Author's Note

Harro! THIS IS MY JAPANESE TEA REAAAVES! SANKYU!

First thing's first, I want to apologize for leaving this story in the air, here's a large(r) chapter.

Within a year's span, I ended up having what was an existential crisis that I didn't recover from until a month after. The last chapter WAS finished LAST YEAR! But I couldn't upload it due to pressure in my brain and a cosmic little me on my shoulder constantly telling me that I'll never be one with the force.

Anyways, enough about that. After my existential stuff was out of the way I procrastinated like crazy and spent most of my time just chilling out and talk with friends and play games with said friends. I had completely forgotten about this story due to 'I'll write another one and forget about this one'.

Something that would probably make me feel better? I wasn't depressed, but more about unwilling to continue due to how my brain worked, so you could probably see a few glaring errors in the last chapter. I left that untouched except for the final sentence. I MAY go back and redo that chapter to make it seem a little bit more bearable, or I could get someone to help me with those pacing issues. Either way, I'm hopefully back in the groove of things.

But don't expect immediate chapters one after the other, I'm still trying to pace myself. This was more of a fun little hobby more than just expression. But I hope you guys stick around to give me some ideas in the future.

With love and grace, the Felman of Pepsi and junk.

El Psy Congroo~

Chapter 10 - Rising Trouble

The light sounds of rain softly tapping on the window wake up Ashton from his slumber, overcast light leaking through his window indicating that it was indeed daytime, morning perhaps. He gives a gasp of surprise upon his waking. He was confused, how the hell did he get from walking up to the castle and then suddenly waking up in his bed.

"Jeez, can never catch a break..." He said to himself as he wipes his eyes and vaults over to where his feet touched the nice smooth floor. While cold as hell, he cannot deny how soft it was. That woke him up with a bit of a jolt!

Just as he recoiled a bit from the feeling, his mind regained the memory of 'last night's talk' as it were. Putting a hand on his forehead he could hear Twilight's voice ring in his head. ["Oh my Celestia! Ashton are you okay?! You're hurt!"] He remembered her being in such a panic.

["Just a little blood, it'll be fine."] He sounds congested from a blocked nose... Probably because of the bandage. He then puts a hand on his nose and then he gasps. Not in pain, but in surprise. There WAS no pain.

He quickly gets up, ignores the cold floor and heads to one of the bathrooms. He could hear Spike going on about how he's definitely gonna impress 'Rarity' today. "Yeah. Good luck on that, squirt, I'm rootin' for ya." He said to himself silently.

Finally going into a bathroom, he closes the door behind him and turns on the light, he looks at himself with one of those awesome looking mirrors and to his surprise his nose was normal. No broken bone, no blood. "How long was I out...?" He said to himself as he recalled more of 'last night'.

["I'm gonna skip dinner tonight, I just wanna get some sleep... I'm exhausted."] Ashton said to the Twilight in his mind, to which she replied with. ["But, it's lasagna night."]

It's safe to say who won that little 'escapade'. But that doesn't explain how his nose healed so quickly or how it felt like such a short snooze. He looks down at the sink hold and saw two eyes staring up at him from in the darkness of the sinkhole. "Perhaps I can answer that."

Ashton yelps and leaps back, hitting the back of his head on the wall. "Gof! Agh, shit!" He curses himself and rubs the back of his head, that was less painful than it should have been. "...Huh." He then remembered who that sounded like. "Wait, Discord?" He looks at the two eyes, who was now a tiny Discord sitting on the edge of the sink. "Bingo! You're good at remembering names, I'm surprised you even remembered mine."

Shrugging, Ashton looks away and folds his arms. "How can I forget the creature that practically dragged me here? So, was this your doing?" He said now pointing to his nose that was fixed.

Discord, looking pretty proud of himself then said. "Nope. That was not me. But I suppoooose~ you could say that I had SOMETHING to do with it." He chuckles a bit.

