> To Greener Pastures
>  by Kyo Wright
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1 - Taxing To The Body
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Day in.

Day out.

Every second of every minute of every hour of every day.

Agony.

Complete agony.

That is exactly what the boy was feeling as he was walking home in the flaky and freezing december snow at 11 'o clock of the evening holding a couple of bags filled with some groceries. His winter jacket was barely protecting him from this cold, the gloves he had to pay with his overtime money were at least coming in handy.

You probably chuckled at that poorly made pun, but our favourite hero of the day is not laughing. For... Different reasons, let's just say.

This boy had shoulder length spiky black hair, no facial hair, slim and slender, faded blue irises and young features. He looked generic out of any school boy anime you could think of.

But he had his own personality that differentiate from the rest of those pieces of sexy paper.

He was in pain. Not a tragic backstory or in agonizing back pain or anything like that, no. He's monetarily in pain and he couldn't believe his rotten luck.

It all started when he had an argument with his parents about getting a job, he couldn't easily find one so his parents decided to kick him out of the house with very little money (Around... $30) and book him an apartment (to their negligence did not realize the state the apartment was in. Poorly researched on their part, major booboo) to give him some kind of pressure so that he could get a proper life, get a girlfriend and settle down.

Our young hero tried to talk sense into them but of course as all parents who like to think that they are doing the best for their children, they do not listen and assume this was a tactic to get him back in their house.

He wasn't lying.

After talking with the manager of the apartment, he was rudely shown to his room, it was the 'elegance suite'.

That is if elegance is a giant fucking' cockroach scampering on the floor and the bed covers looked like they were extremely rushed and probably never saw a working washing machine for all it's life... Then yeah, pretty damn elegant.

He was practically thrown into the room before the manager stomped downstairs and loud vocals were heard from downstairs. Out of pure luck however the walls were somewhat soundproof so whatever kind of argument the manager was having with his wife was very unintelligible.

That or he's piss drunk to make a coherent sentence...

Regardless, you would feel nothing but pity for the poor soul who has to deal with that piece of work.

Anyways, back to the room.

The room's wall paper looked... NICE at least, decor of flowers was not really what he had in mind but it was probably the only thing that was relatively normal in this shit hole.

Oh well, beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.

... Screw whoever made that saying.

Looking around he desperately went looking for some kind of button or switch to turn a heater on. Because believe it or not, it was more freezing in that room compared to outside.

Within a full hour of searching, it has come to pass that 'poorly insulated' is added onto the list alongside rushed house keeping, a giant fucking cockroach and some flowery wallpaper.

Only in New Jersey...

You and I would both shudder at the thought of all the other 'rooms' that man has... You'd rather not know, though.

So a day passes and he calls his parents to complain that there was a mistake... This is how the conversation went.

"Look, mom. There's been a terrible mistake in the booking, this place is SHIT!" He complains.

"Language!" His mother had reminded him and scolded him for the curse, to which he promptly apologised and she forgave him within a split second.

"Okay, but seriously though. This place is awful! The bed I'm sleeping in has been used God knows how many times--" Before he could even finish that sentence. "Don't ever say the lord's name in vain, we have told you about this, Ashton!"

Oh yeah, his name is Ashton by the way!

"I'm sorry, mom." He apologised again to which she forgave him within a split second... again.

"This bed that I am currently sleeping in, I have NO idea how many have been here before me... There's a giant cockroach on the floor, the place is poorly insulated and I'm freezing! There's has got to be a mistake, mom!" He pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Ashton. But I know these tactics all too well, and a mother knows when their children gets what they want." She replied.

"No, I'm genuine here! The manager shoved me in before I could ask about any facilities! This is unsanitary!" He once again pleaded.

It seemed however she was having none of it. "I'm sorry, sweetie. But you know how your father is, he is adamant you get a job and a girlfriend and then we would have to see--"

He had enough. "Okay, you know what? Fine, I get it. You hate me and this is punishment, what AMAZING parents! GOD FORBID--"

And click, she pretty much hung up on him.

"H-hello? Mom? Mommy?" He starts to panic and press the redial. "Hello?"

... No answer.

"FUCK!" He shouts and throws the phone off the bed in a heat of rage, throwing his back onto the bed and whimpers. "...Fuck my life..."

...

That was a month ago.

He didn't even hear a peep from his parents since, and if he was to be honest. He was glad that he didn't.

It was the month of Christmas, and it was almost here. 4 days to go, to be exact.

He had just come back from working at a convenience store, the pay was minimum wage but he didn't have to do much but work the till.

Luck would so have it that the convenience store doesn't get much customers so he barely had to do anything but sit on his ass and play on his 3DS.

And of course look busy to the boss when he 'slowly' but surely comes around to check up on him once in a while.

He was but an old man, he was in his 70s and he could barely walk. He was very happy to have someone help him in the store so he actually treats Ashton very well.

Hopefully that you are somewhat caught up, Ashton is now back in his shitty apartment room, but something is a little off.

The minute he opened that door, stepped inside, closed and locked the door behind him, he felt the room was a little bit off... More so than usual.

Around the room, was a few upgrades. He got a cheap but dependable heater, a new mattress and some new sheets and a clean floor!

Amazing what a month's savings and a generous boss can accomplish, all he had to survive on was instant noodles, cheap off brand cola and bread.

His boss was an amazing guy, giving him free bread and instant noodles when they are about to expire and no one has any care for the wonder foods. He practically made Ashton's life more bearable as he bought the necessities.

Ashton decided to not dwell on the unusual nature of the room, turned his lights on and started to get to work with filling the kettle and boiling it and looks at his grocery bags, since he had some money left over he was gonna eat like a king tonight. Actual branded Coca Cola that is currently cold from the harsh snowy winter (and to be enjoyed cooled as is), freshly made wholewheat bread, some butter for the bread, curry flavoured instant noodles and a GOD DAMN TV-DINNER to microwave!

Hell yes, tonight was going to be a feast, baby!

He sets the TV dinner in the microwave and activates it for a few good minutes, he had a quick look at the room and finally saw it.

It was a letter on the bed.

How the hell did he not see this before? It was staring at him as he was gallivanting over some shitty TV-Dinner and coca cola.

He went on over and picked the letter up, staring at it's blank surface. It looked like it was addressed to no one.

However, just turning it around revealed two letters that could possibly reveal initials.

'D.C?' He said in his mind.

Was this a joke, he thought? Was the manager formal enough to evict him? This might be the excuse he was after if that was the case, he could prove to his parents that this place WAS a shithole.

He quickly takes a bite out of his buttery bread and heard the kettle whistle.

Shrugging, he sets the letter back on the bed. "Eh, I'll read it later." He said while unsealing the cup of instant noodles and poured the kettle's spout over the cup and let the clear boiled water just assault the noodles and flavouring.

He smiles and puts the sealing over the cup, he gets a fork from the drawer and sets it above the cup.

And with amazing time the microwave starts going off, indicating that the dinner is READY to be served and eaten.

With a smile, he gets a glass and starts to unscrew the top of the coke bottle and pouring that delicious soda in there.

He was ready.

He was ready to dig in and no one will stop him.

... Yet, his mind keeps coming back to the letter.

He turns to the letter, with a bit of apprehension. He has NO idea what was inside of it, but it was just... OFF.

There was no other way to put it, the whole thing seemed UNREAL.

He concentrates and goes back to the microwave and gets the now hot TV-Dinner tray.

Tuna Casserole, hell yes.

He gets the little stand that's next to his bed and sets all the food and drink on it, his mouth was watering and it was time to eat.

"How did they say it in most Japanese animes?" He wondered. "..Ita-daki-masu? ... Fuggit." He said before finally digging in.

The TV dinner was a TINY bland, but it had plenty flavour and texture to be edible. Ashton didn't care, he was getting something proper in his body that ISN'T noodles nor bread, plus... Protein is a good thing for the body.

10 minutes later, food and drink consumed and Ashton was left with a content and full belly. But as it would be, his mind was completely elsewhere.

The letter.

He couldn't help but stare at the letter and wonder what was inside of it, so he finally had enough beating around the bush and grabbed it.

He stares at it for a few seconds before opening it up and saw a folded piece of paper in the envelope.

Shaking his head and assumed for the worst, he takes the folded piece of paper and unfolds it, as you would.

The contents of the letter was as follows:

"Having fun?" He said out loud to himself.

...

That was it, that was all that was written.

He blinks and stared at the back of the paper, nothing.

Putting it back to it's front and it hasn't even changed.

This had to be a joke, surely. Probably the manager having his kicks.

But then... Something strange happened, the note began to glow in a yellowish tint, which caused Ashton to drop the note.

"What the fuck was that?!" He said in a panic before staring at the note, there were words being WRITTEN into the note.

After the onslaught of strange voodoo, the note had brand new words. "Why yes, I am! Thank you!"

"This is bizarre..." He said out loud before the letter glew again, once more new words formed a sentence.

"I know I am, but what are you?" It said in some kind of childish curve, this would have annoyed him if he couldn't help but notice that the letter was actually listening and REPLYING to him!

"I'm insane, I've gone god damn loco! I'm talking to a FUCKING LETTER, for Christ sakes!" He said out loud, once more the letter glew.

"Goodness, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" It replied.

Needless to say, good ol' Ashton was freaking the hell out and there was no way in hell that tonight could get any more weirder.


{End of Chapter 1}

> Chapter 2 - Not Insane!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	This cannot be happening.

A god damn letter coming out of nowhere and it's having a conversation with you.

And just like your mother, it is berating you for the terrible vocabulary curses you had developed over the years.

They should meet George Carlin, given the situation that guy can swear like a sailor... Oh, wait.

"Are you gonna sit there with the look of shock on your face all day? Or am I going to have to meet you in person?" The letter was glowing, erasing the top sentence and rewriting it to that.

Of course, Ashton's belief was thrown out the window. How can he NOT be shocked?

He however had to talk to this letter more, maybe it's aliens finally communicating with our race and he was the true ambassador...

Or maybe from Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry! That shit is always got magic up the wazoo.

Or... Just maybe.

"Who exactly are you? How are you able to communicate with me like this?" Answered Ashton with a new look of curiosity sporting across his face as he stared at the letter.

Every single word in the letter gets erased and is replaced by one sentence. "Stand clear from the letter, I will introduce myself properly."

Ashton was a little taken back by that but then felt saw the letter go absolutely crazy, he gets up quickly and backs off from the letter, scared that this could actually be it.

He was going to die and it was going to be an explosion from a god damn piece of paper.

Oh well, he had a semi-nice life. He always wanted to go out with a bang.

He saw the letter visibly brighten like crazy and covered his eyes with his arms as he continues to back himself up to the point his back was now touching the wall.

And after a few seconds the letter calms down and the brightness dulls to a normal contrast.

"Phew! What a ride!" Said a voice coming from in front of him.

Ashton took his arms away and squints his eyes at the direction of the voice and what he saw made his eyes widen in sheer disbelief.

"No way..." Ashton stutters as he saw an amalgamation of different animals, a chimera if you will. But it was not anything like the chimeras in any other fiction or lore books there was.

Discord, THE God of chaos and disharmony was standing right in front of him, rubbing one of his ... Talons? With a piece of cloth, cleaning it no doubt.

After cleaning his claw or talon or whatever, Discord finally looked over at the awe-struck boy and grins a knowing grin. "Ah, you must be the wayward soul of misfortune! The pleasure is all mine!"

Ashton pointed a finger at Discord shakingly. "Y-y-y-you're Discord... f-from My --" He couldn't finish that sentence, how the hell could he? A character from a child's cartoon is right there in front of him.

A cartoon that has never been on the boy's radar for more than 3 episodes and a few fan art here and there, but after searching up on the wikia available, he read up on the villains of MLP.

In short, he was in it for the sake of the ride.

Discord with a grin bowed and conjured up a gentleman's top hat out of thin air. "The very SAME! Ho ho, my reputation has exceeded more than I thought!"

He then looks around the room with that same cartoonish smile on his face and seemed to be examining the environment around him. "Y'know, your parents are very interesting pon-- Err, PEOPLE..." He lightly chuckles. "Forgive me, I've been around ponies for SO long, the language just catches up on you." He then looks at Ashton with that same fucking grin.

"But you seem to know that quite well. Don't you, m'boy?" He raises his eyebrows and expects an answer. 

Ashton had to give him some kind of answer. "W-well, not exactly..."

"Oh, don't play dumb with me. You know I am a heh... 'FICTIONAL' character from a 'FICTIONAL' show, but as you can see, I am over stepping the fictional boundaries JUST a tad." He said while coming up towards the boy.

Ashton quickly wanted to take a step back, but he had forgotten that his back was up on the wall and quickly got into position. "S-Stay back!"

Discord laughed. "Or what? Those things you call hands will even hurt... MOI?" He chuckles more. "Oh my dear boy, you are so adorable. You see, I'm a GOD of chaos. You cannot touch me, even if you had the upper-" He snickers. "Hand..."

Ashton wasn't laughing. "Y-you're a villain, you can't fool me with this chaos nonsense! I'll die before I--" And then his mouth forms a zipper and Discord had zipped his mouth with magic.

"Ah, that's better." Discord said before looking at the bed and tsks a bit. "Really, you could have cleaned up after yourself." He said to the boy who was now trying to remove the zipper from his mouth, but it didn't seem to budge.

Now all the empty cartons were in the garbage and the plates were in the sink, Discord took a glass and poured some of the Coca Cola into the glass and took a sip. "Oh my, this is delectable. You humans may be chaotic, but you sure make a good carbonate beverage... Not as good as Chocolate Milk, but I guess this is better than nothing."

Ashton was getting pissed and looking at Discord with rage.

Discord then grins. "Now that your mouth is shut, perhaps I have your attention." He sets the glass down. "I'm going to give you an opportunity that you will NOT pass. And no, I'm not trying to trick you."

"In fact, I want to HELP you."

With those words, Ashton stopped in his tracks and looked at Discord with scrutiny.

Discord swipes a finger into the air and erase the zipper from Ashton's mouth so he may speak. "Calmed down?"

Ashton nodded. "S-so, why do you want to help me? A villain?"

"Oh come on now, I'm REFORMED! In fact, I am simply helping someone who is in desperate need of escape!" He looks around. "I mean, you said it yourself. This place is 'SHIT' as I recall."

This made Ashton's eyes widen even more, he was in complete shock. "Y-you were spying on me!?"

Discord chuckles. "Since the day you were born, my boy..."

"WH--?!" He was about to view his shock until Discord busted a gut laughing.

"Oh my, you sure get riled up easily. That was what we call in the industry, a JOKE, my dear boy." He said which made Ashton visibly relieved.

"Yes, I was spying on you for a whole month. I don't know why, but this certain location is like a GATEWAY to Equestria, not a portal per-se. For a whole month I have heard you talk to your parents, see you sulking and crying on the floor, see you jump for joy with your 'shitty' new job and now? To finally meet with ME." He said putting a talon or claw or whatever on his chest like he was filled with pride.

"Cool, so you know who I am then." Ashton said while trying to still keep his sense of reality in check. "Wait, by now the manager would come in screaming... What did you do?!"

"Me?! Oh come now, I haven't done a thing to that wife abusing piece of garbage... But I wish I did..." He looked a little serious for a sec and then smiled knowing. "...Take a look outside that door for me." He said softly and puts his talons behind his back and closed his eyes.

Ashton gulps and looked at the door that would lead to the hallway, he puts a hand on the doorknob and at first touch, it was ice cold. "Wh-.." He puts his ear to the door and heard wind, he shook his head and opened it to reveal that he was in a snowy forest. "Wh-what the hell!?" He quickly closed the door and looked at Discord with sheer disbelief. "How the hell did you do that?!"

Discord chuckled and folds his arms. "Well, I would keep a secret but this is just too fun... So I'll spell it out for you, bucko. You honestly think I was the one who teleported from my world to YOURS?" He said with a barely stifling smile.

"Noooo..." Ashton started connecting the dots and opened the door once more, rubbing his eyes. "... YOU TELEPORTED MY ENTIRE APARTMENT ROOM TO THE EVERFREE FOREST?!" He shouts out loud.

Discord grins and begins walking out, the snow scrunching underneath his hoof and talon. "Come out, the winter's fine." He chuckles.

Ashton started chuckling out of sheer insanity. "Th-this can't be happening, I'm in Equestria. This isn't correct! THIS DOES NOT COMPUTE!!!" He shouts out loud once more and puts his hands over his spiked hair and bangs. 

The now smug acting Discord wandered back in like it was nothing and wandered to the microwave and started pressing random buttons. "With working appliances and electricity!" He then points at the light bulb that was on the entire time.

Ashton didn't even think of that. "...How...?"

Discord had an evil grin and walks up to Ashton, his face really close to his and he just whispers in his ear. "...Magic."

Confused was NOT the term used here, the correct term to describe Ashton's current emotion is: Bamboozled as all FUCK.

And then Discord picked up on that. "In about an hour, the royal guards will be knocking on your door. Well, 50 minutes seeing as though I took up 10 minutes of your time... But it's enough time for me to explain to you something. And a FAVOUR if you would be so kind."

Ashton looked at Discord, still a little distressed but he was all ears now. "Wh-what do you want?"

This made the draconequus smile. "In due time, first I want to explain what you're going to get yourself into... Ahem, this is the world of Equestria, the leading species of this land is none other than PONIES. There are two co-rulers, a one Princess Celestia Sunbringer."

He gets up close to Ashton and whispers. "I call her Tia, but don't tell her I said that." He chuckled and continued.

"And then we have the second co-ruler. Princess Luna Moonbringer... But trust me, they're biologically related." He chuckles once more. "These two will be questioning you and will no doubt find something rather incriminating. But I don't doubt for a second you can weasel your way out of it."

"W-weasel?" Ashton questioned.

"Spare me the feelings." He said with a bit of annoyance and then clicks his fingers as a surplus of things appeared on the bed. "These are things that can get you more in touch with Equestria and some necessities to keep you on track."

"Any questions?" He asks the boy to which he nods.

Ashton sighed a bit and scratches the back of his head. "Why me?"

Discord gives a grin and looks closes his eyes. "An easy question... I want YOU to become some what my HEIR."

Ashton blinks. "Excuse me? Your heir?"

The draconequus nodded twice. "That's correct, my HEIR." He puts his paw and talon on each shoulder of the boy and smiled. "I want you to become the NEXT GOD OF CHAOS!"

Ashton was taken back by this. "Eeeh?! B-but how the hell do I qualify?! And even then, I'm too kind to be some kind of God of Chaos!"

Discord chuckled. "Okay, maybe not God of Chaos... but perhaps someone who can ADAPT with chaos magic... Perhaps an underling, but not zealously... Oh, what's the word."

"Erm... Heritage?" Ashton said randomly, picking a random word from out of his ass.

"Heritage! That is the one." Discord smiled. "I want to pass on my knowledge of magic and other little dubious tricks... And you are the perfect subordinate!"

Ashton didn't like this, but he had to ask. "...This won't take over my body, or anything restrictive like that?"

"Oh, heavens no! I'm not that sadistic to strip a pony-- err, person their freedom. Think of it as a GIFT! A wonderful boisterous gift! You can use it as you see fit! Succeed me in being the ruler of Equestria with NO one to stop you... OR... Be a superhero! Eh, it's up to you." He said the last line pretty casually considering.

"So, interested?" He made a grin that looked honestly appealing.

Ashton couldn't help but nod. "Okay, I'll take you up on that offer."

Discord starts to giddily jump around. "Oh, what a wonderful day! You will not regret it, as you'll no longer be defenceless in such new territory such as Equestria." He then got up and puts on a suit and gentleman's hat from out of nowhere. "I'm sure I'll see you again soon, my boy."

At this, he puts his talons in a finger snapping position. "I can't wait to see how you progress..." He clicks his fingers and Ashton felt his body shut down.

And all went completely black.


{Chapter 2 - END}

> Chapter 3 - Whole New Territory
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Waking up in the middle of the night to hear two random strangers humping and banging on the wall would definitely give you a bit of a headache.

Waking up in the middle of the day to hear something banging on cell bars was HEADSPLITTING.

Opening his eyes to try and see where he's at, immediate blindness.

"Creature, I hope you understand me! Because we are going to see the princesses very soon." A blurred 4-legged animal said, his vision was taking a few minutes to sort itself out, but by the time it did the animal was gone.

"D-did that thing just talk?" He said to himself and out loud before getting up to his feet from the bed. If the cell was anything to go by it seemed that he was in some sort of prison or dungeon.

"Well, he did mention a princess..." He said out loud once more and puts his hand on his head, this headache was NOT going away.

He walks up to the cell and starts to rattle the cell doors.

Nothing budged.

Gotta give these... "Things" credit, they know cleanliness is godliness... In fact... This entire cell looked more accommodating than that piece of shit apartment he was in.

He then recalled a few things and gasps a bit. "H-hey! Anyone?! What's going on with my apartment?!"

The animal had come back, and now that his vision was bearable he could see that this animal was a ... horse?

It seemed to look like a guard, and it didn't look pleased but albeit a little bit shocked that Ashton could even speak in the first place. "Huh, that's new. A monkey that can talk!" It sounded like a female... A mare?

"Huh, that's new. A female that can GUARD!" Ashton antagonised in a smart-ass tone to which the guard didn't take kindly for.

Pissing her off wouldn't be the smart thing to do... Suppose that Ashton isn't that smart.

The female guard used the blunt end of the spear and gave his chest a powerful blow, knocking the wind out of him.

Ashton coughs in pain and violenlty as he gets sent flying back to his bed, holding onto the area that was hit and continues to cough violently.

The mare guard looked pleased with herself but then gets serious. "Okay, 'MONKEY'. You're going to be meeting the Princess of Equestria, Celestia Sunbringer herself. She's interested in your case and a filthy mule like yourself should be honoured that you get to meet her." She replied with a bit of sass.

"Don't like it? Then we can gladly keep you in that cell for the rest of your life." She smirked, but he puts his hand up to speak.

"I-if you must know... I shower 3 times a week!" He said once again in a smart-ass tone.

She again didn't take kindly to that. "You son of a--"

"Stand down, Captain Silver Spear." A matured feminine voiced in authority. The guard froze, quickly salutes and stands at the side.

Ashton also froze and puts his hand back to his side as he sat there on his bed, what came around the corner was nothing like he ever seen before.

A gorgeous white furred mare with flowing rainbow-like hair, wings and a horn-- W-wait... Wings? Horn?

He quickly looked at the guard who was frozen at the spot and she had a unicorn horn.

The words this mare was speaking was just nothing but background noise now.

He was perplexed and he wanted to touch them to see if they were real... IF ANY of this was real.

"Creature?"

That snapped him out of it and shook his head. "Y-yes?" Ashton replied.

"Oh, good. You can communicate. This will be much easier then." She said with a bit of a smile forming on her face, like a motherly smile.

This was all too surreal, a magical horse with wings and a horn is a princess, A MONARCH of this land and she is so gorgeous.

"I shall repeat... My name is Princess Celestia Sunbringer, co-ruler of Equestria. And it's remarkable to see a new species, even if it's sentient at that." She then giggles. "With a sense of humour at that."

This made Ashton's face flush and made him scratch the back of his head. "Ohh, well.. You knooow~" he chuckled bashfully.

"Let's speak more in the throne room... It must be better than that dank and dark cell." She smiled.

Ashton blinks and had to make a joke. "You kidding me? Have you seen that apartment I rode in on? This is heaven compared to that."

Celestia didn't get the joke. "So you rather stay in there? Well, we can accommodate--" Before she could finish that sentence, Ashton puts his hands up.

"It was a joke! I don't like this place, really!" He said with a bit of desperation in his voice.

Celestia gave Ashton a sly grin, as if to say that was revenge after doing that to one of her ponies, seems she actually got it after all.

"Oh... good one..." Ashton said in a 'I'm pretty fucked, I'm sure.' tone that he could muster.

