//------------------------------//
// 3: Questions  
// Story: Saving Their Souls  
// by Clever Name 
//------------------------------//

	I woke up from a dreamless sleep and let out a long yawn as I stretched my arms. "That was the best I've slept on a long time." I said to myself. I looked around the room and noticed it wasn't the sight I was used to when I wake up. It took me a moment but I remembered that I was in Equestria, or drugged I wasn't too sure yet. Part of the reason I went along with everything so well was because I thought I was dreaming. But I was here now and I needed some answers, a lot of them. 

I got out of the bed and put my shoes back on then walked out the bedroom door. I didn't have any plans or ideas of what to ask the princesses, I figured I'd just wing it and see what happens. I always do. 

I walked into an empty room, it looked the same as when I walked in here last night, except brighter. Why was it brighter? Then I remembered the conversation I had with Luna on the balcony, the sun! I ran to the large window at the back of the room and looked out.

Equestria was amazing. I saw vast rolling plains and hills stretching as far as I could see. I turned to the left and I could just make out a small village made of little houses. That must be Ponyville. To the right was a massive cloud structure with colors flying all around it, I could only assume they were pegasi. That's gotta be Clousdale, which means, I looked into the distance and spotted a long tree line that seemed to be endless. The Everfree forest, neat. 

I took a moment to look at the never ending blue sky and clouds, they were unlike anything I've ever seen before. I would have looked at them forever if a royal guard didn't interrupt me.

"Enjoying the view?" he said behind me.

I turned around to see he was standing in the doorway. "Yeah, Equestria is unlike anything I've ever seen where I'm from."

"The Princesses wanted you to join them for breakfast while they explain everything, seeing as how you didn't give them that chance earlier." I couldn't help but look into his eyes, so this is the one that attacked his friend without hesitation? oh great, word was getting around.

"Just me?." I asked

"The other two humans are already with the Princesses and the elements of harmony." If he were the right color I could be convinced he was a statue, that's how little he moved! 

"Well thanks for waiting for me." I offered.

"They didn't" he deadpanned "that's why they sent me."

I huffed, this guy- pony was impossible. "Okay, just lead the way then." I followed him out the door. As an after thought I asked "what's a breakfast?" 



 

I let out a low whistle as I walked into a massive room with only a single large wooden table with cushions around it in middle of a room as big as the cafeteria at the corner. But it wasn't the table that caused the whistle it was the food. I could smell it from where I stood and it was amazing! I could almost taste it, and I wanted to.

I quickly moved to sit down next to Brian and glanced around the table. Vinnie was on the other side of Brian and all the ponies were on the other side of the table, that was probably my fault.

Celestia was sitting across from me with Luna on her right and Twilight on her left. Rarity was by Luna's side then Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were to Rarity's right. To Twilight's left was Pinkie Pie then Applejack.


"So, what did I miss?" I asked as I sat on the cushion.

"Nothing much" Brian responded "although I believe they have a lot to ask us." He gestured to the alicorns across from us.

I turned to Celestia and Luna "Well I have a lot to ask you."

Celestia nodded "we will answer as much as we are able to, we only wish for you to answer truthfully in return."

I picked up a cinnamon bun and took a bite out of it. "Sure, but I get to go first." 

Celestia seemed to ponder that for a moment, "why do you say that?" she asked.

Without missing a beat I responded "I'm the one that was nearly killed, knocked out, had a bag over my head, tied up, and brought here without asking."

Her ears folded back. "Yes... when you put it that way I believe it is fair that I answer your questions first."

I took another bite. "That reminds me, wasn't I shot in the back a while ago?"

Twilight seemed to jump at the opportunity to lecture me. "Yes you were shot in the back and your condition was very critical, you were treated by our top doctors for hours on end before they could stabilize you. It's a miracle that you pulled through so well the same goes for your friends as well."

I huffed, "yeah miracle." I looked down in thought before I noticed something. "Why were we brought here directly after we were attacked and in critical condition?"

It was Celestia's turn to answer again, "First I should tell you how Equestria and it's inhabitants came to be. I'm aware that you're familiar with the show 'My Little Pony'?" We all nodded and the Princess continued. "You see, before that terrible crisis that led to the world you now live in, that same show was aired all across America. It slowly gained popularity after that, until it became a household name. But what the difference is, is that the fans of the show, the 'Bronies'-"

"Bronies?" Vinnie asked.

