The wind outside howled and raged, slamming against the side of the barn with such ferocity that, for a brief moment, I was sure that the structure would collapse. Luckily for me, the barn stood firm, having been built by the expert hooves of the Apple Family.

I hunkered down further into my corner as the wind continued to blow, pulling my coat tighter around my body. The hay beneath me was dry, and luckily provided some insulation from the frozen ground.

Any port in a storm, I guess, I thought, looking around the inside of the barn. There were other humans within the barn as well, corralled within several large pens, huddled together for warmth. Some of them eyed me with mild curiosity, chirping softly to one another, but most were content to sleep.

That was just as well, as I didn’t really want to deal with any curious humans right now. I was too busy focusing on trying to get feeling back into my limbs after having it sapped by the storm outside.

‘The storm isn’t supposed to start up again until tonight, Max. We’ll have plenty of time to get back, Max’, I growled in annoyance, flexing my fingers as I breathed upon them. Next time I see Rainbow, she’s getting a face full of snow and a flank full of foot!

Another gust rattled the windows, causing me to flinch. Cursing silently, I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. Hopefully the storm would die back down soon; I needed to get back to the library before Twilight freaked out.

The sound of movement nearby drew my attention, and I watched with curiosity as the humans in the pens began to stir, becoming more alert. Several had gotten to their feet, and were slowly approaching the doors of their respective enclosures. They appeared to be waiting for something.

What are they up to? I wondered as I watched them. I knew that back home livestock might kneel during a storm, but this didn’t appear to be the case. The humans were looking at me expectantly, almost like I was supposed to do something. What do they want from me?

I jumped as the barn door cracked open suddenly with a loud groan. After several seconds, a windswept Applejack staggered in, scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and muzzle. Her hat was perched crookedly atop her head, held on by a thick piece of string.

Pushing the door shut behind her, she shook the accumulated snow off of her back. Readjusting her hat before turning to look at her humans, a small smile touched her face.

“B-bad weather out there, fellas,” she said, stuttering slightly as she shivered. “Almost didn’t get out here tah feed y’all! That wouldn’t have been good.”

I watched in silence as she trotted over to the crate, humming softly to herself. Cracking open the lid, she rummaged around inside before standing back up, a bucket full of apples in her teeth. Food in hoof, Applejack proceeded to go pen to pen, tossing in the apples to the waiting humans.

Ah, so that’s what they were waiting for. It’s feeding time.

After throwing out the last of the apples, Applejack doubled checked some of the pens to make sure that her humans were comfortable. She produced thick blankets for those that seemed to be too cold, as well as checking to make sure their water wasn’t turning to ice. I couldn’t help but smile at the display of love she showed for the humans.

They may have just been her livestock, but she cared for them nonetheless.

After making sure her humans were comfortable and well fed, Applejack turned around to head back out the barn. However, as she turned, her eyes landed on me. They widened instantly and she let out a loud yelp in surprise.

“Landsakes, Max! You dun just about scared the filly outta me!” she gasped, hoof pressed to her chest. Taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she gave me a curious look.

“Whatcha doin’ out here? Ah’d think you’d want tah be back at the library with Twi, ‘specially in this weather.” Unwrapping an arm from around my leg, I reached a hand into my bags and pulled out my handy dandy notebook and charcoal stick.

As I scratched out my message, Applejack trotted over to me.

+I was out with Pinkie and Rainbow, having fun in the snow. Rainbow went home, as did Pinkie, but the storm hit before I could. Decided to take shelter in here until it passed+

“Got caught by surprise, did ya?” she asked with a chuckle. I glared at her as I wrote my next message.

+Rainbow said I had until tonight before the storm started back up+

“Yeah, it looks like the pegasi got a bit too excited,” Applejack said with a nod. She then frowned, her brow furrowing in thought.

“Sugarcube,” she said slowly, “why didn’t ya just come up tah the farmhouse, instead of hangin’ out down here in the barn?”

+Didn’t want to impose+

“Shoot, sugarcube,” Applejack scoffed, shaking her head. “After what you did for Applebloom and her friends, you’re always welcome here! 'Specially during a storm like this. Now, come on. Let’s get ya back tah the homestead.”

+You sure?+ Applejack gave me a look that screamed ‘are you an idiot?’.

“Sugarcube, Twilight would never forgive me if Ah let ya stay out here,” she deadpanned. Raising an eyebrow, I pointed silently at the pens of humans.

“They’re used tah this weather,” Applejack said, waving a hoof at me. “Besides, if what Twilight tells me is true, then you can’t stay as warm as them in the winter. Now, come on. GIT!” With that, she trotted forward and grabbed the cuff of my coat in her teeth. With a strong yank, she pulled me to my feet. Before I could protest further, she moved behind me and headbutted my legs, forcing me forward.

“Come on,” she grunted, pushing me along. “We’ll get back tah the home and get something warm in ya.” Throwing up my hands in mock defeat, I slipped my notebook back into my bags and fell in step beside the farmer.

After several minutes of fighting our way through the snowstorm, I soon found myself seated at the kitchen table in the Apple household. I hummed happily as I sipped at the steaming mug of apple cider, the heated liquid flowing into my stomach. A fire crackled in the other room, spreading warmth throughout the house.

Sitting opposite of me, Applejack smirked as she watched me, slowly shaking her head.

“See? Ain’t this better than sittin’ around in that old barn?” she asked smugly. I ignored her, instead glancing around the room. Reaching down to my bags that were resting beside me, I fished out my notebook and writing utensil.

Setting my mug down, I flipped the notebook open.

+Where is everyone?+

“Applebloom is over at Rarity’s with Sweetie Belle,” Applejack explained, glancing up from the note. “They’re having a sleepover, with Rarity watching over them. Big Mac is off drinkin’ with some friends, and Granny Smith is upstairs, napping. She’ll be out of it for a good, long while. When she gets a snoozin’, nothing can seem tah wake her.”