"Spill it! I'm in no mood for mind games, Q." He said as he remembers that Star Trek series that had that character which reminded him so much of Discord for some reason. This made Discord raise an eyebrow at that but then smirks. "Don't know where that came from, but I haven't a choice, I guess." He relents rather playfully.

He then began his explanation. "Remember when I told you that you were to take my place? Or rather I would give you an inheritance since your family wouldn't listen to you and I felt bad?" He gave him a moment to remember it.

To which Ashton nods and puts his hand out to allow him to continue. "Well, with this 'inheritance'. You have obtained my power of chaos. Which can be used for anything. For good, for bad, for the ugly, for the MONSTROUS!" He giddily chuckles. He clears his throat. "Anywho, this power is anything from cell regeneration and immortality! To--"

This made Ashton's eyes widen. "You made me immortal!?" He then was about to strangle the little shit, but then he remembered to calm the hell down. "Deep breaths... Okay, perhaps you have a good reason for this."

"Rather simple, actually." He then gets up and puts a paw over his claw and pulls it off with ease.

"Oh, Christ..." He didn't like the looks of this. "Y-you uh... Okay there, you seem to be missing a hand..." He said trying to make some light of the dark situation.

"Oh yes! Just fine. Shake?" He used his paw to extend his cl-- Wait, what even... Hold on. Ashton looks at him and the claw and then starts sheepishly chuckling. "Get that away from me."

Discord pouts. "Oh phooey. Killjoy." He reattaches his claw. "Anyways, to explain further. Say you get into a heated battle with a manticore or a hydra or perhaps Tirek if he gets out of Tartarus again then you would be-- Hmm... Well, maybe not Tirek since he can ABSORB magic. Eh, neither here nor there BUT... If it was a manticore or a hydra, you would be perfectly fine. See if you get mortally wounded, you can just shrug it off like nothing ever happened 10 minutes later."

"You have a chance to fight back, you can even rival the Princesses of this land!" He subliminally suggests, to which Ashton caught on with that. He gave him a displeasing look.

Discord sighs and with a bit of a smirk. "Not buying it? Well, worth a shot. I did say you could do whatever you like with the power." He then jumps and returns to normal size, landing beside Ashton. "But there are other things you can use. There is offensive magic but I never use it, I've grown to care too much of the ponies to even consider hurting them or worse, killing them. It never was my style, to begin with. I'm chaos embodied, not a murderer!"

That made Ashton question this. "So why risk giving this to someone who could have intentions to HURT ponies or worse KILL them?" He challenges, Discord puts a claw on his shoulder, freaking him out a bit. "Easy. Cause I know you wouldn't go through with it. You weren't at all pleased at your old life, now you're in a much better life! With ponies, magic and friendship, peace and harmony! All that good stuff." He then grins at him, getting a little closer to him. "Riiight?"

Again, freaking him out a bit he pushes Discord's claw away and backs up a bit. "Yeah, whatever you say, man... I won't deny that this world is 100x better than mine, and I would be content to die here... Oh, but I can't do that now that I'm immortal, huh?"

Laughing like it was such an absurd thing he heard all day, Discord had to say. "Oh, you could die anytime you wish. Yes, you're immortal but you could turn that off whenever you had enough of living. But trust me on this, it's better to live than die if you have a lot of power and responsibility in your hands... Hooves... Claws........ Paaawws?" Shaking his head. "What I'm getting at, is that you could be a superhero! Like one of those weird comic thingies that I saw in that weird confection shop you worked at."

Ashton's eyes grew wide, looking at Discord with confusion. "You were there?! Wait, were you that huge shadow when I first got to that apartment?"

Now it was Discord's turn to grow wide eyes and quickly goes back to his regular playful smile. "Err, well. I'll let you figure that out. I believe my time here is done, I don't want them knowing I have a paw in this and you. Remember... Results!" He reminded Ashton, and he poofs into smoke, and when it dissipates, Ashton saw him turn into the small Discord again and hops into the sinkhole with a plop. Odd, there wasn't any wa-- ["Don't question it... It's Discord..."] He said in his mind before washing his hands and his face.

