//------------------------------// // Pies, Apple Trees, Weird Dreams and Filly Screams. // Story: World of Ponies: The Rise of Change. // by ShadowWalking18 //------------------------------// Castus After his… interesting… meeting with Rainbow Dash, Castus silently prayed that the rest of the meetings didn't become quite so… physical. 'Though with my luck here, I doubt that will be the case,' he thought. In fact, he was sure of it. "Pinkie Pie is probably in Sugarcube Corner, so you can meet her next," Fluttershy said. "Though she can be a bit, well, overly excited. But I'm sure she won't do anything too startling." Castus looked at Fluttershy with a slight frown for a moment. The way Fluttershy said that last part didn't make him feel confident. 'It can't be worse than becoming a landing pad though,' he thought as he spotted a large gingerbread looking building. 'That's Sugarcube Corner? Man, I'm getting a toothache just looking at it,' The ring of a bell as the door opened brought a plump looking mare to the counter. Her apron was smudged by what Castus assumed was cake batter. And the way her mane was styled reminded Castus a bit of frosting. When she noticed Fluttershy, and him, she jumped slightly in surprise. "Oh, Fluttershy deary. What brings you here… with eehhh-" she said, looking cautiously at Castus. "Oh hello Mrs. Cake. I was here to see Pinkie if she is in today. I wanted her to meet Castus. Don't worry, he won't cause any trouble, he is very well behaved," Fluttershy said with a smile. Mrs. Cake frowned and looked skeptical for a moment. "Well, if you say so. Pinkie is in the kitchen, I'll go get her." Mrs. Cake turned back to the kitchen and stuck her head in and shouted, "Pinkie! Pinkie, your friend Fluttershy is here! I can take over with that truffle batter while you say hello." "Oooh! Fluttershy's here? Finally!" a loud and very excited voice called. Mrs. Cake dove to the side as a flash of pink shot past the door. She shook her head with a sigh before going back in. Of course, Castus didn't have time to focus on that as he was soon assaulted by a pink blur and pulled into what he assumed was a garbage compactor, because he felt extensive pressure around his body. Especially his sides. He also couldn't really see through the right side of his face as it was being enveloped by something soft with the feel of fabric. "Allllright! First human hug ever!" the same excited voice said, and the pressure around his sides increased. Castus could tell it was a girl by the voice, and he assumed he was in a hug, though how any living creature could have the strength to make him wish he had more calcium in his diet was beyond him. 'I really hope my bones hold out,' Castus thought as he struggled a bit. Wait a minute. Girl? Soft? The fabric he assumed was an apron if this Pinkie character worked in a bakery, and there was only one place his head could be in such a hug. 'Oh God,' Castus thought as he felt his face heat up. 'How does this keep happening to me!?!' Castus struggled more as he tried to get free before anything… stood out. Of course, the vice-like grip Pinkie had on him was impossible to break. "Ahh, um Pinkie… I-I don't think he-" Fluttershy stated uneasily. "Of course he likes it! He is squirming around cause he is all cozy and warm. I bet he’s really cold all the time without any fur. Come on Fluttershy, group hug of warming!" Pinkie cheered, and Castus felt another form being pressed up against him, which also squirmed a bit. "Ahh, P-Pinkie… this is… please let go," Fluttershy weakly begged as she struggled. As for Castus, well, he couldn't really see anything now, but he could sure feel some things. Two pairs of somethings, actually. And they were making it both hard to breath and see. 'Losing sanity! Brain failing! Must! Get! Free!' he thought as he felt his whole head go up in figurative flames. Luckily, the vice grip that kept Fluttershy pinned to Castus, and Castus pinned between her and Pinkie was soon gone, and Fluttershy staggered back, her face red. And Castus just fell to his knees as he gasped for air. 'Sweet air. Lovely air. Beautiful air. Blessed oxygen. Life giving oxygen,' he thought as he took deep gasps of air. He looked up then and noticed a smiling pony person face beside him, eyes closed and a big grin on her mouth. Her fur was pink, and her mane looked like puffy cotton candy. In fact, this whole girl was pink and bubbly. Even her apron was both pink and fluffy! And she had the strong smell of sugar and confectionary around her. God, it made Castus teeth hurt just being near her. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie said with a giggle. Castus just blinked and stared at the girl. He then looked to Fluttershy, who was taking a few slow breaths, holding a hand to her chest. She then looked to Castus and gave him an apologetic look. "Say, when did you get a human, Fluttershy? Oh, he looks really funny for a human. Why is he wearing that blanket?" Pinkie asked, tugging at the blanket toga Castus wore as he slowly got up. Frankly Castus was a bit… turned off by the lack of… caution? Most pony people, or should he just call them ponies? tended to view him with either fear or caution and never got too close, even with Fluttershy around. But Pinkie didn't seem to care. What did that mean? "Oh well… he uh… likes to wear clothes… s-so I got him some clothes from Rarity. But since we were going to see you and Applejack I felt that maybe we would hold off on changing to make sure they didn't get… dirty," Fluttershy said, hugging the bag of clothes tight to her. 