Preston Marlowe Goes to Equestria

by Bill the Storyteller

Chapter 1 - First Contact

[Somewhere else...]

Cold and dark. Silence all around. Is this what death feels like? When I came to, I found myself lying in a tall, grassy field, surrounded by thick trees. It was nighttime already. The sky was black and inky with the stars and moon shining brightly, bathing the field in an eerie glow. All around, I could hear the sound of crickets chirping and owls hooting.

Judging from all the trees, I must be in some forest. How I ended up here in the first place, I do not know. All I remember was sitting in the APC, waiting for death, when I spotted a glowing pocket watch and...

The pocket watch! In the palm of my right hand, there sat the same watch from earlier. No longer did it have a purple glow around it. It was just a simple, gold pocket watch. It looked pretty antique, and was probably worth a few hundred bucks, maybe more. Whatever this watch was, it had just saved my life. I never believed in magic, but whatever happened earlier, I couldn't deny the fact that there was some magical phenomenon connected to this watch. It had got me out of danger and somewhere safe, well, if you can call a dark, spooky forest safe. Either way, I tucked that watch away in my pocket for good luck.

Regardless of where I am, I was still in hostile territory, so the least I could do was be on guard. First things first, inventory:

1x Interceptor Body Armor

1x Advanced Combat Helmet w/ ballistic goggles

1x M16A2 5.56 assault rifle w/ M203 grenade launcher

1x M1911 .45 semi-automatic pistol

1x Combat Knife

12x 5.56mm thirty-round STANAG magazines

10x .45 caliber seven-round box magazines

10x 40mm grenade rounds

4x M67 fragmentation grenades

1x Power Tool

1x Ammo Box

1x IFAK

1x Weapon Cleaning Kit

1x Portable Radio with earpiece communications system

1x Portable GPS

1x Compass

1x Binoculars

1x Hygiene Kit

1x Hydration Pack

3x MREs

Seems like I had everything in order. Next step was to check comms. I needed to see if my radio still works. I activated my earpiece and tried to radio for help.

“Bravo Two Actual, this is Bravo Two, do you copy?”

There was no response. Just static.

“Bravo Two Actual, this is Bravo Two, do you copy?” I repeated. “Sarge, you there?”

More static.

“Damn it,” I shut off my radio. It seems that comms weren't working around here. The GPS wasn’t working as well. Looks like I was on my own. Not knowing where I was, I guess the only option I have is to move out and find assistance from allied troops. I was just about to set out when I felt a stinging pain on the left side of my face. I then remembered that I may have sustained an injury from that RPG blast. I had to check my injuries to make sure they weren't too serious.

Spotting a large rock nearby, I took cover behind it and pulled out my IFAK. First thing I took out was a mirror. I needed to see how bad the injury was. I pulled the mirror to myself and saw the extent of my injuries. There were a few tiny pieces of shrapnel embedded into my left cheek and somewhere above my left brow. Nothing too serious. Despite this charming face slightly marred by RPG fragments, I was fortunate enough to not lose an eye.

Still, it's best that I treated that injury before moving out. I seemed to be well isolated, so I didn't have to worry about someone trying to jump me. I searched my IFAK for tweezers, gauze, and suture. Once I had everything with me, I took off my helmet and pulled the mirror back in front of me. Taking a deep breath, I lowered the tweezers towards the first piece of shrapnel and got to work.

******

“Are you sure it's a good idea to be out in the Everfree Forest at night?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Relax,” Scootaloo assured. “We're not going that far into the forest like last time.”

“Shouldn't we head back to the cottage?” Sweetie Belle suggested. “Fluttershy told us to stay at the cottage and never go to the forest while she was gone. We're going to get into a lot of trouble if she finds out that we left the cottage.”

“We'll be fine,” Scootaloo assured. “We're not going to go that far out into the Everfree just to find a few possums, mice, frogs, owls, maybe some snakes.”

Sweetie Belle shivered. "S-s-s-snakes?"

“What are you, Twilight?” Scootaloo giggled. “Don't worry Sweetie Belle, they're harmless. And like I said, we'll be fine. Now, come on, let's go!”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were out exploring the Everfree Forest tonight. They were hoping to find a way to earn their cutie marks by being zoologists or something. All three of them were dressed in their jungle explorer clothes, carrying with them wildlife books and a map of the Everfree Forest.

They were staying at Fluttershy's place for a sleepover since Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's sisters were a bit too busy to babysit them. Scootaloo tagged along with them as well. After dinner, Fluttershy headed out for the grocery store to purchase more food for her animals. Before leaving, she had explicitly told them that they were not to leave the cottage while she was gone. Of course, being young and curious fillies, they had set out on their own once Fluttershy was gone.

The three fillies traveled further into the forest, taking caution not to go too far. Halfway through the journey, they stopped in an open area to view their map.

“So, where are we now?” Scootaloo asked.

“According to the map, we should be somewhere here in this open field,” Apple Bloom pointed out. “We're still far enough from the danger zone, so perhaps we can move forward and see what we can find.”

Turning to Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom asked. “But since we're here, anything in that book of yours can tell us what kind of wildlife's around?”

Sweetie Belle pulled out a wildlife encyclopedia from her saddle bag and flipped through the pages. “Well, it says here that we can spot some fireflies out here. If we're lucky, there might be some rabbits and nightingales nearby.”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I guess we can have a look around here.” They made their way into the tall grass, looking out for any sign of wildlife. So far, there was nothing.

After a minute of looking around, Scootaloo got bored. “Well, this was a waste of time. Let's move on.”

At that moment, the Crusaders heard a short cry of pain. They froze in place, the hairs on their coats standing straight.

“What was that?” Scootaloo whispered.

“I don't know, but I don't think it's a rabbit,” Sweetie Belle trembled. “I think we should head back to the cottage now.”

“Hold up,” Apple Bloom said in a calm tone. “Listen.”

The girls quieted down and listened for any noises. What followed was hisses of pain and muttering. It sounded male.

“I think somepony's hurt out there,” Apple Bloom whispered.

“How do you know it's a pony?” Scootaloo hissed. “For all we know, it could be one of those monsters deep within the Everfree Forest. It must've entered this field, looking for food, and we're going to be its dinner if it catches us.”

“I'm telling you, it's a pony,” Apple Bloom said. “Somepony must've wandered in the forest just like us, and they probably injured themselves. We should go and see if they need our help.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other, nodding hesitantly. “Then you go first, AB,” Scootaloo whispered, shoving her forward.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and quietly motioned for her friends to follow her. The crept further into the grass, looking for the source of the noise. As they moved forward, they could hear the voices growing more audible.

“Ah fuck...son of a bitch...”

“Hear that?” Sweetie Belle whispered.

“It's coming from that rock,” Apple Bloom pointed towards the large rock in the center. She pulled out a flashlight and aimed it at the rock. Scootaloo placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“You're positive it's a pony?” she asked.

“I'm positive,” Apple Bloom nodded. She switched on the flashlight, bathing the rock in bright light. “Hello? Are you alright?” she called out loudly.

There was silence. The Crusaders held their breath, waiting for a response. After an agonizing ten seconds, a response came from behind the rock.

“Who's there?” the voice asked. “Are you a Canadian citizen?”

“Canadian?” Scootaloo muttered. “What the hay is a Canadian?”

“Shh!” Apple Bloom shushed. She turned back to the rock and said, “Um, hello there! We're not what you call a 'Canadian citizen'? We're Equestrians. Ponies.”

“...Pardon me, kid, but aren't we in Hamilton, Ontario?”

“What's he talking about?” Sweetie Belle whispered. “I've never heard of this Hamilton place before.”

Apple Bloom looked at her friends and shrugged. She replied back to the voice. “We're in Equestria. More specifically, the Everfree Forest. The Everfree Forest is a dangerous place for a pony to wander around at night. You're better off heading to Ponyville. It's safer there.”

“Ponyville?” the stranger questioned. “You playing with me, kid? What the heck is Ponyville?”

