Shortly after the strange group had begun their trek to Ponyville Zecora started stealing glances at the three creatures that followed her. More specifically at the purple rabbit.
Even with his no doubt grave injuries, he never stopped or staggered and his only talking companion seemed to take his state as the norm.
Zecora tried to ignore it, she really did. For all the Zebra knew these creatures were dangerous, but they had still saved Apple Bloom and Scootaloo’s lives.
Looking back at them over her shoulder, she spoke to Freddy. “Will your friend be alright? He seems to have taken quite a beating in the fight.”
Freddy showed no signs of understanding the question at first, but once his gaze landed on Bonnie, he said, “Bonnie will be fi-fine! Our friend, the me-me-me-mechanic will fix him right up-up-up! Please do not wo-worry about him and enjoy your st-st-stay at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza!”
His words confused Zecora greatly. She knew what a mechanic was; she saw some who worked on the train that brought her from Zebrica to Equestria. But that was just it; they worked on the train itself, the nonliving, mechanical parts.
His answer also sounded very strange. It sounded rehearsed, as if he had said it many, many times before.
Noticing that the forest suddenly grew much denser, almost completely blocking the light from the sun, Zecora looked back again to make sure the rest could still keep up.
All of them seemed fine in the dark, even if Freddy’s coat was a yellowish shade now. Perhaps it was some sort of magic that made him more noticeable in the darkness? After a moment, it was gone. It seemed his bodily damage was also affecting his magical enchantments.
Before Zecora was able to continue with her line of thought, a pony galloped into Zecora’s line of sight. “Applejack!” shouted Apple Bloom before sprinting forward to meet her sister.
“Apple Bloom!” Applejack answered back and gave her younger sister a tight hug the moment she came within range. “Are ya ok? Sweetie Belle told us there’s a Manticore an’ that you an’ Scootaloo got separated from Zecora an’—who hurt you?!” Her chain of frantic, near incoherent questions came to an end once she noticed the cut on her sister’s side.
Before Apple Bloom could explain what happened, Applejack saw the monster and charged, completely ignoring her sister’s pleas for her not to hurt them.
Before Applejack was able to reach them in her enraged state and show the monsters what it feels like to be on the receiving end of her applebucking, a sharp pain exploded from one of her forelegs. With her leg now unable to support her weight, she fell down.
“What did ya do that fer?!” Applejack could hear her sister shout from somewhere behind her. Wanting to see for herself who had caused her this pain and wanting to return in kind, Applejack forced herself up. She was still too angry to notice that there wasn’t that much pain in her foreleg at all.
Zecora stood still, her eyes fixed on Applejack while she was holding her staff outstretched. “Do not be in such a rush; they saved your sister from being turned to mush.”
Applejack’s boiling anger cooled down to a simmer. “Explain,” she said simply, not wanting to talk any more than needed to the Zebra who had attacked her.
“Mister Freddy saved Apple Bloom after the Manticore hit her,” Scootaloo explained. “If it weren’t for him, both of us would be dead now.” Scootaloo shuddered as she recalled the events still fresh in her memory.
That gave Applejack pause. The monsters had saved her sister? Shaking her head, she asked her, “This true, Apple Bloom?”
“Yeah,” she replied, “we woulda been done fer if Mister Freddy didn’t save us.”
Feeling very ashamed at what she wanted to do to the monsters--No, Applejack scolded herself. Freddy and his friends--Applejack tipped her hat forward as she spoke. “Ah’m mighty sorry fer judging ya’ll like that, ‘specially since ya saved mah sister and her friend.” Her guilt increased even more once she realised that this was exactly what she had done when she first met Zecora. Had she learned nothing from that experience?
Freddy attempted a smile, recognising a thanks when he saw one. “It was our pl-pleasure sir or ma’m!”
Her apology accepted, she thanked Zecora for stopping her, to which Zecora apologised for hitting her, before addressing Freddy again. “So who are y’all? Ah’ve never seen anythin’ like ya.”
