//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Downhill // Story: Lost and Fallen // by Superdale33 //------------------------------// Lost and Fallen Chapter 10: Downhill The next few minutes were a blur, as my mind was a bit numb. A filly that I had only known for half an hour was dead and gone. I felt even worse knowing I didn’t even know the girl’s name, or where her sister was. For all I knew, that little filly had joined her sister. What also concerned me was how good that damn sniper was. It was incredibly dark, the distance was great, and many other factors; yet he was able to shoot my leg and that pony. I wondered if that sniper left me alive on purpose, but I shook that thought out. Some stray gust of wind must have changed the bullet’s course. Though sadness was overwhelming my senses, I could still make out everything that was going on. The ponies were going into hysterics over the newly returned foals and the death of one particular filly. I saw many foals run up to their family, their faces in pure happiness. All I could do was sit against a building with a cigarette in one hand. Alone and forgotten, that was, until I reminded them I was here. “Nolan!” I heard a pony exclaim gleefully to my left, and when I looked over, I saw it was Carrot Top, trotting over to me as she watched the scene of the reunited families. I guess I wasn’t so forgotten as I had thought. “Hey,” I replied somberly, sounding more like a grunt. “Did you bring these foals back?” she asked with a breathless voice. I could understand her disbelief; it was an impossible feat to begin with. “I wasn’t alone,” I replied simply, and that was when Carrot Top caught on to my mood as she frowned, matching my attitude. “W-What’s the matter?” she asked quietly, and I bowed my head, my mind going back to the events. “There was a filly,” I muttered, readjusting my seated position, growing uncomfortable. “She didn’t make it.” “Is it the filly that passed away in the clinic?” she asked, sitting down next to me, for which I  was very grateful. I needed a friend to talk to. “Yeah,” I said, getting another drag from my cigarette before continuing, “We were nearly home free, and then there was a sniper.” “She was shot!?” she asked hoarsely, shock evident in her tone. Apparently, how the filly had died hadn’t circulated around the town yet. If I was in the doctor’s shoes, I wouldn’t talk much about it either. “That’s horrible!” I remained silent for a moment, critically thinking about those last two words. It was horrible, and unjustifiable, and still I felt like I was to blame. I was there, I could have done something! If I hadn’t let my guard down, she may have been still alive, then again, it could have happened anyway… Just like Emma. I shook my head as I clenched my teeth shut. I needed to talk to someone about her eventually or I would tear myself apart. But I wasn’t going to do it yet, I still needed time. Though it felt like I was just stalling the inevitable. Nevertheless, I was a bit relieved about that decision. Sighing, I tried to get my mind back on topic, remembering what the subject was about. “I promised her,” I muttered, my right hand tightening. “What?” Carrot Top asked with a raised brow, missing what I had said. “I promised her!” I hissed, slamming my hand to the ground, startling Carrot Top. “I promised that she would be alright, that she’d see her sister.” Carrot Top’s ears folded back as she closed her eyes, “You couldn’t have known.” “I…” I started, about to rebut her for it, but she was right, even if I wanted to put all the blame on myself. “Never knew her name. She was so close to freedom, to living a full life, and she died, and I never even knew her name!” Carrot Top put a hoof on my shoulder as I took deep, ragged breaths. I was getting really worked up, but I didn't want to stop, like shouting about it would show the universe that I already felt bad enough. That filly never deserved to die so young. These ponies didn’t deserve to be invaded, to be enslaved, or to die… “Her name was Piña Colada,” A voice said in front of me, and I turned my gaze, seeing Doctor Styles stand there with a determined and drained face. “I figured I should at least tell you that.” I stared at Doctor Styles, not even caring what the filly’s name reminded me of as a weak smile grew, “I appreciate it.” He nodded at my thanks, glancing at the other ponies. I couldn’t tell if he had longing in his eyes or loathing, like hating someone that had died. I didn’t want to pry, and I didn’t have to as he spoke again. “My parents were in Canterlot when the humans invaded. I was in Ponyville at the time, along with Nurse Temperament.” “Sorry to hear,” I said, holding the cigarette in my hand. He chuckled sadly, facing the ground in remembrance, “We weren’t very close, ever since I left home to pursue my career; they never supported me being a doctor. Angel and I were here in Las Pegasus for a conference when we heard the news that Ponyville had fallen. It was happening so fast; one moment, Canterlot was taken, and a few hours later, we hear the same thing happened to Ponyville.” I wasn’t too enthusiastic about him giving his life story, but I was respectful enough to listen to him. He obviously needed to get that off his chest. The silence that followed wasn’t completely uncomfortable, it felt sort of right, but I wanted a change of topic. Glancing around, I noticed that the foals and family had gone their separate ways, probably to catch up after being apart for so long. I guess I’d been sitting out here for awhile. “Nolan,” Applejack called as I saw her approach me, along with Applebloom, who was carrying an apple in her mouth by its stem. Both of them weren’t looking too happy themselves, but it was more heart wrenching to see Applebloom look so sad. “Ya need ta eat somethin’.” My guilt seemed to be keeping my stomach full for the time being, but she was right, as I needed some real food. With a nod, I stuck my hand out underneath Applebloom, and she released the apple into my hand. Clasping my hand around it, I gave a wide grin while staring at the apple. It was good to have friends like those to comfort me when I needed it. I blinked in surprise; had I just called them friends? A week ago, I would have called it ‘forced acquaintanceship’, but that day… I was content in calling them friends. Because that was what they were. “Thanks,” I said, looking up at them with a weak smile. It was a simple word, but I didn’t think I needed to say more. Flicking my nearly burnt out cigarette, I took a bite out of the apple as I idely listened as the ponies spoke. “So, what happens now?” Carrot Top asked Applejack, who sighed in response. “I don’t know,” she admitted with a shake