“You've never been to Ponyville?” Apple Bloom asked. “It's the greatest town in all of Equestria! If you're looking for a place to stay, there's a really nice hotel over there. We can take you there.”

“...Okay, I guess that'd be a good idea,” the stranger replied. “You gotta name, kid?”

“I'm Apple Bloom,” she said. “And I'm not the only one. My friends are with me – Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”

“H-hello,” Sweetie Belle greeted nervously.

“How's it going?” Scootaloo grinned.

“What's your name, stranger?” Apple Bloom asked.

“...My name is Preston. Preston Marlowe,” the stranger answered. “I'm an American soldier.”

Apple Bloom couldn't help but giggle. “Preston? That's a funny name.”

“You're a soldier?” Scootaloo couldn't help but ask. “As in like, a royal guard?”

“I guess you can say that,” Preston replied. “So, what are you kids doing out here in the middle of night? Didn't you say this forest is dangerous?”

“Well, yeah,” Apple Bloom said. “There's all sorts of monsters out here, and if you go too far into the forest, you might end up running into one of them.”

“Then why are you kids out here if it's that dangerous?” Preston asked.

“We're looking for ways to get our cutie marks,” Sweetie Belle replied. “We thought that if we go exploring the forest at night, we can find some interesting wildlife and earn a cutie mark in zoology.”

“Anyways, that doesn't matter right now,” Apple Bloom said. “Are you hurt, Mr. Preston? We heard you crying earlier. Is everything alright?”

“I'm fine, kid. I got into a little accident and I was treating myself with some first aid. I'll probably go see a doctor later, but other than that, I'm fine,” Preston explained. “So, you're gonna take me to this town of yours or something?”

“Sure!” Apple Bloom nodded. “It's safer than being here for another minute. And you being a royal guard, maybe you can keep us safe if we run into any monsters.”

“Okay, sure,” Preston said. “Listen, Apple Bloom, was it? I'm going to come out from behind this rock slowly with my hands up, to show that I'm not a threat. That okay with you?”

“Uh, sure, I guess,” Apple Bloom said.

“Alright then, I'm coming out.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders kept their eyes on the rock. Soon, Preston emerged from behind the rock, and to their surprise, he was not the pony they thought he was.

Preston was some tall, green, ape-like creature. In other words, a big green monster. He had black hair and brown eyes, and there was some dried blood smeared on his face. Bandages were wrapped around his forehead and the left side of his face. He wore a surprised expression on his face. Obviously, he had never seen a pony before.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders on the other hand were terrified. For all they know, he was one of the many monsters of the Everfree Forest looking for a tasty snack to dine on, and he'd managed to trick them into trusting him. The three of them stood there, not knowing what to say or how to react. Preston was the first to speak.

“Um...hello?”

The Crusaders screamed in terror and ran off into the woods as fast as they could.

******

Treating shrapnel injuries by myself wasn't exactly a fun thing to do. I thought that it'd be a simple task to just remove the pieces embedded in the left side of my face. Every time I pulled a piece out with the tweezers, it stung like fuck all. Once I had the pieces removed, I had to sew up the cuts that were now pouring out with blood. Wiping most of the blood off my face, I got to work sewing up the wounds. It was a painful procedure, but with one hand, I managed to sew up the wounds as best as I could. Finally, I took some gauze and wrapped it around my forehead and left face. Now that I was done treating myself, it was time to head out and figure out where the hell I was.

“Hello? Are you alright?”

I froze in place as light flooded past the rock. I was compromised! I must've made too much noise while treating myself. However, the voice didn't sound Russian. It sounded like a little girl, with a twang to it. A local farm kid, perhaps? I had to be on my guard. It could be a trap.

I replied back. “Who's there? Are you a Canadian citizen?”

There was silence for a moment, before I got another response. “Um, hello there! We're not what you call a 'Canadian citizen'? We're Equestrians. Ponies.”

Seems like she wasn't alone. There were others with her. Allies? Or Russians? I readied my weapon, preparing for anything. But there was something else that caught my attention. She said she was an Eqeustrian. A pony. What the heck is this kid going on about? I needed more information.

“Pardon me, kid, but aren't we in Hamilton, Ontario?” I asked.

Another response. “We're in Equestria. More specifically, the Everfree Forest. The Everfree Forest is a dangerous place for a pony to wander around at night. You're better off heading to Ponyville. It's safer there.”

“Ponyville?” I'm starting to think that this kid is just trying to troll me. “You playing with me, kid? What the heck is Ponyville?”

“You've never been to Ponyville?” she said. “It's the greatest town in all of Equestria! If you're looking for a place to stay, there's a really nice hotel over there. We can take you there.”

I really don't know what this kid's going on about, but if she's offering to take me into town, she seems harmless enough. “Okay, I guess that'd be a good idea. You gotta name, kid?”

“I'm Apple Bloom,” she said. “And I'm not the only one. My friends are with me – Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”

“H-hello,” another little girl spoke up, with a higher-pitched voice.

“How's it going?” a raspy voiced girl asked.

So it seems that she was with some friends, and not Russians. Good to know. She and her friends have strange names though, but I guess that's Canada for you.

“What's your name, stranger?” The girl named Apple Bloom asked.

“My name is Preston. Preston Marlowe,” I answered. “I'm an American soldier.”

I heard her giggle. “Preston? That's a funny name.”

“You're a soldier?” the raspy voiced girl named Scootaloo asked. “As in like, a royal guard?”

“I guess you can say that,” I replied. “So, what are you kids doing out here in the middle of night? Didn't you say this forest is dangerous?”

“Well, yeah,” Apple Bloom said. “There's all sorts of monsters out here, and if you go too far into the forest, you might end up running into one of them.”

“Then why are you kids out here if it's that dangerous?”

“We're looking for ways to get our cutie marks,” the high-pitched one named Sweetie Belle explained. “We thought that if we go exploring the forest at night, we can find some interesting wildlife and earn a cutie mark in zoology.”

Cutie Marks? At this point, I couldn't tell if I was being trolled or that these kids just have a very active imagination.

“Anyways, that doesn't matter right now. Are you hurt, Mr. Preston? We heard you crying earlier. Is everything alright?”

That explains how they found me. “I'm fine, kid,” I said. “I got into a little accident and I was treating myself with some first aid. I'll probably go see a doctor later, but other than that, I'm fine. So, you're gonna take me to this town of yours or something?”

“Sure!” Apple Bloom chirped. “It's safer than being here for another minute. And you being a royal guard, maybe you can keep us safe if we run into any monsters.”

“Okay, sure,” I shrugged. Got nothing better to do, so I may as well follow these kids. But first, I wanted to see who I was really dealing with. “Listen, Apple Bloom, was it? I'm going to come out from behind this rock slowly with my hands up, to show that I'm not a threat. That okay with you?”

“Uh, sure, I guess.”

I sighed. “Alright then, I'm coming out.”

I raised my hands up and slowly came out from behind the rock, where I was momentarily blinded by a flashlight. Once my eyes adjusted, I got to see who these kids were, and they weren't people I was expecting. In fact, they weren't even people at all, but ponies. Fucking ponies. They looked like characters out of a cartoon or storybook.

There were three of them. One had a yellow colored coat, red mane color, and a bright red bow on her head. Another had an orange coat, purple colored mane, and tiny wings on her back. There was a white coated one with pink and purple streaks in her mane and a horn on her head. The three of them stared at me in shock and horror. Guess I looked like the boogeyman to them. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Either I was in one hell of a morphine trip, or I was dead, and this was some sort of fucked up afterlife.

I spoke again. “Um...hello?” Their reaction? They just screamed and ran off into the woods, the one with the red bow dropping her flashlight in panic.

“Wait! Come back! COME BACK!” I yelled, trying to catch up to them. They were too fast and I immediately lost sight of them. “Goddamn it, they're gone.”

I had to take a moment to process what I had just seen. Talking ponies? What the fuck? None of this made sense. I was supposed to be in Hamilton. Not some bullshit, Kiddie Land full of talking ponies. Where was I even? How did I get here in the first place?