Minutes pass and they were at the throne room, every single guard there was staring right at Ashton.

He grew up with stage fright, and this did NOT help. He remembered his breathing stages and started to go with that.

Like a lion, Celestia could see, smell, taste and FEEL the uneasiness her new guest was reeking of and started to talk about something a bit simple and to drive the point home.

"You... Called that an apartment, correct?" Celestia began to which Ashton nodded.

"Yes, ma'am." He said in confirmation, still practising his breathing stages to try and calm his anxieties.

"Is it... A weapon?" She said a little bit bluntly, this made Ashton stop and look at her incredulously.

"A weapon?" Ashton repeats and shook his head. "N-no, it's barely even anything! It's just a room that I happen to live in." He said trying his best to rationalise and explain it.

"How did it get in the Everfree Forest?" She went further down the rabbit hole.

He didn't WANT to say it, he was sure that 'Discord' fellow was a convict from Equestria and if he tattled on him then chances are he'd be dead.

"Uh... Strange portal dissipation from an evil mad scientist!" He said as his brain literally picked the best words to come out of that asshole, which in 5 minutes may or may not be completely reemed.

"A mad scientist?" She looked actually shocked. "So you were a victim from this... Scientist?"

All the guards around the room started to converse with themselves, some were in shock and some were thinking he's bluffing with sweat dripping down their faces.

... They actually bought it, what the fuck? How gullible are these ponies?

"Uhhhyyy...Yes?" He said as he played it off like he was confused.

"What is the name of this scientist?" She said, looking thoroughly intrigued but also disturbed at the same time.

"Uhm... " He began to feel a little bit unsure, but he had to keep the story go-- ... Bingo.

"Don't worry, you can trust me as the Sun Princess of Equestria that no harm will come to you." She said with a motherly smile but kept with her somewhat disturbed demeanour.

Ashton faked taking a deep breath and looks at Celestia. "His name is... Hououin Kyouma." He said as he positions himself in a pose similar to how Okabe would in Stein's;Gate.

"...Hououin... Kyouma?" Celestia softly repeats, struggling to sound it. "Bizarre name for one of your kind." She said tapping her royal shoe'd hoof onto her chin in thought. "Please forgive me for assuming you had anything to do with this."

She then wondered. "Oh, I had just realized. How rude of me but, we haven't been properly introduced have we?" She said a bit sheepishly.

God, that's cute.

"It's no problem..." He said having feel guilty to lie, but he figured he played it well. "My name is Ashton... Ashton Devora." He said as he had to tell another lie, this lie was his last name.

It was at this moment that Ashton figured he would give up his earlier life, figure that he was considered dead in his old world and just live the rest of his life in this one. Hell, maybe there'll be more luck in job applications and could live off on things rather than instant noodles and bread.

As much as he loves the stuff, it can get very tedious eating the same thing over and over.

"Ashton Devora, as sad as it is... There won't be any guarantee we could bring you back to your own world as as we wanted to... But under the possibility of a chance of such an event, we wish to study this 'apartment' more and hopefully find something that may--" 'Oh no! They're gonna trace Discord's power there for sure! And I would be considered suspicious! I can't allow that!' Ashton said in his head as Celestia continued on with her rambling.

"With all due respect, your majesty... It's not needed." He said feigning sadness, time for another lie.

"W-what? Is... Something the matter, Mister Devora?" Celestia said as she picked up on his sadness.

Hehe, Ashton Devora... Master of emotion!

"I'm... An orphan..." He said but there were a collective amount of gasps and awkward silence after said gasps until Celestia spoke up about this.

"I'm... I'm very sorry to hear that." Celestia sympathised.

"There's nothing really there for me anymore... I work this dead end job... I lived in that terrible apartment, some of your men must have seen the inside of it... It's practically unlivable!"

One of the guards actually spoke up. "I-I can attest to this, your majesty! That room was..." He shivered.

Why... WHY is this so fucking EASY? Why am I getting away with this bullshit?! Do I have 100 Speech or what?!

"And to make matters worse, it's winter and... I thought I'd die from the freezing temperatures." Ashton continued.

Celestia blinks. "...I think I see your point... Do you not want to go back? Don't you have friends to help you?"

"...Absolutely none." Ashton said, this time it was the complete truth. He had zero friends in his time on earth.

He would get a few flashbacks where he thought he would actually get a few friends but he later found out that they let him hang around over pity and one of the members were finally sent over the edge.





"THAT'S IT! I CAN'T TAKE THIS FUCKER ANYMORE!" One of the guys in the group had said, he was a skinny but muscular with a ... Honestly really nice navy blue Letterman and jeans with slick back black hair.

He was pointing at Ashton with the look of an extremely pissed off gorilla. "He's a fucking leech! All he does is follow us around like a stray dog looking for a treat!"

"Hey, fuck you Albert." Ashton defended. "I'm quiet as all fuck and you're complaining!?"

Elisa, one of the snobbiest girls in the group, blonde hair and one of those preppy vests over the polo shirt type of gals, oh and she is Albert's girlfriend just giggled. "Oh look, he's finally swore for once in his life."

Ashton growls. "Oh come off it, you bitch. You've been talking about your fucking ape behind his back, TO ME of all people."

Elisa laughed again. "That was our idea, you fucking weeb! God, you're disgusting." She said in one of those infuriating fucking valley-girl accents you can EVER hear on a girl, and HOLY shit did he want to punch her.

But he didn't want to be the next bus driver scandal, that guy was a hero who actually believed in equal rights. And equal lefts, apparently.

Thomas, a gothic looking guy with a black hoodie and black pants... He was edgy as fuck. But to give the guy credit, he was the smartest and most reasonable in the group. "Guys, this is just dumb. You're letting irrationality get the best of all of you, can't we just get a cup of coffee and hang out like always?"

I replied. "A cup of coffee would be great." To Thomas, to whom stared at Ashton.

"Who invited you?" Thomas said, that sealed it.

Thomas wasn't talking about their irrationality, they were talking about Ashton's.

"We've been friends for a full 4 fucking years, today is the anniversary and you're kicking me OUT of your little social shitfest? Y'know what? Keep it, I'm done with all of you... Especially that fucking Letterman wearing cuck!" Ashton said out of pure malice.

*WHACK!*

Ashton was on his ass, rubbing the mark on his face. Albert was standing above him with the look of smug written ALL over it.

Elisa just puts her arm around Albert's. "Damn, Al. Ya didn't have to kill him." She giggled that same fucking giggle...

Ashton just got up and punted Albert in the baby maker, to whom held onto his junk and keeled over in absolute pain. "Fuck you, you backstabbing cocksucker."

Then a blinding pain, and everything was hazy.

Elisa got her pepper spray and fucking doused Ashton in the face with it.

Thomas tried to get Albert up, but to no avail.

Ashton managed to run for it despite the mace in face and just ran for it, didn't care where.

After that? Police were called to his house, he gave statements and with the bruise on his face he used the self-defence plea.

And it worked.

They never bothered him again, occassionally gave him glances and called him a cunt but other than that they were good sports about it.

Turns out the school was informed and gave them a strict warning that could fuck up their records.

Karma is a bitch.





Celestia was trying to get Ashton's attention. "Hello? Mr. Devora?"

This brought him out of his flashback funk. "Sorry, what was that?"

She smiled. "Oh good, I thought we have broken you... You weren't answering my statement. I said that: Despite all this, we may need to investigate the apartment and see if there's anything interesting. We could still learn so much."

Ashton grunts as she seemed very adamant about it, he's been incredibly lucky to get away with his speech so far... Maybe this can't hurt? "A-alright... Do as you wish... But I have belongings I wish to--"

A guard was on cue, and it was Miss Spear up her butt. "We have already seized assets from the 'apartment', I'm afraid to say that most of your belongings will have to be locked up until they are safe to be in your hooves again..."

She had the biggest smug look on her face. "Sorry." She said that last part with sarcasm.

... Merde.

"As Captain Silver Spear has said, I'm afraid we'll have to test the assets before we can give them back to you. But you have our word that nothing will be broken." Celestia had said as she smiled that motherly smile.

... Not so Merde.

"Oh, you must be tired. Perhaps you would like to rest up? You have been asleep for two days now but you still look tired. Perhaps some food and a good night's rest? We can finally move you out of that dungeon now knowing that you aren't a threat." Celestia offered.

"Y-yes please." Ashton stuttered, he wasn't expecting such hospitality... But in this case, never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Should he have said "PONY" there he wondered...





A few minutes later, Celestia had escorted Ashton to the quarters, he had a troubled thought that entered his mind. ["Two days... Two days really passed since Discord appeared and knocked me unconsious?"] He said in his mind.

Celestia decided to speak up as there wasn't any conversation going. "Most guests, usually ambassadors, take these rooms in case of diplomatic meetings and to strengthen ties to our country, but since you are the only guest you can have a room." She said in a motherly tone.

He suspects that she's a parental figure to all these ponies... That is adorable.

"Ambassadors? What other species are there?" Ashton said with intrigue.

"Griffons, Yaks and Dragons mostly..." She said in casual reply.

Ashton was frozen stiff as he looked at Celestia like she grew two heads. "...Dragons?" He said in disbelief.

Celestia stopped and looked backwards. "Yes, dragons..." She confirmed.

He gulps. "...Okay."

She chuckles a bit. "Not fond of dragons? Don't worry, they don't really harm anypony... Unless you do something that would cause them harm. A strange code old code, but a respectable one."

["Old code? Wait a second..."] Ashton said in his mind.

"You never heard of Self-Defence, your majesty?" Ashton had to say.

"Well... Yes, I have. And I guarantee my little ponies do as well. But we live in a time of peace..." She then looked troubled.

"... Your majesty?" Ashton had said as she smiled and shook her head.

"It's nothing... Nothing for you to worry about." She said, obviously hiding something.

He wanted to ask and see what was up, but he decided to respect it and move on.

"By the way, what do your call your species? I have never seen anyone like you in all my years of ruling." She inquired.

Now he could happily tell the truth without any kind of subconscious bothering him.

"We're humans, your majesty. Scientific term: Homo-Sapiens." He said with a proud grin.

A couple of guards tried their best not to laugh as they scrunch their muzzles.

Ashton didn't know nor pay attention, neither did Celestia. "Hmm, interesting name... I don't think there ever have been homo-sapiens in Equestria before..."

The guards eyes were tearing up, trying not to burst out giggling.

Now Ashton could over hear this at the struggling pony and then couldn't help but grin evilly... But for some reason, he didn't want to pursue this giggling guard and decided to let it go.

After another minute of walking, they finally make it to the room.

The guard had calmed down by then and Celestia smiled at Ashton. "This will be your room for today. As for tomorrow, you will be moving to a new place to meet with my student whom is a fellow princess and her friends."

Ashton was taken a back by this. "...Isn't that a little bit fast? I mean, I just got here... I'd love to explore ... Where are we again?" He said scratching the back of his head.

"Canterlot Castle." Celestia said before remembering. "Oh, I wish I could talk with you more Mr. Devora but I must try to complete day court soon. But if you wish, feel free to call a maid for anything you need." She begins to trot off majestically. "Farewell, Mr. Devora."

Ashton looked over at her as she trots off, what a weird transition.

Perhaps she didn't want to be around him much, that or she was truly late and he bought too much of her time.

He had hoped for the latter, he already felt really bad about this.

Ashton looked at the guard who was staring right at him. "...You need something?" Ashton said to the guard to whom just trots off to the door, keeping guard.

"I am here as requested by Celestia to keep guard and watch over you." He said with a bit of a tough guy attitude.

He sighs a bit. "I see she COMPLETELY trusts me."

"She has every right to be skeptical about you, monkey." He said with an authoritative tone. "Now, are you going to get something or are you going to retire for tonight, sir?"

Ashton wanted to rebuttal, but he figured it wouldn't be a good idea and sighed. "Of course... I'll retire for tonight. But on one condition, I don't want anyone other than the princess to bother me... Got that?"

He just stood there, guess he wasn't under obligation to speak back.

Ashton nodded. "Uh.. Good!" He said as he then opened the doors and then his eyes widen. "Whoa..."

The room was all quartz white, evenly lit, sparkly and elegant as all hell.

A tear slowly drips down Ashton's eye. "...It's beautiful." He said before walking in and closing the doors behind him.

The guard snorts. "Weirdo."

Ashton looked around as fruit, bread and cheese was on the table along with a wonderful selection of drinks on a tray, a comfy looking bed that looks like it was made out of clouds themselves, another room by the corner that must be the facilities and a balcony accompanied with a window by it's side.

Just by looking outside, it was snowy and cold but it was breath taking. The current dancing of snow flakes along the blizzard winds as he had a good view of the streets.

He wanted to go out on the balcony but he had a feeling it wasn't a good idea to reveal himself to the public already... He didn't want to give the poor princess any pressure from the press from that stunt, neither.

... He thinks... He thinks he's gonna like it here.


{End of Chapter 3}

> Chapter 4 - Meeting With The Moon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	As Ashton came away from the windows and sat on the chair to start feasting on the bread, cheese and fruit, he had remembered Discord's words as he ate.

He had completely forgotten about Princess Celestia and her sister Luna, it was practically the first season devoted to that little clique, he was only interested in the villains, what their driving points were, why they became so... Mentally fucked as Ashton would eloquently put it and WHAT stopped them in the end.

To be fair, the show didn't give Celestia's beauty any justice. He felt as if the show directors and producers did that on purpose so little girls wouldn't be too jealous, he guesses.

Regardless, he wasn't really worried about all that. Celestia seemed really nice, motherly even... Like a real mother.

["Heh... No, no... Don't think like that. Mom was kind but she was very adamant about her opinions... I bet this whole ordeal already reached to her and she's probably blaming herself and crying on dad's shoulder."]

He felt a few tears drip down his cheek and a knock was heard from the doors which promptly made Ashton wipe his face in a hurry. "Ugh.. C-coming." He said out loud before he finishes wiping and starts building a strong emotional shield.

"Okay... Calm down." Ashton said to himself quietly before getting up from the chair and walking to the door and opening it, assuming it was the princess but it turns out to be one of the maids, who were cutely wearing an actual maid outfit.

... A pretty... Lewd maid outfit.

...

He shook his head and then smiles. "Hehe, hello there! How can I help you?" He said with a bit of a flushed face.

She tilted her head. "The princess requested me to check up on you, and perhaps that you may need anything."

... She isn't scared of the 'monkey'? How odd.

"You're not scared of me?" Ashton said to her real quick before she seemed to shrug.

"You don't look intimidating." The maid replied innocently.

Ashton's face shows signs of displeasure but within a few seconds casts it off and tries to look goofy so he doesn't scare her. "W-well, uh... Is there any ... Carbonated beverages?"

She wonders. "Like... Champagne?"

He then shook his head. "N-no, like a soft drink... Soda, ya know?"

She blinks and then smiles. "Oh yes, we do! Usually it's for the little colts and fillies who are often with their noble parents during day court."

"W-wait, why?" Ashton had to pursue that little tidbit further.

She had remembered this. "It was due to a babysitting incident. The nobles don't trust their children to be with babysitting anymore so they just bring them here where they know they're safe."

Nobles pissed Ashton off even back home, but these nobles at least CARE for their children. And that's plus... five hundred to Equestria?

"Wait, babysitting incident? Why don't you come in and tell me more?" He offered

The maid blinks. "Oh, I should go get your beverage and head home... My children need me for their bed time stories."

That tugged on Ashton's heartstrings. "Heh... Alright, maybe tomorrow then... You stay safe when you get home, okay?"

The maid again blinks, she wasn't used to such normalcy. "Th-thank you sir..." She scurried off in a flush.

"Oh yeah... Still got it." Ashton said as he was about to close the door but then heard a chuckle coming from the door, it was that guard and this time he heard his words up close this time.

"Unlikely..." The guard said with a bit of a chuckle still.

Alright, that does it.

Ashton popped his head out. "Wanna say that to my face, pal?"

The guard stood at attention, he kept a straight poker face and didn't even budge.

Love or hate this guy, he's a pro at what he does.

But Ashton had a very dubious plan up his sleeve in hopes to actually gain something out of this guard.

If he played his cards right, he might make a new friend... OR he'll get him to shut up, either way was perfectly fine with him.

Ashton walked to him and squats down so he was a little bit below the guard and wanted his full attention. "Listen up, bucko... I get what you're doing, and I can't say that not I'm happy you found your new entertainment... Hell, I encourage you to do it."

Now that he saw this, these ponies' horns were up to his neck, they were almost as tall as him. Celestia on the other hand was way taller!

He then got closer to the guard. "However, I saw you busting a gut back there when I mentioned my species' scientific name..."

The guard finally looks at him. "So? What's your point?"

Ashton grins evilly. "If I had continued the conversation and say it on purpose more and more and more... I would have wanted you to be on the floor laughing so I could feign insult and have your job taken to show I mean business."

The guard looked pissed but Ashton stopped him, re-calibrating his words before shit gets real.

"BUT! I'm not an asshole like that. I considered that you may have some mouths to feed, so I didn't pursue it, hell I couldn't be mad at someone who has a similar sense of humour to mine." Ashton said to the guard.

The guard looked... perplexed. "Uhm... Thank you?"

"Look, I don't know what your boss told you. Silver Spear I think her name was... But that doesn't mean I can't see things in the opposite light, you understand." He said with a faint smile.

The guard slowly nods. "I... Suppose, sir?"

Ashton smiled. "Very good, I'll let Celestia know you're doing a fine job, soldier." He pats him on the back armour which made the stallion a bit uncomfortable. But the boy didn't care, he was waiting on his beverage.

And as if on cue! She comes back with a tray of a bubbly soda bottle and a glass next to it, lemonade... Eh, better than nothing.

He then noticed... She wasn't holding it... She was... LEVITATING IT!

That horn, that unicorn horn can levitate things?! Telekinesis is SO COOL!

"Here you go, sir. This is one of the beverages... But I can get another if you like." The maid said, she looked pretty tired so Ashton sighed and shook his head.

"It's okay, lemonade is perfect." He smiled and took the tray from her levitation field. "Thank you very much, ma'am... You have a safe travel home, okay? It's pretty rough out there."

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much... You have a pleasant night, sir."

He chuckles. "Please, call me Ash."

She flushed a bit. "O-okay... Ash." The flush intensified and she started to trot off like a giddy school... err.. Filly.

He chuckled and looked at the guard whom felt conflicted. Good, he should be.

Ashton closes the door behind him and grins. "Finally, something carbonated. Can't really live without the stuff... I should probably watch out though, don't want to be a fat ass all my life." He said to himself as he sets the tray next to the food, unscrews the bottle and pour it into the glass.

He sets the bottle down, screws the top back on and start to enjoy the tasty lemonade beverage by taking a sip. "...Oh damn, that's good!" He said out loud looking at the glass. "... They make food and drink with a lot more care here."

After downing 1/3 of the bottle as sigh of relief was heard from Ashton's mouth and sets the glass down as he saw the bookshelf in the other corner. "Well... Since my 3DS is in the hands of ponies... May as well read a good book."

He gets up and goes walking to the bookshelf that was near the window, getting to the bookshelf he noticed some movement outside in the snow.

It was the maid, she was walking home with a winter coat on.

He smiled as he stared at her from the window, the streets were lit beautifully.

He was about to turn but he noticed something.

Three ponies in black clothing was following her, stalking her it seemed. "Get home safe... Please." He said as he saw that she noticed behind her. "Wh-why is she... RUN!" He said out loud. "They'll--"

And she bolted, to which they started gunning for her. "Shit!" He said out loud before running out to the balcony.

The freezing windy snow pelting his face but at this point he didn't care.

He wasn't entirely that high to the streets, so he quickly vaults over the railing and quickly started to regret it.

It was MUCH higher than he thought.

Before he could accept his fate, he felt the soft landing from his legs.

No pain.. No broken legs... Nothing.

He blinks and looks at his legs for a second before seeing the hooded individuals continue to chase the maid.

"No time for this!" He said before chasing after them with the highest run speed he can muster, he followed the prints of the hooves to give him some kind of indication where they're chasing her to.

He hopes that she can get to the house and won't even need his help.

Without his winter coat and only his full sleeved shirt, his body was taking a bit of a toll from the cold but with the work out he's having, the temperature was tolerable.

He eventually makes his way behind an alley way where the prints stop and noticed that the gang was closing up on the maid, cat calling and whistling, proud of catching their new found prize.

Ashton was going to put a stop to this and walk up behind them.

One of them started to talk. "What's a pretty thing like you doing out in the harsh cold night? Come here, babe... We'll warm ya up."

Smooth, asshole...

"How about you guys fuck off?" Ashton said out loud.

The gang turned around in shock. "Who the bu-- Wh-What the tartarus!?" one of them stumbled upon his eyes landing on Ashton's figure. They growled.

"Who let their pet out of their cage?" Another one said while Ashton grinned, looking behind them.

They quickly looked and noticed that the mare was gone. "Horseapples." He then looked at Ashton with a grin. "Oh well... Not that it matters, we have a new piece of meat to have fun with."

Ashton felt one of his eyebrows raise from this as he then got ready into a stance. "Come at me, then! I'll knock ya all out I will!" He said in a fake Geordie accent.

One of them grinned as a random beam shot out from a horn which hit Ashton and sent him reeling out of the Alleyway, holding onto his shoulder. "Agh, fuck!"

They charged forward and head butts Ashton in the stomach, again causing him to reel back in pain but that was a big mistake on their part as he held onto the stallion's neck in a reverse choke hold.

"H-hey! L-let me g--" Ashton lifts the stallion up with newfound strength he didn't even knew he had, this caused the two other stallions to freeze on the spot.

Ashton then twirls and threw the stallion to the other two, basically beating a motherfucker with another motherfucker.

They were floored for a few seconds before trying to recover, this gave Ashton some time to think up a plan.

["Okay, think... If I really do have some of Discord's power... Maybe I conjure something up!"] He said in his mind.

The stallion that was thrown got up and winced in pain, the hood of the stallion was off, and it turned out one of them had bat-like features, this made Ashton freeze a bit. "Wait wh--"

Another beam hits Ashton square in the face, this floored him. He was on his back laying completely motionless.

The stallions panted from the skirmish as the thug puts his hood back on. "Is it dead?..." The other one growls but then grins. "Heh... he wasn't so tough after all."

They went close to the boy, staring at him from above. "Damn critter... Almost broke my neck."

Ashton quickly woke up with grin. "Surprise, piss 'ead!" He said as what came next felt natural to him, he spaces his knees to his chest, put his hands on the ground behind him and spreads his legs while applying force into a jump, kicking two of them in the muzzle while landing on his feet, surprising the thug who was identified as a bat pony, the thug jumps back.

The other two thugs went down and out into unconsciousness as Ashton felt blood running down his forehead, though with the cold weather and the adrenaline pumping in his veins he couldn't feel much pain.

"Won't you just stay down already, you freak?!" The leading thug exclaimed before Ashton ran up and punted him in the muzzle, causing the bat pony to fly into the wall.

All of them were down and out.

This left Ashton to pant hard, staring at the groaning thugs. He was coming off of the adrenaline high which was currently burning his lungs and started looking at his own hands and felt a sense of pride from all of that.

"Thou seems to be an interesting warrior." Another regal tone said from behind, causing Ashton to look back with the look of 'You want some too?!' before realizing something. This mare was another alicorn with darkened blue-ish fur and a glittery star mane.

Drop-dead gorgeous... Holy shit...

"It seems our little test was a little bit... Over-zealous..." She said looking at the bat ponies behind him, to whom look defeated but they gave a salute to Luna despite their ashamed demeanour.

Ashton looks at them and was shocked. "H-hey, I thought."

"It seems Tia was correct... Thou do hath some sort of chaotic energy inside of thou, yet here thou are risking thine own life to save somepony." She unfurls a wing to show that the maid was hiding behind  with a blush.

