Man in the Monster

Chapters

Chapter 1: Arrival
Chapter 3: Red Eyes
Chapter 4: Oh My
Abnormalities
Chapter 6: Uneasiness
Chapter 7: Uncovering Oddities, Part One
Chapter 2: First Impressions

Chapter 1: Arrival

Zachariah Smith's fingers tighten around the rock as he slams it into the head of his victim.

"Please... Stop..."

The teenager's brown eyes pleadingly look to you for mercy. You've seen that look before.

That scared, helpless look. They always have it. It comes on when someone knows that they're going to die, that they are to enter the dark abyss of nothingness. But there's always hope, the hope that dwells in the bottom of their souls. The hope that, against all odds, you would save them from this predicament, save them from being lost to the world. The hope that maybe, just maybe, you would let them go, so they can live another day.

The look had long since worn off on you, at least with strangers. But this time was different. Sam, the gang's pet, the most loyal to the crew, the one that kept us all together, was now being killed by you.

Because he had committed treason.

When Big Shaun gave you this task, you were surprised, and a bit suspicious. Sam committing treason? That wasn't him; you all knew that. But unless he was proven innocent, orders were orders, and you didn't want to become a hit target yourself.

You raise the rock high above your head again. Dammit, Sam's eyes are stopping you like a shield.

It's like something's pulling your arm back, though nothing's there. Except for the one part of you that still has emotion. That little sliver of emotion is all that stands between Sam and an instant death.

A tear runs down his cheek. "Please Zach..."

"Dammit Sam!!" The barrier is broken. You bring down the rock as hard as you can, hitting the kill spot on his nose.

His face is bashed in. His eyes are closed, with blood streaming down his cheeks like tears.

Oh God why? I should've let him go. I don't care if they would've killed me, as long as Sam lived...

It's as if a hurricane is coming from Sam's broken shell. A warm wind rushes over you at unimaginable speed, drying out your eyes and suffocating you.

The wind died away. You just sat there, dazed.

And then it hit you. Harder than the tranquilizer needle that just hit your back.

Sam was innocent. Mac was the mole. Sam just took the blame for Mac.

Mac is dead anyways; but now Sam too?

As your vision fades to black, you cry out in anger and despair. Why? Why Sam? Why not me or someone else??

You're out before you hit the ground.

You're slamming a rock into Sam.

No, wait, Sam is dead. What am I doing?

You snap to reality. You look at your bloody hand, holding a bloody rock.

Oh, shit, did I black out?

-Yeah, you did. You were hit by a tranquilizer.

Oh, yeah. But how come I'm not asleep still?

-Beats me.

You look down at the mangled up orange mess in front of you.

What the heck is that?

-It's a pony, why?

Ponies aren't orange. What did I just kill?

-An orange pony with a purple mane. And technically, you didn't kill it, I did.

Okay, what the f*ck brain?

-I'm not your brain. I was here first.

What?

-I was just catching some food, minding my own business, when you came along and stopped me.

Who are you then?

-I don't know. Trixie made me.

This must be some type of dream. Maybe the tranquilizer is making me trip or something.

So where am I?

You look around. It seems as if the dream consists of being in a forest, while beating an orange horse, with some type of conscious voice in my head.

You've had weirder dreams than this.

You look at your hand. Suddenly, you drop the stone.

My hand...

Your hand is furry, and consists of four sharp, pointy fingers, and a small amount of palm.

You follow your eyes up your arm and to your chest. Your dark brown fur is spattered with blood; and what's this?

Sharp teeth and an extremely strong jaw. Maybe I'm a dog or something.

Nope! Not a dog not a dog!

You have a long scorpion tail that you can control like an arm.

Well, guess I'm a scorpion-dog then?

-Yes, we must be. We are the only one of our kind; like I said before, Trixie made us.

You finally speak aloud. "Who's Trixie? She must have been half-asleep when she made this- er, us. Supposing this isn't a dream."

-No, you fool! This is real! I am real! Are you so foolish as to think this absurd?

"I think -you're- absurd. Now, I'm in control right?"

You open and close your hands. You feel a slight resistance, but that's it.

"Good, now I'm going to go explore this place. Might as well have fun before I return to reality."

You start walking away from the dead pony.

"No, you fool! That way is Ponyville! You'll get us killed!"

That was you speaking, but it also wasn't you.

"Ok, I'm turning off your ability to talk. It's my body now."

The voice in your head begins shouting, but you somehow find a way to seclude it to the back of your mind.

"Onward and upward now..."

You finally stumbled upon a small cottage in the woods.

Hm. Knocking on the door probably isn't a good idea, considering I'm a dog with a scorpion tail, and this house looks like it was made for someone three times smaller than me.

Curiosity draws you closer, however, and you examine the cottage.

Curiosity killed the cat.

Well, I'm a fricken dog.

You don' t have to reach very far up to touch the roof. It feels as if it might break if you lean into it, so you decide to take your paws off of it.

You look down to see a little yellow and pink pony staring at you.

"Uh, hello there..."

It just stares at you. You decide it would be best to go.

What? I can't move.

Help! I'm paralyzed!

You just stand there frozen, staring at this little animal. It's pretty damn cute, but you can't enjoy that right now.

Because I can't move.

Suddenly, something blue hits you in the face. It knocks you over and leaves you blind in one eye.

"Ow, what the fu-"

It comes back in a blue-and-rainbow blur, socks you in the jaw, then flies off again.

Ooh, that hurt.

Okay, I'm ready for this next one.

You can feel your tail getting ready.

No, not yet.

-What, do you want us to die?

Oh, you're back. No, I would rather not make irrational decisions until I know if this place is real or not.

-No, you listen—

You send him back to his little corner of the mind.

You see the rainbow looping around back.

Ready...

It's going incredibly fast. You stick out your arms.

"Hhmpf!"

Its chest smacked into your outstretched hands and got the wind knocked out of it.

Let's see, another pony, this one a shade of cyan with wings and a rainbow mane.

This could be interesting.

It struggles to breathe, and is kicking around in your grip.

"Woah, woah now. Take short, small breaths. Come on."

It does what you say and starts to breathe normally again.

Oh. So it can understand you.

"Hey. Hey, you all good?"

It nods.

"Okay, good. Can you talk?"

What the heck kind of question is that? It's a freakin pony.

"Of course I can talk!"

You didn't expect that.

"Oh, okay good... This will make things easier then. Do you have a name?"

"Yeah..."

You can tell she's being a smartass.

-She?

Well, it had a kind of a girlish voice. Kind of like it was trying to cover it.

-I've never been able to tell the difference. And please don't trap me again.

If you don't cause any trouble.

-Agreed.

"Okay then... What's your name?"

"Uh, Rainbow Dash. What's yours?"

Do we have a name?

-I don't. Do you?

Do you like the name Zach?

-Sure. Sounds foreign.

"Zachariah Smith. Zach for short."

She scratches her head with her hoof. "Ok... Zach. So you're not gonna eat me?"

You look at her curiously.

-Must be the blood splattered all over us.

Oh yeah. Dammit, whoever you are.

-Sorry.

"No, I'm not. I can explain the blood, but first I want to know if I can let you go without you trying to kill me."

She looks at you reluctantly. "Alright..."

You set her on the ground next to you.

"Ok, now that that's taken care of.."

You look past her and at the yellow pony.

She's staring at you.

Sh*t! I can't move again!

Rainbow jumps between you two. "Fluttershy! It's ok! Let him get up."

She makes an almost inaudible whisper. "Sorry.."

You get up. Something about them both makes you want to pick them up and squeeze them.

Hm. I thought you lost those feelings after you hit fifteen and joined the gang.

By the way, how old is this body I'm in?

-In relation to your world, I'm about seventeen.

Wow! Same here! ...by the way, how do you know anything about my world?

-You have the most control of the brain. You've modified me, and I was actually a mindless animal before you came along.

Wow. That's pretty big.

-Let's get back to the talking.

Right.

"Okay, now let me just make it clear that I'm not gonna hurt you. I just came here today, and really don't know where I am."

Fluttershy pipes up. In her own way.

"Really? You don't look like anything I've seen before. Are you hurt?"

Hurt?

"Well, I can't see out of my left eye, I have a pounding headache, and my arm was almost dislocated from when I caught Rainbow Dash. Is that normally okay?"

-No.

Dash is a little embarrassed.

Fluttershy talks again. "I'm sorry, you poor thing. I would offer you a bubble bath, but you're much too big to fit into my doorway. Will this do?"

"Will what-"

She runs her hoof along your spine. It gives you the best feeling ever, along with the hair raising on your neck.

You let out a kind of purr

-Whoops. That was me.

You feel like jelly, and fall down on your face into the wet grass.

You and Rainbow stare at eachother.

"Should we take him to town?" Rainbow finally suggests.

"No," you say, "he's much too big. Bring Twilight. And Applejack. And maybe Pinkie and Rarity too."

"Okay. You could've just said that." Rainbow darts off.

"And please hurry," you try to say, but she's gone already.

Chapter 3: Red Eyes

Five of the mane 6 head back to Ponyville from Fluttershy's cottage.

The path they're taking is a beautiful path. It's full of distractions that could easily take somepony from reality and cause them to daydream. All dreams must come to an end, however; especially when reality itself holds so many distractions.

"So, what did you guys think of Zach?" Rainbow Dash asks the general group.

All the ponies snap from their daydreaming and process what she just said.

Pinkie Pie is the first to respond. "I think he's great! It's going to be so much fun having another diamond dog around Ponyville!"

"Which reminds me..." Twilight starts,"You guys noticed his tail, right?"

"Oh yes! It was the most dreadful thing I've ever seen!" Rarity responds.

"Oh, come on, Rarity," Applejack gives Rarity a slight jab in the shoulder,"He seems like a nice stallion. Ah mean, ya can't really judge a pony by how they look."

"Ick! You got dirt on my coat!"

"...she's right, Rarity." Twilight says, "Although something -else- is off about him."

"What, is it because he's so big?" Pinkie waves her arms as an indication of Zach's size.

"Kind of. You see, it's not uncommon for a male diamond dog to grow a bit exceptionally. It's just that... I think he's still getting bigger."

All the ponies give Twilight a curious look.

"Are you sure about that?" Applejack questions.

"Well, I may be wrong, but he seemed to show characteristics of a near-adolescent diamond dog. His voice was unusually high, at least for a creature of his size, and if you had looked for it, you would have noticed he seemed to be lacking in muscle mass. He's pretty lanky."

"Really? Because he snapped those chains like nothing!" Pinkie says enthusiastically.

Twilight gets a foreboding look."I know..."

Rainbow's eyes widen. "So, Twilight, you're saying that Zach may get bigger and stronger than he already is?"

"Yes. And not only that, but there may be other things we don't know about him."

"Whaddya mean, Twah?"

"Did you see the holes he made in the ceiling each time he bumped his head?"

