A Faraway Land.by jcross22ChaptersChapter 1. Routine Training Exercise.Chapter 2. New Sounds in Ponyville.Chapter 3. Dark Rooms, Voices and Hospitals.Chapter 4. When I Dream the Dream.Chapter 5. A Night With the Moon.Chapter 6. Failed Attempts of Seclusion.Chapter 7. Distractions.Chapter 8. The Coming StormChapter 9. The Apple Family Farm.Chapter 1. Routine Training Exercise.Chapter 1 Routine Training Exercise It's hard to have a normal day when you're in the military. Things need to be done in a hurry, so you can move onto the next task. Today was just like that; anything but normal. I was first up on a solo training exercise. Normally I wouldn't complain, but this was different. We always ran in three man groups as a minimum and as my first solo. It has me a little on edge. I was told that this was just a routine training exercise, but from what I experienced today. I learned a routine training exercise can be anything but. I am serving on the USS George H.W. Bush. It is a decently sized aircraft carrier. It currently held seventy-five aircraft. At the time; we currently had a little over five-thousand well trained men and women living on this floating city. I know from experience; when that many people live in such a confined space. You make friends very quick. We were sailing 100 miles off the coast of Cat Island. It's a small island in the Bahamas with a population under 2,000. It rests about 250 miles off the coast of Florida. Beautiful sparkling blue waters, fine white sand beaches and some nice resorts. It would be a perfect place for my next shore leave. "Hey James." I turned to look at the voice. "Come over here James. I could use the company." "Hold on Ethan; let me get my lunch..." I held my tray up. "Alright, alright..." Ethan waved at me and turned back to his lunch. I walked over and grabbed a bowl of salad. I walked down the line and grabbed a random sandwich. When I looked over the shoulder of the man in front of me. I saw one last slice of apple pie. I could only pray he wouldn't take it. I was ecstatic when he passed it by. I quickly grabbed it and placed it on my tray. "Hurry up James..." Ethan waved at me. "Calm down Ethan." I walk towards the table. "Why are you in such a hurry?" I sat down across from Ethan. "I'm not in a hurry, you just take too long." Ethan looked at my tray. "Why do you always get apple pie? That shit is going to make you fat..." Ethan looked at me and smirked. "Give me a brake; I got some salad." I pointed at my bowl of salad. "Besides, it's my only release on this ship. They cracked down on video games." I took a bite of my sandwich. "The only game you can find on this ship is Solitaire; and that's in the command center. You're not going to find much else on a computer." "You have plenty of ways to get your release." Ethan smiled at me. "We have plenty of women on this ship; just find one and screw her. No one has to know." Ethan started to laugh. "So is that how you relax?" I raised my eyebrow. "Hell no!" Ethan waved his hand in the air. "My ball and chain would kill me..." "So your wife still has your balls around her neck?" I laughed. "She seems to have you trained the way she wants." "Come on man; that's not even cool." Ethan smiled. "What about Jessica? I know she wants you." "That's off limits." I said while chewing my sandwich. "Besides; I thought she has a man in the states." "Nope, she has no one in the states. Trust me man; she wants you, so show some interest." Ethan started to look over my shoulder. "Maybe..." I watch Ethan as he moved his head around. "What the hell are you doing?... That's a good way to piss someone off..." "I think that's Rice Ball." Ethan stood up and started to yell. "Hey Rice Ball! Come over here and eat!" Ethan waved at a crowd of people. "You know his name is Chung, so why do you call him Rice Ball?" I finished my sandwich and started on my salad. "I'm going to laugh when he cracks your head open for the racist shit that comes from your mouth." "I have heard him say worse things about white people." Ethan smiled. "Besides; have you seen the picture of Chung when he was small?" Ethan started to laugh. "No..." I raised an eyebrow. "How did you find a picture of him when he was a kid?" "That's not important, but I will say he was round." Ethan smiled as Chung came and sat next to him. "Rice Ball, what's up?" "I'm American, so why do you call me Rice Ball?" Chung started to eat his soup. "Just ignore him Chung; he is only trying to piss you off." I said with a smile. "I wouldn't blame you if ya beat his ass and throw him in a storage locker. I think the crew would find it rather amusing." I took a bite of my salad. "Don't pay attention to James." He waved me off with his hand. "We were talking about how to relax on the ship." We watched Ethan as he smiled. "Have you screwed anyone yet?" "Oh yeah..." I quickly cut Chung off. "So what was his name?" I smiled and shortly after; I felt a sharp pain in my lag. "Why the hell did you kick me?" "What you said was offensive." Chung nodded with his eyes closed. "So Ethan brings racist Chinese jokes to the table; I bring one gay joke and I get kicked?" I watched Ethan as he was busting up in laughter. "That is bull shit Chung... Bull shit." I finished off my salad. "So James; you are first up for the training exercise?" Ethan asked after he took a drink of water. "I hear you're flying solo." "Yeah." I bring my apple pie closer to me. "This is my first solo run; not counting that run in I had with the Chinese." "I remember that..." Chung said as he finished his soup. "Weren't you going to get court-martialed for that?" "No, they looked over the Hornet." Ethan interrupted me. "I heard about that too. You took out three Mighty Dragons." Ethan laughed. "What did they find?" "They found the Hornet had a problem with it's GPS." I started to eat my apple pie. "It was sending a wrong signal and it had my flying over Chinese airspace. Just remember, they fired first." "You'd think they would check that; after all it is a multi-million dollar aircraft." Chung wiped his mouth with a towel. "It's not everyday someone fucks up like that... You were lucky no one died." "I know." I looked over at the clock on the wall. "So Ethan, how are you down in the engine room?" "It's going smooth; just wish I had more to look at." Ethan sighed. "That kind of talk will get you in trouble Ethan." Chung raised an eyebrow at Ethan. "One of these days your wife will find out." Ethan interrupted. "Yeah, yeah, yeah I heard it all before..." Ethan rolled his eyes. "Hey James..." Ethan watched as I stood up. "Where you going?" "I have to get ready." I pointed at the clock. "I only have thirty minutes to get ready, so I best get going." I picked my tray up. "Just be careful out there. People are telling me we are headed into a storm." Ethan went back to his lunch. "I'll be on my best behavior." I put my hand up as I walked away. I picked up the rest of my apple pie and placed my tray in a basket on the edge of the counter. I quickly ran out into the hall to avoid anyone from seeing my food. Last thing I needed was to get yelled at for bringing food out of the mess hall. I started to make my way to the rear of the carrier, until a sudden urge hit me. I looked around for the closest bathroom. I quickly entered the through the door. I went to the closest urinal and I did what I had to do. "Hitting the head before your big mission?" A man next to me said in a deep voice. "Yeah." I laughed. "Can't go while I'm in the air; right?" "I don't suppose you can." The man smirked. I finished my business and walked towards the sink. I started to wash my hands; then the man started to speak. "Just be careful out in that storm, James Cross." The man continued to stand at the urinal. "The Bermuda Triangle can be a tricky lady to navigate in, with all those rumors." "I don't believe that bull shit about people vanishing." I took some paper towels to dry off my hands. "By the way, have we met before? I can't seem to recall your name." "Nope, we haven't met before. I am just a random stranger." He looked at me and gave me a creepy smile. "Isn't it almost time for your takeoff?" "Oh shit, you're right!" I quickly throw the paper towels away. I made it halfway out the door, but something was bugging me. I slowly turned around. "Excuse me but can I ask you..." I looked around the restroom, but I couldn't see the man I spoke with. I walked back in the restroom and looked around. I looked in every stall and even under the sink. I couldn't find that man anywhere. I rubbed the standing hairs on the back of my neck and quickly made it out of the restroom. I make my way down the hall until I heard a familiar voice. "Hey James. How are you doing?" I turned around and saw Jessica running up to me. "I'm doing fine; just on my way to suit up for my training exercise." I put my hand up, pointing it down the hall. "Would you like to walk with me?" "Oh I can't... I have to go sweep the deck." Jessica smiled. "It is my job to make sure you get a safe takeoff." "Right, so I guess I will let you go?" I gave Jessica a smile. "Yeah." I watched as Jessica started to run down the hall. "I will take you up on that offer of a walk tonight!" Jessica yelled as she ran down the hall. "Okay!?" She turned back and waved. "Sure thing!" I waved back while smiling. I continued down the hall without interruption this time. I made my way to the prep station and walked up to my locker. I quickly opened it and pulled my suit out; I put it on and kicked the bottom of my locker. I popped open a small hidden compartment on the bottom. I grabbed my gun and holster. I wrapped the holster around the top of my right leg. I checked to see I had a round chambered. "James!" I jumped as a familiar voice yelled. I turned to see my friend Asad. "What the hell is wrong with you, Asad?" I showed him my gun. "What would have happened if this went off because you scared me?" "You shouldn't have personal firearms on the ship my friend." He replied in a heavy Arabic accent. "Do you think I could see that?" Asad held his hand out. "No problem, just don't scare me like that again." I grabbed the barrel and held the gun out to him. "It's loaded, so be careful." "Do not worry my friend; I too have been trained in firearms." Asad grabbed the gun and inspected it. "It looked like it is well taken care of." Asad smiled as he ejected the magazine. "Yeah, it was passed down to me by my father." I watched him look at the magazine. "Nice, 17 rounds in the magazine." I watched as he pulled the slide back half way. "And one in the chamber. This isn't your standard M9. This is a 92A1 Beretta." Asad put the magazine back and held it towards me. "Your father would be proud on how you take care of his pistol." Asad smiled. "I can only hope." I took the gun and placed it in my holster. "So am I ready for takeoff?" "Your Hornet is ready to fly." Asad looked me in the eyes. "But I am more worried about you, my friend." "Why is that?" I asked while I raised an eyebrow. "I have a strange feeling when I am around you today. It almost feels like I will never see you again." Asad rubbed his neck. "I can't seem to put my finger on it, but it is almost like something evil is on this ship." "That's strange..." I remembered the man that disappeared in thin air. "I was in the restroom before I came here. A strange man was using the urinal next to me; I rushed towards the door and when I looked back. It was like he vanished." I looked at Asad as he started to go pale. "I hope you are joking, James." Asad watched me for a second. "Something is not right about this." "I'm sure it's nothing." I closed my locker. "I will just keep a cool head when I'm out flying." "Please do that, may your god be with you." Asad put his hands on my shoulders and started to come close. "Whoa..." I put my arm up to stop him. "I'm sorry, Asad. I know it is out of respect, but kissing another man's cheek is wrong. Remember; I'm an American." I watched as Asad laughed. "I am sorry my friend. I am still stuck in the old ways." Asad smiled as he put his arms to his side. "Just be careful, you will be flying into a storm today." Asad quickly got serious. "A dark shadow is following behind you. I wish you a safe journey." Asad held his hand out. "I'll watch my back." I grabbed his hand and shook it. I pulled him close and patted him on his back with my other hand. "This can serve as a Farewell. It's a lot better than your traditional goodbye in my opinion." Asad reached his arm around and patted my back. "Good luck my friend." Asad let go of my hand and I turned towards my Hornet. As I walked towards my Hornet. I had to shake that creepy feeling Asad gave me. Talking about dark shadows and that strange man in the restroom almost sent me over the edge. I knew I shouldn't let it bug me, but it still gave me an odd feeling of danger. I climb up on the wing and quickly got in the cockpit. I closed it up and looked at my gauges. I looked at Asad and gave him the thumbs up. I watched as him and his crew ran over to me and latched my hornet on a large cart. They drove me to the rear of the carrier and slowly backed me up on the lift. I looked at Asad as he stood at attention. He quickly raised his hand up to his forehead and saluted me. I repaid the favor and gave him a quick salute as my plane was lifted to the deck. As I was slowly lifted to the deck; I could see a large wall of black clouds that seemed to go up into space. I have never seen anything like it. I could see lightning spidering out of the clouds and into the ocean. It was the most amazing display of lightning I had ever seen in my life. I watched as a flight crew rushed out to inspect my craft. I looked at the man in front that was signaling me. He wanted to check the flaps. We ran through the left, right, up and down. He gave me the thumbs up and he slowly directed me forward. He signaled me to stop. When I stopped; he rushed under my aircraft. Shortly after; the crew ran out from under my aircraft and I was given the thumbs up. I started a mental countdown in my head; I was going to launch in ten seconds. This was the best part of the job; the sudden thrust, the adrenalin and the neck breaking speeds. It was the very feel of freedom, the ability to fly through the heavens and the ability to project Earth shattering power all around the world. I hit one and I was thrown back in my seat as I rocketed off the carrier. "Red Rocket to Avenger, I have a green light on takeoff and awaiting the co-ordinance" I waited for a response. "Roger that Red Rocket, we have you on radar. Proceed to the co-ordinance we provided." "Understood Avenger, I'm five minutes out from the destination. I will update on my progress." "Copy that Red Rocket, we await your update, Avenger out." The radio went silent as I continued forward. I looked forward as I flew into the storm. A wall of water splashed over the cockpit window. I was impressed; I have never seen a downpour like this before in my life, but I did find it fascinating. I watched as water hit the window; the rain drops literally exploded on impact. What happened next; threw me off a little. The rain started to clear and it got darker as I flew further into the storm. "Red Rocket to Avenger, I'm three minutes to the target." I stopped as I was interrupted by a little turbulence. "I'm getting a little turbulence, but it's nothing. I will continue to push to target." "Rog... R... Rocket... We..." Static filled the radio. "I did not copy that Avenger; can you repeat. I did not copy." I waited for a response. "Roger that Re.. Rocket, we copy yo... Proceed to target." It was better, but I was still getting a little static. I continued to push forward into the storm. The turbulence got a little worse, but it was still controllable. I glanced at my dash and noticed my compass and my heading indicator was going crazy. I didn't let it bug me, because I knew my general direction. I looked up and saw a large wall of white fog. It struck me odd, so I radioed it in. "Red Rocket to Avenger, my instruments are going crazy and I have a large wall of fog out here. How should I proceed?" I waited for a response, but I heard nothing but static. "Red Rocket to Avenger, do you copy?" I waited for a response, but still nothing. I continued to fly forward into the fog and as I passed through; my Hornet violently shook from turbulence. The shaking lasted for about five seconds, but it felt like an eternity. I looked at my dash and noticed my Altitude indicator was acting up, so was my radio magnetic indicator and the targeting systems. I looked at the fuel gage and saw it was mysteriously empty. I quickly looked at my feet as something caught my eye. "Red Rocket to Avenger, I have smoke in the cockpit and I'm flying blind; my craft is showing bingo fuel and I'm turning around. Do you copy?" I waited for a response. When I got no response; I quickly banked to the right. As soon as I did; my Hornet started to shake violently. I quickly leveled it out and flew straight. I tried to turn it slower this time. I had more success, but I was still getting a little turbulence. I looked around, but saw only fog. I tried the radio again. "Red Rocket to Avenger; do you copy? I'm flying blind with no fuel. I'm turning back for emergency landing. I have smoke in the cockpit." I continued to wait for a response, but still nothing It quickly struck me; I could try to fly above the storm. It would be a risk, but I was willing to take it. After all I was now lost and I believed I still had fuel. I slowly flew up and something caught my eye. I could see a small blue circle in the distance. I quickly angled the plane to fly straight at it. It took me only a few seconds to reach it and it looked like I had a clear shot to the top of the storm. As I entered what seemed to be a vortex of clouds. I looked around and saw swirling lights of blues, greens, reds and yellows. I soon cleared the clouds, my Hornet violently shook and a loud explosion shook my aircraft. I tried to look back, but could only see black smoke. I tried to push the engine forward, but I got nothing. "Red Rocket to Avenger! Do you copy?! My engine has lost all power, I have smoke in the cockpit and I'm in free-fall! Do you copy!?" Nothing but static filled my ears. As I quickly entered free-fall. I tried my best to keep a little control over my Hornet, but I slowly started to enter a spin. I plunged back into the dark clouds I tried to escape. As I fell to the ground; I could see that I was over a large land mass. It looked like I was falling towards a large forest. "What the hell is going on?" I continued to look around. I then quickly got on my radio. "Red Rocket to Avenger! I have strayed off course. I am over an unknown land mass." I waited for a response. "Can anyone hear me god damn it!" I struggled with the controls, but it had seemed like I got some control over my free-fall. I did my best, but I was falling fast. When I believed my Hornet would land in the clearing; I reached down and pulled the ejection latch. The pins blew out and the window shot out. I was quickly thrown into the elements. As soon as I started to fall; my chute opened. I held my hand up to shield my face from the wind and rain. I watched my Hornet as it spiraled out of control. I counted seven seconds before my hornet made contact with the ground. My entire body was warmed by the explosion. I watched the fire as the wind threw me around. I then noticed the wind was forcing me towards the crash site. "You've got to be kidding me..." I quickly pull on my chute to turn me away from the clearing. "Come on you son of a bitch!" I pulled on the right strings as hard as I could. "That's it... Keep going..." I started to gain some control over my fall, but it was hard with the wind. I continued to slowly descend; I found myself landing in a tree on the edge of the clearing. I looked down and saw it was about a five foot drop. I unbuckled myself from the seat and jumped down. I slowly walked into the clearing to look at the crash site. I watched as black smoke billowed from the fire. I bent down and put my hands on my knees. "Got to calm down." I took a deep breath to try and stop my knees from shaking. "That was a close one..." I looked up at the fire. I jumped and fell to the ground when a large explosion shook my very core. "Holy shit..." I quickly get to my feet and backed away. "No point in staying here..." I turned back around and found a small pathway into the bushes. I walked towards the pathway while I took my gun out. As I walked through the bushes; I checked to see if I had a round in the chamber. When I was satisfied, I put the gun back in the holster and continued to follow the pathway. As I walked down the path; I looked for any signs of civilization. After all this path has been clearly marked. As I walked down the path; it gave me time to think. I needed to know where I was. It just didn't make any since. I was about twenty minutes from the nearest island. I was only in the fog a few minutes. Could I have gotten turned around when I panicked? I quickly stopped when I heard a loud roar from behind me. I slowly turned to look around. I could hear noises coming closer; whatever it was, it was huge. I pulled my gun out and switched the safety off. I gripped it with both hands and started to scan the trees. I heard another loud roar and I quickly pointed my gun towards the noise. When I heard branches breaking; I quickly fired three shots in its direction. On the third shot, I heard a loud pinging noise. Soon after I was blown to the ground and I was looking up towards the sky. I rolled over in the mud and saw blood. I slowly sat up and listened carefully. Whatever the thing was; it was quick to run away from my gunshots. I looked around on the ground for my gun. I found it and I slowly retrieved it. I started to wipe the dirt off with my suit. I put it back in my holster and noticed my right eye started to see red. I blinked my right eye a couple of time and the red only smeared. I felt a strange throbbing on the side of my head, so I reach up and brush my forehead. I looked at my hand and saw it was covered in blood. "Well that's just great; I shot myself." I slowly started to feel my head for any cuts or holes. I quickly gave a sigh of relief. "No holes; just a cut. I need to be more careful on where I shoot. Last thing I need is a ricochet to take me out." I looked around and found a small puddle of water. I crawled up to it and inspected it. It seemed to be clean water, so I started to wash the blood away. When I was done; I slowly made my way to my feet. I started to walk down the path, but a sharp pain in my head brought me down to my knees. I grabbed my head and slowly looked around. My vision started to haze and go black. Before I passed out; I managed to say the last thought that ran through my head. "Routine training exercise my ass..." Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Chapter 2. New Sounds in Ponyville.Chapter 2 New Sounds in Ponyville "I declare my first slumber party, a success!" I said with a big smile. I quickly levitated my ink, quill and my Slumber Party How Too book close to me. "Have fun, check!" I looked over at Applejack and Rarity as they both laughed and smiled together. I watched them both as Rarity guided Applejack around blindfolded. "Take two steps to your left; umm no my left!" Rarity smiled while pointing her hoof. "Well which is it?..." Applejack walked forward a couple of steps. "Woaahh!" Applejack walked into a pile of books and they fell on top of her. I watched as Applejack stood up from her mess and looked at Rarity. "That mess is your fault, not mine." Applejack pointed her hoof at Rarity and laughed. I walked over to my desk and rolled out a piece of paper. I dip my quill in the ink and started to write my weekly letter to Princess Celestia. "Dear Princess Celestia, It's hard to believe that two ponies who seem to have so little in common could ever get along, but I found out if you embrace each others differences. You just might be surprised to discover a way to be friends after all! Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." I rolled up the paper and turned to Rarity and Applejack. "So, who's up for another slumber party tomorrow night?" I watched Applejack and Rarity give each other a smile. They quickly picked up a couple of pillows and threw them at me. I quickly closed my eyes as both pillows hit me in the face. "How about a week from Thursday? Ohh how about two weeks from Saturday?" I watched as they both laughed. "A month from now?" I raised an eyebrow. Rarity walked up to the window and looked outside. I could see that the storm was starting to break and the sun shine through the window. "Twilight, darling; I must get going. I have to finish up our dresses for when Princess Celestia pays Ponyville a visit." Rarity said in an impatient tone while walking towards the door. "Rarity! Wait!... We have to," I watched as Rarity rushed out the door, "Clean up this mess..." I looked over at Applejack. "Don't you worry Twi; I'll stay and lend you a hoof." Applejack said with confidence. "Wachya need me to do?" Applejack smiled. "Do you think you could pick up the pillows scattered on the floor?" I asked while giving Applejack a smile. "I've got the books covered." "Sure thing Twilight!" Applejack quickly got to work. I started to levitate the books towards me. I quickly organized them in alphabetical order and placed them on the shelves. "All done Twi." Applejack quickly looked around for any elusive pillows. She then walked up to some leaf statues. "What do you want me to do with these leaf doo dads?" "Just put them on the shelf next to the bed you slept in upstairs." I pointed my hoof upstairs while continuing to shuffle through the books. "You got it Twi!" Applejack quickly rushed in picking the statues up. I levitated the last of the books to the shelves. I got up and walked over to my desk and quickly organized my papers, quills and ink. I heard the door open, so I turned to look. "Welcome home Spi..." Applejack quickly interrupted me. "Well howdy Spike!" Applejack said in a loud tone while looking down at Spike from the second floor. "How was your trip to Canterlot?" Applejack asked while she quickly made her way downstairs. "It was a pain in my scales. All I was asked to do was to rearrange the library." Spike sighed. "It took hours; have you ever rearranged an entire library?" "I can't say I have," Applejack raised an eyebrow at Spike, "It couldn't have been that bad." "It was," Spike looked at the ground while walking into the room, "and all I want to do right now is rest." "I'm sorry to bug you Spike, but can you do me a favor?" I gave Spike a smile. "Could you send this letter to the Princess for me?" I levitated the scroll over to Spike. "Sure thing Twilight..." Spike grabbed the letter. I watched him as he inhaled; he quickly exhaled and a green flame enveloped the letter. "There you go Twilight." "Thanks Spike." I gave Spike a smile. "Well Twi; I best be getting back to the fa..." Applejack was quickly interrupted by a loud booming noise outside. "What in the hay was that?" "I don't know." I said as all three of us rushed to the closest window. Applejack and I saw a large fireball falling from the sky. Spike quickly crawled onto my back and looked out the window. "Wh... What is that Twilight?" Spike asked in a shaky voice. "I don't know Spike; I've never seen anything like it before." We all continued to watch the thing fall. As it fell towards the forest; I noticed something. The fireball seemed to arch and slightly turn. It was almost like somepony was controlling it. I then see a small flash of light and some kind of window flew out from the fire. We continued to watch as another object flew away from the fireball. It looked to be like a chair and somepony was on it. "Somepony is in that chair!" I pointed at the flying chair. "But that's impossible Twilight." Spike peered over my head and looked at me. "Do you know a pony that can ride on a fireball?" Spike asked in a questionable tone. "No Spike, I don't." I continued to look outside. I watched the chair very carefully. Soon after, the chair sprouted a large dome like object above it. It seemed to make it fall much slower. We quickly brought our attention to a large explosion in the forest. A split second later; the windows shook and a loud sound wave rocked my house. I looked back at the falling chair and noticed it seemed to be controlled by the pony on it. Soon after the chair disappeared in the forest. "Come on, we have to go see if anypony is hurt!" I said in an angry tone while walking back away from the window. "I don't know about that Twilight," Spike quickly jumped off my back, "Loud noises in the Everfree Forest and big fireballs. I just know that can't be a good thing..." Spike twiddled his claws. "Come on Spike! Somepony might be hurt!" I said in a slight rage. "We have to make sure everypony is okay." "Twilight is right Spike," Applejack looked at me, "I'm right behind you Twi." "Okay, let's go!" Applejack and I quickly ran out the door. "Ohh... Alright, I'm coming!" Spike yelled. "Wait up for me." All three of us quickly ran towards the forest. We could see a large plume of black smoke rising from the forest. We all stopped as we heard three loud snaps. We all stood still and looked at the forest for a few seconds. "What was that Twilight?" Spike asked while jumping on my back. "I don't know Spike..." I continued to scan the tree line. "Whatever it was, it was very loud..." Applejack looked into the forest. "Come on Twilight; we best get moving!" "Right!" I quickly followed Applejack down the path into the Everfree Forest. As we ran in the forest, we kept an eye out. We didn't know what was hiding in the bushes. We quickly slowed down as we saw something on the ground further down the path. We slowly approached it while keeping an eye out for anything else out here. "What is it Twilight?" Spike hopped off my back and slowly approached it. "I don't know Spike. It's not like any pony I have seen before." Applejack and I approached with caution. "Twilight, it's bleeding!" Spike quickly ran up to the strange creature. "Is it still alive?" Applejack rushed to its side. "I don't know..." I watched as Spike started to poke it. "Ahh!" Spike and Applejack quickly jumped back. "It's still alive!" "Come on Twilight; give me a hoof." Applejack quickly ran up to the creature and tried to pull it by its clothes. "This won't work Twilight. Help me get it on my back." "Right." I focused and slowly levitated the creature onto Applejacks back. "Oof!" Applejack buckled under the weight. "Are you alright Applejack?" I gave Applejack a worried look. "I'll be fine Twi; it's just a little heavy." Applejack started to walk forward. "We need to get it to Fluttershy's cottage. She will know what to do." "I don't think so Applejack. Just look at it; it has clothes on." I pointed with my hoof. "It can't be an animal." "But Twilight..." Spike said as Applejack quickly interrupted. "She's right Spike; the hospital is closer and it needs help now." Applejack started to walk down the path. "Come on we need to hurry." Our walk slowly became a quick run. We ran out of the forest and could see a lot of ponies looking on at the forest. We ignored it and continued to run towards the Ponyville Hospital. We quickly burst through the doors and rush into the lobby. "Doctor!" I looked around for a doctor. "Doctor, we need help!" Nurse Redheart rushed out of one of the rooms. "What is it Twilight?" Nurse Redheart quickly ran up to Applejack and looked at the strange creature. "Quickly, take it to room twelve! I will get the doctor." Nurse Redheart rushed off upstairs. Applejack and I quickly ran into room twelve. I quickly pulled the blanket off and gently levitated the creature onto the bed. I turned to the door and see Dr. Stable rush into the room. "What do we have Twilight!" Dr. Stable rushed over to the bedside. Dr. Stable lifted his glasses with his hoof. "What is it?..." "We don't know Doctor, but its head is bleeding." I pointed at its head. "Right! Nurse, I'm going to need your help." Nurse Redheart rushed to his side. "You three need to wait out in the lobby. I will see what I can do for it." "Alright doctor, please help it." We quickly leave the room and walked into the lobby. "Do you think it will be okay?" Spike asked while he looked up at me. "I don't know Spike, but I sure hope so." I looked at Spike and smiled. We waited in the lobby for about an hour. I jumped up as soon as I saw the door of room twelve open. I watched as Dr. Stable walk towards me with a smile. "How is it Dr. Stable?" I looked at him with a worried look. "He'll be just fine." Dr. Stable gave me a smile. "So it's a he?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Howdya know?" Applejack asked. "This is a hospital, we had to take his clothes off. That being said, our gowns are not long enough. Could you go get one made for him?" Dr. Stable smiled. "I will doctor." I turned around, but Dr. Stable stopped me. "No Twilight, I need your help to heal him." Dr. Stable turned to Applejack. "Could you go fetch a larger gown for our guest?" "You can count on me doc." Applejack adjusted her hat and quickly ran out the door of the lobby. "Could you come with me Twilight? I'd like you to try and heal him now." Dr. Stable walked towards room twelve. "Alright doctor." I followed Dr. Stable into the room. I walked into the room as Nurse Redheart covered the creature with a blanket. I slowly walked up to his bedside and looked at him. He had bandages over his eyes and the top of his head. I turned and looked at Dr. Stable. "What is wrong with him?" I waited for an answer. "He has a small laceration on the top right of his head." Dr. Stable pointed at a small patch of blood on the bandage. "He also seemed to have a little nerve damage in his eyes. It's not much, but it will heal just fine with your help." Dr. Stable smiled. "Alright, I'll do my best." I turned to him and started to cast my magic to heal him. I watched as his head started to glow a gentle purple. I continued for about a minute until I stopped. "I think that's it doctor." I turned around and gave him a smile. "Alright Twilight, I'm going to need you to return tomorrow." Dr. Stable started to look over some papers. "I think it will be best for one more healing treatment just to be on the safe side." "Alright..." I looked at the strange creature while he rested in bed. "He'll be alright Twilight. He's in good hooves." Dr. Stable smiled at me. "Nurse Redheart will be keeping an eye on him, so you have nothing to worry about." "Alright doctor, I will see you tomorrow then." I walked out of the room and made my way to the lobby. "Let's go Spike, we're going home." "Okay Twilight." Spike quickly ran up to me and hopped up on my back. We made our way out of the hospital. The only thing I could do now was wait. I had a lot of questions for him when he wakes up, but all of this had to wait for tomorrow. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Chapter 3. Dark Rooms, Voices and Hospitals.Chapter 3 Dark Rooms, Voices and Hospitals I slowly opened my eyes. As I laid on the ground; I could only look up at the sky. The sky had no color to it, no complexity and void of light. I couldn't see any clouds, no stars, no sun or moon; just black. I slowly turned on my side and looked around. As I continued to see only darkness; I made my way to my feet. As I stood straight; I slowly scanned my surroundings. My surroundings were void of any life, so I decided to walk forward. "Hello?!" I yelled as I looked around for any sign of life. I shaped my hands like a cup around my mouth. "Hello, is anyone out there!? Can anyone hear me!?" When I got no response; I continued to walk forward. I don't know how long I walked, but I can say it felt like an eternity. The air around me was cold and stale. It was like walking through a mass grave; nothing but silence and I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. I looked around one final time and I realized; I was alone. "Where the hell am I!?" I yelled as loud as I could. When I got no answer; I dropped to my knees. "Is this some kind of joke? Some kind of cruel fucking joke?..." I looked at my hands for a moment. Suddenly a white mist started to ooze out of the ground. I got to my feet as quickly as I could and looked around. White mist was coming out of the ground as far as I could see. I looked to my feet and see the mist was starting to converge on me. It was like it was being pulled towards me. I bent down and started to brush it away. The mist started to advance much faster towards me. I quickly got up and swung my arms at the mist. It started to move up my legs and enveloped my body. I grabbed my head and closed my eyes as a sharp stabbing sensation shot through my brain. "Get the hell away from me!" I yelled as loud as I could. The ground suddenly jolted; knocking me to the ground. As the pain stopped; I let go of my head and looked up. The mist was hovering three feet in the air. I slowly stood up and the mist moved away from me. I watched the mist as I started to walk around. It seemed to stay about five feet away from me all around. I quickly stood still when I saw the mist starting to move again. This seemed different; it looked like it was starting to condense together. I watched as the mist formed large circular objects. I slowly walked up to the closest misty form. It seemed to stay in place, so I continued to watch it. I looked closer as it started to condense in more complex textures. I looked up and could see smaller parts of mist form. The mist seemed to spider out in all directions. I looked at the other strange misty objects and they did the same. I took a step back and all of the misty objects started to take on color. They all seemed to start off blood red; they all quickly got darker. I looked closer at it and realized. "These are trees?" I looked closer. I slowly put my hand on the object and was surprised to feel that it was solid. I walked around it while feeling with my hand. It felt rough; porous even. I took my hand away and looked up. Small green objects started to condense. "No doubt now; these are trees." I smiled in relief. "At least it's not all black now. I started to walk through the newly formed forest. Soon after; I found a large clearing. I walked into the clearing to look around. When I was looking around; that feeling of someone watching me continued. I quickly looked up into the sky when something caught my eye. Dark clouds quickly formed and it started to rain. I held my hand out and I could feel the rain. It was almost like it was washing away my worries. I slowly got on my knees and sat down. My rest was quickly interrupted by a loud popping noise. I quickly stood up and looked at the sky. White lights started to shimmer inside the clouds. I could only explain it as a white aurora. I continued to watch the sky and quickly saw a bright red light appear from nowhere. Soon after, a loud explosion echoed from above. I watched the red light as it fell through the clouds. Whatever it was; it was falling fast. I soon realized it was falling towards me. I tried to run, but I tripped over something and fell to the ground. I looked up and I knew I didn't have enough time. I curled up into a ball and prayed. A few second passed and I slowly looked up. I was surrounded by large flames. I got to my feet and looked at my hands. I slowly brushed my hand through the fire. "Why could I feel the trees in such vivid detail, but not able to feel the fire?" I slowly walked out of the fire. I turned around to look at it. "Why does this seem familiar?" I rubbed the back of my neck. Suddenly a large explosion in the fire made me fall to the ground. "Wow!..." I then heard someone yell. I quickly got up and looked around. "Hello! Is anyone out there!?" I continued to franticly look around me. I then see a dark shadow vanish down a small path into the forest. "Wait!" I quickly run after it. "Hold on, wait for me!" I quickly got to the edge of the forest; I then slipped on the mud, as I heard three loud gunshots. I quickly crawled back from the tree line. By instinct, I tried to get to my gun. I soon realized I didn't have it. I slowly made it back to my feet and slowly advanced down the path. Continuing to be very cautiously; I soon noticed a man laying next to a puddle of water. I rush to his side. "Hey buddy, you okay?" I quickly noticed a large pool of blood. "Hey! Wake up!" I yelled while trying to push him over. I tried my best to move him, but it was like he weighed a ton. "Why won't you move!" I lost my grip on the man and fell back in the mud. I slowly got up and walked around him. I was shocked at what I saw. "It's... me..." I continued to look at my counterpart. "Am I dead? How did this happen?" I dropped to my knees. "Is this hell?" I quickly stood up as I started to hear whispers. "Hello!?" I quickly turned around. I froze as I saw three strange misty forms. I looked down at the small misty form. It looked human in nature. It looked like a baby, but it had some kind of Mohawk. I then turned my attention to the two larger forms. It looked like they were some kind of large dog. I quickly froze as the small baby like form walked up to my body on the ground. Soon after one of the larger forms started to approach. "Twilight, it's bleeding." A whisper echoed from the woods. "Hello?" I looked around for the voice. "Where are you?" "Is it still alive?" A whisper said as I looked back at my body. "I don't know." My attention quickly went to the baby like form. I watched as he started to poke my body. "Wha... Get the hell away from me!" I tried to kick the mist away from my body, but it seemed my foot went clean through. "What the hell is happening to me?" I turned around and watched the mist. I watched as my body seemed to float onto the back of the large misty form. I watched as the mist started to carry my body away. I was quick to follow them down the path. Soon after, they hit the edge of the forest and magically disappeared. I quickly stopped where they vanished; I looked out from the tree line, but didn't see anything. I slowly took the first step out of the forest and was brought to my knees by an enormous pain in my head. I quickly jolted up from where I was laying down. I tried to open my eyes, but it seemed to be wrapped in some kind of bandages. I quickly reach up to feel my head. It seemed to be wrapped for some reason. I quickly turned my head to a soft gentle voice. "Please calm down; you were just having a bad dream." The gentle voice said. "Who are you?" I asked while feeling my body. "Where is my stuff?" "I am Nurse Redheart; your clothed have been washed and placed on the chair next to the bed. Your personal effects have been placed in the drawer on the other side of your bed." Nurse Redheart said with confidence. "How are you feeling?" "Not so good; I hate hospitals..." I slowly scoot my back against the headrest. "I'm sorry to hear that..." I could hear the nurse walk away. "I will go get the doctor for you." When I heard the door close; I started to feel my hands. I then felt something tickle my arm as I moved it. I reached over and felt an I.V. I slowly pealed the tape away and pulled it out. I bent the I.V. tube and brought my arm up so it wouldn't bleed. "I don't think you are suppose to do that..." I female voice said as the door opened. "Who are you?" I asked. "My name is Twilight Sparkle." I heard steps come closer. "Can I get your name?" "Twilight Sparkle?" She quickly cut me off. "Twilight is fine." I couldn't see, but I could tell she was smiling. "Okay Twilight, my name is James." I relaxed my right arm and felt it for blood. When I felt it was okay; I put my arm down. "So why am I in a hospital?" "I was hoping you could tell us." A male voice said. "Do you remember anything from before you woke up?" I heard someone walking towards me. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name." I heard him stop at my bedside. "I am Dr. Stable." He waited for me to answer the last question. "Well as a matter of fact; I do remember what happened." I scratched the back of my neck while trying to remember. "I was doing a training exercise. I was trying to fly above a storm; shortly after my engine exploded." I leaned down and tried to remember more. "I managed to crash my Hornet in a forest. I remember following a path and hearing a loud roaring noise. I fired my gun three times..." I laughed. "I shot myself..." I felt the top of my head. "Well I guess it's good that I am still alive, but why are my eyes covered?" "You had some minor nerve damage in your eyes." I heard papers shuffling around. "It's nothing that we can't fix, so rest assured. By the way; Nurse Redheart hold me that you were having a bad dream. Would you mind talking about it?" "Well," I tilted my head, "I don't remember much of it, but I do remember a lot of white mist." "White mist?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, it was like fog. I don't know how else to explain it." I sighed. "Sorry I can't tell you much more, but I was never good at remembering my dreams." I laughed. "That sounds like an interesting dream. Do you have any idea what it would mean?" Dr. Stable asked. "Sorry doc, I don't." I slowly rubbed my hands together. "So when can I leave? I have to be honest; I am not a big fan of Hospitals..." "Well, Twilight can do your last treatment now, but what you have told me." I heard papers moving around again. "I would like to keep you for one more day; just to be on the safe side." "Sounds good to me." I smiled. "What do you need me to do?" "Just relax." Twilight said. "This might feel a little funny." "Oh...kay..." I relaxed against the headrest. Soon after I heard a strange buzzing noise in my head. I did my best not to move. It felt like my brain was being tickled and it was hard not to laugh. The feeling faded in a minute or two. I rubbed the top of my head. "What was that?" I asked. "It's magic." Twilight said in an excited tone. "Okay... So you don't want to tell me. That's fine..." I sighed. "Huuu?" Twilight said in a questionable tone. "But it is..." "Can I take my bandages off doc?" I started to feel around my bandages. "Actually, I would like you to keep them on. Let's give your eyes some time to adjust." I heard the doctor start to walk away. "I will let you two be alone for a bit." I then heard the door close. I relaxed in the bed and waited for Twilight to say something. I waited for about two minutes before she broke the silence. "So, where are you from?" Twilight asked in a relaxing manner. "Huston Texas. You?" I asked back. "Well... I did live in Canterlot, but I moved here to Ponyville." Twilight said with pride. "Ponyville?..." I took a deep breath to calm down. "Where is Ponyville?" "It's in Equestria." By the sound of her voice; I could tell she was smiling. "Okay..." By now I was betting my panic was visible. I took another deep breath. "I have never heard of Equestria. What planet am I on?" "Planet?..." Twilight asked in a questionable tone. "It's on Earth... Where else would it be?..." Twilight giggled. "That's a relief..." I laughed a little. "What is?" Twilight asked. "Well, I'm still on Earth..." I smiled. "I was a little worried about that Bermuda Triangle garbage." "What's the Bermuda Triangle?" Twilight asked. "It's just a myth... They say a lot of people disappeared in that part of the ocean." I waved my hand. "Nothing but a myth." "If you say so..." Twilight sighed. "So why don't you tell me what you are." Twilight said in an excited tone. "I would love to know more about you." "I am a Pilot for the U.S. Military." I laughed. "Enough said; I am serving on the USS George H.W. Bush." "What is a USS George H.W. Bush?" Twilight asked. "It's an aircraft carrier." I laughed. "So you were flying an aircraft? Was it suppose to be on fire like that?" Twilight asked in a worried tone. "No..." I laughed again. "I don't know exactly what happened, but the engine exploded when I flew above a storm." "That sounds dangerous." I heard a tapping on the floor. "Why don't you tell me more about yourself." "What do you want to know?" I asked. "Everything." Twilight said in an excited tone. "Well; you are going to need to be more specific than that... You are not giving me much direction to go on." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Okay, how about you tell me what you like to do in your spare time. I would love to know." Twilight said with excitement in her voice. "Well, that's a tough one. I love to fly; I know that much." I rested my head on my hand to think. "I like drawing, painting is alright, I also like to read..." Twilight quickly cut me off. "I love reading! What kind of books do you like!?" Twilight sounded very excited. "Ummm..." She caught me off guard, so I had to think quickly. "I would have to say Science Fiction. Anything about space travel interests me." "Space? Like the stars?" Twilight sounded confused. "Yeah..." I laughed. "Starts, planets and more." I then heard the door open. "James." Nurse Redheart said in a strange tone. It almost sounded like she had something in her mouth. "I have your lunch." "You're not eating it are you? It sounds like you have something in your mouth." I chuckled a little. I then felt a tray being placed in my lap. "Don't be silly James. Why would I eat your food?" Nurse Redheart laughed a little. "I don't know." I could hear Nurse Redheart walking away. "I am starving; I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday." Twilight interrupted. "Here, let me help you." Twilight said. "No, I got it." I put my right hand up. "I am perfectly fine eating it by myself." "But you can't see anything." Twilight sounded disappointed. "Yes... I can't see." I felt around the tray and quickly found something. I picked it up and felt it. I held it up with pride and smiled. "This is a spoon." Twilight started to laugh. "It is." Twilight said while laughing. "Now how are you going to eat?" "Very carefully..." I slowly felt the tray and quickly found a large plate. "See, this isn't too hard." I took a spoon full of whatever was on the plate. I put the spoon up to my mouth and I took a bite. I quickly put the spoon on the tray and cover my mouth. I quickly swallowed the disgusting mush and tried not to throw up. "James? Are you okay?" Twilight asked. I could only nod my head while I laid in the bed. I kept my hand over my mouth for a couple of minutes. When I felt I wasn't going to vomit; I removed my hand from my mouth. "Are you sure you are okay, James? You look very pale." Twilight sounded worried. "Yeah..." I paused for a moment. "I knew hospital food was bad, but I never tasted anything so awful before. It almost tasted like grass." Twilight interrupted. "It is grass. You don't eat grass where you are from?" Twilight still sounded a little worried. "What!?... No!" I said in an irritated tone. "I have never met anyone who eats grass." I toned down a little. "Why would you give me grass to eat? I though hospitals are supposed to give a healthy meal." I felt around on my right side; I quickly found something wooden. I picked up the tray and placed it onto the wooden stand next to me. "Grass is healthy." Twilight sounded sad. "We eat it all the time here in Equestria." "Well, then you are the first person I have ever meet that eats grass." I said in a slightly surprised tone. "But I am a pon..." Twilight was quickly cut off as the door opened. "How are we doing, James?" Dr. Stable asked as I heard someone walk close. "Are you not going to eat?" "I'm sorry, but no. I am not a big fan of grass." I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, you have to eat something." Dr. Stable sounded worried. "Is there anything I can get for you other that the grass?" "Yeah, you can get my wallet and get some money out of it." I smiled. "I would love to get a hamburger." "Hamburger?" Dr. Stable asked. "What in Equestria is a Hamburger?" "It's food..." I stopped to think briefly. "Never mind; I guess you don't have any fast food joints here." I put my hand up to my chin to think. "How about some Wheat Thins?" "Wheat Thins? I am sorry, James. I have never heard of Wheat Thins before." I could hear Dr. Stable walk over to the other side of the bed. "Ummm... James; did you take your I.V. out?" "Yeah, I hate I.V.'s" I bring my left hand over to run where the I.V. use to be. "I could feel it inside my arm every time I moved, so I took it out. I will be more than happy to drink as much water as you need me to; just don't put another I.V. in me." "Fair enough." I heard the plate I placed next to me get moved around. Soon after; my tray was gently taken from my lap. "I will be back in a second." It sounded like he has something in his mouth. "Okay..." I scratched the back of my neck. "Twilight; could you tell me where the closest telephone is?" "Telephone? What is a Telephone?" Twilight sounded confused. "Never mind..." I bring my hand up to my forehead. "How about the closest airport?" "I'm sorry, James. I don't know what an airport is." Twilight still sounded confused. "Are you fu..." I quickly stopped myself and took a deep breath. I waited a few seconds to calm down. "How about a port?" "A port? The closest port is in Manehatten." Twilight said proudly. Her proud tone quickly turned to a slight worry. "Are you going to leave?" "Yes, Twilight. I have to get back to work." Twilight quickly interrupted. "But we just met... Now you are going to leave?" Twilight sounded sad. "It's not my choice." I chuckled a little. "Besides if I stay here; I wouldn't be able to fly again." Twilight was quick to reply. "Well... Could I at least take you out to lunch before you go home?" Twilight sounded excited. "I don't see any harm in stalling my trip back home for a little." I smiled. "Okay!" I heard Twilight start to walk away. "I will pick you up tomorrow afternoon; that sound good?" "Yeah. Sounds great." I smiled. "Okay then!" Twilight said in an excited tone. "I will pick you up tomorrow!" I then heard the door close. I patiently waited for the doctor to come back. A few minutes passed, so I decided to fidget with my bandages. I slowly pushed the side to give my eyes a little room. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a little light shining through the bandages. I was relieved to see that I wasn't blind. I adjusted the bandages back into a comfortable position. The door suddenly opened and I quickly dropped my hands to my sides. "What were you doing, James?" Dr. Stable asked. It sounded like he had something in his mouth again. "Nothing... Just scratching my head." I paused for a moment as I heard Dr. Stable walking towards me. "So doc; tell me how much this will cost me." I felt something placed on my lap. "Medical treatment is free in Equestria." Dr. Stable sounded pleased. "I brought you some bread. It's not what I would like you to eat, but you have to eat something." "Free medical?" I searched for the bread on the plate. "Please tell me you didn't take my kidneys out to sell them." I took a bite of the bread. "Don't be silly!..." Dr. Stable laughed. "Please don't mind my manners." I said while chewing the bread. "Thanks for the bread by the way." "It's no problem at all." I could hear him shuffling through some papers. "After you finished; I would like you to get some rest." I could hear Dr. Stable starting to walk away. "Hey doc; before you go. I have to ask you something." I stopped him before he left the room. "Yes, what is it?" Dr. Stable asked. "Please don't take offence about this." I took a deep breath; hoping he wouldn't take offence to what I would say next. "This country seems to be a 3rd world nation. What is this countries condition?" "I'm sorry, I don't understand." The doctor took a brief pause. "What is a 3rd world nation?" "Never mind doc. It's not important." I took another bite of the bread. "Let's just drop the subject. I will just head out tomorrow." "Alright James; I will leave it at that." I could hear him start to walk again. "Before you leave tomorrow; I would like to talk to you. Is that alright with you?" "Yeah, don't see why not." I smiled. "I guess I will talk to you tomorrow." "Alright, James. I will talk to you tomorrow." Dr. Stable sounded happy. "Have a good rest." I listened at Dr. Stable walked out of the room. Something seemed off; it almost sounded like it was two people. Something was off about this place. Who on Earth would ever eat grass? After all most grass on Earth is poisonous to Humans, but I have heard stories on humans eating tarantulas and other odd things. As I continued to think about it. I started to remember parts of my dream. I started to remember something about my body laying on the ground. I quickly grabbed my head as a large pain shot through my head. I noticed my breathing started to get heavy, so I quickly tried to relax. As I started to calm down; I slid down into the bed and pulled the covers over me. I placed my hands behind my head and faced up at the ceiling. "Why the hell would I act like that if I was only thinking?" I asked myself. "I shouldn't let this get to me. This place might be strange, but I am still on Earth." I relaxed and slowly drifted off to sleep. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Chapter 4. When I Dream the Dream.Chapter 4 When I Dream the Dream I slowly opened my eyes and found myself looking up at a baby blue sky. I felt the ground with my hand. It felt like cold concrete. I looked around as I laid on the ground. It seemed like the ground was all concrete everywhere I looked. I looked back towards the clear blue sky and relaxed. A gentle feeling of warmth filled my body. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I was hoping this feeling would never go away. As I rested on the ground. I could feel a strange presence around me. It was like someone was watching me. I opened my eyes once again and looked around. I quickly sat up as a strange feeling flooded my body. It felt like the warmth of my blood was stolen. I slowly got up and looked around. Nothing seemed to have changed, but I couldn't help but feel this was familiar. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes; I was shocked at what I saw. I was on the edge of an Aircraft Carrier. I looked behind me and saw rushing water. I turned back around and started to walk towards the control tower. As I got closer to the tower; I could see the number 77 painted in white on the side. "I am back on the H.W. Bush." I walked up to the tower and placed my hand on the cold steel. "Something about this is not right..." I looked around. "No one is here. It all seems to be abandoned." I saw movement by the front of the aircraft carrier and I quickly moved my attention towards it. I could see white mist slowly pouring up over the edge of the runway. It seemed to slowly crawl on the ground towards the rear of the carrier. I slowly walked towards the mist as it rolled on the runway. As I got a few inches away from it. I got down on one knee and slowly put my hand in the mist. As my hand broke the surface; I quickly pulled back. "Why the hell is that mist so cold?" I rubbed my hand to get it warm again. "It's like ice..." I slowly made my way to my feet and backed away from the mist. I looked to the front of the carrier and noticed the mist stopped pouring over the edge. I looked to the rear of the carrier and saw the mist starting to condense. As the end of the mist slowly passed me; I decided to follow it. I looked up over to where the forms were condensing. The forms seemed to take on human characteristics. By now; all of the mist was now condensed in the human forms. It seemed like nothing more was going to happen to them, but something down the line of human forms caught my eye. I could see one on the end start to change. I slowly walked down the row while watching the mist closely. I didn't know why, but I had an odd feeling around that mist. It felt like it was somehow dangerous. I stood face to face with the mist. I watched as it slowly gained color. It took a few minutes for the body to get to a tan peach color. By now I could tell the human form was female. Shortly after; mist spun around the female. The mist quickly condensed into clothing. I looked at her face, but nothing was on it. I continued to watch, as the face started to gain volume. I quickly recognized her. "Jessica?" I laughed a little. "What the hell is this?" I continued to laugh. I quickly stopped laughing when the forms started to move. I quickly stepped to the side. I followed the line down the runway. I watched them as they occasionally stopped to pick something up off the runway. A few minutes later; we reached the end of the runway. I watched the forms stand up straight and just stand there. A sudden gust of wind blew passed me, so I quickly covered my face with my arm. When the wind stopped; I moved my arm away from my face and saw the mist has been blown away. I quickly looked around and saw a mist cloud moving away from the carrier at a fast rate. I turned around and started to walk back to the tower. I quickly stopped when I saw something rise from the ground. I quickly realized that it was a Hornet rising from the main deck. I watched as misty human started to form again. As they formed; it looked like they were checking the aircraft. It then all made since. "So that's me in the Hornet." I scratched my head. "Is this some kind of weird flashback?" I looked up in the sky. I then looked around my surroundings. "If this is a flashback; then I should be able to see a large storm... Right?" I continued to look, but all I could see was a blue sky. I quickly turned to look towards the Hornet as steam jetted out from the carrier. Shortly after, the Hornet rocketed towards me. I watched it and a split second later; it passed right through me. I turned to watch it fly off. I looked around the sky, but I still didn't see any storm clouds. "So why doesn't someone tell me why I am here." I sat down on the runway. "What am I supposed to do in this place?" I then heard a loud slamming noise. I quickly turned in the direction of the noise. "Hello!?" I yelled while looking around. I got back to my feet and started to walk towards the tower. As I walked towards a heavy steel door; I couldn't help but feel angry. This emotion came out of nowhere and I had no idea why. I slowly stepped through the door and locked it behind me. I looked around and took in my surroundings. The air was cold and stale. It was like an old haunted house. I even had the feeling of being watched, but what frightened me the most is what I didn't see. The halls were completely empty. I just couldn't understand why I was here. As I started to walk down the hall, a faint whisper stopped me in my tracks. "Hello?" I looked around for the whispers. "Can you hear me?" "Be careful..." A faint whisper muttered. "Be careful..." "Be careful of what?..." I asked in a very irritated tone. "Where are you?" "Be careful..." The whisper said again. "Where the hell are you!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "If you are trying to piss me off... It's working! Now tell me where you are!" I looked around and listened carefully. "Be careful..." I quickly turn in the direction I heard the voice. I waited for a few seconds before I slowly walked down the hallway. I watched every corner to make sure nothing would pop out. I still had no idea what that whisper was talking about. What did I have to be careful from? I stopped at a cross section and looked around. I could go left, right or up a ladder. I got a strange feeling, so I looked behind me. A dark shadow looked to be slowly enveloping the walls and floor. "What the hell is that?..." I slowly backed up. I then look down the other halls and see the same. I quickly turn around and started to climb up the ladder. "No choice!..." I said in a panic as I quickly climbed for my life. I quickly made it to the floor above and looked down the ladder. It appeared that the shadow stopped advancing. "What is that?..." I crouched down and looked at the shadow. "This is like some kind of sci-fi horror crap." I chuckled a little. "One of the low budget films." I started to laugh. "Be careful." I heard again, but this was a little different. It seemed to be closer. "Who are you?" I got to my feet and looked around again. "Where are you?" I said in a calmer voice than before. I then waited for an answer. "Be careful human." I quickly followed the direction of the voice. I turned down the hall and headed up some stairs. I quickly realized I was just outside the bridge. I opened the door and cautiously entered. As I slowly entered the room; I could feel that something in that room wanted me dead, but it also felt like I was protected. The only way I could describe it was someone having a gun to your head. Knowing they wanted to kill you, but you knew they could never pull the trigger. "Thou should have heeded my warning human." A female voice said. "Who are you?" I waited for a response. I jumped when I heard a loud slam. I looked behind me and see the door closed. I walked over to the door and tried to open it. I turned the latch as hard as I could, but with no success. "This is bullshit!" I kicked the door as hard as I could and turned to face the room. "Tell me who you are!" I yelled as I slowly walked to the center of the room. As I stood in the middle of the room; I took in my surroundings once again. The only thing I could see out of the ordinary was the chairs. They were all completely empty. I walked over to the window and looked outside. It was completely dark; I was surprised I didn't notice until I walked up to the window. I placed my hand on the window and as soon as my hand made contact; a chill ran up my spine and the room got cold. I turned around and saw white mist oozing from the walls and the computers. The mist seemed to evenly divide and roll towards the chairs in the room. I watched as the mist rolled up the chairs and slowly formed human shapes again. As they finished forming; I could hear a strange buzzing noise in the room. I started to hear whispers again, but they quickly got clear. "Red Rocket to Avenger, I'm three minutes to the target." I quickly realized the voice was mine. Then it hit me; this must be my moments before I crashed. "I'm getting a little turbulence, but it's nothing. I will continue to push to target." A disembodied voice was quick to reply. "Roger that Red Rocket. We copy you loud and clear." I turned to look at the mist next to the radio. "I did not copy that Avenger; can you repeat? I did not copy." "Roger that Red Rocket. We copy you loud and clear." I then saw the mist turn to face the room. Suddenly a misty human formed next to me in a split second. "I need all of you at the top of your game! I want all the information you can gather on that Hornet." The mist started to walk towards the window. "I want to know where he is going at all times; tell me when he drops off the radar." "Red Rocket to Avenger, my instruments are going crazy and I have a large wall of fog out here. How should I proceed?" I quickly looked in the direction of the radio man. "Don't answer his call!" I could only guess the misty figure behind me said. "I am ordering you all to keep this to yourselves. This is nothing more than a training accident." I quickly looked at the mist behind me. "I want all the information transferred to the pentagon. When he crosses over; I want to know about it." "What!" I yelled. "What the fuck is this!? What the hell did you throw me into you son of a bitch!" I ran up towards the mist and tried to grab it, but my hands only went through it. "Red Rocket to Avenger; do you copy? I'm flying blind with no fuel. I'm turning back for an emergency landing. I have smoke in the cockpit." I turned to look back at the radio man. "You're just going to let me die!? You're not even going to give me the decency to reply back!?" I grabbed my head as a small pain shot through. "Why!?" "Re... Aveng... Engi... Lost power..." Static filled the radio on this end. "In... Free fall..." I watched as none of the human forms showed any concern. I stumbled over to a steel table and balanced myself. Rage quickly filled every ounce of my body with what I just heard. I looked around the room as I started to get dizzy. "Why?..." I looked down at the table. "Why would you do this to me?" I grabbed my head as the pain started to get worse. "Why would you betray me like this!?" I closed my eyes and I quickly bring my hands up; I quickly slam them against the steel table. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a large dent on the table. "I'm... Going to kill you all." I looked around the room one last time "I'm going to fucking kill all of you!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as the room started to violently shake. The shaking quickly brought me to my knees and I grabbed my head in pain. I closed my eyes and clinched my teeth. Soon after the shaking stopped. I opened my eyes and looked around. Somehow I was in the cafeteria of the carrier. I slowly crawled over to the table and used a chair to pull myself up. I sat down and stared across the room. The rage inside me quickly left, but was replaced with self pity. "What did I do to deserve this? What have I done in life that was so bad; to be betrayed like this." My eyes went hazy with tears. I rubbed my eyes and looked up at the ceiling. "No... I didn't do anything wrong. I served my country with honor, killed for my country and even enduring unspeakable imprisonments." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The room suddenly jolted. I quickly jumped up and tried to open my eyes. I quickly bring my hands up to my face and feel the bandages. I then gently push the blanket off of my legs. "Why are my eyes wet?" I feel around my head to try and undo the bandages. "I must have had a weird dream last night." I found the end of the wrapping and started to unravel it. As the bandages became thinner and let in more light. I could make out a few objects in the room. I closed my eyes and removed the final piece of the bandage. I slowly opened my eyes, so they could slowly adjust to the light. When my eyes adjusted; I looked to my left and saw a neatly folded bed. I then saw a chair next to my bed with my clothes resting on top of it. I reached over and grabbed my clothes. I slowly moved off the bed and sat on the side. I reached around my back and untied the gown. I quickly got dressed before anyone came into the room. While I sat on the bed; I started to look around for my boots. I continued to look, but I couldn't find them, so I opened the drawer of a small dresser next to the bed. I stood up and was amazed to see they had my gun with all my possessions. I grabbed my gun and wallet. I pulled the small strap out of the holster and put the strap in my pocket. I walked over to the window as I put my wallet into my back pocket. I looked out the window and was shocked at what I saw. A lot of horses were walking all around the town, but my attention quickly turned towards the buildings. They have been demolished. Some missing parts of its roof and others had missing walls. It looked like a tornado ripped through the town. "By the looks of the building material; this must be a third world country, but it's not like any third world I have ever been to," I said with confusion. "The building themselves look to be taken care of, but it looks like a large storm blew in," I laughed. "That explains the life stock, but why would the owner dye their coats such colors?" I turned around and I saw my boots under the bed I was resting in. "Well would you look at that; found ya." I walked over to the bed and sat down. I grabbed my boots and started to put them both on. I was too preoccupied with my boots to notice the door had opened behind me. "Good afternoon, James. How are you feeling?" Nurse Redheart said in a pleased tone. "I am doing fine, Nurse Redheart. How are you today?" I was still fidgeting with my shoe laces. "I'm doing fine; thanks for asking." I heard her shuffle with some papers. "You mind telling me who took my boots off? Whoever it was did a real number on my shoe strings." I continued to undo the mess. "I took them off," Nurse Redheart said in a confused tone. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to mess your shoe strings up." "That's alright; I do tighten them a little too much." I turned to look for the nurse. I quickly made it to my feet when I saw a small white horse standing by the door. I tried to peer around the horse as it watched me. "Hey Nurse! Someone's livestock is in the room!..." "Livestock?" A voice said. I then looked at the small horse. "What are you talking about, James?" "Jesus! What the fu..." I tried to take a few steps back, but I tripped on my shoe lace and fell to the ground. "James! Are you alright!?" I watched as the white horse ran over towards me. "Stay back!" I yelled as loud as I could while scooting back as far and as fast as I could. I was quickly stopped as my head hit the corner of the small dresser. "Damn it!" I yelled as I grabbed my head. "James! Are you okay!?" The small white horse came closer. "Stay back!" I yelled while freeing my right hand to point at the horse. "Stay away from me!" "But, James you might be hurt," The white horse said. "I need to see of you are okay." The small white horse slowly advanced. "I said get back!" I yelled as I quickly grabbed my gun. I quickly got up on my feet and pointed my gun towards the small white horse. "What the hell is this!?" I yelled. I quickly moved my attention to the door as a small, light brown horse with glasses and some kind of shirt on. "James, Nurse Redheart; what in Equestria is going on in here?" Asked the small brown horse. "Dr. Stable?" I asked while backing towards the window. "What the hell is going on!?" I demanded while pointing my gun towards them both. "Please calm down, James." The light brown horse started to walk slowly towards me. "I am Dr. Stable and this is Nurse Redheart." He motion towards the small white horse. "Do you remember us?" "Of course I remember! I'm not an idiot!" I yelled. "I expected you to be human and not a talking horse..." "Pony..." Dr. Stable said, but I quickly interrupted. "That's not the point!" I yelled. "What am I do..." I was quickly brought to my knees. A sharp pain shot through my head as I remembered both of my dreams. "Are you alright, James?" Both the doctor and the nurse rushed to my side. "Everything is going to be alright." I felt something touch my back. "Don't touch me!" I let go of my gun and pushed them both away from me. "Don't you ever touch me again..." I watched them both back away. "Please, James we are not a threat to you," Dr. Stable said in a relaxed tone, "Why don't you sit on the bed and relax for a little. I don't want you to collapse again." "Right..." I grabbed my gun and slowly made it up on my feet. I put the gun in its holster and slowly walked to the bed. I slowly sat down on the bed. I saw Dr. Stable start to walk towards me. "I told you to stay away from me..." I said angrily while pointing at him. "Okay, I'm sorry," Dr. Stable took a few steps back, "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?" "Go ahead." I said while rubbing my forehead. "Do you remember where you are?" Asked Dr. Stable. "Yeah, a hospital." I paused when I remembered the conversation I had with Twilight yesterday. "I am in a hospital in Ponyville, in Equestria." I started to laugh. "It's good you remember, but what is so funny?" Asked Dr. Stable with a confused look on his face. "I knew everything," I continued to laugh, "I knew you were ponies; my dreams and the name of this town is a dead giveaway! I just didn't remember until now." