Heart of Steel

by That One Bastard

Rating: teen
Tags: Crossover, Applejack, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 7243

A man finds himself as something else.

As a young adult, Sebastian was having the time of his life. He had his own small group of friends, a loving family, and a clean home in a nice neighborhood.

Key-word being "had".

After the accident, he finds himself in a different time, a different place, and, most importantly, a different body.

Hey everybrony, just jumping on the bandwagon here.
Tags and characters will be added as the story progresses.
Why yes! I DO suck at descriptions!

Edit: 6/8/2014
I got featured.
I'm crying right now oh my god help me

Published 2013-02-13 02:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-06-09 04:32:35 UTC

Chapter 2 - Barrier Breaking

Chapter 2 - Barrier Breaking---

Applejack huffed out several breaths, walking to her home slightly tired. The being on her back had seemed so light minutes ago, but its unnatural weight made itself known halfway to the family home.

Arriving at her front door, AJ turned the knob and pushed, swinging the door open. She cantered inside, Winona behind her panting lightly as they moved to the kitchen.

The smells of breakfast lingered long after, the aroma of fresh griddlecakes and apple syrup floating in the air. Applejack took in a long, drawn out sniff, sighing happily. She made her way to the deep brown table, sidling up beside it and, with several shimmies of her back, deposited her companion on the table. It stirred slightly, curling into a little steel ball.

AJ sat down atop a chair, placing her forelegs on the table and resting her head upon them. She examined the little creature before her, taking idle fascination in the sheen of its silver carapace. She noticed her own reflection in it, clean and shining as it was. She couldn't help but chuckle lightly at her complexion, a rough-and-tumble cowgirl reflected to her. Beside her, Winona curled up next to her chair, resting easily alongside her master.

On the table, the metal one's eyes squeezed, then fluttered open slowly, meeting the sight of the orange mare. They widened quickly, staring at AJ as she looked back, confused at the sudden alertness of her compatriot.

Huh. So I'm not dreaming after all.

Sebastian looked tiredly at the orange horse in front of him, who had now opted to remove her cowboy hat, setting it a ways off to the side. She blinked slowly, looking at Sebastian with her brow arched slightly.

The mare parted her lips, puffing out air to move the long, blonde strands of hair out of her eyes. She clicked her tongue, before speaking.

"So..." she spoke in that rough, yet sweet tone Sebastian now found odd. "You awake now?" she asked, hinting at humor.

Holy shit, this is way too weird for me, he thought, cringing at the way her mouth moved when it formed the human speech. God damn it, now I gotta say something back. He concluded that answering her question would probably be the best way to move the case of first contact along.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the new jaw structure was still so very alien to him, and he could only manage a pitchy grunt as his wide, stiff tongue lolled lazily around his lips.

MotherFUCKER! Really? I sound like a fucking lizard or something! He held his head in his stumpy feet, caressing his throbbing silver head.

"Ya'll just try and talk just then?" he heard the mare ask, lowering her voice. Sebastian looked up, noticing the horse had inched a tad closer to him, her head cocked curiously.

He nodded his head quickly, thankful to get at least a small bit of communication across the apparent language barrier.

The rust mare only nodded, leaning back into her chair and picking up her head. She hummed deeply, a low, crooning noise that surprisingly alleviated some of Sebastian's stress. "Well, this is gonna be a problem." she said, glancing around the kitchen.

"How about this," she asked. Sebastian looked back up to her with curiosity. "Lemme just ask you yes or no questions, alright? Then ya just have to nod."

Immediately, Sebastian nodded.

The mare chuckled at the eagerness of her guest. Sebastian smiled in his mind. Hey, at least I got something through. Now come on, ask me a question already. He sat down the best he could, his hind legs sticking out while his forelegs lay against his chest.

"So," she started, tapping a hoof against the table, "do you know where you are right now?" She awaited the answer patiently.

Well shoot, that's a damn good question... In response, Sebastian shook his head, wincing at how much his vision wavered with his large eyes.

"Okay then," she continued, "Well, you're in Sweet Apple Acres, mah family's apple farm, just outside Ponyville." she elaborated, waving her hoof in circles.

Sebastian cocked his head. Ponyville? What the hell!?

The mare seemed to have noticed Sebastian's stance, for she explained the topic further. "Haven't heard of Ponyville, huh? Well, what about Equestria?"

What!?

"Not even Equestria? Darn," she crossed her forelegs, leaning forward. "So, you really don't know where ya' are right now?" she asked.

Sebastian shook his head, sighing the best he could.

