Human Nature

by Blank Page

First published 9th of September, 2012

Torn from his world and thrust into another, Hunter Grey struggles to survive in the alien land of Equestria.

I still can't believe it all started with a family camping trip gone wrong. One moment I was enjoying my time with my parents and brothers, then next thing I knew I was stranded on a world full of magic and mythological creatures. In one day, I went from worrying about the upcoming calculus test to worrying about my next meal. I remember how the only thing keeping me going was the hope that I might find a way home. Little did I know that some deities had other plans in store for me.

I remember all the promises I made, both those kept and betrayed. I remember the friends I made on my little adventure; the same friends I threw away when everything came crashing down. Oh, the memories I made... Oh, the memories I am now forever cursed to remember.

I suppose this is a just punishment. My only regret is that my friends may never hear my side of the story.

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Set between Seasons 2 and 3 // Alternate Universe tag is only to cover any deviations from canon post-season 2.

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Pre-read, Cover art, and Audio Reading provided by: Skijarama

Prologue: Flash-forward

It was yet another beautiful day in the Canterlot garden. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the branches gently rustling in the cool spring breeze. It was all perfect... but unfitting for today.

I leaned up against one of the many trees in the garden just out of sight from the gathering of ponies. They were all mindlessly milling about, every now and then exchanging small talk with one another. A large white tarp shielded a mysterious structure in the middle from view. I could tell from the marbled base and odd positions that this was yet another statue for the garden's collection. A multitude of chairs stood their ground before it. There were just enough to seat all of the guests. A snack bar was stationed off to the side next to some bushes. Fruit punch and cupcakes were being served to lighten the mood. I would have retrieved a few of the pastries, but I wasn't exactly in a hungry mood. Besides, I was, as usual, too comfortable in my seclusion to socialize.

I spotted a few familiar characters in the sea of faces. Pinkie Pie's mess of a mane would occasionally pop up. I could only imagine that she was bouncing around in her usual manner, trying her hardest to keep everyone cheered up. Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy were sitting in the grass, sipping away their punch and engaged in conversation. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were playing another one of their games. It was highly inappropriate when considering why they were here, but I could understand why they were trying to get their minds distracted. Only one pony was missing from this picture.

"Where are you, Lyra?" I whispered. I didn't expect her to hear me. In fact, I hoped she didn't.

A few ponies parted from the line of sight between me and the hidden statue. Only one unicorn stayed. Her mint-green body was firmly planted where she sat. From the angle of her scruffy green and white mane I could tell that she was staring at the tarp. There was an invisible circle around her where nopony dared invade. The sight was almost enough to make me leave the tree. Almost. "Move," I pleaded. "Walk, talk, hang out, socialize. Do something." Of course, she still hadn't heard me.

A trumpet sounded, signaling the arrival of the princesses. The ponies shuffled to the empty chairs. Lyra's friends managed to move her into a seat. I caught a glimpse of her face. It was emotionless. She was trying her best to hold something back. Maybe I should go

"No," I thought out loud. "I can't. I need to stay here. Out of sight. Alone. All by myself."

"Oh, don't be like that," a voice said next to me. An eagle's claw patted my shoulder. "You still have me, after all."

"Yes, and I am overwhelmed by my good fortune," I sarcastically snapped.

The figure withdrew his talon. "Now, now, Hunter, there's no need to be a spoiled sport. Just think of it this way: now we have all the time in the world to come up with knock-knock jokes!"

"Oh, joyous rapture," I replied without emotion.

"Bah, now you're just being no fun," he complained. "If you need me, I'll be trying to steal some punch." The towering figure made his way to the snack table, his red snake-like tail flicking in agitation.

I redirected my attention to the ponies. Celestia and Luna had appeared, accompanied by many of royal guards in their decorative uniforms. One of them I recognized as Twilight's brother, Shining Armor. With a single nod of her royal head, Celestia beckoned the guards to disperse. Soon, only Celestia and her sister were the only two ponies left standing before the tarp. A silent message was exchanged between the sisters.

Celestia took a step forward and cleared her throat. "My little ponies, I have gathered you all here today in memory one of Equestria's recent fallen hero."

"Hero," I snorted. "More like a lucky fool if you ask me."

Celestia continued her droll speech. "He has been through many hardships in his time here. I deeply regret that I was one of them. In our hour of need, he so boldly left the sanctuary of his home to aid us."

"He was a coward," I corrected. "He only returned to clear his conscience."

"Through his valiance, he overcame his greatest enemy and aided our efforts in returning Equestria to order."

"But all of it was his fault," I growled. "None of this would have happened if it wasn't for him."

"I believe I speak for both my sister and I when I say that we only wish we could apologize to him formally instead of at a ceremony he could not attend." I bit my tongue to keep me from what I was about to scream. "And so, without further delay, it is my pleasure to commemorate this statue in his honor." Luna pulled down the tarp. A thunderous applause echoed through the garden.

The statue was a perfect replica of the "hero's" final moments. In stone, the two figures locked in combat were frozen in place. The "hero" appeared to be easily overpowered by the mighty Draconequus before him. Their hands were locked together as the stone cold figures looked deeply into one another's eyes in pure hatred. A gold plaque was mounted on the marble base. Only one word was engraved on it.

"SACRIFICE"

"A lucky fool, indeed," I glowered.

"I was never given a ceremony like this," the figure pouted as he reappeared. "Are we done here? I'm getting bored."

"Ah, Discord. You never were the patient type," I sighed.

"What can I say? It's in my nature."

I gave the crowd one last look. The ponies were dispersing. Some returned to their original cliques. Many exited the garden, probably wanting to go somewhere less... depressing. A few moved closer to the statue to admire it better. A single green unicorn remained in her seat, head hung low. I felt a pang of guilt.

"I swear I will find a way to return, Lyra," I muttered under my breath. "And this time, I intend to keep my promise." Her friends came and herded her away from the garden, each bearing their own form of depression. I craned my neck to meet the Draconequus' crimson pupils as the last of them disappeared behind the bushes. "Alright, let's cut a trail."

Discord grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the pitiful scene. "Come on, there's so much I want to show you. Ooh, we could go wreak some minor havoc in Las Pegasus. If we can find a way to tamper with their power grid in the middle of the night Oh! Or we could go pay Chrysalis a visit. I bet you'll never guess what she does when she thinks she's alone. Maybe we could "

I stopped listening to his list of mischief. Why I thought it was a good idea to hang out with the Spirit of Chaos was beyond me. I was sure to be driven mad by the end of our adventure. Then again, I would probably be driven insane if I didn't have anyone to talk to. Perhaps it was just a matter of which way I wanted to lose my mind.

To think that this all the result of a family camping trip gone wrong still boggles my mind. What was it like when I first arrived? Oh yes, I remember.

"Hey, Hunter," Discord said, trying to stifle a laugh.

"What?"

"Knock Knock."

Act I: Extreme Camping

It was my family's first time to go camping, so it was only natural for us to be excited. I mean, it's camping, right? As an added bonus, I was going to miss a full week of school. Yep, it was no one other than the Gray family: my mom, dad, and two younger brothers, Tanner and Brandon. After months of planning this trip, we were finally prepared to tackle whatever Mother Nature had in store for us. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

We arrived at the clearing in the forest that would soon become our sanctuary from the elements for the next few days. We piled out of the RV we rented for the trip and almost immediately began constructing what was sure to be the greatest campsite ever. A few painstakingly long hours later, the campsite was made. Well... mostly made. The fire was already dying into a smoldering pit of ashes and the tents looked as if they were ready to fall apart at any moment. Cut us some slack, it was our first go at it.

Our pitiful condition wasn't unknown to us and my father decided to take command. "Alright, may I be first to say that this camp looks like crap." Good ole dad. He always knew the right thing to say. "We need to step up our game, pronto. Honey, you, Tanner, and Brandon get to work on fixing those tents. I'll get the grub cooking. Hunter," he directed his attention to me, "I want you to go get some more firewood. Here, take this, too," he handed me a hatchet, "just in case you have to break some wood."

I held the hatchet in my hands. It was a tad bit heavier than I anticipated. The blade was much sharper, too, which would definitely help. I lazily swung it down to my side. "Yeah, I can do that."

My father planted his hand on my shoulder. "Good, don't let me down."

As I left the campsite and entered the woods I could hear my mom trying to convince Dad to trade jobs with her. I silently prayed that she was successful; remembering the last time Dad tried making a meal from scratch. A shudder ran up my sign as I remember the "Man stew's" bitter taste.

After a few minutes of wandering around, I had collected a decent amount of firewood. As I headed back to the camp a movement to the right caught my eye. Now, I've seen my fair share of horror movies to know what was about to go down, but my logical self assured me I was just seeing things. I continued to the campsite. This time, though, with a quicker pace. Another movement; this time to the left. I could have sworn I heard a dog panting. I quickened to a jog. Something snapped behind me. I whirled around to face the cause of the noise. Nothing was in plain sight. Fear pulsed through my mind as my imagination began to play with the environment. I could have sworn I saw two yellow, glowing spots in a bush. They almost looked like eyes. Eyes that were staring directly into mine. A chill ran through my veins, causing goosebumps to line my arms. I was officially terrified now.

I sprinted to the camp, adrenaline coursing through my body. The ground suddenly pulled itself up to greet my face. I must have tripped over a root in my rush. Or was it a demonic hand trying to drag me into a deep, dark abyss? Maybe it was the tail of a carnivorous beast that could easily swallow me whole? Perhaps it was a tripwire that was slowly setting in motion the contraption that would ultimately end in my untimely demise? Would I dare look?

It was a branch. Just a silly old branch. I chuckled at how stupid I was to think that an ordinary branch could have possibly

It started moving. The branch rose up from the dirt on four legs made of twisted vines and branches. A closer look revealed its entire canine body was fashioned in a similar manner. As it slowly turned its wooden skull towards me, I could see its pure, yellow, glowing soulless eyes. It growled. Oh, sweet mercy, I'll never forget that growl. It sounded as if somebody took a large branch and scraped it across pavement as slowly as possible. I heard it behind me, too. I shot up from my prone position and twirled around to find six others between me and the campsite. To my displeasure, they were large; each one rose at least up to my stomach in height. They looked angry... and hungry.

Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run. My eyes darted from left to right, desperate to find an escape. The abominations were everywhere... except there! There was a small gap between two of them. The path would lead me further from the campsite, but I would prefer it rather than become dog/plant food. I tightly gripped my hatchet, my sole tool of defense, and charged to the gap. The two creatures, or “timber wolves” as I decided to dub them, leaped up to meet me. I instinctively ducked down in mid-sprint. Their claws barely grazed my back. Though they didn't apply enough pressure to rip open my back, I could tell that the claws were sharp enough that it wouldn't require much for them to do so. With a clear exit, I ran like my life depended on it. Heck, my life did depend on it.

The chase began. As I ran deeper and deeper into the forest, the timber wolves were right on my heels. I was running for what felt an eternity until I entered an open field in the woods.. I glanced behind me to discover the amount of my pursuers had doubled. I made it halfway across the clearing when I was assaulted by an invisible force. I fell down on my back, dazed by the abrupt stop. The timber wolves had me surrounded. I scrambled as far away from them as I could. My back hit the unseen resistance.

Colors warped around me as the barrier caved inward. With my hand that didn't have a death grip on the hatchet I felt the strange substance. It was smooth, like a silky fabric. It was thin, too; almost as if I could cut through it with something sharp.

Something sharp...

I turned around and slashed the hatchet through the barrier. The result was very... interesting. It was hard to describe, really. Through the gaping hole I created was just, well, a hole. There was nothing there. Randomly colored lights arced around inside every now and then, giving it the appearance of a storm. I could feel a part of me longing to enter the hypnotic enigma.

A screeching howl jarred me back to reality. The timber wolves were writhing in agony. One of the beasts lifted its eyes to meet mine. I saw many things in those eyes: anger, pain, hunger, hatred, and despair to name a few. The others slowly rose and advanced as quickly as their trembling bodies would allow. I took a step back, knowing full well that they were still a threat. They started that accursed growling again and closed in. I backed up involuntarily, causing me to fall into the hole in reality.

A loud crack filled the air as if lightning had struck nearby. Colorful arcs of lightning flashed around me as I hurtled though the nothingness. My body heated up as if I was suddenly stuffed in an oven. My jacket and jeans were no help to me whatsoever. A horrible headache threatened to split my skull in two. I was beginning to sweat through my grey t-shirt when another crack sounded. My body started to cool down as the cold earth absorbed my warmth. I thought I was deposited back in the forest. That was quickly changed as I started to take note of my surroundings. I was definitely in a forest, but not the forest I had left.

The trees, the dirt, the sounds, the colors… everything was different. Everything felt different. The air itself felt as if it was rejecting me. Unfortunately, one thing managed to stay constant throughout the change.

The noise of scraping wood sounded all around me. Timber wolves emerged from the shadows, eyes glowing demonically. I needed something to defend myself. My hatchet was lying at my feet. I quickly scooped it up and braced myself for the impending attack. One of the larger pounced. My brain went into overdrive as I connected the blade of my hatchet to the side of its head, quickly becoming stuck due to the force of the impact and the sap pouring from the wound. Needless to say, it died immediately. I was flooded with mixed emotions. I was awestruck, confused, excited, and depressed at the same time. I killed another living being for the first time in my entire life. It was so easy… And now I had a fighting chance.

I yanked my hatchet out of the newly made carcass and prepared for another attack. The wolves backed up with uncertainty on their faces, which I was happy to use to my advantage. I charged forward ready to hack down anything that got in my way. Once they realized the tables had turned they scattered, giving me a clear exit.

I ran and ran until the sun began to set. There was no way of knowing whether or not the wolves chased me, or for how long if they did. I was tired, hungry, and had no shelter. I had cuts and bruises everywhere from my journey. The only thing that could make this worse

CRACK! Thunder rolled throughout the darkened sky as rain poured down.

was this. It seemed as if this strange place was out to get me. I pulled my dark blue hood over my head to shield my eyes from the downpour.

Fortune smiled upon me that night as I stumbled upon a village. I was so overjoyed to see civilization that I ran/stumbled through to the town. Not a single light was shining from the buildings. My only source of illumination was the occasional strike of lightning.

Strange... I couldn’t think of a better word. Not just the eerie silence, but the buildings themselves. It was as if I had wandered into a Renaissance fair. The buildings looked fairly new but their design was far too old for this time period. I even spied a few circus tents in some areas. Out of all these sights, nothing was more outlandish than the four-story, life sized gingerbread house. I probably stared at that structure for at least half an hour before another clap of thunder jarred me out of my trance. I walked away from the building, looking back every now and then to see if my eyes were working correctly.

I soon found myself in a marketplace with various produce. Fresh produce, as it appeared to be. There was not a single spoiled fruit or vegetable in sight. I approached a wooden stand loaded to the brim with apples and apple related products protected from the raging storm by a green and white striped canopy. My stomach growled at the sight of all that beautiful food. In fact, it looked almost too beautiful. My hand hovered above a shining red apple. If it was real that would imply it was recently picked; which meant someone would’ve had to pick it. It would also mean that people were recently here. But where would they be? Unless if the food was plastic; in which case this place was either a closed or abandoned theme park. There were too many possibilities and only one way to narrow them down. I grabbed the apple and took a bite.

It was delicious! I’ve never tasted anything like it before. It had the perfect amount of juiciness, crunchiness, and sweetness. I nearly cried when I finished. I needed more! I stuffed myself with various apple products (which probably wasn’t the best of ideas) until I was filled. My hunger satisfied, I picked up my hatchet I dropped during my apple galore and moved on.

The revelation of the fruit changed everything. If the food was real, then somebody had to pick it. But where was that somebody? It wasn't like someone would dump piles of food in the middle of nowhere and then leave, right? The silence was making me paranoid. I could practically feel eyes watching my every movement from the black windows. Silently judging me. Studying me.

I needed to find shelter; the rain wasn't exactly giving me an easy time. After a close survey of my immediate surroundings, I concluded that the best structure that could shield me from the rain was a large tree house. I say "tree house" solely because I couldn't think of any better way to describe it. It wasn't your run-of-the-mill tree house; this was literally a house made out of a tree. I knew that it wouldn't provide much protection, especially with leaves and branches being my cover, but it was the best I could afford.

The air became richer and richer with tension as I approached the odd structure. A shadow flashed across one of its many windows. I abruptly froze. There were definitely people here; more specifically, in the house. I slowly snuck up to the tree. My back against its... bark... I positioned myself in front of the door (if people really were present, and it wasn't just my imagination, there would be no point in scaring the living daylights out of them by peaking through the window). It didn't even occur to me that the door was a few inches shorter than me. I lifted a fist up to the door. This was it; the moment of truth. I knocked on the door.

"It's coming in! Hide!" a hushed voice squeaked from the other side.

This was ridiculous. I not only had proof that people still occupied this village, but now I knew they were deliberately hiding from me. Sure, seeing a stranger waltz into town wearing a hood during a storm wouldn’t bring out the best impression, but that was no good reason to hide. I’ve been through plenty today running for my life, defying the laws of reality, and going all-out survivor in that stupid forest, and a bad first impression wasn’t going to be another. And don’t even get me started on the whole calling me an “it” thing. I pulled open the door and ducked inside.

To say that I was confused would be the understatement of the century. There, before my very eyes, was a bright pink horse. Now, I use the word “horse” loosely. It had the general build of a horse, but it was smaller, probably just over half my height, and, well, cartoonish. Her darker pink mane (I assumed it was a she) was a frazzled mess. Her brilliant blue eyes narrowed in my direction. She was “standing” behind a cannon locked onto the doorway; which meant, to my displeasure, it was also locked on me.

"FIRE AT WILL!" she screamed.

Act I: The Unwelcoming Committee

"FIRE AT WILL!"

"What the " I started.

The pink oddity fired its cannon, unleashing a colorful ball of unknown terror upon me. I was knocked out of the house as the ball connected to my chest and exploded, and I fell on the dirt road covered head to toe in confetti, streamers, and various small party decorations. The streamers were instantly soaked in the rain, making them easy to rip apart, but there were so many that they began to cling to me. I groggily rose up and immediately stated clawing away at the paper decor that had suddenly wrapped around me.

A sky-blue missile blasted out of the house, a brilliant rainbow trailing behind it. I braced myself for another round of the pink one's confetti barrage. Unlike the first projectile, however, this one was much more... solid. It impacted my diaphragm, effectively knocking the wind out of me, and propelled me down the street. As it carried me, I managed to examine the colorful missile. Two wings protruded from both sides, each flapping frantically to keep us moving forward. The spectral mirage that trailed it was an echo of its similarly colored hair like material at its front and end. I glanced down at my chest to see two appendages branching off of the main body. It was definitely an odd shape for a missile. It wasn't until I saw a contorted face on a rounded head that I realized it was organic. But if it was organic... then it could feel pain...

It was time to test its limits.

I grasped its wings near the joints and twisted us into a frenzy of barrel rolls. I heard it, well, her, cry out in fear as she lost control. We crashed into the ground, hard. Thankfully, at the last second, I maneuvered us to where she hit the earth first with me "surfing" on top of her. She weakly groaned as our ride came to a sliding halt.

I propped myself up on my hands and knees above her and struggled to regain my composure. There was a sharp pain in my right knee where I could feel the skin touching the mud. My jeans must have ripped over the leg when we crashed. I winced as fire shot up my leg when I shifted some of my weight to the right. It would definitely become a problem if this madness carried on much longer.

The blue missile groaned again underneath me. I glanced down in curiosity and took the chance to better inspect her. She had a similar equine structure as the pink horse-thing from the tree house. This one in particular, however, had wings sprouting out of her back, giving her the appearance of a pegasus. Her eyes were screwed shut in pain. She lifted a blue foreleg up to her head and moaned, "Ugh, my head."

I zoned out as my mind struggled to comprehend what I had just heard. My eyes focused on her mouth, waiting to see if she would say something again, but nothing else come out that was comprehensible.

"Hold on, Rainbow! Ah'm a-comin'!"

Before I could turn to meet the new voice, there was a sudden constriction around my torso and upper arms as a rope slithered itself over me. A force dragged me backwards and away from the blue pegasus. When I managed to get up to my feet, I whirled around to discover an orange horse with a blonde mane and a stetson hat standing a few yards away with the other end of the lasso in her mouth. She gave the rope another tug to pull me further away from her fallen companion.

"Stay away from my friend," she growled, muffled by the rope in her mouth.

I planted my feet in the ground and tried to resist the pull of the rope, which was no easy feat. Whatever this thing was, it was strong. My leg screamed in pain as I exerted too much weight on it, but I tried to tune it out. This wasn't the time to worry about physical discomforts.

"Let me go," I demanded as I struggled with the mare.

"No can do," she said in a strained tone. She gave another strong pull, and I lost a few feet. "Y'all ain't goin' anywhere 'til my friends get here."

Her words hit me like a brick wall. As fear began gripping my heart, I prayed that I had simply heard her wrong. If there were more of these things coming, then I needed to get out of here. This place wasn't safe.

I grasped the rope with both hands and summoned all the strength I possessed into one swift yank. The orange mare flew at me with its mouth still clenched on the rope. She landed at my feet belly-up and eyes twirling in different directions, betraying her disorientation. I planted a foot on her stomach to pin her down long enough for me to undo my bindings.

A cannon's blast filled the air. Once again I found myself knocked down on the wet earth, covered in quickly dampening streamers and confetti. Off in the distance, I could make out three equine silhouettes barreling towards me through the heavy storm; I identified the one in the middle as the pink horse from before and her cannon. Her dark pink mane and tail were significantly straighter in the rain.

"Stay away from Applejack, you big meanie!" she screeched as she fired another round. This time, however, I saw it coming and rolled out of the way. A pile of party preparations erupted where I had been a few moments ago.

The three creatures were still getting closer. I scrambled up to my feet and fled as fast as I could from the scene. I shot a glance behind me to see if they were chasing me, and to my relief they had stopped to check on their companions. A ghost of a smile formed on my lips at my fortunate head start, and I ran for all I was worth.

It had only been a few minutes of running when an awful truth dawned on me. I was lost in an unfamiliar town, running around in the middle of a storm. I had no idea where to find safety. As I ran through the muddy streets, panic slowly began to overtake my mind. My eyes darted around frantically between the buildings as I passed them by. Suddenly, the sensation of eyes watching me became too realistic for me to handle. I could already imagine more of these creatures waiting inside the structures.

A small headache began to form in the back of my head. My legs were filled with lead, and my lungs felt as if they were ablaze. I wouldn't be able to keep running like this. I needed to slow things down and think this through.

An alley came into view up ahead. It was as good of a place as any to rest for the moment. I stumbled over to it as fast as I could and collapsed on the cool, damp earth once I was inside. A part of me just wanted to lie down there for the rest of the night, but I knew doing so would just put me in danger. I sluggishly crawled up to a metallic trash can near me and rested with my back against the alley wall. The rain pelted my body randomly. I closed my eyes and tried to think.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. My mind was in complete disarray. Nothing was making sense. These creatures, these... ponies were a threat. I needed to get away from them. But how? Everywhere I turned, more and more of them seemed to pop up. This whole town could have been infested with them for all I knew.

My right knee was still stinging from my little crash landing with the pegasus. I took the opportunity to better inspect the damage. My jeans were definitely torn; a large hole exposed my skin to the world. My knee was drenched in a strange, dark liquid. It was hard to tell exactly what it was, but even in the low light I caught the faint glint of crimson here and there. I experimentally tried to wipe the grime off with my hand, only to quickly retract it as a sharp pain erupted from my knee. There was no mistaking it; my knee was bleeding horribly. I needed to get out of this town now before it became any more of a handicap.

"Come on, girls, I think I saw it go this way!" The blue pegasus with the rainbow mane landed in the street just outside of the alley. I hid myself behind the metal trash can but couldn't resist the urge to poke my head out and watch. The mare was searching the area impatiently. She whipped her head back and called, "Hurry up! That thing could be getting away."

"We're running as fast as we can," a voice called back. Four more ponies came into view; two of which were the orange and pink ponies, the latter having her sick joke of a cannon in tow. One of the newcomers had a white coat and a long purple mane that appeared to be curled at one point but was now limp in the rain. The other had a light purple coat and an indigo mane with two pink and purple streaks. A horn protruded from both of their heads, making them look like unicorns.

"Are you sure it went this way, Rainbow Dash?" the purple unicorn asked, scanning the vicinity for herself. "I don't see it anywhere."

"I'm totally sure," the pegasus, Rainbow Dash presumably, assured. She suddenly cringed and massaged her head with a hoof. "Well, mostly sure," she corrected. "I was flying blind for a few seconds, and then it just vanished."

"Well, it couldn't have gotten too far," the orange pony pointed out. "That thing shouldn't be too hard to spot, either; it stands out like a sore hoof." She hesitated for a second. "Ah've never seen anything like that before, Twi. What was it?"

The purple unicorn shook her head. "I don't know, Applejack; I didn't get a good look at it. But it's imperative that we find the creature and contain it. There's no way of knowing what it can do, so everypony needs to stay together."

I shifted uncomfortably at the ponies' conversation. The thought of being captured by them didn't settle well with me. I needed to get out of here soon, but first I needed to retrieve my hatchet. It was the only way I could defend myself at the moment. Once I got my hands back on it, I could leave. But I wasn't about to go anywhere until these ponies left; the last thing I wanted was to attract any unwanted attention while they were still close.

"Hold on a minute," the orange pony said, Applejack if I interpreted the name correctly. "Where's Fluttershy?" she asked worriedly.

"The monster must have gotten her!" the pink one gasped.

"That would be unlikely," the white unicorn commented while flipping some of her limp purple mane out of her face. "I do believe she is still in the library. She never came out with us when we left to help Rainbow Dash."

"Could you get her, Rarity?" the purple one asked. "It would be beneficial to have her expertise on wild animals at the moment."

The white unicorn was already trotting off. "Anything to get out of this dreadful weather. Just look at what it's doing to my mane," she complained.

"Pinkie Pie, why don't you go with her?" the purple one asked. "Just in case she runs into the creature on the way."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" the pink mare saluted. She dragged her cannon around and began following Rarity. Just before she left, though, she hesitated and turned back. "Are you sure, Twilight? What if it comes out and attacks you? My knee's still pinching, and "

"I can assure you that we will be perfectly fine," Twilight interjected. "Besides, even if it does show up, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and I are more than capable of subduing it." The pink mare didn't appear very reassured, and with an uneasy expression and a shrug, Pinkie departed along with her cannon.

By this point I was becoming antsy. Only three ponies remained, and, by the looks of it, it appeared as if they too were prepared to leave. In my eagerness to leave, I was already shifting behind my hiding place to get ready to bolt out of the alley. Unfortunately, I accidentally kicked the trash can during my shuffle, causing an audible clang to echo through the storm.

My heart stopped as all three of the mares' heads snapped to the alley where I hid. Fear had me paralyzed in hopes that they would disregard the sound as some random rodent. Ice pumped through my veins as Applejack cautiously made her way to the alley. Her eyes were locked in my general direction, but I couldn't tell if she could see me in all the darkness. Each step she took closer put me more on edge. She only hesitated when she reached the edge of the alley.

A bolt of lightning arced across the sky. The entire alleyway was bathed in white light for a brief second, me included. Applejack's eyes widened in shock. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt in my mind that my fears were true. I had been spotted, and the chase was about to begin.

Rainbow Dash flew into the air and directed a hoof towards me. "There's the monster!" she exclaimed. "Get it!"

When the ponies charged into the alley, instinct took over, and I bolted in the opposite direction. I tore down anything and everything I could to impede my chasers' progress. Trash cans, soggy cardboard boxes, random stacks of debris; if I could get my hands on it, then it came crashing down. A small smirk managed to find itself on my face as the ponies tripped over the obstacles I was creating, and it slowly grew as the exit came closer and closer. I soon burst into the streets and immediately took a sharp right. I may have had a head start, but I still needed to shake them off my tail.

The powerful beating of wings sounded behind me as I ran. A sudden mass rammed into my back and drove me into the earth, causing my exposed knee to slam into the ground. I would have been screaming in agony, but the only sound that escaped through my clenched teeth was a strangled groan. The mysterious weight jumped off of my prone body and landed before me.

"Ha! You're going to have to do better than that if you want to outrun me," Rainbow Dash's voice proudly announced.

I grunted and slowly lifted my head out of the mud. The blurry image of the blue pegasus appeared a few yards before me. I struggled to pick myself up but couldn't find the strength. After all the running and hiding tonight, my weary body was yearning for rest, and the ground was so inviting. It was so tempting to just lie there.

The sound of hooves trotting across the wet earth could barely be heard over the rain. I craned my head back to see that Twilight and Applejack had caught up to us. They came to a stop a good distance from me.

"Good job stopping the creature, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "Now all we have to do is keep it here until Fluttershy arrives. I'll try to put a force field around it. If it tries to move, you two try to stop it."

A small shower of sparks erupted from the unicorn's horn. A lavender mist rose out of the ground around me in a ring, and a glassy, purple wall began to quickly sprout out of it. I laid there mesmerized as the strange wall ascended and curved inward, making a dome around me. As it came to its completion, the newly-made purple dome slowly faded until it was nearly transparent. I could see the storm raging on outside of it, each raindrop lighting up in a faint purple glow as it splattered across the dome's wall.

I slowly lifted myself up to my hands and knees, wincing slightly at my angry protests of my muscles. Applejack and Rainbow Dash tensed up at the sight of me moving, but Twilight interjected.

"It's alright, girls," she assured. "That creature isn't going anywhere. That force field should hold it until everypony else gets here." The other two mares relaxed, but only slightly. Applejack trotted up to Twilight and began talking in her ear, never taking her eyes off of me. There was little doubt in my mind as to what they were discussing.

I groggily rose up to my feet, wincing as a sharp pain erupted in my knee. My eyes immediately dropped down to my legs, and even in the low light I could see the dirt and grime that had accumulated over my exposed knee again. I gingerly tried to scrape it off with my hand, only to be rewarded with another sting as more crimson spilled out of the wound. I hunched down and covered my knee with my hands in hopes of stopping the flow, succeeding only in painting my own hands red.

This wasn't the time or the place to tend to my wounds. If I heard the unicorn correctly, then there would soon be other ponies joining us. I couldn't let that happen. I refused to allow them to corner me into submission so easily. If they wanted me so badly, then they were going to have to work for it.

I glared at the strange purple wall that surrounded me; the one thing that was preventing me from escaping at this very moment. It was only built in a matter of seconds; surely it couldn't have been too sturdy, right?

I staggered towards the wall. The three ponies' eyes were locked onto me, but I paid them little attention. I outstretched my hand and pressed it against the barrier. It was smooth; its texture reminded me of the same barrier in the woods. Maybe this one would be just as easy to break through.

It was then that I noticed the smoke leaking out from between my fingers. I instinctively pulled my hand back to find the source of the smoke, and a cold shiver ran down my spine at what I discovered. It was my blood. My blood was sizzling away off of my bare hand.

"Twilight, it's doing something," Rainbow Dash warned. I glanced up to the force field and saw my crimson hand print slowly eating a hole in the barrier.

"T-T-Twi?" Applejack asked, voice lined with fear. "Is it supposed to be able to do that?" I could practically see the anxiety radiating off of Applejack. Rainbow Dash must have caught it, too, considering how badly she was shaking on her legs. I was pretty spooked myself. After all, it was my blood that was disintegrating.

The bewildered unicorn shook her head. "No."

At that point, a perfectly hand-sized hole was made in the barrier. I didn't wait for the ponies to come back to their senses. I shoved my hands through the hole, grabbed onto the wall the best I could, and pulled back for all I was worth. The wall was sturdy, much sturdier than I had anticipated. The only way I knew I was making any progress was by the lavender cracks slowly branching out from the hole. My hands began smoking again as my tortured blood sizzled into nonexistence.

Twilight was first to recover. Her horn lit up once again in a violet aura, and the wall began mending itself. It finally hit me that she was doing this. I didn't know how, but somehow she constructed this wall around me and was sustaining it. Her friends watched helplessly from the sidelines, unsure who the victor would be.

The barrier was mending faster than I could break it. Soon the cracks were gone and my fingers were being crushed by the healing shield. I had to rip my arms away before my fingers could be severed. With her barrier whole once again, Twilight plopped into the soaked dirt.

“There,” she panted. “See? Nothing to it.” Her head fell heavily from exhaustion after uttering the last syllable.

If there was ever a time for me to make a move, I couldn't think of one better than then. I had a weapon against the barrier, its power source was too tired to even stand, and the two others were busy trying to keep her awake. I pressed my hands against my bleeding knee, trying to gather as much blood as I could. Once they were bloodied enough, I painted a crimson circle on the wall. As planned, the shield began deteriorating. I clasped my hands together and swung with all my might at the weakened section of the wall. A web of brilliant lavender flared out around the source of impact. I backed up a few paces and prepared to charge.

"Twi, it's goin' at it again," a worried Applejack said. She started shaking Twilight violently, trying in vain to awaken her to the problem at hand, but the tired unicorn wouldn't respond.

I rammed my shoulder directly in the center of the web of cracks. The space around me was suddenly filled with falling water and a cascade of purple shards as I tumbled back into the storm. The second my feet hit the mud, I made a mad dash away from the scene. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were too occupied with Twilight to give chase, allowing me ample amount of time to lose them.

The storm had reached a crescendo. The deafening drone of rain filled the air, drowning out all other noise save for the occasional clap of thunder. The heavy drops of rain pelted my head as I ran. I needed to get out of this town, out of this storm, but I couldn't leave without my hatchet. It was all I had to protect myself. Without it, I was as good as dead.

After a few minutes of stumbling around, the tree-house came into view in the distance. The front door was left ajar, bathing the opening with light from the inside. Three figures stood before the opened doorway; two of which were equine, and the third was a small, oddly-shaped creature.

I slowly drew closer, sticking to the shadows of the buildings as I moved, and soon realized that retrieving my hatchet would be a more difficult task than I thought. The tree-house was isolated from the other buildings, surrounded instead by a vast empty space. It was impossible to get any closer to it without being out in the open for the ponies to see.

Disgruntled by my new situation, I hid myself by the nearest building and decided to wait until the three figures left before making any moves. Now that I was closer, I recognized the two equines as the white unicorn and pink pony. The third figure appeared to be some sort of bipedal lizard with purple scales and a green spine. I could just barely make out my hatchet at the feet of the lizard. They were in the middle of a conversation, but it was nearly impossible to hear what they were saying over the storm. I strained my ears to try to listen in on what they were saying.

"Come on, Fluttershy," a young male voice spoke. "There's nothing to worry about. With Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight searching for it, that thing is as good as caught. Heck, they probably already have it caught by now." The male voice perked my interest. Up until now, everything I've met was female, or at least sounded female.

"Spike is right, Fluttershy," the white unicorn cajoled. "There's no need to be afraid of that atrocious beast. Besides, we need your help. Who better could tame a wild animal than you?"

There was a brief moment of silence. Whatever response was made was drowned out by the rain.

"Nonsense, darling, you're much more qualified than all of them. Besides, most of them aren't even here. Now come on; it would be impolite to keep our friends waiting."

As if on cue, Rainbow Dash flew pat my hiding spot and landed in front of the group. The words barely stumbled out of her mouth as she stopped. "Guys, we have a problem. We found that creature again and managed to catch it, but it broke loose. Twilight's out cold, and Applejack's watching over her while she recovers."

An uproar of questions erupted from the trio. I couldn't discern anything in the rush of words from my distance.

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted over the crowd. "Twilight said we need to find this thing before it causes any more damage. We gotta hurry; every second we waste standing here is another second that thing is on the loose."

Her speech managed to quell the uproar, and there was a small moment of silence before the white unicorn took a step forward. "Well, I for one agree with Rainbow Dash," she explained. "We simply cannot have this creature running amok in our town. If we split up, we should be able to cover more ground."

"Split up?!" the lizard cried. "Are you nuts? That's exactly what the monster wants! Everypony knows that."

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie chimed in. "We can't split up. That's, like, the worst idea in the history of bad ideas! If we do, then the monster will be able to slowly pick us off one by one until there's nopony left." Her voice was rising with panic. "And everypony knows the monster always goes for the funny one first!"

Rainbow Dash sighed. "Look, if it'll make you two feel better, we'll split up into groups. Pinkie, you can come with me. Spike, you stay with Rarity. Fluttershy " The front door suddenly slammed shut. Rainbow Dash let out a groan. "Fine, Fluttershy can hold down the fort. Now if everypony's ready, we have a monster to catch." After exchanging a few farewells and good-lucks, the four split off into their respective pairs and took off in opposite directions.

I hesitantly emerged from my hiding place. There may have not been any ponies in sight, but I still had to worry about the one that was still inside the house. Lights were still pouring out of the windows like a searchlight. I had to be careful not to get too close to them as I sneaked closer to where I last saw my hatchet.

"Oh, no," I whispered. I stopped dead in my tracks and searched frantically for my hatchet across the ground. It was nowhere to be found. "This can't be happening," I muttered under my breath. "Not now." I mentally beat myself up for not paying more attention. There it was, laying at the feet of that bipedal lizard, and next thing I know, it disappears. It couldn't have just vanished into thin air; something had to have picked it up. A pony couldn't have picked it up; they didn't have the right appendages. The lizard, on the other hand...

I froze. Thoughts began to quickly form in my head. I stared off where I last saw the lizard and pony. The lizard was the only thing that could have taken it. I had to get it back; it was my only sword and shield in this mad world.

"Just grab the hatchet and run," I thought out loud. "Simple as that." Gathering as much nerve as I had, I took off in the direction they departed.

After a few minutes, their figures appeared in the rain. They were walking close to each other, deep in conversation, but it appeared as if the lizard was lagging behind Rarity a bit. I could make out my hatchet in his claws. A small smile threatened to show on my lips. This couldn't have been more perfect. I stalked closer toward the pair, trying to remain as quiet as possible despite the deafening sound of the storm around us.

"So, Rarity," the lizard began. "What exactly does this thing look like?"

"Oh, it was the strangest thing I have ever seen," Rarity explained. "Unfortunately, I never got the chance to get a good look at it before it took off. It was quite tall, and thin, too. Like a lanky minotaur, or a diamond dog with short arms. It was rather interesting, actually. The most peculiar thing, though, is that it was covered head to hoof in clothing. I have no idea what it really looks like."

