A Bad Day to Fish

by MasterLuke07

Rating: mature
Tags: Romance, Original Character, Comedy, Fluttershy, Sex, Main 6, Applejack, Gore, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Human
Length: 187428

Two humans get pulled into Equestria and they try to adapt and decide if they'd rather go back home or stay.

Michael and Martin are enjoying a nice, boring day, fishing on the Pacific Ocean when they're suddenly pulled into Equestria by Discord. As they try and make sense of this new world, an evil plot begins to unfold, forcing them to choose, stay here and protect their new friends or return home.

Warning - Although it's rated M and has a Sex tag, there is no clop... just a lot of references to said clop and awkward attempts at female gossip. Two men should not write what they don't know...

Published 2013-02-10 13:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-03-03 17:20:10 UTC

2 - First Contact

A Bad Day to Fish
By- FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 2 - First Contact

Martin groaned as he came back to the world of the living. He rubbed his head where he smacked himself with the rock and felt a knot and pain as he gently poked it. "Damn… I had the weirdest dream…"

"That we saw two talking colored ponies? Cause I had the exact dream…" Mike said as Martin looked over and saw him holding his side. "And why the hell do I hurt so much?" He tried to sit up but hissed in pain.

Martin looked around the room, noticing that they were in a library of sorts, lying on two couches. "Mate, I'm not too sure that it was a dream…"

Something shook a nearby table and Mike saw the end to a pink tail. "Uh… I don’t think it was either." He said, pointing towards the tail.

Martin slowly got up and made his way towards the table. "Um… hello?"

There was a small squeak of fear as the tail started to shiver. "Uh… I think you're scaring it." Mike whispered as he forced himself to his feet and stumbled over.

Martin caught him before he fell. "You ok?"

Mike coughed and some blood came up. "I'm fine; I think the rib hit a lung or something." He coughed again. "I think we should leave it alone, it looks petrified."

Martin raised an eyebrow. "Your rib is sticking into your lung but oh no, just gimme a plaster!" He chuckled.

Mike faintly smiled. "Well, if only we had a basilisk, that problem would be solved… but I'll make do with a stick and some tape." He noticed a book covered in a purple aura floating behind Martin. "Uh… what the hay is that?"

Martin turned around and yelped in fear. "What?! How… I mean, that can't be real!" He poked the book and it slowly floated away.

Mike heard soft hoof steps behind Martin and saw the purple pony from yesterday, her horn surrounded by the same purple aura that held the book. His eyes grew as he realized it. "Dude… I think… I think that's magic…"

Martin looks at Mike like he's crazy. "Magic? I think you hit your head a lot harder than we thought; we both know there's no such thing…"

Mike bent down and ignored the pain as best he could to get a better look at the other pony. "Dude… this one… this one has wings?!" He said, dumbfounded as he slowly went to poke it.

The pony eeped and tried to force herself farther underneath the table. A purple force field materialized in front of them and pushed them away from her. Mike staggered backwards and Martin stumbled over the couch and land on his back.

"Ouch!" Martin yelled, lying on the ground.

"Leave her alone!" The other pony shouted.

"Why? Of all things it could've done, it chose to make me fall over!" Martin grumbled as he got up and angrily stared at the purple pony.

"What were you two doing to Fluttershy?" She asked, staring at him.

"I think I'm still dreamin'." Martin muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Someone must have put something good in our drinks when we weren't looking." Mike whispered.

"Mate… I think I'm gonna conjure up a stiffy if things keep going the way they are…"

Mike laughed as he held his side and shook his head. "Pretty sure that wouldn't help us in this situation."

Martin put on a goofy grin. "You never know…"

"What in the name of Equestria are you talking about?" The unicorn asked, confused.

Mike gave her a small smile. "It's nothing of importance Ms.?"

Martin walked over to her and she quickly takes a few steps back. "Not even Notch could know what is going on right now…"

Mike chuckled. "Notch would ask why everything isn't pixelated." He glanced back at the pony underneath the table; her bright aqua eyes staring into his emerald ones. "It's ok… I promise I won't hurt you…" He whispered. "Besides, I'm in no condition to do anything…"

Martin turned around and stared at the pony too. "I swear you will not be harmed by me and if I do, Arkay shall have my soul."

"Psst… I don't think she understands…"

Before he could say anything, the library door flew open and five other ponies rushed in. "Get away from Fluttershy ya hairless monkeys!" One of them shouted.

Martin looked at the group, they all barely came up to his waist. "Who are ya calling monkeys? I don’t think they have very good knowledge about any other species." He said angrily, staring at them.

Two ponies in particular seemed to glare at the two humans. One was a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane that flew up right into Martin's face. "Who the hay do you think you are?" She asked.

"Is it wise to argue with them?" Mike whispered, still resting against the back of the couch.

Martin moved a little closer to him. "Mate, I'm not even sure if this is real… and even if it is, what's the worst that could happen? I'm sure Steandarr will watch over us."

Mike eyed the purple unicorn. "I'm sure that the purple unicorn over there can throw us pretty high in the sky with her magic powers." He whispered before clearing his throat. "Why don't we all try and calm down and take a moment to talk?" He tried to reason with everyone.

"Alright sugarcube… we're listenin' ta ya." The orange pony said. She had bright green eyes and a few freckles underneath along with a long blonde mane and tail. She wore a brown stetson hat on her head and had a very noticeable southern drawl.

Mike looked at Martin and gave him a small smile. "Didn't think that would actually work." He whispered before he cleared his throat again. "Well… anyway my name is -" he's interrupted as he started to cough, blood spewing from his mouth.

"Mate… you should rest..." Martin looked at him with concern.

Mike held up a hand. "I'm fine, I'm fine…" He clears his throat for the third time. "Now as I was saying, I'm Michael and this is…" He looked at Martin to continue.

"And I'm Martin; we're humans from the planet Earth and we come in peace. May thee Nine guide you." He said as he gave them a small bow.

"Nine what; ponies?" The blue pegasus questioned as the orange one glared at her.

"The Nine gods that guide us; well at least they guide me." Martin admitted, standing to his full height again.

The ponies stared at Mike as he raised an eyebrow. "What? I don’t believe in that Nine gods hullabaloo…" He looked at them. "And may I ask what your names are?"

Suddenly the very essence of pink shoved her face into Mike's. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie but my friends call me Pinkie. It's nice to meet you and since you're new to Equestria, that means I can throw you a party." She talked a thousand words per second. "You'll let me throw a party right? What pony wouldn’t want me to throw them a party?" She giggled.

"Oh god… pink is attacking!" Mike stammered.

The orange pony laughed as she grabbed Pinkie away from him. "Mah name is Applejack, but you can call me AJ fer short."

A marshmallow white unicorn with poofy purple hair that looked like it was styled stared at them with her blues eyes. "And I'm Rarity, fashionista extraordinaire."

The cyan pegasus hovered in front of them and puffed her chest out with pride. "I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in all of Equestria!"

The purple unicorn sighed as the force field dissipated. "And I'm Twilight Sparkle and the pegasus underneath the table is Fluttershy."

Mike and Martin both nodded to each of them as they said their names. "Nice to meet you all." Mike said with a smile as he pointed to Fluttershy. "Is she like this with everyone?" He whispered.

Twilight nodded. "Yes, she is very shy to anypony…" The table shook as Fluttershy's pink mane came into view as she slowly got out and stood on her hooves, her mane blocking anyone from seeing her face.

"Hey Fluttershy…" Mike whispered, giving her a little wave.

She peeked at him and their eyes locked for a brief moment, aqua pools staring into liquid emeralds before their faces turned red and Fluttershy went back to hiding beneath her mane. She whispered something that no one could pick up.

"Um… excuse me, I couldn’t hear, what was that?" Mike asked, his voice a few decibels higher than hers.

"Um… nice to meet you…" She whispered, trying to make herself invisible.

Mike smiled at her. "Nice to meet you too…" He whispered.

There was an awkward pause as no one knew what to say. "Soooo… I don’t wanna be rude, but my friend here needs some medical treatment."

Mike rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Fluttershy, AJ, and Twilight looked between Martin and Mike. "What happened ta him?" AJ asked.

Martin scratched the back of his neck. "Well… he sorta broke his nose and rib." He paused. "In the name of Stendarr, I ask you to help my friend."

Twilight's horn glowed briefly as the same aura encased Mike. "Hmm… he has a similar bone structure to us but the anatomy is different." She looked at Martin. "We can get a nurse over but I'm not sure what she could do."

"I said I was fine…" Mike muttered.

Martin smiled. "Thank you."

Twilight nodded before looking at Rainbow. "Dash, could you go get Nurse Redheart?"

Rainbow gave a quick salute. "I'm on it; I'll be back in ten seconds flat." She paused to look at them before disappearing, her tail leaving a rainbow trail.

Martin whistled. "Gotta go fast..."

"That's…really fast…" Mike muttered.

Pinkie giggled as she waved a hoof. "Oh that’s nothing, you should've seen her break the sound barrier."

Martin and Mike looked at each other as there was a moment of silence, only to be broken by Martin's stomach voicing a complaint. He smiled sheepishly. "Oh boy, I haven't eaten since…" He rubbed his chin, trying to remember. "I don’t even remember…"

"It's been a while…" Mike admitted.

Twilight shuffled her hooves as she gave them a smile. "It may not be what you're used to, but I can go get you something to eat." She said as she headed towards the kitchen.

"Thank you kindly." Martin said.

More silence as the four ponies and two humans didn’t know what to say. "Are you hungry?" Rarity asked Mike as he leaned against the couch.

He shook his head. "Not really, more in pain than hungry."

"Aww, he's just bluffing." Martin said as he bent down and slapped him on the side.

Mike coughed and some blood landed on his hand. "Ouch; broken rib remember?!" He said, glaring at Martin. "Probably did that on purpose…" He muttered.

Martin looked appalled and put his hand on his chest. "Me? I would-" He started to laugh. "Ok, who am I trying to kid here?" Mike chuckled and smiled. "You know I don’t mean it right?"

"Of course you don’t."

"See." He said, smacking Mike on the shoulder.

"Oh gee, thanks." Mike chuckled.

"Oh… um… maybe you shouldn’t hit him… I mean, if that’s ok with you… it looks like it hurts a lot… I'm not sure, but only if you want to." Fluttershy whispered, surprising everyone.

Martin smiled as Mike and Fluttershy's faces turned red. "Of course; I promise I won't harm you and if it causes you harm to see him in pain, I'll stop."

Fluttershy face turned even redder. "Would you like some hay sandwiches or some dandelion salad?" Twilight asked from the kitchen.

"Uh… no, but thanks for asking." Mike whispered as his stomach betrayed him.

"Your stomach says otherwise." AJ said with a smile.

He glared at his stomach. "Quiet you, what did I tell you earlier?"

Pinkie walked up and rested her head on his stomach and listened for a moment. "No more eating dirt? But why would you eat dirt, that’s not good, even with sugar…" She said.

Martin looked at the pink pony before looking at Mike. "The fuck?"

Twilight walked out of the kitchen, dejected as she looked at them. "I forgot that I haven't gone to the market so all I have is bread? Is that ok?"

"Sure, that’s no problem." Mike whispered as he looked away from Pinkie to Twilight.

She nodded and went back inside the kitchen, coming out moments later, levitating two plates next to her; each had a loaf of bread. She passed one to each of the humans, who started to bite into it.

"Thanks again Twilight." Mike whispered in between bites.

She smiled at him as she looked at the clock. "You're welcome, I'm glad I could help. I'm surprised Dash isn't back ye-"

She was interrupted by a voice outside. "Dash, what in the name of Celestia are you doing?"

Dash flew through the still open door and carried another white pony on her back. "Dash, you can't just ponynap me; there are sick ponies that still need my help." She said, glaring at the pegasus.

"Well we have a sick monkey that needs help here."

"Not monkeys." Martin stage coughed as the nurse looked at him. "Anyways, my friend is in need of aid. Could you please help him?" The unicorn stared at him confused, before hopping off Dash's back.

She slowly circled around Mike, poking him in random places, and grimaced. "I'm not sure what I can do… his anatomy is too different for me to be what the rib damaged… but I can put it back in place, but it will hurt… a lot."

Before Mike could say anything, Martin spoke with a grin. "You want me to hold him down, Nurse Redheart?"

"Wait what?" Mike said as he tried to get to his feet. "No, no, I'm fine; I don’t need any crazy pony doctor."

Martin pushes him onto the ground and holds him still. "Don’t worry, it won't hurt that much."

"Make sure you keep him steady." Nurse Redheart said as she put her forehooves on his chest.

Mike looked skeptically at her. "Huh… I thought you said it was going to- FUCKING A!" He screamed as she pushed against the broken rib and tried to realign it with the other one. The world swam and started to turn black as he babbled incoherently, fighting against Martin.

Martin looked sadly as he fought to keep him still. "We're almost done." Redheart said, her eyes narrowed in concentration, beads of sweat on her forehead. There was a resounding crack and she sat down, wiping sweat from her brow.

Mike's face was completely pale. "Ouch…" he said in a tiny voice before he succumbed to the pain, his eyes rolling back into his head.

"Wow… must have been painful." Martin said as he leaned Mike against the couch.

"Yeah, I had to realign his rib into place." Redheart said as she quickly realigned his nose. "Not to be rude, but what are you? I mean no offense, but you look like hairless bipedal apes to me."

Martin sighed. "By Julianos, we are humans, homo-sapiens if you desire. We aren't monkeys… but we are closely related to them; we are the product of thousands of years of evolution."

"Oh… I'm sorry if I offended you." She smiled apologetically before looking over at the mares. "If that was all, I need to return to the hospital."

Twilight nodded. "Thanks again Redheart."

Redheart headed towards the door. "May Stendarr bless you Nurse Redheart." Martin bowed to her as she left the library. Martin picked Mike up and gently laid him down on the couch, his head resting against the armrest.

"Is he going to be alright?" Twilight asked, looking at the resting human

"I'm sure he will, he's had worse before."

Twilight walked up to Mike and poked his glasses. "And those things on his nose, are glasses?"

"Indeed they are." Martin said as he walked towards the group.

Fluttershy eeped and backed up. "…Yes?" Twilight as she looked up at him.

His face was emotionless. "I have a few questions…"

"Oh; what's on your mind?" Twilight asked.

"Where… are we?"

"Specifically my house, also known as the town library or in general, we're in the land of Equestria. And you two are from Earth? I've never heard of that place…"

He sighed. "It can't be…" He whispered to himself. "Well Earth isn't a country, it’s a planet in the Milky Way Galaxy. It circles around the sun with eight other planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune."

Twilight scratched her head with her hoof. "So wait, your sun doesn’t need anypony to raise and lower the sun or moon and it has its own gravitational pull?" She squealed, clapping her forehooves together. "This is so exciting!" She levitated a scroll and quill over and started to write down everything he said. "Hmm… those names sound like ancient Equestrian constellations."

Martin raised his eyebrow. "Uh huh… well there is one more planet, but it's not a planet anymore; it's a dwarf planet, Pluto. But let's go back to Earth; it's inhabited by millions of species, mostly humans though. There are more countries than I could ever remember. All humans vary in height, shape, color of skin, and everything like that. Some are black, some are Asian."

She frantically scribbled them down before she paused and re-read it. "Black, Asian? What do you mean?"

"Well as you can see, my skin is white… and black people have a fairly dark skin color, and Asians are just a certain type of person from a certain part of the world."

"Oh… I guess that makes sense." She muttered, making a small note. "So there's more than one type of humans?"

"No, we are all the same… there is no such thing as a difference apart the way we look."

"Oh… so all different looks, but same personalities?" She asked.

"That must be soooo boring." Dash muttered.

"No… everyone has a mind of their own, we all think differently. It's just that I think no matter who you are, we are all still equal." He sighed. "But not everyone shares my opinion."

"Oh…" They all seemed to say together, minus Fluttershy, who was looking at Mike from behind her mane. There was a pause.

"So…" Dash started.

"Yes?" Martin asked, his eyebrow rose.

"What type of government does your planet have? Who rules your planet? What did you mean the sun raises and lowers itself? How long have you two known each other? What does your species eat? Why are you wearing clothes? Why do you have hair on your arms and head but he has facial hair and not the rest of your body? How did you even get here?" Twilight interrupted, rambling a bunch of questions.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Not one person rules the entire planet; we have a democracy in most countries. The Earth rotates in a clockwise motion while it circles the sun. Michael and I have known each other for maybe a few weeks. We eat almost anything, being omnivorous; our teeth can handle most things but our bodies can't, for example we can't eat hay. We wear clothes to keep warm and we have hair on our arms and legs because of the way our ancestors used to live. It was still required thousands of years ago." He shrugged. "And I'm not sure how we got here; one moment Mike and I were fishing, then this creature comes and throws us through a portal and then here we are."

"And you choose to wear those… rags as clothes?" Rarity huffed.

"And the portal closed behind you two?" Twilight asked as she glanced at Rarity.

"That it did." Mike muttered as he leaned up, gasping in pain, holding his side.

"Welcome back." Martin snickered before he looked at Rarity. "And what's wrong with a good old Minecraft t-shirt?"

"Minecraft? What is this Minecraft?" Rarity asked, confused.

"Oh yeah, it doesn’t exist here…" Martin mumbled, his eyes widened. "Anyways, Michael, how do you feel?"

"Like that car came back for revenge, but I'm feeling a little better… just sore as hell." He muttered, still holding his side as he took a shaky breath. "So, what did I miss?"

"Not much." He said as he patted Mike's shoulder.

"Ah… good, for a minute there I thought I missed something important…" He looked around. "Where did nurse go? I wanted to thank her."

"Don’t worry, I took care of that." Martin sad.

"Ah, thanks buddy."

"Anything for my meat shield." Martin chuckled as he raised a fist and waited as Mike bumped his fist with it.

Mike looked at Fluttershy, as she cowered behind Rarity. "What happened to her?" He whispered to Martin.

He grinned. "Ya know… it's just Fluttershy."

"Yeah, but she didn’t look completely scared of us as she does now." He muttered.

Martin glanced at her briefly. "You're right, no idea what's wrong though."

"What are you two discussing there?!" Dash interrupted, flying close to them.

"Uh… nothing?" Martin said with a shrug.

"Yeah… we were just wondering why the portal dropped us here, right?" Mike looked quickly at Martin. Martin nodded his head.

She narrowed her eyes at him before she flew back towards the others. "What do you think we should do?"

"No idea…" Mike muttered.

Martin sighed. "We better finish the bread." He walked over and sat down on the opposite couch and started eat the bread.

"I guess… could you pass me my piece?" Mike asked and Martin nodded.

While they ate, the ponies watched them carefully, especially Dash, who looked at them as if they were doing something suspicious. Soon, nothing was left but crumbs on the plates and Martin patted his stomach happily. He grabbed Mike's plate and set it down on top of his.

"Aww… that was lovely." Martin said.

Mike nodded. "Thanks Twilight, I'd have to agree with him."

Martin rubbed his hands nervously, his fingers twitching. "Damn…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a butterfly-knife. He flung it a few times and the blade appeared, the metal blade reflecting in the light. Everypony gasped at the sight of the metal reflecting. Fluttershy eeped in fear, shaking as Dash and AJ stood out in front while Twilight's horn glowed.

Mike looked at the ponies. "Uh… you should put that away..." Mike insisted, looking quickly between him and the ponies.

Martin ignored everyone as he began flicking the knife between his fingers; the blade looked as if it was dancing around his hand without cutting it. It was elegant yet frightening to watch. He sighed and closed the blade in a smooth, practiced motion and put it back inside. "Sorry, I-I just needed to do that."

They looked at Mike and he quickly raised his hands. "What? I don’t have anything like that on me."

Dash slowly hovered towards Martin. "Why do you have a knife?" She calmly asked.

He stared at her. "To protect those I love and to deal with nervousness." She didn't answer and floated away. "I don’t intend to harm any of you unless you harm me or my friend." He said, emotionless.

Mike sighed in exasperation before looking at Twilight. "So… any questions?"

Pinkie immediately raised her hoof and jumped up and down. "Oh me! ME! What type of cake do you want for the party?" She asked, continuously bouncing.

Mike looked at Martin. "Party? Why would there be a party?"

Before Martin could answer, Pinkie hopped close to them and tilted her head. "Oh you dummy; if there's a new po- I mean human, I have to throw them a party to celebrate that you’re here!" She yelled with a huge smile.

Mike stared blankly at her. "I don’t need a party, do you?" He asked Martin.

He shook his head no. "Uh… I'm no fan of parties to be honest."

Pinkie stared at them and blinked a few times before she giggled. "Aww, you old fibbers! You almost got me there!"

Martin scratched the back of his neck. "…I wasn't lying…"

"Yeah, I'm not a big fan of parties either." Mike said, looking at her sadly.

Her bottom lip began to quiver and her eyes got huge, tears starting to form in the corners. "No party?" She said, doing the best puppy dog face either had seen.

"I mean, I would love a party, right Martin?" Mike said quickly, giving Martin a look to agree.

"…I guess…" He said, still uncertain about the idea.

She smiled and bounced up and down faster. "Yay, then we'll have to have super duper awesome 'First Humans in Equestria' party bonanza!"

Mike looks at Martin. "Lucky us…"

"Indeed." Martin agreed with a sigh.

"Oh, I should write a letter to the Princess and inform her!" Twilight yelled, startling everyone before she disappeared into the other room.

"Princess?" Mike asked the remaining ponies.

"Duh? She's the one in charge." Dash said as she rolled her eyes.

"What about her mom or dad; shouldn’t they be in charge?" He asked.

All the ponies seemed taken aback. "What do you mean?" Rarity asked, confused.

Mike rubbed his hands together nervously. "The king and queen; if she's a princess, then her parents would be the ruling king and queen…"

"I'm afraid there never was a king or queen as far as anypony can remember." Rarity answered. "It has always been Princess Celestia and Luna for thousands of years."

"Oh… oh then my apologies…" He said in his low voice.

"By the divines, this is one hell of a different place if you ask me." Martin muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah… it's a bit different than where we're from…" Mike sighed, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his shirt.

Twilight came back from the other room with a sigh, rolling up a parchment. "I informed the princess of our unique visitors and she said she'd like to formally introduce herself but the soonest she could is tomorrow afternoon."

"That's good?" Mike asked her.

The parchment flew to rest on the coffee table next to Mike and Martin. "Not as good as it could have been."

"Oh? What do you-" Mike paused. "Never mind…"

The awkward moment from earlier reared its head and continued in full force before Martin cleared his throat. "It's still pretty early; maybe we could do something to pass the time?" He looked at the assembled ponies. "Do any of you need help with any work?"

"Well… are ya any good at apple buckin'?" AJ inquired.

"Buck what now?" Martin asked, his eyebrow raised as he looked at AJ.

"Ya know, buck the apples off a tree?" She said a little irritated.

"She means kick them off the tree." Twilight whispered.

"Well why didn’t you say that in the first place?" Martin asked, confused.

AJ shrugged. "Kickin', buckin', it’s the same darn thing."

Mike chuckled as he looked at Martin. "I don't think they meant what you were thinking."

Martin was silent as a light bulb seemed to go off and he looked at Mike with horror and disgust. "JESUS MICHAEL! DEAR LORD NO! OH GOD… WHO GAVE YOU THAT IDEA!?"

"You implied it."

"Oh Jesus no! That's not what I meant at all!" He said loudly, putting his hands over his ears. The ponies looked at them confused.

Mike started to laugh, holding his side in pain. "Well if I knew it was that easy to disturb you, I would've done it a long time ago. And you were implying it you know." He turned and looked at the ponies. "It's a complicated human thing."

Martin glared at his friend. "One day Michael, my knife will be stuck in your back!"

"Well that’s not very nice and here I thought I was your friend."

He glared at him. "But you know you deserve it sometimes… we all do."

"That we do." Mike said as he glanced at AJ. "So… apple kicking?"

"Eeyup, just follow me and Ah'll lead ya ta Sweet Apple Acres." She said as she walked towards the door.

They both got off the couch, Mike with a little more difficulty before falling back onto it in pain. "You know, why don’t I just stay here. Martin, go see it and tell me how it is."

"See what?" He asked before he blushed slightly. "Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention."

Mike sighed. "Go with AJ and see her farm, it sounds nice."

He stared blankly into the air before quickly snapping out of his thoughts. "Uhh… sure, lead the way."

AJ nodded and walked out of the library, beckoning him with a tail flick to follow her. "It's not that far, just on the other side of town."

Martin quickly caught up to her, shutting the door behind him and frowned. "And how big is the town?”

She was silent as she put a hoof to her chin and thought about it. "Not that big, maybe a couple thousand hoof lengths? I'd say it'd take a good fifteen minutes."

He stared at her. "A couple thousand?" He looked around for a second. "Well ok… could be worse."

"Ya, we could be in Manehattan, that place is huge! Takes ferever ta find anything and ta get anywhere."

Martin stretched his arms in a Superman pose. "Onwards to victory!" He yelled, running in a random direction.

She whooped and ran after him. "Now that’s the spirit but mah farm is over that way." She said, pointing behind them.

He stopped and quickly turned around. "I knew that; test for you!"

She shook her head and trotted in the opposite direction as Martin ran after her, and passed her. She caught up to him with a few strides. "You remind me of Mare Do Well." She said with a laugh as she led him back to her farm.

=

Twilight walked over to Mike. "So Michael, right?"

He looked at her. "…Yes?" He said, his voice small.

"Maybe you could help out here or you could go with Fluttershy and help her at her cottage?" Twilight suggested and Fluttershy winced after she heard her name mentioned.

She lightly tapped the unicorn's shoulder. "Umm… Twilight, I don’t want to be rude… but do you think it's a good idea to leave him with… me?" She squeaked the last word, hiding behind her mane with a terrified look.

Mike looked between the two ponies and fiddled with his fingers. "Whatever makes you comfortable, I'll do to help out… I don’t want to be a problem to any… pony?" He mumbled.

Twilight looked at her friend before looking back at Mike. "Well we don’t want you doing any hard work like AJ would've asked you. I'm sure you'll be more helpful to Fluttershy since I have Spike." Fluttershy still looked worried, ruffling her wings.

Mike looked at Fluttershy and they both blushed. "Do you mind if I help? I mean, if it'll make you feel better, I'll stay here and help Twilight." He whispered with a small smile.

Fluttershy looked at Twilight and her friend gave her a reassuring smile. "I… um… if you want…" Her voice was barely audible.

Twilight smiled. "Then it's settled, you'll help Fluttershy around her cottage."

He gulped as he got off the couch and held his side as he limped over to the door and opened it for her. She mumbled something to inaudible and sunk towards the ground as he got closer. "I'm sorry but could you repeat that?" He asked.

She slid lower to the ground, her face now completely hidden. "I-I'll lea-lead the way…" She said, slightly louder.

He nodded and waited for her by the door of the library as she made her way slowly towards him. He waved a quick goodbye to Twilight before shutting the door behind him, walking silently with the terrified pegasus.

Author's Note

Yup... I hate typing out the Nine... I always managed to spell them wrong... Any who, let me know what ya thought in the comments. Destroy it if you'd like. And if ya see a mistake, please tell me so I can fix it... I hate noticing them after I publish it. Just wanted to say thanks to all those that favourited or rated, either thumbs up or down! Thanks for the feedback!

3 - First Day in Pony Land

A Bad Day to Fish
By- FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 3 - First Day in Pony Land

Fluttershy hid behind Mike as much as possible, avoiding the other ponies stares as she gave him directions to her cottage. After walking to the other side of town, they came to a small path near the forest that they had fallen in. The entire area seems to be like it was out of a fairy tale, animals running around the entire place. The cottage itself was surprisingly large; two stories, a few windows dotting the exterior. The walls were made of oak while the roof seemed to be thatched, with a chimney off the right side. The windows were open and various animals traveled through them.

"Wow… it's so nice here…" Mike turned to look at the shy pegasus. "Do you take care of all of them?" He whispered. He had learned not to talk above a whisper around her.

"Y-yes…" She hid behind her mane as she walked up to the two story cottage.

"I'm impressed… it must be hard taking care of all these animals. I use to help my friend take care of their animals too." He chuckled. "It was fun."

She paused as she went to open the door and turned to look at him. "W-well it's my s-special talent." She said with a small smile.

He looked at her confused, till she blushed and showed her flank, it had three purple and pink butterflies on it. "Oh… so that’s what those mean; it says what you're good at?" He asked, his face flushed as he looked at her.

She nodded slightly before opening the door slowly. She walked into her cottage and held the door open for him. He bent down, paying attention to the door frame and walked deliberately, careful not to bother any of the staring animals. The floors and walls covered in various cages. "Wow… that’s a lot more than I thought…" He stared at them as they stared at him.

"Well… I-I care for them… mostly those that are ill or injured." She said quietly.

"That’s awesome… so you're a vet, so to speak?"

"Umm… no… I'm just their friend." She whispered, hiding behind her mane.

"Oh… I'm sorry for assuming." He rubbed the back of his neck. "So… what would you like me to do?"

"I-I was g-going to feed the animals… if you want… you-you could help…" She looked at him briefly before staring at the floor, her voice getting quieter by the end.

"Sure… just tell me where and how much and I'll try my best." He said, trying to reassure her with a small smile.

She walked to the back door and opened it, revealing a small garden. All the animals watched him as he followed her out back and towards a small shed. The animals noticed her and happily said hello, several birds landed on her back and head before seeing her companion and grew quiet, staring at him.

"Hello… it's time for lunch… are you all hungry?" She asked the animals with a smile. Her shyness seemed to go away and he noticed that she seemed happy when talking to her animals.

He stepped back slightly as all the animals stared at him. "I… I umm… don’t think they'd let me feed them just yet…" He said.

A baby bird slowly hopped to him, ruffling its light blue feathers as it stared at him from the ground. He bent down slowly, the bird watching him intently. He held out a shaky finger and the bird looked at it for a moment before hopping on it. Fluttershy smiled and went into the shed as he smiled at his new friend.

"Hey, I made a new friend." He said quietly chuckling as he followed Fluttershy.

"This… this is the storeroom… if you don’t mind… maybe you could help me umm carry the seeds for the chickens?" She asked, hoofing at the ground as she blushed.

"Of course." He said, bending down and let the bird wander on the ground as he picked up the chicken feed. This seemed to be a lot lighter than he would’ve thought. "Lead the way." He said, easily carrying the bag.

She led him out of the shed and started walking around her chicken coop, telling him where to throw the seeds. As soon as he finished, several chickens gathered and started to eat.

She looked at him. "Umm… now we need to feed the rabbits and Angel… if you want to still help that is…"

"Sure I'll help, let me just take this chicken feed back. I mean, if you still want me to?" He looked at her and she nodded. He bent down and picked up the bag before making his way back to the shed and stored it away. He walked back, the animals still staring at him as he walked by. "So what would you like me to do?" He asked when he got back.

She hesitantly scrapped her left forehoof against the ground. "W-we'll have to go get some lettuce for the rabbits… And I have to make a salad for Angel… the lettuce is over there." She pointed at a small patch of lettuce.

"Would you like me to get the lettuce?"

"Umm… you'd need tools… there back in the shed, I'm sorry." She whispered.

"There's no need to be, let me go grab them." He gave her a small smile and briskly walked back to the shed before returning with a handful of tools. "If that’s all, then I'll be over there if you need me." He said, waiting for a response. She nodded and he walked over to the small patch and stared at the tools. "Should've known they were hoof operable…"

He watched as Fluttershy went into the cottage and he saw her walk around the kitchen, usually carrying things on her back. As he worked, a small white bunny hopped up to him and watched him for a minute before Mike noticed it. He looked up and it glared at him.

They stared at each other before Mike coughed. "So you must be the mysterious Angel that I keep hearing about? Nice to meet you, my name is Michael."

Angel turned around kicked dirt in his face, the dirt pelting his glasses and getting into his eyes. He covered his eyes and yelped. "I only have one of those!" The demon bunny hopped away quickly.

As Mike tried to get the dirt out of his eye enough to see, he heard Fluttershy squeak. "Angel, there you are…" She said and nuzzled the rabbit before he appeared on the window sill. "I made you some lovely salad." She whispered.

He sighed and finally could see, everything had a blur to it. "That hurt…" He muttered as he tried not to butcher cutting the lettuce. He continued to cut the lettuce, blinking a lot to try and get the remaining dirt out of his eye. "Stupid rabbit…"

After a good hour or so, he finished cutting the lettuce, wiping sweat off his brow. He went to get up and saw that he had an audience; thirty two rabbits were watching him, hungrily staring at the lettuce. "Oh dear…" He muttered as he scooped up the lettuce and tore off a small slice before holding it in front of one of the rabbits. "Want some?"

The rabbit looked at it briefly before the entire group pounced and knocked him over, desperately trying to get to the lettuce. They start chewing on it, sometimes biting and scratching him in the process. "Oh god!" He yelped in pain as they continued to bite him. "Hey! I'm not lettuce you know!" After they finished the lettuce, they scurried away. "Well…" he looked down and noticed he was covered in bites and bleeding scratch marks, some rather large for small rabbits.

A gasp behind him made him jump. "Oh I'm so sorry… they're not usually like that… Please forgive me…" Fluttershy ran over to him and looked at him, her eyes full of worry.

He gave her a small smile. "I'm alright; I've had worse… don’t won't worry about it… Just do have some water? I got dirt in my eye and I wanted to wash it out… I mean, if it isn't too much trouble…"

She ignored him and ran back inside, grabbing a first aid kit before coming back and gently grabbing his arm. "Let me handle those cuts…" He blushed as she gently held his hand, wrapping it and his arms with bandages.

He sighed and sat down, giving her easier access to some of the cuts. "It's not that big of a deal…"

"You poor thing…" She whispered as she looked at a particularly deep cut. A few minutes later, she finished and most of his arms were wrapped in bandages. "Anything else hurt?" She asked, briefly looking over his arms, legs, and face. She noticed that he had dirt on his glasses and around his eyes. "Oh my… let me get you some water." She glided back inside and came back with a little bucket and a towel.

"Thanks Fluttershy… and I'm ok." He said as he grabbed the towel and dipped it into the bucket.

"No you're not, I can see that there's dirt in your eyes…"

He paused, letting the towel float in the water and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah… I wasn’t paying attention and got some in when I was digging up the lettuce." Before he could grab it again, she took it from the bucket and stood in front of him.

"Could you um… take your glasses off… so I can wipe your eyes?" She asked, blushing.

"Oh…um… sure." He said, his face red as he took his glasses off and let her get closer, her face mere inches away from his.

She started to gently wipe the towel across his face, careful not to poke him in the eye with the towel. He sighed in relief as the water washed the dirt out. "Thanks Fluttershy…" He whispered, startling her.

She jumped and squeaked as she fell forward, and accidently poked him in the right eye. "Oh! I'm so sorry…"

He caught her and kept her steady. "No worries, I do it all the time."

She blushed and went back to wiping. She noticed that his right eye looked slightly different than his left. "What's wrong with your right eye? I mean… if you want to tell me."

He coughed and wished she couldn't see his face as he blushed. "Well… that one is fake..." He muttered as quiet as she does.

Her eyes widen in disbelief. "You only have one eye?"

"Yeah…" He poked it a few times, every time she gasped and tried to stop him. "It's plastic… I lost it a long time ago."

"How did you lose your eye… poor thing…" She looked at him sadly.

"…I had cancer…" He minutely answered.

She looked even more confused. "What is cancer… if you don’t mind me asking?"

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "It's a mutation in the cells that usually causes a whole bunch of internal problems. If they wouldn’t have caught mine in time, I would've been blind." He looked at her sadly.

She was lost in her thoughts as she stared at him before blinking and blushing. "Thank Celestia you're not." She said with a smile.

He smiled back. "Yeah… it could've been a lot worse."

They smiled at each other as he put his glasses back on after cleaning them, the dirt gone. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh no… I forgot to bring Applejack food for Winona…" She quickly rushed into the storeroom and grabbed a small bag that was placed on a nearby shelf.

"Winona?" He asked, watching her.

She came trotting out, carrying it in her mouth. "Applejack's little dog; I take care of it every now and again." She glided into the cottage and got her saddle bags, dropping the food into one of its pockets. She put it on and adjusted it, the bags hanging off her sides before she made her way back to Mike and shuffled her hooves. "Michael… if you want to… um… you can… can come with me, if you want to." She said, hiding behind mane again.

He stood up and stretched." Sure, I'll tag along…if you don’t mind. Probably get to see what Applejack has Martin doing." Pain flared up on the right side. "Stupid rib." He muttered, holding his side. Thought it got healed…

She looked at him, concerned. "Don’t get yourself hurt even more… you should take it easy…"

"I'm ok…" He glanced at her. "So... um… mind leading the way?"

She nodded and walked towards the small dirt path, walking over the little bridge. He quickly caught up to her.

"So does she live far?"

She stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact. "Umm… yes… she lives on the other side of Ponyville, its maybe a half hour walk… we can have a break on the way if you need one…"

"No, I'm ok… just curious how big this place is…" He trailed off, looking away from her.

The journey was quiet as they walked along the perimeter of the village, avoiding most of the congested streets. Every now and then she'd glance at him, making sure he was alright and every time he noticed and looked back at her, she would quickly look away. As they traveled, he finally got a good look at the village; he soon realized it was more of a town, organized the same way. The few ponies they did come across, stared at him and he blushed.

With every passing minute there were less and less buildings surrounding them until they reached the edge of town. All that could be seen were endless apple trees everywhere. They were somehow planted in neat rows, stretching against the sky. The apples resting in the trees were blood red; better looking than any apple he had seen on Earth.

Mike stared in amazement. "That's… a lot of apples… and you say Applejack takes care of all these by herself? That's incredible… and they look delicious."

Fluttershy giggled before blushing and looked at the ground. "Um… she doesn’t take care them alone; her brother Big Mac and little sister Applebloom help her, but she does work a lot…" She said.

"Oh… well, that's good that she doesn’t try and do it all by herself."

"She actually did try once… it didn’t end so well, but it doesn’t matter to her. She's proud to be part of the Apple Family..." She said with a small smile, glancing at him.

He looked down and smiled at her. "I'm glad she has something to be proud of… I have to say these are the best looking apples I've ever seen…"

"Well Ah'm glad ta hear that!" A voice that was quickly familiar yelled.

They both looked over and saw AJ, leaning against a white fence that surrounded the barn. Martin was sitting on the fence next to her, cutting chunks out of an apple with his knife.

Martin looked up. "Hey mate!" He said, putting a small piece in his mouth.

Mike waved. "Hey, how's it going? Apple looks good."

Martin hopped off the fence and walked over, Fluttershy nervously taking a few steps back, hiding behind Mike. "It's goin' good, how's the rib?"

"It's good, almost good as new." Mike chuckled.

Martin laughed. "I'm sure it is… want a piece?" He asked, holding a chunk of the apple on his knife.

"Sure, looks delicious."

Martin tilted the knife and Mike took the chunk and started to eat it. "So what have you been up to at Fluttershy's?" He asked, looking at the yellow pegasus.

"Wow… this is really good and just helping her with her friends."

Martin looked at him, slightly confused before he remembered. "Ah… course. AJ told me bout her animals. Must have- Jesus; what happened to your arms?" He asked, just noticing the bandages.

Mike coughed. "Yeah… those rabbits get slightly crazy when you don’t give them their lettuce."

His eyebrow rose. "Rabbits? Oh well, nothing compared to having a tree fall on your arm." He said, pulling his shirt sleeve up and revealed blood soaked bandages on his upper arm. "Happens when ya kick the trees the wrong way!" He chuckled, letting his sleeve fall back down.

Mike shook his head. "You know, we've been here for a day and I don’t think this planet likes us already."

Martin laughed. "Yep, but I really like it here… I don’t know about you but I'm a fan of physical work… like chopping down trees."

"Hehe… I like it here too, it's so peaceful and I like the animals… maybe when my rib is healed, I can help chop down some trees too…"

"Ah can always need a helpin' hoof on the farm!" AJ said with a huge smile. "But don’t get yerself hurt like Martin… Ah'm no doctor but Ah'm sure that arm needs to be looked at." She looked at his tattered sleeve.

"Umm… Applejack, I umm… I brought Winona some food." Fluttershy finally said, reaching into her saddle bag and hoofed it over to AJ.

"Well that’s mighty considerate of ya sugarcube. Ah almost fergot to ask too." AJ said.

Martin looked over at AJ. "So what now? Are we done for the day?"

"Eeyup, just got ta get Big Mac to replant the tree ya knocked over but besides that, we're finished." She said as she pointed to your arm. "Ya should get that looked at…"

"You're right… that is my sword arm after all, I really need that." Martin said as looked at his broken arm.

"Sword arm; ya fence?" AJ asked.

"I used to but I mostly fight with medieval warfare weapons like axes, maces, hammers, and broadswords."

"Oh… well, even more reason ta get it checked out."

"Yeah… how bout now?"

Mike looked at Martin. "You wanna go see the doctor? Like this very minute?"

He nodded with a huge grin on his face.

Mike chuckled. "Well have fun with that."

"Oh I will." He said, flicking his wrist and the blade disappeared and he put it in his pocket. "So… AJ, you're coming with me right; since I have no idea how to get there." He asked the cowpony.

She laughed and smacked his back with a hoof. "Sure, Ah've been needin' ta get some more bandages and wraps. Let me go put Winona's food away. What bout you two?" She asked, looking at Mike and Fluttershy.

Fluttershy and Mike looked at each other before blushing and looked away. "I was going to go to the market… if you want to come with me… Michael… only if you want to…" She whispered, digging a small hole with her forehoof. She glanced up and looked at him.

His face turned the same color as a cherry. "Uh… sure… if you wouldn’t mind my company." He muttered.

Martin elbowed him in the gut. "I see you're making friends with somepony…" He said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Mike glared at him. "Not really… and what bout you cowboy?"

His grin disappeared and he blushed slightly. "…Uh… touché…"

Fluttershy slowly walked back towards the town before she paused. "…Um… Michael, if you want to come with me to the market, I mean only if you want to… I'm heading there now…" She whispered, hoofing at the ground again.

"Uh… sure." He said, looking at Martin. "See ya later and if you see that nurse that healed me that I said thanks?" He started to make his way towards Fluttershy.

"Will do mate… I'm sure the two of you will have a lovely day." Martin said as AJ and he watched them walk through the gate.

He grinned at them. "Same to you!" He waved goodbye as they disappeared behind a hill, heading back into town.

"Ah'm surprised he got her ta talk to him so easily… usually she's very shy to everypony." AJ said.

Martin glanced at her. "From what I've seen so far, I'm wondering as well…" He started walking towards the gate. "Well, let's get crackin'."

She caught up to him as they made their way to town. "Eeyup, we got a busy rest of the day." She led the way. "The hospital is back towards Twilight's house but we take a left instead of a right at the Quills and Sofas."

They made the rest of the trip to the hospital mostly in silence, Martin asking AJ a few things here and there. When they got there, Nurse Redheart immediately recognized them and sighed before looking at Martin's arm; he had broken his arm. She led him into the operating room and quickly realigned his bone, having to cut open his skin to make sure she did it correctly. She sewed him back up and popped his shoulder back into place and wrapped the stitches. She woke him up and put his arm in a sling, telling him not to use it for the next two weeks or so.

He nodded his agreement and thanked her before walking to the lobby as AJ stood there, several boxes of bandages and wraps on her back. He took them and held them as they made their way back to the farm, AJ and Martin having a nice little debate what was better, apple pie or apple fritters.

=

The trip to the market, on the other hand, was relatively quiet, neither wanted to bother the other. Fluttershy led him around the area, introducing him to several ponies that she frequently went to. They all smiled at her and introduced themselves to him; there was Carrot Top, Berry Punch, and this strange mint colored unicorn that had a lyra or a harp as her Cutie Mark. She stared at him until he turned pink and asked why she was staring at him. Needless to say, she rattled off questions faster than Pinkie and Twilight combined. Fluttershy came to the rescue, asking him to help her hold her supplies since she didn’t have enough room in her saddle bags. She told this Lyra Heartstrings that he can answer questions tomorrow and he has another human here.

As they left the market area, Mike couldn’t stop thanking her, causing her face to turn the color of strawberries and to conceal herself with her mane.As he was thanking her, he didn’t notice a small orange filly riding a scooter down the street and they crashed right into a cart, destroying it. Fluttershy rushed over as he lay in the cart; splinters, cuts, and bruises covered his body. The little filly was unharmed and blushed as she realized what happened before zipping away on her scooter. Fluttershy unfortunately had to pay for the damages, considering he didn’t have any bits.

After he gathered her groceries again, she walked he limped, back to her cottage. When they got there, he vowed to pay her back the bits he owed her.

=

The sun was giving way to the moon, the orange and blue of night mixing to form a beautiful sunset. Mike staggered his way to the library, the warm night air made him even more exhausted than he already was. He opened the door and saw Martin sitting on the couch, his right arm wrapped in bandages and in a sling. He looked up and sighed in exhaustion. "Hey mate…"

He waved at him tiredly, his right eye swollen and his bottom lip bloody. "Hey…" Mike plopped on the couch. "It's been a long day… so what did the nurse say bout the arm?"

He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah… she said that I should be glad I can keep the arm. The wound was infected and the cleaning was very unpleasant and painful. Now I can't use it for at least two damn weeks." He sighed.

"Well… at least you can keep your arm; it's not that bad eh?"

"I guess… all I want to do now is sleep." He stretched onto the couch, his feet dangling off the arm rest. "How was the market?"

Mike sighed as he took off his glasses and winced in pain. "It was ok… till a pegasus crashed into me and we tumbled through a cart… that hurt like hell."

"Was it a little bright orange one on a scooter?" He asked curiously.

"Actually yeah… crazy little devil wasn’t paying attention."

Martin sighed. "I got to know her as well… she crashed into me on my way back… you can guess thrice where her helmet hit me."

"Ouch…" Mike grimaced in pain thinking about it. "At least she didn’t get hurt by the cart…" He chuckled. "My face and back did."

Martin groaned. "I need sleep." He put his good hand behind his head and relaxed his other one on his chest, closing his eyes.

Twilight came down the stairs, two blankets floating next to her. "Here, you'll need those; its getting colder every day." She said, gently placing a cover over each of them.

"Thanks Twilight." Martin said, taking his knife out of his pocket and setting it on the table, getting comfy.

"Yeah and thanks for letting us stay here." Mike said with a yawn as he stretched and set his glasses on the nearby coffee table. "There we go…" He muttered, closing his eyes.

"Don’t forget Princess Celestia will be coming here tomorrow; I want you both showered and clean." Twilight said, a small smile on her face as she went back upstairs.

"Ok, will do." Mike whispered.

"Whatever…" Martin said, not really listening. "Michael, remember for me ok?"

"Gotcha." He promised, half asleep. "Goodnight Twilight."

"Good night Michael, Martin." She said before she vanished and a door upstairs opened and closed and the house became quiet.

Martin had already fallen asleep, and Mike stared at the ceiling for a while before succumbing to exhaustion.

Author's Note

Wow... gotta say I'm surprised this got the attention it did. Not upset at all, just surprised. Gotta thank the people that Favorited it, much appreciated. I swear Equestria doesn't like humans all that much... or they're just clumsy... Any who, if you find a mistake, let me know in the comments so I can fix.

Also, a word from co-author Furious Bacon and I quote; "You're a vegetable...deal with it... /)"

4 - Meeting Royalty

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 4 - Meeting Royalty

The morning slipped into early afternoon before either awoke to the smell of something cooking. They groggily staggered to their feet and Martin wandered in first as Mike struggled to find and put on his glasses. Martin sat in one of the chairs as Mike almost fell out of his as they stared at the small cook, which looked like a small purple and green dragon.

"Mornin'… um Michael, we still sleeping?"

"…I don’t think so; I feel awake."

"You’re not sleeping." The dragon said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh… okay." Martin stretched and noticed the knife that the dragon was using looked oddly familiar. He turned back at the coffee table and saw his knife missing. "Where's my knife?!" He said, panicked.

"This thing? I found it on the table and it's really good for cutting up vegetables." The dragon answered, holding up the missing weapon.

Martin sighed in relief. "Jesus… you had me scared there for a second." He looked at the baby dragon.

"Sorry?" The dragon said, looking down guiltily as he handed over the knife. "Here you go and I sharpened it too."

Martin smiled at the small dragon. "Don’t worry, as long as I know it's in good hands or claws with ya, you can use it whenever I don’t need it. And thank you." He said, handing the knife back.

The dragon smiled and went back to cutting up tomatoes and preparing what looked like a salad.

Martin tapped his chin. "Ok Michael, wasn’t there something special today?"

"Hmm…" Mike thought. "Oh yeah, the princess is supposed to stop by and talk to us… What's her name; Princess Cestail or Celest or something like that?"

"Princess Celestia." The dragon said over his shoulder.

"Didn’t Twilight say we were supposed to shower?" Martin asked.

"Yes…I think so anyway…"

"How the fuck am I supposed to do that with my arm?" Martin asked, frowning.

Mike chuckled at his over dramatization. "No idea, but I'm sure you'll find a way." Mike suddenly grinned. "Or maybe AJ would help if you asked her nicely." He quickly held a hand to his mouth, trying not to laugh.

Martin glared at him. "Mate, I swear if you ever bring that topic up again I will make sure Arkay will to deal with you." He snapped, his face flushed.

Mike started laughing. "Don’t worry, he has my number already, he kept saying hi yesterday."

He glared at Mike again. "I'm sure Mara has something planned for you and Fluttershy." He said with a huge grin.

The shoe was on the other foot as Mike's face instantly turned bright red. "I-I have n-n-no idea what you're talking about…"

His grin got even bigger. "In your eyes, Dibella the goddess of beauty has created her personally, am I right? And Kynareth blessed her with love for animals."

Mike was silent, his voice stuck in his throat as his face was brighter than a ripe tomato, and all he could do was glare.

The dragon stared at the two in utter confusion and was about to say something when Twilight walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. She saw them glaring at each other, Martin with a huge grin and Mike's face bright red and the look of pure hate. "…Am I interrupting something Spike?" She asked, just as confused.

"I don’t think so; Martin was saying something about some God called Arkay, Dibella, and Kyn-Kinoreth or Kindereth, then they were saying something about AJ and Fluttershy… they lost me after that… I don’t know."

She looked at them. "Ok boys, are you ready to meet Princess Celestia?"

"About that… how am I supposed to shower with my bandages?" Martin asked.

"Just use your magic silly."

They stared at her. "Umm… Twilight, humans are non-magical creatures… "

She stared at him, and then looked at Mike. "No magic?" She asked, her voice small. He nodded. She seemed stunned. "It's not that hard, just use your left hand."

Martin gave her a deadpan expression. "But I have to wash both my arms and the bandages are in the way. The doctor explicitly said I mustn't remove before the first week had passed."

"Then wash around the bandages?" She said. "I'm not sure just go take a shower, we have to leave soon."

Martin looked around the room. "Ok… nothing else I can do but I have to eat first. Michael, why don’t you go first; I'll need a little longer for sure."

Mike got up. "Sure… where is it?"

"Down the hall to the left." Spike said.

"Then I'll be back." He said as he disappeared down the hall.

"Ok… so what's for breakfast?" Martin asked, looking at Spike, who had handed him a plate and fork.

"Toast and scrambled eggs. Twilight told me that you don’t eat hay or flowers so I thought I'd make something special." He said with a small smile. "I made some for when Michael gets back too."

"Thanks pal." Martin said, staring at the food on the plate. The aroma almost made him dive head first into the plate but he grabbed the fork and started eating some of the scrambled eggs.

"No sweat." He said.

Suddenly there was a loud thud down the hall. "Why do I have to be so damn tall?!" Mike yelled from the shower, rubbing the top of his head.

Martin swallowed his food, almost coughing. "Ever heard of ducking; might help in the shower designed for creatures smaller than you.” He yelled.

"Thanks Sherlock, never would've figured that!" Mike yelled back.

Martin started to laugh. "Oh Michael… never gets boring with you around." He took a few more bites. "Damn Spike, this is really good."

Spike blushed. "Thanks… I prefer that to hay pancakes and daisy sandwiches." He said as he set the other plate down for Michael as he wandered back from the shower.

Martin glanced up and stood up, pushing away from the table. "Guess it's my turn." He walked into the shower and stared at it. "Damn… the shower is tiny!" He laughed.

"See?" Mike yelled back before he started to eat. "Wow… this is great." He said as he started to eat a little faster.

They could hear the water hitting the wall in the shower. "AHH! You asshole turned the water all the way to the coldest temperature!" Martin yelled, getting hit with the freezing water.

Mike choked as he laughed. "That's for laughing at me."

Martin quickly messed with the setting to much warmer water. "Much better…"

Mike chuckled as he scooped the last of his egg on the fork. "So Twilight, when is Princess Celestia supposed to get here?"

Twilight looked at the clock that hung above the kitchen door. "In about three hours, you two slept pretty long."

"Yeah… yesterday was a long day… and slightly painful." He chuckled.

Twilight smiled. "I heard you got along well with Fluttershy?" She asked.

His cheeks turned red. "Sorta… we talked for a little bit…"

"That's nice, I'm glad she found a new friend." She smiled at him and didn’t notice his cheeks. Spike on the other hand, noticed and grinned at him.

Mike chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… she's really nice…"

Martin came out of the bathroom, the towel wrapped around his neck. "Aww… that was nice."

"Feel better?"

"Yep… and I'll remember that." He said, glaring at Mike.

Mike stuck his tongue out. "So what is the plan besides Celestia?" He asked Twilight.

She thought for a moment. "Figure out how exactly it was possible for you two to get here."

Mike rested his head on in his hands. "I was wondering that myself." He said.

"We might be able to send you two back." She said, a hoof on her chin.

Martin and Mike made brief eye contact before Mike pushed himself away from the table. "Martin, can I talk to you privately?" Martin nodded and they walked over to the guest bedroom. "So… do you want to go back?" Mike asked him.

"I'm going to be honest with ya… I want to stay. I think it was hard not to notice, but I think AJ is great… ya know what I mean. It's weird… I'm not sure what is going on but I like her." He said, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Yeah… I know what you mean. It's odd… but I get along with Fluttershy better than I got along with most humans… and we get along way more than I should… I think…" He paused scratching his forehead. "What do we tell the Princess? Ask to stay?"

Martin looked at the floor. "I-I don’t know… what else can we do?"

"What will it hurt to ask?" Mike suggested.

Martin shrugged. "Come on; let's go back to Twilight and Spike."

They walked back into the kitchen; Twilight was drinking tea and Spike was making himself a ruby pie. "So what was that about?" Spike asked, not really paying attention.

"It's nothing Spike, don’t worry." Martin forced a smile.

"Yeah." Mike agreed, giving the dragon a small smile.

"Ok…" Spike said, rubbing claws together as he waited for his pie.

Twilight down her tea and looked at them. "So… I hope you're both ready."

Martin shrugged. "I'm ready as I'll ever be."

"Same here." Mike added, quietly.

Martin glanced at his human companion. "How are we gonna pass the two hours we got left?"

"No idea…" Mike shrugged.

Twilight cleared her throat. "You could always read… you do know this is a library…" She said, pointing a hoof at the bookshelves.

"Oh yeah…" Mike said as he walked around the shelves. "So many possibilities…"

Martin walked over to one of the bookshelves and scanned the titles before he grabbed one on Equestrian history. "Guess I can read a little bout this land while I'm here…" He walked over to the couch and sat down, the book in his left hand.

Mike on the other hand, grabbed a random book and sat down in the chair. "Hmm…"

Martin glanced at the book Mike grabbed and raised an eyebrow. "Michael… that’s a biology book about pairing in case you didn’t know…"

He stared at Martin. "Really? Thanks, I couldn’t read the title." He rolled his eyes. "But still not the worst thing I've read, I've read the Twilight series."

Twilight glanced at him. "What?"

Mike shook his head. "It's a terrible book series from home… I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy…"

"Gave both the books and the movies a try, I hated them both… Douche level over 9000…"

Mike chuckled. "Yeah… I've seen them all and it was terrible…"

There was silence in the library as time passed, they read their books and Twilight kept pacing around in a straight line, getting more nervous as time went on. Spike came out of the kitchen and saw Twilight.

"Twilight, it'll be ok." He said, rolling his eyes.

Martin looked up from his book. "What's wrong now?"

"She's always panics when Princess Celestia comes here… always thinking that’s she's gonna have to leave." Spike said, waiting for the timer to go off on his pie.

Martin looked at Twilight. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I haven't sent any Friendship reports lately and she said that she wanted to continue my studies sometime at the castle… then my brother is…" She rambled on, on par with Pinkie.

Martin rolled his eyes. "Oh Jesus, I think I alerted the horde…"

Mike set the book down and walked up to her before bending down and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright Twilight, I'm sure she won't just suddenly take you away, she doesn’t sound like that type of… pony."

"And from what I read, she'd never do that… she seems far too kind."

Mike nodded his head in agreement.

She sighed but was still nervous.

"Just take a few deep breaths and try and relax… I'm not sure how we'd explain to Princess Celestia why her student is passed out in our arms…"

"I guess…" She tried to calm herself down but she still seemed panicked.

Martin glanced at the clock next to the kitchen. "We still have a half hour left… what do you want to do Michael?"

Mike blushed while he cleared his throat. "Hehe… well… I wouldn’t mind going to see if Fluttershy needs help feeding her animals again… but there's not enough time… you?"

Martin glanced at him. "Nah… I'm afraid there isn't really enough time to go anywhere." He said, scratching the back of his head with his left hand.

Mike sighed and sat back down on the chair, starting to read again.

Twilight walked to the door. "I better go tell Rainbow to get the others…" She opened the door with her magic; a cold breeze blew in her face and circled the library.

Mike shivered. "You said winter was soon?" He asked right before she left.

She nodded as she looked at him. "Yes, it'll snow soon, the weather pegasi have it already prepared."

Mike gave her a small smile. "That'll be cool… I've never seen snow before but it's gonna get really cold…"

Martin sighed. "Let's hope it won't be like in Germany… the snow looks nice at first but it gets dirty and muddy, it turns into some weird mess but it does look nice at first."

"Yeah… it'll be nice." Mike said with a small chuckle.

Twilight nodded and left the library, leaving them alone with Spike.

Martin got up and put the book back before plopping back onto the couch. "I'm pretty bored…"

Mike stretched. "We still have twenty minutes, what would you like to do?"

He scratched his right arm. "Phew… not sure… we could uh… go to the Sugarcube Corner… it's this sweet shop barely five minutes away, AJ told me about it on our way back to the farm. "

"Sounds nummy… I'm down if you wanna go?" Mike looked at him.

Martin walked towards the door. "I want to have a look… but neither of us have any money…"

Mike slapped his forehead. "Oh yeah… I'm sure they don’t take dollars or Euros…"

Martin's eyes widened as he remembered something and pulled out his cell phone from his back pocket. "I totally forgot about this…" he said as he turned it on. "Battery's still at one hundred percent."

"Oh yeah!" Mike reached excitedly into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, it was all scratched and a bit dented. He turned it on. "Huh… full life too… I wonder if these work…"

Martin smiled at the screen. "Mate… we could play some games…"

"Indeed… thank god I installed Solitaire." He muttered as he clicked the app and started playing.

Martin tapped his screen a few times. "I think I'm going to play some… I don’t even know… I have too much crap on my phone."

Mike laughed. "I never really installed apps on my phone, mostly on my iPod…" His eyes widened as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPod. "…Huh… full battery… how did I miss these?"

Martin frowned, annoyed. "Damn… if only I had my jacket now…"

"Yeah… well, we weren't expecting inter-dimensional travel or I would've brought mine too…"

"That not it, I often go out in the woods and mountain and I have a ton of useful stuff in that jacket."

"Oh… well… that probably would be useful…" He chuckled.

"A lighter, a torch, a pocket flare gun with six flares, a pocket knife and a revolver… all things that could be useful…"

"Well no use in wishing for something that isn't here, I'm just glad we didn’t shatter every bone in our bodies on impact."

"Yeah… oh well, it's not like it'll come falling out of the sky, right?" He asked, chuckling.

Mike shrugged. "Who knows? Weirder stuff has happened…"

Martin's smile disappeared. "I jinxed it, didn’t I?"

"Most likely."

"I'm not sure the Princess would be too pleased with me having a revolver."

"Or a pocket flare gun… hell, I'm not even sure what she'll say about the knife…"

"No one will take that away from me so easily…"

Mike raised an eyebrow. "Even if she would throw you in jail, if they have a jail, for just having it?"

"Well… if she can give me something less dangerous and basically the same… they can have it." He shrugged.

"Ah…" Mike said.

"We'll see."

"That we will."

“What's the time?" Martin sighed. "We got another thirteen minutes."

"You still wanna head over to that Sugar whatcha ma call it place?"

"Sure, why not." He paused and looked at Spike. "We'll be at Sugarcube Corner, ok?"

Spike looked away from his ruby pie that he was about to eat. "Ok."

"Lead the way." Mike said to Martin.

They left the library and wandered around the town, Martin trying to remember the directions. It was pretty busy, ponies running around the street to vendors. All the ponies stared at them, as the ponies themselves tried to avoid going anywhere near the humans.

"Ever feel like a circus act and everyone was watching you?" Mike whispered, looking around at the staring ponies.

"I know what you mean…" Martin said, feeling slightly awkward. "Hey there it is!" He said, pointing to it.

Mike stared at the building. If it wasn’t for Martin telling him, he could've sworn it was a giant cupcake with a cherry on top. He was still tempted to take a bite of it. "Is that… is that a giant cupcake?"

Martin looked at him with an emotionless face. "Yeah, why?"

Mike looked between Martin and the building before shrugging. "No reason."

"Mikey! Marty!!" Pinkie came galloping towards us, barely stopping inches away from them. She hopped up and down on the spot.

"Uh… hi Pinkie?" Mike said, watching her hop up and down.

"It's so nice that you’re here, I was wondering when you were, I'm feeling great today but I feel great everyday cause I have friends everywhere!" She said, not pausing once to breath. She smiled at them and tilted her head.

Martin gaped at her, his mouth and eyes wide open. "Umm… Pinkie? Have you sniffed crack or something; you seem a little um… active."

"No silly willy, I'm just excited because two of my new best friends came to visit me at my work!" She said with a huge smile.

Mike just laughed at her antics and soon Pinkie was giggling along.

"Sure…. But yeah, we came to visit."

"Oh that’s super duper nice of you!" She giggled and hopped to the counter. "Well what would you like to have? We have any treat that you can imagine; doughnuts, cupcakes, cake, cookie, apple fritters, muffins… well I can't even list them all!"

"Well… um… we just came for a look, that’s all. Neither of us has any money." Martin said, eyeing the various treats.

"Don’t worry; the first treat is always on the house!" She said happily.

"Oh… that’s nice, thank you Pinkie." He smiled at her and looked at the different muffins. "I'd like a chocolate muffin please." She reached behind the glass and grabbed the nearest one before hoofing it to him.

"Thanks Pinkie." He said as he bit into the muffin.

"No problemo." She said with a smile before turning to look at Mike. "What about you?"

Mike paused and looked at the selection again. "I'll take the same thing he had."

She smiled at him and grabbed another muffin and hoofed it to him. "There you go Mikey."

"Thanks Pinkie, it looks delicious." He said as he took a bite. She looks at them with big eyes, waiting for their response. He paused. "Best… muffin… ever." He said as he quickly finished it.

"Thank you!!" She said, pulling him into a crushing hug.

"Oh god… Pinkie… ribs still healing…" He struggled to say.

"Sorry…" She said as she giggled, letting him go.

He wheezed. "Thanks." He coughed and looked at Martin. "What do you think?"

Martin looked at Pinkie. "Just as good as my mum's and she won several trophies for hers."

Pinkie smiled and pulled him into a hug too. "Oh thank you! I worked super duper extra hard on making those muffins; everypony loves muffins!"

"Ouch… arm… still severely wounded." He managed to say.

She giggled. "Whoopsies, sorry I forgot you two were injured." She quickly let go and gasped. "I just realized I haven't thrown you a Welcome to Ponyville/Equestria party for either of you." She quickly sped into the other room.

Martin looked at his friend. "Oh boy… not sure what to expect…"

Mike sighed. "Who knows…" He scratched the back of his neck. "So what do we do now?"

"We can only wait…"

"Yeah…" Mike glanced at the clock. "Should be an interesting afternoon…"

"Yeah, wonder the princess is like… seems to be really nice but I just read that in a book." Martin muttered, looking worried.

"From everything that Twilight said, she shouldn’t be that bad."

"I wonder how she'll react to seeing us." He got lost in his thoughts, imagining the scenario.

Mike took off his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I have no idea…"

Martin shook his head and looked in the direction Pinkie had disappeared in. "What's taking her so long?" He said, slightly annoyed they had to wait.

"Well, she is setting up a party, it'll take a while." Mike said as he put his glasses back on.

Martin sighed. "Do we really have to wait till she has set up the party before we can leave?"

Before Mike could respond, the door flew opened and Dash appeared; she looked slightly tired, sweat running down her forehead.

Mike looked at her. "Hey…" He said, waving to her.

She breathed heavily. "Where's Pinkie?" She asked, looking around.

"She ran out of here when she realized she had to set up a party." Mike mumbled, pointing to the door.

She looked at the door you pointed at and quickly flew inside. "Oh hey Dashie." Pinkie said as moments later, Dash flew out of the room, carrying Pinkie on her back. They left the store, leaving the humans alone.

"Wasn’t Rainbow supposed to get the others before the princess arrived?" Martin thought out loud.

Mike rubbed his head in thought. "I think so… huh, maybe the princess is here?" Mike responded.

"Well we better get goin' then, better safe than sorry, aye?" Martin asked.

"Aye." Mike agreed, walking over to the door and opening it.

Martin quickly walked past him, taking the classic Superman pose. "Onwards!" He yelled.

Mike shook his head before shutting the door and had to briskly walk to catch up. On the way back, they noticed small crowds of ponies gathering towards the library. They could easily see over the ponies.

"What's going on here?" Martin asked as he lowered his arms and looked around. He saw Twilight and the others in front of the library; Twilight looked worried.

"I'm not sure…" Mike hesitantly made his way through the sea of ponies, with Martin right behind him. "What's wrong?" He whispered as he walked up to Twilight.

She jumped slightly and sighed in relief once she saw it was him. "The princess will be here any moment now… I was worried you wouldn’t come..." She looked at the sky, searching for something.

Martin appeared next to him. "Heyho, I'm here as well."

"Sorry, we had to get something to eat… we hadn't really eaten a lot since what, three days ago or so?" Mike asked Martin.

Before Martin could remind his friend of the breakfast Spike made for them, the crowd cheered as a golden chariot landed safely between them and the humans. The chariot was pulled by several male pegasi wearing bright golden armor. A tall, regal white pony stepped out of the chariot; she had wings and a horn and was as tall as the humans. Her ethereal mane and tail were the colors of the pastel rainbow. Her bright magenta eyes were full of warmth and happiness as she looked at the gathered ponies. Her flank held the picture of the sun, surprisingly. All the ponies quickly bowed to her once she finished looked at them.

Martin looked around awkwardly as Mike quickly poked him before bowed. "Yeah… I would bow, but my arm kinda is in the way…"

The pony made her way towards them as Mike chuckled. She looked at them, her gaze resting on Martin. "You must be one of these humans Twilight has mentioned in her letters?" She looked at Mike for a few seconds before looking down at our clothes. "Hmm… strange, I seem to recall our myths say that men were covered in metal armor …"

"Well… humans don’t usually wear armor like that anymore. Hundreds of years of ago it was very common but new inventions made the old steel and iron armor useless." Martin explained.

"Oh?" She asked, intrigued.

"Yeah… so… Princess Celestia… maybe we should all head inside the library, it's a little crowded out here." Martin said, motioning at the crowd.

She laughed. "Well, would it be better to answer my questions and then have to answer them as other ponies ask them as well, or get it all taken care of with one round of 'Q and A'?"

He stared at her blankly for a few seconds. "Just do what you think is right… you’re the leader of this land, not me."

"I think it'd be easier on you two; Twilight answered most of my immediate questions anyway." He nodded. "A real basic question I must ask, for the safety of my ponies… Do you mean us harm in any way? Are you an early recon for a later invasion?"

Wow… talk about being direct. "Oh dear lord… no, no we don’t mean any harm. Neither of us own weapons- aw shit…" He said, as he remembered his knife. He slowly felt for and he pressed his lips together.

She noticed his abrupt change and seemed to glare at him as the guards around her stiffened up and casually grasped their weapons.

"What he means to say is neither of us have any intention of harming any… pony. He does have a small knife that we were using to let fish go… if we caught them…" Mike quickly jumped in, his face red.

One of the guards moved closer to Martin. "May I see the knife?" He asked, glaring at him.

Martin slowly pulled it out of his pocket and rested it in the guards hoof as he tried to open it. "Umm… may I show you?" Martin offered. The guard glared again and narrowed his eyes.

The guard hoofed it back. "Just don’t point it at the Princess."

A little smile appeared on Martin's face. "I'm afraid it'll point everywhere." Before the guard could respond, he flicked the knife a few times, making the blade swing around his hand and the sun reflected off the blade.

The townsponies screamed in terror and backed away from them as the guards pulled their spears out and pointed them at the humans. Dash and AJ took point behind them as Fluttershy hid behind her mane and shook in fear.

Mike face palmed. "Here we go…"

Celestia stared at Martin, her face expressionless as he just seemed to notice the commotion he made. "What?" He casually held the knife in his hand.

"Why do you have a weapon if you say you're peaceful?" The guard asked.

Martin looked down and raised an eyebrow. "Just because I own a knife doesn’t mean I intend to harm anyone with it; a knife is a very useful tool to have."

"But you are prepared to harm somepony if it came down to it?" He continued.

Celestia interfered, gently resting a hoof on the guard's back. "Our world isn't as safe as we assume it to be, especially in the Everfree Forest. He is also, to use the term bluntly, an alien in our society… maybe in his, wearing a knife is common." She glanced at Mike to confirm it, who shook his head yes.

"I-I used to wear a k-knife, till I broke it." He hesitantly said, stuttering.

Celestia looked at Martin. "I will allow you to wear that but you must promise me that you will only use it for self defense, never attack."

"But your Highness-" The guard started, till she interrupted him.

"Furthermore, if one of my guards sees you 'waving' it around, we will lock you up and confiscate it. Is that acceptable?" She asked, not blinking as she stared into his eyes.

Martin nodded. "Yeah but you don’t have to worry, I only use it when I'm forced too… or as a tool."

She nodded before looking at her guard. "For any form of acquaintances, one must give the other the benefit of the doubt. That is how we learn to trust each other."

Martin flicked the knife again and the blade disappeared. Mike sighed in relief as Celestia turned to look at him. "You’re an awfully quiet individual."

He shrugged. "I-I'm not a big talker… I let him since we usually agree." He said, pointing to Martin.

She nodded. "Twilight has relayed to me what you had told her and now I believe we should talk in private."

"Umm… ok…" Mike said as Twilight opened the door and they all entered.

Before she left, Celestia addressed the gathered ponies. "All is well my little ponies; it seems these new visitors are not here to harm us so I ask that you treat them with respect. They are the first and last of their kind…" She said before disappearing into the library.

They walked into the lobby of the library. "Twilight said you came here through a portal, is that correct?" She asked calmly.

"Yeah…" Mike whispered. "One minute we were fishing, and then this creature calling itself Discord appeared, then we fell into the forest."

She sighed. "Just as I thought… there is a rift in the space between our dimensions. This happens very rarely but when it does, certain creatures are capable of leaving their dimension and visiting another. I noticed it but Discord had already traveled there." She paused. "This rift only exists for a certain amount of time before it closes forever; it's the only way for you two to go back home." She looked at each of the humans. "I give you a choice; either I send you home or you'll stay here forever but staying here requires a sacrifice from both of you. Think about what I said unless you want to go now, the rift will close in a month. I shall return the day before it does so."

Mike and Martin looked at each other before Mike turned to look at her. "What is it that we have to give up?"

She smiled sadly. "I'm afraid I can't tell you, it might influence your decision."

Mike sighed. "Didn’t think so but it was worth a shot." He looked at Martin. "Do you wanna leave now or stay for the month?"

"I'd rather think for a little while, you?"

"I'll stay for now and see what happens…" Mike turned to look at the Princess. "We’d like to stay here for the month, we need time to think."

She nodded. "Are there any questions either of you have?"

Mike shrugged. "I got nothing."

"Same here." Martin agreed, shaking his head.

She nodded. "Just remember, if either of you have any questions, you can always ask Twilight; if you decide to leave early, have her send me a letter and I'll come back as soon as I can." She headed towards the door. "If there's nothing else, then I will see you in twenty nine days."

Martin waved his good arm. "Bye…"

"See you in a month." Mike said as she shut the door behind her, the library becoming awkwardly quiet afterwards.

Author's Note

Oh wow.... very surprised and happy people like this story! Didn't think a whole lot would since it's another good old HiE... but hey, I'm thankful! 44 favs and 30 thumbs up in what, 7 days? Thank ya all! And like usual, if ya see any typos or anything that doesn't make sense, yell at me in the comments and I'll fix them... there's probably a lot in this one...

A word from co-author Furious Bacon and I quote; "Please not that during the making of this story that there were so many typos!!! So many god damn typos!!! Thank you for your attention."

...I'm not sure what he meant either...

5 - Fashionista Extraordinaire

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 5 - Fashionista Extraordinaire

The library remained quiet as the assembled group stood and looked at each other, silent. Finally, Martin coughed as he looked at Twilight. "Sooo… what now?"

She wandered around the library. "Well… I guess we get you settled in for the month and see what happens…"

Rarity walked to Martin and looked at his clothes. "Oh my… we have to get you two some new clothes; you can't be wearing those… rags." She tapped his clothes in disgust.

"Um… but we have no way of paying." Mike muttered.

She raised her hoof. "I consider it my duty… that’s just a crime against fashion." She said, her nose held high.

"And when would you like us to do that?" He asked her.

She giggled, a hoof over her mouth. "Why right now of course, it's not like I could let you wander around town in… those any longer."

Martin sighed and glanced at the group. "Ok, let's get crackin'."

"Ok…" Mike agreed, hesitantly.

"Alright darlings, we'll have to catch up after I give these gentlestallions proper attire. Ta-ta!" She said to the group, walking out of the library with them in tow. They were quiet as they made it to her boutique, which was really out of place in the town. She opened the door and blushed slightly. "Sorry about the mess, I was hit with inspiration last night and had to make them."

The humans looked around the shop. "Never was inside a shop like this before… hmm…" Martin said as he inspected the different dresses and jackets on the mannequins.

Mike just stood awkwardly by the door. Rarity's horn glowed a light blue as a clipboard and tape measure floated next to her head. She had put on red ruby glasses as she looked at the two.

"So who wants to get their measurements first?"

Martin's good arm shot up in the air. "I'm always curious…" He smiled.

"Splendid, then stand here on this little stage and we'll get right on it." She smiled before she looked at Mike. "Look at some fabrics till I get him done." The tape measure soon had a life of its own, floating around Martin as she scribbled down some numbers.

At least twenty minutes passed before she finished, the tape measure floating to rest on the ground. "Took a little longer than expected but it's your turn." She smiled as she looked at Mike and Martin stepped off the stage. Mike gulped nervously.

As they passed, Martin put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don’t worry mate, it's really not bad."

"Yeah… sure…" He muttered.

Martin made his way over to where Mike had stood as Mike hesitantly stepped onto the stage, his face red. "Just stand there darling and don’t worry, nothing will happen to you." She promised as the tape measure floated towards him.

"O-ok…" He said, nervous.

Things went a lot faster, Rarity familiar and knew she needed to measure. It only took roughly ten minutes. "All done darling." She smiled as he stepped off the stage.

"Thanks." He gave her a small smile.

"Oh no need to thank me; it's the least I can do and I'm sure can repay the favor one day." He nodded as she looked over the notes. "Come back tomorrow and I'll have some things ready for you both."

"Will do; thanks again Ms. Rarity." Mike said as he made his way towards the door.

Martin followed as he waved goodbye. "Bye."

"Ta-ta darlings!" She said as the door shut, already getting the fabrics she needed.

Mike shuddered. "So what now?"

Martin looked around; somehow the day was already waning, the sun turning the sky a mix of orange and purple. The moon was slowly appearing but was hidden by thick clouds. "Damn… it's getting really cold-" A small snowflake fell onto his nose and he stared at it. "Is… is that snow?"

Snow came down harder; the snowflakes making it look like rain. "So this is snow… wow… its pretty." Mike whispered as he started to shiver. "Maybe we should go back to Twilights and see if we can find somewhere warm to sleep for the night."

"Yeah, let's go; you can admire the snow on the way." Martin chuckled.

"Yay!" Mike said as they made their way through the snow to the warm looking tree. The snowfall picked up and whatever light disappeared, the street lamps barely illuminating a foot in front of them.

"Damn… this is turning into a blizzard…" Martin narrowed his eyes to stop the snow that flew into them.

"Yeah… maybe we should try and hurry?" Mike said, his teeth chattering.

Martin started to walk faster. "Sounds like a great idea…"

Mike quickly caught up to him. "Maybe we should've packed a jacket."

Martin narrowed his eyes as he looked at Mike. "I don’t want my jacket to be honest, considering what's inside the pockets. I mean damn, the ponies already went wild seeing my knife; I wonder what would happen if they saw my revolver." He put his good hand up to shield his eyes.

"Oh yeah… good point." Mike chuckled. "Totally thought they were gonna arrest you…"

They finally made it back to the library, the snow had piled a few inches on the ground. Martin flung the door open and Mike run inside, quickly shutting the door behind him, snow flying in. They looked up at the sounds of hoof steps and saw Twilight walk up to them. "There you are… I was getting worried you got lost in the blizzard."

"Sorry… it took a bit to find our way back." Mike answered, still shivering.

Twilight nodded. "Well I have the fireplace going if you guys wanna use that to get warm…" She said as the two humans sped to the small fireplace in the corner, trying to get warmth back in their limbs. She shook her head as she trotted towards them. "Martin, AJ asked if you felt good enough, you could help on the farm if you want." She paused and looked at Michael. "And Michael… I'm not sure if Fluttershy asked, I couldn’t hear her, but I think she wants to know if you'd help her with the animals tomorrow morning."

Mike's face erupted in a huge blush. "S-sure… I'd l-l-like too…" He said, stuttering.

Martin chuckled at him before nodding his head. "Yeah, I'll help." Martin blushed slightly but no one noticed it.

She nodded. "Until you made your decision, you can live here. Princess Celestia asked me to look after you two; I got some sleeping bags and mattresses." She blushed. "Although I'm not sure it'll fit you, I'll make it bigger. And you'll be staying in the guest room upstairs."

"Works with me…" Mike said, his face hidden as he willed the blush away.

Martin glanced at the clock. "Damn it's already ten past five…"

Mike chuckled. "Only that early; I thought it was much later with how fast it got dark…"

"It gets really dark when there's a blizzard and during the winter, the sun lowers much earlier."

Mike rolled his eyes. "I know that… I just assumed it was later anyway…"

Martin walked upstairs. "I'll check out the guest room." He opened the door and walked into the room, bumping his head on the door jam. The walls were made out of numerous bookshelves, all organized and dusted. The room had no light save whatever came from the small window. The blizzard was in full force, smacking into the window.

Mike popped his head in. "Wow… nice room."

"Yep…" Martin as he looked at the sleeping bags, there were two; a green and a red. "Which one do you want?"

"I'll take the green one."

"Ok." Martin said as he passed the small green sleeping bag.

Twilight appeared in the doorway. "It's not much but I hope it's enough." She said, hoofing at the ground.

Mike smiled at her. "It's more than enough... and thanks for letting us stay again, we appreciate it."

"Indeed, may the Nine bless you."

She nodded. "Maybe sometime you can explain what all these 'Nine' and 'Gods' you keep referring too…"

Martin smiled. "I'm sure I'll find time to do so."

Mike stared out the window, admiring the snow. "So this is what snow looks likes… it's pretty amazing…" He muttered.

Twilight gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean? Have you never seen snow before?"

He shook his head no. "No… this is the first time; where I come from, it doesn’t snow… ever."

"Oh well at least you got to see it now." She said with a smile.

"Yeah… I'm glad I could finally see some." He said with a small smile.

Before she left the room, she used her magic and stretched the sleeping bags so we could fit comfortably in them and not freeze. After the round of goodnights, she left the room and Martin quickly shut the door. He looked at Mike, who was trying to get comfy. "Mate… what do you think we have to do if we want to stay?"

He paused and scratched his beard, staring out the window. "Well… if I was Celestia, I'd make us give up our human bodies."

Martin frowned. "But I like my body… I love having fingers, you know?"

"Yeah… it's just a thought though, I could be horribly wrong… but that’s the only thing I can think of … I'm rather fond of my body myself, well besides…" He pointed at his plastic eye.

Martin looked at the plastic eye. "Even if… I'm not sure that'll come back again."

"Yeah probably not." Mike shrugged. "It's not like we could just magically grow another one." Martin shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

Mike sighed, his hands resting on the back his head as he stared at the ceiling.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Martin asked, looking at the blizzard.

Mike turned so he could see out the window. "What?"

"My childhood… it snows a lot in Lower Saxony, the Mash Lake would freeze and I'd go there with my family..." He frowned, realizing that he'd never see them again.

"Yeah… I wonder if anyone noticed you were gone."

"Who knows… they won't expect me back too soon… told them I'd be gone for a few months on vacation." He said, looking at the floor.

"Ah… well, maybe she'll let us send them a letter or something…"

He sighed and sat down on the red sleeping bag. "Maybe… maybe."

"I hope so… so we just don’t disappear."

They sat there, wrapped in their own thoughts before the door opened, revealing the baby dragon. "Umm… dinners ready." He said.

"Ok." Mike said, getting up.

Martin sighed and followed suit as they walked down the stairs and sat at the table. Dinner was a daisy sandwich for Twilight, a sparkling plate of gems for Spike, and for the humans he made some grilled cheese and eggs with a side of salad.

"Looks wonderful Spike." Mike said as he began to eat.

"Much appreciated mate." Martin agreed, digging into his salad.

They finished dinner rather fast, mostly in silence as Twilight asked a few questions here or there. According to the clock, it was a little past six and the blizzard hadn't let up. Mike sat by the window, staring vacantly out at the winter wonderland while Martin tried explaining to Twilight who the Nine were.

"The Nine are gods that watch and guide us through our lives. First and foremost, there's Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time and the Chief God of the Pantheon, then Arkay is the God of Life and Death, Dibella is the Goddess of Beauty, Julianos is the God of Wisdom and Logic, Kynareth is the Goddess of Nature, Mara is the Mother Goddess and Goddess of Love, Stendarr is the God of Mercy, Talos is the God of War and Governance, and finally, Zenithar is the God of Work and Commerce."

She frantically wrote them all down on a parchment, asking him to spell a few before she re-read the scroll and looked at him. "And everypony believes in these 'gods'?"

He chuckled. "Oh no… neither do I; I just like to use their names for fun… like many others. They don’t exist; they are just part of a worldwide known story that amazed billions of people."

"Oh…" she paused. "So you use it more as an ironic insult to people that do believe in those 'gods' of theirs? Interesting…"

His eyes widen. "Oh no... I don’t think anyone believes in those gods… and even if they did, I'd never want to offend them."

She looked at him blankly. "That’s just confusing."

"I just use their names for fun, not to offend anyone. If someone is offended by me doing so, I'll stop. I mean no harm to anyone, at least not like that."

She shook her head. "That’s not what I meant. You sound like you were using false gods almost in an ironic sense to people that have believed in the 'real god', like this Jesus person?" She asked as she read the name from her parchment.

"Oh… I guess I just misunderstood you there." He said, scratching the back of his neck.

She blushed slightly. "Sometimes I misinterpret myself…"

He chuckled. "Happens to all of us sometimes…"

She nodded and leaned closer to him. "So what's wrong with your friend?" She whispered.

He looked at Mike, vacantly staring off into space with a raised eyebrow. A grin slowly appeared on his face as he moved closer to him. "You thinking' bout Fluttershy, ain't ya?" He whispered.

Mike seemed to snap out of his daze and his face was heavily flushed. "Huh? Oh… no… just thinking about stuff."

He nodded with the grin. "'Bout Fluttershy 'n' stuff, right?"

Mike rolled his eyes. "No… more like Celestia never did answer why Discord brought us here… it just seems like there's something going on that no one knows but her…"

His grin disappeared. "Oh… yeah, makes sense."

Twilight looked at them. "I'm sure she'd tell you if something was going on."

Mike sighed. "I'm not sure… I'm just getting that feeling." His face turned a deeper red. "And maybe Fluttershy was in there somewhere." He muttered.

Martin's grin re-appeared. "How about you go buy her some flowers or something nice like that, aye?" He whispered. Twilight couldn’t hear them, but she was interested in what they were whispering.

He rolled his eyes again. "I've known her for what, two maybe three days? Don’t you think that’s too soon… and besides, you’ve seen how I get tongue tied around her… Also that whole Discord thing is bugging me…"

Martin sighed. "Ok… but you shouldn’t worry too much. There's nothing we could do about it anyways, at least for the moment."

Mike scratched his head. "Women in any dimension are weird…"

Twilight leaned closer to them without either noticing. "What do you mean?" She asked, her tail flicked a few times as she stared at him.

Martin looked at him before getting up quickly. "You're on your own for this one mate." He quickly disappeared into the guest room.

He glared at the guest room door. I guess I deserve this… "Nothing against women or mares, but they seem to cause me no end of stress no matter where I am… granted two of them did save my life, which I should thank you for… and Fluttershy…"

She seemed relieved. "Oh… ok." She said, a faint smile on her lips.

Martin slowly opened the door. "Is the danger averted?" He asked, sticking his head out.

Mike glared at him. "Yeah… we're good, right Twilight?" He asked, slightly nervous.

She nodded "Phew." Martin said as he left the safety of the room.

"That was for turning the shower to cold this morning, wasn’t it?" Mike asked, glaring.

Martin smiled. "Yep."

"You're cruel."

"Aww… I'm not that bad."

"Remind me to tell AJ you threw your best friend to the wolves." He chuckled as Twilight looked at Martin curiously, her head slightly tilted.

Martin stared at him. "You wouldn’t dare." He said, terrified.

Mike held his poker face before he started to laugh. "You know I wouldn’t, but it was totally worth it to see your face."

"What are you two talking about?" Twilight asked, confused.

"It's nothing, just a little joke we had back on Earth, right?" He looked at Martin with a little smile.

Martin smiled nervously. "Yeah… a joke…" She nodded but still looked confused. He sighed before he looked at the clock. "How can we pass the time?"

"I can always ask you more questions?" Twilight asked with a small smile.

His eyes widened and he looked even more terrified. "Oh god… depends on the question I guess…"

She giggled. "Well… what did you do before you came here?"

"Oh…" He sighed, relieved. "Well, I was a paramedic; I got trained in Germany but I got my first job in London." He said, slightly surprised at the question.

She smiled. "That’s sounds like a wonderful job, always helping ponies."

He smiled back at her. "It was always my dream; I've wanted to become a paramedic since I was seven years old."

She looked at Mike. "And you Michael, what were you before you came here?"

He scratched his head and chuckled. "I was an author…"

She smiled at him curiously. "Really; what kind of books did you write?"

"Mostly science fiction but I dabbled in some historical non-fiction, action/adventure, and a romance every now and again…"

She continued to smile at him. "Do you have any of them with you?"

"No… I had one in my backpack but that was back on Earth… and I don’t think it traveled with us…"

Martin reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. "Don’t worry pal… you put them up remember? I took screen shots of one of them."

Mike blushed. "Oh yeah…"

Twilight appeared next to Martin and stared at his phone. "So his stories are in this thing?"

He nodded and turned on the phone, the screen lighting up brightly. He tapped the screens a few times and showed her the first image of the page to her. "Just touch the screen down here and it'll bring you to the next page."

She held it with her magic and stared at it for a moment before she began to read. She seemed to speed read through the first dozen pages in the span of five minutes or so.

"Damn… she's fast." Mike whispered, not wanting to bother the reading unicorn.

"That's what he said." Martin chuckled.

"Ha."

She ignored them and sat down on the couch. "Geez, it's still early… you got any movies on your phone?"

Mike shook his head. "Nope… I got a few on my iPod though." He said, grabbing it and turning it on. He scrolled down the list. "…Let's see; Star Wars, Jaws, Sorcerer's Apprentice, the Family Guy Star Wars…"

"Which Star Wars movie?"

"A New Hope."

"Aww man, I love episode four!" Martin yelled in delight.

Mike smiled. "It's my favorite movie…"

Martin shrugged. "Meh, I prefer five but four is one of the best." He got up and walked towards the guest room. "Come on mate, better atmosphere…"

"Sure." Mike said, following him. He set up his iPod so they both could see it. He unplugged the headphones and turned the speakers as loud as it could go before hitting play.

"Haven't watched episode four in ages." Martin said, excited.

"I just had a marathon last week or so."

The main theme started to play with the opening text crawl. The Imperial Star Destroyer chased after the Rebel corvette as Twilight opened the door and went to speak till she heard the laser fire. She walked over and saw the movie and smiled. Mike scooted over for her and made sure she could watch it with them as she hoofed Martin his phone back.

"Thanks." He whispered, trying not to interrupt the movie.

She nodded but wasn’t really paying attention, wrapped up in the movie. They watched the entire movie, Twilight staring at the people curiously but refrained from asking any questions, not wanting to disturb the movie. A few hours later, the ending credits slowly faded away plunging the room into total darkness.

Martin looked at Twilight as Mike grabbed his iPod. "So what did you think?"

She looked at him with big eyes. "I liked it… it seemed so creative… I could never come up with an amazing story like that."

Mike chuckled. "Don’t worry, this movie influenced so many people it's not even funny… and the guy that wrote it based it off of other people's work."

Martin glanced at her. "There's six movies in total; first came four, five and six, then one, two, and three about twenty years later."

"There are six movies like this?" Her eyes sparkled.

"Yeah, but that was the best one in my opinion."

Martin coughed. "I think five was the best."

"Do you have any others?"

"Michael says he has a parody of the fourth but I don’t think he has any of the others."

"I have the fourth and the parody on here." He brought up 'Family Guy - Blue Harvest'. "Wanna watch it?"

Martin grinned. "I love Family Guy… but it might not be the right thing for Twilight, there are a lot of references that she won't get."

"Yeah…" Mike looked at her. "We can still watch it if you want to though."

She shook her head. "It's getting late and it's going to be a very busy tomorrow. Maybe we can watch it some other time." She got up and trotted towards the door. "Goodnight you two." She said before shutting the door.

"Night."

"Goodnight Twilight."

Martin looked at Mike. "Still wanna watch Family Guy?"

"Of course." He said, clicking the play button. "Then we should try and sleep… we have a long day tomorrow…"

"Yep, you have a pony waiting for ya." He nudged Mike's side.

His face turned red. "S-so do you remember?"

Martin's face turned red. "You god darn ass! Don’t you dare tell her!"

He laughed. "You know I wouldn’t… probably…"

Martin narrowed his eyes and glared at him. "I wonder what Fluttershy would say… hmmm…"

"Say about what?" Mike gulped.

"I'm sure we both know… right pal?" Martin said, his trademarked grin back. He was still a little red himself.

"….L-let's get back to the video…" Mike said, turning to watch his iPod, the brightness making it hard to hide his blush.

Martin smiled at his little victory as they finished the movie before hitting the sleeping bags, tired from another stressful day.

Author's Note

I really don't have a lot to say in this one... just wanted to say thanks again to anyone that reads/fav/liked it! We really appreciate it. See any errors, please let me know so I can fix them so it's half way readable!

Don't have anything from Furious Bacon but he'd probably say something about us all being a vegetable.

6 - Broken Cowpony

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 6 - Broken Cowpony

The night was cold as the snow continued its steady downpour till the early morning, the sun just beginning to rise. It was hard to see, the heavy cloud cover blocking its warmth.

Mike yawned as he woke up, stretching and blindly reached around for his glasses. He saw Martin was still fast asleep. He checked the time on his phone and saw it was still really early as he stealthily made his way out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He went into the main room, and scanned through the shelves again, before he picked another book at random and sat down to read.

Martin woke a little while later. He looked over at the empty sleeping bag and staggered up, his legs still asleep. He grunted in pain as he hit the door frame, coming into the main room. He saw Mike sitting on the couch, reading a book. "Mornin' mate." He said groggily, yawning into his good hand.

"Mornin'." He said, not looking up as he continued to read.

"Whatcha reading this early?"

"Equestrian Myths and Legends." He muttered. "Figured that we'd be in here somewhere… and yeah, we apparently may have been in Equestria or at least our early ancestors."

"Hmm… cool." Martin said, walking into the kitchen, noticing it was only five twenty in the morning. "Damn, we got up early…"

Mike chuckled. "Yeah, well this is the usual time I get up anyway…"

Martin stifled a yawn and rummaged through the cupboards till he found a glass and filled it with water from the sink and drank some. "You want some?" He asked.

Mike looked up from his book. "Sure, I'll take a glass of water."

Martin nodded and grabbed another glass, quickly filling it with water before walking back to him and handed it him. He raised his glass. "God save the Queen." He said, tapping his glass against Mike's before draining the water in one sip. "Aww… that's exactly what I needed."

Mike nodded and drank some. "Wow… this is pretty good for tap." He slowly sipped some as he went back to reading.

The sound of hooves coming down the stairs caused Martin and Mike to turn and looked at Twilight, who had a serious case of bed mane. "Morning." She said, walking right past them and into the bathroom.

Mike stared at the closed door before he laughed. "Morning Twilight."

"Mornin' Twilight." Martin responded.

A few minutes later, she came out of the bathroom, her mane back to normal. "How are you two?" She asked with a smile.

"Can’t complain." Mike said, turning back to his book.

"Feel good, nothing to complain about." Martin smiled as Spike hopped down the stairs and went into the kitchen.

"How about you Twilight, how'd you sleep?" Mike asked.

She smiled at him. "I slept well, thanks for asking."

"Good to hear." He said, looking at her with a smile.

There was a moment of silence. "So when am I supposed to be at AJs?" Martin asked curiously.

Twilight paused and looked at the clock. "She said to be at the farm 'bright and early' so I'm assuming she meant sunrise, which is about an hour or so away… just enough time for breakfast."

"Oh… ok." He said as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a loaf of bread. "You don’t have to make anything for me Spike, just something small."

He smiled. "I was gonna make what I made yesterday, that seemed to work and why mess with something you like?"

"Ok Spike, do what you think is right." He nodded and went back to work.

Twilight coughed to get Mike's attention as he looked up. "Fluttershy said you can come over whenever you want…" She trailed off, watching him.

He gulped and buried his head in his book, hiding his blush. There was a brief pause. "Oh... we still have to pick up the new clothes from Rarity too…" He whispered, still flustered.

Martin looked at the all important clock. "Then we better hurry up with breakfast."

"Yeah… I wonder what time she opens though."

"Rarity always opens at five thirty… ya never know when there's an early customer." Spike said as he made breakfast.

"Thanks Spike."

Once Spike finished cooking they quickly ate and got ready to go to Rarity's Boutique. Martin stood in front the door. "Hope it's not as cold as yesterday, if not colder."

Mike smiled. "Yeah or I hope that she has a long sleeved shirt or something." He pushed his glasses back up. "Well… I guess we'll back later."

He slowly opened the door. "Let's get goin'."

A cold wind hit them in the face as they stepped onto the frozen wasteland; they both shivered. "Well, this is gonna be fun… let's try and hurry…"

Martin agreed and led the way, snow almost a foot deep.

"Jesus! No wonder people wear snowshoes…" Mike muttered as they struggled through the snow.

The Boutique itself was covered in a thin layer of snow, the lights on in the building. As they opened the door a small bell tinged, announcing their arrival. "I'll be right there." Rarity said, her voice coming from the second floor.

Mike leaned against the wall and took his glasses off and tried to clean the snow off of them. Rarity came down the stairs moments later and looked at them with a smile. "Wonderful, I've been waiting for you two. I managed to make some proper attire." She led the way into the other room.

There were two coats hanging on the wall, both brown and seemed to be made of some sort of leather. Next to the jackets, two pairs of black trousers, two white shirts and suit jacket. On the floor rested two black boots, all in all very formal, yet warm. "Formal is the newest trend and I had all the materials ready so I thought, why not? They might look like they'd get damaged easily, but the cloth is very durable and slightly dirt resistant." Rarity explained.

"Wow… that’s amazing and you did this in one night." Mike asked as he stared at the clothes.

She smiled. "It was nothing really, I could've done more but my darling sister Sweetie Bell insisted that I sleep."

"Well I'm impressed… if there's anything you need help with, just ask… these clothes look really expensive…"

Martin walked over to the smaller set of clothes and whistles. "Damn… I love formal things… always been a fan of suits."

Mike grabbed his. "Umm… where can we try them on?"

She pointed a hoof towards a small room off to the side. "Over there, I hope it's not a problem but you have to share a room."

Martin looked at him. "Zero fucks given." He said, heading straight into the room.

Mike chuckled and grabbed his suit, heading after his friend. "Just like changing for high school P.E. eh?"

The room they entered had numerous hooks on the wall, all level with ponies. A wall size mirror covered the back wall, right next to a small window. Martin took off his shirt and started putting on the white button shirt and the suit jacket. "I never wore anything like this before…" He said, taking off his jeans and grabbing the trousers.

Mike took his glasses off before taking his shirt off and buttoning on the new one; he hissed in pain when he bent the wrong way. "Wow… this stuff feels nice…" He put on the vest. "Not a big fan of fancy wear, but it works." The new shirt covered their entire arm. "At least we'll have some protection from the cold and I can always roll up the sleeves…"

Martin had some difficulty with one arm, but he managed a few moments later. "Feels good, definitely warmer than they look." He grabbed the boots and stuck them on, kneeling down and tied the laces. He got up and looked in the mirror. "Damn, looking smart, aye?"

Mike glanced over and nodded his eye. "Aye… looks like you're ready for a dance or something." He finished tying up his laces and patted himself down; making sure everything was in order. "Huh… a lot warmer than they looked." Feels like I should be in the Lord of the Rings movies…

They grabbed their jeans and removed the various items, putting them in their pockets. "Not going without them." Martin muttered, slipping the knife in.

Mike nodded and looked at his cell phone. "Huh… I wonder if we have service here?"

Martin reached back in his pocket, grabbing his phone and turned it on. "Nope… nothing…"

"That’s what I thought… oh well, was an idea…"

"Too bad." He shrugged.

"Are you boys done yet?" Rarity asked from the other side of the door.

Mike opened the door and walked out, blushing as she eyed his clothes. "Yeah…"

"All I need now are a pair of sunglasses and I'm in MIB." Martin said, following Mike.

Rarity giggled as she levitated him a pair of sunglasses. "Well I don’t see why anypony would want to wear these ghastly things but I made them just in case." She looked at Mike. "Would you like a pair?"

He shook his head no. "No thanks, I need to keep these glasses on at all times to be able to see."

Martin grabbed the sunglasses and put them on. "Oh yeah, kicking some alien butt and looking awesome while doing so." He had a huge grin on.

Mike laughed. "Keep it together Agent J, we got work to do, ponies to see." He shook his head.

He looked at Mike, all traces of humor gone. "Let's do this." He said as he walked towards the door and turned around as he opened it. "Thank you Miss Rarity; I hope you have a nice day." He left, leaving Mike alone with her.

She giggled as they watched him leave. "He's funny."

"That he is… very odd too. Well, thank you again Miss Rarity and I hope you have a nice day." Mike said, heading towards the open door.

She waved goodbye. "Ta-ta!"

Martin was too far away already, only a distant brown spot in the snow as Mike waved and headed towards Fluttershy's cottage.

=

The town wasn’t too busy but every now and again, there was a pony walking through the snow. They paused and gave each of the humans a hesitant wave, as they waved back.

Mike saw the imposing Everfree Forest and the small dirt path that led to Fluttershy's cottage. He noticed a pair of hoofprints in the snow, leading the same house.

He paused in front of it getting ready to knock when he heard Fluttershy's voice through the window. "…Don't worry; I'm sure you'll find somepony better than him…" She said, her voice barely carrying.

Huh… I wonder who she's talking too… maybe I should come back later… He turned around and slipped on some snow, his head smacking into the door, unintentionally knocking. "Since when did I become the fourth member of the Stooges?" He groaned, rubbing his head.

Fluttershy yelped in fear. "W-who could that be this early in the morning?" She asked, her hoof steps getting closer to the door. She slowly opened it and saw him lying on the ground. "Oh… Michael… it's you… what are you doing here so early?" She asked. There were sobs coming from the living room.

He held his head. "W-well… um… Twilight said that you could use my help but I see that you're busy so I'll come by later." He squeaked the last few words, his face bright red.

She hid behind her mane. "Umm… it's ok… I'm not busy at all…" She opened the door, making room for him to walk through.

He hesitantly walked through, almost smacking his head on the door frame. He murmured his thanks and waited for her to lead the way. He hung his coat on the hooks by the door and noticed a brown cowboy hat hanging by itself.

Hmm… that hat looks oddly familiar… He ignored it though and followed her to the living room but before he entered she stopped and turned around.

"Umm… I hope you don’t mind but Applejack is here as well… she's having a hard time at the moment…"

His eyes widened. "Sure, that’s not a problem." He quickly said. "Um… if it's not too much to ask, what's wrong… I mean, I understand if you won't say, we did just meet a few days ago…"

A sad look appeared on her face. "Her coltfriend… he left her this morning… she's been here ever since…"

Mike instantly felt bad for her, his heart sympathetic for her. "Ah… I'm sorry to hear that… that’s not a fun place to be… if she needs anything from a total stranger, I would gladly help... and I'm sure Martin would too." Something clicked in his mind. "He was actually on his way to meet her at Sweet Apple Acres… oh dear…"

"Oh my… well, I'm sure he'll understand." They were interrupted by another sob. They quickly entered the living room and Fluttershy sat down on the couch next to AJ, her eyes red and puffy.

Mike knocked gently on the door frame and AJ whipped her head around to look at him. "Hey AJ… I just wanted you to know how sorry I am and that if you need anything, just let me know…" He said, giving her a sad smile.

AJ looked at him with puffy red eyes and sniffled. "Thank ya Michael… Ah really appreciate it." She held in a sob.

"No problem AJ. I know how it feels to get your heart broken and I can tell just by looking at you that you're stronger than I am, you'll beat this, don’t even think about him anymore, he wasn’t good enough for you anyway." His face turned red.

She held her head in her hooves. "Thank ya… but Ah'm not sure about that though…"

Fluttershy kept running a hoof through her mane. "Don’t worry… we'll all help you… we'll be there for you…"

He nodded in agreement. "Like she says, you're as strong as you are in your weakest moment. Just keep putting your hooves forward and nothing can stop you."

Fluttershy looked at him worriedly. "Maybe you could feed the animals… I'll be making some tea for all of us. If you don’t mind of course…"

He nodded. "Of course, don’t worry, I got it." He said, heading outside and to the storage shed. He got the feed and carried to the chicken coop. "Ok… just like last time, minus the crazy rabbits." He muttered.

The animals were still hesitant but were too hungry to care and he managed to not get overrun by rabbits. The faint smell of something apple related swept from the cottage and after feeding the animals and putting the food away, he went back inside. AJ was still sitting on the couch and didn’t seem to be any better, a cup of steaming apple tea in her hooves. Fluttershy was sitting next to her, a cup of tea in her own hooves.

She noticed Mike as he shut the door. "Oh… Michael… um… thank you f-for your help." Her face turned slightly red as she tried to hide behind AJ, who seemed lost in her own world.

He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "It's no problem; it's the least I could do."

AJ sighed. "Ah wonder what he's up to…"

Fluttershy looked at her worriedly. "You can't think about him anymore…"

"AJ… if you keep thinking about him, the wound will never close; eventually, time will heal your heart… it's hell now and I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, it's probably gonna be hell for awhile, but if you have friends that'll help you get through the rough spots, then you'll realize how stupid he was. Love blinds us to others true characters..." His face turned bright pink. "I mean, it's just what I've learned." He said nervously.

She sighed again, taking a sip of tea. "Ya make it sounds so easy…"

"It's all from personal experience."

AJ put her cup down on the table. "Didn’t Ah ask Martin ta come to the farm?"

"Yeah… I'm sure he's there by now…"

She looked at the ground. "Ah hope Big Mac'll give him somethin' ta do..." She frowned, her blonde mane hanging in front of her face. "Ah don’t want any more ponies worrin' about me…"

"I'm sure he will understand…" Fluttershy mumbled as Mike stood there awkwardly.

AJ got off the couch and headed towards her hat. "Ah need some time ta think." She put her hat on. "Thank ya for everythin' Fluttershy and Ah really appreciate Michael." She opened the door and left before either of them could say anything.

Mike helplessly watched her leave and sighed sadly. "I wish I could've said something to help her." He sat on the hardwood floor and ran a hand through his hair.

Fluttershy stared into her cup sadly. "She never was this sad before…"

"Heartbreak doesn’t get any easier… it only gets worse." He stared at the ground. "She's a strong one, she'll get through this."

"I hope…" She mumbled before hoofing over a tea cup. "I… um… made you some tea." She whispered, her face red.

His face turned the same color. "Oh… um… thanks." He said as he took a sip.

"I hope you like it… it-its Applejack's favorite…"

He smiled. "This is really good… what flavor is it?"

She looked everywhere but at him. "Summer Apple…" She said.

"Oh wow…" He drank happily. "I can see why it's her favorite."

Fluttershy nodded, her face still bright red.

They enjoyed their cups of tea. When Fluttershy finished, she glided across the room and grabbed a duster from the top of her armoire. "I still have to clean… um… if you want… you can h-help me… "

"S-sure… what do you need help with?" He asked, setting his cup on the table and stretching.

She blushed again. "Um… there's a b-bucket with water and a towel over there…" She pointed to the corner by the door. "If you don’t mind… you could help me clean the windows… only if you want to though…"

He smiled faintly at her. "It'll be my pleasure to help." He said as he walked over to the bucket and grabbed it before he got the towel wet and started washing the windows farthest from her.

The two of them spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon cleaning with some small talk but they were mostly silent; still they enjoyed each others company. Fluttershy came out of her shell, able to talk to him and look him in the eye and not hide behind her mane as much; the stuttering went mostly away but she still blushed from time to time.

On his way back to the library, the town seemed to have come alive, ponies walking around in the snow. Fillies had snowball fights and couples walked close to each other, their tails intertwined. The snow still fell slowly from the sky as Mike pulled his jacket tighter.

He tried to enjoy the snow but AJ kept coming back to haunt him, the look of pure depression in her eyes hurt him and he sighed, wishing he could do something to help the cowpony. I wonder if the others know…

He finally made his way back to the library and shook his jacket off outside, making sure he wouldn’t accidentally drag snow into the library as he hung it up on a hook. He glanced at the clock; it was a little after two in the afternoon and Twilight was sitting on the couch reading while Spike nibbled on some gems. On the table in the kitchen, a plate of sandwiches sat for the two humans. Mike headed towards the kitchen, stopped only briefly with a hello from the two.

By the time he finished his sandwiches, it was getting close to three and he grew bored waiting for Martin, so he went into the other room, relaxing on the sleeping bag while he tried to beat his highest score in Solitaire. A little while later and still unsuccessful, Twilight slowly opened the door, agitated.

He put his iPod down and looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"Martin should've been back a half hour ago…"

He checked the time on his phone. "Oh yeah… I wonder what he's gotten himself into now."

Twilight nervously bit her lower lip. "…What if something happened to him?"

Mike got up. "Knowing him… that’s a good possibility." He left the room and headed towards his jacket, slipping it on. "Maybe I should go look for him…"

Twilight trotted over and levitated her scarf to her, wrapping it snuggly. "I'm coming with you; Princess Celestia made me responsible for the two of you. Spike, watch the library while I'm gone." He nodded briefly before delving back into his plate of gems.

He chuckled. "Not sure if that’s a good thing, but I'm glad you're coming with me, since I can't really see." He opened the door and held it for her. "Ladies or mares first."

She smiled slightly and led the way as he shut the door behind him. "You're very kind Michael; I hope people tell you that."

He laughed slightly. "Not really, kiss ass maybe, nice… not so much."

She giggled and began the trek to Sweet Apple Acres. "Maybe he's just busy working?" Twilight suggested as she tried not to think otherwise.

"I hope he just wasn’t paying attention to the time…" AJ's behavior came back to bug him in full force. "Hmm…" He thought as he rubbed his chin.

They arrived rather fast at the farm and saw a tall red stallion leaning against a white fence that encircled a large red barn; he seemed to be chewing a piece of straw. He saw them arrive and waved a hoof before walking towards them.

Mike hesitantly took a step back as the stallion came closer; he was nearly as tall as the human, coming up to his shoulders.

Twilight smiled at the stallion. "Hello Big Mac, is Martin here?"

"Nnope." The stallion, or Big Mac, said simply, his voice deep.

Twilight started to look worried. "Did he leave a long time ago?"

Big Mac looked at the sky for a few moments. "'Bout an hour ago or so, give or take."

Twilight glanced at Mike before looking back at Big Mac. "Did he say where he was going?"

"Nnope, Ah'm 'fraid not." The stallion seemed to look at somepony coming down the same path they just traveled and waved a hoof in greeting.

Mike turned around and tried to see the pony but couldn’t see that far. Twilight turned around as well and looked at the approaching pegasus. "Hey Fluttershy." She said, giving the pegasus a small smile. Fluttershy was carrying a little box in her as she trotted towards Mike.

She paused briefly to hug Twilight before she took the box out of her mouth. "Um… hello Michael…" She blushed but managed to look him in the eye.

Glad it's really overcast… "Hey Fluttershy…" He muttered, his face red. He noticed the box and tilted his head slightly. "What's that?"

She looked at the box. "Um… i-its some of the tea from this morning… and I thought… Applejack would like some more since she didn’t finish hers." She mumbled.

He smiled. "That’s real nice of you… I bet she'll like that… when we find her…" He muttered.

Fluttershy grew worried. "…She's not here?"

"Nnope." Big Mac answered.

"We can't find Martin either… they’ve both disappeared…"

Big Mac scratched his chin. "Now that Ah think bout it, he said somethin' bout goin' ta town… but Ah'm not sure…"

Everyone looked at him. "Really? When was this? And why didn’t you say anything earlier?" Mike asked, slightly agitated; that vanished when Big Mac turned to look at him.

"Ah just remembered it… almost fergot it honestly." Big Mac said, sheepishly scratching his neck.

"Oh…" Mike said nervously.

Twilight sighed. "Alright… guess we'll have to look in town; c'mon Michael." She started to walk back down the dirt path leading back into town.

He looked at Big Mack and Fluttershy briefly before following Twilight. Twilight shook her head. "What would he want in town?"

"Hmm… maybe he went back to Rarity for something?" He offered.

She sighed. "Maybe…"

"That's the only thing I can think of… unless…" He looked at her. "Do you think he could've gone to Pinkie for something sweet? Maybe AJ bought him something to repay him for working on the farm…"

She looked at him. "I'm not sure if she's in the mood for company right now… you know her coltfriend left her this morning…"

"…Oh you knew? I wasn’t sure she would want me to blurt it to everypony. Hmm… maybe he bought her something nice? Somehow?"

