"This is definitely the way to travel," Pinkie giggles as she hangs alongside my abdomen. After ten minutes of walking, I couldn't take it anymore. Pinkie was constantly bouncing around me in circles, speaking at an unbelievable rate as she threw out nearly every question in existence. I'm normally fairly patient, but I found myself having to physically carry her in order to stop myself from going crazy.

"Don't get used to it," I state with a huff as I adjust my grip around her. "I'm not going to be making a habit of carrying you or anyone else around like a toddler." Our walk ended up leading us out of town and into the Everfree forest. I must admit, I wasn't exactly very comfortable about entering the forest without a gun or sword for protection, but Pinkie assured me she knew a route which would safely lead us to where we needed to go... Wherever that was.

Pinkie somehow manages to roll around in my grip, her puffy mane hanging underneath her head as she looks up to me with a beaming grin. "You'd make a great dad, Johnny. Carrying around your little filly everywhere you go."

The speed of my walk quickly reduces as my head snaps down at Pinkie, "Me, a dad? Ha... That'll be the day."

"What's wrong with that?" Pinkie asks innocently as she wraps her forehooves around the arm that's supporting her.

"First, I'd need to be in a stable relationship where I'd most likely want to be married before having a child."

"Married!?" Pinkie gasps as she violently jerks around in my grasp, resulting in me losing my grip on her. Pinkie is somehow able to twist her body around in the air, allowing her to land correctly on the ground below her. "You have to let me plan your wedding reception! If there's one thing I can do, it's throwing a super party!" Pinkie narrows her eyes, lifting a hoof as she points directly at me. "Pinkie promise."

Rolling my eyes, I let out a sigh as I try to recall the motions Pinkie went through when she first made a 'Pinkie promise' to me. "I Pinkie promise."

Pinkie shakes her head, "No, no, no. You have to say it." Clearing her throat, she sits on her haunches as she lifts her forehoof. "Repeat after me. Cross my heart and hope to fly-"

"-Cross my heart and hope to fly," I copy her words in a monotone voice as I carry out the actions, drawing a cross over my heart before throwing my arm out.

"Stick a cupcake in my eye," Pinkie instructs me as she presses her forehoof against her eye.

"Why would I stick a cupcake in my eye?" I don't get a response as Pinkie glares at me, I swear for a second that I can even hear her growling. Releasing a defeated groan, I lift my hand and cover my eye. "Stick a cupcake in my eye."

Pinkie's glare immediately drops as her usual over-enthusiastic smile returns. "You've got nothing to worry about Johnny, I took care of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's reception."

"There's still no guarantee that I'm even going to get married."

"You have to now. You've got a promise to keep, and nopony breaks a Pinkie promise."

I fold my arms as I look to the pink pony, "So, I'm now being forced to get married?"

Pinkie nods as she starts to bounce around me, much to my irritation. "It'll be the most super-fantastic-bestest wedding ever! Then you'll be a daddy and I'll be the bestest auntie ever."

I let out a single chuckle as I shake my head, "You won't be an aunt unless I marry one of your sisters. That's if you even have any sisters."

Pinkie snorts as she releases another chortle, "I have three sisters. Marble, Limestone and Maude. You won't be marrying any of my sisters, though, you don't even know them, that would be weird." Holy shit, there's three more Pies? If her sisters are as hyperactive as her then the entire world would come to an end if they ever congregated on one spot for too long. "Wait, you said 'first'. Are there more reasons why you won't be a dad?"

I gesture to myself with a hand, "How do you expect me to have a child?"

"That's easy. When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much-"

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I cut her off. "-I know how to make a child, I'm very familiar with the process, thank you very much. I mean, I'm a human so I wouldn't be able to have a child unless-"

"-There is another human or Twilight uses that spell to turn you into a stallion." Pinkie smiles innocently as she tilts her head, "Twilight told me you asked about having a foal." Her grin shifts to a slightly suggestive one as she wiggles her eyebrows, "And Twilight said you had a marefreind."

"Just because I have a partner, does not mean that I'm going to have a child with her. I was only asking if it was possible."

"Well, you would only ask if you wanted one," Pinkie responds before continuing to bounce around me with a smug expression on her face. I find myself stammering as I try to fight back her argument, yet only realise that she has a point. Since when can Pinkie make a logical argument?

Grabbing her mid-air, I stop her from bouncing around as I hook her underneath my arm again. "Just, tell me where we're going and how to get there."

"We're going to see somepony who knows tonnes about magic, even though she isn't a Unicorn. She's super smart."

"So, how do we get to her?"

"Oh, that's easy," Pinkie exclaims as she lifts her hoof to point down the trail. "Take the third left, past the tree that looks like a sourpuss. Then take the next right where you find a rock that looks like a bunny. And follow the trail until you come to a crossroad and turn left." A tree that looks like a sourpuss? Thank fuck she isn't a SatNav or her directions would likely just end up getting me lost.

