Author's Note

So I wanna try something diffrent with this little blurb.
If your following/like the story please tell me why.
Same goes if you dislike the story. Id like to get better so any and all feedback is very welcome!!

Act 3 - Work With Me Here

Act 3 –

In short last night sucked. Leo managed to get a few more hours of rest before waking up from another night terror. ‘It’s maybe four-ish?God I don’t wanna go back to sleep. Maybe I’ll just go for an early walk, have some alone time before everypony wakes up. Oh no.. it’s rubbing off on me’

After making himself some eggs and a quick sink shower (because Leo couldn’t be bothered to actually ask where the bathroom was). He was out and headed to town, it was before the crack of dawn so no stores were open yet. Leo couldn’t help but curse his nightmares.

‘Okay, job means money, money means I get a place of my own. A place of my own means I can finally be left alone. So be nice so you can be left alone, good plan brain.’

However, he looked as if he was standing in a ghost town. ‘Maybe I’ll try that Apple farm, at the very least by the time I get back maybe some stores will be open’

The trail to the farm was actually pretty nice, Leo noticed how everything seemed brighter in this land of equines. ‘Well at least they didn’t pollute everything they touched like humans.’ As he neared the farm he noticed the place was filled with nothing but apple trees. All tall and brightly colored, the sound of nature filled what would otherwise be silent. The sun had just started to shine as he saw the sign ‘Sweet Apple Acres.’ With fantastic large red barns just behind it.

Seeing the orange pony who apparently helped drag his unconscious body to the hospital coming out of one of the barns, he decided to go and greet her.

“Hey” Leo said waving his hand as he jogged over to the orange mare.

Applejack was shocked to hear any voice that didn’t belong to family this early, and was even more shocked to see whose voice it was. “Oh hey there..” She had forgotten his name. ‘Darn it all.’

“Yeah, sorry if coming unannounced is a problem.”

“It’s no problem sug... uh, what brings you here?” ‘Crud he doesn’t like to be called sugar cube. That’s what ah always do when ah can’t remember someponys name’

“Well I am looking to see if I can find some place to work. I’d like to get my own place as soon as possible.” a cold shiver runs down his back as he recalls the sounds his ‘roommates’ made. “Twilight told me you helped Non out, so I figured I’d ask.”

“Huh, well we can always use ah extra hoof around here. But nothing’ permanent, tell ya what, come back later around 3 or so, I’ll show you apple-bucking and have you that for a few hours for some bits.”

“I have no clue what that is but sure.” Leo said, glad that his trip out here wasn’t a total loss. “Alright, I’ll see ya later then.” Applejack called out as he started back toward town.

‘I really should have asked Twilight were I could get drinks. I may be broke but once that’s fixed I’d like to let loose some.’ Lost on thought on the trail Leo was now just getting back into town, he didn’t notice however the little filly rocketing toward him on a scooter.

She tries to stop but ends up sliding, hitting Leo under his legs causing him to flip forward and tumble over the ground on his back, with the filly crashing into a nearby tree.

“FUCKING HELL, WHAT BRAINDAMAGED FUCK HIT ME” Leo shouted as he got back to his feet, seeing the offending scooter, and its driver on the ground. “YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME.”. Leo shouted more out of reflex then thought, moving over to the filly. The poor filly scared out of her mind tries to run away only to fall over under the pain of her leg. But in her terror she tries to crawl.

‘Oh fuck we crippled it. Wait no it crippled itself, yeah that’s what well tell the doctor. Shit, maybe we should try and get it some help.”

Crouching down some Leo decided to try a kinder approach, “Hey Kid stop you’ll hurt yourself worse.”

“No! I AM SORRRY GET AWAY, DON’T HURT ME” she screamed.

“I am not going hurt you, Sorry that I yelled. I am Just kinda on edge here” Leo said with the best ‘I am trying to not to be scary voice he could muster. Luckily the little filly stopped crawling once she realized she wasn’t being chased. “Looks, like you hurt your leg pretty bad.”

With a few sniffles and a nod she managed to say “It hurts.” Leo looks to her side and there is a very bad scrape and a blood has started to mat into her foot.

“Well, guessing from how you fell you’re not going to be able to walk. I guess I’ll have to carry you.” The last half was grumbled out, Leo was not in the mood to get his only shirt covered in blood.