"I was there when he left her… I was around the corner and I heard them…"

"Was it really bad? I mean, you don’t have to say, I understand…"

"Well… he tried to make it sound as painless as possible but it still hurt her…"

"Yeah…" Mike put his hands in his pockets. "I wish there was something I could do to help…"

They arrived in the market; it wasn’t as busy as it was a few hours ago but there were still groups roaming. Twilight suggested splitting up to cover more ground but meet back at the library once the moon rises. He agreed and they split into opposite directions, combing the town for an orange cowpony and a human. Time passed and it got colder as snow started to fall faster and harder from the sky and soon the moon was hidden by clouds. He had given up hope and was heading back to the library; he saw a familiar shape in the distance quickly walking along the road.

He cursed having horrible vision and briskly ran towards it, his side nagging him to the point that he got winded faster. The wind had gotten stronger and snow blew into his face, quickly covering his glasses. He stumbled and fell face first into the freezing cold. He tried to stand but his body was locked in pain as he held his side. Suddenly a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him up.

"Mate, what are you doing out here?" Martin asked, brushing the snow from his shoulders.

"Oh you know, just getting rid of that farmer's tan." Mike held his side. What the hell is wrong with it, didn’t the nurse heal it? "Anyway, where in the world have you been? Twilight was starting to worry… is AJ with you?"

He shook his head. "No, I've been looking for her all over town, she ain't here… or at least she isn't anywhere I thought she would be…"

"Well… crap..." He ran a hand through his hair, knocking out the snow that had nested in it. "We need to find her; no one's seen her since she left Fluttershy's this morning…"

Martin sighed. "I saw her earlier today but I lost her in a group of ponies…"

"Where was she heading?"

"She was just running around randomly… she seemed upset." He looked at Mike. "Do you know if something's wrong?"

Mike looked away. "I'm not sure it's my place to say… but we need to find her."

Martin looked around; it had gotten dark and no pony was outside, the town going quiet. The silence was interrupted by somepony humming a tune and both humans turned to look at the sound. Their eyes widened as they stared in shock. "My god Applejack." He said as they watched her tumble around in a daze.

She noticed them. "Ah… Ma-" She hiccupped. "Martin… how are ya?"

He glanced at Mike before responding. "AJ… are-are you drunk?"

She hiccupped again. "Ah'm just havin' some fun… 'ello Michael, ya look a little pale ya know?"

"I'm fine… AJ, how much did you drink?"

She grinned at him. "Maybe Ah dra-drank…" She paused, trying to tap her chin with her hoof. "'Bout two thirds of a whiskey bottle; maybe more, Ah lost count." She said, her words horribly slurred.

Mike looked at Martin. "We need to get her back to the farm and get her to lie down…" He whispered.

Martin nodded. "Umm… AJ, maybe we should get you someplace else…"

She looked at them angrily. "Ah'm fi-fine… yer ain't taking me nowhere… Ah-ah just…" She stood for a moment, her mouth wide open before she fell on her flank.

Martin's eyes opened in shock. "AJ?!?!" He ran over and picked her up, she fought against him, her hooves failing about. He ran the opposite direction, heading towards the farm, Mike followed close behind. "Ya need help AJ; you can't kill yourself like this." He told her as he ran. His arm screamed in pain but he ignored, running faster.

Snow had started to pick up again, the wind pushing against their faces, AJ's hat flying off. The Sweet Apple Acres sign was dead ahead, the barn could be faintly made out in the glum. Mike gasped in pain, clutching his side as he slowed them down.

"Come on Mike, we're almost there!" He yelled as he ran towards the sign.

He wheezed. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up!" He yelled and Martin nodded and he sped up, leaving Mike in the snow. As Martin sped on ahead, Mike turned around and went back to pick up AJ's hat before turning around and trying to catch up.

Author's Note

Thanks for everyone that's fav/liked this! I can't thank you all enough. If you see any errors, I'm looking at you WeLCxAlphaPuppy (=D), please let me know so I can fix them.

7 - Can't Get Any Worse...

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 7 - Can't Get Any Worse...

He ran straight to the house and kicked the door as hard as he could, causing it to bash into the wall. He laid her on the living room couch. He was panting heavily as he watched her, she didn’t move and her face was bright red. He put his hand on her forehead. "Dear lord… you're burning up."

Applebloom walked down the stairs, yawning. "What in the world is goin' on-" She saw AJ. "What's wrong with mah sister?" She galloped down the final steps and hopped on the couch. Big Mac soon appeared.

Martin looked at Big Mac. "Do you have a first aid kit or something like that?"

"Eeyup." He said, going back up stairs.

"What's wrong wit' her?" Applebloom didn’t seem to notice that Martin wasn’t a pony; she was too worried about AJ.

He was still exhausted. "We found her outside in the cold… tumbling around…"

"How much did she drink?" Big Mac asked, a first aid in his mouth.

"I don’t know… she said she lost count." He said as he started to panic. He grabbed the first aid kit and rummaged around until he found a small syringe titled 'Adrenaline'. "This'll do the job…" he muttered, pulling the safety cap off. "It won't make her feel better but she'll wake up again and hopefully we can get some answers." He gripped the syringe tightly in his hand as he searched for a vein. He found an elusive vein and hesitated before he poked the needle through the skin and gave her a small dose of adrenaline.

There was silence as Big Mac and Applebloom stared intently at their sister, waiting for her to wake up. A few seconds later, AJ started to stir, her back legs kicking feebly till she opened an eye. Applebloom dove on her big sister and gave her a hug as Big Mack disappeared into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a glass of water. AJ feebly patted her sister on the back as Big Mac hooved the glass to her and she held it to her lips with shaky hooves.

Martin sighed in relief and kneeled down." AJ… what were you thinking? If Michael and I wouldn’t have found you, you could've died…"

She looked away and stared into the glass. "Maybe that’s what Ah wanted…"

Applebloom gasped, crying even more; even Big Mac looked surprised, his ears flat against his head.

"Why would you want that… what makes you think it ain't worth living?" Martin's face went blank.

"Ya wouldn’t understand…" She muttered, staring into her cup.

"If I don’t understand, it wouldn’t matter if you told me."

"Strong Gears?" Big Mac said, looking at his sister.

Her eyes watered and her face went red as she nodded. "Eeyup."

Martin turned to look at Big Mac. "Who's that?"

"AJ's colt-"

"Ex-coltfriend… he dumped me this mornin' while Ah was sellin' apples…"

Martin closed his eyes for a moment, pondering her words. "Is he the cause of all this?" He asked, irritation heard in his voice.

"Maybe he is, so what?"

"Did he name his reason on why he left you?"

"Said it wasn't workin' and it wasn't worth savin'."

Martin stood up and looked down on AJ. "What do you want to happen now?"

"What do ya mean now? Ah just want it ta stop hurtin'… or at least this headache ta go away…" She mumbled, holding her head.

He nodded. "Good and it will heal; we'll help you and don’t worry, your headache will go away by tomorrow afternoon but only if ya don’t drink any more alcohol… I'll take ya to the hospital tomorrow to get you checked."

She sighed but didn’t say anything.

Mike finally caught up, out of breath and covered in snow. "A little late." Martin said, looking at his friend.

He leaned against the door frame, gasping for air. "You know me… gotta make a dramatic entrance."

Martin walked towards him. "We should head back to the library… Twilight is going to kill us anyway…"

"Yeah…" Mike leaned close to Martin. "Everything ok?" He whispered.

Martin nodded. "Don’t worry mate." He looked at AJ. "I don’t want to see you like this again… that won't help anyone ya hear me?"

AJ rolled her eyes. "Ah hear ya, doesn’t mean Ah'll listen."

Martin grabbed his knife out of his pocket and flicked it open. "If ya wanna kill yourself let me save you the trouble." He slammed it into the coffee table at an angle, the hilt dangling on either side. "Don’t make us all suffer more than yourself." He said, anger dripping in his voice as he turned around and stormed out into the snow.

They all stared at his retreating form before looking at the knife in the table. "No one understands how it feels to have heartbreak, it's different for everyone. For me, everything lost its color and I began questioning if live was worth living." Mike paused, staring into AJ's eyes. "But always remember that having these feelings means you're alive… everypony goes through them one way or another; it helps show you who you are in your heart of hearts so to speak. Some say it's worth the pain to truly see yourself in the mirror, no expectations." He smiled at her. "I wish you luck AJ, and remember, you're not alone… your family, your friends, and us humans are to make sure you take it one hoof at a time." He said before pulling her hat from behind his back and sat it gently on the table before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

=

Martin walked quickly through the snow, almost running. He wanted to get as far away as he could from her… thinking about AJ's behavior, why she did it; he wasn’t sure what he should think. Drinking away her sorrow and almost killing herself, I've always hated people that make others suffer more than themselves only because of their own problems. He headed for the library, the snow picking up for round three of the blizzard. The sparse street lamps were the only source of light as the two humans walked in silence, Mike having caught up with him as he held his side.

They entered the library and hung up their coats. Martin didn’t greet Twilight, who had come running up to them with a relieved look on her face; he walked right past her and up the stairs to the guest room, closing the door behind him. She stared at the closed door as Mike closed the front door, snow starting to billow in.

"Michael, what's wrong with Martin? And where have you been all day; I've been worried sick about you!" She yelled, angrier than he had ever seen her. "I thought we were supposed to meet at the library when it got dark..." She pouted, waiting for him to respond.

Mike summarized how they found AJ, the heavy drinking, and Martin's little outburst. "I'm sorry but I didn’t have time to do anything." He took a deep breath and groaned in pain. "I barely caught up with him. This thing keeps slowing me down."

She looked at him worriedly. "We'll have Nurse Redheart recheck that rib tomorrow, make sure it didn’t damage anything." She sighed. "About Martin… I don’t know…" She frowned, confused.

He looked at the shut door. "Neither do I… he's never acted like this before." He sighed and sat down on the couch, cleaning his glasses. "I don’t know what to do Twilight."

"I'm not sure we can do anything… ma-maybe we should just let him think for a while."

"I think that's for the best." He gave her a small smile. "So I never did ask you how your day was, well besides this…"

A small smile appeared on her face. "A bit hectic, I barely had a chance to study…" She looked at him. "So how was Fluttershys'?"

Mike's face instantly turned red. "Besides the whole thing with AJ, not too bad… we mostly cleaned and chatted a bit."

She smiled at him again. "That's nice; she usually does it all by herself. It's interesting that she even accepted your help, normally she'd blush and hide somewhere… but she made an exception for you…"

"Oh… um… some would say that I have a very peaceful personality… and I'm easy to talk too…" His voice squeaked near the end, causing him to blush even harder.

"I think she likes you." She said, staring into his eyes, looking for any sort of response.

Mike put on a poker face. "I'm not sure… we just met a few days ago… and I really don’t believe in the 'love at first sight' hullabaloo…"

She narrowed her eyes briefly but nodded suspiciously. "It's getting late… maybe we should go to bed."

He sighed. "You go on, I'm gonna stay up a little longer."

She yawned and gave him a tired smile. "Sleep tight Michael." She headed upstairs.

"Goodnight Twilight…" He trailed off, staring out the window. What a day… He yawned, gasping in pain as his fingers started to twitch. His body started to convulse and he fell to the floor. Something seemed to foam out of his mouth but he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. He laid on the ground and convulsed horribly, smacking into the coffee table.

=

Martin sat on his sleeping bag, staring out the window, thinking about what had happened when a loud thud interrupted his thoughts. He got up and slowly made his way to the door and opened it. He saw Mike lying on the floor, for a moment he thought Mike was asleep but saw him twitch. He hopped down the stairs and kneeled next to him. "Michael? Michael, can you hear me?!" He yelled, to no response. "Of course…" He muttered as he looked at his injured arm. "There ain't no resting now." He used all the strength he could muster to lift Mike on his shoulder, using an old army tactic that he learned. "Ugh…" He grunted in pain, his arm screaming. He breathed heavily for a moment before making his way to the front door, kicking it open and he began to stagger his way to the hospital. He was exhausted after the first few steps but grunted against the pain and continued on.

=

Cold was all he felt, small ice cubes land on his back and arms as he continued to twitch, not at all in control of his body. He watched colors fly by, mostly small white flakes. He could tell he was being carried and moved; his body seemed to be floating. He couldn’t tell who or what was carrying him however. Pain flared again through his nerves as he convulsed badly, the thing that held him dropped him. Before he passed out, he could have sworn he saw a brief hint of yellow before the blackness swallowed him.

=

Mike's sudden twitch caused Martin to stumble and he lost his grip, Mike fell to the ground like a rock. Martin yelled in pain as his right arm fell with Mike. Agony and pain rippled through his arm as he felt the stitches holding the wound closed rip open and blood began to run down his sleeve. The pain overwhelmed him for a moment, his vision going blurry. Like hell I'm letting you die. He grunted in pain, grabbing Mike underneath his armpits and forced himself to start dragging him, Mike's legs slithering along the snow.

He could see lights not that far away but his body gave out, reaching its' limit. He lied there in the snow, the pain in his arm too much. He closed his eyes and grimaced; his only true friend was slowly dying and there wasn't anything he could do stop it. There was a flash of light and he opened an eye to see Discord floating nearby.

"Oh my…" He chuckled. "It seems as if you got yourself in quite the pickle. Rescue is so close, but yet so far. Maybe you could use this to get their attention." Martin's vision blurred as Discord dropped Martin's jacket on the snow before disappearing.

Martin crawled to the jacket and rummaged through it, pulling out the flare gun. He looked at it before looking at Mike on the ground, covered in snow and looking paler than before. He sighed. "I hope she forgives me…" He pulled the trigger and quiet 'pouf' was heard as the flare was sent high in the sky, leaving behind a red smoke trail. It exploded in a loud, bright red ball, sounding like a firecracker and it lit up the entire town in an eerie red glow. "…Please… please help US!" He yelled.

The town suddenly came to life as lights flickered on and ponies peeked their heads out of the doors. Most gasped and stared at the light in the sky but several saw the humans and rushed over, before realizing it was us and paused. A gray pegasus with a blonde mane continued to walk forward, staring at his bleeding arm. Suddenly there was a blue blur and Dash was right next to him. "What the hay is going on?" She asked as she motioned to his arm and saw Mike writhing in pain. She hopped over to him and tried to pull him, dragging him a few inches.

Martin panted, the world going black. "I-…" Pain shot through his body as he slumped over, passed out as blood flowed freely from his arm.

Dash looked at him and groaned. She quickly flew into the hospital and told them about the two dying humans. They all rushed out of the hospital, bringing gurneys that they strapped the humans too before pushing them back into the hospital, any doctor that wasn't there getting an emergency call. Dash looked torn between going back into the hospital and the tree house. She sighed and rushed off to the tree house, figuring Twilight would know what to do. She knocked rapidly till Twilight opened the door.

"Dash… what's all the fuss about? Did you see the red light?"

"Yeah… its Martin and Mike… they're in the hospital… Martin's arm was bleeding and Mike was convulsing on the ground." She looked at Twilight. "I got Redheart and they rushed them inside."

Twilight stared at her, horrified. "What? What happened?"

Dash stamped her hoof in aggravation. "I don’t know! I saw the bright red light in the sky, followed it to the source and saw them with Derpy."

Twilight looked worried. "Let's go quickly." Her horn glowed and before Dash could say anything, they teleported to the hospital lobby. Dash lowered her head closer to the floor, dizzy as Twilight galloped to Redheart, who stared at the two, surprised. "Where are they?" She demanded.

Redheart sighed and held a hoof to her head. "Twilight… I know you're worried about your friends, but it's almost midnight and you're at a hospital so I have to ask you to keep it down. And they're being operated on as we speak. Martin tore the stitches and he re-fractured the bone and tore a tendon, so we're resetting it and are stitching him up with new stitches that he can't break or rip."

"What about Michael? You didn’t say anything about him?" Dash asked, looking at Redheart.

Redheart sighed. "We… we don’t know what's wrong with him. He won't stop convulsing. All our magic can't kept him still… and he hasn’t woken up yet. We're doing what we can but we don’t know what else to do…" She paused before looking at them. "The odds of him surviving the night are slim… we have him hooked up to an IV… but we're not sure if it's helping or making it worse."

Twilight looked at her in horror, a hoof held over her mouth. "Oh no… I-I better go ask the princess… she might be able to help…"

Dash looked at Twilight. "Should I go get the others or should we wait till morning to tell them?"

Twilight thought fast. "No… we should let them rest while they can. I have to tell the princess right now; Dash, stay here just in case." Dash nodded before Twilight vanished in a bright light. She reappeared in the library; Spike sat on the couch, twiddling his claws.

He jumped up when he saw Twilight. "Twilight… I was getting worried-" She held up a hoof to stop the dragon.

"I'm sorry Spike but there's no time, I need to write a letter to the princess right now."

"Oh… ok…" He said, grabbing a quill and a piece of parchment. "It doesn’t have anything to do with the light in the sky or Martin and Mike right?" He asked, ready to write.

She nodded and summarized the situation, Spike writing everything thing down. "…Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." She finished. Spike looked worried as he re-skimmed the letter, making sure he got everything. "Come on Spike, we can't waste anymore time." She said, rushing the dragon.

He sighed and blew his magical fire on the parchment and it disappeared. "So what do we do now?" He asked, clicking his claws nervously together.

She sighed. "We can only wait…" Barely a minute passed before the dragon belched out the Princess's response.

Dear Twilight,

I understand the urgency of the situation and I will try my hardest to be there as soon as I can. Unfortunately, that won't be till sometime tomorrow morning. In all my years, I've never heard or seen anything like what you're describing that could be afflicting Michael. I may have a way to help him, a small chance but it's still a hope. Don’t give up on him and get the rest of your friends to the hospital and give both of our guests the reassurance they need to survive this ordeal.

Your Mentor,

Princess Celestia.

Spike finished reading the letter and Twilight frowned, flicking her tail in agitation. "I hope Michael will be alright till she arrives…"

"I'm sure he'll be fine or not, I'm not a doctor." Discord said as he appeared in a flash of light. He chuckled. "Life sure has gotten interesting with those humans around; I should've done this ages ago."

Twilight whirled around and stared at the demigod. "Discord! It was you all along!" She said, spreading her footing so she could charge an attack at a moment's notice.

He shook his lion's paw at her. "Really Twilight; with everything I've heard about you, you should've figured that out ages ago. Bring a mythological race to Equestria; do you know how much chaos that causes?" He smiled. "Besides, Celestia knew what it was me from the beginning."

She gritted her teeth. "We'll stop you Discord, just like last time; you hear me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Stop little old me; from doing what? You should be thanking me, giving you an opportunity to study and document a whole new species." He chuckled. "Besides, I haven't done anything 'bad'… yet."

"Ha… yeah sure… it was you who did that to Michael wasn’t it?" She pointed her hoof at him, her voice full of anger.

He shook his head. "I may like to stir up a little chaos every now and again but to inflict mortal harm on anyone? That’s not how I roll." A pair of roller blades appeared on his feet and he rolled around the library.

Twilight looked at him, confused. "But if it wasn’t you… what's wrong with him?"

The spirit shrugged. "Maybe the rib did more damage than anypony thought… or maybe he's prone to seizures, I don’t know." He chuckled. "I wonder what poor old Fluttershy will think when she finds out." He inhaled deeply through his nose. "I can smell the chaos and drama already..." Twilight glared at him as he snapped his fingers and the blades were gone, replaced with a jacket, hat, and suitcase. "Well, I would love to stay and see what happens, but I have other commitments to make, chaos to spread. Tootles." He said, waving goodbye before he vanished.

Twilight gasped. "Oh no… Discord on the loose always means trouble…" She bit her lower lip, trying to think.

"But he said that Princess Celestia knew that he was free… why wouldn’t she tell us or warn us… or anything?" Spike asked.

She frowned. "I don’t know Spike… I'll ask tomorrow when she arrives… "

"It's getting late, we should try and sleep." Spike suggested.

Twilight yawned. "Yeah… it's been a hectic couple of days…" They started walking up the stairs. "I guess we'll deal with it one hoof at a time." Spike nodded his head and sleep came quickly for both of them. Their night was plagued with dreams of what to come.

Author's Note

Well, we just can't catch a break can we?

"I just stepped on a LEGO!!!" - Furious Bacon

I got nothing... Just the usual, any mistakes let me know please =D Thanks for reading!!

8 - The Power of a Sun Goddess

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 8 - The Power of a Sun Goddess

Twilight, Spike and the rest of the girls stood in front of a hospital room door, Nurse Redheart blocking it. "I'm sorry but Michael's state is too critical to let anypony in… we just can't let you visit him at the moment." She said with a look of sorrow on her face.

"Ya have ta let us see him!" AJ demanded as Dash agreed, nodding her head. Fluttershy was silent, her face completely hidden behind her mane.

"Then can you at least tell us how Martin is doing?" Twilight asked.

Redheart sighed. "He's still unconscious… the narcosis still hasn’t worn off; the right side of his body is still paralyzed. And due to the amount of blood lost, he'll stay like that for quite some time."

"And you won't let anypony see them?" Rarity asked, surprised.

Redheart shook her head, her unkempt mane going side to side. "No… they both need a lot of rest and we can't wake Martin at the moment. We could let you into his room but it wouldn’t do anypony any good."

"Well then what can we do?" Dash asked, staring at the nurse.

"Wait and hope that both will recover quickly… I wish I could tell you more, but I swore an oath not to give that sort of information away about any of our patients unless authorized by a doctor."

The group let out a collective sigh as they shuffled their hooves nervously, wondering what they could do to help. "Um… I know no pony is allowed to see them… but maybe… if it's not too much trouble, could I see Michael briefly? I mean if not that’s ok…" Fluttershy spoke, startling everypony; she blushed as she shuffled her hooves, staring at the floor.

Redheart saw the girls nodding their head and Fluttershy gave her a sad look. Finally, she caved and sighed. "…Oh alright, but just for a moment." She slowly unlocked the door with her magic and opened it just enough for Fluttershy to sneak in. She quickly shut it, leaving Fluttershy alone in the room.

Fluttershy gasped as Mike still twitched, held down by numerous straps on the bed. Numerous tubes, needles, and paddles were attached to him and heartbeat monitor beat very slowly, almost as if it was automatic. She walked over to him and gently laid a hoof on his chest and sighed.

=

While the rest of the girls waited outside the room, they heard hoof steps getting closer. They turned their heads and several royal guards stood there, staring at them. Celestia soon followed and everypony bowed. "Please rise my ponies; this is no time for formalities." She said, her face full of concern and worry. She looked at Redheart. "How is his condition?"

Redheart shook her head sadly. "Not good, he keeps twitching no matter what we do; we had to strap him to the bed so he wouldn’t hurt himself. It seems like no matter what type of healing magic we try, it doesn’t work."

Celestia sighed, looking her several millennia age. "Just as I thought; Twilight please come with me." She walked towards the door as Redheart opened it, Fluttershy still inside.

"Oh… umm… I-I'll leave…" She quickly galloped out of the room and back to the others.

Celestia entered the room with Twilight behind her and they looked sadly at the human on the bed. She looked at her student. "Twilight, I hope you know that I value your opinion."

"I know Princess…" Twilight said, smiling sadly at the sun goddess. "What is it that you ask?"

She sighed. "I am afraid that I can't help Michael in his current state. No pony can… our anatomy is just too different from his. It seems as if humans have also evolved a natural defense against unicorn magic, which was never meant to heal creatures like him. I'm afraid there is only one thing I can do to help him…" She closed her eyes as she spoke.

Twilight looked sadly at the captive human. "Whatever you can do to help, please do it…" She pleaded. "I had a feeling unicorn magic wouldn’t help…." She muttered to herself.

Celestia sighed once more and looked at her student. "In his current form we cannot help him… I'll have to transform him into a pony. Otherwise, nothing will save him and he will die."

Twilight stared at her before looking at him. "Can… can we do that; without his consent?" She thought fast. "What about Martin? We wouldn’t need to turn him right?"

Celestia shook her head. "He is in no need for that sort of magic, he'll heal in time. Michael… I know I can transform him… but it's not right to do so without him knowing…"

"And there's no other way?"

"No… there's nothing else we can do…" Celestia said.

Twilight looked at him sadly. "Then we really don’t have much of a choice…" She looked at her teacher with a sad smile. "Let's hope he doesn’t hate us too much…"

Celestia nodded. "He will be turned into whatever pony suits his personality the most."

Twilight sighed. "What do you need me to do Princess?"

"My magic alone will not be enough but with your help we'll be able to help him… just concentrate on Michael and let me do the rest."

Twilight nodded and took a calming breath, closing her eyes and focusing her concentration on Michael's prone body. She let all her magical energy swell into her horn, becoming a well for Celestia to draw on when her reserves are reached. Celestia's horn was encased in a bright golden aura and a small beam hit him right in the heart. His body started to shake violently and Celestia opened her eyes as the beam became stronger, more and more energy poured into it.

He could feel his body being twisted and pulled, pushed and shrinking; it was horribly painful, all his nerves on fire. He became conscious for a few seconds and did nothing but scream in agony.

The ponies all flattened their ears as they heard him scream.

He saw the beam intensify and felt his entire body burn before he passed out, the pain overwhelming.

=

The Princess and Twilight looked at the newly created pegasus; he had a midnight blue coat with black hooves. His light grey mane seemed to be poofy, as if he bit an electrical cord. His tail was short, almost as if it was cut by a knife. His wings twitched as they moved unconsciously for the first time. He didn’t have a cutie mark yet.

The princess sighed in exhaustion. "What do we do now?" Twilight asked, looking at her mentor.

"We wait till he wakes up." She looked at the unicorn. "I've done all I can Twilight, its all in his hooves now…" She said, tired.

They both left the room, letting the new pegasus rest.

=

A few hours passed and he slowly came to; his entire body ached and burned, his arms and legs stiff. His eyelids were heavy, wishing for him to go back to sleep. The only thing he could do was hear a repetitive beeping noise not too far. He laid there and ignored it for a while before it started to drive him crazy. "Can't I go back to the dark place… at least it was quiet…" He groaned, his throat dry.

He slowly opened his eyes and they dilated as they tried to get use to the bright room. The beeping continued, slowly getting louder. "I swear to god…" He trailed off, noticing a blue hoof in front of his face. He blinked a few times and moved it closer to him, bopping himself on the snout; his eyes grew as he realized it was his.

He started to shake and hyperventilate, the heart monitor going erratic and they heard it outside. He looked around, noticing his wings for the first time; they were flapping crazily, like they had a mind of their own. He couldn’t see with his glasses off; he noticed them on the table. He fumbled for them, falling to the floor. He finally got a 'good look' at his new body and locked up, passing out from the shock.

Nurse Redheart quickly entered the room and saw the empty bed, noticing his sprawled form on the ground next to the table. "Oh dear…" she said,walking over to him and lift him back on the bed. She shook him a few times, trying to get him to wake up.

He slowly came to and looked at her. "I had the strangest dream… I was a pony." He said, chuckling.

"I'm afraid it wasn’t a dream… you are a pegasus." She said, holding his shoulders to make sure he wouldn’t fall off the bed again.

He blinked. "Huh… so I'm a pegasus?" He calmly asked.

She nodded. "Princess Celestia was her just this morning; she said it was the only way to help you…"

"Ah… that’s what I thought you said." The heart rate skyrocketed as he started to hyperventilate again, his eyes twitching.

She held on through his thrashings. "Don’t worry, you'll get used to it…"

"But… but I don’t have FINGERS?!" He held up his shaking hooves. "What the hell are these things; I can't walk with these!" He gasped. "I don’t even have any clothes on!" His wings fluttered and he squeaked. "I have wings too?! Oh that’s just great… I'm afraid of heights…" He paused, taking a breath. "Wait, did you say Princess Celestia was here?" He calmly asked, his previous freak out gone.

"Yes, she used her magic to heal you from your seizure; you'll never have one again." She gave him a small smile.

He chuckled. "Well… it looks like we were right; I'm still blind in the eye though." He blindly flailed for his glasses. "Is she still here?" He asked, trying to sit up.

"No, she left quite some time ago, being the princess, she has a lot of work to do."

"Oh… well… huh…" He tried to get out of bed and tumbled, his face clean on the floor. "Well this sucks, I can't even walk." He muttered from the floor.

She faintly smiled at him. "You'll learn it eventually. If you want me to, I could send in your friends; well at least Twilight and the others, Martin is still sleeping."

"Oh god, I can imagine what he'll say when he sees me…" He sighed. "Sure, might as well send them in so they can laugh at me now…"

She looked at him strangely before leaving the room. Several minutes went by before he heard several pairs of hooves enter the room. Apart from Twilight, they stared at him, surprised at what he looked like; Fluttershy couldn’t even look at him. "Michael, your friends are here." Redheart said.

He waved a hoof from the ground. "Hey… so… what do you think?" He asked as the rest of his body fell off the bed. He scrambled for his glasses; all he could see were blobs of color.

Somepony picked him up and set him back on the bed, all he saw was orange so he assumed it was AJ. "Ah'm glad ta have ya back." She said, her southern accent confirming what he thought.

"I thought you were a goner." Dash said, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Oh my gosh Mikey, I was so worried I almost cried but I'm just happy now that you're ok. I hate when my friends are ill, oh I have to throw you a 'Get better party' oh wait, I haven't even thrown you a 'Welcome party' yet… guess that means two super duper parties!!" Pinkie yelled as she happily jumped.

"Darling… you had me worried sick. It's a shame that you can't wear your clothes anymore." Rarity said with a sigh.

"Umm… it's good that your be-better…" Fluttershy mumbled, blushing.

"Thanks girls… it's good to be back… I guess…" He muttered. He fiddled with his glasses, poking himself in the fake eye with them before putting them on correctly, only for them to fall off. "Of course I can't wear my glasses, different shaped head and all." He muttered and looked at the blob he assumed was Redheart. "And you can't put me back under can you?"

"I'm sure we can get new glasses for you." She said as she picked them up and hooved them to Twilight. "Well I have to go check on Martin, if you need me, I'll be down the hall and to the left."

"Mind if Ah tag along?" AJ asked, looking at her.

"Not at all, who knows, he might be awake." She led the way out of the door.

AJ nodded. "Well Ah'm glad yer feelin' better Mike, now if ya'll excuse me, Ah wanna make sure mah new farmhand is ok." She said, following Redheart out of the room.

The others paused, watching her leave before looking back at Mike as he sighed. "Life is gonna be hell for the next few weeks…" He muttered.

Twilight giggled slightly. "We'll help you learn everything and Dash will teach you how to fly."

"Yep and you better be ready rookie." She said, presenting her chest proudly. "The best flyer in Equestria doesn’t hoof out freebies very often; I'll teach ya the ropes and who knows, you may come close to my off days."

"…And there's no way I can stay on the ground?" He asked, hoping.

"Nope." She said strictly.

He sighed. "Well… this is gonna be fun." He brought a hoof to his face and accidently poked himself in his good eye. "Yep… definitely gonna be fun…"

Twilight walked up and put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. "Don’t worry; we'll always be there to help you."

He smiled at the purple blob. "Thanks Twilight."

She giggled. "Michael… I'm over here; those are flowers that Fluttershy brought you." Fluttershy eeped when she heard her name; she blushed heavily as she slowly sank to the ground.

His face turned scarlet. "Hehe… thanks Twilight." He looked back in the area where he heard Fluttershy eep. "And Fluttershy… wherever you are…" He muttered.

"Um… y-yes?" She asked quietly.

"Well…. I-I wanted t-to say… thank you… for making sure we were ok when w-we got here… and for letting me h-h-help with the animals…" His face felt like it was on fire. Now would be a great time to know how to fly… or disappear.

She let out a little squeal and hid her bright red face under her mane. "Aww… isn't that cute?" Dash asked, nudging Fluttershy's side.

He looked at Twilight. "Now if you don’t mind bashing my head in…" He sighed, embarrassed.

Twilight shook her head. "Nurse Redheart said she'll have to do a last check up and you'll be good to go." She gave Dash a glare.

"That’s good…" He muttered, staring at the sheets.

=

"So it seems Princess Celestia had to turn him into a pony to stop his seizure." Redheart said, catching Martin up to speed. His arm was in a cast and a sling.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "And that's what you tell fillies to make them go to sleep?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

She sighed. "No… but in all seriousness, if Dash wouldn’t have found you two, you could have bled out."

"Aww, I'm sure someone would have noticed the bright red flare in the sky…" He said, trying to scratch his arm underneath the cast.

"Speaking of that, what the hay are those?" She asked, pointing at his jacket full of goodies.

"Oh… those…" He looked at the different things scattered across the table. "Umm… well… Damn… it'd take too long to explain." He said after a short pause.

She looked at him skeptically and she walked over to them, picking them up. "Well till Princess Celestia gives the ok, I have to lock them up in a safe."

"Aw… well, ok; guess it's for the best." He sighed.

She nodded. "Well you can leave shortly; just have to have the doctor take one final look at your arm. I'll go get him now." She said, leaving him alone with AJ.

There was a rather painfully awkward silence as he stared blankly into the air and she scratched at the floor. She sighed and reached underneath her hat and pulled out his knife and tossed it on the bed.

He looked at the knife surprised; a smile appeared on his face as he grabbed it. "Hey… my knife, thanks AJ."

She nodded. "Thought ya'd want that back." She scratched the floor again. "Listen Martin… Ah wanted to apologize for yesterday… Ah let mah emotions get the best of me."

He looked at the orange mare. "Don’t worry about it; it doesn’t matter, you seemed to have realized that ya shouldn’t drink your problems away." He smiled at her.

She sighed. "Yeah, after a very long discussion with Big Mac." She gave him a small smile.

He looked out the window. "I wonder if he really is a pony now… I won't believe it till I see it with me own eyes."

She nodded." He is… Ah saw it mahself. He's actually in the other room with the rest of the girls." She smiled. "Even Fluttershy is there…"

He grinned as he continued to stare out the window, thinking of them.

She saw his smile. "They like each other, don’t they?"

He laughed. "Oh yeah… you have to be blind not to notice but if he's really a pony now he's good to go."

She chuckled. "Ah don’t think anypony knows…"

The door opened and the doctor walked in. "Well good morning youngsters, how are you?" He looked at Martin.

He sighed. "Guess we'll have to get this over with… damn, I was just getting comfortable." He sat up and let his legs dangle over the side of the bed.

"I take it you’ve done this a few times?" The doctor chuckled. "Alright, let me see your arm." He stretched his right arm as far as it could go without it hurting too badly. "Hmm… can you lift it about ninety degrees and go in a circle?" He did as he was asked, his arm started to throb in pain. "That's good…" He said, looking at the arm. "Now flex your arm a few times, the moment it becomes unbearable, stop." Martin nodded and flexed his arm; a 'ouch' or 'uh' followed each time he got at a certain angle. "Only five more times…" The doctor insisted.

Martin sighed. "Ok…" He repeated the thing five more times, relieved when he could stop.

The doctor floated the clipboard off the headboard of the bed and looked it over, humming to himself, before scribbling a few things down. "Well… with your little excursion last night, I'd say at least three weeks to fully let your arm heal, you did re-tear that tendon."

"AGAIN!?!? THREE WEEKS?!" Martin yelled, horrified that he couldn’t do anything for three weeks.

"Well you did lift a hundred and fifty pound human or so and then pulled him after the stitches popped. You pushed your arm too much."

Martin stared off into space. "God fucking damn it…"

The doctor sighed. "You can leave whenever you want; just every weekend, I want you back here so I can check and make sure your arm is healing."

He slowly nodded his head. "Uh huh…"

The doctor smiled and hooved the clipboard to him. "When you go to fill out those wonderful release papers, hoof this to Redheart, if you please."

He continued to stare into the void, grabbing the clipboard. "Sure thing…" He looked around as he got out of bed. "Where can I get me some clothes?"

The good old doctor pointed to a chair in the corner, Martin's old clothes with his now empty jacket. "We washed your clothes last night."

"Hey… that’s nice, thank ya mate." He walked over to the chair and looked awkwardly at AJ and the doctor. "Privacy…?"

AJ's face flushed slightly and she walked out of the room, followed by the doctor, who shook his head.

"Just kidding, I don’t give a flipping damn if ya stay or not." He yelled at them, a grin on his face and he started getting dressed.

"Sometimes ya amaze me." She said, sitting by the doorway and staring at the wall. He blushed a little and pulled his trousers on. "You wanna go see Mike before ya leave?" She asked. "By the way, nice boxers." She winked with her freckles lit up with a blush.

His eyes widened as he could feel her looking. Oh boy… "Um… sure."

She laughed. "So Ah have a proposition for ya…"

He turned to look at her. "Yeah?" He said, putting his button shirt on.

"We have an opening on the farm and Ah was wonderin' if ya wanted ta help out?"

He struggled with the last button; it was right above his crotch and at an awkward angle. "Sure, if ya think I'd be of any use with one arm."

"We'd find something for ya." She raised an eyebrow. "Need help with that?"

"Umm… I-I think I can handle this one… would ya be so kind and hand me the water?" He asked, pointing to the glass of water on the table.

She smiled and walked back inside, and grabbed it before passing it to him.

He took it and took a few sips before lowering the glass. "Thank ya AJ."

She smiled at him. "No problem."

He put the empty glass down and followed AJ as she walked out of the room. "So where's me pony pal?"

"He's in the next room, just down the hall ta the right… Ah think." She said.

He smiled at her. "Alright, lead the way."

Author's Note

Wow... can't believe it's already on Chapter 8... doesn't seem that long ago... Any way, thanks to all the favs/likes, always makes us smile when we see that =D And I hate legos by the way, evil little buggers... If ya see a mistake, point it out and I'll fix it as soon as I can. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoy!

"I played a drinking game, every time I flinched in disgust while reading a clop story I had to take a shot...I ended up in hospital." - Furious Bacon

Fun times, fun times...

9 - Life's Amusing Curveballs

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 9 - Life's Amusing Curveballs

She led the way down the hall and opened a door to a similar hospital room. The bed was surrounded by the remaining girls and in the bed was a blue pegasus; both his and Fluttershy's faces were bright red as Dash laughed hysterically. Twilight strangely had Mike's glasses in her hooves.

Martin stared at the pegasus from the doorway, not moving. "Wow… I see you're… a pony…" He said with a blank expression.

He turned towards him, squinting, trying to see. "Martin, is that you?"

Martin walked to the bed, the others making room. "Yep, I see you're still blind as ever." He stopped at the bed, looking down.

Mike gave a dry, humorless laugh. "Yup, on top of being a pegasus apparently…" He looked in Martin's general direction. "So tell me, how bad is it?"

Martin looked at his arm. "Pretty much fucked." He said with a sad smile. "And you're definitely a pony… which means I'm the only human left in existence…"

Mike was silent before he sighed. "I guess so…" He stared at the sheets and muttered something.

Martin raised his left hand and placed in on Mike's head. "Don’t worry shorty."

Mike glared at him before looking for purple. "You should've just let me die Twilight."

She looked at him, shocked. "What? Why?" She asked, confused.

"Cause he's shorter than me." Martin said with a huge grin on his face.

He glared at him. "You don’t get it, do you?! I'm a fucking pony; I can't see, I can't fly, hell I can't even walk!" He pushed himself away from Martin and floundered on his hooves before falling out of the bed and on his face. They tried to help him, but he pushed them away. "And even if I wanted to, I can't go home now! I'm stuck here." He stared at the ground. "And everyone keeps saying 'it'll be ok' or 'you'll get use to it'; no I won't! You have no idea what it's like getting ripped from your home world and turning into a damn pony!" He put his hooves over his face. "I don’t even know why I should care anymore…"

Martin kneeled down, a sad expression on his face. "I know what some of those things are like… sorry about the whole pony thing but death is never an option, not as long as I'm around to prevent it."

He sighed. "Death is preferred when you're being treated like a kid again…"

Martin raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how to crawl on four legs as a human?"

"I did… and I tried that the first time, fell out of bed." He grumbled.

"Can't be that hard…" Martin thought of walking as a pony.

Mike's wings flapped. "And I gotta learn how to use those…" He sighed, looking at them. "Can everyone just… leave… for awhile, I need to be alone…" He muttered.

Martin looked at the others and then back at the pegasus on the floor. "Ok…" he walked towards the door, opening it for everypony. They took one final look at him before walking out. Martin paused and looked at his friend before sighing and shutting the door.

"Wow… I didn’t take him to be the one to have the meltdown…" Twilight said, looking at Martin. He looked around the ponies and noticed one was missing.

"Where's Fluttershy?" He grabbed the door and it was locked; he glared at the door. "That plonker locked us out!"

Rarity patted his arm. "Let her do her thing darling, I think Mike needs a shoulder to cry on right now." She said with a sad smile.

He let go of the door knob and sighed. "Guess… I'm afraid no one will be able to fully understand his situation though…"

Everypony sighed and silence lingered in the air. "You know what this calls for?" Pinkie suddenly asked.

Martin turned his head and looked at her. "No celebrations Pinkie…"

She stopped in midair. "But… but everypony has a frowny face! We need a party to cheer them up!" She put a hoof to her chin. "It might help Mikey and his pouty pants."

He looked at the door. "I'm afraid he has other matters on his mind at the moment."

"Well I'm gonna go get it ready anyway; no pony doesn’t not like having a party!" She said, hopping away.

He sighed in defeat as they all watched the pink pony hop away. "… I wonder what's going on in there…" He said, looking at the door.

Twilight sighed. "I just hope she can help him…"

=

Mike sighed, still on the floor. He felt the tears begin to pool up in the corners of his eyes but refused to acknowledge them. He rested his head on the cold floor and closed his eyes, his body shaking from holding back the tears.

Somepony gently placed their hoof on his back. "…There, there…" A familiar quiet voice said.

The tears overpowered him and he gasped, trying to stop them. "Why Fluttershy?" He whispered. "Why didn’t they just let me die… no one would've noticed or cared… I mean, look at me… I'm blind, I don’t know anything about this world… I'm not even human anymore…"

It was silent for a second till he felt something wet fall on his cheek. "…I care…" She said, her face redder than he'd ever seen.

He didn’t know what to say. He floundered to get to his hooves and fell as she caught him. Both of their faces were bright red. "Thanks…" He whispered before giving her a hug, resting his head on her shoulder. "Thanks for everything." He said, letting the built up tears flow.

She closed her eyes. "…I'll be here for you…" She whispered.

He nodded, his throat closed. He swallowed a few times and tried to talk again. "Well... it's what, the fourth day in and I'm already falling apart? That’s just terrible; you should leave while you can." He said, trying to laugh.

She looked at him with concern. "No… I would never…" Her face bright red and she was holding onto his shoulders.

He looked at her sadly. "And here's wishing I could actually see right now…" He blushed, seeing her blue eyes. "Um…" He trailed off.

She stared into his eyes." I'll be your eyes… if you want me to…"

He felt like he should be setting off the fire alarm for how hot his face felt. "Only if you wouldn’t mind helping me…"

She pulled him into another hug. "I'd love to…" She whispered into his ear.

"T-t-thank you…" He muttered. He paused. "Now… um… you wouldn’t mind helping me walk? I think I should go apologize to the others." He asked.

She smiled and grabbed his hoof, holding onto it tightly as she led the way. She headed slowly towards the door, making sure he didn’t fall and he got a slow rhythm down. He stumbled a few times but she caught him each time and they made it to the door.

He stared at the door. "Now how in the world do we open it?" He asked, leaning forward to grasp the door knob in his mouth. He kept slipping and hurting his teeth.

Fluttershy giggled. "You have to grab it with your hoof…"

He stared at her bewildered and squinted at his hoof. "Now how do I do that? We don’t have any fingers…"

She smiled. "I know but we can. Give it a try…"

He shrugged and grabbed it with his hoof. He gasped slightly; it felt like he still had fingers… they felt weaker than his old human ones, but he could still firmly grasp the handle. He gave it a turn and the knob turned and he pulled the door open. "Huh… well I'll be damned."

The group looked at him and Fluttershy, both red faced. "Mate… ya feeling a little better?" Martin asked as he walked towards the two.

Mike backed up slightly, startled by the large blur walking towards him and he fell on his flank. "Yeah… about that, I wanted to apologize… I didn’t mean to have that bipolar moment…" He muttered, looking at the tiles.

Fluttershy stared at Martin and he sighed. "I'll have to apologize… not you. I have no idea what's its like to be in your position… I'm sorry." He bent to the same eye level. "But I hope you know I'll always be there to support ya…" He said, closing his left hand into a fist and putting it out.

Mike smiled and with the help of Fluttershy, bumped his hoof against Martin's fist. "Thanks buddy…" He slightly chuckled. "Life just got more interesting, aye?" He gave Martin a small smile.

He smiled back. "Yep, and who knows… ya might like having four legs."

Mike laughed. "You never know… granted, I'll never win another rock, paper, scissors game… but I'm ok with that." He looked at his wings, which were resting at his sides. "I think I may have fun flying more than walking…"

Martin laughed. "I might get a little jealous considering that." He looked at the wings.

Mike paused, trying to concentrate. His wings seemed to quiver slightly and he smiled. "Ha… that wasn’t as hard as I thought it'd be." He said, sweat plastered on his brow.

Dash trotted up to him. "That won't be enough though." She said, grinning at him.

"Oh joy…" he said, looking at her. "This is gonna be fun…"

"Well pal, wanna head back to the library?" Martin asked.

Mike looked at Fluttershy and she blushed. "I'm not sure… Fluttershy, what do you want to do? You're my eyes." He muttered, blushing.

The part of her face that wasn’t hidden by her mane was bright red. "Aww… ain't that sweet, so Fluttershy where to go next?" Martin asked, smiling at the yellow pegasus.

She eeped. "Well… um… I was thinking of going back home and making sure my friends were ok… but um… I'll stick with Michael… he needs me more…" She barely said the last part, everyone had to strain to hear it.

He smiled at the two pegasi. "Well ok, I'll lead the way in that case." Martin began walking down the hallway with everypony following him, Mike and Fluttershy bringing up the rear as she held his hoof tightly.

Mike stuck close to Fluttershy as they paused briefly, filling out the necessary paperwork to leave the hospital.

It wasn’t snowing anymore but the snow still blanketed the ground. "Ah… it's good to be outside again without having to carry someone on your shoulders." Martin said as he took deep breaths, enjoying the clean air.

Mike rolled his eyes, Fluttershy guiding him. "It's good to be outside not running around trying to find someone in the dark." He muttered.

"Umm… yeah…" Martin replied, scratching his neck awkwardly.

Mike chuckled. "All in good fun." He smiled as he almost walked into a street lamp but Fluttershy pulled him out of the way; it looked like they were hugging.

"Careful Michael…" She whispered, stopping for a moment before she started walking towards the library again.

He blushed. "Thanks Fluttershy." He mumbled, looking at their hooves holding each other.

They arrived at the library, Fluttershy had to help Michael inside and lead him to the couch. Martin sat on the extra chair as Mike and Fluttershy sat next to each other.

"I think it's time for lunch, don’t ya'll think?" Martin asked, looking at the assembled ponies.

They all nodded as Spike appeared, walking down the stairs. "So what does everypony want…" He trailed off, looking at Mike. He leaned toward Martin. "Who's the new pony that’s all close to Fluttershy?" He whispered.

"That's Michael." He whispered.

Spike blinked. "The blind guy?" He stared at them again. "What happened to him? And when did he become so close to her?" He whispered as Mike and Fluttershy themselves were whispering.

Martin shrugged. "I was in the hospital myself so I really don’t know…"

He nodded his head and went into the kitchen. Rarity looked like was holding back a comment or two and Twilight was off to the side writing a letter. Pinkie hadn't returned from the 'party preparations'. Dash, Fluttershy, and Mike were talking amongst themselves and Martin and AJ sat off to the side, next to each other.

Martin leaned closer to her. "'Tis grand that the two of them are getting along, aye?" He whispered to her.

She nodded. "Kinda odd ta see them gettin' along so easily. As long Ah've known her, she's been a bit shy… but they talk like they’ve been friends fer years." She looked at him. "You ok with him being a pony and you a human?"

He sighed. "It's not like I can change that now, can I?"

"No but ya seem uncomfortable 'bout it." She said, staring into his eyes.

"It's hard to explain… it's like he sorta… abandoned me, ya know…"

She looked at him sadly. "It must be hard ta see yer best friend like this… Ah know I would be too… but Ah understand why the princess did it… Ah guess it's better than the alternative, right?" She sighed. "Ah probably ain't helpin' a whole lot…"

He smiled at her. "No worries AJ, he seems to be happy and as long as he is than I am as well…. He's one of the only things I have at the moment… I'd do anything to make sure he's safe…"

She smiled back. "Ah bet he feels the same way. He may be a pony now but he's still human inside." She chuckled. "Never thought Ah'd say that."

He looked at Mike and Fluttershy. "Who knows what'll happen… I'll be there if he needs me."

She put a hoof on his arm. "And Ah know he is for you too."

Spike stuck his head through the door. "Dinner everypony… and human." He smiled at Martin before ducking back in.

Martin frowned. "God damn it… I'm a minority now…" He got up and walked into the kitchen.

Mike started to get off the couch with Fluttershy's help. "Easy now…" She whispered, holding his hoof and led him into the kitchen.

He stared at all the blurs. "So did we miss anything important while we had our little field trip to the hospital?" He asked.

"Nothing worth mentioning." Twilight said after she tapped her chin with a hoof a few times.

Spike put the food out in front everyone before pausing at Mike. "I wasn’t sure what to make you, so I made a little bit of everything, to see what you like."

"Thanks Spike." Mike said before staring at the food. "Huh… how am I gonna eat?" He tried grabbing the fork but kept missing.

Fluttershy grabbed it and put some egg on it, her face bright red. "Umm…. I can help you…" She whispered.

His face turned bright red. "Thank you… but you don’t have to if you don’t want to." He muttered, feeling like a baby.

She shook her head. "No… its umm… fine…" She moved the fork closer to his mouth, waiting for him to open.

He sighed and opened his mouth, letting her feed him, his face got even brighter. Martin stared at the two, trying not to laugh, stuffing food to keep his mouth shut. Dash was in a similar spot, trying not to laugh.

"Aw… don’t they just look so adorable?" Rarity said, watching them.

Their faces got bright and Fluttershy's hoof shook slightly. They ate, every now and then; one of them would look over and watch the two pegasi. A little bit later and with some small talk, they had all finished eating.

"Aww… that was lovely, we got something to wash it down?" Martin asked. Spike nodded, passing out glasses of water. He looked at the dishes in the sink and sighed. He drank a few sips. "Thank ya mate… but how 'bout some liquor to celebrate a little?"

Spike looked at Twilight and she sighed. "I guess we can indulge a little bit." She said. "Except you Spike, you're still too young." She said, stopping the happy dragon as he muttered into the basement. He came back with some Appledaniels and began to pour everyone a drink.

"Umm… it's ok Spike, I don’t want any." Mike said, struggling to hold his glass of water.

Spike nodded and continued to fill out glasses, passing one to everyone except him and Fluttershy.

Martin stood and raised his glass. "To Michael, so he'll be able to walk on his own someday!"

Everypony chuckled and clinked their glasses against each others before taking a drink. Spike grumbled as he started the dishes and Twilight sighed, pouring him a little before mixing in some water. "Here Spike." She said, passing it to him as he dropped the dishes back into the water and took a big gulp.

They all drank and talked amongst themselves, Mike and Fluttershy sitting quietly next to each other. Spike quickly passed out, snoring next to Rarity as she smiled at him before Twilight took him upstairs to bed. She came back down and they chatted for a few more hours before everypony left for the night, leaving the pegasi, Martin, and Twilight in the lobby.

Martin was a bit tipsy and made his way to the guest room. "G'night ya'll…" He said, shutting the door behind him.

Twilight yawned and looked at Mike and Fluttershy. "I'm going to bed as well, good night you two." She smiled at Fluttershy before she went upstairs.

The two of them were alone, sitting rather close to each other, in an awkward silence. Mike looked at her. "So… um… what would you like to do?" He fiddled with his forehooves.

She looked at the wooden floor. "I… um… I'm pretty tired as well; I was going to leave soon." She mumbled.

He smiled. "Ok… it is pretty late." He chuckled. "Want me to walk you home?"

She giggled. "How are you going to do that?"

He got to his hooves, stumbling. "I'll figure it out on the way there."

She smiled at him and got up, gently grabbing his hoof. "Ok..." She said, her cheeks brightening.

He smiled back and they walked silently to her cottage. The snow slowly fell and he laughed. "One of the pluses of having a fur coat is not being cold…"

She giggled. "Yeah…"

The rest of the trip they made in silence, enjoying each other's company. No pony was outside at this time, most long asleep. They made to the cottage and she opened the door. "How are you going to find your way back?" She asked, concerned. "I could… um… let you spend the night?" She offered.

He waved a hoof nonchalantly and chuckled nervously. "I couldn’t oppose and don’t worry, I'll find my way back… I'm not that blind, I can see colors and blobs." He shuffled on his hooves. "Thanks for the offer though… I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nodded, smiling as she leaned in close, her face bright red. She kissed him gently on the cheek. "T-thank you Michael…" She whispered. "Goodnight…" She said, going inside her house and left him alone, shutting the door.

He stood there and stared vacantly at the door. "Huh…" He brought a hoof to his cheek. His face was on fire. He turned around and started the dangerous journey back to the library.

=

After several wrong turns, quite a few trips into trees, street posts, and houses, Mike finally made his way back to the library. He quietly opened the door, tip-hooving across the floor, trying to be quiet. He entered the guest room and shut the door behind him. "Martin, you awake?" He whispered.

"Yeah…" Martin whispered back.

"I thought you'd be asleep?" Mike said, fumbling with the sleeping bag.

"Thinking about a lot of stuff ya know."

He sighed. "Yeah…" He looked in Martin's direction. "Wanna trade?"

"Sure… why not…" Martin replied.

"So, what's on your mind?"

"What is it I'll have to do if I want to stay?"

Mike sighed. "I don’t know…" He paused. "Do you want to be a pony?"

Martin sighed. "I-I don’t know… being human has a lot of advantages…"

"Trust me, I know… but as you said, even pony form, if you will, has its own…" Mike looked at him. "I can't tell you what to do but I just wanted you to know whatever you choose; I'll support you one hundred percent. If you want to go back, I understand."

Martin was quiet for a moment. "Thanks mate…"

He nodded. "Don’t mention it." He gave him a sad smile.

It was silent as Martin turned to look at him. "How's it going with Fluttershy?"

Mike's face was so bright Martin saw the blush in the dark. "Well… funny story actually…" He stuttered. "But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone."

Martin smiled. "Course." Mike gulped and muttered something he couldn’t hear. "Pardon?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mike rubbed his hoof on the floor. "She… kissed my cheek." He whispered.

Martin chuckled. "That’s great pal."

"Y-yeah…" He trailed off, staring at the ground. "I walked her home and she thanked me before kissing me…" He laughed. "To be honest, I'm surprised I made it back, being blind and all…"

"You'll get new glasses eventually…"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… but its kinda nice having her help me…" He sighed. "That makes me feel bad though… for using her like that…"

Martin's eyes shot open." That sounds really wrong and you know it…"

"I know…" Mike muttered before turning away from him. "I know…" He muttered.

Martin chuckled and rolled onto his back. "Well g'night mate." He said, closing his eyes.

"Night."

Author's Note

Almost forgot to release another chapter... hehe... Hopefully you guys are enjoying the story as much as we enjoy writing it! If there's any mistakes, which I'm prone to make a lot, please let me know... one of these days I should get another editor. Thanks for reading!

"My toast got stuck in the toaster, I tried getting it out using a fork while it was still plugged in...I regret nothing..." - Furious Bacon

...I've done that before...

10 - The Long and Winding Road

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 10 - The Long and Winding Road

The cloud cover blocked the sun's majestic rise, the muted rays shining in the little window. Mike blinked a few times, yawning as he struggled to wake up. He looked around for his glasses and paused, remembering that he couldn't wear them anyways. He sighed and got up, looking at Martin's vacant sleeping bag. He heard voices coming from down stairs and trotted to the door, opening it and carefully walking downstairs, only catching the end to their conversation.

Martin turned his head when he heard hoof steps on the stars. "Hey Michael, sleep well?"

He nodded, almost tripping at the last stair and stood there awkwardly. "Yeah… I guess, a few dreams but nothing important." He looked for a purple blob. "Hey Twilight?"

She smiled at him. "Good morning Michael, how do you feel?"

He wiggled what he could. "I guess, considering, pretty good." He smiled as he slowly made his way to them. "I have a quick question but I'm sure I know the answer."

"Yes?"

"Since I'm a pony now, I can't return home can I? My body was destroyed to create this one?"

She sighed. "I'm afraid so…"

He nodded. "That’s what I thought.” He smiled. "Well… it could be worse I guess."

Martin placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure there are some good things about being a pony as well." He said, winking.

Mike's wings twitched and he coughed, his face red. "Yes…"

Twilight looked at them curiously and Martin coughed. "Umm… is there a smith in town?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

She blinked. "Yeah… his name is Forgehammer. I believe he's been around here as long as Granny Smith has."

Martin's eyes widened in delight. "Where's his shop?"

She paused, closing her eyes to think. "I think it's right before you make that left to go to Sweet Apple Acres; he lives on the edge of town. You can't miss his shop, its huge."

"Great." He cheered.

She giggled. "Is that what you're planning to do?" She asked.

He walked into the kitchen. "Might wanna have a look at some of his goods."

Mike looked at you. "So heading to the smithy?"

Martin's stomach answered for him. "Maybe after we eat something…"

Spike appeared out of nowhere, wearing a pink apron. "Master Chef Spike, at your service." He said, doing a little bow before walking over to the counter. "So what would ya like?"

"Anything ya want to make me." Martin said, staring at the pink apron.

He nodded and started to rummage around the kitchen, oblivious to the stares. "How about good old pancakes with some maple syrup?"

Martin sat down in one of the chairs. "Sure… why not?"

He started to hum as he whipped up a batch of pancakes and while he waited for the batter to cook, he made Twilight and Mike a daisy omelet and salad. He placed it in front of them and Mike stared at it while Twilight ate.

Mike tried a few times to pick it up but kept missing or dropping it. He sighed and pushed the plate away, resting his head on the table.

Martin sighed and grabbed the fork. "Come on mate, let me help ya…" He put some of the omelet on the fork. "Open wide I guess."

Mike eyed the silver blob. "Not sure if I'd rather go hungry…"

"Already giving up? Want me to go get Fluttershy?"

His face turned red and he opened his mouth slightly.

Martin started feeding him and Twilight tried not to laugh. Mike muttered something and as soon as Martin finished, he got up and staggered out of the room, bumping into the wall and door frame a few times.

Martin sighed and tried to forget what he just did. "Oh boy…" He said, eating the pancakes Spike had put in front of him. Spike was trying to hide his laughter, his claws over his mouth. Martin ate in silence, avoiding eye contact. "Thanks mate." He said as he got up and walked out of the kitchen. He saw Mike sitting on the windowsill, watching the snow fall gently to the ground.

As soon as he left, they both started to laugh. "Ok Spike… I don’t think it was that funny…" Twilight said.

He walked towards the door and put on his boots and jacket. "I'll be at the smithy if you're looking for me." Mike nodded silently, not really paying attention.

Martin opened the door and the cold wind blew in his face, his jacket almost flew off; he couldn’t wear it right, his arm and sling wouldn’t fit. It looked like a cape had been draped over his shoulders.

He made his way through the town, following Twilight's directions. Ponies gave him a wide berth, some not even looking at him. A grey pegasus waved enthusiastically at him before he found the smith, the rather large anvil sign giving it away.

He opened the door and a gust of hot air hit him in the face. Swords, polearms, blunt weapons, bows and crossbows were hanging on the walls for sale while some mannequins modeled the armor, scattered throughout the room. A fireplace was roaring behind the counter. He closed the door and looked at the different weapons, some of them looking like exact copies from Earth, just different hilts.

"Hey stranger, what can I help ya with?" A gruff voice said from behind the counter. An older grey Earth pony sat, staring into a furnace, the glow highlighting his face. He had ice blue eyes and a scar running vertically down his left eye, his mane completely grey.

Martin walked closer to the counter. "I'm just having a look… the weapons here look very similar to where I'm from… at least they used to be…"

He raised the remains of an eyebrow. "Oh really? Hold on one sec…" he grabbed a pair of long tongs and pulled out a molten slab of metal out of the furnace, putting it on an anvil and whacking it a few times with a hammer before grunting, dropping the hammer and putting the slab back into the furnace. "So… ya say use to be?"

Martin sighed and walked along the walls, looking at the different weapons more closely. "Well… new inventions made swords and bows useless. We still have weapons for close combat but they changed a lot. But no one uses bows or crossbows anymore, we have ranged weapons that shoot projectiles faster than the eye could see."

He looked at Martin more closely. "Oh really, would it happen to be something like this?" He said, pulling an old fashion musket from underneath the counter. "I've been working on this for a good couple of months, able to fire a small metal ball a few yards or so; but very dangerous, gunpowder mixture still unstable."

Martin chuckled. "No… close but that'll need some work." He walked up to the counter, eyes the musket. "I've fired and built those before, but the bullets our 'modern tech' shoots are much faster, accurate, and deadly. I could show it to you but the hospital has my revolver."

Forgehammer blinked. "Revolver eh?" He scratched his chin. "Hmm… so anything particular that you're looking for or just browsing?" He asked, looking back at the metal.

Martin looked around and one of the crossbows caught his eye. He walked closer to it and looked at the master craftsmen's work. He turned and faced the smith. "If I manage to build you a working musket are you willing to give this to me for free?"

He scratched his chin again. "If you can guarantee it won't blow up in my face, I'll give you that and a full quiver for free."

"I'll shoot it personally to assure its safety."

Forge nodded and held out a hoof. "Then consider it a deal."

Martin smiled and grabbed his hoof, shaking it. "Deal." He walked to the musket on the counter. "I'll need a workbench and tools."

Forge pointed towards the door behind him. "They're in the back, just watch it that’s where all the heat bellows too." He stared at Martin. "Just a bit of warnin'; if ya try and steal anything or lie to me, the guards gave me permission to do what I need to do, Martin Knife-Wielder."

He laughed. "Wow… no need to worry, I'd never steal anything but I can understand." He walked past the pony, grabbing the musket before he opened the door. It was a large room with a big metal table tools laying everywhere. Sporadic torches provided light as he walked to the table and laid the musket down. "Let's get crackin'." He took off the sling around his neck and draped the jacket on the chair.

The clangs of hammer on metal were heard throughout the shop and small pouts of steam bellowed from the furnace. A few hours later, Forge opened the door and peeked his head in. "How's it going?"

Martin showed the smithy the newly designed musket as he finished polishing the barrel, making it shine. "Ready to fire at least a hundred yards."

The smithy whistled and held out a hoof to look at it. "I oiled and sprung the string on the crossbow you wanted. I also made a full quiver of sapphire tipped bolts. They're enchanted by a friend of mine to strike what you aim at for at least six yards."

Martin smiled. "I think it's time we test this baby out, aye?"

He nodded. "I know the perfect place." He led the human out back behind the large furnace and half a dozen dummies stood at attention. "They're spaced roughly three yards apiece, the farthest going almost forty yards if I remember correctly." He said, scratching his head.

Martin glanced at the targets before nodding and started to load the musket. He made sure the ball was all the way at the bottom of the barrel and carefully put some gun powder underneath the hammer. He took a deep breath and steadied his grip on the handle before closing his left eye and aimed. A few seconds later, a loud bang reverberated through the area and the dummy twelve yards away exploded.

The old smithy smiled, revealing missing teeth. "Well I'll be a son of a diamond dog, I had my doubts but I'm glad I was wrong." He looked up at the human. "That was a pretty good shot."

Martin reloaded the musket and aimed at another target further away; moments later that one soon followed it brethren in oblivion. The smoke from the two gunshots clogged the area, causing Martin to cough; the smithy didn’t seem fazed in the slightest.

A crowd of ponies began to form after the first shot and only got bigger with the second. A few guards seemed to be mixed in with the crowd, watching the human with cold, calculating eyes; their hooves not far from their spears.

Determined to put on a good show, he loaded the musket one more time, aiming at the furthest dummy. He aimed carefully; an inch could make the difference shooting targets that far away. He took a deep breath and looked down the sights before closing his eyes and pulled the trigger. He felt the vibration of the shot and heard the loud bang of it leaving the barrel, along with the explosion of wood. He opened his eyes and saw nothing remaining of the farthest dummy, reduced to half a stick in the ground.

The crowd applauded at the demonstration, a guard leaving the area. Forge smiled. "Don’t mind them, they're a distrustful lot."

Martin handed the musket to him. "It's all yours."

He smiled. "Let's go back to the shop so I can get your crossbow and bolts ready." He said, leading the way back inside as he rummaged around, stacking various things on the counter.

Martin smiled at the old smithy as he strapped the quiver and crossbow to his back. He put the sling back on and held his jacket in his left hand. "Thank you very much, who knows I might be back someday."

The old pony laughed. "I hope ya do… you probably just saved me years of work my friend, you're welcome any time."

Martin nodded at him before leaving and making his way back to the library. As he got to one of the busiest streets in the town, he noticed a very familiar purple unicorn frantically searching for something. She didn’t notice him as she quickly went back into the library and continued her search, sending things flying across the room.

He dodged a few things before raising his voice. "Oi, Twilight! What's wrong?"

"He's missing! I turned my back for a minute and he's not here anymore!"

He nodded. "Yeah thanks Twilight, makes things a lot clearer for me."

She looked at him. "Michael you hay brain! Your best friend is gone!" She said, opening up a cupboard and looking inside.

He looked around calmly. "He's probably at Fluttershys…"

"No I had Spike check that area already… Fluttershy hadn't seen him since he walked her home yesterday apparently." She continued looking around. "Did you see him while you were out?"

He raised an eyebrow. "No… maybe he's out with Dash learning how fly 'n' stuff."

She shook her head. "I checked with everypony; Dash said she thought she him wander off away from town and went to check it out, but she's not back yet. Pinkie and Gummy are checking the town with Rarity. AJ, Fluttershy and Spike are checking the area around Sweet Apple Acres and Fluttershy's house." She paused. "How can we miss one blind, barely functional pony with our search being so thorough?"

Martin sighed and threw his jacket to the ground along with the sling. He grabbed his crossbow. "I think it's time for me to find our missing pony…" He ran outside, leaving Twilight behind.

"Martin wait!" She yelled; he ignored her and sprinted towards the way they had came to Ponyville.

He ran through town, dodging ponies, carts, an occasional guard, and the all dangerous lamp posts until he reached the spot where Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy had found them. He looked around and charged into the forest.

He paused when he heard hoof steps behind him and saw Twilight galloping after him. "I swear, you humans are nothing but trouble!" She said, catching up.

He nodded and continued running deeper into the forest; it got darker the deeper he went, the tree canopy blocking the sun. Twilight continued to talk, mostly about the dangers of the forest called Everfree. They kept running and suddenly they saw two figures coming closer to them.

Martin quickly loaded his crossbow and aimed at the creatures but immediately lowered it when they were revealed to be AJ and Spike. As they got closer, he could see them covered in something red and they looked terrified.

They stopped inches from him. "What the hell happened to ya?!"

AJ didn’t respond, she was breathing too hard but Spike was frantically pointing the way they had come. "Quick Twilight, we have to go back! Michael is dying!"

Martin's face went blank as he ignored whatever else Spike said and charged past them. Martin charged through the scenery, faintly able to hear the others catching up and Spike explaining what happened.

While Fluttershy was looking for Michael, she found an injured rabbit so she stopped to care of it. AJ and Spike found her and they were talking until a pack of manticores showed up. Fluttershy tried using her animal magic, but it didn’t work. The pack seemed more aggressive than usual, the manticores growling at the ponies and dragon. One went to swipe her with its claws when Mike dove in the way, taking the poisonous strike. It shredded his side and some his left wing. The pack stared at him and turned to look at the manticore that struck him, horrified; the pack abandoned it and took off running. Mike soon fell over, bleeding rapidly.

That spurred them to run faster, AJ panting to keep up. They arrived in the little alcove; the trees nearby all had fresh scratches on them. Martin cocked a bolt into the crossbow, ready for anything, till he saw Fluttershy holding a blue pegasus in pool of ever growing red.

He ran up to her and kneeled down. "What happened?"

Mike opened an eye, it seemed to have a slightly glazed over look. "I was thinking that we might have left a clue…where we landed…" He struggled to breath. "…I didn’t think anypony would notice I was gone…" He wheezed. "I'm sorry, this is my fault." He chuckled, blood pooling out of the corners of his mouth. "I really don’t think this world likes me…"

Martin was silent as he got up and looked at the paw prints on the ground. He glanced back and looked at Mike before following them.

"Martin, where do ya think yer going?" AJ asked, looking at him as Twilight was examining the cuts.

He continued walking. "It's time to show this world that no one… NO ONE THREATENS MY FRIENDS!!"

"PONYFEATHERS Martin! Yer friend is almost dead! Now's not tha time to be going gung ho! We need to help him!" She yelled, glaring at him.

"I'm sure ya'll do just fine without me."

AJ walked in front of him, blocking his immediate path. "If you really cared 'bout yer friend, you'll stay here and help instead galloping off on some adventure!"

He turned his head and looked at Twilight trying her unicorn magic. "It looks like there are others to help."

Her brow furrowed in anger. "Ya know what, fine; go off on yer adventure!" She stomped away, little puffs of snow flying. She stopped next to Twilight as the unicorn's magic seemed to slow down the blood loss slightly.

He could hear Fluttershy crying as she held him, her yellow coat stained with blood. Mike slowly held her hoof, softly murmuring something that no pony could hear. He watched as they tried to close the cuts to no avail. He stood in the snow, thinking. Would I really leave my friend behind…? He stared at the crossbow in his hands before closing his eyes. He grasped it tightly and took the bolt out, putting it back in the quiver as he strapped the crossbow onto his back and walked to the little group. No.

AJ nodded as she saw him walk up to them as Twilight still tried to close the cuts.

Martin looked at the cuts, the flesh jagged and dirty. Blood continuously poured from the wounds. He could see the muscles underneath and watched as the arteries and veins beat with the pegasus's fading heart. "I have to stop the bleeding." He said, taking the crossbow and quiver off his back. He unbuttoned his shirt and started ripping it into strips as he carefully kneeled down beside Mike and started to wrap the wounds with the impromptu bandages. Fluttershy watched him as Mike grimaced in pain as the cloth touched the skin. "This'll hurt… but it'll save your life." He tied a knot at the end and pulled as hard as he could, putting pressure on the wound.

Mike's wings uselessly fluttered as he screamed in pain, his chest barely rising. His eyes started to roll into the back of his head.

Martin quickly placed his fingers near Mike's throat, trying to find his pulse. He took deep breaths to focus, everypony panicking. Fluttershy shook him to try and get his attention. He could a very weak, faint 'thump' but it was slow. His eyes shot open as it slowed to one, final 'thump'. "No… NO!!" He yelled, taking Mike from Fluttershy's hooves and putting him on his back. He placed his hands on Mike's ribs, careful of the cuts and tried to massage his heart back; trying not to break his ribs. "YOU SON OF A BITCH… YOU WON'T DIE HERE!!" He yelled in frustration, tears rolling down his face.

The ponies stared at the non-responding body as Martin continued. Fluttershy ran over and hugged Twilight as AJ went to walk up to him.

Author's Note

Hello, can't believe it's already time for another update... the days seem to fly by... any who, thanks to all that's fav/liked this story so far! It's my 2nd most popular one... Any who, like usual, if you see a mistake let me know so I can fix it. Thanks for reading!

"I just split coffee on my crotch...it was rather unpleasant..." - Furious Bacon

The trolling is strong in us...

11 - Let the Hate Flow...

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 11 - Let the Hate Flow…

Martin had his eyes closed, trying to think of something he could do, something he could take his anger out on. He felt a hoof on his shoulder and turned around to see AJ looking at him sadly. "Ah'm sorry about Mike…" She muttered.

Another hoof weakly thumped against Martin's arm and they looked down to see it was Mike's. "Like I said, it'll take a lot to kill me." He muttered weakly. "But this was a good shot…" He breathed heavily. "Ouch…"

Fluttershy quickly got into the little group and wrapped her hooves around Mike's neck and cried. "Hey… Martin, think you can grab my hoof and pat her back, I can't really feel my body…" He whispered weakly.

Martin's face was still wet and he wiped the tears off, doing as he was asked.

"Shh… it's ok Fluttershy…" He mumbled before looking at Martin with a small smile. "How bad was it?"

"I wasn’t even sure it was going to work… you would've died…" Martin said, trying to swallow his emotions.

Mike nodded weakly. "That’s what I thought… I thought I heard Twilight's voice?"

Martin looked at the purple unicorn, tears rolling down her face. "Michael… I'm so glad you're ok." She said, wiping tears from her eye.

"I take a few itty bitty scratches and everyone is acting like I died." He muttered, a faint smile on his pale face.

Martin looked at the bandages, which were soaked in blood. "We have to get you to the hospital right now!" He said as he got up.

Mike's hoof twitched and he looked at it. "Huh… and I thought I was moving that… any way… I'm fine."

"No you're not; if we don’t go now, you'll be gone for good." Martin bent down and pushed his arms under Mike's back and lifted him up. Mike seemed to pass out again as Fluttershy eeped, her face wet with tears.

"Can't ya teleport us to the hospital?" AJ asked Twilight.

She blushed. "Oh yeah…"

Martin looked at AJ. "AJ, could you grab my crossbow and quiver?"

She nodded and slung them on her back as Twilight looked at him. "Do you want me to teleport us there?"

He nodded. "The faster, the better…"

She nodded and closed her eyes as her horn glowed a bright purple; suddenly they were in the hospital lobby, Nurse Redheart staring at them in shock.

"Where the hay did you come from?" She asked, confused.

"There's no time, Mike's been injured… again." Twilight said.

"Oh for the love of Celestia!" Redheart said, throwing her hooves in the air. After her little tantrum, she looked at the group. "Follow me." She said, leading them along a short corridor and into a small room with an operating table in the middle. "Just put him there and we'll do the rest." She said, leaving the room.

Martin walked over and gently laid Michael on his back. Redheart soon came back with a doctor and several nurses. The doctor took one look at Michael before turning to face the group. "I require you all to leave, I need to focus."

Fluttershy shuffled her hooves and Martin looked like he wanted to argue, but the doctor interrupted. "Look, the more time you argue, the more time it takes to fix him… Please…"

Mike's eyes slowly opened, blinking a few times. "Where… where am I?" He asked weakly. "Fluttershy? Is she ok?" He asked no pony.

She rushed to his side and grabbed his hoof. "I'm here…" She said, shaking slightly.

He faintly smiled. "Ok… is everyone else ok?"

"Please everyone out!" The doctor said.

Martin sighed and grabbed Fluttershy by the waist, she eeped before he flung her over his shoulder. "Sorry Fluttershy, we have to leave for now." She tried to break free but he wouldn’t let her go.

She fought against his grip, giving up a few seconds later and started to cry into his shoulder, her hooves wrapping around his neck. Twilight, Spike, and AJ looked at the tiled floor, not sure what to do.

Martin sighed again. "Don’t worry… he'll be fine."

=

They sat in the lobby, waiting impatiently for any news. The rest of their little group had come when Spike ran off to gather them. Fluttershy was sitting by herself, even more quiet than usual.

Martin looked at Fluttershy. "Fluttershy… I'm sorry but we both want him to be healthy again, don’t we?"

She nodded staring at the ground.

"I know you care a lot about him, but we have to wait. He could've died today and if we wasted anymore time he would've for sure."

She sighed and looked over at him, her eyes glossy. "I know… it's just that he was protecting me… it's my fault he got hurt to begin with…" She started to cry, her head in her hooves. "And when you two first got here, it was my fault he fell out of the tree and broke his rib…" She trailed off, her mane falling over her face.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "That’s not true… it's not your fault. I'm sure he thinks the same; one protects another, risking getting hurt."

She fell into his good arm. "But… but he was just getting better." She buried her face into his chest.

His right arm ached but he ignored it and gently put his hand on her head. "I promise to you… a lifelong promise… as long as my heart is beating and air fills my lungs… I will protect him… no matter what. And if it means getting myself killed..."

She lifted her face off his chest. "I couldn’t ask you to promise that… I don’t want either of you to die…"

He looked at her, determined. "I don’t care Fluttershy, whether you like it or not, I will protect my friend. I'll carry him across this land and back. I'll give my right arm to make sure he comes back to you. As long as I live, I won't let him die."

She got even sadder and buried her face into his chest again. The rest of the girls looked at him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "And I will protect you Fluttershy, no matter what." He whispered into her ear. She nodded, afraid to speak.

"Hmm… this guy just ain't lucky, is he?" Discord asked, floating above everyone eating popcorn.

Martin quickly let go of Fluttershy and stood up, staring at the spirit. "You… what do you want?" He yelled, grabbing his crossbow from a nearby chair.

Discord held up his hands. "Whoa there tiger, I just came by to see if I could help."

Martin aimed at his head. "Why would you want to help?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you wouldn’t want help from an immortal demigod that can bend the laws of physics to fit his every whim?"

Martin continued to aim at his head. "Why would you help us huh?"

Discord floated closer to the human. "Simple really; you two create loads of chaos… and being the God of Chaos, I love it. It would be so boring with just you here, no offense, but the other is just too good for his own hooves." He smiled and floated towards the ceiling. "Just a thought though, if you don’t want my help, I'll leave."

Martin hesitated but lowered the crossbow. "And what would you do?"

Discord scratched his goatee. "Well I heard he got scratched from a manticore right?" He looked at Fluttershy. "And it wouldn’t listen to you?"

Martin stepped in front of her. "Yes…" He glared at Discord.

The demigod laughed. "How quaint, but it seems like he was attacked by a rare breed of Manticores, only found deep in the Everfree Forest; their poison is very lethal. One cut would kill any one of you in a matter of minutes." He glanced at the clock. "And he was cut several times and didn’t die, that’s very impressive. But what the doctors don’t know is that you need an antidote, one made from a certain type of flower that doesn’t exist anymore, it went extinct when Luna was banished, it was her flower after all…"

Martin tapped his foot. "Get to the point god damn it!"

"Well someone's impatient." The demigod laughed. "My proposition, I'll give you the antidote to save your friend on one measly little condition."

Martin sighed. "Was bound to happen… I'm listening."

"It's quite easy actually." He paused, looking at him. "Just keep causing chaos and the antidote is yours."

He looked at the spirit confused. "How am I supposed to do that?"

Discord laughed. "Just keep doing what you're doing." He held out his paw. "So is it a deal?"

Martin looked at the other ponies, everypony expect Fluttershy were shaking their head. Fluttershy looked at him, begging him to choose with what he thought was right. He stared at the paw. "Deal…" He finally said, grabbing the paw and shook it.

Discord grinned and a bottle appeared in Martin's hand. "I suggest you hurry, I'd say they're about to run into complications right about…" He paused listening. Suddenly a multitude of noises could be heard from behind the door. "Now." He said, disappearing.

Martin quickly ran into the room. "I got the antidote!" He yelled, holding up the bottle.

The doctor looked at him confused. The bottle levitated over the doctor and nurses and they stared at it, muttering amongst themselves. They quickly opened the bottle and gave it to him, and the machines calmed down as they started to operate.

"I'll just leave ya to it…" He said, closing the door and letting the doctors get back to work. He went back with the others as they looked at him with concern. "What?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

Twilight walked up to him. "You made a deal with Discord."

"The God of Chaos?" Dash added.

Martin sighed. "What's the worst that could happen?"

They looked at him. "Well… he could turn you into your opposite like he did us." Twilight theorized, scratching a hoof against the ground.

"Um… why would he do that? It's not like I'm anyone important… I can't influence anyone to an extent were it could create a lot of chaos…"

The girls looked at each other. "I think he may try and sow disharmony among us… we are the Elements after all." Dash said.

There was an awkward silence. "I guess that’s pretty bad but I couldn’t let Michael die…"

Twilight sighed. "I know… and we all would've done the same in your shoes…"

He sighed. "We'll just have to see what happens."

There was another pause. "Oh I hate to be a bother… but I have to finish some dresses for some very important customers." Rarity said. "It's not like I don’t want to wait, but I need to finish them, so please, the moment you find out something, please let me know."

"Ok… um… I hate to ask, but I need some new clothes." Martin smiled sheepishly at her.

She nodded. "I figured as much; just stop by tomorrow sometime and I should have a few things whipped up." She said.

"Thank ya." He said, letting the white unicorn attend to her business.

He looked at the other ponies. "I'm gonna go back to the library and grab my jacket… its freezing walking around bare chest ya know?"

Twilight put a hoof on his arm. "Allow me." She said, her horn glowing and his jacket appeared in his hand.

He smiled. "Hey… thanks Twilight." He said, quickly putting on the jacket; his arm started to ache again.

The door opened and the doctor walked out, sighing as he took off his glasses, leaning heavily against the door frame.

"And?" Martin asked, walking up to the doctor. All the ponies followed him.

The doctor looked exhausted. "He's going to be fine." He said with a small smile. Everypony sighed with relief and Fluttershy began to tear up. "Whatever was in that bottle saved his life. He's resting now if you want to go in and visit, just keep it short and try to be quiet."

Martin looked at the others. "I'll have a look." He said before he walked into the room. He saw Mike resting peacefully, his eyes closed with the heart monitor going at a steady pace.

"Is he ok?" Fluttershy asked from behind him.

He turned to face her. "Don’t worry, he seems to be alright." He said, giving her reassuring smile. She nodded and slowly walked into the room, hesitant. Everypony gathered around his bed as Martin watched, standing behind, easily able to look over their heads. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

Mike blinked a few times, his green eyes coming into focus. "Well if I had a thumb, I'd give you a thumbs up… but I'm ok… just really sore…" He said weakly. Fluttershy moved closer and hugged him. He hugged her back, putting a hoof around her back and squeezed as hard as he could. "Are you ok?" He asked her.

She eeped but nuzzled his chest. "I'm ok…" she said quietly.

He sighed. "Ok… good." He looked at the other blobs. "I take it everypony is here?"

Martin shook his head. "Nah, Rarity had to leave and Pinkie isn't here."

"I'm assuming Pinkie is planning some sort of party?"

He nodded. "Yeah… it appears she'll throw us a party if we like it or not…"

Twilight nodded. "She throws parties for everything."

Martin looked at her. "And how big are these parties?" He asked worriedly.

She thought for a moment. "Well… depending on how much time she has to get ready, usually the majority of the town shows up…"

He frowned. "Is there really no way around it?" He asked, hoping for a loop hole.

She shook her head. "No… when I first got here, she threw the party in the library and it didn’t end till like one in the morning…"

He sighed. "I hate parties…"

Twilight giggled. "So do I but around Pinkie, you'll get used to them."

"God dang it." He said, annoyed.

Mike leaned forward, gasping in pain as Fluttershy tried to stop him. "Yeah… I guess it's not that bad, is it?"

Martin looked skeptically at him. "What; the fact that you’ve been poisoned by a manticore or that you’ve been in the hospital twice in one week?"

"Well… when you put it that way." He struggled to throw off the covers and tried to get out of the bed, the numerous machines going off. "I think I should get out of here." He paused, tired and dizzy.

Martin chuckled. "I don’t think ya'll be leaving too soon mate…"

"Maybe… but I've spent way too much time here already… I mean, we've been here for a week…" He took a few breaths before trying again.

Martin sighed and walked over, forcing him to lie down. "Ya stay in that bed and rest."

Mike rolled his eyes. "But I'm fine…"

He glared. "If ya don’t stay in that bed I'll put two bolts through your shoulders and into the bed."

Fluttershy gasped and looked at him along with the others, horrified. Mike started laughing, struggling to get up again. "Just like old times eh?"

He chuckled. "Yep… but seriously, ya should stay in bed unless the doctor says it's ok."

Mike leaned back and sighed. "You know he's just gonna say 'I'm lucky to be alive, blah, blah, blah.' But I'm fine… it's not that bad…"

"It's not like the situation could be any worse, aye?"

"Hmmm… touché good sir." Mike smiled.

"I'll go ask the doc when ya can be to go." Martin said, making way to the door and leaving. He wandered around for a few minutes before he saw a doctor standing over a desk reading some papers, a cup of coffee levitating next to him. He raised his good hand to meet him. "Hello Doc… um… I don’t wanna annoy you, but how long will Michael have to stay in the hospital?"

The doc turned at the sound of Martin's voice. "Well fancy meeting you again so soon… and Michael?" He shuffled a few papers around before reading. "Says here he can leave day after tomorrow after the unicorns finish level 3, or they finished sewing him up and making sure all the toxins are out of his body."

Martin smiled with relief. "Thanks doc, I hope ya'll have a nice day." He said, walking back to the room.

"You too lad, take care of that arm." The doctor responded, turning back to take a sip of his coffee.

Martin quickly made his way back into the room. "Ya'll be here till the day after tomorrow if everything goes as planned."

Mike smiled. "Thank god… hospitals scare me… I would be freaking out right now if they didn’t sedate me before I woke up." He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm sure you'll find something to entertain yerself with while we're outside in the sunshine." Martin teased.

Mike's face turned red. "Now is not the time for that." His wings twitched and Dash started laughing while Fluttershy's face turned redder.

Martin joined Dash, laughing hysterically. He raised his left fist for Dash and she smacked it, causing his arm to tingle. "That was hilarious! Is he always this easy to embarrass?"

Martin nodded, holding his stomach. "Oh god… I can't breathe…" He took a few steady breaths before looking at his injured friend.

Mike glanced in Martin's general area. "Hey AJ, Martin and I were talking the other day-"

He looked at Mike in horror and quickly grabbed his snout to keep it shut. Mike was chuckling, his body shaking slightly as Fluttershy looked at him, confused.

"What's wrong sugarcube?" AJ asked.

Martin forced a laugh. "Aww… nothing's wrong." He leaned closer. "Shut up you vegetable!" He whispered into the pegasus's ear.

He let go of his snout and looked at AJ, who raised her eyebrow.

Mike chuckled as Fluttershy looked at him, concerned. "Martin and I were talking about you yesterday; we were comparing the apples between the worlds weren't we?" He looked at Martin.

AJ quickly picked up on the lie but didn’t show any recognition. Martin looked at her awkwardly. "Um... do ya need help at the farm?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

She turned to look at him, staring holes into him. "Actually, we could use an arm 'round the farm; help us fix a few things we can't reach." She said, her voice neutral.

Martin sighed with relief. "I'll be happy ta help."

"Then tomorra, come to the farm and we'll see what we can get ya to do." She said, heading towards the door. "Well its bout for some shut eye fer this pony." She looked at Mike. "I'm glad yer safe, Mike, take it easy ok?" He nodded as she walked out the door.

Martin watched her walk away before looking at him. "I'll be off too, tis getting late and I'll have work tomorrow."

Mike nodded. "I guess I'll stay here then…" He looked around and saw Dash, Twi, and Fluttershy still there. "You girls don’t have to stay… I'm ok and it is getting late…"

Twilight smiled. "I'll have to go now but I'll be back tomorrow." She said, walking out the door.

Dash grinned at the two pegasi. "I'll just be leaving the two of ya alone… have fun." She said before she flew after the unicorn.

Mike closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Fluttershy, if you want to go home, I won't be mad… I promise." He opened his eyes and saw Martin watching him with a grin from the doorway.

He pointed at Fluttershy before giving him a thumbs up and left quietly.

Mike rolled his eyes and looked towards the yellow blob. "Fluttershy?" He asked, slightly worried that she was being so quiet.

She looked at him with her big blue eyes. "Yes…?" She asked, stopping the silence.

His face turned a bright shade of pink. "Do… do you want to stay or go home? If you wanna go home, I understand…" He fiddled with his forehooves.

She smiled before gently getting in the bed and slipping underneath the covers, snuggling up to him. "I'll stay…" She said quietly.

His face got brighter as his wings spread open. "O-o-ok…" He stuttered, curling up with her, his head resting on her chest. Her face turned red, she closed her eyes and hugged him tightly.

Author's Note

Wow... Surprised that Mike's 'death' caused a few people to complain, didn't think it was that big of a deal... I'm just sorry that its more hospital time... "yay". Any who, thanks to all the favs/likes, your probably getting tired of hearing that but we truly mean it! Thanks so much. Like usual, if ya see a mistake, let me know.

Nothing from Furious Bacon this time...

13 - The Party Breakdown

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 13 - The Party Breakdown

The rest of the girls, minus Fluttershy, were already there and they looked as Martin, Pinkie, and AJ came in. Pinkie looked at him, unhappy. "You haven't told her yet?" She asked.

He looked at her dumbfounded. "Told her what?"

"That you really, really, realllly li-"

He quickly covered her mouth. "Don’t say it out loud."

"But why not; everypony deserves to have a special somepony…" She somehow said around his hand.

He quickly looked around and made sure AJ wasn’t close by. "Yes but ya don’t understand." She sat down and looked at him, waiting for him to explain. He sighed and looked; AJ and the others were talking and putting up decorations. "It's just that… I'm a human… and she's a pony… how do ya think that'll work out?"

She started talking too fast for him to understand and it didn’t help that he held her mouth shut. He removed his hand, letting her speak freely. "What about Mike and Shy? He was human but he still followed his heart; why does it matter what we are when we're in love?" She asked, dramatically holding a hoof to her chest.

He stared at her blankly. "I understand what you're trying to say but I'll have to talk to Mike about this… he'll understand." He said, deciding to go visit him in the hospital. She frowned but understood she couldn’t help and went to help the others finish the party decorations.

=

"Hey Nurse Redheart, is it alright if I visit Michael?"

She looked up from her stack of papers. "Sure, just make sure you knock first." She winked.

He smiled and nodded, making his way to the room. He knocked twice before he slowly opened the door. "Hey Mike."

Fluttershy and Mike looked at him, Fluttershy feeding him some wonderful hospital food. "Hey…" He said, sounding tired.

Martin looked at Fluttershy. "Um… can I talk to Mike privately for a minute?" He asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

She looked at him before nodding; setting the food on the table next to the bed and nuzzling Mike's cheek, making both of their faces turn bright red. She smiled and left, shutting the door behind her. Martin watched the door shut.

"I gotta ask for your advice…." He said hesitantly.

Mike blinked, surprised. "Sure; what's on your mind?"

Martin scratched the back of his head. "Well… it's about AJ…"

Mike smiled. "Trying to figure out how to tell her?

"Well… that's a problem as well… I can't get over the fact that I'm a human and she's a horse… it just seems weird ya know? I've been thinking about it more closely."

Mike raised an eyebrow and stared at the blob. "Do you honestly see them as only horses? Do horses have a culture, a society, a means of writing stuff down and magic or the ability to fly?"

"Ya know what I mean… I see them as more than just horses… it's just… how would that work out?"

Mike shrugged. "How did I get turned into one? We can't always explain it… if you really want to be with someone or in this case, somepony, you're going to have to think about it and ask yourself if you're ready to at least try the relationship."

Martin frowned, staring at the ground. After a few seconds, a light bulb seem to appear over his head. "What if…" He muttered, quickly turning around and running out of the room.

Mike stared at his disappearing form before he sighed. "That was interesting…"

Fluttershy slowly came back into the room, looking at him, confused. "Um… What has gotten into him?" She asked quietly.

He looked at her. "I don’t really know, one minute we were talking then he just bolted out of the room…"

She sighed.

=

Martin ran back to the Sugarcube Corner, ponies staring at him. He could see it in the distance; ponies surrounded the door, the party still in full swing. He sighed; annoyed that it was still party central.

Pinkie waited by the front door and when she saw him, she jumped up and down, waving enthusiastically.

He slowed down, walking towards her. "Hey Pinkie."

"Hey Marty, was your talk with Mikey helpful?" She asked.

He scratched his neck. "More or less…"

She leaned in close. "So are you gonna tell her?"

He blankly looked at her before walking over to the snack bar. The girls were off by the counter, chatting amongst themselves.

"Should we go get the hospital couple?" Rarity asked.

He looked around, all the noises overwhelming his senses. Ponies talked, laughed, and danced all too close to him. He walked away from the cluster of ponies and leaned against the wall, trying to hear his own thoughts; he stared at nothing.

A hoof rested gently on his arm. "Martin, ya feeling ok; you're lookin' a little pale…" AJ said.

He snapped out of it, glancing frantically around before he noticed the orange mare. "Oh... it's just that I'm really no fan of parties, ya know…"

She nodded. "Ah get where yer coming from, but the party's for you… and well Mike when he was a human, but still."

He agreed with a sigh. "Yeah… I know and I appreciate everything…"

She faintly smiled. "Then try and lighten up and enjoy yerself… ya never know what happens." She said, flicking her tail in his face before heading back to the others.

He stood there and took a few deep breaths before following her.

"Hey there darling, how are you?" Rarity said as she saw him.

He felt dizzy and nauseous, the world slowly spinning. "I-I'm… ok…"

They noticed his face had gone pale. "Ya don’t look ok…" AJ said.

"Maybe you should go lay down?" Twilight suggested.

"Lay down; at his party? But everypony came here to see him!" Pinkie said, appearing out of nowhere.

He looked at her, the room rapidly spinning. His heart rate skyrocketed as he held a hand on his chest, taking fast breaths. His body started to shake as AJ's eyes appeared in front of his, her hooves holding the side of his head.

"Look at me and only me." She commanded. "Just take a few breaths…" He stared at her and his breathing slowed down but he was still shaking. "Good." She said, taking her hooves and grabbing his hand. "Just take it easy…" She said, leading him to a stool and forcing him to sit down.

He frantically looked around the room; the noise seemed to be closing in on him as he felt his chest tightening. "Hey." She said, forcing his head towards her again. "Look at me and only me. Just imagine it's us." She put a drink in his hand. "Do ya trust me?"

He stared at her blankly with the glass shaking. "I… o-of course…."

She nodded. "Then drink, it'll relax yer nerves… trust me."

He stared at the drink before he raised it to his lips; it was the same thing he'd drank at the pub, just with stronger alcohol. "Ah asked Pinkie if Ah could bring mah on drinks." She said hesitantly.

He lowered the glass, the strong taste traveling down his throat. "I… I need some air." He said, dropping the glass and quickly getting off the stool.

She grabbed his hand and led him through the ponies, before leading him outside. He stared at the sky and took deep breaths, starting to calm down as he lowered his head and closed his eyes. "Thank you…"

"No problem." She said quietly.

He opened his eyes and saw a bench not that far away and he tumbled towards it, sitting down. She followed him and sat next to him, quiet as he leaned against the back of the bench, his breathing starting to go back to normal. "You ok?" She finally asked.

He finally noticed the alcohol taking effect as he looked at her. "Much better now…"

She raised an eyebrow. "That’s good, Ah'm glad." He had a dazed look on his face. "Maybe Ah put a little too much alcohol in there." She looked at him worriedly. "Ah'll be right back, Ah'll go get ya a glass of water." She said, starting to get up.

He grabbed her shoulder. "No… stay here…" She paused and let him push her back on the bench. "AJ… d-do ya wanna meet sometime?" He asked, staring into her eyes.

"At the farm?" She looked at him confused.

"No… I mean, like a date…" He said, his face flushed with alcohol and embarrassment.

"Oh." She blankly stared at him before it seemed to register in her mind. "OH!!" She blushed, her freckles highlighted. "Uh… sure…"

He smiled. "What day is today?"

She thought for a moment. "Thursday Ah believe…"

He nodded. "How about Saturday?"

She blinked. "That… that'll work."

"Where to go though?"

"Um… there's a café close by, one of us could go make reservations?" She offered.

He nodded, looking at the sky again. "I'll go do it… does six in the afternoon sound any good to you?"

She nodded. "That sounds perfect." She smiled. "So…it's a date?"

He smiled at her, his cheeks a bit red. "Yup."

She got up. "Well… Ah better go tell the girls before they find out the hard way…"

He chuckled. "Probably for the best…"

She flicked her tail at him. "You gonna be alright by yerself?"

"Don’t worry, I'll be fine."

She smiled at him. "Ok... then Ah guess Ah'll see ya later?"

"Yeah…" He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

She nodded, waving goodbye as he watched her head back into the Sugarcube Corner. "Wow…" He muttered to himself, sitting there staring at the ground for a moment. He sighed and got up, heading towards the hospital.

=

When he got there, he saw Redheart leaving, papers being filed away; she wasn’t paying attention and he had to move out the way. "Hello Nurse Redheart."

She paused and blinked, finally noticing him. "Oh, hello there; how's the arm?"

He looked at his arm, sling less. "Um… can't complain…"

She raised an eyebrow, looking at him skeptically. "You ok? You seem a little flushed…" She leaned forward.

"Umm… y-yeah, I'm fine." He said, quickly walking past her. "Good day Nurse!" He yelled back at her, walking into the hospital, hoping to avoid a detailed conversation.

He opened the door and saw Fluttershy walking down the hall, carrying a basket in her mouth. She smiled at him. "Hey Fluttershy, how's Mike doing?"

"Oh… he's fine... he's just taking a little nap." She said, blushing.

He nodded and walked passed her as she walked out of the hospital. He went into Mike's room and saw him peacefully asleep, snoring quietly. He chuckled and sat down in the chair in the corner of the room, waiting for him to wake up.

A few moments later, Mike groggily opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Hey mate, sleep well?" Martin asked, walking over by his bedside.

Mike blinked and turned his head. "Oh hey…" He squinted, trying to make out the blob. "Martin?"

"Yup…"

"Yeah… I guess I did…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be with AJ?"

Martin blushed. "I was… guess who got himself a date?"

Mike grinned. "Nicely done!" He held out a forehoof. "So ya finally asked her?"

"Yup." He said, bumping his fist against the hoof.

"So… when is it?"

"Saturday at six o'clock."

"Nice… well, I wish you luck my friend."

He nodded. "Thanks."

"What do the others think?"

"I don’t know… she wanted to tell the others."

"Oh…"

Pinkie magically appeared out of nowhere. "Way to go Marty!" She yelled, hugging him.

"Wha-what?!" He asked, panicking as Pinkie squeezed him tighter.

Mike blinked. "Did Pinkie just appear out of thin air?"

Martin stared at the epitome of pink. "Um… Pinkie?"

"Yes?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Doesn’t matter…"

She giggled and let go before turning around and looking at Mike, producing a plate of cupcakes out of her mane. "Here you go sleepy head, since you can't come to the party." She said, putting them in his hooves before trotting towards the door.

Martin watched her. "Sorry that I left earlier."

She paused in mid hop. "It's no biggie, I understand. I didn’t think having that many ponies for a party would scare you that much."

Mike looked at Martin, curious.

Martin frowned. "It doesn’t have to do with them… well at least it's nothing personal, I'm claustrophobic."

She stared at him and Mike tried not to laugh.

He sighed. "I suppose ya don’t know what it means, aye?" She shook her head rapidly. "Well… it’s a phobia. When I'm around big groups of people in a small space… well, ya saw what happened."

"Oh…" she said. "But that’s silly, why are you afraid of all your friends?"

"It has nothing to do with them; it’s the place that matters… I would've been fine if the party was outside."

"Oh, well why didn't you say so?" She said, disappearing from the room.

They watched her vanish. "I'll never understand that pink blob of happiness." Martin said.

Mike shook his head. "Neither will I, but I guess that’s just normal for her."

Martin shrugged." Oh yeah, forgot to tell you; I got a job now."

"Oh really; where?"

"At the smiths."

"Really? Congrats…" He smiled. "Just moving right into place."

"Yep."

Mike paused and looked at the sheets. "I wonder what's going to happen when I get out…"

Martin grinned. "How about you and Fluttershy move in together, aye?"

He sighed. "I… I don’t know about that…" He muttered, staring at the sheets.

"Hey… come on mate, heads up."

There was silence. … "Can I ask a personal question?" Mike asked.

Martin leaned closer. "Course, ya know you can share your thoughts with me.""

Mike took a few deep breaths. "What if this whole thing with Fluttershy is because she feels sorry for me? We just met a few days ago…" Tear drops fell onto the bed. "I… I think I'm just a charity case for her…"

Martin placed a reassuring hand on Mike's shoulder. "I don’t think so… I know her better than that. There was a bit of a moment when we got you here after the attack.""

Mike looked up. "Really?"

Martin nodded. "She was making herself responsible for all the injuries you got and she began crying. She was worried sick about you and no one would've been as worried as her if they wouldn’t care about you as more than a friend. I assure you that she likes ya just as much as you like her."

Mike stared at the cupcakes. "Thanks…" He whispered.

"Even if she doesn’t like you as much as you do her… I always go your back. If you die, I don’t have a meat shield anymore, so I gotta take care of ya. You're one of the most important peo-ponies in my life, I couldn’t let ya die."

Mike faintly smiled. "Same here… us human/human-pony hybrid gotta stick together, aye?" He asked, holding a hoof out again. "Besides, AJ or Twilight would kill me if I let ya die…"

Martin chuckled and bumped his fist against the offered hoof. "Aye…"

A pony sniffled and they turned to see Fluttershy standing in the doorway. "Is that what you were worried about?" She asked Mike. He was silent, unsure what to say. Martin quickly moved aside as she got closer to the bed. "You think I did all this to pity you?" She asked, her voice small and shaky.

"…I was scared Fluttershy… I keep getting hurt and you were always there for me… I don’t have the self pride… especially since I got turned into a pony were I can't even do the simplest things… and you kept helping me… I was afraid you felt sorry for me and took care of me because you pitied me…" Mike looked down, his face red and with tears hitting the sheet.

Martin silently made his way to the open window and thanking that the room was on the first floor, hopped out of it to avoid interrupting their moment.

"I would never want to hurt you… I could never... because.. bec-" She began to stutter, her face bright red.

He looked up at her. "Because?" He asked, his voice weak.

Her face turned almost the same color as her mane as her jaw started to quiver. "Because… I…"

He watched her, waiting for her response. She took a deep breath before she leaned in close, her face mere inches from his as she looked him in the eyes. "Because… I… I really like… you…" She whispered, her face brighter than Pinkie.

All the blood went straight to his face and he rivaled Fluttershy's blush. "I-I-I-" He paused and leaned forward, gently kissing her on the lips. She looked startled, her face turning even redder before she closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss. A few minutes later, they separated their lips. "I know…" He whispered, a small smile on his face.

She smiled as she stared at the floor, embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry." He muttered.

She nuzzled his cheek before her lips connected with his once more; their faces bright red as they both closed their eyes and were lost in passion.

Martin watched from afar, underneath a nearby tree with a large grin on his face.

"It's so adorable ain't it?" Discord asked as he held out a bag of popcorn towards Martin. "Popcorn?"

Martin quickly turned his head and fell over, looking at the demigod. He started to crawl away as fast as he could.

"I take it no popcorn?" He snapped his fingers and the human flew towards him. Martin stared at Discord in horror, helpless in the air. "What's with the look of pure fear?" He asked with a smile.

"Wh-what do you want?!" Martin asked, full of fear and anger.

Discord shrugged. "Just bored and checking on you two…" He glanced through the window. "Seems we got a lovey dovey couple."

"Don’t you dare touch them!" He yelled, struggling against the magic.

Discord held a claw over his chest. "Well I'm just insulted you'd ever think I would harm ponies in love."

"Actions say more than words!"

"What have I done? You should be thanking me for saving your friend!"

Martin glared at him. "I'm sure the princess could name a few things, aye!?"

He snapped his fingers and Martin fell on his bad arm, hard. "Oh please, that’s water under the bridge."

Martin yelled in pain. "Ya little shit." He got back to his feet, holding his arm tenderly.

Discord glared at him. "Just remember who you owe a favor too… but don’t worry, I'll be cashing that in really soon." He snapped his fingers again and a midnight blue feather appeared in Martin's hand, covered in blood. Tootles. He said, disappearing once more.

Martin stared at the feather in horror. "Martin… what do you have?" Dash stared in horror, sneaking up on him. "Why do you have that feather?!"

He ignored her and stared at the open window, he could see them hugging and Mike looked like he was pain.

"Hello, Equestria to alien, don’t ignore me!" Dash demanded, flying in front of him.

He pushed her out of the way and quickly ran towards the window, hopping through it. Fluttershy eeped in fear, looking at him. "M-martin, what's wrong?" She asked, only to notice the feather and her eyes grew wide.

"Martin? The hell is going on?" Mike asked as he grabbed Fluttershy's shaking hoof and turned to look at Martin's blob.

He looked at the feather. "I… I can't protect you… I failed…"

Mike blinked. "What in the world are you talking about?"

Martin sunk to his knees. "I can't do anything… I-he…"

Mike looked at Fluttershy before grunting and forcing himself out of the bed, struggling to held back the pain. She tried to stop him but he forced his way through, the machines going crazy. He lowered himself to Martin's height and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Martin, what are you talking about? You saved me, remember?"

He shook his head. "No… I can't stop him…" He held up the bloody feather. "There is nothing I can do… I'm useless…"

Mike stared at it. "What is that? I… I can't see it." He said, squinting at it.

"It-it's your feather…" Fluttershy said, horrified.

"My what now? Feather?" He said dumbly. "Oh yeah… it must've fallen off when that manticore attacked me." He looked at her. "I don’t get what's the big deal…"

"D-Discord… he did something…" Martin stuttered.

"Oh? What… what did he do? Did I miss something?" Mike asked, looking around.

"He… he didn’t harm you?"

Mike blinked. "Discord harm me? No… of course not… why would he?" He asked, horribly confused.

Martin stared at the feather. "He gave me this feather… where did it come from?"

Mike struggled and opened a wing, gasping in pain as he put it close to the feather. "Does it match?"

"Yes… yes it does…"

He let his wing fall back to his side. "Huh… I'm not sure, maybe he picked it up from the forest?"

Martin shook his head. "No… he used his magic to pull it out… at least I assume he did."

Fluttershy grabbed the other wing and gently extended it, examining the feathers with a cute little blush on her cheeks. She gasped and pointed to a spot. "He's missing a primary here…" She trailed off…

Martin looked at the spot. Did you feel a stinging pain just a few seconds ago?

"…Yeah, why?... Oh…"

"If he can simply pull out one of your feathers… there is nothing I can do to stop him if he plans to do anything worse…" Martin said, looking at the floor.

There was silence as no one understood why Discord would do it until Mike started to chuckle that turned into full blown laughter. Fluttershy and Martin shared a brief look as Mike held his side.

"Why are you laughing?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.

Mike paused and took a deep breath. "So we've been here for what, five days… and I've broken a rib, had a seizure that made Celestia turn me into a pony, and got my side tore open by a rare manticore and nearly died." He looked at Martin. "And you broke your arm twice and were nearly thrown in jail… He took a deep breath. "And now we gotta worry about Discord? Well"- He fell flat on his face, passed out.

Martin quickly picked him up, his arm almost giving out.

"W-what happened to him?" Fluttershy asked, worriedly looking at him.

"He just passed out." Martin said, grimacing.

She noticed his right arm shaking with the strain. "Maybe I should go get a doctor to look at your arm…"

"Maybe…" He agreed quietly.

She nodded and quickly left the room as Martin put Mike back on the bed. He sat at the edge, holding his bad arm. A few minutes later, a doctor and Fluttershy soon walked in, the doctor taking one look at Martin before sighing.

"What did you do now?" He asked, trotting over to Martin. "I swear, you humans like to get hurt, don’t you?" He muttered.

Martin was silent as he held his arm out for the doctor to look at and followed his instructions. The doctor finally sighed. "Well… that’s good; I thought you reinjured your arm." He stared at Martin. "I want you to not use this arm at all for at least the rest of the week."

Martin sighed. "Ok… I'll try."

"If you keep injuring it, we're going to have to keep you in here for the entire healing process to make sure you don’t damage it beyond what we can fix." The doctor said flatly.

"…On second thought, I'll make sure not to use it."

He chuckled. "That’s what they usually say." He turned to look at the unconscious pegasus and walked over to the bed and gave him a quick look over. "What happened to him?"

"Um…" Martin began, unsure if he should say.

"Well… I guess I shouldn’t know…" He shook his head and looked at Fluttershy. "Just make sure he stays in bed; we'll have to keep him an extra night." He nodded to Martin before leaving the room. "I've seen them more often than either Derpy or Dash." He muttered as he left.

She nodded and sat down on the bed, running a hoof through Mike's mane.

Martin sighed and got off the bed. "I better get goin'… I still have to a make a reservation…"

Fluttershy looked at him. "A reservation; for what? I mean… if you want to tell me…"

He blushed. "Well… um… I-I got a date with AJ…"

She smiled. "Congratulations…."

He scratched the back of his neck, nervous. "Yeah… thanks…" He said, waving goodbye and disappearing down the hall.

Fluttershy sighed and continued to run her hoof through Mike's mane as he unconsciously nuzzled her stomach.

Author's Note

So he finally found the courage to ask her, bout damn time. Now we just gotta get through that, I mean, what's the worst that could happen? I'm so happy that we could update last time right when the site goes down for the update thing... Oh, and um.. thanks for the fav/likes...

"I stapled myself in the hand today..." - Furious Bacon, the author formerly known as Captain Binoculars

I'm not sure what to say anymore to his shenanigans...

14 - Freedom!!

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Captain Binoculars

Chapter 14 - Freedom!!

Martin stood outside the hospital, staring at the town, realizing he had no idea where the café was. He wandered around town, hoping to run into somepony he recognized. Finally, he spotted Twilight heading towards the library and he sprinted to her. "Hey Twilight!"

She paused and turned around, smiling when she saw Martin. "Hey Martin; where did you run off too? And congratulations!!"

He blushed. "Um… thanks. Anyways, AJ and I were going to meet at a café… but I don’t know which one she was talking about. Do you maybe know where it is?" He asked the purple unicorn.

She paused. "I think there's a western themed one not that far from the library…"

He nodded. "Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for it." He said waving goodbye before he continued to hunt for it. He finally saw a sign hanging in front, whistling and country music coming from inside. He slowly opened the door and looked inside.

It was as if the café was taken straight from the American West in the 1800s, the walls decorated as if it was a saloon. Everypony wore western style outfits and the barmares were walking around, serving ponies with southern accents. Most of the café was taken up a dance floor, which was full of ponies.

He walked inside and walked up to a mare standing at a podium, looking through some sort of book. "Excuse me…"

"Well howdy stranger, ya look like sometin' from the Everfree Forest." She paused, her accent thick. "Name's Sundancer, what can Ah help ya wit?"

"Um… is it possible to reserve a table for two for Saturday?" He asked curiously.

She skimmed through the book she was reading. "Ah think we can squeeze you two in. What time?"

"Around six."

She grabbed a pencil with her mouth. "We got a spot open… Name?"

"Thrift."

"Thrift?" She looked at him.

"That's me name, Martin Thrift."

"Alright…" She wrote his name. "Then do ya know Saturday is karaoke night?"

"No… but I do now…"

"Do you wanna join?"

"Um… maybe some other day." He said, looking around awkwardly.

"Aww… ok." She said, scribbling something. "Then Ah guess we'll see ya Saturday."

He nodded. "Thank you very much." He said, turning around and leaving the café. He stood at the entrance, wondering what to do. He glanced at his muddy clothes. Better go change, don’t wanna be walking around like this and have Rarity see me… He shuddered, thinking of her reaction as he quickly made his way back to the library.

He opened the door and took off his boots, leaving them on the doorstep out of the way and walked inside to see a tower of clothes on the coffee table. He saw a note attached to them and grabbed it.

Rarity brought these here, says she'll let you know when you can return the favor.

Twilight

"Huh… that’s really nice of her." He said as he grabbed the pile and made his way to the guest room. He quickly changed, staring at his arm when it protested movement. Afterwards, he stared out the window and saw Michael sneaking along in the snow, Fluttershy nowhere to be found. He stared at his friend for a moment before sighing. "Let's hope I still know some parkour…" He muttered before opening the window, taking a deep breath, and jumping out. He flew momentarily before tucking his shoulder in and rolling on the ground. He got and brushed the snow off of himself. "Phew… what a relief. That could have ended in tears." He muttered as he stealthily made his way to his friend.