Well, whatever was going on, those ponies might have answers. Maybe even a way back home. With nowhere to go, my objective was to follow these kids and find out where the hell I am. I loaded my gun and ran off into the woods, but not before picking up the dropped flashlight. Even though I could see clearly with the moonlight glow, the flashlight might come in handy.

Deeper into the woods, I found stuff the ponies had dropped when they fled: books, bags, empty jars for catching small bugs, and a map. They must've dropped everything in order to run away faster. I picked up the map and examined it. Looks like it mapped out the whole forest. Most of it at least.

According to the map, areas in the far north were marked with a red highlight and a symbol resembling a skull and crossbones. Guess the area up ahead was dangerous. I examined the surrounding area, using the map as reference, and my compass to identify what direction I was traveling in. Based on some familiar landmarks spotted on map and in the local area, I was getting close to the danger zone. Looking north from my compass, the trail of objects left behind indicated that the ponies ran north, straight into danger. They probably didn't know where they were going or what dangers were up ahead without that map. I need to find them fast, before something bad happens to them.

I pushed north, hoping I'd find those kids alive and well. Halfway through, I heard screams up ahead, followed by a monstrous roar. Not good. I ran towards the direction of the commotion, pausing midway as I found those three ponies. They weren't the only ones, however.

Some kind of creature, the likes I have never seen before, had them cornered in front of a large tree. It was some three-headed monster with a tiger as the body, a goat as the hindquarters, and a snake as the tail. It looked pretty dangerous, not to mention hungry. I mean, if you look at it from its point of view, each of those ponies were the size of a full course meal. Plenty enough to satisfy their stomach, or stomachs, I don't know.

And here's the weird part – each of these heads could talk as well. First, talking ponies, now talking monsters? What's next?

I listened in on the conversations. Judging by the voices from each head, they were all female.

“What do we have here,” the tiger head growled. “Some fresh, juicy meat!”

“And enough meat to satisfy all of us,” the goat head said gleefully.

“Yessss....” the snake head hissed. “All of ussss...”

“W-what's a chimera like you doing in the forest?” the orange pony asked frightfully. She had a slightly raspy tone, so I'm guessing that one's Scootaloo.

“I thought chimeras never wander into the Everfree Forest,” the marshmallow-colored pony said in a high-pitched voice. Guessing that's Sweetie Belle, which makes the yellow one with the red bow, Apple Bloom.

“Oh, but we do,” the tiger head snarled. “Plenty of good morsels around here.”

“And you're about to become our dinner for tonight,” the goat's head cackled.

“The yellow one looks very juicy,” the snake head said. “I'll take her. You two sort out the rest.”

“Don't worry, sister,” the goat head replied. “They're all the same. Take whatever you like.”

The three ponies cowered on the spot as the creature closed in for the kill. Enough was enough. I'm not a kid-person, but human or not, you don't threaten children. Not when I'm around. I flipped the safety off and took aim at the monster, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack.

******

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo ran further into the Everfree Forest, dropping everything they were carrying in order to escape faster. Every three seconds they would look back to make sure they weren't being followed by that monster named Preston. Once they were sure they lost him, they paused to catch their breath.

“I...I think we lost him,” Apple Bloom gasped.

“Good thing too,” Scootaloo panted. “I don't...I don't think I could've made it in another mile.”

“What was that thing anyways?” Sweetie Belle asked. “He sounded like a pony, but he wasn't.”

“Probably some monster that tricks ponies into thinking he's one of them,” Scootaloo explained. “And once you let your guard down, that's when he strikes.”

“I told you we should've stayed back at the cottage,” Apple Bloom glared at Scootaloo. “This whole quest to earn our cutie marks in zoology was a bad idea from the start.”

“Let's just get back to the cottage,” Sweetie Belle said. “It shouldn't be too far from here.”

“Sounds good,” Scootaloo nodded. “Anypony know where we are?”

“Let me just check the map and-” Apple Bloom froze, realizing that in their panic, she had dropped the map. “Ponyfeathers!”

“What? What is it?” Scootaloo asked.

“I lost the map!” Apple Bloom whimpered.

“You what?!”

Suddenly, a noise from behind caught their attention. They turned in the direction of the sound.

“What's that?!” Sweetie Belle shuddered.

“Something's in the bushes!” Scootaloo pointed at the rustling bushes nearby.

“Back up! Back up!” Apple Bloom hushed as the three of them backed away from the bush. The kept their eyes on the bush, getting ready to scatter at the first sign of hostile wildlife. The bush shook a few more times before something popped out of it – a little brown rabbit.

The Crusaders breathed a sigh of relief. The rabbit looked at them curiously, then looked above them, where it suddenly panicked and ran off into the darkness. The fillies looked at each other, confused, before a low growling noise caught their attention. They felt warm breathing on the back of their necks, making their hearts race a beat faster. Turning around, they saw a beast twice their size with the heads of a tiger, goat, and snake. It was a chimera.

They screamed in terror as the tiger head gave a mighty roar. They made an attempt to run, but to their dismay, they had been cornered in front of a tree. The chimera closed in on them, each head licking their chops.

“What do we have here? Some fresh, juicy meat!”

“And enough meat to satisfy all of us...”

“Yessss....All of ussss...”

Scootaloo gulped. “W-what's a chimera like you doing in the forest?”

“I thought chimeras never wander into the Everfree Forest,” Sweetie Belle shivered.

“Oh, but we do...Plenty of good morsels around here.”

“And you're about to become our dinner for tonight...”

“The yellow one looks very juicy,” the snake head hissed, glaring at Apple Bloom. “I'll take her. You two sort out the rest.”

“Don't worry, sister,” the goat head replied. “They're all the same. Take whatever you like.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders cowered on the spot as the chimera got closer. The snake head raised itself high, before bringing down its fangs towards Apple Bloom. She screamed, hugging her friends tightly and shutting her eyes. Just when she thought it was over, there was a sound that sounded like firecrackers going off, followed by a roar of pain. Looking up, Apple Bloom could see that the snake head was badly injured. Something had hacked a chunk of its flesh off its neck and the top of its head. The chimera turned around, glaring at the one responsible for the damage.

The Crusaders looked in the same direction it was looking at. Up ahead was none other than Preston Marlowe. He had his M16 at the ready, keeping its sights on the chimera.

“Hey! Asshole!” he called out. “Why don't you go pick on someone your own size!”

The chimera approached him menacingly. The Crusaders looked on in surprise to see Preston standing up for them. More surprising that he was unafraid at the sight of an angry chimera closing in. The chimera paused a few feet, sizing up this strange creature in front of them.

“And just who are you supposed to be?” the tiger head growled.

“I'm the last person you want to piss off,” Preston replied. “And if you want to keep all your body parts intact, then I suggest you leave these kids alone and get out of this forest.”

The goat head laughed. “And what if we don't want to? What are you going to do about it?”

Preston responded by firing a single shot at the goat’s head. The projectile pierced through its skull, sending blood, skull fragments, and brain matter all over. The goat head fell limp, dead.

The Crusaders gasped in shock. They had never seen a creature killed before their eyes. The remaining two heads howled in pain, thrashing around violently.

“Sister!” they cried, before glaring back at Preston. “We'll kill you for that! You'll make a fine meal for the two of us!”

“Bring it on, freak show,” Preston taunted. “Let's see what you got.”

The two heads roared in response and charged at Preston, leaping towards him for the kill. He ran up and fired a few shots before sliding underneath the chimera, avoiding its pounce. He turned around and fired again, dealing more damage and aggravating the beast. His gun ran dry and he quickly swapped out his empty mag for a full one. Meanwhile, the beast had enough. It leaned back and breathed fire towards him.

“Look out!” Apple Bloom cried.

Preston and the girls shielded themselves from the bright flames rushing forward. The flames stopped a few inches from his face, before dying down in a wall of smoke. When the smoke cleared, the chimera was gone. Cursing himself, Preston realized that the flame attack was merely a distraction for the chimera to escape.

He had no idea where it was. All he could hear were its growls and hisses, and then, silence. Spotting the Crusaders, he ran over to them and placed himself in front of them, scanning the area for the chimera.

