUICK! ACTIVATE THE BACKUP GENERATORS!” a pony screamed from out in the hallway.

I shivered, and looked into Sweetie Belle’s eyes. I tried to force a smile at the distressed white filly.

“Hey... how you doin, kiddo?”

Sweetie Belle groaned a bit, coughing up some blood, then looked up to me, bringing a hoof to my face.

“I... I’m sorry Nick...”

“Sorry for what?” I asked, my eye going soft as I placed my hand behind her head and gently tickled her ears, trying as best I could to make her feel better amidst her pain.

“I’m sorry I let you down...”

“You...” tears began to well in my eyes some. “You didn’t let anyone down. You did what you had to do, honey. You may have gotten hurt, but you did the right thing: you saved us. None of us would be around if it weren’t for you!”

Pinkie, AJ, and Sweetie Belle’s parents walked up beside me. Each of them placed a hoof to her, holding her close.

“Nick?”

“Yes, Sweetie?”

“What’s it supposed to feel like, living with all that pain? You’ve been hurt more than anypony I know...” She said, coughing viciously, as her breathing became shallow and weak.

“I... I’m just lucky I guess... but listen, Sweetie Belle, you WILL make it out of this.”

“No, NIck. No, I won’t. I know it’s time.”

The way she said those words made me freeze in fear. They sounded too sure of themselves. She really meant it. When an eight year old child tells you they’re going to die... what do you say?

“Is Applebloom okay?” She asked. I sniffed a bit, unsure of what to say.

“I... I don’t know, Sweetie.” I said. One of the surgeons looked over to me.

“She’s fine, sir. She’s recovering in her own room.”

Sweetie smiled lightly, her breath becoming even thinner; she definitely was not healthy.

“That’s good. I can rest easy now. Applejack?”

“Yeah, sugarcube?”

“Can you tell Rarity I’m sorry about the Sisterhoof Social? I’ll never forgive myself for saying all those things.”

“Sweetie Belle, Don’t talk like that! You’ll be okay! Pinkie said, tearing up.

“That’s nice of you, Pinkie, but... I know I won’t be here much longer.”

Pinkie couldn’t do anything but cry at those words, and Applejack? Well, I knew she was dying on the inside; I could see it. Sweetie weakly looked over to her parents.

“Mom, dad? I love you.”

“We- we love you too, Sweetie Belle.” Her father said, hugging his wife closely as the pink unicorn continued to cry.

“Nick?” Sweetie Belle piped up again, her struggled breathing accompanying the dull tone of the flatlining monitor. Her green eyes radiated brightly in the darkened room as tears began to fill them, and they reflected the image of the still heart monitor back into my own.

“Yes?”

“Can... you do me a big favor?”

“Absolutely, Sweetie Belle.”

“Promise me you will stop BEN. He can’t be allowed to torture anypony else! Pinkie promise me!”

I took Sweetie Belle’s hoof in my hand and tried to smile amidst my tears. I gave her a light kiss on the cheek and the others put their hooves on my shoulders.

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“Thank you. I’ll hold you to that.” Sweetie Belle said, giggling. Suddenly, there was a strange light appearing from Sweetie’s flank. Was it...

Yes it was. Her cutie mark. She had the image of an open cage, and a pony stepping out of it. Considering what she did back at the labs? My guess was her talent was escape artistry, and I couldn’t help but smile widely.

“Heh... Look at that. I got my cutie mark...”

“I’m proud of you Sweetie Belle. We all are. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Nick.”

I stared at her a few moments more, looking at her injury, and I still couldn’t believe that this little pony sacrificed herself to save ME. She truly cared, putting her friends before her, and it left me with only one thing to say.

“You know Sweetie... I’ve only been here for a few days, but... I love you.”

What was I saying? How could I love a cartoon horse? Was this real? Did these ponies truly save my life, or was I having a dream? I still couldn’t tell.

“I love you too Nick. I love all of you.” The tiny unicorn said, looking between us all. “...and Nick? Please forgive Twilight.”

As Sweetie completed her words, though, the skull kid laughed, and at the noise, Sweetie’s body contorted. She gasped for air as she was abruptly taken and lifted an inch off the operating table. Her body was twisted in two directions at once, and suddenly, she began to swell. Her stitches burst open and sprayed blood and entrails all around the room. Everybody screamed.

“OH MY DEAR FUCKING GOD!”

Nope. It’s been real the whole time. This shit wasn’t a dream at all - I could feel the warm iron splatter over me. I passed out from the shock, and the statue faded away in its traditional green energy funnel with a laugh.

“Happy birthday, Jadusable...”

BEN never had this kind of power back home...

It was a stormy evening in Equestria, violent winds rattling the windows of houses abound, rain pouring in torrents as the sun began to fade over the horizon, Celestia preparing to raise the moon as guards patrolled the nighttime streets in droves, covering every block of Ponyville and beyond. A small squad was finishing up cleaning the debris of Twilight’s destroyed library. Some distance away, the sound of something materializing could be heard from the hill above, well away from the destroyed tree, and all that could be seen (had anypony been there, of course) was a small set of brown boots standing on a polished mahogany stand. To the side of them approached a second set of feet, neither of which matched.

“So... would you like to tell me why you failed me?”

“Well... master, you see... The unicorn filly broke them free. If it weren’t for her, It would have gone off smoothly!

“Jadusable is still alive. I thought I made it perfectly clear that you ensured Twilight killed him. You failed SO poorly, that I had to step in halfway through and handle him for you before he shot up the room! You call yourself the god of chaos, yet you can’t even bring yourself to handle a few pathetic mortals! Why didn’t you turn them against each other so they would refuse to cooperate!?”

“Master, I-”

Shut the fuck up with your excuses! I only freed you from your petty stone prison because I needed you to get Twilight to consume the drink - that horse is far too questioning for her own good. I KNEW she wouldn’t drink it without some ‘persuasion’, which I couldn’t do on my own; she had far too strong a will! While you succeeded in this, in the end, we lost our army to your incompetence, and Jadusable still roams. You have failed me MISERABLY, and you know what?”

“No master... what?”

“You shouldn’t have done that...”

a crack of thunder echoed throughout the land, which was later followed by a strange, magical aura, black and purple in shade.

“Wha- what are you doing!?”

“Punishing you.”

The sound of the magical mist continued to hover in the air for a few moments more, before being interrupted by a violent snapping noise, and a scream as the mismatched feet fell down to the grass, cringing in pain. The green blades slowly began to turn red as a lion’s paw fell beside the puddle with a fleshy noise.

“Do you know, Discord, what TRUE chaos is? Making cotton candy rain chocolate while buffalo dance around in tutus? Of course not! Chaos, where I’m from, means the worst of things: death, murder, destruction, rape, racketeering, war... what YOU did before I came here, was child’s play! I still don’t understand how the people of this world even fear someone like you; someone that won’t even kill! Where I come from, those that do the unspeakable are the ones who are feared. Somebody like you? We would just laugh at you. You, Discord, amount to nothing more than a petty illusionist with a silver tongue!”

Discord continued to whimper in pain, curled up as he nursed his stub.

“Aww... do you miss your paw? You want it back? How about this... you get Rarity to kill Jadusable, and I MIGHT not take your other arm.”

“Y-y-yes... m-m-m-master...”

“Good. I am going to speak with Chrysalis about getting a new army. I expect no less than a hundred and ten percent while I’m away. Kill. Jadusable.”

“I- I understand...”

The mask salesman giggled again, and the brown boots faded off of the grass, leaving a traumatized, one-handed Discord screaming painfully into the night as the rain began to wash the sticky red mess through the field.

After waking up, it was pretty much a safe bet to say Sweetie Belle was dead. As my vision came to, I noticed I was back in my bed again, with AJ, Pinkie, and Sweetie’s parents staring at me from the foot, distressed looks over all their faces. Mrs. Belle was hysterical, crying in torrents as she held her husband. The power was back on as well, one light flickering on and off for a few moments before burning out. That was a horrible way to go. Nobody deserves to die the way Sweetie did. I didn’t say anything for a moment, just sat there, sullen. I turned over and dug my face into the soft pillow, screaming as my own tears began to flow. I had lost more than Sweetie Belle - I had lost a friend, perhaps my best friend, her being my favorite Crusader from the show, and yet, perhaps, something even deeper than that. I doubt I was heard, but I spoke softly, the white puff muffling my words.

“I’m sorry about your daughter. It’s my fault.”

“It wasn’t you, human. It was that THING in the emergency room...” I heard Mr. Belle say behind me, anger filling his voice as his wife paralleled him with more tears. I continued to let my sadness and depression out even more, crying at the statement. Scootaloo walked into the room, talking to them all for a brief moment, and they got up and let me be. Suddenly, I felt a hoof touch my shoulder. I turned around, and my eyes met with Twilight. She breathed in a bit, then spoke, looking at my red, watery eye.

“So... are you feeling okay?”

I dried my tears off, meanly scowling at her. I had no respect for this pony.

“What the fuck do you think?”

Twilight jumped back, pulling her hoof away.

“Woah... why the hostility?”

“You know goddamn well why! If it weren’t for you, NONE of us would be in this mess, and Sweetie Belle would still be alive!” I yelled, turning away from her and pulling the blanket over my side, snorting gruffly. Heart walked into the room, and tapped me on the side. I rolled over, an angry look still pervading my face.

“Sir? About your injuries... we won’t be able to give you the reconstructive surgery you need for your...” he paused, looking at my right hand, unsure of what to say.

“Fingers?” I asked.

“Yes sir.”

I sat up, looking inquisitively at the doctor, then to my taped up fingers.

“Why?”

The doctor just looked down at the tile, kicking his hoof, then back up.

“Well, to put it bluntly, sir, we are extremely underfunded. In fact, we’re so underfunded that we can only afford to keep the emergency generator running for hours at a time.” He said as the lights started to flicker again. “We’ve been losing a LOT of injured ponies to this whole mess.”

“Why are you so underfunded?”

“Why? Well, sir, ever since Celestia got this strange thirst for power, she’s been ignoring all of her subjects except those in the wealthier cities like Manehattan and Canterlot. We actually just got served papers from her that state we are to cease operation of the hospital in the next two months. You’ve seen the condition the homes are in on the street, right sir? All run down and boarded up? We’re in a massive depression. The only thing anypony seems to be spending money on is Flim and Flam’s new drink. I don’t know what they put in there, but literally, everypony seems to be coming back for more.”

I licked my lips at the thought of the drink and began to salivate, the delicious taste coming back to my mouth.

“Well... I could go for another one of those... that was damn good.” I said, smiling.

The doctor looked at me with a disappointed gaze for some reason.

“Sir, don’t tell me you’re an addict too!”

I chuckled, looking at the doctor. Did he really believe that? Was I? Hell no, I couldn’t be.

“What? No I’m not, doc...”

The doctor walked away with a sigh as he left the room with one final message.

“Your hand will be back to full use after a month or so, but it can NOT be strained too much.”

“Understood, doctor.”

I was much calmer after thinking about the delicious taste of the drink, the aroma, the flavor, everything about it was calling for another round. This pleasant thought was suddenly cut short as Twilight touched me again, and my new blood ran even colder as I lost my cheerful demeanor. She didn’t say anything, but with some magic, levitated a book over to me and set it in front of my face, on the other side of the bed. as it gently settled into my hand, and the purple haze faded off the book, I read the cover. It was one of the ‘Daring Do’ novels. I sighed and opened it up, reading myself to a restless, tortured sleep. I just wanted to go home, pretend this never happened.

I wished Sweetie Belle was back.

“I’m sorry, Nick.”

“Shut the fuck up, Twilight.”

Chapter XIII: Where Your Fears And Horrors Come True

7:00 PM

Angry and spiteful, I went down into the apple cellar. Here, clear visions of my arrival here, and memories of my first tastes of a living hell greeted me once more. In my mind, I watched this wicked memory replay again and again - how I lost my eye, and nearly my life, going into a fight with no combat experience. If things were different, and had I faced Big Mac now, I was certain I would be able to handle him much more easily. The memories subsided, and I picked up the broken, smashed objects that were, at one point, my glasses many months ago. This cellar brought nothing but terrible memories to me. I threw the destroyed brass frames to the ground.

So why was I here? I needed something: a bottle - no, TWO bottles of water.

Grabbing them from the ice chest, I tore off the cap and dumped the contents of the first out among the grey concrete floor, which was still covered with dry blood stains, and the whole area smelled rotten, an aroma of fermenting bodily wastes. With one hand, I took my knife, and with another, cut the bottom out of the water bottle. I set my gun on safety and emptied the magazine and chamber, grabbing a roll of duct tape that was sitting on one of the broken shelves hanging on the walls. Tearing a long strip, I tightly and quickly wrapped the neck of the bottle around the barrel of my gun. After about two minutes of work, I loaded my gun and fired a shot, which went flying through the wooden steps; nearly absolute silence upon pulling the trigger.

Silenced pistol? Check.

I then cut out the bottom of the second water bottle, its liquid gushing out onto the floor in a heavy stream. I then placed the bottle on the nearby bench, and took my crossbow, setting it down. Bringing the plastic tube to the top of the weapon, I worked some duct tape around it, setting the bottle on the top of the crossbow. I picked up my glasses, and took the remaining lens out, pushing it away with a finger. I broke it in half, and placed it into the mouth of the bottle, and grabbed some super glue that was sitting in the toolbox next to me. I then set the lens in place, and lifted the crossbow to my face, looking down the back end of the water bottle.

Sniper rifle? Check.

Satisfied and seeking vengeance, I stormed out of the apple cellar, noting my friends had extra equipment with them, as well as stealth suits from previous episodes, such as It’s About Time. Heh. Episodes. I wish I could say that, and pretend this was all a dream. I just wanted to go home, forget this whole nightmare ever happened.

“Nick, there’s two ways you can get to Cloudsdale.”