"Can you please speak English? It's a little jarring..." Ashton said.

She 'hmph's'. "You are a fascinating one, Mr. Devaro... Or... Shall we call you 'Mr. Miles.'?" She said with a smug looking grin.

He gulps. "Wh-what... How do you...?"

"While you were in that two day nap, we had to look into your memories to see if you were a threat to Equestria... But something is very strange, there was no memory dedicated to how you got here... We assumed you blacked out and that's when you appeared... But nothing explained your Chaotic energy." She starts to trot slowly towards him.

"We assumed you were just an old follower of Discord and wanted to dispose of you at first. But then we remembered that Discord became reformed, so can his students." She continued, finally stopping right in front of him.

"You lied to our sister... AND to Equestria, Ashton Miles... But, you were shown compassion, bravery and selflessness, so we will forgive your transgressions, but let us not catch your lies again, child."

Ashton felt a little bit betrayed. "Then... You must be Princess Luna... Why didn't Celestia tell me about that sooner? I wouldn't have to tell such lies."

Luna chuckles. "The way you say it make it sound like it's her fault."

He shook his head. "N-no, that's not what I meant... I take full responsibility for my lies... But I don't want to go back home! I hated it there, my parents are decent people but they're stubborn and..." He sighs. "I feel like I'm more at home here."

["Why is that, I wonder. I never felt like I belonged... ANYWHERE."] He said in his mind.

Luna just smiled. "Come, let's get inside and make some hot cocoa... Or whatever it is your species like to drink when you're cold."

Ashton nodded. "R-right..."





A good 10 minutes later, Ashton and Luna were in the latter's private quarters sitting by the fireplace. She levitates him some hot cocoa to which he accepts, he was bandaged up and was healing nicely.

"Our ponies were trained well... But you over-took them with quite a bit of discomfort... You're sloppy in your technique but you have the spirit." She said with a smile.

"Uh.. Gee thanks, I didn't expect to have some kind of evaluation." He said with a chuckle.

She smiled and giggled at the point he made. "Well, we don't normally do that for other species... But you hold promise. Despite the chaotic energy, you're using it for the selflessness of your heart... And to be honest, it's quite refreshing to see that."

He blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Oooh, y'knooooow~!" He quickly looked down though. "So... Be honest with me, why am I NOT in a cell still? I thought it would be mandatory at this point."

She sighs. "Yes, we did think that... But Sister's words keep coming back and I'm very glad that I was wrong." She curls a wing over his shoulder.

Whoa... Sexy times?

No... Just consensual hugging.

Whatever it is, her feathery wing is soft and well groomed...

Trust him, if you were in his shoes, you too would feel tired.

"Your species continue to interest us... When possessions were seized, my eyes were laid on this peculiar box that was in one of your bags.

He blinks and looks at her. "Box?"

She nods. "It was rectangular but it can be folded, two black screens on such a little device."

["My 3DS!"] He exclaimed in his mind.

She grins a bit. "We may not look it, but we enjoy gaming... Though, we have never seen a hoofheld so advanced before."

["Not expecting that one! A royal princess who can game? Hell yes!"] He said in his mind.

He tilts his head. "Oh, well yes! I have a lot of 3ds cartridges in that bag too."

She nods. "You have come from a wealthy family to afford such things... Your memories said that your father was a writer and your mother was an attorney."

He blinks. "O-oh, yeah... My father writes science fiction novels and he also does action-y stuff from time to time... And my mom... I never seen her work so I can't tell what exactly it details... I just assume from the Ace Attorney™ games."

She smiles. "Ace Attorney? That spiked haired hooman?"

"Human." He corrected. "If you want, I can let you borrow my 3DS once I'm allowed my possessions once again."

Luna smiled. "...I would like that..." She stared at him somewhat dreamily.

Ashton gulps. ["I know that look anywhere, does she dig me?..."] His face starts to flush as he wondered in his mind.

Luna just shook her head and nervously clears her throat. "Ah, in any case... Perhaps it's best for you to head back and rest. Big day for you tomorrow."

He nods. "R-right... Thank you." He take a good long drink from the hot cocoa, somehow able to withstand the scalding hot drink.

Luna was a little shocked. "D-did that not hurt?"

He looks at her questionably. "What didn't?"

Now she was impressed, examining him there were no burns on his lips or anything... But.

"Y-you have a bit of froth on your... L-lips..." Her flush grew.

Ashton blinks and wipes his lips. "Oh... Thank you." He sets the cup down and bows at Luna. "Thank you for your hospitality. I hope we'll see each other again real soon." He smiled and took the escorted guard back to his room.

He wanted to be out of there as quick as possible.

Now Luna was all alone to her devices.





["Impossible... every time our eyes meet, we find ourselves lost to that gaze... Our heart flutters to him."] Luna's thoughts in her head were getting a little bit heated, she did not expect this coming. Was it because he too was misunderstood? Was it because he was sorely attractive? Or was it because he could prove her instincts were reliable once again?

Either way, it put her mind in a rut.

... Things have gotten way more interesting.


{End of Chapter 4}

> Chapter 5 - The Heroes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The bed was extremely comfortable, like the bed was truly made with clouds. If anything, they could actually be made of clouds.

Regardless, Ashton finally begins to wake up from a well rested sleep. How he got so lucky to get a room like this was pretty outstanding. If the whole dramatic expedition with his parents would go any differently then he probably wouldn't have the standard that he does now.

He sits up with a groggy look on his face but he felt like he shouldn't even get up at this time.

Speaking of the time, he began looking at his clock and saw that it was 9:32AM, he had slept in but since he didn't really have any job to go to anymore, he may as well make the most of it.

He yawns and stretches after examining the clock and thought it would be a good idea to brush his teeth, get a shower and get ready for the day ahead.

Hopping out of bed and landing on his feet with a grin, he couldn't believe his own strength yesterday. Even with the nice and gentle talk with Princess Luna it seemed like his mind always went to that route no matter how much he internally changed the subject.

Apparently he can lift a stallion over his head like a bodybuilder would lift up some giant weights... And that guy was indeed heavy!

He wondered what other kinds of neat little powers he has up in his sleeve, assuming Discord wasn't fucking around with him.

As he pondered this, he opened the door to the bathroom, got in and closed the door behind him and began to strip down.

Don't want any sneak-peekers.

Now fully unclothed, he walks into the strangely-perfect shape of the shower and closed the curtains which had a moon and a sun pattern respectively.

They aren't vain at all...

As he turns the shower handles, he got a sudden shock of hot down his chest. "Yah!" He recoils but quickly sets the shower to set the warm, panting from that he remembered last night how he was able to survive scalding hot cocoa... What was different now?

Was it because he expected it and thus he subconsciously made the energy protect him? Was it the adrenaline and the energy co-existing? How does this work!?

He meditates in the shower for a few minutes as he was trying to rattle his brain and figure out how this works.

Was Discord actually fucking around with him? No, he said he was seeing him 'progress'... So Discord could be watching at any moment.

... He wondered.

"HEY DISCORD, STOP BEING A PERVERT! I KNOW I'M HUNG BUT COME ON! THIS IS LOW EVEN FOR YOU!" He said hoping to entice Discord out of hiding... He wasn't there.

Ashton snorts and shook his head. "Guess not..."

"U-uhm..."

... Oh no...

Ashton slowly pokes his head out of the shower curtain and there she was, the maid pony, a face full of red and her snout was bleeding from one of her horsey nostrils.

"A... Are you really hung?" She asked.

"Y-you're married!" Ashton said with a flush.

She wipes her muzzle and shook her head. "N-no... The stallion to my child left when he figured out I was pregnant..."

["Wow... Even in a utopia like this, shit is still messed up in the love department sometimes..."] He said in his head.

"Well, look... Uhm... I can't show you... Privacy and the like... You ponies have fur and can HIDE your genitalia... Plus I'm not really ready, I was just yelling out random stuff for no reason! It's a human thing!" He said lying his way out of it.

"O-oh... Well, in that case, I'll leave you to it." She looked relieved, but he could tell curiosity was at an all time high with this one.

He smiles. "In any case, were you trying to wake me up?"

She nods. "You have a meeting with the princess at 10:00... So you have plenty of time to have breakfast, it's just outside." She blushed a bit and was about to head out but stopped and looked back.

"...I know it was a test... But I still thank you that you would risk your life to save mine... It was really sweet." She blushed even harder and quickly trots out of there.

Ash smiles and puts a hand on his cheek. "...You're welcome." He said silently.

He went back to showering and got some shampoo, there was 'sunny radiance', 'moon beauty', 'Cherry Top'.

Cherry Top it is.

He fuckin' loves the smell, taste of cherries. He starts applying some of it, rubbing his hair till it all foamed and was practically lathered into the hair.

After a few minutes of lather, he puts his head under the shower head and washes his hair.

... Wait.

After all shampoo was washed off, he puts a hand on his forehead.

["Wh-where did the bandage go!? And where's my wound for that matter?"]

["... Did someone go into my room during the night and tried to change my bandage? If so, they probably thought the wound healed and left it at that."] He puts a finger on his chin, deep in thought.

After the shower was finally done, and his mental meditation was complete, it was time to brush his teeth.

The minute Ash looked in the mirror, there was no difference... except for one little detail.

His eyes were in a more bright sea blue, it was a gorgeous colour, was that what Luna was staring at? If so, I may have unironically and unintentionally wooed a princess.

This isn't good.

Not good at all.

["First day {Atleast fully awake} here in Equestria and I already unintentionally made moves on the moon princess! Oh man, this is bad."]

Wait... Maybe she was toying with you. Celestia had a sense of humour... So should she, right?

... He questioned the validity of the choice of rulers in this place.

Regardless, they were benevolent. So, he just smiled and went with the brushing.

After confirming the wounds were completely gone, no scars neither, then it was safe to say that he had some regenerative abilities on top of that.

Other than that, the brushing wasn't eventful.

He emerges from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, his slim and slender-ish body was visible to the world!... 

... Well... Only if the world walks in on him.

Regardless of that, he walks to the tray.

His eyes dart around the table as there was bagels with soft cheese, some fruit, trail mix and ... Soda.

He smiled as the maid probably considered that her thanks to him... He gladly accepts.

But what he didn't expect was that there fresh clothes on the table, neatly folded. This perplexes him.

It was the same clothes he took off in the bathroom, but they looked a bit bigger than the ones he took off in the bathroom.

Oh well... The baggier the better is what he always says.

He gets dressed, dries his hair by rubbing the towel on it and finally get some breakfast.

Bagels with soft cheese, an apple and a few nuts from the trail mix was the perfect amount for him to get started on within the day.

Drinking some of the newer soda, it turns out this was a grape-tasting soda that reminded him of the British made drink: Vimto. But it had a lot more going for it.

He looked very content with all of this as he finishes his breakfast in record time.

He takes a look at the clock, it was 9:52AM.

... Time to get to work.





Remembering the path to the throne room, Ash was wondering who he'd be meeting and why? Could it be the Mane Six? Most likely... If it was other ambassadors then surely he would have seen the doors beside him open a few times.

So... He's gonna meet the pony who got under a lot of jimmies since her 'ascension' to princess-hood.

He had always thought that being an Alicorn meant you had to be BORN an Alicorn. Guess that was proven wrong.

["Wow.. I have more knowledge about this show than I thou--"] He stopped his thoughts dead on and had the look of pure shock and panic.

["...I'm in a TV show... And these ponies have NO idea they're in a TV show..."] He looked around for any cameras or anything, once again with a panicked look on his face.

He starts to run down the hallway, his eyes darting from left to right constantly as he tries to find cameras.

Eventually, he makes it to the throne room and Princess Celestia smiles. "Ah, how nice to see you aw--" She noticed he was looking around frantically. "Is... Everything okay?"

Ashton looks at Celestia with a feign 'everything is good!' look on his face. "Fine! Just... I think I forgot something! I'll be right back!" He said as he went the opposite direction.

Celestia just had a look of concern written on her face but she let it be, perhaps he was just getting used to the castle?

Ashton kept running down the hallway to find any cameras or anything out of the ordinary... Not that he would KNOW what would be out of the ordinary.

Captain Silver Spear grinned as she saw him sprint down the hall. "What's wrong, kid? Lost something? Like a--"

"STUFF IT UP YOUR ASS!" Ashton said as he ran past and kept looking around frantically.

Silver Spear was a little taken aback by this behaviour... Even a little bit concerned, was he going crazy?

Or maybe...

She grinned, this was HER time to finally prove to the princesses that he is under Discord's control. Her grin went wide as she then shouts. "Halt in the name of Celestia! You are under arrest, Discorded scum!"

He looks around, not paying any attention to her.

"H-hey! Look at me when I'm ta--" She demanded but before she can get close, he sprints off.

"HEY!!" She gallops after him.

It didn't take long for Ash to feel the burning pain in his chest as had made it back to the throne room, putting his hands on his knees and bent over, getting that precious o2.

Celestia looks at him a bit concerned. "...Are you okay? Did you get that out of your system?" She didn't know how to continue with this.

Ashton sighs. "Y-yeah... I think we're good!" He puts a thumbs up. "No need to th--"

*Whomp!*

Silver Spear tackled Ashton to the ground with her pinning her weight against his with the victorious grin on her face. "You are under arrest, bucko! I knew I shouldn't--"

"Captain Silver Spear, unhoof him this minute!" Celestia demanded.

Silver Spear looked at Celestia. "B-but your majest--"

"No buts! Get off of him, he did nothing wrong." She said to her.

"He told me to stick my spear up a donkey!" She said trying to prove a point.

Celestia facehoof'd and sighed. "And you could have just ignored him, correct?"

Silver Spear looked a bit defeated. "W-well yeah..."

Celestia shook her head. "In any case, please get off of him..."

Ashton grunts. "Yeah... PLEASE get off."

Silver Spear huffed and gets off from Ashton, looking away from him. "Dumb Monkey." she whispered.

"Racist bitch." He whispered back before they stood at full attention for Celestia.





After a brief ..... Briefing, Ashton had learned that it was INDEED the Mane Six he was going to be meeting, and since Captain Racist was here already, she was standing beside him, she wanted a reason to jail him so badly... Everything was screaming 'WRONG' about this guy.

Even though Ashton didn't really care for it, he could probably understand why she was so alert when it comes to his actions, so like the guard before... He decided not to press anything.

And they say that Ashton wasn't a fair guy...

... Okay, No one really said that.

As it turns out however, the Mane Six had arrived to Canterlot by 9:50. They must have waken up early to meet the new 'HUMAN'. So did nearly all of Equestria as the guards had mentioned that there was a crowd going on in the streets.

Ash was scared, like... Genuinely scared, he didn't like the idea of so many eyes watching him at once or even watching him at that moment.

Silver Spear occasionally looked at Ash, and the more she saw this side of him... She was actually UNSURE of whether or not he actually WAS a threat or not. She starts to develop a lot of conflicted emotions, but kept on alert in case this was an elaborate ruse.

Celestia smiled as she waited for those double doors to open. She was incredibly patient, plus a visit from her student must be really nice to her.

Ash just sighed and repositions himself... He didn't like standing but he could at least tolerate it.

And at last... The doors open as six silhouettes enter.

As they stepped into proper lighting...

There they are...

The Mane Six themselves, heroes of Equestria, the Elements of Harmony and masters of glorious friendship!

Twilight Sparkle, the name definitely fit the cutie mark and the fur colour of a sky in it's transition from sunset to night... A twilight as it were...

Snrk...

Rainbow Dash, again, the name fits so well. Rainbow mane, loyal, fast and cyan coloured... Don't know what the loyalty and cyan coloured fur had anything to do with it but... oh well?

Fluttershy, she looked like a meek little thing. Cute as all hell and as the name implies shy and no doubt flutters in the air... If she were to fly, she'd remind me of a flying stick of butter.

Pinkie Pie, Don't know any name similarities in her traits.... She makes pies?

"Yup, yup!" She enthusiastically states out loud.

... Gonna ignore that.

Rarity, a beautiful and elegant mare with extraordinary tastes in gem-stones? Yeah, that sounds about right... But if he remembered correctly she did... Dresses?

He remembers odd things...

Last but not least...

Applejack, a hard working pony who grows apples and buck the apple trees... Again, he remembers tid bits.

Also, she's strong as hell, remind him not to piss her off or get into a fight with her.

Twilight smiled as she looks at her mentor and fellow princess. "Princess Celestia, we came as soon as we got your letter."

Celestia giggles a bit. "Twilight, you're a princess... How many times do I have to tell you, you don't have to call me by my title anymore... We're practically close now."

Twilight looked sheepish and turns his head away. "S-sorry... Still getting used to it." Her eyes were finally laying on Ashton, to whom had his eyes closed and was trying his hardest not to freak out.

He didn't know WHY he was freaking out, there was something about these mares that troubled him.

Oh wait, he DOES know.

How they beaten Tirek was pretty much enough for him to get scared, if word got out for Ashton to have chaotic energy inside of him then Twilight and her gang could trap him into stone.

That would be a terrible way of banishment.

"Mr. Devora?" Celestia said out loud, which made Ashton open his eyes.

He slowly looks at Celestia. "Y-yes?"

The mares were looking at each other, some were very excited, but a couple of them was very cautious.

Celestia then smiled, assuring him it was okay. "Please. Don't be nervous, introduce yourself." She said with the same motherly smile from yesterday, though it held a 'I know you lied to me' tone to it as well.

Hoo boy...

Ashton clears his throat and steps forward and gives a dignified bow. "Good morning to you all, I hope we can be good friends."

Oh dear GOD he hopes...

Twilight was the first to trot up to Ashton, circling him as she examined him from head to toe.

"No tail... But can stand with perfect balance on two legs..." She said out loud, Ashton just lets her get on with it.

This was a little embarrassing.

She took note of the hands. "Claws... 5 appendages on each..."

He demonstrates his 'claw' and balls it up in a fist and moves his shoulder around while using his other hand to hold the base of his shoulder.

"Dexterous claws..." She said pretty impressed.

"Hands." Ashton corrected softly.

She giggles a bit. "Alright then... Hands."

Twilight now looked into his eyes. "...Beautiful eyes. A bright sea blue." She then looks at the top of his head. "Mane, spiked... bangs in front, ends at the back of neck."

He was getting VERY uncomfortable now.

She puts a hoof on his leg. "Clothing, implied lack of fur." She then gets back a little bit, Ashton is now in her full vision. "Yep... You are a myth!"

The other girls were confused as hell, but Celestia was giggling from all of this.

"E-excuse me? But I'm right here!" Ashton retorted.

Twilight held a hoof up to which made Ashton stop.

["D-Wh-.. Why would she...] He was panicking in his head.

"Yes, you ARE standing right in front of me. BUT your kind was once considered a myth... And now there's documented evidence, I see a HUMAN right in front of me." She said with a bit of a smug attitude.

Rainbow Dash sighed. "Oh come on, Twi. Did Lyra's obsession get to you as well? How can you tell that is a human? To me, it looks like a monkey!"

Ashton's face grew an irritated look. ["Fuckin' walking gay pride parade..."] He said in his mind before confirming. "She is correct... I am a human."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow as she floats up and gets close to Ashton. ".... I don't trust ya... You a SPY?"

"Oh no.... you caught meeee... aahhhh.." Ashton said in a half-assed way, he was showing that she was being a bit over-dramatic.

"SO YOU ADMIT IT!" She exclaimed while poking a hoof at his neck and butting heads with him.

"H-hey! It was joke! Lighten up!" He looked very uncomfortable, and he was ready to punt a rainbow haired runt.

One of them, Rarity scoffed. "Rainbow Dash, darling... Perhaps you should give the poor stallion some space. 

Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity and sighed as she backs away, putting a hoof at her eyes and then points the hoof at Ashton before being with the rest of the group.

Rarity smiled. "I am Rarity... Or LADY Rarity, if you so like."

Ashton smiles as he figured he'd be more courteous to his saviour, he bows and offers a hand to which she accepts with her hoof and Ashton kisses it gently. "Lady Rarity, it is an honour."

Rainbow's jaw dropped while Rarity giggled like a flushing school girl, revelling her hoof back embarrassingly. "Oh, stop...~ A-Anyways... The girl before me was Rainbow Dash."

The aforementioned 'Skittles' had her front hooves crossed and let out a huff.

"The one who examined you was--" Twilight had interrupted Rarity. "Twilight Sparkle, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Ashton nodded. "A pleasure..." He then noticed something was off, where was Pinkie Pie...? "Uhm... Where did the pink one go?" Ashton said out loud.

Twilight chuckled. "Don't worry about Pinkie Pie, she's just being Pinkie Pie. She'll no doubt introduce herself to you in her own time. And uh... Don't question ANYTHING she does... I tried."

Ashton blinks and looks to the side. "Ok..."

Applejack was now next. "Howdy part'ner! Mah name's Applejack! Proud owner of the Sweet Apple Acres." She goes for a hoofshake to which he agrees and places his hand on her hoof.

... He will now regret that decision.

Applejack without any problems shook him violently and when she noticed she made the poor guy shake, she blushed. "G-golly... Ah don't even know mah own strength!"

Ashton chuckles. "N-no problem..." His eyes then went to Fluttershy. "..." He was waiting for her to introduce herself but she looked very unsure, and no doubt scared.

Twilight smiled. "It's okay, Fluttershy... He can't hurt you."

["Couldn't even if I wanted to... You guys are just adorable!"] He said in his own mind.

Fluttershy got that spark of encouragement. "...I'm... F-..." The rest of her speech was inaudible.

"...Fluttershy, huh?" Ashton got out of that.

She was a bit surprised, but nodded meekly.

"Well... I am Ashton Devora... Our families ancestry went into Blacksmithing... And writing..." He said while that was NOT untrue.

He had remembered his family tree as it did go back to Blacksmithing way back when.

"Oh, that's interesting! Are you able to blacksm--" Twilight tilts her head a bit.

While the sudden head motion was cute, he had to know what was going on in that cranium of hers. "...What?"

"You don't look like you could hold a sword very well... U-uh.. No offense..." She blushed out of embarrassment.

Here lies Ashton's muscles, hopes and dreams.

Oh well, no matter what he tried he couldn't even gain muscle.

The doctors blamed it on metabolism... But now he wasn't so sure.

Celestia finally clears her throat, giving everyone their attention to the super mare on the throne. "Now that introductions are somewhat out of the way, perhaps it is finally time to explain the situation."

Ashton gulps. ["She knows I'm full of chaotic energy... She's gonna--"]

"Due to reasons unknown, the appearance of this human has been remained a mystery within the 4 days of investigation... However, young Ashton gave us the explanation... A mad scientist by the name of Hououin Kyouma." She said with the same smile.

Ashton reeled back. ["Wh-what?! She's... Going with that story? Why!? She knows I made that up!"]

Celestia looked at Ashton. "And we hope that you, Elements of Harmony would re-evaluate his sense of friendship and make him a valuable citizen of Equestria."

Twilight smiles and her wings unfurl. "You can count on us, Princ-- Err, Celestia!" She said with sparkling eyes, another friend to add to the list.

Ashton was shocked to say the least, but then he counted the dots. ["She doesn't want her ponies to think I'm a monster or something... Tia..."] He then smiles at Celestia and bows. "I WILL DO MY BEST!" He said loud and proud as tears of joy began streaming down his face.

["Is this what true happiness and friendship feels like...?"] He said in his mind.

From this point on, he would forever give Celestia his thanks.

His cynicism was starting to degrade into hope that he could finally feel like he belongs somewhere.

Maybe he really WILL like it here after all.


{End of Chapter 5 -- TO BE CONTINUED}

> Chapter 6 - Comfort Zones
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Now in the eyes of Captain Silver Spear, she is currently trying to find out if she was wrong in her evaluations of the strange human. She always thought he was obnoxious and a fool, she still does.

But witnessing actual fear in that boy's eyes, she was very unsure if her actions beforehand were justified.