+So it’s just you and me here?+

“Eeyup,” she said, her smile waning slightly. Her ear twitched and she glanced away from me. I leaned back in my chair, sipping at the cider. An awkward silence fell over the table as Applejack fidgeted slightly, playing with her hooves.

After a few minutes she glanced up at me, biting her lip.

“Um, sugarcube? Can Ah ask ya a question?” she asked timidly, her usual confident nature gone. I blinked in confusion, glancing over at her. “Why don’t you like me?” My confusion grew and I lowered the mug to the table with a soft clunk.

+What do you mean?+ I scratched out, sliding the notebook over so she could see.

“It’s just… Ah get the feelin’ ya don’t like me very much,” she muttered, pushing the notebook back. “Ah’ve talked tah Twilight about it, but she thinks Ah’m bein’ silly.”

+Is there any reason you think that I don’t like you?+

“Well,” Applejack said, tapping her hooves together. “There’s the fact that Ah have human livestock, and you’re a human. Then there was that stunt ya pulled when Rainbow was chasin’ ya around town. Also, there was that time that Ah tried tah convince Twi tah breed ya. And then there’s that one incident where Ah tried tah seduce—”

I quickly waved my hands around frantically before grabbing my notebook.

+We swore we would never speak of that again!+

“But the whole town—”

+We swore we would never speak of it again!+ Applejack’s ears splayed backwards, and she hung her head. Sighing, I rubbed the scar across my nose, eyeing the mare before me.

+I don’t hate you, Applejack+ She glanced up at me, blinking in confusion.

“Then why…?” she began, but couldn’t finish. Grabbing the notebook again, I took a quick sip of cider before beginning to write. Applejack was content to sit silently as I did so, fidgeting occasionally.

+Yes, you have humans as livestock, but that doesn’t bug me. I know that they are part of your livelihood, and I’m well aware that humans are considered animals here. Besides, I can see that you take good care of them.

When I shoved you in front of Rainbow, that wasn’t personal. That was me trying to escape her, and getting you back for calling me ‘fat’. I would have done the same thing if it had been Rarity, or Pinkie. You being you had nothing to do with it+

“Really?” she asked, perking up slightly. I nodded my head, smiling softly. “You’re not mad about… you-know-what?”

+I’ve had Rainbow Dash give me a black eye, and we still hang out+

“But, it seems like you’re avoiding me whenever possible.”

+It’s not because I don’t like you. I just tend to avoid the farm because I consider it your place of business, and I don’t want to distract you while you’re working+

“Like you avoid Sugarcube Corner too?” Applejack asked. “Don’t want to distract Pinkie.” At the mention of the bakery, I felt my right eye twitch. Slowly, I nodded my head.

+Yeah, that’s the reason. To not distract Pinkie+

“So ya don’t have any hard feelings about me?” she asked, giving me a hopeful smile. I shook my head, sipping at my cider. A large smile flashed across Applejack’s face and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s great. I didn’t want there tah be bad blood between us.” I chuckled softly as I reached for my pad of paper.

+Worried what the strange human thinks about you?+

“No, Ah’m worried what mah friend thinks of me,” Applejack replied, shooting me a smirk. It quickly softened, however, and she shook her head. “And don’t sell yerself short there, sugarcube. You ain’t weird. You’re special, and you’ve got a good heart too.” She sighed, resting her head on a hoof as she stared off into the distance.

“Ah still can’t thank ya enough for keepin’ Applebloom safe that one time,” she said softly. “Ah don’t even want tah think about what would have happen if ya weren't there.”

+They wouldn’t have gone into the forest. I was the ‘adult’ escorting them, although in retrospect it wasn’t very responsible of me+

“They would've gone in with or without ya, hon,” Applejack said, glancing back at me. “Those three fillies have the bad habit of always gettin’ into trouble. Ah’m just glad that ya decided tah go with 'em, even if ya ended up getting hurt because of it.”

+Nothing a few stitches and some bandages couldn’t fix. Besides, it’s not like I was doing anything else at the time+

As Applejack looked over the note, a small frown touched her face.

“Ah’ve actually been meanin’ tah ask ya about that,” she muttered before glancing up at me. “When we were all lookin’ at that doohickey of yours, ya mentioned that you had a job back home. Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but Ah haven’t seen ya do much besides hang out with Twilight. Have ya ever thought about gettin’ a job now that you’re livin’ here?”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair before responding.

+Ignoring the fact that most places probably wouldn’t actually hire me into a paid position since I’m a human, nothing here in Equestria is close to what I was studying to do back home. It would be like you ending up in a world with no apples. There would be nothing for you to buck+

“What was it you were studying?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

+Something involving the ‘doohickies’+ Applejack’s ears lowered, and she scrunched up her face in thought.

“Couldn’t you find something else tah do? From what Ah saw on Nightmare Night, you’d make a damn good foalsitter. Dinky kept going on about how much fun she had.”

+I suppose so+ I wrote, chewing on the inside of my cheek. Applejack eyed me closely, her green eyes narrowing slightly.

“Sugarcube, when ya decided tah stay in Equestria instead of going home, didja have any real plans about what ya were gonna do here?” Slowly, I shook my head, not looking up. “So, why didja end up stayin’ here instead of goin' home?”

The corner of my lips twitched upward, and I picked up the charcoal stick. +I didn’t need to go home. I’m already there+

“Equestria ain’t yer home,” Applejack said, scrunching up her face. “You came from a different world.”

+Home is where your heart is+ Glancing up from the note, Applejack eyed me closely, her green eyes studying my face with such intensity that I felt like she was trying to see right through me to the wall behind.

After several long, tense seconds, a smile spread across her face.

“Shoot,” she chuckled, shaking her head as she pushed my notebook back over to me, “it looks like Ah owe Rarity twenty bits.”

I raised an eyebrow at that, grabbing my notebook. +Come again?+

“Nuthin’,” Applejack said with a smirk. “Just a bet Ah done lost.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, but let it go. Grabbing my mug, I proceeded to finish off the remainder of the cider still held within.