of her head, “RD told me she’s gonna have a meetin’ in an hour.” “To talk about what?” Applebloom asked with curiosity. “Nothin’ that concerns ya,” Applejack said seriously, looking at her sister with a hint of a glare as she nudged her along with a hoof, “Go play with your friends.” Applebloom whined, but did as she was told, trotting away from us. As I ate, I looked around seeing Rainbow talk with Twilight rather quietly. Twilight gave a glance at me, which broke me out of my stare as I looked away. I wasn’t sure why, since they were the ones hiding something from me - big shocker. I continued looking around, seeing Dusty chat with Doctor Styles and the nurse. Many other ponies were going back to work, mostly farming, but others patrolled, and that was when I realized that I hadn’t seen one pony in particular. “Applejack,” I said uneasily, standing up as I continued to look around. “Where has Pinkie been?” Applejack was taken aback by my question, and glanced at a nearby house nervously. “She’s been in that there house since we got here.” “She hasn’t come out since?” I asked in a worried tone, “Not even for food or water?” “Now, hold on there,” Applejack said, putting a hoof on my chest to calm me down. “We’ve been givin’ her food and such, she just ain’t in the mood to be around nopony.” “So have you talked with her?” I followed up, staring intently at the building. Applejack shook her head, “No, I thought I should give her some space, seein’ what she’s been through.” “With a condition like hers,” I said, “Leaving her be should be the last thing we do.” I looked back at her, “I’ll check up with her.” Applejack smiled at my kindness, “Thank ya kindly, Nolan. She’s on the top floor, last room on the right.” Nodding, I waved goodbye to them and made my way over to the door of the building. As I did, I gave one last gaze around. Everyone was still where they had been earlier, except for Dusty. He was nowhere in sight. Shrugging the thought off, I entered the building, and was instantly greeted by the dull smell of the air. By the looks of the interior, it hadn’t been cleaned up in ages. Pushing the thought out, I hastily climbed the creaky stairs, wanting to get this over with. At the top, I looked down the hall to see Dusty, sitting against the door that was supposed to hold Pinkie. “Dusty,” I said as I walked down the hallway, causing him to jump up, revealing that he was drinking from his whiskey bottle. “What are you doing?” He looked at me with his shades at a loss for words, placing the bottle inside his vest. His mouth was hung open as he remained where he sat. “I was… checking up on Pinkie,” he explained, and though it felt like the truth, his tone suggested that it wasn’t the whole story. I found myself standing by his side, looking at the door that stood between us and Pinkie. “And?” I asked expectantly, facing him with a hardened expression. He adverted his eyes, gritting his teeth as he did. “She’s… fine,” he said quickly, hesitating more than he should. Crouching down, I looked him dead in the eye, “Do I need to drag Applejack up here to get you to tell me the truth?” He rolled his eyes before glancing back at the door, “She’s… not eating.” I gave a sigh, standing back up as I looked at the door as Dusty continued, “I think it’s a form of suicide. Whatever happened in the Crystal Empire must have been very traumatizing.” “And you didn’t talk to her?” I asked in an accusatory voice. “Comfort her, do something?” “You think I haven’t tried that already?” he snapped, slamming a hoof to the floor. “She doesn’t do anything when I try talking to her. What am I supposed to do!?” I closed my eyes, thinking back when I was the same way, barely eating a thing as I just slumped around. How did I get out of that ditch in my life? It wasn’t the time to look back in my life, because another’s was at stake. Reopening my eyes, I stepped around him as he backed away, knowing I was going to open the door. “I’ll give it a shot,” I said, as I turned the handle, pushing open the door. The room was unusually bare, not a single piece of decoration was set up. With my eyes scanning over the room, it was inevitable that they landed on Pinkie. She was lying in her bed, her head resting on her hooves. She looked very unhealthy, with her ribs being more noticeable, and her fur was paling. She was worse than when I found her in the asylum. Why would she do that to herself after staying alive all that time in that place? “Pinkie?” I called, hoping to gain her attention. She didn’t move, however, gazing over at the wall blankly. I gave one last glance back to Dusty, who looked incredibly worried, staring at Pinkie. Gently, I closed the door to keep the distractions down, and turned back to Pinkie. “Pinkie,” I said loudly, but she still didn’t move. Raising my voice, I yelled, “Pinkie!” Still nothing. Growing frustrated, I walked over to her and shook her, “Listen to me!” There was a quiet sob, one that I barely caught, but it was enough to make me stop with a bit of reluctance. I took a few steps back, and looked for a chair I could sit on. Seeing one, I quickly grabbed it and brought it over, setting it beside the bed. As I sat down, I heard another sob that was barely audible. “Pinkie,” I said softly, leaning forward, “Talk with me.” I saw her bring a hoof over to her eye, rubbing away something - must have been tears. Leaning back, I waited for a moment to see if she just wanted to collect her thoughts. After a while, I knew she wasn’t going to speak any time soon. “If you’re not going to talk,” I said with a sigh, “Then at least listen.” There was no way to tell if she understood what I said, or would even do as I told, but I guess it was a small risk. At the very least, I would feel like I did something. I sorted out my thoughts before I finally spoke, “I have no idea what happened back at the Crystal Empire, but trying to kill yourself isn’t going to make you feel better.” I paused for a second, listening to what I had said as I thought of a follow up. I wasn’t the best at personal speeches, but I had to do something. “You’re hurting inside, Pinkie,” I started, “I can see that. The other thing in your head, the one that tells you to kill your friends and yourself. Did she tell you to do this?” I asked it before I could stop myself; she wasn’t going to answer, so there was no point in asking. “You’re not the only one that’s hurting,” I continued, “Hundreds of ponies are being beaten and forced to do labor. I know it’s tough to forget the stuff you saw, but sometimes we have to put aside what we want, so that others can have what they want.” That gave me a thought that might actually work, “Isn’t that what you always did, Pinkie? Make others smile