//------------------------------//
// The Annoying Flying Horse 
// Story: Regenerator 228 
// by Hopefullygoodgrammar 
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Regenerator 228


Chapter 4








The day was growing dark, the houses were still floating, the herd of bunnies was long gone and 228 was getting even hungrier.


He had looked in the windows of all of the houses, he had looked in each ally, he had even lifted a few big stones to see if there was anything even remotely edible underneath, but there was nothing.


228 hissed through his clenched fangs as the first of what would probably be many hunger pains shot through his gut.


If I don’t find any meat soon I swear I’m going to start eating myself. Actually, that might not be a bad idea, since I can regrow anything I lose I can just keep eating myself until I’m full!


With hardly a second thought 228 raised his pointer finger to his mouth and bit down.


And spit the severed appendage right back out.


UGH!! I taste horrible! he groaned in his head as he tried in vain to get the cloying, bitter taste of his own mutated flesh out of his mouth; to him it tasted like corruption and he never wanted to taste something like that again.


228 walked until the number of houses dwindled to only a few every couple of blocks, he still checked the windows and looked in every nook that he spotted, but he knew that it was hopeless.


He was seriously starting to consider going back to the tree to find the purple horse when he saw it: a large house that sat by a calm little river.


The house was covered in so much grass it looked like a large hill, but 228 could see the many shuttered windows that dotted its surface as well as the red door that stood at the bottom, but the house wasn't what caught the Regenerator’s attention: it was the sheer number of bird houses that were stationed on nearly every surface.


Birdhouses meant birds.


Birds meant meat.

228’s long, black tongue slithered out and whetted his lips and teeth as he began to shamble towards the house.






Twilight raced down the streets, ignoring the odd sounds the tiled ground produced when she ran.


Her friends were in danger and she HAD to save them.

Who knows what that monster could do to them! 


Where did it even come from?  I've never even heard of a creature matching that thing’s description before and I’ve read every single book on every single species in Equestria! 


Oh Sweet Celestia what if there are more of its kind out there?!


The thought made Twilight gallop faster.






228’s brief hope of finding succulent bird meat had been crushed.


He had checked all of the bird houses and had only come across a single sparrow which had been more skin and bones than meat.


With a frustrated growl 228 turned and walked to the bridge that arched over the small stream. 


Had he not been burning with hunger, 228 might have found the sound of the gurgling stream relaxing, but, due to his current situation, the sound only reminded him of a growling stomach, which definitely didn't help its current situation.


228 was just about to start the trek back into town when he saw the lithe silver forms swimming in the clear water.


I recognize those things,   I can’t remember their names, but I can remember seeing some of the Ganados eating them back before… before what? thought 228 as he stared at the creatures swimming in the stream.


His thoughts were interrupted when his stomach lurched violently.


Meat first. Thinking later. 


228’s arms shot out, extending and slipping under the water with hardly any sound. Within seconds his talons pierced the fish’s little bodies and he was able to haul them out. There were 6 of them; all were dripping and still wriggling.


228 unhinged his jaw and swallowed all of them, feeling pure elation as the slick fish guts and splintered bones filled his belly. Moaning in delight 228 repeated the process 2 more times.


He was just reaching out for a third helping when he heard a voice say “What the buck are you doing on. My. Property?!?”


228 turned, half-expecting to see the purple horse from earlier, but instead he saw a butter-yellow horse with wings floating at face-height with him, her face set in a dark scowl. 228 noted that her fur was also gray-ish.


Being unable to talk- at least as far as he knew- 228 just stared at her, hoping his terrifying features would make her leave.


No such luck.


“Well? I asked you a question, freak!” she hissed, fluttering closer to him, 228 got up and tore a fish loose from his middle talon, he held the bleeding creature up to her face and let its death throes speak for him.


For a split second 228 thought he saw a flash of horror flit across her face, followed by a slight dilation of her pupils, but it was gone in a flash and the scowl returned.

