Homunculus

Chapter 2: Disturbance ~

Train rides are boring as hell, I decided. Road had fallen asleep in her seat shortly after we left the station, giving me no one to talk to, and the ever-present stares of curious ponies too afraid to ask was getting on my nerves.

“Yes!” I shouted once my patience wore thin. “I am a human!” Every eye that had been trained on me now frantically found something else to bother.

As a consolation prize though, the scenery from looking out the train window was really breathtaking. I saw that same little town from yesterday and I wondered if it was Ponyville, my destination.

After several hours of a sore back and dozing off, only to snap awake before I could find rest, my suspicions were confirmed. The conductor yelled that this was indeed Ponyville, so I gently shook Road awake.

“Huh? We there yet?” She said groggily, wiping sleep from her eyes and letting loose a large yawn as she sat up.

“Ya, we’re here.” I grabbed my cello, my only belonging (Octavia and Vinyl were going to kill me since I never said goodbye), and ushered Road out of the train. It was such a nice, sunny day. Thin wisps of condensed water floating in the clear blue ocean of the sky and Pegasi fluttered about, some even laying on the clouds as if they were beds. Sadly, I couldn’t help but think this was the perfect time for a power nap. I looked down at my sister and couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her slowly dozing off while standing, she just looked so cute sometimes.

It was then that I saw a purple unicorn looking around. She had an indigo man with a purple and pink stripe that ran down the middle. It fell over her forehead and stopped just above her eyes. Her cutie mark was a pinkish-red six pointed star. Her deep violet eyes scanned the train station as if looking for prey. How she skipped over the two obvious aliens was a mystery to me. No knowing what else to do, and guessing this was the student Celestia had mentioned, I walked over to her, leaving Road to sleep in a pile on the ground.

“Excuse me, would you happen to be Twilight Sparkle?”

She started slightly when I tapped her on the shoulder. “Why yes I am…” She stopped as she turned to face me.

“Oh, good. Celestia told you I was coming?”

“Um… yes.”

Taking a deep breath, I prepared my long winded explanation of what I was so she could stop staring.

“Yes, I’m not a pony, I am a human. I found myself and my sister, here in Equestria a few days ago. Princess Luna saved us, and we were sent here to live until Celestia can find a way to send us back home.” I had pointed behind me to Road who was now curled up in a snoring ball on the ground when I mentioned my sister.

“I am so sorry, please forgive my staring. It’s just, humans have always been a creature of myth. The only times you hear about them are in fictions and campfire stories.” She looked ashamed of her behavior and had a slight blush that shone through her thin fur.

“It seems the princesses really do keep their history a secret from everyone.”

“I will be happy to answer any questions you have about humans, but first, do you have a bed where I can put my sister?” As cute as she looked curled up like that, I couldn’t help but worry she would be stepped on.

“Oh, yes. Please, follow me.” She turned and started into the town, looking back to make sure I was following. I ran back to Road and scooped her up, with the cello slung across my back, and hurried to catch up to my escort. The walk wasn’t terribly long, lasting about ten to fifteen minutes, but I was a little surprised to find that she was walking up to a large tree. I had my doubts about the unicorn’s sanity at first, but I soon realized the large tree had been fashioned into an occupy-able structure. Complete with a door, windows, and even a second story balcony, it looked like a house you would find an elf in. Stepping inside the abnormal structure, I found it wasn’t a house, but a library (or the house of a collector maybe). Books lined the walls (and floor) and some were piled high on a large wooden desk near the back. A set of stairs led to the second story.

“Sorry for the mess, the princess told me of your arrival late last night, so I didn’t have time to clean up.” She looked so apologetic and jumpy, as if all this was a test and the tiniest slip up would fail her.

“Really, it’s alright.” I said, my arms growing weary.

“Follow me up stairs and you can put your sister to bed.” She led me upstairs, and found that the second story was more suitable to be a house. It was a bit smaller than the first floor, but roomy nonetheless. A bedroom sat in the center, raised up with a small set of stairs leading to the beds. A bathroom to one side and a small kitchen on the other. Once I dumped Road on the bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin, I turned around to face my host.

“Probably should have done introductions before, but my name is Kota, my sister is Road.” I held out my hand she placed her hoof in it, accepting the gesture.

