Heroes travels

-

First person: Ashley

“Do it...” James spoke in my mind “Do what you were born to do. You must do it. You must survive. Your body can’t handle the temptation. Just do it."

I stood there in silence. Watching the animals shriek and cry out as I watched them. There were a large variety of animals but there was only one type I had my eyes on...

...Chickens...

James was right. My body couldn’t beat its temptation. It wanted meat, juicy, succulent meat. I swear I could already taste it. My mind kept saying no but I didn’t want to listen. It had been so long I hadn’t have meat and I was going to celebrate. I could hear my breathing becoming faster and harder as well as my heart beating faster. Adrenaline was already going through my body so I acted.

I stepped over the fence into the chicken containment. I watched as they all scattered around but couldn’t escape due to the fences being way too high for them. I just watched them running around. I stood there for a minute, picking which ones looked like they had the most meat on them. Two chickens appeared to have the most amount of flesh on them so I grabbed one by the neck and slit its throat with my knife. I watched as its struggling came to a fast stop, hanging limp in my hand. I dropped the corpse and grabbed the other. Repeating my actions but unfortunately, there was quite a lot of blood in this birds which pooled on the ground onto my boots and partly on the front of my body but that didn’t matter. I was already covered in blood from the diamond dogs a while back.  I picked up both bodies, one in each hand by their freshly cut necks with the blood mixing with the dried diamond dogs own crimson liquid. I carried them into the forest.

First person: Fluttershy

After Celestia told us all to get some rest, we went back to Twilight’s while the princess’ and Callum  decided to go door to door and tell the ponies that they should not look outside until Callum comes by again. Callum offered to get rid of the diamond dog’s bodies and offered to clean up the blood as well. Luckily, the ponies did what he said.

It had been a stressful day and I just hope that Ashley would be okay. I know he didn’t mean to kill all those poor dogs but we all saw what happened to him at the fight. I really wanted to help him but Callum pointed out that it’s best to let him get it out of his system by himself. Everypony was worried sick about Ashley, especially the princess’, Rainbow and Callum but he hid it well. I asked him about Ashley’s past but he only said that he didn’t want to infect our minds with Ashley’s horrible past. I took the warning and made my way home after spending around an hour round Twilight’s.

As I crossed the bridge over the river near my home, I noticed a lot of my animal friends panicking. I rushed to their aid, calming them down as much as possible until I came to the chicken coup. I was shocked by the scene.

I saw a large pool of blood, several feathers where scattered around and all the chickens except two were in the corner. I saw prints from the blood going towards the forest. Next to each print was drops of blood that soaked into the grass. My heart raced as I was reduced to tears from the loss of two animal friends. I rushed towards Twilight’s but met Callum who was taking a small break from cleaning up. His arms and part of his front was covered in blood but he turned away so I didn’t have to see it.

“What’s wrong Fluttershy?” He spoke calmly. He saw my tears and rushed to my side “Why are you crying?”

I couldn’t speak from my crying. I could tell he wanted to hug me to help comfort but he held back due to the blood on him. My head hung low.

“M-my...C-Chi-Chickens...B-blood.” These words were all I could muster through my sobs.

“Chickens?” Callum cocked an eyebrow before he realised what must have happened. “Listen Fluttershy. Go to Twilight’s while I clean up okay? When I’m done, I’ll check out what happened.”

I nodded before I slowly made my way to Twilights, tears still rolling down my cheeks.

As I approached the door, Twilight opened it as she was about to leave to go somewhere but stopped when she saw my tears. She ushered me inside and I told her what I found. She held me close, trying to soothe my crying. It took me at least half an hour to stop crying but I was still saddened by the loss. During this time, Applejack visited and helped comfort me. I told them both that Callum said he would check out my discovery.

First person: Ashley

“That was a nice." James said to me, he decided to appear next to me.

We walked into the forest with the deceased chickens that were still in my grasp. Walking in a forest which had those...Lion things which were obviously carnivorous was a bad idea but this time, I had my gun and knife as well which were both in my pockets. I could tell something was following me so I checked behind me frequently. I noticed the bush move every time I done so. I had many open advantages to attack what was in the bushes but I didn’t know what lived in this forest except those lion things.