"What was it doing? When you saw it, that is."

"It was standing on top of Applejack with a rope in its hands. I believe it was leaning over her when Pinkie Pie shot it with her party cannon."

The lizard hesitated before continuing. "What do you think it was going to do?"

"I'd rather not think about it," Rarity deadpanned.

"Um, yeah. Me, too." The lizard cast a glance in the other direction. I could see a sliver of his white cornea before he snapped his head back to Rarity. "But I can’t help it. What if it was trying to steal her, or hurt her up, or… or…” Spike let out a gasp. “What if it was going to eat her?!”

Rarity gave a nervous chuckle. "Spike, please. I'm pretty sure it wasn't going to eat her. I don't even think it could have if it wanted to."

"But you said yourself that you couldn’t see its face. What if it has huge jaws with loads of sharp teeth-"

“Spike…”

"What if it has a hundred eyes that stare into your soul so you can’t scream-"

“Spike.”

“What if… What if it doesn't even have a face?”

“Spike! Honestly, you’re going to give me nightmares. Would you please stop?”

I was practically right on top of them. It was now or never. I covered the lizard's mouth with my left hand and hoisted him up to my chest. He let out a muffled scream as I pried my tool from his claws.

Rarity turned around and sighed. "Spike, what is it n-n-n-aah!" Her voice escalated into a shriek as she beheld me holding her companion. A burning sensation enveloped my left hand as a bright green light erupted between my fingers. A cry of agony escaped my throat as I released the lizard – no, the dragon from my newly scorched hand. I clutched my wrist and buckled down to my knees as the dragon scampered off.

"Take this, you ruffian!"

I only had enough time to glance up as a white hoof connected to the right of my head. The entire world flipped underneath me. Colors flashed across my line of sight, most of which were red. My senses numbed, but I could feel a warm trickle curve down my face. The fabric of my hood stuck to my head. The headache intensified. The pain… so much pain…

What are you waiting for?! a voice screamed in my head. Fight back! Kill them for all the pain they have given you! I recognized the second voice as my own, but at the same time it sounded so... alien. Still, its reason was sound enough for my broken condition to accept. I had had enough of all this running. It was time to retaliate.

My fingers brushed up against the wooden handle of my hatchet and tightly curled around it. A new rush of energy washed over me. I slowly raised myself to my hands and knees. My aching body shouted in protest to the movement, but I ignored it. I wasn't about to let anything hinder me from getting my revenge, not even a little pain.

"R-Rarity," a young voice called behind me. "It's getting back up."

When I finally managed to get up to my feet, a blunt force rammed into the back of my head. I stumbled forward a few steps from the momentum and turned around to find the source of the blow. My eyes fell on a white, pony-sized smudge that brightly contrasted the darkened world around it. A small patch of earth near it glowed light blue and hurled itself towards me.

I took another blow to the shoulder and felt some mud splattered onto my face. It didn't hurt, but the force behind it was enough to nearly knock me off balance. A grimace formed on my face as I wiped the grime away from my eyes. My grip tightened on my hatchet. I was ready to end this.

I charged forward and haphazardly swung my hatchet at the unicorn. She quickly leaped to the right before I even began to swing, causing my weapon to hit nothing but air. Another muddy projectile struck me in the hip. I growled in frustration and attempted another strike, trying to be more accurate. Once I was nearly upon her, I swung my weapon downward as hard as I could onto the pony, but once again she dodged my attack. My blade buried itself deep into the earth, and before I could dig it back out, the earth underneath me shot upward and rammed my stomach.

My hands released their grip on the hatchet and instinctively retracted to cover my stomach as I tried to catch my breath. This wasn't cutting it; I needed a new tactic.

A brief thought flashed through my mind, and I glared at the pony with a twisted smile tugging at my lips. She must have caught my crazed expression as she tried to scramble away again. I leaped forward and outstretched my hand, clamping my fingers down on her tail the moment they made contact. The unicorn gave a surprised yelp as I pulled her back to me, and I swung my foot as hard as I could at her underside. She crumpled to the ground from the force of the kick, causing a small wave of mud to ripple away.

I pinned her down to her back before she could scurry off, raised my burned hand, and brought it down on her head as hard as I could. She went cross-eyed immediately, but she was still conscious. I struck her a few more times until she completely blacked out.

"Hey!" Something small hit me in the back. I rose up from the dazed unicorn and turned around on the tilting earth to find the young dragon standing boldly before me, holding a few rocks in his claws. "Stay away from her, you... you freak!" he shouted.

I took a few staggering steps towards the dragon. A panicked expression flashed across his face as I got closer, and he retreated a few steps in return. A brilliant jet of green flames erupted from his maw towards me, blinding me with its intense light. I stumbled back away from the fire and tripped backward, landing on my back.

I crawled up to my feet and searched the area around me, expecting another attack, but none ever came. I rubbed my eyes to clear out the afterimage, and once it faded all I saw were the darkened streets and houses of the town. The dragon and pony were nowhere in sight.

Cowards, the voice growled in my head. Hunt them down. Make them pay.

I shook my head. "No," I breathed. "Not worth it." My eyes fell upon my hatchet, still buried in the mud. I staggered up to it and wrenched it out of the ground. "Besides," I added, musing over the feel of the tool in my hand, "I got what I came for. I'm ready to get out of here." I chose a random path and began lumbering through the town, knowing that if I kept going straight, I would eventually find an exit.

As I traipsed down the empty streets, I felt another pang where the white unicorn kicked my head. A warm trickle slid down my face, reminding me of my broken condition. Colors were starting to blur together. I needed to get out of this mad town before I blacked out entirely. No more fights. No more stumbling around. Stealth was key to success.

I stuck to the shadows as I weaved through the labyrinth of houses. Eventually, an exit came into view, and I soon found myself in what I assumed was a park. A few trees dotted the area, and the forest stood on the other side. I hesitated as memories of the timber wolves resurfaced but quickly dispelled them. I must have lost them a while ago considering that they didn't follow me into town. For all I knew, they had lost all interest in me, which made the forest my best bet to find safety.

Three pony-sized blurs soon appeared ahead of me. I tried to make out the distorted images, but my eyes refused to cooperate. Not wanting to attract any attention, I hid behind a nearby tree and silently waited.

Minutes slowly ticked by. Two of the colorful blurs eventually departed, leaving the third all alone. It was clear that it wasn't going to be moving anytime soon, and it was impossible to bypass without causing an alarm. I silently cursed as the inevitable became clear. If I wanted to escape, this pony would have to die.

I slowly stalked closer to my prey, moving from tree to tree, silently hoping that it would scurry off before I could get to it. Not that I wouldn't have minded blowing off some steam, but the last thing I needed was for the ponies to know where I left. To my displeasure, the smudge of a pony was still there by the time I was halfway across the park. I waited for my eyes to correct themselves before going any further, knowing that running in semi-blind at an unknown enemy would be suicide. They adjusted enough for me to barely make out the situation. The pony was positioned next to a tree a small ways from the forest opening.

I would have to be more careful now. My body was in no condition to fight, and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that the pony would attack if it saw me, or at least call for reinforcements. I needed to find a way to sneak up on it. If I could break the line of sight with the tree next to it, then I should be able to get close enough to the pony to take care of it before it raises any alarm. It was my best bet. I slowly trudged through the rain until the tree came between me and my prey before I advanced.

I was shaking with anxiety as I drew closer and closer to the tree. It wasn't too long until I close enough that one small slip would ruin everything. If the pony so much as moved, it would undoubtedly spot me. My rain-soaked hands were beginning to get sweaty as I approached the tree, and I had to readjust my hold on my hatchet.

I pressed myself against the bark and slowly revolved around the tree. I craned my neck around the edge to my target. Through my hazy vision, I could see the pony’s frame shivering violently with its back turned to me. A small, twisted smile began to tug at my lips. This was going to be an easy kill.

I tightened my grip on my hatchet. Sweat mixed with my scabbing blood. I left my cover and ever so slowly snuck up behind it. I was mere feet upon it when lighting cracked the sky behind me. The startled pony spun around and started shaking harder than before. I pounced before it could scream. In one motion, I knocked it down on its back and pinned it down with my blistering hand wrapped around its neck and my body crouching above it. It struggled underneath me, but to no avail. I constricted its airflow with a quick squeeze. It gave one last spasm before falling still.

I elevated my hatchet as high as my tired arm would allow and sent it hurtling down on my prey's head. It would have hit its mark, too, if it hadn't been for another clap of thunder. The sudden noise startled me, and my aim suffered for it. I missed the pony's head by inches. My blade was buried deep into the earth along with some severed strands of the pony's long, pink mane.

My vision finally cleared enough for me to see details. The pony had a long pink mane and tail, probably once smooth but now ruined by the rain and mud, accompanied by a faint yellow coat covered here and there by crimson blotches from the blood dripping from my body. It had two wings with feathers matching the body in color. My heart nearly stopped when I saw its face. Its eyes were clamped shut, and tears rolled down its cheeks. A quiet sobbing emitted from its mouth, cut off every now and then by random coughs.

My headache slowly intensified. Once again the strange voice made itself known. Why are you hesitating? it asked. You can kill it right now and get it all over with.

I shook my head. I couldn't do it. No matter what, I couldn't bring myself to lift the hatchet. My eyes were glued to the pony's face. It was unsettling to see it crying. Every other pony I've come across always tried to attack or intimidate me; this one, on the other hand...

This pony wasn't like the others. It could feel emotions just like me. It could feel fear just like me. It could cry just like me. It wasn't an "it," either; it was a she. She was a she. She was more human than I thought, and I almost murdered her. She was mortally terrified and I was the cause. I didn't recognize her as one of the ones who attacked me. She never tried to impede my escape; she was just standing here. She never attacked me; she never tried to hurt me. She was... innocent.

I relinquished my grip from her throat and simply hovered over her. She cringed once my hand left her and turned her head to the side, the severed strands of her pink mane partially covering her face. Even now, with nothing holding her to the ground, she still didn't scamper off and flee. It was as if she was completely paralyzed with fear.

"Fluttershy!" The yellow pegasus's deep teal eyes shot open. She stared up at me, tears still rolling down her cheeks; her cry much softer, almost inaudible until she coughed. It was impossible to tell if she could see my face through the shadows my hood gave. We stayed there, frozen like statues until the familiar voice cried again. "Stay away from her!"

With my body still crouched over the pegasus, I turned around to see the source of the noise. The five ponies and dragon from before were back, each looking prepared to tear me limb from limb. What was I going to do? It was six on one; there was no way I could win. I could easily run into the forest, but that would only delay the inevitable. I needed an advantage over them; something other than a silly hatchet. Something that would discourage them from following me. Something... like a hostage.

My eyes drifted back down to the pegasus underneath me. She looked back up with fearful eyes.

I couldn't...

It's either your life or hers, the voice whispered. The choice is yours.

The pegasus struggled to free herself, and at that moment, my choice was made. I grabbed one of her forelegs and pulled her up. She tried to fight back, but it was in vain. Even in this state, I was stronger than her. I hoisted her up to my chest, tucking my left arm under her forelegs to keep her pressed against me. With my right, I wrenched my hatchet out of the mud and rested the edge of the blade under her chin. As expected, the other ponies' eyes lit up with shock.

"Listen up," I shouted over the pounding rain. "I've had enough of this game of chase. I am going to walk into that forest, and none of you are going to follow me. Got it? If any of you do," I tilted the blade to expose Fluttershy's neck, "well, I hope you're smart enough to figure out the rest." I slowly began backing into the forest. Rainbow Dash started to make a move, but Twilight quickly cut her off. "I'll let this one go when I'm done," I assured.

Fluttershy tried to shift in my arms. I pressed the hatchet closer to her neck to discourage her. "P-P-Please!" she desperately cried out to her friends. "D-Don't let him take me!"

This time Twilight took a few steps forward. The others cautiously followed her lead. I halted and made it appear as if I was prepared to slice Fluttershy's throat. "Don't think I'll hesitate," I warned. It was a hollow threat, but thankfully the ponies bought it and hesitantly backed up.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy," Twilight called, her voice verging on cracking. "Everything's going to be fine. You're going to be okay; I promise."

The canopy of the forest soon covered me and my hostage. I gingerly retreated deeper and deeper, casting frequent glances behind to make sure I wouldn't stumble on anything. Ever so slowly, the storm began dying down. Eventually, the entrance disappeared from sight.

As soon as I was sure that the others hadn't followed us, I dropped her on the ground. Immediately, she curled up on the ground and buried her head underneath her forelegs. Her entire body was trembling. "P-Please don't hurt me," she begged.

A crater was beginning to form in my chest, quickly becoming filled with guilt. I could only shake my head, disheartened by her first words towards me. Words were failing me at this point. Did she really think I was going to kill her after all of this? Was I really just a monster in her eyes? I sighed and finally managed to get a word out.

"Go."

For a second, Fluttershy stopped shaking. She lifted a hoof to reveal a tearstained eye. "Wh-What?" she asked uncertainly.

"I said go!" I snapped. I cringed at the unintended harshness of my own voice. Nevertheless, she received the message. After scrambling up to her hooves, she darted away, back to the town. A sigh escaped me as the sound of galloping hooves faded off in the distance, and I began stumbling aimlessly through the forest.

The storm had lifted. Every now and then large drops of collected rain would hit me from the leaves up above. As I stumbled through the trees, my mind struggled to comprehend everything that had happened. Everything felt so unreal, like it was just one bad nightmare. To think that in one night I changed from an average high school student to a psychotic survivalist sent a shiver up my spine.

My wounds began taking their toll. My vision was fading in and out, causing me to walk blind every now and then. I felt light headed, and the all too familiar taste of bile formed in the back of my mouth. My muscles felt ablaze, aching for relief. I tripped over a root but didn't have the drive to get back up. I only had enough energy to roll over on my back to breathe better. My pain slowly melted away as sleep’s sweet embrace covered my mind.

You have given us a taste of life... We hunger for more...

Act I: A Mostly-Safe Haven

The sound of footsteps snapped me back into reality. Through my peripheral vision I could see the orange rays of the morning sun leaking through the trees. The gentle melodies of birdsong filled the air. Everything was so peaceful, so calm. A part of me wanted to believe that yesterday was just a bad dream, but the dull ache that spanned across my body dashed all hopes of that being true.

The footsteps were getting closer. They couldn't have been from another human. The tempo was too fast, and each step was accompanied by another about a split-second off. It had to be a pony; there was no doubt in my head. They must have come searching for me after their friend returned to them. I couldn't stay here much longer; I wasn't ready for another encounter.

I struggled to raise myself to a sitting position. My muscles ached and groaned in protest, and I tried to tune them out. A sharp pain spread across the palm of my left hand as it barely skimmed across the earth. I quickly cradled it against my stomach and cringed when I caught sight of the wound. My discolored palm was covered in blisters, and a weak trickle of scarlet blood was still seeping out of the wound.

I slowly lifted myself up to my feet, trying carefully not to agitate any other wounds I had accumulated yesterday. An overwhelming sense of vertigo welcomed me as I reached my full height, accompanied by a painful headache. Colors began to blur for a moment, turning the world around me into a strange green and brown canvas.

A twig snapped behind me. I whirled around to the sound of the noise to find a grey pony standing just a few yards away. With a surprised yelp, I scrambled back until my back ran into a nearby tree.

A brief moment of silence passed while we just stared at each other in shock. I gave the area a quick glance to see if there were any other threats, but all I could see was this one pony. Although, to call it a pony might have been incorrect. With the dark grey stripes that spanned across its body, it looked more like a zebra than anything else. Golden rings wrapped around its neck and one of its forelegs.

"Forgive me for startling you," she started, breaking the silence with her African-esque voice, "I knew not you were here. Please, accept my apology; there is no reason to fear." She put on an apologetic smile at the end of her rhyme to add to the sincerity.

To say that I was caught off guard would have been an understatement. I didn't expect her to talk to me, much less apologize for sneaking up on me.

"You're fine," I finally managed to answer, trying to sound as nonchalant as I could. "I just... didn't expect anyone to drop in on me." I regained my composure and realized I didn't have my hatchet on me. My eyes quickly searched the ground for my missing tool and found it laying dangerously close to the zebra. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't risk getting too close to her; there was no telling what she would do when she saw me approaching.

The zebra followed my stare to the hatchet near her hooves. She craned her neck down, picked it up with her mouth, and trotted up to me. My body tensed up as the zebra drew closer. My eyes were glued to the grimy blade of the hatchet.

What are you standing there for? a voice demanded in my head. It could still be a threat. Move!

I took a wary step back, unsure of what to do. The zebra continued with a disarming look in her eyes and came to a stop before me. She didn't make any hostile movements; she simply stood there stretching her neck toward me with the hatchet in her mouth. An awkward second passed before I realized she wanted me to take it.

"Um, thanks," I said, gingerly retrieving my hatchet from her mouth.

"Thank me you need not," the zebra dismissed with a smile, waving a hoof. "The deed was not a lot. I merely wanted to extend a helping hoof to a friend." She gave me a closer look, and her smile faded into a small frown. "May I ask what made you so sore?" she asked. "To obtain such wounds, you must have had quite a chore."

"I had a hard night. Let's just leave it at that," I replied. I lazily swung the hatchet down to my side. "Actually, it would be a good idea if I kept going. I'm kinda busy with... stuff. So, if you'll excuse me." I skirted around the mare and set off in a random direction. My joints moved like rusty gears, grinding and screeching as I moved. I tried to hide my discomfort behind a blank stare. I didn't make it very far before the zebra put herself before me.

"Please, this is a most pitiful sight to see. Allow me to assist and come follow me," she implored. "I can offer a remedy for your ails; after which I will send you on your trails."

I hesitated. The sound of a remedy was very appealing to my sore body. The zebra appeared sincere about the offer, too. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to have a quick rest before I set off.

What if it's a trick? The question seemed to bounce around a few times in my head before the strange voice continued. She's still one of them. She probably knows of last night. She could be leading you into a trap.

I shook my head to dispel the foreign thoughts and glanced at the zebra. She seemed legitimately concerned, but my mind was already made.

"Thanks for the offer," I said, "but I think I'll live for the moment." I started walking in the other direction, hoping that the zebra would take my word for it. "Besides," I added, "my mother warned me about accepting help from strangers."

The zebra jumped in front of me before I had a chance to register it, and I nearly trampled her in my attempt to stop. She gave me a stern look, and I tried to keep my composure.

"Now is not the time to be proud," she warned. "Your integrity is hardly sound. There are creatures here that can gobble you with ease, so let me help you, my strange friend. Please." Her expression softened, and I thought I saw genuine worry in her eyes.

I sighed and shook my head. "Look, I'm not trying to be rude here, but why do you want to help me? I'm just a stranger to you. I can't give you anything in return."

The zebra put on a knowing smile. "I once walked the same road as you; I was scared, alone, and my friends were few. When I first came here, I received many frightened looks, until some ponies decided to open my book. They showed me kindness and asked for nothing in return. To offer the same help to you is all that I yearn."

You are more than capable of surviving by yourself. The words seemed to echo louder in my head, and the headache had returned to add to my list of ailments. Where was it coming from? You don't need her help, the voice persisted. She could be toying you, taking advantage of your weakened state. You could be walking right into her trap.

My grip tightened on my hatchet. Maybe the voice was right, but who's to say that the zebra wasn't at the village last night? I did recall travelling deep into the forest last night. For all I knew, she could have been from somewhere else, somewhere far from the village where I could rest for a while. The mere thought of it seemed to relax my body. Besides, the zebra did appear genuinely concerned for me.

"Alright," I said, hesitantly. "You win. Just lead the way, and I'll be right behind you."

Her expression brightened significantly, and without wasting any more time she set off into the nearby foliage. I quickly lumbered after her. My eyesight was still a bit hazy from my abrupt awakening, but it was easy to follow the grey smudge of the zebra through the vibrant greenery. She introduced herself as Zecora, in rhyme of course. Come to think of it, everything she said was like a small poem. It was pretty interesting, and seemed kind of fun, like some sort of game.

When I asked where we were going, she explained that she lived alone in the forest. The news damped my earlier hopes of resting, but I tried not to let it get to me. Besides, I was still going to get some time to rest while I was there. And perhaps it might have been better after all if I found shelter by myself; I didn't want to risk another reaction like last night.

A low growl interrupted Zecora in mid-sentence. She immediately came to a halt, and her ears perked up as she tried to find the source of the menacing sound. I instinctively put my hand over my stomach, as if doing so would help fill the emptiness that was slowly growing inside.

I weakly chuckled. "Sorry about that," I apologized. "It's been a while since I've had a decent meal."

Zecora gave me an incredulous look and gave her own half-hearted smile. "My, my. Whether that was a beast or not, I could not tell," she chuckled. "It seems that somepony has a hunger that needs to be quelled."

"Don't worry about it," I said. "I'll be fine." My stomach, though, was quick to give its noisy rebuttal.

This time the mare couldn't hold back as a small burst of laughter escaped her throat. "I prepared some soup before I left for my morning walk," she explained through a contagious smile. "You may have what is left, and then we can talk."

I shook my head in disbelief and exhaled. "Thanks," I said, as a small smile pushed its way up to my lips. "That's really generous of you." My stomach grumbled in agreement.

"There's no need for thanks, I have plenty to spare," Zecora said, waving a hoof dismissively. "And fortunately for your stomach, we are almost there."

We pushed further through the foliage until a gnarly tree came into view. Various glass bottles hung from some of its knotty branches, and bizarre wooden masks littered the ground surrounding the house. A faint yellow glow radiated from two holes cut out of the tree. I hesitated as Zecora walked through the front door. I was beginning to get second thoughts about following this zebra.

You can still run, the voice suggested. It probably wasn't too bad of an idea. After all, I barely knew anything about this mare. She could have been some sort of psychopath. Who knew why she lived in exile in these woods? I took a hesitant step back. Most of my wounds could heal over time, I was sure.

It was then that the smell hit me. A sweet aroma wafted from the tree, filling the air around me. It sparked a small inkling of a memory inside of me; one of my mother's homemade chicken and noodle soup that she hadn't made in ages. I wasn't sure if that what was awaiting for me inside, but whatever it was, it nearly had me drooling. My stomach groaned at the thought of being so close to nourishment and seemed to berate me for even thinking of leaving.

Zecora popped her head out of the doorway and gave me a quizzical look. "What are you standing there for?" she asked. "Did you know not I had an open door?" I snapped out of my trance and apologized before continuing toward her house. "Come and get it while it is nice and hot," she called as her head disappeared. "Celestia knows I alone cannot eat the whole pot."

I carefully ducked through the zebra-sized door. A dull pain racked my nerves. My legs screamed in protest, and my back threatened to stay locked in place. I winced and fought against the urge to collapse onto the floor. I desperately hoped Zecora knew what she was doing.

The entire "house" was comprised of one, small circular room. More wooden masks were on the inside. Glass bottles either hung from the ceiling or lined the various shelves. A small bed was stationed in the back, and a cauldron filled with water dominated the center of the room. Near the back rested a pot filled with steaming soup.

Zecora trotted around the lone room, examining the bottles as she passed. With each vial she inspected and passed, the more discouraged she seemed. After putting the last bottle down, she grabbed a wooden bowl, scooped some soup from the pot in the back, and brought it to me. I gingerly accepted it and felt the warmth seep through the bowl and into my hands.

"Your potion's creation will soon be underway," she explained. "Please relax yourself, and enjoy your stay." She lit a fire underneath the cauldron and began tossing seemingly random ingredients in.

I sat myself against the wall a few paces from the door, hoping I wouldn't get in the way, and set my hatchet down next to me. I stared at the bowl in my hands. The soup had a bit of a greenish tint to it. It was hard to tell what was in it, but I could easily tell it wasn't chicken or noodles. It didn't appear as appealing now that I saw it, but it still had me ensnared in its aroma. After realizing I didn't have a spoon, I put the bowl up to my lips and drank it.

I nearly choked as the steaming soup burned a trail down my throat, but it was a welcomed sensation. It tasted as if it was made out of some sort of vegetable, but I couldn't tell which one or ones exactly. As soon as I became used to the temperature, I began greedily gulping it down by mouthfuls. When I put the bowl back down, I noticed Zecora staring at me in amusement.

"You certainly have quite the appetite," She smiled. "I hope I have enough soup for you. Wouldn't it be a fright?"

I gave an apologetic smile and stared at what was rest of my soup. There wasn't very much left, just enough to barely fill the bottom. I began to slowly sip away at it, trying to savor the taste. Zecora returned her attention to the contents of the cauldron, stirring them with a large wooden stick. A sickly green liquid sloshed up the side, making my stomach turn. Was I really supposed to drink that?

I rested the bowl in my hands once I was finished and glanced up in time to catch Zecora staring at me in curiosity. Our eyes met for barely a second before she quickly averted her gaze back to her work.

"See something interesting?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"Pardon me for staring," she apologized, a mild blush of embarrassment showing on her face. "I just have so many questions for you. But that topic can wait for later." Her eyes darted to my empty bowl. "For now, allow me to feed you some more stew." She trotted up to me and picked up my bowl. I offered my thanks again, and she simply nodded as if it was nothing and went to fill it back up.

An odd scent wafted from the middle of the room. The fire underneath the cauldron seemed to be put out a while ago, but the liquid inside was still steaming. When Zecora returned the newly filled bowl to me, she retrieved an empty vial nearby and dipped it into the cauldron.

"Take this potion and you shall be healed within the hour," Zecora explained as she handed it to me. "I must warn you, however, it will be quite sour. Before you take it, though, you might wish to wait a while. While it is still warm, the potion will taste quite vile."

I was about to give her a proper thanks until an erratic knocking at the door cut me off.

"Zecora? Are you home?" a familiar voice called. A chill went up my spine at the sound. The door glowed in an odd purple color and swung wide open. "Oh, thank Celestia you're here!" The purple unicorn from last night trotted into the room, having an urgent air around her. "There was a strange creature that invaded Ponyville last night. We couldn't tell what it was, but we were hoping you might be able to help us. When I saw it run into the forest, I figured it would be a long shot, but —"

Twilight cut herself off with a gasp the moment she saw me.

We all stood there like that for a moment: Twilight staring at me in disbelief, Zecora looking between us in confusion, and myself paralyzed in shock, trying desperately to convince my legs to run. Twilight's face morphed into a scowl. She craned her neck down, and her horn began to glow. I wasn't about to wait for her to perform another one of her tricks.

In one fluid motion, I pocketed the vial and sprang up to my feet. She didn't have enough time to react as I quickly covered the distance between us and threw the still-steaming contents of my bowl into her face at point-blank range. She let out a pained yelp as her concentration broke, causing her horn's glow to fade away.

While she was busy rubbing the stew out of her eyes, I darted for the front door. It would have been a clean escape, too, if it hadn't been for the four mares in the doorway. They tried to scramble away when they saw me hurtling towards them. Most of them succeeded, too, save for one: a yellow pegasus with wide eyes and an uneven haircut.

She stood there with an expression of absolute horror as I advanced. Out of horrible coincidence, I stumbled over a root jutting out of the earth and fell directly on top of her. We collapsed onto the ground together with most of my weight pinning her down. Our foreheads connected painfully, sending us both into a daze.

"The monster's going to gobble up Fluttershy!" the pink pony shrieked.

"Not on my watch!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. I heard the rush of wings behind me as something clamped onto my jacket and launched me skyward. Out of instinct, I grabbed the nearest thing to me in hopes of staying rooted to the ground. Unfortunately, at the time, the nearest thing was Fluttershy.

The world shrank beneath us as we ascended higher and higher. The sudden rush of vertigo threatened to bring the stew back up. I could already taste the acidic bile forming in the back of my throat. As we came to a stop, I felt as if I was literally hanging on by a tread as the jacket stretched against the weight it was never meant to carry. I still had a death grip on Fluttershy's forelegs, who gave me a look of terror with eyes the size of pinpricks. I shot a glance upwards to discover Rainbow Dash wildly flapping to keep us in the air, my jacket clenched in her strained jaw.

A moment of dread washed over me at the sheer height I was dangling from. Already I was getting mental pictures of a splattered mess of blood, bones, and clothes on the forest floor. My eyes shot to the horizon, trying to get the image out of my mind, until something caught my eye. Off in the distance, a lone structure broke through the vast forest canopy. It appeared to be a tower, a strange beacon that seemed to call out to me. I could feel it beckoning me, as if it promised to harbor me from this mad world.

A safe haven, the voice chimed in. Find a way down and go to it.

"Et oh uv Vudderhi!" The muffled shout jerked me back into reality. I glanced up again to see Rainbow Dash glaring down upon me. A small idea formed in my head.

"What did you say?" I asked, trying to feign confusion.

"I hed, et oh uv Vudderhi!" she repeated, voice rising with temper.

"I can't understand you with that jacket in your mouth," I shouted. Of course, I did know what she was trying to say; I was just hoping that she would fall for it.

Rainbow spit my jacket out of her mouth. "I said—"

The rest of her sentence was lost in the wind as Fluttershy and I entered free fall. The deafening wind whipped around me. The canopy was quickly coming up to meet us. It was time for the next phase of my plan. I looked ahead of me where the yellow pegasus fell, wings still pinned to her sides.

"What are you waiting for?" I shouted. "Start flying!" She gave me a frightened look and whispered something inaudible with the wind. "Speak up!" I hollered. "I can't hear you."

"I can't!" Fluttershy shouted in desperation.

My body froze as terror began to seize hold of my heart. This wasn't good. If she didn't start flying, then we would hit the ground at full force. A shudder ran through my system as I recalled the disturbing mental image from before. "Look," I tried. "If you don't start trying, then we're about to be nothing more than a splatter mark on the dirt."

It seemed to be the motivation she needed to hear. With a newfound energy, Fluttershy began flapping her wings like mad trying to sustain our elevation. The ground was still approaching too fast. At this rate, we would be lucky to die with our insides still inside.

"Come on, you can do it," I muttered under my breath. "Just a little bit more."

We were approaching the canopy at an angle. It would only be a few more seconds until we hit it. Our descent was slower, but only barely. I closed my eyes before we hit the trees. This was going to get rough.

I lost my grip on my falling companion as the branches swatted us this way and that. A vine caught itself around my leg, causing me to flip forward and bash my wounded knee against the tree. I felt a painful pop in my right ankle where the vine was ensnared. Something came loose, and I was sent falling again. Leaves and thorns cut at any exposed skin. A branch sprouted out of nowhere and rammed into my stomach. I hung there breathless for a moment before the weight of my legs pulled me backwards. I reached my hand out to grab something, anything that would put an end to this painful descent. A vine found its way into my hand, and I clamped my fingers around it for dear life, giving me a rope burn as I slowly slid down. The ground was only a small drop away now. I released my grip and landed feet-first, only to crumple into a heap as the pain from new and old injuries attacked my brain.

My vision was fading in and out. There was a loud snap somewhere above me. My eyes flickered up in time to see the form of the yellow pegasus falling from the trees. My eyes struggled to make out the horrid scene before me. Cuts and bruises covered her body, and her wings were splayed in an unholy manner. She let out a sharp exhale when her delicate frame hit the unforgiving earth.

The world was silent. Too silent. I couldn't tell if the pegasus was moving or not. I managed to prop myself up on my elbows to get a better look at her, and my broken body was quick to protest. Her scraped back was facing me, rising and falling in sync with her ragged breathing. I let out a sigh of relief; she was still alive.

I struggled to get up, but the moment I put pressure on my right foot I collapsed with an inhuman yelp. A sharp throbbing pulsed inside my ankle. A frustrated growl emerged from my throat. I was in no condition to move. And neither was the pegasus, from the looks of it. We were stuck here to rot without any help.

I shifted myself into a sitting position and rested against a nearby tree. "Well, isn't this just perfect," I grumbled.

As if on cue, a mysterious vial fell out of my pocket and on the ground, its contents sloshing around inside it. I stared at it confusedly before my brain finally clicked in. It was the potion Zecora had made! I snatched it up off the ground and studied it. There probably wasn't much of the potion inside, only just a few mouthfuls. If what Zecora said was true, though, that wouldn't matter. I ripped off the cork lid and stared at the green liquid inside.

"Well, this is it," I muttered, hesitantly putting it up to my lips. "Here goes nothing." I poured some of the potion into my mouth and nearly retched the moment it touched my tongue. Zecora wasn't lying when she said it was sour. I was having a hard time finding the will to not spit it out.

I leaned back and stared in awe as the potion worked its magic. Cuts and wounds began closing themselves up. Bruises started disappearing. My broken foot seemed to pop itself back into place. I glanced at my left hand to see that the charred skin was falling off and being replaced by a new, rapidly growing layer of skin. After a while had passed, I was back on my feet again, feeling fully recovered.

Incredible. There wasn't a better word to describe what I had just witnessed. It was impossible, and yet the facts were staring at me in the face.

A weak groan brought me back into reality. I stared over my shoulder where Fluttershy lay.

Leave her, the voice said. Helping her will only slow you down. Let her friends come to her aid. You have no reason to aid her. It was wrong, though. I was the reason she was here right now, the reason she was even in this state. I couldn't leave just yet; I had to help her.

I rushed up to her side. Her condition was much worse than I originally thought. There was a large gash in her side that was spilling blood everywhere. It was getting harder and harder for her to breathe. "It's going to be alright," I whispered. "Just hang in there." I sat down beside her and propped her head up on my lap. My fingers accidentally brushed up against her wound as I shifted her, and her breathing became sharper. "It's okay," I cooed. "Everything is going to be okay."

I opened Fluttershy's mouth and started pouring some of the contents in her mouth. The little pegasus coughed, probably not expecting to be assaulted with a sour flavor. A small dribble leaked out of the corner of her mouth. "Now, now," I whispered as I tried to wipe it off, "you need to drink your medicine. How else are you going to feel better?"

She silently obliged. Once I figured I had given her enough, I put the potion back in my pocket and watched the scene as her wounds began mending. Her feathers and wings rearranged themselves. The gash ceased bleeding and began to slowly close. Her mane even grew back to what I assumed was its original shape.

A distant voice echoed throughout the forest, but I didn't catch what it said. I strained my ears in case it called out again, and, sure enough, the voice cried out again.

"Fluttershy!"

The others were getting closer. I glanced back down at the pegasus in my lap. They wouldn't be able to find her if I left her here. I would have to leave her on the path somewhere. It might be risky, but if I was quick enough I should be able to drop her off and then split before her friends showed up. Her body was still healing, but I doubted that would be too much of a problem.

I slithered my arms underneath her body and lifted her up. She wasn't as heavy as I gave her credit for, roughly the same weight as a dog about her size. Surprisingly, she was still fast asleep, too. Her injuries must have knocked her out cold. I forced my way through the thick greenery that surrounded us, shielding the sleeping pegasus as best as I could. We weren't too far away from the path when we emerged.

The callings were getting much closer now. It wouldn't be too long before they got here. I quickly jogged into the path and stowed her next to a tree where her friends could easily find her. I lingered behind the tree until I saw Twilight's purple coat emerge from the trees before leaving.

Thoughts of the tower consumed my mind. I needed to find a way there. Right now, it was my best bet to find shelter. Once I was there, I could relax and think things through. But first, I needed to take a small detour.

Thankfully, the trek was uneventful. Even though the fall had disoriented me, I knew the general location of the hut. Pretty soon I caught sight of one of the colorful wooden masks that marked her house. The door was left wide open. Not a pony or zebra was in sight. I peeked my head in.

It was exactly the same as when I had left. I retrieved my hatchet from the floor where I left it and refilled the vial with the medicine in the cauldron; there was no telling when I would need something like that again. I grabbed a string and fastened the vial to the belt loop of my pants and was about to walk out of the door when the wooden bowl caught my eye. There was still a little bit of stew left inside of it. I gingerly picked up the bowl and tried to savor the taste as I drank what was left of it, knowing that it was probably going to be the last decent morsel of food I would have in a long while.

I exited Zecora's tree and headed off in the general direction of the stone fortress. I was careful to avoid any paths or trails along the way; the last thing I wanted was another run in with the ponies. I couldn't tell how long I was walking; it could've been anywhere from a few minutes to half of an hour. I was beginning to worry that I had gotten off course. I quickly dispelled those thoughts though. Nothing good would come from that sort of thinking at the moment.

As I trekked deeper and deeper into the trees, the faint sound of roaring water grew louder and louder. I desperately pleaded that it was purely just a coincidence. Unfortunately, all hope was shattered as a wide river took the place of the trees. Not a single bridge, natural or built, could be seen in either direction. I sighed as I realized that crossing it would be inevitable if I wanted to reach my sanctuary.

I hesitantly put a foot in the river, cringing as cool water seeped into my shoe and drenched my sock. With each step I made further into the river, the higher the water crawled up my legs. Not even a quarter of the way across and I was already soaked up to the stomach. At one point, I had to put the hatchet's wooden handle in my mouth so I could swim more efficiently. Needless to say, I was completely drenched as I emerged from the other side. I tried my best to wring out my clothes before carrying on.

After a few more minutes of walking, a stone wall emerged between some of the branches and vines. I couldn't believe my luck. I made it! My safety was just beyond the trees ahead of me. I jogged into a clearing of the trees and caught my first whole glimpse of the colossal stone structure.

It was in ruins. Glass fragments and gaping holes dominated the space where windows should have been. Chunks of walls were missing everywhere, along with most of the roof. I could spot a handful of spires, but even they appeared to be as skeletal as the rest of the castle, showing their internal parts. The two large wooden doors at the entrance seemed perfectly fine, though.

Still, this shelter was better than no shelter, and the only thing keeping me from it was a rickety, wooden bridge. I put my foot on the first plank, cringing as it groaned beneath my weight. The next step wasn't as bad, but I knew there were plenty more ahead of me before I reached my destination. I made the mistake to cast a glance below the bridge. A thick fog obstructed my view of the bottom of the chasm, making it appear as if it went on for an eternity. I gripped the rope support beams for dear life, knowing the next step could very well be my last. Thankfully, the bridge was sturdier that it made itself out to be in the end.

