I think the way I said that with such clarity and an air of peace scared the daylights out of him.

“L-let me go!” He started flailing his limbs.

“No-can-do. After all, you just tried to steal my money.” I nearly press his face to mine. “And I don’t take kindly to that.” He tried moving around some more, but I restrained him with my magic. “Now, what suitable punishment..?” I racked my brain trying to come up with a perfect punishment. “I could always beat you half to death… Nah, to simple.” Then a brilliant idea comes to mind. “That’s it. How about I trim your wings?” His pupils instantly shrunk to pin pricks. “Not enough to render you permanently flightless. I’m not a fucking monster.” I joke. “No, just long enough to give you some time to think.”

“Feathers grow back on griffons right?” He stays still. “Of course they do.” I turn him around and look at his outstretched wings.

And then I began plucking the primaries.

He would’ve started screaming judging from the strangled grunts he began heaving out.

“Did I say trim? Oh, I meant pluck.” I correct myself. While only leaving two or three primary feathers I move to the secondaries. *I wonder how these fuckers fly. These wings are way too flimsy.*

~I believe it is due to the fact that magic is a part of every living creature. Ponies just happen to be some of the strongest users.~ Ruby explains.

*I kinda knew that. It’s just… weird, really weird, that they all rely on magic some way.*

-Gotta agree with you there.-

=Yeah, at least we get to use it just like them. In our own way at least.=

*Tell me about it. Who knew we'd get accidentally sent to a world full of magic?*

=I know right?=

~I don’t mean to interrupt you reminiscing. But I think you should focus on the task at hand.~

*Oh, right.* I look back at the wings I was plucking, since I subconsciously turned to the side and slightly up, and see that the secondaries on both wings are all nearly plucked. *I was multitasking?*

-Apparently.-

*Nice.* I notice the writhing mass of fur and feathers that used to be a ‘proud’ griffon. That’s when I got a really good look at the guy. He kinda looked like Gilda -a bulkier, slightly taller version of her-, except the feathers on his head were colored a light blue, and he somehow possessed a combover. Makes him look like a pill with a face... How can feathers be styled like hair? I don’t mean that as a joke, how can you actually style feathers like hair? I know they might be like that naturally, but considering that the other griffons I’ve seen have different… feather styles I guess?

And despite the fact that griffons are just as diverse as ponies when it comes to the feathers around their head. But I think the way feathers grow on them are very similar if biology has taught me anything. Or my understanding of biology can go fuck itself in a world like this.

Fucking magic. It’s my worst enemy and my best friend.

Putting all existential thoughts aside. I think this guy has had enough. I release him from my magic and he promptly scampers out the door.

Just as Pinkie bolts in.

She actually burst in as a streak of pink that turned into a poofy haired pink pony.

“Hey Pinkie,” she locks eyes with me her face looking rather frantic. “what’s wrong?” She jumps to my lap, grabs my shoulders with her forehooves, and shakes me like a maniac.

“RainbowDashneedsourhelpshefelldownabigchasmandIthrewtheropeand-” I managed to rais a hand up and close her muzzle.

“All I heard was Rainbow needs our help, that’s all I need. Lead the way.” Pinkie nods furiously and runs off at a pace I can manage, after teleporting us back to the top of the trail.

We eventually made it to this big gorge that Pinkie told me about. She leaned over the edge to look down at something looking back at me.

“She’s down there! And she’s trying to get the idol!”

“Idol?” I ask. I take a look over the edge and spot rainbow sitting on a narrow piece of rock. “Looks like she gave up.” I stand back up and brainstorm a way to more or less save Dash. “You said you had some rope right?” She nodded.

“I did but I threw it down there by accident!”

“That won’t be a problem.” With a snap of my fingers a large role of rope and a harness appear. Along with some other climbing gear mostly for anchoring. I put the harness on and anchor one end of the rope to the nearest rock after it proved quite immobile. And secured the other end in my harness. “The actually problem might be getting down there with high winds.” As soon as I saw Rainbow just sit there, I quickly deduced she couldn’t fly back up either because she broke one or both of her wings -hopefully not the case-, or the winds keep her there. And I’m really hoping for the latter. “Alright Pinkie, I’ll be right back if everything goes right.” Making one last check of the gear I hop over the ledge and swing right into the cliffside, my claws planting firmly into the rock. I position myself right above Rainbow’s-

A portion the ledge she’s sitting on broke off.

*FUCK.* I ditch climbing down and jump while letting rope build between me and the edge. Amazingly the rope was just long enough for me to overshoot, past Rainbow. A quick and almost frantic pull and I was level with Rainbow.

“Ember!? How did you-”

“No time!” I grab her with my left arm and, with my right, pull us back to the top of the cliff. It didn’t take much time since I was pretty much a little high on adrenalin.

I know what you might be thinking. Ane though my body isn’t exactly organic anymore. All of its functions are still there. I’m not that stupid enough to turn myself into an unfeeling robot. Wait… fuck.

I’m not stupid.

Anyways, I look back down to see the the little ledge Rainbow sat in was no longer there.