I found a small clearing which was a small hall. This was a very good spot to rest since it allowed me to see above nearby bushes and had a tree at the top which would allow me to rest in. There were dead sticks lying around from the tree which would make great firewood. Sure I could just snap some branches off the trees but I was being lazy and wanted to cook the meat as soon as possible.

But there was one problem with my plan...Building a fire.

I knew how to make one. I have done so many times before as well as surviving in a forest. All I would need to find is a stone I could use to not only sharpen my knife with since it was getting a bit dull but if I struck fast and hard enough, it would produce sparks which could start up a fire but the chances of it actually catching the sticks on fire were slim unless I acquired a more flammable substance. Like dead grass for example. I didn’t want to but I had to. I put the chicken bodies in a nearby bush. I doubt they would still be there when I returned. I started my search for the more flammable substance.

I used some of the sticks as breadcrumbs so would be able to find my way back to my ideal resting post.

First person: Callum

“God that took for ages.” I thought to myself as I knocked on Twilight’s door. I was covered in dog’s blood and my body ached from all the heavy lifting. Celestia asked me to pile the bodies somewhere away from the town so that some creatures from another country could take them for her as a small gift.  She said something about the creatures thinking the diamond dogs were a rare specialty for their species.

When she opened the door, I saw Fluttershy who was still holding up from her discovery, surrounded by Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity. I wondered where Rainbow was but threw the thought to the back of my mind.

“So...er...Can you lend me some soap, a few buckets of water and a wash cloth?” I asked Twilight sheepishly as I saw her grow disgusted from my appearance but she thanked me for doing my deed. She left me at the door. Applejack came towards me and gestured me to come inside but I declined. I didn’t want to track blood in Twilight’s home which she agreed on.

Twilight returned with a bucket of water with the soap and an old wash cloth and passed them to me with her magic. She told me that if I needed more water or soap then I should knock on the door and asked. I thanked her for the items before Rarity came to the door and asked me to discard my clothing and burn them. I hesitated at her request but I looked down at my clothing which was stained in blood, had many tears so it was in pretty bad shape. She told me that she would start designing a similar outfit straight away. I nodded before walking into a nearby alley.

I sighed and stripped down to my boxers. I held the clothes in front of me, remembering all the adventures I had with them. Sure it was just an outfit to others but it was more than that to me. It was one of the things that I held dearly. I washed myself with the soap, water and cloth. I smelt myself, didn’t smell like blood or sweat but instead of soap which was a major improvement. I knocked on Twilight’s door while in my undergarments and asked for my bag. She levitated it towards me and I put the outfit into it. I decided to keep it as a keepsake from my home.

Everyone asked me about why I was still wearing clothing (Except Rarity who I guessed already had been told the same thing by Ashley). I told the rest of them that humans wear clothes due to us hiding our private areas. I bared a small laugh when I saw most of them blush slightly.

Rarity asked Twilight for some paper and pencils which were given to her. I asked her if she was starting the designs which she nodded eagerly to. She requested I watched her to make sure she got the dimensions right. She left momentarily to grab some supplies which consisted of different types of fabric, cutting and measuring equipment and a sewing machine.

I had to stand still for around an hour. Luckily, my body could take the punishment of staying in a certain pose for that duration of time but it didn’t really help that my muscles were still a bit sore. Rarity thanked me for perfectly still for that long. She let me feel the types of fabric. There were many I liked the feel of but only one stood out from the rest. It was the same material as my previous outfit. She asked me if the colour was okay. It was a dark grey which I told her was perfect, grey being one of my favourite shades.

I could tell that she was slightly disgusted by my choice in colour but she knew that the ‘customer’ was always right. I told her that as soon as I make some currency that I would pay her back but she declined and replied about being generous and that ‘designing for a different species was going to be an exciting challenge’. I shrugged when she said that, telling her that at some point we need to work on some emblems for Ashley and I’s uniforms to show the towns ponies that we’re guards. I swear she almost fainted at the request so I let her get on with her work.