“Move back,” Preston whispered to them. “Stick together and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Got it?”

Realizing that he was not a threat anymore, the Crusaders nodded and stuck close by. Not being able to see what was going on in the dark, Preston reached into his satchel and pulled out the flashlight Apple Bloom dropped earlier. In one hand, he held his gun, and in the other, the flashlight to light the way.

He scanned the darkened forest, trying to spot the chimera. Every time he heard a twig snap or a bush rustle, he'd shine the flashlight in the direction of the noise, only to find nothing. After a minute of scanning around, he motioned for everyone to be quiet. Shining the flashlight up into the trees, he spotted some movement in the leaves. Was it the chimera? Only one way to find out. He turned off the flashlight and put it away, gripping the M16 with both hands now.

“Listen up,” he whispered to the Crusaders. “When I start shooting, run away as fast as you can, and don't stop.”

“What about you?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Don't worry about me,” Preston said. “You three just focus on getting out of here.”

The rustling grew quiet. He aimed his weapon towards the trees. “Get ready...”

He put his finger on the trigger and flipped a mechanism on the side of his weapon. The leaves above shook violently.

“RUN!”

He opened fire into the trees, prompting the Crusaders to scatter. The field was bathed in the flashes of gunfire. Casings of spent rounds flew out of the chamber and onto the ground. The gunfire continued for a few more seconds until it ran dry again. Preston lowered his weapon, but not before loading another full magazine. He kept his eyes on the trees, expecting the body of the chimera to fall out of the leaves.

Instead, he got an angry chimera popping out from the bushes on his left. He was able to dodge its pounce once again, but not before the chimera swiped its paw and knocked his weapon out of his hands. Preston was now completely unarmed. Not wanting to waste time retrieving his gun, he went for his knife and engaged the chimera at close range. The chimera lunged forward, the tiger head bearing its teeth. Another swift dodge from Preston himself, giving him an opening to slash the tiger's left eye. It snarled in pain and swiped at him, prompting another dodge from Preston.

Just as he was about to counter with his knife again, the snake had brought down its fangs towards him. By the time he realized what was going on, it was too late. The snake had bit him in the left arm, sending waves of razor sharp pain throughout his body. He pulled his arm free from the bite and stumbled backwards. His vision blurred, and he was having a hard time trying to keep his balance.

“Aw, what's the matter? You feeling sick?” the tiger head taunted. “Just so you know, my sister's venom is capable of killing any living creature in a matter of minutes. Soon, you'll lose control of your whole body and become paralyzed. Then, your pathetic little organs will begin to shut down, one by one. And finally, death.”

Within seconds, Preston felt his body shutting down as he collapsed to the ground, convulsing in agony.

“You just sit here and die,” the snake hissed. “Once we've had our appetizer, then we'll move onto you for the main course.”

With that, the chimera disappeared into the darkness of the Everfree in search of their three remaining prey, leaving Preston for dead.

******

The Cutie Mark Crusaders continued running away as Preston stayed behind to fight off the chimera. None of them dared to look back. All they could hear behind them was the continuous rattling of Preston's weapon. Even when that weapon grew quiet, they didn't stop running. Everything around them looked the same, and there seemed to be no escape from the Everfree, but they kept on running as Preston told them to. If they stopped to take a breath for even a second, they'd be chimera food.

During their escape, Sweetie Belle, not bothering to examine her surroundings, tripped on a root and sprained her ankle, prompting the Crusaders to stop.

“Sweetie Belle! Are you alright?” Apple Bloom said.

“My ankle,” she whimpered. “I think I twisted it...”

“Alright Sweetie, hang on,” Apple Bloom hushed gently as she and Scootaloo helped her up. “We're going to get you back on your hooves, and we're going to make it back to Fluttershy's in time for some hot chocolate. Don't you worry.”

“But the chimera...it's going to-”

“Shh, shh, don't you worry,” Apple Bloom assured. “I'm sure Mister Preston took care of it. Now, all we have to do is make it back to Fluttershy's.”

“You think we can trust him?” Scootaloo couldn't help but ask.

Apple Bloom nodded. “He put his life on the line to save us. That's more than enough for me to trust him. Now, come on. Let's get Sweetie Belle home.”

“Aw, how tragic! Did the little pony hurt herself?”

A familiar and sinister sounding voice echoed from behind, prompting the Crusaders to freeze in place. They turned their heads to find the chimera walking slowly towards them. It looked badly wounded, but even that wasn't going to stop it from dining on fresh equine. The girls moved as fast as they could, but with Sweetie's injury, they were hardly going anywhere. Eventually, Sweetie lost her grip and fell away from her friends. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo attempted to carry her again.

“Come on, Sweetie Belle, you have to get up! Come on!” Scootaloo whispered urgently.

“I don't think I'm going to make it,” Sweetie Belle said. “Go on without me. Save yourselves.”

“We're not leaving you,” Apple Bloom pulled her up on her hooves again. “Now, move!”

They trudged along, trying to escape the chimera. Their escape proved to be futile when the chimera leaped forward and blocked off their escape.

“There's no escape for you three now,” the tiger snarled. “That stupid monkey failed to protect you, and now he's dinner.”

“But first,” the snake glared at the fillies. “We can't have dinner without having appetizers first...”

“And though our sister is gone, there's still plenty enough for us to eat,” the tiger licked its chops. “Any last words?”

The chimera approached menacingly. Not knowing what to do or where to go, the Crusaders sat on the ground, holding onto each other.

“Looks like this is it,” Sweetie Belle muttered sadly.

“I...I don't want to die!” Scootaloo sobbed.

Apple Bloom held both of her friends tightly, tears streaming down her face. This was not how she wanted to go. Her way of passing should be at an elderly age, after living a fulfilling life. It was too soon. She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to Applejack, Big Macintosh, or Granny Smith. Looking back at her friends, however, she couldn't help but smile. If this is the way it has to end, then at least she had her friends by her side for comfort. “At least...we all go together...” All three of them smiled, despite their situation.

The chimera's snake head raised itself at full height, striking down at the Crusaders. It stopped about an inch when it felt a stabbing pain in its throat. The snake coughed out blood, looking down at the source of the injury. A knife was jammed into its throat, with one hand holding the knife, and another wrapped around its serpentine body.

“Wha-” the snake gurgled. “But...how?”

“Did you honestly think that a little poison is going to kill me?”

Before the snake could even react, there was a swift cut off the knife, followed by a spray of blood as it felt its head leaving its body. The last thing it felt was the world growing silent, followed by darkness.

******

So here I was, in a world full of talking ponies, poisoned by some beast from hell and convulsing on the spot. Just when I thought that my day couldn't get any worse, this happens to me. And now, I'm going to die in some godforsaken shithole, miles away from home.

My body grew numb. Every time I tried to breathe, I felt this razor sharp pain in my chest, like someone was stabbing me. I couldn't do anything, except lie down and die. As I lay there, I couldn't help but think about those kids. That beast continued its chase shortly after I got bit. Did they make it out in time? Did the monster catch up to them?

I couldn't live with myself without knowing I'd leave those kids to die without even trying to help them. I had to go after that thing and stop it. That thing can say all it wants about its poison, but even that wasn't going to stop me. If there's one thing I learned from being with Bad Company, it's that there's no place for soft men, and I'm not going to let some snakebite kill me that easily.

I forced myself to move, despite my limbs feeling like jelly. I rolled up onto my stomach, planted both hands to the ground, and pushed myself up on my knees. The process was excruciating, but once I was up on my feet, nothing could stop me. I retrieved my weapons and ran off into the monster's direction.

Running through the woods, I felt nauseous and disoriented. Side effects from the poison, I guess. I pushed forward into the woods, trying to find that creature before it found those ponies. I heard voices up ahead. The kids were close by, and it looks like they've been caught. Stopping near a tree, I spotted them just sitting there, terrified as that thing closed in for the kill. I was a couple of meters from it, and rather than shooting it right then and there, I decided to go in for a sneak attack. It didn't know I was there, so I had the element of surprise. I slung my M16 over my shoulder and pulled out my knife, creeping towards the beast. I was going to kill that snake first. No way was I going to let that thing bite me again.

