//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17 - Human 
// Story: Never Be The Same 
// by Kickback 
//------------------------------//





When I see an open door.
Close your eyes, clear your heart.
Cut the cord.
Are we human or are we dancer?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold.
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer.
Are we human or are we dancer?





Animals. 

Everywhere. 

My name is Kyle Johnathon Mercer and my house is over-flooding with woodland of all shapes, sizes, even smells. As to why they all decided to invade my home was a mystery to me but I didn't ask about it. It wasn't out of blatant overly confused shock or uncaring disregard that quelled me into silence. No, instead it was her. 

I looked down to see the tiny yellow filly. Her head lay limply over my lap, her long pink mane dangling over the side. Her eyes were snapped shut as she faced towards me, as if her eyelashes were the shutters to her sparkling blue irises. A content smile spread across her muzzle as her body curled curled on itself to remain warm, her forelegs folding themselves further into her chest. Her ears flattened in relaxation as I brushed my hand along her forehead then behind her ears before trailing down to her neck and back up again. She hummed quietly in her sleep. Figured she was dreaming.I wondered what about.  

I cast my gaze around the room. There was no light in the house, all but the single candle I kept next to me on the coffee table. It was amazing how she got them all to sleep. Even the nocturnal owls, did I mention the bats? They were all at rest. The bears, the badgers, the goats, the raccoons, the squirrels, the possums, the hedgehogs, the birds, the lizards, Fluttershy spoke to them all and managed to get them to settle down and hunker down for the night. 

Really, I'm amazed. It's not something you see regularly, a pegasus filly tell an entire ecosystem that it's time for nuh-nighs. 

I looked over to the only other awake being in the house. His black beady eyes met my gaze and his nose twitched. He had been keeping me relative company while everyone else slept. I thought it was nice of him. 

"Ya know..." I whispered, casting a look to the floor. "...I did somethin' bad, Angel." 

He tilted his head at me. 

"But..." I stared down at Fluttershy. My eyes became glassy as thin smile worked it's way onto my face. "...I reckon it'll be okay though." 

He combed at his whiskers at that. I'm not sure what that meant. 

"She won't be around for long, ya know?" I croaked. "She has to leave...but she'll be back...she has to come back." 

Angel hopped forward and looked over to Fluttershy's calm, sleeping body before returning his blank stare up at me. 

"'Cause if she doesn't..." I reached a hand over to the little white rabbit, a gesture of which he took in confusion as he sniffed at my fingers curiously. "...Reckon it's safe to say we're all fucked when little miss Luna decides her sentence is over. I know Tia won't fight her like she had done in the past, from what I know, she can't and who else will step in to be the Element of Kindness?" Angel seemed to understand my intent with the equivalent of a smile, he brushed his head against my palm. His fur was soft, extremely so when it came in contact with my skin. I petted him a bit, stroking along his head and neck tentatively as I was sure the slightest harsh move would break something that composed his frail form. 

I moved my hand away, noticing his disappointed look before closing my eyes and letting out a tired yawn. 

"Ya know, Angel." I snickered. "I always imagined what woulda happened if I ever found myself here. In Equestria, I mean. I thought about what great cosmic conveniences and coincidences that would lead to my inevitable perfect, stable life. Maybe I'd meet somepony, somepony that would break social norms and xenophobic taboos to form a relationship with me. Ya know, like any fanfic. I'd think about how much better things would be if that happened...but never did I think it would happen and certainly not all this." I cast my gaze down to Fluttershy again. "Never." 

I yawned again as I felt my eyelids grow excruciatingly heavy. 

"Maybe that's what the box meant. 'Make your peace and live the dream', it said...Heh, wouldn't it be a shitty plot-twist if this was all just a narcotic hallucination and I'm just in a coma back home or worse, in a straight-jacket, bumbling nonsense in the corner of a white padded room...That's a depressin' thought." 

I was really just speaking to myself now, the rabbit had taken settling himself down and closing his eyes to sleep. Angel laid there, closely huddled to Fluttershy's sided and curled into himself as his conciousness drifted into blissful rest. The only audience I had was the darkness. That was good enough, I suppose. 

"Talkin' to the darkness. Heh. Who am I, Jackie Estacado?" I chuckled. "Man, I miss videogames. I wonder if that whole 'Button Mash' thing is real here...might be interesting to meet his mum." I shook my head. "Damnit, Kyle, you're such a perverted xenophile...Hey, that rhymes. Zecora would be proud." 

