Disclaimer: I don't own My little pony: Friendship is magic.

I'm obviously a brony and this idea poped into my head while I was considering something completely different. The idea has stuck and I've decided to write it. Not sure how long this will go and updates will be sporadic. If you like it leave a review and tell me what you think.

Also, I'm going for a unique story here. So, I will be doing things that have never been done before, at least based on what I have found. :D

First chapter isn't my best and I'll be doing touch ups to it and all chapters from time to time. Second chapter is where things really start happening.

---

Faster! I have to run faster!

Twilight only noticed the trees of the Everfree Forest as brown and green blurs as she ran as fast as her hooves would take her. She tripped and rolled on the hard ground but was up and running before she had even skidded to a stop. Her front right knee burned with pain and when she looked at it she saw a steady flow of blood trickling down her leg.

Keep going! Keep running!

The Everfree Forest had always been a terrifying place for her but that fear seemed so small to her now with all of the things she had been through, all the things she had done. As she ran that fear grew smaller and smaller with the ominous understanding that she had left him.

No, no. He told me to run.

He had saved her when she was in danger, had held her up when she had lost all hope, and stood as a solid rock that she could anchor to, that she could always trust. However that rock had told her to flee in the face of an advisory that he couldn't hope to win against and she knew that she had left him to die. That pain ripped through her and tore at her very soul but the fear she had of the thing he was fighting kept her hooves from turning to help. They continued on a steady pace born of pure terror, a terror that was more instinctual than anything else, a terror that roared into the depths of her mind.

She charged past the statue of Princess Luna that was erected in the forest and she knew that she was close to Ponyville. Hope started to blossom in her. She could get her friends, return to his side, and fight the monsterosity together. That hope was shattered, however, when a train of thought ran through her head.

Against something like that we wouldn't do anything besides get in his way.

But with the Elements of Harmony we could-

There's no way we could gather those in time.

But there must be-

He said to not look back. He knew that he wasn't going to win.

The last thought caused her to skid to a stop and she looked back the way she came, her body shook with every breath she took and her knee screamed in pain.

He knew that he wasn't going to win...

Despair washed over her and she took a quick step back, to return to his side, but she didn't take anymore than the one. Tears had been streaming down her face as she ran but now they flowed for a very different reason. She was never going to see him again. He-he gave his life for her.

She shook her head and started toward town. The least she could do was gather her friends and...and...do something. Anything!

She ran into the town but ignored all of the ponies that were out in the night. She heard several call out to her with confusion and hope in their voices but she carried on to her home. She would get Spike and then gather the rest.

A small touch of relief and happiness pinched at her awareness when she saw her home but with all of the emotions that were mixing around inside her she barely noticed. Her horn glowed and the door to her home all but ripped off the hinges with how fast it opened and she didn't slow as she bolted inside.

She entered a room she was intimately familiar with. It was round with books on shelves that were carved into the very wood of the massive tree that was her home. She stopped, huffing and puffing when she saw Spike, Princess Celestia, and the rest of her friends staring at her.

---

(Two Months Earlier)

Twilight sighed happily as she read a book in the shade of a small tree. It was a beautiful day with a light drizzle scheduled for the afternoon and that meant that it would be pleasantly cool until the rain started. She was rereading the book "The Legend of Star Swirl the Bearded" and couldn't seem to put it down. Where some people couldn't read a book more than once, Twilight Sparkle had no problem with it.

Twilight, a 20 year old mare, had a light violet coat and her mane and tail were purple with dark violet and pink highlights. Her purple eyes shined with interest and curiosity as they scanned the book she had in front of her.

"Twilight!" Spike, her small dragon assistant and dear friend, called from a distance.

She looked up and waved her hoof to him. She marked her page and closed the book since she was pretty sure that he was going to need something that would take longer than a few seconds.

"What did you need, Spike?" she asked.

Spike scratched the back of his head and asked, "Did you want to go watch Rainbow Dash? She's trying a new trick out."

Twilight chewed the thought over in her head and finally nodded. "Sure, I can finish reading this later." She lifted the book with her magic and placed it into her saddle bag.

"Good," Spike said relieved, "for a second I thought you were just going to read that book all day."

"Hey," she grumbled as she followed the small purple and green dragon, "that book is the story of Star Swirl the Breaded, the greatest magic user of all time, besides the Princess of course."

"I know, I know. You've told me that, like, a duven times in the past week."

She continued to talk with Spike until they got to the grassy field that Rainbow Dash was going to perform her new trick in. She could see Apple Jack, Fluttershy, and the rest of her friends gathered around a blanket that was laid out on the grass. Twilight was shocked to see that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna there as well

Apple Jack looked over at her when she got close and said with a large smile, "Well I'll be, Spike managed to get you to come, did he?"

"I can always read my book later," Twilight answered. "What's Princess Celestia doing here? Isn't she supposed to be at Canterlot for a meeting today?"

"The Princess is introducing Princess Luna to new friends. She's doing it slowly so that Luna can learn how to interact with people again."

Twilight nodded her head and then asked, "Any idea when Dash will start her trick?"

"Well, with Spike and you here she should start it soon."

A streak of rainbow flashed by and when the ponies looked up they say Rainbow Dash flying lazily above them.

"You all ready for this?" she called out.

Twilight and her friends cheered the light blue pony and soon they were rewarded with Dash starting her trick. She bolted up and curved down into a freefall to pick up speed and at the last second she pulled up to fly parallel to the ground. She flew past the group and then into a different clearing which was out of sight.