I checked outside and saw it was already getting dark. Applejack decided to head off home while Rarity said that she would continue the outfit tomorrow. Twilight demanded that Fluttershy stay at the library. Fluttershy objected and said something about taking care of the animals.

“Well, since I’m going to check out your place anyway Fluttershy, just write down what your animals need to be fed with and I’ll do it.” I said to the yellow pegasus in the calmest voice I could muster.

She nodded as Twilight levitated a quill and paper. Fluttershy told her what to write. I stood there for around ten minutes before being given the list and was given directions. I nodded and walked out. It was already dark, the streets where lighted by street lights (they didn’t have light bulbs or flames so I just went with magic.)As well as being quite empty. There were still some ponies walking around but appeared to be on their journey home.

The streets were quiet as I walked down them. The night wasn’t too cold so it didn’t bother me. I did feel a bit...exposed but again, didn’t bother me much. After around twenty minutes and a couple of miscalculations of the route to Fluttershy’s, I finally arrived. I walked up to the side of her...cottage? Yeah, let’s go with that. One of her animals started to panic which caused the others to start as well. Luckily, Fluttershy’s place was out of earshot from the town. I hastily entered her home and saw a rabbit that started to wake up. It lazily looked at me and immediately stood up. I swear it made a gesture trying to threaten me. I ignored it and went to where Fluttershy kept her animal food. There were so many different bags! Bags for birds, some for squirrels and many others, I turned round and saw the rabbit with a carrot. A sharpened one to be exact.

“Fucking hit me and not only will I fucking pummel your body into the ground, but I’ll also cut you open and pour steaming hot salt water on the wounds and watch you squirm.” I wasn’t really hoping for it to call my bluff but if it had to come to it, I would do it.

The white rabbit continued to stare at me, it backed down so I guess it could understand me. Which was good, I took another look at the list and saw ‘Feed Angel two carrots’.

“You’re Angel aren’t you?” I asked. I was a bit shocked when it nodded. I looked around the kitchen and found some carrots, handing two to the rabbit. He didn’t take them from my hand so I placed them near him and walked away.

“If you’re wondering about Fluttershy, she’s upset about some chickens and is at Twilight’s.” I looked over at the rabbit to see it shocked. It walked to the door and pointed to it.

“You want to see how she’s holding up?” it nodded “Alright, let me feed her animals for her. I told her that I would check what happened to the chickens.”

I walked outside with a large bag of bird food. I dug my hand into the seeds and threw them in the chicken coup. I saw the chickens were staring at me in terror. I saw a dark pool of liquid that reflected the moons light. I guessed it was blood since there were feathers inside it. I saw boot prints which faded away the further they went from Fluttershy’s. They were going to the forest.

“Ashley you crazy basterd...” I smiled to myself. It took me a few minutes to finish feeding the rest of Fluttershy’s animals so I placed the food back where I found it. I almost forgot about Angel. I offered it to sit on my shoulder which it did. It sat there during the journey, eating a carrot while I held the other one for it.

I knocked on Twilight’s door, Fluttershy answered and felt my little hitchhiker tap me on the side of the head,  gesturing me to put it down.

“By the way, what gender is that rabbit?” I asked the yellow Pegasus as I put down the rabbit of my shoulder, giving it the other carrot which it took slowly from my grasp.

“Oh Angel is a male. He’s very protective of me and I love him dearly.”

I shrugged lightly and watched as Angel jumped onto Fluttershy’s back and hugged the back of her neck. I saw Fluttershy smile from the affection before we both entered the library, closing the door behind us. Twilight was in the kitchen, enjoying some hot beverage. There was another mug with a hot liquid on the table which I assumed was Fluttershy’s. I asked where Pinkie went off too and was told she went home recently.

“So...What did you find?” Fluttershy asked.

“Found blood and feathers. Saw boot prints which are exactly the same as the ones Ashley wears. There was blood that trailed to the forest so we know where he went off to. I’m very sorry for your loss Fluttershy but you can’t blame Ashley entirely. You know how he is right now so he’ll do things without thinking of the consequences.”

