//------------------------------// // Act I: A Mostly-Safe Haven // Story: Human Nature // by Blank Page //------------------------------// The sound of footsteps snapped me back into reality. Through my peripheral vision I could see the orange rays of the morning sun leaking through the trees. The gentle melodies of birdsong filled the air. Everything was so peaceful, so calm. A part of me wanted to believe that yesterday was just a bad dream, but the dull ache that spanned across my body dashed all hopes of that being true. The footsteps were getting closer. They couldn't have been from another human. The tempo was too fast, and each step was accompanied by another about a split-second off. It had to be a pony; there was no doubt in my head. They must have come searching for me after their friend returned to them. I couldn't stay here much longer; I wasn't ready for another encounter. I struggled to raise myself to a sitting position. My muscles ached and groaned in protest, and I tried to tune them out. A sharp pain spread across the palm of my left hand as it barely skimmed across the earth. I quickly cradled it against my stomach and cringed when I caught sight of the wound. My discolored palm was covered in blisters, and a weak trickle of scarlet blood was still seeping out of the wound. I slowly lifted myself up to my feet, trying carefully not to agitate any other wounds I had accumulated yesterday. An overwhelming sense of vertigo welcomed me as I reached my full height, accompanied by a painful headache. Colors began to blur for a moment, turning the world around me into a strange green and brown canvas. A twig snapped behind me. I whirled around to the sound of the noise to find a grey pony standing just a few yards away. With a surprised yelp, I scrambled back until my back ran into a nearby tree. A brief moment of silence passed while we just stared at each other in shock. I gave the area a quick glance to see if there were any other threats, but all I could see was this one pony. Although, to call it a pony might have been incorrect. With the dark grey stripes that spanned across its body, it looked more like a zebra than anything else. Golden rings wrapped around its neck and one of its forelegs. "Forgive me for startling you," she started, breaking the silence with her African-esque voice, "I knew not you were here. Please, accept my apology; there is no reason to fear." She put on an apologetic smile at the end of her rhyme to add to the sincerity. To say that I was caught off guard would have been an understatement. I didn't expect her to talk to me, much less apologize for sneaking up on me. "You're fine," I finally managed to answer, trying to sound as nonchalant as I could. "I just... didn't expect anyone to drop in on me." I regained my composure and realized I didn't have my hatchet on me. My eyes quickly searched the ground for my missing tool and found it laying dangerously close to the zebra. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't risk getting too close to her; there was no telling what she would do when she saw me approaching. The zebra followed my stare to the hatchet near her hooves. She craned her neck down, picked it up with her mouth, and trotted up to me. My body tensed up as the zebra drew closer. My eyes were glued to the grimy blade of the hatchet. What are you standing there for? a voice demanded in my head. It could still be a threat. Move! I took a wary step back, unsure of what to do. The zebra continued with a disarming look in her eyes and came to a stop before me. She didn't make any hostile movements; she simply stood there stretching her neck toward me with the hatchet in her mouth. An awkward second passed before I realized she wanted me to take it. "Um, thanks," I said, gingerly retrieving my hatchet from her mouth. "Thank me you need not," the zebra dismissed with a smile, waving a hoof. "The deed was not a lot. I merely wanted to extend a helping hoof to a friend." She gave me a closer look, and her smile faded into a small frown. "May I ask what made you so sore?" she asked. "To obtain such wounds, you must have had quite a chore." "I had a hard night. Let's just leave it at that," I replied. I lazily swung the hatchet down to my side. "Actually, it would be a good idea if I kept going. I'm kinda busy with... stuff. So, if you'll excuse me." I skirted around the mare and set off in a random direction. My joints moved like rusty gears, grinding and screeching as I moved. I tried to hide my discomfort behind a blank stare. I didn't make it very far before the zebra put herself before me. "Please, this is a most pitiful sight to see. Allow me to assist and come follow me," she implored. "I can offer a remedy for your ails; after which I will send you on your trails." I hesitated. The sound of a remedy was very appealing to my sore body. The zebra appeared sincere about the offer, too. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to have a quick rest before I set off. What if it's a trick? The question seemed to bounce around a few times in my head before the strange voice continued. She's still one of them. She probably knows of last night. She could be leading you into a trap. I shook my head to dispel the foreign thoughts and glanced at the zebra. She seemed legitimately concerned, but my mind was already made. "Thanks for the offer," I said, "but I think I'll live for the moment." I started walking in the other direction, hoping that the zebra would take my word for it. "Besides," I added, "my mother warned me about accepting help from strangers." The zebra jumped in front of me before I had a chance to register it, and I nearly trampled her in my attempt to stop. She gave me a stern look, and I tried to keep my composure. "Now is not the time to be proud," she warned. "Your integrity is hardly sound. There are creatures here that can gobble you with ease, so let me help you, my strange friend. Please." Her expression softened, and I thought I saw genuine worry in her eyes. I sighed and shook my head. "Look, I'm not trying to be rude here, but why do you want to help me? I'm just a stranger to you. I can't give you anything in return." The zebra put on a knowing smile. "I once walked the same road as you; I was scared, alone, and my friends were few. When I first came here, I received many frightened looks, until some ponies decided to open my book. They showed me kindness and asked for nothing in return. To offer the same help to you is all that I yearn." You are more than capable of surviving by yourself. The words seemed to echo louder in my head, and the headache had returned to add to my list of ailments. Where was it coming from? You don't need her help, the voice persisted. She could be toying you, taking advantage of your weakened state. You could be walking right into her trap. My grip tightened on my hatchet. Maybe the voice was right, but who's to say that the zebra wasn't at the village last night? I did recall travelling deep into the forest last night. For all I knew, she could have been from somewhere else, somewhere far from the village where I could rest for a while. The mere thought of it seemed to relax my body. Besides, the zebra did appear genuinely concerned for me. "Alright," I said, hesitantly. "You win. Just lead the way, and I'll be right behind you." Her expression brightened significantly, and without wasting any more time she set off into the nearby foliage. I quickly lumbered after her. My eyesight was still a bit hazy from my abrupt awakening, but it was easy to follow the grey smudge of the zebra through the vibrant greenery. She introduced herself as Zecora, in rhyme of course. Come to think of it, everything she said was like a small poem. It was pretty interesting, and seemed kind of fun, like some sort of game. When I asked where we were going, she explained that she lived alone in the forest. The news damped my earlier hopes of resting, but I tried not to let it get to me. Besides, I was still going to get some time to rest while I was there. And perhaps it might have been better after all if I found shelter by myself; I didn't want to risk another reaction like last night. A low growl interrupted Zecora in mid-sentence. She immediately came to a halt, and her ears perked up as she tried to find the source of the menacing sound. I instinctively put my hand over my stomach, as if doing so would help fill the emptiness that was slowly growing inside. I weakly chuckled. "Sorry about that," I apologized. "It's been a while since I've had a decent meal." Zecora gave me an incredulous look and gave her own half-hearted smile. "My, my. Whether that was a beast or not, I could not tell," she chuckled. "It seems that somepony has a hunger that needs to be quelled." "Don't worry about it," I said. "I'll be fine." My stomach, though, was quick to give its noisy rebuttal. This time the mare couldn't hold back as a small burst of laughter escaped her throat. "I prepared some soup before I left for my morning walk," she explained through a contagious smile. "You may have what is left, and then we can talk." I shook my head in disbelief and exhaled. "Thanks," I said, as a small smile pushed its way up to my lips. "That's really generous of you." My stomach grumbled in agreement. "There's no need for thanks, I have plenty to spare," Zecora said, waving a hoof dismissively. "And fortunately for your stomach, we are almost there." We pushed further through the foliage until a gnarly tree came into view. Various glass bottles hung from some of its knotty branches, and bizarre wooden masks littered the