Daybreak Breakaway
Chapter 7
Daybreak Breakaway
Edited by: CosmicAfro
Pre‐read by: Neko-
"Oh sweet Celestia, what did I do to deserve this?" Spike groaned as he finished rechecking the auxiliary non‐fiction wing.
For the third time.
He walked out into the main entryway to find Twilight going through tome after ancient tome, checking, double checking and triple checking each one, making sure they were all in pristine condition. The break‐in had rattled the pony, this type of thing just didn't happen all that often and she was certain something had been taken. From the first sweep they had done they couldn't find a single book missing. Luckily for them, Ponyville was not known to house many avid readers. So aside from a few books Twilight was sure she had checked out to Rainbow Dash, all were present and accounted for.
Obviously the librarian pony was nowhere near convinced the first time they checked, so naturally they rechecked the whole stock. She was certain that whatever broke in was looking for something, either it found it and ran off with it, or didn't and left. She couldn't think of any other possible reason for it to go through all the trouble and risk of breaking into the library.
After the second time they came up with nothing, Twilight somehow became convinced that the creature had come to destroy something, perhaps the very book with the information they would need to defeat it if it attacked Ponyville. Attacks did happen with some regularity, if this thing was smart enough to remove any knowledge of its weakness before the encounter, it would be a formidable foe. So they went through the whole stock for the third time, this time checking for any marks or any missing pages.
"AAAAAaaaagggggh!" she slammed the final book shut, finding no sign of any vandalism. "What did this thing DO?!" the distraught unicorn wailed.
The tiny dragon patted her on the shoulder, "Calm down Twi, I don't like that the whatever‐got‐inside, got in. But maybe it wasn't after a book."
The lavender librarian rolled her eyes, "Spike this is a Library what else is there to take?"
"Well, there are your telescopes, all that crazy stuff you have in the basement, and my gem stash." The draconic assistant deadpanned.
Twilight's eyes bulged. "My telescopes!"
The mare shot up the stairs to check on her precious stargazing equipment, leaving the small reptile to grumble as he re‐shelved the last of the books.
"Funny, I'm pretty sure the stuff in the basement costs loads more than a few measly telescopes."
As soon as the dragon had finished his grumbling he heard a gentle knocking on the front door.
Spike rolled his eyes, if it wasn't one thing it was another.
"Who is it?" He called.
"It's Rarity, I've come for that book detailing historical fabrics."
Any previous exasperation evaporated and Spike was at the door in an instant.
"Rarity! Come on in!" The purple dragon ushered the marble white pony inside. "I'll just grab that book for yo‐"
"NOPONY TOUCHES ANYTHING!"
The two jumped as the raging unicorn stomped down the stairs and headed for the basement door. she swung it open with her magic, but turned to shoot the tiny dragon a look of...
"Anything."
"Anything. Got it." Spike snapped an uneasy salute.
"My goodness, Twilight what's gotten into you? You look a little... disheveled." Rarity asked whilst trying her best to keep from cringing. The resident librarian was a mess, her mane was a tangled mass, and her eyes were bloodshot with bags underneath them.
"Whats gotten into me?! More like what's gotten into my home!"
Rarity's head tilted in confusion, Spike explained. "Something broke into the library last night,"
"Oh my, how terrible!" The unicorn exclaimed.
"I know, Twilight tried to chase it down, but it got away."
The mare in question only snorted in reply and went down the stairs to check on her equipment.
After the purple mare descended into the basement, the dressmaker turned to address the draconic assistant.
"Spike, you said something, not somepony. What did‐"
"Whatever broke in wasn't a pony." The fashionista jumped as Twilight returned. "Oh my, well that certainly didn't take long. And what do you mean exactly by 'not a pony'?"
"First, it would be pretty obvious if anything had been tampered with down there. As for not 'being a pony', whatever broke in last night walked on two legs."
"Two legs?" Rarity's ears perked up at the familiar description.
"Yes and it was twice as tall as me. I can't say much more else, it was too dark to get a good look at it." Twilight grumbled as she described the creature she had pursued during the night.
Rarity approached Twilight, who to her credit, looked a lot calmer after vocalizing her frustrations. "That description sounds very familiar, not unlike the one Sweetie Belle and her friends gave, don't you think?"
The librarian pony nodded while Spike looked on in confusion. "What about Sweetie Belle? What are you guys talking about?"
The seamstress turned to Ponyville's resident dragon, "When my sister and her friends got lost in the Everfree Forest they apparently stayed in the old castle of the royal pony sisters. What's more, they encountered some kind of monster that had taken up residence there."
"M‐Monster?" Spike was doing his best not to show his fear in front of Rarity, but from the way his eyes were darting around the room it was rather obvious. "What kind of monster?"
"I didn't get a clear look at it so I can't say, but from what Apple Bloom and the rest said the creature was at the very least tolerant of their presence, but it's strange." Twilight tapped her chin pensively. "No creature that can do harm to ponies should be able to lay a hoof near the ruins. What makes this creature different?"
"Maybe it's because you guys fought Nightmare Moon there." Spike postulated.
"It's possible, but I'm not so sure. She technically didn't want to harm anypony, but who knows what affect her presence or the presence of the Elements could have had on the enchantments." Twilight rubbed her forehead, trying to alleviate the growing headache that was building behind her horn.
Spike stopped dead in his tracks, he had heard what happened. Rainbow Dash had told him the story a dozen times, whether he asked her to or not.
"So let me get this straight, the crazy pony that sicced a manticore on you and your friends, dumped all of you off a cliff and wanted to bring night eternal to the land of Equestria, didn't want to hurt anypony?" He asked skeptically.
"I suppose it is debatable, but I get your point." The librarian admitted tiredly as she rested her head on a nearby table. "Just so tired."
Rarity trotted over to Twilight's side. "Darling, maybe you should get out of the library for a little while, you look awfully stressed. And you know what that does for your complexion."
