Sweet Apple Acres
Gregory's POV
Pain...my everything hurts...especially my face...but mostly my everything...What smells like apples?...Voices?...They sound female...why do I taste dirt?
I groan and try to move my body but to no avail. I'm just stuck like this. I hear gasping next to me. Oh yeah I forgot about them. Whoever they are. Well at least I'm not alone in my suffering. I feel something prod at my head. I try to say stop but all that comes out is...
"Stpgugh...uuugh." I say while spitting out a mouthful of dirt. Tastes awesome by the way. (Sarcasm) It works though because whatever was poking me has stopped. Thank you god.
I decide that it's time to get up. So with some great effort I begin the slow process of rising to my knees. Hey It's working! The first thing I notice when I open my eyes after getting on my knees, is the green ground I landed on. I take a look around the small indent I made. Its shaped just like me.
I decide to look up from the ground to take in my surroundings an- OH GOD THE COLORS!!!...Well... at least it's sort of natural coloring. The colors seem to fit and aren't random like Nalarath. Everything is just so damn bright though! All the colors are glowing!Eh whatever. Just as long as I don't have to look at it all for too long. Or see any rainbows anytime soon...Or towns similar to Nalarath...
Looking to my left I see a dark forest of sorts in the distance. Well at least I know where to go for some solitude.. I thought happily. I look to my right and almost immediately regret my decision. Apple trees are everywhere. Thousands of apple trees! Thousands and thousands of trees bearing the bright colorful fruit of sin! That's not the thing that concerns me though. What does concern me are the...colorful, (horses?), sitting in front of me.
...I can see why death couldn't stand this place. Speaking of...I'm gonna have a chat with him about that. I thought to myself. Taking in the ponies in front of me I notice that the one on the left is orange with blonde hair, green eyes, a few freckles on her face, is wearing a Stetson, is called Applejack, this is her farm, holder of the Element of Honesty.Wait?! How did I know those last parts?! I've never met this horse! What kind of name is Applejack? What the hell is an element of honesty? And how does a horse own a farm? Surely there are humans here. I cant be the only one...right? Oh please let there me other humans...
The pony on the right is a blue horse with magenta eyes, has wings, her mane is...rainbow colored...(damn it), name is Rainbow Dash...(double damn it), holder of the Element of Loyalty. Again...where is this information coming from?! And why the hell is her mane a rainbow and her name Rainbow Dash?! WHY RAINBOWS!!! TOO MANY RAINBOWS! COLORFUL APPLES AND RAINBOWS! ITS MY OWN PERSONAL HELL! AAAAAAAAAAH! It was then I noticed that they were saying something.Makes sense that they'd speak I guess. Weird though...their facial expressions are so detailed. I decided to derail myself from my inner anguish to see what they were talking about..
"What kind of creature do yah think it is Rainbow?" Applejack asked. So I'm the first human they ever met... (triple damn it) that's three strikes! I've had it! I quit! Where's the exit?! Oh wait now the other horse is talking.
"I'm not really sure. But it looks like some kind of monkey thing. Whatever this thing is it's durable! I mean, it just made a crater outside your farm and doesn't look hurt at all! There's not a scratch on the thing!"
Really?
I look down and sure enough my clothes are still in tact. Now that I think about it, I don't feel as much in pain anymore. More so, I don't feel any pain at all. Well except for a light pressure in my head. I also notice that my cane is still gripped in my right (white) gauntlet. My cane is still its beautiful black color. And the gauntlet is still shiny and white. Not a spec of dirt on either. My robe doesn't seem to be effected by the ground either. I thought this thing would be coated in dirt or my own blood. I then went to feel my face with my left hand to see if there are any wounds when...leather. Oh yeah the other (Black) gauntlet. Well it looks like nothing happens if I touch myself with them. I wonder what would happen if I touched one of these horses?
I reach out to "Rainbow Dash" with my black glove to test my theory. Hey it works or it doesn't. I have to know! I lightly poke her cheek with an extended finger and...nothing. She just flinches and looks at me. Guess it only works on dead souls. That's probably a good thing then. Thinking of souls, there's some kind of blue wavy thing deep in her center. Guess that's the soul of a living pony.Well I think it's about time I got some answers. Before I can pull back my hand to explain myself, she grabs it with her (hoof?) and flips me over. Damn she's strong! Surprisingly it doesn't hurt. I only grunted loudly in surprise...I swear.
"What's the big deal? Why'd you touch my face?!" She said with a snarl on her face.
Oh she looks cute when she's mad!
Death? What the hell man help me out here! And why send me here in the first place?
Mmm naaaah. I think you got this one. And to answer your other question, I already told you. You seek the darkness, you find the souls. You have to learn to do this on your own so I'm just gonna give some random commentary to keep your spirits up. He-he get it? Spirits?
...Yah I got it. Also your a dick.
A least I'm not the one who got flipped by a Rainbow colored pony.
