The First Step

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Okay, so who here is a fan of Poke’mon? Alright, now who is a fan of My Little Ponies? Good, I like the number of raised hands that I see! Then most of you would go crazy if the two of them were to be combined right? Well they have, if you don’t already know!

Basically, somebody took Pokemon Firered, and hacked it, allowing him to replace the original sprites and text with ponies and such. The name is very easy to remember, as it has little originality: Ponymon. There are two versions out, Dawn and Dusk. To play them, you need a Visual Boy Advance PC emulator, which can be download free off the internet.

But anyways, I’ve found the game to be quite enjoyable, even though it isn’t finished. That being said, I wanted to write a story about my journey if I was one of the trainers. I’m going with the Dusk version, mostly because of the starters, but I intend to bring the ones from Dawn over, just to round everything out. Be forewarned, this isn’t like my other story where the human gets the pony! I’m still working out that little detail. But anyways, lets enjoy the story…

I do not claim any rights to My Little Ponies or Poke‘mon.

Ponymon: Dusk Journey

Prologue: The First Step

It was a pleasant day, like most of the week had been. The sun was shining, few clouds were in the sky, and a cool breeze flowed through the small town. Opening his bedroom window from the second floor, a young teen let the beauty of the day soak into him. His name was Tory. He had a good feeling about today, and what it held in store for him.

Tory leaned out the window, and felt the breeze run through his short, light brown hair, whispering promises of good things. His shockingly blue eyes surveyed the bright day that was in front of him. He quickly ducked back into his room, and redressed from his sleeping clothes, into his adventure gear. Looking in the mirror, the teen couldn’t help think of what fun he and his friend would have today.

Dressed in a simple pair of blue pants and silver shirt, Tory walked into the hallway that led downstairs. Then he remembered something, and quickly reopened his door. He walked over to his computer, and opened up his internet browser, wondering if any of his friends around the region had been trying to contact him. Tory was decently known around all of Equestria, the region that he lived in now. He liked to talk on forums all the time, and evidently, people liked what he said. After seeing that no mail presented itself to him, the teen closed down his computer, and got up.

Looking at his room once more, the boy also saw his signature dog tags laying on his nightstand. Snatching them up, Tory let them fall over his head and onto his neck. He loved those tags very much, as they were a gift from his aunt before she died. The front held his name in an italic style, a small cross, and his zodiac sign, Virgo. The back one held another cross that took up half of the tag, and it held a small sapphire in the center, which was Tory’s birth stone. He gripped them tightly for a second, thinking of his aunt, and praying that she was watching over him. Then he let his mind drift to what he would do today, and dashed down the flight of stairs.

As he made it to the living room, Tory saw his dad watching a sports show that featured a very famous winged character racing down a large track. After seeing that, the teen grabbed his silver backpack, which was loaded with a few snacks, some water bottles, and proceeded to step out the door. The cool breeze from earlier greeted him, and he smiled.

“Bye Dad!” Tory called over his shoulder. “I’ll be back at sunset!”

“Don’t wander off to far, son!” his father called back.

Not listening, the teen dashed over to the fence where he kept his bike chained up, and hopped on. He pushed hard on the pedals, as the gear was stuck on a high mode, and began to ride along the dirt road towards his friend’s house.

Tory passed by many of the small town’s residents, waving as he passed them. He looked at the sign that stood in the center of town, which said ‘Sweet Apple Acres’. Yup, he lived in a farming town. It was also home to a few notable characters in history. But Tory wasn’t really thinking about that now. He was trying to think of what he’d do today with his friend.

Lost in his thoughts, the teen didn’t notice a small golden yellow ceature wander into his path. After a voice snapped him out of his thoughts, Tory saw the little one, and veered off sharply to avoid hurting them. He crashed into a tree, and fell to the ground. That hurt!

“Ugh,” Tory moaned, “Can somebody get that tree’s insurance? I think I rear-ended them.”

“Oh my,” came a woman’s voice. “I’m terribly sorry Tory! I turned away for just a second, and this little one wandered off!”

Shaking his head, the teen turned around to see a tall, older woman standing beside him. She wore a lab coat and red glasses, with her hair tied back. He smiled as he realized it was the assistant to a well known person in this town.

“Heh, don’t worry about it,” Tory replied, getting to his feet. He looked over to the creature that he almost hit. “And who might this one be?”

“Hmm?” the assistant questioned, readjusting her glasses. “Oh! This is Filly Fluttershy, one of the few remaining in my boss’ care. She wandered off when I was trying to get one of the others to rejoin the group, and well, here we are.”

The little creature stared at him with big, scared, blue eyes. Her body was a golden yellow, and she had pink hair. Tory smiled at her, seeing how shy she was, and turned back to the assistant. She nodded at him, and the teen slowly walked over to the little one named Filly Fluttershy. He held out his hands with his palms face up, indicating he meant no harm, and let her sniff at him.

Tory had a way with animals normally. Shy ones were usually his specialty. He had no idea why he was so skilled with them, but the teen wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He smiled as Filly Fluttershy looked up at him, the fear in her eyes gone, replaced with a sad look. He knew what it meant.

“Don’t worry little one,” Tory said soothingly. “I’m perfectly fine. You see? No scratches or anything. It’s not your fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“Well that’s good,” the assistant sighed. “Now I don’t have to worry about your dad suing me for your pain!”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Tory countered with a smile. He turned back to the little one, and gently brushed her hair. “But it looks like you have to go now. Go on little one, go find your friends.”

The teen watched as the assistant and golden creature walked back over the hill, and vanished from his sight. Getting his bike up, Tory let his mind wander through what just happened. He had just made contact with a Ponymon! That was his first encounter with them…ever!

In Equestria, there were wild creatures known simply as Ponymon. They wandered all across the region in many different forms. Some changed when they became powerful enough, others just stayed the same throughout their life.

Ponymon were special, mostly because of how different they were from other animals across the planet. Ponymon were willing to listen and follow humans. They laughed, played, and did everything together. Some humans even trained the ponies they had to fight, and pitted them in a battle against other trainers. Those humans were called Bronies, and they were quickly becoming the rising celebrities of this era.

Tory wanted to be a Brony, but it seemed like all ponies just knew when he was coming, and galloped away before he could get a chance to even see them. It made the teen wonder if he was just unlucky, or if there was a deeper motive behind it. Shaking his head clear of these thoughts, Tory got back on his bike, and continued down the road, smiling.

Approaching a white home, Tory skidded to a stop with his legs. The brakes on his bike had evidently stopped working after his little crash earlier, and so he had to do things the manual way. Finally getting his bike to quit rolling, the teen stepped off. He looked up at the second floor window, and smiled.

“Hey Rhys!” Tory called out. “It’s already noon! You gonna sleep all day?!”

The window opened a few seconds later, and out popped the head of Rhys Thompson. He was Tory’s only friend in Sweet Apple Acres, and was always up for a good time. The boy in the window stared down at him with his emerald green eyes. His long, dark brown hair blowed in the wind. He wore a simple orange tee with brown shorts that covered a bit below his knees.

“Hey mate!” Rhys shouted at him with a smile. “I haven’t been sleeping, I was just toying around with my old beyblade! Give me a minute, and I’ll be right down!”

Tory heard a loud pounding as his friend rushed down his stairs. Yanking open the door, Rhys came out with a piece of toast in his mouth and his orange backpack slung over his back. Unchaining his own bike, the teen looked at his friend.

“Well? Are we gonna stand here like a pair of loons all day, or shall we get riding?” Rhys asked with a grin.

“C’mon you dodo,” Tory taunted playfully. “We’re going to the Haven.”

The Haven, a place for young teens that hadn’t left town yet. There were very few nowadays, so Tory and Rhys mostly had the place to themselves. The only other person allowed inside the Haven was Varil. But he never stopped by, saying that it was just a child’s thing. To that, Tory would say they were still children, but still Varil would reject the place.

After riding about three minutes, the two friends noticed something out of place in town. There were very few people about today, which was strange as most everyone was busy with harvesting the crops this time of year.

Hearing a commotion down a side road, Tory and Rhys looked at each other. A chance for adventure maybe? That was their thing. The two wanted to be Bronies, but since they didn’t have any Ponymon, they couldn’t leave town. Now forgetting that, both of them turned to follow the noise.

“Hey wait!” an older voice stopped them as they began to peddle away. “You can’t go out there!”

Turning around, Tory and Rhys saw an older man, probably in his fourties, running towards them. As he got close, the two teens could see the wrinkles under his eyes, and the streaks of gray that shot through his tan hair. It was none other than Professer Oak, the legendary Ponymon scientist! He was the grandfather of Varil, and as such, made the little brat arrogant and cocky because of his ’heritage’. Tory wanted to shove his personality right up the boy’s ass, but he wasn’t that kind of guy. Now his father on the other hand…

“Where did you two think you were riding off to?” Oak asked them in a serious tone. “Don’t you know that dangerous ponies live out in the wild? Yes, they are in fact cute and cuddly, but they can still hurt you if you aren’t careful.”

“We were just going to check out what the commotion was about,” Rhys defended the two of them. “We weren’t going to be out there long!”

“Regardless,” Oak stopped him. “I can’t let you two leave Sweet Apple Acres without some sort of protection… And I might have just the thing. Okay you two, follow me.”

The older scientist turned around, and began to walk towards a large mansion in the distance. Tory and Rhys looked at each other, and followed along. They eventually made it to the estate, and walked inside. Tory saw the assistant from earlier standing near a large machine with complicated controls on it. She smiled as she saw him, and returned to her work.

Walking to the back of the building, Oak finally stopped when he came upon a table with three small, round objects on them. Each one was the shape of a ball, with a button in the center. The top half was red, while the bottom was white. Each object was adorned with a strange symbol. One held a butterfly, another had a small gem, and the last one had an apple.

“These are the last pieces of my childhood,” Oak told them with a sad smile. “Those small things on the table are called ponyballs, and each one contains a different Ponymon inside them. Tory, Rhys, you both have reached the age where you can take on a few responsibilities. I think you two have earned the right to raise your own ponies. Go ahead, take one each.”

Before either of the boys had a chance to step forward, the door behind them slammed open. Everyone in the room turned to see Varil. He walked towards Tory and the others, his short, spiky blonde hair bouncing with every step. He was a small, cocky little bastard that annoyed almost everyone he met. He wore a white jumpsuit with blue stripes running down the sleeves, and a blue cloak held down by gold buttons. The neck of his outfit was black, and went half way up the boy’s own neck. His blue eyes were upsetting, mostly because they held a greedy and cocky gleam in them.

“Hey look,” Rhys whispered into Tory’s ear. “It’s our ‘Rival’. Think he‘s here to learn how to stop being such a prick?”

“Doubt it,” the silver wearing teen replied. “It would take a lot of surgery and a bit of a miracle to remove that overly large ego from his small head.”

“Oh grow up you two!” Varil snapped, hearing them snicker. “Hey Gramps, what do you want? I’ve got bigger things to do than visit you.”

“Yeah, like learn some manners,” Tory said under his breath.

“Varil?” Oak started. “Why are you here again?… Oh right! Just wait a second. You’ll see.” The older man turned back to Rhys and Tory, and motioned for them to approach the table. “Okay you two, go ahead and select your Ponymon. Since you both got here before my grandson, you get first pick.”