“As the Princess may have told you, I am Twilight Sparkle, student and the librarian to Ponyville.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Twilight.” I said with a grin that pushed the boundaries of being a bit cheesy. “If you don’t mind me asking, do you by chance have a shower I can borrow? I haven’t exactly gotten the chance to clean myself since coming to Equestria.” Truth be told, I stunk.

“Yes. The bathroom is right over there. Towels and soap are in the top cupboard on the right.”

“Thanks.” I walked into the bathroom and closed the door, but when I tried to lock it, there was no such mechanism. “Trusting.” I mumbled. The small bathroom wasn’t room but was enough to be comfortable. The porcelain bathtub was big enough, but the shower head was low so I would have to squat or sit down to wash myself. A small window near the ceiling filtered a shaft of light into the room, a bird could be heard chirping outside. It was a peaceful situation. Stripping my shirt, I looked into a mirror that sat against the wall, and stared at my reflection. What I saw wasn’t too surprising, but horrific nonetheless, hair mussed up so it stood on end, my chin stubble had grown lengthy, and I carried large bags under my eyes. My physique was the only thing I could be proud of at this point. I won’t boast, but I have some good muscle on me. Stripping the rest of my clothes, (Shoes, socks, jeans, and boxers) I walked over to the tub and fumbled with the water controls until I got a satisfying burst of nearly scalding water.

I took a long, drawn out shower that was much needed. (Though I was conscious of a probable water/heating bill that Twilight would have to pay)  I used the soap I found, which smelled pleasantly of lavender, to lather my body and scrub my hair. As I finished a knock that rattled the door.

“Kota, you in there?” It was Road.

“Ya,” I shouted back over the hum of the running water. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Stepping out of the tub, I wrapped a towel around my waist and used another to dry my hair. Once dry, I pulled my clothes back on and looked in the mirror again. My hair now fell obediently around my neck and the bags weren’t as prominent. Much better.

When I opened the door, I found Road standing crouched over with her hands over her crotch, doing a little dance. I stepped aside to allow her entrance, and she rushed passed me. “Take a shower as well.” I said as she closed the door. I gave a small chuckle.

Taking the steps one at a time, I slowly descended the stairs, thinking about what exactly I should do for the remainder of the day. Should I take today to do some exploring like I did in Canterlot? That seemed to be the quickest way to make friends and learn about the town. Or should I go straight to job searching? Lazing around with a good book sounded nice as well, what with the myriad of books.

Before I realized it, I had hit the bottom of the stairs and almost tripped when my foot tried to reach for another stair. I heard a giggle and looked over to find Twilight staring at me, the purple mare almost hidden behind a mountain of books. Gathering whatever dignity I had left, I walked over to her.

“Did you have a nice shower?” She asked smiling, trying to get over her giggles.

“Very refreshing, thank you.”

“Sooo… Can I ask you a few questions?” She asked hopefully.

I heaved a sigh and sat in a nearby chair. I had forgotten about her curiosity. “I guess.”

She beamed at my consent and pulled a list from under a few rather large books. She was prepared. I gulped and took deep breath, preparing for the onslaught.

“Okay, first question…”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The interview went on for a good hour and a half. (I stole glances at a wall clock now and then. Surprisingly, they seemed to have the same time system as on earth with the same numbers.) She asked questions concerning Earth life, politics, biology, Meteorology, (which admittedly I knew nothing about save for the big and little dipper, so she had to skim over the section) Reproduction, (oh how awkward that was) and a few about my personal life. I didn’t even get to attend college with my lifestyle so I wasn’t that learned on the subjects but I could explain the basics. Road had finished upstairs and came down about half-way through. She chipped in little bits of info that she deemed educational for the unicorn. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised that she had taken lengthy notes about all I said.

“I thank you Kota and Road for your contribution to science.” Road smiled at the praise and gave a nod.

“Contribution to science?”

“No problem, glad I could help sate your thirst for knowledge.”

“I do have one more question though…”

“Shoot.”

“Do you know how you got here? Was it intentional?”

“Hehe, sadly we know nothing about either how or why we are here.” I answered half apologetically.

“Oh well, worth a shot.”

“Now, Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Do you know of anyone or anyplace that is hiring? I feel that if we are going to live in this world, no matter how long, I will need a source of income.”