even when you didn’t want to?” Not expecting an answer, I stood up, feeling that I had done what I could. “Just remember that other ponies still love you,” I said, turning my back to her. “And they want someone to cheer them up.” I heard her crying loudly; she wasn’t hiding it this time. “N-Nolan…” I heard her say, causing me to whip around, actually surprised that she spoke to me. As she looked up at me, I saw that her eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks were stained with her tears. She must have been crying longer than I thought. “How am I supposed to cheer ponies up when they lost somepony?” She must have been inexperienced at that field. Maybe that was why she lost her mind to begin with. I shook my head sadly, “Sorry, I can’t answer that.” That caused her to lower her head, but I went on, “It’s something that you have to figure out on your own.” I turned back to the door, hearing her sniffle a bit as I opened it up. I hoped what I said changed her for the better. Exiting the room, I saw that Dusty was gone, and though it wasn’t a big deal, I thought he would have stayed to hear if Pinkie had changed. Of course, I didn’t have an answer for him. I left the building to find that the street was practically empty. Only a few ponies were out working on the gardens, but even they seemed to be rushing to finish up. Seeing a pony run by, I turned to see it dash into a theater, and when I saw another hurry through the same building, I knew it must have been where they were gathering. Thinking they must have been arranging a meeting without telling me, I stormed over to the building with anger. I thought I had earned their trust? What other hoops did they want me to jump through before I could be accepted!? I slammed open the door into the lobby of the theater, which was devoid of ponies. I walked over to the doors leading into the theater room, and slowly opened it, taking a peek inside. It was dark as night in there, except for the stage lights, which were turned on, but they were on the other side of the red curtain. Almost everybody I knew was standing in a huddle at the stage, talking excitedly and quietly. I briskly made my way over, not hiding my presence in the least. Some ponies took a glance over to me, and when they did, they were instantly panic-stricken, pure terror on their faces. It was rather odd, seeing as they knew I was walking about. I assumed that they were just used to someone watching over me. Ignoring them, I hopped up on the stage and walked around the large group of ponies, deciding to go around the stage to see what they were hiding from me. Huh, maybe the ponies were scared to show me what they had behind their backs, so to speak. Then again, they would have stopped me. As I was doing this, I heard voices speaking to each other nonchalantly, some I recognized right off the bat, but there was a few I didn’t know. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Twilight asked concernedly, making a female chuckle. “I’m fine, Twilight,” the female informed, “I’m just a bit hungry.” “More apples! Stat!” Twilight exclaimed. “On it!” Applejack said, and then there was more chuckling, but there was a male voice there as well. As I looped around the curtain, I saw many ponies in the spotlight, though not nearly as many as what was on the other side of the curtains. Applejack had apples brimming inside her saddlebag, and Rainbow wasn’t too far off with a bowl of water at her hooves. Twilight and Doctor Styles were looking over two ponies that I was unfamiliar with, though one was the same type of pony like Twilight. One was a large, Unicorn stallion, probably the biggest I had come across. His coat was white, and he had a three-toned blue mane. He also had blue hooves, and a Cutie Mark resembling a shield. The other was a mare that was as big as Luna was, and had wings and a horn like the other Alicorns I had seen. Her coat was pink, and her long mane had the colors pale gold, magenta, and violet. The question was why the other ponies were trying to hide these two from me. Maybe the Alicorn was a princess as well, and they were afraid I would turn them in or something. It was frustrating to still feel left out, especially after all I had done for them. Without truly thinking it through, I strolled out of the shadows, revealing myself. “Hey, thanks for telling me about these two,” I remarked sarcastically. The ponies I did know whipped their heads towards me, their eyes wide. The other two turned towards me, and then froze with shock. Stopping in my tracks, I raise a brow as I glance around, “What?” “Human!” the stallion shouted, grabbing me in his magic. Before I realized that I was caught, he tossed me right through a brick wall, sending me outside and into a street without vegetation. As far as I knew, no one had gone through a brick wall and survived. After experiencing it first hand, all I could say was that it was very, very painful. “Shit...” I hissed on my back, clutching my stomach. It was in the most pain, and I may have broken a rib. I slowly pushed myself to my feet as I listened to the argument inside the theater. “Stay back everyone!” the stallion ordered, “I’ll take care of him personally.” “W-Wait!” Twilight said, as I looked through the hole in the wall I had made. It was too dark to see through, but I could still hear them. “You don’t under-” “Get back, Twily,” the stallion said, making me shake my head. Had I heard right? Controlling my breathing, as it hurt quite a bit if it was too deep, I tried to say something, but it was difficult. “H-Hey,” I said, but it was far too quiet for anyone to hear. A rose-colored beam of magic struck me in the chest, causing my pain to double in my chest as I tumbled back to the ground. I was willing to bet if I wasn’t wearing my bullet-proof vest, I would be dead. “How do you like it, human!?” the stallion spat, stepping through the hole with a strong glare. “Doesn’t feel good to be bossed around, does it?” “God damn it,” I breathed, as I rocked back in forth from the pain. He didn’t know I was with the ponies, and that was really bad for myself, seeing the situation I was in. He pressed a hoof against my chest, exactly where he struck me, and I gave a few suppressed cries of pain. “Shining, stop!” Twilight shouted, trotting out of the hole. “What are you saying, Twilight!?” the stallion yelled, looking back at her. “You want him to get away!?” He had released some of the pressure that he had put on me, and I knew this was my chance. Bringing both of my hands back, I swung them against his legs making him fall to his side with a short yell. Quickly, I rolled over - with excruciating pain - on top of him and unholstered my revolver. While sitting on