"Huh, well, that's a real downer..." The mare looked away for a moment, seemingly thinking. "Aw shucks!" She perked up, quickly turning to Sebastian. "Where are mah manners? The name's Applejack, sorry fer not saying earlier." She smiled kindly, putting her hoof forward to face Sebastian.

He stared awkwardly at the appendage, periodically glancing back-and-forth between it and its owner, who was still smiling. Well, uh, what do I do, pound it or something? Or is it a... Oh hell no.

He stared at the hoof as Applejack still smiled, albeit awkwardly, to Sebastian.

They do NOT have that here.

"Uh," Applejack finally started, "Put 'er there?"

Oh my god, they DO have it here.

Sebastian sighed, slowly raising his own leg to meet Applejack's hoof. They touched, the surprisingly soft hoof meeting the steel edge. Finally, they moved up, then down, before seperating.

Sebastian looked at his leg, then to Applejack as she crossed her forelegs once again. "Alrighty, then," she said, "Well, I would ask your name, but uh, well, you know, language and such." She rubbed the back of her neck. "So, otherwise, would ya mind if I kept up with the questions?"

Sebastian shook his head. Meh, might as well get it out of the way.

"Okay," the mare continued, "So, do ya' come from around here?"

Sebastian shook his head.

"Huh," she cocked her head, "Do you know how you got here?"

Another shake of the head.

"Wow," Applejack whistled, "that's just terrible, that is..." She let the sentence hang, idly chewing her lip. "So, you don't know where you are, how ya' got here, and, I'll say, why ya'll're here?"

Sebastian nodded, looking down at his stumpy legs. That, and I have no idea what the hell I even am.

"Well, if you'll excuse mah manners again," Applejack continued, "Ah'd say that sounds like a pretty bad hangover there." She smiled playfully. Sebastian laughed on the inside, noddiing his head in return.

"So, partner," Applejack started again, "are ya' hungry? 'Cause I'm a mite peckish right about now."

Whoa, food? Finally, yes! Sebastian nodded eagerly.

"Alright, how do ya' feel about some biscuits an' gravy?"

Another feverishly quick nod.

Applejack smiled, rising from her seat. "Good, I'll just get it all ready, you just make yourself at home, buddy." She smiled, then turned to the cooking area behind her. As she did, Sebastian noted three red spots on her hips, seeming to have been tattooed onto her fur.

Is that seriously a tramp-stamp?, he thought, before realizing he was looking at Applejack's behind. Ah shit. He quickly looked away, careful to not embarrass his host. Alright, well, at least she's nice enough to let me stay here for now.

The sounds of cooking quickly started from Applejack's work, batter being mixed and the smells of baking. Sebastian took he time to take in his surroundings, noticing the patterns of red and yellow along the walls and shelves. Apple-shaped wooden decorum was everywhere, bordering the drawers and emblazoned on the wooden doors. The theme was obvious enough, so Sebastian crawled over to the edge of the table, looking over it to see the smooth floor. Nearby, the chair Applejack had sat in was still jutting away from the table.

Hey, I think I can get down with that. Crawling to the back of the chair, he attempted to crawl over it onto the cushioned seat, but slipped and fell over it. He bounced off the cushion and, with a devastating crack, crashed into the floor.

Wood splintered and sunk down into a crater, nearly breaking open into a hole as Sebastian picked himself up, shaking splinters and wood-dust from his body. Wow, what am I, the Hulk? Jeez, I'm heavy.

"You okay there, friend?" the cooking Applejack asked, turning from her work. "What just- Holy Celestia, you alright?" She rushed over to the smashed floor and Sebastian, who had been calmly poking at the splinters jutting from the floor.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, I just destroyed her floor! Sebastian reeled back from Applejack, worried of a scolding.

"Aw crud, sorry, buddy," she said worriedly, "Ah shoulda helped you down, this is mah fault." She lightly patted Sebastian's back, being careful of the large spine jutting from his back.

Wait, she isn't pissed at me? Sebastian looked up, seeing the kind, but worried expresion his host carried. She apologized again, stooping down to his level.

"Sorry again, pal, but lemme make it up to you; do you want me to take you over to the sofa over yonder?" she asked, flicking her head in the direction of a furniture-filled room connected to the kitchen.

Sebastian looked to Applejack, attempting to arch his nonexistent brow. What the hell? No one's this nice! Eventually, he just nodded.

Applejack nodded in return, then started around Sebastian's back. Before he could protest, she grabbed him by the back of the head with her teeth, struggling to heft him up as she slowly made her way over to a red couch, then, with evident difficulty, set Sebastian down. Beads of perspiration ran down her face as she panted lightly.

