It was a nice, bright morning, the clouds shown in the sunlight, birds tweeted, and every Wonderbolt was looking at the sleeping figure of of a giant human wearing bloody armor, or more commonly known as Eli. Wondering what this thing was, Spitfire got next to Eli and said.

"It's okay, he's with us, I'll send out a letter explaining everything, so back to practice!"

"Yes ma'am!" They all shouted. They flew off, except for Fleetfoot, Soarin, and Rainbow Dash. Spitfire looked at his sleeping figure for a minute, trying to think where best to wake him.

She tapped his shoulder, but nothing, she shouted, "Wake up!" Nothing. "If this doesn't work get me a bucket of cold water." She grabbed his arm and pulled a bit.

His eyes opened widely, he pushed her off and grabbed his gun, he aimed it right at her head, he had a cold, ready to kill face, he looked at her for a second before putting his gun away, he said.

"I'm so sorry, I'm used to something trying to kill me, so sorry."

She was dazed for a second, but she replied with, "Next time you do that I'm gonna kick you off the runway and let you fall."

"Whoa, alright, sorry." He put his hands up.

She flew away trying to look tough, but she still showed a bit of fear, he almost killed her for Christ's sake.

Rainbow Dash asked, "What was that about?"

"In my world, if you felt something grab you, it was ether a zombie, maniac, or something you don't wanna know about. My reflexes are what they are, but I think I'll grow out of them the longer I'm here."

Rainbow Dash replied, "Well, I've been told that you are requested at Canterlot, the princesses would like to meet you."

"Oh great, more ponies I have to explain everything to, let's hope that Twilight told them most of it."

"She probably did."

Soarin interjected, "Well, one or two of us need to come with you, an escort. Just to keep ponies calm until we get used to you."

"Alright, whoever want's to can come, oh ya I almost forgot, I need to grab somethings, Canterlot would probably be the best place to look for my items." Said Eli.

"Sure, but actually Spitfire said she'll go, we have a show to prepare for, and she's mastered her part." Said Fleetfoot.

"Wow, um, okay, whenever she's ready. I'm gonna just grab my armor and weapons real quick, five minutes tops." He got up and grabbed the blanket and pillow. He walked off to get his things.

Five minutes later Spitfire was at the entrance to the academy, waiting on Eli, "Ulgh, what's taking so long, I've been ready for five minutes now."

He busted out of the door with his backpack, and a duffel bag, she asked, "What's in the bag?"

"My armor, just in case something happens I wanna be ready to fight."

"Fair enough, let's go, it's a long flight." She gestured to the royal chariot with two royal guard pegasi ready to fly, but they just gawked at Eli.

"Oh come on, I'm getting tired of ponies staring at me, it makes me feel weird." They stepped into the chariot, and the seats were pretty comfortable. The guards took off, one of them looked back and said.

"We'll be there in half an hour." He nodded and the guard looked straight again, Spitfire said.

"It's a bit weird, I'm not used to ponies flying me places, and I'm feeling a bit.. Off so to say."

"If you want you can fly on ahead, I'm perfectly comfortable being alone for half an hour. After all, I spent four months alone, except for the undead, and crazy bandits who also tried to eat me. So I kind of like being alone."

"Well, alright, see you there." Spitfire took off like a bolt, one the guards said.

"I wish I could fly that fast."

"So do I." Replied the other guard.

Eli laid his head back and looked around, he was close to the clouds, he could see the whole land with a birds eye view, he was amazed, "Wow, you pegasi are spoiled, you take sights like this for granted?"

"We get used to them, can you humans fly?"

"For awhile, we had machines that would fly us places, but the windows were tiny and always above the clouds for scenic views, and when we got low enough it was just gray cities, we were pretty advanced, but with that came a lack of nature in cities, I mean the only places you'd find half of the greenland here are at national parks.

It's quite stunning, I wish I could show this to Theo."

"Theo?" Asked one of the guards.

"My... Dog, he loves flying."

They landed right in front of the palace doors, he looked at them with great awe, "Holy crap, this's beautiful." One of the guards opened the door and Eli stepped out, he shouldered his duffel bag and walked into the castle.

He walked around for awhile, asking ponies where the throne room was, but he finally found it, and Spitfire was leaning on one of the pillars, "What took you so long, you landed awhile ago."

"I got lost."

"I'm just messing with you, first time I looked for it it took me two hours." They walked up to the door, the guards opened them to show the princesses and Shining Armor waiting.

