Singularity: The Paradox

Nathan woke to the smell of trash and sorrow. A smell that seemed so common to him back on Katorga.

'Gear? Check. Signs. Stiff elbow, what did that one mean again? Whatever. No growling. Good. Aaaaalllll safe.' Nathan stood and cracked his back before looking around. 'I haven't moved. Good. Lets seeee...When did that alley get pink, frilly, and start smelling of baked goods? Wait...'

"This isn't a hobo infested alley!" He shouted a little to loudly. He heard hoof-steps and a door open

"Oh! Goodie! You all awake now! Now I can tell you about how I saw you sleeping in that alley and thought 'I shouldn't let him just sleep in the cold!' and then I moved you here! Not before bringing some of your friends some food of course though! And when I put you in the bed...."

Nathan stopped listening and started nodding like he cared.

Half an hour later. Ten minutes from putting a bullet through his brain.

"And that's how Equestria was made!" Pinkie smiled.

"Jesus .H Titty-fucking Christ, it's over. I could understand that you wanted to explain why I was in your bed and all...But the history lesson was unneeded. And also, if I was in your bed, where did you sleep?" Nathan asked the energetic party pony.

"I didn't! I don't have much time to explain, but my Pinkie sense is telling me something bad is going to happen, like Oh my Celestia level." Pinkie's face became serious for a moment. Nathan perked up when he heard a shrill scream coming from Twilight's tree.

"Sorry, PInkie, I gotta go." Nathan jumped from the small, second-story window and landed with a rough roll before dashing towards the library. 'I remember what stiff elbow means. *Zek*.

An hour earlier.

Bonbon woke to an empty feeling, the feeling she'd get when Pokey left before she woke up. She turned to see if he was there and saw...something. He was see-through, little wisps of some gas rising from him.

"Pokey?!" She screamed. He jumped awake.

"Whats wrong?!" He shouted, looking around the room for any trouble.

"Look at yourself!" She pointed him to a mirror, he walked over to it and went slack-jawed at the sight. He could still be physically touched thankfully, but everything else was all wrong. See through, vapory, his eyes glowing a neon blue.

"Wha-...what happened to me...?" He felt dizzy.

"I don't think a Doctor will help. We need to see Twilight." Bonbon threw a small banket over Pokey and pulled him through the house and out the door.

They quickly made their way to Twilight's, avoiding attention. When they reached the tree Bonbon quickly banged on the door.

"Whaaaaatttt?" A tired voice called from inside, Twilight's.

"Twilight, let us in, now." Bonbon's voice was shaky. Twilight hurried down the stairs and opened the half-door (Is it still a half-door? Has it changed?)

"Bonbon? What's wrong? Its...Seven in the morning." Twilight was pushed aside as Bonbon pulled the cloaked-Pokey through the small door.

"Twilight, we need your help."

Bonbon pulled the blanket.

Twilight scream could have been heard from Stalliongrad.

Present morning-ish. Like, two...maybe three minutes after we left Nathan to go on that cut-away. Why am I explaining this to you? You're smart, figure it out.

Nathan kicked the door open and un-holstered his Centurion. "Where is it?!" He shouted. Bonbon, Pokey, and Twilight looked at him, a look of confusion spread across their faces.

"Where is what?" Twilight broke the silence.

"The Zek! I know one is here!" Nathan locked eyes with Pokey. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know! He was very sick last night, he came home with some bruises, and I woke up to see him like this!" Bonbon was teary-eyed.

"What is he to you?" Nathan had a look of frustration.

"My coltfriend! Why?! He is going to be okay, isn't he?!" Bonbon was frantic.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." Nathan pulled the hammer back and pointed it at the pony with the blanket over his head. 'Why is he so quiet?'

The blanket slipped off the ghost-y Stallion, only to reveal something far more horrific, a colt with a coat of shiny blue, cuts, growths, and tumors lined his deformed figure. His eyes were swollen, cut, and bleeding. His maw, which originally held blunt, flat teeth, was now home to rough, jagged, dagger-like teeth.

Pokey-Zek looked upon his savior with almost empty eyes.

"I'm sorry" Nathan repeated as he squeezed the trigger.

*BANG*

The barrel launched its metal blessing at the deformed skull of what was once a person, someone's lover, maybe even a friend to some. Within milliseconds, what was once Pokey, fell to the ground, limp and lifeless, purple blood pouring from the fist-sized hole in his broken skull.