I sighed. "Reckon I might have ADD...Not to mention that talkin' to yaself is a first sign of madness." 

My eyes never left Fluttershy as I leaned my head back on the couch. "Really your folks get that letter...Bloody Hell, Ga-Mercer, ya don't know anythin' short of feedin' yaself and even that can be argued." I closed my eyes. They were stinging slightly. 

"G-guess life just...dishes out random cards... and ya gotta...p-play with whatcha got." 

I fell asleep. 

It sure as fuck didn't feel like I did.  





"And that's how we defeated The Mane-iac!" The little purple dragon squealed excitedly with his arms opened with as he balanced himself on his tail. 

I stared down at him, silently for a long moment, unblinking, my mouth formed into an unbelieving frown. My eyes travelled up to the surrounding ponies. They all stood resolutely next to eachother as we crowded around the library. I looked to every one of the six mares. They all stared back with unrelenting honesty. It was the truth and I had thought once that nothing could surprise me anymore. 

"So..." I began, lifting a hand. "...Let me get this straight..." I pointed to the white unicorn. "You were Green Lantern." My hand moved to the cyan pegasus, hovering overhead. "You were Storm." I locked my gaze with the orange mare, there was that little shining gleam in her emerald eyes, as always. "You were Wonderwoman." I snapped to the lavender alicorn. "You were...Not a hundred percent sure what you were, Twi." That got her to cock her head to the side in bewilderment. 

Oh, My God. What the Hell am I talkin' 'bout this time?

I felt a pair of hooves on my shoulder. "Oh! Oh! Me next!" 

I didn't bother to ask how she wound up perched there but instead just looked up at the bubble mare and smiled. "You were Flash, Pinks." I glanced towards the far side, standing there was the same timid butter-yellow pegasus mare. Although sometimes it's hard for me to see the mature adult in that pony and not the shy, lost filly. "And Flutters...I can't believe how ironic this is but you were the Hulk."

All of them just stared at me in complete and utter confusion. 

"No." Spike began. "They were the Power Ponies, not...whatever you just said." 

I chuckled. "Sorry to tell ya, mate but everythin' 'bout what you just told me is a blatant rip on the comics from my world. Even down to ya'll basically beatin' Doc-Ock." 

"Mane-iac." He corrected, flatly.

"Sure, man. Whatever ya say." 

"'Storm'..." Rainbow hummed to herself. "That's way more awesome than 'Zap'!" 

"Honestly." Rarity looked down at an upturned hoof, examining it the way a woman would check her fingernails. "What does a lantern have to do with anything? And green?! Such an awful, awful colour..." 

"Once again, it would seem our worlds are more alike than we guessed." Twilight commented. 

"Ya ain't wrong." I grinned. 

Before anypony could say anything else, Applejack yawned. "Welp, after all that, Ah'm mighty tuckered out. Best be gettin' home." The orange mare cracked her neck and made for the front door. She stopped just short of in front of me and turned her head to look back at her friends. "G'night, girls." She offered a sleepy smile as they bid her the same, respectively. I knelt down when she rotated her head back to gaze at me. The sleepiness on her face dissipated some when she caught my eye and her grin held some emotion I couldn't quite place. She stepped up to me and hooked her foreleg around my neck as I held gently held her back. The blonde-maned mare moved her muzzle up to my ear, I could feel the warm breath she deliberately exhaled into it as she let out a sigh. 

Applejack didn't say anything, even as we parted. Something of which I found odd but chose to brush it off. She probably felt words weren't necessary anymore. She smiled up at me before brushing past me and stepping into the cool night air outside. I'm not entirely certain if that little swipe of her tail against my legs was on purpose though. 

I nodded. "Yeah, reckon it's 'bout that time." I gave a long stretch and let out a yawn. 

Dash scoffed. "What is with you? It's only, like, ten o'clock!" 

Rarity just giggled daintily into her hoof. "Rainbow, darling, some of us don't sleep all day to make up for no beauty sleep." The cyan mare just grunted at that. Rarity rubbed an eye. "And yes, I suppose I better turn in aswell." The unicorn sauntered up next to me. 

"Sleep well, Rarity." The alicorn beamed. 