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Why?" "Why what?" Dr. Stable asked while cocking his head. "Does something still hurt?" "Never mind, it's nothing." I sighed. "I'm sorry; I over reacted and I shouldn't have yelled at you two." "It's alright, James." Dr. Stable smiled and started to come closer. "No..." I quickly held my hand up to stop him. "I over reacted, but I still don't want you coming near me. Not until I have a firm grasp of what is going on." "Fair enough," Dr. Stable smiled, "Twilight is waiting for you in the waiting room. She is here to take you out to lunch." "What?" I raised an eyebrow. "So I am guessing she is a horse too?" "Twilight is a pony, Unicorn to be more precise," Dr. Stable smiled, "Like me." "Like you?" I gave a closer look and saw the horn on the doctors head. I then started to laugh. "I can't believe I didn't notice until now!" I calmed down and looked closely at Dr. Stable. "I was too preoccupied by you talking horses to see the broader picture." I bring my head down and rubbed my forehead. "Pony." Dr. Stable reminded me. "Would you like to stay another day to calm down? I can tell Twilight that you will be staying another night." "No," I quickly cut off Dr. Stable, "I need to get out of here. The sooner the better." I stood up and rested my right wrist on the back of my gun. I slowly walked passed Dr. Stable. I made sure to keep an eye on him as I passed. I then looked at Nurse Redheart by the door. She quickly moved aside and smiled. I walked out the door slowly with my hand still resting on top of my gun. I stopped in the middle of the hall just outside the door. As I looked down the hall; I saw a small lavender pony sitting on the floor next to a desk by the door. A small white blur got my attention and I quickly looked to my right. Nurse Redheart was trying to pass me, so I stepped aside. I watched her as she slowly passed beside me. I jumped when I heard a loud slamming noise behind me. I quickly looked behind me and saw Dr. Stable standing by the door. "You don't have to be so skittish, James." Dr. Stable smiled and slowly walked towards me. "May I pass by you?" I kept quiet and stepped to the side. I watched him as he slowly passed me. I then started to follow slowly behind him. I kept a rough distance of about three feet behind Dr. Stable. The doctor then turned to the right and got behind the large desk. I was then standing a few feet in front of the lavender pony. "Twilight Sparkle, I am guessing?" I asked as I took my hand up off my gun and relaxed my arm. "I hope you remembered what I told you," She gave me a smile, "You can call me Twilight; Twilight is fine." "Okay Twilight," Feeling no threat; I put my right hand in my pocket, "Where do we go from here?" I asked. "Well," Twilight put her hoof to her chin and smiled, "I said I would take you out to lunch. I can't have you going home on an empty stomach after all." I watched as Twilight walked over to the lobby and picked up a small bag full of papers. She slung it over her back and walked towards the door. She then turned back and looked at me. "Come on, James; we don't have all day." Twilight smiled and walked out the door. I quickly followed her out the door and caught up to her. I continued to walk with her into town. As we made in into what looked to be Town Square; I noticed a lot more ponies walking around. I slowed my pace and started to walk slightly behind Twilight. I then took my right hand out of my pocket and rested it back on top of my gun. Twilight then stopped, so I quickly stopped behind her. "What's wrong, James?" Twilight asked while giving me a worried look. "Did I do something to scare you?" "No," I looked around at all the ponies, "I've never been in this kind of situation before." "What kind of situation are you talking about?" Twilight turned around and started to walk closer to me. "Nothing... Nothing..." I took a couple steps back and Twilight quickly stopped. "Don't worry about it; I am perfectly fine." "Do you not like me for some reason?" Twilight asked as she sat down in front of me. It looked like she was about to cry. "No," I shook my head at her, "It's nothing like that. I'm just in a new place I don't know yet." I said in a slight irritation. For some reason I felt sorry for making her feel like she did. "This is the first time I have been in a place like this." "If that's all," Twilight quickly got up and smiled at me, "You will get use to this place in no time." Twilight started to walk away, but quickly stopped and turned back and looked at me. "Let's get going, James; I am hungry." "Okay." I followed close behind Twilight; still being cautious of my surroundings. "I have to ask Twilight." "Yes." Twilight said as we continued to walk down the road. "What happened to this town?" I asked as I looked around at the buildings. "We had a little Parasprite problem today." Twilight replied as we turned to a small building with tables in front of it. "It's all okay now; Pinkie Pie got rid of them for us." "Parasprite problem?" I asked as I watched Twilight sat down on a pile of hay next to a table. "Yep, they are small balls of fur that eat any food they see." Twilight started to blush. "It was my fault they started to eat buildings. I cast a spell so they would stop eating our food, but as you can see. It didn't work out well." Twilight watched as I stood next to the pile of hay. "Is something wrong, James?" Twilight asked as she raised an eyebrow. "Hmm," I gave the pile of hay a small kick and watched it fall over, "No; everything is fine." I got down on one knee and started to stack up the hay pile. "This is just a little different than what I am use to, that's all." I sat down and crossed my legs. I then looked up at Twilight and saw she was looking at me with a worried look again. "Is something wrong?" "Doesn't that hurt your legs?" Twilight asked as she pointed her hoof towards me. "No," I said in slight irritation, "Why would it?" "I don't know, it just looks painful." Twilight put her hoof up to her chin again. "Trust me, its normal for my kind to sit like this." I rubbed my forehead in irritation. "So how many pilots are there where you live?" Twilight looked on at me with an excited expression. "Pilots?" I asked in a confused tone, but I remembered our conversation we had yesterday. "No, pilot is my occupation. My species is called Human." "Oh, so how many Humans live where you are?" Twilight asked with a smile. "I think it's a little over seven billion people." I scratched my head. "By the way, where can I find a map?" "I had a feeling you would ask me that," Twilight started to look through her bag on the ground, "Here we are. A map of Equestria." I watched in shock as the paper started to float towards me in mid air. "How are you doing that?" I watched the paper being placed in front of me with a purple glow. "Magic." Twilight smiled. "So that thing yesterday with my head. It was magic?" I asked in a confused tone. "It sure was!" Twilight exclaimed with pride. "Interesting..." I scratched my head in disbelief. "I never believed in magic, but I have heard of legends where I am from about wizards and other magical things." Twilight quickly cut me off. "You have magic where your form too!?" Twilight quickly got excited. "I don't know." I rolled the map flat and looked at it. I looked at the map for a few minutes. I tried to picture where this continent would be if it was on my earth, but it was hopeless. I rolled up the map and pushed it towards Twilight. I put my elbows on the table and rested my head between my hands. "Is something wrong, James?" Twilight asked with a worried look. "Yes," I put my hands down and looked at the table, "I am not on the same Earth." "Don't be silly," Twilight smiled at me, "This is Earth." "Don't patronize me, Twilight." I said in an irritated tone. "It's not a good time." "I'm sorry; I didn't mean anything by it." Twilight's ears went down and she looked at the table. I stayed quiet when I saw a tan pony walk towards us with something in its mouth. I watched as it placed the papers in front of both me and Twilight. I picked up the paper as the tan pony walked away; I then opened the paper to see what it was. From what I saw, it was a menu. I looked over the menu and saw nothing that I could even eat. I then remembered that ponies are herbivores. I put the menu down and sighed. "Is something wrong?" Twilight asked in a timid voice. "No," I watched as the tan pony started to walk towards us, "Everything is okay." "Okay." Twilight quickly gave me a smile and turned to the tan pony. "Are you two ready to order?" The tan pony asked. "I'm ready," Twilight looked at me, "Are you ready?" Twilight asked and I gave her a quick nod. Twilight then turned back to the tan pony. "I would like a Daffodil and Daisy Sandwich please." "And you sir?" The tan pony asked while turning to face me. "I loaf of bread and water will be fine for me." I picked up the menu and handed it to the pony. I watched as he grabbed both menus in his mouth and walked away. "You need to eat something healthy, James." Twilight started to glare at me. "Only eating bread is not a good diet." "Neither is a diet of grass and flowers..." I quickly fired back in irritation. I looked at Twilight and it seemed like she was about to cry. "Look, I'm sorry. I am not usually this much of a jerk. I'm just under a lot of stress right now." "It's alright, I understand." Twilight started to circle her hoof on the table. "So, when are you going to go back home?" "Well..." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had to calm down, or I would have snapped at Twilight again. "You might call this planet Earth, but it is not my Earth. I don't even know if I can go home." "So you are going to stay in Ponyville?" Twilight asked in a slightly excited tone. "You know what." I did my best to stay calm. "I don't know." "Okay, well if you want; I have an extra bed at my house you can use." Twilight smiled. "If you can't go home, you can stay with me." "Enough!" I yelled while slamming my hand against the table; making Twilight jump. "Don't say another word about my home. It is pissing me off." I quickly regretted what I said when I saw the look of fear on Twilight's face. "Please understand; I don't know how I got here, I don't know how to get home and I am still in a little bit of shock. I have never seen a talking pony before." "I don't understand, James." Twilight looked at me for a few seconds before I quickly cut in. "Humans are the only species on my planet that are able to speak." I rubbed my forehead. "Humans are the dominant species, Enough said." "If you are the only intelligent species on your planet; then it must be very peaceful." Twilight smiled. "Peaceful," I started to laugh, "Its anything but peaceful. We have wars going on all around the world. It is a very violent place, but it also has its good parts. It's the good that I try to hang onto." "So you're alone?" Twilight's ears went down as she looked at the ground. "Yeah," I looked up into the sky, "I guess I am." "Oh no I didn't mean you." Twilight quickly replied. I looked at Twilight and watched her for a few seconds. I then turned my attention to the tan pony walking out from the small building next to us. He had a tray balanced on his back and another tray in his mouth. I watched as he walked up to our table. He placed the tray in his mouth in front of me. He then grabbed the tray on his back and placed it in front of Twilight. I watched him as he walked away and I looked down at the bread and water. "I sure hope he brushes his teeth." I picked up the bread and took a bite. "What do you mean, James?" Twilight asked as her sandwich glowed a gentle purple and floated up to her mouth. "It's nothing, never mind." I took another bite of the bread. "So you helped me out of the forest. Do you mind telling me where the path you took me out from is?" "Yeah, but why do you want to know?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "The Everfree Forest is dangerous." "I need to see something. Besides, I bet it's not any more dangerous than any forest where I am from." "I doubt that..." I sensed a slight competitive tone in her voice. "We have Timber Wolves, Manticores, Cockatrices and Hydras. I only mentioned a few; I don't want to get into detail on the plants." Twilight smiled. "Wolves!?" I exclaimed while laughing. "If that is the hardest forest you have on this planet; I might as well stay!" I continued to laugh. "The Amazon Rainforest; that is the hardest forest you will ever be in. You have Jaguars in the trees along with snakes that can grow up to ten feet in length." I continued to laugh. "Don't get me started on the spiders. You can find spiders that are bigger than your head!" I pointed at Twilight. "Now let's move on to the water. You have Crocodiles and Piranhas that would like nothing more than to eat you alive. You can't even drink the water because of microscopic parasites. The parasites can kill you in two days flat and those are the good ones. The bad parasites will have you in so much pain, you won't even be able to crawl out of the forest. The pain will last for weeks and then you die; that is if you don't get eaten first." "Okay..." Twilight brought her ears down again. "Have you ever been in the Amazon Rainforest before?" "Well..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I haven't and I never plan too." I took a bite of my bread and quickly took a drink of water. "Then why did you bring it up if you have never been in your forest?" Twilight gave me a confused look. "Because I have a good idea what to expect." I finished off my loaf of bread and water. "Besides, I am not asking you to come along. I will be fine on my own." "But it's still dangerous." Twilight finished off her sandwich and watched me stand up. "Like I told you, I'm not asking you to follow me. All I asked for you to do is show me." I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. I pulled out a ten dollar bill and placed it on the table. "Ummmm, James." Twilight got up and pointed at my money. "What is that?" She asked. "Its money." I quickly realized. "Right, my money here is probably worthless." I picked up the bill from the table and was about to put it back in my wallet, but Twilight stopped me. "Do you think I can have that?" Twilight pointed at the money. "Sure, why not." I held out the bill and placed my wallet back in my pocket. "Thanks." Twilight smiled and quickly levitated the bill into her bag. "No problem," I held up my hand to direct Twilight, "Now can you show me the path into the forest." "Sure thing." Twilight smiled and levitated some sort of coins onto the table. "Let's go." I followed Twilight through town. It didn't take long before we came to a small stream. I could see a forest across the stream and I had to wonder if that's the forest I crashed in. I cold chill ran up my spine as I remembered the forest in my dream. I just hoped I wouldn't see any fog in the forest. We passed over a small bridge and followed the path up to the forest. "Thank you for the help Twilight. I will be fine from here." I started to walk into the forest, but something tugged on my pants pocket. I looked back and I see twilight biting my back pocket. "Let go of me!" I yelled and moved her off of me. "What are you doing?" "I don't want you to go in the forest." Twilight's ears went down again. Twilight quickly perked up. "Not without me to protect you." "I don't need protection. I am fine on my own." I turned around and started to walk into the forest. As I walked down the path, Twilight close behind. I pulled my gun out and made sure I had a round chambered. When I was satisfied; I holstered the gun. I continued down the path and it quickly got familiar. I could recognize some parts of the path from my dreams. I slowed down and Twilight quickly broke the silence. "So what is that black thing you just looked at?" Twilight asked in a strange tone. "It's a gun." I continued to scan over the ground, looking for any trace of where I laid. "It's a tool we use for self defense and war." "A tool for self defense and war?" Twilight asked ever more confused. "So it's a weapon?" "That is sort of what I just said..." I replied in an irritated tone. "No," Twilight glared at me, "A tool helps build things and a weapon doesn't." "I'm sorry, but I am not in the mood to get into an argument right now." I stopped and looked at a small puddle. "I will explain it to you when I am in a better mood." I looked around and found a small path off the main trail. "Okay," Twilight smiled in satisfaction, "I will hold you to it." Twilight and I slowly walked down the small path and quickly came into a small clearing. I stopped just outside the tree line. It was easy to see my wreckage, but I wanted to make sure nothing else was out here. I slowly walked towards my wrecked Hornet with Twilight close behind. "I want you to stay away from the wreckage." I pointed at my Hornet. "It is still dangerous." "Then why are you going?" Twilight asked with a worried look. "Because I know what I am doing." I started to make my way to the Hornet. I slowly walked around the wreckage. By visually inspecting the aircraft while I walked around it. I concluded it was still very dangerous. The left wing was completely shredded and scattered over the clearing. The right wing was still intact and surprisingly enough and it still had a Sidewinder attached. The nose of the craft was so damaged; you would never have known it was suppose to be at a point. Looking back at the engine. You couldn't even tell it had two engines. It was crushed and morphed by the heat of the fire. The cockpit seemed to have the least damage. Only a few large dents and a lot of burn marks. I slowly walked up to the craft. I slowly got down on one knee and started to feel the burnt ground. I turned my hand over to look at it. It was slightly damp with charred Earth sticking to my palm. I brought my hand up to smell the liquid and quickly realized it was jet fuel. I looked around the bottom of the craft. I found a small leak from the fuel tank in the wing. I slowly felt along the wing. The steel was cold all the way around. I then started to feel around the main body; right where the liquid cooling units would be. I was surprised when I felt it was still warm. I grabbed the front of the wing and pull myself up onto the wreckage. I slowly walked towards the cockpit. When I was close enough; I got on my stomach and started to slowly pull myself closer. When I got close enough; I peered inside. "Damn it!" I yelled at what I saw. "The 20 Millimeter just had to be destroyed." I slowly scooted back. "Piece of shit." I stood up and slowly climbed down from the wing. I turned around and saw Twilight standing only a few feet away from me. "I thought I told you to stay away from this." "But you looked like you needed my help." Twilight smiled at me while she sat on the ground. "I don't mind helping you if you need it." "I think I will be fine." I walked under the wing and slowly prop my shoulder against the Sidewinder. I then stabilized it with my left hand and with my right; I pulled the pins holding it in place. The missile was released and now resting on my shoulder. "My god! This thing is a lot heavier that it looks!" I exclaimed as my kneed buckled with an extra two hundred pounds. "Here, let me help you." Twilight said. I quickly turned my head to Twilight. "No! Don't!" I yelled, but it was too late. The missile started to float upwards a few inches. "Stop!" I yelled and Twilight quickly released it from her magical grasp. The two hundred pound missile dropped a few inches on my shoulder. I quickly dropped onto one knee from the pain. "I told you I didn't need your help." I slowly stood up and walked out from under the wing. "But you said it was heavy and I thought I could help you." Twilight quickly put her ears down and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean it, honest." "Look Twilight," I slowly walked up in front of Twilight, "I need to be honest with you." I paused a moment and took a deep breath. "I don't trust you; hell I don't trust any of you." I looked at Twilight as she stared at me with wide eyes. "When it comes to my stuff; I demand you respect my will for it. A lot of this stuff is dangerous and you could get hurt." Twilight quickly interrupted. "So you do care for my well being." Twilight quickly smiled. "It's a start and I am willing to build off of that." "Right." I didn't want to say it, but I didn't care. I knew that this stuff could be my only way home, so I had to protect it. "Sit tight Twilight; I need to take care of this missile." I slowly walked to the rear of the Hornet and slowly propped the Sidewinder against the tail wing. I slowly stood up straight. I bring my right hand up and slowly rubbed my left shoulder. It didn't feel broken, just soar. I turned to face Twilight and quickly noticed she was franticly looking around. It was then I noticed, it was quiet. I slowly scanned the tree line while resting my right hand over my gun. While I stood still; I could smell some sort of foul odder. It smelled like decomposing bodies and year old vegetables. Twilight quickly ran in front of me. "Don't worry, James. I will protect you." Twilight said with confidence. "Protect me from what?" I asked. "Timber Wolves." Twilight quickly replied. I looked in the direction Twilight was looking. I then saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes in the shadows. It seemed to be walking closer towards us. "Get out of my way Twilight." I pulled my gun out and flipped the safety off. "No!" Twilight yelled. "You will get hurt." "Keep standing in my way and you will get hurt." I gently pushed Twilight away with my left hand. I slowly bring the gun up and took aim at the glowing eyes. I slowly walked forward as the glowing eyes moved in closer. I stopped when it slowly became visible. "Are you kidding me!" I put my gun down and looked at Twilight. "That thing is mad out of wood! How is that dangerous!" I yelled. "They hunt in groups." Twilight slowly stepped back. "Groups?" I quickly turned around and saw two more pairs of eyes slowly crawling out of the forest. I then quickly bring my gun up and aimed towards the one in front. It seemed to wait for something. Soon after the other two wolf like animals walked out of the shadows. They slowly walked up besides the largest one. As soon as the largest one took its first step. I quickly fired off a round. A split second later; the largest wolf disintegrated into millions of wooden splinters. The other two quickly charged. I took aim at the one on the right. I fired a round and it quickly crumbled to the ground. I then aimed at the one on the left, but it was too quick. The wolf like creature lunged at my head. I then felt a strong gust of wind blow past my right ear and the wolf broke up into pieces right in front of me. "I told you they were dangerous." Twilight said. "I guess a thanks is in order." I turned around and smiled at Twilight. She still had a couple rocks floating by her head. "Thank you for hitting it with that rock." Twilight then gave me the biggest smile I had ever seen in my life. "That's what friends do." Twilight quickly walked up to my side. "Right." I flipped the safety on and put the gun back in my holster. "I have to ask you, James," Twilight looked up towards me while rubbing here ear, "What was that loud noise you made? I heard three similar noises that day we found you in the forest." "It is the quick expansion of gas in the barrel of the gun. It launched a small projectile out of the end of the gun." I looked up towards the sky. "It's the small projectile that will do the damage, not the noise." "That sounds complicated." Twilight looked up at the sky with me. "You should sleep over at my house tonight. It is getting dark." "No, I think I will stay out here tonight." I walked around the wreckage and up to the wing. "No!" Twilight yelled. "I won't let you do that, it's too dangerous!" Twilight followed me up to the wing. "Didn't you learn your lessen when you almost got eaten by that Timber Wolf?!" "I underestimated them and it won't happen again." I slowly lifted myself on top of the wing and laid down. "But, James..." Twilight started to walk around in circles. "You are being unreasonable." Twilight stopped and looked up towards me. "I already told you that I am staying here." I brought my arms up and folded my hands. I rested my head on my hands and looked up into the sky. "You are going to come back with me. You said it yourself." Twilight quickly thought what to say. "You should take your own advice. This is our world and you don't know it. I will respect your stuff here, but please respect my advice." Twilight waited for a response. "I will see you tomorrow Twilight." I took a deep breath. "I am still staying." "Alright, James." Twilight turned around and started to walk. Shortly after, she turned to look at me. "I hope you'll be safe tonight, but if you change your mind. You'll be welcome any time." Twilight then walked off into the path. I looked up to the sky and watched it slowly shift to a dark purple. The stars slowly became visible and the moon slowly rose in the sky. I found it to be a little strange; I continued to look at the stars. I was able to find a few familiar star constellations; I found Orion, Ursa major and minor. I closed my eyes while thinking about home. I quickly drifted off to sleep; imagining being in my own bed. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Chapter 5. A Night With the Moon.Chapter 5 A Night With the Moon I opened my eyes and slowly looked around. I saw a room full of computers, desks and file cabinets. It seemed I was in some kind of office, but I have never seen this place before. I walked up to the closest desk and opened a drawer; hoping to find a clue about this place. The drawer was full of files, so I quickly picked out a random file. I placed the file on the desk and opened it. Looking through the papers; I noticed they were all blank. I continued to franticly look through the papers and I quickly got angry. "What is this!?" I exclaimed while throwing the papers over the floor. "How stupid do you have to be to file blank papers?" I quickly grabbed another file from the drawer. I quickly skimmed through the papers. "Come on, why are they all blank papers?" Not satisfied in my search; I tossed the file on the ground to my right. I sat down in the chair at the same desk. I looked at the computer monitor for a few seconds. Not knowing if it would work; I looked around for the tower. I quickly found it and turned on the computer. I get up from under the desk and turned the monitor on. Surprisingly enough, the computer started to boot up. The computer quickly ran through the boot up process and came to a blue screen. I stared at the screen for a few minutes. "You have got to be kidding me," I pushed the monitor off the desk and onto the floor, "I need a damn login and password!" I quickly got up from my chair and flipped the desk over. "This is bull shit!" I yelled as I kicked the computer tower. When I was satisfied with the damage I just inflicted on the computer; I fell back into the chair. "Calm down, James. I have to calm down." I said to myself while rubbing my forehead. As I calmed down, I slowly got up from the chair and walked over to the open door. I looked down both sides of the hall way and decided to go left. As I walked down the hall, I noticed the room numbers shrinking. This was a good sign, because it meant I was getting close to an exit. Soon after, I came at a cross section in the hall. I looked around and quickly saw a green exit light. I turned left and started to follow all of the exit signs. I quickly made my way to a room that appeared to be the main lobby. As I looked around, I noticed a few strange things. Down by the door; I could see large metal detectors and a few small conveyor belts. The lobby looked to have very comfortable chairs and the main desk was huge. "This has got to be a Federal building of some kind." I walked towards the metal detectors and placed my hand over the cold steel. "Why would I ever be in a building like this?" I asked myself as I walked through the metal detector. I stopped in front of the door and looked outside. It was dark and the streets were lit up by the street lamps. I placed my hand on the door and slowly pushed it open. As the door opened, a cool breeze brushed past me. I walked out of the building and looked around. This place seemed very familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on it. I walked further down the smooth concrete path and turned around. I was shocked at what I saw. "What am I doing at the Pentagon?" I looked around at the side of the building. "I would have no reason to be here in the first place, so why?" I looked up into the dark sky. The first thing I noticed was the moon. I continued to gaze at the sky and noticed it had no stars. The moon seemed to be the only light in the sky. I quickly turned my attention to ground level as I got a strange feeling. It was like I was being watched and I couldn't help but feel that this was familiar. I slowly started to back up towards the Pentagon, but a loud Earth shattering voice stopped me. "Your dreams are filled with fear Human!" I quickly dropped to my knees as the strange voice yelled. "Tell me Human, what is it that you fear most!?" "I... Don't..." I tried gasping for breath, but the pressure from the voice was too much. "Know..." "What don't you know Human!" The voice yelled as I continued to fight for air. "Dose thy fear cometh from being in a world with no Humans!?" "What... Are you talking about..." The pressure seemed to tone down as I continued. "Who are you?" I asked while still trying to catch my breath. "Answer me Human!" The voice yelled as the ground shook. "No!" I slowly fought my way to my feet. "You answer me!" "Hold thy tongue!" The ground stopped shaking as the voice continued. "I demand to know thy intentions!" "Intentions for what?" I franticly looked around. "I have no intentions." I waited for a reply, but I got nothing for a few minutes. It seemed the conversation was over, so I quickly ran back into the Pentagon. I stopped in the middle of the lobby and rested my hands on my knees. For some reason; I was shaken up by that voice. I think that I heard that voice somewhere before, but I couldn't remember where. I closed my eyes and stood up straight. When I opened my eyes; I was shocked at what I saw. It seemed like I was magically teleported to some sort of concrete bunker. One side of the wall was stacked to the ceiling with massive servers. The room had a strange table like thing in its center and a strange pulsating white light leading to the computer servers. I slowly walked up to the table like object. As I got closer; it seemed to glow blue. I walked up to the ridge of the table and gently placed my hands on it. As I touched it; a blue light shot up and quickly retreated back into the table. I watched as the blue light started to rise slowly. Green and brown dots started to rise out of the blue light and I then knew what it was. "Wow!" I yelled while excitingly looking around the table. "This is a 3D hologram of a map. That is so awesome!" As I walked around the table. A small holographic screen pulled itself up. I slowly walked up to the screen. "I am guessing this is a control panel?" I asked myself as I tried to find out how it worked. As I fidgeted with the control panel; I looked up to see it quickly zoon out. I looked back at the panel and a list of options was pulled up. A few of the options caught my eye. I then turned on Weather, Naval Fleets, Geomagnetic Detection and Time Distortion Detection. I didn't know why, but it just felt like the right thing to do. "Now, let's see what we have off the east coast of the U.S. shall I?" I watched as hundreds of dark blue dots swarm the map. "Okay, I am guessing that is our Naval Fleets." Soon after, the hologram was moved up close to head level. Dark storm clouds seemed to form over the Bahamas. Then thin red lines started to grow out from the ocean. They started to arch over the storm clouds and fall back into the ocean. "What are the red lines?" I asked myself as I looked at the screen. I highlighted the lines and a informational box popped up on the hologram. "What is a Gravitational Time Distortion Array?" I started to look over more information on the fleets in the Atlantic. I soon found a search bar I could use to find my ship. I typed the USS George H.W. Bush on the holographic keyboard. I watched as the map automatically zoomed out. It then quickly zoomed in by New York. It seemed like my carrier was sailing off the coast of New York State. I manually zoomed out and focused back over to the Bahamas. I then noticed a dark blue dot was starting to move into the storm, so I quickly focused in on it. I selected the dot and an informational tab was pulled up on the screed. "The USS Dewey?" I continued to look at the information on the hologram. "What is a Guided Missile Destroyer doing in a storm that large?" I started to dig more into the information on the ship. "That ship underwent some major overhauling." I looked over the equipment on the list. "Gravitational Sensors, Light Sensors and all kinds of Accelerometers. Why would they need all that crap in a storm?" I continued to watch the hologram's storm progress slowly. It seemed to grow larger and larger. Then the hologram zoomed further into the storm by its self. More and more red lines started to pop up. Then a strange fog seemed to ooze out of the ocean. Soon after the Destroyer came into the picture. The Destroyer seemed to sail side by side with the wall of fog. It was keeping a good distance away, but something didn't seem right. I continued to watch the hologram change even more. So many red lines were arching out of the ocean now; it almost looked like a dome. I quickly pulled up the gravitational information and all the red lines gained a small tab. Each tab had their own unique number. By the looks of it; they swayed from seventy five to one hundred and thirty three. The worst part about the numbers; I had no idea what they meant. All of a sudden; red lights and loud buzzing noises sounded off in the room. I looked around in a panic, but nothing seemed to be wrong. I then looked back at the hologram and saw the red lines started to move and warp. It seemed like they started to form some kind of funnel that shot out of the storm. Then a small tornado like cloud followed the red lines. It seemed like the lines were giving it direction. I looked down into the hologram as something caught my eye. White mist seemed to billow up from the center of the hologram. I slowly backed away as the mist started to pour over the edge of the table. I watched the mist at a safe distance. When it seemed like the mist stopped pouring over the edge; I slowly approached. "Stay away from the mist Human." A calm, gentle and familiar voice said. "Heed thy warnings this time and stay away." "Who are you?" I asked while slowly backing away from the mist. "Why are you telling me this?" "Believe me Human." The voice said before fading. "Believe." "Why are you avoiding my question?" I looked around the room, but I got no answer. I then turned my attention to the mist. It was once again taking the form of humans. It wasn't a surprise when five human figures took form around the holograph table. I watched as one of them started to mess around with the control panel. I knew what was coming next, so I stood and waited for the voices. "Are the preparations ready?" A deep voice echoed in the room. "We don't know how many times this vortex opens, so we need this done right the first time." "The USS Dewey is in position just outside of the fog. They are awaiting orders." A female voice said. "So what are we talking about my dangerous misty friends?" I asked while walking over the clear side of the table. I then watched the hologram. "The vortex seemed to had formed, but it is weak. We are receiving a faint signal from that pilot we sent in." The deep voice said. "What!" I yelled as I turned my attention to the misty figures. "So this wasn't an accident! Why would you do such a thing!?" "So by these reading; that pilot is probably dead. Was it quick?" The female voice asked. "The pull of gravity was equal to ten earths. I have no doubt his death would have been quick." I watched as the mist pointed to the red lines on the hologram. "We sent him under the vortex around the time gravity was pulling upward. We also have confirmation that his Hornet was severely damaged." "I just hope this was worth it." The female voice said. "Do we have the team picked out to stabilize the portal?" "We do; we have three of the best killers we could find." The deep voice sounded like he was chuckling. "They will establish the sensors we need on this new world." "How will we get them there in one piece?" The female voice asked. "If that pilot died; what will stop the mercenaries from dying?" "We are retrofitting a top secret bomber. It was made to handle forces like you see here." The deep voice said as the misty figure at the control pointed at the hologram. "So what is the opposition like?" The female voice asked. "This brave new world is completely void of intelligent life." The hologram quickly sunk into the table and charts quickly replaced it. "We have no R.F. Radiation hits." I watched as the mist walked away from the control panel. "That is amazing!" The female voice exclaimed as one of the misty figures leaned over the table. "The atmosphere is perfect for human life." A large gust of wind blew in the room and the mist vanished as quickly as they appeared. I turned around and sat on the edge of the table. "I can't believe this. Why would they do this to me?" I closed my eyes and relaxed. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at the night sky. I saw some kind of faint white aurora shimmering above me. I looked further up and saw a full moon. I then noticed a warm feeling all over my body. I looked down and noticed I had a blanket. "Another odd dream." I said while rubbing my forehead. I threw the blanket down and got up to my feet. I looked around, but I didn't see anyone. I then saw a small paper mixed in with the blanket. I walked over to the letter and picked it up to read. Dear James, I know you aren't use to things here, but I hope you are safe while you read this. I have to be honest with you. I was thinking about forcing you to stay with me tonight, but I quickly realized that is not the right way to get your trust. I am truly sorry about all of the misunderstandings we had and I hope you understand. I am hoping you read this before it is too late, but I remembered I forgot to tell you where I live. If you walk back into Ponyville. You can follow the path down the main street. I live in a large tree. Just follow the main street and you can't miss it. I hope that you will reconsider and sleep over with me. Twilight Sparkle. "Thanks for the blanket, Twilight," I folded the paper and put it in my pocket, "But I am just fine out here." I looked around the clearing. I quickly noticed it was very quiet. It was very unusual for any forest. I quickly hopped down off the wing of my Hornet and crouched down underneath it. I grabbed my gun out of its holster and pulled the hammer back. I looked to see if I had a round chambered. When I was satisfied; I got out from under the wing and pointed my gun forward. I slowly walked around and scanned my surroundings. I quickly stopped when I heard something moving in the bushes. I quickly got on one knee and took careful aim in the direction of the noise. I quickly relaxed; I didn't want to make the stupid mistake I did last time. With my panic under control; I patiently waited. Soon I saw three shadows walking in the bushes. I gently placed my finger over the trigger. With the hammer already back; I knew it wouldn't take much to place my round where I wanted it. The shadows slowly breached the tree line and became visible in the moonlight. I saw a large blue horse with wings and a horn. Its mane and tail seemed to sparkle like the stars in a deep blue color. It was escorted by two dark grey ponies with some kind of strange armor on. Both of their tails were a dark purple and they both had some kind of bat like wings. "Stay where you are, or all three of you will be dead before you hit the ground." I said while steadying my aim. "You dare threaten a princess with death when she was kind enough to watch over you!?" One of the dark grey ponies yelled as he stood in front of the larger horse. "That means nothing to me." I watched as all three of them stopped. "What are you doing here?" I watched as one of the dark grey ponies started to talk to the larger one. "Let us go Princess." The dark grey pony glared at me. "This... Thing doesn't seem to want our help." "Thing?" I stood up and kept my aim towards them. "Big talk for a freak of nature. At least the tall one you're talking to looks normal. What happened; your mother was a pony and your father a bat?" I asked while trying not to laugh. "What did you say to me monkey!" The pony yelled while walking towards me slowly. "Monkey?" I chuckled while aiming at the advancing pony. "Come on Mr. Ed. I am a little tall for a monkey. You want to guess again?" "An ape then?" He smirked while slowly advancing. "An ape?" I smiled. "I'm not that hairy. Try again." "Enough!" The large horse yelled in an Earth shattering voice. "I recognize that voice!" I yelled as I aimed at the large horse. "Who are you!" I demanded. "You may call me, Luna." She looked down at the pony in front of her and nodded. "May I get your name?" "No you may not. You are going to answer my questions." The dark grey pony quickly interrupted me. "How dare you make demands to a princess!" "He does not know these lands." Luna said to the dark grey pony. "It is fine." "How were you in my dreams?" I asked while keeping my aim on Luna. "The night is my domain. Tis my duty to make sure everypony's dreams are good." Luna smiled at me. "How much to you know?" I asked "Everything." Luna quickly replied. "I was watching you the moment you slept in this world." "So why wait until now to show yourself?" I asked. "Why would you wait so long?" "You have a dark magic building inside of you." Luna started to slowly walk towards me. "I didn't know if this magic was part of you until now. I saw you multiple times; rejecting the magic." I quickly interrupted. "What magic?" I asked while lowering my gun. "I honestly have no idea what you are talking about." I put my gun back in my holster. "The mist in your dreams." Luna slowly sat down in front of me and gently tapped my chest with her hoof. "The mist followed you to this world and is now resting inside you, building and maturing." "Please don't touch me." I took a couple steps back. "As you wish." Luna smiled. "Tell me something," I crossed my arms and looked Luna in the eyes, "Why do I feel like I can trust you?" "Well..." Luna tilted her head and smiled. "Maybe it's because I understand you." "You never met me before." I said in a slightly irritated voice. "What do you know about me?" "I am able to look into your memories while you sleep." I quickly cut Luna off. "What did you see!?" I yelled. "Don't you dare raise your voice at the princess again!" Both dark ponies rushed in front of Luna. "Shut up!" I yelled while quickly pulling my gun out. I grasped it with both hands and kept it pointed at the ground. "Stay out of this, it has nothing to do with you." I looked at both of the dark grey ponies. "Please, let us speak." Luna said while gently pushing the dark grey ponies aside. "As you wish princess." Both ponies said while walking beside Luna. "Now, please calm down Human." Luna said with a smile. "Please call me James." I put my gun back in my holster. "As you wish, James." Luna looked up into the sky. "So," I took a deep breath and calmed down, "Will you tell me what you saw." "I saw memories of you when you were a child. Now that I think of it; you had that same object you were pointing at me." Luna looked at me and cocked her head. "What is that strange object any way?" "You looked into my memories and you don't know what a gun is?" I said in an extremely irritated tone. "When I looked into your memories," Luna frowned and looked at the ground, "I also feel the emotions. I stopped looking into that memory when I was overwhelmed with emotion." Luna looked me in the eye. "I felt fear, betrayal and death. I quickly realized that it was a very personal moment for you, so I cut the memory short." "I suppose I should thank you for that," I turned around and walked towards my wrecked Hornet, "That was a very personal moment in my life." I pulled myself up onto the wing and sat down on the edge. "I would like it if you stay out of my memories from now on." "You have my word," Luna got up and walked closer to me, "If you need to talk about something. I will be here to listen." Luna sat down in front of me and smiled. "Can I get your opinion on some of my dreams? It would be nice for a second opinion." I looked up into the night sky. "Sure, I would be happy to." Luna sounded pleased to be talking with me. "My dream when I was back on the carrier." I looked Luna in the eye. "When I was radioing back and they were ignoring me. When I found that out; I wanted nothing more than to go back and kill every one of those mother fuckers, but now. This last dream tells me I am mad at the wrong people." I closed my eyes and tried not to cry. "The people on the carrier saved me." "It means leaving no witnesses." I looked at Luna's confused expression. "It's so no one can tell the truth of a story. It allows a lot of room for interpretation." "So you are telling me they will lie about what might happen." Luna put her hoof to her chin. "I don't know, but I don't think it will be good." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Why?" I asked myself. "Why what?" Luna asked. "Nothing, just talking to myself." I opened my eyes and looked at the ground. I then looked at Luna. "The real question is when will they get here." "What are you thinking about doing?" Luna asked with a worried look. "They are my only ticket home. The rest will be play by ear." I jumped off the edge of the wing and walked towards the front of the Hornet. "I don't belong here. I have no purpose." "Everypony has a purpose; even you, James." Luna said while walking over to me. "I can't say I agree with you Luna." I started to laugh as I remembered today's events. "I got in a fight with three wolves made out of wood." I pointed to the rear of the Hornet. "How does that even work?" I put my hands in my pockets. "You are okay, so does it matter?" Luna asked as she sat next to me. "None of this will mean anything when I leave." I started to chuckle. "When I get home; I am going to have to sign up in the closest insane asylum." "What do you mean, James?" Luna asked in a confused tone. "Nothing," I started to laugh again, "It was a joke." "I'm sorry, but I don't understand how that is funny. Can you explain?" Luna asked. "I don't think I can." I looked down at the ground and saw a large shine object sticking out. I bent down and picked it up. "What is that?" Luna asked while pointing her hoof. "This," I cleaned the dirt off the brass object, "Is a bullet for my Hornet." I turned it around and showed Luna. "It is too damaged to use. Its bent in the middle." "Why is it so big?" Luna asked while looking at the bullet in my hand. "It just is." I tossed the bullet at the ground. "Why don't you tell me about this dark magic mist thing." "Well," Luna looked over at me, "I recall memories of a wall of white mist before you came here." I interrupted Luna. "The wall of fog?" I asked. "Yes," Luna smiled, "That's it. It was some sort of foul magic on your planet. I can't tell you much for I don't know much about your planet. I can tell you that this magic has found its way inside you." Luna pointed at my stomach. "I believe the stuff you called smoke, was also this dark magic." "The smoke in my cockpit?" I asked. "Is that how it got inside me?" "I don't know, but I know it is building inside of you and I have no idea why." Luna turned and looked at the two dark gray ponies. "Can you stop it?" I asked "I know nothing of the magic on your world. I am sorry, but I don't think I can help you." Luna said in a disappointed tone. "Is it hurting me in any way?" I waited for Luna to respond. "Not that I can tell." Luna smiled. "Is something wrong, Luna?" I looked at her as she looked around. "It is not safe out here at night." Luna looked up at me. "Do you have a place you could stay for the night?" Luna asked with a smile. "I don't understand; I was fine until now." I raised an eyebrow at Luna. "Why can't I stay here?" "You were fine only because I was protecting you." Luna smiled. "I can't stay here with you all night to protect you." "Twilight left me a note." I reached into my pocket and retrieved the paper. "She wanted me to sleep over at her place. I guess I could sleep over with her for the night." "Twilight Sparkle?" Luna smiled at me. "That would be wonderful. My guards and I well escort you out of the forest just to be safe." "Fair enough." I turned around and jumped up onto the wing of my Hornet. "Hold on a second." "Sure thing." Luna smiled and got up. I picked up the blanket Twilight left for me. I started to fold it while I looked around for anything lurking in the bushes. I set the blanket down when I finished. I then slowly made my way to what was left of the cockpit. I gave it a quick look-over to see if I could bring anything with me that might help. Finding nothing in my search; I climbed off of the wreckage and grabbed the blanket. "Alright," I quickly took the lead and started to walk towards the small path, "Let's get going." "Stop." The dark grey pony said while blocking my path. "I will lead and you follow." "Alright chief, you lead." I raised an eyebrow at the guard. One guard took the lead. Luna quickly trotted to my side and the other guard followed behind us. We walked down the path as I kept quiet. To be honest; I had no idea what to talk about. I got all the information I needed and I wouldn't think Luna knew how I could get home. I managed to get a hunch from my dreams and it worried me greatly. When I saw that faint white aurora in the sky; I could only think about how I got here. I flew to this place in my Hornet and they are prepping some sort of bomber. The only way to get here is by flying and the last plane didn't land in one piece. "What are you thinking about, James?" Luna asked with a smile. "Just thinking about home." I put my hands in my pocket and smiled at Luna. "Try not to think about it too much. It would be bad if you lost sleep over it." Luna looked forward and continued to walk. "It looks like we are coming up on the edge of the forest." We quickly cleared the tree line and stopped on the dirt road. "Do you know how to get to Twilight's house?" Luna asked with a pleased look on her face. "Yeah, she left me directions." I snagged the paper out of my pocket and held it up to Luna. "Then this is where we part ways." Luna smiled and spread her wings out wide. "I believe we will be seeing a lot more of each other in the coming future." "No offence, but I hope we don't." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I just want to get home." "Then I wish you the best of Luck, James." Luna smiled and turned around. She then glanced back for a few seconds. "If you ever need help in a dream; you can call out for me and I will be there for you." Luna quickly jumped up and flew off with her two guards close behind. I watched them as they flew off from the edge of the forest. As Luna flew further away; I could hear strange noises from the forest. It was like the forest just woke up. I decided I spent enough time standing here, so I turned around and started walking towards the town. I quickly found a large dirt pathway, so I followed it. I could see a large round building off in the distance, so I decided to see what it was. As I walked up to the large building; I looked at the paper that Twilight gave me. "I am guessing that this would be a main street." I looked over the paper while scratching my head. "So I am looking for a large tree." I looked around and saw a yellow pony with an orange mane and tail. It looked like it has some kind of apron on. It has some kind of bag in its mouth. "Excuse me!" I yelled while jogging up to it. "Excuse me, but can you help me?" I stopped a few feet away from it to give me a little distance. It then put the bag down on the ground. "What can I help you with?" He asked while smiling. "Yeah... I am looking for Twilight Sparkle's house." I held the paper up. "By any chance, do you know where it is?" "I sure do, just follow this street and it will bring you to her doorstep." He pointed with his hoof with a smile. "Thanks." I waved my hand as a walked off. As I walked towards this large tree; I couldn't help but laugh. I just couldn't believe my eyes. This large tree had a door and windows on it. It looked to be two or three stories high. It has two balconies and what seemed to be a telescope mounted on the top balcony. I walked up and stood in front of the door. I looked at the light in the window and could hear someone pacing around. I slowly brought my hand up and knocked on the door. I could hear someone run up to the door. The door quickly swung open and I saw Twilight looking up at me. "I was worried about you!" Twilight yelled. "Why didn't you come sooner?" "To be honest; I wouldn't have come at all, but Luna can be very persuasive." I showed Twilight her letter and blanket. "I got your letter and I am returning your blanket." "Luna?" Twilight looked surprised. "It doesn't matter now. You are here and safe." Twilight smiled and quickly ran outside. Twilight then started to push me inside. "Let's get going inside." "You don't have to push." I quickly got inside to get away from Twilight. I looked around as I stood in the middle of the room. "This looks more like a Library than a house." "It is a library; Princess Celestia is having me stay here while I'm in Ponyville." I watched as Twilight walked over to some stairs. Twilight then stopped and looked at me. "Your bed is up here, follow me." Twilight smiled as I followed. "I guess you weren't kidding when you said you like to read." I chuckled a little. "You must have read all of these books twice already." "Close," Twilight turned and smiled while walking up the stairs, "I read them all four times already." "I was joking about that, but whatever makes you happy." I got to the top of the stairs with Twilight. I then noticed something on her rear leg. "Hey, Twilight; can I ask you something?" "Sure." Twilight said with a smile. "What is it?" "That mark on your leg," I pointed at the strange mark, "What is it?" "This?" Twilight turned to show me. "This is my cutie mark. We get them when we find out what our special talent is." Twilights eyes then got wide. "Do you have your cutie mark?" Twilight asked with a smile. "No," I laughed, "Humans don't get cutie marks." "Why not?" Twilight asked with a confused look on her face. "I don't know." I said while I shrugged my shoulders. "So what's your special talent?" "Magic." Twilight quickly replied with pride. "Do you have a special talent?" Twilight looked at me wide eyed again. "I guess it would be flying." I held up the blanket I had on my arm. "So where do you want this?" "Oh!" Twilight pointed her hoof at a bed opposite of the one she was next to. "That's your bed." Twilight smiled. "Thanks." I walked over to the bed with the pink blanket and sat down. I noticed Twilight watching me from the corner of my eye. I turned to look at her. "Is something wrong?" "Nope," Twilight smiled, "Nothing is wrong." "Alright, if you say so." I took my gun out of its holster and put it on the shelf behind the bed. I then started to take my shirt off. I got my shirt off about half way before twilight started to get excited for some reason. "What is it?" "I thought you said you don't get cutie marks!" Twilight rushed over and touched my upper right arm with her hoof. "That looks like a cutie mark to me." Twilight said with a big smile. "It's a tattoo, not a cutie mark." I took my shirt off the rest of the way as Twilight moved her hoof. "I was roped into getting it by my friends on the carrier." I balled my shirt up and put it on the floor next to the bed. "What does it mean?" Twilight leaned in to get a closer look. "It's just a thing us pilots get, so please don't worry about it." I bent down and started to take my boots off. "What's that right there?" Twilight poked my ribs with her hoof and made me jump. "You don't have to poke me so hard..." I sat up straight and lifted my right arm over my head. I looked at my ribs and I quickly remembered. "It's a scar." "How did you get it?" Twilight asked while raising her eyebrow. "It's something I don't want to talk about." I bent back down to finish off my boots. "Oh," Twilight's ears went down and she slowly walked back to her bed, "Why don't you want to talk about it?" "It's part of my life I don't ever want to remember." I took my boots off and placed them by my shirt. I then bring my hand up to rub my scar. "It is a very sensitive subject for me, so please don't ever ask about it again." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." Twilight's ears went down as she looked at the floor. "Don't worry about it, you didn't know." I scooted back in the middle of the bed and laid down. I then looked down and saw Twilight making her way into her bed. "Well," Twilight's horn glowed and the lights turned off, "Good night, James." "Yep," I rested my head and folded my hands over my stomach, "Good night, Twilight." I relaxed and stared at the ceiling for a while. I then remembered I forgot something at the hospital. "Damn it..." I whispered while I sat up in the bed. "Forget it, I will deal with it tomorrow." I laid back in the bed and slowly drifted off to sleep. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Chapter 6. Failed Attempts of Seclusion.Chapter 6 Attempts of Seclusion I found myself waking up in a familiar room. While I sat up in my bed; I saw Twilight sleeping in her bed across the room. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and turned my head to look out the window. The sun must have been coming up. The sky was a dark blue morphing into a deep shade of purple. The few clouds I could see glowed with a reddish hue. They all seemed to have a beautiful golden outline that shifted to a baby blue. I could only say it was the most beautiful sky that I have ever seen in my life. Even though it was only a small piece of the sky. I moved myself to the edge of the bed and grabbed my shirt. I put my shirt on and grabbed my boots. While I put my boots on; the sky got my attention again. It seemed strange that I felt comfortable just by looking at a small piece of sky through a window. I grabbed my gun and quietly placed it into its holster. I carefully navigated myself to the stairs in the dark room and quietly made my way to the door. I opened the door and stepped outside; closing the door quietly behind me. I stood outside the door for a few minutes, just admiring my surroundings. A cool summer like breeze brushing past my skin, clean crisp air and the sound of birds chirping. It would have been the perfect place to live. Only if I was here on my own free will, but I had places to be. I walked down the empty streets. As I looked around; I noticed the rebuild of the town is coming along well. Most of the small damage has already been repaired. I then stopped in front of the house I was at last night. It was too dark last night to see, but I was impressed at the building. It looked like a ginger bread house I would have made when I was a kid. "Well," I chuckled a little, "What other kind of surprises will this place have?" I turned and continued down my path to the hospital. As I walked down the dirt road. I saw a orange pony with a blond main and tail. It seemed it was pulling a cart full of apples. It was watching me, as I was watching it come closer. I glanced over at it when we passed and saw it had three red apples as its cutie mark. I continued down the path, but something in the sky got my attention. I quickly stopped and looked around the sky. I quickly found what looked to be a flying pony. It seemed to have a problem with the clouds, because it was flying into them at an incredible speed. I looked closer and noticed its tail seemed to be like a rainbow. "What was that mythological horse called..." I snapped my finger to try and remember. "Come on, think; Greek mythology." I suddenly remembered. "A Pegasus! I think that's what they are called." When I was satisfied on my conclusion. I continued down my path to the hospital. As I made my way to the front of the Hospital; I could only hope it was open. I pushed the door open and walked into the lobby. As I walked up to the large desk; I looked around, but couldn't find anyone. "Hello, is anyone here?" I asked while looking around the room. "James?" I jumped as I heard a familiar voice. "Don't scare me like that Nurse Redheart..." I turned to face her. "I forgot something here and I was wandering if you knew where it was." "What was it?" She asked while walking closer to me. "My flight suit. It covered my clothes." I watched her carefully as she approached. "That part of your clothing was torn to shreds. I decided to throw it away." Nurse Redheart cocked her head. "I hope that was alright with you." "Yeah..." I let out a big sigh. "Its fine." I turned around and made my way to the door until Nurse Redheart stopped me. "Wait, James." Nurse Redheart walked up behind me. "Are you doing better today? I was a little worried about you yesterday." "Yeah, I am fine." I opened the door and looked back at the nurse. "I have a lot to do today, so I have to go. I will see you later." "Okay, James. Stay safe." Nurse Redheart said as I walked out of the hospital. I followed a familiar path and I quickly knew where to go. I followed a path down to a small bridge. I went down to the small stream before crossing the small bridge. I got down on my knees and washed my face in the stream. When I finished, I cupped my hands and took a drink of the ice cold water. I got back to my feet and crossed the bridge. Making my way to the tree line; I found a small path into the forest. Quickly noticing that it was the path I needed. I quickly vanished into the forest. As I walked down the small dirt path; I kept an eye out for anything that might be able to harm me. Luckily my walk was uninterrupted. As I walked up to what was left of my Hornet; the smell of jet fuel was now long gone. I grabbed the edge of the wing and used it to help me up. I carefully walked towards the cockpit. I looked around in the cockpit as I stood over it. There was not much I could have used, but I knew I could use that black box hidden behind the rear panel. I quickly jumped down off the Hornet and scanned the ground for anything I could use. As I looked around; I quickly found a small piece of metal I might be able to wedge in-between the rear panel. I grabbed it and quickly climbed my way back up into the cockpit. As I positioned the metal slab in the crack. I wiggled it further in and started to slowly pry it open. The panel slowly pealed back and revealed the black box. I put my foot on top of the panel and pushed it down as hard as I could. It was a slow process, but the panel eventually bent down to the floor. I grabbed the black box. It was loose, but I couldn't remove it without force. I propped myself up with my hands and gave the black box a few good kicks. The already damaged bolt that held it in place broke and the box was free. I picked up the black box and tossed it on the ground. I slowly climbed out of the cockpit and gently lowered myself to the ground. I walked over to the black box, but I stopped when something caught my eye. I looked up and quickly found that blue Pegasus I saw this morning. I watched as it flew down into the clearing and landed a few feet away from me. "I am guessing you are the Pegasus that had a problem with the clouds this morning?" I asked as I picked up the black box. "Sure am," She puffed out her chest, "The name is Rainbow Dash." "Well good morning Rainbow Dash. Forgive me if I don't," I gave her a quick look over, "Shake your hoof, but I am rather busy." I walked to the rear of the Hornet and placed the black box next to the Sidewinder. "That's alright, James." Rainbow Dash smiled. "You know that Twilight is looking for you?" "I didn't, but I assume that Twilight told you my name." I walked towards the front of the Hornet. "That's right, she told us a lot about you." Rainbow Dash said as she followed close behind me. "She told me you flew on a fireball. Is that true?" Rainbow Dash asked in an excited tone. "I guess that is partly true." I bent down to pick up all the 20 Millimeter rounds I could find. "I flew in on this hunk of metal." I pointed at the wreckage with a bullet in my hand. "It might not look it, but it use to be able to fly." "I actually imagine you to have wings." Rainbow Dash put her hoof to her chin. "Maybe like a Phoenix." "A Phoenix?" I asked in a confused tone. "You sure have it all here don't you?" "What do you mean, James?" Rainbow Dash asked as she cocked her head. "You have a lot of mythological creatures here." I said as I walked to the rear of the Hornet with the ammunition. "I assure you, James." Rainbow Dash started to follow me. "They are real." Rainbow Dash smiled at me. "Maybe." I piled the ammo next to the black box. "It's something I have to see to believe." I stood up straight and looked at Rainbow Dash. "Did you need something? Because I am very busy." "That's right!" Rainbow Dash quickly brought her wings up. "Twilight wanted to know where you are." Rainbow Dash quickly jumped in the air and flew off. "Wait!" I yelled but it was too late. "Damn it... Oh well..." I turned around and continued to work. I carefully got back up onto the wing and made my way back into the cockpit. I picked up the same piece of metal. Carefully wedging the metal between the broken glass and the control consol. I pushed up has hard as I could. A few minutes of fighting with the panel. It finally gave me enough room to use my hands. I tossed the metal on the ground and grabbed the dash panel with both hands. With all my strength, I pulled the panel. A few seconds later, the panel started to make cracking noises. Shortly after the noises; the panel broke off. I carefully placed the dash on the floorboards and looked at all the wiring. I unplugged all the wires from the harness. I carefully picked up the dash and placed it behind the cockpit. I hopped out of the cockpit and grabbed the dash. I jumped onto the ground and walked over to the rear of the Hornet. I placed the dash against the missile. While I stood by the rear of the Hornet; I could hear noises in the forest. I turned and saw Twilight walking out from the path. "Why did you leave without saying anything, James?" Twilight asked while giving my an angry look. "Do I have to tell you every time I go out to do some work?" I raised an eyebrow. "Well," Twilight franticly looked around, "No; I was just worried about you." "Well, as you can see; I'm fine." I walked up in front of Twilight. "Did you need me for something?" "No." Twilight looked at me as she tilted her head. "Oh! Are you hungry?" "I don't mind it, just as long as it's not grass or flowers." I said as I rubbed the back of my neck. "Nope!" Twilight exclaimed while she smiled. Twilight sat down and looked through her bag. She then levitated an apple towards me. "Not grass or flowers." Twilight said with a smile. "Thanks, Twilight." I grabbed the apple and took a quick bite as I walked to the front of my Hornet. "Can I help you?" Twilight asked as she followed me. "I think I will be fine, Twilight." I set my apple on the grass and inspected the nose of the Hornet. "How am I suppose to get you to trust me if I never help you?" Twilight asked while sitting on the grass next to my apple. "Good question." I kicked the nose as hard as I could. The nose looked to be loose, so I decided to try and take it off. "Right now is more of a matter of listening than trust." I placed my hands under the nose and stabilized my feet. "Please let me help you." Twilight quickly stood up. "No, I am fine by myself." I used all the strength my legs would give me. I lifted up and quickly noticed the nose started to glow purple. "Twilight! I told you no..." The nose suddenly broke free of the aircraft and I fell forward onto bent metal. "Fuck!" I yelled as could as I could while grabbing my right arm. I quickly rolled over onto my back as Twilight rushed to my side. "Oh my gosh! Are you alright!?" Twilight yelled while looking over me franticly. "No I'm not alright!" I yelled as I sat up. "My fucking arm!" I moved my hand and saw a large cut on my wrist. It ran about five inches up my arm. It was protruding large amounts of blood, so I quickly put my hand back over the cut and immediately applied pressure. "We have to get you to the hospital!" Twilight yelled. "I don't have time for that. It might be too deep." I slowly stood up. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked with a worried look on her face. "I mean if I move too much I could be in a lot of trouble." I slowly walked towards the forest. "Let me help you! I can heal you with my magic!" Twilight quickly ran in front of me. "Get out of my way! I think your magic helped enough today!" I watched as Twilight quickly moved. "But I was only trying to help." Twilight said as she started to cry. "Don't worry about it." I stopped in front of the tree line and sighed. "If you want to help, I need water." "Okay, I'll try." I watched as Twilights horn started to shoot small white sparks. Then six bottles of water appeared out of thin air. "Will this help?" Twilight smiled while rubbing the tears out of her eyes. "Yes, that's fine." I looked around the trees as my hand was dripping in blood. "What are you looking for?" Twilight asked while she sat next to me. "I need the first aid on my ejection seat." I quickly spotted the seat off in the distance. I slowly and calmly made my way through the bushes to the seat. "Will it help you?" Twilight asked as she followed me in the bushes. "It will at the least buy me time." I pointed both my hands up to a small white box on my ejection seat. "Can you get that down for me." "Sure!" Twilight quickly got the box down and I grabbed it from her magical grip. "Come on, I need more light." I started to walk back into the clearing with Twilight close behind. We quickly got back into the clearing. I threw the first aid by the water and quickly got on my knees. I opened the first aid and dumped it in the grass. Quickly finding what I needed. I grabbed a bottle of water and opened it. I started to pour the water over the cut, but it was still bleeding too much. "Twilight, I need you to help pour water over the cut." I held up the bottle of water for Twilight. "Right!" Twilight quickly grasped the bottle with her magic and started to pour it on the cut. I quickly brushed the blood away with my free hand as Twilight continued to pour the water. I continued to try and see how deep the cut was, but it was bleeding too much. "Enough with the water." Twilight quickly stopped. I grabbed the disinfectant spray. I coated my arm with the spray so much; it was pouring off my arm. By now my hand started to shake. "Are you okay, James?" Twilight asked with a worried look. "Yeah, I will be fine." I grabbed a small tube of gel. I put as much as I could at the end of the cut. I quickly pushed my arm against my pants to spread the wound open. I then used my free hand and spread the gel down the length of the wound. "What is that!?" Twilight asked while moving in for a closer look. "It is called Extracellular Matrix; Veti-Gel for short." I stood up and inspected my arm. "Think of it like an organic clue." "Will you be okay now?" Twilight asked while she inspected my arm. "Yeah, but I will still need to go to the hospital. The gel is only meant to stop bleeding and help the blood clot." I brushed the extra gel off my arm. "It won't start to heal until the gel is removed." "Okay, let's get going." Twilight started to walk down the dirt path. "Right." I followed her down the path. I watched Twilight as we walked down the path. Her ears were still down, so I knew she was still sad about what happened. "Look, Twilight; that wasn't your fault." "How was it not my fault?" Twilight stopped and looked at me. "If I hadn't of use my magic, you wouldn't have gotten hurt." "Think of it like this," I walked past Twilight and she quickly followed, "I would have gotten that nose off no matter what. Your magic helped, so I didn't use all my strength. If I did, the cut would have been a lot worse than it is now." I smiled at Twilight. "I am trying to say that you helped me just by being there." "I don't get it." Twilight cocked her head as we walked. "You don't have to get it." I chuckled a little. "All that you need to know is that I am very thankful for the help you just gave me." "You're welcome!" Twilight yelled as she quickly perked up. "I think we should avoid going through town." I said to Twilight as we cleared the tree line of the forest. "Why is that, James?" Twilight stopped and looked at me. "Do you really have to ask?" I rolled my eyes and held my arms out. "I tried to keep the blood off my clothes, but I could only do so much." "Why don't you just take your clothes off?" Twilight smiled. "You can hide your clothes and we can stop by Rarity's house. I know she would just love to make you some new clothes." "I guess that might work." I said as I scratched my head. I stripped down to my boxers while being careful of my arm. I set my clothes down and got my gun out of the holster. As I flipped the safety off; I locked the hammer back and slid the action back. Ejecting the chambered round and the magazine. The gun was now safe. I picked up the round on the ground and put it back into the magazine. I then flipped the release and loaded the magazine. "I am ready when you are." I balled up my clothes and placed them under my left arm. I then grabbed my gun gently with my right hand. "Let's go, I wasted enough time here and I need to get my arm fixed." "Alright." Twilight smiled. "Let's go." Twilight started to walk in the direction of the hospital with me close behind. We made it to the hospital as quickly as we could. Twilight rushed through the hospital doors, with me following behind her. "Doctor, we need help!" Twilight yelled at the top of her lungs. "Settle down Twilight, I have a good hour before I might start to have problems." I looked around the room for a doctor or a nurse. I then saw a light blue pony with a mint green tail and mane. "What's going on?" The light blue pony asked while walking into the room. "I need a little help," I showed her my arm, "Could I get your name before you do anything." "I am Nurse Tenderheart." She smiled at me. "Where is Dr. Stable?" I asked as I hid the cut. "He is upstairs. Would you like me to get him?" Nurse Tenderheart asked with a smile. "Please do." I replied. "Okay, can you two wait in room three?" Nurse Tenderheart turned around. "I will get the doctor." She said as she walked away. "Hurry, James!" Twilight exclaimed as she rushed into room three. "You do realize I need to keep my heart rate down, right?..." I said with irritation. I walked into the doorway of room three and saw Twilight looking at me. "Is something wrong?" "You are moving too slow. We need to get you fixed up as soon as possible." Twilights horn started to glow. "What are you doing?" I looked around and noticed my right hand started to glow. "Stop!" I yelled as loud as I could and Twilight quickly stopped. "I have to move slow, Twilight." I walked over to the bed and placed my stuff on the end. "I might not be a doctor, but I do know basic first aid. As soon as I got the Veti-Gel in the cut. I knew I would be okay for a while." "What happened, Twilight?" Dr. Stable asked as he walked in the room. "I got a bad cut on my arm." I quickly cut in before Twilight could say anything. "You mind patching it up. I have things I need to do today." "Well, let me take a look at it." Dr. Stable walked up and looked me in the eye. "Is it okay if I touch you, James?" Dr. Stable asked with a smile. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't need your help." I gave Dr. Stable a smile. "Just try to avoid stitches if you can." "I can't promise, but I'll try." Dr. Stable walked up to my arm. He inspected the cut very carefully without touching it. "What did you put in the cut? I have never seen anything like this before." "Its Veti-gel, it stops the bleeding and helps clot the blood." I watched the doctor as he continued to look at the cut. "I need to clear this Veti-gel out of the wound." Dr. Stable looked at me. "Is that alright with you, James?" "Yeah, but be careful. I think the blood had enough time to coagulate." I rested my arm against my leg. "I will do my best." Dr. Stable said as he levitated towels and some kind of cotton swabs next to him. "This might hurt a little, so be prepared for that." He levitated the towel next to the cut. Dr. Stable then brought a cotton swab up close to my cut. "It's not the pain that worries me doc." I clinched my fist as a sharp pain shot up my arm. "Ohh. What worries you then?" Dr. Stable continued to clean out the gel. "I noticed I'm the only human here. Am I wrong?" I asked as Dr. Stable changed cotton swabs. "You are, but what does that have to do with anything?" Dr. Stable gently brushed my cut with the towel. "I have serious doubts of adequate medical treatment for me." Dr. Stable quickly looked up at me. "Don't get me wrong. I'm sure you're a good doctor, but are you good for treating humans?" "I see your point." Dr. Stable turned his attention back to my cut and continued to clean it. "I think it's safe to assume that basic treatment like this would be universal." "Maybe," I laughed a little, "I guess we are going to have to see." "I hope you aren't going to hurt yourself." Dr. Stable levitated a glass bottle with some clear liquid inside it. "It would be very stupid to do such a thing." Dr. Stable dipped a swab into the liquid and started to apply it to the cut. "I'm not going to be doing anything stupid like that." I glanced over at Twilight to see if she was okay. "I don't think that this will be the last time we will cross paths. Am I right, Twilight?" "I hope not." Twilight said as she moved in for a closer look. "So how will he be Dr. Stable?" Twilight asked with a worried expression. "It doesn't look like it went deep enough to damage anything important." Dr. Stable wiped away the liquid he applied. "The bleeding has completely stopped. Its small enough to avoid stitches, but you will need to be careful." Dr. Stable levitated another bottle of clear liquid and a box that appeared to contain Band-Aids. "I need you to make sure our friend doesn't do anything stressful, Twilight." Dr. Stable then levitated some butterfly Band-Aids out of the box and gently applied them. "Can you do that for me, Twilight?" "You can count on me." Twilight gave Dr. Stable a big smile and turned to me. "You hear that, James. Nothing stressful." "I have stuff to do, Twilight." I rubbed my forehead with my free hand. "It needs to get done today with no exceptions." I turned back to see Dr. Stable gently drying off my arm. "What's so important to risk your own health?" Twilight asked in a irritated tone. "I don't expect you to understand. This is more for me than anything else." I watched as Dr. Stable levitated the towel over to a small desk. "Okay, James." Dr. Stable levitated the glass bottle in front of me. "This is antiseptic. Use this to clean your cut every three hours." He then levitated the box of Band-Aids in front of me. "I think it's obvious to replace your Band-Aids when you clean, yes?" "Yes sir." I pointed my index finger up and brought it up to my forehead. I gave him a quick one finger salute. "Do you want me to wrap it up, or will it be fine as is?" "I recommend you stay out of the dirt. If it makes you feel better, you may wrap it up." Dr. Stable put his hoof to his chin. "If you wrap it, be sure to change the wrapping every hour to be on the safe side." Dr. Stable smiled and walked out of the room. "I don't want to sound rude, but can I get my new clothes now." I stood up and grabbed my things. "It is getting a little cold for me." "Sure," Twilight started to giggle, "Let's get to Rarity's boutique. She can help you with your clothes problem." Twilight walked out the door, with me close behind. "Thanks doc!" I waved my hand at Dr. Stable as we exited the hospital. "So why do you wear clothes?" Twilight asked. "To keep warm I guess." I rubbed the back of my neck. "You guess?" Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I never put any thought into it." I chuckled a little. "I just wake up and get dressed in the morning. "Can I ask you something, James?" Twilight put her ears down and looked at the ground while she walked. "Sure, what do you want to know?" I asked while watching her. "If your planet is full of evil like you said. Why would you ever want to go back?" Twilight stopped and quickly turned around to look at me. "I guess I did say that." I started to laugh. "It's not funny! Please tell me!" Twilight looked at the ground and then quickly back up to me. "Is this place so bad to want to leave?" "It's true," I rubbed my forehead with my hand, "I did say my world has a lot of evil. It was a very narrow minded view and I am sorry for saying it." I sighed and looked at the sky. "We have a lot of evil in my world. It's not hard to see in all the media." I looked Twilight in the eye. "I know the good on my planet outweighs the evil, but it is rare to hear about it." "What do you mean, James?" Twilight cocked her head. "A country named Japan had a large disaster happen to it. A lot of people died. They lost their homes and jobs." I bent down to get head level with Twilight. "The media told that part of the story, but they left out the best part. The Japanese people united and helped each other. They were like one giant family. No one looted homes, no murders, no crime at all." I gave Twilight a smile. "Even thou my planet has unspeakable evils. I have to believe that most humans mean good. What happened to the Japanese proves that." I stood back up as Twilight watched me. "Besides, I have friends I need to get back too." "I think I understand." Twilight smiled and started to walk again. "Do you have family?" "No, I was an only child. Both my mother and father died when I was small." I quickly stopped when Twilight turned around. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." Twilight said while giving me a sorry look. "Don't worry about it." I lifted my hand up to notion to walk. "No point dwelling on the past. It happened a long time ago." "Okay." Twilight turned around and continued to walk slowly. We both continued to walk into town. As we both walked into what seemed to be some kind of market place. I noticed a familiar orange pony. Twilight quickly ran off towards the orange pony. I slowly walked up to them both as they were talked. "Applejack!" Twilight let out a big smile. "This is, James." "I know that, Twi." Applejack said in a heavy southern accent while adjusted her hat. "You asked about him this morning." Applejack came out from her stand and walked up to me. "We haven't had a chance to properly meet." She held out a hoof. "My name is Applejack." "I'm, James." I looked down at her hoof. "You will have to forgive me for not shaking your hoof." I raised an eyebrow. "My good hand is busy holding my stuff and my bad hand is in pain." "I'm sorry to hear that partner. I hope you get better." Applejack smiled and turned back to Twilight. "So where ya'll heading too in such a hurry?" "We're going to Rarity's boutique. James needs some new clothes." Twilight looked at me and smiled. "Now that you mention it. He did have more clothes on." Applejack put her hoof to her chin. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Twilight, but I am getting a little cold." I quickly looked at Applejack. "I'm not trying to be rude, but if I knew where Rarity's place was. I would leave you two to talk." "I get'ya partner." Applejack walked up to my left side and nudged me with her hoof. "I won't keep ya'll here any longer." "Alrighty then; let's go, James." Twilight smiled and motioned me to follow. Twilight and I walked down the dirt road. We quickly came up to a large round building. It had blue walls and seemed to have a white pattern painted on it. The trim seemed to be done by some kind of expert carver. I looked up to the second floor and saw pony statues. I couldn't help but get a creepy feeling from that. "Your building designs are very strange here." I said as we walked up to the door. "What are buildings like in your world?" Twilight asked while knocking on the door. "Not like this..." I looked around at the building. "Coming!~" A female voice said behind the door. The door quickly opened. A white pony with a purple mane and tail now stood in front of us. She had beautiful deep blue eyes. I leaned over and saw what looked to be three diamonds as her cutie mark. "Good afternoon, Rarity." Twilight said with a smile. "Good afternoon darling." Rarity looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "So this is your friend, James you told us so much about." "He sure is." Twilight looked back and gave me a smile. "Well come in you two." Rarity smiled. I followed Twilight inside and I was shocked at what I saw. Dressed up pony manikins. It's not the clothes that shocked me, but the gems that were so skillfully woven into them. I walked up to the closest manikin and inspected the gems. "Where did you get all of these gems?" I asked while brushing my right hand over a large blue gem. "This stuff must cost a small fortune." "I find them at Rambling Rock Ridge. It's not too hard to find them." Rarity smiled. "Do you not have similar gems where you are from?" "Oh we have them, but not in these sizes." I pointed at the large sapphire like gem. "I would love to go there before I leave. I could sell an uncut gem that size for hundreds of thousands." "Uncut?" Rarity raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean dear? I find the gems like you see there." "How is that even possible?" I looked over at Rarity. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. You said you have gems where you are from." Rarity said while shuffling through her desk. "Are they different where you are from?" "I can't tell you much, but I know they aren't dug up like that." I pointed at the gems over in a large case. "Alright gem boy," Twilight walked over and poked my left arm, "We came here to get you some clothes. Not to go gem hunting." "I guess," I looked over at Rarity, "Can you help me out with some new clothes?" "Sure thing darling." Rarity quickly levitated a small tape measure next to her and walked into the middle of the room. "I don't have any money. Is that going to be alright?" I asked as I set my clothes by the door. "It's alright darling." Rarity smiled. "Now come here, so I can get your measurements." "Right." I walked into the center of the room and put my arms out to the side. "Can I ask you something, James?" Twilight asked while walking circles around Rarity and I. "Ask away." I said while Rarity started to take measurements. "For you wanting to go home so bad." Twilight stopped in front of me and looked me in the eye. "You don't seem to be doing anything to try to get home. Why is that?" "Because I came here by flying." I tried to scratch my head, but Rarity quickly stopped me. "Out straight!" Rarity exclaimed as I quickly put my arm back out. "I think I need to fly back, so I am doing the only thing that feels right." I looked at Twilight. "Does that answer your question?" "No, can you explained?" Twilight cocked her head. "Okay..." I thought about it for a few seconds. "Have you ever had a dream where you were running from something. No matter how fast you ran, you just couldn't get any distance from the thing you ran from?" "I can't say I have." Twilight looked at the ground and started to draw circles with her hoof. "Think of it like this. I am stuck here with no way out. I believe I know how to leave, but I need to fly in order to do that. I have no way to fly, so..." Twilight quickly interrupted. "So you are waiting for something?" Twilight raised an eyebrow while rubbing her hoof on her chin. "Yeah, I guess I am." I watched Rarity as she started to measure my legs. "But, how do you know what you are waiting for? What if it doesn't happen?" Twilight looked up at me again. "I don't know for sure. Let's just call it a feeling." I looked down at Rarity. "Is it alright to put my arms down now?" "Sure," Rarity smiled, "I don't see why not. After all, I am done now." Rarity walked over to her desk with a small sewing machine. "That's fine." Twilight smiled. "Your clothes are ready, James." I watched as they floated towards me. "I used the same colors of your other clothes, hope you don't mind." "That's fine." I looked at them and saw they were relatively the same. I set the pants down and unfolded the grey shirt. I put it on while being mindful of my cut. "The short sleeve shirt seems to be fine." I unfolded the pants and inspected them. They had one pocket on each side and two pockets in the back. It was missing the slits for the belt, but I believed I could live without it. I put the pants on. "Thank you, Rarity. They fit perfectly." I grabbed my holstered gun and latched it on the side of my pants. "These clothes are very comfortable." I said while grabbing my wallet and lighter. "I am glad you like them" Rarity said with a smile. "I hate to take and run, but I have a lot of work to do before it gets dark." I turned to walk towards the door. "Oh that's alright, James. We can catch up later." Rarity said in a joyful tone. "Sure," I picked up my bloody clothes and stood in front of the door, "Talk to you later." I walked out the door with Twilight following close behind. I looked over towards Twilight. "I think that went better than expected." "How so?" Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow. "From what I saw in her boutique and the way she talked. I would have thought she would freak out about blood." I adjusted my old clothes under my arm. "Oh... She probably would have." Twilight ran up to my side. "Maybe she didn't see it." "Then I guess I got lucky." I noticed Twilight watching me carefully. "Is something wrong?" "Yeah, It's about what, Rarity said. Why would you want to be alone?" Twilight asked. "Well," I let out a big sigh, "You are forcing me into situations I don't want to be in." "I don't get it..." Twilight cocked her head. "Talking to you and other ponies." I watched as Twilight's ears went down. "Remember that Humans are the only talking spices on my planet. It puts me in a very odd situation." "So it's not me?" Twilight asked while looking at me with wide eyes. "Well," I laughed, "Its everything. Hell, I was attacked by wooden animals. You could never find anything like that on my planet." "Well it's a relief knowing you don't hate me." Twilight smiled. "So, are we going back into the forest?" "Yeah, I don't have much left to do." I gave Twilight a smile. "What do we have to do?" Twilight asked in an excited tone. "Well," I scratched the top of my head, "We need to take the radar out of the front of my Hornet. That will give us access to the Vulcan behind it." "What is a Vulcan?" Twilight asked in a confused tone. "The M61 Vulcan is a Gatling gun. It is mounted on the inside, just behind the radar." I pulled my gun out of the holster with the barrel pointed at the ground. I took the clip out and put it into my pocket. Gently sliding the action back; I made sure the chamber was empty. "The Vulcan is like this, but a lot bigger and heavier." I held the gun up for Twilight. "Don't let the barrel point at anything but the ground." I pointed at the end of the barrel. "So what will you do with your Vulcan?" Twilight asked while levitating the gun out of my hand. "Nothing," I started to laugh, "I know for a fact that it's way too damaged for anything. Besides, it's way too heavy for me to maneuver if it was recoverable." "How heavy is it?" Twilight asked as she magically slid the action back and locked it. "It's almost 250 pounds, unloaded." I chuckled a little. "It would be more if the belt was loaded, but I found ammunition all over the ground." I watched at Twilight brought the gun up to her nose and started to smell it. "Remember to keep the barrel pointed at the ground." "It is," Twilight gave me a smile, "What is this odd smell?" "Gun powder, lubricant; take your pick." We crossed the bridge and started to make our way into the forest. "Can I get my gun back now?" I held out my hand. "Yeah." Twilight levitated the gun into my hand. "Wait, what does it say on the side?" Twilight got in front of me and made me stop. "What?" I released the action and retrieved my clip. "Oh, don't worry about it. It was something my father had engraved into it." "That's not what I asked." Twilight stood her ground and waited for an answer. "It's a quote from a man in my planets history. It says (I am the punishment of god, and if you had not committed great sins. God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.)" I slid the clip into the gun and holstered it. "That was said by Genghis Khan. He was one of a few people who tried to take over my world." "That sounds very interesting. Could you tell me more?" Twilight said while walking back to my side. "No, I am not good with history." I continued to walk into the forest. "That's okay, James." Twilight looked up towards me. "So, is the Vulcan the only thing we need to do?" Twilight asked with a smile. "No, I need to dismantle the warhead on my missile." Twilight quickly cut in. "We," Twilight looked up at me, "We need to..." Twilight waited for me to finish off her sentence. "I need to disable the warhead..." I looked at her and raised my eyebrow. "Don't fight me on this. I am letting you help me a little, so be patient." "Why won't you let me help anymore?" Twilight asked as we cleared the tree line; into the clearing. "Think of the most dangerous thing you have ever done in your life." We both stopped and I looked at her. "Do you have it?" "Yes." Twilight said in a confused tone. "Now multiply that by a hundred." I pointed at the missile. "That's what it is like playing around one of those." I started to walk towards the front of my Hornet with Twilight close behind. "I know I asked this question a lot, but why if it's so dangerous?" Twilight asked as we stopped in front of the Hornet. "Because I might be able to use that Warhead down the road." I folded my arm like it would be as if it was in a sling. I got on my knees and tossed my old clothes to the side. I then gently placed the antiseptic on the clothes with the Band-Aids. "Everything in this Hornet has some kind of use for me. It's just a matter of finding the use." "So what use does a broken Vulcan give you?" Twilight sat down next to me and watched. "It's not the Vulcan that has a use, but the ammunition." I looked inside the nose to see how to remove the small radar dish. "I might need you to climb in here to help me out. I can't do this with my arm like it is. Is that alright with you?" I asked as my voice echoed in the small metal shell. "I would be happy to!" Twilight quickly replied. "Alright," I got out from the nose of the Hornet, "This will be the easy part." I reached my left hand into the nose and gripped the bottom of the radar. I quickly pulled back as hard as I could and we heard a loud snapping noise. "You see, easy." I pulled the small dish out and tossed it to the side. "Now it's your turn." "I'm ready!" Twilight exclaimed in an excited tone. "No, you're not ready yet." I inspected the edges for any sharp parts of metal. "When you are inside. You will be looking for any kind of heavy duty bolts. They should be big and easily noticed." I looked over at Twilight and judged if she could fit inside. "It looks like you can fit, but you are going to need my help out here." "How so?" Twilight asked. "Your legs need to be sticking out. Before you release the last bolt. You will yell out and I will pull you back." I stood up and stepped aside. "I am guessing you can use your magic to undo the bolts?" "Yeah, but why not undo the bolts and hold the Vulcan up with my magic?" Twilight asked as she raised an eyebrow. "You can do that?" I asked in a confused tone. "Of course I can." Twilight said with a smile. "Okay," I pointed my left hand towards the nose, "I will let you do your thing." "I won't let you down." Twilight said with a big smile. "Just be safe. Don't worry about damaging anything." I watched as Twilight walked up to the hole. "When you get it off the bolts. Scoot out and I will get the Vulcan out." "Alright." Twilight gave me a smile before scooting her way into the Hornet. I looked over to where I left my apple. I walked over to it and picked it up. As I brushed off the apple; I watched Twilight closely. It seemed everything was going smoothly for Twilight, so I decided to get the missile finished. I walked to the rear of the Hornet. I looked at the missile as I finished my apple. When I finished the apple. I walked over to the missile and slowly moved it off the tail wing. I slowly dragged the missile about five feet away from the wreckage and gently set it down on the grass. "When I get back home," I said to myself, "I am going to talk to someone about this bullshit." I looked at the missile for a few seconds. "Why the hell so they need to make a missile about nine feet in length." I rubbed my forehead. I then heard a loud banging noise in the front of the Hornet. It was followed by a lot of smaller pinging noises. "You have got to be kidding me..." I looked over at the front of the Hornet. "Twilight! Everything okay!?" I yelled and waited for a response. Not getting an answer, I walked towards the front of the Hornet. "Twilight!" I yelled as I cleared the front of the wreckage. I saw Twilight trying to scoot her way out, so I grabbed her hoof and slowly pulled her out. "Thanks, James." Twilight looked up at me and sat down. "It is hard getting out of that thing." Twilight gave me a big smile. "Why didn't you answer me?" I asked. "I'm sorry, James. I couldn't hear you inside this thing." Twilight cocked her head. "It's okay," I got down on my knees and looked inside the nose, "As long as you are not hurt." "Nope, I am fine." Twilight said in a pleased tone. "Good," I reached in the nose and grabbed one of the barrels of the Vulcan, "I might need your help with the missile after all." I pulled the Vulcan out as bullets fell out of the belt. The Vulcan dropped into the dirt and I gave it a quick look over. "Well it's not as damaged as I thought." "So can you use it?" Twilight asked while looking up at me. "No way..." I started to laugh. "The feeding belt is totaled. It wouldn't feed it one bullet to save my life..." I propped the Gatling gun up with the barrels pointed at the sky. I then slowly spin the barrels. "If I fired this," I watched the barrels wobble, "It might blow up on me." "How so?" Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow. "The barrels need to be straight. It is obvious," I spun the barrels and showed Twilight, "If I fired this. I would have a lot of problems." I pushed the Vulcan over and started to pick up the ammunition. "Besides, if I could use that beast. The recoil would kill my arms, not to mention the weight. I could only carry that thing twenty feet before I would need to rest." I started to pick up the loose ammunition. "Let me help." Twilight said as all the loose ammunition started to float in a purple aura. "Well," I looked on in amazement, "That's very useful." "Yep!" Twilight gave me a big smile. "Where do you want them?" "Follow me." I walked to the rear with the little ammo I had in my arms. "Right here will be fine." I dropped the ammo in the pile next to the black box. "Okay." Twilight smiled while dropping all the ammo in the pile. "You said you will need help with a missile?" "Yeah, follow me." I walked past the missile and led Twilight about fifty feet away. I then pointed at the missile. "I need you to hover that about four feet in the air. Can you do that for me?" "You can count on me." Twilight smiled as her horn started to glow. "Alright, don't let anything fall to the ground." I turned around and quickly made my way to the missile. I looked at the missile for a few seconds. I then pushed it down to make sure it wouldn't move. Seeing that is was stable; I grabbed the front fin and tried to remove the warhead. As I tried to spin the top. The entire missile started to spin. "Twilight," I looked over towards Twilight, "Don't let the missile body spin freely! I need to remove the front!" I yelled so she could hear me. "What is the body!?" Twilight asked. "I guess that was coming..." I said to myself. I then pointed at the rear tail fins. "Don't let that part spin freely!" "Okay, I got it!" Twilight yelled back. I placed my hands over the front fins again. I slowly turned it to the left. A loud clicking noise made me stop turning it. I slowly moved my hands away and inspected the warhead. When it looked to be fine. I walked in front of the missile. I gently grabbed the nose of the missile. As I continued to turn it to the left; I heard one more loud click. I then pulled the Warhead a few inches away from the main body. "Twilight," I looked over at Twilight as I held the Warhead in place, "Don't let this part move an inch!" I yelled as I moved so Twilight could see the Warhead. "Got it!" Twilight yelled back. I walked over to the side and looked in between the Warhead. Nothing more than a few wires were clamped inside. It seemed it was the only thing that would be stopping it from disconnecting. I reached in and removed the wires that were clamped to each other. "Well, I probably could have done this a lot faster." I said to myself. "It's not like it would have exploded on me." I looked over to Twilight as I grasped the Warhead. "Twilight, let this part go free!" "Okay!" Twilight yelled and the warhead was now free. "This was heavier than I thought." I tossed it up a couple of times while walking to the rear of the Hornet. "It feels around twenty pounds." I placed the Warhead next to the ammunition and walked back to the missile. "Twilight, I need you to angle the Rocket Engine upwards." "What is a Rocket Engine!?" Twilight asked. "The missile's body!" I rubbed my forehead. I then watched as the missile started to angle itself upwards. "That's good!" I grabbed the body of the missile. "Let it go! We're good now!" "Okay!" Twilight then released the missile from her magical grip. She then quickly ran up to me. "Did I do good?" "Yes, Twilight. You did perfect." I started to drag the missile's rocket engine towards the tail of the Hornet. A sudden roar echoed throughout the forest. I quickly dropped the missile and covered my ears. "What the hell is that!" I yelled to try and make my voice heard over the roaring. I looked over at Twilight and saw she was laying down on the ground, covering her head. The roaring noise lasted for almost a minute. I looked over at Twilight when it was over. "What the hell was that?..." "I think we should get out of the forest now." Twilight slowly walked up to me with her ears down. "We have already spent too much time out here." Twilight said while looking up at me. "Something tells me you know what that was." I looked around the tree line and noticed the forest went quiet. "It doesn't matter, James. We have to get out of here." Twilight got behind me and started to push. "Don't touch me..." I moved out from in front of Twilight. "That's very annoying when you do that." "It doesn't matter what is annoying to you. We have to get out of here now." Twilight started to walk towards the small dirt path. "I'm not leaving, Twilight." I said as I pushed the missile up against the tail wing. "This stuff is too important to leave." "What!" Twilight yelled and quickly ran up to me. "What is more important!? This stuff," Twilight pointed with her hoof, "Or your life!?" Twilight then poked my in the stomach. "Both..." I brushed her hoof away. "How bad could it..." I quickly stopped when I felt the ground shake. "Did you feel that?" "Come on, James!" Twilight's horn started to glow. "Don't you dare..." I pointed at Twilight. I then noticed my entire body started to glow purple. I could feel my body go weightless and I slowly lifted off the ground. "Put me down!" I yelled as loud as I could. "No time, James. We have to go!" Twilights legs started to shake. I could only guess that it's from the ground shaking. "If you don't put me down, right now!" I pulled my gun out of its holster and pulled the action back. "We are going to have a big problem." I then pointed the gun towards Twilight. "James," Twilight quickly put me down, "This isn't something you can fight. Please just trust me!" Twilight pleaded. "It's nothing like the Timber Wolves you saw." "Why won't you tell me..." I quickly stopped when I heard loud snapping noises. I turned and looked in the direction of the noises. I then saw a large purple dome like object moving around. Every time the purple object moved. The ground jolted. "What it that!?" I looked back at Twilight. "We're too late. I think it knows we are here." Twilight's ears went down and she slowly backed away. "What the hell is it!?" I yelled one last time. "An Ursa Major..." Twilight quickly ran up to me and bit my pants. "Come on we have to leave now." Twilight said while trying to pull me. I pulled back and turned around. I watched the large object move in closer. As it came closer. The ground shook more and more. "You can't run from something that big." I grabbed the back of Twilight's neck and pushed her towards my wreckage. "Hide under the wing and keep quite!" "Right." Twilight quickly ran under the wing and tucked herself up as tightly as she could. I then ran to the rear of the Hornet. I pushed the body of the missile to the ground. I crouched down behind the tail wing and waited. I then peeked around to see if I could get a good view of the creature. As it got closer, I could make out a very noticeable figure. "It's a bear?" I said to myself as quietly as I could. "Like the star constellation." I watched as it seemed to stop a few hundred yards of the clearing. "My god, that thing is fucking huge..." I tried to size it up. It seemed to be at the minimum of a hundred feet high on all four legs. I then looked at my gun. "Well this will be useless..." I looked back at the large bear and waited. The large animal just seemed to look around. It was almost like it was waiting for something. It then started to slowly advance. "Shit..." I whispered as I watched. I then looked up towards the sky. It seemed it was getting darker. "Okay, so how can I make this work?" I directly looked at the Warhead I just removed. It was out of my reach, so I would have to time it just right. I looked out towards the bear to try and judge how large it was. I quickly realized I could only guess. I watched it as it carefully moved towards the clearing. It seemed to be about a thousand feet away. It only got bigger as it came closer. I then had to decide. It was now or never. I pulled the action back on my gun to double check. The round was chambered. I quickly slid off the wreckage and grabbed the back end of the warhead with my left hand. I got to my feet and pointed the gun in the air. "Over here!" I yelled as loud as I could while firing a single round. The breath was quickly stolen from my lungs as the large bear roared in my direction. I arched my left hand back and threw the Warhead as hard as I could. I brought my gun up and aimed with both hands. I aimed in the direction the warhead flew. "Let's hope I make the shot..." I said to myself as the bear quickly advanced. I watched as the warhead landed on the ground. Carefully aiming; I fired a single shot. I quickly realized I missed. The ground was shaking too much from the advancing bear. I bent my knees slightly, so I could try and time the shot. The bears head was directly over the Warhead. I fired two more shots in a rapid succession. I was then blinded by a bright light and thrown back by a massive shock wave. I hit the ground hard. My ears were ringing and I could hear a loud roaring noise as the ground was violently shaking. I didn't seem to be dead, so I could only guess I hurt the large bear. "Twilight!" I yelled as loud as I could. "I need help, I can't see!" I could hear someone talking, but I couldn't hear it over the loud roaring of that bear. "Twilight!" "I'm here, James." Twilight said. "Where?" I felt around. I quickly felt something soft with my hand. "Here, let me help you." Twilight said. "Use me to help you walk. Its hard enough to walk with four legs with this shaking." "Thanks." I put my hand on what I thought to be her back. "Let's go." I leaned on her back and followed her as she moved. I could feel bushes as we walked. The ground's shaking became less and less. The noises faded as we continued walking. "Twilight, stop at the edge of the forest." I said as my vision slowly came back. "We are almost there. Just a little bit more." Twilight said in a relaxing tone. We walked a few more minutes until Twilight stopped. "Okay, we are here." "Thanks." I took my hand off Twilight and sat down. "Can I ask you something, Twilight?" "Sure, what is it?" Twilight asked. "When I got cut earlier today. You somehow teleported bottles of water to us." I rubbed my eyes. "What was stopping you from teleporting you and I away?" I blinked my eyes a few times as my vision became more clear. "Well," Twilight sat down in front of me, "I couldn't. It takes a lot of energy for that. I was very tired from helping you with what we were doing." Twilight smiled. "But it seemed it worked out okay, this time." Twilight poked my forehead with her hoof. "You are going to have to listen to me about stuff like that, Okay?" Twilight closed her eyes and smiled. "Okay." I took a deep breath. "You were right and I should have listened to you. I promise that won't happen again." "Alright." Twilight gave me another big smile. "Can I help you with your eyes now?" "Go ahead," I shrugged my shoulders, "I won't fight with what you say any more." "Alright." Twilight said in an excited tone. "Close your eyes and relax. It will be like the first time I did this." "Alright." I closed my eyes. Soon after I could hear a strange buzzing noise. I could also feel a strange tingling feeling in my head. "All done." Twilight said in a pleased tone. "Okay." I slowly opened my eyes. Surprisingly my sight seemed to be even better than the first time she did her healing. "Thanks, Twilight." I looked down at my hands. I then looked at my right arm. I started to peal the Band-Aids off my cut. "You want to give this a shot?" I held my arm out. "Sure!" Twilight smiled and quickly bent down. Soon after, my cut started to glow purple. "Wow." I watched as it quickly started to heal. "That is very impressive." Twilight quickly finished healing the cut. "Thanks." Twilight smiled. "Let's get out of here. I have had enough of that damn forest for today." I slowly got up and looked at Twilight. "Alright," Twilight quickly got up, "Let's go." Twilight gave me a smile. "Yeah." I followed Twilight as we walked towards town. "You know I'm going to have to go back into the forest tomorrow, right?" "Why is that?" Twilight asked "My gun; I lost it when I went airborne." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Alright, but I am going to come with you." Twilight looked over at me. "That won't be a problem, right?" "Nope, no problems here." I waved my hand at Twilight. "Good." Twilight smiled proudly. "It's nice to know my friend can defeat an Ursa Major." Twilight looked over at me. "Did you know I had a run in with an Ursa Minor?" "Yeah? How did that turn out for you?" I raised an eyebrow. "Not too bad." Twilight said with pride. "So I am guessing an Ursa Minor is the baby version of what I came across." I rubbed my nose with my arm. "You guessed it." Twilight smiled. "I can't wait to tell my friends about this. They will find it very interesting." "I already met Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack. Who else haven't I met yet?" I asked in a slight confusion. "Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie." Twilight smiled. "What are they like?" I asked as we walked thru town. "Fluttershy loves animals. She might be a little shy around you, but I have no doubt she will warm up to you." Twilight looked at the ground for a few seconds. "Pinkie Pie is just Pinkie Pie I guess. You will have to meet her to understand." "Alright, I guess I can respect that." I scratched my head. "So are you going to sleep over at my place again tonight?" Twilight looked over at me and smiled. "I have no other place to stay, so do you mind?" I asked. "Not at all!" Twilight and I walked up to her front door. "You will be welcome here any time." Twilight opened the door and walked in with me close behind. "Welcome home, Twilight." A strange new voice said. "Who is that, Twilight?" I looked around the room. I quickly saw a small purple scaled lizard walking upright towards Twilight. "Is that lizard your pet?" I asked Twilight in confusion. "Hey! I'm not a lizard!" He exclaimed as Twilight quickly stepped in. "Spike is my baby dragon." Twilight smiled as Spike quickly cut Twilight off. "I'm not her pet! I'm her assistant." Spike walked to me and looked me in the eye. "And just what are you?" "Human." I got down on one knee and looked Spike in the eye. "So you're a dragon?" "I sure am!" Spike said with pride. "Your kind of small for a baby." I raised an eyebrow. "What's that suppose to mean?" Spike said in a slightly angry tone. "Careful, Spike." Twilight smiled. "James here defeated an Ursa Major." Twilight winked at me. "What!" Spike yelled while turning back towards Twilight. "Is that true!?" "Sure is, Spike. I saw it with my own eyes." Twilight smiled. "James fought it single hoofed and won." "How'dya do it!" Spike quickly ran up to me. "Modern U.S. Military might." I said while laughing. "What's that supposed to mean?" Spike raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry about it little man." I said as I poked his forehead. I then stood back up. "I still don't get it." Spike said as he rubbed his forehead. "Hey, Twilight. I am going to head off to bed. I have a feeling I am going to be very soar tomorrow." I said as I stretched my arms. "I think I will join you." Twilight let out a big yawn. "Today was very exhausting." Twilight started to walk up the stairs with me close behind. I walked over to my bed and sat down on the edge. I took my boots off and set them at the end of the bed. As I was taking my shirt off; I noticed Twilight staring at me. "Is something wrong, Twilight?" I asked as u slung my shirt over the headboard. "You look depressed. Is something wrong, James?" Twilight asked as she tilted her head. "I have a strange feeling." I said while rubbing the back of my neck. "What is it?" Twilight asked in a confused tone. "I feel like I needed that Warhead in the future." I sighed. "It's probably nothing. Don't worry about it too much, James." Twilight gave me a smile before she vanished under her blanket. "You might be right." I said as Twilight magically turned the lights off. I laid down and relaxed. As I laid in that bed. That strange feeling continued. I turned onto my side and looked out the window. I closed my eyes as the moonlight shined on my face. I relaxed and slowly drifted off to sleep. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Informational: Veti-Gel is real. Click Here for Youtube video. When I use stuff like this. I do my best to use real technology. I will not be using much Sci-fi stuff in this story. I hope that doesn't bother anyone. Chapter 7. Distractions.Chapter 7 Distractions "James! Wake up!" Twilight Yelled as my bed shook violently. "What is it!" I yelled as I quickly jolted up from the bed. A sharp pain shot through my head and I quickly laid back down, covering my face. Shortly after a heavy weight dropped on top of me. "What the hell was that?" I rubbed my forehead and looked down. I saw Twilight resting on top of my chest while she covered her nose. "I'm sorry, James." Twilight muffled underneath her hooves. "I didn't know you would do that." "Its fine..." I sighed as I looked at my hand. "I'm not bleeding, so that's a good start for the morning." I closed my eyes and stretched my back as I laid down. I looked down at Twilight as she was still laying on top of me. "Do you mind getting off? My legs are a little soar." "Oh, I'm sorry." Twilight got up and rubbed her nose. "You alright?" I asked as she got off the bed. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Twilight gave me a smile. "I was hoping we could go to breakfast. I realized we didn't have much of anything to eat yesterday. Is that alright with you?" "Yeah, give me a minute." I sat up in the bed and looked around. "Okay, I will be waiting for you downstairs." Twilight walked over to the stairs and turned around. "Don't make me wait too long." Twilight smiled and quickly made her way down the stairs. "Good god..." I said to myself as I rubbed my arms. "I have to start sleeping under the blankets." I slowly got up out of bed and slowly stretched my soar muscles. "Are you okay, James?" Spike asked behind me. "Hmm?" I turned to look at Spike. "Yeah little man, I'll be fine." "What happened to you?" Spike asked while climbing up onto my bed. "I flew through the air and had a hard landing when I blew up the Ursa Major." I grabbed my shirt and put it on. "So you were the one flying on that fireball." Spike put a claw up to his chin. "I had my doubts, but after hearing you defeat an Ursa Major. It's a very believable story." "Right..." I sat back down on the bed and started to put my boots on. "Whatever you say little man." "Why do you call me that?" Spike walked up on the bed next to me. "What, little man?" I asked while raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, that." Spike quickly replied. "Well," I chuckled a little, "Maybe because you are the closest thing to resemble a human. Is that a problem?" I asked as I finished off tying my boots. "I don't mind it, I was just curious." Spike said as he hopped off the bed. "So what's for breakfast, Spike?" I asked as he followed me towards the stairs. "I don't know. Twilight told me you two were going out to eat." Spike sighed. "She wants me to stay here and clean." "Interesting..." I said to myself. "What is?" Spike asked as we got to the bottom floor. "It's nothing, Spike." I watched as Spike walked around me. "If you say so." Spike said as he walked over to a desk against the wall. "Are you ready, James?" Twilight asked as she walked up to me. "Yeah, I'm ready. Are we going to the same place as last time?" I walked over to the door and opened it for Twilight. "Yep," Twilight smiled as she walked out the door, "You don't mind do you?" "Not at all." I walked outside and closed the door behind me. "Twilight, I have to ask you something." I said as I walked up to her side. "Go ahead." Twilight smiled. "You have bread, so I am guessing you have eggs and milk, correct?" I asked as we started to walk. "We sure do." Twilight smiled. "Why do you ask?" "It opened up a whole new diet for me. With milk; I get butter, cream and a ton more bread types." I laughed a little. "I need protean. Milk and eggs will be more than enough." "That's a good thing, right?" Twilight looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "You also brought me an apple yesterday." I rubbed my chin. "Is it safe to assume you have other fruit like oranges, pears, peaches and bananas?" "We do." Twilight said proudly. "Can I ask you something else?" I asked as the restaurant came into view. "Sure, what is it?" Twilight said in a natural tone. "That Ursa Major, do you think it's still alive?" I asked as we came up to the table outside the restaurant. "I don't know, James. No pony has the magical power to vanquish an Ursa Major." Twilight sat down on the pile of hay. "There was one pony who claimed she defeated one, but we quickly found out she was lying." "Hmmm..." I thought about that for a few seconds. "So I am guessing that's when you had a run in with an Ursa Minor?" I asked as I sat down across from Twilight. "Yeah," Twilight gave me a shocked look, "How did you know?" "Lucky guess." I said as I saw a tan pony come out of the restaurant. "So why do you want to go back into the forest?" Twilight asked while watching the tan pony place the menus on the table. "I know you want to get that gun, but was that all?" "I want to see what happened to that Ursa Major." I moved the menu to the edge of the table. "That being said; after we finish breakfast. Can you go back to your house and bring some bags into the forest?" I watched as the tan pony walked away. "Sure, but what about you?" Twilight asked as she levitated the menu in front of her face. "I can go into the forest by myself. It shouldn't take long." I watched as Twilight gently put the menu down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "James," Twilight opened her eyes and looked directly into my eyes, "The Everfree Forest is dangerous. You shouldn't go alone. Remember what you said yesterday?" "Okay," I said as I rubbed my forehead, "What should we do then?" "We should go take a look." Twilight smiled. "I don't think your stuff will go missing if you leave it there. Besides, what did you need the bag for?" Twilight asked while tilting her head. "The ammunition, I could carry the Black Box." I adjusted myself on my pile of hay. "I understand the ammunition, but I have to ask." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "What is the Black Box?" "It gathers any and all flight data." Twilight quickly interrupted me. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but why is it called a Black Box if it is orange?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea, but they paint it orange so it is easily spotted." I looked over past Twilight and saw the tan pony coming this way. "I am just thankful that military jets get small Black Boxes." "Why is that?" Twilight asked. "Well, commercial aircraft like the 747, or the 787 have much larger Black Boxes." I watched as the tan pony stood at the edge of the table. "Why is that?" Twilight cocked her head. "Because they fly longer. They require more space for data." I looked over at the tab pony. "I am ready to order if, Twilight is." "Okay," Twilight looked at the tan pony, "I will have a Daffodil and Daisy Sandwich with a glass of orange juice." "And you sir?" The tan pony asked as he looked towards me. "Yeah, I will have one cup of milk, one cup of orange juice, four pieces of buttered toast and some scrambled eggs." "How many eggs?" The tan pony asked. "Ten please." I quickly replied. "Wow, James." Twilight giggled while putting her hoof up to her mouth. "That's a lot of food." "Is that going to be alright?" I asked as the tan pony walked off with the menus in his mouth. "Yeah, it's perfectly fine." Twilight smiled. "I'm just happy you didn't only get a loaf of bread. So, when is the thing you're waiting for going to be here?" Twilight asked with a smile. "I don't know." I said while folding my hands on the table. I looked around and noticed a mint green pony. It seemed to have a baby blue main with a white stripe. The pony was peering over a light yellow pony. The pony it was sitting with had a purple and pink mane and tail. I looked out to my left at a brown pony with a brown mane and tail. It seemed to have an hour glass as a cutie mark. I looked closer at its mane and I quickly made a connection. "Twilight," I pointed at the brown pony, "I am guessing that pony is a male?" "Yes," Twilight giggled, "Dr. Whooves is a stallion." "If I were a guessing man," I pointed behind Twilight, "Those two are female." "Umm," Twilight looked behind her, "Yeah, Lyra and Bon Bon are both mares. Why do you ask? Is it not obvious?" Twilight turned and faced me. "It doesn't stand out much to me, but I think I see the difference." I peeked over Twilight's shoulder. "Why is the mint colored one staring at me?" "I don't know. Maybe you should go ask her." Twilight said with a smile. "I think I'll pass." I pointed at the tan pony that just walked out from the restaurant. "Besides, our food is here." "You don't have to be so shy, James." Twilight gave me a smile. "You should get to know some of the ponies that live here." Twilight watched as the tan pony placed our food in front of us. "It's not about being shy." I looked back over at the pony. "She is staring at me and its getting on my nerves." I grabbed the glass of orange juice and took a quick drink. "Why is it getting on your nerves?" Twilight asked as the levitated her sandwich towards her. "I don't know, just is." I grabbed a fork and started to eat my eggs. "Lyra is probably just curious about you." Twilight took a bite of her sandwich. "I don't think it's anything you should worry about." "Maybe..." I pointed at my eggs with my fork. "These eggs are really good." "They get them from Fluttershy." Twilight smiled. "Fluttershy has the best chickens in Ponyville." "So she has a chicken farm?" I asked as I finished up my eggs. "No, it's nothing like that. Fluttershy only has a few chickens." Twilight took a drink of her juice. "Do you mind if I ask you a question about your world?" "That was random, but okay." I raised my eyebrow at Twilight. "What do you want to know?" "That thing that blew up." Twilight tilted her head. "How many of those do you have on your world?" "Millions, if not more." I quickly finished off my orange juice and started on my toast. "Why do you want to know something like that?" "I just never seen anything so powerful before." Twilight started to fidget with her silverware. "I also noticed its small size. If it was bigger. Would it make a bigger explosion?" "They don't make missiles like that to be big." I took a drink of milk. "It was an Air to Air missile. We have bombs with bigger payloads." "Payloads?" Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow. "Yes..." I rubbed my forehead. "You have to remember, Twilight. Humans don't have magic. We rely heavily on our imagination. Every once and a while earth is blessed with a genius. Men like Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein." I took a bite of my toast. "Those men alone changed my world in a way you can never imagine." "Why don't you tell me a little about Nikola Tesla." Twilight smiled. "He sounds to be very interesting." "The god of electricity." I laughed a little. "Nikola was a man way ahead of his time. He was the man that discovered Alternating Currents. It changed the way we power the entire world. His best creation was the Tesla Coil. With the Tesla Coil; he found a way to make infinite energy. In that process; he also found a way to electrify the air. Doing this, he was able to power a light bulb without any wires." I laughed a little. "It's sad that it was never produced on a world wide scale." "Why is that?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Because if he got his invention processed world wide. I am confident that we would never go to war." I took a drink of milk. "It saddens me to think how he died. He could have been the savior of the human race. Only if he had the money." "What about Albert Einstein?" Twilight asked as she rested her hooves on the table. "What did he do for your world?" "Einstein would have gotten the human race into space." I finished off the last piece of toast. "I think his best would have been E=MC2." Twilight quickly interrupted. "What is E=MC2?" Twilight rested her head on her hooves. "It's an almost perfect double edged sword." Twilight quickly interrupted me again. "What do you mean by almost perfect?" Twilight asked. "It can tell you the energy of anything in the universe." I finished off my milk. "Everything except one thing." Twilight quickly perked up and interrupted me again. "What cant it find out?" Twilight asked. "That mathematical equation always falls apart when it calculates the energy of a singularity." I quickly held up my hand to stop Twilight from talking. "A singularity is the center of a black hole and if you don't know what that is. I am sorry, you have to find out on your own." "I know what a black hole is." Twilight smiled. "But I never heard of E=MC2. Can you tell me more about that?" "It is best you don't know." Twilight quickly cut me off. "Why not?" Twilight asked in a disappointed tone. "Because it opens your world to Nuclear Energy." I rubbed my forehead. "You don't need to know anything about that, so just drop it." "You don't have to get angry." Twilight said as her ears went down. "I'm not angry, Twilight. You're just asking the wrong person these questions." I laughed a little. "I don't know too much about that kind of stuff." I scratched the back of my head. "Do you mind if we get going. The sooner we get this over, the sooner we can leave the forest." "Sure," Twilight levitated a few gold coins onto the table, "But do you mind if we stop by Rarity's house for a little bit?" Twilight said with a smile. "Yeah, I don't mind." I said as I slowly got up. "Are you alright, James?" Twilight asked as she tilted her head. "Just a little soar, remember?" I walked up to Twilight. "I'm sure we can get that worked out today." Twilight smiled. "Well, let's get going, James." "Right." I walked over to Twilight's side. Twilight and I made our way over to Rarity's house. The walk gave me a chance to think about that Ursa Major. Even thou Twilight was right about leaving. I found it rather strange why she didn't tell me right off the bat. I also found our little detour strange. Twilight knew how important my stuff in the forest is. It's almost like she is trying to distract me for some reason. "Twilight," I said as we walked up to Rarity's door, "You mind if I ask what you need from Rarity?" "I talked to, Rarity this morning." Twilight looked at me and smiled. "She wanted to spent the afternoon with you." Twilight knocked on the door. "I hope that's alright with you." "No, I don't mind." I said as I waited for the door to open. "Coming." Rarity said behind the door. The door opened and rarity smiled. "Come on in you two." "Twilight," We both walked into rarity's boutique, "I have to ask. If this is a shop. Then why do you knock before you enter?" "Umm," Twilight turned around and looked at me, "I don't know. I guess its force of habit." "Oh darling," Rarity walked up in between Twilight and I, "You mind giving us a minute? It's going to be girl talk," Rarity gave me a quick wink, "Do you mind going over there?" Rarity pointed her hoof to the other side of the room. "Sure, no problem." I walked over to where Rarity pointed. I stood by some pony manikins for a few minutes. I could only stand and admire the skill it took to make clothes like this. I looked over at a large chest full of gems. As I slowly walked up to the chest. I got down on one knee and took out a fairly large red gem. It seemed to resemble a ruby. I stared at it for a few seconds before putting it back. I stood back up and turned around to look at Twilight and Rarity. "James... Turn around." Rarity said as her horn glowed a gentle blue. I was quickly forced to turn around by a magical blue aura. I walked over to a window and crossed my arms. I stood there quietly, not saying a word. A few minutes passed before I heard hoof steps behind me. "Okay, James." I turned around and saw Twilight smiling at me. "Let's get going." Twilight said with a smile. "Alright," I held my hand up towards the door, "You lead." "Okay," Twilight walked out the door with me close behind, "Is something the matter, James? You look upset." "No, I'm fine." I quickly replied. "If you say so." Twilight cocked her head. Something didn't seem right, but I wasn't doing a very good job hiding it. I don't know why I was letting this get to me. I knew Twilight was hiding something from me and I wanted to know what. Rarity was somehow involved, but I didn't know how. As Twilight and I broke the tree line, into the clearing. I saw a lot of white Pegasie. They appeared to be messing around with my stuff. "Hey, what the hell are you doing!?" I yelled as loud as I could. "James, calm down." Twilight quickly stepped in front of me. "You knew this!? Was this what you were hiding from me!?" I yelled at Twilight. "What, no!" Twilight quickly crouched down. "I didn't know the royal guard was here, honest." "Then get out of my way!" I quickly stepped around Twilight. I then turned my attention to the white ponies. "Hey, what the hell are you doing with my stuff!" I yelled as a white Pegasus flew down in front of me. "Who are you?" The white pony asked as he blocked my path. "It doesn't matter who I am. Just know you are stealing my stuff and I want it back now!" I demanded. "James," Twilight quickly stood in between us, "Let me handle this. You're getting angry, so please." Twilight pointed her hoof. "Stay over there and let me work this out." "What makes you think that you can help?" I looked town at Twilight. "Why would they listen to you?" "I will explain later, so please just go over there." Twilight pleaded as she pointed away. "Fine," I pointed my finger to the sky and gently shook it, "If you can't get this resolved. I am doing things my way." Twilight nodded and I walked it the direction she was pointing. I quickly calmed down. When I turned around; I was very surprised at what I saw. The tree line on the north side of the clearing was demolished. Trees and dirt were all over the place. I looked at the blast site and was even more surprised. From where I stood, I could see no blood. I knew I needed to get a closer look, but I had slightly more important matters. I started to scan the ground for my missing pistol. It didn't take long to find a small engraving in the grass. I kneeled down and inspected the grass. It appeared to have a few hoof prints around it. I looked back and saw Twilight walking towards me. "James," Twilight smiled, "They agreed to give your stuff back, but they're going to be staying here for a while." "Good, they have my gun." I walked past Twilight and up to the Pegasus. "Where is my stuff?" I asked while looking down at the white Pegasus. As I looked down at him. His demeanor seemed to change towards fear. "We will set your stuff in a bag over there." The Pegasus said as he pointed to the rear of my Hornet. "We are sorry, we didn't know this stuff belonged to anypony." "It got solved, that's all that matters." I said in a angry tone as I passed the Pegasus. I walked up to the wreckage. I noticed a grey unicorn walking towards me. It seemed to have a bag in its mouth. It stood directly in front of me and I quickly grabbed the bad. "It all better be there." I dumped the bag out on the ground. "The nerve of some ponies." The grey unicorn gave my an angry glare and walked off. I got down on one knee and looked at the stuff. It seemed they stripped the wires out of the cockpit. They had a few rounds mixed into the wires, so I quickly moved them aside. My pistol was resting underneath the mess. I picked it up and slowly got to my feet. "Is something wrong, James?" Twilight asked as she walked up next to me. "No," I brushed the dirt off my gun and put it back into the holster, "Everything seems to be fine." I turned around and walked in the direction of the creator with Twilight close behind. "I really didn't know the royal guard would be here." Twilight said in a very sincere tone. "It's fine, Twilight." I stood at the edge of the crater. "Just drop it." "So what happened here?" A deep voice asked. I quickly looked to see a guard standing next to me. "Before I tell you anything. First you tell me why you're here." I crossed my arms and looked over at the guard. "Princess Celestia saw a large explosion here last night." The guard looked up at me. "We were ordered to investigate." "Well that's a little funny." I started to laugh. "Are you all blind or just stupid?" "Excuse me?" The anger in the guards voice was very noticeable. "A few days ago. A large fireball fell from the sky, I fell from the sky." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Where were you then?" "We didn't see anything like that. Can you explain?" The guard asked. "No, it's nothing now." I turned my attention back to the crater. "Then can you at least tell me what happened here?" The guard asked as he pointed his hoof to the crater. "I blew up that freakishly large bear." I pointed around the crater. "The warhead blew up right underneath its chin." Twilight quickly interrupted me. "Then what happened to it?" Twilight's curiosity was clearly getting the better of her. "Isn't it obvious?" I asked Twilight as the guard cut in. "It's still alive." The guard said as he walked around the crater. "Yep, he's got the idea. No blood around the crater." I walked around the crater and made my way to the demolish forest. "I'd say I did nothing more than give it a few burn marks." "It's good that it's not dead, but that means it's still out there somewhere." Twilight said while walking besides me. "That bear got lucky. The explosion would've been a lot bigger." I started to walk towards the leveled forest. "Bigger how?" Twilight asked. "The fuel in the engine would have given it a little more punch." I slowly climbed over a fallen tree. "It makes me wonder how bad it got hurt. From what I've seen, it might take a couple more missiles to take that thing out." I turned to look at Twilight. "Tell me, Twilight; why would those guards listen to you?" "I'm Princess Celestia's student." Twilight smiled. "I was sent to Ponyville to study the magic of friendship." Twilight said with pride. "I guess that makes since. They listened because you know the princess." I looked around and sat down on a fallen tree. "Do you have anything bigger than that bear in this forest?" "There might be a few dragons in the forest." Twilight sat down in front of me and put her hoof to her chin. "Do you know what the guards are going to be going here?" I asked as I got up from the fallen tree. I made my way back towards my Hornet. "I think their just investigating the explosion and nothing more." Twilight followed close behind me. "Now that they know what happened. I imagine they'll be leaving soon." "Good, the sooner the better." I stood at the rear of the Hornet and looked around. "I think I'm done here. I got what I came for." "Okay" Twilight came up towards me and started to smell around me. Twilight stood in front of me and covered her nose with a hoof. "First, I think it's best if you take a bath. I already talked to Rarity and she's going to take you to the spa." Twilight smiled while levitating a small bag towards me. "What's this?" I asked while holding my hand out. "Its money we use here." Twilight smiled. "They're called Bits." "Okay then, I wouldn't mind getting a bath." I grabbed the small bag and followed Twilight down onto the dirt path. We continued down the path without saying a word. While we walked to Rarity's house. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was being hidden from me. We came up on Rarity's doorstep and I watched Twilight knock on her door. "I can't wait." Twilight said in an excited tone. "Can't wait for what?" I asked while looking at her. I then quickly put the small bag of bits in my pocket. "Umm. Well, you're going to enjoy the spa." Twilight looked back at me. "Rarity took me there a couple times and it was the best. The best facials, the best hooficures and definitely the best bubble baths. Spike can't get enough of their bubble baths. Did you know he spends seven hours in one of his bubble bathes?" "I can't say I have..." I raised an eyebrow at Twilight. "I've only been here for a few days, remember?" "Oh, Right... Sorry." Twilight turned towards the door as it opened. "Will I be taking over from here, Twilight?" Rarity asked with a smile. "Yep!" Twilight gave Rarity a smile and turned back at me. "I'll leave you two alone now. I have things to do." Twilight said as she quickly ran off. "Okay, looks like it's just you and me." Rarity said with a smile. "Let's get going to the spa." "Okay, you lead." I held my hand up. "I have no idea where we're going." "Okay," Rarity gave me a smile before walking towards town, "Why don't you tell me about your world, James." "What do you want to know?" I asked as I followed. "Tell me about the gems of your world." Rarity glanced back at me while walking. "You said something about uncut gems." "People find them in a rough form. Uncut gems can't be found in rocks all by themselves." Rarity quickly interrupted me. "What about the size?" Rarity asked with a smile. "What is the biggest gems you have on your planet?" "If you want to go with size, the Hope Diamond is as big as they come." Rarity quickly stopped and looked back at me. "Is something wrong?" I asked while raising an eyebrow. "How big is it?" Rarity asked as her eyes sparkled. "Umm," I scratched the back of my head, "I think it's about forty-five carats." "That's a fairly good size." Rarity gave me a big smile. "You don't want it, trust me..." I said while shaking my head. "Why's that, James?" Rarity asked as she turned around and started to walk. "They say it's cursed." I started to follow Rarity. "It's told that the owner of the diamond would die. History tells that until this day. The past owners had all died at an early age." "So is it cursed?" Rarity asked as the walking into a large building. "I don't know, I don't believe in curses." I said while looking around the room. A small window got my attention. It seemed to have a pony sitting in it. She had a Pink mane, I could only guess her tail was the same. Her coat was a cool blue. her eyes were a deep sapphire blue color. "Who is that Rarity?" I pointed at the pony in the window. "That's Lotus Blossom." Rarity said with a smile. "Her and her sister run this wonderful spa." "So I assume you come here often?" I asked as Rarity walked up to the window. "Of course darling." Rarity turned to Lotus Blossom. "We'll have the usual." I quickly interrupted her. "I'm actually here just for a bath." I said as I rubbed the back of my neck. "Come on, James. It will relax your muscles." Rarity said with a smile. "So, Twilight told you about that?" I rubbed my forehead. "She told me everything, James. you need to relax for a bit." Rarity said with a smile. "I agree," I looked at Lotus Blossom, "A bath will be fine." "Are you sure, James?" Rarity asked. "Yes, a bath is fine." I said in a slight irritation. "Your name was, James?" Lotus Blossom asked with a smile. "Yeah." I quickly replied. "Okay," Lotus blossom walked out of her small room and up to me, "I'll have you follow me please." Lotus Blossom walked off with me close behind. "So, Rarity comes here often. How long does it take her to finish her usual services?" I asked as we walked behind a large yellow curtains. "She starts off with a facial. Then we provide her with a hooficure." I quickly interrupted Lotus Blossom. "I'm sorry; I don't want to be rude, but how long does it take her?" I quickly ask. "Well," Lotus Blossom cocked her head a little, "I'd say about an hour or an hour and a half." Lotus Blossom said with a smile. "Would you like a massage after your bath?" "Umm," I looked down at her hooves, "How is that supposed to work?" "Well, after your bath. You go lay down on a bed and I give you a massage." Lotus Blossom said in a confused tone. "No, I think a bath is all I'll have. Thanks anyway." I said as I walked over to a fairly large tub. I put my hand in to feel the water. Feeling that the water was warm; I turned to face Lotus Blossom. "Do you have any soap?" "Yeah," Lotus Blossom said as she pointed to a table, "Your Towels are resting on table over there; I'll go get you soap." "Thanks." I watched as Lotus Blossom walked away. I took my gun off and placed it on the table. I then undressed as quickly as I could. As a grabbed a towed; I could hear someone talking on the other side of the room. I wrapped the towel around my waist before Lotus Blossom came back. A few seconds later, Lotus blossom came around from the curtain. She stood a few feet in front of me for a few seconds. Lotus Blossom put a bar of soap on the edge of the bath and turned her attention back to me. "Why do you have a towel on?" Lotus blossom asked as she tilted her head. "I have my reasons." I said as I walked up to the bath. "You seem to be in a hurry. Is something wrong?" Lotus blossom asked as she watched me get into the tub. "Yeah, me being here first off." I mumbled to myself. "What was that?" Lotus Blossom asked with a smile. "Nothing, I grabbed the soap and started to wash my arms, "Just talking to myself." I looked at Lotus Blossom as she watched me wash my arms. "Is there something you need?" "This is a slow day today, so we don't have many ponies that come in." Lotus blossom smiled. "I am here to help if you need me." "I don't want to sound rude, but can I have some privacy?" I asked as I continued to wash. "Sure," Lotus blossom said as she walked past me, "Just call me if you need anything." "Will do." I watched her walk away. It gave me an opportunity to think. When I slept out in the clearing in the forest. The star constellations that I could remember; they were in the proper place. They even had a bear here called Ursa Major. The only problem would be the planets. They seemed to vanish, or in a different place. This would make more since. Jupiter cuts down on the meteorites. If the planets were in a different place. It would have to be time as the key factor. Was it the same time as when I left, or maybe the past? It would be imposable to be in the future. Greek Mythology seems to play a role here. Could it be that this world is connected to my world? The population didn't seem to be too surprised to see something like me. It makes me wonder if I am the first human to arrive in this world. "Hey, Rarity!" I tried to get Rarity's attention as I rinsed the soap off. "How far back does your history have records?" "I don't know. Maybe a couple thousand." Rarity said from across the room. "What's with the random question, James? Is something on your mind?" "Just wondering, it's nothing." I slowly got up out of the tub and took my towel off. I slung the towel over the edge of the tub and grabbed a dry towel. "Do you think Twilight's place has any books on the history of this place?" I asked as I dried myself off. "I don't know. It's not the biggest library in Equestria. We could ask Twilight when I take you back to her later today." Rarity said in a pleased tone. "That would be nice." I said as I quickly started to get dressed. "I have to ask," I picked up my holstered gun and looked at it for a few seconds, "Am I the first human who came to Equestria?" "You're the first that I've heard of." Rarity said while laughing. "Right..." I muttered to myself as I clipped the holster on the side of my pants. I walked up and peeked out from the curtains and looked at Rarity. She had cucumbers over her eyes, so she couldn't see me if U sunk out. "Sorry, Rarity, but I have to go." I whispered to myself as I slowly made my way to the front desk. Lotus Blossom was sitting at the front desk. Greeting me with a smile. "So, how much is that bath going to cost me?" "Five bits please." Lotus blossom said with a gentle smile on her face. "Sure thing," I reached into my pocket and grabbed five gold coins out of the small pouch, "Thanks for the bath. The water was the perfect temperature." I placed the coins on the counter and walked towards the door. "Come back soon!" Lotus Blossom said as I walked out the door. I stood in front of the spa for a few minutes. An empty feeling in my stomach was telling me I was hungry. It had to be some time in the afternoon, so I decided to go to that restaurant Twilight and I went to. I made my way through town and quickly found the restaurant. It didn't look like they were too busy. A few ponies were dining outside, so I decided to join them at an empty table. I sat down on a pile of hay and waited for the waiter. It didn't take long before the waiter came out with a menu in his mouth. I watched as he came close and placed the menu on the table. "Excuse me, but before you go. I have a question." I said before he walked away. "Yes?" He asked with a smile. "Do you have any muffins by any chance?" I grabbed the menu and opened it. I then quickly glanced at what they had. "I didn't see anything like that in the menu, so I was just wondering." "We do," The waiter nodded, "We have strawberry, blue berry and chocolate." "How much are they?" I asked as I put the menu on the table. "They're two bits each." The waiter said with a smile. "Good, I'll take a strawberry and a blue berry," I held up the menu for the waiter, "and can I get the blueberry muffin in a bag? I have places to be, so I can't spend too long here." "No problem." The waiter said with a smile. "I will be back in a moment with your muffins." I watched the waiter walk off into the restaurant and quickly noticed a grey Pegasus watching me. It seemed to have yellow eyes with a orange hue to them. It also had a fairly long yellow mane, so I could only guess it was female. She was watching me as she nibbled on a muffin. It was obvious she was enjoying herself. The overly pleased smile on her face gave it away. I quickly turned my attention to the waiter. He walked through the swinging doors and made his way towards me. The waiter had a plate resting on his back with a muffin and propped up bag. He gently placed the plate on the table and smiled. "Will that be all?" He asked while still smiling. "Yes, thank you." I picked up the strawberry muffin and took a bite as the waiter walked away. As I was eating my muffin. I watched the grey Pegasus that sat at a table a few feet from mine. By now, she had finished her muffin. She just sat there with a big smile on her face. I looked closer at her and laughed a little. I didn't notice until now, but her eyes were a little off. It was rather cute with that smile she had. I got up as I finished my muffin. I took the small pouch of money and emptied the five coins onto the table. "I don't know if they accept tips here, but I'm sure he'll get the point." I said as I grabbed my bagged muffin and started to walk in the direction of Twilight's house. About thirty seconds into my walk, I felt a gentle wind on the back of my neck. "How long are you going to be following me?" I asked as I stopped. "How did you know I was following you mister?" A female voice asked. "Well," I turned around to see the grey Pegasus flying around head level, "I could feel the wind on the back of my neck. Do you need something?" "Well," She looked down at the bag in my hand, "You should know better not to flaunt muffins around me." She gave me a big smile as she brought her hoof up to her chin. "Those muffins come from Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie Pie makes the best muffins." The grey Pegasus cocked her head as she moved her hoof by her ear. "Well, maybe not. I make the best muffins!"She gave me a big smile. "Would you like to trade muffins?" "Well," I said as I raised an eyebrow, "You don't have any muffins to trade." "Oh, you're right." Her ears went down as she looked at the ground. "Tell you what," I held the bag out to her, "I'll give you the muffin and you can return the favor some other time. That sound good to you?" "You mean it mister?" The grey Pegasus asked as her eyes glossed over. "Yeah, but you need to stop calling me mister. My name is, James." I held the bag out further for her. "Sure thing mister! I mean, James..." She quickly grabbed the bag with both hoofs and dove her head in the bag. She quickly pulled the muffin out with her mouth and placed the bag over her head like a hat. "My name is, Derpy Hooves." Derpy said while fighting the muffin in her mouth. "It was nice meeting you, Derpy." I said with a smile. "I have to get going now. I have some stuff to do." I turned around and continued on my path to Twilight's house. "So, where are you from?"Derpy asked as she flew up next to me. "A faraway land." I said while chuckling. "Like Manehatten?" Derpy asked as she took a bite of the muffin. "Nope, further." I said as Twilight's house came into view. "A lot further." "The Griffon Kingdom?" Derpy quickly responded. "Nope..." I rubbed my forehead. "Wait, did you say Griffon?" "Yeah," Derpy quickly stopped, "That reminds me! I have something I needed to do today!" Derpy quickly flew off. "Wait..." I quickly said, but it was too late. I watched as Derpy flew off. It didn't take long before she was out of sight. I continued on my path to Twilight's house. As I got about a hundred feet from the house. A strange feeling came over me. It felt like someone or something was watching me. I stopped and slowly scanned my surroundings. As nothing was looking at me on ground level, I turned my attention to the sky. It seemed like it was clear blue skies no matter how far I looked. "James!" A familiar female voice yelled. "Where are you, James!?" I turned to see Rarity quickly turn the corner. She stopped and looked at me for a few seconds. "You were supposed to be at the spa with me today, James. Why did you leave?" She asked as she walked towards me. "Did you not like the Spa?" She asked as she stood in front of me while looking me in the eyes. "The spa was fine, but I'm not use to visiting a spa." I said while scratching the back of my head. "It's not normal for a man to go to the spa." I said while chuckling a little. "What's wrong with you going to a spa? The spa is for everypony!" Rarity said with a smile. "It helps all your worries melt away." "I don't think it'll melt my worried away." I turned around and started to walk towards Twilight's house. "Where are you going?" Rarity said as she quickly jumped in front of me. "I'm going to back to Twilight's. Is that a problem?" I asked as I slightly tilted my head. "Oh, no that's fine," Rarity took a step back and lifted up her front right hoof, "Before we go to Twilight's house. Could you go back to my boutique and get something for me?" Rarity asked with a smile. "Sure, what do you need?" I asked. "I have a piece of paper on me desk. Its neatly folded, so you can't miss it." Rarity gave me a smile. "If you don't mind, I need it." "Sure, where will you be?" I asked as I put my hands in my pockets. "I will be at Twilight's. I will be waiting for you there." Rarity said quickly. "Okay, I'll see you then." I put my hand up and waved as I walked away. I made my way to Rarity's place. I couldn't help but feel I was still being watched. As I walked through Ponyville. No ponies were wondering the streets. It was almost like a ghost town. This didn't help the feeling I had. Stranger still; the ponies were out and about not too long ago. I quickly stopped as I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I didn't turn to look, instead I tried to focused on the strange orbs. Failing at that, I turned to face whatever it was. I could see two blue orb like lights in the Everfree forest. They seemed to morph into a small white ball in the center. I squinted my eyes to try and get a better outline of the form, but it was useless. I put my hand on my gun and waited. I watched the orbs for a few minutes. As I watched the orbs. They slowly faded back into the forest. "That was interesting." I said to myself as I put my hands back into my pockets. "I wonder what those things were." I said as I continued to walk to Rarity's boutique. It didn't take long before I found myself at the front door of Rarity's boutique. I opened the door and walked inside. The gems on the clothing still sparkled, a chest full of gems against the wall to my left and all the creepy pony manikins. I stood by the door as I looked around. It made me wonder if Rarity would miss a few gems. One or two could get me a lot of money when I get home, but it just didn't feel right. "These ponies have been very kind to me," I said as I started to walk over to a desk, "And it wouldn't be right. I don't think it's even right to be thinking about such a thing." I placed both my hands on top of the desk and looked around. I saw only sketches of clothes and a few order sheets. I picked up one of the sketches and gave it a quick look. "Rarity sure has imagination, but it seems she only makes dresses." I placed the sketch back on the table and looked around the room. "Come to think of it; I haven't seen very many males in this town." I brought my hand up to my forehead and gave my head a quick rub. "Good god, I sure hope they aren't interested in my because I'm male." I started to move some of the papers around. As I moved the papers around. It seemed that this neatly folded paper was nowhere in sight. As a last resort; I gathered all the papers and neatly stacked then in the top left corner of the desk. I reached over and opened the top right drawer. A round red gem seemed to be resting on top of a white cloth. "Wow, look at you." I picked up the gem and started to inspect it. "If I had to bet; you must be a ruby." I held the gem in the palm of my hand. It was round and about two inched in circumference. It was almost flawless. It seemed to have some kind of black cloud in the center of the gem. I held it up into the light to see what the cloudy form might be. As I held the gem in the light. A faint blue aura seemed to radiate from it. I took the gem out of the light as the blue glow seemed to get brighter. As I now held the gem in my palm again. A strange feeling shot out through my body and a chill ran up from the bottom of my spine. I could feel my heart racing as the chill hit the back of my neck. As I looked at the glowing gem. The blue aura seemed to be pulsating in sync with my heart beat. The black cloud slowly cleared in the center of the gem and revealed a black heart. I turned the gem around and saw the same thing. I picked it up and held it into the light again. "Is that a seed?" I asked myself as I gave it a closer look. "What is a seed doing inside a gem?" My eyes focused out and I noticed the blue aura was starting to envelope my hand. "Shit!" I yelled as I dropped the gem on the floor. I looked at my hand and saw the blue aura was crawling up my arm. "What the fuck is this shit!" I quickly brushed my hand against my pants to shake off the blue aura. It seemed that I was winning the small fight with the aura. A few seconds of brushing and a good moment of panic. The aura was no more. "What kind of freaky gems do they have here?" I asked myself as I looked down at the red gem. I took my shirt off and wrapped it around my hand. I got down on one knee and reached out to the gem. I quickly stopped as the gem pulsated blue again. It seemed to be in rhythm with my heart still. Ignoring what danger it might still pose. I quickly picked it up and reached over to the drawer I found it in. I dropped it on the cloth and slowly stood up. "Never again," I closed the drawer, "I will never touch another gem as long as I live." Another chill ran up my spine as a cool wind brushed past me. I looked down as some of the papers got blown off the desk. I made my way over to the other side of the desk. A mess of papers were scattered in a small area. A neatly folded paper rested on the mess. "So that's where you were." I unwrapped my shirt and put it back on. "I never thought a piece of paper would make this much trouble." I bent down and picked up the papers. Sliding the folded paper into my pocket; I put the other papers on the desk. I walked over to the open window and closed it. "That's strange," I said as I looked out the window, "It seems all the ponies have vanished." I scratched the back of my head as I tried to forget about what just happened. "This world is full of strange things." I turned and made my way out of the boutique. "It makes me wonder. How would earth react to a talking pony that appeared out of thin air." I said as I continued on my short walk back to Twilight's house. As I walked through town. The streets were still void of any life. I saw a few bunnies bopping around and I think I might have seen a dog, but that hardly counts. I walked up to the doorstep of Twilight's house and looked around. The curtains were pulled in front of the windows. I took a few steps backwards and looked up at the floors above me and it was the same all around the tree. I reached out to open the door, but I heard whispers coming from behind. I turned to the left and gently put my ear to the door. The faint noises behind the door faded as I listened. I stepped back and pulled my gun from its holster. As I brought the gun up. A strange feeling came over me. I was calm. "No," I lower the pistol and looked at it for a few seconds, "What the hell am I doing? This place is too peaceful and the only things that have tried to kill me were in that damn forest."I put my gun back in its holster and reached out to the door, but I stopped as I just realized something. "Ha," I let out a big smile as I chuckled, "The ponies here have no idea what a gun is. That's why the Dr. Stable, Nurse Redheart and Twilight had a neutral reaction. I'm such an idiot for realizing that now." I reached out and opened the door. "I need to change a lot about what I know and experienced." I muttered to myself as I walked into the dark library. I stood in the dark room for a few seconds to try and let my eyes adjust. "Hello, is anyone here?" "Surprise!" Yelling echoed in the room as I was blinded by a bright light. "Surprise!" A voice yelled out of sync with the group. "Shoot!" A pink pony yelled, as she realized she was a few seconds late. "What is this?" I asked while shielding my eyes from the light. "It's a party, silly!" I looked down as a pink pony magically appeared in front of me. "This was your welcome to Ponyville party but you were in the hospital when you came here so I wanted to have the party in the hospital but Twilight said no and that you needed your rest but we're having the party now so it's all okay!" The pink pony took a deep breath and gave me a big smile. "Okay," I bring my hand up to my forehead, "I am guessing your Pinkie Pie?" "How did you know!?" Pinkie Pie gasped as she used her front hoofs to balance herself on my chest. "Are you psychic?" "Maybe," I gave Pinkie Pie a quick wink, "Now you mind getting off my chest?" "Sure thing, Jamesy!" Pinkie Pie quickly got down from my chest. "Let's get this party started!" "Jamesy?" I muttered to myself. "Good god, I hope that doesn't stick..." I started to walk past all the ponies. I was almost to the stairs, but Twilight cut me off. "James," Twilight stood in front of my and looked me in the eye, "This is, Fluttershy." Twilight pointed her hoof at a yellow pony with a pink mane and tail. "Hello, Fluttershy. My name is, James." I gave Fluttershy a smile. "Hello, James." Fluttershy muttered while bashfully trying to hide her face with her mane. "Okay... I guess I'm lucky I have good hearing." I said as I stepped around Twilight. "Where are you going, James?" Twilight asked as she watched me go up the stairs. "I have something I need to put away. I'll be back in a second." I walked up the stairs and noticed Spike resting in a small basket next to my bed. "You awake little man?" I didn't get a response, so I walked up next to the shelves behind my bed. I took the holster off my side along with my gun. "I hope I'm making the right decision." I said as I set my gun on the shelf. "James?" Spike said in an exhausted tone. "What are you doing?" "I was just putting my gun away." I turned to see Spike rubbing an eye with one hand and a small blanket in the other. "I see no point carrying it around town, so I think I'll be leaving it here while I go out." "I've been meaning to ask you about that." Spike pointed at my gun. "What is that? You always seem to have it on you everywhere you go." "Well," I walked up to spike and kneeled down, "Its a weapon and you shouldn't ever touch it. From now on; It won't be with me unless I leave town." I stood up and looked down at Spike. "Some of the ponies here have decided to throw me a party for some reason; you want to come down to the party?" "No, I'm fine." Spike said as a deep booming noise roared in beat with the music. "Just try to keep it down. Some of us are trying to sleep." I watched as Spike got back in his basket and curled up. "I'll see what I can do, Spike." I said as I slowly made my way downstairs. I looked over to the deep booming noise as I walked down the stairs. I saw a white Unicorn with sunglasses. Her mane and tail were a shade of light blue and a slightly darker blue. It appeared she was controlling the music on some kind of mixing table. I looked around the room at the speakers and was surprised at what I saw. They had no wires leading into the mixing table. I made it downstairs into the large group of ponies. I looked around to see if I could find Twilight, but it was hopeless. Oddly enough; it was like walking in a room full of Jelly Beans. Every pony in the room seemed to have their own unique color combination. As I walked around the room. A quick pink blob moved up next to me. I turn my head slightly so I could focus on the pink blob. "Well," I turn to see Pinkie Pie standing next to me, "You move quick for being so small." "Wha'chya mean, Jamesy Wamesie? I've always been like this." Pinkie Pie gave me a big smile. "This is a party. Why aren't you partying?" "I'm not in the mood for a party today." I gave Pinkie Pie a smile. "Please don't let me stop you from having a good time." "Don't be silly!" Pinkie Pie quickly jumped behind me and started to push me with her head. "You just haven't found something to do. Everypony loves my parties and you will too!" Pinkie Pie said in an overly hyped tone. "So this is what Twilight was hiding from me?" I asked as Pinkie Pie pushed me up to a barrel full of water and apples. "She sure was! I was helping, Twilight when you were with, Rarity today, but we didn't expect you to finish your spa trip so soon." Pinkie Pie walked up next to me and motioned me to the barrel. "That reminds me," I reached in my pocket and got out a small piece of paper, "Where is, Rarity? I'm suppose to give her this." "She's over by the punch." Pinkie Pie gave me a smile. "Thanks, Pinkie Pie." I turned to walk to the punch, but Pinkie Pie quickly moved in front of me. "Aren't you going to bob for apples first?" Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow while cocking her head. "It's really fun!" She exclaimed while giving me a big smile. "Bobbing for apples?" I turned around to inspect the apples. I reached in and grabbed a big green apple while putting the paper into my pocket. I took a bite as Pinkie Pie looked on at me in shock. "Something wrong?" I asked as i set the apple on the table against the wall. "You cheated!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she hopped up and down. "Your suppose to do it like this." Pinkie Pie zipped over to the barred and got up on the rim. "Now watch carefully!" Pinkie Pie quickly dunked her head in the water. Seeing my chance; I quickly maneuvered around the crowd of ponies to the punch table. I was almost at the table, but a strange feeling came over me. I looked back in the direction of the barrel of apples. I was suppressed to see that Pinkie Pie had vanished. "You were suppose to watch me to learn how to bob for apples." An irritated voice said behind me. "How did you do that?" I asked as I quickly turned around. "Do you not like my party?" Pinkie Pie looked up at me with big watery eyes and a quivering lip. "The party is fine, Pinkie Pie, but I have some things on my mind." I put my hand on her fluffed up mane and ruffled it around. "I'm still not use to all of this. Give me a pass this time and I'll enjoy the next party you throw. Is that alright with you?" "You pinkie promise?" Pinkie Pie asked with a stern voice while sitting down. She crossed her chest with her hoof and put it up to her eye. "I pinkie promise..." I held my pinkie up and showed Pinkie Pie. "What's that!?" Pinkie Pie quickly grabbed my hand with her hoofs and drew it in close. "Pinkie Pie..." I pulled my hand back. "I have things I need to do." "Oh, right... Sorry..." Pinkie Pie gave me a smile. "I'll let you get back to what you wanted to do." Pinkie Pie walked a few feet away and turned back around. "Don't forget your promise." Pinkie Pie said before vanishing into the crowd. I continued to the punch table. Rarity quickly came into my view. I walked up in front of Rarity, as I reached for the paper in my pocket. "I have the paper you wanted." I held the paper out to Rarity. "James," Rarity laughed a little, "The paper was only a distraction. I needed to tell, Twilight and the others that you were coming." "So, there's nothing on this paper?" I asked in a slight irritation. "Nope." Rarity gave me a big smile. "Okay then," I crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it on the table, "Well thanks for the party." I said as I turned to walk away, but, Rarity quickly stepped in front of me. "Is something the matter, James?" Rarity looked up at me with a worried look. "You don't look so good." "I'm fine, just a headache." I quickly replied "Okay, well if you need anything; all you need to do is ask." Rarity gave me a smile before she stepped aside. I continued to look for, Twilight as the party continued. I looked for an hour before I gave up. There were too many ponies running around. I couldn't keep track of any of the ponies. The massive array of colors kept shifting around the room. I could hardly trace my steps through the maze of ponies. I walked over to the closest window in the room. A beautiful golden sky was slowly shifting to night. The setting sun seemed to complement the forest, as the wind blew through the leaves. It was impressive on how calm and quiet that forest was from a distance. You'd have to be on its doorstep to truly understand the dangers that lurk inside it. I still don't understand how dangerous it truly is yet. As the sky shifted to a darker purple. A faint white aurora shimmered above the forest. The clear sky seemed to pulse as the stars twinkled. "James," Twilight spoke in a gentle voice as the music stopped, "Are you okay?" "Yeah," I slowly turned to look at Twilight, "Everything is fine." I looked at Twilight and quickly noticed the was staring at my face. "Do I have something on my face?" "Your eyes," Twilight cocked her head, "they are brown..." "Yep, they've been that way since I was born." I chuckled a little. "I could have sworn they were blue a second ago." I quickly cut Twilight off. "Blue?" I scratched the back of my head. "Are you sure you're not seeing things?" "They were blue! I'm positive!" Twilight exclaimed in confidence. "Yeah," I watched as the ponies started to leave the library, "You mind is I ask you something, Twilight?" "Sure." Twilight gave me a pleased smile. "What do you want to know?" "Why am I here?" I quickly asked without thinking. "What?" Twilight took a step back. "I don't know." Twilight said in a puzzled tone. "I'm sorry; let me rephrase." I looked Twilight in the eye. "Why did you offer me to stay at your place?" "Oh, well your interesting." Twilight quickly replied with a smile. "I've never seen anything like you before and I thought I could learn allot from you." "Okay, just as long as you realize I'm not a science experiment. Everything will be fine." I turned my attention back out the window. "What do you mean, James?" Twilight said as she walked up beside me. "You have it good here. If a magical talking pony appeared out of thin air in my world," I chuckled a little, "I can imagine that pony wouldn't have a warm greeting." "What are you talking about?" Twilight asked as she looked out the window. "In my world, we take things apart to try and understand it." I gently gripped the top of Twilights horn and moved her head around. "This horn is a dead giveaway." "Stop that," Twilight quickly shook herself free while laughing, "I still don't understand what you're talking about." "Don't worry about it. It's nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about." I quickly placed my hand on her head and ruffled her mane. "I'm going to go to bed." "Why so early?" Twilight asked while levitating a brush towards her. "Well," I pointed out the window towards the aurora, "I think I'm going to have another one of my dreams." "Dreams?" Twilight looked out the window while brushing her mane. "Are you talking about that light over the forest?" "Yeah, I believe my dreams might somehow be connected to that light." I started to walk towards the stairs, but Twilight quickly stepped in front of me. "I might be able to help you." Twilight's face light up with joy. "Follow me!" I followed Twilight to a small walkway. We both walked downstairs and were confronted by a large sized door. Twilight was quick to open the door with her magic. When she did; I was assaulted with a barrage of beeping noises, scraping sounds and an annoying buzzing sound. "What is this place?" I asked in amazement, as the room filled lights, beakers and some sort of strange machines. "This looks like some kind of laboratory." "It is," Twilight said proudly while we made our way down the stairs, "Books aren't the only thing that's good for studying you know." Twilight started to mix strange colored liquids in a cup with her magic. "Sometimes you need to get hoofs on!" "Right," I slowly looked over the strange machines, "I don't see any power lines. How do these machines get their power?" "The machines get their power wirelessly." Twilight was quick to reply as she continues to mix the liquids. "What, how?" I asked in irritation. "We have a dam that transmit power in the air through three large coils." Twilight lifting the cup and slowly shifted the liquid. "I'd imagine it's similar to that Tesla thing you talked about." "I have to admit," I continued to look around the room, "You are more advanced then I thought. Why didn't you tell me about your wireless power when I talked about it?" "Well," Twilight carefully levitated the glass in front of me, "You seemed to know all about it already. I didn't think it would interest you." Twilight gave me a smile. "Now drink up." "What is it?" I asked as I grabbed the glass. "It'll help you relax, but you might want to lay down before you drink it." Twilight pointed to a small cot in the corner of the room. "You can rest there." Twilight said with a smile. "Its... Pink..." I said while looking at the strange thick liquid. "Its fine, it tastes like bubble gun." Twilight said with a smile. "Right..." I said sarcastically. "Well, bottoms up." I quickly tilt my head back and forced myself to drink the think pink liquid. "James, no!" Twilight quickly levitated the glass out of my hand. "You should have drank it while you were sitting down!" Twilight yelled in a panic. "Why? I feel fine..." I quickly stopped myself as the room started to wiggle. "What the wiff..." I quickly dropped to one knee as my speech started to slur. "Hurry, James." Twilight grabbed my shirt with her teeth and started to pull. "Wef need to getf you tof the cot before youf pass out." "That thiyg works phast." I muttered while crawling to the cot. I slowly crawled up into the small cot. "Why is you face so flimsy?" I asked as I laid down in the cot. I turned over and looked up at the ceiling. "I think I'm about to pash out. The room..." A large yawn slowly came over me as I paused. "Good night Twittle Sparks." My vision slowly went dark as my body went limp. "Good night, James." Twilight said in a playful tone. "I'll see you in the morning." Twilight's voice quickly faded and seemed to vanish in a black oblivion. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Chapter 8. The Coming StormChapter 8 The Coming Storm I found myself in a familiar situation. Standing alone in a dark void that spanned as far as my eyes could see, but something felt different. I remembered feeling alone in the other dreams; even scared about what might be lurking in the black. This feeling was different. I was comfortable, relaxed and completely safe. "Luna," I said as I looked upwards, "Can you hear me Luna? I need you." I stood in my place as I waited for a response. "Luna, are you out their?" I asked as I didn't get a response to my last question. As my call wasn't answered; I took a step forward, but I quickly froze as a blue light shined from the floor. I looked down at my feet and was amazed at what I saw. Some kind of blue lightning seemed to be shooting out from the bottom of my boots. The lightning didn't travel far; only a few inches away from my feet. The lightning seemed to rapidly shift positions while pulsating in brightness. I quickly remembered that strange gem I found it Rarity's shop. I watched as the lightning flickered slowly. I slowly moved my right hand over my chest as I watched the lighting. The lightning looked to be matching my heard beat by beat. I got down on one knee to inspect the lightning, but I stopped as my kneed touched the ground. Lightning seemed to be shooting out of my knee too. I looked behind me and made a quick connection. Every part of me that seemed to be touching something; the lightning will follow. Just to be sure; I reached my hand out and gently placed it on the ground. Sure enough, lightning shot out from the palm of my hand. "That's fucking awesome." I said with a big smile on my face. "I wonder if it's the ground, or my body. Only one way to find out." A sudden idea struck my mind. I balled my hand up into a fist and quickly brought my hand up. I quickly force my fist down with amazing speed. As my fist slammed against the ground. Bright white sparks flew out from the bottom of my fist and a bright blue light rippled outwards. "That's amazing," I slowly stood up and looked out as the blue ripple continued, "It looks like it's going off forever." As the blue light seemed to vanish in the distance. A loud booming noise echoed all around me. "I hope that wasn't me..." I slowly looked around, scanning every part of the darkness. A few seconds passed before I noticed white orbs forming all over the ground. The orbs slowly grew larger and larger. It almost looked like a bubble of fog. As soon as the orbs stopped growing. They seemed to spread out in a familiar white mist, but only slightly different. The white mist in my previous dreams were quicker than this. It was almost like something was slowing it down. "Luna, I could really use your help right now!" I yelled as I took a few steps back. "Come on, Luna; I have no idea what to do." I quickly stopped and covered my eyes as a bright blue light radiated from the floor. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the light; I moved my arms away from my eyes. What I saw when I moved my arm; it was incredible. The blue lightning now spanned as far as the eye could see, but now it took on a three dimensional form. It was wrapping itself around the fog. How is that even possible?" I asked while moving in for a closer look. "How is lightning containing the fog? There's no way that could happen." I watched the Lightning closely. It looked like the light was dimming, but only slightly. The lightning still seemed to be pulsating, but something was different. It fading fading for some reason. A few minutes passed and the bright blue glow was now a dim white light. I continued to watch as the white mist overtook the dim light. "Luna, where the hell are you!" I yelled as I slowly backed up. I was knocked down with a strong gust of wind as the mist rocketed upwards. I looked around me and it was the same everywhere I looked. As sudden as the mist shot upwards; it now started to circle around me like a vortex. A bright light appeared in the mist. I quickly shielded my eyes once again. I put my arm down when the light dimmed. "Luna, can you hear me?" I opened my eyes and found myself once again surrounded in a place void of all light. "Luna!" I yelled for one last time before a loud click echoed around me. I was again blinded by a bright light. "Okay, this crap is getting old." My eyes quickly adjusted. I now looked out into what seemed to be a long corridor, or maybe a hanger. The ground looked smooth and had a white line painted down the center. A long white light spanned down the length tunnel in front of me. I looked behind me and was amazed at what I saw. A large metal door that stretched from wall to wall. "Damn, that blast door is huge..." I placed my hand on the cold metal. I moved my hand around to carefully feel the door. "The door seems to be split down the middle." I said to myself as I pulled my hand a few inches away. "I wonder," I balled my hand into a fist and gently knocked on the door, "Holy shit..." I said in amazement. I continued to knock on the door. A faint pinging sounded as my hand made contact. "This door is thick," I put both my hands against the door and gently rested my ear on the metal, "It's at least a couple feet thick." "James..." A female voice manifested itself behind me. "Fuck," I quickly turned around in panic, "Don't do that, Luna! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" "Please accept my apologies, James." Luna slowly took in her surroundings. "What are you apologizing for?" I asked as I leaned against the door behind me. "You didn't do anything wrong." "I am apologizing for scaring you," Luna's ears quickly went down as she looked at the ground, "And for not getting here sooner." Luna looked at me with a look of pity. "Something powerful was stopping me and I know not what it was. Did anything happen while you called out for me?" Luna asked with a gentle smile. "Yeah," I pushed my back off the door and started to walk towards Luna, "A blue lightning seemed to absorb the fog, or at least contain it somehow." I watched as Luna started to back away from me. "Whoa," I stopped and held my hands up as Luna looked like she was going to attack, "Did I do something wrong?" "When I came to you in the forest," Luna started to glair at me, "You had a dark magic building within you, but now it's different." Luna started to cautiously pace around me. She continued to keep a safe distance away while circling. "It appears you have another magic that resides within you now. This new magic seems to be feeding off the dark magic." "Is that bad?" I asked as Luna stopped in front of me. "I don't think so, but this new magic seems familiar." Luna said as she sat down. "Yes; I think I might know what it is, but I need to confirm this with my sister." "You can't tell me now?" I asked as I raised an eye brow. "I don't want to be rude, but this does involve me." "This would not be wise," Luna pointed her hoof at me, "For if it was not what I say it is. It might make you worry." "Okay, at least give me a straight answer." I rubbed my forehead. "Is it harmful to me?" "No." Luna gave me a quick smile. "If I am correct. This new magic will protect you from the dark magic that dwells inside you." "Then I hope your right." I walked past Luna. "Let's get this..." I stopped and quickly looked up. "Is something wrong, James?" Luna asked as she walked up beside me. "I don't know," I looked down the long corridor, "It feels like something is on my head..." I started to slowly move my hand a few inches above my head. "I have no idea what to say. It's something I've never felt before." "Will you be alright?" Luna asked as she cocked her head. "Yeah," I put my hands in my pockets and looked to Luna, "I think I'll be fine." "That is good to hear." Luna slowly looked around. "Do you know where we are?" "No, let's find out." I slowly walked down the corridor with Luna by my side. Luna and I continued down the corridor for a minute. The walls all seemed the same. They arched around and a long while light spanned into oblivion. It took a few minutes before something changed. A gentle wind seemed to blow in front of us. Soon after the wind; a strange whisking noise made itself known. "Do you know what that noise is, James?" Luna asked in curiosity. "Well," I held my hand up to feel the wind, "If I had to guess. I'd say it was a fan." I looked around as we continued to walk down the corridor. "It's probably a good sized fan too. To move air like that in a space so large. It might be more than one fan. If I'm correct. I'll know what this place is." "Oh," The curiosity was clear in Luna's voice, "Where might we be?" Luna asked. "Ahh~; The shoe is on the other foot now." I gave a little smirk. "Why don't we find the fans before I jump to a conclusion." "Fair enough," Luna said in disappointment, "We shall wait and see." We continued down the path and sure enough. Two large fans were mounted on the ceiling. Large mesh covering them both. It appeared to be mounted by some kind of air vent. A small blinking red light was resting in the center of the fan. I could only guess it was to serve as some kind of warning beacon. "I think I was right, Luna." I continued down the corridor. "This place appears to be a runway of some kind. Its lacking the lighting to be anything major, so I'm guessing we're in some kind of secret underground facility." "Is this common in your world?" Luna asked while trying to hide her excitement. "It is for some militaries and very few private contractors." I glanced over at Luna. The excitement was clear in her eyes. It was like a kid in a candy store. "You seem pleased, Luna." "When I looked in your mind. I saw a lot of unique things." Luna looked at me and gave a smile. "Your kind is very creative and that impresses me to no end. The buildings, the moving carts, flying tubes and the art work. The mystery of this place is very overwhelming," Luna said while failing to hide her excitement, "So tell me, James. What kind of treasures are hidden in places like this?" "Why don't we find out the owner of this place first." I reached my hand over and patted Luna on her neck. "That would give us an idea of what secrets this place might hold." "Fair enough..." Luna looked at the ground for a few seconds before speaking again. "What do you think we'll find?!" Luna exclaimed in excitement. "Wow, Luna..." I tried to hide my laughter. "You're really interested in my world aren't you?" "I'm sorry," Luna stopped and kicked the ground with her hoof, "Is this unbecoming of a princess?" Luna looked up at me with watery eyes as I continued to walk. "Unbecoming," I glanced back at Luna while continuing my path, "Naaa; I find it to be rather cute." I notion my hand to follow. "Let's get going. I want to find out why I'm here too." "Right!" Luna quickly trotted next to me. "What do you..." I quickly interrupted Luna. "Shh... Quiet..." I held my arm up to stop her from advancing. "Do you hear that?" "Hear what?" Luna's ears twitched as she stood still. "I don't hear anything; what is it?" "Shhh," I whispered while putting my finger to my mouth, "Its a high pitched squealing noise," I whispered next to Luna's ear, "Listen carefully." I watched Luna while I listened for the sound. It was obvious now that she could hear the noise. Luna seemed to look ahead, as did her ears. "What is it, James? I can hear it now," Luna said with a slight worry. "I don't know. It can be many things." I moved my arm out from in front of Luna. "Stay here; I'll go take a look." "Right," Luna sat down and gave me a serious look, "Be careful." I got a few steps in before a loud hissing noise stopped me in my tracks. I could see white mist down the corridor. It seemed to be billowing out of something in large amounts. The light from the ceiling seemed to bounce off this mist. It lit up another large metal door at the end of the corridor. I could hear a distinct revving of hydraulics and large gears. Soon after; a beam of light shot out from the door as it opened. The light grew brighter as the mist slowly vanished. The doors seemed to open up to a large room. "Well," I looked back towards Luna, "That was dramatic. You want to continue?" "Is it safe?" Luna asked with a worried look on her face. "I have no idea, but I'm going in." I turned to continue down the path. "Besides; Its only a dream. What could possibly go wrong?" "I guess your right." Luna quickly made her way to my side. We both made our way into a large hanger. The walls were painted white from top to bottom. The ceiling had large white beams spanning across from wall to wall. A large American flag hung down on the back wall. "This place is amazing!" Luna said in excitement. "What are those large boxes over their!?" Luna pointed to the left side of the hanger. "They look like tanks, but I've never seen anything like it." Luna quickly cut me off. "Oh, can we go see them!? Please!?" Luna pleaded. "No, I'm sorry. I need to find out what's going on here." Luna quickly interrupted. "But what if this is why you came here?" Luna asked in disappointment. "I came here by flying, so I think it's safe to assume from my last dreams. They'll be coming here the same way." I pointed to the right wall of the hanger. "Those look like jets, so why don't we take a look at them first and if we have time. We can always go take a look at the tanks." "Right..." Luna looked at the ground in disappointment. "You're right," Luna quickly stood tall, "Were here for an explanation; not for fun. Let us go." "Don't worry, Luna. In my personal opinion. Aircrafts are much more fun than tanks." I gave Luna a smile before walking towards to the jets. "Really?" Luna quickly ran up to my side. "How are they more fun?" Luna asked with excitement. "It's all about the freedom of flight." I pointed at Luna's wings as we walked. "Humans don't have wings, so like you said. We rely on our imagination." "Yes, this makes since." Luna nodded in approval. As we got closer to the aircraft. The complexity of it became clear. It seemed to have no visible cockpit. The metalwork was smooth and the angles resembled a B-2 bomber. It looked to be covered in small grey hexagon like panels. I couldn't see any sharp angles on the aircraft, so it gave the hint towards stealth technology. The height seemed a little lower than normal jets. The bottom of the craft seemed to only rest two to three feet from the ground. No visible fuel tanks could be seen on the exterior. "This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen." I stopped in front of the jet. "I don't even know if this is real. I don't even see a cockpit." I slowly slit my hand along the jet as I made my way to the wing. "I have no doubt that this is the new age of stealth technology." Luna quickly interrupted. "What is new age stealth technology, James?" Luna asked as her eyes lit up. "I've never heard of such a thing before." "Well," I gently tapped my hand on the wing, "it means you can't see it. Look closely at the jet, Luna." I pointed at the smooth hexagon shapes. "The stuff that's covering the jet; its almost looks like a BAE stealth system, but it's not like the one I remember seeing. The small dot in every hexagon; they almost look like a small camera." "I don't get it." Luna raised an eyebrow. "It seems you are straying from my question." "I'm sorry, Luna." I paused to think how I could explain how this system might work. "A BAE system hides the heat from any vehicle in the field. It makes it invisible to any and all infrared cameras. The BAE has a soft cover so it could manipulate the heat around the vehicle, but this cover on the jet." I knocked on some of the panels on the jet. "This is hard, so I think it's more for light than heat. If the small dots are cameras. Then it might project an image on the other side; thus making it invisible to the naked eye, but that's only a theory." "I still don't understand." Luna gave me a disappointed look. "Your world is strange..." "That, or I did a horrible job explaining it to you." I placed my hands up on the wing and pulled myself up. "No matter though, I might be wrong. In fact; I am most likely wrong. I've never seen this thing before in my life." "What are you looking for, James?" Luna asked while she walked around the jet. "I'm looking for any kind of marking or holes." I walked to where the cockpit would have been. "This might not be anything more than a model." "What makes you say that?" Luna asked as she stopped at the rear of the jet. "I don't see any kind of air intake. Hell; I don't even see a bulge that could resemble an engine." I looked towards the rear of the jet. "The rear is flatter than a girl I once knew in high school..." "What?" Luna asked with a puzzled look on her face. "What is a flat girl?" "Uhh, never mind. That was a bad example." I tried not to laugh while I slowly made my way off the jet. "What are you looking at, Luna?" I asked as I made my way to her. "That..." Luna pointed to a small red light that was hidden inside a small hole. "What is it?" She asked while still pointing her hoof. "I have no idea, but its where the engine would be." I looked past Luna and noticed something was poking out of the wall. "Did you notice that over there, Luna?" I pointed at the strange object. "No." Luna glanced in the direction I was pointing. "I'm going to go see what it is." I started to walk in the direction, but Luna quickly interrupted me. "Wait!" Luna moved herself in front of me. "What about the red light. Aren't you going to find out what it is?" "At this point, Luna. I highly doubt that it's a real jet." I stepped around Luna and continued to follow the wall. "But..." I looked back to see Luna pointing at the Jet. "The red light..." Luna said with disappointment. "Tell me, Luna," I stopped and looked at Luna with a smile, "Are you the older sister, or the younger?" "I am the younger sister." Luna replied in a questionable tone. "What does that have to do with anything?" "Oh nothing," I continued to smile at Luna, "The younger side of you really shows when your excited." "What!?" Luna appeared to blush. She quickly brought her hoof up to her mouth and cleared her throat. "Yes, let us go then." Luna slowly got up and walked towards me. "No worries, Luna." I gave a quick wink at Luna. "I understand how you feel." We both continued towards the protruding object. "You do?" She asked as she looked at me. "Yeah. You're looking at another world through another person's eyes. You're seeing things that you've never even dreamed about and you want to know more." As I got closer. I recognized that the object was a door handle. "If I was in your position. I know for a fact; I would want to know more about the strange new world." "I'm pleased that you understand, but could you keep this between us?" Luna asked in hesitation. "Tell you what; Let me see that smile of yours and we'll call it even." I said as we came up on the door handle. "Well, okay..." Luna looked me in the eyes and gave me the biggest and cutest smile she could muster. "Ehh, good enough," I placed my hand on the cold metal door knob, "Let's see what's behind door number one." I opened the door and blindly barged in with Luna following slowly behind. "What is this place?" Luna followed cautiously behind me. "This seems to be a hallway. Nothing seems..." I paused as I heard voices. "I assume you can hear that too?" I asked as I glanced back at Luna. "Yes," Luna gave me a quick nod, "Somepony is here." I quickly dropped to the floor out if instinct as automatic gun fire echoed in the hall. I looked back to see Luna standing in one place. "Get down, Luna!" I yelled, but Luna quickly raised a hoof to cut me off. "This is a dream, James. You nor I can get hurt." Luna gave me a worried look as she watched me get up. "Are you alright?" "Yeah. A little embarrassed, but I'll manage." I brushed myself off and looked back at Luna. If we cant get hurt. Why are you so cautious?" "The mist..." Luna quickly replied. Right," I rubbed the back of my neck, "Well we should get moving." I looked at Luna and she game me a quick nod. We both walked down the hallway. As we passed a few doors. I noticed they seemed to be labeled with blue tags. Judging by the labels. This seemed more like a research and development wing. "What way should we go, James?" Luna asked as we came up to a crossing of hallways. "I have no clue..." I looked around as I stood in the middle of the walkway. "You'll have to remember, Luna. I've never been here before." "Oh," Luna seemed to ponder that for a moment, "So do you know where we are, or the owner of this establishment?" "I firmly believe this is a military facility." I looked to my right before deciding to take the path. "If I was to guess on the location. I'd have to say somewhere in Florida." "Florida?" Luna asked in a questionable tone. "Yeah," I looked at each door carefully before passing them by, "Florida is within earshot of the Bahamas, so I am assuming. If they are going to fly to Equestria. They'll need one of two things." I looked to my right and saw a large double doors with a sign that reads Mess Hall. "One would be an Aircraft Carrier. Seeing how we're not on one; I am assuming they won't be launching from one. Two would have to be an airfield or a runway. That large corridor looked like a runway to me, so I think I'm putting my money on option two." "I guess that makes since." Luna said with confidence. "Wow, found you..." I stopped at a door labeled Training Room. "What are the odds of that?" I opened the door and walked in. It appeared to be some kind of waiting room. Small grey chairs were lined up around the room. A few planting pots had small trees resting inside them. A few randomly placed coffee tables and a few magazines, but what really got me was the smell. A strong odder of disinfectant filled my lung. It seemed more like a doctor's office to me. "This looks more like a waiting room to me." I said to Luna as I walked up to a small sliding glass window. I poked my head in the window and saw a small tan button. "I wonder what dis button do." I said in a playful, but childish tone. I reached out and pressed the button. I slowly looked around the room, but nothing seemed to happen. "James," Luna said in excitement, "A door opened." "What?" I got out from the window and looked at Luna. "This room didn't have any doors." "Yes it does," Luna pointed her hoof to the back wall, "Its right over there. It just slid back and opened on its own." Luna said in excitement. "This place is so amazing," Luna once again gave me a smile, "Can we go in?" "Yeah, but let's take it easy." I slowly walked up to the door. "This door gives me an odd feeling." I said as I walked through the door and into another hall. "I don't understand, James. This place has a lot of doors." I quickly cut Luna off. "Yes and all the other doors had handles on both sides." I looked down at the end of the hall. It seemed to lead into another large room. "That door seemed to be hidden until the button was pressed. It's just not normal." "I believe your putting too much thought into this. I think everything will be just fine." Luna said in a calm and relaxing tone. "Hmmm... Maybe..." I muttered to myself. We finally came into the large room. It was truly a sight to behold. It appeared to be a full boot camp experience. They had every exercise you could imagine here. They also had a large track that rounded the entire course, but what was more impressive was the size. It appeared to be around two miles from end to end. "What is this amazing place?!" Luna asked "This place looked like fun!" "Not now, Luna..." I said while trying to hide my disbelief. "What's wrong, James? Is something wrong?" Luna asked "Yeah, it's this place..." I started to walk towards what appeared to be a gun range. "This place shouldn't even exist. It's too large." "I don't understand." Luna said as she followed close behind. "I have no doubt that this place is an underground facility," I pointed up at the ceiling for Luna, "The ceiling is flat. The weight from dirt and rock would make the roof collapse in on itself."I said in a confused tone. "It doesn't make any since." "Don't your kind have advance engineering capabilities?" Luna asked in curiosity. "I'm sure they found a way to make this happen." "We only have one way to make this possible, but it's still impossible." I continued to look around at its impressive size. "A dome structure can withstand the weight of the earth above it, but it's still impossible." "Why is that, James? Can you explain?" Luna asked with child like wonder. "Judging by the size of the training area and the hanger." I took a deep breath and tried to put my thoughts into words. "The dome would have to span ten miles; if not more. This place is a giant underground city." "Then where is everypony?" Luna asked as she looked around. "You and I are the only ones here." "I don't think these dreams work like that. I think they only allow kea people to be visible." I looked on at the gun range. Five misty human figures slowly manifested a few hundred yards away from Luna and I. "If I am correct; then they are going to be the key to understanding this place." I pointed off at the misty figures. "Can you see what they're doing from here?" Luna asked with a slight fear in her tone. "No," I glanced over at Luna, "Are you alright? It looks like your shaking a little." "It's that mist. I don't like it one bit." It was obvious she was afraid of it, but I didn't know why. "No worries, Luna. I'm here and besides. Like you said; it's just a dream." I gave Luna a smile as she looked at me. Luna didn't say anything, but I knew she was hiding something from me. As we got closer to the mist. I was able to make out what was going on. A hulk like figure with twice the body build as me had a rifle in its hands. A smaller figure was standing next to it, but it didn't seem to do anything. Two slim figure were fighting hand to hand. One of them seemed to be a woman. It had two bulges protruding it of the chest. It was hard not to notice; because she was kicking the ass of her opponent. The last figure seemed to be messing with some kind of small radar dish. "What's going on here, James?" Luna asked in a timid voice as we now stood in the center of all the action. "I don't know..." I looked around as a disembodied voice echoed around Luna and I. "So, Romanoff." A scruffy like voice said. "Do you like the modification to the rifle?" "Da, das good..." The large hunk like man replied in a heavy Russian accent. "If you could," The man held out a rifle that resembled an AK-47, "Replace the spring around the guide rod. Maybe with something a little more stiff." "No problem," The man with the scruffy voice took the gun and leaned it against a small bench, "You'll have until the 24th of December to make any changes." The scruffy sounding man picked up a used target. "I must say Romanoff; your one hell of a shot with that AK..." "You've got to be kidding me..." My heart jumped to my throat as I saw the sheet. All rounds were placed in the center of the forehead. It was in a tight group; no larger than an inch. "How the hell can he get a group like that on fully automatic!?" I yelled as my knees started to shake ever so slightly. "James please; calm down." Luna said as she stretched her wing over my shoulder. "No!" I quickly pulled away from Luna. "You don't understand... I'm a good shot, but I'm nothing to this guy! Comparing me to him; he's a fucking master." "I think you might be exaggerating a bit, James." Luna gave me a smile. "I'm sure your just as good as him." "No," I watched as the Russian started to walk off the field, "Maybe in semiautomatic, but not on full auto. That man is in a totally different league." I watched as the scruffy man walked over to the two who were fighting. "I don't know. Maybe you're right; maybe that was at close range." "I'm glad you're coming to your senses, James." Luna came up beside me and rubbed her head on my upper arm. "Just relax; nothing bad is going to happen." "I hope your right." I looked over at Luna. I was surprised that she was so confident. "I don't want this to sound bad, but I don't want to die in your world." Luna and I watched the two figures fighting. They quickly stopped when the scruffy man got beside them. The woman stood up straight for the scruffy man and crossed her arms. "You need something?" She asked in a slight Brooklyn accent. "Your interrupting my training..." The irritation was clear in her voice. "I'm just..." The man quickly jumped back as the other misty form attacked the woman. I looked over, but it was literally done in a blink of an eye. The woman was on one knee and the man was on his back. The woman had one arm against his neck. Her other hand seemed to have something small in it. She had it pointed at the center of his chest. "I sure hope that thing isn't loaded..." The scruffy sounding man said. "Last thing we need is a dead man on our hands." "Loaded?" The woman replies as I hear a small clicking noise. A small box like object fell out onto the man's stomach. "It's not loaded anymore." The woman said with a smug tone. "Now," The woman stood back up to face the other man, "What did you want?" "I just wanted to know if you have everything for your departure on the 24th." The man asked as he glanced at the panting man on the floor. "Yes; I have everything I could ever need." She quickly replied in anger. "Now I need to get back to training... Do you mind?..." "Actually; yes I do mind," The scruffy man put his hand up to notion the other man over to him, "Get over here, Jeffrey!" The man that was over by the radar dish quickly came over. "As you both already know; Romanoff will be your team leader. He has already been briefed, so he doesn't need to be here..." The woman quickly cut in. "Get to the point! This waiting is pissing me off..." "Okay; you might get resistance on your landing. As you already know. A pilot named, James Cross was our test subject. The black box on his aircraft is still sending a signal. We don't know how heavily armed he is, so you'll perceive him as a threat. If he is alive; he must be killed before you proceed with your mission primary." The scruffy man crossed his arms before he continued. "We can't have any witnesses for this. You already know your rewards, so make your countries proud." The scruffy man walked off. Soon after; the misty figures were blow away my a gentle wind. What was said made me scared for my life, but it made me angry. It was a rage I've never felt before. it was like the gates of hell opened up and my world was flooded by all the hate that ever existed. "Don't worry, James." Luna said. "I'll talk to my sister and well get this solved." "This has been a complete waste of time..." I said as I slowly got on my knees. "I got no information from this dream, I have no idea what they're planning and I have no way of stopping this..." I closed my eyes and balled my hand into fists. "All that this did was show me how screwed I am." "Please, James..." Luna walked up beside me to try and comfort me. "I have no doubt we'll be helping you." I quickly cut Luna off. "No," I took a deep breath, "It doesn't matter. Just leave me alone." I did my best to hide the anger I felt. "I need to be alone right now." "But, James..." "Leave!" I opened my eyes and swung my right arm towards Luna, but I hit nothing. I looked around and noticed I was surrounded my the same darkness I came into this dream with. Luna was nowhere in sight. I was alone. Nothing but time and darkness surrounding me. "Why?" I asked as I laid on my back. "Can I even stop this from happening?" I closed my eyes as it felt like I slowly fell into the darkness. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Informational: The BAE System is real, but I don't know if its in use today. Click Here for a short Youtube info vid for the BAE System. I did go a little more high tech because the BAE system is a little old now. You never know; It might have gotten a lot better since it came out! Chapter 9. The Apple Family Farm.Chapter 9 The Apple Family Farm I slowly opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. It was wood, but it had roots spanning and trailing into the walls. The beeping and scratching noise were faint, but still present. I tried to slowly get up from the cot, but something was weighing me down. I bring my hand up to my head and feel around. It felt like I had a large metal helmet strapped to my head. I bring both hands up and undid the strap on my chin. I then took the large helmet and placed it on the floor next to my cot. As I laid the helmet down. I noticed a lot of wires leading from my cot. It looked like they went to a large machine. I slowly moved the blanket away from my body. I immediately noticed I was in my boxers. "Damn it, Twilight..." I whispered to myself. "You didn't say you're going to do anything like this." I looked down the length of my body. I saw what looked to be hundreds of small electrodes all over myself. "I guess this was bound to happen." I started to remove the electrodes from my body. They seemed harmless enough, but they were very time consuming to remove. I swung my legs over the edge of the cot. I leaned down on my knees and took a deep breath. When I was relaxed and awake. I looked around the room to see if I could find Twilight. It wasn't hard to see a purple head resting on a table. She had both her front hooves sprawled out over the table and her head resting peacefully on top. "You awake, Twilight?" I whispered quietly. Not getting a response; I slowly stood up. I looked around the room for my clothes. It didn't take long before I noticed they weren't in this room. This was irritating, but it didn't make me as mad as I thought it would. I slowly got up from the cot and grabbed the blanket. I stumbled over to the table were Twilight was sleeping. It seemed that drink I was given was still effecting me somehow. I held up the blanket and gently covered Twilight. She seemed to enjoy it; because she buried her head in between her hooves. I walked past Twilight and made my way up stairs. As I made my way into the Library. I could smell toast. It didn't take long before I saw Spike. He was walking over to a table. He had a plate with toast in one hand and a cup of Orange Juice in the other. "Morning, Spike." I said as Spike placed his breakfast on the table. "Morning, Jame..." Spike quickly stopped and stared at me for a few seconds. "Rough night sleep?" Spike asked in curiosity. "Yeah; my sleep wasn't too pleasant." I said as I walked up to Spike. "How was your sleep?" I asked as I walked over to the stairs. "Could I get you anything, James? Maybe some coffee?" Spike asked as I sat down on the stairs. "Coffee?" I asked in a questionable tone. "Coffee sounds wonderful, Spike. I would love some." I gave spike a tired smile. "One cup of coffee coming right up!" Spike said with pride before running off. I got up and made my way up stairs. I walked over to my bed and sat on the edge. As I glanced over at my gun. I reached out and grabbed it. I slowly pulled it out of the holster. "Do you want anything in your coffee, James?" Spike asked from down stairs. "No," I placed the holster back on the shelf, "I like my coffee black." I said as I fumbled around with the gun. Many thoughts ran through my head in a matter of seconds. They all seemed to revolve around the dream I had. Most thoughts were bad, but not all were. Small rays of hope seemed to shine through, but I didn't know how helpful it would be. "Where'd you go, James?" Spike asked from down stairs. "I'm up here, Spike." I held my gun on its side with both hands. "Why'd you come up here?" Spike asked as he made his way up the stairs. "Well," I used my thumb to flip the safety off, "I needed to find something out." I pulled the hammer back and looked at the gun for a few seconds. "What did you need to find out?" Spike asked with a curious look on his face. "I needed to find out how useful my gun will be." I eject the magazine and pull the action back. As I locked the action back with my thumb. I held up the bulled from the chamber. "I needed to know how many bullets I have." "So how many do you have?" Spike asked as he held the cup of coffee out to me. "You tell me." I quickly unloaded the bullets from the magazine and placed them all in one hand. "I'll trade you." I placed the gun on my lap and held the bullets out to Spike. "Sure," Spike said in a pleased tone as we traded each other, "Let's see here..." I watched spike as I held the coffee cup with both hands. The warmth of the cup seemed relaxing. It was almost like it warmed my very soul. I brought the cup up to my nose. I took a deep breath and let the aroma of the coffee fill my lungs. "You look pleased, James. It's almost like you've never had coffee before." Spike started to use a claw to count out each bullet. "Wait... Have you ever had coffee before?" "Yeah I have, but I never thought you had it here." I took another deep breath of coffee. "Yeah we have coffee here, but it's a delicacy. It has to get brought in from Canterlot." Spike started to move the bullets around with his claw. "Twilight uses it for her late night reads. I don't understand why, but she tells me it helps her stay awake." Spike held the bullets towards me and smiled. "You have nine left." "Nine?" I asked as I looked at my coffee. "That sounds about right." I tilted my head back with the coffee. It took a few seconds before I finished the cup. "Is something wrong, Spike?" I asked as I swapped the bullets for my cup. "Yeah..." Spike started to fidget with the cup. "Isn't it hot?" Spike asked with a worried look on his face. "Extremely..." I said as I picked up my gun. I quickly flipped the latch on the side and the action slammed forward with a lout clack. "Something wrong again, Spike?" I asked as he jumped from the noise. "No everything is fine," Spike watched me as I placed my gun and ammo next to the holster, "But it almost seems like your depressed." "How could you tell, Spike?" I asked as I gave him a small smile. "Well," Spike put a claw up to his chin, "You haven't called me, Little Man and I can't explain it, but I can somehow feel it." "Well," I placed my hand on Spikes head and looked him in the eyes, "You couldn't be more right, but don't worry about it. I'll be fine." "Okay, James." Spike gave me a smile and walked towards the stairs. He stopped and looked back at me. "It might be out of my place to say this, but if you need to talk to someone. Twilight and I are here to listen." "Thanks, Spike." I got up and walked up to Spike. "I think I'll be fine. No worries." "Okay, James." Spike said as I followed him down the stairs. "Hey, Spike." Twilight said as she walked into the library. "I smell coffee. Did you make me a cup?" "I'm sorry, Twilight..." Spike said as he walked up to his breakfast. "James got the last cup this morning. "Oh..." Twilight sat down and stared at the ground. "Sorry, Twilight. I didn't know it was the last cup." I looked at Twilight as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "I need to talk to you, Twilight. When you have the time." "Sure," Twilight smiled and walked over to Spike, "What do you need?" "Why don't we start with my clothes." I stated calmly. "Also an explanation on why I didn't have them on when I woke up." "Your clothes were dirty. So I thought I might wash them, but seeing how you always wear clothes. I thought it would be a brilliant idea to get you more." Twilight gave me a big smile. " Rarity told me that she would drop by this morning." "Thank you for that, but why did you take them off in the first place?" I asked again. "I already told you. They were dirty." Twilight raised an eyebrow. " Is something wrong, James?" "He's depressed..." Spike quickly cut in. "Oh my goodness. Is everything alright?" Twilight said with a concerned look on her face. " Do you need to see a doctor?" "No, but I do need to get my mind off a few things." I was about to continue, but Twilight quickly cut me off. "I can talk to Pinkie Pie. I know she can cheer you up." Twilight tried to run to the door, but I put my arm in front of her chest. "I don't need, Pinkie Pie. I need a job." I let out a small sigh. " I have done nothing while I've been here and I'm going mad, so can you help me get a job?" "Applejack might need a hoof on her farm." Twilight put her hoof to her chin. "We could go talk to her now, but we should probably hurry." "I don't think I'll be going anywhere without my clothes." I held my arms out to my sides in an irritated manner. " You gata remember that I need my clothes." "I don't think I'll ever understand that about you, James." Twilight quickly turned her head to a knock on the door. " That'll be Rarity now." "Yo little man." I walked over to Spike and kneeled down to whisper to him. "Next time could you just keep stuff like that between us?" "But why?" Spike quickly fired back. "I just know, Twilight can help. You'd be impressed about how many problems she solved." "I don't like dumping my problems in other people's lap." I stood up and looked down at Spike. "I'll find a way to deal with this." Spike jumped up and cut me off. "But what if it's more then you can handle on your own?" Spike looked at me with a serious look. "You need to know when to ask for help." "How would you know if it's something I can't deal with myself?" I asked while raising my eyebrow. "It was the look in your face." Spike looked down at the floor for a few second, before turning his attention back to me. "Twilight and I are your friends and friends help each other." Spike said sternly while stomping his foot. "Alright little man. I'll put some thought into what you said." I looked up and saw Twilight. She was walking over with a pile of clothes levitating next to her. "That's a lot of clothed, Twilight. Did you get some for yourself?" "Don't be silly. I can't wear your kind of clothes." Twilight giggled a little before putting the clothes on the table. I walked up to the table as Twilight started to mingle with Rarity. I slowly looked over the neatly folded clothes. I could tell Rarity put a lot of time into them. The clothes came in a variety of colors. All of them also seemed to be ironed with great care. With the nice selection; it didn't take long before I picked out my clothed. "Thanks a lot, Rarity. You have no idea what this means to me; after all I'm going to be here for a few more months." I put on a white shirt and glanced over at Spike. I then looked back over at Twilight. I immediately noticed she had a disappointed look on her face. "is something wrong, Twilight?" "Did you find out how to get home?" Twilight asked as she forced a smile. "Well I'm going home one way or another," I pulled up a pair of tan pants and quickly fastened the button, "So I guess its Carpe Diem from here on out." I gave Twilight and Rarity a smile. "That's just mar valise, James." Rarity gave me a smile back. "I'm happy for you, but we're going to have to get together before you go. I must know more about your worlds fashion." "I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best to make time." I turned my attention back to Twilight. "Do you know where my socks and boots are, Twilight." "Socks?" Rarity asked as she quickly stepped in front of Twilight. "What are socks?" "I guess they're clothed for your feet." I pointed down at my feet. "Your hooves?" Rarity let out a big gasp. "Idea!~ Thank you, James! You just gave me a wonderful idea for a new line of clothes!" Rarity quickly rushed out the door. A loud slam followed shortly after. "Okay... So, Twilight; my question still stands." I said as I stacked the clothes back in a neat pile. " They're over by the door." Twilight turned and levitated both my boots and socks to me. "Thanks, Twilight." I sat on the ground and started to put them on. "So do you mind if I ask about all that equipment I found on myself this morning?" "Sure," Twilight smiled in excitement, "I was taking readings on your brain waves and gathering information on your muscles. You'd be surprised on how similar we are." "Similar is a surprising choice of words. How are we similar?" I asked as I got up. "Well," Twilight put a hoof to her chin, "we both have the same patterns in our brain waves. Our Alpha, Bata, Delta, Theta and Gamma brain waved are identical." Twilight motioned to the door with a hoof." "You'll have to forgive me, but brain waves are a weak subject to me." I held the door open for Twilight. "I never paid attention in my biology class." I followed Twilight out the door and closed it behind me. "Alpha brain waves happen when you're in a deeply relaxed state of mind. This happens when you daydream or on the verge of sleep. Some ponies say it's the gateway into your subconscious." Twilight stopped and clapped her front hooves together. "Humans are so interesting!" Twilight exclaimed. "Come on, Twilight." I held my hand up in the direction we're walking. "We need to get to Applejack's place." "Oh, Right." Twilight quickly ran up to my side. "Well Bata brain waves," Twilight continued her explanation, "They are your conscious mine. It's for logic and reasoning. It can also help you through properly understanding your stress, anxiety and restlessness." Twilight let out a small sigh. "That's a part of you I don't understand. You showed a lot of Beta waves in your sleep." "What does that mean?" I asked in curiosity. "It shows you were fully aware in your dream. I also picked up some strange magic reading. It's like the magic here is in sync with your dreams." Twilight said in a questionable tone. "Theta waves show your on the verge on deep sleep. It's vital for ponies to enter this state of mine. It helps us go into REM sleep and apparently its just as vital for humans." Twilight gave me a big smile before continuing. "Delta brain waves shows deep sleep. It's the realm of your subconscious mind. It's also vital for healing." "That's actually kind of interesting, but wouldn't my brain only show one wave at a time?" I asked in curiosity. "Hey!" Twilight puffed out her cheeks. "I wasn't finished!" "I'm sorry," I held up my hands, "Please continue." "Right," Twilight nodded with a smile, "Gamma waves are the most strange. They are the most recently discovered brain wave. It shows extreme activity. Mostly in imagination, creativity and inspiration." Twilight sighed again. "Your brain waves were all over the place. It showed a lot of Alpha and Delta. A couple times; you would jump to Gamma and Bata. That's when I picked up a faint burst of magic." Twilight gave me a serious look. "Can I ask about your dream?" "I'd rather not. That dream put a lot of stress on me today, so I want to forget about it." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Anything else is fine." "Well there was something else." Twilight hid her face from me. "I was experimenting on you while you slept. I would whisper random words and phrases in your ear. I wanted to see how you would react to a few things and..." Twilight paused for a few seconds. "And... What?..." I asked. "I... Umm..." Twilight quickly turned to face me. "Why is your face turning red?" I asked while raising an eyebrow. "Twilight!" Twilight let out a loud squeak as Rainbow Dash yelled. "Where you both going?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew up to us. "I need a job, so, Twilight is taking me to Applejack." I said as Rainbow Dash was staring at Twilight. "Why is, Twilight blushing?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew around Twilight. "I have no..." Twilight quickly interrupted me. "Rainbow! Don't do that! You scared me!" Twilight yelled. "Settle down Twilight." Rainbow Dash said in a playful tone. "I just wanted to know if I could borrow, James for a day." "No one can borrow me today." I rubbed my forehead. "I need to make some money." "What could you possibly need money for?" Rainbow Dash flew up in front of me and raised an eyebrow. "Isn't Twilight taking good care of you? Oh," Rainbow Dash knocked her hooves together, "If she isn't taking good care of you. You could always stay with me." "I'm fine where I am, but I really need to get going, Rainbow Dash." I looked at Twilight. "Let's get going Twilight. The sooner I get to, Applejacks the better." "Right." Twilight nodded in approval and we continued on our path with Rainbow Dash following. "So what do you need the money for, James?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew up in front of me. "I'm sure if you ask, Twilight for help. She'd be more than happy to help." "I need the money for explosives." I took a brief second to think. "So do you even have explosives?" "Explosives?" Rainbow dash put a hoof to her chin as she flew backwards. "We have fireworks, but other than that. I have no idea." "Fireworks might actually work for the job I need." I looked off in the distance and could see what looked to be a farm house. "Are you going to have a firework show?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Something like that." I replied in irritation. "Why don't you tell me when you're having the firework show!" Rainbow Dash gave Twilight and I a big smile. "I should get going. I'm working on a move that I know will blow the minds of the Wonderbolts." Rainbow Dash quickly flew off. "Catch'ya later, James!" "So," I glanced at Twilight as we walked to the farm, "What kind of work will I be doing?" "Well," Twilight paused for a few seconds, "Last time I helped Applejack on her farm. I was helping her pick apples during the Applebuck Season." "So I'll be picking apples?" I asked. "I don't know, but I think we'll find out." Twilight stopped and pointed her hoof. "Applejack is coming." "Well howdy, Twi." Applejack quickly ran up to us and gave me a smile. "Howdy, James." "Hey, Applejack. James is looking for work and I was wondering. Do you have anything you need help on the farm?" "I can always use an extra hoof on the farm." Applejack turned to look at me. "Have y'all worked on a farm before?" "No, but I guarantee I'm a fast learner." I put my hands in my pockets. "Anything you need and I'll do it." "That's what I like to hear. You can go wait by the house and I'll be over in a jiffy." Applejack pointed down the road at a large house. "You got it boss," I started to make my way to the house, "I'll be waiting for you." I made my way down the road. As I took in my surroundings. I couldn't help, but to get a little impressed. I might not have worked on a farm before, but I do know a farm when I see one. The large red barn, the hay bales, a pig pen and a field for cows. It was a very heartwarming sight. It almost reminded me of Texas. The size of the farm might seem a little small, but it was relatively the same. As I stood waiting for Applejack. A large red pony with an orange mane and tail got my attention. He was hauling a large cart filled with baskets of apples. I went over as he entered the barn. "You need some help with that?" I asked as he quickly turned to look at me. "I'm here to help Applejack on the farm." "I can handle this on my own." He said in a stern voice. "No need to be shy." I walked over to the rear of the cart and opened the latch. "Where do you need em?" "Over by the wall will be fine." The large red pony came over to the rear of the cart. He pulled three large baskets of apples onto his back. "Wow," I grabbed a basket of apples and followed him, "Your strong..." "Eeyep." He replied. "My name is, James." I placed my basket against the wall. "I'm Big Macintosh." He replied. "James!?" Applejack yelled from outside. "Where'd you go!?" "Sorry, Big Macintosh," I looked at the basket by the wall, "But that's my boss, so I need to go." I quickly ran out of the barn. "I'm here, Applejack. I was giving, Big Macintosh a hand with some apples." "Well that's all right." Applejack put her hoof to her chin and slowly looked me over. "How good are you at bucking for apples?" "Bucking?" I thought about that for a few seconds. "We don't kick for apples in my world. We pick them by hand or by large machines, so I wouldn't imagine very well." "Okay," Applejack raised an eyebrow, "I don't want you to get your fancy duds all dirty, so washing the pigs are out of the question. Milking the cows could get messy too, so that's out of the question." Applejack went deep in thought for a few minutes. "I have a job for ya, but it's really hard. Big Mac and I usually put it off till the last minute." "I'll do whatever you need me to do." I held my arms out and turned around. "You don't need to worry about my clothes. they can be washed." "That's all right, James. I'll try to keep ya clean." Applejack turned around and started to walk over to a small open field. "Follow me partner." "You got it boss." I followed close behind applejack. We came up to a stump in the ground. It had a large red ax stuck in the stump and a very large pile of logs a few feet away. "I need y'all to cut us some wood. Winter is not far away and we need the wood to last the winter." Applejack turned and gave me a smile. "You think you can handle this?" "No problem," I grabbed the ax and pulled it out of the stump, "How many times you want me to cut the log?" "Six times should do it, but take your time. It's a lot of hard work." Applejack watched me retrieve some logs. "How much fire wood will you need?" I asked as I dropped the logs by the stump. "As much as you can cut." Applejack pointed to a small clearing behind me. "You can just put the cut wood over there." "You got it boss." I watched as she walked away. "Almost makes me wonder if they use their mouth with the ax." I said to myself as I laughed. I started my work for the day. The repetitions were very boring, but it was quick work. I couple hours in. A small yellow pony with a red mane and tail strolled up next to me. She had a ridiculously large bow tied on the back of her mane. "Hey ,James." The yellow pony gave me a smile. "My name is, Apple Bloom." "What's up, Apple Bloom? You need something?" I asked as I swung the ax at a log. "Applejack sent me to see if you needed help." Apple Bloom gave me a big smile. "But I'm almost done." I pointed at a small pile of logs. "I only have a few left." "You think I can bring you the logs?" Apple Bloom asked with pleading eyes. "I don't see why not. Just be careful." I bent down and ruffled her mane. "Last thing I need is for you to get hurt." "Right!" Apple bloom quickly ran and picked up a log. I watched her as she slowly walked towards me. She would occasionally sway to the left and back to the right. A couple times; it almost looked like she was going to fall forward. "A little top heavy, Apple Bloom?" I asked while trying to hide my laughter. "Yef; juft a widdle bit," Apple Bloom set the log next to my foot, "But I can do this." "Hold on, Apple Bloom," I grabbed her bow before she got away, "Why don't you take the logs I cut over to that pile?" I pointed to the large pile of cut logs. "It would be a lot safer for you and you'll still be helping." "Alright, James." Apple Bloom sat next to me as I worked. "So it your Cutie Mark cutting wood?" "Why would it be wood cutting?" I asked in curiosity. "It takes Big Mac a few hours to get the wood we need for winter. You cut all of the wood in the same time that Big Mac needs." Apple bloom quickly swooped in and grabbed a couple cut logs. "No," I watched as she took the logs over to the pile, "I can't get a Cutie Mark." Apple bloom quickly cut me off. "Why not?!" She asked in amazement. "Maybe because my kind can have more than one talent." I placed the last log on the stump and took a quick swing. "So what are your talents?" Apple Bloom asked with wide eyes. "I guess it would be flying." I said as I scratched my head. "Where are your wings?" Apple Bloom asked as she walked around to my back. "I don't see anything." "My wings are broken in the Everfree Forest." I planted the ax back into the stump as I finished my work. "I'm hoping I can get another pair of wings soon. I would like to fly again." "Your wings come off?" Apple Bloom asked while raising in eyebrow. "Something like that." I walked up to Apple Bloom and looked down at her. "Why don't you take me to, Applejack. I need some more work." I watched as Apple Bloom nodded. "Sure thing." Apple Bloom said with a smile. I followed Apple Bloom past the barn. We continued down into a large apple tree field. I could tell someone was working very hard. A lot of the trees had no apples in them. I also noticed a few rotting apples randomly scattered on the ground. "Come on," Apple Bloom started to run, "Applejack is just ahead of us." "Alright." I jogged behind Apple Bloom to keep up with her. "Do you know what I might be doing?" "Applejack and Big Mac are done with harvesting for today and I finished up all the other chores. All that's left is picking up the bruised apples for the pigs." Apple Bloom said as she ran; not missing a beat. "Sounds easy enough." I said as Applejack came into view. "Yep, Applejack and I make a game of it. Its really fun." Apple Bloom said in a pleased tone. "Well hey you two." Applejack said as we came up to her. "Y'all didn't quit early did ya?" "I ran out of wood to cut." I replied. "What?" Applejack gave a surprised look. "Now how in the hay did you do that? It takes Big Mac all day to get enough for winter." "I'm just a fast worker." I said with a smile. "Now I'm waiting for the next task." "Well alrighty then." Applejack smiled. "We need to pick up the bad apples for the pigs. Could you lend us a hoof?" "Sure thing boss." I picked up a small wood basket and started to pick up the bad apples. "You know, James," Applejack started to toss the apples to Apple Bloom, "I had a little chat with, Twilight when you walked ahead to the farm. She said your depressed over something." "I don't want to bore you, Applejack." I then remembered what Spike told me. "Besides it would take a while to explain to you." "We have plenty of time." Applejack said as she hit an apple to Apple Bloom with her tail. "Well," I let out a sigh, "Why not..." I spent a couple hours telling Applejack about the dreams I had. I never left out any details. To my surprise; Applejack poured all her attention into my story. She never interrupted or took a break. "I can see why your depressed, but you seem to handle it well." Applejack said with a gentle smile. "It also seems your life is more than ordinary. The ponies in your dream sounded like they wanted you gone, but here you are. Alive and able to fight against them," Applejack let out a sigh, "But it also sounds like you don't treat us as equals." Applejack walked up and sat in front of me. "This is your life, so I can't tell you what to do. Try treating us as equals. Like somepony you'd tread in your world." Applejack gave me a smile. "I guarantee you'll be surprised at the results." "Alright, so what should I do about them coming here?" I asked with a shamed look on my face. "I have no idea what to do." "I once had the same problem as you. I was as stubborn as a mule last Applebuck season." Applejack gave me another smile. "I didn't want to ask my friends for help, but in the end. I let go of my stubborn pride and asked for help and I must say. It was the best Applebucking season I've had in a long time." Applejack turned and started to walk out of the field. She turned back and notions me to follow. "Your friends here can help you. You just need to have faith." "I fear you still don't understand what I'm up against." I took a deep breath to try and relax. "If you help me when the time comes. I have no doubt we'll all die." "What about, Princess Luna? I have no doubt she told, Princess Celestia." Applejack said in confidence. "She can have the entire royal guard to assist if you think it's that much trouble." "You still don't understand." I said in irritation. "They'll be coming here in machines that I flew in on. If the dreams are true. They won't go down like I did. Machines from my world can project earth shattering power; all over the world in a blink of an eye. You might have Pegasi here, but you don't have a chance to keep up with their speeds." "That's just steankin thinkin, James." Applejack said in confidence. "You need to have more faith in us," Applejack opened the door of her house, "But let's not worry about this now. We'll have plenty of time before your kind comes to this world, but for now. Its time I pay you for your hard work. It's getting dark and I cant keep ya here forever." "Alright." I said as I followed Applejack into the kitchen. "You did a lot of work today, so how does twenty bits sound to you?" Applejack asked with a smile. "It all sounds good to me." I watched applejack open a drawer and pull out a small tan bag. She placed the bag on the counter and smiled. "Can I expect you to come tomorrow?" "I don't see why not. I can always use extra cash." I picked up the tan bag and put it into my pocket. "Thanks; I'll see you later, Applejack." I said as I made my way out of her house. "Alright, James. Have a safe trip home." Applejack said as I walked out the door. The long walk home gave me a good chance to think. No matter how I approached it. Applejack was right, but I was also right on a few subjects. The ponies here had no idea how destructive one of our war machines could be. I knew I needed help, but I couldn't ask the ponies in this world. They would be slaughtered in no time. I knew I needed more man power and more guns. The only question was how. I don't know how to forge a gun and don't get me started on the ammunition. It takes math to get the proper mixture of air and powder. Too much and the gun will explode. Too little and the bullet will get lodged in the barrel. "No matter how I cut it. I'm screwed without a trump card." I said to myself as Twilights house came into view. "I'll have surprise on my side. I might not know much, but I know more about this world then they do." As I walked up to the door of Twilight's house. I could see a faint flickering light. I opened the door and immediately saw Twilight. She was sitting by the table looking at something. She had a candle lighting up the area around her. "What's up, Twilight?" I asked as I walked in and took my boots off. "Hu," Twilight turned around and gave me a tired look, "Oh; hello, James. How was your first day of work?" Twilight asked as she turned her attention back to what she was doing. "It wasn't bad," I walked up besides Twilight, "What are you doing?" I looked down at a book that rested in front of her. "I got a letter from the Princess today." Twilight looked at the ground. "She told me what Princess Luna saw in your dreams." Twilight looked back at the book and magically turned the page in a purple aura. "I'm sorry, James. I didn't know how much stress you were under." "No worries, Twilight. I'm not stressed out any more." I suddenly remembered what Applejack said. "Treat them as equals..." I mumbled under my breath. "Why don't you get some rest, Twilight. You look tired." "But I need to find a way to help you." Twilight looked up at me with a sorry look. "You're going to need my help." "Twilight," I got behind twilight and put my hands on her neck, "I'll take over from here." I started to gently massage up and down her neck. "I haven't done any reading while I have been here and I think it would be a good idea to start." "Why don't you join me?" Twilight asked in a pleased tone as I continued to massage her. "Well get twice the work done in the same amount of time." "No," I started to move my massage down to her shoulders, "You're tired. I have no doubt you'll miss something important if you continue." "Yeah," Twilight got up and I stopped massaging her, "You're right, James. I'll leave the rest in your hooves tonight." Twilight gave me a smile. "It's a good thing..." Twilight paused and let out a big yawn. "What is?" I asked as she walked towards the stairs. "Your warming up to us. I was afraid you didn't like us." Twilight started to make her way up the stairs. "Good night, James. I'll see you in the morning." "Good night, Twilight." I watched her as she slowly vanished up stairs. I turned my attention to the book she was reading. "The Art of Teleportation Spells." I said to myself. "I don't see how teleporting will do me any good." I closed the book and picked it up. I walked around the Library for an open slot. I found an open slot and I placed the book on the shelf. "I guess I should get some sleep too." I walked over to the table. As I was just about to blow the candle out. A small twinkling light got my attention. I turned in its direction and noticed it was coming from a bottom book shelf. I walked over to the shelf and got down on my hands and knees. I slowly removed every book from the bottom shelf and stacked them neatly out of my way. I bent down and saw a gold horse shoe covered in dust. I reached in and tried to grab it, but it was fixed to the wall. I placed my hand on it and gently pushed it in. I quickly moved my hand back as a false wall moved upwards. The false wall revealed a red book with a gold plaque. I reached in and grabbed the dusty old book. I put the old book down and placed the other books back on the shelf. I then picked up the book as I stood up. "Let's see what this is," I walked over to the table and looked at the gold plaque, "Legends and Myths of Equestria." I placed the book on the table and opened it to the index. "This book doesn't look like it could help me in the slightest." I was about to close the book, but a small purple and blue mist rocketed past me. I let go of the book as a mild wind blew in front of me. I looked down at the book and noticed it turned a few pages. "Legend of the Mirror Pond." I said to myself as I started to read the book. "I think I just found my trump card." I let out a big smile as I continued to read. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy!