Deciding not to question her strange identification of landmarks, I start to move along the trail as Pinkie resumes singing the Pinkie and the Brain theme song. After a few seconds, I find her singing more and more intolerable. "Stop singing."

Pinkie tilts her head up to me, her smile never fading. "Can I whistle it?"

"No."

"How about a hum?"

Releasing a defeated sigh, I nod my head. "Fine, hum away." As soon as I give her the go-ahead, Pinkie begins to audibly hum the song as she sways from side to side in my arms. Any second now, I'm expecting her to shout 'narf' at me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We're here!" Pinkie exclaims as we reach a small opening, a number of trees positioned around with one, in particular, standing out. The tree in question reminds me of Twilight's old library, it appears to have been hollowed out in order to turn it into a home. A few steps have been carved into the tree which leads to a wooden door, a small window cut out of the tree on either side of the door is emitting light confirming that this is likely someones home. My eyes drift to the decorations which are set around the tree. A mask hangs over the door, it seems to have been carved from wood giving off the impression that it is a mask you'd find in old films about African tribes. A selection of potions also hangs freely from a few of the overhead branches, each producing a faint glow as they remain suspended overhead.

Lowering Pinkie to the floor, I eye the structure curiously. "Who lives all the way out here? It's kinda secluded from... everywhere."

"Zecora lives here. She's a zebra."

"A zebra?" Pinkie nods as she moves towards the front door. I've only seen a few zebras during my time in Equestria, and that was at the university in Canterlot. I never did have the opportunity to engage with them and they didn't ask any questions, so I have no idea what to expect when I speak to Zecora.

Pinkie gives the door a few knocks as she stands directly in front of the door. Deciding it would be better not to potentially scare someone who doesn't know about me, I step to the side so I'm out of view. The door opens as I get my first look at Zecora. Unlike the zebras from Earth, her main coat is a light grey with a few darker shades painting her legs, back and face. Her mane is styled like a mohawk, consisting of white and grey stripes. She has a selection of golden hoops around her right foreleg and neck.

Looking towards Pinkie with her blue eyes, a small smile spreads across her muzzle. "Hello, Miss Pie, what brings you by?"

"Hiya, Zecora. My friend Johhny needs some help."

Zecora steps a little further out of the doorway as she tilts her head in order to get a better view. She looks at me curiously for a moment before smiling at me, "I will be happy to provide you with assistance, seeing as you came this distance."

I cock a brow slightly following the two instances of her rhyming. Are all zebra's like this or is she just really into her rhymes? "I was looking for some advice or someone who could help me to 'control' a part of me. I was infected with a spell that corrupted me, making me a slave who followed orders blindly. I have been given control of the influence in order to use its abilities to aid me when required, but I don't actually know how to use them."

Zecora lightly nods her head as she finishes listening to me. Gesturing for us to enter her home alongside her, she pivots and makes her way inside. "In order to see if what you said is true, I shall provide you with a special brew."

"I... don't understand. A brew? Do you mean some sort of potion?" Stepping into Zecora's home, my eyes quickly take in my surroundings. The main room curves around in a natural circle, the walls covered in various artefacts and shelves which house numerous potions. In the centre of the room sits a bubbling cauldron, a strong scent of boiling vegetation rising from the large steel pot. My eyes catch a glimpse of what appears to be a small bedroom along the right side of the room, a basic bed resting below a circular window.

"It is more than just a potion, it will let you see your true emotion." Stepping alongside an alchemy table, Zecora begins to fill a mortar with various types of plant life and berries before crushing them up with a pestle. "To see if you have control, you must take a journey into your soul."

As Zecora takes hold of an elixir and begins to pour it into the mortar, I lean closer to Pinkie and whisper into her ear. "What's with the rhymes?" Pinkie only shrugs in response as she watches the zebra work. "Surely it must be a pain in the arse to constantly rhyme." As Zecora ads the contents into a pot in order to boil over a small fire, I step alongside her to look at the concoction. "When you say 'journey into my soul', do you mean something like an epiphany?"

"To see if the influence is confined, this elixir will let you look deep within your mind." As quickly as she started, she is soon pouring the concoction into a clay mug. I watch as the green liquid slowly fills the container before she rests the mortar down and begins to move towards me.

"Do you always rhyme?" I ask as I watch her approach. "It just seems to waste a lot of time." As soon as I finish the sentence, I mentally release a frustrated groan as I realise that I had just made myself rhyme. "Fucking hell, now you've got me doing it."

Stepping up to me, Zecora presents me with the concoction she had just made. As I take a hold of the mug, I list it to my nostrils and inhale the mixture. It doesn't exactly smell the most appealing or look as though it will taste very good. It reminds me of one of those sports drinks you'd mix together. No matter how much the tub would claim it had good flavour, it would always end up tasting like shit.