ground surrounding the house. A faint yellow glow radiated from two holes cut out of the tree. I hesitated as Zecora walked through the front door. I was beginning to get second thoughts about following this zebra. You can still run, the voice suggested. It probably wasn't too bad of an idea. After all, I barely knew anything about this mare. She could have been some sort of psychopath. Who knew why she lived in exile in these woods? I took a hesitant step back. Most of my wounds could heal over time, I was sure. It was then that the smell hit me. A sweet aroma wafted from the tree, filling the air around me. It sparked a small inkling of a memory inside of me; one of my mother's homemade chicken and noodle soup that she hadn't made in ages. I wasn't sure if that what was awaiting for me inside, but whatever it was, it nearly had me drooling. My stomach groaned at the thought of being so close to nourishment and seemed to berate me for even thinking of leaving. Zecora popped her head out of the doorway and gave me a quizzical look. "What are you standing there for?" she asked. "Did you know not I had an open door?" I snapped out of my trance and apologized before continuing toward her house. "Come and get it while it is nice and hot," she called as her head disappeared. "Celestia knows I alone cannot eat the whole pot." I carefully ducked through the zebra-sized door. A dull pain racked my nerves. My legs screamed in protest, and my back threatened to stay locked in place. I winced and fought against the urge to collapse onto the floor. I desperately hoped Zecora knew what she was doing. The entire "house" was comprised of one, small circular room. More wooden masks were on the inside. Glass bottles either hung from the ceiling or lined the various shelves. A small bed was stationed in the back, and a cauldron filled with water dominated the center of the room. Near the back rested a pot filled with steaming soup. Zecora trotted around the lone room, examining the bottles as she passed. With each vial she inspected and passed, the more discouraged she seemed. After putting the last bottle down, she grabbed a wooden bowl, scooped some soup from the pot in the back, and brought it to me. I gingerly accepted it and felt the warmth seep through the bowl and into my hands. "Your potion's creation will soon be underway," she explained. "Please relax yourself, and enjoy your stay." She lit a fire underneath the cauldron and began tossing seemingly random ingredients in. I sat myself against the wall a few paces from the door, hoping I wouldn't get in the way, and set my hatchet down next to me. I stared at the bowl in my hands. The soup had a bit of a greenish tint to it. It was hard to tell what was in it, but I could easily tell it wasn't chicken or noodles. It didn't appear as appealing now that I saw it, but it still had me ensnared in its aroma. After realizing I didn't have a spoon, I put the bowl up to my lips and drank it. I nearly choked as the steaming soup burned a trail down my throat, but it was a welcomed sensation. It tasted as if it was made out of some sort of vegetable, but I couldn't tell which one or ones exactly. As soon as I became used to the temperature, I began greedily gulping it down by mouthfuls. When I put the bowl back down, I noticed Zecora staring at me in amusement. "You certainly have quite the appetite," She smiled. "I hope I have enough soup for you. Wouldn't it be a fright?" I gave an apologetic smile and stared at what was rest of my soup. There wasn't very much left, just enough to barely fill the bottom. I began to slowly sip away at it, trying to savor the taste. Zecora returned her attention to the contents of the cauldron, stirring them with a large wooden stick. A sickly green liquid sloshed up the side, making my stomach turn. Was I really supposed to drink that? I rested the bowl in my hands once I was finished and glanced up in time to catch Zecora staring at me in curiosity. Our eyes met for barely a second before she quickly averted her gaze back to her work. "See something interesting?" I asked, eyebrow raised. "Pardon me for staring," she apologized, a mild blush of embarrassment showing on her face. "I just have so many questions for you. But that topic can wait for later." Her eyes darted to my empty bowl. "For now, allow me to feed you some more stew." She trotted up to me and picked up my bowl. I offered my thanks again, and she simply nodded as if it was nothing and went to fill it back up. An odd scent wafted from the middle of the room. The fire underneath the cauldron seemed to be put out a while ago, but the liquid inside was still steaming. When Zecora returned the newly filled bowl to me, she retrieved an empty vial nearby and dipped it into the cauldron. "Take this potion and you shall be healed