Twilight thought for a minute, tapping a hoof on her chin. “Well, let’s see. Sweet Apple Acres is always in need of help if you’re up for manual labor. If you have any baking skills, you could apply at Sugar Cube Corner. There are also numerous professional jobs if you are qualified.”

“Hmm. Road, you could take that baking job. As for me, I guess I could start with that labor job until I find something else.”

“Then I will put in a good word to Applejack for you.”

“Thanks Twilight. And thanks a bunch for letting us stay here until we’re a bit more independent.”

“It’s no problem at all, stay as long as you like.”

With Job searching taken care of, we ended up using the rest of the day to explore the town. By recommendation from Twilight, we went to Sugar Cube Corner for a treat. I had no idea what this world’s money was worth in relevancy to U.S. Dollars, so I didn’t know if this little bag of coins (I think I heard them called bits) that Celestia gave me was a lot or just a few dollars.

True to its name, Sugar Cube Corner was a building made of sugar. It was shaped like a giant gingerbread house with various candies and other sweet things spread about it. For a moment I wondered if it was edible.

A bell rang as I opened the door and Road and I walked into the bakery. A sweet, elderly voice called that she would be right with us. I walked up to the counter and looked around, Road took a seat at a booth in the back. It seemed they had all baked goods ranging from bread loafs to cakes. It all looked so enticing. A cyan earth mare walked up to the counter, ready to take our orders. She had a pink mane (fashioned to look like icing on a cupcake) and tail. Her cutie mark consisted of three cupcakes. She looked at both of us with light crimson eyes and a motherly smile. She didn’t even seem fazed that we were not of the same species.

“New Ponyville residents I presume?”

“Uh, yeah, we arrived earlier today. I’m Kota, and that is my sister Road.”

“How nice, you may call me Mrs. Cake, and how may I help you two?”

“Well, we were told by Twilight Sparkle that this was the best place to come for a treat.”

“So you know Ms. Sparkle do you? Give her my regards will you? And how about this: you can each have a cupcake free of charge as my welcome gift to you.”

“I’m definitely starting to like this place.”

“That would be awesome! Are you sure it’s no trouble?”

“Not at all.”

“Then thank you!”

She went into a kitchen and came back with two cupcakes balanced on her back. She placed them on the counter and I took them over to the booth where Road sat. She dove right into her cupcake greedily. They were a pretty good size so it took us 10 minutes to wolf down the most amazing confectionary masterpiece ever conceived.

The door’s bell chimed again, signaling another customer. Of all the ponies, this would be the one to scream “little girl’s T.V. show.” A bright pink pony with a slightly darker pink curly mane and tail walked straight up to the counter humming a cheery tune. Her eyes were closed in her apparent jubilation so I could not see them but she had a cutie mark of 3 balloons, two blue and one yellow.

“Welcome back Pinkie.” Mrs. Cake greeted her. “How was your trip to the market?”

“It went super dee duper great! I left the flour sacks in the back.”

“Thank you dear.”

As I watched the conversation in front of me, I chuckled at the new mare’s name, how pink can you get? Even her personality was all laughing and happiness. My chuckle did not go un-noticed and the speed at which the pink mare turned around looked like it would give her whiplash.

“Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed as she bounced (not walked) up to us. “Holy cow! Are you new to Ponyville? When did you get here? Do you have any friends yet?” She took in a large gasp before spouting out her next sentence which was a flurry of mashed words. “Igottagetapartytogethergottagobye!” She then rushed out of the bakery before either of us could respond to any of her questions.

I looked down at Road and she shrugged her shoulders.

“It looks like you’ll be getting a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party tonight. That was Pinkie Pie. Don’t let her hyperactivity put you off. She’s the sweetest thing in Ponyville.” Mrs. Cake explained as she walked up to us with a large plate of cookies with steam carrying a heavenly scent rising from them, and two glasses of milk on a tray. She set them on the table and we all partook of the sweets.

“Lots of sugar intake?”

“I guess that could be part of it. But she had quite a monotone childhood, so I guess she’s just trying to make up for it.”

“Well, if you don’t mind me asking, are you hiring at all? My sister, Road, here would like to work for you.”

“Well, I think that would be just grand! Of course, we can always use the extra help. Do you have any baking experience dear?” She asked kindly.

Road nodded in confirmation and I elaborated further for my shy sister. “She has tons of experience. I doubt I’d be alive without her cooking back where we’re from.”