I opened the heavy doors of the castle and took in my surroundings. The ceiling in the first room was completely gone as well as most of the windows. Plant life sprouted here and there through cracks scattered across the walls. Near what was left of the back wall rested a moss covered sphere on a pedestal. Five smaller platforms branched out underneath it. It had a sacred air about it, as if it once held a great treasure that had disappeared.

My eyelids were getting heavy, and I stifled a yawn. Looking up through the hole where the ceiling was, I saw that it was barely noon, not that it helped my drowsiness whatsoever. Through one of the shattered windows I thought I could see the spire I had spotted earlier. It seemed mostly whole, at least more whole than any of the others, and it seemed as good of a place as any to get some rest.

After finding my way through the maze of corridors, I found the stairway that led up to the top. I was pleased to find that the room was much more whole than the rest of the building. Glass covered most of the windows. There was much less plant life covering the stone room. Best of all, the ceiling in here was still intact. A throne sat on a raised platform in the back. It was missing a few chunks here and there, but it was whole where it counted. I was careful to avoid the shards of blue armor that littered the base as I drew closer to it. The throne was cushioned, much to my enjoyment. I placed my hatchet and the sour elixir next to the base of my seat.

I heaved a sigh that I've unknowingly held all day. There I sat; alone in a strange new world. No one to talk to. No one to guide me. No one to take command and let me follow. I was completely alone. A hole began to grow in my chest and was quickly filled with fear and grief. I doubled over, pressing my hands against my chest in hopes of repressing the pain. A few choked sobs managed to escape my throat. I screwed my eyes shut as a few tears burned their trails down my cheeks. I was never this alone in my life. The very concept of my condition scared me. What was I supposed to do? How would I survive? Where would I get my food?

Hunt for your food.

My sobs were instantly cut off. I slowly raised my head and stared at the room before me, the large, empty room. I was all alone, and yet I could hear that strange and familiar voice echoing in my head clear as day.

I sniffed. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad of an idea. Hunting wasn't exactly my forte, but I was sure I could work something out if I got enough time. I would need an alternative plan, though. It would take some time before I got used to hunting for my food, and I doubted Zecora would help me after what occurred this morning.

Steal from the ponies, the voice pitched in. They are sure to have plenty.

I was reluctant to go anywhere near "Ponyville" again, but the more I thought of it, the better it sounded. I had a good generalization of where the marketplace was in the town, and I thought I saw a barn when I was wandering through it. If I could find a way to access those easily, I would be set for a decent time. I wasn't about to go out in broad daylight, though. No, that would just be suicidal. It would be best if I went under the cover of the night.

A feeling of satisfaction washed over me. I now had a plan, more or less, and the means to do it. All I needed now was rest. It was beginning to get harder to keep my eyes open. I would take a quick nap until night and then get to work. It didn't take too long before drowsiness subdued my roaming mind. I had just enough brainpower to utter one last word.

"Goodnight."

But of course, my only answer was silence.

Act I: The Thief in the Night

I took in a deep, refreshing breath of the cool, autumn air, letting it rejuvenate my system. The moon shone brightly in the night sky, bathing the castle in its silver light. As I navigated the darkened halls, I tried my best to memorize my path. There was no telling how long I would be stuck here, and with this castle being my only haven at the moment, it would be a good idea to know my way around it.

A cold breeze blasted from one of the many holes in the corridor. A shiver coursed through my body as I adjusted my jacket. I let my hatchet swing lazily in my fingers, its handle cool to the touch. A few minutes passed before I found myself back in the entrance hall. The only thing standing before me and my quest was two large heavy doors. I took in a deep breath to clear my head and pulled the doors open.

A dark ocean of trees surrounded the castle to greet me, gently swaying in the midnight breeze. I took a few steps forward and shut the door behind me, and the resulting thud seemed to carry throughout the forest. Was I really going to do this? A thousand scenarios ran through my head, a thousand ways this could go horribly wrong. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. I could probably wait another day or so and come up with a better plan.

My stomach groaned in protest, urging me to move forward. An uncomfortable pit had formed in my gut, making it feel as if my stomach was eating itself. I winced, covering my stomach with a hand and looking back into the forest. It would definitely be a long shot.

But think about the reward, the voice inside my head coerced. You will be fed. Not to mention if you succeed, you can surely do it again.

I took in a deep breath to clear my thoughts and shook my head. The benefits outweighed the risks. No matter how this night turns out, it would be the archetype for my new lifestyle until I found a way home. A life of hiding in fear. A life of stealing from ponies to keep myself alive. Or a life of who knows what if I failed.

A new life... I chuckled weakly at the thought and began my trek.

The thick branches of the trees above made the trail nearly impossible to see despite the brilliant light of the full moon, but I managed to guide myself without tripping over too many obstacles. The large silhouettes of bushes and trees surrounded me, their amorphous shadows putting me on edge. I suddenly remembered Zecora's warning about the predators that inhabited this forest, and the grip on my hatchet tightened.

The path was slowly getting wider and wider. I couldn't be too far from the edge now. Some of the trees were starting to look familiar, albeit vaguely. As the path bent around a large tree, I could see an opening in the forest. The town could be seen up ahead, a few soft lights dotting the area here and there. Most of the town would have been asleep by now. If I was careful, I could probably skirt around it and find the farm without causing another alarm like last time.

There were barely any trees between where the town and where I stood at the edge of the forest. I must have been in the park from the previous night. A quick scan showed no sign of the farm on either side of the town from this angle. There was no telling how large the town was, either. If I were to circumscribe the town to find the barn, I probably wouldn't have enough time to get anything before the sun rose.

There was always the marketplace. It wouldn't be too hard to find again. If I remembered, it was in the middle of town. I studied the town again. Most of the lights in the villages were off. Assuming that the ponies were fast asleep in their homes, getting food might be as simple as navigating through the darkened streets.

And what if they're awake? the voice asked.

Then I'll handle it however I can, I replied. I made it out last time, didn't I? There wasn't a response, although I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

I fixed my eyes on the nearest tree and crept towards it. Even if there weren't any ponies around, I didn't want to take the chance of walking out in the open. I moved from tree to tree, getting closer and closer to the village. I nearly let my guard down until I noticed a group of figures up ahead.

They hadn't noticed me yet, and I decided to take the advantage and move to a closer tree to study them. There were seven of them, three of which were much smaller than the others. They appeared to be stuck in the middle of an argument.

"But Twilight," one of the smaller ones piped up. "We want to help catch the monster!"

"Yeah, maybe we can get our Cutie Marks as monster catchers!" another small one exclaimed while jumping in the air. The frantic buzzing of her wings managed to suspend her in midair for a few seconds.

"No. Like I said, it's too dangerous for fillies," one of the larger ponies, Twilight by the sound of her voice, said with finality.

"Aww," a chorus of three moaned. I could see the three small ponies' heads drop.

"But how come y'all get to go," one of them asked. From the faint light of the moon, I could see a pink bow in her mane. "It ain't fair! We wanna help, too."

"Oh, we know, sugarcube," another larger pony said. Judging by the hat, it must have been Applejack. "But we're only doing this to protect ya. Do y'all know what that thing did to Fluttershy?"

"Yeah, yeah, we know," the second small pony explained. "It attacked Fluttershy and now she's too chicken to come out of her house now."

"But that's why we want to help!" shouted the first little one. She sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. "That thing hurt my sister, too!"

Twilight tried to calm her. "Yes, and that's why we're trying to find it. We're going to find out just what this monster is and send it back where it came from. But we can't have any of you in harm's way."

"But, but, but—," the trio harmonized.

"Sorry, squirts, but we don't have any time for this," another of the larger ponies said impatiently. She elevated herself with two wings. "I have a score to settle with that monster."

"Rainbow Dash, we're not doing this for some contest; we're doing this for the good of Ponyville," Twilight said. "You three need to head home. We'll be back as soon as we can. Promise."

"But where am I supposed to go?" one of the fillies squeaked. "Rarity's still recovering in the hospital and my parents are on another of their vacations! I don't wanna be home alone!"

"Y'all can stay at my place," the pink-bowed pony said. "You can come too, Scootaloo. We can have a sleep over at the barn!" I focused on the three smaller ponies. Perhaps finding the barn would be as easy as following three fillies.

"That sounds like a good idea," Applejack said. "Y'all three head on up to the farm for tonight, and we'll come back later and join you."

"Yeah, hopefully with that monster, too," Rainbow Dash added.

"But first," Twilight interjected, "we need you ponies to not follow us. Am I clear?"

The trio let out a sigh of defeat. "Yes, Twilight."

"Good." Twilight turned to one of the other ponies. "Pinkie Pie, did you get the lights?"

"Yep! You're not going to believe how hard it was for me to find these Hearthswarming lights." The area was suddenly illuminated in shades of red and green as the pink mare lit up like a Christmas tree. String lights coiled around her body and were tangled in her mane. She bounced excitedly in place, making the contents of her saddle clatter. "I also got some flashlights and torches! This is going to be the best search party ever!"

With that, she started hopping in the direction of the forest. I scooted around the trunk to keep away from the intense, multicolored light she was giving off. After reminding the smaller ponies to stay safe, the other three followed her lead. As the last of them disappeared through in the forest, I turned around to find the ponies I would be following. They were already heading deeper into the town, which was my cue to move.

By the time I had reached the first house, they were already halfway down the main street. I stayed behind the line of houses and moved as quickly and quietly as I could to catch up to them. The houses blocking my line of sight made tracking them difficult, but the sound of their voices kept me on their trail. The distance between us muffled their conversation from me, making it hard to decipher what they were talking about.

Every now and then their voices would fade away as an intersection appeared, and I would have to emerge from the alleys to find them and readjust my course. I stuck to the shadows as often as I could during those moments. There weren't any light's coming from the houses, but I didn't want to stand out in the open and risk another fiasco like last night.

At one point their voices died out all together, and for a second I thought I had lost them. I was about to go back out into the street when they walked right in front of me. I froze like a statue as fear gripped hold of me. If they saw me now, then my whole plan would be ruined. Not only would I not find the barn, but they would probably alert the whole town. And I was too deep in to make another escape. To my surprise, however, they didn't even notice me.

I realized this was the first time I saw them up close and took the opportunity to study them as they walked harmlessly passed by. They were walking in a straight line. The nearest one had a bright yellow coat and a neat red mane with a large pink bow. In the middle was a small orange pegasus with scruffy purple hair. They both wore blank stares as they walked ahead, as if they either didn't know what to talk about or didn't want to talk about something. The third was a white unicorn with a curled pink and lavender mane and tail. She was slightly trailing behind the other two, her light green eyes dully staring at the earth along with the rest of her downcast head.

I poked my head out into the street as they walked on in silence, wondering what had happened. When I realized how far they had gone, I ran back behind the houses and tried to maintain a closer distance.

"So," the pink-bowed filly said after a while. "What do y'all reckon this thing they're after looks like?"

"I don't know," the orange pegasus replied. "Rainbow Dash said it was, like, twenty feet tall or something, and it was really weird looking, too. She said it kept running around on its hind legs."

"Do you think they can handle it?" the first one asked.

"Are you kidding? Rainbow Dash is with them! I'm sure they'll do fine," the orange one assured, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her true thoughts.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

"You alright, Sweetie Belle?" the pink-bowed filly asked.

"Yeah, you've been kinda quiet," the orange one chimed in.

The unicorn let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, girls; I just can't stop thinking about what that thing did to my sister. Why would anypony ever hurt Rarity? How could it be so mean?"

"Don't worry about her, Sweetie," the pink-bowed filly soothed. "The doctor said she would be as healthy as a horse in a few days."

"Yeah!" the other piped in. "And when they find that monster, Rainbow Dash will make it sorry it ever stepped hoof in Ponyville!"

I felt a little uneasy with the direction of the conversation, wishing that I hadn't eavesdropped in the first place. I had no idea that my actions would have had this kind of effect, and on a child especially. I lagged behind a bit until their voices returned to an incoherent mumble and trudged on.

After a few more minutes of stalking, the barn came into view. I slowed down to a halt as the trio of fillies passed the entrance gate. Whoever owned this farm had plenty of food; more than enough to go around, in fact. Just from where I was standing, I could already spot rows upon rows of corn, massive gardens of various vegetables, and a stone well near the front. Behind the barn I could make out the silhouettes of trees that must have been part of the forest.

A bright light radiated from the barn's front door as the three fillies approached it. The form of a large pony stood in the doorway waiting for the fillies to enter before shutting the door. My eyes lingered warily at the barn. That pony was much larger than the ones I had met before. It seemed to be much stronger, too. I wasn't sure if I could hold my ground against it if we crossed paths.

I put those thoughts out of my head. This wasn't the time to think about that; I had a job to do. I cautiously crept through the gate's entrance and made an immediate turn for the well. Water was my priority at the moment, whether my stomach liked it or not.

The well was lined with a stone wall and covered with a small wooden roof. When I arrived, the bucket appeared to be deep inside the well. I smiled at my own luck. It was probably already filled with water. All I had to do now is reel it back up. I set my hatchet next to the well, gripped the reel's handle, and began to turn it. A high-pitched mechanical whine filled the air as the rusty metal turned against itself. I winced at the sharp noise but continued reeling nevertheless.

A light flickered on in one of the barn's upper windows. I quickly hid behind the well as an elderly voice pierced the night. "Ya darn rascals! Stay out of our farm, or I'll call Winona on yer sorry hide!"

I peeked my head out in time to see the elderly mare stick her head back in. Once the window became dark I emerged from my hiding place. With that rusty reel acting like an alarm against anyone who uses it, the only way I could retrieve the bucket without waking the farm's residents would be by pulling it up by the rope. I rubbed my hands together and started my menial task.

Unfortunately, the bucket was bone dry. I looked down the well with a discontented frown. The water was probably deeper in the well. I tapped the metallic shell of the bucket to gather my thoughts. I couldn't afford to risk sending the bucket down deeper into the well to get some water; the racket from the gears would wake up the entire barn. If I just took the bucket, however, I could use it to gather the water from the river. It wasn't the most hygienic source, but it was better than nothing.

I was starting to unfasten the bucket from the rope when I noticed how much slack I pulled up. There must have been at least fifteen feet of rope. It would probably come in handy later. Besides, I was already planning on stealing the bucket; it wouldn't make much sense to leave the rest of the rope.

Do it.

I set the bucket down, stretched out the rope, and retrieved my hatchet. It was rather thick, but after a few minutes of hacking at it, the rope finally severed. I wrapped it around my torso like a sash, picked up the bucket, and carried on to the fields.

Gathering food was much simpler than I originally thought. I moved from garden to garden, gathering a random assortment of fruits and vegetables. The only problem was the windows of the main building that stared into my back as I worked. I kept glancing over my shoulders, worrying that I would find one of the windows lit up with a pony in it, but thankfully that never happened.

The bucket made an excellent basket throughout the process. My hands were already growing used to pulling some of the plants out of the cool earth, and my hatchet helped cut off any inedible parts. After an hour passed, I had already harvested a handful of carrots, a few ears of corn, some potatoes, and a few other plants that appeared semi-familiar. I could see myself doing this for some time. I'd have to come up with a new food source after a while, though. The ponies would eventually catch on that there food supply was dwindling, and winter was going to come up in a few months. But I was sure I would come up with something by then.

I eventually found myself near the chicken coups. There wasn't much I could do here. I couldn't cook any eggs or chicken without a fire. Not to mention that the noise I would create trying to obtain either would surely wake the barn up. I glanced back into my bucket. It wasn't quite full yet. I could still fit in a few more foods. I started to head back towards the fields until a headache struck me.

You have more than enough for now, the voice said. Leave before you get caught.

"Just give me a second," I shot back. "I can still get a bit more."

You don't have another second, it argued. You're too close to the barn. It's time to go.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I started to say, but a loud squealing cut me off in mid-sentence. I shot a glare in the direction of the disruptive sound and found a pig running around in a nearby pen, trying to get away from me. It didn't take too long for its cries to wake up the rest of the animals in the area, and the air was soon filled with the sound of a thousand squeals, clucks, and bleats.

The lights to the barn snapped back on, and a few seconds later the large doors swung open. Three forms stood in the doorway, two of which were pony-shaped while the third was canine.

"Don't say Ah didn't warn you," the elderly pony called out. "Sic 'em, Winona!"

A high-pitched yapping suddenly filled the air as the dog bolted towards my direction. I gathered my harvest as quickly as I could and sprinted to the trees in the distance, hoping to lose them in the forest. It wasn't until I got closer that I realized I was horribly wrong.

There might have been trees everywhere, but this was no forest; it was an orchard. I had no idea how to get to the forest from here, much less the castle. The dog was getting closer, and there was no way I would be able to outrun it. In a desperate attempt to escape, I gripped the handle of the bucket in my mouth and climbed up the nearest tree. By the time I had safely retreated into the branches, the dog was already at the base of the tree, barking like mad.

I spat the bucket out of my mouth and leaned back against the tree, processing my situation. The trees here were evenly spaced, and all too far apart for me to jump from one to another. If I could get back down, I could probably find my way back to the forest. The only problem with that was the dog.

I glanced back down to the bottom of the tree where the dog was still yapping. It was smaller than average. Brown fur covered its body, save for a few white patches on its feet, tail, and muzzle. If I could just get rid of it...

My eyes shifted to the hatchet, clenched tightly in my right hand.

I screwed my eyes closed and shook the mental images out of my head. "No," I muttered. "I'm not doing that."

Why not? It was simple with the timberwolf. You didn't show hesitation then.

"That was a reflex," I argued. A moment passed before I realized what I just did, and I shook my head in annoyance. The dog continued yapping as if nothing had happened, each slicing through my train of thought. "Oh, just can it already!" I barked over it.

A deep voice suddenly cut through the noise. "That's enough, Winona. I can take it from here." Through the branches of the tree I could make out the large, muscular pony from before. I could barely see the red hue of his coat and his orange mane with the moonlight. He turned his attention to me with uninterested green eyes. "Now, are you gonna come down from there, or am I gonna have to make ya?"

I grabbed on to a nearby branch to steady myself as I stood to get a better look of him. He was the only pony in sight, and he didn't have any tools save for the harness around his neck, if that even counted. The situation was almost laughable.

"Oh, really?" I smiled. "You're going to make me? Just how do you plan on doing that?"

Rather than answering my question, the pony simply turned his back to me. With a swift kick from his hind legs, the tree shook with great intensity. I lost my footing and fell out of the tree, accumulating a good beating from the branches during my fall. An audible thud punctuated the end of my fall. A loud clatter surrounded me as my possessions fell around me. I managed to pick my head up off the earth in time to see four red tree trunks for legs standing in front of me.

I propped myself up on my elbows and glanced up to see the large pony giving me a dissatisfied glare. "You're in a heap of trouble, mister," he said. Things were definitely not looking good for me. This pony had easily proven his strength. I was still trying to wrap my head around how he managed to knock me out of the tree by a simple kick to the trunk. I pushed myself up to my knees. We were roughly at eye level with me in this stance. He gave me another stern look, and I decided it would be in my best interest no to go any higher.

Through my peripheral vision, I noticed that the bucket had landed next to me, half of its contents spilled across the ground. The hatchet was within an arm's reach to the right, but I doubted I would have enough time to grab it before the pony reacted. I was completely at the pony's mercy.

"Well, I'll admit, I didn't expect that to happen," I said after a moment of silence passed. My mind was racing with a hundred different scenarios. I kept my eyes locked on to his, looking for a window of escape or some sign of leeway, but all I could find was his glare.

"Big Macintosh!" a young voice cut through the night. "Is everything alright?"

The large pony's green eyes widened in shock, and he turned his head around as the three fillies from before ran toward us. I noticed the small window I was presented, and lunged for my hatchet.

"Applebloom? What're y'all doing—" He didn't have enough time to finish his sentence. The pony's heavy frame crumpled to the ground as I struck him in the back of the head with the butt of the hatchet. His sudden collapse startled me. The blow wasn't intended to kill him, just knock him out. I was relieved when he let out a low groan.

"Big Macintosh!" the filly with the pink bow cried out.

Sweetie Belle pointed a shaking hoof to me. "It's the monster!"

The three fillies came to a sliding halt before me. I towered over them and the crumpled form of the larger pony, nearly four times their height. I could almost see their minds racing in their eyes. The larger pony was beginning to stir at my feet, signaling that it was time for me to go.

I bent down and hastily tossed as much food as I could in the bucket. The pony was nearly up to his hooves. If I didn't leave now, I wouldn't be able to escape. There were still a few vegetables left on the ground by the time I left, but it didn't matter; I would be able to come back later if I escaped.

I fled deeper into the orchard, the heavy hooves of the pony thundering behind me. I stole a quick glance behind me to see how far my pursuer was. He was close, probably only a few feet behind me, but he was starting to lag behind. His eyes were coming in and out of focus. At one point the thunder calmed down to a faint rumble, and I looked back to find my chaser leaning up against a tree for support. Even in the moonlight I could catch the intensity of his glare.

I kept running until my legs were filled with lead. Time seemed to slip by without me knowing, and I didn't know how long I was running. My lungs were gasping for air. My vision was flickering in and out of focus. I couldn't tell where I was. All I could see were trees and trees and trees.

I slowed myself to a jog, my body aching from overexertion. My mind was on the verge of collapsing, its internal clock out of whack. I wasn't going to be able to go much further, not like this. I needed to get some rest if I wanted to keep moving.

Don't rest, the strange voice urged. Keep moving. It's too dangerous here.

It was a conflict between mind and body, and both sides pressed good arguments. My body was begging for rest, but I knew that if I stayed out in the open I would surely be found. The cries of my body ultimately won, however, as a strange structure appeared in the midst of the trees. I staggered up closer to it to get a better look of it.

It was a treehouse. Not a strange house-tree hybrid like before, but an actual run of the mill treehouse. It appeared to be well built. A single structure sprouted out of a raised platform around the tree with a sturdy ramp leading up to the doorway. I could stay here for a few minutes and catch my breath.

I shuffled up the ramp and entered the building, closing the door behind me slowly. It was difficult seeing outside under the light of the moon and stars, but in here, with no natural or artificial light, it was near impossible to see anything inside the treehouse. I held out a hand to help guide myself across the room. A series of crunches and snaps erupted beneath my feet as I accidentally stepped on the numerous knickknacks that littered the ground.

Something brushed up against my fingers, and I instinctively grabbed on to it. It was a ladder. I maneuvered myself in front of it and started climbing to the upper room. It was much smaller than the first; I had to crouch down to not scrape my head up against the ceiling. Nonetheless, it was a safe place to hide for a while, which was exactly what I was looking for.

I sat down with my back against a wall, putting the bucket and the hatchet down next to me to relieve myself of the extra weight. I could see the night sky from the window in the wall opposite of me. Just a few quick minutes of rest, I told myself. I pulled an apple out of the bucket and began nibbling on it to keep myself awake.

My body slowly began to relax, finding a comfortable spot in the hard, wooden walls. I stared out the window at the stars, trying to focus on anything but the dark room, but even they began to slowly wink out as my eyes became heavy. My arm fell to my side. I thought I heard something roll from my fingers. My head rolled to my chest, too heavy for my neck to support. I closed my eyes, telling myself I would open them in just a few more seconds, and slowly surrendered myself to sleep's comforting arms.

Act I: Horseplay

I could feel the sun’s bright rays behind my eyelids. I tried screwing my eyes shut tighter to block it out, but the light was being too stubborn. I grumbled as I rubbed my eyes and began to stretch. When I opened my eyes, I was a little confused when I saw the wooden walls around me, but once the memories of last night flooded my mind, I was immediately gripped with terrified shock.

I shot up from my sitting position, only to hit the low ceiling and fall back down cradling my head. I managed to crawl up to the open window to get a perfect view of the sunrise.

“Shoot,” I muttered under my breath. I overslept horribly. I turned my attention back to the room to gather my bearings. My hatchet and the basket were lying scattered across the floor along with a half-eaten apple. I tossed the fruit out the window in disgust and began packing up my belongings.

Walking out in the broad daylight put an uneasy feeling in my gut, but I had very little say in the matter. This treehouse was still on the barn’s property, after all, and I didn't want to come across that behemoth of a pony again. Something told me that I wouldn’t get another lucky shot if we ever crossed paths again.

I slowly rose back up to my feet, careful not to hit my head on the low ceiling again. Sunlight poured in through the windows, making the room much easier to navigate. I gathered my supplies, running through a quick mental checklist, and crawled back down the latter.

The main room looked much more different in the light. Now that I could see, I was careful not to break any more of the toys that littered the ground. A few drawn posters hung on the walls. This place must have been some sort of hangout for some kids. I was about to reach the door when an odd sound hit my ears. I hesitated, my hand hovering above the handle, straining my ears in case I heard it again, and I didn't have to wait long.

It was a brief, sharp noise, lasting not even a second. It sounded faint, but there was no mistaking what it belonged to. I rushed to the nearest window and looked out to see a small, brown canine walking through the orchard with its muzzle to the ground. It lifted its head up to release another bark, and two other ponies appeared behind it. The first had an orange coat with her blonde mane and tail done in a ponytail and a stetson resting on top of her head. The other was a large crimson pony with a short orange mane and tail. A thick lasso was wrapped around his body.

"Ah, crud," I breathed. "Not now." They were getting closer to the treehouse. It wouldn't be too long until they were upon me.

You need to escape.

"Really?" I asked in mock shock. "I thought I was just going to sit here so we could negotiate." A dull ache formed in the back of my head; I thought I could sense the agitation of the voice. A small smile managed to form on my mouth despite the situation.

I glanced back out the window and weighed my options. I doubted I could outrun the ponies, much less the dog. If I tried to make a break for it right now, it would be a matter of minutes before I was caught. There had to be some way to stall them long enough to get a better head start. I turned around and scanned the room for anything useful.

There wasn't much to work with. The whole room was practically one big mess of small toys and drawings. My eyes fell upon a small table set across the room, and an idea flashed in my mind. I quickly ran across the room, trading my belongings for one of the chairs, and sprinted back up to the door to wedge the chair between the door handle and the floor. It seemed to be the right size to jam the door. Without wasting another second, I pulled the chair back out, gathered my belongings, and noisily clattered up the latter.

I raced up to the sole window in the upstairs room. It was small, but appeared to be just large enough for me and the chair to fit through if I curled my body up. If memory served correctly, this window should be directly above the front door, too. I ran the plan through my head a dozen times, gradually feeling more and more confident about myself. I might just be able to pull this off.

A loud bark broke my train of thought. I looked down from the window to find the dog in front of the ramp flanked by the two ponies. Its muzzle was earthbound again, sniffing at the apple I had thrown out just moments ago. I hid myself behind the wall, peeking my head out just enough to watch the scene play out.

"Good job, Winona," Applejack said as she trotted up to the half-eaten fruit. "This here apple still looks fresh. The creature must've been through here recently."

The large pony observed the apple and gave an approving nod. "Eeyup."

"Come on, we must be hot on his trail," Applejack said, a newfound energy seeming to surge through her. "Let's see if we can catch this varmint." She let out a sharp whistle. "Come on, Winona. Time to go." Her words were ignored, though, as the dog raced up the ramp and started clawing at the door. The two ponies stared at it in confusion. "Winona," Applejack called, a little louder this time. "We need to hurry. That trail's probably cold." The dog responded with a loud bark and continued scratching away at the door with a small whimper.

"We're never going to find that thing at this rate," Applejack grumbled. "It's probably gone by now."

"Unless it never left," the larger pony suggested.

A brief moment passed where they simply stared at each other, then they both carefully crept closer to the treehouse. I pulled my head back and closed my eyes, mentally preparing myself. I could still hear their heavy hooves hitting the ramp as they ascended. The scratching suddenly stopped, and an eerie silence fell on the orchard.

"I'll go in first," I heard Applejack whisper. "If it tries to jump me, I want you to rope it up."

The door creaked open, the sound deafeningly loud in the still building. I could hear Applejack's soft, cautious footsteps underneath me. There were a few seconds of silence where all I could hear was my racing heart. A series of heavier footsteps soon followed. I stole a glance out the window in time to see the large pony's scruffy orange tail enter the doorway. I took in a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

"Sheesh, it looks like a twister went through here," Applejack commented.

"Or a monster," the other added.

"Well, with our little sister and her friends, it'd be pretty hard to tell," Applejack replied with a forced laugh. "Do you reckon it's still here?"

I gathered up my supplies and wits, deciding that now was as good of a time as ever to make my move. I drew my hatchet back and swung it at the window with all my might. The blade sunk straight through, causing a spiderweb of cracks to erupt across the glass with an earsplitting shatter. I bit into the handle of the hatchet and hugged the chair and bucket close to my chest. I barely had time to register the loud "What in tarnation?!" from below as I rolled through the broken window.

I landed on my feet with a myriad of glass shards around me. Without thinking, I slammed the treehouse door shut and thrust the chair underneath the door handle. I gave two swift kicks at the chair's legs to wedge it deeper into the door and took off into the orchard. There was a loud thud behind me, but when I craned my neck back the chair appeared to be doing its job. There was no telling how long it would last, though, so I took as much of an advantage as the head start would allow me.

It took a few minutes of running for me to realize that I still had no idea where I was going. This farm could have gone on for acres for all I knew, and I was probably nowhere near the edge. There was a large hill not too far from me, and I readjusted my course to climb it. Maybe once I reached the top I could find out where I was going.

I steadied my pace into a jog going up hill, not wanting to tire myself out. I was beginning to sweat a little, but the cool air was helping to cool me off. There weren't as many trees up here as the rest of the orchard, so the view was fairly clear. Rows upon rows of trees spanned out in every direction. Off in the distance I could see a few of the town's buildings poking out from the tree tops. My gaze shifted to the left and saw nothing but trees; however, the trees further back didn't look anything like apple trees. A wave of relief washed over me at the sight of the tall, dark trees. I didn't think I would ever see the forest again.

There was a faint bark from the direction of the treehouse. The ponies must have escaped. I glanced down the mountain where I came from but didn't see anything. It didn't mean much, though; they were probably still on my trail, which meant I needed to get a move on.

I raced down the hillside toward the forest. There was a straight stretch through the trees roughly half of a mile, and a small white fence marked the end of the farm. I steadied myself at a quick jog, keeping my eyes trained on the fence. A countless number of trees passed by me, and I was already starting to pant about halfway through. By the time I reached the fence, I was fighting for my own breath, but knowing that escape was right at my fingertips pumped my system with more energy.

The fence was barely half my height, making hopping it a simple task. I stole one last glance behind me to check my pursuers' progress. They had already reached the base of the hill and were chasing me in a dead sprint. I crossed the small dirt path that separated the fence from the forest and gave them a cocky smile and wave before slipping through the bushes.

As I weaved through the trees and bushes I could barely contain my excitement. I did it. I actually did it! The food I had gathered would probably only last me a few of days depending on how I rationed it, but even that little fact didn't faze me. I felt invincible. I had to fight back the laughter that was threatening to escape from my wide grin, and even then a small burst of it managed to break free every now and then.

After a few minutes of wandering around, I finally stumbled upon a trail. It was narrower than the path I took to the town and didn't even seem remotely familiar, but I was sure that if I kept following it then something would click. I slowed my pace down to a casual walk, thinking that there was no way the ponies would be able to catch up to me now.

A fork eventually came up in the road, both paths leading in completely opposite directions. I stood in the middle of the intersection and looked down both ways. They both appeared to curve in the same general direction after a while, which didn't help my case in the slightest. I found a small, flat rock at my feet and covered one side with a thin layer of dirt.

"Heads I go left; tails I go right," I muttered to myself. I balanced the rock on my thumb, flicked it into the air, caught it, and slapped it on my wrist. I studied the face and shrugged. If chance said that I was to go left, who was I to argue with her?

The trail was no different from the one I had just traveled. I didn't know what I expected though, perhaps a large sign that would point me where I wanted to go. After a few minutes of traveling, the trail I was on showed no signs of merging with any larger paths, and I was beginning to question if I was going the right way. I was about to turn back around when a faint sound caught my attention. I froze in mid-step and waited until the noise came again.

There was a heavy rustling in the bushes up ahead. It sounded like something big was coming. I dashed behind the nearest tree and stared in shock as a lion emerged from the bushes. Or, so I assumed. As it took a large, deep yawn, two monstrous, leathery wings unfolded from its sides. It flexed it scorpion-like tail, and my eyes were glued to the large stinger at the end.

It froze in the middle of the path and sniffed at the air. A low growl escaped from its clenched teeth, causing a chill to course up my spine. I retreated further behind the tree as it swept its gaze in my direction, and I feared that my beating heart would give away my position. When I managed to work up the nerve to look around the tree again, however, I couldn't find it anywhere.

My mind was going into overdrive. That thing shouldn't exist. It shouldn't be possible for it to exist. Manticores belonged in stories of myth, not in reality. Then again, neither should unicorns or dragons or pegasi. I shook my head in disbelief. Regardless of the details, I couldn't stay here any longer; it wasn't safe. I still didn't know where it was, though.

A thought suddenly flashed through my head, taking most of my breath away with it.

I slowly bent down, stashing the bucket of food beneath the cover of a nearby shrub, and crawled back up to my feet. There was a soft crunch somewhere off to the side, just barely audible in the stillness of the trees. I could feel cold sweat racing down my back, sticking to my shirt. My grip tightened on my hatchet, which was already getting slippery from sweat. My eyes flickered up to the tree in front of me. The lowest branches weren't too high up. If I jumped they would be within arm's reach. I tensed my legs, crouching slightly, and in one fluid motion leaped for the nearest branch.

There was a loud crash behind me. A deafening roar resounded throughout the forest. The moment my fingers wrapped around the branch I used my momentum to carry me to the next. The tree shook beneath me as something struck where my foot had just been. I cried out in shock. By the time I had climbed the fourth branch I pressed my back against the tree and stared down.

The beast was staring at me with eyes filled with animal hunger. It stood on its hind legs, using its front to prop itself against the tree. A splintered stub jutted out of the tree where the lowest branch had once been. It let out another roar, and my hands suddenly clamped over my ears. I could feel something wet on my hands sticking them together.

The manticore slowly crawled back down on all fours. A small wave of relief washed over me, and I allowed myself to breathe a bit more normally. The relief suddenly morphed into dread though as the beast snapped out its two large wings.

"Ah, shoot!" I jumped to a nearby branch and used it to swing across to the other side of the tree. The branch I had previously occupied shattered as the hulking yellow mass of the manticore slammed against the tree. I scurried up to the higher branches, trying to put as much distance between myself and the chaos beneath me.

The tree shuddered with the weight it was never supposed to bear. When I looked down I saw the manticore thrashing against the branches. There wasn't enough room for its wings to work, but it was still determined to find a way up to me. It clawed at the tree for all it was worth, snapping branches in the process, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't find any purchase.

It scrambled back down to the forest floor, glaring at me with annoyed eyes. I was busy holding onto the branch next to me for dear life. I could still feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. The beast let out one last roar before it turned and walked away, its tail flicking in agitation.

I sat there for a while in shock as my senses slowly came back to me. The first to come was a dull pain in my hands. I glanced down to find them scratched up and covered in blood. I must have scraped them when I was swinging across the branches earlier. I was beginning to feel lightheaded, too; although I wasn't sure if that was from the recent attack or my height. I rested my head against the tree's trunk until my pulse calmed back down to a steady pace and took in a deep breath.

"Alright," I said to myself after a few minutes passed. "Let's not do that again."

As I rested on the branch I stared out through the leaves. I realized that I had made it nearly halfway up the tree in my flight. I could almost see over the tops of some of the others already. A sudden curiosity took me over, and I found myself climbing further up the tree with the hatchet clamped between my teeth. My hands screamed in pain as their raw skin had to grab onto the rough branches again, but I ignored them. This would be better for me in the long run.

I climbed as far as the branches would allow. The branch I stopped on was a bit too thin for my comfort, but it was holding my weight fairly well so far. I was high enough to see over most of the forest now, but I wasn't sure if that would be enough. A heavy breeze shook the tops of the trees, and I hung on to my tree for dear life.

"Come on," I muttered as I scanned the top of the forest. "Where are you?" They swayed again, and something grey poked out of the vast sea of green in the distance. It was only a little larger than a spec, but the longer I stared at it, the wider my smile became. "There you are," I smiled at the small tower.

My eyes lingered on it a little longer as I memorized its location. I climbed back down as carefully as I could. The manticore knocked many of the branches off during its frenzy, making footholds near the bottom of the tree hard to find. I hesitated when I hit the last branch and searched the area for any signs of the beast. It wasn't anywhere in sight, but that didn't help ease my mind. I counted five minutes in my head before I dropped down to the earth.

I went to the shrub where I stashed my food and let out a sigh of relief. It hadn't been touched during my absence. I pulled it free from the shrub and was about to leave until something moved in the corner of my eye. I whirled around on the spot to find Applejack galloping toward me. She came to a sliding halt a few meters away.

We stood in silence, sizing each other up. She stood alone with none of her companions in sight. She looked the same as the last time I saw her, the only difference being the lasso that was draped across her back. Her friend must have given it to her.

"Y'all got a lot of nerve stealin' from my barn," she accused, breaking the quiet.

"And you have a lot of nerve waking me up," I retorted. The trail we were on was thin, but there were numerous places to hide off to the sides. I shot a quick glance across the trail to see if there were anymore threats, but she was the only pony in sight. If it was just her, I could probably handle the situation. "So, where are your friends?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Don't matter," she spat. "Ah can handle a no-good, two-bit thief myself. Now, you're gonna return what you stole and come back with me to Ponyville. Am Ah clear?"

"You know, it's not exactly wise to hunt someone down on your own, especially when they're armed," I pointed out, twirling the hatchet between my fingers for emphasis. The mare didn't seem fazed, however. "But if you want the food so bad," I added, putting the bucket down behind me, "by all means, come and get it."

The birds above us continued to sing their songs, unaware of what was unfolding beneath them. Time seemed to slow as we stared at each other. She whipped her tail out, and the lasso, which appeared to be tied to the end of her tail, followed as if it was an extension of her body. I shrugged off the rope that was draped over my body, feeling liberated without its constant weight on my shoulder, and it fell to my feet with a soft thud.

She crouched down, and her tail began to rotate quickly in a tight circle, the lasso mimicking the motion until it was high in the air. I drummed my fingers on the handle of the hatchet in anticipation. The trail was too thin to maneuver around easily. It would be hard to dodge her lasso, but perhaps I didn't need to.

