Ex Omnium Sententia

by Marine King

First published 29th of May, 2013

A sixteen year old kid is hunted and shot, left for dead in a forest next to a small town, when suddenly six young, beautiful girls appear from nowhere and helps him. Now he awakes in a strange land, surrounded by anthropomorphized ponies. OC HiE.

His name is Daniel. A sixteen year old kid that is on the run from the mafia is shot and left for dead in the forests, when he is saved by six strange girls. The only thing he has in his possession is a pistol, an iPod, three hundred dollars, and hated memories.

Prologue

My name is Daniel, and I've been running from the mafia for the last three days. Many people would ask how I would know it was the mafia and not something else, I found out that my parents gave the family’s life away to the mafia after they were put on hit, to save themselves. All my life, I’ve been watched by one of those bastards, day in and day out constantly hounded by strange men in suits, fedoras, and weapons. My older brother was also taken by the mafia, and I heard he was beat to death being ‘initiated’ into their group, so the day before I was to be taken, I killed the man that was supposed to be holding me. I knew they were coming for me. For the last month, I heard them throwing it around like I was supposed to just accept it, like I was supposed to be EAGER about being beaten like a child. They killed my brother, but I wasn’t going to go down so easily. So I used a knife I had hidden away in my room for something like this and stabbed the man in the back. I don’t know if he died immediately or died from the blood loss, but I know he’s dead now.

I took the cash he had on him and the gun that he was holding. I was never a gun freak so I didn’t know the caliber or the name of the pistol, all I knew was that I pulled the trigger on the gun and point the barrel at the bad guy. I grabbed my iPod, one of the earlier models since my father didn’t want to ‘spoil’ me. Said I had to earn it. I just remember from my childhood that I had to fight a guy. If I did good enough against him, meaning that I lasted longer than fifteen seconds on my feet and didn’t get knocked out, I would get something I wanted. So I grabbed what I could stuff inside of a bag, the money and gun, my iPod and headphones, and I ran… I ran. I ran as fast as I could. I knew I couldn’t get away easily. They had guys watching the house, seeing if I was going to run. But I thought I had a chance to get away, like they do in the movies. Hide in the bushes, wait until I don’t see their feet or hear them shouting anymore, then run in the other direction. But as soon as I reached the edge of the forest, the only warning I got that I was going to be in the fight of my life was the crack of the gun. Suddenly I was in a gunfight and the only thing protecting my body from a bullet was a log. I don’t know how I got away though. It seemed like I was going to die there, but I didn’t. I lived, and I kept running. I was hounded for hours, which felt like days, corralled towards the middle of the forest to be surrounded and dragged back to town, back to the godfather. I somehow slipped through them though, and it seemed like I was home free.

Then my luck seemed to finally give out.

I was trying to be as quiet as I could while I ran from each clump of trees, avoiding twigs, dead leaves, or shifting my foot the wrong way when I heard another gunshot. I felt something enter my leg. It took a few seconds to register in my body that I had been shot. Then I found myself on the ground and screaming from the pain of being shot. That was true pain. It was an excruciating burning sensation, but what I remember most was the horrifying feeling of the hot blood down my leg, over and around my ankle, and into my shoe. I absolutely thought I was going to die from the pain. I felt frozen to the ground, rolling around, clutching my leg and moaning on the ground. But I felt something take control of me. I stood up, clutching my leg in one hand and holding the gun in the other. I fired a few times. I don’t know if I ever hit anybody, but I know I saw them all hit the floor or ducked to avoid being hit by the bullets. I just hobbled away.

It was night now, and I felt like I was a criminal being hunted by the police. Never allowed to rest. Only a few moments of respite before having to dash into more bushes or hide behind trees. I could see random flashes of light, probably from flashlights that they were holding in their hands, and more taunts being yelled to demoralize me. My luck was running low again, because I could hear them all around me. I limped into a random thicket and waited, finally seeing a few groups, as well as the godfather himself, emerge from the forests like the hellspawns they really were. I started hobbling away from them, hoping that I could go unnoticed, but I tripped on something and landed on a pile or crisp, dead leaves. Making enough racket that I may as well had a flare gun to show where I was at. I started hobbling away from the groups that were already breathing down my necks, but another bullet through my other leg stopped any feeble attempts that I was making at escaping.

“Nice try kid, but you’re dog food when we get through with ya.” One of the first guys that stood over me said, half complimenting, half insulting me. I was going to reply with something sarcastic, despite my pain of being shot in both legs, but a gruff voice behind me cut off any attempts at speaking I had.

"Son, do you think we enjoy chasing sixteen year old children through forests? Huh?!" I twisted my neck around to see the godfather staring at me, irritation clear across his face despite the darkness. I was going to ask a rhetorical question when something pressed against the wound in my left leg, causing my breath to hitch and a small yelp to emerge from my lips. I shook, trying to bite back a scream, and after what seemed like an eternity, but it was only two seconds, he let off. I took a deep breath.

“You could’ve just… let me go, you know…? I mean, I’m sure you have better things to do, like stuff your head-” A smack across my face stopped my insult from reaching its punch line, and the godfather pulled back, pulling at the cuff of the sleeve on his suit down.

"Your mother and father sold you to us to be a part of a new family. We ain’t here to make friends, we’re here to collect your head. Your brother was a pussy. He didn’t know how to take a real beating after all. Looks like you might though. Going to have to blackmail the doctors so we don’t have ta pay the bill-” I don’t know what possessed me to do so, but hearing him talking right now caused me to just punch him in the face. There was a definite crunch as his nose was turned askew, blood spewing it like someone hit him with a hammer. He fell over, cradling the broken nose. He didn’t stay down long, and was back up, a new fire in his eyes.

"Rough ‘em up, boys." He ordered, grinning devilishly.

I was roughly picked up, two guys holding my arms as they dragged me to a tree. They took some rope and tied my hands behind the trees, chuckling darkly. They seemed to line up as one guy stepped forward and just drove his fist into my sternum, driving the air from my lungs and leaving me slumped over, gasping for breath. The next one stepped up, taking a knife out. He started making slow, agonizing cuts. One across the biceps of my arms, after a few seconds of feeling for my ribs, he made one cut across each rib, and one across the elbows. He pulled the knife away, took a second to admire his work, before stepping away. One guy stepped forward and just punched me in the ear. The punch made my head spin and my ears ring.

He walked away and one more stepped forward. I could tell this was going to be a bad one when he started stretching. Then he pulled his left leg back and kicked me right in the ribs. Given that the cuts were still bleeding, added that he also had steel toe boots on, I felt one or two of my ribs break. I coughed out in pain and winced, while the rest of them made it seem like a funny joke, laughing as the guy walked around triumphantly. One pulled out a pair of brass knuckles and grabbed a bundle of my hair, slamming his fist into my face. The first one cut the skin over my forehead, probably breaking it in the process, and caused blood to leak into my eyes. He continued to punch me repeatedly, drawing more blood and bruises to my face until the godfather finally put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Gotta helluva punch there kid, too bad you’re a fucking idiot and you’re going to be an unmarked grave.” He mocked as he nodded to the two guys that tied me up, who untied the rope. I just dropped to the floor, huffing for air as blood dribbled into the dirt. He reached into his suit and pulled out a stylized magnum, pulling the hammer back with his thumb.

"Any last words?" He asked, sounding mock sincere.

"The auditions for Free Willy are that way." I pointed back towards town. I don't know why I decided to antagonize him. I figured that if I was going to die, I would die being remembered as someone with balls instead of someone begging for their life. It took him a few seconds to process what I said. He gave a humorless chuckle, but he had a tight lipped straight face with him. I knew I had pissed him off. “There it is! You are smarter than you look. Though your face looks like it just went through a wrestling match with a shotgun.” A punch to the face silenced me, though I don’t know who did it. I just coughed. I could taste blood in my mouth. I don’t know if I could make it back, even if they didn’t shoot me for insulting the godfather. My legs are shot, so I can’t walk, and I’m bleeding from a lot of cuts.

"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." I heard the gunshot, but it felt like a cold wind brushed along my body, holding my heart and spine as I was dropped to the forest floor and left for dead. I surely thought that was going to happen.

-Golden Oak Library, Equestria-

It was a somewhat gloomy Wednesday afternoon. Clouds blocked out Celestia’s sun, and ponies were sparse on the streets, many deciding to hide inside their homes to avoid any chance of being rained upon. Six ponies were gathered inside of a library in a small village named Ponyville. Chalk lined the floors, drawn in intricate designs and symbols and in many different colors. Some seemed to fade in and out of existence, as they had started to absorb the ambient magic of the world and grew slowly in power. The ponies in question had very little time to complete this complex spell, for if they were to wait too long, they shall face the dire consequences.

"Twi, you sure that wer gonna be okay during this trip?" Applejack asked, her arms crossed across her chest as she warily gazed at the symbols surrounding her and the group. She was anxious about this trip, but curious as to what they were supposed to be doing.

"It's going to be alright Applejack. We'll be there for a couple of days, then we'll come back okay." Twilight explained for the umpteenth time. She was the only one that knew what they were going to be doing. She was searching through old books when she found a story about bipeds, like the ponies themselves, but skinless. They had weird body structures and facial features, but were so technologically advanced in their community that they had all sorts of things that the author could barely describe, merely giving them vague descriptions and a name for each of the inventions. They were called hoo-mans in the book she found, but she had estimated that it was a misspell of human. She had found a spell that dated back to the founding of Equestria in a decrepit leather-bound tome. She half expected the spell to work, seeing as the creator of the spell had given very specific details and reagents that will be consumed upon casting. "If we get lucky, we could even get somepony to come along with us to study!" Twilight exclaimed, giddy over the possible knowledge that this somepony would hold, and how they would exchange scientific theories their worlds held.

"What if that pony is dangerous?" Applejack asked, wrecking the train of thought that was in Twilight's head. Twilight bit her lip, drumming her fingers along the spine of the book as she continued to pretend to study the tome.

"I'll make sure that this pony is not dangerous." Rainbow Dash said, puffing out her chest with her hands on her hips. It would be a heroic pose if she wasn’t dressed as she was, in a pair of jogger pants and a half cut tank top and a pair of sneakers.

"Ah don't know, Twi. But I'll come along with ya'll." AJ said. Everypony else added their own agreements and small comments to assure the spellcaster, and she gave a weak smile to the rest of them. She set the book down on a nearby table and everyone gathered inside of the circle, making sure to not be standing on any of the runes. Once everyone was ready, Twilight started pouring magic into the runes, causing them to glow in unique colors. The runes that were fading in and out of reality sprang up from the ground, circling around the group as the spell continued. The circle started to spin, and colors started to meld together into a rainbow, meeting on top of the group, before slamming down onto their heads. They each gave their own sound of surprise as the magic washed through them, and with a small explosion that left scorched dirt, the group disappeared in a ball of incandescent light.

-Earth, Forest next to small town-

Clouds suddenly sprung in the night sky, covering the forest it hovered over, before the grumble of thunder erupted and a bolt of lightning came down from the heavens. It struck the ground nearby, causing me to look up in surprise at the flash of light past my closed eyelids. I shuddered, feeling my blood pooling around my body. The bullet I had received went through my abdomen, and would surely kill me if I didn’t get medical treatment soon. It wasn’t likely that I was going to get that treatment, seeing as I was dumb enough to run out into a forest. I basically did all of the work for the mafia, besides delivering the killing blow. It would be like putting a noose around my neck and be standing on a chair with one leg and the one person that doesn’t like you comes by and kicks it from under you. And with that lightning, my body would probably be burned, so the evidence would basically disappear.

"Twi, you sure that we can just do this without causing harm to space and time and what not?" A southern female voice asked. I set my head back onto the ground, my body feeling like someone had filled me with cold lead. I started to shiver, despite being covered in a hoodie and long sleeved shirt. Somewhere nearby, I heard footsteps, as well as some sort of humming. I cracked my eyes open, seeing a dim purple light starting to make its way towards me. I closed my eyes and set my head back down, hoping that they would see me and call an ambulance.

Soon, the footsteps stopped nearby, probably seeing my bloody body. “I-is this what a human looks like?” An educated voice asked, sounding apprehensive.

What kind of question is that? I asked myself, thinking that I had been found by some LARPers playing out their weird bullshit. At least they didn’t break character at the sight of a soon-to-be corpse.

I could hear the people start moving again, and I let out a small cough, feeling something welling inside of my throat. They stopped moving, probably looking back at me. I couldn’t tell, my eyes were still closed. “Was that… it?” Someone with a snobbish accent said. I inwardly rolled my eyes at the person.

If I make it out of here alive, I want to punch you in the face. Your voice is annoying.

I let out a soft groan, as if to answer the question. They let off a collective gasp, as well as shuffling their feet forward, to the point where I could feel them standing over me. I felt something poke me.

“Are you okay?” A tomboyish voice said. I responded by coughing and spitting blood that had been building at the back of my throat outwards, causing it to spew down my cheeks.

“He’s still alive! We need to get him to a hospital, girls!” The educated voice said.

"How do you know it's a he?" The tomboyish voice said.

"Look at your body, then look at his. It’s like a stallions. Broad shoulders, very muscular, and-"

“Is now really the time to argue over whether or not it’s a he or not? He’s injured and probably gonna die if we don’t help him!” The southern accented voice said.

The voice of reason in all of this! Thank you smart redneck girl!

"How do we know that he isn't dangerous?" The educated voice asked.

“I’ll make sure he won’t do anything!” The tomboy said, sounding like she was going to do something stupid. My hypothesis was correct as she pressed her foot against my leg, standing on where I just got fucking shot! I gave a cry of pain and jumped in shock.

"Rainbow, why'd y’all do that?! Don't y’all see his injuries?!" The southern voice yelled.

The foot was lifted off of me and a grunt echoed in the almost silent forest. “Why’d you do that AJ?” The tomboy asked, and the tomboy and southern girl started to argue.

“What could’ve caused this?” A new voice asked, almost too quiet to hear over the two arguing. I frowned, but swallowed and tried to answer.

“...Guhn…” I choked out, and the quiet voice gave a gasp.

“I don’t know what that is, but you’re hurt very bad, and we need to stop the bleeding…” She said. I felt something press against my arm and a warm feeling erupted along my arm, traveling up my shoulder, neck, and into my head. I gave an almost content sigh.

“Who could’ve done something like this…” The snooty voice from earlier asked, seemingly to herself.

"...Mahfia..." I whispered. It was getting harder for me to say anything, as if my lips weren’t responding to what I was trying to say.

“Mafia… Are you with the mafia?!”She asked, sounding horrified. I could hear the recoil she did.

I just shook my head, frowning. “...Huhnted…” I mumbled, taking shallow breaths. My lungs seem to have a mind of their own.

“Mafia… hunted…” I could hear the gears turning in her head.

“The mafia… were hunting you? You don’t look much older than Big Mac…” I didn’t know who that was, but I guess he was around my age. “This place seems… deplorable…” Can’t argue with that. Earth has slowly become a pretty shitty place. Politics seem to ruin everything.

The hand that was pressed against my arm removed itself, taking the heated feeling with it. I started shivering slightly when I realized how cold it was again. The two started whispering to each other, thinking that I can’t hear.

“I’ve seen into his memories… His parents, they sold him and his brother to the mafia so that they wouldn’t be killed themselves… They killed his brother and were coming for him to ‘initiate’ him, but he ran… they hunted him down and used what he calls a gun to attempt to murder him…” How could you see my memories? What sorcery is this? The two stopped arguing in the background. It seemed almost all noise had failed to reach his ears, going eerily silent.

I heard them stand up, and all conversation stopped. “We’re leaving this place… But we need to take him with us, or otherwise… he’s going to die.” It seemed that the concept of death was so foreign to them. I heard gasps of shock around me. I would’ve rolled my eyes and shook my head if I heard this when I was completely healthy.

“Wh-what’s your name?” The gentle voice from earlier asked. I was stumped. Who am I? I forgot who I was… Everything seems so murky now, as if my memories were shrouded in darkness…
“My nahme… is… is… Dahniel…” With that, I felt myself starting to fade into unconsciousness.

Volens Cogitandi

AN: I'm deciding to do anthro ponies. Ponies itself would seem strange, and I don't want to make a human Equestria, so combined the two and decided 'Anthro will be satisfying for most people, right?' Possibly, possibly not. Leave a comment in the comment section below... Now for the story! What I think they will look like is below.

-Mercy Hospital, Equestria-

"Twi, he's been in this hospital for a week, I don't think he's going to get better." Applejack said, annoyed.

"And, he had a gun and some other device in his possessions. How do we know that he isn't dangerous?" Rainbow asked.

"That's why we took away the gun, but I'm pretty sure that that device of his can't cause harm." Twilight said, staring at Daniel. They removed the iron cylinders from his chest and legs, then patched up the wounds. He lost a lot of blood and they believed that he had a one in a million chance to survive.

After studying his memories and his body for a good three days, she wrote a message to Princess Celestia explaining the situation. After she wrote the message, she went back to Earth and studied the humans, albeit at a range. From what Twilight saw from the small town, she thought that Daniel was very fit from when she saw the physical health of the rest of them. He had a well toned torso, strong arms, a light tan on his skin. From what she saw from other humans, he was very handsome also.

When she thought that, she blushed furiously and pushed her head into her hands. Fluttershy and Rarity were holding his hands, the former replaying the day's events in her head while the latter lost in thought. All the while, his device was slowly ticking away down time on its screen with Pinkie occasionally clicking the button on top of it.

When the time struck 7:00 PM on the clock, the alarm went off on his phone, with Pinkie starting to sing along to the song playing. (Breaking Inside by Shinedown) The nurse walked into the room, closing the door quietly. "Alright everypony, visiting hours are over." Everypony in the room groaned in protest.

"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over and-" A deep voiced groan stopped her. Everypony in the room looked at Daniel, his heart monitor shooting up to the normal rate for hearts to beat.

"He's awake!" Shouted Pinkie, and the door opened quickly with the nurse exiting quickly.

"We need you to leave the room for the moment girls." The doctor said as he walked in. They all groaned, but stepped outside.

-Daniel's PoV-

Darkness... The only thing I've seen for a long time. I replayed the memories in my head for a while, but some got hazy and didn't come out how I thought I remembered it. I was playing a memory of playing Halo 4 when I heard my alarm go off, pushing me to consciousness. A female was singing along to the song, very well I might add.

"Alright... visiting... over." Another female voice, albeit broken, said. A round of groans from others in the room sounded around me.

"I'm sorry... over..." I tried speaking, but it only came out as a groan. A heart monitor steadily rising with my heartbeat.

"He's awake!" A very excited female voice said. The door opened and a faint yell reached my ears as the clopping of footsteps on marble sounded. The door opened once more.

"We need you to leave the room for the moment girls." A male voice sounded, and another round of groans sounded once more, but the door opened and closed once more.

"Alright, let's check on his wounds." The male voice said once more. I felt my blanket get pulled away and I groaned in protest. I opened my eyes and quickly shut them, the blinding light hurting my pupils. I opened my eyes more slowly, my eyes getting used to the light.

"The one in his chest healed up nicely, but a scar was left behind." Some scribbling could be heard, then the blanket is pulled down farther, revealing my genitals and legs.

"Scars on both legs as well." More scribbling, and I can finally make out dark figures standing over me.

"Hello, what's this?" The male voice said once more. "Red eye color, very interesting." Furious scribbling can be heard. I could finally make out the figures standing over me, a white woman and brown man in hospital attire. The ivory colored girl had a clipboard and was writing down notes furiously, a few pink curls escaping her nurse's cap. The brown colored guy was grabbing random tools from different cabinets, his chocolate hair slicked back.

"It seems our patient is finally conscious." I gulped, my throat dry, and croaked.

"Yeah... How long was I out?" He turned around and smiled, then said.

"A week, although it was surprising. Your wounds were severe, and you lost a lot of blood. We actually expected you to come out worse, but lets not let that worry us. The ponies that brought you here are waiting outside for you." He nodded to the nurse, who walked out and closed the door, a few muffled words heard.

"Lets get you covered up." He pulled the blanket over my chest, tucking it under.

"Thanks doc." He smiled, then frowned.

"Although your anatomy is similar to ours, there are some small differences with yours and ours. You don't have ears on the top of your head, but on the side. Also, your genitalia is different from ours, along with your feet." I cocked my head to the side slightly and said

"I've noticed that you and the nurse looks different from me, I couldn't think of why you are different. You look closer to an equine, although we are fairly similar to each other." I rubbed my chin, thinking. The door swung open and six girls walked in, along with the nurse.

"You're okay!" A pink blur said to me, grabbing me and placing me into a crushing hug. I could still breath, albeit slightly.

"I'm okay." I said while hugging her back hesitantly. The rest were looking with disbelief.

"Isn't Pinkie crushing you like a foal does to a teddy bear?" The sky blue one asked, a tomboyish voice that was familiar.

"It is a bit overwhelming, but I can still breath and maneuver pretty well with her like this." I said, the pink pony still hugging me.

"Well, let us introduce ourselves. My name is Twilight Sparkle, I run the library just down the street." The lavender colored pony said.

"I'm Rarity, darling. I run the Carousel Boutique down the street, opposite from the library." The ivory colored pony with curly purple hair.

"Nice to meet you." I replied, giving a smile.

"I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in all of Equestria and future Wonderbolt. I'm the captain of the weather team here in Ponyville." The sky blue pony said, giving a cocky smile and puffing out her chest.

"Ah'm Applejack, I run Sweet Apple Acres, the largest orchard in all of Equestria, home to the Zap Apple and the best apples in Equestria." The orange pony said. Her southern accent is so familiar, and so is Rarity's, Twilight's, and Rainbow Dash's. I hadn't heard Pinkie's voice, so I'm not so sure about meeting them before.

"I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm an employee at Sugarcube Corner, the best bakery in all of Ponyville! What's your favorite flavor of cupcake, what's your favorite ice cream flavor, what's your favorite type of cake, what's your favorite type of music, what's your favorite type of -" Twilight used a hand and covered her mouth, Pinkie speaking into her hand, still hugging me.

"While Pinkie talks into Twilight's hand, Fluttershy, please introduce yourself." Applejack said. The butter colored girl stepped forward, hiding behind her long pink hair.

"I-I'm Fluttershy, I'm a veterinarian that watches all of the a-animals in Ponyville." She retreated quietly behind the rest of them.

"Hello to you all, my name is Daniel, and I don't know who any of you are, but I've heard your voices before." I said. Twilight frowned for a second, then said

"We were the ones who saved you after the mafia left you to die in that forest. This might come as a shock, but you're no longer on Earth anymore." I slumped slightly in the bed, which Pinkie took notice and gave me a small smile. I sighed and said.

"I guess it's for the best. I was going to be constantly hunted by that damned mafia group, so living here would give me a fresh start and a clean slate. I won't have to live in fear and look over my shoulder anymore." I gave a small smile to the rest of them, which gave a smile back.

"I'm actually surprised." Twilight said thoughtfully. "If I was in your position, I would probably freak out and run away." She frowned and scratched her chin.

"The reason why I'm so steadily accepting of this is because I'm tired of living in fear because I had some mafia members breathing down my neck every second of every day. A change of pace is nice." I looked around the room and spotted my iPod on a table just out of reach.

"Can you give me my iPod? I want to see something." They hesitated slightly, casting worried glances to each other. Applejack grabbed the electronic and gave it to me hesitantly. I took it and put in the password quickly, granting access to my personal items. I chuckled as I saw the background, which is a black screen with a white crowbar across it, saying "When all else fails, crowbar the fucker." I tapped the music icon, revealing the first few artists.

I scrolled down to the bottom quickly, and saw that I had over five hundred artists. I switched over to the songs and scrolled down to the bottom, although it took quite a while longer. I reached the bottom and saw that I had almost eight thousand songs on it. I smiled widely and started looking for a song to play.

"What're you doin'?" Applejack asked with a hint of a threat behind it.

"I'm looking for a song to play right now." I started playing Kyoto by Skrillex.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86khmc6y1yE

Halfway through the song, I see Rainbow Dash nodding to the music, while Applejack wore a suspicious glare, Rarity's face twisted into a disgusted scowl. Twilight was excited because of the small device playing music, Fluttershy hiding from sight, but I still see her hair bouncing up and down slightly, and Pinkie wearing a wide smile. The song ended, and everyone groaning.

"What was that awesome music?" Rainbow Dash said. "Dubstep, my dear Rainbow Dash." I explained.

"That certainly wasn't my tastes." Rarity said, still scowling.

"How about classical? Does that tickle your fancy?" She gave me a suspicious look, and I pulled out my iPod again and pulled out Beethoven.

"Well, I do have a few classical songs, if you would like to listen." She nodded and I started playing Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3217H8JppI

Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy looked at the iPod in surprise, while Pinkie and Applejack held indifferent looks, while Rainbow Dash held a scowl, which she didn't try hiding. After an hour, I stopped it and put away the device, which got protests from everyone.

"I'm sorry, but I think the doctor wants you to leave since it's probably past visiting hours." The doctor held a small smile, but said

"Yes, although I did enjoy the music, it is past visiting hours and I would like you all to leave so I can go home." Before they had time to argue, he pushed them out the door.

"Hey doc, when do I get to leave?" I asked him.

"You can leave tomorrow, in the morning." He walked out the door and shut off the lights, leaving me to peer out the window.

"The night's here are beautiful." I got up and stretched slightly, walking a bit before my legs got tired, then crawled back into the bed and tried to go to sleep. I laid there for about thirty minutes, closing my eyes and counting sheep, then I just opened my eyes and sighed.

"I can't go to sleep..." I trailed off as I looked out the window. I saw a small figure flying in front of the moon, turn around, and started flying in my direction. It stopped a few yards from where it started. It turned around once more then flew off into the clouds. I shook my head slowly, closed my eyes and counted to five. I opened my eyes and looked back at the moon.

"I wish that Earth was this beautiful at night, but pollution and other things just cloud up the sky." I said quietly. I went back to the bed and eventually fell asleep, not noticing the dark figure standing over me.

"You think... my nights are beautiful?" A female voice said. I opened my eyes and saw the dark figure standing over me, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Who are you?" I asked quietly. She gasped and retreated back to the shadows.

"Do you really think my nights are beautiful?" She asked.

"Of course... When I was on Earth, the nights were always clouded and you couldn't see the stars, and the moon was barely visible. Seeing the nights this clearly is almost a blessing." I said. She quickly came from the shadows and swept me into a bone crushing hug, almost cutting off breathing like Pinkie.

"Thank you..." She said quietly.

"You're welcome?" I said confusedly.

"Nopony likes my nights, that's why ponies sleep through it." I looked up and felt a drop of water hit my nose.

"Look at it this way. Ponies work all day, and they're tired after a hard days work. The night is perfect because it's dark, quiet, and peaceful. Ponies can sleep easily through the night then they can through the day, and those who have to work at night can look up at the beautiful night sky and feel at peace with themselves." She looked down at me and smiled, her face young and very beautiful.

"I never saw it like that... Thank you." She gave me another hug, although softer.

"You're welcome." I repeated. She let me go, and I was able to get a full look at her. She was at least seven feet tall, with a large horn on her head, a beautiful ebony dress that matches her fur perfectly. She was adorned in jewelry, a small smile on her face and a gleam in her eyes.

She turned around and I got a look at a pair of dark purple wings. She opened the window and jumped out, her wings splaying almost immediately after she starts dropping. I went back to the bed and crawled back in, thinking about this nightly visitor. I closed my eyes and almost immediately fell asleep, having a nice dream about the ponies I met.

Spem Somniis

-Mercy Hospital, Equestria-

"Daniel, wake up." I heard a voice say. I shifted slightly in the bed, then grabbed my iPod off of the nightstand and checked the time.

"It's six in the morning..." I grumbled. I opened my eyes and looked around the room, only to see nobody there.

"What the hell..." I groaned, but got out of the bed and stretched. A few loud pops and cracks echoed from my back, a satisfied sigh escaping my lips. I walked over to the window and peered out the window, seeing the sun just peeking over the horizon. I crawl into the bed, grabbing my iPod and sitting up. I start playing random games on my iPod until the doctor walked in.

After about an hour, the same doctor walked in with a clipboard and a mug of coffee. I pause the game and set it on the bedstand.

"Hey doc, two questions. Do I have any clothing to wear, and can I get some coffee?" I said. He chuckled and set the clipboard and cup of coffee on the counter.

"I believe Rarity is coming along and bringing you some clothes, and no." I groaned and set my head on the pillow, but forgot I was sitting up and slammed my head on the wall behind the bed.

"Alright, beating yourself up won't get you anything." He said sternly.

"I didn't mean to, but I always have coffee in the morning or I'm grumpy for the rest of the day." I said, rubbing the back of my head.

"Aren't we all?" He joked, getting a chuckle from me.

"True that." He walked over and checked my head, then patted my head like a child. The door opened and the nurse stepped in.

"Is he ready?" The doctor looked at me and said.

"He's ready, just make sure they don't do too much damage to him before the end of the week." He chuckled and the nurse left the room. About a minute later, the nurse came back with the group, Pinkie pulling the same stunt as yesterday.

"HI Danny!" Pinkie yelled as she darted into the room, grabbing me and putting me into a hug.

"Hi Pinkie." I said in a controlled manner.

"Pinkie, stop crushing the poor dear." Rarity said as she walked in with my clothes, along with extras and a suit.

"Pinkie's not crushing me. Anyway, those clothes for me?" She nodded and handed me the clothes, which I carefully took and placed it into a nearby chair.

"Hey Daniel, ready to see the town?" Rainbow said as she walked in with her normal cocky attitude.

"Yeah, hopefully nothing bad happens." I commented, waiting for the next to walk in. Twilight and Fluttershy walked in together, the former with two bags on her back filled to the brim, and the latter holding a small rabbit in her hands, which had a small scowl that increased as it saw me.

"Hey you two." I said, giving a small wave then setting my hands on the side, Pinkie's arms still wrapped around me.

"Hey Daniel." Twilight said, pulling out a book and handing me it. I grabbed the book and read the title.

"History of Equestria, huh? I guess I have to start school back over." I said jokingly, getting a chuckle from Rainbow.

"School is amazing! How can you not like school?" Twilight said angrily. I stared at her for a moment, blinked, and said.

"School was never amazing for me. You know this Twilight." Twilight's expression turned sorrowful for a second, then she beamed.

"All you have to do is learn the history, economics, social aspects, the solar cycles, holidays, and you'll have the basics down." I looked at the other with a slight scowl on my face.

"I'll see you guys in twelve years while Twilight drills this information into my head." I joked, which got a pout from Twilight and giggles from the rest of the group.

"Hi Fluttershy." I said, finally acknowledging her presence in the room. She gave a small 'Eep!' and hid behind Rainbow.

"H-hi Daniel." She said quietly.

"Who's your little friend?" I asked, which I noticed hopped from her hands and crawled into the bed. He continued crawling his way up my leg to my chest, finally stopping in front of my face.

"That's Angel Bunny." Fluttershy said in her normally timid voice.

"Hi Angel." I said, offering my hand jokingly. He slapped away my hand and hopped up my chest. He took his little paw and slapped me. Although it didn't hurt, it pissed me off. I gave him a small maniacal smile and said.

"You're just the cutest hasenpfeffer I've seen in a while." He gave me a fearful look and quickly hopped off the bed, running towards Fluttershy. He started making small squeaks and thumps in her hand.

"Angel Bunny, you don't say that to others! Apologize now!" Fluttershy said in a hard voice. He gave a scowl to her and shook his head.

"Oh Celestia... Avert your eyes." Rainbow said quietly. I continued to stare at Fluttershy, which gave a glare to the bunny. He cringed under the glare, but stood defiant against her. She increased the glare at him, who finally squeaked in defeat. 'That bunny is weak...' I thought, who hopped out of her hands and hopped to the bed. He finally made it and offered his hand to me, which I took gingerly.

"A single glare from her and you get twisted to her will? That's pretty weak man." I whispered, only loud enough for Angel to hear. He gave a small scowl, but hopped away to Fluttershy once more.

"Alright girls, let him get dressed." The doctor said, which the girls complied without a complaint. The doctor stepped out with a nod, and I got up and put on plain grey underwear and the suit, which was the basic black suit, white shirt, black socks, shiny black shoes and a plain red tie with a fedora and blue sunglasses. I wrapped the rest of the clothes around my arm, grabbed my wallet and iPod, and walked out. Rarity was the first to respond, which was a wide smile and a question.

"Why the suit, if I don't mind asking?" The others turned around and saw me standing tall, in an nice looking suit, although it is intimidating, a fedora and blue tinted glasses covering my red eyes.

"It's something that's been drilled into my head. Always look your best, so I always bought suits and fedoras like this and wore them to school and outside in public, while I rarely wore casual clothing except on weekends and when doing physical labor. The sunglasses are just to cover my eye color, which I always did." I shrugged.

"You can put the extras into this bag darling." She gave me a small bag, which I casually folded the clothes over and put into the bag, then took the bag from Rarity.

"I'll carry it, if you don't mind." She gave the bag to me and giggled.

"Ready to see the town Daniel?" Twilight asked.

"Sure, would like to see the town." I replied. "Why didn't Applejack come here?" I asked casually.

"She had to work today, though she sends her regards." Twilight answered, walking down the hall. The rest followed idly, me taking the back of the group so I could think a little. A few minutes and we eventually reached the doors to the outside world. Thankfully, I had my sunglasses or my eyes would probably be burned by the sunlight. We started walking down a small cobbled path, which led to a small bustling town with loads of different vibrant colored ponies.

As we reached the town, which I presume is Ponyville, and they started naming off buildings and what they were for. After about three hours, we reached the middle of the town, which was the town square, town hall a little bit away, and the market.

"Hey guys, I'm getting pretty hungry." Rainbow said, her statement emphasized by her stomach growling loudly over the mulling conversations from random ponies.

"I'm pretty famished myself, let us go to the cafe." Rarity said casually. Everypony gave their agreements, except me, for I was thinking about the voice from this morning.

"Daniel?" Twilight said, a hint of concern coating her voice. I looked up, my train of thought broken by my name being called.

"Yes Twilight?" I said, slapping myself mentally.

"Would you like to go to the cafe?" Twilight asked.

"Sure, wherever you think is best." I responded. They started to walk away from the market, occasionally eyeing me to make sure I'm fine. 'I never heard that voice before, and there was no one there, but that voice still called out to me. Has an evil power noticed my bringing to this world and is trying to contact me? Am I going insane because I've spent so much time in this universe? Am I truly here, or is this a hallucination while I've been in a comatose? Am I even alive right now? Is this some sick joke that Hell is playing on me right now? Have I been dead and my memories are fake?'

Twilight noticed that Daniel has been unnaturally quiet throughout the entire trip, so she fell behind the group slightly and walked beside Daniel for a minute or so. She noticed that he's been staying out of the regular conversations, pertaining to others love life, love interests, past crushes, past pets, and other things.

She noticed that he also kept his vision straight, not even acknowledging her presence beside him. Although she only knew him for a day, her look into his memories showed a lot of things. How certain things were beaten into him by his father and the mafia man that occupied his home throughout his life. Most would hide this from others to not draw attention to him.

"Daniel?" she tried grabbing his attention, only for her call to go unnoticed. A frown appeared on his face, which concerned Twilight. She poked him and called his name once more, only for him to jump and turn to her.

"Hey Twilight, didn't see you there..." He trailed off, a strained smile on his face.

"What's on your mind?" Twilight asked, only for him to cringe slightly behind his glasses.

"It's nothing you should concern yourself with..." He said with a shake of his head. She frowned and said.

"You shouldn't bottle yourself up, you know... it's not healthy." He turned his head once more and said.

"I thought I heard something this morning at the hospital and I've been thinking about it." She can tell he wasn't telling the entire truth, though it wasn't a complete lie.

"Daniel, don't lie to me..." Twilight said sternly.

"I don't know Twilight... How do I know this is even real? How do I know that I'm not still on Earth, in a comatose and this is all just a hallucination? How do I know that I'm not dead, and this is some cruel joke played by Hell? I can't tell what's real and what's not anymore..." He trailed off, staring at the sky as he kept walking. She frowned and continued listening to the conversations of her friends while lost in her own thoughts.

"How do I even know if I've been dead for the last eleven years and all of my memories are just fake?" He added, a sigh escaping his lips. Twilight gawked in disbelief at how dark her newest friend's thoughts have been.

"Daniel, you haven't lost your life yet... You're not in some comatose on Earth, and you're definitely in Equestria now. You don't have to worry about some mafia on Earth anymore. Everything will be alright from now on, and hell, maybe you might even find somepony here to love and live your life with." He turned quickly when she said that there is a possibility of love here.

"Twilight, I couldn't harm another pony like that. Loving someone else would put them in danger also. I couldn't and shouldn't try to find love in this world, it would only harm the other." Twilight was stunned at this sudden flash of emotion from him. There was always a possibility of loving another pony. "Hell, I should be dead right now, rotting in some forest." Daniel growled out, a sudden flash of anger tinging his words.

"Daniel, please." Daniel turned to Twilight, his eyes burning with anger. "There is always a possibility that you find love somewhere. Equestria has been in peace for over a thousand years, and will be for another thousand. It's the perfect chance to find a special somepony and get married, have a foal or two, and live a prosperous life. It's something everypony will go through. Somepony will try to get with you, but you have to allow yourself to let this happen, and not crawl yourself into a shell and force everypony away from you. It just won't help you."

She was about to continue, but Rarity yelled. "We're here~!" Twilight gave a last glance at Daniel, then walked ahead. He stood there, thinking over what Twilight said, and the chances of actually finding genuine love in this world. 'It's most likely slim to none...' He sneered mentally, his emotions still high.

"Daniel? Aren't you going to eat?" Fluttershy asked, a small frown on her face.

"Yeah, just thinking about something." He mumbled, then walked over to the outdoor table. He looked at the menu and saw things that ponies would normally eat, then a mix of human foods with pony stuff. He decided on water, a BLT (Broccoli, Lettuce, and Tomato), and hay fries. The waiter came about five minutes after we sat down and took our orders. Twenty minutes later, the orders came out and we ate. Surprisingly, it was all great, and the hay fries tasted similar to french fries. Everypony chipped into the meal, Twilight paying for Daniel's meal.

"Can't believe my money is no good here..." I grumbled as we walked down the street.

"Princess Celestia would be interested in having your currency to put into a museum." Twilight said.

"It won't matter until then..." I grumbled, still angry.

"I must go back to the Carousel to finish my orders." Rarity said, giving a wave to everypony.

"I got work in the morning, so I'll see ya'll later." Rainbow said, flying off.

"I have to work also, so I'll see you all later!" Pinkie said, dashing off quickly.

"I'll see you Fluttershy and Daniel." Twilight said, walking away towards the library.

"Wait, what?" I said, confused. "Where am I going to stay?" I asked, turning to Fluttershy.

"We already had this planned out. Twilight didn't have any room in the library, Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner, Rarity at the Boutique, Applejack's farm was taken up by farming equipment, and I was the only one with a spare bedroom. Rainbow lives in the clouds, and since you're aren't a pegasus, you can't walk on clouds. I'm sorry." Fluttershy said quietly. I rubbed my forehead and said.

"It's not your fault Fluttershy... I'm just tired right now. I've had a lot on my mind lately." She nodded and we walked to her cottage. The silence was killing me, but I didn't try to awkwardly start any conversations. After ten minutes, we reached the cottage, the home overrun by woodland creatures.

"I need to feed the animals, can you help me Daniel?" Fluttershy said timidly.

"Sure, it's the least I can do." She walked inside and pulled out bags of food for different animals.

"It'll take fifteen minutes to feed them all, then we can go inside." Fluttershy said.

"Alright..." I said, grabbing a large bag of food. It took us around twenty minutes to feed all of the animals, but there was little problems. It had been awkward to be standing two feet from each other, one talking to the animals, the other silently feeding each animal.

"Daniel, we're done feeding the animals. You can come inside, if you want." Fluttershy said, which got a nod in response. I grabbed the bag of clothing that I set down on the porch and let Fluttershy walk in first, me lagging slightly behind. The first thing I noticed, there were birdhouses, cages, and animal beds everywhere.

A large brown rug in the middle of the floor, covered slightly in animal hairs, a fireplace directly left of it, stairs leading upstairs on the right, a sofa directly ahead of the doorway, a small end table with a picture of Angel on it, a small green chair beside it, and two doors leading different ways.

Fluttershy disappeared somewhere into the bowels of the house, most likely preparing the guest room, so I sat down on the couch and pulled a book from the bookshelf that was built into the wall. 'Animal Caretaking 101' I read the first few pages until I heard a small crash from upstairs. I closed the book and set it down, then cautiously walked up the stairs. I heard water running and figured that Fluttershy was in the bathroom and the crash came from inside.

I went back downstairs, a brief image of Fluttershy naked popping into my head before I pushed it away quickly and blushed slightly. I felt myself harden slightly and punched my thigh before I embarrassed myself and Fluttershy. A few minutes and the water turned off, and I was busy reading a book to not notice that Fluttershy was walking down the stairs, a small towel wrapped around her waist.

"Daniel, didn't you go to bed?" Fluttershy squeaked out, and I looked up from the book and saw the almost nude Fluttershy standing two feet away. I looked away immediately and said

"You didn't show me to the guest room, so I waited until you were finished..." I felt the heat rush to my face and hid my face with my fedora.

"I'm so sorry! I forgot to show you around and you've been waiting on me all this time!" Fluttershy grabbed my wrist, which only made me blush more beneath the fedora, and felt myself being pulled upstairs. I took the fedora off my face and saw Fluttershy still holding my wrist, although she was blushing also.

A few doors down and she showed me the guest room, a small bed in the corner of the room, a nightstand beside it with a lamp, a dresser, desk, and closet in the room.

"It's great Fluttershy." I said quietly, which startled Fluttershy somehow. She squeaked and let go of my wrist, then dashed down the hallway and I heard a door shut. I set the bag in my hands down next to the dresser, took off the suit and hanged it up in the closet, the fedora going on top of my dresser with my sunglasses. I took out my wallet and iPod and set it on the nightstand, then crawled into bed, wearing nothing but boxers. I turned down the volume on the electronic and started playing music. After about ten minutes, I fell asleep.

Fluttershy ran down the hall and into her room, slamming the door behind her. 'What were you thinking Fluttershy? You were supposed to take care of him and you forgot him downstairs! He saw you with nothing on but a towel! You embarrassed him, and he's going to feel awkward around you forever!' She buried her face into her pillow and started crying softly, until she heard soft music playing quietly in the next room.

'Is Daniel playing music to fall asleep? That's how mother used to help me fall asleep...' She shook her head and got up, her eyes still puffy and red. She walked down the hall quietly, stopping occasionally when she steps on a creaky board, and reached his room. She readied herself and opened the door quietly, the door creaking slightly. The music got loud, but only barely so, and she heard a soft guitar playing beautifully.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXEKuttVRIo

By the end of the song, Fluttershy was crying softly. She crawled into the bed and cuddled into his large chest, and fell asleep almost immediately.

Somnia Testimonii et Trullas

I woke up to the smell of forest air and flowers. I opened my eyes slowly and saw nothing but pink. 'Did Fluttershy...?' I thought as I shifted slightly and saw the yellow pony nuzzled into my chest. My music was playing softly in the background, but I blocked it out for a moment or two as I stared at Fluttershy's prone body pressed against mine, her breasts brushing against my chest.

What made it worse was that I had my arms wrapped around her neck. I slowly let go of Fluttershy, and checked the time. "Really? Seven AM... Fuck it, I'm going back to bed." I stated quietly, wrapping my arms back around Fluttershy and pulling her up my body slowly, her head nuzzling into my neck. I listened to the music quietly playing, and slowly fell back to sleep.

Fluttershy awoke to feeling something pressing gently against her neck. She looked up and saw Daniel, asleep and arms around her. Her heart started to pick up, butterflies in her stomach (no pun intended), and her face felt flushed. She pushed his arms off of her gently, but that only woke him up.

"Fluttershy, what were you doing in my bed?" He asked, his red eyes gleaming in the early morning darkness. She gave a quiet 'Eep!' and shot out of the bed, her face a furious crimson.

"G-g-good morning, d-Daniel. I had a nightmare last night and needed somepony to comfort me." She cursed in her head for making up a lie, but better than the truth right now.

"That's alright. If you need anyone to talk to or to comfort you, I can help you in any way I can." He gave a smile and picked up the device, checking the time. "7:30? Time to get up, I guess..." He said, looking to Fluttershy. She got the implication and quickly left the room, her face still crimson but a small smile on her face.

'At least he isn't awkward with me... I would hate myself for a long time for doing that...' She thought as she went to her room to get clothes for her shower, a long green dress and blue slippers, with a pink butterfly pendant in her hair. She walked into the bathroom to start a shower quietly. She stepped into the shower, slipping out of the towel and stepping into the warm water.

The warmth reminded her that of this morning with Daniel, and her wings started to splay slightly as she thought about Daniel's tone chest, his large arms encircled around her, his steady breathing and comforting words, his warm skin pressed against her fur.

'Stop thinking like that Fluttershy!' She screamed at herself, her wings uncomfortably stiff. Her marehood was wet, but not from the water. A knock came from the door, Fluttershy being pulled from her thoughts with a small squeak.

"Hey Fluttershy, can you hurry up please? It's been twenty minutes and I would like to take a shower..." He trailed off.

"I'm sorry Daniel, I'll get out now if you want." Fluttershy said over the water. She turned off the water, not waiting for a response, wrapping herself in two towels and walking out quickly, her eyes meeting with Daniels for a moment. He was holding a large towel, in nothing but his boxers, a pair of casual clothing in one hand with the towel in the other. She walked down to her room and dried off, but certain things stayed wet even after she tried drying them.

Daniel blushed slightly as he saw her breasts pushed into the towel, squeezing them to her body. He walked into the small bathroom, placing the clothes onto a towel rack and pulled off his boxers, then jumped into the shower. He turned on the hot water, only to get slightly cold water.

'Great, no hot water for me...' He thought as he quickly wet his entire body down and used the bar of soap to wash his body. He jumped out, slightly chilled by the water, and dried off. He put on his clothes and walked out, throwing his towel into a small bin next to the door with other dirty clothes. He walked downstairs quietly, seeing Fluttershy bent over feeding the animals.

He turned and walked back upstairs, a blush forming on his cheeks. He went into his room and grabbed his wallet, iPod, white socks, a pair of white sneakers. Daniel was putting on his socks when the door opened and Fluttershy's head popped into view.

"Breakfast is ready when you're hungry..." She retracted her head from the door, closing it quietly. He continued putting on the socks and shoes, then walked downstairs. A smell of pancakes and eggs wafted up the stairs, making his mouth water slightly. He walked down the stairs a second time, this time with no view of Fluttershy's rear, and walked into the door next to the stairs, only to go to a broom closet full of animal feed and cleaning materials.

I walked towards the other doorway, seeing Fluttershy at the dining table, a stack of pancakes and scrambled eggs sitting on a mahogany dining table, four chairs pushed into the table.

"Angel, please eat your breakfast." Fluttershy's voice said from the kitchen. Daniel walked into the kitchen, slightly irritated with this sack of meat that they call a rabbit.

"Hey Fluttershy." He said as he turned the corner, seeing her bending over the counter with a plate of carrots in her hands. Angel had his head turned away from her, a scowl on his face.

"Hi, Daniel." She said quietly, turning her head to him with a smile before going back to the little prick called Angel. The bunny turned to Daniel with a look of fear on his face, then Daniel got an evil idea.

"Is Angel being trouble?" Daniel asked, a sweet smile etched onto his face.

"He's not being trouble, he just won't eat his breakfast." Fluttershy said with a slight pout on her face, which Daniel found adorable.

"Let me talk to him for a minute." Daniel said, giving the bunny an evil grin. Angel started shaking his head frantically, but got picked up by Daniel and brought over to the doorway.

"I'm going to help you out here... Don't give Fluttershy a hard time, or I might make you disappear in the night. That forest nearby looks friendly enough to have a little talk with you. She is giving you a home, food, and love and you just throw it back into her face with a scowl on your face. Be nicer to her." Daniel said, giving the bunny a glare. Angel froze in his hand, Daniel's stare a hundred times worse than Fluttershy's.

He gave a frantic nod, which got him a small pat on the head and brought over to the counter once more. Angel hopped out of his hands, jumping to the plate quickly and started munching on the carrots.

"What'd you say to him to make him act like that?" Fluttershy asked in awe, Angel giving her a smile.

"I just told him how lucky he is to have such a loving caretaker, then gave him a small glare." He said dismissively. Fluttershy blushed, then grabbed a plate and put a stack of pancakes onto the plate, scooping some of the scrambled eggs onto the plate also.

"Here you go Daniel." Fluttershy said, handing him the plate.

"Thanks Fluttershy, love scrambled eggs with cheese, a bit of salt, and pepper." He gave her a smile and walked to the dining table, waiting for Fluttershy to sit down.

"I like my scrambled eggs the same way..." Fluttershy said quietly, which made Daniel blink once. Fluttershy started eating her plate, while Daniel started cutting his stack of pancakes. He took a bite of the pancakes with some scrambled eggs on it, and complimented Fluttershy on her cooking.

"Wow Fluttershy, never had pancakes this good before, and the scrambled eggs are perfect." He took another bite and Fluttershy stopped eating and blushed.

"It's nothing really..." She said, looking down at the floor and blushing.

"This ain't nothin' Fluttershy. This is great." He said. They continued eating in silence, then Daniel washed the dishes.

"Daniel, you don't have to wash them. I was going to do it myself." He shook his head and said.

"Nonsense Fluttershy, you cooked, so I'm doing my part by washing dishes." She walked out of the room, blushing slightly, and grabbed a bag of feed and walking outside. He finished washing the dishes, dried off his hands, and grabbed a bag of feed that Fluttershy set next to the door.

She was already feeding the animals, so he joined her in silence. After five minutes, the sun peaked over the horizon and Daniel stared for a second before going back to feeding the animals. They finished and Fluttershy went inside, setting the remains of the bags into the closet.

"I have to go into town, so I'll be gone for a while." She stated quietly, grabbing a coin purse.

"I want to get a job so I can help pay for the food and stuff." he stated, grabbing his sunglasses and putting them on, hiding his red eyes. Her ears perked up slightly, but she shook her head and said.

"You don't have to do that. I won't force you to do that." He looked at her and said. "I shouldn't be sitting around all day, eating up food and taking up space. I'm going into town and seeing if I can get a job to help out around here." Fluttershy looked at him.

"You don't take up space Daniel." She said sternly. They walked out the door, an awkward silence taking both of them. They walked to the edge of town, saying their goodbyes, then splitting up and going opposite directions.

I walked to the orchard in the distance, thinking it was Sweet Apple Acres. About an hour later, I reached the edge of the orchard, some idle talking heard faintly. I walked onto the path and started my trek down the path, a faint pounding of hooves against wood could be heard. After ten minutes, I saw Applejack kicking an apple tree.

"Hey Applejack!" I yelled to her, catching her attention while she was walking to the next tree.

"Hey Daniel! How're you tahday?" She asked, bucking the tree.

"I was hoping I could get a job somewhere in Ponyville to help Fluttershy out with food and other things." I said, finally reaching her.

"I could hook ya up with a job, but you'll be up at the crack of dawn and be working 'til dusk." I smiled and said.

"A normal job for me back on Earth. Used to work on a farm myself, 'til I got here." She gave a laugh and said.

"Well, I certainly appreciate the help. Big Mac hurt himself yestahday, so I'm left to do all this work." I cocked an eyebrow and said.

"Do I start working now?" She nodded and demonstrated bucking a tree.

"I don't think I can buck a tree. I would probably break my legs doing that and I wouldn't knock down a single apple." I hopped up and grabbed a branch, pulling myself up and plucking the apples into my hands, dropping them into bushels. It took me about ten seconds to pick all of the apples from the tree. I hopped down and picked up the bushels, moving to the next tree.

I hopped up again, swinging my legs around and hanging by my legs while I pick the apples. It actually cut down the time to pick the apples by half and I was perfectly fine. We worked together for about four hours, halfway through I turned on my music. By midday, Applejack and I had already cleared a quarter of the orchard.

"Hey Applejack, lunch is being served soon." A young voice said as I was in one of the trees, plucking the apples.

"Alright Applebloom, make sure to have another plate out for a guest." Applejack said, bucking a tree.

"Who's the guest, and where is that music coming from?" Applebloom asked, looking around.

"His name's Daniel, and he's helping me out on the orchard. The music is coming from some special device he has." Applejack answered. I hopped down from the tree, picking up the half full bushels and moving to the next tree. I hopped up to the next tree and started picking the apples.

"Daniel, can ya come here?" Applejack yelled, which I dropped from the tree and landed next to them.

"What's up?" I asked, startling them.

"Don't scare me like that!" Applejack said angrily, gripping her chest playfully.

"This is Daniel?" The young girl next to Applejack asked, staring at me. She looked to be a little younger than me, maybe fourteen or so. She wore jeans and a yellow shirt, with red hair and an almost pink bow.

"Hey." I said, pulling out the iPod and turning off the music.

"How come you don't look like a pony?" Applebloom asked.

"I'm not a pony..." I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead with my shirt.

"You ain't a pony?!?" She yelled, hiding behind Applejack.

"Applebloom, don't act like that. No, he ain't a pony, but he's kind and won't hurt a fly." Applejack said sternly. Applebloom moved out from behind her and stared at me.

"Hello." I said, offering a hand.

"Hi! Do you have a cutie mark?" She said, gripping my hand and shaking.

"What's a cutie mark?" I asked, looking at Applejack.

"A cutie mark is what represents a ponies talents and what they do for the rest of their lives." She said, pulling up her sleeve on her arm revealing three apples.

"It looks like a tattoo..." I said blankly, staring at the cutie mark.

"What's a tattoo?" Applejack asked, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"It's like a cutie mark, except you can get whatever you want on your body. It requires a needle to pierce the skin and put ink into the skin, it's a bit painful but it lasts a lifetime." I explained.

"What do you do for a living if you don't have a cutie mark to tell you what you do best?" Applebloom asked.

"Normally a human would find a job they enjoy doing and work the job for the rest of their life. It's pretty depressing actually." I answered, thinking back to Earth.

"So, humans don't get cutie marks?" I shook my head to the question.

"Alright Applebloom. Daniel, you think you can stay for lunch?" Applejack asked.

"Sure, don't know the town yet." I said, shrugging my shoulders. I grabbed the full bushels and put them in the cart, then pull it along the trail, eventually reaching the barn.

"I'm a mighty hungry." Applejack said, pushing her way through the door.

"Leave some for me!" Applebloom yelled, running through the door. I just sigh and walk through like a normal person.

"We got a guest joining us for lunch. Daniel, can ya come in here?" Applejack yelled. I walked into the kitchen, feeling all eyes on me.

"I just noticed this, but why do ya have those sunglasses?" Applebloom asked. I cringed slightly, and said.

"To hide my eye color..." I said quietly.

"What's wrong with yer eye color?" Applejack asked.

"Most people considered me a demon for my eye color, so I decided to hide them with sunglasses." I said, getting nervous with everypony staring at me.

"We won't contradict ya none for yer eyes, sugarcube." Applejack said, a small smile on her lips. I sighed and slid off my sunglasses, my eyes closed. I opened my eyes slowly, feeling all eyes on my face now.

"Just because ya have red eyes, people call you a demon? Rarity was right, your world was horrible." Applejack said. I put my sunglasses back on.

"Come on, then! Grab a plate and get yer grub." Applejack said, giving a loud 'Yee Haw!' and grabbing a large plate and stacking countless things onto said plate. Applebloom grabbed a plate herself and piled on random apple based treats onto her plate. A large man wearing a red shirt and blue jeans with bandages wrapped around his torso walked in and grabbed a plate.

I grabbed a plate and inspect each treat before grabbing one or two from each. I sat at the table, grabbing a glass of water set out for me and Applejack. I drank the water greedily, now realizing how thirsty I am right now. I grabbed a fork and drove it through a slice of apple pie. I took a bite and smiled happily.

"This is great!" I said after I swallowed it, taking another bite of the pie.

"Granny Smith's own recipe..." Applejack trailed off, a sullen look taking her face. I saw Applebloom starting to tear up and Big Mac stop eating for a moment.

"What happened to your grandmother?" I asked, realizing I struck a nerve with Applejack.

"She passed away a few years ago, lived to be a hundred seventy three, then came down with a sickness that ravaged her lungs. She passed in her sleep, so she wasn't in pain when it happened." Applejack explained, tears brimming her eyes. I closed my eyes and said a few words for her, even if I didn't know her in person.

"Let's not let that bring everypony down. Let's continue eating." Applejack said, wiping her tears with a rag. The two siblings murmured their agreements, continuing with eating. We continued eating in silence, the subject bringing good memories to the siblings. Applejack grabbed all the plates after everyone finished eating and cleaned them off, while I waited on the front porch.

A few minutes later, she came out and walked to the barn. We grabbed new bushels, replacing the full ones and placing them in the barn. Thirty minutes passed in silence as we moved full bushels into the barn. The new bushels in the cart, I took the cart and pulled it to the spot we were at. We reached the spot and went to work, grabbing the empty bushels and getting the apples.

We worked until sundown, the cart full from the combined work of Applejack and I. I pulled the cart back to the barn, carrying the bushels into the barn, then pulling the cart inside. Applejack went inside the house and I waited outside. She came back out with a large bag full of clinking, my guess coins.

She threw the bag to me and I checked the contents of the bag, absolutely full of gold coins.

"Is this the currency of this world?" I asked, getting a nod from Applejack.

"This seems a lot..." I said, weighing the bag.

"This farm gets a lot of money from just selling apples. That's not including jams, treats, and our special apples. That's a day's pay for the farm." Applejack explained.

"I'll be back tomorrow at the crack of dawn, alright Applejack?" She nodded once more, then walked inside the house. I turned around and walked down the path, seeing half the orchard already done. I continued walking down the path, finally reaching the entrance, then made my way to Fluttershy's cottage.

About an hour of walking and I made it back to the cottage, seeing a single shadow moving about the grounds. I made my way to the yard, Fluttershy feeding the animals for the night.

"Hey Fluttershy." I said casually, holding the large brown sack of coins in my hands. She squeaked and turned around, and saw the large bag.

"What's that?" She asked.

"My pay for the day." I said, tossing it onto the porch and grabbing a bag of feed.

"That's a lot for just one day." She said meekly, staring at the bag.

"I thought so too, but Applejack said that the farm gets a lot of money from just selling apples, not including the jams, treats, and special apples." I shrugged as I gave a squirrel it's food, it eating it and running up a tree. We continued feeding the animals, and after ten minutes of silence, we finished and walked inside, placing the bags of feed into the closet with me holding the sack.

"I'm going to count this tonight before I go to sleep." I said, staring at the bag.

"I'm going to cook dinner, if that's alright with you." Fluttershy said, walking into the kitchen. I walked upstairs and put the bag into my room, then grabbed a pair of clothes and towel and made my way to the bathroom. I closed and locked the door, taking off my dirty clothes and putting the clean ones on towel racks. I hopped into the shower and turned on the water, it starting out a nice cold then getting warm.

"I'll have to remember to set an alarm for like five." I said to myself, scrubbing with the bar of soap. I finished my shower, dried off, put on my clean clothes, put the dirty clothes into the bin next to the bathroom and walking to my room. I started to set the alarm for the morning when I heard Fluttershy knock on the door.

"Dinner's ready." She said quietly through the door.

"Alright, just have to set my alarm for the morning." I answered, still messing around with the alarm. I changed it to 5:00 AM and set it for every day, then went downstairs for dinner. I walked in to seeing Angel eating a salad or something, and a plate set out with spaghetti and a baked potato.

"Strange meal combo." I mumbled. Fluttershy walked out with another plate, setting it on the table with a fork and knife.

"Oh, hello Daniel." She said with a smile.

"Hi." I said, confused by the sudden happy Fluttershy. I sat at the table, Fluttershy sitting before me.

"I hope you enjoy dinner." Fluttershy said.

"If it's anything like breakfast, then I'll certainly enjoy it. Also, do you have cheese and butter for this potato?" I asked, getting a nod from Fluttershy.

"I'll go get it." I said, getting up and going into the kitchen. There was a stove, large sink, surprisingly a microwave, a refrigerator, and loads of cabinets. I opened the fridge and sought out shredded cheese and butter. I found them and walked back into the dining room. I cut opened the potato and put butter and cheese on it, letting them both melt before scraping out the potatoes onto the plate.

I got up and put the items back into the fridge, then finally ate. We ate the meal in the same silence that I've been used to all day. I finished first and got up and threw away the skin of the potato, then started washing the plate, when I felt arms wrap around my waist. I turned my head and saw Fluttershy looking up at me with those teal eyes.

"Hi." I said, still washing the dishes. I finished off the plate and dried it off, then turned around and returned the hug, which surprised Fluttershy. We stood like that for a minute before she pulled away. I followed her to the dining room, grabbing her plate and washing it off, then drying it and putting them both away.

I washed the utensils and the pots and pans used for dinner, then felt tired. I went upstairs, hearing Fluttershy in the shower. I went to my room, pulled off my clothes, and decided to use them tomorrow. I laid down on the bed, then picked up my iPod and checked the time, seeing it's only 9:00 PM.