“Wings or cloud walking, right?”

“How did you know?”

“Like I told Applejack and the Crusaders, YOUR world exists on this device we call a television. You’re just as fictional to us as we are to you - I know ALL about your personal lives, for better or worse. Once I get inside of a structure, I don’t have to worry about falling through the floor, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“If we show up in a big-ass balloon, we’re sure to be spotted, so Pinkie’s ride is out of the question.”

“What in thunderation are we supposed ta do then?” Applejack asked, checking her saddlebags to make sure she had the equipment she needed. I stopped and thought on a solution to the issue, then an idea suddenly hit.

“Twilight, if you give me wings, I can carry one land pony, and they can carry Spike and Applebloom. That leaves three land ponies, and two free pegasi. One pegasus carries one, the other carries two. It’s not perfect and it is riskier, but it’s definitely more stealthy than a giant hot air balloon. Plus, I’m NOT stopping at anything until Scootaloo is back in my arms, that I swear to you, and you have to be willing to take that risk with me.”

“Alright. Let’s get to it then.” Twilight said, a purple aura surrounding her horn, then encasing me. The magical grip carried a warm, tingly sensation, but that soon stopped as I heard a loud cracking noise, then a sharp pain in my left shoulder blade. First I felt my own blade split in half, nearly five times more painful than my breaking arm or ribs. The nerve endings in my back caught hold of the newly forming bone, and I could feel every little extension it made, stretching and contorting the muscles surrounding it. I screamed.

“You wanted to do this! Don’t go crying to me.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that it - HUUUURRRRRTS!”

My skin then broke as the bone continued to push its way through my flesh violently. Finally, the pain subsided, but soon after, the excruciating pain repeated itself as the same happened to my right shoulder. I fell to my knees in anguish.

“Oh dear god, that hurts so much...”

Fluttershy rushed to my side.

“Oooh, are you okay?”

I stood, turning my attention to the snuggly, pink-maned pegasus as the pain slowly faded away.

“I’m-I’m doing well. Ow.”

“Okay... well... um... the first thing about flying is, you have to... uh... find, you know... the muscles that move your wings. Try and get a feel for them, okay? I-I mean, if you want to.”

I did as she instructed, attempting to flex some muscles in my back. No success; those weren’t the ones. I tried again, and again, until finally, I felt both of them, my wings, which, in design, were a classic, angelic style, a pure white tone about them, flap together once.

“That’s great! Now give me a few more flaps, okay?” the squeaky little mare asked, peacefully coaching me through the basics of wing movement. While, I won’t lie, I was becoming increasingly frustrated with my failures, I couldn’t get mad at Fluttershy no matter how much I wanted to; she was being far too kind and patient about the flight lessons. After some time more, getting the wing movement down pat, she went into takeoff basics.

“The goal is to take off by... well, using your weight. Push out while you jump up and... gently move your wings. Don’t... you know, flap like crazy; that’s never good.”

I jumped upwards while shifting my bodily weight, slowly flapping my newfound wings once and collecting a burst of air that sent me skyward.

“WOO-HOO!”

“Now, um, to hover, you need to keep, um, all your weight at the top of your body... um... yeah. *eep*”

“Okay, Fluttershy. How do I change my attitude?” I asked, idly flapping my wings to keep me suspended. This wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d predicted, and damn it, it was fun! I was a human, flying without a plane or a chopper! The immense amount of freedom I felt at this point was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. Alas, I couldn’t get too carried away - we had a job to take care of.

“Um, okay... so the last part about flying is... you need to... use heated, um, air currents to go higher - you don’t use your, uh, body weight to push you up or down.”

I did as instructed, catching a wave of warm air and flying upwards and over the farmhouse. God, this was easy! I circled around the building and flew up again, before landing on top of the barn roof.

“How was that?”

“You learn fast, Nick.” The timid pony said. Or, well, at least I THINK that’s what she said; I was halfway across the farm, and I could only read her lips. I jumped off the roof, and slowly hovered down, holstering my silenced gun. I needed a place to put my crossbow so it wouldn’t get in the way of my wings. I eventually said screw it, and strapped it over the front of my chest. I kept the quiver, filled with fifteen bolts, strapped to my leg. So, one last equipment check.

Handgun with three and a half magazines, forty-six rounds total, and makeshift silencer.
Smartphone and charger.
Music CD.
Wallet with fifty-six dollars, JCCC student ID, driver's license, Visa, and Carry and Conceal license.
Journal.
Associate’s degree, video game development.
Semi-automatic crossbow with makeshift scope, and fifteen bolts.
Chef’s knife.

8:00 PM

“Does everyone have the equipment they want and need? We are NOT coming back.”

“Party cannon, icing gun, and balloons with laughing gas!” Pinkie Pie cried, strapping up her saddlebags.

“Binoculars, scalpel, notebook, and my magic.” Twilight confidently replied.

“Scissors, a hoof file, and magic for me, dear!”

“five lassos, small pitchfork, an’ an ‘lectric prod, sugarcube.”

“Um.... I... don’t have anything...”

“Fluttershy, I’ve seen what you can do to bears with no equipment at all.”

“How... how did you know that?”

“Like I said, television. I KNOW you can handle yourself, Fluttershy. What about you, Derpy?”

“Chinese fighting muffins!” The wall-eyed mare exclaimed proudly.

“Chinese fi- actually, you know what, nevermind, just fuck it. We ready to go?”

“Ready!” they all screamed aloud.

“Let’s roll!”

“Sugarcube, one last thing?”

“Yeah? What?”

Applejack jumped up, and wrapped her hooves around my neck for a moment, giving me a kiss. My wings abruptly flew open with a ‘pomf’ noise, and I blushed.

“Just in case we don’t get out of this.”

“Glad to see you two resolved your differences.”

“Sis, get a room.”

I grabbed Applejack, bear hugging her with my arms by the waistline. She took Applebloom in one hoof, strapped up her saddlebags, and put Spike in the other hoof. Pinkie and Rarity hopped up on Derpy’s back, and Fluttershy picked up Twilight, and together, we all took off for the Rainbow Factory.

9:00 PM

Scootaloo was violently thrown into a compact metal cage, her face hitting the back of the tiny cell. She stood up, putting her hooves on the bars as they closed around her.

“I demand to know why I’m being held! Who are you!?”

She didn’t get the pleasure of an answer from the two individuals who had thrown her away like a piece of meat before they left the room. Instead, she was answered by a completely different voice, which belonged to an elderly pegasus in a cage across the room. Next to him, were another two cages, as well as several stacked on top of him, and more to the sides of those, each with ponies of varying kinds, be they pegasus, earth, or unicorn. Some were sickly looking. Others were young foals that clearly knew not their skills, much like her. Many of these were crying for their parents, wondering where they were and how they ended up here. A small handful appeared to have various handicaps, be they mental or physical, from blindness to down’s syndrome. Others still, had various injuries, be they permanent, life changing disabilities or small, easily recoverable wounds. In the end, everypony here had some kind of a personal limitation.

“Darlin’, it’s no good askin’ what they want with you. We all tried that, and nopony will give us answers.”

Scoots turned her attention to the old stallion across from her at his sudden voice.

“Wha- what DO they do here?”

“Well, I’ve been here for three months, sweetheart, and I can say, what they do here, is definitely something vile. Rumors go around this room like wildfire, but us older ones do our best to keep the young’uns calm before they’re eventually dragged out of here, kicking and screaming; most of the adults here try to make their last moments a bit more enjoyable.”

Scootaloo began to sweat, swallowing the intense fear building in her.

“What do they do, though?”

A second voice cut in at Scoot’s question. He was a young stallion, a unicorn, perhaps, in human terms, his mid 20’s.

“I used to work here about four and a half months ago, when this place got started. The lady that founded this place is OBSESSED with perfection, and can’t stand to see failure. When we got started, she dedicated her time to the elimination of flight school dropouts and graduation exam failures. Lately though, she’s been talking to this griffin and strange lookin’ statue, and alluva sudden, she gets even MORE uptight with her standards; she’s been bringing in foals that can’t even fly yet, mentally handicapped, sick, wounded, old, all KINDS of ponies! Lately, she’s been gettin’ hold of ones from other races, each with some kind of personal setback.”

Scootaloo couldn’t believe her ears. This place was a death sentence, and whoever was running this place, The thought of it left a black pit in her stomach.

“I want my dad... I want Rainbow Dash. They could both save us.

A sudden tremor of discontent filled the room at the annunciation of ‘Rainbow Dash’. Scoots didn’t understand why it bothered everypony, but before she could ask why such a name was so upsetting, she was interrupted by another voice.

“Nopony’s coming to save us, dear.” another pony suddenly spoke up amidst the screams and tears of various others. “Even if somepony got into this place, they’d be torn apart in an instant; ever since the statue showed up, they’ve increased security around here tenfold.” the third voice finished, before pointing to the security cameras in the corners of the room, and gun turret in the center. Scootaloo turned her attention back to the unicorn.

“You said you used to work here, right? How’d you end up a prisoner?”

“Last week, got in a fight and my leg got broken. Boss lady called me unfit, and even though I told her it would heal if I stayed off it for a few months, she said ‘any physical injury constitutes as failure’ and had a bunch of guards throw me in here.”

10:00 PM

En route to Cloudsdale, I took a good look at Ponyville from the sky. There appeared to be another riot occurring on the streets tonight. This one, however, was a bit odd. Where there were normally large groups of civilians fighting the military due to the the martial law, here, there appeared to be civilians fighting civilians, civilians fighting soldiers, and civilians fighting WITH soldiers against other civilians and soldiers. Hands down, the strangest thing, was that some ponies...

...were eating others.

Fluttershy was crying, looking down at the carnage that ran through the streets. I turned down to the scene that the young pegasus was watching, and saw a middle-aged mare trapped inside of a taxi. Ponies, be they citizens or soldiers clad in armor, surrounded the taxi and started viciously pushing on the carriage, attempting to tip it over. Inside, the mare was holding a young colt, not too much older than Applebloom. He was grey, a pegasus, and a bit overweight. The mare threw him outside of the carriage, just over the crowd of ponies converging on her. Amidst all the screams, yells, and combat that polluted the sound barrier, I could hear the conversation relatively well.

“Mom!”

“GO! GET OUT OF HERE! RUN BEFORE THEY GET YOU!”

“No! I’m not letting them take you away!”

The mare stared in disbelief at her son as he foolishly tried to tear his way through the group of rampant ponies, but had no such luck before the assailants forcibly pulled her from the carriage and towered over her. I flew over to Fluttershy.

“RUN!”

“Twilight, give me your binoculars.”

the studious lavender mare reached into her saddlebags and produced the lenses I asked for. I held Applejack tighter with my mechanical arm, and took the scopes with my flesh one, putting the left lens to my eye. What I saw down there, was something I’d never thought I’d see. The mare that was torn from the taxi was being assaulted by various ponies, all of which had some fatal wound or another on them, and their eyes were solid white, lacking pupils or irises. The group of bizarre looking ponies dove towards the mare, first biting her neck, then tearing open her stomach and pulling out and chewing on her intestinal tract, the lady releasing a blood-curdling cry.

“DEAR CELESTIA! MOM!”

“G-get out of...!”

“What. The. Fuck.”

“What in tarnation is goin’ on down there, Nick!?”

“Applebloom, Spike, close your eyes.”

Ponies eating other ponies... what the FUCK was going on down there?

“Oh. My. God. The graveyard...”

I turned to Pinkie Pie for a second, a bead of sweat running across my face.

“Um... so, about those ‘zombie ponies’ you were talking about on TV...”

11:00 PM

The unnerving flight over Ponyville had gotten us all worked up and frightened. In all honesty, I felt like an asshole for not going to help, but NOTHING is more important that the safety of the Crusaders to me; we were saving Scoots before anything else. We landed on the roof of a structure a good mile away from the Rainbow Factory. I took Twi’s binoculars again, and took a look at the towering building. This was a FACTORY? It looked more like a citadel. On top of that, this thing looked NOTHING like I expected. From the view of the binoculars, I could tell this place had high, and I mean HIGH level security, using technologies I didn’t even think Equestria had. Starting from the outside, there was a large, thirty foot high stone wall, lined with spikes and barbed wire. in each corner of the building itself were clusters of what looked like automated gun turrets. A laser grid of some kind ran over top of the wall, creating an artificial ceiling, preventing an aerial landing inside the walls. Even if, for some reason, you were able to slip through the lasers, the gun turrets lining the walls would chew you to shreds. In each corner of the defensive wall sat two spotlights, eight in total. One kept a ninety degree watch on the outside, while another kept a ninety degree watch on the inside. There were two guards standing at the gate, and another four standing at the main entrance. A squadron of sixteen ponies ran a constant patrol around the perimeter of the building, and this was only the front we were looking at. Upon inspection, the guards were decked out with pretty high tech weaponry. In fact, most of them, believe it or not, had guns and kevlar vests. Where the fuck did they get all this equipment from? The Equestrian military still uses old fashioned blades and bows, but this place looked like a human PMC.

“I’ll be right back. Hold tight, guys.”

I left the others on the rooftop, and took off, flying to another building, a small house, which overlooked the left side of the building. There were no turrets covering the walls here, but the entirety of this face of the building was perfectly smooth, with no way to scale it. On top of that, the entire side was lined with windows, which meant, no matter what, SOMEBODY was watching us - no way to get in from this side. It was safe to assume that the other side of the structure was the exact same. I flew over to one last building, which fortunately gave clear sight of the back end of the fortress. Here, things looked a bit more promising. There was a large vent shaft, with a quickly rotating fan. It was above the laser grid, but under constant watch by two automated searchlights. On top of that, the power line to the vent system was protected by an electric fence, which sat underneath the laser grid. God damn it, there had to be SOMETHING we could do. I-

Hold on...

