Isaiah looked up and spotted the moon, watching it slowly rise from the east and into the midnight sky. Even the moon seemed different to him. The brightness that came from the orb of the night blanketed the forest in a gentle glow.

Even the moon looked bigger and brighter, something I don't mind.

After giving the Chupacabra a final look, he set off for the shelter.

The creatures of the forest were silent as the man strode through the dark timberland. Limbs of trees swayed back and forth as the breeze silently traveled through the branches. For once, Isaiah felt calm and relaxed; something he hadn't felt ever sense he somehow got here. He wished for nights like these back in Texas; never having to worry about the infection or the threat of bandits wanting to raid or slaughter the inhabitants of Dustin.

"If only my friends and family would be here with me..." He thought.

Now with the thought of family in mind, he remembered the situation he was in.

"Man, I wonder what they are doing right now. They probably think I decided to go scavenging alone and got killed. I just hope they are doing alright." Theorizing in his head.

Carefully stepping over the rust mines he placed down, he entered his metal home. He then gently removed the bandages that cover his wounded leg, and replaced them with new ones. The solar panels that John and Ramiro removed for him were still leaned up-against a shelf that held many items.

"I should get those set back up," Thought the lonely human. "I'll do it tomorrow."

Placing myself on the hammock, I pulled-out a box from under the unstable bed. Opening it, I grabbed a picture of my family from the black box. My family were all laughing enjoying them selfs in the picture. I couldn't remember where it was taken, but I don't really care. Sighing, I then placed the picture in my jacket. Laying down on the hammock; I then fell asleep.

<><><><><><>

Canterlot castle

8:45 PM

Celestia stood silently in front of a window in the spacious throne room. Pearl white marble columns supported the high ceiling of the throne room. A red carpet traveled from the large wooden doors to the golden throne.

The report that Luna had sent about the encounter of the Brutes lingered in her mind.

I told her that she was making a mistake...

The goddess of them moon had sent a request of more Royal Guards to be sent to the outpost on the edge of the Everfree. As much as Celestia hated to admit it, the only way for the beasts to be removed is by physical force. She dreaded the idea of sending more of her ponies to the deadly forest. Strangely, she wasn't extremely upset with Luna, she was just trying to do the right thing.

The older sister looked out the window and observed the moon slowly rise from the east. Deciding to call it a night, she went off to bed.

<><><><><><>

Somewhere...

4:35 AM

Isaiah woke up to a howl from outside of his metal shelter. He jumped to his feet and grabbed a machete that was hanging on a shelf. Carefully stepping by the solar panels that laid on the floor he made his way to the door. Creaking it open slowly, he searched for the predators that hid in the shadows. Studying the ground around him, he noticed the rust mines that he placed the other day. Stepping back he grabbed the detonator that laid on top of a olive green crate. With renewed reassurance, the man stepped out of the shelter. A rustling bush to his ten o' clock gave the tall-tale sign that something was behind it.

Taking a breath he yelled. "COME OUT YOU LITTLE FUCK!"

Rage filled his voice as he yelled at the damned animal, trying to intimidate it. Snarling and barking could be heard from the tree line that was directly in front of him. Rising the machete up and standing into a defensive stance, Isaiah waited for their first move. One of the creatures that he'd called the Chupacabra sprinted out of a bush, with blood-thirst in it's eyes. Taking one step foreword, he sent a steel toed boot to the head of the creature; only stunning it. Reeling his machete wielding arm back, he sent the blade into the neck of the 'Chupa'. Pulling the now-bloodied machete out, the man returned back to his stance. Three more of the deformed dogs rushed out of the thick vegetation and charged at him. Realizing the situation he was in, Isaiah backpedaled in to the safety of the metal house. Right as he slammed the doors shut, the freaks impacted the metal doors with their claws. Seeing it as the perfect chance to kill them, the man picked up the detonator. After stepping back a few steps, he slammed the activate button. When the electrical pulse coursed threw the wire, ending with a deafening bang as the mines activated.

Once Isaiah let a few seconds pass by, he silently opened to door. The mines did kill two of the three dogs that had charged him, but the third one somehow survived the spray of rusted ball bearings. Dismissing the third dog, he grabbed a pair of work gloves and started to drag the bodies of the beasts away from the camp.

After he cleaned up the area, the man inspected the tree line one more time before trying to go back to sleep.

<><><><><><>

Everfree outpost

4:38 AM

An echo of a explosion came from a mile away and woke Princess Luna from her sleep. Getting up from the comfort of her bed, she trotted to the flaps of the tents to take a look outside. Guards could be seen waking up from their slumber in confusion.

"Seems like I'm not the onlypony who heard that..." The goddess thought to herself.