"He made holes in the ceiling with his head!?" Pinkie exclaims.

"Yes! And guess what else? They were small holes, about an inch in diameter, both very identical to eachother."

Rarity looks at Twilight with curiosity. "I don't follow."

Twilight takes a deep breath. "What I'm saying is, Zach has a horn!"

Everyone stops walking and stares at Twilight in disbelief.

Except for Applejack, who gets a dreamy look. But no one else notices.

"Then how come we didn't see it?" Rainbow asks suspiciously.

Rarity concurs with Twilight. "Darling, he had an awful amount of fur. If he had a very small horn, it could easily be covered up."

"Exactly. And it could still be growing. Truthfully, I don't even think Zach knows about it."

Applejack's still a bit skeptical. "So, if Zach has horn, does that mean he can do magic too?"

Twilight shakes her head. "I don't know. There's a lot we don't know about him. All he gave us was that other-world story. He may be trying to hide something."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure. But I do know this: he's definitely not natural."

Pinkie Pie jumps at this. "What do you mean he's not natural? He came from the forest, after all!"

"No, that's not what I meant," Twilight explains, "I mean he was artificially made. None of him seems to fit together. A dog with a scorpion tail and a horn? There's no way that could have happened normally."

Applejack still doesn't believe it. "But manticores are lions with wings and a scorpion tail! How do you explain them?"

Twilight sighs. "They were artificially made too. But that's beside the point. Even if manticores 'happened' naturally, that doesn't mean Zach did."

A long silence. Then Rainbow speaks what's on everypony's mind. "So what do we do?"

Twilight thinks about this for a moment. "The way I see it, we have two options."

Applejack nods. "Go on."

Twilight continues. "We have to assess whether or not he's a threat. Which means we either take him while he's still physically a child, or befriend him and hope for the best."

"What do you mean by that?" Pinkie muses.

Rainbow's expression is solemn. "She means, we either kill him now, or we suck up to him and hope he's nice."

Everyone is struck by the frankness in her words. The silence lasts for a good five minutes.

"...I don't want to kill my new friend..." Pinkie says sorrowfully.

Twilight comforts her. "I know. It definitely wouldn't be easy. But so far, he's been pretty mellow. Let's watch him a little longer, and make our decision when he starts changing."

"Changing?" Rainbow inquires.

"When he hits puberty."

"Oh..."

Zach stares at the ceiling with his legs crossed and his hands behind his head.

It was good to relax while you still had the chance. You loved the random things you could think about while being alone.

Like the fact that you had created holes in the ceiling with your head.

Very peculiar holes at that.

It was kind of scary considering you were right under Fluttershy's house and could break through her floorboards just by bumping your head.

On the plus side, you could see what went on up there.

She sure has a lot of animals. A lot of cute, fuzzy, tasty animals.

No. You said you wouldn't eat her animals. Besides, if you just wait, she should be back soon. She went to the store to go get meat.

About an hour ago.

Ah, you're too impatient. She lives on the outskirts of town, right? It probably takes her an hour just to -get- to the store.

Which should leave you with an hour-and-a-half to go.

Maybe just a little bird snack..

No. You can't. She'll hate you forever.

Where's the voice of reason in all of this?

He always has some entertaining remarks.

Oh. I think I hear Fluttershy.

-SLAM!-

Fluttershy doesn't seem like one to slam doors very often. Let's take a look through the makeshift peephole.

She seems out of breath. She's covering her face. Why is she crying?

And where the f*ck is my meat?

You hear a roar and see Fluttershy's door burst open.

Holy sh*t it's a bear!

Fluttershy had just gotten to the edge of Ponyville with the meat.

Raw meat had to be one of the most disgusting things you've ever had the displeasure of carrying in your life.

But Zach is hungry. You just never know when he might snap and eat all your animals.

Plus, you really want to please Zach. He just looks so much like him.

I remember those days...

You shake off nostalgic memories and keep walking down the trail.

I wonder if things will be the same with Zach as they were with him?

In some ways, you hope so. In others...

Hopefully not.

Some rustling in the bushes makes you jump. You whip around to see a big black bear sniffing the meat strapped to your back.

Normally, you wouldn't be scared of bears. You've gotten used to them, and know that as long as you don't do anything that bothers them, they won't bother you. But this one was so close, and seemed hungry.

"N-no, I'm sorry. This is for Zach."

The bear tries to grab the meat off your back, but you run.

Fluttershy, you fool! You can't outrun a bear!

Gaining sudden courage, you turn around and face your attacker.

You give him the stare.

He's too close. There's not enough time for it to work.

He claws you across the face and you're sent rolling.

Blood from your face soaks into the ground below.

The bear is coming over to finish you off.

You give him your back and he misses you and bites the meat. You unstrap the meat and run, leaving him to tear up what he hasn't already devoured.

That should distract him for some time.

But how much time?

The bear is roaring at Fluttershy. She's backed up into a corner, and has curled into a ball.

Your options?

A.) Run up the stairs and into her house to face the bear

B.) Do nothing.

You really don't want to see Fluttershy mauled alive, so you go with A.

Only problem is, there's not enough time to do that because the basement stairs lead to the side yard. It would take too long to run all the way around the house to her front door.

You see the wooden floorboard planks bending under the bear's weight.

You hatch a genius- no, stupid plan to save Fluttershy.

Stupid as it seems, it might just work.

You go underneath the bear and begin punching the floorboards.

Crap. This hurts like heck.

After three punches, your wrist hurts and your knuckles are starting to bleed.

But you have to do this.

You get ready to give the ceiling one last uppercut...

With all your might, you punch the ceiling so hard it cracks.

Dammit. All I did was crack it.

Fluttershy's dead for sure now.

All of a sudden, you hear another crack, this one a lot louder.

You jump out of the way as a confused bear crashes through your ceiling.

Holy crap.

It actually worked.

The bear gets up and looks at you.

Oh f*ck.

You hadn't thought this through.

The bear starts walking toward you and growls.

It stands up on its hind legs and bumps its head on the ceiling.

That would actually be funny if it weren't for the direness of the situation.

It gets on all fours and roars.

You roar too.

Charge!!

On all fours, you run at the bear full speed.

What the f*ck am I doing?

The bear doesn't have time to react.

You knock into him, but he holds his ground.

You two are actually about the same size, but the bear is a lot stronger and heavier than you.

You keep his biting face away from yours by pushing on his shoulders.

Sh*t. What now?

The bear picks up his claw and swipes it across your face.

The momentary pain causes you to let go of the bear's shoulders. He pummels you backwards, and land on your back with the bear on top of you.

It roars and doesn't hesitate to clamp down on your face with jaws of fury.

Oh god. I can feel my skull bending. I think it's going to break.

Everything is red.

Fluttershy watches in horror as the bear clamps down on Zach's face.

He's going to die! He's going to die!

Do something Fluttershy! Be brave for once!

But you can't. All you do is sit there and sob while Zach squirms underneath the horrible beast.

It's all my fault.

If I hadn't brought him back here-

Suddenly, the bear yelps.

It lets go of Zach's face. In Zach's mouth is... A tongue??

Ohmygoodness he bit off the bear's tongue!

Zach seizes the opportunity and kicks his way out of the bear's grasp.

Once again, all its attention is on Zach.

Zach is on all fours. The two circle eachother, each looking for a chance to strike, with the bear being more wary this time.

You can see the blood all over each of their faces. You wince upon seeing Zach's bite marks. You're surprised he isn't screaming in pain right now.

The bear lunges. Zach springs over him, barely missing a collision with the ceiling, and landing backwards on the bear's back.

The beast roars and tries bucking Zach off. Zach only holds on tighter and lifts up his tail.

Here it comes.

Zach inserts his stinger into the bear's neck, right below the head.

The bear continues bucking, but is slowing down.

Suddenly, it stops, and falls flat on its face.

Zach is sprawled out and is shivering on top of the monster. Upon seeing that his opponent is down, he flips around and sits on the bear's back, looking at the half-inch wide hole he made. He sticks a finger into it, and slices open the bear's neck. Violently, he begins ripping out flesh and organs.

You finally find your voice. "Zach..."

He whips around and stares at you menacingly.

His eyes are a piercing red. Blood soaks his fur. He gives off a stare that paralyzes you and makes you choke.

You wouldn't be surprised if he has hypnotic powers.

His eyes suddenly soften, and fade into a dark blue. His facial features hold a pained look. "Fluttershy?"

He screams and grasps his head. You jump down and flutter to him with your wings.

You hug him with all the strength you can muster. He soon stops screaming and looks at you.

You can tell he's still in pain, but is refraining from shrieking in your ear.

You cry and whisper words that you could never mean more than now.

"Thank you..."

Fluttershy is crying on me right now.

I have no recollection of the time between being bit in the face and waking up holding bloody meat and staring at Fluttershy.

My head hurts. My everything hurts.

But that doesn't matter now. I'm being hugged by a crying Fluttershy, while standing on top of a dead bear.

I guess I'm just thankful we're both okay.

She whispers two words that pierce the innermost layer of your soul.

"Thank you."

You take your bloody arms and wrap them around Fluttershy.

Wow. I've been here almost two days, and I've already destroyed part of a house and am covered in blood and tears.

Sounds like home.

I mean, my old home.

Five minutes later Fluttershy looks up at you.

You've been stroking her mane. You've accidentally smeared blood all over her, and don't like the idea of covering her in more blood than necessary, but it seems to comfort her.

Besides, it helps to keep your mind off this intense pain.

When you look at her face, you spot three parallel cuts on her cheek.

That part of her face is covered with wet, sticky blood.

At least it's clotting. She'll be fine.

But you don't really know if -you- will be.

You can hear your heartbeat. Blood is getting in your eyes.

"Fluttershy..."

She opens her mouth to speak, but is choking on emotion. She clears her throat and croaks out a "Yes?"

"I think I need to lie down..."

You carry her over to the foot of your bed and set her down there. You then sit down beside her and stroke her mane.

"Goodnight, Fluttershy."

Your eyes roll up into your head and you fall unconscious.

He just passed out.

He may be dying.

You climb atop him and begin crying.

How many more will die because of you?

No. Not this time.

You contemplate going for help.

No. That will take too long.

You're going to have to take things into your own hooves this time.

Chapter 4: Oh My

The air around you is very tense. It's uncomfortable, and makes you shift in your seat.

You had just come to minutes ago. The Voice of Reason explained to you what was happening without cracking even one smart comment.

So the situation was pretty serious.

He's been controlling your body for days while you were gone. Somehow, he ended up in your body while you were in his. And he really doesn't like what he's seen.

For one, you've gotten yourself a possible life in prison.

Aaron, your trusted friend and lawyer, has always remained confident in these types of things, and has always been able to get you out of sticky situations.

You don't think you can say the same for today.

"Zach, did your eyes just change color?" He looks a little startled.