“Super! How about this, I’ll have Pinkie show you the ropes tomorrow since she’s off for the day.”

Road nodded again, more vigorously this time, and with a huge smile on her face. Her love of baking was second only to violins and her music.

“Alright, thanks again Mrs. Cake for the treats and job for Road. We still got lots of this town to explore, so we better get going.” I stood up and Road follow suite.

“Well, have fun you two, and don’t forget to stop by every now and then Kota. I’ll see you tomorrow Road, at, let’s see, does 11 a.m. sound okay?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll see you then.”

Stepping out of the sweet shop with our good moods bolstered, we picked a random direction to go in. Road closed her eyes and spun around in a circle. She stopped with her finger outstretched and opened her eyes after a few cycles. “This way!” And so we headed “that” way.

“This” way ended up taking us to what looked like a park. The looks we got on the streets were mild and only a little unsettling, but when we entered the park, full attention was on us.

Raising my ands above my head as if I were getting ready to preach a sermon, and joking shouted, “We come in peace!”

“Way to be subtle.” Road nudged me with her elbow.

I nudged her back. “We were trying to be subtle? Besides, they were already staring.”

The eyes never left us so I continued. “Just to get it out there, yes, my sister and I here are humans. You may now continue your day as planned, don’t mind us.” It took a while longer, but after a moment of stares criticizing us, ponies found something else to occupy their time. We walked down a short hill and ended up in front of a small lake. Fish jumped now and then and birds flew overhead chirping and singing. This place was calming. I let the warm sunlight wash over my face as we sat down on the bank of the lake.

“Beautiful world this is.” I offered.

“Yes. Are you sure we can’t stay?” Road answered back.

“You know, it’s funny. The longer I stay, the less I want to leave.”

“Good.”

“You really like it here?”

“Let’s see. Friendly ponies, amazing cupcakes, and breathtaking scenery no matter where you look. Of course I like it here! Definitely beasts living in that old house in a polluted and rundown neighborhood where someone gets mugged every other hour. Honestly, I don’t understand why you would ever want to go back there.”

“It think that’s the longest you’ve ever talked in one breath.”

Road answered with a deadpanned look.

“Alright, alright, I agree with you. I guess the only reason I would go back is because of the memories. I know you didn’t get along with mom and dad all too well, but when they died, I missed them dearly.” I heaved a sigh and lay back on the grass. “But maybe it’s best to leave such memories behind. Mom wouldn’t want us to dwell on the past.” I chuckled and closed my eyes. “Maybe we can just start over after all.”

Road put a hand to my forehead and asked, “You okay? You’re getting all sentimental on me.”

“Oi! I’m just agreeing with what you said back in Canterlot.”

“In a sappy way.”

“Well it seems you’ll get your wish. If the ponies will have us, then we’ll stay.”

“Thanks Kota.” She lay her head on my chest. “You’re a good big brother.”

“The best.”

“So a human huh? What’re you doing here?” My eyes flew open at the new voice and all I saw were a pair of rose colored eyes inches from my face. Startled, I sat up quickly, smacking my head on the mare’s.

“Gahh!” I rubbed my head vigorously to numb the pain and so did the mare. She was a cyan Pegasus, just a bit darker than Mrs. Cake, with a rainbow colored mane and tail in a windswept fashion. I couldn’t see her cutie mark well from my point of view, but it kinda looked like a rainbow lightning bolt coming from a white cloud.

After cursing lightly under her breath, she spoke up. “Hehe. Sorry about that. Probably wasn’t the smartest idea.” She spoke with a gruff voice like a tomboy.

“Ya think?” I growled.

“Anyway, I came over here to satisfy my curiosity.” She stood up and struck a pose. “I’m Rainbow Dash. The fastest flier in Equestria!” She was cocky.

“Well, Rainbow Dash, my name is Kota and my sister here is Road. To answer your question from earlier, I have no idea why or how we got here.” My head still smarted and I kept one eye squinted shut.

“Interesting… I’ve got my eye on you.” And just like that she flew off.

“Well that was certainly weird.” I said after a while. “Since our tender sibling moment is over, I guess it’s time to go to a new place.”

“Your turn.”

“Alright.” I spun around like Road did and stopped, pointing at the lake.