Applejack flicked her tail, and the lasso whipped forward at frightening speeds. I shot my left arm in the air and pulled it to my side the moment it fell over my arm. There was a slight jerk as the rope tightened around my left wrist. I flashed Applejack a toothy smile and lunged at her with my hatchet at the ready. She dodged to the right as my hatchet dug into the earth, and she raced past me. There was a sharp tug on my left hand, and before I knew it the world was sent spinning as my arm twisted me around to keep up with the rope. I stumbled forward to keep up with the momentum as Applejack came to a sliding halt. A knowing smile formed on her lips.

Our fight quickly became a game of tug-of-war. We stood as far apart as the rope would allow, each trying to find some sort of leverage to gain the upper hand. Applejack craned her neck back to grab the rope with her mouth and gave it a strong tug. The sudden force was too much for me, and I began tripping in her direction. She took advantage of my sudden lack of balance and went on the offensive.

In three bounds she quickly covered the distance between us. As her forelegs touched the ground, she spun a full one-hundred eighty degrees and compacted herself to unleash what was sure to be a powerful buck. There wasn't much time to dodge it, and I was falling straight into it, so I tried to angle myself to the side as I fell. One of her hind legs grazed the right side of my chest. A sharp pain flared at the contact, but it could have been much worse.

I scrambled up to my hands and knees and lunged at her as she tried to regain her balance from her attack. I managed to pin her down to the ground and struggled to keep her in place. She squirmed around beneath me, trying to kick at me with her legs. Every now and then one of her hooves would make contact, but she didn't have enough force behind them to do any damage. I flashed her a smirk, which she quickly matched with a scowl.

"Ah'll have to admit," Applejack said with a strained voice. "You're a lot tougher than you look."

"Right back at you," I returned, struggling to keep her in place. "Bet you're regretting coming here alone."

A faint howl filled the air, catching us both off guard. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember why. Applejack gave me a knowing smile. "Not just yet; it looks like the cavalry has arrived." She took in a deep breath and shouted with all she had, "We're over here!"

I quickly moved my hand to cover her mouth, but it was too late. Her echo carried off in the trees. A blanket of eerie silence fell upon the forest.

Another faint howl quickly sounded. Then another, and another. It wasn't long until the air was filled with a dozen different howls. A wave of realization struck me, filling my veins with ice. It had only been a couple of days since I'd heard those howls, but everything that had happened in between made me nearly forget.

It is time to leave, the voice said, cutting off my thoughts. Finish the pony and run.

I stared back down at Applejack, whose eyes were just as wide and frightful as mine. Before I had a chance to do anything, she grabbed onto the collar of my t-shirt with her free foreleg, and before I knew it our heads were on a collision course. Pain erupted from the front of my skull, and stars darted in what was left of my vision. I staggered up to my feet and back away from her, my hands were clasped around my pounding head. Something sparked in the back of my mind.

I was already back on top of her before I realized what I was doing. My hands snaked underneath her still-stunned body and hoisted her off the ground. I threw her back to the earth with a primal cry, and her green eyes widened in shock as her body struck the ground.

My vision quickly began to clear up as the headache subsided to a dull throb at the front. Applejack remained on the ground, her body splayed across the dirt and gasping for breath. I took advantage of her stunned state and rolled her over to her side. Her lasso was still tied to her tail, and I quickly began to wrap it around her. She didn't offer any resistance at first, but after a few seconds passed she seemed to realize what was happening and offered a weak resistance. It didn't matter at that point, though, as she was nearly fully restrained. I tied the final length of the rope around her back and dragged her to the base of the tree.

"You ain't gonna get away with this," Applejack spat out as she struggled.

"I'm pretty sure I just did," I dully pointed out. I stood back up to my full height and walked back to the bucket of food a few yards away.

"Big Macintosh'll find you!" she called out. "And when he does —"

"I think he'll be more concerned about saving his friend," I cut her off. I examined the contents of the bucket carefully, making sure everything was still as I left it. "Speaking of which, just where is he and your mutt?"

"Don't matter," she retorted.

I quickly covered the distance between us and bent down to meet her. My hand grabbed her by the jaw and forced her eyes to meet mine. "Actually, it does matter," I snapped. "Because as much as I would love to save my own hide, I want to make sure yours doesn't become dog chow first. Am I clear?"

Applejack stopped struggling for a moment and studied my eyes. Her body relaxed, but the steely look in her eyes stayed constant. "We got separated a while back," she finally admitted. "We heard the manticore before we saw it, but it didn't help us prepare. It scared Winona off as Big Macintosh and Ah were wranglin' it. Ah told him to go get her while Ah kept searchin', and it wasn't too long until you climbed outta that there tree. He should be back any minute."

"See? That wasn't too hard, was it?" I asked. Appljack let out a grunt and began struggling again. I reached for the bucket and pulled out a bright red apple. "Now, don't take any of this personally," I started. "But I can't have you telling your friends where I'm going."

I pried open her jaw and shoved the apple inside. A surprised squeal escaped from her mouth, but the apple was lodged in before she could make too much commotion. I dragged her squirming form out of the trail and rolled her onto her stomach. "If I were you," I whispered as I leaned close to her ear, "I would be very selective about how much sound I want to make. There's no telling how close those wolves are, and I'd rather not come back and find that you had become worm food."

She stopped struggling but whipped her head back to give me one last glare. I hid her behind a tree, making sure her body was as concealed as possible. Once I was satisfied with my handiwork, I made a beeline for the castle. A small pit of guilt formed in my chest for leaving her tied up like that, especially after hearing those bone-chilling howls, but it had to be done. Hearing the timberwolves' howl had set me on edge, and the sooner I got back to the castle, the better. Besides, I was sure she would be alright. After all, she said her friends weren't too far behind. Perhaps they would stumble upon her first.

I pushed my way through the dense foliage of the forest, hugging the bucket close to my chest. I kept my ears perked to catch any more odd sounds, but the cacophony of leaves slapping against me and soil crunching beneath my feet drowned out any other noise.

I stumbled upon another trail and allowed myself to catch my breath. Overexerting myself wouldn't be in my best interest, especially now. I tried to visualize a map in my head. If I were to pace myself, I should be able to get to the river at least in about fifteen minutes. A small sigh escaped my system. I needed to get moving; I was ready to get some rest.

The sound of a growl behind me dashed all hopes of rest, though.

My blood froze in my veins, and my body became rigid. A faint rustling sounded behind me. It was close. I turned around in time to see a brown form erupt from the bushes, and before I even had time to register it, my body was already on the run.

A loud, familiar yapping echoed through the woods as the creature chased me. I was struggling to keep up with my feet as I ran. The bucket of food was weighing me down, but I was too terrified to think about dropping it. I felt something snap at my leg, and before I knew it, the earth was rushing up to meet my face.

Something clamped onto my foot, and a surprised yelp escaped me. I could feel the sharp teeth trying to dig into my skin, but my shoe took the brunt of the damage. I twisted my body around, expecting to find a living mass of vines and wood at my feet, but what I found was no timberwolf. It was canine though.

"What?" I asked in disbelief, anger festering up inside of me. Winona didn't seem to notice, though, and continued to chew away at my shoe. "You scared the heck out of me!" I shouted. I wrenched my foot out of its mouth and gave it a good kick to push it away. It stumbled backward in shock and started barking through a feral snarl. I wasn't paying it much mind, however, and I turned my back to it to think.

So, that's two of my chasers found, I thought to myself.

Where's the third? the voice finished.

There was a faint rumble in the forest, like heavy feet trampling the ground. I didn't notice it until it was too late. By the time I turned around, I barely had enough time to see the red pony before he plowed into me.

The world became a flurry of motion as I spiraled across the trail, only coming to a halt when my body connected with something hard. I felt as if I had been hit by a car. My body was sore from where it hit the tree. It took me a moment to realize I was sprawled across the forest floor on my back. When I tried to roll over, though, something pushed me back down on my back and pinned me to the ground. A red stallion's face loomed over me with a disgruntled frown, and a pressure began to build on my ribs.

"Big Macintosh, I presume?" I wheezed under the weight of the red stallion's hoof. I locked my hands around it and attempted to lift it off my chest, but it wouldn't budge. "Something tells me there's no second guessing as to how you got your name," I added with a smile. The pressure on my chest increased, and I winced in pain. "Not in the mood for jokes today?"

Macintosh shot me a look, and that was all the answer I needed. I released my grip on his hoof and held my hands up in surrender. Without taking his eyes off of me, he addressed the dog.

"Winona, go find Applejack and bring her back," he ordered. "He ain't gonna run off this time." The dog let out a small whine but obeyed nonetheless and jumped into the bushes. I tried to squirm my way out from under Macintosh's hoof again, but it was pointless. I needed a different strategy.

"You know, if you really want Applejack here, you might want to send more than that mutt of yours," I pointed out. "Last I saw her, she kinda had her hands tied." I coughed as Macintosh put more of his weight on me. If I didn't have his attention before, I definitely had it now.

"What did you do to my sister?" he growled.

"Sister?" I asked. I supposed I should have guessed. It made sense, after all, but that didn't stop the stakes from rising any higher. I felt a crack somewhere in my ribs, and my vision blurred with pain. "I didn't do anything to her. We had a little fight in the woods. At most I only left a few bruises on — Ack!" I was starting to see stars where his head should have been. I could hear a few more pops in my chest. "Okay, okay! Poor choice of words!" I cried out. "I left her tied up by a tree to buy myself some time!"

"Time for what?" Macintosh pressed.

"To escape!" I spat. "You must've heard the howls, too. I know they're coming, and I don't want to be anywhere near those wolves when they get here."

I could see the cogs turning around inside his head as he thought. Fighting to escape from under his weight was pointless, and now I was battling to suck in a breath. This couldn't keep going on for long.

"You're coming with me," he finally said, lifting his hoof off of my chest. It didn't do anything to help my breathing, though. It felt as if something was pressing against my lungs. I wasn't even sure if I could stand up. "Tie yourself up, too," he ordered, waving his hoof at the rope that was still slung across my torso.

"Are you kidding?" I asked with a faint laugh. A small flare of pain erupted from my chest. "I'm not going back there. I'd rather die by you crushing me than become dog chow."

The earth seemed to shake beneath me as Macintosh stomped back up to me, and for a moment I feared that that was exactly how it would end then and there. He put a hoof on my shoulder, pressed down, and leaned his head in close. "Either you're coming voluntarily, or I'm gonna make you," he said.

I was about to make another retort until I saw the fire burning in his eyes. It wasn't filled with the rage I expected, though, but with fear, the fear of losing his sister.

"Look," I sighed. "I'm not coming with you, no matter what you say. And you know I'll only slow you down if you make me." I lifted a hand and pointed into the trees. "She's in that direction. You better hurry, though. Her clock is ticking."

He didn't respond at first but instead searched my eyes for any sign that I was lying. There wasn't any, though, and when he realized that, he lifted his hoof off of my shoulder. "So help me," he warned. "If I get there and she isn't where you said..."

"Then you're free to do whatever you want next time you catch me," I cut him off. He hesitated one last time and drove his hoof into my shoulder. I swore loudly as white hot pain erupted from my shoulder. My hand shot up to grab it as if squeezing it would somehow numb the pain. In the background, I could hear Big Macintosh thundering in the direction I had pointed. I was alone again.

I slowly crawled back up to my feet, careful not to agitate any of my new wounds, and retrieved my hatchet and bucket from where I dropped them. My breathing was shallow. Every time I tried to take in a deeper breath, I felt a pain in my chest. I had to reach the castle now if I wanted any chance of healing.

Why did you help him? the voice rang in my head as I trudged through the trees.

"What?" I asked. The sudden question caught me off guard. I shook my head, trying to remember it. "He was scared of losing his sister. I didn't want him to go through that."

Why? it persisted.

"Because I might not know what it feels like to lose someone in my family, but I know some people who might," I answered. My thoughts drifted to my family, wondering how they must be dealing with my sudden disappearance. "I don't care who they are," I added. "I don't want to put them through whatever my family is going through."

The voice didn't seem to have anything to add, and I carried on the rest of my trek in silence.

The gentle sound of flowing water soon filled the air, and it wasn't much later that I broke through the trees to find the river. A wave of relief washed over me, and I dropped to my knees before the peaceful river, dipping my hands into the water to wash the grime off. A sharp pain shot up my arms as the torn skin of my hands rubbed against each other, but the coolness of the water seemed to numb the rest of my hands. A dull ache pulsed through the rest of my body, begging to be soothed as well. I felt as if I could just lay down and float wherever the current took me.

The small moment of peace had to end, though. I still wasn't safe on this side of the water. With much reluctance, I gathered my supplies and crossed the river. It was difficult keeping the food above the water level, but I managed to reach the end without dropping anything in the river. I made a mental note to find some way across the river without having to swim. Getting soaked every time I wanted to go somewhere probably wasn't good for my health.

Like last time, it didn't take long to find the castle. A small smile crept up on my lips at the sight of it, and it only grew the closer I got. I pulled open the large wooden doors and made my way to the tower as if I had walked through the halls a thousand times. I raced up the steps, stopping only when I reached the door to the throne room at the top and breathed in the autumn air.

This was it; this was my new life. A life of sneaking off in the middle of the night and stealing food whenever needed. I opened the doors and crossed the room to meet the ruined throne. A life of survival. A life where all odds were stacked against me. I turned around and surveyed the throne room. A life of solitude.

I sat down on the throne, my smile a fraction smaller than before. I never really was the sociable one in my group of friends, and they used to joke about it. Of course, I always knew they were joking and laughed with them, but I really did enjoy their company. And now I was all by myself in a large ruined castle with no one to talk to.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. Now wasn't the time to start thinking like that. I was still going to search for a way back home; there was no telling what was going on with my friends thanks to my sudden disappearance, or my family for that matter. I had to find a way back, not just for their sake, but for mine as well. But now wasn't the time for that. Now was the time to celebrate.

I grabbed the vial of potion Zecora had given me from the base of the throne and lifted it up in the air as to make a toast.

"Cheers. To my new life," I announced to the empty room. "A life of stealing under the cover of night and searching for a way home during daylight." I took a large swig of the potion, shuddering as the sour liquid sloshed down my throat and worked its magic.

To our new life, the voice chimed in. I eyed the bucket thoughtfully and withdrew an apple.

"And to the strange voice in my head!" I added with a smile. "Who knows where I would be without you?"

A chuckle rang throughout my head. A good question, indeed.

"I'm sure this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship," I said as I took a bite out of the apple. The rest of the day was spent rationing my harvest. Every now and then I would pull out a random vegetable from the pile and nibble away at it. I eventually struck up a conversation with the voice in my head. I no longer cared if I was going insane; I had someone to talk to now.

A new life... One filled with insanity and misadventures. I had a plan. Now all I had to do was survive.

Act I: The Beast of the Everfree

This idea is stupid. Why are you even doing this?

I readjusted myself in the tree to get more comfortable on the branch. Through some of the leaves, I could see the sun rising over the forest canopy. "Well, it's always a good idea to learn as much as you can about your enemy," I reasoned. "So, I figured this would be the perfect time to learn what I could about the ponies."

True, but did you have to pick a tree so close to the village? the voice persisted.

"'So close to the village? If I was any further from it, I'd practically still be in the forest," I pointed out. In all honesty, we were both being a little overboard with our judge of distance. I was camped out in one of the biggest trees I could find, which happened to be near the middle of a park. I sneaked in during the middle of the night while there were few to no ponies around and camped on of the tree's higher branches up to this point. It took a while to get comfortable, but I eventually managed to turn the hood of my jacket into a semi-soft pillow against the harsh bark.

It had been a little over a couple of weeks since my first raid on the "Apple family" barn, and on more than one occasion I returned to harvest more food. The raids were becoming progressively easier. I eventually memorized the path that connected the forest to the orchard. Even as the Apple family caught on to my little act, it was still four ponies and a dog covering a large plot of land, and one of them was too old to stay up into the night. Sneaking past them was becoming as simple as studying their guarding habits.

A nasty cough wrecked my train of thought, rattling my whole system in the process.

You aren't even in your best health, the voice accused. If you get caught—

"I'm not going to get caught," I interjected through a hoarse voice. The coughing had just started yesterday. At first I thought it was nothing, but as the day drew on and the coughing became more severe, I began to worry for my health. With no human doctors around, there was no chance of any cure to whatever I caught. I gave another cough to clear up my throat. "And besides, you know what my plans are if worse comes to worst."

Yes, and it was full of holes, it commented dryly. I rolled my eyes. The voice must have realized that the conversation was over and begrudgingly receded into the back of my head. It never was too keen on the idea of me spying on the ponies when it first popped into my head a couple days ago, and ever since then it seemed to only become much less fond of the thought. No matter how many times we argued about it though, I was still adamant in learning as much as I could about my new neighbors, and it must have understood that it had no power to change my mind.

A faint murmur filled the air as a few ponies began entering the park. The ponies are coming, the voice pointed out. Stay silent.

"I know the drill," I said annoyed. I let out one last cough to clear my throat and sniffed back the mucus running down my nose.

Truth be told, I didn't know what I was looking for, whether it was some sort of weakness or simply to understand them. I supposed I was really there for the benefit of my curiosity. From my perch, I could see ponies leisurely walking through the park, some alone and some in groups, completely oblivious of my presence. I could hear some ponies laughing next to my tree as one of them told a joke. In the distance, some of the small ponies, foals, as I've come to know them, played games that varied from catch, tag, kite flying, and hide and seek. It was surprising, almost unsettling, how closely they acted to humans.

As the sun reached its peak in the sky, the number of villagers began to dwindle. I guessed even ponies had to eat lunch. I took the moment as my cue to start eating and pulled an apple and a few poorly cut carrots out of my jacket pocket. Truth be told, I was starting to get sick of apples, but I had little say in the matter. So far they were the only thing I could prepare well, and even that was a stretch considering the only thing I had to wash them with was river water. Come to think of it, poorly washed food might have actually been part of the cause of my sickness. I stared at the carrots in my lap and the half-eaten apple in my hand. They were all probably infecting me with who knows how many diseases, but my stomach kept arguing it was better to eat what I had than to starve. I was going to have to pick my poison, and with a sigh I took another bite.

My whole body was tense and sore. I had been sitting still for hours now, save for the occasional shifting. It would have been a considerable feat before I came here. By now, I normally would have fallen asleep, but the fear that I might be spotted at any second kept me on edge.

I started hacking again. My dry throat was killing me, and this runny nose was clogging my airflow.

Still think this was a good idea?

I cleared my throat one last time. "Of course..." This time I sneezed; much louder than I would have liked, too. "Maybe..." A soon as I was sure that none of the ponies were looking, I chucked a useless apple core as far away as I could.

Using my hood as a sort of pillow, I rested my head against the rough bark of the tree. I realized then how poorly camouflaged I was. My dark blue jacket contrasted the orange and red leaves that were sprouting off of the branches. I guessed that I was lucky that most ponies didn't look up.

I took in a deep breath. The air was slowly starting to warm up again. My plan was running as smoothly as I had hoped. Everything was perfect.

"Rainbow Dash!" a loud voice shouted.

Was perfect, at least. I shifted around on my branch in an attempt to find the source of the disturbance only to find Applejack staring rather angrily at the sky. "Rainbow Dash, I know you're up there!"

A guilty looking blue pegasus stuck her head out of a low cloud. "Oh, hey, Applejack," Rainbow chuckled nervously. "Uh, what brings you here?"

"You know darn well what brings me here! You were supposed to help me guard the farm last night from that no good, thievin' monster!"

"Oh," Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head and gave an apologetic smile. "Was that yesterday night?"

"Yes, it was yesterday night. And you never showed," Applejack growled. "Now, because of your laziness, that thing made off with more of my family's food!" I tuned out the rest of their heated argument.

"Oh, yeah..." I reminisced. "Last night was crazy."

You almost got caught, the voice commented.

"Almost, but didn't," I pointed out.

That is beside the point, it ranted. You're becoming too cocky and letting your guard down. If it wasn't for us, you would have been captured a long time ago!

"Exactly!" I winced, realizing how loud I had gotten. "You're like my sixth sense, my own little 'early warning system'. You always seem to know how to get out of whatever situation I get myself stuck in. I have nothing to worry about with you in my head."

That is not part of the plan! the voice shouted. It fell silent. I could feel it buzzing in the back of my head, like it was in disarray. I didn't speak a word, fearing that doing so would make the voice retreat again. The minutes slowly ticked by. I was beginning to think it had left me, until it added one last comment. You're becoming too reckless, Hunter, and we cannot guarantee your survival if you keep throwing yourself into these situations.

I laid back in the tree, scatterbrained with too many thoughts. The next few hours seemed to drag on. The ponies weren't doing anything interesting to grab my attention. I had nearly forgotten what I was doing here to begin with.

It was deep into the afternoon when the smaller ponies started appearing across the park. It struck me that I hadn’t seen very many of them until now. I couldn’t imagine why there was a sudden influx of foals. Some of them had saddlebags over their backs, and a couple even pulled books out of theirs and began reading. I started to wonder if these ponies had a school system.

"Can you believe Miss Cherilee is still going to do that field trip through the Everfree forest?" a young voice spoke underneath me. I jumped at the sudden noise and looked down to find three fillies sitting under my tree; the same three fillies I had followed to the farm.

"I know, it's crazy," the orange one, Scootaloo, said while chewing on a sandwich. "With that monster still running around, we're going to have to be extra careful." She gave her two friends a sinister smile. "In fact," she added with a spooky voice, "we might just get eaten!"

"That's just crazy talk, Scootaloo," Applebloom bluntly said, unamused at the attempted scare. "Miss Cherilee wouldn't take us through the Everfree unless she knew it was safe. Besides, Zecora's comin' with us, and she knows that forest better than anypony."

"But what if the monster does show up?", Sweetie Belle asked nervously.

"Then Zecora'll do some of her fancy-shmancy potion stuff like she always does," Applebloom replied, waving a hoof dismissively.

Scootaloo let out a small snicker. "Yeah, and maybe we can get Big Macintosh to help, too."

Applebloom stomped her forelegs to the ground and and glared at the pegasus. "Are we gonna have to start this again?"

Sweetie Belle let out an annoyed groan, as if this happened on a regular basis. "Please don't," she begged. Her friends seemed too caught up in their own sprouting argument to hear her, though.

"I still can't believe that thing outran Big Macintosh," Scootaloo smirked. She must've been referring to last night.

"It did not outrun him!" Applebloom exclaimed defensively. "The monster just got a head start on him, and it was dark out."

"Oh, just admit it, Applebloom," Scootaloo lightheartedly teased. "We all saw it. That that thing totally creamed your brother in a race!"

Applebloom stood up on all fours, ready to defend her family's reputation. However, before any conflict could erupt between the two, Rainbow Dash flew overhead. She called out in a loud voice, "Attention, everypony! Attention, everypony! Twilight and the Mayor are holding an important meeting at Ponyville town hall!"

The ponies scattered around the park looked around in confusion and began shuffling back towards the town. Sweetie Belle appeared more than eager to use the interruption to her advantage. "Hey, girls, how's about we go to that meeting?"

Her friends looked at her as if she had sprouted a fifth limb. "Ugh, a meeting?" Scootaloo asked. "Why do you want to go to that?"

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to agree with Scoots on this one, Sweetie," Applebloom chimed. “That sounds more boring than Miss Cheerilee's history lesson this morning.”

"Come on, you heard Rainbow Dash," Sweetie urged. "It's really important. It could even be about the monster!" Appleboom and Scootaloo seemed uncertain at first, but with a quick glance at each other and a shrug, they eventually agreed. The three fillies packed their things and took off into town. The few ponies still in the park began heading that way as well. It seemed everybody in Ponyville was going to that meeting; a meeting about me...

Don't even think about it.

"Too late." I hopped off of my perch to the branches below. I kept low as I hit the ground, searching for any stragglers.

This is exactly what we warned you about. You are being reckless.

"No, this is exactly what I came here for," I pointed out. After I was sure the coast was clear, I jogged to the town. "Look, odds are this meeting is about me. For all we know, they could have found a way to track me, or maybe they have some fancy new plan to catch me or lay a trap. I might not have another chance like this."

To get yourself caught? the voice asked cynically.

I reached the first building and pressed myself against it. "To get another step ahead of the ponies," I corrected. I stole a quick glance around the corner. The street was empty as far as I could see. "Whether they're talking about beefing up security or discussing what they know about me, I can use it to my advantage, change my tactics, or even figure out what to look out for in the future." I waited for the voice to pitch in it's own two cents. It seemed hesitant for a moment, but it reluctantly agreed.

Perhaps you have a point. In and out, though. The moment we have what we need, we leave.

A sly smile spread across my face. "Not a problem." I left my cover and made my way into the town. I stayed close to the buildings, careful to stay out of sight. It wasn't too hard to accomplish. The town appeared devoid of any ponies, just like when I first arrived. It didn't bring back many fond memories, either. The air was eventually filled with the dull murmur of a large crowd. I followed the noise until a mass of multicolored ponies appeared around the corner of a building.

I quickly retreated back behind the building, heart racing. There were more ponies in this town than I expected. None of them were screaming or wreaking havoc across the streets, so I guessed that I hadn’t been spotted yet. I took my chances and darted across the street and into a shadowed alley. Still, the ponies didn't react. My heart calmed down slightly, and I allowed myself a chance to relax. I found a small gap between two buildings with a perfect view of the stage before the crowd. The only thing left to do now was wait.

After a few minutes, a tan pony with a silver mane and half-moon spectacles appeared onstage and stood behind a wooden podium in the middle. She cleared her throat and started to speak.

"Citizens of Ponyville, I am sure you are all wondering why I called for this emergency town meeting. We are here to discuss an issue that has been brought to my attention by our local librarian, Miss Twilight Sparkle. We are here to discuss the matter of the monster that appeared a few weeks ago." There was a small moment of unrest in the crowd as the pony mentioned me, and a tension began to fill the air. I shifted uncomfortably in the shadows. "Miss Sparkle and I have had an interesting discussion on the topic and believe that now is the time for action. And now, without further ado, here is Miss Twilight Sparkle." At the end of her speech, the tan pony stepped off of the stage, allowing a nearby Twilight to take the spotlight.

"Thank you, Mayor," she nodded and turned her attention to the eager crowd before her. A stack of papers floated next to her surrounded by a purple aura. "As the Mayor said, we need to talk about the strange new creature that came to Ponyville over two weeks ago. Over the past seven days, this creature has raided Sweet Apple Acres multiple times. Each time it steals more and more and becomes better at doing it. It has even shown to be growing bolder in its raids. Just yesterday, it attacked Sweet Apple Acres before the sun fully set, something it has never dared before. Who is to say that the creature will not eventually become brave enough to venture into the town again? What will we do then, when it is right at our doorstep?" Twilight looked expectantly at the crowd. There was a slight murmur in the sea of ponies, but no one dared to speak up.

Twilight continued, "Nopony knows this creature's full potential. Who knows how dangerous it can get if we give it too much time. However, we were able to drive it off on its first appearance. If we all work together, maybe we can catch it before it get’s to that point.”

The crowd lightened up at the idea. The sound of the whole town against one monster seemed to go well with them. I, on the other hand, was beginning to feel a sense of unease form in the pit of my stomach. Twilight smiled in delight. “I know it might seem scary, but I know we can do this if we stand together. I propose that we go into the Everfree and —”

An uproar from the crowd cut her off before she could finish.

“Go into the Everfree? Are you crazy?”

“Why should we go to such an unnatural place?”

“The monster will get us for sure if we go in there!”

"Everypony, calm down," Twilight tried. The crowd was still in a frenzy. She tried to calm them again, but they only got louder and more rowdy. "Quiet!" The crowd suddenly became dead silent. "Now, let's get one thing straight," she cautiously started. "I am not forcing anypony to go into the Everfree Forest. I would never want to put any ponies in harm’s way. However, I still need volunteers. My friends and I can’t do this by ourselves. We won’t stand a chance at catching this beast without your help. And if we don't stop this problem soon, it could get out of hoof very fast."

The crowd was silent as Twilight watched them. A lone hoof shot out of the crowd. “I volunteer!”

Another rose from the far side. “Me, too!”

Twilight gleamed as the number of volunteers grew exponentially. It seemed like nearly all of Ponyville was willing and rallying to hunt me down.

“This is perfect!" Twilight exclaimed. "With this many volunteers, we should have the monster captured within a week!" Cheers erupted throughout the crowd. Twilight barked out orders as the crowd became a chaotic blur of swirling colors. "I need everypony to get into one of three groups. We need as many pegasi as we can to take to the skies and look out for any signs of this monster. If any pegasus sees anything suspicious, report to Rainbow Dash. Applejack, Big Mac, and Pinkie Pie, try and gather some ponies to defend the town while we're gone."

“Y’all can count on us Twilight!” Applejack yelled over the commotion. The scene was growing more chaotic by the second as pegasi began launching into the air.

“Right,” Twilight nodded. She turned her attention to the rest of the crowd. “Everypony else, we're going to the Everfree! Use the buddy system. Don't go anywhere by yourself. Are we ready to catch ourselves a monster?"

The crowd erupted with a resounding “Yeah!”

I shrank deeper into the alleys. “Oh, this isn’t good,” I muttered to myself.

What? Are you not going to go out there and fight them? the voice asked sarcastically.

“I can go without the snarky attitude,” I hissed back.

Then we suggest you start running.

“Yeah, that sounds —” A loud crash echoed through the alley as I backed into a metal trash can. I was frozen in place, fearing that moving anymore would attract any more attention to my hiding spot. The town as disturbingly quiet. A part of me wanted to believe that the ponies had already left.

My eyes were glued on the small gap between the two buildings. A shadow of pony cautiously emerged. My brain screamed at my legs to move, but they were being uncooperative. The pony stuck its head across the corner, and the moment we made eye contact it let out a scream.

“It’s the beast of the Everfree!”

I darted out of the alley and sprinted through the town. Thundering hooves and flapping wings filled the air as the ponies gave chase. I glanced behind me to see my odds, and didn't like what I saw. Nearly all of the ponies from the rally were on my tail. I could have sworn I saw pitchforks gleaming in the sunlight. Several pegasi were flying above the bulk of the ponies. I attempted to shake them off by taking every turn imaginable, but they were too stubborn for a few turns to throw them off.

I exited the town and entered the park. My pursuers were catching up to me. Now that we were out in the open, I couldn't take any sharp turns without being easily cut off. My only hope was to make a beeline to the forest and pray that I could outrun the ponies for just a little bit longer.

The trees were so close. I was only a few yards away when one of the pegasi dive-bombed me. I was given a mouthful of soil as Rainbow Dash pushed me to the ground. My hatchet fell out of my hands as I fell. There was a loud thunder as the rest of the ponies caught up. I felt Rainbow Dash's weight leap of me and let out a low groan. I lifted my head, and through my dazed vision I could barely make out my hatchet lying between me and a forest of multi-colored legs. My hand shakily reached for it, but someone in the crowd shouted something, and before I could make sense of it a pony sprinted to my hatchet, picked it up with its teeth and retreated into the crowd.

I pushed myself up to my knees and scanned my audience. I was completely surrounded. The ponies had made a thick ring around me, and they all seemed pretty ticked off that I paid them a surprise visit.

Still think it was a good idea to spy on the ponies?

"Can it," I snarled. I rose from my kneeling position, and the crowd gasped when I reached my full height. There were no visible holes or weak links in the thick ring of ponies around me. They all seemed evenly distributed. I took a step forward, just to test how they would react. Many ponies backed up in fright, and regained their composition shortly after. They were scared of me. To them, I was a strange creature not to be trifled with.

Before I could use their fear against them, though, a lasso attached itself to one of my wrists. The owner of the rope, Applejack, gave it a sharp tug, causing me to stumble in her direction. Another rope swiftly latched itself onto my other wrist. I glared at the other end of the rope at Big Macintosh, who glared right back. The two ponies pulled in opposite directions, immobilizing me and dealing a serious amount of pain to my arms. I struggled to free myself, but the ropes dug into my skin every time I tried to move. The sudden realization of my situation filled my heart with dread. I was caught.

"Well, that didn't take as long as I thought at all." A section of the ring parted enough to allow a very smug looking Twilight through. "Truthfully, I expected a bit more resistance."

"Sorry to disappoint," I spat. "I'll be sure to try harder next time."

"Oh, no," Twilight scoffed. "You're not getting away this time. We're taking you back to Ponyville, and we're finally going to find out just what you are." She walked around me a few times, as if by observing she would unlock my secrets. I could feel the tension in the air. The crowd seemed ready to run away or lunge at me with all they had at a moment's notice. A few foals stuck their heads out to get a better look at "the monster", but their parents quickly shooed them away.

This is degrading! the voice shouted in my head. They stare at you as if you were a toy on display! An animal in a zoo! Fight back at least! Remind them why they fear you!

I struggled against my bindings. My sudden movement caught Applejack and Big Macintosh off guard, but they quickly came to their senses and pulled tighter on the ropes.

“You know, now that you’re out in the sunlight, you don’t actually look all that intimidating,” Twilight said bluntly. Out of all the ponies in the crowd, she seemed to be the only one that was calm. “No matter, though. You have committed crimes against the town of Ponyville, and it is time you paid the price. With a quick teleportation spell, you'll be sent to the local prison where a cell will be waiting for you until we find out what to do with you."

Her horn started glowing, and a warm sensation spread throughout my chest. It quickly became hotter; so hot, in fact, that it felt as if a fire was raging inside of my body. I dropped to my knees in pain and started coughing. My heart had become a living, beating furnace, spreading the flames wherever my arteries traveled. I desperately tried to grab at my chest as if it would quell the pain, but the ropes still had my arms outstretched. It was unbearable. I screamed until my lungs were too empty to vent my agony.

A brilliant white light erupted around me. My trip through that strange tunnel weeks ago felt like a walk through a freezer compared to this. Then, it suddenly vanished. I collapsed onto the cold earth. My body was smoking. The fire had disappeared, but the pain still lingered in my chest.

"Well," I heard Twilight say in a surprised voice, "that wasn't supposed to happen..."

Do it, the voice cooed. We know you want to.

I slowly stood back up. The ropes that were once tied to my wrists now lay on the ground, ends smoldering as if they were burned by a fire. My eyes locked onto the purple unicorn in front me. The ring of ponies was completely silent. The only noise that could be heard was the rustling leaves and my heavy breathing.

Twilight gave a nervous laugh. "Let's try that again, shall we?"

You know you want to, the voice persisted.

Her horn began to glow again. Fueled by rage and fear, I brought up a foot and kicked Twilight square in the face with all that I had. An audible gasp erupted from the crowd. The vast majority of them took several steps back while others stood frozen in shock. All eyes were on me.

"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash and Applejack broke from the crowd and rushed to their friend's aid. Twilight was in a daze, but managed to slowly get back up.

"I'm fine, really," she coughed. I could see a trickle of blood coming out of her nose though

I turned to face the ponies standing between me and the forest. They stared at me in horror and retreated a few steps further. My eyes locked with the mare that had my hatchet in her mouth and charged towards her. Her eyes shrank to pinpoints as I rapidly approached, and she quickly dropped the hatchet from her mouth and sprinted out of the crowd, making a small commotion as she ran. The rest of the ponies in front of me quickly scattered out of the way, giving me ample room to retreat, scooping up my hatchet along the way.

Over the panic I left behind me, I heard Rainbow Dash yell, “Don’t let it get away!”

Thankfully, the ponies were slow to react. I had a few seconds of a head start before the ponies finally gave chase. Cries of outrage sounded through the forest as I sprinted through the trees. There was one thing these ponies didn’t seem to understand, though; they were on my turf now.

After a while of running, I diverged from the path and into the dense foliage, hoping it would provide me with cover from the ponies. I stayed low to the earth, allowing the bushes and wild grass to hide me as the sound of my pursuers slowly dwindled.

I counted the minutes as they ticked by. After a long silence passed throughout the trees, I carefully emerged from my hiding place, my grip tight on my hatchet. The game had changed. Nearly an entire town of ponies was between me and my castle. This would definitely complicate things.

My heart was pounding in my chest so loudly that I feared it would give away my position. I was starting to feel antsy, the slightest noise causing me to jump. I had to find some way to sneak past the ponies and get back to the castle. Once I got there, I could start working on building up my defenses.

As I progressed deeper into the forest, I slowly let my guard down and started using the trail. I would cast a few glances behind me to see if I was being followed, but each glance proved my paranoia wrong. It appeared as if I had dodged the bulk of the ponies. I easily recognized this trail as the one I used during my raids on the Apple family farm. I knew practically every inch of this small path from the many times I had taken it. So it was only natural for me to be confused when a rather large obstacle came into view.

"This can't be right," I muttered to myself as I walked up to the gaping hole in the earth. It took up most of the trails width and ran a length of roughly ten feet. I crouched down to get a better look at it. It looked deep enough to fit two of me, one on top of the other. What really struck me as odd was the texture of the walls. The dirt was smooth to the touch as if it was cut.

A sense of unease came over me as a thought came to my mind. If somebody dug this hole, then they probably had a purpose for it. Given its dimensions, I had a sickening feeling what it was.

I shot a glance behind me, my paranoia rising when I thought I heard a noise. It proved to be nothing, but I didn't want to stay here any longer than I had to. This path was the most direct route to the castle, though, and the hole was still blocking the majority of it. I cautiously skirted around it, giving wary stares behind me. Halfway across the pit, some of the bushes next to me began rustling.

"Gotcha!" A mint green blur erupted from the bushes and latched onto me. I backpedaled away from it, and before I knew it the world began spinning as I tumbled into the pit.

Act I: Pick my Poison

I let out a surprised yelp as the projectile and I fell into the pit. It was definitely a pony, a unicorn to be exact. Its face seemed to be frozen in delight. The bottom was coming up fast, and I had no time to maneuver myself. I braced myself as best as I could, screwing my eyes shut.

My back took the brunt of the impact. It wouldn't have been nearly as bad if it wasn't for the added weight of the unicorn. The sudden stop caused our heads to collide, sending me into a daze. The wind was knocked out of me, and I found myself forcedly trying to breathe in air.