The snake raised its body at full height and lunged towards the girls. I was quick enough to grab it and plunge my knife into its throat. Bet that freak didn't expect to choke on a piece of metal.

“Wha-...but...how?”

“Did you honestly think that a little poison is going to kill me?” I sneered. I pushed the knife further into its throat, before making a quick cut across its flesh, decapitating it. The tiger head roared in pain as it felt another part of itself get destroyed. I jumped in front of the girls, staring down the beast as it thrashed around in pain. Noticing that I still had the snake's head in my hands, its eyes rolling back as all life was extinguished from it, I threw it on the ground and crushed it under my foot, the head exploding like a Halloween pumpkin.

Once it stopped thrashing about, it turned its attention back to us, and boy was it not happy.

“You!” it growled. “I'LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!”

It charged forwards, teeth bared and claws out. I had my M16 out, switching to the grenade launcher. As it pounced, I told the girls to take cover before launching a 40mm grenade straight into its ugly face. The monster didn't even have a chance to react as it collided into the grenade round. There was an explosion, and the beast was sent flying a few meters back. It lay on the ground, unmoving.

I turned my attention to the ponies, who were no doubt surprised to see me alive. I was about to ask them if they were alright, when we heard movement from behind. We turned around to see that the monster was still alive. Just barely. The thing was bleeding all over and its face was badly marred from the explosion, with one eye missing from its socket. It was already dead, but I should probably finish it off, just to be safe.

“Wait here,” I said to the girls. I walked over to the dying monster, taking out a frag grenade and pulling the pin. It lifted its head up weakly.

“Dinner time's over, bitch!” I grabbed its head and stuffed the grenade into its mouth, clamped it shut, and hightailed it out of there. I stumbled forward as I felt the grenade go off five seconds later. I didn't even need to look back to confirm that the thing was dead.

Looking back, the girls were aghast from the way I killed that monster. My response? I gave a grin and a thumbs up, before feeling a wave of nausea overcome me. I'd forgot that I was still poisoned, and now I was at my limit as I fell to my knees, my whole body shutting down on itself.

I felt something touch me on the shoulder. I looked up to see all three of them around me, a look of concern on their faces. Apple Bloom placed a hoof on my shoulder, trying to keep me from falling over.

“Why?” she asked. “Why did you save us?”

I smiled weakly. “Cause it was the right thing to do...” I felt myself lose consciousness as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo grabbed each of my arms and guided me towards a tree. They helped sit me up against the tree.

“Are you okay?” Scootaloo asked. “You don't look so good.”

I nodded in the direction of that dead creature. “That thing back there...what do you call it?”

“It's called a chimera,” Sweetie Belle answered. “A dangerous monster from Flame Geyser Swamp. They never step out of their swamp, or come into the Everfree, but I guess this one had its reasons.”

“A chimera, huh?” I showed them my left arm, where there was a clear sign of the bite. “The snake head...bit me in the arm. I think I'm poisoned.”

“You got bit?” Scootaloo asked worriedly.

“This is not good,” Apple Bloom muttered. “Chimera venom is deadly if not treated with the proper antidote.” She turned to her friends and said. “We need to give him antivenom, now!”

“How?” Scootaloo asked. “The hospital's too far and they probably don't have it. The only place that might have it is probably at Zecora's Hut.”

“Then that's where you're going,” Apple Bloom said. “You go get Zecora. Sweetie Belle and I will stay here with him.”

“But how do I get there?” Scootaloo asked. “I'm not too familiar with this area, and without the map, I don't know how to get to Zecora's from here.”

“Did you say map?” I pulled out the map from my pockets and handed it to her. “You dropped it when you, well, ran from me.”

Apple Bloom couldn't help but grin sheepishly. Scootaloo took the map and gave it a quick look. “Okay, okay,” she nodded. “I think I know how to get there. You two stay with him, I'll be right back.”

“Hurry!” Sweetie Belle pleaded.

Scootaloo ran off into the woods, leaving me alone with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. At this point, I was having a hard time trying to stay awake. Apple Bloom was trying to keep me awake, though it wasn't helping as much.

“Please stay awake a little longer,” she said calmly. “You're going to be fine, just stay awake.” I have to admit, she was doing a good job of putting on a brave face, but I could still see the tears in her eyes as she tried to keep me awake. I didn't know how much time I had left, but I didn't want her to worry. She and her friends had been through a lot tonight, and she didn't need to burden herself with a stranger's death.

“Tell me more about this world,” I asked all of a sudden.

She and Sweetie Belle looked at me, confused.

“I'm actually new around here,” I said. “So, tell me about this place. What's to see?”

Apple Bloom smiled a little bit. So did Sweetie Belle. Guess they finally stopped seeing me as the boogeyman. “Well, there's Ponyville, like I've mentioned earlier. It's a nice place, and everypony's so friendly with each other.”

“Anything good over there?”

“There's Sugarcube Corner, the best bakery in all of Equestria,” she said. “All the sweets and confectioneries they make over there are out of this world. Travelers that visit Ponyville always stop by there to get something, and they say that it's nothing compared to the other bakeries they've visited. Although, I think it's also fair to say that our food is equal to that of Sugarcube Corner. Maybe even better.”

“You cook?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “My family and I are farmers. We own Sweet Apple Acres, and our specialty is apples. We make a lot of apple-related dishes – apple pie, apple fritters, you name it! In fact, our apple pies are famous compared to that of other pies.”

“That so?” I chuckled. “Well, I guess you can say I'm a fan of pie. Think there's a chance I can try some of this 'world famous' apple pie of yours?”

“Of course,” she said. “Once we get you to a hospital, I'll get to baking a whole pie for you, assuming Applejack doesn't ground me for this.”

“I'll take your word on that, kid,” I grinned weakly as everything faded in and out.

“So, where are you from exactly?” Her voice began to quiet, and everything got dimmer. I guess this was it.

“Preston-...?”

Silence all around, followed by the pitch black darkness and the cold touch of death. Finally, I can rest.

******

“Hurry, Zecora! This way!” Scootaloo said, running back into the direction she came from.

“Slow down, Scootaloo! Please!” Zecora gasped. “I am not as agile as you think I am.”

Zecora didn't know what she was getting herself into. One minute, she was enjoying her evening with a nice cup of tea. The next thing she knew, she was running in the Everfree Forest to deal with an emergency. Scootaloo had barged into her home earlier, frantically asking for her to follow and to bring an antidote for chimera poison. Thankfully, Zecora had all sorts of antidotes for various poisons, and chimera snakebites were one of them. She wasted no time in grabbing some from her cabinet before heading out with Scootaloo. A bite from the snake-end of a chimera was serious business, and if Scootaloo was telling the truth, then this was definitely a real emergency.

“They're right over there,” Scootaloo pointed to the clearing nearby. “Hurry!”

Upon entering the clearing, the first thing Zecora saw were the remains of a chimera, lying in a pool of blood. The snake tail had its head missing, the goat had half of its head blown off, and what was left of the tiger was half of its lower jaw.

Zecora's stomach churned at the sight. “What savagery took place here?”

“Scootaloo! Zecora! Over here!” Apple Bloom's voice brought Zecora out of her state. She looked over to see her and Sweetie Belle standing next to some strange creature.

She ran over to the two fillies. “Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle,” she said. “Are you two alright? None of you are hurt?”

“It's Preston,” Apple Bloom said, her face stricken with panic and tears. “He's not breathing! He lost consciousness a minute ago!”

“Preston?” Zecora asked.

Sweetie Belle pointed to Preston. “That's what he called himself – Preston Marlowe. If it weren't for him, that chimera would've eaten us.”

Zecora turned her attention to the unmoving creature sitting up against the tree. Of all the creatures she has seen, this was something she had never seen before. Based on his appearance, he appeared to be some sort of primate with less hair on its skin. Well, that and the clothes he was wearing, plus the bandages wrapped around the left side of his face.