top of him, I shoved the barrel of my gun against his head, clenching my teeth shut. “Please, stop! Both of you!” screamed the feminine voice I had heard earlier. With the revolver still at the stallion’s head, I glanced towards the hole to see the other Alicorn that was with him. Tears were brimming on her eyes as she looked at me pleadingly. Looking back down, I could see the stallion breathing hard from the exertion as he looked at anywhere but the gun that was still against his head. I couldn’t really kill him, but hopefully I had showed that I wasn’t going to be pushed around. With a sigh, I put my revolver away as I got back on my feet, gasping from the pain once again. I stepped back and leaned against a wall as the stallion sat up, staring at me with confusion and hatred. The other Alicorn ran over and embraced him, hugging him tightly. But the stallion was still staring at me. “Why?” he asked quietly, lowering his head. “Shining,” the Alicorn said softly, “It doesn’t-” “Why?!” he said, startling the Alicorn, “Why did you let me live? You could have killed me right there and then.” The Alicorn looked nervously over to me as I gave a small smile, facing the ground. “What’s so funny?” he asked, finally standing back up. “Oh, nothing,” I said weakly, the pain starting to get to me. “Just thinking that I don’t need to answer that question.” “Really?” “Yeah,” I said, turning my eyes to him as I became serious, “Because your friends can answer it.” “What?” he said, looking over Twilight for an explanation. On the spot, Twilight played with her hooves, looking a bit guilty. “It’s one of the things we needed to discuss…” She explained everything she knew about myself, while Doctor Styles came over and looked me over. I had to remove the clothing on my torso, but I wasn’t too worried about that. He told me I would need proper medical attention, but I could wait a few minutes to talk with the others. While he was examining me, I saw from the hole that Rainbow and Applejack had come through as well. The other ponies must have been looking on in wait. After Twilight told my story, the Alicorn tilted her head at me before turning back to Twilight. “But…” she said with a baffled tone. “What happened after we were put in statis? Where are we?” “We can answer any questions you have,” Twilight reassured, walking closer to the Alicorn and stallion. “I have one,” I spoke up, putting all eyes on me, “Who are you two?” “You first,” the stallion said, pointing a hoof at me as he eyed me suspiciously. Sighing in annoyance, I complied, “Nolan Anderson.” “Cadence,” the Alicorn introduced instantly, placing a hoof against her chest. “I’m Shining Armor,” the stallion said reluctantly, “Captain of the Royal Guard.” “Wait,” I said, raising a brow in bewilderment, “How could you be the captain of a ‘Royal Guard’, but not know what was going on?” Shining glanced at Cadence with a frown as she grew sad, staring at the ground. I must have asked something that was touchy. Facing Twilight, Shining asked, “You’re sure he’s trustworthy?” “Well…” Twilight thought for a moment, making me sigh in exasperation. I was never going to be trusted. “I trust him,” Applejack spoke up, standing bravely as everyone turned to her quizzically. That was a big shocker for me as I gazed at her with wide eyes. “You, AJ?” Rainbow asked, looking her up and down, “I thought you would be the last one to trust a human.” “I may be a might stubborn,” she admitted, walking towards me, “And I might have more of a reason ta hate humans” - I was still never given the reason for that - “but I think he should have some trust.” There was silence as the group contemplating her words, causing me to fume. “Are you all serious?” I whispered dangerously, forcing myself to my feet, despite the pain, as everyone looked at me. “I bring three of the Elements of Harmony and save a prison full of children, all the while being beaten, stabbed, and shot at. And you’re still on the fence if I’m with the other humans?!” Everyone were facing the ground pitifully at that point, unable to look me in the eye. That was until I turned to Cadence, who was watching me curiously. “Why are you helping us anyway? I thought humans-” “Hated ponies?” I finished harshly with a shake of my head, falling back to a seated position. “Like I wasn’t asked that before. I’m not even going to bother answering that.” “Watch your mouth, human,” Shining snapped, taking a few steps forward threateningly. “That’s my wife you’re talking to.” “Well, excuse me,” I replied curtly. Shining gritted his teeth as he was about to come closer to me, but Cadence put a hoof against his chest as she turned to Twilight. “Did he already tell you why?” she asked nicely, not even responding to my rudeness. “Yeah,” Rainbow answered instead with a roll of her eyes, “He says he’s from another world.” Shining gave a bark of laughter, “You honestly think we would believe that?” “Oh, that’s new,” I said, tired of being humiliated again over the same true explanation. Then I muttered, “Rather hang out with Luna in my dreams at this point.” “What was that!?” Rainbow yelled, flying straight towards my face as she slammed a hoof by my head. I didn’t feel threatened, but it was strange how she would jump to aggressiveness. “I said I wish I was hanging with Luna in my dreams,” I repeated as she backed away with a shake of her head. I blinked a few times before looking over to some of the others. Twilight, Cadence, and Shining were confused as well, but Applejack was in shock, staring at me in disbelief. “Please,” she said quietly, looking at me desperately, “Please tell me that was a joke.” I didn’t know what the big deal was; Luna was a princess like Celestia was, so wouldn’t she be treated the same way? On the other hand, Luna did try to manipulate me to reveal where I was, so maybe she had tried it before. Looking at Applejack’s face made me not want to answer, but I had to speak the truth. “It’s not a joke,” I explained, feeling lost as Rainbow smashed a hoof to the ground and Applejack was even more shocked, “Luna visited me a few times in my dreams.” “So you were lying to us!” Rainbow accused loudly, causing everyone but Applejack to jump. “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, “I thought Luna was another princess like Celestia.” “She was,” Rainbow seethed, narrowing her eyes at me, “Until she betrayed us.” Well, great. I was back to where I started, simply because Luna was in my head. Just fucking great. As I groaned at the circumstances that got me here, Shining Armor walked up to Rainbow who was still glaring daggers at me. “What do you mean?” he asked, “When Cadence and I were put in stasis, she was still ruler of the night.” Rainbow scoffed, “If