As I was lowering the empty mug back to the table, the outside door swung open, and in walked a massive red stallion. I remembered seeing him working the apple stand occasionally, whenever Applejack wasn’t there. He was wearing a workhorse collar, and had a whole bunch of snow upon his shoulders.

He kicked the door shut behind him before pausing, looking back and forth between Applejack and I with a blank expression on his face. Applejack groaned, placing her head in her hooves, a red tinge touching her face.

“It’s not like last time, Mac,” she grumbled. The stallion just slowly raised an eyebrow, as if to say ‘if you say so’. Applejack just groaned again, and buried her head deeper into her hooves, muttering, “Ah'm never gonna live that down.”

“Nnnope,” the stallion said in a deep voice, shaking his head. I chuckled at that, and he gave me a bemused look.

“Big Mac,” Applejack said suddenly, sitting up straight. “What're ya doin’ back home? Ah thought ya were out drinkin’ with yer pals.”

The minute Applejack said ‘Big Mac’, I instinctually rattled off the list of ingredients in my head: mac sauce, onions, pickles, lettuce, cheese, meat. As I shook my head, trying to clear it, Big Mac spoke up, “The snowstorm died down, so Ah thought Ah’d head home.”

I perked up instantly, as did Applejack.

“Break in the storm?” she asked, looking outside. Indeed, during the course of our conversation the snow had stopped falling, and patches of sun were shining through the cloud cover. “Well Ah’ll be. It looks like the pegasi didn’t make the clouds strong enough.”

Turning to look at me, Applejack grinned, cocking a hoof towards the door.

“If Ah was you, partner, Ah’d get while the gettin’s good!” Nodding my head quickly, I pushed the empty mug across the table to Applejack. Standing up, I grabbed my notebook and charcoal stick and slipped them into my bag. As I passed by Big Mac, I gave him a quick nod of my head, which I was surprised he returned.

Reaching the door, I opened it and, giving Applejack one last wave, stepped out into the snow and began my journey home.

Applejack stared at the closed door that Max had just exited, chewing on her bottom lip. Shaking her head, she sighed heavily.

“Looks like Rarity was right,” she muttered under her breath. “He doesn’t have a clue. Hopefully Twi makes her move soon, before somepony beats her to it.” Adjusting her hat, Applejack turned and glanced over at her brother.

“You don’t seem too surprised about Max’s intelligence,” she said, her eyes narrowing.

“We’ve been livin’ in this town long enough that strange things don’t bother me,” he said with a shrug. “Besides, he belongs tah Ms. Twilight.” This earned a laugh from Applejack.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, shoving her brother as she got to her hooves. “Ah’d thank ya kindly to not insult mah friends. Now, since you’re here, go wake Granny. It’s almost lunch time.”

Sitting at her desk with Magical Transformations and Transmutations open in front of her, Twilight hummed happily to herself as she worked. Flipping through the pages, she scanned the contents with a practiced eye, muttering under her breath, “Powdered everstone, saltpetre, rainbow’s glow, pegasus feather, hair of target species.”

Finding the information she was looking for, Twilight glanced over at the notebook she had opened beside the tome, quickly jotting down the data she needed. Once that was complete, she marked the page before continuing to read.

Across the room, Ebony relaxed upon the couch, her nose buried in a book. Every few minutes, her horn would light up as she lazily turned a page. In front of her, Primrose laid splayed out by the fire, her wings unfurled. She hummed happily as she basked in the warmth provided by the crackling flames. Avera, with the absence of her human charge, had taken over his pillow bed, snuggling down in the worn fabric.

“I still don’t understand why I couldn’t have gone with them,” Avera said, fluttering her wings slightly. “We are supposed to be guarding him, after all.”

“He’s with Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, glancing back over her shoulder at her. “And I’ll eat my crown if something bad happens to him around her. I swear she can walk through a rock slide without getting injured.”

“That may be true, but that boy has trouble as his shadow,” Avera grumbled. “It seems wherever he goes, something bad usually happens. It’s almost like all that chaos magic in him is attracting danger like a giant magnet.”

“Why would Discord bring him to Equestria, if he was just going to make it so that Max was in constant danger?” Twilight asked, turning around fully in her chair to stare at Avera in confusion.

“Why did he bring him here at all?” Avera replied, raising an eyebrow. “And to answer your question, I can think of a couple of good reasons why he would drop a trouble-attracting human into our hooves.”

“Do share,” Twilight said, leaning back against her desk.

“To produce chaos,” Avera said, shifting on the pillow. “The more trouble that shows up, the more chaos is produced. Hay, the fact that he’s an intelligent human is enough to cause a huge disruption if he was to be revealed in Canterlot. All those nobles trying to buy him for his uniqueness, breeders trying to get a hold of him for breeding purposes, and all those scientists trying to get their hooves on him to study him.”

Twilight eye twitched at the mention of ponies trying to breed her human, as though he was just a stud for making offspring. It didn’t help that he now had a breeding status thanks to him winning that human show.

The fact that they would think about taking him, shoving him into a breeding stable, and leading a female in heat in for him to service fueled Twilight’s anger. Possibly strapping the female down onto one of the breeding racks to prevent her from causing unintentional injury during mating. The racks couldn’t be too comfortable, could they? What would it be like to lie on one of those, with Max standing over her?

Twilight blinked, her face heating up as she realized the direction in which her mind had been drifting. She struggled to keep her wings folded at her side. Max might not have fully realized what stiff wings meant, but Avera and Primrose most certainly did.

Shaking her head quickly to clear her mind, Twilight returned her attention back to Avera.

“Is that the only reason Discord might have brought him here?” she asked, trying to not let the smirk on the pegasus’s face bother her as she eyed her wings.

“No,” Avera said. “Max could also be used as a distraction. While we’re busy trying to keep him safe, Discord does his thing without us knowing.”

