By the time Ezikeal saw the clouds begin to move in, and the pegasi pushing them into place, over half of the apple trees had been cleared out. Ezikeal found watching the small forms of distant pegasi quite fascinating, as it appeared to be some kind of physical interaction with the clouds rather than magic. He would need to figure out a way to ask about it without sounding like a complete idiot.

He helped Applejack get all the apples into cover from the rain and went back into the barn, climbing up to his bed on the loft and watching the rain pour down upon the open field. The vibrancy of the green grass stood out against the oppressing grey the rain clouds produced. The cold air blew in through the small window he had, turning into a soothing cool in the barn's warm interior. He sat there as the grey began turning darker and darker as night fell. It was hard to see far into the treeline now, something he was unused to yet again, producing a small, savoring smile. He reached a hand out the window, catching some rainwater on his hand and watching it fall off his fingers.

His vision flickered before him and he saw his own arm, now covered in the familiar dark silver-blue armor he once wore. Blood was blood dripping off of it practically the same way the rainwater was after a violent fight, trailing down his fingers, dripping... The cheerful feeling welling in him was crushed in an instant and he retracted his arm. It will fade with time. These feelings...they will stop haunting me. He hoped. He laid back in his bedding, restless now.

Ezikeal wasn't quite sure when he fell asleep, but he was awake now from a dreamless slumber hearing the door to the barn open and soft footsteps entering. They didn't sound like Applejack's boots, nor did they support Big Mac's stature. He kept his eyes closed to focus on hearing. A few seconds later he heard Applejack's voice shouting from outside the barn.

"Hey, wait up a second there, Pinkie! He's restin'!"

A new stranger was in the barn with him. Pinkie, hm?

"E-zi-kealll!" A playful voice called out from below. Ezikeal sighed, the sheer energy that was transferred through her just saying his name was staggering. He opened his eyes.

She was right there next to him.

"Gah!" Ezikeal let out, sitting up sharply at the sight of the pink haired woman with vibrant, energetic eyes, wearing a pink skirt and top now next to him in the loft. She was...down there I'm certain, how did she-

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! Applejack told me your name was Ezikeal and you're new around here so I just had to come say hi! You weren't really asleep so I came up," She spoke quickly, her smaller, nimbler looking body bouncing ever so slightly in her excitement. Ezikeal blinked, a series of confused emotions cementing themselves in his mind. How did she-she could tell from down there?

"How did you get up here?" He asked. She tilted her head with a smile.

"Why, I just went up the ladder, silly." Ezikeal slowly nodded. That ladder makes noise...how did you not... Ezikeal was trying to process the discrepancy in logic when Pinkie picked up the sheathed sword.

"Ooo cool sword! Applejack said you were an adventurer from far away, have you fought dragons with this!?" She was holding the sheath, looking at the details on the hilt and guard.

"Hey!" Ezikeal let out, grabbing it back, "Please, I don't want others touching it," He said quickly. I-I have no idea what happens if someone else tries to draw it. I do NOT want to test it. He turned, setting down the sword before turning back to speak further, but found Pinkie missing from her previous location.

"And he just helped you get a ton of apples? That's so kind!" She was down below again, talking with Applejack. Ezikeal looked over, catching her whispering something to Applejack, who just nodded before she quickly left the barn. Ezikeal looked down at Applejack with a questioning expression.

"Sorry ta disturb ya like that, Ezikeal. Pinkie gets real excited when someone new comes 'round," She looked back up at him apologetically.

"It's alright. How did she...?"

"Don't question it when it comes ta Pinkie. Trust me," She said, chuckling softly. Ezikeal stored that in his mind. Don't question the undetectable teleporting woman...got it. He looked out the window, seeing the early morning sun shining over the farm.

"Ready ta get back at it?"

"Yeah," Ezikeal nodded, heading out with Applejack to work more on the apple trees.

The morning turned to late afternoon very quickly. The combined efforts of the Applejack, Ezikeal and Big Mac served to sweep through the trees efficiently and at a good pace. By the time the sky began to turn the orange of late afternoon the trees were all barren, the apples harvested. Ezikeal sat down on a chair, wiping his brow with a bandana Applejack had been kind enough to give him. Applejack let out a content sigh and sat down next to him.

