Lost and Fallen

by Superdale33

Chapter 6: Everfree

Lost and Fallen
Chapter 6: Everfree

As we all ran into the Everfree Forest in random directions, my mind failed to come up with a way to regroup. The forest was unexpectedly thick, and with the monsters that inhabited it, finding each other would be a miracle. Still, my wager was that the humans wouldn’t follow, or even if they did, we would lose them in the confusion.

Brushing past tall ferns and vines, I was beginning to think this place was more of a jungle than a forest. And the canopy above made it feel like night had come. More than once I stubbed a toe on countless rocks and roots, cursing like crazy all the while. Nevertheless, I was growing further away from the other humans, which was what counted.

Glancing behind me, I saw no indication that I was followed and slowed to a stop, leaning against a tree as I breathed hard. At times like these, my clothing really hindered my endurance. I couldn’t change it at that moment, so there was no point in griping about it. My smoking probably didn't help either. It was frustrating how much running I had to do; I just couldn’t catch a break.

Shaking it off, I looked around the area, pushing off of the tree. How would I find those ponies? I felt hopelessness set in, and pessimism wasn’t far behind. I would never find them. There was no chance. As this was going on, panic began to build as well, as I couldn’t remember which way would lead me out of this forest. I considered calling out to them, but was worried I’d attract something I would never want to meet.

Approaching footsteps made me freeze, making sure I wasn’t hearing things. It was coming behind me, and when I turned around I was suddenly tackled to the ground. From the strength and grasp this person had, it was definitely human. I landed with a grunt, wrestling with the man on top of me. I knew I could easily dispatch him with my knife, but I found it difficult to reach it.

Instead of getting my knife, I put my legs on the man’s stomach and kicked him off. As soon as he was off me, I jumped to my feet, unholstering my revolver. The man did the same, and we were at a stalemate with each revolver pointed at each other.

The man, who had shaggy black hair and a goatee, gave a small chuckle, “Well now. I knew you were hard to kill, but I didn’t think you’d make it that long in Ponyville.”

“Why bring that up?” I questioned harshly. “We’re not in Ponyville.”

“I know,” he expressed with a shrug that I found really annoying, “Just wanted to say it, Masked Man. By the way, how does it feel to kiss those ponies asses?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked angrily as we began to circle each other slowly. “I don’t have sex with them, unlike you assholes.”

“That’s not what I meant, you damn pony-lover,” he shouted back, his smile disappearing, “What’s it like to follow them around like a little trooper, to grovel at their hooves like a peasant?”

“I don’t follow anyone,” I replied, “We just have a common goal.”

“Right, and I’m Princess fucking Celestia,” the man shot back with an eye roll, “Did you forget what those ponies did to us!?”

At that, my curiosity took control, “Let’s say I did. What did they do?”

“In a few seconds, it won’t matter,” the man laughed, his grin returning, “Since you’ll be dead on the ground.”

We both stopped at that moment, the wind suddenly becoming louder than usual as we waited for the other to make the first move. That’s when I saw the green, predator eyes glowing in the darkness behind the man. My eyes widened, but since my mask was on it didn’t alert the other man, who was still waiting. What emerged from the veil of darkness made me stumble slightly at the sight.

A bundle of sticks in the form of a wolf.

The wolf gave a low growl, and pounced on the unsuspecting human, biting him on the shoulder. The man screamed, taking an accidental shot from the sudden attack. I backed away slowly as the man fell forward with the wolf on top. Two more followed behind, baring their wooden teeth. Is this what the ponies were afraid of? If it was, than I can understand why they would choose not to enter the Everfree Forest.

I had never faced down an animal before, let alone a vicious, wooden wolf. So I took the logical step of running. As I sprinted away from the scene, I could hear them bark and growl as they gave chase. Ducking and weaving through the forest proved useless as the wolves weaved through the trees effortlessly. This was their territory, they knew the land and everything that inhabited it, and I would be their next meal.

I wasn’t going down without a fight, as I drew my revolver out and whipped behind me. I saw two wolves closing in on me, and I quickly took aim and fired at the closest one.

It clicked empty. I hadn’t reloaded my weapon at all, and now I was vulnerable. The closest wolf bit into my left arm, pain shooting up it as the predator tried to drag me down. With the other wolf stalking behind, I knew I had to act fast. With my right hand, I put away my revolver and unsheathed my knife, slamming it down into the wolf’s skull and killing it instantly. As its grip loosened on my arm, the other wolf bit into my lower left leg. I lost my footing and tumbled onto my stomach, my knife falling out of my hand. I quickly rolled onto my back just as the wolf pounced on me. I put up my hands just in time to catch its head, its jaws trying desperately to sink into my face.

