Survival

Chapters

Awakening
Hero
Fight for her life.
Diagnosis
The Trials begin
Trial of the left arm

Awakening

You wake up and feel a hard stone floor, and a cold,wet feeling on your forehead. You stand up to see a cave.

"what..." you look down to confirm your suspicions. You are still in your bed clothes. A faded white T-shirt and a dark blue pair of long pajama pants, and also everything looks... animated.

"Where i'm I... is this a dre-"

You stop yourself right there. You remember the cold water on your forehead, it couldn't be a dream. The feeling you got from the cold dripping water was to realistic. So you now try to explore your surroundings. You walk out of the cave, ears alert and body crouched in a position that will let you run easily if provoked.

The first thing on your mind is that you have to find a weapon to protect your self. You look around to see trees, lots of them so you find the biggest, and lowest hanging branch you can find. You rip it off with all the force you can muster... only to go flying back when the branch tears away like wet paper.

"WOAH!"

You scream and land of the floor. As you take a second to stabilize yourself, you notice something. Every breath... you feel stronger. You think it's just the adrenaline caused by this whole situation, but take a look at your arms. There toner than you remember, much so. You decide to test this theory and start doing some push ups. Everything is normal, but all of a sudden you notice something, your not getting tired.

You push yourself to do 100 push ups, but then... you just keep on going! You stop and notice the sweat on your body, and realize your pj's are soaked in sweat. Berating yourself for unnecessarily dampening your clothes, the stench of the sweat might give some animal in the forest some bright ideas. So you venture out further into the woods, picking up a big rock in case the stick wasn't enough and making a trail to remember your way back into the cave. After a couple minutes your hear water running.

"Thank you, water at last" you think. You approach slowly, just in case any of the forests inhabitants are helping themselves to the stream. You see something the makes you freeze in shock. Right there, helping itself to some water, is a animal with the body of a lion, bat wings and a scorpion tail.

"Is that... no... this can't be... a manticore!?" Wait. Animated forest, Manticore chilling next to a stream. It hits you, and it hits you hard. You watched the show back home, and took a liking to it.

"i'm in... my little-" you snap your mouth shut, realizing that in your state of shock you just talked out loud. You look back at where the manticore is.

Its eyes, filled with...hunger... bore into your tiny fear filled orbs. All of a sudden it blasts towards you, with its mouth open and its tail primed.

You run to your left, and zigzag thought the trees, not knowing where you 're going, you make sure to follow the stream. The wild beast try's to use brute strength to catch up to you, but your constant change in direction makes it sloppy. Finally it gets fed up with you and disappears from sight. Its giant, ground shaking strides stop assaulting your mind. Your about to slow down until you realize something.

"It... has wings!"

As soon as you think that something lands in front of you and try's to bite you. Having already braced your mind by remembering it has wings, you leap out of the way and run. Your reaction time is enough to save your sorry hide but not enough to completely avoid injury. The manticore claws at your arm, creating three deep gashes across just below your left shoulder.

Your brain doesn't recognize the injury because of the adrenaline high you are on. You continue to follow the stream, and the pain becomes more and more noticeable. But you don't slow down, all your mind is responding to is its basic instincts of survival. You see a clearing and you don't hear its paws smashing against the ground behind you anymore. You remember what happened last time, and you change direction. Narrowly avoiding a death tackle from the hulking beast. It comes back, but this time it's gliding. You know you can't outrun the flying predator, so by process of elimination you realize something... If you can't run there is only one thing you can do, something human's excel at in time's of extreme stress.

You have to... FIGHT.

Something clicks in your mind. The fear you felt, and the need for survival reverse. You can hear the manticore's wing flaps. The drool coming from it's mouth that is meant for YOUR body. The wind blowing over the manticores wings.

Everything, to you, is moving in slow motion. Your tighten your fist, and make it look like your running away. Only to sprint towards the manticore, satisfied that the feint worked you jump and swing with all your might the rock that you kept hidden.

"YOU WANT SOME FOOD, HERE! HAVE A ROCKY ROAD KNUCKLE SUNDAE!"

The manticore, still confused because of the feint, didn't have enough time the respond. The rock Smashed into its face, augmented by the power behind it. A loud "DONK!" reverberated though the forest. The manticore gets sent flying back and falls to the floor and turns tail.

"Hah, hah... hoped you liked your lunch." You say as your body starts to feel the strain of falcon punching that manticore in the face, you see it limping away.

As you start losing consciousness you see a yellow and pink blur before finally fading away.

Hero

..."ugh..."

You start regaining your consciousness. You see that your head is slightly elevated, and you still see the cold unforgiving dirt that you've grown to hate after that little "lunch date" with that manticore. But... something's different.

"I'm warm... and moving"

Ever so slowly, your body is being moved forward and you start looking around. To see...

"Flutter...shy?"

Her face, as you deduced from the show usually looking shy or reserved, has the look of unshakable determination. Your abdomen is across her back and she's moving forward. She smells of honey and flowers, and those big expressive eyes are looking directly forward. She must be so focused on moving you, she didn't notice that you woke up.

"wow... didn't know she had it in her, well she did stare down a dragon into tears... I don't think even batman's glare can do that."

Your impressed at the gumption she has. Her tiny, frail frame supporting all your weight, and the fact that your a human a completely different thing than she's used to. She had trouble meeting new ponies because of her shyness, now she's carrying you on her back!

"Well... I'm gonna have to break the ice eventually."

You try to speak, but its raspy, and barely above a whisper.

"Thank...you" you barely wheeze out.

You feel her body tense and she stops dead in her tracks. She looks to her left to see you give her a thankful, put strained smile. Your left arm is still in pain from the lucky swipe the manticore got, and that same arm is the one you "fed" the manticore with, so it's probably broken. Your dumbass try's to move said arm, big mistake.

"AAOW!" you holler in pain.

Fluttershy immediately responds, as if your scream of pain flipped a switch inside her.

"Oh Dear, please don't move, your body is still sore from when you fought that manticore, and I don't have the expertise to fix your arm. So please try to stay still so we can get back to my cottage."

She gives you a concerned look with those big expressive eyes of hers

"So...cute" you think. Her gaze, the warmth of her body, and her soothing voice succeed in taking the pain away.

"Thank you for carrying me, I don't know what would have happened if you weren't around when you were. I owe my life to you."

She blushes and her head retreats a little bit inside that big pink mane of hers.

"Oh... it's nothing really, I'm doing what anypony else would have done. Even though I've never seen anything like you before, I still couldn't just leave you there" She gives you a warm smile.

"The manticore couldn't kill me... but i'm about to die from cute overload." You've seen how cute she is on the show, but Jesus Christ that doesn't compare to seeing her face to face!

"You have a heart of gold, you know that?" you smile back at her, seriously this girl radiates cute. You could just stand her next to a sick person, and they would be cured in a matter of minutes.

"Oh... thank you" She blushes a deeper red.

"Your welco-" Your sentence is uninterrupted by a growl coming from your gut. You blush and give her a sheepish look.

"Oops,.. . guess i'm a tad hungry" You laugh a little bit but stop as you grunt in pain.

Fluttershy gives you a look of concern.

"Oh dear... are you alright?" she says giving you another heart melting look.

"It's just that it hurts to laugh" you say, your head is getting really tired from keeping it up so long at such an odd angle.

"Umm... If you want, I got some carrots in my saddlebags, can you...eat carrots?" the golden Pegasus shyly says

"What now... you use your good arm to feel around her other side and, sure enough, you feel fabric.

" Yes, I can eat carrots, Thank you." As soon as you say that she extends her free wing and proceeds to open and grab a single carrot.

"Woah... never knew wings could be used like that." You say as you stare wide eyed, your hunger momentarily stuffed into the back of your mind to make room for the wonder you feel for Fluttershy's amazing wing dexterity...

Only for your hunger to come back with a vengeance, and promptly kick your sense of wonder in the balls. You with your good arm. gently take the carrot from her wings. But as soon as the carrot is safely in your hands, all notions of gently are push into a busy highway intersection.

"Yum-yum time!" you decree.

It takes three bites to eat your delicious orange victim. Due to the fact you haven't eaten anything since your arrival into equestria, eating the carrot is almost an orgasmic experience.

"Ohh baby that carrot was AMAZING! Best carrot EVER!" you joyfully say. The carrot giving your voice some of the old strength it lost during the manticore chase.

"Ohh...uum... thank you, I grew it myself. I'm no earth pony, but my animals seem to like it." She says with a tiny blush on her face.

" You take care of animals? I envy them." You jokingly say.

"Oh... well it's my special talent- Oh my! Where are my manners!? We never got each other's name!... Oh my... I hope I wasn't too loud, sorry"

" You weren't loud at all, your voice is actually quite soothing" you say, and then smile.

She gets a light blush and smiles. Good she's getting used to you and your antics, awesome... wait.

"Her name is Fluttershy for a reason, why is it so easy to-" Fluttershy cut's your thoughts off.

"Thank you...my name is Fluttershy, what's your's?... If you don't mind saying."

" Not at all, my name is-" Your sentence is interrupted by a snarl, and then the sound of something coming towards you.

"Fluttershy, I think there's something coming towards us" You get off her back and stand up.

"What?... but i was dead tired a minute ago... You move your left arm, and surprisingly, it feels completely fine!

"Fluttershy, what do you put in those carrots? I feel amazing!" You test out your statement by doing a couple stretches.

"Nothing I just-eek!" She stops her own sentence with a cry of fright. You look up to see 10 timberwolves, you've seen them on the show before, come into the light. They have foam coming from there mouths, and it looks like they haven't eaten in a long time. They look at you and Fluttershy like you two the savory morsels that will finally feed there stomach's constant cry's for satisfaction.

"Stay behind me." She doesn't argue with you... strange, you though that she would try to calm these animals. "Fluttershy, can you calm these... animals?" You were tempted to say there name's but you didn't want to raise suspicion.

"Oh no, these timberwolves are starved, they won't listen to reason" Fluttershy gets closer to you, obviously terrified by these, although weakened from hunger, dangerous beasts.

"Don't worry i'll-" Your sentence is cut off when three of the wolves leap at the both of you. Two coming towards you and one coming towards Fluttershy, they probably see her as an easier kill because of her show of fear.

"Fly, Fluttershy!" She goes up into the air and start to climb but the one wolf goes to you, all three of them coming towards you, and a unseen forth wolf comes from the trees, jumps and bites one of Fluttershy's wings.

"AHHHHHH!" She screams and goes down, you decide to take out the wolf that harmed Fluttershy before it finishes the job, having no regard for your own safety. You give it a foot to the face and it falls apart. But one of the three wolfs from behind jumps on you and bites down on your shoulder, and the other two bite down on your legs. Trying to put you on the ground.

"RAHHHHH, WERE NOT! ON! THE MENU!" You scream as you fling the wolf on your shoulder over it, it promptly turns into a pile of useless plants. The two on your legs are helpless as you rip them off, not knowing the human anatomy well, they were biting into your ass.... which HURT. But you thank God that they didn't bite into your... junk.

"Fluttershy, are you okay!?" You go over to her and shield her. Preparing yourself for the six wolfs still left. They were being tactical, not just running in. All of them were moving and coming towards you at different angles and speed.

"clever bastards..." You think as they come towards you... but then you see something that makes your heart drop. A dozen wolf come from the forest and encircle you, leaving you with no route to escape. Three of them jump towards you, aiming for your legs, you manage to pop one of them in the face, but the two that were aiming for you legs hit there mark.

"AHHH DAMN IT!" You scream you your about to rip them off your legs, your mind going back to the state it was when you engaged the manticore, but you hear something... that make's...you... SNAP.

"P-P-Please, help! Please..."

You look back and see 5 wolf's slowly going towards Fluttershy's bleeding,crying form. The outer wolf circle becoming smaller. You realize that if something doesn't happen soon you and Fluttershy-

"Fluttershy... not you... so innocent...so caring...NO.**" Your mind goes blank.