"Whew! When'd ya' get so heavy?" Applejack asked, to which a simple shrug was her response. She shrugged as well, letting out a small laugh. "Well, Ah'll be back with the food when its done, alright?" she stated, turning back to the kitchen. Anothernod her way, and she was away, humming a short tune to herself.

The guest sighed as he found a comfortable corner in the seat, settling down and curling up into a glossy little ball. He patiently awaited his host as his stomach grumbled in earnest.

The table was set, the food was ready, and the two entiries were eager to dig in. One had already started, calmly savoring the salty, firm biscuits with gravy. Opposite her, her guest was struggling to make use of his utensils, trying to grasp a small, plastic fork, which his host had retrieved for him, between his slippery metal feet. On the outside, he seemed to only be slightly frustrated, but on the inside, it was a different story.

SON OF A BITCH STAY IN MY HANDS OR FEET OR WHATEVER THESE THINGS ARE!

The string of expletives was still running rampant in Sebastian's head as he attempted once again to grasp the simple equipment.

Eventually, he gave up, tossing the fork to the side and, manners having become absent, plowed into his dish face-first.

Applejack paused midchew to watch her guest plunge into his food, the sounds of ravenous chewing flying from him along with bits of food.

As Sebastian ate, he noticed something strange about the food. As he inhaled his food, he felt it with his broad, short tongue, attempting to find a sense of flavor in the surprisingly tasteless food. As it passed, he could feel the food passing through his throat, yet he didn't feel any less hungry than before.

When his plate of food diminished to emptiness, Sebastian removed his face, wiping the mess of leftovers from his face. He noticed Applejack smirking from across the table, still calmly eating her own food.

Well then, that's embarassing, he thought, his belly still sore even with the food he had just consumed.

"Did you enjoy it?" the mare asked, to which Sebastian automatically responded with a nod. "Good, Ah hate to disappoint." As she finished her own food, Sebastian hopped down properly into an empty chair, keeping his footing, then climbed down the leg of the chair and onto the floor. He walked toward the furniture room, his silver legs clicking against the hardwood floor as he moved.

Reaching the sofa, he curled up next to it. Nearby, Winona glanced to him momentarily, her nap disturbed. She shifted her position, snorting out a breath as her eyes closed once again.

Sebastian closed his own eyes, the uncomfortable groan of hunger still present.

God damn it, I guess I don't eat normal food, then, he concluded, rolling onto his side and gazing around the room. The smell of baked biscuits lingered on the air, permeating his nostrils as he breathed.

Something else was on the air, Sebastian noticed, but he couldn't quite place the smell.

Jeez, what is that? Smells like... Smells like wet cement, and... He sniffed heavily this time, attempting to trace the smell. ... And is that... Beef?

Sebastian rolled back onto his belly, hopping up to his feet and sniffing loudly. A stray breeze from an open window moved more of the wonderful smell to meet Sebastian, and his stomach immediately roared.

Aw man, where's the beef!? Gotta have my beef, damn it! Sebastian scurried hurriedly to the front door, pushing it open with his head and looking outside.

A massive landscape stretched out before him, At least three-quarters of the space being taken up by acres of trees in straight rows that expanded to the left, where it met a line of massive trees that formed into a dense forest. Beyond and to the right was a small town stretching across alongside the farm grounds.

The smell of meat, though, was the primary thought on Sebastian's mind as he stooped low, sniffing the dirt around him. An animalistic desire overrode his human faculties as he scampered around in a crooked line toward the source of the wonderful aroma.

He closed his eyes, putting more effort into smell as he raced forward, now determined he was on the right path, as the dirt under his feet gave way to concrete and rock. The smell was becoming even more powerful, so tantalizingly close-

Clonk.

The sudden impact against Sebastian's head wasn't enough to awake him from his stupor as he looked up and opened his eyes.

A towering pillar of gleaming, silver material stood over the changed man, sparkling in the midday light. The smell was pungent and overpowering as it drilled into his skull through his nostrils.

Sebastian looked down to the base of the structure, where it flowed seamlessly into the concrete floor. For all Sebastian knew the structure was endless, an infinte supply of irresistible sustenance.

Sebastian dove at the metal, sinking his powerful teeth into it.

In the construction sight, the only sounds were that of grinding metal as workers looked in shock as a strange, shiny animal devoured one of the foot tall metal bars they had only just finished installing.

One pony, a short yellow stallion wearing welding goggles and a hardhat spat his wrench down in anger. A colorful stream of curses erupted from him as he turned from the destruction and toward home.

Chapter 3 - Overhaul

Chapter 3 - Overhaul---

Oh god, I fucked up, I fucked up big time, oh god!