I saw a strange looking carriage land inside of the walls. I quickly flew closer, trying to get a better view. It looked like a supply cart of some kind or another. It had a large tarp over top of it, and the pony at the reigns unhooked himself as a small group of armed guards came out of a small door in the back. They were conversing for a few moments, then the driver went around the back of his cart and pulled out a crate. I swooped down to a small blind spot in the outer walls, and put my ear to it, trying to hear the conversation.

“...so this is the last shipment; our supplier was killed a few months back.”

“Your supplier called this an 'M16’, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Bitch was obsessed with humans, but I never knew she was a fan of their technology.”

“Well, thanks a million, brother. Boss lady has been waiting for the new batch of equipment for quite a while.”

“Just watch yourself with that stuff; VERY unstable technology, that is.”

“Yeah, no shit. Just imagine what that bucking human that showed up would be capable of if he got his hoo- hands on all this.”

“Which is why I’m giving it to YOU. Your place wants security stepped up, I gave it to you. Now, where the buck’s my end of the deal? I wanna see bits for risking my flank in that apocalyptic hayhole of a town!”

“We don’t gotta give you shit.”

"Oh, you think you can just buckin'-"

“We’re the ones with the guns, plotwipe. Not you. Rest of you buckers, get this equipment up to the processing room while I throw this body to the freaks down on the surface!”

“Sir, yes sir!”

Judas H... so someone was creating these weapons for the Rainbow Factory. I tucked the binoculars under my shirt and flew back to the team.

“There’s ONE promising way in the back, but it’s gonna be one hell of a risk if we don’t shut it down first.”

“What’s over there?” Spike asked.

“Giant vent shaft. One problem though, is the power box that controls it is under the laser grid, and behind a fence at that.

“Let me get a look at it, dear.” Rarity suddenly chimed in.

“What the hell do you expect to do?”

“Honestly, you’ve been here four months, and you still don’t understand that we use magic?”

“Magic doesn’t exist in my world, so you’ll excuse me if I’m skeptical.”

“Well, darling, you best start believing.” Rarity finished, hopping onto Derpy’s back. “Let’s get to it.”

Our team went to the back, and landed on the roof overlooking the rear of the factory. I took another look at the security measures here. The laser grid that ran over top of the wall was spaced out two inches per line. The electric fence had no roofing, and the lights watching the vent shaft had their power connected together by a small wire that ran between them directly.

“Rarity, how far can you drag a levitation spell?”

“Not too far dear. Only about thirty feet, I’d say.”

“Son of a bitch... Derpy, what are these ‘fighting muffins’ you have?

“Oh, these? Well, they’re a bad batch of muffins I let go stale. They’re super hard by now; I always keep a few with me for self defense.”

“hit me with one.”

“Um... are you sure?”

“Yes I’m sure. I want to see what they can do - I have an idea.”

Derpy didn’t abide by my request. Instead, she violently threw the muffin to the roof, which left a small, yet sizeable crater in the concrete roofing. Damn.

“How good’s your aim?”

“Well, it’s a little hard to aim straight with my messy eyes, but I’ll try.

I gave Twilight her binoculars back, and Derpy picked up the muffin.

“Alright, here’s the plan. There’s no gun turret over here, but if we fly in directly, we’re sure to get spotted by the guards and search lights. Derpy, do you see that power box behind that fence?

“Uh-huh.”

“Alright. I want you to take two ponies with you, and one of the kids. Fluttershy, same with you. I’m going to fly OVER the two searchlights watching the fan and cut the power cable to them. As SOON as I do that, Derpy, you and your team fly over top the laser grid, and drop one of your muffins through it, on top of the power box. As soon as that’s done, and the fan shuts off, we make a break for the opening. Let’s wait until the patrol passes around to the other side. On my mark.”

“Three.”
“Two.”
“One.”
“Go!””

My squadmates took their position, and as the patrol passed out of view, I swooshed down to the search lights, and drew my knife. I sliced the cable, which gave a clear signal for my teams to get to work. A shadowy figure, obviously Derpy, flew over top of the lasers, and soon, dropped a shady object through the red bars. It landed exactly where we wanted, right on top of the fuse box. The muffin itself tore a hole through the metal cover, knocking the door off, and sending sparks flying every which way. It was messy and gave clear indication someone was here, but as it stood, we had no other choice. I flew through the vent shaft as the fan died out, the others quickly following suit. We were in, now it was time to get what we came for. What was going on in here, I wanted to know, but I was certain these questions would be answered when we found Scootaloo. We all got inside, and the area we were in looked like a fairly large maintenance basement.

“Okay, I wanna run over some things. There has been far too much death in Equestria. I want this operation to be as smooth and blood free as is possible. We are not here to kill, we are here to bust a friend out.”

“Never thought I’d hear them words comin’ out your mouth, sugarcube. Ya sure have changed since ah met ya.”

“Well, Applejack, through all the pain and hardship that your world has faced, I learned that acting on your emotions is never safe. Your thirst for vengance or anger can cloud your judgement; you saw what I did to Carrot and Flim, and what I did to the ponies at the botique. I do NOT intend to make that mistake again. If we want to stop BEN, we need to come together, not fight eachother. Keep killing to an absoloute minimum, okay? Knock out the guards if you must, but for the love of god, try not to kill; there’s been too many deaths.”

“Got it.”

“Sure thing, darling.

“O...okay.”

“Ready and waiting, sugar.”

“Alright. The kids are coming with me. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight, you’re team one. Derpy, Rarity, and Pinkie, team two.”

“That’s another thing ah love about ya, Sugarcube - ya can take charge in a situation when it calls for one. Ah admire ya for that.”

“I just fight to survive, AJ. I do what I know will keep me alive. If the situation weren’t so dire, and if this whole thing never happened, I would be relaxing in my apartment playing Splinter Cell. Anyway, we ready to go?”

“Not yet, we should take these to keep in touch.”

Out of thin air, Pinkie Pie reached into her saddlebags and procured three walkie talkies. I was about to question where they came from, but of course, we were going off of Pinkie Pie logic here; if she said she had her party cannon with her, It was best to bellieve she did, even if I couldn’t see it. Wherever she got these, she had her ways.

“Alright. Everyone turn your radios to channel five. I’ll take the stairwell here, team one, you take the small vent shaft to the left over there. team two, you go down that hallway.”

At that, we split. I took Applebloom and Spike, hoisting them onto my back. As I made my way up the rusted iron staircase here, The first thing I noticed was a small security camera. With no blind spot here, I decided to shoot it. The wispering bullet flew out of my firearm and through the camera. I moved on and we came to a door. Setting the two down, I peeked underneath. It was a small office room, and the lights were off. I slowly pushed the door open, keeping my weapon at the ready. I pulled out my radio.

“Team one, where are you?”

“Perfectly fine, sugarcube. We’re at th’ end of th’ vent. Ah can see the main lobby down ‘chere.”

“Roger that. I want you holding position. Team two, give me a sitrep.”

“We have a camera in the way, dear. I’m going to try to sabatoge it with my scissors.”

“Be careful. If that thing spots you, this mission’s over before it begins. Going silent.”

Rarity took her scissors out of her saddlebag with some magic, and slowly levitated them over towards the camera, keeping the sharp objects along the wall, in the shadows.
“Steady... utmost precision...”

The finely-maned fashionista quicly ran the blades underneath the camera and cut both of the cables below the casing. A small electrical spark flew from the device, before losing its connections and sowly tilting downwards.

12:00 AM

I slowly opened the office door, only to be greeted with the main lobby. Shadows here were few and far between, and there were three guards patroling this hallway. Another was sitting at the reception desk, and another was standing in a security room behind the desk. The pony in the security room lifted a radio to his mouth. I flipped through the channels on mine, hoping to pick up his signal, which, after some time, I did.

“Looks like we just lost a couple of camera feeds in the basement level. I need somepony to check it out.”

“Roger. I’ll send a maintence crew down there immediately. Would you like an armed escort?”

“Yeah, send some extra muscle with them.”

I took my group and slowly crawled out of the office. I hid in the corner of the lobby, which, fortunately, was completely dark. I switched my radio back to our local channel, and drew a bead on one of the guards patroling.

“Applejack, I’m in the lobby. Jump down and keep an eye out for the guards.”

Team one hopped into the lobby, landing in a spot that was conveinently shadowed.

“Team two, where are you?”

“In a small office, dear. Looks like the door leads into a large lobby.”

“That’s where we are. Find some cover and hold your position. I’ll come to you.”

A door on the opposite end of the hallway opened, and out came three shadowy figures with saddlebags. This main atrium was mostly made of marble, and divided into three sections, seperated by two rows of pillars. Down the length of each patroled one guard. These ponies wore light armor, and carried with them, small machine pistols. It was so freakishly unnerving to see Equestria have this kind of techonology. I hoped I would get answers as to where it came from. I pulled up my radio again.

“Here’s the plan. Twilight, Rarity, I want you to take positions at the far ends of the hallway. I’ll take the middle column. See how the guards patrol, the two on the side going one direction while the one in the middle goes the other way?”

“Yes.”

“We do.”

“Good. I’m going to take the guard in the middle and choke him out. When the other two come this direction to search for him, you both choke them with your magic and knock them out. Understood?”

“Wh... what about, um, the pony at the desk and the one in the room over there?” Fluttershy interruped over the airwaves.

“That’s where Applejack and Pinkie come in. AJ, I want you hugging the wall, and try to get in as close to the desk as you can while staying in the shadows. As soon as you’re in position, I’ll take my guard, the others will take theirs, and you lasso him down. Pinkie, I want you keeping quiet while you approach from the OTHER wall. Do you see the open window in that room?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I want you throwing a gas balloon in there to knock him out as SOON as Applejack takes out her target.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie.”

“One. Two. Three.”

As the guard I was facing approached us and the other two turned away, I slowly snuck up to the stallion and gripped him by the head. He attempted to scream, and shoot me, but I pulled the weapon from his hoof and let it drop to the ground. I pulled the man back into the shadows and drew my knife, holding it to his throat. Now, it was time for the others.

“Axel, where’d you go? Axel?”

“You make a sound, and I cut you a second smile, motherfucker.”

The other two guards came searching for their lost friend, just as predicted. As they came closer, two magical auras gripped hold of the stallions by the neck and pulled them into the shadows, with barely a sound escaping them. They fell, and I smacked the guard I was holding with my robotic arm. He passed out instantly, and I drug the body into a darkened corner, Spike and Applebloom still on my back, holding my wings. As soon as that was done, Applejack drew a lasso and threw it at the stallion sleeping in the wheeled desk chair. He came flying off of it with a yelp, but Applejack jumped over the desk and tied him down. Unfortuantely, this caught the attention of the pony standing the adjacent security room.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to be in here!”

The stallion behind the room drew a pistol from a holster on his side, and aimed it at us as he pulled out his radio, both with magic.

“I’ve got an intruder in the main lobby! I need back- Ackkk...augh...”

Pinkie Pie had followed through with her part of the plan, and threw a baloon through the window. The red latex bubble exploded, filling the room with gaseous fumes. The security trooper sputtered and choked, trying to regain his breath as he dropped his equipment, and not too long after, fell to the floor.

“What’s happened? Respond! Lobby, respond!”

I quickly flipped to the comms channel and tried desperately to do a mock-up impression of the guard.

“Everything’s kosher here. We had a weapons misfire.”

“What was this you were screaming about an intruder?”

Shit... I had to come up with something, and something fast.

“Aw, nothin, you know how my eyes play tricks on me, bro. You know how I take meds for it.”

“Yeah, and I know how it gets worse for you every day ‘cause you had to stop taking them, what with the boss lady saying anypony that needs to take medicine to fix a personal problem is unfit and whatnot.”

Medicine makes you ‘unfit’? What the fuck is going on in this place?

“Keep the buckin’ channel clear you fools!”

Woah, wasn’t expecting that...

“Yes sir!”

“Understood, sir!”

“Oh yeah, by the way, don’t sent the maintence team down this way; the camera feeds came back on.”

“Copy that.”

Woah. That was one hell of a close call; we nearly blew the mission with that mistake.

“Everyone, rally up, get the bodies, let’s hide them.”

We did so, hiding the unconcious away, and went deeper into the facility. I reloaded my gun, and checked the chamber.

“Don’t worry, Scootaloo. Dad’s coming.”

1:00 AM

A pair of tallons and hooves clad in a black uniform were walking together along a catwalk. Here, both beings looked down, watching another waste of life get thrown into their favorite device, the grinder. With a hellacious scream and an explosive display of crimson, both creatures laughed from atop their high-and-mighty viewpoint, until both continued their walk. Eventually, one of the sets of legs spoke.

“I’ve got to say, girl, you sure have stepped up your game! I’m so glad you finally ditched those dweebs you even bothered to call friends.”

“Well, it’s all thanks to you and the statue for opening my eyes.”

“Hey, I only told you to drop the dweebs. HE gave you the idea to make this brilliant cleansing place.”

“And the best part is, This front as a rainbow factory makes sure nopony gets suscpicious. Even if they do, thanks to the statue, we’ve been able to turn this place into a high-tech fortress with all kinds of technologies from his world, thanks to our supplier, rest her soul. This place just got twenty - no, a hundred percent cooler!”

“Let’s go see the two new captures the troops made tonight.”

“Aww, yeah! I wonder what kind of worthless scum they brought in today. Probably another retard and a cripple.”

Scoots was on the verge of hysterics. She needed to find a way out of here. Ideas were tossed around in her head like a rampant ragdoll, but nothing came to her. Two ponies had come in to drag a young foal away an hour ago, and she remembered vividly the child screaming, crying and clawing at the guards, only to be pulled away and led out the nearby metallic door. Never before had she heard a foal cry that loudly, that bloodily. The sound would haunt her forever, the scream of clear death, many feet behind the steel door that sat to her left. Scoots closed her eyes, and put her hooves together.