"Come on everypony," Apple Jack yelled. "Follow her."

The group hurried and when they got to the next clearing they saw Rainbow dash flying in tight circles causing a circular rainbow to appear. She then rushed down into the forest and started to weave between the trees at an insane speed.

"She's daring," Princess Celestia remarked as she watched the skilled display.

All was going well until one of Rainbow Dash's wings smacked hard into a tree branch causing her to dropped to the ground. She skidded and rolled due to the speed and didn't seem to slow in the slightest.

Twilight moved before everypony and rushed to the aid of her friend. Fear of Dash being seriously hurt brought her to a new speed but her heart nearly stopped when she saw her friend go sliding off the ledge of a cliff. She focused and with a burst of magic she teleported to the ledge of the cliff. She saw Dash falling and tried to teleport the light blue pegasus to safety but every time she tried her friend would fall just out of reach of her magical calculation.

With no other option Twilight jumped off the ledge. She took control of her fall with her magic and force it behind her to propel her to Dash. If she could get to Rainbow Dash then she could forgo the target calculation and instead focus on the one for location. She powered through the air, only vaguely aware of the ground rushing up to meet her, and caught hold of Dash by the pegasus' tail. She forced her magic to turn them and then focused on the ledge that she had jumped from.

With horror she realized that she wouldn't be able to build up enough magic to teleport the both of them at once but with a calculation that was near unconsciously done she knew that she could teleport Dash and then build up the magic for herself just in time. She glared hard at the spot she wanted Dash to be teleported to and her horn glowed in response. Suddenly Dash vanished and appeared at the top of the ledge.

Twilight then focused on regrouping her magic and forcing it around herself. It was going to be close and with a cry she rushed her magic to move faster and faster. She caught a glimpse of Princess Celestia on top of the ledge, her horn aglow, and then she vanished.

-Return to Equestria: Love and Blood-

Princess Celestia sent out her magic to her student and forcibly ripped her from the deadly fall. She then turned to Rainbow Dash and sent her magic into her. The mare had several broken bones and would be lucky to ever fly again but Celestia was a master of magic. She urged the bones to mend and the many cuts to close and soon Dash was groggily shaking her head.

"Did anyone get the number of the carriage?" Dash asked dizzily.

Celestia giggled and said, "We didn't, I'm afraid, but Twilight did manage to save your life. Isn't that right Twilight?"

Celestia was confused when her student didn't immediately reply and she looked behind her. She was sure that her location calculation had been just to her left but now that she looked, Twilight was nowhere in sight.

"Twilight?"

-Return to Equestria: Love and Blood-

Twilight landed heavily on the ground. She groaned and rubbed her head as she slowly got up. She looked around and found that she was in an alley way with two very large buildings to her left and right.

She felt her heart go to her throat and she asked aloud, "Where am I?"

---

Kind of short. Chapters after this should be longer. Everything will be explained later.

Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony.

Not sure if I should increase the rating to M due to blood and violence. Tell me what you all think.

---

"Princess Celestia, what happened to Twilight?" Apple Jack asked. She was the first to arrive after the princess and she was looking up from Rainbow Dash's side with concern.

"I-I don't know," Celestia answered, her voice soft and confused.

"Sister!" Luna called. From behind her the other ponies came rushing to Dash's side. Luna looked around and asked, "Where is Twilight Sparkle?"

"She should be right here," the white pegasus unicorn indicated a spot right in front of her. She stared at the ground, confused and scared about the many possabilities that could have happened to her young student.

Luna looked at Celestia and said bluntly, "Clearly, she's not, dear sister."

"What could have happened?" Celestia asked aloud. "I had the magic targeting calculation correct, otherwise she wouldn't have vanished, and I've run over the location algorithm four times already. I've come up with the same calculation each time so this just doesn't make sense, she should be here."

"Could you have put too much magical energy into the spell and not have noticed it due to fear?" Luna asked.

"I'm not a novice when it comes to magic," Celestia said boldly, "I know to not let my emotions affect the amount of energy I put into a spell." She sighed and continued, "It just doesn't make sense, she should be right here." She stomped her hoof for added effect and to help relieve her growing frustration.

"Did you teleport Rainbow Dash at the same time?"

Celestia shook her head, "No, Twilight teleported her up."

"Why didn't she teleport the both of them?"

"Well, it would take a larger amount of magical power to teleport the both of them and given time she might have been able to do it. But she and Dash were falling, so time wasn't a luxury she had." She thought for a second and nodded as she said, "She calculated that it would be faster to teleport Dash and then teleport herself and the calculation was right. "

"So, she tried to teleport at the same time that you teleported her," Luna concluded. "But would that wouldn't effect the algorithms."

"It would if her magic was of a similar nature as mine."

"But only family have that similar of magic."

"Don't forget that Twilight has been my student since she was very young. It wouldn't be surprising that her magic has naturally started to mimic mine in property due to the amount of time we have spent together, especially around the time her magic was maturing. If that is the case then her magic would affect the calculations."

Apple Jack walked in front of the two princesses and asked, "Does that mean you know where Twi is?"

"Magic is a tricky thing and can sometimes have a mind of it's own. Also, her magic may have affected my calculations without me factoring that change in," Princess Celestia answered.

"So, do you know where she is?"

"I'm afraid the answer is no, Apple Jack. I have no idea where she is."