"Thankyou, Twilight. Goodnight everypony." She smiled as she turned her head up to look at me. I just smirked and offered a quick scratch behind her ear. She hummed as she nuzzled into my hand at the contact.  The unicorn broke away and headed back to the door but before she could open it, a purple and green blur flew by me and the next thing anyone knew, Spike was holding the door open, gesturing with a claw to point her outside. Adorable, opening the door for a lady. Suck-up. Rarity just laughed. "In such a rush to get rid of me, Spikey?" 

The dragon blanched at that and shook his head. "N-no! I-I mean, I-" 

She firmly pushed a hoof to his lips to shush him. When his gaze locked with hers, she winked. Without another word, Rarity briskly skipped out the door, leaving the dragon in awe  as he watched her leave. He turned back with a dopey look on his face before promptly shutting the door behind him as he trekked towards and up the stairs to the balcony. I chuckled. "Not gonna open the door for me, Spike?"

He was already up to the final step. "Get bent, Kyle." 

Twilight scowled up at him as he moved out of sight. "Spike!" I just laughed heartily. 

"Oh, let the bugger be, Tara." 

The lavender alicorn groaned. "Why do you call me that?"

The grin that plastered itself on my face was the peak of shit-eating. "No reason." I swung the door open. "Catya, shelaghs." I pointed my hand in the shape of a gun and winked. I swear I could see a faint blush on Fluttershy's cheeks as I caught her eye. I ducked under the arch as I stepped outside and shut the door behind me. I breathed deeply, smiling all the way before I started my trek for home. 

I decided to make this walk a slow one. Putting my hands in my pockets, I glanced around the over-grown village. I can't believe it's been over a decade since...well, since this all began. I've seen ponies come and go, set up shop and then proceed to let it crumble to the ground or manage to make it stable enough to thrive on to this day. 

Ten years, ay? So, this is supposedly twenty-five year-old me...Wait, over?!

I looked over to Rarity's boutique, compared to the surrounding homes and businesses, it pretty much towered over the town and one could easily spot it anywhere in Ponyville. The last light in the house went dark and rather than be content in knowing that one of my oldest friends was safe and sound at rest, all I could do was reminisce about the past. Something I did regularly and it made me feel old. Very old, older than I should feel. 

I missed Athena. 

I knew it was inevitable but even still, the mare had taken to custom making alien clothing from nothing but a swatch of cloth and her own vision. She was such a sweet mare, we had become grand friends in the last her few years in Ponyville. Our relationship became far more casual than it once was when I was but a child. Heh. I used to argue the fact that I was fifteen, that I was a teenager but no, I was a child. A child that tried to face the world on his own until he realised he was but a mere human, not an island and that his strength didn't come from his tenacity but rather from those he learned to love. 

A friend helped me figure that out.

Athena was always laughing, always smiling, even as she handed the key over to that stallion. Even as she took the hefty bit-pouch from him in her mouth. Even when she picked up her saddlebags. Even as she hugged me and I held her back. Even when the tears filled her eyes as she boarded the train and even as she waved at me as it trudged off into the horizon. 

I hope she's happy and still living her dream.  

Heh. I was man in his prime yet here I was like decrepit ancient geezer with only memories of his youth on his mind. I had lived in Equestria for so long that I had almost completely forgotten everything about home. Only a few choice factors remain in my memories. Things aren't perfect here, I've learnt that, time and time again but I do remember that Earth is a far cry from anything remotely harmonious and most of the time here, harmony is embraced and loved almost religiously.

Do I think about going back to Earth? Of course but if I ever had to and I could never come back. I wouldn't. Equestria is my home now and it has been for as long as I can remember. 

I snickered at that. If I had a bit for every time I said that, I wouldn't have to work another day in my life. 

My eyes locked 

Eventually, I was home. I sighed and walked up to the door. Walking there was never too long of a task anymore, not ever since moving. 

Moving...?

I took a moment to look my abode up and down from the first step. It was a job and a half, took me and all my friends a few days but we managed to finally finish revamping the whole building. I remember it fondly. It was at that time that I made a mental note to never get near me with a paint brush ever again and that Rarity is much more narcissistic than she lets on. Honestly, if everything is not just to that pushy unicorns liking, she outright starts flipping tables...and if she had hands, I'm sure she'd be flipping other things aswell. 