“All of this is speculation, of course, seeing as he’s currently entombed in stone,” Twilight said, getting to her hooves and stretching. “Besides, Max isn’t working for Discord, nor is he trying to cause chaos. In fact, he was trying to keep himself hidden from the world until the world came crashing down around him. If it wasn’t for the fact that he got thrown into the fighting pit, I’m not sure when we would have started to tell ponies the truth.”

“And yet, thanks to his bad luck, he got thrown into the pit,” Avera countered, her smile growing.

“Will you two stop arguing?” Ebony called from the couch, shooting an annoyed glare at the pair. “Just because Max has had some issues, doesn’t mean he’s attracting troublesome situations. Just because you slam your wing in a door doesn’t mean the world is out to get you. Plenty of good things happen to him as well. You just focus on the bad because of the situation around him.”

“Whatever,” Avera grumbled, snuggling deeper into the pillow. “I still say one of us should have gone with him.”

“Would it make you feel better to know that I placed several protective spells around him before he left?” Ebony asked, turning back to her book.

“Does Max know you put wards on him?”

“No.”

“Then I’m content for now,” Avera said, closing her eyes.

“I don’t know why you’re so paranoid,” Ebony huffed as she turned a page in her book.

“My paranoia got me into the Coming Dawn,” Avera shot back. “My paranoia also got Princess Luna to safety during the Changeling Invasion.”

“I thought the reason she didn’t show up until later that evening was because she was sleeping,” Twilight said, confused.

“She was,” Avera snorted, shaking her head. “She’s a really, really heavy sleeper. It took four Coming Dawn guards to carry her sleeping body, while the rest of us defended her from the changelings.”

“So that’s why I didn’t see any Coming Dawn during the initial attack,” Ebony mused, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “I thought you guys had just gotten lost on the way to the battle.”

“Oh, ha ha,” Avera growled, glaring at the unicorn. Ebony just returned to her book, a smirk playing across her muzzle. Silence slowly fell over the library again as everyone returned to their respective activities.

Glancing down at the book open in front of her, Twilight lit her horn and reached for her quill. However, her concentration was broken by the sound of tolling bells, ringing out loudly through town.

F’TAANG DOOOONG DOOOOOOOOONG CLANG

Instantly, Twilight’s joints locked in place. Her body froze in fear as her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. The tolling bells echoed in her ears, her heartbeat increasing in tempo to match the ring. Her wings flared by her sides, her fight-or-flight instinct kicking into high gear as the bells continued to toll out their warning.

F’TAANG DOOOONG DOOOOOOOOONG CLANG

The minute the bells sounded, the three guards were on their hooves. Avera was airborne and out the door in a flash of black, feathers fluttering to the ground in her wake. Ebony shot down the basement stairs, Primrose hot on her heels. Shortly after their disappearance, the sound of clanking metal filled the library, clashing perfectly with the bells.

F’TAANG DOOOONG DOOOOOOOOONG CLANG

Slowly, Twilight got to her hooves, her limbs shaking beneath her. In a daze, she stared out of the library’s main window, a look of horror plastered across her face. In the distance, just beneath the sound of the bells, Twilight could make out the sound of screaming as ponies quickly sought safety indoors. She willed her legs to move, to carry her forward and out into the snow, to find her human before it was too late, but her body wasn’t responding. She was frozen in place, her heart beating in her throat.

All across Ponyville, the bells continued to ring, sending out the warning for all to hear: Find shelter. Seek cover. Infected human.

I was about halfway between Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville when the sound of bells began to fill the air, causing me to pause. Gazing towards town, I eyed the distant buildings, a confused look on my face. I had never heard bells chiming in town before, so I wasn’t sure what was going on. I wasn’t even aware that Ponyville had bells.

As the bells continued to ring, I stood there in knee-deep snow, chewing on the inside of my cheek. After a few minutes, I just shrugged before continuing on my way. I’ll ask Twilight about it when I get back to the library.

Slogging my way through the snow, I headed towards town, the bells still ringing in my ears. Fighting my way through the snowdrifts, I soon reached the outskirts of town. My journey instantly became easier as I reached the plowed roads, the snow upon them only a few inches deep, instead of a few feet.

Strolling through town, I hummed a tuneless song to myself as I walked, using the bells as a baseline.

As I neared the marketplace, I paused slightly as a peculiar sight caught my eye. It looked like a shop owner had been halfway through clearing off the path in front of their shop before abandoning the shovel. It was now lying half-buried in a pile of snow.

Chewing on the inside of my cheek as I thought, my gaze slowly drifted around the empty marketplace. Something wasn’t right, and it took me a few seconds longer than it should have to realize what it was.

The empty marketplace.

Sure, the snowstorm had just cleared a few minutes ago, but usually there was a pony or two in the marketplace. A shopkeeper would be clearing away snow, or a city worker clearing the paths and roads. Even an occasional weather pegasus would be checking on the storm to make sure it stayed on schedule.

There was no one here, however. The entire place was abandoned. There were clear signs that there had been ponies here a few minutes ago: abandoned shovels, a snow-covered cart that looked like it had been unstrapped from a pony’s back quickly, a sled tossed haphazardly into a snowbank.

As I looked around the deserted marketplace, my stomach tightened. Suddenly, the bells didn’t sound so innocent to me. I suddenly got the feeling that I should get back to the library as soon as possible.

I had just turned to head down the path that would lead me towards the library when I heard it: a soft shuffling sound barely audible over the sound of the bells. It sounded like someone pushing their way through the snow. The noise was coming from a side street just in front of me, and as I watched in horror, the source slowly emerged from the alleyway.

It looked like a male human, but it was all horribly wrong. Its eyes—glowing a sickly yellow—were sunken into its head. Black tendril-like objects were emerging from the its eye sockets, pushing the eyelids back and covering the area surrounding the eyes in black, vein-like creepers. Its jaw hung open, the tongue—blackened and dry—was hanging from it. The veins across its body were blackened and protruding slightly, running down its limbs to blackened digits tinged purple around the edges.