you saw what I saw, you’d say the same thing.” “Then what did she do?” I asked at last. “Get yourself patched up,” she said, facing away from me, “It’ll be the last sign of kindness you’ll ever get.” Then, she walked away with everyone else with her, albeit much more hesitantly. Doctor Styles, who stood at the sidelines the whole time, trotted up to me, his face paling slightly. “Luna… really visits you in your dreams?” he asked, hoping for a different answer. “Sometimes,” I confirmed with a nod, “Why is she suddenly a sin to befriend?” Sighing sadly, Doctor Styles used his magic as he forced myself to my feet, “Rainbow will tell you eventually.” {~+~} Since I was put under the entire operation, I was quickly taken care of, the pain being replaced with a bit of numbness. After waking up from my sleep, the nurse indicated where my clothes were, giving me a cold stare the whole time. I discovered that my weapons were missing, though I had a good idea who had them. Figuring I could bring it up at the little story Rainbow would share, I got my clothes on and left the building, where Dusty was waiting for me. “Everypony’s waiting at the bookstore,” he growled with a deep frown, nodding his head down the road. I was being escorted yet again, I truly was back to where I started. As he lead me down the straight, all I could feel was Déjà vu, what with everyone staring at me like I had killed a princess… Poor choice of words. Ignoring them the best I could, I found myself in front of the bookstore. I stopped for a moment to reflect on the last time I was here. Unable to get through because of my species, and yet, when I was basically in the same situation, I was allowed inside. It was strangely ironic in a way, or maybe not. I was never good in English class. “Hurry it up,” Dusty grumbled, shoving past me, “Don’t want to keep them waiting.” Before I took a step, I gave a glance around, noticing that many ponies were gathering around, probably to see me get incarcerated or something. Feeling disheartened, I took a few steps towards the bookstore. “Nolan!” I heard someone cry out, and when I turned towards the pony, I saw Carrot Top emerge from the crowd with my mask on her back. I faced her fully as I felt my heart crumble slightly; the first pony to truly trust me, and I involuntarily broke it. Stopping a few feet from me, she reached behind her and pulled my mask off her back with her mouth and put it on the ground. She then looked up at me desperately, “Please… tell me it isn’t true.” Whatever Luna did must have been bad if it even shook up Carrot Top. However, until I learned what it was she did, I could only answer that question with three words. “Yeah… it’s true,” I said blankly, picking up my mask, and quickly walking towards the bookstore. I didn’t think I could bear to see her expression of despair. Pushing open the door, I was instantly met with dusty and fallen shelves, full of unkempt books. In the back of the store, I could see a single light that hung from the ceiling, showing a long table surrounded by the ponies. Dusty, Rainbow, Applejack, Twilight, Shining, and Cadence; everyone was here, waiting for me. I briskly made my way over, and took a seat, tossing my mask on the table and leaning back in impatience. “I’m here,” I announced plainly, “So get on with it. What in God’s name did Luna do to mark me as a liar?” Rainbow glared at me, then looked around the table, “First, it’s in agreement that Shining Armor, Princess Cadence, and Twilight don’t know about Princess Luna’s betrayal.” “We already figured that,” I snapped, slapping a hand to the table, “Just get on with it.” “Fine,” she sighed, stopping for a moment to think of where to start. “When Canterlot was being invaded, Princess Celestia ordered me to take  Shining Armor and Princess Cadence to a safe place, away from the humans.” I still didn’t know why they were in stasis to begin with, but I was definitely not going to get an answer after my new reputation. Rainbow continued, “She also told Princess Luna to take the ponies of the city and guide them through a secret tunnel out of Canterlot. There is no way that the humans could have known about that tunnel, or that the ponies had gone towards a certain direction.” “Okay,” I said slowly, thinking of where this was going. “So, what happened?” Rainbow took a deep breath before answering, “After dropping off Shining and the Princess, I flew straight back to help anyway I could… and when I found them, they were instantly ambushed by humans. Somepony had sold us out, and that pony was Princess Luna.” “That’s no proof,” I scoffed, getting to my feet as I leaned forward, my hands on the table for stability, “You’re accusing her of something that anyone in that group could have done.” “She surrendered without a fight,” Rainbow snarled angrily, “She had the guards capable of fighting them off, and she was a powerful Princess herself, but she surrendered to them as soon as they came out. She ordered everypony else to do the same.” Her voice was cracking a bit as she spoke, “S-So they were all captured. But while they’re all being beaten by humans, or-or put into forced labor, Princess Luna is sitting in Canterlot with the Baron, laughing at us!” She was breathing hard from practically shouting the rest of the story, her eyes watering slightly as she stared right at me. Shining and Cadence were shocked, and Twilight dipped her head as if she was both thinking it over and in shock. As for myself, I was still unsure, falling back into my seat with uncertainty. When I met Luna, she was practically hysterical when I found her out. Then again, she did try to trick me, and she looked fine when she said she was being beaten herself. Whether her betrayal was real or not, I still had no proof to say otherwise, and was essentially stuck in my position. Having nothing to say, I remained quiet, as did everyone else. It wasn’t until a minute passed when Shining looked at me, with barely a hint of rage. “And she visits you in your dreams?” he asked, causing me to close my eyes. Maybe I had put too much trust in Luna. “Once in awhile,” I reply truthfully with a shake of my head. “We need to act fast then,” Shining declared, looking between everyone. “Who knows what they’ve been talking about.” “Already a step ahead of you,” Rainbow said with a stern expression, “I’ve sent Derpy and other scouts to see if they have an invasion heading this way. But we have to deal with this... human.” She pointed a hoof at me as I simply crossed my arms, still looking downward. “I’m. Not. With. Them,” I stated, my hands forming into fists. “How many times do I have to say that before you get it in your thick heads?” “No more tricks, human,” Rainbow seethed, sticking