He takes a drink of the water from the tap and sighs in relief. "God damn, that was refreshing..." He said before looking back in the mirror, he then groans as he discovers that his collar had blood on it. "My favorite shirt... Err. My only shirt." He said as he then should probably ask Rarity if he can get another shirt, something similar to this one but comfier like a woolen sweatshirt or hoodie, perhaps?

["What was that all about anyway? Why turn up out of the blue just to explain all that? Couldn't he have said all of that when he mentioned he 'gifted' me this power?"] He said in his inner monologue. "Oh, unless he didn't have the time in which case... Fair enough." He said out loud to himself.

Knocking on the door springs him out of his thinking and he said. "Be in a minute..." He called out, to which Spike replied. "Alright, breakfast is ready if you need it big guy."

"Uh, thanks Spike. I'll get some in a minute." Ash scratches his cheek with his index finger. ["He's being awfully nice today... Unless he always has and I never noticed... Cute kid."] He said once more in his head and starts shaking his head in frustration. "I need to stop talking to myself..." He then groans. "Starting now." He then gets out of the bathroom quick and begins heading to the dining room. Oddly enough, Spike isn't anywhere around... He's a quick little guy when he wants to be. But that won't save him from the cuddles once I finally snap from all of this color and diabetes.

He then starts to slow down his pace, something was still a little bit off about all of this. ["Why me specifically? Do I have some kind of strange ability? Why not some other unlucky kid?"] All of these questions in his head made him try to reason with himself to figure out the details, but they were just that. Questions, not answers. If he's gonna get answers, perhaps he can ask Twilight?

Speaking of the lavender spaghetti spiller, he walks past an open door and heard that purple book horse across the room. "Ashton! Over here!" This snaps him out of it and he looks into the room to see all of the girls plus Spike having breakfast. "Are you feeling okay?" Fluttershy barely says out loud to him, he could hear but it was probably best he got in and joined them.

He walks inside and makes it to the table, Twilight's eyes widen as she saw his nose. "Wow, it healed! Do all humans have that ability?" She questions, threatening to get the notebook and quill. "Err, yeah. I suppose so." Spike ended up getting him a spare cushion seat for him. "Oh, thanks, Spike." Ash said to the little dragon.

Spike smiles from the compliment. "No prob!" He returns in kind. He then waddles off back to his cushion and Ash sits down on his. "Sorry 'bout that..." Applejack said from beside him. "Granny may be old' but she still has the strength of a bull sometimes."

Ashton shook his head and gave a sheepish. "Nah, it's okay... No harm done." He waved off casually, he couldn't be mad at her or her family. However, some protest was evident by the white marshmallow pony. "No harm done? Look at your shirt!" Rarity points out the dried blood and tears that once soaked the shirt.

That reminded him. "Actually, Rarity. I was about to mention if you could make a shirt for me? Something like this one but a bit comfier?" Rarity thought about it. "I'll see what I can do, but you'll have to come to the boutique, I need measurements." Oh good, those are always fun.

Pinkie then starts talking with a muzzle full of pancakes and fruit. "How ya liking Ponyville?!" How she manages to sound so clear with those in her mouth is indeed a mystery.

Trying to think up an answer, the best thing he can come up with is. "I haven't looked at it enough to make proper judgment, but I have a job now."

"THIS SOON?!" Twilight blurted out after swallowing a load *giggity* of her food. "Wh-where do you work at?" She starts questioning.

"I bet its some kinda weird SPY training camp!" Rainbow said with a smirk on her face, thinking she got him. ["Sorry, but I'm gonna have to nip that in the freakin' bud right now."] He said in his mind. "I'm delivering something for the blacksmith in town." He replied. With that Rainbow's smirk turns into a snarl.

"Steeler's Steel!? Oh, I know those guys!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly with Spike about to make a snide remark. "You always know people, Pinkie..."