The Voice of Reason controls your tongue as you try to get your bearings. "I... don't think so. I can't see them, so I wouldn't know."

He looks a little annoyed at your last comment, and mumbles something about needing glasses. He looks down at his papers and back up again, studying you.

"Zach, remember, don't have that 'swag' look in court today. You need to look innocent, and use your troubled past to your advantage."

Your head isn't on straight, and your trial is today. Definitely a bad omen.

This time, you speak. "Yeah Aaron, sure..."

Your seeming lack of interest frustrates him. "Zach! They want to put you in prison for LIFE! Your

whole future depends on this!"

You're a bit surprised by his outburst. Aaron has always been a calm guy, and only rarely has he ever yelled. He's obviously stressed.

And when Aaron's stressed, it's bad news.

"Sorry, Zach. I'm just a bit edgy right now. I'm really worried about you. I'm worried that you're going to waste your whole life in prison. I always hoped that someday you would have a job, a life, maybe even a family..."

For the first time in years, you feel something. Disappointment. Guilt.

He sees the sudden emotion in you and looks shocked. He's obviously surprised that after going this long without a single tear and barely ever a smile, your face is now showing

sadness.

You decide to go with it. "I-I'm sorry, Aaron. I just always felt the need to prove myself worthy. That's why I joined the gang. But in the end," you look at your orange prison suit, "I did the opposite."

A guard pokes his head through the door, ruining your bonding moment. "Five minutes. You should probably head out now."

Aaron stands up and holds out his hand. He puts on a forced smile and says, "Good luck."

You shake his hand. "No need for that. I'm dead already."

The trial turned out as expected.

Aaron's case was crushed.

The jury decided you were guilty.

You were to serve life in prison without parole.

What did you expect? This wasn't the first time you had killed someone, and you wouldn't have expected any different if it was.

As you are lead down the court hallways and into a squad car, you think about your friends, the ones you failed, and the gang.

The gang.

You hoped if they hadn't already, that they would go into hiding. The police were bound to be looking them.

-Why do you defend your gang? They got you into this mess.

You would think that. But I'm clear from emotions driving my thoughts, so I'm a bit more shrewd. I know it wasn't their fault. It was my choice to join them in the first place, and so I messed up my own life. I deserve this.

-Zach. You have two lives now, so it doesn't matter if one of them is messed up. But I don't think I do.

What?

-I've been stuck inside your body for three days. You came back, but I can feel your soul slipping away right now. Let's face it. We're switching lives.

You feel a twinge of guilt. You've not only failed everyone you know, but now you've pulled another soul into this mess.

I'm sorry for all of this.

-It's okay. Just don't forget that it's my body that you'll be controlling, so don't mess it up.

Somehow, even in this dire situation, he still manages to fit in a joke.

I won't mess up. I promise.

-And also, remember this. I'm there to fight for you when you need me.

You try to inquire more of him, but are sucked backwards suddenly, everything becoming a tiny speck surrounded by a huge, dark void.

You are Rainbow Dash, and something is wrong with you.

It was after the party that you first felt it. It was like another presence was with you, trying to free itself from the deepest corners of your mind.

At first you dismissed it, even though the thought of something else in your head was very eery.

Oh, come on, Rainbow Dash. Don't be such a scaredy-hooves.

Then, three nights later, you had a dream.

In your dream, you were walking in a meadow of flowers, something you would never admit to doing if other ponies were around.

That's when an unusual being walked up to you. It wore a funny torn garb, and walked on two legs. It had no fur, aside from a small a patch on its head.

It walked up to you, curiously. It cocked his head and examined you.

You didn't know what to think. You've never seen such a strange-looking creature before. It didn't seem very threatening, but you kept your guard up.

Then it spoke. "Is this heaven?"

From its voice, you guessed it was male.

You couldn't help but give him a look.

"Um, no."

He looked around.

"Where am I then?"

You looked around too. You actually didn't know where this was yourself.

Odd. "I don't know. We're probably somewhere on the edge of Ponyville."

"Ponyville?"

You raise an eyebrow. "You're not from here, are you?"

"Obviously not." He gestures to himself, pointing out the differences between you and him.

"Okay okay, don't get smart about it. After all, I'm the one who's going to find our way home."

"Fine."

"Here, let me fly up and observe the area. I'll probably be able to see Ponyville, and then you can ride on my back all the way there."

His mouth is agape. "You can fly?"

You extend your wings and roll your eyes. "Naww..."

He frowns. "At least now I know for sure this isn't heaven."

"And why's that?"

"Because you're no angel."

You give him an angry look, but then laugh.

This kid's actually pretty funny.

"I like you, kid." You fly up to his height and ruffle his mane (if you can even call it that). You then fly up as high as you can.

Just flowers and trees as far as you can see.

If we're in the Everfree Forest, Ponyville should be north, so I can probably tell which way to go from the sun.

It's afternoon, so the sun should be west.

You put the sun on your left and search for any signs of your town.

Still just flowers and trees.

You fly back down to your new friend, and tell him what's up.

He gives you a nod, and starts walking north.

"What are you doing?"

He stops and looks at you.

"I thought we were heading back to Ponyville."

"Yeah, but we can't walk. That would take too long."

"Well, I don't have wings. What do you suppose we do?"

"You can ride on my back."

He gives you a skeptical look. "Don't you think that would be a bit... hard for you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I'm like three times your size. No offense, but I don't think you're strong enough."

You huff and bend your back legs slightly, beckoning him to climb on. "Try me."

He sighs, sits on your back and wraps his arms around your neck.

He -is- pretty heavy, but not too heavy for you.

You start out slow. You warm up your wings, then slowly increase the speed that they're flapping at.

They get faster, faster, and faster. The creature on your back is starting to get nervous.

All of a sudden, you give one large, hard flap, and jump. You're high in the air, with the one who doubted you gripping your chest for dear life.

You start doing barrel rolls, flips, and dives. He's screaming now, and is giving you an unimaginable squeeze that you would have never expected to come from such skinny limbs.

You decide to show him the big guns. You fly high, very high, higher than the clouds.

You look back at him once you get to the desired elevation. He's looking at you with eyes as wide as dinner plates.

You smirk at him, feeling triumphant. "Ready?"

Somehow, his eyes get bigger. "Please don't..."

You take a nosedive, and he screams for mercy. You ignore him, and flap harder, trying to gain as much as much speed as possible.

The air whistles through your feathers, getting higher and higher in pitch. It creates a kind of tickling sensation, one you've always loved.

You're going so fast that you can no longer hear him screaming. Your eyes dry out, and the air around you vibrates.

Suddenly, it happens.

To you and him, it's an absence of sound.

To anyone within earshot, it's a boom loud enough to shatter glass.

You curve your flight so that you're flying parallel to the ground. You can just imagine the poor guy's astonished face, marveling at the multitude of colors forming an ever-expanding ring.

That was likely his first-ever sonic rainboom.

After a couple minutes, you've slowed down to a stop. You land, but the thunderstruck creature is frozen, mouth agape and clinging on to you tighter than ever before.

You swing your mane. "Hey, big guy, ride's over."

He shakes his head and steps off of you. He then walks over to a log and sits down, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"Must be your first sonic rainboom, huh?" you say in an indifferent tone.

He finally speaks up. His voice is raspy at first, but he clears his throat and expresses his amazement. "Yeah... I didn't know it was possible to break the sound barrier without machines."

"I know, I was gr- say what now?"

"Well, what you did back there has been accomplished by my humans, back on Earth, using machines. Although I've never seen it happen, I've heard-"

"Wait wait wait... Where did you say you were from?"

"Earth... more specifically, Los Angeles." He explains. " I'm assuming this isn't Earth, because, well, you're here. Your kind doesn't exist in where I'm from."

Earth... That's the place that Zach was telling you about. Neither you nor any of your friends believed a word he said, but now you were seeing one of the monkey-like figures he described, standing in front of you.

"What's your name?"

He smiles at you. "Sam. And what's yours?"

"Rainbow Dash." You contemplate just how to ask your next question. "Uh, just curious. Do you know a guy by the name of Zach? I think his full name is Zackarismith, or something like that."

His eyes go wide. "Zach. Zachariah Smith..."

You're a little uneased by this. "Yeah, Zachariah Smith."

"How do you know him?" he urgently demands, seizing your shoulders.

"I-I met him, a couple days ago. I haven't seen him in a bit though." Regaining your composure, you shove him away from you.

His face goes pale. "S-so... He's here too?" His voice is shaky.

"Yes. Why, what's wrong?"

He moans and stumbles around, tripping over things.

"Sam!"

He loses his balance and faceplants on a boulder. Blood runs down the rock, soaking into the dirt below.

You rush over to him and turn him over. He's bleeding from his nose and eyes, and you can tell there's something wrong with the bone above his nostrils.

Suddenly, a wind rushes over you. You see it all; Zach brutally hitting Sam in the face with a stone. Sam's plea for mercy, the sadness in Zach's eyes as he took his one final hit.

The vision came with mixed emotions of pain, anger, fear, and for some strange reason, pity. Not for Sam, but for Zach. It was as if you could feel everything Sam felt in his dying moment.

And then you woke up.

It was all a nightmare, you tell yourself. Just a bad dream you had after too many late nights of pizza and video games.

Still, it scares you. Sam, the human from Earth, such a kind creature, being beat to death by a stone.

And what was worse, the one weilding the stone.

You try to shake it off. You've had stranger dreams, you tell yourself.

As you search the pantries for breakfast, you rub the pressure at the back of your head, the feeling similar to a small knot just wanting to untie itself and stretch around the perimeter of your skull..

I wonder how Fluttershy's doing?

Pinkie Pie is flaming mad.

You and her walk down the path to Fluttershy's house, seeking an explanation as to why both her and Zach didn't show up to the party, and then not show their faces for three days.

You've never seen Pinkie this angry before, except for the time Applejack broke a Pinkie promise; and luckily, she isn't as mad now as she was then.

But she' still furious, to say the least.

"I mean, seriously, couldn't they at LEAST have told me they were just going to ditch the party? I mean, come on, I put all that work into it and they-"

Suddenly, she stops, her chatter ending abruptly.

So you stop too.

"Pinkie? Are you alright?"

"Twilight..." she gasps, "Look!"

You follow her gaze to a sight that horrifies you.

There's a huge hole in the front of Fluttershy's cottage, and a flock of ravens comfortably going in and out.

Your fur turns a lighter shade of purple as you realize what ravens mean.

Dead meat.

You and Pinkie Pie bolt to her house and through the giant hole, disrupting the flock.

You almost fall into a gap in the floor, but Pinkie grabs you.

An overwhelming stench fills your nostrils as you look down, afraid of what you'll see.

It's a dead bear, covered in a swarm of buzzing flies.

Pinkie Pie pulls you back to her, and reciprocates a worried face after peering into the hole.

"Let's go downstairs and have a look at what happened," you suggest.

