The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was not a comfortable one for Grevin. The open, and bright layout of Ponyville made him miss the dark, easy to hide in, shadows of the cities and forests of Bastion. Combine that with the fact that he was currently trying to keep the torrent of his grief at bay as well as the wide eyed gazes of the local population following him as he made his way with the mane six, well, it was safe to say he was lucky he was holding up as well as he was. The only true sign of his frustration coming through was his clenched fists at his sides and the occasional grit of his teeth, which thankfully they couldn’t see thanks to his hood.

He knew that he couldn't keep himself bottled up forever and needed to find a way to vent , but he had to focus for the moment just to keep pace with the mane six as they walked him through town. He could already hear the concerned whispers of the townspeople...or townsponies, the concern in their tone, their suspicion of the tall dark monster wandering through the streets, he was used to that, he had dealt with that several times when he was younger...in Bastion. There he had been seen as a bit of an outcast, someone who was mistaken as evil at first glance, which is why he had dawned his hood and cloak in the first place. That way he could allow his actions to speak for him instead of his features. Here however, he was going to be seen truly as a monster no matter what he did, that did nothing to help his spirits.

The ponies began to go their separate ways as they made their way through the town beginning with Rarity who had said her goodbyes and gave Grevin a promise of looking forward to creating a wonderful new cloak for him to wear in the near future. The next was Rainbow Dash who stated that she needed to get back to her weather duties which perplexed Grevin for a bit but he put it in the back of his mind for another day.

Pinkie Pie was the third to leave the group just as they reached the outer edge of the town. She had actually caught Grevin by surprise by raising her hoof and lightly striking it against his fist while saying 'hoof bump' before hopping away towards what he assumed was the place she had called Sugar Cube Corner before.

He had noticed that as they walked, the one named Fluttershy had kept her head down but had begun flying closer to him than before when the others were there. He knew that she felt bad about what had happened, and he hoped that she still wasn't worried about it. She kept her face hidden under most of her long pink mane and he was going to ask her if she was alright but she beat him to the punch when she landed on the ground beside him and lightly pawed at the ground. “Um...I'm sorry but I need to go back to my cottage. You don't mind do you? I can walk with you three the rest of the way if you want.” She looked up at Grevin with her bright cyan eyes making him pause mid step caught a bit off guard by her cute appearance.

Twilight came to the rescue though stepping between Fluttershy and their new friend. “It's ok, I think I'm going to go home too. Applejack can take him the rest of the way.”

“Oh..um...ok Well, it was nice to meet you finally Grevin,”

He gave a small bow “It was nice to officially meet you as well Miss Fluttershy. Please have a good night, and you as well Miss Sparkle.”

Twilight blinked in surprise at the title he had given her. It was respectful, she'll admit that, but it didn't sound right to her coming from him. She wasn't an official, or some sort of professor...well not yet, she wanted to be his friend and seen as such.

“Grevin...please just call us by our regular names. Twilight and Fluttershy. You don't have to be so formal with us, we're your friends.” She gave a small smile as Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

“Yes, please think of us as friends...um...if you want to that is.”

Applejack could only smirk as she watched Grevin take a small step back as he tried to make amends. “I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect. I'll call you what you wish.”

Fluttershy beamed as Twilight smiled and gave a curt nod. “Thank you. Well, good night everypony. See you tomorrow.”

With that, the violet Unicorn and the cream colored Pegasus went their separate ways leaving Applejack to her task. She lightly bumped Grevin's hip her her side getting his attention. “Come on then, lets not waste any more daylight, we've got to get you settled in.”

Grevin fell into step next to her allowing a calm silence to fill the air. The two made their way up the long path to Sweet Apple Acres, and soon enough the ever familiar barn and homestead surrounded by fields and apple trees soon came into view. The sun was beginning to set as the two made their way up to the front porch where three other ponies came walking out each one having a small smile on their faces. Well, two of them did however, the third one, the one he had saved before was now beaming up at him with bright, wide eyes. Applejack stepped ahead of him a bit and turned extending a hoof out at him.

“Everypony, I'd like to introduce y'all to Mister Ha- I mean...Grevin. He'll be staying with us for a while until he can get back on his feet. He'll help us out on the orchard and with other things around the farm.” She then pointed to the ponies next o her. “Grevin, I'd like to introduce you to the Apple Family. This here is Big Macintosh my big brother”

The red pony was the biggest Grevin had seen yet in this land and he appeared to be very strong. Grevin took note of the careful eye that the farmer gave him through his half lidded gaze, sizing him up seeing if he meant harm or if he would make a peaceful life there. Grevin slowly moved forward and extended his hand to him. “Good evening, I want to thank you for allowing me to stay at your home, I promise I will do my best to earn my keep.”