"I can't thank ya enough there, Ezikeal, ya speed this whole thing up and it's much appreciated," She said, smiling warmly.

"Helping is the least I could do in return for what you've given me," He responded, looking up at the sky. He really meant it, he had no idea where he'd be by now if she hadn't let him stay around. You gave me shelter, you gave me food. You gave me a new start to this strange circumstance of fate.

"I wanna take ya into town, Pinkie works at a bakery with some of the best darn goods ya'll ever taste," she said, "It would get ya out to meet a few folks too." Ezikeal nodded. If the pink haired woman was some kind of magical being, he wasn't going to doubt the food could be magical in taste as well.

"It would be nice to get to know people, wouldn't it," He said, agreeing to go to Ponyville. She was right, getting out to meet more people was going to be an inevitable event anyways, so he'd rather go about it now, rather than potentially becoming known as a reclusive shut in.

"Wonderful, I got some friends who'd love ta meet ya," she said, getting up, "We should get goin' soon."

Ezikeal went to the barn, pensive thoughts swirling in his mind. I'm fairly certain that this place is safe... He thought, looking at this sword, At the same time, I still wish to be cautious. If something were to happen, I would be unable to act because I had left the means to back here...No, this is the right choice, I can't risk leaving this alone for so long either. He adjusted the strap of the sheath and put it over his back, making sure he could still draw it while keeping it as unimposing as possible. He nodded to himself once he got it just right and went out to meet up with Applejack to head into town.

"Yer bringin the sword?" She asked, seeing him with the hilt sticking over one shoulder.

"I am not confident enough to leave it here for the time being, sorry," He said, tone brief. She just shrugged.

"Might make it a bit harder ta seem approachable."

"I don't think it's safe to leave it," He repeated, "Besides, you'll be able to pacify any fear by vouching for me, won't you?" He added a bit jokingly. He figured she had a decent reputation, so seeing her with him in town would help to ease any fears compared to if he just waltzed into town with the sword. She let out a small scoff-like laugh at the remark.

"Sure, I'll let em know not to be afraid, just don't go pullin it out on folk, ya hear," She started leading him down the road.

"Of course," He followed along. I have no intentions of drawing it, but if something were to risk my life I want to have insurance...

And assurance in the fact that no matter what you face, nothing compares to the monster that you are. The danger you pose. His mind bit at him. He tried to banish the thought as others remained along with it. The doubt, the guilt, the lingering regrets. No, he had control now, it wasn't like before, he had the ability to act with measure and mercy now. He had become so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the buildings of Ponyville until they were practically in the town.

Applejack led the way, self-assured confidence emanating from her very being as they walked through town. Ezikeal noticed that while most people appeared as he expected, there were some similar to Rainbow Dash who had wings, and another more peculiar trait was that some appeared to have singular horns extending out from their heads. After some carefully placed questions, he had discerned from Applejack that these "ponies" were also unicorns. He really had to figure out the finer details of this world, the confusion gnawed at him and worked as a good distraction from his own thoughts.

Applejack led him through town and to a building made of purple tones and an ornate design. In the window displays of outfits stood and a sign over the entry read "Carousel Boutique." Ezikeal followed Applejack inside, a small bell ringing with their entry.

"Just a moment-Ah, Applejack! What a lovely surprise," A woman spoke up. She was wearing a stylish purple dress that contrasted nicely with her light skin and hugged to her body, accentuating the curves of her frame. She had purple hair done in waves that worked to accentuate her face and aid in the aura of sophistication and beauty she gave off. On her head a horn stood straight out, signifying she was one of these unicorns and if it weren't for her horn, she'd be roughly half a head shorter than Applejack, but the fascinating protrusion added almost an extra foot to her height. She looked pleasantly surprised at Applejack's arrival, before her eyes snapped to Ezikeal and gave him an appraising look. Thoughtfully, she continued, "and who have you brought along with you?"

"This here's Ezikeal, he came by a few nights ago and has stuck around ta help me with the farm. Been a mighty good help too, if I do say so myself," Applejack introduced him. She held her appraising look before glancing up into his eyes.

