That damn beeping is going to drive me up the wall, I thought to myself as I struggled up out of the dark of…

Opening my eyes greadually, everything was pretty fuzzy but I could see white all around, smell antiseptic in the air, and that steady beeping grew a bit faster. My first thoughts were jumbled. I tried to move my left arm and quickly found I couldn’t. This made the beeping grow faster before a voice to my right spoke out.

“Don’t try to move around, Mr. McDonald. Relax, you are safe. I need to go get the doctor and let him know you are awake.”

Turning my head I saw a standing pony there, a pony! What? Wait, okay, I remembered where I was. So, no, still not a dream. Then I started to remember more of the last focused memories I had, the events that led up to me… well, winding up in a hospital bed.

---

The last two weeks had been pretty decent. Backbreaking work, but it felt good to work again, to get my hands dirty and body drenched with sweat. I'd been spending days working on the farm along with Applejack and her family and at night writing as I was asked about human law, law enforcement, and whatever else pertained to that.

I wasn’t physically strong enough to ‘buck’ a tree, though I could haul baskets to the wagon hitched to Big Macintosh. I could pick up dead branches and stack them for selling to a firewood salespony in town. I plucked weeds from the dirt and mended fences falling apart—about all of the stuff I did back on the ranch as a kid, and it really did feel great to do it.

I suspect this is what old Tom must have felt like. Tom was our ranch hand when I was a lot younger. He had been working it since my father took it over, so I knew him basically all my life. Tom was the cowboy’s cowboy. Right down to his very bones he fit the bill of someone who belonged back in the 1800’s, and I had grown up listening to his stories and sitting around the ranch hand campfire as a boy.

I don’t doubt it is where I got my love for the simple life, and perhaps a good deal of my work ethic and my drive for law and justice. I remember Tom showing up with mom and dad when I graduated from the academy, and his smile said he was just as proud of me as they were.

Two years after I graduated and was on the Highway Patrol, ol' Tom had passed in his sleep in his bunk. It was only after cleaning out his stuff did my dad find his certificates and a old badge. Turns out Tom had been a U.S. Marshall for years. He was buried with full honors, and it was my pride to be a pallbearer at his funeral. Looking back on it all, it really did shape who and what I was as I grew up.

So things were going pretty darn well. Ponies didn’t run from me, even the ones that were a bit jumpy in my presence had come around to offering a friendly smile or wave. I was walking Apple Bloom and her friends home every day now, something I had taken pride in.

Though, I still had nightmares, and despite our arguments about it, I didn’t lament too much Luna’s stopping them once in awhile. That had been a whole fight unto itself, but one we had come to a understanding on. At first I was rather upset when Luna invaded a few more dreams, and I soon let her know such in person. She had been taken aback by that, and seeing her shock, I backed up a bit, too.

We spent a good few hours sitting in conversation about our views on privacy and such. We found middle ground, she agreed to not invade my dreams, and I agreed if she saw one was happening, it was all right to end it from the outside. She did stress to me how much she wanted to help me move past things. I, however, just was not ready for that, and not sure I ever will be.

Speaking of that, the question rose of just how was she able to access my dreams? Something new to add to the mystery of why magic didn’t work on me or my belongings, or how I ended up here. Celestia said she had her best working on it, and I knew Twilight was pouring over books trying to find theories. It was a bit comforting to know they were not taking it lightly and were upholding their word to me.

Big Mac and I had grown closer, as well. The big guy doesn’t talk much, but when he does, it is deep, and there is much wisdom in his words. Kind of slow to speak, though, as he chews on his words before letting them out. I admired that about him, and we had fast become ‘drinking’ buddies, having a hard cider or two together around the campfire I set up out near the barn I had my room in. It kind of became a tradition for us, and sure, others came and went. Applejack would join us once in awhile, even Granny came out and sat for a whole hour one night. Quiet lady, that old mare, but I have and will continue to remark at the intelligence that glowed in the back of her eyes.

So, overall, things were beginning to flow pretty good. That, of course, is the exact time that son of a bitch Murphy decides to come visit, and he brought his whole family with him this time!

