Everything is pain. That's all I can feel, even as awareness returns to me. Let me just go through a diagnostic here: so my head is hurting like a bitch, my throat is sore, my ribs are aching something fierce, I can feel multiple surface wounds on my arms and legs, and then lastly it feels like there's acid in my stomach. Wait, there's always acid in my stomach. Fucking...so like normal, only I can feel it.

I become aware of a steady beeping sound, as well as a persistent pinching sensation on the inside of my elbow. I've felt something like this before...so I must be in a hospital. Oh dear, my mother must be worried sick. I wonder if Amaryllis is here yet. She was there last time I had surgery.

I open my eyes, and the sight of a white ceiling greets me. Yep, white. I'm definitely in a hospital. I can't seem to remember why I'm here, though. Did I get a concussion? Because that would explain my lack of memory and my aching head.

A soft pillow cradles my head, and soft sheets are covering me up to my waist. That draws attention to the fact I'm wearing a simple piece of cloth. It feels heavenly. I shift my head, wincing at the pain, in an attempt to get a better look at my surroundings.

The first thing I see is a fucking white pony wearing a nurse outfit sitting on its haunches near the door, . And then my memory comes back. I groan, resisting the urge to rub my forehead. Right, right, I'm in a world filled with stupid talking ponies.

“Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling...” the nurse pony exclaims after hearing my voice. She looks down at a clipboard she's carrying. “Mr. Rogers?”

I ignore her at first as more of memory comes back. Right, lots of things have changed. I...have a friend, one that I used some crazy ass magic to save. I still don't know how I did that, nor exactly what happened. That memory is just a blur filled with explosions, darkness, and rage.

“Sir?” the nurse prompts, much to my annoyance.

“Shut up and let me think a moment,” I snap at her. She recoils, taken aback by my sudden vehemence. Suddenly...I remember something. “Where's Rainbow?”

“Miss Dash? She's in the bed next to you,” the nurse tells me, still looking hurt at my callous words.

I almost freak out, thinking that she meant Rainbow was literally in the bed with me, but after a bit of looking around, I notice not only the IV stuck into my arm (which makes me wonder how long I've been unconscious), but also that there's another bed, a few feet away from my own. Rainbow is fast asleep upon it, lying on her side. Her wounds are bandaged and her hurt wing is in a cast, but she's not hooked up to an IV like I am.

“How long was I out?” I feel obligated to ask.

“Three days, sir,” the nurse responded helpfully. I wince at that figure. Well, that explains why I needed an IV.

“Shit. What all was wrong with me?”

“Unfortunately, we don't know much about human anatomy apart from what we've learned from the findings of archaeologists, so I can't give you an exact answer.”

“I figured as much. Do the best you can.” I should hope not. Even humans themselves didn't know everything about our own bodies. Like, for example, what the fucking appendix does. So there's a problem if she could tell me everything.

The nurse swallows nervously. “Okay. First and foremost are the multiple surface lacerations, and contusions, possibly caused by your encounter with the Scorpios.”

“Wait, how the fuck do you know what I fought?” I demand.

“Mr. Rich and his daughter both gave their statements to the town guard. It seems you four went through quite the ordeal. I can't even imagine what it was like.” Now the nurse is wearing a sympathetic expression. You're right. You can't. I can hardly imagine it myself, since everything is still a little fuzzy.

“Why does medical have that kind of information? Shouldn't incident reports be classified?” I question. I wonder if their police departments are anything like our own. The nurse blinks, nonplussed.

“Why would they be? It's everypony's right to know what happens around them. Besides, how are we supposed to properly treat you unless we know the cause of your injuries?”

“A fair point. Guess your political structure is less shady than I expected,” I admit. If something like the Scorpios had attacked a rural town like this one in my world, chances are it would have killed everyone, and then the government would cover it up to prevent widespread panic. You know, instead of recognizing their right to information and then setting up contingency plans to reassure civilians in the case of repeat attacks. The nurse looks like she's about to ask me about that, but I don't feel like explaining it, so I cut her off. “Now, what else did you find wrong?”

“Our X-Rays also picked up several fractured ribs, which we've since set. They should be healing nicely, provided you don't move around very much for a few hours,” she continues.

“Okay, stop right there. I have broken ribs, and you're telling me they've already healed? It's only been three days!” That's just bullshit. Not to mention they have X-Rays? If that's the case, then they have computers. Or are they getting results through other means? Wait, no, I'm hooked up to a heart monitor. That in and of itself is a computer. So then why doesn't Ponyville have them?

“Well, of course. Broken limbs aren't that much of an issue. It just requires a little magical expertise to set them, and jump start the healing process,” the nurse responds like it was no big deal.

“So...magic?”

“That's right.”

“Everything's done by magic. Fucking magic,” I groan to myself, and I rub my forehead in exasperation. “What about my internal injuries? I know I must have had some.”

“Like I said, sir, we don't know anything about your internal make-up. So we did the best we could with special ointments that promote healing.”

“That's some of the biggest bullshit I've heard so far,” I snap. “I distinctly remember spitting up blood when I was in that forest. You're not even going to try and look for the source?”

The nurse has the decency to look chastened at my words “I...I'm sorry, but we can't risk performing surgery on a complete unknown like yourself. Not without further study.”

“Which isn't happening.”

“Which can't be done without your consent, according to Equestrian law” the nurse agrees. So there's actually a law that says you can't cut someone open because you don't understand them. One more thing about this time that's better than my own. I'd still trade it all away to see my family and friend one last time.

“Good. What about Rainbow? How bad is she?”

“Her injuries were more severe than your own. According to Mr. Rich, Rainbow fought the Scorpios for at least half an hour before you arrived,” the nurse explains.

My eyes widen at that. Holy shit. I look back at Rainbow, a whole new respect for her blossoming within me. She fought that thing off for that long? Thirty minutes while in combat is a long time. Sure, she can fly, but to protect Diamond Tiara and Filthy Rich, she'd have had to stay on the ground to keep the Scorpios from ignoring her and killing them. Rainbow Dash. What a fucking badass.