She was SURE that Discord had something to do with this and she was 100% certain that he would be the cause of Discord's return to evil.

Looking at him now, he seems to be doing well with the Elements, minus Loyalty who seems to distrust him just like Silver Spear does.

["... Maybe she can be a valuable asset."] She grins to herself.

"Your majesty... If you would let me, may I please speak to the Element of Loyalty?" Silver Spear asked.

Celestia smiles. "Captain, you don't need my permission to mingle. Go on."

"Thank you." She said before trotting to Rainbow Dash with a dark grin forming.





"Excuse me, miss Rainbow Dash. May I speak with you in private?" Silver Spear said out loud.

Everyone looked at Silver Spear, but Rainbow Dash was blinking after being addressed and starts to give an unsure look towards the others before replying. "Uh... Sure! I'll meet with you girls back at the train station later!" She smiles and trots off with Silver Spear to talk about God knows what.

Probably wondering how she got her mane like that or something else GIRLY like that.

Twilight nods. "If you're so sure, Rainbow." She smiles at Ashton. "Are you ready to leave?"

Ashton smiles and pumps a fist up. "Yep, as ready as I'll ever be."

Celestia had the 'not so fast' kind of giggle going on. "Not without your possessions, Mr. Devora."

He looked over at Celestia. "Wait a moment, but my possessions are locked up, why--"

Celestia puts a hoof up and explains to him. "We were up all night trying to figure out if there's anything out of the ordinary... And well... Nothing was out of the ordinary. Your belongings are in your room."

Beaming at the news, Ash looks at Twilight. "Yo, can you girls wait for another couple of minutes?"

Twilight giggles before replying. "Of course, but don't take TOO long. Our train is going to leave in about 15 minutes."

He nods. "Count on me!" He said before running back to his room.

It took a good few minutes, but Ashton finally came back to the group with a messenger bag full of personal items, including the unfinished bottle of coke.

"Alright, now I'm ready." He said with a smile, seeing Rainbow Dash with them as well but it also seemed she looked determined about something.

He shook his head, it's not like he really cared what she thought about him.

Twilight smiles. "Now, let's get moving."





The crowd was gigantic, many ponies came around to see the human before they had to leave for Ponyville.

Some were disappointed, some were amazed and small percentage of them even fainted.

And he could have swore one of them was swooning over the poor guy, guess this place loves 'exotic' creatures a lot more than he thought.

Regardless, they eventually make it to the train station at a good time as the train was there with open doors and it was just about to leave, the conductor shouting out. "All aboard! The train will be leaving in 3 minutes!"

Twilight smiled. "Great timing." She said as they got on the train and sat down in their seats.

Ashton was the only one sitting in front of Twilight and Rainbow Dash, the former excited about asking Ashton some questions while the latter seemed smug as hell, as if to say: 'I know what you're up to, asshole'.

... Well, he would hope it was something colourful like that in any case.

"So, Mr. Devora--" Twilight begins, but Ashton stopped her. "Please, just call me Ashton or Ash. Whichever you prefer." He said with a bit of a smile.

Rainbow scoffed at this, Ashton raised an eyebrow but Twilight ignored her. "Okay... Ashton." She blushes a bit. "So, Ashton. What are your hobbies?"

Ashton smiled. "I do like video games." He then figured how much of a loser he sounded.

Twilight blinks. "O-kay... Anything else?"

He thought about it, but his life was too pampered and boring to remember such joys, plus his parents didn't give him time to enjoy anything other than video games.

Otherwise it was STUDY, STUDY, STUDY! Or the infamous: Let's go to church and pray to our --

He shivers from the memories. "Well... Not really... I guess you could say I'm a bit of a lame-oid."

Rainbow actually snickered at that but quickly returned back to her scrutiny. "Ever hurt anypony?" She bluntly just says.

Twilight gasps a bit. "R-Rainbow--"

Ash puts his hand up. "Twi, it's an honest question, nothing to worry about."

Twilight sighs. "O-okay."

He then smiled and replied to the pegasus. "Yes.. But only if they hurt me... It's a general rule of thumb for me, an eye for an eye and all that."

Rainbow was looking at him with even more scrutiny while Twilight asks another question. "What about habits, do you have any?"

Being close to reply, he stops before remembering. "Uhm..." He can definitely think up a few.

And it definitely rhymes with Corn.

"Not exactly... But if I pick up on one, I'll let you know." He said with a smile.

"What are those claws you have? Ever since I looked at them back at the castle... They look so helpful." She said staring at his hand.

"Oh this? This is my hand, these extra digits are called fingers." He then smiles. "They are made to carry things or pet things." He said with a bit of a grin.

Twilight looks like she wanted to try it out but she shook her head. "N-no, thank you." She blushed a bit once again and then wondered. "Do you humans have cutie marks?"

"...Those markings on your butts?" Ashton said and shook his head. "Nah, no markings."

She tilts her head. "Then, how exactly do you find your true calling in life?" She plus Rainbow were genuinely curious but Rainbow not much so.

He sighs a bit and wonders how to explain it. "...We uhm... We aren't exactly bordered on cutie marks to determine our path... We discover them on our own and we make a living off of them..." He then remembers homeless people in general, they either had zero skill or that skill was taken away from them. "Some more than others..."

She looks down. "Oh... Well, what do you specialise in?"

He wondered how to answer this, it was a little different than just hobbies. "Well, I used to work at a shop stacking stuff... Like I said, good at handyman stuff." He grins.

It was at this point Twilight tapped a hoof on her chin. "Hmm... Well... How about mating?"

Rainbow was taken aback by this, but Ashton didn't mind answering. "We just pick who's attractive... People always say: 'Oh, it's the personality!' But in reality attraction works depending on what our eyes like, no one is honest about it and that's what pisses me off."

Twilight clears he throat. "Language..."

Ashton sighed out loud and mentally groaned. "Sorry..." ["She's worse than my mother..."] He said that in his head.

The purple pony smiled and shook her head. "It's okay, I understand your frustration... Being the only human..." 

["Oh god, that's right... I'm the only human around and mares would probably find me ugly..."] He said as he got a bit depressed at the thought.

Twilight gasps. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't meant to off-"

He shook his head and nervously giggled. "H-hey, it's fine... It's my problem to deal with." He said with a re-assuring smile.

Twilight nods and then smiles sheepishly.

After a good few questions like: "How high are humans normally or what kind of buildings were there?" It stopped and she was satisfied with those normal questions. "There are more, but maybe you'd like to rest? You look exhausted."

Ashton blinked and puts a hand on his head. "Am I?...  Hmm, I suppose I am." He rests his head back. "...I feel as if my brain had been drained... It didn't help running around like a maniac."

Twilight and Rainbow tilts their heads in confusion.

He sheepishly laughed. "It's.. Nothing, I'm just... I'm gonna go get some sleep, alright?"

Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash. "Alright... Rainbow, can you look after him while I go talk with the other girls?"

Rainbow shrugged. "He'll be fine on his lonesome, besides... I don't want to disturb him."

Twilight blinks and looks at Rainbow. "That's... Well, alright." Her and Rainbow got off their seats and went to go sit with the other girls, to mingle.

Ashton had already felt the hostility coming from Rainbow, what did he do that made him so distrusted? Was it the whole race gap or...?

Bah, fuck it. Sleep now, think later.

Feeling his eyes heavily droop and close, he quickly loses the world of the awakened and starts in the land of the slumber.

Upon opening his eyes, he was in a blank landscape, the entirety of the space was just a blank void.

Ashton decided to call out. "Hello?" The minute he had said something, the void starts to ripple like a watery ripple effect and it transforms into the train but now it was night time and the whole train was lit dimly, but it was enough for Ashton to see.

He was starting to get a little bit spooked as he softly walks forward, looking out the window he could see that he was in the middle of a forest.

It was empty, there was no ponies to be seen, he called out once again. "...Rainbow?... Twilight?" He said apprehensively, he starts to cautiously walk towards the doors to the next tram.

Transitioning rooms, Ashton was at the abandoned cafeteria of the train and with a few steps forward he felt the train shake and begin to move. "!... Wh-what the?"

"Come... Sit." A familiar regal voice was heard.

"Uh... Princess Luna?" Ashton called out, and looked at the silhouette that was sitting on the table, it was indeed the lunar princess herself.

The strange vibes were engulfing the poor boy's mind, his desire for answers have been doubled.

...

Don't know where that one came from.

He then walks on over to her and sat down next to the dark Alicorn, she smiles at him and explains a few things. "Dreamer, you are in your dreamscape... But I used one of your calming desires to make you feel at home."

"A barely dimmed train at night time? Surrounded by a forest and conducted by ... A ghost, I presume." He said with a grin, you're forgetting rain and a little bit of rainy-jazz music on the side.

Just as he mentioned this, it was pouring down with rain and the jukebox in the cafeteria replied with some rainy jazz.

The pitter patter of rain pelting the indestructible glass makes it a little bit more soothing, but he still had questions.

"I'm in a dream, then?... Amazing, so how exactly do we go from here?" He asked.

She smiled. "Well, we can go anywhere you would like to go." Her smile turns into a sly grin. "I want to know more about the stallion that has my attention."

Ashton blinks. "Your attention?..." He looks right at her and he was feeling like she was doing this on purpose. "What exactly do you mean by attention?"

Luna sipped the alcoholic beverage, she shivers a bit. "Why, just that... You have my attention, most stallions wouldn't want anything to do with me since they find me so intimidating... You however have spoken to me like a normal mare. Your fighting style is outlandish, but it made a lot of sense. And those eyes..."

He had realized she was no longer speaking regally, but she was actually speaking NORMALLY.

["This is news to me..."] He said in his... -- ["Wait, I said that outloud!--"]

She giggles. "Of course it is... Oh, and in here I get to hear every thought you're making."

"...Right you are..." He said with a sheepish blush and sighs. "So, you're infatuated with me?"

Luna nods. "Definitely so... However there is something I must tell you. I cannot have these feelings with you. We barely just met and... You're a mortal... If you were to perish due to old age and we were married... I would never recover from it. So, I may as well let you know and get it off my chest."

Now his depression worsens, thanks Night Ass.

Luna blushed and scrunches her muzzle. 

He looked sheepish. "What? I didn't say anything!"

Luna blinks and looks around, shaking her head. "In either case. I hope we can still be friends."

Ashton blinks. "Uh... Sure...?" Aaaaand already got friend-zoned, but she had a reason, so it wasn't a harsh friend-zone (At least).

He shrugged. "So, is there anything else or...?"

She shook her head. "Nothing else... I'm glad we had this talk... However, while a relationship isn't exactly in my cards... Courtship is always on the table, Mr. Devora." She winks and got up from her seat.

Ashton's face grew into a huge blush, his eyes travelled to her ass as it shook in he trot.

He bites his lower lip as the dreamscape dissolves around him, Luna also dissolving into the ground.

The lightning and rain intensifies as the rain crashes into the window and the glass goes flying at him.

This got him to wake up quick and he was laying on his side with Twilight pestering him. "Wake up, sleepy head. Time to disembark!"

He groans a bit and puts a hand on his head. ["Women..."] He sighs and gets up from his spot.

It was time to finally see the luxury that was Ponyville.


{End of Chapter}

> Chapter 7 - Nu Pizdec.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Stepping out of the train was the most nerve wracking thing to have ever happened. The minute he took ONE little step, the train station was crowded by very curious ponies.

They were mostly talking to themselves, but a few definitely wanted to ask questions.

This was adorable to him.

He puts his hands up and grins. "To all the ponies of ... Equestria! Do not be afraid... I! COME IN PEACE!" He said, deciding to have a little bit of fun with these colourful equines.

Some just tilted their heads, some gasped and the rest fainted, they probably didn't expect a word to come out of his mouth.

He smiled as the Princess of Friendship herself told the ponies to scatter so they can get back home, they obliged... Minus the fainted ponies.

"Err.. Are they gonna be alright?" Ashton asked, to which Applejack just replied with a scoff. "Don't you worry about them, they all faint when a tap o' wind just breezes by their flowers." She said in a sexy southern drawl.

... Sexy? Has Ashton already started the attraction process from humans to ponies in a matter of days? So odd.

But he may as well since there's probably never gonna be a way back home. If there was, he'd probably decline it in a heartbeat. It's not everyday that you get to randomly make it to a brand new world and not explore all the possibilities!

He had also just realized something, in this world he has NO monetary value to his name. Though he imagines that getting money would be no problem if he sold any of his other-worldly equipment. For all he knows, he could make bank.

If there was a place that develops Soda, he needs to make sure that the bottle still has it's seal so that maybe ponies could recreate it from the ingredients on the side... Of course there will have to be some trial and error involved.

Though, he doesn't mind water or any other beverage so that's not really top-priority.

As they were walking along the snowy pathway to the marketplace, his mind was a little bit filled with great ideas and possibilities. Yet WHEN to take up the mantle of said ideas and responsibilities, he will NEVER know.

His feet and their hooves crunch on the snowy landscape of Ponyville. It was freezing!

First thing's first, to get more acquainted with the Mane Si-- Wait a god damn second... "Hey, where's Pinkie?" He finally asks.

"Oh, she's around." Rainbow smugly said, though she wasn't to enthusiastic, he was going to have a party in his honour. But at this point to her it's just free food and punch.

Twilight and the other girls smirk at each other but then said pony begins to speak. "Okay, now we're gonna have to talk about housing. You are our responsibility, therefore since you don't have anything to go by just yet... You can always live with one of us."

Rarity's eyes sparkle, a new chance to tackle human line clothing. Truth be told, she was eyeing his dress style occasionally, she couldn't put a hoof on it but it was dazzling and attractive to see someone in a full dark blue sleeved work shirt and black pants, it oddly fit so well.

Applejack was curious on how a human's strength worked, so she had a few ideas up her sleeve regarding bucking or carrying things.

Rainbow Dash cared less....... Okay, maybe a little. She was curious on how fast a human could run given he was a biped.

Fluttershy was an animal caretaker, she always wanted to know what a human would be like with other animals and what kind of diet he had.

Pinkie was too busy making a party for the sad bloke, so she's out of the equation.

And Twilight had many fascinations, many questions and of course many experiments could be done if he would just let her. He wouldn't even have to do all the work, it would just be her doing all of the examinations.

Ashton had to choose between the 5 of them and he wasn't entirely sure which would be the best for them, after all he doesn't know their true intentions.

Though if they were to ask, he would be fine with it as long as it doesn't conflict with his time.

He opened his eyes and smiled. "Alright Twilight, you seem to be the most book savvy, I'm gonna need all the help I can get if I'm gonna understand this world."

Twilight blinks. "Wait, how did you know I was book savvy?"

Without even thinking, he already screwed up... BUT he can fix this! Good ol' fashioned charisma, right? "Well, look at you. You're smart, you have the knowledge and you seem eager to learn more about my science... Plus you're well organized. Now I dare you to name another job that has all of that combined!"

She was a bit flabbergasted. "You could tell by just looking at me?... Is that a human power?"

He then continues to do what he does best. "...Only me... MY power..." He said looking serious.

He was too good, WAY too good at this. Applejack would have scolded him already but he's actually getting away with this.

Despite her trotting with us, she gets a notepad and quill and writes down something, probably pertaining to his 'power'.

If only he knew what real power was lying dormant inside of him.

Oh well. That's later, this is now.

The other girls seemed fine with his decision regardless, guess things get really lax sometimes.

Twilight however was giddy like a schoolgirl who has been invited to the prom by a really cute boy.

... It really was too bad he didn't get the favour of any of the human girls, they were either snobby, cunts, too shy or just downright hated him.

9 times out of 10 it was anything but shy.

Well, say what you want about them. They're sentient creatures and love is an interesting thing after all.

"Alright, first things first girls." Twilight said with a chip on her shoulder, but then Ashton clears his throat and she corrects herself. "And boy. We will settle Mr. Dev-- Err, I mean Ashton to the palace. Hopefully Pinkie will turn up."

He shrugs and smiles. "Sounds decent to me, I need to unpack these things anyway."

"What are they? Clothes? Or fancy doo-hickeys?" Applejack asked curiously to which Ashton scratches his head. "Both, I imagine." He replied with a bit of a curious tone himself, he sets the bag down and unlatches the strap and opens it.

Everything was there: His original clothes which looked clean... They work fast! His 3DS with a case of game cartridges, his smartphone, chargers for both the phone AND 3DS, an unfinished bottle of coke a few unopened ramen cups and some bread. For some reason the food stuff looked like they were STILL fresh, odd.

But not complaining!

What he did find a little odd was the fact that they fit neatly without any problems, for all he knew this was a bottomless bag.

He shook his head as he then asked. "Hey, Twilight... Do you guys use electricity here?"

"...Electricity? Uhm, a few denizens of Ponyville do but only the rich ones. And I think the palace has electricity... Why?" Twilight said with a smile.

Ashton smiled. "Eh, it's nothing." He got up and sets his bag to close once more and puts the strap on his opposite shoulder again as they continue to walk onward in the cold snow.

Eventually they finally make it back to the palace, it was a palace with big doors, as you would normally expect for such a thing... Not to mention, it was an eyesore.

Man, Hasbro must be making a killing by now.

He couldn't stop feeling so many red flags alarming inside of his head, the whole of Ponyville was EMPTY! Like for real, a burglar would go into each house, steal a few things and then leave without being noticed! EASY MONEY!

Though he would never commit such acts, it was amusing to say the least. It was a bit of a ghost town and the girls were looking very sheepish.

Seriously, they were here not too long ago in the train station... What HAPPENED?!

Twilight in particular clears her throat.

"Ashton, welcome to Ponyville!" Twilight remarked which caused him to fold his arms and look at her with a bit of scrutiny.

She looks at Ashton. "What?"

Ashton then sighs. "I've been meaning to ask... Why Ponyville? Isn't that a bit of an obvious pun?"

The ponies didn't seem to understand. "It's ... Y'know... Ponyville!" Rainbow Dash couldn't really get a reading on the guy.

"Yeah, and I don't doubt that, Rainbow Dash... But you guys don't see it? Eh, maybe I'm just too picky." He said with even MORE of an embarrassed look on his face.

"A-anyways, let's get inside!" Twilight hurried them in, as it turns out it was very dark.

["Uh oh... I know what's coming"] Ashton grinned before the doors closed and the lights were all turned off.

"Hoo-wee! Spooky without the lights, eh sugarcube?" Applejack said to Ashton to whom could only say: "Yeah" in agreement.

The minute those lights turn on, the whole of Ponyville including Pinkie Pie shouts out. "SURPRISE!!"

"Hah! Nice one!" Ashton said, he should have seen this coming a mile away but for some reason, it just didn't click... Is that how everypony felt with Pinkie's parties at one time? ... She's an odd one.

Pinkie bounced all the way to Ashton and kept bouncing despite her already close to his eye-level. "Did I surprise you, huhuhuhu?!"

Ashton giggled a bit. "Pinkie, I have been thoroughly surprised." He starts to pet Pinkie's mane and scratch her ears a little bit.

["Oh no... Why did I do that?!"]

Pinkie felt like she was in heaven as she starts kicking like a dog would with each scratch with a dopey look on her face.

Rainbow was the first to get involved. "What did you do to her?!"

Ashton puts his hands up. "Whoa, whoa... I just gave her ears a scratch. It's how humans show... others... affection." He said choosing his words carefully.

Twilight sighs. "Rainbow, lighten up..."

Pinkie giggles. "Yeah! It felt really good! I'll make sure to save you a BIGGER slice of the cake, handsome." She said in a fit of giggles before bouncing off to mingle with more ponies.

Ashton blushed a bit. "...Handsome?"

Rainbow Dash blinks and looks at Ashton and then points her hoof at her eyes and then at Ashton as she just flutters off to get some grub.

"Yeesh..." Ashton said under his breath, but of course Twilight heard it.

Twilight smiles. "Don't worry about Rainbow, it takes her a while but when you show her you're really nice... She'll do anything for you. A real good friend to have around."

Ashton nods. "I don't doubt it, I just hope that she'll understand my plight, y'know?"

Twilight responded. "Of course, do you want to mingle with other ponies first or go straight to your room first?"

He smiled. "I think I'll mingle, after all unpacking doesn't take too long and this isn't too heavy, you know?"

She smiles back as she then went to go find Pinkie.

This time, Ashton went to go see a few ponies, those few ponies asked him a good few questions that he had to answer.

"How old are you?"

"19."

"What was your home like?"

"Not as grand as this."

"What do you do in your spare time?"

"Gaming and being lazy... But that may be subject to change."

"Don't you have any family?"

"...Nah, I'm an orphan." ["Don't see why they should know..."]

"...Is it Lonely being a human?" That one question stuck with him.

"... Come again? OH, wait... uh... Yeah, it IS pretty lonely... And I mean romantically." He said with a bit of a downed spirit as he found the punch to be interesting all of a sudden.

Now silence, as it turns out they didn't think about it being that lonely but then one of them, a minty unicorn with a lyre harp said. "Well... You could always court a pony."

Jesus, where did that come from?!

Ashton felt his face flush. "Oh uh... Thanks..."

He didn't forget the dream he had of Princess Luna willing to have sex with him.

This is way different than in the show... Is this their true colours behind the TV screen?

He shook his head. "Any more questions?"

As it turns out, ponies went to go mingle with others... But that minty pony was still there with a smile on her face and waves with her hoof. "Can I see your hands?"

He tilts his head in confusion but obliges. "Uh... sure." He said while giving her a good look of the hands, she was touching them with her hooves, the hooves were soft and fluffy... Well maintained.

She however rubbed her cheek against his hand, breathing heavily like she was getting off on it.

This made Ashton recoil a little bit. "Oookay! Save it for marriage sister..."

Lyra gasps. "YOU WANT TO MARRY ME?!"

Ashton felt his eyes widen and looked around, seeing all the ponies looking very excited.

Twilight was jotting down notes. "Fascinating... Love at first sight does happen with humans!"

Ashton gulps as he looks down. "Nu Pizdec."


[End of Chapter]

> Chapter 8 - The Turning Point
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	After a gruelling process of telling a crushed Lyra that it wasn't an invitation to marriage but instead was a joke, she took it... Somewhat well.

And by 'well', your guess on what happened couldn't be any further than the truth.

A slap in the face, being called a mean word and pretty much nearly crashing the party that the pink pony had tried so hard to repair (and somehow succeeded) but with a trade off.

The boy had to be sent to his room so that way he wouldn't disturb any more of the party for tonight.

"5 minutes in and I crashed a party... New record but nothing new." He said to himself as he was now laying on his bed, he felt bad for the minty unicorn.

However he was currently questioning in his head how he would be excluded from his OWN party, but... Can't really get a reading on Pinkie Pie, he'd go crazy like Twilight did.

But in all sense of it, he didn't care much for parties so it was a plus he wasn't in the same room as the party goers.

Not that he doesn't want to know more about the other ponies but more so they would enjoy it without him.

Oh well, more Pokémon for him.

"Hell yeah, a female Espurr!" He said with delight as he managed to catch her with a normal pokéball, his luck is changing!

... Okay, it wasn't THAT impressive but still! It's better than nothing, and he didn't feel like reading a book.

He sighs and looks at his other game cartridges. "Let's see... Pokémon X, Pokémon Moon already in the 3DS, Ace Attorney Dual Destinies, Spirit of Justice, the trilogy... Nah... Metal Gear Solid 3DS, Bravely Default, Majora's Mask 3D.... Christ, I have a lot of games."

"...Nah." He said as he just closes the 3ds and sets it down, suddenly having a change of heart.

If he were to be honest, he felt offended that he was the trade off for the party to continue, especially since it was technically his own welcoming party.

Though it seems as if it didn't matter if the selected pers-- Pony was to be attending or not, the party must go on.

"Why do I feel so shitty about this? It's just a party..." He said as he honestly could not understand why he was feeling this way.