"This is going to be normal for me." I said, turning on the music and letting my head hit the pillow. I fell asleep, only to wake up again and get up, rubbing my face. "I hate mornings." I grumbled, getting up. I heard some shuffling outside the door, then the door burst open with Fluttershy grinning like a bandit.

"HI, Danny!" She said in an uncharacteristically cheerful voice.

"Hi, Fluttershy." I said, confused. She frowned and said.

"You haven't called me Fluttershy in over a year since we started dating." I blinked a couple of times, then looked at her and said.

"Dating?!?" She looked taken aback by my sudden burst, but started giggling. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me full on the lips. She pulled away, and I just froze. Fluttershy just kissed me full on the lips without a second thought! I blushed furiously as I remembered how her lips felt against mine.

"Danny, you okay?" Fluttershy asked, concerned.

"I don't remember any of this." I said simply. She giggled once more and pulled me out of the room and into the bathroom, pulling off her shirt. I looked away, blushing furiously once more.

"Danny, why are you acting like you did when you first came here? It's been over a year since we started dating and and a year and a half since you came here." She said, pulling up her hair and unhooking her bra. I looked away once more, somehow blushing even more then I did before. She pulled me in for another kiss, taking off the green skirt she had on, revealing pink underwear. She took that off too and stepped into the shower.

I sat there with my mouth agape, taking my fist and punching myself. I awoke to the alarm playing, sitting up in the bed with wide eyes. 'Why did I dream of Fluttershy and I dating? Am I developing feelings for her? I already told Twilight, I don't want to harm anypony while I'm here, especially Fluttershy. She's too kind to me.' I thought, grumbling as I turned off the alarm and dressed up in fresh clothes. 'Another day, another dollar.' I said mentally as I stepped into the shower and started the day.

Rupta Claustra

Its been two weeks since I've started working at Sweet Apple Acres. A days pay for me is tremendous in pony currency. Every day, I bring home a bag filled to the brim with coins, always counting up to a hundred and seventy five bits. Every day would be the same. I wake up at 5:00 AM, shower, throw on clean clothes, make breakfast for me and Fluttershy, feed Angel a carrot, then make my way to Sweet Apple Acres.

Surprisingly, I'm out there before AJ and Big Mac even get up, so by the time they get into the fields, I've already cleared a few rows of apple trees. AJ made a few jokes about me being a workhorse, but that stopped as I made a few pony related jokes in retaliation.

It was a normal day, however normal it gets with me being surrounded by anthropomorphic ponies. It was a few hours after lunch, the sun nearly dipping behind the horizon when something happened to me. I was grabbing apples and placing them into the bushel. I heard a *SNAP* and felt myself being pulled down to the earth. I hit the ground with a crunch. "Daniel!" I heard AJ yell, then darkness overtook me.

"Daniel!" AJ yelled, seeing him falling and land on his head pretty hard. He didn't get up from the blow to the head and Big Mac and AJ ran over, inspecting him. The back of his head was bleeding pretty hard, but what worried them was that his neck was angled awkwardly, and they were afraid that he had broken his neck.

"We need ta get him to the hospital!" Applejack said, Big Mac giving a nod and picking up the prone body. Applejack ran down the path to warn the others about what has transpired. In thirty minutes, AJ had already caught five of her friends, but the worst one was to come. Warning Fluttershy. AJ knew that Fluttershy had a crush on Daniel. It was obvious as day. Whenever Daniel was with her, she was closer to him then anypony else, and when he wasn't looking, she would stare at him.

AJ made it to the cottage in under five minutes, out of breath. Fluttershy was reading a book in the grass, but looked up to seeing a sweaty and out of breath Applejack standing over her.

"You need to go to the hospital. It's Daniel..." AJ said. Fluttershy's eyes went wide and shot up like a bullet. To Fluttershy, it felt like her world was breaking apart, thinking Daniel was seriously injured. She grabbed Applejack's wrist and they started running to the hospital. After five minutes of straight running, they made it to the hospital. Fluttershy and Applejack burst through the doors, the other four sitting together. Fluttershy walked over to the rest of them, tears brimming her eyes.

"Is he okay?" Fluttershy asked quietly. The others looked at each other for a second before Twilight spoke up.

"They said that he's going to be okay, he just knocked himself out. He hurt his neck pretty badly, but it doesn't require for him to have a cast." Fluttershy felt herself breathing slightly better in relief. "We were waiting for you two to visit him." Twilight added, standing up. The rest stood up as well and walked to the counter.

"He's in room 127 A." The pony behind the counter said, pointing down the hall. They walked down the hallway, reading the numbers as they walked down. They reached the room and hesitated for a second before pushing open the door. The room was brightly lit, Daniel laying in a bed with various hospital equipment hooked up around him, his sunglasses set on the counter, along with his iPod.

A steady beeping was all that was heard, the group silently staring at Daniel. Applejack walked into the room, sitting in one of the chairs stationed around the room.

"Ya darn fool." Applejack said with a sad chuckle. Everypony else slowly filed into the room, Fluttershy being last. She took the chair that was next to the bed, staring at Daniel with tear brimmed eyes. A few hours later, Rainbow yawned and left the room, Twilight and Rarity following behind her. Pinkie gave him a gentle hug and left, with Applejack ruffling his short hair slightly before walking away.

Fluttershy stayed for another thirty minutes, then decided to leave for the night. She gave him a hug, and waited for a moment. "I don't know what I would do if you were seriously injured," Fluttershy hesitated for a second. "I love you." Fluttershy whispered, planting a gentle kiss onto his lips. She walked out, not noticing that his heartbeat flared for a moment before going back down.

I woke up to a pair of soft arms wrapping around me. "I don't know what I would do if you were seriously injured." Fluttershy whispered into my ear, not realizing I'm awake. She hesitated for a second, then said three words I thought not possible. "I love you." She whispered, and I felt a pair of gentle lips touch mine for a second before pulling away. The door opened and closed, leaving me alone in the room.

'Did Fluttershy really say that...? Did she really kiss me...?' I cracked open my eyes, letting them get used to the light. I felt my heart flutter slightly as I replayed the words in my head, then the feeling of her lips on mine.

"Oh no..." I said, realizing that I'm in love with Fluttershy. My eyes widened as I realized this and I shook my head. "I really do love her, and she feels the same way..." I said, sinking into the bed slightly. The doctor walked into the room, the same from the first time.

"Long time no see, eh?" He joked, getting a small glare from me.

"I've been better. Let me guess, I can leave in the morning?" I said, getting a chuckle from him.

"You know me too well. Yes, you can leave in the morning. You knocked yourself out falling out of a tree. How did you fall out of the tree?" He asked.

"Well, I was helping Applejack with the apples, but since I can't buck a tree without possibly breaking my legs, I would hop up into the tree and quickly pick them. Apparently the branch I was on was weak and old, because as I was sitting on it, it snapped and I ended up landing on my neck. How is my neck, by the way?" I asked suddenly. He wrote down what I said and answered.

"Your neck is fine, just a little sore from the fall. Lights are going out in thirty minutes, so I would get comfortable for the night." He said, taking out the machines from my body.

"Thanks doc." I said while he was walking out the door. I got up and stretched, a few pops echoing from behind me, then sat back down on the bed. I sat on the bed for a few minutes, then crawled under the covers and fell asleep as the lights were turned off. I woke up in a world of black, nothing surrounding me.

"Daniel." I heard a voice say behind me. I turned around and saw the pony from the first night.

"Hey, it's you from the first time." I said. She nodded and said.

"I'm Princess Luna, goddess of the moon. I can enter others dreams and tell truth from lies." She summed up, waving a hand around.

"So, I'm dreaming right now?" I asked, getting a nod from Luna.

"I joined you here so that you can see into the Element of Kindness' dreams." She said, and snapped a finger. The darkness faded, being replaced by a large grassy field with two figures sitting together in the middle.

"This is Fluttershy's dream?" I asked, looking around. "Yes, she dreams about you often." Luna said. We started walking closer to Fluttershy and the other being, most likely me, and stopped a few feet away.

"I really enjoyed you bringing me out here Danny." Fluttershy said quietly, leaning against the dream me.

"It was my pleasure, 'Shy." The dream me said. They sat together, the dream me having an arm draped over Fluttershy and Fluttershy having her head sitting on my dream self with a large yellow wing wrapped around me. The sun started to set on the horizon, leaving the sky a beautiful orange and red.

My dream self turned to Fluttershy and Fluttershy doing the same. They slowly leaned closer to each other, eventually their lips touching. They stayed like that for a few minutes before everything became dark again.

"Her dreams are very vivid..." I said, an eyebrow cocked.

"They are vivid and they get more... intimate." Luna said, a small blush shining through her dark purple coat.

"Never knew Fluttershy liked me like that. I only learned that she had feelings for me though." I said, a frown finding its way onto my face.

"Yet you've only realized that you had feelings for her also." Luna quipped, her expression blank.

"I never knew that Fluttershy had feelings for me like that," I repeated. "and I felt nervous just thinking about the feelings I have for her..." I said, sitting down on an invisible floor and putting my face into my hands. "I don't want to hurt her by having these damn feelings for her." I said, scratching my chin.

"How will you harm her by having feelings for her? That would make her happy that you feel the same way for her as she does to you." I shook my head and said.

"I would hurt her emotionally, that's a fact. When I die and she still lives, I would be hurting her by that happening. I would hurt her every time I injure myself, possibly handicapping myself during some freak accident, every fight we could possibly have, that could tear us apart if do get together, every-"

"You need to stop thinking of the bad and think of the good. Think about how she will feel every time you hold her, tell her three certain words everyday, every kiss, every time you spend time with her. You have to think about her and not what you could do to her to possibly harm her emotionally." Luna interrupted.

"Princess, if you don't think about every possible consequence about your every action that I have with her. If I got with her, and somepony else had a crush on her and she got with some random guy the other didn't know about, how would that pony react? What would happen if ponies don't agree with Fluttershy dating some hairless ape? What happens when-"

"Daniel!" Luna yelled, the force of her voice sending me tumbling a few yards. "Daniel, you need to know that Fluttershy loves you and you love her, and you need to act on these feelings soon before something happens and one of you are taken away. You are smart for thinking of everything possible for your actions, something a military general should do, but you are only a single being. By yourself, you can't do much, but with others beside you, you can accomplish more. Do you understand?" Luna stated. I sighed and replied.

"Yes, princess." Luna smiled slightly and said. "Good." Her expression went from amusement to a blank stare.

"It will be sunrise soon." And with that, she disappeared and I woke up in the hospital's bed. The doctor walked in and said.

"Ah, you're awake. You can leave as soon as you sign a few things." I nodded and got up. I grabbed my iPod and sunglasses, each going to their respected spots. We walked out and into the waiting room, the nurse behind the counter giving me a clipboard with a couple of sheets of paper.

"Fill out the forms and you'll be good to go." She said with a fake smile. I took the clipboard and pen and sat down in one of the chairs, filling out information. After twenty minutes of writing, I was allowed to go. I walked out and down the path to Ponyville. Some of the ponies gave me a wave, others just ignoring me. I walked to Sugarcube Corner and went inside, seeing Pinkie behind the counter.

"Danny, you're okay!" Pinkie said, shooting across the counter and wrapping me in a hug.

"Hi Pinkie." I said, returning the hug.

"What brings you to Sugarcube Corner? Like I didn't know, you're here to buy a treat?" I nodded and she directed me over to the counter, pointing out different things.

"Actually Pinkie, I was looking for a small box of chocolates." Pinkie stopped and turned around, a wide smile on her face.

"Box of chocolates for a special somepony?" She winked. I nodded once more and she went into the kitchen and returned with a small box of chocolates. "How about this one?" She said, handing me the box. It was an inconspicuous brown box wrapped in a red ribbon, a small bow on the top.

"This is perfect. How much?" I asked, pulling out my wallet.

"Five bits." She said, and I handed her five small gold coins. "Alright!" Pinkie said, pushing a button on the register and putting the coins into the register.

"Thanks Pinkie." I said, walking out. I walked down the street, seeing a flower store across the street. I walked into the building, a small bell ringing as the door opened.

"Just a minute!" A female voice called out. A pale yellow pony with rose colored hair with a green shirt and blue jeans and gloves walked in with a smile. "Welcome to my store! Are you here to buy a bouquet?" She asked.

"Yeah, for a special somepony." I responded. She went into the back room and returned a few minutes later with a large bouquet of roses in her hands. "These are perfect. How much?" I asked, pulling out my wallet.

"It's fifteen bits." She said, handing me the bouquet. I pulled out fifteen of the small coins and handed it to her, then took the bouquet. "Come back soon!" She yelled as I walked out. I started walking down the street, but my stomach growled.

"Guess I can stop to eat something." I said to myself, moving to a small stand.

"Hey Daniel!" Applejack's voice said behind me. I turned around to seeing Applejack standing behind a stand.

"Hey Applejack." I said, walking up to the stand.

"How's ya neck?" Applejack said, leaning onto the stand. I cracked my neck, the loud cracks catching the attention of a few ponies.

"It's good. You mind if I buy some apples?" I said, pulling out my wallet.

"Not at all." She said, pulling out a few apples. "Four bits for three apples." She said. I pulled out four bits and handed her them, she handing me the three apples in a small bag with a small logo on it.

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow." I said, walking away. I walked down the street for about five minutes, then took an apple out and bit into it.

"Damn, these are good!" I said loudly, savoring the taste. I finished off the apple and threw the core into a nearby trashcan, making it from about fifteen feet away. I continued walking the street, seeing the library. I walked to the library, shifting the bouquet, box of chocolates, and bag of apples into one hand while using the other and knocking on the door. The door opened to a short purple colored guy with serpentine eyes and green clothing.

"Hey Twilight, do you know this guy?" He yelled into the library. Twilight came to the door, a strange look on her face.

"Oh, hey Daniel!" She yelled, throwing open the door.

"Hey Twilight, was going to look at a couple of books before going back." I said, walking in.

"Spike, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is my number one assistant, Spike." Twilight said, introducing the two parties.

"Hey." I said, offering a hand. He took it and shook, then smiled.

"I thought that you were giving all that junk to Twilight, sorry." I chuckled and said.

"This is for somepony else. Although..." I said, a devious smile on my lips.

"No Daniel!" Twilight said, pointing a finger at me. I held up my hand in defense and went to the bookshelves, looking at the books. I found one that was about the history of Equestria and held it up to Twilight.

"Can I check this out?" I asked. She nodded and directed me to the door.

"Good day." She said, pushing me out the door with one hand. I started walking back to the cottage, finally done stalling the inevitable. After twenty minutes, I made it back to Fluttershy's cottage and walked in.

"Hey Fluttershy!" I yelled, but received no answer. I sighed in relief, glad I didn't have to do this immediately. I went into the dining room and set the stuff up to be seen immediately as you walk in. I wrote a quick note down on a sheet of paper, then went upstairs and turned on my music. I opened the book and started reading, taking an apple out of the bag and taking a bite. A few hours passed without any noises besides my music and the occasional flip of the page.

I was almost done with the book when the door was opened abruptly and a yellow and pink bullet wrapped its arms around me. I felt something push against my lips and froze altogether. I looked down to seeing Fluttershy, her eyes closed and her lips locked with mine. Her arms were wrapped around my entire body, a small blush on her cheeks.

I closed my eyes and savored the smell of her hair, the smell of different flowers put into one, and the feeling of her soft lips pressed against mine. After what seemed like forever, she pulled away and I opened my eyes.

"Hi." I said with a large grin on my face. Fluttershy had a wide smile that looked like Pinkie's, a small gleam in her eyes.

"Hi." She said with an uncharacteristic happiness in her voice.

"Alright, who are you, and what have you done with Fluttershy?" I said jokingly. She blinked a few times, blushed furiously, and darted out of my room.

"Flutter...shy?" I said confusedly. I got up and walked to her room, hearing soft crying from inside the room. I opened the door and walked inside.

"Go away!" Fluttershy yelled, her eyes red and puffy.

"Fluttershy, what's wrong? You didn't do anything wrong..." I said, walking over to her. She flinched and tried crawling away. "Fluttershy, please." I said, wrapping my arms around her. She froze and looked up at me.

"I-I shouldn't have done that. Now you'll hate me forever." I put a finger on her lips and said.

"Who said I was going to hate you for a small peck?" She shook her head and started crying into my arms. "Fluttershy, you didn't do anything wrong. You came into my room and gave me a kiss on the lips. That's all that you've done to me. You don't have to feel bad about that." I said, pulling her closer.

"What I did was wrong and out of place." I didn't answer, just put my arms on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"Fluttershy. Please." I whispered. Her eyes were watering slightly, but she smiled. We looked into each other eyes for a long time, until I leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips myself. She froze, her eyes wide, and metaphorically melted into the kiss. She closed her eyes and pushed herself farther into the kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck as I had my arms wrapped around her.

Her wings started splaying slightly as we continued to kiss, her arousal apparent. As I pulled away, a small frown formed on her face and she opened her eyes.

"Thank you Daniel." She whispered. I wrapped an arm around her and said.

"For the last few days, I've been feeling that we had the same feelings for each other, so I decided to act upon my feelings." I said, a smile forming on her face.

"I've been having feelings for the last few days actually. I was so afraid that you didn't like me that I tried staying away from you. I hope I didn't make you feel awkward or anything." I chuckled and said.

"Fluttershy, you couldn't possibly make me feel awkward. I've been waiting to say this, and it took a little bit of time for me to muster this up." I hesitated for a moment or two, then sighed. "Fluttershy, I love you." Fluttershy's eyes went wide and a smile formed on her lips.

"Oh Daniel, I love you too." She said, wrapping her arms around me. I returned her hug fully, then pulled away and kissed her on the lips once more. I felt amazing, and I didn't want this to end. She pulled away and blushed a little as she looked into my eyes. "Do you think that, um..." She trailed off.

"Yes, Fluttershy." I said, already knowing what she wanted. She smiled and got up, walking out with a small sway in her hips. I went to my room and grabbed some clothes, going to the bathroom and pulling off my dirty clothes. I hopped into the shower and turned on the water, getting a blast of cold water before turning warm.

I sat there, letting the water run for a while until I decided to wash up a little. I felt arms wrap around my stomach and yelped in surprise. I heard Fluttershy giggling behind me. "Really Fluttershy?" I said, turning around. She was fully naked, her large breasts hanging slightly against her body. "Well then." I said, pulling a new bottle of shampoo and body wash to my body. I started rubbing my body down with the nice smelling shampoo, setting the bottle down and using both arms to rub the soap into my skin. I got a little more and started washing my hair, then turned around and wrapped my arms around Fluttershy. She squeaked in surprise and pushed her breasts against my chest.

"Don't do that!" She said angrily.

"Fine then, I won't hug you." I said in mock pout. Her expression turned sorrowful and she said.

"I didn't mean that... I just meant to not scare me..." She said sadly, tears brimming her eyes.

"I was only playing 'Shy." I said, wrapping my arms around her and setting my head onto her.

"That's the first time I heard you actually not call me by my full name." She giggled.

"A pet name? Meh..." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Alright, Danny." She giggled. I groaned, hearing Pinkie's pet name for me since day one. I washed off the soap from my hair, seeing her chest and the top of her head covered in soap.

"Alright. We can do this in the bedroom." I said, realizing I just said it and facepalmed. She giggled and started washing off the soap from her body. I got out and dried off quickly, putting on my clothes and going to my room. I checked the fifteen bags of coins sitting in my closet, then grabbed my iPod and wallet from my room. I walked out and saw Fluttershy go into her room.

I followed behind, turning off my music and making sure that the alarm was set in the morning. I walked into her room, Fluttershy pulling the covers over her and looking at the door. I saw that she was only wearing underwear and a bra, so I pulled off my clothes, down to my boxers, and crawled into the bed, setting my iPod and wallet on her nightstand. She cuddled into my arms, nuzzling into my chest.

"Can you ask Applejack if you can get weekends off? I want to spend some time with you, go somewhere nice..." She trailed off, nuzzling farther into my chest.

"I'll ask her, not sure if she would let it happen though. Knowing Applejack though, she would let us spend some time together." I answered, hugging her. I sat there, holding Fluttershy, until I felt her shifting upwards. I looked down and saw that she was looking up at me cutely. I kissed her on the forehead, which got a sigh of content from Fluttershy. She nuzzled back into my chest, falling asleep, while I laid there trying to go to sleep. I eventually fell asleep, but woke up in the same darkness as last night.

"You were successful?" Luna's voice said behind me. I turned around and saw her standing a few feet away.

"Yeah..." I said, looking off into the distance.

"She must've been ecstatic when she heard those words." Luna said, a smug grin on her face.

"Yeah, she was." I said once more.

"Let's take a look at her dreams once more?" Luna said, snapping her fingers. A familiar scene entered the space around us, but through Fluttershy's perspective. She was crying into her pillow when the door opened and I stepped through, a look of concern replacing my confused expression. I walked inside, and Fluttershy yelled."Go away!"

The same events transpired as it did an hour ago, only with Fluttershy's emotions and thoughts.

"Fluttershy will being visiting your memory later tonight." Luna said as the memory ended.

"Alright." I said simply, then darkness overtook everything as I fell into a dreamless state.

Fluttershy was playing the same dream from last night when Luna arrived in her dream.

"Hello Fluttershy." Luna said, walking up to her. Fluttershy smiled and returned the greeting.

"Tonight, we will be looking at your loves memory of what transpired earlier." Fluttershy blushed, remembering what happened in the shower. They started in the guest bedroom, with Fluttershy running out of the room crying.

"Flutter...shy?" Daniel said confused. He walked out of the room and down the hallway, concern flaring up inside of the memory/dream to the point that Luna started choking on the emotion. He opened the door, with Fluttershy yelling at him. Concern only increased as he walked farther into the room, with Fluttershy crawling away from him. Soon, the concern turned to love and happiness, with a song playing in his head that was perfect for the moment. After a moment of them sitting in the bedroom, the memory slowly faded away as a smoke.

"You have the perfect love. His concern is nearly overwhelming for you, as well as is his love for you." Fluttershy looked at Luna.

"What was his fear for?" Luna sighed and said.

"Before his coming to this world, his heart was broken multiple times, and eventually his father and a mafia grunt beat into his head that love is something that makes you weak. After being beat for weeks at a time, he finally locked his emotions away and became a heartless brute." Fluttershy gasped as she remembered his condition when he first came to the world.

"He discussed this with Twilight Sparkle already. She tried to convince him, only for him to push her away. She asked for me to help him, and I did. Last night was the night I finally made my move and finally convinced him to go out and find his love. He realized that he loved you more than anypony else in this world and made his move on you, and it was luck that you loved him. He's very smart, his wits is what kept him alive in his world.

"After his sixteenth birthday, the mafia finally came for him, only for him to beat the life from a man almost twice his size and attempt to escape. At the hands of the family is what the condition you found him in." Fluttershy was having second thoughts about Daniel, especially when she heard he took another life. "You mustn't second guess yourself or Daniel, for he has his purpose in this world. Qui semel servabit." With that, Luna disappeared and left Fluttershy confused.

"What does that mean?" Fluttershy said. 'Should I trust the princess, let alone Daniel?' Fluttershy thought. She imagined Daniel, angry and beating a man larger than him, and shuddered. 'He's been so nice since he came here, nothing as the princess said he was. Twilight should know.' Fluttershy thought, a plan forming in her head.

Lunae Sicut Stellae

Let me say something before we get to the story. Fluttershy and I have been dating for three months, and she has gotten a LOT more assertive then she was before. Instead of the shy and timid girl, you have the happy and fun girl that listens to lots of music on my iPod. Something was happening today, something that I hated for most of my life.

I was on the farm, and had spent the last three days chopping firewood for winter, or to sell to others. The chopping block, in a secluded part of the farm, was surrounded by pieces of firewood ready to dry. It had been unnaturally dry the last few days, and the pegasi had scheduled a storm for tomorrow. I was running around with small stacks of wood in my hands, placing them into large cords of firewood and throwing an equally large tarp over them enchanted to keep out weather and bugs. Lots of the firewood has already been placed into cords and covered with tarps, but I was frantically running around to get the last bits of firewood into a cord and covered.

I put the last bits of firewood into the cord, then covered it, and started chopping more firewood. I picked up the axe, the dull blade badly needing to be sharpened, and started to chop the wood. An hour later, the axe blade was so dull that it couldn't cut through the wood completely. I sighed and muttered.

"I need to sharpen the axe." I wiped away the beads of sweat with my arm, then took off my shirt and placed it on my shoulder, holding the axe against the other. I started walking towards the farmhouse, the apple trees barren of their fruit. I heard some voices coming from inside the houses, two female voices that are so familiar that I can name them off in an instant. I walked to the barn and pushed open the door, the smell of hay and apples assaulting my nostrils immediately.

I started walking towards the back of the barn, an open doorway with a dim light coming from inside. I walked inside and saw some tools lining the walls, with a few pieces of equipment laying around. I saw the grindstone sitting by itself in the middle of the room. I walked over to the grindstone, taking a seat and pushing my foot to the pedal, starting up the stone wheel. I started using the one pedal to start pushing the wheel faster, the stone increasing each pedal. It reached the desirable speed, and I pressed the axe to the grindstone, sparks flying off the axe and stone and axe as they touched. I let off the grindstone, checking the blade for any damage.

I put the axe to the grindstone once more, sparks flying off and lighting the room in a spectactical color of orange. I continued sharpening the axe, letting off every so often to not damage the blade. After twenty minutes, I finished sharpening and stepped outside the barn.

"Daniel!" Applejack's voice called out. I walked outside, shirt on one shoulder, axe on the other, and looked around. I walked to the farmhouse, stepping inside and looking around.

"Do you know where that boy went?" Applejack's said to somepony.

"Nope.avi" Big Mac's deep voice answered. I walked outside and saw eight figures standing outside, all waiting for me I guess.

"You appear to have trodden on a mine!" I said, imitating the demoman from Team Fortress 2. The eight figures spun around, surprised.

"What was that?" Rainbow asked.

"Nothing." I lied, looking away.

"So, what brings you to the farm?" Fluttershy walked up to me, and whispered.

"Something special is happening today..." She said, a sultry smile on her face. My eyes widened and I yelled.

"You aren't getting any licks on me damn it!" I ran off, leaving the eight figures standing in stunned confusion.

"What was that?" Applejack asked.

"Apparently something happens today that he hates, and it so happens to be Fluttershy's birthday today." Twilight said, scratching her chin. Pinkie started twitching, her ears flopping.

"Twitching, ears flopping, legs pinching... It's someponys birthday! I know everyponys birthday today..." Pinkie said, scratching her head. "It's Daniel's birthday today!" Pinkie yelled, summing up her thought process for the last three seconds.

"If it was his birthday today, then why did he say that and run away?" Fluttershy asked, wiping away tears. Twilight gave a deadpanned look, and Fluttershy face palmed. "I keep forgetting that damn father of his..." She muttered.

"So what does he mean by 'licks'?" Rainbow asked.

"How about we go ask him?" Applejack said, hearing the distant sound of Daniel chopping wood. Applejack started for the chopping block, leaving everypony to follow her slowly. The sound of woodchopping became clear, and everypony started picking up their pace. Applejack saw Daniel, chopping firewood, seeing the many cords hes chopped in the last three days.

"Sweet Celestia boy, do you do anything slow?" Applejack said. Daniel turned around and nearly threw the axe at Applejack, then turned around once more.

"I'm not doing anything fast." He muttered, starting to chop wood once more.

"What do you mean by 'licks' when you ran off?" Applejack said, grabbing the axe and nearly getting launched into the air.

"Whenever it's someones birthday, his friends and family give him punches, or licks, to any part of the body. My dad so happens to give his licks to the face whenever it's my birthday." He answered.

"You know we won't do that to ya Daniel. This isn't Earth, this is Equestria. Ponies here won't hurt ya on yer birthday." Applejack said. "Also, what pony works on their birthday?" Applejack asked, a bit angry that he kept this under wraps.

"People that don't care for birthdays or hate them?" He quipped.
]

"Ponies celebrate their birthdays, not hide it from their friends Daniel." Applejack deadpanned.

"You should give the birthday pony his wish and leave." Daniel jested.

"I'm not leaving mah own farm." Applejack said angrily.

"Then allow me." He said, throwing the axe down and walking away. Applejack shook her head angrily and walked back to the farmhouse, passing her friends.

"That went downhill quickly..." Rainbow commented.

"Shut up Rainbow. This isn't a good time." Twilight said, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"I wonder where he went..." Rarity said idly.

"He might've gone home, ran off to some distant part of Ponyville, or into the Everfree Forest." Pinkie said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Great..." Twilight groaned, rubbing her temples. "Alright, split into two groups and search Ponyville. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are the eyes above, while the rest of us are searching ground." Twilight commanded, walking off towards Ponyville. The groups split up and they started searching the town. Daniel was walking through Ponyville, occasionally stepping into a store to check something out. I walked into the same rose store as before, getting the same greeting.

"Just a moment!" The girl yelled. A few seconds later, she appeared from the back room. "Welcome to my store, please, browse the flowers." She said, beckoning to the flowers around the store.

"I'm here to get a single rose." I said, walking up to the counter. She held up a finger, then went into the back room and returned with a single rose.

"That will be two bits." She said. I handed over the bits and took the rose, walking out of the store. I looked at the stores, seeing nothing of interest, until I came across a jewelry store. I walked in, an old pony with a ring held in his hand.

"Hello, welcome to Etsy, the Ponyville's only jewelry store." The stallion said. He placed the ring on the counter, then looked over to me. "Tall feller you are. Here to look at a few pieces for a special somepony?" He said.

"Yeah, also, do you have any necklaces for stallions?" I asked. He nodded and pulled out a few necklaces, some with a tooth or an arrowhead on it, but I saw one that caught my attention. It was a pair of dog tags coated in blue flames with the words 'hatred' and 'sin' engraved into them.

"How much for these?" I asked. He frowned and said.

"Most ponies ask what they are, and I don't know too much myself. None actually buy them. They are twenty five bits." He said. I gave him twenty five bits, then started looking at rings, necklaces, and bracelets. Out of the fifty items he pulled out, I looked at two that I thought Fluttershy would like. One was a bracelet with sapphires adorning it. The other was a necklace with a yellow sapphire in it, then two small pink butterflies on each side.

"How much for these two?" I asked.

"A hundred fifty for the bracelet, and two hundred for the necklace." I pulled out the required amount, then gave it to him. He counted the bits, then put each of the pieces into a light yellow casing. "Pleasure doing business with ya." He said, waving me out. I pocketed each of the pieces, put on the dog tags, then picked up the rose and walked out. It felt good to spend some of the bits I've been earning, since most of it was just building up in the guests room closet. Have half of the closet absolutely full with bags of bits.

I walked around Ponyville for a bit, occasionally putting my hands into my pockets to check on the pieces of jewelry. I went into a restaurant, the place not looking too busy.

"Hello, welcome to The Ponies Horseshoe." A bored looking waitress said.

"Meal for one." I said. She picked up a menu from the side of a table, then started walking into the bowels of the restaurant. She stopped at a booth next to the window, then placed the menu on the table. I took a seat, then picked up the menu and quickly scanned it. They had a few meals with meat in it, including a ham and cheese sandwich. I decided on a soda called Pony Cola, with the ham and cheese sandwich with fries.

I waited a few minutes before a waiter finally showed up. I told her my order, staring out the window, lost in thought. I watched some of the ponies as they walked by, talking and laughing.

"Here's your meal sir." The waiter said, placing a plate and drink on the table. I ate and paid, then walked out. I couldn't think of anything to do in town, but never actually spent much time in town. I walked around, eventually coming across a bowling alley.

"They have bowling here?" I asked, a bit surprised. I walked inside, hearing the familiar sound of balls hitting the pins, with some arcade games on the side. I walked over to the counter, the mare behind the counter reading a magazine. She looked up and saw me looking at the balls.

"How many?" She asked.

"One lane, full game." I said. She pulled out a large fifteen pound bowling ball, then said.

"Lane twenty six." I looked at the lanes, seeing lane twenty six a little way from the counter.

"Fifteen bits." She said. I pulled out fifteen bits, gave it to her, then made my way to the lane. I placed my ball on the seat next to the computer, punched in my initials, then started the game. I picked up the ball, moved over to the lane, then measured my shot. I swung the ball down the lane, the ball now becoming a speeding bullet, and pulled a strike. I waited for the pins to reset and my ball to be returned to me. The ball popped up, and I picked it up once more. I continued bowling, every time I throw the ball down the lane, I get a strike.

By the end of the game, I had a crowd around me, cheering. The last frame was in sight, and I threw the ball down the lane once more. It hit the pins with a loud clack, the lane resetting the pins and sending the ball back. The ball returned and the lane reset, I threw it down once more, a bit slower with a slight curve to it. The ball hit, picking up the last strike of the game. Everypony started cheering, and I got the ball and returned it to the mare behind the counter.

"How long have you been bowling?" She asked, surprised that I was able to get a perfect game.

"I've bowled... four times before this." I said, trying to remember before this.

"Horse apples. Somepony that only played five games and able to pull a perfect game? You must've played for years!" She said.

"Believe what you will." I said with a shrug. The crowd dispersed and went back to their own games, and I walked out of the bowling alley. I made my way to the cottage, seeing the sun starting to set behind the horizon. I walked on the cobblestone sidewalk, making my way to home before it got dark. I got home, only to see the home dark inside.

"Guess Fluttershy is out." I said, scratching my head. I walked to the door, opening it up and stepping inside. I flicked the lights on, then went to the kitchen and set the two cases on the table. I wasn't hungry, so I took a shower and walked to the bedroom. There was a note on the door.

Dear Daniel,

The girls and I have been looking for you all day. If you come home before we do, please know that we aren't going to harm you. Today was my birthday, and we learned that it was your birthday also. Coincidence? I think so. We'll be back at the cottage at sundown, so please wait for us, if that's alright with you.

Fluttershy

I read the note, then heard the front door open. I walked down to the first floor, seeing the six females walk in. They were holding various presents in their hands, talking to each other. I cleared my throat, all of them turning to me.

"Where have you been?" Rainbow yelled, running up to me and getting in my face.

"Well, I went to work, got driven off by Applejack, went to lunch, bowled for a good three hours, then came home. Just got that note on the door." I said, walking into the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Twilight asked. I didn't answer, but grabbed the two cases and rose from the dining room and walked back in.

"A few things for you, my dear Fluttershy." I said, revealing the rose. She blushed and took the rose in her hands. I put my other hand behind my back, taking a case in each hand, popping the tops with a finger, then revealed the jewelry. She looked at the jewelry, her eyes widening.

"Are those for me?" She asked, excitement in her voice.

"Naw, it's for Rainbow Dash." I said sarcastically. She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip.

"Here, just don't give me that face." I said, feeling my heart cracking. She grabbed the boxes and squealed. She put the bracelet and necklace on, getting murmurs of approval from her friends.

"Got myself something also." I continued, pulling out the flaming dog tags.

"Those look sweet!" Rainbow said.

"I wanted to get them enchanted to actually look like they're on fire." I said, putting them back into my shirt.

"I could do that." Twilight said.

"What are you, talented in magic?" I said sarcastically. Twilight gave a deadpanned look, not amused.

"I don't like your tone of voice young lady." I said sternly, shaking a finger at her.

"I didn't even talk!" Twilight yelled irritably.

"You did just then." I pointed out. Rainbow and Pinkie started laughing, with a few giggles from the others.

"I win!" I yelled, jumping onto the couch. "What's my prize?" I asked, sitting like a dog on the couch. I got a pillow to the side of the head. "That really hurts Twilight." I said, pouting.

"I don't care if it's your birthday today, I will hurt you." She said.

"Fine then, I don't care for your birthday either, Mrs. Sparkle." I said.

"Stop acting like a child." Twilight said sternly.

"You're forgetting, I'm only seventeen. I'm still a teen." I said.

"Then stop acting like a brat." She said.

"Merp." I answered. "You also forget, I've been grown up to be the biggest asshole ever." I said.

"Will you two stop fighting?" Pinkie said.

"Yes Mrs. Sparkle, do control your emotions." I said. I felt something hit my head and I yelped in surprise.

"That didn't hurt me at all." I said, rubbing the spot where she punched me.

"What do you want, a cookie?" Twilight said angrily.

"Maybe, maybe not." I said, running into the kitchen. "Where are the cookies?" I yelled, searching the cabinets.

"We don't have any." Fluttershy said.

"Damn it!" I yelled, slamming a cabinet closed. "You win this time, karma!" I said, shaking my fist at the ceiling.

"Karma's a bitch." Twilight said smugly. I cleared my throat.

"Alright." I said in my normal monotone voice.

"What happened to being childish?" Twilight said, surprised. I shrugged and said.

"I've had my fun for the next month. Back to work." I said, going upstairs.

"Wait, aren't you going to stay for your party?" Pinkie said.

"What's a party? Is it a type of candy?" I asked, faking ignorance.

"You've never been to a party?" Pinkie gasped.

"Yeah..." I said flatly.

"Well, get your behind down here!" Applejack said, grabbing my arm.

"Augh!" I yelled as I got slammed into the wall.

"Sorry." Applejack said sheepishly.

"Are you okay?!" Fluttershy said running up to me. I pulled my face from the wall, seeing a small imprint in the wall. I rubbed it for a moment.

"What the hell?" I muttered. I stood up, feeling something leaking down my face. I touched my upper lip and felt something hot. "Great... Broken nose." I said, touching my nose and hissing in pain. I went upstairs and washed off my face of blood, then stopping it with some tissue.

"You okay Daniel?" Rainbow said, poking her head into the bathroom.

"My nose is broken, otherwise I'm perfectly fine." I said flatly.

"Twilight!" Rainbow yelled.

"What?!" Twilight yelled back.

"Daniel's nose is broken!" She yelled back. A round of gasps reached my ears, then a stampede of hooves hitting wood.

"Ha, hitting wood." I said, chuckling.

"No breaking the fourth wall damn it! Only Pinkie and Deadpool is allowed to do that." The author said angrily.

"Wait... is Deadpool coming to the story?" I asked, anticipation leaking into my words.

"Maybe... Maybe not." The author said.

"You bastard!" I yelled.

"Who are you talking to?" Rainbow asked.

"The author." I said shrugging.

"Who's this author?" Twilight said.

"The author of the story?" I said.

"What story?" Applejack said.

"Don't answer that Daniel." The author said.

"Who was that?" Pinkie yelled, looking around.

"Pinkie, stop faking the ignorance. I know you can see me." The author said.

"Yeah, I know. I know I'm your favorite also." Pinkie giggled. The author started coughing furiously.

"I like your alter ego, but the energetic side is my second favorite." The author said, clearing his throat.

"You mean the psychotic murderer side? Why would you like her? She's a meany mean pants!" Pinkie said.

"Cause, he's insane. Now get out and continue writing this damn story." I said irritably, pushing him out the door.

"You aren't going to get Fluttershy's ass anytime soon if you don't stop damn it." The author said. I clocked him upside the head and said.

"I'm not in this relationship for a piece of flank. I genuinely love Fluttershy, and I'm not a normal fucker like the guys on Earth." I said.

"Your lucky I can't feel pain, or I would put you in the middle of heat season right now. Have fun running away from mares for a week!" He said, getting tossed outside, via window.

"Now that the fourth wall has been utterly destroyed, I'm going to bed." I said, walking into the bedroom.

"That was weird." Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity said at the same damn time.

"That was fun!" Pinkie said, hopping into the air.

"Twilight, can you fix Daniel's nose before you leave?" Fluttershy asked timidly, glancing at the bedroom door.

"Sure... Just need to bring him here." Twilight answered. Fluttershy walked into the bedroom, seeing the half naked form of her love laying in bed.

"Daniel? Twilight wants to fix your nose." Fluttershy said, shaking him awake.

"Alright." He said irritably. He got up and put on his shorts, then walked out. Fluttershy and Daniel walked down the stairs together. The girls looked up and each blushed, seeing the Daniel's tone body.

"Daniel dear, why didn't you take off your shirt?" Rarity asked.

"I was going to sleep, but I need to get my nose fixed. " He answered.

"Lets get started, shall we?" Twilight said, clapping her hands together.

"Whatever." He answered.

"What's got you in a bad mood?" Rainbow asked.

"Well, first of all, having to throw out the damn author, then being woken from sleep." Daniel shrugged.

"Lets do this quickly then..." Twilight said. She started casting the spells, and a few cracks came from his nose. After the spell was done, Daniel took a deep breath through his nose.

"Perfect..." Daniel said, rubbing his nose.

"Great! I have been meaning to test that healing spell on somepony, just never got the chance." Twilight said, clapping her hands together. Rainbow yawned loudly.

"I'm tired, so I'll see ya guys!" She said as she flew out the door.

"I gotta get goin' to. Daniel, I need you up bright and early." Applejack said.

"I'm getting up at five in the morning every damn day. It takes me a fucking hour to get to the damn farm." Daniel responded, rubbing an eye.

"What's with all the swearing?" Twilight asked.

"Whenever I get irritable, I start swearing like a sailor." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I must catch up on my orders, ta ta!" Rarity said, waving a hand as she walked out the door. Pinkie followed suit, hopping behind her.

"I must get going. See you guys!" Twilight said, leaving Fluttershy and Daniel to stand in the semi-dirty living room.

"I'll start cleaning..." Daniel said, grabbing cups. Fluttershy grabbed the presents, which Daniel will open tomorrow, and went upstairs. Daniel washed the cups, put them away, and followed Fluttershy shortly after. She was in her normal nightwear, which was bra and panties. It had been awkward the first few times, since Daniel got boners from seeing her like that. Now, Daniel slips off his clothes and joins her in the semi nude environment.

Daniel slipped off his shorts, then crawled into bed, wrapping his arms around Fluttershy and snuggling into her head. Fluttershy twisted around and planted a kiss on his nose. He returned the kiss on the lips, then snuggled further into her head. Fluttershy cuddled against his large chest, and fell asleep shortly after. Daniel followed suit, not noticing the black form outside the window.

AN: Big problem guys. First, I've been putting off these chapters for Xbox, and now I'm going on a full week vacation. I'm not sure if I will be able to write while there, but I know one thing. EXTRA LONG CHAPTER FOR THE AWESOME FANS! Most likely a 20k-35k chapter for the long postponing.

Author's Notes:

Notice that my story is a bit slice of life, but the action will come later in the story when something exciting happens.

Tenebrarum Amplexus Intra ...

"Where do you want to go, 'Shy?" I asked, dressed in my normal suit and fedora.

"Can we go to the Trotting Stallion?" Fluttershy asked, holding a coin purse in her hands.

"Isn't that the fancy restaurant over by the library?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. I was hoping we could go there, if that's alright with you..." She said timidly. I wrapped an arm around her, kissing her cheek, then went upstairs and got my wallet and iPod, then came back downstairs.

"I think I have enough for the restaurant..." I said, jiggling the bags of coins in my pockets.

"I think you have enough to buy the restaurant out..." She joked, placing Angel in his cage. She walked to the front door, where I was holding the door, and walked out, a small blush on her cheeks. We walked into Ponyville, the night sky bright and beautiful.

'Not as beautiful as 'Shy' I thought, giving myself a small smile. She was wearing a long green dress that reached down to her ankles, and pink shoes that somehow matched the dress.

'Fashion, something I'll never understand.' I thought, making my way to the library, then to the Trotting Stallion. The restaurant itself was a large structure, indoor and outdoor tables surrounding the restaurant, with stallions and mares in suits and elegant dresses as waiters, and the smell of meat wafted out to draw in customers. I thought since they called themselves ponies that they didn't eat meat, but I learned the first weeks that they still do, except most prefer to eat veggies and fruits.

We walked into the restaurant, a group of ponies in front of us but otherwise the restaurant was sort of... empty. Ponies dotted the room, but most of the tables were empty and awaiting newcomers. A waiter grabbed the assorted amount of menus from the side of the podium, and another took his place, writing down something. We stepped forward, expecting quick service, except the guy ignored us for a minute until I cleared my throat. He looked up, an irritated look on his face, then he saw us and gave a strained smile.

"Hello, and welcome to the Trotting Stallion. We hope you enjoy your stay. How many?" He questioned.

"Only two." I said. He grabbed two menus, then led us to a table. We sat down, and I flipped through the menu, looking for the beverages. I found them on the back of the menu, and chose a soda from the bottom of the page.

"Hello, I'll be your waiter for this evening. What will you like to drink?" A female voice said.

"Water." Fluttershy said, looking at the menu.

"Nilla's Soda." I answered, looking up at the waitress. She wrote down the two drinks, then walked away. I went back to the menu, looking for something I thought was edible, but most of the foods had flowers or hay within the recipes. I took a sandwich that had loads of veggies on it, but no flowers or hay.

"How do you like it so far?" Fluttershy asked, looking at me.

"A few problems with the restaurant so far, but overall it's alright." I answered, cracking my knuckles.

"Really? What problems?" She asked.

"That waiter at the front was a jackass, and ignored us for a full minute until I got his attention. Most of the recipes here have hay or flowers here, thus not edible to me, and the decor here is a bit... bland." I said, giving her a deadpan look. Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't find an argument and kept silent.

"I always thought about this, but what do you do while I'm at the farm?" I asked, giving her a curious look. She looked up and said.

"I watch after the animals, mostly just feeding them and grooming them, and some of the ponies from town with pets come to me incase they get sick or injured. I go to the market once a week, along with to the spa with Rarity."

"Huh, I didn't know you went to the spa with Rarity..." I said.

"Really? I've been going to the spa with Rarity before you came here." She said.

"I've never been to the spa..." I said, looking around for the waiter.

"I could take you to the spa sometime, when you have a chance." She said. The waiter arrived with the drinks, then took our orders and walked away once more. I took a sip of the soda, the grape flavored carbonated water running down my throat.

"I would like to go bowling tomorrow." I said, taking another sip.

"That sounds fun! Let's get the girls into it also." Fluttershy said.

"What day do you normally go to the spa with Rarity?" I asked.

"Thursday. Rarity says that Thursday the most stressful day of the week." She answered, taking a sip of water.

"I would say Monday is, because that's the beginning of the week." I said with a grin. She giggled, and the food arrived. The waiter walked away with a small smile, and we began to eat.

"What do you do normally on the farm?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well, when it's Applebuck season, I pick the apples. I also work the plow with Big Mac, along with woodchopping, planting potatoes, carrots, corn, and I help Applejack carry buckets of water to water the trees when a draught or something passes through. There's loads more to do, but that's the major stuff." I explained, naming off stuff from the top of my head.

"That sounds stressful..." Fluttershy said.

"It's not as bad as I had before I came here." I said, stretching, then continued to eat. We ate in relative silence, finishing up. The waiter came over with the bill and handed it to me. I looked at the total cost, which was only thirty bits, and I left behind said amount and a tip. I wrapped an arm around Fluttershy as we walked back to the cottage, and I looked up at the moon.

"Luna did a good job." I said,continuing to walk.

"She sure did. She tries so hard to make it beautiful at night." Fluttershy said.

"I bet. I wonder what she did while she was on the moon." I said idly.

"Who knows... I wonder how she even survived up there. There shouldn't be any food up there." Fluttershy said, scratching her head.

"Can't she just create food and water?" I asked, looking down at Fluttershy. She looked up at me and shrugged, and we saw the cottage in the distance. The animals were mostly asleep, so we just walked inside and sat onto the couch.

"I've always wondered how my hair has stayed short all this time." I said, brushing a hand over it.

"You certainly have a shadow though." She said wistfully, brushing a soft hand across my chin.

"Normally I have to cut my hair every month to keep it from growing long, but I haven't touched it with scissors since I came here." I said, looking at Fluttershy. I felt her kiss me, and returned it. I felt her pushing me down onto the couch, still kissing me, and I felt my head hit the pillow. We pulled away from each other, catching our breath.

"How did you become a great kisser?" She asked me with a grin.

"How the hell am I supposed to know? Never had a girlfriend before, let alone seen a girl as beautiful as you." I said, brushing a hand across her cheek. She blushed lightly and giggled.

"Plus, I never would've had time for a girl such as you on Earth. Even if I did escape my father and the mafia, they would've continued hunting me down, and anyone that came within contact with me would've been in danger." I continued.

"I'm really glad I came here and met you... It was like a weight was lifted off of me when you brought me here." I said. She kissed me on the lips once more and said.

"I'm glad you came here. I couldn't think of what I would be doing if you didn't come here. I would've probably been the same shy thing that you fell in love with." I looked her in the eyes and said.

"True, but I love you now more than ever. I don't care if you were shy, or assertive, or anything. I would love you no matter how you acted around others." She giggled once more and kissed me. I returned the kiss fully.

'Do you really think she believes that?' A voice said in my head. I ignored it, and continued kissing her.

'I'm coming for you tomorrow, and you won't see that bag of worthless flesh anymore.' The voice continued. I got angry, and nearly spoke out loud at the voice, only to realize I was still kissing Fluttershy.

'She isn't worthless flesh. She's probably worth more than you, fucking creep.' I thought, pulling away.

"I've been thinking... Should I shave this, or should I keep it?" I asked Fluttershy.

"I think you should shave it. It tickles my chin uncomfortably whenever we kiss." She said, scratching the growing beard.

"Alright." I said. She got up and went upstairs. I sat on the couch for a moment, thinking about the mysterious voice, but shrugged it off. I went upstairs, undressed from the suit, grabbed a towel, and stepped into the shower. I turned on the water, only to hear a knock on the door.

"Come in." I called out. The door opened up.

"Mind if I joined you?" She asked, and I saw through the curtain her undressing.

"Don't mind at all..." I said, heating the water a bit. I saw the curtain get pulled back and Fluttershy stepped in, her large breasts and vagina exposed to me. I stared for a moment, then realized I was staring and turned my head away.

"I don't mind if you look, since I'm already doing the same." She said smugly. I looked at her with a grin.

"Do you like what you see?" I asked. She giggled and nodded.

"You got lucky." She said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah... I read that most guys in Equestria are on average five inches. Yours is easily four inches longer." She said.

"It's basically like guys on Earth then..." I said. "I read on a website called Wikipedia that it's normally like five point one or something like that." I continued.

"Interesting. Strange that Earth and Equestria has a little in common." She said.

"Should wash up or we would be wasting hot water." I said, grabbing a bottle of body wash. She started giggling, grabbing her own bottle of body wash and shampoo. I rubbed the body wash into my skin, then washed it off quickly and moved to the side. I got out of the shower, although awkwardly, and grabbed my towel. I dried off, then put on a clean pair of boxers. I walked out and into the bedroom, hearing the water shut off a few minutes later.

The door opened and Fluttershy walked in, laying down on the bed. I wrapped an arm around her, feeling that she doesn't actually have her bra or panties on.

"Trying something new?" I asked.

"I did this when I was alone, and now *yawn* I feel comfortable enough that I can do this with you now." She said.

"You could've done this when we actually slept together the first time. Doesn't matter to me. Your house." I said.

"Yeah, but you make most of the money here. I'm surprised you still earn that much from working as a farmhand. Most jobs only pay like two hundred a week." She said.

"I guess I'm just lucky. Anyway, she's tried pushing raises onto me, but I keep telling her I'm content with making what I am right now. Don't need more money to just stuff into the closet, now do we?" I said, chuckling.

"You just put it into the closet? I put all of my spare into the bank." She said.

"I didn't notice that there was a bank in town." I said, scratching my head.

"You haven't been into the town all that often." She said.

"True, but I've been into town enough times to see all the buildings and remember the streets." I responded.

"It's next to the train station." She deadpanned.

"Well, I've never been to the train station." I said.

"It's between the library and Sugarcube Corner, and the bank is the building next to it." She said. We both fell silent, and I fell asleep a few minutes later.

Fluttershy woke up, as always, except that Daniel's alarm awoke her. She grabbed the device and put in the password quickly, turning off the alarm. She looked in the bed, only to see it empty.

'Strange, he never leaves his iPod at home, nor his wallet.' She thought as she picked up both items. She opened her dresser and pulled out bra, underwear, and a simple green dress and put it on. Once she got dressed, she walked downstairs, seeing that his work boots were next to the door, as always.

"Did he not go to work?" She asked out loud. She walked into the kitchen and saw it empty, so she grabbed a pair of shoes and walked outside. She made her way quickly to Sweet Apple Acres, seeing Applejack bucking apples.

"Hey Applejack, have you seen Daniel?" She asked. Applejack turned to Fluttershy and said.

"I haven't seen him at all today. I was pretty sure he was taking an extra day off and I was okay with it." She said with a shrug.

"That's the thing. He didn't take his iPod, wallet, and he wasn't wearing his shoes when he walked out. It's like he disappeared into the night." She said. Applejack took off her hat and scratched the top of her head.

"That's very strange. It sounds like he got foalnapped." Applejack said.

"I didn't check for signs of struggle." Fluttershy said frantically.

"Let's stay calm. I'll go get the girls, and you go check for signs of if he got foalnapped." She said, walking towards Ponyville. Fluttershy nodded and started back for her home. When she arrived, she started checking for any signs of struggle or damage around her home. Thirty minutes of hard searching around her house and she came up with nothing, until she heard the clopping of hooves on the bridge to her home. She came around the back of the cottage and saw her five best friends.

"Fluttershy, did you find anything?" Applejack asked. "No! I looked inside the house for any broken objects, around the house for tracks or trails, blood, any signs of struggle, but nothing showed up!" She sobbed.

"So, we have no leads on where he was taken, let alone who took him or why they took him." Twilight huffed.

"I won't tell you anything!" Daniel yelled. The crack of a whip.

"You won't get anything from me!" He yelled. Another crack of a whip.

"I've gotten better beatings from my own father! Try your worst!" He yelled in the face of his captors.

"I will break you, you insufferable pig, and I will take all that I want." A voice said from the shadows, followed by the crack of a whip.

"For sixteen years, I've been beaten by my father harder than your grunt can swing that fucking rope, and you think that I'll just break because you said so? You're the biggest dumbass I've seen so far here!" He started laughing.

"Physical damage doesn't affect him, but what about mental and emotional damage?" The voice said, with a horn lighting up in the darkness. Daniel fell into a deep sleep, followed by nightmares of the worst kind.

"Wake him every week and question him! If he isn't responding or he is defiant, put him under the spell once more!" The voice yelled. A black suited unicorn walked up to him.

"I will break you, Daniel, and when I do... I will bring you back to Earth to face your father once more."

Fluttershy was openly crying now, with Applejack and Rarity attempting to calm her.

"He's gone now, and I won't see him again!" Fluttershy sobbed.

"He'll be okay... We just need to find him, and then he'll be perfectly fine." Rarity cooed.

"I'm sure he's been fighting his way through all those ponies that took him, and he'll show up on your doorstep, perfectly fine." Applejack said. Applejack got up and walked away from the group.

"You better be fine Daniel. 'Cause, if you ain't alright, I'll buck your behind into the next week." Applejack mumbled.

Sit Tibi Temperare ... Dementiae

AN: This chapter will have heavy gore in it.

"Twi, don't you have some spell that can detect where he's at?" Applejack asked.

"A scrying spell!" Twilight yelled out, snapping her fingers. She cast the spell, the scrying spell starting from Fluttershy's cottage and reaching out to the edges of it's reach.

"I've found him..." Twilight said grimly.

"Where is he?!" Fluttershy yelled uncharacteristically.

"He's in the middle of the desert, about three miles from Appleloosa, but..." Twilight trailed off, images popping into her head.

"What is it?" Fluttershy asked.

"He won't be happy to see us." Twilight said cryptically.

"Whad'ya mean Twi?" Applejack asked.

"They've been... putting images into his head." She answered.

"What type of images?" Rainbow asked.

"False images into his head, and it's been torturing him." Twilight shook her head.

"That doesn't answer her question..." Fluttershy seethed.

"I can only show you, but they're not pretty." Twilight said.

"Show them to us." Applejack said. Twilight sighed, and cast a spell on all of her friends.

"Where are we Twi?" Applejack called out in the darkness.

"Starting the first false memory." Twilight called out. It illuminated the entire room, revealing all six friends, then set a sort of setting for them. Daniel was standing on a cliff, staring out at the sun. Rainbow's form appeared into the false memory, confusing all of the ponies. They couldn't hear anything, but they could see that Rainbow Dash was yelling at Daniel with tears streaming down her face.

Daniel turned around, a tired and defeated look on his face, staring at the advancing pegasus. She got into his face, yelling, then pulled a small dagger from behind her. The mane six stared in horror as Rainbow Dash drove the dagger into his stomach then pushed him off the cliff, leaving him to free fall to his death.

"We were never your friends!" Rainbow's voice yelled. The memory ended and left the six all in shock.

"Would you actually do that Rainbow?" Twilight asked her indifferently.

"Of course not!" Rainbow yelled angrily.

"Next false memory starting up." Twilight said robotically. The next scene appeared, with Daniel sitting on the beach alone, the same look on his face. Twilight walked into the scene, doing the same as Rainbow Dash. She got into his face, except that he was sitting down, but she picked him up with her magic and started throwing him around like a ragdoll, slamming him into sharp rocks and sand, leaving large craters where he hit.

Twilight dragged him to her face, still yelling, while blood dripped from multiple cuts, lacerations, and scratches. He started screaming for some reason, and after a full minute, his entire body compressed and exploded, leaving nothing but a pile of meat and a red mist. Twilight walked away, and the false memory ended, leaving Fluttershy in a sobbing mess, with the rest in shock and disgust.

"Go back to your damn world!" Twilight's voice yelled at him.

"What's with our voices?" Rainbow asked.

"They've been using our voices to make him feel unwanted." Twilight sighed, then just started up the next image, this one the Carousel Boutique. Rarity was throwing sowing machines at him, which he didn't bother dodging, leaving bruises and cuts where the needles come loose and penetrate the skin. Rarity finally picked him up, slamming him into the ceiling and driving him through the ground, and destroying the floor to her bedroom.

Rarity walked up the stairs, with a knife in hand. He stood up, facing Rarity with indifference, and gave her the same look as she walked up to him and drove the knife straight into the chest. She ripped the knife out, while he bled to death, licked it seductively, then used her magic to rip off his pants, shirt, and boxers, leaving a naked, deceased Daniel on her bed, bleeding profusely through the large stab wound. She then started raping the dead body, and after she finished, she chopped off his head and kicked it out the window.

"You are a disgusting animal!" Rarity's voice yelled at him. The memory ended, with Rarity just staring at what she just saw with a twitching eye.

"What brute would think so lowly of moi that they would even think of me doing such a horrid act?!" She yelled.

"It only gets worse..." Twilight repeated.

"Starting the next one up." She said. The next scene started in a darkened room, with Daniel strapped down on the table, naked. The room lit up, the walls running with streams of blood, pools of blood on the ground, skeletal pony bodies laying on the ground, with some rotten carcasses with their internal organs ripped out. Pinkie walked in with a bloody apron on, a scalpel in her hand.

They could see her talking, yet the only words they could make out was 'helping me make cupcakes!' She walked away, returning with a bloody tray of different surgical tools. She cut into Daniel's skin, who didn't even flinch at the touch, running the scalpel blade painstakingly slow through his skin, then took the two flaps of skin and ripped it apart, revealing the still functioning organs, bones, and muscle.

She broke off each of the ribs, tossing each of them away carelessly, then used the scalpel to cut away the muscle, revealing more organs. All the while, Daniel held the same, tired and defeated look, not even flinching at each crack and snap of his bones. Pinkie made idle comments while she did this, only to be met with silence. She reached for the first thing she could get her hands on, which was his intestines, and ripped them out.

She reached for his lungs next, ripping them out and placing them in a water filled tray, leaving only his heart, still beating in his chest. She literally ripped out his heart, with Daniel still somehow living, then cut his throat.

"You were never loved." Pinkie's voice yelled. The image ended, leaving Pinkie sobbing uncontrollably. The next false memory started with no warning, starting with Daniel tied to a giant wheel in a dusty cellar. The cellar door opened, revealing an almost blinding light, and in walks Big Mac and Applejack. Applejack had a small hammer, with Big Mac holding a large hammer.

Without even talking, Big Mac walked up to him and punched him in the face, knocking out a few teeth. Big Mac walked back, Applejack stepping towards him. She swung the hammer at his hand, breaking all of his fingers with the one swing. She stepped back, and Big Mac stepped forward once more, punching him in the nose, easily breaking it and pushing it against his face. Applejack stepped forward, swinging at his other hand, breaking each of his fingers again, followed up by a punch from Big Mac.

Applejack twisted the hammer around, sharp end up, and drove it into his groin. Each of the girls flinched at the sight, seeing blood leaking his groin. Big Mac took a step back, taking the large hammer in his hands, and drove it towards his arm. The arm broke at the elbow, being bent backwards from the blow. He did the same to the other arm, except the blow literally severed the arm in two. He twisted the hammer around and drove it at his legs, snapping the first one back.

He drove it forward again, hitting his second leg, the leg itself caving in towards the wheel. Applejack stepped forward, then drove her hammer into his chest, leaving a sizable hole in the middle of his chest. She twisted it around once more and drove it into his skull, caving in the entire top part of his head with the blow.

