The next morning, Bronze decided before he reported in for the hydra job, that he'd get some stock of his disturbingly...evolving home. His kitchen was now spotless and orderly with a tea dispenser that has a supposedly endless supply and tastes to the drinker's favorite flavor. His wardrobe now sizes to fit him whenever he tries something on, making even his oldest clothes viable to wear now. Convenient.

Too convenient.

Bronze was of the opinion that nothing comes easy or without a price, so what could all this be costing him, and what exactly was the currency? If Twilight's theories held more water than he'd originally thought, they were feeding off his magic, which he hadn't even known existed less than a week ago. He'd need to talk to his nerdy mage friend-. “Bronze?” He turned to Twilight's voice and promptly spun away.

“Twilight, damn it! Why are you naked when you figured out how clothes work through the Doorways?” 'Holy hell, how does a bookworm get a body like that? I blame magic.'

Twilight was suitably flustered at her hiccup, having forgotten. “Oh, right, sorry. Be right back.” Twilight went back into the library, and soon returned wearing a simple purple dress, that when she passed through, fit her adorably, only it had a lot of cleavage, but he'd live, it was better than her being naked.

“Thank you. So Twi, what do I owe the honor of your visit? I can't stay long I'm afraid, I have to go spread that hydra repellent.” Bronze reminded her as he sat at one of his couches, he'd been investigating if they'd changed. They did, but only slightly in that they seem even more comfortable. Laying on one would make it hard to stay awake.

“Well I came to check on you, see how things were going with that manticore...did you clean up?” Twilight asked as she looked around, noticing the floor was...wait.... “When did you have the time to re-tile your house?” The old, cheap, white tile was now replaced with the same tan/brown tile that was in the kitchen. It was spotless, and perfectly done as well.

“I didn't...and I didn't notice that until just now either, damn it...Twi, I have a serious issue here.” Bronze confided in Twilight that his house was still changing. The Doorways were the start of it, but now his home was improving in ways his mother only ever dreamed. He was starting to worry it might spread outside, catch notice. “So, is it me? Or the house?”

Twilight was scanning the whole place with her magic, and had just come back downstairs with a sigh. “It's all you Bronze. You're subconsciously exerting your will over your immediate surroundings. You don't have this ability or power in Equestria though. It seems the longer you stay home, the more “homey” it will become.” Twilight rubbed her horn distressingly, the oddly provocative motion made him realize her horn seemed longer. “And...I seem to be being affected too. My horn's ability to channel here is improving.”

“Nothing else? Please tell me it isn't perverted. I may be a gentleman, but I'm still just a man.” Bronze was hoping that the women's sexy bodies wasn't HIM, that would be awkward.

“No, not really. Aside from my horn's increased length and by extension; potency, I'm not feeling any different.” Twilight said before she took some more notes on his mom's sacrificed notepad. “I'll have to study this more. You said you had someplace you had to be?”

“Yeah, I've got to go to Shy's place, pick up the repellent and get to spreading it along the Everfree around the bog area. Oh, speaking of which, figured out that my pet pantry leads to the Everfree. Made a friend too. Her name's Zecora, lovely mare.” Bronze blushed as he seemed to be in a daze, and Twilight smirked, but decided to leave it alone rather than tease her friend.

“Well, alright then. Just be careful, and if you end up fighting a hydra, NEVER cut off a head! You'll only double your trouble.” Twilight warned seriously before she turned to exit back into her library. “I'll let you know if I make any headway on what exactly is happening here. Is it alright if I come here while you're gone?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. Twi, my home's as easily invaded as it has ever been. I'd feel better having someone I know here anyway.” After bidding his bookish friend farewell, Bronze went to his couch and picked up his brother's wakizashi. Well...to call it a wakizashi wasn't true; a traditional Japanese blade isn't straight like this, but no other style of weapon had this kind of blade design. Ignoring his usual conundrum over what exactly the sword was supposed to be named, Bronze strapped the black wood sheath to his right hip, being comfortable drawing it in reverse as he retied his knife and kukri to their usual places.

However, Twilight's warning echoed into his mind, and also brought forth his memory of the tale of the mythical hydra of his world, in that it could only be killed by pulverizing the torso, a daunting feat. What if Equestrian hydras were worse? What if the torso mutated or rapidly healed any slices to it similarly to the heads? He wasn't supposed to be fighting any of the beasts, but better safe than sorry. He went out to his roofed porch, and promptly approached his 10 pound sledgehammer, hoping the modifications made upon crossing over would be enough to turn the work tool into a proper weapon.