I remember it being around noon or so. AJ and I were just about to knock off for lunch. We were waiting for Mac to return from the barn run with a load of apples. Cortland was on watch duty but he had been helping out by moving empty baskets into place for the apples to fall into, while I moved the full ones over to the stack for the wagon.

Just as I spotted Mac, we all heard a scream in the distance. My head snapped around and I immediately looked out at the rows of trees heading towards the Everfree Forest. It was Applejack that shouted. “That sounded like Apple Bloom!” and just as she did, a burst of bright yellow light shot up in the distance and exploded like a flare.

I was in motion even before Cort was up on his hooves. My right hand shot out and snatched up my old double barrel coach gun from where it leaned on a tree. I had been keeping it close, mostly out of habit instead of any fear. As I started to sprint my left hand reached out and I grabbed the handle to my small hand axe. The old thing had seen better days but still worked for trimming branches and such. It had been sitting stuck in a stump and I had caught it in the corner of my eye.

I knew the others were running too, but again, I have remarked I had the advantage of being human. Long legs, and quite a bit more wind than most pony had for hard sprints. Tucking the axe into my belt as I ran, gripping the old shotgun tight in my hand as I pumped my arms best I could.

Breaking through a clearing, I saw Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo standing before Apple Bloom and a small dark grey unicorn foal. Both the foal and Apple Bloom were bloody, as was Scootaloo, who bled from a gash in her forehead. Her little wings spread wide, in a crouch, and one rather pissed-off look on her face.

Standing in front of them was a grey pegasus mare, with straw-yellow mane and little bubbles on her flank. She had her wings flared, mane standing near on end, and a look of pure death in her eyes despite them not focusing quite in the same direction.

Before her trying to circle were four… things. Wood and leaves, plants, greenery, given life in the form of a wolf. They were huge, really big, with ease reaching up to my chest. Nearly as big as Big Mac. As I came into sight, one lunged at the mare, who spun, grabbing the wooden-skinned wolf by the neck and using her weight and his momentum to send it flying over her. It smashed into a tree and shattered.

What she didn’t see was the one its heels, and it jumped toward her back. I saw the claws dig in, and heard the mare screech out in pain.

Time advanced slowly. I was not aware of who was behind me, just the fight in front of me. I bellowed a shout as I brought the old coach gun up. “HEY!” and just as its head turned some, I unloaded the right barrel.

The hammer fell, and the report roared out with flame and smoke as nine lead pellets crashed through the air and smashed into the side of the wooden wolf. It made no sound, but it did nearly split in two just behind the front shoulder where my shot hit. Chunks of wood, leaves, plant matter, and some kind of green ichor sprayed as it flew apart.

The shotguns sound had made the fillies scream loudly, but I had no time for them. Switching targets to the next one. I left it have the left barrel, again the old shotguns hammer fell, and it bucked into my shoulder. The booming report followed by the things head turning into sawdust and kindling spraying across its back, and the ‘face’ of the last remaining creature.

I dropped the shotgun just in time to see a blur of blue and rainbow slam into the last wolf creature. The impact was huge, and I watched as Rainbow—one of the nicest mares out there, despite her bragging—turn into a Tasmanian devil!

Right hand yanking my hand axe out as I watched the fight for a opening, Rainbow spun and flipped, lashing out hits that dealt damage time and time again only to see parts of the creature snap back up from the ground and join back into cohesive form. My blood ran cold, and at the same moment, I heard Cort yell, “Look out!”

I managed to spin just in time to get my left arm up and get it wedged into the muzzle of the creature. Then I screamed at the top of my lungs as wooden teeth chomped down. I felt them hit bone. I could smell the rot and stench of death on the creature's breath. Baleful-green eyes glared with no feeling or emotion into mine as it wrenched its head to the side, yanking me with it, and ripping the wounds wide.

I knew I was in big trouble, and that human fight or flight nature kicked in hard. Adrenaline flooded my veins. My right hand held the hilt of the small camp axe, and without thinking I swung. It smashed into the thing's neck with all the force I had, and this time I got it to make a sound. A sound right out of hell as it yelped in pain and anger. Yet, I did not stop. Over and over I kept smashing the blade into it. Blood-like greenish fluid flew as I followed it onto the ground and continued to drive the hatchet into it.

