//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Impressions // Story: Lost and Fallen // by Superdale33 //------------------------------// Lost and Fallen Chapter 3: Impressions The first thing I felt as I slowly woke up was prodding from my side. It was steady, and a bit rhythmic, but it was also annoying, seeing as I was still tired. I ignored it for a time, hoping that whoever was poking me would just leave me alone. My prediction didn’t come true, however, as the prodding continued for a few more minutes. “What?” I eventually asked roughly and sleepily, refusing to open my eyes. “Are ya goin’ to get up or what?” Applejack’s voice rang in my head, forcing me to give a sigh. I half wished that everything that had happened was just a dream, but reality proved me wrong. I sat up in bed, shivering slightly as a wave of cold washed over me from the lack of blankets. My mouth was dry, not having drank anything for nearly two days. Looking over the room, I could see Rose, Lucky Clover, and Goldengrape getting out of their beds and giving me nervous glances. “I don’t really see a reason to get out of bed,” I responded to Applejack’s question bitterly, rubbing my forehead. Applejack rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath. “Listen here, Nolan,” she said, anger dripping in her tone, “I gave ya a place ta sleep, now I want ya ta clear out before Jordan finds ya.” “He’s dead, Applejack,” I reminded, shaking my head. “And I’m supposed ta take your word for it?” she exclaimed, glaring at me with those piercing emerald eyes. “I appreciate you getting my stuff back, but I still don’t trust ya.” I couldn’t believe she was bringing this up right after I had woken up. I was still groggy from the day before, and though the rest was pleasant, I still felt sore. What really ticked me off is that she still didn’t trust me, after what I did for her. I retrieved her belongings just so I could gain her trust and get my answers. Though the latter was met, the former was still to come, if it ever did. I didn’t bother arguing with Applejack, and reluctantly slid out of bed, my body already wishing it was back on it. I gathered my weapons and apparel, slipping on my headgear and combat vest, and made sure I had everything. “Hurry it up, Nolan,” Applejack called from the other side of the room, next to the door. “I want ya out of here.” No plan, no way home, and no place to stay; I was still stuck on these three problems. What was I supposed to do? Where was I supposed to go? I growled to myself as these questions, along with others I had yet to find the answers to, rattled around in my brain. I was about to head for the door, when three knocks resonated from it. “Open up, ponies,” someone bellowed from the other side, “We have important business with you.” All the ponies faced me with wide eyes, as if the revelation that I had actually killed other humans had sunk in. I would have boasted that I was right, if I wasn’t a bit frightened myself. Did they find out I was here? If so, then how? Thinking fast, I went prone, and crawled under the bed. Once I was hidden, one of the ponies opened the door. “H-Hello, sirs,” Rose stuttered, and I assumed she was the one who opened it. “Look, pony,” a man said venomously, “We’re looking for a man who killed Mayor Jordan and three others yesterday. He looks like this.” I was pretty sure I had killed five men, but that they had a picture of me was what surprised me. If they had one, they could post it up all over town, and I would have no chance of settling down. Some hole I had dug for myself. “We haven’t seen a man like that, sir,” I heard Lucky Clover say. I didn’t expect the ponies to cover me. Perhaps they had seen I wasn’t like the others. “Really?” one of the men drawled, “Anybody else?” The man's tone sounded like he wasn't buying their lies, but his next question caught me off guard. "What about you, apple pony?" the man asked, causing me to become confused. It was obviously Applejack, but why did he inquire to her specifically? She must had done something to raise suspicion or something. Awkwardly, I shuffled under the bed, getting a good look at the scene - I again thanked the stars that my clothing was black. Two men - one wearing a baseball cap while the other was bald - were in the doorframe, showing a picture of me. Well, a picture with my headgear on, anyway. They had their eyes on Applejack, who was sweating profusely and avoiding eye contact. “I-I haven’t seen nopony,” she answered, facing away entirely. Why was it so hard for Applejack to give an excuse? All she had to do was tell a small lie. “And where did you get Jordan’s hat?” the bald man inquired harshly, swiping the hat from her head. “That ain't Jordan’s!” she exclaimed, trying to grab it back with one of her hooves, but the man held it up out of her reach. “It’s mine!” “Nice try, ya stupid pony,” he teased, giving a smile that I wished I could shove my fist into. “Now tell us, where did you get this?” Applejack stopped her struggles to retrieve her hat, and backed down apprehensively. I knew I would have to act eventually, and slowly crawled out under the bed, staying as silent and hidden as possible. “I-I... well, y-you see...” Applejack stammered, sweeping her eyes over the room rapidly. “I know you’re lying, pony,” the bald man hissed, getting into her face, “Now tell me! Where. Is. This. Man!?” Applejack was stuttering like crazy, shifting her eyes around and taking a few steps back. At that point, I was out from under the bed entirely, crouching low as I observed with restrained anger. The other man, seeing to have had enough, slapped her across the face, sending her to the floor with a short whine. “Applejack!” Rose cried, and was about to help her friend up, before the hat-wearing man brought out his revolver and pointed it at her. Rose yelped and jumped back in fright, shaking. I almost jumped out at that point, but I had to stay hidden. More bodies would only cause more discord then I needed. So I silently hoped that they would just go away and leave the poor ponies alone. Applejack, looking disoriented with her breathing becoming slightly forced, glanced back up at the man, who stood up straight superiorly. “Alright, bitch, if you won’t tell us, I