The Consequences of Being a Hero

[20 days till the Summer Sun Celebration]

A few days have passed since the almost successful escape attempt that the Sotoraggian hitman, Seventy-Four, had tried to make, only to be stopped by Scott Baristo, and his new official sixth transformation. Scott is currently outside, the setting sun's rays gleam down as he continues to adjust the camera-like device he had on him days earlier, setting it up on a tree stump as he records a video message. Scott clears his throat, readying himself to start documenting his thoughts.

"Scott's Video log, entry zero. It's been a little bit since I focused on anything regarding my job, my promise, or just trying to get to the bottom of this whole mess, it hasn't been easy, but no one ever said it would be. Allow me to explain. Approximately, five days ago from today, a Sotoraggian hitman known as Seventy-Four was brought to the dungeons of Canterlot, where Rainbow Dash and I interrogated him, getting information that still has me asking questions, regardless of what previous questions have now been answered. But first, let me clarify and explain something. This video recording, photograph-taking device is what Jeff calls the "Picto-Box", some kind of magical camera, I assume. I'm using it to document my thoughts regarding... anything, really. However, when I initially encountered it manifesting from that portal thing, then onto my doorstep during a rather upsetting blood moon, I wasn't that inclined to use it at first. I was hesitant to have anything to do with it, because I initially thought the portal was affected in some way by the blood moon phenomenon, and might've somehow cursed the device. But after examining it, testing it myself, and even taking a few example photos after the blood moon passed, for safety reasons, I was able to confirm that the camera is functional and harmless, thankfully, and doesn't seem to be affected by the lunar rays of the blood moon at all. I still know next to nothing about how this device works, but I could easily say the same about the Altnetrix. This camera has no batteries to use as a power source, but if I had to make an educated guess, it's likely due to this harmonic magic that makes this world so... well, eccentric, to say the least."

Scott walks over to the camera and brings it over towards the house, all while holding a wrapped up scroll he had made for emergencies amidst the setting sun. The human points the camera at the Twili portal opened above his home.

"But, that's not what I want to discuss. The portal, is what has my intrigue, and my concerns. From what I can understand, there seems to be an unprecedented period of lag. From what I can recall from my last conversation with Jeff, the portal he had opened is likely linked between our respective Equestrias, hence how hypothetically easy it is for items to be delivered. I am also worried that something malevolent could also come through, but it's not like I've done much experimenting with this kind of stuff, and I've also hypothesized that the lag is because our respective Equestrias likely running on different time zones, so it's no wonder I got this Picto-Box thing just a few days after Jeff left back to his own world. I'm curious if the portal acts as a two-way delivery system, so I'm going to try throwing a scroll, a friendly note of sorts for Jeff, just to test if the portal is truly a two-way link between our respective worlds. If the letter comes back, or if I get something in return, then that confirms my theory. If not, then my letter is probably gone for good. Good thing this is an experiment, otherwise, I'm pretty sure choices like this would've killed me by then."

Scott unwraps the scroll, seeing a simple greeting and a poorly drawn thumbs up, along with his signature. Scott re-wrapped the scroll and stuck it in an empty cider bottle, then chucked the bottle through the swirling portal, watching the bottle essentially vanish to Celestia knows where. Now, Scott just had to wait for a response.

Scott walks over to the Picto Box and stops the recording, yawning as he walks over to where his deku seeds were planted, feeling satisfied that he's been keeping them properly watered. The human notices that it's getting late, and soon decides to retire to his sofa for the time being.

Scott grabs the camera and brings it inside, closing the door as the sky became redder and redder. Scott sets the device on the table, grabs a couple apples and pre-cooked bird rotisserie, skewering them on a metal rod as he let them slowly warm up over the fireplace. Scott looks around and notices that the outside world looked a bit darker out, though some obvious tints of red could be seen, he expected that by this point. "Probably just the clouds obscuring the light a bit," After a couple minutes of waiting, Scott took the skewered fruit and meat off the fire and eagerly started munching down on his dinner. Scott felt satisfied, content even, he felt like he could finally lower his guard, even if it's for a minute. "Man, now this is the break I've been needing. Baked fruit and meat, a roof over my head, living in the tranquility of the woods for the first time in six years, this is a very good sign." Scott remarked, taking a huge bite of the chicken meat.

As Scott continued to eat his dinner, he heard a knock at the door. The human was confused by this, considering he wasn't sure who'd be stopping by at this hour. Scott put his dinner on the table, setting it aside as he got up to answer the door. The knocking persisted, and Scott carefully gripped onto his bat, unsure as to who or what was trying to gain access to his home. "Give me a moment, please, I'll open the door in a moment. Try anything funny, you'll get a bat to the face, it's a fair warning." Scott called out, expecting a reply.

Scott gripped the door knob tightly, he didn't know what to expect, but he was at least prepared to handle it. Scott carefully opened the door a smidge, and despite how red it was outside, Scott saw the silhouette of a pony. From what he could barely see, they didn't have a horn, or wings of any kind, and seemed to wear something on their head. "Can I help you?" Scott asked.

The pony didn't answer, but they did finally open their eyes. All Scott saw was a set of green eyes, and the pony stuck their head in, revealing themselves to be Applejack, a pony Scott hadn't seen much of since the fight with a rogue mechamorph. "Howdy partner, mind if ah come inside for a minute? It's a bit too red out to know where in tarnation I'm goin'." Applejack requested, smiling at the human.

Scott was hesitant, but judging by the look she had in her eyes, she was earnest in her approach, and he didn't exactly have any ill will towards the mare. Scott nodded his head, opening the door further, letting the mare walk inside. Scott closed the door and grabbed his fruit and meat skewer, sitting on the sofa as he continued his dinner, all while Applejack looked around the small interior. "Nice place ya got here. A bit small, kinda rustic, but it's got some charm to it. Not real sure on that swirlin' vortex that's above yer roof, though," the mare looked at the human, who was simply staring at her, all while slowly chewing on a piece of meat and baked apple skin. Applejack could see the look on the human's face, mildly apprehensive and awkward. "I uh... I'm guessin' this is the first time somepony's just come to visit?" Applejack asked.