“So you’re trespassing, huh?” she growled, getting in his face, “Well I don’t like trespassers.”

Wow.  thought 228  Either she is very brave or very, very stupid. 

Then she said, “I’m gonna kick your flank you snaggletoothed, freaky jerk!”


228 regarded the horse for a minute before letting out a hissing, gurgling laugh, then he turned and started walking away.  

“Oh no you don’t!” shouted the pegasus, taking off after 228, who had resumed his meal.






Twilight Sparkle stood outside the darkened Sugarcube Corner, she had tried banging on the door, calling out for Pinkie and even singing Pinkie’s own “Smile Song”. But nothing had worked. Pinkie hadn't even so much as made a sound from inside her home.


Twilight sighed in frustration, There has to be a way to get her to come out! she groused internally, trying once again to peer through a window and once again seeing absolutely nothing.


Unless…. oh I’m a moron, a world-class dumbo, a complete and utter- she’s not here! Since she’s been Discorded, it would make sense for Pinkie to leave the place that makes her laugh and smile the most.


Now that she’s all mopey and depressed she’ll probably head for a place that suits her new personality. So…. where is the most depressing place in all of Ponyville? 


The answer came to her the second she thought of the question.


“It’s the train station.” said Twilight, voicing her epiphany as she began to gallop in the station’s direction.







“I’m going to tie your tongue into knots, put butter in your eyes and-hey, are you paying attention?!” 


I wonder if I could swallow her whole.  thought 228 as he continued his walk. 


The Annoying Flying Horse was still following him, even after he had left her property. She had tried to dive bomb him a few times, but her frail little body had just bounced off of him, so she had resorted to making ridiculously over-the-top threats that didn't phase him in the slightest.


But there was something rather unusual about the way that the threats sounded, it was almost as if the Annoying Flying Horse wasn't used to threatening. 228 could hear the ever-so-slight hesitation in her words and the scowl that she wore seemed to him like a very good mask.


It reminded him of how the Ganados looked after their Purification: they looked human, but if one looked close enough, one could see the Plagas controlling their every facial movement like a human sock puppet.


228 felt a sudden twinge in his gut, but he didn't know why. He knew that it wasn't the Plagas, because the twinge wasn't in the right spot and it felt…. deeper, somehow beyond physical pain.  He knew that there was a word that was associated with the feeling, but he couldn't remember it.


I’ll remember eventually and…. is the Annoying Flying Horse STILL TALKING??!!


“-fter that I’ll-I’ll ….. do something else that you probably wouldn't like!” she said shakily, 228 turned to her and fixed his red-orange eyes on her teal ones. He held her gaze for a full minute before she flinched away.

That’s very interesting. he thought as he turned away, the flinching look told him everything: the horse was being controlled, though it wasn't by any Las Plagas. It was something else, something that made his skin suddenly feel ice-cold. 228 got the feeling that whatever was controlling the horse was far, far more powerful than even Osmund Saddler.


228 studied the horse, noticing that her scowl had fell a bit, he felt another nameless emotion well up within him, he felt like he needed to help the horse somehow.


But how can I help her? he thought, incredulous at the path his mind had been taking, And why should I? She’s a horse, she’s Food.


That word instantly brought the twinge in his gut back in full force, he looked at the horse again and saw the humanity in her big, aqua-colored eyes. He knew right then and there that he couldn't eat her or any of her kind.


So what do I do? he wondered, racking his brain for anything that might help him solve this new puzzle.


Then he remembered the Purple Horse.


Maybe this Annoying Flying Horse needs to be with more of her own kind!  he thought triumphantly.


With startling speed 228 extended an arm and wrapped the horse in his grip, he pulled her in close and held her tightly to his side, she struggled and growled and even bit at him. Rolling his eyes 228 slammed her into the ground, not hard enough to break anything, but hard enough to knock her out. 


Then 228 walked off towards the Tree-House with the Unconscious Grounded Horse under his arm like a very warm and fluffy purse.