"Yes, that's what the fans of the show called themselves, something wrong with that?" The alicorn seemed to be protective of those 'Bronies' from the way she said that.

Vinnie must have noticed it to, "no, no just making sure I heard that right." 

Celestia cleared her throat and continued. "As I was saying, the Bronies truly loved the show. It had helped many of them with their lives, it had made them better people, got them more friends, it even some of them from ending their own lives. That love that they gave the show was so strong and from so many that their very souls had reached out and actually constructed Equestria and manifested ourselves out of their souls."

"Wait, wait wait," Brian interjected "So, you're saying that you, and everything we're seeing is made out of somebody's soul?"

Luna decided to elaborate on her sister's explanation. "Right and wrong, it's not anypony's one soul, it's actually a couple million of souls all put together to form, well, everything."

"How did their souls get out of their bodies?" He asked.

Luna shrugged "There is real magic in the world, it's just harder to come by where you're from."

This was all seeming to be a little far fetched to me, "But your still physically here right? I thought that no one could see a soul, let alone interact with it." 

Another shrug. "That has always confused us as well, souls are very... complicated. But we are all here and alive so we can not complain." she smiled.

"How did the souls get here?" Brian asked.

"They found a place far from harm and made us there. They just knew I suppose." Brian opened his mouth but Luna raised a hoof to stop him. "They made Equestria a very large island in what they called the Pacific Ocean."

"Wouldn't having part of your soul taken you hurt? Or at least change you in some way?" I asked.

Luna shook her head. "Their souls were not taken, they willingly gave them up. As for it hurting, it didn't, they gave up very small parts. They might have felt a little sleepy the next day but that's it."

"Whoa, wait." Vinnie pipped up "If you're alive then how have you lived so long? I know you're alicorns so that excuses you two." he pointed at the sisters. "But what about all the regular ponies?"

"We're physical souls, they can't die of old age." Rainbow Dash smirked.

"Can you die at all?" I asked, in hindsight I shouldn't have been the one to ask that since they were all nervous around me enough, but I'd make do with some scared little ponies.

"It ain't exactly like we try pardner." Applejack explained.

I shrugged, "In the show it looked like there was some dangers and accidents, I don't expect everypony to survive everything for however long it is you've been here."

"One hundred and ninety five years." Twilight said matter-of-factly.

"Huh."

Twilight continued to explain. "Well, we can get hurt, we feel and think but whenever somepony suffers from something that would be fatal... they just... pull through and walk away like nothing ever happened. After a long visit to the hospital of course."

That was the best explanation I was getting I guess, "Okay, so you're a bunch of souls." I summarized. "Now why were we near death when you brought us here."

"This one I can answer." Celestia said confidently. "You're not the first one's to come to Equestria."

"What?" The three of us asked in unison.

The sun princess giggled slightly. "No, there have been thousands maybe even millions of Bronies here before you."

"How?" Vinnie asked instantly. "Did you almost kill them too?"

Brian smacked him on the back of the head sharply. Vinnie was usually okay in serious situations but when he wasn't serious he didn't know when stop.

Celestia's smiled faltered. "No, you are all a special case." I'll say. "We thought that since that all the Bronies loved Equestria so much that they created us, they deserved to come here and see the beautiful place they made and enjoy it with us. We soon found out that we had no way of bringing them here, teleportation was much too difficult for any number of Unicorns and we couldn't risk leaving Equestria."

"Why?" Vinnie asked again. 

"We didn't know if we could survive outside Equestria, seeing as how we're souls and Equestria was made to support souls. That's when we realized how to bring them here, their souls. When a creature dies it's soul is released from it's body and it slowly goes to wherever souls are supposed to go. We found out that we can easily pull a soul of our choosing into Equestria where it turns into a pony all by itself, memories, experience and personality included. It was like they died and went to Equestria."

"They just turn into a pony? Just like that? What determines what they look like as a pony?" Brain asked.

Celestia smiled again. "Most of them had already picked out what they would look like as a pony and just turned into that, except for those that thought they were Large, buff, black and red, alicorns with metal wings and serpent eyes, we wouldn't allow it so they manifested as a random, normal, pony. Or if they didn't have an 'OC pony' -is what they called them- they manifested as a pony of a random race that looked similar to them in their prime."

"Anyone can get in?" Vinnie wondered. 