“Sweet! Maybe that’ll make Varil shut up about how great he is!” Tory thought to himself.

Rhys walked over to the table, and inspected the ponyball with an apple on it. He picked it up, and pressed the button. The ball opened up, and a white light emerged, creating something on top of Rhys’ head.

As the light faded, Tory saw a small orange pony on his friend. She had a long, blonde mane and tail, with green eyes. Rhys picked her off his head, and looked at her with a smile. She smiled back, and started squirming. The orange wearing boy placed her on the floor, and she started trotting around him happily. Rhys couldn’t help but laugh at how fun she looked.

“That is Filly Applejack,” Oak explained. “I raised her mother back when I was a young and aventurous Brony. Her species is really strong and trustworthy. You’ll have an interesting time raising her.”

“Cool,” Rhys commented, getting down on one knee so he could get a better look at his new pony.

“Hey Gramps!” Varil said loudly beside the old man. “Why should they get to pick before me, just because I was a bit late?! That’s not fair!”

“Then you should learn to be quicker,” the old scientist countered, pulling his fingers out of his ears. “They got here before you, so they should naturally get a chance to pick before you. Try being more punctual next time.”

“Um Professer,” Tory started quietly. “Varil can go before me if he wants. I’m not really in a rush, so I can wait.”

“Are you sure Tory?” Oak asked. “You’ll only have what’s left over, you know that right?”

“Then I don’t have to worry about choosing,” the silver boy shrugged. “It’s fine, really.”

“Damn right I am,” Varil said in a cocky tone, walking over to the table. He grabbed the ball with a butterfly on it, and opened the small container.

When the pony came out, Tory saw it was the Filly Fluttershy that he met earlier. Maybe the teen should have gone first. He was kind of envious that Varil would get the first Ponymon that Tory had seen. But when the brat saw what was inside the ponyball, he just looked at it with disgust.

“THAT is a Ponymon?!” he shouted. “She looks so weak! I’m not taking her! I bet any other Ponymon in existence could defeat her!”

Varil dropped the ponyball on the ground, not even bothering to return Filly Fluttershy to her container. That upset Tory, to see him treat that little pony with such contempt. The blond walked over to the last ball on the table, and opened it again. This time, a white pony with a deep purple mane and tail came out. She took an elegant pose, fluffing up her hair. Varil saw this, and took to liking her right away.

“Ah, Filly Rarity,” the elder scientist said with a nod. “Her species is all about elegance and generosity. She has style in whatever she does. I knew you’d pick that one Varil. She’s so much like you.”

“Now THAT’S a Ponymon!” he exclaimed. “Much better than the weak looking one, and probably able to beat down the orange one!”

“Hey!” Rhys exclaimed from beside Filly Applejack. “Don’t judge a Ponymon by their looks! I bet my little pony could beat yours!”

“Sounds like a challenge?” Varil smirked, looking over his shoulder at Rhys.

“You’re damn right it is!” the orange boy shouted, getting up.

Both Filly Applejack and Rarity took up postions in front of their newly minted Bronies. Applejack’s green eyes flared protectively at Rarity, who simply ran a hoof through her mane. Tory glared at Varil, and picked up Filly Fluttershy’s ponyball. He crouched down in front of her, and extended a hand.

The little pony looked up at him, and her blue eyes sparkled when she realized who it was. Tory laughed gently at how happy she looked. Had he made that much of an impression on the litte pony when he first met her?

“Are you okay?” Tory asked her quietly. She nodded, making the human smile. “That’s good. He shouldn’t have been so mean to you. In my opinion, you don’t look weak. Would you like to be my pony?”

Filly Fluttershy answered by jumping up and pressing her head against Tory’s legs. He smiled as she did that, and stroked her soft mane. He looked behind her, and saw two small wings on her back, hidden by her silky smooth hair. He didn’t know that Ponymon could fly! Can the others do that as well?

“So you’ve picked Filly Fluttershy huh?” Oak asked beside the human, catching him off-guard. “She was my personal favorite when I was a young Brony. I picked her too when I first started. Her mother was my best friend throughout my journies. I think you’ll enjoy Fluttershy Tory, as her species is kind, loving, and always there to support their master…Well, it seems like she’s already taken a shine to you! Usually, her kind are also shy around everyone and other Ponymon. This one was no exception, but she’s already fond of you. How is that?”

“I’ll, uh, explain later,” Tory replied. He looked at Filly Fluttershy, and got up. “Right now, I need to help my friend.”

“Too late!” Varil smirked, walking over to Tory. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder, indicating Rhys and Filly Applejack behind him. “Like I said before, my pony can beat any other. His was no exception!”

Tory looked at Rhys, who was stroking an unconscious Applejack. She looked a bit banged up, but otherwise fine. The orange wearing human’s eyes were sad, and held a protective spark in them. Glaring at Varil, the silver wearing teen felt his anger rocket up. He got in the blonde’s face, and called out his challenge.

“You think you’re such a badass!” Tory spat. “Right here, right now! You and Filly Rarity against me and Filly Fluttershy! Unless of course, you’re afraid?!”

“Me, afraid?” Varil asked, every ounce of cockiness in his voice. “You wish! Fine then, I accept your challenge!”

“Oh for Celestia’s sake,” Oak whispered to himself. He walked between the two of them, and pointed to the outside door. “You two take your little ‘battle’ outside! I can’t risk all of my equipment on a grudge match! I don’t even know why I let Rhys and Varil fight in here! Out, now!”

The two boys took their Ponymon outside, and made their way to a small clearing nearby. Tory looked down at Fluttershy, and picked her up gently. He stroked her soft mane, feeling her squirm in delight. He laughed kindly at this, and put her down on the ground again. He got on his knees, and looked into her blue eyes.

“I’m sorry if I rushed this,” he apologized to his pony. “I hadn’t intended for this to happen. I just got so mad when he acted so rudely about winning his fight against my friend. Are you mad?”

Filly Fluttershy shook her head, and looked into Tory’s eyes with a kind gleam. He saw something else in them, something different. It was almost like she was trying to talk to him. He was about to speak to her again, when Varil broke into his thoughts.

“Hey loser!” the blonde called out in his annoying voice. “Stop talking to your weak Ponymon, and fight me already! I want to make you suffer!”

“Wow Varil,” Tory replied with a glare and a smirk. “I didn’t know you could use big words like ‘suffer’! Did you spend all night learning it?”

“Oh you are so dead!” the blonde retorted. “Filly Rarity, attack him, now!”

Obeying her master’s orders, the white pony rushed at Tory. She lashed out at him with a hoof, but was quickly knocked away by Filly Fluttershy, landing a quick jab herself. The two Ponymon glared at each other, one trying to attack, the other trying to protect.

“Crap! I don’t know how to battle!” Tory thought to himself. “Am I supposed to just order her to do something, or are there specific things I have to say? Agh, this was a terrible idea! I just handed my pony to Varil on a silver platter!”

“Urg, fine then!” Tory shouted. “Filly Fluttershy, fly up and attack Filly Rarity from above!”

The golden pony spread her wings, and tried to lift off into the sky. But even though her wings flapped, she crashed to the ground in a clumsy manner. Tory ran over to her, and picked the small pony up gently.

“HAHAHA! She can’t even fly!’ Varil jeered. “How do you expect to beat me with such a weak Ponymon?!”

Filly Rarity looked back at her master, her eyes upset with the way he was acting. Why was he so mean? Turning back to her opponent, the white pony’s expression softened. The Filly Fluttershy was only trying to protect her master, not trying to fight. While Rarity was bound to do what her master ordered, she didn’t have to do it at her best. Maybe she could throw this fight?..

“You okay Filly Fluttershy?” Tory asked his Ponymon quietly. She nodded with a slight blush, embarrassed to be seen in such a weak state. The human noticed this, and smiled warmly at her. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to get rid of you because you messed up once. Things happen, right? Maybe we’ll practice it later. For now, just dodge her attacks. Can you do that?”

Filly Fluttershy nodded, her confidence restored just a bit. Getting to her hooves, she stared down Filly Rarity, who just looked at her sadly. Why? She was winning, wasn’t she? She should be acting bold and feel confident about herself. Why did she look sad?

“Let’s just finish this!” Varil shouted, annoyed at how long this was dragging out. “Filly Rarity, attack that pathetic excuse of a Ponymon!”

The white pony nodded, and dashed forward, slower this time. Her attacks came in sluggishly, and often they just flew away from the golden pony. The attacks came close to Filly Fluttershy a few times, but she managed to dodge them all. Eventually, her pink mane made Filly Rarity trip, and Tory took that as a sign.

“Okay, now’s your chance Filly Fluttershy!” he encouraged. “Attack with everything you have!”

The golden pony’s eyes flared for a second, and she lashed out at Filly Rarity. Her hooves landed on the white pony, not even scratching her. Evidently, Filly Fluttershy couldn’t hurt another pony without good reason. Tory took this as a sign too, and told her instead to pin her down. This, the golden pony did without hesitating.

“Man, I need to finish this!” Tory thought to himself. ‘But I’ve never battled before! How can I be expected to get Filly Fluttershy to defeat Varil’s pony?!”

“C’mon Filly Rarity!” the blonde shouted at his Ponymon angrily. “Get off the ground and beat that weakling within an inch of her life!”

Filly Rarity struggled weakly under Filly Fluttershy’s hold. It was almost like she wasn’t trying now! Tory prayed that he could think of something to help his pony win. Anything would do, anything at all! He just wanted a sign!

‘Hoof stomp,’ came a quiet voice in Tory’s head. ‘Order me to use Hoof Stomp!’

Shaking his head, Tory looked around the clearing for the owner of the voice. But the only ones around were him, Varil, and Professor Oak. The voice had been so quiet and feminine, so it couldn’t be the loud and obnoxious blonde. As far as Tory knew, the Ponymon Professor wasn’t female, so that left the human in a stupor. Remembering what the voice had said, he looked at Filly Fluttershy. Had it been her? The voice had said to order someone to use ‘Hoof Stomp’. Maybe it was her? Deciding to try it, he called out to his Ponymon.

“Filly Fluttershy, use Hoof Stomp!” Tory shouted.

Rearing back, the golden pony obeyed her master’s order. She slammed her hoof down violently onto Filly Rarity’s side, causing the small white pony to gasp in pain. Her eyes closed, and she passed out. Tory gave a victory cry , and dashed over to his Ponymon. He picked her up and began to swing her about happily. Filly Fluttershy smiled, and squeaked in happiness.

Varil slumped to the ground, shocked that he had been beaten by a complete loser. How could this have happened?! Of all the worst possible things, THIS, WAS, THE, WORST!!! Curling into a ball, the blonde rocked back and forth, trying to shake this defeat out of his head. He kept thinking about how he needed a stronger Ponymon, and how maybe he should’ve taken that weak looking one after all.

Rhys came out with Filly Applejack in his arms. She had woken up about a minute ago, and the two had came out after they heard Tory shouting. Seeing the happy expression on his face, it didn’t take long for the orange wearing human to figure it out. Quickly joining in the celebration, Rhys dashed over to his friend and starte giving war shouts.