A hoof grabbed my arm and a voice yelled. “Enough, Shane, enough! You got it!” said a deep voice.

I looked up, eyes starting to focus as I saw Mac had my hand held tightly. Panic set in as I snapped my head around. “The other one…!”

He, again, in that deep calm voice of his spoke “Gone, calm down, just calm down, Rainbow chased it off. Slow down, lower your arm.”

Breathing fast and heavy still I rolled and slumped onto my ass. First I looked over at the... what was once some kind of wooden wolf. A timberwolf. Then I saw the red and looked around, before my gaze set on my left arm. It just hung there, meat in shreds being held in place by what was left of my shirt. I could see bone. I knew this was bad. I was loosing blood fast, and I looked back up at Mac, just as Cort came into view.

“I... I think I may be in trouble.”

All then went black.

---

I must have zoned out some again, because next thing I knew, there was a pony shining a light in my eye then away. A male I could tell from the voice, unicorn from the horn on his head, glowing a very light red as it held the small pencil flashlight.

“Mr. McDonald, can you tell me where you are?”

I blinked and grunted. “Hell?”

I heard a snort from my right and a voice I only had to think for a moment to place. “Well, Doctor Mercy, at least his smart mouth and poor humor is intact.” Twilight, that voice belonged to a friend.

The white unicorn gave a nod. “It would seem so, Princess Twilight. Mr. McDonald, do not try to move around. Your left arm is in a cast to keep you from moving it. Do you remember what happened?

I looked up at him and nodded a bit. “A fight, some... wood things started attacking a couple of—is Apple Bloom okay?! What about Scootaloo?! Where is Derpy, is she fine?!”

A hoof came down lightly on my chest. “Relax, Mr. McDonald, they are all fine thanks to the quick actions of yourself, Miss Dash, and the Apples.” I watched him look up and over my right side. Turning my head, I spotted each of the girls there looking rather worried then looked back at the doc.

“A-am I going to loose the arm?”

He shook his head. “No. At least, I don’t think so, but I am going to let the princess tell you more of that. For now, you rest, you can talk for a few minutes,” he looked over at the mares again. “No excitement, no moving around, and no parties, Miss Pie!”

With that, he turned and left. I slowly rolled my head back to look at six very worried faces. AJ almost looked like she had been crying, but, I knew that couldn’t be right. Rainbow had a bandage around her barrel keeping one wing down to her side. Twilight spoke up with a soft tone.

“They are called timberwolves. Corrupt life magic. No one short of an alicorn has ever managed to kill one before, and you killed three, Shane!”

I shook my head softly and licked my lips. Seeing this, a light blue magic took a cup off the dresser to my side and brought it over, a straw tucked into my lips and I sucked down a few sips of water. “Thank you, Rarity,” I recognized the color of magic now, at least from the few friends I had. Twilight's was purple, Rarity was blue, Cortland was a off-reddish, and Golden was... golden.

“The others will be okay?”

Twilight smiled faintly. “Dinky will be in the hospital a few days more. Apple Bloom went home this morning, and Derpy is staying at her daughter's side.”

She paused and looked at her friends before looking back to me. “S-Shane, that thing, the... shotgun you called it. Is that why you don’t want us to study it? Is that the kind of destruction and harm it can bring?”

I turned my head away. “Yeah, and I had hoped you would never see that, Twilight.”

Applejack then said, “Shane, y’all saved my sister's life.”

Rarity added in, “As well as my Sweetie Belle.”

Then I heard Dash, “And Scoots!”

I nodded my head “I know, but still, I warned you Twilight, humans are very good at…”

A hoof touched my right shoulder gently. “It doesn’t matter, Shane, you saved ponies' lives. Now, rest, we will all talk later. I know Princess Luna and Celestia want to talk, too.”

Feeling rather exhausted, I watched them troop out of the room, but Applejack paused and looked back at me, then nodded and headed out.

So much for a quiet month.