guess there's no use for you,” the bald man chuckled darkly, grinning like a madman. Applejack was pushing herself away with her hooves, shaking her head. The bald man gave a few laughs, then grabbed her legs and brought her back to him as he unholstered his revolver. “Hold still,” the man said, “I don’t like it when they struggle.” For the second time in twenty-four hours, I snapped, rage boiling inside of me. I drew my revolver, Vera, and sprang up to a stand, aiming for the man who was looming over Applejack. I pulled the trigger, hitting his head and leaving behind a huge hole in it, and he slumped to the floor. The hat-wearing man moved his gun to aim at me, but I was already ahead of him, and I shot a bullet at him. I only got him in the shoulder, but it was enough for him to fall to the floor, screaming in pain as he dropped his own weapon. Applejack scrambled to her hooves, grabbing her hat in her mouth as she backed away quickly with her eyes wide. The other ponies were speechless, pressing themselves against the wall to get as far away as they could from the bloody bodies. I lowered my hands, controlling my breathing as I relaxed. I was a bit amazed that my shoulder wasn’t sore or in pain. I walked over to the hat-wearing man I maimed, bearing down on him and giving the cold stare of my goggles. “You’re the bastard who killed Jordan, ain’tcha?” the man hissed, clutching his shoulder and groaning from the pain. “You said that I killed four people, but I know I killed five,” I said, not moving a muscle, “Who survived?” “I ain’t telling you shit!” the man shouted, sneering at me. I lightly picked up my foot, and pressed it against the man’s wound, and he screamed in pain. I knew how to get answers the old fashioned way, but had held off earlier. I didn't like doing it to begin with. “How about now?” I asked in a mocking way. “Fuck! Fine!” he gave in, but I kept the pressure on, in case he was bluffing. “Grayson was in critical condition, but he’s alive! Goddamn it!” I stepped off, and the man breathed hard, closing his eyes tight in pain. The man who ‘owned’ Carrot Top was still alive. The mercy I showed him allowed him to survive, and I doubt he wouldn't take my actions lightly. “Thanks for the info,” I said before stomping him in the head; He went out like a light. I holstered my revolver and looked over at the picture of myself that had been dropped by the bald man. I bent down, picked it up, and examined it. Upon closer inspection, I saw it was a Wanted poster. Wanted Dead or Alive 500 bits Last seen in Ponyville I couldn’t help but notice that my bounty had jumped up a couple hundred bits, which I guessed was the currency here. Killing the mayor and a few other people would do that. The picture was hand drawn, probably by an artist who got witness accounts. It was fairly accurate, though it only had my mask and such; no face. “Ya saved me,” a breathless voice said, and I lowered the poster to see that it was Applejack. She was sitting on her haunches with her hat back on her head, staring at me like I had done a double back flip. I gave a simple nod to her revelation, and rolled up the poster and slipped it into my pocket. Might as well keep a copy. “I can’t stay in Ponyville anymore,” I informed the group, but they didn’t react to my words. “You all should get out of town, they’ll think you’re my associates.” Still nothing, their mouths open in utter shock at the growing pool of blood. I ground my teeth irritably, and I said louder, “That means now.” That shook them out of their stunned silence, and they cleared out, stepping over the bodies with grimacing looks. I remained where I stood, contemplating my next move. Escaping the authorities would only get me so far, and I didn't have any idea where another settlement could be. I had no supplies either, so I had to get food and water before I could leave. With a hollow plan set, I briskly made for the exit, but then a thought struck me. If I was going to be a wanted man, I would need more ammunition than I had. I only had about fifty-two rounds for my shotgun, not counting what I had used already. My revolver, however, had only a few shots before It would be worthless. I looked over the bodies of the two men I had killed, or more specifically, their revolvers. They seriously couldn’t be using the same type of bullets my revolver used, could they? Crouching down, I retrieved one of the fallen’s revolvers, and swung the cylinder open to check. I turned the weapon around and allowed the bullets to slide out onto my open palm. After tossing the revolver aside, I then picked a bullet up and looked on the underside of the cartridge for the head-stamp, which would tell me if it can be used for my revolver. I was quite surprised; they were the same caliber. My prayers answered, I gathered as much .44 Magnum revolver ammunition as I could carry, and I also reloaded my revolver. How was it that this world had very expensive ammo for a revolver like this? It was probably one of those mysteries that would never be solved. With the bullets bulging in the pouches on my vest, I stepped out of the house, feeling a lot more powerful. Applejack was standing right in front of the door, eyes to the ground pitifully. I raised a brow; I thought she would’ve been long gone by now like the rest, or at least get as far away from me as possible. Yet here she was, playing with the dirt as she gave quick glances at me with a sorry expression. I made to ask why she was here, but she spoke before I could utter a word. “I’m still not sure I can trust ya,” she admitted, “but I reckon I owe ya big time.” “Great,” I said with sarcasm, “now I can die happy.” She stopped pouting to give me a glare I was becoming all too familiar with. “I’m tryin’ to help ya here,” she pointed out, shaking a hoof at me. “I thought I was stupid to ask questions that I should already know the answers to,” I snapped, crossing my arms. I shouldn’t have been that aggressive to her, seeing as she was going to do something instead of simply answer my questions, but I wanted a bit of payback. “Do you want my help or not?” she finished, her eyes narrowed. I gave a sigh, not the type that meant one had given in, but the relieving kind; I would finally get somewhere. “That’s