"Oh boy." Was All Eli could say. Princess Celestia was sitting on the throne, to her right was Luna, her left Cadence, and on the bottom with two guards was Shining Armor sporting his classic purple armor.

Eli walked closer to them with Spitfire right next to him when he got closer he got to see Shining Armor's armor a lot closer, he snickered a bit, making him asked.

"What's so funny?"

"Purple armor? Well I guess you guards can support the gays as well."

"What?" Shining asked, all the while Cadence snickered, trying not to burst in laughter.

"What's your name?"

"Shining Armor." This time Eli fell on the ground, he couldn't breath through the laughter, soon Spitfire smirked, while Luna starting laughing as well, Cadence turned away to hide her laughter. Celestia said in her royal voice.

"IT'S NOT THAT FUNNY, YOU ALL STOP LAUGHING NOW OR ELSE!" Luna replied.

"Not bad sis, didn't think you still had that voice."

"Later Luna." Eli got up almost instantly, "Now then, what is your name human?"

"Wait, how do you know I'm a human?"

"I've seen your world, and I know of what your kind does, speak."

"Well, actually eight months ago a virus got out and infected the world turning the people into zombies, you've heard of them in fiction right?"

"Well, yes."

"My people are dead, we are nothing more than shells of rotting flesh, and crazy bandits that I have no trouble killing, what you saw isn't alive, my kind have died.... I'm basically the last sane human."

They looked down, Luna replied.

"Sorry to hear that, well it's good to keep up, but you never answered our question, who are you?"

"Sorry, I'm Elius Korben, but just call me Eli."

"Very well, now then, we heard about your.. talents in fighting, is that true?"

"Well ya, I'm very good."

"We're worried about other portals opening up whatever's in your world coming over and destroying us. So we want to make you an offer." Said Celestia.

"I'm listening, go on."

"We're willing to pay you two thousand bits now and one thousand every two weeks, in exchange you fight anything that may come from these portals, do we have a deal?"

He replied, "I'll do it, but once smashers come though I'm upping the price."

"Smashers?" Asked Cadence.

"Giant zombies that're almost immune to death and about triple my size, those bastards are tough to fight, take my word for it."

"Very well, now do you have a place to stay?" Asked Celestia.

"Well, I'm at the academy right now, sleeping under the stars, and no I don't do beds, they're too soft, I'm used to sleeping on ground."

"Well, if you ever need a place to stay, we have many guest rooms."

"Thank you, now how about we head out and maybe grab some drinks? There's too much tension here, I get it, I'm a human and judging from your responses and slight hostility of me I can assume that the last human, or humans were true dicks."

They all just looked at each other, they didn't expect Eli to be that intelligent, "Sorry about teasing your name Shining, I was breaking the conversational ice."

"Um, all in the past."

"I'm sorry mister Eli, but I have a full day of meetings to attend and Luna needs to go back to bed." Said Celestia.

Eli replied, "Fair enough, how about you two?"

Cadence asked, "And where would we go?"

"I need to pick up a few things, we could chat, and perhaps explain a bit about myself and about my people."

They looked at Celestia, she nodded and Cadence replied, "We'd love to, I can since we'll be meeting very often."

"Glad to hear it, let's go." Eli started to walk out with Spitfire, she asked.

"They aren't usually this icy, but you handled that far better than I thought."

"What did you think was gonna happen?" He asked.

"A war between you and all of pony kind."

"Nah, I don't want to fight if I don't have to, plus it wouldn't have been war, I would've been sent back to Earth or to an early grave."

When they got out of the castle, Spitfire told him she had to go back, they would be needing her. While Shining Armor and Cadence were next to him, he asked.

"So where's a basket shop?"

"Um, I know a good one not too far form here, just follow me." Said Shining Armor, they started their trek to the shopping area of Canterlot.

"So Eli, did you have any family on Earth when you left?"

He laughed before replying, "Everyone's dead, I had no one, hell, before this I hadn't seen a human who wasn't infected nor a crazed bandit trying to eat me for months. That does things to your mind, am I right Mr. Phiny?"

"What?" Asked Cadence, he started laughing.

"Ha, got you, no I don't have imaginary people in my mind, I was close, but not yet. And before the outbreak, I had a.... Dog named Theo, he was the best thing in my life, I don't think I'll ever meet someone like him." Shining Armor and Cadence looked at each other, wondering why he phrased it like it that.

"So what region did you come from, southern, northern, city, country?" Asked Shining Armor.