Scott swallowed his food and sighed. "In general, no. Rainbow Dash and a kid she babysits have come around to talk, visit, discuss everything crazy that's been going down, I occasionally run into the guards every now and then, but that's just standard, since the princesses had me moved here after what happened with Automate, maybe nearly a week or so ago? Time is strange in Equestria," there was a sudden thunk that came from the roof, and Scott quickly got up and walked out into the crimson night, noticing a bottle was now laying in his yard. Scott picked the bottle up, bringing it inside and opening it up, finding a new message. 'Testing out the Twili portal?' Scott unrolled the paper and saw that it was from Jeff, letting a small smile form on his face. "Yeah, this confirms my theory. The Twili portal acts as a link between worlds. Well, mine and Jeff's, specifically. Honestly, it's rather fascinating! I almost want to experiment with it more, but I have tons of important stuff to figure out, and considering I've been cooped up in this hut for five days with no visitors, I'm going to assume that everyone is still trying to process that poor mare's death that happened days ago. Magi Feather, I think that was her name, according to the obituary." Scott explained.

Applejack watched as Scott continued to walk around and set stuff down, all while trying to finish his dinner. The farm pony wasn't aware that Dash had already met the human, but that was something she could worry about later. For now, she just focused on Scott and his semi-erratic movements. She never saw Scott move around like how he was doing right now, seeming rather jittery, occasionally yawning as he continued to try and put together some kind of makeshift charm, or something like it. The charm looked to be made out of sticks, string, beads and feathers, bundled and tied together with small bands keeping them together. "What in tarnation is that?" Applejack asked.

Scott held up the small charm as he hung it over his sofa. "A dreamcatcher. They're a popular little trinket back where I come from. It's said that these bad boys will help people have good dreams, and after being plagued by nightmares ever since I got here, I'm in dire need of a goodnight's sleep, and I'm hoping that the blood moon will finally stop trying to piss me off. I'll find out in the morning to see if it worked," Scott sat down on the sofa and looked over at the orange mare, still unsure as to why exactly she was here. "Applejack, how did you even find me, and why exactly did you come looking for me in the first place?" Scott asked.

Applejack's mood seemed to shift for a moment, a soured expression formed on the mare's face, and Scott could clearly tell by how she looked right now, she got herself into trouble, the kind of trouble that's unordinary. "Partner, do you remember when we first met a month or so ago?" Applejack asked.

Scott let a playful smirk form on his face. "Yeah, my stomach just aches when I think about it," Applejack hung her head at that remark, and Scott felt rather insensitive. "Okay, I'm sorry, I just had to get one, considering everyone else already did. I'm still not over it, but I'm trying to. Bad blood isn't good for business, as they say. Why're you asking about this anyway?" Scott questioned.

Applejack raised her head and took her bandana off, brushing some blonde hair out of her eyes. "On the topic of blood... ah got a problem, one that could uh "relate" to these 'ere blood moons. Are ya familiar with what typically happens on a blood moon night, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

Scott shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I assume messed up nightmares are a part of it, aren't they?" Scott questioned.

Applejack nodded her head, though she seemed bothered by the answer. "It's a small part of the issue, but blood moons are known to be an omen in Equestrian culture. From us humble earth ponies and Zebras, to the Pegasi and Bat Ponies flying through the crimson skies trying to seek shelter in their homes, to the Unicorns and Kirin that study its magical effects on... well, everything its light encompasses," Scott was a bit confused, but kept listening, he felt like this was important. "It's either a show of good faith or a show of caution that imbalance is upon us, and a force of evil would be foretold to return. Last time this happened was during the last Summer Sun Celebration that Equestria ever celebrated, and that was a thousand years ago." Applejack explained.

Scott seemed rather curious about how this blood moon was so important, and now was the time to get info. "Tell me, is it normal for blood moons to be this frequent? I've been feeling uncertain ever since they started, it hasn't been easy to stay on top of things, and the nightmares are definitely a hinderance. What's this got to do with your problem?" Scott asked.

Applejack pointed a hoof towards the window, specifically at the blood moon itself. Scott saw the outline of a mare on its surface, something he was already familiar with gazing upon every time the sun started to set, or when he was tormented by his nightmares. "Ah can't really put mah hoof on it, but ever since that strange armored figure showed up and started raising hell like he was pavin' a path to Tartarus' gates, the blood moons have been... different. I say that they're different, because their magic has caused my dog, Winona, to run into the apple orchard. Despite searchin' for as long as we could, we couldn't find her... but, we did find something else, and uh... needless to say, we think this might be a problem you can solve, what with your "special skills"." Applejack explained, clearly avoiding any chance she had to speak about what it was that she needed to have dealt with.

Scott was a bit suspicious and obviously skeptical of Applejack's story, but figured this was the only time he'd probably have an opportunity like this, to see what he's working with, or possibly facing against, under the terms of how dangerous this blood moon could be, as well as considering everything he learned from Seventy-Four during his interrogation.

Against his better judgement, Scott sighed and nodded his head, holding his hand out for a handshake. Applejack was about to reach out with her left hoof, until Scott pulled his hand back. "I'll see what I can do, but under one condition," Applejack nodded her head as Scott opened his mouth. "I want you to be upfront with me when we get to the initial sight of the problem. No stuttering, no hesitating on your words, and no lying to me. Depending on how bad this problem is, if lives are at stake, you need to be completely honest and upfront with me. If I'm gonna help you, I need all the facts, and every side to this story, understand?" Scott inquired, slowly gesturing for a handshake.

Applejack seemed hesitant, a red flag went off in Scott's mind, but soon enough, the mare let Scott grab her hoof, and they shook. "It's a done deal, partner." Applejack confirmed, smiling a bit more.

Scott nodded his head, though he still saw a momentary sign of concern in the mare's eyes. This was going to be a strange case, Scott was sure of it. "So, when do we start?" Scott asked.

Scott and Applejack walk through Ponyville, staying close to each other as Scott tries to peer through the ridiculous amount of red shadows that made it so hard to see. He was practically blind, and he didn't know what to do to fix this. "I didn't think you wanted to leave now! We could've just left in the morning, at least it'd be easier to see where you're going! I'm like an Opticoid in a sandstorm, I can't see a damn thing, at least there isn't grains of sand in my eyes this time!" Scott remarked.

Applejack stepped closer and rested a hoof on his hip as they walked, with Applejack leading him to their location. "First time out in the thick of it, isn't it? Trust me, it ain't pleasant by any means! Don't get me wrong, I would be pretty concerned if yer watch was affected by the blood moon's magic, but considerin' it ain't been acting up in any fashion, I'd say yer fine for the time being!" Applejack and Scott continued to move, all while the sound of a commotion started to echo out in the near distance. Assuming someone was in trouble, or getting attacked amidst the crimson shades, Scott turned and tried to follow the sound, only for Applejack to pull him back. "Don't go followin' that sound, partner, it's the blood moon's way of tryin' to trick others into succumbing to its call, like a Siren's song in a cloud of thick fog." Applejack cautioned.

