//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Dust // Story: Lost and Fallen // by Superdale33 //------------------------------// Lost and Fallen Chapter 7: Dust I was the first to wake in the morning. That was probably the earliest I have ever awoken in Equestria, since one of the ponies usually stirs me from my sleep. I remained still, however, instead of waking the others. If they weren’t awake, then it was too early to do anything; Applejack and Twilight had both confide in me that they were early birds. The moment gave me time to reflect on my dream. Mostly just contemplating what asshole would use my dead girlfriend as a way to get to me. No matter what that person said or did next time I met him, I would never forgive him. As I was lost in my thoughts, the ponies emerged from their slumber, rubbing their eyes with yawns. I shelved the thought of the dream intruder for the time being, and got up myself. Because of our tiredness, none of us talked much, silently eating our breakfast - apples, again. After that, we got down to business. “So it’s a agreed that we’re heading for Las Pegasus?” Twilight asked the group, looking at each of us. Everyone gave their agreements, except me, who was actually thinking it through. Rainbow was another Element of Harmony, so it was only natural to go to her. If my hunch was correct, she would know where the last two ponies were to get me home. Derpy was a spy, that was plainly obvious, so she was bound to have loads of information about the humans and such. “Nolan?” Twilight called, gaining my attention as I snapped out of my revery. “What about you?” “Yeah, sure,” I answered quickly, standing up from my seat. “Let’s get going.” Twilight packed up the tents in record time, while everyone else gathered everything together for the trip out of the forest. Since I had no backpack - nor would I probably ever find one - all I had to do was slip on my mask and I was set. It made me feel useless that I couldn’t hold any of the loads, but, then again, I was basically a guard for these ponies. Once everything was in its bag, and everybody was ready to go, I asked, “So what’s the plan out of this forest?” “I shall lead you through,” Zecora chanted, already walking towards the edge of the clearing, “and still have time to make some stew.” I could only assume what she meant was that she’d guide us through the Everfree Forest as fast as she could. None of us responded to her statement, though, and instead just followed along. I remained in the back, keeping a wary eye out for any more Timberwolves that may still have been lurking about. Not just Timberwolves either. I had come to learn sometime on the trip that many monsters inhabited the woods. Cockatrices, Manticores, hydras; anything that was a mythological creature in my world was a living, breathing beast in this forest. I could see why humans had never ransacked the place, and why Zecora and Spike were able to live there peacefully, to an extent. I didn’t have to worry too much about the monsters here, however, as Zecora was an excellent guide. She knew which routes to take to avoid a creature's territory, which plants to stay away from, and even when it was a good time to take a break. She knew the Everfree Forest like the back of her hoof, and she didn't hesitate to show it. I doubt even Twilight knew the stuff she did, and that’s saying something. “How do you know so much about this forest?” I eventually asked her out of nowhere. She turned to me with a perplexed look. She still didn’t trust me as far as she could throw me, “I have lived in these woods for many years. I like it here, despite its fears.” I rubbed my chin in thought. Why would anybody want to live here? Surely Ponyville was built before she moved here. “Why didn’t you live in town? Or at least in the plains? “Plants and herbs populate the Everfree,” she answered, flashing me a knowing smirk, “It reminds me of home, which fills me with glee.” “And Ponyville kind of shunned her a bit,” Twilight added with an embarrassed grin. Zecora gave a short chuckle, obviously having gotten over that fact a while ago. “You said this place reminds you of home,” I continued, gesturing to the forest around us. “Where were you from?” “The land of Zebrica, is where I’m from,” she explained, looking upwards in remembrance, “It is a place with no hint of scum.“ It wasn’t hard to figure out what Zebrica represented in my world. After all, she was a zebra, so it would stand to reason that she was from this world’s equivalent of Africa. Never the less, the number of punny names for this place was overwhelming my sense of logic. Couldn’t they come up with any original names here? Though, since these ponies had never heard of any city from my world, I suppose it was understandable that the names would be what they are. I was so deep in thought about the subject, that I didn’t notice that we had reached the edge of the forest until I nearly bumped into Derpy. I gazed out into the open, where the Everfree Forest ended, and saw normal looking trees leading down a path that had come from an unknown location. No doubt the trail would lead us to our destination: Las Pegasus. “This must be Highwing Road,” Twilight noted, staring at the dirt path with a hint of happiness. “All we have to do now is follow it straight for Las Pegasus.” “Woo-Wee!” Applejack exclaimed in astonishment, eyeing the road with equal content, “We’ll be there in no time!” “Thanks for everything, Zecora,” Derpy said, a wide grin on her face. Zecora nodded humbly. We walked a few steps to start our journey, but soon realized that Zecora and Spike weren’t following. Simultaneously, we all turned to the two with confused expressions as they played with their feet or hooves. “You’re not comin’?” Applejack asked with disappointment. The other ponies shared the same sentiment; they didn’t want to part from the two we had only met yesterday. “Sorry guys,” Spike apologized, rubbing his elbow, “But Zecora and I think we should stay here.” Twilight balked, Her jaw dropping as she stared at Spike, “But… why?” “We believe that we should stay near,” Zecora explained, “Watching the humans