"P-pokey...?" Bonbon nudged the corpse with a hoof. "What did you do to him...?"

"I rescued him." Nathan's hand was trembling.

"He's dead...isn't he?" Twilight looked at the Captain.

"Yes, I'm sorry, but he needed to be killed." Nathan holstered the weapon. "See, Twilight? That is the damn Revert functions you wanted to see so fuckin' badly."

"I see why you wanted to not show it..." Twilight looked down at the bleeding corpse once more before walking over to her table. Nathan turned the sobbing mare to face him.

"Look, I know it must be difficult, but there is no time to cry. You think I cried when I was shot to swiss cheese? Much more painful, that, " He pointed to Pokey-Zek's body, "was painless, he didn't even feel it. You think I cried when all my friends died? Or when I watched another friend get his head blown off? No, I didn't, but believe me, I wanted to, I wish I could go back and switch places with him, he had a family, two kids and a husband. Besides, I saw him making out with some mare with some flower for her ass-tattoo. He even tried to mug me!" Nathan told the mare, she stopped sobbing when he told her of the mare with the flower Cutie Mark.

"He was seeing another mare...?" Bonbon asked the stone-faced man.

"Yep. Take that as initiative to move on. Are you okay if I dispose of the body?" Nathan put a hand on Bonbon's shoulder.

"Go...go ahead...I need a minute." Bonbon walked over to where Twilight was and left Nathan to do his thing. Nathan shot a beam of TMD energy at the corpse, causing it to wither into dust and get swept away by a stray gust of wind.

Two hours later

Bonbon had gone home soon after Pokey's remain's left the building. Nathan left to go see if Rarity had finished the outfit.

"Hey Rarity, do you have the clothes? I need to change." Nathan was still peeved at Rarity for tricking him into showing her his Guy.

"Yes, it is ready, dear. I decided to add a plain-white shirt with it, in case you get too warm in it. And if you don't mind me asking, would you have any idea what caused that extremely loud bang earlier?" Rarity magic'd the hoodie, jeans, and shirt to Nathan.

"You don't want to know." Nathan just left it at that. He quickly changed into the new outfit and left the boutique. "It's times like these...I wish I had a job."

"Nathan! Nathan! Come work with MEEEEE! Please, please, please, please, pleeeeaaassseee?" Pinkie appeared in his hood and gave him the puppy eyes.

"...I'll think about it." Nathan said quietly. Pinkie disappeared. "How do you do that?" He put his hands in the hoodie pocket and walked into the town's square, holster on his hip, TMD in his sleeve. He heard girly cheering and giggling and turned to the source, there, was Lyra with Fluttershy at an outside diner table. 'I guess Fluttershy decided to start wearing flowers in her hair? Er, mane?' He thought to himself.

"Oh! NATHAN!" Lyra called out, spotting the human. Nathan grumbled before changing his path to the sea-foam green mare's table.

"What do you need?" He asked, accidentally sounding a bit too aggressive.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you busy? I mean, I could just ask later if you want." Lyra stammered.

"No, it's fine, I'm just... aggravated. Anyways, " Nathan took a seat at the table, "what do you need me for?"

"Let me explain, Fluttershy and I are Humares, fans of the show My Little Human: Science is Progress. Fluttershy and I are in a chat group with other Humares and I told them I met a real human, you. They didn't believe me or Fluttershy, so we want to get a photo with you. Would you...um...be willing to take a photo with us...?" Lyra asked, her voice cracking near the end of her explanation.

"Sure...why not? I've got nothing to do." Nathan pulled his hood down. "Let's get this over with."

"Yay!" Lyra shared a quick hoof-bump with Fluttershy before magic-ing a small camera from her bag. She and Fluttershy stood up on their hind legs and used Nathan as support. Lyra positioned the camera in front of the three and snapped the picture.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later?" Nathan turned around again. "I need a job..."

"I'm not exactly sure, but I think Vinyl is hiring bartenders. You could apply there if you need a job." Lyra suggested.

"I'll take a look at it." Nathan said quietly. "Maybe I could go see if Applejack needs any help. Anyways, see you later, tell your Humares I said hey." Nathan waved before walking off towards the farm. After a couple minutes of silent walking, he reached the sign that read 'Swwet Apple Acres'.

