//------------------------------// // The arrival // Story: A teenagers guide to equestria // by Rangefinder Rewinder //------------------------------// “Ugh.... get off me you ass!" Rex groaned as he tried to shove his dog off his chest. "Come on pugs, you're crushing me." He glared at his pug.  He had named his dog Marcus, but for simplicity's sake he called him pugs most of the time.  "Ughhhhhhhh!" He cried, getting louder and louder until his dog finally got off of him and jumped onto the floor.  "Thank God," he sighed, rolling around in bed, and trying to get back to sleep. After a few moments of unsuccessful attempts, he moaned and rolled onto his side, and saw his dog wagging his tail and looking at him. "You're an ass, you know that?" All the dog did in reply was  to jump up onto the bed and lick his nose, making Rex recoil from the smell, "Eww, Christ pugs, I really need to get you some dental treats," He chuckled and pulled himself out of bed. After a quick shower, He threw on a pair of jean shorts and a plain red t-shirt. "So what's on the agenda today Marcus?" He asked his dog seriously,  looking out of the window to realize the suns just barely coming up. "Dude, I don't ever wake you up this early, you asshole!" Rex grumbled, reaching down and scratching behind his dog’s ears. He stumped into his kitchen and poured Marcus some food in his bowl. Rex watches him in amusement as Marcus quickly starts to eat it; "Slow down pugs, you'll make yourself sick buddy." Marcus keeped eating regardless. Rex pulled up a chair and sat as the table with his morning coffee. He wondered what he should. do today since he has nothing, it being summer vacation and all. An idea popped into his head. "Wanna go for walkies?" He said, glancing down at the pug as his head snaps up and he runs to him headbutting his leg that's hanging down off the chair. "Haha ow! You little ass," he cried getting up and laughing at his dog’s antics. "Now, where did I leave your leash....?" He mused, heading back to his room and rummaging through his stuff, finally finding it. He hooked up Marcus and strolled toward his front door, grabbing his phone on the way. He walked out his front door, locking it on his way out. "So where do you wanna go today pugs?" Rex asked Marcus, walking down his driveway. He chuckled as the dog started pulling him towards a lake. "Well I guess that answers the question!" He continued, trying to keep up with his dog who's tugging him along. "Hey! I'm supposed to be leading you around." He exclaimed,  laughing to himself. Rex looks around and takes a deep breath, enjoying the peace and quiet that only comes when he gets up this early, slightly glad Marcus woke him up today.  He noticed that someone is also up and about, sitting on their porch, When Rex saw who it was, the smile faded from his face and his stomach dropped. "Hey fagboy! Out walking your pathetic little rat dog?" The person yelled, standing up and laughing. This bully, named Steven seemed to have made it his personal job in life to torment and tease Rex when he was at school. Rex ignored him and Steven ran down his driveway. "Oi, little bitch I'm talking to you," he mocked Rex and stood in front of him, blocking his way. "Steven just leave me alone." Rex says, scooting past him able to and  speeding  up his walk pace. As he glanced behind him, he noticed that Steven was still following him. Rex picked up his speed and did everything he could to avoid him. But to no luck, as he's always right there behind him. Rex, getting tired of it, stopped walking. "Steven, I asked you to please leave me alone," He said, turning around to face him. "Oho! What are you going to do about it if I don't? Are you gonna hit me?" Rex clenched his fist, anger rising in him. "You wanna hit me, don't you?” Steven continued, taunting Rex. “Go ahead, I’ll give you a free shot!" He jerked his chin up, waiting. "Come on pussy, hit me!" He hit the ground as a large jolt smashed into his chin, sending waves f pain through his face. When he finally got to his feet, he spied Rex running away towards the lake, Marcus in tow. "You're fucking dead!" He shouted, running after him. ‘I’ll skin your fucking dog!” Rex sprinted for his life towards the lake, but he was running out of breath fast. The lake came into view and he pushed on, despite his chest being on fire from being pushed past his limits. He heard Steven yelling in the distance, but couldn’t comprehend it from how far away he is and the sound of the wind flying past him as he ran. Beside him, Marcus struggles to keep up with him, tongue lolling out and panting away. He finally got to the lake and panicked, looking around for a place to hide. Too late, the wind is knocked out of him as Rex was tackled from behind into the lake’s warm water, bringing his dog with him. Steven relentlessly tried to choke Rex under the water, but he couldn’t  get a firm grip and Rex kept slipping from his grasp. Rex clutched Marcus close to him and kept trying to swim away from Steven  Suddenly he hears an alien voice in his head. {Go deeper Rex} Rex didn’t question it and swam deeper into the lake, heading for the bottom. {Keep going, you're almost safe} the voice echoed, louder than before and still Rex kept swimming to the bottom, still clutching Marcus tightly. He hit the bottom, straining for breath, but for some reason he was able to keep pushing. Rex’s fading and his chest was burning, but on he went sliding  through the ground. Everything faded to black and he passed out, water streaming into his mouth. Rex suddenly hits open air, and his body waked up, as he gulps down air as fast as he could. The only sound filling the air was of him trying to get as much of it into his lungs as he could.  