while we’re here.” That was a pretty good idea; these two could easily check up on the humans in Ponyville, and if they got caught, they would only have to run into the Everfree Forest to lose their pursuers. The ponies in the group, however, didn’t like the reason. They were very attached to these two, and if I had gotten to know them, I would have felt the same way. No one said anything against their decision, and in the end, all the ponies shared a collective sigh, and smiled. “Well, Hope ta see ya soon then, Zecora, Spike,” Applejack drawled, tipping her hat with a hoof. “Yeah,” Derpy agreed, shooting a few meters into the air and doing a back flip. “And don’t let any flying houses land on you!” Spike rolled his eyes with a shake of his head as Zecora snickered at Derpy’s quip. I myself couldn’t tell if Derpy was joking or serious. Carrot Top gave a quick goodbye, and Pinkie mumbled something of the same. Twilight walked up to Spike with a sad smile, taking a deep breath. “Well, Spike,” Twilight said, a genuine smile growing, “Take care of yourself.” “Why wouldn’t I?” Spike replied, shrugging. “Besides, Zecora will watch over me.” Twilight chuckled lightly before hugging him tightly, Spike struggling in her hold as he seemed to be having trouble breathing. Everyone else gazed at the two with broad smiles, but I could see the sadness in their eyes, and it wasn’t for Twilight and Spike. They were remembering their own loved ones. I should know, I looked into the mirror the same way. It was many minutes before they finally broke apart, and with that, we silently walked away. However, I was stopped by someone tugging on my lower pants, and when I looked down, I saw it was Spike. He was bashful, giving a small hint of a blush on his cheeks as he faced away from me. “Can you… do a dragon a solid?” he requested. That wording made me look at him quizzically, but my mask hid it. I was more curious as to what he wanted than actually wanting to help him out, though it was part of it, so I gave a nod. “Could you find Rarity, please?” he asked, looking at me hopefully. I recalled that Rarity was another one of Twilight’s friends, one that I needed to find to get home. What confused me was why this small dragon would be concerned for this pony. They must have been friends, sure, but why did he ask about this particular pony? And why didn’t he ask Twilight or another pony instead of me? I voiced my questions, and he let go of my clothing, fidgeting with his hands. “Promise you won’t tell anypony…” he whispered, putting a hand by his mouth while watching the others around us, who were waiting for us to finish. “But... I like Rarity.” Huh. A school crush. Haven’t encountered something like that for a long time. He wasn’t finished talking, though, and he looked like he was searching for the right words to answer my other question. “And… you seem like a cool guy, especially if the others trust you.” “I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘trust’,” I mumbled, crossing my arms. He looked at me pleadingly, giving me the puppy-dog eyes. I don’t know why he resorted to that, I hadn’t even answered his question yet. “Alright, fine, I’ll find Rarity for you.” His attitude flipped completely, as a grand smile erupted on his face as he hugged my leg. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.” I awkwardly peeled Spike off, and he ran back to Zecora, waving us off as I walked back to the group to continue our journey. We grew further and further away, with Derpy waving comically to the two the whole time. I faced forward, and examined the snaking path through the forest, a small mountain range looming in the background. “So where exactly is Las Pegasus?” I questioned no one in particular. “It’s South East of Ponyville, just past those mountains,” Twilight informed, pointing at the peaks. “Hiking,” I muttered. I had never, in all my life, walked along a mountain trail. I was hardly even exposed to nature as a whole. Living in the city all my life had its disadvantages. It sure would be interesting. {~+~} Journeys were a bitch. In movies or books, the heroes walk hundreds of miles through deserts and such, and come out fine. With me, it was totally different. Though I wasn’t carrying anything, my body armor and weaponry still weighed me down, and my black outfit acted like a conductor for the sun, practically baking me alive. We were about half way around the mountains when the sun had set, and I opted to rest early. the others were a bit reluctant to do so, probably because they all seemed fine and dandy. However, they complied anyway, probably thinking it was for the best. As I was gathering sticks with Applejack, I felt like I should find a way to break the ice. The silence was killing me, and I wanted to keep my mind off all the walking we would have to do the next day. “So,” I started simply, my mind going blank. “Yeah?” Applejack urged on, picking up a stick with her mouth and tossing into her saddle bag; how could these ponies stand putting things like that in their mouths? “What exactly happened to the Pegasi?” I asked, glancing over at her. It was the first thing that popped into my head, and it was a question that had bothered me since learning of their existence. Applejack sighed, “I guess now’s as good a time as any.” She placed one more branch in her saddle bag before facing me fully, her expression hardening. “When Canterlot was taken over by you humans, many of the pegasi left for Cloudsdale for sanctuary. I haven’t heard anythin’ since. There are some exceptions, of course. Rainbow Dash and Derpy being two of ‘em.” “Couldn’t the humans take over Cloudsdale like any other city?” I asked, heading back to camp with Applejack walking beside me. She gave me a dry chuckle, keeping her gaze forward. “Cloudsdale is unreachable unless you have wings or a hot-air balloon; it’s in the sky.” I was taken aback by that. Though it made sense that Pegasi would have a city in the sky, the thought of anything living above ground made me wonder at the possibilities. I had to ponder what it must be like… {~+~} The next morning, I was both relieved and worried when I found