Chapter 1. Routine Training Exercise.Chapter 1 Routine Training Exercise It's hard to have a normal day when you're in the military. Things need to be done in a hurry, so you can move onto the next task. Today was just like that; anything but normal. I was first up on a solo training exercise. Normally I wouldn't complain, but this was different. We always ran in three man groups as a minimum and as my first solo. It has me a little on edge. I was told that this was just a routine training exercise, but from what I experienced today. I learned a routine training exercise can be anything but. I am serving on the USS George H.W. Bush. It is a decently sized aircraft carrier. It currently held seventy-five aircraft. At the time; we currently had a little over five-thousand well trained men and women living on this floating city. I know from experience; when that many people live in such a confined space. You make friends very quick. We were sailing 100 miles off the coast of Cat Island. It's a small island in the Bahamas with a population under 2,000. It rests about 250 miles off the coast of Florida. Beautiful sparkling blue waters, fine white sand beaches and some nice resorts. It would be a perfect place for my next shore leave. "Hey James." I turned to look at the voice. "Come over here James. I could use the company." "Hold on Ethan; let me get my lunch..." I held my tray up. "Alright, alright..." Ethan waved at me and turned back to his lunch. I walked over and grabbed a bowl of salad. I walked down the line and grabbed a random sandwich. When I looked over the shoulder of the man in front of me. I saw one last slice of apple pie. I could only pray he wouldn't take it. I was ecstatic when he passed it by. I quickly grabbed it and placed it on my tray. "Hurry up James..." Ethan waved at me. "Calm down Ethan." I walk towards the table. "Why are you in such a hurry?" I sat down across from Ethan. "I'm not in a hurry, you just take too long." Ethan looked at my tray. "Why do you always get apple pie? That shit is going to make you fat..." Ethan looked at me and smirked. "Give me a brake; I got some salad." I pointed at my bowl of salad. "Besides, it's my only release on this ship. They cracked down on video games." I took a bite of my sandwich. "The only game you can find on this ship is Solitaire; and that's in the command center. You're not going to find much else on a computer." "You have plenty of ways to get your release." Ethan smiled at me. "We have plenty of women on this ship; just find one and screw her. No one has to know." Ethan started to laugh. "So is that how you relax?" I raised my eyebrow. "Hell no!" Ethan waved his hand in the air. "My ball and chain would kill me..." "So your wife still has your balls around her neck?" I laughed. "She seems to have you trained the way she wants." "Come on man; that's not even cool." Ethan smiled. "What about Jessica? I know she wants you." "That's off limits." I said while chewing my sandwich. "Besides; I thought she has a man in the states." "Nope, she has no one in the states. Trust me man; she wants you, so show some interest." Ethan started to look over my shoulder. "Maybe..." I watch Ethan as he moved his head around. "What the hell are you doing?... That's a good way to piss someone off..." "I think that's Rice Ball." Ethan stood up and started to yell. "Hey Rice Ball! Come over here and eat!" Ethan waved at a crowd of people. "You know his name is Chung, so why do you call him Rice Ball?" I finished my sandwich and started on my salad. "I'm going to laugh when he cracks your head open for the racist shit that comes from your mouth." "I have heard him say worse things about white people." Ethan smiled. "Besides; have you seen the picture of Chung when he was small?" Ethan started to laugh. "No..." I raised an eyebrow. "How did you find a picture of him when he was a kid?" "That's not important, but I will say he was round." Ethan smiled as Chung came and sat next to him. "Rice Ball, what's up?" "I'm American, so why do you call me Rice Ball?" Chung started to eat his soup. "Just ignore him Chung; he is only trying to piss you off." I said with a smile. "I wouldn't blame you if ya beat his ass and throw him in a storage locker. I think the crew would find it rather amusing." I took a bite of my salad. "Don't pay attention to James." He waved me off with his hand. "We were talking about how to relax on the ship." We watched Ethan as he smiled. "Have you screwed anyone yet?" "Oh yeah..." I quickly cut Chung off. "So what was his name?" I smiled and shortly after; I felt a sharp pain in my lag. "Why the hell did you kick me?" "What you said was offensive." Chung nodded with his eyes closed. "So Ethan brings racist Chinese jokes to the table; I bring one gay joke and I get kicked?" I watched Ethan as he was busting up in laughter. "That is bull shit Chung... Bull shit." I finished off my salad. "So James; you are first up for the training exercise?" Ethan asked after he took a drink of water. "I hear you're flying solo." "Yeah." I bring my apple pie closer to me. "This is my first solo run; not counting that run in I had with the Chinese." "I remember that..." Chung said as he finished his soup. "Weren't you going to get court-martialed for that?" "No, they looked over the Hornet." Ethan interrupted me. "I heard about that too. You took out three Mighty Dragons." Ethan laughed. "What did they find?" "They found the Hornet had a problem with it's GPS." I started to eat my apple pie. "It was sending a wrong signal and it had my flying over Chinese airspace. Just remember, they fired first." "You'd think they would check that; after all it is a multi-million dollar aircraft." Chung wiped his mouth with a towel. "It's not everyday someone fucks up like that... You were lucky no one died." "I know." I looked over at the clock on the wall. "So Ethan, how are you down in the engine room?" "It's going smooth; just wish I had more to look at." Ethan sighed. "That kind of talk will get you in trouble Ethan." Chung raised an eyebrow at Ethan. "One of these days your wife will find out." Ethan interrupted. "Yeah, yeah, yeah I heard it all before..." Ethan rolled his eyes. "Hey James..." Ethan watched as I stood up. "Where you going?" "I have to get ready." I pointed at the clock. "I only have thirty minutes to get ready, so I best get going." I picked my tray up. "Just be careful out there. People are telling me we are headed into a storm." Ethan went back to his lunch. "I'll be on my best behavior." I put my hand up as I walked away. I picked up the rest of my apple pie and placed my tray in a basket on the edge of the counter. I quickly ran out into the hall to avoid anyone from seeing my food. Last thing I needed was to get yelled at for bringing food out of the mess hall. I started to make my way to the rear of the carrier, until a sudden urge hit me. I looked around for the closest bathroom. I quickly entered the through the door. I went to the closest urinal and I did what I had to do. "Hitting the head before your big mission?" A man next to me said in a deep voice. "Yeah." I laughed. "Can't go while I'm in the air; right?" "I don't suppose you can." The man smirked. I finished my business and walked towards the sink. I started to wash my hands; then the man started to speak. "Just be careful out in that storm, James Cross." The man continued to stand at the urinal. "The Bermuda Triangle can be a tricky lady to navigate in, with all those rumors." "I don't believe that bull shit about people vanishing." I took some paper towels to dry off my hands. "By the way, have we met before? I can't seem to recall your name." "Nope, we haven't met before. I am just a random stranger." He looked at me and gave me a creepy smile. "Isn't it almost time for your takeoff?" "Oh shit, you're right!" I quickly throw the paper towels away. I made it halfway out the door, but something was bugging me. I slowly turned around. "Excuse me but can I ask you..." I looked around the restroom, but I couldn't see the man I spoke with. I walked back in the restroom and looked around. I looked in every stall and even under the sink. I couldn't find that man anywhere. I rubbed the standing hairs on the back of my neck and quickly made it out of the restroom. I make my way down the hall until I heard a familiar voice. "Hey James. How are you doing?" I turned around and saw Jessica running up to me. "I'm doing fine; just on my way to suit up for my training exercise." I put my hand up, pointing it down the hall. "Would you like to walk with me?" "Oh I can't... I have to go sweep the deck." Jessica smiled. "It is my job to make sure you get a safe takeoff." "Right, so I guess I will let you go?" I gave Jessica a smile. "Yeah." I watched as Jessica started to run down the hall. "I will take you up on that offer of a walk tonight!" Jessica yelled as she ran down the hall. "Okay!?" She turned back and waved. "Sure thing!" I waved back while smiling. I continued down the hall without interruption this time. I made my way to the prep station and walked up to my locker. I quickly opened it and pulled my suit out; I put it on and kicked the bottom of my locker. I popped open a small hidden compartment on the bottom. I grabbed my gun and holster. I wrapped the holster around the top of my right leg. I checked to see I had a round chambered. "James!" I jumped as a familiar voice yelled. I turned to see my friend Asad. "What the hell is wrong with you, Asad?" I showed him my gun. "What would have happened if this went off because you scared me?" "You shouldn't have personal firearms on the ship my friend." He replied in a heavy Arabic accent. "Do you think I could see that?" Asad held his hand out. "No problem, just don't scare me like that again." I grabbed the barrel and held the gun out to him. "It's loaded, so be careful." "Do not worry my friend; I too have been trained in firearms." Asad grabbed the gun and inspected it. "It looked like it is well taken care of." Asad smiled as he ejected the magazine. "Yeah, it was passed down to me by my father." I watched him look at the magazine. "Nice, 17 rounds in the magazine." I watched as he pulled the slide back half way. "And one in the chamber. This isn't your standard M9. This is a 92A1 Beretta." Asad put the magazine back and held it towards me. "Your father would be proud on how you take care of his pistol." Asad smiled. "I can only hope." I took the gun and placed it in my holster. "So am I ready for takeoff?" "Your Hornet is ready to fly." Asad looked me in the eyes. "But I am more worried about you, my friend." "Why is that?" I asked while I raised an eyebrow. "I have a strange feeling when I am around you today. It almost feels like I will never see you again." Asad rubbed his neck. "I can't seem to put my finger on it, but it is almost like something evil is on this ship." "That's strange..." I remembered the man that disappeared in thin air. "I was in the restroom before I came here. A strange man was using the urinal next to me; I rushed towards the door and when I looked back. It was like he vanished." I looked at Asad as he started to go pale. "I hope you are joking, James." Asad watched me for a second. "Something is not right about this." "I'm sure it's nothing." I closed my locker. "I will just keep a cool head when I'm out flying." "Please do that, may your god be with you." Asad put his hands on my shoulders and started to come close. "Whoa..." I put my arm up to stop him. "I'm sorry, Asad. I know it is out of respect, but kissing another man's cheek is wrong. Remember; I'm an American." I watched as Asad laughed. "I am sorry my friend. I am still stuck in the old ways." Asad smiled as he put his arms to his side. "Just be careful, you will be flying into a storm today." Asad quickly got serious. "A dark shadow is following behind you. I wish you a safe journey." Asad held his hand out. "I'll watch my back." I grabbed his hand and shook it. I pulled him close and patted him on his back with my other hand. "This can serve as a Farewell. It's a lot better than your traditional goodbye in my opinion." Asad reached his arm around and patted my back. "Good luck my friend." Asad let go of my hand and I turned towards my Hornet. As I walked towards my Hornet. I had to shake that creepy feeling Asad gave me. Talking about dark shadows and that strange man in the restroom almost sent me over the edge. I knew I shouldn't let it bug me, but it still gave me an odd feeling of danger. I climb up on the wing and quickly got in the cockpit. I closed it up and looked at my gauges. I looked at Asad and gave him the thumbs up. I watched as him and his crew ran over to me and latched my hornet on a large cart. They drove me to the rear of the carrier and slowly backed me up on the lift. I looked at Asad as he stood at attention. He quickly raised his hand up to his forehead and saluted me. I repaid the favor and gave him a quick salute as my plane was lifted to the deck. As I was slowly lifted to the deck; I could see a large wall of black clouds that seemed to go up into space. I have never seen anything like it. I could see lightning spidering out of the clouds and into the ocean. It was the most amazing display of lightning I had ever seen in my life. I watched as a flight crew rushed out to inspect my craft. I looked at the man in front that was signaling me. He wanted to check the flaps. We ran through the left, right, up and down. He gave me the thumbs up and he slowly directed me forward. He signaled me to stop. When I stopped; he rushed under my aircraft. Shortly after; the crew ran out from under my aircraft and I was given the thumbs up. I started a mental countdown in my head; I was going to launch in ten seconds. This was the best part of the job; the sudden thrust, the adrenalin and the neck breaking speeds. It was the very feel of freedom, the ability to fly through the heavens and the ability to project Earth shattering power all around the world. I hit one and I was thrown back in my seat as I rocketed off the carrier. "Red Rocket to Avenger, I have a green light on takeoff and awaiting the co-ordinance" I waited for a response. "Roger that Red Rocket, we have you on radar. Proceed to the co-ordinance we provided." "Understood Avenger, I'm five minutes out from the destination. I will update on my progress." "Copy that Red Rocket, we await your update, Avenger out." The radio went silent as I continued forward. I looked forward as I flew into the storm. A wall of water splashed over the cockpit window. I was impressed; I have never seen a downpour like this before in my life, but I did find it fascinating. I watched as water hit the window; the rain drops literally exploded on impact. What happened next; threw me off a little. The rain started to clear and it got darker as I flew further into the storm. "Red Rocket to Avenger, I'm three minutes to the target." I stopped as I was interrupted by a little turbulence. "I'm getting a little turbulence, but it's nothing. I will continue to push to target." "Rog... R... Rocket... We..." Static filled the radio. "I did not copy that Avenger; can you repeat. I did not copy." I waited for a response. "Roger that Re.. Rocket, we copy yo... Proceed to target." It was better, but I was still getting a little static. I continued to push forward into the storm. The turbulence got a little worse, but it was still controllable. I glanced at my dash and noticed my compass and my heading indicator was going crazy. I didn't let it bug me, because I knew my general direction. I looked up and saw a large wall of white fog. It struck me odd, so I radioed it in. "Red Rocket to Avenger, my instruments are going crazy and I have a large wall of fog out here. How should I proceed?" I waited for a response, but I heard nothing but static. "Red Rocket to Avenger, do you copy?" I waited for a response, but still nothing. I continued to fly forward into the fog and as I passed through; my Hornet violently shook from turbulence. The shaking lasted for about five seconds, but it felt like an eternity. I looked at my dash and noticed my Altitude indicator was acting up, so was my radio magnetic indicator and the targeting systems. I looked at the fuel gage and saw it was mysteriously empty. I quickly looked at my feet as something caught my eye. "Red Rocket to Avenger, I have smoke in the cockpit and I'm flying blind; my craft is showing bingo fuel and I'm turning around. Do you copy?" I waited for a response. When I got no response; I quickly banked to the right. As soon as I did; my Hornet started to shake violently. I quickly leveled it out and flew straight. I tried to turn it slower this time. I had more success, but I was still getting a little turbulence. I looked around, but saw only fog. I tried the radio again. "Red Rocket to Avenger; do you copy? I'm flying blind with no fuel. I'm turning back for emergency landing. I have smoke in the cockpit." I continued to wait for a response, but still nothing It quickly struck me; I could try to fly above the storm. It would be a risk, but I was willing to take it. After all I was now lost and I believed I still had fuel. I slowly flew up and something caught my eye. I could see a small blue circle in the distance. I quickly angled the plane to fly straight at it. It took me only a few seconds to reach it and it looked like I had a clear shot to the top of the storm. As I entered what seemed to be a vortex of clouds. I looked around and saw swirling lights of blues, greens, reds and yellows. I soon cleared the clouds, my Hornet violently shook and a loud explosion shook my aircraft. I tried to look back, but could only see black smoke. I tried to push the engine forward, but I got nothing. "Red Rocket to Avenger! Do you copy?! My engine has lost all power, I have smoke in the cockpit and I'm in free-fall! Do you copy!?" Nothing but static filled my ears. As I quickly entered free-fall. I tried my best to keep a little control over my Hornet, but I slowly started to enter a spin. I plunged back into the dark clouds I tried to escape. As I fell to the ground; I could see that I was over a large land mass. It looked like I was falling towards a large forest. "What the hell is going on?" I continued to look around. I then quickly got on my radio. "Red Rocket to Avenger! I have strayed off course. I am over an unknown land mass." I waited for a response. "Can anyone hear me god damn it!" I struggled with the controls, but it had seemed like I got some control over my free-fall. I did my best, but I was falling fast. When I believed my Hornet would land in the clearing; I reached down and pulled the ejection latch. The pins blew out and the window shot out. I was quickly thrown into the elements. As soon as I started to fall; my chute opened. I held my hand up to shield my face from the wind and rain. I watched my Hornet as it spiraled out of control. I counted seven seconds before my hornet made contact with the ground. My entire body was warmed by the explosion. I watched the fire as the wind threw me around. I then noticed the wind was forcing me towards the crash site. "You've got to be kidding me..." I quickly pull on my chute to turn me away from the clearing. "Come on you son of a bitch!" I pulled on the right strings as hard as I could. "That's it... Keep going..." I started to gain some control over my fall, but it was hard with the wind. I continued to slowly descend; I found myself landing in a tree on the edge of the clearing. I looked down and saw it was about a five foot drop. I unbuckled myself from the seat and jumped down. I slowly walked into the clearing to look at the crash site. I watched as black smoke billowed from the fire. I bent down and put my hands on my knees. "Got to calm down." I took a deep breath to try and stop my knees from shaking. "That was a close one..." I looked up at the fire. I jumped and fell to the ground when a large explosion shook my very core. "Holy shit..." I quickly get to my feet and backed away. "No point in staying here..." I turned back around and found a small pathway into the bushes. I walked towards the pathway while I took my gun out. As I walked through the bushes; I checked to see if I had a round in the chamber. When I was satisfied, I put the gun back in the holster and continued to follow the pathway. As I walked down the path; I looked for any signs of civilization. After all this path has been clearly marked. As I walked down the path; it gave me time to think. I needed to know where I was. It just didn't make any since. I was about twenty minutes from the nearest island. I was only in the fog a few minutes. Could I have gotten turned around when I panicked? I quickly stopped when I heard a loud roar from behind me. I slowly turned to look around. I could hear noises coming closer; whatever it was, it was huge. I pulled my gun out and switched the safety off. I gripped it with both hands and started to scan the trees. I heard another loud roar and I quickly pointed my gun towards the noise. When I heard branches breaking; I quickly fired three shots in its direction. On the third shot, I heard a loud pinging noise. Soon after I was blown to the ground and I was looking up towards the sky. I rolled over in the mud and saw blood. I slowly sat up and listened carefully. Whatever the thing was; it was quick to run away from my gunshots. I looked around on the ground for my gun. I found it and I slowly retrieved it. I started to wipe the dirt off with my suit. I put it back in my holster and noticed my right eye started to see red. I blinked my right eye a couple of time and the red only smeared. I felt a strange throbbing on the side of my head, so I reach up and brush my forehead. I looked at my hand and saw it was covered in blood. "Well that's just great; I shot myself." I slowly started to feel my head for any cuts or holes. I quickly gave a sigh of relief. "No holes; just a cut. I need to be more careful on where I shoot. Last thing I need is a ricochet to take me out." I looked around and found a small puddle of water. I crawled up to it and inspected it. It seemed to be clean water, so I started to wash the blood away. When I was done; I slowly made my way to my feet. I started to walk down the path, but a sharp pain in my head brought me down to my knees. I grabbed my head and slowly looked around. My vision started to haze and go black. Before I passed out; I managed to say the last thought that ran through my head. "Routine training exercise my ass..." Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy!
Chapter 2. New Sounds in Ponyville.Chapter 2 New Sounds in Ponyville "I declare my first slumber party, a success!" I said with a big smile. I quickly levitated my ink, quill and my Slumber Party How Too book close to me. "Have fun, check!" I looked over at Applejack and Rarity as they both laughed and smiled together. I watched them both as Rarity guided Applejack around blindfolded. "Take two steps to your left; umm no my left!" Rarity smiled while pointing her hoof. "Well which is it?..." Applejack walked forward a couple of steps. "Woaahh!" Applejack walked into a pile of books and they fell on top of her. I watched as Applejack stood up from her mess and looked at Rarity. "That mess is your fault, not mine." Applejack pointed her hoof at Rarity and laughed. I walked over to my desk and rolled out a piece of paper. I dip my quill in the ink and started to write my weekly letter to Princess Celestia. "Dear Princess Celestia, It's hard to believe that two ponies who seem to have so little in common could ever get along, but I found out if you embrace each others differences. You just might be surprised to discover a way to be friends after all! Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." I rolled up the paper and turned to Rarity and Applejack. "So, who's up for another slumber party tomorrow night?" I watched Applejack and Rarity give each other a smile. They quickly picked up a couple of pillows and threw them at me. I quickly closed my eyes as both pillows hit me in the face. "How about a week from Thursday? Ohh how about two weeks from Saturday?" I watched as they both laughed. "A month from now?" I raised an eyebrow. Rarity walked up to the window and looked outside. I could see that the storm was starting to break and the sun shine through the window. "Twilight, darling; I must get going. I have to finish up our dresses for when Princess Celestia pays Ponyville a visit." Rarity said in an impatient tone while walking towards the door. "Rarity! Wait!... We have to," I watched as Rarity rushed out the door, "Clean up this mess..." I looked over at Applejack. "Don't you worry Twi; I'll stay and lend you a hoof." Applejack said with confidence. "Wachya need me to do?" Applejack smiled. "Do you think you could pick up the pillows scattered on the floor?" I asked while giving Applejack a smile. "I've got the books covered." "Sure thing Twilight!" Applejack quickly got to work. I started to levitate the books towards me. I quickly organized them in alphabetical order and placed them on the shelves. "All done Twi." Applejack quickly looked around for any elusive pillows. She then walked up to some leaf statues. "What do you want me to do with these leaf doo dads?" "Just put them on the shelf next to the bed you slept in upstairs." I pointed my hoof upstairs while continuing to shuffle through the books. "You got it Twi!" Applejack quickly rushed in picking the statues up. I levitated the last of the books to the shelves. I got up and walked over to my desk and quickly organized my papers, quills and ink. I heard the door open, so I turned to look. "Welcome home Spi..." Applejack quickly interrupted me. "Well howdy Spike!" Applejack said in a loud tone while looking down at Spike from the second floor. "How was your trip to Canterlot?" Applejack asked while she quickly made her way downstairs. "It was a pain in my scales. All I was asked to do was to rearrange the library." Spike sighed. "It took hours; have you ever rearranged an entire library?" "I can't say I have," Applejack raised an eyebrow at Spike, "It couldn't have been that bad." "It was," Spike looked at the ground while walking into the room, "and all I want to do right now is rest." "I'm sorry to bug you Spike, but can you do me a favor?" I gave Spike a smile. "Could you send this letter to the Princess for me?" I levitated the scroll over to Spike. "Sure thing Twilight..." Spike grabbed the letter. I watched him as he inhaled; he quickly exhaled and a green flame enveloped the letter. "There you go Twilight." "Thanks Spike." I gave Spike a smile. "Well Twi; I best be getting back to the fa..." Applejack was quickly interrupted by a loud booming noise outside. "What in the hay was that?" "I don't know." I said as all three of us rushed to the closest window. Applejack and I saw a large fireball falling from the sky. Spike quickly crawled onto my back and looked out the window. "Wh... What is that Twilight?" Spike asked in a shaky voice. "I don't know Spike; I've never seen anything like it before." We all continued to watch the thing fall. As it fell towards the forest; I noticed something. The fireball seemed to arch and slightly turn. It was almost like somepony was controlling it. I then see a small flash of light and some kind of window flew out from the fire. We continued to watch as another object flew away from the fireball. It looked to be like a chair and somepony was on it. "Somepony is in that chair!" I pointed at the flying chair. "But that's impossible Twilight." Spike peered over my head and looked at me. "Do you know a pony that can ride on a fireball?" Spike asked in a questionable tone. "No Spike, I don't." I continued to look outside. I watched the chair very carefully. Soon after, the chair sprouted a large dome like object above it. It seemed to make it fall much slower. We quickly brought our attention to a large explosion in the forest. A split second later; the windows shook and a loud sound wave rocked my house. I looked back at the falling chair and noticed it seemed to be controlled by the pony on it. Soon after the chair disappeared in the forest. "Come on, we have to go see if anypony is hurt!" I said in an angry tone while walking back away from the window. "I don't know about that Twilight," Spike quickly jumped off my back, "Loud noises in the Everfree Forest and big fireballs. I just know that can't be a good thing..." Spike twiddled his claws. "Come on Spike! Somepony might be hurt!" I said in a slight rage. "We have to make sure everypony is okay." "Twilight is right Spike," Applejack looked at me, "I'm right behind you Twi." "Okay, let's go!" Applejack and I quickly ran out the door. "Ohh... Alright, I'm coming!" Spike yelled. "Wait up for me." All three of us quickly ran towards the forest. We could see a large plume of black smoke rising from the forest. We all stopped as we heard three loud snaps. We all stood still and looked at the forest for a few seconds. "What was that Twilight?" Spike asked while jumping on my back. "I don't know Spike..." I continued to scan the tree line. "Whatever it was, it was very loud..." Applejack looked into the forest. "Come on Twilight; we best get moving!" "Right!" I quickly followed Applejack down the path into the Everfree Forest. As we ran in the forest, we kept an eye out. We didn't know what was hiding in the bushes. We quickly slowed down as we saw something on the ground further down the path. We slowly approached it while keeping an eye out for anything else out here. "What is it Twilight?" Spike hopped off my back and slowly approached it. "I don't know Spike. It's not like any pony I have seen before." Applejack and I approached with caution. "Twilight, it's bleeding!" Spike quickly ran up to the strange creature. "Is it still alive?" Applejack rushed to its side. "I don't know..." I watched as Spike started to poke it. "Ahh!" Spike and Applejack quickly jumped back. "It's still alive!" "Come on Twilight; give me a hoof." Applejack quickly ran up to the creature and tried to pull it by its clothes. "This won't work Twilight. Help me get it on my back." "Right." I focused and slowly levitated the creature onto Applejacks back. "Oof!" Applejack buckled under the weight. "Are you alright Applejack?" I gave Applejack a worried look. "I'll be fine Twi; it's just a little heavy." Applejack started to walk forward. "We need to get it to Fluttershy's cottage. She will know what to do." "I don't think so Applejack. Just look at it; it has clothes on." I pointed with my hoof. "It can't be an animal." "But Twilight..." Spike said as Applejack quickly interrupted. "She's right Spike; the hospital is closer and it needs help now." Applejack started to walk down the path. "Come on we need to hurry." Our walk slowly became a quick run. We ran out of the forest and could see a lot of ponies looking on at the forest. We ignored it and continued to run towards the Ponyville Hospital. We quickly burst through the doors and rush into the lobby. "Doctor!" I looked around for a doctor. "Doctor, we need help!" Nurse Redheart rushed out of one of the rooms. "What is it Twilight?" Nurse Redheart quickly ran up to Applejack and looked at the strange creature. "Quickly, take it to room twelve! I will get the doctor." Nurse Redheart rushed off upstairs. Applejack and I quickly ran into room twelve. I quickly pulled the blanket off and gently levitated the creature onto the bed. I turned to the door and see Dr. Stable rush into the room. "What do we have Twilight!" Dr. Stable rushed over to the bedside. Dr. Stable lifted his glasses with his hoof. "What is it?..." "We don't know Doctor, but its head is bleeding." I pointed at its head. "Right! Nurse, I'm going to need your help." Nurse Redheart rushed to his side. "You three need to wait out in the lobby. I will see what I can do for it." "Alright doctor, please help it." We quickly leave the room and walked into the lobby. "Do you think it will be okay?" Spike asked while he looked up at me. "I don't know Spike, but I sure hope so." I looked at Spike and smiled. We waited in the lobby for about an hour. I jumped up as soon as I saw the door of room twelve open. I watched as Dr. Stable walk towards me with a smile. "How is it Dr. Stable?" I looked at him with a worried look. "He'll be just fine." Dr. Stable gave me a smile. "So it's a he?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Howdya know?" Applejack asked. "This is a hospital, we had to take his clothes off. That being said, our gowns are not long enough. Could you go get one made for him?" Dr. Stable smiled. "I will doctor." I turned around, but Dr. Stable stopped me. "No Twilight, I need your help to heal him." Dr. Stable turned to Applejack. "Could you go fetch a larger gown for our guest?" "You can count on me doc." Applejack adjusted her hat and quickly ran out the door of the lobby. "Could you come with me Twilight? I'd like you to try and heal him now." Dr. Stable walked towards room twelve. "Alright doctor." I followed Dr. Stable into the room. I walked into the room as Nurse Redheart covered the creature with a blanket. I slowly walked up to his bedside and looked at him. He had bandages over his eyes and the top of his head. I turned and looked at Dr. Stable. "What is wrong with him?" I waited for an answer. "He has a small laceration on the top right of his head." Dr. Stable pointed at a small patch of blood on the bandage. "He also seemed to have a little nerve damage in his eyes. It's not much, but it will heal just fine with your help." Dr. Stable smiled. "Alright, I'll do my best." I turned to him and started to cast my magic to heal him. I watched as his head started to glow a gentle purple. I continued for about a minute until I stopped. "I think that's it doctor." I turned around and gave him a smile. "Alright Twilight, I'm going to need you to return tomorrow." Dr. Stable started to look over some papers. "I think it will be best for one more healing treatment just to be on the safe side." "Alright..." I looked at the strange creature while he rested in bed. "He'll be alright Twilight. He's in good hooves." Dr. Stable smiled at me. "Nurse Redheart will be keeping an eye on him, so you have nothing to worry about." "Alright doctor, I will see you tomorrow then." I walked out of the room and made my way to the lobby. "Let's go Spike, we're going home." "Okay Twilight." Spike quickly ran up to me and hopped up on my back. We made our way out of the hospital. The only thing I could do now was wait. I had a lot of questions for him when he wakes up, but all of this had to wait for tomorrow. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy!
Chapter 3. Dark Rooms, Voices and Hospitals.Chapter 3 Dark Rooms, Voices and Hospitals I slowly opened my eyes. As I laid on the ground; I could only look up at the sky. The sky had no color to it, no complexity and void of light. I couldn't see any clouds, no stars, no sun or moon; just black. I slowly turned on my side and looked around. As I continued to see only darkness; I made my way to my feet. As I stood straight; I slowly scanned my surroundings. My surroundings were void of any life, so I decided to walk forward. "Hello?!" I yelled as I looked around for any sign of life. I shaped my hands like a cup around my mouth. "Hello, is anyone out there!? Can anyone hear me!?" When I got no response; I continued to walk forward. I don't know how long I walked, but I can say it felt like an eternity. The air around me was cold and stale. It was like walking through a mass grave; nothing but silence and I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. I looked around one final time and I realized; I was alone. "Where the hell am I!?" I yelled as loud as I could. When I got no answer; I dropped to my knees. "Is this some kind of joke? Some kind of cruel fucking joke?..." I looked at my hands for a moment. Suddenly a white mist started to ooze out of the ground. I got to my feet as quickly as I could and looked around. White mist was coming out of the ground as far as I could see. I looked to my feet and see the mist was starting to converge on me. It was like it was being pulled towards me. I bent down and started to brush it away. The mist started to advance much faster towards me. I quickly got up and swung my arms at the mist. It started to move up my legs and enveloped my body. I grabbed my head and closed my eyes as a sharp stabbing sensation shot through my brain. "Get the hell away from me!" I yelled as loud as I could. The ground suddenly jolted; knocking me to the ground. As the pain stopped; I let go of my head and looked up. The mist was hovering three feet in the air. I slowly stood up and the mist moved away from me. I watched the mist as I started to walk around. It seemed to stay about five feet away from me all around. I quickly stood still when I saw the mist starting to move again. This seemed different; it looked like it was starting to condense together. I watched as the mist formed large circular objects. I slowly walked up to the closest misty form. It seemed to stay in place, so I continued to watch it. I looked closer as it started to condense in more complex textures. I looked up and could see smaller parts of mist form. The mist seemed to spider out in all directions. I looked at the other strange misty objects and they did the same. I took a step back and all of the misty objects started to take on color. They all seemed to start off blood red; they all quickly got darker. I looked closer at it and realized. "These are trees?" I looked closer. I slowly put my hand on the object and was surprised to feel that it was solid. I walked around it while feeling with my hand. It felt rough; porous even. I took my hand away and looked up. Small green objects started to condense. "No doubt now; these are trees." I smiled in relief. "At least it's not all black now. I started to walk through the newly formed forest. Soon after; I found a large clearing. I walked into the clearing to look around. When I was looking around; that feeling of someone watching me continued. I quickly looked up into the sky when something caught my eye. Dark clouds quickly formed and it started to rain. I held my hand out and I could feel the rain. It was almost like it was washing away my worries. I slowly got on my knees and sat down. My rest was quickly interrupted by a loud popping noise. I quickly stood up and looked at the sky. White lights started to shimmer inside the clouds. I could only explain it as a white aurora. I continued to watch the sky and quickly saw a bright red light appear from nowhere. Soon after, a loud explosion echoed from above. I watched the red light as it fell through the clouds. Whatever it was; it was falling fast. I soon realized it was falling towards me. I tried to run, but I tripped over something and fell to the ground. I looked up and I knew I didn't have enough time. I curled up into a ball and prayed. A few second passed and I slowly looked up. I was surrounded by large flames. I got to my feet and looked at my hands. I slowly brushed my hand through the fire. "Why could I feel the trees in such vivid detail, but not able to feel the fire?" I slowly walked out of the fire. I turned around to look at it. "Why does this seem familiar?" I rubbed the back of my neck. Suddenly a large explosion in the fire made me fall to the ground. "Wow!..." I then heard someone yell. I quickly got up and looked around. "Hello! Is anyone out there!?" I continued to franticly look around me. I then see a dark shadow vanish down a small path into the forest. "Wait!" I quickly run after it. "Hold on, wait for me!" I quickly got to the edge of the forest; I then slipped on the mud, as I heard three loud gunshots. I quickly crawled back from the tree line. By instinct, I tried to get to my gun. I soon realized I didn't have it. I slowly made it back to my feet and slowly advanced down the path. Continuing to be very cautiously; I soon noticed a man laying next to a puddle of water. I rush to his side. "Hey buddy, you okay?" I quickly noticed a large pool of blood. "Hey! Wake up!" I yelled while trying to push him over. I tried my best to move him, but it was like he weighed a ton. "Why won't you move!" I lost my grip on the man and fell back in the mud. I slowly got up and walked around him. I was shocked at what I saw. "It's... me..." I continued to look at my counterpart. "Am I dead? How did this happen?" I dropped to my knees. "Is this hell?" I quickly stood up as I started to hear whispers. "Hello!?" I quickly turned around. I froze as I saw three strange misty forms. I looked down at the small misty form. It looked human in nature. It looked like a baby, but it had some kind of Mohawk. I then turned my attention to the two larger forms. It looked like they were some kind of large dog. I quickly froze as the small baby like form walked up to my body on the ground. Soon after one of the larger forms started to approach. "Twilight, it's bleeding." A whisper echoed from the woods. "Hello?" I looked around for the voice. "Where are you?" "Is it still alive?" A whisper said as I looked back at my body. "I don't know." My attention quickly went to the baby like form. I watched as he started to poke my body. "Wha... Get the hell away from me!" I tried to kick the mist away from my body, but it seemed my foot went clean through. "What the hell is happening to me?" I turned around and watched the mist. I watched as my body seemed to float onto the back of the large misty form. I watched as the mist started to carry my body away. I was quick to follow them down the path. Soon after, they hit the edge of the forest and magically disappeared. I quickly stopped where they vanished; I looked out from the tree line, but didn't see anything. I slowly took the first step out of the forest and was brought to my knees by an enormous pain in my head. I quickly jolted up from where I was laying down. I tried to open my eyes, but it seemed to be wrapped in some kind of bandages. I quickly reach up to feel my head. It seemed to be wrapped for some reason. I quickly turned my head to a soft gentle voice. "Please calm down; you were just having a bad dream." The gentle voice said. "Who are you?" I asked while feeling my body. "Where is my stuff?" "I am Nurse Redheart; your clothed have been washed and placed on the chair next to the bed. Your personal effects have been placed in the drawer on the other side of your bed." Nurse Redheart said with confidence. "How are you feeling?" "Not so good; I hate hospitals..." I slowly scoot my back against the headrest. "I'm sorry to hear that..." I could hear the nurse walk away. "I will go get the doctor for you." When I heard the door close; I started to feel my hands. I then felt something tickle my arm as I moved it. I reached over and felt an I.V. I slowly pealed the tape away and pulled it out. I bent the I.V. tube and brought my arm up so it wouldn't bleed. "I don't think you are suppose to do that..." I female voice said as the door opened. "Who are you?" I asked. "My name is Twilight Sparkle." I heard steps come closer. "Can I get your name?" "Twilight Sparkle?" She quickly cut me off. "Twilight is fine." I couldn't see, but I could tell she was smiling. "Okay Twilight, my name is James." I relaxed my right arm and felt it for blood. When I felt it was okay; I put my arm down. "So why am I in a hospital?" "I was hoping you could tell us." A male voice said. "Do you remember anything from before you woke up?" I heard someone walking towards me. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name." I heard him stop at my bedside. "I am Dr. Stable." He waited for me to answer the last question. "Well as a matter of fact; I do remember what happened." I scratched the back of my neck while trying to remember. "I was doing a training exercise. I was trying to fly above a storm; shortly after my engine exploded." I leaned down and tried to remember more. "I managed to crash my Hornet in a forest. I remember following a path and hearing a loud roaring noise. I fired my gun three times..." I laughed. "I shot myself..." I felt the top of my head. "Well I guess it's good that I am still alive, but why are my eyes covered?" "You had some minor nerve damage in your eyes." I heard papers shuffling around. "It's nothing that we can't fix, so rest assured. By the way; Nurse Redheart hold me that you were having a bad dream. Would you mind talking about it?" "Well," I tilted my head, "I don't remember much of it, but I do remember a lot of white mist." "White mist?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, it was like fog. I don't know how else to explain it." I sighed. "Sorry I can't tell you much more, but I was never good at remembering my dreams." I laughed. "That sounds like an interesting dream. Do you have any idea what it would mean?" Dr. Stable asked. "Sorry doc, I don't." I slowly rubbed my hands together. "So when can I leave? I have to be honest; I am not a big fan of Hospitals..." "Well, Twilight can do your last treatment now, but what you have told me." I heard papers moving around again. "I would like to keep you for one more day; just to be on the safe side." "Sounds good to me." I smiled. "What do you need me to do?" "Just relax." Twilight said. "This might feel a little funny." "Oh...kay..." I relaxed against the headrest. Soon after I heard a strange buzzing noise in my head. I did my best not to move. It felt like my brain was being tickled and it was hard not to laugh. The feeling faded in a minute or two. I rubbed the top of my head. "What was that?" I asked. "It's magic." Twilight said in an excited tone. "Okay... So you don't want to tell me. That's fine..." I sighed. "Huuu?" Twilight said in a questionable tone. "But it is..." "Can I take my bandages off doc?" I started to feel around my bandages. "Actually, I would like you to keep them on. Let's give your eyes some time to adjust." I heard the doctor start to walk away. "I will let you two be alone for a bit." I then heard the door close. I relaxed in the bed and waited for Twilight to say something. I waited for about two minutes before she broke the silence. "So, where are you from?" Twilight asked in a relaxing manner. "Huston Texas. You?" I asked back. "Well... I did live in Canterlot, but I moved here to Ponyville." Twilight said with pride. "Ponyville?..." I took a deep breath to calm down. "Where is Ponyville?" "It's in Equestria." By the sound of her voice; I could tell she was smiling. "Okay..." By now I was betting my panic was visible. I took another deep breath. "I have never heard of Equestria. What planet am I on?" "Planet?..." Twilight asked in a questionable tone. "It's on Earth... Where else would it be?..." Twilight giggled. "That's a relief..." I laughed a little. "What is?" Twilight asked. "Well, I'm still on Earth..." I smiled. "I was a little worried about that Bermuda Triangle garbage." "What's the Bermuda Triangle?" Twilight asked. "It's just a myth... They say a lot of people disappeared in that part of the ocean." I waved my hand. "Nothing but a myth." "If you say so..." Twilight sighed. "So why don't you tell me what you are." Twilight said in an excited tone. "I would love to know more about you." "I am a Pilot for the U.S. Military." I laughed. "Enough said; I am serving on the USS George H.W. Bush." "What is a USS George H.W. Bush?" Twilight asked. "It's an aircraft carrier." I laughed. "So you were flying an aircraft? Was it suppose to be on fire like that?" Twilight asked in a worried tone. "No..." I laughed again. "I don't know exactly what happened, but the engine exploded when I flew above a storm." "That sounds dangerous." I heard a tapping on the floor. "Why don't you tell me more about yourself." "What do you want to know?" I asked. "Everything." Twilight said in an excited tone. "Well; you are going to need to be more specific than that... You are not giving me much direction to go on." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Okay, how about you tell me what you like to do in your spare time. I would love to know." Twilight said with excitement in her voice. "Well, that's a tough one. I love to fly; I know that much." I rested my head on my hand to think. "I like drawing, painting is alright, I also like to read..." Twilight quickly cut me off. "I love reading! What kind of books do you like!?" Twilight sounded very excited. "Ummm..." She caught me off guard, so I had to think quickly. "I would have to say Science Fiction. Anything about space travel interests me." "Space? Like the stars?" Twilight sounded confused. "Yeah..." I laughed. "Starts, planets and more." I then heard the door open. "James." Nurse Redheart said in a strange tone. It almost sounded like she had something in her mouth. "I have your lunch." "You're not eating it are you? It sounds like you have something in your mouth." I chuckled a little. I then felt a tray being placed in my lap. "Don't be silly James. Why would I eat your food?" Nurse Redheart laughed a little. "I don't know." I could hear Nurse Redheart walking away. "I am starving; I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday." Twilight interrupted. "Here, let me help you." Twilight said. "No, I got it." I put my right hand up. "I am perfectly fine eating it by myself." "But you can't see anything." Twilight sounded disappointed. "Yes... I can't see." I felt around the tray and quickly found something. I picked it up and felt it. I held it up with pride and smiled. "This is a spoon." Twilight started to laugh. "It is." Twilight said while laughing. "Now how are you going to eat?" "Very carefully..." I slowly felt the tray and quickly found a large plate. "See, this isn't too hard." I took a spoon full of whatever was on the plate. I put the spoon up to my mouth and I took a bite. I quickly put the spoon on the tray and cover my mouth. I quickly swallowed the disgusting mush and tried not to throw up. "James? Are you okay?" Twilight asked. I could only nod my head while I laid in the bed. I kept my hand over my mouth for a couple of minutes. When I felt I wasn't going to vomit; I removed my hand from my mouth. "Are you sure you are okay, James? You look very pale." Twilight sounded worried. "Yeah..." I paused for a moment. "I knew hospital food was bad, but I never tasted anything so awful before. It almost tasted like grass." Twilight interrupted. "It is grass. You don't eat grass where you are from?" Twilight still sounded a little worried. "What!?... No!" I said in an irritated tone. "I have never met anyone who eats grass." I toned down a little. "Why would you give me grass to eat? I though hospitals are supposed to give a healthy meal." I felt around on my right side; I quickly found something wooden. I picked up the tray and placed it onto the wooden stand next to me. "Grass is healthy." Twilight sounded sad. "We eat it all the time here in Equestria." "Well, then you are the first person I have ever meet that eats grass." I said in a slightly surprised tone. "But I am a pon..." Twilight was quickly cut off as the door opened. "How are we doing, James?" Dr. Stable asked as I heard someone walk close. "Are you not going to eat?" "I'm sorry, but no. I am not a big fan of grass." I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, you have to eat something." Dr. Stable sounded worried. "Is there anything I can get for you other that the grass?" "Yeah, you can get my wallet and get some money out of it." I smiled. "I would love to get a hamburger." "Hamburger?" Dr. Stable asked. "What in Equestria is a Hamburger?" "It's food..." I stopped to think briefly. "Never mind; I guess you don't have any fast food joints here." I put my hand up to my chin to think. "How about some Wheat Thins?" "Wheat Thins? I am sorry, James. I have never heard of Wheat Thins before." I could hear Dr. Stable walk over to the other side of the bed. "Ummm... James; did you take your I.V. out?" "Yeah, I hate I.V.'s" I bring my left hand over to run where the I.V. use to be. "I could feel it inside my arm every time I moved, so I took it out. I will be more than happy to drink as much water as you need me to; just don't put another I.V. in me." "Fair enough." I heard the plate I placed next to me get moved around. Soon after; my tray was gently taken from my lap. "I will be back in a second." It sounded like he has something in his mouth. "Okay..." I scratched the back of my neck. "Twilight; could you tell me where the closest telephone is?" "Telephone? What is a Telephone?" Twilight sounded confused. "Never mind..." I bring my hand up to my forehead. "How about the closest airport?" "I'm sorry, James. I don't know what an airport is." Twilight still sounded confused. "Are you fu..." I quickly stopped myself and took a deep breath. I waited a few seconds to calm down. "How about a port?" "A port? The closest port is in Manehatten." Twilight said proudly. Her proud tone quickly turned to a slight worry. "Are you going to leave?" "Yes, Twilight. I have to get back to work." Twilight quickly interrupted. "But we just met... Now you are going to leave?" Twilight sounded sad. "It's not my choice." I chuckled a little. "Besides if I stay here; I wouldn't be able to fly again." Twilight was quick to reply. "Well... Could I at least take you out to lunch before you go home?" Twilight sounded excited. "I don't see any harm in stalling my trip back home for a little." I smiled. "Okay!" I heard Twilight start to walk away. "I will pick you up tomorrow afternoon; that sound good?" "Yeah. Sounds great." I smiled. "Okay then!" Twilight said in an excited tone. "I will pick you up tomorrow!" I then heard the door close. I patiently waited for the doctor to come back. A few minutes passed, so I decided to fidget with my bandages. I slowly pushed the side to give my eyes a little room. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a little light shining through the bandages. I was relieved to see that I wasn't blind. I adjusted the bandages back into a comfortable position. The door suddenly opened and I quickly dropped my hands to my sides. "What were you doing, James?" Dr. Stable asked. It sounded like he had something in his mouth again. "Nothing... Just scratching my head." I paused for a moment as I heard Dr. Stable walking towards me. "So doc; tell me how much this will cost me." I felt something placed on my lap. "Medical treatment is free in Equestria." Dr. Stable sounded pleased. "I brought you some bread. It's not what I would like you to eat, but you have to eat something." "Free medical?" I searched for the bread on the plate. "Please tell me you didn't take my kidneys out to sell them." I took a bite of the bread. "Don't be silly!..." Dr. Stable laughed. "Please don't mind my manners." I said while chewing the bread. "Thanks for the bread by the way." "It's no problem at all." I could hear him shuffling through some papers. "After you finished; I would like you to get some rest." I could hear Dr. Stable starting to walk away. "Hey doc; before you go. I have to ask you something." I stopped him before he left the room. "Yes, what is it?" Dr. Stable asked. "Please don't take offence about this." I took a deep breath; hoping he wouldn't take offence to what I would say next. "This country seems to be a 3rd world nation. What is this countries condition?" "I'm sorry, I don't understand." The doctor took a brief pause. "What is a 3rd world nation?" "Never mind doc. It's not important." I took another bite of the bread. "Let's just drop the subject. I will just head out tomorrow." "Alright James; I will leave it at that." I could hear him start to walk again. "Before you leave tomorrow; I would like to talk to you. Is that alright with you?" "Yeah, don't see why not." I smiled. "I guess I will talk to you tomorrow." "Alright, James. I will talk to you tomorrow." Dr. Stable sounded happy. "Have a good rest." I listened at Dr. Stable walked out of the room. Something seemed off; it almost sounded like it was two people. Something was off about this place. Who on Earth would ever eat grass? After all most grass on Earth is poisonous to Humans, but I have heard stories on humans eating tarantulas and other odd things. As I continued to think about it. I started to remember parts of my dream. I started to remember something about my body laying on the ground. I quickly grabbed my head as a large pain shot through my head. I noticed my breathing started to get heavy, so I quickly tried to relax. As I started to calm down; I slid down into the bed and pulled the covers over me. I placed my hands behind my head and faced up at the ceiling. "Why the hell would I act like that if I was only thinking?" I asked myself. "I shouldn't let this get to me. This place might be strange, but I am still on Earth." I relaxed and slowly drifted off to sleep. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy!
Chapter 4. When I Dream the Dream.Chapter 4 When I Dream the Dream I slowly opened my eyes and found myself looking up at a baby blue sky. I felt the ground with my hand. It felt like cold concrete. I looked around as I laid on the ground. It seemed like the ground was all concrete everywhere I looked. I looked back towards the clear blue sky and relaxed. A gentle feeling of warmth filled my body. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I was hoping this feeling would never go away. As I rested on the ground. I could feel a strange presence around me. It was like someone was watching me. I opened my eyes once again and looked around. I quickly sat up as a strange feeling flooded my body. It felt like the warmth of my blood was stolen. I slowly got up and looked around. Nothing seemed to have changed, but I couldn't help but feel this was familiar. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes; I was shocked at what I saw. I was on the edge of an Aircraft Carrier. I looked behind me and saw rushing water. I turned back around and started to walk towards the control tower. As I got closer to the tower; I could see the number 77 painted in white on the side. "I am back on the H.W. Bush." I walked up to the tower and placed my hand on the cold steel. "Something about this is not right..." I looked around. "No one is here. It all seems to be abandoned." I saw movement by the front of the aircraft carrier and I quickly moved my attention towards it. I could see white mist slowly pouring up over the edge of the runway. It seemed to slowly crawl on the ground towards the rear of the carrier. I slowly walked towards the mist as it rolled on the runway. As I got a few inches away from it. I got down on one knee and slowly put my hand in the mist. As my hand broke the surface; I quickly pulled back. "Why the hell is that mist so cold?" I rubbed my hand to get it warm again. "It's like ice..." I slowly made my way to my feet and backed away from the mist. I looked to the front of the carrier and noticed the mist stopped pouring over the edge. I looked to the rear of the carrier and saw the mist starting to condense. As the end of the mist slowly passed me; I decided to follow it. I looked up over to where the forms were condensing. The forms seemed to take on human characteristics. By now; all of the mist was now condensed in the human forms. It seemed like nothing more was going to happen to them, but something down the line of human forms caught my eye. I could see one on the end start to change. I slowly walked down the row while watching the mist closely. I didn't know why, but I had an odd feeling around that mist. It felt like it was somehow dangerous. I stood face to face with the mist. I watched as it slowly gained color. It took a few minutes for the body to get to a tan peach color. By now I could tell the human form was female. Shortly after; mist spun around the female. The mist quickly condensed into clothing. I looked at her face, but nothing was on it. I continued to watch, as the face started to gain volume. I quickly recognized her. "Jessica?" I laughed a little. "What the hell is this?" I continued to laugh. I quickly stopped laughing when the forms started to move. I quickly stepped to the side. I followed the line down the runway. I watched them as they occasionally stopped to pick something up off the runway. A few minutes later; we reached the end of the runway. I watched the forms stand up straight and just stand there. A sudden gust of wind blew passed me, so I quickly covered my face with my arm. When the wind stopped; I moved my arm away from my face and saw the mist has been blown away. I quickly looked around and saw a mist cloud moving away from the carrier at a fast rate. I turned around and started to walk back to the tower. I quickly stopped when I saw something rise from the ground. I quickly realized that it was a Hornet rising from the main deck. I watched as misty human started to form again. As they formed; it looked like they were checking the aircraft. It then all made since. "So that's me in the Hornet." I scratched my head. "Is this some kind of weird flashback?" I looked up in the sky. I then looked around my surroundings. "If this is a flashback; then I should be able to see a large storm... Right?" I continued to look, but all I could see was a blue sky. I quickly turned to look towards the Hornet as steam jetted out from the carrier. Shortly after, the Hornet rocketed towards me. I watched it and a split second later; it passed right through me. I turned to watch it fly off. I looked around the sky, but I still didn't see any storm clouds. "So why doesn't someone tell me why I am here." I sat down on the runway. "What am I supposed to do in this place?" I then heard a loud slamming noise. I quickly turned in the direction of the noise. "Hello!?" I yelled while looking around. I got back to my feet and started to walk towards the tower. As I walked towards a heavy steel door; I couldn't help but feel angry. This emotion came out of nowhere and I had no idea why. I slowly stepped through the door and locked it behind me. I looked around and took in my surroundings. The air was cold and stale. It was like an old haunted house. I even had the feeling of being watched, but what frightened me the most is what I didn't see. The halls were completely empty. I just couldn't understand why I was here. As I started to walk down the hall, a faint whisper stopped me in my tracks. "Hello?" I looked around for the whispers. "Can you hear me?" "Be careful..." A faint whisper muttered. "Be careful..." "Be careful of what?..." I asked in a very irritated tone. "Where are you?" "Be careful..." The whisper said again. "Where the hell are you!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "If you are trying to piss me off... It's working! Now tell me where you are!" I looked around and listened carefully. "Be careful..." I quickly turn in the direction I heard the voice. I waited for a few seconds before I slowly walked down the hallway. I watched every corner to make sure nothing would pop out. I still had no idea what that whisper was talking about. What did I have to be careful from? I stopped at a cross section and looked around. I could go left, right or up a ladder. I got a strange feeling, so I looked behind me. A dark shadow looked to be slowly enveloping the walls and floor. "What the hell is that?..." I slowly backed up. I then look down the other halls and see the same. I quickly turn around and started to climb up the ladder. "No choice!..." I said in a panic as I quickly climbed for my life. I quickly made it to the floor above and looked down the ladder. It appeared that the shadow stopped advancing. "What is that?..." I crouched down and looked at the shadow. "This is like some kind of sci-fi horror crap." I chuckled a little. "One of the low budget films." I started to laugh. "Be careful." I heard again, but this was a little different. It seemed to be closer. "Who are you?" I got to my feet and looked around again. "Where are you?" I said in a calmer voice than before. I then waited for an answer. "Be careful human." I quickly followed the direction of the voice. I turned down the hall and headed up some stairs. I quickly realized I was just outside the bridge. I opened the door and cautiously entered. As I slowly entered the room; I could feel that something in that room wanted me dead, but it also felt like I was protected. The only way I could describe it was someone having a gun to your head. Knowing they wanted to kill you, but you knew they could never pull the trigger. "Thou should have heeded my warning human." A female voice said. "Who are you?" I waited for a response. I jumped when I heard a loud slam. I looked behind me and see the door closed. I walked over to the door and tried to open it. I turned the latch as hard as I could, but with no success. "This is bullshit!" I kicked the door as hard as I could and turned to face the room. "Tell me who you are!" I yelled as I slowly walked to the center of the room. As I stood in the middle of the room; I took in my surroundings once again. The only thing I could see out of the ordinary was the chairs. They were all completely empty. I walked over to the window and looked outside. It was completely dark; I was surprised I didn't notice until I walked up to the window. I placed my hand on the window and as soon as my hand made contact; a chill ran up my spine and the room got cold. I turned around and saw white mist oozing from the walls and the computers. The mist seemed to evenly divide and roll towards the chairs in the room. I watched as the mist rolled up the chairs and slowly formed human shapes again. As they finished forming; I could hear a strange buzzing noise in the room. I started to hear whispers again, but they quickly got clear. "Red Rocket to Avenger, I'm three minutes to the target." I quickly realized the voice was mine. Then it hit me; this must be my moments before I crashed. "I'm getting a little turbulence, but it's nothing. I will continue to push to target." A disembodied voice was quick to reply. "Roger that Red Rocket. We copy you loud and clear." I turned to look at the mist next to the radio. "I did not copy that Avenger; can you repeat? I did not copy." "Roger that Red Rocket. We copy you loud and clear." I then saw the mist turn to face the room. Suddenly a misty human formed next to me in a split second. "I need all of you at the top of your game! I want all the information you can gather on that Hornet." The mist started to walk towards the window. "I want to know where he is going at all times; tell me when he drops off the radar." "Red Rocket to Avenger, my instruments are going crazy and I have a large wall of fog out here. How should I proceed?" I quickly looked in the direction of the radio man. "Don't answer his call!" I could only guess the misty figure behind me said. "I am ordering you all to keep this to yourselves. This is nothing more than a training accident." I quickly looked at the mist behind me. "I want all the information transferred to the pentagon. When he crosses over; I want to know about it." "What!" I yelled. "What the fuck is this!? What the hell did you throw me into you son of a bitch!" I ran up towards the mist and tried to grab it, but my hands only went through it. "Red Rocket to Avenger; do you copy? I'm flying blind with no fuel. I'm turning back for an emergency landing. I have smoke in the cockpit." I turned to look back at the radio man. "You're just going to let me die!? You're not even going to give me the decency to reply back!?" I grabbed my head as a small pain shot through. "Why!?" "Re... Aveng... Engi... Lost power..." Static filled the radio on this end. "In... Free fall..." I watched as none of the human forms showed any concern. I stumbled over to a steel table and balanced myself. Rage quickly filled every ounce of my body with what I just heard. I looked around the room as I started to get dizzy. "Why?..." I looked down at the table. "Why would you do this to me?" I grabbed my head as the pain started to get worse. "Why would you betray me like this!?" I closed my eyes and I quickly bring my hands up; I quickly slam them against the steel table. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a large dent on the table. "I'm... Going to kill you all." I looked around the room one last time "I'm going to fucking kill all of you!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as the room started to violently shake. The shaking quickly brought me to my knees and I grabbed my head in pain. I closed my eyes and clinched my teeth. Soon after the shaking stopped. I opened my eyes and looked around. Somehow I was in the cafeteria of the carrier. I slowly crawled over to the table and used a chair to pull myself up. I sat down and stared across the room. The rage inside me quickly left, but was replaced with self pity. "What did I do to deserve this? What have I done in life that was so bad; to be betrayed like this." My eyes went hazy with tears. I rubbed my eyes and looked up at the ceiling. "No... I didn't do anything wrong. I served my country with honor, killed for my country and even enduring unspeakable imprisonments." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The room suddenly jolted. I quickly jumped up and tried to open my eyes. I quickly bring my hands up to my face and feel the bandages. I then gently push the blanket off of my legs. "Why are my eyes wet?" I feel around my head to try and undo the bandages. "I must have had a weird dream last night." I found the end of the wrapping and started to unravel it. As the bandages became thinner and let in more light. I could make out a few objects in the room. I closed my eyes and removed the final piece of the bandage. I slowly opened my eyes, so they could slowly adjust to the light. When my eyes adjusted; I looked to my left and saw a neatly folded bed. I then saw a chair next to my bed with my clothes resting on top of it. I reached over and grabbed my clothes. I slowly moved off the bed and sat on the side. I reached around my back and untied the gown. I quickly got dressed before anyone came into the room. While I sat on the bed; I started to look around for my boots. I continued to look, but I couldn't find them, so I opened the drawer of a small dresser next to the bed. I stood up and was amazed to see they had my gun with all my possessions. I grabbed my gun and wallet. I pulled the small strap out of the holster and put the strap in my pocket. I walked over to the window as I put my wallet into my back pocket. I looked out the window and was shocked at what I saw. A lot of horses were walking all around the town, but my attention quickly turned towards the buildings. They have been demolished. Some missing parts of its roof and others had missing walls. It looked like a tornado ripped through the town. "By the looks of the building material; this must be a third world country, but it's not like any third world I have ever been to," I said with confusion. "The building themselves look to be taken care of, but it looks like a large storm blew in," I laughed. "That explains the life stock, but why would the owner dye their coats such colors?" I turned around and I saw my boots under the bed I was resting in. "Well would you look at that; found ya." I walked over to the bed and sat down. I grabbed my boots and started to put them both on. I was too preoccupied with my boots to notice the door had opened behind me. "Good afternoon, James. How are you feeling?" Nurse Redheart said in a pleased tone. "I am doing fine, Nurse Redheart. How are you today?" I was still fidgeting with my shoe laces. "I'm doing fine; thanks for asking." I heard her shuffle with some papers. "You mind telling me who took my boots off? Whoever it was did a real number on my shoe strings." I continued to undo the mess. "I took them off," Nurse Redheart said in a confused tone. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to mess your shoe strings up." "That's alright; I do tighten them a little too much." I turned to look for the nurse. I quickly made it to my feet when I saw a small white horse standing by the door. I tried to peer around the horse as it watched me. "Hey Nurse! Someone's livestock is in the room!..." "Livestock?" A voice said. I then looked at the small horse. "What are you talking about, James?" "Jesus! What the fu..." I tried to take a few steps back, but I tripped on my shoe lace and fell to the ground. "James! Are you alright!?" I watched as the white horse ran over towards me. "Stay back!" I yelled as loud as I could while scooting back as far and as fast as I could. I was quickly stopped as my head hit the corner of the small dresser. "Damn it!" I yelled as I grabbed my head. "James! Are you okay!?" The small white horse came closer. "Stay back!" I yelled while freeing my right hand to point at the horse. "Stay away from me!" "But, James you might be hurt," The white horse said. "I need to see of you are okay." The small white horse slowly advanced. "I said get back!" I yelled as I quickly grabbed my gun. I quickly got up on my feet and pointed my gun towards the small white horse. "What the hell is this!?" I yelled. I quickly moved my attention to the door as a small, light brown horse with glasses and some kind of shirt on. "James, Nurse Redheart; what in Equestria is going on in here?" Asked the small brown horse. "Dr. Stable?" I asked while backing towards the window. "What the hell is going on!?" I demanded while pointing my gun towards them both. "Please calm down, James." The light brown horse started to walk slowly towards me. "I am Dr. Stable and this is Nurse Redheart." He motion towards the small white horse. "Do you remember us?" "Of course I remember! I'm not an idiot!" I yelled. "I expected you to be human and not a talking horse..." "Pony..." Dr. Stable said, but I quickly interrupted. "That's not the point!" I yelled. "What am I do..." I was quickly brought to my knees. A sharp pain shot through my head as I remembered both of my dreams. "Are you alright, James?" Both the doctor and the nurse rushed to my side. "Everything is going to be alright." I felt something touch my back. "Don't touch me!" I let go of my gun and pushed them both away from me. "Don't you ever touch me again..." I watched them both back away. "Please, James we are not a threat to you," Dr. Stable said in a relaxed tone, "Why don't you sit on the bed and relax for a little. I don't want you to collapse again." "Right..." I grabbed my gun and slowly made it up on my feet. I put the gun in its holster and slowly walked to the bed. I slowly sat down on the bed. I saw Dr. Stable start to walk towards me. "I told you to stay away from me..." I said angrily while pointing at him. "Okay, I'm sorry," Dr. Stable took a few steps back, "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?" "Go ahead." I said while rubbing my forehead. "Do you remember where you are?" Asked Dr. Stable. "Yeah, a hospital." I paused when I remembered the conversation I had with Twilight yesterday. "I am in a hospital in Ponyville, in Equestria." I started to laugh. "It's good you remember, but what is so funny?" Asked Dr. Stable with a confused look on his face. "I knew everything," I continued to laugh, "I knew you were ponies; my dreams and the name of this town is a dead giveaway! I just didn't remember until now." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Why?" "Why what?" Dr. Stable asked while cocking his head. "Does something still hurt?" "Never mind, it's nothing." I sighed. "I'm sorry; I over reacted and I shouldn't have yelled at you two." "It's alright, James." Dr. Stable smiled and started to come closer. "No..." I quickly held my hand up to stop him. "I over reacted, but I still don't want you coming near me. Not until I have a firm grasp of what is going on." "Fair enough," Dr. Stable smiled, "Twilight is waiting for you in the waiting room. She is here to take you out to lunch." "What?" I raised an eyebrow. "So I am guessing she is a horse too?" "Twilight is a pony, Unicorn to be more precise," Dr. Stable smiled, "Like me." "Like you?" I gave a closer look and saw the horn on the doctors head. I then started to laugh. "I can't believe I didn't notice until now!" I calmed down and looked closely at Dr. Stable. "I was too preoccupied by you talking horses to see the broader picture." I bring my head down and rubbed my forehead. "Pony." Dr. Stable reminded me. "Would you like to stay another day to calm down? I can tell Twilight that you will be staying another night." "No," I quickly cut off Dr. Stable, "I need to get out of here. The sooner the better." I stood up and rested my right wrist on the back of my gun. I slowly walked passed Dr. Stable. I made sure to keep an eye on him as I passed. I then looked at Nurse Redheart by the door. She quickly moved aside and smiled. I walked out the door slowly with my hand still resting on top of my gun. I stopped in the middle of the hall just outside the door. As I looked down the hall; I saw a small lavender pony sitting on the floor next to a desk by the door. A small white blur got my attention and I quickly looked to my right. Nurse Redheart was trying to pass me, so I stepped aside. I watched her as she slowly passed beside me. I jumped when I heard a loud slamming noise behind me. I quickly looked behind me and saw Dr. Stable standing by the door. "You don't have to be so skittish, James." Dr. Stable smiled and slowly walked towards me. "May I pass by you?" I kept quiet and stepped to the side. I watched him as he slowly passed me. I then started to follow slowly behind him. I kept a rough distance of about three feet behind Dr. Stable. The doctor then turned to the right and got behind the large desk. I was then standing a few feet in front of the lavender pony. "Twilight Sparkle, I am guessing?" I asked as I took my hand up off my gun and relaxed my arm. "I hope you remembered what I told you," She gave me a smile, "You can call me Twilight; Twilight is fine." "Okay Twilight," Feeling no threat; I put my right hand in my pocket, "Where do we go from here?" I asked. "Well," Twilight put her hoof to her chin and smiled, "I said I would take you out to lunch. I can't have you going home on an empty stomach after all." I watched as Twilight walked over to the lobby and picked up a small bag full of papers. She slung it over her back and walked towards the door. She then turned back and looked at me. "Come on, James; we don't have all day." Twilight smiled and walked out the door. I quickly followed her out the door and caught up to her. I continued to walk with her into town. As we made in into what looked to be Town Square; I noticed a lot more ponies walking around. I slowed my pace and started to walk slightly behind Twilight. I then took my right hand out of my pocket and rested it back on top of my gun. Twilight then stopped, so I quickly stopped behind her. "What's wrong, James?" Twilight asked while giving me a worried look. "Did I do something to scare you?" "No," I looked around at all the ponies, "I've never been in this kind of situation before." "What kind of situation are you talking about?" Twilight turned around and started to walk closer to me. "Nothing... Nothing..." I took a couple steps back and Twilight quickly stopped. "Don't worry about it; I am perfectly fine." "Do you not like me for some reason?" Twilight asked as she sat down in front of me. It looked like she was about to cry. "No," I shook my head at her, "It's nothing like that. I'm just in a new place I don't know yet." I said in a slight irritation. For some reason I felt sorry for making her feel like she did. "This is the first time I have been in a place like this." "If that's all," Twilight quickly got up and smiled at me, "You will get use to this place in no time." Twilight started to walk away, but quickly stopped and turned back and looked at me. "Let's get going, James; I am hungry." "Okay." I followed close behind Twilight; still being cautious of my surroundings. "I have to ask Twilight." "Yes." Twilight said as we continued to walk down the road. "What happened to this town?" I asked as I looked around at the buildings. "We had a little Parasprite problem today." Twilight replied as we turned to a small building with tables in front of it. "It's all okay now; Pinkie Pie got rid of them for us." "Parasprite problem?" I asked as I watched Twilight sat down on a pile of hay next to a table. "Yep, they are small balls of fur that eat any food they see." Twilight started to blush. "It was my fault they started to eat buildings. I cast a spell so they would stop eating our food, but as you can see. It didn't work out well." Twilight watched as I stood next to the pile of hay. "Is something wrong, James?" Twilight asked as she raised an eyebrow. "Hmm," I gave the pile of hay a small kick and watched it fall over, "No; everything is fine." I got down on one knee and started to stack up the hay pile. "This is just a little different than what I am use to, that's all." I sat down and crossed my legs. I then looked up at Twilight and saw she was looking at me with a worried look again. "Is something wrong?" "Doesn't that hurt your legs?" Twilight asked as she pointed her hoof towards me. "No," I said in slight irritation, "Why would it?" "I don't know, it just looks painful." Twilight put her hoof up to her chin again. "Trust me, its normal for my kind to sit like this." I rubbed my forehead in irritation. "So how many pilots are there where you live?" Twilight looked on at me with an excited expression. "Pilots?" I asked in a confused tone, but I remembered our conversation we had yesterday. "No, pilot is my occupation. My species is called Human." "Oh, so how many Humans live where you are?" Twilight asked with a smile. "I think it's a little over seven billion people." I scratched my head. "By the way, where can I find a map?" "I had a feeling you would ask me that," Twilight started to look through her bag on the ground, "Here we are. A map of Equestria." I watched in shock as the paper started to float towards me in mid air. "How are you doing that?" I watched the paper being placed in front of me with a purple glow. "Magic." Twilight smiled. "So that thing yesterday with my head. It was magic?" I asked in a confused tone. "It sure was!" Twilight exclaimed with pride. "Interesting..." I scratched my head in disbelief. "I never believed in magic, but I have heard of legends where I am from about wizards and other magical things." Twilight quickly cut me off. "You have magic where your form too!?" Twilight quickly got excited. "I don't know." I rolled the map flat and looked at it. I looked at the map for a few minutes. I tried to picture where this continent would be if it was on my earth, but it was hopeless. I rolled up the map and pushed it towards Twilight. I put my elbows on the table and rested my head between my hands. "Is something wrong, James?" Twilight asked with a worried look. "Yes," I put my hands down and looked at the table, "I am not on the same Earth." "Don't be silly," Twilight smiled at me, "This is Earth." "Don't patronize me, Twilight." I said in an irritated tone. "It's not a good time." "I'm sorry; I didn't mean anything by it." Twilight's ears went down and she looked at the table. I stayed quiet when I saw a tan pony walk towards us with something in its mouth. I watched as it placed the papers in front of both me and Twilight. I picked up the paper as the tan pony walked away; I then opened the paper to see what it was. From what I saw, it was a menu. I looked over the menu and saw nothing that I could even eat. I then remembered that ponies are herbivores. I put the menu down and sighed. "Is something wrong?" Twilight asked in a timid voice. "No," I watched as the tan pony started to walk towards us, "Everything is okay." "Okay." Twilight quickly gave me a smile and turned to the tan pony. "Are you two ready to order?" The tan pony asked. "I'm ready," Twilight looked at me, "Are you ready?" Twilight asked and I gave her a quick nod. Twilight then turned back to the tan pony. "I would like a Daffodil and Daisy Sandwich please." "And you sir?" The tan pony asked while turning to face me. "I loaf of bread and water will be fine for me." I picked up the menu and handed it to the pony. I watched as he grabbed both menus in his mouth and walked away. "You need to eat something healthy, James." Twilight started to glare at me. "Only eating bread is not a good diet." "Neither is a diet of grass and flowers..." I quickly fired back in irritation. I looked at Twilight and it seemed like she was about to cry. "Look, I'm sorry. I am not usually this much of a jerk. I'm just under a lot of stress right now." "It's alright, I understand." Twilight started to circle her hoof on the table. "So, when are you going to go back home?" "Well..." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had to calm down, or I would have snapped at Twilight again. "You might call this planet Earth, but it is not my Earth. I don't even know if I can go home." "So you are going to stay in Ponyville?" Twilight asked in a slightly excited tone. "You know what." I did my best to stay calm. "I don't know." "Okay, well if you want; I have an extra bed at my house you can use." Twilight smiled. "If you can't go home, you can stay with me." "Enough!" I yelled while slamming my hand against the table; making Twilight jump. "Don't say another word about my home. It is pissing me off." I quickly regretted what I said when I saw the look of fear on Twilight's face. "Please understand; I don't know how I got here, I don't know how to get home and I am still in a little bit of shock. I have never seen a talking pony before." "I don't understand, James." Twilight looked at me for a few seconds before I quickly cut in. "Humans are the only species on my planet that are able to speak." I rubbed my forehead. "Humans are the dominant species, Enough said." "If you are the only intelligent species on your planet; then it must be very peaceful." Twilight smiled. "Peaceful," I started to laugh, "Its anything but peaceful. We have wars going on all around the world. It is a very violent place, but it also has its good parts. It's the good that I try to hang onto." "So you're alone?" Twilight's ears went down as she looked at the ground. "Yeah," I looked up into the sky, "I guess I am." "Oh no I didn't mean you." Twilight quickly replied. I looked at Twilight and watched her for a few seconds. I then turned my attention to the tan pony walking out from the small building next to us. He had a tray balanced on his back and another tray in his mouth. I watched as he walked up to our table. He placed the tray in his mouth in front of me. He then grabbed the tray on his back and placed it in front of Twilight. I watched him as he walked away and I looked down at the bread and water. "I sure hope he brushes his teeth." I picked up the bread and took a bite. "What do you mean, James?" Twilight asked as her sandwich glowed a gentle purple and floated up to her mouth. "It's nothing, never mind." I took another bite of the bread. "So you helped me out of the forest. Do you mind telling me where the path you took me out from is?" "Yeah, but why do you want to know?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "The Everfree Forest is dangerous." "I need to see something. Besides, I bet it's not any more dangerous than any forest where I am from." "I doubt that..." I sensed a slight competitive tone in her voice. "We have Timber Wolves, Manticores, Cockatrices and Hydras. I only mentioned a few; I don't want to get into detail on the plants." Twilight smiled. "Wolves!?" I exclaimed while laughing. "If that is the hardest forest you have on this planet; I might as well stay!" I continued to laugh. "The Amazon Rainforest; that is the hardest forest you will ever be in. You have Jaguars in the trees along with snakes that can grow up to ten feet in length." I continued to laugh. "Don't get me started on the spiders. You can find spiders that are bigger than your head!" I pointed at Twilight. "Now let's move on to the water. You have Crocodiles and Piranhas that would like nothing more than to eat you alive. You can't even drink the water because of microscopic parasites. The parasites can kill you in two days flat and those are the good ones. The bad parasites will have you in so much pain, you won't even be able to crawl out of the forest. The pain will last for weeks and then you die; that is if you don't get eaten first." "Okay..." Twilight brought her ears down again. "Have you ever been in the Amazon Rainforest before?" "Well..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I haven't and I never plan too." I took a bite of my bread and quickly took a drink of water. "Then why did you bring it up if you have never been in your forest?" Twilight gave me a confused look. "Because I have a good idea what to expect." I finished off my loaf of bread and water. "Besides, I am not asking you to come along. I will be fine on my own." "But it's still dangerous." Twilight finished off her sandwich and watched me stand up. "Like I told you, I'm not asking you to follow me. All I asked for you to do is show me." I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. I pulled out a ten dollar bill and placed it on the table. "Ummmm, James." Twilight got up and pointed at my money. "What is that?" She asked. "Its money." I quickly realized. "Right, my money here is probably worthless." I picked up the bill from the table and was about to put it back in my wallet, but Twilight stopped me. "Do you think I can have that?" Twilight pointed at the money. "Sure, why not." I held out the bill and placed my wallet back in my pocket. "Thanks." Twilight smiled and quickly levitated the bill into her bag. "No problem," I held up my hand to direct Twilight, "Now can you show me the path into the forest." "Sure thing." Twilight smiled and levitated some sort of coins onto the table. "Let's go." I followed Twilight through town. It didn't take long before we came to a small stream. I could see a forest across the stream and I had to wonder if that's the forest I crashed in. I cold chill ran up my spine as I remembered the forest in my dream. I just hoped I wouldn't see any fog in the forest. We passed over a small bridge and followed the path up to the forest. "Thank you for the help Twilight. I will be fine from here." I started to walk into the forest, but something tugged on my pants pocket. I looked back and I see twilight biting my back pocket. "Let go of me!" I yelled and moved her off of me. "What are you doing?" "I don't want you to go in the forest." Twilight's ears went down again. Twilight quickly perked up. "Not without me to protect you." "I don't need protection. I am fine on my own." I turned around and started to walk into the forest. As I walked down the path, Twilight close behind. I pulled my gun out and made sure I had a round chambered. When I was satisfied; I holstered the gun. I continued down the path and it quickly got familiar. I could recognize some parts of the path from my dreams. I slowed down and Twilight quickly broke the silence. "So what is that black thing you just looked at?" Twilight asked in a strange tone. "It's a gun." I continued to scan over the ground, looking for any trace of where I laid. "It's a tool we use for self defense and war." "A tool for self defense and war?" Twilight asked ever more confused. "So it's a weapon?" "That is sort of what I just said..." I replied in an irritated tone. "No," Twilight glared at me, "A tool helps build things and a weapon doesn't." "I'm sorry, but I am not in the mood to get into an argument right now." I stopped and looked at a small puddle. "I will explain it to you when I am in a better mood." I looked around and found a small path off the main trail. "Okay," Twilight smiled in satisfaction, "I will hold you to it." Twilight and I slowly walked down the small path and quickly came into a small clearing. I stopped just outside the tree line. It was easy to see my wreckage, but I wanted to make sure nothing else was out here. I slowly walked towards my wrecked Hornet with Twilight close behind. "I want you to stay away from the wreckage." I pointed at my Hornet. "It is still dangerous." "Then why are you going?" Twilight asked with a worried look. "Because I know what I am doing." I started to make my way to the Hornet. I slowly walked around the wreckage. By visually inspecting the aircraft while I walked around it. I concluded it was still very dangerous. The left wing was completely shredded and scattered over the clearing. The right wing was still intact and surprisingly enough and it still had a Sidewinder attached. The nose of the craft was so damaged; you would never have known it was suppose to be at a point. Looking back at the engine. You couldn't even tell it had two engines. It was crushed and morphed by the heat of the fire. The cockpit seemed to have the least damage. Only a few large dents and a lot of burn marks. I slowly walked up to the craft. I slowly got down on one knee and started to feel the burnt ground. I turned my hand over to look at it. It was slightly damp with charred Earth sticking to my palm. I brought my hand up to smell the liquid and quickly realized it was jet fuel. I looked around the bottom of the craft. I found a small leak from the fuel tank in the wing. I slowly felt along the wing. The steel was cold all the way around. I then started to feel around the main body; right where the liquid cooling units would be. I was surprised when I felt it was still warm. I grabbed the front of the wing and pull myself up onto the wreckage. I slowly walked towards the cockpit. When I was close enough; I got on my stomach and started to slowly pull myself closer. When I got close enough; I peered inside. "Damn it!" I yelled at what I saw. "The 20 Millimeter just had to be destroyed." I slowly scooted back. "Piece of shit." I stood up and slowly climbed down from the wing. I turned around and saw Twilight standing only a few feet away from me. "I thought I told you to stay away from this." "But you looked like you needed my help." Twilight smiled at me while she sat on the ground. "I don't mind helping you if you need it." "I think I will be fine." I walked under the wing and slowly prop my shoulder against the Sidewinder. I then stabilized it with my left hand and with my right; I pulled the pins holding it in place. The missile was released and now resting on my shoulder. "My god! This thing is a lot heavier that it looks!" I exclaimed as my kneed buckled with an extra two hundred pounds. "Here, let me help you." Twilight said. I quickly turned my head to Twilight. "No! Don't!" I yelled, but it was too late. The missile started to float upwards a few inches. "Stop!" I yelled and Twilight quickly released it from her magical grasp. The two hundred pound missile dropped a few inches on my shoulder. I quickly dropped onto one knee from the pain. "I told you I didn't need your help." I slowly stood up and walked out from under the wing. "But you said it was heavy and I thought I could help you." Twilight quickly put her ears down and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean it, honest." "Look Twilight," I slowly walked up in front of Twilight, "I need to be honest with you." I paused a moment and took a deep breath. "I don't trust you; hell I don't trust any of you." I looked at Twilight as she stared at me with wide eyes. "When it comes to my stuff; I demand you respect my will for it. A lot of this stuff is dangerous and you could get hurt." Twilight quickly interrupted. "So you do care for my well being." Twilight quickly smiled. "It's a start and I am willing to build off of that." "Right." I didn't want to say it, but I didn't care. I knew that this stuff could be my only way home, so I had to protect it. "Sit tight Twilight; I need to take care of this missile." I slowly walked to the rear of the Hornet and slowly propped the Sidewinder against the tail wing. I slowly stood up straight. I bring my right hand up and slowly rubbed my left shoulder. It didn't feel broken, just soar. I turned to face Twilight and quickly noticed she was franticly looking around. It was then I noticed, it was quiet. I slowly scanned the tree line while resting my right hand over my gun. While I stood still; I could smell some sort of foul odder. It smelled like decomposing bodies and year old vegetables. Twilight quickly ran in front of me. "Don't worry, James. I will protect you." Twilight said with confidence. "Protect me from what?" I asked. "Timber Wolves." Twilight quickly replied. I looked in the direction Twilight was looking. I then saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes in the shadows. It seemed to be walking closer towards us. "Get out of my way Twilight." I pulled my gun out and flipped the safety off. "No!" Twilight yelled. "You will get hurt." "Keep standing in my way and you will get hurt." I gently pushed Twilight away with my left hand. I slowly bring the gun up and took aim at the glowing eyes. I slowly walked forward as the glowing eyes moved in closer. I stopped when it slowly became visible. "Are you kidding me!" I put my gun down and looked at Twilight. "That thing is mad out of wood! How is that dangerous!" I yelled. "They hunt in groups." Twilight slowly stepped back. "Groups?" I quickly turned around and saw two more pairs of eyes slowly crawling out of the forest. I then quickly bring my gun up and aimed towards the one in front. It seemed to wait for something. Soon after the other two wolf like animals walked out of the shadows. They slowly walked up besides the largest one. As soon as the largest one took its first step. I quickly fired off a round. A split second later; the largest wolf disintegrated into millions of wooden splinters. The other two quickly charged. I took aim at the one on the right. I fired a round and it quickly crumbled to the ground. I then aimed at the one on the left, but it was too quick. The wolf like creature lunged at my head. I then felt a strong gust of wind blow past my right ear and the wolf broke up into pieces right in front of me. "I told you they were dangerous." Twilight said. "I guess a thanks is in order." I turned around and smiled at Twilight. She still had a couple rocks floating by her head. "Thank you for hitting it with that rock." Twilight then gave me the biggest smile I had ever seen in my life. "That's what friends do." Twilight quickly walked up to my side. "Right." I flipped the safety on and put the gun back in my holster. "I have to ask you, James," Twilight looked up towards me while rubbing here ear, "What was that loud noise you made? I heard three similar noises that day we found you in the forest." "It is the quick expansion of gas in the barrel of the gun. It launched a small projectile out of the end of the gun." I looked up towards the sky. "It's the small projectile that will do the damage, not the noise." "That sounds complicated." Twilight looked up at the sky with me. "You should sleep over at my house tonight. It is getting dark." "No, I think I will stay out here tonight." I walked around the wreckage and up to the wing. "No!" Twilight yelled. "I won't let you do that, it's too dangerous!" Twilight followed me up to the wing. "Didn't you learn your lessen when you almost got eaten by that Timber Wolf?!" "I underestimated them and it won't happen again." I slowly lifted myself on top of the wing and laid down. "But, James..." Twilight started to walk around in circles. "You are being unreasonable." Twilight stopped and looked up towards me. "I already told you that I am staying here." I brought my arms up and folded my hands. I rested my head on my hands and looked up into the sky. "You are going to come back with me. You said it yourself." Twilight quickly thought what to say. "You should take your own advice. This is our world and you don't know it. I will respect your stuff here, but please respect my advice." Twilight waited for a response. "I will see you tomorrow Twilight." I took a deep breath. "I am still staying." "Alright, James." Twilight turned around and started to walk. Shortly after, she turned to look at me. "I hope you'll be safe tonight, but if you change your mind. You'll be welcome any time." Twilight then walked off into the path. I looked up to the sky and watched it slowly shift to a dark purple. The stars slowly became visible and the moon slowly rose in the sky. I found it to be a little strange; I continued to look at the stars. I was able to find a few familiar star constellations; I found Orion, Ursa major and minor. I closed my eyes while thinking about home. I quickly drifted off to sleep; imagining being in my own bed. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy!