"I'm from the deep south, and from the country, learned quite a bit, I can show you two how to shoot so close to a raccoon it craps itself." He started to giggle.

"Maybe some other time, so what kind of a society were you living in?"

"That's gonna be a long talk."

Skipping long history lesson, you're welcome.

When he finished they were at a small stand with numerous baskets, Eli had been looking around and found a perfect one, it was small, but very flat with nice oak wood. He paid up the bits and walked back to Shining Armor and Cadence.

"Now a cake, I smell a bakery not too far from here."

"There's one just down the end of the street." Said Cadence.

"Sweet." They started to walk again, Shining asked.

"So, what kind of training do you have? Military?"

"Nope, before the outbreak I had no training, in fact I hated conflict, I was pretty much a hippy in those terms. But luckily, I learn quickly."

"Wow, that's impressive, so you've been surviving alone with hardly anything?" Asked Cadence.

"Yep." Shining Armor was really impressed. Eli stood in front of the bakery, the style was much like Canterlot's style of building, but inside it smelled like grandma's house, minus the piss.

There was a counter near the back and a couple tables at the windows to give a nice view to patrons. It was almost all white with black features.

Eli walked up to the counter where a mare stood waiting, she was almost strange, she looked at him like he was just another pony, it was unsettling. She had a black coat with a blonde mane and tail, she also had purple eyes. She said in a cute voice.

"Welcome to the Canterlot bakery, how may I help you?"

He asked, "Wait, you aren't surprised by me and your not giving me any dirty looks, why is that?"

"Well, I deal with numerous species in this business, I've grown used to it over time."

"I get it, now do you have strawberry cake with chocolate frosting?"

"We do, it'll just take a second to put the chocolate frosting on."

"Excellent, I'll take one, and can you throw in two sugar cookies, these two have been with me all day, they deserve it." He whispered something so low no pony could hear, not even me.

"Very well sir, that'll be forty bits."

He counted that many out and gave them to her, she put them into the register and said, "Thank you, it'll be out in a moment." Eli nodded and went over to the closest table, Shining Armor and Cadence were also there, just enjoying the view.

"The cake'll be out in a few minutes, they need to frost it."

"Alright, but why strawberry on chocolate?" Asked Cadence.

"Well, that's kind of personal, I'd rather not say. But I have a question for you two."

Shining asked, "Sure, what is it?"

"Do you two have any children?"

"We have a daughter, Flurry Heart, the first born alicorn." Said Shining Armor.

"Wait, so none of you were bo-, never mind, I don't wanna go down that path, it would take too long. But you two are lucky, kids are great." He heard somepony shout.

"Chocolate strawberry cake and two cookies!"

Eli got up and grabbed the box, he put the cake box into the basket and handed Shining Armor and Cadence the cookies, they nodded and started eating them.

They left the bakery, Eli asked, "Do you two know a beautiful place, maybe filled with flowers, or nature?"

"The royal gardens would have to be the place." Said Cadence.

"Sweet, I'll see you two later."

"Didn't you wanna drink?" Asked Shining Armor.

"I'll meet up with you two later, I need to do something." He turned around and headed for the castle, Cadence asked.

"Something doesn't feel right, it feels like he's hiding something."

"It does, I should follow him, just to make sure it isn't anything we need to worry about."

"Why just you?" Asked Cadence.

"I'm just looking at something that probably isn't anything. You shouldn't worry, just meet us at the dining room."

"Good point, I'll see you in awhile." Shining walked away and followed Eli.

The walk was about twenty minutes, but once Eli found his way into the garden Shining Armor hid in a nearby bush. It was absolutely beautiful, a nice dusk sky, blooming flowers, and the steady stream of a river, Eli said.

"This really is a beautiful place, I'll thank them later for the recommendation." Eli threw his duffel bag with armor off to the side and took off his backpack. He got out a tiny wood table and set in in front of a tree, he grabbed a picture and put it on the table, Shining Armor couldn't see much of the picture, just a blur.

Eli fluffed out a blanket and placed the cake on it, he got a knife, fork, and two plates. He pulled out a candle and placed it on the cake, he took out a lighter and lit the candle.

Shining crept a bit closer, but he was still behind a rock, he heard Eli clear his throat before he sung.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Theo, happy birthday to you. Make a wish... my son." Shining Armor was shocked, his hoof was covering his mouth, he realized Eli's secret.