“Those two certainly are exuberant,” Oak commented to himself. “That’ll get them a long way. But if they really want to be good Bronies, they need to learn a few more things. We’ll see what time and a bit of a journey does to them…”

I.I.I

After enjoying Tory’s victory, the two friends made their way home to tell their parents about this. Oak had even said they should go out into the world, and experience all the wonders it held. It was just the thing that the two boys had hoped for their entire lives.

Stopping outside Rhys’ house, the two parted ways for the day. Walking inside his home, the orange wearing human dropped his bag at the counter. He looked down to see Filly Applejack stare at him with those big, green eyes. She looked so adorable like that, and Rhys couldn’t help but pick her up and let her rest in his lap. The entire ride back, she had been yawning. Not surprising really, as she had taken a beating in that fight with Filly Rarity.

Having never battled before, Rhys didn’t know what to do. He’d just let his Ponymon do whatever, and that had gotten her hurt. She took a strike to the face here, a kick to the gut there, and she was out like a light. It had upset Rhys very much to see his litte pony so cruelly beaten. That Varil, he was such a jerk! One day, Filly Applejack was going to show him that big talk and no walk didn’t win the match. One day…

‘Then that varmin’ will see just what ya’ll can do!’ came a strange, bold voice inside Rhys’ head. ‘Ah won’ let ya down!’

Looking down at Filly Applejack, Rhys wondered if she had just talked. Was it possible? Did Ponymon have the ability to talk? The orange pony rested her head on the boy’s lap, and soon her breathing became even.

“Is all of this really happening?” Rhys asked himself quietly. “Or am I dreaming?”

“Well, it looks like someone had a fun day!” came a loud, high-pitched voice behind the boy. “What happened to you?!”

Wincing at the loudness of the voice, Rhys turned around to see his baby sister looking at him curiously. He quickly turned back, trying to shield Filly Applejack from her. He knew his sister, and she would go crazy if she got her hands on a Ponymon. But his action had been to late as she saw the little orange pony, and squealed loudly in delight.

She kept trying to reach around Rhys to get at Filly Applejack, but the boy just batted her arms away gently. He kept telling her to be quiet, that the pony was trying to sleep, but she wouldn’t listen. Her protests and squealing woke up the small Ponymon. Rhys smacked his forehead, and quickly dashed upstairs into his room. He locked the door, and shut off the lights.

Placing a drowsy Filly Applejack on his bed, Rhys got out a pen and paper. He wrote a simple message to his sister about how his pony was tired after a long day, and that she needed to rest. When he heard banging on his door, he slipped the paper under the frame, and waited for her to either continue pounding on the door, or complain that Rhys was being mean. Neither came from his sister. Instead, she walked down the hall, her footsteps pounding lightly on the wooden floor.

‘Tha’ was close!’ came the voice again.

“You can say that again,” Rhys replied. “Someone needs to teach her about control…Wait a second.” he turned around, and looked at Filly Applejack. “Did you say that?”

‘Well who else can talk to ya?!’ the voice echoed in his head, as the orange Ponymon gave him a playful look. ‘What? You thought we was all looks an’ beatin’ up others? We have to talk too!’

“Th-This is great!” Rhys exclaimed. “Oh wow, I can’t believe this is happening!”

Filly Applejack smiled at him, and yawned once more. She put her head down on the blanket, and closed her eyes. The human just looked at her and smiled. She gone through quite a bit today, and that warranted a nice long rest.

Walking over to his computer, Rhys quickly logged into his email. He had one message waiting for him in his inbox. It was from Tory, and it said: “Tomorrow is the day my friend! You and I will set off on our own journey! Make sure you pack up everything you’ll need, as we won’t be returning for a while. See you at the town square around noon!”

Sending a quick reply of ‘OK’, Rhys walked over to the mini-fridge he kept in a corner. It was locked, mostly because his sister would often sneak into his room and take some of his food, just because she liked what he had. Entering the combination into the turn lock, Rhys pulled the door open, and reached inside. He pulled out a small juice box, apple flavored, and inserted the straw. He placed it on the table by Filly Applejack, and went back to begin his packing.

Rhys held many goodies inside his fridge, with juice and sandwiches being the majority. Besides those, he had a few pieces of candy, some sodas, a water bottle, a bowl of jello, and cookies. He quickly loaded up a small zipper on the side of his pack, put his water bottle in, threw in ten packs of juice, five cans of soda, and his bowl of jello, making sure the lid on top was sealed tight. He grabbed the cookies and candy, then walked over to the bed. He placed a few of the vanilla sweets on a napkin by Filly Applejack’s juice, and unwrapped the small pieces of candy.

As he undid the wrappers, they crackled, making a loud noise. This caused the orange pony to wake up again, and she watched her master. When he finally noticed, Rhys smiled, and motioned for her begin eating. The little Ponymon gave a grateful smile, and began to dig into a cookie. She devoured it in two bites, not realizing just how hungry she was.

‘Thank ya, master!’ came Filly Applejack’s voice.

“Please, call me Rhys,” the boy laughed. “Master makes me sound like I control you. I’m just your friend!”

Giving a big smile, the small pony got up and hugged him. Rhys returned it, happy to have another friend. Like Tory, he wasn’t very popular, so the two of them were always left out. All of their other friends had left Sweet Apple Acres some time ago, setting out on their own journeys to become Brony Masters. But even still, Rhys only had two other friends: Matt and Michael. The two of them had left about ten weeks ago, saying that it was their time to take in what Equestria had to offer.

Now it was time for Tory and Rhys to begin THEIR journey! The orange wearing boy smiled. He had a feeling that great things would happen to them. Breaking the hug with Filly Applejack, Rhys got up and held out his ponyball.

“Honestly, it sounds kind of mean, putting you in this small thing,” he said after a second, looking at the container. “ I don’t think I’ll do that to you.”

‘It ain’t so bad in there’ the Ponymon told him. ‘There’s plenty o’ room to play, an’ it lets us see outside too.’

“R-Really,” Rhys asked curiously. He looked back at the ball, and put it beside her. “Then I’ll let you decide. You can pick if you want to stay inside the ponyball, or out here with me.”

Filly Applejack replied by jumping on Rhys and tackling him to the floor. The two playfully scuffled for a second, before the pony had him pinned to the wooden floor with a hoof. Rhys smiled, and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her head. She batted his hand away, and jumped off of him.

As Rhys sat up, he smiled at his Ponymon. Yeah, life was definitely good…

I.I.I

Tory logged off his computer with a large smile on his face. He had just finished talking with one of his friends, and had found out that the guy had also become a Brony today. The two of them said that they should meet in person.

Unforunately, Tory had no idea where the other guy lived, and he wasn’t keen about giving out the name of his town. He knew that could only lead to trouble, so the boy withheld that bit of info. The same could be said of his friend. They were both careful about what info they gave away to strangers, which they technically were to the other, never having met in person, and the other could be lying about who they were.

Shaking his head clear of those troubling thoughts, Tory turned in his chair to look at Filly Fluttershy. She was sleeping quietly on his bed, having exhausted all of her energy in that battle with Filly Rarity. A big grin spread out on his face. The golden pony looked so adorable like that. He reached over, and stroked her soft mane gently. Her hair felt silky smooth his hand.

Getting up, Tory walked downstairs to grab a little snack. As he walked out the door, he heard a quiet yawn, and looked back into his room. Filly Flutterhsy had evidently woken up, and now she looked at him with a smile. She got up and trotted over to him, rubbing her head against his leg. Laughing gently, Tory picked her up and carried her down the flight of stairs.

As he got down the last step, Tory could smell burgers cooking, and grinned. Filly Fluttershy smelled it too, and looked like she would be sick to her stomach. The human noticed this, and set her down so she could relax a bit.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her. “Don’t like meat?”

The golden pony shook her head, and Tory frowned. Well, if Ponymon came in all shapes and sizes, they had to have different tastes too, right? Walking over to the fridge, the human checked to see if they had anything that the pony could eat. Unfortunately, Tory had little food stored away, as he forgot he was supposed to get supplies at the store. He marked that down as something to do later today, when he went to grab stuff for his adventure. Which reminded him…

Tory still had to tell his dad that he became a Brony today, and that he’d be leaving to go on his journey tomorrow. That was going to be a bit hard, since his dad was a bit protective. Tory was the last one in his care, all of the boy’s brothers and sisters having left the household years ago. His three brothers had been the first to go, all leaving to take on different jobs in the world. His two sisters went about five years later, saying they wanted to strut their stuff.

Opening the door to where his dad was, the teen saw many different types of food on the table. His father was beside the grill, watching the burgers cook slowly. Tory quickly got Filly Fluttershy around the table to where she could remain hidden until it was time to tell the man. Taking a seat, he saw lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, everything that people usually put on burgers.

Smiling to himself, Tory knew that he and his dad wouldn’t eat all of this, as they never did. It would go bad in the fridge after today, since they rarely ate like this. Quickly taking one of the plates on the table, the teen grabbed plenty of lettuce, a few tomatoes, and added a pickle or two. He placed the small meal on the ground by Filly Fluttershy, and motioned for her to go ahead and eat.

Her eyes expressed her gratitude, and she began to quietly chew on her meal. Tory smiled as he watched her eat. She was so adorable! He turned back to his dad, and saw the man walking over with a plate of burgers. They sizzled as he put them on the table. The teen grabbed a bun and placed the first patty he saw on it. He loaded it up with tomatoes, a bit of lettuce, and some mayo. He bit into the juicy meal, and let the warm flavors grace his taste buds.

“Hey Dad,’ Tory started after finishing his first burger. “I uh, got something to tell you.”

“…What did you do this time?” came his father’s question.

“Hey! You’re acting like I got in trouble!” the teen said.

“Usually you do when you have to tell me something,” the man commented. “So what happened today?”

Deciding that he couldn’t back out now, Tory looked down at Filly Fluttershy. She had finished her meal, and was looking at him calmly. He motioned for her to hop up on the table, and she did after another second. She looked nervous when she saw how big the man was.

Tory’s dad raised his eyebrows when he saw the Ponymon. He looked from her, to his son, and back. The man’s intense hazel eyes gazed deeply into Filly Fluttershy, and she cringed under his stare. He looked over at the boy, who simply stared back. Sighing once, the man spoke quietly.

“How did it happen?” he asked.

Tory began to tell him how he and Rhys were going out to the Haven, when they heard a commotion just outside of town. Before they could check it out, Professor Oak stopped them, and made the two teens go to his lab. Then Tory explained that he and Rhys were given a chance to pick their own Ponymon, and how Varil came in and just treated Filly Fluttershy so evilly. When he mentioned that part, the golden pony just lowered her head. The boy noticed this, and began to stroke her mane to make her feel better. It had the desired effect, as she smiled and leaned on him.

“All of this happened in just a few hours?” Tory’s dad asked after the story finished with Filly Fluttershy beating Filly Rarity.

“Yeah, and Professor Oak said that me and Rhys should start our journey tomorrow.” the teen explained. “…Dad, I’m going. I need to do this.”

“…I was afraid you’d say that,” the man sighed. “I’m guessing there is no way I can convince you otherwise?”