I was too busy holding the wolf off to grab anything to save me from death, and even that wasn’t enough. My strength was waning, and I nearly slipped more than once. Just then, I heard a gasp from someone off to the side. Only half a second later, I saw Applejack from the corner of my eye charging straight towards me and the wolf. When she was within range, she planted her forehooves on the ground, swiveled around, and gave a bone-shattering buck to the wolf. It flew off of me and crashed into a tree, breaking into a mess of branches and twigs.

With the threat dealt with, I stood warily to my feet while retrieving my knife. My eye caught sight of the other wolf I had killed, which had the similar fate of falling apart into bits of wood. “I think we’re even now,” Applejack remarked snidely, wincing from the pain from her hoof.

I grunted, “From the number of times I saved you, we’re far from even. But thanks.”

“I expected ya to take these Timberwolves no problem,” Applejack said, pointing a hoof to what was left of the enemies.

“I was sloppy,” I admitted, taking my revolver out with a handful of ammunition, “Won’t happen again.”

As I reloaded, Applejack gave a look around, her ears perked for any sound whatsoever. That’s when a ‘Timberwolf’ howled, followed by many other howls. The sound gave me goosebumps and sent chills down my spine. There were a lot more of them. Looking at Applejack, she seemed quite calm, baring her teeth. Compared to me, she was acting very cool and ready. She must have dealt with these wolves before.

The sound of quick foot falls and heavy panting reached my ears, coming from behind me. There were so many footsteps that I couldn’t distinguish how many there were. “Applejack, we need to move,” I recommended, but she didn't answer, facing the direction of the noise with a somewhat surprised expression.

“I think I heard Pinkie in there!” she exclaimed, facing me with worry. “We gotta help her!”

Glancing at the forest again, I could just make out the high voice of Pinkie, screaming in fear. Applejack was right; she always was. “Alright, but how do we find her in this-” I started before seeing Applejack rush forward.

“We ain’t got time for a plan!” she shouted back, disappearing in the shrubbery.

I couldn’t resist a facepalm as I yelled back, “You stupid, stubborn girl!”

I broke out into a sprint after her, but my fears were realized when I couldn’t see where Applejack was. How did she expect us to help Pinkie if we couldn’t see a damn thing!? The only thing I could do was follow the barks and footsteps of the wolves, hoping it would lead me to the ponies.

Minutes passed, and I had no luck at locating anybody. The sounds of the wolves were fading out, which meant I was either going in the wrong direction or I was falling behind. The forest was like a maze as there was no clearly defined way of knowing if a path would lead anywhere, or if it’d lead me off track. The tall bushes and plants didn’t help at all, hindering my efforts to find the ponies.

At some point, I had grown too tired to carry on, and stopped in my tracks, resting my hands on my knees. I was very concerned now; Applejack and the others were somewhere in the forest, and I had no clue as to where they may be. With those Timberwolves and whatever god-forsaken monsters were in this forest, I could only hope that they would find a way out of this forest and regroup together.

That’s when my train of thought turned in a new direction; wondering if my worries for the ponies was because I needed their help to get home, or if I really cared for them. Walking again through the forest, I knew I kind of cared for them, but I wasn’t sure if it was enough to warrant an actual liking of them.

With these ponies, I was forced to work with them, to befriend them. In this world where humans dominated ponies, I was the sole person that cared about their safety, and more than just to get myself back to Earth. That thought made me feel special in a strange way, like knowing that you are unique in a world full of regular people.

Smiling slightly at the thought, I focused on the pathway I was strolling on. My brain realized I was daydreaming while those ponies were running for their lives. Giving a small insult towards myself, I jogged a bit, eyeing the area warily while listening intently. Nothing could be seen or heard, which worried me considerably.

Then, I saw a clearing up ahead, and made my way to it. When I arrived, I saw that it was a small enclosed space with the trees bordering it like brick walls. Looking up, I could see that night had fallen at some point, and the stars and moon were out. My attention turned to the small tent that was placed exactly in the middle, just sitting there. There was nothing exceptional about it; it was dull gray with no features that made it different from an average tent.

I approached it cautiously, in case it held a human within. Even if it did, I doubt he would know who I was, or what I did. The sound of movement caught my attention and I halted instantly, waiting for whoever was inside to come out. Sweat was soaking my clothing as I waited, until the flaps opened and out came…

A purple, bipedal lizard.

That was my initial interpretation, my eyes wide at the small creature. It had green crests all along its head and spine, with a green underbelly. As it clamored out of the tent, he hummed a small tune that I didn’t recognize. When his head turned to me though, he froze and stared with wide eyes, like a deer in the headlights. We simply stood there, looking at each other in wonder and shock.

“Z-Zecora!” the thing shouted, zipping back into the tent as quick as a whip. I jerked my head back from the sudden noise, wondering if it was afriad of my species or just myself. Suddenly, another creature jumped out of the tent along with the first one. This time, it looked like a Zebra, with the coat, tail and mane striped black and white. What was curious was that it had pieces of gold jewelry on its neck and ears.