*Holy shit.*

-The timing couldn’t be any more perfect.-

*Shut up Embris.* I look back up and begin hefting me and Rainbow up the rope.

“Th-thanks.” I barely heard Dash say over the howling winds.

“Anytime, Dash.” Through my peripheral I saw look up at me. A noticeable, grateful smile. “I mean, what’re friends for, right?” I turn to her, giving a knowing smile.

“Hehe, right.” I would’ve ruffled her hair if my hands weren’t keen on holding her in place and hauling us up.

It didn’t long to reach the edge and heft her onto safe ground. I was too distracted taking the gear off to notice that Gilda was with Pinkie. It was after I remembered that I could just be rid of the stuff with magic that I noticed Gilda. The smile on my face shot to the fucking moon, replaced by my usual stoic stare.

“Ember! Gilda just got here and-”

“Don’t care.” I interrupted Pinkie. “Going to the train station. Meet you two there.” I grab my bag, teleport to said station, startling the griffon working there, and wait.

I decided that it’d better for me to get some sleep, so after Rainbow and Pinkie got to the station, and after I bought the three of us tickets, frickin’ Pinkie, we took our seats on that tiny train. And I prepared to clock out as the train lurched.

“Ember?” Or maybe not.

“Yeah?” Pinkie called me.

“You know those were not nice things to do to Gilda.” She pouted at me.

“Well, considering that she tried claw my face off. I think I acted appropriately.”

“But, you kinda didn’t have get in her face like that.” Dash offhandedly mentioned.

“She started it!”

“You still didn’t have to be like that!” I glared at the blue pegasus, and she glared right back. If looks could kill there would be a singe mark on the chair she’s sitting on.

“Come on guys! Don’t fight.” Pinkie tried to ease the tense moment.

“...” Me and Rainbow both just stare at eachother.

“I’m taking a nap.” We both say at the same time. I lean back and against the wall and close my eyes. Letting sleep take me out for a short nap.

I managed to waste… oh about ten minutes sleeping. And the train isn’t even close to Ponyville yet. I could always try and rest my eyes for a bit… Nah, that’s already boring. Oh, and Rainbow’s still asleep... Lucky bitch.

“Hey, Pinkie?” The pink pony turns to me. “Tell me, what happened after I left? Right after I got Rainbow from the gorge I mean.” At that a wide smile tore across her face.

“Weeeell. After you left Rainbow and Gilda kinda ‘made up’.” and my confused face she continued. “They’re friends again!”

“Oh. Cool.” *I guess*

“Then after that. We taught Gilda the magic of friendship-”

*Kill me.*

“and then she realized that she could put the kingdom back to it’s former glory! Now she’s going to teach every griffon the magic of friendship!”

“Nice.” I said. The conversation ends there, but Pinkie gets this pensive look about her. “What wrong?”

“Uh… Can I ask you something? And promise not to be mad about it?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Sure Pinkie, I promise.” She takes a deep breath, then lets it out.

“Why did you act like that towards Gilda?” Her question, along with her tone, threw me through a loop.

“You want a short answer or a long one?” Pinkie puts a hoof to her chin, her muzzled scrunched up and thought.

“Long one, please.”

“Alright. I was like that with Gilda because… well, because she reminded me of a lot of people when I was younger.”

“How?”

“Just the way she spoke to me. Like if I was nothing to her. It reminded me of how people back home used to treat me the same way.” Pinkie took in a sharp gasp.

“Really!?”

“Yeah, hard to believe huh?” She nodded solemnly. A bit of her usual bubbliness gone. “Gilda reminded me of those.. unsavory times. All those times I was picked on, all those kids who used to treat me like trash. All, those, fucking, people.” I dimly noticed pinkie losing a bit of her color, and her hair deflates a little. “Always reminding you you’re nothing but a little meaningless spec. That you’re nothing to them. That your existence is nothing more than their sick versions of entertainment.” I faintly heard someone calling me. “All those times they beat me any way they could. I would come home with bruises, and my parents would go to school to ‘take care of it’.” I sigh. “Might as well been more reason to beat me. Telling me I was worthless, and I just sat there and took it. Took it like the little bitch I was.” I look Pinkie in the eye.

“That was back in elementary. By middle school, nothing changed. Well, just add a few more degenerates to pick on me. And for the most part, most of those kids left me alone, gotten bored of me a while ago. But it didn’t end there, no,” I pause for effect. “It just meant more new kids from other school got their shot at me.” A small, wicked smile curved my lips and I leaned forward.

“But at that point, I had enough.” Pinkie perked up a little. “One day. I just had enough of it. I had taken enough torment from those pricks. So you wanna know what I did to get them back?” I didn’t wait for answer. “I fought back.” I pause to let that sink in. “I fought back, hard. I beat the absolute FUCK out this one guy who particularly pissed me off during school. His ‘buddies’ tried to help out. But I was pretty catatonic at that point. I felt nothing, saw nothing but red, and completely beat them. One. By. ONE. I made them know they were messing with the wrong guy. And having a father that wouldn’t let his son become fat fuck didn’t help them out in the slightest. I wasn’t the strongest kid around. But lemme tell ya, I got to let all that… pent up anger out.”

