Nigthmare rest beside me, her hoof rubbing circles on my burly chest. My left arm rest beneath her neck as we laid beneath the glorious full moon, the soft grass of the meadow brushing gently against our sides.

Her helmet lay off to the side, her wonderful mane flowing freely like a fog of mist. I rolled to my side so that we were face to face, her blue eyes looking deep into my own. My right hand slowly traveled down her side several times, stroking her soft velvety fur.

It was warm out, amazingly. For late November I was surprised it was still as humid as it was. Nightmare insisted that the weather pegasi weren't as proficient at weather control as they used to be. No doubt.

She breathed gently, mostly through her nose, her warm exhale brushing gently across my scarred cheeks. “How is it that you are here, with me?” she asked and I merely shrugged.

“A lot of planning, a lot of coincidence... all that kind of romantic stuff.” She pressed her muzzle to me cheek and gave me a wet kiss.

“I meant, how is it that you are here, in Equestria. You have said before that you used to live in a different realm, in a different world. How is it then, that you arrived here?” she asked and I was thrown deep into my memories, or rather, into Evan's memories...

September 16th, 2013,

Evan's perspective...

The most god awful noise went off, continuously... and in perfect, rather dreadful, harmony. My digital alarm clock blared it's tune, non-stop. I tried to sit up but ended up wobbling and falling off my bed, slamming into the tiled floor of my room.

“ARGGGH!” I gasped as I scrambled along the floor and to the blaring alarm clock, quickly slamming my fist down upon it and silencing the little cretin. I lay there on the floor, breathing heavily to myself. I looked to the clock. It was 3:30am. If I didn't skedaddle I'd be late for work.

I scurried around my room, slipping on some clean clothes. I skidded to a stop and slowly slipped on my holy necklace, whispering a prayer to the lord to have my Monday go smoothly. With that I slipped on my engagement ring then strapped my watch to my wrist and hit the illumination button. 3:34am, Monday, September 16th.

“Right on,” I muttered as I scattered down the stairs and onto the main floor of the old house. Scampering through the living room and kitchen, I nearly leapt down the entire flight of stairs and to the basement.

Skittering to a stop, I knocked on my... her, door. No answer. I knocked again but still didn't get a reply. “Hey,” I called out to the room. “You want a ride to work or not?” I asked outloud. There was a lumbering groan followed by a slurred swear.

“Aww... fuckch off!” she swore. I rolled my eyes. I could tell, just by her voice and the mood behind it, she wasn't hung over, she was still loaded.

“Well I'm leaving for work. If you want a ride then you have to get up now.” There was another few curses before she answered.

“Fucksshhhh... ffffine. Ffffuck I'msh... I'm up for fuckssh shakes...” Without waiting, I rushed to the basement door, slipping on my clean Terra work boots and making a sprint for my truck. Skidding to a stop, I took a moment to admire my beautiful beast.

“Morning, Cadance.” I greeted the truck by trailing my hand down the side of her box as I made my way to the driver side door. The door was buttery smooth to open, as if it were brand new.

I hopped into the driver seat and pulled down the sun visor before promptly catching the falling set of keys mid-flight. “And how are you this grand morning?” I asked before swiping the naughty key in her sensitive spot, the truck emitting a beep-beep.

“Indeed... guess I really know how to turn you on, huh?” I asked as I keyed the ignition. The truck rumbled to life, it's headlights illuminating the front yard which was surrounded by the forest.

I sat in the truck, waiting. Waiting... waiting. Not soon after, I saw my dog run up to the side of my truck. I opened the door and stepped out for a moment. "Hey-yah Ally. How are yah pup?” I asked the dog, who was not even close to being puppy aged yet I still addressed her as such.

She leaned against my legs, panting happily as her tail wagged. I patted her sides, scruffing up the hair on her back and scratching her behind the ears. She continued to pant, tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

“Oh... you're such a good girl, aren't yah? Aren't yah?” I asked in a bubbly voice. She stopped leaning on me and walked forwards, then looked back to me. I knew that look. She wanted to go for a walk.

“Aww... sorry Ally. I gotta go to work,” I told her and she gave me a sad look, knowing what that one word meant, just like she knew 'Treat', 'Walk', 'Home' and several others. “But I'll tell you what. Right after I get home, we'll go for a walk. I'll be back tonight, I promise,” I told her and she raced up, giving me several dog kisses. “Yes-yes, I promise,” I told her before standing up and wondering what was taking so long.

I looked to my watch. Quarter to. “What's taking her?” I thought to myself, knowing I had to be to the farm for at least 5am. I liked to be there for 4:30am just for the extra time but...

“Be right back Cadance,” I told my truck as I zipped down to the basement once again.

I knocked on the still closed door. “Hey uhh... uhm...” I got choked up on my words. I wanted to say mum, but just couldn't muster the will to do so. “You up?” I called out.

“Huh?! WHAT?!” She yelled out angrily. I sighed to myself. She had fallen asleep.

“Come on. I gotta go to work. If you wanna ride to your work you need to get up,” I called out. I heard her bed squeak before her feet stomped over to the door and it was swung open, her snarly face right into mine.

“Whatta yah want?!” she growled and me, nearly making me flinch.

“I just... I just... do you want a ride to work?” I squeaked timidly.

“NOW?! RIGHT FUCKING NOW?!” She nearly boomed, making me want to shrivel up into a microscopic ball, so small that she couldn't glare at me like she was doing right this moment.