"No, they had to be nice and polite in their human life and able blend in with the ponies already living here or we wouldn't bring them here when their soul was released. But we're gracious about our choosing."

"When did you start bringing them here?"

"Around the year 2067."

"But we're here and we're humans." I interjected. 

"Yes, we needed the help of a human so we had to turn back to the world we had ignored after the crisis and seek out some human that we could trust. Our only rules were Bronies that are nice really, but no one knew what the show was let alone was a fan of it. Then I heard someone thank me so I turned to look towards him, he had been a survivor of what is now called a... 'Bloodbath'?"

I almost spit out my drink when I heard that. "What!?" I near shouted. 

"I believe you three are also familiar with the Bloodbath." Celestia asked.

I looked towards my friends, Brian was frowning at a memory, and Vinnie was smiling at memory. I was grinding my teeth at a memory. 

"Oh yeah, we know." Vinnie said.

Celestia nodded. "Good," good isn't the word I would use. "I watched him a little longer and he mentioned Brian by name and spoke highly of him."

Brian flushed, I wasn't even going to bother looking into his eyes to know what he was thinking. "you said you heard him?" I asked "how did that work?"

Luna spoke up "Since the Bronies imagined me and Celestia as gods or something like a god we can hear when ponies or even a human thanks us, or says our name."

"And when you said you where watching him?"

Luna tapped her horn with her hoof.

"Oh." I said understanding, of course it was magic.

Celestia cleared her throat again. "As I was saying since he said Brian was brave and stronger than some dream - or was it nightmare? - I considered him as a likely candidate to help us. I then watched a very amazing thing, you three humans had built an entire community from the ground up following the morals of My Little Pony, again. So of course I decided I would bring the three leaders here, it only seemed fair."

"So you almost killed us?" I asked.

"Hey! At least she had the doctors patch you up! Show some respect." Rainbow Dash yelled while Twilight tried to calm her down.

"But we had a good reason!" Luna said quickly, trying to get us on their side. 

Celestia nodded. "As I said before we couldn't bring a full human here, just their soul. But we figured that if we all put our horns together we could bring a half dead human here and heal him before he died. You see we needed you close enough so that your soul would start to slip from you, but not released entirely."

"So you made some stupid cannibals come to our gate, ask for us, then almost kill us." Brian observed.

Celestia seemed embarrassed and nodded. "That is one way to say it, yes."

Brian's eyes widened at the realization, "What about the Corner?! What will do without their leaders?!"

Celestia's ears folded back. "Yes, we hadn't intended for that much damage to be done, you three were the only ones that... were supposed to be injured. But your guards had luckily been doubled just in time to repel the attack and now they are voting on new leaders as we speak." she smiled at me. "Good thinking." 

"It was about time I had some good luck." I said under my breath. "Well that at least explains that. Now why are we here?" I asked louder so she could hear me. 

"I will answer that question after you answer a question for me." Celestia said casually.

"Okay, go ahead." I didn't like how nervous she seemed to acting, I hope it wasn't something personal.

Celestia seemed hesitant at first but she pushed herself to ask "May I ask what your name is?"

Shit. "That's an easy one, I don't have one."

Celestia seemed only mildly surprised while Luna was shocked along with every other pony. "You don't have a name?" Luna asked.

I glanced at Brian and Vinnie, they were trying to hid their grins from the ponies. Like they thought it was funny I didn't have a name. "No" I clarified "I do not have a name." 

"Um why not?" Twilight asked. 

I only shrugged, "you wouldn't understand"

"Have you considered picking a new name?" Rarity wondered out loud.

"No" I said flatly " I will not give myself a new name."

"Can you at least tell us why?" Rainbow Dash asked. 

"I already said you wouldn't understand." I was getting tired of this. I've been through this same conversation multiple times and it always turned out the same way, they would have more questions when this ended than when they started. 

"Can you at least try to explain it to us?" Celestia said concerned

I groaned "why can't you ponies just understand that it's very personal and leave it at that?" This conversation was really getting on my nerves. 

"One last question." Celestia said cautiously "did you ever have a name, and if you did then how did you loose it?"

I considered lying to her but I had the feeling that she would know. "That's two questions but I'll answer them both anyways." I thought about what she had said and a memory surfaced. 


***
       

	"Okay, I'll make you a deal. I will pick your name, but; you have to pick my name too."

"Are you sure that that you're okay with it though? You of all people shouldn't have someone name you."