Scott almost didn't want to believe Applejack, but soon enough, as Scott and Applejack got further and further away, the commotion got quieter, to the point where he couldn't hear it anymore, but could hear a violent hiss from the same direction. "That hissin' means that the meal it was lookin' fer is gettin' further away. Trust me, partner, I know ya wanna help others, but sometimes ya gotta worry about helpin' yerself. I don't tell ya this to get on to ya, I'm just doin' what a friend would do, keep their friends out of dangerous hooves." Applejack explained.

Scott groaned, he was clearly frustrated, but it wasn't because of Applejack. He was frustrated with these blood moons, they were clearly more dangerous than he initially thought, but he wasn't anticipating anything like this. "How do you know about this stuff, just how frequent are these blood moons if they're this much of a problem!? Why are you so calm about this?" Scott asked.

Applejack stopped and pulled her bandana over her eyes, then looked up where Scott was standing. "While they are an issue for everypony else, ya'd be surprised by how beneficial and detrimental this blood moon stuff is for my family's business. On occasion, when a blood moon happens, it imbues its magic with a few ripened apples in our orchard, and they become what we call Crimson Crisps. They're a lot like Zap Apples, in the sense that they're very rare, and rich in magic," Scott was confused, but Applejack simply pulled him along as she continued to explain. "Crimson Crisps are typically black in color with white stems, five times bigger than a peach, and they're incredibly rich with not just magic, but also high trace amounts of iron. They can be a bit bitter due to them being high in iron, but they're usually harvested and sold to bigger companies, the iron in these apples are typically harvested to make supplements for those with dietary deficiencies, and the seeds are sent to local farmers and greenhouses across Equestria. Mah family's been dealin' with the blood moons for a long time, probably ever since my great-great-great grandpa first moved to this land to settle with everypony else back then, I'm accustomed to them, as are my siblings." Applejack explained.

Scott was rather unsure how to process that information, though he was a bit skeptical on how she answered it all. 'Either she knows her stuff, or there's something more going on here than just the blood moon.' Scott thought.

Soon enough, the two pass under a hanging sign that read 'Sweet Apple Acres' on the front of it, but due to the crimson shades that had Scott blind for the moment, it just looked like a red board with nothing written on it. Applejack and Scott slowly walked down a long straight path, still blinded by the crimson shades. Scott looked around, and while everything was slowly starting to finally get clearer for the human to see, Scott felt an uncomfortable feeling in his gut, like something, or someone, was watching him from the shadows.

Scott was not used to feeling so exposed, yet hidden at the same time. "Applejack, I don't mean to sound like a whiner, but are we almost there? I don't think we're alone out here, I feel as if a set of eyes are on us, and they aren't exactly the friendly type." Scott remarked, seeming unnerved.

Applejack simply chuckled. "Don't you worry, partner, I reckon we're almost there, we just gotta keep pushin' forward. Once you pick up on the smell of cinnamon, you'll know when we got tah my family's farm or not." Applejack reassured.

Scott sighed and kept walking, following the mare in front of him. Scott carefully looked around, noticing what looked like a treehouse up ahead. It looked rickety, not even to mention a tad bit old and abandoned. 'Must've been made for a kid, though it seems a bit too old to be used now... maybe, just maybe, I could fix that, but I'll have to worry about that later.' Scott thought.

Scott looked at the Altnetrix, thinking about dialing in one of his transformations, just in case something goes wrong. Before Scott could pop the device's core up, he started to pick up on a smell. It was reminiscent of baked apples, butter, sugar, and above all else, cinnamon. Applejack took a whiff of the air, and smiled. "Welp, we're nearin' the farm, now! Come along, partner, ah think Granny's taking an apple pie fresh out the oven!" Applejack commented, running forward.

Scott tensed up as he ran after the mare. He doesn't know why, but knowing that this blood moon was exceedingly more dangerous than he initially thought prior, it put Scott on edge, and he did not like being on edge the whole time. Scott looked behind him for a moment, only for there to be nothing but crimson shades. Scott groaned and turned to where Applejack ran off to, and followed after her.

From behind Scott, something did step out of the shades. A pony-shaped figure that wore a skull shaped mask and had mechanical pieces of tech and scrap jutting out from its body. As Scott vanished from its view, one of its hollowed out eye sockets glowed with a persistent green glimmer as the crimson shades hid them from view.

Scott ran along the path for a few minutes, the smell of cinnamon was becoming very strong, almost overwhelming, so Scott stopped to rest for a moment, taking in deep breaths as he tried to collect himself. "Really starting to hate not having a speedster in the Altnetrix right now. XLR8, Fasttrack, I don't care which, a fast alien would be nice. Hell, I'll even take Dereleaper, for god's sake, anything to get to that farm quicker!" Scott bemoaned his situation for the moment as he rested, still having his sense of smell be overwhelmed by the scent of cinnamon. Scott gagged and tried to keep himself together, though it was starting to finally get a bit difficult. With every breath he took in through his nose, a bit of him burned from the inside, likely because of the potent cinnamon smell. Regardless of how sweet it smelt, it was too potent for the human to handle, even indirectly. "I can't think straight, this cinnamon is becoming a hinderance. Damn it all, why did I agree to this!?" Scott groaned.

Scott leaned against a white picket fence, letting his mind process the second thoughts he was having about his situation. Scott tried to keep himself together, but being constantly bombarded by the blood moon's lunar rays was actually starting to take its toll on him. He wiped his forehead, feeling droplets of sweat on his fingers. It was the dead of night, cool as cool can be, and he was sweating like he was working out in the blazing sun. Scott needed to find out more about this blood moon stuff, or it's gonna up and kill him someday.

Scott figured that enough was enough, and decided to try and transform. Scott pushed the button and popped the Altnetrix's core up, then started to dial in an alien with natural heat resistance. Scott landed on Gravedigger's icon, and as Scott pushed the core down, a buzzer-like sound echoed from the device. [ERROR. User input is unresponsive. Please stand by...] The Altnetrix chirped.

The human gritted his teeth, but before he could do anything else, he heard the sound of hooves galloping across the ground. Scott turned towards where Applejack ran off, only to see a new sight in front of him. A large farm with a house, a barn, a couple sheds, and apple trees as far as the eye could see, and thanks to the crimson shades, it wasn't much to behold at the moment.