Sebastian narrowly dodged another projectile, kicking up sawdust behind him as he pumped his legs and turned around a large pipe. More nails, fired from an angry construction horse armed with a nail gun, pelted his cover as he hopped on his feet anxiously, whipping left and right for an escape route.

Oh god, they're gonna stomp my shit so hard, I'll fall apart like wet cement, oh fuck!

"Get over here, ya' sunuva-!"

OH FUCK!

A massive pickaxe lodged itself in the dirt where Sebastian had just been, showering soil over the area as he booked it across the ground.

A small group of the very aggravated construction workers were attempting to apprehend or incapacitate Sebastian as the others returned to working. They had picked up a few tools and were belting out curses and pieces of dried cement, trying to scare him off. Sebastian would have happily left, though, only he couldn't actually remember how he had woken up in a construction zone. He still wasn't sure why the workers were chasing him, either. He had, though, came to in front of the workers all glaring and yelling at him.

It seemed safe to say that Sebastian was at fault.

Trying to find a way to not get impaled or dismembered by pissed off horses was proving exceptionally difficult. Sebastian never really was a runner, or one for endurance, his massive skeletal structure from when he was normal had made sure of that, and here it didn't seem to be any different. He was already straining for breath, sweat running over his domed head and stinging his eyes.

Still, getting horribly maimed didn't sound very fun, so he stuck to running and dodging, dipping and diving, ducking and dodging to keep away from the massive horses, still throwing what they could as they tried to catch up.

Ah crap, where the hell is that apple pony when you need her!?

The experience with Applejack was just now starting to sink in. Befriending an alien so quickly was... strange, to say the least. Especially with one that was so, well, familiar. The species looked a whole lot like horses from back home, with some differing features, but still jarringly similar.

And then there's the whole thing with language...

And culture...

And the building structure...

A hammer swung an inch above Sebastian's head, forcing a yelp from his throat. A quick turn, and he was sprinting into another pipe, his feet clanging along the bottom.

The new body was probably one of the most disturbing things he had experienced as of yet. Sebastian sure as hell hadn't seen anything like it before, even though he could only really look at his feet, or at least the cones that served as feet.

Sebastian paused inside the pipe, looking toward the opening opposite him as the noise outside increased. The horses were waiting for him, that much he could tell, but it still scared him senseless as they banged on the pipe and shook it around. He flinched harshly as the whole structure shook, threatening to throw him off his feet. His ears rang from the constant barrage of metal sounds hitting him.

A rocking sensation overcame Sebastian. His head began to swim as his eyesight grew blurry, and he lost his footing, sliding into the wall as the pipe started rolling to one side. The urge to vomit crept up, bile threatening to escape Sebastian's mouth. The whole pipe rolled to the right, sending him tumbling head-over-heels inside, smashing against the sides.

The motions continued like that, with Sebastian struggling to find a foothold. From the opening in the opposite side of the pipe, he could make out the colors changing rapidly, from the yellow and brown of sawdust and dirt to lush green grass.

With another crash, the ride came to a stop, and Sebastian began to slide as the the pipe was tipped over. He hadn't the strength or time to react as he fell out of the pipe, unmoving as his eyes rolled in their sockets. He could faintly hear the angry murmurs of construction horses as they left with the pipe.

The suppressed bile in the man's throat broke through, escaping in one long heave in front of him. Darkness seeped into his vision, and before he could stop himself, he was out like a rock.

"Now where'd that li'l fella get off to?" Applejack murmured to herself, peeking under the red couch Winona lay next to. The hound glanced over to her owner, then shut her eyes to nap once again. "Bah! How could I lose him already?"

Applejack whistled shrilly. Winona immediately jumped up. "Hey girl! You think you can sniff out our little friend?"

Winona simply barked in response.

"Alright!" AJ cocked her stetson back. "Let's get to it, he couldn't have gotten too far." Opening the front door and stepping out, Winona behind her, the mare took a quick look around. Winona stuck her snout in the dirt, sniffing strongly and moving toward the back of the house, to the outskirts of Ponyville.

Applejack trailed right behind her loyal companion, looking around for anything that shone in the midday sun. Other than the many trees, none of them of the Apple family, that cluttered near the Everfree Forest, there was no sure sign of the small creature. Winona kept searching, though, keeping her pace in a straight path, only turning to dodge an obstacle. Applejack trusted her girl well enough to know that Winona had a definite trail.