'That and I couldn't go into the boutiques changing room without being even slightly suspicious and no way in hell I'm changing clothes with an audience,' Castus thought. "Pffft! That's silly. Why would they get dirty?" Pinkie said. "Um, well..." Castus and Fluttershy both looked at Pinkie's apron, which had quite a few splatters of batter. In fact, some had gotten onto Castus blanket and his uncovered side. Even Fluttershy's green sweater hadn't come out unbuttered. 'And the meeting with Rainbow,' Castus thought. "Well whatever. So when did you get him? Did you find him in the Everfree Forest? Oh, or maybe in a desert? Oh perhaps you got him in the mail as a present, right?" Pinkie asked, her grin growing as she listed these scenarios. Fluttershy blinked. "Uh… no. I got him at the pound after Applejack helped capture him. Remember that stir in town some time ago?" "Ooooh yeah, I remember that. Mrs. Cake had been frantic, and wouldn't let me and the twins go outside all day. Which was really boring, ‘cause it was such a gorgeous day." Pinkie said as she hopped up and down. "Um, yes. Well, Castus here didn't have an owner, so I took him in," Fluttershy said. "I was hoping to introduce him to you girls, but things sort of happened and he only met Twilight. and well… I guess he knows Applejack, but I want them to meet again and start on a clean slate." Pinkie blew a raspberry and giggled. "Well of course they'll get along! Besides, Applejack has tons of humans on her farm, so he can make some human friends too." "AHHHH!" Fluttershy and Castus jumped by the sudden scream from the kitchen, while Pinkie looked over in surprise and skipped over. "What's wrong Mrs. Cake?" Pinkie called, sticking her head in as she leaned forward. "Pinkie! How much yeast did you use?!" Mrs. Cake called as the sounds of pans being knocked over could be heard and the sight of… dough… rising in the kitchen. A hill of dough. Pinkie hummed as she stepped back and tapped her chin with a hoof, "Hmmm... did I forget tsp means teaspoon and not ten square pounds again?" ‘What is a square pound?’ Castus wondered. The sounds of more crashing and a wave of dough rising out of the kitchen made Fluttershy and Castus jump and Pinkie to go into a giggling fit. Fluttershy and Castus quickly made tracks before things got… doughy? The last thing they could hear was Pinkie squealing in delight at the sight of her large amount of dough. "This is gonna be the best cake EVER!!!!" she screamed for all to hear. Far away in Canterlot, Celestia looked up from a scroll and placed a hoof to her head. 'Odd… I feel… a disturbance,' she thought as she then looked down at the small slice of chocolate raspberry cake she had taken for lunch. 'Hmm....' she thought and made a note to go to Sugarcube Corner later. She smiled in delight at the idea of a few sweets. It was actually very hard for her to indulge her sweet tooth the way she would like now that her physician had decided to, without actually saying it, put her on a diet. Not that she needed it! She was as slim as she was one thousand years ago! Castus "Does she do that a lot?" Castus asked, glad to finally talk as he and Fluttershy walked down a dirt path that was away from town and thankfully empty. "Oh… well… sometimes she is a bit more… eccentric?" Fluttershy said meekly, hiding slightly. "N-not that that's bad. But… well, even Pinkie being Pinkie can be… overwhelming." "Got that right. I thought I was going to suffocate for a moment between your br-uhh… I mean… uh… she hugs tight," Castus quickly stated. Fluttershy blinked, and nodded once. "Well, she is an earth pony. Even with her diet of endless sugar, Pinkie is rather strong. Even her sister was impressive. she could break a rock with her bare hooves." "Really? Makes as much sense as anything else here," Castus said with a shrug. He couldn't tell if it was good or bad that he was getting use to things in this world. Either way, he really had to find a way out now. 'Tonight. At dinner. I'll talk to Fluttershy. I can't put this off any longer,' Castus thought. Though he had to admit, a lot of things made staying focused… difficult. "So umm… do we have to see Applejack? I mean… she ain't gonna… lasso me or brand me or something right? She and I didn't exactly meet on good terms," Castus said, remembering the feel of that cowgirl… cowpony… cowgirl pony's lasso tying him up. Kinky… but also scary and slightly degrading being tied up like that. 'Lucky for me she wasn't wearing leather boots or something...' Castus thought, but then slapped himself mentally. 'GAH! Stop brain! We can't keep doing that! Focus!' he thought as he rubbed his knuckles into his head. Why did his brain have to go pervert so often now? Slowly, his eyes looked at Fluttershy's chest area, and remembered every moment of rather flustering embarrassment. 