The little filly looked scared at the idea but nodded, and allowed Leo to pick her up. “Okay…. Now where the hell do I take you?” He asked as he started to walk further into town, with only a few other ponies out and about. Leo could already hear the whispers.

“Umm up that street. That’s where the hospital is.” She said pointing a hoof in the direction. Trying to move herself so that Leo wasn’t holding her on the bad leg.

‘Should have known that, I was there like yesterday’

After a few seconds of silence she asks. “What’s your name?”

“Leo, and yes I am a human.” Leo had gotten used to the standard questions ponies asked.

“Sorry for hitting you Leo, I didn’t see you were there until I was about to hit you. You’re not going to hurt me are you?”

‘Dammit, that’s the last thing I need. To think everyone here think I beat up some kid’. “No. Listen I didn’t mean what I said there. You just surprised me is all.” The little pony did not look convinced. “Uhh,.. sorry. But maybe Yell or something if your about to hit someone.”

It was lucky a short walk the doctors and nurses took her off his hands as soon as he got there, turned out to be nothing more than the scrapes and a twisted leg, hoof? We’ll all Leo could remember was they said she wouldn’t be walking on it for a day or two. The doctors made him wait until they looked her over, and no doubt asking Scootaloo if they should be calling the guard. During that time he met the filly’s school teacher, who apparently was told that it looked like Leo had “abducted” her. So she ran as fast as she could and after a bit of yelling and an explanation she calmed down but still gave Leo the stink eye on her way out.

‘Well there went the whole damn morning.’ After all that Leo finally got the chance to ask around town about work. Which ended up being mostly a waste of time. Either the local businesses weren’t looking for help, or said they weren’t to get him to leave the store.

But the day wasn’t over as he made it back to Sweet Apple Acers and wandered up to the barns he didn’t see the farm pony anywhere. ‘Well she did say to meet her back here right? Well I got nothing better to do. I can sit down for a while.’

That as it turned out was a good thing because it turned into him sitting there for a few hours past when Applejack had said they should meet before a large red stallion saw the human sitting there waiting. Not one to waste time Big Mac was going to find out just who was on his family property.

Big Mac was still attached to a cart as he came closer to Leo, saying a quick “Hey” to catch his attention. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I am looking for Applejack.” Leo answered happy to see someone and not to have to sit in the dirt any longer stands up, and dusts himself off.

‘Great,’ Big Macs mind started to put the pieces together. ‘Another human looking for a hand out. We could barely afford to pay the last one. Now AJ has gone and promised another one. No, this ends here.’ Big Mac’s answer is short and his tone leaves no room for conversation. “She’s busy, go home.”

“Sorry, she just told me that there might be some work I co-“

“Nope, go home”

Teeth clenched, and stomping his way back to his temporary ‘home’, Leo made good time taking Big Macs advice. ‘Hell, she could have just said no instead of wasting hours of my time. She couldn’t even tell me herself, coward. OOOh no Instead send the large ‘scary’ stallion to spook me away’

So lost in his anger Leo didn’t noticed the pink pony who had tried to get his attention a few times on his walk. Bouncing along progressively shouting ‘Hey’ louder and louder. Until she stand in front of him and says it loud enough to leave a bit of a ringing in his ears does Leo finally stop and notice her.

“What?” Leo says as he uses a finger to try and clear out the ringing in his ears.

“I need to know when you want your ‘Welcome to Ponyville party!” Pinkie asks excitedly, happy to finally have his attention.

“Oh? How about never. That work for you?”

“Of course not. You have to have a party silly, I always make sure to have one for every new friend who comes to Ponyville.”

“Pinkie” Leo said as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose “I am not the kind of person anyone wants at a party. So can we just not?”

Scrunching her nose Pinkie responds “We can not ‘just not’, and everypony loves a party, it’ll be fine!”

“You’re not gunna let this go, are you?”

Leo swears he hears a little squeak sound as her smile comes back full force, “Never ever”

“Fine, let’s get this over with. How about tomorrow?”

“Perfect! I’ll just get you when everything’s ready!” She says as she starts to bounce off.

“Oh Pinkie! One condition! There better be alcohol!” Leo yells as she bounces off, he can only hope she heard him.