Swirling the mug in my hand, I tilt the contents from side to side. "So, I'm just supposed to drink this?" Zecora nods as she drags a small chair over to me. Taking the seat she offers me, I bring the mug to my lips and down the entire contents. As I drink the last of the contents, I immediately start to splutter. The foul taste instantly hits my taste buds, it's almost as if I just scooped up a handful of plantlife and dirt and decided to eat it.

I lower the mug and rest it alongside my foot as I remain seated. I lean back into the chair as my stomach begins to cramp, a sharp discomfort moving through my body. Wrapping my arms around my gut, I groan in pain as I slump back. In a few seconds, my head starts to spin with the room moving around on its own accord. As I find myself feeling worse for wear, I close my eyes as my head begins to tilt back.

Reopening my eyes, I find myself standing once again before the door to the interrogation room that acts as my last line of defence. Staring at the steel door before me, I instinctively rest my hand on my hip in an attempt to ready my sword. Unable to find it, I lower my head to find that I'm not in the clothing that I was wearing on my visit to Zecora's or even my Ranger's uniform.

Looking at my hip, I find the sword sitting in a scabbard but not in the usual position I have it. Rather than my usual utility belt, I find that I have a black leather belt with my scabbard attached to my left hip. The usual black and purple uniform has been replaced with the olive drab tunic I was issued upon completion of my officer training, the number two uniform. Looking further down my body, I twist my ankle from side to side to look at the almost knee-high leather dress boots. Lifting my eyes, I notice an officer's cap poking out over my eyes. For some reason, I'm dressed in the officer's regalia of the British army.

Reaching forward, I grasp onto the door handle and push the heavy door open. As the door continues to open, the sound of movement on the other side alerts me to the presence of another. Stepping through into the darkness, I'm blinded by a powerful spotlight which illuminates my position obscuring my view of the room. Lifting my hand in an attempt to shield my eyes from the light, I can hear mechanical parts operating within the room.

"Halt!" The voice of the corruption screams out from within the dark room. "Advance one to be recognised!" As I continue to shield my eyes, I take a few cautious steps towards the corruption. Recognising that it's following the procedure we take on harbour duty, I decide to follow his instructions. "Halt!" Upon his command, I stop on the spot. "Identify yourself!"

I roll my eyes as I continue to shield my eyes, "Who do you think it is?" The spotlight is quickly switched off, allowing me to finally view the room. Lowering my hand, my eyes widen in surprise as I look to the corruption. At the far end of the room, I find the source of the mechanical parts I heard previously. In order to defend my head from any other influences, my corruption seemed to pick a particular weapon to do the job. "Is that a .50 cal?"

The corruption steps to the side, using the heavy machine gun as a resting post. "If you need to hold your ground, then there aren't many weapons which will do a better job than a .50 BMG, sir."

I cock a brow when I hear him referring to me as 'sir'. Stepping closer to his position, I examine him closely. Just like I'm wearing an officer's uniform, the corruption is wearing the exact same combat uniform I was wearing when I first came to Equestria. Strapped around his vest is his own SA80 rifle, with the added attachment of a L123A2 under barrel grenade launcher. I've got to get me one of those.

"So, why have you got those weapons?"

"To keep your mind clear of any other influences." Once he notices that I'm looking at him in confusion, he continues, "It's the way your mind interprets a 'defensive line' against offensive magic which would alter your mind. I'm not really using these weapons, it's just a representation."

Stepping up to the .50, I lightly brush my hand over the frame. "So, you're essentially a guard for my mind?" My other self-nods. "What the hell am I even supposed to call you? I don't exactly feel like calling you 'corruption' every time I refer to you."

Unclipping his helmet, he drops it to the floor. "Davies. You really haven't forgotten that most soldiers are referred to by their surname. You called Williams by his last name, it was a better alternative than that... lovely name of Keith."

"It's not my fault he had the most unattractive name in the English language." Taking control of the .50, I begin to swivel it slightly on its tripod as I aim down the sights. "Discord said that I'd have control of you, to use your abilities when I needed them most. There's just one issue..."

PHAT PHAT PHAT PHAT PHAT PHAT

I fire off a burst of rounds at nothing, in particular, the heavy kick from the weapon impacting against my shoulder with every shot from the monstrous cartridges. As the casings clatter to the floor, I turn back to Davies. "How do I actually use your abilities?"

Davies chuckles as he shakes his head, "You didn't just think that you'd click your fingers and you'd get my strength, did you?" Stepping up to me, he looks towards the miniature craters the .50 created in the brick wall at the far end of the room. "He altered my purpose, making me answer to your commands only. It's simple, give me an order."

I tilt my head, "Just like that?"

"Just like that. You give me an order, and I'll complete the order, no questions asked. No morals to get in my way, no fear, the perfect soldier."