“Sorry, no,” Tory shook his head. “Me, Rhys, and our Ponymon are leaving town at noon tomorrow. We plan to go down Route 1 to Ponyville.”

“Are you sure, son?” his dad asked, his eyes nearly begging him not to leave. “Do you know what can happen out there?”

“No, but that’s part of the fun!” Tory answered, his own eyes shining at the prospect. “And if something should happen, I have my good friend and Filly Fluttershy by my side.”

The teen stroked his pony’s mane once more, and she sighed in content. Tory’s dad smiled at how nice they looked together. Maybe…Maybe he could let them go? His son looked so confident when he said he had that little pony beside him. And his friend was going as well, right? That meant if something was going to happen, at least the boy could have some support.

“…F-Fine.” Tory’s dad agreed after thinking about it more. “Y-you can go. Just…promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Of course,” the teen smiled at him. “I know when I’m in over my head.”

“Alright then,” the man said with a nod. “At least you’ll keep your wits about you. C’mon, let’s finish this up…With your new friend.”

Filly Fluttershy smiled at that. She proceeded to eat some of the lettuce in the bowl, a bit getting on her face. Tory laughed, and wiped it off, thinking how fun she was. As the three of them finished their meal, they cleared off the table and walked back inside.

“I think I’ll get to bed,” Tory’s dad said, stretching his arms. “I’ve got a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Plenty of apple picking to do and all that.”

The older man walked up the stairs to his bedroom, leaving Tory and Filly Fluttershy in the living room. Tory smiled at her, and turned back to the door. He walked outside into the crisp evening air, and watched as the sun began to set.

“Hey Filly Fluttershy, want to go for a ride?” he asked her.

‘Sure!’ came that quiet voice in his head again.

Looking around, Tory tried to find who it was that kept doing that. The only one around was Filly Fluttershy though. He looked at the Ponymon curiously. He crouched down beside her and began to stroke her soft mane.

“Was that you?” he whispered. “Can…Can you talk?”

‘Y-yes,’ the voice said, and Filly Fluttershy lowered her head shyly. She was blushing a bit, and Tory continued to stroke her mane. ‘I-I’m sorry! I can stop…if you want.’

“No,” Tory replied softly with a smile. “You have a lovely voice. Why would I want you to hide it?”

Filly Fluttershy looked up at him with shining eyes. He looked into her bottomless blue irises, seeing himself reflected there. Tory picked up his pony, and held her close to him. She wrapped her hooves around his neck.

‘Th-thank you, master Tory.’ she said in her soft voice.

“Master?” Tory questioned incredulously but softly. His eyes became gentle as he looked at Filly Fluttershy. “I’m not your master, I’m your friend. Please, just call me Tory.”

‘A-are you sure?’ the little pony asked him shyly, tilting her head to the side in an adorable way.

“Yes,” he replied with a nod. “C’mon, I need to run by the general store and pick up a few things so the two of us and our friends can get our journey started.”

Grabbing his silver backpack from the table beside the door, and emptied it of it’s contents. He picked up Filly Fluttershy, and gently placed her inside. Her head stuck out of the top, and she pushed out her front hooves. She looked just too adorable like that!

Gently picking up the slightly heavy bag, Tory put it on, and closed the front door of his house. He walked over to his bike, and hopped on. Kicking off, he and his Ponymon went down the road, a gentle breeze blowing through their hair as the evening sun began to disappear over the horizon…

I.I.I The Next Day I.I.I

Just like yesterday, it was bright, clear, and felt good. It was the perfect day to start an adventure! Tory stood at the town square with Filly Fluttershy on his head. She was using her wings to give them some shade while they waited for Rhys and Filly Applejack to show up.

“I hope he isn’t sleeping in again,” Tory said impatiently.

‘I’m sure he’s on his way,’ Filly Fluttershy reassured him softly.

It was about ten past noon, and still no sign of Tory’s friend or the orange Ponymon he received yesterday. The teen was patient, that much could be said. But unless he could occupy his time with something small, he would lose that patience really quick. He had forgotten to grab his DS, and that had upset him.

Tory was always doing something with his hands, ALWAYS. If he wasn’t writing something, he had a game controller in his grasp. If that wasn’t the case, he was tapping them against his legs. But that began to bore him as well, so he was doing nothing with them. That caused an odd sensation to run along his arms.

“Maybe we should run by his place?” Tory suggested after another minute.

‘Give them time, please?’ his Ponymon begged quietly, her voice echoing inside the human‘s head. ‘They’ll be here.’

Sure enough, Rhys and Filly Apllejack came running up to them a minute later. The boy was out of breath, but his pony looked perfectly fine. She evidently had some strong legs. As they came to a stop, Rhys sat down and began to breathe in deeply.

“Sorry…I’m late!” he huffed out. “Alarm clock…didn’t work! Filly…woke me up!”

Tory smiled at Filly Applejack, who looked away. Rhys began to recover, and slowly got to his feet. The orange wearing boy looked at his Ponymon gratefully, and turned to his friend.

“Did you run the whole way here?” Tory asked.

“Yeah,” Rhys answered, mostly back to breathing normal. “It wasn’t that…hard.”

“That’s good,” the silver wearing human replied. “Because it would be terrible if we had to start our adventure late. C’mon, let’s get going.”

Tory and Rhys walked towards the edge of town, their Ponymon close by. Filly Fluttershy had hopped of off her master, and now walked beside Filly Applejack. The two of them made little noises that the humans assumed were part of a conversation. Eventually, they stopped at a sign under a large tree. It said: ‘Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres’ on one side, and ‘Now leaving Sweet Apple Acres’ on the other.

“This is the farthest we’ve ever been from town,” Rhys said excitedly.

“Yup,” Tory nodded. “After we pass that sign, we’ll officially be out of town and in the wild world of Equestria. It’s kind of daunting, isn’t it?”

“A bit,” the orange wearing human shrugged. “But we can’t let our nerves hold us back.”

“Agreed,” Tory replied. “Shall we?”

The two humans stepped past the sign, and looked back at the town they had shared many fond memories in. It almost looked like Sweet Apple Acres was saying good-bye to them. They looked at their Ponymon, Filly Fluttershy and Applejack, and turned back to the path in front of them. Tory and Rhys walked down Route 1, and began their journey…

I.I.I Author’s Note I.I.I

Good? Bad? Please tell me how I did! I want to know what each of you think, how I can improve my writing, and what you liked. Say whatever you feel, be it a burn, a supportive comment, or anything in between!

Keep an eye out for the next chapter…

Tory Mills (Silverwing Strong)

Random Encounter?

View Online

Yay, chapter 2! I hope you bronies and pega-sisters enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!

I do not claim any rights to My Little Ponies or Poke‘mon.

Ponymon: Dusk Journey

Random Encounter?

“Okay Filly Fluttershy, let’s try it one more time. I know you can do it!” Tory encouraged his Ponymon.

It had been two days since he and Rhys had left Sweet Apple Acres, and still they were on Route 1. They didn’t mind though, as it was good to be out and experiencing the world of Equestria. Right now, they were taking a small break. Tory was still trying to get Filly Fluttershy to fly, but she just couldn’t seem to get it down.

Filly Fluttershy jumped out of the low hanging branch of the tree she was in, and flapped her wings furiously. But still she began to descend towards the ground. Right before she hit the dirt though, Tory lept and caught her, skidding along the ground. The golden pony looked at him worriedly.

‘Are y-you okay Tory?’ she asked, her sweet voice echoing inside his head.

“I’m fine,” he reassured her. “Are YOU okay? That was pretty close.”

“You treat her almost like she’s a child,” Rhys commented from beside the tree Filly Fluttershy jumped out of, a smile on his face.

“I do not!” Tory defended himself. “I treat her like one of the family!”

“That’s why you haven’t let her hit the ground once when she jumps,” the orange wearing boy smirked. “Or let her stray too far from you, or even let her out of your sight. Face it mate, you treat Filly Fluttershy like she’s a kid.”

“No I don’t…” Tory tried once more. Then he looked at his pony. “Do I?”

‘W-Well um, m-maybe just a bit…’ Filly Fluttershy answered, looking away. ‘But I don’t mind! I-it’s fine…’

“You don’t sound like it’s fine,” Tory commented.

“Mate, she’s your Ponymon,” Rhys stated. “You can’t protect her from all the dangers she’ll have to face, especially if you want to be a Brony master! She’s going to get hurt, many times! If you both want to get stronger, if you both want to become better, than she needs to toughen up. Let her hit the ground a few times, let her get a few scratches, some bruises, or even a black eye if it should happen!”

“…I don’t know,” Tory began. “I mean, I see what you’re saying. But the idea of Filly Fluttershy getting hurt just doesn’t appeal to me.”

“Neither does the thought that Filly Applejack might as well,” his friend countered. “But I know it’ll happen, time and again. Tory, mate, you’ve got to give her some room to grow! And I’ve got the perfect method for doing that as well. Hey Filly Applejack, could you come here?”

The orange pony looked up from her own tree that she was leaning against, a bit of wheat sticking out of her teeth in a ‘cool guy’ pose. She slowly got up and came over, nodding at her master. That made Tory wonder something. Could all Ponymon talk, or was Filly Fluttershy special?

“Filly Applejack, would you be willing to help Tory see the truth,” Rhys asked her. She nodded, and took up an offensive stance. “Time for your first lesson on being a Brony, mate. I want you to battle me and my Ponymon!”

“What?!” Tory exclaimed. “I don’t know if that’s wise…”

“If you don’t attack, I will,” the orange wearing boy warned. “Now come at us!”

“Filly Fluttershy, what do you want to do?” Tory asked his Ponymon. He felt she had as much say in his decisions. “Do you want to battle Filly Applejack?”

‘I-I don’t WANT t-to,’ the golden pony started. ‘B-But I don’t th-think I have a ch-choice…’

“We always have a choice,” he reassured her, getting eye level with the pony. “Right now, you can choose not to battle if you don’t want to. But if you want to-”

“Time’s up!” Rhys called out. “Filly Applejack, attack Filly Fluttershy!”

The orange Ponymon rushed forward, knocking Tory aside and striking his friend in the face. As the human got to his feet, he saw his own Ponymon lying on the ground, not moving. He rushed over and took a defensive stance between her and the attacking pony.

“STOP DEFENDING HER!” Rhys shouted. “She needs to fight her own battles, and you have to give her orders! Your job is to guide her as she fights, and help her make the right decisions! If you don’t want her to get hurt, tell her to dodge! If you want to win, tell her to attack! Like I’m about to do! Filly Applejack, get around Tory and use Hoof Stomp on his Ponymon!”

Quicker than Tory could react, Rhys’ Ponymon sidestepped around him, and reared back to perform as was requested of her. Filly Fluttershy noticed this, and cried out. The silver wearing teen rushed forward, not thinking clearly, and shielded her from the attack. As the pair of hooves landed on his back, Tory could feel his bones give away under the pressure, and he fell forward.

“GAHH!!” he shouted in pain.

“Tory!” Rhys exclaimed, dashing over. He got down beside his friend and slowly turned the hurting boy over. “You dumbass, what the hell were you thinking?!”

“I…don’t know,” Tory admitted weakly. “Body…just acted…on it’s own.”