Big Mac took a moment to look at his hand before extending his hoof and giving a firm shake and curt nod before stepping back so Applejack could continue.

“This here is Grannie Smith.” She pointed a wobbly older looking green pony who was looking at him with squinting eyes. Grevin was about to give a polite bow when the older mare moved forward at a speed that seemed beyond her age and put her face right in front of his a look of pure concentration showing on her face her eyes narrowing as if she were inspecting him. Grevin began to back up when the older mare smirked and stepped back to where she stood once before and turned her gaze to Applejack. Big Mac stepped to the side and covered Apple Bloom's ears for a moment in anticipation.

“Applejack! It's about time you brought yourself home a fine feller to court ya!” She smirked as Applejack blushed and shifted her hooves about her. Granny Smith grinned as she turned back to Grevin. “Now listen here young feller, you work hard and you'll earn your place here, so make yourself at home and don't feel afraid to ask for anything you might need.”

Grevin could only nod a small affirmative feeling thankful for his hood that could hide his own reddened cheeks. Applejack cleared her throat a small hint of red still on her face as she pointed to the smallest of the bunch why by now was quivering in anticipation her smile seeming to grow by the moment her amber eyes bright and shining. “And finally I'd like to introduce...well, reintroduce you to the smallest member of our family, and the one that you saved, Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom stepped forward and raised to her hind legs before wrapping her forehoves around his waist in a firm warm hug. She stepped back after a moment and took a steadying breath. “I wanted to thank you for saving mah life. If you hadn't done what you did...well I'd be....and I never got to say thank you after you got hurt...” She looked down a moment as a small frown washed across her face.

Grevin knelt down and lightly ruffled the filly's hair taking care not to disturb the large bow in it. “You do not need to feel bad or worry about any of it Apple Bloom. I promise you that all I am thankful for is that I was able to help when I could. Nothing else is of consequence. Have you made a full recovery? You had breathed in a lot of smoke before I was able to pull you free.”

Apple Bloom smiled brightly and nodded. “Uh-huh, after we got back to the farmhouse, Big Mac took me to the hospital just to be safe. The doctor said that ah never even appeared to be in a fire. They thought we made the whole thing up...well..until they all saw you come in with the others.”

Grevin gave a small nod as he rose back to his feet. “I'm glad that no harm was done.”

The whole scene had caused a series of smiles to appear on the other ponies faces but Applejack had a small nagging feeling in the back of her mind. She remembered that Nurse Redheart had told everypony that Grevin had strong signs of major smoke inhalation on top of all the other injuries he had. Was he able to transfer injuries of other ponies to himself at will, or was it some sort of side effect of this unknown healing spell Twilight was trying to figure out. She would have to ask about this later. For now the sun was going down and Princess Luna had already begun to allow the small glimmer of the stars to shine in the sky.

“Well, now that we've introduced you to everyone, I think we need to get you settled. We don't have much room in the house, unless you like sleeping on a couch but the loft in the barn can be set up into a room without much hassle...but if'en you'd like the couch...?” She allowed the question to hang in the air with a small smirk.

Grevin quickly shook his head and gave a small polite bow “I believe that the loft would be more than enough for me. I thank you all for giving me a warm welcome. As I said, I'll do all I can to earn my keep and then some.”

This satisfied the others who made their way back into the farm house while Applejack led him across the lane to the nearby barn. While the barn itself served its purpose, it was obvious that it was an older structure and that it was in need of some repairs. The first floor had a section or two of wall where the boards had rotted and one could see outside. She led him through the equipment and hay storage area and up to a small steep set of stairs. “The loft is up this way. There should be some fresh hay to sleep on and some fresh apples you can eat before getting some sleep.”

Within a few moments they were up the stairs and Grevin was a bit surprised with what he saw. The loft was open and spacious but yet it had a warm cozy feeling to it. There was an open balcony that had a small rail running its length and three sturdy walls with a tall ceiling, all painted in a simple shade of white. There were no signs of rot and there was even a small table in the corner with some apples on it and some hay next to it that looked large enough for him to rest comfortably on. On the far side of the room was the baling door which was used to help load bales of hay and on the other wall a few windows to let him see over the orchard and the Everfree Forest in the distance.