Scott walked towards the farm, seeing a huge stallion pushing a couple barrels into the barn, while a smaller filly is moving what looked like a burlap sack into one of the sheds. On the porch of the house, Applejack was sitting next to an older mare, who was knitting something without much of a care. "There better be a good reason as to why she ran out on me." Scott remarked, frowning a fair bit as he approached the farmhouse.

Applejack was smiling, and finally noticed the aggravated Scott that was approaching her. "Hey partner, glad you could make it! Sorry for runnin' off like that, I know there's no excuse for it, but I just had to make sure everything was fine before ya showed up." Applejack apologized.

Scott was clearly not okay with being left behind, but he was here to help them with a problem, even if he didn't know exactly what the problem was. "Well, we still need to head to the sight of the problem, so if you'd be so kind as to lead me there, then I can do my usual thing and figure this out for you." Scott stated.

Applejack nodded, but the older mare got between them. "Now hold on a minute there, sonny boy! Word around town is that you've been livin' in the Whitetail Woods, that correct?" the older mare asked.

Scott nodded, unsure where this was going to go. "Yes, that's true, though I fail to see what that has to do with anything." Scott inquired.

The older mare walked towards the front door and opened it, a powerful and potent smell of apple-themed goods overwhelmed his senses. "Then ya must be hungry! Come on in, take a load off and get your fill! Can't work on an empty stomach, now can ya?" the older mare suggested.

Applejack smiled and looked at Scott. "Ah suppose introductions are in order. That there's Granny Smith, and ahm sure ya saw Big Mac and Apple Bloom when ya walked in. I get that this may not be the best time for introductions, there is a problem to fix, after all, but ah do believe in starting on the right hoof. What better way to work together, than by gettin' to know each other better!" Applejack remarked.

Scott sighed and watched as the two aforementioned ponies walked inside, with Applejack gesturing for him to go on in. Scott stared down at the mare suspiciously, and cautiously walked inside. Applejack followed suite, closing the door behind her, all while the figure from before continues to watch from afar.

After being lead by Applejack to a sink and washing his surprisingly filth-ridden hands, Scott crouched down and crossed his legs at the table, looking at the spread of food on the table. Various vegetable platters and apple-related dishes and desserts were basically calling to him, and Scott couldn't help but want to eat, but he tried to limit himself, just so he got his fill.

Scott filled up his plate the best he could without overloading on one thing, and tried to pace himself. Scott barely even knew what was happening to him, yet he ate like he hadn't eaten anything in decades. The food tasted indescribably good, it was like every bite was a slice of heaven for his taste buds.

Applejack watched as the human indulged in the food, smirking. "Looks like someone was hungry. Even after you ate dinner a couple hours ago, you're eatin' like how I thought you would after what happened back in Canterlot. Then again, no one can resist the apple family's cooking, and ah guess we can add humans to that list, too." Applejack commented as she bit into a sandwich.

Scott stopped eating for a moment, swallowing down what food he managed to shove into his mouth before trying to speak. "I haven't had a home cooked meal in a while, I guess I kinda lost myself for a moment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not starving, the small meals I make back at my hut, and the 'meals' I used to make back during my days in the academy, they got me through the day just fine, but nothing beats the comfort that comes from a home cooked meal," Scott used a napkin to wipe his face as he looked at his nearly emptied plate, seeming a bit embarrassed. "I just wish I didn't start eating like a pig just then, that was unacceptable." Scott explained.

Granny Smith simply fixed her plate and smiled. "Sounds to me like you're a bit scared to let yer guard down, not just when yer alone, but around others as well. Ah know what that's like, not lettin' yer guard down most days, becomes a bit of a nasty habit, ya know. Ah wasn't exactly friendly with my son's wife, that's fer darn sure, but if they didn't get together, I wouldn't have such incredible grandkids like these three," Scott looked to Applejack, as well as the other stallion and filly that sat at the table. "It's a rotten shame that they aren't with us, they'd have a real hoot of a hollerin' seein' all them strange monsters today, they'd never let me be for five minutes without worryin' over everything, I guarantee ya." Granny Smith remarked, laughing a bit.

Scott smiled, letting a chuckle escape his lips, all while Applejack seemed a bit uncomfortable with the topic, as was the red stallion sat next to her. The yellow filly, Apple Bloom, on the other hand, didn't seem to understand what exactly was being talked about at that moment, nor did she understand her siblings' reactions, but Scott had a small developing theory racking around his mind, and something started to stick. It wasn't exactly sound, and there was no proof to confirm it in any way, but he decided to keep this thought in the back of his head for the time being. He had some inclination to what the real problem was, and was starting to suspect that it was personal in the subject matter.

Scott quickly started eating what was left on his plate, wanting to get on with solving their problem, only for the filly to tug on his shirt, seeming to want his attention. Scott looked down, swallowing down the next bit of food as he readied himself to listen. "Yes, is there something you want?" Scott asked.

Apple Bloom pointed to the Altnetrix with her hoof, much to Scott's concern. "Ah never saw a bracelet like that before, what is it, does it do anythin' special?" Apple Bloom asked.

Scott sighed in relief, letting a small smile form on his face for a brief moment. "Well, it doesn't tell time, that's for sure. It can turn me into the kinds of monsters, or as my people from where I come from call them 'Aliens', that everypony has been seeing around town, and on occasion in Canterlot. So far, I can turn into six of them, but I'm fairly certain that number will keep growing at this rate," Apple Bloom seemed to be paying attention, but Scott could tell that the filly was not entirely satisfied with that answer. "I will admit, it's not like the completed version of a device someone I know uses, but it works fine, all things considered. This thing has a second button, and I don't even know what it does, but maybe one day, if I'm truly out of options, I'll figure it out when I need to know it most. It gets the job done, regardless." Scott explained.

Apple Bloom moved a couple inches closer and pointed at the device again. "Does it fix things too?" Apple Bloom asked, a hint of hope could be heard in the filly's voice.

Scott kept smiling and nodded his head in approval. "Maybe, I don't entirely know myself. With everything that's happened, I haven't exactly had the chance to figure out most of this thing's basic functions," Scott saw Apple Bloom's curiosity in her eyes, slowly turning into what Scott could only describe as solemn hope, a feeling that Scott was very familiar with when his parents died. Scott's blood felt ice cold for a moment, but he kept his composure. "To simplify, it could fix things if it's got that function, but I don't know if it does, it's still pretty new to me, even now. Why do you ask?" Scott inquired cautiously.