...

"Where... am I?"

You're walking though a dark void, you see a large orb and a mirror. The orb is blue, and some sort of energy is going into it, slowly.

You walk up to the mirror and see yourself in it... only for the reflection to move on its own and open it's eyes.

"Hello..."

"W-Who are you!?"

"You..." The reflection says.

"What no that-" The reflection interrupts me

"This is no time for games. I. AM. YOU. And WE have to make a decision."

"What... kind of decision?" you say.

"Our body has become stronger because of the magic in this world. Our body is adapting to it, and it has to be a slow process. Our mind needs time to adjust to the changes..." The reflection says.

"Like... heat-treating?"

"Yes and no. It's is true that you can relate the constant change in temperature on the metal to our body's natural magical absorption. But, that's where the similarities end."

"Ohh that's why... and with the carr-" You are again interrupted by..."yourself".

"Hear in turn lies the decision... We can just forego the slow process, and finalize. Momentarily becoming strong enough to fend off the timberwolves and save your friend but... There is a very high chance that our mind might not be able to sustain the shock of changing so quickly after the fight, and you... might die. But if we don't do this we might be able to survive and escape the wolves... but Fluttershy-." This time I interrupt "myself"... man that's confusing.

"Do it. Change me. NOW" I demand myself.

"Our body will undergo extreme-"

"I don't care"

"The changes will be perma-"

"I DON'T care"

"The chances of you surviving are-"

"I DON'T GOD DAMN CARE!"

"I" look at me for a second,the reflection then sighs.

"I Knew you would feel like this..." He then steps out of the mirror. "Come with me." We walk towards the blue orb.

"What is that?"

"Our mind" The reflection says, and he goes to the other side and takes out two keys. "I" toss one to "myself" and I catch it. "We will be able to skip the "treating" process if we both use these keys." A keyhole in the orb suddenly pops into existence.

I sigh. "Alright... let's do this." We both put the keys in and the energy surrounding the orb starts to pour in at an extreme rate. I start to drift away from "me" and the mind orb... but before I come back into reality I see "myself" smirk... and another blood red orb start to form...

...

RAAAAAAAAH!

Your body begins to surge with energy. Your muscles begin to become larger, bones painfully start forming and taking shape in your arms. Bones start to grow, break, and reform throughout your body.

"YOU CAN HURT ME!" You rip into a wolf near Fluttershy with your bare hands.

"BUT! IF YOU EVER!" Three new bones in your arms start to go towards the space in between your knuckles.

"EVER!" They start to come come towards your balled up fists.

"HURT MY FRIENDS! YOU RUN THE RISK OF..." three little nubs start the break apart the skin in between your knuckles. All the wound you received from the timberwolves are long since healed.

...

"PISSING ME OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Six one and a half feet long claws break though your fists, and you leap towards the wolves, to DESTROY.

"*Chuckle*... YOU FOOL."

Fight for her life.

These pathetic wolves, there suppose to be ruthless intelligent apex predators .... 25.

You bury your claws in one of the wolves and rip it in half, tree sap ruining your white shirt. The other wolves have a look of shock, and they smell of fear...24.

How can these...things ever even think of harming Fluttershy? The only thing she ever did to the animals in this forest is help them...

"I wonder how good this sap tastes..." You taste the sap... it gives you power. You leap into a timberwolf and rip it's neck apart with our enhanced teeth, Draining the delicious sap from its body. But since your teeth aren't designed to suck liquids, most of it dribbles down your neck and chest...23.

"This infernal shirt..." You rip off the shirt and are in the process of standing up... but you notice your just as comfortable on all fours then when your standing on two legs. Your claws long retracted you notice that your nails are thicker, curved, and can also be extended. You smile wickedly.

"HOW ABOUT A TASTE OF YOUR OWN MEDICINE!"

So you on all fours run towards the five wolves around Fluttershy, and rip into them with your newly acquired tools. Three fall without any hassle, but the other two start to put up a fight, good...20.

"I don't want to fight anymore... but you left me no choice..."

One timberwolf tries to jump and bite your shoulder, you let it. It bites down and you rip its body off and use its wooden leg to swing at the second timberwolf, pieces of wood and sap flying everywhere. Your shoulder heals right after... 18.

All there is left are the encircling wolves. You... feel something moving inside you, and you go on all fours because of the pain. Then you see it, a bloody tail made out of bones (Think of the chain rod from megaman zero 2). It is very long and you guesstimate that it's about three feet longer than your body height.

"Lets see what you can do..." You stand up and extend your knuckle claws and blast towards three timberwolves that dare make a step towards you and the pony you're protecting. You use your tail to stab a wolf in the neck and it pathetically drops.

You realize these wolves will just drop if you so much as flick them. So you decide to retract your long claws and just punch and kick them, its much more humane. So you kick one if the stomach... and backhand the other one in the face... 15.

"What am I doing!? I want them to feel PAIN!" But these claws are getting boring, you decide to use your tail and shorter finger claws. Two timberwolves jump towards you, but you pierce both of them with your tail, they fall apart. Another one tries to go move towards fluttershy but you go one all fours, sprint to them, and crush its head with your hand...12.

Some of the wolves you struck down start to come back together, and when they do they run back into the forest.

"They've learned there lesson, now let's get back to the...huh?" Your tail draws your attention, the tip has lines going though it. then something happens, the tip separates into a hand....

"SO...AWESOME /)^3^(!" You decide to use your new "handy dandy" appendage and grab the wolf closest to you and throw it into another one, they both fall apart when they collide.

"Oh yeah! Two points!"...10.

"Now... lets see what I can do here." You turn your tails tip back into a point and pierce another wolf and turn it back into a hand inside the wolf, making parts go everywhere...9.

Three wolves try to sneak towards fluttershy. So you grab the one closest to you rip it in half and throw the pathetic leftovers into the two that are running...6.

Finally, wolves decide to forego strategy. Five wolves rush you, you extend your longer claws and make the tip of your tail turn into it's more "handy" form. You claw into two of them, coil around another one with your tail and squeeze...3.

The two leftover wolves are so surprised that they trip over a tree branch, they drop and fall to pieces...the said tree had, what looks like, a troll face on the side. Well, looks like the everfree forest has a sense of humor...1-.

"HAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!"

The lone timberwolf howls and the parts of the not yet reconstructed timberwolves start to move towards it. It starts getting bigger, trees and other vegetation start to be absorbed into the wolf. You remember the "king timberwolf" from season three, but you also remember that it was beat by a pebble to the throat...

"No, I want to fight this being, perhaps he was beaten so easily because of luck... I don't need such a crutch."

"ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The ground shakes and you smile in excitement. It brings down a huge paw and you side step it. You decide to taunt the beast and slap your ass repeatedly.

"Hey, tree humper! Right here, nya!" You decide the old "slap on the wrist" technique could work, it does. The big wolf trys to slap you off, but you use your tail to grab onto it's underbelly and swing to safety, spiderman would be proud. It breaks it's own paw when its other paw collides.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" It howls in pain. You extend your long claws and climb onto its back and decide to run up to its head, running your claws though its back while you run. It try's to shake you off, but you go on your belly and pierce with your claws. It decides to roll over and try to dislodge you that way, it works and you flying into a tree.

"You clever bastard, I knew you weren't all bark!"

"Well you are but that's beside the point!"

"ENOUGH GAMES! THIS ENDS NOW!" You lunge at the beast with your long claws out, and jump into the air aiming for its legs.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Ponyville before the king timberwolf fight

*********************************************************************************************

"Hey Mac, AJ! Have you seen Fluttershy around? It's been a while and she's not at her house." A cyan pegasus, commonly known as Rainbow Dash, asks to the two farmers as there doing there daily harvesting of the best apples in ponyville.

"Noope" The big red farmer says, true to his silent personality.

"Ahm a might sorry there sugercube. But ah haven't seen hide nor hair a her" The cowpony says, SOMEHOW, fanning herself with her stetson hat, hot after a hard days work.

"Oh, well that sucks... I hope she's not hiding from her shadow somewhere in a bush. I need her to check up on tank." Rainbows says.

"Ah reckon she's with Twilight. Ah do recall that she borrowed ah book from her, somethin 'bout animals. Can't seem to remember what though." Appleblonde says, bucking an apple tree. Its juicy payload falling in perfectly into the bins placed under the tree.

"Oh, well i'll check with her then" Dash says. She is about to fly off to Golden oaks, the library where purple smart lives in. When she is stopped by Applejack.

"Hold your horses there sugercube, ahm about done with them here chores. Ah'll join you." Applejack says.

"Oh, alright then... race you there." Dash says, with a competitive gleam in her eyes. Applejack then proceeds to pull out her lasso and give's Dash a blank stare.

"Oh alright! I'll still beat you though!"

"Ten bits proves you wrong?" Applejack says and spits on her hoof before holding it out.

"Your on!" Dash says and spits into her own hoof before hoof bumping Applejack.

The lasso is tied around her wings, and they run off towards the library. When they're out of sight, Big Mac turns his head to the direction of the everfree.

"...Somthin don't feel right..." Big Mac says and walks toward the barn, the wind blowing his mane to the side.

...

"Something... doesn't feel right." Twilight says while pulling her head out of a book, looking at the direction of the everfree forest. Her thoughts are broken by two of her more... competitive friends bursting into the library, ruining the purple librarian's precious silence.

" Ha! Ah win Dash! Can git tha farm some new chicken feed!" Applejack trots in the library with a victorious smirk on her muzzle.

"No fair! Ditzy Doo crashed into me when I was ahead!" Somewhere in the distance a faint "my bad!" was heard.

"That mess Ain't mah fault, you should have been focusin ahead instead of ogling that there wonderbolts poster you passed by!" Applejack said

Rainbow was about to rebuttal before Twilight teleported in between them. The sudden arrival scared the living daylights out of the bickering mares, both of them screamed and toppled to the floor.

"HEY! Stop your fighting! Friends aren't suppose to fight, also, this is a library, keep it down!" Twilight says while both appleblonde and rainbow recuperate.

"Heavens to Betsy twi! You almost scared the cutie marks off Ah me!" Applejack says and stands up.

"I wasn't scared!" Rainbow dash said, quickly picking herself up.

"*Snicker*Is that right sugercube? Then what was that there scream Ah yours?" Applejack said, barely containing her laughter at Rainbows reaction.

"A statement of surprise!" Rainbow dash quickly said. Applejack then returned to the floor and started laughing.

"Hey! It's not funny!" Rainbow dash said and leaped on to Applejack, they started a wrestling match before Twilight pulled them away from each other with her magic.

"Did you hear what I just told you!?" Twilight said. Applejack and Rainbow started to laugh.

"No fair Twilight! That's cheating!" Rainbow said in between laughs.

"Ah agree with that there statement." Applejack says and continues to laugh for a little while. Twilight lets them down, and Applejack takes the rope off of dash's wings.

"Now, why are you two here? Oh are you here for the latest edition of Daring Doo Rainbow?" Twilight asks, Rainbow dash's wing pop out in excitement.

"It's here!? Aweso- wait, that not what were here for! Have you seen Fluttershy around lately? Can't seem to find her any-"

"ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A roar was heard in the distance, startling the three friends.

"W-What in tarnation was that!" Applejack says. Holding a hoof to her heart to try and calm it down.

"I-I don't know, but it is coming from the direction of everfree!...wait you don't think-" Twilight was in the middle of her sentence before Rainbow dash interrupted.

"Fluttershy might be in trouble!" Rainbow dash about to fly out the window (who needs doors?) until Applejack grabbed bit down into her tail and stopped her.

"Woah! Keep ya horseshoes on! You can't go into the everfree all by yer lonesome! We have to get all the girls together!" Applejack says, still holding on to Dash's tail.

"Applejacks right, we need to get the girls together. I've been feeling some magical disturbances in that area for a while now. We should get all the girls, and send a letter to Princess Celestia."