“M-my name is Freddy Fazbear!” Freddy introduced himself then pointed at Bonnie, who lifted his working arm in a greeting. “This is Bonnie B-B-Bunny!” Then to Chica, who waggled an already uplifted arm. “And this is Chica Chicken! Do you want a hu-hu-hug?”
A bit surprised by the question, Applejack involuntarily took a step back and answered, “N-No, thank ya.”
“I do not mean to interrupt, but your meeting I must disrupt,” Zecora said before Applejack could ask any more questions. “I feel I should also mention,” the Zebra began, moving closer to Applejack to make sure nobody would overhear. “I believe they are inventions.”
Applejack stared at her incredulously. “What?”
Zecora started walking again as she spoke. “Let us continue our trek, I will tell you why I believe they are made of tech.”
“Uno!”
“Again?!” Sweetie Belle shouted in disbelief, looking at the numerous cards she still held. “How are you so good at this game?”
The little boy Sweetie Belle was playing the age old children’s game with giggled. “I’m just very lucky today!”
Groaning, she dropped her cards, revealing a few green and yellow cards and a single red card with a ‘+2’ on it. Sweetie Belle had met the strange boy when she entered the Apple family’s house. At first they didn’t talk, but when he suggested they play a card game, Sweetie Belle thought it might be fun.
She might have been right, but losing four games in a row could be a bit disheartening. Luckily it had the desired effect of breaking the ice between the two.
Sweetie Belle had learned that his name was Balloon Boy. She had giggled at the name, imagining what it would be like if somepony were named ‘Unicorn Filly’ or ‘Pegasus Colt’ or even ‘Earth Pony Foal’.
Balloon Boy’s clothes were also very strange to Sweetie Belle. Every dress or tuxedo that Rarity made seemed at least a bit loose fitting, and none of them looked as shiny as the clothes that Balloon Boy wore. Except maybe when she used that golden glitter stuff. His short sleeved, red and blue striped shirt hugged him so tightly it almost looked like they were apart of him. She couldn’t even see the holes the two buttons on his chest should go through!
At least his eyes and hat are normal, Sweetie Belle thought to herself, noticing his blue and red striped propeller cap. “Go ahead and shuffle again. I’m going to get something to drink. You want anything?” Sweetie Belle asked as she hopped down from her chair.
“No thanks,” Balloon Boy said. “But hurry up! I want to play again!”
Complying with his request, Sweetie Belle hurried towards the kitchen. Turning a corner, she soon faced the fridge containing the apple juice she desired so much. Firing up her magic, Sweetie Belle opened the fridge partially.
Run.
Confused at the sound, Sweetie Belle looked around. “Hello? Granny Smith?” Nothing. “Balloon Boy?”
Being given no answer, she retrieved a pitcher filled halfway with a pale golden liquid.
Run.
Sweetie Belle nearly dropped the pitcher in surprise. She was sure she heard somepony telling her to run that time. She reached out with a hoof to close the refrigerator door. The moment it closed, she got a clear view of Balloon Boy standing there with his usual open mouthed smile, causing the young filly to squeak in fright and stumble back a few steps. “Hi.”
Sweetie Belle got her heart rate under control using the breathing exercises Twilight had taught her before she would hyperventilate. “What are you doing here! I thought you were shuffling the cards!”
The smiling boy just lifted a hand, showing the Uno deck he held. “Play with me?”
With her heart still trying to escape her chest by punching a hole in it, Sweetie Belle said, “Sure, just…just let me pour some apple juice.”
“Ok.”
With her new friend staring at her unblinkingly, Sweetie Belle used her magic to get a cup from the cupboard above her.
Starting to feel a bit uneasy with Balloon Boy’s staring, Sweetie Belle asked, “So when are your parents coming to pick you up?”
“I don’t know,” Balloon Boy answered, still staring.
With her cup now filled with juice, Sweetie Belle put the pitcher back into the fridge. “But it’ll be dark soon,” she said, taking the cup with her magic. “Aren’t you worried?”
When she turned around, Balloon Boy was gone, but she could still hear giggling with his answer. “No.”