"You never should've came here." Applejack's voice projected.

The false memory ended, with Applejack hiding behind her hat.

"The only one that hasn't had a false memory is Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said, her face turning green.

"Her false memory is the most hurtful to Daniel." Twilight said indifferently. Fluttershy looked up, tears still running down her face. The next started, with Fluttershy immediately slapping Daniel across the face. She was yelling in his face, except that Daniel was giving her a pleading look. She pointed out the door, the ponies finally realizing that they were in her cottage.

Daniel just walked out, a slump in his shoulders. He continued walking until he reached a familiar cliff, where it started with Rainbow Dash, except that instead of Rainbow Dash, it was Fluttershy. Fluttershy walked up to him, still yelling, and just shoved him off the cliff.

"I never loved you!" Fluttershy's voice yelled. They all awoke in the real world, standing exactly where they were before, except that all of them felt sick.

"Those were the false memories that they've put into his head, and they just keep repeating, only raising more doubt inside of him. The voices only added to his doubt." Twilight said.

"We need to get to him immediately!" Fluttershy said, rubbing her eyes of tears.

"We can't just walk into that place, we'll end up killing ourselves by doing it!" Twilight snapped. "We need a plan to get into their base of operations." Twilight continued.

"How in Celestia are we going to get into possibly heavily guarded base in the middle of the desert?!" Fluttershy snapped.

"We sneak in of course!" Pinkie said.

"Pinkie, that's... actually not bad." Rainbow said, scratching her head.

"Really? Sneaking into a base? We don't have any equipment for this kind of stuff!" Twilight yelled. Pinkie pulled out six suits, along with various high tech spy equipment.

"Pinkie... How do you have all of this stuff?" Twilight asked, her eye twitching crazily.

"Twilight, remember, it's Pinkie." Applejack said. They all strapped into the suits, grabbing a pair of night vision goggles, grappling hook, daggers, earpieces for communications, keyloggers, and weird looking watches.

"What are the watches for?" Applejack asked. Pinkie giggled as she took a small pen from the side of it and tapped it with the pen, the entire screen lighting up. She put in a password at an impossible speed, then started tapping the screen.

"It has a built in flashlight, camera, anti-jammers, compass, microphones, and can hold up to three gigabytes of music and movies!" She said excitedly. Twilight looked at the watch on her wrist with sudden interest.

"How can it do all of that, in this small lil thang?" Applejack said skeptically.

"Humans are amazing with what they can do with technology! They don't have any magic, but they can create stuff like this," She said, pointing to the watch and suits. "easily!" She finished. Twilight summoned a piece of parchment and quill and wrote that down.

"I need to remember to question Daniel about humanity." Twilight said.

"No time, need to save him from insanity." Fluttershy said, walking out the door.

"Train tickets?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy walked back in and upstairs, grabbing a eight bags of coin from the closet. She walked back downstairs, tossing each of them a bag.

"There." She said, walking out the door once more. The rest of them shrugged and followed her. They reached the train station and bought their tickets with the given money, and started waiting for the train. "We should've put the suits on after we arrived in Appleloosa..." Rainbow Dash said.

"You guys still have yours on?" Pinkie said, in normal clothes.

"How..." Twilight looked at her confusedly.

"Don't question her. Remember last time..." Applejack said. Twilight just sighed. The train arrived shortly after and they all got onto the train, getting a cart to themselves. They remained silent throughout the entire trip, Twilight mostly just planning a backup plan in case Pinkie's 'sneak in and grab Daniel' plan backfires.

"How long until Appleloosa?" Rainbow asked impatiently.

"Two more hours." Twilight said. Rainbow just groaned and sat against the seat. Fluttershy was mostly silent, just looking out into the desert. The two hours passed quickly, and they stepped off the train. Twilight used the same scrying spell, feeling him closer than he was in Ponyville.

"He's east of Appleloosa, maybe two miles out." Twilight said, walking towards the east. They followed without question, walking in a tight group through the hot desert. They saw some sort of cave entrance in the rolling sand dunes, and slowly made their way to the cave entrance. They arrived at the cave entrance, Pinkie somehow slipped back into the spy suit and all of the equipment while nopony was looking. Twilight cast the spell once more, feeling him almost immediately.

"This is the place, except he's a three hundred feet down." She said. They walked into the cave entrance, the shade from the mouth of the cave cooling down their bodies quickly. She heard some quiet talking, although faint, it echoed in the caverns.

"What should we do about him once he finally confesses?" A male voice asked.

"The boss said that his dad once him for the mafia again, except it's going to be an execution. After he breaks, we take him back and we get payed." Another male voice said. The girls looked to each other, confused about what they were talking about. They continued walking in the dark, thankful for the night vision goggles, until they saw a faint light out of a side hallway.

"It was really easy to get that fucker out of the house. We used a muffle spell on the chick, and we used a sleeping spell on him, then just teleported here. How long do you give for him to break with the false memory bullshit?" One of the voices said.

"I give him a week, at most, until he's begging to go back and he gets executed." The other voice answered. They walked passed the hallway, Twilight using a spell and knocking both of the ponies out. They continued walking through the dark hallways, until they saw another light, this one straight ahead. They picked up their paces and continued down the hallway. They got to the room, to see Daniel, tied up and cut all over. The girls rushed over and untied him, letting him onto the ground slowly.

"Can ya teleport us out of here Twi?" Applejack said.

"I'll try." She said doubtfully. Twilight cast the teleportation spell and they all vanished with a small pop. They all appeared in Fluttershy's cottage, with Applejack and Rainbow carrying Daniel. They set him on the couch, with his glazed over eyes just staring at the seeing. Fluttershy looked at him, seeing his eyes completely glazed over, and frowned.

"I think they've put him in a sleep induced coma or something." Fluttershy said, slapping Daniel across the face lightly. Twilight thought of a spell and cast it on Daniel, waking him from his sleep. His eyes closed and a scowl grew on his face.

"Great... Going to ask me more questions? I told you, I'm not saying shit." He barked.

"Daniel, you're okay!" Fluttershy yelled, wrapping her arms around him. He remained silent, but his eyes went wide. He pushed her off and jumped up.

"Stay away from me! You aren't going to kill me!" He yelled at them. Twilight enveloped him in her magic and picked him up, and he started flailing in her grasp.

"I'm not going to fucking die now! I'll hurt you all if you even try touching me!" He yelled.

"Daniel please, those were false memories. Would you actually believe that we would harm you like that?" Twilight said.

"You don't think I actually believe that do you?! This is just some set up! I know that Fluttershy's going to break up with me, Rainbow's going to stab me in the back with a dagger, Twilight's going to go to town with her magic on me, Rarity's going to rape me, then Applejack and Big Mac are going to break my bones, then Pinkie's going to use what's left to be ground up and put into some sort of pastry dish." He said, pointing at each of them. They each flinched at the call of their names and the reminder of the false memories.

"Daniel, do you really think that I would break up with you? I loved you since the first few weeks you were here, and our love only grew with the time we've been together. What could you do that would make me stop loving you?" She asked.

"How am I supposed to know?! You came home one day, started yelling at me, broke up with me, then pushed me off a cliff! I didn't even know what I did when you pushed me off!" He yelled.

"If you did nothing to receive that kind of treatment from Fluttershy of all ponies, what do you think we all did?" Rarity asked.

"I don't even know!" He yelled, grabbing his head.

"Daniel... It's obviously false memories. You did nothing to even be treated like that, and we know that you would never do anything like that." Twilight sighed. He stopped flailing in the air, looking at each of them, giving them all the dejected look.

"I... I can't tell what's real or not anymore... I don't know what to do... I can't even defend myself from five unicorns, then how am I going to help anypony when real trouble arrives...?" He questioned. Twilight put him onto the ground, and Fluttershy shuffled over once more and wrapped her arms around him. He visibly flinched and tried crawling away.

"Those unicorns did something unforgivable, and I can't forgive them for that. Right now, this is reality. We're the ponies that you've always thought your friends, and we would never do anything to harm you." Twilight said. He sat there in silence, with Fluttershy basically crawled into his lap and hugging and snuggling him.

"I know what I must do..." He said quietly.

"And what might that be mister?" Applejack asked.

"I need to learn to fight. I can't sit here, thinking basic fighting moves and brute strength would get me anywhere in a fight. I need to train with weapons, and if possible, get better at hand to hand." He said.

"That's finally something to use all the bits thats just been piling up." Fluttershy joked.

"I guess so." He said, giving a small smile.

"I'm glad that's settled..." Rainbow said, walking out the door. The rest followed quietly, not bothering to make any small comments as they were all tired from the day. Daniel turned to Fluttershy.

"Is there a blacksmith around here?" He asked.

"There's one in Canterlot." Fluttershy answered.

"I'm going to need to head to Canterlot tomorrow then." He said.

"Now hold on! I just got you back from a terrifying experience, to the point where you wouldn't talk to us logically, and now you want to go to another place when you have no training in whatever arms you have in mind." She said sternly, grabbing my arm and pulling him to her.

"True, but I would need sparring weapons to help me actually train, instead of using sticks or something." He said.

"The trainers come with the sparring equipment, now shut up." She said, pushing her lips upon his. She pulled away after a few seconds, leaving Daniel disappointed.

"I haven't eaten in like two days, let alone slept or showered." He said. He got up and walked into the kitchen, grabbing an apple and munching on it hungrily. He finished the entire thing in maybe ten seconds, straight down to the core, and grabbed another one.

"It's night right now, and I'm tired from traveling everywhere looking for you. I'm going to sleep." Fluttershy said, walking upstairs. He tried talking with his mouth full, but end up spitting out pieces of apple and juice everywhere. He swallowed and said.

"Woops..." He grabbed a rag and cleaned up the mess, then grabbed two more apples and quickly ate it. After he finished eating, he went upstairs and grabbed a towel and a pair of clothing, finally realizing that he was standing in his boxers the entire time. He went into the bathroom and took a nice, long, hot shower, and after he washed up, he dried off and put on his new articles of clothing. He crawled into the bed with Fluttershy, digging his head into her long flowing mane, and fell asleep almost instantaneously.

A dark swirling mass of darkness was staring at the large form just ravaging apples.

"His soul is strong... In time, he will be mine." The dark mass said. It seeped through the window it was staring through, following the unknown beast upstairs. He walked into the bathroom and started a shower.

"A weaker soul is nearby..." The dark mass whispered to itself, floating down the hall and into the bedroom.

"This is the weak soul..." It sneered. It crawled over and was about to ravage it's soul when the shower cut off. It floated under the covers, and the strong souled beast crawled into the bed, snuggling up to the weak souled creature. It could tell he had already fallen asleep by the way it's breathing had slowed, and it seeped up it's nose, causing it to snort.

"It's very strong indeed... Maybe I'll make this my new home... At least... until I'm found..." It said in the beasts head.

Ad Perniciem Unius Hominis Sanitatem

AN: No clop yet, but it close here. Maybe next chapter, you damn pervs!

It's been nearly a year since I've started training with this weapons master named Shield Wall. He practiced with a sword and shield, while I found the perfect weapon for me, a greatsword I've so dumbly named Ragnarok. The blade itself is a reddish hue, almost looking like lava is actually running through it, with an even darker reddish glow that hums a few inches off of the blade itself.

When I found out that my talent was with greatswords, since I found that greatswords were easier for me to swing, since the single handed swords here were like knives to me, and the greatswords were a good length, along with being surprisingly light, I went to Canterlot for a simple greatsword. When I arrived, I got a blacksmith to make me a steel greatsword, when some black knight started attacking the city.

I grabbed a long sword, the blade only twenty four inches long, and proceeded to attack him. Long story short, I defeated him with a longsword, and saw his blade. I picked up his blade, finding it surprisingly light, even though it was sixty inches long... Yeah... and decided to keep the blade. The blacksmith gave me a refund, since he hadn't started shaping the metal yet. Starting a random training battle... NOW!

I swung a horizontal swipe at the shield, putting him on the defensive. I twisted the blade around and swung an upwards vertical strike, causing him to leave his head open. I readjusted my grip on the blade and brought it down on his shield, my strength plus the power of the sword leaving a large dent at the top of the shield. He threw away the shield, throwing a quick swipe at my stomach.

I spun the blade and parried the blow, placing a hand on the blade and pushing it towards him, bashing the blunt end of the blade, plus the hilt of his sword, into his face, staggering him. I pushed off of him, jumping into the air, and brought the blade down in an downwards vertical strike. He had barely any time to bring his sword up to block the blow, and pushed me off, throwing me into the air. I twisted my body around and flipped in the air, landing on my feet.

I looked up, seeing him charge at me, and brought the blade up to block the blow. I felt his sword bounce off of my greatsword, and I swung for his legs. He clumsily jumped into the air, and I smirked at his mistake. I used my free hand and slammed a fist into his stomach while he was still in the air, driving him into the ground. He let out a gasp of pain and his face scrunched up, and I used my sword to knock his blade out of his hands, putting the blade against his neck.

"Looks like you win, once more." He said, chuckling.

"I think you're getting soft on me! I saw a number of openings in your defense Shield, and I took your biggest mistake and finally ended it." I said, offering him a hand. He grabbed my hand and pulled himself up, trying to pull to the ground. I held my ground, smirking at him.

"I'm at the end of my road for training you. You've beaten me ten times in a row, all clean defeats, although this one was my quickest one." He said, picking up his dented shield and sword, sheathing the sword and strapping the shield on his hand.

"I guess I take my leave then..." He said.

"Wait, you still need payment." I said, running inside. I grabbed a sack of gold and pulled out fifty bits.

"Here." I said, handing him the fifty bits. He accepted it without question, since the last time he refused he got beat, badly, and walked away, placing the coins into a coin purse. I walked into the cottage, seeing Fluttershy on the couch reading some sort of novel. She looked up and smiled.

"I'm finally done training." I said, placing the greatsword on my back. She smiled and got up, closing the novel, and wrapped her arms around me. She planted a kiss on my lips, and I returned it fully.

"I'm just glad that we can spend more time together." She said, giving me a seductive look.

"I'm glad too..." I said, taking the greatsword off my back, sheath and all.

"Can do some pretty cool tricks with the blade." I said, glancing at Fluttershy. She looked at me and giggled, giving me another kiss.

"We still got time in the day... How about we go bowling. I remember I said something about it a year ago, but never got around to it." I said. Her eyes lit up at the idea.

"I think we should bring the rest of them with us. What do you think?" She asked.

"Of course." I answered. She got up and headed for the door, with me strapping the greatsword back onto me and following her. We walked into town, seeing Rainbow doing some tricks. She saw us and waved, and we waved back and started to head for her.

"Hey Rainbow." I said, nodding to her. Rainbow looked at the large blade on my back and said.

"When did you get that awesome looking sword?!" I unsheathed it, the red metal with the even darker glow encircling it.

"I got this when I went to Canterlot and defeated the black knight." I said.

"I heard about that! They said it was some mysterious pony the chopped to pieces with a sword at least three times smaller then his blade." Rainbow said.

"Yeah, I got a longsword, maybe twenty inches long, and defeated him, then took this thing since I was there for a greatsword anyway." I said, sheathing the blade.

"So what's up?" She asked.

"We were going bowling tonight, and we're going to see if you guys wanted to come along." Fluttershy said.

"Don't you remember? It's your birthday today! Pinkie's going to want to throw a party!" Rainbow said. I face palmed, remembering that it was my birthday today.

"Oh yeah... I totally forgot. I got finished with my training today, so we decided to go out and relax." I said, scratching the back of my head.

"I have a question for you when we get back Daniel." Fluttershy said with a hint of lust hiding behind it.

"A-alright." I said nervously.

"I know what she's going to ask!" Rainbow said with an all knowing grin.

"At least you do!" I said. Fluttershy just shook her head while I tilted my head to the side.

"The hell are you talking about?" I asked.

"Something that you should've done a year ago." Rainbow said.

"I'm not going to play twenty questions to find out what the hell you're talking about." I said, walking in a random direction. When I finally stopped and looked around, I found myself on the edge of town, heading back to the cottage.

"I need to buy Fluttershy a present..." I walked back to the cottage, grabbing a few sacks of gold, then walked back out. I walked back into the town, looking for some sort of product that Fluttershy would love. I looked around until I found an antique shop, and saw all sorts of things that I found actually pretty amazing. There was an incense burner that was a six headed hydra that blew smoke through the noses and mouths of the dragons, a miniature fountain that had two dragons wrapped around each other, ending with both of them spitting the water back down to the awaiting pool. There was another one, this one was another incense burner, with a minotaur standing there, bellowing a war cry. This one blew smoke through his horns, nose, and mouth.

There were a few pictures of great wars that actually looked like the civil war on Earth, except that instead of north and south, they held symbols of the sun and a crescent moon, and with no guns. I continued looking, finding fish bowls, cages for pets, and other things that I had no interest in, so I went back to the incense burners and fountains. I grabbed the six headed hydra burner and the two intertwined dragons, along with some scented incense. I went to the front counter, seeing an old woman bent over the counter with a large smile on her face.

"Hello deary. How can I help you?" She said. I placed the two items on the counter.

"I would like to buy these. How much for the both of them?" I asked. She looked at both of them with interest, then poured out the water in the fountain and removed the incense from the burner, and placed them on the counter once more.

"That'll be twenty bits in all." I handed over the bits, and she put them in separate bags.

"Do come back now sonny." She said as I walked out the door. I walked out of the store into the blinding sun, and I put a hand over my eyes as they adjusted.

"Sure was dark in there." I said. I walked in the general direction of Bon Bon's shop, so I could buy a box of chocolates. I walked around for an hour before I spotted Sugarcube Corner, and started looking around there, eventually finding Bon Bon's shop. I walked in, holding the two bags in one hand, and the sweet smell of sugar hit my nose like a train. I looked around, seeing nobody in the shop, so I decided to look around.

I found odd things that reminded me of candies from Earth, like Snicker bars, M&Ms, Skittles, Gummi Worms, even Reeses. I heard someone clear their throat and looked up, seeing Bon Bon behind the counter with a smile on her face.

"Sorry, was just browsing. Anyway, I would like to buy a box of chocolates if that's not too much trouble." I said.

"You got lucky, this is the last one for the week." She said, handing over a heart shaped box.

"Lucky indeed. How much?" I said.

"Five bits." She said, holding her hand out. I gave her five bits and walked out. I walked back to the cottage, hearing voices inside.

"You gotta break it to him easy, can't startle him with it, or he might go crazy." I heard Rainbow's voice say.

"What if he gets angry from me hiding something from him?" Fluttershy said.

"That's why we're all dressing the same for the party tonight. He shouldn't be able to keep himself off of you when he sees you like that." Rainbow replied. I opened the door, possibly startling both of them.

"Oh... Hello Daniel." Fluttershy said as she saw my face pop in.

"Got you a few birthday presents." I said, holding out the two bags and box of chocolate.

"What's in the bags?" She asked.

"An incense burner, and a mini fountain." I answered, pulling out both items and placing them on the table.

"I like the fountain, but I'm not sure about the incense burner... It's scary..." She said, looking at the fountain with interest.

"What's funny is that I saw the same exact incense burner in a random shop on Earth." I said, placing it on the table and pulling out the incenses.

"I got vanilla, lavender, cinnamon, and gingerbread." I said, placing the incenses on the table.

"I love all of those smells!" She said, sniffing each one of them.

"Glad ya do." I said, balling up the bags and went into the kitchen. I threw the bags away, then grabbed a glass of water and drank greedily. It was particularly hot today.

"Hey Daniel, you mind if we set the party up here?" Rainbow asked.

"It's not my house, so I don't care." I said, pouring more water.

"You live in it." Rainbow pointed out.

"Thanks Captain Obvious. I may live in it, but I don't own the house, so I don't care." I said, chugging down the next glass then rinsing it off. I went upstairs, ignoring the glare I was getting Rainbow, and went to sleep, taking off the greatsword before I got into the bed.

"I think he went to bed." Fluttershy said.

"Alright, let me go get the rest." Rainbow said, dashing out the door (no pun intended). Fluttershy sat on the couch for about five minutes before the rest of the girls ran in.

"Alright, we need to set up this party pronto!" Pinkie said, pulling out her party cannon.

"Pinkie, theres been a change in plans." Twilight said, whispering in her ear about the plan. Her grin widened and she nodded, pulling out random party items.

"I don't think we need the regular party items Pinkie. We just need to get cups, plates, some snacks, and a few kegs of hard cider." Twilight said, winking to Applejack. Applejack nodded and took off towards the farm.

"I have everything else ready!" Pinkie shouted, pulling out the party cannon. She pulled the string before any of her friends could stop her, and with a loud bang that resonated around the entire cottage, the interior of the cottage was turned from a peaceful place to party central. They heard a bang from upstairs, as well as shouting.

"The fuck are y'all doin' down here?" He yelled, walking downstairs.

"Pinkie used her party cannon, sorry." Twilight said, shooting a glare towards Pinkie.

"Can a man please get some sleep? I would like to stay awake through this party at least, instead of being too tired to do anything by midnight." He stopped for a moment and looked at Fluttershy.

"Hey 'Shy, guess what." He said with a grin.

"What?" She asked.

"Living After Midnight." He said, quoting a song by Disturbed. She looked confused for a second, then she broke out in giggles. The rest were confused by what it meant.

"What does that mean?" Rainbow asked.

"It's nothing, just a song." He said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Also, make sure that I don't think I'm in a goddamn war zone next time." He said, walking back upstairs and going back to bed. They all sighed in relief, then started checking around for everything to be in the right spots.

"Alright, we wait for Applejack to arrive with the kegs of hard cider, then we get ready for the party, and then, we can have our fun." Twilight said darkly, laughing evilly. The rest followed suit, only to be interrupted by Daniel yelling at them.

"Sorry Daniel." Twilight said. They waited around for Applejack to arrive, and she did half an hour later with two kegs of hard cider. They set down the kegs on the table, which had been cleared for the occasion. Then, they took separate rooms and started getting dressed. After five minutes, they all were ready and called Daniel down, turning off the lights.

I got maybe an hour, maybe two hours, of sleep before I heard my name being called from downstairs. I growled in frustration and got up, putting on shorts and shirt once more, leaving the greatsword upstairs, and walked out. I immediately noticed it was dark downstairs and scoffed.

"Great, a surprise party..." I said, walking over to the top of the stairs.

"Alright, surprise me or whatever." I growled. The lights flicked on, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head in surprise. I saw Rainbow Dash first, who was wearing a see through shirt, revealing her C-cup breasts to be exposed to everyone there, along with dark blue panties, which seemed to only cover her nether region and do just that. I next looked to Twilight next, seeing her wearing a skin tight latex suit, and I saw her nipples poking through the suit easily, along with revealing her vagina to everyone.

The next was Rarity, who was wearing what seemed like a bra, but it only covered her nipples, and barely did that! Her nipples poked through the fabric, but her flower was at least covered with bright white panties. The next was Pinkie, who was wearing a small one piece bikini, which barely covered her nipples and nether regions. Her large breasts nearly bulged against the fabric, making it look like that they were about to rip it.

The next was Applejack, who was wearing short jean shorts, which the buttoned was unfastened and the zipper wasn't zipped, nearly revealing the top of her vagina. The last, but not least, was Fluttershy. She wore the least, which was only a pair of socks that reached up to her knees and a sultry look on her face. If I looked at myself in a mirror, I would probably imitating a fish right now. I kept opening and closing my mouth, stunned speechless. I took a step forward and fell down the stairs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwX3Z5Er4jk

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, my head went straight into the wall. I heard muffled squeals and screams, but right now, IT REALLY DIDN'T MATTER! I felt hands on my shoulders and all of them pulling back, dislodging my head from the wall and into the laps of six, beautiful, horny mares.

"Are you okay?!" Twilight yelled at me.

"You're pulling shit like this on me, and you'll give me a concussion and heart attack before I turn twenty." I said, closing my eyes shut.

"We know you like it, so just open your eyes silly!" Pinkie said, prying my eyes open with her fingers.

"Did you really all agree to this?" I asked, sitting up quickly and scooching away.

"Actually, Fluttershy allowed us all to have a night of fun with you, and it just happened to be tonight." Rainbow said with a devious grin. I noticed I didn't see Fluttershy and looked behind me, seeing a mass of yellow. I looked up, seeing her looking down at me with a large grin on her face.

"Oh fuck me." I said.

"We plan to." Rarity said, licking her lips. Right now, this is where the coyote would hold up a sign and fall to his doom, but this is where I hold up a sign that said 'I'm Screwed.'

"I'm really uncomfortable in this attire, so you don't mind that I take this off?" Rarity said, stripping down and revealing herself.

"Me too, this thing is really uncomfortable!" Pinkie said, her arms reaching behind her and pulling a single string, the entire thing came undone, revealing breasts that were larger than Fluttershy's. Twilight teleported out of her latex suit, her breasts sagging slightly and her nether region being welcomed by open air. Applejack slid off the shorts, revealing her own flower. Rainbow spun around quickly, to the point where she became a blur, and her articles of clothing went flying everywhere.

"I can't tell if this is going to be the best or worst birthday ever..." I commented, getting up and stretching, while slowly shuffling towards the stairs. I got about halfway there before tackled by Rainbow and Fluttershy.

"And where do you think you're going?" Rainbow asked, sitting on top of my back.

"Back to sleep, maybe see if this was just an awesome dream." I said, pushing her off of me.

"How about you just pinch yourself." Pinkie said.

"How about instead of pinch, I punch myself?" I asked.

"Anything to get your confirmation." Twilight said shrugging. I punched myself as hard as I could, knocking myself out.

They stared at the now unconscious form of Daniel, laying on the ground.

"We should've seen that coming..." Twilight said. He started shaking and convulsing on the ground. Before the group of mares had time to react, he just stopped, and a black mist escaped his mouth and nose.

"A mistwalker..." Twilight gasped. She teleported everypony into their clothing, the normal clothing, and sent a bolt of lightning at Daniel. He started convulsing on the ground once more, then shot up and looked around.

"Jesus, I probably look like Doc Brown right now..." He said, confusing everypony, even the mistwalker.

"What?" Twilight said. Daniel looked at the mistwalker, and said.

"Twilight, what the fuck is that black mist?" He said in all seriousness.

"A mistwalker, and he just came from you." She answered. Daniel turned tail and ran upstairs, leaving the girls to deal with the mistwalker temporarily.

"Looks like he wasn't strong willed after all..." The mistwalker said, turning on the girls. They heard a blade unsheath and turned back to the stairs, seeing Daniel wielding his greatsword.

"Where in Equestria did he get that?!" Applejack said, staring at the glowing blade.

"Canterlot. Black knight. Defeated him and took his sword." Rainbow said quickly. Daniel swung the blade expertly at the mistwalker, causing it to dodge out of the way quickly, he used the feint and twisted the blade and swung horizontally. The blade cut through the mist, but the scream of pain was all that was needed for confirmation. The mist floated back quickly, the edges of it's form turning into blades.

It swung both blades in a vertical strike, but Daniel blocked both blades easily and knocked them away. He pushed the mistwalker back, sending it into the wall and crushing the mirror that hung on the wall.

"Sorry 'Shy." He said, quickly driving the greatsword into the mist, its dying shrieks the only thing echoing throughout the house.

"It's okay..." She said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Guess I have to clean this up..." He said, sheathing the greatsword. He was about to walk away when he felt something stab into his back, causing him to cough in pain. The girls gasped as they saw the mistwalker stab into his back. Daniel twisted around and slammed his foot into the mistwalker, then took out his blade and cut it straight down the middle.

"Now that that's over..." He said, sheathing the blade once more and watched as the mist evaporated into thin air.

"We should get that cut checked out..." Rainbow said, seeing blood starting to stain his grey t-shirt.

"I'm alright..." He said.

"No, you're not. Lay down and let me dress the wound." Fluttershy said. He just shrugged and laid down on the ground, taking off his shirt. The cut was minor, only an inch in length. Fluttershy ran off into the depths of her home and returned with a medical kit, taking out guaze, alcohol, antiseptic and tissue. She put tissue on the wound to stop the bleeding, then dabbed it with alcohol. She placed it on his wounds, but didn't so much as flinch from the alcohol, then put antiseptic on it. She then wrapped his wound in guaze and threw out his shirt.

"Why'd ya get rid of the shirt? I could've still worn it..." He said, scratching his head.

"I wouldn't be able to get the blood out of the shirt and you won't be wearing a stained shirt while I'm still alive." Rarity said. He just sighed and rubbed his temples.

"You can easily get blood out of clothing, but whatever..." He said.

"Really? How, if you be so informative?" Rarity said doubtfully.

"Dish soap, cold water, ammonia, rinse, and wash." He said simply.

"There's a lot of ways to do it. Using Cornstarch, salt, and cold water to create a paste that gets rid of blood, then you can wash it easily." He added.

"Hydrogen Peroxide, cold water, and ammonia..." He said, tapping his chin.

"Loads of common household items can help actually..." He said. Rarity's eye just twitched.

"Common household items... Right." She said, writing down the ingredients.

"That reminds me, Daniel, you still haven't told me about humans at all!" She yelled at him.

"Is this the best time to ask about that Twilight?" He asked.

"Maybe tomorrow, when I have some free time, but right now, I'm tired, I'm irritated, I've been left alone by six mares in one night, and I've been stabbed in the back. I deserve some rest at least." He said. The girls giggled at hearing he was left high and dry, but also felt bad.

"How about we try this next week?" Rainbow asked.

"If we can cut out me being left high and dry by you girls again, and also me being stabbed in the back by some evil mist that came from my fucking body, that'll be great." He said, waving his hand dismissively and heading back upstairs for the night.

"Alright, so Saturday of next week..." Twilight said, writing it down.

"Guess the hard cider can come home with me and we can use it next week." Applejack said, picking up the kegs.

"Actually, that can stay here with us. I have a cooler downstairs that could probably fit both of them inside it." Fluttershy said. Applejack carried them downstairs to the cooler, which had enough room to fit every keg of hard cider for the next month in there, while the rest mumbled and left the house.

Habitavitque in Sole, in Lunae Amet

AN: Cockblockers... Cockblockers Everywhere. No clop this chapter, but it gets close. Thanks Luna and Celestia for the save.

"We're having the party here!" Twilight announced while me and Fluttershy were spending time at home.

"Great... Rape, inevitable." I said, pushing myself off of the couch.

"It's not rape! It's more of a gangbang with six mares and one stallion." Twilight said.

"Exactly, rape." I said, walking into the kitchen.

"It's not rape!" Twilight shouted.

"What would you call a gangbang with six stallions and one mare?" I asked.

"Rape." Twilight said dumbly.

"What would you call a gangbang with six mares and one stallion?" I asked.

"Rape." Fluttershy answered. "It's not rape!" Twilight repeated.

"You answered your own question, yet you refuse to admit it." I said.

"You're lucky I'm actually allowing this to happen to me. I could refuse." I pointed out.

"Why would you refuse six mare at one time?" Twilight asked.

"I want to escape with my dick still attached to my body somehow, and not have my pelvis broken from so much sex." I answered. She opened her mouth to retort, but I stopped her right there.

"I've heard the stories of mares in heat. I'm surprised Fluttershy hasn't had me tied down in the basement and been having her way with me every week she's been in heat." I said. Fluttershy blushed and sat down on the couch.

"You know she wouldn't do that... You wouldn't.. right Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

"Well..." Fluttershy started.

"Oh great... I gave her an idea for her heat cycle." I said, facepalming.

"I haven't touched you during my heat cycle actually." Fluttershy pointed out.

"Medicine or extreme self control." I answered.

"A little of both." She said.

"Well, I'm eighteen... Maybe..." I started.

"No!" Twilight yelled.

"If I'm correct, the heat cycle starts next week." I said.

"Yeah. Once we do it this week, then maybe, next week..." Fluttershy said.

"If I know any better, someone's going to pop out of nowhere and stop it before it even begins." I said, looking at the ceiling.

"You keep saying that and it'll actually happen." Twilight said.

"Knowing fate, it'll probably happen." I shrugged.

"Anyway, we wanted to start this again here, and hopefully actually get something out of it." Twilight said.

"Alright, set the shit up I guess." I said, heading upstairs. The party was set up the same exact way as before, except without all of the yelling. I came downstairs, seeing all six mares in the same clothing as before, and I didn't fall down the stairs this time.

"Hopefully this time, no interruptions." Twilight said, crossing her fingers.

"So, how is this going to go down?" I asked.

"I call first dibs!" Rainbow yelled.

"I call second!" Fluttershy followed.

"Me next! Me next!" Pinkie yelled, bouncing up and down.

"I would like to go next." Rarity said.

"Ah'm good." Applejack said.

"I guess I could give it a try." Twilight said with a shrug.

"Bedroom, now." Rainbow ordered, pushing me upstairs.

"I really don't get a say in this." I said, getting pushed into the bedroom and tossed unceremoniously onto the bed. She literally jumped onto the bed and pushed her lips onto mine. I felt her hand wrap around my already erect member and felt her tongue slithering between my lips. I opened my mouth, allowing entrance to the invading tongue, and two started twisting and fighting for dominance. We pulled apart, gasping for air, before I pulled off my shirt and tossed it into the corner. I pulled her in for another kiss, when I heard a knock on the door from downstairs. I growled and pushed myself up.

"Someone's at the door." I growled, leaving the panting form of Rainbow on the bed. The girls were busy trying to get underwear and clothing on, so I opened the door wide enough to stick my head out.

"Yes?" I asked angrily.

"Sorry to disturb you this evening, but Your Majesties demand a conference with you and the Elements of Harmony." The guard at the door said in a monotone voice. A round of groans erupted from behind the door.

"I told you Twilight!" I said. I turned back to the guard.

"Alright, just let us get ready and we'll be right out." I said, closing the door before he was able to give an answer.

"Why did you have to be right about that one damn thing?!" Twilight yelled, pulling on her skirt. I remained silent, but went back upstairs to the awaiting mare on the bed.

"Who was it?" She asked.

"Princesses are asking for a meeting with me and the Elements." I said angrily, pulling on a tshirt and throwing my sword onto my back.

"That's complete horse apples! Why did it have to be on the day I was going to get some?" She said, plopping onto the bed.

"I don't know, but get dressed." I said, walking out of the bedroom. I was ready and was waiting for all of them to get ready, with Pinkie trying to pull on a bra that was too small on her, and Rarity was putting up her hair in her normal curls. In five minutes, all of them managed to get presentable to step outside. I opened the door, nearly slamming the damn door into the guards face, and walked out, with the guard staring at the large glowing blade on my back in awe.

The girls filed out of the house, all giving the guard an annoyed or angry look. There were two chariots waiting for us, being pulled by two guards each. I got into one, with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, while the rest filed into the second carriage. We took off, both carriages thrown into complete silence.

"I knew some shit was going to go down before it happened..." I said, looking at the passing sky.

"You had to be right about that one Celestia damned thing. It couldn't be about the mistwalker coming out of your body and the second time to be completely uninterrupted, it had to be both times to get interrupted." Rainbow grumbled.

"Third time's the charm." I said, ignoring the odd looks I got from both of them.

"I was really hoping we could do this before the heat cycle, but it looks like we have to wait until AFTER the cycle ends." Fluttershy said.

"Don't they have some sort of herb or something to keep you from getting pregnant during your heat cycle?" I asked.

"They do, but it's a bit expensive." Rainbow said.

"How expensive?" I asked.

"Ten bits for a single week of herbs." She said.

"That's not bad at all." I chuckled.

"I could give you guys some bits for the expense." I continued.

"You would really do that?" Rainbow said, her face lighting up.

"Sure, I still benefit from it. As long as we can actually plan this again next week and we actually get to do it this time." I said.

"No special favors?" Rainbow asked suspiciously.

"We're doing it, and I don't want kids right as I turn eighteen. That shit would kill me." I said. I felt two pair of arms wrap around me and looked back down, seeing Rainbow's breasts in my face with Fluttershy hugging my stomach.

"Alright, don't start anything." I said, feeling myself getting hard from the sight. Rainbow sat back down, a small blush on her face.

"Not that I wouldn't enjoy it, just..." I trailed off, looking at the guards that were looking back at us.

"Yeah... Too bad." Rainbow said with a grin.

"Are you sure we couldn't do it in the castle?" I said.

"Nah, would be making too much noise." Rainbow said with a wave of her hand. I heard two stifled groans and looked to the guards.

"You two shut the hell up." I said angrily. I heard the mares giggling. The rest of the trip was thrown into silence, and we shortly made it to the castle. The carriages touched down at the castle and we hopped out. The guards surrounded the group and we were escorted to the throne room, where Celestia and Luna were sitting upon their thrones. We walked up to the thrones and bowed.

"Rise my little ponies." Celestia said. I rose, though technically I wasn't a pony, along with the others.

"So what's the problem?" I asked.

"The problem is a group of ponies that are traveling to the deadlands to retrieve The Delomelonicon, a book that could raise armies of undead and attack Equestria." Luna said.

"So, you want us to stop them from going?" I asked.

"Quite the contrary, we would like for you, Daniel, to join them and aid them in retrieving The Delomelonicon." Celestia said with a shit-eating grin.

"Alright." I said, not really surprised.

"You can't send him there! He'll die there!" Twilight said.

"It's alright Twilight." I said. I turned to the two rulers.

"I'll need armor and supplies, and a way to get there quickly." I said.

"We'll have have your armor ready tomorrow, as well as supplies. And, don't worry about getting there quickly, we have a way for you contact us when your job is complete." Celestia said.

"Guards, please escort them to the guests rooms. Dinner will be served in two hours." Celestia said. Two guards stepped in front of us, and we were escorted to the guest rooms. My room was really large, with a table sitting in the middle with a stack of books in the middle, a bed with two nightstands, a couch set up against the wall, a balcony that overlooked the city, with my own large bathroom.

I turned on my iPod, put in my headphones, grabbed a book, and got comfortable on the couch. I started reading the book, and didn't get halfway through when I felt someone tug on my headphones. I looked up from the book, seeing a guard standing over me. I got up, easily standing taller than him, and grabbed my headphones from his hand. I turned off the music and wrapped the device with the headphones.

"I'm here to take you to dinner." He said irritably.

"Lead the way then." I said. 'Bitch.' I added mentally. She He led me to the dining room, pushing open the doors and allowing me inside. I walked in, seeing the rest of them just staring at me, even Celestia and Luna, and took my seat next to Fluttershy. The waiters came out, placing silver platters in front of everyone, and walked away without a word. Another wave of waiters and waitresses came out from the kitchen area, placing glasses and pouring wine, then set the bottles down and lifted the tops of the platters off of the pans, revealing steaks, pork chops, breads, cheeses, fruits and veggies, and loads of other appetizing dishes, along with hay and flowers. I went straight for the steak, bread, cheeses and fruits, and immediately dug in. The rest followed suit, and the sounds of scraping knives, forks and spoons were all that was heard.

"So Daniel. What made you take up training lessons?" Celestia asked, and I felt all eyes fall on me. I patted my mouth with a napkin, wiping off any crumbs and juices from my mouth, and said.

"A year back, I was kidnapped by a group of unicorns that were intending to take me back to Earth, and I basically couldn't do anything to them since I only knew the basics to fighting. So, when I got rescued, I took up training classes to help me learn how to fight, both armed and unarmed, and it really payed off." I said.

"That certainly interesting and all, but there must be more to it than that." Luna said.

"Nothing." I lied, although I had other reasons for the training.

"I'd rather not go back to Earth, only to be killed by my own damn father." I said, before going back to my meal.

"Your father was attempting to kill you?" Celestia asked, surprised.

"My father was the leader of a mafia group and was forcing me to follow his footsteps. By the end of it, he left me for dead in a forest, and would've succeeded if it wasn't for the six that rescued me." I said.

"Your father was the father of the mafia?" Rainbow asked.

"Godfather, and yeah, he was the leader of the mafia. He already recruited my brother, and when my mother found out that he was the Godfather of the local mafia, she threatened to report him to the police, and he killed her." I said.

"I didn't know your father was the leader of the mafia." Fluttershy said.

"Me neither." Pinkie added.

"I didn't either." Rarity said.

"Me neither." Applejack said.

"Your father sounds like a cruel man." Luna commented.

"You have no idea what he's capable of." I said.

"Surely he can't be all that bad." Celestia said.

"He killed a man because he blinked at him. He tried killing his own son because I didn't want to join the mafia." I deadpanned.

"Nopony is really that cruel." Celestia retorted.

"Humans are naturally warmongering barbarians, with a few exceptions in the human race. In the most difficult situations that call for life or death, humans will fight with all their might just to live another day. By themselves, they can't do that much damage and they could always make good decisions. In groups that are influenced by a ruler or politician, they will follow the leaders orders without question, even if it was to kill their own kind. I'm saying that humans really don't have a chance of surviving, especially with the way they pollute the world they live in. Eventually, humans will be destroyed as a whole, whether or not it be natural disasters or because humans just killed each other without pity or remorse." I said, leaving everyone in the room stunned.

"If humans were as bad as you say, then how can we trust you?" Luna asked.

"Like I said, by themselves, humans can't do much damage and normally make good decisions. I never really liked the people that ran the country I lived in, so I mostly just ignored them." I said.

"That doesn't really answer my question." Luna said.

"I don't really care if you don't trust me. You could distrust me as much as you want, just don't falsely accuse me of something I didn't do and we can all be friends." I said.

"And I thought we were already friends." Luna said in mock anger.

"I thought so too, but I guess you don't consider us as such." I said.

"I think we're all friends here." Pinkie said.

"Apparently Princess Luna doesn't think so." I said, waving my fork around before continuing to eat.

"I think of you as a friend." Pinkie said.

"That's nice." I said. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, with the princesses throwing me the occasional glance at me. We all finished, and I was about to go back to my room.

"Daniel, can we please speak to you?" Celestia asked. I shrugged and followed her. They went through some hallways and we arrived at a large room that was emblazoned with a sun on the door. Two guards stood outside the door, saluting as the princesses arrived.

"I will be having a guest, please no disturbances." She said. They saluted once more and we walked into her room. I wasn't all too impressed with her room, since it was basically a larger version of my room with some paintings thrown in.

"I would like to make this clear. The deadlands is a place that the undead walk. It was a place before Luna's banishment that was a constant warzone. Ponies, minotaurs, gryphons, dragons, and other races were all slain here. Raising the dead here would most likely ruin the entire world, and that's why we ask, no beg, you to go and help these ponies bring back The Delomelonicon." Celestia said.

"You don't need to convince me to go to the deadlands and bring back that book. I had it figured out from the beginning and I don't want anything to happen to the world. I mean, what would happen to me if I find that my friends, or worse Fluttershy, was slain by one of these undead bastards? I want to go and fight these undead beings, and bring back this book so that I don't have to worry about my way of life. All I really ask of you is to have supplies for me when I leave. The armor can be heavy or light, and can be used with any type of material. The supplies I ask for would be salted meats and fruits, with canteens of water to keep me hydrated well enough for a week at the most. Do you have a way for me to contact you incase of any complications, or if we succeed?" I asked. Luna looked to her sister, who looked back, and both nodded. Luna turned around and pulled something from a side pocket, revealing a small mirror.

"Normally, we give this to our knights in order for us to contact them immediately. We call it Sanguine Ebon." She said, handing me the mirror. The mirror started distorting, and it started forming into another shape entirely. It started decreasing in size, forming into what looked like a scouter from Dragon Ball Z. The colors started changing, changing into a dark silver color with the visor part turning dark blue.

"That's very interesting... They form into the ponies personality, and yours just... confuses me." Celestia said, scratching her chin. I put the visor on, and it showed a multitude of things. First thing is that there was options on what I could use for sights. There was thermal, millimeter, night vision, and has a constant auto-brightness feature. There was another option on the visor screen, laying the two princesses as friendlies.

"This is very interesting." I said.

"Night vision." I commanded, and the visor switched over to infared night vision, illuminating the entire room.

"MMS." I said, and the screen swtiched to a pulsing screen, outlining every object in the room, even the two princesses standing perfectly still with a confused face.

"Thermal." I ordered, and the entire room changed blue, with the princesses figures being full white.

"Standard." I said, and it switched back to the regular sights.

"This thing is awesome. This is perfect for tactical situations in all environments and conditions." I said.

"Your mirror is a strange one indeed. It formed into the strangest contraption ever, with you immediately giving orders. What is it anyway?" Celestia asked.

"This piece of technology is called a scouter. It scans normal ponies and can tell them apart from friendly, neutral, and enemies." I explained.

"Interesting... Moving on to more important business. We will have our best blacksmiths working on your armor, and we will have your supplies ready for tomorrow morning." Celestia said.

"Also, show them these seals when you arrive." Luna said, giving a sort of necklace with a crescent moon and shining sun emblazoned onto its front.

"Alright... Now, do you need me to do anything else?" I asked.

"Yes, bring as many as the ponies as you can back with you. The deadlands are ruthless and dangerous, and you need to proceed with caution. The ponies, from what I've seen, are reckless and would likely charge straight into combat and end up killing themselves at the first wink of danger. We need you to press them whenever they do this." Celestia said. I took a breath to calm myself, and nodded uncertainly.

"I'll try to bring as many as I can back, but I'm not sure they'll listen to me, especially if they're the way you describe them." I said.

"The seal should give you direct control over them, and those who don't obey, give them a push in the right direction." Celestia said.

"Alright." I said.

"You should get some sleep." Luna said. I nodded and walked out of the room. The guards at the door saluted to me, and I just made my way to my room. I opened the door and walked in, seeing the room completely dark, and reached for the light switch. I felt my hand brush soft skin, and I pulled back with a yelp. The lights were cut on and was surrounded by the six girls I really didn't want to see now. They all wore curious faces, surrounding my sitting body.

"What did they talk to you about?" Rainbow asked.

"They were just asking if I was truly unequivocal in my decision to join the ponies going to the deadlands." I answered.

"Why are you so pale then?" Pinkie asked.

"It's nothing." I said.

"It's obviously something if it's got you like this." Rarity said. I sighed, taking a breath and said.

"They wanted me to take command of the group that was going to the deadlands and asked me to bring back as many ponies as I could. I wouldn't be able to handle the deaths of ponies because I was too stupid to pay attention to them instead of the ponies." I closed my eyes and pressed my head against the wall, and I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist.

"It's alright. These ponies knew what they were getting into when they decided to group together and head into the deadlands. You're helping them by taking control, and will probably be able to bring back more ponies then if you weren't there." Fluttershy assured me.

"Anyway... I wonder what metal they would use for my armor..." I said.

"Iron, steel, tungsten, titanium, something common in this world." Twilight said.

"Tungsten and Titanium is common in this world?" I asked, disbelieving.

"One of the more common metals in our world. Iron and Steel are more rare, and weaker, but makes great tools, weapons, and even armor." Twilight said.

"Tungsten and Titanium are rare as hell on my world. Tungsten's used for jewelry and mining mostly, while Titanium is used for ships, propellers, submarines, planes, helicopter blades, surgical equipments, and even sporting goods." I said.

"Two eggheads sharing their booksmarts. Next thing you know, they'll be dating and trying to name off every book they've read." Rainbow groaned, facepalming.

"I've only gone through eleven years of school, I didn't even complete high school, let alone go to college." I said, glaring at the cyan pony.

"Ponies are only required to go to school for seven years, and it's very expensive to go to college." Twilight said.

"We're required to do twelve years of school and can go to a college for up to another eight years. College is fucking expensive though." I said.

"Twenty years of going to school. Sounds like absolute hell." Rainbow said.

"I've tried skipping once. Never again." I answered, shuddering a little.

"I like how we went from talking about armor materials to what they were used for on Earth to schools and colleges." Pinkie pointed out.

"Most conversations I'm in jump around like that. I don't see a difference in this one." I said, shrugging.

"You'll confuse the readers, and the author will get hate mail because of it!" Pinkie said.

"Again with this Author bullshit. He's probably not even real, let alone controls what the fuck happens in this story." I said.

“Don't say that or he’ll get angry and have something bad happen to you!” Pinkie said, grabbing my head. I gently pushed her away, allowing her hands to fall away from me, and got up.

“I really don’t care about the fucking author, or his readers, or what he does to me. All I need to do, is get this book, return it to the princesses, and we can continue our lives.” I said, patting Pinkie on the head and walking to my bed, not bothering to undress, get under the covers, or even try to get comfortable.

“I’m fucking tired right now, I have a lot to think about from what the princesses told me, and I have to get up in the damn morning to get fitted into armor, get teleported across Equestria, then fight an undead horde to get a damn book that will raise more undead fucks, get teleported across Equestria again, return the book to them, and ride a damn train back to Ponyville.” I said irritably.

“You're not tired! You just want us to leave you alone so that you could think your plan for fighting the undead over, think about what the princesses told you, then listen to music until you fall asleep two hours later.” Pinkie yelled. I got up slowly and turned my gaze to Pinkie, giving me a large grin, and shook my head.

“Damn it Pinkie... You don’t make this shit easy on me...” I grumbled.

“I know next to nothing about basic infantry positioning, let alone what to do against this undead horde. The only undead I've dealt with was in video games, and that only consisted of zombies. I know how to handle any weapon in Equestria, let alone how to handle groups of shambling abominations. I don't know the exact number of ponies I have at my disposal, let alone what their talents are. I don’t know what the fuck to do when I get this damn book, besides call Luna and wait for her to teleport me and the rest of the hellhole. All in all, we’re doomed.” I stated casually.

“I’ll be surprised if one of them makes it out of the deadlands alive when I join them. I have to command their asses, and I have no skills in being a commander. Fuck me...” I said, burying my face into the pillow, pulling off the scouter and placing it on the night table.

The ponies stared at the self deprecating human in concern.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Fluttershy said uncertainly.

“Famous last words. Next thing you know, my ass is going to be walking among them as a general encased in a metal shell carrying the fucking greatsword on my back.” He mumbled into the pillow. That’s when he started laughing. They didn’t recognize it at first, since they never heard his laughter, but after a few minutes, He turned over, and his insane laughter echoed around the room. The laughter sent shivers down all of their spines, and Fluttershy begged him to stop.

“Oh no. This world is fucked because of me! You should've left my ass in the forest, and maybe you wouldn’t be in this shit right now!” He yelled, his insane laughter not stopping. After a few minutes of nonstop laughter, the princesses, with a few guards, walked in, looks of concern on their face.

“What’s wrong?” Celestia asked the ponies.

“He was fine at first, then we started talking about his plans for the group of ponies. He told us he knew nothing about commanding others, basic infantry formations, and that Equestria is doomed because it’s relying on him to bring back that book. He talked about how he has no experience, and then he said that hes just going to become a general for the undead army, and he started laughing.” Twilight explained, looking at Daniel in alarm.

“Hes finally snapped.” Rainbow said, shaking her head. Everypony glared at Rainbow for a moment, then back to the insane human rolling around on the bed with Fluttershy trying her best to make him stop.

“I told you to leave my ass in that damn forest, but no! You just had to save the dying human and take him to Equestria, and now look what’s happening! A fucking undead army is being prepared on an old fucking battlefield, and I have to save the fucking world by fighting said undead army and get a fucking book with a group of damn ponies! We’re all fucking dead! Yippie!” He yelled, unnerving all of the ponies, including the guards and princesses.

“He doesn’t have much confidence, does he?” Luna asked.

“He was nervous about going to a party for himself, and nearly drank himself into a stupor because of it.” Rainbow said, snickering.

“You’re kidding!” Luna said, giggling.

“This is no time for jokes.” Celestia said sternly, throwing a glare at both ponies.

“You have to admit, that’s fucking hilarious!” Daniel said, laughing himself.

“See? Even Daniel finds it funny!” Rainbow said, then realized what she just said.

“I’m not Daniel silly! I’m his counterpart, Mikhail! It’s been nearly five years since I’ve come out of his damn head.” He said, his voice changing slightly.

“Counterpart? Like Pinkie has?” Twilight asked.

“Exactly like Pinkie has! She’s the only one that can truly understand me since we’re on the same level.” He said, giggling insanely.

“You mean the same level of randomness?” Applejack asked.

“That too, but Pinkie knows what I’m talking about, or should I say, Pinkamena?” He said, turning to the ponies, which had a face splitting grin that didn’t look natural on his face at all.

“Oh, I know exactly what you’re talking about.” A cold voice said behind all of the ponies. They turned around, seeing Pinkie, except her hair had gone straight and she had a snarl on her face.

“Perfect! Glad that we’re all on the same level here! Meanwhile, Daniel here,” He said, tapping the side of his head. “is trying his best to get out and clean up the mess he started out here. He’s become quite a nuisance. It’s taking sixty three percent of my self control to just hold him back from taking over.” He finished.

“How long has this been going on?” Luna asked suspiciously.

“Daniel first went insane at the age of thirteen when his mother died, creating me, and I took over for a few months. He took back over and hes been able to hold me back ever since. Lets just say, I caused serious damage to others while I was out and it took nearly two years to fix.” He said.

“Then, lets get Daniel back instead of you, because he’s the one who knows how to fight, unless you can share your memories.” Luna said. “I share his memories, but I don’t share experiences. I guess I can give him the body back.” He said, pouting. He twitched sporadically, and his face-splitting grin disappeared immediately, replaced by a concerned, stressed, and frustrated expression.

“I hate Mikhail... The bastard is so different from me...” He said, rubbing his temples.

“You okay?” Rainbow asked. “Hello no... I still have to figure out what the fuck to do with everything. I wish I had time to study this type of stuff, but I have hardly any time to get my shit together.” He said, rubbing his face with his hands.

“Just get some sleep, and you’ll do fine.” Luna said.

“Famous last words.” I retorted, getting up from the floor and pushing my face into the pillow. I sat there for a minute, before turning on some music. A few minutes later, I fell asleep, ignoring everypony else in the room.

Amissa Heros Magnam...

I woke up, finding a female guard standing over me. I got up, pulling a pair of shorts and t-shirt over myself. I walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower, and walked out to see the guard with a small blush on her face and a dreamy smile on her face.

“Yeah yeah yeah... Alright, lets go.” I said, walking past her and opening the door. She shook her head and looked at me, then blushed more and walked out. I walked after her, an awkward silence following us, until we walked into the throne room. I looked at the thrones, only to find them empty.

“Aren't we supposed to meet the princesses?” I asked. She turned her head and smirked.

“We’re meeting them at the war room, where your armor and weapon is waiting, along with a bag of supplies. The one called Fluttershy is also waiting for you.” She said. We walked to a large pair of doors and met the princesses and Fluttershy, sitting around a large table with a table with a terrain that looked of Equestria with the nearby countries. There was a desert, with a land that looked completely dead directly behind it, with a run down castle in the middle of the Deadlands. There was a flag that was in the middle of a small camp that was a small distance from the Deadlands.

“It’s good to see you Daniel. Now, do you have everything you need?” Celestia asked. I pulled out the seal, my iPod, and looked at the flaming dog tags, which Twilight enchanted to make it look like it’s actually on fire, and the scouter on my face and nodded, placing the items back in my pockets.

“Good, now, we can show you the armor and teleport you to the San Palomino Desert where the group of ponies are waiting for you. The time spent getting to the Deadlands would be about three hours, then getting to the ruins in the middle would be where the Delomelonicon will be located will be two days, and that’s if you don’t run into trouble. You should be able to be back in Equestria in under two weeks.” Celestia said, getting up and walking over to a closet door. She opened the door and levitated out the most awesome armor I've ever seen. The armor was full black, with a crescent moon as the crest, with a white cape with a burning sun on the cape. From top to bottom, there was a hood that would shield most, if not all, of my face from the sun, or any type of light, smooth shoulder pads, chestplate that has the crescent moon over it, leggings that reached all the way down to my ankles, and boots that went up to my knees. The cape itself was a bright white color, with a golden trimming around it that touched the back of my knees. I stared at the armor in amazement, my mouth dropped slightly, and Celestia gave a small smirk.

“This armor is amazing... What’s the material?” I asked.

“Well... We heard your conversation about tungsten and titanium, and we mixed the two metals. We actually hadn't thought about mixing it before, so we tried it and it created a metal that was even stronger then both, and a lot lighter than the Tungsten itself.” Luna said, waving an arm over a dark blue bar.

“Wait... Tungsten is a silvery gray color, and Titanium is a silver color itself, how did it get into that color?” I asked.

“We honestly don't know...” Celestia said, scratching her chin.

“Chalk it up to chemical reactions and save yourselves a headache I guess.” I said, shrugging. I scratched my chin for a moment, then facepalmed.

“What’s wrong?” Luna asked.

“I have no fucking idea on how to put on armor.” I said, facepalming once more.

“It’s just like putting on clothes.” Celestia said, walking up to me and pushing me into the room with the armor. The light flickered on, revealing a small dressing room, my armor standing in the middle of the room and my greatsword on the left wall. I untied the cape from the armor, placing it on one of the many hooks in the room, undressed, then took the fairly heavy chestplate and put it on. The chestplate morphed and formed to my body, becoming tight and snug, leaving enough to room to move around a little and to breath. I put on the leggings, the piece of armor doing the same thing, except not crushing my groin. I put the boots on, but they didn't form to my feet and were a little loose.

“Won’t have to worry about them falling off.” I said, picking up and placing my greatsword across my back, the metal clanking together slightly. I walked around the room, getting a feel of the armor, the armor scraping against itself. I turned off the door and opened the door, ducking slightly to avoid hitting my head. (Couldn't find an image for the armor on how I envisioned it in my head. Deal with it.)

After ten minutes, Daniel walked out of the room, ducking to avoid hitting his head on the door, and looked around the room. Celestia and Luna looked impressed by the sheer intimidation he gave off by just standing there, while Fluttershy was looking a little... south. She was looking at his chest and stomach, seeing the chestplate practically showing off his toned body. A few of the female guards were giving stunned, excited, and dreamy looks toward him, a few of the pegasi guards’ wings becoming erect at the sight.

Some of the male guards were giving stunned and jealous looks towards him. Fluttershy’s wings were becoming erect themselves, but she couldn't look away. Yes, she’s slept with him (not sex perverts), but shes never actually taken the time to actually look at his body. After about a minute of awkward silence from all of the ponies, he coughed into his fist, knocking all of the females from their dirty daydreams and the guys from their whispered death threats.

“Love the armor, but what is with all the damn stares I’m getting from all of you lately?” He asked.

“It’s nothing.” Luna said too quickly.

“Lies! Lies I tell you!” He yelled, chuckling. He coughed into his fist, and although the ponies couldn’t see it, he had a sad look on his face. He sighed, then said.

“Alright, I guess I get the supplies, say my goodbyes, then die a horrible death by fighting an unbeatable undead horde?” Fluttershy hated whenever he did that. He always questions himself, always putting himself down.

“You need to stop doing that.” Fluttershy said.

“You can’t change me, because you know why?” He said.

“Why?” Fluttershy asked.

“‘Cause, I’m Batman!” He yelled, his iPod turning on randomly and starting to play a dopey little song. He took it out of his pocket and started laughing.

“That played perfectly too!” He said, turning the song off.

“What was that supposed to be?” Luna asked, barely holding back her laughter.

“Batman is a superhero from a comic on Earth, who has a theme song to it and everything.” I explained.

“And that was his theme song?” Fluttershy asked, giggling slightly.

“Yep.” I said.

“Anyway, supplies, teleport, and get book.” I said. Celestia snapped her fingers, and a bow and arrow and bag filled to the brim with food, water, and small weapons.

“Throwing axes, daggers, bandages, and bow and arrow...” I said, searching the bag quickly. There were salted meats, jams, fruits, vegetables, breads and cheeses for food, and fifteen canteens of purified water, with medical supplies fitted in at the top of the bag. The small throwing weapons stuffed into smaller pouches on the side of the bag. I stuffed the items back into the bag and slung it over my back, over my greatsword, and turned to Luna and Celestia.

“So, now what?” I asked.

“We teleport you to the San Palomino Desert and you save our world.” Luna said dryly.

“I don’t like the concept of a worlds well being is thrust into the hands of a single man, especially a man that has never seen true combat besides old videos and pictures.” I said, watching as Luna’s horn lit up and her dark purple aura enveloped me. I felt myself being lifted up into the air, a strange sensation followed by a dull throbbing pain to take over my body. The pain was easily bearable, so I didn’t say anything about it.

“Are you feeling any pain?” Celestia asked suddenly.

“Yeah, but it’s bearable.” I said smoothly. Celestia and everypony in the room gasped, but Luna didn’t stop casting the spell.

“Is that bad?” I asked, a tinge of fear on each word.

“That’s very bad. Luna, you must stop the spell!” Celestia yelled.

“I can’t stop the spell, you know what happens if I do!” Luna said fearfully.

“What the hell happens to me?” I asked sternly. I was met with silence for a few moments, then Celestia looked up at me.

“Ponies that have felt pain during these teleportations show up on the destination as a bloody pile. I’m sorry Daniel.” Celestia said, a sad look on her face and tears brimming her eyes. I looked at all of the ponies, each getting the same reaction from all of them, except Fluttershy was already openly sobbing. I sighed tiredly.

“Looks like the end for me... Oh well...” I said, balling my hands into fists.