The two of you went around the side to the double-door basement entrance, and walked in.

Noses plugged, you searched the room for clues.

The bear had maggots, which meant it had been dead for a couple of days.

There was blood everywhere, but what surprised you was the amount that was on Zach's bed, particularly his pillow.

There was also an I.V., and a dirty bowl on his nightstand.

From what you could tell, there had been a bear attack, and either Fluttershy or Zach got hurt.

There were many questions in your head, the most important being: where are they now?

This has been the most enjoyable time you've had in awhile.

This morning, you woke up to a stench that reached the high heavens. It put you in a bad mood at first, but then you opened your eyes and saw Fluttershy sleeping soundly on your chest.

And your first thought?

'Is that smell coming from Fluttershy???'

But then you remembered there was a dead bear in the room.

Oh.

So, you started stroking Fluttershy's mane. It was so soft, like running your hands through strands of silky length.

You were saddened to see the claw marks on her left cheek, still not completely healed. You hoped they wouldn't make a scar.

She woke up with a start, and when she saw that you were awake, she squeed.

That's literally the sound she made.

She hugged your neck, and you remembered just how soft her body was.

You returned the hug, and while in your embrace, continued to stroke her neck.

She's a little startled by this, as if no one's ever done that before, but seems to enjoy it nonetheless.

After you two were done hugging, you suggested going for a walk, not just because you wanted some fresh air, but... Because you wanted some -sanitary- air.

While on your walk, Fluttershy pointed out all the different animals that you would have never noticed if she hadn't called them to your attention.

Tasty-looking little animals.

Get ahold of yourself. You don't want to scare off Fluttershy, especially with all she did for you.

She hadn't said anything, but you could tell from the I.V. and the bandages that she had been taking care of you while you were unconscious.

You were guessing you had been out for three days.

"So, Fluttershy, what kind of bird is that?" you say, pointing to a big, red, elegant-looking one standing on a branch, eyeing the both of you.

"Ooh! That's a phoenix! I haven't seen one of those around here in years!"

A phoenix?

"Wait, does that mean it can throw fire?"

"Yes, which is why we shouldn't get too close. They normally won't attack you, but also don't like to be bothered."

You nod. Interestingly enough, you had heard about these back on Earth, but over there, they were just considered mythical creatures.

Which made you wonder. Had someone else ever entered this world as you did, then come back with stories that eventually evolved into myths such as this?

You were pretty sure you had heard of manticores back on Earth, too; which were one of the things you had talked to Fluttershy about.

You would never believe that -she- took on a full-sized manticore until you had proof. And that's what you told her.

Fluttershy just tried to push you into a lake for that comment.

You're grinning ear to ear at her, trying not to burst out laughing. Essentially, all she managed to do was smack her face into your side as if she flew into a brick wall.

She falls to the ground, dazed.

You can't take it anymore. You start laughing, and she scowls at you.

"Why did you do that?" you manage to get out between bursts of laughter.

"Because, you smell and need a bath." she retorts.

Well, that elevated quickly.

She realizes she just insulted someone, possibly for the first time in her life, and covers her mouth with a hoof.

Better do something before she starts crying and rebuking herself.

You grab Fluttershy and throw her in the lake before she can react, then jump in yourself.

When come back up, Fluttershy is trying to glare at you.

'Trying' being a key word here.

"Excuse me, Zach, but why the heck would you throw me into a lake?? If it's no big deal, of course."

That had to be the worst attempt at anger you've ever seen.

You lazily swim backwards. "You said I smell and need a bath."

"So we're taking a bath together then?"

You stop your swimming and look at her. Realizing what she just said, she blushes, and looks at you from the tops of her eyes.

You take a good look at her now, and see her mane, wet and covering up the side of her face with the scar. And her eyes; a beautiful shade of blue, glistening with the reflection of the lake.

She's blushing profusely now. She knows you're staring.

You can't help it. You pull her into a kiss.

Her eyes widen, and she squirms for a second, but gives up under your strong hold.

Realizing she was trying to get away from you, you let go, feeling rotten for forcing her into that.

"I-I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I really didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, Zach." She averts her eyes for a second, then looks up at you again. Suddenly, she grabs you, and pulls you into a kiss.

Her legs wrap around you, her lips and tongue are as soft as her body. You feel every part of her, and when she breaks the kiss, you look into her eyes, and ask, "Are you ready for this?"

She squeezes you and whispers, "Oh Zach... Yes."

But then she lets go. Her eyes hold a hint of uncertainty.

You know what this means. You've seen that look before.

Fun time's over, buddy. You've lost your chance with her.

"Let's get out of the deep end of the lake. I really don't want to drown."

You look at her, dying to know her intentions. "And then...?"

"And then we finish what we started."

You and her swim to the edge of the lake, and she lies on her back, her wings fully extended.

You had never noticed the red and blue patterns on the undersides of her wings before.

She rubs her hip seductively. "I'm ready."

She grins as you kneel down, ready to do what you've both been craving for.

You and Twilight have been following a set of footprints for a couple of minutes now.

You two had figured they were Zach's. They came out of the basement and lead into the woods.

You were hoping to find Zach, and maybe Fluttershy, and ask what happened. It was worrying you.

The footprints seemed to stop abruptly near near the lake.

You and Twilight search for clues. Twilight searched the lake, and you searched the trees, knowing very well that diamond dogs loved to climb trees.

Twilight didn't seem to agree with you, but what does she know about diamond dogs?

You hear Twilight calling to you now. "Hey, Pinkie! I think I see-" she gasps, as if she has just witnessed something terrible.

You shoot down the tree and stand at her side.

"Where are they- Oh my."

Abnormalities

Filling your vision is a white expanse, with seemingly no end, littered with black, hovering orbs. There are some walls in random spots, but they're extremely hard to see, as they match perfectly with the pure white of their surroundings. You would camouflage too, if it weren't for your black beady eyes and outline.

Another thing: you're trapped to one of these walls by a black, sticky web.

------------------

Welcome to my world.

Or whoever's world this is.

They thought I was dead. Gone. I admit, I did too. I have no idea where I am, except that I am in the far corners of another being's mind. I have escaped these binds before, but now struggle to break free of the strong, silky substance keeping me strapped to this spot. If I ever find a way to escape, they won't catch me again.

Your nail, if you can call it that, has found a weak spot in the black web trapping you against the wall. You pierce it, snapping the sticky ropes that hold you down.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The same goes for this web, which you now tear open with ease.

An alarm sounds, startling you, although you knew all too well that it would happen.

Whatever is in this being's subconscious is what you'll find. And by now, you know her well enough to expect pony guards.

Your host. What was her name? Ah, yes. Rainbow Dash. You met her once, in her dream. Those were the first moments of being in her head. You had no idea where you where, but it was nice to have a friend.

She's a nice person- er, pony, from what you've seen. She would certainly let you free if she knew you were in here; unfortunately, that's not the case. You're going to have to force your way out.

Guard ponies seem to be appearing from nowhere, fading in from the vast white expanse. You're not worried; now that you know what to expect, you can deal with these guys.

Streams of magic fire from the unicorns' horns. One beam passes dangerously close, singing you and taking down a flying pegasus behind you.

You realize there are maybe a dozen pegasi coming from above. You zip towards the ground, the guards close behind.

You weave between the ponies on the ground, but know that you can't dodge them for long. You lock onto a slightly smaller guard, and brace for impact.

You slam into him full force, knocking him off his feet and sending you both tumbling to the ground.

He's kicking at you and firing off beams of magic. In order to avoid being his attacks, you slip around to his back.

It's now or never.

From there, you grab his top jaw and pull upwards. Knowing you're vulnerable to attack from other ponies, you quickly make yourself as thin as possible and slide into his mouth.

You're a little wobbly at first, but regain your balance as your natural instincts come into play.

Wow. I didn't think it would work.

I took control of a guard.

Maybe I could sneak out of here in this body. They don't seem to notice...

They all turn towards you suddenly, seeming to be able to detect something off about their comrade.

Crap.

You sprint for a random hole that sits in the middle of nowhere.

Experience tells you that the holes are always the best way to go.

The guards haven't followed you any further.

You don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

You've been walking in what seems like a tunnel, pulsing with streams of white light on the sides.

Suddenly, warm memories wash over you.

Rainbow Dash's memories.

Huh. She's an orphan. Not surprising, considering her apparent inferiority complex.

Gosh. These memories could really ruin her if anyone else found out.

I may not have lips, but they are sealed.

Oh no... Please don't show me that... Oh gosh Rainbow Dash! That's disgusting!

Huh... There's more...

She seems to be a real hero around these parts...

The Element of Loyalty.

Looks like I manifested myself into the right pony.

You suddenly get a prickly feeling. At first you assume it's part of the memories, but it becomes extremely painful and just doesn't fit in.

Reacting quickly, you jump out of the guard pony in time to see him disintegrate.

What are those??

Black iscoceles triangles stick to the body of your former host. Other triangles hover mid-air, and seem to be watching you.

This can't be good.

You jump out of the way as the triangles swoosh by, piercing the ground below you.

They unstick themselves and are after you in hot pursuit.

The tunnel you're in seems to have just one straight path. No other ways to go. These triangles, however, are much faster than you. They're going to catch up.

You wait until one catches up to you, and punch it on its flat side. It snaps in half, and vaporizes.

You look behind you with a victorious smirk.

That's right. I'm so badazz I can smirk without a mouth.

You feel a sharp slicing on your side. You see a triangle, this one smaller than the others, working its way underneath your skin.

You do your best to grab it, but the sides are razor-sharp. They slice through your hands, leaving wide, black gashes on your palms.

You pull, and the back part of the little monster snaps off, leaving the point embedded into your skin.

You silently scream as the piece evaporates in a cloud of steam, cooking your tender wound.

More come, and you do your best to dodge them. But one strikes you in your ghostly stomach, and heats up, causing your flesh (or whatever it is) to boil.

The pain is too unbearable. You can no longer suspend yourself. You fall, and wanting the pain to be over, rocket towards the ground as fast as you can, trying to smash yourself against the ground.

You hit the ground -hard- but, instead of dying, you crash through the floor.

That light. So bright.

Fluttershy and you walk, dripping wet, from the edge of the pond.

You grin at her, and she giggles.

Is it wrong that I just bucked a pony?

Nah. Human rules no longer apply.

What about pony rules?

She doesn't seem to think it was wrong. In fact, she's smiling at you now.

She could just be-

Your musings are interrupted by a rustling in the nearby bushes.

The two of you glance at eachother.

"Hello? Who's there?" You walk over to investigate. Probably just a squirrel, but you never know-

You trip over something, and land in the bush.

Something is squirming around underneath you, and startles you.

You jump off, and once you regain yourself, realize it's Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie.

Do they know...?

Their looks give it away.

Sh*t.

"You guys... Saw everything, didn't you?"

Twilight gulps and nods her head. Fluttershy walks up, eyes wide.