'Oh yeah. That's why,' he thought, face palming. Castus felt… apprehensive? Nervous? In any case, as the sight of a large barn and farmhouse came over a small bend of the road, revealing that the orchard was not only an orchard of apples but also a field of farm crops and what he guessed was millions of apple trees at the border to the Everfree Forest. "Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres. The Apple family has been living here since Ponyville was founded. In fact, Ponyville was practically founded by them," Fluttershy said with a smile as she gestured to the farm. "Looks nice," Castus said, going silent as they got closer. Castus looked around at the farm, noticing a rather large red stallion pony. His messy mane of orange hair and single piece of straw in his mouth gave him a sort of farm help look. And he certainly looked like someone… somepony… who was use to hard work if the muscles of his bare chest and biceps were any indication. 'Note to self: don't ever get in a fight with this guy,' Castus thought. The stallion noticed them approaching, and Fluttershy smiled as she stepped over to the fence and waved. "Hello Big Mac! I hope I'm not interrupting anything." The stallion paused in his work and shook his head with a, "Nope." Fluttershy smiled. "Oh good. Is Applejack free for a moment? I wanted to talk with her." Big Mac nodded. "Yup." 'Is this all he can say?' Castus thought. He had heard of people with few words but this guy seemed to take the cake. "Thank you! I hope she won't mind. Can you tell me where she is?" Fluttershy asked. Big Mac nodded. "Yup," he said and pointed toward a barn where carts of apples were being loaded up. "Oh, thanks again! I hope your work goes easy today Big Mac. Goodbye," Fluttershy said, waving bye as she pulled Castus with her. Big Mac just nodded and got back to his work, though he did cast a slight glare at Castus, but then shrugged and ignored him. 'Geez, is he also upset about the whole apple thing? Or does he just not like humans?' Castus thought. Though he felt sure it was the apple thing. Honestly, you help yourself to three apples then suddenly you’re enemy number one. As the two of them neared the barn, Castus felt a slight panic when he spotted the same booted, stetson hat wearing, orange maned mare from before. He could still remember the way she lassoed him into submission. Feeling slightly defenseless, Castus clung closer to Fluttershy. Which was rather ironic, since he figured the girl was the one to cling to others in situations of extreme stress or fear. Fluttershy looked at him in surprise and gave him a comforting smile before patting his cheek. "It's okay Castus. Applejack won't hurt you, so don't be scared," she said comfortingly. 'I'm not scared, I'm merely cautious,' Castus thought. Though, frankly… he was a bit scared of this particular pony. But he would get over it. As long as she didn't wrap him up in rope again. It itches. "Applejack. Good afternoon." Fluttershy called, waving a hoof to her friend. Applejack paused and looked over in surprise, and actually jumped slightly when her eyes spotted Castus. She then smirked and set down a barrel of apples down and walked over. "Well I'll be. If it ain't Fluttershy, and the little apple thief from before." Applejack said, placing her hooves on her hips and looking at Castus. Castus gulped slightly, taking note of the lasso that was at the girls side, and stepped slightly behind Fluttershy. "Oh, don't worry. I told you, Applejack won't hurt you." Fluttershy said, patting Castus' hand gently. Applejack laughed, "Ha! Shucks I didn't mean ta scare the little guy. Ya'll told me ya had done adopted him, but I hadn't expected ta see him again so soon." Fluttershy blushed slightly, "Well, I...I just thought that maybe you two could...patch things up? I mean Castus didn't mean to steal those apples. He was hungry." Applejack smiled and patted Fluttershys back, "Ah shucks sugarcube. I guess I can forgive him, long as he don't do it again." Fluttershy flinched slightly, obviously Applejack had a strong pat, but meekly said, "Oh n-no he won't. I promise." Applejack pressed her lips, and looked at Castus slightly, causing him to squirm slightly under that gaze. Okay so he was afraid of her. Who wouldn't be after being man handled by her. Finally Applejack smirked, "Well, I trust you can teach it ta behave. After all you taught a bear to be all fancy like at tea parties. Though that don't mean I ain't gonna be watching ya near my apples now." 'Don't worry. I don't plan on getting tied up like that any time soon.' Castus thought. Applejack pressed her lips and her brow furrowed as she looked at Castus for a time. The intense gaze she gave was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. "Um, is something wrong Applejack? I think...well I think you're making him uncomfortable." Fluttershy said, noticing her friends intense gaze. Applejack looked away and rubbed the back of her head with a silly grin, "Aw shucks sorry about that. I just find him well...he looks a little scrawny for a human. Are ya sure ya'll are feeding him right? Not that I say you would, but most o' the humans we got are a lot more stockier than him." "Oh he gets that a lot. He is just...well a fancy breed of human. Like how some ponies have special breeds of dog bred. A designer breed." Fluttershy said quickly. "That so?" Applejack said, looking to Fluttershy then back at Castus, "Hmm, I never did get the idea of making fancy breeds of