"Kay twi, Dash you git Pinkie and ah'll get Rarity, lets git er done!" Applejack exclaims.

"Got it!" Rainbow says, gives her a salute and fly's off to get Pinkie, while Applejack runs toward Rarity's boutique. Twilight then proceeded to get a quill and piece of parchment and began to write.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I've been sensing a small influx of magical energy in the everfree forest today, and was about to just pass it off. But it then became a huge spike and wild influxes in the same place I felt it before hand, It also has come to my attention that Fluttershy has gone missing. Rainbow Dash and Applejack came to me with worries about Fluttershy and where she was. Then a massive roar sounded, and it was also in the vicinity of the magical anomalies. We suspect that Fluttershy might be there, and me and my friends are going there to investigate.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

"Spike! I need your help, I have to send a letter!" Spike descends the stairs. Yawning all the while.

"*Yawn* hi Twilight, what was that sound? It woke me up..." Spike said, slowly going towards twilight. He then incinerated the letter, and the dust went towards an open window. The response to the letter was conveniently swift.

My faithful student,

I must admit that I also have been feeling these strange anomalies in the everfree also. I and a platoon of royal guards will assist you in the search and investigation. I will also bring the Elements of Harmony, we cannot be too careful.

Princess Celestia.

"The princess is coming to, and with the elements? Wow, something big must be happening in the forest." Twilight says

Applejack was Galloping as hard and as fast as she could to get to rarity's boutique, when she saw the door she ran into the fashionista's place of business.

"Welcome to the carousal boti- Oh my, Applejack! Darling are you fi-" Rarity is cut off by Applejack.

"There ain't no time for your fancy fru-fru clothes! There's trouble in the everfree, and Fluttershy might be in the middle of it. Now get your fancy flank in gear and come on!" Applejack says. Rarity puts a hoof to her mouth.

"Oh my stars! Poor little Fluttershy in trouble!? Well, we must be going now!" Rarity followed Applejack out of the store, but locked up her boutique first.

...

Pinkie (who was bouncing in place constantly), Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rarity (who was quite tired after the run) were all on the boundaries of the everfree forest.

"What are we waiting for!?" Rainbow dash said, all the while flying circles around the group, her patience wearing thin.

"Were waiting for-" Twilight was about to answer before Pinkie interrupted her.

"Silly filly! Where waiting for the princess and her big scary guards to come with us!" She said joyfully. As soon asthe pink party pony said that the sound of a chariot touching down caught the ears of the five mares.

"Princess!" Twilight said and ran up to her teacher. Celestia and Twilight both shared an affectionate nuzzle before the princess of the day spoke.

"Greetings my student, are all your friends here?"

" Yes princess they are...well except for one" Twilight's ears dropped and she had a sad look on her face. Worried about the safety of her shy friend.

"I share your concern Twilight, but that makes this search all the most important. Come now, we must not waste any time." Celestia says, putting her wing over twilight to comfort her.

"Okay princess lets go." Twilight says. Smiling at her benevolent teacher before joining her friends. The guards encircle the group, and they head into the everfree forest.

...

"RAHHHHHHHH!" The giant wolf screams in pain. It's cry's are getting weaker as you continue your assault. Two of it's legs are useless, one of them broken and one of them viciously cut of by your claws.

"Not so tough now huh! Time to end this!" You grab your tail with your hands, and use it as a whip to cut its last hind leg three deep gashes, sap running out of the wounds. The giant wolf cannot hold itself up any longer and it falls to the ground.

"You've been a worthy opponent wolf but now, even though you don't die, feel the SHAME of losing!" You run up to it's face and jump as high as you can. As you are falling towards the wolf's face, you start to spin. The wolf try's to get up, succeeding in lifting its head up from the ground... you land on the ground and slowly walk away, not looking back at the wolf. The wolfs neck explodes in a mess of sap and bark, its head falls off... it was a perfect slice...0.

You finally done with this ordeal look at Fluttershy... she is cowering with her back on a tree looking at you in fear... poor Fluttershy, she's so innocent... so frail...

...

So vulnerable. Her fear it... smells so good. You feel a pain start to go throughout your mind, your time is almost up, you no what you have to do... you must...

EAT HER.

You lunge towards her and grab her by the neck and lift her up, tail posed to make the kill as swift and painless as possible.

"I saved your life... now you owe me yours...don't worry, take pride in the fact that the magic inside you will help me...survive the upcoming days... i'm sorry... but this is for my own good." Her face is a look of fear, tears fall down her face as she try's to struggle out of your grip.

"N-n-no... p-p-please don't..." She begs you, but they fall on death ears as you thrust your tail forwards and end her life.

...

Or so he thought.

The tail's tip stops dangerously close to her forehead, and you let go, she is still paralyzed in fear.

"...Leave...go..." You say tears in your eyes.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? HER ENERGY WILL LET US HAVE A BETTER CHANCE AT SURVIVING THE WHIPLASH THIS TRANSFORMATION CREATED TO OUR MIND!!"

"Leave now Fluttershy! Before I lose what little sanity I have left!... GO NOW!"

Fluttershy runs as fast as she can, due to her injured wing and vanishes from sight in about two seconds.

"YOU FOOL! DO YOU REALI-" You inturrupt

"I will not...let you...control...me-" The aftereffects of the transformation finally come... and your mind shatters into two pieces. You body drops onto the floor with a thud.

"You...fool. I underestimated you... now I have to do this... the hard way."

Diagnosis

"Were getting close to the source of the anomaly, it shouldn't take long" Twilight says as the group moves though the everfree forest. The trek hadn't been very gruesome, having a platoon of royal guards and the princess of the day herself kind of made that possible.

"Oh thank goodness! I cannot stand this forest, oh why didn't I bring my boots!" Rarity exclaims dramatically. Said mare is currently bobbing and weaving to avoid mud puddles, roots, and the occasional falling leaf.

"Rarity, it's just plain old mud. Yall put it on ya face with none such trouble at tha spa, why is ya tail in such a knot now?" Applejack says, both somewhat annoyed and amused at rarity's constant and erratic movements.

"Seriously Rare's its just mud, if you don't want any on your hooves's follow what Pinkie is doing" Rainbow says lazily flying next to Pinkie. Pinkie was bouncing up and down, rambling on about some topic to the unicorn guard next to her, said guard who occasionally nod his head and say "I understand." This guy was a pro. He had a light green coat with a slick black mane, his eyes were light brown. His cutie mark was a microphone stand surrounded by yellow streaks flowing around it.

"...and then we had a cupcake juggling contest, while standing in a vat of oatmeal! It was absolutely posilutly freal-a-leeking fun! ..." Pinkie was off in her own world, remembering the song she sang at the party she had yesterday. The guard just nodded, not really paying attention to her, but paying enough attention to create the illusion of being very interested in the giant wad of bubblegum's random tangents.

"I do say, who is that stallion?" Rarity said, impressed by how easily the stallion was handling the constant verbal bombardment that broke every pony before him. Celestia answered her.

"His name is Wise Words, he is my best negotiator and can defuse many a situation with couple of sentences. His magic gives him the power to talk to any being and understand them in a verbal sense, I asked him to join us encase this anomaly is a living being." Celestia says

"Well grease ma wheels that stallion sure does live up tha his name." Applejack says.

"We're almost there! Just a little bi-" Twilight was announcing but was cut off by a roar. What concerned her was that now she recognized this roar as the one that motivated her and her friends to go into the everfree in the first place, and... it sounded like it was in pain.

"RAAAAAAAAAAH..." The roar sounded. All the guards either charged up magic or spread their wings, and formed a tight circle around the princess, and the five mares.

"Oh neato! The forest wants to do a screaming contest! Okay! RARAGH-" Pinkie's "roar" was interrupted by an orange hoof to the mouth.

"Shh! Hush up Pinkie! Yall don't want any of the nasty critters in this here forest ta hear ya right!?" Applejack whispered as, Pinkie violently shook her head, SOMEHOW, making a *toka* *toka* *toka* sound while she did.

"Everypony keep your guard up, that was a roar of pain, and a hurt beast is a dangerous one." Celestia orders

"Yes, princess!" All the guards say at once while also making the already tight circle tighter.

"That is the same roar we heard at the library! Whatever it is, it must be fighting something else!" Twilight says

"Your right Twilight, I sense a foreboding presence in that direction, proceed with caution." The guards where locked and loaded, ready to react to even the slightest movement.

...

It was eerily silent. As the group slowly and careful trekked to the source of the roar. They heard something coming towards them, the guards got into position, but they were surprised when what came before them was an injured, scared-

"Fluttershy!" Twilight screamed and ran towards the scared mare. Fluttershy took one look at her and, in a very out of character fashion, tackled her and got her in a bone crushing hug. She was crying profusely into purple smarts chest. The mare's finally together join in a group hug. They break apart but Fluttershy won't let go of twilight.

"Oh my dear Fluttershy! What in equestria's name happened to you!?" Rarity said, her voice laced with concern. Her voice's, for once, dramatic flair was completely appropriate for this situation. Fluttershy reluctantly let go to twilight and tried to speak, but the only thing that came out was more tears and gibberish.

"Princess, can I have a word with this disgruntled mare? Maybe I can calm her down" Wise words said.

"Very well Wise" Celestia said. She addressed the mane six. "Girls, let Wise words though"

The girls made space for the stallion and let him though. He looked at Fluttershys crying form and his horn glowed a smoothing green.

"Calm down, you're with friends now. Nopony is going to hurt you" He began in calming voice. "Please rest your crying eyes." He said a very comforting voice. Fluttershy slowly stopped crying and looked up. Wise words face was of compassion and understanding.

"I know you're scared right now, but if you tell us why your so scared it will help us understand and comfort you."

"O-o...okay." Fluttershy whispered. Normally it would be too hard to hear, but Wise words magic gave him perfect understanding of all verbal communication no matter how faint.

"What is your name?" Wise words asked.

"I-I'm... Fluttershy..." She said a little louder this time, but not by much.

"Well Fluttershy, my name is Wise words, and was hoping if you could tell us why you're in the everfree forest and why your hurt." Wise motioned another unicorn guard to come, when he got close, Fluttershy backed away a little.

"This nice guard is a medic, please let him heal you, we don't want the wound to get infected" Wise words said. Fluttershy calmed down enough to let the guard work his magic (see what I did there?). After two minutes the wound was cleaned, healed and bandaged.

"Please refrain from flying for at least a week dear." The guard said his voice filled with compassion and worry. Fluttershy sneakingly nodded. The guard gave Fluttershy a piece of candy from his bag, Fluttershy accepted it.

"Okay now Fluttershy, first, can you tell us why you were in the forest?"

"Umm, I was helping some birds make a nest, and when I was done I heard something running...and panting...it sounded scared." Fluttershy said barely in the audible zone for anyone not enhanced by magic at the moment.

"Can you tell us what you saw, Fluttershy?" Wise words asked kindly.

"Well... it was something that ran on two legs, it had a weird white thing on its top and blue things on the legs ... and it was running from a really big manticore..." Fluttershy said, getting somewhat louder.

"Hmm... It wears clothes?" Rarity says. Twilight eyes were growing large, but she didn't add in.

"What happened to it?" Wise words said, his compassionate soothing voice now had a hint of curiosity in it.

"It... couldn't run anymore, the manticore chased him into a clearing... I thought it was over...but it..."

"What...It wasn't over" Wise words asked. Thinking that being hunted down by a manticore spelled certain doom for anypony.

"It's...voice" Fluttershy said, her voice finally back to "normal". Shaking at the memory of the creature's voice.

"What... about it's voice?" Wise asked.

"I heard it yell before it was chased into the clearing...but when it was trapped...It's voice...changed into something so...hateful..." She was shaking.

"please Fluttershy, calm down." Wise words asked.

"...It jumped and took a rock out of the thing it had on its legs.. and it... said something about a rocky sundae, in that...voice...before it... smashed the rock into the manticore's face..." She concluded.