out that I didn’t have another nightmare. The perpetrator must have learned his lesson, and decided to leave me alone. Or come up with another plan. Either way, I had a restful night. Our journey continued for two more days, and still, no one really spoke with one another. It could have been because we were all focused on getting to the sanctuary of the city, or that there was literally nothing to talk about. It could even be because they were still nervous around me. I didn’t mind too much, I liked the quiet. After passing by the mountains, we were greeted with a wide desert, with barely a hill to be found. The grass that once was very prominent was now replaced with barren earth, indicating that it had became a dry desert. In the far distance sat Las Pegasus. I was surprised that I could see it at all, as the buildings weren’t exactly big. “Oh, oh!” Derpy exclaimed excitedly, floating a few feet ahead of us while pointing a hoof at the far-off city. “There it is! Las Pegasus!” “We see it,” I said, with a dismissive wave, “It’s not very much though.” “What did you expect?” Twilight asked, walking to my side with a raised brow. “Bigger buildings,” I commented with a shake of my head. Applejack scoffed, “I don’t like the city. The ponies there are pretty judgemental.” That would explain why she and I could never got along. She was raised in the country side, with hard work and kind folks around. Then there was me, raised in the city where people would rather find a nickel on the street than help you. Applejack and I were as different as night and day. We continued towards the city in silence. {~+~} The sun was in the afternoon position as we finally arrived at our destination. And it wasn’t exactly pretty. Everything looked bleak; the buildings were abandoned, the streets were deserted, and the sky was completely devoid of clouds. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the place was left to rot, plucked clean by the humans when they came through here. Yet Derpy had this wide grin on her face that pointed against that. There must have been a catch to all of this. Despite the disheveled wreck that was the city, my mind couldn’t help but see the differences between the city I knew and this place. The roads were quite wide, and the buildings were built low. They were simplistic in that they had one door at the ground level and two windows on each floor. The material for every building was brick. No matter where I looked, that was all I saw. It also left a strange feeling in me, though that could just be that we had gotten here after traveling for so long. The ponies didn’t admire the place as I did, for they were very confused and scared. “Are you sure this is Las Pegasus?” Carrot Top asked, looking at the buildings with a grimace, her ears folded back. “This is definitely the place,” Twilight muttered, also looking around. “Come on, guys, it’s this way,” called Derpy who had gone ahead of us and around a corner. The ponies trotted to catch up, but I hung back, being very cautious. The feeling of someone watching me made me glance around. I could only hope it wasn’t humans. “Whoa Nelly,” Applejack said slowly, and when I looked over, I saw her and everyone else’s jaws were wide open in shock. I briskly made my way over, my footsteps giving an eerie echo in the desolate city. When I broke around the building to see what the ponies saw, I instantly found out what they were stunned about. A wall. A large, makeshift wall that looked hastily built. It was a good four stories high - which was two stories higher than the other buildings. It was made up of wood mostly, though there was an occasional metal plate here and there. It formed a circle around a portion of the city, by the look of it. A double door sat directly in the middle of the street, ten meters away from where we stood. All in all, it was a breath-taking spectacle that made me wonder how ponies were able to make it. “Here it is!” Derpy said, staring up at it with a smirk, “The Resistance!” “We made it!” Twilight cried, galloping forward with vigor. The other ponies followed suit, even Pinkie, all glad to make it to the one place that would be human-free. I even found myself giving a sigh of relief, knowing that I would be able to find the last two ponies, retrieve the Elements of Harmony, and get home, all by simply walking through to the other side. I took a single step, and a loud bang resonated through the city. A bullet hit me square in the chest, and the air was instantly knocked out of me. I fell to the floor, losing consciousness fast as the sound of my name was called. What felt like a split second later, I came to, my mind incredibly fuzzy with a sharp pain in my chest and faint ringing in my ears. I had been shot, obviously, but by who, I didn’t know. It must have been by humans, but that raised more questions than answers. Deciding to get my bearings, I raised my head ever so slightly to a fairly startling scene, darkness threatening to overcome my sight. The first thing I saw was Carrot Top, sobbing on my chest, her face covered by her hooves. Pinkie was to my left, covering her ears with her hooves as she hyperventilated, her eyes as small as pinpricks while she mumbled something. Applejack was off to my right, her face one of disbelief as she simply stared at the ground. Why she would seem so stunned was beyond me, my mind was filling up with too many questions as it was. I faced in front of me, past Carrot Top, to see something that was pretty new. The door had opened up to show a rainbow maned pony with a sky-blue coat. That was all I was able to discern about her, what with my shaken body and all. Derpy and Twilight were shouting and arguing with the pony, and a steady crowd of other ponies, that was still growing, observed from the other side of the wall. There wasn't a human in sight. I laid my head back down, regaining my hearing and energy simultaneously, and it wasn’t quiet at all, much to my small headache. Bickering, disagreements, the whole enchilada. I took a deep breath, and that startled Carrot Top enough to look up at me, her face full of surprise and hope. I lifted my left hand