things. Well since ya'll are here ya want to have a bite o' lunch? Ah was just gonna get myself something ta eat." "Oh," Fluttershy said in surprise, "Well, that would be nice. If it's alright." "Nonsense. It's always good ta have friends over. Let's just drop off your little human with the others in the barn, don't about him getting into any tussles, all the big ones are out bringing in crops from the fields so it's all just the females and some of the young'uns. I'm sure he wouldn't mind spending some time with his own kind." Applejack said as she placed her hoof around Fluttershy's shoulders and started leading her along. Castus had little time to think, or protest by tugging upon his leash like some dogs did, because with Fluttershy being pulled along, he had to follow just to keep from being choked. Fluttershy looked back at him with an apologetic look. Castus just waved his hand, and Fluttershy frowned, but nodded. It seemed that she and him were starting to be able to communicate without words and just gestures. Castus wasn't really sure if this was good or bad. 'Oh well....at least I can finally see some more humans here. It could be....educational.' Castus thought. 'This is....odd.' Castus thought, as he sat by the fence railing, his color leashless and a small group of perhaps fifteen human consisting of women, naked women, and children of differing ages with the oldest probably being twelve or thirteen years old. Fluttershy seemed hesitant in leaving him alone, but Applejack assured her that this group of humans were a right docile sort, at least the females were. The males apparently were used here as a form of physical labor that humans on his world used mules and donkeys and even horses for in pulling ploughs or carrying baskets of vegetables from the fields. 'I wonder if they sell the older kids like we do with some of our farm animals.' Castus thought, wondering if the lack of teenagers. Probably so....just....well he hoped that they didn't sell them as meat. Surely they didn't? Right? 'Then again....they do have those griffon kingdoms.' Castus thought, and shivered at the thought. Despite this thought, Castus couldn't help but stare at these humans, who also stared back at him with wide, some fearful and others curious eyes. The females especially held some of the kids close to them, perhaps thinking that he would hurt their children? 'It would be a natural thought if they are acting on baser instincts for the females to be protective of their offspring around strange males. But if they are indeed of the human species then they probably don't see many new males, let alone accept them. Though they would probably be more safe around a female. Guess I should be glad the males are gone, otherwise they might see me as a serious threat.' Castus thought, thinking on how other species of primates acted both modern and the ancient human species, Australopithecus and other such more primitive species of human ancestry. Castus though felt confident that these humans were perhaps more related to Neanderthal than any other, their stocky bodies, even for the young and females, were a far cry from his more slender frame. So that was a second reason to be glad for the lack of younger adult males...then again some of those twelve year olds could probably overpower him physically if they wanted to. The females too. Castus raised his hand, in the hopes maybe he could make closer contact with this group, but the action caused the humans to jump and slowly move away, the females pulling the young alone as they looked back at with and made growling noises and moved to the other end of the enclosure and watched him. Castus sighed and just flopped on his back and turned over to look at the fence. He figured such would be the case....he probably would need their leaders permission to even mingle with them. And Castus frankly didn't want to risk such a meeting out of a simple uncertainty of his own survival. "Heh, they get rather shy around new humans. The last one they let in their group was five years ago. But why are ya'll out here?" Castus blinked and looked up to see a familiar overall wearing, bow wearing filly pony girl. "Ap-" Castus started but covered his mouth as he looked around. Applebloom giggled and leaned over to whisper, "Don'tcha worry. Big Mac is on the other side of the farm and Applejack is inside talking with Fluttershy. Yer safe ta talk." Castus smirked and nodded and whispered, "Thanks." Castus got up and moved closer to Applebloom as she sat down closer to the fence and smiled at him. Castus found the smile infections and couldn't help but smile, earning a slight shocked look from Applebloom. "Uh...could ya not uh....do that?" Applebloom asked. "Do what?" Castus asked. "Smiling...it...well it looks so weird on ya humans...." Applebloom said. Castus rolled his eyes, "Right. Forgot that." Castus said but still kept a slight smile. "So uh...why are ya out here alone?" Applebloom asked. Castus shrugged, "Guess I can't go inside the house. Though can't say I didn't see it coming. Most places I've been to rarely seem to let humans inside places." "Yeah. Well, one o' the humans got in the house once and made a bit of a mess. Granny Smith near done had a heart attack and since then she's been adamant not letting any humans inside again. Something about them being disease carrying home wreckers and chair ruiners." Applebloom said, giggling slightly. "Chair ruiners?" Castus said. "Well apparently the human nawed up and broke Granny's favorite rocking chair. Took a week ta fix. She was madder than a bull in a bull fight." Appleboom said. Castus chuckled, "Ah, well guess I'd be mad to if someone messed up my favorite chair." "Ya got a favorite chair?" Applebloom asked, tilting her head. 