I cracked my eye open. A white and teal canvas covered my blurred vision. The unicorn lifted her head up and looked at me with unfocused, golden eyes. She had a mint green coat, and her mane was mostly a bright teal color, save for a streak of white running across the side of it. After staring at me for a few seconds, she shrieked and scurried off of me, pummeling my torso with her hooves in the process. I propped myself to a sitting position and watched as she tried desperately to scramble up the walls and cried out for help.

"Did y'all hear that?" a young voice asked from above.

"It sounds like it came from our trap!" an excited voice replied.

The unicorn's ears perked up. "Help!" she cried out. "Down here! Please, help me!"

Three fillies poked their heads over the edge of the pit. "I don't believe it. Our trap worked!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"Ah, does this mean we gathered all those leaves for nothing?" a disappointed Scootaloo asked.

Applebloom's eyes lit up with excitement. "Do ya reckon this means we got our cutie marks?" The fillies' heads disappeared for a moment, and an audible groan was made. The trio returned over the edge, looking a little let down.

"Hey! Are you going to help me or what?" the unicorn demanded.

"Lyra? What’re you doing down there?" Applebloom asked. "This trap was made for the monster."

"I don't care!" the unicorn exclaimed, nervously trotting in place. "Just get me out of here!"

Sweetie Belle let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, funny thing about that. You see, we didn't really think we were going to catch a pony, so we sorta kinda didn't really make a way out." Lyra's jaw nearly hit the ground.

"But don't you worry. We're gonna get some help," Applebloom smiled nervously.

Scootaloo piped up. "Yeah, in the meantime, you can, uh —" She disappeared for a second. I heard some wood snap somewhere, and Scootaloo returned with a branch in her mouth. “Yoosh thish,” she said, muffled by the branch. She tossed it into the pit between us.

Lyra looked dumbfounded at the limb. “A stick? You expect me to protect myself from a monster with a stick?!”

“Don’t you worry” Applebloom quickly said. “We’re gonna find somepony to help. Come on, girls.” The three fillies scampered off to who-knows-where, leaving me and Lyra to ourselves. Lyra tried to call them back, but it didn’t seem as if they heard her.

She took in a deep breath as if to calm herself, and a golden aura encompassed the branch as it flew over to her. Lyra turned to me, putting on a brave face, but the look in her eyes and the quaver of her voice betrayed her fear.

“Alright, you,” she snarled, attempting to intimidate me. “You’re just gonna stay over there until my friends arrive, got it?” I rolled my eyes and started getting up. Lyra began shaking and put the broken limb between us. “I-I’m warning you. I have a stick, and I’m not afraid to use it.” Her eyes shrank to a pinpoint as I reached my full height, and the branch swooped over and started beating me over the head.

“Hey! What gives?” I demanded, shielding myself with my arms. The bombardment of thin wood and leaves wasn’t hurting me in any way, but it was an annoyance nonetheless, and Lyra didn’t show any signs of stopping. “Will you quit that?” I grabbed floating branch and struggled with whatever was holding it in place.

The branch snapped between the opposing forces, causing me to stumble back and the golden aura to disappear. I quickly scooped up the pieces and chucked them out of the pit before the unicorn could use them. She backed into the far corner, staring at me with a frightened expression. Her eyes shot behind me, and her horn began to glow again. I glanced behind me to see a golden light flickering around my hatchet.

Stop her! the voice screamed.

Without thinking, I lunged towards Lyra, grabbed at her horn, and pinned her head to the ground. Her horn was hot to the touch, but I refused to let go. Lyra shrieked and tried to pull away, but she was already backed into the corner with nowhere left to go.

“I’m sorry!”she cried out. I could feel her body shaking. I tightened my hold on her horn and pushed it down further into the earth. “I-I’m sorry, I won’t do it again, I swear! J-Just don’t hurt me, please.” Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

The sight was unsettling to look at. I saw a yellow and pink pony cowering in her place. I shook my head to dispel the mirage, but the guilt managed to linger.

My grip around her horn slackened slightly. The burning sensation had left when Lyra began pleading. I realized my fist was raised, prepared to deliver a blow if needed. I slowly lowered it, keeping a wary eye trained on the mare, fully released her horn, and took a few steps back. A dull pain grew in the back of my head.

What are you doing? the voice demanded as I backed away from the mare. It could still be a threat.

A threat? I scoffed. I focused on Lyra, who was trying to calm herself down with deep, ragged breaths. Look at her! What is she going to do, drown us in her tears? I scared her half to death. She isn't a threat to anyone. I tore my eyes away from her, not wanting to look at the pitiful sight any longer. This isn’t right.

Is this not what we wanted?

What we wanted? I just want to survive this mad world; I want to go back home. Hurting her isn’t going to help anything. It’s not going to get us anywhere, and it doesn’t feel… right. The voice fell silent for a moment, although I could tell it wasn’t exactly happy. The back of my head felt as if it was burning, but I tried to ignore it. I drummed my fingers against my side, waiting for a response. “Maybe we’re going about this the wrong way,” I muttered under my breath.

One problem at a time, Hunter, the voice insisted. My gaze shifted to the top of the pit as if it was led. It wasn’t as deep as I originally thought, but the walls were still too tall for me to jump and climb out. I rattled my brain, trying to think up some way to escape, but nothing seemed to click.

Any idea on how to get out of here? I asked, finally giving up.

Give us time, the voice snapped. Finding a way out of your mistakes isn't always an easy feat.

I let out a heavy sigh and knocked on a nearby wall with the side of my fist. I shot a glance behind me. Lyra was still huddled in the corner. She looked like she had calmed down considerably, although she kept giving me a weird look. I wanted to ignore it, but her eyes kept boring into me. It was driving me nuts.

“What?” I snapped. The pony jolted at the sudden attention.

“Um… aren’t you… you’re not going to hurt me?” she asked, trying to recompose herself.

I let out a half-hearted laugh and shook my head. “Hurt you? I think I’m in enough hot water as it is. Why would I want to do that?” A sharp pain spiked in the back of my head. I pinched my brow and tried to massage my temples to soothe it away. “I mean,” I heard myself continue, “it’s not like you completely ruined everything I had planned by tackling me into my own grave. And for what, some big heroic sacrifice to catch the ‘Beast of the Everfree’?”

“Hey, hold on,” Lyra said defensively. “If you weren’t standing next to the pit, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Oh, so you’re saying it’s my fault that we’re down here?” I demanded.

We were both at our feet, voices starting to raise.

“I was just following you!” Lyra exclaimed. “I wasn’t paying attention to why you were just staring at the ground!”

“Well maybe you should start paying more attention,” I shot back. “None of this would have happened if you weren’t stalking me!”

Lyra jabbed a hoof in my direction accusingly. “And if you hadn’t attacked Ponyville and started all of this, I wouldn’t have been stalking you in the first place!”

My face began heating up. “‘Attacked’, huh? Is that what they’re calling it? Me stumbling around, looking for shelter, and then getting run out of town by five deranged ponies? If anything, you attacked me like I was a rabid animal!”

My outburst must’ve thrown Lyra off; her face shifted from anger to confusion. “Wait… What?”

“I was running for my life!” I continued. “If you stupid ponies would have at least tried to show an ounce of kindness instead of attacking me, I would have reacted differently. But no. Because of you ponies, I’ve had to isolate myself in the middle of nowhere just to keep a safe distance from everything trying to kill me. Because of you ponies, I’m starving myself at day and have to resort to stealing my food at night.

“I mean, do you even know what it’s like? My life was all peachy keen until a couple of weeks ago. I never had to worry about my next meal, or how I should ration whatever scraps I managed to collect; I had a whole fridge stocked with food! I had a stable roof over my head! There was never a problem of rats or birds swooping by and taking off with my rations. I never woke up and wondered if it was going to be the last morning of my life.”

My vision was blurring with water. I leaned my back against the wall for support and collapsed to a sitting position. Lyra stood at the other end, speechless.

“I was ripped away from my family and my home.” The words were starting to catch in my throat. “I am alone, and the whole world seems to be out to get me. There’s no one I can lean to for support. I’m lost and starving and scared for my life… And I’m never going to see them again.” My throat was getting sore. I coughed again, only to succeed in making it worse. I slouched forward as a pair of streams burned their way down the sides of my face. When my throat began to clear up I continued talking.

“You know, today I spent the whole morning at the park in Ponyville. Do you know what I saw?” The mare was silent. I took it as my cue. “I saw you ponies... playing around, laughing, talking to each other.” A small laugh found its way out, but died as quickly as it came. “And I’ve never been more jealous. This whole morning, I kept wondering what it would have been like if that first night just happened differently. Maybe I could have found some help. Maybe I wouldn’t be so alone. Maybe I could have found my way back home. Maybe…” I couldn’t keep going. I buried my head into my knees, trying desperately to hold myself together.

A gentle touch patted my shoulder. I looked up and found Lyra next to me trying to give a reassuring smile. “Hey… It’s going to be okay…”

Surprising even myself, I reached out and pulled her into a hug. Her body went rigid at first, but she eventually relaxed and returned the gesture. I must have looked pitiful crying into her mane like that, but I couldn’t help it. My body was shaking from the torrent of bottled up emotions forcing themselves out, and she gave me a few awkward pats on the back to help me let them out.

It was hard to tell if she really cared or not, but even trying to act like it meant so much to me. It had been so long since anything had been this close to me without trying to kill or capture me. To be able to simply talk was relieving, even if it was only for a few minutes.

The sound of multiple hooves hitting the ground could be heard above us after a few minutes passed. A young voice cried out, “Come on, we left ‘em over here!” My heart sunk as the galloping sound drew closer to us. Lyra pulled away and made her way back to the other end of the pit, her mane still stained with a few wet streaks. I wiped my eyes and tried to recompose myself. This may have been the end for me, but I was bound to face it with whatever dignity I could still salvage. The hoofbeats came to a halt above us, but I couldn’t bring myself to face them.

“Pure coincidence it cannot be, for me to be led here by you three.” The rhythmic Africanesque voice sounded all too familiar. I looked up in surprise and sure enough found a zebra staring back down at me. Zecora smiled as our eyes met, and I could feel my spirits begin to lift. Maybe I wasn’t doomed after all. She turned back to face where I assumed the three fillies were waiting. “Thank you for bringing me here, Applebloom. Your timing could not have been more opportune. But now I’m afraid I must ask you to leave, if you want me to bring your friend out with ease.”

“What are ya tryin’ to say?” Applebloom demanded. She sounded slightly hurt at Zecora’s request.

“What if something goes wrong and you need our help?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yeah, what if the monster escapes?” Scootaloo chimed in. “You’ll need us to catch it again.”

“I can assure you, he will not be hard to control,” Zecora laughed. “But right now, this isn’t the place for a trio of foals. I appreciate your offer for a helping hoof, but there are many strange things that are still afoot. Return to the town and wait for me there, and I will deal with the beast and the mare.”

The three fillies were still reluctant, but with a little more encouragement, they eventually left us. Zecora returned over the edge with a content smile.

“Zecora?” I asked. “Is that really you?

“Yes it is, my strange friend, and it appears that you are in need of a hand.” She laughed at her own joke and managed a small chuckle out of me.

“You have no idea—”

“Hold on a minute,” Lyra interjected. I almost forgot she was there. “You two know each other?”

“Hardly; we ran into each other once before, but he ran off before I could ask much more,” Zecora answered. “I told him nearly everything about me, yet still have no clue as to who he might be.”

“Hey, if you get me out of here, I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” I promised. “Besides, I kinda owe you for that potion.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Lyra shook her head. “Can somepony tell me what’s going on? Just how did you two meet?”

“Look, we’ll tell you later,” I simply said. “Let’s get out of here first.”

We had a difficult time trying to find a way out. Zecora couldn't drag me out by herself, and I was too skeptical to allow Lyra to go first. It's not that I didn't trust Zecora, but after what happened during our last encounter, I wasn’t too sure what was going on inside her head. There was an argument about my cynicism, and I reluctantly let Lyra out first to help me later.

“Okay, give me a second,” I called as Lyra scampered over the edge. “I have something we can use as a rope.” I shrugged off my jacket and tossed it up to the waiting mares. Zecora made a move to grab it, but Lyra stopped her. The zebra stared at her in confusion, and Lyra simply motioned for her to move closer. They started whispering to each other.

A sharp pain split the back of my skull. They’re betraying you. How did you not see this coming?

My mind started racing. No, surely not. We had a deal. My eyes darted across the walls of the pit, hoping to find an alternative route just in case, but had no luck. They returned their attention to me.

“Alright, beast,” Lyra started. She poked an accusing hoof at me. “Spill the beans. Who are you? Why are you here? Is it true you eat ponies for breakfast? What are your plans for invading Ponyville?”

I stared blankly at her, trying to process all the question. “W… what?”

“I apologize for this, but it is the only way,” Zecora explained. “I hope we can continue without much dismay. I know you are desperate for rescue, but first we require some answers from you.

“Last I saw you, you left me quite perplexed. You were there one moment and gone the next. Out through the door like a criminal who was caught, and when outside it was my friends you had fought. And in your absence Twilight spun an incredible tale about your visit to Ponyville and all that entailed. What troubles me most is when we first met, you were not the monster my friends called a threat. All I wish is to hear your side, before who to trust I come to decide.”

“My side?” I asked. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything, from when you first arrived here, to how you became the beast the ponies came to fear.”

My memories drifted back to that first night. I had tried to forget a lot of it, but some of the memories were still as sharp as if they had happened yesterday. “Well, I didn’t necessarily stumble into town,” I started. “I was kind of chased by this weird pack of wolves…”

I carried on giving them a rough summary of my first night, starting with my family’s camping trip and ending with where Zecora first found me. Zecora listened intently to every word I said. Lyra, on the other hand, still appeared a little skeptical, but as my story progressed she seemed more and more unsure. It felt good to finally talk about what had happened, to get it all off my chest. I was very careful trying to explain holding Fluttershy hostage. I put heavy emphasis on how I never actually intended to hurt her, that it was just a bluff to get the others away from me, but even then it still didn’t seem to settle well in their minds.

“Look, I don’t know why I’m here,” I said as I started wrapping it up. “But I never wanted any of that to happen. I was just trying to make it out alive.” I turned my attention to Lyra. “I don’t have any plans for invading Ponyville. In fact, I’m trying to get as far away from there as I can. I just want to get back home to my family and be done with all of this.”

Zecora nodded, still processing all I had said. It looked as if she approved it, although that was probably just me being hopeful. “And where were you that fateful night?” she turned to Lyra. “Perhaps you can offer some more insight.”

The mare gave a nervous chuckle. “Funny thing about that,” she started. “I was actually in Canterlot at the time. I just returned a week ago. Bon Bon had to fill me in on what happened, and even then, she didn’t know everything.” She paused, lost in thought. “Come to think of it, a lot of ponies don’t really know what happened that night. All we know is another monster came out of the Everfree during a freak storm, and Twilight and her friends saved the town again.”

“Surely you can find it in your heart to give this ‘monster’ a second start?” Zecora asked.

Lyra shot a quick glance at me and looked back at Zecora’s sincere smile. She had a torn look on her face, and she disappeared from the edge of the pit. I started to get a little worried. Even Zecora looked confused at first. Lyra returned with my jacket in tow. She dangled it over the edge of the pit.

“Alright, beast,” she smiled. “Let's get you out of there.”

I grabbed hold of my jacket, and the two mares gripped the other end with their teeth and pulled. “Let’s get one thing straight first,” I said as I strained to pull myself out of the pit. “My name isn’t ‘the Beast’ or ‘the Monster’ or ‘the Creature’.” My hand grabbed the top of the pit, and Lyra and Zecora helped me scamper back up. I rolled over to a sitting position as our breathing returned to normal and held out a hand. “Name’s Hunter. Hunter Grey.”

Lyra eyed my open palm warily, but Zecora was quick to shake it.

“So, I have to ask,” I said, turning to Lyra. “Do you guys really think I eat ponies for breakfast?”

She blushed and tried to give me a smile. “Well, about that… Pinkie Pie kinda made a little jingle about you after everypony starting asking what happened. I guess some of it was a little overdramatic, but it still kinda stuck.” She scratched the back of her head innocently. “It’s actually pretty catchy. You should hear it sometime.”

“It does sounds like the pink mare to come up with a tale and set it aflare,” Zecora laughed.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll pass,” I chuckled. I laid back on the dirt path with my feet dangling over the pit, enjoying my renewed sense of freedom.

“Wait, so does that mean you really don’t eat ponies?” Lyra asked.

“What? No! I couldn’t eat you even if I wanted to. Not saying that I would want to,” I explained. “You ponies act too much like humans. It would feel like cannibalism or something.”

“Humans?” Lyra and Zecora gave me an odd look, as if they were unsure how to respond. “Is that like… an insult or something?”

I sat back up, propping myself with my arms. “Come again?”

“You said human…” They still had that confused look on their faces.

“Yeah, you know, human,” I gestured to myself. The gears in her head slowly turned as Lyra finally caught onto what I was implying. It was unsettling how long it was taking them to understand. “Wait, have you two never seen a human before?” I asked worriedly.

“The species of Equestria are very diverse,” Zecora explained. “But of your kind, I believe you are the first.”

“Oh.” A pit formed in my stomach. I had hoped that there would have been a town or a village or a tribe at very least of other people. I started feeling a little more alone in this world. I tried to change the topic to help get my mind off of it. “So, this is going to sound a little odd, but…” My voice trailed off.

“What?” Lyra asked.

I struggled to find the right way to word it. “You’re a… um… unicorn, right?”

She blinked. “Well, of course,” she replied. She pointed a hoof to her head. “Don’t you see the horn on my head?”

“No, no, I do,” I said quickly, blushing at my own stupidity. “It’s just I didn’t know if that was what you called yourselves.” An awkward silence filled the air. “And the ones with wings… They’re called pegasi?”

Zecora was trying and failing to stifle a small laugh, and Lyra gave me an odd look. “Are you… slow in the head, or something?” she asked.

“No; I just want to make sure I’m using the right terms is all,” I defended. It was starting to feel a little hot out here. I glanced at Zecora, who was still struggling to contain herself. “I’m not even going to ask. I think I already know what the answer is.”

She grinned and nodded, seeming to have gained control of her giggling. It was still burning the back of my head, though. I wouldn’t want to offend her if I was wrong.

I sighed in defeat. “Zebra?”

They both started laughing this time, and I couldn’t help but join them. I shook my head grinning and rose to my feet.

“Well, I think I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one day,” I smiled, throwing my jacket back on. “I better start heading back to my little safe haven. With most of the town out here, it’s going to be kinda tricky. Thank you again, so much. You two are the best. I’ll try to lie low for a while, not cause you ponies too much grief.” I gave them a wave and started my way to the castle. I would have to get off the path soon to not attract more attention to myself, but for now—

“Hunter, wait!” Lyra called out. “What if you gave us a second chance?”

I stopped and looked over my shoulder in confusion. “What?”

“This is all just one big misunderstanding,” Lyra pointed out, “but nopony in town knows that. To them, you’re just another scary monster that lives in the Everfree forest. If we could show everypony who you really are and convince them to give you another chance, then maybe we can fix this whole ‘the monster in the forest is evil and needs to be destroyed’ business.”

"It is possible that Lyra is correct," Zecora pitched in. "If you go to the town, then the ponies' thoughts might defect. Twilight told me what happened that night, and it's no wonder the ponies are in such a fright. The only way you can hope to make amends is to go into Ponyville and make some new friends."

You’re not actually buying this drivel, are you? the voice scoffed.

“I don’t know,” I answered to both.

“Look, Twilight is still in Ponyville helping the Mayor coordinate everything,” Lyra explained. “She’ll listen to us if we all three go together. We can resolve all of this without dealing with an angry mob.”

They want to bring you to Twilight? As if you do not know how that will end.

“Is something wrong, Hunter?” Lyra asked. I noticed I was shaking slightly.

“No, I’m fine,” I gave a weak chuckle to reassure myself. It wasn’t working. “It’s just a really big decision, is all, and I’m a little nervous… Are you sure it would work?”

“Well… no,” she admitted. “But we’ll stand by your side until everypony believes you’re safe, I promise.”

They don’t even think this is going to work, and they are the ones insisting you go. Their lives aren’t being put on the line; yours is. Why should you take any chances?

I couldn’t think. Lyra and Zecora seemed ready to put everything down to help me, and I had only known them for a short time. This was the first time Lyra and I had even met, and already she trusted me. But did I trust her?

Of course not! Did you forget she was hunting you to begin with?

But Zecora—, I started.

What about Zecora? The voice demanded. If we remember correctly, you stole from her and ran away like a convict. How could she trust you? She’s probably working for Twilight, deceiving you to let your guard down so she can bring you to her. You and we both remember the nightmares you’ve had of that encounter.

I cringed. I did remember those nightmares: the darkened halls, the gore splattered on the dimly lit walls, Twilight blocking my only escape with that unnatural look in her eyes, the inhuman sounds echoing in my head. Some bile found its way in the back of my throat.

Do you really want those dreams to become a reality?

I took a half-step back, shaking my head.

“Hunter, are you sure everything’s okay?” Oh, the sincerity in her voice. Could it really be lying?

Are you willing to take the chance?

“No,” I mumbled, taking another step back.

“What?” Lyra asked.

“No,” I repeated, louder this time. “Sorry, I just… I can’t.” I started retreating back into the foliage lining the path.

“Hunter, come back,” Lyra pleaded. “Everything will be fine.”

Lies! the voice erupted. A massive headache threatened to split my skull in two. I fell to my knees and clasped my hands on each side of my head to suppress it. You are a criminal in that accursed town! Twilight even said so! You retaliated against them, stolen from them, spied on them. Why would they accept you? You are nothing but a monster in their eyes. You are the Beast of the Everfree!

I could hear someone shouting over the ringing in my head. A couple of pairs of hooves helped me back up to my feet. Zecora and Lyra watched me carefully with worry evident in their eyes. My body was trembling. A rift tore my mind in two; one side telling me to go with them, and the other telling me to stay.

“Sorry,” my quavering voice managed. “Not today. But… someday, maybe. Whenever everything cools down for a bit.” I turned and walked deeper into the forest.

“Wait!” Lyra called out as she rushed up to me. She hesitated when she had my attention. “Just promise me something, okay? Promise you wouldn’t hurt anypony.”

I stared into her golden eyes, and knelt down in front of her. “I’ll never try to hurt another pony. Promise.”

Her eyes brightened. “Really?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” I smiled weakly.

Lyra gave me a bright grin before rejoining Zecora. “Don’t worry, Hunter! We’re going to get things straight!”

“We shall go into the town and tell your tale,” Zecora added with a confident smile. “We will not back down until we prevail!”

I stood there dumbfounded as they galloped back to town. As their footsteps echoed in the forest, I felt the corners of my lips twitch up a bit. I shook my head in disbelief and trudged through the forest, deep in thought. Why was I so scared to go with them? It would have been a monumental change for me, but the thought that the outcome would be positive was preposterous considering our history. After all, they were just two ponies against an entire town. Well, one pony and a zebra. There was no way they could sway all of Ponyville.

Or could they? A genuine smile broadened across my lips. Something sparked inside my chest that I hadn't felt in an eternity. I felt hopeful again. This might just play out in my favor.

That was a cute little lie you told that unicorn.

The voice's sudden comment broke my chain of thought. “What?”

You know what we are talking about; when you said that you would never hurt another pony, it gave an unsettling chuckle. We got a good kick out of that.

“That wasn't a lie,” I protested. “I was being serious.”

Do not try to lie to us, the voice interjected. We felt the rush you had when you struck Twilight down. We know of your little habits; how you always bottle up your emotions. We know how you snap when the tensions rise. We know everything about you, Hunter. We are you.

A chill ran up my spine. The voice had never said anything like that before. I walked silently in case it continued, but it didn’t speak for the rest of the journey.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. My internal clock was telling me it was time to rest, and my body agreed. My castle soon came into view, much to my pleasure. I slowly made my way up to the throne room and surveyed its appearance, as I always did. There was never anything different about it than the countless other times I checked on it. Call me paranoid.

I plopped down into the cushioned chair. My eyelids were getting heavy. As I slouched into a more comfortable position, the voice's last comment rang through my head. We are you.

It was a bit disturbing, really. I never put too much thought on the subject. The voice always gave me advice, and I would usually follow it. I had always assumed it came from me, but the way it said it just sounded so... wrong.

Sleep beckoned me with open arms. My thoughts were muddied as I ever so slowly slipped away from the castle. I threw myself into whatever crazy dream was waiting for me and silently prayed that it would be pleasant tonight.

Goodnight, Hunter.

“Goodnight…”

Act I: A Royal Mess

"Alright. Bow test number twelve," I announced as I readied myself to fire my makeshift bow. I felt proud. I had managed to gather a few branches and vines and manipulated them into a lethal weapon, sort of. So far all of my attempts have been horrible fails, but I had a pretty good feeling about this time.

I placed the twig that was supposed to represent an arrow against the vine and aimed at the target, my water bucket. I pulled back, and the branch bent as the tension built on the vine. It was handling well, and I couldn't help but smile a bit. It was going to work.

SNAP!

The bow split into two complete halves. The upper limb flew back and slapped me in the face. In shock, I dropped what was left of the bow's remains. I stumbled back and massaged my face. "That's it. No more bows."

Oh, but you were doing so well, the voice mocked. Perhaps if you tried again—

"Forget it," I grumbled. "You said that seven tries ago." I rested on a nearby rock surrounded by all of my other failed attempts at making weapons: shattered bows, broken slingshots, chunks of tree bark made to be shields that were too bulky or too oddly cut to use properly, backup hatchets with blades either too dull or too loose to be of any use.

I fell under another coughing spell. My sickness had become remarkably worse; so much so that my mood was being affected, too. "This is ridiculous!" I griped. "I practically have a bounty on me head, everything in this forest is still out to get me, and all I have to defend myself is a hatchet and some rocks!"

What about those spears you made?

I glanced tiredly towards the tree I rested said weapons on. They weren't much to look at, just a few exceptionally long branches I found that happened to be semi-straight. "Ah, yes. Pointy sticks," I said dully. "That'll help me hunt for food. Especially considering my aim is about as straight as a curly fry." My stomach let out a low groan at the sound of food. "Oh, shut up," I answered irritably. "I know you're sick of fruits and veggies."

I hung my head in defeat. The game for my survival had changed three days ago, and I was still struggling to adapt to the new rules. I never used lethal force against the ponies before, but I never really had to while I was in the Everfree. But after the fiasco that happened a few days ago, ponies were bound to start flooding the forest. If I couldn’t find a way to defend myself, I was as good as dead, but if I hurt any of them, my deal with Zecora and Lyra would be off.

Keep the spears on you, the voice recommended. You don't have to throw them well, just look like you can.

"Yeah, I suppose that might work." I stood up, grabbed my hatchet, and stuffed it inside of the rope belt I had recently made. I walked over and examined one of my better spears. It was surprisingly sturdy considering how thin it was. I was able to fit my hand around it comfortably, and it stood just below my chin. I wasn’t sure what type of wood it was; the trees here were still so alien from the ones I had seen back home, but it was able to take some punishment and still hold. There was a natural bend to it, making it unlikely to be thrown well. As good as it was, I couldn’t help but be disappointed that this was the best I could come up with so far.

"This shouldn't be this hard,” I sighed. “Three days. Three days to get my act together, and I've got nothing to show for it other than a migraine and a bad cough.”

Perhaps the ponies will stay away for fear of catching diseases, the voice suggested.

“Oh, hardy har har…”

I couldn't stand the sight of all of my failures anymore. With a grunt of frustration, and a nasty cough, I left the small clearing and went for a walk through the trees. My body wasn't taking the lack of available food very well, and I found myself losing more weight than I would have liked. The fact that I was constantly working off whatever food I ate didn't help much either, and my recent sickness only added to the fun. I tried to get my mind off of my declining state and enjoy the scenery.

It was actually a fairly beautiful day. It was well past noon, and I had yet to run into any trouble with any of the wildlife or ponies, so that was a plus. The sun was barely able to break through some of the leaves of the trees, providing some warmth against the cool breezes. It was odd, really; the trees. They weren't any evergreens that I knew of, but they still managed to keep their green color despite all of the others changing with the season.

This is a waste of time. You should go back to making weapons.

"Yeah, 'cause we all know how well that turned out,” I scoffed.

It was merely a suggestion. We just do not think that it is a good idea to be wandering around the forest unprotected.

"Thanks for voicing your concern, but I'm pretty sure I'd be just as unprotected back there. I can handle myself well enough to go for a stroll."

Really? the voice asked in a tone that was borderline mocking. Do we need to remind you that you were easily trapped by two ponies with rope? Or how about Twilight’s strange powers and how they seem to be able to bring you to your knees? Even Lyra, a lone pony, managed to tackle you into that pit! Nearly every encounter you have had with them ended with a narrow escape.

"Okay, okay, you have a point," I griped. "Still, I've wasted too much time on those pieces of scrap. I need to put my mind on something else for a while."

I continued walking in silence. My only companion was a small rock I had been kicking in front of me for a while now. The wind slowly rustled the leaves. I paused and took in a deep, refreshing breath. The cool air filled my lungs, rejuvenating my system. For a moment, all of my fears, all of my troubles, just seemed to melt away at the sheer beauty of this scene. There wasn't anything that could ruin my walk, not even the frequent coughs and the pains that came with them.

A chill coursed through me as a colder breeze swept by. I fumbled with my jacket's zipper with numb fingers until I had completely sealed off my shirt from the wind. That breeze carried me out of my peaceful trance and into a newer, more solemn, one. Winter would be coming in a couple of months at most. Each night was getting colder and colder. With winter approaching, my days of wondering around the forest would become limited. I needed to find a better way to keep myself warm if I wanted to survive the winter "wonderland".

You could always leave, the voice suggested. Skirt around the town at night. Try to find better shelter. Look for the portal.

I staggered in my walk for a second. "No," I answered heavily. "Too risky. No telling how many other villages are around, how far away they are, or whether or not they've received word of me. I'm just going to have to wing it. I could keep working on making a fire, maybe even try fishing for a change. And the portal…" I didn't know how to express it. I wanted nothing more than to go home, but the fear of running into the timber wolves kept me at bay. True, me risking being caught by the ponies was by no means a good alternative either, but at least then I'd still be alive, hopefully.

"I just want a bit more experience under my belt until I try going after that. Won't help my family much if I'm dog chow on another world," I joked halfheartedly. I gave the rock a slightly stronger kick, and it flew into the forest's tangle of bushes and grass.

I snapped back into reality as the faint sound of voices filled the air. Someone was coming. A small panic seized me, and I dashed into some nearby bushes for cover.

"I still can't believe she set herself up to be humiliated like that." A cream colored mare with a mane of three shades of red was first to emerge from the dense foliage, tailed by two other brightly colored mares. One mare with pink fur had a disgruntled look on her face as she brushed some twigs and leaves out of her long, golden mane and carefully readjusted the lily next to her ear. The other had a much lighter hue of pink for her coat with a bouncy, lime green mane.

"I know!" the pony with a lily chimed. "Poor Lyra. She must have lost it."

"I just can't believe she was standing up for that… that monster," the cream colored mare continued. "She was practically putting herself up for that kind of response." Her friend nodded in agreement.

"Do you think she actually talked to it?" the green haired mare asked suddenly.

Her friends paused and looked at her. “Why does that even matter?” the second pink one asked. “Wait, Daisy, don’t tell us you believe her.

Daisy looked to the earth and prodded at a rock innocently. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I mean, if what she said was true, then maybe the monster isn’t so bad after all. It could’ve hurt her, but she walked off with barely a scratch.” She looked back up to her friends with a small smile, and I felt one creep up on my face, too.

“Yeah, but she also said she was stuck in a pit with that thing, too,” the cream pony pointed out. “And you heard what Twilight said: that creature is dangerous. Even she doesn’t know what all it can do. For all we know, it probably brainwashed her with Everfree magic or something.”

My smile vanished along with Daisy’s. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said, waving a hoof dismissively. She gave a reassuring smile and tried to change the subject. “Hey, maybe we can still make it to the Running of the Leaves if we hurry this patrol.”

“As if,” the pink one huffed. “Stupid monster, making us miss an important event like that. This ‘monster patrol’ is really cutting into my schedule. This is the worst day of my life, by far.”

“It’s okay, Lily. I know exactly how you feel,” the cream pony said. The trio started walking closer towards my hiding spot. “You know what? How’s about when all of this silly ‘monster hunting’ is over we go to the spa? My treat!”

I accidentally stepped on an old branch trying to edge away from the ponies. The resulting snap might as well have been a gunshot or a flare. The three ponies stopped dead in their tracks and stared at the bush that was hiding me. They must have seen something, considering the look on their faces.

“That sounds like a great idea, Rose,” Lily agreed. “In fact, let’s just cut this patrol short and head over there now.”

“Sounds good to me,” Rose replied hurriedly. “Daisy, what about you?”

Daisy chuckled nervously. “But of course! After you.”

With that, the three darted back the way they came. As their hoofsteps fainted away, I rose from the bushes, silently cursing that branch. I probably could have learned some valuable information on what was going on in town. “Well, at least I have an idea on how Lyra’s doing on her side,” I said.

Yes. And she doesn’t seem to be doing too well, does she? the voice remarked.

“I don’t know. That one pony looked like she seemed interested.”

One out of three, the voice scoffed. And you saw how quickly the others managed to change her mind.

“Give it time,” I replied. “It’s practically two versus an entire town right now.”

Which makes the effort all the more futile.

An exasperated sigh left me. “You and your cynicism.”

I gathered my bearings and wandered off in a random direction. Lyra and Zecora were trying their best to tell the citizens of Ponyville that I wasn’t the bad guy. I could only imagine how she looked standing up for me. I wondered, well, hoped is the better term, that she managed to catch a few ponies that would actually listen to her. It would certainly make things easier on my front.

All things considered, she seemed to be doing well for only a few days worth of work. I chuckled at how I had so eagerly placed my life in the hands of a pony I had just met. In retrospect, maybe it would have been a good idea to go with her and Zecora into Ponyville. Seeing me casually walking with their friends could have alleviated some of the ponies’ fears.

Yes, and then we could have frollicked to the town where the ponies would be waiting to whisk you away to a life of sunshine and happiness, the voice mocked. It is time you faced the facts, Hunter. You are not now, nor will you ever be allowed in that town. The ponies will not accept you. You are too alien to them. You’re in the right to try to avoid them.

I grit my teeth. My head was pounding. I hated to admit it, but the voice was convincing. I sighed in defeat and massaged my pulsing temples.

My troubling thoughts brought me to a foreign area of the forest. The green leaves were long gone, as it seemed, and were replaced by vibrant shades of gold, crimson, and orange. I had a thought to go back to more familiar waters, but my curiosity got the better of me. The colors were beautiful, and I had realized that I had yet to legitimately enjoy the autumnal scenery. The colors were always my mother's favorite part of fall; she would always corral the family into going to the park to take family photos. A part of me wondered if my family was going to carry on the tradition despite my absence.

I shook my head, trying to derail my train of thought. I'll get back in time, I told myself. I'll find my way back soon, and it will be like I never left.

I stumbled upon a dirt trail and mindlessly followed it. The trees became less dense the further I walked, and the sun shone much more brightly because of it. It felt more peaceful out here, and I felt as if I could wander out here for hours.

I realized just how long it had been since I started my walk. My legs weren't very happy about it either. I turned around and retraced my steps. After a few minutes, I realized I was lost. Horribly lost. I was beginning to regret going further into this part of the forest instead of staying in the more familiar Everfree. I sat down in the lush grass for a rest and tried to map out as much of this forest as I could in my head.

A faint rumbling in the distance caused me to lose my train of thought. I could easily recognize it as the sound of hooves pounding on dirt; I had too much experience associated with that sound to think otherwise. But why would the ponies be here of all places? Did Daisy and her friends already manage to tell Twilight of me? I couldn’t have been that close to Ponyville.

The sound was getting louder. I dropped my spear and climbed a tree. My clothes' darker colors were sharply contrasting the reds and yellows of the leaves, and I couldn't position myself any higher. I would just have to pray that the ponies wouldn't look up.

Dozens of multicolored ponies galloped by. As they passed, the trees started shaking and the leaves began falling off. I cursed my bad luck. Why did the leaves have to fall off now of all times? I was completely exposed to the ponies below.

However, despite my sudden lack of cover, none of the ponies seemed to notice me. Their eyes were all focused forward. I noticed that they all had papers with numbers on their flanks. It seemed as if they were running a marathon.

A large shadow passed over me. I shielded my eyes as I looked up to better see the pink hot air balloon gently floating in the same direction as the runners. Inside the basket were Pinkie Pie and Spike. They seemed to be giving comical commentaries over the race through a rather loud megaphone.

When the last of the ponies ran by, I jumped off my perch and retrieved the spear. I stared off in the direction the ponies ran, transfixed with conflicting thoughts. The marathoners could very well be running away from Ponyville as much as they could be running towards it. Nevertheless, they would have to return to the town eventually. I bet that if I followed them, they would lead me back to the town and ergo lead me to a more familiar part of the forest.

The walk was uneventful. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was that all the leaves had fallen fallen to the ground. It was odd. Not even an hour ago they were still attached to the now barren trees.

I deviated from the trail as a mass of ponies came into view. They were all chatting amongst themselves; some cheering, some patting each other on the back. A small part of me longed to join them. My isolation was starting to get to me, Just the taste of social interaction a few days ago was making me want more. A small headache and a heavy cough derailed my thoughts, and I went back to scanning the crowd.

One pony stood out from all the others. It wasn't simply because she was the tallest or that her pure white coat seemed to reflect the sun. It wasn't the fact that she possessed both a horn and a pair of wings, either. Her long, colorful mane that billowed in waves like a flag wouldn’t have made a difference. Not even the air of power that accompanied her that made all of the smaller ponies bow down when she passed by would have made her stand out to me. No, it was the fact that her one deep, purple eye that wasn't covered by her majestic mane was staring directly at me.

I froze.

The large pony leaned her head down, never taking her eyes off of me, and said something in Twilight's ear, who happened to be next to the regal pony. Twilight glanced in my direction, and her eyes instantly widened as she quickly nodded. The large pony then turned her head to two other white ponies, each bearing a pair of wings and golden armor. A silent message was relayed, and the two armored ponies took flight and darted in my direction.