She gently pushed her friend towards the door. "We can get something to eat then tackle this mess once we get back. I'd wager you've skipped breakfast, haven't you? Why don't we get some lunch and clear our heads, hmm?"
"But, Rarity I‐" A loud gurgling came from Twilight's stomach. "Well... I might be a little hungry..." she muttered right before she was unceremoniously shoved out of her own front door.
The mare turned to the diminutive dragon who was currently re‐shelving the massive mound of books that had piled up after the last sweep of the library. "Spike, are you coming or would you prefer that we bring something back for you?"
Spike looked up from the book in his claws to the girls. Promises of sharing a meal with Rarity?
No contest.
He tossed the book over his shoulder as he ran to join the two.
"Do you know anyplace that serves gems?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minutes later the group was seated at a nearby diner and the waiter had assured Spike they had wonderful selection of gemstones in stock. The three of them settled in for a late lunch, the only one with any complaints was a still slightly frazzled Twilight.
"Let's hurry this up, I don't like being away from the library so soon after a break in."
"You don't like being away from the library, period." Spike pointed out, earning a quick glare from his roommate/employer/sibling.
"So how did this... thing, get into library?" Rarity asked as she accepted a cup of Earl Grey from the waiter.
Twilight let out a sigh, "I don't know, we know it left through the balcony window, but I'm not sure if that's where it got in."
Rarity could barely contain her surprise, "Did you look for clues? Scratch marks on a windowsill? Hoof‐prints maybe? Or perhaps something else?"
The fashonista was treated to a blank stare from the bewildered librarian.
Did none of that really cross her mind? She must be in worse shock than I thought. Rarity thought to herself.
The lavender unicorn blushed as she fumbled with the drink the waiter left.
"Well, it was really late and I was worried about my books‐"
Now that sounds more like Twilight. The alabaster seamstress simply nodded as she let her friend continue.
"‐And it's not like we have a book for break‐ins, though I might see if there is one in circulation after this."
"Twi darling, I know that you love your books, but I'm not sure there is a book with the insight you need. So how about this, we eat, we go back and look for clues, and we sort this all out."
"Sort what out?"
Everyone at the table jumped, including the new addition, though it was more of a bounce.
"Pinkie Pie!" Twilight panted as she tried to get her heartbeat back to normal. "Where did you come from!?"
Pinkie scooted over to the lavender unicorn, "Well, when one pony loves another pony very much‐"
She was interrupted when a purple hoof was suddenly shoved into her mouth.
"Never mind, how much do you know?"
Pinkie pulled her head back, unplugging her lips with a sound not unlike a suction cup being pulled of a laminate floor.
"About what? Where foals come from? The library break‐in? Or the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus?"
"Who?"
Rarity came to the rescue of the confused unicorn. "Pinkie dear, what do you know about the break‐in that happened last night."
"Well, I know some funny looking ape thingy was sneaking around town last night because I saw you chasing it and at first I thought it was game of tag but that was silly, I get silly thoughts after midnight anyway I wanted to play tag with you but the twins were crying and I thought the Cakes might need help getting them back to bed. So I was going to get my maracas, but maracas aren't very good for lullabies, Oh!"
The pink pony suddenly jumped and turned to face Twilight directly.
"Did it steal your maracas?"
Twilight could only blink in confusion. "Pinkie I don't own any maracas, and even if I did why would it steal them?"
"So it could go to sleep, silly." The pink mare suddenly began to giggle at some private joke that she made.
Twilight rolled her eyes and simply filed the conversation away in the rapidly growing folder marked 'Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie'.
The group soon had their prospective lunches and for the most part ate in contemplative silence, except for Spike and Pinkie, of whom had a small debate on the practicality of incorporating cymbals into a lullaby.
After everyone had finished their meals, they set off for the library. On the way Twilight contemplated on how to voice a question that had formed in the back of her mind while they had eaten at the restaurant.
"So... Rarity."
"Hmmm?"
"You seem to know quite a lot about this kind of situation. How?"
Rarity smiled, "Why Twilight, with all the reading you do, you mean to tell me you have never snuggled up with a good detective novel for a night? A story of intrigue and romance, clever foes and unlikely allies where a brave detective seeks to prove a fair mare's innocence and perhaps win her heart?"
The dressmaker was firmly in the throes of passion, wildly gesturing to some unseen hero and casting herself as the maiden in distress. However, Twilight clearly didn't share her enthusiasm.
"I prefer to stick to books detailing actual facts, besides from what I've experienced, those kinds of stories tend to have a rather formulaic writing scheme." She paused for a moment, "Though if you have one you would recommend I would consider giving the genre another shot."
"Alright then darling, if you insist. But first I have to ask, what are you familiar with?"
"Well, there was Hunting Fear by Kay... something, then Moving Target. and finally Death's Bright Dart." Twilight turned to see that Rarity had scrunched up her face, like she had bit into something sour.
"Well I can see how you could get turned off mysteries reading that fare. you seem to have had a patch of bad luck with your selection. Believe me that's bottom of the discount barrel compared to some of the gems you'll find."
Twilight's ears perked up. "Really? Because I had really liked mystery stories when I was a filly." She smiled as she remembered books from many years past. "The adventures of Nitsy Drew, The Hardy Colts. I loved those books."
Rarity smiled and nodded, having read a few of those herself, before her smile bloomed into Pinkie smile territory.
"Oooh, then I know you would just love Guilty Pleasures by Laurel Hoofilton." The seamstress gushed. "It's about a detective mare that‐"
"Oh, look! We're here! We're here! When do we get to look for clues?" Pinkie exclaimed as the group approached the library, effectively putting any other conversation on hold.
"I'll let you borrow the book later." Rarity gave a small giggle.
Lending a book to Twilight...
I suppose there truly is a first time for everything. The mare thought to herself.
Twilight shot the dressmaker a quizzical look before turning her attention to the library. They would get to the bottom of this, any information that they could gleam from the creature's actions would mean more insight into its behavior.
And they needed all the insight they could get.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Apple Bloom sighed as she traced a never ending circle on her desk.