“I just... well it's... I have to be to work too...” I whispered and she grumbled to herself, cursing me several times before stomping back into her room and slipping on some socks and shoes. She had passed out in most of her clothes, which reeked of booze. She had gone to work smelling like this before and I wasn't sure how she kept her job, but I didn't dare ask.

I walked quietly out to my truck, and she followed. Getting to my truck, she attempted to get in but with her equilibrium so thrown off by her intoxication, she slipped a little and fell over. I rushed to help her but she slapped my hand away.

“I dunn need yer fuckin' help!” she slurred at me before standing up and successfully getting into the truck.

I hurried to the driver side and we departed, rather hastily. It was usually a half hour to drive her to work, then a half hour to drive myself back to my work. If I didn't have to drive her it would take me barely ten minutes to get to work.

Not even five minutes into the drive she began to ream me out. At first I had no idea what for, she was just cursing at me.

Soon enough she pieced her thoughts together. “So I guess yer juss gonna fuckin' parade around all day again while I fuckin' work huh?!” she swore, making me sigh in a depressed way but she continued her verbal assault.

“All day I'll be fuckin' slavin' away and you'll juss be... 'Ohhh look a' me, I a fuckin' farmer... blahh...” Her speech was heavily slurred and she was brutally intoxicated... and taking her life's frustrations out on me. “You think yer so fuckin' special huh?!” she swore and I didn't answer. “Don't you?! DON'T YOU?! Fuckin' say something!” she yelled at me, making me flinch.

“I just... I just milk cows,” I whispered shyly, not getting into detail of the long run of things I truly do.

“And you just... I don't started work till seven a clocks... and fuck you cause... you're not driving me to work at the right time. You're driving me now! It's only four!” she screamed. I looked to the clock. 4:21am.

We continued down the large strip of road in the city, passing industrial buildings, gas stations, vehicle dealers, billboards and fast food restaurants.

“Well... I have to get to work too-” but she cut me short.

“Well fuck you, Mr. I'm higher than you. You juss think... you can drive me to work whenever you feel like it. You should... driving me at the proper time. I want to be to work at seven, not at four!” she yelled.

“But... like, what do you want me to do, just stop working, drive home then drive you to work, then drive back to work?” I replied in a most timid way but she was quick to the offensive.

“Well fuck you... I shouldn't even let you drive my truck!” she swore and I tossed my hands up.

“What truck? You don't even have a vehicle,” I replied and she scoffed.

“Oh no?! What the fuck are we driving?” she asked.

“My truck,” I replied and she laughed, cackled even.

“Ha! You fuckin' wishhh. You don't have anything! It's all fuckin' mine. I'm just letting you use my stuff. This is MY truck. I shouldn't even let you drive it!” she yelled at me and I decided to get onto an aggressive defense.

“What?! You didn't even throw in a penny for this truck. I paid for it! Me! ALL ME! I fucking paid every single cent for this truck and not a single person helped me. In fact, you all laughed in my face and said it was a piece of shit. Not a single one of you drunks helped me fix it up! But now, OHHHHHH, I'm the only one with a working vehicle cause your shit cars have broken down so OHHHHHH, it's your truck now cause...” I clenched my hands in frustration and she just scoffed.

“You wouldn't have anything if it wasn't for me! I'm you mother, so everything you own all belongs to me!” I wheeled into the cake making factory and pulled the truck to a stop, my body shuddering with emotion.

“Here... we're here...” I got a little choked up. “I... I love you,” I whispered and again she just scoffed.

“Pfft... whatever,” she got out of the truck without another word, slamming the door as she left and making me again flinch.

'Fuck her, don't let it get to you,' my conscious told me but I couldn't help it. I pulled away and started back tracking towards my own work. Puttering at the posted speed limit, I turned on the radio, hearing the most depressing song come on which made things even harder to bare. My whole life had been like this and... and nothing I could do could make her happy.

Before I could say much, a little ricer sped up behind me, starting to tailgate me and rev its engine before honking and flashing its lights. “Really... at 4:30 there's some dickhead in a ricer on my ass?” I asked myself as he tried several times to pass but found it implausible as there would be oncoming traffic or a lane meridian.

As we headed down the road, he continued to ride up my ass and I was tempted to brake check him but as we neared a set of red intersection lights where the road turned to four lanes, two each way, I smirked, coming up with a better strategy.

I pulled up into the left lane and he ripped up to the right, the windows of the white Mitsubishi Lancer all going down as a fume of narcotic smoke left the vehicle. Several white skid guys flipped me the finger as we sat idle at the red light.

“You think yer fast?” I asked one of them in a deep voice and he laughed.

“Faster than your rusty piece of shit, you hillbilly fuck,” the crackhead looking guy swore. I rose a brow and pointed to the next set of lights that lay further down the road.

“Those lights are about... half a mile down... whatta yah say punk ass? Think your plastic piece of shit can compete with my V8?” I asked and he laughed, revving his engine. Still in neutral, he pinned the accelerator, making the car backfire several times.

I just let my truck idle, rumbling it's diesel tune. “All you're going to see is taillights, you hillbilly piece of shit!” the driver called out. I smirked. Oh... I'd see more than taillights.

The light turned green and he screeched his tires, taking off like a bat outta hell. Not even a hundred yards down the street, hidden behind a billboard, a set of blue and red lights flickered on and a police Charger jumped out and into pursuit.

I was surprised to say the least, that the kid actually pulled over his car. I puttered by, waving to them as I passed. No doubt they'd have drug related charges, reckless driving and probably have their vehicle impounded and license revoked for doing far above the posted speed limit.