Chapter 5. A Night With the Moon.Chapter 5 A Night With the Moon I opened my eyes and slowly looked around. I saw a room full of computers, desks and file cabinets. It seemed I was in some kind of office, but I have never seen this place before. I walked up to the closest desk and opened a drawer; hoping to find a clue about this place. The drawer was full of files, so I quickly picked out a random file. I placed the file on the desk and opened it. Looking through the papers; I noticed they were all blank. I continued to franticly look through the papers and I quickly got angry. "What is this!?" I exclaimed while throwing the papers over the floor. "How stupid do you have to be to file blank papers?" I quickly grabbed another file from the drawer. I quickly skimmed through the papers. "Come on, why are they all blank papers?" Not satisfied in my search; I tossed the file on the ground to my right. I sat down in the chair at the same desk. I looked at the computer monitor for a few seconds. Not knowing if it would work; I looked around for the tower. I quickly found it and turned on the computer. I get up from under the desk and turned the monitor on. Surprisingly enough, the computer started to boot up. The computer quickly ran through the boot up process and came to a blue screen. I stared at the screen for a few minutes. "You have got to be kidding me," I pushed the monitor off the desk and onto the floor, "I need a damn login and password!" I quickly got up from my chair and flipped the desk over. "This is bull shit!" I yelled as I kicked the computer tower. When I was satisfied with the damage I just inflicted on the computer; I fell back into the chair. "Calm down, James. I have to calm down." I said to myself while rubbing my forehead. As I calmed down, I slowly got up from the chair and walked over to the open door. I looked down both sides of the hall way and decided to go left. As I walked down the hall, I noticed the room numbers shrinking. This was a good sign, because it meant I was getting close to an exit. Soon after, I came at a cross section in the hall. I looked around and quickly saw a green exit light. I turned left and started to follow all of the exit signs. I quickly made my way to a room that appeared to be the main lobby. As I looked around, I noticed a few strange things. Down by the door; I could see large metal detectors and a few small conveyor belts. The lobby looked to have very comfortable chairs and the main desk was huge. "This has got to be a Federal building of some kind." I walked towards the metal detectors and placed my hand over the cold steel. "Why would I ever be in a building like this?" I asked myself as I walked through the metal detector. I stopped in front of the door and looked outside. It was dark and the streets were lit up by the street lamps. I placed my hand on the door and slowly pushed it open. As the door opened, a cool breeze brushed past me. I walked out of the building and looked around. This place seemed very familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on it. I walked further down the smooth concrete path and turned around. I was shocked at what I saw. "What am I doing at the Pentagon?" I looked around at the side of the building. "I would have no reason to be here in the first place, so why?" I looked up into the dark sky. The first thing I noticed was the moon. I continued to gaze at the sky and noticed it had no stars. The moon seemed to be the only light in the sky. I quickly turned my attention to ground level as I got a strange feeling. It was like I was being watched and I couldn't help but feel that this was familiar. I slowly started to back up towards the Pentagon, but a loud Earth shattering voice stopped me. "Your dreams are filled with fear Human!" I quickly dropped to my knees as the strange voice yelled. "Tell me Human, what is it that you fear most!?" "I... Don't..." I tried gasping for breath, but the pressure from the voice was too much. "Know..." "What don't you know Human!" The voice yelled as I continued to fight for air. "Dose thy fear cometh from being in a world with no Humans!?" "What... Are you talking about..." The pressure seemed to tone down as I continued. "Who are you?" I asked while still trying to catch my breath. "Answer me Human!" The voice yelled as the ground shook. "No!" I slowly fought my way to my feet. "You answer me!" "Hold thy tongue!" The ground stopped shaking as the voice continued. "I demand to know thy intentions!" "Intentions for what?" I franticly looked around. "I have no intentions." I waited for a reply, but I got nothing for a few minutes. It seemed the conversation was over, so I quickly ran back into the Pentagon. I stopped in the middle of the lobby and rested my hands on my knees. For some reason; I was shaken up by that voice. I think that I heard that voice somewhere before, but I couldn't remember where. I closed my eyes and stood up straight. When I opened my eyes; I was shocked at what I saw. It seemed like I was magically teleported to some sort of concrete bunker. One side of the wall was stacked to the ceiling with massive servers. The room had a strange table like thing in its center and a strange pulsating white light leading to the computer servers. I slowly walked up to the table like object. As I got closer; it seemed to glow blue. I walked up to the ridge of the table and gently placed my hands on it. As I touched it; a blue light shot up and quickly retreated back into the table. I watched as the blue light started to rise slowly. Green and brown dots started to rise out of the blue light and I then knew what it was. "Wow!" I yelled while excitingly looking around the table. "This is a 3D hologram of a map. That is so awesome!" As I walked around the table. A small holographic screen pulled itself up. I slowly walked up to the screen. "I am guessing this is a control panel?" I asked myself as I tried to find out how it worked. As I fidgeted with the control panel; I looked up to see it quickly zoon out. I looked back at the panel and a list of options was pulled up. A few of the options caught my eye. I then turned on Weather, Naval Fleets, Geomagnetic Detection and Time Distortion Detection. I didn't know why, but it just felt like the right thing to do. "Now, let's see what we have off the east coast of the U.S. shall I?" I watched as hundreds of dark blue dots swarm the map. "Okay, I am guessing that is our Naval Fleets." Soon after, the hologram was moved up close to head level. Dark storm clouds seemed to form over the Bahamas. Then thin red lines started to grow out from the ocean. They started to arch over the storm clouds and fall back into the ocean. "What are the red lines?" I asked myself as I looked at the screen. I highlighted the lines and a informational box popped up on the hologram. "What is a Gravitational Time Distortion Array?" I started to look over more information on the fleets in the Atlantic. I soon found a search bar I could use to find my ship. I typed the USS George H.W. Bush on the holographic keyboard. I watched as the map automatically zoomed out. It then quickly zoomed in by New York. It seemed like my carrier was sailing off the coast of New York State. I manually zoomed out and focused back over to the Bahamas. I then noticed a dark blue dot was starting to move into the storm, so I quickly focused in on it. I selected the dot and an informational tab was pulled up on the screed. "The USS Dewey?" I continued to look at the information on the hologram. "What is a Guided Missile Destroyer doing in a storm that large?" I started to dig more into the information on the ship. "That ship underwent some major overhauling." I looked over the equipment on the list. "Gravitational Sensors, Light Sensors and all kinds of Accelerometers. Why would they need all that crap in a storm?" I continued to watch the hologram's storm progress slowly. It seemed to grow larger and larger. Then the hologram zoomed further into the storm by its self. More and more red lines started to pop up. Then a strange fog seemed to ooze out of the ocean. Soon after the Destroyer came into the picture. The Destroyer seemed to sail side by side with the wall of fog. It was keeping a good distance away, but something didn't seem right. I continued to watch the hologram change even more. So many red lines were arching out of the ocean now; it almost looked like a dome. I quickly pulled up the gravitational information and all the red lines gained a small tab. Each tab had their own unique number. By the looks of it; they swayed from seventy five to one hundred and thirty three. The worst part about the numbers; I had no idea what they meant. All of a sudden; red lights and loud buzzing noises sounded off in the room. I looked around in a panic, but nothing seemed to be wrong. I then looked back at the hologram and saw the red lines started to move and warp. It seemed like they started to form some kind of funnel that shot out of the storm. Then a small tornado like cloud followed the red lines. It seemed like the lines were giving it direction. I looked down into the hologram as something caught my eye. White mist seemed to billow up from the center of the hologram. I slowly backed away as the mist started to pour over the edge of the table. I watched the mist at a safe distance. When it seemed like the mist stopped pouring over the edge; I slowly approached. "Stay away from the mist Human." A calm, gentle and familiar voice said. "Heed thy warnings this time and stay away." "Who are you?" I asked while slowly backing away from the mist. "Why are you telling me this?" "Believe me Human." The voice said before fading. "Believe." "Why are you avoiding my question?" I looked around the room, but I got no answer. I then turned my attention to the mist. It was once again taking the form of humans. It wasn't a surprise when five human figures took form around the holograph table. I watched as one of them started to mess around with the control panel. I knew what was coming next, so I stood and waited for the voices. "Are the preparations ready?" A deep voice echoed in the room. "We don't know how many times this vortex opens, so we need this done right the first time." "The USS Dewey is in position just outside of the fog. They are awaiting orders." A female voice said. "So what are we talking about my dangerous misty friends?" I asked while walking over the clear side of the table. I then watched the hologram. "The vortex seemed to had formed, but it is weak. We are receiving a faint signal from that pilot we sent in." The deep voice said. "What!" I yelled as I turned my attention to the misty figures. "So this wasn't an accident! Why would you do such a thing!?" "So by these reading; that pilot is probably dead. Was it quick?" The female voice asked. "The pull of gravity was equal to ten earths. I have no doubt his death would have been quick." I watched as the mist pointed to the red lines on the hologram. "We sent him under the vortex around the time gravity was pulling upward. We also have confirmation that his Hornet was severely damaged." "I just hope this was worth it." The female voice said. "Do we have the team picked out to stabilize the portal?" "We do; we have three of the best killers we could find." The deep voice sounded like he was chuckling. "They will establish the sensors we need on this new world." "How will we get them there in one piece?" The female voice asked. "If that pilot died; what will stop the mercenaries from dying?" "We are retrofitting a top secret bomber. It was made to handle forces like you see here." The deep voice said as the misty figure at the control pointed at the hologram. "So what is the opposition like?" The female voice asked. "This brave new world is completely void of intelligent life." The hologram quickly sunk into the table and charts quickly replaced it. "We have no R.F. Radiation hits." I watched as the mist walked away from the control panel. "That is amazing!" The female voice exclaimed as one of the misty figures leaned over the table. "The atmosphere is perfect for human life." A large gust of wind blew in the room and the mist vanished as quickly as they appeared. I turned around and sat on the edge of the table. "I can't believe this. Why would they do this to me?" I closed my eyes and relaxed. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at the night sky. I saw some kind of faint white aurora shimmering above me. I looked further up and saw a full moon. I then noticed a warm feeling all over my body. I looked down and noticed I had a blanket. "Another odd dream." I said while rubbing my forehead. I threw the blanket down and got up to my feet. I looked around, but I didn't see anyone. I then saw a small paper mixed in with the blanket. I walked over to the letter and picked it up to read. Dear James, I know you aren't use to things here, but I hope you are safe while you read this. I have to be honest with you. I was thinking about forcing you to stay with me tonight, but I quickly realized that is not the right way to get your trust. I am truly sorry about all of the misunderstandings we had and I hope you understand. I am hoping you read this before it is too late, but I remembered I forgot to tell you where I live. If you walk back into Ponyville. You can follow the path down the main street. I live in a large tree. Just follow the main street and you can't miss it. I hope that you will reconsider and sleep over with me. Twilight Sparkle. "Thanks for the blanket, Twilight," I folded the paper and put it in my pocket, "But I am just fine out here." I looked around the clearing. I quickly noticed it was very quiet. It was very unusual for any forest. I quickly hopped down off the wing of my Hornet and crouched down underneath it. I grabbed my gun out of its holster and pulled the hammer back. I looked to see if I had a round chambered. When I was satisfied; I got out from under the wing and pointed my gun forward. I slowly walked around and scanned my surroundings. I quickly stopped when I heard something moving in the bushes. I quickly got on one knee and took careful aim in the direction of the noise. I quickly relaxed; I didn't want to make the stupid mistake I did last time. With my panic under control; I patiently waited. Soon I saw three shadows walking in the bushes. I gently placed my finger over the trigger. With the hammer already back; I knew it wouldn't take much to place my round where I wanted it. The shadows slowly breached the tree line and became visible in the moonlight. I saw a large blue horse with wings and a horn. Its mane and tail seemed to sparkle like the stars in a deep blue color. It was escorted by two dark grey ponies with some kind of strange armor on. Both of their tails were a dark purple and they both had some kind of bat like wings. "Stay where you are, or all three of you will be dead before you hit the ground." I said while steadying my aim. "You dare threaten a princess with death when she was kind enough to watch over you!?" One of the dark grey ponies yelled as he stood in front of the larger horse. "That means nothing to me." I watched as all three of them stopped. "What are you doing here?" I watched as one of the dark grey ponies started to talk to the larger one. "Let us go Princess." The dark grey pony glared at me. "This... Thing doesn't seem to want our help." "Thing?" I stood up and kept my aim towards them. "Big talk for a freak of nature. At least the tall one you're talking to looks normal. What happened; your mother was a pony and your father a bat?" I asked while trying not to laugh. "What did you say to me monkey!" The pony yelled while walking towards me slowly. "Monkey?" I chuckled while aiming at the advancing pony. "Come on Mr. Ed. I am a little tall for a monkey. You want to guess again?" "An ape then?" He smirked while slowly advancing. "An ape?" I smiled. "I'm not that hairy. Try again." "Enough!" The large horse yelled in an Earth shattering voice. "I recognize that voice!" I yelled as I aimed at the large horse. "Who are you!" I demanded. "You may call me, Luna." She looked down at the pony in front of her and nodded. "May I get your name?" "No you may not. You are going to answer my questions." The dark grey pony quickly interrupted me. "How dare you make demands to a princess!" "He does not know these lands." Luna said to the dark grey pony. "It is fine." "How were you in my dreams?" I asked while keeping my aim on Luna. "The night is my domain. Tis my duty to make sure everypony's dreams are good." Luna smiled at me. "How much to you know?" I asked "Everything." Luna quickly replied. "I was watching you the moment you slept in this world." "So why wait until now to show yourself?" I asked. "Why would you wait so long?" "You have a dark magic building inside of you." Luna started to slowly walk towards me. "I didn't know if this magic was part of you until now. I saw you multiple times; rejecting the magic." I quickly interrupted. "What magic?" I asked while lowering my gun. "I honestly have no idea what you are talking about." I put my gun back in my holster. "The mist in your dreams." Luna slowly sat down in front of me and gently tapped my chest with her hoof. "The mist followed you to this world and is now resting inside you, building and maturing." "Please don't touch me." I took a couple steps back. "As you wish." Luna smiled. "Tell me something," I crossed my arms and looked Luna in the eyes, "Why do I feel like I can trust you?" "Well..." Luna tilted her head and smiled. "Maybe it's because I understand you." "You never met me before." I said in a slightly irritated voice. "What do you know about me?" "I am able to look into your memories while you sleep." I quickly cut Luna off. "What did you see!?" I yelled. "Don't you dare raise your voice at the princess again!" Both dark ponies rushed in front of Luna. "Shut up!" I yelled while quickly pulling my gun out. I grasped it with both hands and kept it pointed at the ground. "Stay out of this, it has nothing to do with you." I looked at both of the dark grey ponies. "Please, let us speak." Luna said while gently pushing the dark grey ponies aside. "As you wish princess." Both ponies said while walking beside Luna. "Now, please calm down Human." Luna said with a smile. "Please call me James." I put my gun back in my holster. "As you wish, James." Luna looked up into the sky. "So," I took a deep breath and calmed down, "Will you tell me what you saw." "I saw memories of you when you were a child. Now that I think of it; you had that same object you were pointing at me." Luna looked at me and cocked her head. "What is that strange object any way?" "You looked into my memories and you don't know what a gun is?" I said in an extremely irritated tone. "When I looked into your memories," Luna frowned and looked at the ground, "I also feel the emotions. I stopped looking into that memory when I was overwhelmed with emotion." Luna looked me in the eye. "I felt fear, betrayal and death. I quickly realized that it was a very personal moment for you, so I cut the memory short." "I suppose I should thank you for that," I turned around and walked towards my wrecked Hornet, "That was a very personal moment in my life." I pulled myself up onto the wing and sat down on the edge. "I would like it if you stay out of my memories from now on." "You have my word," Luna got up and walked closer to me, "If you need to talk about something. I will be here to listen." Luna sat down in front of me and smiled. "Can I get your opinion on some of my dreams? It would be nice for a second opinion." I looked up into the night sky. "Sure, I would be happy to." Luna sounded pleased to be talking with me. "My dream when I was back on the carrier." I looked Luna in the eye. "When I was radioing back and they were ignoring me. When I found that out; I wanted nothing more than to go back and kill every one of those mother fuckers, but now. This last dream tells me I am mad at the wrong people." I closed my eyes and tried not to cry. "The people on the carrier saved me." "It means leaving no witnesses." I looked at Luna's confused expression. "It's so no one can tell the truth of a story. It allows a lot of room for interpretation." "So you are telling me they will lie about what might happen." Luna put her hoof to her chin. "I don't know, but I don't think it will be good." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Why?" I asked myself. "Why what?" Luna asked. "Nothing, just talking to myself." I opened my eyes and looked at the ground. I then looked at Luna. "The real question is when will they get here." "What are you thinking about doing?" Luna asked with a worried look. "They are my only ticket home. The rest will be play by ear." I jumped off the edge of the wing and walked towards the front of the Hornet. "I don't belong here. I have no purpose." "Everypony has a purpose; even you, James." Luna said while walking over to me. "I can't say I agree with you Luna." I started to laugh as I remembered today's events. "I got in a fight with three wolves made out of wood." I pointed to the rear of the Hornet. "How does that even work?" I put my hands in my pockets. "You are okay, so does it matter?" Luna asked as she sat next to me. "None of this will mean anything when I leave." I started to chuckle. "When I get home; I am going to have to sign up in the closest insane asylum." "What do you mean, James?" Luna asked in a confused tone. "Nothing," I started to laugh again, "It was a joke." "I'm sorry, but I don't understand how that is funny. Can you explain?" Luna asked. "I don't think I can." I looked down at the ground and saw a large shine object sticking out. I bent down and picked it up. "What is that?" Luna asked while pointing her hoof. "This," I cleaned the dirt off the brass object, "Is a bullet for my Hornet." I turned it around and showed Luna. "It is too damaged to use. Its bent in the middle." "Why is it so big?" Luna asked while looking at the bullet in my hand. "It just is." I tossed the bullet at the ground. "Why don't you tell me about this dark magic mist thing." "Well," Luna looked over at me, "I recall memories of a wall of white mist before you came here." I interrupted Luna. "The wall of fog?" I asked. "Yes," Luna smiled, "That's it. It was some sort of foul magic on your planet. I can't tell you much for I don't know much about your planet. I can tell you that this magic has found its way inside you." Luna pointed at my stomach. "I believe the stuff you called smoke, was also this dark magic." "The smoke in my cockpit?" I asked. "Is that how it got inside me?" "I don't know, but I know it is building inside of you and I have no idea why." Luna turned and looked at the two dark gray ponies. "Can you stop it?" I asked "I know nothing of the magic on your world. I am sorry, but I don't think I can help you." Luna said in a disappointed tone. "Is it hurting me in any way?" I waited for Luna to respond. "Not that I can tell." Luna smiled. "Is something wrong, Luna?" I looked at her as she looked around. "It is not safe out here at night." Luna looked up at me. "Do you have a place you could stay for the night?" Luna asked with a smile. "I don't understand; I was fine until now." I raised an eyebrow at Luna. "Why can't I stay here?" "You were fine only because I was protecting you." Luna smiled. "I can't stay here with you all night to protect you." "Twilight left me a note." I reached into my pocket and retrieved the paper. "She wanted me to sleep over at her place. I guess I could sleep over with her for the night." "Twilight Sparkle?" Luna smiled at me. "That would be wonderful. My guards and I well escort you out of the forest just to be safe." "Fair enough." I turned around and jumped up onto the wing of my Hornet. "Hold on a second." "Sure thing." Luna smiled and got up. I picked up the blanket Twilight left for me. I started to fold it while I looked around for anything lurking in the bushes. I set the blanket down when I finished. I then slowly made my way to what was left of the cockpit. I gave it a quick look-over to see if I could bring anything with me that might help. Finding nothing in my search; I climbed off of the wreckage and grabbed the blanket. "Alright," I quickly took the lead and started to walk towards the small path, "Let's get going." "Stop." The dark grey pony said while blocking my path. "I will lead and you follow." "Alright chief, you lead." I raised an eyebrow at the guard. One guard took the lead. Luna quickly trotted to my side and the other guard followed behind us. We walked down the path as I kept quiet. To be honest; I had no idea what to talk about. I got all the information I needed and I wouldn't think Luna knew how I could get home. I managed to get a hunch from my dreams and it worried me greatly. When I saw that faint white aurora in the sky; I could only think about how I got here. I flew to this place in my Hornet and they are prepping some sort of bomber. The only way to get here is by flying and the last plane didn't land in one piece. "What are you thinking about, James?" Luna asked with a smile. "Just thinking about home." I put my hands in my pocket and smiled at Luna. "Try not to think about it too much. It would be bad if you lost sleep over it." Luna looked forward and continued to walk. "It looks like we are coming up on the edge of the forest." We quickly cleared the tree line and stopped on the dirt road. "Do you know how to get to Twilight's house?" Luna asked with a pleased look on her face. "Yeah, she left me directions." I snagged the paper out of my pocket and held it up to Luna. "Then this is where we part ways." Luna smiled and spread her wings out wide. "I believe we will be seeing a lot more of each other in the coming future." "No offence, but I hope we don't." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I just want to get home." "Then I wish you the best of Luck, James." Luna smiled and turned around. She then glanced back for a few seconds. "If you ever need help in a dream; you can call out for me and I will be there for you." Luna quickly jumped up and flew off with her two guards close behind. I watched them as they flew off from the edge of the forest. As Luna flew further away; I could hear strange noises from the forest. It was like the forest just woke up. I decided I spent enough time standing here, so I turned around and started walking towards the town. I quickly found a large dirt pathway, so I followed it. I could see a large round building off in the distance, so I decided to see what it was. As I walked up to the large building; I looked at the paper that Twilight gave me. "I am guessing that this would be a main street." I looked over the paper while scratching my head. "So I am looking for a large tree." I looked around and saw a yellow pony with an orange mane and tail. It looked like it has some kind of apron on. It has some kind of bag in its mouth. "Excuse me!" I yelled while jogging up to it. "Excuse me, but can you help me?" I stopped a few feet away from it to give me a little distance. It then put the bag down on the ground. "What can I help you with?" He asked while smiling. "Yeah... I am looking for Twilight Sparkle's house." I held the paper up. "By any chance, do you know where it is?" "I sure do, just follow this street and it will bring you to her doorstep." He pointed with his hoof with a smile. "Thanks." I waved my hand as a walked off. As I walked towards this large tree; I couldn't help but laugh. I just couldn't believe my eyes. This large tree had a door and windows on it. It looked to be two or three stories high. It has two balconies and what seemed to be a telescope mounted on the top balcony. I walked up and stood in front of the door. I looked at the light in the window and could hear someone pacing around. I slowly brought my hand up and knocked on the door. I could hear someone run up to the door. The door quickly swung open and I saw Twilight looking up at me. "I was worried about you!" Twilight yelled. "Why didn't you come sooner?" "To be honest; I wouldn't have come at all, but Luna can be very persuasive." I showed Twilight her letter and blanket. "I got your letter and I am returning your blanket." "Luna?" Twilight looked surprised. "It doesn't matter now. You are here and safe." Twilight smiled and quickly ran outside. Twilight then started to push me inside. "Let's get going inside." "You don't have to push." I quickly got inside to get away from Twilight. I looked around as I stood in the middle of the room. "This looks more like a Library than a house." "It is a library; Princess Celestia is having me stay here while I'm in Ponyville." I watched as Twilight walked over to some stairs. Twilight then stopped and looked at me. "Your bed is up here, follow me." Twilight smiled as I followed. "I guess you weren't kidding when you said you like to read." I chuckled a little. "You must have read all of these books twice already." "Close," Twilight turned and smiled while walking up the stairs, "I read them all four times already." "I was joking about that, but whatever makes you happy." I got to the top of the stairs with Twilight. I then noticed something on her rear leg. "Hey, Twilight; can I ask you something?" "Sure." Twilight said with a smile. "What is it?" "That mark on your leg," I pointed at the strange mark, "What is it?" "This?" Twilight turned to show me. "This is my cutie mark. We get them when we find out what our special talent is." Twilights eyes then got wide. "Do you have your cutie mark?" Twilight asked with a smile. "No," I laughed, "Humans don't get cutie marks." "Why not?" Twilight asked with a confused look on her face. "I don't know." I said while I shrugged my shoulders. "So what's your special talent?" "Magic." Twilight quickly replied with pride. "Do you have a special talent?" Twilight looked at me wide eyed again. "I guess it would be flying." I held up the blanket I had on my arm. "So where do you want this?" "Oh!" Twilight pointed her hoof at a bed opposite of the one she was next to. "That's your bed." Twilight smiled. "Thanks." I walked over to the bed with the pink blanket and sat down. I noticed Twilight watching me from the corner of my eye. I turned to look at her. "Is something wrong?" "Nope," Twilight smiled, "Nothing is wrong." "Alright, if you say so." I took my gun out of its holster and put it on the shelf behind the bed. I then started to take my shirt off. I got my shirt off about half way before twilight started to get excited for some reason. "What is it?" "I thought you said you don't get cutie marks!" Twilight rushed over and touched my upper right arm with her hoof. "That looks like a cutie mark to me." Twilight said with a big smile. "It's a tattoo, not a cutie mark." I took my shirt off the rest of the way as Twilight moved her hoof. "I was roped into getting it by my friends on the carrier." I balled my shirt up and put it on the floor next to the bed. "What does it mean?" Twilight leaned in to get a closer look. "It's just a thing us pilots get, so please don't worry about it." I bent down and started to take my boots off. "What's that right there?" Twilight poked my ribs with her hoof and made me jump. "You don't have to poke me so hard..." I sat up straight and lifted my right arm over my head. I looked at my ribs and I quickly remembered. "It's a scar." "How did you get it?" Twilight asked while raising her eyebrow. "It's something I don't want to talk about." I bent back down to finish off my boots. "Oh," Twilight's ears went down and she slowly walked back to her bed, "Why don't you want to talk about it?" "It's part of my life I don't ever want to remember." I took my boots off and placed them by my shirt. I then bring my hand up to rub my scar. "It is a very sensitive subject for me, so please don't ever ask about it again." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." Twilight's ears went down as she looked at the floor. "Don't worry about it, you didn't know." I scooted back in the middle of the bed and laid down. I then looked down and saw Twilight making her way into her bed. "Well," Twilight's horn glowed and the lights turned off, "Good night, James." "Yep," I rested my head and folded my hands over my stomach, "Good night, Twilight." I relaxed and stared at the ceiling for a while. I then remembered I forgot something at the hospital. "Damn it..." I whispered while I sat up in the bed. "Forget it, I will deal with it tomorrow." I laid back in the bed and slowly drifted off to sleep. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy!
Chapter 6. Failed Attempts of Seclusion.Chapter 6 Attempts of Seclusion I found myself waking up in a familiar room. While I sat up in my bed; I saw Twilight sleeping in her bed across the room. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and turned my head to look out the window. The sun must have been coming up. The sky was a dark blue morphing into a deep shade of purple. The few clouds I could see glowed with a reddish hue. They all seemed to have a beautiful golden outline that shifted to a baby blue. I could only say it was the most beautiful sky that I have ever seen in my life. Even though it was only a small piece of the sky. I moved myself to the edge of the bed and grabbed my shirt. I put my shirt on and grabbed my boots. While I put my boots on; the sky got my attention again. It seemed strange that I felt comfortable just by looking at a small piece of sky through a window. I grabbed my gun and quietly placed it into its holster. I carefully navigated myself to the stairs in the dark room and quietly made my way to the door. I opened the door and stepped outside; closing the door quietly behind me. I stood outside the door for a few minutes, just admiring my surroundings. A cool summer like breeze brushing past my skin, clean crisp air and the sound of birds chirping. It would have been the perfect place to live. Only if I was here on my own free will, but I had places to be. I walked down the empty streets. As I looked around; I noticed the rebuild of the town is coming along well. Most of the small damage has already been repaired. I then stopped in front of the house I was at last night. It was too dark last night to see, but I was impressed at the building. It looked like a ginger bread house I would have made when I was a kid. "Well," I chuckled a little, "What other kind of surprises will this place have?" I turned and continued down my path to the hospital. As I walked down the dirt road. I saw a orange pony with a blond main and tail. It seemed it was pulling a cart full of apples. It was watching me, as I was watching it come closer. I glanced over at it when we passed and saw it had three red apples as its cutie mark. I continued down the path, but something in the sky got my attention. I quickly stopped and looked around the sky. I quickly found what looked to be a flying pony. It seemed to have a problem with the clouds, because it was flying into them at an incredible speed. I looked closer and noticed its tail seemed to be like a rainbow. "What was that mythological horse called..." I snapped my finger to try and remember. "Come on, think; Greek mythology." I suddenly remembered. "A Pegasus! I think that's what they are called." When I was satisfied on my conclusion. I continued down my path to the hospital. As I made my way to the front of the Hospital; I could only hope it was open. I pushed the door open and walked into the lobby. As I walked up to the large desk; I looked around, but couldn't find anyone. "Hello, is anyone here?" I asked while looking around the room. "James?" I jumped as I heard a familiar voice. "Don't scare me like that Nurse Redheart..." I turned to face her. "I forgot something here and I was wandering if you knew where it was." "What was it?" She asked while walking closer to me. "My flight suit. It covered my clothes." I watched her carefully as she approached. "That part of your clothing was torn to shreds. I decided to throw it away." Nurse Redheart cocked her head. "I hope that was alright with you." "Yeah..." I let out a big sigh. "Its fine." I turned around and made my way to the door until Nurse Redheart stopped me. "Wait, James." Nurse Redheart walked up behind me. "Are you doing better today? I was a little worried about you yesterday." "Yeah, I am fine." I opened the door and looked back at the nurse. "I have a lot to do today, so I have to go. I will see you later." "Okay, James. Stay safe." Nurse Redheart said as I walked out of the hospital. I followed a familiar path and I quickly knew where to go. I followed a path down to a small bridge. I went down to the small stream before crossing the small bridge. I got down on my knees and washed my face in the stream. When I finished, I cupped my hands and took a drink of the ice cold water. I got back to my feet and crossed the bridge. Making my way to the tree line; I found a small path into the forest. Quickly noticing that it was the path I needed. I quickly vanished into the forest. As I walked down the small dirt path; I kept an eye out for anything that might be able to harm me. Luckily my walk was uninterrupted. As I walked up to what was left of my Hornet; the smell of jet fuel was now long gone. I grabbed the edge of the wing and used it to help me up. I carefully walked towards the cockpit. I looked around in the cockpit as I stood over it. There was not much I could have used, but I knew I could use that black box hidden behind the rear panel. I quickly jumped down off the Hornet and scanned the ground for anything I could use. As I looked around; I quickly found a small piece of metal I might be able to wedge in-between the rear panel. I grabbed it and quickly climbed my way back up into the cockpit. As I positioned the metal slab in the crack. I wiggled it further in and started to slowly pry it open. The panel slowly pealed back and revealed the black box. I put my foot on top of the panel and pushed it down as hard as I could. It was a slow process, but the panel eventually bent down to the floor. I grabbed the black box. It was loose, but I couldn't remove it without force. I propped myself up with my hands and gave the black box a few good kicks. The already damaged bolt that held it in place broke and the box was free. I picked up the black box and tossed it on the ground. I slowly climbed out of the cockpit and gently lowered myself to the ground. I walked over to the black box, but I stopped when something caught my eye. I looked up and quickly found that blue Pegasus I saw this morning. I watched as it flew down into the clearing and landed a few feet away from me. "I am guessing you are the Pegasus that had a problem with the clouds this morning?" I asked as I picked up the black box. "Sure am," She puffed out her chest, "The name is Rainbow Dash." "Well good morning Rainbow Dash. Forgive me if I don't," I gave her a quick look over, "Shake your hoof, but I am rather busy." I walked to the rear of the Hornet and placed the black box next to the Sidewinder. "That's alright, James." Rainbow Dash smiled. "You know that Twilight is looking for you?" "I didn't, but I assume that Twilight told you my name." I walked towards the front of the Hornet. "That's right, she told us a lot about you." Rainbow Dash said as she followed close behind me. "She told me you flew on a fireball. Is that true?" Rainbow Dash asked in an excited tone. "I guess that is partly true." I bent down to pick up all the 20 Millimeter rounds I could find. "I flew in on this hunk of metal." I pointed at the wreckage with a bullet in my hand. "It might not look it, but it use to be able to fly." "I actually imagine you to have wings." Rainbow Dash put her hoof to her chin. "Maybe like a Phoenix." "A Phoenix?" I asked in a confused tone. "You sure have it all here don't you?" "What do you mean, James?" Rainbow Dash asked as she cocked her head. "You have a lot of mythological creatures here." I said as I walked to the rear of the Hornet with the ammunition. "I assure you, James." Rainbow Dash started to follow me. "They are real." Rainbow Dash smiled at me. "Maybe." I piled the ammo next to the black box. "It's something I have to see to believe." I stood up straight and looked at Rainbow Dash. "Did you need something? Because I am very busy." "That's right!" Rainbow Dash quickly brought her wings up. "Twilight wanted to know where you are." Rainbow Dash quickly jumped in the air and flew off. "Wait!" I yelled but it was too late. "Damn it... Oh well..." I turned around and continued to work. I carefully got back up onto the wing and made my way back into the cockpit. I picked up the same piece of metal. Carefully wedging the metal between the broken glass and the control consol. I pushed up has hard as I could. A few minutes of fighting with the panel. It finally gave me enough room to use my hands. I tossed the metal on the ground and grabbed the dash panel with both hands. With all my strength, I pulled the panel. A few seconds later, the panel started to make cracking noises. Shortly after the noises; the panel broke off. I carefully placed the dash on the floorboards and looked at all the wiring. I unplugged all the wires from the harness. I carefully picked up the dash and placed it behind the cockpit. I hopped out of the cockpit and grabbed the dash. I jumped onto the ground and walked over to the rear of the Hornet. I placed the dash against the missile. While I stood by the rear of the Hornet; I could hear noises in the forest. I turned and saw Twilight walking out from the path. "Why did you leave without saying anything, James?" Twilight asked while giving my an angry look. "Do I have to tell you every time I go out to do some work?" I raised an eyebrow. "Well," Twilight franticly looked around, "No; I was just worried about you." "Well, as you can see; I'm fine." I walked up in front of Twilight. "Did you need me for something?" "No." Twilight looked at me as she tilted her head. "Oh! Are you hungry?" "I don't mind it, just as long as it's not grass or flowers." I said as I rubbed the back of my neck. "Nope!" Twilight exclaimed while she smiled. Twilight sat down and looked through her bag. She then levitated an apple towards me. "Not grass or flowers." Twilight said with a smile. "Thanks, Twilight." I grabbed the apple and took a quick bite as I walked to the front of my Hornet. "Can I help you?" Twilight asked as she followed me. "I think I will be fine, Twilight." I set my apple on the grass and inspected the nose of the Hornet. "How am I suppose to get you to trust me if I never help you?" Twilight asked while sitting on the grass next to my apple. "Good question." I kicked the nose as hard as I could. The nose looked to be loose, so I decided to try and take it off. "Right now is more of a matter of listening than trust." I placed my hands under the nose and stabilized my feet. "Please let me help you." Twilight quickly stood up. "No, I am fine by myself." I used all the strength my legs would give me. I lifted up and quickly noticed the nose started to glow purple. "Twilight! I told you no..." The nose suddenly broke free of the aircraft and I fell forward onto bent metal. "Fuck!" I yelled as could as I could while grabbing my right arm. I quickly rolled over onto my back as Twilight rushed to my side. "Oh my gosh! Are you alright!?" Twilight yelled while looking over me franticly. "No I'm not alright!" I yelled as I sat up. "My fucking arm!" I moved my hand and saw a large cut on my wrist. It ran about five inches up my arm. It was protruding large amounts of blood, so I quickly put my hand back over the cut and immediately applied pressure. "We have to get you to the hospital!" Twilight yelled. "I don't have time for that. It might be too deep." I slowly stood up. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked with a worried look on her face. "I mean if I move too much I could be in a lot of trouble." I slowly walked towards the forest. "Let me help you! I can heal you with my magic!" Twilight quickly ran in front of me. "Get out of my way! I think your magic helped enough today!" I watched as Twilight quickly moved. "But I was only trying to help." Twilight said as she started to cry. "Don't worry about it." I stopped in front of the tree line and sighed. "If you want to help, I need water." "Okay, I'll try." I watched as Twilights horn started to shoot small white sparks. Then six bottles of water appeared out of thin air. "Will this help?" Twilight smiled while rubbing the tears out of her eyes. "Yes, that's fine." I looked around the trees as my hand was dripping in blood. "What are you looking for?" Twilight asked while she sat next to me. "I need the first aid on my ejection seat." I quickly spotted the seat off in the distance. I slowly and calmly made my way through the bushes to the seat. "Will it help you?" Twilight asked as she followed me in the bushes. "It will at the least buy me time." I pointed both my hands up to a small white box on my ejection seat. "Can you get that down for me." "Sure!" Twilight quickly got the box down and I grabbed it from her magical grip. "Come on, I need more light." I started to walk back into the clearing with Twilight close behind. We quickly got back into the clearing. I threw the first aid by the water and quickly got on my knees. I opened the first aid and dumped it in the grass. Quickly finding what I needed. I grabbed a bottle of water and opened it. I started to pour the water over the cut, but it was still bleeding too much. "Twilight, I need you to help pour water over the cut." I held up the bottle of water for Twilight. "Right!" Twilight quickly grasped the bottle with her magic and started to pour it on the cut. I quickly brushed the blood away with my free hand as Twilight continued to pour the water. I continued to try and see how deep the cut was, but it was bleeding too much. "Enough with the water." Twilight quickly stopped. I grabbed the disinfectant spray. I coated my arm with the spray so much; it was pouring off my arm. By now my hand started to shake. "Are you okay, James?" Twilight asked with a worried look. "Yeah, I will be fine." I grabbed a small tube of gel. I put as much as I could at the end of the cut. I quickly pushed my arm against my pants to spread the wound open. I then used my free hand and spread the gel down the length of the wound. "What is that!?" Twilight asked while moving in for a closer look. "It is called Extracellular Matrix; Veti-Gel for short." I stood up and inspected my arm. "Think of it like an organic clue." "Will you be okay now?" Twilight asked while she inspected my arm. "Yeah, but I will still need to go to the hospital. The gel is only meant to stop bleeding and help the blood clot." I brushed the extra gel off my arm. "It won't start to heal until the gel is removed." "Okay, let's get going." Twilight started to walk down the dirt path. "Right." I followed her down the path. I watched Twilight as we walked down the path. Her ears were still down, so I knew she was still sad about what happened. "Look, Twilight; that wasn't your fault." "How was it not my fault?" Twilight stopped and looked at me. "If I hadn't of use my magic, you wouldn't have gotten hurt." "Think of it like this," I walked past Twilight and she quickly followed, "I would have gotten that nose off no matter what. Your magic helped, so I didn't use all my strength. If I did, the cut would have been a lot worse than it is now." I smiled at Twilight. "I am trying to say that you helped me just by being there." "I don't get it." Twilight cocked her head as we walked. "You don't have to get it." I chuckled a little. "All that you need to know is that I am very thankful for the help you just gave me." "You're welcome!" Twilight yelled as she quickly perked up. "I think we should avoid going through town." I said to Twilight as we cleared the tree line of the forest. "Why is that, James?" Twilight stopped and looked at me. "Do you really have to ask?" I rolled my eyes and held my arms out. "I tried to keep the blood off my clothes, but I could only do so much." "Why don't you just take your clothes off?" Twilight smiled. "You can hide your clothes and we can stop by Rarity's house. I know she would just love to make you some new clothes." "I guess that might work." I said as I scratched my head. I stripped down to my boxers while being careful of my arm. I set my clothes down and got my gun out of the holster. As I flipped the safety off; I locked the hammer back and slid the action back. Ejecting the chambered round and the magazine. The gun was now safe. I picked up the round on the ground and put it back into the magazine. I then flipped the release and loaded the magazine. "I am ready when you are." I balled up my clothes and placed them under my left arm. I then grabbed my gun gently with my right hand. "Let's go, I wasted enough time here and I need to get my arm fixed." "Alright." Twilight smiled. "Let's go." Twilight started to walk in the direction of the hospital with me close behind. We made it to the hospital as quickly as we could. Twilight rushed through the hospital doors, with me following behind her. "Doctor, we need help!" Twilight yelled at the top of her lungs. "Settle down Twilight, I have a good hour before I might start to have problems." I looked around the room for a doctor or a nurse. I then saw a light blue pony with a mint green tail and mane. "What's going on?" The light blue pony asked while walking into the room. "I need a little help," I showed her my arm, "Could I get your name before you do anything." "I am Nurse Tenderheart." She smiled at me. "Where is Dr. Stable?" I asked as I hid the cut. "He is upstairs. Would you like me to get him?" Nurse Tenderheart asked with a smile. "Please do." I replied. "Okay, can you two wait in room three?" Nurse Tenderheart turned around. "I will get the doctor." She said as she walked away. "Hurry, James!" Twilight exclaimed as she rushed into room three. "You do realize I need to keep my heart rate down, right?..." I said with irritation. I walked into the doorway of room three and saw Twilight looking at me. "Is something wrong?" "You are moving too slow. We need to get you fixed up as soon as possible." Twilights horn started to glow. "What are you doing?" I looked around and noticed my right hand started to glow. "Stop!" I yelled as loud as I could and Twilight quickly stopped. "I have to move slow, Twilight." I walked over to the bed and placed my stuff on the end. "I might not be a doctor, but I do know basic first aid. As soon as I got the Veti-Gel in the cut. I knew I would be okay for a while." "What happened, Twilight?" Dr. Stable asked as he walked in the room. "I got a bad cut on my arm." I quickly cut in before Twilight could say anything. "You mind patching it up. I have things I need to do today." "Well, let me take a look at it." Dr. Stable walked up and looked me in the eye. "Is it okay if I touch you, James?" Dr. Stable asked with a smile. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't need your help." I gave Dr. Stable a smile. "Just try to avoid stitches if you can." "I can't promise, but I'll try." Dr. Stable walked up to my arm. He inspected the cut very carefully without touching it. "What did you put in the cut? I have never seen anything like this before." "Its Veti-gel, it stops the bleeding and helps clot the blood." I watched the doctor as he continued to look at the cut. "I need to clear this Veti-gel out of the wound." Dr. Stable looked at me. "Is that alright with you, James?" "Yeah, but be careful. I think the blood had enough time to coagulate." I rested my arm against my leg. "I will do my best." Dr. Stable said as he levitated towels and some kind of cotton swabs next to him. "This might hurt a little, so be prepared for that." He levitated the towel next to the cut. Dr. Stable then brought a cotton swab up close to my cut. "It's not the pain that worries me doc." I clinched my fist as a sharp pain shot up my arm. "Ohh. What worries you then?" Dr. Stable continued to clean out the gel. "I noticed I'm the only human here. Am I wrong?" I asked as Dr. Stable changed cotton swabs. "You are, but what does that have to do with anything?" Dr. Stable gently brushed my cut with the towel. "I have serious doubts of adequate medical treatment for me." Dr. Stable quickly looked up at me. "Don't get me wrong. I'm sure you're a good doctor, but are you good for treating humans?" "I see your point." Dr. Stable turned his attention back to my cut and continued to clean it. "I think it's safe to assume that basic treatment like this would be universal." "Maybe," I laughed a little, "I guess we are going to have to see." "I hope you aren't going to hurt yourself." Dr. Stable levitated a glass bottle with some clear liquid inside it. "It would be very stupid to do such a thing." Dr. Stable dipped a swab into the liquid and started to apply it to the cut. "I'm not going to be doing anything stupid like that." I glanced over at Twilight to see if she was okay. "I don't think that this will be the last time we will cross paths. Am I right, Twilight?" "I hope not." Twilight said as she moved in for a closer look. "So how will he be Dr. Stable?" Twilight asked with a worried expression. "It doesn't look like it went deep enough to damage anything important." Dr. Stable wiped away the liquid he applied. "The bleeding has completely stopped. Its small enough to avoid stitches, but you will need to be careful." Dr. Stable levitated another bottle of clear liquid and a box that appeared to contain Band-Aids. "I need you to make sure our friend doesn't do anything stressful, Twilight." Dr. Stable then levitated some butterfly Band-Aids out of the box and gently applied them. "Can you do that for me, Twilight?" "You can count on me." Twilight gave Dr. Stable a big smile and turned to me. "You hear that, James. Nothing stressful." "I have stuff to do, Twilight." I rubbed my forehead with my free hand. "It needs to get done today with no exceptions." I turned back to see Dr. Stable gently drying off my arm. "What's so important to risk your own health?" Twilight asked in a irritated tone. "I don't expect you to understand. This is more for me than anything else." I watched as Dr. Stable levitated the towel over to a small desk. "Okay, James." Dr. Stable levitated the glass bottle in front of me. "This is antiseptic. Use this to clean your cut every three hours." He then levitated the box of Band-Aids in front of me. "I think it's obvious to replace your Band-Aids when you clean, yes?" "Yes sir." I pointed my index finger up and brought it up to my forehead. I gave him a quick one finger salute. "Do you want me to wrap it up, or will it be fine as is?" "I recommend you stay out of the dirt. If it makes you feel better, you may wrap it up." Dr. Stable put his hoof to his chin. "If you wrap it, be sure to change the wrapping every hour to be on the safe side." Dr. Stable smiled and walked out of the room. "I don't want to sound rude, but can I get my new clothes now." I stood up and grabbed my things. "It is getting a little cold for me." "Sure," Twilight started to giggle, "Let's get to Rarity's boutique. She can help you with your clothes problem." Twilight walked out the door, with me close behind. "Thanks doc!" I waved my hand at Dr. Stable as we exited the hospital. "So why do you wear clothes?" Twilight asked. "To keep warm I guess." I rubbed the back of my neck. "You guess?" Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I never put any thought into it." I chuckled a little. "I just wake up and get dressed in the morning. "Can I ask you something, James?" Twilight put her ears down and looked at the ground while she walked. "Sure, what do you want to know?" I asked while watching her. "If your planet is full of evil like you said. Why would you ever want to go back?" Twilight stopped and quickly turned around to look at me. "I guess I did say that." I started to laugh. "It's not funny! Please tell me!" Twilight looked at the ground and then quickly back up to me. "Is this place so bad to want to leave?" "It's true," I rubbed my forehead with my hand, "I did say my world has a lot of evil. It was a very narrow minded view and I am sorry for saying it." I sighed and looked at the sky. "We have a lot of evil in my world. It's not hard to see in all the media." I looked Twilight in the eye. "I know the good on my planet outweighs the evil, but it is rare to hear about it." "What do you mean, James?" Twilight cocked her head. "A country named Japan had a large disaster happen to it. A lot of people died. They lost their homes and jobs." I bent down to get head level with Twilight. "The media told that part of the story, but they left out the best part. The Japanese people united and helped each other. They were like one giant family. No one looted homes, no murders, no crime at all." I gave Twilight a smile. "Even thou my planet has unspeakable evils. I have to believe that most humans mean good. What happened to the Japanese proves that." I stood back up as Twilight watched me. "Besides, I have friends I need to get back too." "I think I understand." Twilight smiled and started to walk again. "Do you have family?" "No, I was an only child. Both my mother and father died when I was small." I quickly stopped when Twilight turned around. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." Twilight said while giving me a sorry look. "Don't worry about it." I lifted my hand up to notion to walk. "No point dwelling on the past. It happened a long time ago." "Okay." Twilight turned around and continued to walk slowly. We both continued to walk into town. As we both walked into what seemed to be some kind of market place. I noticed a familiar orange pony. Twilight quickly ran off towards the orange pony. I slowly walked up to them both as they were talked. "Applejack!" Twilight let out a big smile. "This is, James." "I know that, Twi." Applejack said in a heavy southern accent while adjusted her hat. "You asked about him this morning." Applejack came out from her stand and walked up to me. "We haven't had a chance to properly meet." She held out a hoof. "My name is Applejack." "I'm, James." I looked down at her hoof. "You will have to forgive me for not shaking your hoof." I raised an eyebrow. "My good hand is busy holding my stuff and my bad hand is in pain." "I'm sorry to hear that partner. I hope you get better." Applejack smiled and turned back to Twilight. "So where ya'll heading too in such a hurry?" "We're going to Rarity's boutique. James needs some new clothes." Twilight looked at me and smiled. "Now that you mention it. He did have more clothes on." Applejack put her hoof to her chin. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Twilight, but I am getting a little cold." I quickly looked at Applejack. "I'm not trying to be rude, but if I knew where Rarity's place was. I would leave you two to talk." "I get'ya partner." Applejack walked up to my left side and nudged me with her hoof. "I won't keep ya'll here any longer." "Alrighty then; let's go, James." Twilight smiled and motioned me to follow. Twilight and I walked down the dirt road. We quickly came up to a large round building. It had blue walls and seemed to have a white pattern painted on it. The trim seemed to be done by some kind of expert carver. I looked up to the second floor and saw pony statues. I couldn't help but get a creepy feeling from that. "Your building designs are very strange here." I said as we walked up to the door. "What are buildings like in your world?" Twilight asked while knocking on the door. "Not like this..." I looked around at the building. "Coming!~" A female voice said behind the door. The door quickly opened. A white pony with a purple mane and tail now stood in front of us. She had beautiful deep blue eyes. I leaned over and saw what looked to be three diamonds as her cutie mark. "Good afternoon, Rarity." Twilight said with a smile. "Good afternoon darling." Rarity looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "So this is your friend, James you told us so much about." "He sure is." Twilight looked back and gave me a smile. "Well come in you two." Rarity smiled. I followed Twilight inside and I was shocked at what I saw. Dressed up pony manikins. It's not the clothes that shocked me, but the gems that were so skillfully woven into them. I walked up to the closest manikin and inspected the gems. "Where did you get all of these gems?" I asked while brushing my right hand over a large blue gem. "This stuff must cost a small fortune." "I find them at Rambling Rock Ridge. It's not too hard to find them." Rarity smiled. "Do you not have similar gems where you are from?" "Oh we have them, but not in these sizes." I pointed at the large sapphire like gem. "I would love to go there before I leave. I could sell an uncut gem that size for hundreds of thousands." "Uncut?" Rarity raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean dear? I find the gems like you see there." "How is that even possible?" I looked over at Rarity. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. You said you have gems where you are from." Rarity said while shuffling through her desk. "Are they different where you are from?" "I can't tell you much, but I know they aren't dug up like that." I pointed at the gems over in a large case. "Alright gem boy," Twilight walked over and poked my left arm, "We came here to get you some clothes. Not to go gem hunting." "I guess," I looked over at Rarity, "Can you help me out with some new clothes?" "Sure thing darling." Rarity quickly levitated a small tape measure next to her and walked into the middle of the room. "I don't have any money. Is that going to be alright?" I asked as I set my clothes by the door. "It's alright darling." Rarity smiled. "Now come here, so I can get your measurements." "Right." I walked into the center of the room and put my arms out to the side. "Can I ask you something, James?" Twilight asked while walking circles around Rarity and I. "Ask away." I said while Rarity started to take measurements. "For you wanting to go home so bad." Twilight stopped in front of me and looked me in the eye. "You don't seem to be doing anything to try to get home. Why is that?" "Because I came here by flying." I tried to scratch my head, but Rarity quickly stopped me. "Out straight!" Rarity exclaimed as I quickly put my arm back out. "I think I need to fly back, so I am doing the only thing that feels right." I looked at Twilight. "Does that answer your question?" "No, can you explained?" Twilight cocked her head. "Okay..." I thought about it for a few seconds. "Have you ever had a dream where you were running from something. No matter how fast you ran, you just couldn't get any distance from the thing you ran from?" "I can't say I have." Twilight looked at the ground and started to draw circles with her hoof. "Think of it like this. I am stuck here with no way out. I believe I know how to leave, but I need to fly in order to do that. I have no way to fly, so..." Twilight quickly interrupted. "So you are waiting for something?" Twilight raised an eyebrow while rubbing her hoof on her chin. "Yeah, I guess I am." I watched Rarity as she started to measure my legs. "But, how do you know what you are waiting for? What if it doesn't happen?" Twilight looked up at me again. "I don't know for sure. Let's just call it a feeling." I looked down at Rarity. "Is it alright to put my arms down now?" "Sure," Rarity smiled, "I don't see why not. After all, I am done now." Rarity walked over to her desk with a small sewing machine. "That's fine." Twilight smiled. "Your clothes are ready, James." I watched as they floated towards me. "I used the same colors of your other clothes, hope you don't mind." "That's fine." I looked at them and saw they were relatively the same. I set the pants down and unfolded the grey shirt. I put it on while being mindful of my cut. "The short sleeve shirt seems to be fine." I unfolded the pants and inspected them. They had one pocket on each side and two pockets in the back. It was missing the slits for the belt, but I believed I could live without it. I put the pants on. "Thank you, Rarity. They fit perfectly." I grabbed my holstered gun and latched it on the side of my pants. "These clothes are very comfortable." I said while grabbing my wallet and lighter. "I am glad you like them" Rarity said with a smile. "I hate to take and run, but I have a lot of work to do before it gets dark." I turned to walk towards the door. "Oh that's alright, James. We can catch up later." Rarity said in a joyful tone. "Sure," I picked up my bloody clothes and stood in front of the door, "Talk to you later." I walked out the door with Twilight following close behind. I looked over towards Twilight. "I think that went better than expected." "How so?" Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow. "From what I saw in her boutique and the way she talked. I would have thought she would freak out about blood." I adjusted my old clothes under my arm. "Oh... She probably would have." Twilight ran up to my side. "Maybe she didn't see it." "Then I guess I got lucky." I noticed Twilight watching me carefully. "Is something wrong?" "Yeah, It's about what, Rarity said. Why would you want to be alone?" Twilight asked. "Well," I let out a big sigh, "You are forcing me into situations I don't want to be in." "I don't get it..." Twilight cocked her head. "Talking to you and other ponies." I watched as Twilight's ears went down. "Remember that Humans are the only talking spices on my planet. It puts me in a very odd situation." "So it's not me?" Twilight asked while looking at me with wide eyes. "Well," I laughed, "Its everything. Hell, I was attacked by wooden animals. You could never find anything like that on my planet." "Well it's a relief knowing you don't hate me." Twilight smiled. "So, are we going back into the forest?" "Yeah, I don't have much left to do." I gave Twilight a smile. "What do we have to do?" Twilight asked in an excited tone. "Well," I scratched the top of my head, "We need to take the radar out of the front of my Hornet. That will give us access to the Vulcan behind it." "What is a Vulcan?" Twilight asked in a confused tone. "The M61 Vulcan is a Gatling gun. It is mounted on the inside, just behind the radar." I pulled my gun out of the holster with the barrel pointed at the ground. I took the clip out and put it into my pocket. Gently sliding the action back; I made sure the chamber was empty. "The Vulcan is like this, but a lot bigger and heavier." I held the gun up for Twilight. "Don't let the barrel point at anything but the ground." I pointed at the end of the barrel. "So what will you do with your Vulcan?" Twilight asked while levitating the gun out of my hand. "Nothing," I started to laugh, "I know for a fact that it's way too damaged for anything. Besides, it's way too heavy for me to maneuver if it was recoverable." "How heavy is it?" Twilight asked as she magically slid the action back and locked it. "It's almost 250 pounds, unloaded." I chuckled a little. "It would be more if the belt was loaded, but I found ammunition all over the ground." I watched at Twilight brought the gun up to her nose and started to smell it. "Remember to keep the barrel pointed at the ground." "It is," Twilight gave me a smile, "What is this odd smell?" "Gun powder, lubricant; take your pick." We crossed the bridge and started to make our way into the forest. "Can I get my gun back now?" I held out my hand. "Yeah." Twilight levitated the gun into my hand. "Wait, what does it say on the side?" Twilight got in front of me and made me stop. "What?" I released the action and retrieved my clip. "Oh, don't worry about it. It was something my father had engraved into it." "That's not what I asked." Twilight stood her ground and waited for an answer. "It's a quote from a man in my planets history. It says (I am the punishment of god, and if you had not committed great sins. God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.)" I slid the clip into the gun and holstered it. "That was said by Genghis Khan. He was one of a few people who tried to take over my world." "That sounds very interesting. Could you tell me more?" Twilight said while walking back to my side. "No, I am not good with history." I continued to walk into the forest. "That's okay, James." Twilight looked up towards me. "So, is the Vulcan the only thing we need to do?" Twilight asked with a smile. "No, I need to dismantle the warhead on my missile." Twilight quickly cut in. "We," Twilight looked up at me, "We need to..." Twilight waited for me to finish off her sentence. "I need to disable the warhead..." I looked at her and raised my eyebrow. "Don't fight me on this. I am letting you help me a little, so be patient." "Why won't you let me help anymore?" Twilight asked as we cleared the tree line; into the clearing. "Think of the most dangerous thing you have ever done in your life." We both stopped and I looked at her. "Do you have it?" "Yes." Twilight said in a confused tone. "Now multiply that by a hundred." I pointed at the missile. "That's what it is like playing around one of those." I started to walk towards the front of my Hornet with Twilight close behind. "I know I asked this question a lot, but why if it's so dangerous?" Twilight asked as we stopped in front of the Hornet. "Because I might be able to use that Warhead down the road." I folded my arm like it would be as if it was in a sling. I got on my knees and tossed my old clothes to the side. I then gently placed the antiseptic on the clothes with the Band-Aids. "Everything in this Hornet has some kind of use for me. It's just a matter of finding the use." "So what use does a broken Vulcan give you?" Twilight sat down next to me and watched. "It's not the Vulcan that has a use, but the ammunition." I looked inside the nose to see how to remove the small radar dish. "I might need you to climb in here to help me out. I can't do this with my arm like it is. Is that alright with you?" I asked as my voice echoed in the small metal shell. "I would be happy to!" Twilight quickly replied. "Alright," I got out from the nose of the Hornet, "This will be the easy part." I reached my left hand into the nose and gripped the bottom of the radar. I quickly pulled back as hard as I could and we heard a loud snapping noise. "You see, easy." I pulled the small dish out and tossed it to the side. "Now it's your turn." "I'm ready!" Twilight exclaimed in an excited tone. "No, you're not ready yet." I inspected the edges for any sharp parts of metal. "When you are inside. You will be looking for any kind of heavy duty bolts. They should be big and easily noticed." I looked over at Twilight and judged if she could fit inside. "It looks like you can fit, but you are going to need my help out here." "How so?" Twilight asked. "Your legs need to be sticking out. Before you release the last bolt. You will yell out and I will pull you back." I stood up and stepped aside. "I am guessing you can use your magic to undo the bolts?" "Yeah, but why not undo the bolts and hold the Vulcan up with my magic?" Twilight asked as she raised an eyebrow. "You can do that?" I asked in a confused tone. "Of course I can." Twilight said with a smile. "Okay," I pointed my left hand towards the nose, "I will let you do your thing." "I won't let you down." Twilight said with a big smile. "Just be safe. Don't worry about damaging anything." I watched as Twilight walked up to the hole. "When you get it off the bolts. Scoot out and I will get the Vulcan out." "Alright." Twilight gave me a smile before scooting her way into the Hornet. I looked over to where I left my apple. I walked over to it and picked it up. As I brushed off the apple; I watched Twilight closely. It seemed everything was going smoothly for Twilight, so I decided to get the missile finished. I walked to the rear of the Hornet. I looked at the missile as I finished my apple. When I finished the apple. I walked over to the missile and slowly moved it off the tail wing. I slowly dragged the missile about five feet away from the wreckage and gently set it down on the grass. "When I get back home," I said to myself, "I am going to talk to someone about this bullshit." I looked at the missile for a few seconds. "Why the hell so they need to make a missile about nine feet in length." I rubbed my forehead. I then heard a loud banging noise in the front of the Hornet. It was followed by a lot of smaller pinging noises. "You have got to be kidding me..." I looked over at the front of the Hornet. "Twilight! Everything okay!?" I yelled and waited for a response. Not getting an answer, I walked towards the front of the Hornet. "Twilight!" I yelled as I cleared the front of the wreckage. I saw Twilight trying to scoot her way out, so I grabbed her hoof and slowly pulled her out. "Thanks, James." Twilight looked up at me and sat down. "It is hard getting out of that thing." Twilight gave me a big smile. "Why didn't you answer me?" I asked. "I'm sorry, James. I couldn't hear you inside this thing." Twilight cocked her head. "It's okay," I got down on my knees and looked inside the nose, "As long as you are not hurt." "Nope, I am fine." Twilight said in a pleased tone. "Good," I reached in the nose and grabbed one of the barrels of the Vulcan, "I might need your help with the missile after all." I pulled the Vulcan out as bullets fell out of the belt. The Vulcan dropped into the dirt and I gave it a quick look over. "Well it's not as damaged as I thought." "So can you use it?" Twilight asked while looking up at me. "No way..." I started to laugh. "The feeding belt is totaled. It wouldn't feed it one bullet to save my life..." I propped the Gatling gun up with the barrels pointed at the sky. I then slowly spin the barrels. "If I fired this," I watched the barrels wobble, "It might blow up on me." "How so?" Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow. "The barrels need to be straight. It is obvious," I spun the barrels and showed Twilight, "If I fired this. I would have a lot of problems." I pushed the Vulcan over and started to pick up the ammunition. "Besides, if I could use that beast. The recoil would kill my arms, not to mention the weight. I could only carry that thing twenty feet before I would need to rest." I started to pick up the loose ammunition. "Let me help." Twilight said as all the loose ammunition started to float in a purple aura. "Well," I looked on in amazement, "That's very useful." "Yep!" Twilight gave me a big smile. "Where do you want them?" "Follow me." I walked to the rear with the little ammo I had in my arms. "Right here will be fine." I dropped the ammo in the pile next to the black box. "Okay." Twilight smiled while dropping all the ammo in the pile. "You said you will need help with a missile?" "Yeah, follow me." I walked past the missile and led Twilight about fifty feet away. I then pointed at the missile. "I need you to hover that about four feet in the air. Can you do that for me?" "You can count on me." Twilight smiled as her horn started to glow. "Alright, don't let anything fall to the ground." I turned around and quickly made my way to the missile. I looked at the missile for a few seconds. I then pushed it down to make sure it wouldn't move. Seeing that is was stable; I grabbed the front fin and tried to remove the warhead. As I tried to spin the top. The entire missile started to spin. "Twilight," I looked over towards Twilight, "Don't let the missile body spin freely! I need to remove the front!" I yelled so she could hear me. "What is the body!?" Twilight asked. "I guess that was coming..." I said to myself. I then pointed at the rear tail fins. "Don't let that part spin freely!" "Okay, I got it!" Twilight yelled back. I placed my hands over the front fins again. I slowly turned it to the left. A loud clicking noise made me stop turning it. I slowly moved my hands away and inspected the warhead. When it looked to be fine. I walked in front of the missile. I gently grabbed the nose of the missile. As I continued to turn it to the left; I heard one more loud click. I then pulled the Warhead a few inches away from the main body. "Twilight," I looked over at Twilight as I held the Warhead in place, "Don't let this part move an inch!" I yelled as I moved so Twilight could see the Warhead. "Got it!" Twilight yelled back. I walked over to the side and looked in between the Warhead. Nothing more than a few wires were clamped inside. It seemed it was the only thing that would be stopping it from disconnecting. I reached in and removed the wires that were clamped to each other. "Well, I probably could have done this a lot faster." I said to myself. "It's not like it would have exploded on me." I looked over to Twilight as I grasped the Warhead. "Twilight, let this part go free!" "Okay!" Twilight yelled and the warhead was now free. "This was heavier than I thought." I tossed it up a couple of times while walking to the rear of the Hornet. "It feels around twenty pounds." I placed the Warhead next to the ammunition and walked back to the missile. "Twilight, I need you to angle the Rocket Engine upwards." "What is a Rocket Engine!?" Twilight asked. "The missile's body!" I rubbed my forehead. I then watched as the missile started to angle itself upwards. "That's good!" I grabbed the body of the missile. "Let it go! We're good now!" "Okay!" Twilight then released the missile from her magical grip. She then quickly ran up to me. "Did I do good?" "Yes, Twilight. You did perfect." I started to drag the missile's rocket engine towards the tail of the Hornet. A sudden roar echoed throughout the forest. I quickly dropped the missile and covered my ears. "What the hell is that!" I yelled to try and make my voice heard over the roaring. I looked over at Twilight and saw she was laying down on the ground, covering her head. The roaring noise lasted for almost a minute. I looked over at Twilight when it was over. "What the hell was that?..." "I think we should get out of the forest now." Twilight slowly walked up to me with her ears down. "We have already spent too much time out here." Twilight said while looking up at me. "Something tells me you know what that was." I looked around the tree line and noticed the forest went quiet. "It doesn't matter, James. We have to get out of here." Twilight got behind me and started to push. "Don't touch me..." I moved out from in front of Twilight. "That's very annoying when you do that." "It doesn't matter what is annoying to you. We have to get out of here now." Twilight started to walk towards the small dirt path. "I'm not leaving, Twilight." I said as I pushed the missile up against the tail wing. "This stuff is too important to leave." "What!" Twilight yelled and quickly ran up to me. "What is more important!? This stuff," Twilight pointed with her hoof, "Or your life!?" Twilight then poked my in the stomach. "Both..." I brushed her hoof away. "How bad could it..." I quickly stopped when I felt the ground shake. "Did you feel that?" "Come on, James!" Twilight's horn started to glow. "Don't you dare..." I pointed at Twilight. I then noticed my entire body started to glow purple. I could feel my body go weightless and I slowly lifted off the ground. "Put me down!" I yelled as loud as I could. "No time, James. We have to go!" Twilights legs started to shake. I could only guess that it's from the ground shaking. "If you don't put me down, right now!" I pulled my gun out of its holster and pulled the action back. "We are going to have a big problem." I then pointed the gun towards Twilight. "James," Twilight quickly put me down, "This isn't something you can fight. Please just trust me!" Twilight pleaded. "It's nothing like the Timber Wolves you saw." "Why won't you tell me..." I quickly stopped when I heard loud snapping noises. I turned and looked in the direction of the noises. I then saw a large purple dome like object moving around. Every time the purple object moved. The ground jolted. "What it that!?" I looked back at Twilight. "We're too late. I think it knows we are here." Twilight's ears went down and she slowly backed away. "What the hell is it!?" I yelled one last time. "An Ursa Major..." Twilight quickly ran up to me and bit my pants. "Come on we have to leave now." Twilight said while trying to pull me. I pulled back and turned around. I watched the large object move in closer. As it came closer. The ground shook more and more. "You can't run from something that big." I grabbed the back of Twilight's neck and pushed her towards my wreckage. "Hide under the wing and keep quite!" "Right." Twilight quickly ran under the wing and tucked herself up as tightly as she could. I then ran to the rear of the Hornet. I pushed the body of the missile to the ground. I crouched down behind the tail wing and waited. I then peeked around to see if I could get a good view of the creature. As it got closer, I could make out a very noticeable figure. "It's a bear?" I said to myself as quietly as I could. "Like the star constellation." I watched as it seemed to stop a few hundred yards of the clearing. "My god, that thing is fucking huge..." I tried to size it up. It seemed to be at the minimum of a hundred feet high on all four legs. I then looked at my gun. "Well this will be useless..." I looked back at the large bear and waited. The large animal just seemed to look around. It was almost like it was waiting for something. It then started to slowly advance. "Shit..." I whispered as I watched. I then looked up towards the sky. It seemed it was getting darker. "Okay, so how can I make this work?" I directly looked at the Warhead I just removed. It was out of my reach, so I would have to time it just right. I looked out towards the bear to try and judge how large it was. I quickly realized I could only guess. I watched it as it carefully moved towards the clearing. It seemed to be about a thousand feet away. It only got bigger as it came closer. I then had to decide. It was now or never. I pulled the action back on my gun to double check. The round was chambered. I quickly slid off the wreckage and grabbed the back end of the warhead with my left hand. I got to my feet and pointed the gun in the air. "Over here!" I yelled as loud as I could while firing a single round. The breath was quickly stolen from my lungs as the large bear roared in my direction. I arched my left hand back and threw the Warhead as hard as I could. I brought my gun up and aimed with both hands. I aimed in the direction the warhead flew. "Let's hope I make the shot..." I said to myself as the bear quickly advanced. I watched as the warhead landed on the ground. Carefully aiming; I fired a single shot. I quickly realized I missed. The ground was shaking too much from the advancing bear. I bent my knees slightly, so I could try and time the shot. The bears head was directly over the Warhead. I fired two more shots in a rapid succession. I was then blinded by a bright light and thrown back by a massive shock wave. I hit the ground hard. My ears were ringing and I could hear a loud roaring noise as the ground was violently shaking. I didn't seem to be dead, so I could only guess I hurt the large bear. "Twilight!" I yelled as loud as I could. "I need help, I can't see!" I could hear someone talking, but I couldn't hear it over the loud roaring of that bear. "Twilight!" "I'm here, James." Twilight said. "Where?" I felt around. I quickly felt something soft with my hand. "Here, let me help you." Twilight said. "Use me to help you walk. Its hard enough to walk with four legs with this shaking." "Thanks." I put my hand on what I thought to be her back. "Let's go." I leaned on her back and followed her as she moved. I could feel bushes as we walked. The ground's shaking became less and less. The noises faded as we continued walking. "Twilight, stop at the edge of the forest." I said as my vision slowly came back. "We are almost there. Just a little bit more." Twilight said in a relaxing tone. We walked a few more minutes until Twilight stopped. "Okay, we are here." "Thanks." I took my hand off Twilight and sat down. "Can I ask you something, Twilight?" "Sure, what is it?" Twilight asked. "When I got cut earlier today. You somehow teleported bottles of water to us." I rubbed my eyes. "What was stopping you from teleporting you and I away?" I blinked my eyes a few times as my vision became more clear. "Well," Twilight sat down in front of me, "I couldn't. It takes a lot of energy for that. I was very tired from helping you with what we were doing." Twilight smiled. "But it seemed it worked out okay, this time." Twilight poked my forehead with her hoof. "You are going to have to listen to me about stuff like that, Okay?" Twilight closed her eyes and smiled. "Okay." I took a deep breath. "You were right and I should have listened to you. I promise that won't happen again." "Alright." Twilight gave me another big smile. "Can I help you with your eyes now?" "Go ahead," I shrugged my shoulders, "I won't fight with what you say any more." "Alright." Twilight said in an excited tone. "Close your eyes and relax. It will be like the first time I did this." "Alright." I closed my eyes. Soon after I could hear a strange buzzing noise. I could also feel a strange tingling feeling in my head. "All done." Twilight said in a pleased tone. "Okay." I slowly opened my eyes. Surprisingly my sight seemed to be even better than the first time she did her healing. "Thanks, Twilight." I looked down at my hands. I then looked at my right arm. I started to peal the Band-Aids off my cut. "You want to give this a shot?" I held my arm out. "Sure!" Twilight smiled and quickly bent down. Soon after, my cut started to glow purple. "Wow." I watched as it quickly started to heal. "That is very impressive." Twilight quickly finished healing the cut. "Thanks." Twilight smiled. "Let's get out of here. I have had enough of that damn forest for today." I slowly got up and looked at Twilight. "Alright," Twilight quickly got up, "Let's go." Twilight gave me a smile. "Yeah." I followed Twilight as we walked towards town. "You know I'm going to have to go back into the forest tomorrow, right?" "Why is that?" Twilight asked "My gun; I lost it when I went airborne." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Alright, but I am going to come with you." Twilight looked over at me. "That won't be a problem, right?" "Nope, no problems here." I waved my hand at Twilight. "Good." Twilight smiled proudly. "It's nice to know my friend can defeat an Ursa Major." Twilight looked over at me. "Did you know I had a run in with an Ursa Minor?" "Yeah? How did that turn out for you?" I raised an eyebrow. "Not too bad." Twilight said with pride. "So I am guessing an Ursa Minor is the baby version of what I came across." I rubbed my nose with my arm. "You guessed it." Twilight smiled. "I can't wait to tell my friends about this. They will find it very interesting." "I already met Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack. Who else haven't I met yet?" I asked in a slight confusion. "Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie." Twilight smiled. "What are they like?" I asked as we walked thru town. "Fluttershy loves animals. She might be a little shy around you, but I have no doubt she will warm up to you." Twilight looked at the ground for a few seconds. "Pinkie Pie is just Pinkie Pie I guess. You will have to meet her to understand." "Alright, I guess I can respect that." I scratched my head. "So are you going to sleep over at my place again tonight?" Twilight looked over at me and smiled. "I have no other place to stay, so do you mind?" I asked. "Not at all!" Twilight and I walked up to her front door. "You will be welcome here any time." Twilight opened the door and walked in with me close behind. "Welcome home, Twilight." A strange new voice said. "Who is that, Twilight?" I looked around the room. I quickly saw a small purple scaled lizard walking upright towards Twilight. "Is that lizard your pet?" I asked Twilight in confusion. "Hey! I'm not a lizard!" He exclaimed as Twilight quickly stepped in. "Spike is my baby dragon." Twilight smiled as Spike quickly cut Twilight off. "I'm not her pet! I'm her assistant." Spike walked to me and looked me in the eye. "And just what are you?" "Human." I got down on one knee and looked Spike in the eye. "So you're a dragon?" "I sure am!" Spike said with pride. "Your kind of small for a baby." I raised an eyebrow. "What's that suppose to mean?" Spike said in a slightly angry tone. "Careful, Spike." Twilight smiled. "James here defeated an Ursa Major." Twilight winked at me. "What!" Spike yelled while turning back towards Twilight. "Is that true!?" "Sure is, Spike. I saw it with my own eyes." Twilight smiled. "James fought it single hoofed and won." "How'dya do it!" Spike quickly ran up to me. "Modern U.S. Military might." I said while laughing. "What's that supposed to mean?" Spike raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry about it little man." I said as I poked his forehead. I then stood back up. "I still don't get it." Spike said as he rubbed his forehead. "Hey, Twilight. I am going to head off to bed. I have a feeling I am going to be very soar tomorrow." I said as I stretched my arms. "I think I will join you." Twilight let out a big yawn. "Today was very exhausting." Twilight started to walk up the stairs with me close behind. I walked over to my bed and sat down on the edge. I took my boots off and set them at the end of the bed. As I was taking my shirt off; I noticed Twilight staring at me. "Is something wrong, Twilight?" I asked as u slung my shirt over the headboard. "You look depressed. Is something wrong, James?" Twilight asked as she tilted her head. "I have a strange feeling." I said while rubbing the back of my neck. "What is it?" Twilight asked in a confused tone. "I feel like I needed that Warhead in the future." I sighed. "It's probably nothing. Don't worry about it too much, James." Twilight gave me a smile before she vanished under her blanket. "You might be right." I said as Twilight magically turned the lights off. I laid down and relaxed. As I laid in that bed. That strange feeling continued. I turned onto my side and looked out the window. I closed my eyes as the moonlight shined on my face. I relaxed and slowly drifted off to sleep. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Informational: Veti-Gel is real. Click Here for Youtube video. When I use stuff like this. I do my best to use real technology. I will not be using much Sci-fi stuff in this story. I hope that doesn't bother anyone.
Chapter 7. Distractions.Chapter 7 Distractions "James! Wake up!" Twilight Yelled as my bed shook violently. "What is it!" I yelled as I quickly jolted up from the bed. A sharp pain shot through my head and I quickly laid back down, covering my face. Shortly after a heavy weight dropped on top of me. "What the hell was that?" I rubbed my forehead and looked down. I saw Twilight resting on top of my chest while she covered her nose. "I'm sorry, James." Twilight muffled underneath her hooves. "I didn't know you would do that." "Its fine..." I sighed as I looked at my hand. "I'm not bleeding, so that's a good start for the morning." I closed my eyes and stretched my back as I laid down. I looked down at Twilight as she was still laying on top of me. "Do you mind getting off? My legs are a little soar." "Oh, I'm sorry." Twilight got up and rubbed her nose. "You alright?" I asked as she got off the bed. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Twilight gave me a smile. "I was hoping we could go to breakfast. I realized we didn't have much of anything to eat yesterday. Is that alright with you?" "Yeah, give me a minute." I sat up in the bed and looked around. "Okay, I will be waiting for you downstairs." Twilight walked over to the stairs and turned around. "Don't make me wait too long." Twilight smiled and quickly made her way down the stairs. "Good god..." I said to myself as I rubbed my arms. "I have to start sleeping under the blankets." I slowly got up out of bed and slowly stretched my soar muscles. "Are you okay, James?" Spike asked behind me. "Hmm?" I turned to look at Spike. "Yeah little man, I'll be fine." "What happened to you?" Spike asked while climbing up onto my bed. "I flew through the air and had a hard landing when I blew up the Ursa Major." I grabbed my shirt and put it on. "So you were the one flying on that fireball." Spike put a claw up to his chin. "I had my doubts, but after hearing you defeat an Ursa Major. It's a very believable story." "Right..." I sat back down on the bed and started to put my boots on. "Whatever you say little man." "Why do you call me that?" Spike walked up on the bed next to me. "What, little man?" I asked while raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, that." Spike quickly replied. "Well," I chuckled a little, "Maybe because you are the closest thing to resemble a human. Is that a problem?" I asked as I finished off tying my boots. "I don't mind it, I was just curious." Spike said as he hopped off the bed. "So what's for breakfast, Spike?" I asked as he followed me towards the stairs. "I don't know. Twilight told me you two were going out to eat." Spike sighed. "She wants me to stay here and clean." "Interesting..." I said to myself. "What is?" Spike asked as we got to the bottom floor. "It's nothing, Spike." I watched as Spike walked around me. "If you say so." Spike said as he walked over to a desk against the wall. "Are you ready, James?" Twilight asked as she walked up to me. "Yeah, I'm ready. Are we going to the same place as last time?" I walked over to the door and opened it for Twilight. "Yep," Twilight smiled as she walked out the door, "You don't mind do you?" "Not at all." I walked outside and closed the door behind me. "Twilight, I have to ask you something." I said as I walked up to her side. "Go ahead." Twilight smiled. "You have bread, so I am guessing you have eggs and milk, correct?" I asked as we started to walk. "We sure do." Twilight smiled. "Why do you ask?" "It opened up a whole new diet for me. With milk; I get butter, cream and a ton more bread types." I laughed a little. "I need protean. Milk and eggs will be more than enough." "That's a good thing, right?" Twilight looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "You also brought me an apple yesterday." I rubbed my chin. "Is it safe to assume you have other fruit like oranges, pears, peaches and bananas?" "We do." Twilight said proudly. "Can I ask you something else?" I asked as the restaurant came into view. "Sure, what is it?" Twilight said in a natural tone. "That Ursa Major, do you think it's still alive?" I asked as we came up to the table outside the restaurant. "I don't know, James. No pony has the magical power to vanquish an Ursa Major." Twilight sat down on the pile of hay. "There was one pony who claimed she defeated one, but we quickly found out she was lying." "Hmmm..." I thought about that for a few seconds. "So I am guessing that's when you had a run in with an Ursa Minor?" I asked as I sat down across from Twilight. "Yeah," Twilight gave me a shocked look, "How did you know?" "Lucky guess." I said as I saw a tan pony come out of the restaurant. "So why do you want to go back into the forest?" Twilight asked while watching the tan pony place the menus on the table. "I know you want to get that gun, but was that all?" "I want to see what happened to that Ursa Major." I moved the menu to the edge of the table. "That being said; after we finish breakfast. Can you go back to your house and bring some bags into the forest?" I watched as the tan pony walked away. "Sure, but what about you?" Twilight asked as she levitated the menu in front of her face. "I can go into the forest by myself. It shouldn't take long." I watched as Twilight gently put the menu down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "James," Twilight opened her eyes and looked directly into my eyes, "The Everfree Forest is dangerous. You shouldn't go alone. Remember what you said yesterday?" "Okay," I said as I rubbed my forehead, "What should we do then?" "We should go take a look." Twilight smiled. "I don't think your stuff will go missing if you leave it there. Besides, what did you need the bag for?" Twilight asked while tilting her head. "The ammunition, I could carry the Black Box." I adjusted myself on my pile of hay. "I understand the ammunition, but I have to ask." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "What is the Black Box?" "It gathers any and all flight data." Twilight quickly interrupted me. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but why is it called a Black Box if it is orange?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea, but they paint it orange so it is easily spotted." I looked over past Twilight and saw the tan pony coming this way. "I am just thankful that military jets get small Black Boxes." "Why is that?" Twilight asked. "Well, commercial aircraft like the 747, or the 787 have much larger Black Boxes." I watched as the tan pony stood at the edge of the table. "Why is that?" Twilight cocked her head. "Because they fly longer. They require more space for data." I looked over at the tab pony. "I am ready to order if, Twilight is." "Okay," Twilight looked at the tan pony, "I will have a Daffodil and Daisy Sandwich with a glass of orange juice." "And you sir?" The tan pony asked as he looked towards me. "Yeah, I will have one cup of milk, one cup of orange juice, four pieces of buttered toast and some scrambled eggs." "How many eggs?" The tan pony asked. "Ten please." I quickly replied. "Wow, James." Twilight giggled while putting her hoof up to her mouth. "That's a lot of food." "Is that going to be alright?" I asked as the tan pony walked off with the menus in his mouth. "Yeah, it's perfectly fine." Twilight smiled. "I'm just happy you didn't only get a loaf of bread. So, when is the thing you're waiting for going to be here?" Twilight asked with a smile. "I don't know." I said while folding my hands on the table. I looked around and noticed a mint green pony. It seemed to have a baby blue main with a white stripe. The pony was peering over a light yellow pony. The pony it was sitting with had a purple and pink mane and tail. I looked out to my left at a brown pony with a brown mane and tail. It seemed to have an hour glass as a cutie mark. I looked closer at its mane and I quickly made a connection. "Twilight," I pointed at the brown pony, "I am guessing that pony is a male?" "Yes," Twilight giggled, "Dr. Whooves is a stallion." "If I were a guessing man," I pointed behind Twilight, "Those two are female." "Umm," Twilight looked behind her, "Yeah, Lyra and Bon Bon are both mares. Why do you ask? Is it not obvious?" Twilight turned and faced me. "It doesn't stand out much to me, but I think I see the difference." I peeked over Twilight's shoulder. "Why is the mint colored one staring at me?" "I don't know. Maybe you should go ask her." Twilight said with a smile. "I think I'll pass." I pointed at the tan pony that just walked out from the restaurant. "Besides, our food is here." "You don't have to be so shy, James." Twilight gave me a smile. "You should get to know some of the ponies that live here." Twilight watched as the tan pony placed our food in front of us. "It's not about being shy." I looked back over at the pony. "She is staring at me and its getting on my nerves." I grabbed the glass of orange juice and took a quick drink. "Why is it getting on your nerves?" Twilight asked as the levitated her sandwich towards her. "I don't know, just is." I grabbed a fork and started to eat my eggs. "Lyra is probably just curious about you." Twilight took a bite of her sandwich. "I don't think it's anything you should worry about." "Maybe..." I pointed at my eggs with my fork. "These eggs are really good." "They get them from Fluttershy." Twilight smiled. "Fluttershy has the best chickens in Ponyville." "So she has a chicken farm?" I asked as I finished up my eggs. "No, it's nothing like that. Fluttershy only has a few chickens." Twilight took a drink of her juice. "Do you mind if I ask you a question about your world?" "That was random, but okay." I raised my eyebrow at Twilight. "What do you want to know?" "That thing that blew up." Twilight tilted her head. "How many of those do you have on your world?" "Millions, if not more." I quickly finished off my orange juice and started on my toast. "Why do you want to know something like that?" "I just never seen anything so powerful before." Twilight started to fidget with her silverware. "I also noticed its small size. If it was bigger. Would it make a bigger explosion?" "They don't make missiles like that to be big." I took a drink of milk. "It was an Air to Air missile. We have bombs with bigger payloads." "Payloads?" Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow. "Yes..." I rubbed my forehead. "You have to remember, Twilight. Humans don't have magic. We rely heavily on our imagination. Every once and a while earth is blessed with a genius. Men like Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein." I took a bite of my toast. "Those men alone changed my world in a way you can never imagine." "Why don't you tell me a little about Nikola Tesla." Twilight smiled. "He sounds to be very interesting." "The god of electricity." I laughed a little. "Nikola was a man way ahead of his time. He was the man that discovered Alternating Currents. It changed the way we power the entire world. His best creation was the Tesla Coil. With the Tesla Coil; he found a way to make infinite energy. In that process; he also found a way to electrify the air. Doing this, he was able to power a light bulb without any wires." I laughed a little. "It's sad that it was never produced on a world wide scale." "Why is that?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Because if he got his invention processed world wide. I am confident that we would never go to war." I took a drink of milk. "It saddens me to think how he died. He could have been the savior of the human race. Only if he had the money." "What about Albert Einstein?" Twilight asked as she rested her hooves on the table. "What did he do for your world?" "Einstein would have gotten the human race into space." I finished off the last piece of toast. "I think his best would have been E=MC2." Twilight quickly interrupted. "What is E=MC2?" Twilight rested her head on her hooves. "It's an almost perfect double edged sword." Twilight quickly interrupted me again. "What do you mean by almost perfect?" Twilight asked. "It can tell you the energy of anything in the universe." I finished off my milk. "Everything except one thing." Twilight quickly perked up and interrupted me again. "What cant it find out?" Twilight asked. "That mathematical equation always falls apart when it calculates the energy of a singularity." I quickly held up my hand to stop Twilight from talking. "A singularity is the center of a black hole and if you don't know what that is. I am sorry, you have to find out on your own." "I know what a black hole is." Twilight smiled. "But I never heard of E=MC2. Can you tell me more about that?" "It is best you don't know." Twilight quickly cut me off. "Why not?" Twilight asked in a disappointed tone. "Because it opens your world to Nuclear Energy." I rubbed my forehead. "You don't need to know anything about that, so just drop it." "You don't have to get angry." Twilight said as her ears went down. "I'm not angry, Twilight. You're just asking the wrong person these questions." I laughed a little. "I don't know too much about that kind of stuff." I scratched the back of my head. "Do you mind if we get going. The sooner we get this over, the sooner we can leave the forest." "Sure," Twilight levitated a few gold coins onto the table, "But do you mind if we stop by Rarity's house for a little bit?" Twilight said with a smile. "Yeah, I don't mind." I said as I slowly got up. "Are you alright, James?" Twilight asked as she tilted her head. "Just a little soar, remember?" I walked up to Twilight. "I'm sure we can get that worked out today." Twilight smiled. "Well, let's get going, James." "Right." I walked over to Twilight's side. Twilight and I made our way over to Rarity's house. The walk gave me a chance to think about that Ursa Major. Even thou Twilight was right about leaving. I found it rather strange why she didn't tell me right off the bat. I also found our little detour strange. Twilight knew how important my stuff in the forest is. It's almost like she is trying to distract me for some reason. "Twilight," I said as we walked up to Rarity's door, "You mind if I ask what you need from Rarity?" "I talked to, Rarity this morning." Twilight looked at me and smiled. "She wanted to spent the afternoon with you." Twilight knocked on the door. "I hope that's alright with you." "No, I don't mind." I said as I waited for the door to open. "Coming." Rarity said behind the door. The door opened and rarity smiled. "Come on in you two." "Twilight," We both walked into rarity's boutique, "I have to ask. If this is a shop. Then why do you knock before you enter?" "Umm," Twilight turned around and looked at me, "I don't know. I guess its force of habit." "Oh darling," Rarity walked up in between Twilight and I, "You mind giving us a minute? It's going to be girl talk," Rarity gave me a quick wink, "Do you mind going over there?" Rarity pointed her hoof to the other side of the room. "Sure, no problem." I walked over to where Rarity pointed. I stood by some pony manikins for a few minutes. I could only stand and admire the skill it took to make clothes like this. I looked over at a large chest full of gems. As I slowly walked up to the chest. I got down on one knee and took out a fairly large red gem. It seemed to resemble a ruby. I stared at it for a few seconds before putting it back. I stood back up and turned around to look at Twilight and Rarity. "James... Turn around." Rarity said as her horn glowed a gentle blue. I was quickly forced to turn around by a magical blue aura. I walked over to a window and crossed my arms. I stood there quietly, not saying a word. A few minutes passed before I heard hoof steps behind me. "Okay, James." I turned around and saw Twilight smiling at me. "Let's get going." Twilight said with a smile. "Alright," I held my hand up towards the door, "You lead." "Okay," Twilight walked out the door with me close behind, "Is something the matter, James? You look upset." "No, I'm fine." I quickly replied. "If you say so." Twilight cocked her head. Something didn't seem right, but I wasn't doing a very good job hiding it. I don't know why I was letting this get to me. I knew Twilight was hiding something from me and I wanted to know what. Rarity was somehow involved, but I didn't know how. As Twilight and I broke the tree line, into the clearing. I saw a lot of white Pegasie. They appeared to be messing around with my stuff. "Hey, what the hell are you doing!?" I yelled as loud as I could. "James, calm down." Twilight quickly stepped in front of me. "You knew this!? Was this what you were hiding from me!?" I yelled at Twilight. "What, no!" Twilight quickly crouched down. "I didn't know the royal guard was here, honest." "Then get out of my way!" I quickly stepped around Twilight. I then turned my attention to the white ponies. "Hey, what the hell are you doing with my stuff!" I yelled as a white Pegasus flew down in front of me. "Who are you?" The white pony asked as he blocked my path. "It doesn't matter who I am. Just know you are stealing my stuff and I want it back now!" I demanded. "James," Twilight quickly stood in between us, "Let me handle this. You're getting angry, so please." Twilight pointed her hoof. "Stay over there and let me work this out." "What makes you think that you can help?" I looked town at Twilight. "Why would they listen to you?" "I will explain later, so please just go over there." Twilight pleaded as she pointed away. "Fine," I pointed my finger to the sky and gently shook it, "If you can't get this resolved. I am doing things my way." Twilight nodded and I walked it the direction she was pointing. I quickly calmed down. When I turned around; I was very surprised at what I saw. The tree line on the north side of the clearing was demolished. Trees and dirt were all over the place. I looked at the blast site and was even more surprised. From where I stood, I could see no blood. I knew I needed to get a closer look, but I had slightly more important matters. I started to scan the ground for my missing pistol. It didn't take long to find a small engraving in the grass. I kneeled down and inspected the grass. It appeared to have a few hoof prints around it. I looked back and saw Twilight walking towards me. "James," Twilight smiled, "They agreed to give your stuff back, but they're going to be staying here for a while." "Good, they have my gun." I walked past Twilight and up to the Pegasus. "Where is my stuff?" I asked while looking down at the white Pegasus. As I looked down at him. His demeanor seemed to change towards fear. "We will set your stuff in a bag over there." The Pegasus said as he pointed to the rear of my Hornet. "We are sorry, we didn't know this stuff belonged to anypony." "It got solved, that's all that matters." I said in a angry tone as I passed the Pegasus. I walked up to the wreckage. I noticed a grey unicorn walking towards me. It seemed to have a bag in its mouth. It stood directly in front of me and I quickly grabbed the bad. "It all better be there." I dumped the bag out on the ground. "The nerve of some ponies." The grey unicorn gave my an angry glare and walked off. I got down on one knee and looked at the stuff. It seemed they stripped the wires out of the cockpit. They had a few rounds mixed into the wires, so I quickly moved them aside. My pistol was resting underneath the mess. I picked it up and slowly got to my feet. "Is something wrong, James?" Twilight asked as she walked up next to me. "No," I brushed the dirt off my gun and put it back into the holster, "Everything seems to be fine." I turned around and walked in the direction of the creator with Twilight close behind. "I really didn't know the royal guard would be here." Twilight said in a very sincere tone. "It's fine, Twilight." I stood at the edge of the crater. "Just drop it." "So what happened here?" A deep voice asked. I quickly looked to see a guard standing next to me. "Before I tell you anything. First you tell me why you're here." I crossed my arms and looked over at the guard. "Princess Celestia saw a large explosion here last night." The guard looked up at me. "We were ordered to investigate." "Well that's a little funny." I started to laugh. "Are you all blind or just stupid?" "Excuse me?" The anger in the guards voice was very noticeable. "A few days ago. A large fireball fell from the sky, I fell from the sky." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Where were you then?" "We didn't see anything like that. Can you explain?" The guard asked. "No, it's nothing now." I turned my attention back to the crater. "Then can you at least tell me what happened here?" The guard asked as he pointed his hoof to the crater. "I blew up that freakishly large bear." I pointed around the crater. "The warhead blew up right underneath its chin." Twilight quickly interrupted me. "Then what happened to it?" Twilight's curiosity was clearly getting the better of her. "Isn't it obvious?" I asked Twilight as the guard cut in. "It's still alive." The guard said as he walked around the crater. "Yep, he's got the idea. No blood around the crater." I walked around the crater and made my way to the demolish forest. "I'd say I did nothing more than give it a few burn marks." "It's good that it's not dead, but that means it's still out there somewhere." Twilight said while walking besides me. "That bear got lucky. The explosion would've been a lot bigger." I started to walk towards the leveled forest. "Bigger how?" Twilight asked. "The fuel in the engine would have given it a little more punch." I slowly climbed over a fallen tree. "It makes me wonder how bad it got hurt. From what I've seen, it might take a couple more missiles to take that thing out." I turned to look at Twilight. "Tell me, Twilight; why would those guards listen to you?" "I'm Princess Celestia's student." Twilight smiled. "I was sent to Ponyville to study the magic of friendship." Twilight said with pride. "I guess that makes since. They listened because you know the princess." I looked around and sat down on a fallen tree. "Do you have anything bigger than that bear in this forest?" "There might be a few dragons in the forest." Twilight sat down in front of me and put her hoof to her chin. "Do you know what the guards are going to be going here?" I asked as I got up from the fallen tree. I made my way back towards my Hornet. "I think their just investigating the explosion and nothing more." Twilight followed close behind me. "Now that they know what happened. I imagine they'll be leaving soon." "Good, the sooner the better." I stood at the rear of the Hornet and looked around. "I think I'm done here. I got what I came for." "Okay" Twilight came up towards me and started to smell around me. Twilight stood in front of me and covered her nose with a hoof. "First, I think it's best if you take a bath. I already talked to Rarity and she's going to take you to the spa." Twilight smiled while levitating a small bag towards me. "What's this?" I asked while holding my hand out. "Its money we use here." Twilight smiled. "They're called Bits." "Okay then, I wouldn't mind getting a bath." I grabbed the small bag and followed Twilight down onto the dirt path. We continued down the path without saying a word. While we walked to Rarity's house. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was being hidden from me. We came up on Rarity's doorstep and I watched Twilight knock on her door. "I can't wait." Twilight said in an excited tone. "Can't wait for what?" I asked while looking at her. I then quickly put the small bag of bits in my pocket. "Umm. Well, you're going to enjoy the spa." Twilight looked back at me. "Rarity took me there a couple times and it was the best. The best facials, the best hooficures and definitely the best bubble baths. Spike can't get enough of their bubble baths. Did you know he spends seven hours in one of his bubble bathes?" "I can't say I have..." I raised an eyebrow at Twilight. "I've only been here for a few days, remember?" "Oh, Right... Sorry." Twilight turned towards the door as it opened. "Will I be taking over from here, Twilight?" Rarity asked with a smile. "Yep!" Twilight gave Rarity a smile and turned back at me. "I'll leave you two alone now. I have things to do." Twilight said as she quickly ran off. "Okay, looks like it's just you and me." Rarity said with a smile. "Let's get going to the spa." "Okay, you lead." I held my hand up. "I have no idea where we're going." "Okay," Rarity gave me a smile before walking towards town, "Why don't you tell me about your world, James." "What do you want to know?" I asked as I followed. "Tell me about the gems of your world." Rarity glanced back at me while walking. "You said something about uncut gems." "People find them in a rough form. Uncut gems can't be found in rocks all by themselves." Rarity quickly interrupted me. "What about the size?" Rarity asked with a smile. "What is the biggest gems you have on your planet?" "If you want to go with size, the Hope Diamond is as big as they come." Rarity quickly stopped and looked back at me. "Is something wrong?" I asked while raising an eyebrow. "How big is it?" Rarity asked as her eyes sparkled. "Umm," I scratched the back of my head, "I think it's about forty-five carats." "That's a fairly good size." Rarity gave me a big smile. "You don't want it, trust me..." I said while shaking my head. "Why's that, James?" Rarity asked as she turned around and started to walk. "They say it's cursed." I started to follow Rarity. "It's told that the owner of the diamond would die. History tells that until this day. The past owners had all died at an early age." "So is it cursed?" Rarity asked as the walking into a large building. "I don't know, I don't believe in curses." I said while looking around the room. A small window got my attention. It seemed to have a pony sitting in it. She had a Pink mane, I could only guess her tail was the same. Her coat was a cool blue. her eyes were a deep sapphire blue color. "Who is that Rarity?" I pointed at the pony in the window. "That's Lotus Blossom." Rarity said with a smile. "Her and her sister run this wonderful spa." "So I assume you come here often?" I asked as Rarity walked up to the window. "Of course darling." Rarity turned to Lotus Blossom. "We'll have the usual." I quickly interrupted her. "I'm actually here just for a bath." I said as I rubbed the back of my neck. "Come on, James. It will relax your muscles." Rarity said with a smile. "So, Twilight told you about that?" I rubbed my forehead. "She told me everything, James. you need to relax for a bit." Rarity said with a smile. "I agree," I looked at Lotus Blossom, "A bath will be fine." "Are you sure, James?" Rarity asked. "Yes, a bath is fine." I said in a slight irritation. "Your name was, James?" Lotus Blossom asked with a smile. "Yeah." I quickly replied. "Okay," Lotus blossom walked out of her small room and up to me, "I'll have you follow me please." Lotus Blossom walked off with me close behind. "So, Rarity comes here often. How long does it take her to finish her usual services?" I asked as we walked behind a large yellow curtains. "She starts off with a facial. Then we provide her with a hooficure." I quickly interrupted Lotus Blossom. "I'm sorry; I don't want to be rude, but how long does it take her?" I quickly ask. "Well," Lotus Blossom cocked her head a little, "I'd say about an hour or an hour and a half." Lotus Blossom said with a smile. "Would you like a massage after your bath?" "Umm," I looked down at her hooves, "How is that supposed to work?" "Well, after your bath. You go lay down on a bed and I give you a massage." Lotus Blossom said in a confused tone. "No, I think a bath is all I'll have. Thanks anyway." I said as I walked over to a fairly large tub. I put my hand in to feel the water. Feeling that the water was warm; I turned to face Lotus Blossom. "Do you have any soap?" "Yeah," Lotus Blossom said as she pointed to a table, "Your Towels are resting on table over there; I'll go get you soap." "Thanks." I watched as Lotus Blossom walked away. I took my gun off and placed it on the table. I then undressed as quickly as I could. As a grabbed a towed; I could hear someone talking on the other side of the room. I wrapped the towel around my waist before Lotus Blossom came back. A few seconds later, Lotus blossom came around from the curtain. She stood a few feet in front of me for a few seconds. Lotus Blossom put a bar of soap on the edge of the bath and turned her attention back to me. "Why do you have a towel on?" Lotus blossom asked as she tilted her head. "I have my reasons." I said as I walked up to the bath. "You seem to be in a hurry. Is something wrong?" Lotus blossom asked as she watched me get into the tub. "Yeah, me being here first off." I mumbled to myself. "What was that?" Lotus Blossom asked with a smile. "Nothing, I grabbed the soap and started to wash my arms, "Just talking to myself." I looked at Lotus Blossom as she watched me wash my arms. "Is there something you need?" "This is a slow day today, so we don't have many ponies that come in." Lotus blossom smiled. "I am here to help if you need me." "I don't want to sound rude, but can I have some privacy?" I asked as I continued to wash. "Sure," Lotus blossom said as she walked past me, "Just call me if you need anything." "Will do." I watched her walk away. It gave me an opportunity to think. When I slept out in the clearing in the forest. The star constellations that I could remember; they were in the proper place. They even had a bear here called Ursa Major. The only problem would be the planets. They seemed to vanish, or in a different place. This would make more since. Jupiter cuts down on the meteorites. If the planets were in a different place. It would have to be time as the key factor. Was it the same time as when I left, or maybe the past? It would be imposable to be in the future. Greek Mythology seems to play a role here. Could it be that this world is connected to my world? The population didn't seem to be too surprised to see something like me. It makes me wonder if I am the first human to arrive in this world. "Hey, Rarity!" I tried to get Rarity's attention as I rinsed the soap off. "How far back does your history have records?" "I don't know. Maybe a couple thousand." Rarity said from across the room. "What's with the random question, James? Is something on your mind?" "Just wondering, it's nothing." I slowly got up out of the tub and took my towel off. I slung the towel over the edge of the tub and grabbed a dry towel. "Do you think Twilight's place has any books on the history of this place?" I asked as I dried myself off. "I don't know. It's not the biggest library in Equestria. We could ask Twilight when I take you back to her later today." Rarity said in a pleased tone. "That would be nice." I said as I quickly started to get dressed. "I have to ask," I picked up my holstered gun and looked at it for a few seconds, "Am I the first human who came to Equestria?" "You're the first that I've heard of." Rarity said while laughing. "Right..." I muttered to myself as I clipped the holster on the side of my pants. I walked up and peeked out from the curtains and looked at Rarity. She had cucumbers over her eyes, so she couldn't see me if U sunk out. "Sorry, Rarity, but I have to go." I whispered to myself as I slowly made my way to the front desk. Lotus Blossom was sitting at the front desk. Greeting me with a smile. "So, how much is that bath going to cost me?" "Five bits please." Lotus blossom said with a gentle smile on her face. "Sure thing," I reached into my pocket and grabbed five gold coins out of the small pouch, "Thanks for the bath. The water was the perfect temperature." I placed the coins on the counter and walked towards the door. "Come back soon!" Lotus Blossom said as I walked out the door. I stood in front of the spa for a few minutes. An empty feeling in my stomach was telling me I was hungry. It had to be some time in the afternoon, so I decided to go to that restaurant Twilight and I went to. I made my way through town and quickly found the restaurant. It didn't look like they were too busy. A few ponies were dining outside, so I decided to join them at an empty table. I sat down on a pile of hay and waited for the waiter. It didn't take long before the waiter came out with a menu in his mouth. I watched as he came close and placed the menu on the table. "Excuse me, but before you go. I have a question." I said before he walked away. "Yes?" He asked with a smile. "Do you have any muffins by any chance?" I grabbed the menu and opened it. I then quickly glanced at what they had. "I didn't see anything like that in the menu, so I was just wondering." "We do," The waiter nodded, "We have strawberry, blue berry and chocolate." "How much are they?" I asked as I put the menu on the table. "They're two bits each." The waiter said with a smile. "Good, I'll take a strawberry and a blue berry," I held up the menu for the waiter, "and can I get the blueberry muffin in a bag? I have places to be, so I can't spend too long here." "No problem." The waiter said with a smile. "I will be back in a moment with your muffins." I watched the waiter walk off into the restaurant and quickly noticed a grey Pegasus watching me. It seemed to have yellow eyes with a orange hue to them. It also had a fairly long yellow mane, so I could only guess it was female. She was watching me as she nibbled on a muffin. It was obvious she was enjoying herself. The overly pleased smile on her face gave it away. I quickly turned my attention to the waiter. He walked through the swinging doors and made his way towards me. The waiter had a plate resting on his back with a muffin and propped up bag. He gently placed the plate on the table and smiled. "Will that be all?" He asked while still smiling. "Yes, thank you." I picked up the strawberry muffin and took a bite as the waiter walked away. As I was eating my muffin. I watched the grey Pegasus that sat at a table a few feet from mine. By now, she had finished her muffin. She just sat there with a big smile on her face. I looked closer at her and laughed a little. I didn't notice until now, but her eyes were a little off. It was rather cute with that smile she had. I got up as I finished my muffin. I took the small pouch of money and emptied the five coins onto the table. "I don't know if they accept tips here, but I'm sure he'll get the point." I said as I grabbed my bagged muffin and started to walk in the direction of Twilight's house. About thirty seconds into my walk, I felt a gentle wind on the back of my neck. "How long are you going to be following me?" I asked as I stopped. "How did you know I was following you mister?" A female voice asked. "Well," I turned around to see the grey Pegasus flying around head level, "I could feel the wind on the back of my neck. Do you need something?" "Well," She looked down at the bag in my hand, "You should know better not to flaunt muffins around me." She gave me a big smile as she brought her hoof up to her chin. "Those muffins come from Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie Pie makes the best muffins." The grey Pegasus cocked her head as she moved her hoof by her ear. "Well, maybe not. I make the best muffins!"She gave me a big smile. "Would you like to trade muffins?" "Well," I said as I raised an eyebrow, "You don't have any muffins to trade." "Oh, you're right." Her ears went down as she looked at the ground. "Tell you what," I held the bag out to her, "I'll give you the muffin and you can return the favor some other time. That sound good to you?" "You mean it mister?" The grey Pegasus asked as her eyes glossed over. "Yeah, but you need to stop calling me mister. My name is, James." I held the bag out further for her. "Sure thing mister! I mean, James..." She quickly grabbed the bag with both hoofs and dove her head in the bag. She quickly pulled the muffin out with her mouth and placed the bag over her head like a hat. "My name is, Derpy Hooves." Derpy said while fighting the muffin in her mouth. "It was nice meeting you, Derpy." I said with a smile. "I have to get going now. I have some stuff to do." I turned around and continued on my path to Twilight's house. "So, where are you from?"Derpy asked as she flew up next to me. "A faraway land." I said while chuckling. "Like Manehatten?" Derpy asked as she took a bite of the muffin. "Nope, further." I said as Twilight's house came into view. "A lot further." "The Griffon Kingdom?" Derpy quickly responded. "Nope..." I rubbed my forehead. "Wait, did you say Griffon?" "Yeah," Derpy quickly stopped, "That reminds me! I have something I needed to do today!" Derpy quickly flew off. "Wait..." I quickly said, but it was too late. I watched as Derpy flew off. It didn't take long before she was out of sight. I continued on my path to Twilight's house. As I got about a hundred feet from the house. A strange feeling came over me. It felt like someone or something was watching me. I stopped and slowly scanned my surroundings. As nothing was looking at me on ground level, I turned my attention to the sky. It seemed like it was clear blue skies no matter how far I looked. "James!" A familiar female voice yelled. "Where are you, James!?" I turned to see Rarity quickly turn the corner. She stopped and looked at me for a few seconds. "You were supposed to be at the spa with me today, James. Why did you leave?" She asked as she walked towards me. "Did you not like the Spa?" She asked as she stood in front of me while looking me in the eyes. "The spa was fine, but I'm not use to visiting a spa." I said while scratching the back of my head. "It's not normal for a man to go to the spa." I said while chuckling a little. "What's wrong with you going to a spa? The spa is for everypony!" Rarity said with a smile. "It helps all your worries melt away." "I don't think it'll melt my worried away." I turned around and started to walk towards Twilight's house. "Where are you going?" Rarity said as she quickly jumped in front of me. "I'm going to back to Twilight's. Is that a problem?" I asked as I slightly tilted my head. "Oh, no that's fine," Rarity took a step back and lifted up her front right hoof, "Before we go to Twilight's house. Could you go back to my boutique and get something for me?" Rarity asked with a smile. "Sure, what do you need?" I asked. "I have a piece of paper on me desk. Its neatly folded, so you can't miss it." Rarity gave me a smile. "If you don't mind, I need it." "Sure, where will you be?" I asked as I put my hands in my pockets. "I will be at Twilight's. I will be waiting for you there." Rarity said quickly. "Okay, I'll see you then." I put my hand up and waved as I walked away. I made my way to Rarity's place. I couldn't help but feel I was still being watched. As I walked through Ponyville. No ponies were wondering the streets. It was almost like a ghost town. This didn't help the feeling I had. Stranger still; the ponies were out and about not too long ago. I quickly stopped as I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I didn't turn to look, instead I tried to focused on the strange orbs. Failing at that, I turned to face whatever it was. I could see two blue orb like lights in the Everfree forest. They seemed to morph into a small white ball in the center. I squinted my eyes to try and get a better outline of the form, but it was useless. I put my hand on my gun and waited. I watched the orbs for a few minutes. As I watched the orbs. They slowly faded back into the forest. "That was interesting." I said to myself as I put my hands back into my pockets. "I wonder what those things were." I said as I continued to walk to Rarity's boutique. It didn't take long before I found myself at the front door of Rarity's boutique. I opened the door and walked inside. The gems on the clothing still sparkled, a chest full of gems against the wall to my left and all the creepy pony manikins. I stood by the door as I looked around. It made me wonder if Rarity would miss a few gems. One or two could get me a lot of money when I get home, but it just didn't feel right. "These ponies have been very kind to me," I said as I started to walk over to a desk, "And it wouldn't be right. I don't think it's even right to be thinking about such a thing." I placed both my hands on top of the desk and looked around. I saw only sketches of clothes and a few order sheets. I picked up one of the sketches and gave it a quick look. "Rarity sure has imagination, but it seems she only makes dresses." I placed the sketch back on the table and looked around the room. "Come to think of it; I haven't seen very many males in this town." I brought my hand up to my forehead and gave my head a quick rub. "Good god, I sure hope they aren't interested in my because I'm male." I started to move some of the papers around. As I moved the papers around. It seemed that this neatly folded paper was nowhere in sight. As a last resort; I gathered all the papers and neatly stacked then in the top left corner of the desk. I reached over and opened the top right drawer. A round red gem seemed to be resting on top of a white cloth. "Wow, look at you." I picked up the gem and started to inspect it. "If I had to bet; you must be a ruby." I held the gem in the palm of my hand. It was round and about two inched in circumference. It was almost flawless. It seemed to have some kind of black cloud in the center of the gem. I held it up into the light to see what the cloudy form might be. As I held the gem in the light. A faint blue aura seemed to radiate from it. I took the gem out of the light as the blue glow seemed to get brighter. As I now held the gem in my palm again. A strange feeling shot out through my body and a chill ran up from the bottom of my spine. I could feel my heart racing as the chill hit the back of my neck. As I looked at the glowing gem. The blue aura seemed to be pulsating in sync with my heart beat. The black cloud slowly cleared in the center of the gem and revealed a black heart. I turned the gem around and saw the same thing. I picked it up and held it into the light again. "Is that a seed?" I asked myself as I gave it a closer look. "What is a seed doing inside a gem?" My eyes focused out and I noticed the blue aura was starting to envelope my hand. "Shit!" I yelled as I dropped the gem on the floor. I looked at my hand and saw the blue aura was crawling up my arm. "What the fuck is this shit!" I quickly brushed my hand against my pants to shake off the blue aura. It seemed that I was winning the small fight with the aura. A few seconds of brushing and a good moment of panic. The aura was no more. "What kind of freaky gems do they have here?" I asked myself as I looked down at the red gem. I took my shirt off and wrapped it around my hand. I got down on one knee and reached out to the gem. I quickly stopped as the gem pulsated blue again. It seemed to be in rhythm with my heart still. Ignoring what danger it might still pose. I quickly picked it up and reached over to the drawer I found it in. I dropped it on the cloth and slowly stood up. "Never again," I closed the drawer, "I will never touch another gem as long as I live." Another chill ran up my spine as a cool wind brushed past me. I looked down as some of the papers got blown off the desk. I made my way over to the other side of the desk. A mess of papers were scattered in a small area. A neatly folded paper rested on the mess. "So that's where you were." I unwrapped my shirt and put it back on. "I never thought a piece of paper would make this much trouble." I bent down and picked up the papers. Sliding the folded paper into my pocket; I put the other papers on the desk. I walked over to the open window and closed it. "That's strange," I said as I looked out the window, "It seems all the ponies have vanished." I scratched the back of my head as I tried to forget about what just happened. "This world is full of strange things." I turned and made my way out of the boutique. "It makes me wonder. How would earth react to a talking pony that appeared out of thin air." I said as I continued on my short walk back to Twilight's house. As I walked through town. The streets were still void of any life. I saw a few bunnies bopping around and I think I might have seen a dog, but that hardly counts. I walked up to the doorstep of Twilight's house and looked around. The curtains were pulled in front of the windows. I took a few steps backwards and looked up at the floors above me and it was the same all around the tree. I reached out to open the door, but I heard whispers coming from behind. I turned to the left and gently put my ear to the door. The faint noises behind the door faded as I listened. I stepped back and pulled my gun from its holster. As I brought the gun up. A strange feeling came over me. I was calm. "No," I lower the pistol and looked at it for a few seconds, "What the hell am I doing? This place is too peaceful and the only things that have tried to kill me were in that damn forest."I put my gun back in its holster and reached out to the door, but I stopped as I just realized something. "Ha," I let out a big smile as I chuckled, "The ponies here have no idea what a gun is. That's why the Dr. Stable, Nurse Redheart and Twilight had a neutral reaction. I'm such an idiot for realizing that now." I reached out and opened the door. "I need to change a lot about what I know and experienced." I muttered to myself as I walked into the dark library. I stood in the dark room for a few seconds to try and let my eyes adjust. "Hello, is anyone here?" "Surprise!" Yelling echoed in the room as I was blinded by a bright light. "Surprise!" A voice yelled out of sync with the group. "Shoot!" A pink pony yelled, as she realized she was a few seconds late. "What is this?" I asked while shielding my eyes from the light. "It's a party, silly!" I looked down as a pink pony magically appeared in front of me. "This was your welcome to Ponyville party but you were in the hospital when you came here so I wanted to have the party in the hospital but Twilight said no and that you needed your rest but we're having the party now so it's all okay!" The pink pony took a deep breath and gave me a big smile. "Okay," I bring my hand up to my forehead, "I am guessing your Pinkie Pie?" "How did you know!?" Pinkie Pie gasped as she used her front hoofs to balance herself on my chest. "Are you psychic?" "Maybe," I gave Pinkie Pie a quick wink, "Now you mind getting off my chest?" "Sure thing, Jamesy!" Pinkie Pie quickly got down from my chest. "Let's get this party started!" "Jamesy?" I muttered to myself. "Good god, I hope that doesn't stick..." I started to walk past all the ponies. I was almost to the stairs, but Twilight cut me off. "James," Twilight stood in front of my and looked me in the eye, "This is, Fluttershy." Twilight pointed her hoof at a yellow pony with a pink mane and tail. "Hello, Fluttershy. My name is, James." I gave Fluttershy a smile. "Hello, James." Fluttershy muttered while bashfully trying to hide her face with her mane. "Okay... I guess I'm lucky I have good hearing." I said as I stepped around Twilight. "Where are you going, James?" Twilight asked as she watched me go up the stairs. "I have something I need to put away. I'll be back in a second." I walked up the stairs and noticed Spike resting in a small basket next to my bed. "You awake little man?" I didn't get a response, so I walked up next to the shelves behind my bed. I took the holster off my side along with my gun. "I hope I'm making the right decision." I said as I set my gun on the shelf. "James?" Spike said in an exhausted tone. "What are you doing?" "I was just putting my gun away." I turned to see Spike rubbing an eye with one hand and a small blanket in the other. "I see no point carrying it around town, so I think I'll be leaving it here while I go out." "I've been meaning to ask you about that." Spike pointed at my gun. "What is that? You always seem to have it on you everywhere you go." "Well," I walked up to spike and kneeled down, "Its a weapon and you shouldn't ever touch it. From now on; It won't be with me unless I leave town." I stood up and looked down at Spike. "Some of the ponies here have decided to throw me a party for some reason; you want to come down to the party?" "No, I'm fine." Spike said as a deep booming noise roared in beat with the music. "Just try to keep it down. Some of us are trying to sleep." I watched as Spike got back in his basket and curled up. "I'll see what I can do, Spike." I said as I slowly made my way downstairs. I looked over to the deep booming noise as I walked down the stairs. I saw a white Unicorn with sunglasses. Her mane and tail were a shade of light blue and a slightly darker blue. It appeared she was controlling the music on some kind of mixing table. I looked around the room at the speakers and was surprised at what I saw. They had no wires leading into the mixing table. I made it downstairs into the large group of ponies. I looked around to see if I could find Twilight, but it was hopeless. Oddly enough; it was like walking in a room full of Jelly Beans. Every pony in the room seemed to have their own unique color combination. As I walked around the room. A quick pink blob moved up next to me. I turn my head slightly so I could focus on the pink blob. "Well," I turn to see Pinkie Pie standing next to me, "You move quick for being so small." "Wha'chya mean, Jamesy Wamesie? I've always been like this." Pinkie Pie gave me a big smile. "This is a party. Why aren't you partying?" "I'm not in the mood for a party today." I gave Pinkie Pie a smile. "Please don't let me stop you from having a good time." "Don't be silly!" Pinkie Pie quickly jumped behind me and started to push me with her head. "You just haven't found something to do. Everypony loves my parties and you will too!" Pinkie Pie said in an overly hyped tone. "So this is what Twilight was hiding from me?" I asked as Pinkie Pie pushed me up to a barrel full of water and apples. "She sure was! I was helping, Twilight when you were with, Rarity today, but we didn't expect you to finish your spa trip so soon." Pinkie Pie walked up next to me and motioned me to the barrel. "That reminds me," I reached in my pocket and got out a small piece of paper, "Where is, Rarity? I'm suppose to give her this." "She's over by the punch." Pinkie Pie gave me a smile. "Thanks, Pinkie Pie." I turned to walk to the punch, but Pinkie Pie quickly moved in front of me. "Aren't you going to bob for apples first?" Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow while cocking her head. "It's really fun!" She exclaimed while giving me a big smile. "Bobbing for apples?" I turned around to inspect the apples. I reached in and grabbed a big green apple while putting the paper into my pocket. I took a bite as Pinkie Pie looked on at me in shock. "Something wrong?" I asked as i set the apple on the table against the wall. "You cheated!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she hopped up and down. "Your suppose to do it like this." Pinkie Pie zipped over to the barred and got up on the rim. "Now watch carefully!" Pinkie Pie quickly dunked her head in the water. Seeing my chance; I quickly maneuvered around the crowd of ponies to the punch table. I was almost at the table, but a strange feeling came over me. I looked back in the direction of the barrel of apples. I was suppressed to see that Pinkie Pie had vanished. "You were suppose to watch me to learn how to bob for apples." An irritated voice said behind me. "How did you do that?" I asked as I quickly turned around. "Do you not like my party?" Pinkie Pie looked up at me with big watery eyes and a quivering lip. "The party is fine, Pinkie Pie, but I have some things on my mind." I put my hand on her fluffed up mane and ruffled it around. "I'm still not use to all of this. Give me a pass this time and I'll enjoy the next party you throw. Is that alright with you?" "You pinkie promise?" Pinkie Pie asked with a stern voice while sitting down. She crossed her chest with her hoof and put it up to her eye. "I pinkie promise..." I held my pinkie up and showed Pinkie Pie. "What's that!?" Pinkie Pie quickly grabbed my hand with her hoofs and drew it in close. "Pinkie Pie..." I pulled my hand back. "I have things I need to do." "Oh, right... Sorry..." Pinkie Pie gave me a smile. "I'll let you get back to what you wanted to do." Pinkie Pie walked a few feet away and turned back around. "Don't forget your promise." Pinkie Pie said before vanishing into the crowd. I continued to the punch table. Rarity quickly came into my view. I walked up in front of Rarity, as I reached for the paper in my pocket. "I have the paper you wanted." I held the paper out to Rarity. "James," Rarity laughed a little, "The paper was only a distraction. I needed to tell, Twilight and the others that you were coming." "So, there's nothing on this paper?" I asked in a slight irritation. "Nope." Rarity gave me a big smile. "Okay then," I crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it on the table, "Well thanks for the party." I said as I turned to walk away, but, Rarity quickly stepped in front of me. "Is something the matter, James?" Rarity looked up at me with a worried look. "You don't look so good." "I'm fine, just a headache." I quickly replied "Okay, well if you need anything; all you need to do is ask." Rarity gave me a smile before she stepped aside. I continued to look for, Twilight as the party continued. I looked for an hour before I gave up. There were too many ponies running around. I couldn't keep track of any of the ponies. The massive array of colors kept shifting around the room. I could hardly trace my steps through the maze of ponies. I walked over to the closest window in the room. A beautiful golden sky was slowly shifting to night. The setting sun seemed to complement the forest, as the wind blew through the leaves. It was impressive on how calm and quiet that forest was from a distance. You'd have to be on its doorstep to truly understand the dangers that lurk inside it. I still don't understand how dangerous it truly is yet. As the sky shifted to a darker purple. A faint white aurora shimmered above the forest. The clear sky seemed to pulse as the stars twinkled. "James," Twilight spoke in a gentle voice as the music stopped, "Are you okay?" "Yeah," I slowly turned to look at Twilight, "Everything is fine." I looked at Twilight and quickly noticed the was staring at my face. "Do I have something on my face?" "Your eyes," Twilight cocked her head, "they are brown..." "Yep, they've been that way since I was born." I chuckled a little. "I could have sworn they were blue a second ago." I quickly cut Twilight off. "Blue?" I scratched the back of my head. "Are you sure you're not seeing things?" "They were blue! I'm positive!" Twilight exclaimed in confidence. "Yeah," I watched as the ponies started to leave the library, "You mind is I ask you something, Twilight?" "Sure." Twilight gave me a pleased smile. "What do you want to know?" "Why am I here?" I quickly asked without thinking. "What?" Twilight took a step back. "I don't know." Twilight said in a puzzled tone. "I'm sorry; let me rephrase." I looked Twilight in the eye. "Why did you offer me to stay at your place?" "Oh, well your interesting." Twilight quickly replied with a smile. "I've never seen anything like you before and I thought I could learn allot from you." "Okay, just as long as you realize I'm not a science experiment. Everything will be fine." I turned my attention back out the window. "What do you mean, James?" Twilight said as she walked up beside me. "You have it good here. If a magical talking pony appeared out of thin air in my world," I chuckled a little, "I can imagine that pony wouldn't have a warm greeting." "What are you talking about?" Twilight asked as she looked out the window. "In my world, we take things apart to try and understand it." I gently gripped the top of Twilights horn and moved her head around. "This horn is a dead giveaway." "Stop that," Twilight quickly shook herself free while laughing, "I still don't understand what you're talking about." "Don't worry about it. It's nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about." I quickly placed my hand on her head and ruffled her mane. "I'm going to go to bed." "Why so early?" Twilight asked while levitating a brush towards her. "Well," I pointed out the window towards the aurora, "I think I'm going to have another one of my dreams." "Dreams?" Twilight looked out the window while brushing her mane. "Are you talking about that light over the forest?" "Yeah, I believe my dreams might somehow be connected to that light." I started to walk towards the stairs, but Twilight quickly stepped in front of me. "I might be able to help you." Twilight's face light up with joy. "Follow me!" I followed Twilight to a small walkway. We both walked downstairs and were confronted by a large sized door. Twilight was quick to open the door with her magic. When she did; I was assaulted with a barrage of beeping noises, scraping sounds and an annoying buzzing sound. "What is this place?" I asked in amazement, as the room filled lights, beakers and some sort of strange machines. "This looks like some kind of laboratory." "It is," Twilight said proudly while we made our way down the stairs, "Books aren't the only thing that's good for studying you know." Twilight started to mix strange colored liquids in a cup with her magic. "Sometimes you need to get hoofs on!" "Right," I slowly looked over the strange machines, "I don't see any power lines. How do these machines get their power?" "The machines get their power wirelessly." Twilight was quick to reply as she continues to mix the liquids. "What, how?" I asked in irritation. "We have a dam that transmit power in the air through three large coils." Twilight lifting the cup and slowly shifted the liquid. "I'd imagine it's similar to that Tesla thing you talked about." "I have to admit," I continued to look around the room, "You are more advanced then I thought. Why didn't you tell me about your wireless power when I talked about it?" "Well," Twilight carefully levitated the glass in front of me, "You seemed to know all about it already. I didn't think it would interest you." Twilight gave me a smile. "Now drink up." "What is it?" I asked as I grabbed the glass. "It'll help you relax, but you might want to lay down before you drink it." Twilight pointed to a small cot in the corner of the room. "You can rest there." Twilight said with a smile. "Its... Pink..." I said while looking at the strange thick liquid. "Its fine, it tastes like bubble gun." Twilight said with a smile. "Right..." I said sarcastically. "Well, bottoms up." I quickly tilt my head back and forced myself to drink the think pink liquid. "James, no!" Twilight quickly levitated the glass out of my hand. "You should have drank it while you were sitting down!" Twilight yelled in a panic. "Why? I feel fine..." I quickly stopped myself as the room started to wiggle. "What the wiff..." I quickly dropped to one knee as my speech started to slur. "Hurry, James." Twilight grabbed my shirt with her teeth and started to pull. "Wef need to getf you tof the cot before youf pass out." "That thiyg works phast." I muttered while crawling to the cot. I slowly crawled up into the small cot. "Why is you face so flimsy?" I asked as I laid down in the cot. I turned over and looked up at the ceiling. "I think I'm about to pash out. The room..." A large yawn slowly came over me as I paused. "Good night Twittle Sparks." My vision slowly went dark as my body went limp. "Good night, James." Twilight said in a playful tone. "I'll see you in the morning." Twilight's voice quickly faded and seemed to vanish in a black oblivion. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy!