Before Apple Bloom could say anything, Applejack quickly got up and took everyone's plates to the sink, hiding her face under her bandana. Scott couldn't figure out what changed all of a sudden, but the air in the farmhouse, it felt tense, like the air itself could crush your wind pipes without a moment's hesitation if you even did so much as breathe wrong, or without permission.

Granny Smith sighed and got out of her seat, moving over to the sink, motioning for Applejack to get out of the way. "Applejack, why don'tchu bring yer friend a glass of water, he looks rather parched, don't he." Granny Smith stated firmly.

Applejack's eyes widened for a moment, looking over at Scott for a moment, only to see the confusion in his eyes, as well as the cautious expression on his face. "Right, of course, granny." Applejack confirmed, trotting over to a cabinet filled with glass cups and mugs.

Scott raised an eyebrow, seeing that Applejack was looking for a glass, despite all of them being right in front of her. Scott knew that something was up, and slowly hovered his hand over the Altnetrix, ready to act in case things got violent, and yet, something no one was able to see seemed to pulse through him, a calm, yet furious presence seemed to be pushing down on the human. Scott tried to get up from his seat, but it was like he was tied to the chair, and the chair was screwed into the floorboards. Scott had no idea what was happening, he had no way of rationalizing this, but he knew there was something wrong, he couldn't smell the cinnamon anymore.

Then he heard it, a voice that seemed to make itself known in his head.

"You need to leave, it's on the hunt again. Get out. Get them out!" An unknown voice whispered into his ear, it was masculine, raspy and spoke with a sense of urgency.

Scott felt a chill run down his spine, but he was more confused than ever. Scott looked to where the voice came from, but saw no one that fit the voice. Scott looked over to Applejack, noticing that she was trying to keep herself together, constantly wiping her eyes with her hooves, signs of tear stains could be seen on her orange coat. "Applejack, I think you need to tell me the truth," the mare whipped around, trying to hide the obvious fear she felt behind an angry and almost merciless expression, like she'd try to kill him if he said another word more. Scott gulped and let a sigh escape his lips as he looked the mare in the eyes. "What kind of problem is plaguing your farm, and how exactly does the blood moon tie back to it?" Scott asked cautiously, he was in too deep now, even if he left the farm, he felt like running wasn't going to fix whatever this was.

Applejack kept her angry face up, trying to hold back the tears that were whelling up in the corners of her eyes, her lip started quivering, like she was on the verge of letting the dam finally give way. "A-Ah can't... Ah c-can't face it, not this time! I just can't, I ain't got the strength fer this no more!" Applejack spoke, her voice breaking as she gritted her teeth.

The red stallion, Big Mac, quickly moved to his sister's side, trying to comfort her any way he could, only to look at the human with a sympathetic, yet halfhearted look in his eyes. "I'm mighty sorry to know ya got mixed up in this, partner. Ya may not know entirely what's happenin' now, but once that thing makes itself heard, you'll find out soon enough. If'n ya thought the Blood Moon was bad before, things tend tah get much worse on our farm, it's been like this fer centuries, our family's many generations have been plagued by this nightmare made manifest. We don't know how tah stop it, but it seems content with stayin' on the farm, so at least Ponyville's safe, but who knows how much longer that'll last." Big Mac apologized, trying to comfort the eldest sister of the family.

Apple Bloom felt rather uncomfortable, yet something was clearly keeping her calm. Scott looked over at Granny Smith, who was now staring out the front door, wide-eyed in disbelief. "B-Bright Mac? Sweet Celestia, is that you, sonny?" Granny Smith called out.

Scott slowly got up from his seat, no longer mysteriously stuck in place by what seemed to keep him there, and looked out the front door. Scott's eyes widened out of fear, the sheer terror and blood-curdling fear that pumped through his veins could've been enough to kill him three times over in an instant, but he was alive, and that was the unfortunate part of this whole situation.

There was a pony outside, a stallion with a faded yellow coat and a spoiled red mane that looked matted and mangled beyond compare. Scott looked over at Apple Bloom, noticing that the strange stallion outside had some resemblance to Apple Bloom, then Scott's brain finally started to kick into gear. Scott did a slow double take between the filly and the stallion outside, and was now starting to get very uncomfortable himself, his stomach was beginning to churn, and he wasn't exactly sure why it was, but he had a sure-fire feeling that it was in-relation to the stallion outside.

Scott looked outside towards the stallion, noticing the signs of rot on their hooves, minor bits of bone and exposed flesh started to show, and there was something else, some kind of red mist that seemed to mix with the stallion's saliva, creating a thick, sparkling dark red goo that occasionally dripped from the stallion's rotting mouth. It was clearly hiding its face behind a worn out, tattered, dirty and nearly dismantled stetson. The words from that unknown voice seemed to echo in Scott's head, and finally, Scott was starting to come back to reality, and right now, there was a family in trouble, they needed help, and he was the only one who could.

Scott stepped away from the door and activated the Altnetrix, now finally able to access his alien forms. Scott selected his newest transformation, and pushed the core down. In a flash of turquoise light, Scott was replaced by the large rodent-like creature he scanned five days ago, and he looked to the three siblings. "Don't know if this is a good time to tell ya, but staying here is gonna get ya killed. Don't ask any questions, I'm gonna get you off this farm, it's clearly not safe for you. Get your personal belongings, find a wagon, and hit the old dusty trail back to my hut. I'll watch your back and keep these trotting dead freaks off ya for as long as I can." The alien explained.

Applejack was rather taken aback by the human's new transformation, but figured that since he was still willing to help, Applejack dried her tears for the moment and trotted forward, giving the alien a quick side hug as she leaned in to whisper in his ears. "Go into the orchard, and don't stop till ya found an apple tree that's bound to a pear tree. That's where the problem started, and hopefully, tonight will be the night that it stops. Thank ya kindly, partner, I'll explain when all ah this is over. Promise." Applejack thanked, directing both of her siblings to head up a flight of stairs, only to follow right behind them.

The alien moved Granny Smith aside, seeing that the dead stallion was moving closer to the farmhouse. The old mare tried to move towards the door, just to get closer, but the alien got in front of her fast. "Go to your grandchildren, help them as they've helped you. I need to talk to this one." The alien remarked.