"Erm, yes, well, Ezikeal, it is truly wonderful to meet you, but..." She walked closer. The intense look held mystery to her intentions. Ezikeal shifted a bit on his feet, feeling unnecessarily tense. Was something wrong? Did she recognize something about him? That should be impossible, shouldn't it?

Maybe some people can just recognize danger. His thoughts chimed in.

Just having a sword does not make me a danger. He shot back.

Of course not, it's much more than just the sword and you know it.

"I hope you take no offense to this, but I must say your attire is-well, it doesn't quite work," She said. Ezikeal let out a shallow breath of relief, but raised an eyebrow and looked down at himself. He knew it wasn't the best looking outfit, but it didn't feel necessarily offensive to the eyes as this woman seemed to view it.

"It's all I have," he said, still looking himself over, questioning the white tunic and over grey pants, which were now slightly worn from all the work he had been doing. He pressed a bit, "If I might ask...why do you say they are so bad?" Rarity practically scoffed at the question and her horn became enveloped in a soft, light blue magic aura. Ezikeal stepped back in reaction, unnoticed to Rarity, who floated a mirror over to them and faced it at Ezikeal.

"Can't you see? It's dreadfully...dull! Not to mention those colors do not do much for you-"

"Now hold on, Rarity," Applejack cut in, "He's gonna need some new clothes anyway, but I'm takin' him around ta meet some of the others before we head on down ta Sugarcube Corner," Rarity checked her composure setting the mirror back into it's place.

"Ahem, yes, well, I would strongly recommend myself to assist in acquiring a new wardrobe," She stood straighter, "I pride myself on my ability to discern and cater to any client's needs and wants in their clothing," Ezikeal nodded. Despite the slightly abrasive introduction resulting in the emotional scarring of his clothings' emotions, it was clear that he wasn't unwelcome by her.

"I'm sure I will come here for that soon enough, your work does look astonishing," He remarked, looking at the various outfits that were on display in the boutique. While clothes back on Azeroth could be of elaborate nature, he was not knowledgeable on what that entailed for obvious reasons. Rarity perked up at the compliment.

"Thank you, I'll be sure that when you are ready, a most spectacular outfit will be made to fit just right for you! Do you intend to stay for a while in Ponyville?" Now that she mentioned it, he hadn't really thought about it. He knew next to nothing about this world, and he already had a couple friendly relations, so it couldn't hurt. He turned to Applejack, who raised an eyebrow slightly at the quick turn.

"Do you have other work to be done around the farm, Applejack?" He asked. She half smiled, seeing where he was going with this.

"There's plenty ya could be put ta work on," She replied. He felt a bit selfish for imposing on the farm further, but he supposed it was fair assuming he continues to do work worthy of staying there. It did look like there was more than just apple trees on the farm.

"Then I could stay for some time," He said, turning back to Rarity, who had a glint of appreciation in her eyes at the exchange.

"Wonderful! Well, you know where to find me now, should a need for attire ever cross your mind, Ezikeal," She said with a small flourish as the two left the boutique. As Applejack started to walk ahead, Ezikeal's pace slowed in his thoughts. I don't feel like I've done enough to deserve all of this generosity. He bit at the inside of his cheek in thought.

Of course you don't deserve it. You know you will never deserve it for what you are. It doesn't matter if you have a new body, a living body, if the corruption within carries over. Ezikeal shook his head.

I was not in control.

Even in our thoughts that feels flimsy to say. He deadpanned to himself. You were a part of the machine of death, it doesn't matter who was in control, you are part of the mechanism whether you regret it or not and those sins, those lives you snuffed out, will haunt you for whatever remains of this life and the next. Besides, even after you broke free of him you remained a machine of war.

"Ezikeal," Applejack called back. He snapped out of it and called back a quick, "coming," before speeding up to get back with her.

"Everythin' alright?"

"Of course," He brushed off her concern with what he felt was a convincing tone of voice, but he could tell the facade was flimsy when she saw right through it. Her gaze lingered on his for a brief moment.

"If somethin's botherin' ya, I'm here ta lend ya an ear," She said, starting down the road.