“Besides the expected external injuries, like your own, she suffered fractures in her back leg, right wing, and several ribs. They're well on their way to healing now, however.” The nurse then proceeds to smile, despite my jaw dropping at how hurt she was. If I hadn't shown up when I had...she'd be beyond dead. “You did well, saving her. She's well liked by the townspeople. It would have been an unspeakable tragedy if...the unthinkable had happened.”

“Right, whatever.” I dismiss her praise uncomfortably. Honestly, I should be dead too, by all rights. I only made it through that because I apparently have bullshit magical powers of self-injuring convenience that came out of nowhere. I wonder what the explanation for that is. “Has she been out for three days like me?”

“No, she's been awake several times before now. It's just been you,” the nurse answers. That's odd. Well, then again, not really. If I go by the things I've heard from magic through fantasy, it's not often that overuse of magic causes physical exhaustion in the caster. So if I assume that happened, that explains why I was unconscious for so long.

“So I could technically wake her up without causing any health problems?” I ask. I'm feeling a bit mischievous, now that I now she's all right. The nurse nods. I turn my head, to look back at Rainbow. “Oi! Wake the fuck up!”

Rainbow wakes with a start. “Waah! Where's the fire?!” she exclaims, but once the sleep leaves her eyes, she becomes aware of me laughing at her reaction. “Oh, you're awake at last!”

“I could say the same to you. But yeah, I'm up, for better or worse.”

“How are you holding up? I don't got a clue what the doctors meant with all their fancy words, but I heard it was bad.”

“I should be asking you that. Your injuries are worse than mine.” I point out. Rainbow laughs sheepishly at that. “But I'm fine, somewhat.”

“Me too. But...why didn't you tell us you can use magic? That was totally awesome, what you did back there!” Well, of course she probably has lots of questions, seeing as I essentially curbstomped what was considered to be one of the toughest monsters in the forest.

“Because I didn't know either. Back in my time, humans can't use magic, no matter how much they want to. It's why we came up with so many technological marvels, some of which you ponies are using now.”

“Huh? Then why are you able to use magic now?” Rainbow looks about as confused as I feel about this whole situation.

“Your guess is as good as mine. Besides, it's a moot point. I don't plan on using it ever again.” Now that gets a reaction from Rainbow.

“What?! Why not? You saved our lives, Seth,” Rainbow protests hotly. Before responding, I look over at the nurse.

“Mind leaving us for a bit?” I ask her. Now's as good a time as any to have this conversation, and I'd rather do in private. I'd rather everypony else continue believing I'm an asshole, since I'm still convinced most of the ponies are worthless. With the exception of Rainbow and Apple Bloom. And maybe Vinyl, since it was she that helped me realize who my friends are.

“Oh, of course. Just call if you need anything,” she answers agreeably, and then she leaves the room, shutting the door behind her. That just leaves Rainbow and I.

“Well, now that she's gone. Basically, I can't remember a damn thing between seeing that thing attack you, and then me falling over next to its dead body, coughing up blood,” I confess to her. I'm mostly honest. I do remember little flashes, but mostly just explosions and the feeling of intense hatred.

“What does that matter? You beat the crap out of that thing!” Rainbow looks like she honestly can't understand.

“Putting aside the fact that this magic almost killed me after using it, I wasn't in control of myself when I was supposedly using it! What if I'd killed one of you?”

“I guess you have a point...but I thought you didn't care if we lived or died?” Now Rainbow looks bitter, remembering our argument just before she left for the forest. She's partially right. I still don't give a shit what happens to Diamond Tiara and Filthy Rich, since they're scum. She's the one that's different.

“I mostly don't...but you're the exception in this case. I didn't go back into that forest to save that bitch and her father. I went there to make sure you didn't get your stupid ass killed.” Shit, I practically just admitted that I somewhat care about her. I mean, she probably knows since I killed a monster to save her, but it still makes me feel weak to say it aloud. Once you've gotten by on your own long enough, admitting that you feel something that's not hate for another individual feels like weakness. Like right now.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Rainbow responds, causing me to look at her in surprise. Is she really not going to say anythi...and there's the double take. “Hey, uh, you want to run that by me one more time?”

“Don't make me say it again...” I groan, turning away. I can't bear for her to look at me right now.

“So...does that mean I wasn't going crazy when I heard you call me a friend?” Rainbow looks so hopeful right now. I'm already starting to regret this. No doubt she's going to stick to me even harder if I say yes...but I can't exactly lie. Even if I do, there's no way she'd believe me after I risked my life for her.

“...You're not crazy..." is all I can say. I immediately curse myself at how dumb that sounded. Why couldn't I have just said yes? That would have sounded less stupid. Then again, I don't think it matters.

“Yea-heah, WHOO!” Rainbow's exultant whoop is accompanied by her attempting to move, which causes her to immediately wince and settle down. “Ow, ow, bad idea.”

“Pfft, dumbass,” I quip. Her response is to stick her tongue out at me. “As mature as ever, I see.”

“Eeh, I'm awesome and you know it,” Rainbow boasts in response, laying back on the bed. “This is totally great. I gotta show you so many things. Oh wow, I know, you need to come see the Wonderbolts with me. You'll love them, I promise you! Oh, and then there's this totally awesome book series I have to...”

“Ugh, shut up Rainbow. Too much at once,” I grunt, wondering what I just signed myself up for. “I'm not going to suddenly make an about face in my personality simply because I find you one of the only tolerable ponies ever. I still find this world to be fucked up.”

“Oh, sorry. I'm just excited,” Rainbow says sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. Then she does another double take. “Wait, 'one of the only?' Are there more?”

“Just one. Apple Bloom,” I admit. Rainbow actually doesn't look all that surprised at that.

“About time you realized that. I've seen you two together. That filly really likes you,” she teases me.

“Gee, I couldn't tell, seeing how she fucking glomps me every time I see her,” I shoot back sarcastically.

“Uh...glomp?”