Fluttershy nodded slightly, still devastated by the subject.

“I’ll go door to door in the morning early to tell the townspeople...ponies that it’s okay to come out.” I changed the subject.

“That’s good to know.” Twilight added.

First person: Ashley

“Jesus why is this taking so long!?” I thought loudly to myself, and to get an answer from James but I didn’t.

It was dark and hard as hell to see. I was about to give up but then I found a patch of dead grass in a small clearing. I picked up as much as I could see and put it into my bag. I could barely see my ‘breadcrumbs’ but I made it back to my resting place. I looked at the top of the small hill and saw something next to the tree.

I pulled out my knife just in case it was hostile. As I approached, it looked like a quadruped...its shape looked similar to a dog. Not a diamond dog though. I could hear it whimper as it was jumping up at the tree.

I still hadn’t noticed me approaching. I narrowed my eyes at the tree, trying to find what was so interesting for the animal. I couldn’t see anything due to how dark it was.

“The fuck is that thing?” I thought to myself, I was still cautious in case the creature was indeed hostile. I drew closer to it, it noticed my shadow on the tree and it stopped jumping. I looked up saw a large branch, I grabbed the branch it seemed sturdy and could probably hold my weight for a while.

The creature turned around and growled. Its eyes grew a bright yellow. It jumped at me but I jumped and held onto the branch, lifting my upper body out of the way of the creatures pounce. I could feel a presence in my mind again, immediately thinking that James was back.

“James?” I said quietly to myself.

“Yo, what’s up?” He yawned. Was he sleeping? If he’s part of my insanity than surely he doesn’t require such a thing?

I decided to ignore his yawn and looked at the creature whose eyes appeared to be focused on the apple. I looked down the hill and saw another pair of the same eyes in the bushes. These were slightly larger. The creatures appeared to be wolves...made of wood? That’s pretty weird but then again, I’m in a place with magic.

I had a choice, break the wood...wolf...Yeah...Let’s go with that.  I could either break it into a thousand tiny little sticks, hoping that will kill it or make a run for it. I knew that if this was like the wolves like the ones at home then they would travel in packs and they would have two major advantages at their disposal. One being they would know more about the forest and its routes and the second being that its dark as hell so I wouldn’t know where I was going...unless...

I took out my pistol, remembering it still had a flashlight on it. It was battery operated and would last at least eight hours which would probably be enough juice until sunrise.

I had to take a risk...

I took out my knife and attached the suppressor on my handgun. A gunshot would attract too much attention without it.

We continued to trade stares. The creature looked eager to fight but it didn’t know what I was capable of.  I heard the rustling of bushes coming from behind the wood wolf, at least three more pairs of the same bright yellow eyes emerged, followed by several growls.

“Oh crap...” I said to myself.

“The chickens...” I heard James say quietly in my mind. I wondered why he said it like that but who cares?

The thing about wolves is that they can smell fear and if you make sudden movements then they will more than likely attack you. I slowly started to edge myself away from the wood wolves but they kept the same distance between us. As I reached the bushes, I searched for the dead bird’s bodies.

I couldn’t feel anything except leaves and twigs “Shit...Shitshitshitshit!” I was starting to panic as I heard the growls coming from the wolves becoming louder. My heart was racing as I turned on my pistols flashlight, pointing it into the bush. I could just see the legs of both of the bodies. I sighed in relief as I grabbed them and pulled.

The wolves started to grow closer to me but I didn’t care. I had my distraction. I threw the chicken bodies in front of them and started to run. I could hear the wolves fighting over the dead meat. I eased up knowing that my plan worked.

“Well...There goes your celebratory meal.” James said in a amused tone.

“Fuck the meal. I’d rather survive.” I said in my mind with hostility.

I ran as fast my legs could carry me. Using my flashlight to highlight my path for obstacles, what felt like five minutes of running, my body started to grow tired. It needed energy and rest from the amount of effort it put out today. It doesn’t help that I’m starving and I just gave up my meal. I knew I couldn’t just stop in place so I slowed down to a walk so I could still get my breath and find a new spot to rest. I had another flashback image surface while I ran but it wasn’t so bad.