Ignoring Spike's sarcasm, even though he had a point Fluttershy then said. "Oh dear, it's so hot in there. How are you able to survive in those temperatures?"

"Well, if an earth pony can survive it, I'm sure a human can." He said out loud, he actually didn't know if that was meant for Fluttershy or just a muse in general.

"So, when are you starting work there Darling?" Rarity said, to which he gave a definite reply. "Starting fresh on Monday." A nod and a smile came from Rarity. "2 days from now. You have some free time it seems."

Looking down on his pancakes. "Yep, plenty of time to get to know the neighborhood..." He said as he starts cutting the pancakes and began chewing, he stops and opens his eyes wide. "These are the best pancakes I have ever had in my life..."

After breakfast was done the rain had stopped but the sky was still rather overcast with a bit of sun peaking out and some of the girls were about to have a day of it while the rest went home to their daily lives, Ash decided to come with them much to Rainbow's chagrin. "Why does he have to come WITH?" Rainbow objects with Twilight replying with her eyes closed, she was clearly pissed. "Because you two need to stop this bickering and get to learn one another."

"It doesn't matter, Twilight. I don't mind heading the opposite direction." Ashton said somewhat defeated, it honestly feels like its a losing battle against Rainbow's opinion at this point, she won't let go of this stupid opinion he may as well not get too involved with her.

"But Ashton! If you're gonna make friends, you need to stop--" A scream was heard from in front of them.

"!?" Rainbow, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Ashton paid attention to the scream. "Whoa, what was that?" Rainbow said before flying off to where the scream came from.

The others followed Rainbow albeit a little slower. By the time Rainbow got there a crowd was forming trying to help a young grey mare with a blond unkempt mane that was on the ground, grimacing in pain as there were a few cuts on her body and she was looking out at the distant forest entrance. "D-Dinky.." She cried out as Rainbow finally got to her. "Derpy! Derpy, oh my gosh! Are you okay!?"

"R-Rainbow... Dinky..." She sniffles as she points at the forest. "S-something... Took her..." They finally caught up, Fluttershy and Twilight exclaimed. "Derpy!" They aided the townsfolk in trying to see if there were any healing spells or the like.

Ashton. "Wh-what happened?" He said silently, sadly no one was listening as there was too much chaos going on, but he saw Derpy's hoof point to the forest. "In there...?"

Twilight then said. "Derpy, you'll be fine. We'll find Dinky and get you to the hospital, okay?" Derpy started sniffling. "Save them... Please..." She was crying at this point, eventually passing out from the pain with Rainbow about to shout, but Twilight stopped her. "Its okay Rainbow, she's just unconscious." Then something kinda clicked. "Wait, 'them'... I thought only Dinky..."

Rainbow growls. "Who did it? I'm gonna pummel the tar out of them!" Fluttershy looked away to see Ashton had disappeared. "Hmm?" She looked around to see Ashton running for Everfree Forest. She gasps. "ASHTON!" Twilight saw Fluttershy and looked over. "! Wh-what in Equestria is he doing?!"

Something had gotten over Ashton, not only did he saw that mare's hoof pointing to the forest, he saw FOOTprints leading down here to the forest. Human footprints that looked as if they were soles of boots.

This wasn't good, he was supposed to be the only human here right? Then why was it that there were boots of some other human's nearly twice his size?! "What the fuck is going on here?" Ashton said to himself as the minute he entered the forest, he fully expected his vision to not work in such a dark area, but lo and behold he could see perfectly well.

Another perk of Discord's energy perhaps? He won't look a gift horse in the mouth as he continues in. He follows the footprints, it was the only trail there was. Whatever it was, he was going to stop this. This guy can't go around hurting ponies, not on his watch.

As he keeps running, he could see one of the trees falling in front of him. He had to stop and vault over the tree and whoever it was who took that tree down must have been a big guy.

The footprints kept on going, it was never ending! He cursed whoever this guy was. Since he was big he was also very freakin' fast! Who was he, an obese Sonic the Hedgehog?!