“Human phrase. Skip it.” I get the feeling that Rainbow would break my neck if she tried glomping me. Yet...the image of the tomboyish Rainbow glomping anyone is enough to amuse me. Come to think of it, she's the only pony I've met that hasn't tried to hug me. Which I appreciate.

“Excuse me,” the nurse says, poking her head back in. We both look at her attentively. “Sorry to interrupt, but your friends are here to visit you.”

“Rainbow, your friends are here,” I promptly tell her with a wry expression. I can't think of any ponies that would have come to see me, after all.

“Thanks Nurse Redheart. You can send them in. We're good now,” Rainbow answers the nurse, chuckling a bit at my words. Huh, so the nurse has a name. And it's Redheart. Could you have gone with anything less cliché? I mean...Redheart. Really? This world really enjoys giving ponies obvious names for their profession. Rainbow then turns to face me. “Brace yourself, Seth. I think all the girls might be here.”

“Fucking wonderful...that probably means Pinkie too...”

“OHMIGOSH, DASHIE!” Almost the moment I open my fucking mouth, I hear her godforsaken voice, and then a pink blur zooms into the room. Pinkie immediately stops by a perplexed Rainbow and shoves a cupcake in her mouth. “YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS!”

Rainbow looks about as confused as I am. Pinkie literally just showed up and shoved a cupcake in an injured pony's mouth. I don't...this fucking pony.

Rainbow chews the cupcake slowly, her eyes widening. “Thishes good!” she remarks through a mouthful. “Shpishy.”

I'm not even going to pretend I understood what she just said. Pinkie is bouncing in place excitedly.

“Pinkie darling, I must insist you wait! You don't want to risk making Seth...” Rarity walks into the room next, and then she cuts off when she sees me staring pointedly at Pinkie. “...angry.”

So many damn ponies enter the room after that. After Rarity comes Applejack, Twilight, Vinyl, Lyra, and that Fluttershy. Huh, I've only met that last one once. What's her connection to Rainbow?

They all give us assorted greetings, but one voice in particular stands out to me because of how much louder it is. “Seth!” Hang on, I know that voice. I can't see her because she's so small, but I recognize that high pitched, twangy voice immediately. That soon changes, because Apple Bloom rushes around to the side of my bed, looking both worried and happy to see me. She rears up and places her front hooves on the edge of the bed, being to short to hop all the way up. “When ah heard ya were hurt...ah was worried ah wouldn't get ta see ya anymore.”

Seriously. Weaponize this filly. I swear, she'd stop even the most hardened criminals with sheer adorableness. God, listen to me. I've never been one to really call something cute overmuch, but I've been doing it nonstop since I got here. Her tearful face is practically unbearable.“Ugh...come here you.” Apple Bloom squeaks as I grab her just under her front legs, lifting her clear off the ground and onto my lap. “I'm fine, see? As you long as you don't get too..ow!”

Before I can finish talking, Apple Bloom hugs me around the chest...where my ribs are still attempting to heal. So pain shoots through me, and I have to remove her legs from me physically. “...close to my ribs. Oh Jesus Christ that hurts.”

“Apple Bloom, git down 'ere and quit hurtin' Seth,” Applejack addresses her sister. Yeah, fuck you. If your sister wants to cuddle, it's totally fine.

“Aww, ah'm sorry, ah'll quit botherin' ya now.” Apple Bloom says to me, looking worse than before. She moves to get down, but I stop her.

“Hey, I don't recall giving you permission to get down,” I tell her. She gives me an odd expression, as does Applejack, but Apple Bloom's turns into a smile once she sees mine. She curls up in my lap.

“Uh...Seth, are you feeling all right?” Twilight asks me in a very surprised voice. By the way Applejack and Rarity are nodding, it seems they find this whole display of affection to be strange for me. Well, it is and it isn't. I've grown a bit attached to this filly. Stop fucking staring at me like that.

“Isn't that a dumb question to ask someone in the hospital?” I remark. Twilight blinks, and then huffs.

“I meant...ugh, you know. You're acting a bit...friendlier than usual, is all,” Twilight corrects herself. Well, that's a dick way of putting it. Even if she's right. Don't worry, I still hate you.

“I can be nice to whoever I want. Why don't you mind your own fucking business?” And my response is just as nasty as her question was. Twilight doesn't look nearly as hurt by that as I expected. Instead, she heaves a sigh.

“And it's back,” she laments. While she was talking, Rainbow swallows the cupcake, licking her muzzle to remove all the crumbs. She looks around at the different ponies.

“Hey everypony. Thanks for coming back to see me. I've been so bored for the past few days,” Rainbow greets her friends.

“Well, fuck you too,” I comment, though not really seriously. I'm just being a nitpicker to piss her off.

“Oh hush, mister 'I've been out for three days while my friend is sitting in a bed bored out of her mind!'” Rainbow contests, though she's about as serious as I am. Which is to say, not really.

“Well excuse me for exhausting myself dragging our sorry asses out of hell.”

“OH!” Twilight's exclamation is enough to draw our attention from our stupid conversation. She rushes over to me, practically getting in my face. She looks more excited than I've ever seen her. “That reminds me! You can use magic!”

“No way, really?” I deadpan. Even my sarcasm isn't enough to dampen her spirits. She practically starts hopping up and down.

“Oh, this is so wonderful! I want to know everything about it! What color was it? What was its composition? What sort of techniques did you use? Oh, I know! We could practice magic together! I've been looking for a partner...we can do so many things together...and...”

“Twilight! Fucking shut it already!” I stop her mid rant. Twilight stops, looking sheepish, while Rainbow and Applejack chuckle knowingly at their friend's expense. “It's not that big of a deal.”

“Oh, but it is!” Twilight starts up again, her eyes brightening. “This confirms the long standing theory that humanity had a basic understanding of magic. Though it was always assumed that human magic was more of the clairvoyant or informational kind, and not combat magic like you showed.”