Touché. Wait pony? How come I wasn't given that information about them?
Robe Adjustments.
Oh yeah...
"Easy Rainbow. Ah don't think you should get too mad at it. Maybe that's just how it says hello?"
Rainbow had a sense of clarity wash over her. She let go and made a sorry expression while rubbing the back of her head. "Eh-heh sorry about that monkey."
"Hey no worries." They both gasped at that. Oh right this is the first time I've actually said anything since getting here.
"It can talk!" Both ponies said in unison.
"Yes. And I'm also not an IT. Nor am I a monkey. I'm a human." I respond to their rude outburst.
Why did they assume I couldn't talk?
Maybe because you're the first human they've ever seen.
That could be a good reason.
"Hooman?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"No. Human." I say back.
"That's what I said!" She exclaimed with defiance in her voice while crossing her fore hooves.
"No you said hooman. At least I'm pretty sure that's what I heard. So either you said hooman or I'm just hearing things. And trust me, I have almost perfect hearing for my age."
"Yah...almost." Rainbow responded. "Look that doesn't matter right now. I got some questions!" You aren't the only one Rainbow.... God I'm getting a migraine from just looking at her. I wonder If I could distract them to go off into that forest?
"Ok first off, who are you? Second, where are you from and why are you here? Third what's with your fore legs? And the most important question; If you could talk then why didn't you do that earlier instead of touching my face like a weirdo?" She asked while giving me a hard glare.
Try as hard as I might, I cant take her seriously with that face!
Not now Death. This pony wants answers and I need some darkness. So the quicker I answer the questions the sooner I can get away from her. I look her dead in the eyes with the most neutral expression I can muster.
"My name is Father Gregory. Er...I was a father." She raised her eyebrow at my name. Yeah like your names any better.. "I come from a land called Nalarath. Do to some...strange circumstances I have been sent here. As for why I'm here I cant say yet because I'm not so sure myself ."
Lying will get you no where.
I'm not totally lying. I still have no idea what to do with the souls I find. Plus...how can I tell them I'm a soul collector hired by death?
Don't worry you'll get it. Also...that's a good point. Keep lying my apprentice.
So I continue,"As for my 'fore legs', I'm assuming you mean my arms. They are like this because I'm wearing leather gauntlets. These gauntlets have special markings on them. They're just a type of clothing I wear over my arms"
She just nodded in understanding at that.
"Ok that just leaves why you touched my face? Also another question, why are your 'gauntlets' different colors?"
Oh crap how to explain this...
With more lies!
" I just wanted to see what would happen if I touched you." Yeah that's not creepy at all... And I'm sure she'll buy it.. "As for your other question, its uh...fashion statement?" I lied through my teeth.Please buy it...please buy it!
"Yeah I don't believe you." quadruple damn it!
"Ah don't either." Said Applejack with a frown on her face. "There seems to be a lot of holes in yer story partner. " Oh crap.
NOW YA FUCKED UP! I TOLD YOU LYING WAS A BAD IDEA!
DAMN IT DEATH! NOT NOW!
Still not to late to break it for that forest.
Oh yeah the forest. And technically I answered her questions. Wether they believe it or not isn't my problem. I would stay and ask my own questions but my head is seriously starting to hurt. Now I just need a distrac-
"AAAAPPPPPLLEEEEJAAAAACK!! RAAAAAAAINNNNBOOOOW DAAAAAASH!" Huh...that'll work. Sure enough they turn towards the source of the noise. While they weren't keeping focus on me I decided to head for that forest. It's about time too. These damn colors. I start to rise up onto my feet while gripping my cane. They don't seem to notice me sneaking away. I begin to slowly tip-toe away from the before breaking into a sprint towards that forest. IM GONNA MAKE IT! SUCK IT STUPID COLORFUL PONIES! Hey what's that weird feeling in my everything. And why cant I feel the ground?
I look down to notice...I'm floating? Since when do I float? Oh hey there's a magical purple glow around me. Is that the robes powers kicking in? ONWARD TO FREEDOM ROBE! I start to float towards the ponies. No! Wrong way! Wrong way! Bad magical robes! Bad! Much to my dismay my robes don't seem to react to my scolding as I'm still floating towards the ponies. Oh crap there's more of them...
Four more ponies and a (giant gecko?) had joined the two colorful ponies. Unfortunately, they were just as colorful if not more then the other two. TOO MUCH COLOR! CANT HANDLE IT! SENSORY OVERLOAD! I develop a massive migraine and shut my eyes. I'm about to pass out from the pain. But before I completely black out I hear one of them say;
"We should probably take this thing to the library to study it. Spike write a letter to Celestia telling her about this new creature. Were probably going to have to cancel the sleepover.I'm going to teleport us so ponies don't start asking questions. Hang on girls."
Thing?...Spike?...Celestia?...Sleepover?...Teleport?...Library?...Ok I cant stay awake any longer! Too many colorful thoughts! And with that I embrace sweet slumber.