The zebra glared at me, standing protectively in front of the lizard that cowered behind its legs. I would have said something at this point, but the bizarrity of the scene made me pause to reconsider my actions.

“Be gone, turn away!” the zebra chanted in a strange, feminine voice. “Otherwise, I’ll make you pay!”

I realized that she was angry at me like the ponies were, and I guessed that she was not on good terms with the humans either. With this, I knew I had to be careful and not upset her further.

I raised my hands in a non-threatening position, “Look, miss, I just want to find my friends and I can get out of your hair.”

The zebra wasn’t buying it though, as she narrowed her eyes. “False statements, is what you speak,” she said, pawing the ground, “I’ll have you know, I am not weak.”

Did she always speak in rhyme? It wasn’t really that annoying, but it was fairly interesting. Taking a deep breath, I tried to come up with something to show that I didn’t want any trouble. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous at the time; the zebra didn’t seem to have any weapons on her. Still, I didn't want to relenquish my own weapons; I was on the clock. I was about to take a step before the zebra shouted at me.

“Do not move until I approve!” she shouted, obviously as edgy as any of the other ponies around humans. I slowly drew back my leg and was simply standing there. I growled slightly, not to seem intimidating, but in frustration; I had to hurry.

Our eyes never broke contact, and it felt like time was slowing down, waiting for one or the other to say or do something. I knew that whatever I did would seem like an attack, but the zebra or lizard would not do a thing. What a perfect time to be a nice guy.

“Nolan!” Twilight exclaimed coming into view as she flew above the trees, “Thank goodness I found you, I-”

She saw the other two creatures that were with me as she landed, her next words dying in her throat. Now the zebra and lizard were both in disbelief, both their jaws dropping. “Zecora,” Twilight said in a breathless tone, “S-Spike.”

The purple lizard, who I assumed was Spike, stepped forward, his hands held together in a hopeful stance, “Twilight?”

Before I could register that Twilight knew the two, Spike ran up and wrapped his paws around Twilight’s neck in a hug. Twilight was taken aback by this, but eventually put her right foreleg around him in return. The sight was heartwarming, to say the least, and I smiled a bit at the affection.

At the worst possible moment, however, another howl from the wolves reached our ears, and I gritted my teeth in anger. Those things would not leave us alone. “Shit,” I mumbled, feeling ready to spring into action, “I still have to find the others.”

Twilight and Spike broke apart as I looked around for someplace to go. I was still lost as ever in this forest, and the howl had echoed around, throwing the source off. Berating myself for not being able to pinpoint the source, the zebra, who must have been Zecora, spoke to Twilight.

“What others does he speak of?” she inquired, “And why did you arrive from above?”

“We don’t have time to answer questions,” I replied harshly, “I need to find out where that howl came from.”

Zecora looked slightly upset that I had answered in the way I did, but brushed it off and thought for a second. “I believe it came from the south east direction. I shall lead you there, if you have no objection.”

I didn’t really have anything against her leading the way, but I was confused why she would suddenly trust me enough to lead me to the others. “Alright, let’s get going,” I agreed with a nod, then I faced Twilight. “Stay here, we’ll be back.”

It had just occurred to me that I had been giving a princess orders, but Twilight wasn’t fazed by that at all. She nodded frantically, probably afraid of her friends’ fate. Zecora and I took off into the dark forest, me falling behind only slightly to follow her. She galloped through like she had been through here a hundred times, dodging trees like they weren’t even there while I clumsily went around them. Then, suddenly, she halted in her tracks, her hooves kicking up dirt as she forced herself to a stop. I didn’t stop as abruptly, but I did nearly bump into here.

“Whoa, we’re kind of in a hurry here,” I snapped, but Zecora merely eyed the blue flowers that she had stopped in front of. They looked like normal flowers to me, but if this world had taught me anything, nothing in this world is ‘normal’ in the sense I think of.

“Those flowers are bad,” she said, gesturing towards the flowers, “Avoid them, and you’ll be glad.”

I didn’t want to argue with her, especially since she seemed to know these woods like the back of her hoof. “What does it do?” I asked, my curiosity winning over my anxiety to help my friends for the time being.

“Poison Joke with its flowers of blue,” she explained, carefully shuffling beside the flowers to move around them. “What pranks it hides, I haven’t a clue.”

Poison Joke? So it’s a flower that played pranks or something? Whatever the flora’s intentions were, I probably didn’t want to run wildly in the stuff. I followed her example and sidestepped the plant like the plague. When we were out of range, Zecora and I broke out into a run again, determined to get to the other ponies even with the distraction.