"Girls, what are you doing here?"

Twilight looks from you to Fluttershy, and back. Fluttershy blushes profusely.

Twilight stands and brushes herself off. "Fluttershy, we need to talk... Privately."

Oh Celestia... I feel as if something just snapped in my head...

You take a flanksprin (pain medication) and sit down on the couch. Your mind is jumbled with feverish thoughts, not even seeming to be your own.

-Ugh... Nasty headache.

Tell me about it.

You shake your head. Talking to yourself is one of the first signs that you should go see a doctor.

-Talking to yourself? You still don't get it, do you?

Okay, wtf brain??

-I'm not your brain. It's me, Sam.

You jolt upright, causing the pain in your head to worsen.

After your headache dies down a little, you think about it. That didn't seem like something you would say.

Yep, definitely should call a doctor.

You reach for the phone.

-No, wait!

Something stops you. Your foreleg. You can't move it!

No matter how hard you try, it just hangs suspended in mid-air. Cautiously, as if someone were controlling it, it goes back to your side, and hangs limp.

How strange.

You lift it up and wiggle it around, testing to see if it works properly.

Whatever happened, it seems to be fine now.

You pick up the phone and try to dial again, but your hoof won't press the buttons. It just hangs there, like with your other arm.

-Please. Rainbow Dash, it's Sam. Don't freak out, you're not crazy. Just listen.

That certainly had the opposite effect.

You jump off the couch and flap your wings in excitement. You shoot up a couple of hooves, but the pain overtakes you and you fall back down. Stars shoot from your peripheral vision into the middle of your eyes.

This headache... I think I'm gonna pass out.

As your vision fades to black, you get up and start walking.

Oh Celestia, what's going on?

You and Twilight sit in silence as you watch Pinkie Pie lead Zach back to your cottage.

You can tell this isn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

Twilight finally breaks the silence. "Fluttershy, I'm concerned."

You do your best to put on an quizzical face. "Why?"

"Well, you've shown no interest in anypony ever since Ruby Eyes left, and now, suddenly, you just meet this- stranger- and decide to have sex with him."

The mention of Red catches you off guard more than her frankness about your having sexual relations with Zach. However, you toss your head in an attempt to appear unconcerned. "Well, maybe I'm finally getting over him."

Twilight sighs. "I don't think so. Red and Zach are just so alike, so much that it makes me think- I mean, I'm not accusing you of anything- but I feel like you're just using Zach to replace Red."

Your mouth is agape. Not because you're mad at Twilight for making such an outrageous statement, but... She may be right. He reminds you so much of the diamond dog that you used to know, that you cared so much for. You've been alone for years, and finding somepony that you really liked has been a blessing in every way. But it just doesn't feel right anymore. You realize now that you're just using Zach to replace Ruby Eyes; and that isn't fair to Zach.

You sigh. "Okay Twilight, I understand."

Her face shows no relief.

"Twilight, don't you believe me?"

"I course I believe you, Fluttershy... But there's something else I need to talk to you about. It's about Zach again."

Your eyes widen. "Is something wrong with him?"

She gulps. "I'm sure you know that he couldn't possibly have 'happened' naturally, right?"

"I had my suspicions."

"Well, if he's a new species, there's a lot we don't know about him."

You raise an eyebrow.

"I don't think he's grown to his full size yet, Fluttershy."

There's no way that can be true. He's so huge already! "But, how would you know that?"

"I've been studying the anatomy of diamond dogs for the past couple of days. He doesn't fit an -adult- diamond dog, and almost doesn't seem like a diamond dog at all. You can only see it if you look carefully, but his back paws are almost hoof-shaped. His canine teeth are unusually large, and I'm positive he's growing a horn!"

She says those last words a bit emphatically, as if trying to hit you with the realization of those words. It works, and you freeze in place.

She's right. He's not as muscular as Red was, and his canine teeth almost stick out of his mouth. You don't know if the other things she said were true, but she's been right so far.

She sees you in your shocked state, and nuzzles you in an attempt at comfort.

"I'm sorry I had to tell you that, Fluttershy. I really am. We just have to know the truth sometimes. But there's one last thing you need to know about Zach."

She stuttered those last few words, as if having to force them out.

This can't be good.

Dry-throated, you nod at her to continue.

"When I first met him, I noticed his eyes were flickering red. A lot like Ruby Eyes's."

You had noticed this before too, but you're still not sure where she's going with this.

"It reminded me so much of him, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Then today, Pinkie and I walked into- well, you know what. I thought I saw it. And then, when he tripped and fell on us in the bush, I saw it again, and knew for sure it was there. After that, I knew for sure it was there."

This is confusing. "Saw what? What was there??"

Twilight rubs one foreleg with the other. "Fluttershy, remember that burn Red got during Applejack's birthday party?"

You remember all right. Red had tried to light a firework, one of the small ones that would sit in one spot and spit sparks up into the air. He accidentally dropped the candle, and the flame from the candle lit the base of the fuse. He had no time to react, and within seconds was being sprayed with red and blue sparks. The fur on the underside of his arm caught fire, and it left a scar on one spot near his forearm that never went away.

Wait a minute. That scar...

The realization of it hits you with such a force that you vomit.

After you're done, Twilight pats you on the back.

"We need to find who's doing this. Who knows how many 'monsters' will be made, or worse, how many ponies will be killed if we don't look into this."

You nod. Words can't describe the feelings you're having right now.

One thing's for sure: you'll never look at Zach the same way again.

Chapter 6: Uneasiness

"How the heck do they open these things?"

Sam faces the question of the ages.

You sit, staring intently at the doorknob before you.

The art of opening doors using hooves is a lost art to you.

You try using friction to your advantage by pressing your (or Rainbow's) hoof as hard as possible against the edge of the doorknob, and slowly move your foreleg clockwise.

This method has failed you numerous times; but who knows, maybe fifteen's the charm?

Ooh... Almost there...

I think I got it this time!

Just as it seems success is imminent, the doorknob quickly springs back to its original position.

Dammit! I'm getting nowhere!

You pace around the room, hoping to find an answer to this vexing problem.

You finally look out the open window at the cloud lawn in front of your house.

The sky, so blue, it's right out that window...

Wait a minute...

I'm an idiot.

Using your wings to give you a boost, you climb out the window.

Yes! Successful landing!

I wonder what I should do now. I've never walked on cloud before-

-TRIP!-

I must be the first person to ever trip on a cloud.

Or pony, for that matter...

You walk through Ponyville, confused and angry.

Why?

Pinkie let it slip that Fluttershy was just using you to replace an old flame.

Your reaction? You ditched Pinkie, covered up your scorpion tail with bandages, and goose-stepped into Ponyville.

On the way, you saw Rainbow Dash lying face-first in a puddle of mud. It looked like she had fallen a distance before hitting the ground, because there was mud splattered around her in a circle.

Naturally, you went to check on her.

It went like this.

"Hey, Dash? You alright?"

Dash looks up, her face slathered in thick mud. When she sees you, her blue eyes go wide. "Z-Zach??"

"Uh, yeah. You need any help?"

She gets up and slowly backs away. "N-no, I-I'm fine, t-thank you."

Okay, she's acting kind of weird...

Guess I'll leave her alone.

"Alright, Dash, see ya around."

You then proceeded to walk away.

You find yourself in a park, and decide to find somewhere to sit down.

So here you are now, sitting on a park bench.

It's a really beautiful sunset.

Sunset is your favorite time of the day. The air is cooling, the sun's not too bright, and the sky is a deep crimson red littered with pink cotton candy clouds.

To you, a sunset is a work of art, painted by the most talented artists, and topped off with a hypnotic spell that causes you to become absorbed in its magnificence...

Should've been a poet.

"Hey, Zach!"

You snap out of your trance and turn around to face the familiar voice.

"Hey, Applejack."

"Well, boy howdy, didn't think ah would see you here! How're we holdin' up?"

It takes a moment to translate that.

I think she's saying 'How are you?'

Good job brain.

You ponder that for a moment. "I could tell you I'm doing fine, but then I would be lying."

Applejack adopts a concerned look. "Now why is that?"

You pause, trying to think of a way to put this without revealing too much. "I've been having some problems with Fluttershy."

She grins. "You like 'er, don't ya?"

Without thinking, you mutter, "You don't know the half of it."

She seems concerned again. "Give 'er time. You probably just remind 'er of ol' Red Eyes. She told you about Red Eyes, right?"

"Pinkie did, actually. Not exactly the best timing either."

It clicks. "It gets complicated, doesn't it?"

"More than you know."

She sighs.

A moment of silence passes before she asks, "Will you need a place to stay?"

"If you're willing to offer it."

She smiles. "Come along now. Ye're gonna like where we're goin'."

You arrive at what looks like a fancy gate without a door.

"Welcome tah Sweet Apple Acres!"

You never would have guessed Applejack lived on an apple farm.

Haha. Sarcasm.

Really though, it's a very nice place.

Maybe you should tell her that.

"Wow, Applejack. I didn't know you lived on an apple farm!"

Well. Of course I just managed to say the stupidest thing possible.

Nonetheless, Applejack smiles and says, "Yessiree! Been applebuckin' mah whole life! It's even in mah name!"

Really? I thought you were named after the way you were conceived-

Shutup brain!!

"Oh, yeah. I guess it was a bit obvious."

She smirks. "Enough dilly-dally. Let me introduce you to everyone, then I'll show ya where you'll be stayin'!"

After a couple minutes of walking, you come to a house.

It's a two-story house, and looks pretty old.

There's no way it's large enough for you, though.

"Applejack, I really appreciate your kindness and all, but I don't think I could fit in-"

"Of course not! I wasn't going to have you live in the house! Ah just wanna introduce you to mah family! Ah'm not stupid, ya know."

"Okay okay, sorry."

The two of you arrive in front of the house. On the porch there's an old green pony sleeping in a rocking chair.

"Hey Granny Smith!"

Granny Smith wakes up with a start.

"What's that Eleanor?"

A much shriller, higher voice fills the air,"Granny Smith, it's Applejack!"

A little yellow pony with a red mane and bow has seemed to have materialized in front of Granny Smith.

Wat.

"Hey Applejack! Who's your friend?" The little pony bounds on over to you two.

"Applebloom, meet Zach. Zach, meet Applebloom."

"Why, nice ta meet ya, Zach!" She holds out a hoof.

You bend over as low as possible and shake her hoof.

She starts squealing and trying to wriggle free. "Zach... Too tight..."

You immediately let go and she jerks her hoof away. "Sorry. I guess I don't know my own strength."

"It's okay," she says, feeling her throbbing hoof, "Applejack always says to look for the ponies with firm hoofshakes."

Applejack chuckles.

Applebloom suddenly drops to the ground and stares at your feet. "Say, your... paws, right? Your paws look kinda funny."

Applejack gives her a stern look, but you lift up one of your 'paws' and study it.