'God that is cute.' Castus thought, looking at the way Applebloom looked at him with curious eyes. "Yeah. Back in my world I had a bean bag chair. Rather old but I loved just sitting in it with a old lava lamp I had bought on. Made me feel like a hippie at times." Castus said with a chuckle. Applebloom blinked and just looked confused, "Bean Bags? I've heard o' lava lamps but why would ya make a chair out of bean bags?" Castus had to cover his mouth to hide his trembling lips as he fought back a chuckle. He swallowed and lowered his hand, "Never mind. So why are you out here?" Applebloom brightened, "Oh well, the girls and I were in our club house and thought we would go see Zecora. But Big Mac and Applejack are either too busy or said no about taking us." "Why is that?" Castus asked. "Cause Zecora lives in the Everfree Forest. But I've been there plenty o' times by myself, but they keep saying I need me an adult with me even though she lives not like five minutes from here." Applebloom said with a huff and crossed her hooves. "Oh...that uh...that makes sense actually. That place ain't for kids." Castus said, remembering his time in the Everfree. Who the hell would be crazy enough to live there? "I ain't a kid. Granny Smith said I'm near that age where girls go into heat, that makes me a big pony like my sister." Applebloom said, pressing her lips in a pout. 'Heat?' Castus thought, looking at the filly girl. Was that like....their word for period? Frankly he didn't know what things to give these pony people cause he was having a hard time deciding how to classify them. He couldn't really place them with horses and ponies...at least how he knew them. "Well uh...still, what do you want me to do?" Castus asked. Though he was starting to get an idea as Applebloom smiled and looked at him expectantly. "Well...the girls are waiting back at the clubhouse, and we really want to see Zecora. We're gonna try to find our cutie marks in herbalism, and when I saw you I thought well, you're an adult right? I mean you look old enough ta be one." Applebloom said, looking Castus up and down as if trying to decide if he really was an adult or not. "Yeah. I am." Castus said slowly. He didn't like where this was going. "Great, then you can accompany us right? Applejack said I needed an adult, but she didn't say a pony adult. I mean I wouldn't do this if you weren't you, I ain't a silly filly. Come on, it won't be any danger and I know the way like the back of my hoof." Applebloom begged, placing her hooves together. 'Thank you and good night ladies and gentlemen.' Castus thought as his fears were realized. So the kid was gonna use some psychology to override her sisters rules eh? Smart. Respectful, he had done it himself when he was younger, but....given the location. "No." Castus said, turning. "Aw please." Applebloom begged crawling and look at him with begging eyes. "No." Castus said, turning again. "Please!" Applebloom begged again. "No." Castus said again. "Please, please, pleeeeeease!" Applebloom begged again, placing her hooves on his chest and giving Castus the biggest pair of puppy eyes he had seen. 'Oh god.....don't look......not....don't look.' Castus thought as he tried to look away from that look. That adorable look. 'Fight it.....fight it.........fight it!' He thought........... 'I lost.' Castus thought as he trodded along behind the three happy filly girls, as they hopped and chatted with each other. Castus face palmed and dragged his hand down his face. He was such a weakling. 'Still...this doesn't seem too bad. In fact, we seem to be on a trail.' Castus thought as he looked down at the ground that seemed to have been worn into a trail like pattern from over usage by ponies. And it wasn't that far from the edge of the woods leading back towards Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres. 'Maybe I was afraid of nothing.' Castus thought. "Man it's so cool you could do this for us Castus. Way to go getting around that rule Applebloom." Scootaloo said, giving her friend a...high hoof? Applebloom returned the gesture, "Heh, all in a days work. Besides its a silly rule, I know this path well enough. I've been to Zecoras by myself plenty of times." "Yeah, and we've all been in the Everfree Forest before and nothing bad happened to us." Sweetie Belle said. "Uh...wasn't that the time we ran into a Cockatrice?" Scootaloo asked. "Oh yeah, I remember that." Applebloom said, rubbing her chin. "Cockatrice?" Castus asked, noting the similar name to a mythological beast from his worlds lore. "Yeah, an ugly chicken headed snake creature that can turn you into stone. We ran into one when we went into the Everfree to save one of Fluttershy's chickens. Luckily Fluttershy gave it the Stare and sent it running after turning Twilight back to normal." Sweetie Belle said. "Aww we could have handled it." Scoots said, crossing her hooves. "Yeah right, ya were screaming with the rest of us." Applebloom said, sticking her tongue out at Scootaloo. "I was not screaming!" Scoots retaliated. 