“Tah-tah kittens,” I chuckled to myself as I puttered away and past the set of lights. Eventually, and without further incident, I arrived to the farm, pulling my truck up beside the barn. I patted Cadance on the steering wheel. “We showed them, didn't we girl?” I asked before turning off the truck and hiding the keys back in the sun visor.

I slipped into the barn's office and got out of my clothes, quickly putting on some dirty barn clothes and dirty work boots which were falling apart due to the manure eating away at the fabric. Not five minutes into rushing along, the morning's conflict with... her, came to my thoughts, distracting me and putting me off focus.

I scraped all the wet straw and manure from the stables, and ran the chain link stable cleaner which dragged out all the manure from behind the cattle. Once it was finished, I scurried along and put down an abundance of fresh straw, most of the cattle laying down and chewing their cud while I did so.

Moving along with my morning to-do list, I began to clean out the feed alley in front of the cattle stalls. My morning conflict with her still bothering me to no end and even making tears dribble out of my eyes.

As I reached the end of the feed alley, I felt a mouth grab my belt and pull me back. “GUH!” I gasped in shock. The mouth nibbled at my side and I turned, the cow then lightly butting me with the broadside of her forehead.

“Uhh... h-hey mum,” I nearly whispered in a depressed tone, the cow, her real name being Autumn, butting me again. “Uhh... i-it's nothing,” I replied but the cow would have none of it and grabbed my belt with her mouth, pulling me to her stall.

I let out a deep, emotional exhale as tears started to flow from my eyes. “Teh... I just... I...” I huffed several time, almost in a whimper. The cow put her chin on my shoulder and forced me to sit, then began to brush her long, thick nose up and down my side in a loving way.

Moving her muzzle up to my face she began to lick my cheeks, licking away the tears. I couldn't help but start to sob, my breathing becoming heavy as I cried my sorrows, Autumn continuing to lick me in a loving way.

Soon enough she laid down and pulled me to her side, cocking her head around and resting it against my chest, letting me cry into the top of her forehead fur. I cried for what felt like hours, but only succumbed to a few minutes.

Feeling a headache coming on, I curled up against her side in the fresh straw and she held her head against me, like a... like a loving mother. Every so often she'd lick my hair and cheeks, letting out a soft moo. I petted my hand along her cheek, sobbing no longer but rather having the hiccups.

I laid like that until I realized it was getting late... err, well, later, into the morning. I rubbed her cheek several times before planting a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you,” I whispered to her before standing up and finished cleaning the feed alley.

With that done, I hurried to the mixer room, which was more of a long hallway filled with conveyors running from silos, and all leading into a big turbine mixer. I slipped into the mixer with a broom and began to clean off all the turbine blades, each one razor sharp. How I cleaned the mixer could be... frowned upon, by workers comp, but since farmers weren't unionized... I doubt a health and safety board rep would really come in at this time of the morning to bug me.

Cleaning out the excess feed, I hopped back out and hit the conveyor switch, the extra feed running into the feed cart. Most of the food could be emptied into the cart when the mixer was running with the feed door open, but the last forty or so kilograms had to be manually emptied or it could start to go bad.

I shut the feed door then ran the corn silage conveyor, dumping in a fair bit but stopping as my watched beeped at me. I'd have to finish this later, as it was time to start milking the cattle. Flicking off the conveyor, I moved to the milkhouse, where Scotty, my boss, was already prepping the place for milking.

“Mornin,” I greeted him and he looked to me with a tilted stare.

“Are you... okay? You look like you've been... crying?” he asked unsurely, having rarely seen me cry, but I just brushed it off.

“Cold I think... late nights. Really got to me,” I lied and he nodded.

“Ahh. Makes senses,” he replied as we grabbed the milkers and flicked on the milk pump. As we went along and milked the cows, Scotty told me several stories from the night before, mostly stuff about the Toronto Maple Leafs... hah. He kept saying about how this year it was going to be different. This year they were going to rock the house because they had a good roster.

Whichever, I didn't watch hockey... or sports even. He turned the subject to me. “So what's been new with you?” he asked and I shrugged.

“GTA V comes out tonight. Might go at midnight with Chad and pick it up... might uhh... have to take tomorrow off to play it, know what I'm saying?” I asked him and he just chuckled.

“Okay, well tell you what. I'll let you take tomorrow off, but when my wife and kids go on vacation, you let me borrow it, okay?” he asked and I nodded.

“Sure,” I chuckled, laughing all the while. Eventually we finished milking and he headed back to his house. He only ever came out to help with milking, I handled the rest. I cleaned up the milk house and started on my days to-do list, which included finishing the mix, feeding the cattle, etc.

As the day wandered into noon, Scotty returned. “Hey bud, I uhh... I'm going out with my wife for lunch so you'll be on your own today, okay sport?” he told me and I nodded with a bit of disappointment. His wife generally made me lunch which was always beyond good. She made the best lasagna, spaghetti, burgers... heck, you name it, she could probably make it better than expected.

“Yeah. I just gotta put a bale of hay to the pasture girls and I'll take lunch,” I told him and he nodded, then took off. I rolled my eyes then proceeded outside, grumbling to myself that Scotty's wife wouldn't be making me lunch. I got the loader tractor, using it to put a fresh bale of hay out to the pasture for the 'dry' cows.

Heading back inside, I switched out my dirty work clothes for my fresh M81 camouflage jacket and pants, along with my Terra work boots. My dress boots I called them, since they were the cleanest footwear I had. I used to have a pair of fancy dress shoes but the day of graduation, just before I left work to go to grad, I had to help a cow calve... and got afterbirth all over them, along with my dress clothes. Long story short, on my graduation day I wore these Terra boots and my camouflage pants.