She's right. Your toes look short, and your heel is becoming rounder and flatter.

It's actually starting to look kind of like a-

"I think you should come meet Granny Smith now, Zach."

You nod, and follow her over to the once-again-asleep pony sitting in a rocking chair.

Applebloom tip-toes over and pokes her. "Hey. Granny Smith."

CRACKK!!

Your foot goes straight through the first step leading up to their porch. Granny Smith wakes up with a start, just as you land with a hollow thump on the wood in front of her.

"Sweet Celestia! You caught the Snipe!"

Applejack and Applebloom look at Granny Smith inquisitively.

She hops off her rocking chair and pokes your face. "My my, it's gotten bigger. And it's even growin' a horn!"

What?

"Granny! I've told you before, that wasn't a Snipe, his name was Red! And this isn't Red -or- a Snipe, this is Zach."

You smile, accidentally bearing your fangs. She squints at you.

"Ah've got mah EYE, on YOU."

She then proceeds to back inside, looking you in the eye the whole way.

You dust yourself off and survey the damage.

Luckily, just the step broke.

"Sorry Applejack. I didn't know I was too heavy for-"

"Nope. Don't apologize. It'll just be an extra chore for you tomorrow."

"-Extra- chore?"

"Well, of course. Ya didn't think I was just gonna let ya stay here without workin', did ya?"

Actually, I kind of like the sound of that.

"He's gonna stay HERE with US??"

You both look surprised at Applebloom, who is bounding with excitement.

"Yes, Applebloom. He's stayin' as long as it's alright with Big Mac."

"Sweet! We can have sleepovers, and he can stay in my room, and-"

"Woah woah woah. Applebloom, he's stayin' in the barn. There's no way he could fit in the house, much less your room."

"Oh. Alright."

"Say, Applebloom, could'ja tell Big Mac we have a guest when ya see him?"

"Sure thing Applejack!" Applebloom runs off.

"Now," she says, watching Applebloom disappear over a hill, "Let's show you to your living spaces."

This isn't too bad.

"Sorry it couldn't be a bit more elegant, but it's all I have right now."

"I kinda like it, actually," you say, "It's nice and roomy, and has a nice hay smell." You plop down on a pile of hay.

"Well, ah'm glad you like it," she says, smiling at your content look. "I'll go get you some dinner. Maybe we can eat out here tonight?"

Your stomach growls. "Sounds fine with me. Oh, and one more thing. I can't eat daisies and grass."

She puts a hoof to her chin. "Hmm, I don't have any meat on me at the moment. Will eggs do?"

You lick your chops. "Yes, they will do just fine."

She chuckles and walks out the barn door.

" Dear Princess Celestia,

I am writing my update on Zach, as per my instructions. The news is not good. Pinkie and I caught he and Fluttershy in the middle of sexual intercourse. While I was having a talk with Fluttershy about it, I made the mistake of allowing Pinkie Pie to walk with him back to Fluttershy's cottage. Pinkie came back, saying she told him about Ruby Eyes, and he ran off. She said he went in the direction of Ponyville, and although nothing seems to have happened yet, I am afraid that he may become angry and attack somepony in town. To prevent any tragedies before it's too late, the girls and I will be searching for him in the morning.

Also, based on my observation, I believe he is the result of a cruel experiment that includes artificially combining a diamond dog, a unicorn, and an animal that has a scorpion tail. Even more disturbing, I believe that the diamond dog that was used to create him was our once-good-friend Ruby Eyes. I noticed a scar on him that was symmetrical to one that Ruby Eyes had, and"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

You're disturbed from your writing when you hear a knock on the door.

"Coming!"

You open the door, and find two city guards standing at your doorstep.

One is holding a poster with Scootaloo on it.

"Miss Twilight Sparkle, we are aware of your acquaintanceship with this filly. Unfortunately, she has gone missing approximately five days ago, with no clue on where she may have gone. Do you have any information that may help us find her?"

You look surprised at this. Scootaloo? Missing?

Five days ago.

You shake your head. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen her recently. Please keep me updated on any leads you may have on her."

"Very well, Twilight Sparkle. Good evening to you."

You close the door with your magic and trot back upstairs to continue your letter.

"There is one more important issue I would like to bring up. You may know Scootaloo from Princess Cadence's, and my brother, Shining Armor's, wedding. Apparently she has gone missing recently..."

You're in the kitchen, cooking up some eggs.

So. Zach.

You like him.

As a friend, yeah.

No, you want to buck him.

...

Admit it.

...I guess I do.

You finally admitted that to yourself.

Yeah. It's why I wanted him at the farm so bad.

But you don't love him, do you?

No. I've barely known him for five days, and haven't really even talked to him in that time.

So you like him for his body?

...Yeah, I do, but he's also a nice guy.

So then. Friends with benefits maybe?

I dunno. What would Twilight, or any of my friends think?

If you think they might be mad at you for taking Zach from Fluttershy, consider the fact that they never wanted them together.

I meant the fact that he's probably some frankenpony stitched together from various creatures?

...They may not like that, to be honest. You could try keeping it a secret.

Yeah. I could do that.

He's still pretty hurt about Fluttershy though. Just don't try anything yet.

Like having dinner alone with him?

That's fine. It can be seen as dinner between two friends.

What about Fluttershy? What will she think of this?

She broke his heart already. She's had her chance.

But she's my friend...

She'll forgive you. Besides, it's her fault for pushing him away.

I don't even know the full story. What if they just fought or something?

You'll find out soon enough.

Alright. We'll see where this all goes.

You talk to yourself a lot...

I know.

You enter the barn with three egg sandwiches; one for you, two for Zach.

He sniffs the air. "That smells great! Can't wait to eat. I'm famished..."

"Luna, sister, come out. We are to have our meal together."

You knock on the door to Luna's room. You hear some rustling, and then, "We will be out in a few minutes. Go make ready to dine, and we will meet you at the table."

You sigh. She still uses the royal 'we', but at least she's saying 'you' instead of 'thou'. You've been working with her on her speech for weeks now.

You sit at the head of the table, across from Luna. Just as you and her are about to begin, a letter materializes in front of you. You catch it before it lands in your soup.

"Convenient timing," Luna says, "Read it aloud if you may."

You read Twilight's letter aloud to Luna, who listens with interest.

"So," she inquires after you are done, "What art thou to do?"

"What -are you- to do," you correct, "And I'm not sure. I've watched him, and he seems to be of good heart. However, the disappearence of Scootaloo and his arrival are timed all too well."

Luna ponders this. "We think that you should wait until you know what happened to Scootaloo, before you take any action. Unless, of course, he becomes a problem before then."

"Excellent suggestion, fair Luna. I will take your advice."

"Thank you, thy humble majesty," Luna jokes. You don't bother to correct her.

"See ya bright and early, Zach! Work starts tomorrow!"

"Alright, Applejack!"

As soon as Applejack closes the barn door, you blow out the candles and fall asleep.

Sweet dreams.

Nope.exe

You're Zachariah Smith. The one on Earth.

And you're sitting on your bunk, shank in hand, breathing shakily. Eyes blurry. No muscle control.

Your hand turns over the shank. The handle is a thin metal bar, with cloth wrapped tightly around the upper part of it. The cloth also wraps around the blade, which is a mirror.

With blood on it.

You stare at it.

Everything is blurry, but you swear those eyes looking back at you aren't yours.

Your focus on what's behind the mirror on the floor.

A dead body in a pool of blood.

But... The Voice of Reason... Why would he do this?

You hear a banging on the door. You strain to turn your head, but the Voice of Reason won't let you.

It's almost as if he was expecting it.

He takes the edge of the mirror, and, slowly at first, drags it along your wrist.

Oh Celestia that's painful.

-SHHLING!-

Your wrist spits blood from a convulsing red line, expanding and contracting with every beat of the heart.

You grimace, but take the shank again, and cut your other wrist, this time up to down.

Blood spurts out of that cut, and you get a taste of it in your mouth.

Your vision is suddenly clear. Your mouth is agape, and you can feel pressure welling up in your throat.

Your eyes blur again, this time with tears.

-I'm sorry Zach. I'm so sorry.

It's okay.

You made some bad choices in your time, thinking they would only affect you. That wasn't true. They affected Aaron, they affected Sam, they affected all the families of the people you killed.

And now, your actions affect the life of one more innocent victim.

You're not the man in the monster.

You're the monster in the man.

--------------

Fluttershy cries for the third time tonight. Twilight was wrong. Deep down, she has feelings for Zach, not having to do with Red.

I just hope he's not mad.

Chapter 7: Uncovering Oddities, Part One

Chapter 7 MitM

Crreak...

The sound of a door opening awakes you from your uneasy sleep.

Recollection...

Okay, I'm in Fluttershy's basement, and the door just opened.

That's really freaky.

No, wait. I'm in Applejack's barn, and the barn door just opened.

Even worse.

You sit up, wincing every time the hay rustles.

You peek over a wooden crate, and spy a rather large pony-like silhouette against the moonlight seeping through the crack in the door.

"Hello?"

The figure suddenly darts out of your vision.

You're nervous now. Whoever it was is surprisingly quiet.

But then you realize: you have an advantage.

The smell of sweat and dirt reaches your hyper-sensitive nose. You sniff some more, trying to locate the source.

Considering you've never done this before, you don't know how to judge distance based on super-strong smell. Maybe you could-

-SMACK!-

The next thing you know, you're on the ground, your ears ringing and your head throbbing.

You see your attacker, and jump to your feet. Adrenaline courses through your veins, as you ready yourself for the blood battle bound to follow.

With surprising speed, your opponent is the first to strike. He lunges, and you nimbly dodge him.

"Not fast enouNGGH!"

Your move was obviously anticipated, as the other pony plants his forehooves into the ground and swings his back legs around, sweeping you off your feet from behind.

You land on your back with a thump, and before you know it, he's on top of you, beating the living crap out of your face.

You cover your face and buck him off. He's surprisingly light, and comes off rather easily. While he's in the air, you kick him right in the stomach with your hind legs.

He flies a couple of feet, and lands on the ground, gasping. You seize this opportunity, and jump on him, pounding his face in with the burning fury of a thousand suns.

Through your barrage of blows, two hooves reach out and grasp the back of your head. You try to pull them off, but instead are pulled in to meet the face of a scowling red stallion, whose forehead is about to meet yours in a collision destined to decide the winner of this battle.

His head wins.

While you gaze at the hundreds of stars that explode out from the middle of your vision, your opponent rolls on top of you and pins you to the floor.

Just as you are about to pass out, a flash of light and a gasp reach you.

"Big Mac! What in the hay are you doin'?"

Big Mac?

"Ah found this here burglar snoopin' around in the barn and took 'im down!"

"Big Mac, that's Zach!"

"Wha-?"

"I'm lettin' him stay here in the barn! Din't Applebloom tell ya?"

"Eenope!"