Accidently snapping a twig, he saw two little shadows jump forward from the bushes and onto the path in front of him. What came out were two wooden dog-wolf looking thin-- "Timber Wolves, you gotta be shitting me..." Ashton lightly chuckles in his mind. "This whole place is a walking pun."

As they landed, they started growling at him as if to stay right there. "Sorry puppers, but I have a man to catch!" He then thought. "Okay, that wasn't what I intended to mean!"

"... How did this day get from calm as hell to downright suicidal?! I must have been crazy not to come in here with some kind of weapon!" Ashton said to himself, berating himself in a panic.

He then looked behind him for a split second. "Oh shit, now I get it... That tree is to stop me from escaping... And these things..."

They weren't gonna wait any longer as they started charging and leaping at him. Time seems to slow down as Ashton's life started flashing before his eyes. "! Wha-"

He started to recall his memories of his mother being there for most of his upbringing while his father was busy being a CEO for some internet company that he never really gave too much of a shit about, the time his mother got him his first toy, to his first solid meal, to his first day in school, the first time he scrapes his knee, the first time he got into a fight and lost, the first time he got into a fight and won, his first kiss with his first love... Then memories meeting Discord, the Princess, Twilight and the girls... And then he remembered what Discord said.

-- "Err, well. I'll let you figure that out. I believe my time here is done, I don't want them knowing I have a paw in this and you. Remember... Results!" --

Back in the present, Ashton puts his hands up in front of him and he starts to scream out. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE YET!" And just like that, a large firebolt launches out of his hands, making him recoil and the dog that was in midair was quickly blasted into smithereens. Upon seeing this, the other Timber Wolf hesitated for a second before growling at the boy.

Ashton looked dumbfounded, looking at his hands as he felt the chaotic energy flow through him. "...This..." He begins to inhale and exhale abnormally and then his shock turned into a grin.

"THIS FEELS AWESOME!"

The other Timber Wolf went for his leg, but Ashton then jumps over and puts a hand over the doggo's head, pushing it to the ground as he cartwheels over and uses the momentum to skid and charge up another one of those fireball things, but he had an idea on how to do them.

Setting his hands similar to how Roy Mustang would just click his fingers and something would just incinerate. Ashton loved the Fullmetal Alchemist anime, and he was gonna make Roy proud damn it. He then clicks his middle finger and thumb and a bolt of fire comes spewing out of his hands. The wolf, however, knew that something was gonna happen, so he just leaps back into the bush.

The firebolt quickly disappears once it impacts something, so it definitely worked more like magic and he doesn't have to worry about burning the entire forest down. With his senses sharpened and enhanced, he could hear multiple bushes rustling in many angles where he was about to come out of was beyond Ashton, this wolf was a fast one to be sure.

Just as he looked away to one side the wolf charged and leaped once more towards Ashton but then he quickly snaps out of it and elbows the wolf right in the muzzle, breaking the wooden muzzle and making the wolf whine and whimper. "Oh don't do that sound, that's so fucked up." Ashton groans and looks at the thing dazed, that could keep it busy. He decided to spare it and run off after the trail once more.

However, it pulls a fast one and took a bite out of his hand ripping some of the skin and a bit of the flesh. "AGH!!" He jumps back and looks at his hand as it starts healing rapidly. "...Wha...?" He then looks at the wolf growling with blood all over its muzzle it had a piece but it wants the whole thing.

"That teaches me for making me feel sorry for you, pooch." He said as he gets into a hand to hand stance. "Very well, I'll play with you. How 'bout I teach you to play dead?" He said as he saw it charge up once more but this time it was Ashton's turn to take it by surprise.

A swift upper punt in its muzzle launches it up to his face level, he quickly twirls and does a reverse roundhouse kick with his other foot. "WHOO!" He cheerfully bellows in excitement as the wolf got blasted into pieces with a very powerful kick. He never did martial arts, but this was something indeed!