“He got bitten by the chimera, trying to protect us,” Apple Bloom explained tearfully. “I tried to keep him awake, but he...he...”

“Shh, it's okay, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle whispered, rubbing her friend's back. “You did all you could to help him. Zecora's here now, so maybe we're not too late.”

Zecora placed a hoof on Preston's forehead, feeling his temperature. His skin was cold and pale. She then tried to listen in for a heartbeat, but was unable to hear it due to all the clothing he was wearing.

“I cannot hear a heartbeat,” said Zecora. “Can one of you help me remove the clothing on his upper chest, so that I may listen in on his heart?”

Apple Bloom nodded and helped remove the vest Preston was wearing. It was quite difficult at first, but once she figured out how it was worn, she was able to open up his vest for Zecora to listen in. She placed her head up against his chest and listened for a few seconds.

“His heart grows weak,” she muttered. “We don't have much time left. Where was he bitten?”

“Left arm,” Sweetie Belle said. “He was bitten right there.”

Zecora examined his left arm, finding a large snakebite on it. “This should be no problem at all,” she said. “First, I'll need to administer some antidote onto his wound.” She reached into her knapsack and pulled out a vial of chimera antivenom. She pulled the cork out with her teeth and administered a few doses of antivenom into the bite wound. “Now, I need him to ingest the rest of the antidote.”

She tilted his head back and opened his mouth, pouring the rest of the antivenom down his throat. She then closed his mouth and sat him up straight, waiting for the next step to take place.

“So, what now?” Scootaloo asked.

“We now wait for the medicine to take effect,” said Zecora. “We'll know if it worked once he shows signs of life.”

They waited for a moment, watching carefully for any signs of movement. Suddenly, he awoke in a coughing fit, struggling to get up on his feet. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed over to help him, but Zecora held them back.

“Don't!” she yelled. “Let the antidote take effect.”

He crawled up on his knees, clutching his stomach, as he turned to his right and vomited, his body shuddering from the strain. After a few seconds of puking, Preston wiped his mouth and breathed shakily.

“Ow, fuck,” he said with slight fatigue. “Feels like I swallowed something nasty...”

He lifted his head to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Zecora. He groaned, nearly planting his head into the ground. “Ah hell, I'm back here.”

“Preston! You're alive!” Apple Bloom cried with joy. Preston nearly fell over as the young filly jumped up and embraced him.

“Hey kid,” he grinned weakly. “What did I miss?”

“Oh, thank Celestia you're alright,” Scootaloo sighed. “I thought we were too late.”

“So did I,” Preston got up on his feet and brushed himself. “So, which one of you saved me?”

“That'd be Zecora,” Sweetie Belle pointed to Zecora. “She gave you the antidote just in time.”

He looked over to the zebra before him, Zecora feeling slightly apprehensive at the tall creature standing before her. “Well ma'am, I guess I owe you one for saving my life,” he gave a small bow towards her. “Thank you.”

Zecora smiled. “It was nothing, Mister Preston Marlowe. I'm happy to help a creature in need.”

“Please, call me Preston,” he said. “And if you're wondering what I am, I'm a human.”

“What's a human?” Scootaloo asked. “Do they all look exactly like you? And where are you from?”

Preston all of a sudden gave a wide yawn as he stretched his aching body. “One question at a time, kid...Boy, am I tired. Was there something else in that antidote?”

“The chimera antivenom has a mild sleeping aid intended to put the victim to sleep so that their immune systems can recover,” Zecora explained. “We should probably head back to my home, so that you may get some rest.”

“Sounds good to me,” Preston picked his weapon off the ground. “Where's your house?”

“A few minutes away from here,” she said. “Please follow.”

With that, Preston Marlowe and the Cutie Mark Crusaders set off for Zecora's Hut. As they walked through the forest, Preston happened to notice Sweetie Belle limping.

“You alright?” he asked.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “When we were running away from the chimera, I think I twisted my ankle.” She continued to hobble as everyone walked at a slow pace. “It's probably nothing too serious.”

“Once we get back to my house, I'll provide you a remedy that will get you back on your hooves in no time.” said Zecora.

Preston paused halfway and bent down on his knees. “Hop on my shoulders, I'll carry you.”

“Are you sure?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Aren't you really tired?”

“I'm not going to collapse from exhaustion anytime soon,” he said reassuringly. “Hop on.”

Sweetie Belle nodded and jumped onto his shoulders. Once she felt secure, Preston got back up on his feet and carried her all the way back to Zecora's place. On the way, the Crusaders asked more questions about him.

“So, are you finally going to tell us where you're from?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Right, I believe that was what you were going to ask me before I passed out,” Preston said. “If you haven't already known, I'm from the United States of America. It’s my homeland from planet Earth.”

“I've never heard of this 'United States' before,” Zecora said. “But as for Earth, our planet here is also called Earth. Maybe your Earth is different from ours.”

“Is that so?” he shrugged. “Well, who knows? Maybe you're right and I somehow ended up in another universe on a similar planet.”

“How did you get here exactly?” Scootaloo asked.

“I would really like to know that,” Zecora said, before pausing on the trail. “But first, how about you three fillies tell me what you were doing out in the forest in the middle of the night?”

“Oh, that...” Scootaloo rubbed her hooves nervously. “We were actually having a sleepover at Fluttershy's place, when we decided to go out into the Everfree Forest to try and earn our cutie marks in zoology. We weren't going to be out there for long, and we made sure that we didn't go too far where we might run into any monsters. But then we ran into Preston, and the rest is history.”

“You do know that going out into the Everfree is very dangerous,” said Zecora. “Especially at night. Why go in when you already knew the risks?”

“We just wanted to try earning our cutie marks,” Scootaloo said, before earning some glares from her friends. “Well, it was mostly my idea, but I thought it'd be fun looking for critters at night. Look, if anything, I'll take the blame for all of this. I put my friends in danger tonight, so I'll take full responsibility for this.”

“Well, it doesn't matter,” Apple Bloom muttered. “All of us are going to be in big trouble either way. We all knew the dangers and we went along anyway.”

Preston decided to step into the conversation. “Listen, there's nothing wrong with going out and exploring the world. You're kids, and I get that you want to satisfy your curiosity by seeing what's out there. But you should know that there are limits to that kind of thinking. If you already knew about the dangers in the forest, then you should've never stepped foot in here in the first place.”

“He's right,” Zecora added. “You knew that this forest was dangerous to begin with, yet you ignored the warnings and placed yourselves in harm's way. Tell me, if Preston had not been here in the first place, what do you think the outcome would've been?”

“I can already guess,” Scootaloo shuddered. “In any case, it was wrong of us to sneak out of Fluttershy's and take a risk like that. We're sorry.”

“We're very grateful that you saved us, Preston,” said Apple Bloom. “But we're also sorry for what happened. You wouldn't be in this mess if we just stayed back at the cottage.”

Preston gave a small smile. “We're still alive, aren't we? As long as you realize your mistake and learn from it, that's all that matters.” He yawned again. “Let's keep moving. I'd like to get to Zecora's place before I decide to take a nap in this forest.”

Zecora nodded, and resumed the journey. Their conversation with Preston continued. “So, how did you get here?” Scootaloo asked again.

“That's a mystery, actually,” Preston answered. “I was in a battle when I spotted this glowing pocket watch nearby.”

Apple Bloom blinked. “Glowing pocket watch?”

“Yeah,” he pulled out the pocket watch and handed it to Apple Bloom. “It was glowing purple when I found it. Upon touching it, I ended up here. Guess it's a lucky, magical watch.”

Apple Bloom and her friends examined the watch. “It's a very nice looking watch,” she said, before handing it back to Preston. “And it just brought you here?”

He nodded. “Like I've said, I touched the thing, there was a bright flash of light, and before I knew it, I found myself in this forest.”

“Interesting,” Sweetie Belle placed a hoof on her chin. “Perhaps you should ask Twilight about this. She might know something.”

“Twilight?” he asked.