Sure enough, Applejack could start making out the smell of copper and sulfur, the wretched mix burning her nostrils. Winona sneezed and hacked, trying to tough out the stench, quickening her pace as she sniffed even more strongly in her fervor. Eventually, she set off at full tilt, AJ galloping right behind her. They passed by a construction site and some workers headed for it, while the smell became even more potent, sting the mare's eyes and leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

Winona turned sharply and suddenly, kicking up dirt as AJ followed. The canine slowed to a halt before a pool of metallic grey fluid. It flowed like a river from a small puddle down a divot into a pond of thick wretched ooze next to a log.

Winona barely took any time to sniff the pool before taking off again, barking hurriedly as her owner followed. They crossed over another hill before they came upon a small mound of soil next to a crater. Another pool of the foul metallic grey liquid sat next to the crater.

"Oh mah..." Applejack gasped, staring at the small crater with a familiar black spike jutting out in the center.

Applejack couldn't stand the stench anymore, and held her stetson over her muzzle as made over to the little creature.

"Hey, you there?" AJ's muffled voice came out. She nudged the him a little, trying to rouse the little one from whatever it was doing.

The soil just barely shifted as the smaller one picked up his head and looked at AJ with bloodshot eyes.

"You okay there?" AJ nudged him. "Here, lemme take you back to my place, buddy. You look terrible."

After digging him out and setting the terribly heavy thing onto her back, AJ made good time to her home. Back in the kitchen, she set him down on the couch with a complementary pillow.

Applejack sat with her friend and laid next to him, removing her hat and setting it on the backrest. "You okay? Ya' look pretty out of it." she asked. She received a painfully slow shake of the head. "Well, if you need anything else, I'm gonna be over in the kitchen, so just holler, alright?"

No response.

AJ patted his head and left to the next room over.

HOW THE FUCK DO YOU EXPECT ME TO "HOLLER"?

Sebastian's stomach churned and bile threatened to escape his throat. The shit had hit the fan too quickly for him, and with all the insanity afterwards, he really wasn't in a good mood.

Why am I even here? I should just leave and get myself outta here before more asshole horses show up.

He stayed there anyway, not wanting to cause any more trouble. For everyone, really. Considering how he was attacked on sight by construction workers, going in public probably wasn't the best idea.

This is bullshit...

Chapter 1 - Fleet of Foot

Chapter 1 - Fleet of Foot---

In the Everfree Forest, it was natural, even in the most unnatural places, for the struggle of life to be at work. Timberwolves would hunt down their prey in their personal hunting grounds, the sole cockatrice would freeze any who came too close for comfort, and the Ursa Major would protect her cub at any cost.

Each and every predator had a massive discrepancy toward intruders, as you can tell, and so anything and everything that strayed into their line if sight would be labeled as either food or an enemy. Massive creatures, like the manticores, would be set upon by packs of ravenous timberwolves, and even little squirrels were added to the garden of statues that marked the territory of the cockatrice. Nothing was safe.

Tonight, though, there was was a new addition to the ecosystem of the Everfree.

This creature was no exception.

The bushes shivered and rustled as the newcomer burst through them, small enough not to break anything in the green. It hit the ground running, sprinting at full-tilt on all four stubby legs as the bushes behind it exploded, revealing a massive timberwolf. It snarled, odorous breath escaping its cavernous maw as it set off, hunting the tiny creature.

The creature ran as fast as it could pump its legs, breathing in ragged squeaks. Its deep, gem-blue eyes flittered back-and-forth in a wild panic, searching for anything, truly anything, that could get the massive beast away from it. Unfortunately, the only things in sight were trees, bushes, grass, and another timberwolf directly in its path, mouth wide open.

With a frightened squeak, the creature veered off course and ran past, earning a snarl and a swipe, which thankfully missed. The near death pressed it onwards, and it swerved through trees and shrubs as it ran as fast as its heart.

It cried tears of iron-laden desperation, but it kept going. It knew that to stop was to die. Such a base instinct was at the top if its thoughts: survive. Even the smartest of creatures and sentient beings had that instinct, curled up in a little ball in the back of their mind. Now, though, it dominated the creature.

The two-strong pack of timberwolves barked and howled in the thrill of the hunt, eager to sink their teeth in the promising morsel ahead of them. The smell of sweat and fear was ripe upon the air, exciting the wolves.

The little one looked behind itself, if only to make sure the monsters tailing it were real. As it locked its gaze with a pair of glowing lime-green eyes, it panicked again, picking up speed as it burst through seas of grass and flowers as the canines crushed everything underfoot.

It closed its eyes, simply wishing for the nightmare to be over already. It didn't look, it didn't want to look, and it sped on, energized by the prospect of maybe getting away from these things.