The class was in the middle of reviewing classical literature. To say it was boring was an understatement, even Ms. Cheerilee was belting out the occasional yawn between paragraphs.
The elementary school teacher was reading the book aloud, detailing the 'riveting' change in trading routes and customs two hundred years ago that came about after the concordat with the Griffin Kingdom. There was a not a filly or colt in the room that was paying attention, either electing to stare off into space or fall asleep.
The farm filly gazed out the window in longing, letting her mind wander.
I wonder if Twilight figured out what that creature was? She wondered idly.
Even after describing it to them, the lavender mare couldn't seem to place the creature. Which was odd, usually she could place any monster with a single glance, but this thing had the unicorn baffled.
The youngest Apple watched some ponies going about their work, she recognized most of the ponies that passed, a brown earth pony with a hourglass cutie mark, a mint green mare with a Lyre cutie mark, a pink pony with three balloons and a cutie mark with‐
Wait, Pinkie Pie?
Sure enough, the pink party pony was galloping along with the strings of three balloons in her mouth, trailing along behind her. Even doing all this, the master party planner still managed to wave at Apple Bloom, even whilst going full speed.
Shouldn't she be at Sugarcube corner?
She wondered as she waved back at Pinkie, who quickly ran down the road and disappeared around a corner.
Now without anything of interest, the filly gazed longingly at the clock, only an hour and a half until school was out and she could actually do something, anything was better at this point.
The filly's eyes lost focus and she drifted into that special coma like state that only absolute boredom can put you in. Only when she heard the distant galloping of hooves did she snap out of it.
She turned to the window, this time Pinkie Pie and Applejack where running to the library, along with...
...Winona?
The filly looked at the clock again, only thirty minutes had passed, still one hour till she was out of class. Now though her mind was buzzing like an angry beehive. So many questions passed through her mind, all about that one strange creature.
What was that creature? Why was it here?
Had it always lived at that castle? If not, where did it come from?
Why did it help them? Why didn't it eat them?
And most importantly, could they get it to understand Equestrian?
Apple Bloom found herself dwelling on that particular question.
If we could get it to talk, what would it say?
Another quick glance at the clock, only a half hour left. Had it really gone by that fast?
She looked outside once more, absolutely giddy with anticipation, which quickly gave way to confusion, there going down the street was Winona, followed by Applejack, behind her was Twilight and Spike, with Spike perched on Twilight's back. Trailing them was Rarity, who was leaning to the side to see around the purple pair. And Pinkie brought up the rear, occasionally kicking her legs out the right or left like she was in a conga line.
All the mares had a look of grim determination painted on their faces. Including Pinkie who had apparently used a liberal amount face paint to hide her giant grin, though anyone could tell she was still smiling provided they looked close enough.
Winona had her head to the ground sniffing here and there, following the trail of something. Suddenly the canine took a sharp turn into a side street and the brightly colored group of mares followed closely behind.
Apple Bloom brought her attention forward; she might as well listen to the last of this boring book, or at least pretend to. Her mind was still swirling with questions, some about what her sister was up to, but most about the monster in the castle.
Half‐listening to Ms. Cheerilee's reading she quietly pondered what to do after school.
Approximately 1893 seconds later.
Chaos.
The final tolling of the bell had rung, a sea of flesh rippled as it tore forward to the threshold. The mass flooded through, pouring out into the sunlight, flowing over the green grass as the tangled mass came to rest upon the ground.
Cheerilee could only look out the door of her school in bemusement, the second the bell had rung everypony had bolted for the door and tried to escape the confines of their educational institution all at the same time. The result was the large pile of filly's and colts sprawled out all over the schoolyard.
Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara were struggling to untangle their legs. While Apple Bloom rolled off Sweetie Bell, the both of whom were struggling not to laugh at their friend Scootaloo who was awkwardly straddling Truffle Shuffle. Before anypony else could take any real notice, the orange filly quickly jumped off the overweight colt, glaring daggers at her two snickering friends.
"Not a word. Not. A. Word."
The three of them started to trot towards the clubhouse, once everyone had gotten over their giggle fits they began to make their way to Sweet Apple Acres in a slightly uncomfortable silence.
Apple Bloom was the first to speak.
"So, what do yah' think that thing at the castle was?"
Sweetie Belle's ear gave a twitch before she answered, "That thing? Does it really matter? I'm curious as anypony, but I'm pretty sure we're never going to find out."
"Sweetie Bell stop an' think 'bout this fer a minute and Ah mean really think about it! Ah don't think anypony else has seen anything like that ever!"
"I know what you mean, just think. If we could get a picture of it we could be famous! Scootaloo piped up with an exited glint in her eye. "Think about it, if we could just‐"
"Hold it!"
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked back at Sweetie Bell in surprise.
"You can't be seriously thinking about going back into the Everfree forest, can you? After the storm, the broken tree and the Timberwolves? You're crazy! We're lucky we got out of there and you want to go back in!?"
"What!? No! Ah just thought Twilight or maybe Fluttershy might have an idea."
The unicorn filly visibly relaxed at the youngest Apple's words.
As the three trotted up the road, Sweet Apple Acres finally came into view. With a squeal of excitement the crusaders sped off toward their clubhouse, eager to plan their next move.
"So who are we going to ask first?" Sweetie Bell asked as she ducked under a low hanging branch. "Twilight or Fluttershy?"
"Well, seein' how Fluttershy didn't exactly have the most 'healthy' reaction before Ah think we should start with Twilight."
"Yeah, that's probably for the best."
"BARK BARK, ROOF!"
As the fillies arrived at the clubhouse they were greeted by a most peculiar sight. Winona was barking away at their tree house, behind her was Applejack who seemed to be carefully examining the clubhouse.
Behind Applejack was a giddy looking Pinkie Pie next to a near equally exited Rainbow Dash, though seeing how the latter was throwing warm up punches it was probably for a different reason. Next to them Rarity and Twilight were conversing in hushed voices, while Fluttershy was cowering behind them, shaking like a leaf.