with my species name. “Whoa there, RD, don’t jump ta conclusions,” Applejack said with a shaky voice, still shaken up from the turn of events, causing me to look at her in puzzlement. The most stubborn pony I knew was defending me? “Nolan, may be a human, but he’s more than proven himself, hasn’t he?” “We can’t say that for certain, AJ!” Rainbow exclaimed, knocking her hoof on the table. “We’ve been fighting the humans for months. You should especially know what they’re capable of.” Applejack opened her mouth but closed it just as fast, looking flustered as she tried to come up with a response. Soon, she said, “But… Nolan isn’t-” “I don’t care what he isn’t!” she screamed, sounding completely hysterical. “He’s a human! And they never change!” “Well maybe I did, you bitch!” I shouted before I could stop myself. Thinking back, I probably wouldn’t have stopped myself anyway. All that time, I was subconsciously holding myself back from calling them any offensive names, maybe as a way to show my difference. However, the word fit perfectly for Rainbow Dash; she was simply being a bitch. The room was silent, the only sound coming from my ragged breathing and the ponies outside. As I glanced around the room, I saw that many of the ponies were unsure what I would do next, almost cringing when my gaze fell on them. Throwing my hands up in the air, I got up with a irritated growl, grabbing my mask as I headed for the door. I had enough of Rainbow’s shit for one day. “Hey!” Dusty shouted, coming around to float in front of me, stopping me from leaving. “What do you think you’re doing?” “Going back to my ‘home’, I replied curtly, pushing past him, “The fucking shack, the run down piece of crap, whatever you want to call it.” “We’re not done here,” Rainbow whispered just enough for me to hear as I opened the door, the faces of many ponies waiting on the other side. I’d pretty much had it with these ponies. I do one thing for them, and they just mark me for something else and forget what I went through. Like I asked for this, like I intended this to happen. If they stood in my shoes for a minute, they would see things from a whole new light. But until that day, I wasn’t going to listen to their gripes for another second. “Well, I am done,” I hissed, closing my eyes tightly, “With all of you!” I then slammed the door, and walked briskly for my shack, staring straight ahead to avoid the scornful glares. Enough was enough. Once I reached my shack, I strolled in and slammed the door behind me, shaking with absolute anger. “God fucking dammit!” I screamed smashing my fist into the wall. I gasped in pain, and nursed my hand as it throbbed from the impact, sitting on the bed. Anger was being replaced with depression and sorrow, and I nearly wished I was enraged instead. My mind was a blank as I idly stared at the wall across from me. I just… didn’t know what to think of. “Emma…” I said to the open air, wondering if she was watching over me, “What would you do?” As expected, there was no answer, causing me to sigh, resting my head in my hands. I was so tired of everything, for being hated for existing. It was judgemental and discriminating, but I had no say or power to change their minds. First impressions were important, and mine was ruined because of those damned humans. What was the point of trying to impress these ponies? At that point, I wished I could just leave and fend for myself while these ponies dealt with their own ‘Resistance’. At least then I wouldn’t have to put up with their constant rebuttals. That was when I heard voices outside my door, causing me to perk my head up, listening to distract my mind. “What do you foals want?” Dusty’s voice said gruffly. He must have been sent to watch me, again. “W-We want to see Nolan,” Applebloom’s voice said nervously, put off by the presence of Dusty. “He’s off limits,” he grunted, “Go back to your games or whatever.” “B-But-” Sweetie struggled to get out. They must have come to see me, but because of my brand new reputation, I was deemed dangerous, especially for the kids. Dusty sighed, “Sorry, but… it’s complicated.” That was an understatement. But I think I would have used a cop out like that as well. Why try to explain all of this to an innocent filly? Shaking my head, I waited for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to say a response, but there was nothing. It was only after a few seconds that I heard footsteps fading away. They decided not to push for the topic, which I was glad for. I didn’t feel like talking to curious children. It would end in confusion and anger, and I didn’t want to put my anger on them, especially since they didn’t do anything wrong. Without really thinking, I pulled out my cigarette pack out and opened it. It wasn’t until I pulled out a cigarette half way that I realized what I was doing. I never had two cigarettes on the same day, usually sticking to every other day. If things were really bad for me, I might have a drag everyday, but did my situation warrant having two on the same day? The addictive side of my mind said it was a perfect reason, but my logical side said otherwise. With more force than I thought would be necessary, I closed the pack and slipped it into my pouch. I had very few to begin with, and I wasn’t going to start having more than I needed. Technically, I didn’t need them, but I was simply being rational with myself. Knocking from the door snapped me back to reality like I was struck by a truck. Blinking a few times, I tried to determine whether the knocking was real, and was immediately answered by more knocking, this time sounding more deliberate. “I know you can hear me, hu-... Nolan,” Rainbow Dash’s voice rang out with both sorrow and annoyance. It was already strange enough to see Rainbow visit me so soon, but to actually call me by my name was completely foreign. Pushing off of the bed, I walked to the door and cracked it open to see Rainbow on the other side. She had a look in her eye that looked to be apologetic and irritant. “Came here to call me names, did you?” I asked blandly, my eyes half closed in tiredness. She opened her mouth to retaliate, but stopped herself as she quickly closed it and sighed. “Can I come in?” she asked bowing her head. I tilted my head to the side ever so slightly, wondering why she would act this way. “Since you asked so nicely,” I grunted, pulling open the door completely as I made my way back to my bed. As I sat down, I noticed Rainbow close the door as she stood in front of me, her eyes hardened to the point where I couldn't read her face. Rainbow gulped, before looking down. “I… came here to say I’m sorry,” she muttered, and I was so surprised that I nearly burst into laughter, thinking