Filly Fluttershy got up and rushed over to him, a deeply concerned look in her eyes. Filly Applyjack looked at the ground in shame. She had hit her master’s best friend, and that wasn’t good. He was sure to punish her for that…

‘TORY! TORY!’ came his Ponymon’s loud, echoing voice in his head.

“I’m…fine,” he lied. “Just… can’t feel my left leg.”

“Because you took the fall for Fluttershy!” Rhys scolded, shaking his head. “I TOLD you that she’s going to get hurt, time and again! You can’t always protect her! You’ll die if you keep this up!”

“Heheh, guess I’m just stubborn,” Tory laughed weakly.

“More like stupid,” his friend muttered under his breath.

‘It’s all my fault!’ Filly Fluttershy wailed quietly inside Tory’s head. ‘If I had been paying attention, I’d have gotten away and you wouldn’t be hurt!’

“It’s not your fault Fluttershy,” her master tried to reassure the pony.

“Yeah,” Rhys agreed with a nod and a smile. “This knucklehead just doesn’t understand.”

‘No, it IS my fault!’ she argued, turning away. ‘I’m just hurting you everytime I try to do something! Maybe it would be best if I left…’

“Woah! Wait,” Tory stopped her, placing a hand on her back. “I swear it’s not your fault! Seriously, I’m choosing to do this to help you! Please don’t go…”

‘No, it would be better if I left…’ Filly Fluttershy protested, walking away. ‘You should have a pony that you can trust… that you can raise to do good things… that can FLY… You don’t need me! It would be better if I wasn’t your Ponymon…’

Before Tory could say anything, she galloped away. He tried to get up and follow her, but his back screamed it’s protest, and forced him down again. He looked at Rhys, who simply held a confused expression on his face. Oh, right… He couldn’t hear Filly Fluttershy.

“Rhys, go after her!” Tory said, trying to get himself up despite the pain. “We can’t let her go!”

“What just happened?” he asked.

“…She thinks it would be best for her to NOT be with me,” the silver wearing human sighed. “I’ve got to go after her! I’m not giving up on Filly Fluttershy! Quick, hand me that fallen branch over there!”

Filly Applejack brought over what he requested, and the human struggled to his feet. He placed most of his weight on the branch, and started forward slowly. After getting ten feet, Tory collapsed on the ground. Rhys came over quickly and put one of his friend’s arms over his shoulder to support him.

“I hope you don’t think you’re going alone mate,” Rhys said with a laugh. “In your condition, you shouldn’t be moving at all!”

‘Don’t try to stop me,” Tory said weakly. “I’m going to find her!”

“I wasn’t going to man,” his friend smiled. “Sheesh, you’re more stubborn today than I’ve ever known you to be!”

“Call it a gift,” the silver wearing boy joked. “C’mon, we can’t let her get too far!”

I.I.I

Filly Fluttershy galloped through the forest, not daring to look back. She knew that if she did, she’d see Tory in his hurt condition, and that would make her feel worse. It was all her fault, she knew it! The golden pony knew that if she hadn’t cried out in fear, if she had actually done something, then her master wouldn’t be in pain.

“I’ve got to keep running! It’s better this way…” Filly Fluttershy thought to herself. “Master Tory will keep getting hurt if I stay with him! I‘m so stupid, thinking I could protect him! I‘m a terrible Ponymon!”

Starting to tire out, the golden pony slowed down to a trot. She observed her surroundings, trying to figure out where she was. Unfortunately, all she could see were the massive trunks of the trees, trapping her. Filly Fluttershy got low to the ground, fear gripping her. She knew she was lost now.

Trying to get herself together, the golden pony shook her head. This was no time to be scared! She had to keep moving, in case Tory came after her. She took a step forward, and tripped on a root. Crashing face first into the dirt, Filly Fluttershy began to sniffle.

“D-Don’t cry!” she thought. “Just don’t cry!”

“FLUTTERSHY!” came a familiar voice behind her. It was Tory. “WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Jumping at the sound of his voice, Filly Fluttershy quickly got up and galloped towards the nearest tree. She hid behind the massive trunk, praying that they wouldn’t see her. A few seconds later, Rhys came through the shrubs with Tory leaning on one shoulder and a big branch in his left hand. He was hobbling badly, and looked to be in severe pain.

“Filly Fluttershy!” Tory called out again, weaker this time. “Ung! Man Rhys, Filly Applejack could really mess someone up if she wanted to!”

“Just another reason why I like her,” his friend joked. Then the orange wearing boy grew serious. “C’mon, we need to get back to the campsite. It’s going to rain soon, and we can’t risk you getting sick.”

“I’m not going back!” Tory snapped at him. The boy cringed, and he noticed this. “…Sorry, but I can’t just leave her out here, all alone. I refuse to give up on Filly Fluttershy. I’m going to find her, and help her understand that she needs me…that I need her. WE need each other!”

“I understand that,” Rhys nodded. “But getting sick isn’t the way to go about it… Sorry mate, but I gotta do this…”

“What’re you talking abo-”

Tory was cut off as his friend weakly kicked him in the back of his legs, causing him to fall to the ground. The silver wearing teen went down, his head smashed into the dirt, and he lost conciousness. Rhys sighed, shaking his head, and slowly picked up his friend, leaning heavily on one side so he could support the boy.

“…Master Tory…” Filly Fluttershy thought sadly as she watched them leave. “I’m sorry! But you don’t want a weak pony like me…”

The golden pony turned around, and began to walk deeper into the forest. She lowered her head as the rain began to fall, rapidly picking up. As the water droplets fell at an intense pace, Filly Fluttershy took shelter under a large tree. She curled up into a ball and tried to calm herself down. This was the start of her new life alone…

I.I.I

“Okay, now just pull the string and lift the flap,” Rhys instructed his Ponymon.

After getting back to the campsite, the orange wearing boy had asked Filly Applejack to open up Tory’s sleeping bag. He needed to be somewhere warm and dry until the storm blew over. Rhys’ pony did as she was asked, and managed to get the sleeping bag open enough for him to put the unconscious teen inside.

“Damn mate,” Rhys sighed in exhaustion. “You’re heavy.”

‘Um Rhys?’ Filly Applejack started. ‘Shouldn’ we go after Filly Fluttershy?’

“If it was as simple as that,” the teen answered, taking a seat under a tree nearby. “With this storm, tracking her is going to be near impossible. Her scent will have been washed away, along with any tracks she might’ve left. The best we can do right now is keep out of the rain and pray that she is too…”

‘But when tha storm’s gone, how we gonna fin’ Filly Fluttershy?’ the orange pony asked her master.

“I really have no clue Filly Applejack,” Rhys admitted. “But until we either find her or manage a path to Ponyville, Tory is in danger. He doesn’t have another pony, and we can’t always protect him. Our best bet would be to get him into town, and then come back to look for Filly Fluttershy.”

The teen sighed in defeat, and let his mind wander. Just how WAS he going to find Tory’s Ponymon? Route 1 was really large, despite the supposed short distance it was between Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres. That golden pony could be hiding anywhere withing a half mile radius by now! It would take him and Filly Applejack all day just to search nearby, and they couldn’t do that because of the rain.

Rhys picked up his Ponymon, and held her close to him. Filly Applejack curled up in his lap, and the two began to breathe evenly. Niether of them noticed that Tory had been awake the entire conversation. And while he hadn’t understood Filly Applejack, the silver wearing teen did know what Rhys was talking about.

“Rhys, if you think I’m gonna lay about and let my Ponymon wander out here alone, you’ve got another thing coming!” Tory thought. “I’m going to get her back, with or without you!”

As quietly as he could, the teen got himself out of his sleeping bag. He felt blood rushing back into his left leg, meaning that he could possibly use it again. He wouldn’t be able to put much weight on it, but he didn’t need to really. Tory just had to get out there and search for Filly Fluttershy.

Placing all of his weight on his right leg, the silver wearing boy limped towards the nearest tree in the direction Fluttershy had gone. He shifted his weight towards it as he came near, and let it support him. That wound Filly Applejack made was still hurting, but Tory just ignored it. He would have to for a little while, at least until he got some distance between him and his friend.

“I’m… going to find her!” Tory whispered to himself, trying to build up his courage. “Even, if it kills me!”

The rain continued to beat down on him as he trekked through the forest. A few times he tripped in the mud, and once his leg gave out again, forcing the teen to stop for about ten minutes, but not once did Tory consider going back. He didn’t care if he got sick, or was attacked by a wild Ponymon, he just wanted to find Filly Fluttershy.

After about thirty more minutes of making his way though the forest, Tory collapsed under a large tree that managed to keep back all the rain. He sighed in pain as his injured leg cried out again. Continually, the teen had called out for his Ponymon, but she never answered back. He hadn’t expected her to, but he couldn’t afford to lose hope.

Tory let his body fall to the side, and closed his eyes. He was really exhausted now. Not only was his leg injured, but the teen could feel himself getting sick. Rhys was right, catching something out here would only make things worse. The silver wearing boy sighed once more, and breathed in deeply. The forest smelled so nice during the rain. It calmed Tory’s nerves down.

He heard a twig snap nearby, and opened his eyes. He slowly got up and turned his head towards the sound. He gasped when he saw it was Filly Fluttershy. She hadn’t noticed him under the same tree, just on the other side! He was about to call out to her when a growl came from behind him.

Turning around, Tory saw another Ponymon glaring at him. This one was silver, with a brown mane and tail. He also had wings like Filly Fluttershy, and they were extended out to make the pony seem larger. His blue eyes pierced the human, making him cringe. He turned back to look at his Ponymon, only to see her running away.

“No Fluttershy, wait!” Tory called out to her. Still she didn’t stop, and dashed through a bush. He turned back to the angry Ponymon, and glared right back. “Thanks a lot man! Now I’ve lost her again! I just want to tell her that she doesn’t have to run away!”

The silver pony tilted his head to the side and his eyes softened just a bit, but not by much. He kept his body low, prepared to attack. Tory just kept his glare on him. This was no time for distractions! He had to go after his Ponymon, before she was lost to him forever!

“Go ahead, attack me!” Tory snarled. “I can’t even fight back! I’m only out here alone so I can get her to understand how much I need her! She’s changed my life, and I can’t just go on without her!”

The wild Ponymon just continued to stare at him, the hostility in his eyes slowly vanishing. They just kept looking at each other, one laying against a tree completely defenseless, the other not sure what to make of this. The look in that pony’s eyes made Tory wonder, did he actually understand? Did this wild Ponymon actually know how much he cared about his friend?

Before Tory could ask him, the silver pony broke into a gallop and went past him. He watched as it went through the same bush Filly Fluttershy had used to escape. The human forced himself to his feet, and slowly hobbled after them. He wasn’t about to lose his only Ponymon, and a close friend at that! And if that silver one tried to stop him, then he’d stand his ground and make it see.

“Filly Fluttershy is my first Ponymon,” Tory started, moving through the trees. “And she was the first one that I ever met too… I’ve been with her for three days now, and she thinks that it’s her fault I’m hurt. I have to show her that it doesn’t matter if I get hurt. So long as she’s okay, then so am I.”