I glare at him as I turn my body to fully face him, "And what's to stop you from going off and doing what you want upon completing your order?"

"Once my order is completed, I return command. I go back into your head and you regain total control." Removing his SA80 from his back, he aims down the range and flicks up the iron sight for his grenade launcher.

PHAT - BOOM

The shell impact with the lowest and furthest section of the wall, damaging the brickwork and sending small pieces of debris flying. "You can regain control whenever you want, it'll just leave you temporarily vulnerable as you readjust to taking control of your body. You won't be able to move for at least a few seconds. So, don't force control back when I'm in the middle of a fight unless you want a bullet in your head when you're unable to move."

Turning my head away as Davies ejects the empty grenade cartridge, I notice a large flat screen TV tucked behind a section of his defensive barricade. "A TV? Why have you got that?"

Davies' eyes dart to the TV as he grins. Resting the rifle against the barricade, he strolls towards the TV as he pulls a remote out of the dump pouch of his vest. "This allows me to see everything that you're doing." As soon as he presses the standby button, the screen instantly springs to life. I'm able to see the inside of Zecora's home from my position on the chair. Pinkie seems to be occasionally prodding me and swaying my body from side to side in what seems to be an attempt at entertaining herself.

When I notice her mouth moving, my eyes flick to the side of the screen to see the mute symbol hovering in the corner. "Why have you muted it?"

Davies looks at me with a blank expression. "You've heard her talk, Johnny. She can be very annoying." Turning his head back to the screen, he taps it with the remote. "I'm able to see and hear everything you do. This will allow me to help protect you. Even as you sleep, I can see and hear everything around. I can wake you up if there's a threat. When you're in battle, I can give you advice on how to proceed."

"You see everything I see?" He nods as he folds his arms. "Even-"

"-I can see you fucking... yes." Davies looks at me with a deadpan expression, "I'm literally in your mind. I knew you were going to ask that."

"That kinda makes things seem a little-"

"-Stop being a little bitch about it. So what if I can see you in those situations. I'm you, what's the problem?" Davies switches off the TV and drops the remote back into the dump pouch. "All you need to know is that I'm under your control. Give me an order and I'll complete the job by any means necessary. Simply give me an order, whether it be out loud or in your head, and I'll do it."

I pace around Davies as I examine him closely, "Stand on one leg." Davies lifts his left leg and keeps it elevated. "Bark like a dog." I notice Davies irritated glare before he follows my order. As instructed, he begins his best impersonation of a barking dog. I shake my head as I stop in front of him. "No. A small dog." Davies' scowl intensifies as his deep barks are replaced with more frequent and higher pitched barks. I watch him continue for a minute before I let out a bored sigh, "You made your point. Stop."

Davies instantly stops as he lowers his leg. "You could have given any order, yet you went for that."

"It was a test. If you're me then you hate looking like an arse in front of others. What better way to see if you'll follow any order by making you act like a tit." Scanning around the room, I take a few steps back. "I'm done here. How do I leave?"

Davies lifts his hand and points to the steel door, "The same way you came in. Just go through the door and you'll wake up." Nodding my head, I turn towards the door and begin to leave. Reaching the exit, I pull the heavy steel door open as I look back to Davies. I watch as he steps towards the .50 and lifts the cover, pulling the ammo belt free before beginning to replace it with a fresh belt.

My eyes creak open as I slowly awaken. The earlier sensation when I first drank the elixir is still present but not as severe as it was previously. Groaning, I lift my hand to rub my face in an attempt to fully wake myself up. Looking around the room, I find Pinkie and Zecora in the centre of the room. It seems that the two have been talking as Zecora began creating a new concoction in her cauldron.

Slowly standing, I find it difficult to keep my balance as the room seems to spin around. The pain in my body is still present, spreading primarily to my stomach and joints. My body itself seems to be strangely warm yet the skin on my arms seem to be slightly pale. Taking a few steps, I feel slightly nauseous yet am able to ensure that I keep my balance.

As I stumble around the room, Pinkie and Zecora turn to me. "Johnny, you're back!" Pinkie exclaims as she hops towards me. "How was your nap?"

I run my hands over my face as I slowly exhale, "It wasn't a nap, Pinkie. I was able to speak to... my other self. I've learnt how to take control."

"Oh, so you can make him do things that you wouldn't want to do?"

I look at Pinkie as I gradually sway from side to side, "I guess." I can only imagine that Davies has muted the TV in my head so that he doesn't have to hear her. My head itself is pounding with every noise that escapes her lips. With my body being in such a poor state, I can only imagine that my body didn't take a liking to Zecora's elixir. "Come on, I wanna head back home. I feel like shit."

I'd better not be getting sick. If there's one thing I've learnt in my time here, it's that I do stupid things during my sick leave.