Perhaps it was because it was in a long time a party that he actually wanted to attend and he messed the chance--.. No. That was not his fault.

Nor was it the minty unicorn's neither.

"Feh, it's better this way." He said as he just decides to get some rest.

Resting his head on the pillow and feel himself drift off to sleep, the clouds of darkness overshadow his vision and the boy enters dreamland once again.





The scene before him was like something out of a story book, but this was very familiar to him.

The landscape was a river, the river was under the bridge and was connected to a highway. This highway was a popular spot for teens to make out or for just a lonely night.

Speaking of night time, it was indeed that time as the stars in the sky were sparkling and barely any cars were passing by except for the highway.

A young 8 year old Ashton was looking up at the sky next to someone else, a girl. She was a pretty girl, elegant and very stunning, but of course Ashton didn't see that in her, what he saw was another friend who was happy to play with him.

What they were playing was a D&D type game with capes and everything. She seemed to be quite nerdy despite her dazzling appearance.

They seemed to be talking.

"And so like, he was crying in pain! And the dragon lady came up and healed him despite being sworn enemies!" He said with a grin.

"Wow, really?" The girl replied. "She seems very nice." She wondered as she continued to look up the sky with him.

He nods. "Yeah!" He then looked at her. "Hey, Star."

Her name was Star, rather strange but her parents had silly tastes. She looks at Ashton with curiosity. "Yes?"

Ashton sat up a bit, giving Star his full attention. "So.. Why did you call me out here so late at night?"

She shook her head. "I just wanted to see you again..."

"Pfft, yeah right! You just wanted to get me in trouble!" He said childishly, making her laugh.

"No, that's not it! Really!" She couldn't hold in her laughter but then got a bit serious. "...I went to the doctor's the other day."

He then got a bit serious. "...Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "...It's ... Very serious... Apparently my doctor said that I would have to start medication very soon."

Blinking, Ashton was a bit confused. "Are you sick?"

She nods. "My lungs aren't what they used to be." She admitted, she was fiddling with the ground as she rocks herself from side to side childishly.

"Lungs?... Is that why you were so out of breath earlier?" He then gets up and smiled. "Hey, when you get better... Let's go to the fields again!" He said as he offered her a hand to which she accepts.

Star nodded with a smile. "Okay."

She then pulled away softly. "I'm sorry for telling you so late, it's almost dinner time."

Ashton nods. "Yeah, but I'm not really hungry... I wanna go on an adventure!"

She giggles a bit. "Well, maybe when I'm better... We can go on one! Just the two of us!"

He got excited. "Heh, yeah! I can't wait!"

She then smiles. "Okay, I gotta get home, I'll catch ya later?"

Ashton nodded with a goofy smile on his face. "Yah!"

She giggles. "I'll see ya later!" She said with a cute tone and went back home by passing the bridge and back into town.

That day, Ashton stood there as she walks off. He didn't know why, but that day he had a feeling that it would only get worse from there. He wanted to protect her, she was like a sister to him.

The vision of the memory fades and then in a brief moment. "Agh!"





Ashton shot up from his slumber with a yelp. "!..." He was in a cold sweat and he started panting.

He sighs to himself as he then looks at the window, taking notice that it got considerably darker outside, but what was on his mind was Star. "...I swore to myself I'd forget about that day." He said as he then got up and felt his stomach grumble.

It was silly, but he forgot to eat something during the party.

He looked at the time on his 3DS, it was 3:41AM.

Surely Twilight wouldn't mind if he went for a quick snack. He opened his door and trying to remember his way to the party in the dark hallways wasn't really a good idea, but it was probably the only idea he had at the time.

"Man, should have invested in a flashlight or someth--" And just like that he whacks his nose onto the door without realizing there was door there. "Oogh!" He puts both hands on his nose as it was pulsating from the pain. "oooowww.."

He opened the door and rubbed his nose as he was now seeing an exhausted Spike and a few of them had passed out on the floor.

"What did they get drunk or something?" He said to himself before eyeing the party food that seems to be still left over.

"Jackpot!" He silently said to himself before tiptoeing his way to the confectioneries.

He spotted a plate full of fritters, cupcakes, cake itself, cherry pie, apple pie and a whole other kinds of delicious trinkets.

DIABEETUS.

He took a few fritters and a slice of cherry pie for himself, he noticed some punch. He grins and got a spare plastic cup and dipped in it, he drank from it and he started to reel back in shock. "wh-what the hell is in this?!" He coughs.

He felt like his mouth was on fire and he took notice on a red bottle, he picks it up and squints his eyes in the dark. "...Hot... Sau-- Oh god, that's strong!"

Taking his treats, he took another clean plastic cup and went back to his room as quickly as possible without waking up the others.

The taste in his mouth was somewhat unbearable but he tried to power though it.

He was going to have some choice words for that pink pony the next time he sees her.

Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he opens the door and closes behind him. He was now at home base!

He sets the plate of goods down on the top of the bedside cabinet and got some Cola from his bag and started to pour some out to the plastic cup, luckily it was still carbonated so it wasn't flat yet, good.

Chugging the soda down, he felt his mouth cool down from the strangely still cold liquid and exhales after finishing the chugging. "That pony is a psycho!" He said out loud before pouring some more cola out for another full cup and then sets the bottle on the bedside cabinet next to the treats.

Now was time for the tasty treats! He took his first bite from the fritter.

His eyes widen and he looks at it before wolfing it down, it was legendary! He had no idea that treats were THIS good here in Equestria.

After finishing the one he goes for another one and wolfs that one down.

Taking a sip of his cola occasionally, the taste mixture was GODLIKE!

The texture, the taste, the presentation? ALL GOOD!

...

What's that noise?

He looks at the window, getting up and walking towards it. He looks outside of the window and sees something with curiosity in his eyes.


"Cold winter fast approaches, as we fearfully wait
The simplest of simple creatures, bound by the laws of fate..."


It was a bat pony in a very dark guard outfit with another, singing some sort of anthem it seemed.

... Pretty catchy.

He kept listening in but then they stopped, they were looking around. "Hey, can you feel that?"

Ashton blinks as he pulls away a little bit to hide.

"Nah, it's just your imagination... Surely." The other one said.

The other guard sighed and continued on.


"A shadow came to us in our dreams, with tales of better times
The royal Princess of the Night forgave us for our crimes--.."


The voices faded away...

Ashton let out a soft whistle, he thought he was caught. But for some reason he had no idea why he was hiding. Perhaps it was strange for somepony to be out so late at night, might cause suspicion.

He shrugged and just sat down on his bed again, suddenly he didn't really feel any more hungry... That song, despite not hearing much of it really got to him.

... Perhaps the morning would be even more kinder to him.





It was indeed the morning and Ashton was in the main assembly hall with Twilight and Spike. "Okay, so ... Repeat that again."

Twilight sighs. "This is a map, Ashton. But it's not just any kind of map, it's a Cutie Mark map..."

Ashton was already confused. "And what's this got to do with me?"

She sighed. "Well, it's rather simple. Since you're currently living under my roof, you'll have to be present when a friendship emergency happens."

This time he was deadpanning. " I don't have a butt tattoo in case you forgot, Sherlock Holmes."

Twilight growls. "That's not the point! And it's cutie marks! Also... Who's Sherlock Holmes?"

He grumbles. "He's one of the best human detectives in our olden day era. Probably one of the best."

She got a notepad and quill from nowhere again as she was writing this all down.

...Never change, Twilight.

"Anymore ponie--- err people you can think of that is really good at their job?" She asked with a smile on her face.

Spike was just sitting in his chair with a sigh. "Twilight..."

She looks at Spike. "Just a second, Spike, this is groundbreaking information!"

Ashton had this grin forming on his face as he then clears his throat. "Weeeell, there is this ONE GUY... He's a lawyer, defence attorney even!"

She was in attention now. "Ohh!"

He grins even more. "Yep! His name was Phoenix Wright! He never loses a case! ... Except for one time but it turns out that guy actually WAS guilty but...-- A-anyway! He was incredible! He was dubbed: The ACE ATTORNEY!"

She was mesmerised. "R-really!? He gave nearly everypony an acquittal?!"

He nods. "And they were truly innocent, too! All framed for crimes they didn't commit." He smiled from ear to ear, having WAY too much fun with this.

Now painting humanity in a better light, he was doing them a God damn favour.

"It's too bad though... I won't ever get to see him in a court room ever again." He said looking away, hoping she would take the bait.

Twilight sighs. "Yeah... That is sad..."

...

["Damnit..."] He said in his mind as it turns out she didn't take the bait... Better stop now.

"Anyways, so a butt vibrates and it's not a friday night? Got it, I'll come over." He said in which Twilight got a bit confused by.

Ashton then wondered. "So... What do I do now?" He said with a bored sigh.

She then looked at him as if it's a silly question. "...Make friends of course!"

He blinks and looks at her. "Me? Make friends? Ha, you're funny Twilight..." He said before she looked at him in a serious manner. "...Oh god, you're serious aren't you?"

And a few seconds later, Ashton finds himself outside via a teleportation spell Twilight did.

... Needless to say, the boy was making friends... With the gravel on the ground as a thud was heard from inside.

Spike looks at Twilight. "...Is he okay?"

Twilight was sitting there with a beet red face, finally getting the joke he made earlier. "Oh yeah, he's fine...."

"....Ow..." A soft groan was heard.


[End of Chapter]

> Chapter 9 - Express Delivery!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





"So... A job, then?" Ashton said as he sat down in the 'map' room with Twilight and Spike in their respective seats and he was sitting in Rainbow Dash's seat.

"Uh, yeah. That's what I said." Twilight said in a bit of an annoyed tone. "While I don't want to force you to be out on your feet already, I want you to be prepared for any situation. For example, there might be a time where I don't want you here anymore and you have a place to yourself."

Ashton looked a little perturbed by this but he kinda understands the reason why this could be one of the cases. "What, so you can have alone time with a boyfriend or something? Totally understandable."

This flustered Twilight a little, but she chose to ignore it in the long run. She was getting a little too used to Ashton's shenanigans at this point. "Right, so... How about it? At least try for me?"

"I mean... I just got here a day and already been told to go outside. You're a like a mom who wants their child to head outside so they can have alone time." He sighs a bit and rests his cheek against his knuckles on the armrest. "Can't I just rest for today and do it tomorrow?"

Twilight uses her hoof to wave off. "And lose the day? Come on, aren't you a LITTLE bit curious about Ponyville?" Looking at Ashton, hoping he would say yes.

"Jeez! Fine! I'll have a look around. You're impossible." He said before getting up from the seat and looks at her. "But you're gonna have to guide me to the entrance, cause I can't remember my way around."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Fine, I suppose I can." She said before hopping off her seat and walking with Ashton to the entrance of the castle. Spike, on the other hand, was reading a comic book and only finally said something. "Huh?" He looks around to see it now empty and shrugs. He goes back to reading.

As Ashton walks out of the entrance and saw that there were ponies around, doing their own thing whether it be work or play. Twilight starts speaking behind him. "Take in the sights, make friends and don't look too hard."

This made him shrug and sigh. "Broken records are still broken, Book Horse."

Scoffing at the nickname, she just had to correct him. "Twilight. But you're right, I guess just take your time and things will come naturally to you. Also be back by 5, dinner will be ready by then."

"Yeah, yeah..." Ashton mutters before taking the steps down to the grass, this was it. The start of... Whatever this was.





Truth be told, he was glad he got out of that place. He stretches and yawns, feeling the fresh and cold air seep into his lungs. So refreshing.

After his much-needed stretch, he starts looking around on where to start first. He first starts off looking through this marketplace and probably at that town hall to see if there were jobs for him to take up.

He starts going into a jog, seeing a few ponies gazing at him. It seems they aren't used to his presence just yet and were startled to see him go into a jog. This didn't stop him however as he looked around while his feet did all the work.

After a minute of exercise, he finally makes it to the marketplace. The smells of herbs, fruits, and vegetables were so enticing that he sorta wishes he had cash on him to get an apple or something. Though with how they treat other species here they would probably screw with him and overcharge him. Not that it has happened yet, but he's expecting it once he does get a job and gets some 'bits' on hand.

The marketplace itself was colorful... There was nothing else to it but the designed looked historic in nature, almost similar to 1800s Victorian-era design. Ashton was no historian but that was the only thing that came up in his mind.

Though this morning has been a tad strange to him. Why did Twilight want him out of the house all of a sudden? Was it because of their earlier talks? Did she figure out that he was messing with her?

"Eh, I'll make it up to her." He said to no one in particular.

A southern accent was then heard from his left. "Make it up to who, sugarcube?"

This made Ashton look to his left, to see Applejack, the orange pony with a stetson and a tied up blonde mane. She looked pretty adorable with the hat. "Oh, I'm talking about Twilight." He replied.

She got a little defensive. "What did ya'll do to Twilight?!" She said a little pissed that he may have harmed her.

He puts his hands up. "Whoa, whoa... I didn't do anything to her. I guess we just had a falling out is all."

She didn't really seem to believe him, but she can't really say with how vague he was being. "Well, alright. Ah'll take your word on it for now. So, what ya need?"

Ash then wondered. "So, is there anywhere that's hiring? Or do I need to go to the town hall?"

Applejack puts her left hoof on her chin and taps her chin before shaking her head. "Sorry, Ah don't know anywhere that's currently hiring."

"Hmm... In that case, don't worry about it, I'll find my way." He gives her a slight wave before he walks off from the stands, sighing in relief that she wasn't gonna stomp his face in for that little misunderstanding. 

For the time he knew these girls, they were quick to forgive... But Twilight was an odd one, it was like she was more careful. Fearful even, that wasn't too odd but the whole ordeal felt very wrong. Staged, almost.

He shook his head and heard a clash of metal on metal in a 'twong' sound. It almost sounded like blacksmithing was going on as he could smell and feel the heat coming from his side, where a black door was seen as an entrance. It was cracked open slightly, perhaps to get the air in or out?

Regardless, Ashton opens the door and could feel a wave of heat assault him. But due to the resistances he obtained from this weird power boost thing it didn't bother him as it should have... Just took him off guard is all.

"Careful with that, ya blitherin' idiot!" A thick and heavy Irish feminine accent was heard from behind the counter where a giant forge was beside said counter. It was made of wood, so how the hell has it not burned down is beyond him.

He could hear an equally pathetic stallion state. "Y-yes, sorry mammy!" He whimpered. "Mom?" Ashton said out loud but to himself mostly.

The mare sighs. "I'm not your ma during work hour, ya know this! Do it again and RIGHT this time! If ya buck up again, Oi'll skin ya!" She sounded like one tough cookie and the stallion whimpers. "Y-yes ma'am!" He said hurrying off out back to start the metal process again.

This stallion was a cookie dough colored fur and sky blue mane pony with a bit of spike on the fringes. Well... Stallion wasn't exactly the RIGHT word, he looked MUCH younger and feminine looking but he had crystal blue eyes and a short matching blue spiked tail.

Ashton saw him rush past that he completely was taken aback when the mare surprised him. "Oi!" He jumps and looks at the mare was almost the same in fur color except she had a long brown mane with a matching brown fluffy short tail. The mane was tied in a hairnet or... Manenet? Otherwise, she was staring up at him with a pretty pissed off look on her face.





Ashton could do nothing but gulp and feel overwhelmed at this mare's incredibly energy, was she suffocating him with her strange pony power? Or was it the heat in the room?

After a few moments of staring, she finally speaks. "Come on, out with it. What ya want?"

Sighing in relief that the tension was cut like that, and just as soon as the tension WAS cut, the temperature suddenly died down... How ... Odd.

"Erm, I'm just looking around is all. Don't mind me." Ashton replied with a sheepish smile and rubbing the back of his head in the same sheepish motion.

She tilts her head, a little annoyed and disappointed. "Well, if ya just standin' there and starin' with nothin' needed, then buck off, monkey! Oi'm busy!"

"W-wait!" Ashton said before cursing himself a little for being awkward. "Uh... Do you develop weapons per-chance?"

This seems to take the cookie mare's attention and she looks at him with a neutral stare. "Oi'm listenin'." She said with a much more calm and smooth tone. This one must have been a charismatic one in her time.

Taking a bit of a deep breath, he finally said. "A sword, could you perhaps hold an order for me until I get the 'bits' needed?"

She puts a hoof up to her chin and looks at Ashton up and down, sizing him up it would seem. "You don't have money?"

"A-ah only temporary! I'm looking for a job so I can get the--" Ashton was interrupted by the cookie mare. "Alright, you're hired."

This took Ashton aback. "! Huh? Wait, I don't have any blacksmithing experience! I could get injured without this kind of experience in my belt!"

She smirks and gave a shrug. "Yeaaah, you don't look the type. But no, you're not gonna be the one developin' or makin' anythin', you're gonna be ma delivery colt."

Then Ashton felt a little dumb for thinking too deep there. Truth be told he felt a little dismayed over the fact he wouldn't make or develop something but gotta start somewhere.

["Hold the phone, this is like my old job... Sorta. I'm like a freakin' late night clerk again!"] He groans out loud. "Okay, I accept..." He said begrudgingly. "When do I start?"

She had a grin on her face. "Ya start now!" She then goes behind the counter and back in front with a parcel in her mouth, she speaks rather well with the string being in her mouth. "I need YOU to deliver this t' Sweet Apple Acres on the other side of town. And don't slack! If you're not back in 8 minutes, you can forget about this job AND your 'sword'!"

He actually salutes. "Y-yes ma'am!" He said as he accepts the parcel and holds onto it. "I'll be back quick!" He then starts jogging out, passing the stallion standing by the door, who now came back in seeing it was finally time to see what that was all about. "What was that all about, mammy?"

The mare grins and pokes her chin with her hoof. "I think we finally have ourselves an answer to our prayers, boyo." She then realizes what he said. "! Hey! Back to work, ya little--"

The stallion gasps a bit and goes back outside to cut the metal again. But when he was out of sight and earshot, she smiles and then sits her haunches on the chair as she starts her break. "Such a lovely boy."








Ashton tried to remember where he saw a map, but it was too late for maps he had to go there quick or he'd lose his job and any chance of self-defense until he finds another job and gets the money for it. However, it sounds like it would be expensive to custom order a weapon.

He decided now would be a time to ask for directions and ANYPONY would do, he then talks to a nearby stallion. "Hey, do you know where Sweet Apple Acres is?"

"Huh? Oh, it's that way. There's this one girl and she's reall--" He points at the east and Ashton ran for it. "Thanks, bye!" He couldn't stay around and talk as much as he'd love to, he had a job to fulfill." He kept running, feeling the chilly air of the winds washing over the sweat coming from his forehead, it almost felt like ice now, he shivers but kept going.

In his way, Rarity then called out. "Yoohoo! Ashton, dear! Would you care for some--" Ashton had however ran past her. "No thank you, rain check?!"

Rarity blinks in surprise and then turns her head to see him run off. "I... Suppose so?" She then had a smile on her face. "You better keep that a promise~." She said in a singsong voice.

That made Ashton shiver a bit, not that the cold already did but something about that sounded a little off to him.

Now a few other things ended up getting in his way, and those were the marketplace ponies. He starts sliding to the side and dashing through the open points, squeezing through them only barely as some ponies shield their children, thinking he was gonna snatch them up.

["Oh please..."] Ashton thought to himself as he near misses the last pony and continues with his sprint. His lungs were giving way now as breathing became very laborious.

Despite the fact that his lungs were practically begging him to stop, take a breather, get a gun and shoot himself he thought through it and kept on running with the package still by his side.

One final skid and corner pass, he exits the town and starts going down a natural road. "This is starting to look a little 'acre-y'." He said to himself out loud through gasps of air.

He was gonna make it! He was going to do this in great time! He had this in the BAG!

And after a few moments of inner monologue, he finally sees it, Sweet Apple Acres in all of its glory and much to his pleasure. If he delivers this, he could take a minute break and sprint back! Easy wheezy apple squeezy!

He makes it through the gates and through the foliage archway that he could have sworn were fake apples, possibly to entice business? Either way, he was so glad he finally got here in such a short amount of time.

Seeing the barn door closed he hoped someone was in to take this as he lands hands first to the wall of the barn, panting and wheezing with a few coughs and whimpers of relief here and there, three loud knocks was all he did as he starts receiving that precious O2.

After hearing a few hoofsteps, he got ready and got ready to greet whoever it was... That is until the barn door was quickly and forcefully opened on the outside, it bashed Ashton in the face, making him throw the parcel up in the air and land on his back.

Yelling muffled in pain as he puts two hands on his face as blood starts profusely spills from his broken nose.

"Huh?" An elderly feminine voice saw the poor kid writhing in pain. "What do ya want, sonny?" She said in the similar southern drawl as Applejack. "Well spit it out! Ah ain't got all day! Ah have somethin' ta--" As if to answer her, the package landed on her head and into her hoof rather comically.

Her eyes lit up and she gasps with a smile on her face. "Oh, would ya look at that! Those special utensils Ah ordered! Thank ya so much sonny!" She said with another smile and starts digging into... Err... Pockets? And puts three shiny silver coins on the floor for him. "That's for speedy service!" She chuckles a bit. "Don't spend it all in one place!" She then closes the door behind her, leaving the poor boy to suffer such serious pain.

All he could muster was a cry of pain, this was all too much. "I jush wanna go home..." He said in a whimper.




After a good few minutes, the mare back in the blacksmith shop was getting a little worried, pacing back and forth. "Where is that monkey? He should have been 'ere by the time the 8th minute was up." She said before the door opened and the said 'monkey' finally came back. "There ya are! You're lat--" 





She noticed the bloody nose the minute he entered. "! O-oh dear! Here, have sit down!" She instantly changed her tune when she saw this 'monkey' was injured, leading him to the nearby chair.

This was a little bit to take in for the stallion, he was out of the loop for the most part, but now he was on his break and saw that this kid was getting more attention than he was. Not that it wasn't to be expected, he was hurt and she was very motherly to nearby hurt ponies.

"Go get the first aid kit!" She said and he nodded in response. "Yes, mammy!" He hurried on to the back and came back with the said kit.

This was the first time in such a long time Ashton felt such blinding pain that made him wish to be with his mother. She really knew how to make a young kid feel 100% again when they had such a silly injury that would be considered poultry when you grow older.

The mare starts going to work on cleaning the wound, making him wince a bit but he just lets her get on with it. After the cleaning, she made sure to wait until the bleeding stopped before putting the bandage on his nose.

She really felt bad about this, she sighed and said. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have made you hurry like that. It was suppose' ta be a fun little test, I didn't know you would get injured because of my stupidity."

He then looks right at her, feeling bad himself. "Hey, it's not your fault... I got a little carried away and I should have expected it." He said a little muffled from the fact his nose was pretty much broken.

Closing her eyes, she shook her head and then opens her eyes once more, she begins applying the bandage on his nose, being oddly gentle for a tough blacksmith mare. "Either way, you got the job. You don't have to rush anymore, but don't slack off neither!" She said looking stern at him and she finishes with the patch up.

Ashton just nods and smiles at her. "Of course, I wouldn't dream of it."

This made her grin a bit and look away. "Good, now go home and rest. Be back here Monday mornin' 8:30, no later or earlier. Oh and no more injuries in line of work or I'll deduct your pay."

He then responds with a kind. "Okay, thank you." He said before getting up and waving. "See ya on monday miss..." He then realized. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself... I'm Ashton, but you can call me Ash if you like." He gives off another smile.

She responds with a mild. "Steeler. Kettle Steeler. And this is my boy, Band Steeler." She said introducing herself and her kid to him.

Giving them one final smile, he waves again. "Nice to meet the both of you and thank you for this." He starts heading out of the blacksmith shop and made a tired walk back to the castle. Even if his nose was treated, the pain was still there and it took all his willpower not to faint or burst into more tears.