all I ever asked,” I said, walking by her. “So what did you have in mind?” Stopping a few feet away from her, I examined the area for any more threats as she spoke, “I can take ya ta... Twilight.” That got my attention instantly as I swiveled to face her. Twilight was one of her friends, as I recall, and got really defensive what I inquired where she was. Applejack wanting to talk about her must mean she trusts me a bit more. Still, I was a bit miffed that I had to save her from being killed for her to come around. I wondered why she wanted to go to Twilight, considering how important she was, but I didn't bother asking. “I know where she’s at,” Applejack continued, trotting up to my side while looking up at me, “And I think she can take ya back to that world ya claim to be from.” Rubbing my chin, I contemplated if it was worth going after this pony. Who was I kidding. I had nothing to do to begin with, so her plan was the only real option. “If we’re going to leave, we’re going to need supplies,” I explained, a hint that I would accept her offer. “I’ll get some apples, you get some water,” she instructed. Figuring I could find some canteens, I nodded at her orders and made my way to Jordan’s house while Applejack headed for the orchard. {~+~} Finding some canteens was one thing, but filling them was another. Though there was a stream not to far away, I was worried that I would get spotted by a passerby. I already had enough publicity as it was, and I'd rather not be chased again. I was about to head for the stream anyway, to test my luck, but before I did that, I learned that the household had running water. The technology I had seen so far in this land made me think that it hadn't grown much. Having indoor plumbing, however, changed that theory. Did they advance in some areas and falter in others? I remember a few civilizations going through the same process, but this place was so miss matched that I it was hard to predict. Putting it behind me, I stepped out of the house with three canteens full of water in my hands, quenching my thirst as well. I would need a backpack or something to hold any of the supplies Applejack and I would gather, but I hadn't seen one at all. As if the universe was reading my thoughts, Applejack walked over to me from around the corner of the house, probably from the single-story building, while carrying some sort of saddle bag strapped to her side. It was apple green, with her cutie mark as the buckle. “Ready to go, partner?” she asked in a neutral tone. Her expression was determined, that much I could tell, but there was something else. Something different. It could have been her refusal to really trust me, or just my imagination. “Not quite,” I answered, lowering myself to a knee, presenting the canteens in my hands, “I need a bag to put our water in.” “Just put ‘em in here,” she said, turning to the side to show her saddle bag. I was about to argue that it wasn't fair, but I didn’t want to start a full blown argument again. Opening up the siding, I dropped the canteens inside, noticing the apples that she had gathered. With that action, I knew we were ready for our trip. “So where to, AJ?” I inquired, standing to full height as I threw a nickname out of the blue. She didn't take it so well, whipping her head at me, glaring at me yet again. “Only my friends and family call me AJ,” she informed me, trotting towards a direction. Sighing, I followed along. It would be a long walk. {~+~} Hours went by like the wind, the cloudless sky still as brilliant as ever. The yellow grass almost shining in the sun, with the sky glowing slightly because of it. Plains went as far as the eye could see, with hills adding to the sight. I thought it was marvelous - living in the city most of my life, I never got the luxury of seeing nature at its finest. Applejack, on the other hand, behaved as if the scenery was evil. I didn't bother asking about it, she’d probably blame me or something along those lines. Strangely enough, she brought up the topic herself. “The land wasn't always like this,” she announced somberly, keeping her gaze ahead. “It used to be green, but the Pegasi don’t give rain no more.” I was half listening when she spoke, but a few seconds later, I jerked my head back. “Wait, Pegasi?” Giving an irritated sigh, she shook her head, and kept talking. Maybe I could find out what she meant later. There were Griffins around, so Pegasi weren't completely impossible. “There hasn't been a drop a' water in these here lands for a while. Just up in the mountains where the humans ain't at.” That was a puzzling statement. Why would the weather choose where to rain? It didn't have a mind of its own. Even in this world of fantasy, that would be absolutely ridiculous. And why does the weather avoid humans? God, I wished I wasn't so in the dark. Perpetual silence reigned over us as we continued our trek, the sight of Ponyville long gone. With my thirst and hunger satisfied, I was becoming increasingly bored. The beautiful landscape could only quench my boredom for so long. “So...” I started, seeing if she would cut me off. “Can you answer my question about those tattoos on your flank?” Halting in her tracks, she turned to face me, making sure I was serious. I still had my mask on, so it was a bit awkward for her to stare at me. Complying to my request, she turned so her flank was easily in view, and she explained. “Our Cutie Mark shows us ponies what our special talent is,” she said, her tone somewhat happy, but her face said otherwise. “I’m good with apples, as ya can see.” I rubbed my chin, thinking about what she said, “Rose’s ‘Cutie Mark’ is a rose. So is she good with... roses?” I was grasping at straws here, and my mind was still reeling over the title being ‘Cutie Mark’. Applejack nodded, and I said, “And these marks just... appear?” “When the time is right,” Applejack said with an indifferent expression. She turned back around, moving on with our journey. I played with my helmet a bit, absorbing this information. Almost everything that had to do with the ponies themselves was not influenced by humanity. It was strange to think it was natural and normal. “Shake a leg, Nolan, we’re almost there,” Applejack called from the top of a small hill before climbing down the other side. At that, my heart gave a skip. Getting to Twilight would be the first step to getting out of this bizarre place and back to the world where everything made sense. I gave a slight grunt, realizing that Applejack had stopped calling me by my species name. Perhaps she had moved on from it. As I climbed the hill that Applejack disappeared over, I wondered what I would find. Would it be a lone house on the prairie, or a small run-down shack? I even thought up a bunker, but tossed that idea to the side with an inward chuckle. That wouldn't be practical. At the top of the hill, my jaw nearly dropped. it was a bunker. It looked like one of those old military bunkers, partly in the ground and camouflaged to avoid detection and such. Cold concrete surrounded a wooden door that felt way out of place - it didn't look like it could survive a nuclear bomb.