“Unless you feel like swimming, try again.” Road chuckled.

I spun again, this time pointing in a relatively dry direction. After another twenty minutes of walking we came to a school. Though it looked deserted, so we moved on, choosing a new direction. The next place took us a while to get to but we enjoyed the scenic walk through town nonetheless. Eventually, we came to the outskirts of the town. About to turn back, Road stopped me and pointed.

“Look, someone lives out there, we should go check it out.”

“Alright.” I consented.

As we got closer, it looked to be a small cottage that sat next a river, which led into Ponyville one way and into a dark forest the other. Road was already bounding up the stone steps to the cottage’s front door, so I stepped up next to her as she knocked loudly. No response. She knocked again for good measure. Still no answer. As we turned to leave though, my ears picked up on a sound close to a whisper.

“Did you hear that?”

Road gave me a questioning look and I pressed my ear to the door. Again I heard the sound, a little clearer with my ear on the door. It sounded… It sounded like someone saying “help.” I tried the door knob and found it unlocked. Gently pushing the door inwards a strong smell invaded my nostrils. It smelled metallic, and I almost instantly recognized the scent, enough gang fights on our slum streets, gave me enough experience with it. Blood.

I turned back to Road who had a horrified expression and told her to wait. Taking cautious steps, I entered a living room. Everything looked normal, so I went into another room. It was a kitchen, and still there was nothing there. Frustrated I call out.

“Hello! Is anyone here?”

A moment of silence, then another cry for help sounding more of a squeak than a word. As I passed by a set of stairs there was another squeak and I pinpointed the sound as coming from up the stairs, but I also spotted a door that lay in fragments half in the house and half out in what must have been a backyard. Smeared red tracks led out the door. The smell got stronger as I slowly ascended the stairs, and I was compelled to plug my nose or hold my breath.

Another door sat off its hinges at the top of the stairs and the smell continued to grow in intensity. I mentally prepared myself. This all screamed of cheesy horror movie, but I couldn’t ignore the groaning voice that continued to plea for help. Poking my head inside the door, I nearly lost my food. The room was a mess with both strewn objects and blood that smeared on the walls and floor. A red trail led my gaze to a disfigured mare that lie slumped in a corner. A yellow Pegasus that had scratches and gashes covering her small frame. A pink mane hung over her face. A cutie mark of three butterflies was barely visible under a smear of blood.

“Road! Road, go get help!” I yelled as loud as I could to ensure my sister got the message. I heard an “okay” in reply and I took it she ran off. Taking my shirt and tearing it into strips, I cautiously walked over to the groaning pegasus. Kneeling down, I brushed the mane away from her face. Her half-lidded eyes and unmoving body led me to believe I was too late, a flutter of her eyelids said otherwise. Taking one of the strips, I tied it around her upper arm tightly to act as a tourniquet so the blood flow would stop. The mare’s eyes shot open and she cried out in pain.

“It hurts! It hurts!” She screamed. She had the most beautiful cyan eyes, but they were ruined by the fear and pain that filled them. Tears streamed endlessly, soaking her fur and matting it down.

“I’m sorry, I’m not too good at this but I know the basics. Please just endure a little longer. Here,” I held out a wad of cloth, “Bite down on this.” She opened her mouth and allowed me to place it in between her teeth. I began first aid to the best of my knowledge. My fingers fumbled with the knots because my hands wouldn’t stop shaking from the shock of the situation. The mare continued to scream in agony around the cloth in her mouth. I failed to notice before that her arm was broken, which was why she was screaming out so much when I was tying a tourniquet around it. I felt so stupid and useless. I was probably hurting her more than helping.

I walked along the hard paved sidewalk on my way to the school Road attended. Even with the death of our parents, I had to keep Road in school or else people would start finding out we had no parents and they would take road away from me.

Kids crowded the playground as parents picked them up one by one until only a handful of children remained, playing on the monkey bars or swinging on the swings. As I neared the school, I saw an out-of-place crowd gathered around something unseen by me. Wondering what it could be, I hurried over, the sound of crying growing louder as I drew closer. I pushed through the crowd to find Road sitting on the ground in the center of the gathering. Her hands holding her right leg tightly. It turned out that she had slipped on one of the monkey bars that were too high for her and had broken her leg. I told the kids to not worry about it and the crowd dispersed.