[End of Chapter]

> Chapter 10 - Rising Trouble
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The light sounds of rain softly tapping on the window wake up Ashton from his slumber, overcast light leaking through his window indicating that it was indeed daytime, morning perhaps. He gives a gasp of surprise upon his waking. He was confused, how the hell did he get from walking up to the castle and then suddenly waking up in his bed.

"Jeez, can never catch a break..." He said to himself as he wipes his eyes and vaults over to where his feet touched the nice smooth floor. While cold as hell, he cannot deny how soft it was. That woke him up with a bit of a jolt!

Just as he recoiled a bit from the feeling, his mind regained the memory of 'last night's talk' as it were. Putting a hand on his forehead he could hear Twilight's voice ring in his head. ["Oh my Celestia! Ashton are you okay?! You're hurt!"] He remembered her being in such a panic.

["Just a little blood, it'll be fine."] He sounds congested from a blocked nose... Probably because of the bandage. He then puts a hand on his nose and then he gasps. Not in pain, but in surprise. There WAS no pain.

He quickly gets up, ignores the cold floor and heads to one of the bathrooms. He could hear Spike going on about how he's definitely gonna impress 'Rarity' today. "Yeah. Good luck on that, squirt, I'm rootin' for ya." He said to himself silently.

Finally going into a bathroom, he closes the door behind him and turns on the light, he looks at himself with one of those awesome looking mirrors and to his surprise his nose was normal. No broken bone, no blood. "How long was I out...?" He said to himself as he recalled more of 'last night'.

["I'm gonna skip dinner tonight, I just wanna get some sleep... I'm exhausted."] Ashton said to the Twilight in his mind, to which she replied with. ["But, it's lasagna night."]

It's safe to say who won that little 'escapade'. But that doesn't explain how his nose healed so quickly or how it felt like such a short snooze. He looks down at the sink hold and saw two eyes staring up at him from in the darkness of the sinkhole. "Perhaps I can answer that."





Ashton yelps and leaps back, hitting the back of his head on the wall. "Gof! Agh, shit!" He curses himself and rubs the back of his head, that was less painful than it should have been. "...Huh." He then remembered who that sounded like. "Wait, Discord?" He looks at the two eyes, who was now a tiny Discord sitting on the edge of the sink. "Bingo! You're good at remembering names, I'm surprised you even remembered mine."

Shrugging, Ashton looks away and folds his arms. "How can I forget the creature that practically dragged me here? So, was this your doing?" He said now pointing to his nose that was fixed.

Discord, looking pretty proud of himself then said. "Nope. That was not me. But I suppoooose~ you could say that I had SOMETHING to do with it." He chuckles a bit.

"Spill it! I'm in no mood for mind games, Q." He said as he remembers that Star Trek series that had that character which reminded him so much of Discord for some reason. This made Discord raise an eyebrow at that but then smirks. "Don't know where that came from, but I haven't a choice, I guess." He relents rather playfully.

He then began his explanation. "Remember when I told you that you were to take my place? Or rather I would give you an inheritance since your family wouldn't listen to you and I felt bad?" He gave him a moment to remember it.

To which Ashton nods and puts his hand out to allow him to continue. "Well, with this 'inheritance'. You have obtained my power of chaos. Which can be used for anything. For good, for bad, for the ugly, for the MONSTROUS!" He giddily chuckles. He clears his throat. "Anywho, this power is anything from cell regeneration and immortality! To--"

This made Ashton's eyes widen. "You made me immortal!?" He then was about to strangle the little shit, but then he remembered to calm the hell down. "Deep breaths... Okay, perhaps you have a good reason for this."

"Rather simple, actually." He then gets up and puts a paw over his claw and pulls it off with ease.

"Oh, Christ..." He didn't like the looks of this. "Y-you uh... Okay there, you seem to be missing a hand..." He said trying to make some light of the dark situation.

"Oh yes! Just fine. Shake?" He used his paw to extend his cl-- Wait, what even... Hold on. Ashton looks at him and the claw and then starts sheepishly chuckling. "Get that away from me."

Discord pouts. "Oh phooey. Killjoy." He reattaches his claw. "Anyways, to explain further. Say you get into a heated battle with a manticore or a hydra or perhaps Tirek if he gets out of Tartarus again then you would be-- Hmm... Well, maybe not Tirek since he can ABSORB magic. Eh, neither here nor there BUT... If it was a manticore or a hydra, you would be perfectly fine. See if you get mortally wounded, you can just shrug it off like nothing ever happened 10 minutes later."

"You have a chance to fight back, you can even rival the Princesses of this land!" He subliminally suggests, to which Ashton caught on with that. He gave him a displeasing look.

Discord sighs and with a bit of a smirk. "Not buying it? Well, worth a shot. I did say you could do whatever you like with the power." He then jumps and returns to normal size, landing beside Ashton. "But there are other things you can use. There is offensive magic but I never use it, I've grown to care too much of the ponies to even consider hurting them or worse, killing them. It never was my style, to begin with. I'm chaos embodied, not a murderer!"

That made Ashton question this. "So why risk giving this to someone who could have intentions to HURT ponies or worse KILL them?" He challenges, Discord puts a claw on his shoulder, freaking him out a bit. "Easy. Cause I know you wouldn't go through with it. You weren't at all pleased at your old life, now you're in a much better life! With ponies, magic and friendship, peace and harmony! All that good stuff." He then grins at him, getting a little closer to him. "Riiight?"

Again, freaking him out a bit he pushes Discord's claw away and backs up a bit. "Yeah, whatever you say, man... I won't deny that this world is 100x better than mine, and I would be content to die here... Oh, but I can't do that now that I'm immortal, huh?"

Laughing like it was such an absurd thing he heard all day, Discord had to say. "Oh, you could die anytime you wish. Yes, you're immortal but you could turn that off whenever you had enough of living. But trust me on this, it's better to live than die if you have a lot of power and responsibility in your hands... Hooves... Claws........ Paaawws?" Shaking his head. "What I'm getting at, is that you could be a superhero! Like one of those weird comic thingies that I saw in that weird confection shop you worked at."

Ashton's eyes grew wide, looking at Discord with confusion. "You were there?! Wait, were you that huge shadow when I first got to that apartment?"

Now it was Discord's turn to grow wide eyes and quickly goes back to his regular playful smile. "Err, well. I'll let you figure that out. I believe my time here is done, I don't want them knowing I have a paw in this and you. Remember... Results!" He reminded Ashton, and he poofs into smoke, and when it dissipates, Ashton saw him turn into the small Discord again and hops into the sinkhole with a plop. Odd, there wasn't any wa-- ["Don't question it... It's Discord..."] He said in his mind before washing his hands and his face.

He takes a drink of the water from the tap and sighs in relief. "God damn, that was refreshing..." He said before looking back in the mirror, he then groans as he discovers that his collar had blood on it. "My favorite shirt... Err. My only shirt." He said as he then should probably ask Rarity if he can get another shirt, something similar to this one but comfier like a woolen sweatshirt or hoodie, perhaps?

["What was that all about anyway? Why turn up out of the blue just to explain all that? Couldn't he have said all of that when he mentioned he 'gifted' me this power?"] He said in his inner monologue. "Oh, unless he didn't have the time in which case... Fair enough." He said out loud to himself.

Knocking on the door springs him out of his thinking and he said. "Be in a minute..." He called out, to which Spike replied. "Alright, breakfast is ready if you need it big guy."

"Uh, thanks Spike. I'll get some in a minute." Ash scratches his cheek with his index finger. ["He's being awfully nice today... Unless he always has and I never noticed... Cute kid."] He said once more in his head and starts shaking his head in frustration. "I need to stop talking to myself..." He then groans. "Starting now." He then gets out of the bathroom quick and begins heading to the dining room. Oddly enough, Spike isn't anywhere around... He's a quick little guy when he wants to be. But that won't save him from the cuddles once I finally snap from all of this color and diabetes.

He then starts to slow down his pace, something was still a little bit off about all of this. ["Why me specifically? Do I have some kind of strange ability? Why not some other unlucky kid?"] All of these questions in his head made him try to reason with himself to figure out the details, but they were just that. Questions, not answers. If he's gonna get answers, perhaps he can ask Twilight?

Speaking of the lavender spaghetti spiller, he walks past an open door and heard that purple book horse across the room. "Ashton! Over here!" This snaps him out of it and he looks into the room to see all of the girls plus Spike having breakfast. "Are you feeling okay?" Fluttershy barely says out loud to him, he could hear but it was probably best he got in and joined them.





He walks inside and makes it to the table, Twilight's eyes widen as she saw his nose. "Wow, it healed! Do all humans have that ability?" She questions, threatening to get the notebook and quill. "Err, yeah. I suppose so." Spike ended up getting him a spare cushion seat for him. "Oh, thanks, Spike." Ash said to the little dragon.

Spike smiles from the compliment. "No prob!" He returns in kind. He then waddles off back to his cushion and Ash sits down on his. "Sorry 'bout that..." Applejack said from beside him. "Granny may be old' but she still has the strength of a bull sometimes."

Ashton shook his head and gave a sheepish. "Nah, it's okay... No harm done." He waved off casually, he couldn't be mad at her or her family. However, some protest was evident by the white marshmallow pony. "No harm done? Look at your shirt!" Rarity points out the dried blood and tears that once soaked the shirt.

That reminded him. "Actually, Rarity. I was about to mention if you could make a shirt for me? Something like this one but a bit comfier?" Rarity thought about it. "I'll see what I can do, but you'll have to come to the boutique, I need measurements." Oh good, those are always fun.

Pinkie then starts talking with a muzzle full of pancakes and fruit. "How ya liking Ponyville?!" How she manages to sound so clear with those in her mouth is indeed a mystery.

Trying to think up an answer, the best thing he can come up with is. "I haven't looked at it enough to make proper judgment, but I have a job now."

"THIS SOON?!" Twilight blurted out after swallowing a load *giggity* of her food. "Wh-where do you work at?" She starts questioning.

"I bet its some kinda weird SPY training camp!" Rainbow said with a smirk on her face, thinking she got him. ["Sorry, but I'm gonna have to nip that in the freakin' bud right now."] He said in his mind. "I'm delivering something for the blacksmith in town." He replied. With that Rainbow's smirk turns into a snarl.

"Steeler's Steel!? Oh, I know those guys!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly with Spike about to make a snide remark. "You always know people, Pinkie..."

Ignoring Spike's sarcasm, even though he had a point Fluttershy then said. "Oh dear, it's so hot in there. How are you able to survive in those temperatures?"

"Well, if an earth pony can survive it, I'm sure a human can." He said out loud, he actually didn't know if that was meant for Fluttershy or just a muse in general.

"So, when are you starting work there Darling?" Rarity said, to which he gave a definite reply. "Starting fresh on Monday." A nod and a smile came from Rarity. "2 days from now. You have some free time it seems."

Looking down on his pancakes. "Yep, plenty of time to get to know the neighborhood..." He said as he starts cutting the pancakes and began chewing, he stops and opens his eyes wide. "These are the best pancakes I have ever had in my life..."




After breakfast was done the rain had stopped but the sky was still rather overcast with a bit of sun peaking out and some of the girls were about to have a day of it while the rest went home to their daily lives, Ash decided to come with them much to Rainbow's chagrin. "Why does he have to come WITH?" Rainbow objects with Twilight replying with her eyes closed, she was clearly pissed. "Because you two need to stop this bickering and get to learn one another."

"It doesn't matter, Twilight. I don't mind heading the opposite direction." Ashton said somewhat defeated, it honestly feels like its a losing battle against Rainbow's opinion at this point, she won't let go of this stupid opinion he may as well not get too involved with her.

"But Ashton! If you're gonna make friends, you need to stop--" A scream was heard from in front of them.





"!?" Rainbow, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Ashton paid attention to the scream. "Whoa, what was that?" Rainbow said before flying off to where the scream came from.

The others followed Rainbow albeit a little slower. By the time Rainbow got there a crowd was forming trying to help a young grey mare with a blond unkempt mane that was on the ground, grimacing in pain as there were a few cuts on her body and she was looking out at the distant forest entrance. "D-Dinky.." She cried out as Rainbow finally got to her. "Derpy! Derpy, oh my gosh! Are you okay!?"

"R-Rainbow... Dinky..." She sniffles as she points at the forest. "S-something... Took her..." They finally caught up, Fluttershy and Twilight exclaimed. "Derpy!" They aided the townsfolk in trying to see if there were any healing spells or the like.

Ashton. "Wh-what happened?" He said silently, sadly no one was listening as there was too much chaos going on, but he saw Derpy's hoof point to the forest. "In there...?"

Twilight then said. "Derpy, you'll be fine. We'll find Dinky and get you to the hospital, okay?" Derpy started sniffling. "Save them... Please..." She was crying at this point, eventually passing out from the pain with Rainbow about to shout, but Twilight stopped her. "Its okay Rainbow, she's just unconscious." Then something kinda clicked. "Wait, 'them'... I thought only Dinky..."

Rainbow growls. "Who did it? I'm gonna pummel the tar out of them!" Fluttershy looked away to see Ashton had disappeared. "Hmm?" She looked around to see Ashton running for Everfree Forest. She gasps. "ASHTON!" Twilight saw Fluttershy and looked over. "! Wh-what in Equestria is he doing?!"








Something had gotten over Ashton, not only did he saw that mare's hoof pointing to the forest, he saw FOOTprints leading down here to the forest. Human footprints that looked as if they were soles of boots.

This wasn't good, he was supposed to be the only human here right? Then why was it that there were boots of some other human's nearly twice his size?! "What the fuck is going on here?" Ashton said to himself as the minute he entered the forest, he fully expected his vision to not work in such a dark area, but lo and behold he could see perfectly well.

Another perk of Discord's energy perhaps? He won't look a gift horse in the mouth as he continues in. He follows the footprints, it was the only trail there was. Whatever it was, he was going to stop this. This guy can't go around hurting ponies, not on his watch.

As he keeps running, he could see one of the trees falling in front of him. He had to stop and vault over the tree and whoever it was who took that tree down must have been a big guy.

The footprints kept on going, it was never ending! He cursed whoever this guy was. Since he was big he was also very freakin' fast! Who was he, an obese Sonic the Hedgehog?!

Accidently snapping a twig, he saw two little shadows jump forward from the bushes and onto the path in front of him. What came out were two wooden dog-wolf looking thin-- "Timber Wolves, you gotta be shitting me..." Ashton lightly chuckles in his mind. "This whole place is a walking pun."

As they landed, they started growling at him as if to stay right there. "Sorry puppers, but I have a man to catch!" He then thought. "Okay, that wasn't what I intended to mean!"

"... How did this day get from calm as hell to downright suicidal?! I must have been crazy not to come in here with some kind of weapon!" Ashton said to himself, berating himself in a panic.

He then looked behind him for a split second. "Oh shit, now I get it... That tree is to stop me from escaping... And these things..."

They weren't gonna wait any longer as they started charging and leaping at him. Time seems to slow down as Ashton's life started flashing before his eyes. "! Wha-"

He started to recall his memories of his mother being there for most of his upbringing while his father was busy being a CEO for some internet company that he never really gave too much of a shit about, the time his mother got him his first toy, to his first solid meal, to his first day in school, the first time he scrapes his knee, the first time he got into a fight and lost, the first time he got into a fight and won, his first kiss with his first love... Then memories meeting Discord, the Princess, Twilight and the girls... And then he remembered what Discord said.

-- "Err, well. I'll let you figure that out. I believe my time here is done, I don't want them knowing I have a paw in this and you. Remember... Results!" --

Back in the present, Ashton puts his hands up in front of him and he starts to scream out. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE YET!" And just like that, a large firebolt launches out of his hands, making him recoil and the dog that was in midair was quickly blasted into smithereens. Upon seeing this, the other Timber Wolf hesitated for a second before growling at the boy.

Ashton looked dumbfounded, looking at his hands as he felt the chaotic energy flow through him. "...This..." He begins to inhale and exhale abnormally and then his shock turned into a grin.





"THIS FEELS AWESOME!"

The other Timber Wolf went for his leg, but Ashton then jumps over and puts a hand over the doggo's head, pushing it to the ground as he cartwheels over and uses the momentum to skid and charge up another one of those fireball things, but he had an idea on how to do them.

Setting his hands similar to how Roy Mustang would just click his fingers and something would just incinerate. Ashton loved the Fullmetal Alchemist anime, and he was gonna make Roy proud damn it. He then clicks his middle finger and thumb and a bolt of fire comes spewing out of his hands. The wolf, however, knew that something was gonna happen, so he just leaps back into the bush.

The firebolt quickly disappears once it impacts something, so it definitely worked more like magic and he doesn't have to worry about burning the entire forest down. With his senses sharpened and enhanced, he could hear multiple bushes rustling in many angles where he was about to come out of was beyond Ashton, this wolf was a fast one to be sure.

Just as he looked away to one side the wolf charged and leaped once more towards Ashton but then he quickly snaps out of it and elbows the wolf right in the muzzle, breaking the wooden muzzle and making the wolf whine and whimper. "Oh don't do that sound, that's so fucked up." Ashton groans and looks at the thing dazed, that could keep it busy. He decided to spare it and run off after the trail once more.

However, it pulls a fast one and took a bite out of his hand ripping some of the skin and a bit of the flesh. "AGH!!" He jumps back and looks at his hand as it starts healing rapidly. "...Wha...?" He then looks at the wolf growling with blood all over its muzzle it had a piece but it wants the whole thing.

"That teaches me for making me feel sorry for you, pooch." He said as he gets into a hand to hand stance. "Very well, I'll play with you. How 'bout I teach you to play dead?" He said as he saw it charge up once more but this time it was Ashton's turn to take it by surprise.

A swift upper punt in its muzzle launches it up to his face level, he quickly twirls and does a reverse roundhouse kick with his other foot. "WHOO!" He cheerfully bellows in excitement as the wolf got blasted into pieces with a very powerful kick. He never did martial arts, but this was something indeed!





"Hah, that's what you get." He taunts, knowing that he won that fight, he did a little shake of his ankle as he was in a crane motion with his leg. "That felt pretty damn good... What was in those pancakes?"

By now the footprints were almost fading but thanks to this strange boost he doesn't have to worry about that, that smile never lost his mouth.

He felt faster, stronger, more capable and much more... Free! Like he never felt something so invigorating in such a long time!

He finishes with his victory and begins running for the suspect again.

After a few moments, he comes across a clearing and that's where the footsteps end. However, in this clearing he could see someone standing on two feet on the other side of the clearing, looking exhausted. He was indeed a big guy with wide eyes, he clearly looked like he was freaking out. He was full of muscle and covered in a poncho/cloak thing, made out of strange leather. 





"Stay... The fuck back... Or I'll kill them, I swear to God!" He said in such a twisted venomous tone almost like a corrupted soundcard in a computer. This guy did not sound like a human... But here he was, bipedal and fleshy with some hair. Looks like a human to him.

He was at least 6'4" and had a blonde mullet and strangely no beard, a very chiseled face with what seems to be caked blood on his lower lip and chin, was he injured? He wore a brown poncho that covered his abdomen, had no sleeves to show his bulk, there were scars and dirt on both arms, either he didn't shower or he couldn't. Still a perfectly good river right there.

The guy also wore white scrubs and boots that fit the footprint from before. So it definitely is this guy and these are the fillies he's got, hostage.

Ash looked at the man with a bit of a grimace at the venom he was spewing. "Kill who?" He asks to which the man brings out a machete and points it at two fillies in a corner by a flowing river that was really close to the madman, hugging each other and shivering. They were so afraid of their lives.

Thing is, how did not ONE pony seen the guy other than that grey mare? Something isn't right here. ["I should tread a little careful here. Let's see if I can bait him a bit here..."] He thought up.

Giving his attention to the two fillies, he doesn't recognize them. One of them was a lilac/violet coat with a goldish mane in two shades and orange eyes, a unicorn while the other was an orange coated filly with a short purple mane and was a pegasus, couldn't see the eyes. "... What's your deal? Kidnapping children and threatening to kill them? Are you some sort of psycho?"

"SHUT YOUR GOD DAMN MOUTH!" He points the machete at him now. "Do you want those two to die because you were fucking around? Stand right there where I can see you, put your hands up! or I'll gut you too!"

"My hands? I don't have a gun--" He was interrupted by the madman. "I SAID NOW!" This made him flinch and he puts his hands up like he said. "There, that better? Now let the kids go." The man grabs the orange one and held her by the neck with the machete reaaaally close for comfort. "SAY THAT AGAIN! I'LL KILL THIS LITTLE SHIT, I WILL!"

Ashton can't play with this guy, but he had to do something. "Okay, okay!" He groans as he looked around to see if there was anything he can distract him with. ["I need to change the subject now."] He thought, taking a deep breath and finally said. "How did you get here?"

"I don't know, man... All I want is to go home!..." It sounded as if he was... Crying. This guy had to be very mentally unstable. "Okay, how long were you here for?" He changed question but kept with the topic. "A-about 3 days... And I'm hungry. These little shits looked appetizing so--" He then stopped and looked at Ashton. "You're... Looking pretty tasty yourself." He licks his lips. "I just realized... I... IM SPEAKING TO ANOTHER HUMAN!!!" He starts laughing maniacally and threw the filly he was holding to the other one, making them yelp and hold each other for comfort and to keep them together, not that it was helping their situation any. 

The big guy starts wielding the machete handle with both hands, his breath starting going shaky and his eyes were going bloodshot as he was paying full attention to the human in front of him.

With eyes wide, Ashton felt like something was all wrong. ["How hungry was this guy if he didn't eat berries or..."] Then something clicked in his head as he was looking at this crazed, something that he wishes isn't true and was currently cursing whatever deity had some sort of sick sense of humor for this to happen. ["Oh... Shit. He's a cannibal..."] 


[End of Chapter]

> Chapter 11 - Thin String
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Feeling the cold sweat pouring from his forehead, Ash looks at the unstable human right in front of him and tries his best to soak in as much information as he could before probably taking him in. Though, something tells him that it may not lead to that route.

To avoid the little ones getting involved any further, he's gonna have to lead himself and the man away so they could flee to safety or something along those lines. If something were to happen to him at least he saved the lives of two fillies before meeting his end, by God he hoped so.

But what really made him feel scared was the fact his brain was constantly telling him that he could take him, not like words but an impulse. So surreal and yet so very familiar despite NEVER feeling like this before.

The crazed man took a few steps forward, thinking that this was going to be a very easy kill. "Look here, kid. I'm much bigger than you and I'm pretty damn fast, I used to be an athlete." He said trying to be intimidating.

"Really? Never would have guessed for a big boy like you." He said trying to feign interest and to hopefully piss him off so he could try to attack and lead him away from the fillies so that they could escape.

It all happened in a blur as it took one slice to cut Ash's chest with such finesse and speed. The wound was not deep but was enough to cause panic and pain, which in turn gave the much-needed adrenaline. Ash felt the sensation and had to do a backslide to get some room. He winces in pain and feels some of the blood dripping onto the ground slowly before the wound had closed back up and the bleeding stopped all within a moment.

The healing came with a burning sensation but it was so intense that it only got unbearable for a second. Now that he noticed it, it felt the same way when that wolf took a chunk out of his hand and it repaired itself within moments.

"You weren't kidding then, what do you want? A gold medal? Oh, that's right. No such luck here pal. The ponies here wouldn't give me the time of day." He again attempts to piss him off.

But the madman starts chuckling. "See, that's what I mean! Pony meat has such a strange texture to it, but human meat has that stringy tenderness. I was gonna kill myself after gorging myself on those two little bitches, but now knowing that there's a human here must mean there are more! And you're the first one that is going to have the honor to be in my stomach!"

["Fuckin' revolting..."] Ash thought to himself. "I crave the occasional meat here and there, but you're insane! Human meat? How can you fuckers live with yourself--?"