\ Still, this must have been the place, as Applejack was walking towards it. Picking up the pace, I ran down the hill, astounded that we had reached our destination. The thought of going anywhere in this world made me jittery in nervousness; a completely different world, in terms of geography, was a bit worrying. I arrived at the bottom of the hill to a small flat area in front of the bunker, and it was at that moment that something burst from the ground. It knocked me back, spewing dirt everywhere, and I landed on my head. Though my helmet had taken most of impact, it still hurt quite a bit. Groaning, I stumbled to my feet, my sight foggy from the landing. “Nolan! Duck!” Applejack screamed, her voice desperate. I did so without hesitation, as it wouldn’t be right to ignore her at this point in time. Lucky I did, too, as something flew through the air above me, casting a long shadow. It retracted itself, and when my vision cleared, I looked up to see what we were facing. It was a thin purple tendril, of all things. The material that made it up was unfamiliar to me, though it shouldn’t have been too surprising, considering the circumstances. It had a strange twinkling effect, and was transparent! I could see Applejack waving her hooves in the air at me through it. “Watch it, Nolan!” she shouted, and I focused my eyes at the large tendril that towered over me. It was about to slam down on top of me, but I jumped out of the way, meeting the ground with a curse. I scrambled to my feet as the tendril did the same maneuver, but I jumped to the side again, this time drawing my revolver. Taking a few shots at it, I learned that it was ineffective, as the bullets flew right through it. I gripped my revolver tightly in my right hand as my inner rage was growing again; I hate it when the enemy fights unfairly. It may seem dumb to think that all enemies will fight honorably - being a cop, I should know this - but my inner being can’t help but turn furious at the prospect at being at a disadvantage. “Son of a-” I hissed, but didn’t have the chance to mutter my profanity as the tendril slammed by my side. I had to come up with a way to take this thing down, or find a way to get in the bunker, whichever worked. Putting away my revolver, I leapt out of the way yet again, barely getting out of the way as the tendril attempted a fourth strike. I was backing away from the tendril as it thrashed around, seeming to grow angry. If I could put some distance between me and it, then Applejack could slip in and get help. That’s when Applejack slid to my side, facing the tendril with a hard face. “What the hell are you doing!?” I hissed, warily watching the tendril for its next move. “Well I can’t just let someone who helped me die now can I?” she retorted smugly, a smirk flashing across her face for a brief moment. “You’re going to get yourself killed,” I muttered, shaking my head. I appreciated her assistance, for whatever it was worth, but I suppose I didn’t want to see her hurt. Then she did something inconceivably stupid. She charged straight for the tendril, swiveled her body to face away from it, and bucked it. Obviously, her hooves passed right through it, and because of that, she lost her balance and fell on her stomach. She went to get up, but I could see that the tendril wasn't going to give her a break. “Applejack! Get out of the way!” I shouted, waving an arm for emphasis. She wouldn’t respond, or maybe she couldn’t hear me, but the tendril had already smacked her away, sending her away with an audible grunt of pain. She landed a few yards away, rolling to a stop. I rushed to her side, noticing with relief that she was still alive. “Goddamn fool,” I muttered as I looked her over, but it was only half hearted as she was barely awake. “You’re going to get us both killed.” I looked back at the tendril and saw it was preparing for another attack, as it seemed it was going to charge forward to stab us like a shish kebab. “Shit,” I cursed, not daring to face away from the tendril, “We gotta move.” Applejack didn’t reply, and attempted to get up. She was succeeding in that respect, but her current speed wouldn’t be enough. The tendril surged forward, its intent to gore was evident. I blinked at how fast it was going; we wouldn’t get out of the way in time. Desperately, I picked up the struggling Applejack, and tossed her away, just as the tendril slashed through my back. I’ve been shot more times than I could count, but never had I been stabbed through the back of my left shoulder and out the front. I would’ve screamed in pain, maybe even whimper a bit, but the sheer shock of it all was enough to silence me, and when the tendril retracted, I could feel the air stinging the gaping hole it left. It probably didn’t look pretty either. After that, everything was a blur, as far as I could tell. Applejack was yelling at the bunker, and another pony was standing there. It looked like it was purple, but I couldn’t tell as everything became fused together in my vision. My wobbling got the better of me as I knelt down and fell on my stomach, unconscious from the loss of blood. {~+~} “Nolan...” an angelic female voice called out in the darkness. I opened my eyes, but it made no difference through the dark void. I had heard that voice before, but I thought the owner was long gone. I moved my body, but it was like moving through a