My muscles felt like they were on fire but their recent activities kept me warm for a while. As I continued on my search for a liable resting spot, I came what looked like a hut.

“Who the fuck would want to live here?” I said to myself. I realised how loud I spoke as I heard the door of the hut open. The bright light started to burn my retina’s as I could make out a figure standing in the doorway. As my eyes adjusted to the change of light, I started to make out the figures shape. It was around the same height as the ponies so it probably was one.

“H-hello?” I mustered quietly.

First person: Callum

Fluttershy grew tired as the night progressed and fell asleep. Twilight opened the doors as I carried the resting pegasus into a guest room, laying her on the soft bed as I drew the blanket over her. We both left quietly and returned to the kitchen.

“So…What are your plans for tomorrow Twilight?” I asked after sipping on some tea she provided me earlier. The beverage was sweet and was a tad bitter but was still pretty good.

“Well, I was hoping to visit Zecora’s later to pick up some tea like this one.”

“That sounds good. Who’s Zecora?”

“She’s a zebra that lives in the Everfree. She uses herbs and other plants she finds there to make potions, medicines and a bunch of other things. She rhymes when she speaks.”

“Huh...” I replied “Is it safe for you to go to Zecora’s?”

“The path is safe during the day except for the very rare passing creature.”

“I’m not having you go into that forest alone so I’m coming with you.”

“Somepony is a bit protective now aren’t they?” She teased.

“Well...That and I’d like to meet her. We can ask her if she has spotted Ashley at all and to tell us immediately if she sees him.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

I nodded as I sipped the remaining liquid from my mug before I rinsed it out and placed it in the sink. We both walked into the front room. We could both hear Spike’s snoring coming from upstairs, Twilight let out a soft giggle before yawning.

“Looks like someone could use some much needed sleep.” I teased. Her response was a soft smile and her rolling her eyes.

“I’m fine, It’s just been a stressful day that’s all.”

“That is has. Do you know about the spell that guard used on Ashley before he went crazy?”

“Let me check...” She made her way to one of the bookcases, levitating several books at once and looking at their contents pages. She shook her head at many of them until her ears perked up at the last book she picked up. “It says here...that the spell lasts until the victim sleeps. The one affected by the spell’s repressed memories will fade away. Soon those memories will be repressed like they were before the spell so it could mean that he will be the way he was before.”

“That’s good to hear. We still have to find him though.”

First person: Ashley

The figure before me turned out to be a zebra that spoke with rhymes and an African accent. I told her my story about no one understanding me and judging me on my looks. It turned out that she too was judged on appearance which caused the ponies to hide in fear. I asked her what she was doing living out here in the forest. She told me that there were many fascinating plants in the forest that she studied and made into several things like medicine.

We spoke to each other through the remainder of the night, mostly about her homeland Zebrica. She offered me several hot beverages during the conversation that turned out to be tea she made. At first I declined them at first but she persuaded me every time.

She told me her name was Zecora, she offered me something to eat which I happily accepted as well as a place to rest. She noticed my twitching at several points in conversation and asked about them.

I sighed. I didn’t really want to tell her about what they really were about but I decided that since she had done so much for me so far. She could have just slammed the door since I was literally covered in blood, sweat and some dirt. Mostly blood of course as well as badly torn clothes so I owed it her to tell her everything that happened.

“Alright. I’ll tell you...” She gave me her undivided attention “I’m a soldier who somehow ended up here on this world with my partner Callum.” I stopped, realising what I could of just implied “Partner as in part of a duo.” She nodded “When we landed, we were attacked by a creature that looked like a lion with a scorpion tail and wings.” She held up a hoof, making me stop my story.

“The creature you speak of is called a Manticore which are deadly things, some useful information for you is that they cannot use their wings.” She put down her hoof, allowing me to continue my story.