Mike was completely oblivious to his friend following but he heard footsteps in the snow, his ear twitching at the noise. "Oi, you there!" Martin yelled.

Mike froze and slowly turning his head towards the noise. There was a momentary silence before he tried to run away.

Martin sighed and quickly caught up to his friend as he struggled to properly work his four legs. "Where do you think you're going, aye?"

"Uh… nowhere?" Mike said as he continued running.

"Don’t make me tackle you!"

Mike sighed and turned around, staring at the snow. "What?"

Martin stopped and stood in front of him. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked again.

"I was going back to where we landed in the Everfree and see if I could find something… I just have a feeling we're missing something and its right in front of us…" He said. "I wish I could see though…" He muttered to himself.

Martin raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms on his chest. "That sounds awfully dangerous… and you want to go alone?"

"Well I couldn’t ask anyone to go with me…"

"How about me, aye? I won't let ya go alone; I'll go with you if you have to go."

"But you have a date in a few days; I can't let you get hurt."

"Neither can I let you kill yourself. I'm going with you no matter what."

Mike sighed. "It's not like you're going to let me go alone anyway, are you?"

"You're a fast learner but we'll have to do some other things first." Martin said, heading back towards the library. "Come on mate…"

Mike sighed and staggered along, limping.

Once they were inside, Martin grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote a note for Twilight. He then grabbed his crossbow and strapped it to his back. "Let's get crackin'…"

Mike looked at the note. "What did you write?"

Just letting her know we're out having some fun so she doesn’t worry. He replied.

"Ah…" Mike paused. "I probably should've told Flutters…"

"Flutters?" Martin asked, a smile on his face.

Mike coughed. “Fluttershy…"
He nodded. "Uh huh..." He opened the door and led the way. Mike stood there, hoofing at the ground. Martin turned around. "What are you waiting for?" Mike sighed again and followed him slowly, smacking into the door jam. Martin sighed. "Maybe we shouldn’t go… you're as blind as a mole…"

"No… we gotta go…"

"Fine… just stay close in that case." Martin said, leading Mike out of the library and towards the forest, both silent.

The forest was unnaturally dark for being in the middle of the day, the sun's rays barely breaching the leafy canopy. The tree tops sailed high above either of their heads, branches and vines eloping the trees together. The deeper they went in, the taller and wilder the vegetation became.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Martin said as he cocked his crossbow.

"Me too…" Mike agreed, squinting to see in the little light. "Are we almost there?"

The path veered up and they continued to walk, the noises of the natural animals surrounded them. A loud roar was rather close by and both turned towards the noise.

"What was that?" Mike asked.

Martin squinted in the direction of the noise. "I don’t know… but I have a feeling Slenderman's about to pop out from behind that tree."

Mike chuckled. "Even if he does, I won't be able to see him…"

The roar echoed again through the woods as several flocks of birds and other creatures around them suddenly bolted from the underbrush. Martin looked for the source of the roar, aiming with his crossbow.

"That was a manticore, wasn’t it?" Mike asked, his fur standing up on its end.

"I… I don’t know." Martin replied. They paused for a moment. "Let's keep going…" He said.

Mike nodded and they continued to go deeper into the forest, trying to find where they landed. The eerie quiet was all around them, not an animal for miles. A stick not too far from them snapped and Martin gripped the crossbow tightly and leaned down.

"I'm going to turn around when I tell you to, you run ok?" He whispered.

"Yeah… which direction, I can't see…" Mike whispered back.

"Straight ahead… if ya keep going, you'll be at the spot we arrived."

"Ok… just let me know when."

Martin got to his full height and took several deep breaths, before rapidly turning around and aiming at the creature following them; his eyes grew wide as it was a Manticore taller than him. "RUN!" He yelled.

Mike sprinted, groaning in pain as he made it to the spot. Martin glanced around, his crossbow held at the ready. He realized they were surrounded by a pack of manticores. They kept their distance, growling and snarling at him as Mike frantically searched the snow.

Martin aimed and pulled the trigger, the bolt spearing a manticore through the knee, blood shooting everywhere. The beast howled in pain as it scratched at the bolt. Martin yelled and charged it, reaching into his pocket and taking out his knife. He flicked it a few times as he jumped on the injured manticore, stabbing it in the face a few times. The beast growled before it sunk to the ground and didn’t move. Martin's new shirt was covered in mud and blood.

The others wasted no time and charged him, their claws out and aiming at his chest. He scrambled to put a bolt in the crossbow as one got really close. Suddenly a blue blur came barreling through, knocking the manticore to the ground. The beast yelled in anger and swiped at the pegasus and he awkwardly dodged it.

"Time to go back!" Mike yelled.

Another snuck up on the pegasus and Martin grabbed the knife and threw it at the approaching manticore, impaling it in the side. He quickly ran up to it and kicked it, grabbing his knife as the creature fell to the ground. He smashed the creature's skull with the butt of the crossbow, the crunch echoing loudly.

Mike stumbled into the weary human and pushed him along. "Come on! We can kill them later!" He yelled. Another tried to swipe at him and he dodged it, losing most of his tail. "I didn’t like it anyway!" It charged again and shredded his fur.

Martin bent down and let Mike climb on his back as he began to sprint through the woods, the remaining three manticores in hot pursuit.

Mike looked around. "Damn it; I wish I could see! They didn’t get you, did they?" He asked. Martin shook his head and Mike sighed. "Good… AJ would've killed me…" He paused. "How many did you get?"

He panted heavily. "Two… could've killed more." He said, trying to keep himself running.

Mike squirmed out of his grip and fell on his hooves, running next to him. "I can't let you always get me out of tough spots."

The roars behind them slowly faded as they reached the edge of the forest. Martin turned his head and they slowed down as he breathed deeply. "Did… did ya find anything?" He asked, out of breath.

Mike shook his head. "No… there was nothing around; I thought it'd be easy to spot in the snow, but nothing stood out…"

Martin sighed and put his knife back in his pocket before strapping the crossbow on his back. "We… we should get back to the library."

"Yeah…" Mike scratched the back of his neck. "They're going to kill me, aren't they?"

Martin nodded. "Yep…" He looked at his clothes. "I'll have to change again…" He said with a faint smile.

Mike laughed. "We go through clothes like paper plates…"

Martin smiled. "We shouldn’t waste anymore time..." They began the journey back to Ponyville.

=

The townsponies stared at them in shock, Martin's clothes torn, covered in blood and mud while Mike's fur was matted with the same and was missing most of his tail. They stood outside the library.

"I'll go through the window…" Martin said, climbing up the tree and hopping through the window. Mike stared at the tree before looking back at the forest. Martin quickly threw a shirt over his blood soaked one and climbed down the tree. "Can't leave you alone." He muttered, standing next to the frozen pegasus.

Mike sighed. "I've learned my lesson; I'm never going back into that forest if I don’t have to…"

Martin nodded. "Better get this over with." He opened the main door walked through first.

"Where have you two been? It only said 'Mike and I are out having some fun'?!" Twilight yelled.

Martin held up his hands in defense. “I know and I'm so-”

“IS THAT BLOOD?!” Twilight asked, looking at his hands.

He stared at his hands blankly. “…Um…”

"It was my fault." Mike said, quickly trotting in front of Martin. Everyone looked at him and he sighed, looking at the floor. "I wanted to see if I could find out if we left anything and since the last time was such a success." He motioned at his bandaged side. "I asked Martin to come with me. He was hesitant and thought it was a bad idea but I forced him into coming. We ran into the manticores again but none of them scratched us." He added quickly.

Martin bent down and patted his shoulder. "Nah… that ain't true, I came with you to make sure you were safe. I don’t blame you… no one should. Everyone makes mistakes and next time I see those manticores, I'll make sure to kill more than two…"

Mike blinked and looked back at him as the mares stared at them. “Is that true?” Twilight asked and he sighed, nodding.

“In that case, there's no need to hide it anymore.” Martin said, unbuttoning his shirt and revealed the blood soaked one underneath. Everypony gasped and Rarity glared at him, horrified and furious.

"What did you do to that perfectly good shirt?" She asked. AJ looked him over, making sure he was ok as Fluttershy hesitantly walked over and made sure Mike wasn't cut again.

"Well that’s what happens when you kill two manticores." Martin said in his defense.

"It'll take weeks to get all that blood out of it." Rarity said, distastefully.

He sighed. "I'm sorry Rarity…"

She forced a smile. "Well… I guess I'll make exception since you weren't hurt…"

His arms shot up in the air. "WOHO-ouch, ouch, ouch…" He said, lowering them instantly and favoring his right arm.

Twilight sighed, her horn glowing as she walked over. "Since you two keep getting yourselves hurt, I started reading some medical books… let's see if this works." She said, tapping his arm and the pain vanished, along with his bones as his arm flopped around like jelly.

He looked at his arm in horror. "What the fuck!?! OH COME ON!!"

Twilight started to panic. "Don’t worry, I can fix this!" She yelled, tapping his arm again.

He yelled in pain. "You're not making anything better you know!?" He groaned. "This is just like Harry Potter… just worse!" He yelled.

Mike started to laugh at that while everypony looked at him in concern. Twilight repeatedly poked his arm and having interesting side effects. They ranged from turning into a block of ice, silly putty, and a yo-yo. Finally, she tapped his arm one more time and his bones were back with no pain attached.

He fell over, exhausted. "No offense Twilight, you should leave the healing to others…" He checked his arm, moving it around. "Wait a second… I don’t feel any pain. You... you healed my arm Twilight." He pulled her into a tight hug, lifting her off the ground. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!"

She giggled as he hugged her. "It just takes a little trial and error!" She said with a huge smile.

He set her gently back on the ground. "This is just grand!" He yelled in delight. He looked at her fur and blushed slightly. "Um… you have some blood on your fur… sorry about that." He said sheepishly.

She looked at herself and sighed, walking towards the bathroom. "I'll be right back." She said, shutting the door. She quickly turned on the shower and started scrubbing her fur.

Martin walked towards the guest room. "I'll go put on some clean clothes… again." He said.

"Good idea." AJ said, watching him disappear as Twilight walked out of the bathroom, her fur washed.

After a few minutes, Martin came back in another set of clothes; a red checkered-button shirt, blue jeans and a pseudo-leather vest. "Now all I need is a hat and I'm a cowboy." He chuckled.

Rarity slowly turned her head towards him, imagining all the hat designs she could 'test' on him.

"Umm… I'm going to take Michael back to the hospital…" Fluttershy whispered as she held Mike's hoof.

"Sure, go ahead." Martin said, slightly unnerved with the look he was getting from Rarity.

Mike sighed. "But I'm fine; I don’t need to go back to the stupid hospital…" He muttered.

Fluttershy turned and looked at him, her aqua eyes full of concern. "No… you need to go back, you're still not healed. We can ask Nurse Redheart if you can leave but before that you'll have to rest."

He looked at her, staring back into her eyes before he sighed. "Ok… lead the way." He said, getting close to her as they walked out of the library.

Everypony watched them leave before Rarity was back to looking at him. "A cowboy hat you say?" She asked.

"Maybe some boots as well… I'm really no expert." He said, feeling uncomfortable.

Rarity’s eyes lit up. "Really? Well then, we must head to the Boutique right this instant so I can whip up this 'cowboy hat and boots'." She said, quickly trotting to the door and waiting for him to follow. He gulped and hesitantly followed the white unicorn.

The trip was quiet and she quickly got him on the little stage in the center of the room, tape measure and fabrics floating near his head. “Umm… what do you have planned?” He asked, following a multitude of instructions she gave him.

“Oh a little bit of this, a little bit of that.” She muttered, tape measure wrapped around his head.

=

He staggered out an hour later, a cowboy hat in the same vein as AJ's resting on his head and a pair of pseudo leather boots. He looked at himself. "Wow… I look good." He muttered, heading back to the library.

He saw a bunch of ponies, gathering supplies and it looked like Dash was in charge. She was also wearing a blue vest that faintly stood out on her coat. He took a slight detour and walked towards them. "What is going on here?" He asked the hovering pegasus.

She turned her head and looked at him. "We're getting for the Winter Wrap Up tomorrow." She raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do tomorrow?"

He glanced at himself again. "What do you mean?"

"Well we have to sweep the clouds away, get rid of the snow, reawaken the animals around town, replant the seeds, and unfreeze the lake."

He stood there and thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure... um… what do you think suits me?"

She thought for a moment, hovering around him. "I'd say help clean up the snow."

He shrugged. "I guess I could do that…."

She grinned. "Or help AJ replant the seeds?"

He blushed. "I-I'll decide on the way…" He said, quickly walking away from her.

She watched the human for a moment, before chuckling and helped the ponies organize for tomorrow.

He wandered through town, watching the townsponies get ready for the annual Winter Wrap Up. He saw an orange earth pony with a green vest on and he made his way towards her, avoiding the chaotic ponies.

"Well howdy there Martin." She said, able to see him over the ponies.

"Hey AJ." He stood in front of her.

"You ready for the Winter Wrap Up tomorra?"

He stared at her blankly. "That's the thingy were everypony 'cleans up' winter?"

"Eeyup, we're gettin' the whole town. Hay, Fluttershy is supposed ta ask Michael about it and see if he wants ta help."

He nodded. "You still need a helping hand?"

"Course we do, we could always use one." She smiled. "So do ya know what jobs there are?"

"More or less…"

"Oh… so, what'd ya pick?"

"I'd actually like to help you… if you think I wouldn’t be in the way."

She smiled. "Course ya can. Ah'll take any help Ah can get. It'll be fun." She paused. "But we'll have ta have Rarity make ya a vest, there's not one that'll fit cha." She said, holding up another vest.

He eyed the small green vest. "Aye… well ok, when do we start?" He asked as he pushed his hat up.

"We'll start bright and early tomorra. We gotta git the townsponies ready."

"And when will we be done?"

"Usually 'round sun down and afterwards, we have a party ta celebrate at Sugarcube Corner."

Martin paused. "I have to go to work tomorrow morning at seven…"

"Actually, Forge is helpin' too."

"Oh, well ok then…" He said, surprised.

"Ah was surprised too; said something 'bout having a bunch of free time since ya helped him with that gun."

He smiled. "That’s good."

"Yeah, first time he's helped since his son was a colt." She chuckled.

"I'm glad the old guy's getting out and about."

She smiled at him. "Me too…"

=

Mike lay on the hospital bed as Fluttershy sat next to it, holding his hoof. "Don’t worry… I'm sure you can leave soon." She said, smiling.

He nodded. "Me too… I'm going stir crazy here… I've always hated hospitals…" He said, emphasized by his shaking hoof.

She leaned forward and gently kissed his cheek. "I'll make sure it’s a little more bearable…" She said, her cheeks highlighted with pink.

Thank god for having a dark coat. "You do…" He smiled at her, his cheeks a bit red.

She smiled as she leaned closer, her face bright red. He closed the rest of the distance and their lips connected as the world melted away. They closed their eyes, both their faces bright red.

The door suddenly opened and Redheart walked in. "I have good new- oh my, I'm terribly sorry." She said, hiding a smile and backing away.

They broke the kiss and looked at her embarrassed. Fluttershy instinctively hid behind her mane. "No… i-it's alright, what were you going to say?" Mike asked, his voice stuttering.

"Your wounds have healed quite nicely and after one final check, you can leave."

"Yes!" He yelled and blushing as both mares looked at him. "I mean… that’s great…"

Redheart shook her head. "The doctor will be in a little under a half hour. I'll leave the two of you alone…" She said, shutting the door behind her.

"Well… that was awkward…" Mike chuckled as he looked at Fluttershy. She was silent as she pulled him into a hug. He patted her on the back. "I'll be happy to be out of here, and one of these days, I'll get a pair of glasses so I'm not a burden for you Fluttershy."

She smiled at him. "You're not a burden, I'm happy to help you…" She whispered.

"Are you sure? I mean… aren't you upset that you have to drag me around everywhere?"

She shook her head. "No… I'm always happy when I can help… especially if it's you…"

He didn’t say anything, a lump in his throat. He lightly kissed her and pulled her into a hug. "You're the best Fluttershy…"

She blushed and hugged back before they separated again. "So what do you want to do while we wait for the doctor?"

She thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, I was… um… going to ask if you wanted to help the town with Winter Wrap Up?"

He tilted his head. "Winter Wrap Up? What's that?"

"Well… every year after winter we clean up the snow, wake the animals, and plant the seeds needed for spring. Everypony in town helps and… um… I was wondering whether you would want to help wake the animals with me…" She explained.

He faintly smiled. "Sure, as long as I don’t have to help with the cute demonic bunnies." She giggled. "So do we just go out and wake them up or do we have to wait for our turn or something? What do we do after we finish?"

"We go wake them peacefully, make sure you don’t scare them. Everypony works at the same time but we all work in groups for different areas. And once we're done, we celebrate at the Sugarcube Corner."

"Oh… how do we wake them up?"

"You just go and talk to them." She said with a smile.

"Sounds like it's gonna be fun… when is it?"

"Tomorrow morning at sunrise…"

"Oh… ok then, I'll make sure to free my schedule. "He said with a smile.

She gave him a brief hug. "This means a lot to me…" She whispered.

"R-really?" He asked, blushing. She nodded and nuzzled his cheek. "If I can ask… why? I mean it does sound like fun." He whispered.

"Because you chose to spend time with me…" She blushed.

He blushed heavily enough that she could see it through his dark fur. "Oh… well… I'm glad you want to spend time with me." He hesitantly nuzzled her cheek.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in!" He said.

The door opened and revealed the doctor that has served both of the humans, with a clipboard floating at his side. "Good evening, I'm here to do your final checkup for, hopefully, a while."

Mike smiled. "Thanks doc."

The doctor nodded and walked up to the pegasi. "Could you please sit up?"

Mike nodded as Fluttershy backed away and he got up, throwing the sheets and slowly getting to my hooves.

"Good." The doctor walked around Mike, examining the different wounds, sometimes he'd push against the body, gauging the pain. After what seemed like eternity but was only twenty minutes, the doctor scribbled something on the clipboard before he smiled at the pegasi. "Well, I'm glad to say that your back to one hundred percent and you can leave anytime. Just take it easy, nothing that puts a lot of stress on your body." He faintly smiled as he glanced at Fluttershy. "Nothing…"

"I don’t get wha-" their faces turned bright pink. "I-I-I won't…" He looked at the scars the manticore left. "They won't go away will they?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not completely but they'll be barely visible."

Mike smiled. "That’s ok; they don’t bother me if they stayed the way they are."

The doctor nodded. "I wish you a nice day and a wonderful Winter Wrap Up tomorrow." He turned around and left.

"You too Doc and thanks." Mike said as the doctor left and he looked at Fluttershy. "So…" She looked at him, blushing. "…What would you like to do?" He muttered.

"Um… I have to help organize waking the animals for the Winter Wrap Up in town…" She whispered.

"Oh…" He looked down. "Then I should let you get to it?"

"You can come with me if you want…"

"Really? I won't be a burden, you having to worry about a blind pony ruining things?"

She shook her head. "I'll be your eyes…" She said, giving him a brief kiss on the cheek before grabbing his hoof.

He faintly smiled. “I don’t know what to say Fluttershy… you're too good to me…”

“You deserve it all…” She said, leading them out of the hospital.

He took a deep breath outside as they made their way into Ponyville. “It feels good to breath with no pain.” He said, smiling before looking at the town.

She led them around town as she walked up to ponies with a light brown vest and whispered what to do but never let go of his hoof. He blushed as ponies looked at him weirdly, some confused, others smiling at them.

"Aww, ain't that a sight to behold aye?!" Martin yelled as he stood next to AJ.

Both of the pegasi blushed as they turned to look at the human. "H-hey…" Mike whispered.

Martin walked towards them. "It's good to see you out of the hospital."

Mike smiled. "Same here… glad to finally be outta there."

"So… are you ready for the Winter Wrap Up?"

"Uh… I guess…" Mike paused and looked at the human. "How about you; I take it your helping AJ?"

Martin nodded. "Yep. So what are you two up to?" He noticed that Fluttershy was still holding Mike's hoof.

Mike coughed and tightened his grip on her hoof. "We're helping with the Winter Wrap Up preparations for waking the animals."

Fluttershy blushed. "Umm… yes… well no, I just finished to be honest…" She whispered.

Mike looked at her. "Really?" He gulped. "Then… what do you like to do?"

"Um… I-I was going to head back to my cottage and check on a few things…" She blushed again.

"Would you mind some company?" Mike asked.

She smiled at him and began leading him towards the cottage. "See ya later." Mike said.

"See ya later I guess." Martin said, waving.

Mike waved a hoof goodbye before following her to the cottage.

“Ah swear, those two are somethin'.” AJ commented, watching them leave.

“Definitely.” Martin added with a smile.

She got up and started to head for the farm. “It's getting' late and we have a busy day tomorra so Ah'm gonna turn in early.”

He looked at her. “Umm… ok, see ya tomorrow.”

She waved goodbye and continued heading towards the farm, her silhouette outlined by the sun.

He sighed. “Better get going myself.” He muttered, heading towards the library.

By the time he got there, the moon was peeking out of the horizon, the sun losing its power. Twilight was reading a book on the couch as Spike was cooking something for dinner.

"Hello everyone…" Martin said, taking off his boots.

"Evening Martin." Twilight said over her book while Spike waved from the kitchen, focused on dinner. He walked past Twilight and plopped on the couch, taking his hat off and putting it on the table. She looked at it. "So how was your day? And I see Rarity made you that cowboy hat of yours…"

He nodded. "Interesting… Mike's out of the hospital by the way."

She smiled. "Really? Where is he?"

"At Fluttershy's cottage, I'm not sure what they're doing there though and I'm not sure if they'd want us to know…"

She blushed. "I-I don’t think they would… they’ve known each other for less than a week!"

"You never know…" He chuckled.

She shook her head. "Yeah… do you think he's coming back here?"

"Probably not." He said, shaking his head.

She smiled. "That’s ok, as long as he's happy." She paused. "So did you hear about the Winter Wrap Up tomorrow?"

"Course, I'm helping AJ…"

She looked at you. "Does this have to do with the big date on Saturday?"

He blushed. "Umm… ma-maybe…"

She giggled. "That’s what I thought…"

"Umm… I think I'll go to bed… it's going to be a long day…" He said, getting up from the couch.

She smiled. “Goodnight Martin.”

He nodded. “G'night…” He went up the stairs and into the guest room, shutting the door behind him. He sighed and laid down on the sleeping bag, falling asleep rather fast.

=

The moon was fighting for dominance in the sky as Mike and Fluttershy sat by the Everfree Forest, watching the stars twinkling in the coming night. They were close together for warmth with the last day of winter winding down. They had fed her animals, who were surprisingly accepting of the new pegasus.

He yawned. "Today has been an interesting day…" He said, resting his head on her shoulder.

Her head rested on top of his. "I hope in a good way…" She said quietly.

He glanced up at her. "Of course… why wouldn’t it be?" He gently wrapped his hooves around her, pulling her into a hug. "I know I've said this a lot but I really mean it… thank you Fluttershy… thank you so much." He whispered.

She lifted her head and stared into his eyes, blushing every second as she slowly connected her lips to his. The kiss lasted several seconds and neither wanted it to end. Finally, Mike pulled away, both of their faces red. "So… it's getting late… maybe I should head back to the library and let you rest…"

She grabbed his hoof. "No… I-I mean… if you don’t mind, I'd like you to stay…" she said, her voice shaky.

"Are you sure? I don’t mind leaving…" He asked, hesitant.

"No… I want you to stay…" She said, her face bright red.

He blushed. "Oh… ok… if you're sure…" She nodded and pulled him into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek. "I'll sleep on the couch…" He said, burying his face into her mane.

Author's Note

So it looks like tomorrow is the date, eh? That'll be fun... Any way, just wanted to say my usual thanks for anyone that's fav/liked this! Means a lot to us. =) Just wanted to know we're moving the updates to every Sunday, give us some more breathing room... Any way, thanks for reading and I hope you liked it.

15 - Winter Wrap Up!

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Captain Binoculars

Chapter 15 - Winter Wrap Up!

The sun rose brightly that morning, the pegasi hard at work clearing the sky. The birds chirped as they enjoyed the warm rays and flew around the cottage. Mike slept peacefully on the couch, until somepony started to poke him. "Mike… Mike, it's time to get up…"

"Five more minutes…" He muttered, trying to get comfy again.

Fluttershy sighed and poked him again. "Mike… I hate to wake you but we have to get going… Winter Wrap Up is waiting."

He waved a hoof. "It can wait for a few more minutes…"

She poked him again. "No it can't…" She said quietly.

He groaned and opened an eye to look at her; she was looking at him with a small smile. He instantly leaned forward, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. "Sorry…" He blushed.

"Don’t worry but we have to get going now." She turned around and grabbed a brown vest before hoofing it to him.

He looked at it briefly before struggling to put it on. "What's this?"

"It shows what group you're helping." She was already wearing her own.

"Oh…" He hopped off the couch. "Sorry for making you wait."

She shook her head. "It's ok, it wasn’t that long…"

He coughed. "Are you ready?" He asked, trotting over to the door and opened it for her. She smiled and walked after him, waiting for him as he shut the door and they made their way into town. Twilight was already addressing the collected ponies as he looked for his friend's distinctive blob, which was nowhere to be found.

"So everypony, you all know what to do. We all want to make room for spring, so do your best!" Twilight shouted as the crowd cheered as they dispersed.

He looked at Fluttershy. "So what do we do; go up and get animals?"

She grabbed his hoof and led him towards the park. "Yes… it's our job to wake them for spring."

He followed her. "So what do you want me to do?"

She pointed her hoof behind him. "You can go wake the mice and moles."

He mock saluted. "Will do ma'am."

She giggled. "If you need me, I'll be over here waking the squirrels." She said, hugging him before hovering away.

He waved at her departing form before sighing. "This can't be too bad." He muttered, wandering towards where she had pointed and gently stuck his head in a hole in the ground. A family of mice was cuddled together, sleeping peacefully.

He gently prodded one with his snout. "Rise and shine sleepy mice." He whispered, pulling his head out of their home. They all yawned and slowly climbed out of the hole, looking at him with big eyes. He smiled. "Good morning sleepy heads…" He pulled a little wedge of cheese out of one of the vest pockets. "Here you go." He hoofed it to them.

They stared at the piece before they all grabbed it and started nibbling on it. He smiled at them before waving goodbye and moving onto the next hole and repeating the process.

As he continued to work, he could faintly hear the ponies singing something, but he wasn’t paying close enough attention to hear the lyrics. He continued to wake the mice and hoof them a small breakfast of cheese. He heard Fluttershy singing as he looked over, her bright yellow coat stood out against the green blur of the forest. She sounded so beautiful, he almost sat there and watched but a squeak of a mouse looking for breakfast interrupted his thoughts.

=

Martin was helping AJ dig holes to plant the seeds, his pants covered in dirt from the knee down. He sighed as the ponies were singing. He looked over as AJ sung and smiled at him, her emerald eyes sparkling in the sunlight. He blushed and faintly sang with her, not knowing the lyrics. She nodded after giving him a brief hug before she wandered away to help somepony remove some snow.

=

Hours later, the town had successfully wrapped up winter. Martin and Mike stood next to each other, seeing Ponyville in a new light.

Mike's fur and mane were covered in feathers, twigs, and leaves. "Well, that wasn’t too hard."

Martin chuckled. "That be true, I enjoyed it."

Mike stretched and squinted at his human friend. "Looks like your arm finally healed."

Martin raised his eyebrow. "All thanks to Twilight."

"When did she learn that?"

"To be honest, she tried to ease the pain. At first she made all the bones in my arm vanish, and then she made them come back, along with a whole other bunch of weird stuff." He said.

Mike chuckled. "Harry Potter style?"

"Oh yeah, just must worse."

"Oh dear, that must've been fun."

He finally looked at Mike. "Did you hit your head when I wasn’t looking? You were there you dum dum."

Mike paused and blushed, embarrassed. "I was… hehe, I mustn't been paying attention."

Martin stared blankly at his blind friend. "You were laughing at me you vegetable."

Something clicked before Mike started laughing. "Oh yeah, now I remember! That was pretty funny." He snickered.

"I think I'll have to punch ya in the face."

Mike raised an eyebrow. "By all means, go for it."

Martin chuckled. "You know I wouldn’t… or would I?"

Mike chuckled and looked at the town as its ponies gathered around the Sugarcube Corner entrance. "With you, who knows…"

Martin sighed. "Come on mate, let's get to the Sugarcube Corner and get this party out of the way." He said, walking towards the towering cupcake.

Mike trotted after him. "Huh… with all the snow gone, I can kinda see again."

"It's grand aye?"

Mike nodded as they walked silently towards the gathering ponies. "Don’t you have work today at the smithy?"

"Nah, he's at Sugarcube Corner as well."

"That’s good; don’t wanna miss your first day of work."

"But I'll have to be there tomorrow morning."

"Ah… what time do you work till?" Mike paused. "I wonder if I can get a job too…" He muttered.

"Seven till four I think, I should ask him when I see him."

Mike laughed. "Yeah, that’s a good idear." They walked inside and the entire place was overrun with ponies. His eyes grew wide and his chest tightened. "That’s… that’s a lot of ponies." He said in a small voice.

Martin took a deep breath. "I'm no fan either…" He began making his way through the crowd, feeling more and more uncomfortable. He faintly saw AJ's Stetson hat buried in the sea of ponies.

Mike stared at the ponies from the door, watching as they seem to stretch and the noise overloaded him, his ears lying flat against his head.

Martin quickly made his way to AJ. "Hey AJ." He said, his eyes shifting wildly around the room.

She smiled as she saw him. "How was yer first Winter Wrap Up?" She asked, noticing he was panicking.

He slowly started to shake. "Um… good I guess."

She grabbed his hand. "Remember, just the two of us. Take a few deep breaths." He nodded, taking several breaths as she passed him a cup of water. "Drink and imagine us on the farm, bucking apples. The wide open spaces."

He took a sip of the water, trying to gather his wits again; he quickly drained the glass.

"Ya feeling better?"

He slowly nodded, not breaking eye contact, the calm emerald pools keeping him from having a panic attack.

"Good, Ah'm glad yer doing a little better. Just take a seat and breathe, Ah'll be right here."

He looked around and sat down on the nearest chair, closing his eyes as he tried to relax.

She rubbed his back a little. "Open fields were Winona can run 'round and the birds can chirp away." She took his empty glass. "Ah'll go get ya another glass." She said, walking away.

He opened his eyes and watched her walk away before he turned to the crowd. He could feel the walls closing in again as his breathing increased.

She came back a moment later, holding another glassed and hoofed it to him. "Isn't that Mike standin' in the doorway?" She asked.

He chugged the glass and looked at the door, seeing Mike slowly backing out of the sugary store.

Mike stood there, backing away slowly as it felt someone had put his chest in a vice and was slowly tightening it. The world was a mix of pretty pastel colors, ponies a lot longer than they should have been. "Must… get… away…" He muttered, leaving the door way.

Martin quickly got and tumbled on the spot, the world spinning. He staggered up right and began to tumble through the crowd.

"Martin, where are ya going?" AJ asked, following him.

He tumbled across the room, accidently knocking into ponies and tables. "The hay's wrong with ya Martin?" Forge asked, grabbing his arm after Martin tumbled into him.

Martin's head spun. "I… I-uh…" He stuttered.

"He needs some air." AJ said, grabbing his other hand pulled him away from Forge as she led him outside again. Once they were outside, she led him to the bench they sat at last time and he took big gulps of air as AJ gently patted his back.

"What would I do without you?" He asked, smiling at her.

She smiled. "Probably pass out in front of all those ponies."

"Yeah… thanks."

She nodded. "So you wanna stay out here?"

He sighed. "I'm really no fan of big parties…"

"Yeah but the party was for another successful Winter Wrap Up."

He frowned. "Sorry."

"It's ok, no harm done." She reassured him.

He pulled her into a hug, knocking her hat off. "Thanks AJ."

She chuckled and patted him on the back. "It's what friends do fer each other right?" He let her go and picked up the Stetson and put it back where it belongs. She smiled. "Thank ya kindly." He smiled back, tilting his own Stetson hat. "We're matching hat buddies." She giggled, pushing his to match hers.

He blushed. "You know what… I wanna go back inside." He said, getting up. She smiled and followed him. Once inside, he looked around, AJ right next to him.

"See, it's not that bad?" She asked, looking at him.

"Not as long as you're by my side."

She blushed. "That’s mighty kind of ya ta say." She nervously kicked the floor.

"Come on AJ, ya wanna grab a drink?" He asked.

"S-sure…" She said, walking over to the counter with him.

They walked to the counter and he grabbed two glasses before filling them up. He gave one to AJ. "To us hat buddies." He said, raising his glass towards her.

She clanked her glass against his before taking a big gulp. He emptied his glass enjoying the cool drink. "It's a good drink, aye?"

She nodded. "One of the best." She smiled. "It's always better when ya drink with someone."

He nodded, refilling his glass. "Want some more?"

"Sure, don’t mind if Ah do." She said, motioning with her glass.

As he went to fill hers up, a quiet voice interrupted. "Um… Martin… I hate to be rude and interrupt…" Fluttershy whispered.

He turned his head to face the pegasus after refilling AJ's glass. "Yes?"

She shuffled her hooves. "Oh I hate to be rude… but um… have you seen Michael lately? I haven't seen him since we split up this morning…"

He thought for a moment before smacking his forehead. "Course, he left didn’t he?" He looked at AJ.

She nodded. "Yeah, Ah saw him stagger away… not that long ago…" She raised a hoof to her chin.

He glanced back at Fluttershy. "He might be outside taking a walk or something."

"I looked outside and didn’t see him…" She looked at the floor. "I'm sorry to disturb you." She said, slowly walking away.

He gently grabbed her shoulder. "Did you check at the library or your cottage?"

She flinched and sunk low when he grabbed her before slowly nodding her head. "I couldn't find him but I probably missed him." She squeaked.

He let go of her and she walked away. "Hmm… I wonder where he is…"

"Ah got no idea." AJ paused. "He wouldn’t be stupid enough ta go back into the Everfree Forest would he?" She asked, staring at him.

"Nah… he wouldn’t do that again."

She seemed relieved. "That’s good or Ah'd have ta hit him upside the head if he did."

He swished the liquid in his glass. "Same here." He took a big sip before looking back at AJ.

"Should we go help her find him?" She asked.

He looked at the door. "Guess it wouldn't hurt, aye?"

She nodded and got up as they quickly left. "Ah'll take the left side of town and you take the right and we'll meet back in a few hours?"

He nodded. "Sounds good, see ya later!" He quickly made his way through the mostly empty streets. Looking through the town was extremely easy when everypony was at Sugarcube Corner.

He asked everypony he ran into in town and they shook their head, haven't seen him. An hour later, he sighed as he made his way back to Sugarcube Corner, hoping AJ had better luck when he saw a light gray tail sticking out of a shaking bush. He paused and quietly made his way towards it.

The bush suddenly stopped shaking and the tail slipped inside.

He stared at the spot where the tail was. "You really think I didn’t see that?"

"If I said yes…" Mike whispered from inside the bush.

Martin rolled his eyes and stuck his arm into the bush, grabbing Mike's tail. "Got you, ya little bugger."

Mike grabbed the root of the bush and pulled himself back inside. "But it's not safe out there!" He yelled.

Martin pulled again. "What are you talking about?"

"Too many ponies! Too much!" Mike yelled, holding the root tighter.

Martin looked around, not a pony in sight. "There ain't anypony here!"

"Inside…" Mike whispered.

"…You mean the party?"

"Yes!"

Martin sighed. "You don’t have to go back if you don’t wanna… but hiding in a BUSH won't make it any better!!"

AJ and Fluttershy trotted towards them as they heard the shouting. They saw the tug of war and AJ tried not to laugh.

"Yes it will! If I can't see them, they can't see me! And if I hide in a bush, I don’t exist." Mike whispered.

"Bloody hell… I've had enough of this bull crap." Martin grabbed the back of Mike's neck and pulled him out of the bush.

Mike's wings flapped, hitting him in the face as he struggled against the human. He gagged as Martin accidently started to close his windpipe. "Put me down god damn it!"

Martin chuckled. "You know, you being a pony makes you so much weaker than me…"

Mike continued to struggle. "Why are you doing this, I thought we were friends?"

Martin laughed. "We are, but hiding won't make it any better… and Fluttershy has been looking for you."

Mike paused in mid-struggle. "She has?" He let his wings lay at his sides and his hooves dangle.

After a moment, Martin put him on the ground. "Sorry mate but yeah, she has."

Mike took one last glance at the bush before he sighed. "Where is she?"

Martin glanced over his shoulder and Fluttershy looking on with a terrified expression. "Over there." He said, moving out of the way.

Mike saw her and blushed. "I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

"Kinda."

Mike sighed again and walked over to her, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry for making you worry…" He muttered, kicking at the ground.

She gently wrapped her hooves around his neck. "It's ok, I'm just glad you weren't hurt again."

He nuzzled her neck. "I'm still sorry…"

She kissed his cheek, her face red. "We don’t have to go back to the party." She said quietly.

He smiled. "Thanks… but if you wanna go, I'll go to the party."

AJ stealthily made her way over to Martin's side and motioned him to follow her and they left the pegasi alone.

"I-I don’t like parties… I'd rather go somewhere quiet…" Fluttershy said, grabbing his hoof and he grabbed it tightly.

"Then lead the way." She smiled as she led them towards the park.

=

AJ sighed. "What was his problem?"

"The same as me, he really doesn’t like big crowds in small rooms."

"Oh but ta hide in a bush?" She stifled a laugh. "That’s a new one."

"You always have to assume something like that from him." He chuckled as they walked through town. "Where are we going anyways?"

She smiled. "To the farm; it’s the best place to watch the sun set, besides the park."

He nearly tripped, surprised. "Oh… th-that sounds nice."

She laughed. "It's one of the best things to watch at the farm and it makes it better when ya have some company."

He blushed as the farm came into view on the horizon.

=

The sun was just giving way to the night; Luna's moon slowly gaining ethereal ground against Celestia's sun. The sky itself showed the battle, the muted hues of orange entangled in midnight blue. The stars could faintly be seen, twinkling against the sunset.

Fluttershy rested her head on Mike's shoulder. "It's so peaceful here, isn't it?" She asked, watching the view.

He nodded, gently resting his head on hers. "It's wonderful here..." He could feel her heartbeat increase. "I'm glad I could share this with you Flutters…" He muttered, his face turning red.

She looked up at him; her face also had a pink tint. "I-I'm just happy as you are…" She whispered, snuggling up closer to him.

He bent down and nuzzled her cheek. "I have something to admit…" He whispered.

They parted and Fluttershy looked at him, her aqua eyes taking over his world. "Y-yes?" She asked.

His face turned redder. "You're going to laugh at me… but y-you’re the first girl that I've w-watched the sunset with…" He whispered, looking away.

She kissed him on the cheek. "I-I'm happy th-that you chose to share this mo-moment with me." She whispered, wrapping her hooves around his neck.

He smiled, returning the hug and pulling her closer. He focused on moving a wing and it hesitantly covered her back. "I'm glad I could."

She leaned back and smiled, slowly moving her face closer. He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips as the sun finally gave way to the moon, completely disappearing.

=

AJ sighed, leaning against Martin's shoulder. "Ah've always admired how Princess Celestia can control the sun." She said, glancing at her human companion.

His face was bright red as they watched the sun. "Um… yeah…"

"What's wrong?" She asked as she leaned forward and put a hoof against his cheek. "Yer face is bright red."

He blushed even more. "Um…"

"Hm?"

"I-it's just that…" He stuttered.

She leaned closer, her eyes sparkling in the little light. "Yes?"

He looked at her, the Stetson throwing his face into shadow as he gulped. "It's just that… I really like you AJ."

She blinked. "Well ya, yer a really good friend…"

"That’s not what I meant. I mean, I like you… a lot." He said, his face brighter than before.

She looked at him, her eyes squinting. "Like… a lot, a lot?"

He looked at her. "I… I think of you more than just a friend."

She blushed, her freckles standing out. "Well… thank ya kindly…" She leaned up and nuzzled his cheek. "Ah'm lookin' forward ta tomorra…"

"M-me too." He said, looking into her eyes.

"AJ!" Somepony yelled as they looked over to see a small yellow filly with a long red mane and a pink bow that he recognized as Applebloom come closer. Applebloom jumped and down excitedly. "Happy Winter Wrap Up! Did ya see us helpin' with the animals?" She asked AJ.

He faintly frowned as the filly interrupted their moment.

AJ laughed. "Ah did… Ah saw you three causing mischief for Fluttershy." She said as Applebloom blushed. "Now why don’t cha run inside and we'll talk more 'bout it over dinner."

Applebloom nodded. "Ok! See ya later AJ! Bye Martin!" She said, hopping away.

Martin looked at the moon.

"It's pretty, ain't it?" AJ asked, looking at the moon as she took her Stetson hat off and shook her mane. He glanced at her as her mane went everywhere. "What?" She asked.

He quickly looked back at the moon. "N-nothing…"

She laughed. "Whatever ya say cowboy." She sighed and rested her back on the grass. "Ah could just fall asleep here…" She yawned.

He looked at the cloudless sky. "Doesn’t look like it's gonna rain."

"Nope, Dash said it'll be clear skies till next week."

He looked at the moon again. "I wonder what Fluttershy and Mike are up to…"

"No idear but Ah'm glad they're together. She deserves ta be happy…" She said, watching the stars twinkle.

He nodded. "Everyone does."

She looked over at him. "Are you?"

He looked back, smiling. "I couldn’t be happier."

She blushed. "Why ain't Ah surprised?"

He chuckled as he looked back at the moon. "Have any ponies been to the moon before?"

"Eeyup but not by choice; Princess Celestia had ta banish her sister to the moon when she was corrupted by Nightmare Night."

"Oh… that is sad."

"Yeah, she was stuck there for a thousand years all by herself."

He looked at the cowpony in shock. "A thousand years… what did she do to deserve that?"

"She tried take over Equestria and make it eternal night."

He looked at the moon, trying to imagine being stuck there for a thousand years all by himself. "Wow…"

"Yeah." She smiled sadly. "If it wasn’t fer her returning a few months ago, Ah would've never met Twilight."

"At least something good happened." There was silence as they stared at the night sky. "Do you know what time it is?"

She was silent as she stared at the moon. "Ah'd say getting close ta nine or so. Why?"

"I have to go to work tomorrow morning." He replied.

She yawned and stretched, getting off the ground. "Same here; Ah got chores ta do before the date." She looked at him. "Well it's been a nice day, g'night Martin." She said, walking up to him and nuzzled his arm.

He smiled and got up. "See you tomorrow, aye?"

She smiled and nodded as she made her way towards the main house. "Eeyup!"

He watched her disappear into the main house before he sighed and headed back to the library.

Author's Note

Almost forgot to update... any way, thanks to the new favs/likes! And Happy Easter! Don't eat too much candy like I will =D

16 - (You're My) Soul & Inspiration

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 16 - (You're My) Soul & Inspiration

Mike awoke to something tapping him repeatedly in the shoulder. He tried to turn away from it but it kept following him. Finally, he opened an eye and could faintly make out a small bird on his shoulder. It chirped, sounding like the bird he became friends with on the first day here. It looked at him before it hopped away. He smelled something cooking in the kitchen and could hear Fluttershy hum something. He glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner and made out that it was six thirty in the morning. He got off the couch and wandered into the kitchen, careful that he didn’t trip over an animal. Angel stared at him as he walked in. "Good morning Flutters." He whispered.

She turned her head towards him and smiled. "Good morning sleepy."

He smiled. "How are you?"

"I feel good, you?"

"Can't complain, glad I can finally get a good night's sleep."

She smiled at him before turning her head back around as she continued to hum a tune.

"Whatcha making?" He asked, looking at the pan.

"Some pancakes and hay toast." She said, focusing on the pan.

"Sounds amazing. Want me to start feeding the animals?" He offered.

She shook her head. "Don’t worry; I already did that but if you want to, you can set the table… only if you don’t mind of course."

He smiled. "Sure, glad I can help." He said, squinting through the drawers till he found the plates and silverware. He grabbed a hoofful and started setting the table.

Once he finished the smell of pancakes and toast grew stronger as Fluttershy put their breakfast on the dining room table. "I hope you like it… I'm not that good of a cook…" She said.

He looked at her before taking a bite, letting it sit in his mouth as his taste buds were overwhelmed. "Fluttershy… this is amazing." He muttered after swallowing his food and started cutting up more pieces.

She blushed as she started to eat. Angel sat, watching them silently as they finished their food and Fluttershy went to take the plates but he grabbed them first. "Let me do the dishes since you made me breakfast… it’s the least I can do…"

She smiled. "That’s very kind of you." She said quietly.

He started the dishes, accidently squirting soap into his good eye. He yelped in pain but continued anyway. As he finished, he squinted, trying to find her. Fluttershy hummed outside, tending to her garden.

He staggered out of the house. "Fluttershy?" He asked, fumbling around.

She turned around and quickly made her way to him, grabbing his hoof. "Michael, I'm here." She said, squeezing his hoof tightly.

"I'm sorry… I got soap in my eye; I can't see anything at all." He floundered about, blinking rapidly.

She gasped and quickly led him inside the cottage again and straight to the bathroom. She helped him wash the soap out. "Is it better now?" She asked, looking at his eye in concern.

He could faintly see, the soap horribly irritating his eye. "Yeah… I can see like use to." He faintly smiled. "Stupid soap."

She kissed his forehead. "We'll have to get you some glasses."

He blushed. "Is there even an optometrist here? And how would I pay for them?"

"You don’t have to, I'll pay for them."

"I couldn’t ask you for that… you've paid for enough already." He looked at her. "I still owe you for that shopping cart."

She shook her head. "No… it's ok."

He looked at her sadly. "Are you sure it's ok? I'll pay you back I get the money… I promise."

She hugged him. "It's ok, really. You don’t have to pay back anything, I promise."

He hugged her back. "I still feel guilty about it though…"

She nuzzled his cheek. "Don’t be, I'm glad I can help… um… I have to go to AJs and get some apples. If you want, you can come along."

"If you don’t mind me tagging along." She smiled and nodded, putting a basket on her back that he promptly grabbed and placed on his. "Since I'm useless, use me as a bag carrier." He sadly smiled at her.

She frowned. "You're not useless."

"It's ok, I know I am. I was as a human and it just continued in pony form."

She lightly hit him on the head. "Don’t say that about yourself."

He tried to pout but sighed as he couldn’t keep the small smile off his face. "I have been."

She kissed his cheek. "I don’t believe that."

He nervously kicked the ground, almost falling. "Thanks Fluttershy…" He muttered as he walked over to the door and opened it for her. "I believe we have some apples to pick?"

She smiled, walking outside and waited for him to catch up. They walked in silence as he stayed close to her, trying not to get lost in the blurs. Numerous ponies walked up to him and introduced themselves, causing him to blush and stammer out a greeting. Finally they made it to the infamous Sweet Apple Acres.

"Well howdy!" AJ said as she walked out of the barn, smiling at them. "How can Ah help ya?" She asked, giving Fluttershy a brief hug.

Fluttershy hugged back. "Well I was wondering if it wasn’t too much trouble if I um… I could pick some apples for my friends at home? I'll pay for them."

AJ raised a hoof. "Take as many as ya need, yer mah friend and ya don’t need ta pay for nothin'."

"Are you sure?"

"Course Ah am."

"Oh… ok." Fluttershy smiled. "Thanks Applejack." She said before leading Mike towards the forest of apple trees. "Just pick from anywhere?" She asked the cowpony.

"Ya should go farther down the path; ya'll find the best apples in all of Equestria in there." She said, pointing a hoof at a small dirt path between the trees.

"Ok…" Fluttershy nodded as they headed deeper into the forest. They were silent until they found a tree that looked ripe. Fluttershy flew up and knocked the apples down right into the basket. She told him where to move and he caught them each time.

A while later they exited the grove of apple trees, Mike carrying a full basket on his back. "That should be enough…" She said, walking next to him.

He chuckled. "I hope so, that’s a lot of apples."

"I hope there not too heavy…"

He shook his head. "Not at all, I used to help my grandpa pick tangerines and plums from the trees in our backyard… its fine."

"If you say so…" She said as they headed towards the barn.

He smiled, trotting with her as they saw AJ walk out of the apple cellar, waving at them. "Did ya get all that ya wanted?" AJ asked.

"Um… yes, thank you Applejack… we'll head back to the cottage now." Fluttershy said quietly.

AJ smiled and hugged the shy pegasus. "Don’t be a stranger; ya can visit anytime ya want." She looked at him. "Same goes fer you too."

Fluttershy nodded and they walked away from the farm, waving goodbye as they went back to the quiet of the cottage. On the way back, trees covered both sides of the path, birds singing and bunnies ran around as squirrels sat on nearby trees. It was in a sense, tranquil. "Isn't it lovely?" Fluttershy asked, watching the animals with a smile.

He smiled, watching how she seemed to glow when she saw happy animals. "Yeah… it's lovely."

She smiled at the peaceful animals but a loud noise made all the animals flinch and quickly hide. The sound continued to repeat itself; it sounded like metal being hit against metal. "Wh-what is that?!" She asked, hiding under her mane, covering her ears with her hooves.

He grabbed her hoof reassuringly. "I'm not sure." He squinted in the direction of the noise as it continued. He put the basket down and headed towards the noise. "I'm gonna go see what it is…"

With every step into town, the noise became deafening, echoing inside his skull. It felt as if someone was hitting him on the head with a hammer. He forced himself through the pain rattling his head. The hell is that noise? The very earth itself seemed to shake with each hit.

He could faintly see a blur of a building not that far away, a steady stream of smoke spewing out of the chimney. He followed the smoke till it led him to the building and he was unable to read the sign hanging out in front. He pushed the door open. "The hell is going on in here?!"

There were two blurs, a normal pony sized one and a rather tall one that he recognized as Martin, who was smacking a hammer repeatedly on an anvil, sparks appearing every time the two connected.

"Hello?" He said, louder as he walked closer to them. They didn’t see him, to absorbed in their little project. He rolled his eyes and poked Martin in the side. "HELLO!?"

Martin slowly lowered the hammer and turned towards the poker, Mike level with the apron, black scorched marks covered it.

"The hell is going on here?"

Martin turned around again, grabbing a red glowing sharp piece of steel and put it in a bucket of water. Steam hissed from the metal. He reached up and pulled two fluffs of wool. "Michael, what are you doing here?" He asked as Mike's head throbbed, still hearing the pounding of metal.

He blinked. "Martin, what the hell is with all the noise?"

"I was just working." Martin said, placing the sharpened steel back on the anvil.

"Well do you think you could be louder and wake the bloody dead?" He asked, his ears flat against his head.

"Why do you think I have ear protection?"

"Well not all of us in town are lucky; we could hear it all the way at Sweet Apple Acres."

Martin shrugged as he eyed the steel. "Well someone has to make the nails."

Mike rolled his eyes again, heading towards the door. "Well Jesus, I guess I'll go find some bloody ear plugs."

Martin turned towards the counter behind him and tossed Mike two pieces of fluff. "Here you go."

He put them on and the noise became barely audible. "Thanks." He said, looking at the anvil. "The hell are you making anyway?"

Martin put his own fluffs back on. "NAILS!!" He yelled. He picked up the metal and held it over the fire for a few seconds and when it began to glow, he moved it over the anvil and raised the hammer. Forge watched silently, making sure he did everything right. He brought the hammer down on the hot steel, sparks flying everywhere.

Mike watched for a few seconds before leaving quietly, sighing as they didn’t notice he left.

"That your buddy?" Forge yelled over the fluffs.

Martin nodded. "Yeah!"

"Are those four white scars from the manticore?!"

"Yep!" He yelled after hitting the glowing steel hard enough to start reshaping it.

"Next hit should be five degrees higher!" Forge yelled.

Martin nodded. "Ok!" He smacked it a little higher. A few minutes later, he dipped the molten steel in the water.

"Not bad so far, I've seen much worse." Forge chuckled, pulling the ear plugs out.

Martin looked at the nail; it looked like a normal nail. "Good enough to be sold?"

Forge nodded. "Not bad at all, for a first time eh?"

"Aye!" Martin took his fluff out. "What's next?"

"A few more nails to get you warmed up before we try an L bracket." Forge said, walking over to the furnace and pulled another slab of metal out and placed it on the anvil. "Pull the nail out and put it on the bench." He commanded.

Martin nodded and began to prepare the cold steel. He heated the furnace and grabbed the glowing steel with tongs and put it on the anvil. "Alright…" He pushed the fluff deep inside his ears and grabbed the hammer. With a good swing, the first sparks filled the air.

"Next shot to the right!" Forge yelled and the sound of reverberating metal on metal filled the air as Martin continued to follow Forge's instructions. He watched the metal begin to take shape as Martin hit one end of the metal repeatedly to make it more narrow. He turned it several times giving the nail its typical shape.

Awhile later, they stopped as Forge submerged the nail in water. "A gotta say, you’re a natural so far."

Martin scratched the back of his head. "Aww… thanks mate."

Forge pulled the nail out of the water and laid it on the bench next to the others. "Ready?"

"Always."

"Now that’s what I like to hear!" Forge chuckled, grabbing another slab of metal. "Whenever you're ready."

Martin nodded and repeated the process; with every nail he made Forge gave less instructions and ten nails later, all he did was watch.

Around two in the afternoon, they stopped for lunch. "I gotta say, you’re a quick learner sonny." Forge chuckled as he bit into his dandelion sandwich.

"Well, what can I say…" Martin said, biting into an apple.

"Maybe you can help on AJ's plow; it's getting harder to hold it steady."

Martin nodded. "Sure, I'll be glad to help."

"After lunch, we'll see what the two of us can manage."

"You're the boss."

Forge laughed. "I'm glad someone agrees with me." He chuckled and got up.

Martin followed him back inside, throwing the apple core away. Forge grabbed the plow and showed him what he was going to change what he wanted him to do. "And if we do this as delicately as possible, we can remove the blade without breaking the connector."

Martin scratched his chin. "Hmm… that should be possible."

Forge nodded. "It's worked for a good long time; let's see if we can manage it one more time."

Martin nodded and held the plow down as they carefully started to work on it, trying not to break the ailing connector.

"Almost done…" The smithy said, gently removing the blade. A moment later, he held up the worn down blade. "We did it, now attaching the new one…"

Martin turned around and walked back into the shop and grabbed the new blade that was lying next to the anvil. "Here we go…" He said as he gently placed the blade on the workbench.

They lined it up. "Ok, now just grab the nail you made and put in place." Forge explained.

Martin reached out for a small box and grabbed one the nails. "Ok…" He said as he pushed the nail through the small hole that connected the blade to its holder.

Forge smiled. "Now just gently tap it shut."

Martin did as he was asked to, looking at the plow. "There we go."

Forge grinned as he wiped sweat off his brow. "Wasn’t as hard as I thought it'd be." He looked at Martin. "When you see AJ next, can you give this to her?"

Martin nodded. "I'll give it to her this evening."

Forge nodded as he stretched. "Well, I'd say that’s enough for your first day. Tomorrow we gotta do a few horseshoes and a lock." He chuckled.

"Ok." Martin said as he took the leather apron off and hung it on a hook on the wall. "I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Yup, same time." Forge said, hoofing him the plow.

Martin smiled at him before he left the shop, heading to AJ's farm. The sun was bright in the sky, not a cloud in sight. "Lovely day…" He muttered to himself. "All that’s missing now is Discord to brighten things up." He chuckled as he continued to walk, keeping an eye out for the demigod.

Fortunately he made it to the farm with no discordian interruptions. He noticed Big Mac in the distance, kicking apples but no sign of AJ. He walked up to the tall pony. "Hey Big Mac, Forge and me fixed your old plow. Where do you want me to put it?" He asked, presenting the repaired plow.

The red pony eyed the plow. "Ya can put in the barn and Ah'll let AJ know its back."

Martin nodded and headed into the barn; it was dark and cool inside, the few windows letting light inside. He looked for a good spot and put the plow in the back, leaning against the wall. He walked out and was surprised that he hadn't seen AJ or Applebloom. "Where the hell's everyone?" He asked himself.

=

"Oh you'll look marvelous darling." Rarity said, forcing AJ into a Wild West styled dress.

"Ah really don’t think Ah need ta dress up, it's just a dinner." AJ mumbled.

Rarity gasped. "Just a dinner?" AJ's mane untangled and Rarity rushed to restyle it as her Stetson hat floated to a chair.

"Well yeah." AJ said, reaching for her hat. "Ah don’t think we need ta go all out."

Rarity smacked AJ's hoof. "No hat for tonight." She said, a pair of scissors floating towards AJ's mane.

"Whoa there Rare, Ah always wear mah hat." AJ said, backing away from the scissors. "Besides, we're goin' to a Western style café, Ah need it."

She shook her head. "I have something special prepared for you and that brown… 'lump' doesn’t fit your dress. Besides, we need to shorten your mane a bit." The scissors floated near her mane.

AJ glared at her friend. "That 'lump' has been with me since Ah was a filly."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you are close to your hat but this first date has to be special and you don’t want to disappoint Martin, do you?"

AJ sighed. "Ah doubt he'll care what hat Ah'm wearin'."

Rarity gasped, putting a hoof to her forehead. "What are you talking about? The first thing he'll notice is how fabulous you look."

AJ rolled her eyes. "Ah doubt that…" She sighed. "But… if ya think it's important…"

Rarity nodded and AJ's mane took a life of its own as the scissors snipped away, the golden mane falling the ground. "I do." Rarity said.

AJ grimaced with every snip. "Well… if-ya-think-it's-that-important."

Rarity didn’t respond, focused on AJ's mane. She sighed, letting her friend 'fix her up'.

=

Martin sighed, coming out of the shower, the towel on his neck as his hair was still wet. "Ah… that was refreshing." He muttered to himself.

Twilight giggled. "Is someone ready for their big date?" Twilight said, looking up from the book she was reading.

He blushed. "I-I guess."

She smiled. "Hope you have a good time with her…" Her smile disappeared. "Don’t break her heart or we'll see if I can replicate Princess Celestia's feat."

He slowly turned his head to face her, horrified. "What the hell Twilight?"

She continued to glare at him. "Can humans survive the vacuum of space? Because we'll learn if you hurt her…" She said, her voice firm and determined.

He nervously looked around. "Um… I'd rather not find out…"

She smiled, the anger quickly dissipating. "Good, then have a good time." She said, smiling sweetly at him before going back to her book.

He gulped before walking into the guest room and grabbed a small leather bag. He attached it to his jeans and walked back into the bathroom, combing his hair before putting his hat on. He walked into the main room, looking at the clock; he still had an hour to kill. He sighed and sat on the couch, trying not to wrinkle his clothes or mess up his hair. Twilight was oblivious to him, engrossed in her book.

He looked at her. "What are you reading?" He asked, trying to get her attention.

She blinked. "Oh just reading about time warps and the improbability of being able to send yourself into the future. A friend and I are supposed to discuss it later this afternoon." She said with a little blush.

He nodded. "Sounds interesting."

"It is, he keeps trying to tell me that time isn't a straight line as everypony perceives it, its wibbly wobbly." She smiled. "But tonight, I'm going to prove him wrong."

He smiled at her. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks, you too." She winked. "Should I wait up?"

"Do what you think is right." He replied, getting off the couch and stretching.

She giggled. "Have fun and tell her I said hi…"

He glanced at the clock and saw that he still had forty minutes to kill. "Guess I'll go for a walk…"

She nodded. "Why don’t you go pick her up early for a stroll?" She offered.

"Sounds like a good idea." He said, bending down and putting on his boots before he made sure his Stetson was secure on his head. He waved goodbye before leaving the library and heading towards Sweet Apple Acres.

=

The sun was still shining as it began its decent when he arrived to the farm. He looked at the endless fields of apple trees. He paused at the front door and hesitated briefly before raising his hand and gently knocked.

The door slowly opened to reveal the towering red form of Big Mac, who stared at him silently.

"Hey, I know I'm early… but is AJ there?"

"Nnope, she's still at Rarity's gettin' ready." He said calmly.

He shifted his eyes as there was an awkward pause as Big Mac quietly stared at him. "I-is everything alright?" He asked the stallion.

Big Mac was silent for a moment. "Ah just hope ya know what yer getting yerself into. She just had her heart broken and Ah won't let it happen again." He looked calmly at the human. "Ah hope nothing happens tonight that you'll regret tomorra."

Martin looked horrified. "Why does everypony keep thinking I'd do something to her?!"

"Ah'm not worried you'll do somethin' ta her… Ah'm more worried 'bout her. She did just break up with her coltfriend a few days ago, Ah'm not sure if Ah agree with her datin' already."

Martin sighed. "I guess that makes sense…"

Big Mac nodded. "Just don’t do anythin' rash."

Martin raised his hands in self defense. "Don’t worry, I won't do anything she isn't ready for… wait that sounds awkward."

He chuckled. "Ah'll hold ya to that promise. Ya should be off ta Rarity's if ya want ta surprise her."

Martin chuckled. "You’re the best kind of brother, you know?" He waved goodbye as he headed back into town.

=

The Boutique came into view not too much later and he tried to open the door but it was surprisingly locked. He knocked. "Hello; Rarity you there?"

"Oh one moment darling, just putting the finishing touches on AJ for tonight." Rarity said as AJ sighed.

"Ah still think this is a little too much." She muttered.

He stared at the door curiously. "Umm…" Ok. He stood there for a few moments, waiting impatiently, whistling Viva la Vida to pass the time.

A few moments later, the door opened to reveal Rarity, smiling at him. "Come in darling, AJ will be down in a moment."

He nodded as he walked past her inside the boutique. Awhile later, hoof steps slowly started to come down the stairs. He turned as AJ made her way to the floor. She wore a small red hat that sat snugly on her head as her shorter mane hung in a braid. She had a light green skirt that covered her flank just enough so her tail was sticking out. A tight green leather vest had rubies and emeralds scattered around the collar with brown boots finished off the ensemble.

He smiled at her as she hoofed the ground nervously, blushing. "You look wonderful."

Her blush grew in intensity. "Thanks… so do you." AJ said as Rarity clapped excitedly, smiling.

"I know that I'm really early, so I was going to ask if you wanted to go for a walk?" He blushed slightly.

"Uh… sure, if ya want to." He smiled at her and walked over to the door, opening it for her. "Thank ya kindly." She said as she walked through the door and waited for him.

"Ta-ta darlings, have fun." Rarity said.

He winked at her as he shut the door, standing next to AJ. "Does the park sound any good to you?" She nodded.

They began to head to the park, walking next to each other in silence. "Did Rarity make your clothes for our date?" He asked, walking along the path.

"Eeyup… went a little overboard if ya ask me." She said, looking around.

He smiled. "I think it looks lovely."

"Ah thanks sugarcube… yer too kind." She sighed. "Ah just wished she could've let me wear mah hat."

He looked at her for a moment before grabbing his hat and switching. "There we go, much better."

She blushed. "Thank ya…" She nervously hoofed the ground again.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah… everythin's fine." She said, putting on a smile.

He nodded and they continued their trek to the park. He tried deciphering the time, staring at the night sky. She was silent next to him, keeping a close distance between the two of them.

He glanced down at her. "Do you think we should head back into town?"

"Do ya want to? We still have another twenty minutes before your reservations?" She asked.

"Well, I'd like to stay but we should start heading back. Don’t wanna be late, aye?"

"Never good ta be late with an appointment." She agreed.

They walked back through town, taking the scenic route, admiring the trees and flowers. The sky was beautiful, a mix of orange and red. As they were walking through town, they saw from a distance, Mike and Fluttershy walking, their tails intertwined.

They made it to the café and he opened the door for her. "Thank ya kindly." She said, walking through and waited. He nodded and they walked up to the podium.

"Hello." He said, to the mare standing behind it.

She looked up and smiled at them. "Well if it ain't the creature from the Everfree again." She paused. "Is it Saturday already?" She flipped through the book and grabbed two menus before leading them to a small table lit by a candle near the stage that took up an entire wall.

He thanked her and pulled AJ's chair out for her; she blushed and thanked him before sitting down. He quickly got to his seat as Sundancer hoofed out the menus. "Today we're having a special on clam chowder and some apple fritters over toasted."

He looked at the menu, trying to find something to eat. She waited patiently for them to decide. He closed the menu. "I'd like to try today's special, sounds interesting." He handed the menu back to her.

She wrote it down and looked at AJ. "Ah'll have the apple fritters over done with a side of hay fries." AJ said, hoofing over the menu as Sundancer wrote it down.

"Anything to drink?"

He looked at AJ. "I'll let you decide for both of us."

She looked at him. "We'll take some Appledaniels."

Sundancer smiled at them and left, taking the menus. "Is that a good drink?" He asked when they were alone.

AJ nodded. "It's not as strong as Appletails but still pretty good."

"Ah… ok." He looked around the café; the band wasn’t playing at the moment. A pony walked up to the mic and tapped it a few times before she flipped through a nearby book and cleared her throat.

AJ eyed her warily. "Is it karaoke night?"

He scratched his chin. "I thought she said it was on Tuesday."

The mare on stage started to sing. "Ah guess not…" AJ said, watching the brave mare.

He shrugged. "In that case we'll be listening to some ponies, aye?"

"Aye…" She watched the pony finish the song and afterwards, the café applauded her as she stepped off the stage, a stallion taking her place.

"Have you been here before?" He asked after he finished clapping.

"Ya, Ah've been here a few times, never on karaoke night though." She said.

"I like it here, it’s a nice place, makes me feel comfortable." He listened to the stallion sing.

"Same here, it's always fun here."

A few minutes passed and more ponies went on stage to song as Sundancer returned with two plates strategically placed on her back. She sat them in front of the two and disappeared for a moment before returning with their drinks, setting it next to the candle before smiling at both and leaving.

He opened the bottle and filled their glasses equally before setting the bottle down and grabbed his glass. "Cheers."

She smiled and grabbed her glass, tapping it against his as they took a drink.

It had a strong apple flavor that slightly hindered the alcohol and burnt slightly going down. He lowered his glass back to the table. "That is one good drink."

"Better than Appletails?" She asked, finishing half her drink.

"I'd say just as good."

"Ah'd have ta agree with that."

He looked at his food curiously, picking up his knife and fork and tried a small piece. "Not bad…" He continued to eat the 'new food'.

AJ smiled and started to eat. She struggled not to dig in and use her hooves, hesitantly using a fork and knife.

He chuckled. "AJ, ya don’t need to behave so mannered; just be yourself."

She looked at him. "Are ya sure? Rarity said that Ah had to be 'mannered' on a date… since she's had more experience than me on these sorts of things…"

"AJ, I asked you to go out with me because of who you are, not who Rarity says you are."

She blushed heavily with a huge smile before gently laying the fork down. She began to dig into it with her hooves, food debris flying. She paused after half of it was gone. "Thank ya."

He smiled as he laughed. "That's the Applejack I know."

She paused for a moment before quickly getting up from the table. "A-ah need ta use the little filly's room." She said, trotting away.

He watched her walk away, slightly confused before continuing to eat. Several ponies finished their singing and AJ still hadn't returned. He finished his meal awhile ago. He glanced at the mare's bathroom door. I wonder what's taking her so long? He looked around for Sundancer. He saw her not to far away and he waved her over.

She trotted over. "What can Ah get ya?"

"Umm… my friend AJ, she's gone into the bathroom almost an hour ago and hasn’t come back yet. Could you do me a huge favor and check if she's alright?"

She blinked. "Oh, um… sure. Ah'll be right back." She said as she trotted towards the door and went inside. He watched her disappear and sighed. A few minutes later, Sundancer led AJ over to the table. AJ's eyes were red and she slightly sniffled. "If there's anything Ah can get ya, don’t hesitate ta ask." Sundancer said, patting AJ gently on the back before walking away.

He looked at AJ. "I-is everything alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine." She said, smiling faintly.

He shook his head. "I can tell that you're lying… what's bothering you?"

She took a shaky breath. "Ah don’t deserve someone as nice as ya… why do ya waste yer time on somepony like me?" She asked in a small voice.

He got up and carried the chair next to her, pulling her into a hug. "I never considered this date a waste of time… I would never do so either. But I could ask you the same, why would you waste your time with me?"

She blushed. "Cause ya willingly helped out on the farm, yer good company, ya saved mah life… and ya actually care about me as an individual and not just for my plot." She looked away. "Ah never know what ta say…"

He faintly smiled at her.

"Ya never did answer my question…" She looked at him. "Why are ya smiling?"

He let go of her. "I'm not sure how to explain it… looking back at my life, I've met a lot of people. All of them are quite similar to each other, but you… I never met anyone like in my entire life before. If it weren't for you, I would've asked Princess Celestia to send me back the day she was here."

She stared at him, her cheeks bright red. "Really? Wh-what makes me so different?

"The way I see you with my eyes… I've seen hundreds and thousands of people and none of them caught my eye like you did."

"But that didn’t answer my question… why me? Rarity is prettier than me… Ah ain't nothing more than a simple farmer…"

"I don’t think she's prettier than you…"

"Yer just saying that."

He shook his head adamantly. "No, I mean it. Every time I look at you, I could get lost in your eyes; every time I hear you talk I could listen to it for hours. I'd do anything to see you smile or hear you laugh."

Her face erupted in red. "A… Ah don’t know what ta say…" She said, tears slowly falling out of her eyes.

"You don’t have to say anything, as long as you smile."

She wiped her eyes and looked at him, a small smile on her face. She gave him a hug. "Thank ya Martin…"

He hugged back. "I only spoke the truth…"

A pony walked up to the mic and tapped it a few times. He smiled as he cleared his throat and in a low baritone, started to sing. They watched the stallion on the stage, his voice echoing through the café. All the ponies smiled and clapped as he finished. The stallion blushed as he walked off stage and the mic was taken by another pony.

"That was probably one of the best versions Ah've ever heard." AJ said with a smile as she clapped her hooves, resting against Martin.

He nodded, clapping his hands. Sundancer soon came walking over, a huge smile on her face. "So how was everythin'?"

He smiled at her. “It was grand, aye AJ?” AJ nodded, still resting against him.

"One of the best apple fritters Ah've had."

He reached for the small leather bag and opened it. "How much will tonight cost me?"

She pulled out a little slip and skimmed through it. "With the Winter Wrap Up discount, that'll be forty bits."

He nodded and placed forty five bits on the table. "The rest is for you."

She smiled and put the bits in a pocket. "Thank ya kindly and have a nice night you two."

He got up and walked towards the door, holding it open for AJ. She smiled and trotted after him and waited outside. "So what do ya wanna do now?"

He smiled at her. "How about a nice long walk through the park, or we could go to a good pub?"

She smiled. "Ah think the park sounds mighty fine… we might wanna take a break with all the drinkin'."

He chuckled as they began their walk back to the park, the moon illuminating the streets and reflecting off the windows. The town was relatively quiet, a few ponies sprinkled here and there.

"So Ah gotta thank ya fer a wonderful dinner Martin."

He looked at her, her golden mane reflected by the moonlight. Her emerald green eyes twinkled brighter then the sun ever could. The sky was a playful mix of dark blue, black and bright twinkling stars; not a single cloud in the sky. "No… I have to thank you."

She looked at him. "Thank me? Fer what?"

He smiled at her, staring into her emerald eyes. "For this wonderful evening, money doesn’t matter to me… it was worth it, so I could see you smile in the end."

She blushed. "Aw shucks, thank ya. But Ah should thank ya for all that ya've done fer me. Hay we've known each other fer a week and Ah gotta say, it's been one wacky ride..." She paused. "Yer doing it again."

He blushed and looked away. "Sorry…"

She leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. "Don’t be, it's one of the things Ah like bout ya."

He stared at the clear sky. "It's a lovely night, aye?"

She chuckled. "It's a wonderful night." She agreed.

"You got any idea how late it is?" He asked, looking down at her again.

She looked at the clock tower in the middle of town. "Looks ta be a quarter to nine… if Ah can read it right."

"The night is still young, wanna continue our walk?"

"Sure, lead the way."

He nodded and began walking away from the dirt path and towards the lake not too far away. The water in the lake was still, giving a perfect reflection of the moons. The lake was almost like a door to another world as they sat down near the shore, looking at their reflections.

She smiled and walked a little closer to the water's edge, staring at her reflection. She took off her borrowed hat and laid it on the sand, keeping a hoof on it.

He got up and walked up to her, her green eyes and golden mane reflected in the water. He started to get lost in her eyes.

"Ya still with me?" She asked, looking at him with a smirk.

He blinked a few times before blushing. "Back again." He said, smiling back.

She laughed. "Glad ta have ya back." She grinned at him before splashing him with her hoof. His entire upper body got soaked.

"Oi!!" He chuckled, using his hands to shield himself. "It is on!" He started to splash her back.

They laughed hysterically and she tried to protect herself. They splashed for a long time before they were drenched and it was freezing, AJ slightly shivering. "Rarity would kill us if she saw us." She said, her teeth chattering.

He put his arms around her, trying to keep her warm. She blushed and wrapped her hooves around him in return. "Ah didn’t think that through, did Ah?"

He shook his head, shivering a bit. "It doesn't matter; you got what you deserve in return, aye?"

She smiled. "Ah did but Ah'm glad Ah could."

He smiled at her again, his hat lying on the wet dirt near them.

"Maybe we should get home, it's getting late." She said, looking at the moon.

"Do what you think is right." He said, smiling at her.

She untangled herself from him, water dripping from her mane. "Yeah, Ah think we both should and dry off before one of us gets sick." She said with a sigh.

He nodded, looking back the way they came. "I'll walk you home if you want."

"That's mighty kind of ya." She said, walking over and grabbing his hat before hoofing it to him.

He smiled at her putting it back on his wet hair, which pushed down with the wet hat. "Thanks AJ."

"Don’t mention it." She said, her little red hat long gone.

They began their journey back to the farm. It was silent, the night sky a canvas of stars with the moon at its center, glowing brightly, casting the town in its light. Most of the town was devoid of ponies but a few stragglers remained, who smiled and waved at the two. The apple field was cast in never ending shadows, the moon playing with the trees. The Apple house had a light on in the living room, almost as if somepony waited for her to come home.

They paused at the door as AJ coughed. "Ah had a great night, thank ya a lot."

He leaned down and hugged her. "Me too, thank you."

She nuzzled his cheek before getting out of the embrace and opening the door. "Goodnight Martin."

"Goodnight AJ." He smiled one last time before she walked inside and shut the door. He stood on the porch for a second before making his way back to the library.

=

He slowly opened the library door; it was mostly dark inside the main room, the moon only illuminating near the windows. He took off his boots and hung his hat on a hook before he made his way towards the bathroom, sneaking across the wooden floor.

"So I take it was good?" Twilight asked, reading in the kitchen as she snacked on some lettuce.

He looked at her, his hair dripping on the floor. "Um… yeah, it was grand." He said, walking towards the unicorn.

She looked up and tried to stifle a laugh. "What happened to you, why are you all wet?"

He blushed. "Um… AJ and I were at the lake…"

Her eyebrows shot up. "What?" She asked, leaning towards him.

His face burned. "Um… is it that important to you?" He asked, feeling awkward talking about it.

“No, well sorta… she is one of my P.F.F.s…" She said.

He stared at her blankly. "Ok…"

"So?"

"Um…"

She sighed. "Just go get changed and we'll talk about it in the morning."

He nodded and quickly walked to the bathroom and grabbed a towel, drying himself off. After he finished, he changed into some new, dry clothes and came out of the bathroom to find the candle light in the kitchen was gone, submerging the library into darkness. He blindly felt his way back to the guest room. He opened the door and stared at Mike's empty sleeping bag. He sighed and crawled into his own. I wonder what you're up to mate… He looked out the window, staring into the dimming moonlight.

=

Most of the animals had retired to their respective cages/homes for the night as the moon continued to rise higher and higher. Fluttershy hovered around, tucking the remaining animals in, whispering a good night to them and nuzzled them on the cheek. Mike stared at his wings, trying to figure out what Discord meant as he tried to preen his wings. "This is harder than I thought…" He muttered, nipping at a bad feather and pulling it out.

Fluttershy floated quietly towards him and landed next to him, smiling. "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it…" She said quietly.

He pulled a little too hard and got an extra feather, yelping in pain. "Yeah, eventually." He chuckled.

She giggled as she turned her head, her pink mane flying elegantly in the light as she looked at the small clock. "It's getting late um… I'll go to bed now…" She whispered.

"Ok… goodnight Fluttershy, and thanks for letting me stay… again." He muttered, looking at his wing.

She gave him a small kiss on the cheek before she walked upstairs, her cheeks bright red.

He watched her disappear, his face bright red as well before he sighed and folded his wings back to his side. He lay down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. "I wonder how his date went…" He muttered.

Author's Note

Well I just want to say I suck at designing clothes so if AJ's dress doesn't make sense, let me know and give me some ideas on how to fix that...
Whoops! Totally forgot to update... well, yeah, glad that we're finally getting to the date! Thanks to the new favs/likes that we've got!
See any problems, let me know and I'll change them asap!

17 - Sight is a Wonderful Thing

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 17 - Sight is a Wonderful Thing

The sun rose brightly as Celestia triumphed over Luna in their never ending struggle. Mike slowly opened his eyes, leaning forward and yawning; the animals happily greeting him. His noise picked up the faint smell of something cooking in the kitchen and he slowly got up, the world spinning for a moment.

Suddenly a white blob shot out of nowhere and ran underneath him, tangling his hooves and he fell flat on his face. "Oh come on!" He muttered, trying to pry himself from the ground.

"Michael are you alright?" Fluttershy asked as she helped him to his hooves.

"Yeah I'm fine, just tripped I think..." He said with a smile. "Whatcha making?"

She checked his snout to make sure. "Umm just some hay fries." She said, taking a step back.

He smiled and gently nuzzled her cheek. "Sounds wonderful." He made his way towards the kitchen, only for the white missile to strike again, running another pass under his legs and he connected solidly with the door jam. "Who put that there?" He said around the wood.

She quickly helped him again. "I'm so sorry; I'm sure Angel didn’t mean to make you fall…" She said, checking his snout a second time.

"Yeah, I'm sure he didn’t." He said, watching out for the white missile, carefully treading his way into the kitchen and sat on the chair. He felt his snout and winced at the pain.

She sighed and gave him a plate of hay fries before sitting down, staring at her own before eating in silence.

He paused and looked at her carefully. "Um… Flutters are you ok, you seem upset?" He asked tentatively.

"Um… don’t worry, I'm fine…"

"Are you su-" He stopped himself, stuffing his mouth full of fries.

She sighed once more and ate in silence. When she was done, she got up and placed her plate in the sink.

He sighed. God help me. He walked up to her and gently laid a hoof on her shoulder. "Flutters… I know something is bothering you, please… you can tell me…" He whispered.

She looked at him. "It's just that… that I was going to surprise you by buying a pair of glasses and I went to see how much they were… but I can't afford them, they're too expensive." She whispered, her eyes glossy. "I-I'm sorry Michael, please don’t be mad…" She hid her face under her mane.

"Hey… come here…" He said, opening his forehooves, standing on his hind hooves.

She looked at him for a moment before snuggling up to his chest; a few sobs broke through. He gently patted and ran a hoof along her back, resting his head on top of hers. "Shh, it's ok… I don’t need to see right now. I have you." He paused, gently nuzzling the top of her head. "And besides, when I get a job, I can pay for my own so I don’t keep mooching off you…" She looked at him with her glossy eyes and he nuzzled the tip of her snout. "I promise its ok, I'd rather have you as my eyes anyway." He smiled.

She gently connected her lips with his. "T-thank you…" She whispered, snuggling up to his chest.

He smiled and rested his head on top of hers, enjoying the serenity of the moment. "Like I said Fluttershy, if you're by my side, I don’t care if I'm blind, deaf, or paralyzed… I'll be fine." She put her hooves around his neck and looked into his eyes, he smiled. "And you'll be there for me, right?" She nodded before kissing him again, closing her eyes as he did the same.

The world seemed to dissolve and it was just the two of them, in an embrace that neither wanted to end. A rather irate bunny thought differently and pushed against her, causing her to eep quietly as she fell into his hooves. Caught off guard, he fell backwards, his head connecting with the floor. They laid there for a moment before he realized she was on top of him, their lips connected.

Their wings shot straight out, her face bright red but the connection remained between them until he broke the kiss. "I-I'm s-sorry…" He whispered, wishing to be invisible.

Her sapphire eyes stared back at him. Her fur was brushing against his chest, her pink mane inches away from his forehead. For a few minutes that she was on top of him, he could fell her hot breath and rapid rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes widened and her pupils shrank as she let out a squeak and quickly got off of him, hiding behind her mane.

He laid there for a moment, getting air back into his lungs before he forced his wings to relax and got to his hooves. He looked at her quietly. "Flutters?" He whispered, walking over to her. He gently pushed her mane out of her face.

Her eyes were closed and her face was still bright red. She was hyperventilating, her mind trying to process what just happened.

"Fluttershy? Are you ok?" He asked hesitantly.

She started to shake slightly as one of her sapphire eyes slowly opened and looked at him.

He faintly smiled. "You ok?" He asked, patting her back gently with a hoof.

She quickly closed her eye again. "I-I can't do it… I co-could-could- nev-never…" She stuttered.

He paused. "Do what?"

"I-I could never co-come that close to so-somepony…" She stuttered out.

He stared at her for a moment before it clicked in his mind and he scrambled away from her. "Oh… oh, I'm s-sorry… I… uh…" His mouth opened and closed a few times but nothing came out. He stood there, staring at the floor.

She continued to shake, lying on the floor with her hooves on her head. She wished she could vanish into the floor itself.

He looked at her before sighing quietly. Let's see if I can make it worse. He very slowly walked back up to her and lay next to her, their fur gently touching. "Flutters?" He whispered, leaning his head towards hers.

She turned her head slightly, revealing her red face and a sapphire eye.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry… for that. I guess I wasn’t ready for standing on two legs again." He looked at the floor. "Um… you know I'd never do anything you weren't comfortable with." He squeaked, his face turning red.

She stared at the ground and tried to calm herself. She took a deep breath before she slowly approached him. "M-Michael?" She quietly asked, looking at him.

His ear twitched and he slowly looked up. "Y-yes?"

She pressed her lips against his and he sat there in shock, both his eyes wide open. She made the kiss as special as she could, tilting her head slightly. He closed his eyes and let her control the kiss.

The two of them stood there for what felt like eternity. Fluttershy's blush faded away. She felt happy and comfortable around him, knowing that if she acted like herself he wouldn’t care. She broke the kiss and opening her eyes, looking at him with a smile. "It-it's ok."

He smiled and leaned forward, nuzzling her cheek gently. "Thank you Fluttershy…" He stood up, looking at the door. "So what do you wanna do today?"

"Um… I was going to go to the market… um… if you want to you could come with me…" She hoofed the ground.

"S-sure, I actually needed to head that way to talk with Martin about something." He scratched the back of his neck.

She flung her hooves around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry about what happened… I-I should trust you more…" She whispered.

He stood there for a moment before wrapping his hooves around her. "It's ok Flutters, it was an accident all around."

She nuzzled his cheek with a smile. "Thank you Michael…" She let go of him. "Umm… we should go now…"

"Ok." He said with a smile before walking towards the door, narrowly avoiding the door jam. "Ha, you won't get me a third time!" He chuckled.

She giggled and followed him outside. They walked towards town, hoof in hoof, making their way to the market. They passed the smithy and he looked at it. "Um... Flutters, I'm gonna go see if Martin's in there…"

She hesitated before nodding slightly. "Um… ok."

"So… um, where would you like to meet up?"

She looked around before pointing at a small fountain not far away. "Um… over there…"

He squinted at it, trying to memorize where it was. "Ok then… well, see ya later?" He asked, nervously hoofing at the ground.

She gave him a small kiss on the cheek before she walked towards the market, leaving him standing there alone. He stared at the ground before shaking his head and made his way to the door and opened it. He entered the shop, Martin standing behind the counter polishing a sword.

"Hey Martin." He said, slowly making his way towards the human.

He looked up with a smile. "Hey mate, what brings you here?" He put down the steel blade, the light reflected in the newly polished steel.

Mike hoofed nervously at the ground. "Well, I need some advice."

Martin tilted his head. "Um, sure how can I help you?"

Mike took a deep breath. "Well… I wanna take Fluttershy out on a date but I don’t know where and I don’t have any money so I was wondering if you knew anywhere that was hiring but I should really ask Twilight that question…" He said, on par with Pinkie's unnatural talking speed.

Martin paused and scratched his chin. "Sorry mate, I'm really no help with that but I'm sure Twi can help you. But anyways, how's Fluttershy?"

Mike's face exploded in red. "Um… yeah…" He slowly started to make his way towards the door.

Martin looked at him dumbfounded. "I-is everything alright?"

Mike quickly turned around smashed his snout into the door. "Damn it! Third bloody time!" He yelled, holding his snout.

Martin walked around the counter and opened the door. "Geez, what could be so bad you don’t even wanna talk about it with your friend, aye?"

Mike sighed. "Well her demon bunny made me bash my face into the floor and door this morning, she was going to surprise me and buy me new glasses but they were too expensive and she was really upset… so I go to give her a hug and well, that bunny pushed her and we fell and… she was on top of me and we were still kissing… yeah…" He whispered.

"That isn't what I'd consider a bad thing." Martin said.

Mike blushed as his wings fluttered. "But she almost had a panic attack or something, you should've seen her. She was lying on the ground, her head buried and she shook… she didn’t even respond to me the first few times…"

Martin raised his eyebrow. "Um… ok, guess that’s just a Fluttershy, aye?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, it was bad." He sighed. "I guess I should ask Twilight is anypony's hiring, shouldn’t I."

Martin shrugged. "I guess."

Mike paused before he looked at Martin with a smile. "So… how was your date Romeo?"

Martin blushed slightly. "Um… it was grand."

"Just grand?"

Martin raised his brow again. "I'd rather not explain here, maybe if I see you some other time I can go into more detail, aye?"

Mike nodded. "Sounds like a deal." He paused and looked out the door. "Then I'll let you get back to work and I gotta go find Twilight, see ya later?"

Martin nodded, walking back behind the counter. "Yup, catch ya later."

Mike waved goodbye before shutting the smithy door and trotted to the library and knocked on the door.

The door opened. "This is a public library, there's no need to kno-oh hey Michael." Spike stood in the doorway.

"Hey Spike, how's it going?"

He smiled. "I'm fine, you?"

"I can't complain, just getting used to being a pony." Mike said, flapping his wings.

He stepped to the side to let Mike in. "How can I help you?"

"Well I was wondering if Twilight was around, I gotta ask her a question." He said as he entered the library, avoiding the evil door.

"Course, she's upstairs." Spike said, shutting the door.

"Thanks Spike." Mike said and looked at the stairs.

Spike nodded and walked towards a pile of books. He sighed and bent down, sorting them before putting them away.

Mike slowly made his way up, tripping a few times before making it to the landing on the second floor. He stood outside her door and tapped on it a couple times. "Twilight?"

The door knob was surrounded by a purple aura and turned itself and the door opened. Twilight sat at her desk, a quill floating besides her head as it wrote on a parchment. "Hello Michael, how can I help you?" She asked with a warm smile.

He smiled as he walked in, looking at her room. He couldn’t really make anything out except that there were books everywhere but otherwise it was really neat and organized. "Hey Twilight, whatcha writing?"

She made the quill and parchment float towards the desk and gently sat them down. "Just a letter to Princess Celestia." She said, looking back at him. "But how can I help you?"

"Oh… well, I was wondering if you anypony that was hiring?" He nervously scratched at the floor.

She seemed surprised as she tapped her chin a few times. "Well… it depends on what kind of work you're looking for."

He chuckled. "Was the pun intentional?" He asked, waving a hoof in front of his face.

She blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry… I didn’t mean to offend you."

"No not at all, I found it funny." He smiled at her. "Just, I'm not sure what I can do since I can't see…"

"I guess we'll need to get you some glasses." She said.

"That’s actually why I was looking for a job so I can buy myself a pair. You still have my original pair?"

Twilight looked around her room and magicked her dresser as his old pair of glasses floated towards him. "Yes I do but I highly doubt they'll be of much use." She said.

"No but if I could find somepony to take the lens and fashion frames that'll hold them, I'd be fine. Just frames are expensive…"

She tapped her chin again. "Well… Rarity could probably give you a frame."

"You think she could?" He asked, excited.

She nodded. "I'm sure she has a pair of old glasses with a fitting frame."

He smiled and grabbed the floating frames in his mouth before giving her a hug. "Thanks Twilight!" He said, bolting to the door.

She smiled. "No problem Michael!" She yelled after him, shaking her head as she turned towards her desk.

He wasn’t paying attention and fell down the entire flight of steps, pausing only to shake his head and yell a goodbye to a startled Spike before galloping out of the library and to the Boutique. He knocked on the door.

"I'll be right there!" Rarity's slightly posh voice answered. The door opened and Rarity looked at him, her mane slightly disheveled and she was wearing a pair of red framed glasses. "Darling, what are you doing here?" She asked, smiling at him.

He smiled back. "Well I was wondering if you could fashion a pair of glasses out of these." He showed her the glasses. "I'll pay you back when I get the bits."

The glasses began to glow and fly towards her. "Hmmm…" She looked at them closely and took off her own glasses before turning around. "I'm sure I can find something, come with me darling."

He smiled and followed her inside. She led him into one of the back rooms; this one had all sorts of accessories hanging on the walls. One entire wall was devoted to glasses and frames. "Just take a look at those while I take out the lenses." She said, leaving him alone.

He squinted and tried to look at them, most of them were really spiffy and few had feathers. Looks like a fashion show. He grabbed a pair of thin gray steel frames that looked like his old one. They looked normal from what he could tell, the frames slightly oval. He grabbed them and wandered around till he found her.

She was standing in front of a small table, the old frames floating in front of her as the lenses rested on the table. "Who designed this… this mess of a frame?!" She asked in disgust.

He laughed, almost dropping the new frames. "That was one of the nicer frames on my planet, really expensive too."

She looked at him before looking back at the frames. "Nice? You call this insult to fashion nice? I'll never understand you humans." She put them down and took the new ones from him. She smiled as she looked at the new frames. "Ah, a classic design… much better than… than those ghastly things." She said, pointing her hoof at the old frame.

"Trust me; I wasn’t a fan of them. I preferred a different pair." He said with a smile.

She put them on the table and turned on the table light, illuminating all angles. "Now comes the tricky part." She focused the glasses on her snout and a few tools floated hear her as she began adjusting the frame to the lenses, cutting away what didn’t fit. He went to get out of her way and fell asleep on the couch. "Darling, I'm finished!" Rarity said happily.

He startled awake. "I didn’t steal the cookie, I swear." He blinked a few times. "Wait, you finished?" He hopped up and trotted to her.

She nodded as the new glasses floated towards him. "I hope they'll fit."

He tentatively grabbed them and struggled to put them on. When he did, everything was blurry and had a fish eye lens look to it. He sat down, feeling dizzy as he looked around.

Rarity looked at him, concerned. "I-is everything alright darling?"

He nodded, putting a hoof on his head. "Yeah, just my lenses are super strong so it'll take a bit to get used to them again. You don’t mind if I sit on the couch till then?"

She shook her head. "Of course not darling, stay as long as you need to."

He smiled at her. "Thanks again Rarity." He staggered his way back to the couch and sat down, taking a few breaths.

"If you need anything darling, simply ask."

"Thanks again Rarity." He sat there and took it easy. A while later, the clock announced it was around lunch time and he could finally see out of his glasses. "I can see again!" He jumped up and smiled as he looked around, the blur gone.

Rarity came inside the room again. "Well that's wonderful darling."

He hugged her. "Thank you so much Rarity!"

She giggled and hugged back. "Anytime darling, anytime."

He smiled at her. "Now that I can see, I can find out if Twilight has a job for me." He said, heading towards the door.

"Good luck darling!" She said as the door shut behind him.

=

"That's great news Michael, I'm so glad you can see again." Twilight smiled at him.

He was jumping up and down excitedly. "I can finally see again." He repeated, clapping his forehooves together. "Anyway, now that I can see again, do you know if anypony hiring?"

"Well it really depends on what sort of job you're looking for, there are loads of ponies that require new workers."

He paused for a moment. "Does anypony need a writer? That’s what I was good at on Earth."

Twilight tapped her chin. "Well… I don’t know to be honest; maybe you could ask the bookstore?"

His ears perked up. "You have a bookstore here?"

She giggled. "Of course you dumb dumb, it's just down the road."

"Well then, I'll be going to investigate that." He smiled at her. "Thanks Twilight, I'll make sure to stop by more often." He said, giving her a small hug before leaving the library.

The bookstore looked small from the outside, one window fit snugly in the wall, revealing bookcases full of books and the end of a counter. He entered the shop and two large staircases led downstairs.

"Hey there stranger, how can I help you?" An elder mare asked. She had a chocolate brown coat with a graying black mane. Rounded black glasses sat halfway on her snout, almost covering her brown eyes. She had a parchment and quill as her cutie mark.

"Good afternoon ma'am, I was wondering if you were hiring at the moment."

She smiled. "Indeed we are in need of a columnist at the moment."

"Really? What type of column?"

"Mostly book reviews but a few advertisements and information about new book releases." She said, leading him towards the counter.

He followed her. "That sounds easy enough, what would the hours be?"

"The store opens at two thirty and closes at seven thirty. You'd be here Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from three till we close. You'll be given keys so you can access all the books you need at any time. Parchment and quills will be provided and if required, a typewriter. For every column, we pay up to fifty bits, depending on quality and the subject." She said after leading him around the counter and into one of the back rooms.

"Sounds reasonable." He nodded. "Well, I'm looking for a job and if you're willing to hire me, I'll do the best I can."

"I'm willing to accept anypony who considers themselves up to the task." She walked to a desk and flipped through some papers before coming back. "Please sign here." She showed him a contract, saying exactly what she just said.

He skimmed through it, making sure it didn’t have any crazy loop holes before signing the best he could and hoofed it back to her. "There you go Ms?"

"Poem Page." She said with a welcoming smile.

"Thank you Ms. Page, I'm Michael. Then I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nodded. "I'll be happy to see you here."

He smiled before walking out of the bookstore and headed to the fountain to meet up with Fluttershy. She was already standing near the fountain, a small basket on her back filled with various fruits and vegetables. There was also a random box of nails. She didn’t seem to notice him approach, lost in her own thoughts.

He trotted up to her and smiled. "Hey Flutters." He said quietly, trying not to scare her.

She eeped and turned around. "Oh Michael… wh-where did you get those glasses from?"

"Rarity made them after she salvaged what she could from my other pair. I can see again." He said happily as he leaned and kissed her cheek. "Thank you being my eyes Flutters, you're the best."

She blushed. "Oh… it's nothing really…"

"No I really appreciate it. You didn’t have to but you did out of the kindness of your heart and I wanted to say how happy I am that you did." He said, his face felt like it was on fire.

She looked at him with her big sapphire eyes and blushed slightly before leaning closer to him and kissed her. He smiled and sat there, closing his eyes as he kissed back.

Someone whistled. "Oi you two, do that in private and not with everypony staring at you!"

They blushed as they broke the kiss and looked over to see Martin grinning at them. He walked towards them with a small sheath in his right hand, the hilt of a sword sticking out.

"What are you two doing here?"

Fluttershy hid behind Mike as she saw the hilt. "N-nothing much, just showing her I can see again." Mike smiled, pointing to his glasses. "What's with the sword?"

Martin smiled at him. "It's grand that you can see again and I'm just delivering this to the captain of the Ponyville guard. She ordered it a few weeks ago."

"Oh, well then don’t let us keep you from your delivery." Mike said.

Martin nodded before waving goodbye and disappeared down the road. They watched till he was gone. "Well, that was interesting… oh… um… I also got a job." Mike muttered.

Her eyes widened. "Really? Where?" She asked curiously.

"At the bookstore, I'm apparently a columnist now." He chuckled. "Maybe I can finally get my, what's it called, cutie mark?"

She kissed him on the cheek. "That’s wonderful!"

"Thanks Flutters… and maybe I can help pay for myself instead of mooching off you…"

"You're not mooching." She said, nuzzling his cheek.

He frowned and sighed. "I've lived with you for two days and haven't paid for anything… and you had to pay for that cart on the first day…"

"It doesn’t matter to me." She said, pulling him into a hug.

He smiled and rested his head on her shoulder. "Thank you…"

She nodded, giving him one more squeeze before letting go of him and looking into his eyes. "I'd still like to pay for some things though…" He said with a small smile.

She slightly frowned. "I have to get back to the cottage… um… will you come with me?"

"If you want me to…"

"O-only if you want to…" She said, blushing.

He grabbed her hoof. "Lead the way."

She smiled, her cheeks red as she led them back towards the cottage. "Feed the animals?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, just refilling the storage."

"Oh…" He said, following her through the town and back to the little bridge. She walked past the cottage and into the little storage shed in the back, the animals greeted her warmly. She smiled and greeted the animals back as she rummaged around the shed. He stood there, smiling as she seemed to be at peace around the animals. Angel suddenly jumped on his back.

He flinched and turned his head to look at the bunny. "Angel? What in the world are you doing?" The bunny grabbed Mike's glasses and hopped off his back, hopping away. Mike floundered around like a fish out of water. "Angel, give me my damn glasses back."

He ran into the cottage as Fluttershy was helping a bear with his back pains. Mike followed the rabbit as best as he could, colliding with a few things before standing outside Fluttershy's room. The door was slightly ajar and he pushed it open.

"Angel… just give me my glasses back…"

Only silence answered him.

He slowly walked into the room. He could only see blurs but noticed a white blob jumping up and down on a poster bed. He walked up to the bed. "There you are, you little bugger." He squinted and tried to see what the ironically named rabbit was doing. "Angel, what are you doing?"

The white blob stopped jumping and turned around, the glasses in his little paws. He had a smirk on his face.

"Angel… let's just take it easy here… just put the glasses down…"

He hopped towards the edge of the bed.

Mike backed away. "Look, put the glasses down and nothing happens."

He held out his arm, the glasses dangled over the ground.

"Please… I just got them fixed. What do you want?"

He let them slip a little, the glasses inching towards the ground. Mike stared at him, trying to figure out what the rabbit wanted. As Angel was about to drop them, they heard hoof steps coming up the stairs.

"Michael?" Fluttershy's voice came closer.

His eyes widened as him and Angel shared a look. "Yeah Fluttershy?"

Angel quickly glanced at the door and him again before jumping towards the blind pegasus. He quickly placed the glasses back on his snout as the door opened and Fluttershy looked at the two.

"Umm… Michael, wh-what are you doing here?"

He glared at the rabbit. "A-angel wanted to show me something?" He asked, his voice not hiding the anger at the rabbit.

Angel nodded his head before he hopped over to Fluttershy and hugged her leg.

"There you are Angel, I was looking for you." She said, nuzzling the little rabbit's cheek.

Angel stuck his tongue out at Mike as she led him back downstairs. Mike sighed and followed, staring at the ground.

Fluttershy carried Angel. "Ready for your bath?" She asked happily as she headed towards the bathroom.

Angel smiled and nodded his head as Mike silently made his way outside.

She turned her head. "Um… wh-where are you going? I mean, if you want to tell me of course." She asked quietly.

"Oh I was just going outside for some air." He forced a smile.

She nodded her head. "O-ok… but please don’t go inside the forest."

He chuckled. "Don’t worry, I won't." He said, leaving.

She sighed before she went inside the bathroom and gave Angel his bath. The entire time, Angel noticed how worried she was and he sighed, hopping with her, the gears in his head working overtime.

Mike stood outside, watching the sun make its journey across the sky, away from her cottage. Awhile later, he still stood, staring blankly into the never ending blue.

"Michael… I-I made some lunch if you're hungry…" Fluttershy whispered behind him.

He blinked and turned around, looking at her. "Ok."

They entered the cottage; the strong smell of muffins filled the house. Mike's mouth started to water as he glared at the bunny happily gnawed on a carrot. Fluttershy sat down at the table, quietly eating a muffin. He forced another smile and sat down across from her and grabbed a muffin.

She looked at him. "I hope you like muffins." She said quietly.

"I love muffins." He said, taking a small bite before nibbling on it faster. She smiled as he finished the muffin. "That was really good. Have you thought about selling the muffins?"

She shook her head. "Oh no, Pinkie's are much better."

"I don’t know about that, they're both really good."

She blushed. "T-thank you…"

He nodded. "Mmhm." He paused, feeling two small eyes staring at the back of his head. He turned and glared at Angel.

They stared at each other for a moment before he stuck his tongue out and hopped away.

What's his problem? "Anyways, is there anything you'd like to do today?" He asked her.

She tapped her chin. "Umm I don’t know… I had nothing planned for today…"

He paused for a moment before smiling. "Then want to watch a movie?"

She blushed, hiding her face under her mane. "Um… I-I'd love to…" She whispered.

"Then wait right here, I'll be right back." He said, getting up and trotting towards the library.

She watched him leave, slightly confused.

As he walked to the library, a pair of wings made their presence known. "Hey you, where have you been?" He turned towards the voice and saw it was Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Dash, just been hanging out with Fluttershy. Why? Have you been looking for me?"

"Well ya, you haven't learned to fly yet." She looked at him flatly.

"Oh yeah… I forgot about that…" He said, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm guessing you have been too busy with Fluttershy, right?" She grinned at him.

"Well ye-wait, not in that way!" He said, blushing as she laughed. He continued to make his way to the library as she floated next to him.

"So why aren't you with her, lovercolt?" She asked.

"I was going to go get something that I had with me from Earth and watch a movie."

She floated closer to him, nudging his side. "Making things romantic aren't you?"

His blush became brighter. "N-no, just wondering if she wanted to watch a movie…" His voice on par with Fluttershy's.

Her grin grew wider. "I'm sure and later you'll get a little closer…" She said, teasing him as she flew closer to him.

He shook his head and continued to walk.

"We'll have to start your training soon…"

"When would you like that?"

"How about tomorrow morning at five o'clock!" She said, it sounded like an order rather than a question.

"In the morning?"

She looked at him, dumbfounded. "Duh?! Of course in the morning. The early pegasus gets the worm."

He stared at her. "That doesn’t even make sense."

She shrugged. "Does it matter? I'll get you tomorrow morning if you like it or not." Before he could respond she flew away, leaving a rainbow trail.

He stared at the trail. "The hell just happened?" He muttered to himself before knocking on the library door.

It was encased by a purple aura and opened. "Hello Michael." Twilight said as she sat on the couch, reading a book.

He walked in. "Hey Twi… um, do you remember where I put that thing we watched that movie on?"

She put down the book and got up, thinking. "Yes, it's still in the guest room."

He smiled. "Thanks Twi." He made his way upstairs as she grabbed her book and started reading it again, after getting a glass of water.

He went into the room and looked around for it before finding it with his cell phone. "Huh…" He looked at them, trying to figure out where to put them so they wouldn’t fall off.

Spike walked past the open door and glanced inside, pausing as he saw Mike. "Hey Michael, what are you doing here?" He asked as he walked into the room.

"Hey Spike, just trying to figure out how to hold these without putting in my mouth." He chuckled.

Spike looked at the iPod and phone. "Umm, I could give you a small bag or something."

He looked at the baby dragon. "Really? That'd be great."

Spike turned around and went downstairs, before returning with a small brown bag in his claws. He handed the plastic bag to Mike. "Here you go."

"Thanks Spike." He said, dropping them carefully into the bag before trotting down the stairs and out the door. "See ya later Twilight. Bye Spike." He said.

She was lost in her book and simply nodded. "See ya." Spike waved.

He smiled and waved goodbye before shutting the door and made his way back to the cottage.

=

Fluttershy sat on her couch as she nuzzled a small rabbit on her lap. "I'm sure you'll feel better soon Mr. Rabbity Rabu…"

"Hey Flutters, who's that?" Mike asked, looking at the rabbit in her lap.

She looked up. "Oh… Michael, this is Mr. Rabbity Rabu, he's a little sick."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that." He looked at the rabbit. "Hey buddy, I hope you feel better…"

The small rabbit looked at him with black eyes as Michael smiled at it. Fluttershy got up and put the rabbit on the couch and made her way over to him, giving him a small kiss. He smiled at her and reached into the bag and pulled out his iPod.

"So what movie do you wanna watch?" He asked, turning it on.

She eeped as she looked at the bright screen. "Um…" She looked at the different movie titles. "Ar-are there any romantic movies?" She asked, blushing slightly.

"Um… no… I didn’t have any good ones at the time to download." He blushed. "Sorry…"

She looked at the screen again. "It's ok… wh-what would you want to watch?"

He looked at the movies again and immediately ruled out Family Guy and Jaws. She wouldn’t like those too much… "How about Star Wars or Sorcerer's Apprentice?"

"Um… what's the least violent…?" She asked.

He thought for a moment. "How about Star Wars? If you don’t like it, I'll turn it off." He looked at her.

She hesitated. "Um… if you think it's good I-I'll give it a chance." She smiled at him.

He smiled back. "If you don’t like it, its fine, you just have to tell me ok?"

She nodded as they walked to the couch and she rested her head on his shoulder. He held the iPod so they could both see it and she watched the screen curiously. The opening theme played loudly as the text started to scroll and she read it carefully.

=

Martin stood behind the counter, polishing his self-made iron gauntlets. The light reflected from the shiny rough metal as he whistled Viva la Vida, focusing on his work.

"Looks like you're fitting in quite nicely." Discord said in front of him.

Martin dropped the gauntlet and quickly reached under the counter, pulling out a broad sword. The blade was in his right hand, pointing directly at Discord's face.

He raised an eyebrow. "Someone not happy to see me?"

Martin walked around the counter as he continued to point the blade at him. "Why would I ever be happy to see you?"

"Well I thought we were becoming pretty good friends…"

Martin raised an eyebrow. "I highly doubt that."

Discord faked a pained expression. "Well I'm sorry for thinking we were becoming good friends…"

Martin glared at him. "What do you want, aye?"

Discord smiled. "Just seeing how your arm is doing. After this, I was going to go check on Michael and see how he's doing with his pony body. You know, we haven't talked much and I should go say hi."

Martin took a more aggressive stance, the blade slightly behind his body, ready to strike. "Sure thing…"

Discord snapped his fingers and air whooshed out of the blade and it looked like an inflatable toy sword. "Do you really think that'd hurt me? What part of immortal did you not grasp?"

Martin dropped the sword and grabbed a mace from the wall. "I got plenty…"

Discord laughed and the mace suddenly had a face on it. "Putta me down, ya knucklehead." The mace said.

"You really want to hurt me that bad?" Discord asked.

Martin threw the mace away. "What do you really want?"

"Watch it, ya knucklehead!" The mace said as it bounced on the ground.

Discord sighed. "You never want to relax and hang out…"

Martin looked at him. "Relax, hang out… what are you talking about?"

"It's always business with you; you never know how to relax…" Discord said, floating in the air. "Now that Michael fellow, he's too stupid to relax." He smiled and flicked Martin's nose with his tail.

Martin blinked a few times. "Of course I relax from time to time but I'm at work at the moment."

"That’s not what I mean… you're always on edge…" He poked Martin with his tail and Martin seemed to relax, a small smile on his face.

All the energy left his body. "Wow… I-I…" He felt like all the weight in the world was taken off his shoulders.

Discord smiled. "That’s it… now, run along to Michael and give him this." He said, handing Martin something in a bag before laughing and disappearing.

Author's Note

Well... that can't be good? And how awkward was the beginning? Curse that pesky wabbit!
Any who, if ya see a mistake, let me know and I'll fix it. Also can't believe we're already on chapter 17... unbelievable...
Thanks for the likes/favs/comments!

18 - Discorded

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 18 - Discorded

Martin nodded his head, his eyes glazed over. "Course mate, I-I will…" He slowly walked towards the door, a huge smile on his face.

Forge came out of the back room. "Martin, I think you're doing a w-hey, where do you think you're going?" He ran up and grabbed his sleeve.

"I-I got to bring this to Michael." Martin said, showing Forge the bag. "D-Discord told me to."

"Discord what now? We still have work to do, you can't leave just yet."

"Ya know, Discord. He-he asked me to give this to Michael."

Forge made sure Martin couldn’t move. "I don’t know what nonsense you're blabbering about but you can't just leave."

Martin shrugged him off and stumbled towards the door. "What… I don’t understand, I have to give this to Michael."

Forge sighed. "Ok, give me the bag and I'll go deliver it. You stay here till your head's clear."

Martin smiled at him. "Thanks mate." He said, giving Forge the bag before lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. "I never knew how beautiful the ceiling is..." He said, his mind elsewhere.

Forge looked at his employee with concern. "Now stay here and I'll be right back." He said before running out of the smithy and to the library, knocking on it violently.

Twilight opened the door. "There's no need to knock, this is a public library!" She said, annoyed.

Forge blinked in surprise. "Sorry Ms. Sparkle but I need your help."

She looked at him. "My help?"

He shook his head. "Martin started spouting some nonsense about Discord told him to give this to somepony named Mike?" He held out the bag. "Martin isn't looking too good; I think he caught a cold or something."

Twilight looked at the smithy worriedly. "Discord was with him?! Where is he?"

"Martin? He's lying down in my shop…" She ran past him, heading towards his shop. "Wait Ms. Sparkle, what's going on?" He galloped after her.

"There's no time to waste!" She yelled.

He sighed but was silent as they got to his shop and Martin was gone. Forge stared in horror. "The buck is going?!" He looked at the librarian.

"Where is he?" She asked, panicked.

"I don’t know, he was here a second ago!"

Martin burst through the back room door, wearing all sorts of armor and weapons. He tumbled towards them. "Hello there Twilight, I never realized how blue ya are…" He kept swaying to either side, never standing still.

Both ponies stared in horror. "Martin, what are you doing?" Twilight asked.

"What are you wearing?" Forge asked, staring at the mismatched armor.

Martin began to laugh uncontrollably and tumble, almost falling over several times.

"Forge watch him, I'll be right back." Twilight said as she teleported away and reappeared in front of Fluttershy and Mike just as the Millennium Falcon landed on the Death Star. They both jumped.

"Twilight, what in the world is going on?" Mike asked.

Fluttershy blushed. "Umm… we umm… we just."

"No time to explain, Discord got to Martin." She said simply, grabbing both of them before teleporting to Sweet Apple Acres, grabbing AJ and teleported back to the smithy.

"Ok, no more teleportations…" Mike muttered, feeling sick.

Martin was lying on the ground gnawing on some leather strips and sat up.

Everypony looked at him. "The world is going on?" Mike asked Twilight as he walked closer to the crazy human. "Martin?"

Martin looked at the approaching pegasus, the helmet he wore was far too small and half of his face was visible. He began laughing uncontrollably again and held his stomach.

Mike laid a hoof on his friend's shoulder. "Martin… everything ok?"

Martin stopped laughing but started again a moment later. He rolled around and eyed AJ, getting up. He tumbled towards her, a huge smile on his face. He leaned down to her height and looked at her for a moment before laughing again. He looked at the confused ponies and raised his hands in the air, crouching slightly and began making weird noises. "Woop! Woop!!"

Twilight zapped him with some magic spell but the human ignored it. "But that was my strongest incapacitating spell, it never fails!" She said, confused.

"Didn’t Celestia say we're slightly resistant to unicorn magic?" Mike reminded her. "But what's wrong with him?"

He began rolling around clumsily, making train noises. "Cho cho!"

