Ray looked around the familiar room, it was a dimly lit, haze gray all over and had cobwebs populated the corners. Ray took in a breath of stale humid air and saw a door that was badly burned. Ray jogged over and tried to open it to no avail. He looked around again and seen the table had two new items on it. He already knew what one was even in the dim room and the distance he was from it. It was his Mustard Gas belt. In a fit of rage at the memories of what happened in that swamp, he screamed then took a canister out of a loop and slung it across the room, forming a familiar yellow cloud of death. Ray turned and saw a new can had taken it's place in the loop. He turned to the second object and seen that another grim reminder from his past had shown up. He picked up a burned and worn out combat axe. It was his cousin's and it had a black tribal wolf design going up the handle and to the blade.

Ray heard screams and smelled smoke coming through the burned door and rushed over to it. It still wouldn't budge and Ray used the only thing he could and started hacking through the door with the axe. Ray finally had hacked enough of the door down and shoulder charged into a burning room and got low to make his way through. He crouch ran through a hallway and came into a room where his past self was pinned down by a burning pillar and was starting to be overcome by the smoke and heat. Ray watched his past self struggle and start to give up when somebody charged into the room and try to lift the pillar off him. Ray was watching his cousin Dakota, desperately try to save him. When Dakota realized he couldn't lift it he took out his combat axe and started chopping the burnt ends spraying embers and ash everywhere. Ray ran over and tried to help but the axe phased through the pillar. Dakota was finally able to chop enough weight off the pillar to lift it up momentarily so past Ray could roll out from under it. Dakota helped him up and went to run out with him when a burning propane tank exploded spraying him in flames and shrapnel. Past Ray had picked him up and carried him to the front door to be met with a pile of burning beams blocking it. Past Ray set Dakota down and took the axe. He cleared them out and dropped the combat axe then tried to grab Dakota when Dakota kicked him out the burning house. Past Ray tried to sprint back in when a huge pile of burning beams and boards fell on Dakota and sent out a heat wave and flames which singed Past Ray's beard. Ray heard both his past self and Dakota screaming as the vision faded out.

Ray jolted awake from his nightmare and seen Princess Luna looking at him in horror. He looked at her and put a finger to his lips and felt something cold on his leg. He reached down and grabbed the burnt handle and lifted up the constant reminder of the sacrifice made by his cousin, his friend. Ray got out of the bed and checked out his surroundings. He was in some kind of hospital room. Princess Luna saw his confusion and said " We are in the medical train car on our way back to Ponyville and you've been having some very disturbing nightmares."

"How much did you see?" Ray asked.

"All of it." she replied

Ray sighed heavily and held out the combat axe to her. She delicately took it and restored it to it's bright and shiny form making it gleam in the sunlight. She handed it back to him and he ran his finger down the blade. It was almost razor sharp. Ray hugged Luna and said "Thank you."

Letting go of her Ray stood up to full height and twirled the axe around him and threw it in the air to get in a battle stance and let it drop in his hand. "How do you know how to keep your stance and the moves to do these things without being military?" Luna asked.

"My brothers, sisters,cousins and the rest of our family loved to fight and we would practice with our bare fists and dull or padded weapons. Eventually as we got older we moved onto more complicated moves and took off the pads and sharpened our blades. I still have a mean scratch from where this almost impaled me, I got out of the way just in time." he said.

Ray lifted up his shirt and pointed to his side where a nice scar was. Ray smiled for a moment before realizing he now had a belt of nightmares on. He quickly told the princess what these did and and asked if she would take these for safe-keeping until he needed them. She nodded and teleported them out of sight. The train's whistle blew to signal that they were about to stop.

Ray regrouped with the others outside of the station when Pinkie said "Let's party!"

Ray shrugged as the others debated where they would hold it when Applejack volunteered her place. The group headed off towards Applejack's farm once more with Vinyl and Octavia on Ray's shoulders and Pinkie on his neck, joyfully looking at the town through Ray's height perspective. They had arrived and started setting up for the party when a big red pony with a giant yoke came and looked at Ray for moment before nodding and walking off. Ray just stared when Applejack said "That's just Big Mac. He don't talk much." Ray nodded in understanding and picked Pinkie up to help her hang streamers. Big Mac went to move tables into the bar and Ray went over to help. Ray had just helped Mac move the last table when they heard shouts from outside. He ran outside to see what was happening and seen four diamond dogs. One had Vinyl and Octavia by their throats, one was shoving Applejack and Rarity around, one was was holding Rainbow and Pinkie down, and the last had cornered Twilight and Fluttershy. Ray yelled out in a rage for their attention and they immediately turned to him and one pointed then said "We lost everythin we had on da fight tween yous and dah bull guy! Now ders only you and dah fos of us."