"Dangnammit, that little... Git offa' him!"

Big Mac quickly steps off of you as Applejack rushes over, lamp in hoof. You finally see the one you've been fighting for the past three minutes; a tall, red stallion who has a rather calm look about him, despite his hard panting and the crazed look in his eye from the adrenaline.

"You okay? Did he hurt ya too bad?"

For some reason, that gets you angry. You just fended off what you assumed to be a pony trained in combat, and now she's treating you like a foal...

You let the anger simmer down. "I'm fine, just a little... Dazed. To be fair, I think I did a number on him, too."

Big Mac nods. He has two black eyes, one of them swollen to the point that he can't see through it, and a bloody nose.

"Ee-*cough*-yup..."

She shakes her head. "I'll never understand stallions..." she mutters. "Let's change those bandages on your head. There's blood coming through them."

You reach a paw up to the side of your head. Sure enough, you feel a warm substance, and a twinge of pain from one of the wounds.

Crap. I'd forgotten all about those bite marks.

"I almost forgot about them..." you lazily say.

"I don't need any sarcasm from you right now," she snaps, "And Big Mac, you're going to need your whole head iced."

He groans, and watches Applejack stomp out of the barn.

You turn to Big Mac and extend a paw. "Hey, sorry about the fight. Maybe we'll meet on better circumstances next time?"

He shakes it, indicating no hard feelings. "Eeyup."

Applejack's voice rings loud and clear from outside. "Come on, you two idiots! Help me fill this bucket with ice!"

"I guess we'd better go help her, Is she normally this irritable?"

"Only at two in the morning..."

"Gotcha."

"Do ah gotta spell it out for ya? Move your lazy asses over here!"

You sit next to a bale of hay outside the barn and chat with your hostess.

Applejack's better in the morning.

She even apologizes about the way she was acting earlier.

"Ah just ain't mahself at that hour of the night, ya know?"

It was really only three hours ago, but she's in a better mood now, and you intend to keep it that way.

"Well, you can't be blamed. I would be pretty agitated myself, if I had to get up at two in the morning and break up a fight between two idiots in a barn."

She chuckles, and you finish the egg sandwich she'd made for you, just as Big Mac walks up.

"Mm. Smells good. Eggs?"

"Yeah, but I din't make you nuthin'. You can make yer own breakfast today."

He grumbles, and walks back inside.

"You ready for a hard day a' work, Zach?"

"I sure hope so; assuming it's as hard as you make it sound."

"Oh believe me, I was just tellin' you the easy parts."

You're doubtful, but concur anyways. "Alright, guess I'll just have to find out on my own."

All was fine. After you finished fixing the broken step, everything else was a piece of cake. Applejack was mostly just showing you around, and all you really did was pick apples off the ground and put them in baskets.

After awhile, though, you started feeling dizzy.

"I think I'll sit down for a minute, Applejack."

She smirked triumphantly. "'Not as hard as I make it sound', huh? Alright, we can take a lunch break."

You, Applejack, and Big Macintosh sit under the shade of an apple tree.

She throws you an apple. You take a bite of it, but aren't hungry.

Meanwhile, the two siblings compete to see who can eat the most apples.

After about her fifth apple, Applejack notices you not eating anything.

"Hey, Sugarcube, aint'cha hungry?"

You smile weakly. "Nah, not today. I'm kind of thirsty actually."

She pulls a cup out of her saddlebag, squeezes an apple with her bare hooves, and hands the results to you.

"It might taste a little different than you're used to, supposin' you've ever had apple juice before, 'cause it's freshly squeezed. Jus' remember not to slobber on the cup, okay? It's the only one ah brought."

You take a couple sips. It's quite good.

"Thanks Apple- *BLECH!*"

Your dizziness rapidly elevates to a headache, as you abruptly spew the contents of your stomach onto the ground beside you.

Namely, your breakfast.

Big Macintosh stops eating, and Applejack takes a step back.

You try to smile, and make light of this. "Well. I can say with confidence that those definitely tasted better going down than coming back *BLARGH!*"

"Smelled better, too. Come on, we should get you to the hospital."

"Why? I just threw up a little. Probably just workin' too hard."

"All ya did was pick up apples!"

"...the heat, maybe?"

"Alright then, if ye're fine, stand up and walk to me."

You stand up, but are overcome by extreme vertigo and throw up again. You fall back down to a sitting position.

"Yep. I was worried this might happen. Big Mac, ah'm pretty sure you gave Zach here a concussion."

Big Mac throws up now. Applejack raises an eyebrow.

"Sorry. When I see other ponies throw up, it makes me want to -hmph!-"

He suppresses another eruption as Applejack sighs and walks over to Zach.

"Come on, hang onto my back and get up. Slowly. We're goin' to the hospital."

"But I don't wanna..."

"Ye're not thinkin' straight. We go to the hospital now, or you don't get to live in mah barn."

You grumble, not thinking clearly, and stand up. You feel the impulse to puke again, but hold it in when you realize Applejack is right in front of you, and is giving you a stare that could rival Fluttershy's.

Don't think about Fluttershy.

Oh Celestia I can't stop thinking about her.

How she used me...

Dammit why do I feel so sick??

It was the weirdest thing. In the space of five minutes, Zach had gone from perfectly normal to completely delusional.

Well, now that you think about it, it kind of seemed like he had been acting funny earlier in the day. Like how he would keep smacking a nail that was all the way in the wood.

Or how he didn't seem to know what to do when you asked him to pump some water for you.

You snap out of your musings when Zach starts moaning and grasping at his hair. He stares at you.

"Take me to Fluttershy's."

What?

"Now why would ah take you to Fluttershy's?"

"Because, I need to talk to her."

"Zach, I'm not taking you to Fluttershy's."

He starts moaning again, and punches the apple tree that he's been leaning on this whole time. All the apples fall down.

He could really applebuck for me. When he's sane, that is.

His mane (if you can call it that) droops down over his face, and he slams his head repeatedly against the trunk of the tree, knocking down leaves and sticks.

"Okay okay, I'll take you to Fluttershy's cottage," you wink at Big Mac, "but promise to keep your tail covered. We don't want nopony freakin' out."

"I Pinkie Promise," he says, and proceeds to palm his eye.

Wat.

It's scary how much he's starting to remind you of Pinkie.

U----------

Rainbow Dash wakes up standing by Twilight Sparkle's house.

Okay, this is strange.

At least my headache's gone.

You try to recall how you got here.

Let's see. I couldn't open my door, so I jumped out a window. I then walked to the edge of a cloud, and fell off into a puddle of mud. I saw Zach, swiped some bits from a cash register at a restaurant, then came here.

-Definitely a dream.

Then why am I in front of Twilight's house?

-Maybe you sleepwalked here.

Oh roadapples.

I should probably talk to Twilight since I'm here. She's an egghead, so she should know about this kind of stuff.

-Good plan.

Knock knock!

You wait a few moments, and Spike answers the door.

"Hey Rainbow Da- Woah, what happened to you?"

For the first time since you woke up, you look over yourself. Debris lavishly adorns your coat, and your mane, normally very brightly colored, is dark and encrusted with mud.

Spike snaps you back to attention. "Uh, you want me to go get Twilight?"

You quickly nod, and Spike slips back into the library. A few moments later, Twilight appears in the doorway.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash. Long time no see."

You frown at her. "What do ya mean? It's only been three days. And aren't you wondering why I'm covered in mud?"

She shakes her head. "Nope, not really."

You groan. "Nevermind. Twilight, I need some help."

"With what?"

You give her a deadpan look. "With whatever got me soaked in mud and ended up at your house!"

She rubs her chin. "I don't know much about flying, but I think you could use a little work on-"

A deafening roar exits your throat and shakes the very ground beneath you. "WHAT???"

Twilight's eyes are as wide as dinner plates, and her mane is pointing backwards, as if she's currently on a roller coaster with her hair flowing behind her in jagged points.

"I- I, uh, thought you were flying and had crashed in the mud or something, and came here for help, eheh heh. I thought it was weird too, considering you crash a lot and don't usually ask -me-, of all ponies, for help, but-"

"Twilight," you say, rolling your eyes, "I came here because of a different problem. And what do ya mean I crash a lot? I'll have you know I am one of the best fliers in Equestria!"

Twilight merely swallows a lump in her throat, and says, "Would you like to come inside? After you get washed off, of course?"

You frown at her, and silently walk over to the side of the tree where the faucet is.

Chapter 2: First Impressions

Ugh... What a weird dream...

You sit up in your bed and rub your eyes.

Let's see... Where am I?

Grey walls, pink sheets, snoring coming from the bunk above you...

Yep. I'm in a prison cell.

So, let's go over the previous events.

Sent on an assassin mission

Beat Sam to death with a rock

Got tranquilized and had a dream that you were a dog with a scorpion tail, in a world of little colorful ponies.

Either they put something in the tranquilizer, or you took too many hits.

"Zachariah Smith?"

A voice calls from outside your cell.

"Zach, are you awake?"

You stand up, a little wobbly.

"Just a second!" you call.

You stumble over to the door and look through the barred window. A man in a black suit looks at you. On either side of him are two guards.

"Hey, Zach. Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I think. Who are you?"

He looks hurt. "Zach, it's me."

Oh crap it's him!

Oh, wait. He's alive!

"Sam! I, uh-"

"No, it's okay. I won't be pressing charges. You did what the gang told you to do."

"I- I don't know what to say."

"You're welcome. But, nevertheless, there are consequences."

"Like wha- Holy sh*t!!"

Sam's mouth opens up unnaturally wide to reveal sharp, long teeth lining his top and bottom jaws.

His voice deepens to a demonic tone. "-Just- consequences."

The guards behind him are wearing long beak masks. One of them unlocks the door. Sam is waiting impatiently. "An eye for an eye..."

The door opens and Sam walks in. You start backing up.

"...a tooth for a tooth..."

"Someone help me please!"

Your cellmate on the top bunk watches with interest.

"...a finger for a finger..."

Sam is inches from your face. "...a LIFE for a LIFE!!"

You scream as he grasps your arms and opens his large, fang-riddled mouth wider than your head.

The room fades in from black.

As you slowly gain control of your body, you start to freak out.

Your arms...

They're chained!

You thrash around violently, trying to break free.

"Woah Nelly! He's freakin' out!"

"What's wrong with him?!"

"Did his eyes just change color?"

-Hey buddy, what's wrong?

You start to calm down when you realize you're not being tortured or eaten.

Okay, where am I?

-We're on a bed in Fluttershy's basement.

Why not her regular house?

-We probably couldn't fit through the door. I'm not sure though, because we were asleep when they moved us.

You scan the room. The lighting is dim, but you can see six ponies, two of them familiar to you.

Gosh dangit. They tricked you.

-Can't blame 'em. Would you have done any different to a monster five times your size?

I would have stayed the f*ck away. But good point.

You sit up. "Uh, hello?"