Applejack had always liked this loft, and had played here quite a bit when she was a filly. She had even thought about moving out of the farm house and into here a few years ago but decided it was better to stay in the house to help Granny Smith with the little hoof-ful known as Apple Bloom. She turned to face Grevin her green eyes bright and shining. “Well, what do you think partner?”

Grevin let out a small sigh and let himself step forward into the room. “It is more than I deserve...and far better than many places I have stayed in the past...Thank you for your kindness.”

Applejack frowned a bit noting that while the room was warm and safe from the elements, that was about it, if it was better than where he had stayed before that meant he had to of been in some terrible conditions. She shook the thoughts away from her mind and brought herself back to the conversation. “Well, don't get to comfy now, we'll have you up and workin with us in the orchard a little after dawn. So get some good sleep and I'll see you in the morning.”

She turned and began to make her way back down the stairs but stopped halfway and turned around looking over her shoulder. “Um...Grevin...Thanks again for helping mah sis...and if you need anything please feel free to let me know ok?”

“Yes. Thank you Applejack, have a good night.” He watched her as she made her way down the rest of the stairs and out of the barn. Once he was certain he was alone he allowed a slow sigh to escape him as she sank down to his knees his head bowed, the surge of pure concern for his homeland making him feel physically ill. He took a few calming breaths trying to push the urge to vomit down as he began to go over scenarios in his mind. What kingdoms would be able to hold out this long, where refugee's would go, how would innocent civilians survive if the army decided to take over whole cities...what he could of done to stop it from happening.

There he sat for several hours his form trembling from time to time as he worried for his homeland. He didn't pay attention to how long he sat on his knees in thought but when he came to his senses he found that the room was dark and the sound of crickets filled the air with their soft chirping. He pulled himself to his feet despite the complaints of his stiff muscles and he made his way to the baling door opening it pausing to enjoy the cool breeze that washes over him. He looked up to the sky and smiled slightly noticing that the stars were out and shining bright with a large full moon casting its gentle glow across the landscape. It was the middle of the night...he could go out and find a place to let off steam.

He didn't hesitate to step through the baling door and fall swiftly to the ground below landing in a kneeling position with his cloak wrapping around him. Silently he rose to his feet and glanced over to the farm house taking note that there were no lights on and all was quiet. He was thankful for that, now he wouldn't have to worry about being followed. Breaking into a swift jog, Grevin made his way through the orchard taking in the simple but pleasant smell of the apples waiting to be plucked from their various trees.

Only when he reached the very edge of the orchard and Everfree Forest did Grevin slow his pace coming to a stop in a small clearing between the two patches of land. He slowed his breathing and glanced around once more ensuring he was alone and no one was going to sneak up on him from behind. Once he was satisfied he reached to his side and slowly drew his sword leaving the one on his back alone for the moment.

The weight of the familiar blade brought him some comfort, at least one thing here was familiar. The simple blade had a smooth ornate handle wrapped in leather, the blade had a small gold etching of a shield at its base and the smooth metal gave off a beautiful reflection of the night sky. He frowned as the anger he had suppressed earlier began to claw its way back to the front of his thoughts, making him feel sick. He raised the blade sliding his feet into a very familiar position and began to maneuver himself through slow deliberate swings, the sound of the sharp metal causing a faint whoosh in the silent night air.

He allowed his anger to grow as he stepped forward moving the blade faster thrusting with each step. He would duck and twist as though he were dueling an invisible opponent a growl escaping his throat as he spun pulling the blade close and into an arc over his head bringing it down in a crushing blow on his imaginary opponent. He took a few deep breaths as he felt small beads of sweat drip down from his hair onto his face. It wasn't enough.

He grit his teeth as he reached his left hand up and drew the second, larger blade from his back. The handle showed the weapons age, being ornately, and masterfully crafted with a smooth silver metal that looked like water frozen in time. At each edge of the handle was a simple gold emblem of an eagle, the blade itself had small traces of writing inscribed into its base. The blade was smooth showing little signs of battle use but if one were to look close enough they could see that there was more to it than an average sword.

Grevin surged forward into a roll tossing the blades into the air in front of him as he did so making certain to put each blade on an arc so they crossed paths only to be caught in the opposite hand from before. Rising quickly to his feet he lowered the first blade, now in his left hand, and began another series of slow sweeping motions turning his body as he moved, the blades lashing out before him as he ducked, weaved and spun in a well orchestrated pattern of attack. Sweat began to soak into his cloth coverings as he continued but yet he still felt the anger in him growing making him push himself faster and harder.