“Really? Huh, I wonder if humans used magic to make music, like I do?” Lyra muses, lifting up her lyre with a thoughtful expression.

“I bet they do. That stuff they call 'dubstep?' Just magical,” Vinyl agrees, and then she and Lyra start having a conversation about music that I proceed to tune out, since the idea of humans using magic is just dumb.

“Actually, you're wrong.” My words cut off all of their individual conversations. “Humans created all the technology that you're now using because we don't have magic. We were the apex race because of our ingenuity, not this overly convenient magic bullshit you unicorns get to have.”

“Huh? But, if humans don't use magic, what about what you did?” Twilight asks, looking somewhat troubled at the condescending tone in my voice.

“Hell if I fucking know. It just sort of happened. I wouldn't even have believed it if I hadn't seen that monster's dead body myself,” I admit. This magical power that I supposedly have still freaks me out. “Besides, it's dangerous to both me and my enemy.”

“Oh? This is fascinating. What do you say you come back to my library so we can study it?” Twilight suggests.

“Absolutely not. There's no way I'm using that magic in a civilized area. I don't know if I can even control it,” I snap. Twilight nods understandingly.

“I understand. But I do have a way of measuring any magical leakage any untrained unicorn generally exhibits. I think I might be able to tweak the device so that it can measure yours too. That way we can learn more about its composition, among other factors,” she informs me.

Well...as much as I hate to admit it, this magic scares me. I've said this before, but I hardly remember a thing about what happened back there. That feeling of hatred haunts me. I don't know what state of mind I was in, but...I wonder. Would I have hurt Rainbow if I'd continued to use that magic? I don't even want to think about that.

So it is probably a good idea if I let Twilight study this magic. The more I know about it, the better chance I have of keeping it sealed. I don't ever want to use it again. “Fine. I'll come to the library so you can do whatever,” I tell her, earning an immediate squee from her.

“Oh!” Pinkie appears to suddenly remember something. “I'm so glad you're okay Sethie, but I gotta get a few things done before tonight! Bye bye everypony!”

“Later, Pinkie!” Rainbow calls after the pink menace as she dashes out of the room. Then it hits me.

“What did I tell you about calling me Sethie?!” I shout in annoyance, but she's already gone. As I settle back with a sigh, I notice Lyra watching me with a pensive look on her face. “What?”

“So...Sethie, huh?” Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me.

“Don't even think about it,” I growl at her.

“What a cute little name...I think I'll start using it.” Lyra completely disregards my warning as she looks at me coyly.

“If you call me that even once, I'll eviscerate you with your own horn.” The other ponies in the room flinch at my threat, but Lyra takes it in stride.

“Aww, such a cute little Sethie,” she coos. You know, I'm starting to reconsider my refusal to ever use that magic again.

“Shut the hell up. What did you even come here for? To piss me off?!” I demand. Probably the only reason I'm not carrying out my previous threat is because of my healing ribs, and the pony in my lap.

Lyra's smirk is replaced by a small smile. “Of course not. I came to see if you're all right, that's all. I was worried.”

“Bullshit...” I grunt. That's right. She still thinks she's my friend. Nope, sorry. I only have two friends, and you're not one of them.

“Same with me, bro,” Vinyl adds, moving to stand beside Lyra. Even Rarity, Applejack, and apparently Sweetie Belle, who just now reveals her presence by hopping up on Rarity's back, nod their agreement.

“Do whatever you want, I guess. As you can see, I'm fine,” I express, figuring that it would be easier not to protest over much. You can't really argue with a group, because they will never let you finish a thought.

“Nurse!” Nurse Redheart turns to face me when I called her name. “When can I get the hell out of here?”

“If you lie still for at least another hour, your bones should have enough time to fully heal. You'll both be released from the hospital then,” Redheart answers, checking something off on her clipboard.

“Okay, and how much is this all going to cost me?” I have a sneaking suspicion that the hospital bills are going to completely drain whatever funds I have left. That's how it generally is in my world. It should be the same here...or maybe not, considering the appalled expression on Redheart's face.

“Cost you? For medical treatment? What a preposterous idea! What gave you the idea that we'd charge you for treatment?” She sounds genuinely shocked at the concept. That's...odd. There's no way this is free.

“I don't know, maybe because getting all the materials and equipment necessary to treat patients costs a shit ton of money? Hospitals can't stay in business without getting revenue from somewhere,” I point out, somewhat sarcastically.

“Yes, but we'd never dream of taking it from patients. What if somepony was dying, and they didn't have the bits to pay our fees? We'd have to let them die, and that's just wrong.”

“So...you're telling me you fix up anypony who comes in here, free of charge?” This is getting more ridiculous by the second. Medical equipment costs a hell of a lot. So where are they getting their money?

“That's right. It's our duty as citizens of Equestria, and as ponies.” Redheart displays herself proudly at this statement. “To answer your previous question, both the costs of medical equipment and the wages of the employees are paid for by the princesses themselves.”

So...Princess Celestia and Princess Luna managed to pull off what our president back in my time had been attempting for years. Yeah, our president offered free healthcare. I don't think it got very far. For some reason, the population gave him some heavy resistance, though I never really understood why. I'll take something that's slightly socialistic if it means I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to save my own life in the event of like, a heart attack or something. Anyhow, enough politics.

“Huh...that's another thing better about this time than my own,” I express.

“Wow, your species is messed up,” Rainbow stated.

“Tell me about it.”

Now that that conversation is over, the other ponies in the room start taking their leave, since they don't want to stand around for an hour.

“Ah gotta head back to the farm. No work tomorrow, Seth. Ah'mma let ya take it easy,” is Applejack's parting words. Wonderful, so no pay tomorrow. Fucking great. “Come along, Apple Bloom.”

“Aww. Will ah see ya tomorrow, Seth?” Apple Bloom asks me, hopping down from the hospital bed.

“Hell if I know. Depends on my mood,” I answer. Apple Bloom nods and gives me a wave before she and her sister leave the room. Lyra and Vinyl leave next, followed by Rarity and Sweetie Belle.