'Snake body? Well, that ain't as bad as dragon body....though they sure got the people to stone power right.' Castus thought, though that did raise some questions. 'This place just seems to give me more questions than answers.' Castus thought. Oh well, he wouldn't have to focus on those, just on getting home. Though...maybe he could focus on getting this wood trip done. Fast. 'This place does give me the creeps.' Castus thought. It was like something old and beastly was clawing at the back of his brain, and he could feel a shiver running through his body just standing here. As he looked around, Castus noticed something on the ground and he leaned down. It was a track. A hoof track to be precise, but...it was not one of the girls...and it was going into a deeper area of the forest. It was also large then the girls, and looked more....goat like. Castus looked down where the hoofprint was going and then quickly ran to catch up with the girls who had gotten ahead of him. There might be things living in this forest....he didn't want to know. Or meet. 'We're almost there now. See, this mask thing here borders not far from Zecora's hut. She told me it helps keep evil spirits and some of the beasts away." Applebloom said, pointing to a savage and scarey looking mask hung from a tree. Tribal ornaments decorated the mask and they clicked together with the slight breeze of the wind. "Good. Let's hurry and then get out of here. This place gives me the creeps, I feel like I'm being watched." Castus said as he started to move ahead of the girls...and walked into something furry. And heavy. The girls eeped and gasped and Castus blinked as he looked up and stared into the one good pitch black eye of what looked like a lanky, but still muscular gorilla like creature, with tusks protruding out of its lower jaw. The gorilla creature looked down at Castus, and slowly bared its fangs, all rows of sharp, pointy....saber like teeth. Perfect for biting, tearing, and devouring meat. Castus staggered back as the creature snarled, crouching low and glared at them with one eye, as its other was blind and carried a scar. "Wh-What is that!?" Castus asked. "ONE WORD! RUN!" Scootaloo screamed and turned and ran. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle following and screaming. The gorilla liked creature roared, an ear splitting roar of rage and savagery that had Castus covering his ears as he turned and ran after the kids. He wanted out of here! HE WANTED HIS MOMMY! "MOMMY!" Castus yelled, as the creature roared again and the sound of heavy foot falls told him it was chasing them. 'SHIT!' Castus and the girls ran as fast as they could, propelled by adrenaline which was probably the only thing keeping them just ahead of the lumbering creature as it gave chase. But only just. Castus' couldn't bring himself to look behind, partly cause he had to watch where he was running, as they had long turned off the path and had kept running, in the hopes the creature would be lost in the thicker parts of the wood. And partly because he frankly didn't want to see how close it is. If he didn't see it, then he could pretend it was far behind him. Even if it was just a hopeless hope. As the group rounded a tree, Castus felt his leg hit a pile of ground that gave way quickly and caused him to stumble down a small hill and hitting the ground. Castus spat, spitting out blood and feeling pain in his cheek where he had bitten down on it in the fall. "Castus!" Applebloom screamed. The girls had stopped and looked down at him fearfully. Castus swore, "Keep running!" Before the girls could move, the creature leaped infront of their path from the trees and roared again, its long lanky arms ending in three sharp claws. "Ahhh!" Sweetie Belle screamed as the girls backed up slowly and the creature getting closer as it raised a claw up. 'Damn it!' Castus thought, and picked up a rock and flung it as hard as he could at the creature. The rock soared and cracked into the side of the creatures head, causing it to stagger and hit a tree and giving the girls time to turn and run. Castus pumped his fist at his shot. "Yes." He said, but felt his cheer give way to terror as the creature lifted a claw to its head and saw a thin bit of blood on its fur. The creature slowly looked toward Castus and snarled low. Now...it was personal. 'Oh crap.' Castus thought. Now he had pissed it off. Great for the girls, it would probably focus on him now. Bad for him, because it was going to focus on him now! Castus turned and ran as he heard the creature leap and land onto the ground where he had been with a thud and gave chase with a roar. 'Maybe I can lead it off then loss it and double back and find the girls. They must have gone to Zecora's. It's the closest place and Applebloom did say she has some way of keep things like this ugly creature away. If I can get to that mask wearing tree.' Castus thought. Though....considering things it was a big IF. Castus kept running, hearing the creature change its roar and making more of a grunting sort of noise....and then the sound of leaves and shrubbery breaking of something moving through it. 