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“Hey Shy? You home?” Bronze knocked on her door, not hearing anything inside, not even her many animals. His little animal friends all ran in through the Doorway when he'd opened it, all being clearly frightened as they all ran to his room for safety. He knew it was a bad sign, and the lack of animals around or the buttery kind pegasus all further screamed that something bad had happened, was happening, or about to happen. Animals were very instinctive about danger. “Okay...don't panic. Just try to focus on a way to discover the issue, then resolve it.”

Bronze leaned into the haft of his new warhammer as he thought on a course of action. The black fiberglass handle was easily as tall as he was, and thick enough to fit perfectly in his massive mitts. The stainless steel head however, was proportionately massive, and while not changing it's simple, effective shape, was much, much heavier, the 10lb labels printed on the sides now read 50lbs, and he could still swing it as easily as before. Scary.

“Okay, so.” Bronze sniffed the air, and promptly gagged. “The stench of peat, mold, and mildew...swamp fare. Living in Florida did something for me after all. The hydra are in the bog....” Bronze growled deeply, before he bellowed in frustration. “Damn it! Should've done the repellent yesterday! Shy must've noticed one coming and evacuated.”

Bronze focused on the stench, and using his new senses, was able to trace them a good distance further south, and found tracks. Judging from the ridiculous size of the clawprints, the beast was likely an adult, and from here, easily within sight of Fluttershy's. The thing however, went straight into the southern fields judging by the tracks, and when he climbed it. “Oh...fuck me.”

There it was.

It was a towering three-headed colossus of orange scales and a sickly yellow banded belly. Aside from it's bulbous torso, it only had the long, serpentine trio of heads, a thick tail nearly part of the torso behind it to help balance, and two stubby legs on either side that it lumbered about on. The beast was feeding, from this distance he couldn't tell, but he could only pray it wasn't a pony. He could tell, however, even from here; that the southern end of Ponyville visible from here was completely abandoned. “Yeah, great job Bronze, great job. Let the thing in with all the procrastinating over the manticore's pelt.”

He considered his options. Obviously, the thing wasn't about to be content with whatever it killed and leave. If he could eat enough to equal a pony in size, then that thing could probably eat up to twice it's weight if it's distended and bloated torso meant anything. Any further planning was halted upon the thing turning towards town, and starting to lumber towards it. “Oh fuck no! Not today!”

Bronze bellowed to catch it's attention, successfully getting one head to lazily look at him, perk up, and then produce a hissing roar as it prodded it's fellows to look at him too, all eyes on him now. They roared in disjointed unison, and then began a shockingly fast lumbering gait towards him, getting the bull's eyes to shrink to pinpricks at his bull-headed stupidity. “Fuck! Where'd my brains go?! Uh...THIS WAY FATASS!”

Bronze tried not to contemplate the irony of his taunt as he spun around and booked as fast as his black hooves could manage. Having hooves instead of feet was an incredibly useful thing for running, proven how there was practically no pain, and he outpaced the creature severely, getting a lead on it as he kited it away from town. 'Alright...killing it's the obvious choice. No way I can get it all the way back to the bog, don't even know for sure where it is; Shy was supposed to lead me to my starting area. Okay, so remember; heads are off-limits, focus on the torso.'

Bronze continued his run, huffing out his nose as he looked behind him, pondering the morbidly fat and resilient monster's potential weak spots. 'The tail would be a good one, I don't see it being able to turn quickly, it'd rely on it's heads for that and the reach would be limited from the rear. I don't know if-SHIT!' Bronze suddenly rolled to the side as a trio of green acid gobs splatted where he'd have been, rapidly dissolving the grass and blackening the dirt. 'Holy frik! Spits acid apparently! Thanks for telling me everypony!' Bronze scathingly thought in sarcasm, before he turned to face the charging bag of scales. 'Alright then, clearly no more running if it's resorting to projectiles. Let's do this!'

As it nearly approached the range of lunging at him, he surprised it by bolting towards it and to the right side. “BRONZE BRAAAAAAAVE~!” Bronze screamed his own name as a battle cry, an ode to Leeroy Jenkins just in case he died, and didn't have chicken in whatever afterlife awaits. Seeing it's surprise as an opportunity, Bronze dodged the slowed lunge of the left head and shouted as his martial artist instructors told him to in order to increase his attack's power as he quickly reared his sledge back, and hammered home right into the thing's left leg at the “shoulder”.