Tory tripped on an exposed root, and fell into the mud. He laid there, unable to find the strength to move. The most he could do was roll over so he could breathe. The rain smacked him in the face, and the human just laid there. He had no energy left to continue searching for his Ponymon…

“Filly Fluttershy, please,” Tory whispered, praying that she could miraculously hear him. “It’s okay that I got hurt. Please, just come back to me… I need you. I…”

I.I.I

The golden pony just sat there in the brush, listening to her master. She had initially run away when she‘d heard the growling, but that was mostly out of fear that she was in danger. She’d heard Tory call her back, and his voice had stirred something instinctive inside her. It was that protective instinct that mothers show in their children, that lovers show for each other… that only two beings that actually cared for the other showed. And while Filly Fluttershy hadn’t just stopped and run back to help Tory, she had taken up a spot nearby, just in case.

She’d heard her master challenge the wild Ponymon, and say that she had changed his life. When the silver pony galloped away, coming awfully close to her, Tory had given chase. She had followed him up until the point where he collapsed into the mud, and just laid there. Now, he was saying, practically begging her to rejoin him. Why? She was such a terrible friend! She couldn’t even protect him when he needed it! He had gotten hurt trying to make sure she was okay!

“Please Filly Fluttershy…” Tory begged once more, not realizing that she actually could hear him. His voice was barely more than a whisper now. “Just… come back. You’re not weak, and it doesn’t matter if I get hurt. I don’t want to have another pony, not if they are supposed to replace you! Fluttershy, you were the first one that I ever met, that never tried to run away from me… You’re the only one to ever be my friend besides Rhys… Please… Please… I don‘t know if you can hear me, but please…”

Filly Fluttershy could feel tears welling up in her eyes now. He sounded so…defeated. Did he really miss her that much? Surely not, after they had only known each other for three days! But the look in his eyes, how sad they were… Maybe… Maybe he really did care about her?

Getting up, Filly Fluttershy slowly walked out of her hiding spot. She came over to Tory, whose eyes were closed, and his breathing ragged. The rain continued to fall, hitting his face and making it look like he had been crying. He probably had been in all actuality.

The golden pony extended a wing to shield him from the water droplets. She was soaking wet, but the insides of her wings were still dry. Tory forced his eyes open, feeling the rain stop. He couldn’t see clearly, in fact everything he saw was blurred, but he smiled when his eyes fell upon Filly Fluttershy.

‘I heard…’ she smiled at him. ‘Every word…’

“F-Filly… Fluttershy,” he managed to get out, exhaustion keeping a grip on him. “Y-You…”

“Sshhh, don’t talk,’ his Ponymon soothed, placing a hoof over his mouth. ‘Save your energy…’

Tory closed his eyes, letting her voice relax him. She smiled as his breathing became gentle and even. Filly Fluttershy gently grasped the human by his shirt, and slowly, very slowly, dragged him under a tree. She got down next to him, and curled up near his head.

“I’m not sure if I want to keep going,” the golden pony thought. “But I do know that I want to protect Master Tory. I may not be able to do much, but I’ll do what I can…”

As Filly Fluttershy laid there, listening to the rain, she heard a low growling come from behind her. The protective instinct inside her rose, and she turned towards the sound, her mane fluffing up to make her seem larger.

Standing nearby in an attack stance was the silver Ponymon from before. His blue eyes glared at Filly Fluttershy, but she didn’t back down. She had a job to do, and that was protect Tory from whatever dangers arose.

“Why are you with that filth?!” the silver pony asked in their language, aiming a hoof at her master.

“I am his Ponymon,” she answered, taking a defensive position between him and Tory. “It is my job to protect him.”

“You say that, but how long until he gets another, stronger pony, and leaves you?” he spat, his glare intensifying. “All of those… human trash!… They don’t care about us! They make us fight each other, just for amusement! They are such detestable creatures!”

“Master Tory is NOT trash!” Filly Fluttershy defended. “He wouldn’t leave me! He came out into this rain even though he was in pain, just to find me, to beg me to come back! He protected me when… When I should’ve protected him…”

“Only because you’re all he has!” the silver Ponymon countered. “If he had any others with him that were stronger, he’d ditch your flank the moment he got the chance!”

“That is not Master Tory!” She returned angrily. “He’s a caring master, before I even joined him, he treated me so nicely!”

“So you think,” he replied with a snort. “Just you wait, he’ll leave you the moment he gets a chance.”

“He won’t!” Filly Fluttershy said, scraping a hoof against the ground to warn him that she would attack if she had to. “I know my master, and he would never do something so mean!”

“You think so highly of him, but you haven’t seen how bad these wastes of flesh are!” the Ponymon snapped. “I’m going to make you see them for what they really are, whether you like it or not!”

The silver pony charged at Filly Fluttershy, and she jabbed at him. He deflected the attack with a hoof, and dodged around her. The golden pony knew what he was about to do, and quickly bucked him with all of her strength. She had to protect Tory at all costs!

As the attacking pony flew back, he extended his wings and caught himself in the air. Filly Fluttershy stretched her own, and jumped. She managed to gain ten feet, but could not keep herself aloft. The silver Ponymon smirked, and flew towards her. He struck her once, twice, and finished with an uppercut.

“WHY DO YOU FIGHT FOR HIM?!!” he shouted at her. “HE WOULD NEVER DO THE SAME FOR YOU!!!”

Filly Fluttershy didn’t respond. Instead, she got to her hooves, and placed herself between him and Tory. Her eyes flared at the silver pony, and she extended her wings once more, but this time it was in a defensive way. She wasn’t going to let this pony hurt her master, she was going to do this.

“F-Filly… Fl-Fluttershy?” came Tory’s weak voice behind her.

The golden pony turned her head to look at him, and smiled gently. His eyes were so blank and soulless. Her guess was that he had gotten sick, and was in danger of being overcome by it. She had to act quickly, and get him to Rhys so that they could at least slow down the disease. Who knows how much time he had left…

‘Please Master Tory, don’t speak!” Filly Fluttershy begged him. “You’ll only make yourself weaker!”

“B-But what… about you?” Tory asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “I… can’t just… let you fight…”

‘Please Master…” she started, her eyes pleading for him to stop. “I have to do this. I refuse to let him touch you!”

“…”

Tory didn’t respond, his body and mind slowing down. His vision was blurry at best, he had no feeling in certain parts of his body, and he couldn’t think clearly. He could feel his energy seeping out of him into the mud. Whether he liked it or not, the human was dying, very slowly. This wasn’t a normal sickness, it was something entirely different. He had no idea what was afflicting him, but he knew that he didn’t have long.

“Hoof… Hoof Stomp,” Tory finally stammered. “Filly Fluttershy…use Hoof Stomp.”

Feeling her natural instinct take over, the golden pony rushed towards the silver one, and reared back. She slammed her hooves down onto him, forcing him down into the mud. But it wasn’t over yet! The silver Ponymon lashed out with a hoof and tripped Filly Fluttershy. Then he got up and reared back himself.

“N-No-o-o!” Tory cried out weakly. He may not be able to see good, but he could tell when his Ponymon was about to be attacked.

Time seemed to slow down as the silver pony’s hooves came down on Filly Fluttershy. Tory could do nothing but watch as they made contact with her, and she cried out in pain. The human could feel his mind run blank, and his eyes fill with tears. Something inside him snapped, and suddenly all of the energy he lost had returned.

Rage replaced every other emotion inside Tory. He climbed to his feet and glared at the silver pony. There was nothing else in existence right now, besides him. He hurt Fluttershy, and HE. WAS. GOING. TO. PAY!!!

The Ponymon heard the human get up, and turned to see pure, untainted, malicious anger directed at him. Those piercing blue eyes made him cringe, and he took a step back. The human came forward, his fists clenched so tight that he was digging into his palm and drawing blood. If there had ever been hell to pay before in that pony‘s life, it was NOTHING compared to what he could feel coming! But why? All he did was retaliate from that earlier attack! Surely a weak attack like that towards the golden pony wasn’t enough to made this boy go absolutely berserk?!

“…Never…” came Tory’s voice, low and filled with a rage that sent many shivers down the silver pony’s spine. “…I will not watch you hurt Filly Fluttershy…”

The Ponymon took another step back, and Tory came forward once more. Such rage over a small strike like that? Surely he didn’t care that much for the golden pony?! Humans never cared about their kind! They always stole them from their homes and families, used them to fight for entertainment, and ditched them when they got a stronger Ponymon! Why was this human so different?

‘No-o-o-o!’ cried out Filly Fluttershy, jumping onto Tory from behind and wrapping her hooves around his neck. ‘No more Master Tory, please! Don’t hurt him!’

“…Filly Fluttershy,” Tory whispered, his voice regaining some of itself. His eyes softened slowly as he reached behind him and felt her soft mane. “You’re… You’re okay…”

The silver pony took this as a golden opportunity to escape, and turned tail. There was no point in continuing this…fight! If he stayed any longer, the odds of him escaping uninjured would sharply decline. He looked back over his shoulder to see the golden pony and human watching him. He stopped and glared at them.

“This isn’t over human!” he shouted in his own language. “I know your kind for what they really are! One day, I’ll expose you for the fraud that is you and your kind!”

With that, he dashed through a clump of trees and out of their sight. Tory looked at Filly Fluttershy, confused at what just happened, as he couldn‘t speak their language. Then he felt exhaustion reclaim him, and his legs buckled. The human’s eyes clouded over, and he was vaguely aware of his pony calling out for him. There was nothing he could do though, his body refused to act, and his mind couldn’t think. Tory had nothing left to keep going, all of his energy spent in that useless surge from before. As his vision went out, the human could feel a warm presence surround him…

I.I.I

Black. Complete, endless black. That was all Tory saw. It was like an abyss, and he had been swallowed whole into it. He felt nothing below him, heard nothing around him, all he had was his vision. And while it should have been impossible really, Tory could see himself, perfectly fine really. The whole room was endless black, with no light, yet he could see himself as though he was in broad daylight.

“Am… Am I dead?” Tory asked aloud, listening to his voice echo everywhere. “Is this what awaits us all when we die?”

“You are not dead, not yet young one…” came a strong, regal and feminine voice from the emptyness. “I just wished to see the one that had called out to me…”

“Called out to you?” Tory repeated, confused. “I’m not sure I understand. I don’t think I did that, unless of course your name is also Filly Fluttershy?”

“Hmhmhmhm, no it is not,” the voice replied with a chuckle. “While I cannot tell you my name, I assure you that I heard you call out to me. I felt your anger when your precious friend was hurt, and that summoned me to you.”

“My… anger?” the human repeated, looking down at his hands. “My rage and aggression brought you to me? But… That isn’t who I am! I could never harm another living being!”

“Relax young one,” the voice soothed. “Your anger summoned me, not any pain you might’ve caused. You can rest easy knowing that no damage was done…”

“I…guess,” Tory said, returning his gaze to the void that surrounded him. “But why me? I’m just a nobody, only recently shown into Equestria. Surely there are others that have felt anger like mine?”