It opened its eyes, and, unfortunately, was unable to stop itself from ramming into a decaying tree. The bark chipped upon impact with the dense, metal helmet, but it provided a clear stopping point for the creature as it turned, now face to face with the two timberwolves. It shivered in fear, pressing itself back against the gnarled tree as its chasers growled, stepping closer as they searched for a weak spot on it; a neck to snap or a throat to tear out for a quick kill.

The fetid stench of their breath drove the creature farther back, covering its head with two, silver legs as they came within biting range.

"Bark! Bark!"

"What's gotten into ya'll, Winona? Get on back here this instant!"

With a snarl, the timberwolves looked away from their prize, sweeping their gaze among the green and brown where the voices originated from. One made a quick motion with its head to the other, and they set off in the direction of the noises. They knew the sounds of ponies, and the larger the prey, the better to eat.

Taking advantage of the moment of respite, the miniscule being tore into the wet soil underneath, covering itself up. Its natural armor protected it from the clammy cold.

Taking its time to get comfortable, the creature reminisced of what happened before entering this nightmarish realm...

Rain showered on the small alleyway as thunder cracked the sky, briefly illuminating a man in a trench-coat before darkening again.

A stray cat hissed at the man as he walked past, keeping its eye on him as he idly kicked a can down the alley.

Sebastian sighed. It was too damn cold tonight to be doing this. He searched the alleyway, scouring every nook and cranny for his items.

"Fuckin' rain..." he muttered to himself, looking up into the cloudy sky. The rain pelted his glasses as he simply looked, as if he would find what he needed in the black abyss above him.

The items he were looking for were all stored in a toolbox. He had lost it when he had been moving his belongings into his garage for storage, where he had dropped it in the alley behind his house. His career as construction worker depended on some of the tools, and he hated cashing out and buying new ones when he could just find them again. And so, after putting on his trench-coat and saying a quick goodbye to his dog, he went searching for his tools.

Lightning split the sky once again as Sebastian peeked behind one of the trees that sat behind his property, a massive, gnarled oak that had lost some of its leaves, but still retained a healthy brown color. A carving of a heart and initials on its bark made him loose a deep chuckle.

Sebastian was, surprisingly, an extremely wide young man, but most of it was from his naturally broad shoulders and thick skeletal structure that gave him a natural strength. He was short, though, but he more than made up for it.

Light flashed above him as lightning came dangerously close to the branches above him, but Sebastian didn't notice. He swore that, with the brief illumination, he saw his toolbox wedged into the roots of the tree, a brick red among the brown.

Even if he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, Sebastian knew he could easily retrieve the toolbox from between the roots with proper force. So, grabbing the handle and the side, he pulled the toolbox, wiggling it back and forth as it scraped between the rough roots.

Another spear if lightning lanced the night sky as he worked, several flashes lighting up his vision.

One small branch of lightning struck the tree above him, cracking through one of the larger branches, splitting it clean off the tree. It tumbled through the air toward the unknowing man underneath, coming closer, until-

A sickening, wet crack sounded through the night, and a body fell to the ground, red liquid oozing out of a gaping wound. There was no scream, grunt, or cursing. Just a pool of blood, slowly spreading over the cobblestone of the alleyway.

Fresh tears mingled with the soil of Sebastian's hiding place as he sniffled, wiping them away with his stubby leg. He normally wasn't one for showing his emotions, but now seemed as good a time as ever to him.

My whole life is gone...

Everything I worked for, disappeared...

And now, what do I have left?

The body of some kind of critter...

I'm being hunted down by giant plant-wolves...

And now I'm stuck in some fucking hole...

Pathetic.

Sebastian pounded the dirt with a steel leg, squeezing his eyes shut as he fought back the new wave of tears that threatened to overcome him once again.

I'm pathetic.

He looked down at the little armored cone serving as his leg, staring at the limb with a twitch in his eye. He briefly contemplated if this was some kind of twisted dream, if only to ease his pain.

No... No, this is real... I can feel the ends of these legs... The lids of my eyes... The soreness of my muscles... This is real.

Resigning himself to his unknown fate, the changed Sebastian let the exhaustion of fleeing overtake him. The smell of rotting plants lulled him into a comfortable sleep, his eyelids fluttering closed.

Applejack rushed after a barking Winona, yelling to her mostly-loyal companion to return.

"Winona! Come on, now! Ya' gotta come back now!" the farmer yelled. Winona, in the other hand, simply ignored her, yapping madly as she came closer to the edge of the Everfree Forest.