"Woah, woah, woah hold up! Your saying this... thing buck smacked a manticore in the face with a rock!? A bucking rock!?" Rainbow exclaimed, voice laced in disbelief.

"And it is capable of speech!?" Twilight said. Stars in her eyes at the discovery of a new sentient species.

"And it knows what a sundae is!?" Pinkie exclaimed, her smile actually starting to leave her face because of how big it was.

The timid mare flinched at the volume of her friends words, but then nodded her head. "Yes I am... and after the manticore limped away it fainted and dropped on the floor."

"So... What yall do then?" Applejack asked. Wise words left the group of friends unnoticed and returned to his post, his work done.

"Good job Wise words" Celestia said. Wise words horn was back to normal.

"No problem your highness." Wise said.

"Please Wise, just Celestia." Celestia then gave him a kind smile. He then smiled back. But under Celestia's smile, was a worried ruler.

"If Fluttershy's description is true..." Celestia thought. She decided to let the conversation move on before jumping to conclusions.

"Um... well I couldn't just leave it there injured and bleeding, so I helped as much as I could and started to drag it back to my cottage... it's left foreleg had pieces of rock stuck in the weird 5 tubed thing where the hoof should have been."

Celestia's body grew cold. Her suspicions were confirmed. She quickly marched towards the group. Her voice commanding, but gentle at the same time.

"Fluttershy, can you tell me if thing being is the one that injured your wing?" Celestia ordered in the form of a question.

"...N-n-no, we were ambushed b-b-by hungry, rabid timberwolves and then..." Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

" Before we were attacked, it talked a little bit, during the entire conversation it's voice... was so weak, I didn't think it was going to survive...so I tried to be as friendly as possible to..." She started crying again. Wise words walked forward, but Celestia gave him a "i got this" nod of her head.

"Shhh... calm down my little pony" Celestia said in a comforting and motherly tone. She sat down next to her and draped a wing over her, Fluttershy calmed down after a bit. "Now, can you tell us what happened?"

"When the timberwolves attacked, it told me to fly away... but a wolf sneaked by and bit my wing while I tried to fly to safety... when the wolf was going to...finish me...the being I saved kicked to wolf away... b-b-but after that... the wolves poured in and....and..." Fluttershy started to remember what happened, and froze in fear. Celestia nuzzled her to calm her down, it worked, but barely.

"It... went crazy. Things started growing out of it's body..." Fluttershy said, shaking.

"Fluttershy? Yall alright? Yur shakin' like ah leaf in ah cattle stamped." Applejack said.

"I-it...was horrible and cruel one moment... then the complete opposite the next... l-like it had... umm" Fluttershy couldn't explain what it was like. But Pinkie solved that problem.

"Oh-oh I know! Like it had two pieces of candy in a wrapper meant for one!?" Pinkie randomly. Everypony turned their heads to look at her. "...What? Do I have something on my nose?" She went cross eyed to try to find the thing they were looking at. Everypony shared a laugh at her antics, even some guards.

"Um...yes, like that Pinkie... Then when there was one wolf left, it howled and the big king wolf showed up again..."

" tha vermit's roar is tha reason why we ah here in tha first place!" Applejack exclaimed.

"If whatever the thing your talking about didn't go super duper coco loco on those meany wolves then we would have never ever bever found you the first place!" Pinkie said.

"What happened that made you run from this... being?" Twilight said, when she said this Fluttershy paled.

"When it was done...it looked at me, the color of his eyes escapes me at the moment...but then he lunged at me and grabbed me... his eyes changed to blood red...and his pupils..." Celestia kept a calm face during the entire revealing of this information. But what was said next said... shook her to the core of her being.

Old feelings, nightmares, and memories that were locked away for almost one thousand years sprang forth, she was almost overwhelmed.

"They were...narrow... It said it was going to...e-eat me. I tried to get out of it's grip... but it was to strong. " Celestia's demeanor made a complete 180. From a warm and loving, to cold and calculating.

"How were you able to escape?" Celestia questioned. Inside she was panicking, angry, and confused but countless years of ruling a country gave her perfect control of her emotions.

"It was about to...end me... but right before it was able to, it's eyes changed back. It... let me go and told me to run before it lost it's self-control. I ran as fast as I could." Fluttershy finished her tale.

"Where is this being?" Celestia asked, her voice calm, but inside she was becoming extremely paranoid "Not again...please not again..."

"I sense the disturbance close by, it's not moving, but it might be the being Fluttershy is talking about. It's actions can explain the spike in magic. If we go to the disturbance, we might find it." Twilight explained. Celestia stood up

"Guards, form a perimeter, we don't know for sure if this...thing... is with us, or against us." The guards complied, and the group walk toward the direction of the disturbance. It took some coaxing from wise words to get Fluttershy to come back. What they found... was both amazing...and terrifying. The reactions were mixed.

Applejack tipped her hat down.

Rainbow Dash had her mouth open and a green tint on her face.

Rarity fainted.

Fluttershy hid behind Twilight.

Pinkie pie looked on in wonder, saying something about how its tail was the best weapon in the series, her comment was ignored.

Twilight looked on in shock. But her curious nature got the best of her, she slowly walk towards the prone monstrosity, only to be stopped by Celestia herself.

"Applejack, take out your lasso." Celestia ordered. Applejack who still was recovering wondered how did Celestia knew she had a lasso, but other than that she didn't lose a step, and got some rope from there saddlebag.

"Guards bind this creature, now." She said. The guards complied and manually tied the creature, with some help from Applejack.

"There, the feller is tied up real nice." Applejack said proudly, years of farmers work made her knots nearly inescapable. The tail was a hassle, but it was secured. Applejack then vomited.

"What's wrong now, are you okay?" A medicinal guard came up to Applejack and gave her a look of worry, the same medic that tended to Fluttershy's wounds. He had a pure white coat with a light brown mane, his eyes where a caring light blue. His cutie mark was a light with a circle surrounding in, inside the circle were words that said "Sana Protege Amor" going around the circle. Applejack shaking pointed to the bare chest of the creature. The guard looked at it with pity.

"Oh...no." The unnamed guard said. It's exposed chest had red lines going though it, signs of extreme and unhealthy amounts of increased muscle mass over a short period of time. "This...this is not natural."Celestia came up to the guard.

"What is wrong Diligendo sanatore?" Celestia asked, and gasped when she took a good look at the creature.

Sanatore answered "it's body has an extreme buildup of magic, it's muscles have gone thought extreme growth in a short amount of time... The worse part... is this..." He pointed at it's tail.

Rainbow Dash, finally out of her shock, flew to the being. Her actions caused a chain reaction and led the rest of the mane six to go up to the strange, bound, creature. They came just in time to hear Sanatore's diagnosis. Pinkie, without anyone noticing, licked the creature.

"Hmm..." Pinkie was judging the taste.

"It's made of bone. The body of a pony, when growing up, receives growing pains because of the bones, and everything else changing... judging from the growth lines on this creatures chest, I can concluded that this tail was not a natural part of this creatures body, and it spontaneously grew... the pain it received from this growth... must have been indescribable." Sanatore said, his caring nature overriding his sense of caution, he ran a hoof to the beings short mane.

"You poor thing...i'll do my best to take your pain away..." He then put its head in a loving hug. Celestia looked to him, he was truly the best medic in her guard. So compassionate, so much empathy. She smiled, momentarily forgetting her worries at the show of a true healer's heart. Sanatore started to open it's eyelids.

"... Princess..." Twilight said. Celestia turned her attention to her faithful student.

"Yes, twilight?" Celestia said. She pointed her hoof at the creatures eyes... They were flashing from blood red and narrow. To (insert your desired eye color here) and rounded, continuously. Celestia immediately sprang into action.

"Guards! Carry this creature and follow me! NOW!" Celestia said. They guards sprang into action. Sanatore was carrying the creature on its back with the utmost care. The girls were surprised in the sudden change in demeanor.

"Princess, what happened?" Rainbow said. Flying next to Celestia, the mane 6 following her into the forest.

"No time to explain, we must go to your friend Zecora's hut, she has the herbs and knowledge necessary for Sanatore to work to his fullest" Celestia said, the mane 6 wondered how she knew where Zecora lived. Said stallion was magically picking herbs from the ground while galloping, with the creature on its back in perfect balance. A determined look on his face as he followed Celestia. After ten minutes of galloping, the hut finally came into sight. Celestia knocked on the door and after a minute, Zecora came.

"Oh princess" she bowed "my respects have been shown, now please tell me, what brings you to my home?" Zecora said.

"We need your knowledge of herbs to heal this creature... and confirm a suspicion of mine." Celestia says. Sanatore brought in the creature. Zecora's eyes widened.

"No... it can't be. Surely you jest me?" Zecora said.

"Can somepony tell me what is this thing already!?" Rainbow dash exclaimed. Celestia sighed.

"I think it's about time I told all of you... gather around my little ponies." They all sat down in a circle. The guards are standing in the direction of the creature, and Sanatore and Zecora were applying cream and soaking bandages to put it on the creature. Sanatore's face was of pure compassion and determination. While Zecora's face was of shock and disbelief.

"What that creature is... is something that i haven't seen or heard of in over a thousand years. A species that is capable of great good, and great evil... It is...a human." A six mares gasped.

"I've...heard of human's from myth but... that's all that I thought they were..." Twilight said.

"Wowee! A human, I knew it tasted weird!" Pinkie said. Everypony looked at her in horror. "What? I like tasting new things." Pinkie said innocently.

"...okay..." Twilight said.

"Pinkie, I know your random... but sometimes you scare me" Rainbow said.

"Can we please...move on" Rarity said. Celestia coughed.

"Moving on" Celestia sighed. " I've known about humans for a long time... There world is like ours was before the founding of equestria, divided and hateful. But they are many shining examples of human love and friendship. Back to the matter at hoof-" Pinkie raised her hoof. "Yes Pinkie?"

"Don't you mean at hand? The humans have hands, right?"

Celestia chuckled sightly. "Okay, the matter at hand. Humans do not have any magic, and there worlds weather cannot be controlled. They only relied on there intuition, instincts and ingenuity to survive. This lead to there survival instincts to become extremely powerful, as the humans became so advanced that there survival instincts were not needed as much. They can adapt to any environment...which is what is happening now."

"So you're saying that the human's body is adapting to the magic in equestria, by absorbing it into its body!?" Twilight said her eyes had stars in them. Sanator spoke up.

"Yes... but that should have been a slow process, like growing up again. Somehow, the human skipped that and...this happened... " Sanatore looked down at the human, and ran a hoof though its mane. Tears threatened to spill from his face.

"And also this sudden build-up of magic caused a horrible side effect in his body. Something that only happened once" Celestia said. Zecora then spoke.

"I know what this human's affection, it is a phenomenon known as..." Celestia then finished the sentence

"Magical reflection." Celestia said with a sad look in her eyes. Twilight gasped.

"But that only can happen when extreme amounts of magic are in play. Alicorn level magic! Your saying that..." Celestia sighed.

"Yes, Twilight Sparkle, What is happening to this human is the same thing that happened to my sister... the same thing that made my sister into Nightmare moon." The room was silent Celestia broke it. "But two good things came out of this. The reason Nightmare moon took control is because she had time to corrupt Luna's mind. This "reflection" didn't have enough time to take full control... which is why Fluttershy is here with us."

The group looked at the human who was being cared for by Santore. "Also the love and care from Sanatore plays a part also. Where he hails from, is Latania, a city famous for its healers, his healing is suppressing the evil from spreading." Sanatore was using his magic to heal the stretch scars on the humans chest and arm. He was going to check it's "hindlegs."

"Princess... It's a he..." Sanatore said and quickly pulled its coverings up. He pulled up the leg coverings this time, and sure enough, there were bloody stretch marks on his legs. He went to work on them. The mares in the room blushed slightly.

"So why don't we just zap him with the elements and get this over with?" Rainbow said.

"Ah agree with dash here, can we do that princess?' Applejack said. Celestia shook her head.