“When I die,”
“Show no pitty,”
“Send my soul to Juggalo City.”
“Dig my grave six feet deep,”
“Put two matches by my hooves,”
“Put two hatchets on my chest,”
“And tell my homies I did my best.”

At that exact moment, the metal door lifted, and in stepped...

“Nick?”

“Who in the buck is Nick, you foal!?”

Scootaloo was immediately stepped in front of by two masked beings, one a pony, another a griffin, by the looks of things. Whoever they were, Scootaloo didn’t recognize them, as, much like her former captors, they were dressed in pure black, with the same strangely designed gas masks.

“Let me out!”

“Aw, isn’t that cute, it’s widdle baby Scootawoo!” the suited pony taunted, poking the young filly through the bars with her hoof.

“What do you want with me!?”

“We wouldn’t want anything from you had you learned to fly sooner, dweeb.” The griffin abruptly responded, smacking Scootaloo upside the face with her claw.

“Let me go! Just wait till Rainbow Dash and Nick hear about this!”

“Rainbow Dash, you say?” The suited pony asked with mild amusement, still playfully poking at the caged pegasus.

“And what do we have here? Another dweeb?” The griffin asked, approaching a crying unicorn filly in a cage. This particular one had a light, purpleilsh grey coat, golden eyes, and blonde mane.

“I want mom...”

“Well, if you didn’t run the risk of spreading your inferior genes, loser, we wouldn’t have taken you. It’s your mother’s patheticly ruined eyes that brought you here. She put up one hay of a fight to protect you, I hear. But don’t you worry, we’ll come back to get her.”

“You leave Dinky alone!” a frightened, yet confident Scootaloo managed to yell, trying to reach her hooves through the bars.

“You shut up, chicken!” The masked pony yelled as she backhooved the orange filly.

“Who are you!? Why are you doing this?!”

At that question, the demented song of unhealing played in the air. The mask salesman giggled, running a feeling like ice down the young girl’s spine.

And then... the suited pony removed her mask.

“No!”

Scootaloo fell to her knees and cried, her world shattering around her, the skull kid laughing maniaclly in the air. Scoots didn’t put up a fight, she was far too broken inside, and fell limp as she was forcibly pulled from her cage, along with Dinky, and drug down the hallway.

“Pound Cake learned to fly in a month, dweeb. You’re nearly ten years old and you STILL haven’t learned how to fly. Pathetic!”

“Dad, help...”

2:00 AM

We, as a team, had gone through most of the facility, and were now on the fifth floor. Dodging and destroying cameras, sneaking past guards, crawling through vent shafts... this place was a locked-down fortress, and, fortunately, our cover was not yet blown. I’ve been wanting answers as to why this place has gotten hold of such advanced technology, but I fear I won’t get those answers. All I know is, I never asked or wanted to come here. I’ve been searching for a way to get home, but the only person here that may even have the remote ability to do that is Princess Celestia, and for four months, she’s been nowhere to be found. I honestly expected them to arrest me and interrogate me upon arriving here, but it never happened. Perhaps though, that’s because of all the shit the country’s been dealing with - she’s found no time, or doesn’t consider me a priority, which, frankly, I wouldn’t blame her - Equestria is straight fubar, what with all the ass-backwards corruption that’s plagued this place since BEN showed up. We’re still no closer to solving this mystery; how BEN got his powers, what he wants, or anything. The only thing we know for certain is that people are dying on a daily basis, be it from drugs, murder, starvation, or the daily riots to regain freedom that torment the streets. On top of that, those... zombies, were they? No... zombies aren't scientifically possible. It had to be a bunch of dranged cannibals. We came to a small break room with a soda machine and a cafeteria table. The area was clear of guards. Nobody in our team bothered to take any weapons, to avoid arousing suspcion, but, thinking back, we probably should have. I took two bits and selected a cola from the vendor, setting Spike and Applebloom down on the floor. The break room itself was a small one, in the corner of the hallway. It itself, aside from the small walls that formed a little entryway, was a three walled room,made entirely of windows. I took a look outside, staring at the moon, with its child-crushing face gazing right back at me, and...

Holy shit.

It WAS getting closer.

“No. It’s just a game. It’s. Just. A. Game. It’s. Not. Real.”

I wish I could keep telling myself that, but as soon as I said those words, the skull kid giggled. This wasn’t a game. This was life or death. That moon was really going to fall, and knowing my history with a similar incident, we only had about two days left. I threw my soda to the ground, and switched to the public radio channel. As soon as I did, I head a converstaion I didn’t want to hear.

“Ma’am, it looks like somepony destroyed the fuse box to the air conditioner...”

The second voice was one I swore I recognized. It was a woman.

“Well, get a maintenance crew out there! I’m taking a flightless failure to the grinding machine!”

Another voice kicked on.

“Ma’am, we’ve lost about seven camera feeds; two in the basement, three on floor four, and another two on the second.”

“Buckin’ hay, why are you reporting to me!? Get a repair unit on the job!”

“Holy shit! Ma’am, I’ve found three unconscious bodies on floor two!”

“Celestia damn it, I told you buckers to stop bothering me! Hit the alarm!”

“Roger that. Teams Delta, Foxtrot, Tango, Hotel, Romeo and Charlie, tighten security at your posts imediately; we have an intruder! Alpha, X-ray, Zulu and Golf, report to the armory ASAP!”

An alarm sounded. Fucking perfect; they knew we were here. We should have gotten weapons. I drew mine.

“Everybody, stay with me and do what I do. We’re going in guns blazing.”

“Nick, that isn’t safe!” Pinkie announced, taking a few steps back.

“What other choice do we have? We are NOT leaving without Scootaloo.”

“And Dinky!”

Everyone stopped to turn to the sound of an abrubly crying Derpy. She was leaning against the vending machine, the facility’s alarm system blaring. The grey pegasus tried to speak up above it.

“When you found me, I was doing all those nasty things that I had been selling to ponies all around the country. But you know WHY I started? Two days before you found me, a bunch of ponies, just like the ones at the farm, broke into my house and stole my little Dinky right out of my hooves! They told me she was going away to a ‘better place’, and I tried to fight back, but I couldn’t. They were too strong! Then... I fell into depression and started using my own products...”

I helped the stunned pegasus stand, and wiped her tears, the deafening alarm chewing away at my eardrums.

“We’ll get her back, Derpy, but now? Now is a time to fight, not morun. Everybody, grab your weapons. We’re going to find those girls.”

And so we did. Steath was no longer an option, and deaths were certain to occur now. I didn’t want it to end like this, there had been far too much death; since leaving the milk bar, Ponyville had nearly become a ghost town, with far more than half of the population deceased. As we made our way farther into the facility, we were soon held at gunpoint by a small fireteam of ponies. They had automated weapons in their hooves. There were about twelve of them, and where we stood, was in a hallway, just in front of an opeing that held a large atrium with an iron catwalk, right behind the men that were holding us up. They were spread in tactical formation, six crouched, and six standing in the back.

“Drop your weapons!”

“Get on the bucking ground!”

“Drop your shit, all of you!”

I threw my arms up, my gun still in my hand. The others did the same, Spike and Applebloom hiding behind me. I took a breath, and time seemed, once again, to slow as I analyzed my situation.

“Drop the gun, human!”

Each soldier had a set of modern day human armor, as well as automated weapons, ranging from AK-47’s to MP5’s, MAC 10’s to G36C’s. The hallway itself was rather long, about fifty meters in length. Both of our teams were standing at the very end, next to the exit, about fifteen meters apart. Above us sat three lights, which illuminated the hallway.

“You think those guns are supposed to scare me? I had an uzi put to the back of my head when I was only a year old. Now blades... those are scary.”

“DROP THE GUN, OR WE SHOOT!”

“Just like a dog, humans have a tendancy to react to sharp noises, like wistles. Noises like that stimulate the brain, allowing for open thought in dire moments. If you ever come to a situation involving several individuals, make that noise, and watch the magic happen.”

That fucking voice. I KNOW I’ve heard it before!

I put my gun on the ground as ordered, and got on my knees, my arms still in the air.

“The rest of you, get down!”

After I said this, I gave a sharp wistle. As soon as that was done, Derpy pulled out three muffins, and held them out.

“Could I offer you gentlecolts some delicious muffins?”

“Drop the muffins, lady!”

“As you wish.”

Derpy suddenly took her muffins, and threw them into the air, towards the lights. Upon contact, the glass of said bulbs fractured, and the room went pitch black, accompanied by gunfire. We could see them now, but they couldn’t see us, apart from the very seldom red flashes that came with the alarm system. Now, it was my teams time to shine. Let’s see what they can do.

“I’m running blind!”

“I can’t see a thing!”

“Keep firing!”

“Need backup! There’s so much blood!”

There were screams, gunshots, and metallic pings flying through my ears. The sight of death was scarce, apart from the red, and bright white flashes that allowed such a viewing. Once all subsided, I pulled out my phone to view what had transpired. I turned on the flashlight, but kept it on low to accomidate for the fifty percent battery. One body had a thick slice across the neck. Signs pointed that this was the work of Rarity’s scissors. Three corspes were covered in blue icing, and another four were doused in confetti and streamers. Obviously, this was Pinkie Pie’s work. Two more bodies had their necks broken, but by them, sat stray yellow feathers. No need for explanation there. One had a stab in the gut, with four holes, profusely bleeding across the floor. Applejack killed this one with her pitchfork. The last body had a scalpel sticking out of its skull, and a fractured forehoof, with a muffin sitting next to it. Derpy and Twi had doubleteamed this one.

“Is everyone alright?”

I was instatnly swarmed in a hug by several barely visible figures, but everyone was here, and that’s all I cared about. I picked up an M4, plus some magazines off of one of the dead guards. I would have taken body armor with me, but there wasn’t a way to put it on with my wings. We stepped over the boides of the guards, and came out onto a catwalk. Here, we had a perfect view of what looked like some kind of product processing room, as evidenced by the machine hanging on the far wall. It was a rusty iron contraption, the top of which looked like a dumpster. It then funneled down to a dispenser, which then slinked down into three tanks, filled with colors of pure red, blue, and green. Obviously, this was the Rainbow processor, and beleive me, I read the story; I know ALL about this place, but it doesn’t explain why they would take Dinky, who wasn’t even a flight school failure, or how they got all this technology. It was a no brainer, at least to me, that Dash was behind this; each of the six so far had been corrupted in some way shape or form, plus, as I said, Rainbow Factory already told the story back home. I just couldn’t beleive, like Cupcakes, it was real. Well, honestly, how was ANY of this real? I hoped to get answers soon.

3:00 AM

We continued along the upper catwalks in this room. Below us were what appeared to be several workers, trying desperately to keep other pancking ponies in place. One, a tan pony, with green and yellow in its mane, and a cutie mark that looked somewhat like a toaster from here, was picking up a small, brown pegasus colt, who was screaming and kicking at his captor. The little pegasus was then given a collar with a large industrial ring on the back end, and hooked onto a crane-like device. The tan pony pushed a button on a neighboring control pannel, followed by a loud beep. The crane then lifted up, passed over the catwalks we were standing on (the pegasus didn’t see us, he was facing the other direction, though he WAS screaming and crying for help), and slowly moved overtop of the processing macine. I knew what was going to happen next.

“Kids, Fluttershy, turn away. Now.”

And then, the most hellasciously vile scream I had ever heard filled my ears, even topping the alarm system. You know how a baby shrieks and you just feel awful, holding a feeling like: ‘Aw, poor thing, I should give them a toy or a bottle’? Yeah, THAT scream. But not just that scream, a scream like that, mixed with spoken cries of ‘help’ or ‘save me’, slowly growing distored as the crier’s own body is torn apart visciously...

I’ll never forget that scream to this day.

“There they are! Stop them!”

I looked down to the cries that were clearly directed at us. There was a pony and a griffin, suited in black, with masks on. They had two young children in their grasp.

“SCOOTALOO!”

“DAD!”

“DINKY!”

“MOM!”

“Ma’am, security team Bravo is down!”

“Send another team up there and kill them!”

“Right away!”

I readied my M4 as a team of ponies came rushing out of a door on the ground floor, and disappeared down a hallway. I opened fire from above, killing five. They were obviously coming up here to intercept us. the suited pony chained Scootaloo up to the crane as it came back down to ground level.

“HELP! DEAR CELESTIA! DAD, HELP!”

“I’m coming!”

“Oh no you don’t, dweeb!”

Suddenly, the griffin came flying up to the catwalks and tackled me to the floor. She picked me up by the neck, sceeching into my face as she set me against the support rail, holding me over the grinder just beneath us.

“So, YOU’RE the human everypony can’t seem to shut up about!”

“Everyone, go after the security team! I’ll take care of bird-lady here!”

I punched the griffin in the face, still holding onto the rifle with my other hand, by the foregrip. Her head twisted sideways with a yelp, but she came back and backhanded me with her claw, tearing my cheek open with her sharp talons.

“How DARE you try to stop one of the finest moments in Equestrian history, human!”

I spat in her face.

“How ‘bout you take that fucking mask off so I can see your cowardly face?” I tried to say as the griffon’s tallons slowly dug into my windpipe, cutting up my neck.

“As you wish, dweeb...”

She removed her mask, and frankly, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.

“Hi, Gilda.”

“How in the BUCK do you know who I am!?”

With that small moment of emotional vulnerability, I took my rifle with both hands, and slammed it up against Gilda’s neck, barring us from each other, her holding me on one end of the catwalk, just over the grinding machine, and her on the other, leaning over the ground floor with hundreds of workers watching us. Scootaloo came up behind us, the crane a good fifty meters away. She was struggling and pulling wildly, trying to break loose. From a distance, I heard gunfire and screams; the rest were in combat.

“I see you have wings, kid. Where’d you get those?”

I smacked Gilda in the face with the butt stock, and with her spare talon, she tore it from me and threw my rifle off the ledge.

“Magic. What is this about Equestrian history, you whore?”