While there have been,” the voice agreed. “None of them have shown such devotion like I have seen from you. Young one, you risked your life just to find your Filly Fluttershy. You felt the pain that many like her have felt…”

As the regal voice talked, Tory could see images flashing through his head of recent days. He saw himself limping through the forest, looking for his Ponymon. He saw himself getting hit by Filly Applejack’s Hoof Stomp, from when he protected the golden pony…

“You showed a kind heart to one you did not know…”

Once more, Tory saw himself, but he was back in Sweet Apple Acres. The human saw himself veer of into a tree to avoid hitting what would later become his pony. The event played out before him. When he came close to Filly Fluttershy, when he spoke so softly to her, and when he watched her trot away with the assistant.

Then Tory saw himself in Oak’s lab, and Varil had just treated Filly Fluttershy so cruelly. The human watched as he picked up the ponyball and talked with it’s owner once more, asking if she wanted to join him…

“You stood up against the odds when a friend had tasted defeat…”

Again, the memory played out before him. It was Tory’s battle with Varil after Rhys had been beaten! The human smiled as he saw his victory repeated, and the small celebration he and his friends had. It felt good to see all of them and him together, laughing and smiling.

“There may come one like you once in a few hundred years,” the voice commented. “You would not use your anger in seeking personal gain, or to hurt others. You are the kind that uses it for good purposes. To protect those close to you, to help the ones that need it.”

“You make me sound like I’m something impressive,” Tory joked. “I’m just another person. I can’t do anything special…”

“Only because you have not seen your true potential yet.” the regal voice replied. “As time progresses, you’ll see where your talent lies. When that happens, we shall speak again. Here, a little memento, to remind you of what transpired…”

A faded purple light shone in Tory’s right hand. As it vanished, he saw a deep indigo feather within his grasp. He observed it, and felt the softness of it. But why a feather? Just who was this, and what was so special about Tory? The human felt his body grow heavy, and his weight shifted towards his back.

Tory opened his eyes to see a clear blue sky above him, and warm sunlight breaking through the trees. He shifted about, and found him movement restricted by…his sleeping bag? How had he gotten inside that, which was all the way back at the camp? Slowly getting up, his back screaming in protest, the human looked at his surroundings.

He saw that he was back at camp, with everything just the way he had left it. The only difference was that Rhys and Filly Applejack weren’t sleeping against the tree now. Instead, they were over by the cooking pot. At the sound of Tory’s bag moving, they turned to look at him.

“Look who finally woke up,” Rhys smiled. “Thought you’d stay asleep forever mate!”

“…How did I…” Tory started, unsure of just what happened.

“Fluttershy brought you back,” the orange wearing boy answered, pointing beside his friend. “Came into camp dragging your body, and we kinda feared the worst.”

Tory looked down to his side where Rhys pointed. Filly Fluttershy was curled up near his pillow, sleeping soundly. The silver wearing teen smiled, and began to stroke her hair gently. She had dragged him all the way back? Man, he couldn’t believe how lucky he was! How often can you say your Ponymon cares about you enough to do that? She could’ve just as easily left him to die, or gotten hurt herself. Then Professor Oak’s words sounded in his head.

“I think you’ll enjoy Fluttershy Tory, as her species is kind, loving, and always there to support their master…”

Tory smiled as he recalled those words. Filly Fluttershy was indeed all of those things. She was a kind soul, and always put others before herself. And after saving his life, the teen was pretty confident that she was always there to support her master.

“Thank you Filly Fluttershy,” Tory whispered to her. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner…”

“You starting to see things differently now?” Rhys asked him, motioning for the boy to come over by the cooking pot. “Are you gonna stop treating her like a child mate?”

“…Maybe,” Tory considered, taking a seat next to his friend. “But I guess I owe you an apology. After today’s events, I think I have learned a few things. I realize that I won’t always be able to protect her. Seeing that one Ponymon attack Filly Fluttershy while I was stuck in the mud made me understand that. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying! No, if I can help it I’m going to keep her safe.”

“…It’s a start,” Rhys laughed. “Maybe later you’d like to pick our battle where it left off?”

“I don’t think so,” Tory smiled. “I know I need to get over the fact that Filly Fluttershy is going to get hurt, but I don’t want to rush it.”

“That’s alright then,” his friend nodded. “Just know that when we get to Ponyville, we might encounter a few Bronies looking for a match. Tory, mate, you’re going to have to accept their challenges sooner or later. The only way to get better is to fight, and isn’t that what being a Brony is about?”

“…No, that isn’t what it’s about.” Tory shook his head with a smile. “It’s not about fighting, or winning, or just competition in general… Being a Brony is about Ponymon! It’s about traveling with them, forging unbreakable bonds of friendship, and experiencing what the world has to offer with them. While most have taken to the concept of ‘Battling is the Brony way’, they are wrong. ‘To better ourselves, and enjoy the natural beauty of this world’, that is what I think being a Brony is about…”

“Mate, did you hit your head or something?” Rhys asked, a strange look on his face.

“…Yes, yes I did,” Tory laughed. “But right after that, I had an epiphany. I can’t explain it very well, but I met a… Honestly, I have no idea what to call them. While I was out like a light, I talked with this voice. It was feminine, that much I knew, and she sounded strong and capable. She told me a few things, and that got me thinking…”

“…Ri-i-i-i-ight,” Rhys said. “I guess that works. But anyways, how are you feeling?”

“Well, my back seems to be the worst of it,” Tory replied, stretching. “But that is what confuses me. I was weak as hell earlier, so why am I not now?”

“That’s what we were wondering,” his friend told him, looking at Filly Applejack. “When Filly Fluttershy brought you in, your had a massive fever, and nothing we did seemed to slow down the sickness. Then a strange purple glow surrounded you, and… We don’t know what happened. When the light faded, there was a feather in your hands.”

“A feather?” Tory asked, remembering that dream. “Where is it?”

“Right beside your pillow,” Rhys answered, pointing to where Tory had been sleeping. “I wasn’t sure what it was or where it came from, but whatever happened, I think it saved your life.”

“…No, it didn’t,” the silver wearing teen told him with a smile, picking up the feather. “It was HER. She saved my life. Then she gave me this as a reminder.”

‘Tory, you’re awake!’ came Filly Fluttershy’s soft voice in Tory’s head. Then he felt a pair of hooves wrap themselves around his legs. ‘I was SO worried! You were so sick, and then you fell into the mud, and I dragged you back, and-’

“Easy now,” Tory soothed, reaching down and stroking her soft mane. “I’m fine, thanks to you. There’s no need to worry now…”

‘B-But…’ the golden pony trailed off. She looked at her master with her blue eyes, and hugged him tighter. ‘I wasn’t able to help you…’

“Don’t say that Filly Fluttershy,” Tory smiled, getting eye level with her. “You helped me just by being there. If not for you, I wouldn’t even be out here, going on the adventure. I wouldn’t have the best of partners right beside me either.”

‘But I’m… not the best of partners,’ she said quietly, a slight blush on he face.

“You might think that, but I don’t,” Tory told her with a grin. “I wouldn’t want any other pony beside me Filly Fluttershy!”

I.I.I

In the bushes nearby, a silver Ponymon watched everything unfold before him. He felt sick to his stomach, watching these humans with their little slaves! However the ponies with them acted, HE knew the truth. He had seen first hand how cruel and merciless his kind was treated by those detestable pieces of filth!

The silver pony turned away from the group, thinking back to those days long ago. He had been around for a few years, and had traveled far. He didn’t know where he was when ‘it’ happened, or how to get back, but he had managed to return…only to have everything he knew changed…

I.I.I Flashback: Two Years Ago I.I.I

It was quiet in the forest. It had been that way for days actually, and the silver filly didn’t like it. Many times he had galloped through this forest, the same one he had been born in, yet never had it been quiet. The birds always chirped up a storm, and other fillies were usually about, trying to think of fun things to do. But today the birds were silent, and the silver filly saw no other ponies.

His mother had said to stay within their home, a small hollow tree, but he wasn’t one to sit about. When she had turned her back, the filly had taken flight and left his ‘room’, a branch near the top of the tree. It was the farthest from the ground he could stand on, and it wouldn’t break. His father had said it was best, just in case, When asked about why, the stallion just turned away.

Lost in his thoughts, the silver filly hadn’t heard the stomping from behind. When it finally became the only sound in his head, he was already to late. A purple blur charged at him, and sent him flying into a random tree. He looked up to see something on two legs, and another pony beside him. The pony was purple with a mane and tail of a near black shade, and had two streaks of purple and red running through them.

“Ow!” the silver filly cried out. He looked at the pony with a glare. “Why did you hurt me?!”

“Because Master told me to,” she smirked evilly. “And I listen to Master.”

The thing on two legs said something that the silver filly didn’t understand, and the pony charged at him once more. This time, the filly managed to sidestep, but two legs kicked him in the stomach and he fell to the ground. A small round object came flying out of nowhere, and hit him in the head. A red light blinded him, and that was it.

Opening his eyes, the filly saw he was in a large field. A gentle breeze blew, and the scent of summer hung in the air. Just where was he? The last thing he remembered was that pony attacking him and the red light…

Before he had a chance to gather his thoughts, the filly’s vision went white, and he was back in the forest. He looked around to see that one pony beside him, and the thing on two legs looming over him. In a burst of fear, the filly turned around and dashed for his home. He had gotten through a few trees when something heavy fell on top of him and he couldn’t move. Turning over, he noticed it was the purple pony.

“Why are you doing this to me?!” the silver filly shouted, tears streaming from his eyes. “I never did anything to you!”

“Maser wanted you, and Master gets what he wants,” she replied calmly. “Now get up and turn around. Go apologize to your new master.”

“My… My new master?” he asked, confused. “I don’t understand!”

“You were wild,” the purple pony explained. “And Master caught you. Now, you have to do whatever he says, or be punished.”

“B-But I don’t wanna!” the silver filly whined. “I just wanna go home!”

“Tough luck!” she snapped. “You were dumb enough to just stand there and get knocked around instead of running when you saw us! It’s your own fault that you were caught! Now go apologize to Master!”

The silver filly cringed at how she shouted at him, but he did what he was told. He walked up to the thing on two legs, and lowered his head. He was scared out of his little mind! Reluctantly, he said sorry to them, and was promptly hit in the face.

As he hit the ground, the filly looked up at his…‘master’… to see angry green eyes glaring at him. Why? What had he done wrong that deserved such treatment. Not even his own parents were so cruel when he did something he wasn’t supposed to.

Still on the ground, he began to cry. It was soft and low, but still the large creature heard him. The silver filly was smacked in the face once more, and his vision went black. The next thing he knew, it was night time and he was beside a fire. Looking around, he felt a sting on one side of his face. He groaned as he placed a hoof over it.

“Good, you’re awake,” came a female voice beside him. It was that purple pony from earlier.

“You!” he said, getting up. “You big meanie! Why did you tell me to apologize?! I got hurt because of that!”

“Shut up!” she hissed, placing a hoof over his mouth. “You’ll wake Master with all of that noise!.. Listen, you got hit because you tried to run away. If you hadn’t came back and apologized, you’d have been beaten worse. You got off light, trust me.”

“He hits you too?” the filly asked

“Only if I disobey him,” she answered. “Master won’t hurt us if we do as we’re told. Now, it’s time for your shift. During the night, Master makes us keep an eye out for attackers. We’ve all taken our shifts, and we are tired. I only stayed up to tell you so you wouldn’t get beaten again. Alert us if anything comes out, but make sure it’s important. If it isn’t, Master will beat you even worse. Good night.”