"It is true that the elements would work in purifying him of this...but his body would absorb the elements magic, and adapt to it..."

"Meaning?..." Twilight said.

"If we were to hit him with the elements of harmony... It would make the human immortal..." The room was silent.

"But what other way is there princess?" Twilight said. Celestia nodded, stood up and walked towards the prone being.

"If I were to go into the human's mind, I could make a plan to try to help him... but it's a very dangerous play." Celestia said. Twilight voiced her concern.

"Princess... please be careful there are two forces trying to take control of that mind, you might be walking into a war zone..." Twilgiht said.

Celestia smiled. "Thank you Twilight. Guards be ready if anything happens, i'm going in" Celestia put her horn on the humans forehead and proceeded...

...

."What do we have here now?..." Celestia was shocked to see what was around and in front of her. The minds walls are falling, lightning and pieces of wall are falling everywhere. The same human she saw on the bed was standing in front of her but with some differences. His bone tail was a dark red, and his eyes matched Fluttershy's description perfectly.

"So you are the thing that plagues this human's mind" Celestia said. The copy gave Celestia a cold look.

"I am not just some parasite, I am my own being now. I am what all living things have inside them..."

"You are the will to survive, a beast with no compassion or empathy that's only goal in life is to survive, and look out for itself" Celestia finished his sentence. The reflection started to clap.

"Well done, well done. I see you're not just a good meal." Celestia wasn't moved by his "complement". "But alas, I cannot dine on you, this guy won't let me. Count yourself lucky, meat." He pointed towards...you.

Your head was down, and you where strapped to a gold circle. Each arm and leg were bound with a different color restraint. On your left arm, there is a yellow restraint. On your right arm there is a dark purple restraint. On your neck, there is a red restraint. On your left leg, there is a green restraint. On your right leg there is a baby blue restraint. And the biggest one of all, binding your chest to the gold circle, is a light purple restraint. It forms an X.

"Even though he is bound... his brain is still hardwired for his consciousness, that is the reason he has power over me, that is why I cannot use his body...but his prison is the reason he cannot use it as well. Once I rewire his brain I will be able to control his body... and survive."

Celestia knew what the prison was." It was the same way Luna's mind was locked away, and the only way to free him was with the elements...but that would-" Celestias thoughts are interrupted

"Cause his immortality" The copy said."But that is what I want... when I am done "fixing" this mind... I will devour your precious elements and there vessels... giving me eternal life as the only human in equestria...surviving forever! Remember this name MEAT! My name is...Superstes!"

Celestia immediately escaped the humans mind. Supersets laughed thinking that she fled, but in reality... she didn't want him to find out her master plan.

...

Celestia opened her eyes and looked around. Everypony was looking at her with worry, and night has fallen.

"Girls...I have a plan" Celestia said.

"What is it princess?" Twilight asked.

"The elements of harmony all at the same time, would give the human immortality, but..." Everypony in the room moved closer to her. Pinkie moved her center of gravity too much and fell to the floor.

"There is another way to brake this prison, the reflection itself is what is causing his imprisonment. We were able to free my sister with the elements because she is equestrian from birth... this human body right here is not of equestria... but the spawn inside him... " Twilight continued.

"IS! He was born though the magic of equestria!...but that would mean we would have to separate the evil from him, and then use the elements on the reflection..."

Celestia sighed "Yes... that is where the plan gets dangerous. If we were to separate him from his other half, now named Superstets, and use the elements on the spawn...we would purify and defeat this evil, but it is extremely dangerous. We must bring him to Canterlot and secure him as much as possible, I do not want any of my ponies getting hurt after we separate him." Celestia turned to Zecora "Thank you for your hospitality."

"It was nothing your highness, anything for a friend... If your plan doesn't work... it will spell equestria's end." Zecora said.

"...Yes, I know..." She turned towards the guards. "We will bring him to canterlot. Since time is of the essence we will teleport there. Twilight, you and your friends are to get a train to canterlot tomorrow. I will send a letter to the train station so you and your friends can get priority... have a good rest... you are going to need it... Sanatore! Wise Words!"

"Yes princess?" Both of them asked standing at attention.

"Since we don't know what would happen to the human if any other magic than healing or the separation magic is done to him. You must stay here with the girls and him. Wise words, stay here to, your skills will be needed"

Sanatore nodded his head and looked at the human with pity, and compassion. "I will do my best to help him..." Sanatore said. Wise words nodded.

Celestia than teleported her guards and herself to the castle. Zecora led the group back to ponyvillie, said her goodbyes and returned.

"...How are we going to lug this guy in ponyvillie without anypony noticing?" Rainbow said.

"Well it's nighttime so we can just... sneak to the hospital" Sanatore said.

"Alright girls! Operation:get the human to the hospital without anypony noticing an alien from a different dimension and then explaining to the ponies in the hospital that human's actually exist, is a go!" Pinkie said loudly.

"Shhhhh!" Everypony said, but it was to late. One pony noticed them, a certain mint green pony...it was Lyra. She ran towards the group when she saw the human on Sanatore's back. A big smile on her face that grew to Pinkie pie standards to closer she got.

"Here we go..." Twilight thought.

The Trials begin

When Lyra reached the group, her face was of pure happiness and intensity. She took a deep breath and was about to talk, but Twilight silenced her by turning her lips into zippers.

"Okay, Lyra, I know you're happy and all that but we need to keep this quite. Now i'm going to release the spell, can I count on you to not scream your horn off?" The mint green unicorn nodded her head vigorously. Twilight released the spell. Lyra took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Okay, first thing I want to say... I told you so." Lyra was trying REALLY hard to contain her enthusiasm. Her body was quivering and shaking, and she was biting her lip. Twilight sighed.

"Before you explode, i'll put a soundproofing spell around us" Twilight said. She did so and prepared for the verbal bombardment that was about to come... her actions weren't wasted. Lyra cleared her throat.

"I TOLD YOU SO!!!!! I. BUCKING. TOLD. YOU. SO!!!!! YEAHHHHH! WHAT'S GOOD NOW!? EVERYONE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY FOR BELIEVING THEY EXIST! WELL LOOK NOW!" Twilight, or the group didn't say anything. Wise words looked on in amusement and Sanatore had a look of suspicion, and worry.

"GOT NOTHING TO SAY HUH!? YEAHHHH! BUCK YEAH YOU DON'T!" Lyra stood up on her hindlegs... and proceeded to do a pelvic thrust.

"UHHH!" She went on all fours again and took a deep breath. "Okay, i'm done."

"...Now that you got that out of your system, back to the matter at hoof-" Both Lyra and Pinkie interrupted her at the same time.

"Hand" They both said. They looked at each other, and smiled.

"Nice!" They both hoof bumped. Twilight face hoofed.

"Ugh, fine. The matter at hand. We have to bring him to the hospital without anypony noticing him, we can't use magic to cloak him because we don't know how that would effect him, so here's the plan. Wise words, you and me will take the front. When we reach the hospital, you can talk to the ponies in there before and after we bring him in, so they don't panic when we bring him in- Lyra, what are you doing?" Twilight stopped telling the group her plans to address Lyra.

Said pony was rubbing the human's hand on her face like it was lotion, and her eyes were rolling to the back of her head. She stopped when she noticed everypony was looking at her.

"Uhhh... i've always wanted to know what they feel like..." Lyra said with a sheepish smile.

"On...your face?" Rainbow questioned.

"Oh my..." Fluttershy said.

"Darling... I think you have a condition." Rarity said.

"Do they feel good?" Pinkie asked, reaching for the other hand. But she was stopped by a stern look from Sanatore.

"Green unicorn, please don't rub his hands on your face, not only is it a violation of his body... it's really creepy." Sanatore said. He, with the human carefully balanced on his back, walked up to Twilight.

"I think we may have to give that mare..."

"Lyra" Twilight said.

"Yes, right. This Lyra a physiological evaluation, in my professional opinion." He gave her a very worried look. "This might grow into a obsession with the human, I fear for her mental health." Twilight raised an eyebrow

"Why is that?" Twilight asked, her curious and studious self taking over.

"During her...rant, she said that she was constantly ridiculed because of her belief in humans, even though her outburst on the surface was comical...I think she has some emotional damage from the constant ridicule, and now that she sees a human, she is going to try to relive herself of that emotional baggage using the human... with could lead to a very unhealthy obsession."

"Hmmm... I see your point, so we shouldn't let her come with us?" Sanatore shook his head.

"No, that would lead to even more damage to her already fragile emotional state. I recommend that she come with us... but she cannot be left alone with the human. Imagine what she would do to his body if she was alone with him." Sanatore and Twilight shivered at the mental images.

"Okay... Lyra! You can come with us, but only if you keep yourself in check, alright?" Lyra smiled and nodded.

"Alright, back to the plan, we wi-" This time Rarity that interrupted.

"Twilight, if I may, can I make a new set of...undergarments for this human? There probably isn't any hospital gowns or clothes that are made for his species, and we don't want him to be in those...dirty rags any longer, hm?"

Twilight took a moment to think. "Well, Sanatore, you are the pony in charge of his well being. What say you?" Twilight asked. Sanatore thought for a second.

"Hmm...you there, what's your name?" Sanatore pointed a hoof to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow flew to him.

"Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in equestria!"

"Okay, Rainbow Dash, can you please go with Rarity so that when she is done with the...undergarments, you can bring them to the hospital?"

"Of course! I'll bring them in ten seconds flat! Come on Rare's, don't have much time!" She picked up Rarity.

"No, no, no! The wind will ruin my precious maaaaaa..." Nopony could hear her finish her sentence because of how far away she was, nothing was left but a faint rainbow streak.

"Talk about hustle..." Wise words said his first sentence since they came from the everfree. Everypony nodded.

"Well, time to go to the hospital. Wise words, with me." Twilight said.

"Yes ma'am" He said with a coy tone, and he trotted next to her.

The walk towards the hospital was uneventful. The only sound that was made was the clopping of hooves on the floor, the constant sound of Pinkie pie bouncing, and the steady breathing of the human on Sanatore's back. But when they entered the hospital... well let's just say Celestia leaving Wise words there wasn't for no reason.

"AHHHHHHHHH! W-W-W-WHAT IS THAT DISGUSTING THING!? GET THAT MONSTER OUT!!!!" A nurse screamed when Sanatore entered the main lobby of the hospital, despite the warning from Wise words gave prior to the human's appearance,. Wise words horn glowed green again.

"As I told you, this is a human. I know It is hard to believe but look at me, and the pony that is carrying the human." Wise pointed a hoof to Sanatore. "Do you see our armor? We are royal guards, and if Celestia herself knows the human is here and is letting two of her guards AND the elements of harmony escort this human towards a populated town, would it be safe to assume that this human, who is ALSO laying UNCONSCIOUS AND BANDAGED on the back of a royal guard, safe? And is in need of medical attention?" The mare nurse calmed down, and looked down in shame.

"I didn't hear a response" Said Wise words.

"Yes..." the nurse weakly said, but to Wise words, it was loud and clear.

"Also, look where the human is lying on, the back of an armored royal guard. Do you think that is comfortable?" Wise words questioned.

"No..." the nurse said. Head still down in shame.

"And do you think your disingenuous assertions are making a INJURED BEING any better? Didn't you take an oath to practice medicine ethically and honestly?" The mare hid her face and didn't answer.

"Answer the question." Wise words demanded.

"Y-yes..." the nurse said, tears are starting to form on her face, but nopony notices because she is hiding her face.

"Now, is it ETHICAL to deny healthcare to an INJURED BEING, BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE HOW IT LOOKS!? IS IT ETHICAL TO CALL AN INJURED BEING DISGUSTING AND MONSTER AT A FIRST GLANCE!? IS IT!? BECAUSE THE ONLY MONSTER I SEE RIGHT NOW IS YOU! NOW ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Wise words horn turned a dark green. The mare was crying, but Wise words didn't care. Her misery seemed to feed Wise words. He stepped closer and dark green energy started to seep from his eyes, like a form of flaming eyeliner, his eyes were blank, his voice started to sound like many at once. It put Luna's royal Canterlot voice to shame.