A sickening cracking sound and pop was his reward, as well as witnessing the beast cry out in agony and collapse onto the lame limb. Bronze was feeling SO high on adrenaline as he backed off with leaping backsteps to dodge the snaps of the infuriated left head. “Ha! Suck it ya-AH!” Bronze screamed in pain as one of the further heads spat acid onto his left shoulder, instantly searing off his fur, and beginning to make his exposed pitch-black flesh bubble and crack. “YOU FUCKERS!”

Bronze wasn't sure what happened next. His vision went red, there was so much wordless screaming and pain as new injuries mounted. Eventually though, he found himself standing atop the back of a limp, motionless hydra, panting desperately for air as he clutched his sledge in his right hand near the bloodied head with a death grip, his left arm not responding.

“Ah...ah...ow....” Bronze looked himself over as best he could without moving much, his left shoulder from pec to shoulder blade was now furless, and covered in acid burns. His left arm seemed broken at least once at the bicep, twisted unnaturally. His double knees trembled at the acid burn on his right calf, and it seemed he took a good tumble as his face was burning with a familiar sensation of having face-planted with the dirt at least once. “What the...I...knew I blacked out when I fought, but fuck...never like that.”

“BRONZE~!” At the hysterical screams of his name, Bronze slowly looked towards the source as his friends all rushing from the direction of town, and slowing as they approached to gawk at him in both horror and amazement, before Twilight took a deep breath, and turned to Rainbow.

“Rainbow! Fetch the medics from the hospital!” Dash saluted out of habit, and took off in a blast of speed. “Fluttershy, tend to him!”

“Oh dear, oh my!” Fluttershy worriedly rambled as she quickly flew up to him and began fishing in her saddlebags upon sitting next to him, he still stood, shaking, too worried he'd collapse if he relaxed.

“Rarity, help Fluttershy.” The Fashionista didn't complain even as she got dirt and other gross substances on her hooves as she climbed up the dead beast to follow Fluttershy's instructions, using her magic to slowly lower him to his rump to his gratitude, but he still clutched his hammer to distract from the pain. “Pinkie-.”

“On it!” Pinkie ran off, leaving a cloud in her shape, also leaving Twilight blinking as she hoped her odd friend really knew what she was about to say.

“AJ, you can help them right?” Twilight asked her last friend, who sweated and shook her head in worry. “Then just be there for support, I need to send a letter!” Twilight teleported back to her library, she'd left Spike home out of parental protectiveness.

AJ quickly jumped up the enormous beast easily the size of a small home, and sat next to a jaw-clenching Bronze in concern as Fluttershy and Rarity set about setting and splinting his left arm, and took his clenching right hand in her hooves. “Y'all 'll be okay, y'hear me? Help's comin'.” Bronze visibly relaxed, and let his hammer slide down the beast to the dirt nearly two stories below as he graciously accepted her hooves instead, grinning at her, before he finally couldn't ignore it anymore, and blacked out in pain.

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*Beep, beep, beep....* If there was one thing Bronze hated more than the piercing sound of his alarm, it was the grating constant beeps of a heart monitor. It was depressing, and reminded him too much of the many times he'd had to watch his father breathe through a tube in an ICU.

Speaking of which.

*GAG! GAGCHCHCHCH!* Bronze choked on the pipe in his throat, his heart monitor spiking as his waking registered. In response; a white coated mare with bright red hair wearing a nurse hat burst into the room, and helped him remove the artificial lung's hose.

“Easy, easy. You need to relax your throat if we're going to get this out.” The mare coaxed gently, and he calmed down as she helped his hands guide the offending object from his throat and out his mouth, and he breathed on his own in relief. “You gave us all a scare Mr. Brave. When you were dragged in with hydra poisoning, we thought we'd lost you.”

“Poison?” Bronze asked, his abused vocal chords turning the word into a croak.

“Yes. You were hit by what most think is acid, but is actually a highly acidic poison that seeps in through skin and tissue by burning through fur first and weakening the flesh. It paralyzes the victims to the point the body goes into shock and shuts down. The fact you were moving at all after it hit you is amazing. The fact you killed it with just a hammer, even if it was a 53 and 1/3 stone hammer, is just awe inspiring.” She gushed slightly, before suddenly shifting to a stern expression. “What were you thinking mister?!”

“Uh...don't let it get to town and claim more victims?” 'What is her problem?'