“This shouldn’t be how it ends!” Fluttershy yelled at me. I looked at her, openly sobbing with Celestia trying to comfort her. I shook my head, going into my pocket as I felt my hand wrap a small and metallic object. I pulled it out and looked at it, seeing the black reflective screen one last time.

“Here Fluttershy. Something to remember me by.” I said, hold my iPod out to her. She looked up, seeing me holding the iPod out to her, and shakily stood up and tooked the object from my hands, taking it in both hands and holding it against her chest. Luna’s horn continued to glow with power, with the pain increasing slightly.

“Look, maybe it’ll be different for me. I’m not exactly a pony, now am I?” I said, hoping to lift their spirits. Celestia just shook her head and hugged Fluttershy.

“DAMN IT! WHY DID I HAVE TO GO LIKE THIS?!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, startling everyone in the room with the power behind it.

“I’m so sorry that this happened Daniel.” Celestia said, a few tears running down her tears.

“This isn’t your fault... Just...” I tried to find words to say anything, but I couldn’t think of anything that would comfort the ponies.

“Fluttershy, can you be a dear and play one last song for me?” I asked her. She nodded, unlocking the device quickly.

“Can you play Fade to Black by Metallica?” I asked. She nodded once more, then started surfing through the device quickly. She pressed the screen one last time, the song starting to play softly. I closed my eyes and listened to the guitar playing softly.

Life it seems, will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters no one else
I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free

I heard sniffles and small sobs from around the room, and felt the pain intensified ten fold. I stiffened up quickly, letting out a choked gasp of pain. The only ponies that heard was Celestia, Fluttershy, and Luna, and it broke their hearts hearing it.

Things are not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly lost, this can't be real
Cannot stand this hell I feel
Emptiness is filling me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking dawn
I was me, but now He's gone

No one but me can save myself, but it's too late
Now I can't think, think why I should even try
Yesterday seems as though it never existed
Death Greets me warm, now I will just say good-bye

The song continued playing itself, while the pain started to get out of hand. I let out a pained cough, and felt blood trickling down my chin.

“Shit... This ain’t easy.” I said, a bit pained. Celestia was a bit surprised by his resilience. Most ponies would’ve already been reduced to screaming wrecks from the pain, but he was only starting to show it from behind the enchanted hood (Celestia and Luna were the only ones that could see behind it.). A small trickle of blood was coming from his mouth, along with his nose starting to bleed as well.

“How long until this spell is done?” I asked.

“We have another ten minutes before the teleportation is complete.” Celestia said.

“Shit... Can we get another song?” I asked. She turned the device on, surfing through the songlist. She turned a song on, and I immediately knew what it was.

Circling your, circling your, circling your head,
Contemplating everything you ever said
Now I see the truth, I got doubt
A different motive in your eyes and now I’m out
See you later
I see your fantasy, you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads (yeah)
Well now that’s over
I see your motives inside, decisions to hide

I started to chuckle, but the pain intensified and it turned into pained coughs and a groan. My hands started to twitch and twist uncontrollably.

(Fuck!)
Back off I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong we’re headstrong
Back off I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong
I can’t give everything away
I won’t give everything away

I opened my eyes, seeing Fluttershy enjoying the music, with Celestia looking at the device curiously. The guards all had mixed reactions of interest, excitement, and enthusiasm.

Conclusions manifest, your first impressions got to be your very best
I see you’re full of shit, and that’s alright
That’s how you play, I guess you’ll get through every night
Well now that’s over
I see your fantasy, you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads (yeah)
Well now that’s over
I see your motives inside, decisions to hide

My arms started to spasm uncontrollably, and the pain only grew quickly. I tried to keep myself calm, but panic and fear only gripped me as I took notice that Luna’s horn continued to glow with intensity.

(Fuck!)
Back off I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong we’re headstrong
Back off I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong
I can’t give everything away
I won’t give everything away

Conclusions manifest, your first impressions got to be your very best
I see you’re full of shit, and that’s alright
That’s how you play, I guess you’ll get through every night
Well now that’s over
I see your fantasy, you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads (yeah)
Well now that’s over

I know, I know all about
I know, I know all about
I know, I know all about
I know, I know all about your motives inside, and your decision to hide

(Fuck!)
Back off I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong we’re headstrong
Back off I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong
I can’t give everything away
I won’t give everything away

The song ended, and I was in unbelievable pain. I had no control of my arms, and it felt like I was being torn apart, limb by limb, agonizingly slow. The room was growing darker, while Luna’s horn only grew brighter, until it was the only thing I could see out of the black abyss, until I finally fell unconscious. Celestia watched as Daniel fell unconscious, saying a silent prayer for him to make it out unharmed, and watched as the unconscious man grew brightly until it hurt everypony to look at him.

With a final flash of light, and a scream of pain that sent chills down everypony’s spine, he disappeared. Fluttershy started sobbing, Luna left the room, trying to avoid everypony seeing her crying also, while the guards were at full attention in silent tribute. After an hour, Celestia stood, cradling the still crying Fluttershy, and dismissed the guards, allowing them to take off for the rest of the week, and carried the mare to her guest room. She put her down in her bed and walked out of the room silently. She thought about giving a small stone tribute in the royal garden, but hesitantly decided against it. She knew that Fluttershy, for the rest of her mortal life, Luna, and herself would remember the man known as Daniel, who was not afraid to risk his life for the better of this world.

AN: Is this the end?

Author's Notes:

NOPE!

Solum Invenire ei Dominandi Inmortuis Multitudo ...

AN: Do you want side chapters for the awakening of Daniel in the middle of the camp, the fight through the Deadlands, and all of the action? Comment below and I will see.

It’s been five days since Daniel’s ‘death’, and Fluttershy had gone back to Ponyville with the help of her friends. Celestia had taken it in stride, silently grieving as she walked around the castle, doing her royal duties. Luna had... taken it a bit harder. The first two days, she refused to come out of her bedroom, only allowing the maids to come into the bedroom to clean up and the staff to bring food to her. The last five days , she says she’s been getting strange readings only unique to Daniel’s armor actually moving and taking damage. Celestia was... confused about the development, and told Luna to keep in check with the strange readings. In the middle of dinner on the sixth day, Luna received a call from her magical mirror item thing... and answered it, only to hear Daniel’s voice.

“I have your damn book, now- BAR THAT DOOR AND DON’T LET THEM IN!” He yelled, catching the attention of everypony at the table, especially Celestia, who came running over.

“Daniel... You’re alive?!” Celestia asked.

“Hello. Yes, I’m alive, pissed, but alive.” He said, looking over at the supposed group, when a whistling could be heard in the background.

“SHIT, GET DOWN!” He yelled, jumping behind a pillar. A few seconds later, a loud crash could be heard, and the sounds of the undead could be heard.

“Yeah, they have catapults, ballistas, and other shit to help them. Luckily, outside of range of this book,” He said, raising the dusty tome to the screen, then turning to the group.

“PHALANX FORMATION! DON’T LET THEM GET PAST THAT DOOR!” He yelled, with the swishing of armor moving heard in the background. Clanking could be heard, along with whistling of blades and arrows flying through the air could also be heard. “Anyway, outside of the range of the book, the undead just fall apart and die, and we just got it. The stallion responsible is dead, had to to get the book.” He said shrugging. Another loud whistle could be heard.

“FUCK, MOVE!” He yelled, although it was too late and screams of pain could be heard from the other ponies.

“Verdammt dummkopfs.” He said, shaking his head.

“REGROUP!” He yelled at them.

“Sorry, but I need to help them get back the ground we’ve lost. The numbers are in the millions here, but they’re slow and shambling, so it’s easy to deal with.” He said, before unceremoniously turning the device off. Luna put the device away, before she started to smile. Celestia let a small breath of relief out before turning back to the rest of the ponies.

“I’m sorry for the interruption, please return to dinner.” She said, before summoning a quill and piece of parchment and writing something down really quick, and sending it to her student. She waited for ten minutes until she received a letter from her student.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It’s great news to hear that Daniel had survived the teleportation! I will gather my friends and we will make our way to Canterlot as soon as possible. Fluttershy will be so happy that Daniel hadn’t actually perished, and would want to see him also.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

Celestia smiled and returned to her dinner. She finished quickly, dismissing the staff and guards, before walking to the throne room with Luna and her guards, taking a seat on the throne as she patiently waited for the Elements. A few hours later, the six mares burst through the doors, Fluttershy wearing a wide grin as she and the rest trotted up to the throne, before bowing, and all looking up to Celestia.

“We had received news from Daniel that not only he had survived the teleportation, but that he and the group of ponies had acquired the Delomelonicon and is now returning to Equestria with it.” Celestia said. The six mares cheered, especially Fluttershy, but fell silent as the magic mirror rang once more. Luna picked up the device and answered it, seeing Daniel’s face, although a bit bloody.

“Shit’s really hit the fan here. We’ve lost over half of the ponies here, due to the catapults and ballistae, and the rest are either injured or are quickly tiring from constantly fighting. Is there anyway you can teleport us here now?” He asked.

“CATAPULTS?! BALLISTAE?!” Twilight yelled.

“Hey Twilight. Yes, they have catapults and ballistae. The stallion responsible somehow taught the undead to use them.” He said, before turning and swinging his blade, decapitating three zombie ponies with the one swing.

“We can try to teleport all of you to the castle, but there is a chance we might bring some of the undead here with you.” Celestia said.

“Hell, I can take the undead if they do get there, but we need to get out of here before we all end up among them.” He said, before turning around and punching a zombie in the chest, ripping out it’s heart and throwing it away and kicking the zombie to the ground.

“Do we have any archers left?” He asked off screen.

“Yes sir, but only thirty left.” A stallion’s voice said.

“Damn... ALRIGHT! ARCHERS, AIM FOR THE HEADS!” He said, before a loud whistling was heard.

“Oh shit...” He said, before ducking down and a ballista flying over his head and cutting through the undead behind him, before the gap was slowly filled back up by the skeletons and zombies. A few screams could be heard, and Daniel groaned in frustration. He strapped the thing to his thigh, although he hadn’t ended the call like he thought he did, and ran into the darkness.

“GET THE HELL OFF OF THEM!” He yelled, the zombies groaning in response and the telltale whistling of a blade. The bodies crumpled to the ground and he picked a mare up.

“You okay?” He asked. She nodded, before running back to the lit area, revealing a large group of bloody and tired ponies, all wielding spears, swords, and shields. He ran further into the darkness, and they heard his grunts as he swung his blade.

“Shit...” He said, before running back to the group.

“Only the mare survived.” He said, before turning around quickly and cleaving a skeleton in two.

“Another lost...” An old stallion’s voice said.

“How many is that, two hundred and fifty three?” He asked. The stallion nodded, before swinging a large mace at a zombie and knocking off its head. He picked the device up again, seeing Luna’s and Celestia’s face looking at the carnage.

“Huh... I thought I turned you off... Anyway, can you start the teleportation now, before we lose more ponies?” He asked quickly.

“Of course.” Luna and Celestia said, before both of their horns lit up and all of the ponies were enveloped in both auras. The quick teleportation worked, as all of the ponies appeared in the throne room, with Daniel at the head of them, holding the book in his hands. He walked up to the throne, handed the book to the princess, before collapsing, revealing five arrows embedded into his back. The ponies gasped, seeing the arrows. Celestia picked him up in her magic and teleported him and her to the medical wing.

“We have an injured stallion here!” She yelled, and a few doctors and nurses came out with a stretcher. They took him to one of the surgery rooms, and she teleported herself back to the throne room.

“He’s going to be okay.” She said, although she wasn’t sure at all. The ponies sighed in relief. Celestia turned to Luna and whispered something, before Luna nodded.

“We have enough guest rooms for you all to stay until you are rested enough to return to your homes.” She said, the ponies bowing to the princess.

“Guards, please escort our guests to their rooms.” She said.

“Yes, your majesties.” The guards said in unison. All of the guests, save for one, followed the guards to the guest rooms.

“Your majesty, if you would be so kind, I wish to speak.” The old stallion said.

“Of course my little pony.” Celestia said.

“Daniel is the toughest stallion I know. I saw him take blows from the undead that would knock a normal pony down and he would just shrug and keep going. Hell, he got hit by one of the catapult boulders and just got right back up. He had taken hits for the ponies that stood before you, as well as ones that didn’t make it here, and he just took them all in stride. But, I worry for him... The stallion is a machine, but even he has limits to what he can do. It’s hard to see him take all of the abuse he has, and just keep going.” He said, huffing loudly. Celestia smiled.

“I see what you mean. Don’t worry, Daniel is in care of the most successful doctors in Equestria. He’ll make a quick recovery and return to Ponyville.” She said. directing the last sentence to the six mares present. They all smiled, and the old stallion walked to the guest room, where the guards were awaiting him. The six mares turned back to Celestia and Luna. Twilight remained silent for a few minutes, until she looked up at Celestia with an inquisitive look.

“No normal stallion should be able to take a hit from a catapult and just brush it off like it was nothing.” She said.

“We added a few enchantments to ensure that he was to return here.” Celestia said with a smile.

“What type of enchantments?” Twilight asked.

“There were over fifty enchantments added to that armor, all to aid him in further predicaments.” Luna said.

“Wouldn’t the armor get more unstable as time passed because of the enchantments?” Twilight asked.

“Normally it would, but we added an enchantment to stop the armor from becoming unstable.” Celestia said.

“I didn’t believe there was such a spell.” Twilight said.

“It took awhile to research, but we found enough spells and enhancements for his armor that he’ll be able to power through most of the damage inflicted on him.” Celestia said with a smirk.

“So, the arrows didn’t affect him?” Twilight asked.

“The arrows affected him of course, but with the armor, he doesn’t feel as much pain as he should. With his natural resistance, plus the aid of the armor and the enchantments, that’s the reason he was able to keep going. They were the reason he bled out and was hospitalized.” Celestia explained.

“That armor looked pretty cool. Not as cool as me, but it was up there.” Rainbow interjected.

“We need to throw him a ‘Thanks for Saving Equestria!’ party! What type of cupcakes does he like? What type of cake does he like? What type of icing does he like? What type of games does he like to play? What ty-” Pinkie said, before being interrupted by Applejack shoving her fist into her mouth.

“You know how Daniel feels about his parties Pinkie.” Applejack said sternly. She removed her hand from Pinkie’s mouth.

“Of course I do, but this is a big thing! He saved Equestria and fought millions of undead, and even saved all of those ponies!” Pinkie yelled.

“On a side note, the Grand Galloping Gala is a month away. I need to start working on everypony’s dresses.” Rarity said.

“All we need to do is fix up his armor and Daniel can wear his armor to the Grand Galloping Gala.” Luna said.

“I thought that it was a formal event?” Applejack said confusedly.

“Yes, but knights wear their armor to formal events as a sign to show their loyalty to the kingdom they represent. Right now, the doctors and nurses are attempting to remove the arrows from him before taking off the armor, and that’s our opportunity to get his armor cleaned up.” Celestia said.

“The problem is, is that the stallions have already left Canterlot for the oncoming heat cycle that is only two days away.” Luna said to her sister. Celestia frowned and sighed.

“That is true. I guess we will have to wait until they get back to repair the armor. I feel bad for Daniel...” Luna said. The rest of the mares giggled.

“He already offered money for us to get the herb so that it’s easier on us next week.” Rainbow said. The five other mares nodded in agreement.

“Yes, but the herb has no effect on alicorns and other immortal beings.” Celestia said. Before the conversation could continue, the doors burst open and a doctor came rushing over.

“Your majesty, the subject has already been healed with the help of that armor. We attempted to remove it, but the armor somehow kept us from doing so, as well as healed the wound. Right now, he’s resting from his recent skirmish.” He said, catching his breath. The mares beamed at the news and started for the medical wing, the doctor in tow. When they reached the medical wing, they made their way to his room, with directions from the doctor, and walked into the room. Daniel was laying on the medical bed, his bloody and battle worn armor on his body.

The hood was pulled down, revealing his uninjured face, and his greatsword leaning against the wall. The equally bloody and beaten cape was folded nicely on the nightstand next to him. The ponies looked at him and watched as he twitched, and slowly stirred. They all smiled at his quick recovery, although he was injured gravelly, and watched as his unfocused red eyes quickly shrank in size before slowly focusing and finally looking at the ponies before him.

“Jesus... And here, I thought I actually died. Oh well. Guess I have to deal with this heavenly place instead.” He said playfully, earning a punch in the arm by Rainbow Dash before everypony piled onto him. He somehow managed to free his arms and wrap them around all of the ponies. They all got up after the group hug, although Pinkie stayed in his lap and continued to hug him. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, then wrapped his arms around Pinkie again and placing his chin on top of her head, although her hair was getting in the way, getting a sigh of content from her, before looking at all of the ponies.

“I guess this means that I get recognized as a hero of Equestria and get some sort of large party to celebrate?” He stated.

“Of course.” Celestia said.

“Although I dislike going to large parties, I’ll attend.” He said. Pinkie, although she was slightly offended that he disliked large parties, smiled into his chest.

“What I do need right now is a shower and a hot meal.” He said, unwrapping Pinkie so that she could get up. She got up, albeit reluctantly, and he got up from the bed.

“Where is the bathroom?” He asked. The doctor, who had been silent this entire time, pointed at a door. Daniel thanked him and pushed through the door, before facepalming and walking back out.

“I have no spare change of clothes.” He said. Twilight thought for a moment, before snapping her fingers. Her horn lit up and in a small flash of light, a pair of pants and a black t-shirt appeared in the air. He caught them before they hit the ground, then walked back into the room. There was a small towel rack with a couple of towels on it, a large shower in the corner of the room, with a sink and toilet next to each other. He took off his armor quickly, stretched for a bit, hearing satisfying pops and cracks.

He sighed, placing his spare clothes on the sink and undressing, the sweat matted and dirt covered clothing hitting the ground. He stepped into the shower, seeing bars of soap that had a neutral scent on it. He washed up quickly, dried off, dressed, then relieved himself before grabbing his dirty clothes and armor and walking out. The ponies were idly chatting when he opened the door, and turned to look at the fresh Daniel.

“Much better.” He said, before placing his armor neatly on the floor and folding the dirty clothes and placing them next to his bloody blade. He took one look at it and sighed.

“I’ll need to wash that.” He commented. He turned to the ponies and raised an eyebrow.

“So, what now?” He asked. The ponies looked at eachother, then turned to him with a shrug.

“Dinner starts in an hour, so we can do something before then.” Luna said.

“If only they had video games here...” He said. The ponies looked to him, before Luna started snickering. He took one look at her and said.

“They have video games here... WHY,” He yelled, startling everypony. “didn’t you say anything before now?” He asked.

“We didn’t know if you knew what they were.” Twilight said. Daniel looked at her and deadpanned, and she just shook her head.

“Right... I forget about that...” She said. They all filed out of the room, leaving Daniel to pick up my armor, sword, cape, and clothes. He caught up with them, and they talked idly as they made their way through the winding hallways. They came upon a rather large door and Luna opened the door with a large grin, revealing a large TV that took up an entire wall, with game systems that look like Xbox 360s, Playstation 3s, and Nintendo Wiis, except on the sides it said Xpony 360, Ponystation 3, but the Wii was the same, just oddly proportioned.

“Holy shit... These things look exactly like gaming systems from my world. And that TV...” He said in awe, nearly dropping all of the things in his arms. There were three couches, along with various recliners and other comfortable seats around the room, along with a large wooden cabinet in one of the corners of the room, filled to the brim with video games that were exactly like games from Earth, except with different names and had the ponies in them.

“I have a theory on why things are so alike in our worlds.” Daniel said, setting his stuff down next to one of the couches and sitting down.

“Have any of you heard of the String Theory, where it explains about different dimensions that are similar to each other, but also have key differences?” He asked, taking a sudden scientific turn that stunned everypony. They all shook their heads, and he continued.

“The theory itself explains about how there are endless amounts of universes and dimensions, all with similarities and differences from out own. There is no original universe from where the other universes and dimensions were copied from, and that’s how they were flawed, they all started out on its own account. This dimension has this world, where most of its inhabitants are only myths and legends in my dimension and world.

"The sun and moon are controlled by two beings, where my world revolved around the sun itself with it’s larger mass and gravity pull. Earth was a larger mass, so the moon revolved around Earth, where the planet revolved around the sun since it was a larger mass itself. In the solar system I came from, there was nine planets that revolved around our sun, and only one that supported life with an atmosphere that was fit on supporting life.” He said, leaving everypony interested, or in Rainbow Dash’s case, bored.

Rainbow Dash walked over to the TV, turning it on and starting up the Xpony 360, which had a beam of light that shot out and touched Daniel’s chest. He was about to start again when it touched him, and the familiar feeling of teleportation enveloped his chest. He had time to look at Rainbow Dash before a flash of light erupted and he was gone. The ponies looked away at the sudden flash, then back at the spot where he was sitting, finding it empty, his equipment gone also. They all gasped and started searching the room. Luna did a scrying spell on him and didn’t find him. She cast a stronger scrying spell, searching the entire planet, only to fail.

“He’s no longer on this planet...” Luna said, her eyes widening.

AN: Where did he go? Hint. What game deals with two teams of nine mercenaries?

Partes Sunt Distracta Ducibus Corruptum

A loud bang awoke me from my slumber. I rolled over, opening my eyes as I saw a desert.

"Great... Back to this damn place." I muttered, getting up and seeing my armor, sword, and spare clothing laying on the ground next to me. I put the armor on, throwing my sword over my back, and tossed the dirty clothing behind a dry bush. I looked around, seeing a small two building base to the left of me. I started walking towards the base when I saw a small form bouncing around, and a gunshot was heard, and the small form just went stiff and fell to the ground.

“Warzone?” I asked. I continued walking towards the base, when another gunshot rang out, along with a loud male scream. I started running, until I heard more and more gunshots. There was the rev of a minigun, explosions, yelling of orders, screams of pain, and hissing of machinery. I saw a few cars around the sides, along with a tall fence with barb wire running along the top.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” A high pitched male voice yelled, before the guy screamed out in pain.

“That’ll slow yer down, ya twitchy hooligan!” An australian male yelled. He cried out in pain, as a french voice said.

“Sorry to ‘pop in’ unannounced.” He said. The sound of a flamethrower and burning flesh, along with another scream of pain.

‘The hell is wrong with this place?’ I thought as I walked around back, seeing an entrance to the facility. I walked into the place, seeing everything coated a dull red color. I continued walking until I heard a steady beeping, and a clank of glass together.

“Cheers.” A southern accented man said.

“Danke, my hard hatted friend.” A german accented man said. I walked down the hallway, the beeping getting steadily louder.

“It’s easy to trick that damn bitch. I just hotwired the cameras and microphones so that she can’t see or hear anything down here.” The southern accented man asked. I turned a corner and heard a loud beeping, as well as a minigun spinning up. I looked ahead and saw some sort of turret, fit with two miniguns and a four podded rocket launcher on top. The turret fired at me, the bullets pinging off of my chest.

“Armor’s bulletproof. Fucking sick.” I said. A loud whistling was heard, and I turned just in time to see four rockets fly past my face.

“What the fuck...” I said. I walked up to the thing, the turret almost as tall as I am, and slashed the wires from the middle of it to the miniguns and rocket launcher. The turret shut down, and the sounds of footsteps was heard. A slight humming was heard as a short man with a hard hat on top of his head, a pair of overalls covering a straight red shirt with a small logo of a wrench in the middle on his arms, a belt fit with various items, knee pads, and a pair of boots. In his hands held a shotgun and a small scowl on his face. He looked at me and his jaw dropped, seeing the large blade and dark armor. Another man rounded the corner, some sort of gun in his hands that had a beam trailing from the tip to the small man. He was wearing a lab coat, some sort of pack on his back, a pair of red gloves on his hands, brownish gray trousers, and boots to top it off. He looked at me and did the same as his small friend.

“That damn turret of yours was annoying me.” I said, snapping both men out of their trances.

“Who are you?” The small man asked.

“My name is Daniel. I got teleported to this world apparently.” I said, with both guys looking at me like I was crazy. I saw their looks and chuckled.

“Look, I know it sounds strange, but for the last two years, I’ve been living in a strange world that actually has magic. At first, I didn’t believe it, then seeing it for myself, I turned around.” I said.

“A world that actually has magic... That must be the most made up thing I’ve ever heard, but for two years, you’ve been living in some world with magic?” The small man said.

“Yeah... I used to be on Earth before I got shot by my father and a few of the residents saved my ass as they teleported to the other world.” I said.

“This is Earth son. Looks like you’re back home.” The small man said.

“Hell, I want to go back. No offense, but Earth is basically hell compared to that world. Literally no crime, no famine, no disease, no wars. Place is a heaven. Plus, I got a girl there that’s waiting for me to return, whenever that should be.” I said. The small man whistled in admiration, lifting his hard hat off of his head.

“Sounds like the perfect little spot. How did you end up here anyway?” He asked.

“Well, let me tell you something. This place isn’t all good though. There are some of them that have bad intentions. After I fought off an undead army of sorts, I was going to relax, when I was hit with some beam of light that teleported me here.” I said.

“An undead army?” The german man asked, intrigued.

“Yeah, some dumbass guy decided to use a book to raise the undead on an old battlefield. Literally millions of undead walking around. He somehow taught them how to use catapults and ballistae.” I said. They sat there stunned as they tried to imagine that many.

“Hell, I was actually hit with one of the catapults, albeit it was a glancing blow.” I said.

“No regular human would be able to survive getting hit with a boulder being flung from a catapult.” The german said.

“I know that, but it’s this armor. This armor is enchanted or something. Literally saved me from being killed by a large ass boulder, along with being shot in the back with five arrows.” I said.

“Sounds like you went through hell.” The southerner said. He grabbed a wrench from his belt and smacked the turret, the wires rebuilding themselves. The thing started beeping again, swinging around to me and the miniguns spinning up again.

“If that damn thing shoots me again, I will destroy it.” I said irritably. The small man pulled out a pad and started pushing buttons, possibly putting in a code of some sort, and the turret just turned around and went back on watch.

“Interesting...” I commented, before following them to the room they came from. In the room was a large office desk, with a leather chair behind it, an old style telephone on the desk, along with a spinning suitcase with papers hanging out of it.

“The hell? How is that thing spinning?” I asked, scratching my head.

“We have no idea. It does that until someone picks it up and we just go along with it.” The small man said. There were wires running from a small room in the corner of the room, with a bulletin board with random papers stapled and tacked to it. Next to it was a fire extinguisher that was covered in dust. Above it was a alarm bell, and a large room with old style terminals facing a large screen with multiple red dots, all different sizes. In the middle of the room was a few chairs leaning against a strange machine. From bottom to top, there was a slot with various clips of ammo, another slot with syringes and pills, a red bulb with an air conditioner or something next to it, some type of screen with a meter like a gas meter, an air tank on one side, a belt of ammo on the other side, and a heart meter on top with a small lock next to it. One side of it was open, revealing a case of beer with two of the pockets empty. The two men unfolded the chairs next to the dispensers and sat in them, grabbing half empty beer bottles and taking large gulps from the bottles. They took notice of me standing up, leaning against the wall and staring at them. The small man stood up and grabbed a small metal chair and set it out for me.

“Here ya go pardner.” He said.

“I could stand, but thanks.” I said, taking the chair.

“What do you guys do around here anyway? I heard the commotion from upstairs, but...” I trailed off, looking at the small man.

“We’ve been hired by a crazy man to fight over land that his father split between the two brothers, Blutarch and Redmond Mann, and we’ve fought all over the world, trying to gain control over some land for two crazy brothers for nearly three years.” He said, shaking his head.

“How have none of you died? From what I’ve heard, some of them killed each other already.” I asked.

“There’s a device that I’ve built, that the rest have called Respawn, and whenever one of us die, a few seconds later, we would be right back into the battle.” The man said.

“So... the Respawn machine is basically creates never ending life, or some sort of immortality...?” I asked.

“A close hypothesis on what it actually is, but no... We still age, but we still die, only to return to our former bodies that the machine has been connected too. We could be as old as we could, then die from old age, before returning to this body.” He said, pointing to his entire figure.

“Hell, I wouldn’t want that... That would drive myself insane...” I said, patting them on the back, only to send the small man to the ground.

“Sorry... I’ve been used to farm work and chopping wood. As well as carrying around this like two hundred pounds of Tungsten and Titanium armor, as well as a ten pound greatsword and a hundred pounds in supplies.” I said, picking him up and setting him in the chair.

“Good lord. How have you been able to carry all of that?” He asked. I just shrugged, since I’m not too sure on how I do it also. Footsteps could be heard, before the turret beeped loudly and the miniguns revved up.

“He’s going to have bonk, so just deal with that kid.” The small man said, getting up and readying his shotgun at the adjacent door.

“Let me handle this.” I said, the small man raising an eyebrow at me before sitting down and taking another beer from the case on top of the machine. A small guy, looking to be in his late teens to young twenties, wearing all blue in contrast to the red these guys had, came down the hallway, a small blur following himself.

“Try harder next time hardhat.” He yelled as he shot past all three of us sitting next to the machine. His voice annoyed me, so I got up as he flew past me, readying my blade, and waited for him to touch the suitcase. As soon as he did that, a female voice said.

“Alert! The enemy has taken our intelligence!” I swung my blade at him as he flew past me, cutting him in half. The briefcase fell off of his body, with the female voice immediately responding.

“The enemy has dropped our intelligence.” I picked up the intelligence and placed it back on the table, where it continued spinning in the air.

“Our intelligence has returned to our base.” The female voice said.

“I don’t like that kid. He annoyed me with his voice.” I said, pulling out an already bloody rag and wiping off the fresh blood from my blade.

“Everyone here hates that kid, but he does have his uses.” The small man said.

“His counterpart is just as annoying.” The german man said. More footsteps was heard, but the sentry didn’t sound off. The same boy from earlier ran around the corner, this one wearing all red, and looked at the small man.

“You got the intel?” He asked.

“Nope.” The small man said.

“Nein.” The german man said.

“Then who did?” He asked.

“Maybe look around and see if there’s anything or anybody new in the room.” The small man said. The young man looked around, seeing me cleaning the blood off.

“Who’s that freak?” He asked. I growled, getting up and throwing my blade at him at blinding speed. The blade nearly cut off his arm as it flew by, embedding itself into the wall.

“That one was a warning. The next time, you won’t be so lucky.” I said, getting up, easily towering over him, and retrieving my blade. The man clutched his wounded arm, bringing out a pistol and firing the clip at me. The bullets pinged off of my chest, and I punched him in the nose. There was a satisfying crunch as it connected, sending him sprawling across the floor clutching his nose. I ran over to him and grabbed him by his neck, slamming him against the wall, knocking the breath from him.

“Hell, this guy rivals Heavy in strength.” He said, before I nearly snapped his neck. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked, seeing the german man with an emotionless face on his face. He shook his head, and I snarled at the small man, slamming him into the wall once more before letting him fall to the ground.

“I’m going to kill that kid if he says one more damn thing.” I growled to the small man.

“Although I would pay to see that, we need him to be alive right now. He’s mostly responsible for getting the enemies intelligence, isn’t that right Scout?” The small man said suggestively.

“I would go get it if my ribs and nose wasn’t broken.” Scout mumbled out.

“I’ll rip you in half if you try that shit again.” I growled at him. The german man pulled out the same gun he used on the small man, and a small red beam trailed from the end of it. The trail ended at the young guy, and he got up like he didn’t just get his ass handed to him.

“Thanks Doc.” He said, before running off.

“So. you’re a doctor, or some field medic?” I asked, sitting back down.

“By name and profession, I am Medic. I heal ze imbeciles upstairs when ze time is needed, but until zen, I sit here and relax.” Medic said.

“And you’re an engineer?” I asked the small man, who nodded.

“Most just call me Engi.” Engineer said. A small clanking sound was heard, before a loud static followed it.

“Spy is sappin’ my sentry!” Engi called out, getting up and pulling out his wrench. He ran off towards his sentry, with Medic and I following. I turned the corner just as I saw Engi knock off a strange looking device with his wrench. I picked up the device, seeing an old style radio or something with a few wires connecting some parts together, as well as the words “Electro Sapper” was etched across the top of the device.

“Strange...” I said, before dropping the device and crushing it below my foot.

“Spy creepin’ around here.” Engi growled, pulling out a shotgun and shooting an otherwise empty space. Two more shots and a loud scream of pain erupted, and a blue body, just appeared out of nowhere.

“How the fuck...?” I said, picking up the body and searching his body. In his pockets were an old style watch, as well as a watch with a blank screen and seven buttons, as well as a small butterfly knife. I threw the butterfly knife towards Engi, who pocketed it, and pocketed old style watch, and put the watch on my wrist. I pressed the largest button and heard a small whishing sound. I looked at the two men standing there.

“That would be a nightmare.” Engi said.

“I agree mein hard hatted friend. A man of zat size and he just pops out of nowhere like the Spy.” Medic agreed. I looked at my body and saw that everything had disappeared.

“So, a cloaking watch... Smart. I’m keeping this. As well as the other watch.” I said, looking at the small blue bar slowly going up.

“Looks like you got yourself a Cloak and Dagger, as well as his Dead Ringer.” Engi laughed.

“What does the Dead Ringer do?” I asked, uncloaking.

“Whenever you take damage, it fakes your death. For example, pull out the Dead Ringer.” He said. I pulled out the ‘Dead Ringer’, flipping the watch open, seeing a ring of light blue light in the middle of the watch. Engi pulled out a pistol and shot me in the chest, and a body, easily replicating my own, fell from my position. The small blue ring slowly went down, and I closed it before it reached half way. A loud noise was heard as I uncloaked.

“That would be useful for later...” I said, before turning to Engi and picking him up.

“Don’t do that.” I said, putting him down.

“Understood.” He coughed.

~At BLUs Base~

Scout had respawned and was standing in the respawn room, mumbling to himself. The door opened quickly and BLU Soldier ran in, carrying his rocket launcher.

“Soldier, why are you not on the battlefield?!” He yelled at Scout.

“I’m not going back over there! They have something over there that easily killed me, even with BONK!” He said, sitting on the bench.

“The REDs have a secret weapon?” Soldier said, tapping his chin.

“It isn’t a weapon, it’s a man. Except, he can’t be hurt by bullets.” Scout said. Soldier snarled at Scout, but was curious about this man that was supposedly impervious to bullets.

“Spy!” He yelled. Spy uncloaked next to Soldier.

“What?” He said.

“The REDs have something over at their base, and I want you to learn about it.” Soldier ordered the French man.

“I heard your conversation, and I’m already curious to learn about this man.” Spy said, cloaking and disappearing, the only indication that he was gone was when the door opened up.

~Two Minutes Later~

Spy respawned, shaking his head.

“What do you have to report soldier?” Soldier asked Spy.

“That man towers over everyone else, wears some sort of armor, and nearly killed the Red Scout because he made a small comment about him.” Spy said. He wasn’t easily shaken up, but seeing the man that easily towered over Heavy, and carried such a dangerous weapon. That man also intimidated Spy, who usually was the intimidating one.

“He’s easily taller than Sniper and Heavy, and could probably lift Heavy with one hand and toss him across the bridge with ease.” Spy said, a tinge of fear on his words. Soldier grumbled something, but looked around for something.

“We need BLU team to take out that man, before he becomes one of the REDs.” Soldier proclaimed. The two men nodded and went to go search for the other BLUs.

~RED Intel Room, Fifteen Minutes Later~

“I don’t hear anything...” Engi said, taking the beer from his lips. Medic also took his beer from his mouth, listening with a primed ear, until he confirmed Engi’s claim.

“That’s strange... From what I’ve heard, this place is a constant war zone.” I said. A lot of footsteps was heard, and about seven other men walked in, including Scout.

“Where is BLU team?” The largest man there asked, a thick Russian accent asked.

“We don’t know Heavy. We figured since you were up there fighting that you would know.” Engi said.

“Who’s this maggot?” A stern military voice asked.

“Shut the hell up before I rip you a new hole.” I growled at him.

“WHAT WAS THAT MAGGOT?!” The man yelled at me. I looked at him, getting up, easily towering over him, which surprised him for a second, and I grabbed him by his throat and lifted him off of the ground with one arm.

“You want to talk shit? How about this. I’ll rip your arms off, before slowly cutting your legs off then ripping off your head and beat you to death with it. Now, get away from me before I turn your spine into your own personal dildo.” I snarled at him, throwing him into the wall, his helmet flying off and a small crack was heard.

“No one touches team with and lives.” Heavy growled at me.

“You want to go, big boy?” I said, throwing my blade to the side.

“Come, we fight like men.” He said, throwing the minigun to the side and raising his fist. He took a step forward, shouting a battle cry, before charging. I stepped to the side as he flew past me, before running up behind him and slamming his head into the floor, immediately drawing blood. I picked him up with one hand and flung him against the wall, causing him to land on the possibly dead man on the ground. He got up and charged once more. I started running at him myself, meeting him halfway, my larger body mass plus heavier weight sending me barreling towards the wall with him in my arms. I jumped on top of him and slammed my fist into his jaw, dislodging it from place, and followed up by slamming my fist into his jaw once more, breaking it with a loud crunch. I got off of him and picked him up with both arms, slamming the large man into the ground, the impact creating cracks in the ground. I walked over to my blade, picking it up and putting it on my back. I looked at the group of men that witnessed the fight, all slack jawed.

“I’ve dealt with stronger undead than him.” I said, sitting back down.

“Lad, Heavy is the strongest on our team and he just got beat like a child, and you say you’ve fought stronger undead then him?” A Scottish accented man said. I nodded in response, watching the large man struggle to get off the ground.

“Hell, I’ve had to fight for a five days straight, and this was a breeze compared to that. Have you ever been hit with a full force boulder launched from a catapult? Damn thing hurts.” I said.

“You’ve been hit with a catapult?!” Scout yelled at me.

“This armor, as I said, is made of Tungsten and Titanium, and I was taught by one of the best weapon masters in my world. The only reason I’m still here is because I need to wait until one of the princesses teleport me back to the damn world.” I said, watching all of their expressions turn from admiration to confusion and pure amazement.

“You’re from another world, yet you look exactly like us.” A French voice said.

“Because I was originally from Earth, before being brought to that world by the means of six females from their world.” I answered. I thought for a moment, before turning to the French voice.

“How did you know that I looked like you guys?” I asked suspiciously.

“I am the Spy, and it’s my job to learn about everything.” Spy said, taking a step back and pulling out another cigarette from the holder he pulled from his suit. I cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. A loud groan was heard, and the large man finally got to his feet with the help of Medic, rubbing his jaw.

“Man has good punch.” He mumbled.

“Don’t start with me again and you won’t die.” I said to him, leaning back in the chair slightly. He walked over and grabbed his minigun, before taking one of the beers from the case on top of the machine.

“Dispenser is credit to team.” He said, popping the top off and chugging the thing down. I raised an eyebrow and shrugged, guessing it was the name of the machine. A sudden clinking was heard and I looked at the dispenser, seeing that it had actually restocked the beers in the case. Everyone cheered and grabbed one, and I watched as it restocked it once more.

“I’d want something like that... Hell, that would be useful for me.” I said.

“Dispensers are very useful building’s I’ve built.” Engi said, grabbing another beer.

“Have you ever thought about selling dispensers?” I asked. He turned to me with a dark look.

“I’m not talking about military or anything, but to the world. Do you know how useful it would be to normal households?” I asked. His dark look turned a little, and he tapped his chin in thought.

“It would help out a lot of families in their everyday life.” He said slowly.

“And also building a smaller version of it, almost like a pocket version of it? That would be useful for you guys right? Having a pocket dispenser that would heal and give you ammo while fighting?” I suggested.

“It would especially help Medic, since he would be a prime target on the battlefield.” I said. The Medic smiled brightly at the thought of not dying as much as he did in battle, although it wouldn’t protect against headshots and backstabs.

“Mmbh mmph mmmph.” A muffled, although slightly feminine voice said.

“Huh?” I said, looking up, seeing a masked being, holding a large flamethrower in their hands and a fire axe on their backs.

“Mph Smph mmbh mmph mmmph.” They said again, although I couldn’t understand one word.

“Can you please take off the mask and say again?” I asked. They hesitated slightly, before flicking a few things on the neck of the mask, and twisting it off. They pulled off the mask and I got a look at... her face. She was quite beautiful actually, with long brown hair that reached her shoulders and bright green eyes. The rest of them turned to the girl, all stunned at the sight, and she repeated, with a slight British accent.

“I said, what about me?” I scratched my chin.

“I guess it would refill your propane and air tank, as well as the shells for your shotgun. Since your suit would most likely shrug off fire, you wouldn’t have to worry about putting yourself out, so you would be healed from bullets and any other damage done to you.” I said, before I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. I looked down and saw that she actually hugged me, and she was quietly giggling. The rest of them looked... jealous? I hesitantly hugged her back and she pulled away, giggling some more. I scratched the back of my head, seeing the rest getting angry, as well as Scout trying to hit on her, before I heard the turret beep loudly and the miniguns revving up. I sighed, before getting up. They were all in the state of shock and panic, trying to get ready.

“Calm down. I’ll handle this.” I said, walking towards the sounds of gunfire.

“Are you nuts?! You’ll get killed out there!” The girl said.

“You can get my story from Medic and Engi, but I’m going to deal with this.” I said, pulling the blade from my back and walking out, just as there was a loud explosion and Engi yelled.

“Sentry down!” I grinned as I stepped around the corner, seeing the nine mercenaries in blue, with their weapons at the ready. I pulled the Dead Ringer from my pocket, holding it in one of my hands.

“There he is!” The stern military voice said. Bullets started flying, some missing while most hit me in the chest or stomach. None of the bullets actually penetrated the armor. I charged forward, ignoring the gunfire aimed my way, before I jumped into the air, avoiding all of the gunfire as I jumped over all of their heads and landed behind all of them. I swung my blade vertically, cutting through the Blu Scout, who cried out in pain before falling to the ground in two. I saw that the rocket toting man had fired at me and I grabbed the rocket from the air, since it was slow enough to do so, and threw it at the Blu Medic. The rocket exploded as it made contact with his chest, except it didn’t kill him, just heavily injure him.

I mentally scratched my head on why he didn’t die from that before I watched as the guy with a sniper rifle shot at me, intending to shoot me in the head, but I pulled one of the most epic things ever. I managed to block the bullet with my blade, but the bullet only went up far enough to where my blade could still cut it, and I cut the bullet in half. The bullet was shot forward, as if it was from a gun, and one half hit him in the throat, killing him, while the other went into the black mans one eye, causing him to blindly fire his grenade launcher at the wall, killing himself and blowing up the military man.

The Blu Pyro was trying to burn me, but since armor can’t burn, I easily cut her in half (at least, I thought it was a she since RED and BLU look so much alike) before continuing. All that was left was the Blu Engineer, who was building a dispenser, Blu Medic, who was healing the Blu Heavy, and the Blu Spy, who was probably behind me. I swung my blade around, hearing the familiar scream of pain that I heard before. I cut the Blu Spy in half, both halves flying away quickly and slamming into the wall. I took one of the pocketed throwing knives and threw it at the engineer, hitting him in the neck with it. He fell to the ground, clutching the knife and quickly bleeding hole in his neck, but he just bled out quickly.

“Doctor, HIT CHARGE!” The Blu Heavy yelled. A loud fizzling sound filled the air, and the two were encased in a blue armor of sorts.

“I AM BULLETPROOF!” Heavy bellowed, firing his minigun at me, unfazed that he just lost most of his team. I started walking forward, slowly at first, before quickly picking up speed and easily reaching Heavy. I readied my weapon at the large mans chest, watching as the aura around the blade flared violently when the armor encased them, and felt the sword hit his chest. I looked at the blade, seeing that it actually stabbed through the armor and had plunged into the Heavy’s chest. He bellowed in pain, before collapsing backwards, sliding off of the blade. The Blu Medic was in a state of shock, and just started backing away from the man standing before him, shaking his head pathetically.

“Nein... Nein! Nein! Nein! NEIN!!! THAT SHOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE!! THE UBERCHARGE FAILED!!” He shouted, before I quickly decapitated the man. His head rolled to the ground as the body dropped to his knees, and falling forward. I sighed heavily, wiping off the bead of sweat I had on my brow, before pulling out the bloody rag that was coated with so much undead blood, and walking back to the RED team. They were all looking around the corner, staring in absolute awe, watching as I walked up and past them all like nothing happened.

“How... did you cut through the ubercharge?” Pyro asked.

“The blade’s enchanted to be able to cut through any type of armor, even those that claim it’s invincible.” I said casually, attempting to clean off the blood, but only smudging it. I looked at the rag and frowned, before tossing it into a trashcan.

“I need another rag...” I said to myself. I felt someone tap me on the shoulder and turned around, seeing Medic holding a clean white rag in front of him.

“Thanks.” I said, taking the rag from his hands and starting to clean the blade. I heard a snort, as well as a groan and some shuffling. I looked up, seeing the military man starting to get up.

“What did I miss?” He asked. He looked at me, seeing me cleaning off blood, and his face twisted into a snarl. “And what is this filthy maggot doing in my base?” He growled.

“Oh wait! I forgot something!” I said, quickly getting up and jogging out, retrieving the throwing knife from the Blu Engi’s neck. I stood there, looking at the blue dispenser, and smiled, taking the machine for myself.

“Now two dispensers.” I said, walking back into the room with the blue dispenser and sat it next to my chair. The dispenser trailed a beam to my chest, healing me and repairing any type of damage done.

“Sweet.” I chuckled, cleaning the blood off of the knife and sword, as well as trying to get the blood off of the armor.

“Ah well, thanks anyway Medic.” I said, being able to clean off the sword and knife easily, but the armor was just getting smudged by the armor.

“How did you do that?” Pyro asked, sitting on top of the dispenser next to me.

“I was taught by one of the best weapon masters in the other world, and the blacksmiths there was able to make me this armor to help me on my quest to ‘save the world’ there.” I said, doing air quotes with my fingers.

“How did you save the world then?” She asked, intrigued.

“Apparently some douchebag of a guy had found a book that was able to raise entire armies of undead, and he so happened to do so on an old battleground, where millions died, and I had to fight my way through that army with a small group of them with me. He also was able to teach the undead to use catapults and ballistae, because when we got close to his castle, I nearly got crushed by one of the boulders from the catapults, as well as nearly getting impaled on a ballista. We had to deal with that, as well as the army of undead that was surrounding us quickly.

"We fought our way through the undead army, eventually reaching the guys castle, and we stormed the place. But this is where it gets good. The man apparently was able to use the book and turn himself into a lich, an undead warlord of immense power, and was able to amplify the books power of raising the undead and control the armies of undead he already created. He had gotten so much power that he was able to create an impenetrable bubble around himself, keeping him from being harmed by normal weapons.” I stopped and caught my breath, hearing her gasp.

“There was something I hadn’t noticed before, and that my swords aura had grown immensely, and it continued growing when I got closer to him. I figured the sword was able to do something to him, so I charged him and was able to cut through the bubble and stab him through the heart.” I chuckled, while Pyro cheered, catching the rest of their attention. They slowly encircled me as I continued the story.

“Didn’t do shit to him. The guy didn’t even feel his own heart get stabbed with the blade. He blasted me away from him, summoning his army to knock down the doors and try to overwhelm us. The problem with an undead army is that they’re slow and shambling, so it took them a few hours to even get to the door. I managed to dodge the balls of magic he was shooting at me, which was killing most of the people from the group and infected them, and get through that damn bubble of his.

"After a few minutes of fighting him, I was able to cut off his head, which immediately dropped the bubble around him and I picked up the book. Well, without the leader they were used to, the undead went crazy, started tearing each other apart. The undead somehow became faster, knocking the door down quickly, and so I had to call in the princesses and see if I could get some help. While I was running around trying to run around and save everyone I could, they were busy trying to teleport us back to the castle. While we were waiting, I got shot in the back with like five arrows, so when they teleported us, the loss of blood plus the feeling of teleporting just caused me to be dizzy and near unconsciousness. I gave them the book and immediately collapsed, only to wake up in some medical wing, arrows gone and armor still on somehow.” I said, finishing the story.

“How did you get here then?” Engi asked.

“That picks up immediately after last time. After I woke up, the two princesses and the six girls from earlier were standing over me, before giving me a large hug.” I said, shaking my head with a small smile.

“Well, fighting five days straight got me smelling like a dumpster, so I got out of the armor, took a shower, got some clean clothes, then went to go relax. They apparently was as technologically advanced as Earth apparently, so we all went to the game room and was about to start playing some games when a beam of light hit me in the chest and teleported me outside of this place. So, after I got my armor on and was presentable, I was hearing you guys shooting each other and I was wondering when I would be able to get inside your base. I just went around back and walked through the door, before heading down here, nearly getting my ass blasted by the turret. I cut the wires on the turret and met these two.” I said, pointing to Medic and Engi.

“Then the Blu Scout came running in and I cut his ass in half, then Blu Spy tried sapping Engi’s turret, but Engi somehow saw him and got him with the shotgun, then I nearly beat Scout’s ass to death before Medic stopped me and healed him and he went to go get the intel or something.” I said, casting a small glare towards Scout.

“The rest is history.” I finished, waving my hand around.

“That’s quite the story.” Spy said, puffing on his cigarette.

“The most we’ve had to deal with is a decapitation happy ghost, the sniper going crazy, a giant eyeball that can fire rockets, and a man that can shrug off minigun fire with his bare chest.” Engi said.

“Sniper went crazy?” I said, looking at the Australian man.

“Let’s just say that Sniper is an atheist and for good reason and leave it at that.” Soldier said, shaking his head.

“Alright...” I said, frowning slightly.

“So, about this man that could shrug off minigun fire with his bare chest.” I said.

“Saxton Hale, President and CEO of Mann Co. The toughest man you will ever find in the world possibly.” Engi said.

“He got angry at both teams when we tried peace with each other, so he came down here and kicked all of our asses, told us to get back to fighting each other, before being attacked by a polar bear and he wrestled it.” Sniper said, gripping his sniper rifle tightly.

“Five minutes left in the mission! Five minutes left in the mission!” The female voice said.

“Is that a pre recorded voice announcing everything?” I asked, pointing at the speaker.

“Some of them are, but the Administrator watches and listens to us through microphones and cameras hidden throughout the bases sometimes., although I hack it during the day so that we can sit here and relax.” Engi said.

“What happens if the intel isn’t captured?” I asked.

“We go into overtime, but we’ve already captured their intel, so we’ve won. At the end of the matches, if one team loses, the other team gets to kill them in anyway we want before going back to our own bases and party till the next day.” Scout said.

“I dislike large parties.” I said in warning.

“We don’t have parties like that. We normally just drink beers and make jokes at each other until we get tired and go to sleep.” Engi said.

“Sounds like something I would enjoy.” I said, scratching my chin.

“Hell, we don’t even know what you look like. That hood of yours blocks from us seeing anything.” Pyro said. I blinked a few times before I smiled and shook my head.

“I’m just used to having the hood on. I forgot that the princesses enchanted it so that it hides my face in shadows until I take it off.” I said, before slowly taking the hood off. Once the shadows disappeared and my face was revealed, they all started guessing my age for some reason.

“I bet you’re twenty.” Scout said, before Spy slapped him up the side of the head.

“Why would you want to know his age? He’s probably older than all of us, even if he doesn’t exactly look it.” Spy said.

“I bet he’s nineteen.” Pyro said. I threw a surprised look at Pyro, and she grinned deviously.

“He’s twenty-five.” Soldier guessed.

“Nein. He’s twenty-seven.” Medic said.

“Nyet. Twenty-eight.” Heavy said.

“Someone’s already guessed my age.” I said, looking at Pyro, who was still grinning.

“Who guessed it?” Demo said.

“Pyro.” I stated, which got ridiculous looks from all of them.

“You’re nineteen?” Scout said. “Hell kid, I’m older than you!” He said, before starting to chuckle.

“Don’t forget that I can still easily kick all of your asses. Single handedly!” I yelled at them.

“Too true.” Medic chuckled.

“There is one that’s younger than him.” Pyro said, blushing slightly.

“Hmm?” I said, turning to her.

“Who’s younger than him? I’m the youngest ‘ere!” Scout said.

“No, you’re not. I’m only eighteen.” Pyro said.

“Eighteen year old girl that loves to burn things? Sounds normal, considering what I’ve seen already.” I said.

“Normal? What’s normal about that?” Engi said.

“Well, when you’ve met a few thousand year old woman that has the power to move the sun, moon, and stars, a lot of things seem normal.” I said, looking at all of them.

“What wrinkly broad has the power to move the sun and moon?” Scout said, before getting smacked by Soldier.

“She doesn’t have a single wrinkle on her body. She actually looks like she’s in her mid twenties. When I learned that she was older than everyone else in that world by a few thousand years, I was surprised.” I said.

“How do you know that she doesn’t have a single wrinkle on her body, hm?” Scout said, before getting smacked in the back of the head by Soldier again.

“If you’re implying that I’ve slept with her, no, I haven’t had sex yet.” I said.

“I’m surprised. Compared to these slacked jawed idiots, you’re quite handsome. I’m sure you have some girls after you.” Pyro said, sending the room into turmoil. Bottles were thrown, threats were issued, shouts ensued, before I got irritated enough to yell at the top of my lungs.

“... so whattaya mean ‘slack jawed idiots’?” Scout yelled.

“ALL OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, which seemed to shake the foundations of the building. Everyone stopped and looked at me. I looked every single one of them in the eyes, which in turn caused them to lower their gazes to the floor.

“Jesus fuck...” I growled, rubbing my temples.

“Got a strong pair of lungs on ya.” Engi said.

“You already know why.” I said, throwing a faint grin towards him. I looked at the rest of them with a glare, before rubbing my face with my hands. During the fighting, the Administrator had announced that RED team won, and that the match had ended and they could go back to their quarters. I got up from the chair, towering over all of them, and said.

“You might want to get back to your main base. The Admin already said that the match is over and I want to get some sleep before I get teleported again.” I growled. Most of them nodded and walked out, Engi staying back to clean up the few bottles and chairs, as well as pick up the dispenser. I followed him out, had helped him clean up a bit, carrying the somewhat light blue dispenser, seeing that the main part of the building was mostly a barn. I followed Engi out through the garage, which was connected to a large kitchen and sleeping quarters. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sniper climb into a campervan, before hearing the telltale sound of the engine starting and he drove off.

“Where does Sniper go?” I asked Engi, adjusting the dispenser on my shoulder.

“He hates staying here, since Soldier and Heavy sound like chainsaws whenever they snore, so he goes to the town a few miles past the mountains over there and stays at one of the cheap motels there.” Engi explained, carrying the toolbox that had the self building dispenser in it. I looked at the mountains and sure enough, where the small dust cloud that followed the campervan was heading, had lights shining behind it, indicating a sort of city.

“Where is this anyway?” I asked, following Engi as he stepped into the kitchen.

“Somewhere in the middle of Nevada I think.” He said. The loud and rambunctious laughter that echoed from the other room grated my nerves, but I put up with it, at least for now. We walked into the room, seeing them at a large circular table with nine chairs, two empty, at various spots on the edge of the table. Heavy had a large plate that was stacked with sandwiches in front of him, Soldier had MRE’s in front of him, with him spreading some sort of paste onto crackers, Scout with hotdogs stacked up in front of him, Spy with French dishes sorted in front of him, Medic with some sort of German food in front of him, Demoman with, for some reason, fish and chips and a large bottle of moonshine or something, indicated by the three large Xs on the front of the bottle, and Pyro with... breakfast in front of her. She had a stack of pancakes and waffles onto one plate, bacon on another, scrambled eggs on another, and a large stack of buttered and jelly toast on a last plate.

“Hell Pyro, you got a lot of food right there.” I commented. She looked up from the stack of pancakes she had been munching on, swallowed, and said.

“I hadn’t eaten today.” In response, my stomach growled in protest, catching everyone’s attention. I tapped my chin, trying to remember the last time I ate.

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten lad?” Demo asked.

“I think six days ago...” I said, my stomach making another growl of protest. Everyone gasped.

“We need ta get some food in ya boy.” Engi said, setting the dispenser down and running into the kitchen. I pulled off my pack, which had been on me the entire time, and pulled out some meats and fruits, as well as a canteen of water. I immediately took a swig of water, quenching the fire burning in my throat, only to make my stomach clench up at the sudden sustenance. I took a bite of an apple, the shiny texture and juicy interior making me nearly moan as I quickly chewed and swallowed, taking another quick bite.

“I forgot how good these apples are.” I commented. I looked back into the pack, seeing one of the Zap Apples that Applejack gave me before I left, as well as a container of the rainbow jelly. I took out the apple, catching everyone’s attention at the rainbow texture.

“No tears Scout, just dreams.” Spy said, patting Scout on the back. Scout shot him a glare and slapped his hand away. Everyone started laughing before quickly quieting down. I finished the other apple off, taking a napkin and wiping the juice from my face, before looking at the Zap Apple.

“Why is that apple rainbow colored?” Scout asked.

“One of the girls that saved me was one of the best damn farmers in the world, and was able to create these,” I said, lifting the apple into everyone’s view.

“These apples are called Zap Apples, and are the tastiest fucking things I’ve had ever. Basically, take the tastiness of all fruits you’ve ever eaten, then combine them together and multiply the taste by ten.” I said.

“Woah...” Scout said, looking at the apple in interest. I sliced a piece off and tossed it to Scout, who caught it in mid air and took a bite from the piece. His eyes widened and he took the entire thing into his mouth. He quickly chewed it and swallowed.

“Holy...” He said, his eyes still wide. “He wasn’t jokin’ about that thing.” He continued. I sliced another piece off and gave it to Pyro, who followed Scout’s actions. She took a small bite from it, her eyes widened and a whimper of pleasure escaped her lips. She took another bite from the thing, closing her eyes and savoring the taste, before finishing off the rest slowly.

“That... was amazing...” She said.

“I also have this,” I said, pulling out a full jar of the rainbow colored jelly.

“Is that jelly... of the Zap Apples?” Pyro asked in excitement.

“It is. Takes about three full Zap Apples to create just one jar of the jelly.” I said, taking a bite from the apple. The taste flooded my senses and I closed my eyes and slowly chewed. I swallowed and opened my eyes.

“How would you know about the Zap Apple jelly?” Soldier asked accusingly.

“I work for her. I know how to make the best damn apple cider, how to create these tasty little buggers, as well as a few other things that would help me in the world.” I answered.

“You worked for the girl that can make these things and you know how to?!” Scout yelled.

“Shh, No tears, only dreams now.” I said, causing everyone to laugh and Scout to pout. The rest of the night, we ate as I told my random adventures, days of work, and other things. About eleven at night, they all went to bed as I packed the jar of slightly used Zap Apple jelly and empty canteen, picked up the dispenser, and stepped outside, seeing the cloudy night sky. I started walking around, seeing a spot that was in the moonlight but was protected from two sides. I set the dispenser down and slowly took off my armor. I closed the two slots that had the clips of ammo and medicine before I sat against the the dispenser, looking up at the night sky. I set the pieces of armor against the side of the armor, out of the way, and watched as the moon slowly made its way through the sky. The slow humming of the dispenser was all that filled my ears, the sounds of the night absent from this place, and I felt a simple feeling of loneliness. Being away from Equestria has been taxing, being away from the ones I love. The only time I stepped back into Equestria was when I gave them that book and when I woke up in the hospital. Now I’m in some other universe, possibly forever, and I can’t do anything about it. Luna and Celestia have probably given up on me, not caring that I’ve been placed in this different world.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” I heard the only female voice that wasn’t behind a speaker and looked up at the girl, except that she wasn’t in her suit. She was in some sort of pajama pants and tight top, barely revealing her breasts to everyone.

“No...” I said, leaning against the dispenser.

“Why so glum?” She asked me, sitting next to me. I scooted over so that she could prop her back against the dispenser.

“I’ve been having these strange feelings of abandonment and hopelessness, and I can’t help but feel that they’ve given up on me, abandoning me on Earth.” I said with a hint of sadness, with my shoulders slouched over. I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders, or at least attempted to.

“I bet they’re trying to get you back right now, it probably takes a long time for these teleportations to work. I mean, from what I heard, you would be considered a hero to them and that they would need you for whenever another thing pops up in that world. Although I would want to see this world, I couldn’t leave here. The reason being is that my team needs me, and that Saxton Hale would probably try hunting me down through other worlds. He’s done that before.” Pyro said.

“Hell, I’m not worried about this Saxton Hale guy. I’ve dealt with skeletal dragons and minotaurs before, a man that can ‘shrug off minigun fire with his bare chest’ wouldn’t be able to deal with the intense flames that could melt the skin from bone in mere seconds. The only reason I still live is because of this.” I said, lifting one of the pieces of the armor.

“I thought you looked thinner when I saw you.” Pyro giggled.

“And I thought you were someone completely different when I saw you in those pajamas.” I retorted.

“I always go to sleep first, avoiding all of them, and I’m also the first one up in the mornings. The reason they don’t know anything about me is because of that suit and mask. They had gotten used to that mask to understand what I say under it, but I decided to finally reveal it when you asked me to take off the mask.” She said, leaning against me.