-Return to Equestria: Love and Blood-

Twilight looked around the alleyway she was in. The ground was made from a smooth grey stone that was cracked and had seen better days. The buildings that surrounded her were made from wood and grey bricks. She knew from her previous exploration that the alley she was in was a dead end and that it let out into an equally dirty under kept road that went in front of the surrounding buildings.

She hadn't ventured out onto the road for fear of the unknown. She was in a strange place that she had no knowledge of, she didn't know how she got there, and to top it all off she had a bad feeling rising in her gut. It was almost like it was telling her something. To move or to be ready to defend herself.

She shook her head and said to herself, "You have to do something Twilight. The first thing you need to do is find out where you are. Then you can worry about everything else."

With that thought in mind she took her first step out from the alley. The faces of the buildings were decrepit and each of them look exactly alike in design. There was no individuality only cold efficiency.

She looked both ways and when that didn't give her any new information she decided to go to the right and follow the road, maybe she could find someone she could talk to or something. like that. The road curved gently to the left with a graceful arc and eventually she found a new road on her left that lead to what she thought was a marketplace of some sort.

She walked slowly, taking everything in, and she saw things that she never would have imagined possible. She saw some strange creature with green skin and large tusks coming out of it's mouth talking in a gruff and growling language that she didn't understand. The creature was talking to another thing with blue skin and an ethereal like presence. The second creature replied in the same language but when the words came from it's mouth the words were beautiful, flowing, and poetic in a sense. The really strange thing though was that both of these creatures were standing on just their back hoofs and at the end of their front hoof were strange appendages. The green one had five large cylinder things and the blue being had four similar ones but were far longer and skinnier.

She stared, mesmerized by the being. It must have noticed her because it turned it's slightly glowing eyes to her and said something. She looked around to see who or what it was talking too but stopped when it said something again and then pointed at her.

She shook her head, hoping that it might understand that she couldn't understand. It tilted its head at her and said something again. "I'm sorry," she said, "I don't understand what you're saying."

The thing gave her a strange look, it seemed to be a mix of confusion and curiosity. It looked like a face a pony made when they were working on a puzzle and was stuck at a part. The blue being casted its front hoof up at her and the strange appendages flayed out. A blue light flowed off them like a mist and wafted toward her.

Twilight had was familiar with the feeling of magic working on her and and while this blue light-mist felt a bit different than what she was used too she knew that it could only be magic. The light-mist floated to her head on unfelt breaths of wind and soon circled her head. The light-mist slowly disappeared and she started to hear random, alien words unscramble and begin to make sense.

"I believe that will better help you and I communicate, my lady," the blue bing said.

Twilight's eyes widened and she muttered, "I can understand you. Wait...I can understand you? But that's not possible. I mean, I've never heard of a spell that can change language or is it changing my language. Maybe-"

"If I might interject," the being said softly. "The spell that I placed on you simply gave you the knowledge of a few common languages. I noticed your confusion and assumed that you are new to the city. The fact that you didn't know several of the common languages supported that conclusion. Now," the being bent it's back hoofs and lowered itself so that she didn't have to peer up at it so heavily, "how can I be of assistance to you?"

It was easier for Twilight to see the thing's face and she saw that it was slim, long, and strangely flat. There was no hair on the being's face at all but on its head was a flowing white mane that went down to its neck. She thought that this person was a stallion due to the masculine voice but since she had never seen its like before she couldn't be sure.

"Where am I?" she asked peering around.

"You are located in the city of Monolith," he answered. He must have noticed the look that came over her face and clarified, "Monolith is a holt-city for the Human Imperium. Built in the Octavian Region, it is the closest holt-city to the orc lands in the south. Its main form of commerce is trade."

Twilight nodded and a sinking feeling welled up in her. She had no idea where she was and no idea on how to get back to her home and friends. She had managed to repress the feelings of dread and despair but now that she knew she was truly lost, she couldn't help it. Tears started to run down her snout.

The blue male squinted it's glowing eyes and asked in a soft voice, "Are you alright, my lady? Have I done something to sadden you?"

Twilight was about to answer when a male tenor called out, "Sister! I've found you."

Twilight looked behind her and found relief and hope in the form of a unicorn. The unicorn was a stallion, slightly larger than her, and had a beautifully well kept grey coat. His mane was red with streaks of black running through it and Twilight couldn't help but to blush a little. She had lived in ponyville for so long that she had gotten used to all the stallions running around but this one was exotic...new...enticing.

The unicorn walked smoothly over to her side and addressed the blue being. "Thank you, Master Kinarithi, for finding my sister," he said. His tenor was graceful and Twilight ached to hear him speak more.

"It was my pleasure, sir," Master Kinarithi said. "I hope you have a great day and do try to not get lost again, my lady."

Twilight nodded and followed the stallion as he walked away. When they were out of hearing range of Master Kinarithi the male unicorn looked at her and said, "Name's Blaze Thunderhoof."

"Twilight Sparkle. Why did you...I mean...umm...Master Kiniarithi was helping me, why did you call me your sister?"

Blaze quirked an eyebrow and said in confusion, "Master Kinarithi?" He then started laughing and said, "You're new here aren't you?"

"How could you tell?"

"You called that kinarithi, Master Kinarithi, as if it was his name."

"It isn't?"

Blaze shook his head, his mane flowing to and fro, and said, "No. He is a kinarithi, obviously, but for his name," he shrugged his shoulders, "I've never met him before so I don't know."