within the hour," Zecora explained as she handed it to me. "I must warn you, however, it will be quite sour. Before you take it, though, you might wish to wait a while. While it is still warm, the potion will taste quite vile." I was about to give her a proper thanks until an erratic knocking at the door cut me off. "Zecora? Are you home?" a familiar voice called. A chill went up my spine at the sound. The door glowed in an odd purple color and swung wide open. "Oh, thank Celestia you're here!" The purple unicorn from last night trotted into the room, having an urgent air around her. "There was a strange creature that invaded Ponyville last night. We couldn't tell what it was, but we were hoping you might be able to help us. When I saw it run into the forest, I figured it would be a long shot, but —" Twilight cut herself off with a gasp the moment she saw me. We all stood there like that for a moment: Twilight staring at me in disbelief, Zecora looking between us in confusion, and myself paralyzed in shock, trying desperately to convince my legs to run. Twilight's face morphed into a scowl. She craned her neck down, and her horn began to glow. I wasn't about to wait for her to perform another one of her tricks. In one fluid motion, I pocketed the vial and sprang up to my feet. She didn't have enough time to react as I quickly covered the distance between us and threw the still-steaming contents of my bowl into her face at point-blank range. She let out a pained yelp as her concentration broke, causing her horn's glow to fade away. While she was busy rubbing the stew out of her eyes, I darted for the front door. It would have been a clean escape, too, if it hadn't been for the four mares in the doorway. They tried to scramble away when they saw me hurtling towards them. Most of them succeeded, too, save for one: a yellow pegasus with wide eyes and an uneven haircut. She stood there with an expression of absolute horror as I advanced. Out of horrible coincidence, I stumbled over a root jutting out of the earth and fell directly on top of her. We collapsed onto the ground together with most of my weight pinning her down. Our foreheads connected painfully, sending us both into a daze. "The monster's going to gobble up Fluttershy!" the pink pony shrieked. "Not on my watch!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. I heard the rush of wings behind me as something clamped onto my jacket and launched me skyward. Out of instinct, I grabbed the nearest thing to me in hopes of staying rooted to the ground. Unfortunately, at the time, the nearest thing was Fluttershy. The world shrank beneath us as we ascended higher and higher. The sudden rush of vertigo threatened to bring the stew back up. I could already taste the acidic bile forming in the back of my throat. As we came to a stop, I felt as if I was literally hanging on by a tread as the jacket stretched against the weight it was never meant to carry. I still had a death grip on Fluttershy's forelegs, who gave me a look of terror with eyes the size of pinpricks. I shot a glance upwards to discover Rainbow Dash wildly flapping to keep us in the air, my jacket clenched in her strained jaw. A moment of dread washed over me at the sheer height I was dangling from. Already I was getting mental pictures of a splattered mess of blood, bones, and clothes on the forest floor. My eyes shot to the horizon, trying to get the image out of my mind, until something caught my eye. Off in the distance, a lone structure broke through the vast forest canopy. It appeared to be a tower, a strange beacon that seemed to call out to me. I could feel it beckoning me, as if it promised to harbor me from this mad world. A safe haven, the voice chimed in. Find a way down and go to it. "Et oh uv Vudderhi!" The muffled shout jerked me back into reality. I glanced up again to see Rainbow Dash glaring down upon me. A small idea formed in my head. "What did you say?" I asked, trying to feign confusion. "I hed, et oh uv Vudderhi!" she repeated, voice rising with temper. "I can't understand you with that jacket in your mouth," I shouted. Of course, I did know what she was trying to say; I was just hoping that she would fall for it. Rainbow spit my jacket out of her mouth. "I said—" The rest of her sentence was lost in the wind as Fluttershy and I entered free fall. The deafening wind whipped around me. The canopy was quickly coming up to meet us. It was time for the next phase of my plan. I looked ahead of me where the yellow pegasus fell, wings still pinned to her sides. "What are you waiting for?" I shouted. "Start flying!" She gave me a frightened look and whispered something inaudible with the wind. "Speak up!" I hollered. "I can't hear you." "I can't!" Fluttershy shouted in desperation. My body froze as terror began to seize