“Well, I haven’t been here for three years to start understanding what you say under that thing. I would understand that they thought you were a guy, since you sounded slightly masculine under that mask, and most firebugs I’ve seen are guys, but that would be profiling.” I said, feeling her head set on my shoulders. I looked at her, seeing her looking up at me with those bright green eyes and a small smile. When I see her like that, I see Fluttershy looking at me with those teal eyes. My brain knew it was Pyro, but my heart saw her as Fluttershy, and my heart ached for her. She got off of my shoulder and was looking straight at me, the shy smile convincing my heart further that it was Fluttershy.

I leaned in and laid a kiss on her lips. Her eyes shot open in surprise before closing, and she moaned in pleasure. She sort of sounded like Fluttershy, the only real difference was that she had a small British accent on her words. We pulled away, both looking into each others eyes, with Pyro blushing intensely. This time she leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine. Warnings in my head were going off, but I didn’t stop. I returned her kiss, feeling her tongue pushing against my lips. I opened my mouth and pushed my own tongue out to meet hers, both members fighting for dominance over the other.

Her tongue retreated into her mouth and I followed, pushing my tongue into her mouth and allowing them to fight once more. The taste of maple syrup, bacon, and the Zap Apple was on her breath, and was absolutely intoxicating. After a few moments of making out, we finally pulled away, a string of saliva trailing between both of us, while we huffed for breath. She swung her leg over me and sat right on my crotch, placing her hands on my shoulders.

“Even when I’m like this, you’re still taller then me!” Pyro pouted.

“It’s alright, because you’re still beautiful.” I whispered to her, making her blush. I brushed a strand of her hair out of her eyes and planted another kiss on her lips. She pulled away a few seconds later and laid her head on my shoulder.

“I’ve never experienced this before...” She whispered in my ear.

“Yeah...” I said absent mindedly, looking up at the moon.

“Are you even trying Luna? Have you been searching for me, or have you given up on me? And what of your sister? Did she even care for me in the first place, or am I just another piece of the puzzle that she’s created for herself?” I mumbled, looking up at the full moon.

“Hmm?” Pyro hummed, looking at me.

“Sorry, just wondering out loud.” I dismissed, shaking my head. Eight hours of small talk later, Pyro had gotten up out of my lap and went back to the kitchen. I sat there on the ground, still looking at the sky, seeing the moon disappear behind the horizon and sun appearing behind the other horizon. I heard the humming of the engine, and looked up when I saw the campervan just roll up. The engine cut off and a few seconds later, the door on the side of the van opened and Sniper stepped out, stretching and spreading his arms into the air. He looked at me.

“G’day mate.” He said with a wave of his hand, before walking into the kitchen. I got up and brushed off the dust from my clothes and put on my armor casually. I lifted the dispenser onto my shoulder and walked back into the kitchen, hearing the shuffling, groans, and shifting of clothes and guns. I set the dispenser down on the floor next to me and sits down on one of the chairs, before watching as the nine mercenaries slowly shuffled around the kitchen and sleeping area. Sniper was sitting at the table, sipping on coffee, sniper rifle hooked around the arm of the chair.

I pull off the pack again, pulling out apples, pears, and a canteen of water. I took a bite into one of the apples, before uncapping the canteen and taking a swig of water. I began to chew the apple, before swallowing it and taking another bite. He saw Pyro in the suit she was formally in, her mask hiding her face. I finished up the breakfast I pulled out, capping and replacing the half empty canteen into the pack. I got up and picked up the dispenser, walking into the main part of the base, looking at the Blu Sniper with his sniper rifle in hand, spotting me as I took my spot on the balcony. He walked over to the RED base, eventually taking his spot next to me.

“G’day mate.” He said.

“Hey... I guess you and Red Sniper are good friends?” I said, looking at him.

“Yeah. We mostly just put an act for Administrator, kill each other a few times, capture the intel three times, then party until we go to sleep.” He answered.

“The Administrator wants you to just kill each other for a single match then do whatever you want?” I asked.

“Nah, she just wants to keep us busy for an hour or two. RED and BLU team are actually good friends with each other, and we can’t just let the other team capture the intel because we don’t get paid for the day. We have to actually put up a fight against each other.” He explained, adjusting his glasses.

“So Engi has to build his sentries and you have to shoot people just so that this bitch can be entertained, or are these your talents before you were brought here?” I asked, staring as Red Sniper took his spot on a small chair behind the metal construct that both bases had.

“The latter.” Red Sniper said.

“Aren’t you freaked out that you look exactly alike, down to sniper rifle and outfit?” I asked both of them.

“A few months ago, we figured out what happened to us.” Red Sniper said.

“Apparently, our soul was split in two by some wizard, who was supplied by the two crazy brothers. After we were split, the two brothers had us sign a contract that basically took over our lives. We were only allowed to leave this place a month out of the year, two days a month, and we all just go to some town and drink before we have to be herded back here.” Blu Sniper said.

“Mission begins in sixty seconds!” The Administrator’s voice said.

“Well, time to go...” Blu Sniper said. He got up and ran back to his base, and I followed Red Sniper into the respawn room, which had the nine mercenaries waiting for the round to begin.

“Mission begins in thirty seconds!” She said into the speaker, with the RED team making small talk. I sat on one of the benches in the respawn room, the team readying for the round.

“Five, four, three, two, one!” She said, a hint of excitement on her normally monotone voice. An alarm sounded and the team rushed out. I watched the door as Engi ran in and out of the room while he built his sentry and dispenser, and the random team members just running in, riddled in bullets, a few of their limbs blown off, on fire, and whenever they touched the supply closet and were instantly healed and resupplied by the closet. I watched as they would just run back out like nothing ever happened.

A few minutes of watching them just pop out of nowhere in that room, or run into the room to resupply. I saw Pyro respawn a few times and followed her out with my gaze, imagining a few ways on how they die. I shook my head a few times to clear my head. Last night events replayed in my head, building an impending feeling of dread in my chest. Nearly thirty minutes later, Administrator said that BLU team had captured the intel three times and has won, and I saw as some of the REDs run back into the respawn with the BLUs following directly behind. The Blu Pyro went straight for me and swung her axe right at me. I caught the axe in mid air and ripped it from her hands.

“Don’t try anything...” I said, looking her in the eyes. She backed up and stuck her hand out. I put the axe back into her hand and whispered.

“Hopefully the BLU guys never figure out who you are...” She looked at me, tilting her head to the side in confusion, before walking out quickly. I gave an all knowing smile as she walked out, turning to the newly respawned RED team standing behind me.

“What happens now?” Heavy asked.

“Lets go practice medicine...” Medic mumbled, grabbing Heavy’s arm and dragging him off somewhere. I watched them disappear past the door before turning back to the rest of the team. Before anyone said anything, a loud thunderclap was heard.

“Was there any clouds outside?” I asked, walking outside the door.

“We never have any storms here...” Engi said, running out onto the battlements. I followed him, as well as the rest of the RED team, with Medic and Heavy a few feet behind us. I looked up and saw that a large dark storm was circling ominously over the middle of the two forts, when lightning bolts started striking everywhere. First, it struck a few miles away, blowing and burning the dirt up into the air. The dirt that was thrown into the air was picked up by the winds, causing a large tornado that circled just outside of the perimeter that started picking up more dust and even dead branches. Scout got knocked in the head by a flying stick, sending him flying off of the battlements. The rest of RED team hopped down and checked on Scout, who shook his head and got back up. On the other side of the bridge, BLU team emerged, looking equally confused and possibly fearful of the storm.

A few lightning bolts clashed overhead, sending sparks raining down on both teams. A rather large lightning bolt struck in the middle of the bridge, electrocuting it and sending scrap metal flying through the air as it got picked up by the storm. Another, stronger and larger lightning bolt struck the bridge, destroying the entire bridge and sending the wood and metal flying in random directions. I had to dodge a piece of metal that threatened to decapitate me, before seeing another lightning bolt strike right in front of RED team and I, causing all of us to go flying haphazardly. I slammed into the wooden and metal tower before me, sending me crashing through the building. I breathed in slightly, feeling my lungs on fire, before getting up, receiving a small shock from the electricity in the air, and stepped out of the rubble.

The last lightning bolt struck outside of the base and the storm dissipated, leaving everyone stunned and minorly injured. Pieces of metal and wood fell from the sky as the storm disappeared, most just hitting the ground and losing its life, while a few stray pieces of dirt and destroyed wood struck my armor.

“Who’s the new guy?” Scout asked. I turned my attention to the spot where the lightning bolt struck and saw a man, kneeling over, in plain white armor, white hood, and in contrast with the abundance of white, a dark purple cape with black trimming. On his back was a greatsword, the bluish hue in contrast with my blade, with what looked like water running through it, and an ice blue aura surrounding it. The pack, instead of army green, was navy blue. When he finally stood up, he stood at equal height with me, except that I saw his eyes, an icey blue that matched his blades aura.

“Dude...” Scout said, backing up and pulling out his scattergun.

“That just ain’t right.” Engi growled, setting up a dispenser and sentry quickly.

“That’s... me...” I said, pulling my blade from my back and getting a defensive stance. He looks up, sees me, and pulls his blade from his back.

“Another monster to slay.” He said to himself, an accent that makes him sound like he’s from royalty or something.

“Oi! I’m not a monster, and neither are any of these guys!” I yelled at him, startling him.

“No matter. You wear the armor of the traitorous princess, and for that, you must be slain post haste.” He said, charging. I met blades with him, steel clashing against steel, sparks sent flying everywhere.

“This isn’t the armor of a traitor, this is the armor provided for me by Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, and is a chemical reaction from the combination of Tungsten and Titanium.” I explained, using brute force to toss him away.

“Princess Luna betrayed her kingdom, siding with that scum, King Sombra! Her dark army slayed everyone in Ponyville, down to the Elements of Harmony!” He yelled at me, swinging blade in a downwards vertical strike.

“Princess Luna hasn’t done shit with that bastard King Sombra! The only ‘army’ she has is the Dark Royal Guards, and they only protect the night! Ponyville still stands and the Elements of Harmony are still alive you bastard!” I shouted at him, blocking the blade and quickly thrusting for his stomach. He jumped backwards and swung for my head. I ducked and swung an upwards vertical strike, making him back off.

“That swine slaughtered all of the Elements of Harmony, slicing all of their throats while they slept! She did the worst to the Element of Kindness, ripping her innards from her stomach just to send a message.” His words sent me into an unbridled rage, causing me to hack at him mercilessly, putting him on the defensive.

“I wouldn’t let anyone touch Fluttershy! I’ll protect her with my life, even against those damn alicorns!” I screamed at him, swiping at his legs, setting him off balance. I slammed my fist into his face, picked him up, before tossing him back into the ground and was about to cut his head off when a burst of energy sent me flying backwards. I hit the ground hard, only to get back up quickly and unslinging the supply bag off of my back and charging at him quickly. His hand glowed with a bright gold aura, and he sent another bolt of energy at me. I blocked it with my blade, hardly slowing, and pile drived him into the ground, roaring in rage, before hopping backwards as his hand lit back up and he shot another burst at me. He picked himself up quickly and fired another bolt of energy at me, but I just knocked it to the side.

The bolt hit the Blu Sniper, causing him to explode violently, and I felt one of his limbs hit me on the back. He fired another bolt at me, and I slid under the bolt, tripping him. I shot my blade forward and felt my blade knick his armor and hit flesh. The blade started glowing violently, as well as his blade, and when the two auras hit each other, it sent us flying from each other. We hit opposite ends of the dirt area and quickly caught our footing, although I saw a trail of blood coming from him where I cut his stomach. He took a slower time to get up and I was already running towards him when he steadied himself. He managed to bring up his blades in time, only to have it knocked from his weak grip, and I watched as it fell to the ground in front of us while I cut down, leaving a long gash along his chest. I picked him up and slammed him into the ground once more, knocking the wind from him.

“Don’t ever talk about Fluttershy again, or so help me god, I’ll decapitate you quicker than Sniper can pop off heads.” I said. His eyes widened and he smirked.

“I see. You’re with the possibly weakest mare in Equestria, while I, being the smooth man I am, managed to pick up Celestia, the goddess of the sun.” He said smugly. I looked at him, fire burning in my eyes, and quickly raised my blade.

“You can tell Celestia that she chose poorly, because you’re just a doppelganger, not even worth her time with how poor you’re performance was.” I said, before quickly decapitating him, his blood spraying over me and my armor. I huffed, picking up his blade and pushing it to my back, crossing on my back with the original blade. The two blades hummed together, before their auras quickly died down. I picked up my bag, as well as his bag, since it was full of the same items as mine was, before turning to all of the mercenaries. The two teams stood in awe, as well as fear, at my merciless killing of my opposite self.

“So... You were going easy on us?” Blu Scout asked. I rubbed the back of my head.

“Yeah... Can’t let you believe I was just some master swordsman. Used some simple tactics.” I said.

“And to believe that we were the best in the world...” Red Medic huffed.

“Hell, I could go for something to drink right now...” The demoman’s said together. They clinked bottles together and took long drinks from their bottles.

“I’m going to modest here, that was mostly rage, not even skill...” I said, which seemed to lower their self esteem.

“So, you could’ve been better than that, but it was because of a comment he made about an element or something that sent you into a worse rage than Heavy when he lost Sasha?” Engi said, removing his goggles before rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah, but I can control my anger...” I said.

“That’s good, because when Heavy lost Sasha, they had to send in Saxton Hale, and even then, Saxton nearly died from Heavy’s punching and shotgunning everything in sight.” Scout said.

“If I couldn’t control my anger, then this Saxton Hale guy, as well as everyone here, would be in tatters below my feet.” I said.

“Well, I could relax for the rest of the day, how about you?” Engi said, before running off. The rest of them followed him. I followed behind, looking back at the guys body, and followed them to the respawn room. They were all sitting on the benches, chatting amongst each other. I walked over to the commandeered dispenser I took from the Blu Engi and sat on top of it. As soon as I did that though, I heard another crash of lightning, and a purple swirling mist appeared above my head. I looked up at it, as well as everyone else, and it started sucking everyone in. I grabbed onto the dispenser, and all of the mercenaries grabbed the benches. The dispenser lifted into the air, and I took off, as well as Sniper’s hat (The Anger). I grabbed at anything that wasn’t the dispenser that I was holding with one hand, and felt something leathery hit my hand. I looked at it and saw that it was RED Sniper’s hat, colored a color similar to slate, and saw that the swirling mist had closed when I entered it. I felt something hit the back of my head and I fell unconscious.

Quattuor Equitum Apocalypsis Equitat Adversum Exercitum Unum

Darkness. Pure, unfaltering, darkness. I looked around, trying to find any source of light, but it was in vain. I lifted my arms to my back, feeling the two blade handles on my back, and quickly took them off, seeing the faintly glowing auras as my only light source, only illuminating a few feet in front of me. A few things lay around me, the dispenser, sitting upright, a faint blue trail touching my chest and swirling, the Red Sniper’s hat that came flying off at the end, but another thing of the Sniper. His sniper rifle lay next to the hat. I picked up the hat and dusted it off, seeing the bandana with what looked like teeth tied to it, as well as the large stitches that held the thing together. The color was similar to the BLUs color, except a darker color, like it was faded.

I folded the hat the best I could and put it in my pack, then slung the sniper rifle onto my shoulder, picked up the dispenser and started walking in a random direction. I stuck my hand out and took a few steps forward, feeling my hand roughly brush against the rough rocks. My eyes were slowly adjusting, and I could make out what looked like a tomb. On the stone beds that lined the walls was rotting bodies, most around six feet tall, some with old looking weapons on their backs or sitting uncomfortably against their hips, others with no weapon at all, and some barren of their skin, leaving a skeletal carcass behind. Despite the amount of things I carried, I pulled one of the blades from my back and took another step forward.

One of the bodies made a scoffing noise or something, and the body to my left slowly shifted. It’s eyes opened, revealing glowing blue orbs, and it pulled the weapon from it’s back and charged. I raised my blade in defense and felt the blade connect. I swung at him, hitting the rusted and tarnished armor and cutting through. It coughed in pain and swung once more. The diagonal strike wasn’t enough to even touch me, and I drove my greatsword into his chest. It choked out some sort of word, then the blue glow from its eyes disappeared. I slid the body off of my blade and looked behind me. My heart sunk as I saw that the cave had actually collapsed onto itself, leaving me to find another way out, through the undead zombies.

“Great, dealing with more fucking undead...” I muttered, walking towards the now resting bodies. Once I past one of the bodies with no weapons, a few of the others shuffled and got out of the stone beds. I readied my blade, counting four undead. The first one to attack had a sort of one handed sword, similar to the greatsword that one of the other undead were carrying. I quickly blocked the blade and chopped off it’s arm. It coughed in pain, picking up the weapon with the other hand and attacking again. I blocked the slow strike and swung a quick strike at his chest. The blade cut through his armor and he dropped, a small jewel dropping from it’s pocket. I turned my attention to the rest, before I felt something hit my chest. I looked down and saw that there was an arrow lodged into the chestplate.

I pulled it, feeling a small knick of pain, and felt some blood leak from my chest as I pulled the arrow away from my chest. I swung my blade at one of the undead, decapitating one of them and the other stepping out of the way just in time. I quickly followed up the strike with a quick vertical strike, cutting through him and sending him flying. I quickly pulled out a throwing knife and through it at the undead man with the bow, hitting him in the neck and dropping him quickly. The dispenser healed my wound quickly, repairing the armor, and I looked at the corpses.

I put the dispenser down and looked at the bodies, seeing a few with gold coins, one side with the face of a man, with the words “The Empire is Law, The Law is Sacred” etched into the coin around the mans face, and on the other side had a strange symbol with the words “Praise be Akatosh and All the Divines” surrounding it. I pocketed the coins, as well as three garnets, as well as pulling the knife from the undead mans neck.

I continued into the tomb, meeting the undead and quickly slaying them, coming across chests that are full of the gold coins, different types of jewels such as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, amethyst, but the garnets were the most common and would probably have little value to any type of merchant, strange bottles that were indicated as potions of different abilities, such as healing, stamina, curing diseases, and something called magicka, as well as poisons and bars of different metals, some I haven’t even seen before. I was slightly slowed down by the amount of coins, gems, bars of metal, potions, and poisons I had collected, so I started smashing the poison bottles, since I would never actually use the poisons. The only thing that worried me is that the tomb just kept going further and further into the ground.

I heard some sort of mumbling, some man that sounded like he’s gone insane or something, and slowly made my way down to the mumbling man. I noticed that there were a lot of cobwebs forming along the walls and floors, among the roots and rocks.

“Spiders...” I said irritably.

“Whos there?” The mumbling man called out. I continued walking, until I saw the roots and rocks covering up a large hole with spiderwebs sprayed over them. I saw a small man, dark ebony skin and red eyes, some sort of leather armor on him. He was stuck in the midst of the cobwebs, struggling every so often only for it to be in vain. I walked over to the doorway to get in, only to find it absolutely covered in cobwebs, blocking entrance to the room and moonlight. I lifted my blade and cut through the cobwebs, leaving a gaping hole in the midst of the doorway. I set the dispenser down and drew the sniper rifle, walking out slowly. The man looked to me then to the hole in the ceiling.

“Ah! Kill it! KILL IT!” He yelled. I looked up and saw the biggest fucking spider in the world.

‘No wonder there’s so many fucking cobwebs.' I thought, before taking aim. I had his small head in the sights and fired, the gun cracking to life and sending the large caliber bullet into the its head. I pulled the bolt back, seeing the spent cartridge fly out, and fired again, hitting the thing in the head again. It hissed and chattered in pain, backing away before lunging forward. I rolled out of the way and fired once more, this time hitting it in the main part of its body. The large spider chattered in agony and fell to the ground, trying to get back up. I pulled one of the blades from my back and cut its head off, the large body starting to spasm and kick, before dieing. I replaced the blade and sniper rifle on my back before leaving the room.

“Where are you going?!” The man yelled. I didn’t answer, walking over to the dispenser and picking it up, before walking back into the room. The man looked at the machine in confusion, seeing the faint blue trail hitting me.

“Can you cut me down?” He asked impatiently.

“You know, I could’ve let that spider make a meal of you.” I threatened. I set the dispenser down and pulled off one of the blades, hacking at the spiderwebs.

“I can feel it coming loose!” He said excitedly. I continued cutting and slashing at the cobwebs, until the man fell from the webs and the way behind him was open. He got up, with a stupid smile on his face.

“You fool! Now I’m going to find the secret to Bleak Falls Barrow and no one can stop me!” He said, turning around and running off. I pulled the sniper from my back and took aim, putting his head into sights, and fired. The bullet flew true and struck the man in the back of the head, blowing his head clean off, letting the leather helmet fly off and down the stairs. I pulled the bolt back and put it on my back, before making my way to the body carefully. Once I reached the still bleeding body, I dug into his pockets, feeling a small book and some sort of claw in his pocket.

I pulled both out, seeing that it was a leather bound journal, and tossed it away. The claw was solid gold, with three small engravings on the palm of the claw. I shrugged and put into my bag, before going back into the room and searching it of any treasures. Sure enough, I found a potion of healing and a diamond, pocketing the diamond and putting the potion of healing in my bag, which was quickly filling up. I stopped and decided to sort all of my stuff. I put all of the food and water I had into the navy blue bag while the army green bag was filled with the bars of unknown metal, gold, and potions. I had small pouches tied to my side that had assorted gems in them, as well as my throwing knives.

After assorting all of the items, making note to properly sort my bags, I swung them all onto my back or shoulders, before pushing through a small layer of spiderwebs. I continued down the musty hallway, meeting more of these undead creatures, until I heard faint whishing sounds. I turned the corner, and saw swinging axes in a narrow hallway.

“Cliche much?” I said, before charging through. The first one swung harmlessly behind me, the second swinging in front of me. I was about to pass through the hallway when I felt something catch the hood on my back. A loud ripping sound was heard as the third axe swung by, barely missing me and all of my stuff, and I nearly tripped over my own feet to get out of the way of the deadly axe. I rubbed the back of my neck, which was now barren of a hood, and felt where the fabric was brutally ripped from the armor.

“Nothing to cover my face...” I said, stopping as I thought of something. Digging in my bags once more, I pulled out Snipers Hat. I looked at it, seeing it was simple enough to put on, as well as it protects me from the sun pretty well. I put the thing on, immediately smelling something like coffee and toast, but dismissed it. The brown bandana covered most of my face, and the hood itself drooped slightly. I shrugged and put everything else onto my shoulders again, before continuing through the barrow. Passing through a few rooms filled with urns, I came across a room. Well, it was more like a hallway, but the walls were adorned with pictures of past prophets and leaders, as well as great knights and other things.

Walking slowly through the hall, I saw a large, strange looking door at the end of the hall. I walked to the end of the hallway quickly, seeing the familiar symbols from that claw on the door also. I pulled out the claw, and touched the first symbol to the outer ring. When I touched it, it sunk into the wall, and started moving, the sound of stone scraping stone filled the air. I touched the middle ring and it did the same thing, as well as the outer ring. The symbols on the claw wasn’t matched with the door and I touched them all once more.

The symbols, a bear, moth, and owl, was put in the correct way and I put the claw into the door. I twisted it right, but it stopped after I twisted slightly, before I twisted back to the left, then to the right again, then pulled the claw out. The rings all shifted to the owl at a blazing speed, leaving me dizzy, and started slowly sinking into the ground. After my vision cleared and I wasn’t stumbling around, I walked forward into the room, seeing more worn pictures before it opens up to a cave. I walked slowly, seeing lush plants covering the floor. The light shining through a hole in the ceiling revealed a wall with strange runes in them.

Except... I heard voices... calling me to the wall. One of the runes on the wall was glowing, as well as a chest set in front of the stairs leading up to it. I saw the tomb and warily circled it, expecting one of those undead to pop out and try and cut me down. I walked up to the wall, to the glowing room, and saw a... swirling energy reaching for me. Curiosity got the better of me and I got right next to the wall and touched runes. A word was echoed throughout my head.

“Fus.” The voices said. The power behind the mans voice caused me to nearly black out, but I somehow managed to stay awake. I set the dispenser down and sat against the rock, catching my breath and letting my vision clear of the hazy darkness. Once my vision cleared and my breath returned to me, I picked the dispenser up and was heading to the chest when the tomb popped open and an undead crawled out. He looked different then all of the others, the helmet and sword pulsating energy just like the wall did. I set the dispenser and packs down, as well as the sniper rifle, and pulled the two greatswords out, both humming with energy.

The undead pulled his blade from his hip, ice blue runes glowing along its surface. I charged the undead man, but he pulled the blade up and blocked the two blades. I hopped backwards and used one blade to swipe at him. He blocked that, but I used the other blade to quickly cut his stomach. If he had any organs inside of his stomach anymore, they would be all over the ground. I swiped at him once more with the blade, only for it to get blocked. Using the other blade, I striked at his throat, cutting it open. He hissed in pain and pushed me away with surprising strength, then readied himself.

“FUS RO DAH!” He yelled at me. The first word was the one I got off of the wall, while the last two were unknown to me. A clearish blue wall of energy shot towards me, and I readied myself as it slammed into me, nearly launching me from my feet. I saw the undead charge at me and raised the blades, crossing them as I caught his blade in between. I crossed the blades and disarmed him, before driving the two blades into his chest. His eyes glowed brightly for a second, before diminishing quickly. I put the two swords onto my back once more and went over to the chest.

I opened the chest and pulled out a sack of the gold coins, a sack full of diamonds, which excited me, and another sack full of assorted gems. I also pulled out a stone tablet with some sort of map on it. I shrugged and put in my bag, before walking to the stairs that wasn’t illuminated by the moonlight. I made my way up the stairs to a small room with another chest, which had two sacks of gold and a sack of garnets. I walked down a hallway, but it ended in a dead end. I felt my heart sink as I came to the end of the hallway, until I noticed something about the wall.

The rock at the end of the hallway wasn’t normal. I looked around for a switch, lever, something to activate the wall. I saw a handle sticking out of the wall and pulled it. The rock shifted and settled, before raising into the ceiling. After the rock stopped moving, I walked through the hallway, before coming across a room with another chest and a pedestal with a skull on it, surrounded by flowers. I opened the chest and found four more sacks of gold, a helmet which I left in there, and I composite bow with some steel arrows. I took the bow and arrows, taking everything off of my back, strapping the quiver to my back, before putting the swords, sniper rifle, and two packs onto my pack. After adjusting some things so that it all sat comfortably onto my back, I walked out of the cave, finally seeing the night sky, and that I was on the side of the mountain, and it was snowing.

“I remember it being spring...” I said, looking for a way down the mountain safely, seeing a few drops that wouldn’t break my bones on impact. I saw a strange looking bottle on the side of the mountain, only to toss it off the side of the mountain and watch it shatter against one of the trees before making my way down the mountain. The dispenser on my shoulder clanked and hummed as I dropped, making me stop a moment. After the dispenser went back to its normal humming, I made my way through the forest quickly. After a minute or two of walking, I came across a river, and saw a small town a mile or so away. I made my way to the town, hearing cracks and cranks coming from it.

Seeing a sawmill, my suspicions were put to rest, and I made my way into the town. Some of the townspeople were giving me strange looks, but I ignored them and made my way to a shop, called “Riverwood Trader” I opened the door and stepped in, seeing various pieces of armor, weapons, foods, and a few pieces of the gold coins which I had already guessed was currency. Two of the townspeople were arguing with each other.

“Well one of us has to do something!" The female yelled.

"We are done talking about this." The guy said with finality.

"Well what are you going to do then, huh? Let's hear it!" She said to him.

"I said no! No adventures, no theatrics, no thief-chasing!” He yelled at her, before finally noticing me and the amount of things I’ve collected in my ‘travels’. “Oh, a customer. Sorry you had to hear that.” He said with a smile.

“It’s alright?” I said, before shaking my head. “So what were you talking about? I asked, setting the dispenser on the ground.

“We had... sort of a... break in.. but we still have plenty to sell! Bandits were only after one thing. An ornament, solid gold. In the shape of a dragon's claw.” He was about to continue.

“Hold on, I found a golden claw when I woke up in some ruins.” I said, pulling the claw out of my bag.

“You found it?! Heh, strange. It seems smaller than what I remember.” He said. I gave him the claw and he pulled out a large sack of gold, handing me the sack.

“How much is this?” I asked, lifting the hefty bag into one arm.

“Eight hundred septims.” He said.

“Alright... Anyway, do you have any steel arrows?” I asked, pulling out one of the steel arrows from the quiver. “Like this?” I continued, showing him the arrow.

“Ah yes! We got some steel arrows from a recent shipment!” He said, pulling out a large quiver full of the arrows.

“How many is that and how much?” I asked.

“A hundred and fifty steel arrows, and all of it together would be three hundred septims.” He said. I dug into the bag, counting and pulling out three hundred septims. He counted behind me then handed me the arrows. I picked up the quiver and slung it over my back, as well as picking up the dispenser.

“Thanks.” I said as I walked out of the room. I walked to the blacksmith, seeing the man pulling a rope that was raising the heat of the smith itself. I walked to him, waited for him to finish with the piece of metal he was shaping, until I noticed he finally stopped.

“Uh, hey. I wanted to run some metal ingots I found while I was in some ruins.” I said, pulling out the assorted metal ingots.

“Aye... That’s corundum, used to make steel plate and banded iron armor. That’s dwarven metal, rare stuff, used to create dwarven armor and weapons. That there is ebony, create ebony armor and weapon and is rumored to be able to create daedric armor. That there is gold. That is Orichalcum, used to make orcish armor and weapon. That’s quicksilver, used to make Elven armor. Fancy stuff. That’s refined malachite, used to make glass armor and weapons. There’s refined moonstone, also used for elven armor.” He said, pointing out the less obvious ones. I already knew the iron, steel, silver, and gold, but the rest is unique.

“Thanks.” I said, packing up the ingots. I walked out of the blacksmith, only to hear some crazy old woman rambling.

“I saw a dragon!” She kept repeating. I shrugged and walked towards the bridge heading out of town. I read one of the signs, “Whiterun” with the arrow pointing off down the street. I followed the street towards the town, eventually seeing farms circling a fortified city. I saw a farm that had a giant man running around, swinging his club and attacking some brave and stupid people, and decided to not interfere. Eventually the giant fell, and as I was walking by, some girl stopped me.

“A true warrior would’ve joined the battle.” She said to me as I was walking by.

“I’m not looking for trouble. I’m just trying to get home.” I said, trying to walk away.

“You should come join The Companions. You would probably be able to see your home as we travel all over Skyrim.” She said.

“Unless The Companions have a way to get off this planet and cross dimensions, then I don’t see much use in me joining them when I ultimately do end up leaving forever.” I said, walking away again. The girl looked confused, a bit offended, and angry. I walked through the arcs and over the drawbridge, eventually reaching the gate. The guard drew his sword and walked up to me.

“Halt! the city is closed with the talk of dragons about.” He said.

“Riverwood needs help, or otherwise they’re all going to die.” I said, shifting the dispenser on my shoulder. He sheathed the sword and unlocked the gate.

“You better get to Dragonsreach and tell the Jarl about this.” He told me. I opened gates with one hand and walked through, the guard closing them behind me. I started forward, intending to get to the building at the top of the mountain, and made it to the market before people started shouting at me.

“Fresh meat for sale! Cut this morning!” A man said.

“Jewelry for loved ones!” An old woman's voice called out.

“You should come to Belethor’s shop if you need anything.” Another man said.

“Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll.” A guard said to me.

“You should go to the Bannered Mare. Hulda will keep you swimming in mead!”

“No lollygagging.”

“I used to be an adventurer like you, but then I took an arrow in the knee.”

I shook my head and quickly walked up the stairs leading to the next district. This one fit with a screaming man yelling about Altos or something like that. I continued to the palace on top of the mountain, walking into the building, ignoring the guards. Once inside, I shifted the dispenser onto my shoulder, before walking towards the large throne. I saw a small bonfire of sorts, and three people. One was a girl, who immediately turned to me and drew her sword before stalking to me. The other two were men, one sitting on the throne, indicating his place of power, and the other looking like an advisor or something. The girl looked at me and said.

“Halt! The Jarl isn’t supposed to be receiving visitors.” I rolled my eyes.

“Riverwood is in danger of the dragon attacking, since it has no guards.” I said to her. She walked over to the Jarl and whispered in his ear while eyeing me distrustfully. I rolled my eyes again and stood there, waiting for a response. She walked back over and sheathed her sword.

“The Jarl wishes to see you.” She ordered. I walked forward until I was at the steps in front of him, the bonfire directly behind me.

“Irileth told me that you came from Riverwood?” He said.

“Yes. Riverwood is in the most immediate danger from the dragon attack. Without guards, the people there would just be a quick meal for it.” I said. He turned to his advisor, and said.

“What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?” Irileth stepped forward and said.

“My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It’s in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is lurking in the mountains...” She was about to continue before being interrupted by the advisor.

“The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He’ll assume we’re preparing to join Ulfric’s side and attack him. We should not...” The Jarl interrupted him.

“I’ll not sit idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!” He looked at Irileth.

“Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once.” She saluted and said.

”Yes, my Jarl.” Proventus looked irritated, and said.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to my duties.”

“That would be best.” The Jarl said, watching as the mumbling man walked away from the throne. He looked at me and said.

“Well done. You sought me out, on your own initiative. You’ve done Whiterun a great service, and I won’t forget this.” One of the guards walked forward and the Jarl said.

“Here, take this as a small token of my esteem.” The guard handed me a necklace, which glowed an eerie red with runes glowing on it.

“It’s enchanted to protect the wearer from fire.” He explained. I put the necklace into my bags.

“There is another thing you could do for me. Suitable for someone of your particular talents, perhaps.” He got out of his chair. “Come, let’s go find my Farengar, my court wizard. He’s been looking into a matter related to these dragons and... rumors of dragons.” He said slowly. He walked off into one of the side rooms, with me following him a few feet behind.

“Farengar, I think I found someone that could help you with your... dragon project. Go ahead and fill him in with all the details.” He said, before walking back to his throne. I stepped forward, seeing the court wizard, robes covering his entire body.

“So, the Jarl thinks that you could be of use to me? Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me.” He sounded bored and irritated. “Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not be there.” He said as if he was joking.

“Hold on, you don’t mean this thing?” I said, pulling out the stone tablet in question.

“Ah! It seems you’ve already retrieved the stone tablet from Bleak Falls Barrow! This will certainly speed up my research into the dragons.” He said.

“Alright.” I said, shrugging.I was about to go see the Jarl when Irileth came running by.

“Farengar, you need to come at once. A dragon has been sighted nearby.” She looked at me still distrustfully.

“You should come, too.” I seemed to roll my eyes a lot today.

“A dragon! How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?” Farengar said, running up to Irileth.

“I’d take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun I don’t know if we could stop it.” She said, before turning around and walking towards some stairs leading up to another room. We made it up the stairs, where the Jarl was standing with some breathless guard.

“So, Irileth tells me you came from the Western Watchtower?” The Jarl said.

“Yes, my lord.” The guard said breathlessly.

“Tell him what you told me. About the dragon.” Irileth said.

“Uh, that’s right. We saw it coming from the south. It was fast... faster than anything I’ve ever seen.” The guard said, his accent making him sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“What did it do? Is it attacking the watchtower?” The Jarl asked.

“No, my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life... I thought it would come after me for sure.” The guard said.

“Good work, son. We’ll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You’ve earned it.” The Jarl said, before turning to Irileth.

“Irileth, you’d better gather some guardsmen and get down there.” He ordered.

“I’ve already ordered my men to muster near the main gate.” She informed.

“Good. Don’t fail me.” He told her. He turned to me and said.

“There’s no time to stand on ceremony, my friend. I need your help again.” Friend? I never thought I would be friends with this guy.

“I want you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon.” What. Well, I’m fucked...

“I haven’t forgotten the service you did for me in retrieving the dragonstone for Farengar. As a token of my esteem, I have instructed Avenicci that you are now permitted to purchase property in the city. And please accept this gift from my personal armoury.” He said, pulling out a ring and pushing it into my hands.

“The ring is enchanted so that it increases resistances to poisons and diseases.” He informed me. I put that into my pack as well, next to the necklace. I turned to Irileth, who was already running down the stairs, and rolled my eyes once more. I picked up my things and followed her, easily outrunning her even with all of my gear. We reached the main gate, where a small group of guards were positioned. “Here’s the situation.” Irileth started. She walked in front of all of the guards and started her speech.

“A dragon is attacking the Western Watchtower.” She paused as the group of guards shouted out random phrases.

“A dragon?”

“Now we’re in for it...”

“Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll...” Wait what?

“You heard right! I said a dragon! I don’t much care where it came from or who sent it. What I do know is that it’s made the mistake of attacking Whiterun.” She said.

“But housecarl, how can we fight a dragon?” A guard asked.

“That’s a fair question. None of you have ever seen a dragon before, or expected to face one in combat.” I coughed, catching her attention.

“Sorry, but I’ve fought seen and fought dragons before.” I said.

“Then how do you suppose we take down this dragon?” She asked. I pulled the rifle from my back.

“This weapon here has enough firepower to take down a mammoth, and I’ve managed to kill one of the dragons with just a blade. All I need is to get this dragon within my sights and I can take him down quickly. After disabling him from flying around and blasting us with fire or ice, I can get him with my blades or continue to shoot him with this.” I said, lifting the rifle into view.

“What is something that small going to be able to take down a mammoth, let alone a dragon?” One of the guards asked. I pulled one of the bullets out of the rifle.

“Imagine one of these,” I put the bullet back into the gun. “coming at you at the speed that outmatches arrows, and without fall off. You don’t have to worry about the angle you shoot it or pulling it back. All you have to do is use this scope, aim for key spots on the target, and pull this trigger. The bullet comes out and could blow your head clean off.” I said.

“And this thing,” I said, pointing to the dispenser on my shoulder. “can keep me supplied, even with my arrows.” I said, showing the full quiver that had around three hundred arrows inside of it.

“And my blades are enchanted so that I can cut through even the toughest of skins, armor, and walls like butter.” I said, pointing to the two glowing blades on my back.

“The armor I wear is essentially invincibility. Arrows can’t penetrate the armor, flames don’t catch me on fire, and blades just bounce off when swung at me.” I said, tapping the armor with my fist. I replaced the rifle on my back and waited for Irileth to continue her speech. I saw her roll her eyes and shook my head.

“But we are honor bound to fight it, even if we fail. This dragon is threatening our homes... our families. Could you call yourselves nords if you ran from this monster? Are you going to let me face this thing alone? So what do you say? Shall we go kill us a dragon?” She finished.

“Yeah!”

“Damn right!”

“Let’s move out.” She said, running towards the door and pushing it open. I jogged after her and followed her down to the stables, where the horses were going insane, the caretakers trying to calm them. We ran past the stables and down a dirt path, eventually we saw smoke rising above the hills. We reached the watchtower and saw that it was burning watchtower.

“No signs of any dragons right now, but it sure looks like he’s been here.” Irileth said. No shit Sherlock.

“I know it looks bad, but we’ve got to figure out what happened. And if that dragon is still skulking around somewhere. Spread out and look for survivors. We need to know what we’re up against.” She said, and all the guards pulled their weapons out and ran towards the tower. I set the dispenser down and took aim for the sky, the laser sight creating a thin red beam that cut through the sky. A guard came running out of the burning watchtower, his helmet gone and revealing his face.

“No! Get back! It’s still here somewhere! Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!” the guard rambled.

“Guardsman! What happened here? Where’s this dragon? Quickly now!” Irileth said to the guard.

“I don’t know!” He said, before a large shadow passed over the watchtower. I looked to the sky and saw that the dragon was circling overhead. I took aim at the dragon, hearing the guard say. “Kynareth save us, here he comes again...” The rifle was fully charged as he finished talking and I fired at the dragon, hitting it under it’s chin. The dragon roared out in pain, blood leaking from it’s head. The dragon opened his mouth and breathed out fire, burning one of the guards alive. His screams of pain echoed around the Western Watchtower. I had already pulled the bolt back and took aim again by the time the guard was lit ablaze, the rifle fully charged as the man's screams of pain finally ended.

I took aim at one of it’s wings and fired, hitting it right now the joint and blowing it’s wing clean off. The dragon fell from the sky and crashed into the ground, leaving a large trail of upturned dirt as it plunged itself into the ground. I pulled back the bolt once more and took aim, but had to take cover as the dragon wildly shot flames in front of it, lighting the ground and foliage on fire. I took aim at the beast, in three seconds the rifle fully charged, and fired, hitting it right in the neck. It choked out a cry of pain and blasted more fire, hitting two guards that were charging forward at it, before the dragon started coughing blood up. I pulled the bolt back and fired again, hitting it in the side of the head.

The creature roared in pain once more and started swinging his tail around, hitting Irileth and sending her flying, as well as snapping a guard in half as it closed it’s jaws around the guard. I took aim and fired once more, this one hitting it right in the eye, blinding it. It roared out in pain once more and tried breathing fire once more, only to breath out a large amount of blood, coating the ground in the crimson water. I pulled the bolt back once more and took aim, waiting three seconds. The dragon turned to me and looked me straight in the eyes, before I took the shot, the bullet hitting him right between the eyes. It let out a choked cry of pain and death as it crumpled to the ground, ultimately dead. The body stayed prone for a while, and I finally came out of my cover and walked up to it, kicking it to make sure it was dead. All of the sudden, the dragons skin started burning, and a large torrent of energy blasted into me. It continued to blast into me, nearly lifting me off of my feet, until I felt myself black out from the amount of power it had. I felt myself crumple to the ground, and the rifle fall from my hands. The last thing I heard consciously was that one of the guards said “Dragonborn” and that Irileth said “Pick him and his stuff up, and get him to the castle.” before my brain shut down and I fell into unconsciousness.

I heard the crackling of fire, the unmistakable voice of the Jarl, Irileth, and Farengar. I opened my eyes and found myself in a bed. I shot out of the bed, seeing that I still had my armor on, but my weapons, packs, and dispenser was sitting next to the bed. I kicked the blanket off of me and got out of the bed.

“Ah, you’re awake. Irileth told me everything.” The Jarl’s voice said. I looked up and saw that he was standing in the doorway of the room.

“Where am I?” I asked him.

“After you absorbed the dragons soul and knowledge, you blacked out from the power given to you by this dragon. The rest of the guards and Irileth carried you into the castle and I gave you a room to stay in until you awoke.” He explained. I grabbed all of my stuff and followed him out.

“I didn’t know what happened. I defeated the dragon and was checking to make sure it was dead when it’s skin started burning and I was hit with some sort of energy. After I absorbed it, I just blacked out.” I said, scratching my head.

“You defeated the dragon and absorbed his soul.” He said simply, before I noticed that we were in the throne room again.

“You’re... Dragonborn...” One of the guards said.

“Dragonborn? What’s that?” I asked.

“The Dragonborn is said to be the ultimate dragon slayer. It is said that the Dragonborn can defeat a dragon and steal it’s soul.” The guard said.

“ Interesting.” I said, scratching my chin.

“You should be able to channel your essence into a Thu’um, or Shout.” The Jarl informed me. I searched my head for a Thu’um and thought of the word I heard in Bleak Falls Barrow. I readied myself and yelled

“FUS!” A wall of clearish blue energy erupted from me, striking the wall and cracking it. I staggered slightly, and saw that everyone was staring at me.

“That’s awesome.” I said. The Jarl sat on his throne, looking at the now cracked wall from my power of the Shout.

“You’ve done a great service for me and my city, Dragonborn. By my right as Jarl, I name you Thane of Whiterun. It’s the greatest honor that’s within my power to grant. I give you this from my armory to serve as a badge of office.” He said. A guard stepped forward and gave me a ring.

“This ring will allow you to absorb an opponents health, stamina, and magicka, as well as deal fire, ice, and shock damage to them.” (It has two enchantments. One for absorbing health, stamina, and magicka, and one for chaos damage. Very useful.) The Jarl said. As I touched the ring, a swirling purple vortex appeared above the throne, just like in the RED spawn room. The portal started sucking everything in, causing people to grab onto tables, pillars, and chairs. I sighed and felt myself get sucked into the vortex, the portal closing immediately behind me and sending me to another universe or something.

I felt my feet touch ground and looked around, seeing me in the middle of some city street that’s abandoned. Well, mostly abandoned. I saw two guys fighting in the middle of the street, wearing ridiculous costumes. Both looked very buff, one wearing yellow and black, while the other wore blue and black. Masks covered both of their faces, revealing their eyes. They both were staring at each other, both in ninja like poses, before the yellow and black one threw something at the blue one. It was some sort of rope with a spearhead on the end of it.

“GET OVER HERE!” He yelled as he pulled the blue guy towards him. As he pulled the rope from the blue guys chest, he punched him three times then roundhouse kicked him. The guy went flying across the street before getting up. The blue guy started running at the yellow guy, before uppercutting him into the air, sending him flying back ten feet and slamming into the ground. The blue guy growled as he charged, before punching the yellow guy three times then kicking him four times, sending him flying away down the street. The yellow guy landed about five feet in front of me, and I just moved to the side as the blue guy shot a bolt of ice out of his hands and freezing the yellow guy. He then ran up to the yellow guy and punched him six times in the face and kicked him four times, sending the yellow guy flying past me.

“Danger!” A deep voice said. The yellow guy got up and saw the blue guy running towards him again, and somehow summoned a black void and jumped through it, only to appear behind the blue guy and kicking him in the back, flipping in the air five times then landing on his feet. He shot the rope from his hands again, catching the blue guy once more, before punching him ten times in the face and roundhouse kicking the blue guy. The blue guy got up and started running towards the yellow guy, but the yellow guy did a sweeping kick and caught the blue guy off guard. He got up quickly and uppercutted the blue guy, sending him flying up. He then started sprinting and roundhouse kicked the blue guy as he came back down, sending him flying.

“Danger!” The deep voice said again. The yellow guy ignored the voice and used the harpoon again, catching the guy and pulling him towards him. He uppercutted him once more.

“Scorpion wins!” The deep voice said, before the yellow guy, presumably Scorpion, clapped his hands together and bowed.

“Bunch of fucking nutjobs. There’s nobody there.” I muttered. The blue guy got up and the two men stared at each other once more.

“Round two. Fight!” The deep voice said. The blue guy started running immediately, punching Scorpion four times before kicking him away. He shot another bolt of ice towards Scorpion, freezing him. He started running towards him and did the same combo, sending him flying down to the end of the street. He shot a block of ice into the air, before the ice came down immediately on Scorpion, freezing him again. The man started running again before jumping over the frozen man, which somehow is staying in mid air, and uppercutting him, sending him back down the street. Scorpion got up and used his harpoon rope thing, but the blue man jumped over it, before charging into him and roundhouse kicking him down the street.

“Danger!” The deep voiced man said. Scorpion got up quickly and started charging at the blue guy, and the blue guy jumped backwards, only to freeze in mid air.

“The fuck?” I said. The yellow guy continued running and tried uppercutting the frozen man, only to freeze himself, the blue man appearing right in front of Scorpion. He roundhouse kicked Scorpion, sending him to the ground quickly.

“Flawless victory! Sub-Zero wins!” The voice said. Sub-Zero raised an arm into the air, before turning back to Scorpion, who jumped up like nothing happened to him.

“Round three. Fight!” The voice said. They both started running at each other, and Scorpion lashed out at Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero jumped over the punch and uppercut him from behind, sending him into the air. He shot a ball of ice forward again, catching Scorpion as he was falling, freezing him in mid air once more. He ran forward and punched the ice, freeing Scorpion, before punching him ten times in the face and sweeping his legs from under him. He then uppercutted Scorpion, sending him flying away once more. Scorpion summoned the black void once more, before jumping through and kicking Sub-Zero in the back, flipping four times in the air, landing on his feet, then roundhouse kicking Sub-Zero, sending him flying. Sub-Zero got up once more and shot a ball of ice at Scorpion, but Scorpion jumped over it and did a flying kick to Sub-Zero, hitting him in the chest and sending him sprawling across the ground. Scorpion lashed out with the harpoon rope thing, catching Sub-Zero as he got up, pulling him towards him, before uppercutting him.

“Danger!” The voice said. Sub-Zero got up and shot a block of ice into the sky, and Scorpion took that opportunity to run forward and end Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero looked at Scorpion then froze, and Scorpion realized that too late as he ran into the ice doppelganger, freezing him. Sub-Zero then punched him five times then kicked him three times, sending him flying away.

“Danger!” the voice called out again. The two looked at eachother, then charged, except it ended just as it began. Scorpion lashed out too early and Sub-Zero leaped over it, then uppercutted him. Scorpion hit the ground and got up, only to become dizzy and start hobbling. Sub-Zero walked towards him, before grabbing his head... and ripping it clean from his body, his spine still attached to the skull, then held it up for everyone to see.

“Fatality! Sub-Zero wins!” The voice said, then started cackling. Sub-Zero dropped the head and looked to the sky, then the ground beneath him disappeared, revealing a cobbled bottomless pit with bloody spikes at the end. Sub-Zero started spinning in mid air, trying to stop his descent, but was in vain as he finally slammed into the spikes, ultimately ending his life because of the spike protruding from the middle of his chest.

“This is fucking weird...” I said, before the swirling vortex appeared, sucking me up and spitting me out somewhere else. I felt my feet touch the ground once more and looked around, finding myself in a dirty back alley. I heard something that sounded like a zombie and sighed.

“Great... More fucking zombies...” I said, walking out of the alley. That is, until I heard a loud crash behind me. I turned around and saw a man kneeling down in the middle of a crater. He got up and I got a look at him. He was wearing a black jacket over a white shirt, a hood covering his head, a pair of jeans and a pair of gray tennis shoes. His skin was pale and his eyes had a sickly gray tinting around them and he had light blue eyes.

“I see your potential...” He said, before quickly running up to me. To me, it looked like he almost teleported, and he picked me up, using only one hand. I dropped the dispenser and tried prying the guys hand from my throat, but his grip was iron and I couldn’t pull him off. I quickly unsheathed one of my blades and cut his arm off. He dropped me and I lay on the ground, coughing as I swallowed precious air. I picked up the dispenser once more before setting it down and pulling off the second blade, both glowing brightly. I looked at the guy, expecting to see him recoiling from me or something, but he had a smirk on his face, and his arm was completely fine. I looked at the arm on the ground, only to see it disappear in a mass of black and red tendrils.

“What the fuck is this?” I asked aloud, backing up. The man walked forward, and I lashed out with my blades, cutting his arm down the middle, splitting his arm in two. The arm just rebuilt itself, and he reached out again. I ran towards him and stabbed him with both of the blades, expecting him to die from the two blades plunged into his stomach, only for him to grab both blades and rip him out of his own stomach, with me still attached to both blades.

“Yes... You’ll do nicely...” He said, before his left arm was encircled in the red and black tendrils. When they disappeared, his arm was turned into a giant clawed hand, the claws being literal blades. He grabbed me once more and stabbed me through the stomach. I coughed in pain as the claw tore into my torso, thankfully not hitting anything vital, and felt him pull out of my stomach. Blood quickly dripped from my stomach, but I lashed out once more, catching him in the side of the face. I dropped to my knees and started crawling towards the dispenser, seeing the faint blue trail hit me and start trying to repair the damage done.

“Interesting machine you have there...” He said in mild surprise. I tried saying something, only to start coughing up blood.

“The fuck did you do to me?” I coughed out, leaning against the dispenser.

“Oh, you’ll see when you wake up. I don’t like spoiling surprises.” He said smugly.

“How about I cut that stupid grin off of your face once I’m up?” I growled at him, finally able to stand and look him in the face.

“That’s not very nice...” He said in a mocking shocked tone.

“Neither is stabbing a man in his stomach and leaving him to die.” I spat at him. I pulled out a throwing knife and threw it at him with as much strength as I could muster at the moment. I watched as the knife plunged into his chest.

“How many weapons do you have?” He asked, pulling the blade from his chest and tossing it at me. The blade bounced off of the ground and slid to my knees. I picked up the blade and just pocketed it, seeing how it wouldn’t do much good. I could feel myself blacking out.

“MERCER! WHERE ARE YOU?!” A loud voice called out angrily.

“Well, I have to go. It’s been fun...” The man said, before I heard his footsteps trailing away. The swirling vortex opened up underneath me and I heard his footsteps stop.

“Strange... What’s happening?” He asked.

“I’m leaving. I’m... leaving...” I said, gripping the two blades tightly as me and the dispenser as I sunk into the ground. I felt myself slowly drifting to unconsciousness, and I felt my knees hit the floor. I looked around, seeing myself in the Canterlot throne room, with Celestia, Luna, and someone that looked similar to Luna, all looking at me. I chuckled, before sliding off of the dispenser and hitting the ground, the blades and armor clattering onto the ground as I fell.

“Well sister. It seems that we have some...” Celestia’s voice said, except it was a higher pitch than what I remembered. The rest of the words were garbled as my breathing slowed. The hum of the dispenser was all I heard as I drifted into unconsciousness.

AN: Four teleportations in this chapter, as well as him getting home? NOPE! Stay tuned for the next chapter to see what universe he’s been dragged into, and yes, next chapter he will be returning to the Equestria that knows him.

Trans cursus siderum, portantes exercitus ad genua

Giggling. The infernal giggling would give little children nightmares if they heard that waking up. My eyes opened slowly, and I found myself in a hospital bed. I looked around the room and saw all of my weapons and armor pieces, as well as the dispenser. I looked under the covers and found myself in the clothes I wore under the armor, most matted with sweat, torn from where that man stabbed me in the stomach. I lifted the shirt and saw that I had five stab wound in a half circle in my stomach. I got up from the bed and got into my armor, strapped the small pouches with the throwing knives inside to my hip, put the Snipers hat onto my head, then put the quiver onto my back, slung the bow onto my back, then holstered the two greatswords, then slung the rifle over my shoulder.

I put the two packs onto his back and walked out of the room, before I felt something building in my chest. I thought that it was the Thu’um building in my chest and tried sucking it down, but then felt my arm starting to change. I looked at my arm and saw that my arm was emerged in the red and black tendrils. I cried out in surprise and started swinging my arm around in panic. The red and black tendrils disappeared at my panic, revealing my normal arm. I envisioned a warhammer and felt the tendrils surround my arm. A few seconds later, I opened my eyes and saw that I had a really big warhammer, easily able to crush targets, and envisioned my normal arm. I envisioned a large sword and felt my other arm get engulfed in the red and black tendrils. A few seconds later, I looked and a large serrated sword glowing a yellowish orangish hue, and envisioned the warhammer again. The same thing happened to my other arm and I opened my arms to see that both of my arms were weapons.

“Fucking amazing.” I said. I heard a clicking from down the hall and quickly dismissed the weapons. I adjusted all of my weapons and the dispenser on my shoulder before walking down the hall. A few seconds later, a nurse came walking down the hall with a clipboard in her hands. She looked up at the clicking of my boots on the marble.

“Ah good! You’re awake. Princess Celestia and Luna wish to see you.” The mare said, shaking her head in an almost apologetic way.

“To the throne room I guess.” I said, making my way to the throne room.

“Poor guy... Molestia and Nightmare Moan will tear him apart.” She whispered, although I heard it perfectly.

“Molestia? Nightmare Moan? I don’t like the sounds of their names...” I said, before I made my way to the throne room slowly. What’s strange is that all of my stuff wasn’t weighing me down like it does normally. The doors to the throne room was already opened, but no guards stood at the door. I scratched my head and walked through the door, seeing the three mares sitting on their thrones. Luna was playing some sort of game on what looked like a PSP, Celestia, which looked different than before, and the mare that looked similar to Luna, who had an evil grin on her face when she saw me. I set the dispenser onto the ground and looked up at the princesses. Celestia looked at me with a small grin that left me slightly uneasy, and with the evil grin that I was getting from this Luna doppelganger, it left me tense and untrusting.

“Well strange creature. It seems you’re up and about.” Celestia started off, her high pitched voice slightly irritating.

“Strange creature? Am I in another Equestria? God damn it...” I said, looking up at her.

“Another Equestria?” She asked in confusion.

“Yeah... I was originally in another Equestria before I was hit with a beam of light and teleported to another universe altogether. For the last week, I’ve been jumping from different universes, before I finally ended up in this one. I was hoping that I would be in the correct Equestria, only to find myself here.” I explained, catching Luna’s attention and intriguing the other two princesses.

“So inter-dimensional teleportation is possible...” Celestia whispered to herself, although I still heard her clearly.

“What is the other Equestria like? Is there video games there?” Luna asked.

“SImilar to this one, although a few key things are different, and yes, there is video games there.” I answered, rolling my eyes.

“You must be tired.” Celestia said with a wider grin.

“Actually no. I’ve managed to build up my endurance and stamina, so that I could carry all of this stuff around and not be tired at the end of the day.” I answered, still wary of the smiles I was getting from the two princesses. The Luna doppelganger was almost smiling like a madman, while Celestia still had the wide grin.

“You have to tell us your story of these teleportations, and rest up from your travels.” Luna said, smiling widely, except it wasn’t a creepy smile, more of a welcoming smile. I gave a small smile in return, only to remember I was still wearing the hat. “Gladly.” I said, before recounting my story with the eighteen mercenaries, my travels in Skyrim, the fight in the street with Scorpion and Sub-Zero, and the back alley ambush by the strange man.

“That’s quite the story, but if the strange man you named as Mercer stabbed you through the stomach and left you a ‘surprise’, how have you not perished?” Celestia asked.

“The use of the dispenser healed my wounds, and the ‘surprise’ he left me turned out to be some amazing powers. He kept saying that I was perfect for his plans before stabbing me and I teleporting here.” I answered.

“What sort of amazing powers has he given you?” Luna asked in excitement.

“From what I’ve learned so far, I have super hearing and can carry all of my stuff without feeling a single pound of it, as well as this.” I said, before envisioning the blade and feeling the red and black tendrils encircle my arm. I heard gasps, two of fear and one in glee. I looked at them and saw that Luna was practically shaking in excitement and the other two were a bit fearful.

“I’m not sure on what the extent of my powers are, but I don’t intend to find out. I’d rather go back to my normal life, instead of carrying all of this stuff constantly. Very uncomfortable.” I said, shifting the weight around on my back. Celestia looked at her hoof, before clapping them together.

“It has gotten late. Please allow us to escort you to your room for the night.” Celestia said, getting up as well as the other two princesses. They walked down the familiar hallway to the guest rooms, and within two minutes, we arrived at the guest rooms. They opened one of the doors and walked inside, with me following behind them. There was one thing I noticed.

“Where’s all the Royal Guard?” I asked. Celestia and the Luna doppelganger turned around with creepy smiles.

“They’re all on break right now.” Celestia answered.

“All of them...?” I asked, a raised eyebrow at the statement.

“They were all faced with a... predicament that had them all bed riddened.” Celestia answered, lying horribly.

‘I’m starting to like this less and less...’ I thought, narrowing my eyes at the two princesses, while Luna was shaking her head knowingly. I walked past the three princesses and set the dispenser onto the ground next to the bed. I heard the door click behind me and looked, seeing that all three princesses have left. I removed the sniper rifle and placed it next to the bed, barreling facing skyward. I took the two blades off of my back and placed them on the table a few feet from the bed. I took the bow and quiver off of my back and placed it with the swords, before I started removing the armor.

After five minutes of pulling off the armor, I finally was stripped down to the dirty clothes that I wore. I started looking around the room and found a washer and dryer next to the bathroom. I locked the door to the room before stripping down naked and tossing them into the washer, adding a generous amount of clothes detergent to the washer before starting it. I went into the bathroom and took a long shower, relishing in the hot water. I took my time washing, and thirty minutes later, I finally got out of the shower and quickly dried off, wrapping the towel around my waist. I heard a beep and walked out of the bathroom, seeing that the washer was done. I tossed my wet clothes into the dryer, as well as some fabric softener, before laying down on my bed.

As I lay on the bed, I started hearing strange noises. Sounds of breathing, small moans, whimpers, and small whispers. I got up and started looking around the room, only to find nothing to the strange sounds. I opened every door in my room, including the one for the balcony, except the door to the castle. I was about to do so before the dryer beeped and I remembered that I was in just a towel. I went over to the dryer and checked the clothes, finding them dried perfectly and still warm enough to make me feel like I was wrapped in a blanket. I put the clothes on and unlocked the door, seeing nothing as I looked down the hallway, and closed the door once more, locking it again and then going to sleep. I woke up, seeing it was still dark, and felt something twitch in my arms.

I looked down and saw that Fluttershy was in my arms. I pulled her closer and placed my head on hers, taking a deep breath before closing my eyes once again and trying to go to sleep. After thirty minutes of sitting there with my eyes closed, I opened them once more, a strange feeling of apprehension of the mare laying in my arms building in my chest. I shook my head and closed my eyes once more, only to hear a door open. I opened my eyes once again, seeing the door to the castle open once again, and seeing another Fluttershy. I jumped out of the bed, the lights flickering to life as I looked between the Fluttershy standing in the door and the one that was slowly waking up in the bed.

“What the fuck...? Can’t I catch a break from this bullshit...” I said, irritated that I was tricked into thinking that I was with the original Fluttershy.

“It seems that our plans clashed with each other Moan.” The Fluttershy in the bed said to the other. The other Fluttershy walked over to me and stood beside me, which made me scoot away quickly.