Twilight nodded slowly. "What about that green creature?"

"That was an orc, a beastly race. They control almost every slave market from the Red Desert in the south to the Icefang Mountains in the north."

"Slave market?" she asked. She hadn't heard of the word 'slave' before and didn't understand what the orcs were involved in.

Blaze gave her a look and asked, "Where are you from, Twilight?"

"Equestria."

Balze stopped walked and looked at her in shock. "That's not possible."

"What do you mean?"

"You can't be from Equestria because of a massive magical field that surrounds that place. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can get through it. The Kinarithi have tried and failed to breach it, by the gods, they don't even understand it. Bloody urgaks, Benthilly magi have even tried and couldn't do anything to it."

"But that's where I'm from, all of my friends are there."

Blaze studied her face and said, "As crazy as it sounds, I believe you."

"Will you help me return to Equestria?" she asked with hope in her heart.

Blaze sighed and said, "You do realize that If I say yes that we would have to figure out a way to open a hole in something that has been considered impenetrable since it was first discovered?"

Twilight nodded slowly. What choice did she have? If opening a hole was the only way to return home than she would do it. Besides, she had something that everyone else didn't. She was trained in magic by Princess Celestia and Twilight was positive that it was the Princess that set up that field.

"I realize that," she said, "but what other option do I have? I don't know how I got here and I don't know anything about this place. I don't even know where Equestria is from here."

"Alright, fine. I'll help you," Blaze conceded.

"You will?"

"I just said I would," he said in a deadpanned voice.

Twilight jumped into the air and started saying 'thank you' as fast as she could. Hope rocketed in her heart and she looked forward to the future.

Blaze smiled and said, "First, I have to go get something. You want to come with me or wait here?"

"I'll come," she said happily.

Blaze turned down a road that lead away from the market. Twilight half mindedly noted that it was the same road that she had come from but was so happy that it didn't fully register. She hummed to herself cheerfully, turned once more, and went down another road.

This is great. Blaze will help me get to Equestria, then I'll figure out how to contact Princess Celestia, and finally I can introduce Blaze to my friends. she thought happily.

The blue sky began to darken and Twilight's sore hooves told her that they had been walking a long time. "Blaze," she asked, "are we almost there?"

He glanced over his shoulder, his red eyes calm and beautiful, and said. "We're almost there. Sorry about the long walk but my place was clear across town."

Twilight nodded and turned with him down another road. She took a few steps and then noticed that instead of it being a road it was actually a dead end alley.

"Blaze," she asked in confusion, "did you take a wrong turn or something?" She turned and saw him at the opening of the alley.

"No wrong turn," he said, his smooth voice lightly touching her ears. "You're right where I want you."

When he said that a creature stepped into view behind him. The creature must have been 9 hooves taller than Blaze's 11 hooves (1 hoof=4 inches) and it literally towered over him. It had a black mane that covered the top of it's head and most of its face while the rest of it was covered in some sort of hard brown cloth the likes of which she had never seen before.

Twilight backed away from Blaze and the large creature slowly and stuttered, "What's going on?"

The large creature spoke and Twilight could feel that rumble from the deep voice in her chest, "What do you want to do with her, Blaze?"

Blace smiled maliciously and said, "Oh, I've got a few ideas. After I'm done with her we'll set her up on a corner. We'll be able to charge an unheard of price for this one. She's a looker like I haven't seen in a long time and claims to be from Equestria. She'll bring in a fortune."

The big thing smiled, showing yellow and brown teeth, and said, "I don't care as long as I get a turn."

Terror filled Twilight. Never once had she heard of anything one doing what they were talking about. She may be naive when it came to some things but she was smart and caught onto things faster than most and what these monsters were talking about horrified her in such a way that she struggled to breath.

She turned and bolted to the wall and searched frantically for a way out but only saw the grey rock and dark brown wood that made up the buildings around her. She looked back and saw that Blaze and his companion had started down the alley. Their eyes were focused on her and she could feel a foreign emotion rolling off of them. It revolted her and she backed herself to the wall.

"There's nowhere to run," Blaze said slowly. "Just give in. It will be enjoyable for the both of us."

She shook her head and started to call out for help. She screamed and screamed but there was only silence in return.

"No one will come," Blaze snickered. "This type of thing happens all the time in this area of Monolith and people have learned to keep to themselves."

Fear dominated her and she couldn't stop her body from trembling as she tried with all she had to think of a way out. The answer hit her like a sack of bricks.

Magic!

Her horn started to glow and she forced her magic around her for a teleportation spell.

Blaze cursed and his crimson red horn started to glow with a blood colored glow.

Twilight finished her necessary calculations and then forced her magic into action but Blaze's ripped like a knife into her magic and disrupted its flow. Her mind went into overtime trying to figure out what happened but Twilight didn't miss a beat as she instantly changed her location and she disappeared...only to reappear right behind her attackers but now she had a chance to run and her hooves didn't fail her.

She shot out of the alley and down the road as fast as her tired hooves would take her. Fear feed her new speed when she heard the pounding of hooves behind her and she chanced a glance to find that Blaze was right on her heels.

The fear in her caused her to whimper as she tried to go faster and faster but for all the motivation she had her body didn't respond. She started to slow due to her always bad endurance and she started to cry as the realization that she wouldn't be able to outrun Blaze came over her.

Blaze smashed into her harder than she thought possible and she when skidding onto the road. Her flank heaved with the effort to breath and her eyes were wide as Blaze marched toward her.