With every swipe of the blades his mind showed him images of Bastion ranging from the Sprig Provinces to the rocky crags of the Glass Coast. He saw mental images of the kingdoms with proud castles set against a beautiful blue sky background, the various villages that surrounded those castles, and the people within. He thrust the sword in his right hand forward once more as his thoughts turned darker, and he saw the same provinces, the same kingdoms under attack by the now released army he strove to stop. He could see armies of men dying at the hands of the creatures set free, fires burning through villages and the castles being reduced to rubble. All of which was his fault. He ground his teeth together as he spun once more slashing as fiercely as he could his sweat now dripping from his face as the bitter coppery taste of his own blood washed over his tongue...he had managed to bite into his own lip hard enough to break the skin.

He let out a cry of pure anger as he allowed himself to escape once again into his thoughts while he continued his actions. He could of done more, he could of hung on longer to avoid being pulled into that portal. It was his fault Bastion is all but destroyed and he did nothing to stop it. Now he was here in a land that was strange and foreign to him, and here he served no purpose. He was completely and utterly useless.

He felt an intense wave of energy and heat wash over him, followed by a loud crash pulling him back to his senses. He paused allowing his weapons to rest at his sides as he tried to clear his vision by blinking his eyes for a few moments. When he could see clearly what he saw made him drop his blades to the soft earth, each one bouncing slightly as they landed on the cool grass. Grevin sighed as he looked at what was a large apple tree at the edge of the orchard...well what used to be one. The tree had been torn through the middle of its thick trunk vertically, the bark on it was old, dried and appeared to be a bit burned. “W...what? What happened?”

He reached forward and ran his gloved fingers over the burned areas noting that they were cool to the touch. He sighed as he stepped back and reached down picking up his blades, his muscles still tense from his workout. “Great Grevin...first night in a new town and you've already managed to break something without realizing how.” He chided himself.

Honestly though he did not know what had happened but he knew he needed to tell the Apple Family, especially since they gave him a place to sleep. Taking a moment to sheath his weapons he turned and found his bearings and began to slowly walk back towards the farm when he caught a whiff of something rather foul. Pausing mid step he took a few more sniffs before discovering the cause of the odor. Him.

He needed to clean up lest he disgust the ponies who he was working for, so he began looking around for something he could use to clean up. He thanked his good fortune as he spotted a small pond in the distance. Glancing up to the night sky, he guessed that if he hurried he could clean himself up with enough time to get a couple hours of rest before sun up. Breaking into a quick jog he began to unstrap his armor and pulled the hood his cloak back enjoying the cool breeze on his now exposed head. Once he reached the pond he stuck his bare hand into the cool water to test the temperature, and upon seeing it was perfect he quickly stripped and began to wash his clothing. He paused briefly when he heard what sounded like some leaves rustling but after a few still moments of silence he continued with his task chalking the noise up to the wind blowing through the trees.

To be honest, he didn't like the exposed feeling he had without his armor. Years of wearing it as well as the cloak had given him a small sense of security which he missed when it wasn't on. Making certain to lay out his clothes to dry, he jumped into the pond with a loud splash and a small smile. He always enjoyed the simple things like that. After taking a few moments to enjoy floating under the stars he began to wash the foul sweat from his form. Turns out he was dirtier than he thought due to his being unconscious for so long.

He managed to get himself fairly clean and after about an hour he was back in his clothing and armor feeling much more comfortable. He adjusted a strap on his arm as he began to jog once more, this time back to the main Apple Farm. He circled his way around the farm house doing his best to stay in the shadows in case any of the family happened to awake and looking out their windows. He could see a small light in one of the second floor rooms, perhaps a candle or a night light, but nothing to signal that they were awake and had noticed he was missing. Within a few minutes he was back in the loft, and laying back on the large pile of hay in the corner if the room.

Resting his hands behind his head he closed his eyes and allowed the feeling of sleep to begin to wash over him. He still felt frustrated, and angry...but thankfully he was more relaxed than before. He knew that he was going to end up spending much more time out on the edge of the orchard in the future...and even part of him began to look forward to it. He let out a quiet breath as he settled back and allowed sleep to take him, even though his dreams may haunt him the next day.

Authors Note: Well, I finally got another chapter out, and trust me the delay wasn't a matter of not having material to write, it's just been that busy around here. Thankfully things have begun to calm down and I should be able to get more material out to you all on a more regular schedule. I've been looking at my past chapters and found some pretty horrendous editing errors that I should have caught before, so I hope they haven't spoiled your reading experience. I'll do my best to make sure I get things corrected and try to keep future chapters more polished. So I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and if so please leave a review. I hope you all have a good day. See you next time.