“It seems so Molestia...” Moan said.

“I told you he’s mine Moan.” Molestia said, reverting back to her original form.

“I always get seconds Molestia. Not anymore. He’s mine, and you’ll wait as I have with every other stallion we’ve had.” Moan said, reverting to her original form. Molestia took the other side and looked over me.

“The reason I get the stallions first is because you’re too slow.” She quipped.

“I don’t think anyone can be slower than you with you eating all of this cake.” Moan shot back. I tried to step from in between the two fighting mares, only to find my arms trapped with magic. I tried to pull away, and managed to do so with my left arm, but my right arm was trapped in an iron grip. My left arm was grabbed by magic again and I stopped pulling and looked to the two mares.

“Let me go.” I said sternly. They looked at me and laughed.

“You’re basically property to us.” Moan said.

“That’s the reason why you don’t get stallions Moan, is because you don’t treat them nicely.” Molestia said smugly. I envisioned small spikes protruding from my body and felt the tentacles wrapping around my entire body, until I felt the spikes starting to slowly grow out. I opened my eyes and looked at the two mares, seeing them backing away from me slowly.

“I’m no ones property. Now, both of you leave now before it gets ugly.” I said, my arms turning to giant blades.

“You can’t fight two alicorns mortal.” Moan laughed.

“I’ll fight, even if I lose. I’m not afraid.” I said, turning to her.

“I’ll at least cut one of you down to size before I die!” I said, charging towards the mare. I jumped in the air and was about to bring both blades on top of her when I was grabbed in mid air.

“Although I hate competition, I will not allow somepony to be killed in my castle.” Molestia said.

“You’re trying to make me property when I already have a life in another universe, yet you’re trying to keep me here just to have your ways with me. What do you expect me to do? Roll over on my back and take it like a domesticated pup?” I asked, looking at her. She looked taken aback and hopeful.

“...Yes?” She said hesitantly.

“Wrong answer.” I said, struggling in her magical grip. I felt the grip on her magic loosen and looked around seeing myself being encased in a small bubble. I stopped flailing around and felt my feet touch the bottom of the bubble. I slammed one of my blades into the bubble, only for a large cut to appear across my chest, staining the shirt. I looked down and saw that my chest was cut open wide, with the red tendrils repairing the damage instantaneously. I started hacking at the bubble, feeling cuts and lacerations starting to cover my entire body. After ten minutes of me hammering on the bubble, I dropped to my knees, the pain and blood loss making me weak. The bottom of the bubble had a small pool of my blood.

“I was wondering when you’ll stop. Normally they stop after the first time. A few stubborn ones stop after a minute. But you... Ten minutes of constant slashing and hacking at the bubble. Either you’re really resilient or very stupid.” Molestia said in admiration. I huffed and got to my feet again, the wounds have already healed.

“I’m not giving up. Not until I get out of this damn thing.” I said, before I felt a small pressure in my chest. It felt different then when my powers acted in the medical wing. I switched my weapons over to the warhammers and started slamming them into the bubble once more. The pressure in my chest started building even more as the magical bubble started cracking, unless that was my bones, or both. I saw a few small cracks in where my hammers were slamming into the bubble and quickened my pace, slamming the hammers into the bubble faster and stronger. The pressure in my chest was getting so constricting that I had to stop for breath, until I noticed that my breath had caught in my throat. My hands started glowing, a small gradual glow that slowly built up.

“He can use magic too?!” Moan yelled in disbelief.

“I can’t... use magic...” I said, before a large burst of energy erupted from my entire body, filling the entire bubble in a bright teal color. The pressure in my chest expanded and erupted, empowering the bright teal aura in the bubble until I started feeling the ground shaking beneath me. The magical power felt like it was tearing my skin off my bone, until I heard a loud shattering sound and the whole world went dark.

Luna was resting in her bedchambers, silently watching over the ponies in Equestria as she has since she had returned from her banishment. She rolled in her bed, having her facing the balcony with the soft moonlight shining through the colored glass. She felt a tingling sensation run through her horn and opened an eye. She looked out of the balcony windows and saw a small star flying by.

“I don’t remember doing that...” She said tiredly. She trailed the small star and watched as it disappeared behind the horizon, before shrugging and crawling back into her bed. Another tingling sensation erupted from her horn, except familiar and stronger than before. She got up and stepped outside, the tingling sensation slowly fading away in the direction of the shooting star.

“Something is wrong with that star...” She said, narrowing her eyes as she used her magic to cast a strong intergalactic scrying spell and followed where the star was going. After ten minutes of following it, a large swirling vortex appeared in front of it and sucked it in. Using her magic, she followed the star into the swirling vortex. A few seconds later, a loud pop sounded around the small star, and it disappeared from sight, with Luna following behind it. She watched as she emerged into space once more,except that the magic here was almost barren.

It was still there, but it felt... strange, to say the least. She watched as the comet was pulled into a planet’s gravitational pull and slammed into the ground, leaving a large crater in the dirt. It blended in with the rest of the environment, since most of it was quite large holes that looked to be made from meteorites and comets. The dead ground left little to question whether or not it can sustain life. The rock skidded across the ground, eventually coming to a stop next to a gorge.What looked like the remains of a bridge was a few yards away from the stopped meteorite. A loud cracking sound was heard and the rock cracked open, revealing something she almost didn’t recognize.

In the middle of the rubble lay Daniel, a dark blue hoodie that was dotted with blood, as well as blood coating his armor and clothes, strange devices surrounding him, as well as a machine that had a faint grayish blue trail emerging from it and touching his chest. Two blades lay next to him, the familiar red blade crossed with a blue blade that looked completely opposite to it in every way. Next to it was what looked like a large tube with a rather oddly shaped telescope on top of it. She inspected the machine that lay next to the unconscious man and was greatly confused. The only thing she could actually name was the syringes and bottles of medicine in one of the bottom trays, one side closed. She saw a bow with a large quiver laying next to the dispenser, a faint trail of magic on the bow.

Two packs lay next to Daniel, one of them stocked completely full of food and the other stocked full of potions, pouches, and two trinkets that had large reserves of magic placed on them. She felt a stronger reserve of magic coming from Daniel and inspected his body. That’s when she realized how badly damaged he was. One of his arms was completely torn off, red and black tendrils slowly surrounding it, and the other was burnt quite badly. His shirt had been completely burnt off, leaving a small tattered mess next to him. She used her magic and flipped him over, seeing part of his face, the other part covered by a bandana that made him slightly frightening. She lifted his hand and saw a ring on it, a small reserve of magic coming from it. The stronger feeling of the magic was coming from Daniel himself.

She continued inspecting him, only to find nothing else on his body. She did a scan on him and what she found shocked her. A virus was running through his body that increased his senses, which seemed kind of helpful, while the rather large reserve of magic was coming from him. She did another scan and found that his body had finally accepted the magical energy being sucked into his body. She looked at the armor that lay next to him and teleported it on him, leaving him with his back to the ground. She took the strange object in her magic, but it fell apart as soon as it was touched. She panicked slightly and threw the rifle over the side of the gorge, before pushing all of his stuff closer to him and finally releasing the spell. Luna took a large gasp and caught her breath, the magical drain from the spell finally catching up to her, before going back to sleep quickly.

A loud roaring awoke me from my unconscious state. The tendrils immediately started repairing damages done to my body, and within ten seconds, all of my wounds were healed. I saw that I had my armor on, and started picking my stuff up. The roar of an engine was heard faintly on the horizon and I stopped and looked up, seeing some sort of black jet or something. I saw the back open up and six men dropped from the hull, most of them in blue while what I thought was the leader was in complete black. I looked around, trying to find the sniper rifle, only to find it gone. I cursed my luck and started picking up my things. I managed to pull the quiver, bow, swords, and packs on before I felt the barrel of a gun placed against the back of my head. I slowly turned around and saw that one of the blue soldiers had the rifle placed against my head and was eager to pull the trigger.

“Hold!” A voice said. The barrel of the gun was pulled away from my head and I turned around slowly, seeing all of them pointing the rifles at my chest.

“Who’re you?” One of them asked, the black soldier pulling his visor up.

“Nobody.” I said, taking a step back slowly.

“What’re you doing out here alone?” He asked.

“Nothing. I was going to find out where I was and see if I could get back to my planet.” I said. He held a fist up and they all pulled their rifles away.

“Good luck doing that. The Dominion have the sector locked down so that only their ships get in and out.” He said.

“What’re y’all doing?” I asked, slowly picking up the dispenser.

“We’re here to save the locals from the Dominion.” He said, walking back to the street with the rest of the squad following. I followed him also, seeing as I have nothing better to do.

“Why is this Dominion taking the locals?” I asked him. He looked at me.

“I don’t know.” He said, continuing to walk forward. The soldiers and I jogged forward silently. A dog appeared around a corner of the road and started running down the street barking. He stopped every so often and looked back, before taking off again when we get close. A few buildings and weird looking cars were ablaze. A woman was standing next to the street, looking miserable, and she saw us.

“Don’t go up that road...” She whispered as we walked past, none of the soldiers even shooting her a glance. As we ran past, the dog started howling, while we jogged around a loop. Sandbags were piled next to the street, three guys that were wearing the same suits as the others, but only colored red. One of the marines spotted us and they all aimed their guns at us.

“Jim Raynor... Kill him!” One of the marines said, opening fire. The group returned fire, eventually winning the firefight. The piles of bloody bones and flesh were all that was left of the marines. I picked up one of the rifles, picking up a few of the spare clips that were blown away from the marines. I aimed down the sights, the iron sights smooth and thin, allowing easy sight of the targets. I holstered the rifle and continued jogging down the street, easily catching up with the marines.

“I’m getting tired of Mengsk’s face... Blast it!” He said, firing his assault rifle at a holographic pod or something. I pulled the rifle from my back and clutched it tightly, before firing off a three burst round. The recoil of the gun wasn’t that bad and the kick from it popped a few of my bones. I continued firing at the holograph until it exploded, before taking my time to reload. I continued jogging after finishing the reload. The group made their way to an abandoned town.

“Where is everyone?” Jim asked. We spotted two marines that were standing idly by in the street. The six marines just fired randomly from the hip, while I took the time to aim down the sights. I pulled the trigger as I set my sights on one of their heads, and blew his head completely off, helmet and all. The six marines were still firing at the one marine, spraying from the hip, and I took aim again. I pulled the trigger once more, two bullets hitting him in the chest and one in the head. The body dropped to the floor and we all jogged past. I grabbed the spare clips of ammo and even a few grenades and a few dollars and coins from the bodies. The paper dollars were actually worth a hundred a piece, and I counted twenty in all, while the coins counted up to six hundred and fifty. I continued with the group down the street. A guy was standing on the corner of a turn.

“My neighbors... My family...” He said sadly.

“This is starting to look ugly...” Jim said. We continued down the street, seeing more sandbags. A squad of marines and three fifteen feet tall mechs all stepped in behind the squad of marines.

“It’s time to call in that special delivery we talked about...” He said, most likely into a mic, and three drop pods landed among the squad and mechs. Four marines jumped out from the pods and started firing upon the squads and mechs, both firing wildly to hit anything and everything.I took aim and shot at one of the mech drivers, his head exploding inside of the suit. The suit fell to the ground, disabled but still usable. I took aim at one of the marines and fired, hitting him in the neck and leaving a large hole where his neck used to be. I swung around and fired at the remaining mech driver, who was firing his two miniguns into the crowd of marines that were cleaning up. The first three bullets hit him in the chest, another hit him in the right shoulder, and the last one hit him right between the eyes. The mech fell to the ground, disabled but still usable. By the time I finished with the mech driver, the marines had already cleaned up the rest of the forces. I walked over to Jim and tapped him on the shoulder.

“You might want to get the mechs here. I managed to take out the drivers without doing significant damage to the thing itself.” I informed him, getting a nod from the man. I picked up the money and spare ammo from the marines bodies and we continued.

“This is bad...” Jim said as we rounded a corner, seeing four marines and an armed transport vehicle. The civilians were all standing in a line leading to the transport vehicle.

“You’ll all be given a meal when you reach the dig site.” One of the marines ordered. I saw one of the civilians backing away from the line.

“My brother went off to the mines last week. He disappeared.” He said as he backed away slowly. As he turned around, one of the marines noticed and lifted his gun up at the civvie.

“We got a runner!” One of the other marines said. They all opened fire on the poor man, ending his life before he even hit the ground.

“They’re shooting civilians! Let’s move in!” Jim said, charging forward and firing randomly at the crowd of marines. I took aim and fired, hitting one of the marines in the head. The power from the gun was enough to pick him off of his feet and slam him against the transport vehicle. The turret on top of the vehicle turned around and started firing at random marines, mostly killing them in one or two shots. I fired three shots at one of the other marines, one hitting him in the eye and the other two hitting him in the chest. He crumpled to the ground, dropping his gun. One of the civilians picked up the rifle and fired it once. The force of the gun was able to lift him off of his feet and slam him against the rocky mountain. I picked a grenade out of my pocket and chucked it under the vehicle, exploding spectacularly and leaving the burning hull of the vehicle in the way. The civilians started commenting to Raynor about his past or thinking him for saving them. Anyway, after getting through the town, we ran to the mines.

“This is a restricted area! You insurgents are under arrest!” One of the marines yelled at us. We all took aim and fired, while the civvies threw molotov cocktails at buildings and enemies alike We destroyed all of the buildings except for the last one, the headquarters. We all took aim and fired, burning the place to the ground in a matter of seconds.

“I didn’t think we could fight them, but we can.” One of the civvies said in the midst of the cheering crowd.

“Now you have the weapons and resources to do it. Remember, Mengsk can only control you... if you let him.” Raynor said. I slipped away from the group to grab more clips of ammo and what I found out to be something called credits, although it uses the dollar sign and pennies still. I counted up all of the credits I got and counted nearly one hundred and fifty thousand credits. That was from the fallen marines, which carried around five to six thousand credits, the Viking drivers, which had twenty thousand each, the transport vehicle, which for some reason had thirty thousand credits, and the buildings including the headquarters, which all added up to around one hundred fifty thousand credits and some change. I pocketed all of the money and was looking around, seeing the crowd surrounding Raynor and his marines.

I waited patiently for the crowd to eventually die down and walked over to him. He was walking towards the town, his rifle slung over his back. I followed him and the rest of his squad to a bar, which they all started ordering drinks immediately. Jim and I sat at the bar, the bartender setting a bottle of whiskey and a glass in front of Raynor. Raynor pulled out some credits and gave them to the bartender, who walked to the cash register and dropped the money in. Raynor poured himself a glass and took a large swig from it. The doors opened and a large marine walked in slowly. As he walked toward us, his large boots clicked against the metal floor, and I felt the ground shake slightly with each step. I saw Raynor’s hand reaching for his revolver, which was on the table, as the large man continued walking forward.

“You know, for the most wanted man in the sector, you ain’t that hard to find.” The large man said.

“I had to see it for myself.” He continued. A hissing was heard and his visor raised into the helmet, revealing a large scar over his right eye.

“Little Jimmy Raynor. The peoples hero.” He said. I saw Raynor’s facial expression change completely, to one of relief.

“Tychus Findlay.” He started, before finishing off his whiskey. “Nice suit.” Raynor said. Tychus slammed his entire arm into the counter, knocking over several glasses and bottles.

“Pays to be prepared.” He said.

“I heard they put you on ice.” Raynor said, pouring himself another glass. “Life sentence. What, they give you time off for good behavior?” Raynor joked, swishing the whiskey around before drinking it.

“That’s right old buddy. I’m a model citizen now.” He said, finishing off his cigar and stabbing it into a fly that was unfortunately on the table.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Raynor said, turning to Tychus. Tychus looked at him and grinned.

“Just a friendly business proposition.” He said, looking a the now burnt fly that stuck onto the cigar. Raynor smiled and grabbed the bottle of whiskey, shaking the bottle, before setting it on the bar.

“Do you even know what the Dominion are doing out here?” Tychus questioned.

“I guess you’re about to tell me.” Raynor said. Tychus got a glint in his eye as he said.

“Digging up alien artifacts, old buddy. Your boy Mengsk has gone crazy for ‘em, but I got a contact that will pay top dollar for every artifact we... ‘liberate’ from the Dominion.” Raynor finished off his whiskey and was about to grab a blue bottle that was sitting on the table when Tychus grabbed it.

“I guess I can hardly pass that up now, can I Tychus?” Raynor said sarcastically. Tychus poured himself a glass of alcohol from the blue bottle.

“Partners it is.” He said, before passing the glass to Raynor and taking the blue bottle myself.

“Sixty forty.” Tychus bargained.

“Seventy thirty, my way.” Raynor said with a smug grin. They both chuckled.

“It feels like old times.” Raynor said.

“Old times.” Tychus said. They clinked the glass and bottle together and downed it all in one go. Raynor pulled out what looked like a suitcase, setting it on the bar next him and me, and clicking around on it. He pulled out some wires from the side and put them into the outlet, powering the weird object on.

“Thanks to your actions Mar Sara is in a state of open revolt against Arcturus Mengsk. Ex-convict Tychus Findlay has revealed the Dominion cams to Mar Sara to excavate an alien artifact. Seizing the artifact will strike another blow against the Dominion and generate funds from selling it to Findlay’s mysterious contact.” A mechanical female voice said from the laptop suitcase thing. Raynor clicked a few buttons on it and revealed a base of sorts to everyone, buzzing with activity. A large drill was steadily making its way through the dirt. The image disappeared and Raynor closed the device. He grabbed it and made his way outside. The black drop ship from earlier was sitting on the ground, the marines loading into its hull. After everyone was loaded, including Tychus, Raynor, and I, the ship took off, making its way away from the town. After thirty minutes or so, the ship stopped.

Everyone got up, with the marines jumping out first. The jump was only ten feet up, so it didn’t hurt all that much. I found myself in the middle of a base. Marines and what looked like medics were running around, patrolling, while something Raynor called SCVs were drilling some sort of crystal. I saw one fly away on the jetpacks and started constructing a building. After a few minutes, the building turned into a depot of some sort. Raynor and Tychus were making their way through the base, Tychus holding some sort of chaingun in his hands. The way he ran around reminded me of Heavy. After a few minutes, Raynor finally spoke.

“We have enough units to get into that base.” He said, the platoon of marines and medics making their way down the street. We all made our way down the streets, coming across a squad or two of marines, before coming across another base. The base was under attack by the Dominion and we helped them fight off the oncoming forces. Their forces followed us into the outpost and we took over the outpost in less than ten minutes. After we secured the artifact onto a truck, we went to a small station outside of the town and went back to the bar.

“I’ve got transport coming to pick us up, all we gotta do is sit tight.” Raynor said.

“Don’t sound too hard. I figure we earned ourselves a little R&R -” Tychus said.

“Commander, I’m detecting a massive concentration of zerg bio-signatures at the abandoned dig site.” Adjutant said. I looked at both of them.

“What the hell is this zerg?” I asked.

“I should’ve known it! Damn you Tychus!” Raynor said, looking up at him.

“I swear, man- I didn’t know nothin’ about no zerg!” Tychus said defensively.

“Given their current course, the zerg will overrun this location within the hour.” Adjutant said.

“Hell... We gotta hold out long enough for extraction. If we man the bunkers and hold those two bridges as long as we can we just might stand a chance.” Raynor said.

“I’ve been in plenty of hold outs before...” Tychus said.

“Not against the zerg, you ain’t.” Raynor said.

“What is the zerg exactly?” I asked them once more. They looked at me and smiled.

“I think we should give our friend here a first hand experience with the zerg.” Tychus said. I looked at both of them as they walked out, seeing marines running around. Two SCVs were salvaging bunkers near the bridges and backing them up to the hill leading up to the command center. The SCVs were building the two bunkers while another two were building barracks, the two barracks that were already there creating marines. I saw a holes in the ground, with some plumes of dust and dirt being thrown up as something was digging into the ground.

“Here they come! Lock and load!” A marine called out. I looked at the bridges and saw a swarm of large bug like creatures attacking random buildings. There were a few that were different. Three of them looked like a turtle with spikes and pincers, and five of them looked half snake, half... something. Its hands were that of scythe like claws, large fangs coming from its mouth. After they destroyed the buildings, the zerg started swarming across the bridges. The marines took fire upon the small bugs, while I turned my attention to the larger ones. I took aim at one of the snake creatures and fired, the first two bullets sinking into its chest and the last one into its head. It turned its attention to me and fired what looked like spines, and I barely had time to dodge it as it flew by. I continued firing on the creature, dodging whenever it shot the spines at me. I took aim and fired one last time, all of the bullets hitting it in its maw. It had a hissing noise and slowly sunk to the ground, the tail flailing slightly. I took aim at one of the large six legged creatures and fired.

The bullets pinged off of its armor, but didn’t pay attention as it continued to attack the bunkers. I looked for a weak spot on its armor and saw that its joints weren’t very protected and fired. The bullets all sunk and shredded into the things legs, causing it to fall to one side. As it rolled on its back, I fired at its belly, the unprotected part of its armor. The bullets quickly tore into its stomach, killing it quickly. I heard a loud explosion as one of the bunkers next to me exploded, sending me flying into a stack of boxes. I got up, before realizing I still had the dispenser on my shoulders. I set the thing down and held up an empty clip to it. It sat there for a second. I wondered if it actually could use different types of ammo, before I heard a loud clattering sound. I looked at the clip and saw it completely full. I replaced the clip into one of my pockets and started firing, hitting a lot of the small bugs and killing them. I saw another swarm of the bugs coming and looked at the current status of the marines. Only one of the bunkers were gone, two were being repaired of damage, and half of the marines that were in the bunker that exploded were dead. Everyone reloaded and readied for the next wave.

“To anyone hearing this message, we’re pinned down near Backwater Station! Please assist!” I heard through someone elses mic. I saw Raynor yelling out orders to a squad of marines, who all took off towards the radio’s signal. The second and third wave struck together, leaving the rest of us to scramble around shooting at the zerg. I focused my fire into the swarm of bugs and fired, killing a few in a row. The dispenser, which finally started working, was refilling my ammo, so I had nothing to worry about. I continued firing, killing a few more before I had to avoid a ball of acid flying towards me. I looked over the small wall and saw that a few had taken notice of me and started focusing on me. I focus fired one of the weaker ones, scoring a few hits before having to duck down as a spine the size of my arm came flying past my head.

I turned my attention on the ones that were focusing on me and saw that two of the six legged ones and one of the snake like one were waiting for me. I pushed my gun over the wall and blind fired at the snake one, watching as it got a mouthful of lead. It roared in pain and shot at the wall, the spine digging into it like it was paper. The spine itself was almost an inch from actually hitting me. I fired once more, seeing the bullets open his chest. Another explosion shook the ground and cries and screams of pain filled the air as the marines were torn into by the zerg. I saw one of the six legged ones walk up the ramp, ignoring all the fire it was receiving, and cut one of the marines in half with its pincers.

“Multiple air bogeys in bound. ETA, right the hell now.” Tychus yelled, and I looked up to see a large swarm of flying zerg heading straight for the station. One of the towers started firing at the creatures, the rockets that struck the flying zergs ended up knocking them from the sky. I aimed at the zerg flyers and fired, striking a few and knocking them from the air. With the air zerg down, I focused the small bug ones that were slowly making their way past the marines. A few would get a strike or bite in before being blown to bits by the marines. The ranged zerg would fire one or two spines or globs of acid before being focused on and forced to retreat or die. The barracks were constantly creating marines, the SCVs desperately trying to repair or build bunkers.

“Thought we were goners there!” The marine said. I saw the group making their way to the station, the beams of green from the medics and flashes from the marines as they desperately try and fight their way back. They made it back, helping the rest of us fight off the attack that was threatening to break through the line. The zerg forces were slowly dying away, being hammered from two sides. The marines were still coming from the barrack and adding to the attack when I heard a whistling. I looked up and saw some sort of zerg drop pod and started firing at it. Something popped inside of it and the bottom of the drop pod ended up dissolving as green acid splashed against the ground hissing and sizzling.

“Keep at it boys. Our rides on its way.” Raynor said, sending the rest of the marines into a frenzy. Some of the marines threw caution to the wind, standing up from the protection of the wall they were hiding against and fired randomly into the crowd of zerg. One of the marines was able to kill about five of the small zerg before being hit directly by a glob of acid, causing him to roll around on the ground, kicking and screaming until he was reduced to nothing but a pile of neon green goop. I popped out of the cover and fired a few rounds at the snake like zerg, hitting it in its jaw and blowing it off. It made an angered squelching noise as it fired another spine at me. I dodged the spine and fired a few more rounds at it. Most of the rounds hit it in its large forehead, completely blowing off its head. I turned my attention to one of the six legged ones, only to barely avoid a glob of acid flying past my head. I looked at the thing, before aiming my rifle at it and shooting off its legs. It tried using what remained of its legs to stand up, only to manage to flip itself over, revealing the unprotected stomach. I took aim and fired once more, hitting it and ripping it apart.

“We need immediate support! Hostiles all around us! Is anyone out there?!” A panicked voice was heard through the mic. Another squad of marines left the station to save the latest group of survivors. That’s when the latest group of zerg attacked. The same small bug zerg ran in front of the ranged zerg, except now there were these green balls rolling their way to the marines.

“Banelings!” A marine yelled, sending the entire station into chaos. Marines started focusing on the banelings, causing them to explode and kill some of the small zerg. One or two got close enough to a marine that when it exploded, it dissolved that marine.

“Thanks for the assist. We’re with you Raynor!” The marine said through the mic. I saw the group retreating to the station, desperately trying to fight off the next wave that was quickly catching up to them. We managed to kill the wave that struck behind them, and they quickly ran in. The wave struck just as the last marine ran through the gap, most of the zerg not even making it up the ramp as we focused our attention to take them out. For a few minutes, it was all silent. I looked around anxiously, inspecting every corner and crook for signs of the zerg. A sudden burst of motion sent the entire base into a tense defense. Suddenly, we were surrounded by four waves of zerg. Air zerg were quickly focusing the missile turrets down, destroying them swiftly. Drop pods rained from the sky as it struck the ground and several small zerg made their way to join the main army. Most of the marines focused on the ramp, not letting them get a single foot up it. Some of the marines started focusing the flying zerg, slowly clearing the skies. Marines were dying left and right as the zerg managed to find their way up the ramp and started cutting into them. I watched as one of the flying zerg shot some sort of glaive from its tail, the glaive cleaving its way through three marines. I continued focusing on the ocean of zerg that were already surrounding the marines.

“Hold out a little longer! We’ll be getting out of here soon!” Raynor said. The barracks were desperately trying to produce units, but we were losing too many to protect the ramp completely. An explosion rocked the area as another bunker fell to the onslaught. SCVs were desperately repairing the remaining bunkers but we were slowly losing the battle. A constant stream of zerg were bolstering the army that was already destroying the defense. The marines were swiftly making their way from the barracks, joining the defense as we slowly overtook the zerg army. I continued firing at the small zerg, the only indication of how many I’ve killed by the small meter on the side of the gun that showed the kills. I briefly looked at the meter and saw that I had already killed hundreds of zerg, the number already slowly rising while I kept a constant stream of bullets that were fueled by the dispenser. The marines were slowly pushing their way back, the one bunker that managed to survive being repaired by three SCVs at once.

“Commander, this is Matt Horner. Just hold on! Calvary’s on its way!” A voice said over the gunfire and cries of death.

“Take your time Matt. No rush!” Raynor said sarcastically. The constant stream of zerg was just bearable, only a few making it to the ramp and fewer even making it up the ramp. One or two of the small zerg managed to slip into the defense, only to get gunned down quickly. Zerg drop pods were quickly descending from the sky, some of them falling behind the main defense only to catch a second wave of marines that were stationed just for them. The ground started shaking, and a large explosion of dirt and concrete sent marines flying as large worm like zerg slowly settled. It opened its mouth and its tongue started squirting out zerg. I focused on the large worm and eventually killed it. A large torrent of blood spilled from its mouth as I fired a last burst of bullets into its tongue, the worm spinning around haphazardly before hitting the ground with a loud thud. Some of the marines had died from the zerg that was spat out by the worm. A loud roaring snapped my attention towards the sky. A large black and gray spaceship descended from the sky, flames licking the underside as it slowly leveled out. Orange laser batteries started raining from its belly, killing and burning the large zerg wave that was on the move to the station. It slowly hovered to the station, firing away at the zerg forces that just suddenly sprung to life. Almost ten of those worm zerg popped out of the ground in front of the ramp and was quickly leaking small squads of zerg out. I saw that a huge wave of the small zerg was building up on the top of the ramp, only a few attacking the marines that blocked the way in. Medics were healing the marines that stood in the way as more and more built up, before the large ship hovered overhead and started firing the laser batteries at the crowd. Almost immediately, the entire swarm of small zerg were burning alive.

“Calvary's arrived! Anyone still alive down there?” The same voice asked from earlier.

“Good to see ya, Matt! Welcome to the party!” Raynor said. “Glad we made it in time sir. Now let’s get you boys outta there.” Matt said. The oncoming zerg slowly dropped to a small constant stream that could be managed by a few marines as the ship slowly touched down, a large ramp opening up in the back. The dump truck with the artifact still on it went up the ramp first, surrounded by marines. The SCVs went next, carrying crates of the minerals and barrels of the green liquid they were collecting also. Next were the marines and medics, who all had to slowly back up and fire. I picked up the dispenser and placed it on my shoulder, one handing the rifle as I slowly backed up and fired wildly into the crowd of zerg. The last marine and medic stepped on and the ship took off, the marines cleaning up any zerg that managed to get onto the ship itself. The back closed, sealing everyone in, and I felt the ship kick into motion. I followed Raynor and Tychus as we made our way to the bridge. We stepped onto the bridge, holographic boards and controls on consoles and terminals on the side of the room as the captain of the ship, presumably Matt, was giving orders to everyone.

“Damn Jimmy, you’ve been holding out on me...” Tychus commented.

“Cutting it pretty close there Matt.” Raynor said to Matt, ignoring Tychus. Matt turned to look at Raynor.

“Never left you hanging before, sir.” He said.

“Fair enough. Just get us the hell out of here!” Raynor said.

“All batteries, concentrate forward firepower. Spin up drives two and six. All hands brace for warp jump on my mark!” Matt ordered. Tychus grabbed onto a pipe, while I grabbed one of the railings and steadied myself. I felt something like being sucked into an airtight tube and held my breath. I looked around, seeing nothing but white, until the sucking feeling finally stopped and I let my breath go. I looked out the window and saw that we were in space.

“What the hell happened? We ain’t seen the zerg in years - why attack Mar Sara now?” Raynor asked.

“It’s not just Mar Sara. You need to see this.” Matt said. He pressed a button and a small screen sparked to life.

“Zerg swarm launched a full scale attack-”

“-Devastation spread throughout all outer rim planets-”

“-Sustained heavy losses-”

“-Casualties in the billions-”

“-Minutes ago the zerg attacked a Dominion military research facility-” An explosion knocked the marines walking in the scene towards the camera and the screen went to static.

“Sweet mother of mercy.” Tychus said.

“-New, exclusive footage confirms the Queen of Blades is in fact leading the swarm!” The screen cut a feminine form walking across rubble before looking at the screen and the camera turning off. Raynor sat in the chair behind him, his hand curling into a fist before he rested his head on in his hand, closing his eyes.

“We always knew she would be back. But what’s she after?” Matt asked.

“She’s come to finish the job.” Raynor said cryptically. Raynor got up and looked at the map, apparently plotting some sort of plan.

“There’s no telling what the zerg will throw at us this time. Sir, we need to make sure our hardware and munitions are up to the challenge.” Matt said.

“Yeah, I’ll check in with Swann down in the armory. Knowin’ him, he’s already got upgrades for us.” Raynor said.

“I need to ask, sir- but is there a reason that convict and the other is on my bridge?” Matt asked, looking at Tychus and I.

“Easy Matt. Tychus is one of my oldest friends. He helped me out a real bind a few years back. I owe him. The kid here is a killing machine. He’s pretty strange, but he makes up for it with talent. Kids probably killed hundreds of zerg on that last part.” Raynor said.

“Well your friend has a criminal record as long as...” Matt said.

“Mine? Believe me, if Tychus Findlay wanted me dead, I’d be dead already.” Raynor interrupted.

“Understood, sir.” Matt said. Raynor walked off, most likely to the armory, and I followed him. He eyed me as I stepped into the elevator with him. He pressed a button labeled ‘Armory’ and the elevator shifted into motion. A few minutes passed of nothing but silence, until the doors opened, revealing a hangar full of crates, vehicles, and combat suits. I walked over to the combat suits, seeing six different models of armor. The first was the CMC-300, which I’ve seen all the marines use, then the next one, which was the CMC-400 Combat Powered Suit. I took one look at it and immediately loved it. I took one look at the rest, seeing the bulky and otherwise too big armor. I walked over to Raynor and who I assumed was Swann, seeing Raynor starting to walk away. I walked up to the man, getting his attention.

“What could I do for ya kid?” He asked.

“I want to buy the CMC-400 armor.” I answered, pointing to the designated armor. He whistled and looked at me.

“Armor’s pretty expensive. Usually used for mercenary units.” He said.

“How much for the armor?” I asked.

“Two hundred thousand credits.” He said. I pulled out all of my credits and counted off two hundred thousand.

“Alright, just need to get your measurements and we’ll have your armor ready in a day.” He said. I pulled off the armor and equipment, revealing the slightly burnt and tattered pants.

“I thought it was just the armor. Heh…” He said, pulling out a remote device. He aimed device at me and a green beam started scanning up and down, before a small ding was heard. Swann looked at the device and whistled.

“6’6. You got lucky kid.” He said, walking off and yelling some orders. I pulled on the armor and equipment once more before walking to the elevator and going up to the bridge again. Raynor, Tychus, and Matt were all standing next to a screen, examining the next mission.

“What’s our general status, Matt?” Raynor asked.

“We’ve picked up a distress call from the planet Agria. There’s a colony there under attack by the zerg. Your convict buddy Tychus lined up a mission retrieving another artifact. It’s on a protoss shrine-world called Monolyth.” Matt said.

“...Any ships receiving this transmission, the zerg are invading Agria… The Dominion abandoned us here… We’re just a small farming colony. We’ve got to evacuate before we’re overrun… If you can hear this message, please help us!” A static filled voice said.

“We have to save that colony. Monolyth and that artifact can wait until then.” Raynor said. Tychus just shrugged and walked off the bridge, while Matt started giving orders and coordinates for the crew. Raynor stepped into the elevator and disappeared while I stayed on the bridge, staring out into the stars.

~Two days later~

My new armor, the CMC-400 Powered Combat Suit, was ready and waiting in the armory. Raynor had volunteered that I go on this mission, seeing as I was excited to try out the new armor. I walked into the elevator and clicked the button for the armory, feeling the thing kick into motion. A few minutes later, the elevator stopped and the doors opened, revealing Swann at the console. I walked up to him, the clicking of my boots catching his attention. He turned around and saw me.

“We’re finished with your armor. Follow me.” He said, stepping away from the console and walking towards the armor displays. After passing a few rows of boxes, we came across an armor station.

“Step onto the pad and don’t move much.” He said. I took off my armor and stepped onto the pad, the machine kicking to life.

“Can’t you take this on and off manually, without the machine?” I asked him. He nodded.

“The machine here is only for building the armor onto the person. After you have the armor built on, you can take it on and off as you please.” He answered. The boots strapped themselves onto my feet, the machine lifting me three feet into the air. Two robotic arms grabbed my wrists and lifted my arms into the air. A dozen other arms slowly crept towards my body, some with pieces of armor, some with frames for the armor, the rest with welders or screwdrivers or other types of tools (If you want to know what its like, look up StarCraft 2 cinematic intro). After a few minutes of the armor being put together, I saw the arms retract and the platform lower to the ground. The shield was mounted on my upper arm and shoulder guard, leaving both of my hands free for the C-14 gauss rifle.

I stepped off of the platform, towering over Swann by a good three feet, compared to the other armor, which only allowed me to stand two feet over him. He handed me a device and I raised an eyebrow at him, although he couldn’t see it.

“What’s this do?” I asked, my voice changed to sound deeper due to the helmet.

“That little device allows you to activate the integrated Stimpack system in your suit.” He said, handing me another device.

“And this?” I asked.

“This is a black hole simulator. It allows troops to carry any item with them, no problem with the weight or fear of damaging an item.” He said. I pressed a button on the black hole simulator, a large portal opening up in front of me. I picked up all of my things, including the dispenser, and tossed them into it. I closed the portal and opened it up again, reaching my hand into it. I felt all of the objects in the portal, slowly floating around, and closed the device again.

“Let me tell you all about your armor.” Swann said with a smirk. After a few minutes of discussing the suits perks, my jaw dropped.

“I fucking love this armor.” I said.

“Most do. The only problem is that it’s too expensive for the average marine to purchase so they have to go with the CMC-300 armor. The 300 is almost the same thing, except that the 400 has NBC shields surrounding the marine, an advanced Stimpack system, so that it doesn’t hurt the marine as much and lasts twice as long, and better life support than the 300 model. That shield of yours is 30 millimeters of bonded carbide and easily stop an armor piercing round from tearing through. The C-14 rifle is fitted to hold drum magazines that have five hundred rounds in each of them, allowing you tear easily cut through any zerg swarm. On the end is a psionic blade, what the protoss normally use, and can easily cut through a siege tank.” He said. On the end of the blade was a glowing dark red blade.

“How do you turn this thing off?” I asked, looking for a switch of some kind.

“There’s a switch right here.” He said, flipping a switch next to the blade. Immediately, the dark red blade disappeared. I placed my hand on the grip.

“Better get up to the bridge. We’ve arrived at Agria.” He said. I nodded and made my way up to the bridge, where Matt, Tychus, and Raynor was waiting for me. I had to duck slightly to get through the elevator, then walked over to the starmap.

“Thank you so much for responding to our distress call, Commander. I’m Dr. Ariel Hanson and I represent the people of the Agria colony.” Hanson said.

“Pleasure to meet ya, Doc. You can call me Jim. What’s the situation?” Raynor asked.

“The zerg have overwhelmed our planetary defenses. The colony is lost. For the past twelve hours we’ve been evacuating people to the nearest starport. But the zerg attacks have become so intense, we can’t get more through. If you can guard the highway, we can start sending the remaining groups every few minutes.” She explained.

“Don’t worry Doc. We’ll get your folks to that starport safe and sound.” Raynor said.

“I pray you’re right, Commander. The zerg are more terrible than I ever imagined.” She said, before the screen cut and Raynor turned to me.

“Get down to the armory and prep for the mission. I want these colonists safe and sound at that starport.” Raynor ordered. I walked to the elevator, taking it down to the armory quickly and grabbing drum magazines for the gauss rifle The black hole simulator and Stimpack activator at my side, I stepped into the black medivac, seeing two firebats and two medics already stationed. I took a seat next to one of the firebats, hearing him talking softly to the other firebat. The ramp closed and the medivac took off, speeding down to the planet. A few minutes of sailing through the stars and I felt the ship hit the atmosphere, the interior of the ship starting to rise in heat. The air conditioner on my back kicked on and started venting the hot air out. A few minutes of constant heat and cool temperatures before it finally leveled out and the air conditioner vented out any remaining hot air in the suit.

The ship stopped and the ramp opened up, revealing the street. I got up from the seat and stepped down the ramp, before finally jumping, hitting the ground. I looked around, rifle at the ready, seeing that it was all clear. The rest of the squad landed and spread out, the firebats in front of the medics, and we started jogging down the street. Almost immediately, zerglings jumped from the bushes from all around, the firebats taking point and the medics backing them. I took a few steps back before readying the rifle and firing, the first few rounds striking the first zergling in the pack. The rest charged forward, running directly at the firebats, and just burnt to a crisp.

“Mmm… Scorched earth…” One of the firebats said. We continued forward as a second squad of zerglings saw us and charged. I readied myself and fired, the rounds cutting through the air and blowing the first few zerglings to hell. The rest were burned alive by the firebats, the zerglings not even getting close enough to claw at them. We continued down the road once more, the sounds of gunfire growing louder, before we saw a large group of the zerglings running around, clawing and biting anything. I fired, hitting a few zerglings. The rest turned to us and charged, the group meeting a hail of bullets and an inferno. I had four hundred and fifty rounds left in the mag, as well as ten drum mags left, as we continued forward, a small ramp leading up to a base of sorts. We all stepped forward, some of the marines breathing in relief.

“Thank goodness you’re here. I’ll give you control of the main buildings so you can help us evacuate the colony.” Hanson said, the command center and barracks already being pushed into action.

“We’ll need to escort the convoys all the way to the main starport for them to have a chance of escaping this planet.” Raynor said. Another firebat popped out of the barracks, stepping next to the other two. One SCV popped out of the command center and built a supply depot, before moving to the minerals.

“The first convoy from Larks’ Crossing will be moving out soon.” Hanson said. I checked my ammo and supplies, before realizing I hadn’t ate in the last two days. I grabbed the black hole simulator and pushed the button, the hole opening up and I reached inside, grabbing my bags. I opened the bags and took out a small piece of jerky and canteen of water. I saw the colonists slowly loading into the transport truck and quickly ate, the hunger dying away slowly and my thirst being quenched. I put the things back into the black hole and closed the portal, the convoy starting to move. The firebats took point while I stayed to the side, the medics taking the rear to cover everyone. We made our way along the street, no signs of zerg anywhere, and we made it to a small ridge with a ramp leading down to it. A bunker was already built at the top of the ramp, a good spot in case some sort of zerg tries to attack.

“Someone had the right idea building bunkers to defend the roads… but why are they empty?” Raynor asked through the channel.

“The Dominion military abandoned them when the zerg attacked. They didn’t give a damn about the colony.” Hanson said.

“Sorry to hear that, Doc. At least these bunkers are in a good spot. I’ll see if we can get them manned.” Raynor said. We made our way down the street, rounding a few corners. Before long, the sounds of the zerg reached my ears and I readied my rifle, slowly scanning the area. Ten zerglings jumped out of the bushes and I opened fire, hitting the first few before they managed to reach the firebats and do harm. I felt something clawing at my leg and swung around, seeing a zergling trying to bite his way through my armor. I flipped the switch on the end of the rifle and the psionic blade flickered to life, the dark red blade shimmering in the darkness. I cut through the zergling with ease before catching up with the convoy. I felt the tendrils wrap around my leg to repair any damage done to me, thankfully catching no ones attention as my armor was repaired. I swung my rifle around just as I heard a zerglings screech, impaling a flying zergling on the end of it and burning it. I flicked the zergling off and shot it a few times, making sure it was dead, before looking to the sky and seeing an overlord. It stopped a little bit away from the convoy and started spreading creep. I kept moving with the convoy, the chirping of birds and crickets barren as the zerg swarmed around the tree line. I swung my rifle around and shot at the zerglings, catching the first ten zerglings quickly. I saw a second bunker that was at the top of another ramp, the convoy quickly making it to the starport. We started our way back to the colony, meeting a few zerglings and a hydralisk on the way back.

“It’s a long haul to the starport, partner. How can we be expected to guard the whole thing?” Tychus asked.

“I reckon we can use a mobile force to keep it clear or build more bunkers to block the approach - either way should work.” Raynor answered. We made it back to the colony just as another transport truck rolled up to the colony huts.

“The next convoy is almost ready to go, Commander. Please alert your men.” Hanson said. A few more barracks had been built as well as supply depots while we were gone. A few marines, medics, and firebats were waiting at the entrance of the colony, the two squads meeting up. An SCV took off down the street, most likely to go build another bunker or something. The next transport truck was full and moving by another minute and we surrounded the convoy. Before the convoy made it to the first bunker, twenty zerglings were emerging from the darkness. The marines focused on the zerglings as the firebats took point, soaking up the damage and burning any zerglings that got too close. The convoy continued, two firebats stepping away and getting into the bunker, the SCV from earlier finishing up a bunker that stood next to the original. The SCV repaired any damage on the first bunker before speeding off ahead of us, barely avoiding the second wave of zerglings. What we didn’t notice was the third wave sneaking up on us. We focused our attention on the second wave of zerglings, the firebats burning most of them alive.

The third wave hit as we were all reloading, most of the marines dying horribly. I felt something slam into my shield and I pushed it away, readying my rifle and firing. I managed to fight off the zerg alone, the firebats and medics being ambushed by another wave of zerglings. After killing the ten zerglings that were left, I turned my attention to the rest of the last wave, seeing a few roaches and hydralisks here. I fired, hitting a few of the roaches and killing them. I heard the clicking of the gun and pulled out a second mag, replacing the empty one in place of the full mag. I raised my shield up just in time as a spine heading for my head was stopped, barely a few inches in between both spots. I fired at the hydralisk, managing to kill it before it fired again, and pulled out the spine from the shield. The tendrils repaired the damage to the shield before anyone noticed and I caught up to the convoy. The transport truck was in bad shape and only two marines remained. I took point, keeping an eye out for anything.

The next wave of zerglings hit and I charged towards them. I slammed the shield into the first few, sending them flying away. I swung the blade around, cutting two in half, before firing at the rest of the wave. One zergling managed to bypass my gun, only to get crushed beneath my boots. I wiped the wave out completely before turning to the convoy. The transport truck was still moving, albeit barely, and the marines were on the lookout for anything. Luckily, the truck managed to reach the ramp and make it to the starport, the marines taking their spot at the top of the ramp to protect. I made my way back to the colony. I was met with two waves of zerglings. The first wave struck from the front while the second struck from behind.

They didn’t stand a chance. I managed to cut, shoot, and slam my way through the two swarms, the virus managing to rejuvenate and repair my armor and wounds. I made it back to the colony, a large group of marines, medics, and firebats waiting at the entrance of the colony. I sighed in relief as I sat down next to one of the supply depots, watching as the next transport truck rolled up and started loading more civilians.

“Commander, another convoy will be heading out soon.” Hanson said. I got off of the ground and checked my ammo count, seeing only fifty two rounds left. I pulled off the black hole simulator and pulled out the dispenser, the ammo being restocked quickly. I pushed the dispenser back into the black hole and closed the portal, the two clips of ammo full now. I saw the last civilians get into the transport vehicle and the truck start moving. I took my position near the back, watching every corner as we made our way out of the colony. A wave of zerglings struck the two bunkers, the zerglings being burned easily. The second wave struck from the front, pushing us back a little, before we managed to kill them all. We lost a few marines and a firebat, otherwise we were all uninjured. I heard some shuffling from behind and turned around, seeing a horde of zerglings hitting from behind. I started firing my gun, before I felt something slam into my back, knocking me to the ground. I twisted around, swinging the shield and slamming into everything that touched it, and quickly picked myself up. I continued firing all around me, killing zerglings as quickly as I could, seeing the convoy disappearing around the corner. I continued firing the gun, before I actually looked at how many zerglings there was. From the second I looked, I could already count a hundred or more zerglings surrounding me.

“Shit!” I yelled, jumping over a few zerglings and onto open ground, before I turned around and started running backwards, firing my rifle into the crowd. I somehow ran off the road and before I knew it, I was standing at the top of a hill, firing at zerglings that were barreling in from all sides. I felt something slam into my back again and felt about five zerglings jump onto my back, and I knew it was all over. Then… something strange happened. I felt the zerglings get off of my back. I jumped up and was about to start firing again, before I noticed that they were all backing away from me slowly. I lowered the rifle and looked around, before I saw her. Raynor had told me about her. Sarah Kerrigan. The Queen of Blades. The zerglings split apart as she walked through the crowd, Kerrigan making her way to me with a small smile on her face.

“I can see the virus within you. The first strand of zerg, but also the strongest of them all.” She whispered. I looked at her, seeing her starting to circle me. She dragged a finger across my shoulders, over my head, and down my arm.

“I’ve seen your memories. What you’ve done, what you’ve become, where you come from, and how you’ve arrived here. I’ve also seen the signs from the others in your life. How much they want you. But then these little accidents happen and you’re whisked away to another universe. I know how you have to get home. The little objectives you’ve had to accomplish. I can tell you how to get back, but all you have to do for me… is tell me who bought the artifact that you stole from the Dominion.” She said, stopping in front of me.

“The Moebius Foundation.” I said, and judging her reaction, she was surprised by my quick answer.

“So how do I get out of here?” I asked.

“You must fight the Protoss when you arrive on Monolyth. Once you’ve touched the artifact, you will be sucked into the vortexes that you’ve seen.” She explained, before pointing towards the gunfire.

“The last convoy is being loaded onto the starship. Using the virus will get you there fast enough to catch the last plane out.” She finished, the zerglings parting towards the starport. I nodded and took off, the virus increasing my run speed to twice of what any man can do. After a minute of constantly running, I met up with the final convoy, just outside the starport. Hordes of zerglings, hydralisks, roaches, mutalisks, and nydus worms were surrounding the starport. Medics healed firebats as they quickly soaked up damage, while marines were trying to take out everything. I charged in from behind, firing the rifle and clearing a path through the zerg. I ran up the ramp quickly, joining the rest of the marines in fighting the zerg.

“Where were you?” One of the marines asked me.

“I had to deal with my own zerg problem.” I said.

“How many?” Another asked, gunfire breaking through his mic.

“A few hundred, no big deal.” I said, taking out a few mutas and hydras.

“Most marines can’t handle two zerglings, yet you handled a few hundred?” A marine asked, disbelief coating each word.

“I’m not an average marine, now am I?” I said with finality, shutting up the rest of them. We managed to clear the rest with ease, and the last civilians were placed on the last transport ship and flown out. The Hyperion came from the sky, laser batteries scanning for any sort of zerg biomass. Finding none, the ship landed, the marines and firebats at the ready. The ramp opened up and Raynor and Tychus stepped out, rifle and chaingun at the ready. Seeing no zerg, the troops quickly piled onto the ship and the ship took off. I went to the bridge, Raynor and Tychus talking to each other while Matt and who I presumed as the Doctor from Agria were doing the same. I shook my head and went to the cantina.

~Two days later~

I was standing on the bridge, awaiting the briefing for the mission. I was decked out in my CMC-400 armor, the gauss rifle in my hands and shield on my shoulder guard. I was idly checking the gauss rifle for any sort of damage or malfunctions, finding none. I looked around, seeing Matt staring at the starmap intently with Dr. Hanson talking to Stetmann idly. I heard the elevator doors open up and looked, seeing Raynor and Tychus walk through the doors. They walked over to the starmap and pulled up an image of an artifact, this one surrounded by what I presume is the protoss.

“There it is Jimmy, just like Moebius said. Easy money.” Tychus said.

“I don’t know. There’s a lot of protoss down there. We’re gonna have to - what the?” Raynor said, seeing a large group of zerg pop up from the ground.

“Warning! Multiple bio-signatures detected!” Adjutant said.

“Them critters were just hiding underground, waitn’?” Tychus said.

“No idea, but you can bet that they’re heading straight for our shrine!” Raynor said.

“Well, that sure complicates things. We can’t fight two armies at once, partner…” Tychus said. Raynor looked at him with a sly smile.

“With any luck, we won’t have to.” Raynor said.

“We only need to hold the area at the top of the shrine long enough to extract the artifact.” He explained. The screen cut to an empty spot on the map, in between the two armies.

“So we’ll land here and cut our way through the protoss lines while they’re busy with the zerg. It’s only a matter of time before the zerg overwhelm the protoss. We’d best grab the artifact and be long gone by then.” Raynor said. Tychus smiled evilly.

“Smart thinkin’ Jimmy.” He said. I went down to the armory and hopped into the ship, five SCVs all sitting casually in its hull. The ship took off and made its way down to the surface. We landed and the SCVs went to work, building a Command Center immediately. Once the Command Center was up, the started mining minerals, while I guarded the entrance in case of any wanderers. I saw that the SCVs were already at work building a refinery, merc compound, and barracks. After completing all three buildings, a tech lab was built on the barracks. A few more SCVs came out of the command center and they all started mining. Three marines and a medic popped out of the barracks quickly. Three stalkers walked up to a pylon, leaving us to back away to avoid being hit.

The ship came again, this time carrying three marauders. The marauders joined our forces and we pushed on the stalkers. They spotted us and fired, shooting out dual laser beams and hitting a marine. The marine went down quickly, the marauders, the rest of the marines, and I started firing. I aimed for one of their faces, only to hit an energy shield. I continued firing at the shield until it fell, then continued firing at the stalker. The stalker went down in an explosion of sparks, what I could easily tell was the shield generator flying towards me. I caught the piece in my hand and inspected it, the other two stalkers taken down already. The slightly damaged but still operable shield generators lay in my hands. I looked for a place to put the small device and saw that I had a small socket in the back of my helmet. I placed the generator in the socket and it fit perfectly, the energy shield already regenerating around me.

Once the shield was fully rejuvenated, I met up with the rest of the group, fighting a small band of zealots and stalkers. I fired at one of the zealots and his shield flared up. I continued firing until the shield went down and I aimed for his head. He turned to me and was met with a face full of lead. I turned my attention to the stalkers, who were quickly taking down the marines and marauders, and fired at one of them. His shields went down and I aimed the rifle for his legs. I fired, hitting his legs and knocking him to the ground. I swung my rifle around and fired at his brother, his shield flaring up as well. All that was left were one marine, one medic, and two marauders. I took out the stalker quickly and the squad retreated. “Warning! Zerg attack wave detected!” Adjutant said, just before a small band of zerglings and hydras ran up the ramp. I fired on the zerglings, quickly killing them before turning my attention to the hydras. I saw one of them fire at me and the spine quickly flew through the air. The spine struck the shield, the spine disintegrating as the shield destroyed it. I fired at the hydra and quickly killed it.

A second wave struck just as the last hydralisk died, the zerglings quickly dying and the roaches were quickly taken out by the marauders. We built up our forces and sent another attack out. The marauders quickly took out the pylon that powered the photon cannons and we quickly wiped out the forces. The next area was locked down with two sentries setting up force fields. We waited for the force fields to go down and charged, taking out the cannons and forces quickly. We crossed the bridge and took out the next area with ease, two void rays going down slowly. The next area was a bit tricky. We headed up the ramp and was met with three archons, four stalkers, and six zealots. I quickly dealt with two of the zealots before turning my attention to one of the archons. I fired at the archon, catching his attention and sending him towards me. He fired the lightning from his hands, my shield flaring up and absorbing the blow. I managed to take down his shield and took him out, before turning my attention to the rest of them. They managed to wipe out the attack force and looked at me. I quickly retreated back to the base, the next attack force built up and ready to go.

They all walked out as I took up the rear. We made it to the previous point and the fight started again, this time we pushed through and destroyed everything. We reached the artifact, although it was surrounded by barriers. The statues next to the artifact came to life and shot laser beams onto everyone. I shot at the statue but the bullets just bounced off. I mentally scratched my head before aiming the rifle at its eyes and fired. The statue quickly crumbled to the ground. “That easy to take them down…” I muttered, swinging my rifle around and firing at the next statue, hitting its eyes just as it powered up a laser, causing the head to explode in an orange inferno. The attack force was all dead and it was up to me to take out the last statue. I fired my rifle at the statue, only to miss by a few inches. I rolled out of the way as it fired its laser at me, barely missing me. I got to my feet and fired again, hitting it in its face but not getting it again. It slammed its fist into the ground, sending me tumbling away from the statue. I got up and readied the rifle, taking aim and firing it. The statue fired its laser one last time, only for the bullets to meet the laser halfway.

The laser exploded spectacularly, the shockwave of the explosion destroying the statue. I got up slowly, picking my rifle up in my left hand. I looked at my right arm and saw that it was gone, the explosion causing sending it to oblivion. I sighed and walked up to the artifact, touching it. After I touched it, the purple vortex that I’ve seen time and time again opened up and sucked me in. Everything at that moment caught up to me and I felt my body seize up. I still had control of my eyes and watched as the portal opened up once more and spat me out somewhere. The feeling of falling through the air pushed a sense of dread into my chest. I regained control of my body and tried stopping myself from spinning in the air. I managed to stop the spinning and saw what I felt was familiar. I crashed through the ceiling of the castle of sorts and found myself in some sort of throne room, which seemed familiar also. The dust cleared and I looked around, seeing the shocked faces of eight mares which I immediately recognized.

“Hell, it’s about damn time.”

AN: Any ideas on what happens next chapter? I'm taking suggestions, please comment below. I will take the random ones and the lucky winner will be featured in the next chapter!

Postquam bello porcum

The ponies stared in stunned silence as the dust cleared, revealing a seven foot suit of armor kneeling from the impact. It slowly shifted to its feet, standing over Luna and Celestia easily.

“Hell, it’s about damn time.” It said, its voice distinctly male. They all cocked their heads to the side in confusion.

“What do you think it is?” Twilight asked.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t want to anger it.” Celestia said, stepping forward.

“Hello. My name is Princess Celestia, co-ruler of this land, godd-” She started.

“Goddess of the sun, and your sister is Princess Luna, the other ruler of Equestria and the goddess of the moon. These are the Elements of Harmony. Yes, I already know about you. You gave me this speech when I got here the first time.” It interrupted, startling everyone and raising more questions with the last statement.

“I don’t recall a seven foot tall suit of armor in my kingdom before.” Celestia said.

“I figured you would’ve recognized me by just voice, but I guess inter universal teleportations can make time fly in other places in the multiverse.” He said, the ponies becoming fearful of his knowledge.

“I don’t know who you think you are, buddy, but if you don’t stop talking to the princess like that, you’re going to get a real beatdown.” Rainbow Dash said, flying up to his face. He chuckled, something that one of the ponies barely recognized. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes in concentration on his helmet, needing to be absolutely sure about.

“I guess if you knew who I am, you wouldn’t be so aggressive Dash.” He said. Rainbow huffed, before flying back to her friends.

“If you’re so sure that we would know who you are, then show us your face. Take off the helmet.” Applejack said. He slung the rifle over his back, before grabbing the sides of the helmet. The armor hissed, steam shooting out of joints near his neck, before he slowly took off the helmet. Once the helmet was off, they could see his face, a face that all but three had forgotten. Luna gasped, Celestia’s eyes grew in surprise, and Fluttershy nearly burst into tears at the sight of his face.

“Still don’t know who you are.” Rainbow said. The smile he put on his face fell, his expression turning serious.

“I guess this isn’t the right universe then…” He said glumly, placing the helmet back onto his head, a sucking sound was heard as the air was sealed out of the armor. He took the rifle from its place, his shoulders rising as he heaved a great sigh.

“I was sure this was the right one… Ah well…” He said, pulling off a device from his hip. He pressed a button and a large portal opened up. The two alicorns and pegasus froze in fear that they were about to lose him, seeing the first part of his body disappear into the portal. When Fluttershy was about to start for him, they saw him pull back, pulling out two objects. He slung them over his back, and they saw two packs. One was recognized as the one he was given for his trip to the Deadlands, while the other was a navy blue color, small clinks were heard from inside the bag.

“I guess since this isn’t the right one, I have to wait until the vortex opens up again.” He said, a note of depression taking hold of his words. Fluttershy felt her heart break at the tone, wanting nothing more than to run over and give him a large hug.

“What’s inside the bags?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” He snapped, making the ponies reel back at the sudden change in attitude.

“What's made him so aggressive all of the sudden?” Rarity whispered.

“Just the fact that I was wrong about coming home after fighting nonstop for two weeks. I was certain that this universe was the right one only for reality to rear its ugly head and show me the truth that I might not ever make it home, forever lost in a damned pit of hell that allows no solitude and no rest for the weary, lost in battlefields until Death takes me.” He said, making everypony feel pity for their forgotten friend.

“Certainly you haven’t been fighting for two weeks nonstop?” Celestia said.

“I had to fight a doppelganger of myself that spat on Luna’s name because she betrayed Celestia and brutally murdered the Elements of Harmony, then escape a ruined tomb where I had to fight undead until I made it out, afterwards fighting a fucking dragon, then almost had my guts ripped out because of a single man, then had to keep a rapist version of Celestia and Luna away from me, then had to fight two alien races in an effort to survive then ended up in this motherfucking place.” He said, everypony staring at him. He didn’t stop in his angry rant.

“What do I have to do in order to move on to the next universe and save the fucking world there? Fight Discord? Hold off the changeling army while everypony panics? Save Ponyville from being destroyed by Ursa Minors? Hunt down an Ursa Major? Go to the Deadlands and search for a book that raises the undead before they start taking over Equestria? Find an artifact long lost in the depths of Tartarus? Fight off an alien armada as they glass the planet using superheated plasma? Sacrifice my life so that the world is saved from King Sombra?” He said, the situations described running through everypony’s head.

“Daniel, you don’t have to do any of those things…” Celestia said. Before he continued, he took a moment to search her words. He turned to her, a smile growing behind that helmet.

“I really am home, aren’t I?” He said. Celestia, Luna, and Fluttershy nodded at the same time. The rest of the ponies grew confused at the sudden change of emotion.

“I didn’t mean to say all of that, it’s just that I thought I was never going to come back here.” He said, a relieved laugh escaping his lips.

“Sorry, but did ah just miss something?” Applejack said.