hold of my heart. This wasn't good. If she didn't start flying, then we would hit the ground at full force. A shudder ran through my system as I recalled the disturbing mental image from before. "Look," I tried. "If you don't start trying, then we're about to be nothing more than a splatter mark on the dirt." It seemed to be the motivation she needed to hear. With a newfound energy, Fluttershy began flapping her wings like mad trying to sustain our elevation. The ground was still approaching too fast. At this rate, we would be lucky to die with our insides still inside. "Come on, you can do it," I muttered under my breath. "Just a little bit more." We were approaching the canopy at an angle. It would only be a few more seconds until we hit it. Our descent was slower, but only barely. I closed my eyes before we hit the trees. This was going to get rough. I lost my grip on my falling companion as the branches swatted us this way and that. A vine caught itself around my leg, causing me to flip forward and bash my wounded knee against the tree. I felt a painful pop in my right ankle where the vine was ensnared. Something came loose, and I was sent falling again. Leaves and thorns cut at any exposed skin. A branch sprouted out of nowhere and rammed into my stomach. I hung there breathless for a moment before the weight of my legs pulled me backwards. I reached my hand out to grab something, anything that would put an end to this painful descent. A vine found its way into my hand, and I clamped my fingers around it for dear life, giving me a rope burn as I slowly slid down. The ground was only a small drop away now. I released my grip and landed feet-first, only to crumple into a heap as the pain from new and old injuries attacked my brain. My vision was fading in and out. There was a loud snap somewhere above me. My eyes flickered up in time to see the form of the yellow pegasus falling from the trees. My eyes struggled to make out the horrid scene before me. Cuts and bruises covered her body, and her wings were splayed in an unholy manner. She let out a sharp exhale when her delicate frame hit the unforgiving earth. The world was silent. Too silent. I couldn't tell if the pegasus was moving or not. I managed to prop myself up on my elbows to get a better look at her, and my broken body was quick to protest. Her scraped back was facing me, rising and falling in sync with her ragged breathing. I let out a sigh of relief; she was still alive. I struggled to get up, but the moment I put pressure on my right foot I collapsed with an inhuman yelp. A sharp throbbing pulsed inside my ankle. A frustrated growl emerged from my throat. I was in no condition to move. And neither was the pegasus, from the looks of it. We were stuck here to rot without any help. I shifted myself into a sitting position and rested against a nearby tree. "Well, isn't this just perfect," I grumbled. As if on cue, a mysterious vial fell out of my pocket and on the ground, its contents sloshing around inside it. I stared at it confusedly before my brain finally clicked in. It was the potion Zecora had made! I snatched it up off the ground and studied it. There probably wasn't much of the potion inside, only just a few mouthfuls. If what Zecora said was true, though, that wouldn't matter. I ripped off the cork lid and stared at the green liquid inside. "Well, this is it," I muttered, hesitantly putting it up to my lips. "Here goes nothing." I poured some of the potion into my mouth and nearly retched the moment it touched my tongue. Zecora wasn't lying when she said it was sour. I was having a hard time finding the will to not spit it out. I leaned back and stared in awe as the potion worked its magic. Cuts and wounds began closing themselves up. Bruises started disappearing. My broken foot seemed to pop itself back into place. I glanced at my left hand to see that the charred skin was falling off and being replaced by a new, rapidly growing layer of skin. After a while had passed, I was back on my feet again, feeling fully recovered. Incredible. There wasn't a better word to describe what I had just witnessed. It was impossible, and yet the facts were staring at me in the face. A weak groan brought me back into reality. I stared over my shoulder where Fluttershy lay. Leave her, the voice said. Helping her will only slow you down. Let her friends come to her aid. You have no reason to aid her. It was wrong, though. I was the reason she was here right now, the reason she was even in this state. I couldn't leave just yet; I had to help her. I rushed up to her side. Her condition was much worse than I originally thought. There was a large gash in her side that was spilling blood everywhere. It was getting harder and harder for her to breathe. "It's going to be alright," I whispered. "Just