When the stallion awoke, he was covered in cold sweat, he was gasping for air, he looked down to see that his right hoof was swarming in his bio-mass. He manipulated the viral substance back into his body, took a deep breath and looked to his left. Applejack was staring up at him with concern in her eyes, most likely she didn’t see the tendrils lapping at his hoof.

“Are yah’ll ok?” she said, in that country accent of her’s.

“Yeah, yeah…Hey, I’m gonna sleep in the barn actually…” he said, still breathing shallowly. Once the words escape his lips, Applejack frowned for a moment is disappointment but slowly replaced with a understanding neutral face.

“Ah understand…Ah’ll be here if ya need anything” she said friendly. Kickback nodded at her at pulled the blanket over so he climb out of the bed and the mare’s embrace. He walked up to the door, opened it and gave Applejack a friendly smirk before proceeding through the Apple house, out the door then making his way to the barn. He opened the large red door to the building and found that nice haystack with ease despite the dark, he had excellent night vision.

He walked up to it and just let his body to fall upon the cushy surface…then he fell in. He decided not to sleep directly on it but rather lean up against it as he slept. That night he relived it all in his mind, the trauma, the agony, the killing all of it was resurfaced in his sub-conscious.

“Will I ever get over that…?” he asked himself before slowly closing his eyes and drifting off into uneasy sleep.

Kickback was awoken by a something being struck hard on his head, he winced as his eyes shot open, he glanced up to see a red stallion. Big Mac had anger and fear in his eyes as he looked down at the stallion, he much resembled the work horse but his coat and eyes were darker shades of red and green compared to his own. Kickback sat there holding his head in pain before his annoyance got the better of him. He stretched out his back legs, put his front hooves on the ground and rotated 360 degrees, tripping over Big Macintosh. The work horse was stunned for a moment, his weight proving that the bigger they are the harder they fall. He fell on his side with a loud thud while Kickback got to his hooves.

“Hey, what the hell, mate?” he asked angrily towards the apple farmer. Big Mac looked up and locked eyes with the scarlet stallion, right then and there Big Mac felt fear, true fear, even if it was only for a second. Big Mac wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but he was wise when it came to things besides ‘fancy mathematics’ and He could tell that this was NOT a stallion to anger. Before either red stallions could speak another word, an orange mare entered the barn.

“Mornin’ Kickback…I hope ya slept wel-” she cut herself off as she saw her brother on his side and her friend standing up straight. “What in tarnation’s going on in here?” she asked angrily.

“Sis, ya know this stallion?” Big Mac said as he got to his own hooves, Kickback noticed the heavy accent coupled with the sheer deepness of his voice, then he noticed his large green apple cutie mark and the fact he called her ‘sis’.

“Big Macintosh, this here’s mah friend, Kickback” she said, gesturing with a hoof towards the dark red earth-pony. Big Mac and Kickback looked at each other, the scarlet stallion noticing that his hooves were orange and he stood a fair amount over him. They stared at each other before they smiled in synchronisation.

“Hey, I guess you’re AJ’s brother, right?” Kickback inquired.

“Eeeyup” Big Mac answered instinctively.

“Well good, now that yah’ll are acquainted…ya wanna tell me what happened before I got here?” Applejack added suspiciously. Big Mac scratched his mane behind his neck before answering.

“Ah uhhh, thought he was…I knocked him on the head and he tripped me…still wondering how but-” Big Mac explained. Applejack looked at the smaller red stallion in what could be called either a neutral look or a surprised look. Kickback just stood there with a blank face.

“Ya must be tough to survive a punch by Big Mac” she inquired. Kickback then took noticed on how all their name’s rhymed, it got a little annoying hearing the same sound every five seconds but he held his tongue. He just smirked at the mare which in turn caused her smile.

“Well uhhh, I’m gonna start for today, got plenty to do” Big Mac said as he casually left his sister and her friend alone in barn. Kickback turned to Applejack of whom did the same, the two stared at each other for a moment before AJ broke the silence.

“Ya sleep well?” she asked.

“Uhhh…I guess…” he said, realising that he slept much better with Applejack despite the nightmare…or was it a memory anyway it was a dream.

“Ya kinda scared meh…what happened last night?”

“I had a nightmare…” he answered.

“Well, dat don’t mean ya had to sleep in the barn” she said as her cheeks turned a light red. Kickback paused for a moment, rethinking why exactly he wanted to sleep in a barn when he had a nice bed and a nice mare to sleep with.

“…How did you sleep?” he asked.

“Fine..” she answered blankly. A silence fell upon the building.

“Well…Thanks a lot, AJ…” he said as he began to walk up to the door. AJ watched him for a moment before proceeding after him and leaving the barn to it’s loneliness.

“Well…see ya later, Applejack” the scarlet said as he stopped to face the mare on his right.