Finally back at the house, Leo kicked off his boots and found himself to be the only one home. Not wanting to wait he decided to just find the shower and then pass out before he had to talk or deal with either of the two who actually owned the place. So he started searching the downstairs for a shower, no luck. His search upstairs proved to be successful, and he hopped right into the shower. Trying his best to wash away the stress of the day.

Rainbow Dash just got home, seeing Leo’s boots and hearing the shower she can only hope he doesn’t use all the hot water. Sitting in the chair across from the couch she thinks back over her day. It was rough setting up the weather, winter would be coming soon and she and the weather team had been working hard on getting everything set up.

The water stops and a few minutes later Leo come down dressed in the same clothes as before, greets Rainbow with a “Hey there” as he sat down on the couch, leaning into its soft cushions.

“Any luck finding a place to work?”

Leo’s mind runs over the entire day and answers with a simple “Nope”

“Well, don’t pass out there is something Non, needs to talk with you. So at least wait till he gets home before you pass out again.” Rainbow says as she walks out towards the upstairs.

Leaving Leo to sit on the couch, he heard the shower start again and laying down waited for Non so show up from his job, ‘Lucky bastard’. After a short amount of time Non finally did make it home and after kicking off his shoes sees Leo in the living room, and sits across from Leo.

“Hey, so there is a few things I’d like to talk about” Non said taking Leo out of his thousand yard stare.

“Yeah Rainbow mentioned that before she disappeared upstairs.” Then with a grunt leaning back into the couch adds “Didn’t find a job by the way, thanks for asking.”

With a long sigh Non decided to just start into it. “The thing is, when I came to Equestria some things about me started to change. Magic here does stuff to humans, we think.” Non was having a hard time explaining what he wanted to say.

“What so magic kills us or something?” Leo asked hoping that wasn’t the case, he might not be comfortable but he didn’t want to die at 25.

“God, I am doing a bad job at explaining this. Why didn’t Twilight just do it?” After a long breath he continued. “What happened to me was as I spent more time reading and then I started getting really smart. Like Masters Degrees level of knowledge retention.”

Scoffing Leo interrupts with “And it made you real humble too I bet.”

“That’s not-, Jeez man. What I am trying to say is the longer I have been in Equestria the Magic here kinda builds itself into humans. The reason I say we think is that until now I have been the only one. But Twilight and I had been running tests and it was changing me. So it COULD happen to you.”

“So what? One day ill wake up and will be able to long division in my head?”

“Your not getting it,-” Non starts but is Interrupted.

“Sorry I am not as smart as you Einstein.” Leo Quips.

Standing up and running his hand over his head Non tries again. “No, I ended up figuring out a strategy to help defeat an Invasion that happened not too long ago. My memory went from okay to Photographic.” Sitting back down hoping that Leo will finally listen.

“Huh” Leo sits quietly for a moment, before finally saying “That’d be kind of neat actually.”

“Well now that you understand, Twilight would like to monitor you to see how the change starts. We didn’t notice with me until it already happened, so she wants to see if anything can be learned from it.”

“Sure, with no job I gotta do something.” With that Leos stomach growls reminding him he hasn’t eaten since breakfast. “Sorry, I haven’t eaten since Breakfast.”

“I would have thought Applejack would have given you some apples or something” Non said with a chuckle getting up to walk over the kitchen. The only response from Leo was a grumble. The Non hears from the Kitchen, “Pinkie has some welcome party thing for me tomorrow, what are pony parties like?” Calling back to answer Leo Non says “Guess you’ll find out tomorrow” then calls upstairs “DASH WE ARE STARTING DINNER” To which she darts back down stairs as fast as she can.

“Asshole” Leo mumbles, crossing his arms.

______________________________________________________________________________

The thick black fog was all Leo could see. He could feel it again, that pain in his chest. Looking down he could see the blood leave the gash. The ponies in front of him taking turns slicing away his flesh. From the base of his neck to his ribs, straight down the middle. The pain was much worse than the last two dreams he had that night. This one felt hot, but with the odd addition of the rest of his body growing cold. His legs and arms weakening as he felt his blood drain from him, his ability to hold on slipping. It was the third time he felt himself die in his dreams that night, and each time he woke up he wished he had a strong drink to make them go away.