Now would be a very good time to run, the voice suggested.

I didn't have to hear it twice. I bolted away from the pegasi, weaving through the sparsely packed trees in hopes of buying a few more seconds. One of them slammed into the earth before me and snarled menacingly. Before I could turn tail and run in the opposite direction, my other pursuer appeared obstructing my escape.

"Give up, creature," one of them growled. "You're out numbered and you can't outrun us!"

I took a few steps to the side so they could both be in my line of sight. They watched me with careful eyes and drew closer to each other, wings flared out.

“Let’s take it easy now,” I started cautiously. “Just let me go, and I’ll get out of everybody’s hair, alright?” They didn’t seem too keen on listening. One of them lowered his head and pawed at the ground as if to charge. This wasn’t going to end without a fight. I set up my stance with my spear pointed at them in defense. My opponents smirked, and then busted out in laughter.

“A… A stick? You honestly think you can beat us… with a stick?” one of them howled. His companion was doubled over trying to catch enough breath to continue laughing.

I scowled at the howling stallions. “Oh, I’ll show you what I can do with just a stick.”

My body went into autopilot as I lunged forward. My grip tightened around the shaft of the spear as I swung it like a bat towards the first guard. A sharp crack echoed in the trees as the wood broke over his head, sending him into a small daze. I silently cursed and dropped the piece in my hands.

I covered the distance between myself and the other guard before he had a chance to react. I clapped my hands around his head and drove my knee into his muzzle. His head reared back from the impact, a few beads of blood trailing from him. I swung a left hook for good measure, and he stumbled to the ground.

The first armored pegasus recovered quickly and lunged. I sidestepped and tore him out of the air by his wing. Something popped in my hands as he hit the cold earth, and he tumbled across the ground as I released my grip. His wing was limp when he rolled to a stop, and I could tell he was biting back a scream. I sprinted up to him, kicked him onto his back, and drove my fist into his exposed underside.

The world spun out of control as something collided with my side. The second guard must have come back to his senses, and we rolled across the ground trying to get the upper hand on each other. Hooves pounded against chests and heads as hands constricted throats and grabbed at faces.

“That is enough!”

A golden aura encased me and my opponent and separated us. My body temperature skyrocketed as the aura flicked and tried to tug me back. My body contorted itself in as many ways possible to channel the pain out of my system. When it faded, I collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. I glanced up and could see the fuzzy image of that large white pony. She was much more opposing up close.

I tried to crawl backwards, my eyes locked onto the regal pony, and she followed closely. Everything in me was screaming at me to run, to try and escape despite all odds, but my body was aching all over from the fight with the guards, and my legs refused to listen. I was lucky to even be able to crawl at the moment. My back hit a tree, and I froze.

The two pegasi scrambled between me and the tall one. “Stay back, Your Highness! This one’s dangerous.” The guard froze and sheepishly turned around. “Er, with all due respect, that is.”

I sneezed in their direction. The guards snapped into action and pinned me against the tree.

“You dare attempt to taint our beloved princess’ health with your foul disease?” the one with the broken wing screamed. “You shall pay for your treachery!”

He raised his hoof, but before he could strike, the princess spoke up. “Guards, stand down.”

The two froze and whirled around. “But, Princess—”

“No ‘buts’. I assure you I will be quite fine,” the princess replied in a kind but firm voice. “I have a few plans for dealing with the beast, and it requires I be alone. Return to Ponyville and tell everypony that the situation has been resolved.”

The two guards were stunned. “Er, yes ma’am. At once.” They bowed and reluctantly retreated.

The pony princess lowered her head and narrowed her eyes once we were alone. I gulped and tried to make myself as small as I could against the tree. Her long, sharp horn started to glow a light golden color. I braced myself for whatever horrid torture I was about to endure.

"Are they gone?"

I cracked open an eye. The princess no longer had her lethal horn pointed at me, but instead was staring down upon me with curiosity from a casual stance.

"Are they gone?" she asked again.

"Um, I-I..." I stuttered.

The princess smirked. "You know, you're not doing a good job representing yourself." I stared at the towering pony in shock. Her small smile faded as she gave me a curious look. "Here, allow me to start. My name is Princess Celestia,” she began, gesturing with a hoof exaggeratedly. “I live in a castle back at Canterlot and I am one of the co-rulers of Equestria. Who are you?"

I was still speechless. My mind couldn’t comprehend what was going on.

“Hmm… Both Twilight and Lyra said you could talk,” Celestia thought outloud. “Perhaps I have the wrong creature.”

“Hunter!” I blurted out. The princess stared at me with a slight worry. My words were barely stumbling out. “My name, I mean, is Hunter. Hunter Gray. Um, sorry about the, er, everything. It’s just that I, um, —”

“There, there,” Celestia hushed. “I figured I had the right… Oh, what was the word Lyra used? Humid?”

“Er, human,” I corrected sheepishly.

Celestia nodded. “Right. Well, human, Twilight has been sending me quite a few letters about you.” I gulped. This wasn't going to end well.

“When I came here to watch the Running of the Leaves, I had full intentions of capturing you. However, when I came to town, one of my subjects, Lyra, tried to convince me that there was good in you. Now, normally I would put full faith into my student, Twilight; however, Lyra did have a bit a small crowd rallied behind her and her cause.” A faint smile found its way on my face. Lyra was actually making a difference. “So, I am... conflicted about what to do with you. I could have you arrested for your crimes, or I could listen to Miss Heartstrings and her friends and give you a chance to prove your character. Which would you rather have?”

“The, uh… the second choice would be nice,” I managed to say, still shaking in her presence.

“I thought so,” Celestia grinned as she leaned in close. “Allow me to let you in on a little secret. I have heard that a Miss Cherilee is going to be taking some students from the local school to the Everfree Forest for a biology lesson in exactly one week. As I’m sure you are aware, the Everfree can be full of dangerous creatures. I would like for you,” she directed a hoof at me, “to offer some protection. Does that sound reasonable?”

Words were still struggling to form. Nodding was the best I could do.

“Very good. I will inform my subjects that you should no longer be a problem to them. You will no longer be a problem, I trust?” she asked sternly. I nodded my head as quickly as my neck would allow.

“Excellent,” she smiled. “I hope to hear great things of the field trip. Farewell, Hunter the Human.” With that, she turned to leave. Something was still bothering me, though.

“Wait,” I called out. The princess halted and tilted her head towards me in curiosity. I stood up and dusted myself off. “Why are doing this for me?” I asked.

Celestia turned to face me. I noticed we were roughly at eye level with each other. “Like I said, Lyra and her followers seemed very adamant that you were not a monster in spite of what everypony else believed. However, you did not prove her point well in that little skirmish with my guards, although I suppose we could say it was in self defense.” She paused, trying to gauge any reaction from me. “I am giving you this chance as a test to prove how much good is in you,” she continued. “And, if you can keep a promise.”

“I’ll do my best,” I swore.

She gave a content nod and walked off again.

“Wait!” I called out again. Celestia paused and glanced at me with a smile. “Um, sorry,” I nervously chuckled. “I’ve barely been able to survive on my own. How am I supposed to protect a bunch of kids? I need help.”

“I am sorry, Hunter Grey, but I cannot provide any. You will have to do this on your own. I will not deceive my little ponies into believing you are safe when I myself am not sure. You must understand that the nature of this deal could be misinterpreted easily, and I cannot have you using it to cheat your way into my subject’s trust. That being said, this agreement will only be known between you and me, or anypony else you choose to tell.” Celestia’s horn glowed, and the shattered halves of my spear floated over to me.

“And as for the foals, I’m sure you will find a way to help them. I have heard you can be very resourceful at times.” She gave me a wink, snapped out her wings, and shot into the sky.

I stared blankly at the spot she once stood. My gaze fell on the spear in my hand and shifted to my hatchet a few yards away. Thousands of thoughts crashed through my mind. Slowly, ever so slowly, they manifested into one great idea. A grin split across my face.

What are you thinking, Hunter?

“Many things, my friend. Many things.”

Wonderful...

Act I: The Road Less Traveled By

Sunlight broke through the forest canopy, bathing the trail with its light and the back of my neck with its warmth. It offered a slight relief from what would have otherwise been an uncomfortably cool evening. My eyes were trained on a map of the trail I had been walking for the past hour and a half, but my mind was distracted by the desynchronized steps between my heavy feet and the soft trotting of Zecora’s hooves next to me. She lent me the map and agreed to help me study the trail for the school’s field trip I was going to be watching over in six days.

It had taken me a while to find her after the princess gave me my task. I had only been to her hut once before, and that felt like a lifetime ago, back when I was still so confused about the world I had found myself in. She was more than happy to offer a helping hand when I asked for her assistance. She invited me into her home, and we discussed the best way for me to carry out my royal assignment. She even made me a meal; the first decently cooked meal I had had in ages.

To keep the mood up, we decided to play something of a game to get to know each other better. We would ask each other questions, usually about our hobbies and our pasts. Once one of us answered, it was their turn to ask a question. I was poorly stifling my laughter as Zecora recalled one of her times in Ponyville.

“Okay, okay, back up real quick,” I laughed. “What happened to Twilight’s horn again?”

Zecora rolled her eyes with a smile and continued. “After the confusion, I finished my brew, and back to the town we quickly withdrew. It was a simple remedy to cure the foul joke, and in no time I was accepted by the pony folk.”

I was still smiling at the bizarre conditions that fell on Twilight and her friends. They sounded too comical to be true. A part of me wished I could’ve been there to see it for myself.

“I’ve told you my journey here and all that entailed,” she pointed out. “Now it is your turn to tell me of the land which you hail.”

I folded the map and stuffed it back in my jacket pocket, suppressing another laugh with a large grin. “Why do you laugh when it’s your home I inquire?” she asked with a hurt look on her face. “We can stop playing if that is your desire.”

“No, no, it’s not that,” I hurriedly explained. “It’s just an interesting question is all. I’m not used to telling people about it ‘cause they already know about it.” I thought of how to answer her question. It was pretty broad. She could have meant anything from my hometown to Earth as a whole.

“Well…” I started. “I come from this town kind of in the middle of nowhere.” I tried to the best of my ability to describe everything I could about my home, from the small town I grew up in to what I knew of my state and all the sights I’ve been to. I gave her a brief history lesson about my country, although I was sure I missed a few key points here and there. She was hooked on my every word, pressing for details especially when I talked about the geography.

“If all you say is indeed a fact, I can undoubtedly see why you want to go back,” Zecora smiled. “I’ll help you return and hopefully pray that perhaps I can visit for at least a day.”

“Yeah, that would be nice,” I sighed. “I’d love to show you some of the parks. We have hundreds of them. Plenty of hiking trails, too. You could lose yourself in the forests if you wanted. Kinda wish I went to them more. Fewer things tried to kill me back home,” I added with a laugh.

Zecora nodded. “Yes, despite its magnificent features, the Everfree is still home to many dangerous creatures.”

“No kidding. Timberwolves made of actual timber, manticores that’ll make a meal out of you as soon as look at you, dragonflies that actually breathe fire,” I listed. “It’s a wonder why Cheerilee is even thinking about taking the foals through here to begin with.”

“The path is well trodden and for the most part secure,” Zecora explained. “And I am not the only help Miss Cheerilee procured. An expert with animals in a field of her own. She has tamed many beasts through sheer kindness alone.”

“Well, I hope she knows what she’s doing.” We continued to walk in silence as questions rolled around in my head. There were still so many things I could ask Zecora about this place, about her and the ponies. It was impossible to choose.

“Alright, here’s one,” I started. “Now, I have nothing against it, in fact, I think it’s pretty cool, but do you always have to speak in rhyme?”

Zecora paused. This was the first time she had hesitated in answering a question. She usually had a small poem ready on the spot. I caught a small hint of glee in her eyes as she responded.

“You’re not the first to ask; don’t feel like a fool,” she answered rhythmically. “As for your question, I cannot think of a time.”

“Aha!” I exclaimed. I whirled around to face her. “I knew you could speak normally!” She gave me a knowing smile, but said nothing else as she walked past me. Something was wrong. I ran through what she said, and my hand nearly hit my forehead. “Hey, rhyming off me doesn’t count,” I called as I caught up to her.

“Whatever you say, Hunter. There is no reason to pout,” Zecora teased.

I huffed jokingly and shook my head. We picked up our game as we continued down the dirt path. The sun was starting to hide behind the thick wall of trees and bushes, signalling that my tour through the trail was coming to an end. We were just about to finish our last lap when something caught my eye.

I deviated from the path to inspect the odd, blue flower. The last few rays of sunlight managed to make it stand out from its surroundings, but even without it I couldn’t believe I had looked over it so many times. The entire plant was blue, from the elongated stem to its flared anthers. Its petals seemed to glow in the last few minutes of the sun. I had never seen a flower like this before.

“Hey, Zecora, what is this?” I asked, cupping my hand beneath its petals. The entire plant shook, dropping its pollen over my exposed hand.

Hoofsteps thundered up to me, and before I knew it a hoof swatted at my arm, causing me to drop the delicate plant. “Stay away from that flower!” Zecora shouted. “You know not its true power!” I jumped at her sudden outburst and gave her an incredulous look.

“That flower was the poison joke,” she explained. “The very same that bred trouble amongst the pony folk. Though at times its pranks can be weak, it can be the agent of more severe things. This plant alone can bring the strongest to their knees; the bravest adventurers cower from what it brings. Capable of tearing one’s sanity apart, this is truly a plant after Discord’s heart.”

Poison lined her words at the end of the poem, and she glared at the plant in disgust. I inched away from the flower. When I looked down, I saw that my hands were still covered in its pollen, and blue polkadots were slowly starting to form. I recalled the tale Zecora had told about Twilight and her friends, and fear gripped me like a vise. Who knew what was going to happen to me?

Reading my mind, Zecora trotted up and inspected my hands. “Do not worry, Hunter, there’s no need to fret. The poison joke has not pranked you just yet,” she said, rolling my hands over with her scrutinizing eyes. “We should return to my home, as it is already late, and I shall give you the cure that can stop the joke’s fate.”

“Thank you,” I sighed. She led me back to her hut, and I kept my hands away from me, not wanting to spread any leftover pollen. “Sorry about all of this,” I said as we walked through the dense greenery. “I should have known that was the flower you were talking about earlier.”

“No need to apologize. It was an innocent mistake,” Zecora assured. “You are new to the Everfree, and there are still faults to make. Most beasts are wary of the flower of blue, knowing the chaos that often ensues. But as I said, you aren’t the first with this fate. Luckily, the cure is simple to create.”

We broke through the last lines of bushes and found ourselves in Zecora’s front lawn. I ducked into her house and sat patiently against the wall. A smile found its way to my face as a sense of déjà vu came over me. As Zecora poured ingredients into her cauldron, an idea suddenly struck me.

“Zecora, you said the other creatures stay away from this flower, right?” I asked.

She paused her stirring. “Yes, they avoid it for fear of what will transpire. Why do you ask, if you don’t mind my inquire?”

“What if we planted some around the path of the field trip?” I offered. “That would help scare off a lot of the predators.”

Zecora pulled a wooden washbowl from underneath one of the many shelves and dropped it before me. “While you are true, it would keep the large ones at bay, it would also scare the innocent animals away. The field trip was meant to be adventurous by design, and the foals are to study the Everfree’s creatures. If the wildlife was to be scared off and resign, their notes will be filled with simple plant features. Besides, the poison joke would not grow so soon. To reach its full potential would take many moons.”

She grabbed a large jug from the other side of the room, stirring the brew in the cauldron occasionally as she passed it. She ripped the cork off of the top and allowed the water inside to flow into the washbowl.

“Alright. What if we just gathered the pollen instead?” Zecora gave me a confused look. “Think about it,” I continued. “We can get a bag full of poison joke pollen and drop some whenever there are too many predators. It’ll scare them off, keeping the foals safe, and it will be a controlled release, so the the other critters will still be around to be studied. It’s a win-win.”

Zecora rolled the idea in her head a few times as she dipped a ladle into the cauldron. She poured a spoonful of its contents into the water before me.

“It is possible that plan could work out the best, but gathering the pollen would be a long and dangerous quest.”

“I still have the better part of a week,” I pointed out. Zecora carefully pulled my jacket sleeves up, watching with a careful eye to see if the joke had spread. I noticed that my hands were starting to feel a little numb. “It shouldn’t take any longer than that.”

“If you are truly adamant, then take me with you, please,” she said as she led my hands into the water. “I will take the antidote so we can be cured with ease.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” I smiled. I watched in amazement as the spots on my arms melted off. My fingers flexed as if they had gone stiff. I led the water up my arms for good measure.

We spent the rest of the evening in her hut, discussing the field trip again. Zecora claimed she had a few ideas on catching poison joke pollen. I mentioned a couple of other thoughts I had; traps meant to ensnare or fend off any attackers. They were elaborate, but I had a concept on where to start.

We shared a few last laughs before I decided to leave. She offered a place to rest at her home, but I insisted. I couldn’t explain it, but something kept tugging me back to castle at the end of the day. We agreed to meet the next day before noon and get to work.

“Hey, I was wondering…” I started as I ducked through her front door.

Zecora stood in the doorway and looked at me expectantly. “Yes?”

I struggled to find the words. “Would you and Lyra like to come over to my place before the field trip?” I asked. “Just to hang out for a while. I haven’t really seen you two since you saved me from the pit, and I just want to show how much I appreciate all you two have done for me.” A nervous chuckle escaped me. She probably thought it was stupid.

“My, my, Hunter, what a wonderful proposal!” Zecora beamed. “I’ll have to ask Lyra, but I’m sure there will be no refusal.” My spirits started to lift with hers. “Just tell me where it is you stay,” she continued, “and Lyra and I will head that way.”

“It’s pretty deep in the Everfree,” I explained. “Do you know where the river is?” She nodded enthusiastically. “Meet me there, say, the day before the trip at sundown. I’ll take you to my place from there. I’ll try to clean up the best I can and set up a campfire. You might want to bring your own food though,” I added, embarrassed. “I’m kinda living off leftovers from my last raid a while ago.”

“No need to fear, Hunter my dear. I can bring enough to last you the year,” Zecora offered. “And if you are ever in need of food or more, you’re always welcome here. I have an open door.”

“You’re too kind,” I smiled, barely containing my excitement. This was going to be great! I almost couldn’t wait to have them come over. There was so much I had to do, so many things to prepare before guests arrived. I couldn’t remember the last time I had guests come over, much less being this excited about it.

We said our farewells, and I continued to the castle, grinning from ear to ear.

I sat patiently in a tree on the ponies’ side of the the river. The sun had set a little over half an hour ago, and the moon rose on the opposite horizon, illuminating the river with its soft, blue light. A part of me worried that I hadn't given Zecora specific enough directions. After all, this river wound through a good portion of the forest.

“Hunter!” a familiar voice called out. It didn’t take too long to remember who it belonged to.

“Lyra?” I answered. A pony broke out of the treeline a ways down the river. She turned her head in my direction and called again. “I’m over here,” I shouted. “Give me a second, and I’ll be right down.”

I stood up on the branch I was reclining on and stretched. Lyra motioned to the trees, and three more ponies emerged. I stopped. My math might have been wrong, but that definitely looked like two more ponies than I invited.

Four ponies against one man, the voice noted. Hardly a fair fight.

Nobody’s fighting, I snapped back. My eyes flickered to the uninvited guests. One of them was slightly larger than the others; a stallion, I noticed, as the group came closer. Zecora tailed behind them with full saddlebags on each side and a small metal pot on her back. Lyra and her companions had saddlebags of their own as well; although theirs were not nearly as full. The third pony had a flashlight in her mouth and was shining it at the nearby bushes. “Nobody’s fighting,” I repeated, more to reassure myself.

I dropped myself to the lower branches and began my descent. The group came to a sudden stop as the tree before them started shaking. I hung off the last branch for a second and let myself drop. The two unfamiliar ponies screamed and hid behind Lyra as I landed before them.

“Hey, Hunter!” Lyra greeted. “Long time, no see.”

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” I smiled. I nodded my head towards the ponies behind her. “Who are these two?”

The two ponies slowly stepped out from behind Lyra. The stallion was solid blue, save for his golden eyes. His coat was only a slightly lighter shade than his mane.

“I’m Noteworthy,” he introduced himself. He held out a hoof, and I gave it a quick shake. “It’s an honor to meet you. I didn’t believe it at first when Lyra told everypony that she met you, but I went to all her meetings, and she sure painted you in a good light.”

“Nice to meet you. Hunter Grey.”

I turned to face the other mare and found a familiar pink pony. Her curled, light green mane bounced slightly as she looked up to my full height. Her green eyes shrunk to pinpoints as she gave a nervous smile.

“H-Hi,” she said, shaking. “My name is Daisy. Sorry, I knew you were tall, but I just didn’t think you’d be this big.”

“You’re fine,” I assured her. I turned my attention to Lyra. “So, not to sound rude, but I kinda thought this was going to be just you, me, and Zecora.”

“I can explain,” Lyra started. “Ponyville has kinda been on lockdown since your last visit. Nopony really comes in or out of the Everfree without Twilight and the Mayor knowing about it. The only way to be out here at night is to volunteer for a patrol shift. Twilight wasn’t too keen on letting me go when I asked to for a shift tonight. I’ve been pretty vocal about you since we last met, and she thought I would try to sabotage the patrol. So I found two ponies who Twilight trusted and wanted to help you and kinda—”

“Sabotaged the patrol,” I finished.

“Maybe just a little bit,” she blushed, rubbing the back of her neck.

I glanced between Noteworthy and Daisy. They looked back at me almost expectantly. “So, you trust them?” I asked. Lyra nodded in return.

I took a deep breath to calm my antsy nerves. “Alright then, follow me,” I beckoned to the new ponies. They were a little shocked that I had singled them out, but followed anyway. Zecora and Lyra trailed behind.

“I’m so excited, I feel as if I’ll explode,” Zecora mentioned enthusiastically. “I cannot wait to see your abode.”

“I hate to say it, but we still have a bit of a walk ahead of us,” I admitted. I found the tree I was looking for. It was old and dead, and a large chunk was missing out of its side. “I was hoping to finish this before you came,” I explained. “But unfortunately my hatchet was starting to get dull. It looks like it ought to be tall enough to bridge the river.” I positioned myself behind it so that I was facing the river. “I don’t want to be a bad host, but could you two help me push it across?”

The two earth ponies shared a look between each other before joining my side. Together we pushed against the dead tree. The groan of old wood echoed in the forest, and a sharp pop sounded as the tree snapped and fell into the river, creating a large splash as it did. Its frame shuddered as it struck the other shore, and many of its branches splintered on impact, sending little pieces of wood flying.

I gingerly planted my foot on its trunk and tried to give it a shake. It seemed sturdy enough. I cautiously tiptoed across the new bridge, waving at my guests to follow when I made it halfway. There were still branches reaching for the sky, but I managed to hack off any that stood in the way.

They followed close behind me as I led them to the castle. Daisy’s flashlight lit up the path, albeit shakily. Every time a cricket chirped or some leaves crunched she jumped and shined her light in its direction. Luckily, I had walked this path enough times to go through blindfolded.

As the stone walls of the castle peaked through the low branches and bushes, everyone around me gasped.

“No way,” Lyra said excitedly as it came into full view. “The Royal Castle of the Two Sisters? You’ve been living here this whole time?”

“I guess I have,” I smiled. “Do you guys want to check it out?”

“Do we?” Noteworthy laughed. “Come on, let’s go!” He broke off from the group and trotted up to the old rope bridge. Everybody seemed eager to cross, even Daisy.

“Be careful crossing that bridge,” I warned. “It’s not the sturdiest thing out here. Some of the planks busted when I tried to carry some wood across.”

The bridge swayed and groaned as it supported our collective weight. There was a missing section about halfway through where my feet had fallen through a few days ago. It wasn’t too large for the ponies, but I stayed over it to ferry them across it.

The ponies stood in awe at the sight of the castle as we all made it across. I couldn’t help but smile a bit.

“If you want, you can leave your bags over here,” I said pointing out the small fire pit I made for the occasion. A tepee of branches and sticks stood in the middle, its base littered with dry leaves and grass. Small chunks of the old castle walls encircled it to keep the fire contained when it started. Three benches that had once been the shattered trunks of dead trees sat around the pit, making an oddly shaped triangle.

“Sorry there’s not a lot of extra room. I was only expecting two guests,” I admitted with a blush. “Some of us might have to share benches.”

“Hunter dear, we are not foes,” Zecora reminded me. “We do not mind being a little close.”

She, Noteworthy, and Daisy made their way to the pit and unloaded their bags. Noteworthy and Daisy rested their bags against the same bench and helped Zecora unload hers on another. Her metal pot slid off her back and onto the ground with a soft ring. She wasn’t kidding when she said she could bring food. Her supplies nearly took up the whole bench.

“This is a nice setup you have here,” Lyra commented next to me.

“You think so?” I asked. “I know it’s not the best, but I didn’t have a whole lot to work with.”

“It’s perfect,” she smiled. “Thanks for inviting us.”

“Thanks for coming. I hope this isn’t cutting into anything important.”

“Pssh, nah,” Lyra waved a hoof. “My schedule’s been pretty free lately. Nopony wants to hang out with the crazy, brainwashed unicorn ranting about humans.” She gave a halfhearted laugh.

“Well, they must be crazy,” I said. “You’re an amazing friend. I can’t think of anyone who’s ever gone the same lengths as you to help someone they hardly know. And these ‘humans’ sound pretty interesting. I’d love to hear about them sometime.”

“Oh, I bet you would,” Lyra smiled with a roll of her eyes.

“Here, let me take those off you,” I said, reaching for her saddlebags. Her horn lit up, and the buckle holding her bags in place unfastened itself. She thanked me as I took it off her, and we walked to the last bench.

The others had finished unpacking as we arrived at the pit. I told them that they could look around the castle for a bit while I started the fire and that I would call them once everything was ready. “Just be careful with some of the rooms in there,” I warned. “Some of the ceilings and walls are really weathered down.” They excitedly trotted up to the castle’s heavy front doors, but Lyra stayed behind.

“Need any help with the fire?” she asked.

“Nah, I should be good,” I waved her off, pulling a stone out of my jacket pocket.

She eyed it curiously. “What’s that supposed to be?”

“It’s flint,” I explained. “I found it a while ago while I was looking through the castle. I read that you can start a fire if you strike it against steel, which the head of my hatchet is made of. I gave it a try earlier and actually got a few sparks.

“It’s kind of exciting, really,” I said as I pulled out my hatchet. “I studied so much about camping before I came here. My family had so many plans. I guess, in some weird way, I’m finally going to have the vacation we were supposed to have. Just a few weeks too late, huh?” I added with a weak grin.

I held the head of the axe in my left hand and struck the top of it with the flint towards my tinder. Lyra looked over my shoulder with a curious eye. It took a minute, but a spark finally managed to shoot out and land in the pit. The dried grass and flint shavings caught fire around it, and I had to restrain myself from jumping with excitement. I carefully fanned the flame and watched as it grew. I did it, I made a fire!

Lyra must have seen my beaming face. “Congratulations, Hunter. Now let’s see if we can find everypony and get this party started.”

It didn’t take too long to find them; they were all in one of the grand halls, admiring the ancient ornamentations. I escorted them back outside, promising to show them through the rest of the castle once the fire had died down.

The fire cast a warm glow over everyone. Zecora set up her pot above the fire and began adding ingredients after filling it with water. Noteworthy pulled large bags of marshmallows and a handful of roasting sticks out of his saddlebags, and Daisy produced bars of chocolate and crackers to complement them. Lyra brought juice boxes and something called daffodil sandwiches. After noticing the flowers inside the bread, I politely refused. The ponies struck up a conversation about their everyday lives, and I listened contently as I made sure the campfire was well fed.

“So, what’s it like where you’re from?” Daisy suddenly asked me.

I looked up from the fire and noticed everyone was staring at me eagerly. I felt myself shrink under their eyes. “Oh, it’s nothing too special, really,” I waved dismissively.

“Baloney, Hunter. You do no justice to your land,” Zecora accused. “When you explained it to me it sounded quite grand. Hills and valleys, forests and rivers; the imagery alone excites me with shivers.”

“Well, there’s a little more than that,” I pointed out. “We’ve got a lot of cities and towns, too. That’s where humans normally live. But I rarely traveled outside of my own state except for vacations to the beach, and even then, I wasn’t really paying much attention during the trips.”

“Tell us what you know then,” Lyra pressed. “Surely you have some stories about your home.”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t really all that adventurous,” I admitted. Everybody kept egging me on to talk more. I held up my hands to calm them down. “Alright, alright,” I smiled. “I guess I have a few good ones.”

The air was filled with howling laughter from my audience. Hours had passed from storytelling from both sides. I stood up from the bench and started reenacting a moment from one of mine.

“So, there I was, flailing my arms around like a complete maniac, trying my hardest to just stop. My classmates are scrambling out of the way, trying to not get plowed over by the class nerd. My friends are already practically on the other side of the rink, my stomach hits the railing, and I double over and fall headfirst to the concrete foundation a good four or five feet down.”

The laughter died as everybody gave an audible wince. “That had to have hurt,” Daisy commented.

I shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I was out cold the moment my head hit the ground. Luckily I missed all the machinery and cables used to keep the rink frozen. I’ll never forget how I woke up though.

“I kept hearing this guy asking, ‘Hey, kid, are you alright?’ When I finally came to, I told him I was fine. And he said, ‘Good to hear. I saw you flip over the rails about fifteen minutes ago, but you never came back up. Just wanted to make sure you’re alright.’”

Their jaws dropped. “Fifteen minutes?” Lyra echoed.

“Oh yeah,” I nodded. I sat back down on the bench next to her. “And the best part is, he left me to pick myself up. Took me a few minutes to get out of there. Never went ice skating again after that.”

“That was one heck of a story,” Noteworthy said, chuckling in disbelief. He pulled another marshmallow out of his bag, stuck it on his stick, and held it over the crackling fire.

“So you’ve never tried skating since then?” Daisy asked. “How long ago was that?”

“It was a pretty good while,” I replied, struggling to remember. “I want to say about ten years ago, give or take. And I gave rollerskating a shot a few months ago actually. But according to my friends, I have the grace of a cross-eyed, newborn giraffe whenever I’m on those deathtraps.”

“You are indeed a stallion of many talents,” Zecora laughed. “But it sounds as if you still need to work on your balance.”

I shrugged innocently and picked up my bowl of soup. With a few gulps it was emptied again, and I went to refill it. Noteworthy and Daisy had branched off to their own conversation, and Zecora began singing softly in a language I didn’t understand.

As I went to sit back down, a couple of juice boxed floated out of Lyra’s bag. One of them hovered up to me as if to offer itself, and when I touched it the golden aura around it flickered off as it fell in my hand. I turned the little box in my hand, curious about how she managed to make them fly up to me like that, and Lyra started giggling next to me.

“What’s so funny?” I asked with a smile.

“Oh, nothing,” she answered, waving a hoof dismissively. “It’s just nice to see you happy. Zecora told me how hard you two have been working. I bet it’s nice to be able to finally relax for a while.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” I explained. I tore the straw off of the side and pierced the top of the box. “Tonight’s been great. We’ll definitely have to do this again sometime.”

“Maybe we can soon,” Lyra said hopefully. “If everything goes well tomorrow, Princess Celestia might agree to help. And if you get her approval, then a lot of ponies in Ponyville oughta warm up to you.”

“You think so?”

“I know so,” she beamed.

I took a sip out of the box, which nearly drained all of it, and paused as a solemn thought surfaced. “What if things don’t go well?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll do fine,” she assured. “Miss Cheerilee recruited me yesterday to help with the field trip. She’s been on the fence about you lately. She isn’t sure whether to listen to me or Twilight. But she figured that if you ever show up, I’d have the best chance to keep you calm and away from the foals.” She nudged my side with her hoof. “So, I’ll have your back the whole time.”

It was comforting to see her so confident. She made me feel like the field trip would go by like a breeze. I was lucky to have a friend like her.

I stopped and looked around the campfire at all the ponies that showed up. Noteworthy and Daisy laughed as they shared another joke and made some s’mores. Complete strangers who have only heard about me, and despite what all the other ponies thought of me, they still wanted to help. Zecora gave me a content smile as she continued to sing. She was the first one to offer a helping hand without question. She healed me, fed me, more than anybody else has out of the kindness of her heart, and she asked for nothing in return. Lyra sat next to me sipping at her juice. We may have been at each other’s throats when we first met, but we’ve made a lot of progress since then. A part of me liked to think we bonded a bit because of it.

A smile crept up on my face as I took it all in. I realized I had made four new friends in this world. Everything felt so right. For a moment, I started to feel like I actually belonged here.

“Hey, Hunter,” Lyra called, breaking my train of thought. “Whatcha smiling about? Remember another story?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted with a content sigh. “I guess I’m just enjoying the moment.”

The party continued for another hour. As the fire began to die and fade, so did everyone’s energy. Yawns were becoming more and more contagious around the fire pit, and it wasn’t long before Daisy started to doze in and out of sleep.

Noteworthy recommended that they started making their way back to town, pointing out that they were technically still on patrol and had to check in soon. I offered to escort them back, but Lyra shook her head. She said that the walk back would help wake them up and that the last thing we needed was for somebody to see me and set everything back to square one.

It kind of hurt to see them all leave. We were having such a great time. I knew the chances were slim, but I really wanted to do this again sometime. I would just have to do my best on the field trip.

I made sure the fire was fully out and made my way to the throne room. This place suddenly felt much more empty than it used to. My fingers brushed against the cold, stone walls as I ascended the staircase. My throne sat patiently at the other side of the room.

Just one more day, I thought to myself as I reclined against the ancient chair. Just one more day, and everything will change for the better.

And if it doesn't? The voice asked unexpectedly, almost making me jump.

“It will.” I replied, closing my eyes to get some much needed rest. There was a brief silence in my head before the voice uttered one last response for the night.

… We’ll see.

Act I: From Hunter to Shepherd

I met up with Zecora the next morning on my way to the forest entrance. We reviewed as many details as we could about the upcoming field trip. She seemed a little uneasy when my coughing kept cutting her off.

“Perhaps you should not watch over us, friend,” she suggested. “You do not look as if you’ll see to the end.”

I paused to clear my throat again, leaning on one of the larger homemade spears I had brought for support. Two more were slung across my back, the blunt ends dangling low on my right side. It had taken a while to make an effective sling for them. My rope was too thick to tie around them, so I wound up using some sturdy vines. There was enough slack for me to fit it over my chest, but it was tight enough so that it wouldn’t swing around and snag as I carried them.

“Don’t worry about me,” I waved her off. “It just started this morning; I’ll be just fine. Besides, if all goes according to plan, I shouldn’t have too much to do.”

Zecora didn’t seem reassured, but she allowed me to follow anyways. As the forest entrance came up, I let her go ahead of me to join the mass of ponies stationed at the front.

There was a decent sized crowd standing around. The number of older ponies nearly doubled that of the foals. I assumed they were the parents. The foals were playing, each bearing a miniature saddle bag on their backs. The adults were chatting amongst themselves as they watched their children horsing around. Zecora met up with Lyra and a magenta pony I hadn’t seen before. I figured she must have been Miss Cheerilee.

After a few minutes, the foals waved goodbye to their families and followed Miss Cheerilee to the edge of the forest. I retreated deeper into the foliage, but before I completely hid myself away, I noticed a yellow and pink pegasus standing in the crowd of foals. A guilty pit formed in my chest.

“Oh, no,” I breathed. “Not her.”

“Alright, class, gather around,” Cheerilee called in a cheery tone. The foals congregated around her and waited attentively for instructions. Lyra, Zecora, and Fluttershy were taking a headcount. “Does everypony have their pencils and paper?”

The class hurriedly got out the items and proudly displayed them to the teacher.

“Good! Now remember fillies and colts, the point of this field trip is to survey some of the unique flora and fauna of the Everfree Forest. Your assignment is to choose something you find today and write an essay based on your observations. Are there any questions?”

A brave orange unicorn with a short teal mane raised his hoof.

“Yes, Snails?”

“Uh, what’s flora and fauna?” he asked sheepishly.

“That is an excellent question, Snails,” Cheerilee smiled. “Flora and fauna are the plants and animals that inhabit a specific ecosystem. In laypony’s terms, they are the things that live in an area. For your assignment, you can choose anything from the unique flowers and squirrels to the more dangerous subjects such as bears and poison joke. Fluttershy and Zecora will be more than happy to lend a helping hoof if you need it.” The mentioned mares nodded in agreement. “Any other questions?”

“Oh! Oh! Me me me!” Scootaloo shouted as she frantically tried to get her teacher’s attention. “Pick me!”

“Yes, Scootaloo?”

“Does that mean we can do it on the Beast of the Everfree?” the filly asked with a bright smile.

Cheerilee hesitated. “Well, I suppose if we see it, then that would be alright…”

Scootaloo jumped in the air. “Yes! I call dibs!” A few disappointed groans sounded from the group.

“However,” Cheerilee interrupted. “I don’t think we will be seeing it. Nopony has seen or heard from the monster lately, and Twilight gave me explicit instructions on what we are to do if we run into it. We are to end the trip and come back.” The foals groaned at the news, and their teacher seemed to crack. “But… I guess if the monster is far enough away, then maybe we won’t have to cancel it. Any last questions before we leave?”

The answer seemed to satisfy many of the students. After Miss Cheerilee made sure there were no more questions left, they set off. I slung my spear across my back and followed close behind.

An hour passed by. The school was slowly trodding the path. Zecora helped identify some of the plants, Fluttershy showed some of the foals the wildlife from squirrels to birds, and Cheerilee and Lyra made sure no one was being left behind. Some of the foals had already chosen their research topics. Others were waiting for something a bit more interesting to write about.

I stayed mostly in the trees, using the canopy’s network of branches where I could to keep a bird’s eye view of the situation. The dense, dark green leaves helped camouflage me from the foals’ curious eyes. Everything was running smoothly. I only had to drop a couple of the pouches filled with poison joke from my waist to some unsuspecting predators to shoo them away.

