Shadowmere

The group of ponies gave Shadowmere a withering stare except the yellow one who was sobbing silently in a corner.

"So you've ... You've killed other ponies?" The cyan one asked.

"Not ponies, but I've killed things. Most of the time they deserve it."

"How can anypony or anything deserve being killed?"

"Go ask Grelod, the sadistic orphanage owner. One of her charges, Aventus Attreno, was so unhappy he paid for my family to end her after he escaped. Or Valen Dreth, who was sentenced to life imprisonment because he had connections so the authorities couldn't execute him. Or Shaleez the psychotic killer. Or any of our marks. They must have upset someone for them to be arranged to be killed. After all, what is the difference between life imprisonment with no chance of release and death? All of us in the Family have had our fair share of moral crises."

"So you kill for money?" Twilight asked, stumped as to why somepony would kill for bits.

"No, I kill because it is what I do. And because Sithis commands it."

"Are you another religious crazy pony?"

"Crazy? I think not. Religious? Well when you've seen Sithis's power for yourself, you'll believe me."

"Fine." The rainbow cyan one stepped forwards. "Beat me in a race, and maybe you aren't crazy."

"Not that sort of power. More... Invincibility and immortality. My curse and blessing."

"How is immortality a curse?" the white unicorn asked. "I could design for eternity and be princess of fashion!"

"When all you hold dear wither and die while you stand eternal. When you want to just end it but you can't."

"What do you mean by ending it?"

"Suicide."

"You tried to kill yourself?"

"And I succeeded."

Twilight spluttered. "Then how come you are sitting there alive, unless you're some kind of zompony?"

"I wake up ten days or so after I die, perfectly fine but with the knowledge that I should have died. And the memory of the pain. It hurts. So much. And I just gave up. I have nothing left to live but life. And what about giant scorpions and/or dragons?"

"There's Spike upstairs" The white one pointed to the door with its hoof. "but he's harmless. As for giant scorpions, there aren't any around that I know of."

Shadowmere sighed with relief. "Well I no longer have to be hunted by those damn dragons every time I try to sleep. And the giant scorpions is a long story. What about giant spiders? Bears? Wolves? Triffids?"

The yellow Pegasus stopped crying and spoke in squeaked quietly "There... There are Ursas and Timber Wolves in the Everfree but we have no...none of those other animals."

"Finally, somewhere where I don't have to watch the trees for spiders. They would give anypony nightmares." Shadowmere was getting used to replacing one with pony in words but it still felt strange talking.

Twilight laughed nervously. "I guess your world has a animal problem?"

"More like a plague. Half of the animals view you as food while the others are terrified of everything that is near them. And don't get me started on the dragons. Any time you pass anywhere near a settlement, dragons try to kill you. At least most of the time the Dragonborn shows up in that settlement and kills the dragon rather than the guards shooting it down with arrows."

"Your world is attacked by dragons constantly?"

"It used to be but the dragons are slowly being killed off now as Alduin, their leader, is dead. And 200 years earlier, we were invaded from Oblivion. I'm not even going to try to explain Oblivion but many cities across the Empire were destroyed, even more died trying to stop the invasion and the after-effects killed thousands more. We're still feeling the effects 200 years later."

"Are you hungry?"

The simplicity of the question caught Shadowmere off guard.

"No, not really. I doubt you have meat or fish available."

"You..." Twilight gagged. "Eat meat?"

"I gather meat is not usually eaten around here."

"Why could you possibily want to eat other creatures? That's just revolting!" The white unicorn asked while staring at him.

"Most of the time they try to eat me and I hate to waste food."

"Have you ever eaten another pony?"

Shadowmere recoiled at the thought of consuming one of his own or a similar race. "That's too close to cannibalism for my liking. Besides, I knew others who did. None remained sane for very long. Anyway, do you mind telling me who you are and can I get out of this basement?"

"Oh! Sorry I forgot to tell you who we all are. I'm Twilight Sparkle, the orange pony over there is Applejack or AJ." Applejack nodded her strange hat. "The other unicorn is Rarity, Ponyville's resident fashionista and probabaly the best designer in Equestria." Rarity blushed at the complement. "The pink pony who ran off earlier is Pinkie Pie, our resident party planner. Knowing her, she's already planning one for you."

Shadowmere laughed while the other ponies looked on confused. "Me and parties, well, they tend not to mix."

Twilight continued. "The cyan Pegasus is Rainbow Dash, one of the fastest fliers in Equestria."

"Flying? Hmph. Speed is about raw power and how you use it, not just skill."

Rainbow Dash bumped her hooves together. "You want a race? You're on."

"And finally we have Fluttershy, who is... Well..very shy and our resident animal carer. Do you have any place to stay?"

Shadowmere shook his head. "I'll probabaly borrow your basement. I only sleep comfortably outside or underground but I should be moving out in a few days so I shouldn't be much of a bother."

"You're leaving?"

"I wander by nature. It takes either somepony I respect or my intrest to keep me to stay. Besides, with that thing" Shadowmere motioned to the eye-watering portal "You need somepony who knows what may come through."

Shadowmere noticed the look in Twilight's eyes. "And while I'm here, yes, I will answer any of your questions. Now can you leave while I... Set up a few pre-cautions?"

"Come on, let's give im some privacy."

The group of mares turned and walked out of the basement.

"So gals, wha do y'all think of 'im?"

"He's... Intresting, to say the least. I wonder what fashion is like where he comes from?"

"Why are you letting him stay in your basement Twi? He's a confessed serial killer!" Rainbow Dash practically shouted at Twilight.

"Because he seems to regret his actions. And he is the only pony who knows how to deal with whatever... things that come through the portal."

"Good point." Rainbow Dash shrugged.

"I'll tell the Princess of him anyway, and the portal as well as seeing what else he can tell us of his home."