A gust of wind blew out the candle, he also heard Eli whimper, he looked closer and saw that he was crying, streams of tears were flowing down his face. Shining Armor didn't know what to do, until he heard Eli say.

"It's okay Shiningsniff, you can come out." He did so and walked over to Eli, he sat next to Eli on his left, Shining asked.

"Theo wasn't your dog, was he?"

"Not even close, he was my son, today he would've been seven, but... they got him."

Shining Armor was saddened by this, but seven? Eli looked maybe twenty four. "Wait, you're twenty four right?"

"Yes."

"The math feels off."

"Sigh, I'll tell you. When I was seventeen I meet an incredibly hot girl, I mean when she bent over, an old man literally had a heart attack kind of hot.

Well, we got frisky one night and my protection.... Broke. We sued the company for three million, they gave us two if we would drop it. We had a kid on the way so we accepted.

Neither of us wanted him, and even when he was born she wanted to adopt him off and use the money for her needs. But when I held him in my arms, and I saw my destiny, I knew I needed to be the one to parent him.

No one else, with the money I bought a decent house, a car, and paid off my college loans, I invested in a couple companies that became big, the only thing I needed to do was raise my son." He covered his face with his hands and wiped away a lot of tears, his hands were soaking wet.

"But it was all for not, when the outbreak happened, we got trapped in a clothes store, I told him to run and don't stop, I tried to get the zombies away, but a couple followed him.

Back then I had no idea how to fight, but I grabbed a large metal chair and I bashed quite a few zombies in the head, but then I heard Theo scream.

I instantly ran over to see him locked in a changing room, there were so many zombies, like twenty. But I grabbed a knife and I went to town, you do anything to protect your kid, even risk a painful death.

I got them all and the door opened, turned out he was... Bit." Shining Armor gasped, "Yup, I got on my knees and got him, Theo could barely keep his eyes open. He kept begging for me to keep him from becoming and I quote 'evil things'. The last words he said to me before he... passed were."

He clenched his fists and tears just poured out of his eyes, "I love you Daddy... and he was gone! I looked over at one of the zombies and found a gun, the eagle I have right now, I put it against his chin, and I waited, waited for the twitches.

When his body jerked around I fired, I shot my own son." He fell back on my arms, "I held him for what felt like hours, I buried him in a park not very far away. Today he would've become seven, this's his favorite cake." He fell onto his side and balled up, just crying, whimpering, and weak.

"You take a father's kid from him, he truly has nothing left to lose, I pray that never happens to you." Shining was unsure what to say, it was all so much, but what he did do was to sit next to Eli and placed a hoof on his shoulder him, nothing more could really be done.

"I can't imagine that kind of pain, I'm so sorry that happened, no one should bury their own child." Said Shining Armor, a tear fell off of his cheek and landed on the ground.

"I should've been there, I should've helped him, saved him. I should have died on that wasteland of a planet. I watched my own son, die in my arms, and I didn't even get to tell him I loved him back, I wish I died right then and there." Shining just looked down.

They stayed like that for awhile, before Eli got on his knees again, "Thanks, I needed someone to let it out with."

"Absolutely, but why haven't you cussed? At all?"

"I made a promise never to cuss, nor drink around Theo, even at his memorial. But can I ask you something?"

Shining Replied, "Sure."

"What's it like raising a kid with a partner there to help?"

"Wow, that's a rough question, but I would say A lot easier, two of you take the blows and you always have somepony to sleep with after a rough days, not always dirty, but just somepony to cuddle with."

"Wow, that was something I hated about her, I cuddled, but she hated it, I feel like she hated my very existence so I may be half right there. But, if you lost Flurry Heart, what would you do?"

"I... I would probably kill myself, the idea of losing her is too horrible to think about."

"Ya, I can barely think about it and it happened to me. I miss him so much, he was the best thing I could've asked for." Eli started to put everything up, "Well, gotta meet Cadence at the bar, or is she here?"

"It's just me, and I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Thank you, but can you do me one favor though."

"What is it Eli?"

"Don't tell the Wonderbolts, I want to befriend and ear their trust, and I don't want to do it out of pity, but you can tell the princesses if you wish. Just not them, I'll tell them when I'm ready, and now isn't the time." He finished packing up, the picture was the last thing, "Wanna look?" Asked Eli, Shining Armor nodded.

He handed Shining Armor the picture, it was a young six year old boy with brown messy hair, brown eyes, and a face very much the same as Eli. He was also wearing a red shirt, but the picture was just above the waist and nothing more could be seen, the background was just of a house.