"Don't worry, there's no one else I'd rather trust than you."


***


"Yeah I had a name." I said "as for why I don't have one now" I drew a shaky breath at the memory. "I.. I just... don't, I just don't."

Celestia seemed to sense my displeasure with the topic and decided to move on. "You asked why we brought you correct?" I nodded and she stood up. "Then let us show you."

The other ponies stood up as well along with myself and my friends. Celestia led the group out of the room to wherever we were going.

Celestia led the way while the six mares and my friends followed, I decided to be the last to leave for some time to think.

Luna fell back and started walking next to me, I guess she meant it when she said I was good company. 

"Can I help you?" I asked her.

She looked at me innocently. "I certainly hope so."

I smiled. "That's not what I meant."

"Oh, well I just thought I should ask you what your name is." she gave me an innocent smile.

I sighed, "we just had that conversation." 

"So you really were telling the truth?" she asked.

"Yeah, did you think it just some elaborate joke?"

Luna looked at her hooves. "Well, yes actually. I didn't know you could loose a name, even in a world like yours."

I suddenly wanted to change the topic very soon. "Well it's really complicated and I don't like talking about it, loosing a part of you isn't something that is a pleasant experience you know."

Luna didn't seem to understand. "But isn't it just like a title? I would think that you could simply call yourself something new."

Damn these ponies and their curiosity. "It was different where I came from." 

"The Corner of Equestria?" Luna wondered.

I couldn't help but smile at her innocence. "No, no, I helped build the Corner remember? Which means I'm from a place that was already built, as in not the Corner of Equestria."

Luna's eyes brightened. "Oh really? Please tell me, what was your home like?"

I cringed as more memories surfaced.


***
 

	"- then after he sliced his throat he just stood there, taking it all in I suppose, after a while he turned to the crowd and shouted 'I am the king now, and you will obey my every command' he's been like that ever since."

"What was he like before he took over?"

"Much different, he lived a normal life until his father died and his mother just acted like he wasn't there afterwords. So was just barley scrapping by and was bullied constantly."

"Wow, so why is he mean now?"

"My guess is that he was so new to being in control of everyone and not the other way around he went mad with power."

"So when will dad ever change?"

"He won't, remember how it works here? The only way he'll change is if there's a new leader."

"...oh"

"Yeah, sorry kid."


***


There was that, but then again.


***


	"Hey big guy."

"Big brother! I missed you so much!"

"Don't worry, I promised I'd come back remember?"

"Phew, I see you found your little brother."

"Yeah, he's easy to find if he's looking for you. Thanks for watching him again."

"No problem, it gives me an excuse to see you all the time."

"You know you don't need one, I love seeing you."

"I love you too."

...

"Um... I didn't... there's...a- a...um..."

"Hey, don't worry about, I was working up the nerve to tell you I love you anyways."

"Heh. Wow, really?"

"Of course..."

"Ewww! Why are you kissing!?"


***


I looked back at Luna. "It had it's ups and downs, just like any other place really. Nothing special really."

That seemed to satisfy her curiosity for now and she nodded then trotted ahead. 





We finally stopped on a large balcony overlooking Canterlot, but that wasn't what Celestia had wanted us to see. 

"Look through this telescope and point it towards the Everfree Forest." The alicorn said gesturing to telescope mounted on the stone railing.

I looked at my friends but they were already pointing to it and looking at me. When was I appointed leader of our band of misfits? I still wanted to see what these cute little ponies where having a problem with, if it was from the Everfree then it must be too many Timberwolves eating their crops or something silly like that. 

I looked through the telescope and found the treeline of the forest and focused in on it. Nothing seemed out of place to me, there was nothing charging out of the treeline, nothing on fire, everything seemed still. Until I looked further into the trees.

There was a few spots where the trees were constantly shifting and moving in certain spots. Some of them were staying in the basic area while others seemed to be moving around, it looked like some shifting trees were actually chasing other shifting trees. 

I pulled back from the telescope and looked at the princesses. "How long has this been going on?" I asked them.

Brian moved to look through the telescope next, he was the best at spotting things that were far away.

Celestia thought for a moment. "About six days." she concluded. 

"You said you began searching for us after the Bloodbath, yet this has been going on for six days? I'm not sure exactly how long ago the Bloodbath was but it was definitely longer than six days." I observed.

Celestia shook her head, "no, this stage has been going on for six days. But other things have been happening as well. I started my search after I felt Equestria change about fourteen months ago."