As the thing shambled into the open, it wheezed loudly before releasing a hacking cough, emitting a faint black smog from its mouth. It continued to stagger forward, its horrific eyes scanning the area before it with a hazy glare.

I stood perfectly still as it shuffled by, not more than fifteen feet in front of me. It appeared that it hadn’t noticed me yet, and I was more than happy to keep it that way. Moving slower than I ever have before in my life, I began to inch my way backwards, keeping my eye locked on the abomination before me.

I managed to make it about five feet before my foot came down with a metallic clank. Inhaling sharply, I glanced down and saw, to my horror, that I had stepped on the edge of a discarded shovel head, causing it to knock against the ground. I groaned as I closed my eyes, not believing my luck.

When I opened them again and glanced up, I saw that the sound had attracted the attention of the creature. The world seemed to freeze as our eyes met, its sickly yellow pair staring straight into my single brown one. A low gurgling noise emanated from its open mouth, its black tongue twitching slightly.

There was a brief second of silence—in between bell tolls and as the wind died down—that we both just stood there, each eyeing the other. Then, the creature moved.

Letting out an ear-piercing scream, the atrocity raced forward at speeds that horrified me, easily closing the distance between us in just a few steps.

Reacting on instinct, I ducked down quickly and grabbed the closest thing to me: the handle of the shovel I had just stepped on. Straightening up, I barely had time to bring the shovel up before the creature was upon me. With a startled cry, I swung the tool upwards blindly, narrowly clipping the side of the creature’s head.

As the creature stumbled backwards, blackened blood began to dribble from the gash that appeared on its head from the blow. The substance looked more like sludge than blood. Shaking its head, it growled before lunging again, blackened fingers reaching for me.

Reeling back, I swung the shovel at its head again. The creature snarled in pain as the metal shovel blade smashed against its face, sending it to the ground. Upon impact, the shovel shattered, wood splinters cutting into my hands as the two separate pieces of the tool fell to the ground.

Glancing down at my bloodied hands, I grimaced at the sight of the large pieces of wood sticking into my palms. However, I didn’t have much time to deal with them before the creature was back on his feet, heading at me again.

Fuck this shit. Turning, I sprinted through the snow-covered marketplace, the creature hot on my heels.

I made it halfway to the other side before I felt something latch on to the back of my jacket. I let out a yelp as I was dragged to the ground, the creature clawing at my back. I quickly twisted around and elbowed it in the jaw, causing the creature to release a pained snarl before rolling off of me.

Quickly scrambling to my feet, I glanced down at the abomination at my feet. Its jaw was dislocated from the blow, and it was struggling to get its feet underneath it. Snarling, I stalked towards the creature as it floundered in the snow.

Clenching my fist, I brought my arm back, aiming a punch at its face...

...only be tackled by a black blur of fur and feathers. I landed on my back, hissing in pain as one of the pieces of the broken shovel pierced my jacket and lanced into my back.

Pushing myself upright, I glared at Avera, who was currently perched on my chest. Pushing her off of me, I snarled at the pegasus as I got to my feet.

~What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!~ I signed, as she stumbled to her hooves. Reaching back, I pulled the handle of the shovel out of my back. Luckily, it hadn’t gone to deep, resulting in just a mild laceration. Still stung like a bitch, though.

“What do you mean, 'what am I doing'? I’m saving your life, that’s what I’m doing!” she shouted at me. Flying into the air, she jabbed a hoof at the creature, who was still trying to struggle to its feet. “That’s an infected human, you idiot! One bite from it, one drop of its blood touches yours, any of its body fluids gets into you, and you’re bucked!”

I reeled back in shock, before shooting a look over at the creature. That’s an infected human?! No wonder Sweetie Belle was terrified of humans after she got attacked! That thing is pure nightmare fuel!

Finally getting to its feet, the infected human lunged at me again, a howl escaping its broken jaw. Holding the jagged piece of wood out in front of me, I moved to engage the human again, only to have Avera grab me and quickly shove me aside. The infected human flew by me, crashing into an empty stand.

“No!” Avera screamed as I staggered, trying to stay on my feet. “Don’t fight it! Run to the library!” Nodding, I turned to do so, but I only made it a few steps before a large chunk of wood slammed into my back. As I fell into a snowdrift, I heard Avera cry out, but I couldn’t make out what she was shouting.

Rolling onto my back, I clawed the snow from my eyes, trying to clear them. Blinking, I could just make out the shape of the infected human staggering towards me, its groans filling the air.

Before it could reach me, however, Avera flitted in between us. Snarling, she lashed out at the human, slashing its face with her hoof. To my surprise, long scratches appeared where her hoof had struck, looking more like claw marks than a hoof mark.

The infected human howled, swinging its arms and knocking Avera out of the air. She hit the ground hard several feet away, grunting in pain as she landed on one of her wings. Spitting at the downed pegasus, the human then turned its attention back to me. As I struggled to get to my feet, I could only watch in horror as the infected human descended upon me with a shriek. I lifted up an arm to protect myself, shielding my face from the human’s attack.

Grabbing my arm in its steel-like grasp, the infected human lowered his head and dug his teeth into the limb. His teeth—cracked and ragged—cut through my jacket and sunk into my flesh, causing my blood to flow like a crimson river.

Howling in pain, I punched the human in the side of the head, trying to free my arm. It hung doggedly on for several solid smacks before crumpling. Ripping my arm from its mouth, I grabbed its neck and attempted to push the infected creature off of me. It dug its fingers into my shoulder, trying to pull itself closer. We continued to struggle for several more seconds: me pushing, it pulling.

Then, with a shout, a grey and purple streak slammed into the infected human’s side, like a bolt of lightning. A loud screech filled the air as the human was ripped off of me and tossed through the air like a ragdoll.