"What's goin' on?"
The six mares jumped slightly and whirled around to face the new arrivals.
Twilight cantered up to the fillies with concerned look in her eye.
"Girls, what, how long have you been here? Why aren't you in class?"
"Um, school's been out for half an hour." Sweetie Bell replied, all the while trying to see around the lavender mare. The girls could see the six mares casting wary looks at the tree house.
"Oh. Wait, have you gone inside the clubhouse today?"
"No, not yet. Why?"
"Twilight," Applejack was clearly losing patience. "It ain't safe here, we don't know what that thing is going to do."
"What thing? What's going on?"
Applejack and Twilight shared a glance before the latter spoke.
"You remember that creature you said was living in the castle of the royal pony sisters? It was inside the library last night. And we think it might be in your clubhouse."
The fillies were thunderstruck, the creature had followed them to Ponyville. But why?
"Just let me go up there and kick its flank. I'll have it on the ropes in ten seconds flat." Rainbow began practicing various karate moves.
"Dash, we need to be careful, we don't know what this thing is capable of." Twilight chided while leveling another leery gaze at the clubhouse.
"Well, why don't we just go ask, silly?" Pinkie Pie immediately bounced up the ramp and swung the door open.
"HELLO! ANYPONY HOME?"
Everyone present looked on in some state of shock or horror. A moment passed, then another before Pinkie turned around looking at them curiously.
They could only stare at the avatar of pink randomness.
"Pinkie," Twilight spoke gently. "I'm sure I speak for everypony when I ask, but what are you doing?"
"Looks like Mr. Monster isn't home." Pinkie stated with a shrug and a smile.
It took a moment or two for the comment to fully register, but once it did the everybody ran up the ramp and into the tree house. The tablecloth was spread out on the floor and the table was leaning up against the wall, from the way the sheet was wrinkled it was fairly obvious that something big had slept on it during the night.
"It ain't here!"
"So." Scootaloo began.
"If it isn't here, where is it?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Troy was not happy, not happy at all.
What the hell was wrong with me?
Troy sat on a small rock, surrounded by the thick tree trunks of the forest, the dark green canopy slowly shifting above him. He was resting his sore leg and mentally berating himself for last nights performance.
Many things had transpired during that fiasco that he wasn't pleased with.
He had nearly gotten caught twice because he had his walking stick. Beginning when he whacked it on the cobblestone path like an idiot and then again when he was leaving the library. Though the latter was a FAR closer call than the former, seeing how there was a actual chase after he fled the library. He had needed the walking stick because of his scratched up leg, but he had been absentminded and downright neglectful. The first time it could be passed off as an honest mistake, but twice? He hadn't really needed it in the library. Hell, the only reason he had taken it was so if anyone passed by they wouldn't find it suspicious. But seriously, how suspicious is a stick leaning up against a tree anyway?
Then back at that house on the hill, the second he had become visible in that mansion window he should have dropped away. He hadn't because he was trying to avoid making any noise, but noise can be easily explained away as wind or a tree branch. Getting spotted could have very well done him in if it was an adult that had seen him.
And if all that wasn't enough, he should have known the library was being lived in. The kitchen, the refrigerator contents, as soon as he had seen those he should have gotten out of there. Of course he had made the connection far too late. As a result he had been chased around that stupid village with a banged up leg. Brilliant.
But what bothered him most wasn't any of those things, it was back in the forest hut, when he had smacked that zebra on the ass.
Troy gripped the sides of his head and quivered in rage, rage at his own stupidity. Rage at his negligence, and rage at his lack of thought.
THE FUCK!?
The hell was I thinking?!
What did I slap that thing for confirmation that it was asleep? WHY?!
Any of the possibilities would have ended in disaster.
1.No, it was just pretending to sleep, it then freaks out and kicks you in the face, reducing your head to the consistency of chunky salsa dip.
2. Yes, it was asleep, but that slap woke it up, see above.
3. Its mate comes back and mistakes this for an affair with a bit of kink. Ew. Again, see #1.
The whole night he had bumbled and stumbled around, what had made him so grossly incompetent? That wasn't him, not by a long shot. So what could have affected him so?
The most likely cause for his actions was that whole face hemorrhaging thing from earlier. Blood loss could have been the catalyst for his poor judgment, but it didn't seem likely. A reaction from the pony things was possible but improbable, he had little contact with them in that time period compared to the night before. An infection from the fight with the wolf things, unlikely the wounds were shallow and had been pretty well treated all things considered.
Wait...
Troy paused for a moment.
the wolves...
...Could they have had something to do with it?
Something about the wolves didn't seem right, thinking back when he had returned to the bodies, the corpses had been untouched by any animals, including insects.
Which was strange, the insects should have gone straight for the cadavers.
...But they didn't.
They probably were still untouched by the wildlife even now. Were they toxic?
Troy's brain flew into overdrive. He had been lightly covered in that blood/sap after the fight, and drenched in it after he had cut the bodies apart. It was entirely possible if not probable that the sap/bodily fluids doubled as a defense mechanism, acting as an inebriant or toxin.
Troy slid down the rock and began moving back towards the edge of the forest, he needed to find the markings he had left the day before. The young man held no illusions on what would happen to his chances of survival if he got lost.
His priority was simple, get a sample then get back to the castle. He was already hungry and the sooner he found something to eat the better.
He passed around the edge of a small clearing, more than ready to pass it by, when something in the corner of his eye brought him to a screeching halt.
There, in the middle of the clearing, was a statue of a deer. Its head perked up as if searching for a predator in the brush.
Troy approached the statue and began to circle the carving, all the while marveling at the detail the artist had put into his work, whoever he or she was. The stag was magnificent, the texture of the horns was as close to the real thing as stone could get (or at least he assumed) the ears, the eyes, the nose, the carving looked as though they could spring to life at any moment. What really got him was the detail on the fur. He could almost count out individual hairs.