thick substance - almost pointless and difficult. “Come Nolan...” the voice said, and a bright light illuminated my surroundings, causing me to flinch as I covered my eyes with my arms. When I looked back, I saw endless white, and my lone body floating. I was still wearing my outfit, but my weapons were all but gone. “Over here,” the voice deadpanned, and I span around so quickly I could’ve broken my neck. It was... something; it was a shade darker than the environment, so it was impossible to see any details. From the looks of it, it was a woman - slender with long hair. The more I looked at her, and the more I analyzed her voice, I began to put the pieces together, until my heart nearly stopped. “Emma...” I whispered, relaxing my frame. It couldn’t be her, she died years ago. This was either a dream, or I was really killed by that tendril, and I’m in the afterlife. I reached out my hand, my disbelief slowly disappearing as I stared at her. I wanted to hold her again, to comfort her, to tell her I was sorry... That’s when gravity took hold, and I plummeted from view as Emma remained where she was, giving me a blank gaze as I fell. The area was becoming black again, and I was enveloped in the growing darkness. I couldn’t stop as I gave one last cry, one so loud that I might’ve been able to shatter glass. “Emma!” {~+~} I sprung up in the bed I was laying on, shouting the name as if I was still in the dream. That’s when my senses kicked back in, and I gasped in pain from my left shoulder, clutching it. I was wearing nothing but my boxers, and covered in cold sweat. I was out of breath as well, taking large gasps of air. I’ve never experienced a dream so vividly, not even when I first lost her. Shaking the memory out before I got all emotional, I gave a gander at where I was. First off, I was in a comfy bed, with a warm quilt blanket that was light purple with a strange pink, six-pointed star, surrounded by five smaller white stars on the cover. My left shoulder, forearms, and right elbow were bandaged up -  the first more heavily than the rest. The room I was in was homey, with a fireplace and an azure carpet. There were more details in the room, but a knock brought my attention over to the door on my left. I was a bit reluctant to open the door, considering my luck with knocking doors so far, but since I wasn’t chained up or dead, I must not have been captured by humans. “Come in,” I said hoarsely, the dream still flashing through my mind. The wooden door opened just enough for a head to poke through, and one did. It was a pony I had not seen yet, with a gentle light purple coat. Her mane was plum purple with a pink streak in it, and a horn sticking out of it. Horn sticking out of... Horn!? I raised an eyebrow as she gave me a warm smile, stepping fully into the room, revealing her elegant wings at her sides. Wings at her... Wings!? Okay, I’ve seen some strange things here, but... wings and horns?! I expressed my discomfort, and she seemed ashamed of it, dipping her head as she gave me a sorry look. I also noticed that her ‘Cutie Mark’ - still think that’s a girly name - was the same as the one on the covers. Shaking off my confusion, I gave an awkward smile, “I, uh... hi.” “Hello,” she said simply, her earlier mood returning, albeit a bit less cheery. “You feel alright?” I glanced at my injuries, seeing how well bandaged they were, before facing her again. Did she do this by herself? That’s pretty good, compared to how I would have done it. “Could be worse,” I stated, rubbing my shoulder. She took that as a good sign as she walked over to the bed. “You were lucky my tendril spell didn’t kill you,” she expressed. “Yeah, I- wait that was yours!?” I said, raising my voice. She cowered back at my tone, her ears folded back. “Y-Yes,” she whimpered, looking to the side, “It was a protection spell.” It was an excuse, one I wasn’t pleased with, but I didn’t know how to express my rage, as I didn’t know how she could cast a spell. So I settled on gripping my hair with my hands, quivering with suppressed fury. She noticed my reaction, and was even more afraid to speak. “I knew he wouldn’t take it well,” another voice said with disdain from outside the door. I groaned, as I already knew who it was. “You have something to add, Applejack?” I hissed, pushing off the blanket while rubbing my forehead. She stepped into the room, her own anger showing in her features. “In fact I do,” she said narrowing her eyes at me, “You have no right to go off on Twi’ like that.” “No right!?” I shouted, standing up and breathing hard. Twilight, as she was called, shrunk down even more, covering herself with her hooves. “She nearly killed us! Nearly killed me!” “She didn’t do it on purpose,” Applejack exclaimed, stomping her way over to me. “It was just an accident.” “How was that an accident!?” I roared, getting in her face. She didn’t back down, which was strange; she was scared of other humans, but not me? Applejack and I had a stare down, one that lasted many minutes, until Twilight spoke up again. “I-It was to protect me from humans!” she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. “I... I didn’t know it would hurt someone so badly. I’m sorry!” She was sobbing now, sniffling occasionally, and Applejack went over to comfort her. That’s when I reflected on how I was behaving; it was like how Carrot Top was being treated. It doesn’t matter how different it was, it still had the same effect. I wasn’t so different from the monsters that I had killed. Seeing the harm I was doing, I sat back down on the bed, facing the carpet with resentment towards myself. Applejack was motherly shushing Twilight as she continued to cry. The more I heard it, the more I hated myself; she was the one that could get me home, says Applejack, and here I am yelling at her for something she indirectly did. That was the reason why I didn't speak up, for I was afraid she would refuse to help me. I wouldn't blame her if she did. After about five minutes, Twilight gave one last sniffle as she wiped the stray tears in her eyes. Applejack backed away cautiously, probably to comfort Twilight again at a moment's notice. She looked at me like I would beat her if she crossed me again, and I knew I had to make things right. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, gazing off to the side. “I guess I’m a little... on edge, as of late.” It was a terrible excuse - I’m able to hold my true anger from other ponies, but not her? I gave a glance at her, wondering what she could be thinking. She was still shaking slightly, but she seemed to stand up straighter. “N-No,” she stammered eventually, swallowing carefully, “I should have known sooner that you were friendly.” “You never could have known, sugarcube,” Applejack assured, walking to her side. Twilight didn’t object, but she also didn’t agree. Sighing, I shook my head; she really does feel guilty about what happened. “Let’s start over,” I suggested, hoping it would drop the situation I had made for myself. “I’m Nolan Anderson.” Twilight gave a small smile, “I’m Twilight Sparkle.” I returned the smile, “A pleasure, miss Sparkle.” Twilight looked at me funny, moving around to get better views. “I can’t figure out how you could go from being so aggressive to being so friendly so quickly.” “Well,” I said, looking around the room. “Before we get to specifics, can I have my clothes back?” Twilight gasped, “Oh, sorry. I’ll be right back.” She turned around and left the room, leaving just Applejack and I. She watched as Twilight left, then focused on me. “We have a real problem if you just blow up in my friends’ faces,” she announced, pointing a hoof at me. “Yeah, well, I have the problem of being in a world where there are winged and horned ponies,” I replied back, adding emphasis on the obvious. Applejack didn’t retort right away, quickly gazing over to the door to see if Twilight was nearby before facing me. “There are more,” she said ominously and I jerked back in surprise; she seemed to get a kick out of that. “How many more?” I asked warily, not liking how something out of mythology was walking around. She smirked, behaving as if she had a foothold on me. “In Twilight’s case, only three others, but most either have a horn or wings,” she answered with a grin. “So why haven’t I seen them up until now?” I asked in curiosity; surely I would have seen them if all ponies were slaves. Applejack’s smug look diminished to depression, as she slumped her shoulders and released a small sigh. “Unicorns are... more valuable,” she said, but it wasn’t quite clear. “What does that have to do with the horns and what about the Pegasi?” I inquired, not seeing the connection. Applejack merely shook her head - I guess I would have to ask Twilight when I got the chance. “Alright, then what exactly is Twilight? I know Unicorns and Pegasi, but what is she?” She snorted, “Her kind are rare, only the princesses are Alicorns.” The princesses again, and they’re a type of species that is considered rare. So are they a princess because they’re an Alicorn? Or are they an Alicorn because they’re a princess? That’s when it dawned on me. Twilight must be a princess. “Ah, fuck,” I swore, slapping my hand to my head. I had gone off on a princess and I was too blind to take that into consideration. That’s when Twilight entered while levitating my stuff in a magenta aura in front of her. Seriously!? Now they can use... magic was probably the correct term. I scoffed at her, but she took it the wrong way as she stopped a few feet away, looking a bit frightened. “Now you have magic?!” I exclaimed, throwing myself back on the bed, trying to absorb everything. There was a lot to take in. Applejack then burst out laughing, falling to the ground holding her head. Glancing back, I could tell Twilight was on the verge of a giggling fit herself. Thinking about it, it was somewhat humorous to do what I just did. Twilight restrained herself the best she could and placed my stuff by my side as I sat up. I sifted through my clothing to make sure everything was there as Applejack stood back up. My jacket, undershirt, boots, combat vest, and such was present, but my weapons... “Where are my guns?” I asked, my frustration growing yet again. Twilight made to answer, but Applejack beat her to it. “Locked up so you can’t do anything with ‘em.” I had every reason to explain that I had saved her and had done nothing that would have provoked such a decision. But if I did that, it would only add to their reasoning. “Whatever,” I said, waving a hand, “but can I have some privacy?” Twilight instantly blushed, backing away quickly - strange, since I wasn’t going to get even more naked; I just wanted to be alone as I dressed. Applejack merely rolled her eyes as she followed behind. As the door shut, I could’ve sworn I heard Applejack mutter, “Humans.” {~+~} A few minutes later, I was back in my outfit, feeling a lot bolder with some threads on me. It felt clean, like someone went through the trouble of washing it before bringing it to me - another reason to give my thanks to Twilight. It was even stitched from the cuts on my forearms and elbow. I left my mask off and on the bed, thinking it would seem less imposing without it, and went for the door. Before I pushed it open, I could hear Applejack and Twilight speaking with each other, and couldn’t help but eavesdrop, maybe because they were talking about me. "And you're sure that you can't tell?" Twilight questioned rather nervously. Applejack sighed, "Like I said, I can't tell if them humans are lying or not, and Nolan is no exception. Even if I could, I wouldn't trust any of 'em with a bag a' hammers." "What about Nolan? You've traveled with him so far. Surely you can trust him." "Twi'," Applejack responded with irritation, "you weren't out there with those things for three months. And you saw what they did when they invaded." "But didn't Nolan save you from my... Tendril spell before I stopped it?" Applejack became unusually quiet, and it made me curious as to how she would respond. After a minute, she finally broke the silence. "Maybe, but I don't like it. I feel like he's using me." It was time to intervene, defend myself, something to show that I was not those humans I killed. "Something you two want to tell me?" I asked as I sauntered into the room. It was a lovely room, but a bit too lively for my tastes. It was what you would find in a normal living room: sofa, coffee table, and such. However, the walls were covered with bookshelves, from