I gave Road a piggyback ride the whole way home, walking slowly as not to direct attention our way.

“You’ve got to be more careful Road, we can’t take you to the hospital because they’ll find out about mom and dad.” I scolded her, but my voice remained calm.

She sniffed into my shoulder, her crying subsiding to quiet sobs. “I’m sorry, I’ll try to be more careful.”

She was only ten at the time. I took her home and made a splint out of a two by four and a roll of duct tape. But things got worse as the leg got infected. The whole leg was bloated with a green color, and according to Road, the pain continued to intensify.

I didn’t know what to do, I panicked. Picking her up on my back, I ran to the nearest hospital, two miles away, as we didn’t have any other mode of transportation. The doctors cared for her after I explained the situation, and lied about our parents being out of state on business. They informed me that the leg would be okay, but that it had been handled wrong is all. But when the time came that we were asked about how to contact our parents so a bill could be sent, we ran. Road’s leg wasn’t fully recuperated but the swelling and bruising was gone. We were lucky that the doctors or authorities didn’t find us.

After that, I learned some first aid so I wouldn’t make such a stupid mistake in the future.

With Road not able to go to school (I took some lengthy explaining why her teacher couldn’t contact our parents) and immobilized, she decided to pick up her mother’s violin. She learned it all on her own, somehow playing by ear the whole time, she was a natural just as our mother had been. The nights were filled with her playing, rough at first, but after nearly two years, that improvised playing turned into the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. Somewhere along the way, I picked up the cello, learning in the same fashion she had. The cello I had found in a dumpster was cheap and cracked, but still worked. That was to be our lifestyle for another few years. Relying on each other and our music.

“What do I do next?” I mumbled. My mind was racing through memories of first aid classes I received at the community rec center so I could better keep Road safe. Nothing came to mind, I had cut off the bleeding, wiped as much of the blood off as I could, and tied bandages around the more ghastly wounds. I tried to make her more comfortable, placing an arm behind her head and quietly assuring her I would not let her die.

“Do you know what happened?”

She struggled with her voice and it came as a croak when she answered. Her throat more than likely scratched and dry after all her screaming. “Bear.” She got out. There was more to it, but that was the only word I picked up on.

“What about a bear?” I asked urgently.

She tried to clear her throat and a glob of blood ran from her lip to her chin. “I don’t know what happened.” She sputtered after a moment. She was fading in and out of consciousness. Her body slumped further, but her slowly rising and falling chest assured me that she was still alive. Her eyes had all but rolled into the back of her head.

Carefully, I slid my hand under her back legs, and with my other arm cradling her head, I slowly lifted up and she grunted in pain. “Sorry.” I said before standing fully. Hugging her against my chest, but not so much as to put more pressure on her already battered body, I walked out of the room, taking the stairs slowly. I felt so nauseous from the stench of blood, but I managed to hold back the bile that threatened to come up. Back into the cool night are, I shivered, remembering I no longer had a shirt. How long was I in there? The sun had set and the moon was making its slow ascent into the starry sky. I didn’t get too far from the cottage, before I heard my name being called from down the path.

“Kota! What happened?” Road’s voice reached me and I struggled to speed up. When the two reached me, I saw that Road had gotten Twilight.

“Oh my gosh, Fluttershy! Kota, what happened to her?” Twilight squeaked when she saw what I was carrying. The bandaged pegasus groaned softly, but otherwise remained unconscious.

“Found her like this. Something about a bear attack, I think.” I stammered, my mind was muddled by the ordeal.

“I’ll take her to the hospital, you go wash up then meet me there.”

I slowly nodded, and let Twilight take Fluttershy in her magical grasp. But instead of walking in the direction of the library, I fell flat on my face.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I stood in the center of Ponyville. Mist came up in coils around my legs and a gentle breeze bit into my skin. It was in the deepest hours of the night, and the moon shone down on me, illuminating only my immediate surroundings. The stars twinkled as they seemed to dance around me overhead.

“How’d I get here?” I asked myself. “Road? Twilight?” Turning in all directions I found nobody, or no pony to be exact. Dead silence rang in my ears and I was getting freaked out by the notion that I had no idea how I had gotten here. I heard a shuffling of hooves behind me, and when tried to twist around, my feet were rooted and my upper half refused to obey. My heart started to race as I broke out in a cold sweat. The hoof steps were coming closer to me. A soft whisper mumbling incoherent phrases turned my blood to ice. The hoof steps stopped when they sounded directly behind me and I felt something nuzzle my bare back. I was paralyzed with raw fear as I couldn’t will myself to identify my guest. The gentle touch left my back and the steps started up again, this time starting to circle me.