Hot damn, whoever made this must be one of those crazy grandmasters or something.
He thought idly as he stroked the carved creature's stone fur, to his alarm the statue began to tilt dangerously at his touch. After a moment of panic and the use of quick reflexes the statue was still standing, though the young hiker was beginning to wonder.
Who would leave a work of art like this just out here in some random clearing? It's not even properly supported or secured...
His puzzling was cut short by the rustling of some nearby bushes. Troy whirled to face his newest foe, expecting the grim visage of the wood wolves or maybe that manticore or some other abomination ready to crawl forth from the fringes of nightmares untold.
Instead, the head of a chicken popped out of the bush.
The fuck?
He could only stare blankly as the chicken looked at him before it glared at him and hissed. Troy took an unconscious step backward as he spotted rows of sharp teeth hidden inside the thing's beak. The chicken entered the clearing, revealing a reptilian body with a lizard like tail and scaly wings. The only two things that were remotely avian about it were its legs and head.
Ok, so not a chicken. God forbid I encounter something remotely sane.
Troy kept his distance, all things considered he had no idea what this things capabilities were, but he was definitely less afraid of it than his last slew of encounters. Troy kept his eyes locked on the reptilian bird. This thing was only a little bit bigger than a normal chicken, what could it possibly‐
And for the second time in two days, Troy's entire existence became pain.
Troy howled in pain, clutching at his eyes. It felt like someone had gouged out his eyes and poured molten lead into the hollows left behind. He threw himself onto his back, writhing in pain. He could feel blood flowing out from under his eyelids.
What had happened!?
Had he been blinded? How?
These thoughts and many others were swept away on the tides of agony, becoming a maelstrom of pain and rage.
He barely registered a hiss before he felt a weight upon his chest. He raised his arms instinctively, trying to push the object off his person. He felt more pain spike through his being, this time coming from what he instantly understood was a bite.
He screamed and punched the thing and he felt it tumble off him as it released the portion of his arm it had clamped down on. His eyes throbbed with terrible pain, but it receded enough for him to once again harbor rational thought, albeit in a reduced capacity. In the state he was in, to say he thought would be misleading, it would be more accurate to say he understood.
He understood that he was blind for the moment.
He understood that he had been attacked by the chicken thing.
And that he was going to kill it.
He heard another hiss to left and lashed out, although the blow was fairly weak he could feel the satisfying impact of flesh on feathers.
Ha! Got that scaly fucker in the face.
Troy heard a startled 'Bagak!' as he felt the creature fall backwards, not wasting anytime he scrambled off his back and towards his target, clawing his way forward on all fours. The smile that adorned his face when he felt a leathery wing pinned under his hand would have given the Cheshire Cat himself nightmares.
The not‐chicken wasted no time in biting Troy's arm, the young man barely felt a thing with the adrenaline coursing in his system. He grabbed the damn thing by the neck and squeezed, pulling it off his arm, the creature kicked wildly trying to scratch Troy, but the hoodie's lining was thick enough to protect him from injury. He pinned the flailing appendages with his knees and soon the young hiker had both hands around the neck of the Not‐A‐Chicken and began squeezing the life out of it.
Troy pressed his thumbs down on the creature's windpipe, he felt it collapse under the pressure and the oddity's thrashing became substantially weaker. Soon it was barely moving, only making small choking noises every now and then to let the world know it was still alive.
Troy gripped its head in his hands and twisted, after a sickening crack the non‐chicken finally stopped moving. Troy rolled off the creature and onto his side. Suddenly he heard a crack and felt the sensation of something breaking.
He felt around in a panicked state, had he just broken his leg? What the hell?!
He felt no pain and nothing seemed to be wrong. He paused for a moment before feeling one of his lower pockets. He slapped his forehead, he had forgotten about the cucumber!
Just as he was about to retrieve the vegetable, a sound similar to breaking glass filled the air. Troy flinched at the sudden noise before he heard a curious shuffling.
He tried to open his eyes, but a fresh pain stabbed at them, though this was much more mild, like stepping out into a sunny day after being cooped up in a dark room. He had to scrub the drying blood from his eyelids to keep them from sticking shut, though his vision was still discolored by it, and he could barely keep his eyes open. Though after a bit effort he was able to catch a discolored glimpse of the stone stag bounding into the brush. Only after another session of repeated blinking did he work the blood out of his eyes and by then the deer was long gone.
That thing wasn't a statue! Well damn, that... actually that was pretty cool.
Troy was honestly impressed, a stone stag was pretty incredible, and despite it's weight it was pretty graceful when he got a glimpse of it.
Makes no damn sense, but hey, par for the course at this point. And hey, it didn't try to kill me, so that's a plus.
Troy took his bandanna and rolled it into a thick, but short roll and tied the Not‐Chicken to his belt loop by the neck. No sense in letting free meat go to waste. After that was done he rolled up his sleeve to check on the bites, surprisingly there was very little bleeding. He had some bruising from the first bite, but the hooded sweatshirt's thick fluffy liner had prevented the teeth from puncturing the skin. He had some minor scratches but nothing in need of immediate attention. Satisfied he wasn't going to bleed out on the hike back to camp the wayward hiker stretched and set off into the brush once more.
As he left the clearing he spotted a patch of familiar looking flowers, and upon circling the grove he spied a tree with his carving pointing the way to his temporary home. After he passed the zebra's tree hovel (nobody home by the look of it) his mind began to wander as he followed the tree marks.
How is any of this possible, I should be in Washington right now. Unless I'm getting punked by the most ambitious bastards ever I'm pretty sure I'm not.
He paused to take a deep breath, cradled his forehead in his hand and releasing his breath in a frustrated growl.
But that doesn't make any damn sense!
He raged silently.
The world doesn't just up and decide 'hey this shit exists now.' It doesn't work that way.
Am I insane? Have I lost it? Did I snap after I realized I was lost on a mountain in the middle of nowhere?
Troy picked up the pace, almost as if he was trying to out run his uncertainty. Unluckily for him, his doubts could easily keep up.