As we neared the destination, I could hear growls and barks from the wolves, and sped past Zecora and retrieved my revolver yet again. When I broke the treeline, I was in a wide clearing that was at the bottom of a tall cliff. Six wolves formed a semicircle around three ponies. Applejack was standing protectively in front of a cowering Carrot Top and a mumbling Pinkie Pie, trying to discern which enemy would strike first.

I aimed my revolver at the closest wolf, but I caught sight of Derpy Hooves hovering above with a terrified expression. She seemed like she wanted to help, but didn’t know how to proceed. She was inexperienced in combat, I could figure that out easily.

Thinking fast, I knew that the three ponies wouldn’t last long with the wolves backing them into the cliff. Though I may be skilled with my revolver and shotgun, I didn’t know the first thing about hunting, and didn’t know how to handle the situation effectively. I decided to rely on instinct and hoped that everyone survived.

I checked the cylinder again to make absolutely sure I was prepared for the fight, and with my weapon completely loaded, I took action. Six bullets, six wolves. I hoped that was enough. I aimed for the head of a wolf and pulled the trigger, watching the head explode in wooden shrapnel. Both the wolves and ponies were startled from the sudden death, jumping in fright.

“Derpy! Go with Zecora and the others!” I ordered. She gave a nod of confirmation and waved her hooves frantically towards the woods for the ponies to go through. With the wolves putting their attention on me, the three ponies were able to slip around them and follow Derpy into the woods with Zecora alongside them.

Now, it was just me and the Timberwolves.

Two of the wolves sprung towards me, their teeth bared. I was able to take a shot at one, killing it, but didn’t have time to take out the other one. The wolf slashed across my right forearm, causing me to cry out in pain and punt the wolf out of range. The other wolves were feeling confident as they all rushed towards me, desperate to see the end of me. I fired off my revolver in quick session, taking out two of them before they swarmed me.

I was dragged off my feet again, but was able to retain my revolver for the life of me. It was practically useless as the wolves all bit and clawed at me. I could feel the hot liquid of blood dripping all over my limbs, my helmet and combat vest protecting my vital organs. I was able to get a some shots off on a few of them, but the bullets didn’t hit anything that could kill. I was slowly being mauled to death.

When my head began to fill with the dread of death, I heard something hard impact one of the wolves, forcing the rest of them to stop attacking me to see what had been foolish enough to intervene with their meal. I, too, gave a glance as to who it could be. It was Applejack, of course she was saving my hide again, and in the same hour no less.

Luckily, with the distraction she gave me, I pointed my revolver at one of the wolves’ heads and fired. At this range, I could feel the blast from the wolf, like a balloon had popped next to my face. A swish of gray, undoubtedly Derpy, streaked through the air, knocking one of the wolves off of me. With only one wolf left on me, I dropped my empty revolver on the ground and retrieved my knife, sinking it into the chest of the wolf.

Shoving it off, I got to my feet, turned towards the one that Derpy had taken off me, and ran towards it, tackling it to the ground right when it had stood up back up. With its struggling efforts, I hastily shoved my knife deep into its neck, and the wolf crumbled below my frame. With the wolves gone, I breathed a sigh of relief, noticing for the first time that my breathing was fast and labored.

I stood shakily to my feet, my injuries making me feel like I was sitting in acid. I gave a gander around, making sure that the enemies were truly gone. All I saw was Applejack and Derpy standing before me with expressions of concern. The adrenaline that was pumping through my veins was making my vision spin, and I felt sick to my stomach, clutching it with my left hand tightly.

“Ya alright, partner?” Applejack asked tilting her head to the side with a raised eyebrow.

“Peachy,” I wheezed out, stumbling like a drunk. “Let’s… let’s just head back.”

“Can you walk?” Derpy asked, sounding more worried than Applejack. I gave a small nod, and they nodded back, beginning to walk back to where Zecora was. After sheathing my knife and reclaiming my revolver, I followed behind with a slight limp, nursing a few of my injuries while leaning on every tree I passed. Though I was wounded pretty badly, I didn’t want to seem weak in front of them. Perhaps because I felt like I was their main defense between them and the humans. If I was gone, how were these ponies going to make it?

I gave a dry chuckle; I was boosting my ego by thinking they wouldn’t last a day without me. Wincing from a sharp pain in my arm, I focused on walking straight. I gave a sigh, realizing it was going to be a long trip back.

At long last, we emerged from the thick jungle-like forest to the clearing that held Zecora’s tent. The place seemed more lively; a small campfire was built and everyone was talking animatedly with each other. Carrot Top was speaking with Zecora, while Spike and Twilight caught up with each other. Pinkie was still looking glum, but that wasn’t new. Applejack and Derpy came in without a break in the atmosphere, but when I came into view, everyone went suddenly silent, as if they had forgotten I was still here.