Granny Smith almost didn't wanna listen to the transformed human, but the alien was clearly not wanting to see an old woman throw her life away on a whim. The old mare sighed, hearing hooves clamoring from above as drawers and doors opened and closed like it was the holiday season. Granny Smith saw as her grandchildren trotted down the stairs quickly, with Big Mac carrying Apple Bloom and her bag on top of his back. Applejack only had a small bag, but it was all she needed. "Ah packed a few of yer things already, Granny, now we need tah get to the cart." Applejack stated urgently.

Granny Smith pointed towards a door on the opposite side of the kitchen. "We can mosey on out the back. Your human feller is, well... takin' care of yer father, as it were." Granny Smith stated, seeming rather hurt just saying that.

Applejack didn't know how to respond to that, but simply lead her family to the door, all while the real fight was happening mere feet from the front door.

The alien readied its quills as it looked at the rotting stallion, tipping its stetson as a strained smile formed on its face, causing the alien to grimace and shudder at the sight. "Howdy there, ya overgrown rat. Fancy lettin' me inside mah home, or is this gonna get ugly... well, uglier?" Bright Mac asked.

The alien snarled and readied itself to fight. "I'm not sure what's happening, or why the blood moon seems to have it out for your kin, but I'll say it clear... you're not going to lay a rotten flake of skin on them, without getting several quills to that molded brain of yours. Capiche?" The alien remarked.

The rotting Bright Mac let out a dry chuckle, before hacking up more of that red sparkling goo. "Don't try tah be a hero, son, didn't end well fer me... you're better off leavin' on yer own, alien, my quarrel ain't with ye anyway." Bright Mac warned.

The alien didn't move, it just stood firm. "If you think I'm going to let you hurt an old woman, let alone a child, then something tells me that if you were still alive, we wouldn't've gotten along in the first place. Now, let me show you why I call this one, Needlepoint!" Needlepoint ran forward and jumped into the air. Bright Mac quickly looked up, only to get several quills shot and riddled throughout his body. Needlepoint backed away, only to notice that the needles weren't paralyzing, or knocking the stallion out, which did frustrate him. "Okay, paralysis and knocking you out isn't gonna work... kinda the only reason I picked this alien, I figured it'd be easy, but apparently my quills don't work on the living dead... great." Needlepoint remarked sarcastically.

Bright Mac growled and lurched forward, trying to tackle the alien down. Needlepoint jumped over the stallion and fired more quills at the stallion's hooves, trying to trap and restrain the stallion in one place. The quills pushed through the stallion's legs, and even punctured through the hooves, but it wasn't enough to trap the stallion. Bright Mac lurched forward, trying to bite Needlepoint, but the alien simply fired more quills into the zombified stallion's mouth, leaving the stallion's rotting jaw incapable of closing, jammed full of quills.

Bright Mac tried to get the quills out, all while the apple family throws the barn doors open, clamoring to try and get the cart ready to go. Needlepoint continued to keep Bright Mac preoccupied, but that didn't mean the apple family was safe. One problem was being distracted, but something else was still out for the heads of apple farming ponies.

Something black rushed past Bright Mac and Needlepoint, and it was heading straight for the barn, to which Bright Mac let out a muffled laugh, as if he won the fight.

Big Mac was busy trying to make sure his family was in the cart, but before he fastened himself to the front, the black figure, a pony dressed in a skull mask and had mechanical pieces of scrap jutting out from its body, stood in the doorway. Big Mac froze up for a moment, only to notice something rather familiar about the pony.

Behind the mask they wore, was a huge amount of poofy, curly, matted and mangled faded orange hair that looked frazzled and torn up. Their bright light yellow coat was faded, almost darker due to the dirt that seemed to bleed and mix as it clung to it haphazardly. The mare looked sickly, unexpectedly thin, like they've been starving themselves for weeks, maybe months without end. The mare's front and back left legs were covered in some kind of mechanical armor, all while small metal spikes and needles protruded from the bottom of her front and back right hooves.

Big Mac shuddered, trying to not focus on the mare in front of him, trying desperately to fasten himself to the cart. The mare moved forward, trying to strike the stallion down, only to then be met by the sound of metal clanging against their head. The mare skidded across the dirt floor, only to reveal Applejack wielding a shovel like a weapon. She wasn't proud of what she did, but she knew it had to be done. "Get tah movin', Mac! I'll give yah directions, just don't stop movin' till we up an' get there!" Applejack stated.

Big Mac nodded his head, and the moment he started running, pulling the cart out of the barn, the mare had gotten up and tried to chase after the apple family. The mare lunged at the cart, only to be riddled with several quills that were buried into her side, practically pinning her against the picket fence. The mare watched hopelessly as the apple family fled towards Ponyville, vanishing from her sights as she struggled to free herself.

Needlepoint ran over as Bright Mac continued to remove the quills from his mouth. The mare's mask soon fell from their face, revealing a literal skull that has no trace of flesh, skin or even eyes, just two bright turquoise embers that burned in their place among the dark hollow eye sockets. The alien recoiled at the sight, jumping back a fair bit as the mare struggled to free themselves. "If the rotting ball over there is their dad, am I wrong to assume that you're their mother? If so, I guess hell hath no fury like a mother's vengeance." Needlepoint quipped.

The mare, despite not having any lips, seemed to actually revel in the joke, a raspy chuckle escaped the mare, all while Bright Mac starts to get down to the last few quills. "Pray tell, why are you getting involved in this, sugar? You don't have a stake in this issue... it's a family matter, after all. This doesn't concern you, it's not your problem to fix, not your responsibility." The mare questioned.

Needlepoint sighed. "I owe it to a friend to help in any way I can. Besides, this blood moon stuff is already driving me up the wall, the sooner it stops, the better it'll be for everyone. Besides, how can their own parents hate them so much, to the point of wanting to kill? The afterlife must not be all that's cracked up to be, if you two suddenly returned for a familial vendetta." Needlepoint remarked.

The mare seemed to think on the question for a moment, but Needlepoint would end up fixating his sights back on Bright Mac. The zombified stallion tried to tackle the alien, only to get into a wrestling match that wasn't working out the way the stallion had planned. Unfortunately, the Altnetrix was starting to beep, and in a flash of white light, Scott was returned to his human form, which wasn't exactly appropriate for a fight against a zombie stallion. "Sometimes I just hate this thing." Scott bemoaned, shoving the stallion away as he tried to get some distance.

Bright Mac got up and was about to charge at the human, only for the mare to pull them by their tail, stopping their assault. "Alright hon, that's enough. Ah think this young man proved himself enough tonight, don't ya think?" The mare inquired.