Primrose had arrived.

Bat-like wings cracked, sending a flurry of snow into the air. Whitened fangs flashed, sinking into flesh and drawing blackened blood. Dark violet armor clinked as the batpony struggled against the infected human, each trying to tear the other to shreds. Caught in sunlight streaming through patches in the clouds, Primrose was revealed in all her vampiric glory.

Clamping a hand over my bleeding arm, I pushed myself to my feet, slipping slightly on a patch of ice before I found my footing.

Letting out an inhuman shriek, the infected human ripped Primrose’s fangs out of its throat, before tossing the batpony at me. I grunted in pain as the armored pony smashed into my chest, sending us tumbling over a nearby fence. Unable to stop in time, we careened into the side of an old shed, the aged wood shattering upon impact, causing an assortment of tools to fall upon us.

Snarling in pain, Primrose untangled herself from me, pushing herself off of my chest. Glaring down at me with glowing red eyes, she bared her fangs. “Why are you still here? Get your flank back to the library before you—” She fell silent as her eyes landed on my arm, blood oozing from the clear bite mark. The color instantly left her face, and her slitted eyes became pinpricks.

“Luna buck me running,” she breathed. “You damned fool.” Anything else she was going to say was immediately drowned out as another shriek filled the air. Craning my neck backwards, I pushed myself up slightly to get a better look.

Avera was back in the fight, distracting the infected human as she flew around its head. Whenever she saw an opening, she darted in and slashed at the creature with her hooves, which seemed to slice through flesh like butter. After attacking, she would flit just out of the human’s reach, infuriating the ghastly creature.

Grunting, I moved to push myself into a seated position, but froze when my hand bumped something sharp. Glancing down, I saw that my fingers had brushed against the head of an axe that was now lying amongst the debris of the shed. A small smile touched my face as I stared down at the axe. Perfect.

Pushing the still speechless Primrose off of my chest, I picked up the axe, wincing slightly as the handle pushed the splinters in my hand deeper into my flesh. Ignoring the pain, I pushed myself to my feet.

Holding the axe in both hands, I took an experimental swing at the remainder of the shed, smiling as the sound of the axe hitting wood. It sunk into the wall a good few inches. Yanking the head free, I turned my sights on the infected human.

The sound of the axe hitting wood seemed to snap Primrose out of her daze. Whipping her wings open, she leapt into the air, blocking my path.

“No! Buck no!” she yelled, pushing me back with a hoof. “Are you insane? Get out of here already!” Grabbing her hoof, I yanked her out of the air. Before she could recover, I was already past her, heading straight for the infected human.

As I neared, the human managed to land a blow on Avera, batting her out of the air and into a snowbank. Snarling, the human turned its attention towards me, drool and blackened blood dripping from its mouth.

Before either of us had a chance to move, however, the ground around the infected human's feet exploded, thorn-covered vines erupting from the frozen earth. The vines wrapped quickly around the infected human’s legs, snaking their way up its body as they held it in place. The human screeched in pain as the thorns dug into its flesh. Glancing around, I looked for the source of the vines.

Ebony Rose stalked towards us, her horn bathing the area around her in a pinkish glow. Her green eyes were locked on the infected human, her lips pulled back in a silent snarl. She was decked out in her Battlemage armor, although instead of being cobalt blue like the other Battlemages back in Canterlot, her armor now appeared to be midnight black. A reddish glow surrounded the darkened steel, maroon sparks jumping across the plating.

Tearing my eyes from the approaching unicorn, I looked back at the bound human. Gripping the axe handle tighter in my grasp, I approached the struggling creature. It snarled at me as I drew nearer, gnashing its cracked teeth together. I heard Ebony call out to me, but I wasn’t listening.

Stopping in front of the infected beast, I planted my feet, swung the axe back over my shoulder, and then proceeded to bury the blade deep into the creature’s skull.

There was a loud crack as the axe sunk into the human’s head. Slowly, his yellow eyes rose to stare at the axe handle. Black, congealed blood oozed down his face, matting his dirty, mud-caked hair. His jaw hung open, a low groan echoing forth from his chest. The sickly yellow glow around the infected human’s eyes flickered once before fading completely as his eyes rolled up into his head. He let out one last rattling breath before his body shuddered and went still.

Leaving the axe in the human’s head, I took several steps back, breathing heavily. Ebony moved to stand beside me, the vines sinking back into the ground, leaving the dead human lying in the snow.

Reaching up, I ran a shaking hand through my hair, the adrenaline in my system causing my limbs to shake.

The sound of hoofsteps caused Ebony and I to glance back behind us. Primrose was walking towards us, favoring her right hind leg slightly. Avera was beside her, blood flowing freely from her nostrils.

“I thought I told you to head straight to the library,” Avera growled as the pair drew nearer. “This isn’t a game! What if you had died?” Primrose said nothing. She just kept her slitted eyes locked on me, her body tense.

~I—~ I began, but was cut off by a shout.

“MAX!” Turning my head, I barely had enough time to brace myself before a lavender blur slammed into my chest, causing me to stumble. Twilight latched herself onto my jacket, her hooves clinging tightly to the material as she buried her head in my chest.

“Thank the Maker you’re alright,” she said, looking up at me with watery eyes. “I don’t think I could—GAH!” Twilight flailed about as Primrose ripped her off of me.

“What the buck are you doing?” Twilight snorted, glaring at the batpony.

“I’m keeping an eye on a possibly hazardous situation, while preparing to kill an infected human,” Primrose said coolly, not taking her eyes off of me.

“Infected human?” Twilight asked, giving the batpony an incredulous look. “What are you talking… about…” Her words faded as she turned back to look at me, her eyes locking onto my arm. Her pupils shrunk as all color left her face.

Avera, confused as to why Twilight had fallen silent, followed the mare’s gaze to my arm. Her head jerked back and she snarled as she saw the blood. “Mother bucker!”