AJ walked up to him calmly and bucked him hard in the back of the head and he went limp on the ground. "AJ, what did you do"? Mike asked, staring at his unconscious friend.

"Ah knocked him out." AJ said, looking down at him.

"Well I can see that." Mike said as he held a hoof to Martin's neck, checking a pulse and looked at him closely. "Hey does he seem… gray to you?"

Martin's eyes shot open and he sat up, head butting Mike away. He stared at AJ and began to shiver as his jaw dropped slowly.

Mike fell back, holding his snout. "The fourth damn time!" The girls looked at him; Fluttershy was terrified and began edging towards something to cower behind, AJ glared back at the human, and Twilight's horn was glowing.

"AHHHH!!!" Martin began to scream and scrambled away from the cow pony, hitting the wall and a few weapons fell down next to him. He grabbed a sword and pointed it at her.

Mike stumbled and ran in front of her. "Martin, hey! It's us!" He slowly walked closer to the panicking human.

"Mike, don’t get too close…" Twilight said as the three girls watched intently.

Martin stared at Mike, his eyes wide open in terror. “Get away!” He yelled, swinging the sword.

The tip cut Mike's cheek, the blood slowly oozing out. "Martin, it's just me…" He slowly walked closer.

Martin leaned against the wall, blood covered the tip of the sword. "Get away from me you monster!"

Mike paused. "Wait just a second there; crazy yes, suicidal yes, but monster… I don’t think so pal." He glared at the Martin, slowly inching closer.

Martin stood up, taking the position he had against Discord not too long ago. "One more step and I will kill you!"

Mike ran right up to him. "Then do it!" He yelled as Twilight and AJ ran towards them.

Martin grabbed him by his mane and forced him on his hind legs, holding the blade close to Mike's throat. "One last warning, I will let you go and you will leave…"

"Martin, let him go." Twilight demanded, aiming her horn at his chest.

"Sugarcube, let yer friend go this instant." AJ said, glaring at him.

Mike silently stared at his friend.

Martin looked at all of them before glaring back at Mike. He threw him to the ground. "One wrong move and I will end this faster than you'll realize…"

Mike bounced against the ground as Twi and AJ caught him. They helped him up and Mike launched himself at Martin, surprising everyone. "Like hell I'll let you go crazy damn it!"

Martin grabbed him by the snout and used the hilt of the sword to punch him in the stomach. Mike fell to his flank as Martin glared at him, raising the sword to give him the death blow.

"Do it, kill your best friend, I dare you!"

Martin's hands began to shake. "Wh-what's wrong? I-I can't move my arms…" He looked at Mike, confused. He lowered the sword, a hand to his forehead as he grunted in pain, tumbling backwards.

Mike jumped and landed on his shoulders. "That’s right! Fight because if you don’t, I'll have to kick your ass! Imagine telling people at home that you got beat up by a one eyed pony!"

Martin's anger flared back to life as he glared at the pony. He grabbed Mike's head and smashed his head against Mike's.

Mike glared at him, his snout pouring blood. "Oh what's this? Got some fight in ya? Bring it on!"

Martin kicked him away as he got ready for close combat. "You think you're a match for me?"

Mike laughed. "Oh hell no, I couldn’t beat you as a human but I may be able to knock some sense into you!" He charged the human again and went to kick his knee. "Remember back when we first met and you blew me up rocketjumping?!"

Martin made a quick dodge and punched Mike in the face.

He fell flat on the ground and groaned in pain. "Oh Redheart's gonna kill me." He moaned, getting up and shook his head. His glasses cracked and clattered on the ground in pieces. "Oh that’s it…" He charged him again but slid in between his feet and kicked the inside of the knee, bouncing off the wall. "Remember when I got you to go fishing? You thought it'd be fun!"

Martin fell to his knees before reaching around and grabbed Mike's mane. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!!!" He yelled, ramming Mike's face into the ground.

As Martin raised Mike to eye level, Mike spit blood into his eye. "Re-remember when we're comparing injuries and you laughed when my eye fell out?" He asked weakly.

Martin grunted in pain and threw Mike to the ground as he got to his feet, wiping the blood off his face. He glared at the fading pegasus, a tear running down his face.

Mike stood wobbly on his feet. "Yeah… re-remember when we first fought… and you beat the shit out of me?" He chuckled. "Kinda like right now… and we had to call it a tie cause you couldn’t move?"

Martin yelled before charging him, grabbing him by the throat and smashing him against the wall. "Why do you know these things!? Only Michael knows that, only he knows!!" He yelled, tightening his grip on the pegasus's throat.

Mike gurgled, reaching a hoof to his right eye and struggled to reach it. He finally took it out and showed the raging human the fake eye. "Cause… I… am…" He struggled to say, his voice faint.

Martin stared at the barely conscious pegasus. He began to shake and loosened his grip as Mike fell to the ground. He yelled in pain, holding his head. It felt like a fire had erupted in his head, the terror increasing a thousand fold; pictures of Mike as a pony and the girls being ripped apart by some unseen monster. He tumbled backwards, yelling in pain.

Twilight galloped to him and shot a spell directly into his chest, all the memories that had resurfaced and the terror Discord caused disappeared, his head feeling heavy and wary. He looked around, his mouth wide open. He sunk to the ground, holding his throat and started gasping for air.

AJ appeared in front of him. "Easy, just take a breath." She hit him lightly on the back and air started entering his lungs again. They both watched something small, black, and slimy scurry away.

He looked at AJ, breathing heavily.

"Hey… welcome back." Mike said faintly, his voice small.

He stared at Mike blankly before an excruciating pain flared in his chest. He gasped, holding his chest. Twilight encased him with a brief spell before the pain dulled slightly.

"What in the world happened to you?" Twilight asked, staring at him.

"Easy Twi, give him a minute." AJ asked, putting a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.

He frantically looked around the room, hearing voices. 'He's the enemy, kill him' repeated over and over in his mind. He grabbed his head. "There's something in my head!" He yelled.

Twilight and AJ shared a look before AJ forcibly kissed him. His eyes widened and his face turned red. He slowly let go of his head and continued to stare into her eyes. She pushed away, the voices disappearing.

"Did that help?" She asked shyly and her face bright red.

He stared at her blankly, his face bright red, before nodding.

"Good, now let me try that again." She said, slowly leaning forward, resting her lips on his. She closed her eyes as he stared at her, his mind blank before he succumbed to it, closing his eyes as well.

Discord's influence seemed to finally vanish as Martin regained control of his body again. It ached and was exhausted as he enjoyed the kiss before his mind caught up to what he did.

He broke the kiss and stared at the ground. "What have I done?"

"Martin it's ok, it wasn't yer fault. You were under Discord's influence."

He slowly turned his head and looked at Mike. "I-I did that to him?"

Mike's body was bruised and there were finger marks around his throat. Blood continuously poured from his broken snout and mouth. His left eye was swollen shut and he limply held his fake eye. Martin saw the remnants of Mike's glasses on the floor.

He bent down and picked them up. "Oh no… no, no, no…" He looked at his friend.

"Martin, Ah'm sure he'll understand". AJ said, trying to reassure him.

Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, so, so, so sorry…"

"For what? Just like being at home aye?" Mike wheezed. "Well I think you did do a little more damage this time…" He chuckled.

Martin kneeled in silence, holding what's left of his glasses. "I-"

Mike groaned in pain. "But you're back right? No crazy Martin?"

"I-I'm a rocket ship, on my way to Mars." He said quietly.

Mike smiled. "Are you on a collision course?" He sighed. "Is Flutters around?"

Martin shook his head and stood up. "I don’t think so…"

"Ok then, I'm gonna take a nap…" Mike said, taking an unsteady breath and closed his eyes, his fake eye falling from his hoof to the ground.

Martin sighed. "Oh crap…" He grabbed the fake eye. "Umm… Michael? Michael?" He nudged Mike's head; it was unresponsive. He frowned. "To the hospital again." He picked him up and looked at Twilight and AJ.

Twilight glared at him as Mike floated out of his grasp and over to her. "Martin, go to the library now. I'll go take Mike to Nurse Redheart and get Fluttershy to watch over him. AJ go get the rest of the girls." Before either could respond, she teleported away, Mike going with her. AJ sighed as Martin looked around, noticing a pink tail hiding behind a suit of armor.

He slowly walked towards it. "Umm Pinkie, is that you?"

It eeped and started shaking. "Please… just go away…" Fluttershy sobbed.

Martin stood there, his legs frozen. "I…"

"Please…" She whispered even quieter.

"Fluttershy, Twi took Mike ta the hospital if ya want ta wait there…" AJ started to say but Fluttershy ran off, tears streaming from her eyes as she bolted towards the hospital.

He watched her leave, trying to yell after her but no sound came out.

AJ sighed. "Come on, let's go back to the library and get the girls." She said, walking away sadly.

He stared at the ground before turning around to follow AJ. They quickly rounded up the rest of the girls, minus Fluttershy and Twilight as they all waited back at the library.

"So what's all the fuss about?" Dash asked as she reclined on the couch.

Martin sighed, sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. "It-I-"

"Spike, take a letter." Twilight said, appearing next to him. Everypony looked at her weirdly as Spike grabbed a quill and parchment. As she explained what happened Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie stared at the human, horrified. Dash looked like it took every fiber of her being not to pummel his face in, Rarity backed away from him, and Pinkie tilted her head, her mane slightly losing some of its puffiness.

Once she finished, silence filled the library. He looked at the assembled ponies. "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? You're sorry?! I bet Michael feels differently!" Dash yelled, zooming into his face.

He stared back at her. "Do you think I wanted to do that? I couldn’t do anything to prevent it. Do you think I don’t feel terrible?"

"Well apparently you didn’t feel bad enough pounding his face in!"

He glared at her. "You didn’t see what I saw; you didn’t hear what I heard. The voices in my head; screaming, yelling at me… the burning pain." He grabbed his head with both hands. "I can still hear them, screaming faintly, yelling at me… to kill him! That’s all they say, over and over again."

Before anypony could say anything, the library door flew open and guards rushed in, surrounding Martin. "Twiliy, are you ok?" A unicorn stallion in armor said, his blue mane briefly visible underneath his helmet.

Martin slowly sunk to his knees, starting at the ground with his hands on his head. "Make it stop…" he pleaded.

The unicorn looked at him coldly. "On your feet, claws out." He demanded.

He slowly raised his head, staring at him. "I can hear them; I can still hear them…"

Twilight looked at Martin. "I don’t understand, we got rid of Discord's influence over you."

"It doesn’t matter; we're supposed to take him to Princess Celestia." The unicorn said, floating a pair hoof cuffs. "Now, claws out." He demanded again.

"Wait, what do you mean Shining?" Twilight asked.

"He's attacked a pony and he's been corrupted by Discord. Princess Celestia said that if he does anything like that, we're supposed to bring him before her."

Martin continued to stare at the unicorn. "It burns… it burns so much." Blood rolled out of his eye and down his cheek. "It burns." His eyes became bloodshot as his pupils turned red.

The ponies stared at Martin before both Twilight and Shining shot him with some form of spell and he fell over.

"What's wrong with him?" AJ asked worriedly.

"I don’t know but Celestia needs to be informed."

Martin was on the ground, shaking. "It hurts so much, why can I still hear them. Why can I still hear them?!" He yelled, slowly getting back on his feet as blood continued to come out of his eye.

"Ok, this is getting old." The stallion said as he zapped Martin with an electrical spell and his body started to spasm as all the nerves were shot.

He grunted, trying to resist. "I have to…" He stood in front of the group, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.

"You have to sit down!" Shining demanded. "We'll take you to Celestia and she'll decide what to do with you."

"I can't, they're screaming… yelling at me. I have no choice."

"You have a choice!" AJ yelled at him, stomping up to him. "You've always had a choice! If yer not 'man' enough to fight them, why bother?"

Martin stared at her, blood dripping from my chin. "I want them to stop, I don’t want to kill him but they make me."

"Fight it ya knucklehead! Everypony can make decisions; you just have to be convinced you made the right one. Do you want to keep hitting yer best friend till he dies?" She poked him in the chest. "Ah don’t care if Celestia herself yelled at you to kill anypony, it's your choice whether or not to follow through with it."

"I can't kill him, I will never kill him but the voices still scream at me. They yell at me." He closed his eyes for a second, the blood stopped but when he opened his eyes, his pupils were still red.

"Good, so you don’t wanna kill him." She paused as she exposed her neck. "Do ya wanna kill us? How about me? All ya have ta do is reach a bit and ya can snap mah neck."

He began to shake my head. "No… I don’t want to kill them! I don’t want to kill anyone!" He closed his eyes.

She leaned forward. "Then why did ya give up so easily? Remember the voices can be silenced if ya tell them too."

He stared at AJ and the others. "Make them stop, please… I'll do anything." He grunted in pain and clutched his head with his hands.

Twilight sighed as she walked up to him, against the advice of her brother. "Open up."

Martin stared at her; blood began to flow out of my eye again. "I don’t understand."

"Close your eyes and take a few breaths, calm your mind enough so I can hear them." She said, eyes closed as he could faintly make out that her eyes were glowing, her horn brighter than ever before.

He closed his eyes and tried to calm down, he grunted in pain a few times before he could feel the burning increase as the voices grow louder.

"Good." Cleansing magic washed through him, voices fighting against it, causing horrible pain. He screamed, holding his head in his hands. The magic intensified, the voices growing quieter as they became more painful. The battle in his head caused the world to spin. Finally, what felt like an eternity later, the voices were gone again and it was quiet in his mind, the only voice was Martin.

He opened his eyes, his pupils blue again. The blood on his cheeks had dried, his breathing was slow. He looked around the room, lowering his hands and letting go of his head. Twilight took a deep breath and light vanished from her eyes and she stumbled.

"Well, that was a lot harder than I thought." She said, smiling at them before passing out and slumped to the floor.

Martin caught her and hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

"Let. Go. Of. My. Sister." A voice seethed behind him and the blue maned unicorn looked at him, his eyes burning with anger. Dash was right next to him, ready to attack Martin and the guard's spears were all leveled on him.

He gently put her down and stood up, the unicorn barely reached Martin’s shoulder with his horn.

"Claws out." The stallion demanded again.

Martin looked at him for a moment before holding out his hand. They were instantly encased by hoofcuffs.

"You're under arrest per Princess Celestia's orders. Come with us so she can decide what to do with you." He briefly looked at Twilight sadly.

"Martin…" AJ said, looking at him as the guards led him out of the library and towards a chariot.

He looked at her sadly. "Don’t worry, I'll be back." They forced him inside, hitting the top of his head on the roof. A few guards squeezed inside, one being the captain. Most stayed in Ponyville, watching over the town as the chariot began its long journey to Canterlot.

Author's Note

Completely forgot about this story... almost didn't update before leaving, that would've been bad. Any who, thanks for the like/favs! Any mistake, let me know and I'll fix.

"I'm a rocket ship on my way to MARS!!! They's no way in STOPPING ME!!" - Furious Bacon

...I think he's trying to sing Queen....

19 - The Order

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 19 - The Order

AJ galloped to the hospital, hoping they'd let her see Michael. She finally got there and with a few tense words from Redheart, trotted to his room. She knocked rather loudly on the door.

Fluttershy squeaked and looked at the door. "Umm h-hello?"

"Fluttershy it's just me. Can Ah come in?" AJ asked.

The timid pegasus sighed with relief and walked up to the door, opening it. "Hello AJ. What are you doing here?" She asked quietly, hoofing at the ground.

AJ sighed. "Ah need ta talk ta Michael, is he ok?"

Fluttershy turned and looked at the beaten pegasus. "Umm I-I guess you can…" She said, walking past AJ up to the bed.

Mike groggily squinted, his left eye still swollen. "AJ?" He croaked, slowly looking around.

"Eeyup." She said, sorrow clearly in her voice.

He leaned forward. "What's wrong?"

"It-it's bout Martin. Twi's brother Shining Armor arrested him and took him to Canterlot." She said, taking off her Stetson hat and sitting down on a nearby chair.

"They did what?! Why?!" He yelled, his voice going hoarse at the end and he coughed. Fluttershy grabbed a glass of water and held it so he could take a drink.

She sighed. "He attacked ya and since yer a pony now yer bound to the Equestrian laws… and Martin attacked ya, he committed a crime. He also was under the effect of Discord, Celestia is worried about everypony in Ponyville."

He sighed. "But he didn’t do it on purpose." He looked at the cowpony. "Where did they take him?"

"Canterlot, they'll decide what ta do with him there." AJ replied, looking at the floor.

"Ah hell, time to return the favor." He sat up, yelping in pain as he struggled to throw off the covers and fell flat on his face. He started to pant from exhaustion.

AJ quickly grabbed his shoulders. "What are ya talkin' bout?"

"We gotta go to Canterlot... and I'm coming to." He glared in her direction. "We don’t have time to argue, we have to go now."

She shook her head vigorously. "No, ya gotta stay here."

"AJ please, he's my best friend. And every time he saved me, I can't even help him…" He pounded his hoof against the floor and sighed. "I'm going to Canterlot one way or another; I'm not making the same mistake again."

"No ya can't go. Yer still injured." She replied, still holding his shoulder.

"I don’t care. So was he when he dragged me to the hospital. I need to do this." He struggled to his hooves, pushing himself away from her. He panted again as he slowly made his way towards the door.

She stood there, watching. "Ya won't make it." She said flatly.

"I'll do what I can." He said, exhausted already, barely making it to the door. He fought to open it, the handle eluding him.

AJ looked at Fluttershy; the two watching him fight the door. "We can't let him go…"

Fluttershy shook her head. "I-I support Michael, if he thinks he has to go, I won't stop him." She said determined, her face a tad red.

Mike leaned against the door. "Damn it… I can… I can't do anything." He pounded a hoof weakly against the door.

AJ shared a look with Fluttershy, who nodded. AJ sighed before walking up to him and grabbed his leg, swinging it across her back. "Ah can't let ya go alone, if yer going Ah'm comin' with ya."

He faintly smiled at her. "Good, I can't even get passed this door." He sighed. "How do we even get to Canterlot? Train?"

She nodded. "Eeyup, it'll be the fastest way." She said, helping him walk along the hallway.

Fluttershy tagged along as they forced their way out of the hospital. Nurse Redheart was venomously against it but they refused to back down and made their way back to the library, hoping to get the others.

As Fluttershy opened the door, the girls gasped in horror as they saw him and he smiled weakly. "Hey girls..." He whispered, his voice strained as he focused on walking.

Dash landed in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"We need… we need to go save him." He said.

Twilight looked at him confused. "Save who?"

"Martin." He sighed, his body screaming in pain. Fluttershy noticed and walked up to him, nuzzling his cheek. He smiled at her as AJ made sure he didn’t fall.

Dash gasped. "Why would you want to save him?"

"Cause he's my best friend, and he's saved me way too many times to count lately, I owe him."

Twilight shook her head. "He's with Shining now, he'll bring him to Princess Celestia. We can't just go and get him."

"I know but Celestia needs to know that he didn’t do it on purpose. I can't just sit here and let him face her alone." He squinted at them. "I'm going to Canterlot and if you don’t want to go, that’s fine. I'll figure out a way there."

The girls, minus AJ and Fluttershy, stared at him. "You can't go, you're too injured." Twilight said.

"Like hell I am but it doesn’t matter, I need to know I at least tried to help."

Twilight bit her lower lip. "But… but…"

Fluttershy walked in front of her friend. "Twilight, Michael has to do this and I'll go with him." She said, looking into her worried friend's eyes.

Twilight sighed, closing her eyes. "I guess I can see why. I really don’t like it but I'll go with you." She said, looking at the two pegasi.

"Thanks Twi." He said tiredly as he faintly smiled at her.

Pinkie jumped excitedly into the air. "We're going to Canterlot!" She cheered.

He looked at the girls happily. "You'll all go?" They nodded and he smiled. "Good…" He slumped against AJ.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Come on sugarcube, let's get goin'."

"Ok…" He said, struggling to move. "Let's go."

They made their way slowly but surely to the train station and coerced the conductor to let him on. He was very adamant about Mike going to the hospital instead. They finally set out for Canterlot as Mike gently rested on Fluttershy's lap, his eyes closed as he took slow breaths.

"Ouch…" He muttered.

She ran a hoof through his mane. "We'll be there soon." She whispered into his ear.

"Thanks you Flutters for helping me with AJ." He whispered back, reaching for her hoof. She grabbed it tightly. He rested his head against her stomach and squeezed her hoof back tightly before passing out, his body exhausted.

=

"Canterlot Station dead ahead!" The conductor yelled, the train's whistle agreeing with the aged pony.

Mike opened his left eye, the swelling gone down. "We're there already?"

Fluttershy looked down and gently nuzzled his cheek. "Yes." She said quietly.

He nuzzled the tip of her snout before groaning, forcing himself up. "Alright, let's get this show on the road." He took a few breaths before hopping onto his hooves.

AJ was there to catch him and she lead him off the train, the girls following close behind.

"Do we know where we're going?" He asked.

Twilight nodded her head. "We'll be heading straight for the castle." She said, taking the lead as she led them through the crowded train station.

"Ok…"

They made their way through the crowded streets, ponies looking at them before briskly moving out of the way. When they got to the towering castle, the guardponies refused to let them in and a short argument took place. Finally, the guards caved and let them in, Twilight's status helping. The small group trotted to the throne room.

"It is my understanding that you attacked one of my subjects?" Celestia's voice echoed. That only spurred them on; AJ having to literally drag Mike along as they pushed open the doors to the inner sanctum.

"WAIT!!" He yelled, his voice going out in the end. Everypony's head turned and looked at them. Guards appeared out of nowhere and flooded the room as Martin looked at them, covered in chains.

Martin looked surprised. "What are you doing here?" He asked, the chains rattling as he moved.

"Trying to repay a debt." Mike said as he pushed himself away from AJ and slowly limped his way towards Celestia. The guards watched closely as their spears were always at the ready. He bowed as he got closer to the throne.

Celestia looked at him, surprised as well. "Michael, what is the meaning of your arrival?"

"Princess Celestia I wanted to beg you to go easy on Martin, he wasn’t himself. He was possessed by Discord."

"I am aware of that." She said flatly.

"You know he wouldn't harm me if he was in charge of his body." He paused as he sunk to the floor, tired.

She raised her hoof. "I know Michael. And you have to know that I didn’t bring Martin here to punish him." She replied, lowering her hoof.

Mike blinked and looked at her confused. "You didn’t? Then why were there guards everywhere?"

She sighed. "It had to be, I have to treat every creature equally. No matter whom they are. And according to Twilight's letter, all this is required for the safety of those who are beyond the castle walls."

"So you brought him here to make sure he didn’t harm anypony else?"

She nodded. "I also brought him here to assure Discord's magic wouldn’t affect him anymore."

"Even if we-I don’t agree." Princess Luna said, walking up to the dais.

Celestia sighed again, weary of the impending discussion. "Luna please, we have to trust Martin." She looked at the human.

"But he's proven to be heavily influenced to the highest degree by Discordian magic. He nearly killed his best friend." Luna pointed at the barely conscious Mike. "And we both agreed to have guards watch him at all times. Remember when he made the musket or any of those numerous daggers."

"I trust Martin; he has proven his bravery and his strength to protect his friends."

"Thou did the same to Star Swirl and look how that ended." Luna looked at her elder sibling. "Please, just let me use my magic and we'll see how trustworthy he is."

"Please Princess Luna…" Mike started till she glared at him.

"Quiet human! This does not concern you."

Celestia stomped her hoof on the ground. "Luna!"

"Sister, you know we're right!" Luna yelled, her nose flared in anger. Her pupils shrunk to slits like a cats for a split second before returning normal.

Celestia stared at her sister angrily. "He is the last human; he might be the last knight to walk amongst us."

Luna rolled her eyes. "We both know he's no knight, he's been corrupted already by Discord."

"But there is still hope. Let me tell him what I brought him here for first." Celestia replied, looking at the imprisoned human once more.

Luna frowned and went to open her mouth again before closing it as Celestia began an explanation.

"Thousands of years ago when the kingdom of man or the Kingdom of Aragon still existed, there was an order. It was the Agathor Order, an order charged to protect all humans and ponies alike. It helped our father win the great Griffin/pony war. They were honored warriors who risked their lives no matter the danger. After the war, our father offered them to join Equestria, which they accepted. They were tasked with protecting it and they did. When our father died, Discord used the chaos it caused to come into power. The chaos he created was enough to cause a war between the griffins and humans. They were outnumbered and even with the help of the Order, they fell, leaving the Order itself as the last humans on this planet. When Luna and I came to end Discord's reign, there was only one knight left and he helped us defeat Discord, at the cost of his own life. His sword and armor remain in the castle, just in case another human was found." She paused, letting her words sink in before she stared at Martin. "You are the last 'official' human to walk among us."

"Where have I heard this before?" Mike muttered.

Luna stared at the chained human. "Although I do not believe you are the Knight, forces outside my control have forced us to accept you are."

Martin shook his head. "I don’t understand, you want me to become a knight?"

"If thou can." Luna raised her eyebrow. "I still believe the other is but I have been proven wrong it seems."

Martin and Mike shared a glance before Celestia raised her voice. "If you agree, you will be bound to knighthood till you die."

Mike looked at his friend. "What happens if it doesn’t bind with him?"

Celestia closed her eyes. "It will burn him alive."

Martin gasped as Mike grimaced. "Well, did you have any urge to be the next Human Torch?"

"And either I choose to become part of the Agathor Order or I go to prison, aye?"

Celestia nodded. "If you do survive the knighting, Discord's magic won't be able to influence your mind as strongly and all traces of it from before will be purged, even though my student did a wonderful job."

Martin paused for a moment before nodding. "I-I'll choose the knighting."

Luna looked at him. "Are you sure human? Knighting doesn’t take kindly to fools or liars."

Martin shook his head. "I will do it."

Luna looked at her sister. "I still think you're making a huge mistake." She said before walking away and paused at the door. "Michael, follow me!" She demanded before leaving the room.

Mike stared at his friend. "Just like a video game?"

Martin nodded. "Y-yeah…" He gulped.

Mike held out his hoof. "Good luck."

Martin faintly smiled, giving it a shake before looking at Celestia. Mike hobbled his way through the door Luna went through. The guards lead the others out into the throne room, as Celestia's horn glowed and the chains loosened and fell to the ground. Martin stretched for a moment before walking closer to the Princess.

"Martin, are you ready to take the oath?" She asked.

"Well, guess I don’t have much choice." He gulped. I'm ready.

She nodded. "Place your right hand on your heart." He did as he was commanded, his heart beating faster. "Raise your other." She said.

He shakily raised his left hand.

"Repeat as I say. I swear to take this oath by my own will."

"I swear to take this oath by my own will."

"For the glory of Equestria and the health of its subjects."

"For the glory of Equestria and the health of its subjects."

"My heart shall beat to protect every pony, human, and other species that claims itself part of Equestria."

"My heart shall beat to protect every pony, human, and other species that claims itself part of Equestria."

"My sword shall lead the Order to glory."

"My sword shall lead the Order to glory."

"And my shield shall protect the hearts of Agathor."

"And my shield shall protect the hearts of Agathor."

"In the name of my brothers and sisters in arms, I claim myself a Knight of the Order."

"In the name of my brothers and sisters in arms, I claim myself a Knight of the Order."

"In the name of the Agathor Order and for the glory of Aragon, I serve the ruler until the end of time."

"In the name of the Agathor Order and for the glory of Aragon, I serve the ruler until the end of time."

Celestia closed her eyes and her horn began to glow, her magic aura engulfing the human. Her power flowed through his body as he took a deep breath and felt new strength fill his body.

"I-I feel weird…" He said, looking at himself.

"I have granted you the power of the Knights. What you feel is the ancient magic flowing through your body. It will provide you the strength you need to serve the Order." Celestia replied, faintly smiling. "It has accepted you, now we need to present you your armor."

The heavy gold doors opened and a small cart covered in blood red velvet was rolled inside the room. It was surrounded by guards wearing gold armor. On the small cart was a silver chest with Celestia's cutie mark carved into the lock. He stared at it.

"Only you can open the chest Martin." She encouraged.

He hesitantly made his way to the chest, putting a little weight against the lid and he flung it open. He stared at the silver armor lying inside, the light reflecting off the polished steel. A golden crest was carved into the chest plate, showing a cross with Celestia's and Luna's cutie mark in the middle. Surrounding it was a picture of a small dragon on the bottom left and a rose on the top right. He reached inside and grabbed the helmet as a tingling sensation filled his body as he looked at it more closely.

"That helmet was made by the first of the Order." She said, closing her eyes as she replayed a memory. "I still remember when he asked me to help him weave the spells through the armor." She sighed. "I wish I didn’t have to do this Martin but I saw no other way."

He looked at the helmet; it was a silver great helm with a full visor with golden carvings. He put it back inside and looked at Celestia. "Where can I put it on?"

"There's a changing room right there". She pointed to the third door on the left.

He nodded and one of the guards led him into the room. He took all the armor out and placed it on a table in front of the mirror. He began to put the padded cover on before the chainmail. It took several minutes before he stood in front of the mirror, covered in the silver armor, minus the helmet. He stared at the mirror and the reflection for a moment before nodding and walked back outside, the helmet in his hands.

No going back now. He took one last deep breath before he walked up to the throne and kneeled, bowing his head. He placed the helmet on the ground.

Celestia sighed. "Please rise Martin." He nodded and stood up, the armor clattering. "Now that you're a Knight, do you understand who you've sworn to?"

He nodded, the chainmail hood smacking his forehead as he placed a hand on his chest. "I am sworn to you and Equestria."

She nodded slowly. "And I may call upon you for a suicide mission, how do you respond?"

"I will go without hesitation, no matter what stands in my way."

"Pray that I do anything so rash." She looked at him. "And remember, you're not a mechanical being, you can question my orders and I'll take your input before I make a final decision."

He nodded as multiple guards came into the room again. A unicorn levitated a shield and sword sheath towards Princess Celestia. Martin kneeled down again, extending his arms, ready to accept the weapons.

"Please accept Apollo's sword and shield." Celestia said, looking at him as the unicorn levitated the items to him.

"I shall wield his blade for the glory of Equestria and in the name of the Order." The sheathed blade landed in his right hand, the shield on the left.

She nodded slowly. "Welcome to the Order, pray I don’t need to call upon it."

He stood up, a guard appeared behind him, a cape neatly folded, showing the crest of the Order. He grabbed it attached it to the shoulder pads.

Celestia looked at him sadly.

"There is no need for sorrow, Empress." He said, attaching the sword to the leather belt.

"I once believed I would never again have to call upon the Order but fate seems to disagree." She said.

"I never expected to become a knight or join some Order." He reached down and grabbed the helmet.

She looked at the door Luna had disappeared through. "I hope this won't cause us problems."

Martin stood up, his armor clattered as he looked at her.

She sighed, shaking her head. "What will happen will happen, whether I will it to or not." She looked sadly at the door. "To think, Lu-Lu and I were just starting to trust each other again." She muttered.

He looked at the ground before putting on the helmet. He could see through the two slits on the visor.

"What do you think?" She asked, looking at the armored human.

He looked at his arms and legs. "It… it feels right…"

She faintly smiled. "It might take some getting used to, especially your new strength. Be careful, you might hurt somepony." She looked at him firmly. "If I hear that you have, even on accident, I won't stop Luna next time, understand?"

He nodded and placed a hand on his chest. "It will not occur, I live to protect."

"Good." She said, looking at the door behind him. "Ah Luna, just the pony I wanted to see." Hoof steps rang through the silent inner throne room.

He turned around to face her. "Empress Luna." He kneeled to her.

She coldly raised an eyebrow. "Human." She nodded, walking past him up to Celestia before whispering in her ear. He got up and watched for a moment.

He looked at Celestia. "Empress, may I be informed where Michael is?"

Luna turned to look at him. "He's in my personal quarters."

He nodded before walking out of the throne room. He walked along the corridors, asking the guards for directions. He finally arrived at a small steel door.

Author's Note

Wow, can't believe we're already on chapter 19.. seems like only yesterday, we started this thing. Thanks for all the new favs/likes!
Now, I just want to go on record and say I don't like this whole 'Order' arc thing, didn't know he had it planned till we're already halfway through it. Oh well, what can you do? Hope you enjoy it though :D If not, check back in about 5-10 chapters and it should be gone.

20 - Lyin' Eyes

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 20 - Lyin' Eyes

Martin grabbed the door knob and opened the door, Mike asleep on the ground. All his wounds were healed and a pair of glasses sat on a bed table. Something felt off about him though. He looked around the room, nopony else inside. He walked up to his sleeping friend, the armor clattering. He bent down and looked at his friend.

Mike groaned, opening his left eye. "Martin? Why does my head feel like I got hit by freight train?"

He helped his friend up. "What happened? Where are the others?" Martin asked, his voice muffled through the helmet.

Mike blinked and opened both eyes. Martin fell backwards as Mike's fake eye was now dark blue instead of green. It dilated with the light in the room. "Whoa… I can see. I can see out of my right side!" He yelled, waving a hoof in front of it.

Martin looked at him more closely. "How is that possible?!" He paused. "Where are the others though?"

"I-I don’t know. Princess Luna took me here as the guards took the others to the throne room and we talked for a few minutes." He scrunched his face as he tried to remember. "Then she was saying something about a prophecy… then nothing."

Martin tilted his head. "A prophecy?"

"Yeah, I don’t remember it much. Ugh, it's all hazy, like I was in a dream." Mike's eyes widened as he hopped to his legs and charged the door. "Fluttershy! I gotta make sure she's ok!"

Martin ran after him as fast he could but the armor slowed him down, the clattering echoing in the corridor. Mike sped right past him, flying down the corridor. He was a lot faster than before, making it to the end of the hall in around five seconds. He flung the door open, startling everypony inside. He went to Fluttershy and gave her a hug.

"Fluttershy…" He muttered, burying his face into her neck.

She eeped, surprised at his sudden appearance before hugging him back and resting her head against his. "Michael, there you are. I was worried."

They heard Martin's approach before they saw him walk into the room in the armor. They took a few startled steps back as Fluttershy grabbed Mike tighter, squeaking in fear.

Martin looked at them. The only thing they could see was his eyes.

"M-Martin, is that you?" AJ asked, walking up to him. Dash watched him warily.

He looked at her and smiled, even if they couldn’t see it. "Yes it's me."

"What in the world are ya wearing tin cans for?" She asked.

Fluttershy eeped again and looked at Mike, noticing his two colored eyes. "Michael, what-what happened to your eyes?"

"I'm not wearing tin cans AJ, its armor." Martin replied before looking at Mike. "And you still haven't told me how come you can see in both eyes."

AJ walked up to the armored human and tapped it with her hoof. "That's tin if ya ask me." She said with a smile.

"Like I said, I don’t know." Mike said, looking at everything. "So this is what it feels like to have two eyes…"

Twilight walked up and shot a magic beam at him. "Everything seems to be fine… he has a right eye again." She said, thinking.

"Bu-but how can that be?" Fluttershy asked, looking closely at it.

"I don’t know." Mike said, his green eye looking at Twilight. "Is everything alright with it?"

Twilight nodded. "The only problem is we don’t know where it came from."

Mike nodded. "Neither do I…" He looked around. "So what now?"

"Maybe we should talk to Empress Celestia about it." Martin said, his voice still muffled.

"That’s a good idea." Mike said, holding a hoof out for Fluttershy.

Everypony agreed. "Alright then, I'll lead the way." Martin said.

Everypony nodded, Fluttershy grabbed Mike's hoof as Martin led the way back to the inner sanctum of the throne room. As they entered, Celestia gave Mike a horribly sad look for a split second before a mask covered it and she looked at the assembled group. "Yes?"

Martin kneeled down to greet her. "Empress Celestia, there are matters we'd like to discuss concerning Michael."

She raised an eyebrow. "Indeed?"

Martin looked at her. "It appears Michael has gotten his right eye back but we don’t know who or what caused this to happen."

She looked at Mike and got off the throne, walking up to him. Everypony lowered their heads in bows but she quickly motioned everypony to rise. "Let me see this new eye of yours." She asked.

Mike opened his right eye and she stared at it for a moment before turning around.

"So…?" Martin asked.

She smiled at them. "It seems his eye was a gift from Luna." She looked at the night monarch.

"Indeed, I felt after everything he's been through, he deserved to see." Luna said, looking at Mike with a small smile.

Martin looked at his friend. "Congratulations Michael…"

"Y-yeah…" He said, looking at Luna with a smile before bowing to her. "Thank you Princess Luna."

She motioned for me to rise. "It's alright Michael; I think you've earned it."

Silence hung in the room. "So what happens now?" Martin asked.

Celestia looked at him. "You all return to Ponyville. Martin, you're on leave till I need you."

Martin bowed. "Of course."

"Then I'll see you all later." Celestia said, nodding to them as Twilight ran up and gave her mentor a hug. "I do miss your friendship reports Twilight." She whispered with a smile.

Twilight smiled back at her. "I'll send you one as soon as anypony learns something about friendship."

"Thank you." She said as Twilight went back with the group. "Now I'd suggest hurrying or you'll miss the train."

Martin turned around and led the way out of the throne room. "Let's get crackin' everypony."

Everypony nodded and they rushed to the train station. They sighed in relief as they made it on time and sat on the train, waiting for it to leave.

"Back to Ponyville, aye Michael?" Martin asked.

Mike nodded his head, resting against the back of the seat. "Aye, it'll be good to relax and finally not have to worry about anything for awhile." He said, leaning forward to stretch.

Martin hit him on the back, forgetting about his new strength. "Aye my friend!"

Mike tumbled off the seat and face plated onto the metal floor. "Ouch you dingus!"

Martin looked at him surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Mike grumbled as he got up, shaking his head. "That kinda hurt you know." He said, walking over to sit near Fluttershy.

Martin watched him leave and shrugged, closing his eyes as he leaned back.

=

"Ponyville Station!!" The conductor yelled, getting everypony's attention, the train station not that far away. The train slowly came to a halt; smoke filled the air as they got off. The station was less crowded as everypony's jaw dropped at the sight of the armor leaving the train. Martin looked around before making room for Fluttershy and Mike. He waited for AJ and helped her off the train. Twilight was looking around nervously, the guards watching him closely.

"Um… maybe we should go back to the library?" She suggested.

Mike looked at Fluttershy. "What would you like to do?"

She hoofed at the ground. "Umm… I still have to check after Angel and the others…" She said quietly.

"Would you like me to come with you or would like some time alone?"

She nuzzled his cheek. "I'd like you to come with me."

He smiled. "Then I will." He looked at Martin. "I'll see you later?"

"Aye!" Martin said, patting his friend on the back carefully.

He chuckled, walking away with Fluttershy in hoof as they made their way back to the cottage.

Twilight looked at Martin. "So I see that you survived."

He nodded. "Yep, I'm now the only living member of the Agathor Order."

Dash flew up into his face. "That still doesn’t mean I won't be keeping my eye on you." She said, glaring at him before flying out of train station.

"I'll never get her to trust me, aye?"

Twilight shook her head. "Probably not for a long time…"

He sighed and took off the helmet as they made their way to the library. Rarity had to leave to finish some orders, making her way to the Boutique. As they got to the library, they heard Spike snore, in the middle of one of his naps. Only Pinkie, AJ, Twi and Martin remained as he set his helmet on the coffee table.

Pinkie looked at the clock. "Oh whoopsies daisies, I gotta go back to Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes are going to be super duper worried, see ya later!" She said, hopping out of the library.

Martin sat on the couch, his shield and sword leaning against the back. "So what now?"

"Ah'm not sure." AJ said. "Ah do gotta get back to the farm…"

Twilight looked at him. "What about Forge?"

He got up again. "Course." He looked at the clock. "I better go tell him about everything so he doesn’t have to worry."

They looked at him. "Well, Ah'll be headin' back to the farm, so Ah'll see ya around." AJ said, walking out of the library.

Martin waved goodbye before he got ready to leave. "I'll be at Forge's, see ya later."

"Bye." Twilight said, thinking about what happened as several book levitated towards her.

He attached his sword to the belt and grabbed his shield, walking outside. It was sunny and there wasn’t a single cloud in sky. "Ok, better get going." He made his way through the crowded town, made easier by his armor. Ponies stared at him and backed away. Guards never seemed to look away as he made his way towards the shop.

The door was shut and had a 'Closed' sign hanging off it. Martin sighed and knocked. "Forge, you there?"

The door opened and Forge glared at him. "What do you want?"

"I just came to tell you I'll attend work as usual."

He looked at the human. "And why would you do that? You nearly destroyed my shop, beat a pony to near death, and now you're wearing weird armor."

Martin sighed. "Listen, I'm really sorry about everything but I wasn’t myself."

Forge stared at him. "And I should just believe that?"

"That’s up to you; all I can do is hope you will."

He glared at the human for a moment. "One more chance." He opened the door. "Re-polish the weapons and clean up the mess you made; I'll be in the back." He said, walking away and left the door open.

Martin sighed in relief as he walked inside. He took off most of the armor and put it the back room with Forge. He walked back into the shop and started the tasks he gave.

A few hours later, he finished re-polishing the weapons and paused, looking at the damage and Mike's blood on the floor. Fragments of Mike's glasses were strewn across the floor. Martin bent down and scooped them up, looking at them sadly.

"Never again." He muttered before throwing them away.

He continued to clean and the sun was beginning its descent when he finished. He looked at his handiwork; the shop was back to normal. Forge opened the door and looked around.

"You did well, looks just like it was before." He said, tossing Martin a brown bag. "You were trying to give that to your friend before everything went to Hades."

Martin caught it and opened it, reaching inside and pulled a green eyeball out. They stared at it in horror. "What in the name of the Order?!"

"The name of Celestia is that?!"

The slimy eyeball stared blankly at the human. "It-it's an eyeball."

"Why is it in my shop?"

"I don’t know!"

"Then get rid of it!"

Martin hesitated for a moment before putting it back into the bag and walked outside. "I'll get rid of it, I'll be back later."

Forge nodded. Martin quickly walked through town, the ponies seemed to be used to him. The guards still kept a careful eye on him. He reached the library and walked inside.

"Twilight?" He yelled once inside. No pony responded. He walked further inside. "Twilight?!" He yelled louder.

"Martin?" Spike's voice came from upstairs.

"Spike where are you?"

"We're in her room!" Spike yelled.

"Spike, you don’t need to yell." Twilight said, her voice getting stronger as he got closer.

"Well maybe if you weren't wrapped up in your books, you'd hear Martin yelling for you."

Martin stood in the doorway, the brown bag in his hand. "Twilight, what are you doing?" He asked, opening the door.

She blushed as she saw him as at least twenty books floated around her. "I've been trying to figure out how Princess Luna gave Michael his eye back, but I can't seem to find anything."

He walked towards her. "Um… yeah, anyways I wanted to show you something." He showed her the bag. "Discord wanted me to give this to Michael."

Her ears perked up. "What did he wan-" She screamed, throwing the bag with her magic and backing up to the headboard. She took a few breaths before looking at him. "That’s… that’s a g-green…"

"I know, I know." He said, picking up the bag.

She shivered, her face going pale. "I-I didn’t think he'd ever do that…"

"Wh-what do you mean?" He asked, confused.

She took a shaky breath. "For as long as I've studied Discord, he has never done anything as… dramatic as this. Sure he'd mess around, turn things on their heads and cause chaos but never like this."

"I still don’t know what you're talking about, it's just an eyeball."

She sighed. "How do you think he got an eyeball that matches Mike's so perfectly?"

He looked at it before throwing the bag away in disgust. "Ewww… Oh god…"

"Exactly…"

"Aw Jesus, what do we do now?" He asked, picking up the bag and holding it as far away as possible.

"I'm-I'm not sure. Something is definitely going on." She looked at him. "And it seems to be centered on you two." She paused. "I've never heard of the 'knights' until Celestia mentioned them today."

"Really?" He asked, his eyebrow raised.

She nodded. "In all the books I've read, which includes all these here and the Canterlot library; I don’t recall ever hearing their name before."

He thought for a moment. "I don’t know what to say about that. Well now you have, aye?"

She looked at the bed and sighed. "I just don’t like it." She seemed to disappear into her own little world.

He looked at her. "Twilight, Twilight? Twilight!" He yelled after getting no response.

She blinked. "Huh? Sorry, I was lost in thought I guess." She blushed.

"It really shouldn’t bother you too much; it doesn’t matter if there's something that you didn’t know about."

"But something this important and I'm only hearing about it now, doesn’t that sound fishy?"

He shook his head. "It was thousands of years ago…"

She looked at her books. "I just wish I could find something."

"I'm sure you will…" He replied, slowly making his way out of the room. "I'll leave the bag here, ok. Yep, see ya later." He quickly vanished, the door shutting.

She looked at the bag and sighed. "Spike, don’t touch or look in that bag ok? Not until I figure out what to do."

The little dragon looked at the bag curiously and sighed. "Ok Twilight."

=

The rest of the day was normal as Mike helped Fluttershy with her animals and cleaning the cottage, finally able to give it a good cleaning since Winter Wrap Up. The animals seemed pleased to have them back, minus one rabbit, who'd seemed to disappeared. They were resting as Fluttershy played with a pair of mice. Mike sat off to the side, staring off into space. Fluttershy nuzzled the small mice before walking up to him, sitting down next to him.

He didn’t notice, tears slowly leaked out of the corners of his eyes.

She looked at him concernedly. "Michael, Michael are you ok?"

He finally seemed to come out of his world, blinking as he looked around.

She grabbed his hoof. "Michael are you alright?"

He looked at her. "I lied Fluttershy, I'm a terrible person…"

She looked at him, surprised. "W-what do you mean?"

He stared at the floor. "Luna forced me to swear an oath to make sure Martin doesn’t step out of line again."

She was still confused. "I-I still don’t understand."

He pointed at his right eye. "She-she gave me this eye then had me swear an oath that said that if Martin overstep his powers, I have to do everything I can to stop him." He looked at her. "I didn’t even know what she meant till it was too late." He looked at the floor. "I-I'm a terrible pony…"

She looked at him. "No you're not…"

"I-I betrayed my best friend so I could see just like everypony else…"

She put her hooves around his neck. "You wanted to have something that was taken away from you. I-I can understand."

He began crying. "But was it worth it?" He looked at her. "She said that if she finds out I didn’t do my duty, she'd send me back to Earth."

She hugged him, resting her head against his. "Don’t worry, whatever happens, I'll be here."

"Thanks Fluttershy but you should just leave now before I suck you into this too." He said, closing his eyes.

She pushed his face up, looking into his eyes. "No, I'll stay with you." She smiled at him before she gently kissed him.

They broke the kiss, staring into each other's eyes. "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to tell you. Can you live with lying to them? I can completely understand if you told them."

She shook her head. "I won't tell anypony." He nodded as he scooted closer to her, burying his face into her chest, crying. She ran a hoof through his mane, gently rocking him back and forth. "Shh, it's ok."

Author's Note

Almost forgot about this... I really don't have anything to say except the usual.

21 - SapphireEye

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 21 -SapphireEye

The sun appeared on the horizon, the first rays reaching Ponyville. The dark night sky slowly faded away as the stars disappeared. The sun shone brightly into Martin's eyes as he rested on his back. "God damn it." He said, slowly rolling onto his stomach before getting up. He looked around and put on his regular clothes, the armor sitting on a chair in the corner. The sun reflected off the metal as he made his way out of the guest room and into the main room of the library.

"Morning sleepy head." Twilight said, sitting on the couch and reading a book.

He glanced at her as he made his way to the bathroom. "Morning Twilight." He sighed in relief after taking a relaxing shower and paused, staring at the mirror. He yelled, surprised how much he changed.

"Martin? Are you ok in there?" Twilight yelled on the other side of the door.

He looked at his arms, the muscles seemingly doubled in size. "Wow, that’s freaky." He said, ignoring Twilight.

"Martin?" She asked again, knocking on the door.

He snapped out of his line of thought and opened the door, after putting his pants on. "Umm yes?" He asked.

She looked at him. "Something's different about you…" She looked at him intently. "Did you change your hair?"

He looked at himself again, flexing his muscles. "Nope."

"Hmm…" She tapped her hoof against her chin before she shrugged and turned around. "I can't tell what's different." She said, walking away.

He sighed. "Whatever." He went back into the bathroom and finished getting dressed.

"Breakfast is ready." Spike yelled from the kitchen.

Martin walked into the kitchen and sat down. "Thanks pal."

He nodded, putting a plate of the usual in front of the human.

He smiled at the small dragon before he began to eat. Once he finished, he put the plate in the sink and looked at the clock. "Better get going." He said, grabbing the sword and attached it to his belt. He decided not to wear the armor. "I'm going to work, see ya later." He said, waving goodbye before walking outside and made his way through town.

He made his way to the smithy and noticed Michael making his way to the bookstore, lost in thought. He shrugged and made his way to the shop, opening the door. "Morning!" He said to Forge, who was standing behind the counter.

"Morning." He answered, looking at the sword. "Really need to bring a sword here?"

"Got to, always have to be armed as a Knight of the Order." Martin replied, walking towards the smithy.

Forge shook his head. "Whatever you say crazy." He wiped the counter down with a well used cloth. "So it's the usual; polish the weapons and in a little bit, I got a delivery for you to make."

Martin nodded. "Alright, you want me to start with the blunt weapons?"

"I think that'd be the easiest." Forge said, tossing Martin the rag.

Martin began the task he was given and a few hours later, the door flew open and Dash poked her head in, looking around.

He looked up at her, putting aside a small axe. "Hello Dash, how can I help you?"

She jumped and looked at him, glaring when she noticed the axe. "Hey, have you seen Mike anywhere?"

He thought for a moment. "Umm I think I saw him on the way to the bookstore or something like that."

"Ah gotcha, thanks." She disappeared and the door shut again.

He shrugged and picked up the axe, the sharpening rock in his hand.

=

Mike sat in the bookstore, typing away at the typewriter, unaware of the rainbow maned menace heading his way. He had already helped Ms. Page dust the book shelves and organize the new shipment that came in yesterday. He stared intently, trying to finish the last paragraph.

"Good morning Mike!" Dash yelled behind him.

He jumped and kicked the table, almost knocking the typewriter off. "Dash? What are you doing here?" He asked, turning his head to look at her.

She smiled. "No more running mister." She poked him with her hoof. "It's time for you to learn how to fly."

He looked around the room, trying to think of an excuse. "Umm I-I umm… have work…" He said, forcing a smile.

She grinned even wider. "I asked whatever her name and she said you could take the day off early. She said you did such a wonderful job helping that she'll let you off."

He stared at her blankly, his jaw dropped. "I er… have to help Fluttershy?"

"Nope, not this time." She pushed a hoof against his chest. "You're learning to fly even if I have to drag you out, kicking and screaming."

"Is-is there no way around it?" He asked desperately.

She glared at him. "I will not be around a pegasus that doesn’t know to how to fly." She poked him to punctuate every word. "Hay even Fluttershy knows how, she just doesn’t like to."

He stared at her before sighing in defeat. "But-but… ok…"

She smacked him on the back. "That’s the spirit! Now come on, let's get outta here before somepony recognizes me." She said, looking around and swiftly moving towards the exit.

He dropped his head as he followed her. They walked to an open field just outside of town and she took a deep breath.

"Ok rookie." She said, looking at him. "Open those things you call wings."

He looked at his wings and opened them. "Now what?"

"When you opened them, did you feel those muscles contracting?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Um… I guess."

She rolled her eyes and walked up to them. "Close them." He did as she asked. She put a hoof in between his wings, careful of the sensitive spot. "Close your eyes and focus on where my hoof is. Can you feel the pressure?"

He closed his eyes. "Um… yes."

"Good, now open your wings again but focus on where my hoof is this time."

He slowly opened his wings, feeling the muscles contract, they worked in a smooth motion as they opened and he felt the strain to keep them open.

"Good. Now those are your flight muscles, which just like anything, the more you work on them, the better they get." She took a few steps back, inspecting his wings. "Celestia, who preened you?"

He looked at her blankly. "What do you mean?"

"Who cleaned your wings of old feathers?"

"Me?"

She looked at him flatly. "You seriously need help if you think that’s a good preening. Next time ask Fluttershy to help or something."

He blushed slightly. "O-ok…"

A breeze blew through the area and Dash relaxed. "Did you feel that?" He nodded. "How did it feel against your wings?"

"G-good I guess."

"Ugh, you weren't paying attention, were you?"

"I don’t know what you want me to 'feel'."

She facehoofed. "This is going to be harder than I thought. Ok rookie, close your eyes again and take a few deep breaths and clear your mind."

"Um… ok…" He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind.

"Now, do you hear the wind?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell where it's coming from?"

He turned his head, blindly looking in several directions. "Um… it's coming from over there." He said, pointing north.

She faintly smiled. "Good. Now take a deep breath and exhale, imagine where your breath goes."

He raised an eyebrow but did as she asked.

"Did you feel it join the wind? How the wind controls the air?"

He nodded.

"Your pegasus blood has a natural affinity with air and will naturally orient with the direction of the breeze. Can you feel your blood pulling you towards the breeze?"

He scratched the back of his head. "Um sorta, I guess."

She whacked him. "No sorta, do you feel it or not? If you don’t, clear your mind like before until you can visualize the air you breathe joining the wind."

He rubbed the spot where she hit him. "Ok, ok… sheesh." He closed his eyes and focused. A few minutes later, he felt the barest of tugs, his body naturally adapting to the change in wind. He could feel it blowing over him, like a stream passing over a rock. "I can feel something, something like a flow or a stream."

She smiled. "Good, follow that stream to its source, where does it take you?"

He opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.

"Do you feel even the tiniest pull towards there?"

"I can feel something pulling, just a slight pull but it's something."

She grinned. "Now, close those eyes and listen to your body. Take a few steps towards the source. Can you feel your blood flow faster?"

He closed his eyes for the umpteenth time and walked a few steps into a random direction before turning around. He repeated this a few times before he opened his eyes again. "Yeah, I can feel it pull stronger here."

She sighed, shaking her head. "About time." She muttered. "Ok rookie, we can finally start practicing liftoff."

His eyes widened and he stared at her nervously. "Liftoff, you mean like in the air?"

"No like swimming, of course I mean the air." She groaned. "Ok, open your hooves and spread them equally apart."

He gulped and spread his hooves, his muscles tensing.

She leaned down and looked at them briefly before kicking a hoof. "Loosen up or you'll tear a leg muscle."

He nodded. "Ok, um… better?"

She kicked a different hoof. "Much better." She smiled and stood in front of him, copying his stance. "Now remember those muscles we focused on earlier?"

"Yeah…"

"Good." She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "Now, close your eyes and take a calming breath, listen for the wind."

He closed his eyes, again, and took a few deep breaths before everything around him disappeared, only able to hear the wind.

"Do you hear it whispering to you?" She said faintly. "When the time is right, have those muscles contract."

He focused hard and it was silent before he heard a faint noise, something similar to a voice. He made the muscles twitch a few times. He felt himself lift a few times, the touch of the ground disappearing from his hooves.

"Good, now when you feel a strong gust, push as hard as you can."

Minutes passed as he lay on the ground before he felt a strong gust of wind brush through his mane and feathers. He pushed as hard as he could and felt the ground move away quickly. He opened his eyes and saw that he was several feet off the ground.

He looked down and saw Dash smiling at him. "Did you feel it? Now that you're airborne, keep a steady beat."

He panicked slightly, falling for a split second before his wings beat to keep him in the air. He tried to keep a rhythmic beat but it was harder than he was expected. He either fell sharply or shot into the air.

Dash hovered up to him. "It'll take a few tries but it seems you got the basic hang of liftoff."

He smiled, before looking at the ground. He gulped and looked at her. "H-how do I get down?" He asked nervously.

She laughed. "Ok, just take a deep breath and calm those nerves. Then ever so slowly, take longer time in between flaps and you'll gently lower to the ground."

He nodded and tried it, slowly descending before the last flap caused him to go too high and he fell to the ground.

She laughed again, landing next to him and helped him up. "Well that happens to everypony on their first try, even me." She grinned. "With some more practice, we can actually move onto flying through the air."

He chuckled nervously. "Oh joy…"

"Trust me, it's not that bad once you get used to it." She paused. "Ok, now let's try that again. We're not leaving till you can successfully take off and land."

He sighed and tried again, repeating the same process. He fell quite a few times, grass tangling in his mane. Dash's sides hurt with all the laughing. Finally a few hours later, he successfully completed both a solid takeoff and landing. He was panting heavily, sweat running down his forehead.

"Phew, I'm exhausted." He said, wiping a hoof across his face.

She held her side. "Same here, watching you tired me out. I guess that’s enough for today, tomorrow after work we'll work on it some more."

He nodded. "Thanks Dash."

"No sweat rookie, we'll get you flying in no time." She said, blasting off the ground, leaving a rainbow trail.

He watched the trail for a moment before sighing, making his way back into town.

=

Mike walked back to the cottage, exhausted as he made his way inside and took a refreshing shower. He sighed in relief and walked into the living room, the animals coming to greet him, minus Angel. Fluttershy was outside, scratching a bear's back.

He looked at her, making his way slowly to her. "Hey Flutters." He said.

She looked at him and patted the bear on the back. The bear looked at Mike before nodding and walked away, waving goodbye. Fluttershy flung her hooves around his neck and gave him a long passionate kiss.

He blinked in surprise before allowing himself to fall into the kiss. When they broke it, he stared into her eyes. "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining…" He blushed slightly.

"I-I missed you; you were gone for most of the day." She said, her face bright red.

"I-I've missed you too." He muttered, gently nuzzling her cheek.

She gave him another short kiss before letting go.

He smiled at her. "So what do you want to do today?"

"I have no more chores for the day, is there something you'd like to do?"

He paused. "Why don’t we go into town? I have to ask Ms. Page something." He looked at her. "I mean, if that’s ok with you."

She nodded at him and nuzzled his cheek. "I'll come with you."

He held out his hoof and she grabbed it, blushing. His face turned red and they made their way into town, holding hooves. The sun was still out but was slowly making its descent, the sky starting to turn orange. It wasn’t very crowded, the streets held a few couples. They all were in their own little world, just like Mike and Fluttershy.

"So Flutters, how was your day?" Mike asked as they made their way to the bookstore.

Her cheeks grew a little blush. "Um… I looked after the animals just usual, but Angel was acting strangely."

"Really? How was he acting?"

She thought for a moment. "Well he seemed to be in a rush. He skipped his massage and he's never done that before."

He thought for a moment. "That’s strange; I wonder what's with the bunny."

She sighed. "I'm starting to worry."

He looked at her. "I'll help in any way I can but he doesn’t really like me a whole lot."

She smiled and leaned against him. "Th-thank you…"

He nuzzled her neck. "No problem, you know if there's anything I can do to help."

She blushed and looked deep into his eyes as he stared into hers, getting lost in her aqua eyes. They closed their eyes, leaning towards each other as their lips touched. She broke the kiss a few seconds later, looking into his eyes again. Her face was bright red.

He grinned and leaned close to her. "You’re the best Flutters." He whispered as they stood outside the bookstore.

She giggled and let go of his hoof as she walked inside the shop. They stood there for a moment as Fluttershy looked at the books and Ms. Page waved hello.

"I'll be right back." He smiled and walked up to his boss. "Hey Ms. Page, I have a quick question."

She looked at him and took off her glasses. "Of course Michael, how can I help you?"

He nervously scratched at the floor. "Well, I was wondering when I'd get my paycheck?"

She nodded. "Of course, I'll be right back." She walked into the back room and came back a few minutes later, carrying a scroll. "It depends, the paycheck you get from the owner always come at the end of the month. But if somepony hires you to do certain work, they'll decide."

"Oh… ok." He smiled. "Thanks Ms. Page."

She smiled at him before she put her glasses back on her snout.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said, waving goodbye and walking back over to Fluttershy. "You ready?"

She nodded her head and they walked outside, the sun shining as they looked around. "Is there anything you wanted to do while we're in town?" He asked.

"I was going to visit Twilight…" She said, hoofing at the ground.

"Ok, lead the way."

She smiled at him and led the way. They stood outside as Fluttershy knocked on the door gently before it opened by Twilight. "Hello Fluttershy, hey Michael." Twilight said, hugging them both.

He blushed as he returned the hug. "Hey Twi, how's it going?"

She beamed. "Good, how about you two?"

"Can't complain too much." He said, glancing at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy smiled at Twilight. "Umm… I'm ok."

"Why don’t you come in?" Twilight asked, making room for them to walk past. They nodded as both of them walked inside and sat on the couches. Twilight disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing moments later with small tray floating in front of her. She placed it on the coffee table and hoofed him and Fluttershy a small cup of tea. She sat down across from them. "How can I help you?" She asked, taking a sip of the liquid.

"Well, I was here to ask if I could borrow the cooking book for a little longer." Fluttershy asked quietly.

Mike raised an eyebrow while Twilight smiled. "Sure, that's no problem." A rather large book and quill floated over to her and she scratched something into the book. "Just bring it back when you're done." Twilight said, the book floated back to the podium in the corner, the quill following.

It was silent for a moment when footsteps came running down the stairs. "Twilight I got a letter from the princess!" Spike yelled as he appeared at the bottom of the staircase, holding a rather large scroll. A red velvet string attached with Princess Celestia's cutie mark.

They eyed it as the dragon handed it to Twilight and she skimmed through it, gasping before reading it a second time. Mike and Fluttershy shared a look. "What's it say?"

Twilight's eye twitched a few times. "I can't believe it." She said, her jaw dropping.

"Um… Twilight?" He asked again.

"Th-the Prince of Griffin Kingdom will come here." Twilight said.

Everypony blinked. "What why?"

"It says he has political issues to discuss but he wouldn’t stay in Canterlot for reasons not even the Princess know…" Twilight replied reading the scroll over and over again.

"Ok, that’s kinda weird isn't it?" He looked at Twilight. "So he's staying here? As in the library?"

She nodded her head. "The Princess is asking if he could stay at the library to ensure his safety."

"Oh boy… do you need any help cleaning or anything? I'd be glad to help after everything you've done for me." Mike offered.

Twilight looked at him with a small smile. "I'd be more than grateful." She paused. "It also says Martin is also informed. There'll also be a welcome party at the town hall."

"Oh…" Mike got up off the couch. "What do ya need me to do?"

Twilight looked around and stared at the guest room. "We have to clean the guest room and get Martin's things out, I'm afraid."

"Ok, I can do that." He looked at Fluttershy. "I'm sorry, is it ok that I help?"

Fluttershy looked at him. "Um… ok, I'll be at the cottage." She walked up to him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

Mike shuddered as his wings fluttered as they blushed and she left the library. He watched her leave for a moment before shaking his head. "Ok, so wait, where is Martin going to crash?"

Twilight looked at him. "Um… maybe we can ask AJ if he could stay there."

"Want me to run over to the farm and ask?"

She nodded. "That'd be nice, thank you."

He mock saluted. "I'm on it." He trotted to the door and left the library, making his way to the farm. Huh, probably been easier if I grabbed his stuff.

It was starting to get dark and the sky was turning blue, the orange slowly disappearing. Celestia's sun was setting and Luna's majestic moon slowly rose into the sky. As he came up to the farm, most of the rooms were lit.

He knocked on the front door. A few moments later, the door opened, Applebloom stood in the doorway. "Can Ah help ya?" She asked.

"Hi my name is Michael, I'm Martin's friend. I was wondering if Applejack was around?"

She looked at him for a moment before she turned her head. "Applejack, there's somepony named Michael here for ya!" She yelled.

"Ah'm comin'!" AJ yelled as she came down the stairs, smiling.

"Hey AJ." He said.

"Howdy Michael." She said, leaning against the door frame.

"How are you?"

"Ah'm good, you?"

"Can't complain too much." He told her about the prince and he paused, trying to think of a way to ask her. "So Twilight was wondering if Martin could stay here for a few days."
"Oh, well sure he can stay."
He smiled. "Thanks AJ; I'll go let her know." He turned and left, waving goodbye.

She waved back, shutting the door.

He happily trotted back to the library. "Twilight, she said it was ok…" He said, slowly opening the door.

Twilight stood in the door frame of the guest room. "Ok."

He walked up to her. "What's next? I can try and take his stuff over there but I doubt I could carry it all."

She shook her head. "Don’t worry, I'll just teleport it there."

He looked at her surprised. "Ok, that makes things so much easier."

She smiled. "Maybe if you could go tell Martin, he should be on his way back now."

"Alright, I'll see if I can catch him." He said, leaving the library again and heading towards the smithy.

He quickly got there and opened the door, a pony sat behind the counter counting coins. He looked up. "Oh, you're that Michael right?"

"That I am. I was wondering if Martin was around?"

The smithy shook his head. "Nah, some guards came and talked to him. Something about a Prince."

Mike sighed. "Of course. Do you know where they went?"

He tapped his chin. "Well he said he'd have to go get his armor, so I'm guessing he's on his way to the library. He did leave about five minutes ago."

"Thank you." Mike said, bolting out of the smithy's and rushing back to the library. Twilight was in the main room, dusting the shelves and books. "Twilight, did Martin run by here?" Mike asked, opening the door.

She paused, turning around. "Yeah you just missed him. He's on his way to AJ's."

Mike grimaced. "Crap." His right eye began to burn and a little blood seeped from it. He quickly shut it.

She didn’t seem to have seen the blood. "Um… is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine… I gotta go." He said, galloping out and away from the library, heading back to the farm. He gritted his teeth, trying to go faster. A couple guards with golden armor stood in front of the Apple family's house. He sighed as he slowed down and walked up to the farm.

One of the guards noticed him. "Halt, state your business!"

Mike sighed, looking at them. "Under Luna's guidance, I'm allowed entry by the monarch of the night."

The guards looked at each other before turning back to him. "The Grandmaster will be out shortly."

Mike nodded and waited just next out of the guards range. The door opened and Martin walked out, his armor clattering. He noticed his friend and made his way to him.
"Michael, how can I help you?" Martin asked, his voice muffled.

"Nothing, just wanted to make sure you knew about the prince and your new living arrangements." Mike panted, quickly wiping the blood off his face.

Martin looked at him. "Is everything alright?"

Mike forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm just tired. I ran a lot today and I started to learn to fly."

"Where did the blood come from?" Martin asked, pointing at Mike's hoof.

Mike looked at him. "Knowing me, probably when I fell on my face this morning, practicing against my will."

Martin looked at him, unsure if he believed him. "Alright…"

"So have I missed anything?"

Martin shook his head. "Not much, the princess asked me to be the prince's personal guard as long as he stays here."

"That’s good eh?"

"Yep." A guard walked towards them.

"Grandmaster, we have a package from the princess and we need to discuss the welcome party."

Martin sighed. "I'll have to go now; I hope I can see you tomorrow when the prince arrives."

Mike nodded. "Ok, I'll see you later." He said, walking away as Martin and the guard turned around. Mike waited a moment before turning around, watching as Martin in the two guards went inside.

"We have two packages, one being the Agathor Banner, the other a gift for the prince." Martin said, the door shutting behind him.

Mike snuck up to the open window; listening and amazed the guards didn’t see him.

"We need to secure the area around the town hall. We should place guards in groups of four at each point." Martin said, pointing at a map of Ponyville.

"What if Discord tries to attack?" A guard asked.

"The princess sent a few of her best unicorn mages to create a shield in case."

"Is the library secure?" Another guard asked.

"It should be but we should check before the prince arrives."

"Is the town informed about the reason the prince is coming here?"

"No, they only know that he's here to discuss politics. Apart from us and the princesses, no one else is informed that he is here to discuss war policies with the Canterlot Ambassador." Martin said.

Mike's eyes grew wide. How the hell does he know that?

"That's all for now, if there's any more issues, we'll discuss them later." The door opened and Martin walked outside.

Mike stood perfectly still as he looked around, Martin having that odd feeling that he was being watched. He continued and disappeared somewhere as Mike sighed as he sped away, the guards dispersing around the area. Mike followed Martin into town until he went into the impromptu barracks.

Mike paused. I guess this is where we depart. He sighed, walking back towards Fluttershy's cottage. A group of Celestia's guards walked passed him, a unicorn with a blue mane leading. He glanced at him for a second and stopped.

"Aren't you Michael?" The guard asked, looking at him.

Mike paused and looked at him. "Y-yes?"

"What are you doing here?" He asked, walking towards him, the guards standing stock still.

"Looking for Martin, thought he'd be around the other guards…" Mike said.

The guard nodded his head. "Of course, how could I forget him? I can't believe Princess Celestia made him one of the highest ranking guards…" He sighed. "But where are my manners, my name is Shining Armor. I'm Twilight's older brother. She's told me about you." He said, holding a hoof out to greet.

Mike smiled. "Nice to meet you Shining." He shook his hoof. "I think I faintly remember somepony mentioning you but that whole time is kinda hazy."

Shining went to say something but a guard cleared their throat. "Yes I know, I have a lot of work waiting for me." He looked at Mike. "I hope you'll have more free time than me. This entire prince thing is a hay of a task."

Mike chuckled. "I can imagine, it sounds stressful as all Hades." He said, giving him a small salute. "Good luck sir."

Shining smiled. "Thanks. Come on, let's get going." He said, leading the way, the guards following.

Mike sighed, letting out the breath he was holding and wandered back to the cottage. Fluttershy was lying on the couch, her blue eyes closed, asleep. It was silent inside the cottage, only noise was her steady breathing. All the other animals seemed to be out and about. He smiled and walked up to her, kissing her forehead before leaving quietly. He opened the door and almost stepped on a certain white bunny standing in the doorway.

He looked at it. "Angel."

The bunny looked at the pegasus, his usual attitude gone, simply looking at him neutrally.

"Angel, I know you don’t like me, that’s ok but can we put our differences aside for her?" He asked, pointing towards Fluttershy. "I know you were here first and I'll do everything I can to make sure you still get the same treatment, ok?"

He looked at Mike and simply hopped away without a response.

Mike sighed. Well, I tried. He left the cottage, shutting the door. He made his way back into town, wandering randomly. The amount of guards had doubled and watched everypony closely, especially the two eye colored pegasus. The guard from earlier saw him and dipped his head slight. Mike nodded back before heading to Sugarcube Corner.

As soon as he opened the door, he was hugged by the essence of pink. "Hey Mikey!!" Pinkie said, hugging tightly.

"Pinkie… can't breathe…" Mike wheezed.

She giggled and let go of him. "Whoopsies."

Mike took a big gulp of air before smiling at her. "Hey Pinkie, how are you?"

"I'm absolutely fantastic!" She cheered while hopping up and down in one spot. "How about you?"

He laughed. "I'm doing better." He walked up to the counter, admiring the sweets. "Just thought I'd come by and say hi."

She smiled at him. "Aww, how very super duper nice of you!"

He turned around and smiled at her. "Well since I couldn’t come to the party, thought it was the nicest thing to do." He walked back towards the door. "Well, I should let you get back to work."

"Did you hear about this prince coming here?" She asked before he could leave, right in his face.

He paused. "Oh yeah, sounds like it's going to be an interesting couple of weeks."

She nodded. "I heard there's going to be a meeting at town hall."

"Me too, are you looking forward to it?"

She smiled. "Definitely! I really want to know what they're going to talk about!" She said excitedly.

He laughed. "Me too, it'll be really fun. Are you going to throw him a party when he gets here?"

She shook her head. "Twilight said no but I'll sneak into town hall during the meeting. Wanna come with me?"

He smiled. "Pinkie, I think this is a start of a beautiful partnership." He chuckled.

She giggled and grabbed a ghillie suit and quickly put it on. "I'll get you when the mission begins. Agent Pinkie out." She jumped away and disappeared, leaving him alone.

He paused." Oh god, what did I just agree to?" He already regretted agreeing with her but headed out of Sugarcube Corner. He looked around town. "What to do now…"

A loud group of young ponies walked past him, one of them bumping into him. They all were around his age. Some were covered in tattoos, which were some weird symbols.

"Will he be there for the group meeting?" A tall stallion asked.

"Oh he will. He said somepony really special will be here tomorrow." A mare with a short red spiky mane said.

"He said he had something planned to make the whole thing real interesting." Another stallion answered.

Mike's ears swiveled towards them and he tailed them, just enough so he could hear what they were saying.

"I hope it has something to do with the plan." A rather buff stallion said with a smirk.

"You know he only plans things that help us all." The mare snapped at him.

"Whatever it is he has planned, I hope it'll bring us closer to freedom." The tall stallion said. His mane was long and neon green, his coat white and he was wearing leather straps on his legs.

Mike paused, trying to figure out what to do.

They stopped in front of a small ravaged building towards the edge of town. The windows were shattered and boarded up, preventing anypony from looking inside. A stallion wearing a tattered black suit and mask looked at them.

The masked stallion looked at them before they went inside. He paused, scanning the area and almost saw Mike. He dove behind a tree, wishing at the moment to be one. He heard hoof steps come close and froze, hoping it'd go away. A few seconds later, they paused before retreating. Mike counted to sixty and peeked over the side; the masked pony still stood outside and stared in his general direction.

The masked stallion scanned the area a final time before heading inside and shutting the door. A shattered window sat next to the door, not very well boarded up.

Mike stared at it. Well, let's see how well Luna's gift works. He quietly pried the boards off and snuck inside, hiding behind a couple of crates.

The stallion opened a small hatch in the floor and jumped down, disappearing into darkness.

Oh come on! Mike watched the remaining stragglers follow suit. After a few moments, he slinked towards the hole, looking down it. It was a long tunnel that led to darkness but he could see a faint glow of some torches at the end. I got a bad feeling about this. He jumped into the darkness.

Author's Note

Hello all! Gotta say thanks for the likes/favs! Pretty sure this story has now become my most liked? I'm not sure and too lazy to look up. Anywho, I wonder if anyone will get the title reference. Thanks for reading! Let me know what ya think! Comments/concerns/problems/errors, let me know.

22 - Mental Collapse

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 22 - Mental Collapse

The torches faintly lit the dark tunnel, the door slowly coming closer. As Mike got closer, he heard a voice echo from behind the door. "My ponies, I'm delighted to see you all here!" The voice was deep.

He paused, slowly cracking the door and peered inside. It was a large room, similar to Celestia's throne room. Most of the room was taken up by a stage and the back was all raised seats like a stadium. Hundreds of ponies gathered in the stands and near the stage. They all cheered, staring at the stallion on stage.

He was wearing a black robe with a red rose embroidered on the center. His face was hidden by a black mask, similar to the one that the tall stallion was wearing. His mask was different though, having red, cursive writing instead of symbols.

"We are here because we despise those who say they'll lead us to glory, happiness and freedom but yet I see nothing of what they promised us!" He paused, the crowd agreeing with him. "Tomorrow is a chance to show them that we fear no empire, kingdom, or army! The Prince of the Griffin Empire is coming to Ponyville and I have something very special planned for him, something that will make Celestia finally realize who we are and what we fight for!" The crowd cheered again.

They started chanting 'end the reign, make her pay' as the stallion on stage smiled at his followers. Mike stared at the assembly, his mouth opened in shock. The hell is going on? Should I try and stop them or go tell the Princesses?

"The Prince will die and war will spread! And once her kingdom falls apart, we will free everypony at last from her millennia of slavery!" The pony yelled, the crowd eating up his words.

Mike blinked a few times, thinking fast. If I leave here, they'd escape and I don’t think I could follow them again but I gotta tell the Princesses. He looked at the ceiling before closing his eyes, seeing Fluttershy waving at him, a smile on her face. I smiled faintly as the vision faded and he kicked the door open. "So this is the place you go to help kill the Prince?" He asked.

Everypony turned their head to look at him, some glared angrily and slowly walked towards him. "Stop." The stallion on the stage said and everypony froze, turning to look at him before backing away from Mike. "Who are you and what do you seek to find here?" He asked, slowly walking off stage, the crowd parting.

"I'm sure you've heard of me, I'm Michael? And I came here because I overheard a group of ponies." He looked at them. "Saying that somepony is planning something for the Griffin Prince and I'd like to offer what I can." He bowed to the leader.

He looked at Mike, a smirk under his mask. "Go ahead brother; tell us what you came here for."

Mike got up. "I'm not sure what you have planned nor do I think I should know. I'm just offering my services." He paused. "I do have close ties to a lot of important ponies."

The stallion nodded. "Tell us what you know."

"All I know is that the Griffin Prince is staying with the Element of Magic for those diplomatic talks with the Ambassador. They have my friend watching over his protection along with at least two battalions of soldiers at his command. But there's going to be a meeting at the town hall tomorrow."

"And you seek to help us?" He asked, standing barely a foot away. His blood red eyes stared into Mike's soul.

"Of course." Mike paused, trying to calm down as he projected anger. "Celestia turned me into a pony without my consent and it's caused me nothing but problems. Anyway I could get back at her, I'd gladly take."

The stallion lowered his head, chuckling, before looking up and laughed hysterically. "I already know all this." He paused, looking into Mike's eyes. "You are also a terrible liar friend but go ahead, leave and tell them, let them know that the UEA will be there. Make them fear us, no matter what you do, the Prince will die eventually. Maybe not tomorrow but don’t worry, I have more than one plan." He began laughing as his eyes and the mask glowed as he disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared behind Mike. "And you will fear us; you will watch this empire fall apart and there is nothing you can do to stop it." He grabbed Mike's head stared deep into his eyes, a stinging pain crept its way through Mike's body, his eyes slowly unraveling his soul.

Mike swung a hoof, narrowly missing his jaw as he disappeared again and Mike fell to the floor. "Oh you foolish, foolish boy. You think you can stop us.” He shook his head. "But we're spread across the entire world and in the Land of the Desert, war has already begun. It's only a matter of time before the same happens here."

"Like hell I'll let you do that to Equestria." Mike said, glaring at him.

"Oh no, please don’t hurt us, I beg you." He said patronizingly, laughing as several stallions walked up to Mike and grabbed his hooves. He struggled in their grip. "Let them know and make them fear! Help us to glory!" He yelled as the stallions threw Mike out of the room and shut the door. Mike quickly got back to his hooves but the wall devoured the door. Mike blinked a few times but the door was gone, simply disappeared into the wall.

Mike stared at the wall before pounding against it, hoping that it was an illusion. A few minutes later, he sighed, giving up. He slowly made his way out of the tunnel and hopped out the window.

More guards patrolled around the town, the guards looking at any pony still out this late at night. The moon and the few street lamps were the only source of light. Mike rushed to the library, figuring she'd know what to do. He slowed down, his body a lot slower than usual. By the time he got to the door, he slumped against it and knocked with his face.

The door opened as he fell onto the floor. "Michael, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked, helping him up.

"Phew, I'm tired." Mike muttered before looking at her. "Twilight, you need to tell the Princesses that there's going to be an attack on the Prince."

Her jaw dropped. "Wha-what do you mean?"

He paused. "I was wandering through town and ran into this group of ponies covered in strange tattoos. I followed them to this rundown building just outside of town. I went inside and they were having a meeting, they're must've been at least a thousand ponies, all covered in tattoos. The leader said that he has a plan to end the Princesses' reign."

Her eyes widened. "The UEA is here?" She asked, horrified.

Mike blinked, confused. "How did you know their name?"

She gulped. "They’re known all over the world. They're a terrorist group that tried to kill Celestia and all of her supporters." She said, starting to hyperventilate.

He gently rested a hoof on her back. "Twilight, it's going to be ok but we need to tell the Princess." He said, looking into her eyes.

She nodded, taking deep breaths. "Th-this is bad, they already succeeded in causing a civil war in the Land of the Desert." She said, quickly making her way upstairs, getting a quill and a piece of parchment.

Mike sat there for a moment, sighing before following her. She hectically wrote down everything he had said and used her magic to make the scroll disappear. "We have to warn Shining and Martin."

"I'll go warn Martin." He said, turning to leave.

She nodded and ran downstairs, opening the door before disappearing into the night.

He sighed, making his way to Sweet Apple Acres and knocked on the door. The door opened and he was pulled inside. It was dark but he could faintly see Pinkie's mane. "Michael, what are you doing here so late?" She asked, suspended from the ceiling.

He yelped in fear. "What are you doing here?"

She quickly held a hoof to his mouth. "Shhh, the guards are still around…" She whispered.

He tried talking around her hoof before he paused and pushed it off his mouth. "Pinkie, what are you doing at the farm?" He whispered.

She giggled. "Preparing for the mission of course, I still need some information…" She whispered.

He stared at her in horror. "Oh yeah, the mission." He coughed. "Listen, is AJ or Martin around? I need to talk to them."

She nodded her head rapidly. "AJ is upstairs and Marty is still at the barrack thingie." She replied.

"Ok…" He said, making his way upstairs. He paused in front of AJ's door and knocked before opening it. "AJ?" He whispered.

She was sitting at her desk, writing in a small book. "Michael, wh-what are ya doin' here?" She asked, quickly covering the book.

He paused. "I was actually looking for Martin but you can relay the info for me." He said, glancing at the book.

She blushed and slammed it shut. "Umm, yeah, course Ah can."

"Any way…" He looked around, making sure there wasn't a Pinkie Fisher nearby. "AJ, can you tell Martin that the UEA is here and are planning an attack on the Prince tomorrow?"

Her jaw dropped. "Ya-ya mean 'the' UEA?"

"Apparently so; AJ, can you tell me exactly why everypony's afraid of them? All I could get out of Twilight was something about a civil war."

She gulped. "Well, it's a terrorist organization that’s been threatenin' Terra for the last eighty years or so. They began demonstrating peacefully but around a decade or so ago, they changed. They attacked public places and plan to kill all supporters of the Celestia. They spread more and more until they attacked the smallest kingdom, the Land of the Desert. After ten years of threats and surprise attacks, the king finally fell. The entire land fell into a state of civil war. Whenever it seems to be ending, the UEA go back in there and stir it up again." She got up and accidently knocked the book onto the floor, the pages bending.

"Oh…" He said, bending down and picked it up. He could faintly make out the first few lines, 'I still dream about the kiss', before she snatched the book back.

She snapped it shut and her face turned bright red. "It-it's quite alright… ummm…"

He smiled and nodded his head, making his way to the door. "Thanks AJ, tell Martin ok?" He said, looking at her with a smirk. "G'night."

She nodded. "Um, yeah, ya better be careful if the UEA are around. Ya never know what'll happen."

"You too." He said, heading downstairs and left the farmhouse, heading back to Fluttershy's cottage.

As he entered the town, he looked at the stars, their small twinkling lights standing out in the vast darkness of space. Suddenly he saw thick black smoke start to rise into the sky, obscuring the stars. He immediately ran, trying to find the source. He found the assembled barracks aflame, ponies running around frantically. The bright orange flames licked at the wood, devouring it.

“Get some water!” A guard yelled, his armor covered in soot.

Mike rushed to get water; thankfully a pony carried a bucket already full of it. “Take it to them!” The pony said, hoofing him the bucket. He almost dropped the bucket as he watched the flames slowly spread to the surrounding houses, the inferno loudly roaring. Smoke billowed into the sky, overflowing the area. He ran as fast as he could, dropping the bucket with the guard.

"Martin!" He yelled, getting ready to charge into the blaze.

Another guard grabbed his shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?" He was covered in ashes.

He pushed out of the guard's grip. "Saving my friend!" He said, rushing inside before he could be stopped.

The heat smashed into his face, making him squint. Smoke blurred his vision, barely able to see his own hoof in front of his face. He coughed as he inhaled deeply, the smoke filled his lungs.

"Martin?!" He yelled as loud as he could, gasping for air and coughing.

Burning rubble fell from the ceiling, crashing next to him. Hot ashes splashed against his coat and he could smell his fur burn. He trotted deeper into the building and heard some rustling. "Martin?" He said, coughing as he grew closer. He couldn't see anything at this point, the smoke blocking his vision.

He heard something moved towards him and didn't see it was a large burning pillar till it was too late. He tried to dodge it but it landed squarely on his back. He screamed in pain as it seared his back. He struggled and moved a tad, the pillar slowly rolling across his back.

Suddenly the pillar was gone. He turned his head and saw a guard recolored by ashes and soot, covered in burns. "Are you alright? Have you seen the Grandmaster?" He yelled, shaking.

"No! Have you?" Mike paused, looking at him. "You should get out of here!"

The guard shook his head. "Not as long as you're here! My duty is to protect all ponies from harm!" The ceiling cracked under the weight of the fire and a few ashes trickled onto his fur. The guard looked up and his eyes widened. "MOVE!!" He yelled, pushing Mike out of the way and part of the ceiling collapsed on him, his hooves sticking out.

Mike stared in horror before frantically rushing towards him and struggled, pushing what he could off the guard. "Are you ok?" He yelled.

There was no response except the building creaking.

"Damn it!" Mike yelled, looking around as he picked up the guard and put him on his back. He hissed in pain and struggled towards the exit, his head growing fuzzy as the lack of oxygen starting making its presence known. The guard's weight slowed him down and after a few moments, couldn't handle it and fell to the ground. "Come on, I'm not leaving you here, since it's my fault to begin with!" Mike yelled, forcing himself up and one hoof at a time, slowly making it to the exit.

The rest of the ceiling fell down and blocked the way, the fire crackling. He looked around, frantically trying to find a way out. A door stood unaffected by the fire, almost as if it was protected. He charged the door and it smashed open. It led to a long hallway, door gutted by fire. The building was collapsing upon itself, the wood crumbling around us. There was a small hole in the fire that led to the next room and he crawled towards it. A beam fell from the remains of the ceiling, encircling us in a ring of fire.

"Ironically my favorite Johnny Cash song." Mike said before jumping through the fire, burning the bottom of his coat. He screamed in pain and landing harshly, the ring of fire burning strongly behind him. The door was their last hope of safety. He finally made it to the door and noticed it was held shut by a small lock.

Mike grabbed the dagger off the guard. "Like hell I'm dying after all this." He muttered weakly, smacking the lock.

It refused to break and after another hit, he dropped the dagger, too weak to move. He sunk against the door before a long blade pierced through it, nearly impaling his head.

Mike fell back, the guard tumbling off his back. "Hey, watch it there!" He said hoarsely, lying on the ground.

The blade pulled back and this time a gauntlet smashed through the door, pulling it off its frame. All Mike saw before he blacked out was something shining in the fire.

=

He coughed as he could feel fresh air enter his lungs. "What's going on?" He asked numbly. It hurt to talk, his throat and mouth dry.

Ponies examined him, ignoring him.

"Hey, I'm still alive you know." He struggled against them.

They gave him a bottle of water and helped him sit up, nursing him into taking a few short sips.

After drinking half the bottle, he paused. "How's the guard?" He asked.

Redheart stood next to him. "He'll survive. A few burns and he'll be coughing for awhile but he'll be fine." She said.

Mike sighed. "Thank god." He leaned back on the white cot he lied on and coughed.

Hoof steps surrounded the area. "Where's the Grandmaster?" A guard asked.

"Over there." Redheart said, pointing.

Martin was making his way there, his armor covered in ashes. "How are you?" He asked, bending down.

Mike chuckled. "I hurt, remind me never go running into burning building again. You're ok though right?"

Martin nodded. "Had to carry you, Shining, and that guard out."

"Good." Mike closed his eyes. "Everything hurts." He chuckled again.

Martin sighed. "Well, things might get a lot worse."

Mike cracked open an eye. "How?"

Martin opened his hand and a perfect rose dropped on the ground. "I've been told that’s the sign that the UEA will attack."

Mike looked at it and sighed again, putting his hooves over his eyes. "I should've just tried and killed him."

Martin tilted his head. "What are you talking about?"

"I walked in on their group meeting."

Martin was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath and sighing. "You could have died mate."

"I know but it was worth the risk."

"We might have to deal with something just as bad tomorrow, aye?"

Mike groaned, sitting up. "Don’t remind me." He said, getting on his hooves.

Martin took off his helmet and looked at the burning remains of the barracks. "The Prince mustn't know about this, it might worsen the situation."

They shared a look. "I know it may make it worse but don’t you think he should know? And besides, Twi sent a letter already, so he may know."

Martin sighed. "We shouldn’t tell him about the UEA. It'll cause nothing but trouble if he knew they're here."

Mike looked at the ground. "I'm not sure what she put in that letter.” He paused. “She was the first I told, and then I went to AJ."

Martin sat down. "Let's hope whatever happens tomorrow won't severely damage Ponyville."

They looked the town, ponies rushing over to help put out the dying fire.

"I have a bad feeling it's going to go horribly wrong." Mike said. He looked at his best friend and held a hoof out. "For what it's worth, thanks… and if anything happens, know that you're my best friend aye?"

Martin nodded, smacking his fist against the offered hoof. "Aye."

Mike sighed before looking at himself, his fur burnt and singed. "Flutters may kill me so I won't have to worry about tomorrow." He chuckled. "Just one thing after another."

Martin got up and put his helmet on. "Whatever happens tomorrow, I'll fight the UEA with all my might."

Mike followed his lead. "I'll do what I can but I'm not much of a fighter."

“You should leave the fighting to me.”

"I'm not sure I can do that."

Martin looked at his friend. "We might be fighting a war."

"What can I say? If we face war, then I'll help. In a way, this is my fault. If I would've killed the leader when I had the chance, none of this would've happened."

"Another would've taken his place and we'd never manage to stop them. There will always be somepony who think what they do is right, no matter what."

"But at least it would've given us time to get this whole prince thing taken care of."

"We can't change that now, we'll have to face this threat."

"I guess." Mike plopped down on his flank. "Guess we just have to wait and see."

"I'll do what I can to make sure you and the others are safe." Martin said, walking towards a group of guards. After a moment, the guards nodded and walked towards Mike.

"We're supposed to escort you to the cottage near the Everfree Forest." One of them said.

Mike looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "Alright, do you want me to lead the way?"

They nodded. Mike sighed and got up. With his entourage, he made his way to Fluttershy's cottage.

"So… are you just escorting me?"

"We're supposed to assure your safety. We'll secure the area around the cottage and leave, unless you wish for us to stay."

Mike frowned. "You don’t need to do that; you can just take me to the cottage. I'll be fine."

They ignored him and continued in silence. He sighed and followed them. They finally arrived at the cottage and three of the guards split from the group, looking around. The remaining guard waited for Mike to knock. He nodded and quietly knocked on the door.

It opened a little bit and Fluttershy's sapphire eye peeked through the opening. "Umm… Y-yes?" She asked quietly.

Mike smiled sadly at her. "Hey Flutters." He said, exhausted.

She smiled and opened the door, noticing the guard. "Um… wh-why is there a guard with you…" She trailed off, looking at his fur. "Wh-what happened?" She asked worriedly.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "There was a fire in town and I sorta jumped in, wasn't the smartest choice I made." He looked at the guard. "Also, the UEA are here and Martin sent us a guard group for a bit."

Fluttershy eeped in fear and held her hooves over her head, sinking to the ground. She began to shake. "Th-the UEA?"

He grabbed her and quickly ran a soothing hoof through her mane. "Unfortunately." He held her close. "I met with them personally."

She looked at him, terrified. "Y-you met them?"

"Unintentionally." He smiled slightly before looking at the guard. "See, nothing here?"

She saw the guards patrolling. "Why are th-they here?"

"Making sure we're safe."

She looked at him. "A-are we in danger? Is the UEA after us?"

He shook his head. "It's just a precaution; they firebombed the barracks Martin was at." He sighed, looking away. "I'm sorry Flutters, this is all my fault."

She flung her hooves around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank Celestia you're alright..." She said, closing her eyes.

He wrapped his hooves around her reassuringly and rested his head against hers. "I'm just glad everypony's ok."

The guard coughed. "I hate to interrupt but the area is secure. Is there anything you need us to do before we go?" He said, the guards returning.

Mike smiled at the guards. "No, we're ok, thanks though."

He nodded and they left, heading back into town.

Fluttershy looked at him. "A-are you sure we're safe here?" She whispered.

"I hope so, I really do…" He said, looking around.

She shook as she pulled Mike inside the cottage, locking the door. He watched as she paced and he wiped some soot off his face. Finally she sighed and sat on the couch, wrapping her hooves around herself as she rocked back and forth.

He sat next to her, looking at her. "Fluttershy?"

She looked at him, fear in her eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Come here…" He whispered, pulling her close and gently rubbed her back. "It's going to be ok…"

She cried silently on his shoulder. "I-I'm scared Michael, what if they come here?" She managed between sobs.

He rocked her slowly. "Then we'll beat them." He nuzzled her cheek. "Besides, they don’t have any reason to come here."

"But of course I have a reason to come here." A deep voice said behind them, chuckling. Mike's eyes widened as he quickly turned around, pushing Fluttershy behind him. It was the pony from before, a grin noticeable beneath his mask. "Hello Michael."

"Hello yourself." Mike said, glaring at the pony. "What are you doing here?"

He paused, thinking for a moment. "Well, what wouldn't I be doing here?" He asked, smiling.

"I thought you were planning for the meeting tomorrow? Why waste your time here?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Michael, you are worth my time, considering that you're the knight's best friend. I have a lot of use for you…"

Mike gulped and smiled wearingly. "I doubt I have much use; I'm just a simple pegasus now."

He laughed. "Oh well, I'm sure he thinks differently."

"I'm not even sure what he thinks now."

"It doesn’t matter; we'll see how far he'll go to save you or…" He grinned evilly before he seemingly vanished, and grabbed Fluttershy from his grasp. He pulled her mane to reveal her throat, a knife appearing in his hoof as he held it against her throat. She screamed in fear, tears running down her face. "Or her…"

Mike glared at him, lowering himself to attack. "Let her go! What do you want!?"

He laughed, the knife dangerously scratching against her throat." I want a lot of things… but you can bring me none of them. The knight on the other hoof, well, let's see how far he'll go to save those he loves." He said, little drops of blood dripping onto the blade.

"Please… just let her go, take me instead." Mike forced out, tears in his eyes as he watched Fluttershy gasping for air. He sunk to the ground.

The pony chuckled. "You? Why would I want you if she is the key piece to getting rid of your walking lump of steel?"

Mike looked at him. "Please, I beg you to take me instead…"

He shook his head and tsk. "I'm sorry Michael but you'll see her soon enough." His eyes glowed and with a yelp of fear, Fluttershy and he disappeared, his laugh echoed in the cottage.

Mike stared at the place they stood, tears hitting the wooden floor before he charged the door, knocking it open as he ran into town, tears flowing.

The previously empty night sky was slowly being filled with dark clouds, thunder roaring throughout the area, lightning illuminating the town. He paused, frantically thinking as rain started to pour. He panted, the tears hidden by the raindrops as he ran full speed to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Martin!" He yelled.

The door flew open, AJ stared at him, tilting her head. "Michael?"

"They, they took her…" He struggled to say, his chest heaving as he cried harder, his mind starting to snap. "I… I couldn’t do anything…"

She looked at him and grabbed his shoulders. "Hey, what's wrong Michael?"

"They took Fluttershy!"

Her eyes widened as her mouth hung open. "Th-they took her? The UEA?!"

"No the fucking moon people! Of course the UEA!" He yelled, his body started to convulse.

She stared at him, fear and sadness filling her eyes. "We have ta get the others."

"Where's Martin? Isn't he here yet?"

She shook her head, the rain picking up as thunder boomed through the town.

"Where is he?" Mike said, his voice cold as he fought his emotions.

She looked at him, terrified. "Ah… Ah think he's at Town Hall." She stuttered.

He turned around and galloped away, heading into town, ignoring her yells. The town was devoid of ponies, the street lamps barely staying lit against the wind and rain. He made his way there, pausing for a moment to catch his breath. He could barely see in front of him, the rain blocking his vision.

As he arrived, a lone guard, laid next to the Town Hall's wooden door. A dagger sprung from his back as blood mixed with rain, pooling by the step. Mike pulled the dagger out, blood sprouting out of the wound for a moment. He held it in his mouth as he made his way deeper inside. Bodies of the guards littered the hallways till he abruptly saw a door shut, covered in blood.

"Where are you?" A voice asked, seemingly whispered throughout the building. Mike blended with the wall, hoping the shadows would conceal him as he slowly went closer to the voice. It led him down a long hallway, a wooden double door blocking his path. It was open just enough for him to peek into. "Show yourself!!" The voice said from the room.

A stallion stood in the middle of the room, wearing ragged brown robes with the hood up, hiding most of his face in shadows. Whatever could be seen was hidden by some cloth, save for his eyes, which was golden. A leather belt hung around his shoulder to his waist, full of daggers.

"It's not the one…"

The stallion walked around silently before he halted and looked at the door. "There you are…" He chuckled and made his way towards the door.

Mike backed up quickly, holding the dagger tightly in his mouth. "W-what do you want?"

The stallion kicked the door open, his eyes shining in the candle light.

"What do you want?" Mike repeated, his voice cold.

The stallion walked towards him, a dagger encased in a red aura. "I'm here for the Grandmaster."

Mike rolled his eyes. "You and everypony else. What did he do know?"

The stallion chuckled. "This is the first step, I'm sure he already took her."

"Took who?"

The stallion slowly tilted his head, lost in thought. "What was her name… Flu-Fluttershy was it?"

Mike stood stock still, ready to attack as he glared at the pony. "This… this was your plan wasn't it?" He spat, his voice filled with rage.

The stallion shrugged. "Maybe but you'll find out soon enough."

"What does that mean? Why are you ponies doing this now?"

The stallion laughed, his golden eyes sparkling. "I'm not the one to tell you. He wants to do it personally."

"Am I ever going to meet him?"

"Very soon… and your precious Fluttershy will be with him."

"If you hurt her…" He paused, trying to control his rage, everything slowly taking on a reddish hue. "Why can't I just meet him now?"

"Don’t rush it, just wait. Besides, I won't leave this place alive again anyways."

"What do you mean?"

He looked behind Mike as the clanks of metal on wood could be heard. "Michael?!" Martin yelled as he ran as fast as he could.

Mike's eyes grew. "Martin wait!" He yelled trying to stop the charging armor.

Martin ignored him, ramming the stallion with his shield. The stallion hit the wall with a sick crack but all he did was chuckle as blood trickled from his mouth.

"Martin STOP!" Mike yelled, trying to grab Martin's arm.

Martin raised his sword as a sick piercing noise filled the room, the metal entered his stomach. The stallion smiled as he coughed, looking at them as the light left his eyes and he hung limply on the wall. Mike stared in horror the pony and sat down on the floor.

"You killed him." Mike's voice was quiet, barely being heard.

Martin nodded, drawing the blade out of the stallion as he fell forward, blood flowing from the room. The blade dripped in red, the drops of blood falling on the stallion's fur. Mike suddenly stood up, kicking Martin's hand hard enough to dent the gauntlet as the sword flew from his hand, embedded into the wall.

"You fucking killed him!" Mike yelled, his voice full of anger.

Martin looked at his friend, confused. "Wh-what's wrong Michael?"

"You just killed my only link to get Fluttershy back, that's what!" He yelled, kicking the pony's corpse furiously, the empty thumps echoing in the room.

Martin grabbed Mike, struggling as he tore his friend from kicking the stallion. "That’s no way to treat the body." He leaned down and closed the lifeless eyes before looking at Mike, who looked like he was trying not to explode. "Now what are you talking about?"

Mike continued to struggle in his grip. "After your guards forcibly dropped me off, the leader of the UEA paid us a visit and took Fluttershy. And I was coming here to tell you when I ran into him. He said he knew where they were but oh no, you had to come play fucking 'hero' and kill him before I could find out!" He finally escaped Martin's grip, landing shakily on the ground.

Martin glared at his friend. "Play hero, I did what I was asked to do Michael. Many ponies lost their lives today."

"One more than necessary because of you! I could've talked to him at least."

Martin went to say something when a scream echoed through the town, cutting off all noise. They both looked around before they rushed outside. The rain had stopped but thunder and lightning still rang through the valley.

"So you must be Michael." A voice from the sky said.

"That I am." Mike said, looking up.

"Michael!" Fluttershy screamed, blocked from view by clouds.

He looked around as Martin stared up at the sky. "Fluttershy? Where are you?"

The clouds dispersed as a single cloud hovered in the hole. A stallion wearing snow white robes and a black mask sat comfortably on it, Fluttershy next to him. Ropes were tied around her legs and wings. The only thing keeping her from falling was the stallion's hoof.

"F-Fluttershy…" Mike whispered, walking closer.

The stallion turned to look at her before grinning. "She kept screaming your name. I was beginning to get annoyed."

"What do you want?" Mike yelled.

The stallion slowly shook his head. "It has nothing to do with you; at least I have nothing to do with you."

"What do you want?" Martin yelled, repeating.

"You will see eventually but the time hasn't come yet."

"What does that mean?!" Mike yelled.

"Soon, you'll be reunited with her."

Mike glared at him for a moment before launching himself into the air, his wings beating to keep him airborne. He flew closer to them. "W-what do you want?"

The stallion's eyes glowed green for a moment before a scroll appeared in from of him. He used his magic and the scroll floated towards Mike. 'Take this, it'll tell you everything you need to know."

Mike grabbed the scroll, tearing open the ribbon holding it together.

"When the war begins and the first fight has begun, come to the Dragon Scale Mountain. There, you shall find your precious marefriend and my Master. There, he will make a decision if Fluttershy returns. If you don't come, she will die." He paused, smiling. "And don't look for us; we'll come to you if we wish it." A green flash of light lit up the area and when they could see, both the stallion and Fluttershy were gone.

Mike looked at the scroll one more time before staring at the spot they were at. He sighed, the tears flowing from his eyes as he slowly lowered himself to the ground, his ears hugging the sides of his head. "I-I'm so sorry Fluttershy… I'm so-sorry…" He whispered. He could feel his heart cracking and his body slowly lost feeling, everything becoming numb.

The rest of the girls watched and rushed towards him as he landing on the ground, sinking into a ball, crying.

Author's Note

Whoops! Almost forgot to update! hehe, sorry? Anyways, thanks for the comment/likes/favs guys! We're now over 100 favs! I'm stunned. I can't thank you enough!

Also... we wanted to try something a tad new so if it's over the top, that's exactly how we wrote it... I like being over the top silliness.. and I'm sure it just got extremely dark in the end.

23 - Vaahala

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 23 - Vaahala

Mike's sobs echoed through the area as the girls tried to comfort him; Martin stood behind them and watched. Nothing seemed to get through to Michael, his eyes tightly shut.

All he could do was re-watch Fluttershy's eyes, filled with fear, as she disappeared again. I… I'm useless… He leaned against Twilight, as he buried his face into her chest. She wrapped hooves around him, running a reassuring hoof through his mane.

Martin sighed, a tear running down his cheek as he walked up to the group, picking up the scroll. He looked at his broken friend. "I will find her and they will pay. Nothing will stop me, you have my word." He whispered into Mike's ear. "Where's the house where you stumbled upon their meeting?"

Mike ignored him, hugging Twilight tightly.

Martin frowned. "Girls, look after him, make sure he doesn't do anything crazy." He turned around and started walking away.

"This is our fault…" Mike muttered, causing Martin to stop.

"Don’t worry Michael, I'll find her." He said before continuing to walk away.

There was silence as the girls were speechless, not sure what to do. Finally, Mike sighed. "Twilight?" He whispered.

"Yes?" She asked, looking at him.

"Can you… can you teleport me to Canterlot?"

She paused, looking at him confused. "Now?" He nodded. She looked at the others. "You guys stay here and make sure Martin doesn’t do anything bad. We'll be right back." She closed her eyes and her horn began to glow brightly before there was a bright flash and a pop.

They appeared near the castle and Mike sighed before looking at her. "Thanks Twi but you don’t have to follow me anymore; I've put you through enough." He said, staggering away.

She quickly shook her head and followed him. "Don't worry; I'll stay by your side."

"Since that seems to work so well." He muttered. They were silent as they made their way to the castle. "Twi, you seem to be a smart mare. What do you think happens to ponies that yell at Celestia?"

Her eyes widened. "Um… I don’t know, it's never happened before. Well, not seriously anyway."

"Ah, then I'm about to make history." He chuckled.

Her jaw dropped. "What are you going to do?"

"Twi, Luna blackmailed me into watching Martin and had me swear an oath that if he did anything drastic, I'd take care of it… by any means necessary. She knew what would happen when he was knighted. And I'm sure Celestia knew as well."

She was silent, her brain trying to process everything. "I-I don’t understand, what are you planning to do?"

He sighed. "I'm going to ask how much she knew, I guess you could say." He faintly smiled at her as they stood outside the castle gates. "Last chance Twi, I don’t mind doing this alone."

She shook her head and smiled. "No, I won't leave you… somepony has to get you back in one piece for Fluttershy."

He nodded and opened the doors. Guards quickly swarmed them but Twilight somehow managed to not only keep him from being thrown into the brig for breaking into the castle, but an audience with Celestia. The guards led them into the throne room. Celestia was sitting on her throne, lost in thought with a troubled look on her face. She didn’t seem to notice them enter.

He bowed briefly. "Princess Celestia." He said, his tone a tad rude.

She shook her head, blinking before looking at them. "Michael? Wh- how can I help you?" She asked, slightly confused. She tilted her head as Twilight stood behind him, fidgeting nervously.

"I came to ask a question."

"Um, of course, go ahead."

"How much did you know?"

She looked at him dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"

He stomped up to her, the guards watching intently. "Don’t bullshit me Princess, I've had a feeling you knew Discord brought us here for a reason and I hadn't asked because I didn’t think it was that important. Not anymore; how much did you know?! Did you know when he brought us here this would happen?!"

She looked at him, a bit of sadness leaking through her mask. "I'm afraid I don't understand, did something happen?"

"They got Fluttershy, that's what happened!" He pointed a hoof at her. "And you knew that we were the tipping point, didn’t you?!" The guards moved in front of him, spears at the ready.

The mask seemed to break as sorrow filled her expression and she sighed. "I knew something would happen, yes, but not this… at least not everything."

Fury ignited in his eyes. "You, you knew one of us would be this bull shit knight didn't you! And he would cause everything to go to hell! Did you know what your sister did too? Or was that just because I was forced into a pony!?"

A tear dropped to a floor as Twilight went to hit him. "When the first knight returns, a war will begin. An innocent life will be in peril and he'll be put to the test. Those close to him will be left in sorrow, and his blade shall be covered in blood. But if the one closest to him chooses to forgive, he will return." A sad sigh escaped Celestia's lips as she stared at the two ponies. "Those were his last words, he knew all of this would happen but he chose to remain silent."

Mike sat there, his mouth moving but no noise came out. Finally, he looked at her. "You knew something like this would happen and yet, you didn’t even give anypony a clue. Wait, Martin knew?"

She shook her head. "He doesn’t, but he'll find out soon. Apollo will guide him and he'll lead you to Fluttershy. He is the only one that knows."

He stared at her, thinking as he closed his eyes. What… what does it matter anyway? I couldn't protect her once; it'll just happen again… Something snapped inside of him as the color slowly drained from his coat, becoming gray. Both Twilight's and Celestia's eyes grew wide. "It doesn't even matter." He turned around and walked towards the door.

"I'm sorry Michael…" She paused. "Michael, you mustn't give up!" She said, as he reached the door, Twilight rushing after him.

He looked at Celestia one more time. "Giving up requires having faith in the first place and I lost that a long time ago." He shut the door behind him and walked away, head lowered in defeat.

"You're just going to let Fluttershy die!?" Twilight asked after she caught up to him.

"You mean cause her to die just for being around us? And you heard Celestia; I can't do anything even if I wanted to. Martin's the hero; I'm just his crazy friend." He said, refusing to look at her.

She frowned. "He'll die if you won't be by his side!"

"He doesn’t need me; he's stronger without having to watch out for his broken, bipolar friend… who was tasked with killing him!" He yelled. “He doesn't need a traitor.”

"He would never see you as a traitor!" She yelled.

"I was sworn by the Princess of the Night to kill him if he did something 'drastic' and you've seen how he acts! I'm a traitor and a failure as a friend…" Tears sparkled in his eyes. "I can't even save the pony that I love…"

"But you can still save her."

"By staying as far away from everyone…" He walked away, leaving her staring at him. "I-I need some time alone… I… I'm no good to anyone."

She stared at him, watching him disappear as drops of rain started to splat against the ground. He wandered around the town, not paying attention as rain came down harder. He looked up at the sky and laughed. "Even the weather agrees with me…" He saw a pond and walked up to the edge, looking as the water rippled with the rain drops. His reflection was distorted and gray. "I… I don’t know what to do anymore…" He covered his eyes with his hooves.

A faint light appeared in front of him, slowly getting brighter as it traveled closer.

He moved a hoof away from his eye and laughed. "And there's the light… irony."

The light grew so bright he was forced to cover his eye once more. Suddenly it disappeared. "Michael?" A voice echoed. It sounded relaxed and calm but yet held authority.

"What now Mr. Disembodied voice?"

It paused. "My name is Apollo… Apollo Arkanes. I'm the Grandmaster, well was, the last Grandmaster of the Agathor Order." He said calmly.

Mike rolled his eyes. "I think you got the wrong human, the other ones in Ponyville couple thousand miles south from here."

He chuckled. "Why do you think Martin is more important than you?"

"He's the knight; I'm just his bipolar, traitorous friend."

"And yet, I chose to talk to you."

Mike laughed. "After everything that's happened, I'm just assuming I've gone insane and you're just a voice in my head."

He walked towards the depressed pegasus, the water splashing under his feet. "Michael, Martin needs you, Fluttershy needs you, and this entire kingdom requires you to be strong."

"As you can see, I'm sort of lacking in the strength department, both mentally and physically."

"You think Martin is strong enough on his own?"

"I know so, he doesn't need me."

"A knight is only as strong as those who support him. You are the only one who gives Martin strength to save Fluttershy. With your spirit broken, he has no one to rely on."

"He has the others and they want Fluttershy back as much as I do."

"If he really did have the others he could truly rely on, why did he stay here? He needs you. The only reason he became a knight was because he knew you'd be there to support him. To him, your life is worth almost anything in the world."

Mike looked away, watching the water ripple on the pond. "Why would he need a traitorous, blind pony. He doesn’t need me." He chuckled. "He's saved me too many times to count and I'm sure the others will give him the strength he needs. I'm not much use to him now, I'm broken." He looked at his gray coat. "I don't even have color."

Apollo pulled out his sword and pointed it at the pony. "But you can regain your true colors; all you have to do is accept that without you, this land will be lost. Martin will die and Fluttershy would follow him."

"Without us or me, this land wouldn't be as bad as it is."

"Only great peril can lead to true glory."

"True glory can only be chosen by the survivors."

"But the survivors are those who chose to continue, those who didn’t give up. They assure a future worth living for."

Mike nodded. "I just don’t see how the future is worth fighting for. The more we fight, the more ponies die. If we don't fight, our friends and loved ones die. No matter what we do."

"There will always be death." He lowered his head. "Can you imagine what it feels like to be alone?"

"I have been before and it's getting more and more familiar."

"Have you ever been the last of your kind? Have you ever lost your last friend?"

Mike faintly smiled. "I lost him when I agreed with Luna. Just he doesn't know, unless Twilight told him."

You know how it feels to be alone. My friend left me to die as the last human. I was left alone forever, I still feel the sorrow, and I still feel the pain. But you don’t have to do the same, you can still save him.

"Maybe but I doubt once he finds out he'll want to be friends with me." Mike sighed. "Look Apollo, I understand you're trying to get me to have faith and everything, but I just want to be alone for awhile. Organize my thoughts and stuff like that. Why don’t you go visit your vassal instead? I'm sure he wants to chat with you."

He shook his head. "I can never go back; I used whatever was left of my energy to speak with you. He already knows what he has to do, but you don’t seem to realize."

"I don’t and I'm getting pretty sick and tired of meeting omnipotent beings who think of us as nothing but god damn toys!" Mike yelled. "Celestia knew all this and still went through knowing what'd happen. Luna forced me to betray my best friend. They're using Fluttershy for Christ's sake!" He pounded a hoof into the pond, the water splashing in the rain. "And there's nothing I can do to save her."