Bright Mac seemed to stop, brushing his matted red hair out of his face, revealing a set of bright milky white eyes that looked glossed over, lacking any sign of life or emotion, yet the stallion seemed rather... relieved. Bright Mac let a small chuckle escape him, and nuzzled his rotted muzzle with the skeletal muzzle the mare had, confusing and reassuring Scott of his worries at the same time. "Just barely. Changin' his shape like that, like one ah them bugs, it just ain't right, it ain't natural... but, if Applejack's alright with 'im, I suppose ah can let it slide, Buttercup, just this once, though." Bright Mac stated firmly.

Scott was finally starting to experience insanity in its purest form, and has fallen to his knees. "What in the hell is actually going on!?" Scott exclaimed, clearly at a loss for what's happening.

The mare, referred to as Buttercup, simply trotted forward and offered a hoof to the human. Scott grabbed it and was pulled back to his feet, and then lead towards the orchard. "Mind if we walk and talk, partner? It's a bit of a doozy, we'll warn ya now." the mare inquired.

Scott rubbed his face, letting out a tired and exasperated sigh. "With everything that's happened so far since I came to your world, sure, why not." Scott remarked, accepting the chaos that he was starting to get wrapped up in.

The mare chuckled as she, Scott and Bright Mac walked towards the orchard, all while the blood moon's rays started to lessen, the night sky was slowly returning to normal.

As the three walk into the orchard, Scott starts to see some of those special blood moon apples that Applejack was talking about, only they were starting to rapidly rot, dropping from the tree branches and breaking open upon contact with the ground. "It all started some time after our official secret wedding in this here orchard. Me and Bright Mac went against our families and wanted to be together, so we wanted to have a secret wedding, one that would be official and binding, but our folks weren't exactly happy, at first," Scott raised an eyebrow, only for the mare to wipe what looked like a tear from her empty eye socket. "Granny Smith was rather protective, to say the least, but she welcomed me into her family with open hooves. My daddy was quite the stickler, and ah know he loved me, but he let that stupid feud between his and Granny's families drive a wedge between us, and I haven't seen him ever since he moved tah Vanhoover. Unlike Granny Smith, he missed out on watchin' his grandchildren grow up, he never got tah meet them, make that connection, as it were." The mare explained.

Scott took a moment to process what the mare told him, and let her continue speaking. "What exactly happened to you two? That poor old lady thinks you're both dead, but you're clearly right here, physical and tangible as can be." Scott inquired.

Bright Mac stepped forward as they kept walking. "Durin' Apple Bloom's first blood moon, back when she was just a newborn and our previous two kids were handlin' the night market with Granny, we were makin' sure she wasn't alone. We took her into the orchard, to familiarize the place for her, so she isn't scared of it at night. Little did we know, it wasn't the orchard, or the night time that was meant to be feared. Rather," Bright Mac took off his stetson, only to reveal a bite-sized chunk of his head missing, exposing a portion of his chewed up brain, making Scott's blood run cold again at the sight of it. "It was what the blood moon would summon that was to be feared. Got me an' Buttercup good, but despite how hard we fought, despite comin' out on top, despite keepin' our baby girl safe, our injuries took us like Tartarus in a hoof basket. We managed to get Apple Bloom back to the farmhouse, tuck her into her crib just as those three came home for the night with a good profit, and we discreetly snuck back into the orchard. We ventured towards the location we had our wedding, cementing our vows by planting an apple seed, and a pear seed together, metaphorically demonstrating our devotion, and our commitment to our forbidden union. We rested underneath each other's respected tree, and we eventually passed in each other's arms, succumbing to the blood moon's attack." Bright Mac explained.

Scott was at a loss for words, he didn't even know how to verbally respond to such a story, but his throat certainly felt dry after hearing it. "I... I-I'm so sorry. I feel like I should say something else, but dear god, I'm so sorry that happened to you. In a strange, twisted and kind of similar way, I know that that's like. My parents were killed by the same bugs you compared me to," Now it was Bright Mac's turn to be at a loss for words, hiding his face behind his stetson. "In a strange way, I know how it feels. I lost my parents at the age of nine, and all three of your kids, plus their grandmother, lost you both. My point is, a parent's worst fear is outliving their children. Their second biggest fear is not being there to help them when they need you the most. I can't imagine how your eldest son and eldest daughter got by without you after that, nor do I claim to know what it's like, because I do know what it's like, and if I had to describe that feeling, that traumatic experience, in one word... Damning." Scott explained, hanging his head low.

The three of them were silent for a moment. You could hear a pin drop and collide with the soft blades of grass from how silent it was. "My point is, I'm not entirely sure why you both were willing to attack your family, the family that still misses you, cherishes your memory, can't even imagine having to fight you, or something that barely looks like you, but there had to be a reason. Not saying it excuses what you tried to do, but there had to be a reason. A method to this madness." Scott remarked.

Bright Mac and Buttercup looked at each other, smiling for a moment, and lead the human into a clearing. Scott walks out, seeing that the blood moon was back to normal, the mare in the moon was still there, and the night sky was back to its usual cosmic beauty. Within the clearing was the same tree that Applejack told him to go find. Scott beheld how the apple tree and the pear tree were quite literally intertwined with one another, seeing a heart-shaped hole made by the branches and leaves. It was beautiful, impossible, but above all else, it reminded him of home.

The three of them approached the tree, and while Buttercup and Bright Mac were able to walk further towards the tree, Scott was stopped by a magical red bubble. Scott looked at Bright Mac and Buttercup, who seemed to have solemn and somber smiles on their faces. "Sorry, sugar, but we left somethin' crucial out, hope ya understand why. When we died, the blood moon's magic cursed our souls, binding us to the tree that seals our vows. As long as this tree still stands, our souls will be forced into physical form, powerful and potent physical illusions made by the blood moon's magic," Scott's eyes widened as the ground shook. Large tree roots jutted out of the ground, enveloped in the same red mist Scott saw a couple times before. "Tonight, however, is a rather peculiar one. The blood moon has gotten stronger, and it's magic has granted us undeath, to a degree. We have our physical bodies back, but this isn't how things are supposed to be. Ya need tah put our souls at rest, we never wanted to haunt or harm our children, or anypony for that matter... the blood moon's caster is demandin', ain't she? Ya gotta uproot our tree, human! Put our souls to rest, and save our kin!" Buttercup explained.

Bright Mac nodded. "Don't ask how, but we've seen ya fight, partner. That strange blob in Canterlot, that armored wacko from the stars, the dragon runnin' amok, that crystal woman, and that Celestia forsaken bug that showed up in town. Ya got guts, kid, so put us to rest, before we rip 'em out of ya!!" Bright Mac warned.