Trying not to focus on the throbbing pain in my arm, I slowly reached up to touch the bite mark that was clearly visible through the gaping hole in my jacket’s sleeve. As my fingers brushed the edges of the wound, I hissed in pain, causing all three guards to flinch slightly, their eyes locked on me.

Blood dripped slowly down my arm, staining the snow beneath me red as we all stood there, waiting for someone else to make the first move.

High above, the clouds darkened again, and the wind began to pick up. Bells continued to toll, echoing across the countryside.

Twilight sat in silence, staring down through the observation window at her human, who was currently pacing around the locked operation room by himself. He reminded her of a wild animal trapped within a cage, his eye darting around the room at random as he paced.

He had taken his shirt and jacket off, exposing his bandaged torso. Large black and blue bruises were slowly beginning to form across his body. He rubbed his bandage-covered hands together absentmindedly, cracking his knuckles every now and then in what Twilight assumed was supposed to be a calming gesture.

What’s going on inside his head? she mused as she continued to watch Max. What could he be thinking about right now?

As if hearing her silent pondering, Max’s head turned and he glanced up at the observation room above him. Even though the window was tinted so that he could not see her, his eye still found Twilight’s.

Her wings twitching by her sides, Twilight’s eyes slowly drifted down towards the glowing bandage wrapped tightly around Max’s upper arm. It was colored red, stained by the bloodied bite mark that lay beneath it.

The infected bite mark.

Lowering her head slightly, Twilight pawed at the floor with her hoof, biting her bottom lip as she eyed him closely. Upon first seeing the bite mark upon his arm, she had been sure that she had lost him.

Although ponies were completely immune to the virus, a bitten human would succumb to the symptoms within a few minutes of exposure. There was currently no known cure, meaning that once infected, the only thing to do was to kill off the human before it infected others.

However, that fact alone wasn’t enough for the Black-Vine Virus to be considered a level four hazard. No, it was what the virus did that gave it the grim nickname ‘the Undead Infection’.

Despite its name, the Black-Vine Virus was not a virus at all, but actually a highly aggressive mycotic parasite. The microscopic spores of an unknown fungus found deep within the Everfree Forest would infect any human unfortunate enough to inhale them.

Upon being bitten by an infected human, spores present in the infected human's saliva or blood would be immediately transmitted to the new host. Within three minutes of infection, the human would develop a nasty cough as the spores reached the lungs. At the five-minute mark, the human would begin to stumble and move erratically as the spores slowly began to congeal the blood within the human’s veins, giving them the blackened appearance commonly associated with the infection. Upon reaching the ten-minute mark, the human’s brain shuts down due to the lack of oxygen flowing through their circulatory system.

Fifteen minutes after being bitten, the victim is clinically dead, and the fungus has full control over the lifeless corpse. The fungus continues to grow and spread throughout the body, giving the infected human its signature horrific look. With a new host body under its control, the fungus would then use its new home to find more potential hosts.

The Black-Vine Virus was known to wipe out entire human ranches if precautions weren't taken, as Applejack had almost found out one fall. Luckily, they had been able to contain that outbreak, and the Apple family had only lost fifteen humans. They could have lost a lot more, considering the speed at which the fungus could travel from host to host. It was one of—if not the—most contagious and dangerous threats in Equestria.

But none of that explained why, despite having been bitten, Max was still not showing any signs of infection, four hours later.

Rubbing her tired eyes with a hoof, Twilight sighed loudly, trying to keep her hope from rising too high. She didn’t want to lower her guard, only to have him start showing signs. She didn’t think her heart could take it.

“Stupid Twilight,” she muttered to herself as she massaged her temples. “You should have sent one of the guards with him, even after Rainbow insisted that she could take care of him. You should have gone with him yourself!” Grunting, Twilight glanced back down at Max, who had stopped pacing and was now sitting with his back in a corner, head on his knees.

“Avera was right,” she said out loud, an ear twitching. “Trouble seems to follow him.” Sighing again, Twilight closed her eyes and ran a hoof through her disheveled mane. A weak smile touched her lips as she opened her eyes, tears building in the corners. “Certainly makes life interesting around him, doesn’t it?”

Staring down at her human, the tears continued to build until they were flowing down Twilight’s face. Please, she silently pleaded to any deity that was listening. Please let him get out of this alive.

The sound of the door to the observation room opening behind her snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. Rubbing her eyes hurriedly with a hoof, she glanced over her shoulder at the ponies entering the room. Avera, Primrose, and Ebony all looked at her as they entered, varying levels of weariness upon their faces.

Behind them walked Nurse Redheart, her pink mane devoid of the usual bun, cascading down her shoulders in a messy tangle of hair. She had dark bags under her eyes, and looked dead on her hooves. Twilight felt a twinge of sympathy for the nurse; she had just been about to finish a particularly long shift when they had rushed Max in.

Unfortunately for Redheart, she was the only pony in the hospital at the time that had medical knowledge of humans.

“So…” Twilight began, unsure what to say as Redheart approached the observation window. The three guards hovered in the background, ears perked as they listened in. Redheart just sighed before sitting down and taking a large gulp of coffee from a thermos she pulled out of her saddlebags.

“There is no easy way to say this,” she said as she lowered the thermos, “so I’ll just be blunt about it. Your human is a freak of nature.” Twilight opened her mouth to object, but Redheart pressed on. “No, I mean it. He is a freak of nature as we know it.”

“Why?” Primrose asked, her tone emotionless.

“Because,” Redheart growled, rubbing the bridge of her nose with the heel of her hoof, “after he willingly agreed to give us a sample of his blood, we ran some tests on it. He currently has thousands of Black-Vine Virus spores flowing through his veins, yet—” her voice became shrill as she jabbed a hoof at the window, through which Max could be seen “—does that look like an infected human to you?!”

“So, you’re saying that Max is indeed infected?” Twilight asked, her heart sinking fast in her chest as her eyes began to water again.