"Why'd you get us here so late?"  Brian asked still looking through the telescope, from how he was moving it I would say he's tracking something.

"We had to make sure it was dangerous and that we had to resort to outside help." Celestia responded.

"What made you decide you couldn't handle it?" Brian was still tracking something, I walked up him and tried looking at the Everfree without the telescope. It was hopeless, I could hardly see the trees let alone see what he was tracking.

"Our search parties never came back." Luna answered.

"I thought you ponies couldn't die." I said.

"We can't, that's why I'm worried. The're either suffering or captured by something." The moon alicorn said, then added. "and why did you assume that they had died?" 

"Sorry, that's what happens when our search parties don't come back. Why did you instantly need our help in the first place?"

"When I said I felt Equestria change I meant it felt like something wasn't supposed to be there, we didn't instantly consider you. But after our search parties never came back we figured we needed somepony with fighting experience, not guards that arrest ponies after drunken brawls." Celestia explainded.

I nodded, that made sense to me. Seeing as how I've been fighting longer than I'd like to admit. I turned to Brian. "And what are you looking at?"

"There's something in those trees." He said not taking his eye off the trees.

"What trees?" Vinnie said, I had almost forgotten he was there.

Brian moved away from the telescope to let Vinnie have a look. While Vinnie was looking at the forest Brian explained. "There was something large and colorful moving with the trees that had been shifting."

"Dragons?" I offered. 

Brian shrugged, "dunno, I could only see parts of them and there's plenty of giant creatures here, Hydras, Dragons and Ursas, could be anything really." He turned to Celestia. "Have you had problems with creatures in the forest before?"

Celestia shook her head. "They've always stayed dormant unless they were provoked, this is new to us."

"I have a question." Vinnie announced, now done playing with the telescope. "Why are they here?" He gestured to the six ponies standing around the princesses. "They haven't talked much or done anything but give me weird looks... like that."

Celestia grinned. "That's because you're going to have to be friends with them." 

"Why?" Vinnie wondered.

"Ponyville is the town closest to the Everfree Forest so you will be staying there while here in Equestria." she explained. "It would help if you got along with the residents so figured that these girls could help you get along with them."

The mares in question all smiled weakly at us.

I laughed. "Don't worry we'll help you." I said happily, that seemed to brighten them up.

"What makes you so sure that me and Brian will help them?" Vinnie tested.

I looked him in the eye. "Because you owe me." I said bluntly.

Not cool. His eyes responded, I grinned, good to know I'm finally getting through to him.

"So how is this going to work?" I asked the Princesses.

"You will be taking a Pegasi drawn carriage with the girls back to Ponyville and stay with them for two days each." Celestia said.

"Like they rotate us?" Vinnie asked.

Celestia nodded. "Something like that, yes."

"I've always wanted to be someone's pet." Vinnie mocked.

Brian smacked him on the back of the head again.

"What exactly are we supposed to be doing in Ponyville?" I asked, I wasn't really understanding this pony logic.

"You'll be staying in Ponyville and while you're there you will be keeping an eye on the forest, we'll let you know if anything happens." Luna explained.

"How?"

Like this. Luna's voice said inside my head. 

I blinked. "What was that?"

Luna giggled. "As I said before, we're godlike so we can talk to you no matter how far away you are."

"And when we need to talk to you?" 

"Simply talk to us like we're there. I will be talk with you during the night and Celestia will be there for you during the day."

"Easy enough." I said confidently.

"Very well, your carriages are ready to take off, allow me to take you to them." Celestia announced.





Half an hour later the Pegasi touched down and I got out along with Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. Brian and Vinnie had taken separate carriages with the other ponies so we could all have enough space. We had spent most of the ride in silence, all I could get out of them was that I was supposed to start off at Twilight's place.

Apparently humans can draw quite the crowd in Equestria. Brian had landed before me and was surrounded by ponies, it was only worse when I stepped out of the carriage and a mint green mare shouted 'another one!'

A Unicorn I remembered as Lyra ran up to me. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! You're a human!"

"Heh, yeah I am." I said a little nervous from the unexpected attention. 

"Wow, can I see your hands?" she asked excitedly.

"Um..." I noticed Vinnie's carriage had just landed a few feet away and pointed to it excitedly. "Look!" I shouted. "Another human! Go bug him!"