hang in there." I sat down beside her and propped her head up on my lap. My fingers accidentally brushed up against her wound as I shifted her, and her breathing became sharper. "It's okay," I cooed. "Everything is going to be okay." I opened Fluttershy's mouth and started pouring some of the contents in her mouth. The little pegasus coughed, probably not expecting to be assaulted with a sour flavor. A small dribble leaked out of the corner of her mouth. "Now, now," I whispered as I tried to wipe it off, "you need to drink your medicine. How else are you going to feel better?" She silently obliged. Once I figured I had given her enough, I put the potion back in my pocket and watched the scene as her wounds began mending. Her feathers and wings rearranged themselves. The gash ceased bleeding and began to slowly close. Her mane even grew back to what I assumed was its original shape. A distant voice echoed throughout the forest, but I didn't catch what it said. I strained my ears in case it called out again, and, sure enough, the voice cried out again. "Fluttershy!" The others were getting closer. I glanced back down at the pegasus in my lap. They wouldn't be able to find her if I left her here. I would have to leave her on the path somewhere. It might be risky, but if I was quick enough I should be able to drop her off and then split before her friends showed up. Her body was still healing, but I doubted that would be too much of a problem. I slithered my arms underneath her body and lifted her up. She wasn't as heavy as I gave her credit for, roughly the same weight as a dog about her size. Surprisingly, she was still fast asleep, too. Her injuries must have knocked her out cold. I forced my way through the thick greenery that surrounded us, shielding the sleeping pegasus as best as I could. We weren't too far away from the path when we emerged. The callings were getting much closer now. It wouldn't be too long before they got here. I quickly jogged into the path and stowed her next to a tree where her friends could easily find her. I lingered behind the tree until I saw Twilight's purple coat emerge from the trees before leaving. Thoughts of the tower consumed my mind. I needed to find a way there. Right now, it was my best bet to find shelter. Once I was there, I could relax and think things through. But first, I needed to take a small detour. Thankfully, the trek was uneventful. Even though the fall had disoriented me, I knew the general location of the hut. Pretty soon I caught sight of one of the colorful wooden masks that marked her house. The door was left wide open. Not a pony or zebra was in sight. I peeked my head in. It was exactly the same as when I had left. I retrieved my hatchet from the floor where I left it and refilled the vial with the medicine in the cauldron; there was no telling when I would need something like that again. I grabbed a string and fastened the vial to the belt loop of my pants and was about to walk out of the door when the wooden bowl caught my eye. There was still a little bit of stew left inside of it. I gingerly picked up the bowl and tried to savor the taste as I drank what was left of it, knowing that it was probably going to be the last decent morsel of food I would have in a long while. I exited Zecora's tree and headed off in the general direction of the stone fortress. I was careful to avoid any paths or trails along the way; the last thing I wanted was another run in with the ponies. I couldn't tell how long I was walking; it could've been anywhere from a few minutes to half of an hour. I was beginning to worry that I had gotten off course. I quickly dispelled those thoughts though. Nothing good would come from that sort of thinking at the moment. As I trekked deeper and deeper into the trees, the faint sound of roaring water grew louder and louder. I desperately pleaded that it was purely just a coincidence. Unfortunately, all hope was shattered as a wide river took the place of the trees. Not a single bridge, natural or built, could be seen in either direction. I sighed as I realized that crossing it would be inevitable if I wanted to reach my sanctuary. I hesitantly put a foot in the river, cringing as cool water seeped into my shoe and drenched my sock. With each step I made further into the river, the higher the water crawled up my legs. Not even a quarter of the way across and I was already soaked up to the stomach. At one point, I had to put the hatchet's wooden handle in my mouth so I could swim more efficiently. Needless to say, I was completely drenched as I emerged from the other side. I tried my best to wring out my clothes before carrying on. After a few more minutes of walking, a stone wall emerged between some of the branches and vines. I couldn't believe my luck. I made it! My safety was