“…yeah, ok, goodbye” she said, her tone switching from at first a disappointed one into a friendly one at her last word. Kickback nodded and smiled at the mare before pressing on into town. Applejack watched the stallion leave for a long moment before walking back into the farm house. AJ saw her little sister, Applebloom, happily eating her breakfast with granny smith in the dining area before spotting her favourite chair in the lounge room and plopping herself down on it. Kickback walked through the now busy streets of Ponyville as he glanced about for anypony he knew, some ponies who had attended the previous night’s get together greeted the stallion on his walk. Kickback had stopped in the fruit market and looked to his right to find a familiar yellow pegasus talking to an old stallion that looked to be explaining something to yellow mare with irritation. Kickback got curious and trotted towards the fruit stand.

“I’m sorry miss, but I can’t just give you all these carrots for ten bits…as you can see the price is double that amount” said a the old, grey pegasus stallion.

“…B-but…I-” she said timidly, not finishing her sentence. Kickback caught wind of the conversation and trotted up to the side of Fluttershy.

“How much?” Kickback asked calmly.

“Twenty bits, sir” the pegasus replied. Kickback noticed the ten bits on the counter, slid them over to the yellow mare of whom had a surprised and confused look on her face. Kickback then placed thirty bits on the counter and smiled. The brown pegasus smiled even wider at the tip and gladly ‘hoofed’ the bags of carrots over to the red stallion. Kickback nodded respectively at the pegasus before turning to a very confused yellow mare, he smiled warmly at her.

“Where do you want these?” he asked, catching the mare’s attention.

“…uhhh, just…in my saddle bags…please” she answered timidly, the scarlet colt obliged and placed the bags of carrots in the mare’s saddlebags. She wore an unsure but grateful small smile that was directed at the red stallion. “Th-thankyou” she added.

“Hakuna Matata…” he replied happily. Fluttershy was left confused.

“W-what?”

“It means ‘No worries’…for the rest of your days” he explained, leaving the yellow mare in a state of understanding.

“Oh…okay…well, goodbye” she said unsurely. Kickback smiled at the pegasus, a gesture that she shyly returned and watched her walk off for a moment before continuing on his own path. Kickback had found that same park bench from yesterday and began to relax as the sounds of the quiet town sang to his ears. Then there really was singing. Kickback shot up when he heard a familiar mare’s voice ringing harmoniously through the streets, he then saw Pinkie walking happily down the road singing a song most likely about herself for the first line had her name in it.

“My name is Pinkie Pie, hello and I am here to say, how ya doin’? I’m gonna make you smile and I will brighten up your dayaya!”

Kickback was shocked to see that the tree that made shade around the park bench was bent over by the pink mare, was she that strong…or just heavy? He thought. He got off his seat and began to follow the pink mare as she sang through the town. She stopped at two foals that looked less than happy, he was stunned at the fact that she technically just kidnapped two fillies then slid down a railing into a cart, with the foals on her back. Kickback noticed that the stallion pulling the cart was the one he met earlier: Big Macintosh, she then leaped from the cart, leaving the two fillies in a the speeding cart of death. Kickback galloped to keep up with the pink mare’s musical number, he couldn’t help but feel he needs to see this. She had stopped at the local primary school and began to play skipping rope with the foals, an orange pegasus with a purple mane stepped in with her then a grey unicorn with a light yellow mane stepped in too. Soon four fillies plus Pinkie were skipping happily as two other foals swung the rope in circular formation. The lyrics and happy display could fill Kickback with joy, he smiled as he continued to follow the pink mare. In the distance a yellow filly with a red mane of which was a large pink bow worn. She had a sad look on her face as she threw another skipping rope to the ground. Pinkie Pie then grabbed the small pony and placed her on her head before jumping up and down with the skipping rope with the filly upon her fairy-floss mane. Kickback smiled at the her action.

The mare had developed a cult at this point as the stallion watched her walk down the streets of Ponyville with six other mares. He followed her back to Sweet Apple Acres where apparently the left side of the barn that he slept in wasn’t painted. Kickback watched her as she technically just painted graffiti on the barn, he chuckled at the painting of the pink mare and a smiling sun. Kickback looked at AJ who wore a blank look, not sure of what to make of it. Kickback made it to a hill top and saw Pinkie reach down over it and pull up another Pinkie…did she have clones? He thought, maybe she did the trick she did last night? He added. She had mad it back into town and this is where things got interesting, the entire town seemed to be joining in, everypony was smiling as they made a smiling legion and walked in synchronisation down the road, Kickback recognised the one on the far right from where he was standing to be Lyra.

This Kickback was good at. The smiling ponies leapt from roof to roof like assassins, Kickback followed easily as urban exploration was his best skill…among other things. Again he spotted Lyra in jumping group. She leapt back down and walked by some political looking ponies before she continued down the road. Kickback watched in amazement as first Fluttershy then Twilight appeared on both her sides then Applejack popped out of nowhere and carried the pink mare down the road as Rarity popped on the far right and Rainbow Dash squeezed in between Fluttershy and AJ. Before he knew it he was in a crowd on the entire town. Confetti flew down from the sky like it was the most normal thing ever. Ponies ranging from every kind made two rows that formed a straight path for the six mares to walk down, it was essentially a random parade. The towns folk began to march, Kickback found himself being pulled into it and started to jog with everypony else, he pulled up along side Lyra and smiled at her, she looked at him happily while singing, the entire town was imbued in Pinkie’s song. Kickback felt the need to sing along no matter what kind of pony he was, Pinkie Pie just seemed to make ponies smile despite everything.