"You stupid mothak!" he yelled with a rage that made Twilight's blood run cold. "I wasn't planning on hurting you but now, oh now I am going to hurt you. Badly."

He stalked toward her and she kicked at the ground pathetically in an attempt to put off the inevitable. Blaze kicked her in the stomach hard enough to stun her and throw her into a coughing fit.

"To the urgaks," he muttered as he stepped over her. "I'm taking you right here and now."

Twilight closed her eyes and tried desperately to get the stallion off of her but it was all in vain. He put a hoof on her neck and added enough force to ensure that she would stop fighting and then sent he concentration back to her bottom half.

Tears flooded from her eyes and she pushed one final time against the stallion that was about to put her through a moment that no one should ever be put through. Amazingly his weight disappeared.

She opened her eyes in time to see Blaze have his face bashed into the side of a building with such force that his horn snapped. His face came away bloody and his eyes were dazed, unfocused.

She looked at the thing that held Blazed by his mane and jumped in fear. It looked exactly like the big thing that had been with Blaze before but when Twilight actually started to look she saw that this being was actually a different thing. It was smaller than the last but still much taller than her and was far less muscle heavy than the last. Its mane was a dark brown and was cut short of the top of its head. On its face was only a stumbling of a mane that gave the thing a rough look.

The thing that had saved her threw Blaze onto the ground and smashed its back hoof onto the stallion's neck. Blaze convulsed and kick with strange noises coming from his mouth and eventually stilled.

Twilight was disturbed beyond reason at the act of brutality and she started to fear her savior more than her attackers.

"Blaze?"

She looked up and saw the large thing from before come running down the road. It looked at Blaze's corpse and then at the other similar being.

The large one growled and said, "Ahh shit. You shouldn't have done that."

She looked between the similar beings and came to the conclusion that her savior was outmatched in a fight against the larger thing. It was obviously larger and more muscular and as such the smaller being had little chance of winning.

The large thing roared and charged the smaller being but instead of charging as well the smaller thing stayed where it was. It waited until the larger one got close and then ducked and side stepped. It struck out and hit the larger one in the side several times as the larger one passed.

"Stay still you little shit," the larger one said.

It charged again and Twilight realized that the larger one had no idea how to fight or at least not as well as the smaller one because yet again that smaller one out maneuvered the big one and made several more connections before retreating to a safe distance.

The fight continued this way, the larger attacking and the smalled using speed and agility to out maneuver it and strike. Wait. Move. Attack. Retreat. Repeat. It was so simple but effective.

The large one attacked again and finally fell to the road when the smaller being smashed a front hoof into its throat. This one didn't convulse or anything like that, it simply stopped moving.

Twilight looked at her savior with a mixture of horror and gratitude. It walked toward her but she didn't move in fear that it might attack her as well.

It knelt next to her and said in a rough voice that was, while not as deep as the other thing, was deeper than most ponies she had heard before, "You alright?"

She didn't trust her voice so she nodded instead.

It looked over her with dark green eyes and said, "That unicorn hit you pretty hard. Try to stand before deciding that."

She managed to get her hoofs under her but when she tried to pick herself up off the ground her side erupted in pain. She gasped and stopped the effort but the pain was there to stay.

"I thought so," he, judging from the voice, said. "I'll help you home, is that alright?"

Twilight gasped and said, "I don't live here."

"You have no place to go to?"

She shook her head in the negative.

Her savior was silent and when it next spoke it only said, "Well, fuck."

Disclamier: I own nothing!

Sorry about the disapperance everyone! I'm back now.

---

Twilight kept her head low. embarrassed was an understatement for the violet unicorn. She, like any filly or mare, had entertained the idea of a mysterious stallion saving her from danger. She would then fall in love with that stranger due to them being gentle and compassionate. But her mysterious savior was neither gentle nor compassionate.

He had rummaged through the body of the large thing and had taken a few things that he found. He had also taken the now dead Blaze's horn and slipped it into a pouch of some sort. He then cut away at the strange cloth that the larger thing had on.

"What are you doing?" Twilight stuttered.

The thing looked at her and said, "It's polite to offer your name before you ask questions."

Twilight puffed her cheeks but didn't say anything. Best to not make this thing angry. "Alright then. I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"Gerald Ravenhill," he replied. "I'm making something that will help me support your weight without hurting you too much."

And that was how Twilight found herself with this ridiculous harness on. Four straps went up from her sides so that Gerald could help support her weight but that didn't change that fact that she felt stupid. She had complained about it when he first started putting it on her, saying stuff about not wanting a dead person's clothing touching her and what not but Gerald had ignored her protests and slipped the hard cloth on her all the same.

Twilight looked up and asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"To my home," he answered. His voice was rough, nothing like what Blaze's had been but then Blaze turned out to be a...she shuddered. Maybe it was better that Gerald didn't sound like Blaze after all.

"Your home?"

He nodded. "There really isn't any other place that you can go and it is against me to let you fend for yourself. I helped you, so now it is my responsibility to see that through.," he said. "Don't get me wrong, though. As soon as you're able to walk I will kick you out."

Twilight didn't say anything to that. If she was in Equestria she would be appealed by the way this man was treating her but this wasn't Equestria and he was most certainly not a pony, but then with the way Blaze acted she wasn't sure she wanted to be around a fellow pony for a little bit.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked.
"You just did," he said curtly. He kept his eyes moving and would check behind them about every ten or so steps.