“I guess you guys just forgot about me. Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Daniel, I am the human you saved three years ago from Earth and brought me here, then I worked for Applejack for all those years, and its been who knows how long since I’ve returned here from being teleported, after going to the Deadlands and saving Equestria from being destroyed by the undead.” He said, while the rest of the Elements finally remembered Daniel. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity grew flushed with embarrassment, Pinkie squealing with delight and trying to tackle Daniel with a hug.

“I’m so happy that you’re alright Daniel! I thought you had died because you were gone for so long! I have to go and get a party ready and I have to -” Pinkie said, before Daniel covered her mouth with a large hand.

“Pinkie, you don’t have to do any of that, I’m just glad I’m back.” He said, uncovering her mouth. She looked up with a blush on her face, attempting to wrap her arms around his massive torso, only managing to get them halfway around him.

“This armor is too big!” She pouted, pressing her face against the breastplate and trying to wrap her arms around his back.

“I have to get out of the armor first. What I do need is some damn clothes though…” He said.

“What happened to the other armor you had?” Luna asked.

“I still have it.” He said, pulling the device from his hip and pressing the button, the portal from earlier opening up. Pinkie looked inside, her mouth open in excitement. He reached in and pulled out the pieces of armor, setting them on the ground. Before he closed it, he pulled out everything else, including the bow and arrows, dispenser, two greatswords, and Red Sniper’s hat. The ponies stared curiously at the objects, only a few they recognize, while most of the things he pulled out were unknown to them. He moved to one of the closets lining the walls and moved from his armor, switching to the lighter, and less bulky, armor, wearing the hat, the two greatswords, bow, and arrows on his back. He placed the pieces of armor, gauss rifle, and packs of items into the portal and closed it. He stepped out of the closet, the ponies turning to see him.

“That’s quite a lot of weapons you’ve managed to pick up.” Twilight said.

“Pays to be prepared.” He said with a shrug.

“You seem shorter without that other armor.” Rainbow said.