the floor to the ceiling. Twilight chuckled sheepishly from the dark green sofa she and Applejack were sharing. "How long were you listening?" She asked with an awkward smile. Crossing my arms, I replied, "Long enough." Seeing an open armchair that was across from them, I walked over to it and plopped down, resting my head back. "Alright," I started, closing my eyes. "I want to know all about the invasion, no holding back." "You don't know?" Twilight questioned skeptically. How many times did I hear that question? Too much to count that's for sure. "I'm not from around here," I said without moving, then sat up resting my chin on my hands, giving Twilight a cold stare, "so no, I don't know." "Applejack?" Twilight asked like one would an adviser. She looked over and gave a nod, as if confirming what I said. “Alright so let’s say you don’t know, what do you want to know?” “Everything,” I replied simply, sitting back up, “What happened here, why there are creatures that should not exist, stuff like that.” Twilight seemed hesitant, rubbing the side of her head, “Where do I even begin?” “How about where Applejack left off,” I offered, “When you and your friends went to check out... the Crystal Empire, if I remember correctly.” Twilight nodded, sadness building up on her face, “Well, my friends and I went to check out the damage done to the city after the battle. What we found was... terrible; most of the guards were dead, and  the city was practically destroyed. But Pinkie took it the worst...” I raised a brow, “One of your friends?” She nodded reluctantly and continued, “She couldn’t make ponies smile with so much sadness. She turned into... someone else. Someone who was not Pinkie, but some crazy mare that I’ve never met before in my life. I think Rainbow knew something about it.” “Wait, she turned from herself to some psycho just because she couldn’t make people... smile?” “Yeah,” Applejack jumped in, “She’s the type that wants everypony to smile and be happy. Kind of hard to do that when...” She trailed off and dipped her head, and Twilight did the same, in some silent mourning. “Death is present,” I finished, closing my eyes. These ponies were so innocent that even the thought of death was foreign to them. I wish our world came close to that. I could still remember the first time I saw death; it still lingers in my mind like an omnipresent shadow. Shaking the haunting thought out of my head, I decided to know more about this princess. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?” I inquired, gesturing towards Twilight. She must have known about how I changed the subject, but she seemed content with the notion. “Well, I’ve been a princess for a few months now, before the invasion,” she explained. “I lived in Ponyville before my coronation, but I turned into an Alicorn after a certain... incident.” I figured that this ‘incident’ she spoke of was rather embarrassing, or somewhere along those lines. Still, if it wasn’t pertaining to this whole invasion business, then it wasn’t important. “So you became an Alicorn which means you become a princess?” I asked, with a raised eyebrow. “Exactly,” she said with a smile. “So what were you before you became... that?” “A Unicorn of course! Wouldn’t be the Element of Magic if I wasn’t!” She answered with glee. “Typical,” I grumbled, “Anyway, why are you in this bunker?” “Princess Celestia ordered me here,” she answered, sitting up straighter than before. “She said to come here to study humans.” “Study humans?” I asked in disbelief, “But wouldn’t it be better to study humans outside?” Twilight’s bright attitude faltered slightly, and her smile diminished as well, “It was something that crossed my mind, but I’m sure Princess Celestia had her reasons.” These ponies put a lot of faith in their Princess; not once had they spoken about her in hatred. She must have been a good ruler. “Alright, what did you learn?” I questioned, wondering the viewpoint of someone who had done external research. “Well, I learned that humans are just as intelligent as ponies, and that they have more dexterity with their hands and fingers. They also go through constant strife with one another.” Textbook knowledge from an alien race; figured as much, considering she seemed like the book-worm type. She opened her mouth to continue, but Applejack stopped her by placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Twi’, how do you know so much about humans anyway?” she said, “It’s been botherin’ me ever since Princess Celestia gave ya the assignment.” “From all these books she lent me!” she exclaimed flying over to a high shelf behind me. I twisted my waste to get a better look as she extracted one book in particular. “They talk about human anatomy, culture, and everything!” “Now, how in the hay does Princess Celestia have books on humans?” she questioned rather harshly, causing Twilight to flinch. “We thought they were a myth three months ago, then suddenly they come out of nowhere.” Twilight clutched the book in her hooves harder as she looked down. “I... I don’t know,” she admitted, “She never told me.” “Let me get this straight,” I jumped in, standing back up, and walking to a random shelf, reading a few of the titles. “This Celestia sent Twilight here to this bunker for the sole purpose of learning about humans as an invasion was taking place?” “I guess when you put it that way...” Twilight said with regret. “Say Nolan,” Applejack spoke up, “What’re those letters on your back? S - W - A - T, swat?” I looked back at them with a surprised expression. I should have known that they wouldn’t know what S.W.A.T. was, but I had forgotten those four letters were still on my combat vest. “S.W.A.T. It stands for Special Weapons And Tactics. It’s a branch of the law enforcement back home. We deal with high-risk operations that require precision and military-grade maneuvers.” “Whoa,” Twilight said, hovering over to me while staring, her face filled with excitement. “You’ve got to tell me all about it!” “I don’t see why not,” I said with a grin, turning to face them fully, slipping my hands into my pockets. That’s when my fingers touched the documents still in my pockets, and I was reminded of the situation I was in. It also made me wonder if Twilight washed