"AHHHHH!" A shrill scream filled his ears, it reminded him of a Revert. He drew his pistol and turned around pointing it at the source on instinct. He relaxed, seeing the source was only a filly with a large red bow in her hair. He holstered the pistol once more.

"Relax, relax, not going to harm you. I'm here to see your sister." Nathan got to eye level. "I may look scary, but i wouldn't hurt a fly." He lied. "Zek, Mutants, Reverts, Phase Ticks, Radion, and Kings, however, are not flies." He smiled.

"Ah don't know what any'a those are, but ma' sister should be in the east field, over there," She pointed to the east of course.  "But careful around Big Mac, he gets startled easily." Nathan patted her on the head before going to the east field. He heard things getting pounded and turned, he spotted the orange mare catching apples in her cart. He walked up behind her, without getting noticed.

"Hey Apple- Fuck!" He fell to the ground, clutching his shin.

"Don't startle me like that!" Applejack glared at the downed captain. He took a breath, trying to stand.

"And I thought Zek Kings hit hard. Applejack, I was wondering if you needed any help doing...apple stuff, I don't know. I just want to work." Nathan sighed. "Do you use steroids? Jesus Christ, like you took a Sledge and shot it from a cannon!"

"No, ah don't use 'roids. I could use help harvesting though, Big Mac got hurt again and Ah'm runnin' behind." Applejack turned away.

"So I guess I just pick the apples?" Nathan looked at a tree.

"You could do that, or you could just buck it." Applejack kicked a tree, causing the ripe apples to fall from their respective branches into the cart.

"I don't think bucking will work, seeing how I need my legs to stand." Nathan suddenly gets and idea. He balled his hands into a fist and threw a fast one at the sturdy apple tree. It hurt, yes, but the pain was bearable. The apples fell to the baskets and Nathan put on a small smile.

"There ya go! Just do that and we should be done in a couple hours." Applejack smiled. Nathan picked up some stray apples and tossed them in the cart before returning to the apple punching.

A couple hours later.

The two cleared most of the East Field by the time the sun started to set. "Ah Never asked, how are you liken' the town so far?" Applejack grunted, sending another kick into the jagged bark. The apples fell and Nathan sighed.

"I don't really know, I mean. Its nice and all, but I just don't know, I'm not used to being somewhere quiet. NOTHING happens! And...I'm happy about that." Nathan pounded the tree. He had long since wrapped his knuckles in duck-tape, to try and prevent cuts from the bark. "Just out of curiosity, how much does rent cost for an average home?"

"Well, Pinkie rents her room from the Cakes for two-hundred bits a month. 'Course, she works there, so they give'er a discount." Applejack answered simply.

"I see." Nathan took a deep breath. "Another thing. The air here is so fresh, back on Katorga, everything smelled like death, blood, gore, and fear. Here, its all apples, happiness, and leisure."

"What does happiness exactly smell like?" Applejack put on a small grin.

"A hell of a long way from gore." Nathan laughed slightly.

"Ah think we're done for today. Ya mind helpin' me bring the cart to the barn?" Applejack turns towards the barn in the distance.

"Sure." Nathan grabs the second cart and pulls it behind him. Applejack led the way.

"So, ah heard you spoke to Lyra, what did she do?" Applejack asked, laughing slightly.

"She kinda freaked out, well, her face didn't say anything, but I saw it in her eyes. That little spark of oh my fucking god you get when something you really want to happen happens. Vinyl, however, tricked me. She said I should say we know she faps to us. When I said that, she got...upset. And I uh...I said I...liked it." Nathan face-palmed again.

"Wow Nathan." Applejack laughed again. The two reached the barn and set the full carts on the inside. Applejack told Nathan to wait a minute while she got something from her home. She soon returned with a bag, she hoofed it to Nathan. "Ah don't have enough bits right now to pay you, so please, take some apples." Applejack tipped her hat.

"Uh, thanks." Nathan looked in the bag, surely enough, there were apples of all colors. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Nathan gave her a small nod before turning to leave. He walked to the gate and spotted a red colt staring off into the distance. "I'm guessing you're- SWEET MOTHER OF BABY JESUS!" He shouted, getting knocked back several feet from the colt's well placed, powerful kick.

And by well placed...

I mean testicles.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Just thinking about that makes my crotch hurt!