//------------------------------// // Better than zombies. // Story: Kota Hirano in Equestria // by Shadowstalker //------------------------------// Hirano was laying peacefully, feeling the warmth of the sun, the dampness of the grass, the screams of help echoing throughout the forest. He sat up groggily but alert, he picked up his guns and got up scanning the foliage. "Help! Somepony help!" His breath caught in his throat, he didn't care why he was in a forest, he only cared about whoever was screaming. He began to run, sniper in hand, another scream rang out making him stop. His eyes widened when he head a howl shortly after and then a scream. He ran forward again and could now hear the growls of the wolves. He peeked through a bush and felt his mind do a back-flip. "Help!" He watched the pink... Horse? Scream as she was huddled around three smaller ones. The wooden wolves were in front of them, one with blood on it's mouth. "Holy crap," he whispered. "Neon horses and wooden animals. I need to eat less sugar..." As one of the animals snapped at a small yellow one she made an audible whimper. "Ok, if I help them, maybe the owner will reward me. I do this way to much..." Pinkie was huddled around the crusaders, she'd been bitten when she blocked a wold from getting Sweetiebelle. She closed her eyes when the same wolf jumped. A bang went through the air, she and he crusaders jumped before seeing the wolf body slide along the ground atleast five feet away, with blood coming from where it's head should be. "Get away from them you overgrown matchsticks!" She began to smile but that fell when she saw something come out from the bushes, carrying something with another identical thing on it's back. "I said get away!" It yelled to her surprise, and it stood between them and the wolves. Hirano swapped his sniper for the shotgun, he loaded a shell in and cocked it. Pinkie and the crusaders stared in curiosity as the cartridge fell to the ground. The two remaining wolves sized him, uttering a few barks they both jumped. He raised the gun up and fired. The wolves were splintered, their bodies disintegrated from the blast sending shards and pieces everywhere. The larger chunks flew back into the bushes and imbedded themselves into the trees. He lowered his gun and turned around. The ponies stepped back and Pinkie curled up even tighter around the shaking fillies. "Um, hi?" Hirano said looking down. "You... You can talk?" Scootaloo asked looking up. "You can talk?" He asked back. "Um, well, I'm not really sure what to ask." He shrugged sitting down. "I'm Hirano." He stuck out his hand. Pinkie pulled them back but when she saw his small smile, she gulped and stuck her hoof out. She blinked a few times, feeling his fingers curl around her hoof and gently shake it before letting go. "I'm..." She wiped away a string of snot. "Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie Pie." She said standing on three legs. "Well, Pinkie Pie," he smiled a little oddly. "Where are we? What are you, and you, and you," he nodded at the crusaders. "And is there any kind of building we could go to?" "Were in the Everfree forest," she said to his confusion. "I'm an earth pony, this is Sweetiebelle, she's a unicorn. This is Scootaloo, she's a pegasus, and Applebloom, and earth pony like me. And, I think town is that way." She pointed behind him. "Well, I just hope it's not a long walk away." He sighed. "Do, you need any help walking?" He asked. "Um, no I don't think so." She said bouncing away, her mane and tail pomfing back up. "But I can hop!" He looked at the crusaders, they shrugged and began trotting. He just stood there, bemused at all the foreign plants around him. Reality caught up with him and he gave a yelp before running after them. After an hour of walking, and Pinkie joying up again, they arrived at a dirt trail going to Ponyville and Fluttershy's cottage. "Come on!" Pinkie said. "We can go to Twilight, I bet she knows all about moomans!" "It's humans actually." Hirano said. "Um, are the locals friendly? And hopefully not flesh eating, undead monsters?" "Of course not!" She giggled. "Were you hoping for that?" "No, no, not really. But It wouldn't be unusual." He breathed out a sigh. As they entered the town, ponies backed or hid away in building at the sight of Hirano, but slowly peeked out when they saw the crusaders and Pinkie hoping along with him. "Hey!" Pinkie yelled out. "Hey Rainbow Dash! Look who I found!" Hirano looked up and the first thought in his mind was a fresh pack of Skittles, the second thought was to hide behind something stone when he saw Rainbow Dash rocketing towards them. "Pinkie! Look out!" She yelled barreling towards Hirano. "Come back here!" She yelled as he started to run. He ran as fast as he could, she merely glided next to him, giving the occasional flap of her wings. He noticed her and yelped, falling back. When she landed again, she had a look of confusion on her face than anger. "Alright, whatever you are." She said. "You had better not even have hurt Pinkie or the crusaders or else I'll shove my hoof right up..." She cocked her head before snorting and walking away. "Hey!" Pinkie yelled angrily at Rainbow. "That wasn't very nice! He saved us before from Timberwolves!" "Pinkie," she responded. "We don't even know what... Did you say he?" "Yep!" Pinkie grinned. "His name is Hirano. He used those cool black things to completely blow the Timberwolves up! If he hadn't have come along, then I would have been wolf chow! Now apologize." "...What?" Rainbow asked. "You heard her, I think you owe me an apology." Rainbow spun around and saw Hirano standing there with a smug grin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. But yeah, she's telling the truth." He got down on one knee and stuck out his hand. "I'm Hirano. And I presume you're Rainbow Dash?" "Yeah, that's me." She said shaking his hand. "So, I guess sorry for saying what I did. Um, maybe we should go see Twilight?" She looked back at Pinkie. "Oh, there she-watch out!" He looked up and the last thing he saw was a bolt of purple before blackness.