I almost looked over one. It’s wooden body seemed to meld with the roots of the tree I was in. It wasn’t until the timberwolf shifted that I realized what it was. I hurled a pouch at its head, at it erupted in a puff of blue smoke. The wolf whined, scratching at its muzzle. It looked up and glared at me with sickly yellow eyes before scampering off to wherever it came from. A chill ran up my body as an aftereffect of its stare. A part of me doubted I would ever get used to that. I made sure to keep a watchful eye out in case any more were lurking.

After another hour, the group entered a more open area of the trail, and a deep rumble emitted from behind the trees, and a large bush shuddered. A manticore emerged, snarling at the children with bared teeth. A chill fell over me as I recognized it as one of the more territorial beasts Zecora and I had encountered.

I rushed through the branches to my nearest trap, making sure the manticore was lined up. My hatchet found its way to a tensed vine. If that beast made one false move, so much as twitched in a way I didn’t like, I would sever the vine holding a horizontal log in the air, causing it to swing down and sweep the beast out of sight. My body tensed up in anticipation.

And Fluttershy calmly floated to the manticore, as if unaware of the danger.

“What is she doing?” I hissed. “She’s going to get herself killed!”

She was directly in my trap’s effective range. If I triggered it, I’d be putting her life at risk again. I slowly moved my hatchet from the vine. For her sake, I hoped Fluttershy knew what she was doing.

“Hush now, it’s okay,” she cooed to the beast. “We’re on a school trip. Would you mind if some of us took a look at you? I’m sure there are many foals here would love to write a paper about such a large and majestic creature like you.” She gave it an innocent look that could’ve melted a heart of stone. The manticore looked hesitant, but it nodded in agreement. My mouth hung open in shock. Did I really just see what I think I just saw?

“Thank you very much,” Fluttershy smiled. She stroked at the monster’s mane and turned to the school, who was just as surprised as I was. “Did anypony want to write about the manticore?” A pair of hooves shot up; one from the tall, orange colt from before, and the other from a short, teal colt. They looked like exact opposites of each other.

They hesitantly approached the manticore, which seemed equally wary. With Fluttershy’s assistance, the two studied the creature, taking notes, drawing pictures, and stroking its fur occasionally.

Well, that was anticlimactic, the voice mused.

I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding in. “I’m just glad they’re okay.” After taking another look at the manticore to reassure myself, I climbed down the back of the tree and decided to scout the area up ahead. It was going to take some time for those two unicorns to collect their information, so I figured it would give me some time to think.

What Fluttershy did was absolutely amazing. I had never seen a manticore so friendly before. Whenever I ran into one, it always snarled and threatened to give me a new haircut. I could see why Cheerilee wanted her to come along.

The foals appeared much more calm with the manticore before I had left. The fact that some of the foals were actually willing to approach it after everyone was ready to run back to town baffled me. Fluttershy must have truly been an expert. If she was able to convince everyone to stay for the manticore… would it be too farfetched that she could help me, too?

“Cool!”

I snapped back to reality and found myself in the middle of the dirt trail. My body was paralyzed, panicking that I had been spotted. I slowly turned around and found that my fears were true.

Standing a small ways down the trail was Scootaloo. Her eyes were wide with excitement, and she quickly pulled out a pencil and notebook. “Just stand still for a moment,” she muttered under her breath.

I bolted in the other direction.

“Wait! I wasn’t done yet!” she screamed. The faint pitter-patter of her tiny hooves was barely audible to my rapid stomping. I made a sudden sharp turn into the trees and continued running. Scootaloo's shouts were beginning to fade, and she was nowhere in sight, so I figured I had lost her.

I slowed down to a halt and doubled over, coughing up whatever was clogging my airflow. My breathing returned to normal. My heart, however, was still beating like mad. It took a few seconds to calm myself back down.

“That was too close for comfort,” I muttered under my breath.

We agree. It was unwise of you to wander like that.

“I didn’t mean to,” I tried to defend myself. “It’s just that—”

A shrill shriek cut me off. I shot back up. My heartbeat spiked again. I searched wildly for the source. It sounded like it came from behind me, back where I left the school of foals.

“Scootaloo, don’t move!” a young voice cried.

Scootaloo’s shaky voice was quick to reply, “Why the hay would I?!”

I swore and made to move, but a migraine stopped me in my tracks. We know what you’re thinking, Hunter, the voice said in a disapproving tone. Let the ponies solve the ponies’ problems. There’s no reason to make a scene.

“What did I come here for if not to watch over the foals?” I argued back. I tried to shake the pain away and trudged forward. “With our luck she’s probably just stuck in one of those briars off the path.”

I arrived back to where I had left the foals, careful to stay behind the trees. Scootaloo’s orange coat eventually appeared between the green bushes and grass. I crept closer to see what the problem was.

Scootaloo was sitting down, shaking horribly with her eyes sealed tight. A few steps closer revealed the rest of the foals further away, shielding their eyes from the filly’s direction. I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Then I heard a chicken’s clucking.

Between the two parties was something I had never seen in my life. It had the general build of a chicken, but only the head truly resembled the bird. The rest of the body was covered in green scales, giving it a strange, dragonesque resemblance.

“Somepony get Fluttershy!” Miss Cheerilee demanded. “Tell her we have a cocktrice!”

Cockatrice… I remembered Zecora warning me about them. We hadn’t seen one when we made our rounds through this section of the trail, but if what I remembered was right, then Scootaloo was in deep trouble.

The monstrosity was circling around the poor filly, trying to get her to open her eyes. I had to do something, but I didn’t have any traps set up here. Sweat started dripping off of me. What was I going to do? There was no way Fluttershy was going to make it in time!

Don’t do it, Hunter, the voice warned. You’ll be putting yourself in danger.

At that moment, I didn’t care. Scootaloo needed help, and she needed it now.

I burst out of the bushes. Scootaloo and the cockatrice were directly in front of me. The audience of ponies was to my left with most of their eyes still shielded. The cockatrice was too focused on Scootaloo to pay any lick of attention to me. I covered the gap between us and kicked it like a ball into the bushes and trees.

As it flew squawking into the forest, I hoisted Scootaloo into my arms and hurried her to her classmates. Her eyes snapped open, trying to find out what was happening, and she was more than surprised to see me.

“M-M-M-Monster!” she squealed. She kicked around in my arms, striking my chest and making it near impossible to carry her. I dumped her on the ground before I could even make it to the crowd, who was staring at me in pure horror as I thundered closer to them. Scootaloo gave me one last accidental kick to the stomach as she fell and scurried off behind the school.

I wheezed as I doubled over and fell to my knees. The ponies cautiously backed up.

We told you they would never accept you. A migraine ignited in the back of my head. You are a monster to them, nothing more, nothing less. I glanced up to the ponies and found Cheerilee standing her ground between me and her foals. She held out a protective hoof to keep them back, but even she was shaking at the sight of me.

I slowly picked myself back up, and the foals cowered behind their teacher. Some of them were looking over Scootaloo to make sure she was alright. She waved them off, still shaking from the rush and casting a few frazzled glances at me. Further down the trail Lyra emerged panting. Our eyes met, and she read me like a book. She started to say something, but I shook my head. I had seen enough. I backed away from the terrorized foals, covering my bruising chest. Maybe this just wasn’t meant to be.

Something moved in the corner of my eye, creating sharp, agitated noises. It leapt out of the bushes, and I reached out and grabbed it on instinct.

The cockatrice returned, angrier than ever, and unfortunately for both of us, I had my hand wrapped around its neck. It squawked and flapped its green wings loudly. Its talons dug through my jacket and into my skin. I wanted to let go, but the pain in my arm forced my fist to stay clenched. I tried shaking it to wear it down, but that only succeeded in making it angrier. And then I saw its eyes.

Oh God, those eyes. To say it was horrifying would be an insult compared to what was buried in those blood red beads. It felt as if they managed to grab all my fears and forced them down my eyes through a needle. Its stare burned into my brain, and I found I couldn’t look away from it.

The world turned to gray around the cockatrice as it struggled in my grip. Only its eyes retained their color. I found that I couldn’t let go, couldn’t turn away from its stare, couldn’t move, couldn’t feel. The world was numb to me, even as it tilted and buried half of my face with earth. I couldn’t even feel the impact of the fall.

A deafening silence had fallen over the forest. As the cockatrice thrashed around on the earth in my grip, I couldn’t hear it. Its mouth opened as it cried out, and I couldn’t tell if its squealing came out as a whisper or if I just imagined hearing it. Even as it moved, it slowly became a blur of motion, as if I was seeing everything through murky water. Dread gripped my silent heart with a vise. What was happening to me?

“The cockatice turned the monster to stone!” a voice whispered.

“Somepony get Fluttershy, now!” another replied. It sounded like Lyra, but I couldn’t be sure.

Was this it? Was this how I died? Not through starvation or freezing, not at the hooves of the ponies or the maws of the wolves, but by spending the rest of eternity as a statue?

A cackling filled the air, clear as day, cutting through the polluted noise of the world. “Oh, did you see the look on his face when he grabbed the cockatrice?” a deep voice chortled loudly. I thought I could see colors flicker in the corner of my eye, but I couldn’t move to see it. “Priceless!”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” a second voice growled. It sounded familiar. “We spent too much time and effort on this one.”

“Oh, you know what they say, ‘There are plenty of seaponies in the sea.’” the first voice said. “I just hope this doesn’t put a damper on our little deal.”

“You’ll be freed in due time,” the second assured. “But our host must remain alive to do so.”

There was a small flap of wings, and a large yellow talon ripped through the sea of gray and knocked on my forehead. “Well, the human won’t be doing us much good like this,” the first commented. “Take my word for it, there isn’t much you can do when turned to stone. You’d be better off looking for another poor soul.”

There was a soft series of tapping that filled the silence. It sounded like it was getting closer, if only barely so.

“You do not put enough faith in our host,” the second voice said amusedly. “Humans are built to survive. And it appears as if an opportunity has presented itself.” I could hear a high pitched voice yelling, but it was so faint it might as well have been miles away. The cockatrice turned rigid in my hand and was looking past me with wide eyes.

“Oh, my. I must admit, it’s a little unsettling seeing her act like that. You would not believe the trouble I went through just to get her to act even close to this.” There was a slight pause as the quiet shouting continued. “Do you think he can hear us?”

“It’s hard to tell. Our connection has been severed. But don’t worry. We know how to make Hunter forget.”

A scarred, stone gray hand reached down to my face. I watched helplessly as a finger extended towards me, and I silently screamed as the world erupted to white.

A voice pierced through the white noise. “Hunter? Can you hear me? Hunter, say something!”

I struggled to open my eyes, but they were sealed shut. All I could manage was a weak grunt.

“He’s alive! Thank Celestia, I was so worried.” Something pulled me up and wrapped itself around me into a constricting hug. I wished I could open my eyes, or at least talk for that matter.

A soft voice piped up, “Um, Lyra, I think you’re crushing the poor thing.” I groaned in agreement.

“Oh, right,” Lyra’s voice chuckled as I was lowered to the ground. “Sorry, Hunter.”

My eyes fluttered open and were instantly attacked by the vibrant colors of the forest, forcing them to close again. I took in deep breaths of the cool air to try to wake myself up better, but my throat clogged, and I started coughing. I rolled over onto my elbows and knees, trying to force out whatever was inside of me. It tasted like dust was coming out of my lungs.

“It’s okay,” a soft voice cooed. “Just lie down and rest for a bit. You’re safe now.”

I opened my eyes again. Everything was still out of focus, but I could still make out two blurs of colors above me, one mint green and the other yellow with a pink top. As the details began to sharpen, I could make out Lyra and Fluttershy’s figures staring at me from above.

“What… What happened?” I croaked.

“You should have seen it, Huner!” Lyra bounced excitedly. “When the cockatrice turned you to stone, one of the foals went off to get Fluttershy. It was still trying to get out of your hand, but you had it in your grip when you turned. And then Fluttershy came and practically exploded on the thing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen her do anything like that before! She somehow convinced the cockatrice to turn you back, and when it did you were all knocked out. We’ve been here trying to wake you up for the past, like, ten minutes.”

Fluttershy blushed and shrank back throughout Lyra’s rant. “It wasn’t anything, really,” she whispered. “I just didn’t couldn’t leave you as a statue is all.”

I had a hard time digesting all of the information. I couldn’t remember anything that happened after grabbing the cockatrice. If what Lyra said was true, then it seemed as if I owed Fluttershy my life. The same pony I had threatened to and nearly succeeded in killing went out of her way to save me. She was surprising me more and more.

With a grunt, I slowly sat up and crossed my legs. One of the spears fell off my back, shattered in half from when I fell as stone. I sighed and tossed the useless pieces into the forest. The two mares gave me my space, letting me come back fully to my senses. I didn’t say anything simply because I didn’t know what to say. Too many thoughts were bouncing around in my head for me to think straight.

You should leave; return to the castle, the voice said, eager to throw in its two cents. Every second you are out in the open will only put you in more danger. You are in no condition to keep going. Leave and let the ponies fend for themselves. You have already done your part to protect them.

I sighed in defeat, it was as good of an idea as any. The ponies had proven they could handle themselves, and my body was weak. I didn’t feel like I could keep going for much longer. I moved to get up, but Lyra put a hoof on my chest and gently pushed me back down.

“Whoa, now. Take it easy for a bit,” Lyra said. She watched me worriedly. “I don’t like that look on your face. What’s the matter?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. But after all that just happened, I think it would be best for me to head back to my own little neck of the woods.”

“What? No!” Lyra exclaimed. “Zecora and I just convinced Miss Cheerilee to not cancel the trip. Everypony’s a little ways down the trail waiting for me and Fluttershy. This could be our big chance to get everypony to like you.”

“And I know Scootaloo said she wanted to write that report about you,” Fluttershy chimed in. I looked up to the pegasus, who shrank behind Lyra in return. “That is, if you’d like to,” she added. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

It was still unsettling seeing her. I tried to avoid eye contact, but it didn’t change the fact she was still there. A kernel of guilt was growing in my chest, quickly becoming heavier and heavier. I owed her too much after everything I put her through.

Don’t listen to them, Hunter. You need to rest. Return to the castle.

“I… I can’t, really,” I explained, trying to ignore the small headache that was slowly building. “I tagged along on this field trip to watch over the foals, but you guys seem to know what you’re doing more than me. It’s been a long day; I’ve been turned to stone, my body hurts, and I have a headache. I need to rest.”

“You can rest with the school,” Fluttershy offered. I noticed she was using the same tone as she did with the manticore. “I promise the foals won’t be too much of a burden.” It was getting difficult to say no as she stared at me with big eyes.

“And I’ll be with you the whole time if it’ll help,” Lyra promised. “Nopony’ll panic.”

“You sure about that?” I asked doubtfully.

“Okay, maybe they will at first,” Lyra admitted with an innocent smile. “But Zecora and I can calm them down. It’ll be a piece of cake after that.”

She held out a hoof for me to grab, and I eyed it warily. A storm raged in the back of my mind, pushing me to leave. I took in a deep breath and grabbed her hoof.

“Alright, I’m trusting you,” I said as she helped pull me up.

Her face beamed with excitement. “Really? This is great!” She pranced excitedly in place. Fluttershy watched with a content smile. “Come on, let’s hurry back before everypony decides to—”

A shriek pierced the air, cutting her off. We froze on the trial, staring where it came from. It sounded young. I shot a glance at the two mares.

“Was that—”

“The foals!”

Lyra and Fluttershy broke into a sprint, and I struggled to keep up with them. My body still ached from being encased in stone, but even as lead filled my legs I was determined to keep pushing forward. A chorus of shrill screams sounded from our destination, impossible to miss.

The mares skidded to a halt as the trail widened into an open area. I fell in close behind panting and stared at the chaos unfolding before us.

The fillies and colts were scurrying around, wildly trying to find their own safe haven as creatures of wood and vines weaved among them. Zecora stood her ground before Cheerilee on the other side of the trail, trying desperately to fend one of the attackers off with a branch.

The timberwolves were back.

I tried to digest the situation. It didn’t appear as if any of the foals were being harmed, just herded, although that didn’t settle well with me either. We needed to keep the wolves busy so that the foals could escape. Having two more pairs of hooves would be extraordinarily helpful. “Let’s get moving,” I said quickly. “I’m going to help Zecora. You two try to round up as many foals as you can and get them far away from here.” The mares gave a brisk nod before splitting off, and I threw myself into the chaos.

My heart was pounding in my ears as I charged past the stampede of foals towards Zecora’s wolf. I unshouldered one of the spears off of my back as I drew closer. With a running start, I leaped into the air and threw my weight behind my spear. It plunged deep into the wolf’s lower back. It yelped and crumpled beneath the force.

With her attacker powerless, Zecora swung what was left of her branch and clocked the beast on the side of the head. A sickening snap of breaking wook sounded on impact. Zecora’s branch had shattered. It wasn’t a complete loss, though, as the timberwolf seemed stunned from its sudden injuries. I ripped my hatchet out of my belt and landed the final blow to its head.

“Hunter, friend, your timing is most opportune,” Zecora panted. “If not for your help, I may have been overcome soon.”

“Anytime,” I heaved and nodded. Cheerilee gawked at me behind Zecora. I tried my best to shrug off her panicked eyes. “Lyra and Fluttershy are trying to get the foals out of here. They could use your help. I’m going to try to buy you some time. Just rush them out of here as fast as possible. Got it?”

Zecora looked troubled, but nodded. “Yes, I understand what to do, but Hunter, what about you? You are still outnumbered three to one; I cannot see how you will overcome.”

“Don’t worry; I’ll… handle the details,” I waved off. “Just do your part, and I’ll do mine.”

She wished me good luck and galloped off with Cheerilee close in tow, and I threw myself back into the fray. It was uncanny how easy it was to get the wolves’ attention. The moment they caught sight of me they broke off from the foals. Fortunately, it gave the older mares plenty of time to herd the school. Unfortunately, I had just realized how much of a mess I had gotten myself into.

Fending off the wolves was becoming more and more of a challenge. I started with my last spear, prodding at them to keep them at bay. As they tried to encircle me, I tossed a few pouches of poison joke on the ground to break them up. They attacked one at a time at first, trying to divide my attention between two of them while the third would try to sneak up from the rear. I whirled around and moved to press it back, and it easily dodged to the side. Another would attempt to attack, and the dance would repeat itself. They were toying with me.

One made a lunge at me, and I thrust my spear into its shoulder. It cried in pain as the weapon sank into its rough skin, but it clamped down on the shaft and pulled back as the other two advanced. I gave it one last push before releasing my spear and pulling out my hatchet. I wouldn’t last very long against them this close. My free hand searched my waist. Only one more pouch of joke remained.

My eyes darted across the area as I retreated backwards. The mares seemed to have corralled all of the foals. Zecora cast a worried look at me, and she moved to leave the school.

“No, get the foals out of here!” I shouted over the growling wolves. “Make sure they’re safe. I’ll be right behind you.” She hesitated, but with a nod she returned to the group and galloped back to Ponyville.

I returned my full attention to the wolves. They were fanned out, pressing forward until my back was at a tree. My heart was pounding with adrenaline. My fingers drummed across the hilt of my hatchet. Just a little closer…

My last bag of poison joke erupted between the three wolves as I threw it with all that I had. The wolves recoiled from the resulting cloud, giving me enough time to whirl around and bury my hatchet into the tree behind me, severing a strained vine. With the tension released, the upper portion of the vine shot into the canopy, and the low groan of wood echoed through the forest as a log sailed through the air like a pendulum.

The pollen-covered timberwolves were swat to the side as the log barrelled into them. The crunch and snap of shattering wood filled the air as they collided back to the earth, and the pendulum swung lazily. As they struggled to pick themselves back up, I sprinted to where the ponies left.

I nearly made it to the first curve in the trail when a sharp pain flared around my right leg. My momentum threw me to the ground as I screamed. I pushed myself up to my hands and knees. Something was crushing my right leg and pulling it back. Two of the three wolves had recovered and tackled me from the front; their splintered claws dug into my shoulders. I toppled backwards and tripped over a fourth wolf that had its teeth buried in my calf. The bastard must have snuck up on me after I dealt with its friends.

The two that had tackled me clamped their jaws on my already bleeding shoulders and dragged me across the earth and up to a tree. My skin ripped in their teeth as their broken legs caused their heads to jolt up and down. I was pinned into a lounging position, too afraid to move. A third wolf laid broken on the ground still, whimpering for attention. The newcomer casually approached.

It was much larger than the others, I noticed. Its frame was thin, though, as if malnourished, yet it stalked closer with an air of power. Splotches of moss covered its body, giving an ancient appearance to it. Its eyes still radiated that same sickening shade of yellow, drawing a primal fear out of me, but something was wrong. I thought I could see intelligence behind its eyes.

It paused at the whimpering wolf and extended a paw to it. The wood and vines shifted in its wrist, and its claws glowed a deep green as they touched the wolf’s muzzle. A series of pops and snaps sounded as the injured wolf’s body contorted back to its original shape. It bowed sheepishly once it was healed and scampered off, and the new creature stared back at me. A feral growl emitted from its throat.

“There you are,” it growled hungrily through bloodied, wooden teeth. Its voice sounded as if someone was grinding two rocks together. The furious gaze in its glowing eyes was enough to paralyze me. “You have overstayed your welcome, beast. It is time you paid for your trespassing.” It crouched mid-stride and leaped.

I ripped myself out of the wolves’ mouths out of instinct. I screamed in agony as skin was ripped out and tried to crawl away. My calf flared as I tried to push my weight with it. My hatchet laid on the grass only a couple feet away. All I had to do was reach it. Then I could—

A heavy force rammed into my back, knocking the wind out of me and causing me to crumple face first into the cold earth. I refused to let it stop me. Against my shoulders’ screams of rebellion, I tried to drag myself across the dirt to my only weapon of defense.

“I must admit,” the timberwolf commented in his grinding voice. “Despite the trouble your kind causes, you never fail to make for a good hunt. It has been far too many years since I have had prey run for this long.” He dug his claws into my arm and rolled me over to my back, pressing a foreleg down on my chest. “But why do you continue to struggle when you know you are dead?”

“I haven’t survived this long by giving up,” I spat. He added more pressure to my chest, and I wheezed. I glanced to my hatchet, which was now barely within arm’s reach. My fingers brushed against the handle and gripped it like a vise. I brought it up and buried it into the creature shoulder.

“Insufferable vermin,” he screamed in pain. His leg came off of me only for his free paw to grab and throw me across the trail. I came to a rolling stop against a tree, the world still spinning. I thought I heard a couple of faint gasps.

The timberwolf pried my hatchet out of his shoulder and glared at me. “I’ll never understand what Starswirl saw in your kind,” he grumbled to himself. He made to move at me but paused, staring at the hatchet still in his grip. A faint glow of green sputtered across his claws, and he growled.

“What manner of magic is this?” he asked in a distant tone.

I was still in a daze. I couldn’t tell what he said or to who. “What?”

“How did you create this?” he erupted, throwing my hatchet at me. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as the blade sank into the tree a few inches above my head. The two wolves flanked him, snarling at me.

I scrambled to get up and pulled desperately at my hatchet, but it was wedged too far into the trunk of the tree. The timberwolf quickly closed the gap between us and pinned me to the tree by the neck. His claws shifted and wrapped around my throat, digging into my skin. My hands were locked around his wrist. I felt so small compared to him.

“What do you want with me?” I choked out.

“I want you gone and forgotten, as all accidents should be,” he snarled. “This world is in harmony, and I will not allow you or your unnatural magic to change that. Now tell me…” His grip tightened around my throat. My skin burned around his claws. “How did you create this weapon?”

“I-I didn’t,” I stammered. “I just brought it with me, I swear.”

The timberwolf’s body shuddered and shifted as he rose to his hind legs, dragging me up the rough bark of the tree as he reached his new height. I pulled myself up on his foreleg, trying to alleviate the pain around my neck. “What more did you bring?” he pressed threateningly.

There was a fire in his eyes, and something clicked in my head. “A few things,” I bluffed, praying he would go for it. “Nothing big, though.”

The pressure around my throat tightened. Something warm trickled where splintered claws met burning flesh. The wolf leaned in and uttered, “Where?” His breath reeked of rot.

I took in a shaky breath to calm my nerves. “Maybe we can reach an agreement,” I struggled to say. The wolf snarled. “You and I both don’t want me to be here,” I hurriedly explained. “Let me live, and I’ll take everything I brought with me and leave.”

“And what is to stop me from putting you down and searching for them myself?” he demanded, giving me a bloodied grin as I hesitated.

“You don’t know what or where they are,” I reasoned. “But the ponies do. A few of them know me, and they’ll be searching for me if I disappear. They’ll find my things before you, and you’ll have that much more trouble to deal with.” He paused, and I cautiously continued. “Let me live, and I’ll save you the trouble of searching. I just want to go home.”

The wolf had a distant look in his eyes, as if he was lost in thought. His body slackened slightly for a second, but it went rigid almost immediately after he snapped out of whatever trance he was in.

“Come to the eastern riverbank before nightfall, and bring all you have brought into this world; nothing more, and nothing less. Then you shall be sent home to your kind,” he grimaced. “Have haste, though. Otherwise, if you are late, or if I discover you have left something behind, I shall unleash my pack on you and hunt you down like the animal you are,” he growled.

He dropped me back to the ground. I was too stunned to react. Instead, I laid there and watched as he fell back on all fours. After giving me one last glare, he and his wolves retreated back into the forest.

I stared at the sky, trying to find the willpower to get back up to my feet. The sun was already beginning its descent. A sudden burst of energy flowed through me at the realization. I didn’t have too long before the deadline. I had to move, now.

It could be lying, you know, the voice muttered bitterly. The moment you reach the portal, you could be slaughtered.

I paused as I tried to pull myself up. “What do you recommend I do?” I breathed quietly.

This pack leader believes you are broken and defenseless, an easy prey to overcome, it started. Prove it wrong. Return to the castle; heal and arm yourself with all that you have. This could be our only chance to return home. We cannot afford to fail.

I winced as my torn body stood up. My right leg was fragile from the bite; I couldn’t put much weight on it without receiving a rebellion of pain in return. I brought a hand up to my sore throat, and it returned slightly stained red; nothing fatal. My shirt was sticking to the blood from my shoulders.

“I’m not sure if that’s one your best ideas,” I strained as I finally wrenched my hatchet out of the tree. I placed it back in my belt and leaned against the rough trunk for support. As much as it didn’t settle well with me, though, the voice had a point. This was my first free ticket home, no matter what the strange wolf’s intentions truly were. I couldn’t afford to throw it away.

A pit formed in my stomach, though. I barely survived this encounter through luck and bluffs. How could I hope to survive against the full pack and their alpha?

Have faith in us, Hunter, my inner voice assured softly as it receded. We will not let them touch you. It was soft, not even a whisper. I wasn’t even sure if I heard it right.

A renewed sense of calm washed over me; one I hadn’t felt in a while. The trail was motionless save for the bushes and leaves that rustled in the fall breeze. I spotted one of my spears still protruding from wolf that was terrorizing Zecora and Cheerilee earlier and hobbled over to it. Its body was brittle; when I knelt down to pull out the spear, chunks of bark broke away with ease. A part of me wondered why the alpha timberwolf didn’t stop to heal this one.

Using the spear as something of a crutch, I slowly trudged back to the castle. Everything was planned out in my head. There should be enough time for me to take a swig of Zecora’s potion and make it to the riverbank if I hurried. All that was left to do was arm myself to the teeth and hope for the best. This was the most important moment in my time here so far. I couldn’t afford to mess this up

A twig snapped behind me.

“Careful, Snails!” a hushed voice hissed behind me. “The monster could’ve heard that!”

Act I: Deadlines and Deadends

“Watch out!” a quiet voice hissed. “You almost tripped me.”

“It’s not my fault! Applebloom let go of the branch, and it nearly hit me in the face!” an equally hushed and angry voice retaliated.

“Don’t y’all start blamin’ this on me. It’s Scootaloo’s fault we’re followin’ this thing in the first place.”

“Hey, I never said you guys had to tag along!”

“What else were we supposed to do; leave you chasing the monster by yourself?”

“Why’s everypony whispering?” a slow, male voice blurted out.

“Because, Snails, we’re following the monster,” was the hushed response. “Now do us all a favor and whisper before you get us caught!”

“Oops, sorry…”

One hour. One long hour of listening to their nonstop bickering. One hour of painfully slow limping through the woods. One hour of torture from my wounds. One hour of silence on my behalf.

It was alright at first; the foals were fairly silent to begin with. I hadn’t said anything or so much as acknowledged them in hopes that they would get bored and return to Ponyville on their own, but it was becoming more apparent that that wasn’t about to happen. Their conversations slowly escalated into this mayhem, starting with petty apologies, then irksome complaints, and eventually ending with this chaotic criticism. These foals were driving me insane.

“You’re just lucky the monster isn’t very good at hearing. Otherwise we’d all be done for.”

And that was the final straw.

“Alright, that’s it!” I announced as I spun around mid-stride. The foals following me were frozen in shock. “I’ll have you know, the ‘monster’ can hear perfectly fine and has had to listen to your constant complaining for a while now, and you’re starting to give the ‘monster’ some serious migraines. The ‘monster’ has a lot on his mind right now and would really appreciate some peace and quiet!”

There were five foals, all in all; each still with their saddlebags on their backs. I recognized Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle among the group, unsurprisingly, along with the two unicorn colts who chose that manticore for their report. They were speechless with that deer-in-the-headlights look still in their eyes.

I sighed. “Look, I didn’t mean to shout,” I apologized. “It’s just… I’m kind of under a lot of stress right now. I’ve got wounds to heal, plans to make, deadlines to meet. So if you guys can just… I don’t know, shoo, please?” They didn’t move. I turned back around and continued hobbling to the castle. It couldn’t be too far away now. I thought I could hear the river.

The faint sound of the foals’ hooves stayed close by. When I turned around again, my followers were standing around avoiding eye contact. This ritual began to repeat itself a few times before I finally asked the obvious. “Shouldn’t you ponies, you know, be heading back to Ponyville?”

The fillies chuckled nervously in response. “Well, funny thing ‘bout that,” Applebloom started. “We, uh, don’t actually know how to get to Ponyville from here.” The yellow filly tried to give me an innocent smile.

“Wait, what?!” the short teal unicorn shouted. He planted his hooves on Applebloom’s shoulders ands shook her. “Do you mean you girls have no idea where we are?”

“It’s not our fault,” Sweetie Belle piped up as Applebloom recovered. “We didn’t even realize everypony had left! We were too scared to leave our hiding spots.”

“And Scootaloo still wanted a drawing of the monster, so we decided to follow her,” Applebloom confessed. She shrank under a leer from the pegasus and turned to me with an innocent smile. “Well, that and we kinda thought y’all would help us get back. Zecora told everypony you were actually pretty nice for a monster,” she added. “So… would ya?” She and Scootaloo scrunched together, looked at me we pleading eyes, and sang a chorus of “Please?”

I hesitated. “Sorry, but I really can’t afford any detours. My work’s cut out for me as it is, and I’m kinda on a deadline.”

“Wait, you can’t just leave us here by ourselves!” Sweetie Belle shrieked. “We’ll be lost in this dumb forest forever!” The other foals shouted in agreement.

I held my free hand up defensively. “Hey, don’t get me wrong now. It’s not that I don’t want to help. I’m as lost as you are, and I’ve finally been given a free ticket home… kinda. The details are a little fuzzy right now, but I can’t pass up the opportunity to see my family again. They’ve probably been worried sick, thinking I’m either dead or… lost… in a forest…”

I looked at my followers again. They were just kids, with families and friends waiting for them to return home like mine.

They are just ponies, Hunter, the voice reminded. You will not have enough time to help them and save yourself. Think of your family. Think of the burden your absence has placed on them.

A heavy sigh pushed itself out of me. “But I can’t shift that burden onto five other families,” I replied, feeling defeated. “Ponies or not, that wouldn’t be right.” I shook my head as a war raged in my mind. I stole a glance at the sun, which was slowly inching closer towards the horizon.

“Alright, come on,” I waved to the foals as I limped to the river. “I’ll take you back to home, but I need to make a pitstop first.”

“Really?” Applebloom asked as she hopped to my side. “Thanks, Mister! Maybe we can help you get home, too. We can get our cutie marks in… um… Monster Helpers!”

Scootaloo appeared on the other side of me. “Monster helpers? Really? Who would want a cutie mark for something like that?”

“Well, I couldn’t think of anythin’ else!” Applebloom said defensively.

“Oh, oh!” Sweetie Belle piped up behind Applebloom. “We could get our cutie marks as navigators!”

“Yeah, or adventurers!” Scootaloo jumped excitedly, buzzing in the air for a quick second.

“Just like them fancy Darin’ Do books!” Applebloom chimed in.

The trio ran up ahead and shouted, “Cutie Mark Crusaders Adventurers, yeah!”

I couldn’t help but smile at their enthusiasm, even if I didn’t understand what they were talking about. I shuffled past them as they planned excitedly amongst themselves and forgot to pay attention to where I was walking. The bottom of my spear connected to a root sticking out of the earth, and without my stable crutch I collapsed onto the trail with a yelp. The fillies quieted quickly and watched uncomfortably as I slowly pulled myself back up.

“Um, Mister Monster?” Scootaloo asked behind me. “Why are you limping like that?”

I turned to face the foals with confused eyes. “Wait, you kids don’t know what happened?” The three fillies shook their heads innocently. The two colts, however, look as if they were about to explode.

“Oh! Oh! Snails and I saw everything!” the plump, teal unicorn squealed.

“Yeah, it was awesome!” his counterpart, Snails, slurred excitedly. “When the timberwolves attacked, Snips and I hid behind a really big tree. Miss Cheerilee started freaking out and everything and Zecora tried beating the wolves back with a stick, which was pretty cool. And then Lyra and Fluttershy came back with you, and you ran straight at the wolves!”

“Yeah!” Snips exclaimed. “Then you beat up that wolf that was bothering Zecora and went into an all-out flank-kicking on the other wolves!” He added some kung fu looking motions to help his point. “And when they tried to gang up on you, you used your cool Everfree magic to send a tree flying down and crush them. But before you could escape, another really big wolf jumped out and attacked you when you weren’t looking.” The fillies gasped in shock. Snips and Snails nodded in affirmation.

“Yep, we saw it with our very eyes,” Snails picked up. “The wolves pounced on the monster and pinned him against the tree. The big one started talking as it got closer, and—”

“I think they get the picture,” I interjected, not wanting to relive the moment. The colts were deep in their story; they seemed to forget that one of the characters was with them.

“How bad is it?” Applebloom asked. “Is there something we can do to help?”

I shook my head. “Doubt it. I’ve got something that ought to help, though.” We had finally reached the river. The bridge shouldn’t have been too far down the way. I glanced down at the large, dark stain around my right calf, and a sense of unease fell over me. I wasn’t sure if I could cross the bridge with my new handicap. “But maybe checking on it isn’t a bad idea,” I confessed. I slowly, and painfully, knelt down and pulled up my right jean sleeve.

The foals gasped. The timberwolf’s teeth definitely penetrated skin. It was a gory mixture of crimson streams and scattered scabs around bleeding holes configured in a bite mark.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Sweetie Belle mentioned before plugging her mouth with a hoof. None of the other ponies looked much better.

I cursed myself for not checking sooner and ripped off my shoe and shimmied my sock off my bleeding leg. It was riddled with holes and stretched past what I thought its limits were after weeks of constant use, but it was whole enough for what I needed. I carefully applied it to the wound and wrapped it around my calf once, tying a knot across the shin. It wasn’t a perfect bandage, but it worked where it counted. I rolled the sleeve back down carefully to not shift the new bandage and carefully stood back up.

The foals’ faces were still drained of their color, and I tried to pick up the mood. “Hey, we’re almost there. I bet you kids’ll love to see my little home away from home.” They hesitated but followed as I started hobbling along the river.

It took longer than I would have liked to reach the river. The sun had completed a little over half of its descent to the horizon. I prodded the old tree with my bad leg and tried to give it a shake. It was still as sturdy as the last time I crossed it.

“Wait, we’re not crossing the river on that, are we?” Snips asked worriedly.

“Well, yeah,” I answered, turning to the colt. “Unless you feel like swimming.”

“It doesn’t look very safe,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.

“Hey, I’ve used this bridge hundreds of times,” I exaggerated. “It’ll hold, trust me.” The foals still didn’t seem convinced. “I mean, it’s either that, or you can stay here and wait for me to come back.”

The alternative didn’t seem to settle well with them, and they quickly lined up behind me. It was tricky stepping up with my handicap, and even more difficult crossing the narrow bridge with a crutch. Applebloom and Scootaloo followed closely behind, tailed by Snails and Snips with an uncomfortable Sweetie Belle in the rear. The old tree dipped under our collective weight, and the river crashed into its underside. We were only halfway across.

I paused as a remnant of a branch obstructed my path, trying to figure out how to best move around it. Applebloom nearly ran into me, and behind her could only be described as a horrible train wreck. Heads ran into tails, and hooves scrambled to hold their ground.

One of the colts yelped, and I heard a splash.

“Snails!”

I whipped behind me to find the four foals staring anxiously in the river. I followed their eyes and found the orange unicorn being pulled away by the current, screaming for help. I swore under my breath and dove after him, dropping my crutch in the process.

The river felt as if it was made of ice. My clothes were drenched immediately, and their weight threatened to pull me down to the riverbed. The force of the current propelled me forward, and against the pained cries of my body’s wounds, I pushed myself along it.

The unicorn’s head bobbed up and under the water. Through the small, crashing waves I heard one last choked cry before his head fully submerged. It wasn’t coming back up.

I took in one last gasp of air before plunging beneath the river. My limbs were filling with burning lead. Through the murky water I could just make out a limp, orange form being tugged by the current. I reached out with numb fingers and grabbed its hoof.

My lungs were ablaze and my mind started to cloud as I pulled our collective weight to the surface. The breath of fresh air did little to rejuvenate my energy. I swam to the shore against the downward pull of Snails’ limp body in my arm and the perpendicular force of the current.