"ANSWER. THE. QUESTION!"

A hoof was felt on his shoulder. He looked back with his teeth clenched. It was Sanatore. He looked around. He saw the girls look at him with shock, he saw the other nurses looking at him, he saw the crying mess of the nurse he was verbally destroying, but most of all when he looked in the lobby's mirror... he saw himself. He couldn't even recognize himself, he deactivated his magic, and looked at the group he came with.

"... Get him a room..." Wise words then walked out of the hospital. Twilight was going to go after him, but Sanatore stopped her. Fluttershy went towards the crying mare to comfort her.

"He...needs some time alone... lets just get the human a ro-" Pinkie flailed her hooves to get attention. "Yes...um..."

"Pinkie" Twilight said.

"Yes, Pinkie?" Sanatore said.

"Since everypony is just saying "human" can I name him!? Oh! I know, I know! How about Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop!? " Pinkie asked.

...

"I'll consider it." Said Sanatore

One doctor burst out laughing, which started a chain reaction, and got everypony to laugh. Successfully releasing the tension in the room. The mare on the floor crying did not share the same energy as the others, but a slight chuckle escaped her lips.

"Heeeey!" A familiar voice rang. Twilight and her friends came out to see who it was. The owner of said voice touched down outside the hospital, it was Rainbow. She had a box in her possession and a...

"WOWEE DASH! You look so....WOW!" Pinkie said. The other three mare's looked in shock and awe at their tomboyish friend. Her mane, usually unkempt, was now groomed. Making rainbow look.... well, wow. The cyan pegesus had a look of slight irritation.

"Don't get used to it. Rarity was complaining about her mane and how I "barbarically destroyed" it, then she "insisted" that she do my mane as a form of payment. Said that my mane was like a "mop thrown in a wind tunnel" and she kept going on and on about it until I let her do it." She caught some stallion pedestrians staring at her. When she looked back, they all went on their way.

"So, hows the human doing? Got him the clothes he needed." Rainbow said. Twilight answered.

"Were about to get him a room now, I have to go to the library to get some note paper a-" She was interrupted when Pinkie pulled a stack of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink from her mane.

"And I need to check up on Spike..." Twilight said. Pinkie reached into her mane and pulled out a sleeping Spike, basket and all.

"He doing fine." Pinkie whispered. Twilight nodded and then Pinkie put Spike back into her mane. Rainbows stomach growled.

"Need some grub..." Rainbow said to herself.

Pinkie then proceeded to reach into her mane and pulled out... a lamp.

"Nope! That's not it!" Pinkie said and put the lamp back into her mane. Then Pinkie proceeded to pull out and put back a series of random items. A lawn chair, a couch, tom, princess Luna, Iron Will on a chair clipping his nails, a hot pink Bugatti, yadda yadda yadda...

"Where are- OH! There they are!" Pinkie exclaimed. She pulled out a box of muffins and handed them to dash.

None of the group questioned just how she got those, after being around Pinkie for long enough you tend to expect the unexpected. The doctors, and Sanatore, however did not expect that. Lyra's reaction was priceless though.

"DEUUEAUUGH!?"

...

The next day.

Ponyvillie was awake and bustling. Shops were being opened, little fillies and colts were going to school, and a royal guard was carrying a- wait what?

Sanatore, a neutral looking Wise words, and the mane six were walking towards the train station. The hospital gave them a gurney for the human (although finding one big enough to use on the humans tall frame was a hassle). Twilight jumped at the chance to use the gurney, one because it would make the trip easier and two because it would make them human look absolutely harmless in the eyes of the residents of ponyvillie. Even though they would be very surprised, they would be much less so because of the helplessness the human exhibited.

"It's over here bonnie, take a look." Lyra said as the group approached the train station. Lyra dragged bon-bon over to the train station to gloat, but bon-bon didn't expect it at all.

"Ugh... lyraaaaaaa, why did you bring me he-" Her sugery, whiny voice was caught when the group past them with a...human in tow. Her face was frozen in a look of shock, and her head followed the group until they disappeared further into the station. Lyra tapped her shoulder, when she looked at her she had a smug grin on her face and her hoof was out.

"Pay up." Lyra said. Bon-bon, still in her shock, reached into the saddlebags she came with and handed her a bag of bits.

"Now, time to capitalize." Lyra said. Still wearing that smug grin, she went off into ponyvillie.

'This is gonna be a good day' Lyra thought.

...

Train.

The sound of the train going towards Canterlot was the only sound that was heard in the room that housed the mane 6, Sanatore, Wise words, and the unconscious bipedal alien. That and Pinkie's constant rambling, she had it in her mind that she could pass the time by talking to the unconscious human. People in coma's tend to be great listeners.

"Andthenafterallthiswe'llthrowyouapartyandnotonlythat!apartywithballoons!Howsuperduperwouldthatbe-" Her hyper-speed rate of talking was stopped when the sound of the train stopping rang thought the train car they were in.

"Alright everypony on board, we are here in Canterlot, please exit in an orderly manner." The conductors voice ran though the train car. Pinkie shook the human's limp hand.

"Well it's been fun talking to you!" Pinkie exclaimed. The group has been watching her "conversation" with the human for a while, and decided to just let Pinkie Pie be Pinkie Pie. She was getting some concerned stares from Sanatore, he told Twilight of his concerns over the mare.

"You get used to it, it's just the way she is, I don't think any therapist could withstand her for very long." Twilight said.

"...If you say so..." Sanatore said.

When they came out of the train station they were met with a big surprise, a royal carriage was waiting for the mane six, they noticed that the train station was completely barren of any other ponies but themselves. Celestia must have prepared for the humans arrival. The stoic guards raised a brow at the alien among them, but other then that, they did nothing.

'Celestia must have forewarned them about the human' Twilight thought. The group went into the carriage and it started to move towards the castle. The hustle and bustle of Canterlot filling the carriage as they went down the street. But those sounds were completely ignored, complements of Pinkie pie.

...

"Pinkie...what are you doing?" Twilight asked. The pink incarnation of energy was currently poking the humans face, then chest, and arms with her hoof.

"He's really squishy" Pinkie said. She was laughing and poking the, now proclaimed by Pinkie, squishy human. "C'mon girls! Give him a poke!"

"No thanks." Rainbow said, eyeing the knocked out alien encase he sprang to life. "I don't feel right having a alien who has the equivalent of nightmare moon, or worse, in that skull of his right next to us."

"Ah don't think poking tha thing isn't ah smart idea. About as smart as trying tah herd manticores." Applejack said. "Still think we should hogtie this "hoo-man" just tah be safe." Sanatore spoke up.

"You might reopen any wounds that didn't heal yet. So I don't think hog tying would by a good idea... or poking him for that matter...Pinkie." Sanatore emphasized Pinkie's name.

"Aw, but it's so fun to poke him! I'm not doing it hard. He even likes it." Pinkie put her hoofs on the mouth of the alien and made it into a smile. "See?"

Sanatore couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. Pinkie knew that she won.

"Fine, just don't poke him to ha-" His sentence was interrupted by the sound and feel of the carriage landing, they reached their destination, the castle. And when the guards that where pulling the carriage opened the door...

Right there was Princess Celestia, with a weird hexagonal crystal around her neck. Adding to the already impressive royal garments she usually wears. Everypony bowed when the go out of the carriage. The carriage then continued out of sight.

"Good evening everypony, I hope your trip went well?" Celestia asked.

"Yes princess, we had a... interesting ride here." Twilight said.

"Inform me later my dear student." Celestia looked at the unconscious alien. "We must use all the time we have at our disposal."

Celestia started to walk towards the castle. The group noticed that, other than a few guards, they were the only ponies here. The group didn't ask why, it was obvious why there wasn't anypony around. The group followed Celestia until they arrived at the door that led to the room that housed the elements of harmony. Celestia stopped at the door.

"Wise words and Sanatore, thank you for helping during this. But I am afraid that only the elements, the human, and myself will have to proceed further. Return to our posts." Celestia ordered.

"Of course." Both of them said. Something was off about Wise words though. They left the room.

Celestia put her horn in the center of the door, a tiny hole in the door was filled by it. Celestia let off some magic, and the six circles that made their home on the beautifully made door shined, the door vertically opened.

"Come with me" Celestia said. The group whet inside the amazing architectural prowess the room radiated. Rarity felt like a school filly in a candy store.

"No...words..." Rarity contradicted herself.

As they approached the pedestal that housed the box that held the elements. She took the box off the pedestal, (which had a strange hexagonal hole in the center), and opened the box, revealing the elements. Celestia then gave each of the mane six there corresponding elements.

Fluttershy was given the element of kindness.

Applejack, the element of honesty.

Rainbow Dash, the element of loyalty.

Rarity, the element of generosity.

Pinkie Pie, the element of laughter.

And finally, Twilight Sparkle, the element of magic.

Celestia then took the strange hexagon and then inserted it into the hole in the pedestal, her horn began to glow her trademark golden color, And what happened next caught everypony by surprise.

The pedestal began to sink into the ground, and when it finally went completely inside the floor, the ground began to shake.... The wall that was right behind the now floored pedestal began to... open. Revealing another door/wall. This one had five circles surrounding one big one in the center of the wall-door. Each of the surrounding circles corresponded with a specific element of harmony's color, and the best part about this new wall...It was made of crystal. Rarity almost fainted at the supreme beauty of this door.

"My word...this door is absolutely-" She was cut off by Pinkie pie.

"B-E-A-UTIFUL! WOWEE ZOWIE, THIS EDWARDO!" Pinkie exclaimed. Everypony looked at her in confusion, "It's a wall door right? Put them together and you get dwaor! But the spell check said that wasn't a word, so the author changed it to Edwardo. So, Edwardo!"

"Wait, what's a spell check?" Everypony asked including Celestia. Well basically, everypony had a different way of saying it, but it was still the same question.

"It's the program that checks your spelling every time out type a word into a computer, silly fillies!" Pinkie said.

"Wait, what's a- you know what, i'm not even gonna ask, lets just move on" Rainbow said, and everypony did just that, knowing it was a futile effort trying to understand anything that came out of Pinkie's mouth.

"So, princess, whats is this...door doing here?" Twilight asked.

"I wouldn't call myself a wise leader if the only thing I relied on was the elements of harmony. Have you noticed that all the greatest threats to equestrian society was handled by the elements of harmony, excluding Sombra and Chrysalis ?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, I did notice that, princess." Twilight said.

"But, we can't zap the guy with the elements, right?" Rainbow concluded. Celestia nodded.

"We cannot use the elements on him Rainbow Dash, you are correct on that...but a long time ago, before my sister became nightmare moon, I thought to myself, 'what would happen if a great calamity was brought upon equestria, and the elements, or even magic itself, was useless against it?'. This was when I alone controlled the elements of harmony, so that is why this door is here. You, now the vessels of the elements of harmony, must use them to unlock the door so we can proceed."

"Alright girls, lets crack us open hidden vault!" Rainbow said excitingly. This was sounding more and more like a daring do book by the second, and the rainbow haired mare was enjoying every second of it. Applejack and Rainbow dash put the human down and away from what was about to happen, better to be safe than sorry.

The elements started to glow, and from each element a beam shot out and hit the corresponding colored circle.

"DR.OCTOGONAPUS!" Pinkie screamed right before the beam shot out of her element. "BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Pinkie screamed while the beam was firing.

No one questioned the strange mare.

After about 3 seconds the beams ceased, and the door began to glow, the door began to open and...a hall made of pure crystal awaited them, the magic that the elements just released was flowing though the walls, creating a kaleidoscopic affect on the walls. Rarity's eyes shed a couple tears in respect for the beauty of it all.

"The colors in the walls in the walls is an aftereffect of the elements magic, the crystal this room is made of does not leak magic, so it is safe to bring the human in here." Celestia said.