“Don’t mind me,” I grumbled, walking past them with their eyes glued to me. “Just passing by.”  I found that they had brought logs to sit around the fire, and with gratefulness, I slowly sank into my seat. I gazed around the group seeing that they were still staring at me. I had really killed the mood.

“You’re hurt,” Twilight noticed, gesturing to myself. I glanced at my arms, finally able to see them in the light of the fire. They were mostly deep scratches and bites, nothing that wouldn’t heal on its own. I reached up and took off my mask, feeling the heat of the fire warm me in the chilling night.

“Very observant,” I replied sarcastically. I extracted a cigarette from my vest pouch - at that point in time, it was all I cared about. Twilight briskly trotted over to my side, a band of gauze floating out of her saddle bag in her magic. As Twilight looked me over, applying bandages where needed, I put a cigarette in my mouth and took out my lighter.

“I thought you’d have more hair,” Spike commented, earning a glare from Twilight. But I simply chuckled from the remark as I lit my cigarette.

“I’m the first human you met, hmm?” I asked, inhaling the smoke.

“Yep, never met one until now,” he expressed rather cheerfully. He seemed blissfully ignorant of all the things humans have done, and I was somewhat glad of that.

“That’s my brother, Spike,” Twilight introduced with a groan.

I raised a brow at her, and she took note of it as she explained further. “I took him in after I passed the entrance exam for Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns.”

I caught most of that, but the school was what puzzled me. It wasn’t relevant though, and a different question was begging to be asked. “How does a lizard fit into that exactly?” I asked in confusion.

Before Twilight could answer, Spike exclaimed defensively, “I’m a dragon!”

At that, I burst out laughing for two reasons. One, I should've known there would be dragons in this land, and yet failed to think there would be. And two, he was the smallest dragon that I have ever seen in any work of fiction.

“It’s not that funny,” Spike huffed, crossing his arms while sulking.

After I calmed down, I inquired with a humorous grin, “How old are you?”

“He’s just a baby dragon,” Twilight answered with a smile, and Spike groaned loudly.

“Twilight!” he whined pitifully, “Why do you have to say it like that?”

“Because it’s true,” Twilight responded, bewildered by the question. The others all chuckled heartily at that, making Twilight even more confused. When Twilight tied the last bandage on my leg, she left and sat next to Spike, bringing him closer to herself with a forehoof. Spike didn’t resist, and in fact, snuggled up close to her. It made me wonder why Spike was with Zecora in this dangerous forest, but figured I could ask about it later.

“What about you?” I requested, gesturing to Zecora with my free hand and taking another drag from my cigarette afterwards.

“Zecora is my name,” she replied politely, pointing a hoof at herself, “And alchemy is my game.”

“Do you always rhyme?” I asked, but I must have said it too harshly as her ears folded back.

“If you are uncomfortable about it…” she started, looking ashamed and frightened at the same time.

“I never said I was,” I remedied, taking another smoke, “Hell, I thought it was interesting.”

“Oh, well…” she seemed speechless, surprised even, “Thank you.”

I guessed, with sentences that short, that there was no point to rhyme, and just gave a shrug. Taking a deep drag from my cigarette I prepared myself to ask the group a question. “Okay, riddle me this,” I inquired, everyone looking at me as I spoke, “Why is Twilight’s brother in a forest full of terrifying monsters with a zebra that knows alchemy?”

Everyone faced Spike and Zecora, who both tensed up from something that was obviously hard to talk about. “I…” Spike started, but wasn’t sure where to go with that as he fell silent. Zecora cleared her throat as she gave a grim expression, preparing to tell me.

“Before the invasion, Twilight told Spike to come to me if the humans ever entered town. Together, Spike and I had been bouncing from place to place from all around.”

I could see why Spike was reluctant to talk about it. Witnessing an army marching towards town with the intent of taking it over must have been terrifying. I was impressed, though, with their plan.“So, you two have been moving around the Everfree Forest to avoid the humans?”

Both Zecora and Spike nodded, and I grunted. “I’ll be damned, that’s actually a good plan.”

Twilight grimaced slightly, probably from the thought of forcing Spike to flee his home and leave behind the other ponies. “I’m glad you’re okay, Spike,” she expressed, bringing him even closer. “I knew I would find you again.”

“It sure is nice seein’ ya again, Spike,” Applejack said with a smile. “With all those nasty humans out there, I was ‘fraid ya would be caught.”

I felt a pang of anger when she didn’t excuse me from that insult, but I knew there was no changing Applejack’s point of view. My only major concern, at that point in time, was my rumbling stomach. “Anybody got some food?”

Applejack gave a tired sigh, and nosed through her saddle bag that sat next to her, searching its contents. “We got apples, apples, and more apples,” she deadpanned, glancing over to me.