I walked back outside and rolled up my sleeves as it was getting rather humid. However, just before I could do anything else, I took notice of movement off in the distance.

Squinting my eyes to get a better look I gasped. “FUCKER!” I snarled as I ran to Cadance. Opening one of the toolboxes, I grabbed out a stripper clip of shells. Moving to the opposite toolbox, I pulled Applebloom out of her case and jammed the stripped clip into the receiver and thumbed the shells into the magazine.

However, the gun only accepted five rounds, due to Canada's laws restricting semi-automatic firearms to five shots only. I removed the half empty stripper clip and racked on the bolt, loading a round into the chamber and racing up to the hay mow of the barn.

Scampering up high, I slid open one of the windows. In front of the window was a small loft with a soft bed of straw I had made for myself a few days prior, along with a set of binoculars. It was my sniper's nest. The bedding was perfectly level with the window so I could lay flat and aim my rifle straight outside.

I laid flat, resting the rifle down and grabbing the binoculars to take a better look. “There you are... you little bastard,” I whispered to myself as the coyote came trotting down the hay and barely fields and towards the cow pasture.

Scotty and I had both seen him on several occasions, always far too close to the pasture for comfort but when we'd go for the rifle in the barn, he'd be gone before we came back. I usually ended up seeing him when I was operating the loader while in the pasture... but today, was his unlucky day.

I scaled out the distance between us and he was a good five hundred yards, easily. “Shit...” I swore but my conscious spoke up.

'Shoulda taken Trillium... it's alright, just wait. He'll get closer,' he told me. I waited... and waited... and waited. Ever so calmly, he eventually made his way towards the pasture, finally getting within two hundred yards. I could've popped at him at three hundred, but I wanted to be sure. I wanted him in my comfort zone to make positive I got him good.

I slide the sight adjuster to the two hundred yard mark and rested the buttstock into my shoulder, cheek welded to the broad stock. My index finger slipped into the trigger guard and gently rested on the trigger itself.

I leveled the rifle, iron sights in perfect unison as I dialed in on the coyote's vital area. My eyes seemed to zoom in on him as I began to gently squeeze back on the trigger. 'No surprise for you,' my conscious said in an Arnie accent.

Just as I was about to hit the sweet spot of the trigger, two more coyotes, smaller ones, came mingling over, seemingly joyful and playful. They rushed up beside their... “UGH!”

My finger moved off the trigger as I watched the mother coyote and the two younger ones forage through the grass for mice. They weren't interested in the cattle... not even getting within fifty yards of the pasture fence... they were just rummaging through the cut hay for... food.

'You should shoot them anyway... just in case,' my conscious told me. I was about to oblige but then saw the two pups start to fool around and play, rather than hunt. The mother coyote called to them, obviously displeased with the shenanigans. I watched the... family... as cold blooded as I was I... I couldn't kill their mother.

My finger moved to the trigger once again.

But instead of squeezing the trigger, I flipped the old, robust, trigger safety, which was just a simple lever behind the trigger to restrict it from being pulled backwards.

I laid there and watched the family of coyotes mingle through the cut hay, the older pups... more like adolescents, fooling around for the most part. I continued to watch them play in the sun.

The warm rays heated my body, my jacket keeping my body heat condensed. I felt... kinda fuzzy... a warm tingly feeling washing over my body. I crossed my arms in front of my head and rested my cheek into them. The coyotes started to get farther and farther away from the pasture, looking for more mice or food.

As they reached the far out distance, my eyes started to get heavy, finding it harder and harder to keep them open. I lay there, watching the empty expanse of open field as the sun beat down upon it, myself resting in my sniper perch.

The warmth, along with the soft straw and cozy camouflage clothing, slowly cooed me to sleep...

The crack of thunder awoke me suddenly, making me jump. I shook my head as my vision focused into view. “Ahh... GWAHHH!” I gasped in panic as I finally took in the view.

Everything was dimly lit, gloomy... I stood up, heart beginning to race as I looked out to the empty expanse of fields, a dark fog covering the ground. Lightning crackled and sizzled, slashing long streaks across the ground.

The sky was filled with dark clouds that glowed a fluorescent green with each flash of lightning. I scrambled to my feet just as a flash of lightning boomed, not three hundred yards away.

The sky started to swirl, darkening as it did. I couldn't see very far into the distance, no more than probably five hundred yards. Everything was coated in some damn darkness... like a horrid nightmare.

I scooped up my rifle and scattered, figuring it to be safer in my truck than in the sniper nest. I could drive off... to town... screw that, past town... hell, anywhere but here. I scurried down the concrete ramp that lead me down into the tractor yard, a strike of lightning hammering the ground just a few feet beside me, the blast seemingly mystic and causing a kinetic force that tossed me sideways and through the air. I hit the ground, tumbling about and rifle flinging from my hands.

I groaned but my feet were already kicking as I scrambled to find my footing. A brief look to the sky made me wonder if this was some kinda F5 tornado or an ungodly act of nature. I was barely in a crouch as I launched myself forwards and into a full tilted sprint, scooping up my fallen rifle that had been tossed from my grip when I was thrown.

“CADANCE!” I screamed as I locked my view onto the red diesel truck. I moved faster than I ever believed I could, pushing my body beyond it's limits. Electricity seemed to be pulled up from the ground beneath my feet, crawling up my legs in static bolts. It felt as though my legs were going numb.

“Shit, shit, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!” I swore loudly. Just a few more yards... a few more feet. I planted my right foot forwards, bringing myself to a skidding stop just as I reached for the door handle of my truck. My hand gripped the chrome handle but just as I did, something brutally painful struck my body. As I opened my mouth to scream, I felt a burning flood of heat rush throughout my entire body.