Big Mac strolled over next to Ray and looked at the dogs before saying "nnnope."

The dogs all laughed as Ray cracked his knuckles and Big Mac dropped his yoke. As soon as the yoke hit the ground Ray had superman punched one in the throat and head-locked him. Ray spun him around and Mac bucked him in the gut. Ray then used the dog as a meat shield to block one of the dogs punches. Big Mac kicked the last dog in the shins letting out a nasty crack snapping it in the wrong direction. Ray kneed the meat shield in the back and German-suplexed him. Ray caught the third dogs fist and hammer-locked and broke his arm. The dog yelped and tried to grab the useless arm when Ray spartan kicked him in the stomach. Big Mac bucked the last dog in the chest both flooring and winding him. Ray pinned him and slammed an elbow into his temple and knocked him out. Ray grabbed Big Mac's yoke and handed it to him and offered his hand. The two shook hands and hooves and grabbed the dogs to carry them off to town and drop them off. By the time the two got back they had seen that the rest of the decorations were set up. Ray went over to the mane six and asked them if they was alright to which they all gave a yes and hugged him. He tried to ask Vinyl and Octavia the same thing but they just hugged him and kissed his cheeks. Ray smiled and started some music when he felt a little tap on his leg. He turned around and seen Applebloom was there. He bent down to see what she wanted when she hugged him and said "Thanks for savin mah sis mister."

Ray hugged her back and said "no problem."

Applebloom went quiet for a moment before asking "Could you show us how to do those fight moves?"

"Maybe. How bout this, if you can pin me one time i'll teach you and your three friends. I'll even make it fair and stay on my knees." said Ray

Applebloom nodded and immediately turned and bucked Ray in the chest. Ray fell on his back and rolled to get up again when the filly latched on to him and jerked him to the side. Ray's face hit the dirt and Applebloom put two hooves on his head and neck. Ray tapped the ground and got up chuckling and walked over to Applejack and pointed at the smiling filly. "She's got a lotta heart ya know, that and she's strong. I'll only teach her if your cool with it but it'd be a shame to see all that go to waste."

The filly was looking at Applejack with puppy eyes and her hooves in a begging position.

Applejack looked at her for a moment before sighing and saying"Fine, just don't go tellin her ta practice on tha other younggins."

Ray laughed at the idea and looked at Applebloom and saying "How bout this weekend?"

The filly stamped the ground and squealed in happiness before she ran off giggling. A few ponies started to show up at the barn for the party. Ray looked around and seen that the sun was starting to go down letting a warm summer wind blow across the farmland. Ray walked into the farm and danced with Vinyl and Octavia behind the turntable and laptop before Ray seen Big Mac sitting down at a table by himself. Ray got his bottle of Whiskey and poured two shots then sat down beside Mac. Ray handed him the glass and he toasted it. "Thanks for the help earlier, it woulda went real bad real fast if ya hadn't ." he said.

"Mac downed the shot and chuckled to himself before saying "Eeyup."

Ray and Mac sat in silence when some mare walked by and caught Big Mac's eye. Mac looked at Ray and watched Ray walk over to the mare and talk to her for a minute. Ray brought the mare over to the table and set down two shot glasses and his bottle of whiskey before giving him a thumbs-up and walking off. Mac looked at Cheerilee and smiled and poured them both a shot and started talking.

Ray walked around the barn and seen Pinkie in a pink and blue hoodie with matching boxing gloves jumping rope and humming the Rocky theme. Ray stared for a moment and decided to just nope the hell out. Ray found Rarity and Applejack dancing and decided to show the two a certain dance that he thought might be funny. Ray signaled Vinyl which track to play and got in a stance bobbing his head to the beat as it came in. Ray broke out in dance the moment he heard the lyrics and seen Pinkie was now right beside him doing the same dance. How Pinkie knew how to do Gangnam Style by Psy was beyond him but eventually Ray, Vinyl, Octavia, and the mane six were dancing it in a line. Ray was suprised even more when he seen Cheerilee drag Big Mac out and got him to do the dance with her.

The rest of the night went smoothly and eventually the party ended with Ray somewhat drunk and everyone else hammered. Ray slept on a table with Vinyl and Octavia on top of him and everyone else just found a spot and faded out.

Author's Note

Just to be clear Ray is not a self insert and he may look like whatever you want him to. I just gave him some clothes and a personality. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Like it? Then hit the thumb that points up. Didn't like it? then tell me so i can fix it. Wanna drop flames? go for it, trolls are funny and I'll either laugh or just won't care. Thank You and Goodnight.