“C’mon everypony, Smile, Smile, Smile” The town’s voice echoed through the streets and the stallion was sure he could hear this from Canterlot if he still there. Ponies from second story buildings opened their windows and began to sing along to the redundant yet addictively catchy song. Pinkie leapt in front of the crowd and Kickback found himself shouting along with everypony that exploded from the hilltop. A large circle was formed with ponies swaying back and forth while singing, each stood on their hind legs and placed their hooves on each other’s shoulders, Kickback remained at Lyra’s right side as they sang with the pink mare in the centre of the large circle. Pinkie stood straight up and the entire crowd sang one last, long note as the final “Smile” was sang. Pinkie turned with a large grin on her muzzle to face the scarlet stallion of whom she noticed following him. He only stared back at her with a smirk.

“Hi!” she greeted happily.

“Hey..” he answered calmly, still keeping his joyous mood “That was quite a song…” he complimented, Pinkie beamed.

“I know, it always makes me smile and that’s because it makes other ponies smile!” she said.

“Yeah…I didn’t know what to think when I was following you…” he said.

“Hey, ya hang out?!” she asked excitedly. The stallion paused.

“…ummm, sure” he said unsurely despite what he said.

“Great, let’s go!” she said happily, Kickback could do nothing despite his god-like-power he was easily grabbed by his hoof and drag to Sugarcube corner, she was quick about it though, she had formed into that iconic pink blur as she sped off to the bakery. Before he knew it…he was baking cupcakes with the pink mare, he didn’t know why but when she said.

“Baking Cupcakes!” in that sing song voice of her’s, he couldn’t help but feel a slight shiver down his spine. That was put aside as the mare bounced around the bakery, grabbing assorted ingredients while the stallion simply watched, she really didn’t give him anything to do to help or anything. Once she had finished baking, Kickback took an experimental bite off one of them, Pinkie beamed in anticipation.

“So…?” she stretched her word questioningly.

“Pretty decent, Pinkie” he said friendly, Pinkie smiled widely at his remark. He then took notice of the state of the kitchen, flour was dispersed everywhere, cracked egg shells littered the floor, he chuckled as the mare giggled along. Kickback looked at the pink mare, they stared at each other for a moment before the stallion broke the silence. “Here…” he said as he place a few bits on the table, he then made sure that Pinkie wouldn’t be able to protest by walking to the door “Thanks, Pinkie, see ya” he waved at the confused but still grinning mare in the bakery. He walked about for a bit before spotting a familiar whit unicorn with empty saddlebags and a sad look on her face as she walked. Kickback walked up to Rarity.

“Hey…” he greeted.

“…oh, hello darling” she responded unsurely.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh…I was supposed to collect diamonds today but Spike is apparently on royal Canterlot business and can’t help me” she explained, leaving a confused red stallion before her.

“Ok…why do you need this ‘Spike’?…wait, isn’t that Twilight’s assistant or something?” he said, remembering what he was told yesterday.

“I prefer NOT to get my hooves dirty, thankyou very much” she responded in an irritated tone, which annoyed the scarlet colt.

“Diamonds…you don’t like digging...I guess you make Spike do it for you” he stated observantly. “…Maybe I can help you” he added, catching the unicorn’s attention.

“Really?” she said excitedly, her eyes lighting up.

“Sure, all I gotta do is dig, right?” he asked, she nodded “Alright, lead the way” he added.

The two had stopped at the outskirts of town, Rarity’s horn glowed a cyan colour and she began to move her head around close to the ground. Kickback watched as she acted illegibly like a metal detector, eventually several jewel were presented through transparent dirt, she smiled.

“There, right there” she said, the stallion looked at blankly then back at the ground.

“Alright, stand back” he instructed, Rarity looked puzzled as she began to step backwards, when she was far enough, Kickback raised his right hoof and brought it straight down. A cloud of dust was emitted but when it cleared, a crater that was filled with jewels was presented to the white unicorn. She smiled when she saw the pile but when she glanced at the stallion who had a blank look on his face she was quite confused as to his methods of ‘digging’.

“Shall we continue?” he asked, Rarity levitated the gems into her left saddlebag and began to scope the area once. Each time she would find a stash, the stallion would use a different method getting them out but she didn’t care too much. An hour past with the two looking for the precious mineral.

“…I think that’s it, Rarity” he said after watching the unicorn frantically look around for more for about ten minutes.

“No, no, no…there has to be more” she whined, the stallion let out a bored sigh as he continued to follow her. Then a light bulb lit up in his head.h

“Is there a dragon’s den around here?” he asked, Rarity shot up and looked at him with shock and confusion…then she began to think. Next Chapter: Goliath Slayer Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 46 Minutes