“I'll see you back at the library tonight!” Twilight says to me, leaving the room as well. Huh, so apparently she scheduled that whole studying thing for tonight. Oh well. Not like I have anything else to do. Not being able to read sucks. I really need a hobby, since honestly there's nothing for me to do aside from sit around when I'm not working.

So now Rainbow and I are alone in the room, as the nurse had left to go do something or another. I don't really care.

Well, almost alone. I only now notice that Fluttershy is still here, sitting behind Rainbow's bed where I can't see her.

“Um...I'm really glad you're okay, Rainbow,” Fluttershy murmurs softly.

“Eh, like a Scorpios could keep the likes of us down!” Rainbow boasts, causing me to raise an eyebrow. Excuse me, that had been practically all me. “That reminds me. Fluttershy, have you met Seth?”

“Oh...um...yes...” Fluttershy stammers, peering at me shyly from behind her silky pink mane. “Just once though.”

“Seth, you'd totally like Fluttershy. She's one of the nicest ponies around,” Rainbow says, looking at me. Fluttershy blushes at the praise, while I cross my arms.

“Great,” I scoff, not really caring. “So she's the exact opposite of me, then.”

“All the more reason to hang with her. Learn by example, right?”

“Whatever.” I end the conversation there by turning away from Rainbow and gazing at the ceiling. I don't need a large group of friends. That just means more ponies that have a chance to back-stab me. No, just like before, I'm good with one or two.

“I need to get back to my animals. I'll see you later...I mean...if that's okay with you...” Fluttershy says as she backs out of the room.

“See ya tonight, Fluttershy!” Rainbow calls after her friend. And then there were two. It doesn't take Rainbow very long to get stir-crazy. “Ugh, what am I going to do for an hour?”

“What do I care? Take a nap or something,” I snap, leaning back myself, adjusting my body so that my arms are linked behind my head.

“Huh, that's actually a good idea.” Rainbow proceeds to turn over and shut her eyes. That just leaves me. Bored, I look around the room until I spot my winter clothes, freshly cleaned and neatly folded on the counter across the room. My phone and wallet are resting next to it, and my rifle is leaning against the wall nearby. Good, they had the sense not to wash my phone. I might have murdered everypony if that happened. Not really, but you get my point.

Maybe I should take a nap too. I expect the nurse will wake us up when it's time for us to go.

Well, she might have been planning on waking us up, but I actually wake up on my own, just as she walks through the door. I feel a lot better than before, as now only my throat is sore and I have a bit of a lingering headache. The places where I'm still wearing bandages still sting a bit, but better than before. My ribs also don't hurt at all anymore, so I guess that magic did its job.

“Ah, you're awake. I expect you're about ready to get out of here,” Redheart notes with a smile. Hell yes I'm ready. But, since I'm still a bit groggy from my nap, I just nod. “All right then, if you'll just sign right here.”

Redheart slides the clipboard over to me, along with a quill. There's what I assume is a medical form on the board, but everything is that same Equestrian scrawl, so I have no idea what it says. But I do recognize that little X that you usually sign next to, so I write my name down in cursive there. While I'm doing that, Redheart removes the needle from my arm, wiping away a small bead of blood and bandaging it.

“What language is that?” Redheart inquires curiously after I hand the clipboard back to her.

“English. It's a human language. That's probably worth money right there,” I joke, figuring that there'd probably be human enthusiasts out there that would kill for a sample of human language. Redheart giggles a little, and then she extends a hoof to me. Oh, she's trying to help me up. “No thanks, I got this.”

I gingerly sit up and climb down from the bed. When my feet hit the ground, I half expect there to be pain,but thankfully there isn't anything more than a slight twinge. As long as I don't spazz out or anything, I should be fine.

The next thing I do is move over to the sink that's in the room and fill up a cup of water. I'm not thirsty though. I walk back over to Rainbow and promptly toss the contents all over her face.

Rainbow immediately awakens, spluttering indignantly and rubbing a hoof in her face. “Agh, what the hay?!” Her face looks so fucking funny that I can't help but laugh at her. “Seth? Can't you wake a pony normally?”

“Nope!” I reply shamelessly, leaning back against a wall. “Get the fuck up. I'm sick of this hospital already.”

“What, are we getting released?” Rainbow questions me. Then she notices Redheart smiling at her. “Oh. Sweet!”

Redheart hands Rainbow the clipboard and quill next. Rainbow grabs the quill in her mouth and signs the sheet as well before handing it back. Huh, I wonder if her words are even legible. How the fuck do you write with your mouth?

“Now then, the two of you are free to go. If you'll just try to avoid pony-eating monsters in the future,” she jokes. This earns a laugh from Rainbow and a scoff from me.

“Trust me, I'm not going anywhere near that forest. As long as Rainbow stops doing her best to get herself killed, that is,” I say, glaring pointedly at the pegasus in question.

“You're one to talk,” Rainbow remarks, nudging me with a hoof after she gets down from her bed. Heh, she has a point. “If you stop, so will I.”

“What the hell kind of bargain is that?”

“The best kind. Now stop complaining and accept it.”

“Whatever. Let's get going now.” I don't know about her, but I want to get the fuck out of this hospital. “First, both of you fuck off for a second so I can get dressed.”

“Right, your human modesty or whatever,” Rainbow recalls, while Redheart just looks confused. “Come on, nurse. He's gotta have his privacy.”

I can hear Redheart questioning Rainbow about that as they leave the room. I tune the both of them out as I stride over to the counter and grab my clothes. Tossing the hospital gown (or whatever the fuck they call this piece of fabric they haphazardly draped over me) aside, I proceed to get dressed in my clothes, placing my phone and wallet in separate pockets.

When I go to shoulder my rifle, I notice something different about it. It looks...what's a good word for this...healthier. Like, less shitty than it used to be. The metal is no longer rough and the edges are no longer rugged. It like...looks as good as new. What's up with that?