"He looks a lot like you."

A tear fell of Eli's face as he said that, "We were basically identical, he shared my laugh, activities, my apatite, he was a little version of me, but without any anger issues." Eli grabbed to picture and placed it back into the bag.

"Thank you for opening up to me, but now I understand why you drink."

"Ya, it's the only way I can sleep, passed out with a bottle of tequila in my left hand, and a riffle in my right. Now come on, let's meet her for a drink, I could really use one."

Shining Armor nodded as they got up and walked out of the garden.

It took awhile, but they finally reached a small bar just outside of the royal guard barracks. The guards saluted Shining Armor, but they gave curious looks at Eli, which didn't help his mood.

When they entered it was a small bar, wood floor, ceiling, tables, you get it. At the left there was a small bar and everywhere else were tables, luckily there wasn't that many guards around, but at the back booth sat Cadence, she waved to them.

They navigated through the tables and got to her booth, Shining Armor sat next to her while Eli sat across from her.

"I take it you saw Shining?"

"I did, your senses get amplified for how long I was in that world." Shining Armor asked Cadence.

"Cadence, can I talk with you for a second?"

"Sure." They scooted out of the bar and walked to the door, she asked, "What was he hiding?"

Shining Armor lowered his head and replied, "Theo wasn't his dog... Theo was his son." She gasped, "He lost Theo in a store, apparently he got bit and slowly died in Eli's arms."

She was shocked, "Wow, so that's why... Oh my, that's just horrible."

"And he went off to celebrate what would have been his son's birthday. Eli's a damaged man, like the saying goes, you take away a father's kid, he truly has nothing left to live for. Now when we go back, be gentle, he's still a bit sensitive."

"A-alright, poor guy, I wish I could do something for him."

"You can, buy him a lot of drinks, that'll help."

"I can see how it would, let's go back, cheer him up a bit." They walked back to the booth and sat down, he looked at them and asked.

"I take it you told her?"

"Yup." Replied Shining.

"Well, now that it's out, let's talk about something more fun, like do ether of you want cake?"

They chatted in there for hours, drinking, eating, and other fun stuff, Eli was completely wasted, but Shining Armor and Cadence barely had any. "Well, this's nice, a stroll down memory lane."

"And a bunch of tips for raising a baby, thanks by the way." Said Cadence, he nodded and sat up. He lifted his drink and said.

"For Theo, best kid I ever met." Shining Armor and Cadence raised their glasses and toasted. Eli gulped down the last of his drink, but they only drank a bit.

He took out a wallet and tried to pull out money, but remembered the bit currency, "Oops, used to cash."

Shining Armor asked, "Is that wallet made out of tape?"

"Yup, heh. Me and Theo made it awhile back, tape was everywhere, just pure father/son fun... these pictures keep me going throughout the day, here." He handed the wallet to Cadence, she looked at the pictures, and saw two pictures, one was just Theo on a bench. But the other had more of an impact.

It was Eli holding Theo on his shoulders, playing with a model airplane, Eli was wearing a Hawaiian shirt with sunglasses, they looked very happy. Eli grabbed the wallet and stared at the pictures, a couple tear fell down, "I miss him, so very much."

Cadence got next to Eli and draped a wing over his back and looked at him with reassuring smile, "Thanks. I just get misty eyed at the memories. But now's a new life, one he would want me to live, stories to tell him when I pass on."

"That's a nice way of looking at it, I think?" Said Shining Armor, Eli got out of the booth and said.

"It's been fun, but I need to get back to the academy, they'll be wondering where I am." He stumbled through, knocking down chairs and wobbling.

"I think you should stay here for the night, they won't be worried, you're with the most powerful ponies in Equestria, and I'll send a letter telling them we didn't execute you for rude behavior." They chuckled.

"I guess why not, sure." They led Eli through the castle, he greeted a couple maids with a slurry of words, which made many of them laugh.

They laid Eli on a nice soft bed, the room was much like Starlight Glimmer's in episode 10, season 7.

"Good night, sleep well." Said Cadence, he replied.

"Thanks." He fell asleep instantly, Cadence floated a trash bin next to his bed for the morning. they exited the room and left him there to sleep.

Author's Note

Now you all know his secret, thought it would be good for his character to have a dead son, just to give him a strong emotional weakness. Sorry if it was kinda obvious, but I wanted it early and not to deal with it later.

And this chapter does not reflect the rest of the story, just a bit of backstory.