them with my clothing. I averted my eyes as my demeanor went serious, “On second thought, I think it’s high time I head home.” Twilight’s face fell quicker than I’ve ever seen one before, “Right now?” I nodded, “I don’t belong here, and I would rather deal with the problems in my own world right now.” Applejack scoffed facing away from me. “Selfish as always,” I heard her mutter, causing me to rub my forehead. “Look, Applejack,” I said, gazing at her sternly, “I don’t want to solve your problems, okay? I don’t belong here, and therefore don’t have any obligation to help anyone.” “I guess that’s true,” Twilight admitted, floating back to the floor. Then she looked up at me with glee. “But maybe you can make an exception-” “No,” I repeated, narrowing my eyes. There was absolutely no reason for me to help these ponies. And what the hell would I do? Fight back an entire nation of humans? “Alright,” Twilight gave up, sighing in exasperation as she walked past me. “I’ll look up trans-dimensional travel, if I have something on it.” I couldn’t tell if that was sarcasm or not, but I nodded nonetheless and made my way back to the armchair. As I sat back down, I gave off a small smile as I leaned my head back. I felt my chest fill with relief - I would finally leave this place once and for all. “I can’t believe you,” Applejack whispered, and I looked over to her to see her standing in front of me. “Why won’t ya help us? We need it!” “You expect me to fight an army!” I exclaimed, my temper building. “What could I change?! I can’t tip the balance or whatever!” “Uh, oh,” I heard Twilight mumble, but I was too into the argument to react to it. I don’t expect ya ta do anything like that!” she said, placing her forelegs on the armrests as she got in my face. “I just think ya should help others around ya!” “I do that every fucking day!” I shouted, gripping my legs tightly to restrain myself. “Why should I help you guys anyway!? You hate me, don’t you!?” “Maybe because you have to,” I heard Twilight whisper, but it was enough for me to recoil, my face in shock. Applejack was just as surprised as we both turned our heads in her direction. Her nose was in another book, which was bright green and on the floor. “What’re ya sayin’, sugarcube?” Applejack said cautiously, as she jumped off of my chair, walking over to Twilight. “It says here in ‘Through the Wormhole and Back’ - by Starswirl the Bearded - that to go from one universe to another is extremely difficult; not even Princess Celestia could pull something like that off,” she explained, not even looking up at us. “So, how did I get here?” I inquired, standing back up as I crossed my arms. “There isn’t even any magic where I’m from.” “Really?” Twilight said in amazement, looking up from her book. “Stay on topic, Twi’,” Applejack reminded, with a bored gaze. Twilight gave an embarrassed chuckle, and looked back at the book grimly, clearing her throat. “Well, answering your question, Nolan,” she addressed pointing at something in the book. “I don’t really know, but I do know how to get you back home.” “Great,” I said, clapping my hands together, “so let’s get it done.” “That’s the thing,” Twilight sighed, shaking her head gloomily, “I need the Elements of Harmony to get you home.” Applejack’s jaw dropped, and Twilight nodded solemnly as if it was an obvious fact. I was just plain confused now. “What the hell are the... Elements of Harmony?” I asked, throwing my arms out in front of me to show my puzzlement. “I guess you wouldn’t know,” Twilight admitted, walking over to me. “I don’t even think most humans know,” Applejack agreed, stepping to the side to make room for her friend as they both stood in front of me. “The Elements of Harmony are six artifacts representing the elements of friendship. And me and my friends, in turn, are those elements,” she explained rather simply. It all sounded corny to me, but if it’s part of this world, I couldn’t really deny it. “Okay,” I drew out, my mind working fast so I don’t look like an idiot. “So, what are the ‘elements’?” “I represent Magic,” Twilight said, pointing to herself, “and Applejack represents Honesty.” That would explain why Applejack was talking about lying, and why she can’t lie herself. “I think I get it so far,” I said, rubbing my chin, “what are the other four elements?” “Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, and Generosity,” Twilight recited, “And each of my friends represents one of them.” “Right, right,” I waved off. I could figure things out just fine; I didn’t need to be reminded of something that was literally said a minute ago. “Now, what does it have to do with me getting home?” “If my friends and I, with the help of the Elements of Harmony, come together,” she stated, as she walked away back to the book, “we can conjure enough magic to send you back home. In theory.” I was about to cheer, but a nagging feeling inside of me told me that there was a catch - there’s always a catch. “And where are your friends and the elements?” I asked, regretting asking the question already. Twilight gulped as she closed the book, “I don’t know where my friends are, and the elements are locked up in Canterlot.” I blinked, “You mean Camelot, right?” It was Applejack’s turn to blink, giving me an odd look, “No, it’s Canterlot.” So now there was a place that was a parody of something back on Earth? I was afraid to see if there were other cities like that in this bizarre place. Sighing, I sat back down in the armchair, leaning my head back to gaze at the ceiling, slowly allowing the new information to sink in. Why did everything have to be so complicated? A long silence was what continued, the two ponies moving away to give me space. I just sat there with the thoughts of everything that had happened. It was almost too much. I would have to help these ponies find their friends and get the Elements of Harmony if I wanted to return home. I was sure the other people here would love to get in my way as well. In short, I would have to do some shit to get what I want. When I finally looked back up, the ponies were waiting patiently on the sofa with expressions of expectancy. I quickly stood up, cracking my neck as the soreness was setting in. “Okay,” I said quietly, “Where do we start?"