"Thanks, but I wouldn't want to impose on you any further than I have. I'm fortunate enough you are giving someone like me the opportunity to work-" A hand planted itself firmly on his chest and stopped his walking.

"Ezikeal, ya keep talkin' like ya don't deserve ta be helped," She looked up at him. Ezikeal was stunned for a second at the sudden contact. He almost grabbed at her arm instinctively, but caught himself before acting and instead just looked at her with confusion.

"What do you mean?" he let out, mind scrambling at the sudden shift of tone.

"Ya talk with a tone as if ya don't even deserve ta be treated like a pony, that ain't productive ta yerself," She sighed, "Ya need ta go easier on yerself," she concluded. Ezikeal couldn't even come up with any response. She nailed what he felt, even if he took exception to being called a pony, but how could he communicate anything to her without being cast out of society for the monster he was. Despite that, the strength of the reassurance in the gaze she leveled at him sternly sent a warm feeling in his chest.

"I-yeah...thanks," He said softly. She nodded, flashing a smile before turning around and continuing. Ezikeal followed, mind wandering as he replayed the words. He sighed softly, quieting the voice in his head by focusing on his surroundings, the peaceful nature of the town around him as they went on to approach a large tree.

"Now listen, Twilight is the very studious type, so prepare ta get questioned," She said, tone warning in a not too serious way. Ezikeal nodded as Applejack knocked on the door. There was silence for several moments before the door opened to reveal a boy, looking to be in his teens by his small build and short stature. He had green hair and was wearing a a blue shirt and black shorts.

"Hey, Applejack," He greeted, before looking at Ezikeal, "You must be Ezikeal," the boy said and Ezikeal nodded. The boy had a cautious yet friendly expression as he regarded Ezikeal.

"Nice sword," Spike commented after noticing it. Ezikeal nodded in appreciation.

"Howdy there, Spike. Ezikeal, this here's Spike, Twilight's assistant. Speaking of Twilight, where is she?"

"I'll go get her. Come in, please." He offered them entry and went upstairs. Ezikeal looked at the cozy library. Bookshelves were along every wall, filled in their entirety with books. He went over and looked at the back covers of some. There was a large variety of subjects and topics. There's a wealth of knowledge here, this is great. He thought as he looked over the books. Among books about animals, species, history, and more, there were also fiction and stories he saw as well.

Footsteps caught his attention and he saw Twilight come down the stairs. She had dark hair with a purple hue, done fairly straight around her head and was dressed in a purple skirt that went past her knees, black leggings underneath and a similarly purple toned vest over a white, short sleeved shirt. On her head a straight horn stood out, and despite how non-threatening she appeared to be at the moment, that impossible to notice trait unicorns seemed to share made Ezikeal wary. Another magic caster, he recognized. She smiled warmly at him as she approached.

"Hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle, it's nice to meet you," She greeted warmly.

"I am Ezikeal, it is nice to meet you as well," He said, matching the warmth of her greeting. Spike went off to the kitchen while the three of them settled in. Ezikeal took a seat in one of the chairs, silently appreciating the cushioned seat.

"Have you been enjoying Ponyville so far?" She asked, settling across from him on the sofa.

"It has been nothing but pleasant to me for as long as I've been here," He said sincerely. There was nothing negative he could say, everyone he's met has been kinder to him than he felt was necessary.

"That's wonderful to hear," she said, "Pinkie had stopped by earlier and mentioned you, saying you were an explorer. I'm really curious about what brought you to Ponyville?" Her horn glowed with purple magic as a paper and quill floated over to them. Ezikeal looked at her quizzically. Applejack wasn't lying, huh. Unfortunately he'd have to disappoint her some.

"It wasn't for some big purpose, if that's what you thought. I just kind of...ended up here," He said simply. The quill moved in rapid gestures on the paper for a few seconds. Tension crept into Ezikeal; he wasn't expecting to have to be practically interviewed like this. He didn't know enough about the world for this, especially with the cover of being an explorer...

"I understand, where are you from? Your accent is slightly unique. I haven't heard it before," She remarked, a glint of curiosity forming in her eyes.

"A place I think I'd rather forget." He went to shut down that line of questioning real quick.