“Twilight Sparkle, the Ponyville librarian,” Sweetie Belle clarified. “She knows all sorts of magic, so maybe she'll know something about this watch. She's also good friends with Princess Celestia, so if she can't help you with that watch, maybe the princess might know something?”

“A princess?” Preston asked. “You got a monarch ruling around here?”

“Yep!” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Princess Celestia is her name. She rules Equestria with benevolence, and she also controls the sun. She also has a sister – Princess Luna. She controls the night.”

“So you've got two rulers that control day and night? That's interesting,” Preston said. “In any case, I'll go talk to this Twilight, maybe the princesses as well. One of them might know the way home.”

Zecora then got everyone's attention. “We're here.”

Preston bent down to let Sweetie Belle get off his shoulders, before glancing up at Zecora's home. It was a house built inside a large tree. “This is your home?” he asked. “Not a bad place to settle, but you don't mind living out here with flesh eating monsters?”

“The beasts never come around here,” said Zecora, as she unlocked her door. “And I like the peace and quiet out here.”

“Fair enough,” Preston shrugged. “I can see myself spending retirement in the middle of nowhere. Just not in a tree.”

Zecora welcomed everyone into her hut. “Do make yourselves at home, but mind the mess. I've barely had the time to clean up today.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders sat themselves down on some soft cushioning while Preston stood there, barely able to keep himself up as the sleeping aid started taking full effect. “You'll have to forgive my lack of accommodations for you, Mister Preston. I don't believe I have beds that can support your height. The best I can do is find some pillows and blankets for you to sleep comfortably on the floor.”

“Good enough for me,” he said. “I've slept worse, and this ground looks comfy compared to the cots we sleep on.”

Preston chose a comfortable spot near the fireplace and laid down, his whole body growing weary as he drifted off to sleep. The Crusaders gathered around him. “Are you going to be okay?” Apple Bloom asked.

He gave an assuring smile. “Don't worry, kid. I'm not going anywhere.”

Sweetie Belle placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Is there anything we can do for you?”

Preston thought for a moment. “Well, there's one thing I can ask you girls to do, and that's to not touch anything I'm carrying.” He patted the firearm he was holding. “I have weapons on me that are capable of killing anything within a hundred yards away, so for your safety and mine, don't touch anything you see hanging off of me.”

“Would you like me to move your weapons to a safe place, so that no one may touch them?” Zecora asked, walking over to the group with a pillow and blanket in her hoof.

Preston shook his head. “I prefer to hold onto them. Safer that way.” He turned back to the girls. “Are we clear on this?”

The Crusaders nodded. “Crystal.”

He sighed, resting his head back on the floor. “Then I guess I'll see myself out. See you on the flipside, I guess.”

With that, Preston Marlowe drifted off into sleep, the events from today finally wearing him out. The Crusaders then huddled around him. “Sleep well, Preston,” Scootaloo said, keeping a vigilant watch at the windows and doors. “We'll keep the monsters at bay.”

Zecora smiled at the sight, gently placing the pillow underneath Preston's head, and covering the rest of him with a warm blanket. She then went over to her cabinet and grabbed a remedy for sprained ankles, pouring a cup for Sweetie Belle.

“Drink this,” she said. “This remedy will help heal your sprained ankle and get you back on your hooves in no time.”

“Thank you,” Sweetie Belle said as she took a sip from the cup.

Zecora then turned back to the door. “Now, you three stay here while I find Fluttershy. I'm sure she's worried about your safety. In the meantime, you stay here and look after Preston. Do not leave this house. Am I understood?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Don't worry, Zecora. We've had enough of the Everfree tonight.”

“And we'll make sure nothing happens to Preston,” Scootaloo added. “You can count on us!”

Zecora smiled with relief. “I have some tea and biscuits on the table. Help yourselves if you are hungry.”

With that, Zecora set back out into the forest in her search for Fluttershy, leaving the Crusaders and Preston on their own.

******

“I should never have left them on their own,” Fluttershy panted as she ran past trees in bushes. “That was so stupid of me!”

“Fluttershy, slow down!” Twilight gasped. “You're all going too fast!”

“We can't slow down!” Applejack said. “Not when my sis is out there!”

The moment Fluttershy returned to her cottage to find that the Crusaders weren't there, she dropped everything to get Twilight and the rest of her friends. Upon hearing the news that their sisters were missing, Applejack and Rarity wasted no time by heading out to the forest on their own. The rest of the gang followed suit, with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy up front, and Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Spike tailing behind.

While gathering her friends, Fluttershy heard a sound similar to firecrackers going off. It was loud enough to get everyone's attention in Ponyville. Something was going on in the Everfree Forest, and she knew she had to get her friends to form a search party, before something bad happened to the Crusaders.

Eventually, their search brought them to a clearing in the forest, where a ghastly sight awaited them. In the center of the clearing lay a dead chimera, its body mangled so badly that Twilight didn't recognize what it was at first. Fluttershy and Rarity nearly fainted at the sight, while everyone else wore a sicken expression. Pinkie looked like she was going to hurl if she gave the body another glance.

“Sweet Celestia...” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“What could've done this?” Spike asked.

“Never mind that,” Applejack said, ignoring the carnage. “Does anypony see Apple Bloom? Or any of the girls?”

“If you're looking for your young friends, I can assure you, they are perfectly safe,” said a voice from behind. Everyone turned around to see Zecora walking over to them. They all gathered around her.

“Zecora! Where is Sweetie Belle? And Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo? Are they alright?” Rarity asked frantically.

Zecora placed both hooves on Rarity's shoulder. “Calm down,” she said. “Your sister and her friends are safe. They are resting at my place. I will take you to them.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Twilight then asked, “What happened here? Before Fluttershy came to get us, Spike and I heard loud noises coming from the forest. Zecora, what exactly went on over here?”

“Ah yes, I believe that was Preston Marlowe's work,” Zecora answered. “At first, I thought it was troublemakers playing with fireworks, then young Scootaloo barged into my home and everything else was history.”

“Preston Marlowe?” Twilight asked.

“Follow me,” Zecora turned to the path ahead. “We should check in with Apple Bloom and her friends. No doubt they're waiting for you all.”

“They'd ought to be waiting for us,” Applejack huffed. “Apple Bloom's about to get her hide handed to her for scaring me like that.”

The six ponies and baby dragon followed the zebra back to her hut. Arriving at the hut, Zecora opened the door, revealing the Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled by the campfire, sleeping next to a strange creature that was fast asleep. Though they were relieved to see the girls were alright, they were also intrigued by the sight of the strange creature next to them.

“What is that?” Twilight whispered.

“That would be Preston Marlowe,” Zecora explained. “He told me that he was a 'human'. I don't know what a human is, but he bears a striking semblance to the common ape, though more intelligent and dexterous than they are.”

Applejack and Rarity could care less about the creature in front of them. All they cared about right now was their sister's well-being. Rainbow Dash felt the same way with Scootaloo as well. They went over to them, gently shaking them away from their slumber.

Apple Bloom awoke with a yawn, seeing the worried looks of Applejack and her friends. “A-Applejack...?”

Applejack immediately wrapped her hooves around her sister, pulling her into a hug. Rarity did the same with Sweetie Belle, and Rainbow Dash with Scootaloo.

“Don't you ever – I repeat, ever – scare me like that again!” Rarity said, as she released her hug.

Rainbow Dash placed a gentle hoof on Scootaloo's cheek. “You okay, Scoots? You aren't hurt, are you?”

“No, I don't think so...?” Scootaloo replied in confusion.

Applejack released her hug and gave her sister a stern look. “What were you three thinking, running off into the Everfree Forest like that?! Do you have any idea how worried we were when Fluttershy told us you all went missing?!”

Fluttershy nodded. “You girls really frightened me,” she said softly. “And when I heard those noises coming from the forest, I thought something might have happened to you.”

“Yeah, like, what's up with that?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Don't you guys know that it's dangerous to wander in the Everfree at night? Why'd you go in there in the first place? And what's the deal with that dead chimera we found.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders shied away from the adults, unsure of how to explain the whole thing to them.