I winced, gagging slightly at the thought of eating more of the red fruit. After consuming loads of the food for the past few days, I felt like a bit of variety wouldn't be a bad thing. Some oranges, bread, anything to spice things up. My eyes looked over to Zecora, a notion of a silent question. She understood my meaning, but shook her head, unfortunately. Sighing, I reached my hand towards Applejack to take an apple, and she grabbed one and gave it to me. I gazed at the apple dejectedly; perhaps Las Pegasus would hold more bountiful foods.

“You don’t have any muffins?” Derpy inquired sadly, her eyes glazing over.

Applejack shook her head, and Spike said, “We don’t exactly have anything to bake them in.”

Derpy sighed, “I guess I’m too used to the food at Las Pegasus.”

The thought of a city where food was commonplace almost seemed like a paradise, especially if it’s a sanctuary for ponies; no people to come ruin it. Chuckling, I flicked the cigarette stub into the fire, and bit into the apple with only minimum pause. “What’s it like there?” I asked after swallowing, causing the rest of the group to look at Derpy expectantly, curious as well.

Derpy brightened as she spoke, “It’s great! There aren’t any humans there, we grow our own food, and we take care of each other!”

“How did you get there, Derpy?” Carrot Top questioned, “You lived in Ponyville.”

“I was delivering a package to the city when Ponyville was attacked,” she revealed, dipping her head. “Rainbow Dash was also delivering something. And that’s why she was there.”

“What was in it?” Twilight followed up, leaning in slightly. I had to assume that Twilight had gone into hiding before Equestria was completely taken over; why else would she not know about something that one of her friends was doing?

“It has-” Derpy started, but then gave a sharp gasp, hastily covering her mouth with both hooves. She eyed me nervously, causing me to give her a strange look.

“Did I do something?” I asked uncertainly. Derpy pulled her hooves away, but was much more reluctant to speak.

“I can’t talk about it around humans,” she whispered slowly, playing with her hooves, as she faced downward pitifully. I would have explained to her that I wasn’t like other humans, that I was different, but the way she worded her sentence made me rethink my words.

“Someone ordered you to keep it a secret,” I stated. She gave a nod, “By Rainbow?” Another nod, “Well… that’s understandable, I guess.”

Derpy smiled sadly, her eyes glazing over as she stared into the fire, “You’re a rather strange human.”

“My own world is a lot different from this place,” I explained, my mind thinking back to my home. “I guess I would be strange, compared to some of the bastards here.”

I could almost feel the gazes bore into my head as I, too, faced the crackling fire. “I guess, in retrospect, it’s really similar as well. Earth has its fair share of bloodshed. As long as humans have been around, we seem to be able to find a way to kill one another. Land, resources, opinions; doesn’t matter the cause. What does matter, is the effect.”

“Nolan,” Twilight whispered anxiously, her breath caught in her throat, “what exactly did you do in your world?”

The silence that followed was long and unsettling. I already told Twilight about my job back on Earth. What I didn’t explain was the specifics, which is why she brought up the question. With determination, I looked up at all the faces gathered around. Though some didn’t know about my occupation, they were just as interested to know, if not more. The answer was simple enough, yet complicated at the same time. “I keep the peace in a city… by killing others who needed to be put down,” I replied quietly, causing a shiver to course through the ponies and dragon simultaneously. “It’s how I’m so good with a gun, lots of practice… and a good teacher. Those people deserve what I give them.”

“Ya talk as if the humans were varmints,” Applejack commented coldly, her glare doing nothing to hinder my mood.

“What do you care?” I responded, “You hate humans. If anything, you would be happy that there are less humans.”

“That doesn’t mean I like killin’!” Applejack shouted, slamming a hoof down as she stood up. I must have spoken too much - I tend to speak pessimistically sometimes, especially if my mind wanders. Another bout of silence hung in the air, the other ponies not sure how to respond to my words or Applejack’s outburst.

“No death,” Pinkie muttered, still sitting away from the group. “Killing is wrong. Can’t stand it.”

“Perhaps we should head to bed,” Zecora recommended warily, looking at each pony and myself. “All this talk is filling us up with dread.”

“Zecora’s right,” Twilight agreed, standing up as well. “We need to head to Las Pegasus as soon as possible. Once we meet up with Rainbow Dash, we can figure out what to do next.”

The other ponies nodded, and prepared for sleep. Zecora had stored another tent bundle in her own tent, in case of emergency, so the ponies had another place to rest. With Twilight’s magic, it was set up in no time. There wasn’t enough room for myself though, not surprisingly, but Zecora was nice enough to give me a pillow.

After everything was settled, Zecora, Twilight, and Spike slept in the first tent, while Applejack, Carrot Top, Pinkie Pie, and Derpy slept in the other. I remained where I sat, afraid to really fall back asleep. I couldn’t fight my exhaustion for long, as the day had taken its toll. I took off my belt, vest, and shotgun and rested them nearby. Then, I rested my head on the pillow. It was troublesome to find the right spot to sleep, but my tiredness won out eventually, and I fell asleep.