Her eyes lit up as Vinnie stepped out. "No way!" she shouted and ran off.

I walked over to Brian, mostly to avoid that Unicorn, and asked him how it was going.

"Oh, you know, I'm in Equestria, met the Princesses and elements of harmony all in one day and now I'm staying with Applejack. What's new with you?" He responded as Vinnie was mobbed by a single Unicorn.

I looked at the all the ponies surrounding us, they were just standing a couple feet away and looking at us in wonder.

"Yeah. This will be new." I agreed.





Our host ponies had managed to shoo off the mob and I said goodbye to my friends. To satisfy your curiosity Vinnie will be annoying Rarity for two days.    

Twilight showed my the way to her house... tree... library, never mind. This was the first time I was next to a regular pony, while Celestia was almost eye level with me Twilight was only up to my waist when she was on all four hooves.

"Here we are!" She said cheerfully as we walked into her... tree, defiantly tree. I had to duck under the door.

"Wow, this is a nice place Twilight, lots of room." I said truthfully. "Where will I be staying?" 

"I have a bed set up for you in the other room." She pointed to a door on the other side of the library and headed towards the stairs. She stopped. "Oh! I just remembered that Princess Celestia wanted me cast a spell on your... gun?" 

"What?" I asked. I didn't trust a naive little pony to be handling my guns.

"She said that since we didn't have any bullets here you would need a regeneration spell put on your gun so you wont ever run out of bullets."

"Wow, that would be really helpful actually." I made sure I had the safety on both of my guns before handing them over.

Twilight took them in her magic and they began to glow brightly before she floated them back over. "There you are." she said brightly. "I'll have to remember to cast the same spell on your friend's guns."

"Thanks." I said returning them to their holsters at my side. "What's the plan for today?" I asked.  

"Today you start to adjust to the pony society and tomorrow you go into the Everfree Forest and well, that's where you wing it." she smiled innocently.

I grinned. "No problem, I'm best when I'm winging it." I looked around for a moment. "How do I adjust to pony society?"

She giggled. "Lets start by getting a snack, I'm starving."

"I can handle that."



     

"So what do you want?" Twilight asked as we walked down Ponyville looking for a restaurant that served something I could actually eat. I was getting more used to everypony staring at me but it still made me feel uncomfortable. 

"I'm not sure, you're the one that's lived here forever, anyplace you think I'll like?" It's been a long time since I had a variety of food to choose from. Out in the darkness food was scarce enough as it was and when we had the Corner up and going they only had about ten different foods to choose from, depending on the time of the crop cycle.

"Well there's Sugar Cube Corner, you can eat sweets I'm sure." Twilight guessed.

"Sounds good, you're much more talkative now then you were back in Canterlot." I observed.

"The Princesses said that they should do most of the talking seeing as how they've been bringing humans to Equestria for decades. I could say the same for your friends." She countered. 

"That's because somewhere along the way they decided to follow me so when we ended up tied in front of everypony they looked at me and told me to do the talking." I explained.

"I didn't hear them say that."

"They didn't say it with their mouths." 

"Then how did they say it?" She wondered as we turned down the road to Sugar Cube Corner, I was already smelling the sweets and I had to check to make sure my mouth wasn't watering.

"Their eyes." I said casually. 

"What?"

I chuckled, these ponies are adorable no matter what. "I can tell what people are thinking by how their eyes look, it's a lot like reading a book."

"Oh really?" Twilight tested as we entered the sweet shop.

"I sure can, want me to prove it?" I asked with a grin, I loved doing this to people so this must be even more fun with a pony.

"Why yes I do." Twilight said as we walked up to the counter. 

"Hello Twilight!" A cheery voice said behind the counter. It was Mrs. Cake. "What can I get you and your... um." she looked at me with a curious expression.

"He's a friend Mrs. Cake." Twilight explained to the confused baker. "The Princesses brought him and his other two friends here to help with the problem in the Everfree Forest."

The baker pony brighten a little at the welcoming news. "Why hello there human." she said offering a hoof which I shook. "My name is Mrs. Cake I own this shop with my Husband Mr. Cake, what's your name?"

Oh boy this was going to get awkward. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Cake." I said smiling warmly. "I don't have a name so just call me human."

The baker cocked her head in confusion. "Why don't you have a name?" She asked.

"It's a long story." I said.

"Oh I have time deary, don't worry." She said sweetly.