“I made them know I was not someone to mess with anymore. I made sure every single punch I gave each and every one of them was felt. I got my revenge basically.. And you wanna know the scary part about it” Again, I didn’t wait for an answer.

“I loved every single single moment.” At this point Pinkie’s fur color returned to its bright nature, and her hair got some of its poof back. But now shes looking like she’s staring a demon.

Well, I might as well be something like that. Huh?

“But don’t worry yourself Pinkie Pie.” I lean back in my chair. “I was just a kid back. I hardly knew anything about defending yourself at the time and stuff like that. I’ve learned, I’ve become a better person from it.” Pinkie smiles a little. “If anything, those times probably helped me turn into the man I am today. You know, besides the whole ‘drafted by the military’ thing.” That got the chuckle. Aaaanf there’s her hair.

“At least you don’t to deal with those kinds of ponies huh?”

“Yeah, well to an extent.” At her confused look I explain. “I still deal with people like that,” I nod to Dash. “but I don’t think anyone can be as nasty as a damn eighth grader.” She giggled at that.

“I see your point.” She looked out the window. “Oh! We’re here!” She said in a sing-song tone.

“Really? Huh. Good way to past time then.” I grab my bag and prepare to get up. The train slows to a stop that manages to wake up the sleeping pegasus, either that or she knows when to wake up, which I highly doubt. And we get off, Pinkie and Rainbow head to Twi’s castle and I head back home.

The walk home was uneventful, besides a few waves here and there, but that was pretty much it. During the walk home I had time to take in this planet’s cartoonish beauty. I never get tired of gazing at the trees and mountains. Despite everything having the aforementioned look about them. Something about it was calming.

Anyway, I make it home by sundown, get dogged piled by my rotties, fuckers think I’ve been gone for years, catch up with Spark and Chrysi. Apparently Twilight went back to Canterlot to catch up with some old friends she had before coming to Ponyville, also Rarity is up there for some business purposes, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders and doing some shit with Pipsqueak. How Chrysi and Spark discovered this, I do not know.

“All of that happened today?” I asked.

“Yeah, pretty much. Though, as far as I know Twilight and Rarity are still in Canterlot.” Chrysi said.

“Huh, cool.” I look out the living room window, and it’s almost dark out. “Welp,” I get up from my chair. “I think I’m gonna turn in early, had a bit of a long day.”

“Alright, goodnight Ember.”

“Night.” I just remembered that Ruby has that sleeping sleeping spell. So going to sleep isn’t gonna be a problem. Man, if only I knew that before Aj decided to wake me up super early…

So today has been a normal day in school. Went to each class, got shit done on time, had a good lunch. Today’s actually been a good day.

Well. It would’ve been, if fucking Derek wasn’t here. Or his friends for that matter.

Those fucks, they make fun of me every time they see me. At least Rodrigo stopped.

“Eeeeeyy fuckboy!” Fucking dammit.

“Fuck off Derek.”

“Aw, is that how you say hi to friends?”

“You’re not my fucking friend. Leave me alone.” Next thing I know I’m pushed into the wall by this little prick and his buddies.

“I’m hurt, Ember. I thought we were friends.”

“How about you fuck off you little cunt.” I always hated the fact I was a little loud mouth. Because that little comment earned me a punch to the gut. Forcing me to double over, well, as much as I could have with two guys holding me up.

“Alright, I guess playtime’s over.” Him and his buddies chuckle. “So what’ll it be this time?” I didn’t immediately respond. Why? Well… I kinda lost it.

“Hey dipshit, you heard me?” I felt all my repressed anger rising up like bile in my throat. I calmly pick my head up, and glare death at him. “Woah, that’s new.”

“Fuck you!” I shove the guys holding me up against the wall and go for him. I lunge at him and start socking him in the face before we even hit the ground. “Fuck you fuck you fuck you!” I kept repeating with every single fucking hook to the face. He tried to hold up his arms to defend himself but it was futile. I hit punched right through his defense. And it wasn’t until I felt his nose break is when I stopped my assault. I wasted no time looking at his bloodied, battered face. I shot back up and turned to the other two. They just stood in fear until one of them scowled and ran at me.

“You little shit!” He held his hands out as if going to choke me. I reared back and landed a direct right hook to his face.

*CRACK* He fell to the ground clutching his face in agony. I look to the last guy with murder in my eyes.

“Yeah- no.” He held up his hands and walked away. I turn back to Derek and his downed friend. A little chuckle leaves my lips.

“Finally.” I get close to Derek, staring him right in the eye. “Fucking finally.” I stand over him and laugh a little. Then I grab my backpack and continue with my day.

My eyes shoot open and bolt up to a sitting position on my bed. I look around blearily as I get my bearings on what just happened.

“Well. That was one hell-of-a dream.” I small smile adorns my face. “Been awhile since I had one that happy.”

Author's Notes:

I'd thought a chapter mostly about Ember was overdue. So I thought 'Why not'?

And of coarse, I'm always looking for feedback. Well, now I am at least...