and waved slowly, making Carrot Top flinch upon seeing it. Slowly but surely, I began rising from the ground, grunting from the pain that still lingered on my chest. The first to notice were Pinkie and Applejack, who were both in disbelief, as they backed away from me like I was coming back from the dead. The ponies of the crowd were growing quiet fast, absolutely terrified of me by the looks of it. Derpy, Twilight, and the rainbow pony were the last to notice my revival, as I stood to full height, my left arm nursing my stomach where the bullet hit me. The three were gawking at me like the rest, but not as much as the rainbow pony, who had to rub her eyes to make sure she was seeing right. It was probably the most unbearable silence I have even been in, and it was incredibly irritating. I swept my gaze over the crowd, taking note of everyone that had gathered around. They were all staring at me, just standing there like freaking idiots. The wind was taunting the silence that seemed to reign supreme as it blew through. With my annoyance at its peak, I finally spoke, “It’s not polite to stare.” That shook everyone out of their daze, as they got over their initial shock and glared at me, besides those in my group of course. Applejack and Pinkie ran to my side with Carrot Top, looking me up and down, in doubt that I was still ticking. “B-But you were shot!” Pinkie exclaimed, and Applejack nodded to her statement. “Not from this world,” I repeated darkly, my face downcast to check my combat vest. I small imprint where the bullet had impacted was all that was left, and I grunted in thankfulness that I had my armor. I hadn’t told the others about it, since it never really came up. I faced the crowd again, seeing the large amount of hate that was practically radiating from them. I took a few steps forward before the rainbow colored pony shot forward and got in my face. She was so fast that I didn’t even see her do it, and jumped back from her sudden appearance, which didn’t help the chest. “Stay back, human!” she snarled. She was female, and from this distance, it wasn’t hard to see her magenta eyes glowering at me. Her statement was followed by shouts and jeers and such that garbled together. The basic gist of it was that they didn’t want me around here, and probably wanted me dead. Twilight and the others tried everything they could to explain, and the rainbow pony flew back to confront them for whatever reason. All I wanted to do was get a word in, explain my situation, something, but the volume was so loud that I couldn’t even hear my own voice. No matter how loud I was, it was drowned out by the ponies’ obnoxious yells of loathing. I rubbed my forehead tiredly, thinking of what I could do to regain the silence that had once been dominant. That’s when I got an idea. As quick as a whip, I unholstered my revolver, raised it over my head with my right hand, and fired. The noise was stopped in an instant, all eyes wide as the crowd focused on me. I, myself, was groaning in pain from my hand, barely keeping my weapon in my hold. It was hard enough trying to keep my revolver steady with two hands, but with one, it strained my arm considerably. I waited a few moments to allow the pain to subside a bit, and placed my revolver back in its place. “Now that I have your fucking attention,” I growled loudly, “Can someone tell me who the hell shot me?!” The rainbow pony was the first to speak, as she bared her teeth and stomped a hoof in frustration. “Who cares who shot you!” she emphasized, “What matters is why you aren’t dead! Those guns always killed ponies when a human shot them!” Before I could stop myself, I chuckled, which didn’t help my situation in the least with the rainbow pony. Was that the first time any of these ponies tried to shoot a human? I could imagine their disbelief pretty well now. “Don’t laugh about this, human!” the rainbow pony shouted, she just loved giving out orders. She turned to Derpy, her glare still steady, “Why the hay did you bring a human, Derpy?! I told you not to do that! You’re putting everypony here at risk!” Derpy shrunk down from the rainbow pony’s gaze, her eyes glancing at all the other ponies that glared at her. “I thought that- He was- I mean-” she stammered, struggling to find the right words. “Hey, don’t blame her!” I shouted, and the Rainbow pony whipped her head towards me. “She just thought she was doing what was best!” “Stay out of this, human!” she retorted angrily, “You're lucky you’re not dead yet, so don’t push your luck!” Twilight jumped between the rainbow pony and myself, looking very worried, “Rainbow, please, we all decided to bring him with us.” “Yeah,” Carrot Top agreed, “and he has a name.” “I don’t care what his name is!” the pony known as Rainbow shouted. This was the pony that was in charge of the Resistance, and one of the ponies that was supposed to assist my return home. Thinking it over, I was screwed. No way in hell and back was she going to help me. “Why are you sticking up for him? Unless…” She narrowed her eyes, “...You’re all brainwashed.” “RD, that’s ridiculous,” Applejack put in, giving her own glare at Rainbow. “How would a human do that anyway?” “I-I don’t know,” Rainbow shot back, her resolve faltering, “But we all know that those things only bring bad news!” “I’m right here, damn it,” I whispered to myself, grinding my teeth. “H-He kills,” Pinkie said, swallowing, and causing Rainbow to jump back in freight with a yelp. She must not have noticed her until now. “B-but he doesn’t kill innocent ponies.” “I bet he does!” Psycho Pinkie put in, making Rainbow back away further from her, fear evident on her face. What perfect timing for Pinkie’s split personality to come in. “P-Pinkie!?” Rainbow shouted in disbelief, “W-Why are you here? I thought you were-” “Still in the asylum!” Psycho Pinkie interrupted, “Where you left me to wither away and be forgotten!?” Rainbow’s ears folded back, the hurt etched on her features as she consciously placed a hoof over her heart. “Pinkie… You can’t honestly think that…” she said, just barely louder than a whisper. The anger on Pinkie’s face faded away and was replaced with