I shoulder the rifle and walk out into the hallway. Rainbow is there waiting for me, but Redheart's missing. I guess she has other patients to deal with. “About time! Let's get rolling! You gotta go to Twilight's, right?”

“Apparently I do. She has a habit of making my schedule for me,” I say, only slightly disgruntled. Like I said, I have nothing better to do.

“That's Twilight for ya,” Rainbow agrees, and then we start walking through the hallways of the hospital. Rainbow appears to know her way out, so I follow her.

This place is pretty large. I wonder how I haven't seen this place yet from the outside. Or, maybe I have, and just haven't cared enough to mention it. Yup, that's probably it.

Once we're outside, I notice that the sun is setting. Great, how the fuck am I going to sleep tonight, since I've just woken up from three days worth of sleep?

Also, the town is oddly empty. Like, I know the ponies will be heading home and stuff, but this is more empty than usual. “Where is everypony?” I say. I then try not to groan when I notice that saying “everypony” and “anypony” is becoming almost second nature. Damn these ponies and their linguistics.

“Who knows?” Rainbow replies, clearly knowing about as much as me. Which is to say...nothing.

“Fine with me, I guess. I hate being stared at, anyway.”

“Yeah, I'd rather they stare at me. I deserve the attention!” Rainbow jokes, puffing her chest out. I toss a scornful glance her way. She may be my friend, but I'm not so fond of her ego, whether she's joking or not.

“Sure.” Rainbow looks a bit put out at my lack of response. I don't know what she expected with a joke like that.

The two of us walk (or fly, in Rainbow's case) to Twilight's place. I know I should call it Golden Oaks Library, but writing that more than once in a single entry is too much work. So it's Twilight's place from now on. Get used to it.

When we approach the building, I notice something odd. The lights are off. I think she lights her place up with candles and magic, maybe, so there's no reason for the lights to be out. I start to get slightly suspicious. “Why are the lights out?” I say to Rainbow as I near the door.

“Good question. I wonder if Twilight's home yet?” she answers. I stare back at her oddly. Rainbow returns my stare ready, smiling a little. Huh...I guess maybe I'm being paranoid. Oh well.

“Fine, I guess I'll wait out here.” Impatiently, I flip around and rest my back against the side of the treehouse. Can't believe she's making me wait. I mean really? She seems like somepony who's super obsessed with keeping a schedule, so what the fuck? I'm going to make sure I give her a hard time the next time I see her.

“Nah, it's fine. Just walk on inside. I'm sure at least Spike is home,” Rainbow urges me. I raise an eyebrow at that.

“I don't think Twilight will appreciate it if I randomly barge into her house, especially if she's not there,” I point out. Rainbow flies closer, nudging me with a hoof.

“And since when have you cared what she thought?” Rainbow's wearing a knowing grin now. That gets me to stand up straight again.

“You have a point.” Deciding I don't give a fuck after all, I push open the door to Twilight's place and step inside. The gloom inside overtakes me. It's so dark, I can barely see.

Something's wrong. For some reason, the inside of this place smells like a damn chocolate store. That's all the warning I get. A split second later, the lights turn back on, flooding the room with radiance and revealing the large group of ponies that are gathered there.

“SURPRISE!” They all shout at once. I, having expected nothing more than a simple check-up by Twilight, am startled as hell.

“Son of a bitch!” I exclaim in shock, and then I overbalance and fall backwards, so that Rainbow has to catch me and hold me up. “So...many....ponies...!”

Holy shit, there's so many ponies. Why are there so many fucking ponies? And, what the hell did Twilight do to her living room? That table that's usually in the center is gone, to be replaced by a dance floor, complete with Vinyl's LED lights flashing everywhere. Against the back wall is a large table covered with everything from punch, to muffins, to a giant ass cake. There's also a banner strung across the staircase that I can't even fucking read. That's not even counting all the ponies that showed up.

Firstly, Pinkie Pie. Yeah...judging by the giant ass grin on her face, this was her idea. That means the banner probably says something along the lines of "Welcome!" I can't be mad at her too, because I did tell her she could. She's standing at the front of the group, bouncing up and down, a a happy expression on her face. Twilight is just behind her, along with Applejack and her family. Yeah, Big MacIntosh, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom are here. Good, if Apple Bloom hadn't shown up to this, I probably would have judged her for it.

Rarity, wearing yet another ridiculous dress, is standing near them, accompanied by Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo is there as well, next to them. Even Fluttershy is here, shyly hiding behind Twilight.

I can see Lyra, Bon Bon, Derpy, Carrot Top, Cheerilee, and even Zecora by the punch table, all of them smiling at my surprised reaction. Flitter is there as well, along with another mare that looks just like her, only with a more messy hairstyle. What the fuck...why are they all here for this dumb party?

Then, to my shock, I also notice Filthy Rich, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon here as well, though they look more pensive and sheepish than anything else. What are those fuckers doing here?

“Hi, Sethie! Were you surprised? You look surprised, though you really shouldn't have because you said I could throw a welcome party, so I guess this is actually a victory for me since I still surprised you even though you knew it was coming and...” Just like I expected, Pinkie immediately starts spouting off. Her non-stop talking is starting to give me a headache, so I reach up and rub my temples. When she sees that, Pinkie stops stalking mid sentence. “Oh. Right. Sorry!”

“Well...I did kind of ask for this, didn't I?” I admit. Thankfully Pinkie had the sense to stop spouting off. Well, mostly.

“Yessiree!” If Pinkie's smile was any wider, I'd swear it was coming off of her face anime style.

“Well, then what are we waiting for? The surprise part is over, so...where's the music?” I say, waving my hand impatiently.

“Did someone say 'music?!'” And that would be Vinyl. I look up, and sure enough, there she is. Vinyl waves a hoof from behind her tables, the light from her LEDs reflecting off of her shades. She whips out a record from behind the speakers and holds it up. “Pinks, can I get started?”

“Heck yeah you can! Is everypony ready to party?!” Pinkie exclaims, her voice getting even more high pitched, if that's even fucking possible. The resulting cheer from the surrounding ponies is all the confirmation she needs.