I went on for at least half an hour, explaining everything. I told her that my twitching was a side effect from a spell Night Wing used on me which caused me to go insane. I didn’t tell her about James and that he was a figment of my insanity that I could see. She didn’t judge me but instead gave me sympathy which was the not the reaction I was expecting. She told me that the wolves from earlier are Timberwolves that try to protect the forest and themselves. I told her that I killed thirty diamond dogs during my bloodlust which James told me was highly likely not to show up again since it had been fulfilled. She asked me about my flashbacks but I declined from telling her. She didn’t pry which I thanked her for.

After my story, I felt as if a large weight on me had been lifted. I felt slightly happier and asked Zecora if I could sleep here. She smiled and nodded but first asked for my clothes.

“Why do you want my clothes?” I had to ask.

“Maybe she has a fetish.” I heard James laugh in my mind, I would laugh as well but that would probably scare her a bit.

“You’re a mess and smell like blood and sweat...” I held up my hand to signal her to stop talking.

“I get it. You want me to clean up.” She nodded “Do you have any large pieces of cloth I can use to cover myself after I wash up?” She nodded once more, getting up to bring me a large dark green fabric “Thanks, do you have any soap and water I could use at all as well?” She nodded again, leaving me for a few minutes before returning with a bucket filled with water, a small bar of soap and a clean wash cloth.

I took the cleaning equipment outside and closed the door behind me, I went behind some bushes. I hung my boxers on the bush and put my blood covered clothes in a neat pile. I washed my entire body down which by the end of me cleaning myself, I poured the bucket into another bush since I turned a dark red. I shook myself as much as possible to get rid as much water as possible. My hair was dripping wet but I didn’t care. I put on my boxers and grabbed my clothes, putting them in the bucket with the now dark red cloth beneath them.

I re-entered Zecora’s hut and grabbed by bag. I shook out all the dead grass out of it and placed my old clothes inside the bag. My weapons were still in the pockets. Zecora gave me looks of confusion when I came back inside.

“I’ve had this outfit for a long time and it’s been through a lot. It has a large sentimental value.” I noticed that she still had the same look on her face. “Humans were clothes to hide private areas.” It was getting annoying to have keep saying things like that.

She shrugged before taking the bucket from me. I grabbed the large piece of cloth and wrapped it around my body. It was quite soft, didn’t restrict movement...I had an idea.

“Hey Zecora, do you think you could make this into a hood for me at all?”

She smiled “I shall take your request but only if you have some rest”

“Oh she got ya’ there Ash." James laughed, his voice was much quieter than earlier today. I wish I could punch him, he was starting to get a bit annoying but he was speaking less frequently.

“Sure.” I replied with a smile to Zecora. She grabbed me a pillow from across the room and a blanket. I laid them down next to the wall, lying on the blanket as my head hit the pillow. I pretty much fell asleep instantly...Then I wish I didn’t...

Ashley's dream state...

“The fuck was that!?” I quickly turned around, the room was pitch black and my heart was pounding. Something darted past me in the corner of my eye. I could hear it breathing but could not see anything. My skin felt hot while my insides were freezing cold. My breathing rate increased as breathing of whatever was nearby got louder.

...And then...Nothing...No sound at all. My body felt numb. I couldn’t move my body as a sharp pain quickly emerged in the back of my head. It felt like something pierced into my brain. The agony shot through the rest of my body.

The scenery changed. It was the day of my families funeral...but something was off...I looked at the people standing with me. Their faces had their eyes ripped out, blood was seeping from their sockets and into their mouths and partly down their cheeks. The all looked at me and started to smile. A smile I easily recognized.

I was the same smile I see in when I go crazy. Their teeth were razor sharp and black. Blood oozed from their top layer of teeth and onto the bottom. I started to run as fast as I could but they were all faster than me. I heard their grunts of hunger as they closed the distance.

After what felt like running for several minutes, I looked back to see they were all gone but I still kept running until my face collided with something. As my back hit the ground, I stared up at what I hit.

It was Callum...but he looked like the things from before but larger. Both height and in muscle. His cheeks were nonexistent except some skin was remaining, allowing you to see the entirety of his razor sharp teeth.