sorrow, “N-No! I didn’t mean that!” She didn’t say any more as she looked away, her eyes clamped shut. Rainbow continued to stare at her though, like she was expecting Psycho Pinkie to yell out again. “How did she even get out?” Rainbow asked, then faced Twilight with bewilderment whiled pointing at her, “And why did you leave the bunker?” she faced Applejack and pointed again, “and I thought you were captured by humans!” “They were, technically,” Derpy spoke up, looking braver, “But...” She turned her gaze towards me, and once again, all eyes were on me. I felt myself fill up with pride; I was actually proud of helping these ponies. I wasn’t sure if it was simply because it meant I would be in the good books with these ponies. Subconsciously, I hoped that wasn’t the case. “No, no, no,” Rainbow said with each shake of her head, “There’s no way a human helped you guys out. They have no reason to!” “Well, I do!” I said, making my way over to the group, the crowd quickly backpedalled away, cautious of my approach. I ignored them, however, and focused on Rainbow Dash as I stopped a few feet away from her. She raised a brow with a questioning look before flaring her wings and hovering in front of me. “And what reason would that be, hmm?” She asked, jabbing a hoof at my chest. I winced from the sore spot, but my mask hid it well, and I was partially thankful for that. I knocked her hoof away and crossed my arms. “To get home,” I answered truthfully and simply. Rainbow rolled her eyes disdainfully, “If you just went North, you can, feather-brain.” “That isn’t my home,” I said quickly, and looked to the sky as if I could see Earth itself floating above. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to describe my predicament. “I’m not from this world.” “So now you’re saying you’re an alien?” she scoffed, and there was more than a few snickers from the crowd of ponies. I grunted in irritation, “I might be, not really sure.” Rainbow landed back on the ground and walked away from me. “Wow, you’re unbelievable,” she said with a small chuckle, “A human that says he’s an alien.” I knew there was no way I’d get to her, but that wasn’t my top priority. What I needed to do was to find the stuff I needed to get out of here. Twilight spoke up before I could voice my thoughts, “Rainbow, can we discuss this inside?” Rainbow dipped her head in thought, then glanced over to me, her eyes studying me with full intent of uncertainty. I couldn't blame her for being protective of the other ponies. After all, they were able to make it this far, why risk bringing in a human now? Even so, I hope she would take that risk. Finally, she faced Twilight again with a softened face.“Alright,” she relented with a sigh, “But he doesn’t go anywhere with those guns and stuff. And I want someone to watch him twenty-four seven.” “That’s reasonable,” Applejack nodded, and the others agreed as well, besides me. “Maybe for you it is,” I said, barely moving, “I’m not giving up my stuff.” “It’s either that,” Rainbow replied, “Or we take you out like we do with the every other human that comes by.” I rubbed the back of my head, forcing myself to cool down. Getting mad at these ponies would not get me anywhere. So, reluctantly, I took out my shotgun and knife and put them in Applejack’s saddle bag. Then I got out my revolver, gazing at it as if it would be the last time I would see it. Gripping the gun tightly, I reached over to the saddle bag and forced myself to place it gently inside. Rainbow gave a smug grin that was extremely agitating, and strolled through the wall. The other spectating ponies either left to do whatever they did, or allowed Rainbow to pass by, along with the other ponies. I waited until my group was through before attempting to enter the portion of the city, and as I passed the gate, the eyes of everyone locked on to me with contempt and hatred. I glanced around, It wasn’t too different from outside the wall, though it didn’t look nearly as run down or condemned. The streets were replaced with large gardens, flourishes of bountiful fruit trees and vegetables growing exuberantly. Many a pony walked along the sidewalks, either tending to the garden or monitoring everything else. Signs and posters covered the walls with slogans like 'Stand against the humans!' or 'Don't turn on your fellow pony!'. Each poster always had the picture of Celestia, reinforcing my view that she was very important to the ponies. In all my life, I have never been discriminated by anyone; I was pretty much an Average Joe. However, in this city alone, I was hit full force with it, everyone’s judgemental gazes lingering on me as if I would lash out like any other human here would. I remained by the gate as the group walked along, and I hurried after them as two ponies closed the doors behind me. Locking it with an innumerable amount of locks. No matter where I looked, there was always somebody staring at me with narrowed eyes, or with an upturned snout of superiority. It was extremely disheartening, and it only got worse as I continued along. At one point, the oranges that hung bare on the trees were too enticing to resist as I passed by them, and I reached out to pluck one. I was stopped suddenly by someone kicking me in the shin, hard. I nearly fell down, and only by waving my hands around a bit was I able to regain my balance. I continued walking while facing behind me to see who had done it, and saw a pink mare with a lime green mane and daisies as a cutie mark shake her head slowly with a furrowed brow. Having enough of all the hostility, I looked to the ground with a heavy sigh. I could hear ponies whispering behind my back, and I knew it wasn’t anything good. It was all just becoming too much, and it made me think how evil those humans must have really been to cause these ponies to act like that. Eventually, we made it to a building that was off to the side of the main road, right before an intersection. It looked to be a bookstore, as emphasised by the sign out front. The group entered the building single file with Rainbow Dash being last. I was about to follow before she shot back out and shoved me away without a