Twilight stopped herself from growling in displeasure and instead asked, "Can I ask you two questions?"

"And that was your second."

Twilight sighed.

"Just ask your question."

She looked at him for a moment. Never, in all her days, had she ever met a creature that frustrated her more than this thing but she shook that thought off and asked, "What are you?"

"What do you mean, 'what am I?'"

"Like, umm, I'm a unicorn pony. What are you?"

He glanced quickly at her and asked, "You're joking right?"

"I'm new here."

"Even that excuse wouldn't justify why you don't know what I am." He was silent for a moment and then asked, "Where are you from, little one?"

"Little one?" she asked appealed.

"You are smaller than me," he explained.

"Right. I'm from Equestria."

He didn't stop like Blaze had but he did turn toward her and gave her more of his attention. "You do realize that is impossible?"

She sighed. "I was told that before, but I am." She told him about Rainbow Dash's trick, accident, and fall. All the while he listened carefully but still sent the occasional glance around.

"So you were in the middle of teleporting and then found yourself here?" he asked.

"Exactly!"

He thought about her story for a minute. She could understand his position. With the supposed field that block anyone from entering Equestria it would be hard to believe anypony that said they were from there.

"I'm not saying I believe you," he said suddenly and interrupted Twilight's thoughts, "but I'll accept the story for now. To answer your previous question, I'm a human."

"A human?"

"You're looking at one."

She nodded thoughtfully and asked, "So there are kinarithi, orcs, humans, and ponies in this land?"

He rubbed his chin and said, "There are also Benthilly, dwarves, elves, and several other races. Ponies are not as alone in world as you thought they were."

He pointed to a building and said, "Here we are."

Twilight looked and was unimpressed. Apparently Gerald's home was one of the many duplicate buildings that she had seen before. She knew that they were different because they were in a different part of the city but it made for an eerie feeling like she hadn't actually moved from where she had first appeared.

"It's, ah, nice," she said slowly.

He chuckled lowly and replied, "It's a piece of shit but there's a roof over my head so I can't complain all that much."

He helped her up the few stairs that lead to the front door and lead her inside. It was cramped with a kitchen/dining room to the left through an open doorway. Stairs just to her right lead up to the next level.

"I'll have to set you up in my room," he said as he nudged her gently to the stairs.

"No I couldn't," Twilight said. "I'll just stay on the floor somewhere."

He chuckled and said, "I'm not giving you a choice, little one."

The flight of stairs wasn't too large but to Twilight it felt like ten or twenty flights. Every time she would go up a step her side would shoot off new bout of pain and she hissed with her eyes clenched shut until it abated. She felt a weary satisfaction when she made it to the top and was led into a small room.

The room was spartan, incredibly so. There was a bed, a chair, and a desk. That was all. No niknaks. No pictures. Just bare wall and clutter free surfaces.

"I thought you said that I would be in your room." Twilight said as she looked around.

Gerald helped her onto the bed and said, "This is my room."

"But it's so, empty," she whispered as she continued her visual search of the room.

He pulled off the harness that had supported her weight and she laid down on the bed. She adjusted until she was comfortable and then laid her head down.

Gerald pulled the single chair over to the side of the bed and said as he sat down, "Tell me about yourself."

Twilight looked up at him. To be fair the human had saved her from those thugs and allowed her entry into his home so why would she not tell him about herself? She told him about her childhood. About her parents and big brother. About Princess Celestia and Canterlot. About her friends and Ponyville. She hadn't realized how long she had been talking until she let out a small yawn.

Gerald chuckled the same chuckle he let out a few times before. It seemed forced and sounded like it didn't hold any happiness, any joy. It seemed to Twilight that it was something he did mostly out of habit than anything and it made her heart ache a little.

"Why don't you laugh?" she asked quietly. She had meant to just say it in her mind and her eyes widened when she noticed that she had actually said it. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have asked that. I mean, I can be such an id-"

"It's fine," he said and then let out the same humorless chuckle. "I'm going to go get you something to eat. Anything you like?"

She bowed her head and answered, "I like daisies and sunflowers."

Gerald nodded and walked to the doorway. He stopped and said, "I'll be out for a little while. I'll wake you when I get back so that you can eat."

Twilight watched him leave and winced when she heard the front door close.

"Twilight you are such an idiot," she said to herself. "How could you ask something like that?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Alright, worry about that later. Right now, I have to figure out where Equestria is and then return home. No big deal. Nothing to worry about. I'll need a map and a few days worth of food and I'll be set."

She continued her planning until Gerald returned and she ate three daisies and two sunflowers. She was surprised at how much she ate but justified it with her teleportation and the stressful day events.

Gerald watched her eat and asked her a question from time to time but otherwise allowed her to eat in peace.

Twilight laid her head down, sleep making her eyelids heavy and she asked, "Gerald, where is Equestria from here?"

"To the east," he answered. His voice sounded distant, like he was answering from a different room or from behind a wall.

"Can you take me there?" She fell asleep before she heard an answer.

-Return to Equestria: Love and Blood-

Gerald reclined in his chair heavily as he slowly drank a mug of water. He would have prefered a cup but the owner of the home he lived in only had mugs. Gerald had been renting a room from the owner for four months and in that time he had gotten to know the old dwarf well enough to call him friend.