Zecora spoke up. “I suggest you tell them the truth. The sooner you tell them everything, the better.”

Apple Bloom sighed. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted when Scootaloo placed a hoof on her shoulder. She stood up in front of the mares and explained everything.

“It was my fault,” Scootaloo said, her voice quivering. “I told the girls that it'd be a great idea for us to head out into the forest at night to look for critters, so that we could try and earn our cutie marks in zoology. I was told by the girls that it was probably too dangerous to go, but I insisted everything would be alright. I didn't expect us to run into a chimera out there. We would've ended up as chimera chow, had it not been for Preston over there.

“Look, the point is, if you're looking for someone to punish, punish me,” Scootaloo sniffled. “I put my friends in danger, and Sweetie Belle was hurt while we made our escape. For what it's worth, I'm sorry.”

Scootaloo lowered her head in shame, tears leaking from her eyes. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle suddenly came to her side, gently wrapping their hooves around her. “We're equally responsible as well,” Apple Bloom said. “We all knew the dangers of the forest, yet we still went along for the sake of trying to earn our cutie marks.”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Scootaloo is not the only one at fault. We too take responsibility for our actions.”

“We're sorry,” Apple Bloom muttered. “All of us are, and we'll gladly face whatever consequences you have in store for us.”

There was an uncomfortable silence between the fillies and mares. Applejack then cleared her throat and spoke, still keeping a stern expression on them. “Under normal circumstances, I'd have you three grounded for a month, and I'm sure Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and everypony else would agree to that.”

The rest of the adults nodded in agreement, as Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo lowered their heads further.

Her expression then softened. “But in the end, what really matters is that you're all safe. And that all of you realize your mistakes. So, this once, we'll let it slide.”

Scootaloo's face brightened. “Really?”

“Well, maybe a little bit,” Rainbow Dash said jokingly, before being elbowed by Rarity. “I'm kidding, I'm kidding. We're cool.”

“But don't you ever scare us like that again,” Rarity added. “Understand?”

The Crusaders nodded in response. Twilight then turned her attention to the sleeping creature next to them. “Well, now that we got that out of the way, would any of you care to tell me more about this creature over there.”

Apple Bloom looked over her shoulder. “You mean Preston? He's the one that saved us. If it wasn't for him, we would've been fine appetizers for a hungry chimera.”

“He killed that chimera?” Rainbow Dash asked, prompting nods from the Crusaders. “All by himself?”

“You should've seen it, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said excitedly. “He had this weapon that looked like a crossbow, except it wasn't, but it was very powerful and it tore chunks out of that chimera! It was pretty loud too, like firecrackers.”

“So that's what we heard earlier,” Spike whispered to Twilight.

“The weapon also had this small cannon underneath it. He fired some explosive out of it and blew that chimera to bits!” Fluttershy whimpered and covered her ears as Scootaloo retold every detail on how the chimera was killed. “He then finished it off by stuffing some green baseball in its mouth, which exploded five seconds later! It was awesome!”

“How could you think like that?” Twilight asked in disbelief. “That's just gruesome!”

“I thought it was gross at first,” Scootaloo admitted. “But now that I think about it, I thought it was the coolest I've ever seen. Earlier, Preston got poisoned, but that didn't stop him. He took out a knife and severed that snake head, then he threw it to the ground where he crushed it like a-”

“Okay, I think we get the idea, Scoots,” Rainbow Dash grinned nervously, placing a hoof over Scootaloo's mouth. She looked over to Preston, then back at her friends, “Now what are we going to do about him?”

Twilight turned to Spike. “Spike, take a letter. Tell Princess Celestia about what we've discovered, and what our next move should be.”

Spike nodded, pulling out a parchment and quill. Twilight then turned to the Crusaders and said, “Okay girls, tell us everything that has happened tonight, including what you know so far about Preston.”

The Crusaders nodded and retold the entire scene. After explaining just about everything, Spike rolled up the parchment, and with his magical fire breath, sent the letter off to Princess Celestia. Now, they had to wait for a response from the Princess.

Not more than thirty seconds later, a response was delivered back. Spike opened the letter and gave it a read.

“Princess Celestia says that she's on her way over here,” Spike explained. “She's also bringing her guards with her so that they can transport him to Canterlot for questioning.”

Twilight shrugged. “Well, I guess we'll wait.” Turning to Zecora, she asked, “You don't mind if we stay here until Princess Celestia arrives?”

Zecora shook her head. “Not at all. I'll prepare some more tea while you wait.”

******

Half an hour later, Princess Celestia arrived at Zecora's hut with her entourage. From there, she proceeded to question everyone in attendance while her guards secured the sleeping Preston. They all sat at the table, Twilight retelling the whole tale with a bit of help from the Crusaders.

“...And that's everything we know so far,” Twilight concluded.

Princess Celestia took another sip of her tea. “I see. And you're telling me that he claimed to have arrived by teleportation from a pocket watch?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “That's what he told us, your highness. I believe he still has that pocket watch on him. You can find it in one of his pockets.”

Sweetie Belle looked over her shoulder to see a few of the guards strapping Preston down to a stretcher while some took his weapons and secured them inside a locked chest. “Um, excuse me, what are you going to do to him?” Sweetie Belle asked nervously.

“We're going to take him back to the castle infirmary to have his injuries treated,” Princess Celestia answered. “Then I'll have a talk with him in the morning to learn more about him.”

“You're not going to hurt him, are you?” Scootaloo asked. “He's not a threat, if that's what you're wondering.”

Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on Scootaloo. “Scoots, I'm pretty sure she's not going to-”

“Please Princess Celestia, don't hurt him,” Scootaloo pleaded. “I know he might look dangerous, but trust me, he's not. He risked his life to save us, and if he was truly a threat, then we wouldn't be here right now.”

Princess Celestia patted the top of Scootaloo's head gently. “Do not worry, sweetie. I believe everything that you and your friends have told me. I give you my word that he will not be harmed and that he will be treated humanely under my care.”

Scootaloo frowned. “Well, as long as he'll be okay.”

“Once he's awake, I'll be sure to let you inform you about his condition.” She then slowly got up from her seat. “In any case, this is where I make my departure. I must return to Canterlot to rest, for the night is my sister's domain.”

She turned to Zecora, and said, “I do apologize for interrupting your evening, Miss Zecora. I hope we weren't that much of a bother for you.”

“Not at all, your majesty,” Zecora bowed. “It was a pleasure to have you visit my home.”

“To make up for your evening, shall I invite you to the castle for dinner next week?” Celestia asked. “I'd like to know more about your hometown and your knowledge on herbal remedies.”

“Certainly,” Zecora nodded. “I would be honored to be your guest next week.”

Celestia smiled. “I shall have the servants send you an invitation in the morning.” She then turned to everyone in the room. “And now, I must bid you all goodnight. Zecora, thank you again for your hospitality. Twilight, please bring all your friends to Canterlot tomorrow. I'd like for all of you to meet this human once he awakens. Depending on his mood, you and your friends may have to spend a night at the castle tomorrow night. I'll have my servants prepare a private suite for all of you.”

“I understand, Princess,” Twilight bowed.

“And one last thing,” Princess Celestia turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, giving them a serious look. “Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo?”

The three fillies stood up straight. “Yes, your majesty?”

“Please stay out of trouble. The next time I hear any of you go off into the Everfree Forest without adult supervision, I will personally have you all reprimanded. Am I clear on this?”

The Crusaders nodded nervously, to which Celestia responded with a warm smile. “Then I wish you all goodnight.” With that, she and her guards left the premises, with Preston Marlowe in tow. Still deep in his slumber, he had no idea what was in store for him, but he would soon find out upon waking up in Canterlot the next day.

Author's Note:

Here it is, the next instalment of Preston Marlowe Goes to Equestria.

A big improvement compared to previous versions I've wrote in the past. Let me know your thoughts on this chapter.

Comments

[Foxtrot315]

“Ah fuck...son of a bitch...”

Marlow langauge!

[glitch200]

This is great.
Moar!