“It adds a foot in height and weighs several hundred pounds.” He answered.

~~~Eight hours later~~~

After an hour of talking to the ponies, we came to the train station and returned to Ponyville. A nice small party that Pinkie set up in under five minutes, that includes hard cider, hardcore spin the bottle, dirty truth and dare, and what they called ‘sexy wrestling’.

“So, which game do you want to play first?” Pinkie asked.

“Dirty truth and dare!" Twilight and Rainbow yelled together.

"Spin the bottle!" Applejack yelled.

Pinkie turned to the rest of the ponies, and human, and cocked an eyebrow.

"So what will it be?" She asked. Rarity sighed in apprehension.

"I don't wish to participate in such games." She huffed.

"You got to!" Pinkie pleaded. I opened my arms open as I stretched, while Pinkie took this as an opportunity to speed into my lap, getting a surprised grunt as she slammed herself down on my crotch. I looked at her with an almost pained look, while she giggled and kissed my cheek. I looked at her suspiciously, seeing Fluttershy fuming in the corner.

"I guess I can take truth and dare...." I said, getting smiles from Pinkie, Twilight, and Rainbow.

"Four votes for truth and dare, majority vote has concluded and we shall start the game is just a few minutes." Pinkie said in an uncharacteristically professional tone. Everypony turned to her in confusion, but quickly placed it under the 'Pinkie being Pinkie' category.

"I'm going to grab a drink." I said, pushing myself up and grabbing a red solo cup, which surprised me the first time, and poured some ice cold hard cider into the cup, immediately pressing my lips to the cup and draining half of it within five seconds. I refilled it quickly, taking the drink back to the spot I was sitting. Pinkie was scratching her chin, her eyes narrowed as she looked between the ponies and human. Her eyes locked with Twilight's and she smiled evilly.

"Twilight! Truth or dare?" She asked. Twilight remained silent for a few seconds, her eyes darting around the room.

"Truth." She answered.

"Is it true..." Pinkie started, getting to her feet and pacing back in forth. "That you played with yourself in college?" Pinkie finished, smiling evilly. Twilight's entire face grew red hot with embarrassment as she nodded once and dug her face into her hands. Everypony erupted into laughter while I sympathized the mare. Twilight grew flustered as she looked between the mares and human, locking her eyes on Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow, truth or dare?" She asked. Rainbow puffed out her chest and immediately said.

"Dare!" Twilight smiled evilly as she thought of her dare.

"Why don't you strip for everypony and give them a small dance?" Twilight said, causing Rainbow to sputter. Her arguments fell on deaf ears as she was forced to strip down to her underwear and dance like a stripper for a minute. The second Twilight said she was okay to put her clothes on, she practically teleported into them. Rainbow Dash locked eyes with me and smiled cruelly.

"Daniel. Truth or dare?" She asked, causing me to think.

"Truth." I said, deciding to play safe for the moment.

"Is it true that you're still a virgin?" She asked. I turned my attention towards Fluttershy, who smiled sheepishly.

"Yes, I have not had sex with anyone." I said, causing Rainbow Dash and Applejack to sputter into laughter. I gritted my teeth, taking the drink in hand and downing the entire drink within a few seconds, crushing the cup in my hand easily.

I turned my attention to the rest of the ponies, each making eye contact with me. I looked at Fluttershy and smirked slightly.

"Fluttershy. Truth or dare?" I asked. "Dare." She answered immediately.

"I dare you to take off a single article of clothing for the rest of the night," I said, the mare immediately taking off her shirt shamelessly.

"Applejack, truth or dare?" Fluttershy asked without looking at AJ. "Dare."

~Morning~

I woke up, feeling warm all over my body. I opened my eyes and growled, the sun conveniently placed to be burning into my eyes as I open them. I let my eyes grow accustomed to the light, and saw a... strange sight. The mares were all sitting among themselves, drinking coffee or tea. I picked myself off of the floor, catching their attention.

"You're finally awake!" Pinkie yelled, handing me a cup of hot coffee. I looked at the mares before taking a sip of the coffee. It was lightly sugared and fairly creamed, and was absolutely perfect. I continued to sip on the coffee, seeing the mares giving me surprised looks.

"Uh Daniel... Are ya okay?" Applejack asked.

"I'm perfectly fine." I answered truthfully. They gave astonished looks and I shook my head.

"What's the matter? Is it something in my coffee?" I asked, looking at Pinkie.

"It's nothing really, but Pinkie just gave you coffee." Rainbow said sarcastically. "And it's freaking perfect." I said, taking another large gulp.

"Whenever Pinkie gives somepony coffee, it's always way too strong." Fluttershy said. "I guess since I'm a different species, I'm not affected by this as much as you guys are." I said, giving a shrug as I drank more of it.

"It also means that she wants to be in a relationship with that pony." Twilight said. I choked on the coffee, nearly spitting it out. I cleared my throat a few times, getting the coffee out of my trachea. I looked over at Fluttershy, and she nodded.

"I'd be honored." I said, hearing a loud squeal behind me. Next thing I knew, I was on my back, coffee on the table, with a pair of sugary lips pressed against mine, a loud moan filling the air. I cleared my vision and saw that Pinkie was on top of me, her eyes closed, her lips pressed to mine. Her lips were soft, with a faint hint of... cotton candy and sugar coating her lips. I returned her kiss, the rest of the mares staring in surprise and awe. "Pinkie, how did ya bring him down so quickly?" Applejack asked. Pinkie giggled but didn't pull away.

"It's a good thing it's Daniel then. Most stallions that she has gotten with are only for a quick rut." Fluttershy said, clearly unfazed. The rest of the mares agreed and Pinkie finally pulled away.

"Wow! Fluttershy was right! He is a great kisser!" Pinkie said. I chuckled and got up, rubbing the back of my head. A frantic knocking caught everypony's attention and I answered the door. A royal guard stood at it, out of breath.

"Princess Celestia requests you immediately. She also said bring your armor and weapons." He said. I noticed that I already had my armor on and went to go grab the black hole simulator. I grabbed it, opening it up to check for the CMC armor and Gauss Rifle and found them just floating there. I closed it and walked out with the guard, the elements following behind quickly. Suddenly a bright flash caught us all off guard and we were teleported to Canterlot. We stood in the throne room, both princesses sitting on their thrones.

"My apologize, but the reason I summoned you here on such short notice is that we have rumor of an attack that will take place here tomorrow. I have roused the guards and have set up defenses all over the city, but with Daniel and the Elements of Harmony on our side, we will successfully repel the attack." Celestia said, writing a message as she talked. She sent the message off.

"So we need to stay here until the battle has commenced or if this rumor has blown over?" I asked.

"Exactly. Surely you understand." Celestia said.

"Of course Princess!" Twilight said.

"You are allowed to stay in the guest rooms until this rumor blows over, which it hopefully stays a rumor..." Celestia said.

"Time for me to get into my armor then.." I said, walking towards the guest rooms. The mares followed and we quickly arrived at the guest rooms. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and I walked into one room, while the other mares took different rooms for themselves. I closed the door and walked into the bathroom, getting into the CMC armor. I finished putting on the armor ad stepped out, ducking to avoid hitting my head. I saw Pinkie and Fluttershy talking to each other, laying on the bed with each other. They stopped as the door opened, watching me step out. I walked out of the door, heading back to the throne room. I took some wrong turns and ended up in the dining hall, where Celestia and Luna were seated and waiting. They looked up at me.

"I see you're in your armor Daniel." Celestia said simply.

"Yep. Need to tell me anything else Sherlock?" I quipped. They gave me confused glances.

"Sherlock? What?" Luna said.

"I do in fact. I will allow you to use your weapon when the gryphons attack. Otherwise, you must always have it holstered or do something to secure the weapon from misfires." Celestia said. I flipped a switch that was labeled 'Safety'.

"Safety's on, should not fire unless I turn it off." I said, getting more looks from the princesses.

"Excuse my lack of knowledge, but what does the safety do?" She asked.

"It keeps the gun from firing. If I try to pull the trigger, then it'll stop the trigger and you won't be able to fire. All it takes is a simple flip of the switch and you'll be able to fire once more." I said, demonstrating it. I of course did not fire.

"How powerful is the weapon?" Luna asked.

"Imagine five ponies standing in a straight line. Now firing one of these shots and all five ponies have a massive hole in their chest and the bullet keeps going. This rifle also has a alternate firing mode. It fires a single round and would punch through stone like a knife through scrib jelly." I explained.

"Why would you have something like that?!" Celestia's voice cracked and shrilled.

"Where this came from, it's actually a weak weapon. It wouldn't be able to punch through this armor," I tapped the armor. "and wouldn't be able to punch through the toughest zerg carapace. And the energy shield I have..." I said.

"Energy shield? I don't feel it." Celestia said.

"It's artificial, not made with magic. It's created with a chip that I have in the back of my helmet." I said. I took the chip out of the back of the helm and showed it to them. They looked at the small chip and I put it back into my helmet, the energy shield lighting up as it recharged. The princesses looked in surprise at the light silver shield. It fully recharged in thirty seconds and the glow disappeared.

"We'll be fully prepared for an attack tomo-" Before Celestia finished her sentence, the doors burst open and a bloody stallion stumbled into the chambers. The princesses stood up in shock.

"The... gryphons..." He muttered, before he started to choke on his own blood. A blood covered gryphon flew in through the open doors and let out a battle cry, locking it's eyes on Celestia. Before he moved, he exploded in a mess of gore and meat. The ponies stared at the scene then turned to me, looking at the smoking barrel of the gun.

"Damn shame."

The pony/gryphon war has begun.

Finalis Limitaneis

Trudging through the destroyed and burning streets of Canterlot was a giant, mobile death machine, armed with a C-141 AC Rifle and a battle suit called the CMC-400 Powered Combat Suit.

The combat shield mounted on his shoulder was covered with scratches and dents, as well as the majority of his arms while few littered his chestplate and helmet.

He was on a routine search through the city, looking for survivors and gryphons when a scream filled the air and, responding instinctively, he spun around and began charging towards where he estimated the source of the sound was.

Hundreds of gryphons also showed up where the scream resonated from. He placed his shield in front of him and charged in, knocking gryphons to the side and crushing some of them with his boots. At the dead end of the alleyway sat two mares, one white with electric blue hair and another gray with an expertly made black mane. The last gryphons were knocked back into the crowd and he turned around. The mares gave another scream and looked up at him.

“Get down and stay out of my way! Tell me when gryphons are diving!” He yelled. He turned around and fired. The bullets tore into the gryphons and they all scattered. The suit of armor fired at the oncoming gryphons, managing to lock down the dead end. Most didn’t think to fly above the gunfire and flew into the torrent of bullets, being torn apart. The mares looked in awe at their savior, watching him fight the murderous gryphons. He fired his last bullet and reloaded quickly, kicking a gryphon back as it got too close. He continued firing, the new rounds shredding the basic leather armor and feathers that the gryphons wore. The last of the gryphons scattered and took off, some being taken out as he fired at them. He turned back to the alley and saw that the two mares were staring at him in astonishment.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here before more come.” He said. He reloaded and holstered the guns.

“Look out!” One of the mares called out. He turned around and something bounced off of a wide light silver energy shield surrounding him. He looked at the gryphon, sitting on the ground stunned. He grabbed it by the neck.

“You can’t sneak up on me.” He said before taking the small knife that it held.

“A stone knife eh?” He stated. He took the flimsy knife and crushed it in his hands. He turned back to the gryphon.

“Tell your leader that they need to rethink attacking ponies.” He said, letting the gryphon go. It landed in a pile and got up, taking off. He turned back to the mares.

“Survivors are to report to the castle.” He said.

“Aren’t you going to escort us there?” One of the mares asked.

“Of course.” He said. One of the mares tried to get up but fell over due to one of her legs being scratched.

“Ow ow ow!” She yelled. He walked over and knelt over her.

“Are you okay?” He asked. She shook her head and he scooped her up in his arms. The other, the white mare, looked jealous, but got up.

“I think it might be better if I carry both of you.” He said.

“Carry both of us?” The white mare asked.

“Yeah.” He said simply. The mare blushed but climbed onto his back. He bent down and allowed her to climb onto his back, then took off at a quick pace towards the castle.

“Jeez! How are ya so fast?!” The white mare asked.

“No reason.” He answered simply, managing to reach the castle in five minutes. He dropped the mares off at the medical tents that were set up and started his trek again. The mares looked sad for him to leave but they understood his duty. He continued searching the city, some gryphons scavenging the town for food and bits. After five hours of slaying gryphons and saving ponies, he counted the amount of survivors that made it through the attack and the amount of gryphons he killed. He reported to Celestia, who was sitting on her throne with a grim expression on her face. The doors burst open as he walked into the hall, a battalion of pony royal guard standing in front of her. She gave a small smile and waved him over. He jogged over to the throne and took off his helmet, revealing his tired and sweaty face.

“How many?” She asked.

“Fifty thousand survivors and eighty thousand gryphons slain.” He answered. Both princesses gave sighs of relief.

“Only ten thousand ponies killed. How many have you slain?” She asked. He frowned.

“I already gave you my number.” He said. The princesses gave him surprised looks.

“You’ve managed to save fifty thousand survivors and slay eighty thousand gryphons…?” She said disbelievingly.

“It’s been nearly two weeks since this battle started…” He said, wiping some sweat off of his forehead.

“We’ve not set or risen the sun or moon at all!” Luna and Celestia gasped together. They stepped off of the thrones and took off towards their chambers. Celestia stopped at the last second and said.

“Wait here.” She then took off. He put his helmet back on and sighed, yawning behind the helmet. He was surprised by how tired he actually felt. A few minutes passed and the princesses returned, a surprisingly large bag of bits following behind them.

“You’ve managed to save Canterlot single handedly, and you have our thanks Daniel.Please accept this sum of bits as a beginning to say our thanks to you.” Celestia said, levitating the bag to him.

“I can’t accept this. Use the bits in this bag to help rebuild Canterlot.” He stated, pushing the bag of bits back to them. They looked distraught, but nodded and levitated the bits away.

“I must thank you again for saving Canterlot.” Celestia said.

“If you really want to repay me, can you get me and try to find Fluttershy and Pinkie?” He asked. She nodded and he went off to the guest rooms. He reached the rooms and stepped into a random one, taking off his armor and flopping onto the bed. He fell asleep quickly, his first sleep for two weeks.He woke up when the doors closed and he sat up, seeing Fluttershy and Pinkie.

“WE HAVEN’T SEEN YOU FOR TWO WEEKS!” Pinkie yelled, flopping on the bed and giving him a large hug. Daniel returned the hug and smiled at Fluttershy. She walked over to the bed and sat on the other side, getting in on the hug.

“I’ve been running around Canterlot for the last two weeks trying to find survivors or any gryphons that stayed behind to plunder.” He explained.

“You could’ve been killed out there!” Fluttershy said.

“Just like the fifty thousand survivors that I managed to get out of the city.” He shot back.

“F-fifty thousand ponies?”

“Yep.”

“But it’s only been one day!”

“Actually, it’s been two weeks. Celestia and Luna had forgotten to raise and lower the sun and moon.” He said.

“How could they forget to lower the sun and raise the moon?” Pinkie asked with a snicker.

“Hell I don’t know… All I know is that I managed to save a lot of ponies during the last two weeks, I’ve helped fight off the gryphons, and I’m tired.” He said, letting his head hit the pillow.

“When’s the last time you’ve eaten?” Fluttershy asked.

“Um… A week ago…” He said sheepishly, as if on cue his stomach growled in protest. The two mares gasped and they both tugged on his arms to get him out of bed.

“You need food!” Pinkie whined.

“I need sleep.” He grumbled.

“How long has it been since you’ve slept?” Fluttershy said.

“I wasn’t able to sleep until today, so about two weeks. I’ve been drinking water daily.” He protested.

“How long have you slept?” Pinkie asked.

“Well, I finished going through the entire city, making sure of getting all gryphons and survivors, and reported to Celestia, then I requested that you two were sent to the guest rooms so I could talk to you, and fell asleep.” He said.

“It took Celestia and Luna almost three hours to find us.” Fluttershy said.

“Oh well. I’m still tired though.” He said, falling back onto the pillow. They both groaned and pulled him back up.

“Let’s go eat dinner together.” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah!” Pinkie added. He got up, pulling some clothes from the dresser and going to the bathroom. He hopped into the shower and washed up. He got out and dried off, putting the clean clothes on, and walking out to the two mares.

“What have you guys been doing?” He asked.

“I’ve been working with the medical ponies.” Fluttershy said.

“I’ve been distributing rations to the survivors!” Pinkie giggled. She bounced around the room with vigor. Daniel chuckled and walked to the door, opening it. Pinkie bounced out of the room and Fluttershy followed, shaking her head with a small smile. He followed behind the mares and closed the door, then went towards the dining hall. Most of the survivors were sitting at the table with the princesses sitting at the end of the tables. A space on the table in between two individuals caught his eye. Three chairs were empty on the table and they made a beeline towards it. They reached the chairs and took their seats, and Daniel sat next to a pair of mares that he had saved earlier that day. The white and gray one. They both spoke in hushed tones as they threw glances at him, before one of them tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hello?” The white one said. He turned to them, looking at both of them.

“Hi.” He said simply.

“Are you the one that was in the weird armor?” She asked.

“Yes it was. Might I ask your name?” He asked.

“Vinyl.” She said, holding out one of her hands. He took the hand and shook it gently.

“This is Octavia.” She said, pointing to the gray mare. She held out a hand as well and he took it, shaking it gently as well.

“My name is Daniel.” He said.

“Strange name.” Vinyl said.

“Now Vinyl..” Octavia warned.

“It’s alright. Not the worst reaction I’ve gotten…” He chuckled.

“Hey Daniel, what are you doing?” Fluttershy asked behind him. He turned to her.

“Just talking to other ponies.” He said, turning his body so that Vinyl and Octavia could be seen.

“Oh hey Vinyl!” Pinkie said, waving.

“Hey Pinks. You know Daniel?” Vinyl said.

“Know him? Of course I know Danny!” She said, nuzzling Daniel.

“Oh my god… I thought she forgot about that nickname…” He said.

“I could never forget your name Danny!” Pinkie laughed.

“Danny?” Vinyl said, smirking and her lip quivering with an attempt to hold in a laugh.

“Oh don’t make fun of him Vinyl!” Octavia said, lightly slapping Vinyl’s back.

“I’m not making fun of him!” Vinyl turned to Octavia. They started bickering with each other and Pinkie and Daniel turned away from them.

“Are they always like this..?” Daniel asked Pinkie.

“They’re trying to get into a harem, but either the group is already full or the stallions are not good enough by Octavia’s standards… I wanted to talk to Fluttershy about them actually.” She whispered in his ear. He nodded and looked at Fluttershy, who was staring off into space.

“Hey Fluttershy.” He said. He got her attention and she looked up, smiling. She got up and looked at both of them.

“What is it?” She asked.

“I wanted to ask you something. I heard that Vinyl and Octavia were looking for a harem, and I was wondering how large a harem can get.” He looked at her. She scratched her chin.

“The average male to female ratio is around one to thirteen.” She scratched her chin.

“Are you okay with more mares in the harem?” Fluttershy asked suddenly. He looked up at her in surprise.

“Um.. I guess we can have more mares in the harem…” He whispered.

“I’m sorry if I made you awkward, but it doesn’t feel right keeping a stallion between one or two mares…” Fluttershy said.

”I… understand.” He said, scratching his chin. His face was free of any sort of hair. He had shaved when he arrived back to the right Equestria. His head had some hair but it made him look like he was in the army.

“So when did you hear that Vinyl and Octavia were looking for a harem?” Fluttershy asked.

“Heard it from Pinkie. I kinda feel bad for them, being alone all of this time.” He said. Fluttershy grew a grin on her face.

“Do you want them in the harem Daniel? Is that why you were asking all of that?” She asked. He stopped and looked at both of them, noticing that both of them were looking at him.

“Maybe…” He looked away from the mares as they all giggled.

“That’s sweet Daniel.” Fluttershy said.

“I try my best.” He said, his cheeks puffing slightly. They all giggled again.

“Well, I’m not hungry anymore.” Daniel said.

“But you haven’t eaten anything!” Fluttershy said.

“I’m more tired than I am hungry.” He insisted.

“But you haven’t eaten anything in a week!” Fluttershy said loudly, catching the attention of most of the ponies.

“Daniel, why aren’t you eating?” Octavia asked, a hint of worry on her voice.

“I haven’t had a chance to. I’ve been running around, trying to save everyone!” He said.

“And how long has it been since you’ve slept?” Vinyl asked.

“Two weeks, but I took a three hour nap. Still tired as hell though.” He blinked as he finished the sentence, rubbing his eyes.

“Just eat some food and go to sleep. Not that difficult.” Vinyl said.

“I think I’m becoming anorexic…” He said.

“What’s that?” Fluttershy asked.

“It’s where I don’t eat food. Some people do that because they were afraid of gaining weight from eating a lot of food and would refuse to eat.” He explained. Before anyone said anything else, food was brought out, some sort of soup, sandwiches, and crackers. Bottled water was given out as well, and the ponies dug in. The soup was… somewhat good, the sandwiches were the same and the crackers weren’t stale, so all in all, the meal was good. Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Daniel went back to their room. They reached the room and he opened the door for the mares. They giggled and walked inside, and Daniel closed the door behind them.

“Now that my stomach feels like bursting, I’m going to go lay down.” He said, jumping onto the bed and bouncing slightly. Pinkie giggled and followed him, landing on his back.

“Wee!” She yelled. Fluttershy giggled and walked to the bed like a normal pony would.

“You two…” She mumbled.

“What about us?” Daniel said. Fluttershy just shook her head and sat on the bed. She started taking off her clothes.

“Let me help!” Pinkie yelled, pulling off Fluttershy’s bra and grabbing her breasts. Fluttershy blushed and gave a loud moan. Daniel burst into laughter.

“Oh my…” Daniel said, impersonating Fluttershy. Pinkie giggled and Fluttershy blushed further. She threw a pillow at Daniel and he knocked it out of the way. He smirked and picked Fluttershy up gently. She squealed in delight and he dropped her on the bed. She pulled him closer and kissed him. He returned it and a small whine was heard. Daniel looked towards the whine and saw Pinkie was staring at them, a hungry look on her face. He wrapped her in a hug and kissed her gently, but she pulled him closer and kissed him passionately. His eyes widened but he returned it, his manhood growing at the passionate kiss. Pinkie felt his manhood poke her and she smiled, pulling off his pants.

AN: The next chapter will pick up on the sex scene, so get ready for a clop heavy chapter!

Principio ad Finem {Explicit Warning}

Daniel stared in surprise as Pinkie pulled his pants to his knees, revealing his underwear where his genitals appeared to have pitched a large tent. Pinkie giggled and pulled his underwear down, revealing his penis to everyone in the room.

“Looks like someones party stick is ready!” Pinkie exclaimed, giggling. Daniel looked away and blushed slightly, before his attention was pulled back to Pinkie as she tackle hugged him, subsequently kissing him passionately. He returned it, feeling the pink mare rub against him.

Fluttershy giggled and pulled off Pinkie’s shirt, her large breasts bouncing all over the place. Daniel grabbed a handful of it and squeezed, gaining a moan from Pinkie. She pulled away and hopped off, pulling off her pants and panties, her marehood red and slick with anticipation.

She gave Daniel a look of hunger, and tackled him to the bed. He tried kissing her but she pulled away and giggled.

“Not yet Danny! You gotta do something for me before I return the favor~!” She giggled. He cocked an eyebrow.

“I think I have an idea…” He said, grabbing Pinkie and rolling over. As he rolled over, he slid down and his knees hit the floor, positioning him perfectly with his head near Pinkie’s marehood. Her eyes widened and her grin grew larger. Daniel looked at her pussy and gave it a lick, the salty but sweet juices coating his tongue.
He swallowed it and looked up at Pinkie.

“Mmm~... Continue doing that Danny…” Pinkie moaned out. He gave her another lick, which was followed by a loud moan. Pinkie was snapped out of her pleasure induced stupor momentarily when she noticed a moan that didn’t come from her, but sounded familiar all the same. Once she recognized the voice, she turned towards Fluttershy, who was, as she suspected, playing with herself.

Feeling another jolt of pleasure calling her back to Daniel, Pinkie groaned in pleasure as he spread her marehood open and gave his tongue into her. She grabbed his head and pushed it further into her folds, moaning loudly. His tongue dug into her marehood, brushing against a spot that made her squeeze his head with her legs in pleasure. He smirked and continued licking and brushing against that spot, causing her to buck wildly against him.

“Oh my Celestia!” Pinkie screamed, bucking wildly as she came close to exploding. She grabbed his head and shoved it as far as she could as she came, spraying her cum over his face. He pulled away, licking the juice from his face and smiling at her.

She huffed and pulled him closer, which surprised him, and kissed him passionately. He returned it, her tongue sneaking into his mouth and tasting her juices. Another loud moan was heard as Fluttershy came as well, coating her hand and thighs in her juices.

She looked over to Pinkie and Daniel, blushing furiously as she saw them watching her. Pinkie giggled and Daniel got up, laying on the bed. Pinkie crawled on top of him, her marehood brushing against his penis. He bit his lip to hold back the moan that threatened to release from the simple touch.

Pinkie saw this and giggled, kissing him. Daniel suddenly felt something warm, tight, and wet envelop his member. The stimulation it gave caused him to moan in Pinkie’s mouth and grip the sheets on the bed. Another form sat on the bed and they pulled away to find Fluttershy staring at the both of them.

Daniel gave a glance down and took notice that Pinkie has slid herself down onto him and that was the sensation he felt. Two hands gripped his head and a pair of lips was pushed onto his, and his attention was snapped back to the two mares. Fluttershy was making out with him and he used a hand to brush a lock of hair out of her face.

He pushed himself further into her, using his hand to hold her in place as he continued kissing her affectionately. A large blush grew on her face as he did. Pinkie rose off of him, only the head of his penis inside of her before she slammed back down on him quickly.

He groaned into Fluttershy’s mouth and placed one hand on Pinkie’s ass and pushed her further down, his manhood pushing against her womb as his crotch slapped against hers.

Pinkie’s eyes widened and she gave a loud moan, nearing a scream of pleasure.

“Rut me Daniel!” Pinkie yelled, raising her waist up and slamming it back down, a loud slap following. The two others were stunned by the vulgar words coming from what seemed like such an innocent mare. Daniel gave a smirk and pulled away from Fluttershy briefly, and placed both of his hands on Pinkie’s hips.

He used his strength to lift Pinkie and slam her back down easily, both moaning loudly in pleasure. He continued to repeat the process, the loud and wet slap echoing in the room. Daniel closed his eyes and continued rutting Pinkie, before he felt a weight push down on his head.

He opened his eyes and found Fluttershy’s marehood looking down at him. He didn’t need any instructions and started licking her. She gave a startled yelp and moaned loudly. His tongue brushed her clit and her entire body froze. He stopped and gave her a curious glance, and she grabbed his head.

“Lick there.” She ordered him. He responded by licking her clit again, and she pushed his head farther into her crotch. He heard a whine and took notice that he had stopped using his hands to rut Pinkie. He gave Fluttershy’s clit another lick as he started pushing into Pinkie once more. She gave a moan of pleasure as her answer.

Suddenly, a hot and salty liquid sprayed onto Daniel’s face. He gave a strangled gasp as most of it shot into his mouth, some getting stuck in his air tunnel. He coughed up the liquid and they gave him looks of concern.

“Some just went down the wrong way.” He cleared his throat and felt more liquid spray his crotch. He looked down and saw that Pinkie had came once more, the thick and clear substance dripping onto the covers. Fluttershy and Pinkie looked at each other and they nodded, both getting up.

Fluttershy sat on Daniel’s crotch, her marehood just hovering over his manhood. Without saying a word, she slid herself onto him, her hymen breaking. She slid all the way down and stopped, a few tears running her cheeks.

“You okay ‘Shy?” Daniel asked, grabbing one of her hands and squeezing it gently. She nodded gently and softly started. At first, she only moved slightly, raising herself an inch or so to get a feeling of it, but she quickly repeated the actions Pinkie made, and with Pinkie’s help, she managed to make her tight marehood work harmoniously with her movements.
Daniel felt a large pressure building at the base of his penis and he stopped her. She looked at him and he shook his head.

“I don’t know what this is… I feel like… pressure at the base of my dick.” He said. Pinkie smiled.

“That means you’re going to let your hot lead out!” She giggled. Her wording confused Daniel but he got the meaning of it.

He was about to cum.

Fluttershy smiled hungrily.

“I want you to cum inside me.” She said, slamming herself back down onto him. He was going to ask her if it was safe but only a moan of pleasure was released. Fluttershy slammed herself down and her pussy clenched together, trying to milk his penis for the oncoming semen.

He took over and started thrusting inside of her, the pressure increasing from the tightened marehood. It only took three minutes for the pressure to reach the top of his cock and he hesitated slightly.

“Wouldn’t you get pregnant if I cum inside?” He asked.

“Only if we were in heat, and our next heat cycles are in three months.” Pinkie said. Fluttershy pushed herself down, his entire penis being swallowed into her vagina.

He stopped holding back and thrusted into her once more and came. The first shot of his hot jizz went straight to her womb, filling her up. His visioned blurred and stars swam in his vision as he came. He felt her pull off and he continued his powerful orgasm, spraying his seed everywhere. A startled gasp was heard from the door, followed by two more from Fluttershy and Pinkie.

Daniel gasped and his vision returned to him as his orgasm ended, and he saw a mare, a night guard by the looks of it, standing in the doorway with one of her eyes closed due to it being covered by his white jizz. She wiped it off with a single finger, glaring at Daniel. She looked at it, her cheeks becoming flushed, and she placed the finger on her tongue and tasted his semen.

She pulled her finger out and she hummed in thought.

“I like it…” She said, walking into the room and shutting the door. She pulled off her armor, her bra and panties the same dark purple color. She smiled as she walked past Fluttershy and Pinkie, the former sitting in a chair holding her stomach and the latter trying to chat with the former.

“I don’t even know you.” Daniel said, a slight hint of desperation on his voice as he stared at the hungry mare.

“My name is Violet Galaxy. There, you know me now.” She bypassed his concerns so easily. Before Daniel could say anything else, she pounced on him, kissing him passionately. He couldn’t do anything but return it, his eyes darting to Fluttershy and Pinkie, who shrugged. She stopped and slid down, her breasts rubbing against his crotch. He groaned and looked down at her.

“I’ve always wanted to have a stallion of my own.” She said, before her mouth found its way to his new found boner. He bit back his groan at her warm mouth and looked at Fluttershy and Pinkie again. They smiled at him and he let his groan out, except it had a hint of defeat.

Luckily, the mare didn’t catch the defeat and looked up at him. Her bright purple eyes stared into his eyes and he grabbed her head and pushed inside, his penis going down her throat. Her eyes widened but she smiled and she swallowed. The feeling of her swallowing the head of his penis made him moan in pleasure and he pushed further. She gagged and he let go and she pulled herself away.

“I didn’t realize it was so long.” She said, coughing. The other two mares giggled and Violet shot them a glance. Daniel shrugged and she went back to work, bringing him to his breaking point in under twenty minutes.
She knew he was ready to explode and used her hands to jerk him off while licking his head, her mouth open for when he came. The moment of truth came and Daniel exploded, spraying his seed into Violet’s open mouth and down her throat.
He came too much and she wasn’t able to swallow it all and some drizzled onto her neck and chest. Daniel huffed and laid onto the bed, tired and spent from cumming twice. Violet laughed.

“It’s a good thing I’m off duty.” She said, going to the bathroom and cleaning up, Fluttershy and Pinkie following her. They all came out as one, towels wrapped around their chests to hide their breasts. Daniel got up and showered.
Once he was done he came out and found the mares on the bed, a spot in between them just for him. He smiled and crawled in between them, giving each an affectionate kiss and wrapping his large arms around them. They cuddled up to him and they each fell asleep. Daniel stared out the window to the smoldering city before him. He had forgotten all about the destruction during his first sexual encounter. He fell asleep as the sun slowly grew over the horizon.

Insidiæ

Daniel woke up, feeling warm and content. He opened his eyes, finding it to be late afternoon. Rubbing his eyes and looking around, he found three mares sleeping around him.

Remembering what happened last night, he smiled, got up, kissed each on the forehead while being careful not to disturb them, and began preparation for what he was sure would be a long and eventful day, if his recent ones were any indication.
He went to the bathroom, stretched, and took a shower. He used the basic shampoo provided from the castle to wash his body down and dirty hair out.

Washing off the suds after a job well done, he climbed out of the shower, dried off, then went to go pull on fresh clothes when he noticed that he had no clean clothes. He stepped outside in nothing but a towel and saw that all three mares were awake and stared at him. He gave an awkward smile as he grabbed clothes from his dresser and went back into the bathroom to pull them on.

He stepped outside and noticed that Fluttershy and Pinkie were gone and he went into the closet, revealing the clawed and scratch covered armor he used to save Canterlot. He turned around and saw that Violet was standing behind him, staring at the armor in awe.

“So you were the one to save Canterlot…” She asked, awe dripping from her tone.

“Uh… Yeah.” He said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand awkwardly. He was surprised when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

“Thank you.” She said, before she pulled on her clothes and armor. She gave him another hug and kiss then left. Not two minutes later, a knock on the door was heard. Daniel answered it, another guard standing at the door.

“Princess Celestia wishes to see you. Bring your armor.” He said, walking away without another word. He looked around and found a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote a quick message to both Fluttershy and Pinkie on the bed before pulling on his armor and grabbing the Gauss rifle. He stepped out, looking back at them, then made his way to the throne room. Random ponies walked the halls, guards marching in patrols as well as stationed on every hallway. As they saw Daniel make his way through, ponies and guards alike cheered, patting him on the back and doing other stuff to show their appreciation. He reached the throne room and found Celestia sitting on her throne, four guards by her side instead of her normal two. He walked up and bowed, albeit awkwardly, and watched her face.

“I see you received my message. I know this is asking a lot of you Daniel, but I want you to go on an attacking party to the Gryphon kingdom to strike back at them for attacking Canterlot. Gather any information as to why they attacked Canterlot with no provocation.” She said. Daniel took a step back as he swallowed this information. He gave a sigh.

“Tell Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Violet Galaxy that I am leaving with this party. How long will I be gone?” He said. She hesitated, surprise breaking her poker face for a brief second.

“Violet Galaxy? She is on the night guard, is she not?” She asked. He nodded, and she gave a hum. “I will send a guard to inform her. The party will strike at the heart of the kingdom. It will take two weeks to arrive there undetected. You must fight your way through the city, to the castle and take the king by force.” She said. He did a double take as he looked at her.

“You wish to end this war as soon as possible.” Daniel pointed out.

“I want to capture the king and question him on why he attacks Equestria, unless you can gather enough information to prove he is innocent or guilty.” She pushed.

“Do I have to worry about anything else besides Gryphons?” He said. “Watch for civilians.” She said. He shook his head and chuckled.

“When do we leave?” He asked. “In one hour, so you can gather your supplies.” She said. He was already carrying everything he needed, in the black hole simulator that held everything he had.

“Mind if I go look for Violet?” He asked. She nodded and he took a corridor and started searching. He asked a few of the guards and they pointed down a single hallway. He walked down the hallway, occasionally glancing behind him. After five minutes of walking, he came across her standing alone in the hallway. She noticed him and gave a small wave. He made his way to her. “Hey Violet.” He started.

“Hey Daniel.” She responded. He was surprised she knew his name but didn’t question it.

“Are you on the attack party for the Gryphon kingdom?” He asked.

She nodded enthusiastically. “I wanted to get back at them for what they did!” She said. She stopped and looked at him. “How do you know about that?” She questioned.

“Because Princess Celestia asked me to join the party.” He said. She squealed with delight and jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and hugging him.

“That’s great!” She exclaimed, and she gripped the side of his helmet. He felt her trying to pull it off and chuckled.

“Hold on.” He muttered, pressing a button on the side. A stream of steam hissed out of six points on the neck where it connected with the helmet and he twisted it off. She immediately pulled him into a long kiss. She pulled away and grinned. “Much more where that came from.” She said lustfully.

“Let’s save it for when we actually get on the road instead of doing it in the hallway.” He said, looking around. “Maybe I want to do it now.” She said, kissing him again.

“We have to leave in twenty minutes, we don’t have enough time.” He commented. “Damn… I will get you the first chance I get.” She argued.

“I’ll be waiting for you.” He shot back, kissing her back. She let go of him, but he didn’t let go of her. She stared at him and he smiled. “You’re so damn beautiful.” He complimented.

She blushed and giggled. “You keep sweet talking me and I might have to take you down now.” She said hotly. The sound of armor rubbing against each other was heard and a guard turned the corner. He looked at the both of them.

“You leave in ten minutes.” The guard said awkwardly. He turned around and walked away. “I already have my stuff, you need anything?” Daniel asked. “I need a load of stuff!” She said. “Where’s your room?” He questioned.

“On this hall, come on!” She said, taking off. Daniel was able to keep pace with her easily which stunned her.

“How are you able to move so damn quick in that armor?” She asked in between breaths.

“No reason.” He said, not breaking a sweat. She rounded the corner and pulled out a key, then ran to a random door. On the hall was multiple doors for different ponies, stretching for as far as Daniel could see before the hall dipped into darkness. Violet opened the door and walked in, Daniel ducking to avoid hitting his head and walking inside. Her room was nicely kept, a few bottles of lipstick, perfume, and other makeup sitting on a table. She grabbed a bag and started stuffing necessities into it. It took her two minutes to gather all of her stuff and close the bag.

“I have a place to put your stuff.” Daniel said, pulling out the black hole simulator. She eyed it curiously and he activated it, pushing the bag inside. She looked in and saw all of his stuff floating around.

“So that’s where all of your stuff is…” She commented.

“Yeah, I know. Lets get going.” He said quickly, closing the black hole and putting his helmet on. They took off, reaching the meetup spot in seven minutes. Princess Celestia stood with the guards while they chatted. She raised a hand and everyone quieted. She lowered her hand and smiled.

“You chose to go on this very dangerous mission in order to bring the king of the Gryphons to justice for attacking Canterlot, and for that, you have reinforcements. Meet Daniel, or as you know him, the savior of Canterlot.” She waved a hand to him, where the guards cheered. He raised the barrel of his gun into the air and they cheered again.

“Now you make your march towards the Gryphon kingdom, and I wish you all good luck.” She said, as the guards returned to normal and started marching. They stepped onto the streets and a loud roar of a crowd met their ears as the ponies cheered at the guards as they marched. Pegasi flew overhead as they cheered, unicorns sending up fireworks from their horns, and everypony clapping as the guards made it through the streets. Daniel was the most obvious of them all, standing at almost eight feet tall, covered in blood and scratches, and even walking differently from the guards. They made it to the train station and stepped onto a train. It was different from the normal one, looking more intimidating and armored. The attack party stepped onto the train and it took off towards Baltimare, where they will take a stealth ship to the Gryphon kingdom and made their way to the capital undetected. What they didn’t know is that the gryphons were waiting for them at every turn…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How far are we from the shore?!” Daniel asked the shipmaster as the ship was sinking from the recent ambush.

“At least two hundred fifty yards!” The shipmaster yelled back.

“Damn it!” Daniel swore loudly, the ship lurching dangerously. Daniel grabbed the railing to keep him from falling and heard someone screaming above him. He looked up and saw Violet flying down towards him, her arms flailing. He reached out and grabbed her arm, tightening his grip on the rail.

“Oh my Celestia!” She screamed, hyperventilating. The ship started sinking, and Daniel made a decision. He curled up around Violet and jumped from the railing, hitting the water on his back. He let out a pained gasp as the pressure of the fall hit against his armor. He grabbed Violet and, with a powerful thrust of his legs, shot himself towards the surface. They resurfaced as the rest of the ship sunk into the water, disappearing. Some of the crew members and the rest of the royal guards swam to the shore. He inspected Violet and found her staring at him like he was crazy.

“Are you well enough to swim to shore?” He asked.

“Yeah.” She said, still staring at him. He turned around and swam to the shore, but the long swim in, while lightweight compared to him due to his superhuman strength, still tired him out. He pulled himself to the shore and lay on the sound, listening to the sputtering wrecks of the crew and what’s left of the attack party. He tossed his gun aside, then pulled off his helmet, drinking in the fresh tropical air. He pushed himself up, stumbling slightly, and looked around, counting twelve royal guards and twenty one crew members that made it to shore. The first day, they were ambushed on the train, killing two guards and injuring three. The second day, on the docks, they were attacked again, they lost five guards and injured four more. For the last week and a half, the gryphons have been relentless and attacking at every corner, chipping away at their numbers slowly. The most recent attack cost them dearly, resulting in their ship, most of their supplies, and over half of their attack party and losing most of the crew. He sighed, finding Violet amongst the guards. He sat next to her as she recovered from her near death experience.

“Thanks… for saving me…” She whispered to him.

“No problem…” He answered awkwardly. He considered their chances, finding all odds against them. They had no food, water, or shelter, no way of getting home, no way of capturing the king, not enough numbers to successfully sneak into the capital, and they were on enemy territory. Everything was stacked against them, and the only way for them to get back to Equestria is if the rest of the attack party could get a boat and crew to sail home. Daniel shook his head.

“Our chance of making it out of here is slim…” He muttered to himself. Violet looked at him in shock.

“Don’t say that Daniel… We can make it out of here. We’re going to be okay.” She whispered to him, hugging him tightly, as if in fear. He reassured her with one of his arms, while the rest of the crew found their bearings and started to figure out what’s going to happen. The bushes rustled behind Daniel, but the ponies were muttering among themselves and didn’t hear it. Daniel got up and grabbed his weapon slowly, eyeing the jungle in front of them suspiciously.

“What is it Daniel?” Violet asked, getting up.

“Get away from there. I fear that we may have company soon…” He told her, pushing her gently away from the bushes while backing up himself. Suddenly, a group of heavily armed gryphons burst from the shadows, yelling at the ponies and surrounding them. Daniel knocked one of them to the side only to have Violet pulled from his grasp. He reached out for her and the gryphons attempted to take him down. He kicked, punched, and threw the gryphons away as he clawed towards the rest of the ponies. Taking point, Daniel counted how many enemies there was and saw at least forty.

“Stand down, or we kill the ponies!” One of the gryphons said. He hesitated, aiming his gun at the gryphons, but one of the royal guards stepped towards him.

“You can’t win this fight alone without you losing some of the guards. Stand down.” The guard ordered. Daniel looked back at the ponies, seeing the fear in their eyes, and put his gun down, walking towards the ponies as the gryphons growled at him.

“Smart machine you have there.” The gryphons sneered at the guards.

“He’s not a machine. It’s only armor.” The guard said. The gryphons took their weapons and put them into chains, except they didn’t have large enough wrist cuffs for Daniel’s wrist and just tied them together with large chains. They didn’t take the black hole simulator, but they left the large chains on his wrist and he didn’t want them to think he can easily break them, so he left them on.

“What do you think they’re going to do to us?” One of the guards asked fearfully.

“They’re going to interrogate and torture us, then most likely execute us in front of the local population.” One of the other guards said. The rest of the guards and crew looked at him in shock and horror, some muttering only to be silenced by the gryphons. They prodded the ponies to continue walking, and they eventually reached a small town. The civilians of the town sneered and yelled at the ponies, calling them names and throwing objects at them.

The ponies were loaded onto a large carriage, but they didn’t have enough room for Daniel and he was forced to walk. He shrugged and started marching in time with the carriage, which was a light jog by how quick they were pulling it.

It soon got dark and they stopped and set up camp. The gryphons inspected the gun that Daniel carried, some looking down the barrel. A gryphon held it all wrong and fired it. He flew backwards while the bullet tore into the chest of two gryphons, the first one caught off guard and the second standing behind the first, equally surprised. They let out a gurgle as blood filled their mouths and dropped to the ground, dead. The gryphons stared in shock while Daniel was busy holding back his laughter. The ponies glared at the gryphons, but jumped back as the gryphon came flying by, the gun disappearing behind them. After the confusion had settled, the gryphons noticed that the gun was gone.

“Find that weapon and bring it to me! I want to give this machine a taste of its own medicine!” The leader ordered. The gryphons found the gun almost immediately and the leader held the gun at Daniel and fired. The bullet bounced off of the energy shield, which shimmered silver blue, slightly orange in the roar of the fire. Every single gryphon and pony stared in surprise at the shimmering shield.

“An energy shield…” The leader mused, before putting the gun down next to him. The next day, Daniel marched again while the ponies stared at him. The next day, they reached a large city and the ponies were brought to a dungeon. The gryphons ordered Daniel out of the armor, and deciding not to force them to harm the armor, he took it off, before realizing he had no shirt on but continued. The guards stared at the quite buff and tall human in surprise. They walked away without taking the armor and the human put the armor in the shadows so that they wouldn’t see it.

A few minutes later, the gryphons returned and put cuffs on his wrists and ankles and led him out, bringing him to a room with a table and chair. They hooked the chains to the floor and left, leaving him to his thoughts.

“Interrogation number one.” A voice said, and the door opened. A gryphon walked in, holding his gun, and more gryphons stepped inside carrying more objects. After dropping a dozen different objects, another gryphon walked in. She looked at the human, and walked to the opposite side of the table, slamming her hands on the table.

“So.. you’re the thing that came from the armor?” She asked, turning Daniel’s head to the side. “Quite the handsome piece of meat. Built better than most ponies I’ve seen. Better than some gryphons as well.” She slapped him, raking her claws across his face. Immediately, his skin rebuilt and she jumped back, startled.

“What in Tartarus was that?!” She screeched. She made a long cut on his chest and watched the red and black tentacles work to heal the wound immediately. “Never seen anything like this…” She said. Daniel remained silent as she looked at him. “I want to know how you’re able to do this.” She ordered.

Daniel remained silent, and she picked up a metal rod, then jammed it into his stomach, the hook on the end of it just barely poking him, and she twisted it while smiling cruelly. Daniel groaned in pain as the rod was pulled out, some of his blood pouring out of the wound before it was closed up. She poked his blood and inspected it, before wiping it on him.

“Want to talk now?” She asked. He remained silent and she grabbed the next object, a simple knife to the naked eye, and stabbed it into his arm. He was electrocuted as the volts shot down his arm, reaching the rest of his body in a matter of milliseconds. He spasmed in the chair and the gryphon pulled it out of his arm. He stopped, huffing, and lifted his head.

“A strange device, this is. A simple knife put with an energy crystal that stores electrical charges inside of it.” She said, before stabbing him in the arm again, sending him into another spasming spree. While he was uncontrollably spasming in the chair, she pulled out a whip with razor sharp blades sticking out of the length of it. She pulled the knife out of his arm and he hung his head. “Oh you baby.” She punched him in the stomach. He let out another grunt of pain and looked up at her, an expressionless mask covering his face.

“Not fearful, pleading, or pained. I’m impressed.” She kissed his cheek. He looked her in the eyes. “Aw, he actually has some balls. More than I can say for the rest of them…” She chuckled and tickled his chin, smiling at him. She moved away from him and swung the bladed whip at him. It dug into his shoulder and cut into his chest, the teeth curling around his back. She pulled back and the teeth tore through his skin, the final, large blade catching a tendon. She pulled and it tore through the tendon easily. He gritted his teeth and growled in pain, the wound healing immediately. She pulled out a bottle and some of his blood leaked into the bottle. It filled about halfway before she put a cork in it and placed it on the table. She licked his shoulder, tasting his blood.

“Strangely sweet.” She mused, nibbling his neck. She looked down but seemed almost disappointed. “Don’t have one yet? I can solve that…” He trailed a finger down his chest and rested on his crotch. He growled at her and used his free hand to push it away. “Not interested in mares?” She asked, as if she was almost shocked.

“I already have a mare.” He snarled at her.

“And he speaks finally!” She yelled, throwing the whip away. She looked at him in the eyes. Her eyes narrowed and looked away. “Bring in the mares!” She yelled. A few minutes passed and all of the female guards arrived in the room, looking at Daniel in horror. They were in dirty rags that covered their bodies. He could see Violet at the back of the line and hoped she wouldn’t react badly. She stared at him in horror, looking at the blood covering him. “So, which one is yours?” She asked him, grabbing his head. He twisted it away and she grabbed him again. “I will find out, one way or the other. And I don’t think these lovely mares would want to find out what I've found.” She smirked down at him and he knew what she was talking about.

“Don’t you dare…” He threatened.

“Or what?” She sneered at him. He made a grab at her with his free hand but she dodged out of the way.

“I knew about that the whole time.” She smirked at him. “I guess we have to do this the hard way…” She pulled the simple dagger out again, covered in his blood, and stabbed it into his arm. The volts shot through his body and he started to spasm, and the gryphon explained what was happening to the mares while he shook uncontrollably. After a few minutes, she took the knife out and he hung his head, exhausted. His arm healed and all of the mares gasped.

“What happened to his arm?!” One mare yelled.

“Where did the wound go?!” Another asked. The next voice, unmistakably Violet’s, yelled at the gryphon.

“You just killed him! You’re fucking crazy!” The gryphon smirked at the mare and tickled her chin.

“I think I found his mare…” She said. Violet looked away and she smirked.

“Unchain this one from the rest and tie her in the corner. I want her to watch.” The two other gryphons pulled the mare from the chain attached to the rest of them and tied her up with rope then tossed her into the corner roughly. The rest of them were led from the room and the gryphon smirked. “Well, you have your mare here. Say something.” Daniel looked up finally at Violet, who was crying.

“Whatever happens Violet, I want you to know that I love you.” He said in a tired voice. She struggled in her bonds as she looked at him. “I love you too!” She sobbed, screaming as she pulled on the bonds.

“I want you to watch while I fuck your stallionfriend here.” The gryphon said, kissing Daniel on the lips. Her tongue slipped into his mouth. He struggled, trying to force it out, but her longer tongue slipped into his throat and he gagged, the smell of death on her breath. A hand slipped into his pants and stroked his manhood. He struggled more but she clawed his back and pulled her tongue out of his throat. “You keep struggling, I’ll make her the guards.” She said to him. Violet gasped and sobbed louder.

“Just do it Daniel!” She said.

“Daniel eh? Strange name for a strange stallion.” The gryphon said, continuing to rub his manhood. It eventually rose and she pulled his pants off of him. “Quite the large one. Just how I like it…” She mused, before she climbed into his lap and slid down his pole. She shuddered and groaned as his member slid into her hole.

“We’re going to have fun…” She said with an evil smile.

Die Flucht

Author's Notes:

Hey guess what fuckers?! This is only a rough draft. I plan on making it much more detailed. I also plan on making many more chapters, and I would like some active proofreaders. No problem with you Darian, but the time differences, plus jobs make it almost impossible for you to be online, and able to just proofread my shit stack I call a fanfiction. I got my hands on a computer and finished this rough draft, and will spend more time creating more rough drafts while adding onto them. But I also need my own entertainment! Like TF2, SC2, HL2, and... (tries to think of other games that can end in 2) Damn... Ah well, I need my entertainment, in the form of gaming non-stop for twelve hours, before doing meager yard work and chores for a good two hours, leaving only... if my math is correct... two hours to write and proofread. That's if I want sleep as well, which I do, and for eating as well. I need food and other nourishment to continue creating this horse shit pile you call a story, and a good one at that! I mean seriously guys? You're supposed to be hating this story, compared to the rest of them!

Edit: Also, you will see a small portion of WHY DANIEL DOESN'T USE HIS POWERS. Also, I has plans for the future, which will rock your damn worlds! No seriously. The world will implode, take you to the same universe, so that you can watch the scene happen yourself, then suck you back in to another universe where this fanfiction was actually good where Earth didn't implode.

He’s never felt so angry in his life. The gryphon before him was cocky, self confident, and above all, a bitch. He trembled in place. The gryphon cooed as she hilted his pole inside of her. Using her moment of pleasure as his distraction, his head shot forward and crashed into the gryphons, the female giving a squawk of surprise and pain. His free hand came out and slammed into her beak, a loud crack filling the air as the female was lifted up and off of him, and slammed into the wall. He looked at his other arm and pulled it free easily. The guards charged forward, brandishing their weapons, but he chuckled darkly.

“You seriously think that I’m afraid of a few tools created by such a weak race?” He felt his mouth move, but his voice was not his own. He could feel something tug his conscious back, and put him in the passenger’s seat as he was forced to give up control to this mysterious being.

“You honestly think that I care about what you can do to anyone? Even if you lay a talon on her,” He said, indicating Violet, “you’re going to be dead before you can do anything to her.” He chuckled darkly again. His conscious tried to force his way into control, but whatever is controlling him only forced him back. Daniel could feel his arms changing, and gasps of shock, and terror. He looked down. A red and black blade took place of what was originally his left arm. All the way from his elbow down, was nothing but... it was shaped like his greatsword, and he held it up to the light.

“This blade will work nicely…” Daniel’s eyes shot to the gryphon’s, trembling where they stood. “Now…” He slashed the blade through the air. “Where were we?” He growled, sounding psychotic. The two gryphons dropped their weapons and ran/flew away. A groan was heard behind him. He turned around slowly. His eyes fell upon the gryphon. She was stirring, her eyes fluttering open. He stepped towards her, and placed his foot against her windpipe. A comical display of the gryphon’s eyes popping out was seen, as she gazed at her new captor. Her eyes went over to his left arm, and she felt like fainting.

“So… You’re the bitch that tried to rape my body… Eh? Well, it’s time to teach you a lesson.” He chuckled, as his right arm changed to something. It felt like a spear, and a look towards it confirmed that it was a large, demonic looking spear. Spikes and barbs hung off of the blade from the top and bottom of it. The shaft itself was long, but looked to be made of bone.

“Hmm. My previous master’s weren’t able to create this. Probably because they were weak. No imagination.” He chuckled. “Ah well, time to stop showing off…” He said, as he stabbed the spear through the gryphon’s stomach, lifting her off of the ground, and decapitated her. The head flew off, but the body started to form into the red and black tentacles. It started to combine with his own body. He could feel something sprouting from his back. The sound of ripping filled the air.

“Hmm. Interesting. Wings.” He murmured, as he gave them a single flap. Daniel’s conscious stopped. He could feel control leaking through to him, and he seized it. He looked. A pair of gryphon wings sprouted from his back. He flexed his shoulder blades, and they gave a gust of wind as he flapped his wings. He was lifted off of the ground slightly.

“...Huh.” He hummed, his voice back to normal. He frowned as he looked at his arms. “Now how do I get rid of… this?” He whispered, gazing and taking in the weapons design and detail. He heard a voice at the back of his head.

‘Imagine your body normal once more.’ He looked around, but saw no one else in the room. He shook his head and decided to give it a try, imagining his body normal once more. He could feel his arms returning back, and the wings disappearing. He gave a deep breath as he felt the transformation finish, and looked at the door.

“What else can I do now?” He whispered.

‘Oh so many things… But first, we need to get out of here.’ The voice said. He took a step towards the door, before remembering he was naked. He looked down, and blushed slightly. “Woops, I need clothes first!” He said, as he found his pants, and pulled them on.

“D-Daniel?” He heard from the dark corner of his room. He turned his attention towards the voice, and he saw Violet. She was trembling visibly, her eyes wide with her pupils like pinpricks. All of what happened crashed against his mind, and he could tell she
was terrified of him.

“...” He looked towards the ground, as if trying to find the words to say to her. “...I’m sorry Violet… This is something that happened to me… before this whole situation…” He murmured, standing in place. He hung his head low, the shadows blocking out his features. “I didn’t want anyone to know… Hell, I was afraid of what I was capable of when I first received these…” He trailed off, his voice failing. He heard a sniff.

“I-it’s okay Daniel… It’s just another part of you that I have to come to accept…” She assured. Daniel could hear her shifting on the ground, before her hooves clopped against the stone ground. Her face popped into his view, looking up at his eyes.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you left me because of this… I’ve become a freak… I have to keep this hidden though… I don’t want anyone else knowing about this…” He turned away, towards the door. “Let’s just get moving. Our objectives is to gather all POW’s, escape this encampment, and get everypony home.” He took a step towards the door, before looking up at it. It looked to be made of silver, or some other shiny metal. He shook his head as he raised his leg and pushed it forward, kicking the door from its hinges. No gryphons outside of the door, waiting for them. He cautiously peered down both ways before taking the right. He heard voices, as well as wails and screams. He stuck to the shadows, but no patrols passed by. He took a left, and a few seconds of walking produced a large, wooden and iron door. It was where the prisoners were being held, from any indications of the volume of the voices. He positioned himself right outside of the door and kicked it down.

It splintered down the middle, the slightly rusted metal caving in and breaking. A single gryphon was watching the POW’s, and was not ready for Daniel. A quick charge and punch left the gryphon unconscious or dead. The ponies stared at the large man as if he was a gift from the heavens. He started breaking open bars and doors, getting most of the prisoners. He knew there were more, in interrogation rooms. He frowned and looked into his own cell ,where his armor sat. He thought long and hard about whether or not to take it right now, but in the end decided to gather all of the POW’s before making an attempt.

“Everyone, wait here. I will collect the rest of the ponies and we will meet here.” He could tell his voice sounded dull, possibly tense to the ponies. They looked at each other and nodded to him. He started going up and down the halls, breaking down doors, knocking gryphons unconscious or killing them. Within the half hour, he managed to collect the rest of ponies.

“Alright everypony! Spread out into groups of six and search for the exit. If you come across the armory, collect your armor and weapons. If not, it can be replaced.” He said as he started to pull on his armor. It was certainly going to take a lot of time before he could get fully into it. He was ready to start moving when he started hearing commotion, followed by the screams of gryphons and ponies. He pulled his gun up to bear, pulled the hammer back, and started to follow the voices. Within the minute, he found a single pony body, with six gryphons, their armor battered, weapons missing, and blood covering them. Another large wooden and iron door was hanging off of its hinges, and the sound of cluttering was heard from within. He stepped in front of the doorway and peered inside. It was the armory, with the armor of the guards lying in a large pile, and their weapons lying next to them. He shook his head.

‘No organization...’ He thought sourly as he looked at the piles. Within the hour, the rest of the pony groups arrived at the armory. Within two hours, all of the ponies were ready to roll. He took the lead.

“Anypony find the exit?” He asked. Nopony nodded, and he sighed slightly. “Perfect…” He grumbled, as he started to wander through the halls. A few gryphon patrols found them, but was met with a hail of bullets. That must’ve alerted the rest of the gryphons, because they heard an air alarm going off. He heard armor moving quickly, metal shuffling against itself. He started to follow it, meeting squads of gryphons along the way, and eventually found a large set of stone stairs leading up to what looked like a castle or some sort of fortress. Gryphons were positioned at the top of the stairs, a lot with bows, others with swords and spears. “Stand back. I’ll take out the archers, unicorns can take out spearmen.” He murmured to the group, as he took aim.

*BRRRRRT*

He let out a large burst of bullets, quick reflexes pulling the rifle all the way to the right. Each bullet found a target, and gryphon bodies dropped. Almost half of the gryphons were shredded with the bullets. He grimaced. He let out another burst.

*BRRT*

A moderate burst of bullets slammed into the ranks of the gryphons, taking another quarter of gryphons, this time nailing a few of the spearmen gryphons. Blood showered their comrades. The gryphons reacted as he expected to, by retreating away from his line of sight. He raised a hand and indicated that the ponies should move forward, as he did so as well. A pair of large doors closing met his ears. As he reached the top of the stairs, he could see two very large stone doors, closed. It must’ve been at least twenty feet tall. Some gryphons stood outside, forming a rough phalanx formation. Their shields were wooden, and he chuckled darkly. He raised the rifle, and let a burst of nine bullets out. The rounds slammed into their shields, the wood shields cracking and splintering in their hands, before tearing into their feathers and flesh. Most dropped immediately, dead. Some stood for a few seconds, before they fell. One last gryphon stood, his stunned face looking up at him. He made the same gesture to the ponies and they charged the doors. The gryphon took off in terror. The unicorns attempted to force the doors open, but their magic fizzled out. Some of the ponies tried to force the doors open, but it was most likely barred on the other side. The ponies started to look at him. He gave a soundless chuckle, before stepping to the door, and swung his fist at it. He punched a hole into the stone, and he pulled his arm out of the hole, peering inside. The gryphon defenders were stunned, the expressions on their faces priceless. Daniel took a step back, before he Spartan-kicked the door, busting them open. The ponies charged forward, breaking through the feeble defense of the gryphons. He didn’t fire a single bullet as the ponies managed to handle the gryphons, with only a few casualties, and no fatalities. Daniel looked out the window of the fortress, spotting a zeppelin.

“There. We need that to get everypony out of here,” He said, “It’s currently docked right now. If we can get the crew to surrender the ship, great. If we are met with resistance, knock unconscious and take prisoners.” He looked for a door, and found it on the other side of the room. He cocked an eyebrow at the oddly built fortress, but did not question it as he started to make his way out. Breaking the door down, he was met with more gryphon defenders, and the fresh blue sky. The sun indicated it was somewhere around midday. There were very few clouds dotting the sky.

He sighed. “More gryphons…” He growled, as he raised his rifle. Surprisingly, the gryphons started to place their weapons down. He lowered the rifle, and motioned the ponies forward, the ponies shooting glares at the gryphons, as they made it to the air docks. Since it was not too far away from the castle, the gryphons couldn’t muster a good enough defense against the ponies, and the ponies were able to break through easily. Pegasi flew up to the zeppelin, brandishing weapons to the gryphons. They surrendered as well, and were let off of the air balloon before the ponies started to make way to take off. Some smiled in relief as they thought they were home free.

“Daniel! We’re going to make it out!” He heard Violet say.

He turned to look at her. “We’re not out of the woods yet.” Daniel started climbing up to the Crow’s Nest, saw a large force of archers mustering, each with flaming arrows. His blood ran cold.

‘If those arrows hit the zeppelin, the ponies would never make it out of the city.’ He climbed down from his perch quickly, peering over the edge of the boat. The boat lurched and the zeppelin started moving. The archers pulled back the arrows, ready to take them down. He bit his lip as he tried to think of a plan.

“What are you doing Daniel?” Violet yelled at him. A really stupid plan came to mind.

“Well, I’m going to stay a while to entertain our hosts here.” He said, as he took a step over the edge.

“You said it yourself, everypony is going to get out of here!” Violet said.

“Thing is,” He looked at her, “I’m not a pony.” He said, as he jumped off of the boat. A few gasps were heard, as well as
shouting, while he fell a good hundred feet. He steadied his heartbeat as the gryphons gawked at the large suit of armor falling from the sky. Then, with bone-crunching force, he hit the ground, landing on his feet.

A large plume of dust raised around him, but he just smirked as he brought his rifle up to bear and fired through the dirt cloud, cutting through the ranks. Some gryphons panicked and released their arrows into the dust, one managing to nail him in the shoulder. The oil seeped over his armor, and uselessly burned on his metal armor. He could feel it starting to heat up, but the suit regulated it.

He continued to fire, as he heard one of the gryphons yell, “FIRE!” Just as that happened, the dust cleared, and he could see clearly that they were firing at the immediate threat. Dull thunks of cloth hitting metal was heard, as he could feel his armor starting to heat up all over. Alerts were going off all over his armor, before he felt something hit a weak spot in his armor, somewhere near his left thigh. The armor indicated a breach in the armor. He turned around, seeing the zeppelin just reaching the walls of the city, with ponies looking over the edge of the boat. More thunks hit his back, and he spun around, leveling his rifle upon the ranks and firing. To him, the situation he was in felt like he was in an action movie where one of the main characters would fight off enemy soldiers so that his allies could escape. Except here, he wasn’t going to die from being overwhelmed by enemy soldiers. He looked around, looking for some sort of entrance, but couldn’t find one. He stopped firing and started to run, his entire body on fire. The gryphons thought they had scared him and started to cheer, thankfully not giving chase. He started to pull off the arrows and tried to wipe at least some of the oil off of him. The fire still there, but not a roaring inferno as it was before, and eventually went out as he started to make his way through the forest surrounding the gryphons capital city. Every so often, he looked up at the sky, and could see the zeppelin in the distance, quickly gaining more between him, and the city. He made it to the beach, and the sea. The zeppelin was merely a dot over the horizon now.

~Some Time Later…~

Daniel was still stuck in the Gryphon Kingdom. It had been nearly a month since the ponies had made it out on the stolen zeppelin. He had a temporary camp set up deep in the forest of the gryphons, where he had yet to meet any of the gryphon soldiers. He was making preparations on improving the camp slightly when he heard what he thought was a helicopter. Knowing where he was, that was nearly impossible, so he looked up. A large zeppelin, made of mahogany wood, was currently making circles around his general area. Pony heads poked over the edge, trying to spot the large hunk of metal. He decided to give them a scare, climbing up to one of the tallest trees he could find. The zeppelin came close to him, and he pushed with all of his might, launching himself at the deck of the air ship. He overshot it, actually putting too much force behind his jump, and he jumped over the railing, and onto the deck itself, landing in front of what he suspected to be the ships captain. Everything stopped. The ponies stared at him. He looked around, a smirk hidden behind the helmet.

“Well ain’t this a surprise…” He said, breaking the silence.

“T-the princesses sent us here to retrieve you sir! They had used a scrying spell to locate your general location.” The captain said, stuttering slightly from his sudden appearance.

“And if I was dead?” He asked teasingly.

“Retrieve your corpse for a proper burial.” He murmured.

“Aww… It looks like they do care about me…” He commented harshly, though he didn’t think the ponies appreciated it. “All silliness aside, I’m glad you did manage to locate me. I was a few weeks away from making an attempt to just swim home.” Daniel said.

“You would not have made it sir!” The captain said.

“That’s why I said I would make an attempt to swim home. And you would be surprised on what humans are capable.” He leveled a stare at the pony, who could feel it through the blue helmet/visor. He took a step back. “Well, what can I do to earn my keep on the ship?” Daniel asked. The captain looked confused.

~Two weeks later~

The ride was uneventful back home. The gryphons didn’t attempt to attack the airship as it made it’s way home. He had spent most of his time in the masts, doing what he can to repair ropes, masts, and generally anything that could keep his mind occupied.

“LAND HO!” The pony in the Crow’s Nest yelled down, and he looked up from his task of tying a rope down. He could see Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and in the distance, Canterlot. He sighed slightly, and finished tying the rope. He had shed his armor for mobility, and managed to complete a lot during the day and night. The human did not feel the need to sleep, instead staying up throughout the weeks doing meager things, like scrubbing the decks, cooking, cleaning, and other tasks. It took them a few hours to reach land, another hour to dock, and another two hours before the train arrived to take Daniel and some of the deckhands to various cities. The first stop was a small town, where two of the sailors stepped off. The next was Canterlot, where Daniel, and three deckhands stepped off. He gave a wave to them, before he started to make his way to the castle. After backtracking, he found the entrance of the castle. Instead of a mere two guards at the doors of the castle, it was a near battalion of soldiers, fully armed.

‘...They really upped security...’ He thought with a hint of amusement as they stared at him like they were staring at a ghost with two heads.

“Sir! We need confirmation that it’s you, instead of a gryphon spy attempting to sneak in!” One of the ponies yelled at him. Daniel stopped. He slowly looked towards the pony who said it. He sighed slightly and the visor opened, revealing his face to the rest of the world.

“O-oh…” The guard said, acting like a new recruit.

“Do you need anymore confirmation? Need a blood sample? Need to search through my memories so that you can make sure I’m not a shapeshifting creature or something? Need me to piss into a jar so that you can sample that? Or can I go ahead and talk to the damn princesses so that I can go home and go to sleep, and maybe fucking eat something?” Daniel growled in irritation. The guard looked like he was ready to piss himself. He took that as a yes and walked forward, pushing the doors open. He walked the memorized path to the throne room, and looked at the squad of ponies standing at the door, who let him inside. Both princesses were sitting on their thrones, and both smiled when he walked in. The look he gave them made sure to wipe their smiles off of their faces.

“Is there something wrong Daniel?” Luna asked him. He wanted to facepalm, his hand twitching.

“Nope. I’m perfectly fine right now. I just spent, oh I don’t know, almost two months out there, where I was almost raped by a gryphon, I was stabbed, electrocuted, shot, and burned, and we weren’t even able to complete our mission! We have no idea if the gryphons are looking for war, or if the king is innocent and it was some power-crazy noble trying to destroy both of the nations for some fucked up reason, or some individual military force that is twisted into trying to destroy Equestria!” He yelled, his anger obvious. The alicorns looked nervous for a moment, looking at each other. He trembled in place. If his anger was a fire, the entire castle would be immersed in the flames. He took a breath. “We were blind out there. We lost too many ponies for my likings, and I don’t want to see it happen again. We need information. We need a spy network. Do background checks on the spies itself, so that they don’t backstab you. I found things out about my body I didn’t want to find out. I don’t want to use my newfound powers. I don’t want to become a…” He stopped, closing his eyes. “Call me when you get a new job. I’m heading home… I have… plans…” He murmured, turning around and walking out. He boarded the first train he could to Ponyville. A few hours passed as his mind was sluggish with thoughts about his new body, and what happened in the Gryphon Kingdom. He looked outside. It was raining, the water pattering against the glass window and the metal roof above his head. The darkness extended across the valleys and grasslands, the new moon coming in as well. It was pitch black, and the only light for miles was the trains, and the upcoming Ponyville lights. He suspected it was around ten o’clock. He checked the time on his visor.

Eleven thirty post meridiem.

‘Nearly midnight...’ He thought. Then, he started to check on things he hadn’t in a long time. What day it was, the month, the season, etc. He looked out the window, and the town lights seem to be getting brighter. He realized that the train was getting closer to Ponyville. He readied himself to get off, getting out of his seat. There were only two other ponies on the train. One looked like a cowboy, and another looked like a businessman. They both looked up for a second, but didn’t exactly acknowledge the human. The train started to come to a halt, the human shifting his stance so that he didn’t stumble or fall. The train stopped fully and the doors opened. Daniel made his way to the door, sighing slightly, and started to walk through the raging storm, down the path to Fluttershy’s cottage.

A half hours walk ended with him stepping across the bridge, up to the porch of the home, and gently opening the door. The door creaked slightly, and he ducked down, closing the door behind him. Two voices were heard from upstairs. He stared at the stairs itself, and sighed once more, starting his descent up to the waiting couple. Each step brought a loud clunk of metal against wood, and the voices stopped. He made it to the top of the stairs, and walked slowly to the bedroom door. The home was deadly silent, besides the occasional howl of the wind, the patter of rain, and the human’s footsteps. Taking a deep breath, he gently gripped the doorknob, and twisted it gently, opening the door. Immediately, he was granted sight of two mares. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Both stared at him in shock. He stared back at them, his mind and expression blank, both hidden behind his helmet.

“D-Daniel?” Fluttershy stuttered out. He lifted the visor up.

“Yes?” He asked.
~Change of POV~

“Yes?” Fluttershy inwardly flinched as she heard his voice. It sounded bland and emotionless.

“A-are you okay?” She asked.

“Well, I’m home. I guess I am.” He said, sounding sarcastic and angry at the same time.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“It’s nothing Fluttershy. I just have a lot of pressure on me…” He sighed heavily.

“Then maybe you should take that armor off, silly filly!” Pinkie said, smiling widely. He gave an empty chuckle. She then took in his appearance. What looked like tar or some sort of oil covered his armor, as well as scorch marks covering the armor, making it appear a soot black color. A few specks of brown dotted his armor, but that was always on him. She could see bags under his eyes. A new pair of scars marred his face, a trio of claw marks going across his face. She shuddered when she thought about how he had acquired the scars, and possibly numerous others.

“Fluttershy?” She heard him say. She snapped out of her stupor, shaking her head, as she looked at the two present.

“Yes? I’m sorry, I was lost in my own train of thought…” She murmured.

“Pinkie asked if you wanted to help her bake cupcakes tomorrow.” He said.

“Of course Pinkie!” She exclaimed, smiling sheepishly at Pinkie. Pinkie smiled back.

“Great! It’s going to be the best!” She shouted. Fluttershy smiled again, before looking at Daniel, but she couldn’t see his face. It was covered in shadow, as if he was trying to hide in the shadows from them.

“Daniel…? Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yeah…” He said, his voice sounding empty. She could tell he was lying, but didn’t pressure him.
~Change of POV~

‘I don’t want them to find out about… this…’ He thought, replaying the memories of his arms changing into weapons, and his body absorbing the gryphon’s own body. He could see everything from her memories, but they were foggy, murky. As if he didn’t receive everything from her body.

‘They would think I’m a damn monster. Violet probably wants to avoid me after that display...’ He mentally sighed heavily. He gave a large yawn. The two mares watched him. He ended his yawn with clenching his hands into fists.

“I’m tired…” He muttered. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Fluttershy’s expression change into nervousness, or maybe even fear. Pinkie just giggled.

“Are you just going to sleep in that armor, or are you going to leave that hunk o’ junk in the closet and get to bed?” Pinkie teased.

“If I took this armor off, I would probably smell like a farm mixed with a public bathroom.” He said, laying on the ground.

“Goodnight…” He said, closing his eyes.

Der Beginn Kummer, das Ende des Glücks

Author's Notes:

Sorry about this chapter. For me, it was awkward and confusing for me to write, but I wanted to get another rough draft out. I do have an announcement though. I have decided that I will do rough drafts of each chapter, until I've completed the story altogether. After that, I will put all of my effort into make each chapter into my final image. You can reread the chapters after that to see how much the story has changed, because it will, but I'm not going back until I am finished with the story. Everything that happens, will be staying there until I get back to revising it. So yeah... This chapter will be a bit awkward to read, and it might jump around a LOT.

Daniel’s eyes shot open. He was covered in a cold sweat, his heart trying to escape it’s prison called his chest cavity. He blinked, rubbing his face. He knew he just had a nightmare, but he can’t remember what it was. His mind draws a blank. The dream was slipping away from him as seconds tick away, until he was just laying there, trying to remember anything about the night terror. He had a hunch. He could feel it was about certain mares, marriage or some form of engagement, and wasted time. He sat up, cumbersome as it may be in the armor he wore, and he slowly shuffled himself to his feet.

The top of his helmet hit the ceiling, and he remembered he had to duck down to avoid brain damage. He looked at the bed, and found it barren of anything. The bed was made, sheets straightened. He pulled the visor down to look at the time. It was almost two in the afternoon. Daniel sighed, and started to take apart the large armor. After a good ten minutes spent on that, the human made his way to the bathroom. Doing his morning business, he finished up and went back to the bedroom, and grabbed new clothes. Feeling comfortable in his new clothes, the human walked downstairs. No sign of anybody in the home. He cocked an eyebrow, before remembering the previous night. Stepping outside, he watched the pegasi moving around the clouds. Each was dark and heavy-looking, and he predicted a large storm to come on later today or in the evening. Daniel started to think back to earlier, about his nightmare.

‘Maybe something about me waiting for so long to propose to Flutters?’ He thought. He hummed and walked towards Ponyville. He bit his lip as he tried to think about how he would do everything, and decided that it would also be nice to propose to Pinkie. He then backtracked on how he would do everything.

‘Maybe… A night spent among friends and I just do it?’ He thought warily. He had no experience about how couples proposed to each other, and he wasn't back on Earth, so he can’t just look up the information. He decided to wing it and go along with his premature plan. He could see the edges of the town popping into view and wiped his face of any evidence. Tomorrow, he would try to keep it secret, and go to Canterlot, to a smith, or a jewelers. He would go to the smith in Ponyville, but anypony sees him walking out of that and they will start to ask questions, and rumors will spread. His plan was too fragile for any rumors to be tossed into the mix. He sighed as he reached the first few buildings.

‘Damn it… I don’t know what to do...’ He said, almost despairingly. Pushing everything aside, he started to walk to Sugarcube Corner. The large building stuck out in the middle of the town, and he made a beeline to it, through all of the side streets and alleys. Sugarcube Corner didn’t look too busy, so he decided to take a peek inside. A few ponies were standing around, with Mr. Cake standing at the counter, talking to another stallion. Daniel stepped inside, ducking down so that he didn’t his head. Without the armor, he was still tall enough to hit his head on the buildings in Ponyville.

“Hey Daniel! Pinkie and Fluttershy’s in the back if you were here for them.” Mr. Cake said. Giving him a nod of appreciation, Daniel stepped behind the counter as the two stallions conversed with each other. He opened the door to the kitchen and looked inside, and saw an interesting sight. Pinkie and Fluttershy were kneading dough, but were steadily kissing each other, both with a blush on their faces. He could obviously see the both of them using tongue. Both of them looked ready to take it to the next level.

‘Oh wow… that is hot...’ He thought heatedly. He cleared his throat as his cheeks flared up, and two gasps met his ears.

“Oh hi Danny!” Pinkie said, as she made her way to him, pulling him inside. The doors closed behind him, and he looked at the both of them. Fluttershy entire face was red, and Pinkie still had a red tinge on her cheek.

“Hello to the both of you…” He murmured, shaking his head as he could feel his cheeks flaring up even more.

“H-hi Daniel…” Fluttershy said, her face steadily turning back to its butter yellow color. He gave an awkward cough.

“Um… Well, I was just checking in, seeing how you two were getting along… I guess I can get going and let you two get back to your… baking.” He said, slowly backing out the door. He turned around, and he could tell everyone was staring at him. He could also feel his blush coming back, his face turning red. The two stallions that were not Mr. Cake smirked.

“So how was it?” One of them asked. Daniel could tell his face was going to be entirely red, so he stepped out from behind the counter and made his way out the door. He took a deep breath and started to walk towards the library. A few ponies shot him glances, but most just ignored him, used to the behemoth of a human. He made it to the library and knocked on the door.

“Just a minute!” He heard from behind the door. He took a step back, as he started to think of lyrics for a few songs he hadn’t heard in forever.

“Oh hi Daniel!” Twilight’s voice cut through his train of thought.

“Hi Twilight. Can I come inside?” He asked.

“Sure! Just… ignore the mess.” She said. He shrugged.

“I’m used to a large mess.” He said as he stepped inside. He took a look around. All of the books were in the same order, everything in the same spot as it was when he last visited the bookworm. His earlier plans came back to him and he bit his lip as he browsed the selection of books.

“Um… Twilight? Do you have any books on… proposals, or marriages?” He asked. She looked up, her eyes wide.

“A-are you… thinking of proposing to Fluttershy and Pinkie?” She asked in a hushed voice. He gave a silent nod.

“I just want to keep it under wraps. I didn’t want to ask around town… because you know how bad the rumors get here.” He said, grimacing slightly. She mimicked his actions.

“I know exactly how you feel. Sorry Daniel, but there’s not one book about marriage or proposals in the library.”

“Well, I figured I could just wing it. Do it over a small get together with friends. I need to go to Canterlot though…” He murmured.

“For what?”

“I need rings for proposing, and I don’t want to go to the smith here for obvious reasons.” He whispered. She nodded. “Well, I’ll get out of you hair now.” Daniel walked towards the door, opening it.

“You be careful, and take care!” She called after him as he closed the door. He tried to think about anywhere he could go to today, and sighed.

“I guess I can make a trip up to Canterlot.” He said to himself, as he made his way to the train station. He bought a ticket and waited for the train. It arrived ten minutes late, but he wasn’t a stickler for time tables, so he just boarded the train and waited for it to start moving. He pulled out what bits he had.

‘Thirty bits. I would need more to complete the transaction.’ He said to himself, as the train pulled out of the station and started to pick up speed. The trip took three hours. He stepped off of the train and into the station, looking around. He couldn’t see any obvious blacksmiths of jeweler stores, so he moved towards the nearest guard. After asking a few questions, the guard gave him directions to the nearest jewelry store. He looked at the exterior of the store before stepping inside. A couple was looking at necklaces, and he stepped towards rings. He looked for rings that complimented any part of the mares, but he was no expert in gems, or jewelry. Then, he saw a canary yellow diamond and platinum ring. Right beside it was a silver necklace with a pink topaz in the shape of a heart. The ring was one thousand and two hundred bits, the necklace was eight hundred bits. He bit his lip, as the jeweler took one look at him and smiled. It was an older mare, probably in her late fifties or sixties, with a slender build, graying blue hair.

“Hello young dear.” She said. Her voice was sweet and smooth, like honey.

“Hello ma’am. I am interested in these two pieces,” He said tensely, “Can you hold them for me for today so that I can return and purchase these?” He finished. The older mare smiled and nodded, putting each in a small blue case.

“Proposing to two special mares I see?” She commented. He nodded silently, impressed by the mare’s intuition. “I’m sure they’re lucky to have such a handsome stallion propose to them.” She smiled lightly.

‘I doubt you can consider me a stallion. I’m not even a pony. I’m not human. I’m my own species.’ He thought sourly.

“I’m not so sure…” He murmured as he turned away and out of the door. He bought another ticket and waited once more for the train. Another train running late, this time by a whole two hours. It was somewhere around seven o’clock when he finally boarded the train, and ten o’clock when he reached Ponyville for the final time that day. He made his way home, with both mares sitting in the living room, waiting for him. They were laying on the couch, leaning against each other, when he walked into the door. He sighed. While it was a short day for him, he was emotionally taxed.

“Hello Danny!” Pinkie said, jumping up. Fluttershy let out a squeak and fell onto the couch. He looked up.

“Hi.” He said, his voice lacking any sort of emotion at the moment. Both mares frowned.

“What’s the matter Danny?” Pinkie asked.

“Nothing really, just getting over… everything that’s happened… I just feel numb right now… Everything I’ve done, I’ve seen…” He murmured.

“Oh, it’s going to be alright Danny! The numbness will subside after a few days and you’ll be back to your normal self!” Pinkie said, jumping onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I guess… Ah well… I’m going to go to bed…” He murmured, hugging both of them. They smiled, but he could tell Fluttershy’s smile was sad. He went upstairs and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling for an undetermined amount of time. He could hear both of them talking and laughing together. He closed his eyes.

His memories of how he used to be and how he is now popped into his head. He could see himself happy, joyful, and full of emotion, then himself emotionless. He could see himself smile, then himself with a frown. He sees himself sad, depressed. Everything he said that was positive seemed forced. Every chuckle was empty. Anything he showed that would be happy never reached his eyes. They became grey pools of endless voids. The bright red eyes he had previously were stolen away. He could see his eyes slowly turning electric blue. His skin becoming gray, his skin mottled with his own color. He covered himself in alien armor, with alien abilities, his body twisted into a monster of steel and bone.

The powers he displayed in the gryphon kingdom came back to him. His arms turning into razor sharp blades. Everything he’s done since the interdimensional teleportations has been like out of a video game. His strength is not his own. His reflexes were too quick for his mind to keep up with. His intelligence was far superior to what he had previously. He could feel his arms turning as he slept, but payed no mind to them as he continued to compare himself to his previous… happiness. It seemed like he was always ready to keep moving forward, and not look at what his actions did to the rest of the world.

‘Ignore everything… You are still normal… Just keep moving forward...’ A voice whispered into his ears.

‘Getting married is one of the most rewarding things to do...’ His addled mind said to itself.

‘Just get the money from the next room, go back to Canterlot, and propose to the mares. There’s nothing that will go wrong with this...’ The voice whispered. It seemed like his mind was screaming at itself, as if something was trying to force itself in, and his mind was fighting back, but it was uncoordinat-

“DANIEL!” He heard screamed at him. His eyes shot open, and he sat up. Both Fluttershy and Pinkie were standing on the opposite side of the room, staring at him with teary eyes. He looked confused for a moment, then looked over his body. His arms were…

“No…” He whispered. His arms were the blade and spear from the gryphon kingdom. Both mares were staring at the weapons, and at him like he was a freak. He could feel his mind picking at itself, telling him to do the obvious thing. He wanted to fight back, to tell them that this a part of him for a long time, but he stood up on its own.

The mare’s gave a scream and ran out of the room, like he was some sort of monster...

Verstümmeln

It had been a week since Daniel had been discovered with his powers. He was in the middle of some unknown forest, have been teleported by some unknown being. He remembered what led up to his situation like it happened not two minutes before. When the two mares ran from the home, screaming like banshees, he donned his armor, grabbed as much of the bits he had worked hard to acquire and stuffed them into the pocket dimension he was given long ago… the rest of the mares arrived at the home. While Fluttershy and Pinkie kept their distance, sobbing, the rest stepped into the home.

He stopped moving, the heavy footfalls of the armor he wore would surely attract attention. He heard their voices, as well as the voices whispering to him. Telling him to run. Telling him to maim the ponies close to him. He sighed heavily, ignoring the voices. He stood up from the bed, sagging under the armor’s weight, and made his way to the door. All noise stopped besides the heavy footfalls. He opened the door, and one of the mares stood before him. Rarity stood before him, staring up at the visor.

“D-Daniel…?” Her voice rang through the speakers of the helmet. He didn’t say a word, instead turning down the hall, marching down the stairs, where Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood at random spots in the room, looking at random things and pictures, and Twilight in the kitchen, for some odd reason. “Daniel!” Rarity called out. He stopped at the base of the stairs. He gave a deep sigh, lifting his visor up.

“Oh no… He’s…” Rainbow whispered, her eyes going to pinpricks.

“Stay away from me. Don’t look for me. If you do… I have no idea what my body would do. I have little control over it now.” He said, each word slow, sluggish, as he fought to speak them.

“We can help you Daniel!” Twilight said, walking up next to him, giving a small smile.

“There’s no helping me… I’m no longer Daniel, no longer human…” He murmured, wiping the smile from her face. “I’m just a monster. I hold powers that I don’t comprehend. My body is not itself anymore. Leave me be.” He said, taking a step towards the door. As soon as his foot touched the floor, the door was immersed in a violet aura, and a click sounded.

“We’re not going to give up our friend Discord!” She said. “I doubt you can help him now, my little ponies!” He said, his voice joyous and light.

“He’s already made up his mind on what he’s going to do to stop himself from killing everyone! I’ve seen his powers at work! He can kill everyone in your capital city within a blink of an eye!” They each gasped at his words.

“What he said is sadly true… That’s why I’m going to Canterlot so that the princesses can banish me to Tartarus, to keep me from destroying this world.” Another gasp, this one out of pure shock.

“But… Daniel! You are no monster! You may be different from ponies, but you’ve done nothing but help us since you’ve arrived here!” Twilight said.

“Why do you think Pinkie and Fluttershy,” He could feel them flinch at their words, but he continued. “is so eager to rid their lives of me? I saw their reaction. I lay at rest, and my powers find their way to emerge. I become an animal. A fiend. A monster of immense power. I’m going to where I belong. To hell.” He took another step to the door.

“I doubt yer makin’ it out to be as bad as you are Danny Boy. I mean, what could make you that powerful?” Applejack asked.

“Remember my absence, when I was teleported across the dimensions?” He asked. They each nodded slowly. “During one of the trips, I was attacked by what looked like a normal human… But he gave me an immense power, at the cost of my humanity. I’m able to accomplish feats that nobody normal would be able to do, and create weapons that could cut through and maim anything I touch like a hot knife through butter. I can absorb others bodies through my own and gain their powers and anomalies. I can sprout wings and fly. I can grow a horn and use magic. I can breath fire and grow dragon scales over my skin. My power is endless, but at a great cost. I’m an outcast. I’m a freak of nature. I am not natural. I am not a human anymore.” He was right next to the door now, and grabbed the knob. Twilight’s horn shined brightly, but he only scoffed.

“You think magic can affect me?” He said, his voice turning dark. The mares backed away from him, their eyes wide. Twilight had a victorious grin, and she tried to pick his body up with magic. Before she could react, he merely punched the door. The door broke down the middle vertically, the pieces flying off into the forest, barely avoiding Pinkie and Fluttershy, who both screamed in fear. Twilight looked dumbly at the door, his fist, and then to his face her eyes wide. “I wasn’t able to do that before. Now, I can barely flick my wrist and I break things. And I grow more powerful with the things I absorb. So please, for your sake… Inform the princesses that I’m visiting, and prepare a one way ticket to Hell.” He said, before stepping outside. He looked around, his eyes lingering on the two mares he loved, and he could feel his heart breaking a little as they quivered beneath him, before pulling the visor over his face and marching towards the mountain where Canterlot was held.

~Change of POV~

Twilight had never seen anything like what she saw previously. Her eyes watched the back of his helmet. She could tell he was staring at her two friends. Then, he lifted his hand up to his face and pulled something down, before walking through the grassy field in front of him. She could barely see the two piece of door in the forest, one embedded into a large tree, the other stuck in the ground, a large hole through a tree that stood in its way. Her mind processed how much power it would take to perform such a feat, and she could feel a headache growing as she continued her mental arithmetics.

“What.” She heard next to her, and she stopped her task to look at the voice. Rainbow was looking dumbfounded, her jaw unhinged from itself, Applejack sharing a similar face, although not as ridiculous looking. Rarity had a small blush on her face for some odd reason. Pinkie and Fluttershy sat together outside, holding each other, visibly shaking. Her muscles decided to not lock up anymore, and she quickly walked over to her friends. “It’ll be okay…” She murmured, hugging both of them. The rest of her friends soon joined her, and she stepped away, pulling out a quill, inkwell, and parchment. She wrote down a quick message, recording the interaction and words said, leaving the part out about a ticket to Tartarus, and started to jog towards the town. She reached the library, panting heavily, as she opened the door.

“Spike? Spike!” She called out. She could hear something clattering from upstairs. Then, a door opened.

“What is it Twilight?” Spike asked.

“I need you to send a letter of dire importance! Daniel is Discorded!” That woke Spike up.

“Doesn’t that mean… Discord is loose?” He asked, his eyes wide in fear.

“That’s very much a possibility. That’s why I need you to send this letter.” She said. Spike grabbed the letter, and Twilight turned away as she started walking towards one of the bookshelves, pulling out a few books to reveal a box. She placed the box on a nearby table as she looked for a book on ancient anomalies and diseases. Halfway through her search, she heard her response in the form of Spike belching. He grabbed it out of the air, only for it to be intercepted by Twilight, whom quickly skimmed it.

“It’ll take him five days to get up the mountain.” She muttered quietly. “Where are my bits Spike? I need tickets to Canterlot!” She yelled.

“Where they always are. On your desk, next to the pile of books that you plan on reading and take notes from.” He grumbled. She gave him a glare and went upstairs, grabbing her bits. She ran out the door, bits and books in saddlebags, making her way across the deserted town to the train station.

The rest of the mares were waiting there for her, each with their own bag of bits. She could feel the waves of fear coming from the party mare and Fluttershy. Rainbow sat next to her long time friend, hugging and whispering to her, while Applejack and Rarity tried to make Pinkie happy and joyful once more. She bought a ticket and waited with her friends, trying to cheer up both mares, without success.

~Change of POV~

The human had reached the base of the mountain that the proud city of Canterlot sat upon, ready to make his trek up, when a loud screeching noise was heard. He whipped around, leveling his rifle at the direction of the noise, when he was hit with the full force of a bus, sending him onto his back. He could feel a heavy weight set onto his eyes, but he forced them open, only to find himself staring up at the thick canopy of a forest, instead of the stars above him. He shifted himself onto his rump, looking around. He was in the middle of a clearing, vines hanging from the trees.

“Swamp? Jungle?” He murmured, looking at the ground. He found himself slowly sinking into mud, and quickly forced himself up and out of the murky depths. He heard an explosion of dirt and rocks, and looked up. A large plant like creature was standing before him. What looked like pink leaves acted as feet for the plant, its body consisting of some form of green plant life, in the shape of a jungle skirt. Four vines, with minds of their own, waved dangerously in the air, each ending in what looked like hooks. He could see some form of clear liquid dripping from each one. The final thing he observed was the way its ‘head’ was shaped. It looked like its head was caved in, large, orange and burgundy leaves acting as some sort of crown on top of its head, with large, sharp looking teeth waiting inside of the ‘head’ of the creature.

It looked heavy-weight and wasn’t able to move around a lot. He used the information to his advantage, as two of the vine arms shot out at him. He rolled to the right, which was hard to do in the armor, before activating the psi blade acting as a bayonet, and fired a quick three rounds into the beast. It gave some sort of squeal and lashed out again, using three of its arms. He shifted his stance on his feet, holding the rifle in front of him. At the last second, he pulled the rifle to the side and sliced through the vine, before unloading as much as he could into the creature, making it squeal once again. The next thing it did confused him. It went to sleep. He cocked an eyebrow but he could see its wounds starting to heal itself.

“Oh hell no…” He growled, firing more rounds into the beast, charging forward and plunging the psi blade into its plant-like flesh. A sound of sizzling reached his ears, and he gave a victorious grin. A grin too soon, as a vine batted him away easily, before shifting itself on its feet, and jumped into the air towards him. He rolled backwards, landing clumsily on his feet. The ground shook beneath him, the large, heavy plant slamming into the ground in front of him. The force and shock of the landing, plus his clumsy stance, pushed him back onto his ass. The sound of a whip met his ears, and he could feel something flesh-like hit his armor. He looked down, and could see one of the vines buried deep into his abdomen. He grunted slightly, feeling an ounce of pain from it, as he grabbed a knife and cut the vine off, and pulled it out of his abdomen. Bringing his rifle back up, he unloaded the rest of the clip of ammo into the plant being, the squeals coming to a close as all that was left of the creature was a mess of green sap, bits of leaves, vines, and bark, and a bit of the clear liquid. Then he could feel his insides convulse. His hand immediately went to his stomach. His wound was healed, but he could almost feel the amount of clear liquid on his armor and skin.

Poison… He thought, as he could feel the poison coursing through him. His insides convulsed again, and he started to cough. Each cough brought out a spray of blood, across his visor, and when he lifted the visor, onto the clean dirt beneath him.

Get moving. The longer you stay in here, the longer the poison will have an effect on you. He heard whispered to him. He looked around, before realizing it was one of the voices in his head.

Which way do I go though? He asked himself.

North. You’re far below Equestria. Somewhere in the Badlands. When you reach the desert, you will be reaching the Macintosh Hills. He heard in response. He pulled the visor down, and looked at the on-screen compass. He turned slowly to North, and started to jog. He could feel his stomach convulse again.

Having to rebuild your insides will be difficult without food. Daniel blinked.

Well, what foods do you need for me to get? Stuff with lots of protein? He asked.

Biomass. You know what happened to the gryphon? She was absorbed into biomass. You need more of that in order for me to rebuild your stomach properly, unless you want a mishmash of internal organs that have no purpose other than for you to look good under X-Rays. The human grimaced.

You know I don’t like that… but if it helps me right now…

There’s an animal feeding not ten yards from you. Do whatever you want to it. Shoot it, chase it down with a knife, just kill it and allow your body to absorb the body. He grimaced again and looked around, seeing some form of deer grazing in the grass. He raised his arms and put a quick burst of three rounds into its barrel. He stepped towards it, and the body started to break down into the red and black tentacles once more. He felt better and worse when he did that. Better, because he could feel the poison being forced out, worse that he was forced to resort to that. He turned north again, and started to trek through the jungle.

This was basically how the entire week went, him walking, little to no rest. Soon enough, the human could see the canopy starting to thin, and trees starting to become scarce. Grass and dirt was replaced by sand. Far in the distance, mountains sat, as if to torture him with the distance.

How did I end up out here in the first place? He asked himself.

Discord… He heard whispered in his voice, before a bright light blinded him through the visor. He brought a hand up to block out the light as the other arm brought up the rifle, ready to fire on whoever was doing this. The light started to die away, and he found himself in the castle of Canterlot. Namely, in the throne room, where both sisters sat upon their thrones, the Elements of Harmony standing before them in an attacking stance, guards surrounding them, each armed with a weapon. He took a step back, placing his other hand on the rifle, gripping it gently. He took a deep breath.

“I see… Well, now that you found me, you can send me to Hell, where I belong.” He spoke, for what seemed like the first time in three months, even though it was a week.

“We’re here to banish Discord from your body!” Luna yelled, her voice echoing in the large chamber.

“I don’t need help! I need isolation! Confinement! A cell with no way of escaping! Lock me up and toss the key!” He yelled back.

“You have no control over your situation! Give up now!” Celestia said. He pulled the sights up to his eye, the rifle aimed at Celestia.

“Oh yeah?! You think I can be helped?! You think that the ‘magic of friendship’ will help me?! News flash, friendship doesn’t do SHIT. I know what I am, and I know where I belong!” He shouted back. The guards had pushed themselves forward, leveling spears at his chest. The mares behind them looked shocked and terrified, while the two sisters looked morbid.

“You’re wrong… Everypony needs friendship.” Celestia said.

“Everypony, not everyone! I’m not a pony, and you should’ve figured that out when you first saw me! I don’t need friends! I’m better off without them!” He shouted. Six gasps met his ears.

He grinned. “Enough talk! Let’s make this something that won’t be forgotten for decades. Crimson Day.” His grin grew as he started to press on the trigger. That’s when he saw a rainbow. Not out of the corner of his eyes, nor in a reflection, a pure, undiluted rainbow heading straight for him. He looked at it for a split second, before the rainbow slammed into his body. The ponies watched as the Elements of Harmony made short work of the human, some of the guards sighing in relief. Then, it was over, the Elements of Harmony stopping their power. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional shift of armor and… chuckling? Every pair of eyes shot towards the place where the human once stood. He stood proud and tall. And the rumbling laughter was coming from him. He lifted the visor covering his face, to reveal his face was still greyed out, his eyes the electric teal blue color.

“What was that supposed to be? The magic of friendship?” He said, chuckling more. Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she stared at his face, then at the armor. She gave a small smile and leaned over to her sister.

“Remove his armor. That’s what stopped him from being cleansed.” She whispered. Luna smiled and her magic lit up. A beam shot out and struck the center of his mass, and the armor started to fall into each individual plate, clattering to the ground beneath him. All he wore was a pair of well-worn pants, the bottom of them torn up slightly. Scars ran over his body and face. He looked down, and dropped the rifle with the armor, which surprised the ponies.

“Using that thing would break the right side of my body from the kick of it. No matter.” He said, as he clenched his hands into fists.

“We will not engage in combat with you. We know you can be saved Daniel.” He snorted at that.

“I was hoping for a little challenge when I ripped ya limb from limb.” He said, as his arms started to change. Each guard, princess, and Element of Harmony watched curiously as black and red tentacles started to form and twist over his arms. Pinkie and Fluttershy’s eyes both widened.

“Oh no… His arms are becoming…” Pinkie whispered, letting off a small whimper. Everyone watched as his arms changed, and formed into the blade. The other arm formed into what looked like a normal war axe. A chuckle escaped from him, but it was nothing like his normal voice.

“I like your imagination kid!” He said, his voice dark and echoing slightly.

“What a peculiar power…” Luna said, looking at his arms in curiosity.

“Now, how about we blow this joint and get back home? You need to kill that son of a bitch father of yours after all.” The voice said again. A dark chuckle erupted from him again. The guards became unnerved, the mares were nearly trembling, but the Princesses only smiled more.

“What’s with those smiles?” He asked.

“Oh, nothing… Just that you removed your one way of defending yourself from the Elements of Harmony, and you will be removed from Daniel as soon as it merely touches you?” His eyes widened.

“Let’s blow this joi-” He said, before the Elements of Harmony slammed into him. Only this time, it was met with a scream.

Not a scream of mere pain, or a battle cry.

The scream was of pure, unfiltered agony.

It sent shudders down each guards spines, the Princesses covered their ears to block out the noise, and the Element holders broke down in tears at the sound. His armor was blown off to the side, his weapon thrown into a pillar. The rainbow disappeared, and all that was left was a smoldering crater. Each pair of eyes widened in shock and fear.

“Oh no…” Luna whispered. Each guard started to slowly edge towards the crater, when a blackened stump met their eyes. Everypony stopped. They stared at the stump. A mangled hand landed next to it. Then, a head. A face not recognized. Each of them stared at the face, but the face was covered in smoke, making it hard to see. Next was what remained of shoulders. The smoke started to clear, and each guard recoiled. The princesses gasped. The mares were not even paying attention, each too busy crying.

His face was gone. Literally, cast into the void. All that was left was his head, and almost a quarter of that was missing. His left arm was missing completely. His right arm was almost nothing but bone. Every agonizing second spent staring at him was a moment closer for him to death. Even in his mutated and altered body could not handle this amount of damage, despite its best efforts to rebuild it. Legs were gone from the waist. Stomach, little left but a hole. Chest, burnt almost completely through. Nothing was left untouched. A skeletal hand met the stone, and pulled the rest of himself into view. Guards stared at the princesses, unsure of what to do, their eyes wide and their pupils pinpricks. The princesses were in too much shock to do anything besides stare. Twilight made the mistake of looking up at him, and her eyes widened to the point where they were ready to pop out of her head, her pupils almost nonexistent.

“D-Daniel?” She whimpered out. The faceless head looked up, as if it could hear her voice. She recoiled. “W-what h-h-happened?” She whispered, looking up at the princesses. They looked down at her, before standing, and running towards what was left of his body. The guards broke into action, yelling orders to each other, and helping the princesses.

They found his legs in the crater, surprisingly almost unscathed. His left arm was next to it, most of the muscle burnt from the inside out. His entrails were somewhere near the bottom of the crater, almost completely crispy. Guards vomited as they saw the sight before them. Celestia lifted what was left of Daniel into the air and rushed him to the medical ward. Luna was left to pick what was left of his body up. The guards started to pick up his armor and weapon, leaving only the six mares, Twilight staring at the crater. Fluttershy and Pinkie were sobbing uncontrollably, Rainbow and Applejack both trying to hold it in. Rarity had mascara running down her face, holding a handkerchief. The same question ran each of their heads.

How had Daniel suffered such a fate when the Elements of Harmony were used?

Erholung, Lernen

It had been almost a year since the human had been mutilated by the Elements of Harmony, the news and rumors spreading about ‘The Knights of the Crown being killed off by the Princesses and Elements of Harmony.’ The initial news about said rumors were met with immediate attempts at dispelling the rumors, and anger about such rumors being spread so carelessly. Reporters and activists swarmed the gates of the castle, attempting to break through the guards line to speak to the Princesses about such rumors. The situation had gotten so out of hand that the princesses held a public speech about what transpired, leaving out parts about his newfound powers, words said, and explicit details.

Twilight had forgone her duties at the library (like anybody goes there anyway) to stay in Canterlot to watch after Daniel, while the rest of the mares quickly removed themselves from the city. Twilight sat next to Daniel’s hospital bed, watching the red and black tentacles slowly moving around his newly rebuilt body, repairing the still damaged organs and rebuilding muscles, tendons, and ligaments. His head and face were immediately healed, the first few hours spent trying to stabilize, and hydrate the crumbling human, thought to be dead because of the grievous wounds.

They replaced his spine so that his legs were reattached, his entrails restored and replaced in his stomach, his left arm set back into place, the muscles and flesh being rebuilt by his newfound… powers. All in all, his healing process was going slowly, but he was going to live, against all odds. His hair over the entirety of his body had started to grow. His arms and legs were already grown to their normal denseness. The hair on his head was a dull gray color, instead of his previous color, and he looked like a stallion from the Equestrian Navy, despite his human differences. The skin, muscle, nerves, and tendons of his right arm had been rebuilt and replicated by healing magic.

The real work was done by the Mercer virus inside of him, rebuilding his strength to its appropriate proportions before everything had gone wrong. A quick scan over what was left of his brain had shown that he was clear of any corruption from external sources, but couldn't pinpoint where the mental takeover was being forced from. Discord was expelled from his mind. The voice that had taken over previously was burned out. But the human had yet to wake after nearly eleven months. His body was almost rebuilt to its previous state, but he had little movement, sound, or interaction in those months. Twilight sat in the hospital room he was held in. She watched his unmoving body, her eyes trailing over his darkened skin. While he had a decent tan before, his skin took a darker shade of brown. His heart beat at a steady pace, only increasing slightly every moment or so, only to return to its previous state before.

Twilight had yet to see any of her friends visit the comatose human ever since what had happened, and that fact annoyed, frustrated, and worried her. They were perfectly fine with Daniel, and only until the human had openly displayed his powers were they fearful of him. It didn't make sense to the mare. They were treating him like an outcast. An animal. A monster. Out of both of the princesses, Luna visited the most, during nights where she was not needed. Celestia visited when she could, and at random times, with no set schedule at doing so. Two guards were stationed at the door of the room, both bored out of their minds. A familiar clicking on the ground met their ears. They stood at attention, immediately knowing who it was. Princess Luna didn’t pay the guards any mind as she opened the door to the room, where the dozing Twilight had jumped in surprise. Her hair was frazzled, her clothes wrinkled slightly. She looked towards the door. “Hello Princess Luna.” She murmured, standing up to curtsy. “There is no need for formality here young Twilight.” Luna replied. She took one look around the room. Gifts lined the tables around the room, from guards, Twilight, and random ponies that had heard of his plight to pay their condolences. Most were just cards. A few baskets were thrown in as well. A few unmarked envelopes sat next to each other. His armor and weapon sat upon a separate table, each plate and piece laid out.

She looked back to the slumbering human, her face unreadable. “I never found out… How did the Elements of Harmony cause this much pain, this much damage?” Twilight asked.

The Lunar Princess looked up in surprise. “There are many variables as to why he was maimed like this. It could’ve been because he is a different species that had fallen to Discord’s power, one that the Elements did not recognize. It could’ve been a very small chance that any Discorded victims were to end up like this, or not survive. It could be because of his powers, or his memories, or his emotions, or his possessions. There are too many reasons as to why the Elements caused his comatose and mutilation.” Luna murmured.

“...When will he wake up?” Twilight asked.

Luna shook her head. “I do not know. It could be any day now. It could be in the next day, week, month, or even year before he can awaken.” Luna said. They both heard a spike in heartbeats of the monitor. They both shared a glance towards it. His heart rate was starting to pick up slowly. They looked at each other, then back to the monitor. The heartbeats were slowly rising, from a dormant fifty-two, to a rising sixty, sixty-six, seventy. The human twitched, the first movement from him in several months. They both looked at each other again, eyes wide, Luna’s in surprise, Twilight’s in excitement. The two mares turned their attention to the human, whom twitched again. His eyes opened for a split half-second, before slamming closed and a barely audible groan escaped his lips. Luna saw flashes of purple in the time he opened his eyes, and stepped closer to him, wondering about the strange tint of his normal ruby red eyes. He muttered something they both didn’t hear. Then, his eyes shot open and he shot into a sitting position. He looked around in surprise. The mares both smiled at him. The human looked both of them in the eyes, his bright, purple eyes shining in the light of the hospital.

“Where the hell am I?” His voice croaked out. He blinked and moved his jaw slightly, then swallowed. “And who are you two?” He asked.

Their eyes bulged out of their sockets. “Uhm… Daniel, it’s us… Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna.” Twilight said, sounding almost pleading.

“Doesn’t ring a bell… And who is Daniel?” He asked, looking curiously at the two of them.

“You’re Daniel!” Twilight yelled.

“So I’m Daniel… I don’t really like that name. How about Bill? Or Steven? Hmm… I like Bill more…” He murmured.

“Do you not remember anything that has transpired over the years you have been in Equestria?” Luna asked.

“Hell, I don’t remember who I am, where I’m supposed to be. I know that humans aren’t supposed to have horns, and definitely not wings and a horn!” He looked over himself. “Aww… I don’t get a special power?” He pouted.

“This is not a game Daniel!” Luna said, grabbing his shoulders.

“I know it’s not a game Princess.” He said, looking into her eyes. She could see something dancing around in his eyes, and a small smirk growing on his face. “I just like spending time with my friends in any way I can.” He whispered in her ears. She looked at him with a blush, but still slapped him across the face. He let out a chuckle. “Alright, all I remember is going to the Gryphon Kingdom and having to live out in the jungle for almost two weeks. Everything after that is… a black... wall...” He murmured.

“So you do not remember returning home?” Twilight asked.

“Nope. I just remember building a little shack out of wood, then I heard a voice in my head, and I blacked out.” He looked over himself. “I don’t remember being this… dark.” He commented. The two mares looked at each other once more, then to him. He looked at the both of them, a frown growing on his face. “What happened.” He stated, his voice immediately turning serious and stone cold, his words sounding more of a request, a statement, then a question.

Twilight flinched slightly. “Well… What happened was…” She retold the entire tale to him, his face falling further and further as she retold it.

When she finished, he closed his eyes. He counted to ten, then to twenty. “Okay… So I…” He stopped, rolling his jaw, taking a deep breath. They could tell his hands were clenching into fists beneath the sheets covering most of his body. “I don’t think it’s smart for me to return to Ponyville. I need to go… somewhere else…” He said. He placed his arm on the bar, his index finger pressed against his temple.

“Why not?! I’m sure they will forg-” She was stopped by him raising his arm.

“I won’t be able to return there, for anything. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie will grow to forget me and can find someone else to have a relationship with. Applejack and Big Mac did well enough without me. Rarity and I never had that much of a friendly relationship, per se. Same goes for Rainbow Dash. We only talked in passing. The rest of the residences there hardly knew me,” That statement wasn’t the complete truth, as he was somewhat popular with some of the locals. Especially the local musicians. “And you Twilight. We barely got to talk to each other either. The only times I ever got to speak to you was when I was on a day off, or if you came to pick Applejack up for one of your world-saving adventures. I’m… I’m just another face in the crowd at this point, despite how much I stand out as of now. If I return to Ponyville, then the first time I meet one of your friends will just end in pain, misery, and tears.” She could see him visibly trembling, and she could hear the heartbreak in his voice. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, but nodded all the same. “I bet I can make a life… somewhere. Maybe some border town in Equestria. Or maybe another country…” He looked at Luna, her face remorseful. She looked up at him.

“You could stay here…” She murmured. He blinked and looked over the white sheets covering him.

“What could I do here? I doubt I would be accepted as a Knight of the Crown if I attempted to attack the princesses!” He exclaimed. “I would understand if I’m not longer needed for my duty. I’m merely a pawn anyway. That’s how the old days worked, right? Knights were merely pawns of the vassals that owned their lives anyway. They were to be thrown away at their leisure.”

He was about to continue when a hand covered his lips. He looked up to see Luna glaring down at him. “Knights are not just pawns of the Crown, to be thrown away with woeful abandon. They are respected by even the highest noble, and are given accommodations in any city or town they please. Although you are respected, revered even, by the nobles of Canterlot, the pessimism and negativity will have to end here and now.” She ordered. He nodded slowly, and she removed her hand away from him. “And there are only a handful of knights remaining in Equestria. Most have either perished in their line of duty, have resigned, due to certain circumstances, or have retired. So the remaining knights are praised even more now than they were previously.” She gave him a smile.

He blinked. “...I think that’s the first time you have ever smiled while I am around.” He said teasingly. She pouted. “I have smiled before!” She said.

Twilight broke in. “You do smile very little Princess.” Twilight said. She glared at the unicorn, while Twilight and Daniel laughed.

“Lighten up Luna!” Daniel said. She flashed him an evil smile. The color drained from his face. “Oh really Daniel? I need to lighten up?” She asked him, getting close to his face. He tried to back away from her face as far as he could, but it did little.

Leveling a neutral stare at her, he spoke. “Yep.” He said simply. She smiled again, and pressed her body against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He blinked and his eyes crossed, before he looked at Twilight. She was suppressing giggles. He glared at her, before a pair of soft lips pressed against his cheek. He blinked and looked at Luna. His face started to flush red.

Two can play this game Luna… He thought.

He smirked and pressed his lips gently against her own cheek. Almost immediately, her cheeks started to red as they continued their game. He decided to take this to the next step as he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her closer, holding her gently against him. He looked at the corner of his eye at her, and she was staring at him with a strange face. He flashed a devious smile at her. She met him with one of her own, before pressing her lips against his own. His eyes crossed again, and his entire face turned red. Twilight couldn’t suppress her giggles anymore and burst out laughing. Luna looked up at him, as his arms released her, and she started to giggle.

“I think I broke my new toy.” She said, poking his cheek.

They didn’t hear the door open and Celestia smirked. “You need to stop breaking all of your toys Lulu, or you won’t be able to have any fun until you get more!” Celestia teased. Luna’s face grew entirely red, and in a quarter of a second was up and off of the human. The human blinked and looked up, his face also lighting up like a Christmas tree. There, standing in the doorway, was Celestia in all of her might, a teasing grin on her face.

“Well, that was certainly… different.” Daniel said, his eyes crossing as he looked back the last minute or so.

“I seem to always forget to ask, but do humans get this close to each other?” Celestia asked.

“Not especially… Normally those types of things were left for those in relationships. But I’ve lived with… touchy ponies, so I’ve gotten used to sudden events like that.” He answered, rubbing the back of his head.

Luna’s face turned a darker red as he jaw drop. “We are sorry, Sir Daniel! We did not know of your customs!” Luna said, her accent going to one of old English.

“LuLu, you’re doing it again.” Celestia reminded, a bit firmness hidden behind amusement in her voice. Luna looked like she was going to die from embarrassment at that moment. He waved his right arm, and took notice of how skinny it seemed. He remembered the reason why, and his face fell again.

“But as I said before… the entire ordeal, it’s probably better that I stay at one of the border towns, or in another country. I doubt I can be respected after news got out about me attacking the princesses of Equestria like a rabid animal.” He murmured.

Luna snapped out of her embarrassment to glare angrily at him. “You were controlled by another being to create chaos in the best way that you could! You cannot be held accountable for what has happened!” She yelled.

“Yet I have to be! Who else can you blame besides me for no control over my own damn body?!” He shouted back.

“It has happened to the best and worst of ponies! If we were all accountable for what has happened when we were discorded, then some ponies would be in jail for crimes that they committed while discorded!” Twilight yelled at him.

“So if I murdered all of you before you can fire that rainbow, I can continue to walk freely, with no consequences?!” He shouted back at her.

“There would obviously be consequences!” Twilight argued.

“Then what’s the difference here? I threatened to murder two princesses, the Royal Guards, and the Elements of Harmony, and was about to do so when I was hit!” He countered.

“Because you are not in control of your own mind! You had no control of your body! You were saying, and acting not like the Daniel we know! The one who is always there to cheer us up!” She yelled.

“BECAUSE I WAS ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT I AM A MONSTER!” His voice boomed at them. The room fell silent as they stared at him. “I do things that normal humans aren’t supposed to be. I can contort and change my body to make weapons of war. That is not normal for human, nor will it ever be! And when I was a prisoner, I first used my powers. But it’s not normal. I scare ponies when I use my powers. This is the reason why I’m alone now! Why I can never be happy again! Why I should just be locked up like an animal and left to die like one!” He sobbed into his hands, covering his face.

“Daniel… Remove your hands from your face.” Celestia’s voice said. He did so, and a loud smack filled the air, followed by two gasps. His head was cocked to the side from the power behind the hit, but a fire was born in his eyes. His right arm immediately transformed into the large, blade arm he had shown previously and he made a quick jab at her neck. An arm parried his admittedly weak swing and she threw his arm away, making his swing go far left, leaving him exposed. Her arms shot out and gripped both of his arms, with her angered face staring at him, an eyebrow cocked. His eyes were wide, and his blade arm disappeared as he was left to stare at her in shock. The two other mares stared with open jaws.

“W-what?” Twilight inquired, in shock at how quickly her teacher had responded. Daniel tried to bury his face into his chest, but one hand removed one arm from her grasp and she used her free hand to force him to look up at her face. He stared at the middle of her face, avoiding eye contact, but he couldn’t help it and his eyes met hers. She was giving him a comforting smile, her eyes comforting to stare into. He swallowed audibly, and forced his arms away from Celestia.

“I still believe I should not be left to walk freely. What if I become… Discorded again?” He questioned, looking between the both of them.

“After a pony has survived the discording process, they normally show no signs of relapses into the state.” Luna started. “We believe it’s almost like a disease, and after surviving the plague…”

“They develop an immunity to it, in a sense.” Celestia finished, looking towards her sister.

“Have other mammals survived becoming discorded, and have had similar results?” Daniel asked, his eyes on the two princesses.

“Ponies have been the only ones to have become discorded in our records.” Luna commented.

“So how would you know that I won’t just go ballistics again and try to cut you in half?” He grunted, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“We… only assumed that you wouldn’t do so because you’re so similar to a pony.” Celestia said. Daniel rolled his eyes.

“Assumptions will get you nowhere. It has to be complete, solid information that says that I will no longer become discorded before I accept my freedom.” He sat up in his bed.

“I doubt that this would be necessary Daniel…” Twilight chimed in, hoping to talk him out of his decisions.

“I don’t want anyone to be harmed by myself unless they deserve it. How could I know that I won’t become discorded again? My similarity to ponies doesn’t mean anything genetically.” He grumbled.

“What do you mean, “genetically?”” Twilight asked.

“I may look like a pony, but I might not have the same cells as you do. Or, I won’t have the same amount of chromosomes in my body as you would. Or, I won’t have the same brain capacity as you would. Or, I wouldn’t be able to use the same amount of my brain as you would.” He said, confusing the mare even more.

“And what would that mean? You don’t use all of your brain?” Celestia asked.

“It’s really a myth from my world, but it is said that Humans only use ten percent of their brains. That humans could actually use more of their brain, and that they could unlock certain powers. Control of matter. Control of cells. Control of time, space, and other beings. That is, of course, a myth…” He said, trailing off as he saw their expressions. “I doubt it’s true though. I mean, if we only used ten percent of our brain, why do we have the extremely large brains? Why not use only that ten percent? If we could unlock these potentials, why not unlock them at birth, or at certain milestones in their lives?” He shook his head.

“But… that is a myth that is potentially dangerous. Why would you humans create something so devious?” Luna questioned.

“Because humans are great and horrible people. They can use their brains, however much of it we use, to cure diseases as soon as they emerge. For a way to stop parasites from eating farms away. To create things that bring smiles to the faces of many in the world. But there are humans who thrive on darkness, who live to be the bane of other humans. Those humans create theories that seem to intend that almost all humans die in the end, or that the human race is wiped out entirely.” He stared at each of them.

“Such as?” Twilight asked.

He held up a finger. “The most popular was because of Religion. The dead walk the earth, and humans are judged by gods on how well they do in the situation. Those who survive the longest are given a place next to their gods.” He held up another finger. “An asteroid large enough to shatter the planet and destroy all life as we know it.” Another finger shot up. “The death of our sun causing the galaxy that we inhabit to implode on itself as it turns into a super black hole that sucks in everything and destroys it.”

He continued to name off more ways for the end of the world to happen, each with one finger to inhabit a place, until he named ten off. He finished with a sigh. “This still doesn’t change a thing.” He said, giving each a small glare. “I’m not to be trusted just because of a simple similarity to ponies and assumption made by a single being. Run tests, I don’t care. Lock me up, it may be better for you in the long run.” He rubbed the bottom of his jaw.

“I see no reason for this to happen. Discord is unlikely to strike at the heart of one such as yourself.” Celestia said, sounding pleading. Daniel just shook his head.

“You can have your beliefs, and your doubts, and your assumptions…” He murmured, folding the sheet covering him down. He looked over his body as he continued to unveil himself. Scars of what had transpired were easily visible. It looked like he was attacked by a pack of wolves, with most of his torso looking like it was missing chunks of meat. His left shoulder looked non-existent, while all of his right arm seemed too skinny for someone like him. A perfect semi-circle cut into his waist, and he only assumed that his back was equally scarred as his front. He looked for a mirror, and saw one that gave a glaring man that looked like he had spent too much time out in the sun staring back at him. He realized it to be him and lightened up his glare, noticing his eyes’ change.

“So, what’s up with the new color?” He asked, indicating his eyes. They each took a glance at them, before giving them a double take.

“That’s new…” Celestia commented.

“No shit. Now, I’m going to take a wild swing at this and say that those Elements of Harmony things changed my eye color before they mutilated me.” He felt restless, giving that he had been laying in the bed for the last year. “So, when can I leave? I feel like walking.” He said, stretching his arms.

The princesses shared a look. “Wouldn’t you need to exercise your muscles? To be able to walk properly after all of this time?” Twilight asked.

“I’m sure whatever is in my body was busy building me up again. It was probably done with that months ago and is just buffing out my… scarred areas.” He said, watching as the red and black tentacles continued to move over his arm, his arm growing slowly over the time he had been awake.

“Just to be safe, I’d say you should take baby steps. Try standing.” Celestia said. He tossed the covers off of him, ignoring his current naked form, before trying to stand. He swung his legs out underneath him, putting weight on his legs. He started to stand up...