care. “You stay out here,” she ordered, “Dusty will watch over you until we’re done.” Then, she slammed the door shut. Sighing, I glanced behind me, and took note of a pegasus stallion that stood straight with some odd clothing. He had on a sandy-tan duster of some sort with a vest underneath. His coat was as grey as Derpy’s with a short cut black mane and tail. A pair of shaded glasses sat on his snout as a glare hid behind it, and I eyed him strangely. Why was he so oddly dressed? If I didn’t know better, he was a part of S.W.A.T. himself. “What are you looking at?” he shot out with an Australian accent defensively. I guess it wouldn’t be too irregular for a pony to have an accent like that, Applejack had a southern accent after all. I closed my eyes in suppressed anger at his attitude, and laid back against the wall by the door, sliding down to a sitting position. The pony, who was probably Dusty, didn’t move a bit, still staring at me like I would disappear in a blink of an eye. Reaching up, I took off my head gear and stuff, and breathed easy in the cool air. Having it on had become second nature, and I had sometimes forgotten I was wearing it at all. I faced the pony in front of me, then glanced at the door beside me. There was some muffled talking, but nothing could be made out. I was stuck here until they were finished. “So... Dusty, is it?” I said, tilting my head as I examined him. “How did you survive that gun shot?” He questioned, rebounding my question with one of his own. Knowing there was no way around it, I decided to reveal my 'ace in the hole' in this world. "I have a bulletproof vest," I answered, gesturing to my torso nonchalantly. Seeing him struggle to examine my vest from a distance was oddly humorous, seeing as we were at least five meters away from each other. He eventually leaned back, and sat down on his haunches before reaching into his inside coat pocket. When he pulled his hoof back out, a bottle that looked like whiskey was in its hold, somehow. Using his teeth, he popped out the plug, dropped it to the ground, and took a large gulp from the bottle. After he was finished, he turned his eyes back on me. "Since when did humans have that kind of armor?" He asked like I was being interrogated. "We haven't seen any indication that you had them." "Since when did ponies have alcohol?" I replied with a question. If we were playing twenty questions, then I want to get some of mine answered. Dusty scoffed, "What does it matter to you, ya dingo?" I couldn't hide my irritance as I responded, "Just answer the goddamn question."  "I don't have to say anything to you," he retorted quickly, taking another swig from the bottle. I silently gave a curse to his aggressive nature, wishing to be rid of him as soon as possible. We sat there for awhile before he spoke up again. "I see you got Pinkie from the asylum," he said, with a tilt of his bottle. I had no idea why he would want to bring that subject up, based off everything else I've done. I brought a princess, for God's sake. Even still, I waited for him to go on. "What was it like there? In that asylum?" I looked up to the cloudy sky, letting my head rest against the brick wall I was relaxing against. In all honesty, it was probably the worst place I've ever been in. Crazy ponies, dark atmosphere, and enough chills to freeze over Hell. It definitely wasn't someplace I liked to talk about, but why was he so interested in it? It didn't make any sense that this pony would... The letter. Instead of answering Dusty's question, I jumped to my feet - which in turn made him jump up - and dove a hand into my pocket. He looked quite ticked that I had caught him off guard, though it was hard to tell with his shades. My gloved fingers came across the piece of parchment, and I yanked it out. It was the same letter that I had found in the asylum. My eyes briskly scanned it over, seeing if my memory was correct. Then I found what I was looking for: Give my regards to Dusty Hall, and a raise, since he’s working a fair amount of overtime. I slowly raised my head to look at Dusty, who was eyeing me like I had suddenly sprouted wings. It felt good to have something over him, even if he didn’t know it yet. “You worked at the asylum, didn’t you Dusty Hall?” I said with a smirk. Dusty flinched, as if I had burned him, before he came back to his stoic expression. “Yes, I did,” he replied simply before pointing a hoof at me, “And how did you find that out?” I held up the letter before me, giving it a slight wave for emphasis. He shot from his position with his wings, snatched the piece of paper in my hand, and landed again, reading the letter with a critical eye. After a few seconds, He slammed the paper down, and growled to himself as he hung his head. I crossed my arms, my smirk still on my face, “Do you mind explaining that?” He looked away, probably thinking of exactly what to say, as he pulled his shades away to show his dark blue eyes shifting uncomfortably. Eventually, he looked up at me, and from the look of him he seemed in pain, troubled, something along those lines. “I…” he whispered. At that moment, the door swung, and Rainbow was standing there with a annoyed stare that I knew was directed towards me. Dusty had stood to attention, his shades back on his snout. Rainbow gave me a sideways glance, studying my exposed face, before stepping out of the doorway to allow the other ponies to come through. “So… how’d it go?” I asked, but none of them looked me in the eye, especially Carrot Top, who had her eyes clamped shut for some reason. Rainbow did not looked pleased, and everyone else looked apologetic; what exactly would that mean? When they were all out, Twilight finally looked at me with a forced smile. “We, uh, came to an agreement,” she expressed with fake happiness. “Don’t sugarcoat it,” I deadpanned, and Twilight’s smile faded quickly as it was replaced with a sorry look, with a tinge a fear. “Okay,” she said quietly, and took a deep breath. “You can stay…” I nodded slowly as a gesture to continue. “but you can’t have any of your weapons, we can’t help you, and you have to sleep in a rundown shack!” She spoke so fast