Vinyl grins and slaps the record down on the tables, and a happy theme begins to play. It sounds a bit childish actually. I'm about to question her music choice when suddenly Pinkie starts dancing around in front of me. She opens her mouth, and a sinking feeling falls over me. Tell me she's not about to...

“Oh, Ponyville welcomes you on this joyful winter day,

It's really great to have you, we hope you're here to stay!”

...sing. She is. You know those guys in anime that have those weird little drops of sweat that show up during a dumb moment? That's totally me right now. Are you serious right now? Once again, I feel like I'm in a girls cartoon.

“We know a new life can be tough but we're all here for you,

“Equestria is really great, you'll make some good friends too!”

At that line, Rainbow touches down next to me and gives me a friendly nudge. Ugh...this is so embarrassing. Please stop.

“This is a joyous, a very joyous day,

Just think of all the fun games we can play!

Thanks to you we're all together,

We're birds of a feather,

Now let's get down and party all the way!”

Okay, that sounded like a chorus. Does that mean it's over? I mean, she doesn't have a bad voice (though in my opinion, it's more suited for a musical play or something rather than a standalone song), but I feel both embarrassed and slightly ashamed that I even admit that she's not that bad. Just make it be over so I don't have to...wait, what are they all doing?

So yeah, Pinkie repeats the chorus again, only this time every fucking pony in the room (Except for Filthy Rich and his entourage) joins in, trotting around the room. Like they'd rehearsed it or something. All of their voices blend together, so that it sounds like one voice with a lot of depth. I mean, I don't know much about choral theory, but I know that's what you aim for when you're in a choir. That's impressive.

Even so, right now I feel like the guy that everyone sings happy birthday to (I hate that fucking song), who feels super awkward about it.

“Now everypony DANCE!” Pinkie exclaims once the song ends, and Vinyl flips the record over and starts playing some awesome sounding electronic music. With that, the party kicks off. Ponies hit the dance floor and start mingling, though several ponies look like they want to talk to me. Before that, though...

“Pinkie, what the fuck are those things,” I snarl in a low whisper just beside Pinkie's ear. She looks up to see me pointing at Filthy Rich, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon. “...doing here?!”

Pinkie frowns a little. “Well, I know you didn't like them, but they told me they had something to say to you, so I invited them anyway. I hope you aren't too mad.”

“Of course I'm fucking mad! I nearly died because of those fuckers! Whatever they have to say had better be good, because I'm kicking them out right afterwards!” I snap, my voice rising slightly. Pinkie's ears flatten. “Don't look at me that way. It's my party. I shouldn't have to look at the dregs of life when I should be enjoying myself.”

“Aww, Sethie, just give them a chance! You never know, they could surprise you!” Pinkie advises me, her smile returning. As her smile grows, my scowl deepens.

“I don't give second chances. If they wrong you once, they'll do it again. I made that mistake before. I won't make it again,” I grunt. I cross my arms and narrow my eyes. In the process I accidentally make eye contact with Filthy Rich across the room. He averts his eyes quickly, looking down at the ground.

“What do you mean? Did somepony make you sad?” Pinkie is attempting to look comforting right now. I'm not buying it. Besides, this is a party. I don't want to think about Janna now.

“Forget it. I'm going to get something to eat.” I dismiss her question by turning my back and moving through the crowd of ponies to the food table.

Great, now I'm in a bad mood. At my own party. How can I enjoy this now? Fucking Pinkie inviting those useless scum.

Before I reach the table, I am stopped by Flitter and her unfamiliar friend. Flitter smiles brightly at me. She hesitantly cranes her head forward, almost as if scared that I'm going to slap her or something. What the hell is she doing? That question is answered when she tentatively nuzzles my waist. Seriously? Even she feels the need to invade my personal space now?

“Hey, Seth. I heard about what happened....and...I wanted to thank you,” Flitter tells me softly, pulling her head back. The other pony that's with her appears to be...sizing me up or something. The way she's looking at me is a little unsettling.

“For what? I didn't do anything for you,” I demand, confused.

“Well, not for me directly, but...Rainbow Dash is my friend. I would miss her terribly if anything happened to her,” Flitter explains. That alone is enough to cause my expression to soften slightly. That I can understand. It's that same feeling that drove me out into the forest in the first place.

“Yeah. I get that, I guess. So who's this chick?” I confess, and then quickly change the subject to the pony who is now looking at my hair with an approving look.

“Uh...chick?” Flitter questions. Right, another human expression they don't know.

“Skip it.”

“Oh, okay. This is my sister, Cloud Chaser.” Flitter turns to her sister and indicates her with a hoof. Cloud Chaser gives me a nod.

“Hey there, I'm Cloud Chaser,” Cloud Ch...okay her name is fucking annoying to write. I'm calling her Cloud forever. Actually...dammit, if I call her Cloud, I'll keep picturing that emo with the giant sword. Zack was better anyway. “I must say, when my sis talked about you, she never mentioned that you were so...unique. Do all humans look like you?”

“What a dumb fucking question. Seriously? Do all ponies look like you? I don't think so, since genetic diversity makes that physically impossible!” I deny viciously. Cloud Chaser recoils at my harsh greeting. Flitter winces as well. “So no, they don't. Besides, most of them looked better than me anyway.”

“Sorry...but whoa, they look better than you? Tell me more!” Cloud Chaser gets this dreamy look on her face. Well, this pony disgusts me. Her flirting is worse than Lyra's.

“Sis, stop! He doesn't like that,” Flitter beseeches her sister. She gives me an apologetic look, and starts leading her sister away. “Sorry, Seth. We'll leave you alone now. I'm glad you're okay.”

“Fine, good riddance,” I huff. Somepony who's not annoying, please talk to me. Well, the next one to reach me is Derpy...who immediately rears up on her hind legs and hugs me around the chest. “What the...oh, hi Derpy.”