“Run!” I screamed at myself, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate. I wanted to cry, to just end it all, to end myself, the fear and anticipation driving me to insanity. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and almost had a heart attack. Whatever it was moved slowly, but abnormally. I had the form of a pony, but none of its features. Black as a void, with no mane or tail. Its face though, oh god it’s face. Its eyes were merely circles drilled into its face, while its mouth was a long jagged line that broke its face. It was smiling, the corners of its mouth reaching nearly to its eyes. It sat itself on its haunches in front of me and just stared. Hours seemed to pass as the staring contest stretched on. Even with the smile, this thing did not show any emotion, its countenance a void of all feeling. Until it cocked its head and hung its jaws open. Unintelligible speech spewed forth and I stood dumbfounded, still unable to move or look away. Then a voice, chilling as ice and dripping with malice, rang in my head.

“Don’t belong! Get out!” it started as a whisper but gradually got louder, its voice now a wailing scream. Finally able, I threw my hands over my head in a feeble attempt to block out the sound but it did nothing. Suddenly, all at once the voice stopped and silence returned. I slowly lowered my arms and the creature was mere inches from my face. Someone screamed. I think it was me.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I was thrust back into reality kicking and screaming. My mind still gripped by the horrible fear, I couldn’t will myself to stop. When I finally did calm down, I realized that I was lying in a soft bed. The blankets were strewn across the floor and the sheets soaked in my own sweat.  My breathing came in large gasps and I had trouble getting enough oxygen. I tried to calm myself further by sitting up and rocking back and forth, but the horrid face kept itself planted at the front of my thoughts. And try as I might, I could not dispel the shaking that racked my body. I looked around the room and it turned out that I was back at the library. A note sat on the nightstand, and when I picked it up with trembling fingers, I found it was hastily written, but more or less said that I should take a shower and then head to the hospital. It was signed by Road.

My heart rate was close to normal now and my breathing came easier, so I dared to stand. My legs felt unbearably weak under me and I nearly fell when I tried to walk. With a hand on the wall, I made my way to the bathroom. I turned on the hot water and slipped out of my bloody pants. I wanted to get rid of them, but they were all I had. After a quick scrub and washing as much of the blood out of my jeans, I dried myself and wrung some of the water out of my jeans before putting them back on. Hopefully the cool night are would dry them. Or freeze me to death.

It took me a while to find the hospital, but after a few directions from wary ponies on the street, I spotted a large, lit building standing out in the night like a torch.

The stark white walls and sterile smell brought back nostalgic memories of when my parents were dying. Road and I practically lived at the hospital. Spotting a nurse, I caught her attention and asked where I could find Twilight. She led me down several halls before stopping in front of a door and opening it for me. I mumbled a thank you and stepped inside. Road sat against the wall in a chair, but Twilight sat in a chair pulled up to a large hospital bed.

Road saw me first and spoke. “Feeling better?”

“Not really, but how is… Fluttershy was it?” I felt stupid saying that, it made me sound so insincere.

“She’s stable for now, but she’s lost too much blood and has numerous fractures in her arms, legs, and wings. They had to give her a transfusion.” Twilight looked close to tears, and the matted fur on her face and chest told me she had been crying earlier. She continued, “Two of her ribs were crushed and they say it’s a miracle that her lungs and heart weren’t damaged. Honestly Kota, Fluttershy owes her life to you.”

“I may have found her, but I wasn’t much help to her afterwards. I tried to bandage her up, but I think I only caused her more pain…”

Another voice cut me off. “On the contrary. You managed to slow the bleeding long enough for her to get professional help. If you hadn’t bandaged her, she would most likely be dead.” We all turned to find that a stallion pony in a white coat had walked into the room. Presumably the doctor. “At this point, we are certain she will make a full recovery. The fractures in her wings will take 3-4 weeks, but the breaks in her legs and arms could take several months. She will also live with numerous scars all over her body, but I would think that’s a small price to pay for one’s life.” The doctor did a few tests and checked Fluttershy’s vitals before walking out of the room again.