"So... pretty." Fluttershy said. Everypony agreed with her, even Pinkie was silent and in awe of the hall she was observing with a big, for her, smile on her face.

Celestia began to walk in the hall. AJ and RD picked up the human and started to walk with the rest of the group went inside the beautiful hall. Soon the colors faded, much to the disappointment of everypony, the walls where now a brilliant white. The group then stopped at a door.

"If you can already guess I had this hall and our solution made with the help of the crystal empire. It took years of hard work and years of excavating, but we did it... girls, I give you..." Celestia opened the door leading to their solution with magic, the crystal hall created another kaleidoscopic affect. She opened the door and what they saw was forever engraved in their minds. Mouths where opened in shock, tears were shed, and no words but Celestia's where spoken.

"IN CRYSTALLINAM PURITATEM"

The room was the same crystal as the other rooms, but what was in the middle... was a kaleidoscopic crystal orb, six orbs that where colored the same as the elements where orbiting around it, like an atoms electrons would orbit around the nucleus. The magic induced words of Celestia caused the crystal to activate, the outside orbs that were still began to move.

Bands of energy corresponding to the elements colors formed and connected to the orbs, and the orbs were following the bands of energy around the main orb. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

"These crystals do not use magic when they are activated. This took 300 years in total to make, the instructions passed from generation from generation of crystal ponies and the resisdents of Latinia that were in charge of this. I've made and lost many friends while making this artifact. My friends dying of old age, not because of making this crystal... it is the only thing I can think of that will help us in our time." Celestia said

" Princess... you said something...about Latina?" Twilight said, still in shock because of the amazing artifact, she looked behind herself to find that everyone had a look of shock on there face Well, except Pinkie of course. She had a smile that was so big it made twilight want to check exactly WHAT her skin was made of.

"Yes, both the name and the healing abilities of the in crystallinam puritatem came from Latina. The ability to work without magic came from the crystal empire."

"How does it work without magic?" Twilight asked.

"These crystals do not do the work needed, or exert any energy when they're used. This is because of the fact that these crystals act as a catalyst."

"Cata-what?" Rainbow asked, finally knocked out of her beauty-induced stupor.

"A catalyst, in a chemical reaction, is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change." Twilight explained, Rainbows head started to hurt.

"They incite the change, but are not changed themselves." Celestia toned it down for the confused mare. That Rainbow understood.

"So what you're saying is that these marvelous pieces of art will cause the human to separate into the two halves, without exerting any force?" Rarity said, while simultaneously looking at the crystal. Her eyes were as big as dinner plates and shined like diamonds.

"Yes... but there's a problem, like a catalyst needs certain substances for it to BE a catalyst... this crystal would only work on someone who was born in, and body corresponds to, equestria. This human's body... was not. Even though the reflection is, and the humans body adapted to the magic in equestria, the human's body isn't 100% equestrian. We would have to find a common ground for the artifact to work. To guide the artifact, so it has a path" Twilight eyes started to widen. You could almost hear the words 'BRAIN BLAST!'.

"THE PRISON!" Twilight exclaimed. Celestia smiled as she realized what Twilight did moments after.

"I'm impressed you figured it out so quickly Twilight Sparkle." Celestia said. But everypony else in the room was confused.

"Wha?" Applejack said.

"Don't you see!? The prison was made from equestrian magic, meaning, THAT is the common ground we need!" Twilight said.

"Gee, Twi. Way to go full egg-head on us, we would probably be here for the rest of the day if you weren't here." Rainbow 'complemented' Twilight. Twilight ignored that comment.

"This is were you girls come in, the prison is the only thing truly 100% in equestrian origin, besides the reflection, in the humans body and brain. If we were to 'mark' the prison with a series of mental nodes planted by you six here. He could give the artifact a clear path to the prison, and when we activate the crystal, it should work..." Celestia said. She then looked at the group.

"i need you girls to step away from the human, and cover your ears" Celestia said

They did, RD and AJ gently set the human down and went towards to group. Celestia pointed at the human then said a phrase in the language of latinia...in her royal Canterlot voice.

"CRYSTALLUS, CONTINENT!"

The crystal did not slack, even thought it was well over 1000 years old. The rings floated off the main crystal and with lightning speed, went over to the human. He started to float in the air and was spread out, the six individual rings combined into one. The orbs orbited the human now, his arms and legs each had a orb next to them atop his head was one orb, and straight down in between the two orbs next to his legs was one also.

Floating above his head was a red orb. Next to his left hand was a yellow orb. His right hand had a violet orb next to it. Next to his left foot was a green orb. His right foot sported a blue orb next to it. Finally between the green and baby blue orbs was of a purple shade. The shine that they had when orbiting the orb was gone, and the ring connecting him was barely see able.

When that was done the girls felt a ringing in their ears. Even though they did what the princess said, it still hurt.

"My apologizes, but these crystal were created during the time that I frequently used the royal Canterlot voice. It was the only way to start the process."

"It's alright princess." The group said.

"Now... who will go first?" Celestia asked?

...

"I will." A voice said.

Trial of the left arm

The room was silent, the stunning beauty of the artifact and room were momentarily forgotten at the sound of the voice that boldly took initiative. It was...

Fluttershy.

"W-w-what!?" The entire group said. Celestia's eyes wear slightly widened, but other than that she didn't seem surprised. Fluttershy retreated into her mane.

"W-w-well...even though it sounds dangerous going into his mind...I want to help..." Fluttershy looked to the human, her face became downtrodden.

"Look at him..." She said. The group looked at him...

His body was spread, the same result comes from being chained to a wall.

The humans face was down, a dark shadow was cast over his face due to that, so nopony could see the humans face. The hands that Lyra so coveted were limp and hanging down while his arms were straight and stiff...

His unnatural tail hanging limply in the air, swinging a little bit from the sudden movement the crystal forced upon his prone body.

The bandages on the humans body were unchanged due to the urgency of the situation. Dry blood could be seen from the bandages.

The seven dull orbs surrounding his body were a ghost of their former selves. The once shining radiant orbs lost their luster because of the human's foreign body.

Many words can describe the humans current state... dismal, grim, melancholic, just to name a few. But the word that described the human's current condition was...

Trapped.

Chained like a criminal who committed the highest treason, a rabid animal who must be contained...

But he was innocent...

Fluttershy began to talk in a slow, sad voice.

"He has no control over himself, he is a prisoner of his own mind. Everything that he stands for, all his dreams...hopes... and feelings could be taken away from him. He saved me from timberwolves, and even himself...but most importantly..."

Fluttershy paused and took a minute to recollect herself. She turned to the group, tears were threatening to spill from those expressive cyan eyes of hers.

"He...did this to himself to save me... the pain he felt, and the thing that is plaguing his mind was a b-becuase of m-me... I...I..." Fluttershy couldn't hold in her tears anymore.

A waterfall of pent up emotion started to run down her golden cheeks, the sound of her many tears hitting the crystal floor echoing across the room, reaching the ears of her friends.

"J-just want to help h-him..." She started to voice her sadness in a series of almost mute sobs. Her crying was quite, but the effect her weeping had on her friends was powerful, unbearable. Not just because of their friends tears, but because of the fact that they to have lost their own minds at the hands of Discords magic, so they can relate to the humans affliction.

Rainbow looked away from the group and wiped any any droplets of saltwater that dared think of forming in her eyes.

'Big fillies *DON'T** cry...Darn it! They...don't...*'

Applejack hid her face with her hat. She felt a bit sour for thinking that hog tying a helpless being would help, and for being proud of the fact she tied him up the first time. She vowed to herself that if this works and the human is set free that she would treat the being to a jug of cider.

'If this works is tha problem...'

Rarity put a hoof over her mouth and let tears freely spill from her face upon hearing this sad revelation from her fragile friend. Her eyes pried away from the dazzling crystal to address her friends cries.

'How positively dreadful... losing your mind to a foreign evil. That's... horrible...'

Pinkie's Mane started to droop a little, she started to shed a river of tears. She wailed like a banshee giving birth to a spiked brick.

'Being controlled by some meany mcmeanypants monster thingy... that's no fun at all!...'

Twilight had a tear in her eye, and her image of the human was changed at that point. He wasn't a exciting, foreign and possibly dangerous science project...

He was a being who saved her friend at the cost of extreme pain and his own freedom... both physically AND mentally.

But what Twilight also saw was a friend in need of a shoulder to cry on, so she started to trot towards her to comfort her friend. This caused a chain reaction and rest of the mane six came to comfort their crying friend.

"It's alright sugercube... if it makes yah feel better, ah feel like a sour apple for being proud af tying that there hooman up... and when ah suggested we do it again. Be sure as shoot that ah will do mah best tha help." Applejack said.

"I'll do my best to help him when it's my turn! I'll be done in 10- no 5 seconds flat!" Rainbow said proudly.

"Be absolutely sure that I will do my best also! No uncouth vagabond will burglarize this gentlecolts mind on my watch!" Rarity exclaimed.

"I'll make sure to do my besty bestest to help Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop when it's my turn!" Pinkie said.

"We're all going to help this being. He might be from another world, but let's show that reflection what the magic of friendship can do!" Twilight said. (UGH, can't believe I wrote that...)

Celestia was moved by the touching moment, but it was time to get to work.

"My apologies for interrupting this moment, but we must start. Fluttershy before you go into his mind I must tell the group some things." Twilight raised her hoof up like she was still a school filly.

"Yes, Twilight?" Celestia asked. Twilight put her hoof down.

"This crystal doesn't run on magic, and if I can take a guess this artifact can be used by just voice command. Why didn't you just use that on Discord, before he was reformed, and on Sombra? It seems much more practical." Twilight asked, after a second, Celestia sighed.

"These crystals comes with conditions my dear student. One is that when someone wants to use this crystal...they have to actually go inside the mind of the person or pony they want to purify." Celestia said

"Wait, it's not just a mental link?" Twilight asked. Celestia shook her head.

"Your body, when the crystal is activated, will be turned into energy. That energy will be sent into the mind of the being you are using the crystal on. You literally go inside the mind of the afflicted being. Also, I have never actually had to use this, so there might be some side affects on the human. More so because of his foreign body." Twilight had a confused look on her face.

"But.. isn't that what were trying to avoid? Feeding magical energy into the human?" Celestia shook her head.

"Fluttershy, just like the crystal, would be a catalyst. Meaning the humans body would not absorb the energy, but be changed by it." Celestia's face grew dark.

"But.. if you were to receive too much damage inside the mind... your connection with the crystal would be severed... and you would be absorbed...corrupted by the evil inside him...and your own consciousness would be destroyed..."

Fluttershy looked a little discouraged by the new information, but she still held firm.

"I'll do it... if nopony minds of course..." Fluttershy whispered. Celestia nodded. But then her tone became dead serious all of a sudden.

"Fluttershy, you cannot return from his mind until you place the node...and if you are taken by the reflection... this evil will be unstoppable...not even I can best this beast in battle. All you girls have to succeed, for the sake of Equestria and for the humans sake as well."

The girls nodded. Celestia turned towards Fluttershy and motioned her to follow her. They both went closer to the human floating form. Celestia turned to Fluttershy when they were next to him.

"When you are inside his mind, you probably will have to pass some sort of test or overcome some obstacle before you can place the node. So don't be shocked if something tries to stop you.

"Are you ready?" Asked Celestia. Fluttershy shook a little bit, but after a second she nodded. Celestia put her horn on Fluttershy's forehead. A spark left her horn and went inside Fluttershy's head.

"That is the node Fluttershy, all you have to do is find the correct place to put it." Fluttershy nodded.

"Cover your ears, and stand back a little." Celestia said. Fluttershy obeyed. Celestia inhaled a big gulp of air, having not used the royal canterlot voice in over one thousand years makes a mare a bit rusty.

"CRISTALLO MISERICORDIAM, INTEGRARE!"