That's Rarity for you.

I shook my head with a grin. I wouldn't change anything about her for all of Equestria, she was one of my oldest friends and I've grown to love her. Not like Lyra, Rarity is not quite as 'xenophillic' as her or AJ but that hardly bothers me, I consider her closer than kin and I know she feels the same. Who says familiarity breeds contempt? 

I pushed through the solid black door. It was dark inside but my eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting from the night. Finding my way to the stairs, I ascended up into the second floor. I stepped into the room and looked back at the steps. They continued on upwards and led to the loft above the room. My room. I sighed. She should be back home soon. 

Throwing my custom dark grey hoodie to the ground without a care, I yawned and rubbed an eye, tiredly making my way towards the bed that lay across the room from me. I suppose it was kind of gothic, from a certain point of view. The fuzzy, thick, ebony blanket and smooth black pillow cases may have been a tad pushing it but they were comfy and that's all the counted for in a bed, right? 

I groaned as I sat the the foot and made to remove my shoes. I didn't expect much out of Rarity when it came to footwear but she had managed to craft a pair of comfortable slip-ons. I never cared much for those but my old sneakers were battered and worn without remorse for years and everything inevitably ends. I hardly doubt that they'd fit me anymore either. 

Tossing my shoes across the room, along with my socks, I cracked my neck and lay flat out on the bed with my feet still planted on the floor. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. Life was good. 

That's when I heard it. A soft but audible clackity-clack of somepony's hoofsteps.

"Howdy, sugahcube..." 

My body shot right up at the husky, accented and very feminine voice. Stepping out of the darkness, slowly trotted in a bright orange-furred Earth-pony mare. The look in her sparkling emerald eyes was utterly breathtaking and left me stunned in complete silence and made my body freeze up. I was a deer in the middle of a street and this pony was the brightest pair of headlights ever conceived. 

Applejack sauntered with purpose towards me, her gaze unwavering, I didn't dare look away. Her hips swayed much more resolutely, letting me catch brief glimpses of her cutie mark from where I sat. It wasn't long before she was barely arms length away from me and I could now see her properly under the bright moonlight that filtered into the room. She was beyond beautiful. Letting out a brief nervous laugh, I forced my  "...G'day." I managed. 

The dedicated farmer didn't say a word as she lightly pushed at my shoulder with a hoof. I didn't resist and allowed her to do so. She climbed up onto the bed as she pushed me onto my back. My legs still dangled over the side but my feet didn't reach the floor anymore. Applejack had managed to position herself so that she lay flat out on my chest. She stared intently at me, never letting go of that certain look in her eyes. Her forelegs were sprawled out at her sides, my head rested between both her front hooves. My breath caught in my throat. 

Before I could say or ask anything else, Applejack slowly moved her head forward. I watched as she leaned into my the bridge between my shoulder and head and lightly pressed her lips against the skin of my neck. I exhaled sharply at that. The fine hairs of her muzzle tickle my flesh as the softness of her lips pushed again and again at my neck. Each time with a bit more force, each time a bit longer as she trailed around my throat. I heard her sigh as she parted her lips and slowly exposed her tongue to the air before she leaned further in and gave my neck a tentative lick. I shuddered.

Her tongue trailed itself up and down, becoming more furious and wet with each stroke she made. I would've found it mildly gross that I was getting saturated in equine saliva but my brain was already brimming with blinding arousal. She knew that I liked this and she knew how I liked it. 

She pushed her body even harder against mine as I lifted my arms to wrap them around her soft, warm frame. She gasped a little when I hugged her tight to me and lifted her head up to look me in the eye. Her mouth hung agape, her breathing was ragged and her cheeks went from orange to a very opaque pink. 

Applejack didn't wait another second. Her head dashed forward and before I knew it, her soft, gentle lips were furiously smashed against mine. 

I kissed her back. With just as much passion. 

Huh. 

My hands moved on their own as we parted and reconnected rhythmically, barely letting half a second tick by between contact. As one, we parted our lips and dashed our tongues out at one another. They rived and battled aggressively with eachother. Applejack moaned into it which only made me more bold. My hands brushed against her soft fur, going lower with each stroke. My focus was divided between Applejack's tongue and her body. 