Red mist starts to envelop both ponies, then completely pulls them into the trunks of both trees. The sky starts to become red, and the mare in the moon is now looking down, watching the fight as it prepares to unfold.

The trees start to grow out further, the leaves start to open up into gaping maws, roaring out as they look down at the terrified and very concerned Scott. The apples and pears start to grow and change. The apples become crimson crisps and the pears become three times bigger than normal, their green skin changes to a more violet hue, with various white bruise-like spots forming on the exterior.

The shadow that casted over the human was beyond rational comparison. The two-headed Appear Tree butted its heads together, nodding as they fixated on Scott himself. "It's times like this, where I wish I was working fast food during the graveyard shift. This, this is not okay... I'm gonna die, and it's gonna be painful." Scott gulped.

Scott immediately ran back to where he came from, only to find that the way back into the orchard was now blocked off by tree roots. Scott comes to a stop, looking back at the two-headed fruit tree that was clearly ready to eat him alive. Scott falls to his knees, shielding himself as the apple mouth lunges down, trying to snatch him up whole, only to suddenly come up short, shaking a few crimson crisps off of its branches, and some land onto the ground, perfectly intact.

The mouth moves back and Scott tries to grab one of the crimson crisps, though it is rather heavy, he's able to barely get it over his head, all while the pear mouth lunges down at him. Scott panics and throws the magic apple at the open mouth, rolling to the side as he just barely avoids getting snatched up in the mouth's grasp.

The mouth chomps down on the crimson crisp and swallows, only to seem thoroughly repulsed by the taste, letting its magic pears fall to the ground, with very few of them staying intact. The pear mouth retreats as the apple mouth gets aggressive, snapping its jaws in the air as it slams on the ground, trying to knock Scott off balance.

Scott tries to keep himself upright, but after a bit of struggling, the shaking finally stops. Scott sees the pear mouth getting ready to fight again, snapping its jaws towards him. He rolls out of the way, causing the pear mouth to retreat, only for the apple mouth to charge right at him, ready to swallow him whole. Scott thought about what happened to the pear mouth, and decides to try it again, throwing one of the magic pears into the apple mouth.

The apple mouth munches down on the pear, and is immediately disgusted by the taste. It retreats like the pear mouth did, only for the pear mouth to ready itself for some kind of attack. Scott saw it puff its cheeks up, and saw tons of small seed-like projectiles heading his way. Scott activated the Altnetrix and tried to transform, but was hit dead-on by tons of seeds that actually hurt him.

Scott staggered back, covered in red spots from head to toe, but he didn't give up. Scott saw the pear mouth lunge at him, and Scott did the same thing he did before, throw a crimson crisp into its mouth, and watched as it recoiled with distain, and now had to put up with the apple mouth again.

This fight was becoming very dangerous, as well as tedious. The more he fed the mouths the wrong fruit, the more it seemed to hurt them, as well as anger them. It was clear that this was working, to some degree, but the mouths were getting relentless, he was running out of moments to stop and breathe. Scott needed another way out of this, a way to stop them from attacking altogether.

Scott looked to the fruit still on the ground, and an idea came to him. Scott quickly managed to carry one of each magic plant in his hands, just barely keeping himself balanced. The two mouths lunged forward, and he threw each fruit into the opposite mouths, seeing both mouths recoil and roar out in disgust. Scott rushed forward, punching and kicking each mouth as hard as he could, hoping it would at least do some damage.

The mouths retreated, though that didn't mean they were done. The mouths clamped down on one another, connecting themselves together as their branches formed a large wooden claw. Scott was terrified, he wasn't sure how to counter this attack, considering this was a first. The claws simply fell forward, clearly intending to crush Scott into a bloodied paste.

Scott was worried, beyond terrified, even. At first, it seemed like he had a chance. It was slim to none, but he was winning, now he's finally lost it. He wanted to use the Altnetrix, just to make this easier, but he knows he can't rely on it forever. However, how is he supposed to deal with this? Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, he can't roll away from this, and he certainly can't parry something that huge.

Scott gets ready to just accept his fate, but before he closes his eyes, he notices an opening in the claw's palm. Just like that, Scott had an idea. Scott quickly ran into position, following the palm as the hole got closer to the ground. Scott jumped and grabbed onto the ledge, climbing inside as it landed onto the ground. A turquoise light bleeds through the wooden claw, and laser beams begin to cut through it, revealing Protectron.

Protectron flew towards the tree, firing lasers at the base of the trees themselves, catching them on fire. The mouths try to snap their jaws at the robot, and while they do catch its arms in their grasps, electrical beams shock and repel the large attackers. Protectron morphs his hands into cannons and unleashes literal bullet hell on the Appear Tree monster, firing lasers and electrical beams at both of the mouths, clearly causing them plenty of distress.

The synthroid continues its rate of fire on the monster, but seems to start growing bored of it. Protectron lands on the ground, getting up close to the base of both burning trees, grabbing them without a second thought. The alien robot starts to lift as much as it can, causing the trees to roar out in pain and agony, yet it continues to try and pull them out of the ground. Protectron increases its grip strength and hold on the beasts, pushing himself to lift them further, despite their resistance.

Soon enough, Protectron has both tree creatures uprooted from the orchard, and tosses them to the ground, firing his lasers as much as he can, all while the Altnetrix starts timing out. The Appear Tree's roars and cries soon become deafened, silenced by the sound of crackling and burning embers. Protectron is enveloped in a flash of white light, returning Scott to his human form.

Scott falls back onto the ground, marveling and silently staring at the burning trees he had to fight. Scott wondered if those two ponies felt any of what he was dishing out, and while it did make him feel horrible, feeling remorse for his current actions, he felt slightly relieved, wanting to believe that those two were now at peace, knowing that their family likely won't be harmed anymore, especially because of the blood moon.

Speaking of which, Scott saw that red mist leave the trees as they burned, moving towards the sky, specifically the moon. The mare in the moon was no longer watching the fight, but was back to its original position. Scott laid down on the ground, his body exhausted, pushed to its limits. Scott closed his eyes, slowly falling asleep in the midst of what looked like a warzone.

Scott needed more answers, and in a way, he did get what he needed, just not directly from Applejack. The human clearly needs more practice, but everyone needs a break. Scott was happy to help, despite his life being put at risk again, but at least he can rest with a lighter conscience, knowing he put two souls at rest once more.