it was a joke. Luckily, I caught myself, only smiling briefly before seeing her gloomy expression. It wasn’t a joke, she seriously came her to apologize to me, the ‘evil’ human. Shaking off my bewilderment, I studied her a moment before asking, “So who put you up to this?” She took offense to that, jerking back as she scoffed, “Can’t a pony say she’s sorry on her own?” I gave her a deadpanned look, one that made her laugh nervously. “I… well, AJ and Twilight did,” she confessed, dipping her head low. I rubbed my face as I told myself that she would never change, until she looked at me with determination. “But!” she exclaimed to catch my attention, which worked, “I was thinking of the way I’ve been acting, and how I’ve been treating you.” “And?” I asked, gesturing for her to continue. “And…” she said slowly, choosing her words carefully, “I shouldn’t judge someone by their species. Especially after everything you’ve done.” “Damn right,” I whispered, making her glance at me sadly before looking away. “I’m just…” she hesitated, having an internal argument with herself. Then she blurted, “Scared! I’m scared, okay!” It wasn’t obvious to me when she was ordering all the ponies around, but looking at her now, I noticed some of the symptoms: averting gaze, slight shivers, and shaky breathing. Something told me she had been holding back this entire time. She tried to fix herself up, shaking herself a bit, but all it did was make her look worse. “Can’t believe I’m doing this in front of a human,” she commented quietly, but I wasn’t really upset about it. At that moment, she was in fear, so I understood her a bit more. She swallowed and continued, “I’ve never lead anypony before, I don’t even know what to do! All I could do was give everypony hope.” I was mildly shocked by that; she seemed to have everything under control from my point of view. “But you came up with the plan to save the foals from the prison,” I reminded, hoping it would contradict her statement. However, she shook her head in disagreement. “Dusty came up with the plan,” she announced, giving a shaky sigh, “I just went along with it. I don’t know why anypony made me leader. I might be the Element of Loyalty, but I have no clue what to do!” She was breaking down fast, her hooves pawing at the ground nervously as her breathing quickened. “I… I don’t know how we’re going to save Equestria,” she said her eyes glazing over, “We don’t have the right weapons, we don’t have the numbers, we don’t have anything!” That was how Equestria fell to begin with. It was an unfortunate truth: incapable means against an unstoppable force. And with humans being the enemies, it’s no wonder they were able to take over so quickly. If there were other allies of Equestria maybe they could- My eyes shot open as an idea struck me. “Does Equestria have any allies?” I asked excitedly, making her look at me strangely. “I don’t know. Why?” She asked, her eyes filled with lost hope. “Is there anyone else?” I persisted, leaning forward, “Any neighboring countries?” She thought about it for a moment, scratching the top of her head with a hoof. “Well, There are the Zebras in the South East, and-” She cut herself short, her eyes widening as I grew confused. “What? What’s the other race?” I hastened, feeling like we were getting somewhere. Sighing, Rainbow mumbled, “The Changelings.” I may know a few common mythological creatures, but whoever the ‘Changelings’ were, it wasn’t anything I was familiar with. Still, it was something to work off of, an army to assist the ponies here. A chance to retake their homeland. “Do you see what I’m getting at?” I asked to make sure she knew my idea. “I think so,” she said, recollecting herself as she brightened slightly. “You want us to ask for help?” “Exactly,” I answered, crossing my arms. “If you don’t have an army, build one.” She was running the idea through her head, her face blank of any emotion. Then she blinked, and frowned, “How are we going to ask for their help? They didn’t involve themselves in the war for a reason.” That was where I was stumped. I didn’t see how I could be much of help; If I couldn’t convince a group of ponies that I was on their side, I definitely doubted I could change the minds of a whole country. My silence must have been all the answer she needed, as Rainbow ran a hoof through her mane, uncomfortable with what we would have to do. “We’ll figure it out,” I eventually said, but she didn’t seem like she believed me, letting out a long, drawn out sigh. I felt like a change of subject wouldn’t be so bad at the moment, so I asked, “Have you found your other friends?” She looked up at me with a frank expression, “Yeah, kind of. I found out where Fluttershy is at. But not exactly.” She was incredibly sad at the mention of the other two friends, especially Fluttershy. “What’s wrong?” I asked, “Isn’t it a good thing that you know where one is?” “We could only narrow it down to a city in the East,” she explained, “And… Fluttershy and Rarity were part of Luna’s group out of Canterlot.” That piece of information made me pause for a second. For one thing, it reminded both of us that I still had chats with Luna. Another thing is that the group was captured, so that meant going through a lot of people. “Before you say anything,” I started, with a brave expression, “You should know that Luna had been messing with my mind when I got to this place. I’m not with her at all.” Rainbow was still conflicted, but nodded. I nodded back, and continued, turning my gaze to the floor, “When I found her out, she said that the Baron had been forcing her to visit my dreams. I told her to try to fight him off, but I don’t know how that went. she hasn’t contacted me since, but I have a feeling that this break won’t last long.” “So…” Rainbow drawled, tapping a hoof to her chin, “She’s not the one behind the surrender?” I shrugged, “Can’t say. You know more about it than I do. She could just be lying to me for all I know.” Rainbow gave a final nod as she said, “I should be heading back, everypony is waiting for me.” I didn’t say anything lost in thought about the Elements, Luna, and what the best course of action would be. I guessed the best way to figure that out would be to join Rainbow and the rest of her friends. It was only when the door closed that I realized that she was gone, making me spring to my feet. I briskly burst out of the door, and both Dusty and Rainbow, who were a few yards away, jumped in shock. “Jeez, Nolan,” Rainbow muttered, putting a hoof to her chest, “A little warning next time.” “Oh, please,” I waved off, “Anyway, do you care if I listen to what you have to say? If I want to get home, I have to get the Elements of Harmony together, and I prefer not to sit