"Don't give me that moral bullshit!" He retorts and interrupts. "I was left to die in an abandoned psychiatric hospital after the entrances were sealed off. I had two friends with me and I had to eat both of them to survive. I wasn't proud of that moment but the feeling... Oh, my god, the feeling was so --"

"OKAY, WE'RE STOPPING THIS RIGHT NOW!" Ash had to yell out, click his fingers and shot a firebolt right at him while he was distracted with reminiscing. He didn't know why, but he just couldn't keep up with this facade anymore, he didn't want to hear any disgusting details from that creep. 

The bolt hit him square in the face as its force was similar to bullet velocity. It would blow his face off, that is if he was a normal human.



The cannibal's lower jaw was burned and had a deep graze from the force of the attack, blood was gushing out of it. "You little shit." He took a few steps towards him.

Ash felt his bravado being thrown out of the window as it was now replaced with pure fear, he started lowering his hand and taking steps back. "H-hey, n-no hard feelings..." He pleaded before the guy grabbed Ash's throat and threw him to the opposite clearing on the opposite side of the path, this one was smaller but it was well lit.

Crashing into a tree, Ash's shirt rips from the branches. He was lucky one of them was a stub so it dug onto his back and not impaled him, that would have sucked. He landed on his knees and quickly used his hands to stop his body from falling to the ground.

He coughs up blood and quickly wipes his mouth. "What the fuck is this guy!?" He said out loud before the big guy came out of the shade and into the light. "I am your nightmare, bitch." He walks towards him, in a breath's length the hulking cannibal backhands Ash in the face, sending him near another tree.

Quickly getting up to his feet, it was time to fight and he wasn't sure if he could do this non-lethally. He had to stop him at all costs. "Would rather prefer to do this without killing the guy..."

Just as the big guy lunged, Ash had to roll to the left side and quickly pick up a pretty thicc branch and whacked him across the head with it, he just shrugs it off despite the little dent it made on his left temple and a wave of gushed blood comes out from the grazed wound, making it look worse.

The man grinned like the freakin' Joker and replies with an assault of slashes, carving into an X with his machete across Ash's torso, the pain was so excruciating that Ash had to yell out and stumble back to avoid any more damage.

Again, the wounds healed quickly but they were leaving stains and he was getting weaker, probably due to the energy required for this amazing healing factor. "F-fuck..." Ash weakly states as he felt his body getting heavy.

Ash was fucked, there was no way he could beat this guy even with his newfound power. Was this it? Did he seal his fate the minute he got involved?

["Fuck... What do I do?!"] He said in his mind as he kept stumbling back until he landed on his ass and starts dragging himself away from the hulking beast.

This, however, was the time for the cannibal to attack as the big guy jumped on top of him and attempted to stab his forehead with the machete, but he manages to stop him as the blade was inches away from his forehead. His eyes focusing on the blade.

Both of them grunt as they were wrestling, both reasons were for life and death. Ash was surprised he had the strength to fight back, so was the big guy. "Jesus kid... You can be strong when ya want to be." He grunts again and tries to push, but no luck.

This gave Ash the perfect opportunity to let go and dodge the machete by moving his neck, the sharp side cut into his cheek with a slight cut and the tip of the blade dug into the ground, he would be in pain from the cut but he didn't care as he punted the guy in the testicles and kicked him off, using the momentum of the kick to his advantage.

With the big guy groaning in pain, he flips over letting go of the machete and writhed on the ground holding onto his balls in incomprehensible pain.

"Weak point identified..." Ash joked as he wipes his cheek and now it was his time for an attack. He didn't know where this spirit came from, but he liked it.

He got on top of the big guy and started using his fists to pummel him, oddly enough his fists were doing enough damage to make the guy spit blood with each punch.

Ash kept going and going, his spirit getting stronger as he had a purpose to keep his new friends safe by any means possible. With each punch, the ground shook and he started yelling as all he could see was an unrecognizable face staring back at him with a lifeless expression.



It was only until this moment he realized what he just did, he stopped and looked at the guy on the ground with sweat pouring from his forehead and dripping down onto the battered carcass below.

The guy was dead and he just pummelled his face until it was unrecognizable. He ignored all of his intent to capture the guy and he just killed him... Coldbloodedly.

Shaking uncontrollably from the now calming rage and the adrenaline, he got up and started to feel horribly sick all of a sudden, he walks a few steps away from the body and collapses to his hands and knees again. He ended up having to vomit up the pancakes and fruit from this morning and reel in disgust at the taste.

He felt disgusting about himself as well, but nothing could have been done about it now. Plus if he let the guy live, who knows what he could have done to more of the inhabitants of this world.

After feeling better immediately he looks up and froze instantly. The element girls looked over at him in a mixture of repulse, disgust, and fear.

Rainbow looked the least disturbed, but she had that knowing frown on her face as she stared daggers right at Ash, it was like she was waiting for the right moment to pounce and tell everyone that she was right. "I-I can expl--" Ash tried to say.

Suddenly Ash felt a sharp whack on his temple, making him fall over and feel his consciousness fading, he almost fell into the river nearby.

"Take this monster away..." A somewhat familiar female voice echoed in his mind before he finally entered into dreamland.





A strange and unfamiliar voice calls out. "The human spirit is tough to break, is it not...? You have proved me wrong. I guess I will root for you after all..."






After what felt like hours of groggy and concussed pain Ash finally wakes up to his wrists chained together and his left foot was chained against the wall to stop him from having any free mobility.

At first, he felt his eyesight having to adjust to the darkness of the room and then the pain finally started. "Oogh, fuck." He softly said before gulping. "Thirsty..." Was all he could say before looking around. "Oh great, I'm in jail..."

His surroundings were now of a dank and damp cell made out of cold iron, would make this a bitch in the winter. The window had bars like those stereotypical cells in movies or cartoons. There was a door made out of enchanted metal, it's aura was of a rainbow shimmer. No one would come in or out without the proper magic signature. "Where did that trail of thought come from...?"

It didn't matter, he decided to figure out what the hell was going on here. "HEY! AM I BEING DETAINED!?" He yelled out, hoping that someone would hear him.

A few seconds later the latch showed a muzzle of the guard. "Shut up in there, will ya?!"

Ash snickered a bit, getting that reference. He sounded JUST like Johnny, too. What a world they're living in...

Either way, he had to get answers. "Please, I just need answers. What am I--"

"I said, shut the buck up in there or I'll make you shut up and go back to sleep, monster! Permanently if need be!" He growls.

This made Ashton gulp from the death threat, this guy was probably joking but he couldn't risk it. "Yes, sir..." He said softly with the guard slams the latch shut.

Ash kept quiet to see if there were any noises like hoofsteps. There were none, meaning the guard was probably stationed at the door. He sighs to himself as he was now stuck with his thoughts.

["I remember killing that guy... Are the fillies safe?"] He said to himself in his own mind.

"Oh, I'm sure they are." The voice of Discord came from his side, making Ash jump before looking at him. 



"You always seem to appear out of nowhere!" Ashton softly whisper-yelled. "And how did you read my mind?!" He continued with the tone, but Discord just looks at him and gave a loud and sharp whistle with his paw's index and thumb.

The guard outside didn't even react.

One look at the door and the magic aura was replaced with a bronze-like magic aura. "They won't be able to hear anything and once they look inside, they'll just see you sleeping." He said with a giggle.

"..." Ash was silent for a few moments, he didn't really have the energy to give him the satisfaction. "Look, I just have a few questions." he finally said.

Discord sighs. "My word, you are such a downer! Fiiiine, ask away" He waved off.

Ash had to think of these questions as they were important. "I take it the girls completely hate me now." He said, knowing the answer but he just had to make sure. Discord nodded. "Yep, all of them thought you were a monster for killing another one of your species without any context. Though in my opinion, you did the right thing."

Somehow, that felt nice to feel like someone was at least on his side on the matter. "How are the fillies? Are they okay?" Discord thought for a second. "Last I saw them, they were at the hospital. That 'Derpy' mare managed to survive the attack and she's doing pretty well in hospital.

"How long was I out?" Ash means to ask with Discord replying with. "Two days."

"TWO DAYS?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise. "Yeesh, whoever thwacked me must have had some strength on them..." He then sighs a little bit as this one was the most important. "I'm not the ONLY human you brought here, am I?"

Discord looked at him with sheer shock, he thought about it before simply saying. "Nope, just you. I brought you here for--"

Ash snaps. "WHY!? WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE!?" He said with such sudden emotion that made even Discord jump at his outburst.

Not knowing what to say, Discord just got up and paced the room. He wanted to know if he should REALLY tell this to him, but with the way, Ash reacted he couldn't possibly say no, nor did he probably have any choice.

"Alright, I'll tell you." He said taking a bit of a deep breath and exhales. "You see, I've not been looking for a successor of my magic. The truth is that I've been looking for the perfect creature to take care of our little 'problem'. And this 'problem' was that a strange rift was created not that long ago abducting random humans from your world, corrupting them and turning them into murderous neanderthals all with their unique calling cards. The Princesses kept them from the public to avoid creating a panic. Not that I agreed, I thought that telling them would improve their chances of not getting abducted by those cretins."

Ash looked at him inattention, he was taking this all in and trying to piece together what Discord is probably going to ask of him.

"We managed to take care of the small fry, but there were a few like the one you just offed that managed to slip from our grip." Discord said with a grin. "I'm honestly surprised you managed to beat him with such limited power."

"YOU LIMITED MY POWER!?" He said snapping out of his stupor. "No, you know what, that's the least of my worries right now. You're turning me into a freakin' hitman for you?"

"Oh well, I wouldn't put it like THAT. Besides, you're alive." Discord shrugged off with Ashton standing up and pointing at him. "BULLSHIT, I COULDA DIED!" He retorts with a bit of anger in his voice.

This made Discord scratch his chin. "Okay, I'll reword what I mean. You simply made our job a little easier."

"Fuck you." Ashton said, sitting back down in a comic huff. "This is so stupid. Are the princesses REALLY in on this?"

"Of course they are. However, not even these guards know of the importance of your appearance and we aim to keep it that way..." He said knowing it wasn't going to make things any better.

Ashton sighs at this. "Then tell me, why is it that I'm getting full blame for this? Why not tell the girls about this whole scheme?" Discord laughs. "Not a chance, those girls need to be protected from the likes of you and your race." He said before getting up. "Welp, I best be off. Oh and be presentable, Princess Luna will be coming to collect you in about five seconds." He disappears quickly, so did the aura from the door.

"Wait, what...?" At that exact second, the door's locks begin getting tampered with and Ashton got to his feet. The doors open to see a few bat guards charge in and push Ashton to the back of the room. "Move, monkey!" They said with Ashton's back forcefully onto the wall, making him yelp in pain.

Princess Luna walks into the room, disgust evident on her face. "I should have never let my guard down around you, beast." She said with venom in every word of her sentence.

This cut deep as he tried not to show any weakness, he just lets her speak. Luna scoffs, not expecting a comeback anyway. "You're expected in the throne room. You try anything, we'll end you. Got that?"

Ashton just nods silently, he felt his heart hurt from all of this. He knew it was just an act but why was it getting to him? He was forced in front of the guards and he had to follow Luna to the throne room.

Passing on many of the cells, he could hear nothing. Either they knew better, were dead and the guards didn't care or the populace was so well behaved that there was not a single soul in any of these cells.

All of those possibilities made him shiver and hesitate on moving, but that made the guard dig the spear into his back, causing a very little stab mark on his lower back, a tiny bit of blood dribbles out of the wound. "Nngh." He made a little yelp and quickly followed Luna. Ponies whisper among themselves once they took notice of him being escorted by Princess Luna and her guards.



After a minute of silent walking, venomous and fearful stares were evident from all of the ponies. They finally made it to the outside throne room and Luna turns, using her magic aura to open the large door. "Inside, now."

Without asking any questions, Ash did as he was told and walked inside of the throne room. Luna and her guards entered behind him and many of the guards aim their spears at him as he walked down the aisle, he saw Princess Celestia sitting on that cushioned throne, looking at him with pity as he continues walking.

The captain grins as she got in front of him, making him stop. "...I knew you were trouble the minute you got here. You were not here for peace." She spits on his face, making him flinch and she whacks one of this knees, making him kneel. Grunting in pain, Ash was forced to kneel in front of her, looking away. "..."

"Oh? What's that? It looks like you got somethin' you want to say to me?" She said, acting so smug. Just as he was about to say something, Celestia interrupts. "That's enough, Captain. I will take it from here." She got up and starts walking down from her throne, all of the guards stood at attention. 

The Captain looks at Celestia, wanting to object but she bows to her. "Yes, your highness." she says and then walks to the side a little, giving her a few steps between him and the Princess. She pretty much sticks close by Ash in case he tried to do something stupid.

Ash could feel the burning anger from Celestia's aura, was this a play or was she really angry at him? Either way, play or not it was gonna suck.


[End of Chapter]

> Chapter 12 - When Ponies Fly
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



["Kneeling in front of a pissed off Goddess was not how I want to spend my ... Morning? Afternoon? Whatever, this isn't fun."] Ash said internally, musing over the fact that he's probably going to get executed for saving her subjects, he somehow had a feeling that this was reoccurring considering she doesn't do things anymore.

Celestia was looking at him with a very stern look, she looked at the rest of her guard and then said. "If you will please leave us, I wish to talk to this criminal alone."

["Ouch..."] Ash said in his mind as he felt his heart twist at the unnecessary choice of harsh words. 

The captain looked at Celestia like she grew two heads and had to interject. "With all due respect, your majesty! He murdered his own kin and--!" However, Celestia wasn't going to have no for an answer. "I am fully aware. I can take care of myself if it ever comes down to it."

"That's reassuring..." Ashton said out loud, he had just realized this and the captain gave him a swift buck to the gut and a painful cough escapes him, he reels in agony and putting a hand on his torso, those ponies don't mess around with those kicks. "Quiet while you're in front of your majesty!" She exclaims.

"Please, I must commit to a thorough investigation." Celestia said, seeming to let the abuse slide. The captain looks at Ash with a face of disgust and scoffs at him. "You better act on your best behavior, or you will--" She stopped as she saw tears coming from Ash's eyes. From the pain, not because of the sudden betrayal.

She sighs and then just looks around at the guard. "You heard her, let's move." She and the guards stationed in the throne room finally exit the said room, leaving them alone.

Until that door closed, Celestia kept a stern look towards Ash. Finally, the second after the door closes, her features soften dramatically. "You must forgive them... They aren't aware of the situation." She mused. "And I didn't mean to cause offense, I had to play a role you see." She explained.



"That's fine..." Ashton softly said. The pain he endured had calmed down rather quick and he felt relief wash over him, that was very unpleasant. "So you don't care I killed one of my own?" He said, wondering if Discord was right about this.

"Of course, I care. He was another life, but even I know it had to be done." She said solemnly. "My subjects, however, do not and may not care to understand why death is sometimes a necessary thing for peace. Especially when war is involved." She sighs as she continues. "I do care for all life but there are those that wish to disturb that and thus I tend to have exceptions to the rule..." She heads back to the throne and looks at it.

"I suppose that makes me a hypocrite, but... There are no other options." She looked as if she was depressed. "I suppose Discord has given you the information." She said, with Ash nodding and getting back up. "Yeah, but... I have more questions. Why ME? Why can't it be some other chump in another apartment room?"

Celestia giggles a bit at that. "Because you're the perfect candidate." She said simply while looking back at him. "You were alone in that apartment, you had no goals and of course no friends. "

"Ouch!" He said out loud and with a bit of a joking tone. "I mean yeah, you're right but there are so many other people that fit the bill. There has to be another reason why I'm here." He shrugged, hoping for the answer and then puts his arms back down.

"Well, there is one other reason." She said as she sat back onto the throne on her haunches. "You have a bigger tie to Equestria than most humans I have 'reviewed' thus far." She looked into his eyes. "Besides, you seem to be the only one that prefers to 'go with the flow' as most would say."

Ash then looks to the side, that wall was rather interesting. "...I wouldn't say that. I usually complain about a lot of things. I used to have such a cushy life, a rich family, I wouldn't have to work a day in my life... But my parents thought it would do me good to get a new place, a job, and a girlfriend so they could have grandkids to spoil." He sighs, putting a hand on his forehead.

It was painful remembering his parents, the last thing he said to them wasn't exactly pleasant and he would do anything to talk to them again. "But maybe you have a point, I sucked it up eventually. I got a pretty crappy job that could barely afford rent, a shady landlord WHOM I am convinced sells crack in an alleyway and an apartment without any heating! How is that for fair!?" He groans and notices she was paying attention to him. Listening to him with a smile on her face.

That made him double-take as he saw that she was just... Lending her ear. "I... I'm sorry, I don't--" She laughs a little. "Don't worry about it, how you humans talk and explain things about your day interest me. Normally my subjects would complain about the little things but you seem to have had it rough." She then noticed what she said and looked sheepish. "And I suppose you still do with how my subjects are treating you now." She said rubbing her front left hoof with her right hoof.

"About that." Ash wondered, folding his arms. "So... What's going to happen now? Is my time with the girls up? Am I like some sort of secret service agent or something now?" He said somewhat disappointed, he felt a little empty and sad.

Celestia puts a hoof on her chin. "Ah, yes..." She looks at him, she couldn't help but feel bad for the boy. "I suppose we can clear your name, then." She said as if to nonchalantly bring it up.

"Wh-how?! They saw me kill that guy! How are you gonna clear my name when they were witness to the ENTIRE THING?!" He exclaimed to Celestia, confused and somewhat a little amazed she would just say it like that.

Again, Celestia kept that hoof on her chin and used her horn to grab a parchment and feather. "Yes, that would be a problem, wouldn't it? That is why we are going to invite them here to explain everything."

"Wh-huh... Nani the fuck!?" He said out loud, utterly confused. He then noticed he swore and said. "Whoa, I didn't mean to--" Celestia just laughed like she heard one of the funniest jokes in such a long time. "Ah, don't worry about it." She said trying to calm down. "I don't mind if you speak casually in my presence, it's fine. Besides, I prefer it." She smiled at him as she then writes down what she needed.

Ashton scratches his head and puts a hand on his waist. "You know they aren't gonna be happy about all this, right? And I don't think they'll like seeing me after what had happened."

She nods. "You're right, they wouldn't. That is why you're going to have to stay in the room I gave to you until they are ready to see you again. Think of it as house arrest but in your old nicer room than a dungeon."

Tilting his head, keeping a hand on his waist. "Wouldn't your subjects be cautious?" He questions, but Celestia just continues with that smile as she continued writing. "They have already been informed that it was a misunderstanding."

Again, Ashton couldn't help but be confused. "H-Wh-buh... HUH?! Wait, was Luna in on this!?" He said finally getting it.

Celestia giggles this time. "Yes, she had a role to play in on this as well. So was Princess Cadence, but I had to cut corners with my stu-- I mean... Twilight. She isn't aware of the situation, that is why I'm going to have to play this diluted..."

Looking down at the ground, Ash was just so torn. "W-wait, why didn't you just do that in the first place rather than let me get marehandled like that!?"

"It was to show we meant business." She continued the smile. "So that if you killed any of my subjects without any good reason and you suddenly develop a taste for it, the treatment would have been 3 times as harsh that will inevitably end in a painful death."

This just made Ashton audibly gulp, feeling chills going down his spine as he knew she meant it. "R-right, I'll keep that in mind." Now he was left in a stunned silence.

A few minutes had passed and after getting over the initial shock, Ash was sitting by the throne next to Celestia and she then finally spoke. "There, finished." She said before magically poofing it away and then looks at him with a bit of a scrunch. "...No offense, you smell like blood, sweat, and dirt..." She sort of had to bring that to attention.

"Yeah, didn't have a shower. I take it I should start with my 'house arrest'?" He said, getting up. A simple 'hmm' as a reply and she got up also. "Follow me to your room. You never know if that captain is ready to take you down again." She said in jest, now walking to the doors.



Ashton shrugged and ended up following her out of the doors that she opened with her horn and they both head down the hallway.

A few stares here and there, but for the princess more than the 'criminal' beside her. Ash could see the Captain staring daggers right at him, Celestia was right on the ball. If he was alone right now, she would have probably killed him right then and there. That mare is a loose firecracker.

After getting past the stares and random bowing, they finally make it to Ash's old room that would accommodate him until he was shipped back off to Ponyville, it seems that the room itself wasn't touched other than the maids cleaning up after him. Now he felt bad.

"Ah, we're here." Celestia had said before looking at him one more time. "I will bring somepony to warn you about our arrival, once they are ready. Make yourself comfortable and make sure to rest, you look like you need it. There are fresh clothes and yes, there are beverages available inside."

Ash couldn't wait to get a nice cold soda down his gullet. He smiles and bows to Celestia. "Thank you so much, your majesty." He teased, making her giggle a little. "Why, you're so welcome my little human." She teased back. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." She said before heading back to the throne room.

Leaving him to his devices, he opens the door and closes it behind him as soon as he entered. As Celestia mentioned there were fresh clothes and a nice bottle of 'Sparkle Cola' and a few drinking mugs. "... What fine mess have I gotten myself into..." Ashton muses to himself before looking at the bathroom door. "Shooowerrrrr~" He groans and enters the bathroom.

Taking his clothes off, he caught a whiff of blood, sweat, and dirt Celestia was talking about and it made him shiver. "How the hell did the girls not say anything?" He said as he finishes getting undressed and starts looking at himself, no scars, no injuries. "Gonna get used to this power..." He muses before opening the door and turning the shower at a perfect warm temperature... Or so he thought, he couldn't really tell anymore... before closing the door and stepping right in.






Divine 10 minutes of shower time, it was a relief to be out of dirty clothes and his skin being so soft and clean once more. "Hell yeah." Ashton said outloud to no one in particular.

After all of that he heads out of the shower and grabs a towel. He starts by drying himself off and then dries his hair with the towel while walking back into the room, confident that no one would be silly enough to barge in while he was nak--

"Eek!" A bit of a scream pierces Ash's ears and it made him coil back, he takes the towel off of his face revealing very messy and damp hair and starts looking for the sound of the shriek.

It was a pony maid.

Staring right at his junk.

Blushing like a ripe tomato.

This made his face brighten and then covered himself with his towel. "DUDE, NOT COOL! I JUST GOT OUT OF THE SHOWER, SOME PRIVACY PLEASE!"

The maid then bolts it out of the room, looking as if she was going to faint.

"Drama queen..." Ash said rather ironically as he was unaware of his dramatic way of covering his embarrassment. Noticing the clean clothes, he took the initiative and got ready within a speedy 1 minute and 36 seconds. His new clothes were rather casual and quite snug.

A grey zipper hoodie that was currently open with a black shirt underneath, black cargo pants to compliment with the black shirt. "Huh, most of these were from my apartment. I guess they didn't take 'everything' for evidence... Why does this feel so different though?" He said to no one in particular and looks at the door.

Thinking the maid was still out there he decided it was time for her to come back in. "I'm decent..." He said out loud.

The maid opens the door and carefully peeks, looking rather relieved when she saw that he was now in his clothes. "V-very good, sir. I s-shall bring the princess and her subjects along once they arrive." She took a quick bow and closes the door behind her once she left.

"Wait, that's it?" He said a little too late as she already left, he didn't blame her for bolting out of here and shrugged. "Now what? I wish I had my 3DS, I could have played Ace Attorney, but nooooo! They had to take it from me." He complains rather sourly before noticing a bookcase in the corner. "Hmm. I guess a book won't hurt."

Wandering over to the bookcase, he saw that there were a few interesting series that caught his eye. Both fiction and non-fiction... But some he couldn't rightfully distuingish between either of them. "The Manticore Lair. Mating Calls of A Cockatrice... Curses and Abnormalities... Daring Doo and the Curse of the Werepony... Basic Magic For Unicorn Foals... And The Lusty Argonian."

Wait, where did he hear that last one from again? "Ah, doesn't matter." He said that last bit out loud as he took that one and wanders back to his bed and starts to leisurely lay down on the softest and most comfiest material he has ever felt in his entire life.