Now at the edge of the forest, the border-collie circled around herself anxiously, looking into the forest. Applejack galloped up beside her dog, skidding to a stop. Winona sat down, her tail waggling as she whined to Applejack.

Applejack patted Winona's head. "Come on, sugarcube, what's gotcha like this?"

Winona could only produce a light yap. Before Applejack could stop her, she made a break for the tree-line, hopping through the wildly overgrown shrubbery and disappearing into the Everfree.

"Consarnit, Winona! Get you're fluffy rear back over here right now!" Applejack yelled. Her plea fell upon deaf ears as Winona continued yapping and running deeper into the forest. With a dejected sigh, Applejack steeled herself, then broke into a gallop and plunged into the Everfree.

The change in atmosphere was palpable, both literally and figuratively. The stink of rotting plants permeated the atmosphere, leaving a bad taste on Applejack's tongue every time she opened her mouth to breathe. Humidity clung to her coat, and mud clung to her hooves as she moved onward. Her eyes stung from some unknown, acidic substance flowing through the air. A cacophony of animal shrieks and howls met AJ's ears as she searched for her beloved companion.

Among the noise of the forest, Applejack could make out the distinct barking of Winona. "Winona!" she called out, receiving a hurried yap in return.

Applejack hurried to the source of the barking.

"Bark! Bark!"

"What's gotten into ya'll, Winona? Get on back here this instant!"

AJ leapt over a bush, finding herself in a small, square clearing. Winona sat at the opposite side, watching the edge of the clearing with a determined gaze. She let out a growl as Applejack came closer, standing up and setting into a pouncing position.

A bestial howl shook the forest as two timberwolves erupted from the wall of foliage, snapping at Winona and the mare. The two backed off, the timberwolves snarling at their opponents.

Winona and her master backed up into the center of the clearing, the former baring her teeth and snapping at the massive canines in return. The wolves circled around, trapping them in the clearing.

AJ sighed. "Winona, you take the small one; big one's mine, got it?" she turned to her companion, who yapped once and turned her gaze on the timberwolf in front of her.

The smaller of the wolves pounced first, opening its jaws and aiming for Winona's head. Winona dove under the would-be fatal blow and clamped her teeth down on the wolf's Achilles heel, snapping it off and wrecking the beasts lower leg.

AJ took a running start to her own opponent as Winona stripped the bark from her's. The larger timberwolf raised a paw for a swipe, swinging down at AJ's flank. The attack missed, narrowly. AJ skidded on her hooves and twisted around, closing in her hind legs and, with a crack, bucked the wolf's head.

The canine exploded into shards of wood, raining down on AJ and Winona, who was currently gnawing on the former leg of her timberwolf with apparent delight.

"Whew!" AJ sighed, "Fine piece of work, Winona. Them timberwolves woulda been runnin' 'round Sweet Apple Acres if ya' hadn't sniffed 'em out!"

"Yap!"

Applejack chuckled mirthfully. "Well, c'mon Winona, lil' Applebloom's gotta be worried sick about us."

Trotting away from the clearing, Applejack whistled a tune to herself, until she noticed that Winona had stayed right where she was. Turning around, she also noticed the way Winona sat, staring at the wall of trees almost thoughtfully.

"Come on, lil' doggy," AJ cooed, "let's go home now."

Winona didn't listen. Instead, she put her nose to the ground, sniffing at an unseen trail.

With a shrug, Applejack followed the canine as she followed the trail, directing them to the area the timberwolves had burst from. They climbed through the rough hole in the bushes, and emerged in an area infested by massive, crooked trees. Claw marks were easily distinguishable from a small path torn through the bushes and ferns.

Winona pressed on, searching through the forced path to a tall, gnarled oak tree that slanted to one side, creating a hood of shadow over Winona as she pawed at a mound of freshly churned soil. She snuffed at it, then fell upon it in a shower of dirt and loose grass. Applejack dodged several clumps of dirt as she tried get a better look at whatever her friend was digging up.

Winona stopped suddenly, pressing her snout into the small hole she had made, snuffling at the hidden object.

A sharp squeal made AJ and Winona jump back in surprise. Now that Winona had fully uncovered the thing, AJ could clearly see the mound of silver in the pit.

The moving mound of silver.

A short, blunted spike stuck out from the center of it, two dark holes under it. Slowly, as AJ watched in wonder and Winona wagged her tail eagerly, another mound appeared, this time without a spike, and with three holes spaced evenly on each side.

Two deep blue orbs appeared in the centermost holes, punctuated by a small pupil that raced around, switching from Winona to the awestruck mare in the Stetson.

A whimper escaped from the little metal being as it shrunk back into its hole, shivering in apparent fear.