“Nolan…” the angelic voice called out. I covered my ears, wanting it to stop, my eyes shut tight. I was back in the recurring nightmare, the white setting around me. The voice of Emma rang in my head, and my guilt doubled.

“No…” I whispered, my jaw tightening. “Please, no.”

“Behind you,” she said, and despite how much I resisted to look over, I did anyway. There she was again, a white silhouette standing there. My muscles went weak, as I fell to my knees. All I could do was stare at her, her features standing out like spotlights. Her hair, her body, everything reminded me of her. I couldn’t bare to see her anymore, tearing my eyes away.

“Please, leave me alone,” the words felt like daggers in my heart; it was hard to tell my deceased girlfriend to leave, especially after seeing her for the first time in two years. But she was only tormenting me in my own head. Each night she came, standing there as a grim reminder of my mistake. The one mistake that had cost her life.

“I will,” she spoke, making me inhale sharply in surprise. She hadn’t said anything besides my name and ‘behind you’. This would be the first time she actually acknowledged me in this place. I looked up to her, my mask hiding my disbelief. “All you have to do, is tell me where you are.”

My breathing was increasing rapidly; it could finally stop. All the terrible dreams, the sleepless nights, all could be gone if I simply tell her where I was…

Wait a minute.

Both my hands clenched tightly as I stared at her intently. She tilted her head sideways ever so slightly. I pushed myself up to my feet, and asked, “Why do you want to know where I am?”

She hesitated, and all it did was make her seem like someone she wasn’t. “To see the real you,” she answered, but it sounded desperate, like she was hoping I would believe that.

“Where did we first kiss?” I whispered, my arms shaking.

“W-What?” she asked in shock, confirming it even more.

“Where did we first kiss!?” I shouted, startling her as she raised her hands to her chest.

“I- We- At…” she was grasping at straws, making my temper rise.

“Where did we first meet? How old was I? What was our patrol number?” I was shooting out questions like a machine gun as I walked towards her, each time causing her to wince and shrink down. “How long were we together? When did you die?”

She didn’t speak, stuttering with different words. I came to a stop standing a few feet away from her. I knew she couldn’t see the deathly glare I was giving her, but she seemed to sense it as she fidgeted with her hands from my mere gaze.

“Here’s a question you might be able to answer,” I said, barely moving a muscle, and she tensed up. “Who the hell are you?”

“I-I’m your-”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” I screamed, holding myself back from punching her. “I asked you a question, you faking shithead! You better tell me the truth before I crush your head with my boot.”

She jerked back at my threat, and I crossed my arms in wait. She faced away from me in thought, but I didn’t rush her. I knew I had her beat. Then, without warning, I fell, the world breaking into darkness.

I woke with a start, sitting straight up as I was thrown back into reality. I gave a quick look around, seeing that it was still night, and that the fire had died out a while ago. As I realized that I was back where I was, my anger grew until I really needed to let loose a torrent of swear words. Since the ponies were asleep, I couldn’t do that, but I was able to compensate.

“Fuck!” I hissed quietly, slamming my fist onto the ground. With that, I gave a long and tired sigh, leaning against my knees. It was a relief to know that Emma wasn’t haunting me, though I still felt like I deserved it, but that means that someone else had been messing with my dreams. Seeing as I had no way to find out who was doing it, there was no way I could stop that person from entering and driving me insane for as long as I was in Equestria. Although, she was frightened when I found her out, maybe she would back off.

That raised another question: How did she enter my dreams? If it was magic, that would mean that a unicorn was responsible. I doubted Twilight would be the culprit - a girl like her wasn’t one to hurt others. The humans couldn’t have done it, unless they suddenly gained the ability of magic. And why did this person what to know where I was anyway? What was this person up to?

I rubbed my face, feeling both irritated and drained. That ‘dream’ made sure I wasn’t getting sleep anytime soon, so I just sat there thinking. “Why me?” I asked myself, shaking my head. “Why is this all happening to me?”

I stood up and stretched my legs, as they were sore from sleeping on the ground. I sat on one of the logs again, feeling the implications of everything hit me suddenly. Talking ponies, crazy dreams, trans-dimensional travel, tyrannical humans; I was surprised I hadn’t cracked yet. I placed my head in my hands, my brain empty and fuzzy.

“Nolan?” I heard a voice call out softly, I looked over to the tents to see Carrot Top standing half way out, looking at me concerningly. “Are you alright?

I faced away, hiding my disdain, “I’m fine. Just had a bad dream.”

There was a short pause before Carrot Top left the tent completely and walked over to me. I turned to her as she sat down next to me; something told me she was having trouble sleeping as well.

“Do you… do you want to talk about it?” she inquired quietly and carefully. The remnants of the dream flashed through my head, and I sighed deeply.