The yellow crystal suddenly left its post from the humans left arm and went above Fluttershy. Fluttershy's body began to glow, and bit by bit pieces of her body began to move into the crystal.

"Good luck Fluttershy..." The group said, right before her entire body was inside the crystal.

The crystal regained the shine it had when it was part of the main crystal, and returned to its post next to the left hand of the human.

Then the energy inside the crystal began to beam into the humans head. And the crystal lost its luster once again...

It had begun.

...

Mentem

A bright beam of golden energy that made up Fluttershy's body was heading straight to a dull yellow floor, and when it touched down it collected on the floor and quick molded itself into the shape of the timid mare.

"Wow...that felt...weird." Fluttershy said as she looked at her surroundings...

The entire floor seemed to be made of a hard, white substance and there were lines of a break yellow color going thought the floor itself. It looked pretty dull but what she saw when she looked up from the floor was an...improvement.

There was a shining...space in the far end of the room she was in, and giant obelisks were dotting everywhere around that space. There was a open field right before that space that was illuminated. Fluttershy was knocked out of her sightseeing when she felt a familiar presence in her head.

'Fluttershy... can you hear me?' A familiar voice rang out.

'Princess Celestia?' Fluttershy asked.

'Yes, It is me Fluttershy. I am glad you made it safely inside his mind. Now what your inside you will have to find the correct spot to put the node, all you have to do is make contact. You will know the correct spot when you see it...and remember, you cannot receive too much damage...good luck' Fluttershy gulped.

'Thank you....Princess...' The presence she felt was gone. Fluttershy took a deep breath to get...

READY.

Fluttershy began to walk though the forest of pillars and started to become paranoid. This was almost too easy.

'Princess Celestia said that something might try to stop me...oh dear...I hope nothing comes out...' Fluttershy thought...

You could almost hear Murphy say 'NOPE!'

A familiar voice rang though the forest. It sounded evil, primal, and hateful... but most of all... it sounded...

HUNGRY

"...Well, well, well... look who came to my neck of the woods..." Fluttershy gasped...Fear...it's delicious...

"N-n-not you again!" Fluttershy screamed, and started to move away from a small ball of red energy that started to form in front of her. She did not forget what transpired the last time this thing took control, and now she was in his territory.

"Hey, meat, do you know what happens when you are spawned from a mind?" Fluttershy was to busy running. But in her fear she pulled a derpy and tripped on her own hooves...so easy.

'I have to do this fast... I'm already risking the work I did with this fools mind by being here...'

"I'll take that as a no, so, i'll tell you... you also receive all the memories of the being you hail from...and since your in my pathetic slaves mind...well i'll just let actions speak for me."

The red ball started to form into a shape, it's dark red body seemed to be in the shape of a birds mid section, a strange symbol was in the center of its chest...

Red talons started to started to form and blood red wings started to spawn from the darkest reaches of your imagination...the wings feathers were like blades, the tips being a cold silver...

A narrow head started to form with red eyes, and a serrated dull yellow beak started to form and yellow blades started to grow from the sides of its head... The beast was giant... perfect.

If you were there to see this beast, you would have recognized it immediately. It was the main villain from one of your favorite video games it was...

...

"Say hello to...Falzar"

'This being cost a lot of my energy to make... I must use this body to the fullest and not lose myself...'

" Like the new look? Because I certainly like yours. Fear, hopelessness, about to piss yourself, these are all pleasing to me... now...lets have some fun..."

Youtube Video

Insane laughing filled the space Fluttershy was in. As the giant bird started to ascend.

"RUN, MEAT!"

A ear piercing screech filled the air.

"SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Fluttershy started to run, since she had years of dealing with animals she knew that running in a line spelled certain doom. She zig-zagged though the obelisk forest and started to see a shadow form under her... and suddenly an obelisk pushed into Fluttershy's body and moved her just in time to a avoid a wing going though her body...

The obelisk that saved her was not so lucky.

It was sliced in half like a knife though butter, and the towering pillar came down. The angle that it was cut made it so that it was falling towards Fluttershy. She got away from the falling pillar due to the slight lag the obelisk had before it was in a position to fall. The obelisk landed with a deafing-

"BOOM!"

The evil bird started to laugh.

"HAVING FUN YET!? SCRAAAAAAAAA!"

The demon bird was just getting started. Soon multiple blade feathers started to be ejected from it's body and were heading straight towards Fluttershy. She hid behind a conveniently placed obelisk and managed to avoid many of the razor sharp feathers, but she ran away from the cover of the obelisk too soon, and was struck a clean cut though her long tail. She didn't even notice.

The wind created by the Falzar impersonator's giant wing flaps reminded Fluttershy that she to could fly. Her spread her wings and opted to only use them to hover over the ground. That beast had full control of the air, and she would not risk it. Two rows of obelisks, which were slightly different in color than the other ones, made a path to the clearing.

She remembered her commitment, and started to fly towards the shining space in the open field...bad move.

"FOOL!"

The Falzar doppelganger then opened its gaping beak and fired a TORNADO from it. Poor Fluttershy was caught in it, but luckily she ended up in the eye of the tornado, but she was still blown back from the open field.

The tornado dissipated, and Fluttershy was about to slow down...

Until her back slammed into an obelisk.

"AHHHH!" She screamed in pain. Her body began Flashing red, before dissipating. She didn't think anything of it, because she was still running away from this evil phoenix bird thing. She took a quick glance behind the obelisk that stopped her while she was running

... And was met with the fallen obelisk...

If the obelisk that stopped her wasn't there...she would have been impaled on the fallen pillar.

"OH COME ON! THAT WAS JUST A LITTLE WIND! LIVE A LITTLE!"

The bird then Flew close to the ground and primed its talons to grab her... but then the evil phoenix started pounding on the surrounding obelisks. The copies claws were shooting at random, and were wild. But couldn't reach Fluttershy due to the obelisks... PESKY SLABS!!

'Looks like he still has some influence...'

Like rain, one by one, the obelisks started to drop in random places, Fluttershy almost got squashed by 3 of them and the sound of the obelisks crashing onto the floor was drowning out all thought in her head.

She took a right to get to the field, and now since the obelisks stopped dropping, she could think straight.

'THINK FLUTTERSHY, I-I-I Have to-" She hatched an amazing idea. Necessity is the mother of invention, so she start to look around, and sure enough she found what she was looking for, actually, many of what she was looking for.

Many obelisks that were cut down were leaning on other towers that didn't share their fate. So Fluttershy started running towards them, hoping that the bird would crash into them, the bird picked up on her plan... Some obelisks were moving out they way, so her path wouldn't be blocked..

"THIS IS GETTING ANNOYING!!!!"

The bird stopped in it's tracks, and proceeded to breath in...

*POM!* *POM!* *POM!*

Three giant fireballs were blasted out of this evil fire-birds mouth, heading straight towards Fluttershy...there was no avoiding those...

Fluttershy looked back when she felt a growing heat on her body... The fireballs were getting closer, she tried so hard to get faster... but it was too late...

...

"No..." A voice says... it was you.

Suddenly, three blue obelisks sprouted out of the ground behind Fluttershy. To the surprise of both Fluttershy and the evil phoenix. The fireballs pathetically extinguish when they hit the strong obelisks. The bird couldn't get away in time, and smashed into the strong pillars.

"You...won't...hurt...her..." You say, weakly. Your disembodied voice is heard by both the fleeing mare and the evil phoenix.

"NO! YOU WON"T DENY ME ANY LONGER!"

The voice is weaker from the collision, and Fluttershy takes this chance to run towards her destination, and she is almost there before... The birds eyes started to flash from red to white...no.

"ENOUGH!!!!!!!! SHKKRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The bird ascends into the air, and bursts into flames. The body of the bird only seems to be a bird shaped fire with red eyes.

*"I WILL FEED ON YOUAAAAAAASKRAAAAAAAAA!"*

With great speed, the beast blasts towards Fluttershy, it is so fast... It brakes the sound barrier.

A flaming red hurricane of energy and fire surround the phoenix and it's speed is doubled.

Fluttershy is so close to her destination... the bird is so close to his as well...

Obelisks start to sprout from the ground, and try to slow down the great beast. They all crumble, but succeed in their task. This gives Fluttershy to look behind her... she realizes that if she keeps going straight that she wouldn't make it, and decides to turn to the right.

The bird notices this... but it's attention is diverted from the obelisks that were trying to stop it. An obelisk slams into its form, and it is rocked. But its so close...

...

The bird loses control of it's body and crashes into the ground, it's body is sent into the obelisks on the other side of the clearing. An explosion of energy and fire is a result.

"BOOOOOOOM!"

Scene end.

"Damn it..."

The shock wave of the explosion sends Fluttershy reeling, and she tumbles... but she is caught by...something.

The thing that caught her gently set her down to the ground.

"Are...you...alright?" A voice says... it is familiar to Fluttershy...

It's the voice of the human she saved...and it was still raspy, and weak.

She turned around to look at her savior...and was shocked to see that he was only made of blue energy...and he was fading away... his presence is warm...

"A-a-are...you the one pon- err...one who saved me from the fire...?" Fluttershy timidly asked. Sad that he was nearing transparency. The man of energy nodded.

"Yes...I...did... but... you still... have to... do something..." He said, his voice getting even softer. He pointed to the shining light in the center of the room.

"I'll...clear...a path..." The human moved his arm, and the rubble that was created from the explosion was removed from the path that Fluttershy had to take.

"Go Fluttershy...and...thank you...for helping...me...sorry..." He weakly says before falling onto a knee.

"Looks like I...used a lot of energy...helping you..." Fluttershy helps him up.

They walk towards the shining light, and they're almost there. This ordeal is almost over.

"Tell...your friends...thank you...for th-"

"NO! YOU WILL NOT LEAVE! YOU'RE MINE MEAT! SCAAAAAAA!"

The bird is gone... all that that is left is a human shape...it's on fire, dark red evil seeped from it's veins. It lunges towards them she will not escape A SECOND TIME.

The human grabs Fluttershy and throws her into the light...and with the last of his energy... forms a barrier to protect her from the evil that wants to corrupt and destroy her...

"DAMN IT!"

The room was blasted with a shining light, the rubble that wasn't moved on the floor of the room started to float.

The rubble started to return into the pillars that they once were, and the once bleak yellow veins were surging with life and Fluttershy started to float from the ground.

"...bye..."

Her body started to form into energy, and she was floating up into the air, her body becoming a beam of energy.

Fluttershy's body was ejected from the humans mind, having done her purpose...

...

"They will not succeed..." your clone says.

Your body was still bound in the prison, but something was different.

The yellow restraint have some sort of beam going into it. The copy couldn't touch, or go near it.

"It doesn't matter, one way or another, I will not perish. This is just the beginning..."

...

exterius

The group was nervous because of the fact that their friend has been gone for a long time. Due to the fact that they were in the crystal room they couldn't tell the time from looking out a window.

"Princess? Wh-" Twilight starts to say, but is interrupted by the crystal shining.

The crystal once again detaches from its post. Yellow energy starts to escape from its prison.

The shape of a pony starts to be formed on the floor under the crystal, the radiance of the crystal blinds the mare for a second. When the light settles they notice...

Fluttershy on the floor, she stands up and looks at the group. She smiles, but under that smile is worry, pain. Because she was once again saved by the same being they are trying to free... and he was still so weak, but he was strong enough to once again protect her from the evil trying to hurt her.

The group went up to her and surrounded her with a group hug. This made her feel a little better. Being surrounded by her friends...

But there was one missing...

She looked at the human once more.

The crystal she just came out of was shining with a new found vigor. The circle surrounded the human was a little brighter, but he was still in the same shape he was last time...

'We will help you get out of this...I know we can' Fluttershy thought... but her thoughts were derailed by Rarity.

"DARLING! What happened to your beautiful tail!?" She screamed. Everypony noticed it now, it was about half as long as it was before, and it was a clean slice.

"Oh...my" Fluttershy said.