"Just the name would suffice, please?" She pressed. Ezikeal shifted a bit, a nervousness setting inside him. He wondered what Applejack had told Pinkie, and what Pinkie had potentially told Twilight.

"It isn't important," He further brushed off. He kept watch of her horn as the glow shifted with the movements of the quill, jotting something down. The glint of curiosity had only intensified, but a small frown of disappointment was present as well, having been denied new knowledge. She did seem to genuinely want to learn about him, but he couldn't shake the feeling there was something...more.

"I'm not going to cast anything hurtful," She said after a moment, watching his gaze linger on her horn, "I'm just taking some notes."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to seem...I just have had some...pretty bad experiences with magic in the past," He spoke stiffly, voice almost forceful as he admitted something he hadn't anticipated in his impulsive scramble to save face.

I mean...I'm definitely not wrong...any normal person would have gone insane from the torture of that curse...

But not you, you let it turn you into a monster. His thoughts taunted.

Maybe I did go insane after all... He shot back at the thoughts.

"-It happened where I'm from, I'd rather not go into it," he added a second later, hoping to close off any further prying into Azeroth. Azeroth...it felt so distant now, he realized, even though it was only a couple days ago when he was last there.

"I'm sorry someone hurt you..." She seemed genuinely hurt for him by the implications of his statement. There were many ways someone could harm another with magic, and he supposed he was coming across as more bothered than he had realized. Applejack, who was seated next to Twilight, also looked concerned for Ezikeal's past self. An atmosphere of understanding another had been through pain settled in. If only they knew the extent of it...

If only they knew your past self.

"If you don't mind me pressing..." She began softly, "What was done to you?" Ezikeal stared into her eyes at the question, unsure of how to respond. Images flashed rapidly behind his eyes - his raising as a death knight from the unholy magic of the Lich King. Flashes of the murders, the atrocities he was a part of came to the forefront of his mind. The word monster reverberated in his head, something that the innocent had screamed at him often. He felt his heart begin to speed up, and his thoughts jumbled. Why did he have to think this way...it wasn't his fault...but he was there...it was him.

"...everything was taken from me." He said, looking almost distantly through Twilight now. She stared back at him, expression morphed into a sympathetic worry at his reaction to the question. He spoke as if a ghost had appeared before him, body having grown more visibly tense. She looked to Applejack, who had an expression of almost anger on his behalf, only cut through by the recognition of the pain he displayed and the sympathy that followed.

"I-I'm so sorry," Twilight said.

"Don't be. It's...in the past. This place has been infinitely better than where I came from and I'm glad Applejack is letting me stay here now, that's all I would like to say of the place I am from, if you'd please accept that," he asked, regaining his composure. Twilight quickly nodded and moved on to a different topic. Spike came back with some tea and poured everyone a cup. Ezikeal took a calming sip, thoroughly enjoying the taste.

The conversation had taken a more lighthearted turn with talking about his meetings with Pinkie and Rarity. Twilight had tried to study Pinkie in the past, but there was no proper explanation that could reveal the way she worked. It was both humorous and concerning to Ezikeal. On the one hand, Pinkie was incredibly friendly, energetic and lighthearted. On the other hand, however, she was an unknown entity and eluded rationale to even those who have lived with her for years now. He was mulling over what kind of scenarios Pinkie could conjure when a small cough from Twilight grabbed his attention.

"Ezikeal, I do have a...request of you, if you would allow me," She said.

"What is it?"

"Well...it does involve me casting some magic on you," She said quickly, "I know you really don't like magic, but it's a bit of a matter of security."

"Security." He echoed, giving a look demanding further explanation.

"Have you heard of Changelings?" She asked, and at Ezikeal's negative head motion she continued, "They're imposters, essentially. They take the forms of ponies, and pose as such in our society in order to feed off of the emotions of those around them. They often kidnap ponies to achieve this...It has been noticed recently that Changeling activity has been increasing some in recent weeks. I would like to cast a spell to identify if you have any Changeling magic acting on you...to...you know. I wanted to figure it out with some questions, but I don't want to step on your emotions by pressing on things you're truly sensitive about," Ezikeal blinked, the dynamic of the conversation having shifted completely.

So I was right, there was more to it earlier...at least it's not about me specifically at least. He thought, and then nodded to Twilight.