Apollo bent down and put a hand on his shoulder. "Believe my friend."

"That boat sailed a long time ago."

"No boat sails forever."

"I guess not but I have no idea when it's going to pull back into the harbor."

"I can show you what'll happen if you give up." He held out his hand.

Mike stared at it for a moment. "Fuck it, I'm already talking to a ghost." He said, grabbing his hand.

Everything around them began to glow as they were suddenly traveling through a tunnel. It reminded him of the Falcon traveling through hyperspace in 'Star Wars'. As they moved, pictures of war flew in front of him. Ponyville burning and bodies littered through the town. Canterlot burning down, ponies screaming in panic as explosions rocked through the town. The land itself filling with blood as Fluttershy laid half submerged, Martin vainly reaching for her.

Mike looked around, staring in horror, his mouth open. "So you're saying if I don’t 'believe', everything will fall apart? That’s a bit extreme isn't it?"

"It already happened once before and I had to watch it until I realized it was me who had to stop it." He looked at the chaos. "I gave up like you did, I thought my boat had left years ago, but it came back for me…"

Mike was silent, staring at Fluttershy. "You said there's still hope to save her?" He asked in a quiet voice.

He nodded, his eyes were puffy and his face wet. "I don’t wish to see it happen again, Michael… I beg you." He sunk to his knees. "Michael, don’t let them die. I had the chance to help my friends but I missed it. Please… don’t make the same mistake I did." His forehead touched the ground as he bowed to Mike.

Mike stared at him as he tried to wrap his head around everything. "Please get up, you don’t need to bow. I'm not worth it." He said, grabbing Apollo and pulling him up. "I guess there's time for mental breakdowns later?" He said with a sad smile.

He smiled back. "Michael, I left my friends for dead don’t let yours die in vain. Fight, so they may live another day."

Mike sighed. "Well, I guess I don’t have much of a choice. I need to save Fluttershy."

He bowed down again. "Thank you Michael."

He bowed to Apollo. "No, thank you Apollo. I needed to get my head back on. I'll deal with the mental breakdown later, after we save Equestria."

He got up and smiled. "Vaahala shall assist you."

Mike nodded. "Thanks." He looked around. "I guess I should be getting back to Ponyville right?"

"He'll fly you there." As he said this, a huge dragon ripped through the sky, landing next to Apollo. With a flap of a wing, wind almost Mike flying. The huge dragon was completely covered in black scales. He was as big as ten carriages stacked end to end, a saddle nestled between his neck spikes and wings. Two claws sprouted from his wings, which was as big as a carriage. He lowered his head, his black eyes staring at Mike. The dragon had four legs, covered with four claws apiece, each sharp enough to slice through the strongest metal.

Mike looked at the dragon and gulped. "That'd probably make life easier. Now how do I get on his back? Oh yeah, wings…" He said, flapping his wings and hovered onto the dragon's back. "Now how do I make him go-"

The dragon flapped his wings and they shot through the air, the wind nearly knocking Mike off.

"Oh sweet Jesus!" He yelled, almost falling off. He grabbed the rope attached to the saddle with his teeth and held on for dear life as the dragon went faster and faster, making the trip to Ponyville.

The wind soared through Mike's mane and fur and all he could hear was the whistle of the wind, blasting him in the face as Vaahala flapped his wings and sped up.

The trip was fast, the distance covered in what seemed like a blink of an eye. Finally, Vaahala slowed down as the remaining guards in Ponyville stared in awe and fear. They aimed their spears at it till Mike staggered and fell to the ground, dizzy.

The dragon looked around, not a single bit of fear on his face. He calmly crouched next to him and looked around with his black eyes.

Mike shook his head, trying to clear his mind. "Thanks." He said to the four copies.

The dragon roared loudly as he presented his chest proudly. Everypony town stared at the black winged creature, he flapped his wings and with a strong gust of wind, he ascended and left a scared Ponyville behind.

One of the guards walked over to Mike, as he tried to stop the world from spinning. "Wh-what was that dragon doing here?" He asked, scared.

"Giving me a ride? Isn't that normal?" Mike asked sarcastically.

The guard went to say something and looked up, Vaahala circling the town. "Wh-what? Why is it still here?!"

Mike watched the dragon. "I'm into sure." He flew up to it. "Hey?"

He flapped his wings a few times and slowed down; he hovered in front of Mike. He stared vacantly at the pegasus, his body as big as the dragon's head.

"Um… you want me to follow you?" He hesitantly asked.

The dragon continued to stare at him before he looked back at the town. A crowd of ponies had gathered watching the dragon. The dragon's eyes widened and closed his wings. Like a spear, he charged towards the crowd. They all screamed and ran away. He flapped his wings and landed, the earth shook violently as he lowered his head. Martin watched him, confused at the dragon.

Mike followed him to the ground. "What do you want? I'm not good at charades."

The dragon slowly crawled towards the human in armor as Martin watched him wearingly. Something about was familiar, he wasn’t scared as he walked towards the dragon.

Mike watched the two of them. "I think he wants you to pet him."

Martin looked at Mike for a moment; the dragon's head was merely inches away. He closed his eyes for a second before he wrapped his neck around him.

Mike chuckled. "I think he likes ya."

Martin patted his forehead. "I-I don’t know why but it's like I've known him, like a close friend." He looked at his pegasus friend. "Michael." He untangled from Vaahala's neck and walked towards him. "A-are you alright?"

The humor vanished from Mike's face. "In a way. Listen, Martin, can we talk away from everypony? We need to settle a few things."

Martin nodded. "Of course, what about the dragon?"

"He'll follow you around, I think." Mike walked towards the library. "Is the library good for you?"

Martin looked behind him, the dragon crawling after them. "That might be a problem, um… library sounds good."

Mike nodded and they went to the library and Spike opened the door. "Hey guys, how are-is that a dragon?" He asked, his jaw dropping as he walked up to it.

Vaahala looked down at him, bending his neck and sniffed the small dragon. They stared at each other, lost in their own world.

Martin placed a hand on Vaahala's snout. "I… could you wait outside of town?"

Spike hopped up. "I'll take him if you need someone to watch him?" He pleadingly looked at Martin.

Martin shrugged. "Um… sure."

Spike smiled and both dragons disappeared, walking out of town as Spike spoke constantly.

Martin looked at Mike. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Mike sighed. "Martin, Luna told me to watch you and make sure you didn’t abuse your powers."

"Um… ok." He replied, slightly surprised.

He looked at his friend. "She forced me to swear that if you got out of hand, I'd take care of it. He pointed a hoof at his blue eye. When you saw it bleeding earlier, that was Luna's spell forcing me into action." He sighed. "If you get out of hand, I'm supposed to make sure you don’t… again."

Martin was silent for a few moments. "Makes sense I guess."

Mike sighed and sank to his flank." I met Apollo apparently."

Martin looked at him, startled. "Y-you met Apollo?"

"Yeah, and I may have Celestia upset a little."

"Wh-what did you do in Canterlot?"

Mike scratched the floor. "I may have yelled at her and asked how much she knew, Martin, she knew everything from the beginning. She just didn't figure how bad it'd get." He sighed again. "So I've met Apollo, upsetted Celestia, and I may have pissed off Luna."

"Oh… um… but that’s not possible, Apollo's been dead for at least a few thousand years."

"Trust me; I just assumed I went crazy. But no, that's how I met Vaahala."

"You mean the dragon?"

He nodded. "Apparently it's supposed to help you fight the UEA or something." He got up and sat on the couch, his head in his forehooves.

Martin walked up to him, laying a hand on Mike's shoulder. "Is everything alright mate?"

Mike looked up. "I just got a chill down my spine." He paused. "Martin, if something happens, promise me you'll take care of Fluttershy."

Martin sighed and sat down on the other side of the couch. "It won't come that far but if, I'll make sure she's safe."

Mike sighed, nodding. "Good, I just got that bad feeling, you know?"

Martin chuckled. "We'll see. The Prince'll will be here tomorrow, let's hope nothing happens, aye?"

Mike looked around. "Yeah, knowing our luck, it's going to get much worse." He got up and started walking out of the library.

Martin followed him. "What will you be doing now?"

"I… I don’t know. I just don’t know anymore." He said, sniffling.

Martin sighed. "You should probably look after the cottage and the animals."

Mike shook his head. "I don’t think I can."

"You have to be strong; I'll do anything I can to find her."

"I am, I'm doing the best I can. The animals are gone; they left when I ran out."

Martin looked at the ground. "If you want, you could stay at the farm."

Mike shook his head again. "It's not worth it. I'll sleep in the park or something."

Martin grabbed Mike's shoulder. "I can't let you do that, come on mate."

Mike grumbled. "Fine, but I'll sleep in the barn with the rest of the animals."

Martin nodded. "If it makes you feel better." He led the way through the night, he halted on the way. "Wait, I have to try this." He took a deep breath. "Vaahala!" He yelled, using his hands to amplify the yell. There was a loud roar and the dragon flew towards them, Spike holding on for dear life.

Martin patted Vaahala on the head. "I could get used to this." He up to his side and climbed onto his back, grabbing the rope attached to the saddle and stood up. "You walking to the farm?" He asked.

Mike nodded. "Yeah, I'll say ask AJ first." He chuckled.

Martin laughed. "We'll see." He grabbed the rope tightly. "Let's go." Vaahala flapped his wings and flew high into the sky, leaving you behind on the ground. The trip to Sweet Apple Acres was even shorter, the dragon closing the distance in less than a minute. He landed, making the ground shake and some apples fall off the trees. Martin climbed off his back and opened the barn door.

The animals stared at him as Martin looked back at Vaahala. "Don’t eat any of those, ok?"

He faintly nodded his head, smelling a few of the animals and the animals screamed in fear. He crammed himself into the barn, barely enough room for him. Martin patted him on the head and closed the door.

"So now I just have to go tell AJ that there's a dragon in the barn." He walked towards the Apple house. AJ poked her head out of her window.

"The hay's goin' on in there?" She said loudly, the light in her room flickered. She galloped outside, her mane unbraided, her hat nowhere to be seen. "Martin, the hay are you doing with the barn?" She asked, walking up to him.

"Yeah, I hope it's not a problem but I parked my dragon in the barn."

"Well that ain't that- wait, dragon?" She paused, squinting at you.

Martin nodded. "Yeah you know, the one's with the scales, sharp teeth and big wings?"

She stared at him. "Ya need to get out of the barn! It'll eat mah animals!"

Martin raised his hands reassuringly. "No need to worry, I told him not to eat any of them."

She stared at him before sighing. "If it eats mah animals." She stomped away, slamming the front door shut.

Martin looked at the closed door. "Um… AJ?"

"Ya?" She asked, yawning.

"I assure you Vaahala won't eat your animals, don’t worry."

"It's yer head if he does." She said calmly. "Now if there's nothing else, Ah'm goin' back ta bed so Ah can finish my chores."

Martin nodded. "Ok… um… goodnight I guess."

The light from her room went out as Mike finally made his way to the farm, Martin turning around. Martin sighed and walked up to him. "It might be a little cramped in the barn." He said.

"No worries, I'm not as tall as I used to be, I can curl into a ball if need be."

Martin coughed. "Let's hope Vaahala won't eat you."

Mike chuckled. "Me and him have an understanding." He walked into the barn. "I guess it's goodnight?"

Martin nodded. "Sleep tight." He walked up to the Apple house and disappeared inside.

Mike sighed and walked to a corner not occupied by Vaahala and curled into a little ball, falling into a fitful sleep.

Author's Note

Not sure if Vaahala is a dragon or Norse 'heaven' but meh, too lazy to research. Pretty sure we're spelling it wrong too... but thanks for the likes/favs!

24 - The Griffin Prince

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 24 - The Griffin Prince

"Michael, time ta wake up." AJ said, poking the slumbering pegasus in the shoulder.

He opened an eye. "Morning." He said, his voice hoarse and his eyes had dark purple bags underneath them.

She looked at him sadly. "Are ya alright?"

"Just a rough night, you know?" He yawned. "So what time is this meeting?"

She tapped her chin. "Well, the Prince will be here this evenin' and the meetin' is shortly after that."

"So what do we do till then?"

"Well, Martin's at work and Ah'm gonna buck some apples with pBig Mac and Aplebloom. You can do whatever ya feel like Ah guess, maybe keep Vahil, Vahali, or whatever it's called company."

"Ah, I should get to work myself." He got up and stretched. "I'll see you later AJ, thanks for letting me crash here for the night."

She smiled. "Be careful." She said, watching the pegasus leave.

He made his way to the bookstore and forced a smile as he chatted with Ms. Page and started to work, getting lost in a column.

=

Nothing exciting happened as the town prepared for the Prince's arrival. Everypony in town made sure to do their part and clean up said town as Pinkie decorated, going ecstatic for the chance to throw a party for the Griffin Prince. Finally, as the guards stood in formation in front of town hall, Martin stood proud, his armor glowing in the sun. Vaahala sat just off to the side.

The Griffin party landed, a squad of six griffins in full armor escorted a younger looking griffin. Mike stood off to the side, watching quietly in the shadows. The girls walked up to Martin, the Mayor smiling broadly.

The six guards stared impassively as Martin slowly made his way to the Prince and bowed. He rose and looked at him. "Prince Vandir, we're happy to see that you arrived without any complications."

Vander eyed him for a moment before nodding solemnly. "Indeed, I'm glad to finally see this 'Ponyville' and meet its famed inhabitants."

Martin nodded as a unicorn walked up to him, carrying a small wrapped sheath. He grabbed it and presented it to Vandir. "Please, accept this gift from Princess Celestia."

Vandir grabbed the gift with his talon and unwrapped it, the scimitar's jeweled hilt glowing. He smiled as he turned away from everyone and pulled it out of its sheath, staring at the blade. "They never cease to amaze me…" He muttered before re-sheathing it and handed it to a guard. The guard put it in his travel pack and took out a gift as well, handing it to Vandir. Vandir paused before handing it to Martin. "A gift as well, from the Griffin King."

Martin accepted the gift, unraveling the cloth to reveal a small golden locket, embedded with jewels. "Thank you, I'll send it Princess Celestia as fast as possible." He bowed and handed it to a guard. "The meeting is ready, if you wish to start it now. Or do you wish to see where you'll be staying first?"

"I'd like to meet this other human along with the Elements, if that's alright. I've heard a lot about both."

Martin nodded. "I'm afraid due to some medical circumstances; Michael had to be given a new form. He's no longer in human form."

"Really? I'd still like to meet him if he's around."

Martin gave him a short nod and he looked at the remaining Elements. "Please, they're right here." He said, moving out of the way.

He startled everyone as he bowed to the Elements. "It's a pleasure to meet the Elements of Harmony." He smiled at Dash. "And a certain associate of mine would like to offer her apologies for her actions several months ago."

Dash grinned. "I think that's about right."

Vandir nodded. "I'll let her know you accepted them." He bowed again, deeply, to Twilight. "And Ms. Twilight Sparkle, thank you for letting me stay at your home during my visit."

She blushed and smiled. "It's the least I could do."

"I'll be sure to mention it to father when I make my report." He smiled back. "Wait, I'm only counting five; I heard there were six Elements?"

Martin coughed. "I'm afraid Fluttershy isn't here at the moment. She had to go visit her parents and couldn't make it to the meetings." He lied, his frown hidden behind his helmet.

The girls stared at him as Mike glared from the shadows.

"Oh… how unfortunate." Vandir said, oblivious.

Martin paused, giving the girls a look before making his way towards town hall. "Please, the Canterlot Ambassador is waiting."

Vandir nodding, walking to town hall to greet the awaiting pony, the girls right behind him, only pausing to glare at the lying human. Martin sighed and turned around, Mike was right behind him.

"Michael, I'm sorry but we shouldn’t worry him before the meetings even start."

Mike nodded. "Wasn't me you lied to." He said, motioning for Martin to follow the girls. "I'll stay out here and keep an eye on things; I'm not much of a debater." He smiled faintly. “Call if you need me."

Martin sighed again. "Alright." He said, quickly heading towards town hall, heading into the conference room.

The ambassador and the Mayor shook hooves with Vandir as they exchanged 'official' greetings. Martin walked up to the girls, standing next to AJ.

"Not what Ah was expectin', ta be honest." She whispered.

He leaned down. "I'm sorry but we shouldn't worry him too much, the discussions haven't even begun."

"Agreed." She nodded. "But Ah assumed after meetin' Gilda that all griffins were… ya know."

"That's kinda racist."

She eyed him, a small smile on her snout. "Well forgive me for being a tad conflicted when the only contact Ah had with griffins were with Gilda."

He chuckled. "I won't judge you."

"Let's get this meeting under way so we're not here till four in the morning." Vandir said with a small smile, motioning for everypony to take a seat.

Everypony sat down except Martin, standing at the end of the table, looking at everyone. "We gathered here to discuss this war in the Land of the Desert and the attacks of the UEA."

Vandir nodded. "What we say here doesn't leave this room." He seemed to age a few years as he rested in his chair. "The UEA were spotted on our borders and a few griffins have said that they're starting to collect in our outlying territories."

"They're three attacks in the last week. The first was a fire to the Ponyville barracks. The second was them kidnapping a young mare. The third was a failed assassination on myself."

Vandir was silent for a moment before staring at the human. "That young mare wouldn't happen to be the Element that went on 'vacation' would it?"

Martin sighed. "I'm afraid so…"

"Has anypony met with them or know who's in charge?"

"I've met with two of their leaders. The third is still unknown to us."

"Were they rather tall? Wear white robes and strange masks that had symbols that could glow?"

"Yes."

"Interesting…" Vandir clicked his talons on the table. "And what time was this attack were you met them? Were they the other day around noon?"

Martin shook his head. "No, it was close to night, in this very building."

He was silent. "Wait a minute that pony that was kidnapped, she didn’t have a pink mane and yellow coat did she?"

Everypony looked at him closely. "Yes, her name was Fluttershy."

Vandir leaned back in his chair. "I think I know where they're hiding her."

One of the guards looked at him. "Prince Vandir, you can't be serious."

Martin leaned forward, both of his hands resting on the table. "Please, share with us what you know."

The guard quickly interjected before Vandir could speak. "We can't divulge that information at the moment." Vandir sighed, closing his eyes.

Martin sighed, changing topics before it started a full blown argument. "The uproar in the Land of the Desert is tensing the situation. They're threatening to begin a war."

Vandir nodded. "We must figure out what to do with that, at the very least."

Mike suddenly appeared in the shadows, Martin glaring at him briefly. "There have been some attacks in the Griffin Kingdom, if I've been informed correctly."

Vandir noticed the pony as well. "Then you've been informed correctly. We lost a dozen soldiers in one attack." He motioned for the guard with the pack and he quickly reached inside, pulling something wrapped in a cloth. "This was the only thing we found on their corpses." He opened it and pulled out a slightly wilted red rose.

Everypony stared at the rose as Martin sighed. "The United Equestrian Army..."

"That's what I thought." Vandir sighed and put the rose away. "So if I'm correct in my assumptions, we’re both fighting a common enemy that's nullified the Elements of Harmony?"

Martin briefly nodded. "Yes and with the recent attacks, we might be drawn into the war as well."

"Have you had any contact with the Dragon clans?"

Martin sadly shook his head. "No, but we have a good chance of contacting them."

"At least someone does, I'd recommend getting into contact with them. We're fighting against everypony; we're going to need all the help we can get." Vandir sighed as he pulled aside the guard. "If you'll excuse us, I need to have a private word with Ganir."

"Of course."

Vandir quickly pulled Ganir off to a small room on the side, shutting the door behind him, guards flanking the door. Martin glanced at the door for a moment before walking over to Mike.

"Michael, what are you doing here?"

"Just getting a feeling I'd be better inside than outside. Don’t worry, Vaahala is watching us too."

"Alright…"

"So they know where Fluttershy is?"

"They think they do."

Shouts could be heard from behind the door. "And we can't get it unless they tell us right?"

"I'll try and talk to him about it later."

"Don’t worry, I understand. I agree with him, we need to be together in this fight. I just wish he'd tell us…"

The door opened and Vandir walked out, looking exhausted as the fuming guard followed him. "Sorry about that." Vandir said, sitting down and looking at Mike. "And who's this?"

"This is Michael; he used to be human like me."

Mike bowed to Vandir. "Pleasure to meet you Prince Vandir."

Vandir smiled faintly. "Agreed but how did you know my name, I don’t recall telling you?" Vandir's guards nonchalantly moved their talons closer to their swords.

"He's here to assure our safety, don’t worry."

The guards looked skeptically at Michael before relaxing slightly. "No worries." Vandir said. "So, anything else we need to discuss for the night?"

"Yes, do you think it's wise to send some soldiers to the borders?"

He scratched the feathers on the back of his head. "I really don’t think you have much of a choice. I'm trying to get my father to agree to help you but…" He smiled sadly.

"But?"

"He isn't too thrilled to throw his subject's lives away."

Martin sighed. "I can understand. He'll have to do what he thinks is best for his subjects."

"It won't help if the world falls to the UEA though."

"Agreed."

Ganir gritted his beak, grinding his teeth.

"Is everything alright?" Martin asked, looking at him.

"Everything's fine." He grunted, Vandir watching him closely.

Martin narrowed his eyes skeptically. "If you say so." He slowly looked back at Vandir. "We should end this meeting and continue in the morning."

"Agreed." Everyone got up. "Then I'll say goodnight now."

"The library is a safe place. You should be able sleep comfortably." Martin reassured Vandir.

"That's why we're here." Ganir said as everybody headed towards the door.

"Aye." They all walked outside. It had gotten dark and the streets were empty. The griffins had surrounded Vandir and a half circle formation, only Twilight allowed to get close to him. Mike and Martin hung in the back, next to each other. "Michael, can you keep an eye on Ganir for me?" Martin whispered.

"You getting that vibe to?" Mike asked quietly. "But consider it done."

"Thank you."

"No problem, gotta do something. I'll let you know if anything happens." Mike said, using Luna's gifts to fade into the darkness.

Martin nodded and followed the group. Twilight and Vandir talked about something, most likely Ponyville or one of her adventures, as the guards looked around, wary. Ganir seethed about something, and the other Elements, especially AJ, watched him carefully. Martin carefully rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as he watched over the group.

They paused at the library before the Elements went home. The guards spread out and searched the tree house and argued at length with Twilight that Spike could be a spy. Finally, after that was quickly settled when Twi's mane burst into flames, a guard remained outside as everypony and griffin went into the library.

Vandir stared in awe at all the books and looked like he wanted to read each and every one of them, but politely excused himself, wishing everyone goodnight. Ganir soon followed him upstairs, after one final glare at Martin. Twilight sighed and sagged on the couch.

Martin looked at her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just tired. That was a tad stressful, you know? I'm just glad the first meeting went so well."

"Let's hope tomorrow will be the same."

"Yeah." She looked at him concernedly. "You should get some sleep; it's going to be a rough couple of days." She said, getting up and walking upstairs. "Goodnight Martin."

"G'night Twilight." He said, walking outside and looking at the sky. "Vaahala!"

The dragon landed in front of him in moments, the ground shaking on impact. Martin patted him gently on the head before climbing on his back.

"Let's go." The dragon nodded his head, launching himself back into the sky and towards the farm. The trip to the farm was silent, before landing in the matter of a minute. Martin hopped off and led him back in the barn, making sure to tell him not to eat the animals, again. He closed the barn door and headed inside the Apple house.

The lights were on and AJ was sitting on the couch, looking like she was lost in thought. He walked up and took off his helmet and sat down, the couch creaking. "Hey AJ."

She blinked and looked over at him. "Hey."

"Did you notice Ganir?"

"Yeah, he didn't seem too thrilled with the idea of us workin' together."

"There's something about that guy."

"Ah don't like him, something 'bout him doesn't sit right with me."

"Aye, I asked Michael to keep an eye on him."

"Oh? How's he doin'?"

"He wants to find Fluttershy, just like we all do."

She sighed. "Don't we all…" She hesitated. "He doesn’t look right."

"I know, he's going through some trouble."

"Ah wish there was soemthin' we could do ta help."

"All we can do is try and find her."

"Then what? Ah have a feeling somethin' is happening to her."

Martin shrugged. "I don't know."

She sighed. "Ah don't know what ta do either." She got up. "Let's get some shut eye, tomorra's gonna be a busy day."

He followed her example, standing up as he grabbed his helmet. "Agreed."

26 - The "Rescue"

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 26 - The "Rescue"

They continued to chase him as he went deeper and deeper into the cave system, losing track as he incapacitated the ponies that got too close. They kept right behind him, reusing the same tactics that got him the first time, save he dodged them, whacking them on the wing or in the face as payback.

Mike paused as he somehow ended in a lobby, the walls showing endless tunnels. He charged down one of them, panting as he heard the hoof steps of his pursuers. Finally, he gave them a momentary slip and leaned into the shadows of the wall, trying to be quiet as he got air back. A pair of stallions wandered down the tunnel he chose and he held his breath as he heard one of them curse.

"Buck, we lost him. We have to go tell Metanoia, maybe he can help find him." They turned around, disappearing down back into the lobby.

Mike sighed quietly, slipping deeper and deeper into the tunnel. A few wandered down the tunnel and he stopped cold whenever one would get too close.

"What is it now?!" A voice that sent a shiver down Mike's spine yelled.

"Well, we-we lost him." A guard said quietly.

"You lost him in our home?" There was a moment of silence. "Is he still around?"

"We think he is but we don't know."

"Very well, I shall see if he's still here." Hoof steps rang in the silence as they stopped precariously close to where Mike was hiding. Mike peeked over the side to see a stallion wearing white flowing robes standing there, looking around.

Mike edged as slowly as he could away, trying to find another path to take. He hit something and turned to see a mare standing there, stunned as they stared at each other, neither knowing what to do. Before she could scream, he grabbed her mouth and closed it, pinning her against the wall. "Shh…" He whispered to her, staring into her eyes.

She had leaf green eyes, her coat a dull cream color. Her long black mane fell and covered her face. Her eyes sparkled with fear.

He saw the fear and stared in horror, realizing what he had become. He looked at his hoof, slowly letting her go and helped her off the wall.

She tilted her head and looked at him. "W-who are you?" She asked, her voice quiet and similar to Fluttershy's, just a bit deeper.

"My name is Mike. I'm just looking for a pegasus named Fluttershy…" He whispered. "Who are you?"

She blinked a few times, her long eyelashes flapping slightly. "I-I'm Rose…"

"I'm sorry Rose, but I can't let them know where I am." He looked away, peering down into the darkness. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head. "What do you mean, who's Fluttershy?" She asked, confusedly as she looked for guards.

He motioned towards the white robed stallion. "He took my marefriend, kidnapped her so he could use her against her friends."

She gasped. "He wouldn't… He said he would only do what he could to help…"

He shook his head. "No, he kidnapped her right in front of me. There wasn't anything I could do to stop him…"

She stared at him in disbelief. "Bu-but my father, he told me that he was helping ponies… ever since I was a little f-filly…"

He stared at her dumbfounded. "That's your dad? I'm… so sorry but he wasn't telling the truth." Tears leaked out of his eyes. "I just want to find Fluttershy; I don't even want to fight." He held up the stick. "I mean look at me."

She sighed sadly. "I-I… I don't know if I can believe you…" She looked at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I understand. Just let me slip down a passage and you'll never see me again."

She looked him in the eyes, trying to find any hint of deceit. "I… I think I know where she is."

"You do!? Please, I beg you, tell me where."

She looked around one final time. "Follow me." She said quickly, walking past him and deeper down the path. He nodded and slowly followed her, keeping an eye out for any other pony.

She hid in the shadows, waiting for any ponies to pass before she opened a small door hidden behind a rock. "Stay close." She said, opening it just enough for the two of them to slip through.

The door led to a long stone corridor, hundreds of doors lined each side. Torches were sparse, the few casting dancing shadows down the corridor. Rose snuck down it as Mike stuck close by, thankful that the torches made it hard to see. It also made for good ambush spots. He gripped the stick tightly, his ears trying to hear the faintest of sounds.

"Rose, darling, what are you doing here?" A voice asked from the shadows.

Their eyes opened up as Mike frantically looked around for a place to hide. "I'm looking for Uncle Diable." She said quickly.

Suddenly his white robes reflected in the casted light the torches gave. He stood in front of them. Mike sunk deeper into the shadows, resting a hoof against Rose's side to let her know where he was.

"But he left yesterday to go to the Land of the Desert." The stallion replied, his yellow eyes shining through the darkness.

"I-I forgot." She stuttered, looking around the corridor, frantically thinking of an excuse. "Um… it was nice talking to you." She said quickly walking past him, Mike in tow.

Her dad watched her leave before turning around and disappearing into the darkness. Mike sighed. "That was close. Good job."

She gulped. "I hope Dad didn't see you." She whispered as she led him to the end of the corridor; it led into a small square room with three doors, one on each wall. She walked up to the one opposite of her. "Ok, I think she's in here." She said as she slowly opened the door and stuck her head through the opening.

The door led to a room that could easily fit several football stadiums inside, the ceiling at least ten meters high. A large circular table sat in the middle of the room, at least hundred chairs surrounded it. An entire wall was replaced with a window, the glass stained and dirty from the wind. It overlooked the Land of the Desert, a few town buildings could faintly be seen. A chandelier hung overhead, the candles out. Torch pits hung on the wall, all out as well. The only light was filtered through the window.

"I think she's down there." Rose mumbled as she pointed her hoof at the center of the table. There was a small metal grid, locked, keeping something inside.

He hopped up on the table and glared at the grid, trying to find a way to open it. He grabbed the bars and pulled with all his might; it wouldn't even budge. He panted, leaning down so his snout stuck through the bars. "Flutters?" He whispered.

There was a quiet whimper as he saw her curled in a small yellow ball, her legs bound together and a bag over her head.

"Fluttershy!? Are you alright?!" He asked, struggling against the grid.

She moved her head, the bag staring at him as she whimpered again. Rose walked up next to him, looking at the door. "Hurry…"

He nodded and took a deep breath before he pulled as hard as he could. The muscles in his arms and back strained against the grid, the grid slowly giving. A moment later, with several loud pops and grunts of pain, the grid caved and lifted sluggishly. He leaned down, ignoring his body screaming in pain. He reached into the hole, easily lifting Fluttershy out of the hole. He quickly removed the bag from her as he stared into her face, tears starting to trickle down his face. "Fluttershy…"

Her sapphire eyes opened hesitantly before meeting Mike's emerald eyes, her face stained with tears and her eyes puffy. "Michael!!" She yelled, launching herself at him and burying her head into his chest, crying.

He struggled to hold her, almost falling into the hole. "Shh, its ok Flutters, I'm here." He sat down on the table, resting his head against hers as he felt her heart beat. He tried to calm her down.

She continued to cry, her sobs echoing in the room. "Michael, I missed you so much… I thought I was going to stay here forever…"

He nuzzled her cheek. "I'm sorry it took me so long Flutters; I did everything I could to find you.” He stopped, making her look into his eyes. “But right now we need to be quiet and get out of here while we can." He said, getting up and stared at the chains on her legs, trying to figure out how to get them off.

"We have to go now; you'll have to carry her." Rose whispered, frantically searching for another exit.

He nodded. "Come on Flutters." He hefted her up and kissed her cheek. "We gotta go." He turned to look at Rose. "Lead the way." He said, his eyes red and puffy from crying.

She nodded and headed towards the door, before it was blown to bits. Guards swarmed the room and shouted at the three, pointing their weapons. Rose's father walked past the guards and towards his daughter.

"Rose, why… why would you bring him here?" He asked, sadness leaked in his tone.

"Father, this isn't right. I thought we fought for good. Why would you kidnap her?" Rose asked, stomping her hoof on the ground.

He sighed. "It was necessary…"

"No…" Rose shook her head. "I can't believe you."

"Please, we can talk about this." Mike pleaded, Fluttershy gripping his neck tightly. "I understand that you don't agree with Celestia's politics but we can sit down and discuss this. We don’t need to fight."

"No, for too long we've tried to be peaceful. It got us nowhere; it's time to act." Rose's father stared at the ground for a moment. "Rose, what you did is unacceptable. If you step away from him now, you may live."

She stared down her father, looking at him with a mix of determination and fear. "No…"

His yellow eyes grew wide with shock. "Please Rose…" He pleaded.

She shook her head.

He sighed. "Rose, I hope you know I'm truly sorry." He said, the guards moving past him, their weapons pointed at their throats.

"Wait!" Mike yelled, moving in front of Rose. "We can talk; I have the Princess' ear. Well her eye but that's beside the point. I know you don’t want to hurt her, please, let me go talk to Celestia. I can guarantee an audience."

The father shook his head slowly. "No." He raised his hoof and moved it slightly before turning around. "Do what must be done." He left the room, his hoof steps disappearing.

Mike looked at the guards. "Rose, take Fluttershy and smash that window and fly as fast as you can, get out of here." He demanded, hoofing Fluttershy to Rose.

She looked at him in fear. "I-I can't leave you."

A guard laughed. "Nopony is going to leave. Die!" He yelled raising his halberd. A very familiar roar echoed through the room, so loud the window rattled in its holder. The guards looked around, dumbfounded.

Mike grabbed his stick and launched myself at the guards, dodging the halberd as he whacked the guard as hard as he could, right between the eyes. The guard fell as the roar shook the mountain itself. The remaining guards looked at the attacking pegasus before charging. He dodged one and attacked again. A guard caught him as he dodged and swung the halberd at him. Mike tried to block it with the stick, but that was quickly cut in half and the blade pierced his hoof, cutting deep and severing the bone. He grunted in pain and threw blood into the attacker's eyes.

The guard yelled in pain and stumbled backwards, rubbing a hoof to get the blood out of his eyes. "Die you stupid buck!" He yelled, the halberd high above his head. The room shook violently, almost as if an earthquake had hit, everypony stumbling to the ground.

A blurry silhouette covered the window for a moment before Vaahala's head shattered it, thousands of glass shards raining down. The dragon looked around the room slowly, the glass not even phasing it. He looked down, the guard staring at the dragon in horror. The guard screamed and tried to run before Vaahala caught him, digging his teeth into his flank. Blood poured to the ground as the guard was flung into the air, well half of him did. The other half remained locked in Vaahala's mouth. With an utterly terrifying cracking noise, the lower body disappeared down the dragon's gullet.

The three pegasi watched in fear as Vaahala swooped in and decimated the remaining guards, his mouth dripped with blood. Fluttershy screamed in fear as Rose quickly backpedaled as Vaahala looked at them. The dragon paused, staring at Mike as he maneuvered through the room, crushing the table as he got closer, his scales covered in blood.

"Hey Vaahala, you saved me again." Mike said weakly, his arm still dripping blood.

The dragon smiled before turning his attention to the two mares gaping in horror.

Mike staggered to the dragon, placing a hoof against the scales. "Easy, they're with me. They're the reason why we came here in the first place."

The dragon shook like a dog before he lowered his wings to the floor, looking at Mike. Mike nodded and walked back to Fluttershy and held out his good hoof. "Do you trust me?"

She looked at him, her body shaking in fear. Rose stood next to her, eyeing the dragon. "Y-you want us to climb onto his back?" Rose asked in disbelief.

Mike nodded, gently grabbing Fluttershy's hoof. "I do, I'll be with you the entire way but we have to go now."

Fluttershy hesitantly nodded, her eyes never leaving the dragon. Rose looked at him terrified. "I…" She quickly went quiet before nodding.

Mike helped Fluttershy and Rose up before hopping up himself and wrapped his good hoof around Fluttershy's waist. "Alright hold on, he goes rather fast. Any time Vaahala."

The dragon nodded and headed towards the window. He gripped the frame tightly, getting ready to jump. The wind nearly knocked the three pegasi right off his back. He launched himself out the window and his large wings flapped to keep him steady. A spear flew right over his head, bouncing off a head spike. He turned around a dozen ponies stood at the window, throwing spears and launching arrows at the huge dragon.

Vaahala seemed to laugh, a deep booming noise coming from the back of his throat. He took a deep breath, looking at the window before roaring loudly, and a wave of fire belched from his mouth. The flames engulfed the upper part of the mountain, the heat causing the pegasi to look away. The screams of the roasting ponies rang loudly in the mountains before slowly dying away, the only noise the crackling of fire burning.

Smoke poured out of Vaahala's nose, as if it was a campfire. What they could see of the room that was encased in the flames, it was covered in soot, several burnt corpses huddled by the door. Vaahala then turned around, his wings flapping as he sped them back to Ponyville.

Mike tried to keep his wound away from the others, a trail of blood flowing from his arm. He slumped against Fluttershy as he became light headed, the world starting to disappear into black splotches.

Fluttershy still shook with fear, her eyes closed tight. She felt something hit her and slowly opened an eye, seeing Mike passed out on her. She quickly flung her hooves around his neck to make sure he didn't fall off, the chain almost cutting off his air.

Vaahala flew faster, smelling Mike's blood in the air. He soon landed hard on the ground, a small crater forming underneath him. Guards rushed towards him, helping the pegasi off before pointing spears at Rose.

"Who are you?" A guard asked.

"Wait…" Mike whispered weakly.

The guards halted, waiting for him to explain.

"She's with me. She helped me save Fluttershy..." He sighed. "Anypony got a bandaid?" He asked, trying to raise his barely attached arm.

Fluttershy gasped and Rose looked away. Another guard nodded and quickly galloped away. "What happened?" A guard asked, putting his spear away.

"Vaahala came back and attacked. They had guards waiting for us, that was their base. It was heavily guarded."

The guard nodded and rested Mike's good hoof on his shoulder as he dragged him along towards the returning guard, Nurse Redheart right next to him.

She sighed. "Michael, why doesn't it surprise me to see you again?" She asked, stopping in front of them and looked at the wound. "Oh my, we have to go to the hospital so I can fix this."

Mike shook his head, looking back at Fluttershy. "Could somepony get those cuffs off her?"

A unicorn guard walked up to her. "I'm on it." He said, his horned glowed and the cuffs opened. She stretched her legs before running to Mike and she tackled him in a hug.

He smiled as he rested his head against hers, squeezing her tightly. "Welcome back Flutters, I'm so glad your home." He said, tears in the corners of his eyes.

She dug her face into his shoulder, crying.

"Fluttershy!!" A pony yelled before they were assaulted with pink. Pinkie had joined the hug, the other Elements stood by watching. Fluttershy continued to cry as he hoofed her to Pinkie and the others quickly joined the hug.

Redheart tapped on his shoulder and he sighed as the guard from earlier helped drag him to the hospital. Rose stood next to Vaahala, who had decided to take a nap in the middle of the street.

They made it to the hospital and the guard had to hold him down so he wouldn't move as she realigned the bone and muscles before finally sewing him up. "There, all done." She said, wiping sweat from her forehead.

He smiled at her. "Thanks Nurse Redheart, what would I do without you?" He asked, hesitantly moving his arm before she grabbed it and wrapped it in bandages.

The guard nodded his head. "I'll take my leave now." He said, shutting the hospital room door behind him. She finished wrapping his hoof.

"Now I don't want to see you here too soon, okay?" She said, looking at him concernedly.

"With my track record, I guarantee nothing but I'll do my best." He chuckled, getting up.

"Drink plenty of water and juice and you'll be fine in a day or two." She said, putting the needle away. "So how is Fluttershy?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, she looked fine. I don’t know what happened to her."

She looked at him worriedly. "If there's anything wrong, you know where to find me."

"You'll be the first to know." He said, heading towards the door. "I'll go check on her, make sure she's ok."

She nodded, waving goodbye.

He waved as well and trotted back to everypony, limping slightly. The guards were on high alert and watched him closely as Vaahala was still asleep in the street. Rose was talking to the girls as they all looked at her cautiously.

He waved at her he walked up to the group. "Hey girls."

They looked at him as Rarity held Fluttershy, who had calmed down. Rose stared awkwardly at the ground.

He walked up to her. "Thank you Rose for helping me." He bowed.

She hoofed the ground. "I-I'm sorry…" she sighed and looked at him; her green eyes trying to hold back pain and sorrow. "I-I didn't know what my father was doing…"

He faintly smiled. "Don’t worry, you didn’t know. It's alright."

Tears started to fall. "I-I've been… told lies, everything my father did… he told me what he did helped all…"

He looked at her sadly before hesitantly wrapping his hooves around her. "Shh, it's ok, just let it out."

Tears landed on his shoulder. "I-If I would've known… I-I would've done something earlier…"

"I know..." He looked at the girls, pleading for Twilight to help him.

Twilight walked up to them and patted Rose on the back. "You helped us find and save Fluttershy, we're all in your debt."

Mike nodded. "Without you, I would've been caught and we'd be in a whole lotta trouble."

She looked at Twilight before looking at Mike, her face wet with tears. "C-can I ask you for a favor?" She asked.

"Sure."

"I-I never learned the truth about Equestria… would you kindly show me some of it?" She asked quietly.

He blinked. "Truth? What do you mean?"

"All my life I never stayed in the same place for long, my father was always on the move. I only learned about what he thought was right, what he thought was the truth. I never got to learn anything else."

"OHH!" Pinkie appeared next to them. "How about I give you a tour of the town and introduce you to everypony? I'm sure they'd be glad to meet you?!" She asked with a huge smile.

Rose faintly smiled back. "Sure."

"Yay!" Pinkie said, grabbing Rose's hoof and hopping away. Mike smiled at the pair as they disappeared into town.

Twilight smiled as she looked at Michael. "It seems even in the most hostile places, you can still find friends."

He rubbed the back of his neck embarrassingly as he chuckled.

Her smile quickly changed to a worried frown. "While you were gone, Canterlot dispatched a battalion of soldiers to the Land of the Desert."

He frowned. "Why? What about the griffins?"

She looked at the ground. "Martin went with them, he asked you to take his place while he's gone. The next meeting is tomorrow morning. "

"Oh great, I'm not good at this sorta thing."

She sighed. "He trusts you, you can't let him down."

"I'll do what I can…"

"You'll do a great job." She said, trying to smile.

"Yeah…" He sighed and glanced at Dash. "How are you?"

She rubbed the back of her head tenderly. "Better now, that was quite a hit."

"Sorry I couldn't help."

She shooed him with a hoof. "Nah, don't worry about it."

He nodded. "So how is everything here? Everypony and griffin ok? How's Ganir; still a pain?"

Rarity frowned. "He's a brute if I may say so myself."

Mike looked at Twilight. "Still the same? Is he still stalling the talks?"

She nodded. "Yeah, still acting like he's hiding something."

"Hmm…" He tapped a hoof against his chin. "I should try and see what he's up to…"

AJ sighed. "Ya better be careful."

"Me? Be careful? I don’t know how to do anything else."

Fluttershy walked up to him and wrapped her hooves around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug.

He sighed and buried his head into her neck. "I'm glad you're safe."

"I missed you so much…" She replied quietly.

"Me too, so much."

The other girls watched with small smiles.

He pushed against her and smiled, staring into her sapphire eyes before grabbing her hoof. "Come on, we have to go get your animals."

She smiled and nuzzled his cheek. They waved goodbye to the girls before making their way back to the cottage. They walked close to each other, their tails entwined.

"I'm glad your back Flutters."

She sighed and rested her head against his neck as they walked down the dirt path. "Me too, I was scared, I thought I'd never see you again."

"Same here, I felt so helpless." He sighed. "Fluttershy, can I ask you a question?"

She looked up at him, the light dancing in her eyes. "Yes?"

"Do… do you blame us for bringing the UEA here?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Really? But-"

She interrupted him with a kiss, pausing as she closed her eyes. He closed his eyes as well, the world melting around them. They ignored it, just feeling their heartbeat in tandem, happy to have found each other once again. Finally, they broke the kiss and smiled at each other before continuing the quest to her cottage.

They got there and she looked around the cottage before disappearing into the forest a few times. Every time she returned, animals were by her side. The animals seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Every one of them looked happy that she was back, even Angel, who proudly sat on her head. They split up chores and fed the animals as more continued to return and towards the end of the day, all her animals had miraculously returned.

Fluttershy sat on the couch, looking around the cottage with a big smile on her face, happy to be home.

Mike sighed, putting away the broom as he yawned and looked around the cottage. It was back to normal, the animals happily back in their homes. It seemed as if Angel had started to tolerate him as well, giving him a brief nod before disappearing somewhere. "Seems everything is back to normal." He said, sitting down next to her.

She smiled at him and leaned on him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm so happy to be back."

"Me too Flutters and I'm sure every animal and pony in town will agree." He said, resting his head against hers.

She sighed. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

"No, well the animals vanished and a few attacks on the town. And the Griffin Prince, Vandir, is here to talk with Twilight and Martin about an alliance." He yawned. "Sorry, I haven't gotten much sleep lately."

She looked at him worriedly. "I heard Twilight say Martin went to the border of the Land of the Desert, what's wrong?"

"It's in total war, the ruler there was overthrown and the UEA are responsible. So Celestia sent in troops to see if she can help, I heard the griffins are also sending some help as well. So she had Martin lead them."

She sighed worriedly. “I-I hope he'll be alright…”

"Me too…" He closed his eyes. "I wish I could've gone with him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

She stared off into the wall, lost in thought. "I hope AJ will be alright too."

"She's strong, I'm sure she'll be fine." He gulped, really not wanting to ask a certain question. "So Fluttershy… they didn't do anything to you while you were captured, did they?" His face was red as he looked elsewhere.

She was silent as her mind put together what he meant as her jaw dropped, her face turning pink. She rapidly shook her head. "Oh no, no, no. Th-they didn't do anything to me…"

He sighed. "Good, I'm sorry I had to ask…"

She was still bright pink. "I-I understand…" She said, quietly.

"Um… I'll leave alone if you want." He said, getting up.

She grabbed his hoof. "N-no, please don't leave…"

He faintly smiled and sat down, resting his head on her shoulder. "Ok…"

She closed her eyes and sighed happily. She wrapped her hooves around him and pulled him closer to her, not wanting him to leave. He snuggled up to her and wrapped his hooves around her waist.

"You don't mind if I take a little nap, do you?" He asked sleepily.

She shook her head and moved his head to rest on her stomach, kissing his cheek. "You deserve a rest." She whispered quietly into his ear.

"Yeah…" He mumbled, slipping into oblivious sleep.

She smiled, making sure he was comfy before leaning back against the couch, running a hoof through his mane. "Sleep tight…" She whispered.

27 - From a Certain Point of View

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 27 - From a Certain Point of View

The sun had lowered, slowly giving way to the moon. The land was engulfed by darkness, brief flashes of moon the only light for miles. The land was barren and silent in the Land of the Desert, Moonbeak Mountains covered in fog. A harsh wind hissed from the broken window, whatever tapestry remaining twisting, charred to the point of dust.

Rose's father, Metanoia, stood silently in front of a large iron door, buried deep in the recess of the mountain. Stalagmites faintly dripped water, which echoed in the cavern. He was shrouded in darkness; the only light was a small torch, fused with the door frame.

He took a deep breath before slowly grabbing the handle and pushed it open. The door creaked, revealing another torch just beyond. He entered a small square room, the torch revealing an outline of a throne made of some heavy metal. He took a few steps forward, the door already closing on him. He quickly shot inside, the door slamming with a resounding bang.

He looked around the room, the torch making it hard for him to see. "I came to talk to you." He announced loudly.

A sigh reverberated in the room as an outline of a tall stallion, even taller than Princess Celestia herself, appeared in front of him. Metanoia could faintly make out the flowing white robe. "Good evening Metanoia, what is it you wish to discuss?" The stallion asked, torches sprung to life after a resounding clop.

"I-I'm afraid the mare escaped."

There was silence as the stallion stared impassively at Metanoia. "The Element escaped from the tallest mountain in Equestria how? I've been told she isn't a very strong flyer."

"The half human helped her."

The tall stallion raised an eyebrow, confused. "Luna's minion? But it was my understanding that Ganir was keeping both humans occupied."

Metanoia shook his head. "I-I don't know what Ganir is doing, I highly doubt he'll remain loyal for long."

"Indeed, it seems we have to remind him what's at stake. So they know our location."

"Yes and I already engaged the evacuation. I'll be heading to the border."

"Good, oversee the war in the Desert. I have a feeling this little alliance won't last long between the Griffins and Celestia." He went silent for a moment, closing his eyes. "Although…"

Metanoia looked up. "Yes?"

The stallion quizzically looked at Metanoia. "Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something from me?"

Metanoia stared into the stallion's eyes. "My daughter, Rose, th-the half human corrupted her."

The stallion smiled. "Did he now? Interesting… even with everything that's happened, he still follows that code." Another moment of silence passed between them, the stallions staring at each other. "I want you to go to Ponyville instead."

"W-what? Why?"

"Did he offer you a truce?"

"Well yes…"

"Send out the olive branch and who better than you? Rose'll be there along with the half human. They won't hurt you there and since Martin is gone, he'll be too blinded with his good 'heart' to see through it."

Metanoia stared at the ground in thought "It makes sense but who'll go to the border? Diable?"

"Yes, send him in your steed. See how he fares against the human knight." The stallion chuckled before gazing at him. "Stall them as long as possible, understood? Don't do anything that'll compromise either's trust that you're just there for a truce."

Metanoia nodded. "I shall leave right away."

"Good… and thank you Metanoia, you've done Equestria great services, especially with all that you're sacrificing."

He sighed. "It was… necessary."

"It is and all of Equestria will thank you."

Metanoia nodded and bowed before briskly turning around and leaving, the door pushed open easily. He walked into the darkness, heading towards the surface as a pair of red eyes appeared next to him. "Diable."

"What did the master say?" A voice wheezed, the eyes glinting with curiosity.

Metanoia ignored him, walking through the dark as Diable followed him. "You'll be going to the border and deal with the human."

Diable smiled as his white teeth were bright in the darkness, his eyes a deep blood ruby. "Excellent… but what about you?"

"I will go to Ponyville."

Diable laughed. "Why go to that hick town?"

Metanoia rolled his eyes. "I know you prefer what I should call it, 'war, death, fear, terror'."

"You know me too well brother but still. Why does he send you to that hick town instead of out in the fight where you're useful?"

"Trick them a little. I'll give them false ideas about our intentions."

"You were always better at words than I." He sighed. "Very well, we'll see if this knight is as good as they say. I'll be leaving then. Good luck playing politics." He said, laughing as he vanished back into the darkness.

Metanoia frowned and continued to walk back towards the exit, trying to figure out what the master was thinking.

=

The guards wandered around town, keeping a careful eye over it, expecting another attack. The griffin guards were also on high alert, Vandir sensing their unease. Finally, a very familiar scene of the Elements and Michael sat down at the table in town hall, Vandir and Ganir sitting opposite of them. The doors were locked and guarded by unicorns and griffin alike. The skies heavily patrolled by pegasi soldiers as unicorn magi were on standby to project a shield over the building.

"It's a pleasure to meet the final Element." Vandir said, smiling at Fluttershy.

She blushed and hid under her mane. "Ummm… it-it's nice to mee-meet you."

He nodded and turned to look at Michael. "And I heard Martin's put you in charge?"

Mike nodded. "Indeed, I'm here to try and take his spot."

Ganir let out a small laugh. "We'll see how well you'll do." He said loudly.

Mike glanced at him before turning his attention back to Vandir. "So since I left yesterday, what did I miss?"

Vandir sighed. "Well, we've gotten a report that one of the northern states attacked a settlement close to their border. There were only a handful of settlers that survived and we sent a battalion of soldiers to reclaim that land and assure its safety. Martin and his dragon are leading them."

"Ok… so what else did we need to decide?"

"For one; if we should proceed to invade the northern states and end the civil war." Vandir replied, shuffling through some papers. "Or rather, try and end it."

"Is there no way to try and broker a talk between the two?"

"We already sent a messenger to try that but he hasn't returned, we fear the worst for him. And we're not sure who is leading the separate states. As far as we know, it's not the UEA."

Mike sighed and looked down at the table. "What are the casualties?"

Vandir scratched his cheek. "Most cities and villages have been destroyed, either by the UEA or the civil war. About sixty percent have been attacked by another state, the rest are fighting within their own borders."

"How many ponies and griffins would we need to send? Sounds like quite a lot."

"Every soldier available; the Land of the Desert covers a large amount of land. We'd need to cover a lot of ground in a short time to assure that the civil war would end."

"But that's too many and if what you're saying is true, most of them wouldn't be coming back."

"What we need is a wonder. We'd need the best of the best." Vandir said thoughtfully.

"How do you think the forces that Martin took will help?"

Vandir shrugged. "I-I don't know but if it's true what I heard about the Order of Agathor, he might be enough to slow them down by a month."

"I don’t know. Even if we could muster up a force large enough, it'll take quite some time to make it there."

He nodded. "I'm afraid so, if only the Order would still exist like it did during the great war."

"Indeed." Mike sighed. "We'll come back to that. I'm not even sure how many ponies we have at our disposal or if I have the authority to say so."

Vandir leaned back into his chair, going silent as he thought for a moment. His eyes suddenly widened. "Maybe… maybe if we manage to find the Order's headquarters we can win this war."

"Why would that matter?"

He looked at the ponies gathered at the table. "It used to be a folktale; underneath the headquarters of the Order, there's supposed to be a cave filled with suits of armor. They would come to life if war was spread across the land but only if the Grandmaster orders them so."

Mike stared at him blankly as Twilight looked at him strangely. "I've heard of that before well, not in this situation. Do you actually think it exists?"

"It says that the last Grandmaster had them built and enchanted."

"If it does exist, I'll find it then we need to get Martin there."

Somepony knocked loudly on the door. Everypony and griffin looked at the door before looking back at each other. Mike got up and opened the door, a guard looking back at him.

"Sorry to interrupt your meeting but we have a pony that matches the description you gave us to the pony that kidnapped Ms. Fluttershy."

Vandir looked at the guard in disbelief. "What?"

Mike and Fluttershy shared a glance, she looked horrified. "I'm sorry but I'll have to put this meeting on hold for just a moment." Mike said, looking over at Vandir as Ganir's face paled.

Mike nodded to the guard, who led him out and down a small hallway. They paused at the end of the hall, a simple door in front of them. He opened the door to a rather small room. Torches on the wall illuminated it as a mask sat on a small table. "Hello Michael." The pony in chains said, sitting peacefully in the chair. He looked up and it was Metanoia, staring at the pegasus and guard neutrally.

"Hello yourself." Mike said calmly, looking at him. "I'm surprised to see you here."

His yellow eyes followed Mike as he sat across from the imprisoned unicorn. "I came here to talk…"

"Really? Last time I tried to get you to talk, you said it was too late."

He looked at the table for a moment. "It turns out that the Land of the Desert is too dangerous, the civil war has killed too many, more than even we ever imagined. We lost control over most states, they even attacked the settlement."

"Indeed, we were just discussing what to do about that."

"We won't attack your forces, as long as you try to end the rebellion in the northern states."

"I'll take it to the assembly and see what I can do." Mike got up, giving him one more look. "Thank you for coming here though."

He nodded. "How is Rose?" He asked as Mike was steps out the door.

Mike froze. "She's ok, I think. I haven't seen her since yesterday." Metanoia sighed. "How could you?"

"Do what?"

Mike turned around to look him in the eyes. "Lie to her… all those years. She asked me if I could help her find the truth, the truth about Equestria." He walked over and sat down again. "I'm not judging you or questioning your parenting but what you did to her was unforgivable."

Metanoia leaned back in his chair. "In the end it's all a matter of opinion. I did what we thought was right."

"It is but can you tell Rose that you did that all because somepony told you it was right?"

He chuckled. "I did it because I thought it was."

"I know you're not the mastermind; he wouldn't care about his daughter." Mike got up and walked to the door. "I'll be back but if you need anything, let the guard know."

He nodded his head, staring at the table in thought.

Mike left, the door shutting with a resounding chunk as it locked. He sighed, leaning against it for a moment before heading back to the meeting room. Everyone looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

"So apparently the UEA's lost control of the situation. They said they wouldn't attack us if we dealt with the northern states."

Vandir sighed. "I'm not sure we're capable of it though."

"Neither am I and that's what worries me. Even with our combined forces-" There were loud shouts outside the room and somepony banged on the door again.

"Michael please! Open the door!" Rose's voice said.

He looked at the others and Vandir shrugged. Mike quickly walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Rose being grabbed and escorted away.

"Wait!" He said, catching up to them. "She's ok." He said.

The guard looked between the two before sighing, letting go of her and walking away, back to his post.

Mike watched the guard for a moment before turning back to Rose. "Rose, what are you doing here?"

She panted, her mane covering her face. "M-my father is here, why?" She asked, panicked.

"W-we're not entirely sure why he is-"

She looked at him, her eyes pleading. "Michael, I have to talk to him."

He sighed. "Ok, I guess I can't stop you anyway from talking to him. Follow me." He said, leading her down a small hallway till they stood outside the door. "Are you su-" He glanced at her before opening the door.

They stepped inside, Rose glaring at her father. He looked up as the door opened and he smiled sadly at her. "Hello Rose."

"I have to ask you something Dad."

He swept a forehoof over the table. "By all means, it's not like I'm going anywhere at the moment."

She closed her eyes and seemed to gather herself. "W-why?" Her voice was shaky.

"Right to the point I see." He sighed, closing his eyes. "Because I didn’t think you were ready to learn the harsh realities of the world."

"For the past twenty-two years… you've lied to me."

"I didn’t lie, just told you the truth from a certain point of view."

"You never really did care about me, did you?"

"Of course I did, if I didn’t, I never would've raised you." He reached out and grabbed her hoof. "Rose, you're my daughter, my flesh and blood. I'll always love you, no matter what somepony might say."

She pulled her hoof out of his grasp. "If you really cared about me, you would've given me the choice whether or not I wanted to know the 'harsh' reality or yours."

"I didn’t know if you'd understand the 'truth'. The world is a big, scary place."

"How do you know if I was ready or not?"

"Every parent makes that decision. You'll make it one day. Then you'll see what I'm talking about."

Rose let out a sad sigh and turned around. "I don't think I'll ever understand."

He leaned back in the chair. "You know that I did what I could Rose. I wouldn’t say our situation was glamorous but you know I love you."

She lowered her head and walked out of the room, ignoring her father. Mike looked at him one final time before following her out, the door shut by a guard. He put a hoof on her shoulder. "You ok?"

She looked at him, her eyes misty. "I-I… guess."

He nodded and pulled her into a hug. "Are you glad you talked to him?"

"A-at least I know I'm not like him." She said through sniffing.

"You're not; you're so much stronger than him."

"Thank you Michael."

"No problem, it's what I'm here for." He let go of her, looking into her eyes. "If you ever need anything, let me know okay?"

She smiled at him. "You're too good to me."

"It's what friends are for right? Besides, I owe you for helping me find Fluttershy."

She hoofed the ground. "She didn't deserve to be kidnapped and everything, I only did what was right."

"Still, without your help I would still be up there, lost and struggling around. Thank you Rose, for helping me."

She hugged him. "Thanks..."

He hugged her back. "It's not a problem, I'm just glad I could help. I gotta get back to the meeting but if you need me, the guards know now to let you through. Ok?"

She nodded, smiling. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Ok, see ya later." He said, waving goodbye as he made his way back to the meeting room.

Inside the room, it was quiet and intense, no pony talking. AJ seemed to be staring into nothing as the others looked at her worriedly. Vandir was reading some papers, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Sorry about that." Mike said, shutting the door behind him before trotting to the table and grabbed Fluttershy's hoof, smiling at her. "Did I miss anything?"

Vandir gulped. "You keep leaving when something important happens Michael." He said, looking up from the piece of paper. "A messenger arrived just after you left. It appears that the soldiers we sent to the border have been attacked."

Mike leaned back in his chair. "By whom?"

"The northern state of Snake Water."

Mike sighed as he rubbed a hoof over his face. Ganir stood up and slammed a talon on the table. "Do you see? You don’t know what you're doing! And with your indecisiveness, you’re killing ponies and griffins alike! You never did, you should just leave the room and let us decide what to do, you incompetent pony. Why Martin ever put you in charge is beyond me." He seethed.

Vandir glared at him. "This situation is more than any of us can handle properly. We must work together to achieve what we seek!"

"We don't need to work with a pony that doesn't know anything about war."

Vandir slammed his claw on the table as well. "If Martin thinks Michael is the right pony, then I think so as well!"

Ganir threw his chair backwards and glared at Vandir. "I think they're both incompetent."

Mike slowly scooted out of his chair. "For once, I agree with him."

Everyone turned their head to look at him. Everyone was surprised, especially Ganir.

"I don’t know anything about war or politics. I thought I'd at least give it a try since Martin thought I could but I'm not… I'm not cut out for this sort of work." He glanced at Twilight. "I'm not sure if I can but I think you'd be a much better replacement for me."

She shook her head. "I know as much as you do Michael."

"But you know the intricacies of the group, you know how big our forces are, you can come up with a better plan than I ever could."

She looked at the table. "I… I don’t know Michael."

"At least give it a try, I know you can." He smiled at her.

She looked at everyone, her eyes full of worry and doubt. "I…" She sighed. "I can try…"

"That's all I ask."

Ganir rolled his eyes. "We'll see how far that gets us."

"At least I can admit my shortcomings."

He glared at Mike, his eyes full of complete hatred. Mike glared back, a small smile on his face as he headed out the door, shutting it behind him. The door quickly opened and Fluttershy rushed after him.

"W-where are you going?" She asked, stopping in front of him.

"I'm not sure, just thought it'd be easier for Twilight to talk to Vandir if I wasn't there."

She looked at him sadly. "B-but…" She sighed and turned around.

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry; I'm just going to go talk to Luna." He smiled. "I'll be fine."

She looked at him, nuzzling his cheek. "Ok…" She said, heading back towards the door before pausing. "Please be careful…"

He grinned at her. "Hey, it's me." He gave her a hoof's up before leaving the town hall, launching off the ground and heading towards Canterlot, the morning sun lighting his path.

30 - Hunt for a Lost Treasure

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 30 - Hunt for a Lost Treasure

Michael walked down the Canterlot castle corridors, the sun shining through the stain glass windows. He stopped a few times, asking directions to a certain princess’ room, guarded by two quiet Shadow Guards. They stared at him impassively, waiting for him to walk closer. He walked up to them and eyed the door. “Is Princess Luna in there?” He asked nervously.

The guards nodded. “Yes she is.”

He hesitated for a moment. “Um… is it possible for me to talk to her?”

“Depends on what you need to talk about, she’s very busy.”

He hoofed the ground. “I-it’s about a favor she asked me to do a while ago…”

The guards shared a glance before they opened the door. “Proceed carefully pegasus.”

He sighed and entered her personal chamber. It was dark, almost pitch black, save for a faint warm glow from a fireplace. Thick black curtains hung over a massive window, taking up an entire wall. Bookcases lined another, another room next to them, the door firmly shut. Taking up most of the room was a luxurious bed, midnight blue covers and veil. Nestled next to the fireplace sat a desk littered with scrolls and quills. Luna’s horn glowed brightly in the dark room, hovering over near the desk.

He gulped, making his way through the darkness. “P-princess Luna?” He asked, breaking the silence.

She paused and turned her head slightly. “Good evening Michael, what do you need?” Her voice slightly cold.

He stared at his hooves. “I… I came here to talk about what you asked me to do.”

The room dropped several degrees, his wings rustling nervously. “Indeed? And pray tell, what do you need to discuss?”

“I-I’m sorry but I can’t…”

She stood up in front of him, staring into his eyes. “What do you mean you can’t?”

He suddenly wished for the power of instant transmission, staring back at her in fear. “I-I’m no leader and anything but a killer.”

“So you’re just going to let everypony down? What about that Martin you babble on about? He put you in charge for a reason.”

He cringed. “Twilight’s taking my place, sh-she knows more about than me…”

She sighed. “Once again, Celestia’s student comes to the rescue. And I thought you wanted to help, I guess Discord was right.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. The people back on Earth said it best; you are a failure at everything. It’s no wonder why you wanted to stay.”

His mouth opened in shock before he lowered his head, staring at the floor. “I-I’m sorry…”

She rolled her eyes. “Remember our deal human, if you don’t follow through, I will take back what’s mine. Both the eye and body.”

“I… why did you ask me to help you?”

“Because neither of us had a choice in the matter. When Celestia appointed Martin the Grandmaster, she forced both of our hooves.”

He dared to glance at her. “I don’t understand, why do you hate Martin?”

“It’s not hate, it’s more like hesitation. I still remember the last Grandmaster and his friend. We saw how well that turned out for them.” She sighed again. “I understand that you feel that you can’t do it but now isn’t the time for your petty feelings. I’m ordering you as the Princess of the Night to do as I commanded or I will do something drastic.”

“I don’t know if I can. W-what is it that you’d need me to do?”

“Keep an eye Martin and watch the Elements, Celestia is planning something.” She paused. “I know you’re close to the Element of Kindness, don’t hesitate to use her if need be.”

He stared at her in shock. “W-what? Why would you want me to watch them? I doubt Princess Celestia would do anything.”

“You don’t know her as well as I do. She’s always plotting something. I had to learn that the hard way.” She said, her horn glowing.

He stumbled a few steps back. “I-I’m not sure if I could spy on my friends…”

“Which is why I’m taking an extra measure.” She said as a medallion of her cutie mark was forced around his neck. “This medallion can let me see your thoughts and hear what’s going on around you, if you so choose.”

He gulped. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this…”

“It’s not up for debate.” She pointed at his eye. “When you agreed to that bargain, you became a vassal of mine. I can choose to exert more control if you’d like.”

He flinched and backed up towards the door. “I-I’ll do as you ask Princess…”

“Good.” She turned back to her desk, sitting back down. “And don’t remove that medallion, it would be rather… unpleasant.” She said, going back to her scrolls.

He nodded and left, closing the door as he stared at the stone floor. What have I gotten myself into? He looked down at the medallion, trying to think what to do.

=

Everyone was still in the meeting, gathered around the table as they looked over the map in the middle. Vandir tapped his beak as he eyed the map. “Are there really no records of the Order’s HQ?” He asked, looking up at everypony.

“There may be some but Princess Celestia never told me where and I scoured the entire Royal Library.” Twilight said, studying the map. “We assume its near the old castle in the Everfree but that’s only my educated guess.”

Vandir sighed. “How can there be no record though?”

“Look it was over a thousand years ago, things get lost.” Dash said as she waved a hoof dismissively. “Why don’t I just go do a fly by over the Everfree and check it out?”

Vandir turned and stared at her impassively. “You think you can just find it like that? Celestia know’s what kind of magical barriers have been made to keep it secret.”

“Puh-lease! I could find it in my sleep. I found where they were keeping Fluttershy didn’t I?” She boasted, flinging her hoof over Fluttershy’s shoulder.

Vandir sighed and shook his head. “If you could just find it by flying over the forest, they wouldn’t have survived thousands of years.”

She glared at him. “You saying I can’t do it?”

“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying.” He said flatly.

Dash slammed her hooves on the table. “I accept that challenge! No pony ever said this future Wonderbolts never tried the impossible.” She launched herself into the air, the chair flying back. “I’ll go find this ‘HQ’ of yours.”

He shook his head. “You won’t find anything.”

“Dash please, calm down just a moment so we can think this through rationally.” Twilight tried to reason with her friend.

Dash shook her head. “He challenged me Twilight, I can’t ignore that!”

Twilight groaned, massaging her temples.

Vandir leaned back in his chair. “Let’s hope there’s something in the griffin archives.”

Suddenly the room’s door burst open. “Representative Sparkle, we got news from the Desert Lands.” A unicorn guard said.

Everyone turned towards the guard as Twilight got out of her chair. “Yes?”

“It seems that the Grandmaster and Griffin battalion wiped out a major holding for the UEA. Reports also state they seemed to have killed one of their leaders.” A scroll floated to Twilight. “A pony by the name of Diable ma’am.”

Twilight grabbed the scroll and read through it quickly before sighing in relief. “Then the border should be secured for now.”

“How many did we lose?” Vandir asked.

“About one hundred and fifty soldiers.” Twilight said.

He sighed. “Not as many as I feared.” He said, as Twilight nodded.

“And ma’am?” The guard asked, looking at Twilight.

She looked up from the scroll. “Yes?”

“The prisoner that we captured earlier wishes to speak with Michael.” The guard said, his voice carefully neutral.

She blinked a few times. “I’m afraid he’s not here at the moment.”

“Oh, then I’ll tell him he’s unavailable. Thank you ma’am.” He gave Twilight a salute before walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Twilight sat back down and sighed once she looked over the map again. “We still have no clues whatsoever…”

“Well… at least Martin’s ok right?” AJ asked.

Twilight nodded, reading the scroll again. “Just some minor injuries but yeah.”

AJ sighed, leaning back into her seat. “That’s good…”

Vandir nodded. “Is it possible that Martin knows where the HQ is?”

“Possible but doubtful.” Twilight said thoughtfully, looking at the map. Vandir sighed, rubbing a claw over his face. “I wonder…” Twilight thought out loud. “They wouldn’t have hid it in the crystal caves underneath Canterlot, would they?”

Regal shook his head. “No, not that we’ve discovered.”

“Rats…” Twilight groaned as Dash rolled her eyes.

“Well I’ll be back, I’m gonna go check out the Everfree.” Dash said.

Twilight frowned. “Dash, what are you trying to prove?”

“That no stupid bird-”

“Whoa there sugacube, watch what yer bout ta say.” AJ interrupted her.

“Okay, okay. Prince Vandir said I could never find the HQ.”

“Well look at it this way, no pony can.” He said.

Dash glared at him. “Well I will!”

Everypony sighed. “Just be careful, ok?” Twilight asked, looking at her friend. Dash saluted before she flew out the window, disappearing over the horizon. Twilight rubbed her forehead. “That pony, I swear.”

Vandir rubbed his neck. “At least she’s doing something. All we’re doing is sitting around.”

“Ah know whatcha mean but it’s better ta have a group thinkin’ then running around like a bunch of headless chickens.” AJ said.

There was another knock on the door. Twilight used her magic to open it. “Yes?”

The same unicorn guard stood there, another scroll floating by his head, the Order’s seal enclosed on the scroll. “Excuse me again ma’am, another message from the border arrived. It’s from the Grandmaster.”

Twilight quickly grabbed it from him with her magic and read it as the others looked at her expectantly. “Well, what’s it say?” AJ finally asked.

Twi cleared her throat. “Dear Michael, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Dash, Pinkie, Rarity, and Prince Vandir; I send you this letter to inform you that I’ll be returning to Ponyville. I’ll be searching for something very important. Alone. If I find what I’m looking for, I’ll make sure to tell you.” Twilight put the scroll on the table.

“He can’t think we’d let him search for the HQ alone, does he?” AJ asked, glancing at everypony else.

“He didn’t say what he was looking for.” Twilight said.

“What else could it be?” Rarity asked. “Maybe it’s all sort of some plan of his…”

Twilight sighed. “I don’t know, we’ll have to ask him once he arrives.”

“Hopefully he gets here soon aye?” Michael asked, leaning against the wall near the door.

Everypony turned to look at him. “Michael, since when are you standing there?” Twilight asked, confused.

“When you grabbed the scroll, the guard saw me and left.” He faintly smiled.

Fluttershy got up and greeted him with a hug. “We should assume Martin’s gonna be here soon.” Vandir said.

Michael hugged her back. “That’s what I’m assuming. Seems like he’d send a letter when he was close.”

Vandir nodded. “We should position some guards near the train station.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Mike agreed.

Regal got up and walked towards the pegasi. “I’ll gather some guards.” He said, walking past them and away from the meeting room.

Michael looked at the assembled ponies and griffins, noticing the lack of a certain rainbow maned pegasus. “Where’s Dash?”

“She’s trying to find the HQ on her own by flying over the forest.” Twilight said, sighing.

“The Everfree? Isn’t that really dangerous?”

Twilight nodded. “Nothing that will stop her from trying.”

“How long ago did she leave? Maybe I should go make sure she’s ok.”

Twilight shook her head. “Don’t worry, she’ll be alright.”

“Alright… so what’s left to decide? I didn’t interrupt anything did I?”

Twilight looked around the table, each pony shaking their head. “Nope, nothing.”

“That’s good.” He sighed, the last rays of the sun glinting off his medallion.

Twilight tilted her head. “Um… what’s that?”

Michael’s face grew red. “Just something Princess Luna gave me, said if I ever needed any help to just think it and she could hear me.”

They all looked at him suspiciously. “Um… ok…” Twilight said hesitantly.

He gave them a lopsided grin. “Don’t ask me, I don’t pretend to understand princesses.”

“Well alright…” Twilight said before turning back to the ponies and griffins. “I think we’ve discussed everything we need to.”

“Indeed. So let’s call it an evening and reconvene when Martin returns.” Vandir said, getting out of his chair. Everyone agreed, following his lead.

Everypony left town hall; Vandir, Twilight, and Ganir disappeared to the library while Pinkie and Rarity walked home together, discussing something. AJ headed towards the train station at a fast trot.
Fluttershy looked at Mike and kissed his cheek. “It’s nice that you’re back…” She said quietly.
“Same here Flutters, seems like we can never have a moment of peace again.” He sighed.

She watched after AJ, the farm pony disappearing into the small crowd. “Where do you want to go?”

“I should probably wait for Martin but if you want to go to the cottage, I understand.”

She shook her head. “It’s ok, you can go to the train station.”

“Ok.” He kissed her briefly. “Meet you back at the cottage?”

She giggled and blushed. “Ok...” She turned around and with a small wave goodbye, walked away.

He smiled dumbly before shaking his head and rushed after AJ, walking up next to her and watched the guards stand there, silently.

She smiled at him. “‘Ello sugacube.”

“Hey AJ, how have you been?”

She looked at him with a sad smile. “Aww, ya know…”

He nodded his head. “I can imagine, at least he’s on his way back right?”

She nodded, blushing. “Yeah, Ah hope he’s alright…”

He chuckled. “I’m sure he’s fine.” She sighed and walked over to a bench and sat down. Mike followed her but remained standing. “You like him?” He asked bluntly.

She turned to look at him, her face bright red as her freckles stood out. “Ah-Ah … um…”

“It’s ok, you don’t need to say anything.” He chuckled, shaking his head. She bit her lower lip and pushed her stetson down over her face, trying to hide her blush. He was silent for a moment. “You know he likes you too right?” She looked at him her face bright red. “Trust me, it took a few tries to get him to admit it though.”

She hoofed the ground. “Ah..”

“Hm?”

She smiled. “Thank ya Michael.”

“No problem AJ, looked like you need a bit of a cheering up.” He grinned.

She was about to say something when a train whistled, effectively silencing the entire platform. The train chugged its way here, the smoke blocking it. The train stopped, screeching to a halt as steam billowed from beneath it. They looked around, neither spotting Martin as the last pony stepped off the train. AJ sighed and sat back down on the bench.

“Huh…” Mike said, scratching his head.

Martin stepped off the train, armor free, covered in bandages. He looked around, holding a bag in his hand. Neither pony saw him as he darted to the bathroom.

“Huh, guess he isn’t here yet.” Mike said as cleaning ponies got onto the train and the conductor was packing up for the night. “Maybe he missed it?”

AJ sighed. “Ah guess…”

Mike nodded and headed towards the conductor. He paused, hearing the hoofsteps before turning to look at him. “Can I help ya?”

“I was wondering if a human boarded this train?” Mike asked. “Name was Martin, probably would be in a whole lot of armor?”

The conductor paused, tapping his chin with his hoof. “I think I saw some ‘thing’ get onboard.”

“Really? When did the thing get off?”

“I’m not sure, I wasn’t really paying attention when passengers disembark.”

“Oh…”

Martin opened the bathroom door and stepped out, wearing short white robes. A short cape was attached to his right shoulder showing the crest of the Order. He hid his face using the hood and walked away with the bag in his hand, armor clattering inside.

AJ ear’s flicked at the noise and turned to see him. “Martin!” She yelled, getting up.
He ignored her, walking away as he walked pass a trash bin and threw the bag inside. He turned the corner, disappearing into town.
Mike turned as he heard AJ yell his name and watched as she took off. “Thanks again.” He told the conductor before galloping after the farm pony.
AJ paused as she reached the corner, frantically looking for Martin. Mike caught up to her, taking deep breaths.
“You saw him?” He asked her.

“A-ah saw him walk around tha corner…”

Mike looked around before unfurling his wings and took to the skies, hoping to spot him from the air. Cold air blew through his mane and fur as the town shrank. He squinted, trying to see anything unusual. He didn’t spot anything and slowly went lower to the ground. He flew just above the roofs, the streets crowded before all the shops closed for the night.

“What is he doing?” A mare asked.

“Is he drunk?” A stallion asked himself.

Mike turned his head towards the pair and they were staring at a roof, following something with their eyes. Mike followed their line of sight, quicking hopping over roofs. Not too far away, Martin was hopping roof to roof, somehow ignoring the laws of physics. Mike stared in shock. “Oh, you gotta be kidding me.” He said, facehoofing. He flapped his wings again, hovering above the ‘concealed’ human. “Hey Ezio, I think you’re in the wrong game.”

Martin ignored his friend and jumped off the roof, gracefully rolling once he hit the ground and continued to run away.

Mike sighed and followed, easily keeping up with his wings. “Hey Bueller…”

Martin ran towards a building and ran up the wall somehow, grabbing a window sill and climbed to the roof.

Mike flew after him, hovering right above him. “Apparently you’re deaf now too?!” He yelled, getting frustrated as he landed on Martin’s shoulders.

Martin ignored the pony on his shoulders, grinning when he saw a fence and smoothly slid underneath it. Mike jumped off, nearly avoiding running into it. His right eye twitched.

“You know what, I don’t care anymore.” He muttered angrily before taking to the sky, looking for AJ.

Martin continued running away.

Mike finally found AJ and landed in front of her. “Apparently he thinks he’s in a damn video game.” He grumbled.

She looked at him confused. “Wha’s a video game?”

“Think of a playable movie.” He sighed, a hoof against his head.

She thought for a moment. “Alright… where’s he now?”

Mike pointed east. “He was running that way.”

“Wha’s he doing?”

“No idea but he wants to get himself killed, that’s his own problem.” He grumbled.

AJ placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Ya wouldn’t just let him die…”

He sighed and went silent. “Maybe not.” He glanced at the direction he just pointed to. “Anything out of town that’s in that direction?”

She shook her head. “That only leads back inta town.”

“Huh, wonder what he’s doing then.”

Someone walked up behind Mike. “I was just getting a few things.”

Mike sighed and looked at AJ. “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”

AJ nodded. “Eeyup.”

He turned around. “Hey Ezio, where’d you get the outfit?”

Martin chuckled. “I had it made just before I went to the border.”

“Ah… So how was the border?”

Martin shrugged. “Ya know, pretty dangerous but we managed to secure the area.”

Mike faintly smiled. “Good.”

AJ nervously fixed her hat, trying to hide a blush.

Martin smiled sadly at his friend. “Sorry about earlier, I needed to get some things.”

Mike waved a hoof. “No problem but you couldn’t have just said that?”

“Needed to get some rather secret things.”

“Still would’ve made life easier.”

Martin sighed. “Okay, okay got it.” He pointed at the medallion. “Doing stuff with Princess Luna now, aye?”

Mike glanced down and blushed, seemingly forgetting about it. “Yeah, she asked for a few favors since she gave me the eye.”

AJ squinted slightly at the pegasus, something not sitting right with her.

Martin raised his eyebrow. “Okay, anyways how have things been in Ponyville?”

“Nothing too serious, just an old friend of ours paid us a visit.”

Martin tilted his head. “Um… who if I may ask?”

“He lived in particular mountain, we’ve met him once or twice, rather fond of roses.”

He gasped. “Oh boy…”

“Yeah, he’s in a room at town hall if you wanted to say hi. Rose is here, somewhere.”

Martin shrugged. “Okay.” He looked at AJ. “Hey AJ, how have you been?”

“Can’t complain, the usual at the farm and such. Haven’t seen this many guards since the Summer Sun Celebrations a few years back.” She faintly smiled at him. “See yer alright.”

Martin grinned back. “Aye.”

She walked over and grabbed Martin’s hand. “Ah’ve been meaning ta show you something back at the farm.” She waved goodbye to Mike. “See ya later Mike.” She said, dragging Martin away.

He looked at Mike confused. “Uh… ok, see ya.”

Mike shrugged. “See ya later I guess.” He said, heading towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

AJ kept dragging Martin. “So what did you want to show me?” He asked.

She finally let go and sighed. “He’s lyin’.” She said flatly as she continued to walk towards the farm.

He looked at her dumbfounded. “Who? Michael?”

She nodded. “He’s been lyin’ since he got that thing.”

“You mean the medallion.”

“Eeyup. During the talks, he left to go talk ta Luna and he came back at the end, wearing that thing. He lied to us why he was wearin’ it and he lied again just now.” She sighed.

He stopped. “Do you think he’s hiding something?”

She glanced at him. “The girls and Ah think something else is goin’ on he ain’t tellin’... except Fluttershy.” She paused. “She was the only one that acted like she knew anythin’ bout this.”

He frowned. “Always something with him, aye?”

She smiled. “Look who’s talkin’.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Ah thought ya should know, maybe ya can get him ta say what’s going on.”

He shrugged. “Maybe… now, what do you want to show me?”

She blushed. “Nothin’, Ah just wanted ta talk to ya alone fer a bit before ya get stuck on another crazy adventure.”

He looked at her surprised. “Oh, ok.” He scratched his neck. “Um… should we get back to the others or go to the farm?”

“That’s up ta ya?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, I have to get up early tomorrow. I wasn’t planning on staying on.”

“Oh…” She hoofed at the ground nervously. “Ah see…”

He sighed. “I’ll be back soon but I’ll stay till tomorrow.”

“And ya won’t take anypony with ya? Why?”

He looked away. “Except me, no one else knows what to expect and where I’m going, it’s very dangerous for non-humans.”

“Won’t cha at least take Mike, he was human at one point.”

He shook his head. “Even for him, it’s just too dangerous.”

“At least think bout it and ya know him, do you think he’d let ya go alone?”

“Probably not but he’ll have to realize he can’t come with me.”

“But yet if it was the other way ‘round, what would happen?”

“If Michael was still human, he’d have to do everything I had to do. But only if I was a pony…”

“But if Michael went on a dangerous journey like ya and he said you couldn’t come, what would ya do?”

“Well, I’d ask why.”

“And if all he said was ‘it’s too dangerous for non-humans’, what then?”

Martin sighed. “I would have to accept it, and still go with him.”

“And ya know he’s gonna go with ya whether ya like it or not.”

“But I can’t protect him from something that can’t die.”

She paused. “What now?”

He avoided her eyes. “I’ve already said too much.”

She glared at him. “Your fighting what now?”

He shook his head. “I won’t be fighting anything.”

She was silent for a moment. “Ah won’t let cha deal with that alone, even if Ah have ta go.”

“I won’t be in danger, I’m human.”

“Don’t matter.”

“Okay, fine… I’ll tell you. Suits of Armor.”

“Ya mean those things actually exist?”

He nodded. “They’ve been enchanted to kill anything non-human that enters the castle.”

AJ’s eyes went wide. “Oh buck…” She took off towards the library, galloping as fast as she could.

He watched her leave before taking off after her. “AJ, where are you going?”

“Go get Mike and Fluttershy, tell them ta meet at Twilights!” She yelled, not stopping as she disappeared into the night.

He sighed and kicked the ground. “Fuck, sorry Apollo, I said too much.” He said, turning around and taking off towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

Author's Note

So yeah, getting more interesting in my opinion. And sorry for that whole 'Assassin's Creed' parody, he wanted to do that and I tried to make the scene end but he didn't listen to me. Hopefully you all can suffer through it and just forget about it like I tried to do. Anywho, thanks for reading!

31 - Battle in the Haunted Castle

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 31 - Battle in the Haunted Castle

Michael sighed, finally making his way back to Fluttershy’s cottage. Wonder what that was all about… He opened the door, looking for the yellow pegasus. He found her asleep on the sofa, Angel snuggled up underneath her wing. He smiled, shutting the door behind him and went to the sofa, grabbing the throw she had draped over it and covered her, kissing her cheek before he sat down in the chair, head in hooves.

The door flew open. “Michael, Fluttershy, with me, NOW!” Martin yelled.

The pegasi jumped as Fluttershy latched onto the ceiling. They looked at him as Mike ran over and caught her as she fell. “Martin what the hell?”

He was silent, walking inside, picking them up and rushed back towards town. “No time to explain, all I know is we gotta meet AJ at the library.”

It was silent as Martin carried the two pegasi. “You know we can walk or fly right?” Martin ignored the pegasus and Mike sighed. “Will you at least tell me what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, AJ told me to go get you two and then head to the library.”

“Wait, why? What’s wrong?”

They stopped, Martin putting them down right outside the library. “I don’t know.”

The door to the library was wide open, AJ and Twilight’s voices loud and at hyperspeed. The three walked into the library nervously, all the girls were there, watching AJ and Twilight. Spike munched on gems, sitting on the couch as Martin walked up to AJ. “We’re here AJ.”

“Good.” She turned to look at the human. “Before ya came back, Vandir told us ‘bout those tin cans yer trying to go get and Dash went off to try and find it herself.” She looked at the assembled ponies. “And she still ain’t back. Now usually that ain’t a problem… but Martin said that those tin cans’ll attack any non-human they see.”

There was a moment of shocked silence as everypony figured out what that meant. Mike sped out of the library, launching into the night sky before anypony could stop him.

“What was she thinking!? No one can find the castle without breaking the Fallanassi.” Martin stuttered, dumbstruck.

“What’s the Fallanassi?” Twilight asked.

“It’s an ancient spell used to erect a magical barrier, supposedly no one is able to break it, unless the Grandmaster wills it.”

“But if Dash stumbled upon it, even accidently, would it hold?” Twilight asked the human. “Remember, she’s an Element of Harmony, she’s stronger against magical barriers. And if Dash does break it, would those ‘suits’ activate?”

“As long as she doesn’t go inside the castle. There’s about two hundred suits inside and another five thousand underneath. You might have heard the legend of the Iron Army?”

They all shook their head as AJ sighed. “Apparently ya don’t know Dash.”

Martin scratched his head. “But if she leaves the castle, they’ll stop attacking her.”

“I don't think she knows that.” Twilight looked around, her horn glowing as saddlebags appeared next to her, filling with supplies. “Where is the castle?”

He hesitated. “I-it’s not far from Ponyville, it’s easy to spot once the Fallassani’s down.”

“Ok.” She looked at the girls. “Alright, Martin’s gonna lead us there, we’ll get Dash and get out.” She looked at him. “Right?”

He shook his head. “I need to get something from there first.”

“What?”

He sighed. “My armor is broken, useless. I need to find a new set there.”

She paused, thinking. “Ok, we get there, get Dash, Martin gets his armor, then we get out.”

“You have to leave without me, I have… other business to attend to there.”

Twilight went to argue before AJ stopped her with a glare. They stared at each other, almost as if they were conversing inside their heads. Finally Twilight sighed. “Fine, but we’ll give you thirty minutes and if you’re not out by then, we’re coming back for you.”

Martin frowned and shook his head. “Whatever, we shouldn’t be wasting time!”

The girls nodded. “Well, lead the way!” They said as he took a deep breath and ran outside. The girls followed as they delved into the Everfree Forest. As they entered the Forest, a slow mist oozed around them, building into a thick fog.
Martin paused, darkness entrapping them under the canopy and fog. “Oh no…”

“What?” Twilight asked, her horn the only source of light.

He looked at the fog. “She must’ve broken the barrier, the fog is the a defense mechanism.”

The girls gasped as Twilight grabbed his arm. “Then we don’t have time to lose, don’t forget Michael is inside too!”

=

The fog was thick, not even Twilight’s strongest illumination spell strong enough to pierce through it. Time seemed to slow down inside it, no one knowing how long they’ve been running for. Finally, Martin stopped. “We’re here...”

They all stopped behind him, the fog gradually fading away to reveal a hidden castle. The huge entrance had two rusted iron doors, taller than most trees in the forest. Four spiraling towers reached high into the sky, most of it overtaken by nature. The outer walls were crumbled, the remains of the bricks laying where they fell millennia ago. The remains of two flags above the doors waved lazily in the wind.

Martin walked towards the doors as the others gaped in silence. “How did we miss this place, it’s not that far from Princess Luna’s old castle…” Twilight said, staring at the ancient structure.

“As long as the Fallanassi is in place, this place doesn’t exist.” Two different sets of hoofprints lead into the castle, faintly seen in the darkness and mud. He kneeled down, pushing some of the foliage away. “They were here..” He said, quickly getting up and wiping his hands on his pants, pushed open the doors.

The doors screeched, the hinges not wanting to listen. They relented, revealing a small overgrown courtyard, the remains of a stone fountain nestled in the middle. It had a stone path, mostly hidden by grass and weeds that led straight into the castle. They hesitated for a moment.

“We need to hurry…” Twilight said, gulping as she took a step inside.

Martin nodded, rushing inside to fight against the castle’s wooden doors. The doors eventually gave, revealing nothing but pitch blackness. He looked around as torches lining the walls exploded into life. Paintings hung on the wall, the former Grandmasters watching as he gulped, grabbing a torch. The girls were right behind him, a bet hesitantly.

“W-where do we go?” Fluttershy asked, looking terrified.

He led the way, pointing to the far end, some of the torches still lit. “They were here, Apollo told me everything about the castle. The torches only ignite when someone enters the room.”

It was silent in the castle, nothing alive as it creaked with age. The air was stale, having been stagnant in the room. He looked at the paintings and noticed small podiums in between them. He paused and walked closer to them. He bent down and saw the footprints leaving the podiums, the dust clear. He blinked, realizing that the podiums should be home to the metal soldiers. “The suits of armor are active..”

“What? How?”

He gulped. “Dash or Michael must’ve walked down here.” He got back up and looked at the corridor.
Loud bangs and clangs of metal suddenly ended the silence, sounding like it was right down the hallway. “Oh no…” Fluttershy squeaked as everyone quickly backed up.

Several of the torches extinguished, plunging it in darkness. Metal clacked against the stone floor as the outline of two meter suit walked towards them. With every step, more torches went out, the shadows making it taller than it already was. There was a scratch of metal as the suit pulled out its long sword out of its scabbard, holding it in both of its gauntlets. The visor creaked as its gaze laid on the girls.

“What is that?” Twilight asked as they grouped together.

It took a step closer, the ground shaking with every step. “That’s one of the castle’s guardians…” Martin said, pulling out his sword.

“What… what do we do?”

He gulped, his hands starting to get sweaty. “You can’t do anything against it… neither can I. No matter what we do, it’ll just rebuild itself. But I can buy you some time, it won’t attack me…”

“But what do we do?” Twilight asked, her horn glowing.

“You run past it. They might be deadly but they’re not very fast.”

Pinkie looked at it. “But maybe they just need a party or two…”

“I don’t think it’d want a party…”

It raised the sword high, the tip scraping along the ceiling. Martin’s eyes widened and he kicked the suit’s knee. The metal found no purchase on the stone floor and fell over, the lower part of its leg flying off.

“Where would we run too?” Twilight asked.

Martin pointed down the opposite corridor. “Take a torch and go!”

A torch quickly hovered near them and they took off running, hopping over the struggling suit of armor. It tried to swing its weapon but couldn’t get enough force behind it, all the ponies easily dodging it. The torch got dimmer and dimmer before finally disappearing down a corner. Martin stared at the suit, who finally stood back proudly on its feet. The two stared at each other in silence, both swords held in defense.

“I order you to bring me to Apollo’s grave.” Martin demanded.

The suit stared at him, cocking its head before drawing its sword and putting it back in the sheath. It turned around, heading down a different turn than the girls took. Martin followed right behind it as it led him outside. He paused, looking at the looming tower in front of him as the suit opened the door, waiting for the human to catch up.

The girls ran blindly down the corridors, several suits of armor chasing them. They frantically looked around, opening every door in their search for the missing pegasi.

“Where do we go?” AJ asked.

“No idea, keep running!” Twilight said, blasting another suit in the knee, taking it down along with his friend.

=

Michael carried Dash, both covered in cuts, scratches and dirt. He paused and thought he heard somepony yell. “Come on Dash, we gotta get outta here.”

She grunted in pain. “Who builds things like those.” She asked, limping with him.

“My crazy people.” They shuffled along, not a suit of armor around. “I guess Apollo didn’t program them to accept ponies…” He panted. Suddenly a mace crashed into the floor right behind them. They flinched, a suit right behind them. “Nope!” He said, launching both of them into the air and glided down the corridor. “We gotta get out of here before more show up.” He said, looking at the fork in the halls. “Which way?”

To the left lead upstairs into blackness and what sounded like more suits heading this way. The right led to downstairs, nothing there either but more darkness. He gulped, looking at Dash as she looked exhausted.

“Well… this is gonna hurt…” He said, grabbing her tightly before launching them downstairs, his wings trying to slow their descent. It didn’t work as he landed awkwardly and flipped, landing on his back. Dash quickly picked him up and they limped even slower down a small corner. They reached the end, only to realize it was a dead end. The suits had caught up, their clanks only a few feet behind them. A single door sat hidden in the shadows.

Mike ran full speed at the door, busting it wide open as Dash followed suit. He quickly shut it, submerging them into darkness as a faint torch burst into life. It was a storage room, barrels and boxes lining the walls.

Dash groaned and wiped her forehead, looking around. “Where are we?”

“Some sort of store room.” He sighed, leaning against the door.

For a moment it was silent, the suits searching the hallway outside. They paused outside the room, the pegasi looking at the door before the door shook, the armored guards bashing at it. As they watched the door give way to the constant beating, a small gust of wind stirred up the dust on the floor. Mike turned, scanning the floor.

“Wait, did you feel that?” He walked up to a large barrel. It seemed as if the wind was coming from underneath it. He pushed against it, the barrel holding its ground.

“Yeah, yeah I did.” She said, helping me push against the barrel.

It finally gave way, slowly moving over. It rolled away and underneath it hid a trapdoor. It was made of old wood, holes poking through. They looked at it as the door gave way, the suits marching in.

“Where do you think it leads?” Mike asked.

Dash flung it open. “Don’t care, rather find out then stay here!” She yelled pushing him through before following right behind.

The trapdoor led to a small tunnel, running off into the darkness. Two guards followed them as the tunnel sloped down, going deeper and deeper into the ground.

“Can you see?” Mike whispered.

She shook her head. “Nope but we only got one option here…” She said, looking back to try and see the guards.

As they continued deeper down the tunnel, Mike tried to think of a way out of it. “Do you trust me?” He asked.

“What? Michael, now isn’t the time for that!”

“What, I don’t even... no, Luna gave me the ability to blend into the shadows.”

She looked at him. “And why didn’t you say this before?”

“I’m not sure if it’ll work against these things.”

“Only one way to find out.”

He nodded, stopping as they leaned against the wall. He grabbed her hoof tightly as he slowed his breath, closing his eyes as he felt the wisps of the shadows swirl around him. Any light in the tunnel turned away from them as they seemingly became one with the wall.

The guards slowed, the two lost on their scent. They looked around as a guard stared right at them for a moment. It was deathly quiet, the two ponies struggling not to breath as the guards looked around. One stepped forward, a gauntlet raised to grab Michael before it stopped, dropping its hand. It turned, along with the other one and continued deeper down. They stayed like that for a few more minutes before Michael let his breath out, blowing the shadows away.

“That was close…”

“Too close.” She sighed. “Where do we go now?”

“Wanna go back? Since they think we went down the tunnel, they wouldn’t think we’d be stupid enough to go back inside.”

She nodded and the two tried to retrace their trails. After a good ten minutes, she stopped. “We didn’t run this long, where’s the exit?” She asked, confused.

He paused, trying to catch his breath. “This can’t be a neverending tunnel, we just have to keep going.”

She nodded and they began to run, trying to get to the end. Eventually, a faint blue light came at what they assumed was the end of the tunnel. “Do you see that!?”

“Yeah…” He grinned. “Wanna race for it?”

She looked at him for a moment before a smirk appeared on her face. “Of course.” Before he could register what she said, she had taken off, a blue blur in the dark.

He stared at her and rushed after her. “Oh real fair!”

The light grew bright as they approached till they stood in the entrance of a large circular room. There were no windows or furniture, just a big empty room. The light cast most of the room in darkness, the corners hidden. In the center rested the light, a blue crystal, resting in the hands of a human skeleton wearing a black robe. Eight other skeletons sat next to it in a semicircle, their faces hidden by the cowls of the robes.

“What the hell is this place?” Michael asked as they hesitantly stepped inside. He stared at the crystal.

“I… I uh, don’t know.” Dash said, her voice unsure.

He walked up to the crystal in a daze as Dash stayed by the opening. He glanced at the skeletons for poking one in the shin with a hoof. Nothing happened, no noise, no movement.

Dash slowly walked towards the skeleton in the middle, holding the crystal.

Mike unfurled his wings and hovered knee level with the humans. “Well only one way to know…” He said, touching the crystal.

The crystal instantly reacted, the light inside going at a fever pace. A wave of pure blue energy shot out, encasing the room and disappearing into the tunnel. Electricity sparked around the crystal as the room changed, the cracks in the walls slowly disappearing, the spider webs and dust gone. And with another wave of energy, Dash was suddenly gone as well.

“D-dash?” He looked around frantically. “DASH!?” He yelled louder.

The light finally dimmed before fading away. “We have awaited you… Michael.” A deep raspy voice said.

The air left Mike’s body as he dropped to the fall. “What?” He squeaked, looking for the owner of the voice.

The skeletons were no longer just bones, having regained skin and hair. Their faces remained hidden by the hoods. The one holding the crystal glanced up, the crystal illuminating his face. He had a long grey beard and dark blue eyes.

He stared at the opposing nine figures, his mouth wide open. “Wha…”

“Michael, Human of the third kind, listen closely to what we have to tell you.” They said in unison.

“Err… a-alright…”

“Do not worry about your friend, she is safe.”

He sighed. “Good, but where did she go?”

“No where, she does not exist yet.”

He stared at them dumbstruck. “What?”

They looked at each other before looking at the pegasus. “You’ve been transported back in time. It is three thousand years before Celestia takes the throne. We have brought you here so you may stop the terror that awaits Equestria… if you do nothing.”

“Wait… if I do nothing? What do you mean?”

“Martin, human of the second kind, he is searching for a very specific kind of armor.” The crystal bearer paused. “Armor so strong nothing can harm the wearer. No magic or weapon in this plane of existence…” His blue eyes pierced Michael. “But it is dangerous.”

“How?”

“It is what we call an Element of Disharmony.”

“Element of Disharmony?”

“Fear, famine, greed, corruption, death, and war. Each capable of creating untold amounts of chaos.”

“So you're saying he’s going to control the opposites of the Elements of Harmony?"

“No, the armor is the Element of War. Whomever wears the armor will slowly become one wit it until only death can separate them.”

Michael’s brain was in overdrive. “So you become the armor? But why would you do that?”

“The armor grants near invincibility, a gift many would gladly accept. But the armor slowly corrupts the thoughts of the wearer, making him seek only war and destruction. Even the most noblest will succumb to the armor’s taint.”

He held a hoof to his head. “And Martin thinks the end justifies the means… is there any way around it?”

"No, he will wear and use the armor. Without it, this war is lost. He will realize what awaits him and no matter what. He. Will. DIE.”

“Like hell he will!” Mike jumped and floated right into the bearded man’s face. “There has to be a way around it! There’s always a really bad alternative!”

“No, the flow of time will not change.”

“Well if that’s the case, then how did I go back three thousand years?”

“We brought you here because we had to, all this had to happen.”

“I’m not going to let that happen you know, even if I’m killed in the process.”

“You won’t die, we saw what will happen.”

“Well good thing I don’t believe in lousy oracles.” He smacked his two forehooves together. “So are you done spouting nonsense? The future is always in motion, things change that not even you can perceive!”

“If the future would always change, how could we know you’d come here? How do you think we knew when to change the tunnel?”

“That may have happened but I know for a fact that destinies can change.”

“You talk about things you do not understand. Trying to prevent the future will lead ito to be true.”

“Not if I do something not even you think I’m capable of.”

“We will see, we know the flow of time. Nothing will make it change.”

“You forget how persistent humans can be.”

“We are humans, of the first kind.”

“But yet none remain while the ‘second’ and ‘third’ do, go figure. For all your power of seeing the flow of time, couldn’t even see the end of your own.”

“We know that we all shall die but we all accepted that we won’t change it. Because we can’t.”

“So you’ve just given up?! Humans are known for their tenacity, their determination, their will to never give up. I lost an eye and was turned into a pony, but I fought through it and look at me now, I can see through both eyes and fly. You’re not humans, at least any more. You’re a shell of whomever you were before. Your egos block you from seeing anything.”

They glared at him in silence. “We stopped fighting and began learning, seeing what will happen makes you want to change. But we all realized no matter how hard we tried, nothing helped.”

“So you gave up anyway? I’m sorry to say I was actually afraid of you.” He accepted their staring contest. “I see nothing but a bunch of washed up has beens. You couldn’t save anything!”

“Go ahead Michael, try and save your friend. You will realize as well, it won’t help.”

“I will and prove you wrong. Just send me back.”

The old man holding the crystal moved towards Michael, lifting the crystal above his head. He glared at the pegasus before whispering in some ancient language. The crystal responded in kind, the same pulsing blue aura shooting out. The room began to change back, the wear and tear of age returning. Rainbow Dash appeared in the same spot she was.

Mike gasped as the pulsing stopped, the crystal going dormant once again, the room back in darkness. Dash grabbed his hoof and dragged him out of the room. “What was that?! T-that thing shot out some weird energy!”

“It sent me back in time and I talked to the founders.” He said breathlessly, his mind and body exhausted.

She looked at him, confused. “What do you mean? You never left…”

“Long story, look we need to find the others.”

She nodded and carried him along, retracing their steps before they found the trapdoor, no suits anywhere. She lifted it up carefully and peeked in the room. She flew up after a few moments. “Clear.” She said, pulling him up.

They looked around. “You go find the others and get the hell out, I’ll go find Martin. I might have an idea where he is.” She paused, looking like she wanted to argue. “Look, you're faster than I am. You can swoop in and you know how to get out, I need to go get my friend.”

She sighed. “Okay, just be careful you knucklehead.” She said, her wings flapping once before she shot off.

He watched her disappear and sighed. “Thanks Dash… take care of Flutters…” He whispered, running towards the graveyard.

Author's Note

Yay! Another chapter! The plot thickens... It seems as if we can never catch a break, eh?

32 - Element of Death

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 32 - Element of Death

The moon was shining down through the clouds as hooves raced across the broken cobblestone path. Graves and statues of the former knights lined the large green field, the tombstones overgrown with moss and vegetation. A single torch burned on a large stone tomb. Mike paused and gulped as he stopped, staring at the imposing tomb. He grabbed the torch and slowly walked inside, his hooves echoing on the stairs.

He made his way deeper into the darkness, the torch emitting just enough light to see the stair in front of him. The temperature seemed to drop steadily as he moved deeper into the planet, his breath becoming more evident as the torch crackled and struggled to stay lit.

Finally he got to the bottom, the staircase disappearing behind him as he gaped at the large cave in front. Ancient stone bridges, weathered with age, led to platforms suspended over a bottomless pit. He leaned over, peering into the nothingness before making his way across, staying in the center of the bridge.

As soon as his hoof touched the first platform, fire erupted on the sides, illuminating a giant stone dragon’s head. The mouth wide open as the eyes stared at the pegasus. The tongue itself was another bridge, the fire leading straight down its throat. Mike unfurled his wings and flapped, hovering slowly inside.

An empty podium sat nestled in the middle of its mouth, a small door behind. He opened the door and met nothing but blackness. He made his way down the throat, hovering down another staircase. The throat led to another cave, this time lined with empty suits of armor. At the opposite side of the room, a giant statue of a man wearing armor that the pegasus didn’t recognize. Another staircase led up his waist and an altar was just in front of his chestplate, held by small outcropping. Around the edges of the platform, another pit of nothingness surrounded them.

Mike stared at the empty armors before he flapped his wings and flew up to the podium, something golden glinting in the faint light. As he got closer, he could make out a mask in the image of a dragon. His fur raised up, sensing danger as he quickly looked around.

He saw nothing as he landed next to the mask as his senses warned him of impending death. He looked at the mask, the feeling coming from it. It seemed to resonate fear and death, the mask almost grinning back at him

Loud clacks of metal on stone carried as Michael quickly turned around and stared at Martin. “Michael, what are you doing here?” He said, his voice near emotionless. He wore some sort of golden armor that looked like dragon scales. Black carvings and decorations covered the chestplate and traveled down the arms and legs. A thick black cape trailed behind him, a hood hiding his face..

Michael jumped and grabbed the hood, throwing it off. “Get that off!” He yelled, grabbing the chestplate and pulled at it.

Martin raised an eyebrow and grabbed the pegasus, holding him away. “What are you talking about?”

Mike twisted in his grip, pulling the gauntlet off. “You need to get that off or you’ll turn!”

Martin let him go as Mike dropped to the floor. “No.”

“Martin, we don’t have time to argue! You have to take that off you’ll die!” Michael said, hopping up and grasping at the chestplate.

He rolled his eyes and pushed the pegasus back to the ground. He walked up to the mask and grinned at it. “There you are…” He said, his hands picking it up.

Faster than the human eye could follow, Michael launched himself off the ground and grabbed the mask. He hovered just out of his friend’s reach. “I won’t let you damn yourself on some misguided fool’s preaching!”

He stared at his friend, dumbfounded. “What are you talking about?”

“If you wear this armor, you’ll turn into the Element of War, causing nothing but death and destruction. You’ll be corrupted and will be killed!”

“Beg your pardon but I highly doubt that. I’ve never felt better to be honest, since I put on this armor… I feel… stronger…”

“Do you know what the ‘God of War’ means? Unlimited strength, unbeatable in combat… Martin, I won’t let you become one of them.”

He stared at his hands, tracing the intricate symbols with a finger. “W-what if I want to?”

“You’re not thinking right! It’s already trying to corrupt you.” He paused. “What would Applejack say?” He asked, trying another tactic.

Martin turned to look at the empty suits lining the walls below. “This army, it will bring peace to the land…”

“No it won’t. It may for awhile but then you’d cause another!”

Martin smirked as he pulled out a new sword, made of the same material as the armor. He held it tightly in his right hand and slowly slid his left along the blade. He looked at his reflection in the metal, his pale face grinning evilly.

“Martin, there’s still time. We can work together and finish this war, just take off the armor…”

He chuckled and walked towards the podium, a notch in the ground just big enough for a sword. “I think they’ve slept long enough, don’t you?”

Mike’s eyes widened as he realized what he was about to do. “Martin wait! Don’t do it!”

Martin rammed the sword into the notch, a bright light shining from the swords as patterns lit up on the floor. Light surged towards the suits of armor as they glowed briefly before moving, their movements echoing loudly. Martin opened his arms wide, greeting his metal children. “Soldiers, never dying warriors!” He yelled loudly.

“Martin, take out the sword!” Michael said coldly, hovering over the pit.

He grinned. “What if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll drop the mask into oblivion.”

Martin narrowed his eyes. “Hmm…” He muttered, pulling the sword out of the ground and looked at the floating pegasus.

Mike hesitantly flew closer, still out of his reach. “See? We can talk about this?”

Like a cobra, Martin lashed out, making a grab for the mask. Mike instinctively fell back, Martin’s fingers slipping through his tail. “Give. Me. The. MASK!”

“I can’t do that.”
Martin paused, staring at his friend. “Then I’ll have to get it.”

“Martin, its your friend Michael remember? You promised that you’d protect everypony remember?”

His chuckle turned into laughter, an evil grin on his face. “Now who do you think is in control; Martin or WAR?”

“Martin, he wouldn’t let such a weak spirit control him.” Mike stared at the possessed human. “He beat Discord, he can beat you.”

His laugh echoed in the cave. “You think Discord can compare to me?” He reached out with his left hand, his fingertips touching each other. “Now if you don’t mind…” The mask nearly slipped out Mike’s grip as it begun to crawl towards Martin.

Mike gripped it tightly. “You ain’t pulling any Force shit on me.” He said before he flapped his wings and dived down towards the pit.

He laughed maniacally and closed his hand into a fist. The mask forcibly freed itself and headed towards Martin. “No one takes what is rightfully mine.” He chuckled.

Mike pulled up in a sweep, the forces stalling him for a second before they pushed him. He went to make a grab for the mask but at the last second, pushed Martin and grabbed the sword from the surprised human. He tossed it into the abyss, the blade shining once before disappearing.

Martin watched the metal disappear. “Oh well, nothing that can’t be replaced.” He held the mask in both hands. “Come here you beautiful…” He said, pushing the mask against his face. Pain suddenly erupted in his hand, numbness creeping in. His eyes shot open and looked at his hand. It was broken horribly, several bones nearly obliterated.

Mike held the remains of the gauntlet in his hooves. “Martin, I made a promise to make sure you survived and didn’t get out of hand. And I intend to keep it, even if I have to drag you back in casts.” He said, tossing the useless thing into the pit.

Fury etched into Martin’s face as he seethed at the pegasus. “You… why? Why do you hold onto him so much?!” He spat, the mask shaking in his grip. He looked at the useless thing and tossed it to the side.

“Because… the least I could do for him is make sure he lives. After everything he’s done for me. He’s a friend and I’ll do anything for them, even fight Death himself.”

Martin shook his head. “Oh, you don’t want to meet him. He’s no fun…” He sighed. “Oh well..” His hand was already healing, the bones realigning. “Maybe I’ll return one day. Then again, I would be in Death’s way…” The armor cracked before exploding into ashes on the ground.

Mike chuckled. “Death’s a nice guy, once you get around his day job.”

“Oh you haven’t met HIM yet.” Martin took a deep breath before grinning back at Mike. “Now, you’ll have your precious friend back… but how long till he dies...”

Mike coldly looked at the human. “See you in hell.”

“Sadly, I’m not the one that’ll decide that. Only Death can choose…”

“Remind me to tell Death his receptionist is terrible.”

Martin laughed. “Will do.” He said, staring off into the distance. “You’ll see him soon…”

“Just go back to wherever you came from so I can yell at Martin.”

“Alright… but don’t forget, time always follows one path...”

“I’m more of a wishy washy timey wimey fan. Take your philosophy and show off, War.”

Martin gazed at his friend one final time. “We might see each other soon enough, friend.” Martin dropped to his knees as his body shook. He coughed as a wisp of black smoke left his mouth and dissipated.

Mike ran up to Martin and put a hoof on his back. “Hey Martin, you ok?”

He looked up, exhausted. “Yeah… I’m fine…” He groaned.

Mike looped the human’s arm across his shoulders as he flapped his wings furiously, trying to get airborne. “Come on, we gotta go save the others.”

Martin’s eyes opened wide as he staggered upright. “What about the army?”

Mike looked at the bottomless pit. “The sword was the activation lever, wasn’t it?”

Martin followed his friend’s gaze. “No but it has the same effect.”

“Good cause I may have threw that into the bottomless pit.”

Martin turned to stare at his pegasus friend. “That was…” He sighed and shook his head. “Whatever, we have to get the others.” He said, getting back to his feet and shuffling his way past the suits.

Michael flew next to him, quiet as the armor stared at the pegasus. Martin held a hand up. “Do not harm any nonhuman creatures in the castle.” The armors stopped, looking slightly confused as they marched back onto their podiums and went dormant. “Come on.” Martin said, walking away.

Michael’s mouth was slightly ajar. “And you didn’t say this earlier why?” He asked, hovering at shoulder height.

“I had my reasons.”