This is all impossible. This can't be happening.
He ran faster, ignoring the pain in his leg.
I'm hallucinating, I've gone off the deep end. I can't be alone!
Faster, the scrapes from his last fight began to sting.
I can't be alone! I want to go HOME!
Faster. Faster, the bumps and bruises from his fall throbbed wracking Troy's abused frame with pain, only to be ignored.
WHY CAN'T I WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE!? WHY CANT I GO HOME!?!
Faster. Faster. Faster, he leaped over rocks and bounded through the bush. Dead to the world around him only moving forward. Desperately trying to flee from the panic in his heart and the tears in his eyes.
WHY CAN'T THIS FUCKING WORLD MAKE ANY SENSE!? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME ANYTHING MADE ANY SENSE!?
Suddenly he burst past a bush and was in a clearing.
Troy froze in his tracks, there lay the four wooden wolves he had managed to kill by some insane luck.
It hit him.
The revelation was almost religious in its implications.
Even in all this madness, those creatures had made sense. They weren't animated twigs and tree leaves pulled from some old fairy tale. They had working physiology, they could breathe, they could eat, and they could die.
When he had split those monsters open he had stripped away the mask of insanity that was this hell and found order within the chaos.
He drew his knife from its sheath and poked his finger, pushing on the wound to form a small bead of crimson on the tip of his finger, the pain was real.
He could feel the warmth pouring up and out of the thick liquid, the warmth was real.
He inhaled the scent of his blood, it smelt of copper and iron, the scent was real.
He brought it to his lips, reminiscent of an old worn penny, the taste was real.
This was real.
This was happening.
He had found the order in this strange world.
The hiker once again set off for his improvised home, casually stepping over the corpses in his path. He practically melded into the shadows provided by the canopy leaving only an eerie silence in his wake as evidence of his passing.
A wide grin slowly crept its way onto the young man's hidden face. He stared at the knife in his hand as he rubbed the stubble on his chin. The blade glittered in the shadows as errant sunbeams caught glimpses of the steel through the forest canopy.
I found order in chaos before.
The abomination hanging from his belt loop bounced rhythmically against his leg as he walked.
I can find it again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win."
―Stephen King
A.N:
*pulls out a notebook with a small list, 'Hit and run' and 'You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!' already checked off.*
*checks off 'The ol' bait and switch'*
Mwahahaha!
haaaaa.
I'm so evil.
Editor’s note: In memory of Zecora’s Ass that was brutally slapped by the monster known as Troy. Ass-slap seizures are a serious crime and should not be taken lightly; if you or someone you know has fallen victim to an A.S.S. (Ass-Slap Seizure), please seek immediate medical attention. Please consult your doctor before using the drug Chronic Longevity Ass-Slap Seizure Yetimizer (C.L.A.S.S.Y.) as it may not be the solution for you. Those who suffer a C.L.A.S.S.Y. A.S.S. drug malfunction, please grab a shovel and immediately start digging your grave.
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I am at a loss for words.
Glad to read your work once more dear sir, and as always it was excellent.
haha
Wonder if he will run into a dragon. Anyway glad to see this story is back.
Yay, new chapter! I can't believe I forgot to favourite this last time...
NICE! bestweekever.tv/bwe/images/2011/02/seinfeld-clapping-gif.gif
Wait a minute... This calls for higher caliber applause......
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1w7yf74NE1qztwte.gif
Dat author's note
Great as always.
It seems more certain now he has a bad reaction to magic, if the basalisk stare is confirmation at least. It seems likely that Celestia's spell caused the bleed the first time and the rash could of been from the CMC's natural magic.
The question now is how badly first contact with the adult ponies will go or if he'll perhaps run into Zecora first.
YOUR ALIVE!!!!!
AWESOME CHAPTER!!!
SANITY BROKEN AND RESTORED!!!!
EXPLANATION TO HIS NOT SO BRIGHT IDEAS!!!
yay
Good to see this continued.
And it is a nice chapter i really liked reading it.
Good god man it has been forever, but I am thankful, for the misadventures of Troy are back! Great chapter as usual, although I did find it a bit odd that he had to remind himself through pain that equestria is real, when he not seemingly (i am unsure how much time had passed) moments ago was in huge amounts of pain by the cockatrice. I suppose his reminder was just a moment of clarity within a wellspring of madness though.
Just started reading. I'll put any errors, misspelled words, or missing words I find in bold.
"Twilight grumbled as she described the thing she had pursued during the night."
"Spike stopped dead in his tracks, he had heard what happened. Rainbow Dash had told him the story a dozen times, whether he asked her too or not." One too many 'o's there.
"Did really none of that cross her mind." Change it to: "Did none of that really cross her mind?" And this needs a question mark because, even though she's thinking it to herself, she's still asking a question.
"The youngest Apple watched some ponies going about their work, she recognized most of the ponies that passed, a brown earth pony with a hourglass cutie mark, a mint green mare with a Lyre cutie mark, a pink pony with three balloons and a cutie mark with-"
"She wondered as she waved back at Pinkie, who quickly ran down the road and disappeared around a corner.
"He had been covered light in that blood/sap after the fight, and drenched in it after he had cut the bodies apart." lightly covered
Ok, that's enough of that. There where more, but I just couldn't be arsed to type them out.
Now remember, I'm doing this because I lov...we lov...cause I'm a nitpicker. Ok Pinkie Pie, you can get off my back now, and you can lose Mrs. Cake's rolling pin.
"All the mares had a look of grim determination painted on their faces. Including Pinkie who had apparently used a liberal amount face paint to hide her giant grin, though anyone could tell she was still smiling provided they looked close enough." It's these little gems that make's for a belly laugh. Too funny.
Hey author, I have a relevant question for you. Did Trevor leave a hand print on Zecora's ass after he slapped it? And if so, did she notice it? And if she did, how did she react? Inquir...ok ok pinkie, sheesh...perverted minds.../sigh...mind wants to know.