Chapter 8. The Coming StormChapter 8 The Coming Storm I found myself in a familiar situation. Standing alone in a dark void that spanned as far as my eyes could see, but something felt different. I remembered feeling alone in the other dreams; even scared about what might be lurking in the black. This feeling was different. I was comfortable, relaxed and completely safe. "Luna," I said as I looked upwards, "Can you hear me Luna? I need you." I stood in my place as I waited for a response. "Luna, are you out their?" I asked as I didn't get a response to my last question. As my call wasn't answered; I took a step forward, but I quickly froze as a blue light shined from the floor. I looked down at my feet and was amazed at what I saw. Some kind of blue lightning seemed to be shooting out from the bottom of my boots. The lightning didn't travel far; only a few inches away from my feet. The lightning seemed to rapidly shift positions while pulsating in brightness. I quickly remembered that strange gem I found it Rarity's shop. I watched as the lightning flickered slowly. I slowly moved my right hand over my chest as I watched the lighting. The lightning looked to be matching my heard beat by beat. I got down on one knee to inspect the lightning, but I stopped as my kneed touched the ground. Lightning seemed to be shooting out of my knee too. I looked behind me and made a quick connection. Every part of me that seemed to be touching something; the lightning will follow. Just to be sure; I reached my hand out and gently placed it on the ground. Sure enough, lightning shot out from the palm of my hand. "That's fucking awesome." I said with a big smile on my face. "I wonder if it's the ground, or my body. Only one way to find out." A sudden idea struck my mind. I balled my hand up into a fist and quickly brought my hand up. I quickly force my fist down with amazing speed. As my fist slammed against the ground. Bright white sparks flew out from the bottom of my fist and a bright blue light rippled outwards. "That's amazing," I slowly stood up and looked out as the blue ripple continued, "It looks like it's going off forever." As the blue light seemed to vanish in the distance. A loud booming noise echoed all around me. "I hope that wasn't me..." I slowly looked around, scanning every part of the darkness. A few seconds passed before I noticed white orbs forming all over the ground. The orbs slowly grew larger and larger. It almost looked like a bubble of fog. As soon as the orbs stopped growing. They seemed to spread out in a familiar white mist, but only slightly different. The white mist in my previous dreams were quicker than this. It was almost like something was slowing it down. "Luna, I could really use your help right now!" I yelled as I took a few steps back. "Come on, Luna; I have no idea what to do." I quickly stopped and covered my eyes as a bright blue light radiated from the floor. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the light; I moved my arms away from my eyes. What I saw when I moved my arm; it was incredible. The blue lightning now spanned as far as the eye could see, but now it took on a three dimensional form. It was wrapping itself around the fog. How is that even possible?" I asked while moving in for a closer look. "How is lightning containing the fog? There's no way that could happen." I watched the Lightning closely. It looked like the light was dimming, but only slightly. The lightning still seemed to be pulsating, but something was different. It fading fading for some reason. A few minutes passed and the bright blue glow was now a dim white light. I continued to watch as the white mist overtook the dim light. "Luna, where the hell are you!" I yelled as I slowly backed up. I was knocked down with a strong gust of wind as the mist rocketed upwards. I looked around me and it was the same everywhere I looked. As sudden as the mist shot upwards; it now started to circle around me like a vortex. A bright light appeared in the mist. I quickly shielded my eyes once again. I put my arm down when the light dimmed. "Luna, can you hear me?" I opened my eyes and found myself once again surrounded in a place void of all light. "Luna!" I yelled for one last time before a loud click echoed around me. I was again blinded by a bright light. "Okay, this crap is getting old." My eyes quickly adjusted. I now looked out into what seemed to be a long corridor, or maybe a hanger. The ground looked smooth and had a white line painted down the center. A long white light spanned down the length tunnel in front of me. I looked behind me and was amazed at what I saw. A large metal door that stretched from wall to wall. "Damn, that blast door is huge..." I placed my hand on the cold metal. I moved my hand around to carefully feel the door. "The door seems to be split down the middle." I said to myself as I pulled my hand a few inches away. "I wonder," I balled my hand into a fist and gently knocked on the door, "Holy shit..." I said in amazement. I continued to knock on the door. A faint pinging sounded as my hand made contact. "This door is thick," I put both my hands against the door and gently rested my ear on the metal, "It's at least a couple feet thick." "James..." A female voice manifested itself behind me. "Fuck," I quickly turned around in panic, "Don't do that, Luna! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" "Please accept my apologies, James." Luna slowly took in her surroundings. "What are you apologizing for?" I asked as I leaned against the door behind me. "You didn't do anything wrong." "I am apologizing for scaring you," Luna's ears quickly went down as she looked at the ground, "And for not getting here sooner." Luna looked at me with a look of pity. "Something powerful was stopping me and I know not what it was. Did anything happen while you called out for me?" Luna asked with a gentle smile. "Yeah," I pushed my back off the door and started to walk towards Luna, "A blue lightning seemed to absorb the fog, or at least contain it somehow." I watched as Luna started to back away from me. "Whoa," I stopped and held my hands up as Luna looked like she was going to attack, "Did I do something wrong?" "When I came to you in the forest," Luna started to glair at me, "You had a dark magic building within you, but now it's different." Luna started to cautiously pace around me. She continued to keep a safe distance away while circling. "It appears you have another magic that resides within you now. This new magic seems to be feeding off the dark magic." "Is that bad?" I asked as Luna stopped in front of me. "I don't think so, but this new magic seems familiar." Luna said as she sat down. "Yes; I think I might know what it is, but I need to confirm this with my sister." "You can't tell me now?" I asked as I raised an eye brow. "I don't want to be rude, but this does involve me." "This would not be wise," Luna pointed her hoof at me, "For if it was not what I say it is. It might make you worry." "Okay, at least give me a straight answer." I rubbed my forehead. "Is it harmful to me?" "No." Luna gave me a quick smile. "If I am correct. This new magic will protect you from the dark magic that dwells inside you." "Then I hope your right." I walked past Luna. "Let's get this..." I stopped and quickly looked up. "Is something wrong, James?" Luna asked as she walked up beside me. "I don't know," I looked down the long corridor, "It feels like something is on my head..." I started to slowly move my hand a few inches above my head. "I have no idea what to say. It's something I've never felt before." "Will you be alright?" Luna asked as she cocked her head. "Yeah," I put my hands in my pockets and looked to Luna, "I think I'll be fine." "That is good to hear." Luna slowly looked around. "Do you know where we are?" "No, let's find out." I slowly walked down the corridor with Luna by my side. Luna and I continued down the corridor for a minute. The walls all seemed the same. They arched around and a long while light spanned into oblivion. It took a few minutes before something changed. A gentle wind seemed to blow in front of us. Soon after the wind; a strange whisking noise made itself known. "Do you know what that noise is, James?" Luna asked in curiosity. "Well," I held my hand up to feel the wind, "If I had to guess. I'd say it was a fan." I looked around as we continued to walk down the corridor. "It's probably a good sized fan too. To move air like that in a space so large. It might be more than one fan. If I'm correct. I'll know what this place is." "Oh," The curiosity was clear in Luna's voice, "Where might we be?" Luna asked. "Ahh~; The shoe is on the other foot now." I gave a little smirk. "Why don't we find the fans before I jump to a conclusion." "Fair enough," Luna said in disappointment, "We shall wait and see." We continued down the path and sure enough. Two large fans were mounted on the ceiling. Large mesh covering them both. It appeared to be mounted by some kind of air vent. A small blinking red light was resting in the center of the fan. I could only guess it was to serve as some kind of warning beacon. "I think I was right, Luna." I continued down the corridor. "This place appears to be a runway of some kind. Its lacking the lighting to be anything major, so I'm guessing we're in some kind of secret underground facility." "Is this common in your world?" Luna asked while trying to hide her excitement. "It is for some militaries and very few private contractors." I glanced over at Luna. The excitement was clear in her eyes. It was like a kid in a candy store. "You seem pleased, Luna." "When I looked in your mind. I saw a lot of unique things." Luna looked at me and gave a smile. "Your kind is very creative and that impresses me to no end. The buildings, the moving carts, flying tubes and the art work. The mystery of this place is very overwhelming," Luna said while failing to hide her excitement, "So tell me, James. What kind of treasures are hidden in places like this?" "Why don't we find out the owner of this place first." I reached my hand over and patted Luna on her neck. "That would give us an idea of what secrets this place might hold." "Fair enough..." Luna looked at the ground for a few seconds before speaking again. "What do you think we'll find?!" Luna exclaimed in excitement. "Wow, Luna..." I tried to hide my laughter. "You're really interested in my world aren't you?" "I'm sorry," Luna stopped and kicked the ground with her hoof, "Is this unbecoming of a princess?" Luna looked up at me with watery eyes as I continued to walk. "Unbecoming," I glanced back at Luna while continuing my path, "Naaa; I find it to be rather cute." I notion my hand to follow. "Let's get going. I want to find out why I'm here too." "Right!" Luna quickly trotted next to me. "What do you..." I quickly interrupted Luna. "Shh... Quiet..." I held my arm up to stop her from advancing. "Do you hear that?" "Hear what?" Luna's ears twitched as she stood still. "I don't hear anything; what is it?" "Shhh," I whispered while putting my finger to my mouth, "Its a high pitched squealing noise," I whispered next to Luna's ear, "Listen carefully." I watched Luna while I listened for the sound. It was obvious now that she could hear the noise. Luna seemed to look ahead, as did her ears. "What is it, James? I can hear it now," Luna said with a slight worry. "I don't know. It can be many things." I moved my arm out from in front of Luna. "Stay here; I'll go take a look." "Right," Luna sat down and gave me a serious look, "Be careful." I got a few steps in before a loud hissing noise stopped me in my tracks. I could see white mist down the corridor. It seemed to be billowing out of something in large amounts. The light from the ceiling seemed to bounce off this mist. It lit up another large metal door at the end of the corridor. I could hear a distinct revving of hydraulics and large gears. Soon after; a beam of light shot out from the door as it opened. The light grew brighter as the mist slowly vanished. The doors seemed to open up to a large room. "Well," I looked back towards Luna, "That was dramatic. You want to continue?" "Is it safe?" Luna asked with a worried look on her face. "I have no idea, but I'm going in." I turned to continue down the path. "Besides; Its only a dream. What could possibly go wrong?" "I guess your right." Luna quickly made her way to my side. We both made our way into a large hanger. The walls were painted white from top to bottom. The ceiling had large white beams spanning across from wall to wall. A large American flag hung down on the back wall. "This place is amazing!" Luna said in excitement. "What are those large boxes over their!?" Luna pointed to the left side of the hanger. "They look like tanks, but I've never seen anything like it." Luna quickly cut me off. "Oh, can we go see them!? Please!?" Luna pleaded. "No, I'm sorry. I need to find out what's going on here." Luna quickly interrupted. "But what if this is why you came here?" Luna asked in disappointment. "I came here by flying, so I think it's safe to assume from my last dreams. They'll be coming here the same way." I pointed to the right wall of the hanger. "Those look like jets, so why don't we take a look at them first and if we have time. We can always go take a look at the tanks." "Right..." Luna looked at the ground in disappointment. "You're right," Luna quickly stood tall, "Were here for an explanation; not for fun. Let us go." "Don't worry, Luna. In my personal opinion. Aircrafts are much more fun than tanks." I gave Luna a smile before walking towards to the jets. "Really?" Luna quickly ran up to my side. "How are they more fun?" Luna asked with excitement. "It's all about the freedom of flight." I pointed at Luna's wings as we walked. "Humans don't have wings, so like you said. We rely on our imagination." "Yes, this makes since." Luna nodded in approval. As we got closer to the aircraft. The complexity of it became clear. It seemed to have no visible cockpit. The metalwork was smooth and the angles resembled a B-2 bomber. It looked to be covered in small grey hexagon like panels. I couldn't see any sharp angles on the aircraft, so it gave the hint towards stealth technology. The height seemed a little lower than normal jets. The bottom of the craft seemed to only rest two to three feet from the ground. No visible fuel tanks could be seen on the exterior. "This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen." I stopped in front of the jet. "I don't even know if this is real. I don't even see a cockpit." I slowly slit my hand along the jet as I made my way to the wing. "I have no doubt that this is the new age of stealth technology." Luna quickly interrupted. "What is new age stealth technology, James?" Luna asked as her eyes lit up. "I've never heard of such a thing before." "Well," I gently tapped my hand on the wing, "it means you can't see it. Look closely at the jet, Luna." I pointed at the smooth hexagon shapes. "The stuff that's covering the jet; its almost looks like a BAE stealth system, but it's not like the one I remember seeing. The small dot in every hexagon; they almost look like a small camera." "I don't get it." Luna raised an eyebrow. "It seems you are straying from my question." "I'm sorry, Luna." I paused to think how I could explain how this system might work. "A BAE system hides the heat from any vehicle in the field. It makes it invisible to any and all infrared cameras. The BAE has a soft cover so it could manipulate the heat around the vehicle, but this cover on the jet." I knocked on some of the panels on the jet. "This is hard, so I think it's more for light than heat. If the small dots are cameras. Then it might project an image on the other side; thus making it invisible to the naked eye, but that's only a theory." "I still don't understand." Luna gave me a disappointed look. "Your world is strange..." "That, or I did a horrible job explaining it to you." I placed my hands up on the wing and pulled myself up. "No matter though, I might be wrong. In fact; I am most likely wrong. I've never seen this thing before in my life." "What are you looking for, James?" Luna asked while she walked around the jet. "I'm looking for any kind of marking or holes." I walked to where the cockpit would have been. "This might not be anything more than a model." "What makes you say that?" Luna asked as she stopped at the rear of the jet. "I don't see any kind of air intake. Hell; I don't even see a bulge that could resemble an engine." I looked towards the rear of the jet. "The rear is flatter than a girl I once knew in high school..." "What?" Luna asked with a puzzled look on her face. "What is a flat girl?" "Uhh, never mind. That was a bad example." I tried not to laugh while I slowly made my way off the jet. "What are you looking at, Luna?" I asked as I made my way to her. "That..." Luna pointed to a small red light that was hidden inside a small hole. "What is it?" She asked while still pointing her hoof. "I have no idea, but its where the engine would be." I looked past Luna and noticed something was poking out of the wall. "Did you notice that over there, Luna?" I pointed at the strange object. "No." Luna glanced in the direction I was pointing. "I'm going to go see what it is." I started to walk in the direction, but Luna quickly interrupted me. "Wait!" Luna moved herself in front of me. "What about the red light. Aren't you going to find out what it is?" "At this point, Luna. I highly doubt that it's a real jet." I stepped around Luna and continued to follow the wall. "But..." I looked back to see Luna pointing at the Jet. "The red light..." Luna said with disappointment. "Tell me, Luna," I stopped and looked at Luna with a smile, "Are you the older sister, or the younger?" "I am the younger sister." Luna replied in a questionable tone. "What does that have to do with anything?" "Oh nothing," I continued to smile at Luna, "The younger side of you really shows when your excited." "What!?" Luna appeared to blush. She quickly brought her hoof up to her mouth and cleared her throat. "Yes, let us go then." Luna slowly got up and walked towards me. "No worries, Luna." I gave a quick wink at Luna. "I understand how you feel." We both continued towards the protruding object. "You do?" She asked as she looked at me. "Yeah. You're looking at another world through another person's eyes. You're seeing things that you've never even dreamed about and you want to know more." As I got closer. I recognized that the object was a door handle. "If I was in your position. I know for a fact; I would want to know more about the strange new world." "I'm pleased that you understand, but could you keep this between us?" Luna asked in hesitation. "Tell you what; Let me see that smile of yours and we'll call it even." I said as we came up on the door handle. "Well, okay..." Luna looked me in the eyes and gave me the biggest and cutest smile she could muster. "Ehh, good enough," I placed my hand on the cold metal door knob, "Let's see what's behind door number one." I opened the door and blindly barged in with Luna following slowly behind. "What is this place?" Luna followed cautiously behind me. "This seems to be a hallway. Nothing seems..." I paused as I heard voices. "I assume you can hear that too?" I asked as I glanced back at Luna. "Yes," Luna gave me a quick nod, "Somepony is here." I quickly dropped to the floor out if instinct as automatic gun fire echoed in the hall. I looked back to see Luna standing in one place. "Get down, Luna!" I yelled, but Luna quickly raised a hoof to cut me off. "This is a dream, James. You nor I can get hurt." Luna gave me a worried look as she watched me get up. "Are you alright?" "Yeah. A little embarrassed, but I'll manage." I brushed myself off and looked back at Luna. If we cant get hurt. Why are you so cautious?" "The mist..." Luna quickly replied. Right," I rubbed the back of my neck, "Well we should get moving." I looked at Luna and she game me a quick nod. We both walked down the hallway. As we passed a few doors. I noticed they seemed to be labeled with blue tags. Judging by the labels. This seemed more like a research and development wing. "What way should we go, James?" Luna asked as we came up to a crossing of hallways. "I have no clue..." I looked around as I stood in the middle of the walkway. "You'll have to remember, Luna. I've never been here before." "Oh," Luna seemed to ponder that for a moment, "So do you know where we are, or the owner of this establishment?" "I firmly believe this is a military facility." I looked to my right before deciding to take the path. "If I was to guess on the location. I'd have to say somewhere in Florida." "Florida?" Luna asked in a questionable tone. "Yeah," I looked at each door carefully before passing them by, "Florida is within earshot of the Bahamas, so I am assuming. If they are going to fly to Equestria. They'll need one of two things." I looked to my right and saw a large double doors with a sign that reads Mess Hall. "One would be an Aircraft Carrier. Seeing how we're not on one; I am assuming they won't be launching from one. Two would have to be an airfield or a runway. That large corridor looked like a runway to me, so I think I'm putting my money on option two." "I guess that makes since." Luna said with confidence. "Wow, found you..." I stopped at a door labeled Training Room. "What are the odds of that?" I opened the door and walked in. It appeared to be some kind of waiting room. Small grey chairs were lined up around the room. A few planting pots had small trees resting inside them. A few randomly placed coffee tables and a few magazines, but what really got me was the smell. A strong odder of disinfectant filled my lung. It seemed more like a doctor's office to me. "This looks more like a waiting room to me." I said to Luna as I walked up to a small sliding glass window. I poked my head in the window and saw a small tan button. "I wonder what dis button do." I said in a playful, but childish tone. I reached out and pressed the button. I slowly looked around the room, but nothing seemed to happen. "James," Luna said in excitement, "A door opened." "What?" I got out from the window and looked at Luna. "This room didn't have any doors." "Yes it does," Luna pointed her hoof to the back wall, "Its right over there. It just slid back and opened on its own." Luna said in excitement. "This place is so amazing," Luna once again gave me a smile, "Can we go in?" "Yeah, but let's take it easy." I slowly walked up to the door. "This door gives me an odd feeling." I said as I walked through the door and into another hall. "I don't understand, James. This place has a lot of doors." I quickly cut Luna off. "Yes and all the other doors had handles on both sides." I looked down at the end of the hall. It seemed to lead into another large room. "That door seemed to be hidden until the button was pressed. It's just not normal." "I believe your putting too much thought into this. I think everything will be just fine." Luna said in a calm and relaxing tone. "Hmmm... Maybe..." I muttered to myself. We finally came into the large room. It was truly a sight to behold. It appeared to be a full boot camp experience. They had every exercise you could imagine here. They also had a large track that rounded the entire course, but what was more impressive was the size. It appeared to be around two miles from end to end. "What is this amazing place?!" Luna asked "This place looked like fun!" "Not now, Luna..." I said while trying to hide my disbelief. "What's wrong, James? Is something wrong?" Luna asked "Yeah, it's this place..." I started to walk towards what appeared to be a gun range. "This place shouldn't even exist. It's too large." "I don't understand." Luna said as she followed close behind. "I have no doubt that this place is an underground facility," I pointed up at the ceiling for Luna, "The ceiling is flat. The weight from dirt and rock would make the roof collapse in on itself."I said in a confused tone. "It doesn't make any since." "Don't your kind have advance engineering capabilities?" Luna asked in curiosity. "I'm sure they found a way to make this happen." "We only have one way to make this possible, but it's still impossible." I continued to look around at its impressive size. "A dome structure can withstand the weight of the earth above it, but it's still impossible." "Why is that, James? Can you explain?" Luna asked with child like wonder. "Judging by the size of the training area and the hanger." I took a deep breath and tried to put my thoughts into words. "The dome would have to span ten miles; if not more. This place is a giant underground city." "Then where is everypony?" Luna asked as she looked around. "You and I are the only ones here." "I don't think these dreams work like that. I think they only allow kea people to be visible." I looked on at the gun range. Five misty human figures slowly manifested a few hundred yards away from Luna and I. "If I am correct; then they are going to be the key to understanding this place." I pointed off at the misty figures. "Can you see what they're doing from here?" Luna asked with a slight fear in her tone. "No," I glanced over at Luna, "Are you alright? It looks like your shaking a little." "It's that mist. I don't like it one bit." It was obvious she was afraid of it, but I didn't know why. "No worries, Luna. I'm here and besides. Like you said; it's just a dream." I gave Luna a smile as she looked at me. Luna didn't say anything, but I knew she was hiding something from me. As we got closer to the mist. I was able to make out what was going on. A hulk like figure with twice the body build as me had a rifle in its hands. A smaller figure was standing next to it, but it didn't seem to do anything. Two slim figure were fighting hand to hand. One of them seemed to be a woman. It had two bulges protruding it of the chest. It was hard not to notice; because she was kicking the ass of her opponent. The last figure seemed to be messing with some kind of small radar dish. "What's going on here, James?" Luna asked in a timid voice as we now stood in the center of all the action. "I don't know..." I looked around as a disembodied voice echoed around Luna and I. "So, Romanoff." A scruffy like voice said. "Do you like the modification to the rifle?" "Da, das good..." The large hunk like man replied in a heavy Russian accent. "If you could," The man held out a rifle that resembled an AK-47, "Replace the spring around the guide rod. Maybe with something a little more stiff." "No problem," The man with the scruffy voice took the gun and leaned it against a small bench, "You'll have until the 24th of December to make any changes." The scruffy sounding man picked up a used target. "I must say Romanoff; your one hell of a shot with that AK..." "You've got to be kidding me..." My heart jumped to my throat as I saw the sheet. All rounds were placed in the center of the forehead. It was in a tight group; no larger than an inch. "How the hell can he get a group like that on fully automatic!?" I yelled as my knees started to shake ever so slightly. "James please; calm down." Luna said as she stretched her wing over my shoulder. "No!" I quickly pulled away from Luna. "You don't understand... I'm a good shot, but I'm nothing to this guy! Comparing me to him; he's a fucking master." "I think you might be exaggerating a bit, James." Luna gave me a smile. "I'm sure your just as good as him." "No," I watched as the Russian started to walk off the field, "Maybe in semiautomatic, but not on full auto. That man is in a totally different league." I watched as the scruffy man walked over to the two who were fighting. "I don't know. Maybe you're right; maybe that was at close range." "I'm glad you're coming to your senses, James." Luna came up beside me and rubbed her head on my upper arm. "Just relax; nothing bad is going to happen." "I hope your right." I looked over at Luna. I was surprised that she was so confident. "I don't want this to sound bad, but I don't want to die in your world." Luna and I watched the two figures fighting. They quickly stopped when the scruffy man got beside them. The woman stood up straight for the scruffy man and crossed her arms. "You need something?" She asked in a slight Brooklyn accent. "Your interrupting my training..." The irritation was clear in her voice. "I'm just..." The man quickly jumped back as the other misty form attacked the woman. I looked over, but it was literally done in a blink of an eye. The woman was on one knee and the man was on his back. The woman had one arm against his neck. Her other hand seemed to have something small in it. She had it pointed at the center of his chest. "I sure hope that thing isn't loaded..." The scruffy sounding man said. "Last thing we need is a dead man on our hands." "Loaded?" The woman replies as I hear a small clicking noise. A small box like object fell out onto the man's stomach. "It's not loaded anymore." The woman said with a smug tone. "Now," The woman stood back up to face the other man, "What did you want?" "I just wanted to know if you have everything for your departure on the 24th." The man asked as he glanced at the panting man on the floor. "Yes; I have everything I could ever need." She quickly replied in anger. "Now I need to get back to training... Do you mind?..." "Actually; yes I do mind," The scruffy man put his hand up to notion the other man over to him, "Get over here, Jeffrey!" The man that was over by the radar dish quickly came over. "As you both already know; Romanoff will be your team leader. He has already been briefed, so he doesn't need to be here..." The woman quickly cut in. "Get to the point! This waiting is pissing me off..." "Okay; you might get resistance on your landing. As you already know. A pilot named, James Cross was our test subject. The black box on his aircraft is still sending a signal. We don't know how heavily armed he is, so you'll perceive him as a threat. If he is alive; he must be killed before you proceed with your mission primary." The scruffy man crossed his arms before he continued. "We can't have any witnesses for this. You already know your rewards, so make your countries proud." The scruffy man walked off. Soon after; the misty figures were blow away my a gentle wind. What was said made me scared for my life, but it made me angry. It was a rage I've never felt before. it was like the gates of hell opened up and my world was flooded by all the hate that ever existed. "Don't worry, James." Luna said. "I'll talk to my sister and well get this solved." "This has been a complete waste of time..." I said as I slowly got on my knees. "I got no information from this dream, I have no idea what they're planning and I have no way of stopping this..." I closed my eyes and balled my hand into fists. "All that this did was show me how screwed I am." "Please, James..." Luna walked up beside me to try and comfort me. "I have no doubt we'll be helping you." I quickly cut Luna off. "No," I took a deep breath, "It doesn't matter. Just leave me alone." I did my best to hide the anger I felt. "I need to be alone right now." "But, James..." "Leave!" I opened my eyes and swung my right arm towards Luna, but I hit nothing. I looked around and noticed I was surrounded my the same darkness I came into this dream with. Luna was nowhere in sight. I was alone. Nothing but time and darkness surrounding me. "Why?" I asked as I laid on my back. "Can I even stop this from happening?" I closed my eyes as it felt like I slowly fell into the darkness. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy! Informational: The BAE System is real, but I don't know if its in use today. Click Here for a short Youtube info vid for the BAE System. I did go a little more high tech because the BAE system is a little old now. You never know; It might have gotten a lot better since it came out!
Chapter 9. The Apple Family Farm.Chapter 9 The Apple Family Farm I slowly opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. It was wood, but it had roots spanning and trailing into the walls. The beeping and scratching noise were faint, but still present. I tried to slowly get up from the cot, but something was weighing me down. I bring my hand up to my head and feel around. It felt like I had a large metal helmet strapped to my head. I bring both hands up and undid the strap on my chin. I then took the large helmet and placed it on the floor next to my cot. As I laid the helmet down. I noticed a lot of wires leading from my cot. It looked like they went to a large machine. I slowly moved the blanket away from my body. I immediately noticed I was in my boxers. "Damn it, Twilight..." I whispered to myself. "You didn't say you're going to do anything like this." I looked down the length of my body. I saw what looked to be hundreds of small electrodes all over myself. "I guess this was bound to happen." I started to remove the electrodes from my body. They seemed harmless enough, but they were very time consuming to remove. I swung my legs over the edge of the cot. I leaned down on my knees and took a deep breath. When I was relaxed and awake. I looked around the room to see if I could find Twilight. It wasn't hard to see a purple head resting on a table. She had both her front hooves sprawled out over the table and her head resting peacefully on top. "You awake, Twilight?" I whispered quietly. Not getting a response; I slowly stood up. I looked around the room for my clothes. It didn't take long before I noticed they weren't in this room. This was irritating, but it didn't make me as mad as I thought it would. I slowly got up from the cot and grabbed the blanket. I stumbled over to the table were Twilight was sleeping. It seemed that drink I was given was still effecting me somehow. I held up the blanket and gently covered Twilight. She seemed to enjoy it; because she buried her head in between her hooves. I walked past Twilight and made my way up stairs. As I made my way into the Library. I could smell toast. It didn't take long before I saw Spike. He was walking over to a table. He had a plate with toast in one hand and a cup of Orange Juice in the other. "Morning, Spike." I said as Spike placed his breakfast on the table. "Morning, Jame..." Spike quickly stopped and stared at me for a few seconds. "Rough night sleep?" Spike asked in curiosity. "Yeah; my sleep wasn't too pleasant." I said as I walked up to Spike. "How was your sleep?" I asked as I walked over to the stairs. "Could I get you anything, James? Maybe some coffee?" Spike asked as I sat down on the stairs. "Coffee?" I asked in a questionable tone. "Coffee sounds wonderful, Spike. I would love some." I gave spike a tired smile. "One cup of coffee coming right up!" Spike said with pride before running off. I got up and made my way up stairs. I walked over to my bed and sat on the edge. As I glanced over at my gun. I reached out and grabbed it. I slowly pulled it out of the holster. "Do you want anything in your coffee, James?" Spike asked from down stairs. "No," I placed the holster back on the shelf, "I like my coffee black." I said as I fumbled around with the gun. Many thoughts ran through my head in a matter of seconds. They all seemed to revolve around the dream I had. Most thoughts were bad, but not all were. Small rays of hope seemed to shine through, but I didn't know how helpful it would be. "Where'd you go, James?" Spike asked from down stairs. "I'm up here, Spike." I held my gun on its side with both hands. "Why'd you come up here?" Spike asked as he made his way up the stairs. "Well," I used my thumb to flip the safety off, "I needed to find something out." I pulled the hammer back and looked at the gun for a few seconds. "What did you need to find out?" Spike asked with a curious look on his face. "I needed to find out how useful my gun will be." I eject the magazine and pull the action back. As I locked the action back with my thumb. I held up the bulled from the chamber. "I needed to know how many bullets I have." "So how many do you have?" Spike asked as he held the cup of coffee out to me. "You tell me." I quickly unloaded the bullets from the magazine and placed them all in one hand. "I'll trade you." I placed the gun on my lap and held the bullets out to Spike. "Sure," Spike said in a pleased tone as we traded each other, "Let's see here..." I watched spike as I held the coffee cup with both hands. The warmth of the cup seemed relaxing. It was almost like it warmed my very soul. I brought the cup up to my nose. I took a deep breath and let the aroma of the coffee fill my lungs. "You look pleased, James. It's almost like you've never had coffee before." Spike started to use a claw to count out each bullet. "Wait... Have you ever had coffee before?" "Yeah I have, but I never thought you had it here." I took another deep breath of coffee. "Yeah we have coffee here, but it's a delicacy. It has to get brought in from Canterlot." Spike started to move the bullets around with his claw. "Twilight uses it for her late night reads. I don't understand why, but she tells me it helps her stay awake." Spike held the bullets towards me and smiled. "You have nine left." "Nine?" I asked as I looked at my coffee. "That sounds about right." I tilted my head back with the coffee. It took a few seconds before I finished the cup. "Is something wrong, Spike?" I asked as I swapped the bullets for my cup. "Yeah..." Spike started to fidget with the cup. "Isn't it hot?" Spike asked with a worried look on his face. "Extremely..." I said as I picked up my gun. I quickly flipped the latch on the side and the action slammed forward with a lout clack. "Something wrong again, Spike?" I asked as he jumped from the noise. "No everything is fine," Spike watched me as I placed my gun and ammo next to the holster, "But it almost seems like your depressed." "How could you tell, Spike?" I asked as I gave him a small smile. "Well," Spike put a claw up to his chin, "You haven't called me, Little Man and I can't explain it, but I can somehow feel it." "Well," I placed my hand on Spikes head and looked him in the eyes, "You couldn't be more right, but don't worry about it. I'll be fine." "Okay, James." Spike gave me a smile and walked towards the stairs. He stopped and looked back at me. "It might be out of my place to say this, but if you need to talk to someone. Twilight and I are here to listen." "Thanks, Spike." I got up and walked up to Spike. "I think I'll be fine. No worries." "Okay, James." Spike said as I followed him down the stairs. "Hey, Spike." Twilight said as she walked into the library. "I smell coffee. Did you make me a cup?" "I'm sorry, Twilight..." Spike said as he walked up to his breakfast. "James got the last cup this morning. "Oh..." Twilight sat down and stared at the ground. "Sorry, Twilight. I didn't know it was the last cup." I looked at Twilight as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "I need to talk to you, Twilight. When you have the time." "Sure," Twilight smiled and walked over to Spike, "What do you need?" "Why don't we start with my clothes." I stated calmly. "Also an explanation on why I didn't have them on when I woke up." "Your clothes were dirty. So I thought I might wash them, but seeing how you always wear clothes. I thought it would be a brilliant idea to get you more." Twilight gave me a big smile. " Rarity told me that she would drop by this morning." "Thank you for that, but why did you take them off in the first place?" I asked again. "I already told you. They were dirty." Twilight raised an eyebrow. " Is something wrong, James?" "He's depressed..." Spike quickly cut in. "Oh my goodness. Is everything alright?" Twilight said with a concerned look on her face. " Do you need to see a doctor?" "No, but I do need to get my mind off a few things." I was about to continue, but Twilight quickly cut me off. "I can talk to Pinkie Pie. I know she can cheer you up." Twilight tried to run to the door, but I put my arm in front of her chest. "I don't need, Pinkie Pie. I need a job." I let out a small sigh. " I have done nothing while I've been here and I'm going mad, so can you help me get a job?" "Applejack might need a hoof on her farm." Twilight put her hoof to her chin. "We could go talk to her now, but we should probably hurry." "I don't think I'll be going anywhere without my clothes." I held my arms out to my sides in an irritated manner. " You gata remember that I need my clothes." "I don't think I'll ever understand that about you, James." Twilight quickly turned her head to a knock on the door. " That'll be Rarity now." "Yo little man." I walked over to Spike and kneeled down to whisper to him. "Next time could you just keep stuff like that between us?" "But why?" Spike quickly fired back. "I just know, Twilight can help. You'd be impressed about how many problems she solved." "I don't like dumping my problems in other people's lap." I stood up and looked down at Spike. "I'll find a way to deal with this." Spike jumped up and cut me off. "But what if it's more then you can handle on your own?" Spike looked at me with a serious look. "You need to know when to ask for help." "How would you know if it's something I can't deal with myself?" I asked while raising my eyebrow. "It was the look in your face." Spike looked down at the floor for a few second, before turning his attention back to me. "Twilight and I are your friends and friends help each other." Spike said sternly while stomping his foot. "Alright little man. I'll put some thought into what you said." I looked up and saw Twilight. She was walking over with a pile of clothes levitating next to her. "That's a lot of clothed, Twilight. Did you get some for yourself?" "Don't be silly. I can't wear your kind of clothes." Twilight giggled a little before putting the clothes on the table. I walked up to the table as Twilight started to mingle with Rarity. I slowly looked over the neatly folded clothes. I could tell Rarity put a lot of time into them. The clothes came in a variety of colors. All of them also seemed to be ironed with great care. With the nice selection; it didn't take long before I picked out my clothed. "Thanks a lot, Rarity. You have no idea what this means to me; after all I'm going to be here for a few more months." I put on a white shirt and glanced over at Spike. I then looked back over at Twilight. I immediately noticed she had a disappointed look on her face. "is something wrong, Twilight?" "Did you find out how to get home?" Twilight asked as she forced a smile. "Well I'm going home one way or another," I pulled up a pair of tan pants and quickly fastened the button, "So I guess its Carpe Diem from here on out." I gave Twilight and Rarity a smile. "That's just mar valise, James." Rarity gave me a smile back. "I'm happy for you, but we're going to have to get together before you go. I must know more about your worlds fashion." "I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best to make time." I turned my attention back to Twilight. "Do you know where my socks and boots are, Twilight." "Socks?" Rarity asked as she quickly stepped in front of Twilight. "What are socks?" "I guess they're clothed for your feet." I pointed down at my feet. "Your hooves?" Rarity let out a big gasp. "Idea!~ Thank you, James! You just gave me a wonderful idea for a new line of clothes!" Rarity quickly rushed out the door. A loud slam followed shortly after. "Okay... So, Twilight; my question still stands." I said as I stacked the clothes back in a neat pile. " They're over by the door." Twilight turned and levitated both my boots and socks to me. "Thanks, Twilight." I sat on the ground and started to put them on. "So do you mind if I ask about all that equipment I found on myself this morning?" "Sure," Twilight smiled in excitement, "I was taking readings on your brain waves and gathering information on your muscles. You'd be surprised on how similar we are." "Similar is a surprising choice of words. How are we similar?" I asked as I got up. "Well," Twilight put a hoof to her chin, "we both have the same patterns in our brain waves. Our Alpha, Bata, Delta, Theta and Gamma brain waved are identical." Twilight motioned to the door with a hoof." "You'll have to forgive me, but brain waves are a weak subject to me." I held the door open for Twilight. "I never paid attention in my biology class." I followed Twilight out the door and closed it behind me. "Alpha brain waves happen when you're in a deeply relaxed state of mind. This happens when you daydream or on the verge of sleep. Some ponies say it's the gateway into your subconscious." Twilight stopped and clapped her front hooves together. "Humans are so interesting!" Twilight exclaimed. "Come on, Twilight." I held my hand up in the direction we're walking. "We need to get to Applejack's place." "Oh, Right." Twilight quickly ran up to my side. "Well Bata brain waves," Twilight continued her explanation, "They are your conscious mine. It's for logic and reasoning. It can also help you through properly understanding your stress, anxiety and restlessness." Twilight let out a small sigh. "That's a part of you I don't understand. You showed a lot of Beta waves in your sleep." "What does that mean?" I asked in curiosity. "It shows you were fully aware in your dream. I also picked up some strange magic reading. It's like the magic here is in sync with your dreams." Twilight said in a questionable tone. "Theta waves show your on the verge on deep sleep. It's vital for ponies to enter this state of mine. It helps us go into REM sleep and apparently its just as vital for humans." Twilight gave me a big smile before continuing. "Delta brain waves shows deep sleep. It's the realm of your subconscious mind. It's also vital for healing." "That's actually kind of interesting, but wouldn't my brain only show one wave at a time?" I asked in curiosity. "Hey!" Twilight puffed out her cheeks. "I wasn't finished!" "I'm sorry," I held up my hands, "Please continue." "Right," Twilight nodded with a smile, "Gamma waves are the most strange. They are the most recently discovered brain wave. It shows extreme activity. Mostly in imagination, creativity and inspiration." Twilight sighed again. "Your brain waves were all over the place. It showed a lot of Alpha and Delta. A couple times; you would jump to Gamma and Bata. That's when I picked up a faint burst of magic." Twilight gave me a serious look. "Can I ask about your dream?" "I'd rather not. That dream put a lot of stress on me today, so I want to forget about it." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Anything else is fine." "Well there was something else." Twilight hid her face from me. "I was experimenting on you while you slept. I would whisper random words and phrases in your ear. I wanted to see how you would react to a few things and..." Twilight paused for a few seconds. "And... What?..." I asked. "I... Umm..." Twilight quickly turned to face me. "Why is your face turning red?" I asked while raising an eyebrow. "Twilight!" Twilight let out a loud squeak as Rainbow Dash yelled. "Where you both going?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew up to us. "I need a job, so, Twilight is taking me to Applejack." I said as Rainbow Dash was staring at Twilight. "Why is, Twilight blushing?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew around Twilight. "I have no..." Twilight quickly interrupted me. "Rainbow! Don't do that! You scared me!" Twilight yelled. "Settle down Twilight." Rainbow Dash said in a playful tone. "I just wanted to know if I could borrow, James for a day." "No one can borrow me today." I rubbed my forehead. "I need to make some money." "What could you possibly need money for?" Rainbow Dash flew up in front of me and raised an eyebrow. "Isn't Twilight taking good care of you? Oh," Rainbow Dash knocked her hooves together, "If she isn't taking good care of you. You could always stay with me." "I'm fine where I am, but I really need to get going, Rainbow Dash." I looked at Twilight. "Let's get going Twilight. The sooner I get to, Applejacks the better." "Right." Twilight nodded in approval and we continued on our path with Rainbow Dash following. "So what do you need the money for, James?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew up in front of me. "I'm sure if you ask, Twilight for help. She'd be more than happy to help." "I need the money for explosives." I took a brief second to think. "So do you even have explosives?" "Explosives?" Rainbow dash put a hoof to her chin as she flew backwards. "We have fireworks, but other than that. I have no idea." "Fireworks might actually work for the job I need." I looked off in the distance and could see what looked to be a farm house. "Are you going to have a firework show?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Something like that." I replied in irritation. "Why don't you tell me when you're having the firework show!" Rainbow Dash gave Twilight and I a big smile. "I should get going. I'm working on a move that I know will blow the minds of the Wonderbolts." Rainbow Dash quickly flew off. "Catch'ya later, James!" "So," I glanced at Twilight as we walked to the farm, "What kind of work will I be doing?" "Well," Twilight paused for a few seconds, "Last time I helped Applejack on her farm. I was helping her pick apples during the Applebuck Season." "So I'll be picking apples?" I asked. "I don't know, but I think we'll find out." Twilight stopped and pointed her hoof. "Applejack is coming." "Well howdy, Twi." Applejack quickly ran up to us and gave me a smile. "Howdy, James." "Hey, Applejack. James is looking for work and I was wondering. Do you have anything you need help on the farm?" "I can always use an extra hoof on the farm." Applejack turned to look at me. "Have y'all worked on a farm before?" "No, but I guarantee I'm a fast learner." I put my hands in my pockets. "Anything you need and I'll do it." "That's what I like to hear. You can go wait by the house and I'll be over in a jiffy." Applejack pointed down the road at a large house. "You got it boss," I started to make my way to the house, "I'll be waiting for you." I made my way down the road. As I took in my surroundings. I couldn't help, but to get a little impressed. I might not have worked on a farm before, but I do know a farm when I see one. The large red barn, the hay bales, a pig pen and a field for cows. It was a very heartwarming sight. It almost reminded me of Texas. The size of the farm might seem a little small, but it was relatively the same. As I stood waiting for Applejack. A large red pony with an orange mane and tail got my attention. He was hauling a large cart filled with baskets of apples. I went over as he entered the barn. "You need some help with that?" I asked as he quickly turned to look at me. "I'm here to help Applejack on the farm." "I can handle this on my own." He said in a stern voice. "No need to be shy." I walked over to the rear of the cart and opened the latch. "Where do you need em?" "Over by the wall will be fine." The large red pony came over to the rear of the cart. He pulled three large baskets of apples onto his back. "Wow," I grabbed a basket of apples and followed him, "Your strong..." "Eeyep." He replied. "My name is, James." I placed my basket against the wall. "I'm Big Macintosh." He replied. "James!?" Applejack yelled from outside. "Where'd you go!?" "Sorry, Big Macintosh," I looked at the basket by the wall, "But that's my boss, so I need to go." I quickly ran out of the barn. "I'm here, Applejack. I was giving, Big Macintosh a hand with some apples." "Well that's all right." Applejack put her hoof to her chin and slowly looked me over. "How good are you at bucking for apples?" "Bucking?" I thought about that for a few seconds. "We don't kick for apples in my world. We pick them by hand or by large machines, so I wouldn't imagine very well." "Okay," Applejack raised an eyebrow, "I don't want you to get your fancy duds all dirty, so washing the pigs are out of the question. Milking the cows could get messy too, so that's out of the question." Applejack went deep in thought for a few minutes. "I have a job for ya, but it's really hard. Big Mac and I usually put it off till the last minute." "I'll do whatever you need me to do." I held my arms out and turned around. "You don't need to worry about my clothes. they can be washed." "That's all right, James. I'll try to keep ya clean." Applejack turned around and started to walk over to a small open field. "Follow me partner." "You got it boss." I followed close behind applejack. We came up to a stump in the ground. It had a large red ax stuck in the stump and a very large pile of logs a few feet away. "I need y'all to cut us some wood. Winter is not far away and we need the wood to last the winter." Applejack turned and gave me a smile. "You think you can handle this?" "No problem," I grabbed the ax and pulled it out of the stump, "How many times you want me to cut the log?" "Six times should do it, but take your time. It's a lot of hard work." Applejack watched me retrieve some logs. "How much fire wood will you need?" I asked as I dropped the logs by the stump. "As much as you can cut." Applejack pointed to a small clearing behind me. "You can just put the cut wood over there." "You got it boss." I watched as she walked away. "Almost makes me wonder if they use their mouth with the ax." I said to myself as I laughed. I started my work for the day. The repetitions were very boring, but it was quick work. I couple hours in. A small yellow pony with a red mane and tail strolled up next to me. She had a ridiculously large bow tied on the back of her mane. "Hey ,James." The yellow pony gave me a smile. "My name is, Apple Bloom." "What's up, Apple Bloom? You need something?" I asked as I swung the ax at a log. "Applejack sent me to see if you needed help." Apple Bloom gave me a big smile. "But I'm almost done." I pointed at a small pile of logs. "I only have a few left." "You think I can bring you the logs?" Apple Bloom asked with pleading eyes. "I don't see why not. Just be careful." I bent down and ruffled her mane. "Last thing I need is for you to get hurt." "Right!" Apple bloom quickly ran and picked up a log. I watched her as she slowly walked towards me. She would occasionally sway to the left and back to the right. A couple times; it almost looked like she was going to fall forward. "A little top heavy, Apple Bloom?" I asked while trying to hide my laughter. "Yef; juft a widdle bit," Apple Bloom set the log next to my foot, "But I can do this." "Hold on, Apple Bloom," I grabbed her bow before she got away, "Why don't you take the logs I cut over to that pile?" I pointed to the large pile of cut logs. "It would be a lot safer for you and you'll still be helping." "Alright, James." Apple Bloom sat next to me as I worked. "So it your Cutie Mark cutting wood?" "Why would it be wood cutting?" I asked in curiosity. "It takes Big Mac a few hours to get the wood we need for winter. You cut all of the wood in the same time that Big Mac needs." Apple bloom quickly swooped in and grabbed a couple cut logs. "No," I watched as she took the logs over to the pile, "I can't get a Cutie Mark." Apple bloom quickly cut me off. "Why not?!" She asked in amazement. "Maybe because my kind can have more than one talent." I placed the last log on the stump and took a quick swing. "So what are your talents?" Apple Bloom asked with wide eyes. "I guess it would be flying." I said as I scratched my head. "Where are your wings?" Apple Bloom asked as she walked around to my back. "I don't see anything." "My wings are broken in the Everfree Forest." I planted the ax back into the stump as I finished my work. "I'm hoping I can get another pair of wings soon. I would like to fly again." "Your wings come off?" Apple Bloom asked while raising in eyebrow. "Something like that." I walked up to Apple Bloom and looked down at her. "Why don't you take me to, Applejack. I need some more work." I watched as Apple Bloom nodded. "Sure thing." Apple Bloom said with a smile. I followed Apple Bloom past the barn. We continued down into a large apple tree field. I could tell someone was working very hard. A lot of the trees had no apples in them. I also noticed a few rotting apples randomly scattered on the ground. "Come on," Apple Bloom started to run, "Applejack is just ahead of us." "Alright." I jogged behind Apple Bloom to keep up with her. "Do you know what I might be doing?" "Applejack and Big Mac are done with harvesting for today and I finished up all the other chores. All that's left is picking up the bruised apples for the pigs." Apple Bloom said as she ran; not missing a beat. "Sounds easy enough." I said as Applejack came into view. "Yep, Applejack and I make a game of it. Its really fun." Apple Bloom said in a pleased tone. "Well hey you two." Applejack said as we came up to her. "Y'all didn't quit early did ya?" "I ran out of wood to cut." I replied. "What?" Applejack gave a surprised look. "Now how in the hay did you do that? It takes Big Mac all day to get enough for winter." "I'm just a fast worker." I said with a smile. "Now I'm waiting for the next task." "Well alrighty then." Applejack smiled. "We need to pick up the bad apples for the pigs. Could you lend us a hoof?" "Sure thing boss." I picked up a small wood basket and started to pick up the bad apples. "You know, James," Applejack started to toss the apples to Apple Bloom, "I had a little chat with, Twilight when you walked ahead to the farm. She said your depressed over something." "I don't want to bore you, Applejack." I then remembered what Spike told me. "Besides it would take a while to explain to you." "We have plenty of time." Applejack said as she hit an apple to Apple Bloom with her tail. "Well," I let out a sigh, "Why not..." I spent a couple hours telling Applejack about the dreams I had. I never left out any details. To my surprise; Applejack poured all her attention into my story. She never interrupted or took a break. "I can see why your depressed, but you seem to handle it well." Applejack said with a gentle smile. "It also seems your life is more than ordinary. The ponies in your dream sounded like they wanted you gone, but here you are. Alive and able to fight against them," Applejack let out a sigh, "But it also sounds like you don't treat us as equals." Applejack walked up and sat in front of me. "This is your life, so I can't tell you what to do. Try treating us as equals. Like somepony you'd tread in your world." Applejack gave me a smile. "I guarantee you'll be surprised at the results." "Alright, so what should I do about them coming here?" I asked with a shamed look on my face. "I have no idea what to do." "I once had the same problem as you. I was as stubborn as a mule last Applebuck season." Applejack gave me another smile. "I didn't want to ask my friends for help, but in the end. I let go of my stubborn pride and asked for help and I must say. It was the best Applebucking season I've had in a long time." Applejack turned and started to walk out of the field. She turned back and notions me to follow. "Your friends here can help you. You just need to have faith." "I fear you still don't understand what I'm up against." I took a deep breath to try and relax. "If you help me when the time comes. I have no doubt we'll all die." "What about, Princess Luna? I have no doubt she told, Princess Celestia." Applejack said in confidence. "She can have the entire royal guard to assist if you think it's that much trouble." "You still don't understand." I said in irritation. "They'll be coming here in machines that I flew in on. If the dreams are true. They won't go down like I did. Machines from my world can project earth shattering power; all over the world in a blink of an eye. You might have Pegasi here, but you don't have a chance to keep up with their speeds." "That's just steankin thinkin, James." Applejack said in confidence. "You need to have more faith in us," Applejack opened the door of her house, "But let's not worry about this now. We'll have plenty of time before your kind comes to this world, but for now. Its time I pay you for your hard work. It's getting dark and I cant keep ya here forever." "Alright." I said as I followed Applejack into the kitchen. "You did a lot of work today, so how does twenty bits sound to you?" Applejack asked with a smile. "It all sounds good to me." I watched applejack open a drawer and pull out a small tan bag. She placed the bag on the counter and smiled. "Can I expect you to come tomorrow?" "I don't see why not. I can always use extra cash." I picked up the tan bag and put it into my pocket. "Thanks; I'll see you later, Applejack." I said as I made my way out of her house. "Alright, James. Have a safe trip home." Applejack said as I walked out the door. The long walk home gave me a good chance to think. No matter how I approached it. Applejack was right, but I was also right on a few subjects. The ponies here had no idea how destructive one of our war machines could be. I knew I needed help, but I couldn't ask the ponies in this world. They would be slaughtered in no time. I knew I needed more man power and more guns. The only question was how. I don't know how to forge a gun and don't get me started on the ammunition. It takes math to get the proper mixture of air and powder. Too much and the gun will explode. Too little and the bullet will get lodged in the barrel. "No matter how I cut it. I'm screwed without a trump card." I said to myself as Twilights house came into view. "I'll have surprise on my side. I might not know much, but I know more about this world then they do." As I walked up to the door of Twilight's house. I could see a faint flickering light. I opened the door and immediately saw Twilight. She was sitting by the table looking at something. She had a candle lighting up the area around her. "What's up, Twilight?" I asked as I walked in and took my boots off. "Hu," Twilight turned around and gave me a tired look, "Oh; hello, James. How was your first day of work?" Twilight asked as she turned her attention back to what she was doing. "It wasn't bad," I walked up besides Twilight, "What are you doing?" I looked down at a book that rested in front of her. "I got a letter from the Princess today." Twilight looked at the ground. "She told me what Princess Luna saw in your dreams." Twilight looked back at the book and magically turned the page in a purple aura. "I'm sorry, James. I didn't know how much stress you were under." "No worries, Twilight. I'm not stressed out any more." I suddenly remembered what Applejack said. "Treat them as equals..." I mumbled under my breath. "Why don't you get some rest, Twilight. You look tired." "But I need to find a way to help you." Twilight looked up at me with a sorry look. "You're going to need my help." "Twilight," I got behind twilight and put my hands on her neck, "I'll take over from here." I started to gently massage up and down her neck. "I haven't done any reading while I have been here and I think it would be a good idea to start." "Why don't you join me?" Twilight asked in a pleased tone as I continued to massage her. "Well get twice the work done in the same amount of time." "No," I started to move my massage down to her shoulders, "You're tired. I have no doubt you'll miss something important if you continue." "Yeah," Twilight got up and I stopped massaging her, "You're right, James. I'll leave the rest in your hooves tonight." Twilight gave me a smile. "It's a good thing..." Twilight paused and let out a big yawn. "What is?" I asked as she walked towards the stairs. "Your warming up to us. I was afraid you didn't like us." Twilight started to make her way up the stairs. "Good night, James. I'll see you in the morning." "Good night, Twilight." I watched her as she slowly vanished up stairs. I turned my attention to the book she was reading. "The Art of Teleportation Spells." I said to myself. "I don't see how teleporting will do me any good." I closed the book and picked it up. I walked around the Library for an open slot. I found an open slot and I placed the book on the shelf. "I guess I should get some sleep too." I walked over to the table. As I was just about to blow the candle out. A small twinkling light got my attention. I turned in its direction and noticed it was coming from a bottom book shelf. I walked over to the shelf and got down on my hands and knees. I slowly removed every book from the bottom shelf and stacked them neatly out of my way. I bent down and saw a gold horse shoe covered in dust. I reached in and tried to grab it, but it was fixed to the wall. I placed my hand on it and gently pushed it in. I quickly moved my hand back as a false wall moved upwards. The false wall revealed a red book with a gold plaque. I reached in and grabbed the dusty old book. I put the old book down and placed the other books back on the shelf. I then picked up the book as I stood up. "Let's see what this is," I walked over to the table and looked at the gold plaque, "Legends and Myths of Equestria." I placed the book on the table and opened it to the index. "This book doesn't look like it could help me in the slightest." I was about to close the book, but a small purple and blue mist rocketed past me. I let go of the book as a mild wind blew in front of me. I looked down at the book and noticed it turned a few pages. "Legend of the Mirror Pond." I said to myself as I started to read the book. "I think I just found my trump card." I let out a big smile as I continued to read. Author's Note If you see any errors in my story. I would like to know, so that I can correct them. After I finish the corrections; I will be deleting the post. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the story if you have time. I am doing my best to keep the story flowing smoothly, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. I am having a lot of fun with this story, so I don't know when I will end it. If you have any ideas on how I can improve my writing. I would like to hear it. P.S. This story is a rewrite of my last HiE. I hope that this version has better structure and depth. I would like to hear your opinion on the rewrite. Both good and bad comments are welcome, so don't be shy!