He opens the first page and then starts reading it. "... Heh... Polishing spears... Cause handjobs." He said awkwardly to himself and then sets the book down straight away. "Well, I was hoping for a laugh and all I got was a boner. Thanks hormones."

"I guess sleep doesn't sound too bad." Wondering to himself as he just turns around and lays on his right side. He yawns a little bit and just slowly begins to close his eyes.



Once they were closed, he felt something inspire him. He was fighting against the machete cannibal again but in some sort of weird contrast coloration to mess up his dream's vision, but this time Ash had the upper hand and looked way more confident. Just as the maniac swings his sword, Ash dodged, grabbed his hand and with his left elbow slamming against the maniac's elbow, dropping the machete, after the maniac drops the machete, Ash kicks the man in the chest with incredible force, but before the man went flying Ash grabbed him by the belt, leaps and the maniac was forcefully slammed onto the floor with Ash being used as a counter weight, it would be enough to incapacitate the guy.

Quickly getting up, he looks at the man on the ground and seeing as he wasn't moving he dusts himself a little bit.

After that short dream, Ash had woken up and felt his mind at ease once more... But he also felt like he learned something, did he just meditate a new technique? "...What the hell is this power?" Was all he could say softly to himself before the door starts knocking.

The doors open after the knocking stopped and immediately he could hear Rainbow Dash. "So what you're saying is, he's NOT a spy?" Ash could hear a sigh coming from Applejack. "Fer' land sakes, girl! Haven't ya heard what Celestia told us?"



Celestia and the six mares had entered the room with Celestia looking like she was babysitting the most stressful kid in existence, Twilight looked sheepish and upset, while Applejack and Rarity weren't really that surprised to be seeing Ash. Applejack he could understand, but Rarity? Fluttershy looked unsure what to think, Pinkie looked... Well like Pinkie does and Rainbow Dash was conflicted. As to be expected from little miss flying skittles.

"As I've told you countless times. There had to be a reason, Twilight. You REFUSED to listen to me." Rarity had spoken but Celestia decided it for it to be enough. "Rarity, that is enough. We all know that it was necessary, and believe me. I didn't want this to happen anymore than you do... But that creature had to be stopped."

Looking a little bit worse for wear, Twilight then said. "By... Killing him?" Celestia nodded. "Yes Twilight... He was wearing fur and skin of other ponies and he was also known to be eating..." She looks at Ash. "Other humans..." Ash felt revolted as he learned that the big guy was wearing ponies as a poncho... That... made him sick to his stomach even, no wonder it looked weird and off putting.

But this revelation made Ash question Celestia a little bit. "Hold on, where did you get that information?" Ash butts in, but Celestia had an honest retort. "I read his memories. While even if one dies their brain still holds valuable information... He was a danger so cruel that we have yet to face, so I did something that would normally be taboo... But at the same time, I had to get to the bottom of this." She looks at Twilight, who was still upset. She gave a slight smile and begins to console her. "If he didn't do what he did, those fillies would have met a grizzly fate."

She didn't want to understand, but she looked at Ash with a little bit of anger... She tried so hard to find if there was anything he can catch him on but... The more she looked, the more she eased up and tears continue to fall down her cheek. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I doubted you."

Ash blinks in confusion. "...D-don't worry about it?" And then all of a sudden Twilight started hugging him. "I never wanted to doubt you." Again Ash just blinks, he was confused on what she was doing and saying. ["This is ALL wrong."] Ash thought. "Err, yeah. Again its fine."

Celestia had a bit of a knowing smile on her face. "Well, I'll let you all catch up. I need to head back, in case the captain starts making more crazy conspiracy theories." She left with that before anyone could say anything and Ash wondered what to say to the girls, the little reaction he got just now was eating away at him.

Applejack then looks at Fluttershy. "See, Flutters? Ash ain't harmin' nopony." Fluttershy just nodded and kept an eye on Ash in case he did do something to Twilight.

But all Ash was doing was petting Twilight. Though, he wasn't really aware that he was petting her, though Twilight was enjoying it. Ash couldn't help but feel that Twilight and the others were way too easy to forgive.

Pinkie thought it looked interesting so she jumped up on Ash's lap and wanted him to pet her too, he did so begrudgingly and then Pinkie was panting and sticking her tongue out like a dog would when you give it praise for doing a good deed. It was rather cute actually.

He literally had both hands petting Pinkie and Twilight and the other girls were just... Watching with curiosity.

"So, Ashton. Do you like your new clothes?" Rarity said with a smile on her lips. "I made them fresh from some designs of your old ones, via Princess Luna's request." Ash smiles. "They're great Rarity, thanks... Remind me to owe you one." He said with a bit of a chuckle and Rarity just shook her head. "Oh no, its nothing... But if you insist, I wouldn't mind cashing in a favor at some point." She winks at him.

["Did she just wink at me...?"] Ash said in his mind... This was getting weird, not that long ago they were all shocked and appauled by his existance and now they all of a sudden want him to stay? 

Mares be cray-cray.

After a few minutes of catching up, Twilight had finally eased up more and just felt more comfortable around Ash now that he was the 'tame' human that she knew and preferred. "Well, I suppose we can head back home." Twilight said with an audible sigh.

Rainbow then cuts in. "Not right now. I want to know more about what's going on here. If Ash is just some normal hooman and that other guy was a cannibal and a freak... Does that mean there are more of these things around?" She then noticed what she said. "Oh, buck! I mean--"

"No offense taken, Dash." Ash had said to ease her. "To be fair, I am not really in favor of what humans at my home world do neither. There are some good people but there are definitely 'those' all over the place. Not in abundance, but I mean in every country you'll get some wackjob similar to that guy. And it's all about survival of the fittest for them."

Continuing, he had to stop petting Pinkie, much to her disappointment and puts the hand on his chin and strokes it while musing. "Not to say that survival of the fittest is a bad thing to practice, only when the situation calls for it. But not against other humans, that's just evil in my opinion." He shook his head, trying to stop thinking about such things. "Anyways, even if there ARE more humans around then let's hope that not all of them are bad people."

Pinkie starts to singsong. "Amen to that~!" She said as she refused to budge and used her muzzle to poke against his hand, to which he returns to petting Pinkie again, god she is cute. "Yeah, but if it's all the same to you girls, I'd rather rest a bit before we head back... You're free to stay in this room, I'm sure Celestia wouldn't mind if we hav--" Pinkie then bounces away in excitement. "A SLEEPOVER!!!" 

"...Yeah that." Ash confirmed, looking over at Pinkie with a look of confusion. ["Can't even read her..."] He said in his head. "Hold on, as much as I'd like to continue this... Why is everyone so quick to just... Accept that I killed something?"

Then the room sort of grew silent. And a little awkward. Applejack was the first to speak. "Well, we aren't strangers to that sorta thang' sugarcube... Despite what the princess may have told ya'll, we actually do witness death quite commonly. We just don't show it nor like it."

"Uh... Wow." Ash couldn't really find the right words to reply to that.

"Applejack is right, dear..." Rarity speaks up next. "There are actually some ponies, griffons and dragons among others who have perished from all sorts...  Disease, poverty and starvation... Monsters killing adventerous ponies by being turned to stone and breaking apart." Twilight shivered at that but Rarity continues. "Or a Chimera eating a filly because the filly was lost." Applejack cringed and grits her teeth at that memory. "Its more common than you think." She ends her piece.

Now it was Pinkie's turn and she was very solemn compared to her bubbly counterpart this time. "Or even a murder..." She seemed sad after saying such a thing. "There may be peace and harmony and all that, but there are ponies who have committed terrible things and haven't even been caught yet." The girls were a little shocked at how Pinkie was so calm and sorrowful while explaining, but they knew better than to question it.

"Seriously, am I the only one who can't get a read on her?" Ashton said out loud with Twilight giving a retort. "Don't even start." This time it was Twilight's turn. "And there have been magical mishaps when learning and creating new magic for self-defense o-or even changing the world around us for the better! Death is very common, but I'd imagine its worse for you since..." She looked down.

Fluttershy waves her hoof in the air rather cutely and spoke up next, similarly sad to how Pinkie was but more of a depressing tone. "When taking care of animals... Sometimes I have to face the inevitable when a bird or a kitten is sick and they can't ever get better... I get upset but I learn that its part of life, you can't change it."

Rarity clears her throat. "I... Even make outfits for the deceased..." That was all she would say and care to explain. It was Rainbow's turn. "Hoo boy... Uh... What better way to say this, I-..." She was struggling a little before finally speaking. "I get the occassional raincloud over a funeral as part of my job when moving clouds and such. And th-then there's..." She was looking very depressed but Applejack stopped her from talking. "Shush, sugarcube. Ya'll don't have to say it."

Ash was curious on what she was going to say, but clearly she was a little too shaken up for that. "Yeah, I get you. So, you forgive me?" He said with all the girls looking at each other and then looking back at him with a gentle smile. "Shucks fella, Ah can't be mad at somepon-- err someone for doing the right thing... Even if the right thing had to involve takin' a life."

Fluttershy gently nodded in agreement to what Applejack said before getting closer to him. "Yes... I forgive you." Pinkie giggles. "Of course! You're still very nice to us!" Rarity gave a soft smile. "For being selfless and risking your life for two fillies? There's no need to, darling." She perks up. Rainbow looked at him before scoffing. "Yeah, I guess we're cool..."

Then, it was finally eyes on Twilight whom earlier may have already accepted... But to make sure. "While I don't agree with what you did..." She looked like she was angry at first... But then eased up. "I can also understand you did it for us... And for that I can't help but feel a little safe with you around." She puts her hoof over his left hand. "Just don't scare us like that again, please."

"Yes, I promise." Ash said and gave Twilight a quick hug. "...Thank you. I'm sorry for putting you all through that." Twilight then hugged back with her forehooves and then the girls started crowding him and getting into a big group hug.

The smells of these mares were intoxicating... They all had some kind of weird candy scent to all of them. ["! Focus!"] He said in his mind and closes his eyes.

Pinkie then all of a sudden came out and said. "Soooo. About that sleepover."

This'll be a fun night.
> Chapter 13 - Path of the Draconequus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



After a night of games, snacks and more talk it was time to go to bed. Pinkie was sleeping with Ash's hand on her belly, she was drooling and snoring lightly, kicking the air on occassion. The others were either on the couch or on makeshift beds on the other furniture.

Ash was on the bed of course, but he was far too awake and alert to be sleeping, he hated this feeling of random insomnia. He had this when his teen years started and it was a rare occurrence, but when it did it was just a huge bother and the thing that would normally make it trigger would be nervousness. But now since he's in a whole other world and in  a safe place, what could make him so nervous?

What would he have to be worried about? ["Every human I may encounter could all be screwed up in the head, one way or another... And I'm pretty much the clean-up crew..."] He said in his head. He could feel his mouth quiver and an uneasy sigh escapes his lips.

He gently pulls his hand away from Pinkie and vaults over rather acrobatically and landed almost silently onto the light marble floor in his bare feet, thankfully his powers refuse to let him feel any harsh coldness from the floor. He tiptoes to the bathroom, opens the door, walks in and gently closes behind him.

After doing that, he turned the lights on and went to the mirror to examine himself again. Despite everything, he is still him. "I should go out and probably get some fresh air..." He said softly to himself as he got a glass from the mirror's cabinet and turned on the cold water tap. He starts chugging the water and once done, he thoroughly rinses the glass for later use and puts it back in the cabinet.

Straight after he drank refreshing canterlot water, which should be himilaya gold at this point, he goes back out and collects his clothes that Rarity neatly folded up for him and starts putting them back on.

After putting on his shoes, he went to the doors leading out into the hallway, opening them, getting out and closing them gently. He looks around to see that the hallways were still lit up, probably for the staff of the castle... Which means guards may still be about.

He doesn't want to cause a ruckus, so it would be best to avoid them completely. And for that, he had an idea... If chaotic magic is meant to be used however he wanted, maybe there was an invisibility spell.

Not knowing the extent, he decided to think up something... But nothing was happening, maybe there was a gimmick to it.  He was still learning after all... 



So he's just gonna have to do this old-school. He starts wandering around the hallway, luckily there were signs around for tourists so he can find his way rather quickly. What he needs is to get to the courtyard and just have a good look at the night sky. He would have used the balcony but trying as he might earlier, the doors leading to it were locked much to his disappointment.

After following the signs and heading down a few corridors, he caught a glimpse of a few guards talking to each other around the corner and quickly leans his back against the wall. "! Damn..." He said to himself softly. He decided to lend an ear.

"I don't know what made the captain so worked up." One of them said to the other, the other guard responded. "The captain doesn't trust the human, and even so doesn't trust Celestia's judgment."

The first guard replied. "Man, if Sir Shining Armor saw her act like this, he'd be a little pissed at her blatant stereotypes, you heard what she keeps calling him?"

"Yeah. I keep hearing her say: Monkey, Discord's Toy and Bastard quite often. If you ask me, she needs to let this stuff go and learn to trust... But then again, she wasn't captain for nothing." The other guard replied again.

Speaking of the captain, she opens the door and trots to the two guards, they both salute and she spoke. "At ease. Your shifts are over."

They nod. "Thank you, captain!" They said in unison and headed Ash's way. "Shit!" Ash said quietly before quickly making it to a notch on the wall and using that to hide. They trot past and with no sign of the captain following them, it was probably time to make his move. He starts slowly walking and taking a peek to see that she was guarding the hallway and biting down on what seemed to be a crunchy looking apple.

Ash sighs. "...No good, I'm gonna have to find another way." He said to himself before walking back to the direction he came from.

Eventually, he makes it back to the door of his room and went down a different corridor this time. A few late night librarians saw Ash and they just nodded to him while going back to what they were saying. "Guess the bookworms don't care too much about me. That's fine." He said to himself once again as he continued wandering down the corridor.

Now that he was looking at the place, they had kept this place remarkably clean from top to bottom. Celestia and Luna's got it MADE. 

As he went deeper down the corridor, the more it got a little too quiet. Shouldn't there be more guards here? He finally makes it to the main staircase of the castle and the doors lead to outside on the opposite end. "...Strange. Absolutely no guards. During the day, this place was packed with tourists and guards... Is the security here REALLY that lax at night?" He said to no one in particular.

Even with the lights, it was so creepy seeing and hearing that everything around this room in particular was empty. Not a sound to be heard for a mile. He starts walking until he got to the opposite corridor, one of the signs state the courtyard was down this way.

With an uneventful few minutes walking down the corridor, there was some fresh wind coming from in front of him. It was the courtyard's main entry to the left of him. He takes a step out and finally, there was SOME sound. Cicadas and rustling of the bushes and trees against the wind and he could smell the fresh air that the december air back home refused to give him luxury.

Walking out, he took a great look at the night sky. On Earth, you would never see Stars and the moon so brightly due to the pollution. It was such an amazing sight.

Taking another step forward and looking up with a smile on his face, he could hear a voice from behind him. "Do you like it?"



He looks behind him to see Princess Luna in all of her glory smiling at him, she trots forward and looks up the sky with him. "I've made it myself."

"Y-you made the night sky?" Ash said in a bit of shock and disbelief. Luna starts giggling a little and nodded. "Yes, I did. It's an art, as a pony who could master the lunar art, I have the magic to help ponies perceive a perfect night sky in my image..."

Ash took a breath as that sentence literally winded him, he was speechless. The princesses could take control of a giant rock and a ridiculous ball of gas in the sky. "Why am I not surprised?" He said and looked back up at the sky once more. "It is beautiful."

Blushing at the compliment, Luna looks bashful and giggles. "Thank you. What were the skies like in your land?" She asked. This was a bit of a question to ask seeing as the times that he did look up back home, it wasn't anything spectacular. Ash didn't know the science behind it but the most way to simplify it was... "The sun and the moon acted on their own and were unpredictable. Sometimes you see stars, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you can see the moon, sometimes you don't... It was just an unpredictable cycle. The sun and the moon both worked on their own."

"That sounds depressing." Luna claims, to which Ash shrugged. "I'm not the one who makes the rules. But, why depressing?" He replied.

Trying to think of a good way to respond, she finally put it into words. "A sky that acts on its own isn't beautiful for one and can be seen as chaotic."

Ash chuckles a bit. "Well, you may see it as chaotic but I kinda see it as a neutral way of life. I mean, yeah... You can say it's bias, but it's still a part of my knowledge of my own world, y'know?"

Nodding in agreement, she responds. "That makes two, I suppose..."

Ash then looks at Luna and Luna looks at him, they both start to laugh a little bit. "...That was really refreshing." Ash said the comment made Luna question. "Why refreshing?"

"At this point, we're delving into politics of your world. At least in my world, the first thing you get to see is instant demonizing. In conversations, you can't get a word in edgewise without being labeled as a bad person. There's identity politics here and there, there's no nuance, no discourse. And when you DO have a nice conversation, there will always be someone who'll mess it up for the rest of everyone." Ash explained it was clear he wasn't a fan of Earth's politics.

Luna felt a little bad. "Now that sounds like actual chaos." This made Ash nod in agreement on that one. "Yeah. Which is why I never say or do anything political."

After a few moments, Luna then said. "Follow me, there's something I'd like to know."

"Okay." Ash said softly before following closely with Luna. They end up making it to a large clearing in the courtyard. "What is this...?" Ash asks.

"..." Luna then looks back at him. "Come and fight." She suddenly readies herself.

"!? What?" He exclaimed in shock and looked around. "Th-this is a joke, right?" He said as his eyes were wide as dinner plates, but Luna was completely serious, she had the look of a scowl on her face, the scowl of a fighter. "I assure you, this is no joke... Consider this a test of strength."



Ash shook his head. "No way, I don't want to hurt you." He said rather seriously, but then Luna dashes and made her way in front of him with speeds he didn't expect coming from the dark blue Alicorn and then Luna bucks Ash in the chest, sending him flying back. "Ogh!" Ash coughs out and lands on his back, he lifts himself up quickly and reels in pain. "Wh-.."

"If you do not, you perish here." She said as she got ready, a decorative spear appearing from behind her and points it at his direction. With no choice, Ash got ready to fight back, he gets into a fighting stance.

Luna leaps towards him with the same amount of godly speed and starts slashing and thrusting away at him. Ash rolled to the side and felt himself skid on the floor. He could see that her spear was being held by her horn's telekinetic energy and yet she moves perfectly in rhythm with it, the synchronization of swipes and thrusts were a deadly art for such a refined pony such as her, it was remarkable. "Fight back!"

Trying to think of a good way to 'fight back', he got back to his feet and assembled a stance that he could remember from an old show he used to watch. If his new power can replicate them, then maybe...

Shaking her head, she looked disappointed. "If you don't fight back, your progress ends here." She said as she threw the spear at him and starts dashing after it.

Ash closes his eyes and dodged the spear and stood his ground with Luna. "YOU WA SHOCK!"

Her eyes widen in confusion as Ash then smacks her in the muzzle, but before she would be flying from the force, he starts launching multiple punches that would break the speed of light. 

Letting out a yell of passion with each punch... 

"ATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!"

And finally, one last punch to the chest and finally Luna starts flying and lands on her side in a petal of flowers, grunting in pain as blood leaks from her maw.

Ash with a grin on his face, he says. "HOKUTO! HYAKURET--" Luna gets up rather quickly, she dusts herself off and looks back at Ash with eyes filled with the love of battle. That made Ash do a double take and stop mid-sentence. "...Oh crap." Was all he could say to replace it.



Luna wipes her muzzle with her right hoof and kept the grin. "Not bad at all... But you're gonna have to do more than that to beat me."

As he looks at her, he did forget that Alicorns were way stronger than regular ponies and Humans in general for that matter. He shook his head and got back into stance. "Damn..." He says under his breath as he tries to get a read on her.

However, in his panic, he had finally taken notice of her horn, she was creating a beam of energy and she shot it.

A gasp of surprise came from his mouth as he tried to dodge, but he was too late. the beam strikes him in the abdomen, he gets launched backward and lands on a pile of flowers.

Now in blinding pain, he clenches onto his chest and could feel a few ribs got broken there. "Nngh!" Was all he could stumble out before coughing up blood.

Sighing, Luna looks to the side. "I guess I was wrong. I can't believe we're putting our faith on such a weakling." She said rather coldly.

Ash looks at Luna as his anger starts to rise from such an unnecessary comment, he couldn't move without fear of puncturing his lungs... But what can he do? "I-I never asked... For this!" He replied weakly.

Scoffing, Luna starts trotting towards him and stopping next to him. "Neither have we. But that isn't going to stop us... You on the other hand. What would you bring to the table? You're arrogant, weak and expect to win any fight. The fight with the cannibal human was a fluke."

He could continue to feel anger clouding him, the pain was intensifying but it just made him angrier. "F-fluke...?" He grits his teeth as Luna continues, she stares down at him. "By all intents and purposes, you should have perished."

Grasping at the grass and flowers below him, he never felt so insulted. "You... Take that back..."

Her glare intensifies. "Why should I?" She replied coldly, to which Ash could feel something inside snap... And it wasn't another rib. He leans backward with his feet in the air, making Luna's eyes widen and then he launches himself up and double kicks Luna in the chin making her fly upwards, she started having to use her wings to recover and look down on him.

Ash was now on his feet, he was looking up at Luna with an icy glare. "I should have perished, you say? Then why didn't I!?" He yells out as pure anger starts to cloud his judgment. "STOP TORMENTING ME!" He shouts up at her.

Her glare returns and her spear reappears by her side. "He's losing himself..." Was all she could say under her breath before Ash jumps high up to meet with her, catching her by surprise and managing to block Ash's oncoming fist with her spear.

Electricity starts forming around the spear, luckily Luna was holding on telekinetically. "His strength!" Luna said out loud before being launched with an insane amount of force back to the ground, the impact made Luna leave a dent onto the flower patch.

Making her gasp for air, she tries to recover and look up at Ash who was diving down at her with his fist ready to connect. Luna's eyes widen as he saw the first coming right towards her and she cringes, expecting the fist to hit...

But it never came, Luna blinks and looks up at Ash who's fist was beside her, he looked down on her with grin. "Good enough for you?" He said as he got up and cracks his knuckles.

Luna just looked up at him in shock, he had the intention to kill her, but he didn't! She jumps up, winces at the pain before looking at him. "Why didn't you hit?! This is a seriou--" Ash interrupts her. "No it isn't." This made Luna do a double take and give a light. 'huh?'



Ash then sighs and smiles. "If it was serious, you would have killed me and be done with it. But you were trying to test me to see if I'm good enough for this job, saying such mean things to get me riled up. And as you can plainly see, I am perfect for it." He puts his arms out in a display of grace.

All Luna could do is sigh and smile back. "I deeply apologize..." She said as she now sat on her haunches. "You knew from the get go, and you played along. I never meant all of those words, you're an endangered species on this planet after all. If you were to perish by my hoof, it would have been very... Shameful of me. I probably would have broken down if I accidently killed you over something like this." She admits.

"Don't worry about it." Was all he could say before walking up to her and giving her a hug. Luna blushed and was again taken aback, this time over his gentle affection.

He then said. "You have very soft fur..." To which Luna just scrunches her muzzle with her cheeks turning into cherries. Was he coming onto her? She then felt him go limp and he just collapses onto her, making her gasp and look at him. "Ash!?" She used her hooves to shake him. "Wake up! H-hey!" Her blush quickly escapes her as horror was now on her face. "D-don't die on me!" She panics and listens for a heartbeat, thankfully there was a steady heartbeat. And then a light snore came from him.

A sigh of relief just escapes Luna's maw and looks over him. "His ribs are healed... I should have went easy." She thankfully said outloud before getting an idea. She just looks up at the stars with the human practically cuddling with her. "A very... Pleasant feeling." She blushes once more and began enjoying the moment. "You humans are very interesting indeed." Luna said before she fell silent for the night.

(To Be Continued)