At his response, she huffed. “You hero types, so stupidly selfless, not caring about your lives.” She muttered as she checked his bandages, and then looked at his bed's clipboard. It was only now he noticed his arm wasn't in a sling, and the searing pain he'd expected, what having experienced third-degree burns before, was merely a sting where he'd been burned.

“So nurse, what's the damage, how long have I been out, what's the situation around my actions?” 'Because, seriously, my parents are supposed to be back this week. Can't be missing when they show up, send them into a panicked frenzy, expose Equestria, start wars, etc.'

“It's actually only been a day since you were admitted Mr. Brave. Miss Dash and Miss Sparkle were very efficient in organizing the help you needed promptly, and getting the medics to you quickly. Not to mention that Miss Fluttershy's emergency first aid likely saved your life. She had some antidote on her in preparation for the worst, and she'd already set your arm and dressed your burns by the time the medics were teleported to you. As for the situation, Mayor Mare is going to be seeing you once I inform her you're awake. She'll know more than anypony besides your friends.” The nurse then briskly left the room, and Bronze sighed as he laid back in the bed, lamenting his current state.

'Didn't exactly tell me what was still wrong, just that I'm fine thanks to Shy. I owe my friends so much now...first for being my friends in the first place, then for saving me from Nightmare, and now for saving me from myself.' Bronze snorted a quiet laugh, and decided to nap. It wasn't long before a knock sounded on his door, and he woke up. “Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Mayor, who looked at him dryly and disapprovingly, before she closed the door behind her, and she suddenly bolted to his side, looking him over worryingly. “Oh~ are you alright? I'm so sorry! I should've made you do the repellent yesterday and this wouldn't have happened-!”

“Whoa-whoa! Hold your horses Mayor!” Bronze blinked, and snorted as he tried not to laugh at the pun, this was serious. “It's nopony's fault but mine. I'm the one who decided to fight it, alone at that, but I couldn't let it get into town. It'd already killed someone.”

“Actually it didn't.” Mayor informed him with a tone of relief, getting him to blink in confusion. “That was actually magically-treated bait donated by the local Hayburger and prepared when Miss Fluttershy rushed into town, warning us a hydra was coming. The bait was a rotting pre-prepared fake meat lump the size of a pony, magically treated with powerful sedation charms. It should've knocked it out, but it was either too old or the charms not strong enough. It did get notably slower, so that might've been what gave you enough edge over it to kill the creature.”

Bronze sighed in a combination of relief, that nopony died, and self-depreciation, since clearly this meant his success wasn't all him. Still. “How many people do you think can claim they've killed a hydra by themselves?”

“I doubt enough for me to use up my hooves.” Mayor joked, getting a friendly laugh shared between them. “Well, Mr. Brave, I think it is safe for me to say; thank you. You saved many lives today.”

“I would say it wasn't any trouble, but I'm laying in a hospital bed.” He laughed and Mayor chuckled before she decided to get serious again.

“Now, I must inform you that your hospitalization will be paid for by Her Royal Majesty Princess Luna, and that a royal stipend is to be awarded upon you for slaying a dangerous beast at great personal peril. The missive also stated it was to be part of a sincere apology to you for wronging you before, and that a detachment of pegasus guards has been dispatched to spread the repellent in your place, but that your due payment is to still be granted.” Mayor grinned after she said that. “Like I wouldn't pay you; you killed a hydra! That wasn't in the job description, you were expected to run if you encountered one.”

Bronze was stunned silent, looking at the mare in shock, which worsened when Mayor cheekily grinned, and suddenly took out a large coin sack, and dropped it on the bed, the heavy gold bits inside making him grunt. “That's 500 bits. 250 for the manticore venom, and 250 for spreading the repellent, which is now honestly for slaying the endangering beast instead. You still have a contract to kill a local pack of timber wolves, also worth 50 bits a timber heart. Doing quite well for yourself my bull. Please, don't stop impressing.” Mayor stated before she turned to leave. “You have visitors besides me, I hope you enjoyed your peace, because it's gone now.”

“W-wait!” She paused at his call, and he grinned nervously. “Um...who has rights to the beast's corpse?”

Mayor blinked, and looked at him incredulously. “You, of course. You killed it, it's spoils are for you to do as you will. Be warned though, that you only have a few days to relocate it, as by then it'll have become an eyesore and I'll have it moved to the Everfree.”

“Noted.” 'I hope Zecora knows something about harvesting hydra.' Mayor nodded and left, and almost instantly, a yellow and pink blur sped in and tackled him down into the bed.