on my ass all day.” “I don’t think that’s-” Dusty started. “Yeah, alright,” Rainbow interrupted, and Dusty looked at her like she had fallen dead. “But I thought you…?” he said slowly, looking utterly confused at Rainbow’s change of direction. “A girl can change her mind, can’t she?” she asked with a chuckle, and I gave a small, amused grunt. It felt good to be treated like a living, thinking person; it was a long time coming. Dusty gave her a strange look before glancing at me and releasing a sigh. “Don’t blame me if he turns on us,” he muttered and walked away, but not before Rainbow’s eyes went wide, looking at me like it was something I was planning the whole time. And of course, I crossed my arms with a raised brow, in a way of saying that it was preposterous. “Do you seriously believe that I’m still with the other humans?” I asked in disbelief. She looked away, deep in thought as she said, “I just want to keep everypony safe. It’s the least I can do.” That was probably how she rationalized me being treated the way I was. She couldn’t have been acting the way she did without a true reason. Plus considering that she hardly knew what she was doing, bashing on me must have been a way to release her tension. I sighed, “You do realize if I was spying for the humans, then wouldn’t telling you about Luna blow my cover?” She blinked with widened eyes before giving a sheepish smile, drawing a circle in the ground with a hoof. “I guess that’s true,” she admitted, and I glowered at her as she took a few steps back, “Okay, okay, It’s reasonable!” I chuckled lightly, “That’s good to hear. So why the change of heart? You seemed to hate my guts a few minutes ago.” “I did,” Rainbow stated with a deep sigh, “But… the Cutie Mark Crusaders told me a little about what happened at the prison.” The three kids helped me out? I guessed it wasn’t too much of a surprise, since they got to know a friendly human the whole time they were in captivity. “They told you about Alex then?” I asked. “Yeah…” Rainbow said slowly, turning her gaze to the ground, “I didn’t think a human could be so… nice.” I grunted, “We’re full of surprises.” “No kidding,” Rainbow said, lifting her head back up, “Come on, I don’t want to leave Princess Cadence and Shining hanging.” I still wanted to know about them, and since I seemed to have a bit more freedom than I used to, it probably wouldn’t be too much of a problem. “By the way,” I said, grabbing her attention, “Could you tell me about those two ponies that were in 'stasis'? I’m still in the dark about that.” She hesitated for a moment before nodding, “I guess you deserve to know.” We continued walking as she explained, “Way back during the battle at the Crystal Empire, the humans were overwhelming the ponies there, and they had to use this love-magic blast, like they did at their wedding.” What she said fit in with what Alex told me back at the prison, that a pink blast drove back the invading human forces. Why the two had to do such a blast at their wedding, however, I didn’t know, but it hardly concerned me at the time, so I remained silent. “But when they used it, something happened,” she said rather quietly, “The were completely drained by… something, the crystal ponies didn’t know what to make of it. They were in this coma-like sleep, and we couldn’t do anything until they woke up. Twilight took it the hardest, losing her brother and sister-in-law.” Oh, they were siblings then? That would have been nice to know! I didn’t voice my thoughts though, since I didn’t want to slip back to how things used to be. “Princess Celestia said that the best way to watch them as they slept was through a magic stasis of some sort, one that could hold them until they were awake. So Twilight did the spell, and the war went on. But when the forces reached Canterlot, Princess Celestia told me to take them somewhere safe, somewhere away from the humans.” “So you took them to Las Pegasus,” I finished. I was surprised how well this fit in my brain, like all the pieces had finally come together. Taking them to the other side of the country from the humans was a smart move. It would also explain why Rainbow chose this city specifically to defend. “Yep,” Rainbow rubbing her head, “And afterwards, I came back to see if I could help in any way at Canterlot, but… well, you know the rest.” I nodded, “And they haven’t woken up until today, huh?” “Yeah!” Rainbow said excitedly, her wings beating quickly to allow her to hover. “Now, they can lead the resistance, and I don’t have to worry about making difficult decisions!” I glanced at her concernedly; that didn't seem very healthy, avoiding something like that must be. I expressed my concern, but she waved a hoof idly at me. “I was never meant to lead a bunch of ponies in this type of way,” she explained, as we walked through the streets, drawing more than a few bewildered stares. “She’s a princess, and a princess always knows what to do. Plus, Shining Armor is military smart, so he knows how to deal with this stuff.” She wasn't wrong, but that didn't mean she should disconnect herself completely from the leadership role. The ponies in the city had been following her for months, and suddenly giving the reins to another pony seemed more like a cop out than a justifiable way of giving control to someone more worthy. I shrugged it off, thinking it wasn’t too big of a deal, and we continued on. It didn’t take long for us to find ourselves in front of the bookstore, but before Rainbow took a step to enter, I stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder, crouching down to her level. She looked up to my furrowed brow with a confused expression. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Will you let me help?” I asked back. “Well, of course-” “I mean without ditching me to figure something out on my own.” She laughed nervously, “Yeah, uh… sorry about that.” “Don’t worry about it,” I commented, turning her to face me fully as I put my hands on each of her shoulders. “Will you let me help you with no strings attached, and without bullshitting me through a debriefing?” She did seem apologetic about sending me to the prison on my own, but the past was in the past, and I needed a straight answer. Rainbow looked determined as she looked up at me, and gave a single, firm nod. “You can count on me,” she said sticking out a hoof. I let go of her shoulders as I glanced at her hoof, unsure how I should handle it. In the end, I balled my hand into a fist, and pounded it against her own, making Rainbow smile widen. We were in this together, and that meant no solo missions for me or anyone else. It also meant no more scorn from her, and hopefully the other ponies. It was time to truly get down to business.