The room goes silent and they all stare at you.

"I guess I'll start. My name is Zachariah Smith. I already met Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy," you gesture to them, "but would like to meet all of you too."

-Aren't you the charmer.

Might as well make a good first impression.

-I'm sure freaking out as soon as you woke up did the job.

Did I ask you?

-You didn't need to.

You snap out of your conversation in your head and return to reality.

They're still just standing there.

This is getting awkward.

A purple pony with a horn decides to speak up. "Uh, greetings, mister Zackariasmith, I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is Applejack,"

"Howdy."

"..Rarity,"

"How do you do?"

"..Pinkie Pie,"

"Hi!"

"..and I know you know Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, right?"

"Ohh yeah, I do." You give them a look, and they avert their eyes.

"Don't be mad," she says, looking a little nervous, "we needed to take precautions. We didn't know if you would freak out or anything when you woke up, and, well..."

You recall your actions just moments earlier.

"Okay, you're right. I did go a little crazy when I woke up..."

"Crazy??" Pinkie is waving her arms around. "You were insane! You were so scary! Good thing those little chains didn't snap from your big muscles!"

You tug on the chain, and it snaps. Pinkie totally jinxed it.

"Yeah..."

-Hey. She just complimented my muscles.

Don't you mean -ours-?

-You just got here yesterday. You play no part in my physique.

Fair enough.

"So, now that I'm not freaking out, and also because I can easily break out of these chains, would you mind unlocking them?"

"Oh! Umm, sure." Twilight looks to Applejack, who reluctantly begins fumbling through her saddlebag. She takes out a pair of keys, and goes to unlock your chains.

"Oh, and by the way, call me Zach. No need to fumble over my full name."

Twilight nods."Okay, Zach."

After Applejack's done, you thank her, and stand up.

Twilight starts to say something. "Zach, I-"

-THUMP!-

"-would watch my head if I were you..."

Your immense height causes you to smack your head on the ceiling.

"Ow..."

"Sorry Zach. Our pony structures aren't meant for such big... creatures. We had to bring you in here because you wouldn't fit into Fluttershy's cottage."

"Guess it's just something I'll have to get used to."

Bent over, you walk to the stairs, but Twilight blocks you.

You trip over her.

-SMACK!-

After recovering from a painful faceplant on the edge of a step, you turn around to face Twilight.

"What was that all about?"

Applejack and Rarity are helping her off the floor. She sees you and blushes.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I just wanted to ask you about... You! You're so different, like a new species or something!"

-She got that spot on.

"And I'm sure you have some questions for me, too."

Actually, she's right.

"Ok, I'll answer your questions."

"Great! Now sit back down on the bed and we can begin!"

You stand up again.

-THUNK!-

Everyone's giggling now.

"Dammit, by the time I get out of here I'm gonna be brain damaged..."

Well, this has been an interesting conversation.

Although nobody believed a word you said.

Being psychically connected to a body in a different world? It's just not possible.

And a world where ponies don't talk, but beings similar to monkeys do? They thought that was the funniest thing.

You told them about how you considered the possibility that -this- world was made-up fiction in your head, and that you still do think about that.

Oh, you were a riot.

At least you gained some friends; and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy warmed up to you again.

No one told you anything about this world though, because, according to Applejack, "You din't tell us nuthin' about yourself; why should we tell you anything about us?"

You dumb b*tch. I did tell you.

Whatever. You don't need them to figure things out. You already know a thing or two about this place.

For example, ponies with wings are 'pegasi' and fly. Ponies with horns are 'unicorns' and do magic.

And Fluttershy is hypnotic.

...That's about it.

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't tell you what you wanted to hear. But at least tell me where I am so I can find my way home."

-What home?

You don't have a home?

-No.

Well sh*t.

"You have a home?" Fluttershy looks a little disappointed.

"Well, yeah, but I don't think I'll ever find my way back."

She perks up. "Oh, you poor thing. Maybe you could stay with-"

Pinkie interjects. "Ooh ooh! You can stay with me! We can have sleepovers and parties-"

Applejack breaks in. "Why don't you stay at Sweet Apple Acres? We could always use a helping hand!"

I must be very liked around here.

-Don't you mean 'we'?

It may be your body, but it's my personality.

-Damn you.

Twilight breaks them up. "Girls, I don't think he'll be able to stay at either of your houses."

"Why not?" they both say at the same time.

"Well, for one, he would scare everyone in Ponyville."

This definitely has something to do with -your- body.

-Oh, shut up.

"..no offense Zach."

"No, you're right. Besides, could I even fit in any of your houses?"

"Well, we have an extra barn..."

"Maybe. But for now, I should probably lie low. I need people to get used to me before I go parading around town square."

"I know!" Pinkie says, "We should throw a party!"

"Throw a party?"

"Yeah! We can throw a party for you, and then everyone there will meet you!"

"Pinkie, what did I just say?"

"whaaa?"

"I need to lie low for awhile. So people can get used to the idea of a giant meat-eater with a scorpion tail living near their town. It's nothing personal."

Her hair suddenly straightens out and her whole body darkens.

-Zach.

Yeah?

-What are you doing?

Telling her I can't come to her party.

-Zach?

Yeah?

-Stahp.

Stop what?

-You know what. You know what you have to do.

Fine.

-Seriously dude. You may have killed her.

"Well, I guess it could be a good idea..."

Her hair suddenly turns poofy again and her mouth is going mile a minute.

"Wait Pinkie, wait." You cover up her mouth with your paw. She keeps talking, and is getting saliva all over your fur.

This mare is brain-damaged, I swear.

You feel a suction on your hand and realize Pinkie is gasping for air.

You immediately let go, and while you still have the chance, you present your problem.

"Now, am I going to be able to fit into your house? I don't want to be bending over in a stuffy room for hours."

She catches her breath and ponders this for a moment. "I know! We should have the party outside! It will be great!"

Twilight's turn to object. "Wouldn't the music disturb the neighbors?"

"Nah, we don't have to have the music too loud. Besides, this means that everypony can come or go as they please!"

How thoughtful.

-That doesn't include you.

I know that...

"So, about housing..." Twilight is getting hack to business now.

Fluttershy seems to be your only option.

Besides, she's giving you a hopeful look.

That's the f*cking cutest look I've ever seen.

"I would feel most comfortable staying with Fluttershy, if that's okay..."

Everyone turns to Fluttershy.

"Oh, yes. That would be quite alright."

"So it's settled then," Twilight concludes, "Zach stays with Fluttershy."

"Yeah, that will be great!" Rainbow Dash says, "Fluttershy's great with animals, and I'm sure she could-"

She stops after realizing what she just said.

She called you an animal.

Everyone is looking at her now.

And at you

waiting expectantly.

"I-I'm sorry Zach. I-I didn't mean to offend y-you..."

You burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! It's okay, Rainbow. I'm not offended."

-What's so funny?

The irony of the situation.

Everyone else chuckles nervously.

Twilight breaks the awkward air. "Okay, so we'll see you at the party?"

You wipe the tears from your eyes. "Oh, is that tonight?"

Big blue eyes.

Are in your face.

"Well, duh, silly," Pinkie says, "when else would it be?"

"I don't know. What time is it right now?"

She disappears for a moment, and is back in your face again. "About noon. Why?"

"I just needed to know how long I have to get ready. Thanks Pinkie."

"Okey dokey Zacky-lackey. Bye!"

All the ponies except Fluttershy wave and walk out of the basement.

You look at Fluttershy. She was already looking at you.

A little odd. But she is your host.

"Thanks for letting me stay here."

She turns her head slightly to the side. "Oh," she says, in her barely audible voice, "it's no big deal."

A thought dawns on you. "Fluttershy, why do you have such a big bed in your basement?"

She blushes and tries to speak, but it sounds like something's caught in her throat.

This is probably something you shouldn't be asking about.

"It's okay, nevermind what I said."

She looks relieved, but tenses up again. "Um, Zach, I'm going to ask a personal question, please don't be offended."

"Oh, sure, ask me anything."

"I suppose that since you're part diamond dog, you eat meat, right?"

-Cool. We're called diamond dog.

...and scorpion.

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"I have a lot of animals in my house, and they often need to go outside. Could you... uhm... could you please not..."

"...eat them?"

She looks a little uneased at your words. She covers her face with her wings and barely squeaks out a "yes."

You hug her.

- What are you doing?

Sorry. I just can't help myself.

-Pretty mushy for a hardened criminal.

I'm only 17. Gimme some slack.

Fluttershy held her breath for a good ten seconds, but returned to normal soon and actually seems to be enjoying the hug. Even though her heart is beating extremely fast.

You let go. "Sorry. I just couldn't help myself."

She's starting to seem more comfortable with you. "It's quite alright. I was actually enjoying it. You're so fuzzy and warm, just like my animals."

Again, being compared to animals.

I'm sure she means nothing by it though.

"Well thanks Fluttershy. I'm glad to see I'm comfortable enough for you."

She blushes.

"So, is there anywhere I can get meat? I'm actually pretty hungry right now."

She looks a little frightened. Dangit I just gave her a nice hug and she's still acting scared of me.

-Maybe you should have not put 'meat' and 'hungry' in the same sentence.

You don't say?

-Don't be sarcastic. You said something stupid, not me.

I'm seriously gonna start calling you the 'voice of reason'.

-At least I'm reason.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

She shakes her head. "Oh no, it's fine. I know of some stores that sell meat, I can bring you some every day."

You shrug. "Sounds good."

She walks up the stairs and opens the door.

"Fluttershy?"

She turns her head. "Yes?"

"Thanks again."

She smiles and walks out the door.

"So? How's he doing?"

A nurse checks the monitor. "He seems to have stabilized. Who would have known that he was allergic to the sleeping serum they put in the tranquilizer?"

You sigh. This isn't the first time you've seen Zach strapped to a hospital bed.

When he started hallucinating in his cell, you were worried. And considering his past, he wasn't the only one you were worried about.

Zach has always been like a friend to you. You tried to straighten him out when he was little, but you failed.

So now, to ease your guilt, you've always defended Zach in court at the expense of Big Shaun.

Dammit, you know all their names now.

You hold a deep grudge for Big Shaun and his gang. They turned Zach this way. Maybe, just maybe Zach would have risen above this, maybe he would have lead a successful life...

But he decided to enter the world of criminals, gangs and prisons.

Why?

Because these people love him.

It's true.

And it's really the only reason Big Shaun isn't in prison or you aren't dead.

Big Shaun has actually protected you from rival gangs and families who Zach has hurt. He's really the only reason you aren't pieces of meat in a dumpster.

He did it because you protect Zach. And as long as Zach isn't dead or doesn't leave the gang, that's the way it will always be.

But when you look at Zach's unconscious body, you realize one of those is bound to happen eventually.

You hope it's the latter and not the former.

You yawn and return to your legal work, preparing an argument for a hopeless case once again.