Awwwwww, our little Troy has grown up to be a big ole insane and possibly murderous pony-feared monster.
We should celebrate.
Carry On
So, magic and humans arn't mixy things, but the cockatrice is magic.
Don't eat that lizard chicken thing, Troy!
Troy, flank-slapper, hoodie ninja.
1157204
It wasn't just pain, there was a few more sensations than that. But pain or no, imagine what it would be like to encounter a world that completely contradicts everything you know and understand. In a way madness is preferable to an impossible situation, because if your crazy, at least you still know whats going on to some extent. It's like an easy out.
1157209
I though I had fixed that...
Oh well, is now
Not to sound impatient or anything,but here it is.Finally another chapter.
Ah, this is just awesome!
can't wait to read more of your story.
Rewatch "MMMystery on the Friendship Express".
At least hes not hearing voices (yet
), but when a knife starts making sense you know you need a stiff drink and some sleep or mental help.
weeeeeeelp continue with these chapters good sir and you shall recive 1 ... count that 1 COOKIE!!!
Ah' not many stories can get me to actually grin in anticipation when I see them on the updated list. Unfortunatley , I blew through that chapter way to quickly. On the upside, at least we have have concrete proof that Troy is indeed immune to magic with the added side effect of near debilitating pain thrown in for good measure.
looking forward to the next one, and I can't wait till the next encounter between the cast.
Bravo good sir/abomination from the other side for another epic chapter in the glorious exploits of ....ehem, good chapter bro
1157314
I know, I know, but let me point out that very few people can think straight after being the victim of a crime. (being real or imagined) People who experience a break in become paranoid and enter a state of shock. What happened to Twilight was something similar, something easily broke into her home and tore through her sense of security. Naturally she tried to find out it's motivations before its means, like 'what did it steal' , but got hung up on it when no explanation was forthcoming.
1157375 No, the bit about her not reading mystery books is what ticked me off. I get the panic part (unlike movie critics).
1157390
Technically she did read them, but got tired of the genre. but I guess I can understand why that would irk some people.
1157317
"The Enrichment Center reminds you that your knife will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak. In the event that your knife does speak, the Enrichment Center urges you to disregard its advice."
Another fantastic chapter, Fragged42. Have a moustache.
Hmmm this needs some troy and Zecora shipping.....
What was that about Achilles, Pinkie?
so Rarity likes Anita Blake, awesome
OMG, you finally updated! Really good overall, though Twilight not reading mystery novels is very OOC for her, since she mentions in episode 24 of season 2 that's she's read lots of mystery novels; though to be fair, I think it is perfectly in character for Rarity to enjoy mystery novels.
Loved Pinkie Pie's Illiad reference; good to know that she appreciates the classics as well as pop culture.
I hope the the Mane Six and Troy meet in the nest chapter, the suspense is killing me!
OMG, you finally updated! Really good overall, though Twilight not reading mystery novels is very OOC for her, since she mentions in episode 24 of season 2 that's she's read lots of mystery novels; though to be fair, I think it is perfectly in character for Rarity to enjoy mystery novels, especially trashy supernatural mystery novels like Anita Blake.
Loved Pinkie Pie's Illiad reference; good to know that she appreciates the classics as well as pop culture.
I hope the the Mane Six and Troy meet in the nest chapter, the suspense is killing me!
1157301
I am aware, I was not debating of whether his moment of madness was justifiable or not. Thank you for clarifying though. After reading the first chapter a while back, I thought it was kinda funny that I myself am a 20 something year old guy that lives in Washington and likes to hike heh.
I do love your story quite a bit, it is unique in the HiE genre, as it is a hell of a lot more realistic(as much as it can be in a world of magic and pastel colored equines) than most HiE stories. Keep it up, and as usual, take your time to perfect the story. I eagerly await the next installment of the misadventures of Troy.
1157399
I said he shouldn't add my note because I was being silly (Or, to clarify, he didn't if he didn't want to) but I'm actually surprised he did. So, watch out for that Classy Ass. They can sneak up on you.
1157730
Funny thing, when I signed up on Fimfiction I had no intention of writing a story, I just came for the awesome pony stories.
But then, after a while, I wanted to give something back. And so I came up with the basic premise and decided to roll with it. It wasn't until much later that I realized how many people dislike HiE fics, especially because I really enjoy that genre. After further examination I realized why: many HiE fics focus on the 'human saving Equestria' or they grant crazy abilities to humans that have no business having them in the first place.
A proper HiE is about the clashing of two societies, it doesn't need to be anything else. Different society discovering each other for the first time is an incredible thing all by itself, but between two radically different species makes it all that much more exiting. What will they learn about each other? How will one side react to the others customs? What will they find intriguing? Repulsive? A lot of HiE's don't give this much thought outside the obvious differences. They speed through first contact and suddenly FREINDSHIP!
That's not what I want, true friendship just doesn't happen and trust doesn't bloom overnight. these things have to happen slowly, mature properly. And that is why I think my story has done so well so far. It makes my heart soar when I see that view spike every update. I can say it makes me really happy when I see people leaving thoughtful comments, trying to make my story better. And each thumbs up and favorite is precious to me.
Thank you and Thank you all for being such a great audience.
1157616
ton of mystery novels
damit...
A brilliant chapter as always.
Also, mistakes.
"I know what you mean, just think. If we could get a picture of it we could be famous! Scootaloo piped up with an exited glint in her eye. "Think about it, if we could just-"
I believe there is something missing at the end of 'famous!'
The not-chicken wasted no time in biting Troy's arm, the young man barley felt a thing with the adrenaline coursing in his system. He grabbed the damn thing by the neck and squeezed, pulling it off his arm, the creature kicked wildly trying to scratch Troy, but the hoodie's lining was thick enough to protect him from injury. He pinned the flailing appendages with his knees and soon the young hiker had both hands around the neck of the Not-A-Chicken and began squeezing the life out of it.
BARLEY! (Speaks for itself).
1157101
Holy shit! Is that ass-clapping gif in the actual show?