The dwarf's name was Hrothgar Ironbeard. His clan-name was appropriate because all of Ironbeard blood had a distinct iron color hair that shone like the true metal when it was oiled for battle. Hrothgar had a large beard, typical of a dwarf, and long hair that he allowed to do as it pleased. His brown eyes were similar to Gerald's own: hard, stern, and cold. But the dwarf had a sense of humor that belied his serious disposition.

"So, you have a unicorn in your room, do ya lad?" the dwarf asked with a heavy dwarvish accent.

"Yeah," Gerald said as he put his mug of water down. "She claims to be from Equestria."

"Equestria?" Hrothgar asked. He took another drink of his honey mead and said, "That's great for her."

Gerald sent him a look and said, "You can't possibly believe that."

"It's not a matter of believing, lad. She says she is from that place and until proven otherwise her word is all you've got."

"She's not right in the head, dwarf," Gerald growled. "I can't decided if I should leave her out in the streets or bring her to a Benthilly sanctuary when she's able to move by herself."

"Bring her to a sanctuary? You wouldn't do that to the poor thing," the iron haired dwarf commented as he refilled his mug.

Gerald's lips curled slightly and he asked, "And what makes you think I wouldn't?"

"Because you're you, stupid boy."

The brown hair human laughed darkly and said, "I think you've had too much to drink."

"Not enough is more like it. Why, I just got in a few bottles of kinarithi wine today I'll have you know. I know it isn't very dwarf like but that wine might be my most favorite drink in the all the lands."

"No doubt you've drunken all of it already."

"I have not, there are still two bottles left," Hrothgar shot back.

Gerald lean forward and asked, "Out of?"

"Now that's not important. I have the damned two bottles, that's what counts," the dwarf barked.

The two broke into laughter that brought tears to the dwarf's eyes.

He rubbed a tear away and took another drink. Hrothgar let out a few more laughs and then asked, "So, what are you going to do with the unicorn?"

"Not sure, truthfully," Gerald remarked as he looked out the dark window that was next to the table.

The dwarf studied Gerald for a moment and said, "You should take her."

"To Equestria?" Gerald said in disbelief. "That's ridiculous."

"That's your responsibility," the dwarf said seriously. "It became your responsibility, lad, when you took her into this home and by doing so offered her your protection."

"What was I supposed to do, let her be raped and set up as a whore?" Gerald snapped.

Hrothgar smiled and said, "That's what everyone else would have done in this gods-forsaken city. But that isn't you. You don't turn your back when people need help, you don't ignore it.

"Listen to me, lad. You've got nothing here. I'm your only friend and you are among my most trusted but that doesn't change the fact that you are wasting away here. I see it in your eyes, boy. You are bored and not just that but sick with the world. You want to do something and this is your chance. Take that unicorn back to her home and if it turns out that she isn't actually from Equestria than you find out where she is really from."

"Hrothgar, I can't just-"

"You can and will. Answer me true, would you be able to live with yourself if you pointed that pony in a direction and then let her go alone?"

Gerald didn't answer.

"I thought so. I'll have a wagon ready for you with supplies," Hrothgar concluded and gulped down his mead before filling it up again.

Gerald smirk and muttered, "Thanks."

"Don't thank me, boy. You're going to have to put up with that pony until you get her home and you know the dangers that lurk the roads."

"Her being a unicorn doesn't help things either," he sighed. "We'll have to travel to Marthok and resupply. From there we'll head to Blacksand and get a boat to take us to Klar. Then we head to the Wraithmarsh Forest. Should take about a month altogether, that's under the assumption that she can actually get past the field which I have my reservations about."

"You've got a plan," Hrothgar said with a wink. "Start with the first step, that one's always the hardest."

-Return to Equestria: Love and Blood-

Twilight opened her eyes slowly. She was pleasantly warm from the sunshine that bathed her and stretched slowly. A large yawn worked its way out of her but it turned into a yelp of pain when she moved her side wrong.

She was confused. Why did her side hurt? Sure she had a strange dream where she was transported to a strange place with creatures she had never seen before but that couldn't...have...happened...

All of her thinking stopped when she noticed that she wasn't in her tree home. She was in a clean room that while furnished still had the feeling that it was empty. This wasn't her room, this was the room from her dream.

That meant that it wasn't a dream. Her heart rate accelerated and her mind went a mile a minute. How was she going to get home? Where was she really? Where was Equestria?

She stopped her thoughts and said to herself, "Twilight, stop. Just stop." She took a deep breath and continued talking to herself. and organized her thoughts and then presented them to herself.

"Okay, what happened yesterday? I went to watch Rainbow Dash do a trick but it went bad and I had to save her. Then I found myself here when my teleportation spell went bad. After that I saw several creatures that I have never seen before and was attacked by another pony. I was then saved by a strange being that called itself a human."

Gerald, that was his name. He had saved her, taken her in, and fed her. She was appreciative and thankful about him saving her but she was still scared of him and the brutality he committed. He didn't seem to believe her when she told him she was from Equestria either, something about an impenetrable field or something like that.

She shook her head, causing her purple mane to fly around. She needed to focus. She would deal with the field when she got to it. The first obstacle she needed to tackle was actually getting to the field and that would involve finding out where Equestria was located and waiting for her side to heal. She hoped Gerald wouldn't mind her staying with him until she was ready for traveling and than she would be out of his hair.

Her attention moved to the door when she heard it unlatch and in walked a new creature. It had a long iron colored mane on its head and face, longer even than the first human she saw, and looked like a human but was shorter than Gerald by a fair amount. It was still taller than her but than she was only 9 hooves so it wouldn't be that hard to be taller than her (1 hoof=4 inches).