“You’re trying to stop what we at the factory here, like to call the ‘Great Purge of Failure. It will be a landmark acheivment in the history books, let me tell you. In fact, our work is based off of one of the nightmare stories of your kind!”

“WHAT?”

“Oh, well...” Gilda chuckled under her breath, pushing me farther off the edge, into the whirring saw blades beneath me. “You never read one of the foal’s nightmare stories? They're quite interesting. The one we based our fine work off of comes from a human that lived in this mystical place called Germ-”

“I get it, bitch.”

“Really, dweeb, do you now? Becasue I think-”

“That you should duck?”

“What?”

At that, Gilda was hit in the back of the head with the crane and oncoming Scootaloo. She got sent flying forward, and tripped over me, sending her reeling off the edge of the catwalk...

and STRAIGHT into the processor, screaming and sqawking as she was slowly ground to pieces, fresh blood flying everywhere. That wasn’t rust on the machine... it was dried blood from victims past. Scootaloo was almost over the grinder. I took off into the air and hovered next to the crane, unhooking the orange pegasus from the device and snuggly wrapping her in my arms as I sat in the air.

“Don’t worry. You aren’t going anywhAUUUUGH!”

I was clipped through the right wing with a bullet. I lost any feeling or motion in it, and we both fell down, heading into the active grinder. Scootaloo and I were going to die...

...but not today.

“Hang on!”

As we fell closer and down into the funnel, I threw my mechanical arm outwards, just grabbing the edge of the machine with my steel fingers. With my flesh arm, I took Scootaloo and hoisted her over the edge.

“Run! Run, Scootaloo!”

“D-dad...!”

“Stop arguing with me and run far the fuck away from this place!”

“Scoots hopped over the edge of the machine, wrapping one hoof around it to look at me.
“I’ll be back for you, dad. I swear on it, or I’m not a Juggalo.”

“Well, you’d be a juggalette, silly.” I said with a smile, trying to shed light on the grim situation for the little pegasus. At that, the orange filly let go and fell. Soon after that, there came the masked pony, looking down at me, inside of the grinder. She was holding my M4; SHE was the one that shot my wing. I put my other arm on the ledge.

“Let’s cut to the chase. I know who you are, Rainbow Dash. Why would you do this? Did BEN make you?”

“Dash removed her mask, revealing her cyan blue face. Like all the others, her eyes were blood red.

“So, you’re the human everypony’s talking about. You know, our buddy, the statue, wants me to finish you here and now.”

“Then do it, you cunt.”

“I think not. You see, just letting you fall into the grinder would be enjoyable, but you would gunk up the machine, so there’s no point in letting you die this way. I see you’re one that wants answers though. Very well...”

Dash threw the M4 to the ground and flew over to me, hospitably picking me up out of the grinding machine, and saving my life. I didn’t know what to say, and I didn’t know if I should be kissing her hooves in gracious thanks, or kicking her ass. Blood gently flowed out of my neck, and onto my already red shirt, bathing it in an even darker crimson, as I struggled to breathe with the wounds in my esophagus. I could still hear gunfire and yells across the hallway, but then they suddenly stopped. I looked down to the ground floor, to see a crying Dinky Hooves.

“Dinky! Run away! Run with Scootaloo!”

Dash hit me with her hoof.

“You cost me the removal of two failures tonight, human.”

The radio chimed in.

“Ma’am, we got the human’s friends.”

Dear god... they were dead... I... I passed out after hearing that.

“Good. Bring them to Atomosphere’s lab. Keep an eye out for the two escaped fillies.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And kill that alarm!”

The skull kid screamed, filling the early morning sky as the once innocent Ponyville collapsed in flames, screams, and death. A young satallion fell down in a panic, right next to a pair of brown boots on a mahogany stand. He screamed and tried to pull away, but was soon jumped upon by three rabid ponies, blood flying every which way, and spattering the wooden stand next to him as his yells soon fell into a soft gurgle, then scilence.

“If you hadn’t had done what you did to me, Jad, I would never have brought you here. You fail to understand what I’ve always wanted.”

Amidst all the screams, yells, and combat that filled the earth, a musical tune seemed to fill the early morning air, which reeked of death.

"You see, Jadusable..."

“We’re not new to this game.”
“You know the rules, and so do I.”
“You chose to play, and now you will be slain.”
“I’ll crush your spirit, and make you wince and cry!”

“When we meet atop the Clock Town tower,”
“I’ll make sure that you’re in pain!”

“And I’m gonna pick you up, never gonna let you down,”
“Then I’m gonna break your bones and ignite you!”
“Gonna make your screams acute, then I will electrocute -”
“Yeah, I’m gonna kill, destroy, crush and blight you, blight you!”

“I had been caught here for so long...”
“Now that you’re here, I can take it out on you!”
“I will invade your dreams and play the song.”
“I know your nightmares, and I’ll make them all come true!”

“I just wanna ask you what you’re fearing,”
“Cause I’ll have to reprimand you!”

“O father, I pledge to you.”
“O mother, I give myself a hundred times.”
“May the moon illuminate our path.”
“We bare our souls to you,”
“To that which will bring the end.”
“Empower us with your infinite grace,”
“May we receive the greatest glory of all:”
“May we ascend to the heavens themselves!”
“We are the moon’s children;”
“We are mortal angels.”

“I just wanna ask you what you’re fearing,”
“Cause I’ll have to reprimand you!”

"Oh, I do so love a good Rickrolling..."

4:00 AM

“Dinky!”

“Scootaloo!”

The two fillies hugged eachother, Dinky crying into Scootaloo’s hooves.

“Where’s everypony else, Scoots?”

“They went to go stop security. I need to find my dad.”

“I-I don’t think this is the best time to go searching for a father you haven’t seen in-”

“No, the human, Nick!”

“...Is your father?”

“No... well, yeah... no, he... he’s the closest thing to a father I’ve ever had, and if I don’t do something, he’s going to die! I can’t affort to lose somepony that I’ve spent four months with, who’s had nothing more than mine and Applebloom’s best interest at heart!”

“I hope my mom’s okay...”

“I hope so too, Dinky. Come on! We need to go back for Nick!”

“Okay! Let’s go!”

The two fillies successfully made their way back to the catwalks without running into any resistance. Scoots peered down into the grinding machine. Nopony was there, and that meant one of two things - either Nick was dead, or he had escaped.

“Dear Celestia, please let him be alive...”

Chapter XX: The Happy Mask Salesman (Halloween Special)

Author's Note

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE TO BE MADE FOR A TWO YEAR LONG HIATUS, I AM SORRY, DEEPLY. I had fallen out of the fandom, and life moved on. EXPECT THIS STORY TO BE COMPLETED in the COMING MONTHS, but SLOWLY, due to a 3-day a week, 9-5 internship MWF and an all-day slew of classes the other days. Only weekends are free.

Also, several recent games haven't helped much either.

Latest Edition by Gyrofest96 (The numerous amounts of grammatical errors)
"I think he had a seizure, b0ss."

Chapter XX: The Happy Mask Salesman (Halloween Special)

I landed in a small pond of some kind, with just enough water to break my fall, although I did catch my leg on one of the bricks that formed the canal, and twisted my ankle in the process of landing. Catching my breath as I swam to the surface and pulled myself onto the ledge, I quickly took note of my surroundings. The area was surrounded by stone walls, and in one corner of the courtyard sat a wooden bench made out of a halved log. To its left was a stone bridge that went over the far end of the pond, and at the edge of the bridge stood a sign with a green bell hanging from it. On the far end of the courtyard was a small garden on one side, and a door leading into a building on the other. Having nowhere else to go, I tried opening the door, only to notice it locked. It was a safe bet to guess that I wasn’t in Equestria anymore, but clearly in some other town, a city perhaps, given the size of the walls.surrounding me. I went back to the sign with the bell on it, and carefully glanced it over, an ice cold chill running down my spine as I read the words on it.

Welcome home.

If I was in some kind of a town, it certainly didn’t feel like it. The air carried a chilling, lifeless feel to it, similar to what I could only describe as an October afternoon - that kind of ‘emptiness’. Even though I was clearly only in one small section of whatever town I was in, something felt off, as if everything was... dead. Dead or gone, at the very least. Collecting myself and stepping away from the sign, I looked at my handgun, which only had one round to its chamber, and slowly walked up the dirt path in front of me, the only exit out of the courtyard. As soon as I turned the corner, the Song of Unhealing began to play, but at a very low tone, and began to gradually pick up in volume. A few steps later, and I came out into a much larger area, still surrounded by walls. The area was clearly a town, although medieval looking in structure given its siege walls, and where I stood appeared to be a large plaza. The creepiest thing about the place, however, was that nobody was here, and from where I stood, the town felt absolutely empty. On top of that, upon further inspection of my surrounding and myself, the appearance had changed again. Where Equestria and my being while there took on the appearance as it was in the show, my body and the objects around me seemed to appear much more distinctly polygonal in form, almost as if it were something out of a 3D game from the early 2000’s.

A game...

Then I stopped, and walked down the small stairwell to my left, only to take notice of a towering monolith of a structure, that went well above the city walls. A structure that I recognized immediately - a large tower with two gigantic wooden doors, with blue and red designs splattered across them. The tower was made of stone, and a few feet up, there was a small wooden platform with another wooden door. Not even five feet above that sat the centerpiece of the tower - a giant wooden wheel, the outer rim of which suddenly moved to the right a few inches with a loud ker-chunk, and a second later the inner face of the wheel followed suit.

Clock Town.

As the freezing air gently danced around me and thrashed my hair about in the wind, I could immediately tell that it was down to BEN and I, with not another living creature within a thousand miles. There were no guards, carpenters, or even a dog, and upon looking up, the moon was nowhere to be found. The only thing that pointed to any sign of life was the giggle of the Mask Salesman overtop the Song of Unhealing, and I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. My first attempt at finding him was inside the clock tower, so, drawing my gun and gently pushing open the gigantic doors with my free hand, I carefully made my way inside, only to find absolutely no one. Turning to go back outside, I was greeted with the statue as soon as I opened the doors again, which forced out a scream. I ran for it up the stairs and took a left, going into the West side of town. As soon as I passed through the small archway, the ground began to morph and change, slowly fading away into nothingness. Just like the game back home, I was walking on air, and all the ‘textures’ of the world had dropped out. Still, I could hear my shoes touching dirt, and I could feel the ground beneath me when I bent down to touch the sky, if only for a brief moment. I passed every door I came across, with the exception of one: the dojo. I don’t know why I walked in, but as I put my robotic hand to the door, the mask salesman laughed again, and the Song of Unhealing died again. Stepping into the dojo, I asked in vain:

“Anybody? Someone here?”

I slowly made my way to the center of the training ring, putting my gun away. The instructor wasn’t there, and there was nothing more to the room other than an eerie silence whose only rival in such a regard would be a completely abandoned New York City. I approached the small wooden sign next to the instructor’s cushion, and like the one before it, the words were written in plain English.

“BEN is getting lonely. I’m so glad you could come back to play, Nick.”

A chilling feeling much like ice flew through my veins as I read the last line, and I made the regretful step of walking into the back room of the dojo, for as soon as I did, the statue materialized in front of me like it did in the game with its green energy funnel, trapping me between it and the stack of crates to my left. As the idol’s freakish gaze pierced into my soul, I screamed in fear and, out of pure panic, ran out of the room as fast as I humanly could, and kicked down the door, the skull kid letting out his deafening scream.

But as the door fell down to the ground, I came to notice that it no longer led outside. On the other side of the archway was a long hall composed of moldy, dark green bricks made of limestone. Stepping through the doorway, the song of unhealing picked up again, and a chilling air accompanied it. The area smelt rank, like raw sewage, and as I made my way down the blindingly dark path I heard the sound of the statue’s formation again, and cringing in fear at the tone accompanying the twisted song. There he was, BEN, standing right behind me.

I screamed in pure, unadulterated fear, and ran farther into the sewer line, only to turn around as the statue materialized in front of me and forced me to sprint back the way I came. I darted out of the dark exit, however, only to be brought to a completely different place once I made my way through the pitch black opening.

Where I stood now was in a gigantic wooden arena of some kind, clearly high off the ground. The footing I was standing on was eerily reminiscent of the face of a clock. The area was lined with large, green pots, and, right above me sat the one creature aside from BEN that haunted my dreams to my dying day.

Skull Kid.

Now, I don’t know what I was thinking, but I instinctively went for my handgun. I gripped hold of it, only to notice that it had a clip in it this time around, and had, including the one in the chamber, exactly three rounds. I took aim, and without even thinking, pulled the trigger.

One shot.

*clink*

Two.

*clink*

Three.

*clink*

Every shot I made simply bounced off of the mask, just like the arrows in the game, and on the third one, Skull Kid spoke to me. Not through some text box, no. He actually spoke, with audible words, his voice sounding like that of a child, but unlike anything in the realm of reality. If I could give an explanation to what his voice sounded like, I would have to say something along the lines of ‘innocently demonic’.

“That won’t do you any good... Heehee!”

At that moment, I felt my feet slowly lifting off the ground, and my pistol fell out of my hand. I was lifted onto my back, into the air, all at the mercy of the Skull Kid. Any minute now, I was going to explode into a ball of flames, electricity, and smoke.

“When I die,”
“Show no pitty.”
“Send my soul to Juggalo City.”
“Dig my grave six feet deep.”
“Put two matches by my feet.”
“Put two hatchets on my chest.”
“And tell my homies I did my best.”

“Oh, quit that praying. It’s not going to help you.”

I opened my eyes, quite shocked to see that the little husk-faced imp floating above me hadn’t obliterated my body out of existence, and as I sat there in suspension, the Skull Kid spoke again.