My whole world seemed to flash a brilliant scheme of colors, yet I could still feel my body... feel it being stretched apart, warped...

The air was muggy and humid, the dark forest seemed calm and still as I lay there on the ground, face down. The sleeves on my M81 camouflage jacket were rolled up, allowing wet moisture to dampen my arms and give my skin an uncomfortable feeling.

As the cool dampness seeped into my matching cargo pants, I groaned and tried to roll over. Dirt and muddy grit was smeared onto my face as I continued to slowly roll onto my back. I groaned painfully as I finally flopped over. ‘Whatever that was… I don’t want to do it again,’ I thought to myself. I moved my right hand over my face and tried to wipe away the grit and sticky wetness, only managing to smear it more. The slimy ground residue clung to my hands like some sort of viscous snot booger...

Derreck's perspective...

I roared as I sat up, waking abruptly from my dream... his dream. The razor sharp, metallic, claws had erupted from between my knuckles when I woke, sticking out to their full length and dripping blood. I sat their for a moment before retracting them and looking to my side, where Nightmare had been earlier...

Only to realize it was just a dream. She hadn't really been here, and I hadn't been in a warm cuddly field with her. I was in a shitty room in Manehatten, one that was above a sleazy strip joint...

“Ugh...” I groaned as I flicked a cockroach off my arm. “Fucking place...” I groaned. I was originally going straight home, to Nightmare, but ended up taking a detour through Manehatten to stop and chat with Mr. Leone... then ended up being a bouncer for one of his, as he put it, nightclubs. Just for a few days. Said he had problems with the riff-raff lately and was hoping I could put an end to drunks harassing his 'Mares'... prostitutes, who doubled as dancers.

I stood up, the musk of sex and alcohol filling the air. I remembered back when Evan and I first arrived. I thought this world was all rainbows and sunshine... now I see the darker side... the bruise on the face of Equestria, hidden beneath all that makeup...

Third person...

Thick fumes of smoke filled the air of the main floor. A mare danced around on a stage, twirling around on a pole and had several rubby-dub stallions tossing bits at her, both regular bits and Luna bits.

The bartender served several drinks to already intoxicated ponies, some of which were polluted beyond comprehension. Some ponies mingled by themselves, having waitresses bring them drinks to their own tables, while some received private dances.

The backdoor to the club opened and a mare walked through. She had a cloak covering her figure. A small glint of light escaped from the confines of her clothing and she quickly pulled the cloak further over her body, concealing the blade as she walked into the club.

She took a quick scan of the area before heading to the bartender. Stepping up to the counter, she waited for a moment as he served a drunken stallion, who shortly after being served, puked beside himself.

She pulled back the hood of her cloak, revealing her facial features. She was a unicorn with a longer horn than most and a long blue mane with black streaks in it. Her eyes were a lighter shade of blue and her fur was soft and blood red.

“Excuse me,” she called out to the bartender. “Can you help me?” she asked and he nodded, pointing over to a door.

“Dressing room is that way,” he told her and she perked a brow.

“Excuse me?” she replied back in slight confusion.

“The dressing room... you're a dancer right?” he asked and the mare took immediate offense to the question.

“I am not some sleazy strip dancer!” she snapped and the stallion just exhaled with a roll of his eyes.

“Well... whatever you wanna call yourself, the dressing room is that way,” he commented and she scowled to herself.

“No! It's not like that. I'm looking for somepony,” she told him and he perked a brow.

“Ohh... well... huh-huh... okay, I can call a mare over. She's a really good one, and does the whole... female on female kinda stuff,” he replied back with a wink and again she was disgusted by his comments.

“No you idiot! I'm looking for a... a male, just let me explai-” but he cut her short.

“Hun... this is a stripclub... and I don't have any male dancers. But... for you... I could service you,” he said with a toothy smile.

“GUH! You perverted scumbag! I'm looking for this... they call him Burdy... err, Evan,” she informed him and he sighed.

“Well... I don't have any Evans... but I do have a Burdy,” he smirked and she gave him a simple, most unimpressed look. “Okay fine... but seriously lady, why did you come to a stripclub looking for a stallion to... ohhhhh...” he thought to himself, realizing that most stallions would come to his place in look of some action. The mare spoke up.

“So... do you know where this guy is? Word on the street is he came this way. He's a bigger kinda guy, and they say his friends call him Burdy... or 'The White Skull'. Apparently he can really knock some heads if need be,” she told him and he rubbed his chin.

“Nah... don't got no folks like that,” he told her and she dipped her head, cursing to herself. A shrew of cheers erupted near the dance stage as a mare came trotting out, dressed in western wear.

The cloaked mare took a look as the mare on stage started her act, dancing around erotically and really getting the crowd going. She twerked her bottom, flicking her tail to the sides and letting the crowd get a look at her rump, her nethers barely covered by her skimpy skirt and panties The bartender chuckled. “Ha... and I thought it was going to be a slow night,” he mentioned as the mare took to the pole, making some of the stallions pant and drool while tossing mainly Luna bits onto the dance stage.

The red mare just scoffed, turning her attention back to the bartender. “Do you know anything about him... where he could be?” she asked but the bartender just shrugged.

“I dunno... but yah wanna watch somethin' funny?” he asked but the mare shook her head.

“No.” She turned to leave but the bartender tapped her on the shoulder, gaining her attention. He rose a brow and pointed back to the stage. The mare on stage moaned lewdly as she lay on her back, sliding her moist panties off and flinging them into the crowd, two drunken stallions briefly fighting over them before one finally rose victorious.