It looked at her with dark brown eyes and said in a deep booming voice, "So, you are up, lass."

She nodded, keeping her eyes on the creature, and asked, "You're a...human, right?"

The thing roared with laughter that didn't die down for several minutes. "He told me that you didn't know about humans," he said gasping for breath, "but to not know what a dwarf is...you truly must be from Equestria."

Twilight bowed her head and apologized softly.

"Now now, lass," the apparent dwarf said, "there's no need for you to do that. Here," he laid a plate full of daisies and sunflowers on the bed, "eat up. You have a long day ahead of you."

She gulped down a sunflower hungrily and blushed when she became aware of her lack of manners. She had a rough day before she had gone to sleep so it was no surprise to her that she was starved but that didn't excuse her of not showing manners.

She coughed lightly and said, "Sorry. Thank you sir, for the food, it is most generous of you."

"No need to thank me, lass," he said, "and don't call me sir. Hrothgar is my name. Hrothgar Ironbeard."

"Ironbeard," she said slowly. "Is your beard really made of iron?"

Hrothgar busted into his booming laughter and managed to say between breaths, "No, lass. My clan name comes from the color of our hair."

Twilight went back to eating her food, trying hard to beat down her embarrassment for asking such a dumb question when something that Hrothgar said earlier click in her mind. "I have a long day ahead of me?" she asked. "But with my side hurt I can't do anything useful."

"Who said anything about you doing anything, lass? You've got a long day of travelling ahead of you."

"Traveling?" she asked slowly.

Hrothgar sat down on the wooden chair in the room and said, "Well, you won't be returning to Equestria by laying down on that bed."

"Returning to Equestria?" she whispered to herself. Excitement rose inside her and she asked hurriedly, "You're taking me back to Equestria? You believe me?"

The dwarf held up his large meaty hoof with the same strange appendages that humans have and said, "Now hold on, dear. I'm not taking you back and I have no reason to not believe you."

"If you're not then who is? Wait, firstly, you believe me?"

Hrothgar nodded and said, "Why sure I do, lass. No reason not to."

"But what about the field?"

"What about it?" he asked. He fixed her a soft stare and said, "You say you're from there and I choose to believe you. Nothing more than that."

"Th-thank you," she stuttered. She felt like crying with joy. Finally someone believed her and was willing to help her. "But then, who is taking me back?"

"My dear friend Gerald Ravenhill will be escorting you back to your home," Ironbeard answered proudly.

Twilight shivered when she remembered the tall human. His brown hair, green eyes, and the way he brutally killed those...she shivered again.

Hrothgar leaned forward in his chair and asked, concern in his voice, "What's wrong lass? You cold or something?"

"No, it's, um-"

"You're scared of Gerald, aren't you?"

She nodded slowly. The human had saved her life so in all regards she shouldn't have been scared of him but something inside her was struck with horror when he killed Blaze and his human partner.

"Mind telling me why, lass?"

She explained her feelings to the dwarf and when she finished he had a sad look on his face.

"I understand your feelings, lass, but try to understand Gerald as well. He came across you being attacked and matters handled themselves the way they happened. The thing you need to understand is that Gerald doesn't like to kill, despises it really."

"He's killed before?"

"That is for another time. Tell me, what would have happened if Gerald didn't kill those men?"

"Well they would have learned from their-"

"They would have attacked, raped, and whored out other young girls. They would have killed those girls slowly with a life that none should be forced into. You need to understand that sometimes killing, sometimes death is the only suitable option available. Gerald understands that and as such he did what he thought was right."

"There is never a time for killing," she said more heatedly that she intended and the dwarf gave her a reproachful look.

"That is naïve talking, lass," he said heavily. He sighed and continued, "I wish I could see the world through your eyes and find the good in others, hope that others will do the right thing. But, I've been let down and betrayed too many times in my days for me to have such a look on life. Some day you may understand, lass, some day."

He folded his hands over his barrel chest and asked in a lighter tone, "Are you scared of me, lass?"

"No, I don't have a reason to," she answered.

"Then you have no reason to fear Gerald. He is one of the most trustworthy men I know and since he has offered you his protection he will let no harm come to you."

"He offered me his protection?"

"By letting you into my home he has offered his protection to you. It is mostly a dwarf custom but Gerald acts more like a dwarf than a human sometimes. What I'm trying to say, lass, is that Gerald is a kind man, cold, but kind and will do everything in his power to keep you safe on your journey back to your home. Maybe, just maybe, he will find the peace he has been looking for on this little adventure."

"Peace? What do you mean?"

"Gerald has had a hard life and that's all I'll say on the matter. The rest is for him to tell." He picked up her now empty plate and asked, "How's your side treating you?" he asked as he motioned toward her side.

"It hurts," she said honestly. "I'm not sure I'll be able to move by myself for a little while."

Hrothgar nodded. "It's a good thing that you won't need to move much for your journey."

She gave him a questioning look and he clarified, "Gerald acquired a wagon and several days of supplies earlier this morning. He has been preparing for the journey since he woke up."

"But he can't just leave his home so easily," she exclaimed in shock. "What about all of his friends? What about-"

"He understands what he is leaving, lass," the dwarf cut in. "This trip will be better for him than you might realize."

---

So, I don't really have much to say... Blarg!

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Unitl next time...
Unbiased Abyss