“I'm so happy to see you, Seth...I was worried,” Derpy sniffs, nuzzling her head against my chest. Well...I can't move...and I think she's actually crying somewhat. As coldhearted as I usually act, there's something about this pony that makes me feel legitimately bad when she's feeling bad. So...awkwardly I wrap my arms around her, hoping that she'll stop crying.

“Uh...it's...I'm fine,” I stutter a bit. I think it's working, because her sniffles gradually stop, and she finally releases me. A bright smile crosses her face, though I still can't tell what the fuck she's looking at because her eyes are all over the place.

“Want to come get a muffin with me?” Derpy offers, indicating the food table with her head.

“Might as well. Lead the way,” I acquiesce, shrugging. Derpy does that little pony squee that they all seem to be able to do and trots over to the table, nearly tripping once in the process.

As I follow her, I notice Rarity looking at me. “What?” I demand.

“Nothing, darling,” Rarity replies, a smug smile crossing her face. She then proceeds to sip at a glass of punch delicately.

“You're damn right.” I leave her behind after that, cursing myself for giving in to Derpy's adorableness.

Together, Derpy and I gorge ourselves on assorted sweets. Well, by that I mean she ate the crap out of some muffins, while I had a bit of everything, including some of that cake, which is fucking delicious. And it's my party too, so I can have as much as I want.

Just as I'm about to eat another slice of cake, the three ponies that I absolutely didn't want to talk to approach me hesitantly. I set my plate down, my eyes hardening. This is going to be nasty. “Derpy, did you bring your daughter here?” I ask casually. Derpy looks up, her mouth full of muffin. She gulps it all down at once.

“Mhm. I let her play with the other fillies. Why do you ask?”

“I'd like to meet her. Why don't you bring her over here while I talk to these...these ponies?” My request causes Derpy's eyes to light up happily.

“Okay! I'll be right back!” she exclaims, and then she trots into the crowd, but not before grabbing another muffin.

Good, now that she's gone, I can be as nasty as I want. I wouldn't want her to have to see this. I unsling my rifle and place it point down in front of me, stopping their progress. “Why are the three of you even here? I don't give a shit about anything you have to say.”

“I understand that. The both of us have wronged one another, but that's not why I came,” Filthy Rich starts, looking somber. My eyes narrow. Did he just insinuate that I have something to apologize for? I'm just about to call him out on that when he actually kneels (or whatever the pony equivalent of a kneel is) down in front of me. The two fillies with him do the same thing. “Thank you for saving my daughter. Without you, we would have all died.”

“I didn't do it for you, idiot. If Rainbow hadn't been there, I wouldn't have lifted a finger,” I tell him bluntly. Filthy Rich winces, but remains as he is.

“I know that, but in saving Rainbow, you saved my daughter. I wasn't kidding when I told you she means the world to me.”

“Dad...” Diamond Tiara protests, slightly embarrassed.

“I want to thank you as well,” Silver Spoon says. Holy fuck, she can actually speak for herself? “I mean, pearls and glasses can be replaced, but my friend can't be.”

“Are you kidding me right now? You don't have to thank me. Besides, I almost asphyxiated your daughter. Why aren't you still trying to kill me?” Yeah, I get that I saved their lives, but only because they happened to be there.

Filthy Rich stands back up, but instead of replying, he nudges his daughter. Diamond Tiara approaches me.

“I...well...you did hurt me, which I'm not happy about, but you were right. I tried doing something for myself, and it didn't work. I want to try and do things on my own now, so I can prove you wrong,” Diamond affirms. Huh, even though she's admitting I'm right, she seems to have regained her snark. She turns around, but her father nudges her again. “Oh...right. Thank you for saving me.”

“Whatever. Are we done now? Can I get back to my party?” I demand impatiently.

“Yes, we'll stop bothering you now. Thank you for hearing us out,” Filthy Rich replies, and then he retreats, taking the two fillies with him. Finally.

Derpy arrives not long after that, a small filly unicorn with her. And it seems like Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle came too. “Seth, this is my daughter, Dinky!” She announces. The small filly looks up at me uncertainly.

Great, more introductions.

I'm exhausted. That party took a lot out of me, especially since I was still technically recovering.

Right now, I'm sitting at my desk back at Vinyl's place. I've already forced Vinyl to take my rent, leaving me at 17 bits.

That party, holy shit. After meeting Dinky, I'd essentially been suckered into hours worth of food and dancing. This other mare had showed up as well who was a fucking master at playing the fiddle. When she was playing along with Vinyl, man, I was dancing. With Apple Bloom, as well, because she insisted on being close to me.

Derpy is a crazy ass dancer. She wasn't even going to get on the dance floor, but the fillies and I pretty much forced her to. I mean, she had fun, but her limbs were flailing around all the fucking place. Probably because she has no coordination. I almost got clocked in the head once.

Lyra and Cloud Chaser insisted on dancing with me as well. So I said yes...and by yes I mean I let them dance near me, and they could think whatever they wanted.

The party lasted well past midnight. In fact, I think it's like, three in the morning now. My mind is still awake though, buzzing with thoughts about the past week.

Seriously. How could any of this had happened? I have two friends now, and I beat up a giant fucking scorpion constellation thing with dark magical powers that tore up my insides. Yeah, I think this is worth writing about.

I pull out my journal from the drawer in my desk, as well as a quill and inkwell. It's been a crazy time recently, and I have to at least get it down on paper.

Author's Notes:

Sorry this one took so long, but with finals week and all, there was no way I was getting anything done. To make up for that, I made this chapter longer than usual, clocking at around 9700 words. I also wrote another set of song lyrics in here, but they don't have accompaniment or a tune, sadly. I'm a performer, not a composer.

Arc 2 is over, where Seth finally admits that he has friends in this world of ponies. Granted, his asshole nature isn't going anywhere, but ever so slightly, you can start to see cracks in those defenses.

Now Arc 3 of 6 begins. Of course, arcs 4-6 are going to be MUCH longer than these, so I'm expecting around 500000 words by the time this is done. Anyhow, thanks for reading, and please leave a comment telling me what you think!