“Don’t you give out on me,” I growled through clenched teeth. My shoes brushed against submerged sand. My leg flared as I crawled back to the bank, earning a grimace from me. Snails lolled in my arms as I dragged him next to me, motionless..

I threw him ahead of me as we reached relatively dry land. He rolled once before coming to a halt, still not moving. I cursed and scrambled up to him, hastily examining his condition. His chest wasn’t rising or falling, and I didn’t have any idea how to check for a pulse. I began assuming the worst.

I rolled him onto his back with my hands on his chest and began the compressions. My mind was moving a hundred miles per hour, screaming mismatched instructions and cycling through old memories in an effort to find anything that could help. I wasn’t about to let this colt die on me after all of this, not if I had any say in it.

Still no movement. I tilted his head back and opened his jaw, but then I hesitated. I wasn’t even technically certified for this. Would it even translate to a pony? I shook my head and went back to the compressions one last time.

“So help me, Snails,” I said, punctuating each word with another press. “If I have to give you mouth to mouth, I am going to make. You. Wish. You. Drowned!”

Water spewed from the unicorn’s mouth on the following press, his eyes shooting open. He rolled himself over, coughing roughly. I leaned back on my knees, looking up to the sky, relieved and exhausted.

“Snails!” The soft stomps of four foals filled the air as the others galloped to where we rested. Snips was practically glued to his friend’s side as he slowly came back to the land of the living. The three fillies stood by making sure Snails was alright. Sweetie Belle shot me an angry look.

“I told you it wasn’t safe,” she accused, jabbing a hoof in my direction.

I nodded numbly, not fully aware of what she said, and tried to stand back up. The world seemed to shrink beneath me as I shot into the sky. I blinked as my mind settled back into its body. A dull pain blanketed me, smothering me almost. I felt like I was back in the river, an invisible current pushing me forward, but my feet were anchored in place. The earth tilted to meet me. I had just enough time to throw up my arms in front of my face before collapsing to the ground.

My body was numb. I rolled over to my stomach and closed my eyes. I could hear the foals consoling Snails, but I couldn’t find the strength to lift my head and check. I took in a few deep breaths, hoping it would help with my lightheadedness.

“Mister Monster? Are you alright?” Scootaloo’s voice asked, concerned.

I nodded my head against the gravel, wincing and regretting it slightly as the small rocks sent a small spike of pain through my otherwise unfeeling face. I gave a half-hearted thumbs up. “Jus’ gimme a minute,” I slurred. My eyes fluttered open. The sun was continuing its slow crawl to the horizon, indifferent of my situation. It was nearing the tops of the trees around us. We didn’t have long.

“Maybe we should just stay here and rest for a while,” Applebloom suggested. “You ain’t looking too good, Mister Monster."

“Don’t— Please don’t call me that,” I said tiredly. I sat up and faced the small crowd before me. “My name’s Hunter. And we don’t have time to sit around here. We need to move.” I carefully pushed myself up on my feet, not wanting a repeat of last time.

“What’s the matter?” Snips asked, catching on to the urgency in my tone.

“We’re running late on a deadline,” I explained as I struggled to stand back up. “We have a couple hours before things start getting a little tricky.” The river’s current pulled us far off course. It was slim, but if we made it back to the castle in time, there might still be a chance for us to escape before the hunt began.

“What do you mean ‘tricky’?” Sweetie Belle pressed, worry evident in her voice.

“It’s… just going to be harder moving through the forest in the dark.” It wasn’t a lie, I told myself, just an omission. I frowned; I wasn’t going to be able to move as fast as I could without my crutch. “Has anyone seen my spear?”

“You dropped it in the water when you went to save Snails,” Snips explained. I mentally slapped myself for not putting it somewhere safe.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Snails apologized.

I rested against the tree and looked back. He was tailing a little further behind the group, eyes glued to his own hooves. His bags were gone, I noticed; probably lost in the river. I sighed. “Hey, don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’m just glad you’re all safe.”

For now, at least, the voice added. You wasted precious time and energy with that stunt.

What was I supposed to do? Let him drown? I argued.

You could have pointed them towards Ponyville and carried on with our plan. I grimaced and trudged on as the voice berated me. I didn’t need this right now; I had enough on my mind as it was. These ponies are making you put yourself in danger for them. They don’t deserve your help.

At the moment, I couldn’t think of a rebuttal. I simply shook my head and trudged on. The sun had disappeared behind the thick wall of trees minutes ago. There was still plenty of light before the sunset began, but we were still moving at a snail’s pace, much to my disappointment, and some of the foals were starting to become tired.

“Come on, we’re almost there,” I said, trying to pick up the dying moral of the group. “I think you kids are really going to love this.”

A few questions started to rise from the group, but they quickly died down as the old castle walls broke from the branches and trees. Confusion turned to awe, which quickly turned to excitement.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Scootaloo pranced in place. “You’ve been living here this whole time?”

“You better believe it,” I smiled weakly. “How would you guys like to check it out?”

“I bet I can beat you to the castle,” Snips challenged his friend.

“You’re on!” With that, the two foals raced ahead of us.

“Hey, be careful on that bridge!” I called out to them, but they were too busy galloping across it to pay me any mind. I sighed in relief as they crossed without a problem. “Let’s hurry up before those two decide to get lost in the castle,” I said to the rest of the group.

I stayed over the bridge to help ferry the fillies over some of the larger gaps. Scootaloo and Applebloom made it across without any problems. Sweetie Belle, on the other hand, was giving me a hard time. She was nervous when I reached for her, backpedaling away from my hands. I didn’t want to push her, but this was starting to take more time than I would have liked.

“C’mon, Sweetie,” Applebloom called from the other side. “Hunter ain’t gonna bite ya.”

Sweetie Belle muttered something under her breath that I couldn’t catch, and before I realized it she took off past me, galloping across the bridge. She jumped the gaps and collapsed on the other side with her friends, who were as equally confused as I was.

The two colts were arguing at the door. Apparently they had tied, although neither was willing to admit it. I carefully skirted around the heated debate and pushed open the heavy wooden doors. They squealed loudly on their hinges, drowning out Snips and Snails and leading the way for the silence that ensued. I turned around to find the foals staring at the entrance with uncertainty, and a small hint of fear.

I tried to lighten the mood with a smile. “Where’s my hospitality? Come on in. Make yourselves at home.” My offer didn’t have much of an effect at first, but Scootaloo bravely stepped forward and entered the castle. Her friends followed soon after.

I shut the door as the last of the foals entered. The stood gawking at the first room. Some of their eyes drifted to the nonexistent ceiling and empty windows. Others were focused on the greenery that littered the area. “Sorry about the mess,” I apologized. “I wasn’t exactly expecting visitors again so soon, and it’s a little difficult to—”

“Is that where the Elements of Harmony were?” Sweetie Belle asked, pointing to the strange pedestal and sphere in the back of the room.

“Elements of… Harmony?” I hesitated. It went unnoticed however as the foals were too busy rushing up to the monument to pay me any mind.

There were plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” going around the group. They were practically drooling on it as they tried to climb up the platforms. They inspected each tiny crack and chattered excitedly amongst each other.

“Do you think this is really where they were?”

“How cool would it be if they were still here?”

“Do you think this one is where Rainbow Dash’s was?”

It was interesting how much they seemed to know about its history, even though all they did was ask questions about it. I decided to let them have their fun though. The world was starting to spin lazily again, and I needed to get to work.

“I’m going up to my room,” I called to the foals. “You kids have fun. I’ll be down in a bit.”

“Your room?” Scootaloo echoed. “Can we see it? Please?” She looked at me with hopeful eyes.

I hesitated. The sun was inching closer to the horizon by the second. We probably only had a little over an hour, if even that. Given how long the potion took to heal, the best we were looking at right now was a head start on the wolves. I wasn’t sure if we could afford any extra delays. But I couldn’t bring myself to say no to those eyes.

“Sure,” I finally said. “Just don’t mess with anything you’re not supposed to.”

The foals burst through the throne room entrance when we reached the top of the tower, eager to examine the new environment. I was lagging behind, winded from the climb and still feeling fairly dizzy. As I rested in the doorway, they scurried around the room, looking out the windows or playing between the columns. The throne was a straight shot through a minefield of children. I pushed myself off the wall and hobbled across the room.

The cushioned throne was a much needed relief. I had to refrain from melting in it as soon as I sat down. The dull throb of my wounds begged for attention. The potion rested to the right of my feet, and a bucket of water was to my left.

I shrugged off my jacket, laying it on the short armrest of the throne, and went to work. I rinsed my hands in the bucket of water, my shoulders groaning at the small effort. After giving them a quick shake, my hands pulled up my right pant sleeve, exposing the poor, makeshift bandage bound around my leg. The cloth was badly stained where it touched the wound.

I unfastened the knot and carefully removed the sock, wincing as scabbed layers of blood ripped out of place. It was looking better now than it was to begin with, although it was beginning to bleed again. I discarded the further ruined sock to the side and started taking off the other.

The foals cast a few curious glances at me every now and then as they pranced around the room. At one point, Scootaloo broke away from her friends and sat down a few yards in front of me, examining me for a few seconds. She then pulled a sketch pad and pencil out of her saddlebag and began doodling in it, throwing a few inquisitive looks at me as I worked.

I wadded up the relatively cleaner sock, dunked it into the water, and wrung out the excess. I cautiously pressed it against the wound, hissing at the pain. It had to be done sooner or later though. The potion worked wonders closing wounds, but I wanted to ensure there wouldn’t be anything enclosed in my skin after taking it. The ritual repeated itself a few times. Dunk. Wring. Press. Rinse and repeat.

Satisfied with my work, I moved to the shoulders. My shirt was torn around the area, and what was still there was stained heavily. Dried blood turned the gray cloth nearly black, and a thin trail snaked down past one of my sleeves. I winced as scabs began to pull when I tugged at my collar.

Come on, Hunter, just like a band-aid, I told myself. I took in a deep breath, counted to three, and bit back a yelp as I threw my shirt off. The blood was starting to gush out. I dabbed at the wounds with my wet sock to slow it, occasionally scrubbing the dried blood around it.

A sharp pain flared on my left shoulder as I cleaned it. My fingers danced around the wound until they fell upon something wooden. It felt as if it was digging into my skin as my fingers tapped against it. One of the timberwolves must have lost one of their teeth. I reached over and retrieved my hatchet, biting into the handle as I grabbed the tooth and pulled. It was warm and slick. I found it difficult to get a decent grip on it, but after a few tries and a muffled yelp, I was able to pry it out.

An uncomfortable silence had fallen over the room. I looked up and noticed all the foals were staring at me worriedly; some of them looking slightly nauseated. I spat the hatchet out of my mouth and flicked the tooth to the side. The sound it made as it landed seemed much louder than it should have been.

“Sorry about that,” I started. I picked up the potion bottle and popped the cork off. “Not too used to having company when I do that.” I paused as the bottle touched my lips, trying to mentally prepare myself before downing some of the drink.. I had to resist the urge to retch the moment it touched my tongue. It tasted worse than the last time I remembered taking it. I started to worry if it was possible for the potion to expire.

A low growl echoed in the room. My body tensed as I bent down to grab my hatchet. Were we being followed by the wolves this whole time? We all stared at room’s sole door, save for a rather embarrassed looking Snips.

“Sorry, I haven’t eaten since lunch,” he explained sheepishly. “I’m really hungry.” As if on cue, a small chorus of whines and grumbles sounded out of the other foals’ stomachs.

A faint smile pushed itself to my lips, and I chuckled in disbelief. “Well, you all are in luck,” I said as I threw on my jacket and strained to push myself up to my feet. My hand anchored itself on the broken throne and helped push me further back in the room where a light green saddlebag waited. My calf groaned as I knelt down to pick it up. “‘Cause for the first time in a long time,” I continued as I made my way back to the foals, “I have more food than I know what to do with.”

I collapsed into the cushion and fiddled with the bag’s flower-shaped buckle. The foals inched closer in curiosity as I revealed the leftovers from last night.

“Say, ain’t that Daisy’s bag?” Applebloom asked. I looked up and found them staring at me suspiciously.

“Hold up, it’s not what it looks like,” I started.

“You’re not stealing stuff from other ponies now, are you?” Sweetie Belle asked with a disapproving look in her eyes.

“No,” I sputtered. “It’s just—”

“Then how’d you get it?” Snips pressed.

I hesitated, not wanting to sabotage any of the friends I had just made. Getting the kids to trust me would be difficult otherwise, though. I sighed, “Look, don’t tell anyone about this, but some ponies came over and visited the other night. They brought some food and gave me the leftovers ‘cause I kinda needed it. It’s hard to come by decent food out here.”

Scootaloo tilted her head to the side. “And Daisy was one of them?”

“That’s not important,” I stressed. “This is a pretty big deal, and I’d hate for them to get in trouble over this. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf here, and they’re being really helpful. Just promise me you all will keep this a secret for now.”

They were unsure at first, but they eventually nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief, and started passing out the food. “Thank you. You guys can have as many of these daisy sandwiches as you want. I can’t eat them.”

“What’s wrong with them?” Sweetie Belle asked skeptically.

“Nothing’s wrong with them,” I shook my head. “My kind just can’t eat flowers. It’s bad for us.”

Scootaloo was scratching her pencil in her notes, balancing the end of it between her teeth with her sandwich resting in her hoof. She paused to take a bite and looked at me. “So, wait, does that mean there’s more of you?” she asked, crumbs falling out of her mouth and onto her paper.

“Oh, yeah; loads,” I chuckled. “A whole planet-full even.”

“Wait, if there’s so many of ya, how come we ain’t ever run into your kind before?” Applebloom asked.

“Probably because I come from a whole different world altogether,” I offered. It felt odd saying that; I never imagined myself saying that string of words honestly in my life. After all that had happened to me since I came here though, I had pretty well come to terms with it.

My train of thought was cut of with a loud gasp. I looked up to Snails, who stared back at me with surprised eyes. “Does that mean you’re like an alien?” he asked in awe.

I blinked, trying to process what I just heard. A small laugh found its way out of me, and it quickly grew. “You know, I never really thought of it like that,” I smiled. “But yeah, I guess I am an alien, in a way.”

“That’s so cool!” Snips and Snails exclaimed in harmony. They jumped around excitedly, asking questions that ranged wildly from homeworlds to motherships. Scootaloo was scribbling frantically in her notes, and Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and I were struggling to keep up.

“Alright, let’s slow down a bit,” I tried to calm them.

“What are you doing here?” Snips asked, carrying on the assault of questions. “Are the rest of the aliens trying to find a new homeworld?” He cut himself off with a loud gasp. “Are you planning on taking over Equestria?”

“No, no, nothing like that at all,” I shook my head in exasperation. It was getting more than a little tiresome answering these questions.

“Did your ship crash land here after an epic space battle?” Snails shot back excitedly.

“No. Well, kind of, just not that exactly.” An idea popped into my head, and a faint smile broke my face. I decided to let them have their fun and give in to their fantasy. I sat down on the throne and leaned forward.

“It all started when my family decided to… take a vacation from our homeworld,” I began, trying to weave a sci-fi spin into my own life. “We were bored with civilization, and decided it would be relaxing to spend some time in the uncharted wilds of deep space. Things were going smoothly until our ship began running out of fuel. I was chosen to leave the mothership in search of raw materials to power the engine. I came here to begin my search when I was suddenly ambushed.”

I paused to see how my audience was buying it. Snips, Snails, and Applebloom were staring at me with eyes wide and jaws agape. Sweetie Belle was watching me skeptically, and Scootaloo was writing on a fresh piece of notebook paper trying to keep up. A part of me felt bad for lying; she was probably going to take these back to tell to the rest of the class all the misinformation I was feeding her. But at least the colts were quiet for the time being.

“My ship crash landed deep in the Everfree,” I continued. “Communications were down; I had no way of sending a message back home. All I could salvage from the broken remains was a simple tool. As I left the crash sight, I was greeted by ferocious creatures of twisted vines and wood.

“They chased me through the whole forest, their teeth hot on my heels. I eventually managed to shake them and fled from the forest, only to find myself near a peculiar town. A terrible storm raged overhead, and I knew I needed to find shelter. There was an uneasy air about the town, but I pressed on hoping to find help. I rested underneath a large tree with a house built into it and thought I heard voices inside. I cautiously opened the door, only to be attacked.”

“That’s not what happened at all!” Sweetie Belle interjected. Her disgruntled look wiped the smile off my face, and I pressed my lips together. No one spoke a word.

“Alright, then...” I finally said after an unbearable pause. “Why don’t you tell me what actually happened then?”

All eyes were on her. She shrank slightly, but that defiant flare was still in her eyes. “Rarity told me everything. She said you were trying to break into the library!”

“Trying to break into the—” I echoed in disbelief. I shook my head. “You know what? Sure, in hindsight, I guess I was trying to. But I don’t think that warranted getting shot point blank with a confetti cannon.”

“They thought you were a monster,” Sweetie Belle defended.

“I thought they were monsters,” I exclaimed. “I thought I escaped the maws of a bunch of bloodthirsty animals just to stumble into nest of more bloodthirsty animals. I was lost and separated from my family and scared for my life. I heard voices and I thought there were people who could help me. If I would’ve known what would have happened, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near that tree.”

“You didn’t have to stay,” she leered. “Why didn’t you just run away if things were so bad?”

“I was trying to run, but your friends kept trying to catch me like I was a wild animal. They were starting to wear me down; I couldn’t let them chase me forever,” I argued.

“That doesn’t mean it was okay for you to hurt my sister!” she practically screamed at me.

The cards were on the table now, and a heavy sigh found its way out of me. Her sister was one of the ponies chasing me that night. I forgot that little detail. She was the one I snapped on, too, if I was remembering correctly, and I prayed I wasn’t remembering correctly. I could only imagine what was running through her mind about me.

“Look, Sweetie Belle,” I started cautiously. “There were a lot of bad decisions last night, on both sides. We were all scared, and when people get scared, they do things they wouldn’t normally do. Your sister was worried about her friend, so she tried to save him. I was scared for my life, so I ran, and when I couldn’t run anymore, I tried to fight.” I met her green eyes. They were getting watery from the shouting and anger, but she didn’t dare let a tear drop. “I’m sorry I hurt your sister, but I’m not sorry I defended myself.”

She huffed, but otherwise didn’t say anything else and turned her attention to her sandwich. The morale of the group was plummeting, and I was at a loss thinking of how to save it. “You kids finish eating,” I resigned. “You can have more if you want, but we’ll need to be heading out soon.”

I separated from the group and hobbled to a window to check how much time we had left. The sun had just touched the horizon. If we left now, and were quick about it, we should be able to make good distance before the pack was unleashed on us. My eyes glanced at the foals, still eating next to the throne. I didn’t want to rush them, especially after that argument. I heaved a sigh and watched as our time slowly ticked away, trying to plan the trek in my head.

Hunter, you cannot be serious about this, the voice piped up.

“Should’ve figured you wouldn’t be onboard,” I said under my breath. A few low-hanging clouds clung to the horizon towards Ponyville. They looked dark, but that could’ve been thanks to the setting sun. “What do you suggest I do, then?”

Anything else, the voice exclaimed. Go to the wolves before the deadline. Fight your way home. Or stay here; hold them off. We know this fortress, Hunter. We can survive here.

“Not for long,” I pointed out. “This is a lot of ground for one man to cover. And we’ll run out of food eventually.”

The foals don’t have to stay here. More food for you.

I frowned. “You know I won’t do that.”

Think about this, Hunter, the voice pleaded, somewhat agitated. What you are planning is a suicide run, a one-way trip. There will be no coming back to the Everfree after this.

A sigh escaped me. You’re probably right, I started, breaking my eyes away from the setting sun and looking over to the foals. They were quietly talking amongst each other; some were occasionally casting a few glances at me. But my decision is final. I’m taking them back home. Even if it kills me.

That is what we are afraid of…

The soft rain gently pelted my head. I raised my hood to shelter my eyes from the water as I carefully navigated through the dense plant life of the forest. I was running, well, walking, for my life from a hidden enemy. There was no way of knowing where they were or when they would strike, for certain. They could be behind the brush up ahead of me or be as far away as the castle. My only hope of safety was to reach the town at the end of the forest. Déjà vu.

“Couldn’t we have just stayed the night at your place?” Scootaloo complained. Behind me lagged the five foals. They were struggling to stay awake despite being on the move for an hour now. The sun had fully set a while ago, and it was quickly getting more difficult to see. I never told them the reason for our hasty departure, just that it was urgent and we needed to go as soon as possible. So far we made it past the river without any trouble and were making good time. Ponyville was probably only a half-hour away.

“No, I think it’d be best to get you all home as soon as possible,” I answered. “Don’t want people to start thinking I kidnapped you.” A twig snapped to my left. I halted, much to the displeasure of the foals following me, and listened for anything else. Nothing other than the rain and the occasional coo of the nocturnal birds could be heard. I coughed and continued forward.

“Somethin’ wrong, Mr. Hunter?” Applebloom asked with concern. I stole a quick glance at her. She was so small, so young, so innocent. I shuddered as I thought of what might happen to her if I failed. I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t let that happen, to any of them.

“Everything’s fine,” I lied in an attempt to reassure her. “I’m just a bit jumpy.” Some bushes up ahead rustled. I put myself in a stance and prepared for whatever creature was about to spawn before us.

A rabbit… Just a rabbit. I sighed in relief and mentally slapped myself for being so paranoid.

Do not be too harsh with yourself, Hunter, the voice said. Your paranoia and instincts have kept you alive this long. Do not let them go.

It wasn’t entirely happy with my plan, especially since I was putting my life at risk for the foals; even less so when it found out I didn’t intend on arming myself to the teeth with all that I had. I figured that carrying all of that would have slowed me down. Not to mention it probably wouldn’t have sent the right message to the ponies if I walked into town armed with spears. My hatchet bounced off my thigh as I walked with a half-limp, my only defense in case things went wrong. I prayed that I wouldn’t have to use it, but my mind was plagued with scenarios of all that could go wrong. In spite of it all, though, I was adamant to see my plan through.

“Does this have anything to do with you missin’ your deadline?” she persisted. Deadline… What an appropriate term.

“Yeah, I suppose you could say that.”

“We’re really sorry we made you miss it,” Scootaloo chimed in.

I sighed. “It’s not your fault. It’s all water under the bridge now. We’ve got bigger problems to worry about.”

“Problems?” Sweetie echoed. “What kind of problems?”

I cursed myself for letting that slip. Should I tell them? No, that would probably only complicate things. “Don’t worry. Everything should be fine, if we’re careful...” I assured, but they didn’t seem to buy it. I could hear the foals whispering nervously amongst themselves.

The closer we drew to the end of the forest, the more my fears shifted. I was no longer afraid of the timberwolves as much as I was the ponies. Would they accept me after I brought back the missing foals? Someone might have concocted some wild idea that I had kidnapped them. I wouldn’t be able to retreat if things went south during this trip. The forest was no longer a sanctuary. It had become a deathtrap.

Another twig snapped. It was probably just the wildlife again. But the panting, too? No, I must have been imagining that. I had to be imagining that. We were too close for them to have followed us this far… right?.

“Let’s pick up the pace,” I said. “We’re getting close. Just a few—”

The wind was knocked right out of my body. I was barely aware that the world had turned upside down. Through the harsh ringing in my ears I heard one of the foals cry out my name. Before I had a chance to come to my senses, sharp claws dug into my shirt and pushed me against a tree.

As my vision slowly sharpened, the blurry lines of the brown canvas before me formed twigs and vines in the snarling face of wolf. His eyes were fixed with mine, glowing with yellow, fiery ferocity. I grabbed at his foreleg in an attempt to pull myself away, but to no avail. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the foals huddled together as a trio of timberwolves encircled them.

“Coward!” the alpha wolf growled. “I promised safe return to your home world, so that you would no longer interfere with the course of events here, and you have the nerve to spit in my face and hide behind five foals?” His grimace slowly turned into a sinister smile.

“Oh, you have made a grave mistake, human.” He threw me in the middle of the path, forcing a pained gasp to escape me upon impact. One of the wolves broke away from the foals and pinned its paw on my chest, daring me to move with a snarl of wooden teeth. “I am going to ensure your end is slow and painful. A fitting end for worthless vermin like you.”

The alpha wolf slumped forward so that he was back on all fours. He prowled back to where we came from. “Do what you wish to the human, but bring him back to me alive,” he growled. “I will follow his scent and discover the hole he has been hiding in and ensure there is no trace left of him.”

The wolf above me whimpered, and the alpha wolf paused. “The foals?” he asked. He hesitated, as if he was uncertain, and then craned his head back to face us. “The human might have infected them. Bring them to the pack for cleansing.” Without another word, he stormed down the trail, leaving us with his pack.

The wolf above me opened its maw and lunged. I brought my arm up, and it clamped down on my left forearm. I yelped and braced my left arm with my right for support. It shook his head wildly, and I screamed as it ripped through my skin, sending blood splattering across my face and into my eyes, turning the world crimson and blurry. My hatchet rested on my left side, and I couldn’t reach it without losing whatever ground I was desperately holding onto.

There was a shrill shriek off to the side. The other wolves were closing in on the foals.

“Leave them alone!” I cried out to the wolves, desperately hoping they could understand me. “I didn’t do anything to them, just please let them go!” My wolf snarled and pulled back at my arm. I screamed as I struggled to keep it locked in place. It had me pinned, and all I could do was watch the foals hopelessly.

Their timberwolves rallied them in a tight circle. They were shaking like leaves. One of the wolves made to move at them, and everything fell apart. The foals screamed and scattered, leaving their captors clueless. A wolf lunged for one of the foals, and time slowed to a crawl.

It probably took less than a second, yet it seemed to stretch out for an eternity, burning every last detail into my mind like a branding iron. Wooden jaws clamped down on the runaway filly’s lower back; its teeth digging into her white coat. A shriek pierced through the screams and snarls in the air as the filly was ripped from the ground. The wolf shook its head once before tossing the dazed filly back to the cold dirt, a dull thud accompanying the impact.

The earth was shaking. Something ignited in the back of my mind, and I cried out with all I had as if it would turn back the clock. “Sweetie Belle!”

The filly was motionless, unresponsive to my cries. The world seemed to fade around her still form, behind the chaos thrashing inside my mind. I glared up to the wolf attached to my arm, and We wanted nothing more than to watch it burn.

Before I even realized it, I became a puppet; a passenger in my own body. A primal scream escaped my lips as I threw the wolf off of me and rolled on top of it. My hatchet was already in my hand and connected with the startled wolf’s head. A string tugged my hand into the air, and the wolf resisted against the bleeding arm that held it in place as the tool was wrenched out of its skull. My arm seemed to rise and fall on its own accord, over and over and over. I didn’t know what was happening, but I didn’t want to stop.

Something latched onto my back and hurled me to the side. A new mass of wood landed on top of me. My vision was tunnelling around it. Despite the dull ache in my body and the pounding of my heart in my ears, a surreal calm washed over me. A voice whispered in my mind, lulling me to sleep.

They hurt you, and through you, Us. We will not let them hurt you again. They will die and burn.

Something was wrong. My grip on reality was slipping, and I was scrambling to find something real and tangible to hold on to. One moment a wolf was on top of me; the next I was crouched before two, one with a limp; another I was grabbing at a prone wolf’s head with bloodied hands.

I was… forgetting. The intervals of nothingness were ousting those of consciousness. A cloud was forming around my mind, pressing me further into sleep. It was excited and frenzied and hungry. And it wasn’t welcome.

Another glimpse of consciousness came. I grabbed it with all I had, but something was trying to push me back. A scream broke through static of my mind, and I recognized it as my own.

The first thing to greet me back to reality was an overwhelming sense of nausea. My vision was hazy as the world spun around me. A dull pain conquered my body, which felt as though it was filled with lead. My breathing was shaky and uneven.

There was a whimpering not too far away. A wolf appeared a few yards away as the world came back into focus. Its wooden jaw was unhinged on one side, and its fur oozed golden sap. It struggled to stand on a foreleg that bent in an unspeakably disturbing angle. It scampered back a few more paces before turning and limping away with its tail between its legs.

My arms were warm. I realized I was hunched forward on my knees. I looked down and felt the blood drain from my face. My left arms was planted on top of a wooden carcass. It was numb, and dark trails of crimson leaked from the cuff of my jacket sleeve. The wolf I was over was turned to its back, and my arm disappeared into its abdomen past the elbow. It was pulsing… or something was pulsing around it; I couldn’t quite tell. I carefully retracted it, revealing my bare, sap-coated forearm. My fingers and palm were smothered in hues of crimson and yellow.

I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I doubled over and retched from the nausea and stress. I tried to recall what had happened, but my mind was drawing blanks. A dull pain was receding in the back of my head. I wanted nothing more than to just lie on the damp earth and let the sprinkling rain wash over me, but as I started to fully regain my grasp on reality, more memories started to flood in.

“Sweetie Belle!” I shouted, straightening back up on my knees. I scanned the trail but couldn’t find her, or any of the foals for that matter. Was I too late? Had more wolves come and taken them during my blackout? I struggled to pull myself back up to my feet and called again. “Sweetie? Scoots? Snails?” The earth tilted beneath me, and I stumbled to a tree for support. My heart was racing. “Applebloom? Snips? Please tell me you’re alright!”

Through the ringing in my ears, I thought I heard a response nearby. I limped towards it, away from the trail and a few yards into the brushes. My hands peeled away at the leaves until I found the foals. My relief, though, was short lived.

“Don’t you worry, Sweetie,” Applebloom said in soothing tone. “We’ll get you back to the hospital, and you’ll be fit as a fiddle in no time.”

I pushed through the small crowd and stared at the little filly in dread. Her white coat was stained red around the side of her body. Her tears mixed with the rainwater as she cried and screamed loudly. Her mane was covered in grime.

“Where is it?” I turned to Applebloom.

“The hospital?” she asked.

“It’s all the way in Ponyville,” Snips answered, never taking his eyes off of her. “But I don’t know if we’ll make it in time.” Scootaloo lied down next to Sweetie Belle, trying to calm the filly’s sobs despite being unable to hold back her own. Snails stood worriedly to the side, unsure of what to do.

I threw off my jacket, making it into a makeshift cradle, and gently moved Sweetie Belle inside of it. She wailed in protest as I tightened the sleeves around her wounds to slow the flow of blood. With great caution, I cradled her fragile body in my arms. Her head turned over, revealing the agony in her face as she buried it in my chest and cried harder.

“We aren’t giving up without trying,” I said, a small flame of determination beginning to burn inside me. “Let’s move!”

I barely gave them enough time to follow me as I thundered through the forest. My muscles ached from the exercise. I realized that more had happened to me during my blackout than I had originally thought. My left leg was set ablaze with each step I took. A small trickle of blood stained the small tears in my jeans. My right arm was bruised, and its hand almost felt numb. It ached from the weight of the small unicorn in my arms. Wooden teeth splintered out of my left forearm, pushing in deeper and deeper as I ran. I was surprised I hadn’t tripped yet from the small moments of blind running due to the pain in my head.

“It huuuurts,” Sweetie cried again. “Just make it stop!”

“Don’t you worry,” I tried to soothe her. “Everything’s going to be alright. It’ll be better before you know it. I promise.” I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep that promise, and the fear of failing to do so was more immense than I can describe.

We burst through the forest border. The storm had begun to pick up. The rain was heavier, and the wind seemed to push us back. Ponyville was in sight, just ahead.

It was at that moment I realized how half-baked my plan was. I had no idea where the hospital was, and I had accidentally left the foals behind. They were the only ones who could direct me to the hospital, unless I felt like running around blindly through the village. No, I couldn’t do that; not with Sweetie Belle’s life on the line.

A tiny voice piped up from my arms. “Hunter?”

“Yes, Sweetie?”

The little filly coughed in my chest. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. For a monster, you seem really n-nice.”

I couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. I pulled her closer to my chest, as if through some miracle it would help her. “It’s going to be okay, Sweetie. I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.” It was getting harder to breathe with the lump in my throat. This wasn’t fair. She wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was.

“Hunter!” an urgent voice cried behind me. I tore my eyes from the filly in my arms. The other foals had finally caught up to us. “What do we do now?” Scootaloo asked quickly, despite her shortness of breath.

I stood back up, recomposed myself, and stared at the village. There were probably still some pony stragglers outside, and for all I knew the hospital could have been on the other side of the town. Even if we made it in time… When we made it in time, running through the town would be sure to cause a riot. My eyes shot down to the filly in my arms. To save her, a riot might just be worth it.

“Alright, listen up,” I announced. “I have no idea where the hospital is, but you do. I’m not sure how much time Sweetie has, so we’re going to have to be quick about this. Applebloom, Scootaloo; you girls try to find any of Sweetie Belle’s friends, family, whatever. They’ll want to know what happened. Snips, Snails,” the two colts saluted at the sound of their names, “You two are going to lead me to the hospital. You guys know your way around town better than me. Everybody clear on what to do?” The foals erupted into affirmative shouts. Sweetie Belle weakly groaned.

We immediately split up. I followed Snips and Snails with ease. They were fast, but slower than I would have liked. I wished I didn’t have to rely on them for directions. Ponies became more and more frequent as we drew closer to the village, as did their shrieks of terror. By the time we entered Ponyville, everything had fallen into chaos.

“It’s the monster!”

“Everypony run for your lives!”

“The horror! The horror!”

“What did it do to that poor filly?”

“Is that blood?!”

“It’s chasing those colts! Somepony do something!”

Snips and Snails skidded to a stop at an intersection. I nearly trampled them.

“The hospital’s that way!” Snips yelled, pointing his hoof down one of the paths.

“No, it’s the other way!” Snails retaliated, pointing his hoof in the complete opposite direction.

I stared between the two in disbelief. Were they arguing about this now of all times? How could they not be sure where the hospital was? They lived in this mad town! Maybe I should have told the others to lead me instead.

Sweetie Belle groaned again. “Make it stop,” she pleaded weakly. With no idea which colt was correct, I blindly chose one of the paths, praying it would be the right choice. As I stormed down the streets, the ponies were eager to make way for me. “Hunter, I’m getting tired,” Sweetie coughed. “Can we just rest for a bit?”

“No, don’t go to sleep!” I shouted desperately. “You are not giving up on me! You hear me?! I promised you I was going to fix this, and I’ll be damned before I break a promise!”

Up ahead I could see a large building roughly three stories tall. A red circle with a white cross marked its roof and the sign before it. It had to be the hospital. Without missing a beat, I raced to the front doors, shifting slightly so as to not jostle Sweetie too much. There was no time to enjoy the break from the downpour; I had a sickening feeling the true storm resided inside.

I flung the glass doors open and sprinted inside. My soaked shoes slipped on the slick floor, launching me forward. Sweetie Belle fell out of my hands as I stumbled, screaming in pain as she skidded to a stop before the receptionist’s front desk.

The cold tiles came up to kiss my face. Stars exploded in my eyes on impact. I was dazed, but I couldn’t let that stop me. I sluggishly reached forward to drag myself towards the wounded unicorn, but found no purchase. My wounds and fatigue were starting to take their toll. I could feel something warm and thick pooling in my mouth, and crimson splattered the once-white tiles as I spat it out.

“Somepony help!” the nurse at the front cried out. “This foal is hemorrhaging badly. She needs medical attention, now!” Three ponies rushed into the room. Two of them untangled Sweetie Belle from my jacket and rushed her off. The third stayed behind with the nurse.

My surge of energy disappeared with the crying unicorn. I pushed myself up to my hands and knees and allowed myself to breathe. Everything was sore. My eyes were still going in and out of focus. Despite all the pain, though, I smiled. I did it. I saved her. She was going to be alright.

Something punctured my shoulder, something small and thin. One might dare say needle-like. I froze in horror as it ignored my shirt and plunged into my skin. I didn’t dare move, not even when liquid fire burned in my arm around the point of contact. I silently screamed inside. When it withdrew, I turned to face it.

There stood a white pony with her pink mane done neatly in a bun. She stared at me with wild and frightful blue eyes. In her mouth rested a syringe, barely filled with a peculiar green liquid. She was shaking worse than I was.

I turned, fleeing out of the hospital and back into the raging storm. The pony injected something inside of me. I didn’t know what, but I was fearful to find out. It could have been a poison. It could have been something to paralyze me. It could have been something that would eat me from the inside out. My imagination ran rampant at all of the possibilities.

Most of the ponies had vacated the streets. I stumbled around trying to put as much distance between myself and the hospital as I could possibly manage. My body was heating up, and I was feeling light-headed. My vision was failing yet again, but this time it didn’t seem to be returning to a working state. My sense of balance was thrown off as my mind began to muddle, and I soon found myself on my hands and knees.

“Well, well, well. Look who we have here.” A light blue mass materialized in front of me. There was a soft thump like a fist hitting an open palm. “It’s payback time.”

Run. I tried to scramble away on my hands and knees, but something bound itself around me neck. I gasped for breath and clawed at the lasso as it constricted my airflow.

“Nowhere to run to now, partner,” a second voice said. Despite the familiar sounds, I couldn’t find the brainpower to connect the voices with names.

I reached for my hatchet and pulled it out. Thunder exploded next to me, and the hatchet was struck out of my hand. The impact sent me spinning, and the noose pulled me to the ground. Through my blurred vision I could make out confetti clinging to my soaked and sap-covered hand. A large, silver blur positioned itself over me, and I could barely make out the pink blur behind it. “Sorry, Mister Monster, but we can’t have you making any more party fouls,” it said in a singsongy manner.

No, not like this, the voice growled. You will not be defeated in such a pathetic manner. We spent too much time… Stand and fight!

I tried to obey, but my muscles refused to listen. I was slipping out of focus again.

“It’s okay, girls. Nurse Redheart informed me that she drugged the beast with heavy sedatives. It shouldn’t pose as too much of a problem.” That voice… That voice I could definitely remember. It was the same voice as the pony that plagued my nightmares.

A purple blur stuck its head above me. For a second, my eyes refocused to allow me to a very happy Twilight staring down at me. “Isn’t that right?” she cheerily asked. I tried to lift an arm but only succeeded in raising it halfway before it limply fell back to my side. “That’s what I thought,” she nodded. “You and I are going to have a busy day tomorrow. I can’t wait to get to learn more about you!”

Twilight’s grinning face was the last thing I saw before everything went black.