“What’s the matter Ashley!?” His voice ripped through my eardrums, I could feel them leaking some liquid. I dabbed my finger into one of my ears and pulled into my eyesight. I saw black ooze that started to burn my finger like acid. The pain felt as if it was real.

The demented figure of Callum laughed at me as it took a step back, his fingers started to become longer as his hands started to turn pure black. His fingers became claws, the tips would glow a faint green.

I got up as quickly as I could and sprinted in the other direction. I was gaining distance from Callum.

“OH NO YOU DON’T!” I heard him yell. His entire arm stretched after me and grabbed me almost instantly. He pulled me back towards himself as he laughed maniacally. “Oh I’m going to enjoy this.”

He held up his other set of claws, he hovered them in front of my eyes while his extended arm still wrapped around my body, lifting me in the air and preventing me from struggling free. They lunged straight into them...

Zecora’s hut

I quickly shot up in a cold sweat. Quickly touching everything around me to make sure everything was real. My vision was blurry as I looked around the room and saw Zecora who was sick with worry. My breathing was still going fast and hard. My heart was beating like crazy, my skin was slightly pale.

“The...F-fuck w-was...T-that?” I could barely speak, my throat felt as if I was choking on fist.

“Is he alright?” I heard another voice...A familiar female voice...

“I don’t know...” This one was much more familiar and was masculine “Didn’t you see him shaking while he slept?”

“W-who’s...Who’s there?” I whispered quietly.

“Don’t worry Ash. It’s Callum and Twilight.” The masculine voice said. I looked at where it came from and saw a blurred figure and that did look like a human, next to him was a blurred version of Twilight.

Callum sat down next to me, placing my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm round my shoulder as my body shaked violently. “Ssshh...It’s over now.” He said in a quiet voice.

“W-what are you two d-doing here?” I said in my shaken voice, it was barely audible.

“I came here to get some more tea from Zecora and Callum came with me so he could ask about if she has seen you yet...”

I didn’t respond. I just laid there with Callum trying to calm me down for almost an hour. My breathing and heart rate had returned to their normal state as my body stopped shaking. I slowly started to get up. I only just realised that Callum had a new outfit on. It was a dark grey version of his uniform.

“James?” I thought to myself to get his response...Nothing.

“Are you okay Ash?” Twilight asked, her face was still showing her worry.

“I’ll manage...” I whispered “I...I just...”

“Come on Ash, let’s go back to Ponyville. Everyone is worried sick about you.” Callum stood next to me, he grabbed my bag for me.

“Before you leave...” Zecora left us to grab the hooded robe she made me. I put it on immediatly.

“...Thank you...for everything Zecora” I lowered myself and hugged her. She wrapped a forehoof around me

“You’re welcome.” She whispered into my ear. I broke the hug and grabbed my bag off Callum.

“Let’s get going...”Twilight said. Callum picked up a small bag from a nearby table.

“Thanks for the tea Zecora and taking care of Ashley.” Callum smiled.

“It was not a problem my friend. For those who require help, I shall tend.” She smiled back.

We began our silent journey back to Ponyville. We were near the edge of the forest when Callum decided to break the silence.

“Oh by the way Ashley, you might want to apologise to Fluttershy immediatly since you killed her chickens.” Callum whispered into my ears as we walked “Also don’t worry about the diamond dog bodies. I took care of them.”

“Sure...and thanks Callum.” I whispered in return, my head still facing towards the ground. “Where’d you get the threads?” I said in my normal voice, changing the subject.

“Rarity started on making me this last night and finished it this morning. Told her about making guard emblems for us and she almost fainted.” I gave a small laugh which was barely noticeable, getting a weak smile from Callum “You should see her when you can. She really wants to thank you for saving her sister. Not to mention that there are several other ponies that would like to thank you.” Ponyville came into our sight “You should see Rainbow Dash after you see Fluttershy. I think she was the one who was most worried about you. I saw her this morning, still searching Ponyville for you. I doubt she even slept.”

“Will do.” I whispered. I am not looking forward to apologising to everyone...

There ya go guys. I got some extra spare time today so I started on this chapter and finished it. Comments and ratings are like drugs for writers. WE NEED MOAR!