“Alright… are you sure you’re ok?”

Martin shook his head. “I still feel kinda odd. I only remember bits and pieces. But I do remember seeing… some guy wearing a black suit standing behind you. His face was covered in bandages… only his eye was visible.” He shuddered. “He was really creepy.”

Michael’s face paled. “You were probably just seeing things.” He insisted, flying faster. “Come on, let’s go get the others and get the hell outta here.”

Martin frowned. “But I’m sure I saw something…” He muttered, jogging after the flying pegasus.

Mike slowed, letting his friend lead the way. They were both silent, lost in thought. After a while, Mike coughed. “So… how much farther?” He asked, breaking the tense silence.

Martin looked around and before he could answer, a high pitch scream rang through the building. They looked at each other before rushing off towards the scream, Michael faster of the two. Suits of armor were bashing down a door, the door only being held together by a purple aura.

“Hey uglies!” Mike yelled at the suits of armor, which quickly turned to stare at him. “I should’ve probably thought his through..” He said, taking a hesitant step back.

“Step away from the door.” Martin said calmly as he caught up. The suits looked at him before grudgingly stepping away. “Good. Now don’t harm any nonhuman creatures that enter the castle unless they provoke an attack.” He sighed. “Now, start rebuilding the castle. Make it shine like new.”

The suits stared at him before looking at each other and forcibly put away their swords before they disappeared. Mike walked up to the door and knocked. “Hello?”

The aura holding the door together vanished as the door crumbled to bits. The girls stood there, Dash and AJ getting to fight. The girls paused as the pegasus and human stared at the Elements before Fluttershy flew into Mike’s arms, her body shaking. AJ walked over to Martin and wrapped him in a hug as everypony sighed, relieved. Mike buried his face into her mane. “Hey Flutters, glad you're alright.” He whispered into her ear.

Martin bent down and hugged her back. “Sorry about that…” He muttered, running a hand through her mane.

“At least yer alright…” She said.

He nodded and looked at the girls. Everypony looked happy that the guards were gone. “Alright, let’s go home.”

The girls nodded as Twilight glanced at him suspiciously as they began the trek home, Fluttershy and Michael bringing up the rear. Guards walked past them, patrolling the castle and repaired what they could.

Martin faintly smiled. “Can’t believe the castle will be good as new.” He said and disappeared into the armor. Awhile later, he came back wearing a new set of armor. The metal was polished and showed the crest of the Order. “Who needs armor that makes you invincible anyways?”

“Yeah… who needs it?” Mike asked coldly, staring at him out of the corner of his eye.
Martin rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry mate, you know I couldn’t resist. How was I supposed to know what it was?”
Mike sighed. “Yeah, let’s just get out of here.”

They finally left the castle, turning around to get one final look. Michael squinted, something seeming off. A black robed figure stood on the battlements and looked back at him. His face was covered in bandages, only his eye could be seen. His look made Michael shiver, fear and cold surging through him. His eye seemed to glow like the sun, his gaze intently stuck on Mike.

Mike gulped. “You guys go on, I gotta take care of something.” He said, flying away before anyone could disagree. By the time he reached the battlements, he was long gone. Mike sighed and went to turn back.

“Michael…” Someone whispered, the voice filled with fury. Michael’s body froze, his fur sticking straight up on the back of his neck. His heart skipped for a moment and he felt colder, his breath noticeable.

He turned towards the voice. “W-what do you want? I’m getting tired of all these smokes and mirrors crap, so just show yourself already.” He said and tried to hide his fear.

The figure landed, his shoes clacking against the stone. He stared silently at the pegasus, tilting his head slowly. Mike gulped, his body urging him to run away. The figure’s suit was darker than night, his tie sticking out solely because of the light. A lantern hung around his waist, the dirty bandages trailing up his body.

“W-who are you supposed to be, Chiron?”

He deliberately shook his head. “I am the end, I choose who dies and who lives. No one can change my decision, save me.”

The color drained from Michael’s face as he took a few steps back. “Death… w-what do you want?”

His eye looked at him before looking up and stared at the departing ponies, his eye fixated on Martin. “They told you he’d die.”

“But I stopped it.”

The eye came back to focus on the pegasus in front of him. “And who made you think that you can decide? They said he’d die, not what would happen afterwards.”

“It doesn’t matter about afterwards if he died. And like I told them, I’d stand up to even you… if it meant saving my friend.”

Death chuckled. “No one leaves this world completely…” He tapped the lantern. “They all gather in here.”

“Then that’s a fate worse than what I imagined…”

He turned around. “No one can change what I plan and don’t worry, your friend… Well let’s just say I have something special planned for him.” He grabbed the air like he was grasping a doorknob and opened a portal-like door. He walked into it and disappeared, the portal closing behind him.

Michael stood there and stared at the spot before finally he smacked his head against his hoof. He repeated it several times, his head ringing. “I can’t do anything!” He said, smacking harder as his already bruised and cut face started to bleed. He rubbed his eyes before he got up and lazily flew back to Ponyville.

Author's Note

Ha! New update yay! Sorry for the long delays... got way to many stories on my plate, trying to update/edit/fix/etc. So, what did you guys think? He done got possessed... again. Poor Martin... Well, don't forget to leave some comments. Always love reading them =D Till next time!

33 - Death's Madness

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 33 - Death's Madness

The moon still shone as Michael flew over the forest, the forest surprisingly silent. Death’s words echoed in his head, the yellow eye staring through any attempt at forgetting it. He sighed and landed at the doorstep of the library, opening the door as the bell signaled his arrival.

Everypony and human sat on the couch, Martin out of his armor as he rested next to AJ. They all turned and looked at the pegasus and Martin quickly got up. “Hey mate, where have you been?” He asked happily.

“Just thought I was seeing a ghost.” Mike waved dismissively. “So what did I miss?”

He shrugged. “Not much, Twi was just telling me that there isn’t any meetings planned for today. But I have to go back to the border in a few days.”

Mike scratched the back of his head. “Again? I thought you stalled them?”

“Oh no, I have to go there for one last check and then I can come back… for the time being.”

“Ah, that’s good.” Mike’s face erupted in pain as he gingerly held a hoof up to it and hissed in pain.

Martin frowned and went down to a knee. “You alright?” He asked worriedly.

Mike chuckled. “Yeah, ran into a few walls earlier while running for my life from demon guards.” He looked at Dash. “You ok?”

She grinned. “Course I am, nothing I can’t shake off.” She said, back to her old self.

He shook his head and sighed. “Oh yeah.”

Fluttershy walked up to Michael and hugged him tightly. “You poor thing, we need to get you patched up.” She said, gingerly investigating the bruises and cuts.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve had worse…” He said and motioned towards the faint scratches on his side.

She shook her head. “No, I don’t want those to get infected…” Her voice full of care and worry.

Mike sighed. “I’m not going to win this, am I?”

She stared into his eyes and gently kissed his snout. “Nope.”

He chuckled, his face red. “Alright… Twilight, you wouldn’t happen to have a medkit lying around, would you?”

She smiled and nodded, her horn glowing as a small case with a red cross appeared. “Of course, here you go.” She said as she floated it over to Fluttershy’s hooves.

“Thank you Twilight…” Fluttershy replied quietly and opened the case. She grabbed a few things and began to clean him up.

Martin ran a hand through his hair as he sat down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So Dash, I have a simple question.”

Dash raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him. “Ya?”

“What were you thinking? Why would you go inside the castle?”

She shrugged. “Vandir didn’t think I’d be able to find… it is the Everfree, anything’s possible in there.”

Martin rubbed his eyes. “Jesus, I forbid you to go in there again. The guards won’t attack you but I don’t want anypony in there or having to search.

She rolled her eyes and looked out the window. “Pfft, whatever. Like I care.”

Martin glared at her. “Guards or not, the castle is a dangerous place.”

“Go figure, would’ve never figured that out. So thankful you could tell me.” She said sarcastically.

“Your attitude isn’t helping anyone Dash. Stay away from the castle.”

“As long as nopony needs rescuing, I’ll gladly stay away.”

He nodded. “Good.”

Twilight was lost in her own world, scribbling fervently as a scroll floated near her head, the quill a blur.

Martin looked at her quizzically. “Umm Twilight, what are you writing?”

“Just a few notes for the Princess.” She said, not really paying attention as a book floated in front of her face for a moment as the quill scribbled faster.

He paused for a moment and looked around the room. The girls seemed to be winding down, talking amongst themselves as Twilight finished the letter. She wrapped it up and set it down on the table, leaving to grab Spike. He grinned as he saw Mike and Fluttershy; Mike was covered in bandages and wraps, Fluttershy finally putting the final bandaid on his snout. She pulled him into her hooves and ran one through his mane.

“You’ll be better soon…” She whispered into his ear, hugging him carefully.

Mike’s face turned a tad darker. “Thanks Flutters…” He muttered, hiding his face in her chest.

She blushed and rested her head against his. Martin shook his head, turning back towards the others. “So what now?”

Dash leaned back and sighed, resting against the back of the couch. “I say a little r&r.”

Martin nodded. “Not much else we could do, aye?”

Dash nodded and closed her eyes with a yawn. “Well as much Ah’d like ta stay, Ah should be heading back and getting ready fer the mornin’ bucking.” AJ said as she got off the couch. “Let me know if there’s anything ya need help with.”

“Need help on the farm?” Martin asked.

“If ya want ta help, Ah’m sure Ah can find somethin’.”

He smiled and nodded. “Ok.” He said, getting up and followed her out as Twilight came back with Spike. He waved goodbye and goodnight to the others as AJ smiled and led him to the farm.

Michael watched Martin leave out of the corner of his eye before he looked at Fluttershy. “Would you like to go back to the cottage? So we can relax there?” He whispered.

Her face turned a shade redder. “Um… su-sure…” She said. The other girls giggled and whispered something amongst each other.

Mike’s face turned red. “What?” He asked them.

They giggled and looked at him. “Nothing…” Twilight said, her face flushed from giggling as Spike rolled his eyes and sent the letter. The baby dragon grumply made his way back to bed, quickly falling back asleep.

Mike turned to look at the purple unicorn. “Uh huh…”

Rarity giggled and covered her mouth with a hoof. “Don’t worry about it darling, just a joke among friends.” She said with a smile.

“Alright…” He said, staring at them suspiciously as he led Fluttershy to the door.

Rarity waved her hoof. “Ta-ta darlings.” The rest of the girls bid them goodnight.

Mike and Fluttershy waved goodbye as they walked towards the cottage, the journey silent. She hid under her mane for most of it, the few glimpses he could get were her glancing at him worriedly. “What’s wrong Flutters?” He asked.

Her wings rustled before she turned to look at him. “Y-you look worried… Did something h-happen while you were at the castle?” She asked as they stopped and she hoofed the ground.

He was silent for a moment and sighed. “Y-yeah…” He whispered.

Her eyes widened and she stepped closer. “W-what happened?”

He bit the inside of his cheek and turned his gaze down to the ground. “I… met Death… and he has plans for Martin and nothing I can do will change it.” Mike said minutely.

She eeped and hid behind her mane again. “Y-you m-met Death?” She squeaked.

“I guess… maybe?”

“W-what did he do? Did he hurt you?” She asked and took a step closer, checking him again for any new wounds.

He shook his head. “No, I’m fine. He sorta threatened me since I messed with his plot to kill Martin though…”

“He wants to kill M-Martin?”

“Yeah, I’m not sure why but I don’t care, I’ve stopped him before and I’ll do it again.”

The medallion tightened around his neck and pain shot through his body. He fell to the ground, twitching as he gasped for air.

Don’t mess with things you don’t understand. You may unintentionally cause the very thing you’re trying to stop. Luna’s voice echoed through his head as his hooves feebly attempted to stop the pounding.

Fluttershy quickly grabbed him and held him tightly. “Michael? Michael? What’s going on?” She asked panicky.

“I’m… ok Flutters, I’m ok.” He whispered, holding her tightly. “Just another little thing I was forced into.”

She looked at him confused as a small tear rolled down her cheek. “What do you mean?” She asked worriedly as she helped him to his hooves.

He looked anywhere but at her, feeling guilty. “I don’t want to involve you… you might get hurt.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want you hurt either…”

He chuckled. “It seems as if the world disagrees with us on that point.”

She sniffed, another tear joining the last as she flung her hooves around his neck. “I don’t want you to get hurt, you’ve already felt too much pain…” She said, her voice shaky.

He closed his eyes and wrapped his hooves around her. “Alright, I’ll tell you when we get home…” She nodded as he gave her a reassuring smile and wiped the tears from her eyes. “It’s alright, I’ve been through hell and I’m still here.” He grabbed her hoof and led her towards the cottage.

They finally got home and took care of her animals. She seemed to calm down, the animals helping relax as she smiled and helped a rabbit couple with a late snack. Once they were finished, they snuggled on the couch, her chin resting on his shoulder. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowly grew silent and steady.

He nuzzled her cheek. “Fluttershy?” He whispered. She opened an eye, the shining sapphire orb full of love and happiness. “Did you fall asleep?” He smiled.

She closed her eye again and snuggled closer, burying her face into his chest. “No…” She said quietly.

“Ok…” He kissed the top of her head.

She yawned before leaning up and kissed him. “Do you want some tea?” She asked silently.

“Sure, I’d love some.”

She smiled and pushed herself up. She stared into his eyes for a moment before walking into the kitchen and grabbed the kettle. She put it on the stove as Mike leaned against the couch, closing his eyes. She hummed as she looked out the window and tilted her head.

“Um… Michael, I didn’t know Martin had a black suit…” She mumbled, confused.

He hopped off the couch. “He doesn’t that I’m aware of…”

She looked at him. “W-who’s that then?” She asked, pointing her hoof at the figure in black standing underneath a tree, almost completely hidden by the shadows.

His eyes widened as the figure disappeared in a blink of an eye. Fluttershy screamed and Mike whirled around and went to grab her. She was curled into a ball. Death stood not far away from her. He had a cup of tea in his head. He looked at Mike with a grin.

“Leave her alone!” He yelled and grabbed her, holding her close.

Death chuckled and stepped closer. Fluttershy’s shaking slowed down until she seemed to freeze.

“Fluttershy?!” He asked, looking at her before he glared at Death. “What did you do to her?!”

He laughed and looked out the window, the leaves were frozen in mid-fall, along with all the animals. “Tik tok, tik tok, time goes on but what… if it doesn’t?” He asked with a smug grin.

“What did you do?”

“How do you think I collect all the souls that leave their bodies? Hundreds die every day, some at the same time. Time works against me… so I slow it down, until it stops.”

“W-why did you slow it down here? Why am I not affected?”

He laughed again. “Here? Michael, the entire world has been stopped… and you, I need to ask you a favor.” He grinned evilly.

Michael stared at him, Death’s yellow eye feeling like it was burning his skin. “What do you want!?”

Death smiled and let go of the cup. It remained in mid air as he leaned closer and grabbed the medallion. He looked at it closely. “Ahhh… I knew it was her.” He said to himself out loud.

“What are you talking about?”

He let go of the medallion and calmly stared at the pegasus. “I want you to tell me something about a certain Princess of the Night.”

Mike went silent for a moment. “Depends on what you want to know.”

He chuckled. “Do you… fear her?”

“I fear her abilities, yes…”

He nodded. “She threatened you. Did her aura make you feel… intimidated? Fearful?”

“Yes?”

He closed his eye for a second. “Does she think Celestia is planning something?”

Mike refused to answer, afraid to say anything.

He smiled. “Does she make others follow… by fear?”

Mike nodded.

He grinned evilly, the veins in his eye visible. “I thought as much.”

“Why are you asking me these questions?” Mike asked in a small voice.

He turned around and walked away, once again grabbing the world and forcing a door to appear. He paused on the precipice and looked over his shoulder. “It appears something that belongs to me is in the wrong… hooves.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I will show her… what it means, to fear someone…” He said, disappearing into the darkness as the door shut firmly behind him as the world slowly resumed.

Mike looked at the ground, horribly confused as his brain tried to comprehend what just happened. Fluttershy slowly looked up and saw Mike standing there. “Mi-michael, i-is he g-gone?” She asked, her voice trembling.

He grabbed and held her tightly. “He’s gone…” He whispered, running a hoof through her mane.

She sighed in relief. “W-what was that?”

“That was Death, he stopped by to ask some questions…”

She paused and looked at him. “B-but I didn’t hear anything…” She said, confused.

“He-he froze time…”

She gasped. “H-he fr-froze time?”

Mike nodded. “I don’t understand how but he did…”

She buried her face into his chest again, shaking. “I-I’m scared…”

“So am I Flutters, so am I…” He whispered, resting his chin on her head.

She looked up, her blue eyes melting his heart. “W-why… why would he want Martin to die?”

“I don’t know, it doesn’t make sense to me..”

She nodded and buried her face again, sobbing quietly. A while passed and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. He picked her up and carried her to the couch, making sure to hug her tightly. “Th-thank you…” She whispered.

He sniffed, hiding the tears. “No problem Fluttershy.” He said quietly.

She leaned against him, her eyes closed. “Wh-who is he? Why… why would anypony do w-what he does?”

“Somethings just have to be done, it’s a law of nature.” He said with a monotone. “I may not agree with it but he has to, he was chosen to…”

She nodded. “I don’t want you to leave…”

“Neither do I, I’m happy right here…”

It was silent for a moment, the animals still hiding. “I hope he’ll leave the other girls alone…”

“Me too.” He said, closing his eyes.

A few hours past, both drifting in and out of sleep, the bed too far. Mike’s wing covered Fluttershy as she listened to his heart beat, reassuring herself that he was still ok. “I hope nothing else happens today…” She said sleepily.

He chuckled. “With me around? I’m surprised I just haven’t spontaneously combusted.”

She bopped him lightly on the snot, trying to keep the frown that grew into a smile. She giggled and yawned, resting her head back on his chest. “I feel sleepy…” She said quietly.

“Want to take a quick nap?”

She nodded, kissing him once goodnight before she drifted off. Mike smiled, getting comfy as he kissed her, slowly slipping into sleep.

=

Michael was surrounded by darkness when suddenly a faint yellow light appeared in the distance, swaying gently from left to right. He galloped towards the light when he heard a faint chuckle that seemed to grow louder as he got closer. The light grew smaller and smaller until he stumbled upon a candle in a glass cylinder. It was kept shut by a rusty lid and chain, a small lock keeping the lantern shut. He watched it dance in its container, somehow kept alive.

The flames grew brighter as a charred hand held the chain. Bandages fell from his face, revealing black and red skin, the charred remains of a face shown. Something swirled inside and Mike leaned closer to look as a face smashed itself against the glass, howling agony. Several more voices moaned in unison as Mike grabbed the lantern out of the man’s hand, using all the strength he could to open the rusted door. The metal burned his hoof as he grunted in pain, pushing it down.

The man laughed. “It is no use, no one frees the souls I collect.”

“I-if there’s a will, there’s a way!” Mike yelled, his voice distorted and weak.

The man reached up and started to take off the remaining bandages.

My history never fades, carried for all to see,

Worn upon my face,

Every life I ended, every smile unborn,

Every rose I plucked too soon,

Leaving only thorns.

I am the man from nowhere, upon no horse I ride.

Walking death upon this land,

Watching your children,

Cry, cry cry…

The bandages fell to the ground, revealing the rest of his face. Flesh was missing and parts of his skull and jaw, the bone was showing. His right eye was completely gone, an empty hole staring back into nothing. The few teeth he had were bright and seemingly polished as they grinned at the horrified pegasus.

Mike gulped, his words escaping him for a moment, too terrified to look away. Finally, he found his voice as he coughed. “A-and here I thought Death was nothing but a skeleton who carried a scythe.” He stuttered.

Death laughed and the flame died down. “Only if those wounds still hurt, they keep me awake and make me want to continue..”

“W-what do you mean? What happened to you?”

“I didn’t always look like this. I was chosen to become Death. I was created when time began, when the first creature walked on these lands.” He looked at the lantern. “But not even I can touch the lamp, without it burning me, everyone has to remain in the lamp for a certain amount of time. To pay for his or her sins, I decide how long they stay and once their time has come, I send them where everyone goes… The Afterlife.” He stared into the lantern. “A soul is an inner fire, after time, they burned me. Every new soul causes me pain… and a pain that will never go away.” He looked at Michael. “But I need to collect the souls of the dead. If not, I will die and this land will slowly destroy itself…”

“Look Death, I’ll never understand how you do what you do but I’ve cheated you twice since I was here. I may not be the sharpest tool in shed, and I know things go on that I could never understand, but why are you going after Martin?”

Death shook his head. “Every soul serves it’s purpose and I never said what I will do with his soul, no one can restrict me when it comes to death. No one stands above me, I am the beginning and the end, what I decide happens.”

“I just want to know why now?”

He grinned. “Because he’s the only link to Apollo I have.”

“Wait, what do you have against Apollo?”

“Since my existence, he… HE was the only one to ever escape me. He still hasn’t payed for his sins, he’s still a free soul.”

“He’s not though, he was weak and he used what he could to talk to me and give what strength he could to Martin.”

Death sighed. “A soul never dies, his flame is just fainter than before. He’s with Martin, he is Martin.”

“So you’re going to kill an innocent person to settle a grudge?”

He laughed. “Martin, oh he has to pay for his sins, but I won’t tell you what I have planned, it will spoil the surprise.” Mike was silent, sitting on the ground, thinking as Death smiled. “In less than a week, I will have his soul and I shall decide upon him.”

Mike looked up and faintly smiled. “A half of a half.”

He tilted his head slightly, confused. “As you said before, you have to collect every soul of every creature, making them all equal. Well, I’m turning a half of mine so Martin needs only the other half. And you can’t refuse a soul because you don’t gather them.” Mike rested his hoof on the lantern. “This does…” He said, the lantern’s flame flared to life. Mike’s face paled as the light dimmed in his eyes, the candle seemingly getting stronger.

He glared. “You chose to give half of your soul…” His smile returned. “But which one do you choose, the pony or the human half?”

“Simple, my human half.”

His smile grew wider and he began to laugh like a maniac. The veins in his eye burst as he cried blood. “If you choose to give up your humanity. SO. WILL. MARTIN!”

The flame grew thrice its size, the darkness was illuminated and Death’s shadow was seen through the fire. Mike had to shield his eyes, the light too bright as screams echoed in the darkness.

“Martin still has a choice of what to give up!” Mike yelled over the screams. “Everyone chooses an aspect of what to lose!”

“I’m afraid not in his case, his soul already was split in two… and I won’t take Apollo from him. Oh no, that would make things easy so I have to replace his with another…” He paused and sighed happily. “Or rather, I will create him a new soul…” He laughed as the flame died.

“What do you mean?”

“His humanity will be gone but you will see for yourself…” The flame extinguished and he disappeared, the darkness overpowering Mike.

Author's Note

Phew! It's been awhile hasn't it? Sorry about the lack of updates, lots of story, etc etc. Now... I finally finished fixing certain parts of the story. Nurse Redheart is an earth pony, not a unicorn. That was my bad, thought she was... I went back and fixed a lot of past/present tense screw ups so hopefully it'll be easier to read. And finally, there shouldn't be anymore random 'I', 'me', 'you', or anything like that. When we wrote the story, it was in 1st person so when I transfer it to 3rd, I confuzzle myself... Anywho, hope you like the chapter! The usual, comments, mistakes, etc, let me know and don't forget to leave a comment! :D

34 - Death's Gambit

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 34 - Death's Gambit

Mike’s eyes flew open, his fur drenched in cold sweat. All he could see is pink as he untangled himself from Fluttershy. She turned away from him and continued to sleep peacefully. He stared at her for a moment before leaning forward, resting his head in his hooves. “What have I done…” He whispered, tears gently hitting the blanket.

Fluttershy yawned, wearily opening her eyes as she turned to look at him. “Michael?” She said and finally noticed his body rocking with quiet sobs. She quickly got up and wrapped her hooves around his neck. “What’s wrong? Is everything alright?”

He was silent, burying his face into her chest, the tears soaking her fur.

She hugged him tightly. “It’s ok, I’m here…” She whispered in his ear.

He barely reacted, his mind elsewhere. “I should’ve listened Flutters… I should’ve listened but I caused it anyway…” He struggled to say, repeating it over and over.

She looked at him dumbfounded before forcing him to look her in the eye. “What are you talking about?”

He avoided her eyes. “Half of a half…”

“Michael, tell me what happened.”

“I was arguing with Death and he promised to take Martin’s soul to settle a debt with Apollo and I gave up half of my soul, my human half, and Death will take Martin’s humanity and give him a new soul. I did it anyway, no matter what I do, I just caused it anyway… Martin has less than a week...”

Her jaw dropped. “Y-you made a deal with Death?”

He nodded in her hooves.

She gulped. “A-and he said Martin only has less than a week to live?”

He nodded again.

“W-what about this humanity thing, did he say what would happen to Martin?”

He shook his head. “All he said was he’d give him a new soul.”

She held him in her hooves tightly, kissing the top of his head before getting up, holding his hoof as she headed towards the door. “We have to go check on Martin.”

“It’s my fault though, all my fault.”

She frowned. “Michael, it doesn’t matter right now. We have to make sure Martin is safe.”

“Seems he finally broke.” Discord said, munching on a carrot.

She eeped and stared at Discord. “W-what are you d-doing here?”

He yawned, stretching out as the remnants of the carrot hit the bed. “Nothing much, just catching up on a few things.” He floated towards Michael and poked him with a claw. “I think a couple screw came loose.”

She glared at him. “Leave him alone…”

He laughed. ‘So the Element of Kindness does have some assertiveness in her.” He floated upside down and looked at her. “What’s with the glare? It’s not like I’ve done anything.”

She stomped her hoof. “We don’t have time… we need to go check on Martin!”

“By all means, go check on him. I’ll stay here and watch Mr. Broken here.” He said, making shooing motions.

She shook her head. “No… he’s coming with me, right Michael?”

He was silent, lost in his own little world.

She looked at him, surprised. “Mi-Michael?” It was silent for a moment, her mane sliding to cover her face. “O-ok… I understand…” She said, leaving the room. They could hear the front door slowly open and click shut.

“Fluttershy…” Mike whispered and raised a hoof at the closed door, his mind in turmoil. Come on! Finally a few moments later, much to Discord’s delight, he flung himself after her and galloped as fast as he could.

Fluttershy walked through town , her head close to the ground, trying not to cry as she towards the farm. She ignored the few ponies awake, each going about their own business.

“Hey Fluttershy, you ok?” Spike asked and ran up to her, his arms full of quills and parchment.

She gazed at him, her eyes unfocused. “Hey Spike…”.

He looked at her sadly. “What’s wrong?” He asked, juggling everything into one arm and held the other on her shoulder.

She sighed. “I-I don’t know… something’s wrong with Michael and Martin…”

“What do you mean wrong? Wrong how?” He asked, confused.

She lowered her head again. “I don’t know…” She mumbled before walking past him towards the farm.

He watched her walked away and sighed, shaking his head. He turned around and almost got kicked by Michael as he flew overhead, towards Fluttershy. “Hey! Watch it Michael!” He yelled angrily.

Fluttershy raised her head and looked at Mike. “Michael…” She turned around and galloped towards him.

Mike landed right in front of her and we stared at each other for a second before he turned away. “I’m sorry…”

She grabbed his face and turned it so they’d be face to face. She gently kissed him. He closed his eyes and kissed back. “Why don’t you two get a room, sheesh.” Spike said, shaking his head and headed back towards the library.

Fluttershy blushed. “Um… w-we have to go check on Martin…” She said, breaking the kiss.

“Y-yeah…” He agreed with a small blush and held out a hoof for her.

She smiled and grabbed it, gently bopping him on the snout. “Don’t ever do that again…” She whispered into his ear and kissed his cheek.

“I won’t.” He faintly smiled and leaned in close, nuzzling her cheek as they quickly made their way to the farm.

“Aww, they’re no fun.” Discord pouted, watching the scene from a cloud.

Death chuckled. “There will be enough chaos once Martin becomes one with his new soul.” He said, standing next to the draconequus.

Discord laughed. “I still can’t believe you didn’t tell Mike, I thought he got you good with that half of a half schtick.”

Death smiled. “No one outsmarts me, at least not so easily.”

“Didn’t see it coming though, did ya?”

He nodded. “Yes… but he still has to learn, he has no idea what I’m capable of.” He chuckled.

Discord yawned again and stretched, the cloud rearragainging itself with every movement. “Seems like it gets more and more interesting every day.” He paused and looked up at Death. ”So this new soul of Martins’...”

“Yes?”

Discord grinned. “I think I got a few ideas…”

“As long as you don’t mess with my plans…”

“Me? Mess with plans? I’d never do that…” Discord said melodramatically.

Death glared and Discord could feel an invisible force squeezing his throat.”Discord, you’re only immortal as long as I let you live.”

Discord’s eyes glowed and Death’s grip vanished. “Don’t forget I gave you that power John, without me, the cosmos wouldn’t exist. Chaos started this universe and it’ll be there till the end of time.”

“You gave me the power to decide upon life and death, that also means I choose wether you die… or live. Even if the universe ends, no one stands above me but I still owe you that favor…”

Discord shook his head. “You may try but its hard to kill the thing that gave you power, that he could take away. As long as I see fit to, that is.” He paused for a moment. “Think of the chaos that’d cause, no Death…”

Death smiled. “You’ll be surprised, my power has changed a lot over time.” He looked at the farm. “But I have no reason to try and kill you.”

Discord sighed. “I don’t think it’d be good to fight in this realm, too much damage. By the way, Martin will know soon.”

Death laughed. “We will see if he copes…”

“I’d like to believe he could, if he plays his cards right.”

Death nodded and looked at the sky. “I have to go now, a soul needs to be collected.”

Discord waved at him. “I’ll keep an eye on things, make sure nothing too drastic happens while you’re away.”

Death glared at Discord one last time before he disappeared. Discord grinned and turned to look at the farm. “Now the fun begins…”

=

Mike and Fluttershy finally got to the farm, everything seemed normal. As they got closer to the farmhouse, the light was on upstairs and no pony was out, getting ready for applebucking. Fluttershy gently knocked on the door and they waited for a moment before Mike slowly opened the door.

“Hello?” He said.

Somepony rushed down the stairs and turned on the light. It was AJ, her trusty hat gone and she looked exhausted. “Michael? What are ya doin’ here?” She asked.

“Is everything alright? You look a bit worried…”

She shook her head. “Somethin’ wrong with Martin. We were getting ready fer bed when he fell over. He’s awfully cold and pale. Ah… ah don’t know what’s wrong with him…”

Fluttershy and Mike shared a look. “Where is he?”

“Upstairs.” She said, leading upstairs to the guest room. Martin was lying on the bed, wrapped in several blankets, shaking.

“Martin?” Mike asked, gently nudging him.

The human didn’t respond. He seemed to be lost in his own world, barely breathing as he grunted in pain.

“But he said he still had a week!” Mike yelled.

AJ looked at the pegasus confused. “What are ya talkin’ bout?”

“Death and him had a bit of an exchange you see Applejack.” Discord said, appearing with a bright flash, gnawing on an apple. “Well these are the best I’ve ever tasted, your boast is true after all.”

Everypony in the room jumped and glared at him. “Wha? Death? What’s going on… Ah’m sorta lost.” AJ asked, staring at Mike for answers.

“Oh my dear Applejack, Mike’s been keeping quite a few secrets… from all of you.” Discord finished the apple stem disappearing. “It seemed Death needs Martin for a bit of revenge.”

Mike turned and went to yell at Discord as AJ interrupted him. “What?”

“What did you call it? A ‘half of a half’?” Discord grinned at him. “It seems Mike here gave up his human half of his soul for Martin here… but didn’t realize Martin’s soul was already split into two. And since Mike gave up his human half… Martin had to give up…”

AJ turned from the chaos god to stare at Mike. “What… what did ya do?”

Mike sighed. “Death was going to get revenge on the previous Grandmaster by taking out Martin… so I thought I could stop it by giving up half of my soul, or life for Martin. I didn’t know he could only give up his human soul.”

AJ sadly looked at Martin. “What’s gonna happen ta him?”

“Who knows? He could stay like that forever, he could die. Or if he does comes back, be a new person.” Discord shrugged.

AJ and Fluttershy gasped as Mike lowered his head. “I’m sorry AJ, I thought I could stop it…” He quickly realized something and glared at Discord. “How do you know all this?”

“Oh I’ve been around…” Discord grinned evilly.

Martin took a deep breath and opened his eyes. “What… where am I?”

“Martin? Are you ok?” Mike asked, everypony rushing over to him.

He looked at his friend, trying to focus as his vision grew blurry. “Michael… what are you doing here?” He grunted in pain.

“To make sure you were alright.”

He closed his eyes, trying to breath. “Th-that’s nice…”

“How are you feeling?

He forced a smile. “C-cold, weak… pain… agony… Nothing new…”

Mike grimaced. “AJ, stay with him and keep him talking, I’m gonna go get Nurse Redheart.” Mike whispered.

AJ nodded. “What bout our floatin’ Spirit of Chaos here?”

Mike looked and Discord waved at him. “I’m not sure, can’t really tell a demigod what to do.” He said, heading towards the door.

AJ looked at Discord helplessly. “Bu… but…” She frowned. “Fine.” She said, sitting down next to Martin on the bed.

“Well I feel so welcomed here…” Discord said as he followed the pegasus out.

Fluttershy bit her lower lip as she followed him as well, passing Discord and leaned close to Mike’s ear. “Discord’s following us…”

“I figured as much.” He whispered back. “What do you want to do?”

She quickly glanced at the demigod. “I-I don’t know…”

“Psst… what are we whispering about?” Pinkie asked as she stood on Fluttershy’s back.

They both screamed and Pinkie hopped off her back. “Pinkie? Where did you come from?” Fluttershy asked, startled.

“From my mommy silly.” Pinkie giggled, bopping her on the snout. “So what are you two-” She noticed Discord and smiled. “OH!! Are you going to make it rain chocolate again?!”

Discord laughed. “Maybe Pinkie, maybe…”

Fluttershy tapped Pinkie on the shoulder. “Umm… Pinkie, we have to get Nurse Redheart… Martin isn’t feeling well…”

Pinkie gasped .”Maybe he just needs some cake! Whenever I feel down, I eat a slice and I’m all super better.” She said, hopping away.

“Now that’s my kind of pony.” Discord laughed.

Mike grabbed Fluttershy’s hoof. “Come on, we need to hurry.”

They rushed to the hospital, hoping Nurse Redheart was there already.

=

Martin laid in bed, barely any feeling in his body, except pain. It was cold, his body continuously shaking as he weakly pulled the covered up to his chin. It was mostly silent in the room, save for his labored efforts to continue breathing.

“It’s gonna be fine, Redheart will fix ya up in no time.” AJ said, putting a hoof on his shoulder.

“T-thanks AJ…” He shivered. “What’s ha-appening to me?”

“Ah’m not sure sugarcube… Mike and Fluttershy seem ta know though.”

He nodded. “A-aye…” Burning pain erupted in his chest as he gasped and grabbed the left side of his chest.

“You ok? What hurts?”

He gasped for air, the agony overwhelming. He tried to reply, but nothing came out.

“Martin? Are ya ok?” She asked frantically, gently touching where he was holding his chest.

The pain ebbed for a moment and he took a deep breath, struggling to get feeling back in his limbs. “Wh-what’s happening to me?” He asked again, the pain coming back for another round.

Her ears fell flat against her head. “Ah… Ah don’t know…” She said, a tear slowly sliding down her cheek.

He struggled to breath, his body feeling like dead weight. He tried to take a deep breath but he got very little air.

“Martin, just take it easy, Mike’ll be back in a few minutes.”

He tried to grab his chest but his arm wouldn’t move. “M-my arm… I-I can’t feel my arm…”

She grabbed his head and squeezed it as hard as she could. “Did ya feel that?”

He barely shook his head. “N-no…” He gasped and started to hyperventilate.

“Where is he?” Redheart’s voice came from downstairs and everypony rushed upstairs. Redheart walked over, a bag on her back. “Martin, can you hear me?” She asked.

He looked at her, everything out of focus as he nodded.

“Good, what hurts?” She asked, taking out a stethoscope.

He motioned at his entire body, not wanting to waste precious air.

“Hmm…” She said to herself as she rested the stethoscope on his chest. She poked him a few times, trying to gauge what he could feel. “It’s almost like a stroke with the loss of feeling but he should be able to breath…” She thought outloud. “We need to get him to the hospital so I can examine him more carefully.”

“Is that even possible? Ah mean he’s not doing so good… he might freeze or die before ya even reach the hospital!”

“Not if we can teleport.” Mike said, taking off to get Twilight.

Martin opened his eyes and looked around the room. He noticed all the ponies but also a blurry black figure standing at the end of the bed, staring at him. He blinked a few times and tried to move away, grunting in pain.

“Martin? Stay with me, who’s the owner of Sweet Apple Acres?” Redheart asked.

He closed his eyes as he tried to focus. “A-AJ…”

“Good, whose the Element of Magic?”

“T-Twilight…”

A flash of light blinded everyone. “Oh my Celestia, Martin are you ok?” Twilight said as she rushed over.

He gasped for breath again, feeling like a fish out of water and didn’t respond.

“Twilight, we need to get him to the hospital.” Redheart said.

“Oh right…” Twi said, her horn glowing again as everypony teleported there. She almost fell over from exhaustion but Mike caught her.

“Easy Twi, I got you…” He said.

She nodded and sat down. “I just need a moment…” She said exhausted.

Redheart grabbed a gurney and put Martin on it. She yelled for several doctors and wheeled him away. Everything was a blur of white, the hospital smell strong as they took him to a room. The black figure from before seemed to follow, everypony else oblivious to it. Doctors attached him several machines, the figure standing near the window. The doctors muttered to themselves, everything going in slow motion before freezing completely.

The black figure stepped closer and glared down at him. “Calm yourself Martin.” He said, his voice echoing.

“W-who are you?”

He raised a finger to his lips. “Shh…” He paused. “I am the beginning and the end… but I am neither for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your friend Michael, he tried to save you from me. He gave the human half of his soul so you wouldn’t have to die. But he didn’t know that your soul was already split in two.”

“H-he did what?” He tried to lean up but quickly fell back. “Wait… my soul is split into two?”

Death nodded. “Apollo has taken residence in your body, since the day Celestia made you a knight. But since you cannot live with only Apollo’s soul, I had to give you a new soul.”

“A new one? What does that mean?”

He glanced at Martin’s arms and legs. “It means that your body is nothing but a dying vessel. Your soul does not bind with it. So I came here, to give you what you require to live.”

“H-how are you going to do that?”

He grabbed his lantern and unlocked the ancient padlock. He reached inside and grabbed the flame with his bare hand. “I will give you a new body.”

Martin’s eyes widened. “B-but…”

He blew the flame and it covered Martin’s entire body. It was agonizing as he felt his body burn, every little twitch waves of pain. Air filled his lungs Death disappeared and the world started again, the doctors quickly getting out of the fire’s path.

“Oh Celestia! Stand back!” A doctor said.

Martin screamed, his body hidden by the flames. He could feel his body shrink and squeezed, certain parts stretched. The doctors could only stare in awe and horror. AJ burst through the door, followed by Fluttershy and Michael. “Martin!” She yelled, confused at what she was looking at.

The flames died down and revealed a coffee cream colored coat and a long dark brown spiky mane. A small mustache above his snout and a goatee under his chin. He kept his eyes closed as the pain faded away.

“M-martin?” AJ squeaked as every other ponies jaw dropped.

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked. “Oh god… wh-what happened? There was this weird guy in a suit and he spit fire on me…” He trailed off, holding a hoof to his head. AJ had a slight blush to her face as Mike’s jaw was nearly touching the floor.

“Ma-martin, just take it easy now, ya hear?” AJ said, reaching forward to touch his shoulder.

Martin looked at himself and touched his snout. He flinched slightly with every poke. “I-I’m a pony…” He gulped. “Ok, I’m sure its just a dream…” He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. “Oh god…”

“This ain’t a dream… yer a pony, an earth pony… Just like me…” AJ said quietly.

He flung the covers off and his eyes widened even more as he saw his short tail. “I-I.. guess… I think I need a moment.” He said, quickly shutting his eyes and muttered something to himself. He slowly opened them again and jumped out of the bed, landing on his hooves. He wobbled a little but managed to stay on his hooves.

The doctors were the first to recover. “Sir, we’re going to need to check your vitals.”

Martin looked at his hooves. “Ok, how do I do this… front right, then left front, right back and left back…” He muttered to himself, moving hoof by hoof.

A hoof grabbed him and held him in place, it was AJ’s. “Let them make sure yer good so we don’t have ta keep coming ta the hospital.”

He nodded. “Aye, ok doc, maybe you could come over here. It might me a good while to walk over there.”

They nodded and walked over to him, pushing him back towards the bed. “This should only take a few minutes.” They said.

Martin sighed and followed their instructions. After they finished what he hoped was the final test, he cleared his throat. “Everything the way it should be?”

The doctor paused, reading the results. “It looks like it..”

Martin sighed in relief. “Ok, next is learning to to walk… and going to the bathroom...”

“Practice, lots and lots of practice.” The doctor said as AJ covered her face with a hoof.

Martin laughed. “We’ll see about the bathroom part. Ok, right front, left front, right back, left back.” He made his way around the room.

“So what do you think?” Mike asked.

Martin looked at him. “It’s kinda odd, wouldn’t have expected to become a pony you know.” He looked back at his hooves. “What comes after left back?”

“Right back.” Mike said, mimicking the motion.

Martin nodded. “Course, right back…” He smiled at AJ. “Hey AJ, you seeing this? I’m learning how to live as a pony!”

She smiled, her face a tad red. “Well Ah’ll be, yer a fast learner.”

“At least I’m not whining about it, aye?”

“Well forgive me for having a mental breakdown.” Mike said. “Try having one eye and blind on top of it.”

Martin chuckled. “Ok, ok… I was there.” It was silent, the doctors filing out of the room mumbling to themselves. “So… what now?” He asked.

“I’m sure we should inform Celestia since you can’t be the grandmaster anymore.” Twi said from the doorway.

He quickly shook his head. “What are you talking about, first pony grandmaster!”

“You can only be apart of it if you're human or Mike would’ve been fine, remember?”

He chuckled. “I still have half a human soul inside me, and until Princess Celestia says anything, I’m still grandmaster. And I choose the Order not to die out, anyone can join, if they prove themselves worthy.”

“But didn’t you say you couldn’t join unless you were full human?” Mike asked.

“Aye, I can’t remain grandmaster of the Agathor Order… but I still am in command of the order’s guards. As I am the last Grandmaster the castle still belongs to me, since I am the only living member…”

“But technically you aren’t, you’ve had your soul removed.”

“But Apollo’s soul is still there, its still one with my new soul.”

“That is as deux ex machina as you can get.” Mike deadpanned.

Martin laughed. “Yep, but I don’t care. If not the Agathor Order, there shall be a new order… that’s basically the same just for all creatures to join.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Whatever man.”

“I wish to protect this land. If I can’t remain part of the order, I’ll just found a new one.”

“Whatever you wanna do, not my life.” Mike said, rubbing his eyes with a hoof.

“Aww come on mate, don’t be that way. You know I always wanna help and the princess gave me an important task. I can’t continue it the way she asked me but I’ll try to do my best to keep going in a new way.”

“Never said it was a bad thing.”

“Aye, who knows, you might wanna join me one day?” He asked, smiling.

“Maybe if I ever wanted to be in the spotlight, I prefer anonymity.”

“Well its up to you but I’ll have to talk to the princess about it.”

“Tis won’t be necessary.” Luna’s voice came out of Michael’s mouth, his eyes replaced with pure white.

Everypony’s eyes widened as Martin took a few steps back. “What the fuck?”

“Don’t worry, your friend is fine. We borrowed his body for the moment to relay you that we informed our sister of your situation.” Luna said.

“Oh… well… um… thanks, I guess.” He wasn’t sure what to think, glancing at AJ with an eyebrow raised.

They were just as surprised, Twi staring intently at him. “She informed us to tell you that the new order your requesting will gladly be put into effect and the old order will disappear into nothing.” She said, her voice going cold.

Martin nodded. “But the castle archives will keep all their information?”

“Of course.”

“Good, thousands of years are written down in that castle.

Mike nodded. “As we speak, the information stored down there is being transferred to the Archives and the Royal Librarian is recording the scrolls.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“Indeed.”

“So… anything else you wanted to borrow Michael for?”

“Oh no, I just thought it’d save you ponies a trip. Anything you wanted to say either of us?”

Martin looked at the others. “I didn’t have anything else to say, Twi?”

“H-how are you doing that?” She asked.

“You’ll learn in time Twilight but for now, I should let Michael regain his body. Its unhealthy if I stay too long.” She said as he slumped to the floor.

Martin slowly made his way towards his friend. “Left back, right back… Michael, I reached you! Ok, so I didn’t catch you but I’m here now.” He grabbed him and tried to lift him up. “Ok, grabbing with hooves is weird…”

Mike shook his head and hesitantly stood on his hooves. “W-what happened?”

“Oh you know, Luna took over you body and talked to us a little.”

“Oh for a second there I thought I blacked-whaaaaaaaat?” He stopped in mid-sentence.

“Ya know, Luna was in your body.”

Mike blinked, the gears in head turning. “Creepy…”

“I know… Anyways… what now?” He repeated.

“We go to Canterlot to talk to Celestia?” Mike offered.

“Nah, why do you think Luna talked to us? She took care of everything.”

Mike scratched his head. “Oh… that’s good…”

“Aye…” Martin gazed around the room till his eyes fell on AJ. “So AJ, wanna go back to the farm?” He asked, slowly but surely making his way towards her.

“Sure, Ah guess it wouldn’t hurt ta see if ya can help on the farm.”

Martin smiled. “What could possibly go wrong?”

“Ugh… you just had to say it?” Mike said, facehooving.

His eyes widened. “Uh… I jinxed it!”

“Eeyup…” Mike and AJ said at the same time.

Martin frowned and walked out the door, slower than a turtle. AJ quickly caught up to him. “Just follow me and we’ll be there lickity split.”

“Aye, lead the way.” She nodded and hit his snout with her tail as she lead the way home. He shook his head and blinked a few times. “Oi…” He muttered.

35 - Martin v. Apple Trees

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 35 - Martin v. Apple Trees

The two ponies slowly made their way through town, Martin tripping several times but AJ caught him. Out of the corner of his eye, Martin saw a flash of pink darted behind a tree. He turned, staring at the tree before he noticed a pink fluffy tail. He slowly headed towards it. “Pinkie?”

Somepony tapped him on the shoulder. “Yes?”

He gulped and turned around and flinched once he saw the happy pink pony an inch from his face. “God damnit Pinkie! Geeze…”

She giggled. “Hiya!” The tail moved away from the tree and revealed a small green alligator with the poofy pink tail on his head and walked away. “Do I know you? You seem awfully familiar…” Pinkie said, squinting at him.

“It’s me Pinkie, Martin.”

She tilted her head like a clock, going full circle before it dawned on her. “OH!! Martin! You’re feeling better!” She gasped and hugged him tightly. “And you’re a pony now too!”

He chuckled. “Yes I am..”

“Hmm… wait. Does that mean I get to throw you another party?” She tapped her chin with a hoof. “But he’s not new here but he’s a pony now…”

He rolled his eyes. “Pinkie, I really don’t need another party.”

She was silent, lost in thought.

He looked at AJ, who was waiting for him. She watched the scene with a smile. “Um… Pinkie, maybe we can talk about this later.”

She came out of her daze. “Okie dokie lokie.” She said, hopping away.

He shook his head and caught up with AJ. “Let’s get going aye?”

She laughed. “Eeyup. What did Pinkie want?” She asked, walking towards home.

“Just another party… anyways, lead the way.”

She smiled. “That’s just like Pinkie, always with the parties.”

He smiled. “Yeah…” They walked next to each other silently. He didn’t falter as much, a stumble here and there but otherwise he seemed to be learning fast on how to walk. He looked at her and thought of when Discord took over. “Um… AJ?”

“Yeah?” She asked, lost in her own thoughts.

He took a deep breath. “D-do you remember when Discord made me attack Michael?”

“Ah do.”

He gulped. “Well… I-I just remembered…. that you kissed me on that day…”

She stumbled and almost tripped, her face going red. “A-ah did, didn’t Ah?”

He nodded. “Aye…” His voice uneven.

She nervously kicked the ground. “Y-yeah…” She turned to look at him.

He blushed. “I-I have to tell you something AJ.”

She tilted her head slightly. “Yeah?”

He tried to calm down, taking a deep breath. “I wasn’t sure at first but thinking about everything now… I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life. I-I’ve fallen in love with you…” He forced himself to say, his face bright red.

AJ’s cheeks turned bright red, her freckles more noticeable. “Y-ya what?” She asked, pausing like she heard wrong. “Ya… do?”

He nodded. “Yes… I can understand if you don’t feel the same way…”

She was silent for a moment before she kissed his cheek. “What do ya think?” He looked at her surprised. “Just cause AH ain’t good with words and Ah tend ta freeze up… doesn’t mean AH don’t agree with ya…” She stumbled over her own words.

He smiled at her, his face getting redder. “It’s o-ok… we all have our flaws.”

Her mouth moved seemingly of its own accord. “Ah… A-ah love ya too…”

He moved closer, his heart beating faster and after a moment’s hesitation, she did as well. They closed their eyes as their lips met. Time seemed to slow down and the world evaporated, the two locked in a kiss neither wanted to end. Both hearts beat together, their faces red. After a minute or so, he broke the kiss and they stared into each other’s eyes. She smiled, her green eyes sparkling in the sunrise.

“Guess… being a pony is better than I imagined.”

She chuckled, adjusting her hat. “It does have its advantages… and it makes things easier.”

“Aye…”

“At least yer not hesitatin’ anymore like ya used ta…”

He took a step closer. “Nope.” She blushed and leaned towards him and they kissed again. He quickly broke the kiss and chuckled. ‘We should get going, we have work to do at the farm.”

She nodded. “They’re probably wonderin’ where we are too.”

They walked down the dirt path in silence, enjoying the sun rise gracefully in the sky. After the hectic night, they were glad to return to some form of normalcy. By the time they arrived, Big Mac and Applebloom were already well into bucking the trees.

He grinned. “Let’s see if I’m any good at kickin’ trees, aye?”

She laughed. “It might take some practice but we’ll knock it into ya one way or another. Should be good practice to get used to yer new body too.”

“If you’re there, I’m sure I’ll manage.”

She blushed slightly and grabbed his hoof. “Come on, let’s see what ya got.” She led him to the nearest tree. “Alright just a small kick and aim fer the center of the tree.”

He thought for a moment. “Ok…” He kicked but it was more of a poke. He glared at the tree. ‘Oh, playing dirty are we?” He tried again, the kick strong enough to knock off two apples. He looked at her and smiled.

She chuckled. “Well looks like ya need to aim a bit more and work out how much of a kick ya need but ya’ll get that with practice.”

He nodded. “Aye.” He tried again and again, finally getting the hang of it and moving onto the next tree. After several hours of kicking and falling, he sat down, exhausted. “Phew…” His body screamed as it tried to relax, the muscles tightening.

She passed him a cup of water. “Here ya go.”

He smiled and grabbed the cup, which nearly slipped from his hoof. “Thanks, I have to get used to grabbing with hooves…”

She placed her hooves on top of his, making sure the cup wouldn’t fall. He blushed and took a sip. The cold water helped his dry throat and he finished pretty quickly. Once he was finished, he let AJ take the cup and held it.

“So what did ya think of apple bucking?”

He tapped his chin. “Definitely something new but I think the smith is where I belong.”

“Can ya even work there anymore? Ya have ta get used to hooves and all.”

“Ya… I’ll have to talk to Forge though. He doesn’t know I’m A back from the border, and B a pony now.”

“Wonder what he’ll say.”

“I have no idea.”

The sun was setting as shadows grew through the farm. Applebloom yawned as she walked into the main house, Big Mac glancing at them. He shared a look with Martin before joining Applebloom. AJ was staring off into the distance.

“Everything alright AJ?”

She nodded silently. “My pa said that when the sun lowered, the pains of the day would be washed away until tomorrow.” She sighed. “Ah wonder what he’d say now.”

Martin watched the sun setting. “I’m afraid I don’t know…”

She leaned against him. “Neither do I.”

He rested his head on hers. “Maybe next time I see Death, I could ask him?”

“Ah hope ya don’t anytime soon.”

“Aye but only he knows when to he’s gonna visit…”

It was silent for a moment. “It used ta just be Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon we had to worry about. Seems ta have gotten outta control.”

“Aye but there will always be grim times.” She nodded. He looked into her eyes. “No matter how grim things are, as long as you’re by my side I’ll be happy.”

Despite everything, she smiled. “That had ta be one of the cheesiest things Ah’ve ever heard.” She kissed his cheek. “But Ah with it and you.”

He chuckled. “I had to say something, I don’t want you to be sad. It’s painful to watch…”

“Everypony’s sad, she just has ta find what makes her happy for it to go away.”

He nodded and pulled her into a hug. “I found what makes me smile.”

“Ah did too.” She said, kissing him gently.

He kissed back just as the sun gave way to the moon. They stood there for a few minutes and ignored the crickets as they began their nightly performance. The kiss ended moments later and she took off her hat, clutching it in her hooves and rested her head against his shoulder as he rested his on hers.

“Why can’t it just stay like this?” She asked.

“Because time doesn’t stop for a single per-pony… and with time flowing like a river everything is bound to change.”

She closed her eyes. “But ya don’t have ta leave…”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” He kissed her cheek. “Death might have to do the grim task but he ain’t no monster.”

She was silent, staring at him. “Ah was never mad at Death for what he did or does… Ah was more worried he’d take something precious away from me again.”

“I’m sure Death knows what it means to lose someone precious. He knows when its right and when its not… But I fear the same. I can understand that you’re afraid…”

She nodded, afraid to speak.

A few more minutes passed. “Should we go inside?”

She got up and stretched, turning away from him and wiped her eyes. “Yeah… we should probably head inside and get ready for dinner.” She said, gazing at the moon one more time.

He got up and nodded. “Alright.” They walked back to the house, Martin hobbling inside.

Once inside, AJ and Martin went to work making dinner. Afterwards, he was ‘elected’ to clean up the mess as AJ went to take a shower. A few minutes passed as he heard a pair of hooves come down the stairs. He turned, half expected AJ, only to stare at Big Mac, who stared calmly back.

“Um… you ok?”

“Eeyup.” He said, making his way to the fridge. “Seems you and mah sister are in a relationship.” He said, rummaging.

Martin nodded and scratched his neck. “Yeah… funny story…”

Big Mac shut the fridge and held a bottle of milk and raised an eyebrow, staring at the pony.

“It didn’t quite begin like anypony else would meet…”

“Not all relationships do.” Martin shrugged and turned back to finish the dishes. Big Mac leaned against the counter and took a drink. “So funny story?”

Martin quickly glanced from left to right. “...Um… I guess. I mean, just this morning I was still a human and now I’m a pony. Me changing was kinda what I needed to… ya know…”

“Help ya get in the mindset?”

“Sorta… maybe, I’m not sure what word would describe it best.”

“Seems ta me ya were worried bout how it’d work with ya being a human and she a pony. Still thought of her as a horse somewhere deep inside. Finally being what she is let you accept yer feelings.” He said, taking another drink.

Martin blinked. “Yeah… why don’t you talk more often?”

He chuckled. “Why should Ah? Ta everypony, Ah’m just a simple farm pony.” He shrugged. “And Ah’m ok with that.”

“If you’re happy then I can only advise you keep doing what you’re doing.”

He nodded before putting the milk back inside the fridge. He looked at Martin. “It’s hard for me ta say this but all Ah ask is ya make AJ happy.”

“I wouldn’t try doing anything else.”

He blinked slowly. “Goodnight Martin.” He said, leaving the pony alone in the kitchen.

“G’night…” Martin said hesitantly.

It was silent for a few minutes, Martin thinking about his chat before he heard another pair of hooves heading his way. “What did mah brother want?” AJ asked, her mane wrapped in a towel.

He looked at her and smiled, his face slightly pink. “Nothing important…”

She smiled and looked at the kitchen. “Well Ah say that’s good enough fer tonight.”

He yawned. “I’m getting tired… a lot happened today. Things I’ll never forget.”

She nodded and turned around. “Then Ah’ll see ya bright and early tomorra.”

He gave her a kiss and walked into the guest room. He looked at all his human things. He found the stenson that Rarity had made him. He grinned and put it on his head, the hat almost covering his eyes. He jumped on the bed and got comfy, the hat covering his eyes.

“Ya look goofy.” Applebloom said.

He jumped and lifted the hat, looking at her. “Hey Applebloom.”

She smiled. “So are you AJ’s coltfriend?”

He nodded. “Yep.”

She jumped up and down excitedly. “Oh that’s so cool! When ya two get married, can Ah be-”

“Whoa there sugarcube, Ah think it’s a tad early fer that.” AJ said, cutting her sister off.

He chuckled. “Aye…” He got up from the bed.

Applebloom pouted as she looked at AJ. “Ah this it’s time for some shut eye.” AJ said before Applebloom could say anything. The filly slowly nodded her head.

“G’night Martin! G’night sis!” She yelled before running to her room. AJ shook her head.

“Seems we’re not the only one that’s happy about this, aye?” He said, walking over to AJ.

She smiled. “Guess not. Applebloom was never really fond of Strong Gears and he didn’t like her either.”

“Awww… well, I’ll be different.”

“We’ll have ta see bout that, won’t we?” She kissed his snout. “G’night.”

He blushed. “Sleep tight…” He walked back into the room and shut the door, dropping onto the bed. He heard her walk into her room and a click as her door shut. He smiled How lucky does one have to be? He smiled, drifting off into sleep.

=

Death stood on a hill not far from Ponyville, watching the lights turn off in a domino effect. There was no flame in his lantern as he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a golden pendant. It was covered in scratches and rust. He sighed and clicked it open, revealing a picture of a young woman. She had long black hair and dark brown eyes as she smiled happily back at him. A tear formed in his yellow eye and dripped onto his bandages. “I’m sorry…” He muttered.

A breeze tugged at his jacket before he sighed and put the picture back into his pocket. “Why hello there Death…” Discord said, floating along on a cloud.

He glared at Discord. “What do you want?”

“Oh you know, just floating around.”

Death looked towards the forest. “So many die… everyday… and they’re still happy. First Michael and Fluttershy, now Martin and Applejack. How can happiness even exist? Love won’t last forever…”

Discord was silent. “Happiness is a delusion that every being experiences. It gets us through the years, knowing that there’s something worth all the pain.” He put a paw on Death’s shoulder. “For what’s it worth, I’m sorry about her John. I truly am.” He paused. “Now love… that’s a whole nother story.”

Death sighed. “Why… why did you give me this task Discord? I never wanted to get her killed. It was all my fault..”

“I just follow the flow, I didn’t mean to give you this task but someone had to do it. But you might be able to see her soon.”

He shook his head. “No… I mustn’t interfere with the flow of time. She died, I can’t change that. I could bring her back but the balance in this world would fall apart.”

“You have two human souls now…” Discord tempted. “Think about it, you’ll never get another chance if you let them go to limbo.”

He closed his eye. “No… no one is allowed to return. The fact that she saw the afterlife is enough for her not to return. And even if, she wouldn’t be the same. I left too many scars Discord. I could never look her in the eyes again.”

Discord shrugged. “Your call but certain people can heal scars and wounds.”

“Time may heal all wounds but not mine.” Tears began to roll down his face. “Veronica always told me that I had a choice… she always said I could reach the stars and make every wish come true.”

“Well you can reach the stars just not the way they expected.” Discord chuckled. “I do miss her, she was always entertaining.”

“I miss her… she was the only human that would ignore the way I look, ignore what I do. She only cared about my personality… everything else wasn’t important to her. Her death tore a wound so deep, it’ll never heal. And yet it’s my fault.” He sobbed. “I don’t understand… why I had to decide upon her like everyone else… I live to witness everyone’s dying moments. It was bound to happen… My existence isn’t meant for more than what I was created for. I knew it would end that way… still I stayed with her.”

Discord poked him in the chest. “The heart is a fickle thing, even knowing all the pain it’ll cause, spending time with the ones that make it beat will forever out sound any logic otherwise.” He paused, trying not to smile. “I think I’ve been hanging out with those humans too much.”

“I don’t want to be the one to tear them apart…” He muttered.

“All things come to pass, every mortal knows it.” Discord stared at the farm. “With Martin who he is, he’ll go first and Michael will die with him, trying to stop him.” He looked at the moon. “Or Mike will be forced to take the medallion off… and we both know what happens then.”

Death glared at the moon angrily. “I won’t… I will not watch them die… Veronica would never forgive me… I will change what is not meant to be changed.”

“Even Death bows to time; you can prolong it, delay it, but never avoid it.”

He glared at Discord. “I bow to no one. Time will learn to bow to others. Veronica knew something, she said I always have a choice. Time might be almighty but nothing is untouchable.”

“Everything bows to something, even us immortals.”

It was silent, Death clenching his fists. “The Princess of the Night shall no longer make others fear her. I will show her whom to fear as I am the end. Time might tell me when who has to die, but I could always act away from the flow… and every time it changed.”

Discord laughed. “Before you rebel against time, just think of who’s your superior. Luna may fear you but she can’t die. The four of us are immortal.”

“But a soul can be taken away. Leaving nothing but an emotionless shell. No personality, no goals, nothing but a living corpse.” He gazed towards the castle in Canterlot. “And I will make her suffer. One way or another, I’ve seen too many die. Too many torn apart from her meddling…”

“I don’t think Celestia would take too kindly to that. She did already defeat you once for Star Swirl remember?”

“I didn’t choose for him to die. I only did as time told me but I will not let her do the same again. No Element of Harmony or magic shall be able to reach me… for its nothing more than snipping my fingers and one’s soul is in my hands. And time is on my side. Something neither Luna nor Celestia have. They’re bound to time. I am not.”

“That may be but it still didn’t end well, if I recall.”

“I know but if she will realize that I am required to live, without me the souls will never find rest.”

“Which would be very interesting to see her explain that one.”

Death laughed. “Luna will keep her soul and Celestia cannot protect her sister from me everywhere. I am still the only creature that can travel between the worlds without using the rift.”

“Indeed and it’s a shame I won’t be able to play with the humans now that they’re ponies.”

It was silent between the two before Death cleared his throat. “Now if you’ll excuse me… I have to get something.” He turned and opened the world like a flat image. “Make sure Luna keeps her hooves off Michael.”

Discord chuckled. “I’ll do what I can but I’ve already saved him more than I should have.”

“I’ll talk to her soon.” He closed the door and it disappeared.

Discord watched the rift close before floating away, staring at the moon. “Oh the chaos…” He said dreamily.

=

Death walked along a dirt path and stopped after a few steps. He looked at the body lying on the ground and sighed. He continued his trek until he found what he was looking for. He bent down, wiping some dirt off it, grabbing it from another corpse's hoof. Luna’s medallion was covered in scratches and burn marks. He looked around, staring at the destruction. “This shall not happen.” He said to no one, making another door and walked into the darkness.

36 - A Light in the Darkness

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 36 - A Light in the Darkness

The sun barely broke over the horizon when the Apple family started to stir. Applebloom burst into the guest room and jumped on the bed. “Martin! Rise and shine!” She yelled, using the mattress as a trampoline.

Martin gasped and fell out of bed in a jumble of blankets. He looked at her confused and slowly got back on his hooves. “Bloody hell…” He yawned and scratched his head. “Is that how you wake everyone up?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Course it is! It’s another day fer crusadin’!”

He sighed. “Jesus… umm… maybe we should begin the day a little less… action packed? And before we do anything, I gotta go to the bathroom.” He walked past her, watching his hooves so he wouldn’t mess up. He heard the shower and knocked. “AJ?”

“Ah’ll be out in a minute!” The orange mare responded.

He nodded. “Aye, don’t rush yourself.” He waited for a few minutes before the door opened, a towel wrapped around her head and waist. He smiled. “Morning AJ.”

She smiled back. “Good mornin’ ta ya too.” She leaned forward and nuzzled him, her fur damp.

He blushed and kissed her cheek. “Sleep well?”

She nodded. “You?”

He nodded as well. “Aye but any place is wonderful if I know you’re around.”

She whacked his back with a hoof. “Aww yer just saying that.”

He shook his head. “If you’re around any place is special but not as special as you.”

She blushed and kissed him. “Thank ya… really warms mah heart.”

“So does your smile to mine...”

She pulled him into a hug. “Aww…”

He hugged back and they stood in the hallway till Big Mac cleared his throat. “‘Cuse me.” He said, walking by the two and down the stairs.

Martin scratched his neck and smiled. “See ya down stairs.” He kissed her and went into the bathroom.

Suddenly somepony rapidly knocked on the door. “Are you almost done in there!?” Pinkie asked.

“Pinkie?”

“Well duh! Are you done!? I have to go to the bathroom!” She said.

“Pinkie, what the hay are you doin’ here?” AJ asked.

“I have to go to the bathroom silly!”

“Don’t the Cakes have a bathroom too?”

“Oh yeah…” Pinkie giggled and she hopped downstairs.

Martin shook his head before walking over to the toilet. “Alright toilet… just you and me…” He muttered. Five minutes later, he finally came down and sighed in relief. “That took longer than it should have…” He mumbled, heading into the kitchen.

Applebloom was already half way through her dandelion sandwich. He sat opposite of her and smiled at the filly. “Sleep well Applebloom?”

She nodded, dandelion bits flying. “Ah sure did! Couldn’t wait till Ah go crusadin’ with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle!”

He chuckled. “Aye, well guten appetit!”

She looked at him like he was crazy. “What?”

Martin shook his head and laughed. “Guten appetit.” She stared at him before going back to eating. AJ placed a plate of hay fries in front of him and he looked at them confused. He sniffed them. “Can I eat that now?”

“Eeyup, yer a pony now so ya can eat normal grub.”

He thought for a moment before taking an hesitant bite. “Pretty darn good. I would talk in German to say something positive but no one would understand me.” He continued eating happily.

“Not at all.” AJ said, grabbing a plate of her own.

Applebloom walked up and put her plate in the sink. “Well Ah’m off with Scoots and Sweetie, see ya later!” She said happily, running out of the house.

Martin watched her leave. “She’s a lively one ain’t she?”

“Ever since she met Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Before she used ta be a quiet pony.”

“We all need something to get us outta our shells.” He smiled.

“Ah’m just waiting for her cutie mark ta appear.”

Martin looked at his own blank flank. “Oh yeah, I don’t have one myself.”

She laughed. “Neither of you humans do but Ah bet yours would have ta be something smithy related. From what Forge tells me anyway.”

“We’ll see about it when the time comes, aye?”

“Mhm.” She finished her food and put the plate in the sink as well before yawning. “Looks like its gonna be a long day.”

He nodded and put his plate in the sink. “Yep, I have to give a report about the war near the border.”

She blinked. “Oh yeah, we got another meetin’ today.”

“Aye but you’ll make it a lot more bearable.”

She rolled her eyes, a small blush on her cheeks. “Hopefully ya’ll learn how ta apple buck as fast as you are with the compliments.”

He chuckled. “I just love that blushing look of yours.”

She pulled her hat down to hide her face. “Stop it…” She chuckled as well.

He stepped closer. “Why would I want to make the pony I love stop feeling special?”

She turned redder and leaned forward, kissing him. After the kiss broke, they stared at each other. “Thank ya.”

He nodded. “We should get to work, aye?”

“Course.” She said, leading the way outside.

They began bucking trees, the earth just beginning to feel its warmth. He stayed close to her and watched her buck the trees. “So you watching her to learn a trick or staring at her flank?” Discord asked, floating next to him as a small bug.

He blinked and turned red. “Uh.. I-I…”

“So that’s the latter then..” He said with a big toothy grin.

Martin hoofed the ground, his cheeks bright red. “Can’t deny it now..” He looked at Discord. “What are ya doing here anyways?”

“Well I was just checking up on my second favourite human turned pony.”

Martin rolled his eyes. “Well ya did it, what now aye?”

Discord chuckled. “Well I already checked on Michael and Fluttershy so I’m not sure.” He yawned.

Martin watched AJ buck a tree in the distance and slowly walked up to her. “Well… you can go bother someone else.”

“Aww you’re no fun.”

“Aye, not when you’re around.”

He frowned. “Well that’s not very nice. Maybe I’ll go see if Mike will be nice.” He said disappearing.

He rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t just watching her flank…” He muttered and walked into a tree.

Discord reappeared. “Yes you were…” He said laughing.

“Are ya alright?” AJ asked, turning towards the laughter.

Martin smiled at her. “I am, now that you’re here.”

She blushed as Discord groaned. “That was just painful…” He muttered.

Martin chuckled and walked up to her. “Need a break?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Ah’m not the one that just walked into a tree.”

He laughed. “I’m still learning…”

She chuckled and kissed him. “Come on, let’s get some water.”

They walked to the house, supporting each other and made it to the kitchen. Martin poured her a glass of water before getting himself a glass. She sighed and took a drink, staring out the window.

He drank the entire glass and set it on the table. “Something bothering you?”

“Nah, just thinkin’.”

“Wanna share your thoughts?”

“Just wondering bout the meetin’.”

He placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. This is the last meeting, Vandir will go back to the Griffon Kingdom and we’ll go back to the farm and spend some less politically influenced time together. If you want to of course.”

“Course Ah do… Ah just wish there wasn’t a war hanging over our heads.”

He sighed. “I know… I was there but we’ll discuss whether or not if I should activate the Iron Army to help end the war.”

“What happens once we’re done? What do we do with them then?”

He shrugged. “Send them back to the castle, maybe leave them and have them watch over things for awhile.”

“Ah think that’d be a good idea, make sure it doesn’t collapse again.”

He scooted over and hugged her. “Aye, I hope you know no matter what happens I love you.”

She wrapped her hooves tightly around him. “Ah hope you know Ah love ya too.”

They kissed passionately, her hat knocked off her head and gently floated to the floor. The kiss lasted until they had to break it to get air. He bent down and picked up her hat. “You look cute with your hat off.”

She blushed and grabbed it out of his hooves before placing it back on her head. “T-thanks…”

He looked at the nearby clock. “We should get some more bucking done…”

“Yeah before we have ta head off for the meetin’.” She said, walking towards the door. “Let’s try and finish this row of trees and we’ll be done fer the day.”

He nodded and trotted after her.

=

The sun was shining high as Michael and Fluttershy went around the house and fed the animals, who at that point ‘accepted’ Michael, letting him feed them and sometimes pet them. Fluttershy was outside, happily humming as she gathered the eggs from her chicken coop as Michael swept up inside. The dust pile got bigger and some shot into his face, he sneezed and nearly destroyed all his hard work.
“That was close…” He whispered.

Angel hopped towards him, making sure to avoid the dust and not get his coat dirty.

“Hey Angel, how are you?” Mike asked, sweeping by the fridge.

He smiled at the pegasus and nodded, holding out his paw. Mike smiled and shook his paw. The bunny hopped away and came back a few minutes later with a small magenta flower. He handed it to Mike and pointed at Fluttershy.

He tilted his head. “You want me to give her the flower?”

Angel nodded.

Mike shrugged. “Ok, why not.” He said, leaning the broom against the wall and walked outside. “Hey Fluttershy…”

She turned around, a breeze tugging at her mane. She smiled and walked over. “Hello Michael.”

He blushed. “Um… h-here…” He held out the flower.

She gasped and her face turned beet red. “T-that’s my favorite flower… how did you know?” She grabbed it and gently sniffed it.

“A little bunny told me.” He smiled.

She giggled and kissed him. “Thank you… and next time you see him tell him how much I appreciate it.”

“I will…” He blushed and headed back inside. The bunny was waiting for him, gnawing on a carrot. “What can I do to repay you?” He asked.

The bunny nonchalantly waved his paw.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, the carrot in his mouth like a cigar.

“Thanks again Angel.” He said, grabbing the broom and finished sweeping. Finally he plopped down and stretched, wiping the sweat off his brow. He looked at the medallion. “I wonder…” He said, grabbing it.

He froze, pain and numbness shooting through his body. He started to shiver, his mind going blank. Memories of every bad thing that happened to him through his life forced themselves to play on repeat, weakening his already fatigued mind. His heart beat erratically as his hooves were frozen on the medallion. He fell to the floor, tears pouring out of his eyes.

Fluttershy walked inside, the flower in her mane as she set the basket on the counter. She turned around and saw Michael on the floor, rushing over and quickly grabbed his hooves. She yelled his name, trying to get him to respond as tears started to trickle down her face. She forced his hooves away from the medallion as he gasped. “Michael? A-are you ok? Please! Can you hear me?” She asked frantically called his name, holding his head in her hooves.

Just as sudden as the numbness and visions came, they disappeared. He took a moment, trying to get his heart to beat normally. “Whoa…” He blinked, looking at her. “Hey… what… what happened?”

She hugged him tighter. “Michael!?” She sobbed. “Y-you’re ok… thank Celestia…” She muttered, not letting go as her body shook.

He wrapped his hooves around her and rested his head on her stomach. “Of course I am.”

“W-what happened? Y-you just laid on the ground… crying. Your body was ice cold and you didn’t respond…” She managed to say.

“I was sweeping up and grabbed the med-” He paused and glared at it. “What in the world…”

She looked at the medallion. “D-don’t do that again… e-e-ever…”

“I won’t… I’ve learned my lesson.” He sighed. “I always end up doing something stupid, don’t I?”

She was silent and looked at him with puffy eyes. “Y-you sh-shouldn’t always get yourself in
trouble like that…”

He kissed her gently. “I’ll try not to do anything stupid but you know me…”

She frowned and kissed him again. “Please… try and keep away from trouble… I don’t want you to get hurt… I wouldn’t know what to do…”

“I think Redheart would kill me…” He chuckled. “But I’ll do what I can Flutters.”

She hugged him again. “O-ok…”

I wonder why it did that… He hugged her tightly. “I love you Flutters…” He whispered.

She blushed. “I-I love you too…”

He smiled as he got up onto his hooves, a bit shaky. “Well that was a fun experience.”

She got up and immediately fell down again, her legs weak. She turned bright red and covered her face with her hooves.

He looked at her worriedly and helped her up, holding her tightly. “Are you ok?”

She nodded. “I-it’s just…” She mumbled, her voice too quiet to hear.

“I’m sorry but could you say that a little louder.”

She covered her eyes, her red cheeks bright on her yellow fur. “I-it’s just… that se-seeing you like that… it-it was horrible… I-I didn’t know what I would’ve done… if it would’ve been something else. I-I don’t want to lose you…”

He was silent and gently pulled her hooves away from her eyes and stared into them. He bent down, kissing her on the lips. They stayed like that for a few moments before he broke it. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise. I’ll go to the edge of the world, fight Death, as long as I can stay with you.” He put a hoof over her heart then his own. “We’ll be together no matter what happens, cause our hearts beats as one.”

She stood there for a moment before a tear rolled down her cheek and pulled him into another hug. “T-thank you…” She managed to say.

He rubbed her back, resting his head against her. “Shh… it’ll be ok…”

She continued to cry for a few more minutes before she started to calm down. She moved away and smiled at him, wiping a tear from her eye. She kissed him once more. “Thank you Michael… what would I do w-without you?”

“Still be the best pegasus ever with five friends that would do anything for her.” He smiled. “And have a lot less to worry about.”

She shook her head and giggled before glancing at the clock. “The meeting is in a few hours… w-what do you want to do?”

He sat there, tapping his hoof against his chin. “How about I try and make us something to eat?”

She smiled and nodded her head. “I-I’ll be upstairs…” She said, quickly walking up the stairs and leaving him alone.

He wandered into the kitchen, going through the cupboards, trying to find something to make. Angel hopped on the counter and grabbed a book from a shelf. He flipped through a few pages and pointed at a dandelion and white rose sandwich.

Michael stared at the bunny. “Somehow I will pay you back, when I get some bits.” He promised the bunny, rummaging around started gathering the ingredients. Together, the two of them made two sandwiches that looked exactly like the one in the picture. He put both on a tray and balanced it on his back as he made his way upstairs.

Her room was dark, the curtains closed as she set up a projector on a small table at the end of her bed. It coughed to life and illuminated the wall, a film already loaded. She turned around and smiled, her face red.

“Oh? What’s this?” He asked as he walked in, Angel trailing right behind and he sat the tray on the bed.

She smiled and hoofed at the ground. “I-I thought m-maybe we could watch a movie…”

He grinned. “I’d love too, what movie?”

“Umm… it’s called ‘Dawn’.”

“Hmm… sounds interesting…”

Her face turned redder. “Um… if you’d like to we-we could sit on the bed together…”

He got onto the bed, making sure not to knock over the food. “Sounds like a plan.”

She gulped, her face bright pink as she sat down next to him. She leaned forward and pushed a small button on the projector. As the countdown began, he passed her the food and they ate in silence, the movie’s opening scene played. He wrapped a hoof around her waist.

=

The movie ended, the credits beginning. She watched the names crawl by and sighed. “Did you like it?” She asked.

He hesitantly smiled. “Y-yeah… it wasn’t that bad of a movie…”

She smiled and hugged him. “It’s one of my favorites…”

He hugged her back. “I-I can see why…”

She kissed as she got up and started to pack up the projector. Together, it was packed up in no time and she opened the curtains. The light blinded them and they shielded their eyes.

At least I don’t sparkle… He shuddered, staring out the window. “So Flutters, we still have a bit before the meeting, what’d you like to do?”

She looked outside and smiled. “It’s a nice day… d-do you want to… go for a walk? I mean, if you want to that is…”

“I’d love to.” He smiled, picking up the tray and carried it downstairs.
Angel napped on the couch, his back paw twitching slightly. She followed him downstairs and nuzzled the bunny’s cheek. She opened the door and headed outside. The sun was still high in the sky, its warm rays making it a beautiful spring day.

He walked outside, shutting the door behind him and wrapped his hoof around hers. “Any particular place?” He asked, looking at the sky.

She looked towards the forest and blushed. “Y-yes…” She said, leading the way into the Everfree.

He gulped, slightly afraid of the forest. He tightened his grip on her hoof and walked closer to her.

It was dark, the canopy blocking most of the sun. Noises came from everywhere, echoing through the dense forest. He could feel as if things were watching him, waiting for the best moment to strike. He turned and saw Fluttershy calmly lead them deeper. “Don’t worry…” She said, smiling.

He forced a smile as the forest seemed to close around them. “I-I’m not worried… not at a-all…”

She giggled led him further inside. After a bit, she stopped and looked at him. “Close your eyes…” She whispered.

He gulped and very slowly closed his eyes, letting her lead him completely. With his eyes closed, it was scarer, the noises right next to him. He could feel his heart beat faster, a manticore following them. A few plants and leaves brushed against his fur before they stopped.

“Ok, you can open your eyes…” She said, leaning towards him.

He opened his eyes and his jaw dropped. A gentle crystal blue pond gurgled as birds and other forest inhabitants gathered around to drink and rest. A few fish hopped out of the water, creating a nice ripple in the water as it landed. A whole in the canopy let a beam of sunlight hit the middle of the pond, letting some light into the dark forest. The ground was covered with red and purple flowers, the grass a more vibrant green. Trees formed a circle around the pond, the hostile atmosphere of the Everfree vanished.

He stared in awe at the scene, trying to find his voice. “It’s… beautiful…” He whispered, slowly making his way towards the water, trying not to disturb the animals.

She walked next to him and nuzzled his cheek. “Just because something looks grim doesn’t mean there isn’t anything good about it.”

“Yeah… I guess even the scariest places has a light to it.” He looked at his reflection in the water, a fish shot by.

She laid down and closed her eyes, leaning towards the flower and sniffing them.

He looked at her, the sun bouncing off her yellow coat, creating an angelic glow around her. He blinked a few times before slowly walking towards her and laid next to her, resting his head on her side. He nuzzled her neck. “Thank you Flutters…” He whispered.

She blushed and rolled onto him, pulling him into a hug and kissed him. He closed his eyes, relaxing in her embrace.

They laid on the grass, kissing gently as the water rippled in the wind. It was peaceful there and they were grateful to finally be away from all the death and pain that had surrounded them. He broke the kiss, somehow switching spots with her, her pink mane draping over half her face and against his side. He smiled at her, her sapphire eyes shining from the water’s reflection. “Thank you so much Fluttershy… for everything.” He whispered, staring into her eyes.

Her face turned bright pink and she leaned closer. “I have to thank you Michael.” She gently kissed him and laid on him, closing her eyes as she nuzzled her way under his chin.

He kissed her head, oblivious to everything but the precious sound of her heart beating against his own. “Thank me? For what?”

“Yo-you always were so nice to me… you were there for me and I-I love you… I wouldn’t want to spend time with anypony else…”

“I love you too… and you were always nice to me. You led me around when I was blind, spent all your free time with me with those numerous hospital visits, made sure I was ok earlier, made sure I had a house to live in, taught me to walk.” A tear crawled out of his eye. “You kept me going, even when all I could think about was ending it or ignoring the world, you were there… there to stop me…”

She wrapped her hooves around his neck and buried her face into his neck, sobbing happily.

He wrapped his hooves around her. “Are you ok?”

She nodded and let go, looking into his eyes and smiled.

He smiled back. “There’s the Fluttershy I love so much.”

She blushed harder and gently kissed him again. He nuzzled her snout and yawned. She closed her eyes and rested on top of him.

“Wanna take a nap?” He asked, looking around and made sure there was no danger in sight.

She nodded silently and kissed his neck. He grinned like an idiot and closed his eyes, wrapping his hooves around her and rolled to his side, making sure she was still comfortable and he was the closest to the forest. Just in case.

Time flew by as the sun lowered and gave way to the moon. Fluttershy opened her eyes and yawned. She kissed his cheek. “Wake up sleepy…” She said, her gentle voice was like warming his heart.

He blinked and groaned, his eyes taking a second to get used to the darkness. “Fluttershy?” He yawned.

She smiled and kissed him. “We should get back to town now, we might be late for the meeting.” She said, looking at the sky.

He got to his hooves and held one out for her. “Then let’s get going.”

She smiled and grabbed it tightly. She led him back to the cottage, their tailed entwined. She leaned against him as they reached the cottage, only taking a pitstop to check on the animals. Once everything was ok, they headed into town. They nuzzled each other frequently, their tails still locked together as he used a wing to block against the gentle chill. They finally stood outside town hall.

They took a deep breath and opened the doors, stepping inside for the final meeting.

37 - The Cost of Love

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 37 - The Cost of Love

The other girls were already waiting in the lobby, greeting the pegasi. A guard came and lead them to the the meeting room, Vandir already there, Martin missing. He was reading something and put down the paper to get up and greet them. “Good afternoon.” He said, shaking each pony’s hoof before sitting down again. “Now we just have to wait for Martin.”

“Always late, that one.” Mike said, sitting next to Fluttershy.

The door opened and Martin entered the room with Metanoia and Rose. “Sorry about that, had to get a guest.” He said, forcing the other two to sit as he sat next to AJ.

Mike faintly smiled at Rose. “Hey Rose, how are you?” He nodded at Metanoia.

Rose sat down next to Fluttershy. “Hey Michael, I’m ok, and you?”

“Can’t complain, not dead yet.” He chuckled before turning to Martin. “How’s being a pony treating you? Find anything that you like about it better than a human yet?”

He smiled at his friend. “Aye, things have been good.” He said with a glance towards AJ.

She blushed and winked as Mike laughed. “Not that I don’t mind high school gossip but I think we came here to talk about the situation at the border.” Vandir said with a small smile on his beak.

Martin cleared his throat and got up, looking at everyone. “Aye. The border is secured. At the moment, our army is capable of making sure no enemy enters Equestria and therefor no army will get close to the Griffin Kingdom, at least from this side.”

There was a collective sigh of relief across the table.

“But the war continues. Most of the states have managed to calm down their citizens but there is still war in some parts of the empire.”

“Indeed.” Vandir held up the piece of paper from earlier. “Our intel says at least a third of the states are still at war.”

Martin nodded. “Aye, our army cannot leave the border. But we have an entire army of soldiers that could.”

“The Iron Army?” Mike asked.

Martin nodded. “Yes. They don’t need sleep or food, they don’t die. They rebuild themselves. They have a strong enchantment that protects them from most magic. But we risk that we throw the war states into a state of terror instead.”

“Not everyday you see giant suits of armor coming towards you.” Dash said.

Martin sighed. “Indeed, they show no mercy or pity. They kill anyone or anypony we order them to.”

“We have to find some way that they won’t attack innocents or our own ponies.” Twi said.

“We would need someone to give them orders at the front line. We can give them simple orders and tasks.”

“Who were you thinking of sending?”

Martin looked around. “I don’t know. We should send one of our commanders. I can’t go.”

Metanoia chuckled. “Do you really think those oversized tin cans would listen to anypony but the Grandmaster?” He glared at Martin. “And you’re one of us now, how ironic.”

Martin rolled his eyes. “Well, they follow simple orders. If I tell them to follow someone else’s orders, they will.”

“But will they be able to tell who the original pony giving them orders are?”

Martin nodded. “They might be nothing more than metal, but the enchantments are very powerful. They allow for minor intelligence, they will recognize voices and faces.”

He rolled his eyes and was silent.

Martin smiled victoriously and nodded. “The Agathor Order cannot exist any longer.”

Vandir eyed him silently as Ganir’s eye twitched.

“But there shall be a new order. No matter the species, they are allowed to join. This will have its HQ in Longford Castle in the Everfree Forest.”

Metanoia laughed. “The Everfree? Who in their right mind would go there?”

Pinkie raised her hoof enthusiastically. “OH! OH!! ME!! I WOULD!!”

They all chuckled. “I would as well… and many others did before us. The first requirement is to find the castle, meaning you have to be brave enough to either fly or walk through the forest.” Martin said.

Dash rolled her eyes. “Any pegasi could easily find it from the air.”

“Not if we activate the magical barriers.”

“Didn’t stop me…” She said, leaning back in her chair, hooves on the table.

“How’d that end?” Mike said with a faint smile, his fur still singed and discolored.

“Uh… good point.” She said, a small blush on her cheeks.

“The joy… anyways, back to the army. Should we activate the soldiers and if yes who do we put in charge?”

Vandir was silent for a moment. “I vote in favor of activating the soldiers and I nominate Barskir to lead them.”

Ganir looked at him, horrified.

“He is a good warrior with a lot of experience from what I’ve seen.” He paused. “I shall nominate him as well.” He looked at the others. “Does anyone disagree with our choice?”

“You’re all mad! He’s too old to be going out to battle! What happens if he dies? Hmm?” Who’d lead this stupid army of yours!?” Ganir snapped.

Everypony turned to look at him as Martin raised an eyebrow. “Then we find someone else, they follow the last order they were given. And I highly doubt he will die with so many soldiers around him.”

Ganir leaned back in his seat. “You’re all crazy!”

Martin rolled his eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know and that I care about.” He muttered. “Anyways, does everyone else agree?”

Mike looked around before turning to the new pony. “You’re the soldier, I’ll trust your call.” Everypony seemed to agree with him.

“I just wish we didn’t have to fight…” Fluttershy whispered.

Rose and Metanoia remained silent as Martin smiled. “So its decided then!”

“Seems that way. And they should end the war quickly, with as little destruction as possible, right?” Vandir asked.

“That should be possible. And afterwards should we leave them in the different states to ‘look’ after things for awhile?”

“...That would be for the best… just be ready to pull them out in case the ponies don’t want them there.”

“Aye.”

It was silent for a moment. “So… any reason why you dragged him in here?” Dash asked, pointing to Metanoia.

Martin scratched his head. “Well… it was something about a truce. Why don’t you explain it?”

He sighed. “When I first surrendered myself, I offered a truce. If you took care of the Northern states, the UEA would leave you alone. And it seems as if you kept your end of the bargain. But the UEA won’t attack you if you keep to the north and let us take care of the south.”

“What do you consider… ‘taking care of the south’?”

“Nothing you should be concerned with.” He said flatly. “We’re a democracy, all we’re going to do is remove the leaders and create order before letting the ponies decide what to do next.”

“As long as you seek peace and not war.”

He grinned mischievously. “That’s all we ever wanted.”

Mike glared at him as Fluttershy scooted closer. “That’s a bunch of crap and we all know it.” He said. “Look, I’m all for giving him the benefit of the doubt, but look at the evidence…”

Martin sighed. “I know… there were some serious war crimes but still. We have to give them a chance. At least we should consider it. What do you think Vandir?”

“I would… but yet, it’s not my place to say. I’d make sure what he said was the truth then try him for the crimes we all know he committed.” Vandir said, raising an eyebrow. “The only bad thing is we need witnesses for his trial, and I can only think of three.”

Martin nodded as Metanoia looked between the pony and griffin. “But I thought we’d agreed that after this squabble at the border, I’d go freely?” He asked.

Martin sighed again. “Yes… but considering everything that happened, we must keep you here for a trail. I’m sorry.”

Metanoia closed his eyes and muttered to himself. Martin sat back down, running a hoof through his mane. “Is there anything else we need to do now?”

“Well… I should mention something.” Vandir said, straightening papers.

“Ok, go ahead.”

“After the meeting, I’ll be returning home for my report to my father.”

Everypony smiled. “Wonderful. I hope you’ll have a troubleless journey.”

He smiled and nodded. “Thank you again for hosting me and keeping me entertained while I was here Ms. Sparkle.” He said, bowing to Twilight.

She blushed and smiled. “It was an honor.”

He smiled remained as he bowed before each element and to the former humans. “And it was a pleasure to meet each and every one of you. And to see two humans return to the land. I wish it was under better circumstances.”

Martin waved a hoof. “We’ll handle it.”

“Then I wish you luck.” He said, making sure he had everything.

Martin turned towards Ganir. “Will you be going with him?”

Ganir nodded, looking pale as he seemingly disappeared, a blade suddenly protruding from Vandir’s side. The griffin fell, Ganir hopped around the room, knocking over torches, a small fire blocking the exit. The guards charged him and were taken out. Metanoia quickly grabbed Rose and pushed her away, keeping her out of the way.

Martin’s eyes widened. “You fuck nugget!” He tried to charge but stumbled and fell, tripping over his own hooves.

He laughed at him and Dash charged him as he easily twirled out of the way. She connected with a pillar, hard enough to crack it. She slid down and laid at the base of the pillar, holding her head. “This is too easy!” He said, his eyes glowing.

Martin got back up and grabbed a sword from a dead guard. He swung it around and accidentally let it go, flying towards Mike.

Mike ducked as it sailed over his head. “Hey watch it!” He said, the sword parting his mane.

Twilight shot him a strong magic attack, that did nothing but singe a few feathers on his chest. Martin looked around frantically as the remaining guards distracted the deranged pegasus. Applejack tried to buck him away, the griffin grabbing her hind hoof and tossing her aside. Pinkie caught her and the two disappeared under the table. Rarity and Fluttershy rushed over to make sure Dash was ok as Twi continued to distract the griffin, trying to help the guards.

“Jesus! How does one even fight with hooves?” He grabbed a fallen spear and threw it towards Ganir.

He caught it easily with his talons and used it to finish off the last guard before he flung it towards Twilight. She jumped out of the way, crashing through the table. “What’s wrong Grandmaster?” He asked. “I thought you were supposed to be strong? This is pathetic!”

Mike flew towards him, hoping to catch him off guard as the griffin swatted him into the wall. He fell onto Dash, the two of them in jumbled together.

Martin looked around helplessly. “Oh come on, I call hacks!” He said, the griffin calmly walking up to him. “I have learned one thing though…”

“Oh? And what is that fool?” The griffin asked with a chuckle.

Martin grinned, turning around quickly and bucked him the chest. The air was knocked out of the griffin as he sailed through the room and landed heavily near Metanoia and a struggling Rose. The griffin groaned in pain as Metanoia laughed.

“Served you right for forgetting that earth ponies buck hard.” They glared at each other, neither attacking the other.

Martin walked up to Ganir, grabbing a sword on the way. He jumped on the griffin’s chest, knocking the little wind he had recovered and pointed the sword at his throat. “Now…”

The griffin chuckled. “Tough luck newbie.” He said, flicking the sword and as it fell out of Martin’s hoof, punching him in the face.

Martin stumbled back, holding a hoof to his cheek. He grunted in pain as he fell to his flank, glaring at him. “You call that a punch to the face? Your griffin ladies wouldn’t know what that was!”

Ganir picked up the sword and flung it at him, landing right between his legs. “Yeah, your bluff won’t work.”

Martin flinched. “Shu-shut up… you failed bastard! Sometimes I have the desire to puke everytime I see that ugly face of yours!”

He laughed as he walked slowly towards Martin. “You really think your petty insults work? I’ve heard better at the hatchery.” He grabbed a spear and held it tightly. “This’ll do nicely.”

Rose finally pushed Metanoia away and grabbed the end of the spear. “No!” She yelled.

The griffin irritatedly looked at the pony before he whacked her with the end of the spear. “Get away from me you traitor.”

The spear froze, ripping itself out of his grasp. “Don’t you ever hit my daughter again.” Metanoia said coldly.

She looked up at her father. “Why would you protect me?”

He looked at her sadly. “Because I’m your dad, that’s what we’re supposed to do.”

She faintly smiled as Ganir glared at the pony. “What are you doing?” He seethed.

“He said to kill them, never said anything about hurting my daughter.”

Ganir grabbed a sword, twirling it in his talons as he stared at the blade. “I do as I please, you have dropped too low to give me order! Once I get my payment, I’ll live like the griffin king himself! But first, you all must die!” He said, launching himself at Rose.

The griffin stopped, suddenly encased in a purple aura. He turned, Twi finally able to get up. Metanoia tackled him, the sword flying out of his grip. The two wrestled on the floor, trading blows left and right. Finally, Ganir was able to get the upper talon, grabbing his throat.

“Don’t get in my way!” He yelled, lifting the pony off the ground.

The hilt of the sword swung and landed squarely between the griffin’s eyes. He dropped the pony, holding his head. “You’ll pay for that!” He grabbed Metanoia’s horn and threw him to the ground, placing a foot on his neck. “DIE!” Ganir pushed with all his might.

With a loud snap, the entire building echoed as a blast wave shattered every window in town, the town hall barely staying together. Everyone was airborne for a brief moment before landing harshly on the ground. Metanoia was surrounded by a black scorch mark, his burnt body unmoving. Everyone groaned in pain, Martin forcing himself up. He stared in horror at Metanoia as Ganir laid against a wall and struggled to his talons.

“N-now to finally-” He was cut off, a spear shredding his throat.

Everypony turned to the end of the spear, Rose letting go. She stared at her hooves before looking at Ganir. He slowly turned towards her, raising a talon before dropping to the floor. Blood sprayed from his throat as he tried to stop it, his talon quickly turning red. He garggled something, blood squirted every time he tried to speak before finally he went silent, his lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling.

"Wh-what have I done?" She asked, horrified at herself.

"It's never easy, ending someone's life." Death said, appearing out of a doorway.

She gasped. "Who- who are you?"

Death sat the lantern near Ganir and something wispy slowly escaped his beak. "I'm the beginning and end, the one put in charge of souls." He smiled. "You can call me Death." He stared at her for a moment. "And you're Rose correct?"

She nodded.

"It seems as if you finally understand my job… it's never easy being the end. Ponies beg for their lives, promise me glory. But things need to end if there is a beginning." He stared at her, his yellow eye glowing. "Only people that have killed can ever understand the feeling of being an ender. Understand that you've just taken a life, to guarantee yours."

She backed away and looked at the griffin. “I-I only wanted to protect the others…”

“You did… at the cost of a life. But yet, the world continues.”

She looked at the others, they were frozen in time. “W-what’s wrong with them?”

“I’ve slowed down time.” He said, picking up the lantern and attached it to his belt.

“I-I don’t understand… what happens now?”

“That’s up to you, only you can decide what to do with this knowledge.” He said, walking over to Metanoia and the same wispy substance slowly came out of the unicorn’s mouth.

“H-he protected me… wh-what will happen to him?”

“He’ll spend some time repenting his sins… then if he’s learned from them, he’ll be sent to whatever he thinks is a peaceful rest.”

Tears dropped onto the floor as she turned away, sniffling. Death put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll make sure his process is sped up for his final act.”

She looked at him, tears pouring down her face. “H-how can you do all this?”

It grew colder as Death’s eyes hardened. “Because I have to.”

“B-but what if it was somepony close to you? Could y-you just forget about them… and do your job?”

A lone tear slid down his face. “I do what I must, even at the cost of my heart. If I don’t then the world would fall into chaos not even Discord would be happy with.”

She looked at the floor, her body shaking with the barely controlled sobs. “Is there no rest… for someone like you?”

“A very small one… but enough to keep me moving.”

She nodded. “I-I hope you get some rest soon…”

He smiled. “I will.” He grasped the air and opened another door, disappearing into the void. Rose watched as the world went back to normal speed. Martin staggered towards Ganir and checked his pulse.

“Is he?” AJ asked, helping Pinkie pull Dash and Mike from the rubble.

He closed his eyes and nodded. “Dead.” He looked at Rose. “Are you alright?”

She was quiet, her eyes puffy as tears poured down her cheeks. “I-I’m not sure…” She fell onto her flank and covered her eyes with her hooves.

He walked over and sat down next to her, pulling her into a hug. “I know what it’s like…”

She cried, the tears neverending. Fluttershy walked over and patted her shoulder gently. “Shh… it’ll be ok…” She said reassuringly.

“Aye, I know how terrible it can feel… but just think about what would have happened if you hadn’t done it.”

She nodded as she coughed, trying to get air.

“Ow… my head…” Mike mumbled, holding a hoof to his forehead as he leaned forward and saw the disaster. “What did I miss?”

Martin glared at his friend, putting a hoof to his lips. “Shh…”

Mike staggered his way over to the group, his eyes wide as he passed Metanoia’s and Ganir’s corpses. Fluttershy gave him a quick hug as he sighed. He patted Rose’s shoulder.

The fire blocking the exit finally died away, thanks to Pinkie and Rarity, allowing guards to rush in. They took care of the debris, nurses and doctors checking on the wounds. Vandir was alive, barely, and was rushed to the hospital. The guards also took care of the bodies, transporting them to the morgue. Everyone was silent as they sat in the lobby.

The town itself was a madhouse, ponies rushing to and fro, guards everywhere. Nurses and doctors worked around the clock to heal any of the ponies hurt in Metanoia’s shockwave. Anypony that wasn’t hurt was outside, cleaning up all the glass or helping to repair the town hall. Shining Armor walked inside, surrounded by guards.

Twilight ran over to him and hugged him tightly as he looked for Martin. “Martin, can you come here?” He asked.

Martin walked over, looking out at the ponies. “What?”

“What happened here?” Martin and Twilight shared a look before the two explained what happened as several ponies came and went, checking on the others or bringing food and water. Finally, they finished and Shining stood there, staring at both of them. “I see…”

“So… what brings you here?”

“Well origianlly it was to see Twiliy and talk to you about this new order of yours…” He said, looking at the ponies. “But I think that could wait.”

“Till tomorrow?” Martin asked and Shining nodded. Martin faintly smiled as the brother and sister walked outside before turning back and heading towards AJ.

“Hey sugarcube…” She said when he got closer.

He walked up to her and hugged her tightly. “Looks like there won’t be any politics for awhile… wanna go back to the farm or do you want to stay here?”

She eyed Rose asleep in Michael’s hooves as him and Fluttershy whispered between the two of them. “Ah’m not sure what to do…”

He looked at Rose. “Should… should we bring her to Nurse Redheart, maybe she can think how to help?”

She sighed. “Ah don’t know, guess it wouldn’t hurt…”

He nodded and walked over to the two pegasi. “Would you bring her to Redheart, make sure she get’s someone to talk to?”

Mike slowly nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.” He paused. “Did he really save her?”

“Yeah…”

Mike was silent. “I’m glad he did… maybe he was ok after all…”

“Only because someone looks grim doesn’t mean they are…”

Mike faintly smiled. “And this coming from ‘Mr Attack with a sword, ask questions later’...”

Martin chuckled. “Ya know me… maybe Death has a good side as well, aye?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it.”

“We’ll see… neither of us can see the future.”

“Which I’m glad for… what a terrible thing, to be able to see fate but yet too afraid to do anything in fear of changing it… or causing it.” He got up and with Fluttershy’s help, put Rose on his back. “Well, we’ll go get Rose checked out.”

“Don’t drop her…”

He chuckled, Rose’s grip tightening around his neck. “I doubt I will.”

Martin smiled and patted his friend’s shoulder. “Aye, have a nice flight mate.”

He nodded before him and Fluttershy took off, heading towards the hospital.

Martin sighed and watched the two for a moment before heading back to AJ and sitting down next to her. “She’ll be alright.”

“Ah hope so... Ah feel bad for her losing her pa…”

He nodded and grabbed her hoof. “I won’t let that happen to anypony else here… I have to learn to fight with this new body.”

“Ah hope ya don’t have ta…”

“But maybe I will…”

“And how do ya plan ta do that?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know… maybe Shining Armor could help?”

She nodded. “Ah bet he could show ya a thing or two.”

He smiled at the cowpony. “Come on, let’s get back to the farm, I’m sure we both need some rest after this.”

She grabbed his hoof. “Aye…” She said with a small smile, the two of them off towards the farm, the moon slowly climbing into the sky.

38 - Cutie Mark Teachers!

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 38 - Cutie Mark Teachers!

Pre-Author's Note - We were bored and wanted to try and relax after the last chapter... so we borrowed something from a soap opera I watched once. Didn't think it'd be that big of a scene... but we sorta extended it. Hopefully you'll laugh as much as we did...

~;~

They walked down the dirt path towards the farm, their tails entwined, AJ leaning against them. It was silent, the crickets just waking up and starting their choir in the tall grass. As they approached the old farmhouse, only two lights were there to greet them; one from Applebloom’s, the other from Big Mac’s respective rooms. The walked up the rickety old front stairs.

Martin walked in front of her, holding the door open. “What would you like to do?”

“How bout we have some dinner? Ah’m famished… haven’t eaten since this mornin’.”

He smiled. “Sure… I’m not a good cook but I’m sure we can manage something together, aye?”

She grinned and led the way into the kitchen, pausing to grab the cookbook and placed it on the counter. They both flipped through, trying to find something to eat and stopped at hay fries. They grabbed the ingredients and started to make dinner, the two enjoying some happy, calm time after what had just happened. Finally, once they were in the oven, he forced her to go relax on the couch, pushing her out of the kitchen.

The little bell went off and he carefully pulled the tray out of the oven, pouring them on a plate before putting it on his back and left the kitchen. He placed them on the coffee table, AJ licking her lips. She waited a moment before grabbing one. “Looks pretty good.” She said, shoving it in her mouth.

He grabbed one as well, inspecting it before taking a small bite. “Never thought I’d eat anything like this in my life…”

She chuckled and grabbed another fry. “Never thought Ah’d be dating a legend turned pony but life’s interestin’ that way.”

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “And I never thought I’d be dating someone, err somepony, as amazing as you.”

Her cheeks turned red. “Aww, if Ah didn’t know any better, Ah’d think yer just trying to get some flank.” She said with a smile.

His face darkened as he choked, the fry going down the wrong pipe. “Geez, I’m not quite that type of guy…”

She patted him on the back. “Ah’m just kidding Martin.”

“Oh boy…” He chuckled nervously, pausing before taking another bite. “I don’t want ya to get a wrong impression of me.”

“Ah know yer not like that. Just like to butter a mare up.” She said, leaning over and nuzzling him. “Ya might over do it sometimes, but its still nice ta hear.”

“Seeing others smile and blush is all I need to keep me going.”

“Aww, and ta think some ponies say ya have no heart.” They ate a few fries in silence, the plate almost empty. “Ah knew ya was a big softy.”

“Aww… I’m not that much of a softy…”

She laughed and kissed his cheek. “It’s ok if ya are, Ah love ya know matter what.”

“And I hope you know I love you no matter what as well.”

She rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes, the remaining hay fries forgotten. “Ah do.” She said.

He wrapped his hooves around her. “Sometimes I wish time would stop…”

“Ah just wish the madness would so everypony could go back ta normal…”

“I’m afraid ‘normal’ doesn’t exist… we all are crazy in some regard.”

“Ah’m talkin’ bout the world not exploding in fights.”

He hugged her tighter, resting his chin on top of her head. “I understand, all I hope is that the war stays away from Ponyville. I don’t want anyone here to get hurt.”

“Me too… me too…” She wrapped her hooves around his chest and hugged him. “Ah thought it was bad earlier with the explosion…”

He sighed and smiled sadly. “I’ve seen far worse, for you it must be horrible but a war zone… it’s something no one would want to be in.” She nodded, silent and they sat together for a moment before he let go and looked into her eyes. “You seem stressed…”

She took a deep breath and sighed, taking off her hat and setting it on the coffee table. “Ah just don’t like what’s happened… it seems the world has gone crazy and yet neither Princess Celestia or Luna has helped. Ah understand that they’re busy but this is war… if either of them went out to the battlefield, the fighting would be over… especially if Celestia was there.”

He looked away, taking a moment to find his words. “I didn’t grow up like you did AJ, I don’t know what it’s like to have a princess to look up to. But worrying about these sorta things won’t help anyone right now. This is why I wish to create a new order. So I can help those who need it.” He glared at his hooves. “Turn around, maybe I can help with your stress.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“Just turn around… trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

She looked at him skeptically but turned around and sat next to him. She stared out the window, the stars and moon shining. “Ah’m not sure what yer planning…”

He grabbed her shoulders the best he could and began to massage them. “That any good?”

She closed her eyes. “Hey now, that ain’t half bad…” She said, her voice getting quieter.

He grinned and continued, his hooves slowly relieving the built up stress. “Sometimes all you need is a good massage and all the stress in the world is gone.” He said quietly.

“Mmmm…” AJ muttered, her body starting to sag. He moved a little further down her back, just underneath her shoulders as she fell onto the couch. “Maybe a little lower…” She said, her head resting on the hoof rest. He nodded and went further down her back. “Ahh…” She muttered with a tail flick.

“Much better?”

“Yeah, can feel the tension melting away…” She said happily.

He continued the massage, doing his best to work the stress away, the knots out of her back. It was well into the night and AJ had fallen asleep on him, a quiet snore coming from her. He chuckled and shook her shoulder, trying to get her to wake up, to no avail. He blinked and his faced turned pink as her flank was right in front of him, her tail flicking lazily.

He looked around helplessly and poked her ear. “AJ?” He whispered. She took a deep breath and sighed, completely oblivious to him. He looked at the stairs and gently shook her again. “AJ?” He asked again, hoping she’d wake up.

“Did Ah interrupt somethin’?” Big Mac asked.

Martin paled and slowly turned towards the towering pony. Oh shit… “Th-this isn’t what it looks like…”

The red pony stared at his slumbering sister and her coltfried for a moment before he sighed. “Ah take it she fell asleep on ya?”

“Yeah… I mean, I had to do it but yeah…”

“Ya did what?” He asked, eyebrow raised.

“I-I… well, she seemed very stressed… so I m-massaged her.”

He went quiet, staring at the frightened pony before he chuckled. “She’s not too good with massages.” He finally said.

“S-so you believe me?”

“Don’t look like Ah interrupted anythin’ else.” He said flatly.

Martin sighed in relief. “Phew, I hope you know I wouldn’t… not that she’s not beautiful or anything…” Big Mac nodded silently, grabbing AJ and maneuvering her onto his back. Martin looked at him. “M-maybe I should go to bed…” He said, quickly getting up and stumbling up the stairs.

Big Mac chuckled and followed Martin, walking into AJ’s room as Martin slipped into the guest room and shut the door. He flung himself onto the bed and sighed. “Well… that was awkward….” He muttered. He closed his eyes, hoping the trip to dreamland was fast.

=

Martin laid on his stomach, having a vivid dream about AJ, his pillow covered in drool. He had a goofy grin on his face as the guest room door opened slowly, revealing a pink bow that slowly made its way towards the bed. The sleeping pony muttered AJ’s name, turning away from the bow as two light crimson eyes peered over the mattress.

A poofy red tail began to shake, four hooves getting ready to jump as they propelled their owner onto the back of the sleeping pony. “RISE AND SHINE MARTIN!” Applebloom yelled, hopping up and down.

His eyes shot wide open and he tumbled out of bed, the filly jumping onto the mattress. He looked around, familiar with the floor as the drool-soaked pillow fell on top of his head. “God damnit! Applebloom?”

She smiled. “Yeah?”

“Have some mercy will ya? My god…” He sat up, the pillow falling onto the floor as Applebloom jumped off the bed.

She giggled. “Well ya seem ta have ta be woken up every mornin’!”

He rolled his eyes and wiped the drool off his face. “Ew… that never happened to me before.”

“Why did ya keep sayin’ AJ’s name in yer sleep?” She asked curiously.

His eyes widened and he turned a little red. “Umm… I did?” She nodded rapidly, the bow flying back and forth. “Urr… I-I don’t know, ya must have been hearing things.”

“Nu uh! Ya kept sayin’ AJ and ya had a goofy smile on yer face!”

He looked around the room trying to avoid eye contact, his face turning even redder. “I-I don’t recall that happening…” He said, bits of the dream coming back to him.

“But Ah saw it!” She insisted.

He shook his head. “I-I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She pouted, her cheeks puffing up. “Yer stuttering.” She said as a smile soon replaced her scowl. “You were dreaming about mah sister!” She yelled.

“I-I can’t remember that… I… I have to go to the bathroom.” He said, quickly leaving the room.

“AWW!” She sighed.

He tumbled down the stairs and crashed into the closed bathroom door. It opened and AJ walked out, her eyes going wide as she noticed him. She helped him up. “Ya alright there sugarcube?”

He held his snout and looked at her. “I’m o-okay, ouch…”

“Why were ya runnin’ in the first place?”

He looked back, Applebloom hopping down the stairs. “N-no reason…”

“Ok…” She said suspiciously, walking towards the kitchen.

He watched her leave and quickly shot into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. After a few minutes, he came out and sat down at the table. Applebloom was already eating her haycakes and AJ placed a plate in front of him. “Cheers.” He said before digging in.

Applebloom paused for a moment and smiled. “So AJ, Ah was wakin’ up Martin this mornin’-”

Martin coughed, stopping her as he pleadingly shook his head. “Oh?” AJ turned to look at her younger sister. “Is that what all that ruckus was?”

His face turned red. “Umm… Applebloom do you need help crusading today?”

She quickly forgot what she was going to say and turned to look at him. “Really? Ya’ll help the Crusaders?” She blinked. “OH! You need a cutie mark yerself!”

He looked at his flank. “Umm… yeah.”

She scratched her chin. “Hmm...” Martin and AJ shared a look, she knew he was hiding something. “Wait, isn’t there another human here? What’s his name?” Applebloom interrupted.

Martin looked at Applebloom. “You mean Michael? Well he’s not human anymore.”

She smacked her forehooves together. “That’s what Ah thought.” She said, running outside.

He watched her leave, confused. “I don’t even…” He looked over to AJ. “Is she always like that?”

AJ smiled. “Not really but she knows two stallions that don’t have a cutie mark, Ah’m sure that she’s gonna get the other CMC involved.” She sighed. “Ah feel sorry fer you two…”

“Sorry? Why sorry?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Ya’ll see.” She said, turning back to the sink to start on the dishes.

He looked at her flank for a split second before shaking his head and stood up. Mate… control yourself!

Applebloom returned and grabbed his hoof. “Come on, Ah sent Scootaloo to get Michael and Sweetie’s already startin’ on the capes.”