"If it helps to affirm trust in me, I consent to this," He said, extending his arms to either side in a gesture of surrender.

"Thank you, Ezikeal," She said, sounding relieved that her request didn't get taken the wrong way. Ezikeal tensely waited as the glow of Twilight's horn grew brighter before a small sensation of tingling washed over his body. He looked down at himself and saw a faint purple glow over his body. He watched Twilight now, her eyes were focused and curious as she searched for traces of the Changeling magic.

Her brows furrowed. A look of confusion and further curiosity became apparent. That doesn't bode well. Ezikeal thought nervously. The tingling sensation increased in strength.

"Well, Twi? Anythin'?"

"Mm-No I'm...not seeing any Changeling magic..." She said, barely focused on Applejack's words before she shook her head, snapping herself out of becoming lost in what she was observing and stopped casting.

"You're definitely not a Changeling," She said, expression returning to the neutral and friendly one she had had. Needless to say, the exchange left Ezikeal concerned.

What did she see?

Maybe she tried to peer into your soul and couldn't find it.

Unlikely.

"What did you see?" He decided to ask. It wasn't like she particularly hid her expressions as she did the observation so a direct question shouldn't be pressing too much. Her quill was taking new notes on a separate sheet of paper while she took a sip of tea.

"Well...it's just that you aren't like other earth ponies," She said pensively, "you see, most earth ponies have a very small amount of natural magic within them. You on the other hand, have...well, more than a very small amount in you. There's not way for you to utilize it in any way further than an earth pony because you don't have the traits of a pegasus or a horn, it's just...unique."

"How much more?" He asked. Twilight made a vague hand gesture that amounted to 'a bit' as she stumbled on her own words, almost as if...

Yep, something she saw is concerning. He was about to say something when a voice cut in.

"If you guys are done interrogating the new guy, I think we could pass the time until we head to Sugarcube Corner with this," Spike spoke up, and dropped a large pack of cards unceremoniously on the table.

"Time until?" Ezikeal asked Applejack.

"Er, yeah, Pinkie wanted ta make somethin' up fer ya before we got there," She answered, opening the cards.

As it turned out, Ezikeal was pretty bad at cards. They had played for several hours, and while he had a few lucky streaks, there was no consistency to his play - in other words, all luck and no skill. Spike was the one who managed to win the most games out of everyone present. He boasted that he had picked up a few strategies from Rainbow Dash, but refused to go into any further detail. The sunlight outside had started to turn orange as the sun lowered.

"Alright, I think it's about time we head on over," Applejack said, setting her cards down. The others followed suit and soon the four of them were on their way through Ponyville and making their way to Sugarcube Corner. Ezikeal took note of their surroundings as they walked. It wasn't that late out, was it? Hardly a soul were left on the streets.

"Is it usually this quiet in the evenings?" He asked. It was nice, he thought, the air was cool and the quiet was peaceful.

"Sometimes," Applejack said, "some days are just less busy, which is a nice change ta the pace of things." Ezikeal nodded in agreement to the sentiment. A little later, they came up to the vibrant colored building of Sugarcube Corner, almost looking to be modeled after a dessert itself. The first thing Ezikeal noticed was that there was no light coming from inside, as if the entire building was abandoned.

"You're sure this is...?" He asked as they approached.

"Yep," both Twilight and Applejack replied in unison. Applejack walked up to the door and stood by it.

"After you, Ezikeal," she said, extending an arm towards the door in an exaggerated welcoming gesture. Ezikeal smiled halfheartedly. This is...suspicious.

It's a trap. His mind shouted as he approached the door. He thought back on the day. Nothing in particular seemed too suspicious...no signs of any ill-will had made themselves apparent too him. Even further, they were letting him keep hold of his sword. What could the trick here be? If there even was a trick? Maybe the place just didn't have lights? That made no sense. Something was definitely up, but he had no reason to feel suspicious of these people. People who were nothing but kind and generous from the start with no discernible false sincerity.

Ezikeal took a breath, and walked inside.

Alright chapter 3 finally!
Sorry for the long delay, had some real life stuff happening.
As always, any feedback on ways to improve at writing appreciated.