“When you first came to Equestria, Jadusable, I saw it as a chance to try and kill you. For the first few days, I mustered everything in my power to try and eliminate you, but you had pure luck on your side, and survived every single attempt I made a ending you. In fact, I considered killing you here and now, and watching that worthless waste of flesh you’re carrying with you burn to a crisp.” The masked imp continued to say as my pulse began racing.

“Then, I remembered that you had an anger problem, and used that to my advantage. You see, every time you get angry, you give me power. If you haven’t noticed by now, I feed off of personal weaknesses and extreme emotional bouts. For Pinkie Pie, it was her schizophrenia. For Dash, it was her fear of failure, and for Celestia, I took the stress of her job, and turned her frustration into doctoral anger, putting Equestria into a dystopian police state.” The boy continued to say, a childish glee about his voice.

Ice flew down my body in droves. So here.... here were the bone-chilling answers I had been waiting for.

“With the help of Discord, I used your sadness to make you dig up Sweetie Belle’s grave. You left so much negative energy there, that it literally gave me power to raise the dead. And you killing Carrot and Flim? I did nothing but show you some images, images that you took offense to, and let your anger do the talking, which lead to their deaths. YOU did it. You and the others around you are the cause for the way things have become. All I did was plant a small seed of corruption, and Equestria has run rampant with madness. Everything that had happened, from your murders, to the zombies, to Twilight’s experiments and the ruined economy of Equestria all started because I simply said a few words, and possessed a few weak-willed fools.”

He was right about one thing. Anger. I had so much of it. Every. Little. Thing. It all took a toll on my psyche, and I had very little to spare. So when the rage began to boil again, I let it rip and screamed at the top of my lungs.

“DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GODDAMN GAME, BEN!?”

The imp simply chuckled, setting me down to the face of the clock tower.

“It’s been nothing BUT a game. At first, I was angry at you. I wanted you dead. I-”

“Why...? What did I ever do to you, kid?” I couldn’t help but interrupt, eager to get my answers, since I knew not where the future was going.

The Skull Kid hovered down to me, coming just inches from my person. I shuffled back in a panic, falling to my back and immediately shuffling to the edge of the tower on my hands. The husked imp then hopped onto my stomach, the wicked, infamous mask now touching my face. I was locked in pure panic, almost unable to move. Paralysis had taken my entire being, and I began to quiver and shake.

“Let’s start from the beginning, Nicholas...”

The lost boy hopped off of me, the midget now pacing angrily back and forth at my feet.

“As you life your life in the realm of the living, Nicholas, you exert energies. The more time you concentrate on or in something, the more energy you provide to the object or location in question.”

“H’okay... so what does that even mean?”

Ice continued to flow through my blood, fear starting to encase me as the looming shadow of death drew ever nearer.

“It means, say, if you spend most of your life at a mall, you can expect it, or a portion of it at least, to become haunted with your soul when you die. In theory, you could haunt more than one place at a time.”

“...So, because you had such an attachment-”

“To the game, because it was my pride and joy, I was sealed away. Yes.”

I was confused. “So what? What makes that a bad thing?”

The imp sighed, jumping off my body, now pacing back and forth.

“You aren’t very bright, are you?”

Here, the Skull Kid began to pace in front of me.

“Despite the fact that, when you die, you are tied to haunt certain locations forever, it does not mean you can’t freely move about the universe. Spirits can freely travel between dimensions and worlds when they die.”

“So... does this explain how I can talk to my father?”

The imp came back soft and kind.

“Yes. But I? Because I was trapped INSIDE of an object, I was not given that freedom. I couldn’t even communicate with the program inside of the game... until you turned it on.”

“So you’re telling me that you were unable to do ANYTHING for ten whole years, just sitting in a box of computer chips and wires?”

“Yes. I was never given the freedom most dead had. I couldn’t rest in peace.”

“I still don’t understand. Why are you angry at me? What did I do to you?”

The mask snapped back to my face, the bulging, bloody eyes piercing into my soul like nails as my heart sank into my stomach while a cloud of fear began to engulf me.

“Well, because I was trapped inside of the game for years, I needed you. You were my only chance at freedom. Remember in your first little blog post, how you said ‘something sort of drew me to that house’? That was me, exerting all the power I could, trying to get into your mind - ‘please take me home, please free me, please help me, stranger’... These were the things that I was begging in my head. You were my only way to freedom. I needed your help.”

The imp walked up to me, placing his right hand under my chin playfully, with a childish giggle trailing behind in the air.

“So, when you got home, I tried to communicate with you. I mixed up the file names, trying to say: ‘Hi, I’m Ben. Can we talk, please?”

The imp then drew backwards, looking up to the sky, and avoiding eye contact with me. Now was my chance. I threw my arm outwards for a punch to the boy’s face.

“Bad. Move.”

Skull Kid immediately gripped hold of my incoming projectile, tossing me to the ground with unrelenting force. My face went reeling into the clock tower. I immediately sat up, spitting out yet another tooth and a small ball of blood.

“Are you mad at me about deleting the file?”

The little scarecrow looked at me for a moment, before lifting up the soul-crushing, cursed mask that covered his face. And he laughed. Just.... laughed.

“About deleting the file? Hell no. It’s a game. That’s not what bothered me at all.”

Oh god. This went deeper...

“So... what did?”

At this, the image of the Skull Kid faded away, and with the all-too familiar sound of the statue teleport, I was soon met with that grinning, forest-green idol, it’s mind-crushing smile piercing straight through me.

“The fact that you saw me as a threat, and treated me like one. The entire time I tried to communicate with you, you were retroactively avoiding me. Trying to kill my avatar. Trying to run from me as far as you can.”

“No-no dip, man! You scared me half to death! I was only reacting like any sane man would!”

“Well, regardless, that made me angry. In response, I tried being aggressive - killing Link, threatening you, playing mind games... it’s an eye for an eye, Jadusable. You saw me as an enemy, so I started to treat you like one.”

The statue only stood there, but in one moment, as I blinked, the thing came within inches from my face. I screamed and stood up, nearly falling backwards off the side of the tower.

“Then... that final day... the day you let me out into the internet with your friend and that flash drive? That’s the day you sealed your fate. You destroyed the cartridge and your laptop - You. Tried. To. Exorcise. Me. That moment.... right there...”

My heart racing in fear, I went for one of the large pots lining the tower and immediately chucked it at the bust. I don’t know why; I guess I was just getting desperate and scared.

“The fact that you TRIED to kill me... That put you on my list, Nick.”

“You’re a spirit! How could I even kill you anyway!?” I shot back in anger and uncertainty.

“Through an exorcism, simply. The good thing is, you don’t know how to go about one - if you think fire is all you need, you’re mistaken - sorely. You see, Jad, the thing about an exorcism is, just like killing a living creature in the mortal world, spirits will NOT come back after they’re done. You threatened me. And I’ve taken great lengths to try and kill you for your insolence.”

So there it was - the answer to why he was angry. The answer to our age old rivalry and what it was all truly about.

But it didn’t answer the other questions.

If he wanted me dead, why was he keeping me alive?

How does Equestria exist?

How did he turn everyone into corrupt freaks?

How are spirits capable of leaving their world?

How can spirits communicate clearly in Equestria, but not home?

Why were there copies of real human history in the Canterlot archives?

And of all things....

Why did he choose Equestria to do his dirty work? Why not some other world?

“If you’re going to take me... can I at least have answers?”

I stood up, readying myself for combat as the statue stood there, it’s crushing gaze barreling down on me like a freight train.

“Fair enough... as you know, when you die, you obviously don’t go to a ‘heaven’ or ‘hell’, at least, in your ‘real’ world... and, as you already know, you become a spirit, being given very limited interactions with the living - most spirits can’t do anything more than move a curtain or push a door.”

11:00 AM

Meanwhile, back in Canterlot city square...

“Everypony! Everypony, may I have your attention!” Shining Armor’s voice boomed throughout the regal town’s plaza, bringing a swift an abrupt end to the quarreling and unrest that flooded the square. “Thank you. As you already know, Equestria is under attack. In the past few months, we have turned on each other for reasons unknown. It is no doubt that most of you have heard of or met this bizarre statue that has taken Equestria by storm, and seen what it has done to Ponyville.”

A few murmurs among the crowd began as various ponies looked to each other in fear, disturbance, and worry. Just the mere mention of the statue rocked everypony to the very core, and ran chills of ice through their bodies.

“There are rumors going around that this statue, in some form or another, is allied with the changelings, as well as the recently escaped Discord. Whatever the case, we as a nation are under attack. To make matters worse, it seems not only Equestria, but the planet is now at stake.” Armor continued to speak, pointing a hoof up to the porous rock above, which caused various citizens to bring their gazes skyward. Many fell to the ground in fear, screaming as they covered their heads over their hooves. Children hid underneath and behind their parents, and several others attempted to turn tail and run, but were peacefully intercepted by guards.

“To top things off, we have the matter of the human.”

At the mere mention of this, public reaction was sporadic. Some cheered, others booed, and even more cowered. It seemed like even speaking the forbidden word ‘human’ a second time would likely incite a riot here and now. Still, with all the soldiers in the square, Armor was willing to take that risk, it seemed.

“Now calm down! I understand that we all have mixed views of the human that has appeared. For those that have only heard stories and rumors, I can assure you that the existence of this human is as real as Celestia’s own sun. What you saw in the local newspaper speaks the truth. Some of you, for better or worse, have already met him. We’ve heard horror stories of humans before, and while the one in our midst is certainly a frightening character, He is without a doubt an important asset to our survival. Now for those who weren’t there, you may disagree, but without his tactical prowess and capabilities, my men and I as well as hundreds of others would not have survived the undead scourge that took Ponyville. Some of you may disagree with my assessment, but it is the honest, unmistakable truth. Those that have come from Ponyville, step forward now.”

At the stallion’s request, a good four-hundred ponies broke from the crowd, and made their way between the other citizens and Armor’s battalion of troops.

“These ponies have seen, firsthand, how dangerous the statue can be. By the same token, they have also seen how aggressive and unpredictable the human can be.”

“But we have seen how kind he can be.” A female suddenly spoke up from the Ponyville crowd. The others fell silent as a tan mare with a curly pink and navy blue mane walked next to the square fountain. “He saved me as I was about to be eaten alive.”

“Even though he killed my husband out of anger, he made sure that my babies and I went to go see a doctor after Carrot beat us in a drunken rage.” Cup Cake suddenly added, making herself and the babies strapped to her in harness known. “If he hadn’t taken charge of that situation, my children and I would have died on the way to the hospital.”

“He may be right violent, but he is capable of showing mercy.” Two stallions said together, coming to the side of the two mares, slowly adding to the third crowd in the center of the plaza. “He could have easily killed me and left me for dead in my factory.” The first stallion, a red, heavily bandaged pegasus said, coming to the crowd. He was followed by a tan unicorn with a blue and white sweater vest and wide-brimmed hat. This stallion was also heavily bandaged and bruised, who also spoke.

“He could have killed me, but he was merciful enough to let me live. Then, he saved my life in Ponyville, and kept me from being eaten alive by my brother, Flim.”

“He saved my friends and family from a life of servitude at Carousel Boutique.” A brown-coated and sickly looking pony said, with a thick accent, and as he broke from the main crowd to join the other speakers, was accompanied by a good ninety ponies.

“And he and his friends saved us all!” Another pony blurted, stepping forth with a multitude of others, which was a group largely comprised of pegasi, some injured, some sick, and others, clearly mentally deficient. He spared us all a grueling death.”

“He freed us after we were wrongfully accused by the martial law!” the head of another group, that looked like they had just crawled out of a dungeon said and stepped forward with their acquaintances.

“An’ he’s a right hospitable feller! He’s been takin’ care of mah granddaughters and farm since he came here, an’ never asks for nothin’ in return!” Granny Smith added, slowly coming to the crowd with her walker in hoof. “He’s a good boy!”

“Our daughter’s death was the fault of that statue.” Another stallion suddenly interjected, then stepped forward into the group of Jadusable’s supporters, along with his wife. “If the human is fighting against the thing that took Sweetie Belle away from us, that’s enough of a reason for me. to pick up a weapon and stand by his side.”

“Well, that’s perfect.” Armor finished, quelling the impending riot that was likely to break out between the three groups of ponies at any given moment. “Princess Celestia herself has given me an official order stating that, should anypony be willing to volunteer, must intercept and reinforce him at the Everfree Forest.

“Well, let’s get to it!” Flam, Atmosphere, and Magnum Belle said together. “The longer we stay here, the-”

The three stallions were cut off, and the square fell chillingly cold as silence overtook the area. The only thing that could be heard was what sounded like a volley of animals coming this way. And that certainly was the case. Mammals made their way up the mountain’s edge, flooding the square. Most of them were small creatures such as raccoons and bunnies. Birds flew their way into the square and landed around the others. Ponies stared in amazement at the sudden influx of wildlife.

“What is this!?” Shining Armor asked, looking at the many small creatures, sickly malnourished in appearance, as well as clearly physically abused, began to collect in the plaza. a squirrel began chattering wildly, as if attempting to speak.

“Does anypony know what they’re saying?”

“I... I do.” the barely audible voice of a stallion came from the crowd. Armor nodded in the direction of the voice.”

“Step forward, citizen. What is your name?”

The new pony that had made his way timidly through the crowd and revealing himself, shying back a bit, spoke, almost dead silent.”

“I... I”m B-Butterscotch.”

“I’m sorry, son, you’ll have to speak up.”

“My... my name is Butterscotch.”

“Well, Butterscotch, do you know what the animals are saying?”

The butter yellow stallion tilted his muzzle next to the talkative squirrel, and, though frightened of crowds, translated for the officer ahead of him.

“The little squirrel here says a filly saved them from an abusive life, and he says that some of his friends, before they got locked up, saw the filly spending time with the human. If they can trust that filly, they can trust the human. If the little kid likes him, how bad can he be?”

Armor nodded, looking at the group of ponies and animals, which amounted to a good six hundred (out of the thousands that were standing in the area).