"Princess Luna, is there something troubling you?" Asked one of her personal guards.

"Seems to be..." Luna whispered.

Luna turned to the personal guard. "As soon as the morning sun rises, I want multiple groups to search the area and reveal what has caused the source of the disturbance." Commanded the Princess.

"Yes you're majesty." Replied the guard as she bowed down to her.

With those final words, Luna returned to her personal tent and tried to fall back to asleep.

<><><><><><>

Somewhere...

9:56 AM

Isaiah got up from his bed slowly. After the incident with the dogs, he didn't really get any sleep. Groaning from the lack of much needed sleep. He looked to the back. The personal armory was set in the far back of the joined cargo container. He'd stolen majority of the weapons and ammunition, that were stored behind locked bars. Shotguns, assault rifles, and handguns were locked and tucked away under a blue tarp. The rest of his metal home was full of shelves that lined the walls. Things like tools, scrap metal, scrap electronics, survival gear, and even a workbench and reloading bench stood next to each other. Next to his hammock was a crate fill of personal items.

Even though he'd planned to set the panels back up into running order to power up the electronics inside, he needed to secure his little camp from the animals in the forest. Isaiah planned out what and how he wanted to protect his campsite. Glancing over the tool section, he picked up a shovel and a hatchet. The lonesome man cautiously opened the door. Looking down to the dirt floor of the forest, dried blood of the chupacabras stained the ground. Searching the perimeter of the site for any more of the dogs. Getting ready to setoff in to the forest, his actions were interrupted by grumbling from his stomach.

"Oh right, food. Maybe theres a deer out there..." The man thought.

With those final words Isaiah grabbed his Mosin Nagant, attached a 5x scope and left.

<><><><><><>

Everfree Forest

10:25 AM

This had been the second time Luna and her guards had been inside the forest. Tension was high as they moved silently through the trees and bushes. Learning from her mistake from the last time she was in the dreaded forest, Luna brought an extra squad to accompany her. They strode deeper into the mysterious forest. After a explosion from the north-east had waked majority of the occupants of the outpost next to the Everfree, the Princess of the night saw to it that she and her guards find the location and source of the disturbance.

After an hour of marching in the forest, searching for the brutes, they had discovered a stream with crystal clear water running through it. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing that her back-up was lightly panting, she gave them the go ahead to fill their canteens.

"You're majesty, theres something you might wan't to see this..." Asked one her private guards who were still with her.

Doing as was requested, she trotted over to the crowd of guards who were surrounding the cause of commotion. A guard whispered to the others around and they dispersed the object of concern.

There, on the leaf covered ground, laid a dead Brute with a hoof-sized hole in it's head.

"What could of caused this?" One of the guards commented.

"I honestly don't know..." Whispered another.

<><><><><><>

Somewhere...

10:27 AM

Small gentle breaths pass through the shemaug that Isaiah wore as he looked through the scope of his rifle. Just about forty-feet away in front of him were three deer eating away at the grass. Focusing the crosshairs on the lungs of a elder buck, he slowly started pulling the trigger. Felling the resistance on the trigger about giveaway, the trio of deer sprinted out of his line of sight.

"Fuck..." As he said as his stomach grumbled.

The man got up in defeat and made his way over to the stream that he killed the first chupacabra.

"I I'm lucky there might be some small game along the way there."

<><><><><><>

Somewhere...

10:33 AM

The lone man gently smiled as he heard the sound of water. Learning from his past mistake from the visit he searched the area for more of the messed-up dogs. Rising to scope to his eyes, Isaiah caught a flicker of light reflecting off of something in the distance. Changing the focus on his scope, he gasped from what he saw on the other end.

Are those horses?

Is that armor?

Are those wings and horns on them?

Am I insane?

Poor Isaiah couldn't make heads or tales of the situation. Their mouths appeared to be moving as if they were talking to each other. There was a bigger horse that had both wings and horn on it's body. It had a dark blue coat that reminded him of the dark sky when the sun would be setting. The mane and tail were a persian blue, but what was odd as the horse it's self was that it's mane and tail were moving like there was wind blowing threw it; but there was no breeze. A weird looking brand adorned her flank, he could make out the shape of a crescent moon. The blue horse-thingy wore a breast plate, some strange horseshoes, and a unusual head garment.

"Pfff, looks like a crown." Chucked the confused man.

Slowly pulling the scope to the direction of the small guards, he noticed the concerned looks on their faces. They got into what seemed to be a defensive stance, circling the blue one.

"Uh-oh, that doesn't look good". Thought Isaiah.

What sounded like a scream came from one of the the smaller horses. Aiming his 5x scope, he could see a large pack of eleven Chupacabras sprinting towards the circle of armored horses.