“Yes,” Redheart said, nodding her head firmly. Twilight hung her head, ears splaying backwards in despair. “However,” Redheart continued, causing Twilight to perk up, “he has shown no signs of succumbing to the infection.”

“So, you have no idea why he seemed to be unaffected by the spores?” Avera asked.

“I didn’t say that,” Redheart muttered. This caused everyone in the room to stare at her in shock.

“You’re saying that you know why he isn’t infected?” Primrose asked sharply, her nostrils flaring.

“Yes,” Redheart replied simply, nodding her head. The others waited for her to continue, but she remained silent, staring down at the human who was now pacing again.

“And the reason is…” Primrose asked after several, long seconds.

“His biology,” Redheart said, taking another sip from her thermos.

“Nurse Redheart, please,” Twilight sighed, rubbing her temples. “I know you’re tired, I understand that. You’re tired, I’m tired, I’m pretty sure they’re tired too—” she waved a hoof at the three guards, who all nodded in agreement “—but please, just get to the point. What is going on with my human?”

Redheart paused, her thermos half-raised to her mouth, and sighed before answering.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. That was unprofessional of me,” she said softly, lowering her head as her ears splayed backwards. Placing her thermos back on the ground, she rubbed her eyes with her hooves before turning and giving Twilight her undivided attention.

“Do you know the average body temperature for a human?”

“Yeah, eighty-six point three degrees,” Twilight said, cocking an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Do you know the average body temperature of your human?”

“Ninety-eight point six.”

“Yes, but at the moment he is running a fever of one-hundred-and-one, and it’s that fact alone that he is still alive,” Redheart claimed.

“Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m lost,” Avera huffed, glaring at the nurse. “What does his body temperature have to do with all of this?”

“Everything!” Redheart cried, whipping her head around to glare at the pegasus. “The spores thrive within the human body, the mixture of temperature and moisture providing them with an ideal environment. This causes them to grow at an alarming rate.

“With your human and his increased body temperature, however, it’s a different story. The spores cannot survive within his body at that temperature. They are there, but they are slowly dying without being able to infect any of his cells.

“In short,” Redheart concluded with a nod, “It’s your human’s heightened body temperature that is keeping him alive. The fact that his body can survive at a higher temperature than an Equestrian human is keeping the spores at bay, and is the reason he isn’t currently shambling along, looking for more humans.”

As Redheart finished talking, the others just sat there, staring at her with open mouths. Slowly, Twilight closed her jaw, swallowing loudly before daring to speak.

“So, you’re saying that Max will be fine?” she asked, her heart fluttering with hope.

“From what I’m seeing right now, yes,” Redheart said with a nod. A sigh of relief went around the room as everyone relaxed visibly at the news.

“That lucky bastard,” Avera breathed, shaking her head.

“Unfortunately, we're not out of the woods yet,” Redheart sighed, taking a sip from her thermos. “The spores are still within his system, which means he still has the ability to infect other humans should they come in contact with any of his bodily fluids: blood, saliva, mucus, urine, vomit, semen, anything at all.”

“Is there anything we can do to remove the spores?” Ebony asked, cocking her head to the side.

“No, but we don’t have to,” Redheart said. “His body is already doing that job for us, thankfully. At the current rate of decay, all the spores should be killed off and removed from his system within two or three days.”

“So, what do we do now?” Ebony asked, looking around at the others. Redheart rubbed the back of her neck, wincing slightly.

“I’m not sure. Nothing like this has happened before. Usually humans infected by the Black-Vine Virus need to be euthanized immediately to stop the spread, but since your human is still technically alive…” She shrugged, shaking her head slightly as she stared down at Max.

“Take him back to the library and keep him locked down for several days to prevent spreading. Allow no humans, or ponies who care for humans, within the library within that time frame. After four days, bring him back here and we’ll see if the spores are indeed gone.”

“Anything we should watch for?” Avera asked, glancing down at Max as well. Redheart just gave a strained laugh, throwing her hooves into the air.

“I don’t know!” she cried, her mane becoming more frazzled. “The human is currently carrying a level four hazard inside his body! Everything I’ve seen in the past, everything I’ve been taught, says that he should be dead!” Closing her eyes, Redheart took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

“Fever,” she breathed, opening her eyes again. “He’ll have a fever for the next couple of days while his body attacks the spores. He might be… loopier than usual. He also may be more prone to napping, though I’m not entirely sure. Also, he might show a disinterest in food as well. I’ll give you some pills that will help keep his temperature from going too high.”

“So, just watch him over the next couple of days?” Twilight asked. Redheart nodded as she capped her thermos and slipped it back into her saddlebags. “What if he starts showing signs of infection during that period?”

“Kill him,” Redheart replied bluntly, “or restrain him. Either way, I really shouldn’t be releasing him in this condition, but I’m so far out of my experience range that I can’t see the path anymore. Take him home, care for him, and pray that nothing bad happens. As for me, I’m going home.” With that, Redheart threw her saddlebags back onto her back, and exited the room promptly.

As the door clicked shut, Twilight and the guards stared at it for a few seconds before glancing around at themselves.

“Sooo… we just take him back to the library?” Ebony asked finally, her voice soft.

“It looks that way,” Primrose sighed, closing her eyes. “I’ll go get him. The big guy’s probably freaking out, especially after I threatened to kill him.” Hanging her head, the batpony trotted to the door. Opening it, she exited the room, Ebony close behind her.

As Twilight moved to follow the pair, she was stopped by Avera, who blocked her path with a wing. Twilight gave her a curious glance, which Avera returned with a blank look. Slowly, she reached into her saddlebag and pulled something out.

“Eat up,” she said simply, tossing the object to Twilight. As Twilight caught it in her hooves, Avera turned and trotted out the door, her tail flicking.

Glancing down at the object in her hooves, Twilight’s ears folded against her head as she eyed her crown. Slowly, and with great trepidation, Twilight placed the crown gently upon her head before turning and following after the guards.