"Hah, that's what you get." He taunts, knowing that he won that fight, he did a little shake of his ankle as he was in a crane motion with his leg. "That felt pretty damn good... What was in those pancakes?"

By now the footprints were almost fading but thanks to this strange boost he doesn't have to worry about that, that smile never lost his mouth.

He felt faster, stronger, more capable and much more... Free! Like he never felt something so invigorating in such a long time!

He finishes with his victory and begins running for the suspect again.

After a few moments, he comes across a clearing and that's where the footsteps end. However, in this clearing he could see someone standing on two feet on the other side of the clearing, looking exhausted. He was indeed a big guy with wide eyes, he clearly looked like he was freaking out. He was full of muscle and covered in a poncho/cloak thing, made out of strange leather.

"Stay... The fuck back... Or I'll kill them, I swear to God!" He said in such a twisted venomous tone almost like a corrupted soundcard in a computer. This guy did not sound like a human... But here he was, bipedal and fleshy with some hair. Looks like a human to him.

He was at least 6'4" and had a blonde mullet and strangely no beard, a very chiseled face with what seems to be caked blood on his lower lip and chin, was he injured? He wore a brown poncho that covered his abdomen, had no sleeves to show his bulk, there were scars and dirt on both arms, either he didn't shower or he couldn't. Still a perfectly good river right there.

The guy also wore white scrubs and boots that fit the footprint from before. So it definitely is this guy and these are the fillies he's got, hostage.

Ash looked at the man with a bit of a grimace at the venom he was spewing. "Kill who?" He asks to which the man brings out a machete and points it at two fillies in a corner by a flowing river that was really close to the madman, hugging each other and shivering. They were so afraid of their lives.

Thing is, how did not ONE pony seen the guy other than that grey mare? Something isn't right here. ["I should tread a little careful here. Let's see if I can bait him a bit here..."] He thought up.

Giving his attention to the two fillies, he doesn't recognize them. One of them was a lilac/violet coat with a goldish mane in two shades and orange eyes, a unicorn while the other was an orange coated filly with a short purple mane and was a pegasus, couldn't see the eyes. "... What's your deal? Kidnapping children and threatening to kill them? Are you some sort of psycho?"

"SHUT YOUR GOD DAMN MOUTH!" He points the machete at him now. "Do you want those two to die because you were fucking around? Stand right there where I can see you, put your hands up! or I'll gut you too!"

"My hands? I don't have a gun--" He was interrupted by the madman. "I SAID NOW!" This made him flinch and he puts his hands up like he said. "There, that better? Now let the kids go." The man grabs the orange one and held her by the neck with the machete reaaaally close for comfort. "SAY THAT AGAIN! I'LL KILL THIS LITTLE SHIT, I WILL!"

Ashton can't play with this guy, but he had to do something. "Okay, okay!" He groans as he looked around to see if there was anything he can distract him with. ["I need to change the subject now."] He thought, taking a deep breath and finally said. "How did you get here?"

"I don't know, man... All I want is to go home!..." It sounded as if he was... Crying. This guy had to be very mentally unstable. "Okay, how long were you here for?" He changed question but kept with the topic. "A-about 3 days... And I'm hungry. These little shits looked appetizing so--" He then stopped and looked at Ashton. "You're... Looking pretty tasty yourself." He licks his lips. "I just realized... I... IM SPEAKING TO ANOTHER HUMAN!!!" He starts laughing maniacally and threw the filly he was holding to the other one, making them yelp and hold each other for comfort and to keep them together, not that it was helping their situation any.

The big guy starts wielding the machete handle with both hands, his breath starting going shaky and his eyes were going bloodshot as he was paying full attention to the human in front of him.

With eyes wide, Ashton felt like something was all wrong. ["How hungry was this guy if he didn't eat berries or..."] Then something clicked in his head as he was looking at this crazed, something that he wishes isn't true and was currently cursing whatever deity had some sort of sick sense of humor for this to happen. ["Oh... Shit. He's a cannibal..."]

[End of Chapter]