“Bed! Temperature....” It was Shy, she was pinning him to the bed with her whole body, and checking his forehead with her hoof. “A little warm, expected, mouth.” She pried open his mouth, sticking her face in to see down his throat, and he accidentally licked her lips in surprise, but she didn't flinch. “Tonsils aren't swollen, good. Burns.” She sniffed the bandages, and gently rubbed them, only getting a wince in response. “Lessening. Good....” Shy sighed as she relaxed, seeming to shrink a bit as she laid down on him. “I didn't fail...good....”

“Shy?” Bronze asked nervously, and she looked at him weakly, and he was now able to notice the bags under her eyes, how red they were. 'She stayed up all night, crying in worry....' “I'm fine, you saved me, see?” Bronze held his arms out, and flinched before he slowly lowered his left arm back onto the bed. 'Yeah, ow.'

“Yeah Shy, stop doubting yourself. Told ya he'd be okay.” Dash said as she flew in the door ahead of the rest of his friends, Rarity closing the door after they were all in the room, gathered around the bed. “Still, a hydra? Alone? Buck bull, you've got bronze balls.” Dash joked, before blinking and looking at his groin. “Do you?”

Bronze blushed and huffed. “I certainly do NOT!” 'Right...haven't checked the undercarriage of this body yet...been putting it off, using the restroom at home.'

“Rainbow, such a thing is not to be said to one's male friends. It is uncouth.” Rarity chided. “But I will admit that she is right about one thing darling; slaying a hydra? It is like the old tales, only with a lot more grit and surviving by the skin of your teeth.”

“Yeah! You were all screaming, and roaring, and swinging your hammer like a bull possessed! After you broke it's left leg, you ran right at it and began wailing on it! Then when one bit your left arm, you jammed the head of the hammer into it's eye! Following that, you dodged most of another ball of poison, and ran up it's back, falling on your face a couple times as it tried to shake you off, but you eventually got up there and smashed it's spine until the thing stopped moving!” Pinkie gushed so fast almost nobody understood her. “Then I ran for our friends and got us help and an emergency bone potion for your arm.”

“W-what? How did you do all that so fast? We all met up after you got me and-.” Dash put a hoof to Twilight's lips and shook her head.

“Twilight, it's Pinkie. Just please. Don't. Ask.” Dash pointedly stated, getting the lavender unicorn even more curious, but this wasn't the place.

“Well...fine then. Now that we know he's okay, let's leave him be so he can rest up. C'mon girls. Get well soon Bronze.” Twilight and the others, save AJ, all left, but AJ closed the door behind them instead, and returned to Bronze's side to his bewilderment.

“What's up AJ?” At his question, she climbed on top of him, and looked him in the eyes as she stood over his face.

“Don't. Do that. EVER! Again!” AJ demanded, and Bronze sank back into his pillow. “If'n ya do somethin' so stupid again, and ya git hurt. So help me Ah might jus' buck you 'cross town m'self to make sure yer brains know ya done goofed! Understand?!” Bronze cowered under the burning emerald gaze of the farm mare, her eyes narrowed at his lack of response. “Well?!”

“W-why? Why do you care THIS much?” Bronze asked in confusion, and AJ blushed as she backed off.

“N-now why y'all askin' that? Ah'm jus' concerned is all...yer mah friend Bronze. An' ya came real close ta dyin' in my hooves....” AJ's eyes drenched, dropping tears down her snout as she sniffed. “Ah couldn' do nothin' as ya laid there. Shy and Rares did what they could an' all Ah was good fer was sittin' there worryin'. Jus' like when Ah lost mah....” AJ choked, and seemed about to start crying for real when Bronze used his right arm to pull her to his chest, and hugged her as she cried into his bandages.

“Shush girl. Hush. You don't need to say anything. Just calm down. I'm here.” Bronze was so busy saying sweet nothings to calm his friend, he didn't notice the five pairs of eyes all peeking through the cracked door, each concerned, but knowing they had no place here right now, and they quietly closed the door.

Author's Notes:

Bronze is powerful = true.
Bronze is overpowered = not true.

He's the Berserker, he can hit things, eventually he'll dual-class into a sort of Berserker Warlock, but until then, just a Berserker. He was able to hurt Nightmare out of several important factors: NM consistently underestimated him, and took him seriously way too late. He was high off achieving the minotaur equivalent of a cutie mark. And dumb luck.