That's almost as bad as Spongebob's Bubble Buddy murdering a Fishy Friendo at the beach!
Oh hey, an update. Cool beans.
Probably my favorite King quote, and in my top ten for all quotes. Very fitting.
1157941
Indeed, thank you for writing this! Funny fact, The HiE genre is actually one of my favorites, if only for the aforementioned culture shock that both the humans and the ponies go through when meeting each other. When I dont see some culture shock in a HiE fic, it kind of makes the story less enjoyable. I mean the ponies of equestria are for the most part accepting, but if they were to just something like looks like a hairless diamond dog into their city/town without too much thought...it would kind of kill the story for me a bit. Reading about the ponies reaction to humans being omnivorous, or the fact that we kill animals on a daily basis without too much thought, these are the things that help flesh out a story. Two radically different cultures, one conquering nature, and one living alongside it; If I see them coming together, I better see a shitstorm a brewin, even if it is a small one. (small edit here: Although...would the ponies weather manipulation be considered conquering nature? hrm...food for thought.).
1157209
Don't worry, you were correct when you first used 'minds'.
Hm... I think you spelled "Cheerilee" wrong... IDK, just thought it had two "e"s
moar
Love the story so far, though I'm not sure if I'll continue reading it.
It's just, I'm running into a few pet peeves of mine which is starting to hurt my enjoyment of it. First is how stupid he's being when it comes to his actions. I know you probably have some crazy explanation behind it all, but until I see it I'm just going to be seeing it as him carrying a gigantic idiot ball. Second is how you seem to be going over the top with how distrustful the ponies are. In other words, you're making them think and act more like people instead of ponies. Look at the CMC; they were the first to trust Zecora, and she hadn't even met them. Yet the guy does all this stuff to help them and they still refer to him as a horrible monster even after they get back home. Third is the language barrier. It really seems to me like a needless way to introduce conflict into a crossover like this. Afterall, if you're going to say the most important part of the show is not true, then why bother keeping everything else the same? You kept the writing the same as the show (although some of the books were clearly in English), and kept everything else the same as well. What about the different languages in the show that are clearly pointed out (like when Applebloom started speaking French)? Do those just not exist now? Then there's things like him starting to turn to stone causing horrific pain when it clearly didn't even faze Fluttershy.
Sorry for the long rant, but like I said those are just pet peeves of mine. I'll probably keep reading, and just hope it gets better for me.
'But what bothered him most wasn't any of those things, it was back in the forest hut, when he had smacked that zebra on the ass.'
The above, is the single most glorious sentence I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
However I feel kinda bad for Zecora, the poor lass
1157506
Because Achilles and Patroclus are about (the city of) Troy?
1159672
Hey, you can't please everyone, and I'm sorry that my story just isn't doing it for you.
First off, he has screwed up, but that was due to outside influence. He is aware his actions where idiotic and is going to do his best not to repeat them.
Second, what is the difference between ponies and people? you say that ponies are more trusting, but all of Ponyville was freaked out about her, and it wasn't the fillys that were trusting. It was Apple Bloom. Some people are more trusting than others, AB wasn't convinced that the creature wanted to hurt them at all, or that it even minded them. Sweetie Bell was just scared. Scootaloo was the only one who actively thought it could hurt them. Simply because she didn't know it wouldn't.
As for calling him a monster, it's less of a derogatory term and more of a placeholder label. Kinda like how you would call an unnamed species of frog Species 456.
And as for the language barrier, that will be handled in the future, but I haven't seen any English writing in an episode. Plus, Troy is basically dimension hopping, equine vocal cords develop very differently than human ones, it's only natural that they would have a language suited to their physiology. And if you want to play the 'they're magical ponies, they could totally speak engish' card. I have to point out he odds of a species that resides in a different dimension speaking perfect English is astronomical. And while unnecessary conflict can be frustrating, a story with little conflict is boring. This is simply one more hurdle for both parties jump.
Another chapter that i immensly enjoyd, keep it up!
1159672
Had to break this into 2 blurbs, just felt like it.
As for the whole multiple languages thing, they have different languages, but just not the ones WE use. they don't just cease to exist. I.E. french is french and Pony French is Pony French but French is not Pony French.
As for him starting to turn to stone...
That never happened...
As it has been stated before: magic doesn't mix well with Troy, he body reacts violently to it, so far in face bleeding. He never turned to stone because magic doesn't effect him in the normal fashion, he comes from a universe where magic does not exist. The cockatrices stare was the equivelent of a magic beam that targeted the eyes, so therefore he felt pain in his eyes and was temporarily blinded due to the trauma.
1159672
Let me reply to why those reasons are wrong.
1. It's hinting slightly that when he comes in contact with magic,instead of the normal effect, weird shit happens. Like: face hemorrhaging in the castle when he should instead be denied access altogether, Incredible pain/temporary blindness (cockatrice) instead of turning to stone, and stupidity. He is making stupid decisions because the magic is in some way(I don't know how yet) affecting him to be more stupid.
2. Zecora actually looked LIKE a pony, so that helped. In the Zecora episode, Twilight was the only one who trusted her, but here, the 'monster', Troy, actually broke into her house. The CMC probably didn't trust Troy because he was HUGE, intimidating, bipedal, and couldn't speak pony so they thought he wasn't intelligent.
3.Think of the language barrier kinda like when a Japanese anime goes to America. They dub it from Japanese to English, so it looks like they are speaking English in the show, but they are just taking out the voices and putting in English. The same kinda thing with Equestria. They speak Equestrian in Equestria( let's just say Equestria ISN'T fictional), but when the show airs in America, they change it to English. The thing with french might be her speaking Griffin, but they change it to French so we can understand.
Sorry this is very long and I am over-thinking many things, but then again, so are you. If you or someone else actually read this, then please don't stop reading. This story is Awesome!
1159841
I made this comment before you made yours, so this was my reasoning of why that stuff happened.
Poor Zecora.
Always a Victim...