After a few moments of intense breathing, he finally calmed down and looked around at his surroundings. The first thing Rex noticed was that he was on the ground near the lake.  "H-huh? What happened?" He exclaimed, looking around  and seeing a forest surrounding the lake. "S-Steven?!?" He yelled, but only heard the peaceful sounds of the wind blowing and birds chirping. Suddenly, he heard abrupt thuds coming towards him from behind. As he turned around, he saw Marcus jumping onto him, and he fell back with the dog landing on top of him. "Oh God dammit Marcus.....where in the hell are we?" Rex whispered, looking at the pug. Marcus just tilted his head and looked at him. Rex snorted. "Well you're a big help," he says pushing him off,  then standing up. "Hello!?!?" He yelled into the distance, but there was no answer. He looked back down at his canine companion. "Well....at least you're here with me Marcus." The dog wagged his curly tail at him in response. "Guess we should probably try to find out where the hell we are." Rex told said aloud, still glancing around. He slowly walked into the forest,  Marcus following in behind. Rex continued walking for several moments, pushing past the trees and leaves that block him. He paused at a simple dirt path amidst the trees and cautiously followed it, getting more and more confused as he went while Marcus snorts and followed him.  Several more minutes passed and he eventually beheld an opening in the forest slightly ahead of him. "Finally! A way out!" Rex ran towards the break, and bursted out of the forestry. He came upon a small village in the distance with the dirt path leading to it. "Maybe we should ask where we are, and for directions back home, what do you think Marcus?" Marcus barked and wagged his tail in response. "I thought you'd agree." Rex chuckled, reaching down and petting him as they started walking towards the town. Rex kept to the path as he got closer and closer to the village. As he neared the place, he noticed things moving around inside the area of the village, and they're all walking on four legs. "What the hell?" He softly exclaimed, stopping and watching them walk around. Shaking his head after a while, he carried on, disbelieving what his eyes witnessed. He continued walking until he was almost inside the town, seeing the things that were moving. "Multi colored....horses?" He crouched, inched closer and hid in a bush, dragging in Marcus with him; He spread the bushes, giving him a view of the horses, "what's going on here pugs?" He whispered, looking down at the pug who just snorted in response. "Go scope out the area," he whispered to his dog, who trptted out of the bush into the streets.  Marcus walked along the street and looked at the ponies walking past him as they carried on in their daily lives. Marcus kept jogging, before noticing a very tall tree in the middle of the town. He picked up his pace and ran to the tree.  Noticing a door, he scratched at the door for a few seconds until he heard a female voice from the other side. "I'm coming!" He sat and waited for a few moments, till the door opened and a purple unicorn stepped out "hello?" She called, looking around before looking down and noticing Marcus. "Oh, well hello there!" She says, lying down, getting on eye level with the do. "Who left you here? Are you one of Fluttershy's pets?" Marcu just tilted his head, staring at her and wagging his tail. Suddenly the dog softly headbutted her and barked. "Ow...." She cried. sitting up. Marcus barked again and started walking back in the direction he came "Wait come back!" the lilac pony exclaimed, stretching her hoof toward him but he kept walking. With a sigh, she got to her hooves and followed him as the pug kept walking back to the bush where his master hid. "Where are you leading me?" She curiously asked when Marcus stopped in front of the bush. The dog stepped into it and barked. "What? What's inside there?" the unicorn asked, stepping in the bush, she cried out as she tripped and she fell out the other side, before landing on… something squishy and soft? She looked down and saw Rex underneath her and they both started screaming in surprise and confusion. Rex forcefully shoved her off of him and getting to his feet ran back into the direction of the forest screaming. Twilight slowly got up, regaining her composure and looked down at the dog who had sat and watched the whole scene unfold.   "Was that your owner?" She slowly asks to which Marcus replied with a bark and a wag of his tail. "I’ll take that as a yes....I guess?" Twilight winced as she rubbed the side of her head, trying to think of what to do. With a loud sigh, she plopped onto the ground and stared at the forest, which she assumes the strange creature she saw ran into. "Well, he...she? Whatever it is is probably gonna be in danger if it keeps running deeper into the Everfree forest." Twilight said. She gasped as an idea came to her. “I’ll get the girls, maybe they can help!" She announced, jumping to her hooves and galloping off to Sweet Apple Acres, going as fast as she can, Marcus following close behind.