'Oh crap does it have a friend around now?' Castus thought, only for his fears to become reality as a second gorilla thing leaped through the trees and cut off his path. Castus turned and ducked as he felt the claw just barely miss his head, but he was sure it had cut across his hair. Castus ran, but he was starting to tire, and his sides hurt. He wasn't going to last much longer. Sticks and thorns from nearby bushes cut as his legs and face, his toga catching on a trunk. Castus tore himself from the garb and kept running. He didn't need that anyway. The sounds of the gorilla creatures grew closer and Castus suddenly felt a sharp pain lash across his back and causing him to pitch forward. He felt himself splash as he fell and felt his head hit against a rock in the water. He felt pain as blood leaked from the wound, and he staggered up dizzy and disoriented. The thud of two creatures caused him to turn, and he saw the creatures look down at him with snarls that looked like satisfied smirks. Their eyes glittering with the sense of a kill. Amazing how things could be so clear when one was about to die. 'I...I'm really gonna die.' Castus thought. He was hurt...tired and disoriented. The water was only half way up to his knee, but it would slow him down some. And the creatures were right on top of him. He couldn't run anymore. It was over. His life....was over. 'No....not like this. I don't want to die like this.' Castus thought as he tripped over in the water and fell into it on his rear with a splash. He felt his heart beat rise as the creatures kneeled low, arms raised to attack as they prepared to leap upon their prey. 'Mom. Dad. Sister. All my friends. My own world. My apartment. My studies. I'll never see them again.' Castus thought, osing his eyes and feeling his life flash before him. His sense were working into overtime trying to find a way out, cause his brain was starting to hurt. 'The girls....did they make it? God I hope they did...at least...at least that's a good thing.' Castus thought. But how could he be sure...what if there were others! Other of these creatures! Oh god, what if they were dead! Eaten! The creatures roared and leaped, they descent upon him coming at a slow pace as his brain made everything seem to move in slow motion. Castus gripped his head as he felt his brain starting to pound, his breathing quickening. 'Fluttershy.....I-NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!' Castus thought, his brain practically on fire as his body shot up to his feet, his eyes glaring at his approaching death. The fire became an inferno, and the pain a scream as his whole mind seem to howl. Castus....could feel something. A pull towards something he couldn't see, but knew that all he had to do was but stretch out his will and he could pull this...this energy...this feeling of power that mind could feel. He couldn't explain how or why, but he reached for that energy. Perhaps his brain was merely grasping at nothing, but reacting none the less at anything that might keep him alive. And it wasn't nothing at all. It was something. Something that sent the feeling of pins shooting through his body. His mind alight as the thoughts of how to use this feeling. His vision seemed to blur red and purple, and Castus clenched his left hand and placed his right hand over it. 'I'M NOT GOING TO DIE!!!!' Castus thought as something exploded in his head and his right hand shot up, black and red tendrils of lightning following the path of his palm, extending from his left fist. The lightning shot towards the gorilla creatures, tearing across one and leaping to the other. The creatures spasmed as the lightning struck them, their bodies flying wild, but one smashed into Castus with its shoulder, and sent him flying off his feet. Castus hit the ground as whatever he had reached for vanished from his mind, and then all the world went black. And two howls of pain entered his ears. The howling....brought a smile to his face. And then...he heard no more. Discord Discord spat out his soda, the fizzy drink flying from his mouth in a comedic sort of way. "Wait...wait...." Discord said, and spat out another stream of soda, and another, and then a fourth before finally stopping and staring at the screen of his plasma screen. "Wha-how-who-what-that....what!?" Discord gasped, his jaw dropping as he hit rewind and watched the scene over...and over...and over again. It had been getting rather exciting. Naturally he would have intervened to save the fillies, in fact after the forest troll had become distracted by Castus, Discord used his magic to allow th girls to reach Zecora's faster than they normally would. A simple relocating spell, rather useful. But he hadn't expected that! "How is that even possible? He shouldn't be able to do that. He can't do that! How did he do that!?" Discord screamed, as he stood up and quickly pulled a black circle from his trunk of chaos stuff and threw it onto the wall. "This is not good. This is....this is....I don't know what it is but it can't be good. Can it? Maybe it is, I mean I get to watch him more but...." Discord stammered as he tried to wrap his brain around this. Deciding that some things needed to be said and discussed, Discord leaped into the hole in the wall, his tail pulling it along with