Silence took over and we all sat in awkward silence and our own thoughts. Twilight was the first to break the silence. “It just doesn’t make any sense.” I was a whisper, but loud enough for all in the world to hear. “Could it possibly have been a bear?”

“Well I don’t know about Equestria, but on earth, people die from bear attacks quite often.”

“No, no, you don’t understand. Fluttershy lives with animals, her special talent is communication with animals. Even bears and wolves are quick to befriend her.”

“So you’re suggesting there’s a third party.” The idea didn’t seem too farfetched, especially after my crazy dream.

“I am. More than likely, something scared the bear enough to revert it to a more primal and feral nature, but hypnotism or possession isn’t out of the question.” Twilight’s face was screwed up in deep thought.

I raised an eyebrow. “Twilight, I think you’re overthinking this, are those things even possible?”

“Possible, although a rare talent, but like I said, it’s not out of the question.”

“Would it be a good idea to mention my dream? I wonder if I can dance around it while still getting answers.”

“Hey Twilight?”

“Hmm?”

“You said that humans were creatures of legend right?”

“Right.”

“Well… in those stories, is there ever any mention of another creature that could possibly want to destroy or get rid of the humans?”

“Why? Do you know something?”

“No… just a thought.” My palms were getting sweaty.

“No, there’s no such thing mentioned.” She regarded me with suspicion, but it slipped away when she returned to her own thoughts. However, Road never took her eyes off of me.

“Damn it! She can read me like a book!”

But this is neither the time nor place to scare her with just a dream I had. “It’s pretty late, and Road needs her sleep, so I’m going to take her back to the library.” Road huffed her disagreement but I shot her a stern look saying she had no choice.

“That’s fine.” She said somberly, never averting her gaze from Fluttershy. “I think I will end up staying the night here.”

“Is there anything you want me to get for you from the library?”

“No, that’s okay. If I need anything I always have my magic.” She pointed to her horn with a hoof with a tired, forced smile.

Nodding, I led Road out of the hospital. The cool wind reminded me of my lack of a shirt and I hugged my arms around my chest. When we were about half way, Road spoke up.

“You gonna tell me what that was about back there?”

“No.” I answered simply.

She suddenly jumped up on my back and, hooking her index fingers inside the corners of my mouth, pulled my mouth wide. “Tell me!”

“Oww!” it wasn’t pleasant. She kept it up until we arrived at the library’s front door. “Okay fine!” I yelled. She got off my back with a satisfied grin of victory. “The truth is…” instead of finishing, I bolted in a random direction. Road was one step ahead of me though and she stuck her foot out, tripping me. The skin screamed as it made contact with the dirt road. Road then proceeded to sit on my back and tug on my hair.

“Tell me!” She whined

My tired brain relented, if only to stop the pain. My cold, wet jeans were giving me a rash as well. I told her about my dream in all its lucidity, about what I think it means, and what I think we should do. I also admitted that it may be the cause of what happened to Fluttershy, no matter how ridiculous it sounded.

“But that doesn’t explain why it would attack Fluttershy. If it wants us gone, then what would it gain by attacking Fluttershy, who, at the time, didn’t know us at all. That just doesn’t make sense.” She had a point.

“Maybe it’s evil enough to hurt anything in its path.” I offered.

“Through a bear?”

I looked at her dumbly.

“I think these events are all just a coincidence. Twilight was right when she said that bears and other animals will go feral in the presence of enough danger or fear. And your dream was a dream. It could have been triggered by your thoughts of not belonging here. Just calm down and worry about Fluttershy.”

Her words were like a slap to the face. At times she sounded like twenty years older than she was and it astounded me how smart she could be at her age of 13. Then again, she did read a lot. All I could do in response was stare.

I put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re right, little sis. I’m sorry, it’s just, coming to this world then few days layer being charged with saving someone’s life then moments after, fainting and having a super creepy, messed up dream is a little much. I just need a good night’s rest is all.” Thinking back, I have been put through a lot lately. What did I do to warrant the hate of the universe?

Road smiled warmly. “I’m tired too.”

Standing up, we both walked to the door again. I opened it and got face full of… confetti?

“Surprise!!!”

“This is going to be a long night.” I groaned, as I looked at the sea of ponies filling the library.