The purple pony curled up beside the fire, and lowered her head. The silver filly looked at her for a second before turning to see his surroundings. Besides him and the purple one, there were two other ponies. One was gray with a black mane and tail, the other was yellow with a white mane and tail. Feeling a tap on his hooves, the silver filly looked down to see the purple one looking at him.

“Listen, I’m sorry about earlier today.” she apologized. “I didn’t mean to act like that, I was just caught up in the moment of battle…” she smiled at him and continued. “My name is Twi’, and my breed is Twilight Sparkle. The gray one over there is called Lugnut, not even HE is sure what breed he is! The yellow one we call Jolt, ‘cause of how fast he is and his color. He doesn’t know what breed he is either. What about you? What’s your name and breed?”

“…”

“Don’t really want to talk to me now huh?” Twi’ asked, looking at him closely. “I understand. It’s kind of confusing and upsetting, being dragged away from everything you know. Just give us time, and you’ll come to enjoy things.”

“…Why me?” the filly eventually asked. “I was just walking along. What made him want me?”

“…Your breed most likely,” the purple pony sighed. “In all of my travels, I’ve never seen any of your kind. Me and Master have gone to many places, but not once have your breed ever shown up. You were the first he had ever seen, and he ordered me to ‘collect’ you. Please don’t take it personally…”

“…Fine,” he gave in after a few seconds. “I won’t blame you. But will you help me? There are just so many questions I have… I’m not sure of anything anymore…”

“Don’t worry, that’s my job,” Twi’ reassured him, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “I’ve been with Master the longest, and know the most about how things work with him. I’ll guide you as we go.”

“Th-Thanks,” the silver filly said.

“How about I tell you a few things during your shift?” she offered. “I used to keep guard until the dawn approached anyways, so it’s fine with me.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “Won’t um, Master, get upset?”

“Heheheh, you don’t have to call him Master,” Twi chuckled. “That’s what I call him ‘cause I’ve been with him longest. The others call him ‘Boss’, or ‘Big Man’. It doesn’t matter, so long as you’re not talking to him. When you use his name, it is ‘Master A’… You know, I still don’t know your name?”

The silver filly looked at her cautiously. Should he tell her? If what she was saying was true, he be stuck with these characters for a while. The odds of him escaping were thin, and if he tried tonight, something told him they’d hunt him down until they destroyed every tree in the forest.

“My name…” he started after a few seconds. “… My name is-”

I.I.I Present Day I.I.I

“Hey! Who’s in the bush?!”

The silver Ponymon shook his head at hearing that. He had been daydreaming again, and it had gotten him discovered! Getting his act together, he stepped out and into the clearing that the two humans and their ponies were resting in.

“It’s you!” Filly Fluttershy said, getting up. “What’re you doing here?!”

“Ya’ll know ‘im?” Filly Applejack asked.

He tried to hurt Master Tory!” the golden pony explained, keeping her glare on the silver one.

“So his name is Tory…” he muttered to himself. “Now I know what to call that waste of flesh!”

“Ya’ll come anywhere ‘im, and we’ll buck yer apples so hard, ya won’t know what hit ya!” the orange Ponymon threatened.

“Filly Fluttershy, what’s going on?” Tory asked, getting up.

“You!” the silver Ponymon snarled. “I’m going to expose you! You and that other piece of trash will keep these two slaves no more!”

“What is this?” the orange wearing human questioned. “Filly Applejack, what is he saying, and why does he seem to have such a problem with Tory?”

Oh that’s right, those filthy two-legged THINGS couldn’t speak pony. The only way to talk with them was through a form of telepathy, created by a strong bond when both pony and human were in sync. It didn’t matter on what level, be it aggressive, passive, or otherwise, so long as both were in that same state of mind, the two would gain the ability.

“Go ahead, tell him ‘Filly Applejack’,” the silver pony jeered. “Obey your master and give in to his every whim!”

“Ya’ll act like ya seen some hard times,” she commented. “Why don’ ya set a while and tell us?”

“You think I’ll just ‘set a while’ in THEIR presence?!” he snapped. “You must have hay for brains!”

“But why?!” Filly Fluttershy asked, her blue eyes so soft and caring. “Why do you hate our masters? They never did anything to you!”

“Not to me,” the silver pony agreed, turning his eyes to her. “But one day, maybe soon, maybe far off…one day they are going to hurt you. They’ll beat you, treat you like dirt, and leave you for dead! The moment they think you serve no purpose to them, I guarantee they’ll do it!”

“So tha’s what happened to ya…” Filly Applejack nodded understandingly. “Yer master treated ya badly, am Ah’ right?”

“JUST SHUT UP!” he snarled as ferociously as he could. “YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH, AND NEVER OPEN IT AGAIN!!!”

“Hey, leave Filly Applejack alone!” the orange wearing human shouted, taking a defensive postion in front of his pony. “She never did anything to you!”

“YOU STAY OUT OF THIS FILTHY HUMAN SCUM!!!” the silver pony raged at him. “YOU HAVE NO SAY!! YOUR KIND ARE JUST HEARTLESS TORTURERS!!!”

“Mah master is no such guy!” the orange pony growled in return. “He would never harm me!”

“Listen you little brat,” he started on her. “You haven’t seen what I have. These humans, they’re just using you. They don’t care about you at all! The moment they get a stronger pony, they’ll ditch you on the side of the road, and leave you for dead! I’ve seen it happen too many times…”

“But…” Filly Fluttershy whispered. “But just because someone treated you badly doesn’t mean that all of their kind are mean.”

“Look, I know it’s hard to believe,” the silver pony tried to reason. “But it is the truth. Your masters may act nice, and do good things for you, but the moment you make a mistake, they’ll beat you within an inch of your life! I’m just trying to help you…”

“Well yer help ain’t wanted!” Filly Applejack countered, still intense. “Jes’ git back ta wherever ya came from!”

“…Fine,” he gave in.” Just remember what was said today. You may not like it, but you’ll see. It’s only a matter of time…”

With that, the silver Ponymon turned around and walked into the bush once more. He turned around to look at them once more. He glared at the two humans, but his gaze softened when it fell upon the ponies. They would learn, soon enough, just how bad those two-legged beasts were. And when they did, he would be there to save them…

I.I.I

“That was different,” Rhys commented, watching the silver Ponymon walk into the bushes.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him,” Tory said, thinking aloud.

‘He is afraid,’ Filly Fluttershy told him. ‘He is hurting, and is afraid we will feel the same thing.’

“Hurting?” Tory asked. “Like, emotionally?”

Filly Fluttershy nodded, and the silver wearing human adopted his thinking pose. Rhys just looked at him, waiting to see what he’d say. After nothing for a few seconds, the orange wearing boy returned his gaze to the bushes. Then he felt a tap on his legs, and looked down to see his pony staring up at him with her sad, green eyes.

‘R-Rhys, are you going to punish me?’ she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

“Punish you?” the human questioned incredulously. “For what? You haven’t done anything wrong!”

‘B-But Tory got hurt because I hit him,’ she protested. ‘An’ after listenin’ ta that varmin, I don’t know what to believe…’

“…Listen Filly Applejack,” Rhys sighed, getting eye level with her. “What happened earlier was an accident. You were just doing as I asked of you, and Tory got in the way like an idiot.”

“Hey!” Tory called out from beside him. “I resent that!”

“Don’t blame yourself for what happened,” the orange wearing boy continued, ignoring his friend. “You’re a good pony, and a better friend. These things happen, and the only thing we can do is continue on…” When he saw his message wasn’t getting through to her, he gently lifted her head so she would look at him. “Please Filly Applejack, just relax. These things are going to happen, knowing how stubborn Tory is. Just try to be a bit more careful, okay?”

‘…Okay,’ she finally said, her green eyes sparkling again, and a smile on her face. ‘I’ll do my best!’

“That’s all I can ask of you!” Rhys smiled back, hugging his pony. “That’s all I will ever ask of you.”

“…It’s getting late,” Tory said after a minute of silence. “We should all get some sleep.”

With that, the group settled down for the night. Tory slipped into his sleeping bag, pulling Filly Fluttershy close to him. After today, he wasn’t going to let her sleep alone, on the cold ground. She sighed in content, and snuggled into his chest. Rhys did the same with Filly Applejack, but then again he always did that. He just loved to keep her close to him, where he knew she was safe.

Like Tory , the orange wearing human wanted nothing more than to protect the Ponymon he had picked. The only difference between the two humans was the fact that Rhys was willing to let Filly Applejack get hurt. He didn’t want her to, but he knew it would happen. It was his job to make sure she dodged when the attacks came in, and he was going to do just that.

“Night,” Tory called over to his friend.

“G’night mate,” Rhys replied.

I.I.I

The silver Ponymon walked back through the woods, his mind wandering. Why? Why did those two ponies care so much about their masters? That white and purple one from yesterday didn’t seem to like hers, so why were the ones today so different? These questions just kept running through his head, aggravating him to no end.

“Filthy human scum!” the pony spat. “Those two ponies don’t understand what they are actually like. If they had seen the things I have, they’d be begging me to save them!”

But one thing kept squirming it’s way into his thoughts. Why had that one human, Tory he was called. Why had he gone so crazy when the silver pony attacked that golden one? It was almost like he cared about her!

Shaking his head, the Ponymon’s anger returned. He didn’t care, not at all! He was upset that his pony had been losing. But those eyes, and what he said… A shiver ran down the pony’s spine, just thinking about it.

“I’ve never seen a human get so worked up over such a little thing,” he murmered to himself. “Why did he act so differently? These humans… just what are they?”

The silver Ponymon continued to walk through the woods, the same one that he had grown up in, she same one he had been stolen from. He walked back to the tree that he called home, now void of all life besides him. He stretched his wings and flew up to a branch near the top, the same branch he had slept on during his time in this tree.

The pony looked out over the forest, his branch showing a beautiful view of the forest he knew so well. And once more, he’d have to leave it. This time though, it was on his terms, and he would return once more. With these thoughts in his head, the silver Ponymon laid down. He rested his head on his hooves, and fell asleep. Tomorrow, he was going to leave his home…

I.I.I Author’s Note I.I.I

How was that for a second chapter? Did I do good enough? If your wondering, that Twilight is not the one that will appear as a main in the story. She was just another one of her breed that appeared in the silver one’s background story. Speaking of that, I’ll go into more details as I go, so don’t worry. Also, the other two ponies that appeared, Lugnut and Jolt, are just two random ponies I made up on the spot. They do not represent a specific pony. Neither does their ‘Master’.

Oh, and Rhys is not a jerk, just saying. He is simply really intense when it comes to certain things. He just wanted to make sure I learned that I can’t always protect Filly Fluttershy. The guy is a good friend, and I’m glad to know him. If not for him and JZWafflezBrony/Raven Smite, I’d never be the kind of colt I am today, or writing any stories at all! Thank you, both of you!

Tory Mills/ Silverwing Strong

Ponymon: Dusk Journey

by Silverwing Strong

The First Step

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Author's Note