him. This was an emergency of the highest order. For only the second time in his whole life.... He. Discord. Master of Surprises and Uncertainty. Had been.....surprised. And worse....he had felt afraid. Afraid of what he didn't know...but if this Castus was staying with Fluttershy, then he had to be sure he was safe. He had thought he was, and thought for sure that Castus had to be more afraid of Fluttershy, especially later in the month, but now he wasn't so sure. Castus Castus stood once more in that desert from before. He lay upon the red colored sand, and looked up as the upside down mountain fell towards him, pieces of buildings and walls falling to crash into the earth below it, sending up sand in giant splashes. Castus couldn't move. He should be able to, but he couldn't. His body felt exhausted or perhaps it was his mind that felt exhausted. Whatever the case, everything went black as the mountain side fell ontop of him, and the world around him shifted once more. He now stood on a dusty, cracked and deserted road. Ruins of buildings and towers surrounded him. Skeletons of the dead littered the ground, and old rusty pieces of iron limbs and heads, the sizes of a small house, littered the ground, while others lay in semi intact forms, their metal and stony bodies standing erect but lifeless. 'Where.....am I?' Castus thought, looking around. Sand blowing around him as piles of it had started to collected around the ruins. Soon it would be buried in the sands. Castus took a few steps, looking around as he walked the streets. Funny....he knew these streets. Bakers Lane....where all the finest confectionery works could be found in the city. The golem works, where golems were made, purchased and the craft of their construction was taught. Now the workshops and study halls lay broken and their creations forgotten and ruined. Now the bakeries and candy stores lay empty, their ovens destroyed and their buildings reduced to rubble. 'How...do I know this?' Castus thought, rubbing his head as he felt a headache. It all seemed...so familiar. He continued to walk, the streets slowly filling up with sand that his foot became uneasy. Things seemed to get steep as he walked up a hill into the higher areas of the city, pass broken walks and ruined towers. The Grand Library, where the Gold Scrolls of the Winds resided, now nothing more than a ghost of its former self, sand now filling its halls and burying its ancient knowledge to be lost forever. As he reached the end, Castus stood before a grand building that reminded him of a gothic like cathedral and castle mixed and merged to combine both aesthetic beauty and defense. Shattered old pieces of remaining jade figures of men and the crumbly old bits of towers and statues that decorated the walls and gates. Castus moved pass the broken down gates and walked into the building, the complex wide and filled with an array of buildings and a wide park for outside study and another a garden for herbal and other studies of the earth. Three thousand years of work....and this was all that was left? 'Why...do I feel sad.' Castus thought, his mind feeling dull and empty, yet tears welling in his eyes as he walked on toward the central tower, a recent addition that had been added in the last forty years. The old magics that powered the teleport stones no longer worked....no magic worked right. Castus looked up and watched as the sky filled with lightning and flashed purple. The feeling of pulsing power radiating out across him, shrouds of dark purple and black tendrils of energy falling onto the world, to explode in flashes of light. 'My fault......my fault.....failure......failure.' Castus thought as he walked up the stairs to the higher, private levels...reserved only for...K...for Kr-....for him. He had walked up these stairs once...so confident he had been. So foolish he had been. A door, he slowly pushed open and finally reached the top of the tower and stepping out into a wide platform, runes of ritual carved into the floor, and shattered bits of glass littering around a central circle where what looked like conduits stood, their containers shattered and broken, at the center of that stood a large pole of solid gold, bent and broken by the fall, a large empty place where once....something....was held. 'I...I know something was there but....ahhh!' Castus gripped his head as he felt pain. He kept moving, finally stopping and standing before a raised platform near the edge of the tower. At the top of the platform a statue, arm extended towards the heavens, another held out in a way of holding something, but the hand now lay empty. A look of sadness was what the statues face held. A look of utter defeat and sorrow only one who had been completely and utterly broken could hold. Castus stared into the eyes of the statue, and felt tears running anew from his eyes. Suddenly the statues face focused upon him, its mouth moving as its voice gave a gravelly like tone as it spoke. "Seek me out! Beneath the Golden Spires of White!" The statue spoke, its stony arm suddenly falling and its hand gripping Castus' shoulder tightly. Castus jumped back, and suddenly screamed as he gripped his head. Pain flaring across his mind. Everything around him crumbled, even the world itself as the statue spoke once more. "SEEK ME OUT!"