My hand briefly swiped over where her cutie mark was and the warmth from her face grew. I pulled back up to her midsection but was stopped by her hoof curling back around her neck and finding it's way to grasp at my palm. Applejack never broke the contact between our lips as she glided my hand over to her flank and pushed against it. My fingers spread themselves out, feeling up more of her supple, toned flesh while my other hand was at the back of her neck, pressing her head against mine even further. Applejack let out a rather audible moan as I sunk my fingers into her flank, giving it a nice, firm squeeze. 

Applejack's body began to grind against my own. She gently bit at my bottom lip, urging me to caress her more. I complied and ran my hands back up to her shoulders before sliding them back down to her ass. A sharp grin split across my face when I opened my eyes to see the utterly entranced blissful look she had on her face. Her eyes shot open, her teeth lost their grip on my lip as she titled her head up and groaned with lust as I gave her cutie mark a harsh smack. 

Ummm...

"Ah want you, Kyle." Applejack smirked down at me through heavy breaths. "Ah need'ya." She slid her body downwards, never breaking eye contact.  "Right." Her hooves glided underneath my shirt before dashing back out and hooking themselves around the crook of my jeans. "Now." She used her forelegs to undo the button...and ever so slowly pulled the zipper down...

...Then everything went black. 





A pain rippled through my head as my eyes shot open. Letting out an inaudible groan, I put a hand to my temple to try and ease it. I was just about to shrug it off when something hit me. It was a soft little tap but something small and sharp dug into me. Recoiling a bit without disturbing the sleeping pony, whose head still rested in my lap. I rubbed my eyes and looked up. Sitting there, with a petrified look on his features was Angel. He gave a firm kick to my head again, I figured it was an attempt to wake me. 

But why? 

It was only when I turned back to I see something was off. My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and I could make out the forms of the many woodland critters that decided to hunker down in my cottage. All on account of Fluttershy. However, there was something wrong.

They weren't sleeping. In fact, the only creature that looked remotely at ease and resting was the little yellow pegasus. That's when I saw it. They all looked terrified, all huddling up against one another in the far corner and violently shaking in fear, almost cartoonishly. As you can imagine, I was dearly confused. 

I was about to open my mouth to speak, try and ask why they were behaving like they were but that's when I heard it. 

That sickening crunch. 

The sound of teeth gnarling into flesh and bone. The ravenous gnawing of meat, the ripping and tearing of skin and a horribly heartbreaking yelp of pain.  

They were all staring at something. Well, some were, the lesser creatures coward away and hid their eyes, begging for protection by the stronger animals. 

Instantly I knew what it was that made them so scared but I just couldn't bring myself to believe it. 

There was now a faint dripping noise. 

With as much will-power I could manage, I forced myself to turn my head around, following their gaze to see what the inevitable truth...and the scene was horrible. 

Sitting there, crouched at the far end of the room was him. 

No, it. 

It ducked it's head down and then there was that gnawing again. A bright orange and black tail stuck out at it's side and I could make out the blood dripping and staining the floor of the room. It had killed one of the foxes. Now, it had become the Rake's latest meal. 

It was here. It was inside. It was so close, I could smell it. It stank of death, rotting and decay. I stared at was suppose to be a myth for quite some time as it finished off the fox, little by little, piece by piece. It was in my house. I didn't want it in my house. I didn't like that it was in my house. It needed to leave. IT needed to go. Away. Away from her. Away from Fluttershy. He wants her, I knew he does. 

He's not going to get her. 

I slowly lifted the filly off of me and stood up, letting her head drop to the cushion below. She was still asleep. Good. She doesn't need to see. She doesn't need to know. She needs to be safe. Fluttershy needed to be safe. I had already stolen something from, I'll be damned if she loses anything else because of me. 

He was going to hurt her. He needed to leave. It needed to go. 

The animals shifted their gaze to me, looking on at, what I assumed they thought was the strangest. The rarest. The owner. The alien. Me. 

I stood in the middle of the room, my hands balling into fists as I watched the Rake feed. My teeth grit hard against eachother. My body was acting on it's own, a reaction by the sheer anger that flooded my mind. I let it. I let it control me. If what needs to be done was going to be done, I had to. 

My foot made a sudden creak against the floorboards as I shifted weight onto it and I saw it's head snap up from it's meal and then it froze in place. I growled. 

He needs...it needed to die. 

...It's head slowly rotated to face me.