The mare spread her legs wide as she continued her dance and the victorious stallion went to interrupt it, going to claim what he assumed was his for the taking. A whistled echoed out over the howls of the crowd, taking the drunk stallion's attention to a lone, dark figure nearby.

The dark figure shook his head then nodded to one side. The stallion shuddered then tossed the mare back her panties. She giggled gingerly then lassoed the stallion around the neck with her rope before slowly crawling forwards. The stallion stood still, completely hypnotized by the mare as she planted a wet, sloppy kiss against his lips.

She spun around and fluffed her tail beneath his chin, making him go light headed and lean forwards as she crawled away, giving him the briefest glance of what he could never have. As her tail trailed along under his chin, she slipped it away and the stallion flopped down, slamming his chin off the rail of the dance stage.

The bartender chuckled and he directed the red mare's attention to the terrifying presence whom was sitting by himself with more than a few dozen empty glasses. “You want somepony... err, a guy, who can knock heads? You talk to him. His name... is Derreck,” the bartender mentioned and she gave him a nod.

Just because he could frighten a drunk stallion by just looking, didn't mean he was a good fighter, but she was willing to check. She walked up to the figure's lone table. He was leaned back, hands resting behind his head and cowboy boots kicked up on the table.

“You here to try and kill me?” he asked and she was taken back by the question.

“W-what? N-no. Why would you ask?” she replied and he chuckled, taking his feet off the table and sitting upright.

“Because you don't belong here... you stick out like a sore thumb,” he mentioned and she blinked in confusion.

“I-I-I do?” she stammered and he nodded, leaning forwards and taking a sniff of her neck.

“Yeah. You do. I could smell your perfume the moment you walked in. Everyone else uses the cheap brand shit... And besides...” he trailed off and tilted his head, the mare following his look. In a flash his right hand grabbed at her. She barely had time to gasp but before she knew what was happening, he had unsheathed her knife and lodged it into the tabletop.

“Not many ponies around these parts have a fine, tempered steel, cutting blade... with pearlized grips... seems more like something an assassin would have but...” he stroked his finger down the engraved grips and blade which had writing written down it, writing which he couldn't read.

“Engravings give you no tactical advantage whatsoever. So who are you?” he asked, prompting the mare to take a seat. She took her seat and spoke.

“Evan?” she asked but he shook his head.

“Wrong answer bub. I know who Evan is, and you ain't him,” he said, breaking her out of thought.

“Oh, snap, sorry. I uhh, I meant, are you... Evan?” she asked and he grumbled, leaning forwards and snorting.

“Who-are-you?” he asked slowly, and most clearly. She shivered in fear from the tone of his voice.

“O-oh... uhh... heh-heh, sorry I uhh... lost in...” she met his terrifying gaze, yet, due to the lighting, couldn't make out his facial features... all she knee is that his one eye was glaring at her. “Echo! Echo Jewel!” she sputtered out. “My name is Echo Jewel and... I uhh... I'm looking for Evan,” she stated and the big man leaned back.

“Go on, Echo Jewel,” he told her.

“Well... you said you knew where he was and... I need his help with something,” she told him and he perked a brow.

“What kind of something?” he asked.

“Well... the kind of something I need a legendary warrior's help for. The rumors... err, the tales told about him... about 'The White Skull'-” she was cut short.

“Dammit... I wanted to be called The Punisher but nooooOOOOoooo... guy wears a white skull on his shirt, they call him The White Skull,” Derreck mentioned, putting Echo into slight confusion.

“Wha-what... I thought... hold on, are you Evan?” she asked but Derreck shook his head and pulled the duster coat to one side, revealing his black undershirt beneath with a white skull on it.

“No... I'm the... infamous, White Skull,” he told her.

“But I thought... wait, who are you?” she asked and he grunted.

“I just told you. The White Skull. Evan is... gone away for a little while. So I'm taking his spot,” he told her. “So... you need a legendary warrior's help... for what?” he asked.

“A stallion took something from me. I need to get it back,” she told him and he rose a brow.

“That sounds... rather lax. Call the police,” he told her but she sighed.

“I can't just call the police. He's hiding out in Sunset Hollows. If you think Manehatten is bad then-” Derreck cut her short.

“I know the place. The run down town, classified as a ghost town, forgotten by all, but is bustling with a gang of mismatched rejects from society... the very best don't yah know?” he told her. “And near the west coast of Equestria no less... aka, a long fucking walk from Manehatten,” he told her.

“Well... see, that's where your... uhm... the big motorized carriage thingy of yours comes in handy,” she mentioned but Derreck just scoffed.

“She's out of service for the time being. Even if Juggernaut did work... I don't hunt down ponies over theft,” he told her.

“You have to! If he gets away with this, he's going to destroy Equestria!” Echo told him frantically but Derreck just shrugged.

“So what is it, this thing, he stole... and if it's so bad it could destroy Equestria, why'd you have it in the first place?” Derreck responded.

“I'm a scientist... or rather, I was. Liquid, the stallion I'm after, we worked together in the science labs, creating magnificent things. But he soon lost track of what was good, and tricked me into building a weapon... a weapon which he stole and is going to use to destroy all of Equestria,” she told him and he just leaned back.

“So this... weapon. It's... what is it? A bomb?” he asked but she shook her head.

“No, no it's... uhh... it's a uhm...” she trailed off and Derreck just shrugged it off.

“Forget it lady. Tell the royal guards. They'll handle this,” Derreck told her.