that I nearly missed it, and I wish I did. “Are you kidding me!?” I exclaimed, my anger growing with a tad of depression eating its way in. “Nope,” Applejack said with a distant expression, seeming to look somewhat remorseful, if only just. I groaned in exasperation, as I felt like I was at the end of my rope. I ran a hand through my hair as I thought about their decision. I couldn’t have my guns with me, which meant I couldn’t carry around Vera, my revolver, the last gift Emma gave me, for as long as I stayed, which would probably be forever, if these ponies thought I was with the other humans. I also couldn’t get any help, which didn’t make much sense in the first place, as I was helping them so they could help me. Finally, I had to sleep in a shack, though that shouldn’t be a surprise. My temper subsided, but I was feeling really hopeless now. “Where’s this shack?” I requested as I rubbed my eyes. {~+~} The ponies, or more accurately Rainbow Dash, lead me through the intersection that adjoined the building and walked past more as we came to a barren part of the city. It was fairly close to the wall, and it looked like this part wasn’t initially part of the city before the wall was erected. Eventually, we came across a shack that looked no bigger than a bedroom, made mostly of wood, and was sagging noticeably. “Welcome to your new room, human,” Rainbow laughed, a cruel smile growing on her face as she hovered beside me. “Yeah, yeah, yuck it up,” I growled, feeling my hands tightened into fists. This is where I’ll be sleeping for who knows how long, and it didn’t even look like it could shelter me correctly. Not only that, but Rainbow’s mocking was really testing my restraint. It was like she was trying to get me to snap and attack her. When I thought about it, it was probably exactly what she was trying to do. The other ponies looked uncertain, even Applejack was gazing at me like she wished there was something she could do. Rainbow crossed her forelegs, acting like she was getting back at all the humans by picking on me. Sighing depressedly, I walked forward towards the door of the shack, and slowly pulled it open with ease. What awaited inside was atrocious. The walls had moss growing in certain parts of it, the concrete flooring looked damp, and the bed that was the only piece of furniture had no sheets, pillows, or blankets. Who had lived here before me? They must have abandoned this thing years ago. “Go on, have a look around,” Rainbow snickered, still lingering behind me. I glanced behind me with a firm glare, but that didn’t scare her off. Feeling all the unrighteous hate towards me that day had suddenly hit me, and I wasn’t happy about it one bit. I was being discriminated by ponies, and for what!? For being the species that had invaded them!? The wave of anger that washed through me took control of my body as I quickly slipped into the shack and slammed the door with all my might. It may have been childish, but it was the best that I could do without being targeted by these ponies a second time. I stared at the door for awhile, waiting for them to leave. “Did you really have to tease him?” Carrot Top asked shyly from the other side. “What did you expect me to do?” she said back with a small chuckle, “You guys told me that he doesn’t hurt other ponies, so I might as well get some kicks out of it.” “But was denying our help really the best option?” Twilight asked as I heard hoofsteps leaving the area. “I said it once, and I’ll say it again,” Rainbow replied in exasperation, “He’s only tricking you to tell that Baron guy where we are. He only did all that so he could sneak in.” “But he’s a wanted human, RD,” Applejack exclaimed, surprisingly. “Humans were tryin' ta kill him!” “Just another trick up his sleeves,” Rainbow responded as their voices were growing distant. “Don’t worry about it, he doesn’t mind. Ha! Anyway, about the party we’re going to have…” The voices were gone, and I felt like utter crap. Taking off my combat vest, I rested it along with my mask next to the wall as I climbed into the wobbly bed. It wasn’t exactly comfy, but it wasn’t like I could change anything about it. Since there was nothing to do then, I decided to sleep early. After all, it had been a tedious and long journey. Giving one final sigh, I closed my eyes, and fell asleep. {~+~} I opened my eyes, and found that I wasn’t in the shack anymore, or even in Las Pegasus. I was standing upright with the environment stretching in infinite white. I knew I was back in my dreams, and that could only mean one thing. “You better piss off right now,” I growled underneath my mask, “I don’t have time for your tricks.” I was only answered with silence, which wasn’t right. This intruder in my dreams would have tried something or other to lull me in a false sense of security. But there was nothing, no fake imitations, no elaborate deception. Just… nothing. In the quiet, I heard a footstep, or perhaps just someone shifting his foot, but it was enough for me to catch it. It was surprising at first, but my frame hardened. Whoever was behind this whole debacle with my mind was behind me, I just knew it. As soon as I turned around, I would see the one thing that had caused my nights to be hell for the first few days in this place. With a deep breath, I turned and gazed over to who that one person was. It was a pony, though that wasn’t a shocker, and she was an Alicorn, as she had the wings and horn to point to that assumption. She was also very dark, and she stood out when compared to the bright surrounding. Her coat was a dark sapphire blue, with a mane and tail that were a picture of the night sky itself, flowing magically. This pony was also the biggest I had come across; at least as tall as me, not counting the horn. The last thing I noticed was the tiara on her head, the black necklace around her neck, and her Cutie Mark. A blob of black with a crescent moon. “H-Hello, Nolan Anderson,” she mumbled nervously. I didn’t say a word, and instead briskly walked over to her. She backed away a little, her face contorted with fear as her eyes widened. When I was a few feet away from her, I stopped, and she closed her eyes while turning away, expecting me to hit her. I really, really, wanted to, but something was holding me back, and it made me want to question her first before I gave judgement. “Are you the bitch that has been messing with me?” I hissed out, clenching my hands shut. The pony opened one eye slowly, seeing if I would hit her, and then relaxed as she looked at me guiltily. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again as she faced the ground. She was having a hard time finding the words, and I was losing the small amount of patience I had with her. “Answer me, dammit!” I shouted, causing her to jump back in fright. She looked terrified of me, and I didn’t know why. If this was a dream, than she couldn’t really get hurt here, right? Finally, she gulped, and stood up straight, though I could see that she was shaking. “I… I am the one who has been interfering with your dreams,” she said with as much bravado as she could muster, before lowering her head as her ears folded back. “And… I am dreadfully ashamed of it.” I shook my head,  feeling my insides boiling in rage. She thought she could make all of that up by just saying sorry? The world doesn’t work like that, and she crossed the line when she thought she could use Emma to her advantage. “Why?” I asked simply, crossing my arms as I eyed the floor. If she couldn’t answer that one question, than I wouldn’t be held responsible to what I would do to her. She sat on her haunches, her hoof pawing at the ground slightly as she thought on how to respond. Eventually, she looked up with a forced smile, “Maybe some introductions are in order. I am Princess Luna, ruler of the night in Equestria.” “I didn’t ask who you were,” I snapped, causing her to flinch, “I asked ‘why’, as in, ‘why the fuck were you using my dead girlfriend to get to me!?’” I yelled out the last part, and I didn’t regret it. In fact, I actually got a kick out of seeing her squirm a little. It was a sadistic side of me that I wasn’t proud of at that point in time. “I-I am sorry, Nolan Anderson,” she said with a sob, tears threatening in her eyes. “I did not have a choice in the m-matter.” That made me raise an eyebrow, but she couldn’t see it, so I spoke my interest. “What do you mean?” She looked at the ground pitifully, her eyes quivering as a few drops of water leaked from them. “When I was captured, the Baron locked me in the dungeons, where I still reside. It is only recently that he learned of my power to go into others’ dreams. When you became a wanted criminal, the Baron forced me to trick you into revealing your location, so he could… eliminate you.” So it all went back to the humans, and more specifically, the Baron. Still, I was mad that she went along with him, even if she was forced to do it. She wasn’t finished, though, and continued, tears flowing faster than before. “At first,” she said, with a few sniffs, “I-I refused, as it was abusing my power. But all he did was have others beat me, and I subsided. It was only when you found me out that I decided against assisting the Baron in any way.” She shook her head, “And all he did was have humans beat me each day. I can hardly stand it, but I do not want to use my powers for evil. It was how I became Nightmare Moon in the first place.” I had no idea who Nightmare Moon was, nor did I dwell on it. “So…” I said, rubbing my chin, “You came back to apologize, right?” She nodded with a sad frown, standing back up with some difficulty. “I had to make right for what I have done,” she said, and she cried harder, “especially after what that human did to ‘Tia.” That caught my attention, as I looked at her. “‘Tia?” I questioned, without any hatred or remorse, just curiosity. “Celestia, my sister,” she informed, breaking back into her cries. I closed my eyes in thought. As far as I could tell, all the ponies acted like Celestia was still alive. LIke she was still working to find a way to free the enslaved ponies. But now, this is confirmation that she is dead and gone. “How do you know she's dead?” I asked slowly and carefully, feeling slightly bad for being so hard on her. “I no longer feel her presence,” she stated, as her legs gave out, and she fell to the ground with a hollow thud. She made no movement to get up, so I figured she wanted to be there right now. “It was the day that Canterlot fell. ‘Tia told me to guide the ponies of the city away to a safe haven, and when we were at the bottom of the mountain… she was gone.” She closed her eyes as her crying took control of her emotions, and I was left with my thoughts. This princess had gone through a lot. Not that any of the ponies had a walk in the park, but Luna must have been tearing herself up for months, forced to succumb to the Baron and the other humans. I didn’t forgive her for what she did to me, and I never would, but I could sympathise with her. I didn’t know what to say or do at that point; I didn’t want to comfort her, but at the same time, I couldn’t bear to see her in this state. “Don’t weep for those who are gone,” I said monotonically, as I turned around. “Weep for those who are still suffering.” The sobbing was toned down a bit, and a long moment of silence was all there was. “You are a very different human, Nolan Anderson,” Luna noted, and I heard her stand back up on her feet. “Though I do not know much about you, I feel as if you have gone through a lot.” “What, you didn’t know that already when you entered my dreams?” I said rudely. “I can only see what emotions stand out the most,” she explained, sniffing, “And you have an immeasurable amount of guilt in you about the human girl you loved.” I dipped my head, as I thought about her words. Yeah, I had a lot of guilt for sure. When I looked back, I could see where I had gotten it, too. “I think it’s best to leave it at that,” I said, glancing back at her. “And… try to resist the Baron.” Luna opened her mouth to protest, which wouldn’t be surprising if the beatings were that bad, but she held her tongue and gave a curt nod. It was at that moment that a loud noise that sounded like cheer rang in my head painfully, and I fell, once again, as darkness replaced the white.