"Should I help them? It would be the right thing to do, but then again I would be placing my self in danger... fuck it. I'm helping the damned horses."

Sprinting closer to the fight he could hear the screams of the armored horses. Isaiah almost tripped when he heard one of them yell the words 'Look out'.

"What the fuck?! They speak english?! I'm really not on Earth anymore!" Screamed Isaiah in his head.

The man slid behind a tree and climbed it as fast as his body would allow it. Using a 'Y' shaped branch as a stand, he aimed for the lungs of a hound that was about to pounce on the blue one. Pulling the trigger, the round zipped threw the air and slammed into the lungs of the attacker of the blue horse. The blue one yelped in surprise. He loaded another round into the chamber and aimed at a dog dragging a wounded winged horse. Firing the second round, it connected to the head of the animal. A armored horse's horned glowed, picked up it's wounded friend up and dragging it closer to the group of horses.

"What the fuck?! Did it...just?" Gasped the man in the tree.

What was left of the fighting group of horses were obviously confused by the shots that were killing the hounds around them. The hounds ignored their falling pack members and resumed attacking their pray. Feeding in another round, Isaiah aimed at a black canine that was on top of one of a horse who didn't have a horn or a pair of wings. The Chupacabra wen't limp and fell to the dusty floor. After pulling the bolt back, he realized that he was out and needed to reload. Loading in a stripper clip, pushing the ammunition down with his thumb and removing the clip. When he looked back up, the group of horses were pulling back. Jumping down from the safety of the oak tree, he moved closer to the group.

He could hear the commands of the blue one as she was giving orders out to her guards.

"Ok, it's a girl...or would she be a mare?" Isaiah questioned himself.

Stepping out of cover to get a better view, Isaiah shot at a light-grey hound who was behind a armored horse. The group turned around and stared in shock at the hooded man.

"Behind you!" Screamed the blue mare.

Turning around, the shooter was knocked down as claws dug into his chest. With the blue one knocking the chupa off his back, the man removed the bayonet off his rifle and stabbed the dog in the neck. The remnants of the pack sprinted away into the forest, with their tails between their legs. Groaning in pain the man got up and dusted himself off.

"HALT CREATURE!" The horse commanded.

"Sheesh, is that how you treat people who help you?"

"You can speak?!" She gasped.

"Um...Princess Luna, something big is making it's way to us!" Said a concerned guard.

"Uh, thats a strange name. Explains the brand on her hindquarters." Thought Isaiah.

"After we're done with this I demand that you explain you're self." Commanded the blue horse named Princess Luna.

"Sure, as long we're alive after whatever is moving closer to us is dead."

The horse just looked at him strangely.

"And if we do live, I would like some answers too." Requested the wounded man.

"I could agree to that."

A roar could be heard in the dark forest. The eyes of the smaller horses widen, some of them even shaking a little. The now not-so-alone human stuck the bloody bayonet back on his rifle, ready for more.

"Surround the wounded!" Yelled a horned horse.

"Do you know what we are dealing with?" Isaiah asked.

"Manticore." She replied.

The man asked stared at her in confusion.

"You know, giant lion-like creature with a pair of bat wings and a scorpion tail."

"Oh! That thing, yeah I've seen one awhile back." He grunted.

The cat-hybrid charged out of the shadows of the forest and set it's yellow eyes on one of the normal horses. Before the 'normal' react, the Manticore steam-rolled into the horse; crushing it with its mass. Next to the man, one of the horned ones charged it's horn and fired a strange burst of light from it.

What the hell...

Isaiah knew that the 7.62x54R wouldn't do anything but piss it off more. Searching the pockets of his jacket, he felt the pin of a grenade.

"Luna, was it? Use you're weird super-power thing to jam it's mouth open!" Demanded the man with a grenade in hand.

"You mean magic? Why would I do that?" The princess shouted.

"I have a plan, trust me." He pleaded.

Doing as told, Luna ripped a oak tree right out of the ground and threw it at the massive beast. The tree lodged it's self into the mouth full of jagged yellow teeth. Isaiah pulled the pin of the fragmentation grenade and tossed the baseball sized explosive into the mouth. The manticore opened it's cat-like eyes in confusion as the hand-held explosives rolled down it's throat.

"Cover you're ears! " Yelled Isaiah as he sprinted away.

Four seconds passed before the explosives detonated.

Bits and pieces of the mutated Garfield were flung every where. The horses stared in shock at the remains. Isaiah on the other hand...

"AHH FUCK! MY LEG!"

The Princess turned around to see him passed-out on the ground with a shard of manticore bone sticking out of his leg.