“Capes?” She dragged him outside as he gave AJ a ‘help me’ look but all he got in return was a smirk.

“Have fun you two.” She said as Applebloom dragged him outside. They ran through the trees and into a clubhouse.

Martin looked around. “It’s quite nice here. Never had one when I was young.” He paused. “Anyways… what are we doing now?”

“Now we gotta wait.” She said, running around the clubhouse, pulling out a podium, a pair of drums, a pair of torches, and a red rug that she threw in the middle of the room.

He watched her, confused. “Uh…”

The door swung open and Sweetie Belle staggered in, a pair of capes almost tripping her. “I’m here!” She said. “Sorry if they look rushed, I didn’t have time to properly… fit them?” She said before glancing at Martin. “I take it you’re one of the new recruits?” She asked, giving him a once over.

He stared back. “I-I’m… utterly confused. Am I?”

“He is.” Applebloom answered for him, finished setting up the torches.

“Uhh… ok, I’m the new recruit.”

Sweetie Belle hoofed him a cape. “Then welcome to the club!” She said with a huge smile.

He inspected the cape. “Uh… ok, before I do anything I might regret later, what exactly do we do here?”

The fillies looked at each other before looking at him. “Get our cutie marks! We don’t rest till everypony has one and we help each other bare through all the bullying! No matter what it takes!” They said together.

“Oh well that shouldn’t be a problem with me. I already have a talent and I shall see whether or not it’s my special talent.”

They smiled. “Then we’re one step closer to helping a member get their cutie marks!”

“Ok… well for now I can’t continue with that talent though. I can’t really handle my new body so well… and grabbing is a really important thing ya know.”

They nodded. “Then we’ll teach you how to be a pony, then you can get your cutie mark.”

He sighed. “I was afraid of that… ok. Didn’t you want to get Michael as well?”

“Yeah, seems like Scoots is taking a long time.” Sweetie said.

“I don’t get it, what will that do exactly?” Michael asked as the door opened and revealed the pegasus, along with Scootaloo riding on his back. He blinked when he saw his friend. “Martin, what are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t even know what I’ve gotten meself into.”

“You and me both…” Mike muttered as Scoots hopped off his back.

“Here take this.” She tossed the other cape and he caught it, turning to Martin.

Martin shrugged and flung the cape around his neck, Mike following suit as they knotted it and Applebloom made her way to the podium, Scoots soloing on the drums.

After that little musical number, Applebloom cleared her throat. “We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Martin and Michael to join us as brothers, friends, confidants, allies, chum of chums…” She stared at the paper for a moment. “Blah, blah, blah, oh yes here. And fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders! You are solemnly sworn in, here this day, in witness of your fellow sister, friends, confidants…”

The two former humans stared at each other, hoping one would have a clue what was going on. “Ok…” Martin said slowly.

“What… what did we just get into?” Mike whispered as the three fillies high hoofed each other.

Martin leaned closer to him. “I don’t know, maybe it’s some sort of satanic cult?” He whispered.

“So first order of business is we have ta help Martin lean ta walk and grab stuff like a normal pony.” Applebloom said.

“Oh joy…” Martin said sarcastically.

“Come on ya big baby, maybe ya can finally tell me why ya were whispering AJ’s name last night too.” She grabbed his hoof.

His face turned pink as everypony looked at him. “I…” He stuttered.

The fillies leaned towards him, their eyes huge. “Yes?!”

“Personal affairs.” He said flatly.

Mike laughed as the girls sighed and glared at him for a moment before they huddled amongst themselves.

Martin leaned in close. “Mate, I woke up in a puddle of drool! That never happened to me before!”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “Having a good dream with AJ?” He whispered with a grin.

“You little vegetable…” Martin glared at his friend.

“I’m not trying to be funny, it’s a ‘serious’ question.”

He turned away from the pegasus and rolled his eyes. “Yes, geeze…”

“Ah… well, that explains it then.” He said flatly.

The girls came back. “So we’ve decided that Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are going to teach you how to be a pony.” Scoots said.

“And what will you do?” Martin asked the filly pegasus.

She grinned as she turned her attention to Mike. “He’s gonna teach me how to fly.”

Mike blinked slowly. “Why me? I’m not that great of a flyer…”

She smiled and hopped on his back again, giving it a slap. “We’ll change that!”

The two friends turned and gulped at each other. “We’re going to die, aren’t we?” Mike asked.

Martin nodded. “Lead the way girls…” He muttered, the two fillies grabbing his hooves and dragged him away as Mike and Scoots vanished into the sky.

=

They sat on the floor of the clubhouse, the moon just ascending into the sky. The street lamps were lit, a few ponies still out enjoying the cool breeze. They were covered in scratches, mud, dirt, bruises.

“My god… I thought I could have a relaxing day…” Martin muttered.

“Relax? What’s that?” Mike said with a groan.

He chuckled. “What’d she make you do, fly through a bunch of trees?”

“In a way, crazy little devil thought it’d be fun to see how far she could free fall.”

Martin stared at him in disbelief. “Great mate, at least you didn’t have to catch piglets in the mud.

Mike chuckled. “How did that go?”

“It was pretty bad, but she said it’d a, teach me how to walk and run, and b, help me learn to grab things… It did but it was… damn!”

Mike laughed and groaned, flipping onto his back. “Who knew three little fillies could cause us so much pain?”

He shook his head. “I think I need a drink…”

“I think I need some ice… I sprained my wing…”

Martin chuckled. “Well I should get back to the farm, and you also have a gi-I mean, mare waiting for ya.”

Mike groaned and got up. “Yeah… I did leave suddenly, I better go let her know I’m ok.” He limped towards the door. “One of these days, we’re going to have to sit down and have a drink like the old days.”

Martin nodded. “Aye.” They walked outside, saying goodbye as they walked separate paths. He opened the farmhouse door and walked inside, AJ sitting on the couch.

She looked up and quickly covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. “How was your day su-sugarcube?”

He sighed and walked over to her. “Pretty darn exhausting…”

“What’d mah sister make ya do?”

“...Run around and catch piglets…”

She couldn’t hold it in anymore and started laughing. “That’s it?” She managed to ask.

He grunted and rolled his eyes. “Aye…” He looked at his fur, covered in mud and grinned. “How about ya give me a nice hug?” He asked, holding out his forehooves.

She smiled and got up, pulling him into a hug, the mud getting all over her coat. “There, does that make it better?”

He smiled. “Yeah…”

“Don’t you two whippersnappers look cute! Back in mah day, me and yer granddad used ta wrestle in the mud.” Granny Smith said, rocking in her chair.

He looked at her. “Hello there Granny Smith, how are you?”

“Oh just mah hip actin’ up but Ah’m as fit as a fiddle!”

Martin smiled, still holding AJ. “Splendid,” he said and let go of AJ. “I think I could use a shower.”

AJ paused and looked at herself before laughing. “Ah could go for one myself…” She walked up the stairs, stopping and looked at Martin. “Ya comin’ or what?”

He nodded, quickly catching up to her.

=

Michael limped through town, making his way slowly to Shy’s cottage. He watched as the devastated town hall and the rest of the town being cleaned up, ponies hard at work, replacing the damaged buildings. He sighed, thinking about Rose and hoping she was ok when somepony gasped. “Oh my heavens darling, what happened to your mane?” Rarity gasped again. “And you? You look like you just hoof wrestled a pack of timberwolves.”

His eyes widened as a tiny shiver traveled down his back. “Hey Rarity…”

She walked up to the dirty pegasus but kept her distance. “Darling, you look absolutely awful…”

He nervously scratched the back of his neck, a few twigs falling from his mane. “It’s been… an interesting day…”

She circled around him, cringing at all the dirt. “How CAN you even walk like this?”

He shrugged. “I don’t see the big deal.”

Her eyes bulged out of their sockets. “You look horrendous!”

“So? It’s not that big of a deal…”

She shook her head and stomped her hoof. “I’m not letting you go back to Fluttershy looking like a pig stall.”

He raised an eyebrow, looking himself over again. “I think you might be overreacting just a tad-hey, wait a minute!” He said, suddenly encased in a blue aura.

“No arguing darling; it’s for the best. I can’t imagine my special somepony coming home and looking like… this.” She said, looking disgusted and forcing him to follow her.

He sighed, shaking his head as he was forced to follow her, staring at the sky. He finally noticed the Carousel Boutique fast approaching. “Uh… Rarity, where are we going?”

She giggled. “To the boutique of course. We shall give you a makeover fitting for somepony dating an Element.”

Michael’s wings shot straight out as he struggled to fly away. “On second thought, I think I hear Twilight calling me.” He said, frantically fighting against her magical grip.

She giggled again, holding a hoof in front of her mouth. “Sorry darling, but this is long overdue.” She said, dragging him through the door and down the hallway. At the very end, a door was encased in the same blue aura, flying open. It revealed a large golden tub square in the middle of the room, a fancy embroidered purple rug underneath. Wall length mirrors covered one wall, a random assortment of cabinets and baskets were scattered about, containing Celestia knows what. She hummed a tuned as she dropped him in the bath and turned the water.

He waited till she had her back turned, scrounging for something in one of the cabinets and made his move. He flapped his wings as hard as he could, only to slip in the rising water and splash face first. He sighed, turning his back to her as she turned around herself, smiling as she starting dipping soaps,conditioners, and funny scented oils into the water.

He continuously fought against her grip, impressed that she had this much control. He never expected her to be able to last this long, Always thought Twi was better with magic… “You know… I don’t need a bath. I’m. Just. Fine!” He yelled, trying and failing to escape the tub.

She completely ignored him, bubbles rising from the water. A bottle floated towards him. “Now hold still, you don’t want any of this to get in your eyes. Trust me.” She said, the scent of roses flooding the room.

And here I thought she’d be the type that wants somepony to bathe her… “Rarity… isn’t this going just a tad overboard?” He asked, his face turning red.

A cool liquid ran down his mane, flattening it against his head as it dripped off his ears and into the water. A luffa floated over as she walked closer, a pair of gloves floating towards her and she slipped them on. She massaged the shampoo into his mane. “We want to make sure all the dirt is gone, don’t we?” She said, humming a tune.

He sat there, taking deep breaths, trying not to panic, slowly edging himself away from Rarity. He could feel his face grow warm, trying to ignore Rarity. She rolled her eyes, pulling him closer as she pushed his head back, his mane soaking in the water. She pulled him up. “I hope this isn’t awkward for you darling… but would you mind leaning backwards a little?” She asked innocently, smiling sweetly.

His face turned redder as he leaned backwards, almost touching her fur. She smiled and a brush started its work on his mane. “Now, turn around.” She said firmly, putting the brush away.

He eyed her warily over his shoulder. “I think I can brush myself, thank you.”

“Darling, we can either have this the easy way OR the hard way.” She leaned closer. “The faster you cooperate, the faster this little chore will be done.”

They glared at each other, locked in a battle of wills. Finally, he sighed and turned around, surrendering to her. She smiled and began to brush his chest. “See, just cooperate and everything will be alright.” She went down a little further and started scrubbing his stomach. She cleared her throat and began to ramble about her day, all the while cleaning him. He hoped that he sounded semi-interested as his mind raced to try and find a way out of this mess.

As she got more animate the further she went about her day, the lower the brush until- “Whoah! Hey there!” He squeaked, his wings shooting open. “Watch where you put that.” He stuttered, his voice high.

She snapped out of her trance and tilted her head slightly. “Hmm?” He looked at the brush and her hoof dangerously close to a certain body part as her face turned bright pink and she pulled the brush and hoof away. “I’m sorry darling, seems I got a bit carried away…”

He grumbled and got out of the tub, a towel floated towards him. He went to grab it but instead, it encircled him and dried him off, the plug pulled at the bottom of the tub and the water draining.

Rarity continued telling her story, not paying attention as Michael fought with the towel, finally getting dry. “So, how have things been with Fluttershy?” She asked curiously as the towel unwrapped itself from his neck and dried his mane.

He coughed, rubbing his sore throat. “Uh… fine, I guess.”

She seemed surprised. “Fine, just fine? Not ‘romantically exciting’ or maybe even ‘erotic’?”

“Uh…” His wings spoke more than words, shooting out with a ‘pmof’. “Wait! It’s not like that!” He tried to say.

She giggled and held a hoof in front of her mouth. “I see… body language speaks more than any vocals ever could.”

“But we haven’t done anything yet, granted not that we didn’t want to… Wait! ThHat’s not what I meant! Gah!” He shoved a hoof into his mouth, trying to stop himself.

She laughed, her hoof still covering her mouth. “Oh my Michael, not yet I see… Well, it seems you’ve gotten close to her. Maybe even…” She paused, taking a step closer to him so her mouth was inches away from his ear. “That close?” She whispered, her hot breath washing over his ear.

He tumbled backwards, falling into the rim of the bathtub. His eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape route. “Da-wh-hapa-thanksforeverythingRarity!”, his eyes locked onto the window in the far wall, “wouldyoulookatthetime, gottago!” He yelled, launching himself with a flap of his wings towards the window, only to gracefully fall on his face a few inches from where he lifted off.

She laughed, shaking her head as she helped him up. “Your wings aren’t dry yet darling, but nice try.” She wrapped the towel around him, drying him once again. “Now where were we? Of course, tell me a little about it Michael. If you haven’t gotten that close to her, how close have you gotten?” She asked with a curious smirk.

He moved his mouth, no noise other than a squeak answered her as he averted his eyes, staring at the floor.

She moved closer. “Yes?”

“...Wemadeoutafewtimes!” He said on par with Pinkie’s speed, shoving his hoof back into his mouth.

She smiled. “How wonderful, anything exciting? On the bed or in the couch? Maybe with tongue or something we mares refer to as a French Kiss?” She bombarded the poor pegasus with endless questions.

He took a trick out of his marefriend’s book and tried to hide, covering himself with his wings. “Couch…” He whispered, his voice reminiscent to Fluttershy’s.

“Oh… how about passionately with your tongues?” He shook his head vigorously. “You should try it,” she said smirking. “I’m sure both of you will most certainly enjoy it. But how was it out on the couch?”

He face turned bright pink, very noticeable even with his dark coat. He stared at the ground and wished to be one with the floor. She moved closer, gently placing a hoof under his chin and forced him to look her in the eye as she gave him a gentle smile. “It’s nothing to be shy about; was it exciting? Heart melting? Did it give you a special feeling in your chest?”

He was silent, trying to get his voice back. “It… it was…” He stuttered, at a loss for words. “Exhilerating…”

“Oh just wait until you get to the next phase… you’ll be blasted away.” She giggled at her word play.

He tilted his head, his eyes wide with his face turning even more red as his wings rustled, trying to stick straight out. “I-if… if you sa-say so…”

“Oh my… Come now Michael, don’t tell me you’re inexperienced?” He turned away, looking at anything but her eyes. She smiled, her eyelids dripping down, pulling him closer so they were muzzle to muzzle. “Michael… it’s nothing to be ashamed of… how old are you?”

His wings started to raise themselves as he hesitantly pushed himself out of Rarity’s hooves. “Um…” He minutely said.

She giggled, breaking into a sincere smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to tempt you-”

“Could’ve fooled me...’ He muttered.

“Your heart belongs to my dear friend Fluttershy.” She finished, ignoring him as she walked around him, the towels dropping to the floor. “You should probably get to work on that though. I assume you already thought about it. I’m sure many have before you… She seems so innocent, many have even placed when it was time for her…”

His eyes followed her. “What?” He squeaked.

“You are the only stallion that ever got so close to her… information like that travels fast through a town this size. Most stallions, and a few mares, place bets when you two would have sex for the first time.”

“W-what? W-why?”

“I don’t know… just…” She paused and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Move at your own pace, don’t let nopony rush you into something you’re not ready for.” He sighed and held his head in his hooves. “Darling, just live your life and ignore them. To them, it’s just a game.”

“I do what I can Rarity, just life likes to play cruel jokes…” He sighed again.

She faintly smiled. “Don’t do anything she isn’t ready for.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I just feel bad for her because I’ll never get the bloody signals unless she says so…”

“Maybe you should try some tongue play. If she responds positively, you know you’re heading in the right direction. And if there’s anything you wish to talk about… you’re always welcome. Just make sure Sweetie Belle can’t overhear us.”

He faintly smiled. “Thanks for the offer but you saw how I was… I’m not so good at talking about these things.”

“But make sure to at least give it a try…” She winked and lead him towards the door.

He smiled, walking out of the Boutique. “I-I will…” He said, flying away. She shut the door and as he flew to home, it gave him a moment for his brain to catch up. He hovered in mid air, staring at the moon. “What… what just happened?” He muttered to himself, shaking his head as he continued his flight.

He landed at the cottage doorstep, shaking his head as he opened the door. It was pitch black and he blinked, trying to see. “Fluttershy?” He called out.

“I-I’m up here…” She stuttered.

He made his way up the stairs, careful of the few nocturnal creatures. The bedroom door was opened a crack and he pushed it open. A pure white cat with a purple collar was asleep in the corner by the bathroom door but what really caught his attention was a certain shy mare wearing a certain garment. His eyes widened as his jaw dropped, his wings jutting out with another ‘pmof’.

Her face was redder than one of Applejack’s apples as she hid behind her mane. They stared at each other in silence, neither sure what to do. “D-do you like it?” She asked meekly.

He nodded rapidly. “Y-yeah… you… you look amazing in it…”

“Oh… well… umm…. thanks…” She got out of bed and walked over to him, her wings getting just as stiff as his. “Um… well… do you.. want to…”

He gulped. “Uh…”

She took a deep breath. “W-we don’t have too if you don’t want too…”

“I do… just… wasn’t expecting this… N-not that I’m complaining…”

She faintly smiled. “I-I’ll have to let Rarity know you liked the outfit she made…”

Something clicked into place. Oh… He went to say something as she leaned forward and kissed him. He blinked in surprise, but closed his eyes, wrapping his hooves around her as they walked backwards to the bed, Fluttershy falling onto her back.

Author's Note

So yeah... we may have taken it a bit too far. I guess we're trying to make it funny... and it just got out of hand. Hopefully you all enjoyed it... Maybe I should put a notice to skip that scene and go to the end. Just sorta a boost in confidence for Mike... I think, sorta. I'm not sure what I'm saying at this point. Thanks, however, for all the likes/favs/comments! I love reading and answering them! Thanks for reading!

39 - Journey of the Mind

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 39 - Journey of the Mind

Michael yawned and leaned forward, stretching as he opened his eyes and stopped. He was on a hill covered in white flowers, a magnificent oak tree behind him. The leaves pulsated with a faint green glow. The sky was pitch black, no moon or stars shining. He blinked and gazed at the bottom of the hill where a silent lake rested. There was no wind, no other noise than his breathing.

He blinked, trying to take in everything. “H-hello? Anypony there?” He managed to stutter and hesitantly made his way towards the lake. He leaned over the edge and saw his reflection, the water completely still.

He looked out over the lake, a light heading towards him. He squinted and tried to see it better. “Hello?” He called out again, to no response.

The light came closer and revealed a boat, made of something similar to wood that glowed the same color as the leaves. It washed onto shore and a woman, dressed in a long white dress got out of the boat and smiled warmly at him. Her dark hazel eyes sized him up as she walked towards him. “Hello Michael.” She said, her voice calm and welcoming.

He back up and fell on his flank. He lightly gulped and gave her a nervous smile. “Uh… hi yourself…”

She paused, staring into his eyes. “You might not know who I am, but I know who you are. And a very close and dear friend of mine needs your help.”

“My help?” He asked, dumfounded. “What can I do to help if I don’t know you or your friend?”

Her smile finally disappeared. “You know him, maybe more than you’d like to.”

“Really, who’s that?”

She paused. “He has many names… but most creatures call him Death.”

“Oh Death…” It took his brain too caught up and he paled before he looked at her curiously. “H-how do you know him?”

She sighed, staring into the black sky. “He was my friend… the only one I could truly trust.”

He went silent, scratching the back of his head. “This… this is some weird dream, isn’t it?”

She faintly smiled and shook her head. “Depends on what you want to call a dream; to me, this is my existence since I died.”

Mike looked around for a moment before giving her a small lopsided smile. “Not that bad, could be much worse.”

She turned away and stared at the lake, the minute waves hitting the boat. “John needs your help Michael, he’s a broken man.”

He blinked slowly. “I don’t understand, how can Death be broken?” He thought for a moment. “I mean… he was acting funny the last time I saw him but I may have overreacted a little…”

She shook her head. “Death was like… a father to me. Since John was born, no one was able to see him unless he allows it. But for some reason… I always could… none of his abilities affected me.” She paused and cleared her throat.

”I wander alone,

my every step, I make alone. Every time I look left, every time I look right, there is no one there.

I wander alone, away from the living, away from the dead.

I am alone, no one will be by my side, not in life, not in death, no one to protect, no one to show love. I wander alone, until I die.”

She faintly smiled, seemingly reliving her memories. “He lived by those words everyday. He was alone, but I was there when he least expected it. I was alone as well…” She paused, wiping a tear away. “We found each other in the grimmest of times. But I died… I got executed because I was interfering with the balance of this world.”

He looked at her sadly, reaching out only to stop from putting his hoof on her knee. “I’m sorry to hear that… it seems having you kept him going…”

“Yes… and since he was the spirit of Death, the balance of this world relies on him. He always followed the flow of time blindly until we met. I told him to choose, not obey. I couldn’t know what damage the world would be suffering but once he began choosing for himself, the world fell out of balance. And Discord saw his chance to gain power… Everyone blamed me… except John. My death was a sign for him, never follow his heart…”

“But that’s crazy.” Michael said, putting a hoof over his heart. “Without a heart, you’re just a machine blindingly following orders. You can interpret those orders into something that’s worth living and fighting for. You’d never be happy… just a useless husk of a being.” He blushed slightly. “I mean… that’s what I think anyway…”

She nodded. “He suffered many injuries, but I tore a wound in his heart so deep he never wants to experience it again. He became cold, a mindless shell.” A tear slowly rolled down her cheek. “He never forgave himself for my death… and he never will unless you help him.” She said, looking Michael in the eyes. “This may sound impossible, but you can manage. Make it clear to him that I won’t leave the second realm until he understands he needs to act and follow his heart.”

“...But why me? I can’t do anything… I mean, look at the last time I tried to reason with him.” He muttered, staring at the ground.

“You tried to reason with Death, not with John. I will help you gain access to his mind. Only there can you still find the John that I used to love.”

He stared at her for a moment, making sure she was serious before he sighed. “Alright… if you think I have a shot, doesn’t hurt to try.”

“His mind is a dangerous place; it will appear as a long corridor with millions of doors, each showing one of his memories.” She bent down and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Follow your heart and you’ll find him there. But if you seek anything else, your mind could be torn apart.” She warned. “You might stumble across the flow of time in some of his memories. I must warn you, do not look directly into it unless you wish to go blind and be haunted by the past and future.”

He chuckled nervously, his wings rustling. “No pressure… Can I ask for a favor?”

“Of course.”

“I-if I fail and don’t come back, can you do what you can to watch over Fluttershy?”

“I will but you won’t fail. Have faith.”

He sighed. “You never know with me…” He gulped. “I guess I’m ready whenever you are.”

She nodded and led him the little ways to the lake. “Dive into the lake and you’ll reach his mind.”

He stared at the surface and took a deep breath. “Well, out of the frying pan, into the fire.” He said and jumped, face first.

=

Time seemed to crawl to a standstill, the ice cold water sapping his air. He coughed and opened his mouth, trying to get air as he rushed back to the surface. Dots danced across his vision as he could feel consciousness slip away and just before he blacked out, he suddenly landed roughly on the cold stone floor. He laid there for a moment and got his breath back, his body shivering from the water.

He slowly stood up, a bright light blinding him for a moment before all color drained from the world. He rubbed his eyes, only to notice that he too, was devoid of color. He raised an eyebrow and slowly walked forward. He took a steady breath as endless doors appeared out of the stone, each one looking the same.

His heart beat faster as he walked past the doors, each one calling him to open it. He closed his eyes and tried to figure out what to do. Suddenly he heard a faint laugh and quickly headed towards it, the laughing getting louder. Finally he stood in front of a door and pushed it open, the hinges creaking with protest.

He held a hoof over his eyes, the sun blinding him for a moment before he recognized where he was… a playground. He blinked in surprise as ponies and humans ran around, playing catch or messing on the slide. Eventually, parents came and picked up their children until there was a lone girl swinging by herself. She had long black and wore a simple black dress as she sadly watched the others leave.

He walked up to her, reaching out a hoof to touch her arm. “Veronica?”

She ignored him as a chill ran down his spine. He turned and paled slightly while Veronica smiled and jumped off the swings, running towards a tall black suited figure. “John!” She yelled as he kneeled and picked her up.

He smiled, his face more visible. “Hey Veronica.” He said, holding her happily in his arms.

Michael hesitantly followed her and reached out with a hoof, only for it to phase through John’s leg. He quickly pulled it back, staring at it. “What the hell?”

John smiled warmly at his surrogate daughter as Veronica told him about her day. Everyone watched and glared at the two as they made their way through town. John seemingly ignored them, happy to be with her.

Time sped up and suddenly they were in front of a small hut outside of town. He carried her inside and shut the door, the sun disappearing for the day. Mike phased through the door as he made her dinner and they quickly ate, Veronica yawning loudly. He grinned and put her to bed, bending down to kiss her head. “John?”

“Hm?”

“Will… will you always stay with me?” She asked nervously.

He smiled, kissing her head and tucked her in. “Always Veronica… Nothing is as important to me as you.” He said, standing up and grabbing his coat. He shrugged it on and walked towards the door, the lantern secured tightly on his waist. “I’ll be back soon Veronica, don’t forget. I’ll always be with you.” He said, shutting the door as she stared at the door.

The world spun and Michael was in another memory, Veronica in her late teens. She was crying, her eyes red and puffy. “Veronica, we have to leave.” John said, standing by the door. His face was covered in more dirty bandages.

She shook her head. “What’s happening?” She asked with a sob.

“They’ll kill you… but I won’t let that happen!”

“Why? Why me?”

He hesitated and stared at the door. “It’s Discord…”

She quickly got up and walked over to him. “What.. what did Discord do? Why do they want to kill me?”

John grabbed her hand. “They made you responsible for everything… it’s all my fault. Because of me, the world has fallen out of balance Veronica…”

“Because you chose for yourself? You can’t be afraid John… you knew this would happen eventually…”

John closed his eye and shook his head. “I… I can’t live without you…” He muttered weakly and looked through the small window, a battalion of troops heading their way. “They’re almost here… Veronica please…”

She stared at the approaching troops and gulped. “I… I won’t run…”

The door shook as someone knocked loudly. “In the name of the crown! Open this door!” A deep male voice yelled.

John looked at Veronica pleadingly. “Please… I don’t want to be alone…”

“Neither do I… but you mustn’t run away… you have to confront your fears.” She placed a hand on his arm. “If I run away… they’ll hunt me forever… or kill you…”

“No! I was alone for too long… I… I won’t let them!”

Veronica closed her eyes and reached for the necklace around her throat and lifted it over her head. She looked at it happily before she held it in her hand. “I’ll never leave your side John…”

He grabbed her hand. “I beg you please…”

She pulled her hand out of his and pushed John aside. He watched her, tears pouring down his face and she took a deep breath. She turned around, smiling at him with tears in her eyes as she opened the door.

“NO!” He yelled, a bright light ended the memory.

Michael stood in the corridor, tears falling as he stared at another door. Why… He looked up at the ceiling, the void looking back as he sighed and opened the door.

The sky was black, a thick layer of clouds blocking all sunlight. Veronica was kneeling on a wooden stage, her hands tied behind her back. Her black hair blew in the strong wind as several armored men gathered around the stage, keeping the crowd away.

A man wearing red velvet stood next to her and in his bony fingers he held a scroll. “After careful deliberation, the crown has passed judgement on one Veronica Derwintwater! She is found guilty of releasing Discord and causing all the chaos that has occurred in the past twenty years. The crown regrettably has no choice but to determine she must be executed for her crimes.” A man in rags and chains handed a sword to the other as he put the scroll away. He calmly walked up to her and picked her up. “Any last words?”

She gazed out at the crowd and stopped on Michael with a smile. “I don’t fear death, I welcome him. I know my soul will be in good hands. In the hands of a loving man, the hands of a protector. I know he’s watching right now… crying, but he has to know whatever happens to me, I’ll always be at his side.”

The man nodded and forced her back to a kneel. She grunted, hitting the wooden deck hard. He walked behind her, posing to strike. “May god have mercy on your soul.” With a quick thrust, he pierced her chest. Her eyes widened and she gasped in pain. He pulled the sword out and with a squirt of blood, Veronica fell to the ground. He flicked the blade and a few drops of blood fell onto the stage.

“NO!” John yelled, rushing into the crowd, violently pushing people out of his way. Before any of the guards could act, he hopped onto the stage and kneeled next to her. He gently picked her up and held her body as time seemed to slow down. She looked up at him, her eyes glazed over as she paled and grew cold. “Nonononono! Veronica please, you mustn’t die!”

She faintly smiled at him. “D-do… what you have to…”

The lantern grew heavy as he looked down at his belt. “N-no! We can still save-”

“John… please…”

Michael watched in horror as John began to cry and grab the lantern, his hand shaking. He opened it and placed it next to her. “W-why… I-I don’t want to be alone…” He whispered.

“We mustn’t run John… Your choices lead to this…” She paused, looking at the lantern. “I couldn’t be happier… you’re no longer just a spirit, but a human… No matter what someone tell you, you are a human and you deserve love…” She sighed as her soul began to leave her body. “And I will never leave your side…” It said once more before her body shook once and her eyes closed, the lantern snapping shut as the soul nestled inside.

Time started to move again and it began to rain. A flash of light accompanied with a loud boom reverberated through the town as thunder and lightning started. The guards rushed on stage and surrounded the two. “Who do you think you are!?” A guard asked, only to cower in fear as John turned to look at him, his eye full of hatred and anger. John turned back and looked at Veronica… “Who I am is a mystery, what I struggle to do is unknown… But who I love, leads to death… of the one person that loved me. Why?” He gently laid her on the stage and picked up his lantern.

Everyone, including the guards took a step back as thunder boomed even louder, the windows shaking. Tears fell from his eyes as he turned and surveyed the crowd. His body shook with anger and with a sharp gust of wind, all the candles blew out of the town. The crowd screamed in panic as lightning struck right out of town, John highlighted in the eerie light. “Why do you deserve love… but not me? WHAT HAVE I DONE!?”

He bent down and picked Veronica up, cradling her in his arms as he jumped off the stage. People rushed out of his way as he slowly walked away. The guards stared at him in horror, refusing to go after him. He turned around and stared at panicked crowd. Suddenly, with one last thunderous blast, the rain stopped and the candles erupted in fire across town. “You… you all gathered to watch the only person I’ve ever loved die. Just remember, I decide what happens to you in the end.” He said coldly, disappearing out of town.

Michael watched the scene play out, the rain finally covering everything. He lowered his head, the rain covering his tears. He understood now and felt sympathy for Death… He knew the pain of watching someone he loved die in before him. He sighed, his mind trying to figure out why he was here, how he got stuck with trying to save someone like Death.

He looked up, the scene had change and John stood in front of a tombstone. Dead roses and other flowers were lying on a freshly dug pile of dirt. He held the locket in his hand, the only thing that had color in this world. “Like everyone else, you left this world… Veronica, why… all I’ve done… everything you taught me… and yet, you still died. I couldn’t protect you.” He fell to his knees, the mud flying all over his pants. “Why is my life like this!? Why am I destined to be alone!?” He yelled, his voice filled with rage. “I have no one… all I can do is watch THEM be happy. Why? WHY? Is it because I am a MONSTER!?” His eye turned yellow, filling with rage.

“You’re not a monster, only human.” Michael said, walking up to him before closing his eyes as he paid respect to Veronica.

John slowly turned his head and glared at the pony. “What do you know!? Have you seen my face? I am nothing… nothing but a lonely monster! Not even the dead stay with me for long. I hand everything… and lost it all!”

“I don’t know a lot, all I know is that you had a surrogate daughter that meant the world to you and all she asked you to do was follow your heart. Nothing more, nothing less.” Mike flapped his wings and poked John in the chest. “Even if she’s not here now, even if you never see her again, she’ll always be with you there… nothing can stop that.”

Another tear slid down his bandaged face. “I only asked for one thing… I didn’t want to die alone and there she was… but because of me, she had to leave. It’s all my fault… my heart is nothing but a pile of ashes… No blood runs through my veins…” He looked at the dead flowers. “All there is within me is death…”

“John, no matter what happened, you can’t blame yourself. She did what she did in the end, knowing what would happen. But yet she still wanted you think about your choices and not be a mindless servant.” Mike sat down, staring at the tombstone. “You and I… aren’t that different actually…”

John lowered his head, sinking to his knees as he rested against the tombstone and cried.

“We both lost someone precious to us…” He took a deep breath and held a hoof over his heart. “My first girlfriend… she… she killed herself. She’d rather end it then die by cancer. You know what she said the last time we talked? ‘No matter what you’re doing, there’s always a third option.’ It still doesn’t make any sense to me but I think she was trying to tell me that there’s always a better option, one that we can’t always see.” They shared a look. “We both lost a special someone that kept us going. You blame yourself because you saw the fear of the unknown in people. She saw that she was helping you decide between what’s right and wrong…” He paused and stared at the tombstone. “Do you remember how I challenged your plan for Martin?”

Recognition flashed across Death’s face as he blinked and looked at the pony. “M-martin?” He leaned closer, a finger touching the pegasus’ forehead. “Michael? Is that you?”

Mike nodded. “Yeah, thought you could a friend in here, kinda dark.”

He looked around. Why did all this happen…” He unclenched his hand and stared at the locket. “Why… why was I so foolish?”

“Why did what happen?”

His yellow eye stared at Mike. “I forgot everything… I don’t live to follow the flow of time, I live to choose where it goes.” He got up, his voice sounding confident. Color slowly seeped into the world, the grass around the grave coming to life.

“Always in motion, is the future.” I said with a small smile.

John looked one last time at Veronica’s grave, the flowers in full glory before turning to stare at the medallion around Michael’s neck. “You’re in grave danger Michael.”

He dryly chuckled and ran a hoof through his mane. “I thought as much. I take it the medallion is bad? I did try to remove it earlier.”

John nodded. “You will die if you do.” The world slowly turned black until they were surrounded by nothing but darkness. Michael gulped, looking around at the empty void. “Patience… right now, I’m on my way to Princess Luna…” He said, the world coming back. They were in the castle, small blue flames showed the location of ponies as they headed towards Luna’s private chambers.

“Whoa wait, with me? Won’t she, you know… try and kill me or something?” Mike squeaked as he caught up with John.

He shook his head. “You are only in my mind, nothing will happen to you as long as blood runs through my veins.” The guards looked at him and instantly froze, he walked past them and threw the door open. “Luna!”

The alicorn in question was huddled in front of her desk, looking exhausted as she put several papers down. She turned and glared at him. “Death… what are you doing in my chamber?”

He reached into his pocket and threw the singed medallion on the floor in front of her desk. “Why would you sentence him to death like this?” The windows shook under his verbal assault.

Michael’s eyes opened wide as he stared at the medallion as she looked at it flatly before going back to her papers. “It’d be wise to lower your voice, vulture.” She said calmly. “What I do with my subjects is no concern of yours.”

He glared at her. “I am the end! Every life concerns ME!”

She stood up and planted both hooves firmly on the desk as she glared into his eye. “You do not control his life! You only pick up the end!” She yelled back.

John laughed coldly. “Who do you think you are to make choices concerning the lives of those around you?”

“How I use my subject is completely up to me. If I see fit to have him carry my medallion, it is no choice of yours. He is under my rule, not yours.”

He stared at the alicorn, his eye showing nothing but anger. “You play with lives like they’re toys, objects, your belongings. You say I am nothing but the one to be there when it ends? What if I don’t show up? What if I just walk away? What if I chose to let them live?”

“Then WE would continue to use them for what they are!” She said, her irises becoming catlike.

He grinned at her. “I knew it, she is still there… Nightmare Moon herself. I thought I saw the last of you when you ended up on the moon!”

Luna seemed to grow in size, getting bulkier as her teeth became more pronounced, sharper. “There will never be the last of us! We will remain as long as the lunar princess does!”

John laughed, a faint smile on his face. “The Element of Fear, but what makes you think I will be there to end what you began?” He chuckled. “You are nothing but a parasite, you only live to make others fear, but I don’t fear you. You should fear me instead.”

She laughed, the temperature dropping in the room. “We? Fear the likes of you?” She giggled again. “How can we fear such a creature afraid of his own heart?”

He grinned evilly, his eye glowing. “You might be strong, but I fear nothing… Not anymore. No matter what you do, nothing will harm me as much as her death did… and if you choose to kill me, this would will crumble apart. Even you rely on me.”

She smiled just as evilly, her fangs showing. “Why kill someone who does his job? It’d be a waste of someone as useful as you.”

“Indeed, but what if you had no choice but to kill me?”

“Then we would so, without hesitation.”

“And with my death, who shall lock the realm of the dead?”

“Everyone can be replaced, except us… we run the night and dreams! You… you have been broken too long for us to be worried about.”

“Yes, you would be doing me a favor if you killed me… but why choose Michael?”

She growled deep in her throat. “Because our sister already chose the one we were going to choose.”

He laughed. “Too slow I guess, what a pity. Poor Lulu didn’t get her toy…” He chuckled again. “And what makes you think he would have given in to your demands?”

“Power clashes with power.” She grinned. “Everyone knows that he is the stronger of the two and power can be easily perceived and controlled.”

“Too bad it didn’t work out…” He turned around. “But whatever happens, Michael won’t die.”

She looked at him. “We both know he won’t be around for much longer. Either he’ll take of the medallion or stupidly stick his snout where it doesn’t belong, just like he did with the UEA and Martin’s old order.”

He chuckled and looked over his shoulder. “I saw what happens, but I chose not to let it happen. A very special person taught me to choose for myself.”

She coughed and gagged. “Oh please, don’t tell me you’re finally listening to that hag… it only took what, six thousand years to sink in?”

“I only needed the right pony at the right time, at least I live for something instead of being a shell of demands like you…”

“We are not just a shell of demands! We are the night!”

He raised an eyebrow. “The night? Kiss my arse Luna, you already were replaced before. Celestia can both raise and lower the sun and moon alike.”

Nightmare Moon slammed her hoof down onto the ground, magic exploding in a wave, causing even John to take a step back. “WE HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED, MERELY STALLED! Celestia can barely raise the sun lately and we’ve taken the slack.”

“‘We have not been replaced, merely stalled.’” John repeated, mocking her.

“THOU SHALT NOT MAKE FUN OF US!” She yelled again, her eyes glowing. “Be warned mortal, we have given you enough chances. Be gone from my presence or we’ll kill everypony even remotely we think you hold dear… and of you won’t take their souls, then we’ll continue to kill them till nothing is left but their bloated corpses!”

John chuckled. “Farewell Luna, who knows… we might get to see each other again soon.”

“For your sake, we hope not.” She said, her eyes returning to normal as her body shrunk. Luna shook her head a few times, holding a hoof to head.

He paused and glanced at the medallion and turned to it. “One last thing though…” He raised his foot and smashed the medallion before he grinned and left Luna. She stared at the remnants before time went back to normal, the guards shocked at the crack in the floor.

The castle disappeared and Michael and John stood in the abyss, the pegasus pale. “Cheer up Michael.” John said as he walked through the darkness.

Michael shook his head. “Oh yeah, easy for you to say… you just didn’t find out that you were pretty much useless, that’s the second time.”

John’s eyes widened. “Useless? You are the love of another pony’s life! And you dare call yourself useless!?”

“True…” He said, looking at the ground. “I just don’t like that she thought it was ok to use ponies… even me…”

He smiled at the pegasus. “Forget Nightmare Moon, she is nothing. Now, how about I send you back to Fluttershy?”

“That’d… that’d be great… just, one more thing?” I smiled at him.

“Yes?”

He held out a hoof for Death. “If ya ever want to chat, you know where to find me.”

John smiled and bumped his fist against the offered hoof. “And I have a word of advice for you, don’t let her moan so loudly ok? Even the dead heard that.” He laughed as Michael’s face turned red and the abyss faded away.

Michael opened his eyes, the cottage ceiling reassuringly back. He leaned forward, catching his breath and looked around, happy to be back home. He turned to Fluttershy, who was sound asleep, the sheets slowly rising and falling. He smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek before he laid down again, sighing as he stared at the ceiling.

Fluttershy rolled over, snuggling under his hooves and chin as she rested her head against his chest. He smiled, his hooves wrapped around her as the smile quickly faded, Veronica’s smile coming back into mind. He rewatched the scene over and over again, her final speech replaying loudly in his mind. I know I can’t do anything but I-

“I wish I would have done something too…” John stood at the end of the bed, smiling at him.

Mike quickly looked at the figure, jumping at the voice. “John? W-what are you doing here?”

He looked at Fluttershy. “Well… you said if I wanted to talk…”

“But didn’t we-”

“Is the offer still open or not?”

“It is… it is… Just… umm…”

“Make sure she’s safe. Love is something very special.”

“With my life.”

John nodded and reached into his pocket and pulled out the golden locket. “Give this to her, I have no use for it.” He said, tossing it.

Mike caught and looked it over in detail; it was a simple locket, a few scratches, but otherwise polished. A rose was carved into the gold, small rubies formed the petals. A small button on the top and the chain was made of gold. He faintly smiled. “Thanks John.”

John grinned and turned around, staring out the bedroom window. “Maybe some day, I’ll get to see her again.”

“You will, I’m sure of it. She misses you, you know that right?”

“Yes… and she’s been waiting for long enough. Eventually, time catches up to all of us.”

“Aye…”

He opened the door to the abyss and walked into the darkness. “Sleep tight Michael.”

“Goodnight John.” Michael said, putting the locket on the bed table and snuggled up again to Fluttershy.

John glanced at him once more before he closed the door. Sleep quickly took Michael, the pegasus exhausted from his adventure.

=

Michael groggily opened his eyes, a pillow greeting him. He yawned and turned, Fluttershy’s warmth missing. He leaned forward, running a hoof through his mane as he staggered out of bed and into the bathroom. When he got out, something wafted upstairs and he could smell food. He made his way down stairs and Fluttershy stood in front of the stove. He yawned again and snuck over to her, kissing her cheek. “Good morning.”

She turned her head and kissed him back. “Good morning Michael…” She said with a smile.

“Whatcha making?”

She turned back to the stove, making sure she didn’t burn it. “Some scrambled eggs and some bread.”

“Sounds wonderful…” He paused. “I’ll be right back.” He said and trotted back towards the stairs. She shook her head and checked on the bread, making sure she wasn’t burning it. He quickly hopped in the shower and when he dried off, grabbed the locket from the table. He hesitantly made his way downstairs. “Um… Flutters?”

She looked at him. “Yes?”

He held out the locket. “A friend gave me this… and I-I wanted you to have it… said to give it to the mare you love.”

She blushed and looked at the locket, careful of the reflected sunlight. She grabbed it and looked over the carving. “This looks wonderful Michael…” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Thank you...”

He blushed as well. “W-want me to put it on for you?”

She nodded, her face still pink. He unclasped the back before gently putting it around her neck. He moved her mane to one side and fumbled with the lock for a moment before it snapped together. He let it go and fixed her mane, the locket swinging idly on her neck. He smiled, grabbing the locket and centered it on the chain. “Looks beautiful on you…”

Her face went even redder as she pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you…”

He hugged her back, resting his head on her shoulder. “I visited Death again…” He whispered after a moment.

She let go and looked at him surprised. “W-what?”

He nodded. “I helped him heal Fluttershy, I guess. He gave me that.” He grabbed the locket. “To give to you, saying give it to her and protect her… Make sure she’s safe.” He smiled slightly. “You know, he’s not a bad guy, just got dealt a real bad hand…”

She was silent for a moment, watching him before a smile grew on her face. “If you say he is, then I believe you.”

“He’s a nice person, if you can get around him being Death and all.” He chuckled and kissed her again. “Don’t worry, everything’s ok.”

She nodded as a faint burning smell quickly grew stronger. Her eyes widened. “Oh no!” She quickly turned around and turned the stove off.

Mike grimaced and opened the stove for her, a big puff of black smoke pouring out. “Whoops, sorry Flutters…”

Fluttershy sighed and shook her head. “It’s ok, we can just eat the other bread.” She flew into the air and opened the cupboard. She got another loaf of bread and put it on the table. “Thought it’d be better if I could make my own…” She said, grabbing two plates and forks on the table before grabbing a knife and started to cut up the good bread.

He grabbed the pan and poured equal amounts of egg onto their plate. He watched her for a moment before going back and grabbed the burnt bread before he sat down. He stared at it before taking a piece and eating it. He chewed it for a moment. “You know… not that bad. It’s like… really overdone toast.”

She giggled and leaned over, nuzzling him. “It’s ok Michael, we don’t have to eat it.”

He ate a little more. “But I don’t like food going to waste.” He gulped before putting on a smile. “Especially food you make.”

She smiled. “Only if it’s ok with you..”

They sat down at the table, eating quietly. He reached out for her hoof and squeezed it reassuringly, smiling. After they finished the eggs and bread, she took a piece off his plate and tried some. “You’re right… it’s not that bad…”

“Yeah, I mean… a little overdone but still pretty good.” He chuckled.

She smiled before she got up and grabbed their plates, walking over and washed them. “I’m going out with Rarity today… y-you might be here alone for a few hours…”

He nodded. “Alright, I might go hang out with Martin for a bit, maybe catch up with him.”

He got up as she trotted towards him, grabbing his hooves as she stared into his eyes, her face going red. She leaned forward, kissing him passionately. His face turned just as red before he broke it, a smile breaking out on both of their faces. “Y-yesterday was special for me…” She muttered.

“M-me too…” He said and leaned in to kiss her again. “I’ll always love you, ok Flutters?”

She nuzzled his neck, resting underneath his chin as they embraced. “I’ll always love you too…”

He kissed the top of her head. “Remember, my heart is yours, no pony elses.”

Her mane drifted and covered her face. “T-thank you…”

He nodded and with one last squeeze, let her go. “I’ll see you later ok?”

She kissed him one more time. “Don’t get yourself in trouble.” She said, walking over and opening the door.

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Never would’ve crossed my mind.” She giggled and shut the door behind her. He sighed and shook his head, wandering over to the refrigerator. “Alright, gotta find some carrots for Angel…” He muttered and grabbed a hooful and started the hunt for the white rabbit.

He sat on the fence, lost in thought as he stared blankly at the Everfree Forest. “Angel, you ok?” Michael asked as he walked up the rabbit. He placed the bowl on the ground in front of him.

He looked at the pegasus and nodded, jumping off the fence and eyed the bowl.

Mike grabbed it with a wing and held it for him. “Just a small thanks for everything lately. If you ever wanna talk, I’m here for you, ok?”

The rabbit nodded and launched himself into the bowl.

He chuckled and looked at the sun, trying to figure out the time. “I better go make sure the other animals are fed.” He muttered, walking back inside and checking on them. They behaved normally, usually ignoring him unless he brought them food. He smiled, making sure they were happy before heading towards the door. I wonder what Martin’s up too…

Author's Note

So... I apparently never published this and it's just been sitting on my computer, finished. Sorry about that! And sorry I haven't updated anything lately, been real hectic here. Any who, hope you enjoyed, leave a comment if you spot an error or you wanna yell at me for something in the chapter. Till next time.

40 - Le Date, Part Deux

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 40 - Le Date, Part Deux

The streets were filled with ponies, most of them heading and milling around the market, their saddlebags full of food. Mike nodded and waved to the ponies he spotted before finally making it to Sweet Apple Acres. He walked up to the farmhouse and was about to knock before he spotted a tall red earth pony bucking trees, Applebloom collecting the apples that fell.

He trotted over and cleared his throat. “Um… excuse me?” he asked.

Big Mac paused in mid-kick and looked at him. “Eeyup?”

“Is Martin around? I wanted to chat with him..”

Big Mac tapped his chin. “Ah think he’s in the house with AJ.”

“Thank you kindly,” he said and trotted back to the house. He paused and knocked.

After a moment, the door opened and revealed Granny Smith. “Can Ah help ya sonny?”

Mike blinked. “I was wondering if Martin was around?”

She leaned closer. “Ya need ta speak up if ya want anypony ta hear ya.”

“IS MARTIN AROUND?” Mike yelled.

“Oh, ya mean AJ’s coltfriend? I think he’s upstairs.”

Mike grinned. “CAN I SEE HIM?” Surprised he can’t hear me now...

She tilted her head. “Ah think he said something… but Ah can’t remember what is was… Go ahead." She moved aside.

Mike nodded and walked inside before heading upstairs. He looked at the doors and stopped at a closed door, a Stetson hat emblazoned on the door. He went to knock but the door wasn’t all the way shut and it creaked open, revealing AJ and Martin cuddling on the bed.

The two ponies looked up. “Michael?” Martin asked, surprised.

Mike blushed. “Oh well look at the time, sorry to interrupt,” he said and went to shut the door.

Martin hopped out of the bed and caught the door. “I always got time for me mate. Now let’s have a proper hello.” He hugged the pegasus tightly. “Good to see ya.”

Mike patted his back. “Sorry to interrupt, just wanted to stop by and say hi,” he chuckled.

“You weren’t interrupting anything, aye AJ?” AJ nodded, the cowpony missing her hat and her mane was unbraided.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded. “What do ya think we were doing, aye?”

Mike’s face turned pink. “N-nothing…”

Martin laughed. “It’s always the same with ya. Anyways, how are things going?”

“It’s been an interesting day…”

Martin tilted his head. “Really? What happened?”

Mike’s face took an even darker red shade. “Uh… stuff… yeah, anyway, I saw Death again.”

“You know… I’d rather know about the ‘stuff’… Death can wait, aye?” AJ got up and stood next to him, an eyebrow raised.

“Er… Actually Death is a good fellow, just takes some time to get to know him. Me and him are a lot alike.” Mike nervously chuckled.

Martin nodded. “Ok… now what about that ‘stuff’ that happened. Anything interesting?”

Mike’s wings shot out. “Nope, nothing at all.” He squeaked as AJ started laughing.

Martin tried to hide a grin. “Nothing?” He poked Mike’s wing. “That doesn’t look like nothing…”

Mike stumbled backwards. “Well, I better go check on the others… it was nice talkingtoyoubye!” He turned around and got ready to run.

Martin jumped on his back and pinned him down. “Now mate, we can have this the easy or hard way…”

Mike started crawling towards the stairs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hey AJ… do ya like tickling people?”

She grinned. “Ah sure do and it’s been awhile since Ah needed ta.” She said and cracked her hooves.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he scrambled towards the stairs more.

AJ walked in front of the pinned pegasus and smiled at Martin. “Could ya turn him around.” Martin chuckled and rolled him on his back as she began to tickle Mike.

Mike gasped for air, laughing and failing his hooves. “S-stop it!”

Martin held him down. “If ya tell us what that ‘stuff’ was, sure.”

“N-never!” Mike started to cry.

Martin chuckled. “AJ… show no mercy.” She grinned and tickled more.

Mike’s hooves twitched and he could see. “S-stop!” he said, his voice getting weaker. He tried to turn away but his wings were blocking any attempt.

“Just tell us and this’ll be over…”

“N-no!”

“Lemme guess, it has to do with Fluttershy?”

Mike’s face turned pink. Martin blinked in surprise. “Oh”… He looked at AJ and connected the dots. “Oh… OHHHH!!” he said with a huge grin. He let go of the pegasus and whispered something into AJ’s ear.

Mike laid on the floor, gasping for breath as AJ’s eyes grew and she looked between the two ponies. Martin leaned his friend up and slapped him on the back. “Wow mate, I’m honestly surprised.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?” His face still red as he fought against wings.

He winked at AJ. “We both know mate, well done.”

“I-I-I…” The pegasus stuttered.

“Aye…” He leaned close to Mike’s face. “Ya had sex with Fluttershy, didn’t ya?”

He grabbed Martin suddenly and pushed him against the wall. “You two can’t tell anyone, ok?!” he frantically asked.

Martin chuckled. “Calm down mate, I won’t. But what’s all the fuss about? What’d be so bad if I told anyone?”

Mike seemed to deflate a little. “I don’t know… I’m not sure if everypony would be ok with it…” He whispered.

“That’s none of our business what ya do with your marefriend. As long as she agreed to it I don’t see why anyone wouldn't be ok with it.” Mike nodded, silent.

AJ patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry sugarcube, we won’t tell anypony.”

“Thank you…” He sighed.

Martin stood next to his friend and leaned next to his ear. “Now, how was it aye?”

Mike’s face turned bright red. “It… it was wonderful.” His voice on par with Fluttershy’s.

AJ and Martin smiled. “That’s good but I assumed she’d be too shy. How did that even happen?”

“Uh… spur of the moment?” he awkwardly said intently staring at the ground.

Martin chuckled. “Well I guess it ain’t me business. How about we go downstairs and eat some apple fritters?”

“Sounds like a great plan,” Mike said and turned to the stairs. He tripped over his hooves and fell down the rest of the stairs.

Martin laughed as he landed face first on the ground floor. AJ quickly rushed down after him. “A real friend helps after he laughs!” he said, holding his stomach. After a moment, he walked down the stairs and helped AJ carry him to the dining room table. “Need some ice?”

Mike held a hoof to his head. “That’d be great…” He squinted, a large bump on his head. “Could somepony turn down the lights, it’s really bright…” He turned to AJ. “Thanks for helping…”

She smiled. “Course sugarcube. I might have to talk ta somepony later.” She glared at Martin.

“Real friends help after they laugh,” he repeated before he grabbed the ice and hoofed it to Mike.

Mike chuckled and held it to his head, hissing at the cold. “That’s debatable, you laugh after you make sure their not hurt.” He squinted in pain. “Ouch…”

Martin looked at his friend and scratched his chin. “Oh yeah, I always mess that part up.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Well as fun as this was, I should leave the two of you alone.” He said, standing up.

“Aww… well, alright mate. Look after yourself.”

“You know me, I’ll be fine.”

Martin shook his head and laughed. “I highly doubt that.” He led the little group to the door before Mike gave them a hug before hoofing over the ice pack.

“I’ll see you two around,” he said and waved goodbye, the lump a little smaller.

Martin smiled and put the ice pack back in the fridge as AJ shut the door.

=

The spa was peaceful, only two ponies inside at the moment. Rarity was reclining on a white chair, mud on her face as cucumbers relaxed on her eyes. Fluttershy was in the jacuzzi, the warm water making her sleepy. She yawned quietly as Rarity continued to talk about the Boutique. Fluttershy nodded and gasped when appropriate, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

“...It took me two days to finish that dress and in the end, she didn’t even want it. She said it was the work of an amateur.” Rarity said and sighed, her story finished. “But enough about me, what have you been up to lately darling?”

Fluttershy blinked. “Oh nothing really, just taking care of the animals. Mr Rabbity Rabu was sick all yesterday…”

Rarity nodded. “Splendid darling, and Michael? How is he?”

“Oh.. he’s um… good?”

The unicorn smiled. “I assumed as much. Has he done anything ‘new’ though, since yesterday?”

Fluttershy’s cheeks turned pink. “W-well… he did give me that locket this morning…” She pointed at it on the table.

Rarity took a cucumber off her eye and looked at the locket. “Indeed, it looks wonderful. But I was talking about something else. Did he maybe… behave differently? Did he do something ‘unexpected’?”

The shy pegasus sunk lower into the water, trying to hide her cheeks. “Um… sorta…” She whispered.

Rarity’s eyebrow shot up and she smirked. “Sorta… was it something nice or even amazing?” She paused. “How did he like the outfit?”

“H-he loved and it… a-and a-a-amazing…” She eeped as she said that, covering her eyes with her hooves.

Rarity nodded. “Looks like my little talk with him might have done something…” She giggled, leaning forward and took the other cucumber off her eye. “Tell me about it darling, I know you must be dying to share.”

"O-oh well… we um.. h-he k-k-kissed me and we…” She trailed off, her face red and hidden behind her mane.

“Yes darling?”

She murmured. Rarity giggled and leaned forward even more. “I’m sorry but I couldn’t possibly hear you.”

“We had s-sex…” Fluttershy managed to squeak out.

Rarity clapped her hooves together. “Wonderful! Give me a few details…” She asked curiously.

Fluttershy’s mouth moved, but no noise came out.

Rarity smiled at her and placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “It’s nothing to be shy about.”

Fluttershy’s blush darkened. “I-it… it was amazing. I-I don’t eve know how to describe it...”

“Was it big?”

Every part of Fluttershy seemed to go red as she faintly nodded.

Rarity giggled. “Well it seems everything went perfect. Are you planning on doing it again soon?”

Fluttershy squeaked again. “I-if he wants too…”

Rarity looked at her blushing friend. “Oh darling, don’t be like that. I’m sure you can do it as well.” She used her magic and put the cucumbers back over her eyes.

“O-oh, I don’t know Rarity…” She said hesitantly.

Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. “Just try it sometime. Michael will be more than grateful.”

Fluttershy nervously scratched at the bottom of the jacuzzi. “R-really? It’d make him h-happy?”

“Of course dear.”

“I-if you say so Rarity…”

“But that can wait, I’m sure he still has to process what happened.”

Fluttershy nodded into the water, her wings still sticking out.

=

The sun was on it’s descent, the moon slowly coming to power. It looked like the ponies in town were closing up for the day as they walked home. Fluttershy was cleaning up after a long day of taking care of several animals, including Opal and Winona. Michael opened the front door, carrying a bag of bits and a scroll in his mouth. “Good evening Flutters," he said around the scroll.

She looked up and smiled. “Oh Michael, how are you?” she asked as she walked over to him.

“I’m ok… slightly confused but confused. How are you?”

“I’m ok… The day at the spa was exactly what I needed.” She tilted her head. “But why are you confused, did something happen?”

He sighed and put the bag down before hoofing her the scroll. “Apparently, I’m being reassigned to help Twilight with ‘research’ at the library…”

“Oh… is that bad?”

“No, just I got fired from my job at the bookstore… I sort of liked working there…”

She looked at him sadly and hugged him tightly. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll enjoy working with Twilight as well…”

He wrapped his hooves around her. “I know… it’s just odd, Celestia doesn’t seem like the type of pony to randomly switch jobs on us…” He sighed. “Any ways, I was thinking…” He blushed, his voice faltering at the end.

“Hmm? I-I didn’t hear you…”

“D-do you want… to… goonadatewithme?” He said, his face turning redder.

She blushed as well and kissed his cheek. “I-I’d love to…”

He grinned and sigh. “Oh good… um… where do you want to go?”

She tapped her chin. “Um… h-how about the Outside Gardens?”

He kissed her snout. “I’ll be right back ok?” He said and headed towards the door, holding her hoof for a moment.

She blushed a little more and nodded, before he left, the door shut behind him.

He trotted through town, trying to find it before giving up and going to the one pony he knew knew where it was.

=

“Well of course darling, it’s just opposite of Blazing’s Jewelry. It’s built around a small patch of trees, you can’t miss it if you open your eyes.” Rarity said as she stood in the doorway of the boutique.

“Thank you so much! Would’ve spent hours looking for it.”

“No worries darling, I’m always happy to help.”

“Um… I hate to ask… but… do you know how their prices are?”

She tapped her chin. “Rather expensive. They really care about the origin of their supplies. I’ve eaten there before, it’s worth the bits.”

His smile faltered. Oh… huh… Do you know anywhere else that’s a little cheaper?

She smiled. “Wait here…” She turned around and disappeared inside for a moment before returning with a piece of paper. “Here, take this coupon. It’ll save you fifty percent off all prices.”

“A-are you sure?”

She nodded. “Don’t worry darling, I’m more than willing to help when it comes to romance.”

He blushed. “Thanks again Rarity…” He said as he grabbed the coupon.

She hugged him goodbye and leaned towards his ear. “And congratulations Michael, I’m very proud of you.” She whispered.

He hugged back. “For what?”

She giggled. “For helping Fluttershy of course.” She let go and winked, walking back into the boutique and shut the door.

He stood there, his mouth open a little. What in the world is she talking about-oh… His face turned bright pink and his wings shot out. He quickly trotted to the cafe, fighting against his wings.

=

Fluttershy laid on the couch, Angel asleep on lap as she read a book. She was engrossed in the book to the point she didn’t hear Michael come back.

He sighed and leaned against the door for a moment. “Hey Flutters.”

She eeped and quickly hid the book. “M-Michael? A-and?”

He looked at her. “What are you reading?”

She blushed. “Umm… N-nothing..”

“Come on Flutters, it can’t be that bad…”

She shook her head, the book hidden behind her. “N-no really… i-it doesn’t m-matter…”

He sighed and walked over, kissing her gently on the lips. “It’s ok…” He said, staring into her eyes.

She blushed heavier and kissed back. “A-and?”

“We have reservations at 6:30.” He chuckled and sat on the couch, careful not to wake Angel.

She smiled and got up, putting Angel on Michael’s lap before quickly hiding the book in the bookshelf. She looked at the clock. “S-so we have another hour…”

“Mmhm…” He said, slowly petting Angel. “What would you like to do?”

She sat down next to him and snuggled up to him. He wrapped his hooves around, careful of the medallion. She kissed his cheek. “M-maybe we could just sit here..”

He smiled. “That sounds like a great plan…” He nuzzled her cheek and rested his head underneath her chin. The two of them sat there cuddling, holding onto each other as time seemed to fly by. Angel woke up and left, leaving the two of them alone.

Michael fell asleep in her arms, listening to the beat of her heart. “Don’t leave…” He whispered in his sleep, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

Fluttershy looked at him nervously and gently shook him. “M-Michael? Are you okay?”

He started twitching in his sleep. “Fluttershy… why…” He said with a frown.

She shook him again. “Michael?”

He started awake, opening his eyes. “Flutters? Huh?”

She looked at him worriedly. “You fell asleep, you were muttering something and you cried…”

He looked surprised. “I did?” He wiped his eyes. “Huh… I must’ve been dreaming…” He paused before he hugged her tightly.

She eeped and hugged him back just as tight. “I-it’s ok Michael… I’m here..”

“Please don’t leave me…” He whispered, his face buried into her chest.

She rested her head on top of his. “I won’t…”

“Thank you…” he said, not wanting to move.

She glanced at the clock. “We should go now, we’ll be late otherwise.”

He sighed, letting her go and got up. “Ok…”

She got up and the two of them headed to the cottage. They quickly arrived at the restaurant and a young mare led them to their table underneath a tree. They sat down and the waitress hoofed them their menus and left for a few minutes.

“So are you two ready to order?” She looked at them.

“Umm… I’d like the dandelion and rose salad… i-if that’s ok…” The waitress wrote it down and took her menu.

“What’d bout you?”

Mike looked at the menu. “I’d like the… uh… dandelion sandwich with a side of hay fries?”

She nodded and wrote it down. “Anything to drink? I recommend the Canterlot Grape Red Wine.”

Michael looked at her. “Want some of that?”

She leaned closer. “That sounds awfully expensive…”

“Don’t worry, I got it, order whatever you like.” He gulped. “Do you want to try it? I gotta say, I’ve never drank wine before…”

She smiled and nodded and the waitress looked at them. “Half a bottle? Or just a third?”

“How about a third and we’ll go from there?”

Fluttershy nodded and the waitress wrote it down. “I’ll be back in a few.” She turned around with a smile and disappeared into the kitchen. Fluttershy sighed as she looked at the flowers and plants around the table.

He grabbed her hoof reassuringly. “You ok?”

She looked into his eyes. “I-...yes… don’t worry…” She blushed.

He stared back in her eyes before nodding his head and gave her hoof a little squeeze. “If you want to talk…”

“Don’t worry Michael, I-I’m ok…”

“Alright…” He let go of her hoof and looked around. “Nice place.”

She nodded. “I’ve never ate here before… it’s usually rather full here…”

“Really? Huh, I can see why.” The restaurant was half-empty. “There isn’t anything special coming up is there?”

She paused and tapped her chin. “I-I don’t think so…”

The waitress returned with a jug full of red liquid and two glasses. She placed it on the table and poured it into the glasses. “Enjoy the wine, it’s a classic.” She said, leaving them alone.

Fluttershy took a small sip and smiled. “It’s wonderful…” He grabbed the other glass and stared at it. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it…” She said and took his hoof.

He looked at her before taking a deep breath. “I-if you say so…” He took a sip. The wine went easily down and he slowly relaxed. “Wow… that was actually pretty good.” He took another sip.

“I knew you’d like it…”

He chuckled. “Never thought I was a wine guy…”

The waitress came back a while later, two plates on her back. She placed the food in front fo the them. “Is the wine to your liking?” she asked as Fluttershy took another sip.

“Yeah, it’s good.”

She nodded and walked away. Fluttershy looked at the food. “The food looks just as good as I imagined.”

He nodded and grabbed the sandwich and took a bite. “Oh my, this is amazing…” He said and ate a bit faster.

She began on her salad, finishing her first bite and sipped some more wine.

The meal was quiet between the two of them for awhile, each enjoying their own food. “So how’s your food?” He asked and took a drink.

“Wonderful… just as good as it looks. Yours?”

“Really good…” He smiled at her. “Not as good as yours though.”

She giggled and blushed slightly. “I’m not sure about that…”

He nodded, his face flushed. “Yeah, it’s really good.”

They finished the food in silent, letting each other try the other’s food. Once they were finished, the jug was empty and both of their cheeks were red. The waitress collected their plates and returned with the bill. “That’ll be ninety-four bits.” She said and hoofed the bill.

He faintly smiled and gave her the bag with the coupon. “Here you go…” He took a deep breath, finishing up his water.

She nodded and walked away. Fluttershy grabbed his hoof. “Did you enjoy the food?”

“I loved it.” He nuzzled her cheek.

The waitress returned, the bitbag significantly lighter. “Here you go. Have a good night.”

They nodded and he left a few bits on the table as they got up and left the restaurant. They held hooves as they made their way back to the cottage, their tailed entwined. Her face was a bit red and she leaned against him. He put a wing over her back, nuzzling her cheek. The moon was already climbing into the star-filled sky.

He sighed, leaned lightly against her. “So how was it?”

She kissed his cheek. “I couldn’t have wanted anything else… to be as perfect as this…”

He blushed. “Me too Flutters, tonight was one the best nights I’ve ever had…” He nuzzled the back of her neck.

They made it to the cottage as he opened the door for her. They greeted all the nocturnal animals and gave them food before he plopped on the couch and she flew to the bookshelf. She grabbed the book from earlier and skimmed through it again, her face getting even redder.

“What book is that”? Michael tried to read the title from the couch, but couldn’t get a clear look.

“I-it’s nothing…” She quickly put it back and flew in front of him. “M-michael?” She stuttered, her face even redder.

He looked at her, his face burning redder as she leaned closer. “Y-yes?”

She kissed him passionately, the world melting. He fell back in surprise. He closed his eyes and the two seemed to kiss for eternity. Finally she broke the kiss.

“M-michael… Y-you make me feel so special… S-so I -want to g-give you s-something in return…” She leaned forward and kissed him one more time.

=

Celestia sighed and rested on her balcony railing. She looked over Canterlot, the city’s inhabitants in a hurry as usual. It made her sad, watching the Canterlot ponies ignore the beauty of life to fill their pocket, but some evil is necessary. She stretched and turend her head to look at her desk, full of papers to sign and read. She levitated the cup of tea her hoof madien had brought a while ago.

Somepony knocked on the door and her horn glowed, the doorknob encased in her magical glow and it opened. John stood in the doorway, his black suit sucking up all the light around him. The bandages covering his face were white and new. He looked at Celestia and smiled. “Hello Tia,” he said and walked into the room.

She faintly smiled and put the cup of tea down. She walked over to him and gave him a brief hug. “Hello John, it’s nice to see you.” She said and motioned him to sit down before she sat behind her desk.”So what is it that you wished to discuss?”

He cleared his throat. “I just wanted to talk about the things that happened lately. The war, Martin and Michael.”

She sighed. “Ah yes… What do you think of our otherworldly guests?”

He grinned. “They will prove themselves important for the future of Equestria.. and my future.”

She nodded. “I sensed as much…” She smiled sadly. “I feel that you’re at peace with yourself.”

He solemnly nodded. “Yes… My heart has begun beating again a few days ago. The first time in six thousand years.”

“I’m truly glad to hear that… but how did that happen?”

He stared at the ground for a moment before looking up at her. “I have nothing to fear anymore. I forgot something very important… but Michael reminded me of it.”

She smiled and patted his hand. “I’m glad to hear that. After all this time, I was afraid you’d never listen to your heart again…”

“Thank you Tia, but I wish I could enjoy it more. I have a lot of work to do lately. Since Martin activated the Iron Army, the war seems to end fast.”

“The reports I’ve been receiving have showed me the same.” She looked out the balcony door. “I’m not sure if I agree with such tactics but I’m not fighting the war…” She glanced at the pile of papers before turning her attention back to John. “So much death John and no matter what I do, it just seems to get worse.”

He chuckled. “I’m sorry to hear that Tia, but some returned from the battles and learned from their mistakes. A second chance is all that they needed.”

It was silent as she stared into his eyes. “And the other day, I sensed you were here. Care to enlighten me why?”

He nodded as the smile returned. “I talked to Luna. I’m sure you noticed something changed that day?”

“Indeed, I sensed Nightmare’s magic again. But I thought the girls ended her.”

He shook his head. “I’m afraid she’s still there. I provoked her to be sure, I talked to the “Demon of the Night” that day.”

Celestia sighed and held her head in her hooves. “Then it is as I feared…”

John raised his hand. “Don’t worry Tia. Their souls have almost separated completely. She is weaker than before but still strong. She’s still had enough control to decide upon Michael’s future.”

The alicorn looked up, horrified. “What do you mean, control over his future?”

“Well… nothing that can’t be changed Tia. She thinks that nothing can be done to save him… but she’s foolish. Her own greed for power made her think her plan won’t fail. But in the end, it’s up to me…” He looked at the ground, the happiness draining from his face. “Tia… we both know something will happen to me. Something that might cause this world to fall out of balance.”

“Yes… I have seen it as well, I can’t tell what but your time as Death is ending soon.” She said flatly. “I’m sorry John, I wish I could do something to stop it-”

He shook his head. “No…” He smiled. “I couldn’t be happier. After thousands of years… I get to rest. Never to be the end again.” He looked outside. “Someone has been waiting for me and they’ve waited long enough.”

She faintly smiled back. “Veronica has been waiting for you… But who should replace you?”

He turned back to her. “That is not for me to decide. You should ask Discord.”

She laughed and leaned back in the chair. “Who knows what he has planned. He’s too unpredictable”. She said with a smile.

John chuckled. “Indeed, but we have to trust him.”

“As scary as that is, that’s all we can do.” She leaned forward. “I’m still concerned with Lu-lu… I haven’t felt her since yesterday.”

He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to hear that… but she is still there. I can see her…”

“I’m afraid Nightmare is planning something. I can feel it…” She sighed. “And you said she had ‘control’ over Michael? How was she guaranteeing that?”

“A medallion. She forced him to wear it. He can’t take it off… it has a strong enchantment that, if it was to be taken off, the wearer would confronted with every negative experience they’ve ever had. Not all of them are true, some are false but what might have occurred.”

She was taken aback, falling back against her chair. Her mouth worked a few times before her eyes filled with anger. “She’s using the medallion again! This has gone to far!” She said, instantly standing up.

He shook his head. “And now what? There is nothing you can do to get it off of him.”

She glared at him, her mane ablaze. Finally she sighed again, falling into her chair and looked every year her age. “You’re right…”

He leaned back into his chair. "The more I think about it, I know what will happen to me. "

"You do?"

He nodded and got up. "Yes," he walked out onto the balcony and leaned against the railing. She followed him quietly and they stared out across the city, taking in the sight.

“I’m sorry it has to end this way.”

John looked at a pot with flowers and grabbed a rose, twirling it in his grasp. “Don’t worry about me Tia, time catches up with everyone.” He put the rose back. “I am glad that it will end…” He chuckled. “I used to be a lonely man, I stumbled through the darkness blindly. But someone grabbed my hand and pulled me into the light.”

She patted his shoulder. “Everypony deserves that someone.”

“But when she left this world, I fell, I fell for so long. Blinded by the cold around me, the darkness. Nothing was worth going on for, but there was no end in sight. But then, someone pushed me back up, someone who had been there all this time. Someone I tried to forget but never could. All I needed was a little push and the darkness dissolved into light. Even though I planned to cause him a lot of pain and suffering, he tried to help me.” He looked at her. “And he did. Now it’s my turn to help him.” They walked back inside. “My end is near but his future is in danger Tia, I can only do a little to help. But he needs his friends more than he needs me… My heart will beat only to make sure he lives. Tia, can you do me a favor?”

“Sure?”

“If Nightmare Moon tries to separate Michael and Fluttershy… or any of them, let her know that she isn't immortal. She needs Luna as a vessel. But if we separate them, she will not be welcomed in the third realm.”

She paused and looked at him a final time. “I’ll do what I can, but we both know what’s to happen if she returns…”

He nodded. “Yes, but she will learn to fear Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and especially Michael and Martin.”

“I’ll keep an eye out.”

John smiled and walked towards the door. “Thank you Tia.” He opened the rift door, the swirling vortex absorbing any light. “Farewell Tia, may the war end soon.” He said, walking into the darkness.

“Farewell John, sleep well.”

He stopped and turned, giving her a lopsided smile. “I will.” The door shut by itself, leaving Celestia alone once again.

She sighed and walked out to the balcony, staring at the moon.

Author's Note

Woo! It's been a good while since I updated this story... sorry about that... I've been busy. So what'd you think? Yes, I know the spa scene was horrible, we were just trying something new for both of us, don't think it worked out so well... And a lot of the scenes were cut, especially after the date, for... reasons... Any ways, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next chapter!

41 - The Gauntlet Thrown

The sun had started its descent, the cloudless sky turning from orangish pink to a muted blue. The moon was brightly visible, and shone just above the horizon. It was quiet at Sweet Apple Acres, AJ and Martin on their way back to the house, his fur covered in coal. “And Big Mac is out with Cheerilee?”

She laughed. “Eeyup, they’re gettin’ ready for Hearts and Hooves day.”

He grinned. “Aye,” he glanced around, noticing the lack of a certain filly. “I haven’t seen Applebloom all day, where is she?”

She smiled and glanced at him. “Michael got stuck watching them. Apparently they’re out helping him get his cutie mark. Poor stallion…”

Martin chuckled. “That poor guy…” They got to the house and he opened the door for her. “I thought I’d never get to relax… Forge ain’t going easy on me.”

“Really? What’s he makin’ ya do?”

“Shovel piles of coal.”

“How’s that goin’?”

He looked at his fur. “Depends on what you consider ‘good’.”

She patted his fur and some soot fell off. He nuzzled her, the tip of her snout covered in soot. She moved it, trying to get it off. She failed and inhaled it instead, her following sneeze loud.

He chuckled. “Gesundheit.”

She looked at him blankly. “Um… thanks?”

They walked inside and Granny Smith was fast asleep in her rocking chair, slowly rocking. He went into the kitchen, grabbing a quick drink before plopping on the couch. She turned around, looking at him. “What do ya think yer doing?”

“Hmm?”

“Now Ah ain’t Rarity but yer filthy. Go hop in the shower and when yer done, we’ll make some dinner.”

He looked at the couch, partially covered in soot. “Oh, sorry…” He quickly got up. “I’ll make it up to ya later.”

She giggled. “Ah’m sure ya will, now git goin’.”

He walked towards the stairs as she turned away, bout to go into the kitchen. He snuck behind her and grabbed her shoulders. “How about I make it up to you now?” He began to massage her.

Her legs wobbled and she conformed to his hooves. “N-not here…” She managed to say and stopped him by grabbing his hoof with her tail.

He chuckled. “Are you sure?” He shook his hoof free and continued.

She tried to glare at him. “Let’s go to so-somewhere more relaxing…” She murmured, trying to avoid him.

He paused surprised. “Oh… ok.”

She wrapped her tail loosely around his neck and led him to her room and jumped on the bed. “Ahh… much better.” She looked up and flung her hat so it hung on its hook. “So what are ya waitin’ fer? An invitation?”

He jumped onto the bed, the shower long forgotten as he continued to massage her. “That good?”

She moaned and buried her face into the pillow as her body relaxed. “That feels amazing…”

He chuckled and continued for a few more minutes. He stopped suddenly and hopped off the bed, taking a look at his fur. “I hope you enjoyed that but now it’s really time for a shower…” He looked at her back. “You might need a shower as well,” he said on the way out.

She seemed to be asleep, lying motionless on the bed.

He chuckled and went into the bathroom, turning on the water. Once it was warm enough, he hopped in sighed in relief as it hit his dirty fur. He whistled a tune as the water continued to fall on his head.

The bathroom door creaked open and shut, the handle locking as AJ came into the shower. “AJ?” His eyes widened and his face turned pink.

“Well ya said Ah could use one too.” She chuckled and nuzzled his cheek as the warm water poured over both of them. “Ah may need some help ta was mah back…” She murmured seductively, her lips meeting his.

=

AJ started to dry off, the shower off. “It’s been a long time…” She smiled.

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I can only tell you it was just as great for me…” She blushed and finished drying off as he shook himself dry like a dog. “Aye, we should do that again sometime, if ya want to of course.”

“Oh you bet, get ready for round two later.” She winked and opened the door, and walked out.

He smirked and glanced at her flank before he followed her out. “Aye…” He followed her downstairs and together, they made dinner.

=

It was just past one in the morning, AJ and Martin dead asleep, the cowpony using the former human as her own personal pillow. He was dreaming a particular dream with AJ when it suddenly changed into a large room. It was submerged in complete darkness, and he squinted to see. He could just make out a pair of stone chairs on top of a small pedestal,stairs leading to them. He hesitantly walked up the steps. “Err… What is this? Hello? Anyone there?” He yelled, his voice echoing in the darkness.

“Ah Martin, its a pleasure to see you again.” A voice rang through the room.

An eyebrow rose. “Again? You don’t sound familiar.”

The voice laughed. “Ah yes, I forgot you humans need light to see…” He smacked his hoof against the ground and torches sprung to life around the room. A pony sat on the throne, wearing a white robe.

Martin paused. “Still not ringing any bells… Um, maybe you could tell me where we met or something?”

He chuckled. “Oh dear, let me see if I can help your memory.” He said as the battle at the desert flashed through Martin’s mind.

Martin opened his mouth to say something but wasn’t sure what to say. He raised a hoof, only to lower it again. “Wait…” he tapped his chin. “Weren’t you that guy…” A little bulb briefly appeared over his head. “Of course! You’re that Diable’s bloke’s father! Aye?”

He paused for a moment before laughing. “You’re even slower as a pony. Yes, I’m Diable’s and Metaonia’s father.”

Martin chuckled. “Sorry mate, I’ve had other things on my mind…” He paused. “Wait, aren’t you the leader of the UEA?” He asked and narrowed his eyes.

“What did I warn you about before…” He smiled. “I guess you could say that though...”

Martin stared at him blankly. “Oh… ohhhh…. OH!” Thanatos raised an eyebrow. “Oh, oh shit… Am I like.. lucid dreaming or something?”

“Telepathy.”

Martin tilted his head. “You mean that weird mind thingy? Sheesh, well alright... A bit unexpected. Where are we anyways?”

“We’re at the old princesses’ fortress in the Everfree. Well I am at least, you're just an astral projection at the moment. A ghost, if you will.”

Martin looked at his hoof. “Wow… So… what do you want?”

“I was just wondering if you wanted to end this pointless war. It pains me to see so many ponies die for nothing.”

The former human looked at him, surprised. “Oh… well, of course I want to end the war you started. What do you propose?”

“You and Michael come here alone the day after tomorrow and the three of us will end this war one way or another. Pretty simple I think.”

His eyebrow shot up. “Err… what do you mean?”

“Well you’re more of a fighter… and I know Celestia wants to end the war, so I say we fight. Winner take all.”

“And what if we don’t come here? Cause that seems like a load of crap to be honest.”

“Then you won’t be able to save Luna.”

“Save Luna? Why would she need saving?”

“You’ve seen the medallion she made your friend wear?”

He nodded. “Aye.”

“Do you know why?”

He shook his head. “I only know a bit about it…”

“It seems as if he tried to back out of their deal... and she forced him to wear it. If he removes it, he dies.” He shrugged. “I’m sure he didn’t like spying on you or the girls.”

Martin stood there for a moment, trying to process. “Uh… so he dies if he takes it off? That’s really shitty but why would Luna make him wear it?”

“I’m assuming she doesn’t trust him if it came down to having to eliminate one of you.” He said, waving a hoof dismissively. “Have you heard of Nightmare Moon?”

“Read a bit about her when I tried to find out about Discord.”

“Then you know she was bonded with Luna.”

Martin tapped his chen. “Yeah…”

“I believe she’s back and I know how to get rid of her. But that’s what I’m putting on the table.”

Martin held his head. “Slow down a little, I’m really having problems understanding all of this… just, keep it simple.”

He face-hooved. “Reminds me of dealing with that cross-eyed mailmare…” He sighed. “Nightmare Moon’s return means the end of Equestria.”

Martin nodded. “Continue…”

“And she’ll possess Michael if she believes that you or any of the Elements are a threat to her plans.”

“Ok…”

“Which means he’ll die.”

Martin caught up quickly. “Oh god, that’s terrible… And why do you want to fight?”

“Because I know I won’t be able to persuade Celestia or Luna to surrender their power. So we’ll make it a high-way duel; if I win, I get Equestria, if you two win, I’ll tell you how to rid Luna of Nightmare Moon forever and get the medallion off your friend.”

Martin thought for a moment. “Any… restrictions of some sort except it just being Michael and me?”

“You can’t tell anypony of our deal or where we’re meeting, but I assumed that was self explanatory. It has to be just you two, no Elements.”

“I can bring any weapon of some sort if I so desire?”

“I don’t see why not, want to give you any chance you can… just no Vaahala.”

He hoofed the ground. “Aww… Haven’t seen him in awhile…”

“I like my room undestroyed and that dragon likes collateral damage…”

Martin nodded. “I guess, he’d absolutely wreck this place.”

“You have no idea how much it’d cost to fix.”

He chuckled. “And this is all just in me mind or something? Wait, can you read my mind?”

Thanatos grimaced. “I can if I focus hard enough, but I’ve seen where your mind is and I’m not a fan of cow ponies.”

Martin’s jaw dropped. “Wait… don’t tell me you know what I did before we talked?”

“As soon as you appeared here, I did.”

“Well… this is awkward.”

“You have no idea.”

Martin’s face turned a deep shade of red. “I-I hope you know how to respect privacy.”

“I try but its hard to ignore since you’re practically shouting it in your mind. I’m sure Celestia heard it in Canterlot.”

His face went redder. “I-I... mate, not cool.”

“Not my fault you don’t know how to be quiet.” He sighed. “I swear, you and Michael need to learn how to keep your mind quiet.”

Martin shuffled his hooves nervously. “Come on pal, you’re making this worse by the second.”

He laughed. “You think that’s worse, the thoughts in your mind when she pulled out the rope was horrible.” He shuddered.

Martin’s face was bright pink. “Ok, I-I know that was pretty bad and stuff, but would you please leave me mind alone now? There is some other stuff I’d rather not have you see…” The dream from a few days ago resurfaced. “Oh no…”

His face paled. “What you and that mare do, I don’t want to know. Just tell Michael about my offer and if you accept, I’ll see you two in two days.” His horn glowed before Martin was back in the room with AJ, her gentle snores echoing in the room.

Martin stared at the ceiling. “Oh my god… I never wanted anyone to know about that dream…” He turned over and smiled. “I’ll have to talk to Michael as soon as possible…” He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

Over in Fluttershy’s cottage, Michael sneezed, his eyes slowly opened. He rubbed his nose and went back to sleep, cuddling up with Fluttershy.

=

The sun was starting its ascent, the sky turning back to orange for a moment. Martin was lying next to AJ, a goofy grin on his face. He kept muttering things best left unsaid about them. Applebloom opened the door, the hinges creaking as she peeked into the room, zipping to the bed.

“You like it right there, don’t ya…” He muttered with the same grin.

Applebloom titled her head before she took a deep breath. “Good mornin’ you two!” She yelled.

Both of them shot up as Martin’s eyes widened. “I SAID NOTHING!”

AJ looked at him weirdly as Applebloom smiled before turning to look at Martin. “Who like what were Martin?”

His face turned bright red. “Umm…”

“Martin, what she talkin’ bout?” AJ asked.

He looked at AJ, the dream coming back into his mind. “Oh… uh… nothing…” He leaned close to her. “I’ll explain later,” he whispered rapidly.

“Ok…” She said and gave him an odd look as Applebloom zoomed out of the room. AJ yawned and stretched as she made her ways towards the door. “Ah could use another shower…”

He got up after her. “May I join?” He asked with a smirk.

She chuckled. “No funny business, everypony’s here this time.” She said and flicked his nose with her tail.

The two of them headed towards the bathroom and Big Mac walked out, holding a newspaper. “Mornin’.”

“Morning mate…”

“How’d you two sleep?” he asked, raising an eyebrow when AJ slipped passed and into the bathroom.

Martin smiled at him. “Pretty good,” he said before following AJ into the bathroom. She was already in the shower and he stepped inside and kissed her cheek. “How’d you sleep?”

“Great, you?”

He paused and thought about telling her about the dream. “Me too,” he lied and grabbed the soap and rubbed some onto her back. “I’ll be visiting Michael later today so don’t expect me at the farm to soon after work.”

“Alright, what fir?”

He washed his mane. “Just gonna talk, maybe go to the pub.”

She turned around and helped him. “Alright, just be careful ok?”

“Careful? You know me AJ.” He kissed her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back this evening at the latest.”

“Alright…” she said and kissed back. “If ya so so…” They finished up cleaning and she turned off the water, stepping out of the tub and threw him a towel as she dried off.

The both dried off and headed downstairs, the two going to the kitchen. Martin sat down as AJ placed a plate of hash browns and pancakes in front of him. “Aye, thanks a bunch!”

She placed another plate next to him and Applebloom materialized, gobbling it up. Martin matched her in speed and got up, rinsing the plate off in the sink.

He kissed AJ goodbye. “I have to go to work, see ya’ll later,” he said, and left the farm.

=

The day went by fast, the sun just starting its descent into high noon. Martin walked over to Fluttershy’s cottage and knocked on the door a few times. “Hello? Fluttershy? You there?”

Something fell behind the door as a pair of quiet hoofsteps headed towards the door and it opened slowly, revealing two sapphire eyes. “H-hello?”

He smiled at her. “Aye, how are you?”

She smiled when she realized who it was. “Oh Martin, I-I’m ok… how are you?”

“Quite good. Is Michael here? I need to talk to him.” He noticed the locket around her neck. “What a lovely locket.” The light reflected off the well-polished metal.

She blushed. “O-oh… um… thanks… Michael gave it to me… and um… no, he’s at the library with Twilight.”

“Splendid, well it was nice seeing you again Fluttershy.” He waved goodbye and headed back into town.

“Goodbye Martin…” She said quietly and shut the door behind her.

He got to the library and opened the door before looking around. “Michael? You here?”

Michael stood in the middle of the room, his mane poofy and smoking. His fur was matted and charred, the remains of his tail smoked. He turned and coughed. “Hey Martin.”

Martin busted up laughing and fell to the floor for a few minutes. When he could, he finally staggered to his hooves. “You look like you been stuck in a toaster or something! What happened?”

“Twilight needed a test dummy…”

“Hahaha, my god mate. You shouldn’t sign up for everything!” He smacked his friend in the back and chuckled. “Listen mate, I need to talk to you…”

Mike coughed up smoke. “Yeah? And I really didn’t have a choice, Celestia ‘asked’ me to.”

Martin shook his head. “Maybe you can relax later, aye? I’m sure Fluttershy can help you with that. Anyways, when may you leave cause it’s quite important?”

He blushed. “Yeah, I’m sure she’s gonna be mad…” He looked around. “Twi, anything else you need?” he yelled.

“No you can leave, be careful!” she yelled down.

“See you tomorrow!” Mike turned to Martin. “Well, I’m ready whenever.”

Martin patted him on the back again. “You look like you need a good pint of beer.”

Mike shook his head. “You know I don’t drink… well, I didn’t.”

“Didn’t aye? Well now you do! Let’s get going Michael.”

“Oh goody…” He muttered as they headed to the pub. The two walked inside the modest pub, ponies huddled around tables as a brown coated unicorn in a white shirt served from behind the bar. Several waitress waited on the ponies inside, pausing when they walked in and smiled. “What is this place?” he whispered as they walked towards the barpony.

“This is where I’ve gone with AJ. But let’s not think about that now.” He sat at the bar, Michael taking a seat next to him. “Two pints of beer please.”

“Could I have some water too?” Mike asked, his voice quiet.

The barpony gave him an honest look before he grabbed a glass of water and the beer. Martin grabbed the beer and took a big sip, foam covered the tip of his snout. “Now, I need to talk to you about something rather important.”

Mike pushed the beer away and grabbed the water, taking a sip. “Oh?”

“Well… this guy; Thantos, Thinto, Tictacs? I forgot his name…” He leaned closer. “He’s the leader of the UEA. We talked and we’ll have to meet him in two days at the old castle in the Everfree.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “I think you’ve been drinking a bit too much Martin…”

He shook his head. “Nope mate, he did some weird mind stuff and talked to me after AJ and I had s-” He stopped, his face going blank.

Mike paused, taking another sip. “...I don’t wanna know…” He sighed. “So why do we have to meet him?”

Martin coughed nervously and blushed. “Uh… o-okay… Anyways, he wants to end the war. So we’ll have to face him in a fight. If he wins, he’ll get Equestria but if we win, he’ll help us with Luna and that medallion of yours. And before you ask anything, if you don’t get rid of that thing, you’ll die.”

“I kinda figured that…” He went silent, drinking his water. “Any restrictions?”

“Well… only the two of us are supposed to go there. Nothing else, we may take any weapon we desire.”

“Just us? Why?”

Martin shrugged. “Well, I don’t think I asked him that…”

Mike sighed. “So any weapons? I don’t think I have any...”

“Don’t worry, we can just borrow some from Forge. And some armor...”

“I don’t know, I think I’d be a liability in a fight.”

“Well, I guess you could be a cheerleader.”

Mike glared at his friend. “Didn’t work out so well last time.”

Martin chuckled. “I’m sure we’ll figure out something, anyways, we mustn’t tell anyone else, aye?”

“...No one?”

“No one. That clear?” Mike was silent, staring into his water. “Michael?”

“I got it, I got it.”

Martin smiled and downed the rest of the liquor in one gulp. He slammed the glass on the counter and dropped a few bits on the wood. “Come on mate, finish up.”

Mike gulped the water and put a few bits on the counter as well. “Alright…”

Martin looked at the untouched pint. “Ya ain’t drinking that?” he asked before grabbing it and chugging it down. “Nothing beats a good pint, aye?”

“I guess…”

They got up from the bar, Martin’s face a tad red. “I hope I’m not tipsy, we both know how I get when I’m drunk…”

“Yeah, and this time I’m not cleaning up your mess.” Michael chuckled and wrapped a hoof around his shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

Martin nodded. “Aye…”

They stumbled through town and made their way back to the farm. They walked up to the porch and Martin smacked his head against the door. “Oops…” He muttered with a chuckle. “Thanks mate, we should meet at the library before we go into the forest.”

“Alright sounds like a plan… just take it easy ok? We’ll meet at sundown.” Mike said, making his way back home.

“Sundown? Ok mate, see ya in two days…” Martin went inside the house. “Hey everyone, I’m back again.”

Mike chuckled and walked back to the cottage. Fluttershy sat on the couch, drinking tea when he got there. She got up and smiled as she headed over and gave him a kiss. “Hello Michael.”

He smiled and kissed back. “Hey Flutters, how’s your day been?”

She turned around and sat down on the couch. “Just the usual, yours…” She trailed off, just getting a look at his coat. “Oh my… w-what happened to you?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Twilight decided to test how effective electrical surges were on the nerves.. . and she needed a test subject.” He sighed and walked over to the couch and sat down, curling up to her and rested his head on her stomach.

She gently ran a hoof through his mane. “Would you like some tea?”

“That’d be great…”

She kissed his cheek as Mike leaned up and went into the kitchen. She came back moments later with a cup filled with steaming tea, a few green leafs dibbled in the red liquid. “I hope you’ll enjoy it. I mixed some herbs with the tea, it always helps me relax.”

“Thanks,” he said and took the cup. He blew off the steam before taking a sip. His eyelids grew heavier as the world slowly twisted and turned.

She smiled. “You already look much better.”

The stress seemed to melt away. “W-what is in this?” he asked, voice slurring.

“Just some dried Green Dragon blossom. It’s also used as medicine.” She walked into the kitchen and came back with some wrinkly green blossoms.

“Huh…” He slurred. “Then I wonder why…”

“I-Is everything alright?”

“Everything looks funny…”

She giggled. “Well… that’s a side effect. Don’t worry, it’s harmless.”

“Oh…” He chuckled and opened his hooves. “Then that makes me feel better…” She hugged him tightly and he sighed. “Can’t we just stay like this…”

She giggled and pulled his head closer to hers, looking into his eyes. “Don’t worry Michael, the side effects will go away soon.”

He smiled and kissed her. “Ok…” She nuzzled him before taking a sip out of his cup. He took another drink after her. “That’s really good Flutters…”

She smiled. “I made it myself…”

He leaned over and kissed her neck. “Well I really like it…” He yawned and relaxed against the couch, closing his eyes. She rested her head on his shoulder. “So what are you doing tomorrow?”

She tapped her chin. “I have to go to the market and get some things. I have to treat Mrs. Blackfeather, her wing got worse again. Apart from that and the usual, I have nothing else planned.”

“Oh, sounds like a fun day.” He chuckled.

She smiled and nodded. “And you?”

He shuddered. “Twilight wants to test some anti-gravitational pull thingie spell on me.”

She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. “I’m sure she’ll go easy on you.”

He twitched. “I hope so…”

She let go and drank the rest of his tea before glancing at the clock and got up. “It’s getting late…” She said, taking the cup and headed into the kitchen.

He followed and walked up behind her, nuzzling the back of her neck. “I’ll do the dishes before I leave with Martin.”

“Oh? Where are you two going?”

He froze. “W-well, before work. He wanted to laugh at my misery…” He lied nervously.

She looked at him, noticing how he was acting. “Oh… okay… Tell him he shouldn’t laugh…”

He faintly smiled. “Come on, let’s go to bed…”

She nodded and after saying goodnight and checking on the animals one final time, led the way upstairs. She laid down in bed and pulled the covers over herself. He quietly sighed and joined her, snuggling up to her and rested his head on her shoulder. “Goodnight Flutters…” He kissed her cheek.

She kissed back. “Goodnight Michael...” She closed her eyes and hugged him close.

He kissed her once more before snuggling behind her, closing his eyes and wrapped his hooves around her stomach.

=

The sun was starting its rise as Michael groggily opened his eyes, seeing nothing but pink. He blinked, untangling himself from Fluttershy as she slept peacefully, a small smile on her face. He quickly hopped in the shower and went downstairs, cleaning the dishes and started to get breakfast ready.

A while later, Fluttershy walked down the stairs and yawned. “Michael?” she asked, her voice sleepy.

“Yeah?” he answered, the toaster popping. He grabbed it, juggling it as it burned his hoof and put the bread on a plate.

He passed her the plate, she smiled and put the plate down before leaning forward. “How nice of you…”

He leaned forward and the two were about to kiss when an slightly hungry rabbit hopped on his back and pointed at his mouth. Michael sighed. “I know Angel, I was just getting there…” He muttered before grabbing carrots out of the fridge

Angel hopped on the table as Fluttershy tied a napkin around his neck and Michael put the bowl in front of him. He grinned at the two and began shoving carrots into his mouth.

Fluttershy sat down and grabbed a slice of toast. Michael walked back to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of orange juice, along with two glasses. He poured some for each and hoofed her a glass before grabbing some toast and sat across from her.

She smiled and drank some. “When do you have to go to work?”

He took a bite and looked at the clock. “Not for another hour or so…”

She nodded and ate some more. “Want some help feeding the animals?”

“Well, o-only if you want to of course…”

He smiled. “Don’t worry, I’d love to help.”

She smiled and they continued with their breakfast.

=

“See you soon,” Twilight said as Michael left the library. His mane was messed up, pieces of shredded paper buried within.

“Hey Michael,” Martin said and walked up to him with a big smile. “How are you? You look.. rather messed up.”

He glared at his friend. “Never… never ask Twi for help.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Uh… why?”

“Cause she’ll destroy the library and use you as a rubbish bin.” He said, his eye slightly twitching and the two walked away.

“Oh sheesh… How about a pint? Or something to drink in general?”

“I’ll take some water, I’d rather avoid alcohol.”

Martin shrugged. “Well okay. Wanna go to the pub and get something?

“Sure why not…”

Martin cheered and led the way. “So, how was work aye? Assuming it was the way you look, I guess rather unpleasant?”

“Well not to bad to begin with. She wanted to test some artificial anti-gravitational pull theories that some unicorn named Star Swirl was working on or something.”

“Ok, doesn’t sound that bad.”

“Yeah it was fun being free of gravity without using my wings.” He chuckled. “Then I asked if she had any books on ancient structures and that’s when she had a panic attack when the book wasn’t in the right place and tore the library apart with me and Spike in the crossfire.”

Martin laughed. “Sounds great mate.”

“Oh yeah, real swell.”

Martin chuckled and the two walked inside the pub. They walked up and sat at the counter. “One pint and a glass of water for me friend.” Martin said to the barpony before he looked back at Michael. “So? What did ya find out about the castle?”

He sighed and looked at the counter. “Not much was known about it. Said somepony named Clover the Clever built it for the Princesses.”

Martin nods, the barpony sliding the glass of water for Michael and putting the pint in front of Martin, who drank it. “Aye.”

Michael thanked the barpony and sipped his water. “Also seemed that no pony truly explored the entire thing, save Clover and the Princesses. Said that it went for miles underground.” He closed his eyes, trying to remember. “Then there was those missing guards.”

Martin turned and looked at the pegasus, eyebrow rose. “Spooky ghosts?”

“Aye, apparently a squad got lost in the catacombs and weren’t heard from again.”

Martin chuckled. “Geeze mate, ya trying to make me chicken outta it now or what?”

Michael laughed. “After everything thats happened, didn’t think you’d be afraid of some old ghost story.”

“Aye…” They were silent, enjoying their respective drinks. “So how are things going with Fluttershy?”

Michael blushed and took a big sip of water. “Pretty good, nothing too exciting happened since I took her for a date the other day.” He looked away. “May have accidentally mentioned it though..”

Martin’s head dropped onto the counter and he grunted. “Oh come on mate…” He looked up and glared. “Does she know?”

“No and it was on accident. Mentioned I was leaving earlier than usual… thought she’d assume I meant for work.”

Martin sighed in relief. “Well alright then. And that date? Where’d you go?”

“Some cafe that Rarity said was really good.” He chuckled. “Was too…”

Martin smiled. “Sounds great…” He leaned closer. “And afterwards? Must’ve been romantic, aye? Did she… repay you in anyway?”

Michael blushed heavily. “Well… er…” He coughed and took another drink.

Martin grinned. “Aye?”

“A-aye…”

Martin chuckled and patted him on the back.

“How bout you and AJ? How’s that going?”

“Darn well mate, ya wanna know how often?”

Michael stared at him before shaking his head. “No! No, I’m good.”

Martin laughed and took another sip from his beer. “Wouldn’t have expected anything else from ya.”

“But if I had said yes…”

He shrugged. “I would have told ya.” Michael facehooved. Martin laughed again. “You’re me best mate here, I trust ya with me life.”

“Same here, but do you really want to discuss our sex life?”

“If ya wanna…”

Michael sighed. “I’m good.”

Martin downed the rest of his beer and paid for their drinks. “So we’ll meet tomorrow morning at sunrise or what?”

“Sounds like a plan, in front of the library?” Martin nodded. “Then I’ll see you in a few hours.” Michael said, waving goodbye before heading towards the cottage.

Martin waved goodbye as well and snuck back into the pub.

=

The sun had barely reached above the horizon, the sky slowly turned from black to orange. Martin opened his eyes and yawned, AJ was still asleep, her head resting on his chest. He smiled and carefully picked up her head and rested on the pillow. He left the room and quickly washed his face in the bathroom. He went downstairs and into the barn. He put his armor on and strapped his sword on his back. He walked through town, trying not to creep out by the deserted streets.

Michael was waiting at the library, his mane a mess and a pair of saddlebags around his waist. He yawned and looked up, noticing his friend approaching.

“Hey mate, you ready? he asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be…”

Martin nodded. “Aye, guess I’ll lead the way?”

Mike sadly nodded. “That’d be a good idea.” He said, looking towards the cottage.

Martin rolled his eyes. “Michael! We should focus on getting there first. Afterwards, we can have fun aye?”

“Sure…” He whispered.

Martin led the way through town until they reached the outskirts of the forest. “Here, take this just in case.” He grabbed a small leather belt and gave it to Michael, a dagger in its sheath.

Michael looked at the dagger wearily and attached it to the saddlebag. They stared at the forest, its silence eerily unnerving.

“Okay mate,” Martin said and walked into the forest.

Michael paused and looked back at Ponyville. He shrugged and followed Martin, not noticing a pink tail following them.

They wandered through the forest, the sun slowly rising but no light could pierce the thick layer of leaves between them. After awhile, they paused at a small river. “Do we know where to look?” Martin asked, drinking some water.

Michael looked at the trees, trying to get his bearings. “I think its not much farther, maybe another click or two.”

Martin nodded and moved his helmet a little. “Alright then, you ready or do you still need a moment?”

Michael finished drinking. “Ready whenever you are.”

Martin smiled and continued to lead the way. They walked for a few hours before he paused and looked around. “Did you hear that?”

Michael’s ears flicked. “Just faintly, it’s probably just an animal.”

Martin walked towards a bush and moved the leaves aside. “Something was here…” He looked at a pair of hoofprints in the mud. “Hmm…” He looked around the bush and saw nothing. “Let’s keep going mate, don’t let your guard down.”

Michael nodded, walking in sync with his friend as the pair looked around. Time passed as they slipped and fell into mud several times. Martin looked up a few times, hoping to see the sky.

“I wonder how long we’ve been here for…”

“Hold on, I have an idea…” Michael said slipped his saddlebags off before he flew through the canopy, basking in the sun. He looked around and saw the castle. At the rate we’re going, it’ll be another hour… He landed and shook his head. “We got about another hour or so… And it’s a little past ten.”

Martin sighed. “Past ten already? Well we better get going. Lead the way mate, don’t worry, I’m right behind ya.”

Michael nodded and slipped his saddlebags back on and started walking. They were silent, trying not to disturb the forest any more than necessary. After a while Michael leaned towards Martin. “You get the feeling we’re being followed?” he whispered.

Martin glanced around, his ears straining to pick up any noise. “Hmm… aye…”

“What do you want to do?”

“Not sure, there ain’t much we can do.”

Michael nodded and continued on. They finally stopped at the remains of a rope bridge.

Martin looked at his friend. “I hate rope bridges…” He looked at it, his face paling.

“Y-yeah… I don’t like heights... “ Michael peered over the side. “You wanna go first?”

“You can fly.”

“I was afraid you’d say that…” Michael gulped and took off his saddlebags, hoofing them to Martin. “I’ll be back…” He said and flew across the bridge, fog rolling in.

“Michael?” Martin asked, the fog hiding everything.

“Yeah?” he squinted through the fog, his hoof dragging on the rope.

“Was just making sure you’re still there. That fog looks like ya could easily get lost.”

“Very… Hey, I think I passed the-” He stopped, staring at the castle.

“Aye?”

He ignored Martin, getting closer. The fog parted around the castle as it jutted out of the trees, the area surrounded by the gorge. It was dark and eerie, cobwebs covering the place. A once tall tower lay on the ground, snapped in half. Windows were shattered and curtains billowed in the dank breeze. Debris and the remains of broken glass littered the front, a door hanging on one hinge.

Martin could just faintly see it. “Jesus Christ… that place is a fucking mess!”

“Yeah…”

Martin hesitantly stepped on the bridge, grabbing the saddlebags and gulped. “Alright, let’s do this…” He slowly made his way across, the wood creaking and bridge moving with the wind. Michael watched and waited, just in case he need to catch him. Martin finally got to the other side. “Sheesh… don’t wanna do that again.”

“Well if we live, you’ll have fun doing it again…” He licked his lips. “Ready?”

Martin nodded and took out his sword, checking it one final time before putting it. “Aye, you want me to lead the way?”

“Sure…” He pulled out the dagger and held it close.

“Don’t worry mate, I’m sure we’ll do fine…” He walked inside first. It was dark and cold, a chilly breeze going through the ruins. A lit torch hung in the middle of the room, waiting. “Looks like he’s already waiting for us.” Martin grabbed it and led the way.

Their hooves clopped loudly against the stone floor, the air suddenly going still. A moment later they heard a very similar clop, just quiet. They instinctively turned, weapons at the ready, when something fell, a very loud ‘eep’ accompanying it. A blur of yellow and pink flew by them, launching itself into Michael’s hooves.

They stared dumbly at her. “Fluttershy?!” They exclaimed together.

Martin glared angrily at them. “Mate! I thought she didn’t know!?”

He looked at her before up at him. “I didn’t tell her! I swear!”

“H-he didn’t…” She whispered, shaking in his hooves.

Martin moved closer and glared at her. “What were you thinking?” he asked angrily.

Michael glared at him. “Shh… it’s ok Flutters, but why’d you follow us?”

She looked at him, terrified. “W-well… I saw you sneak off th-this morning… So I f-followed you…”

He rubbed her back reassuringly. “It’s ok… You should go home though, the animals are probably worried about you.”

She held onto him tightly. “I-I’m scared… w-what are you doing he-here anyways?”

Michael avoided looking at her. “Just meeting… a friend.”

“A-a friend?” she asked, confused.

“Listen Fluttershy, we really can’t nor don’t need ya here. It’s nothing personal but you’ll mostly be in the bloody way.”

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as he rocked her back and forth, glaring daggers at Martin. “Flutters, we’ll be fine. I don’t want you to get hurt so you should head home…”

“H-hurt? W-why would I g-get hurt? What are you planning on doing?”

Michael sighed and looked up at Martin questionably. He shook his head. “Fluttershy, what’s going to happen is none of your concern. I’m sorry but I must ask you to leave.”

She squeezed tighter. “Look Martin, maybe we can-”

“Don’t make me use drastic measures.” He looked at Fluttershy. “Please, I don’t want to do anything else but ask ya nicely.”

It was silent for a moment before Michael sighed and got up. “She’s coming Martin, let’s go.”

“Mate, he said no one but us!”

“Since when have we ever listened, especially to diabolical villains?”

Martin rolled his eyes and hit his head against the wall, taking a deep breath. Okay, alright… Get going then aye?”

Martin stalked off, Michael making sure Fluttershy was alright and wrapped a wing over her. “Come on Flutters, I’ll explain on the way.” He said, following right behind.

=

Another twenty minutes passed before the trio reached the throne room. It was well lit and Thanatos sat on the throne, watching them. Martin threw the torch to the side and glared at him, placing a hoof on the hilt of his sword. “We’re here!”

“Ah splendid!” he said and got up. “I see you also brought the Element of Kindness, how quaint.”

Martin rolled his eyes. “Not my fault, she followed her coltfriend.”

He laughed. “At least his mind wasn’t full of rope.”

Martin blushed and grit his teeth. “WE don’t wanna talk about that now! That dream was rather ominous and weird, I agree!”

The pegsai looked at him. “Do I want to know?” Mike asked, raising an eyebrow.

Martin shook his head fiercely. No! You don’t…” Martin pulled out his sword.

“Sheesh, somepony’s upset.” Thanatos said, laughing as he made his way towards them. He stood in the middle of the room and his gaze landed on Fluttershy. “Just a warning, I won’t harm her as long as she doesn’t try to attack me.”

Martin chuckled. “Her? I highly doubt that would ever happen…”

Michael gulped and kissed Fluttershy before standing next to Martin, dagger held at the ready.

“You two honestly think you have a chance against me?”

“Won’t know unless we tried, eh?”

Michael cleared his throat. “Listen, we don’t have to fight you know, we can talk this out like reasonable peo-ponies.”

Thanatos looked at him. “So you can honestly say Celestia and Luna would have a civilized chat and step down from power?”

“Uh… I doubt that'll happen… Yeah, fighting sounds so much better.”

“You never know, we could at least ask them?”

“I think they get that often enough…”

“Ok then, why just us? Why not the Elements as well?”

“Because you haven’t been corrupted by them.”

Martin coughed. “Depends what you mean by corrupted.”

“This coming from the guy that let Discord make him his personal toy.” Thanatos dead panned.

Martin hoofed at the ground. “Shit happens mate…”

“But you haven’t lived under their, well mostly Celestia's, rule.” He continued. “All the other ponies only know is what its like with her in charge and they’re afraid of change. So I figured I could convince one of you to get them to open their eyes.”

“Well our world differs too much from this one. We don’t have rulers like her for a reason… or at least not anymore.”

“Exactly, you know what democracy feels like, ponies don’t.”

“Aye, but if they don’t want to change, why should we force them?”

“It’s not forcing if they’ll never admit that the monarchy is flawed.”

Martin stared at him. “Well if they’d want to change they would’ve done it. Every political system has its flaws, but the majority seems to be happy.”

“Says who? You don’t know that if no pony speaks out. Look how many I gathered.” He cracked his neck and took off his robe. He was easily double the size of Big Mac, covered in strange tattoos. “Since we can’t seem to work it out diplomatically, I think its time we get this charade on the road.”

Both of their jaws dropped. “I thought you weren’t… as… you know…”

He chuckled. “Weren’t what? In shape?”

Martin took a deep breath. “Whatever…” He gripped his sword tightly. “As long as you don’t use some weird ass magic to shield yourself from blades, this should be possible.”

“Well sorry to disappoint, but I’m full of that, how’d you phrase it, ‘weird ass magic’.” He said, his horn faintly glowing.

“Oh well fucking good!”

Michael gulped and got ready.

“Well by all means, let’s proceed-” Michael flew as fast as he could, sneak attacking him with the dagger.

Author's Note

Phew! Sorry... I totally spaced out on this... With school and work kicking my keester, I sorta fell behind... Apologies...

42 - The Final Battle

Martin watched in horror. “No Michael stop!”

“What’s this? The pacifist is attacking?” He chuckled and easily sidestepped, grabbing Mike’s hoof and flung him into the stone chair. The stone chair broke with the impact and crumbled down. Michael coughed, his back hoof twitching.

Martin facehoofed. “Have you ever fought with a blade before?”

“Once… or twice…” Michael spat, turning around and charging again.

He sighed and bent low, waiting for the pegasus to get close before kicking him in the stomach.

Martin flinched. “No… you don’t charge like that with a dagger…” He looked away when Michael was sent flying again. “God damnit..” He ran towards Thanatos but paused a few feet away, sword at the ready. “Come on pal, don’t waste time with him!”

He turned to glare at the earth pony and the air condensed as if a bunch of weight was forced on Martin’s shoulders. Michael staggered to his hooves, holding his stomach.

Martin fought against it to no avail. “Ya son of a bitch! Just stop these shenanigans and fight like a man!”

“But I am, just not the way you’re used to. You’ve never fought one on one with a unicorn.” Michael tried to sneak up on him but was caught in his aura and flung like a rag doll into another chair.