“There's no time! If we don't hurry, he'll set it off and everything will end!” she yelled and Derreck just shook his head.

“Then what is it?” he asked and she fumbled with her words.

“Well, you see it's... well it's kinda hard to explain cause... well it kinda works like... it'll kill ponies of a certain gene code of his choosing... yah, yah that's it. Not like unicorns or pegasi in general, more like... ponies with... ugh, it's hard to explain to ponies without scientific knowledge. I'm trying to put it in words you'd understand,” she said, Derreck grunting.

“A biological weapon,” he mentioned and she nodded.

“Y-yeah... uhh, yeah, that's it. It's a genetic virus that specifically targets-” but Derreck cut her short.

“I don't give a shit. You wouldn't have enough money to pay me to do this,” he told her and she gasped.

“What?! But you're The White Skull. The long arm of justice! The one who punishes evil! Why won't you help save Equestria in it's darkest hour?!” she cried out and he shrugged.

In the back of his mind, a voice picked up. 'She could be telling the truth Derreck. Equestria could really be in trouble. We should at least see,' Evan told the big man who just shook his head.

“Call the guards. Tell them what you just told me. They'll get to it faster than I ever could,” he told her. "Or the Elements of Harmony. Whoever you tell, I don't care. Just stop telling me your problems."

“50,000... in cash. Plus, you'll be doing the world a favor,” she told him but he just snickered.

“No,” he told her and she bit her lip.

“Listen... I might not even be able to get to Canterlot to tell the royal guards. Liquid has sent assassins after me,” she told him frantically and Derreck just laughed.

“First you need my help cause a stallion stole something from you... then it turns out that something is a biological weapon that could destroy Equestria... then you offer me a huge sum of cash... now it's... you can't tell the guards or police because he's sent assassins after you. So what's next? The science lab you were working at never reported it because-” she cut him short.

“Because we developed it in secret. He burned his office and all the records of our experiment after he took the samples,” she told him and Derreck nearly burst into laughter.

“Ohh... oh goddess that's good. THAT'S RICH! Bwahahahahaha! Oh goddess yes! Kid... you shoulda been a comedian,” he laughed before promptly getting serious. “Kid... let's get one thing straight. Equestria is not in danger. And I'm not the kind of person to track down a lowly thief across continent. I-will-not-help-you!” he said right in her face.

She sat for a moment in silence, completely baffled by what she was hearing. “Tch... I can't believe it. This whole time... all the legends... no, not even legends, just rumors... they were all false. You're no hero. You're just a measly bouncer at a sleazy strip club in Manehatten. You're a coward. You're not even scary,” she commented as she retrieved her blade and went for the door. Derreck called out to the bartender for another shot as Echo neared the door.

Just as she reached the door, she accidentally bumped into a stallion. “Sorry ma'am. Here, let me get that for you,” he apologized politely before holding the door open for her.

“Thanks,” she gave him a nod of courtesy as she left, the stallion also leaving out the door. Derreck peered to the door just as it shut, thinking to himself, Evan's voice calling out to him.

“Derreck... we're not doing anything. Hell, we're just drinking. Would it hurt to take a look?” he asked and Derreck nodded.

“Yes... it would hurt... a lot,” he commented as he downed his shot glass of vodka.

Outside, Echo trotted down the back alley leading out of the club, cursing to herself. From behind her called a voice, the one of the stallion whom had held open the door for her. “You know... it's dangerous for a pretty mare like yourself to walk out at night, all alone.”

Echo turned to him, still trotting away. “Sorry bud, you'll have to think of a better pickup line than that,” she commented, figuring him to be another vagrant drunk from the club.

He let out a sigh. “Well... damn... too bad. That was the best one I had. Guess we'll just have to take you out now then,” he commented.

“Who's we-” Echo was cut off as a thick, burly stallion slammed into her side, bashing her against the brick wall of the alleyway.

She went for her knife but a second stallion jumped at her, punching her hard in the gut. With the wind knocked out of her, she wheezed and doubled over, falling completely into the burly stallion's grip. A third attacker joined in and grabbed her knife, disarming her completely.

The bigger stallion threw her to the ground, her body slamming off the hard pavement with a THUMP! The stallion with Echo's knife went for the kill but the original stallion called out.

“HEY! Don't kill her just yet! I like my mares warm and living,” he told them, the big stallion calling out in a dopey voice.

“But boss... Liquid said we gotta kill her right away.” His voice betrayed his rather low intelligence.

“I don't care what Liquid said! I want a piece of that ass before we kill 'er, a'right?!” he cursed at them. “Now hold her still, it'll only take a minute before she stops fighting back,” he ordered them.

Echo squirmed in their grip as the stallion walked up, pulling the flaps of his own cloak to the side and revealing his already erect phallus. The stallion went in for what he so desired but she kicked at him, one of the stallions quickly grabbing her hindlegs which she then tried painfully to hold together but the bigger stallion pried them apart for their leader.

The lead stallion ripped off her cloak, shredding apart it's silky fabric as he did so. “Damn... looks tight... won't be when I'm done though!” he laughed as he aligned himself over her.

There was a cough from down the alley. “Ahem... colts,” called out a burly voice, gaining all the stallions' attention. “Didn't your mamas ever tell you not to hit a mare?” his deep voice echoed in the alley.

He tipped up his cowboy hat, revealing his facial features for the first time that night. “Maybe I'll have to refresh your memories...” he trailed off as he cracked his knuckles. The big stallion stood up and rushed at him.

“I'm gonna hurt you bad!” he said and Derreck chuckled, stepping into a defensive stance.

