Past Tense

'Marcus?'

'Hmmm?'

'Will you miss me?'

'Of course, hell, I already miss you'

'You sure?'

''course,'

'I waited thousands of years for you, you never came,'

'I couldn't, I was...stuck'

'It was very lonely,'

'I'm so sorry, so sorry'

'Then come to me soon... Die for me'

'Rox?'

'...'

Marcus awoke with a start, covered in sweat and mouth dry, eyes bleary. He was feeling lightheaded and slightly nauseous.

It was still dark, midnight. The camp fire he made was out and the moon was shining its light at the forest enough for him to see. He walked behind a bush under the shade of an oak tree, he dug a small pit for his foul deed.

He squatted, pulled down his pants and aimed. with twenty years of experience backing him, he relieved himself of his excrement. He grabbed a dry leaf to wipe his hindquarters.

He stood triumphant over his pile of wastes. He used his shoe to bury it, he was rather glad that the cryohibernation also preserved his clothing. It will rather be flustering to show up to the locals with tree bark and leaves for clothes. If he was going to begin a new life, better make a nice first impression. A new life.

Was he really ready? His heart still ached from the events yesterday, he was still longing for people long gone. How can he move on? Hell, he lost the love of his life.

Roxanne, He thought. He stood there, still as stone, frail as glass. A knot formed on his throat as he remembered his dream from earlier.

She wants me to kill myself, He shuddered, the prospect of suicide was scarily inviting. What about what my father wanted? He sought for a way to keep me alive.

He was on the crossroads at this point. Tears were dripping from his bloodshot eyes. He wants to please both souls but they want different things. He can only please one.

Only one,

He laid on the ground beside his dung and wept for almost half an hour before he decided...

Sorry Roxanne, He thought.

meh, it was only a dream anyway.

"So what kind of monster did you saw Lyra?" Bonbon asked, seated as they were inside sugarcube corner

"Oh it was big?! Almost two ponies tall and wore clothes?!" Lyra excitedly said, her tail swaying ."Though, it got my flute. But it played it ...Without magic?!"

"Isn't that hard," Bonbon said "I mean,you use your magic to play your flute, others only have hooves..."

"Yuppers?! It had fingers, he was able to play it properly with those."

"Fingers? Like a diamond dog?"

"Yes, but its lack of fur helped keep the holes of the flute sealed. Plus it knew music well, I heard the melody, it was gooood?!" Lyra exclaimed, her level of commendation was now reaching adoration. Now Bonbon was also curious of the creature, It might be smart.

"hmmm. How about the flute?"

"Well...I don't know, maybe I'll let him have it"

"Do you think its gonna come here to ponyville?"

"Don't know" Lyra said. "How was your day by the way...Sorry I got so excited about it," She looked abashed by the fact that she talked about the creature all the time they've been there.

The two of them happily chatted for the rest of their evening, oblivious to the pink mare that intently listened on their exchange.

Marcus crested another hill, he saw the light of dawn pouring down ahead. He ran towards it, eager to get out of the dread forest. His legs were still stiff but it didn't keep him from gaining speed as he dashed through the path he was currently on. He can see more trees ahead but they were sparse and distributed.

At the edge of the forest, he tripped over a rock jutting out of the ground. The crashed to the ground and rolled a few more meters, gaining cuts and bruises in the process.

That wasn't wise at all, He thought as he raised his head , body flopped down on the ground.

He saw what the trees were still small like the ones inside the forest he came from, but these were less menacing. The trees bore fruit...apples. His mouth watered at the sight of food, he hadn't eaten since yeste—for thousands of years.

He rose from his prone position and started towards one of the trees. His knee slightly throbbed in protest but it didn't dissuade him.He reached up to grab one apple, noting how red they were.

The apple tasted good, happily welcomed by his taste buds. It was crisp and sweet, it had to be grown and not wild. The yield was of high quality and high quantity.

He smiled as he chomped down the apple, happy, as it seems to him that he was inside an orchard someone owns.

Hope they understand.

"This is it Gummy, the crotch bow?!", Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she pulled out the weapon from below the floorboards of Applejack's barn. She snuck inside before applejack came out to buck the apple trees, using her Pinkie sense to avoid getting caught whenever the farm mare comes to acquire tools.

She found it when she saw a small mark on one of the boards, a triangular insignia with a bow and horn tipped arrow pointing up towards a star. It was also found alongside several small sticks with metal jutting out of one end, sharpened and tempered.

"Well, wonder how this wor—" , She pulled the hoof trigger of the crossbow, the string attached to the ends of the bow moved forth with great speed, surprising her. She felt the recoil, it was strong, reasonable as it belonged to Big Mac, provided it had his name on the buttstock.

Well, it was for hunting and stopping monsters.

Pinkie grinned from ear to ear.

Oh look what a nice Barn, is it yours?

Hey look, I just picked out some fresh apples from your orchard without your permission, He thought as he was looking at the barn from beside a stream he drank from earlier. He thought of every possible reaction if he showed himself right then and there. His story might not be accepted, he might actually be traipsing into a town of madmen, hell, he doesn't even know anything of the present. The culture might be different, as well as religion and beliefs.

He was now fed and quenched of thirst, he was able to think clearly on how he should act now. One wrong move can put him away from salvation to, at worst, a mental institution. He was standing on thin wire and he has to bala—

RUSTLE!

He heard it, the sudden rustle of leaves,it came from his left. Another rustle emanated from a large bush under an apple tree. One more rustle, this time accompanied by muffled swears.

SCHWAFFFF!

His right leg collapsed under him, his left knee impacted the ground a moment after, he was able to balance his body so he wasn't going to topple but he is still very much confused. He wasn't exactly sure what happened until he looked at his right le—

Oh look, a crossbow bolt is sticking out o—

FUUUUCK.ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts,OH FUCKK

His small brain registered the pain of his wound, and it was a bitch! He stumbled and fell into the stream, He screamed like a little princess when he was being carried away by it. He felt his blood leave his system through the wound, he felt his breathing become labored and water entering his lungs. His heart was racing as he sailed through the waters, slowly growing faster in speed.

He passed out due to blood loss.

Oh no, I think I killed it! Pinkie thought as she sped through the orchard, heading back to sugarcube corner as quickly as possible.

Fluttershy will be so mad, and also Twilight! Oh, Why didn't I just let it go?, Pinkie grimaced, but slowly, an ingenious idea formed in her mind. The creature didn't saw her, Applejack didn't saw her, No one saw her.

No one can know about this?!

"Shouldn't we just leave the creature be?"

"This is a once in a lifetime moment?! Imagine selling a never-before-seen specimen to the researchers, lots and lots of bits will be made?!"

"What if it has magic or if it is extremely strong, you think we can contain it?"

"Risk-taking is a part of money-making, do you need a diagram for that?"

"Fine! You are responsible for it from now on! I'm leaving that thing to you,"

"There, isn't that a lot easier?"

"let's go then... I'm gonna have a drink at the next town, you ain't gonna stop me."

"Sure."