“Fuck you! Just stop this!” Martin yelled, his helmet holding his head to the ground.

“Very well,” he walked over and looked at Martin.

The weight seemed to leave for a moment and Martin shakingly got to his hooves. “That’s bet-” Thanatos punched him square in the face, the helmet cracking under the blow. Martin took a step back and shook his head. “Je suis Martin… et toi?” he slurred.

“Whoops, I think I broke him. Let me try again. Thanatos said and went to punch him as Michael flew in and tackled him. “Get off me!” he yelled as a magical shockwave launched the pegasus face first into the wall.

Martin shook his head again, trying to clear the cobwebs. “M-Michael? I-ich glaub ich bin nit ganz ber der Sache…” He muttered, his mind coming back.

“Speaking German buddy…” Mike moaned and pushed a rock off himself.

“Was? Ich versteh dich nicht.” He began to chuckle. “Oh… where bin ich… what is passiert?”

A rock flew and hit him in the back of the head. “Feeling better?”

He blinked and looked around. “Eh? What happened?” Blood ran down his head where the helmet cut his forehead.

“He gave you a minor concussion.” Mike said, limping over to his friend, his wing bet at an odd angle.

He turned and looked at him. “Wh-what did ya say? Everything just some weird beeping noise… and I still can’t move…”

Thanatos laughed. “It seems that you guys need a backup plan.” Mike levitated and flew over to him. “That wing looks like it hurts, let me help.” He said and twisted it even more, Mike screaming in pain.

Martin gritted his teeth. “May I get up… I haven’t even fought yet. Or are you scared of me Thantin urr… Tintin, Tictac?”

He threw Michael to the side and the pressure vanished from Martin. “By all means.”

Martin got up and stretched his legs. “Much better…” He picked up his sword and faced him, everything shaking slightly. “Ok…” Martin jumped towards him and faked a stab, Thanatos dodged to the left and Martin swung his sword at his face.

The sword passed harmlessly through his face as his body dissolved into an afterimage.

Martin’s jaw dropped. “What?” He swung again.

It vanished on the second strike. “What, have you never seen an afterimage before?” he whispered behind Martin. How about a little electricity?”

Martin’s nerves ignited on fire as he fell onto his flank, shaking uncontrollably. He cursed and dropped his sword.

The pain suddenly vanished as Thanatos yelled in pain. “Martin!” Mike yelled, holding onto his horn as electricity flowed through both.

Martin quickly got up and grabbed his sword. “Come on mate!” He slowly tumbled towards them, his body still shaking. Martin lunged and went straight for Thanatos’ heart.

“ENOUGH!” Thanatos yelled, a strong shockwave erupted from him as he crushed the floor. Both them and Fluttershy were sent flying, the room crumbling around them. A big ball of smoke and dust flew high into the air, half the roof exploding under the spell. The smoke rose high into the sky, Celestia and Luna watching from their balcony.

After a few moments, the dust began to settle, rock and debris stopped falling. Michael had protected Fluttershy, using his body as a shield as Martin struggled to stand, a hoof on his head.

“Oh god…” He frantically looked for his sword.

“Looking for this?” Thanatos asked as he stabbed Martin in the rear hoof. Martin grunted in pain and saw the dagger lying close by. He reached it, trying not to scream in pain. Thanatos held onto the sword, watching as it slowly tore through Martin’s hoof.

Martin reached the dagger and whirled around, the dagger slicing through the air, straight towards Thanatos’ throat. Thanatos dodged, barely, his throat bleeding lightly.

“Tsk, tsk Martin…” Thanatos taunted, holding a hoof to his neck. “Almost had me.”

Martin yelled in pain and let go of the dagger. “Fuck! You son of a bitch!”

He chuckled. “You’d be right, but I don’t consider her even worthy of that title.”

“L-leave him alone…” Mike said, fighting his way to his hooves.

Martin turned to look at his friend, his vision darkening from the loss of blood. “Michael! Argh! J-just run!”

Michael smiled, blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth. “I’m sorry… I can’t…” He took a deep breath and launched himself as fast he could.

“Oh, what will this accomplish?” Thanatos asked, raising an eyebrow.

“This,” Michael said simply, kicking the blade and snapping it in half. He grabbed the shard left in Martin’s hoof and pulled it out, twirling around and trying to cut Thantos’, his hooves cut.

Martin yelped in pain as he closed his eyes, trying to stay conscious. Somepony grabbed his hoof and tied something tight around his cut. He opened his eyes and saw Fluttershy tying something around his cut leg.

“Shh… it’ll be ok…” She whispered, flinching at the blood and every time Michael cried out in pain.

Martin closed his eyes again, trying to gather his strength. He thought of AJ, her laugh and smile… He opened his eyes and sat up. “Where’s the dagger?!”

Fluttershy pushed it into his hooves as Michael bounced and landed next to them, covered in cuts.

“Well now, what’s this? The Element joining the fight it seems.”

Martin forced himself to his hooves and stood in front of the couple, wobbling on his hooves.

“So you still have some fight left I see?” Thanatos mocked, his body only covered in a few bruises and cuts.

Martin raised the dagger, his hooves shaking. “I-I will fight till I die!”

Thanatos sighed. “Very well… seems like I wasted my time with you humans.”

Martin glared at him silently.

The dagger was grasped from him with a black aura and Martin was frozen. “Goodbye Martin.”

The dagger came back and suddenly Martin was pushed to the ground, grunting when he hit. Everypony stared in silence. Michael stood there, dagger deep in his chest as he took a few deep breathes before glaring at Thanatos and opened his mouth. He collapsed, Fluttershy screamed and caught him, crying as she tried to do something. Martin stared in horror as even Thanatos was surprised.

Mike stared at nothing, his last sight Fluttershy’s blue eyes as the world went black.

=

“Tick tock, tick tock… Time goes on, but what if… it didn’t?” A voice said in the darkness. “Open your eyes Michael, open your eyes and face the truth!” John said calmly.

Mike opened his eyes, coughing as everything was frozen. “Hey John…”

He smiled. “Hello…” He walked towards the down pegasus. “You’ve gotten yourself in quite the mess.”

“Don’t I always?” he chuckled and gasped in pain.

John nodded. “Indeed, but in the end, we would’ve seen each other, no matter what.” He kneeled down and looked at the hilt of the dagger. “We should get rid of that.” He grabbed the hilt and pulled it out.

Michael screamed in pain, stars dancing across his vision.

He looked at the dagger and chuckled. “How do you keep getting yourself into situations like this?” He dropped the dagger and placed a hand on the wound. It itched terribly for a moment before warmth blossomed from it, reinvigorating his body.

Mike looked down and saw the wound completely healed. “By being a stupid stereotypical good guy?” He chuckled and rubbed his chest. “But it was the only thing I could think of at the time… I had to save Martin.”

“Indeed.” He looked at the medallion. “And what do we have here… I think it’s time we got rid of this as well.” He grabbed it.

“Wait don’t!” he yelled, his body going cold.

John smiled and shook his head. “Don’t worry Michael, you have nothing to fear.” He kept pulling the coldness sapping Michael’s strength.

Finally the medallion was pulled off Michael. He flinched, waiting for death. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes and felt warmth return once more.

John held the medallion, cracked in half. His suit burst into flames. Michael looked at him in horror and tried to pat the fires out. “John, what the hell are you doing?”

He chuckled, the flames turned blue and engulfed most of his body. The bandages were eaten by the flames and melted off his face. He looked at the pegasus and he cried silently. “My end is near Michael.”

Time began to speed up again as the flames rescinded and he dropped to his knees, coughing up blood.

Mike held a hoof to his shoulder, trying to hold him up.

“Well, well, well… if it isn’t Death himself.” Thanatos said. “I thought I sensed another presence nearby.”

John laughed and looked at the unicorn. “Yes…” he smiled, showing his teeth and burnt skin.

Thanatos saw the broken medallion on the floor and laughed. “So you removed the medallion… I’m surprised.”

John nodded and got up, his chest burnt and scarred from the fire. “Go ahead Thanatos, time with catch up with us all eventually.”

“Indeed, it seems its even caught up with Death.”

John opened his arms, welcoming Thanatos, and smiled. “Please, we don’t have all day. I have let someone wait for long enough.”

Thanatos stood there for a moment, eyeing John before Fluttershy eeped and flew over to him, the broken sword next to her throat. “I like where I am.”

Michael growled and got ready to attack.

John chuckled and put a hand on Michael’s head. “I may not be immortal anymore…” He snapped his fingers and FLuttershy was engulfed by black smoke. She disappeared and reappeared next to John. “But my magic is still… something I’d consider rather strong.”

“So a wizard’s duel? Even you can’t win against me.” Thanatos said calmly.

John walked towards him. “I have nothing to lose, but I can see your fears. I know you don’t to leave this world before you reached your goal. You’re afraid to die… you are too certain of your victory.”

Only a fool is clouded by arrogance, such as you.” He said, fire erupting from his horn and attacking everyone.

The fire turned to ice. “Arrogance? Truth? Where is the difference?”

“The truth is that only one of us will walk away from the duel.” Thanatos said, controlling the ice to shatter into sharp shards to rain down on us.

“I’m afraid only death awaits for all.” The ice turned into steam.

The steam boiled the room, the temperature increasing inside. Everyone started to sweat. “But some have learned to avoid death, such as the princesses and Discord.”

“No one truly outruns death. You should know nothing appears out of nowhere. Everything has to be created somehow, and if there truly is something above everything. Something that is everything! How do you want to escape it? No one… can outrun it. It was the the beginning and it will be the end.” John grinned devilishly. “And who knows what angers it? Maybe the arrogance of someone who thinks he cannot be defeated?” John picked up the dagger and held it towards Thanatos.

Thanatos was silent, staring passively at John. He took a deep breath before he begun to laugh, the room echoing. John joined in. “What makes you think you may outrun what awaits us all?”

“John, I never said anything about outrunning. I know I’ll die, either today or some time in the future, that’s not new.” His eyes began to glow, his horn sparking with energy. “It’s always been how you die and how you’re remembered.”

“I’m sure many will remember me… Go ahead, kill the end!”

He shook his head. “John, John, John… I’ve never said I’d kill you… but other individuals... “ He shrugged. “I’m not so sure.” The pressure was beginning to build, forcing everypony to their knees. Sparks began to fly throughout the room. “It seems in my various studies, that certain spells have certain advantages… and some disadvantages.”

John smirked. “Indeed, a very powerful spell.” John looked at the lantern on his waist. “Seems I have to make a choice.” He held it up in front of Thanatos, the blue flame licking at the metal, getting excited.

Thanatos grinned. “Let’s see who’s stronger.” The room exploded into fire as everypony was thrown back, Michael quickly using himself to shield Fluttershy and Martin. The blow fractured Michael’s wing and broke a few ribs. Martin was barely conscious, didn’t even feel any of his bones breaking.

The explosion before was miniscule compared to this; the very ground shook, earthquakes hitting towns and cities everywhere.

The lantern shuddered and John chuckled. “Oh my, guess death awaits us both.” The glass cracked and the explosion stopped as the blue flames were released. John was thrown back while Thanatos was swallowed by the blue flames. The flames flickered for a moment before coalescing into a sphere, screams and yells of the damned coming from it.

“The second realm my friend, the world of waiting!” John yelled before turning to look at Martin. He walked over and reached into his chest, pulling out a human ghost.

Martin screamed and slumped over for a moment. Apollo faintly smiled. “I’ve been here long enough…” They both turned and Apollo paused before walking over. “It may not be enough, but you can have my remaining power.” He said, healing Martin of most of his wounds.

John looked at Michael and smiled, his face slowly regenerating. “Thank you Michael.” The two walked into the sphere, sparks of pure energy shooting everywhere for a moment.

Michael smiled. “Say hi to Veronica for me… Get some rest, you deserve it.”

The sphere shrunk, collapsing in on itself before it sent another shockwave through the room and disappeared, the lantern hitting the ground.

Michael sighed and leaned back, holding Fluttershy. “Well… that was fun.”

She was shaking and hugged him tightly, tears rolled down her face.

He rubbed her back gently. “It’s ok…” He looked at his unconscious friend. “But we need to get you to the doctor.”

“Mrwhh... “ He muttered, coming back. “I-I hate to be a bother… b-but I need some bl-blood...:”

“Martin!” AJ’s yell echoed in the room as the rest of the girls flooded in. AJ was at his side in a second, hugging him.

He coughed and patted her back. “A-AJ, how are you?” he asked.

“No talkin’.” She said and kissed him. Twilight came over, her horn aglow. “We’re gettin’ ya to the hospital.”

“Aye…”

Twilight shook her head. “If it’s not one, it’s the other.” She looked at the others. “I’ll be right back.” Her horn glowed brighter and the three of them teleported to the hospital.

He chuckled. “No need to rush…”

For a moment, it was darkness before the hospital lights blinded them. “Oh not again.” Nurse Redheart muttered.

“Hello… how are you?” he asked with a faint smile.

She sighed and grabbed a gurney towards them. With the help of the three ponies, they put him on it and rushed to the operating room. “What happened?”

“Well… I-I got a sword stuck through my leg…”

“Really?” She looked at his back leg and saw the scar. “That looks bad, might’ve done some irreparable damage.” She muttering, getting him into the room.

He took a deep breath, the world going dark. “W-well you see…” His eyelids grew heavy. “I-I think I need a rest…”

A needle punctured his arm and his body relaxed. “This might help, trying to clean your body.”

He nodded and rested his head on the pillow. “Urgh… I feel sick…”

A bowl appeared next to him. “If you feel like you’re going to throw up, let me know. You might feel another pinch…” She said, taking a needle and drawing a little blood.

“Didn’t I l-lose enough blood?”

“Not to me.” She flatly said before disappearing with the vial of blood.

He chuckled. “AJ? You there?”

“Right here sugarcube.” She said, patting his shoulder.

He smiled. “Good to have you here…”

“Well somepony has ta make sure you stay in one piece.”

He nodded and looked at his leg. “Good that you didn’t see that wound…”

She grimaced as she looked at the scar. “Ah can imagine wasn’t pleasant.” She was quiet for a moment. “Why didn’t ya tell me?”

“I was scared… I didn’t wanna get you hurt. And Thanatos asked for only Michael and me… Fluttershy being there was an accident.”

“But ya know we could’ve helped and this wouldn’t have happened…”

“I’m sorry… I wasn’t thinking straight… but when do I ever do that?”

“I bet you never think,” Nurse Redheart said, returning with more supplies. SHe cleaned and patched the remaining cuts and bruises silently.

“Martin, ya need ta know you can trust me. Ah need ta know that you trust me.” She looked at him sadly. “If ya didn’t come back… Ah don’t know what Ah’d done…”

He smiled and patted her hoof. “AJ… I won’t leave your side… never… And even if I would’ve died… You’re the strongest and bravest mare I’ve ever met… I’m certain you would’ve been just fine without me…”

AJ gripped his hoof tightly but before she could respond, a doctor came into the room. “Martin, good to see you among the living.” He said, a smile on his snout as Redheart whispered into his ear.

“Aye doc…”

Another nurse appeared with a blood pack and hooked him up, the blood easily flowing into him. “We’ll just let that run and check on you again in bit. Call us if you need anything, okay? We’ll be back in a few minutes.” He said, leading the two nurses out.

Martin leaned back into the bed and chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“I-I couldn’t have died anyways.. Death is no longer in this world…”

“W-what?” she asked, dumbfounded.

"He’s right you know." Discord said, drinking a smoothie.

The two looked at him. “Hello there… what can I do ya for?”

“Just wondering how you got John better?”

“That wasn’t me, you should ask Michael.”

He raised an eyebrow. Oh? Hmm… He disappeared as suddenly as he appeared.

Martin gave AJ a confused look. “Where’s he gone now?”

“No idea.”

“AJ, I hope you know that I trust you… I was scared… I didn’t want to get you involved…”

She was silent for a moment before she sighed. “Ah know… it just bugs me that ya didn’t even plan ta tell me. Let’s say Death was still here and ya would’ve died, what then?”

“I-I don’t know…”

“Exactly. Ah would’ve had Twilight bring ya back from the dead so Ah could knock some sense in ya.”

He chuckled. “I guess I’m just one big dingus, aye?”

“You could say that again.” Michael chuckled, the girls following him.

Martin faintly smiled. “Aye…”

Michael walked forward. “So this is what it feels like to be on the other side.” He chuckled. “How ya feeling?”

“Bloodless… could be worse though…”

“Could be dead.”

“Y-yep… well, not anymore…”

“Yeah…” he agreed sadly.

“At least…” He held a hoof to his head. “At least he got to rest.”

Michael nodded. “That he did, he deserved it.”

Martin grunted in reply. “Ah… my head feels like I’ve been hit by a truck… think I might take a nap…”

Michael chuckled and ushered the others out. “Get some rest dingus.” He said, leaving Martin and AJ alone.

“AJ, I hope you’re not mad.”

“Ah ain’t mad, just disappointed at mahself for not seeing it.” She patted his shoulder. “Get some rest, Ah’ll be right here.”

He pulled her into a hug. “Thanks AJ…”

She faintly smiled and kissed him gently. They kissed for a moment before he ended the kiss.

“Maybe… when I get outta here I can make it up to you in a way…”

She laughed. “First let’s get ya better lovercolt.”

He chuckled and let go of her, the pillow feeling magnificent. “Aye…”

“Sleep well.”

Before she could even finish, he was fast asleep, weary from the battle and blood lost.

Author's Note

Hehe... hello everyone! Thanks for going through that... I need to do battle scenes better, it's one of my weak points. Anyways, thanks for reading... I can't believe it's 2nd to last chapter. It's been two years... Two years on this story... Heh, I'll save the big sappy post for the last chapter. Till the finale!

43 - Recovery and Surprises

Martin walked out of the hospital, AJ at his side. He was nearly good as new, bandages covering his hoof the only sign of his injury. He took a deep breath of the warm air, smiling as he looked up at the cloudless blue sky. “It’s wonderful to be out that building again.”

She nodded. “Bout time they let ya out, ya were better hours ago.”

He hugged her tightly. “Well you made it a lot more bearable.”

“Ah thanks sugarcube.”

“Well how about we get back to the farm aye?” he asked and raised a hoof to shield himself from the sun.

“Aye,” she said and led the way back.

He followed her, his leg still aching. “So what has everypony been up to lately? Didn’t really see too many ponies in the hospital.”

“Well whatever you two did sent shockwaves everywhere, or something like that. Twi’s been studying’ the after effects, trying to fix whatever broke. Dash is at some Wonderbolt academy thing. Pinkie… well, Ah don’t know what she’s up ta. And Rarity is busy with the boutique like usual.”

He nodded. “Aye… and Michael n’ Fluttershy?”

She scratched her chin. “Not sure; last time Ah saw them, he was helpin’ her carry supplies back to the cottage.”

He smiled. “Guess I could pay them a visit some time. But at least I got to see you while I was at the hospital.” He kisses her cheek. “And I hope you know I appreciate it a lot.”

She blushed and adjusted her hat. “Well somepony has gotta try and keep ya in one piece.”

He chuckled. “Aye.”

She flicked him with her tail. “Come on, let’s get back to the farm. Ah’m sure we got chores waitin’.”

He followed once more, walking close to her as they made their way through the crowded town. A dust cloud erupted not far away from them and he turned to look at it, eyebrow raised. “Umm…”

“What the hay was that?” she asked.

He shrugged and the pair walked towards it, the cloud dispersing. In the faint remains of the clouds lay Michael and the CMC, coughing. Martin looked at them, surprised. “Michael? Good ta see you, but what are you doing?”

Michael looked up, coughing. “They’re,” he pointed at the CMC, “trying to get me my cutie mark apparently. Glad to see you finally out of the hospital.”

Martin nodded and leaned closer. “You know you got yourself in quite the mess, aye?”

“I figured that out... “ He waved at AJ. “So what are you two up to?”

He shrugged. “Not much, just getting back to the farm.”

“Oh that’s cool-”

“Come on Michael, let’s go try seeing if yer cutie mark is in mountain climbing!” Applebloom said and grabbed Michael’s hoof, pulling him away.

“Guess I’ll see you later!”

“Be careful!” AJ said.

“I thought you didn’t like heights?” Martin asked through a chuckle.

“Try and tell them that!”

Martin laughed and waved goodbye before he turned to AJ. “So, back to the farm.”

She was trying not to laugh, holding a hoof over her mouth as the two continued walking.

“So what has Big Mac been up to? He still with Cheerilee?”

She nodded. “Yup, finally got enough courage ta ask her out for Hearts and Hooves Day.”

He grinned. “That’s nice, when is that anyways?”

She tapped her chin. “Ah think it’s next week.”

He nuzzled her cheek. “I’m sure we’ll figure out something. aye?”

She chuckled. “Ah hope so, we got a week. If things calm down…”

“Aye…” The pair grew silent till they arrived at the farm. “So is there something we need to do? Any chores?”

“Ah don’t know, let me go check with Granny Smith. Sit on the couch and Ah’ll be right back.”

He watched her walk away and sat down. He closed his eyes and placed his hooves behind his head and leaned back, relaxing.

Martin? AJ asked. “Can ya come up here fer a second?”

He sighed and got up. “On me way, he said as he made his way upstairs. Where are ya?”

“Ah’m in mah room.”

He arched a brow and walked into her room. “I thought ya wanted to check if we needed to do any chores?”

“Ah did, and she said she didn’t want ya to hurt yerself so she said we could have the day ta relax.”

He made his way into her room. “That was mighty nice of her.”

AJ grabbed his hoof and led him to the bed. “Now just lay down and Ah’ll try and help ya relax…” She said seductively.

He blushed and laid down on the bed. “O-okay…”

She turned pink and took off her hat. “Ah’m not so good at massaging… so Ah thought Ah’d try something else…”

He smiled and looked into her eyes. “I’m sure whatever you have planned is just as wonderful as you look.”

Her face turned a deeper shade of red as she hopped up on the bed and kissed him passionately.

=

The week flew by, everypony trying to recover from the two earthquakes. Princesses Celestia and Luna came by and talked to Martin, Michael, and Fluttershy what had happened. Along with Twilight and a few other unicorns, the group explored the ruins, trying to figure out the cause. They found the lantern, and the princesses were saddened by the loss, but knew it was for the best.

Now, however, with the loss of Death, the balance had been uplifted and the princesses were at a loss of what to do. Discord came up with a clever idea and disappeared for a long time, coming back with no details as to what he was up to and ‘Death’ had returned.

Ponies got ready for the big day, along with plenty of shops and restaurants. Michael and Martin both planned their day out, and prepared their wallets. Michael had a crazy idea and began to work on it, getting just what he needed and prepared himself for the big day, the others unaware, save Rarity.

=

Finally the big day arrived and Fluttershy and Michael had reservations at Outside Gardens, waiting for the right time. Five o’clock rolled around and Fluttershy and Michael were ready and left, making sure Angel was in charge. They walked together happily, bumping into Twilight and Dr Whooves, who were heading to a particular spot in the park. Martin and AJ also showed up, heading out to the pub.

Michael wore a tuxedo, a surprise hidden in his suit, that he nervously kept checking. Fluttershy wore a flowing green dress, almost see through, that Rarity just happened to make ‘for such an occasion’.

The restaurant wasn’t crowded, only a few couples taking up the tables. They sat down at a corner booth and ordered; while waiting for the food, they chatted and exchanged small gifts for the day. A while later, the food arrived and the two fed each other a little of theirs. Finishing their food, they relaxed in the same booth, resting against each other and listening to some ponies play a familiar song that neither could place.

Fluttershy sighed happily and smiled at him. “It’s so wonderful here…”

“Yeah, it’s great being here with the pony you love, eh?” He wrapped a hoof around her waist.

She blushed more and kissed him. “I couldn’t be happier.”

He blushed and nuzzled her cheek. He took a big gulp of wine and grabbed her hoof, getting up.

“She looked at him, confused. “Umm… Michael?”

His face went redder. “F-fluttershy, before I met you, I was a wandering soul, ready to die and not care about the aftermath.” He smiled faintly. “But then I got stuck here and somehow, me and you sorta got stuck together… and I haven’t looked back. Through everything, and I’d say it’s been quite the ride.” He chuckled. “You’ve always stuck by me, no matter what...”

She smiled. “I feel the same way, I was alone but we found each other…”

“Somehow…” He continued his hoof shaking as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and put it on the table in front of her.

Her jaw dropped. “W-what’s that?”

“Remember when Twi accidently transformed me into a colt? Well, I went scuba diving with the CMC to try and get our cutie marks… and I saw it. O-open it please…”

She hesitated for a moment before she slowly opened it. Her eyes widened once she saw a shiny silver pearl, surrounded by several gleaming rubies. She grabbed it, her hooves shaking badly. “M-Michael…”

He held one of her hooves. “F-Fluttershy, will you be my w-w-wife?” he asked, stuttering as his face went red. Suddenly the entire room was silent, everypony watching in anticipation.

She looked at him, her eyes watering and didn’t say anything. She flung herself at him, wrapping her hooves around him. “Yes!” she yelled happily, tears running down her face.

He smiled, tears falling as the entire restaurant went up in an uproar, ponies applauding. He kissed her, everypony smiling.

She hugged him tightly, a few tears hitting his coat. “Shh… it’s ok…” He whispered, rocking her back and forth, kissing her cheek.

She kissed back and smiled, her eyes glittering. “I-I never expected this…”

“What can I say? I like keeping ponies on their hooves?” he faintly smiled, looking at her.

She pulled him closer and kissed him passionately. He kissed back, holding her and ignoring everypony else. After they broke the kiss, he stared into her eyes. “Remember when we first met, and I was lying on the ground with a broken rib?”

She nodded.

He nuzzled her snout. “Still the most beautiful mare I’ve seen.”

She blushed and looked at the necklace. “It’s beautiful… This must’ve been so expensive…”

“Actually not as bad as I would’ve thought, Rarity helped me on this one.” He smiled.

“I have to thank her later…”

“So do I, so do I.” He motioned at the necklace. “W-want me to put it on?”

She blushed more and hoofed him the necklace, turning around. He moved her mane out of the way and undid the clasp. He put it around her neck and clicked it together, making sure it was locked before fixing her mane and kissing her neck.

She turned around and kissed him gently. He kissed back, smiling. The waitress came by and picked up the plates, leaving the bill as she left, shaking her head.

Fluttershy ended the kiss and looked at the bill. “Oh my… that’s expensive… Maybe we shouldn’t have chosen that wine…”

He chuckled and hoofed her the remaining bits. “Here, let me help pay. I was the one that got the most expensive thing on the menu.”

She smiled and nodded, taking the bits as he got up, helping her up as well. They paid the bill and the pair walked home, Fluttershy beaming as she proudly showed the necklace off. They finally got home and Michael took off his suit jacket and hung it up.

“Stupid thing…” He muttered.

She kissed his cheek. “We’re gonna be married….” She squeed happily before she paused. “We still have to tell the others…”

“Do you think we should try and get them together tonight or wait till tomorrow?”

“I-I think we should wait… We should let them have Hearts and Hooves day to themselves…”

“Yeah… I’d feel bad for interrupting their day…” He chuckled. “To think, I’ve always hated weddings because I had to dress up in a suit.”

She grabbed his hoof. “As long as we stay together, I don’t care what you wear.”

He laughed and kissed her snout. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Rarity and Martin will make me wear it anyways..”

She giggled. “You look good in a suit though…”

He shuddered, his wings rustling. “I hate suits…”

She smiled and kissed his chin. “I promise you can take it off after the wedding…”

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine… just for you, I’ll wear the bloody thing…”

She smiled wider. “Yay…” She said her catchphrase.

He shook his head with a smile as someone laughed. “Aw… How cute…”

They turned to the sound of the voice and Discord laid on the couch, drinking something. “Discord?” They both said together.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just checking up on the two love birds…” He grimaced and saw the necklace. “Why I do say that’s a beauty... hehe… Be a shame if something were to happen…”

“If anything does, I’m going to get the girls to turn you back to stone.”

“Oh pff…” He looked at Fluttershy. “Your fiance has no sense of humor…”

She faintly smiled and held Michael’s hoof. “He was only teasing…”

“Fine…”

Discord got up and stretched. “Well as much as I want to bovver a certain pegasus, I should let you two ‘celebrate’, eh?” He chuckled. “Congrats Fluttershy, Michael.” He said, laughing as the two’s faces were bright red and disappeared.

Michael coughed and turned away to hide his blush. “Yes, well… ahem… w-what do you wanna do now?”

She wrapped her hooves around his neck and looked him in the eyes. “Well the day isn’t even close to being over… and we should celebrate…” She paused, her face getting redder as her eyelids seductively lowered.

“But how should we-oh…” He said, his wings popping out as his face got red. “Well… er…”

=

Hearts and Hooves day was finally over and everypony went back to normal. Any pony sadly hit with love potions or any of that kind returned, and a few days went by before the newly engaged decided to tell. They called the others to meet at the library, and Fluttershy and Michael sat in the lobby, whispering to themselves as AJ, Twilight, Rarity, Dash, Pinkie, Spike, and Martin were all having a discussion. Fluttershy stared intently at the ground. “I-I guess it’s time we tell them…” She gripped his hoof tightly.

He gulped. “I-I guess.” He looked up at the others and cleared his throat. They paused and looked at them. “H-hey guys, we have something to announce…” He said nervously, their faces red.

Martin tilted his head. “Alright then, we’re listening.”

“Well… me and Flutters… are en-engaged.” He muttered.

Everypony’s eyes widened. “W-what?” Martin asked, shocked.

Michael nodded as Fluttershy showed off the necklace. “I asked her yesterday… and she said yes.”

Martin got up and walked over to them. “Congrats mate!” He pulled him into a hug, lifting the pegasus off the ground. The others followed suit and hugged both Michael and Fluttershy.

They blushed more as the girls starting talking amongst themselves, mostly Rarity. Michael gulped, the girls circled around Fluttershy.
“Who’s gonna be your best man… stallion?” Martin asked curiously.

“Well… I was wondering if you would.”

Martin cheered and hugged him again. “Yes! Course I’ll be.”

Michael sighed, his face red. “Good, cause I didn’t know who else to ask… maybe Spike?”

They looked at Spike, who was busy staring at the rubies on Fluttershy’s necklace.

“I doubt he’ll be looking at anything but those all day.” Martin chuckled.

Mike grinned. “Hey Spike!” he called, and walked over to the small dragon.

Spike jumped slightly and looked at the pegasus. “Don’t scare me like that.”

Mike sat down next to him. “Wasn’t intentional…” He paused. “Hey Spike?”

“Yeah?”

“Wanna be my second best man?”

He blinked, surprised. “M-me?”

“Of course, who else would I want besides you and Martin?” he asked with a small smile.

He took a deep breath. “Don’t cry Spike..” He muttered to himself. “Y-yeah!”

Mike pulled him into a hug. “Thanks buddy.” He let go and held out a hoof, which Spike bumped with his claw.

“Course.”

Michael smiled and got up, rubbing a hoof across his face as the girls continued to chatter with Fluttershy.

Martin grinned at his friend. “Can’t believe it… you’re getting married mate.”

Mike nodded, looking tired. “Yeah… neither can I.”

“And I thought you’d never be brave enough to ask anyone..” He chuckled. “Guess time changes us all.”

“Aye… not even sure how I did… just sorta happened.” He shrugged. “How about you and AJ?”

Martin laughed. “Oh no. Definitely no. At least not yet. Course I love her, but that’s a huge step you’re making. And more than half her family doesn’t even know about me yet.” He shook his head. “How’s that gonna end?”

Michael gulped nervously. “Well… we talked about telling her parents…”

“Aye? Is that a problem?”

“They don’t know about us…”

“Oh…” He thought for a moment. “Well what’s the worst that’s gonna happen, aye? Not like her father’s gonna kill you. And I’m sure her mother will be very nice. That kindness had to come from somepony.”

Michael leaned close and whispered, “that’s what I’m hoping for. But I still feel bad about not meeting her parents first.”

Martin shrugged. “I dunno… I wish I could meet Jacky’s parents…” He sighed. “Fraid that won’t ever happen.”

“That’s what Flutters said..” Mike paused and looked at him. “Jacky?”

“Yes, what about it?”

“Nothing…”

They chuckled. “Anyways, do you already know when the wedding’s gonna be?”

Michael shook his head. “We haven’t planned that far. I’ll let her decide though…” He sighed. “Well..”

“Something wrong mate?”

“Nothing… just stayed up late last night thinking…” He stared at the ceiling. “To think, a few months ago, I was looking for an easy way out and you were recovering from her… then we got transported to magical pony land… and we each found a special person.”

“Aye… it’s been a weird turn of events.”

“Can’t say I expected this, now can we?”

“Nah, no one could have foreseen this. At least not our world, sure John might have known. Maybe someone else too, don’t know how this ‘magic’ stuff works. Maybe even humans that used to live in this world, God only knows.”

“Well… wouldn’t go that far.” He paused. “I wonder if anyone misses us?”

Martin sighed. “Let’s not talk about it…”

Mike sat down and ran a hoof through his mane. “I can’t stop… ever since I proposed, I can’t but think of the people back on Earth…” He shook his head. “Maybe I’m going crazy, eh?”

Martin laughed. “What do you mean going? I thought we were both crazy already.”

“Touche...”

He smiled and nodded. “Our lives continue here, the future. The past is long gone. Let’s focus on what lies ahead so we can assure it’s safe for those we love, aye?”

“Aye…” Michael looked up at his friend. “But I can’t help to ask, would you have?”

“What?”

“Would you have gone back after the month?”

Martin sighed and looked up. “Depends… if some things wouldn’t have happened… maybe…”

Mike nodded. “That’s what I assumed, but I had to ask.”

“But I’m happy with the way things are.” He smiled. “And I’ll try and make sure you and the others are safe. Cause that’s the way I prefer it, all of ya out of danger.”

Michael smiled and chuckled. “Us? Out of trouble on this planet? I highly doubt such a thing exist... “ He sighed. “Sometimes I feel like Krillin here..”

“What would I do without me meat shield?”

“Seems you do perfectly fine without me.”

“Na, I need ya. Yer me best mate, basically me brother. I would die to protect you, almost did but you caught the dagger for me.”

“Oh fun times, I’m still a bit hazy there…” He scratched his head. “I remember seeing John, then something with his lantern exploding…”

“It was loud… there was a lot of blood, my blood… ummm yeah. It was bad.”

“Yea, things that happen to us, I’m sure would make for good television, eh?”

“Yeah, I’m sure little children would love to see ya fall down the stairs a few times.”

“Pfff, it’s what I’m good at.” He looked at the girls, still gossiping, well, mostly Rarity. “They’re a real blessing, aren’t they?”

Martin nodded. “Yeah… well as long as they don’t pull a dagger out of my leg and make me lose a few liters of blood… yeah. They are a true blessing.”
They are a true blessing.”

He rolled his eyes. “At least you got to keep the leg. Without Twilight, we’d still be wandering the forest… or dead.”

“Yeah… guess we owe her our lives.”

“Yeah…”

“I’m sure we can repay her somehow. But first we have to worry about that wedding of yours and you surviving the meeting with her parents.”

They laughed. “I’m sure it’ll go over well… I mean, at least I have semi-good health insurance.”

“What’s health insurance?” He chuckled.

“Hmm… good point.” They chuckled to themselves. “I think Redheart will kill the next one of us that gets hurt.”

“I think she might get a little annoyed with us at one point.”

“Well we did practically live in the hospital for the first few weeks, at least I did.”

“Eeyup…”

Michael sighed. “Well… I guess the next big step in my life is fast approaching.”

“And I’m sure you’re ready for it.”

“Me too… I think it’s time I settle down… I’m not built for all this fighting…”

“That’s for sure…”

“Hey! I’ve never fought with a dagger before.”

“That was painfully obvious.”

“Well excuse me princess…” Michael grinned. “You’ll be there to help right?”

“Of course mate, can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Good… imma need all the help I can get.”

Martin laughed and patted his back. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. Now come on, we got plans ta make.” Martin pushed Michael towards the group.

“Oh joy…” Michael muttered, the two of them joining the conversation.

He walked over and took Fluttershy’s hoof, smiling at her as she leaned over and kissed him. Everything will work out… He looked over his assembled friends and smiled, all of them smiling back. Yeah… everything will be fine.

Author's Note

Well... I finally did it. It's done, and I hope it was worth the wait. I really enjoyed writing this... Thinking back, what started as a random rp turned into the second longest story I've ever written. But it's better to end it before it got to convoluted and confusing, which it was heading into. I hope you enjoyed the ending... I think it'll be the last time I visit this universe... So till next time!

1 - The All Important Opener

A Bad Day to Fish
By- FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 1 - The All Important Opener

It was a bright autumn day, the sun high in the sky as a gentle breeze swept through the beach, sand billowing into little tornadoes that tore through the dunes. The water rippled as a mellow wave washed on the sandy shore, a sand crab scurrying across the beach.

A small wooden boat sat motionless on the ocean, save for the small waves lapping against it. Two men sat back to back holding fishing poles in between their legs.

The taller of the two wore a pair of thick glasses that pressed against his nose. On his head was an old worn out fedora, the brown completely faded. His brown hair was ruffled by the breeze, falling in front of his emerald eyes. He groaned and quickly lifted the hat up and pushed the hair underneath it before setting back firmly on his head. The back of his neck was turning a bright red, having been in the sun since it rose. His off-white shirt clung to his back as he bent down to grab a bottle of water. He drank the water so fast that a few drops escaped his mouth and traveled down his beard. His blue jeans were worn and had a few holes towards the bottom. His cell phone and iPod were nestled in opposite pockets, along with his wallet. He wiggled his toes in their gray tennis shoes, trying to get feeling back into them.

The other passenger was just shy of his height, maybe a hair shorter. They both looked the same age as they stared vacantly at their respective fishing poles, his aqua blue eyes glinting in the reflected sunlight. He wore a black t-shirt with the logo of the computer game ‘Minecraft’ with a creeper head right below it, along with faded blue jeans and worn sneakers. A cell phone and knife rested nicely in his right pocket. His dirty blonde hair hung just before his shoulders and hung over his eyes as he almost looked asleep. He yawned and stretched, his back popping loudly. "Have you caught anything yet?"

The other man glanced backwards. "Not yet… like I said, it's mostly a waiting game." He seemed to whisper.

He sighed. "I hate waiting; why can't they just take the damn worm already?"

The other chuckled. "Then it wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as catching them after waiting."

"I guess." He paused. "Hey Mike, can ya hand me a water?"

"Sure." Mike said as he bent towards the cooler and grabbed another one and passed it.

"Thanks."

The water bubbled not too far away from their small boat and Mike looked towards it. "Hey Martin, you see that right?" Mike asked, pointing to the bubbles.

"Yeah, I wonder if it's a fish." Martin thought, scratching his chin.

"I'm not sure but there's only one way to find out." Mike said, pulling his line in and casting it towards the bubbles. The bobber stayed on the surface as the bubbles seemed to disappear.

After a moment of silence, Martin sighed. "Huh, guess whatever was there is gone now." He said as they watched the spot.

"I'm not sure; I'm getting a bad feeling." Mike said as he started reeling in. The pole suddenly went rigid; the bobber violently vanished as the reel spewed out line like crazy, spinning at a high speed. Mike held on as the pole bent and the boat lurched to the right, almost causing both to be launched into the water.

"What the hell is it?" Martin yelled as he grabbed the side of the boat.

"No idea, but it's a strong one!" Mike said as he tried to turn the reel again, it wouldn’t budge. Whatever is on the other side of it was taking a lot of line, the spool almost empty.

They were silent as they viciously grappled with the pole and tried not to take an early swim as the boat thrashed violently. "Dude, just let go of the damn pole, we can get another one!" Martin yelled.

"I'm not letting go, it was a gift." Mike said, determined to keep the pole and get whatever was on the other side.

A small shadow appeared as a pair of horns emerged from the water but they weren't the same; one a deer antler, the other of a goat. Whatever it was, the body kept rising until it was completely out of the water, its fur still wet. Its head was equine in shape but wasn’t normal, having a smaller head than most. The body was a mash up animal body parts; its right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right leg of a lizard, and the left leg of a goat. It also had a pair of wings, one was a bat wing, the other a Pegasus wing. It had a short mane with a little goatee on its chin and a spiky tail.

Its yellow eyes stared at them as they stared at the creature with a hook in its mouth. "Well that wasn't very nice. And to think this was my vacation." It said.

Both mouths dropped open as they looked at each other. "It can talk." Martin said.

Suddenly it was in the boat with them. "I can and it's rude to talk about someone when they're a few feet away." It said. It grabbed the hook out of its mouth and licked his lips before it spit out the worm. "Always hated worms, unless it was the candy flavored ones."

"What… what are you?" Mike asked.

"I'm Discord, pleasure to meet you." It said, holding out its eagle claw. Mike hesitantly shook it and started to twitch as the little buzzer electrocuted him. Discord laughed as he pulled his hand away from Mike's and showed Martin the little buzzer. "That joke never gets old." Discord said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Wait, you said earlier you were on vacation?" Martin asked.

Discord stretched. "Well yeah, you see it gets mighty boring when everypony knows what you're going to do, so I decided I needed to take a little break."

"Everypony?"

Discord laughed. "Oh right, humans are the dominant species here." He shook his head. "I always forget to not say anything." He said with a shrug.

"What are you talking about?"

Discord ignored him. "Would you guys like to go for a swim?"

"Not especially, no." Mike said, looking at Discord.

Discord laughed. "Well you're no fun." He smiled as he laughed. "Then how bout this; I personally like winter, don’t you?"

"…Yes?" Mike said, staring at Martin.

"Oh splendid, then you wouldn’t mind." Discord snapped his fingers as the water started to spin and the boat suddenly disappeared.

Martin and Mike fell into the water as it swirled into a whirlpool. They gasped for air as they were pulled to the bottom. Before either of them could scream, their body was stretched and warped, as if they were being pulled through a vacuum. They were both about to pass out without air, till they were suddenly flying. They looked down and saw that they'd crash into a forest rather fast as both tried to slow down their momentum.

"Oh shit!" Martin said as he waved his arms, trying to stop himself. He looked over and saw Mike try and slow down using his shirt like a parachute.

Neither of them were successful in slowing down and the ground came much faster than either expected before they landed. They both moaned in pain and looked up to see themselves surrounded by a large forest, the trees towering overhead. They both passed out from the pain moments later.

=

Mike opened his eyes, seeing in a haze as his head pounded like he'd been struck with a hammer. "With all my hate Thor…" He muttered, holding his head with the palm of his hand. He groaned as he leaned up and was expecting more pain but it just felt like he was battered around by a professional boxer. He looked up at the sky and noticed the sun seemed to have disappeared, the moon shining brightly. He stared at it and noticed something was off about it but he couldn’t place what. “What the hell?”

"Michael? I NEED HELP!!!" Martin's terrified voice interrupted his thoughts.

Mike looked around and saw what looked like someone was dragged. He followed the trail to see Martin dangling over the edge of a cliff, his hands grasping a rock.

"Get your one eyed ass over here, I'm not too keen on FALLING TO MY DEATH!!" Martin yelled.

Mike rolled his eyes as he bent down and whistled as he peered at the bottom. "That's a pretty far drop…" He grabbed Martin's arm and started to pull him up. "Is that anyway to talk to the guy that's gonna save your life?" He grunted in pain. "Come on, up and at 'em."

"You son of a bit- I mean, dearest Michael, please pull me up faster! I don’t know how much longer I can hold on." Martin said. Mike finally pulled him up and they sat on the edge of the cliff for a moment. "Thanks mate." Martin said, trying to get feeling back into his arms. He looked around and noticed that they're in a pitch black forest. "Do you know where we are?"

Mike chuckled as he tried to get air. "No problem, no one's learning to fly on my watch." He paused and caught his breath. "Not a clue, moon looks weird though, yet strangely familiar."

Martin paused and stared at the moon as he rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm… you're right, I have seen that pattern before…" He looked over the cliff and saw faint twinkling lights in the distance. "Hey look; there might be a town over there!" He pointed in the general area.

Mike took his glasses off and wiped them on his shirt before putting them back on and squinted. "Well I can't see it but I'll take your word for it." Some creature roared behind them as Mike looked behind them. "…Did you hear that?" The roaring seemed to get louder but he still couldn’t see anything. "I think those lights are a good place to start looking."

Martin nodded his head. "I'd have to agree." He squinted at the ground and saw a very loose dirt path that led towards the lights. "Hey look, I think it's a path…" He staggered to his feet and started to make his way towards the path.

Mike followed close behind. "At least my glasses didn’t break or I'd be blinder than a bat." He paused and looked around the forest. "I wonder where we are…"

As they continued to wander around in the dark, a putrid odor seemed to arise from close by. Martin pinched his nose shut. "Do you smell that?" He asked.

Mike sniffed the air and started to cough; it smelt like wet grass, moss, and there was a faint odor of rotten flesh. He closed his nose. "Smells terrible."

The forest felt as if it got smaller and a lot more dangerous. The growling didn't help them feel any more secure. Martin gulped as he started to walk a little faster. "I don’t think I wanna stay here… you know, I think running is the best we can do right now!" He said rather loudly, starting to jog.

Mike caught up to him. "Not a bad idea!" He heard something chasing them. "Running faster would be a good idea." He said as he started to pass Martin as Martin caught up.

"You a fast runner?" He asked as he comfortably ran with Mike.

"Use to be, back in high school." Mike started to slow down. "It's been a few years though…" He said, out of breath.

Martin slowed down a tad to keep up with him. "Just in case you fall over, I'll carry you. Need to keep my meat shield close." He chuckled.

Mike went to say something and turned his head, only to notice something behind them and his face paled. He quickly stopped and went behind Martin and started to push him. "MUST RUN, MUST RUN FASTER!" He said as he pushed.

"DUDE; if you want me to run faster, just say so!" Martin yelled as he ran faster, leaving Mike to stumble briefly. After running full speed for a few minutes, he faintly saw moonlight at the end of the tree line. "I can see the end of the forest!" He yelled, pointing in front of him.

Mike finally caught up to him. "What a relief, cause there's a big monster chasing us." He said, out of breath.

Martin's eyes grew wide before he groaned and threw his arms in the air. "Oh that's just great!"

Suddenly the forest ended abruptly and before them lied a small village. They stood and stared as they tried to decipher what they saw. The village looked like it came from some period before the Medieval Era, the houses made of wood and the roofs thatched together; most seemed to be built around a central circular area, a statue and well in the middle. Most of the buildings were one story, but every now and again there was a two story, along with two large buildings. A tree seemed to be in the dead center of the town. A few buildings seemed to be a ways away from the town and what seemed to be a farm house was barely noticeable.

They both shook their heads a few times as Mike bent down and held his side. "I need to work out more…" He muttered.

In the distance, a small lavender pony with a horn on its forehead seemed to be carrying a baby purple and green dragon on its back while being followed by a yellow pony with wings. Martin stared at it before rubbing his eyes.

"Do you see what I see?" Mike whispered.

"A purple pony that has a horn carrying a baby dragon while being tailed by a yellow pony with wings…. Not that far away!?" Martin answered, his jaw open in shock.

Mike sighed and calmly looked at him. "Ok good, just I wanted to make sure I wasn't seeing things." His chest seemed to constrict and deflate as he started to hyperventilate.

"Maybe we're dreaming?" Martin thought as he punched himself between the legs. He deflated and whimpered in pain. "No… it's not a dream." He said in a high pitch voice.

"Why did you do that?" Mike asked dumbfounded.

"I'm a heavy sleeper, so a pinch wouldn’t work."

"Hmm… good point." Mike said as he punched himself in the face. His nose cracked and blood started to pour out. "Nope; definitely not a dream!" He yelled as he tried to realign the broken bone.

Neither of them noticed in their throes of pain that both ponies and dragon had heard their shouts and whimpers and looked towards their direction. "Did you hear that?" The lavender one asked.

"Um… no?" The yellow one answered, hiding behind her mane.

As Martin held his hurt pride he noticed that the ponies had looked their way. "Oh crap…"

Mike turned around and saw it also. "What do we do?" He asked, panicking.

Martin frantically dove into the bush nearby. "Hide!!"

"No shit…" Mike whispered as he started to climb a tree nearby.

The ponies had slowly made their way towards the humans as Mike tried to stop his nose as the two ponies were right below him.

"Twilight… um… if you don’t mind me suggesting… maybe we should go back and get the others? I mean, if that’s ok with you." The yellow pegasus asked, her face hidden.

Twilight shook her head. "Didn’t you hear those noises and grunts of pain? What if somepony is in trouble?" She reasoned as she continued to search nearby.

As she got too close to the bush that he was hiding in, Martin grabbed a rock and threw it in the opposite direction. When it landed, both ponies' ears stood straight up and they cautiously headed in that direction.

"Nice diversion." Mike whispered as he gave Martin the thumbs up.

He smiled. "Had it all planned."

Suddenly Twilight's ear turned towards Martin. "Did you hear that?" She asked as she looked at the bush.

Mike glared at him as Martin gave him a sheepish smile. "Got a backup plan?" Mike asked. Blood dripped from his nose and a small drop landed on the yellow pony's nose. She didn’t notice it at first but when she did, her eyes dilated in fear and she screamed. Everyone jumped as she screamed and Mike lost balance and fell out of the tree, landing on the ground with a sickening crunch. "…My rib…" He muttered.

Martin quickly jumped out of the bush and ran towards him as the ponies and dragon stared in wonder and fear at the two creatures. "Are you alright mate?"

Mike blinked and saw Martin, his vision blurry. "Just a rib… maybe a concussion." Suddenly two more Martins appeared. "Hey, you didn’t tell me you knew how to clone yourself."

He stared at Mike. "What?"

Mike turned his head slightly too and started to laugh, a bit of blood beginning to pool out of his mouth. "And you didn’t tell me you had a pet purple pony…"

Martin's eyes grew wide as he realized what Mike meant. "Oh… shit…" He slowly turned his head and saw the two ponies staring at them, their eyes wide in shock.

"The yellow one is pretty." Mike said as his head bounced against the ground again. "Ow…"

Martin looked at Mike before he grabbed a random stone. "There's only one thing to do!" He said before smacking himself in the head with the rock and fell over, unconscious.

"Ha! His head was between a rock and a hard place." Mike murmured before passing out.

The ponies stared at each other, Fluttershy more scared than confused. "What… what are they?" She asked, barely mumbling.

"I'm not sure… but we can't just leave them here…" Twilight said, staring at them.

"What are we going to do? What can we do? "

Twilight thought for a moment before she closed her eyes and her horn started to glow. The two humans levitated as her horn glowed brighter. "We need to bring them somewhere safe."

"Um… ok… if you think that’s what we should do…" She muttered as she followed Twilight as she headed towards the library.

The quintet soon arrived at the library. Spike hopped off Twilight's back as he stared at the two humans. "I wonder what they are…"

"I'm not sure Spike, but we'll figure it out as soon as they wake up." Twilight said as she levitated them to the couches. "I think we need to get the rest of the girls, maybe even send a letter to the Princess."

Spike nodded.

Twilight looked at the strange creatures briefly before yawning. "Fluttershy, do you think you could look after them? I'm not too good with animals… you know?" She asked.

She eeped and quivered slightly. "Oh… um… ok…" She whispered. "I mean, if you think I should…"

Twilight nodded. "Don’t worry about your pets; I'll have Spike check on them in a little bit. But get some rest ok? We'll get the others tomorrow morning. The guest room is over there." She pointed with a hoof at the door under the stairs.

"Ok… thanks for letting me spend the night."

"It's nothing, make yourself at home." Twilight smiled as she walked upstairs, Spike leaving to go check on her animals.

"Goodnight…" Fluttershy whispered.

"'Night." Twilight said before disappearing upstairs.

Author's Note

Yeah... Thought we'd collaborate on an 'official' story. Let me know what ya think... I'm interested in the responses. Please feel free to destroy it if you want. If ya see a mistake, please let me know so I can fix it... I re-read it a few times and fixed what I saw but I'm sure I missed plenty.

12 - Avoiding the Truth

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 12 - Avoiding the Truth

The first rays of the sun made their way through the still clouded sky, hitting Martin through the window. He grunted, opening his eyes and looking at the small guest room. He slowly got up and walked towards the door, opening and glancing around in the dim light; no pony was up yet. It was still silent; the ticking of the clock rang loudly. He made his way down stairs and into the living room, walking over to the book shelves and scanned them, looking for something to pass the time. He paused at a book called The Spirits of Equestria and grabbed it, sitting down on the couch and started to read.

A few hours later, he heard clawed feet coming down the stairs and he looked up to see Spike, who waved at him while he made his way into the kitchen. Martin smiled at him, going back to reading his book.

Twilight soon followed, her bed mane the same as before. She yawned and headed towards the bathroom. "Morning Martin." She said, before shutting the door.

He wasn’t paying attention and simply nodded.

A few minutes later, she came out, her mane and tail brushed. She trotted over to him. "Whatcha reading?"

"Breakfast will be ready in a few." Spike said from the kitchen.

Martin turned to look at her. "Reading something about Discord…"

"Oh?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

He sighed. "Making a deal with the God of Chaos might have been one of the worst things I've ever did…"

She nodded. "What's done is done, you can't change it. But you can be ready for him next time." She reassured him, giving him a small smile.

"Guess…" He replied. He got up with a sigh and placed the book back before heading into the kitchen and sitting down at the table.

Spike set the now usual plate of pancakes in front of him and a daisy sandwich in front of Twilight. He went to put another plate down and paused. "Hehe… guess I got used to making food for three…" He said sheepishly.

Martin chuckled. "Yep… who knows if he'll come back; he might go with Fluttershy. They seem to get closer with everything that happens…"

Twilight nodded. "They do… surprisingly…." She paused before she broke into a smile. "But they make such a cute couple!" She squealed, clapping her forehooves together. Spike looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Umm… sure…" Martin agreed, eating.

She blushed and started to eat her sandwich. "So when are you heading over to AJ's?" She asked after she finished chewing.

He looked at the clock. "'Bout an hour or so."

She nodded. "So is there something going on between the two of you?" She asked, looking at him.

He choked on his pancakes, hitting himself on the chest. "Pardon?"

"Well… it just seems like there's some sort of 'something' between you two… I can't put my hoof on it though… And the way you acted when Mike brought her up suggests something…" She continued to look at him.

Both of his eyes widened, glancing left to right. "Um… no…" He said, quickly finishing his pancakes. "I-I better get in the shower…" He said, avoiding her eyes and left to the bathroom.

She watched him leave and sighed, looking at Spike. "Did I say something wrong?"

He shook his head. "I don’t know Twilight…"

Martin took a quick shower and dried his hair before he was out the door. "I should pay Rarity a visit first…" He muttered, putting his boots on. He left the library, saying goodbye to Twilight and Spike.

They waved goodbye and he walked down the familiar road to Rarity's. He hadn't seen Pinkie since yesterday and he was slightly nervous she would appear in front of him. He made it to the Boutique rather quickly and opened the door, the bell going off.

"Just a moment!" Rarity said.

He looked around, it wasn’t as messy as it was the first time he had visited and he stood in the middle of the Boutique waiting for the white unicorn. He heard hoof steps behind him. "Well good morning darling, how's the arm?"

He smiled at her. "It's better, thanks for asking. How are you?"

She smiled. "I'm wonderful darling, thank you for asking. I assume you're here to see if I made any more clothes for you?"

He nodded. "Indeed I am."

She motioned for him to follow. "I didn’t have enough time as I wished, but I still managed to make a few pairs." She led him into the room he had came to last time and there were at least four more pairs of the clothes he was wearing, just different colors; mostly dark brown or black with one white pair.

He looked at the different clothes and smiled. "Thanks a lot Rarity, is there anything I can do to repay the favor?"

She shook her head. "Not at the moment but thanks for asking. I'll let you know if I need something."

He took a white button shirt and a pair of blue jean-trousers and walked into the changing room. He came out a few minutes later, wearing his new clothes. "Thanks a bunch, I'll be off then..." He waved at her before leaving the Boutique, heading towards the farm.

"Ta-ta darling!" She yelled.

When he got to the farm, he easily spotted the orange mare in front of the barn and he walked up to her. "Hey AJ, how are ya?" He asked.

She wiped sweat off from underneath her hat. "Ah'm fine, just getting' started on the morinin' chores. How 'bout you?" She asked.

"Can't complain… arm still annoying with the sling around." He said, looking down.

She nodded. "Ah figured as such." She looked around. "So Ah take it you came ta see if ya can help?"

"Yep, that’s what I'm here for."

She put a hoof to her chin. "Ah think Big Mac could use some help organizin' the apples, if ya wanted to see if ya can give him a hand."

"Sure I can do that…" He walked past her into the barn, the tall red stallion going apple by apple through the baskets. "Hey Big Mac, doing good?"

He looked up to stare at the human. "Eeyup."

Martin smiled. "AJ said I could help ya with something?"

He blinked. "Eeyup." He hooved him a basket. "Any bad apples, toss 'em into that bin." He pointed to another barrel before getting back to work.

Martin looked at the basket. Seems simple enough… He followed Big Mac's example and began sorting apples. It was silent in the barn, neither really having much to say. At least an hour passed before he left the barn, shielding his eyes as they adjusted back to the sunlight.

He watched AJ kick a tree nearby and all the apples fell off and into baskets placed around the trunk. She paused and moved to the next one, continuing the cycle. He walked towards her. "Um… AJ?"

She turned to look at him. "Hmm?" She asked, kicking a tree. "Whatcha need sugarcube?"

"Well… do ya need help with anything else?" He asked her as she moved to the next tree.

She paused in mid-kick. "Maybe ya can help out Applebloom with feedin' the pigs? If yer up to it." She said, looking at his arm.

"What's the worst that could happen, aye?"

She looked at him. "Didn’t Mike say that before the manticore tore his side open?"

He thought for a moment. "Um… it's just pigs, it's not like they’ll eat my leg or something."

She laughed. "You'd be surprised what they do when their hungry."

He looked at her, horrified. "What?"

She shook her head. "Ah mean if yer too chicken, Ah'd understand, everyone has a fear of something."

He shook his head. "No… don’t worry, I can do it."

She nodded her head. "The pen is on the other side of the barn; watch out for the apple cellar… Ah'll see ya later." She said as she started walking away.

"Ok…" He said, turning around and he walked to the pen. He knew he was there by the smell, it wasn’t pleasant nor unbearable. He saw a small yellow filly with a red mane and a big pink bow in it holding a bucket in her mouth. "Hey Applebloom."

She stared at him in awe, dropping the bucket. "What are ya, yer huge!" She said, her eyes wide.

He looked at her in surprise. "Um… I'm Martin… I was here loads of times before, but we only met once if I recall…"

She still stared at him. "Weren't you tha one that brought mah sister home?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that’s me."

She latched onto his leg. "Thanks fer saving mah big sister." She said, squeezing his leg.

He looked at her. "I'd do it again, don’t worry." He said with a smile.

She smiled and hopped off, quickly explaining how to feed the pigs and she giggled. "Ah never thought Ah'd have ta tell somepony how to feed pigs before."

He shrugged. "Wouldn’t have expected to ever feed any."

The two of them quickly fed the pigs and he noticed AJ watching. When she saw him looking at her, she blushed and went back to apple bucking. They finished rather fast and when they left the pen, both were covered in slob and mud.

He sighed, slightly tired as he looked at his muddy clothes. "Rarity will have my head… but it was worth it." He smiled at the filly.

She nodded, mud flinging everywhere. "It was really fun! Ah rarely get help when feedin' them."

He smiled as the filly stood in waist deep mud. "How bout we rest, aye?"

She nodded and ran over to the barn, Big Mac walking out. She stopped and talked to him real fast as he looked over at Martin and gave a small nod before they left to the main house. Something cooking wafted through the air. Martin climbed over the small fence and made sure the pigs couldn’t get out.

He headed to the main house, knocking on the open door. "'Ello?"

"Come on in whippersnapper!" An elderly voice said as he slowly walked in. An old green mare sat rocking in her rocking chair.

"'ello there, I don’t think we've met yet."

"Names Granny Smith." She said, looking at him. "And you must be one of those humans that AJ keeps mention'… what's yer name? Melvin, Mark, Mart?"

"Martin." He said, taking off his boots and leaving them by the door.

She waved a hoof at him. "Well nice ta meet cha… AJ told me a lot 'bout cha… Says ya broke yer arm?"

He nodded. "'Bout right… ya."

Applebloom came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of apple fritters on her head. "Wanna try one? AJ and I made them yesterday."

As he grabbed one, he noticed Big Mac leave through the back door, heading towards the trees where AJ was headed. He took a bite. "Juft as goof af they look." He said, chewing on it.

Applebloom smiled and hopped back into the kitchen and Granny Smith had nodded off. There were a round of knocks at the front door and two fillies ran inside, passing Martin and went into the kitchen. He looked at them and noticed the young orange pegasus. He shrugged and walked outside, putting his boots back on. He walked along the trees, looking at the apples.

There were hoof steps behind him and he turned around, AJ carrying several baskets full of apples to the farm, she didn’t seem to notice him.

He quickly ran up to her and grabbed a basket. "'Ello there…"

"Howdy yerself." She panted. "Woo wee, Ah'm beat." She said, leading the way to the barn.

When they got in the barn, he put the basket down and grabbed one of the apples and handed it to her. "Hey Applejack, ya look like ya could use this." He said.

She eyed it for a moment before she took it and bit into it, humming happily as she smiled at him. "So what are ya gonna do now?"

He looked out of the barn. "Not sure, maybe pay the smithy a visit."

"Been meanin' ta go there mahself… the plow is on its last legs and Ah wanna see if he can coax a few more years outta it." She said.

"Ya wanna come along?" He asked, heading towards the barn door.

"Sure, why not?"

He smiled and waited for her as she grabbed the plow and strapped it to her back. They left and headed towards the smithy. He looked at it. "Geez… that thing looks like its at least fifty years old…"

"Been in mah family since mah granddad." She looked at it sadly. "But its bout time ta get a new one before next season or it's gonna be hard to prepare the land."

He stared at it again. "'Bout time I guess."

She laughed. "Wish it was that easy but with Granny Smith hip going we cant afford a new one at the moment, so we just gotta make do."

He nodded and looked at the ground. "I was going to ask Forgehammer if he had a job for me."

She looked at him. "The old smithy; he's still there? Ah thought he retired and passed it to his son last year."

He shrugged. "I don’t know; I wasn’t there now, was I?"

"Well did he have a scar on his left eye?"

He nodded. "Yeah… if I remember correctly."

She laughed. "Well Ah'll be… the old coot is still there." She began to trot.

He walked a little faster to catch up. "Why so speedy… in a rush?"

She nodded. "Crazy coot taught me everything Ah know on how ta fix things… He was like a father that Ah never had…" She said, frowning.

They arrived at the shop and Martin walked up to it, knocking on the door a few times before opening it and entering. "'Ello mate." He said, greeting the elderly pony.

Forgehammer waved a hoof at him before smiling when he saw AJ. He ran over and gave her a hug. "Well I'll be… AJ, I haven't seen you in years, since you were a wee filly!" He laughed. "How's your old man? He hasn’t been in and I still have…" He trailed off when she lowered her head and her shoulders sagged, her hat covering her eyes.

Martin placed a hand on her shoulder and she tensed before looking up, pain hidden in her eyes. "Hey Forge; Ah was wonderin' if ya could fix the old plow?" She asked, motioning towards it.

He nodded. "It'll be my pleasure." He said, taking it from her and dropping it on the anvil.

Martin looked at the different weapons again, almost as if he was a kid in a candy store, but he glanced at AJ from time to time, noticing that sad look was back on her face. She watched Forge work on the plow, standing off to the side silently.

Martin took off the sling and grabbed one of the swords with his right hand, checking the balance and weight of the sword but Forge got his attention and subtly shook his head towards AJ, motioning for him to try and cheer her up. He stared at the smithy dumbfounded, pointing at himself in surprise.

The smithy smacked his head and more violently motioned for him to talk to her. Martin hesitated but hung the sword back up on the wall and walked over to her. He stood there for a moment, trying to think what to say. "Um… AJ, ya seem a little distracted."

She blinked and stared at nothing before shaking her head and looked at him. "Huh? Sorry, Ah was just thinkin'."

He looked at her. "Maybe you should do something… ya know... something to get them off your mind…"

She tilted her head slightly. "What did ya have in mind?"

He scratched the back of his head. "…Maybe a drink at the pub?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Remember the last time Ah had a drink?"

"Umm… maybe I could tag along to make sure you don’t drink too much…" He added quickly.

"I say go have a few, it'll take me a few hours to finish this thing anyway." Forge said. "Go have fun you two."

Martin looked at him, surprised. He winked at Martin and AJ sighed. "Ah guess if Ah had someone to there ta make sure Ah don’t overdo it." She looked at him.

Martin nodded. "Go ahead, I'll be right there." He waited for her to leave before he walked over to Forge. "How am I supposed to pay for the drinks?" He asked, panicked.

"Calm your britches." The smithy looked at him. "I'm getting too old to run this shop by myself and you seem to have some knowledge in this stuff, so how bout you work here as an attendant and pay back the bits I let you borrow?"

Martin stared at the pony. "Course, I'd do nothing more happily." He held out his left hand.

The smithy shook it quickly before tossing him a small bag of bits. "I suggest you hurry; it's not a good idea to keep a mare waiting." He said, winking before going back to work. Martin went to leave but Forge cleared his throat. "Shop opens at seven; I expect you to be there."

Martin turned his head. "I'll be there." Forge nodded and started working on the plow. Martin quickly ran outside, AJ waiting. "Sorry that took so long." He said with a small blush.

She nodded and quietly started heading back into town, heading towards the pub.

He walked next to her. "How's it at the pub?"

"Not too bad, not too crowded and nicely vented for yer smokers." She said, paying attention to the road.

He nodded. "Never was too keen about the whole smoking thing, but I guess I'll have to live with it, aye?"

"Aye… some ponies like it Ah guess, says it relaxes them."

"I'll never understand them." He said, seeing the pub in the distance.

"Not as crowded as it usually is." She said, stretching her neck.

He looked around. "Well it's not very late."

"Ah guess, the afternoon crowd will probably be here soon."

They walked up to the counter and the barpony eyed Martin. "What'll you have?"

He looked around for some sort of menu, but he couldn’t find it. "I'll take what she's having." He said, pointing to AJ.

The barpony raised an eyebrow before he mixed two drinks so fast that neither of them could follow. "Two Appletails." He said, passing a glass to each of them.

Martin grabbed the glass with his right hand, only realizing he forgot his sling in the smith. He raised his glass slightly towards AJ. "Let's hope ya'll feel a little better."

She nodded and smacked her glass against his before downing it in one gulp. She placed the empty glass on the counter and the barpony gave her a glass of water.

Martin stared at her empty glass; he hadn't even taken a single sip. He raised the small glass and took a sip; the strong taste of alcohol and sour apple entered his mouth, the aroma spread through his body, warming him.

The barpony looked at him and put a glass of water on the counter for him before giving AJ another shot and left to deal with another customer. "A little strong fer you?" She asked, sipping the second shot.

He emptied his first glass and put it down. "Nah… it's ok, nothing I'd drink regularly." He grabbed the water and washed the apple taste out of his mouth and dulled the alcohol.

"It's ok, it's not fer everybody." She said, resting against the bar. He nodded and put the empty glass of water on the bar. "So what's the real reason we're here?" She asked, staring into the glass.

The barpony came back and gave Martin another shot; he quickly thanked him before downing the entire glass, hoping it'll loosen his tongue. "…Well… I'd hope to get your mind of everything that’s bothering ya… it isn't nice to see your friends sad. I think you can imagine."

"Can't change the past, no matter how much ya want."

He nodded. "'Fraid so…"

She looked at him. "Remember back when you made the deal with Discord and Dash said something about the 'Elements of Harmony'?"

He thought for a moment. "Yeah… why?"

"Ah'm the Element of Honesty." She simply said.

"And?" He asked, getting another shot. He stared at it glumly but drank a little bit anyway.

"Ah can tell when ya lie and Ah know Michael was lying the other day bout what he was gonna stay." She stared into his eyes.

He nervously looked back at her. "Um…"

"So what was he gonna say that had you act all crazy?"

"It really ain't important…" He said hastily.

She raised an eyebrow. "It's got ya flustered, sounds pretty important ta me."

He stared at the bottom of the empty glass. I can't just tell her, what the hell would she think… He was silent.

"Well?" She asked, staring at him.

The pub door flew open. "THERE YOU TWO ARE!" Pinkie yelled, running over to them. "I've been looking for the two of you all day; it's hard planning a party when one of the VIPs doesn't show." She said, looking at Martin.

He sighed in relief as he put down the glass and paid for the drinks. AJ glared at her pink friend, then at Martin, giving him a 'this ain't over' look. "Well come you slow ponies, we got a party to finish getting ready for!" Pinkie said impatiently, looking at a hoof drawn watch on her hoof.

He quickly escaped that little verbal trap and left AJ behind, walking towards Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie caught up to him, hopping along happily. "Don’t worry buddy, I got your back." She said with a huge smile.

He chuckled and shook his head, trying to ignore how she knew. They made their way to the bakery, the pink bouncy pony next to Martin while AJ wasn’t that far behind them, glaring at both of them.

"I think she's mad at us." Pinkie whispered.

He turned his head and instantly turned around again after seeing AJ's glare. "I think she's mad at me…"

Pinkie paused and fell back to AJ. "Why are you mad at Marty?"

He quickly left them behind and sped walk to the bakery, opening the door to the smells of cakes and cookies.

Author's Note

So the chapter we predicted people not to like, was. I'll be dipped. Any way, how was this chapter? Martin just needs to bloody say it already... it's getting old. See any problems, let me know ok? Thanks for all that's commented, liked, of faved! =D Also happy belated St. Patty's Day! Hope you had a good one.

25 - Moonbeak Mountains

A Bad Day to Fish
By - FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 25 - Moonbeak Mountains

It was early when Martin awoke, the sun barely touching the horizon. The moon was almost completely lowered and the sky had begun to turn red. He stood in front of the door, his armor on as the helmet was in his hands. "Guide me Apollo…" He muttered before putting it on and headed into town. The town was just waking up, making the trip fast. He got to the library and saw Michael resting in a nearby tree. "Michael, come down here for a second." He said, underneath the tree.

Michael jumped up and shook his head, rubbing his eyes before falling to the ground on his hooves. "Yeah?"

"See anything suspicious?"

Mike shook his head. "Nope, Ganir was on lookout for most of the night."

Martin sighed. "Well ok, thanks anyways."

Mike yawned. "No problem."

Martin headed back to the library as Mike flew back up into the tree, closing his eyes. As Martin got closer, he could hear raised voices coming from inside the library.

"He doesn't need to leave; I've told you he's not a spy." Twilight said angrily.

"Still, he's neither pony or griffin, they could be using him." Ganir replied.

"Ganir, we've been over this. If Ms. Sparkle says he's not, then he's not." Vandir said with a sigh.

"But sir, we don't know-"

"Ganir enough!" Vandir said loudly. "I'm not sure what's gotten into you, but I'll trust Ms. Sparkle's word that her most trusted friend is not a spy for the UEA!"

Martin knocked twice before the door opened, revealing a depressed Spike. "Hey Martin." He mumbled.

"What's wrong little buddy?"

He waved a claw at the arguing trio. "Them."

Martin sighed, going inside. "The meeting will be around three." He said, hoping to break up the argument.

"Sounds good." Vandir looked at the baby dragon. "I'm sorry Spike, my guard is slightly paranoid." Ganir huffed and stiffly walked out of the library, walking into Martin. They glared at each other before Ganir left.

"These are dangerous times."

"There comes a time when being paranoid hinders life saving alliances."

Martin sighed. "An alliance would be the best. Anyways, maybe you should take a walk around town to pass the time." He suggested.

"I'd love to take a look at the infamous Ponyville."

"I'm sure you'll like this peaceful place, well apart from the recent UEA attacks."

"Yeah, it's a lot more peaceful than home." Vandir chuckled.

Martin opened the door. "Please, take a look. I'm sure you'll enjoy Ponyville."

"Don't mind if I do." Vandir said, walking out with a smile, randomly picking a path to walk. His guards quickly followed, leaving Martin alone with Twilight and Spike. "So what was all that shouting about?" He asked her.

She sighed, looking angry. "That stupid guard Ganir keeps thinking Spike is a spy for the UEA. He wanted to kick him out again or at least keep him away from Vandir."

Martin shook his head, exasperated. "That's just ridiculous."

"Just because he's a dragon…" She groaned, holding her head with a hoof.

Spike sighed, walking into the kitchen. Martin watched the little guy disappear. "I'll send Vaahala to ask the dragons for help, just in case there's war."

"You think they'll listen? I know Princess Celestia has asked for their help already."

He shrugged. "I don't know, I'm not sure what his 'rank' is in the dragon clans or whatever it is."

"Guess it wouldn't hurt."

"Yep, we'll see how far it'll get us."

She sighed and got up. "I guess I should go make sure Regal Boots doesn't need anything."

"Yeah and I have to go tell Forge I have to leave early today. See you at the meeting." He said, leaving the library with a wave.

"Bye." She said, heading towards town hall.

=

The day went rather fast, Forge grudgingly agreeing to let Martin leave early. He checked on the girls, making sure everypony was ok. Apparently Vandir was welcomed with open hooves after a moment of tension, Pinkie greatly aiding in that fact. She was his tour guide, showing him to everypony in the town. Finally the meeting was fast approaching and the guards were standing around the town hall. Martin walked past them and inside the building, heading to the meeting.

All the ponies and griffins were seated, Vandir talking with Regal Boots about something. Ganir's seat was surprising empty, the griffin nowhere to be seen.

Martin coughed, everyone looking at him. "This is meeting is very important. Prince Vandir, how should we deal with the UEA? A group of guards spotted some members just outside of town and arrested them. They're being questioned as we speak."

Vandir raised an eyebrow. "Why ask me? I have no jurisdiction here."

"I'm afraid it concerns you as well. They found a map of the Griffin Empire, there's markings on it. We're pretty sure it’s the locations of possible attacks or meetings. Maybe both, if we're really lucky." He unrolled the scroll and placed it in the middle of the table.

Vandir's beak fell open as he looked at the map. "Well… buck." He said flatly, staring at it. "With this map, I can finally get my father's support to rally the troops." He gave a small smile.

Martin nodded. "We don't know how long they've planned this but I hope it's not too late to take action. You can count on our support, if you need any soldiers."

"That's kind of you." He paused. "In return, I'll tell you where we believe they're hiding your missing pony."

The room instantly fell silent, every pair of eyes on Vandir. "Thank you." Martin said.

"It's the least I can do." Vandir leaned down, staring at the map. "Now…" He paused, looking at it intently before pointing a talon at a mountain range. "Right there, in the Moonbeak Mountains."

Everypony leaned in to see it. "That's very close to the border; it'll be dangerous to go there."

"That’s not the only thing. The peak's the highest on the planet. You'd die before reaching the top. Only pegasi, dragons, and griffins can reach it and even then, it's extremely risky. Our scouts saw activity at the peak."

"We'll have to see." Martin tapped the bottom of his helmet, thinking.

"I'll go scout it out." Dash stated.

"No you won't." Martin countered.

She glared at him. "It wasn't an offer."

"You'll get yourself killed Dash. You aren't going, at least on your own."

"I'll go with her." Mike said, walking inside.

Martin sighed, thinking. "Alright, but Vaahala will tag along, just in case you two get in trouble."

Dash and Mike nodded as she got up and hovered over to him. "Come on, let's go get Fluttershy."

"Shouldn't you look at the map?"

"Already did, now come on, time's wasting." She said, dragging him out of town hall.

They walked over to Vaahala, the large dragon napping underneath a tree. Mike walked up to the slumbering dragon. "Hey Vaahala." He said rather loudly.

Vaahala slowly opened his eyes and yawned, his sharp teeth glistening and a smell of ashes and death hit both of the ponies.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Mike asked, coughing.

He shook his body like a dog before stretching his wings, the tips sticking out on either side of town hall. He closed them against his body and leaned closer to Mike's face. He looked at him intently, waiting.

"We're going on a little rescue mission and we need your help." Mike stared back at him.

He calmly blinked a few times before looking at Dash. He leaned closer and sniffed her.

She looked nervously at him. "It's ok Dash; he's just familiarizing himself with your scent." Mike said.

"Yeah, not helping." She said. Her mane suddenly shot into his nostrils as he raised his head, dangling Dash above the ground as he looked at Mike.

"Easy Vaahala, she's ok." He said, trying to get him to let go of her mane.

He nodded, letting Dash go as he crawled away from the tree, into open space. Mike hopped on his back as Dash opened her wings, shaking her mane.

"You ready?" She asked.

Vaahala roared and flapped his wings shooting onto the sky, leaving her behind. She quickly caught up and the race to the mountain began. Hold on Flutters, we're coming.

=

The mountain was in sight as Vaahala slowed down and landed at the foot of the mountain. Mike climbed down, letting blood flow back into his legs. Dash landed next to them, seemingly unaffected by the race.

"That's a tall mountain." She said, looking up.

Vaahala yawned and crawled over to a nearby tree and wrapped his neck around the trunk, closing his eyes as he began his nap.

Mike looked at the mountain and sighed. "This is going to be fun."

"What? Scared of a big rock?"

"Nope, more scared of falling off the big rock."

She laughed. "You can fly you hay brain." She hovered. "Come on, let's go!"

He rolled his eyes and lifted off, following her. "Lead the way oh mighty one."

They got to the halfway point, nothing too significant so far. They took a brief rest on a cloud, after much arguing from Dash that he wouldn't all through said cloud.

Mike looked at the edges. "Are you sure we won't fall through?" He asked for the fifth time.

She let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes Michael."

"But how-" He started as she put a hoof over his mouth, rolling her eyes.

He sighed before looking back up. "You ready to continue?"

She jumped off the cloud and hovered next to him. "Hay yeah I am!"

He nodded and they continued higher still. As they got higher, the oxygen started to get lower and lower, getting harder to breath. Even the fast and agile Dash started to slow down, the lack of air causing them to pause more often.

What seemed like a few lifetimes later, they could finally see the top of the mountain, a cave just on the inside of a plateau.

"There… it… is…" Mike wheezed out and both of them landed heavily on the rock outing. He tried to look inside; it wasn’t very deep but a small iron door was shrouded in darkness. "I think we found it…" He said as he crept towards it.

Dash suddenly moaned in pain as Mike turned around, two stallion pegasi standing behind her. Both held wicked looking sticks, thicker than a hoof and almost as long as their legs. "We don’t like ponies snooping around." One said. They both wore weird masks with tubes attached to a small cylinder on their backs.

Mike paused. "Let's not be hasty guys…." He took a deep breath. "VAAHALA!!" He yelled as he charged the two stallions.

The one with the stick raised his eyebrow before easily smacking Mike on the side of the head. "Screaming names now." They both chuckled as a loud roar interrupted them. They looked at the cave. "What was that?"

Mike lay on the ground, twitching as he struggled to his hooves. The roar echoed again, this time even louder.

Vaahala landed in front of them, blocking the cave entrance. He opened his mouth and roared with his sharp teeth on display. The guards screamed in fear as the dragon's head struck one with lightning speed, his teeth sinking into a guard's flesh. Vaahala lifted his head, the guard following as blood exploded from the wounds. Vaahala bit harder, the guard's body squishing until it was nothing but goo. The dragon flung the body into the, catching and swallowing whole. The other pegasus tried to fly away but the dragon was too quick, catching the guard right beneath his wings and tearing him in half. Blood pooled beneath the guard, his wings still beating as he fell to the ground.

Mike stared at the dragon in new respect or fear, he wasn't sure. He got up shakily on his hooves before stumbling to Dash and threw her on Vaahala's back, wrapping her hooves through the ropes so she wouldn't fall off. "Go back to town and tell the others, I'll stay here and make sure nopony else knows." He said, grabbing the stick from the lifeless guard.

The dragon nodded, drips of blood falling from his mouth as he let out another roar and jumped off the mountain, flying away.

Mike paused for a moment, leaning against the cave wall as he held his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. The iron door flung open and more ponies ran towards him. All of them wore those weird masks with the tubes. Almost all carried halberds. “Get him!” A stallion's voice as he pointed the tip of the halberd at Mike.

Mike dodged the charging ponies, weaving his way through the mass and whacked a few on the legs, taking them out. He ran into the cave, trying to find shadows to hide in as they chased him.

A pegasus dive bombed him and knocked him into the wall. The others quickly surrounded him, the tips of their spears and halberds pointed at his head. "Surrender or die."

"Let's be reasonable guys…" Mike said before he felt the blood drain from his face. “It's that dragon from earlier!” The mass of ponies quickly turned to look as Mike whacked the nearest one before hopping across the other's backs and took off again.

"After him!" They charged, quickly catching up to the fleeing pegasus as he went deeper and deeper into the tunnels.

28 - Worms Attack!

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 28 - Worms Attack!

It was still early, the sun hidden behind a thick layer of clouds. A putrid odor of burning wood, blood and rotting bodies filled the decayed landscape. Numerous craters, bodies, and smoldered trees were scattered across the tundra.

A large dragon soared through the sky, casting a shadow over the barren terrain, looking for the next attack to stall it. It continued to fly, only descending when it spotted a large group of ponies standing behind palisades, armed with all sorts of weaponry.

The creature landed, the earth quaking in its wake. Ponies stared at the massive creature as another turned its helmeted head to look as well. This creature wore metal armor, dusty and bloody, but ready to fight. It got up, walking over to the dragon before patting it on the head.

“There you are Vaahala.” Martin said, scratching at the dragon's cheek. “I was wondering where you went.” Martin turned around, heading towards a small tent. He pushed open the flap and saw an older stallion, a scar along his right eye. "Any signs of the UEA?" Martin asked, walking up to the stallion.

The stallion sighed deeply. "Not since last night with that battalion we ran into.

"Okay." He walked towards a small table and grabbed a jug of water. He took off his helmet, his face covered in sweat and dirt. He took big gulps, lowering the jug once it was empty. "How long till they'd be ready to attack again?"

"A couple hours, give or take. We got them good last night so it'll take awhile to regroup."

"It'll take more than a few rebels to stop us."

"We've survived worse."

Martin sighed. "But we mustn't forget those who died, at least they may rest."

"Indeed." The stallion closed his eyes for a moment, muttering something. "Hopefully Celestia will have mercy on them."

The human lowered his head and closed his eyes. "Vaahala proved to be more than useful."

The dragon turned his head, looking at his master as it used the tongue to clean its scales.

"We'd still be fighting without you." Martin said, petting the dragon.

Vaahala smiled, going back to cleaning its talons, blood flicks hitting the sand.

Martin sighed, turning back to the commander. "There must be something we're missing. Why would the Snake Water army be this far away from their home state?"

"Maybe with the fall of the Desert Kingdom, they thought they could get more land?"

"Wouldn’t they rather get rid of those who are closer to them? They're weakening themselves like this."

"If they capture this land though, then they can attack from both sides."

"True… I wonder if the UEA is pulling some strings here."

"I doubt it." The stallion paused, looking at the map. "Something's not right. If it was the white robed pony, we would have fallen into a trap. It's almost as if somepony else is leading them."

Martin scratched his chin; his gauntlet was covered in blood and smeared some his chin.

Vaahala's ears twitched at some noise as he turned head, staring at the tent flap. He looked at him. "What is it Vaahala?" Martin slowly walked outside. Vaahala looked towards a dune and they squinted, faintly seeing a black outline of a pony.

They stared at the black outline, Martin placing his right hand the hilt of his sword. Vaahala stared at it, a faint growl emanating from his chest.

"Enemy or friend?" Martin asked the dragon.

He sniffed the air, rising to his claws. He paused for a moment before, nodding at the human. Martin walked back inside the tent, grabbing his helmet and shield.

"Let's get going." Martin said, climbing on Vaahala's back and grabbed the rope tightly.

Vaahala growled low and started to run across the desert, coming closer and closer to the dark figure. It fell to the ground, no longer moving as sand billowed across it's form. Martin pulled the rope, Vaahala coming to a hesitant stop.

"Wait here…" He said, climbing off his back and walked towards the downed towards it. He pulled out his sword and stopped a few meters away from it.

It was a mare and she held something tightly. She was barely alive, a trail of blood following her. Martin slowly walked towards her.

"State your business!" He demanded.

She opened her eyes slowly, looking at him. "Please… do you have any water?" She asked, her voice hoarse and very faint.

He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you…?"

She looked at him sadly. "I was from the Desert Village of the Sandy Mountains… before it was attacked… please; I just need some water for my baby."

"Wait here…" He turned around, walking back to Vaahala, hopping onto his back. The dragon raced back to the tent as Martin hopped off, grabbing a jug of water from the table before jumping back onto the dragon in the middle of its turn, and racing back to the pony. Vaahala stopped a few feet away, wary of the pony as Martin sat the jug on the ground. He held his sword tightly. "Any funny business…"

She looked at him happily. "Thank you so much mister." She coughed up blood, loosening her grip on the blanket, a filly sleeping peacefully.

"When was your village attacked?"

"Two, no, three days ago. We saw this big dragon fly overhead right before these ponies in armor attacked us. We… we didn't have any means to defend ourselves…"

"What banner did they fight under?"

"I don’t know, I didn’t see any."

"No banner. No snake in a water drop or a red rose?"

The mare shook her head as she held the jug to the filly's mouth. It slowly woke up, blinking a few times before sniffing the jug and plunged its head into the cold water.

He looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry for the lack of hospitality."

She sighed. "It's ok, I understand with the war going on. I just wish there was a safe place for her." She pulled the filly's head out of the now empty jug.

"You should head for the border and go to Equestria. There is no war there, at least not yet."

"Which way is that?"

"Grandmaster!" A pony yelled.

Martin turned towards the voice. It was a young unicorn soldier, his armor a size too big. He paused before stumbled a salute. "I got a message from Princess Celestia." He looked beyond Martin's shoulder, noticing the ponies. "Ma'am, are you alright?" He asked, walking towards them.

Martin cleared his throat. "Soldier, the message?"

He looked at the human briefly. "Oh right!" He used his magic to engulf the letter and held it out as Martin grabbed it. "It's just a routine check up, asking if you need any more supplies."

"Thank you Cadet."

The unicorn smiled before looking nervously at the injured mare. "Is there anything you need madam? We might have some medical supplies for your wound."

"Soldier, can you bring this mare to the border?"

His spun his head so fast his helmet almost fell off. "You'd trust me with a mission like that? Alone?"

"You already managed to come all the way out here. I think you can manage but if you think you need help, I can spare a soldier or two."

He shook his head quickly. "No, I can do this!" He saluted. "I'll be right back." He galloped away.

Martin watched him leave before turning back to the mare. "You'll be safe soon."

She smiled back at the human, the filly back asleep. "Thank you both, bless Celestia."

"It's the least I can do."

She smiled as the unicorn came back with a pair of saddlebags. They looked rather empty as he looked at Martin. "Ready to leave sir."

Martin nodded. "Make sure she's safe."

"Will do sir, with my life." He looked at the mare. "Before we leave, can we have the doctors look at her?"

Martin shrugged. "Yes…" He turned around and walked back to the dragon.

The unicorn smiled and held out a hoof for her. "Right this way ma'am." He led her back to camp.

Martin climbed on Vaahala's back and pulled the rope. "Come on, let's have another look around." Vaahala eyed the two ponies before taking off to the skies, hovering just below the clouds. Neither dragon nor human spotted any other living being, circling around for hours on end. Finally he spotted a small hole in the sand and had Vaahala land and he hopped off the dragon's back. He slowly approached the hole, staring down into the dark abyss. Vaahala followed, peering over the edge and tilted his head slightly.

Martin grabbed a rock and dropped it down, listening as it bounced off the sides of the hole. They waited for it to hit the bottom and they only heard the rock bounce of the side before fading away.

"What the…?" He mumbled, trying to figure out how deep the hole was.

Vaahala grabbed another rock with his mouth, copying Martin. He let go, the rock sailing straight down into the darkness. Martin stared blankly at the hole as Vaahala's ear twitched and he turned his head, watching those two ponies leave the camp. The mare's hind leg wrapped. He watched them disappear over a dune before turning back to the hole.

Martin kneeled down and noticed something moving towards the surface. "What the fuck is that!?" His eyes widened as he flew through the air and landed on his back. He grunted in pain as he saw the large worm poking its head out of the hole.

Vaahala growled at it, glaring as the worm looked around, basking in the sunlight. The ground shook violently as more holes appeared around them, several more worms creeping out of the darkness. Martin pulled out his sword and raised his shield, staring at the worms.

The worms wiggled around before turning to look at the human, its face staring down. He took a step backwards and flung his sword at the closest worm, the blade digging deep into the worm's flesh. Blood shot out of the cut and dyed the sand red. Martin charged, gripping the hilt of his sword and pushing it through the creature. Finally, the tip of the blade hit the sand as a geyser of blood exploded from the worm as it collapsed onto the sand, the lower half falling back down the hole.

Martin quickly spun on his heel, raising his shield as the second worm open its mouth, revealing dagger fangs. The shield took the attack, bending in as the force sent them sliding across the sand. Martin's eyes opened wide in shock as it slowly sent both of them towards another wormhole. He lifted his shield barely, straining under the worm's strength before plunging his sword into the worm's mouth.

It took the worm a moment to register the sword blow before it bellowed loudly, lashing out anything that moved. It’s brain was trying to salvage the failing flesh as the other worm charged him. He desperately pulled the sword out of the dying worm as Vaahala tackled it from the side, digging into its flesh happily with both claws and teeth. In a matter of seconds, nothing was left of the worm, save a few bloody scraps on the sand.

Martin panted, his armor bathed in blood. He looked for anymore worms before the earth shook. He looked down, a hole appearing beneath his feet. It slowly sucked at him, his feet sinking into the sand. “Fuck!” He yelled as his knees disappeared into the sand.

As he struggled, talons gripped his shoulders and he was pulled out, his body stretching before he popped out of the sand. The hole opened fully, nothing but pitch blackness. Martin took a deep breath before looking up, Vaahala flapping his wings. “Good boy!” He yelled as they hovered over the sand, Vaahala gently dropping him onto the sand.

Martin looked around frantically for his sword, only for it to be swallowed by the hole. “That might be a problem…” He trailed off, the glint of the hilt flashing once before vanishing down the endless hole.

“Sir!” Several ponies shouted behind him.

He turned around, soldiers running towards him. “Aye! Quickly, give me an mace or axe!” An axe floated to him and he gripped the hilt tightly.

“What happened? We saw you fighting the sand burrowers and rushed over as soon as we could. What’d you do to make them mad?” A guard asked.

Martin ignored him and turned back towards the hole, the axe spinning skillfully in his hand. “This is about to get really ugly.” He said with a chuckle.

The guards backed away hesitantly. “Sir if we leave now, they might go back into hibernation.”

Martin walked towards the hole as a worm stuck his body out of the hole. He looked around, enjoying the sunlight before turning towards the armored human. The worm sniffed the air before turning towards the guards. Vaahala was nowhere in sight.

“Oi! Ya dickhead!” Martin yelled, hitting the front of his shield with his axe. It slowly blinked and stared at the human. “Aye, you! How ‘bout you come here and fight!?” He yelled, trying to provoke the worm.

The worm ignored him and turned to stare at the guards. He glared at the worm and quickly walked in between himself and the guards. The worm paused, smelling the air. Martin shifted into a more defensive position as the worm charged him, the teeth piercing the shield.

He kneeled down and rammed the shield into the ground. He let go and launched to the worm’s unprotected side. It ripped its fangs out of the shield as he slammed the axe into it’s mouth. The flesh apart and blood shot out of the wound. He dragged the axe through the side of the head before pulling out.

The worm didn’t register the attack for a moment before it let out an ear piercing shriek. The helmets seemed to amplify the sound as all the guards rushed to cover their ears. The worm’s lifeless body fell towards Martin, his body frozen from the screech. As the worm’s body got closer, Martin yelled and swung the axe. It cut open the side as the worm fell on him, the area going silent.

Martin dived at the last second, his torso free from the lifeless body as his legs were caught. He sighed, taking a moment’s rest before the body tugged on him, gravity forcing it back down the hole. He struggled to pull out the axe and hit the worm again and again, trying to cut his legs free. “Come on!” He yelled, blood flying everywhere. The axe slowly started to show some progress, a good chunk gone. The hole slid closer, the axe not working well enough. With another hit, the organs exploded out of the body and onto the ground below, the smell nearly overpowering.

“God!” He yelled, his legs at the lisp of the hole.

The body paused momentarily, several auras encasing the corpse. “Sir!” Hooves pushed against the corpse, trying to make room as a hoof shot out for him. Martin grabbed it for dear life as he was pulled from underneath the monster. As soon as he was free, the auras dissipated and the body slipping into oblivion. The soldiers sagged to the ground, exhausted as a few guards patted him on the shoulder.

He grunted and stood up, looking at himself and frowned. His armor was covered in organ remnants, blood, dents and scratches.

“That was a close one.” A guard said as the unicorns passed around water.

He nodded. “At least it won’t bother anypony else.”

Vaahala flew out of a hole, the sword in his talons.

Martin smiled at the dragon, waiting till he landed in front of him before patting him on the head. “What would I do without you?” Vaahala looked at him sadly, licking the blood off the armor. The dragon looked upset he wasn’t there to protect his master. “Don’t worry.” Martin said, patting him on the head again. He grabbed his sword and sheathed it before looking at his troops. Most of the unicorns could barely move, still exhausted. He motioned towards them. “Could you bring them to our camp?” He asked the dragon.

The dragon nodded, taking off and swooped low, grabbing a few in his talons. They panicked as the dragon dropped them off at the camp and repeated the process. Martin headed back towards base himself, the clouds gone and the sun shining relentlessly. “Damn it’s hot…” He muttered to himself.

He walked back inside the commander’s tent and waved, the commander surprised when he saw the blood. “What happened?” The pony asked, confused.

“We head a bit of a worm infestation.”

He tilted his head. “Worm infestation?”

Martin nodded. “Was checking the east when I saw a tunnel of sorts. Several sand worms appeared and I had to take them out.”

He blinked a few times before his eyes grew wide. “B-but the Sand burrowers don’t attack unless provoked. Besides, they should be hibernating around this time of the year.”

“That’s what a few guards said and I threw a few rocks down the hole.”

He shook his head. “Those tunnels are miles long, that rock did nothing. Somepony must’ve done something.”

“There wasn’t a pony anywhere near them though, at least not as far as Vaahala or I could see.”

The commander looked at the ground and went silent for a moment. “They might have been underground in the tunnels too but nopony is crazy enough to do that.”

“That’d be suicide.”

The pony nodded. “I highly doubt anypony would go down there, not even the UEA or their leaders…”

Martin nodded, sitting down in a chair, trying to get comfy in his armor. The pony turned back towards the table. “Maybe I misjudged the UEA, maybe they’re behind this…”

“I doubt they’d willingly send their own to their deaths with the sand burrowers. That’s too crazy, even for them.”

The commander shrugged. “Celestia knows… As far as we know, they’re one crazy bunch of ponies.”

“You can’t seriously think they’d sacrifice their own members?”

“I have no idea, there’s only one pony crazy enough to go in those tunnels.”

“Who?”

He sighed. “Well, he’s known as Diable. Ponies say he’s one of their main leaders. He’s been seen multiple times before and everypony that met or have seen him say he seemed rather… crazy.”

“Has he been spotted here?”

“Well, not directly but some of our soldiers say they saw him and some of his stallions on their way here.”

Martin sighed. “Just gets better and better.”

The commander frowned. “If this war reaches Equestria, the UEA will be able to strike more effectively.” He stomped his hoof on the ground. “We have to keep pushing, we’re too close to the border. If the Snake Water army manages to get past our forces, Equestria will be in danger.”

Martin nodded. “We’re doing all we can but its just too big of an area with the troops we have and they’re all exhausted as is.”

He kicked the ground. “There has to be something we can do, if we just sit here and wait, they’ll outnumber us!”

Before Martin could answer, the troops outside started yelled. The commander and him shared a look before they ran outside. “What’s going on?!” He yelled.

Vaahala stared intently at the sky and Martin looked up, shielding his eyes with a hand to see a bunch of black dots slowly approach the camp.

Author's Note

Well then, sorry about randomly disappearing there... but it's good to be back! Finally got some spare time to write this. Hopefully it was worth the wait! Next chapter should be good too!

29 - Battle for the Land of the Desert

A Bad Day to Fish
By FlashKenshin77 & Furious Bacon

Chapter 29 - Battle for the Land of the Desert

Martin squinted his eyes and made out the silhouette of a griffin. “Reinforcements!” He cheered.

The ponies were silent for a moment before they loudly cheered. The griffons landed gracefully on the sand as an old griffin with an eye missing walked through the crowd. “Who’s in charge?” He asked, his voice hard as steel.

The commander and Martin walked up to him. “We are, I’m Commander Scars.”

He looked at the two of them and nodded. “General Barskir of the five-oh-first, at your service.”

Martin gave him a small smile. “Just in time as well.” The human and pony shared a look and he nodded. “How about we discuss our plans inside the tent?”

“That’s a good idea, get out of this heat.” Barskir turned to his troops. “Alright maggots, you’re on break till I get back. No one try and do anything stupid, clear?”

“CRYSTAL!” They yelled in unison, relaxing as he nodded.

Martin led the way into the tent and unfolded a map. “Our scouts reported that the Snake Water army is here. They’re doubling their army for a seize. We must act now or we’ll be outnumbered.”

“Where’s their HQ?”

Martin glanced at the map before pointing next to a oasis. “It should be right here. If we flank them from the north, the sky, and the east we’ll stand a chance. We’d have to kill their leader, he seems to be pulling the strings.”

“How strong is this intel? Last time I tried that, half a battalion was lost trying to avoid an attack on the east.”

Martin scratched his chin. “Very reliable, Commander Scars assured that only the best scouts were sent on this mission.”

Barskir and Scars shared a look. “Ok, then what are you suggesting? I take the griffons and pegasi and attack from the air while you storm from the north?”

“Not quite, I’ll come from the west and attack with Vaahala.”

“Is that the dragon out front?” Martin nodded. “Never fought with a dragon on my side.” Braskir leaned back, his talon clicking against his beak. “So you’ll attack from the west, I’ll attack from the sky, and Scars will attack from the north?”

Martin nodded with a grin. “If everything goes as planned, we’ll rip them to pieces.”

“What about the east and the oasis?”

He chuckled. “If they choose to retreat, they can only run into enemy territory.”

Braskir was silent. “You’d be surprised at what ponies do on the battlefield. When are we planning to attack?”

“As soon as possible, they can’t be allowed to double their army.”

“Agreed, I’ll go get my troops ready.” The griffin said, leaving the tent.

Martin turned to Scars. “You go get the soldier ready and I’ll go check on Vaahala, aye?”

Scars nodded and trotted out of the tent, the commander’s voice broke the peaceful camp. Martin left the tent and headed towards Vaahala, patting him on the head as he paused. “Vaahala, you ready to fight?” He growled, licking his lips. Martin chuckled. “We’ll tear those who threaten Equestria and its subjects to pieces.” He roared, startling everypony and griffin there. Martin patted his head again and walked towards the armory tent.

The smithy paused, glancing at the newcomer. “Grandmaster.” He said, dipping his head in a nod.

Martin walked over to one of the chests and opened it, smiling at the different weapons. He reached inside and grabbed a mace and dagger. He attached the mace to the left side of his waist and dagger in front. He quickly ran through his weaponry again before saying goodbye to the smithy, leaving the tent for the commander’s tent. He grabbed his helmet.

“Sir! Grunts are frosty and ready.” Scars said as he trotted inside.

Martin nodded, both leaving the tent as he went to Vaahala. The dragon bent slightly, letting his master hop up on his back. Martin grabbed the saddle rope tightly, looking at Scars. “I’ll fly ahead, wait until my attack causes confusion.”
Scars nodded. “Be careful, I’m getting that feeling again.”

“Aye.” Martin gently kicked Vaahala with his heels as the dragon launched himself into the sky. He circled the camp once before taking off towards the oasis. As they flew, Martin suddenly grabbed his chest. He gasped, it felt like his chest was burning before it spread through his body. “W-what is going on?” He asked himself. Vaahala looked up, sensing his pain. He growled softly, his eyes full of concern. “Don’t worry Vaahala.” He gasped, his voice deeper and gruffer.
I’ll lend you my power… A voice whispered, before seemingly disappearing.

Vaahala slowly nodded, putting on more speed as he closed the distance. The enemy camp could be seen in the distance. Martin narrowed his eyes and grabbed the rope tightly. “Come on Vaahala, let’s show them what war means…”
The dragon nodded, taking a deep breath before he roared. It was loud enough that it created shockwaves, the sand and nearby cacti bending in submission. The enemies below all looked up and watched as the dragon dived them.

“Dragon!” One of them yelled as Vaahala landed on the ground. He was like a shark on the ground, sailing effortlessly with the wind. The ponies shot bows and threw spears, that Vaahala easily dodged as he made it to his first pony. It gripped the pony in his jaws and bit down, the sickening crunch followed by blood. He paused, spitting the remains out. Martin jumped up, pulling out his sword and ran up the neck and head, launching himself off the dragon. The soldier’s eyes widened and with a loud war cry, he landed a soldier.

The other soldiers were on him as he pulled his bloody sword out of the body. They attacked with hoof swords and maces, a few staying back to attack him with bows and magic. He grinned as he dodged a halberd with a simple sidestep. He grabbed a wooden staff, the wood cracking as he rammed it into the attacker’s snout. He yelped in pain and let go as Martin kicked him onto his flank. He used the halberd to stab the pony in the side. He let go of the polearm and looked at the soldiers. A magic projectile shattered against his armor, the particles raining down to the sand. It was seemingly useless. He grabbed his sword with both hands, charging into the mass of soldiers.

The projectiles increased in strength and speed, slowing down the raging human slightly as more soldiers appeared out of the ground like ants. He continued to slash his way through the ponies, the blood making the sword slip through their bodies easier. They tried to block it but it was useless, the blade finding purchase and ended their lives. Vaahala was easily taking out just as many as Martin was, his talons and teeth tearing through their armor like nothing.
With a final stab, the blade got stuck in a soldier’s body. Martin let go and grabbed his mace. A soldier charged him and bluntly swung his sword. Martin grabbed the blade with his gauntlet as the soldier’s eyes widened and he pulled his mace back. With a quick and bonecrushing swing, he hit the soldier’s head. He could hear the skull cracking as the soldier let go of his weapon and sunk to the ground, his brain oozing out of the hole.

An arrow pierced Martin’s armor, just above the knee. The unicorn archer smiled and aimed again. Martin stared at the arrow. “My knee? Are you fucking serious?!” He grabbed his dagger and held the blade between his fingers. “You bastard!” He yelled, the dagger sailing through the air and hit the unicorn right between the eyes.

The unicorn fell backwards, only to be replaced with two more as they rapid fired arrows at the joints of his armor. He broke the shaft of the arrow and grabbed a nearby body, using it as a shield. He charged them, the body soaking up most of the arrows. He gasped, his armor deflecting another sword attack as the sky turned black. He glanced up briefly, narrowly avoiding a few arrows.

The griffins flew in, their formation funneling down like a tornado before they exploded into combat, their talons piercing the armor easily. The pegasi swooped by on bombing runs, shooting lightning out of the storm clouds they held.

The archers paused, glancing to the sky as Martin rushed them. He grabbed one of them by the head, another saw him and pointed his crossbow at them. Martin used the ponies head as a shield, the bolt pierced his head. The partner paused as he threw the body to the side. Before he could even react, his head caved in from the mace, the body following to the floor.

The battle seemed to be heavily leaning towards the Equestrian and Griffin armies, the enemy in complete disarray. Barksir and Scars seemed to be troubled by something, grim looks on their faces. Martin made his way towards them. “Scars, Barskir!” He yelled.

They turned their heads towards the voice, heading towards the towering human and going back to back.

“Is everything going as planned?” He asked them, dodging a halberd and hitting an enemy soldier on the side of his leg.

Barskir impaled a pony in the throat as Scars whacked another’s head off. “So far so good!” Barskir said.

“But it just seems like something’s amiss…” Scars thought out loud, dodging an arrow.

A stallion grappled feebly as Martin snapped his neck. “What do you mean?!”

“I haven’t seen Diable yet and he should be here.” There was a flash of light and Scar’s head seemed to fall to the ground, blood erupting like a geyser as his body sagged to the ground. A pony in all black with red eyes stared at Martin.
Martin stared in horror at the body before glaring at the pony.

“Nice to finally meet a human, always heard they were hard to kill.” He said with a huge smile. A pony tried to sneak up behind him, raising a mace to smash his head in. Martin took a step forward, acting like he was getting ready to attack. There was a hint of something that flashed in his red eyes before the pony behind him exploded in red, numerous cuts all over his body. The poor pony sunk to the ground. “Now that it’s just us again, why don’t we have a little fun?” He grinned before disappearing as Martin’s shin armor caved in.

Martin stumbled back and stared at the dent, confused.

“Aww, what’s wrong? Can’t your human eyes keep up?” Martin spun around, almost falling as something heavy smacked into him.

He looked around frantically. “Show yourself!” He yelled as his armor dented more and more, cuts appearing.

“Not my problem if you can’t keep up Grandmaster...” He oozed hated at that word as Martin’s helmet flew off, clattering to the ground as blood flowed from his cheek.

Martin looked around. I’m done for… I can’t see him, there’s nothing I can do… Something pierced his knee and he yelled in pain, sinking to the sand.

Somepony laughed. “Well it looks like it was just a foal’s tale after all. The great and mighty Grandmaster beaten so easily.” Before the pony could continue, Vaahala dived and tacked him as the two wrestled violently. No one could see who was winning.

Martin groaned, his vision blurred. “V-vaahala…”

A tall unicorn in a white robe appeared in front of him. “Patience Grandmaster, we can’t allow you to die yet.” His voice soothed some of the pain, Martin slipping into darkness.

He floated in darkness for what seemed like an eternity, blissfully unaware about the outside world. He was happy just floating, ignoring the pain. He could feel a burning fire in his chest, placing a hand over it as he grunted in pain. The fire spread through his body as he could feel his anger boiling. “Foal’s tale… a FOAL’S TALE!” He forced his eyes open, the world spinning as it seemed everything was moving in slow motion. He grunted in pain and forced himself to his feet, anger fueling his movements. “I’ll show you what a ‘foal’s tale’ can do.” He growled, his emblem glowing slightly.

Vaahala laid on the ground, blood pooling out of numerous cuts as the pony panted slightly, his blade red. “Bout time you woke up from your nap, never killed a sleeping person before, granted never killed a person before either.”

Martin glared at him and stood a few feet away. “I’ve sworn an oath to protect Equestria…” He tightened his grip around his mace. “Too many have fallen to your blade, this will have to end.”

“Endings a good word for it, just not mine.” He went to vanish as Vaahala grabbed his cloak and he turned around. “Get off me you stupid lizard!”

Martin stood in front of him, his shadow covered him. “You little maggot.”

He cut his cloak and disappeared, this time whittling away at Martin’s remaining armor. Martin took a deep breath and closed his eyes, ignoring everything but the attacking pony. For a brief moment, he saw a flash of steel and blocked it, the blade nearly piercing his throat. The steel began to glow as Martin shattered the steel with his gauntleted fist. “Game over.”

The pony flipped backwards and landed on his hooves. “Do you really think I only use one sword?” He reached for something in his cloak before a talon appeared in his stomach. He looked down, before he turned his head. Vaahala was there, growling weakly as he pushed more of his talon through the pony’s back.

Martin walked up to him, throwing his mace on the ground grabbed his head. “There going to have to glue you back together in hell!” He yelled and with a forceful twist, he snapped the pony’s neck.

The body convulsed a few times before it grew still. The fighting stopped as Martin dropped the body and the UEA’s poneis stared in horror before retreating. The remaining troops whooped loudly until Scar’s body was hoisted by magic.

Martin walked up to the pony, kneeling down. “Rest in peace…”

“Tis a pity, he seemed like such a good stallion.” Somepony said. Martin turned to see the pony in a white robe, leaning down to inspect Scars body.

Martin glared at the pony. “Who… are you?”

“Just a friend of a friend, you could say.”
Martin quickly stood up and grabbed his mace, pointing it at the stallion. “Whoever you are, what are you doing here?”

He eyed the mace before it suddenly tripled its weight, forcing Martin to the ground. “Well you did just kill my son, I wanted to see this ‘Grandmaster’ for myself.” He glared at Martin. “And please, no violence, I detest it… so messy.”

“Who are you!?”

The world seemed to shrink, only the stallion and Martin existed. “I’ve gone by many names… but Thanatos is my favorite so far.” He chuckled.

Martin raised his fists. “If you’re Diable’s father, that means you’re part of the UEA!”

He raised an eyebrow. “Just because my son was part of a group, you assume I am as well? Careful there young one, that line of thinking could get you in trouble.”

“Fuck you! I can see the red rose of the UEA on your robe!”

He grabbed his robe to show the rose. “Who says I just don’t like roses? Such a beautiful flower, the symbolism is interesting as well.” He let go of his robe and turned to Vaahala and bent down. “Seems my son went a little too overboard.” He gently placed a hoof on the dragon’s neck.

Martin let go of the mace, and grabbed a halberd, pointing the tip at him.

He glared at the human. “Please, if I wanted to kill him I would’ve done so a long time ago.” Energy pulsed into Vaahala, the dragon’s wounds closing. Thanatos sighed, taking hoof off the dragon. “Glad that debt is finally paid.”

Martin hesitantly moved closer. “What are you talking about?”

“It’d take too long to explain and I seem to be running out of time here. Just remember that not everypony whom they seem to be.” He said, his smile wide as Vaahala opened his eyes, looking around.

Martin growled and went to stab him in the chest. The blade when through him and he shivered and waved, like a hologram was interrupted.

“I guess you don’t want to talk. Just remember what I said.” He said, before he disappeared as suddenly as he appeared.

Martin stared at where the pony was, dumbfounded. “Wha-...” He let go of the halberd, dropping to a knee and checked on Vaahala. “Are you alright?” It licked his hand.

“What in all of the King’s feathers was that?” Barskir asked.

“I don’t know.” Martin said, patting Vaahala on the head before turning to face the griffin.

He clicked his beak a few times. “I don’t like it, that was magic way too advanced for a normal pony. What did he say?”

Martin sighed. “Nothing important but it appears he was Diable’s father… even though I highly doubt it.”
The griffin looked at the three dead ponies. “I’m just glad this battle’s over.”

“Aye but there are more battles waiting to be fought.”
“Yeah…” He sighed, glaring at Diable. “We should tally the dead, give them proper rites.”
Martin looked over the landscape, the bodies too many to count. “Aye, no one deserves to be left in a place like this.”

Barskir looked towards the sun. “It’s going to be a long day…” He glanced at the human. “You still have to pick somepony to replace Scars.”

“May he rest in peace…”

Barskir did a weird motion with his talons, twisting them over his chest. “Indeed, he was a fine warrior.”

“I’ll decide later whom I choose.”

“I suggest you choose fast or morale may be lost. He was their commander for a long time. They’re, pardon the pun, headless at the moment.”

Martin nodded. “I’ll try as fast as I can.”

“Good. Well enough preaching, let’s get to work.” The griffin sighed, walking towards the others, who were counting the dead.

Martin frowned and followed after him, helping move the dead closer to camp.

Author's Note

Yay, my first true battle scene in this story! Hopefully you like it... and you see why I don't do many. I don't think I do well describing battles, I'm more of a Slice of Life guy...