“So, you would all be willing to offer him assistance?”
“Yes sir!”

“Absolutely!”

“Si, senior!

“Well then, I’ll have the princess inform him. Anypony else willing to go to Everfree Forest?”

Not another soul stepped forward.

“That settles it then. Those that aren’t aiding the human, begin reinforcing the city with as much improvisational protection as possible. Reinforcements, begin making your way to the forest.”

“Right away!”

“*sigh* I really wished more ponies held faith in that kid. He’s a good man.” Armor thought to himself, disappearing in a pink flash.

A few minutes earlier...

“Well, he did lie to me about killing Mr. Cake. You could be right, Rainbow Dash.”

“Of course I am, Pinkie! He’s been nothing but trouble. He’s the reason Sweetie Belle died, remember!?”

“Rainbow, darling, what is all this shouting about? Honestly!” Rarity chimed in, walking up to the three other mares gathered around a tree as the earth was shaken with another quake from the menacing rock above.

“Oh, nothing, just about how Nick is responsible for YOUR sister’s death!”

“How dare you say that! It was that statue’s fault in the first place! Nick showed me everything! Rarity snapped, initially gasping in shock at the statement.

“Rarity, come on. Aren’t you at least worried for your safety around him?” Pinkie suddenly replied.

“Well, he can be quite the rufian at times, and what he did at my boutique was certainly horrific...you know what, you’re right. He’s going to cause more trouble for us.”

“Not to mention that mouth of his. It’s horrible for my Dinky.” Derpy suddenly added as she overheard the conversation of the others.

“Eeyup.”

“An’ he’s the reason Applejack got taken away!” The young filly, Applebloom abruptly reinforced.

Slowly and surely, Rainbow Dash was drawing the attention of all her friends, all of them completely oblivious to the fact that much like their adventures before, the color from their skin and fur were beginning to fade.

“Yeah... he’s um, really scary...”

“I’m just glad he was merciful enough to spare Mrs. Cake.”

“And all those lives he ended at my boutique! What a monster!

“If we kept him around any longer, he could have hurt my little Dinky!”

“Eeyup.”

After rallying the others around, Twilight finally took charge of the group, the shade of her flesh the grayest of all.

“Then it’s settled, everypony. He’s the reason for everything, and we need to undo his evil.”

“I can’t believe you all!” a young voice suddenly shrieked, drawing the attention of everypony to an orange, violet-eyed filly a few feet behind the rest. “You’re just going to turn on him like that? I know he’s got problems, but for the love of Celestia, he means well. Sure, he can be violent, but I know he’s better than he looks. He may have the mouth of a sailor, he may look gruff and violent, and hey, he may even kill others at times, but when situations get desperate, ponies and people change! When he first came here, wasn’t he nice and polite to your family, Applebloom?”

“Yeah, but...”

“But what? He beat up your brother? Big Mac was going to kill him! He HAD to fight back!”

“Scootaloo, aren’t you afraid he’s going to, you know, hurt you some day?” Dash asked, the multitude of eyes now barreling down on the little pegasus. Scootaloo sighed, kicking up a pile of dirt with her front hoof.

“You know what, I do. Some days, I’m afraid he’s going to snap one day, he’s so unpredictable. He’s bi-polar, he’s paranoid, and he’s probably developed some form of PTSD after everything we’ve been through. But I owe him my life, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s a very good person. Some of his aggressiveness may be rubbing off on me, but I know he’s just a young guy that wants to go home. His time here has changed him for the worse. When he first came here, he was afraid, he was scared, and he wouldn’t even think about hurting a soul until his anger took hold. I hold my faith in him, and so does Applejack. She fell in love with him for everything about him, even his bad side. She looks up to him because-”

“Because Applejack lives day after day working her flank off on a farm, and hasn’t had a coltfriend since elementary school.” Big Mac suddenly interrupted. Trust me, I should know. She’s getting desperate for a companion is all.”

“No, Big Mac, because she’s seen what he’s like on a good day. She KNOWS what a good man he can be. Twilight, remember when you, me, and Pinkie were living on the farm after we got out of the hospital? Remember how he’d help Applebloom and I fall asleep with a lullaby when we couldn’t stop thinking of Sweetie Belle? He’d play with us outside, spend time with us, help around the farm without question, help us with our math homework, and take care of Granny Smith. He did all that without wanting anything more than some food and a bed, and he took care of us like his own family. He is a good man, and any good man lives by a set of morals. The biggest one he follows is that ‘Love does not hurt, nor does it seek to destroy. I too, shall not hurt or seek to destroy’.”

“Don’t you see the hypocrisy in that, Scootaloo!?” Dash threw back, pointing an accusing hoof at the filly, who was then backed by Twilight. “If he really followed that saying he taught you, he certainly doesn’t show it!”

“Dash is right, you know. I forgave him for what he did to me, for what he did to Carrot and the FlimFlam brothers. I even forgave him for the four ponies he killed at the boutique, Scootaloo, but lately, he’s gotten unbelievably aggressive. Sure, he’s helping us stop BEN, but he IS the reason BEN is here. Doesn’t that scream that he’s the root of the problem? I mean, let’s look at this scientifically. He CLAIMS to be a peaceful man, but all I’ve seen in his wake is death and destruction.”

Scootaloo brought her head down in shame for a moment, crushed that her friends would turn on her and the immense amount of faith that she had in her father figure, before looking to one last ally, one last beacon of hope.

“Spike, don’t leave me hanging here, please!”

The baby dragon stared quizzically at Scootaloo, then turned his head to the others, repeating this process for about thirty seconds, then looked up to the sky, only to catch a glimpse of the wicked moon above, swallowing a lump in his throat as another earthquake rocked the world. Then he looked back down to the filly in front of him.

“I’m sorry, Scoots, but I’mma have to side with them.”

So that was it. With a sense of betrayal crushing down on her, Scootaloo immediately turned around, and began trekking back through the woods, attempting to go find Nick’s footprints again.

“Scootaloo, wait!”

“Hey, come back!”

“Scoots, I didn’t mean it, I’m just looking out for your safety!”

*BURP*

Spike wiped his mouth as a letter passed through in a bright green flame, and gently fell to the grass. Twilight, before anyone could have a look, took the parchment with her magic, unfurled it, and began to read.

Nicholas,

Captain Armor has prepared a battalion of reinforcements to come and assist you. Unfortunately, they will be unable to intercept you at Everfree Forest in time, and will likely only be at Ponyville by midnight. My sister, despite peaceful attempts, refuses to relinquish the moon, and after numerous failed attempts, I’ve come to the conclusion that I can not stop it.

Frantically trying to save my nation,

Princess Celestia.

“Well, that’s it, we’re done for.”

“Spike, that’s not helping.”

“Come on guys, we can do this without him. We’ve saved Equestria before, we can do it again.” Dash exclaimed, watching as Scootaloo disappeared out of sight, confident that the filly was heading to Canterlot for safety, and began walking deeper into the forest.

And a few miles away, not too far from the border of the forest, sat a lone, Brown Draconequus, with a set of puppeteering strings in hand. hovering just above the group of ponies and one baby dragon.

“This is the last order I’m taking from, you, BEN. I’m not your slave.”

12:00 PM

“You want your answers?” BEN asked me, the air arounds us growing thin and vile with each word that left the corn-husked Skull Kid floating above me. “Very well. Let us start, Jadusable, with spirits and how death works, shall we?” Skull kid inquired with his trademark giggle as the imp disappeared from my field of vision without any trace. Night almost immediately fell, and now I was standing atop this tower in pitch darkness. All I could hear was a low, howling noise in the air around me, and the feeling of cold, sharp metal against my neck could be felt, though no blade was visible.

“You see, death does not mean your end as a spirit. You are, if not trapped in something…” The boy stopped at this remark, the Skull Kid tightening its husk of a fist. “...able to travel among all the different worlds out there. You are not tied to your place of birth or death.”

I simply sat there, allowing the demon to continue its lecture. There really wasn’t much else I could do. And, if I was going to die, at least I could get some answers.

“To answer your first question, spirits are capable of leaving if they don’t have any restraints holding them back, like being sealed away.Spirits are capable of communicating here much easier because of Equestria’s magical properties - more ‘tech-centric’ worlds have lesser vessels for spiritual conversation. Places like, Hyrule, Tamriel, Oz, and Equestria however...”

“So you’re saying more ‘magical’ worlds are spirit friendly, and is the reason it’s easier for communications?” I managed to ask, fear coursing through my veins in a shower of adrenaline.

“Exactly. And it’s the very reason I got my capabilities. Humanity would have died long anogo from angry spirits if the world didn’t have barriers keeping us from lashing out. Do you have ANY idea how many purposeless spirits roam the human world, angry at the living?”

I stopped him then and there, ignoring his rhetoric.

“Wait... you mentioned... Hyrule? As in, Hyrule from Zelda?”

“Yes? What of it, boy?” BEN asked, a tone about him as if I should have known it did.

“Are you... saying it exists?” I managed to squeak, exasperated at the thought of the existence of dead land and prospect of death at any moment.

“Just as much as Equestria does. You see... when I was trapped in the game, it served as a gateway, of sorts, to the Zelda universe. I could interact with the people there like any other, but due to its spirit-friendly properties, I was able to … strike a deal.” BEN finished, with his innocently impish laugh.

“Deal? I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t. You never bothered to pay any attention to me until I was threatening your life.” The kid replied with a wiseass tone about him. “Remember the good old mask man? He offered me a deal where he would help me manipulate the game in such a way - play with your mind in just the right patterns, that you’d set me free. In turn, I’m supposed to give you up to him after we’re done talking here, but in my blind rage in the first few days, I’ve been trying to kill you myself. I just remembered that I have to turn your into him if I want my true freedom....”

Right there was when the true, pure fear kicked in. Death was waiting around the corner for me, and this time around, there didn’t look like a way out. I began to sweat and panic, nearly break out crying, as my life began to flash before me. That was, until the most soothing, angelic voice I had been graced with came to my ears. The fear then, simply seemed to melt away.

“Fear not, my child. The angered on shall not hurt you, so long as your and your friends are under my watch...”

The voice of what I could only describe as a goddess danced across my eardrums, a sweet, soothing voice, as pure and clean as fine silk entwined itself around me. I don’t think BEN heard it as he continued to speak without missing a beat.

“You see, your world gives birth to any fictional world it creates. To put this into perspective, did you ever watch a show called ChalkZone when you were a boy? The properties function very much like that. And those books? The ones with your world’s history? If the world in question has nothing to do with its creators in the slightest, in Equestria’s case, no humans, then everything historical from the parent world becomes THEIR fiction.”

“But what about the spirits? How come my parents can communicate with em from worlds away?

“Why, that’s simple, Jad. You’re their connection.” BEN added with another laugh. Because you’re IN Equestria, your parents have a direct link to travel between the dimensions. You’re fortunate I sent you there, and that was thanks to building up power by feeding off Equestria’s energies. That’s why I spent a good week or so in there before pulling you through - I didn’t have the power right off the bat. I had to feed off Spike and Celestia’s emotional flaws to build up enough energy..”

“Why did you.... you know... send me to Equestria of all places? If your goal is to kill me, why didn’t you just like, send me to some other world that’s thousands of times more dangerous?

BEN’s next answers was perhaps the most chilling, single most terrifying sentences I’d heard in my life.

“Because Equestria meant something to you. You used it as a way to try and escape me - cleanse me from your mind. By sending you here, and twisting it to break your spirit and sanity.... I’ve gotten oodles of fun out of this adventure!” The demonic kid giggled in excitement.

“It was all just to fuck with you. Make you suffer in emotional torment, and make you feel the anguish I’ve put up with for a decade.”

“But... one more question...” I could only ask in fear, unable to show my anger and want to ultimately destroy the imp before me.

“Go ahead, boy...

Here was the big question I had - how did it all work? What was the science behind these other worlds and their existence? Was it possible to travel to these other worlds without spiritual assistance?

“So... if I’m in Termina right now... does that mean... it’s possible to travel dimensions without your help?”

Skull Kid simply laughed at me and hovered to the air, picking me up with him like he did Link. I swallowed in pure fear.

“But of course, Nick. Like I said, any fictional world that your world makes is born, and with that, comes dimensional gates.”

“‘gates’?”

“Oh yes, and they’re everywhere. People and objects slip through them all the time!” The demon ahead of me spoke with such enthusiasm like a scientist discovering and sharing a breakthrough. “The most common of them come from the classic ‘losing things in the couch, never to be seen again’. They come in many different forms, too. Ever wonder what happened to Amelia Earhart and 2Pac? Dimensional gates. They come in many different shapes and sizes. Most are no bigger than a TV remote, which explains why so many people lose them, and missing people are rare. The gates are invisible to the eye, and are often located in large areas, such as open fields or thick forests, so if you walk through one, you generally won’t know right away. Your world is actually home to the biggest one on record - A small chunk of ocean, about five-hundred thousand square miles, off the coast of Florida. I believe they call it the Bermuda Triangle.”

So it all came out. How I got here, how he got his power, how the worlds of fiction came to be, and why he did it. But it left me with only a few more questions.

One: how did he get from the game, to the internet, to Equestria, and...

Two: BEN still said it was the fault of humanity for Equestria turning into what it is. How?

“You know, I would be watching over your friends right about now...” The demonic voice of the statute said, it's vile tones looming in the air about me. “But unfortunately, I’m still not perfect, despite how much power I’ve syphoned; I unfortunately can’t watch multiple things at once, which is why I haven’t killed your friends, wherever they may be... yet.. I would have killed you already if toying with you weren't so much fun, and the only reason I do is simply because you don’t have the object you need to stop me.”

Sadness and fear hit once more. My composure had broken again, and I just let the tears flow without a care in the world. There are some things in life, that no matter how hard you fight them, they are going to win.

BEN was one of those things.

“I just wanna go home, BEN... please...”