“No, I don’t,” I replied, making Carrot Top even sadder than before as she looked to the ground dejectedly. “But is there something you want to talk about?”

She flinched when I finished the question, looking at me in wonder. I suppressed a smile, “I can tell when someone can’t sleep. I’ve had experience.”

Carrot Top’s eyes flicked downward in sorrow, her forehoof stroking her other for comfort. “I don’t want to bother you,” she stated, but I felt like she was just being courteous, “It’s kind of a long story.”

I shrugged, gesturing towards the night sky, “Got nothing better to do for the next few hours.”

I was able to get a sad smile from my half-assed joke, and she faced forward recounting her tale. “I had a brother, one I loved very much. His name was Fire Mane, and he loved playing with fire. But sometime later, we found out he liked putting out the fires more than making them. We would play all sorts of games together; tag, hide-and-seek, and all that. He’d always cheer me up when I was sad, and every Sunday, we would get ice cream and count the number of clouds in the sky. We were practically inseparable. When we grew up, I took the family business of growing carrots, and he became a fire pony in the local department. He was the best of the best, saving ponies from buildings and cats from trees. Yet he always found time to come by and keep me company.”

I gripped my knee as something struck me as odd. “You’re speaking in the past tense,” I noted with a heavy heart, “And I don’t think its before the invasion. What happened?”

“A lot of ponies have lost their loved ones in this war,” she said slowly, a frown growing on her muzzle. “But that doesn’t mean we didn’t lose them before.”

She took a deep, shaky breath and continued, “A year before the invasion, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. We couldn’t cure it; the infection he got prevented him from getting treatment, then spread too much to cut out or use magic. For months, he was in the hospital, fighting a losing battle. But he took it with stride, never complaining about it all, and even encouraged other crippled ponies. Then he… passed away.”

I could tell she was fighting back tears, but they were able to come out anyway, sliding down her cheeks. She wasn’t finished though; I could tell. She was still sobbing silently when she looked up at me with a trembling lip. “I… I never got to say goodbye,” she said hoarsely, struggling to speak clearly. “I miss him so much.”

“And that’s where the nightmares come in,” I finished, and she nodded, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. Hearing about someone else’s loved one passing away reminded of my own heartache.

“I lost someone as well,” I said, causing her to whip her head at me, her eyes wide. I didn’t think it would be that surprising. “I was going out with a beautiful woman, named Emma Margaret. We met in the police department as partners, and we were together for three years, and it was fantastic.”

Carrot Top’s ears folded back, reluctant to ask what was on her mind, but I already knew what she was going to ask, “How did she die?”

My mouth went dry, and I forced myself to swallow, the memories flooding back through my head. The firefight, the mistake, the bullet, the death, the pain; it was almost unbearable. I broke out of that horrible daydream, and focused on Carrot Top, who was waiting patiently for my answer. I gripped my hands tightly together, “She was shot.”

I didn’t want to go further than that, the pain in my heart was too great to bear. Thankfully, Carrot Top picked up on that, and simply bowed her head in silent remorse. “Is that why you’re having trouble sleeping?” she inquired after a short pause.

“Part of it,” I replied, “Not sure what the other part is though.”

“I’m sorry."

“Everybody always is”, I replied with an indifferent look.

She opened her mouth to respond, but stopped herself, nodding instead.

“You know,” Carrot Top started slowly, looking off to the side. “You're the first human that actually… listened to me.”

I grunted, “Like I keep saying, not from this world.”

“That doesn’t change that fact,” she said, with a small smile. “Thanks.”

I smiled back; it was a small piece of gratitude, and in this place, it was one of the few I was ever given. “You're welcome, I guess.”

She stared into my eyes for a full minute, before she realized what was doing, and looked away with an embarrassed look, blushing. Again with the blushing. Did she not like being stared at? I brushed it off as she stood back up and headed for the the tent.

“Well, good night,” she called back gently.

“Same to you,” I returned as I saw her disappear through the canvas. When I thought about it, she was the first pony to actually treat me kindly. Granted, I did save her life, twice, but it was still a bit heartwarming, to say the least. Her story was saddening as well, having someone die when there was no cure for something like that must have been difficult to go through. One sentence she said was still replaying in my mind:

A lot of ponies have lost their loved ones in this war, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t lose them before.

It made me think about all the other ponies that I have met. Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie, Derpy; they all must have lost someone or other in this war. Who they were and what happened to them was a mystery, and probably would be for a long time. If I was averse to talking about my life, they would be as well, if not more.

And they probably lost a lot of them from the humans.

I understood the ponies a lot more, but that doesn’t mean I knew them personally. A three day trip to Las Pegasus would be quite a journey, and maybe we could learn something from each other. With that thought, I lifted myself off the log and back on the ground, resting my head against the pillow. No point in staying awake all night.