just beyond the trees ahead of me. I jogged into a clearing of the trees and caught my first whole glimpse of the colossal stone structure. It was in ruins. Glass fragments and gaping holes dominated the space where windows should have been. Chunks of walls were missing everywhere, along with most of the roof. I could spot a handful of spires, but even they appeared to be as skeletal as the rest of the castle, showing their internal parts. The two large wooden doors at the entrance seemed perfectly fine, though. Still, this shelter was better than no shelter, and the only thing keeping me from it was a rickety, wooden bridge. I put my foot on the first plank, cringing as it groaned beneath my weight. The next step wasn't as bad, but I knew there were plenty more ahead of me before I reached my destination. I made the mistake to cast a glance below the bridge. A thick fog obstructed my view of the bottom of the chasm, making it appear as if it went on for an eternity. I gripped the rope support beams for dear life, knowing the next step could very well be my last. Thankfully, the bridge was sturdier that it made itself out to be in the end. I opened the heavy doors of the castle and took in my surroundings. The ceiling in the first room was completely gone as well as most of the windows. Plant life sprouted here and there through cracks scattered across the walls. Near what was left of the back wall rested a moss covered sphere on a pedestal. Five smaller platforms branched out underneath it. It had a sacred air about it, as if it once held a great treasure that had disappeared. My eyelids were getting heavy, and I stifled a yawn. Looking up through the hole where the ceiling was, I saw that it was barely noon, not that it helped my drowsiness whatsoever. Through one of the shattered windows I thought I could see the spire I had spotted earlier. It seemed mostly whole, at least more whole than any of the others, and it seemed as good of a place as any to get some rest. After finding my way through the maze of corridors, I found the stairway that led up to the top. I was pleased to find that the room was much more whole than the rest of the building. Glass covered most of the windows. There was much less plant life covering the stone room. Best of all, the ceiling in here was still intact. A throne sat on a raised platform in the back. It was missing a few chunks here and there, but it was whole where it counted. I was careful to avoid the shards of blue armor that littered the base as I drew closer to it. The throne was cushioned, much to my enjoyment. I placed my hatchet and the sour elixir next to the base of my seat. I heaved a sigh that I've unknowingly held all day. There I sat; alone in a strange new world. No one to talk to. No one to guide me. No one to take command and let me follow. I was completely alone. A hole began to grow in my chest and was quickly filled with fear and grief. I doubled over, pressing my hands against my chest in hopes of repressing the pain. A few choked sobs managed to escape my throat. I screwed my eyes shut as a few tears burned their trails down my cheeks. I was never this alone in my life. The very concept of my condition scared me. What was I supposed to do? How would I survive? Where would I get my food? Hunt for your food. My sobs were instantly cut off. I slowly raised my head and stared at the room before me, the large, empty room. I was all alone, and yet I could hear that strange and familiar voice echoing in my head clear as day. I sniffed. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad of an idea. Hunting wasn't exactly my forte, but I was sure I could work something out if I got enough time. I would need an alternative plan, though. It would take some time before I got used to hunting for my food, and I doubted Zecora would help me after what occurred this morning. Steal from the ponies, the voice pitched in. They are sure to have plenty. I was reluctant to go anywhere near "Ponyville" again, but the more I thought of it, the better it sounded. I had a good generalization of where the marketplace was in the town, and I thought I saw a barn when I was wandering through it. If I could find a way to access those easily, I would be set for a decent time. I wasn't about to go out in broad daylight, though. No, that would just be suicidal. It would be best if I went under the cover of the night. A feeling of satisfaction washed over me. I now had a plan, more or less, and the means to do it. All I needed now was rest. It was beginning to get harder to keep my eyes open. I would take a quick nap until night and then get to work. It didn't take too long before drowsiness subdued my roaming mind. I had just enough brainpower to utter one last word. "Goodnight." But of course, my only answer was silence.