“You got the answers you were looking for. Now, it’s time to make sure you don’t use that knowledge against me... I’ve had so much fun with you... but sadly... if I am to continue on, I’m going to have to let you go....

“Just.... please... Send me home...”

“I cannot do that. You are going to die here, Jadusable. The Mask Man is waiting. I must fulfill my end of the bargain. Besides, even if I wanted to keep you alive? You’re too close to ruining my plans. I cannot afford, in good conscience, to let you continue.”

There was another white flash, and the clock tower faded away with BEN’s chilling vocals. I just wanted to break down crying.

“Goodbye, Jadusable... It’s been fun.” I could hear him say, as the curtain of death drew closer and began to encase me.

“Oh, and, when you die, tell my grandfather, the old geezer who sold me to you, that I’ll come for him next. Tell him he shouldn’t have drowned me.”

This was it... it was over. Everything I had fought against, all the ponies and people who died... and.... then it hit me.

Oh. My. God...

All those worlds.... the people and creatures yet to feel BEN’s wrath...

I then came to the realization of what I truly unleashed on the universe.

If I was to die, so be it. I just hoped the others could finish what I could not.

The group of ponies and the baby dragon among them continued on their trail, until they came to what could only be described as a gigantic, hollowed out log. The entirety of it was surrounded by a wall of thick coniferous foliage, and so nopony could see around it. There was a small amount of light at the far end, but aside from this, the group could not see what lay on the other side, if anything at all.

“Where do you think this goes to?” Fluttershy asked timidly, falling behind Big Macintosh and hiding in her mane out of fear..

“I don’t know, but we should probably try going through.” Twilight piped up, looking to the others for acknowledgement, who gave nods of agreement. The violet mare looked toward the rotted out formation, and readied herself, standing upright and prepared. “So then we’re stepping in.”

The group slowly made their way to the other side, and as the other end of the log gave way to a small, luscious clearing, a strange, and somewhat chilling song that nopony recognized began to play. The gang continued on its journey, until the clearing they were in gave way to a much larger one. Here, there was a small parting in the forest canopy, allowing some light to shine through to the forest floor. The rays that parted through the canopy leaves gently shone down on a white marble altar. Atop it was a trapezoid-shaped stand, also made of the same material, and on the face of the stand sat the engraved image of a triad. Within the stand itself sat a very apparent blade, and the general appearance of the area (as well as the group at large) came off as a darker, grittier, and more realistic look than that of Equestria. Obviously, they were no longer in their land, but where were they?

“Is that a sword?” Dash asked, flying over to the hilted blade upon the alter, its beacon of light shimmering down upon it. She examined the weapon in question. Starting from the top, the hilt of blade was a dark violet shade, the tip of which balled off in the shape of an octagon. The handle was notched multiple times in half-inch increments. At the end of the grip was the hilt, which spanned out in a somewhat hexagonal curve, and appeared to be carved into, its design very reminiscent of birds’ wings. at the end, and between these two sides of the hilt, on either end of the blade sat a golden jewel, that shone with a vivid brightness. From there, the blade began, starting very thin - for about three inches down, the blade only about four in width. After this, the weapon itself became much broader, widening itself by another five or so inches, before tapering off a very thick and broad point some time later. At the base of the large end of the sharpened blade was the same triad symbol that was engraved in the pedestal. Macintosh, the strongest of the group, walked forward and placed his mouth to the handle. With all of his strength, he pulled, but reeled back in pain as he felt a tooth crack.

“Augh! Ponyfeathers!”

Once again, he attempted, this time wrapping his hooves around the blade and pulling upwards with all his might, though for naught. Minutes later, he collapsed in exhaustion.

“Geez, that sword don’t wanna come out.”

The whiteness faded away and the chilling loneliness returned. With a throbbing migraine, my eye opened to beautiful, blue sky, and I sat up to take not that I was in the middle of a lush, green field, one that was surrounded by a small mountain range, and was occupied by several buildings. A thatched roof barn, a colonial-era home, a large chicken coop, and a gigantic brick structure with the image of a dog plastered upon the top.

Romani Ranch.

Out of instinct, I stood, readied myself, and took hold of my gun. In search of any sign of life, I slowly approached the farmhouse, and made my way across the chilling, empty expanse of wheat grass. As I closed the distance to the farmhouse, I noticed the locked fence was home to a small pony, orange in shade, and... Epona?

No. It was orange, but it was a very light shade, and instead of platinum blonde, it's mane-

“Sugarcube? Oh Celestia, Nick, is that you!?”

Ecstatic at the voice I knew to be Applejack, I immediately rushed over to the fence, wrapping my hands around it. She stood upon her back legs, wrapping her hooves around me, a smile running across her tear-soaked face.

“Ah knew ya would come after me... Ah knew ah’d see yah again...”

“How did you know I’d end up here?” I asked her, concerned that she had possibly fallen into delirium as I continued to hold and comfort her to the best of my abilities.

“Ah didn’t. Ah just held faith that maybe, by some freak chance, ya’d show up. Now get me outta here! Yah know, like little Scoots wanted me to.”

I took a look at the padlock upon the fence, and with nothing to cut it down or break it open, I instead readied my weapon, stacked against the house, and kicked the door clean off its hinges. Nobody was there, and taking a look around the small living area, I took note of a rustic set of iron keys being held by a simple nail in the wall. I took hold of them, I walked back outside and opened up the cast-iron fence. Applejack came hobbling out and wrapped her hooves around me. I crouched down to match her height, and gently brought my arms around her, digging my face into her shoulder.

“Ah’m so glad ya came to get me. Thank yah for saving me, Nick.”

“I haven’t saved you, Applejack,” I added, glancing around the ranch built out of digitized, sixty-four bit polygons. “We’re far from free. In fact, I think that-”

“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”

“Oh, God...”

Turning around, I was met with the bane of my existence himself - the Happy Mask Salesman. Applejack screamed in horror at the ever-smiling man that stood in our wake. Instinctively, out of fear and threat, I attempted to punch the man, but he did nothing more than bring his hand up to catch my fist, and then twisted my arm sideways and kicked me to the ground. I fell on Applejack, and attempted to stand, but he grabbed both of us by the necks with swift and violent precision. His smile - oh, Jesus, his smile, wouldn’t go away. Unlike the game, the mask salesman here was much more animated, breathing, sweating, and moving with finite precision. The fact that unlike the game, he was moving and breathing with the reflexes of a normal human made this encounter all the more frightening. As he held Applejack and I on the gently flowing grass, he continued to do so with ease, regardless of what we tried. I kicked, I screamed, I punched and swore, trying in vain to attack the purple-cloaked man on top of me. That’s when things got even worse.

The door to the barn abruptly opened, and out stepped four figures that I knew from just looking at, were going to spell the end of us. I looked over to Applejack, and wrapped her hoof in my hand. She tilted her head over to me, looking deeply into my lone eye with tears overflowing in hers.

“I’m sorry, Applejack. I’m sorry I brought everything here. I’m sorry I killed them all. I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through.”

The four figures that had stepped out of the barn, the moon children made their way over to us. two held down my legs and Applejack’s hind hooves, and the other two did the same for my arms and her forehooves. Regardless of what I tried, I couldn’t best them in power, and that meant BEN was holding me in place with some kind of magical force. I was sure it was time for us to die. with Applejack and I out of the picture, the others would have no direction. I just hoped Scootaloo took charge of the situation. That’s what I taught her to do.

“Ah love ya, sugarcube. Thank ya so much for takin’ care of th’ kids an’ mah farm.”

At that moment, the Mask Salesman pulled out a mask from his duffel. The elegy statue materialized then and there, as the skull kid laughed. The first thing the man did was place his mask to Applejack’s face. She yelled and shrieked in fear as the children began to chant, and I continued to try and overpower them all, but to know avail.

“Try the mask! Try the mask!”

That nightmare that I had all that time ago, where the mask salesman and the moon children crafted me into another elegy statue... it was coming true. The salesman dug into his bag again, with one hand, his knees on our chests, and his other hand holding the mast to Applejack’s face. When his second appendage emerged, he was holding a spool and some thread. As the children continued to chant, the Mask Man took his sewing equipment and the finite steel needle slowly went into Applejack’s skin, coming out a few centimeters from its point of entry, where the monstrous freak began to work away. Applejack was screaming in pain and anguish, and all I could do was lie there and watch her suffer, hearing her haunting and blood-chilling screams pierce into my heart. They say when you witness someone suffer physical pain, you mind can feel the same level of anguish and torment they are experiencing, which is why you cringe when you hear about or see such things.

And God damn it, did I ever. As the needle stabbed through her skin, it felt like I had been, repeatedly time and again, the feeling of a constant, repetitive papercut searing through you. No matter how I tried to fight back, I was virtually frozen, unable to move anything but my head. Eventually, Applejack’s hellacious screams became muffled as the mask was melded to her face, and the rest of her body began to stiffen, whereupon her cries ceased. I watched as her body began to gloss over, with an uncanny appearance to terracotta, much like BEN’s statue.

And do you know what that felt like? Accidentally laminating your hand - fifty times over, a searing burn that cracked your skin and stung like fresh alcohol in a wound.

Around her hooves, a strange wooden-looking substance began to form, and I came to watch said wood slowly form into a stand. My mind could only cringe at the view, registering the pain of walking barefoot upon a bed of perfectly sharpened pencils. With the children still cheering, the two next to Applejack slowly set her up. The two children then went to their friends, and assisted in holding me down.

“The only thing that brought some sense of calm was the angelic woman’s voice again, letting everything melt away.

“My child, hold strong. For you shall not be harmed by the angered one. He shall not take your life this day.”

But I couldn’t believe that. Thought they sounded sure of themselves, these words, I did not know their owner. But I knew for certain the owner of some speech, quite opposite in tone, speak against the woman.

“It is time to die, Jadusable. I’ll miss you, buddy...” I could hear BEN mock with a smarmy tone about the air. Everything I had worked for, up to this point... To stop him, was finally over.

But...

Is death really so bad? Why would you fight it when it will get you eventually? Maybe it was time to give up. Because I knew.... I’d never get what I want.

To wake up and have none of this ever happen.

The mask salesman loomed over me with a demented, twisted grin that sent shivers down my spine in droves. The children pinned me down by my limbs, and I held onto my faith again that someone would get me out of here. But I knew that would never happen. The Happy Mask Salesman did not do what I expected, sewing me into a statue, but instead, drew a blade. A knife, about six inches long, rusted out all the way through, and serrated. He placed the tip against the edge of my upper lip, and began to carve into me, separating the flesh from my skull in slow, agonizing increments.

“So I finally get to meet you... Oh, your face will make a niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice mask, boy.

The cutting pain, as my gumline tore away from my teeth with pain not even your most excruciating toothache could ever hope to match, began to make me cry, and I did nothing more than pray some freak thing... would save me now.

And as death began to take hold...

...everything disappeared in a white flash.

My head, once again, hurt something wicked. I couldn’t see anything in my blurred vision, but I felt as if I had been knocked unconscious. I slowly sat up, my sight gently returning to me. Then I looked up, only to see a gigantic, six foot thick oak log. The same one I remember running into when I got lost. Was it only a dream? Did I just run because my mind was playing tricks on me, and knocked myself into a coma after hitting this thing for not watching my steps? Certainly seemed that way, because when I felt myself I had no new injuries. Not even that peeled back face I remember so vividly as the Mask Salesman... wait.

Wallet? Check.
Phone and charger? Yep.
Degree? That was there.
CD? Still here and unscathed.
Pistol? That and one magazine.

But...

Crossbow? Shotgun? Sword? Knife? Where the hell did they go?

Maybe... it wasn’t a dream. But I was alive. I rolled over into the grass, tearing clumps of the green blades out, and showering myself in the commonplace plant life, laughing, smiling, and enjoying the fact that I was well.

But what was it that saved me? Who or what was that voice? And more importantly, where was AJ!?

Well, before I can even answer that question, I’m going to have to get my priorities straight. First, stand up and use this terracotta pillar as a support.

Wait, what?

Still on my stomach, I slowly ran my hand up along the column of pottery, bringing my face to view ith the thing, and as I looked up...

My hand slowly came off the support and I began to tremble and shake.

Then I screamed.

Nope. It was all real. I reeled back in shock and disgust, falling to my back and quickly scurrying away from the idol that mocked the once lovely Applejack. This... thing that stood in her place... It was indeed the Applejack I knew, the Applejack I owed my very life to many times over. But it was a disgusting, perverted bust that was nothing but a soulless shell of the friendly and hardworking farmer. Its eyes were cold and unfeeling, gazing into my soul as it stood upon its hind legs, and a deathly wicked, twisted smile on its face. Out of fear and shock, I ran like hell.

And as I turned around to run away from the ever grinning Applejack remains, I was cut short as I parted through some bushes in a panic and was met face to face...

...with something much worse.

“BAWKAWK!”

In fear and desperation, I immediately drew my pistol, the circulation to my legs beginning to fade as a thick concrete or stone like casing began to slowly dance its way up my body. I had just pulled back the action and taken aim by the time the rock cocoon had engulfed my elbows, freezing any hope of retaliation I had. And in due time, I was up to my neck in the blanket of hardened minerals.

As the stone made its way across my face, I locked my gaze with the hybrid freak that caused this, uttering the only words I could, letting out a scream, and hoping someone heard me.

“GOD DAMN IT!”

But would I really be free? Probably never. I still had to hold onto something, though. Perhaps one freak chance would come save my skin one more time. As the concrete form slowly worked its way through my open mouth and across my face, I was met with BEN, one final time.

“So, Jadusable... how does it feel to be a statue- no... wait, don’t answer that! Not what I planned, but hey, at least you can’t stop me like that! It’s a good look for you, too!”

And with the laugh of Skull Kid, my mind slipped into nothingness, BEN escaping to the comfort of his mad vision without me in his way.