“Oh, I'm sure you will,” he stated as the stallion went to ground tackle him. In a flash of movement however, Derreck sidestepped the stallion and tripped him. As the big hulk of muscle fell however, Derreck hammered a punch into the stallion's chest and sent the stallion hurtling back towards the group of would-be assassins.

The muscly stallion stood back up and charged the big man once again. This time however the big man let the stallion plow into him but held his body rigid, not even moving an inch from the hit.

The stallion gasped just as the big man grabbed the back of his head then shoved his face into the brick wall, crushing his skull.

The man looked back to the group who seemed rather stunned. “I love hitponies... whatever I do to you scumbags, I won't feel bad,” Derreck told them. The one with Echo's knife let out a yell as he charged forwards, swinging the blade wildly.

Derreck dodged each swing with a tilt of his body, never once having to use his hands or arms to block a swing. The stallion tried for a stab and Derreck grabbed the pony's wrist, twisting it before hammering it back into the stallion's throat.

The stallion tried to gasp but only managed a gurgle as blood filled his lungs and he collapsed to the ground in a growing pool of his own blood. The leader stallion stepped forwards, his cloak once again shrouding his body.

The last stallion looked to the battle, his attention drawn away from Echo. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she jammed her horn into the stallion's neck, trying to aim for the same place she had seen Derreck stab with her knife.

Her horn impaled the stallion's throat and caused him to gasp, gaining the lead stallion's attention. With his attention drawn away, Derreck moved like lightning, drawing out Evan's favored Desert Eagle and snapping a quick shot at the leader's right front leg.

In a crimson of blood, the stallion's leg was blown clean off, severed at the elbow. He let out a howling scream that was silenced by a second gunshot, one which tore off his hind left leg, making him scream all the more.

Derreck walked up and stepped on one of his stumps, making him scream in utter agony. Drawing the sights of his handgun to the stallion's head, he spoke. “Take it off,” he said, motioning to his cloak which was beginning to soak in blood. Derreck took his foot off the stallion's stump to allow him to remove the attire.

The stallion, through grunts of pain, managed to speak. “What?” he whimpered.

“Fine coat like that... and you're bleeding all over it. Besides, you ripped up her's... so yah gotta pay her back. Take it off,” he told him once more. The stallion, rather painfully, removed the cloak.

Derreck knelt down. “So... where's your boss?” he asked and the stallion just winced and refused to speak. Cracking the hilt of the handcannon's grip across the stallion's jaw, Derreck made his question all the more clear. “I can blow off your boys... or you can tell me,” he said and the stallion was quick to speak as he felt the cold chrome barrel of Belladonna press against his testicles.

“Sunset Hollows... he's... Sunset Hollows,” the stallion gasped in pain. Derreck nodded.

“Thanks,” he thanked the pony before putting the barrel to the hitpony's head and blowing it clean off, spewing crimson across the alley behind the pony's body. Echo was left in complete shock, having never in her life seen something so grotesque and sudden.

Derreck grabbed the four bodies, dispensing them all into a nearby dumpster before tossing her the spare cloak. “Rule number one... ponies are gonna die,” he told her in a deep voice.

“Huh?” she asked in confusion.

“Well... you wanted my help... now I'm willing. But I got rules, and the first one is... ponies are going to die,” he told her.

“But wait... why all of a sudden are you willing to help me?” she asked in further confusion.

“When a random mare approaches me and says someone stole something from her, and that something is a weapon that can end Equestria but she can't go to the authorities, yet she'll offer me a slew of money to help get it back... I'm left a little suspicious about who she truly is... but these guys stood out like a sore thumb in the bar. They were watching you the entire time and left the moment you left... and his story matches up with yours... so now I'm willing to help finish this puzzle, but are you?” he asked, wiping the blood off her horn and face. She blinked for a moment before her brain registered everything. She nodded to him.

“Yes... but we'll have to hurry. When Liquid doesn't hear back from these guys, he'll start to get paranoid,” she told him but Derreck just smirked as they started out of the alleyway.

“Don't worry bout that, I got it covered,” he told her and she perked a brow.

“I thought you said your motor carriage was out of service?” she asked and he nodded as they left the alleyway.

“It is... but it's not the only one,” he said as they walked out onto the dim streets of Manehatten. He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and thumbed a button. Down the street, parked by the curb, a big, sleek car beeped in response, it's headlights flashing briefly as the vehicle was unlocked.

The car was of steel construction, gleaming brightly in the night moon. Much to Derreck's disappointment, Flim and Flam hadn't made a perfect copy of the Gran Torino. It still held heavy inspiration from the Gran Torino, but the back was angled more like that of a Chevelle SS as opposed to the longer mid 70s Gran Torino trunk. It also had small bits that looked more like that of a Dodge Charger, namely the taillights, among a few other things. The rest of the car however, doors, fenders, grill and hood, all took inspiration from the Torino.

It was bright red, with a white streak down each side. “This thing... will get us there... fast,” Derreck told Echo who walked over and ran her hoof down the front fender of the muscle car. It was so smooth that her hoof just glided along without much friction.

“Wow...” Echo mentioned and Derreck smiled.

“Real piece of Equestrian machinery. Flim and Flam made it for me. I call her-”

Author's Notes:

So, a long time ago me and another author did a roleplay, nothing serious at the time, but then it actually did get serious and he asked me if I could/would include it in the story. At first I had no idea how I'd ever make it tie into the story seeing as how I'm in the late stages of the story, but then I figured out a way. So mind me while we take a slight detour. Oh, and I got a new toy, sorry about the video resolution, but it's f*%king awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhP4sz8APvc