I smiled sheepishly. "Um, let me say this a little less politely. I rather not talk about."

She flushed a little. "Oh my, terribly sorry about that. How about I get you two some sweets instead?"

"Sounds great Mrs. Cake." Twilight said eager to change the subject. "I would like a strawberry cupcake."

She nodded then turned to me. "What would you like?" she asked.

I smiled sheepishly again. "I've never been here before, what would you recommend?" 

The baker pony smiled brightly. "A fudge brownie for sure! I just baked a fresh batch."

"Sounds great."

Mrs. Cake disappeared into the back room again before returning with our snacks. Twilight gave her five bits and we walked outside to a table.

"So about you and this eye thingy you do." Twilight said before biting into her cupcake.

I took a small bit out of my brownie to try it, then I ate the whole thing in one bite. It was delicious. "What about?" I asked around my brownie.  

"How does it work?" The Unicorn wondered.

"I look in your eyes and I can tell what you're thinking. Simple." I explained.

"Does it work on ponies too?" 

"Yes," I said remembering the guards eyes earlier today. "You want to try it?" I guessed.

Twilight grinned. "Absolutely."

"Okay," I said adopting a grin of my own. "Just think of a sentence and look me in the eye."

"Okay one second." she looked away in thought. "Got it." she said looking at me with a grin.

I looked her in the eye and clearly saw. "You have a bit of brownie of your mouth but I wont tell you because it looks silly."

I quickly wiped my mouth with my arm. "I had brownie on my mouth but you didn't tell me because you thought I looked silly." I said with a grin.

Twilight's jaw went slack." That- that's amazing. How did you learn to do that?"

Uh oh.


***


	"No! Leave them out of this! This is between you and me!"

"Ha! Is that what you really think? This is between all of us now, you brought everyone of them into this and now they get to pay the price."

"Wh- what?"

"You heard me, they'll all die now. Thanks to you. Now you get to watch."

"No! Don't!"

BANG!

"Huh, that was much to quick, what do you say we make it more personal?"

"Great idea."

"Now, look them all in the eye..."


***


I froze. My fault... I allowed that to sink in.

"Um are you okay?" Twilight asked concerned.  

I brought them into it. Everyone had died because of me.

"Hello?"

They didn't show mercy, they didn't care. 

"Excuse me?"

Slaughtered all of them, none spared. None.

"Hey!" Twilight yelled. "You okay?!"

I looked up at her and smiled weakly. "Yeah, never better." I lied. "What else is there to do?" 

Twilight still wasn't convinced. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." I lied 

She studied me for a moment, like she was trying to copy my ability. "Okay... I'll give you a tour of the town I guess."

I stood up, eager for a distraction. "Sounds wonderful, lead the the way."





The rest of the day went on uneventful, tours are boring after all, but they provided a nice distraction and I quickly returned to my better self and had a nice time with Twilight. It's safe to say I may have made a new friend.

We returned to the Library soon after it had gotten dark and Twilight showed me to my room. It a small room, smaller than the one I had at the Corner for sure, only a bed with blue sheets, a single white pillow and a night stand. It didn't matter, it's not like I brought anything.

I bid Twilight good night and went to bed. I was not graced with a dreamless sleep tonight.





Celestia paced back and forth in her sisters room, they were currently arguing on whether or not Luna should look in the nameless human's dreams.

"Why not?" Celestia asked her younger sister.

"Why?" She countered from her bed she was currently laying in.

"He has too many secrets and something just feels... off about him. I need to know what is going on with him. I do not like the idea of trusting him with the safety of our subjects if we know so little about him!"

Luna snorted. "Have you considered that I trust him, do you not trust my judgement sister?"

"No I trust you entirety Luna and you know that, but you should know that I prefer to play it safe when it comes to the safety of our subjects."

Luna couldn't argue with that. "But what is the harm in trusting him?" She asked.

"He could be crazy." Celestia said with much belief.

"He's not crazy, remember what Maple told us?" Luna defended.

"He stabbed his friend." Celestia retorted.

"Because he needed him to stop reminding him about that Bloodbath thing." 

Celestia sighed. "Please sister, you're the one that controls the night and can see dreams. You know I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think it was of the utmost importance." she took on a pleading look. "Please, for me?"

Luna sighed in defeat. "Fine, for you."

The night alicorn closed her eyes and her horn started to glow a midnight blue as she began to enter the nameless human's dreams.

She's in for a surprise.