Applejack's senses kicked back in as the being attempted to flee.

"Hold up there, little guy. Ah won't hurt ya'! Promise!" She held out her hoof, trying to halt the small unknown from burrowing any deeper.

As if understanding, it halted, opening its eyes to the rust colored mare. Its eyes twinkled from recent tears as it stared up to her, frozen as it looked her over.

Applejack looked back in amazement as she saw the deep pool of blue, betraying the intelligence of the being before her. Any pony could see the way its eyes looked over her features, seeming to settle a bit longer on her Stetson and her emerald green eyes.

They stared at each other like that for a while, a very long while, the two trading glances as they looked each other over. Before either could do anything, Winona took a few quick steps forward, closing in on the metal one. It flinched suddenly, and Applejack was about to step in, when Winona nuzzled the little one gently, like a mother to her pup.

AJ smiled sweetly as Winona pushed the creature from its hole toward Applejack, revealing a body of iron-black and four stubby silver legs. It didn't seem to mind the force, though, as it slowly took a petite step toward Applejack. Since it was about as small as a newborn puppy, it wasn't much, but it quickly made its way to Applejack. In a surprising move, it curled up against Applejack's leg, shaking feverishly, but nuzzling her affectionately nonetheless.

AJ cooed to the little one, nuzzling it in return and giving it her warmth. Its skin was of a cold metal, a surprising trait for a creature in the Everfree. It smelled of plants and copper, a surprisingly weak smell, though.

An idea came to being in Applejack's mind. "Hey," she whispered, "Little guy? Can ya'll understand me?" She awaited its answer.

In a move that surprised AJ, it looked up to her, nodding slowly, but surely.

"Can ya' talk? At all?" she pressed on, curious about her new friend.

Disappointingly, the only response it could give was a strained grunt and squeak, akin to somepony clearing their throat.

"Darn..." she stamped the dirt. "Well, this probably ain't none too safe a place to stay, is it?" she asked. The steel one nodded in return. "Well... Do ya' wanna come stay with me? Ah got plenty a' food for you." she ventured, quietly hoping for a nod.

A nod she received, rushed and frantic, and the little creature wrapped its legs around Applejack's foreleg, nuzzing its head against her.

Applejack let out a laugh that was significantly more feminine than usual, embarassingly so. She was glad nopony was around to hear that. "Well," she started, "come on up, lil' fella, get on mah back. 'S gonna be a long ride back home." With several cute little shimmies, Applejack's new friend climbed onto her back, hugging her withers and resting its head in her fur.

With a whistle to her loyal companion, AJ trotted back through the brush, Winona at her side and her new, surprisingly heavy friend resting on her back.

What the fuck am I doing with myself, Sebastian thought as he hugged the back of a talking horse.

He watched the trees move by at a leisurely pace as his transportation trotted through the forest, the clipping of her hooves mixing with the soft padding of her dog.

More importantly, he mused, what the hell am I getting myself into?

Letting myself get picked up by some freak with a hat? The hell am I, some six-year-old in a sci-fi movie? Shoot...

Well, at least she owns a dog, so something here is normal. But what's with the cowboy hat? Farmer or rancher, is she? Interesting...

As the trio emerged into the clearing, Sebastian noticed the scraps of wood laying on the ground, including what appeared to be a misshapen head.

Made from wood.

Holy shit, did they kill those things!? Sebastian looked to the back of the horse's head, seeing the cute cowboy hat and the blonde hair tied off with a red band.

...

Nah.

The border collie barked happily as it snatched up a discarded limb, gnawing on it happily as it pranced along next to the rust-colored mare. She chuckled, stopping a moment to pat the collie's head before continuing on.

Well, she seems nice enough, at least. She said there was food, too, right?

Well fuck it, I'm hungry. Nap time for Sebastian!

He soft snores of the creature on AJ's back reached her ears. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing its body slowly rising and falling with each tiny breath.

"Poor little fella mus' be exhausted," she observed, wiggling her body to right her friend on her back correctly.

Ah better hurry on home, she figured, picking up the pace as she pushed through another wall of foliage. Sunlight filtered in through the canopy as she neared the edge of the Everfree's territory. Winona sped ahead, bursting through the green and panting as she ran around, waiting for Applejack.

She momentarily emerged from the forest, blinking from the sudden brightness, having become used to the darkness of the Everfree. She sighed in content, spotting the nearby apple trees lining her property. Out in the distance, the roofs of the family house and the barn peeked over the horizon of trees.

"Home sweet home, Winona." AJ remarked, once again whistling to Winona. "C'mon, girl, let's go!"

"Yap!"